Ch. 101..110
Chapter 101 Lux’s Carefully Planned Slaughterhouse
While the Orc Guards were manning their posts, they casually conversed with each other. Several Orc Warriors entered and left the camp from time to time, allowing Lux to get a general idea of how many forces were in or around Baronar's encampment at any given time.
The numbers gave him a headache and made him wonder if there had been others who had tried to clear the quest in the past, but were unable to do so due to the sheer difficulty of the mission.
'If my estimate is correct, aside from the twelve Orc Guards, there are still at least forty Orc Warriors in the encampment,' Lux mused. 'Baronar is located at the Central Tent, and is mostly spending his time alone, performing some experiments. I just hope my plan works.'
After waiting half an hour longer, Lux sent a mental message to Diablo and Ishtar to immediately start their operation.
Immediately, several fiery lights appeared in the distance. A moment later, a rain of arrows fell on the Orc Encampment, setting the tent where the food reserves were stored on fire.
The Orc Guards immediately blew a horn to alert everyone in the camp that they were under attack.
Several of the Orc Warriors ran towards the food storage tent, attempting to extinguish the flames that were already turning their food supply to ashes.
However, that was the least of their problems. The rain of arrows continued, setting more tents in the Orc Encampment on fire, creating more and more chaos.
The Skeletal Grand Archers kept on firing fire arrows that were imbued with the flames of Diablo's Nightmare Mount, Airon.
It was at that moment that the Guard Captain roared and ordered the Guards to attack the Skeleton Archers in the distance. A dozen Orc Warriors joined the Guards and charged towards their enemies as they shouted their war cries.
Seeing this development, Diablo and the Skeleton Grand Archers made a strategic retreat towards the forest. Their role was to lure as many Orcs away from their encampment as possible so that Lux's forces could kill them off one by one and weaken Baronar's forces.
Ishtar, the Forgotten Queen, shot her deadly arrows at the Orc Warriors that were at the rear of the formation. She was like a wraith that moved from tree to tree as she unleashed deadly rain of arrows that were coated in frost, which slowed the Orcs down in their pursuit after getting hit.
The Skeleton Grand Archers had learned the skill Poison Arrow which they repeatedly shot at the Orcs, making their high health decrease by a good margin.
With Eiko's ability to copy Lux's skills, the number of Skeleton Grand Archers on Lux's side rose to eight in total. Although their numbers were few, the way they had used their poison arrows to cripple their enemies had slowly taken its toll.
Naturally, once an Orc got near one of the Skeletons, it only took them five swings of their weapons to completely shatter the bodies of the Skeleton Grand Archers.
But, that was not a problem.
"EI! Ei! Ei!" Eiko shouted as she summoned her new Skeleton Grand Archers to replace those that had died in battle.
Lux was doing the same. The Half-Elf and the Slime were currently on top of a tree, watching the battle unfold from their vantage point.
Diablo with his mighty steed, Airon, played their role well and were a force to be reckoned with. The two of them were peak Rank 2 Monsters, but although they were weaker than the Orc Guards, they weren't fighting alone.
It was the typical 1+1 = 2 scenario in which Diablo and his mount, Airon, attacked their enemies in unison.
The Nightmare fired Flame Lances left and right, while Diablo hacked away at the Orc Guards with his sword, and blocked their blows with his shield.
If it weren't for the Skeletal Fighters that Lux and Eiko summoned, which numbered a total of fourteen, Diablo would have a harder time in the battle.
Over twenty-four Orcs charged towards the forest, and all of them fell into Lux's carefully designed slaughterhouse.
Naturally, some of the Orcs decided to retreat, but it was too late by then.
Ishtar had placed traps on the forest floor right after the Orcs had charged deeper in the forest. As a Skeleton Hunter, one of her abilities was Set Trap. Although she could only place five traps with her current rank, those five traps were more than enough to cripple or severely injure those that stepped on them.
The traps that Isthar had set in this fight were "Steel Bear Traps". These were steel, jagged traps that would leave anyone who stepped on them feel a world of pain.
When the number of Orcs had decreased to ten individuals, the attacks coming from the Skeletons intensified as well.
"Here. Drink this, Eiko," Lux said as he allowed the baby Slime to drink a mana potion in order to recover her almost depleted mana reserves.
Eiko had very high regeneration, and the bonuses she received whenever Lux, or Iris, was around was also quite powerful. It wouldn't have been a problem for the baby Slime were it not for the fact that the Skeletons were clearly no match against the Orc Warriors that could kill them with few swings.
Whenever Diablo was about to die, Lux would unsummon him and resummon him in a different location, allowing the Skeletal Rider to continue his rampage.
Even Airon's eyes glowed brightly as the battle lust engulfed it.
It was at that moment when Colette and her party joined the battle. The Orcs were a mostly spent force at this point, and the damage they had received from the poison in their bodies made their movements more and more sluggish.
"Should I join as well?" Barca asked as he cracked his knuckles. "This will serve as a good warmup."
"Okay, but don't exert yourself too much," Lux replied. "We need you at your peak condition when we fight Baronar. Don't underestimate your opponents."
"I know." Barca grinned as he charged towards the battle holding his Greatsword.
After Colette, her party, and Barca joined the battle, the Orcs could no longer offer any resistance and were gangbanged on all sides.
Lux watched this one-sided massacre, while he and Eiko chugged down another bottle of Mana Potion. At most, he had only halved the forces under Baronar's command. They had yet to deal with the other half, and their battle was far from over.
After the last Orc Warrior fell on the ground, the bodies of Colette and her friends glowed briefly.
,m "They leveled up?" Lux chuckled when he saw the little Dwarves jump up and down due to happiness.
Usually, Solaians would learn Class Specific Skills and Abilities when they level up, aside from getting Free Stats and Skill Points that they could distribute freely.
Unlike Solaians, Lux was unable to level up, but for him, this wasn't too big of an issue since everyone could increase their stats by absorbing Beast Cores, in addition to being able to learn skills in the same manner, so—for now—the difference between him and Colette's group was almost negligible.
Of course, Lux's friends, who had entered Elysium four years ago, were certainly stronger than him. However, the Half-Elf knew that it would only be a matter of time before he caught up to them.
Lux felt giddy at the thought of letting his childhood friends see how strong he had become. Unfortunately, he didn't plan on meeting with them until his goals in the Kingdom of Gweliven had been met.
For the time being, he tossed this idea to the back of his mind. His Hidden Quest was still not over and he couldn't afford to be distracted. Baronar was still alive, and he still had to deal with the other half of Baronar's forces remaining.
"Now, it's time for step two of the plan," Lux muttered as he lightly patted Eiko's head. "Eiko, I will leave it up to you."
The baby Slime nodded her head happily. "Pa!"
The father and daughter pair laughed evilly as they moved into Phase 2 of their plan. This was the first time that Lux had given Eiko a mission, and the baby Slime was more than happy to do her best.
If their plan worked perfectly then Baronar and the rest of the Orcs would be in for a very, very, nasty surprise.
Chapter 102 Baronar’s Fate [Part 1]
"Baronar! Come out, you swine!" Barca shouted
After Lux and his group finished collecting their spoils of war, they decided to strike while the iron was still hot. Barca had already given Lux the item that would help him subdue Baronar without risking his life during their duel.
The Half-Elf then passed it to Eiko who had snuck inside the Orc Encampment, waiting for an opportunity to carry out her mission.
The Orc Shaman angrily came out of his tent, followed by his two elite guards, who he had summoned after hearing Barca's shout. After hearing what happened to their stockpile of food, the Orc Shaman's temper was at an all time high.
A minute after Baronar left his tent to face off against Barca, a baby Slime poked out her head out of one of the tents near the Orc Shaman's residence.
Seeing that her target had left his abode, Eiko hurriedly crawled towards the tent to start her mission.
The baby Slime looked around for a bit before she moved towards the table. As a Slime, she could practically walk on any surface without a problem. Once she was on top of the table, she saw a half finished plate of roasted meat, a wooden cup, and a jug of some kind of drink that Eiko had no idea about.
The baby slime used her Air Strider [EX] skill to float in the air and hover above the jug of what seemed to be some kind of Orc Beer.
Earlier, Barca had given Lux a bottle of slow-acting Mage Poison. Although it had the word poison on it, it wasn't lethal enough to kill a mage just because they drank it. However, it could prevent the Mage from being able to harness the mana in their bodies, therefore rendering them unable to cast spells.
And even if they could still manage to cast a spell, it would be a very difficult endeavor for them to do. Barca intended to limit Baronar's offensive abilities and whittle him down in front of his men. The Orc race was a race that obeyed the strong. Unless Barca was able to defeat Baronar in a duel, they would never recognize him as their new Master.
The only downside of this poison was the amount of time needed before it starts to take effect, which was at least an hour or two.
'Pour all the contents of the bottle inside that jar, Eiko,' Lux ordered. Using his connection with Eiko, he checked on her progress. This was similar to how Lux was able to observe Diablo's surroundings as long as he entered a meditative state. It also allowed him to see and hear their immediate surroundings.
The baby Slime nodded her head and took out a glass vial from inside her mouth. She then opened it and poured its contents inside the jug as Lux ordered. After the deed was done, the Half-Elf ordered Eiko to leave because Baronar might return at any moment.
Just as Eiko was about to leave the tent, she heard the sounds of footsteps headed in her direction. The baby Slime immediately turned her head left and right in order to find a place to hide.
A few moments later, the flap of the tent opened and Baronar came inside along with his two elite warriors.
"That bastard, Barca! How dare he do this to me?!" Baronar growled in anger as he slammed the butt of his bone staff on the ground. "Challenge me to a duel in two hours? Hah! It seems that being a Half-Blood made him stupid. I knew that I should have killed him back then when I had the chance."
Baronar walked towards the table in anger and poured himself a cup of mead. He chugged everything down in less than five seconds and poured himself another cup. After regaining his calm, he resumed eating his dinner.
Since he would be fighting against Barca in two hours, he needed to replenish his strength. The Orc Shaman wasn't afraid of his opponent. He had been challenged many times in the past, and the skulls of all those challengers had been added to his collection.
Truth be told, among the four Orc Warlords, Baronar was the strongest. Even the reigning Orc Chieftain, Orobak, treated him with respect.
After finishing his meal, the Orc Shaman laid down on the bed to recover his strength. However, before doing so, he ordered one of his Elite Orc Warriors to get him some water.
The Orc Warrior casually grabbed one of the clay jugs near the door to take it to the river behind the camp to get some water.
As he was headed towards his destination, he suddenly heard a giggling sound near him. The Orc Warrior became alert and looked around him. He was still holding the jug in his left hand, while he held a War Axe in his right.
Looking at his surroundings, he saw no one, and yet, the giggling sound continued.
The Orc Warrior tried to locate the source of the sound. After a while, he realized that the sound came from somewhere beside him.
When he looked at his hand, he saw the clay jug trembling. This confused the Orc Warrior because this was the first time he saw a giggling clay jug. What he didn't know was that Eiko had transformed into one of the clay jugs near the door in order to hide from them.
Unfortunately, the baby Slime was quite a bit ticklish. When the Orc Warrior carried her along, she wasn't able to stop herself from giggling because the clay jug was her body.
Before the Orc Warrior could even decide what to do, a hand covered his mouth, and a greatsword pierced through his chest from behind.
This loosened his grip on the clay jug, causing it to fall towards the ground. However, before it landed, it transformed into a baby Blue Slime that bounced off the ground once before giggling happily. Clearly, Eiko still hadn't recovered from her ticklish experience.
"Good job," Barca said as he looked down on the baby Slime that had carried out her mission well. "Let's go back."
"Un!" Eiko replied, then happily ate the Beast Core that had dropped to the ground before jumping on Barca's right shoulder.
The baby Slime didn't consume the Beast Core, but simply stored it inside her body so she could give it to her Papa later. Although she was a battle junkie and a glutton, she would never consume a Beast Core when her Papa wasn't near.
Lux had told Barca to retrieve Eiko from the camp after the Orc Warrior left Baronar's tent. Since Phase 2 of their plan was completed, all he needed to do was wait for the promised time, so that Barca could duel the weakened Baronar in front of his subordinates.
Chapter 103 Baronar’s Fate [Part 2]
Two hours later…
Most of the patrolling Orc Warriors had returned to the Orc Encampment after hearing the signal horn. Because of this, the total number of Orc Warriors inside the camp now numbered a hundred.
All of them gathered to watch the battle between Barca and Baronar, interested to see whether they would have a new Warlord to follow. Duels for the position of power usually ended with one party's death. No defending Warlord liked to have their position taken away from them, so they would do their best to kill their opponent to ensure that they wouldn't challenge them again in the future.
Of course, Baronar could have refused the duel entirely. However, after suffering losses from Barca's night raid, the Orc Shaman wanted nothing more than to kill the upstart Half-Orc who thought that it could win against him.
Under the gazes of over a hundred Orc Warriors, Barca stood with his greatsword in his hands. He looked so intimidating and powerful that some of the Orcs were impressed by him.
"Are you ready to die, Barca?" Baronar asked as he held the skull staff in his hand. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to add your head to my collection."
"I didn't come here to die," Barca replied as he pointed his greatsword in Baronar's direction. "I came here to kill you."
"Big words from a Half-Blood."
"You'll soon see what this Half-Blood can do."
Lux and the others were watching the battle from a distance. Although Barca assured them that the Orcs wouldn't attack them because a duel was sacred, he still didn't like taking his chances against over a hundred words with Barca's assurance.
The Dwarves had solemn expressions on their faces because they didn't know if the serum that Baronar had drunk was going to work. Usually, when Fighters and Magicians fought, the magician always had the upper hand.
The reason for this was mainly their ability to use powerful range attacks that could potentially kill the Fighters before they could even come close.
The two combatants stared at each other for half a minute before their battle officially began.
The first thing that Baronar did was to summon two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors to fight for him. They were Rank 3 Monsters, which were capable of stalling the Orc Shaman's enemies, while the latter chanted his curses and offensive spells to whittle down their opponent's health.
That was exactly Baronar's plan. However, after he summoned his two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, he felt that something was wrong with his body. He couldn't gather mana as fast as he wanted to, which caused the spells he cast to get delayed.
This delay didn't escape Barca's gaze, as he used brute force to make his way past the two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors. He didn't waste his time attacking them because he didn't want to miss the golden opportunity that was presented to him.
"Frostfire!" Baronar shouted as he unleashed an icy blue flame at point blank range. Sadly, the power of the flames was halved because he wasn't able to gather enough mana to activate its full destructive power.
Barca roared as he swung his sword and split the blue fireball into two halves, making them explode.
Although the Half-Orc received damage to his body, he ignored it and continued to charge at the Orc Shaman who had just barely managed to summon his Soul Shield.
"Die, you old turtle!!" Barca shouted as he swung his great sword towards the barrier that prevented him from taking Baronar's life.
A crack appeared on the Soul Shield's surface after receiving Barca's full strike. A moment later, the Half-Orc swung his sword again, shattering the shield completely.
"Envenom!" Baronar roared as he fired a green glowing dart from his fingertips.
The green dart pierced Barca's chest, but the latter shrugged off the pain and swung his sword with fury. His high resistance prevented the poisonous effect of the skill from manifesting, making Baronar's last resort futile.
A scream was heard in the night as the Half-Orc's greatsword sliced through the Orc Shaman's right arm, cutting it off completely.
Barca was initially going to cut Baronar in half, but the Orc Shaman managed to twist his body just in time. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to dodge the attack completely, losing his arm in the process.
"Stop! I concede!" Baronar shouted as he kneeled on the ground. "I recognize you as the new Orc Warlord. Don't kill me!"
Barca stopped his greatsword mid-swing, and looked at the Orc Shaman that had surrendered.
"You recognize me as your new Chieftain?" Barca asked.
"Yes! I recognize you! I will serve you well!" Baronar pleaded.
Lux who was watching this scene blinked because he didn't think that the Orc Shaman would beg for his life.
Barca then glanced in the Half-Elf's direction and asked him a question.
"Should we kill him or not?" Barca asked.
Lux naturally wanted Baronar dead because he wanted to gain the Pseudo-Rare item that the Orc Shaman would drop after his death.
However, before he could shout the word "Kill!", a series of texts appeared in front of him.
—-
< Baronar's Fate >
The Orc Shaman had pleaded for you to spare his life. What would you like to do?
– Option 1
Kill Baronar.
Receive one random Pseudo-Mythical Equipment that belongs to him.
– Option 2
Spare Baronar
Receive one random Skill from his Skill Set.
Possible skills that can be acquired: Summon Elite Orc Spirit Warrior, Envenom, Fear, Frostfire, Life Drain, Soul Shield, Dim Vision, Amplify Damage.
– Option 3
You can negotiate your terms. The success of the negotiation will depend on your Charisma stat.
—-
The sudden notification made Lux hold back the words he was about to say. Barca eyed him with a calm expression as he waited for the Half-Elf's answer. The Half-Orc didn't care whether Baronar lived or died.
This was why he was fine in letting the Half-Elf decide the Orc Shaman's fate. This would also allow him to gauge Lux's character more and see if the red-headed teenager had what it takes to help him in his quest for dominion.
'Um?' Lux blinked as he gazed at the options before him. Originally, he was dead-set on acquiring a Pseudo-Mythical Weapon after the Orc Shaman's death.
However, acquiring a random skill was also a good option since his special ability, Skill Evolution [EX], would upgrade the skill without fail.
As for the third option, although he was good looking, Lux didn't know if he had enough Charisma Points to succeed in the negotiations. There were two hidden Stats that couldn't be seen using the Soul Book. The two Stats were Luck and Charisma.
Back then, he pestered the God of Games, Eriol, to let him see his Charisma and Luck Stats, but the latter refused. No matter how much the Half-Elf pleaded, the God of Games didn't budge. This was why Lux didn't know if he was lucky or unlucky.
'Option 3 is a gamble,' Lux thought. It was at that moment when he remembered the God of Gamblers, Max. The old man had once told him that either he went all in or did nothing at all.
However, after remembering how the God of Gamblers' SIMP Cannon malfunctioned when he sent Lux to Solais, the Half-Elf shuddered uncontrollably.
'No. I can't take chances. I'll just go with Option 2.' Lux thought. Right now, he couldn't bet on his Charisma and Luck. since that was the case, he would just choose the option which would work wonders for him.
Lux walked towards Baronar and only stopped when he was two meters away from the Orc Shaman.
"Spare him," Lux said. "Having an Orc Shaman serve under you when you become Orc Chieftain is better than having none."
"Are you sure?" Barca asked.
"Yes."
"Okay."
Barca faced Baronar and extended his hand to him. The latter looked at the offered hand for a brief moment before clasping it with his own.
The Orc Warriors that were watching from the side raised their weapons and cheered. At that exact time, Lux received a series of notifications.
—--
Quest: Baronar's Fate (Completed!)
< Rewards >
One Random Skill Ticket received.
– You will obtain one of the skills that belongs to the Orc Shaman, Baronar.
< Bonus Reward >
You gained 125 Orc Warriors under your command!
Baronar became your ally!
+500 Blackrock Reputation Points
10 Medium Quality Rejuvenation Potions
—-
Lux smiled, thinking that the Bonus Reward was truly unexpected. Although he assumed that Baronar and the Orc Warriors would become their allies, this wasn't a guarantee.
Seeing that they had become part of their team, the Half-Elf became more confident that he would be able to clear the mission faster with the help of the strongest Orc Warlord on their side.
Chapter 104 Lux’s Demonic Defender
Eiko was sleeping peacefully on top of Lux's chest. The latter lay on the grass, looking up at the star-filled sky.
It had been two hours since Baronar became their ally, so he decided to tell Colette and the others to rest because their quest would continue the next morning.
It had been a long night, and he knew that the Dwarves were exhausted from the battles that they had fought earlier.
'I guess now is a good time to use the skill ticket I received earlier,' Lux thought as he summoned the red ticket from his Soul Book. All of Baronar's skills were good, so he wasn't picky about whichever skill he would end up acquiring.
Activating the ticket in his hand, Lux immediately saw a row of text appear in front of him.
—--
You have acquired the "Summon Elite Spirit Warrior" Skill.
—--
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
< Since the Skill is obtained from a reward not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >
< Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >
Option 1: Summon two Elite Spirit Warriors to fight for you instead of one.
Option 2: Upgrade Summon Elite Spirit Warrior to one of the three options.
– Upgrade to Spirit Shield Warrior
– Upgrade to Spirit Raider
– Upgrade to Spirit Skirmisher
Option 3: Give your first Elite Spirit Warrior a name. Named creatures will be stronger and more intelligent than normal creatures. Also, you can upgrade your named creature individually if you wish it.
—--
"Oh? I get to have another named minion, not bad," Lux muttered as he decisively clicked the third option, adding a third Named Creature in his team.
—-
< You have chosen to give your first Elite Spirit Warrior a name. >
< Please choose a name >
—-
"Pazuzu," Lux said softly. "From now on, your name will be Pazuzu."
—--
< You have chosen the name "Pazuzu" as the name for your first Elite Spirit Warrior. >
< Is this your final answer? >
< Yes / No >
—-
After choosing yes, a very fat spirit warrior with a pair of black wings on its back appeared in front of Lux. It had a very hideous appearance, which would have been enough to make Eiko cry out in fear if she saw him right now.
It was holding a tower shield in its left hand, and a mace on its right. Its height was over two meters, and its body was fat enough to block the entrance of a cave, preventing others from coming in or out of it.
Even Lux flinched when his gaze landed on his Spirit Warrior's face due to how scary it was. In the end, Pazuzu gave Lux a brief nod as a greeting before disappearing without a trace.
Lux looked at the new page that appeared in his Soul Book and read the information about his new Summoned Creature.
—--
< Pazuzu >
"Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"
– Named Elite Spirit Warrior
– Protector Spirit
– Rating: C
– Mana 10
– Progress (0/500)
Health: 13,000 / 13,000
Mana: 400 / 400
Strength: 20
Intelligence: 20
Vitality: 260
Agility: 20
Dexterity: 20
Attack: 20 - 40
Attack Type: Bludgeon Physical Damage
Defense: 360
Active Skill: Duel [EX], Taunt, Shield Bash, Body Slam, Madlad Rush, Shield Wall.
Passive Skill: Equip Item, Guts, Very Tough, Enhanced Fortitude, Intimidate
Title: Demonic Defender
—--
– Pazuzu is your third Named Creature and has been bestowed the title of Demonic Defender.
– This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.
< Demonic Defender >
– Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.
– All attacks made by Pazuzu will have a small chance to instill fear in your enemies.
– Enemies under the effect of fear will run away from Pazuzu.
– As someone who bears the title, Demonic Defender, Pazuzu's defense will increase by 100% if his Health is reduced by half.
– When you use Beast Cores to upgrade your Named Creature, its effects will be increased by 50%
Note: After this, we share a drink! Do you like goat's milk?
—-
'A defender type? Not bad,' Lux mused as he finished reading the information about his third Named Creature.
Pazuzu's stats made him a Rank 1 Monster in its middle stages. Since he specialized in defense, he would be able to tank the attacks of Rank 2 up to Rank 3 Monsters without fail.
One particular skill caught Lux's attention and he clicked it out of curiosity. It was Pazuzu's Madlad Rush.
—-
< Madlad Rush >
– Pazuzu's speed will drastically increase, allowing him to travel up to 200 mph on land and in the air for twenty seconds.
– Skill Cooldown: 10 minutes
—-
'What a madlad,' Lux scratched his head after seeing the skill's information.
He could feel his teeth itch at the thought of Pazuzu using the Madlad Rush alongside the skill, Shield Bash, with the full weight of his body.
The Half-Elf believed that even Barca would feel a world of pain if Pazuzu's attack hit him directly.
'Finally I have a defender class Summon,' Lux thought as he let the new Named Creature equip a Norria Light-Plate Armor Set, which further increased Pazuzu's already high defense to a total of 460.
The Half-Elf knew that Diablo couldn't play the tanker position in his party because he was more of a mobile damage dealer. Lux always had this as one of his greatest concerns, so he was quite happy that he finally got a meat shield that would serve as the vanguard for his team.
It was at that moment when he heard the sound of footsteps headed in his direction. Turning his head to the side, he saw Colette walking towards him, with Matty trailing not far behind her.
"What's wrong, can't sleep?" Lux asked the adorable Dwarf girl who served as the vanguard for his friends.
,m Colette nodded. "Yes."
Colette sat beside Lux, and Matty sat beside her.
"Big Brother, I have a feeling that after we clear this dungeon, all of us will finally reach the Apostle Grade," Colette said with a trace of excitement in her voice.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Lux asked. "As soon as you step on the Apostle Grade, you will be able to go to where your sister is."
"Yes. I am also looking forward to it," Colette replied, "but Big Brother, what about you?"
"Hmm? What about me?"
"What are your future plans after clearing this dungeon? Won't you also reach the Apostle Grade when this expedition is over?"
Lux smiled before nodding his head. He couldn't possibly tell Colette that he could have graduated from the Beginner's Zone long ago because had more than enough free stat points to level up.
"I plan to stay in Leaf Village for a little while longer after we finish this expedition," Lux replied.
"I see." Colette nodded her head in understanding. "We can stay in the Beginner's Village for ten more days after we reach the Apostle Grade. After that, we will forcefully be teleported out of the Beginner's Zone."
"No. That is not what I mean." Lux shook his head. "I will not step into the Apostle Grade for now. I still have things to do in Leaf Village."
"Things to do?"
"Mmm. I made a promise to myself that I will only leave Leaf Village once I tie up some loose ends."
Colette became silent for a while before she lightly patted the sleeping baby Slime on Lux's chest.
"Understood," Colette said after a while. "When you decide to step into the Apostle Grade, look for us in Whitebridge City. My sister's Guild, Eternal, is based over there. I will be joining her guild as well."
"Eternal Guild?" Lux muttered. "Okay. I'll make sure to drop by for a visit."
"Promise?"
"Mmm."
Colette smiled sweetly as she looked at Lux's face. She really enjoyed traveling with Lux in Elysium because he acted like a Big Brother looking out for his younger siblings.
Colette had a real big brother as well, but the time they spent together was very little. Her brother was very busy managing their family's main guild known as Golden Slayers. He didn't even have enough time to visit home, and only talked to them using a communication crystal whenever he wasn't too busy with the guild's affairs.
This was why she longed for the feeling of having a big brother spoil her, and Lux played that role really well. Especially when he saved her in the Kobold's Nest. The Half-Elf didn't talk much about the affair, but Helen did.
Colette's best friend told them how the red-headed teenager blackmailed the Riders of Norria and forced them to take an oath in order to force them to save not only Robin, but Colette and the others as well.
"Big Brother."
"Mmm?"
"Please marry my sister, okay?" Colette said with a smile. "That way, you will officially become my big brother, and become part of my family."
Lux chuckled. "You're still playing matchmaker? Besides, I don't think that's how it works. Once I become your sister's husband, I will become your brother-in-law, and not your big brother."
"Big brother is big brother," Colette insisted. 'Nothing will change."
"...Well, I'll think about it first." Lux could only scratch his head in order to change the topic. "Go to sleep. We need to leave early tomorrow morning and head to the location of the next Orc Warlord. It would not be good if you don't have the strength to fight when you need it the most."
Colette nodded and bid Lux goodnight. Matty gave Lux a side-long glance before following behind the adorable Dwarf girl that had been his childhood friend for many years.
Lux watched the two of them go, and a hint of sadness spread across his face.
"I guess, parting ways is inevitable," Lux muttered as he lightly patted the baby Slime on his chest who was still in a deep sleep.
He had long expected that this time would come, but now that it did, he still felt sad. Colette and her party mates were the first friends he had made in Elysium and seeing them leave made his heart ache.
But, he knew that this was part of the journey that he had to take in order to find a way to help save Solais from its fate.
Chapter 105 I’ll Make You My Own Mount
'I think I greatly underestimated Baronar's strength,' Lux mused. 'Making him our ally made this entire expedition so much easier.'
Before they set out to their next target, the Orc Shaman advised that they should deal with Tanabur first before targeting the other Orc Warlords.
There were two reasons why Baronar told them to target Tanabur first before the others.
First, Baronar and Tanabur didn't get along well with each other. However, that was not the main reason why the former insisted that the latter Orc Warlord should be attacked first. It was because Tanabur commanded the Orcs' Warg Cavalry.
Wargs were Demonic Wolves that Orcs usually used as mounts. They were fast, strong, and very agile creatures that would not hesitate to attack bigger enemies. They were especially more fearless when they traveled in packs.
Tanabur could easily send his reinforcements to the other Warlords if they were under attack. Baronar was sure that his rival could've helped him. It was just that the latter chose to turn a blind eye on the battle horns that had sounded as a signal to ask for assistance when their camp was being targeted by Lux and Barca.
"As long as he is taken out, you won't have to fight a two-versus-two battle against the other Orc Warlords," Baronar explained. "Once he is taken down, you can choose any other warlord you like without worrying about getting attacked from the rear."
Lux and Barca found this suggestion very sound, so they immediately marched to the South to deal with the Orc Warlord Tanabur.
Using Eiko to infiltrate their camp to drug their well water with a deadly colorless poison that Baronar had concocted, the Wargs, as well as the Orcs who mounted them, fell asleep and the attack on the Southern Camp went off without a hitch.
Tanabur lay on the ground panting for breath, while Barca's greatsword was positioned just an inch away from his neck.
"Baronar, you filthy traitor!" Tanabur shouted in anger. "I knew you couldn't be trusted!"
Tanabur gnashed his teeth in anger as he glared at the Orc Shaman, completely ignoring the blade that could cut his neck at any moment.
"All of this is due to your stupidity, Tanabur," Baronar sneered. "I bet you were laughing when you commanded your subordinates to not send reinforcements to my camp. This is just the consequences of your shortsightedness!"
"Bah! Shut up you weakling bone collector!"
"At least I'm not an Orc who screws his Warg because women won't look at him!"
"Bastard! Fight me!"
"Hah! Come! Who's scared of who?!"
Matty had covered Colette's ears so that she wouldn't hear the foul languages that the two Orc Warlords were spouting in front of them.
Lux did the same to Helen because the two Orc Warlords had now started to call each other "Warg P*ssy" and "Dead F*cker".
It was at this moment when the Half-Elf realized that after unlocking the Hidden Quest, the settings of the dungeon had changed. Instead of a regular dungeon run, where they just killed monsters until they reached the Boss Monster, the dungeon had activated its "Story Mode".
It was like they were re-enacting events that had happened long ago, while giving the Dungeon's challenger free reign to decide how the story would end.
"Should we kill him?" Barca shifted his gaze on Lux. "It's your call."
As soon as the Half-Orc said these words, a series of notifications appeared in front of Lux.
—--
< Tanabur's Fate>
Barca doesn't know if he should spare the Orc Raider, Tanabur, or not. He wants you to decide the Orc Warlord's Fate.
– Option 1
Kill Tanabur.
Reward: Receive one random Pseudo-Mythical Equipment that belongs to him.
– Option 2
Spare Tanabur.
Reward: Receive twenty five Wargs as compensation.
These wargs can be used as battle mounts and all of them are Rank 2 Monsters.
– Option 3
You can negotiate your terms. The success of the negotiation will depend on your Charisma stat.
—---
'Mounts?' Lux's eyes widened in shock when he read the reward for sparing Tanabur. 'Are you freaking serious? Twenty five Rank 2 Monsters as mounts?!'
The red-headed teenager's jaw almost dropped after seeing the second option. Only fools would pass up such an opportunity. Because of this option, the Half-Elf decided that he would choose a Rider Class upgrade for his Skeleton Fighters once the opportunity appeared.
"Spare him," Lux said with a serious expression. "But, I'll take twenty five of his Wargs as my reward."
Barca nodded his head. "This is acceptable. Very well, you may take twenty five Wargs from his Bestiary. You are free to choose which one you take in as your own."
Lux smiled as he happily looked at the rewards that he received upon the Side Mission's Completion.
—--
Quest: Tanabur's Fate (Completed!)
< Rewards >
Twenty Five Elite Wargs
< Bonus Reward >
Tanabur has become your ally!
+500 Blackrock Reputation Points
—-
Colette, Matty, and the other Dwarves who were just listening to the conversation to the side looked at Lux with envy. The Wargs were at least two-meters tall, and looked very intimidating. Although they didn't want to admit it, the thought of riding one had crossed their minds after seeing them in action.
"You heard him," Lux chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "All of you pick a Warg for yourself. From now on, they will be your personal mounts."
"Eh?" Colette blinked as she pointed her finger to her face. "Ours?"
"You don't want to?" Lux asked in a teasing tone.
"I want!"
"Then choose one. Helen, Andy, Axel, and Simp get to choose as well."
"Oi! Who are you calling Simp?!" Matty flared up as he raised his hand menacingly.
"Simp!" Eiko giggled. "Simp! Simp!"
The baby Slime had developed a tendency to tease Matty after seeing her Papa always do it. For her, whatever Lux did was right, so she copied her Papa as if he was the only role model for her.
"Tch!" Matty could only click his tongue as he walked towards the Wargs that were now slowly regaining their consciousness from the sleeping drug that had been given to them earlier.
Since the quest rewards had been activated, none of them attacked the children. They even allowed the little Dwarves to touch them all over, as they decided whether or not they were good enough to become their mounts.
There were over three hundred Wargs in the camp, so Lux cheated and checked the Elysium Compendium to automatically choose the top twenty Wargs from among the rest.
Lux was surprised when he found out that there was one Rank 3 Warg among the rest. It was a Black Warg with a scar above its right eye, a feature that made it stand out from the others.
The Half-Elf looked at the Warg, and the latter looked back at him. Its predatory eyes observed the red-headed teenager in front of him, but made no move to attack.
"I'll make you my own mount," Lux said as he looked at the Warg with a serious expression.
Sensing that it had been chosen by the Half-Elf in front of it. The Warg lowered its head and allowed Lux to touch its forehead.
The moment Lux's hand rested on the Warg's head, a notification appeared in front of him.
—--
Would you like this Elite Warg to become your mount?
< Yes / No >
—--
Lux clicked yes and a new notification appeared in front of him.
—--
Would you like to give this Elite Warg a name?
< Yes / No >
—-
Lux pondered for a bit before saying the name that came to his mind.
"Jed," Lux said. "That will be your name from now on."
The Warg turned into particles of light and flew towards Lux's Soul Book.
What Eriol didn't tell Lux was that the Soul Book held a miniature world of that person's soul. One could call it a spiritual world, where the creatures that served them could stay, while they weren't active in the real world.
This was where Beast Tamers like Iris stored their Beast Companions whenever they weren't present in the real world.
Colette and the others had also finished choosing their mounts, and just like what happened with Lux, they also turned into particles of light and flew into their Soul Books. They could be summoned any time their Master wished, and serve as their mount for as long as they needed to be.
Naturally, these mounts also feel thirst and hunger, so having many Mounts, or Beast Companions required that you feed them on a regular basis, or else their loyalty would decrease and they would leave you the next opportunity they got.
Lux summoned Jed once again and attempted to ride on his back. He had ridden on Sophie's back many times before, but the White Hippo was a gentle beast. She would not move very fast to ensure that the Half-Elf didn't fall off her back.
Now that Lux had his own mount, he wanted to get used to riding it, so that he could also fight battles while mounted if the situation called for it.
Colette and her friends had the same idea, so they also summoned their beasts to try and mount them. However, since the wargs were taller than the Dwarves, they had to order them to lie down on the ground so that they could ride on their backs.
Barca and Baronar also chose a mount for themselves as they prepared to head to their next destination.
Now that two of the Four Warlords had been subjugated, only two remained. Their next destination was the Orc Warlord, Morgazar. He was an Exceptional Orc Hunter that ruled the East, and was known for raising an elite army of Orc Archers who specialized in range combat.
Lux glanced at Barca who was currently riding at the head of their formation. He didn't know if this Hidden Story Quest was something that had happened in the real world or not.
If it did, the Half-Elf wondered if Barca originally spared or killed the Orc Warlords that were serving Orobak.
'I guess, I'll never know,' Lux thought as he followed behind the Half-Orc whose wish was to form his own Orc Dominion.
Chapter 106 Too Bad You Are Already Dead
"I'd rather die than become your subordinate!"
This roar of anger resonated in the surroundings as Morgazar firmly held the Warbow in his hand like a sword, ready to strike at any moment.
The Orc Hunter's encampment was easily subdued due to the strategic trickery that Tanabur had suggested to Barca. Since the Orc Raiders often visited the camps of the other Orc Warlords, Morgazar and his subordinates automatically assumed that this was just part of their regular inspections to ensure that everything was in order.
Unfortunately, Barca had already subdued Tanabur and the latter used this method to sneak Barca inside Morgazar's Orc Encampment and trap the Orc Warlord, forcing him to fight Barca one-on-one.
Although the Orc Hunter was capable of fighting like a rogue when it came to close combat, his true specialty lay in ranged attacks. It didn't even take Barca two minutes to completely subdue the Orc Hunter, who was now glaring at the Half-Orc with fury.
"Just kill me!" Morgazar shouted. "I will never recognize you as our Chieftain!"
—-
< Morgazar's Fate >
The Orc Hunter had no intention in joining Barca's rebellion. He would rather die than allow himself to serve someone who didn't earn his respect.
– Option 1
Kill Morgazar.
Reward: Receive one random Pseudo-Mythical Equipment that belongs to him.
– Option 2
Try to convince Morgazar to join Barca's faction.
Reward: ???
—--
Lux frowned as he looked at the two options. The fastest way to deal with this matter was to kill Morgazar, which would reward Lux one of the other party's Pseudo-Mythical Equipment.
However, after sparing Baronar and Tanabur, the Half-Elf had gained lucrative rewards. Having considered this, he was more inclined to have Morgazar join Barca's side, so he would get an unexpected bonus as a reward for his troubles.
'The reason why Morgazar refused to become Barca's subordinate is because the Half-Orc wasn't able to gain his respect,' Lux thought. 'So, I need to make him respect Barca?'
The Orcs were a race that followed the strong. As long as they acknowledged you as stronger than them, they were willing to listen to your words and consider them seriously."
Barca had already glanced at the Half-Elf's direction, asking Lux how he wanted to deal with the Orc Hunter, who refused to submit no matter what.
Lux shook his head as he approached the Orc Warlord who stood arrogantly in front of them. Since he had no other choice, the only thing he could do was do his best, and take the chance to see whether he could salvage the current situation in their favor.
"I challenge you to a duel," Lux said. "You are free to choose what type of duel you want, and I will be the one to choose who your opponent will be. If I win, you will join Barca's side and support him to become the Orc Chieftain. If you win, we will leave this place peacefully, on the condition that you will not intervene with our fight for the seat of Orc Chieftain."
"You? Challenge me?" Morgazar snorted. "A mere half-blood? But, this is indeed intriguing. Are you sure you want me to be the one to choose what type of duel I want?"
"Yes," Lux replied. "That way, you will have no excuse when you lose."
The Orc Hunter growled as he eyed Lux menacingly. "Trying to rile me up? Very well, I want to see how you try to beat me at my own game. The Duel I want is simple. It will be a point-blank range battle!"
The Orc Hunter raised his bow. "My opponent and I will fight in our stronghold's special arena. We will only be fifty meters apart from each other, and whoever gets hit by an arrow first loses."
"Can the two combatants approach each other?"
"Of course. It doesn't matter if we fight each other in close quarters, using only an arrow. The important rule is that the first one to get hit by an arrow will automatically lose. Anything goes!"
Lux nodded his head in understanding.
"Very well, I accept this duel," Lux replied.
"So, who will be fighting on your side?" Morgazar asked. His voice was filled with arrogance and confidence. Clearly, he didn't think that he would lose to anybody.
"Ishtar, come forth," Lux ordered.
A Skeleton Hunter materialized beside the Half-Elf.
The moment the Skeleton appeared, Morgazar narrowed his eyes as if sizing up his opponent. Surprisingly, Ishtar did the same and the golden glow in her eyes burned brighter. It was as if she was looking at a worthy adversary who specialize in the same profession as she did.
"Good!" Morgazar said. "This is more like it!"
Ten minutes later…
Morgazar and Ishtar stood fifty meters from each other in a closed arena inside the Orc Encampment.
The arena was a special training ground where the Elite Orc Archers under Morgazar trained on a regular basis. This helped the Orc Archers improve their close combat fighting skills whenever their opponents managed to close the gap between them.
"Are both of you ready?" Lux asked.
Isthar and Morgazar nodded at the same time.
"Let the battle begin!" Lux shouted.
Immediately after that, the two proud hunters unleashed a barrage of arrows at each other. They were first testing each other's abilities to have a better grasp of their opponent's strength and weakness.
Both of them dodged, and fired arrows at an amazing speed that made Lux wonder if the Orc weighed like air. Although he was quite big, Morgazar was able to perform incredible maneuvers of dodging and counter-attacking despite his size.
Ishtar on the other hand, side stepped, jumped, rolled, and performed other feats in order to evade Morgazar's deadly arrows that seemed to have a life of its own.
"Morgazar is stronger," Barca muttered.
Baronar, Tanabur, and Lux nodded their heads in agreement. Just like Barca, Morgazar was a Rank 4 Alpha Beast.
His expertise and skills far surpassed Ishtar's. The only saving grace was that when the two dueled, the settings of the Dungeon lowered his rank to match Ishtar's. This was perhaps the consequence of Lux's choice to give the Orc Hunter the right to choose which duel he wanted.
Because of this, Morgazar found it was beneath him to bully someone that had a lower rank than him. This then prompted the changes of his current rank, making him on the same level as his opponent.
Although his rank had regressed, his skills and expertise remained the same. Just as Lux was wondering how Ishtar would be able to overcome her opponent, the Orc Hunter shot a barrage of arrows that had forced Ishtar into a corner.
"This is my win!" Morgazar declared as he fired a flaming arrow, merely twenty meters away from Ishtar, who had stumbled on the ground due to his earlier arrow barrage.
Just as the flaming arrow was about to hit Ishtar's body, the Skeleton Hunter summoned a steep trap in her hand and used it as a shield.
A metallic rang reverberated inside the arena as the arrow was deflected by the trap in Ishtar's hand, surprising everyone that was watching the duel.
The Skeleton Hunter didn't let the opportunity slip by, and threw the Steel Trap towards her opponent.
Morgazar was forced to use his arms to block the unexpected ranged weapon that was thrown at him at close range with his arm.
After blocking the steel projectile, the Orc Hunter was about to do a counterattack when he saw the Skeleton Hunter standing ten meters away from him, holding two steel traps in each of her hands.
Just as he expected, Ishtar threw the two Steel Traps in his direction, forcing the Orc Hunter to block them with his arm once again.
The next time he laid his eyes on his opponent, the Skeleton Hunter was almost upon him. In Ishtar's left and right hands, three icy arrows—that resembled claws of a certain superhero from Lux's world—could be seen.
Without saying a word, Ishtar thrust the arrows that were firmly held by her bony fingers towards her enemy's chest.
As a last resort, Morgazar used his bow to slash down on Ishtar's right hand, shattering it completely. Unfortunately for him, the Skeleton Hunter's decisive attack was far from over.
The Orc Warlord felt a stinging, ice-cold, pain as the arrows in Isthar's left hand, embedded themselves into the side of his body.
Everyone watched with bated breath as the battle ended in a way that none of them expected.
"Ishtar, was it?" Morgazar said as he looked at the Skeleton Hunter with a complicated expression on his face. "Too bad you are already dead. If you were alive, I would have made you my wife. I accept my defeat. This is your win."
Isthar rattled her jaws as if telling her opponent that he wasn't too shabby himself. After the two combatants exchanged their words. The adorable blonde Dwarf raised her hand from the stands and shouted.
"Huzzah!" Colette raised her hand in happiness. "We won!"
The Orc Warriors also raised their hands and shouted their war cries to honor the two warriors that had fought with honor and dignity. Even Lux who was trying to keep his expression calm could feel his blood from boiling due to the incredible performance that he had just witnessed.
He never thought that he would get this much excitement and inspiration from a battle between two Hunters. It made him realize that his second Named Creature, Ishtar, could do something awesome when pushed into a corner.
—--
p Morgazar's Fate (Completed!)
< Rewards >
One Rank Up for Ishtar
One Elite Orc Warlord Set Equipment
+4 Summon Skeleton Grand Archer
(Summon Four Additional Skeleton Grand Archers)
(Elite Orc Warlord Hunter Set)
Pseudo-Mythical Armor Set
Requirement: Only for classes that specialized in range weapons
+200 to Defense
+ 30 to Dexterity
+ 30 to Agility
+ 30 to Vitality
20% Physical Damage Reduction
20% Magical Damage Reduction
< Bonus Reward >
You gained 500 Orc Archers under your command.
Morgazar became your ally!
+500 Blackrock Reputation Points
—--
Lux whistled at the unexpected reward that he received from clearing Morgazar's Side-Quest.
Right now, he was short on resources, so he couldn't level up his minions willy-nilly. Fortunately, Ishtar received a free rank up after defeating Morgazar, which boosted her overall stats, and added a few skills in her ever-growing deadly arsenal.
But, that was not all. Lux could now summon four additional Skeleton Grand Archers, bringing their total number to eight.
'It was more than worth it.' Lux couldn't stop the wide smile that appeared on his face. Now that there was only one more Warlord that they needed to deal with, the Half-Elf was looking forward to the next batch of goodies that was waiting for him.
Chapter 107 If You Want My Head, Come And Get It!
As Lux and his group traveled North to face the last Warlord, Oreg, he checked Ishtar's stats to see how much she had changed after she received her rank up.
Ishtar was his main, long range, damage dealer. Lux wanted to know how strong she had become after her duel with Morgazar, so he would be able to make the necessary adjustments when using her expertise on the battlefield.
—---
< Ishtar >
– Named Skeleton Hunter
– Rating: A
– Mana: 10
– Progress (0/2000)
Health: 12,750 / 12,750
Mana: 6,500 / 6,500
Attack: 305 - 355 (+160 Heartstriker)
Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage
Strength: 125
Intelligence: 130
Vitality: 125 +30
Agility: 130+30
Dexterity: 175 +30
Defense: 155 (+200 Elite Orc Warlord Hunter Set)
Active Skill: Hunter's Mark, Set Trap, Arrow Shower, Piercing Arrow, Siege Stance, Poison Arrow (New) Knockback Arrow (New), Stun Arrow (New), Frostfire Arrow (New), Air Steps (New), Air Kick (New)
p Passive Skill: Equip Item, Fast Reload, Hunter's Eye, Bow Mastery (New), Deadly Aim (New), Precision Shot (New)
Title: The Forgotten Queen
Note: She's one of the good guys, but not that good.
—---
'Those are a lot of new Skills,' Lux thought as he checked Ishtar's Skills one by one.
He was pleasantly surprised upon seeing that his Skeleton Archer now had a wide array of attacks that could deal status changes to the enemy like Stun and Poison. She also had an interesting skill called knockback, which meant that her arrow could push her target backwards by five to ten meters.
Although that might not sound much, when used in the right situation, it could create opportunities for her and her allies, in the midst of battle.
Overall, Lux was quite satisfied with the boost in offensive power that Ishtar gained after finishing Morgazar's Side-Quest.
'Now, there's only Oreg,' Lux mused.
After traveling for two days, they had finally reached Oreg's Stronghold, which was located on the North side of the Dungeon. So far, their scouts hadn't encountered any patrols coming from the Orc Warlor's Stronghold.
The Orc Warmonger, Oreg, was known for his Elite Orc Berserkers. They were the juggernauts of the battlefield and would charge at their foes without any hesitation.
They were the most fearsome warriors among the Orcs' melee units because of their "Either you die, or I die" mentality. However, since all of them had come prepared, they were confident that they could deal with whatever the Orc Warmonger could throw at them.
"Strange," Baronar said after they decided to camp for the night. "We are already deep in his Domain, and we still haven't seen any signs of his men."
"Indeed," Morgazar replied. "Although Oreg might not be the smartest among us, he is not stupid. He might have realized that something big might have happened and decided to act according to his gut instincts."
Tanabur, who was busy eating grilled meat, only commented after he was done eating.
"I have already sent two of my fastest riders to his Stronghold to check the situation," Tanabur commented. "They should be back in an hour or two. We'll know the real reason then."
Barca nodded his head in agreement as he listened to the discussion. This was the final stretch before his battle with Orobak, so he was reserving his strength for the inevitable battle between the two of them.
Lux was also paying attention to their discussion as he spoonfed Eiko the stew in his wooden bowl. The baby Slime was not a picky eater, enjoying whatever food her Papa fed her.
An hour later, Tanabur's Riders returned to the camp, and the news they brought with them made everyone understand the lack of patrols in their surroundings.
"Oreg has chosen to abandon his encampment to regroup with Orobak at the Chieftain's Stronghold," Tanabur said. "It is a smart move. Since he knew he's not a match against us, he decided to go to Orobak in order to have a higher chance of survival."
All the Orc Warlord's present then shifted their attention to Barca, who was looking at the burning flames of their campfire. His eyes reflected the color of the flames, making him look more formidable than he usually was.
"We ride at first light," Barca said after a minute had passed. "Our destination, the Orc Chieftain's Stronghold."
—---
The group traveled for a day before they arrived at the center of the Domain where Orobak's Stronghold could be seen.
They had encountered several of Orobak's Scouts and managed to kill a few of them. However, some managed to escape, alerting their Chieftain of their arrival.
By the time Barca, and the other Orc Warlords arrived near the Stronghold, the gate was already shut tight, and several Orc Warriors manned the ramparts.
Two Orcs that stood out from the rest could be seen standing right above the gates.
The Orc on their left, who was over two meters tall and had his entire body covered in black-plated armor, stood arrogantly. He was wearing a horned helmet that covered his entire face, with the exception of his eyes.
A black spear was held firmly in his hand as he stared at the Half-Orc that had dared to oppose him.
"So, you are here, Barca!" Orobak shouted. "I knew I should have killed you when you were just a baby. If I did, I would have been saved from all of this trouble!"
"It's too late for regrets, Orobak!" Barca shouted back at the Orc that had made his life miserable. "I'm here to pay you back for everything you've done to me!"
"You're just like your Mother. Stubborn and stupid," Orobak replied. "She was a fine woman, but he chose your father instead of me. Since that is the case, then it is only fitting that he followed her into the afterlife."
"You Bastard! Fight me!"
"You're not qualified, Half-blood. If you want my head, come and get it!"
The Orcs on the ramparts raised their weapons and shouted their warcries. Some of them even taunted Barca, insulting his dead mother and father.
"Don't let yourself get riled up by him," Baronar advised. "This is how we play his mind games."
Barca nodded as he observed the defenses of the Stronghold. Right now, they only had a little over a thousand warriors on their side. The Half-Orc estimated that Orobak's forces, with the addition of Oreg's Orc Berserkers, numbered about the same.
Although their forces were near equal, in reality, they were at a disadvantage. From the looks of it, Orobak had prepared himself for a siege battle.
Barca knew that if they tried to storm the gates, their forces would only decrease at a rapid rate, with no certainty that they would be able to scale the walls, or break past the gate's defenses.
Even the Orc Warlords, Baronar, Tanabur, and Morgazar, didn't have any advice to give him, which put their assault at a standstill.
It was at this moment when Lux realized that it was up to him to create an opportunity for Barca's forces to break inside the Stronghold and initiate a duel with Orobak.
"I have a plan," Lux said as he approached Barca. "But, I don't know if it will work."
"I'm all ears." Barca smiled as he looked at the Half-Elf who had helped him get this far.
Barca had a feeling that if he allowed Lux to take action, the arrogant Orc Chieftain would soon find himself, face to face with the Half-Orc's fury that he had kept in his heart for years.
Chapter 108 Eiko’s Nighttime Escapade
Eiko had a big smile on her face as she looked at her Papa who had entrusted her with an important mission.
"If things become dangerous, don't hesitate to use your Family Bond [EX] to teleport back to me, okay?" Lux said as he held the baby Slime in his hands.
"Pa!" Eiko nodded her head in understanding.
"Are you ready?"
"Pa!"
Lux nodded and summoned Pazuzu and Ishtar. In order for his plan to work, he needed the Demonic Protector to smuggle Eiko inside the Orc Stronghold. Once he succeeded, he would then create a distraction, alongside Ishtar, to give the baby Slime an opportunity to do her mission.
The good thing about Pazuzu was that he could fly. No gates or walls were too high for him, and it would definitely make Orobak panic if he saw that someone from the opposing side managed to fly past their defenses.
The Demonic Protector held the baby Slime in his left hand, and held his Tower Shield in his right.
After listening to Lux's instructions, the Demonic Protector, and the Skeleton Hunter nodded their heads in understanding.
"Ishtar, make the world burn," Lux said to his Skeleton Hunter. "Pazuzu, smack them with your shield. This is a suicide mission, so I hope that the two of you will forgive me for letting both of you die deep behind enemy lines."
Pazuzu chuckled, and Ishtar patted Lux's shoulder, as if telling him that they understood.
Soon, the Demonic Protector was airborne, with Ishtar holding onto his neck as she rode on his back.
Pazuzu's flying speed was fairly average, and any archer could easily hit him without problems. However, he had a secret weapon in his arsenal and that was the Madlad Rush. When he used that skill, he would be just like a race car, zooming across the land and the sky, and leaving everyone in the dust.
Lux watched as Pazuzu shortened the distance between himself and the Stronghold. Just as he expected, Orobak immediately ordered his men to shoot the flying creature out of the sky.
A moment later, the sound of arrows hitting the tower shield reverberated in the surroundings.
"Shield Wall!" Pazuzu roared and a blue tower shield that was six meters tall and five meters wide appeared in front of him.
Shield Wall was a skill that summoned a defensive shield in front of Pazuzu. The shield's defense was equivalent to Pazuzu's overall defense multiplied by three. This ability would last for a full minute, and was one of his main defensive skills that was especially useful when tanking bosses.
As the Demonic Defender, whenever his health fell below 50%, his defense would increase by 100%. If both abilities were activated at the same time, Pazuzu's defense would rise drastically for a minute, allowing him to withstand deadly blows that could instantly kill anyone but him.
"Madlad Rush!"
Just like a blue comet, Pazuzu charged towards the Stronghold, ignoring the rain of arrows that pelted his Shield Wall.
,m Orobak's panicked roar could be heard the moment the Demonic Defender flew past the ramparts and headed towards the center of the Stronghold. As soon as he landed, Eiko jumped down from Pazuzu's hand and ran away as fast as she could.
However, before the baby slime completely left, she made sure to summon her Skeletal Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers to help Pazuzu and Ishtar hold back the Orc Army. She then looked for a safe place to hide.
Ishtar and Pazuzu exchanged a glance, and proceeded to perform their roles separately. The Demonic Protector crouched down and used his hands to allow the Skeleton Hunter to use it as a stepping stone.
A moment later, he propelled Ishtar upwards, allowing her to use her Air Steps, so that she could position herself at a high vantage point in order to best make the world burn according to Lux's orders.
Ishtar nimbly landed on top of an elevated platform. She immediately used her Siege Stance and with the raise of her bow, several fire arrows were launched around her surroundings.
When Orobak and his warriors arrived at Pazuzu's landing site, several of the buildings were already starting to burn.
"Stop her!" Orobak shouted. "Kill that Skeleton!"
Ishtar ignored Orobak's shout and continued to rain fire arrows on her surroundings. Since this was a suicide mission, her life was not important. The only thing that currently mattered for her was to create as much chaos as possible, distracting the enemies until Eiko completed her mission.
When the Skeleton Hunter finally crumbled to pieces and Pazuzu got subdued, the Orcs became busy with doing their best to put out the flames that were blazing around them.
Little did they know that while they were running around, carrying buckets of water to deal with the flames, a baby Slime had already entered their main Stronghold.
Eiko giggled as she sneakily entered the Stronghold's kitchen where the Orcs stored their food. She then spat a few bottles out of her mouth, which was given to her by Baronar in order to drug the Orcs' food supplies and leave them unable to fight to their fullest.
This was not the first time that Eiko had done this mission, so she was already well versed on what she needed to do.
The baby Slime giggled a second time before she summoned her Skeletal Fighters to help her sabotage the food supplies of the Orcs. Since her supply of potions was limited, not all of the food inside the kitchen was doused with the debilitating potions that Baronar had prepared.
Fortunately, Lux had been prepared for this scenario.
Eiko approached the baskets of food with a smile on her face. After looking at her left and right to ensure that no Orcs were coming to the kitchen, the baby slime opened her mouth and ate the entire basket.
Well, ate was not the right word for it. She merely stored the basket of food inside her own personal storage.
The baby slime continued to "nom nom" every basket that hadn't been drugged inside her storage. After making sure that everything was covered, she left the kitchen with a giggle before continuing her exploration of the Orc Encampment
Although her main mission had been completed, Lux had given her a side-mission which he believed his baby Slime could pull off.
With her main mission complete, it was now time for her to tackle the side mission that Lux had assigned her.
Eiko traversed sneakily through the Stronghold and headed towards Orobak's main quarters which was located at the very rear of the Orc Encampment. There had been occasions where she had nearly been discovered, but due to her Mimicry [EX] ability, she was able to escape all of them.
The baby Slime would transform into a rock, a piece of wood, or even a bone, just to avoid alerting the Orc Warriors that were wandering around their encampment to do their duties.
After nearly two hours of painstaking effort, the baby Slime finally arrived at her destination and looked for a place to rest for the night.
She was still a baby, and her night escapade exhausted her.
Lux smiled as he cut off his connection with his baby Slime, who was now sleeping safely inside one of the cupboards in Orobak's residence. He knew that when morning came, they would be able to attack the Stronghold, with minimal casualties on their side.
Chapter 109 Let’s Just Take All Of Them. Maybe They Are Valuable
"Did she succeed?" Barca asked upon seeing Lux's figure enter their tent to discuss their plans for the siege.
Lux nodded. "She's done her part perfectly. We should get some rest for tonight so we're in our best condition for the siege next morning."
"Good." Barca smiled. "You don't have to worry about Orobak, I will deal with him myself."
"Okay. I'll just cheer for you from the side." Lux smirked.
Lux, Barca, and the Orc Warlords discussed for half an hour more before going back to their quarters to rest. After the meeting, their plan of action for tomorrow was finalized. The only thing they needed to do for now was wait for Eiko's signal to storm the Stronghold and end Orobak's rule once and for all.
As the Half-Elf laid on his bed, he wondered how strong Orobak really was. He was the Boss of the Ranked-C Dungeon, and the strongest monster in the Dungeon's Nightmare Mode.
He already knew that Barca was strong, but if Orobak was really just as strong as Barca, then things didn't add up. The Dungeon wouldn't allow them to have a massive advantage over the Boss Monster even if the challengers managed to unite all the Orc Warlords.
"I hope I'm just thinking too much," Lux muttered before closing his eyes to rest. He hoped that when morning came, they would be able to clear the dungeon and finally return to the real world and take a break from their exhausting expedition.
—-
When the first rays of sunlight peered over the horizon, a certain baby Slime opened her eyes.
She sleepily looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar place.
"Pa?" Eiko muttered before yawning.
It was at that moment when she heard the sound of footsteps inside the house, reminding her that she wasn't with her Papa right now.
Eiko hurriedly went inside a wooden mug in order to hide from whoever was walking in her direction. The baby Slime closed her eyes as she bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything.
The cupboard opened and the shuffling noises from things being taken out were heard. Soon, the noise stopped, and the footsteps gradually faded, as if its owner was walking away from Eiko's current hiding spot.
After hearing the sound of a door being closed, the room once again descended into silence.
Eiko slowly peeked from the mug she was hiding at to ensure that the coast was clear. Although the encounter only lasted for a brief moment, she felt that whoever was in the room with her a while ago had a strength that was similar to the Draconic Kobold that attempted to kidnap her Papa in the past.
The baby slime remained stationary for an hour longer before deciding to make her move. Today was an important day, and she would need to play a part to ensure the success of her Papa's mission.
—--
Outside the Dungeon…
"It has been three days already and they still haven't come out?" Nevreal asked the guard captain that was assigned to watch over the Dungeon's entrance.
"No," the Guard Captain replied. Just like Nevreal, he was quite confused about what was happening.
This was not the first time that the Dwarven Riders had challenged the Nightmare Mode of the Orc Dominion. However, most of their expeditions ended after two days.
A day in Elysium was equivalent to three days inside a Dungeon. This meant that Lux's group had already surpassed the number of days that the Riders of Norria had spent challenging the Dungeon.
"Are they perhaps playing hide and seek with the monsters?" Nevreal scratched his head in confusion.
Truth be told, he had thought of entering the Dungeon alongside the elites of the Stronghold in order to look for Lux and the Dwarf Children. However, since they would be taken to a different version of the Dungeon, looking for them was pointless.
"Commander Thoram sent his aide earlier to inquire whether or not they had exited the dungeon. Unfortunately…," the Guard Captain sighed as he looked back at Nevreal with a helpless expression.
"I bet Thoram is now regretting giving them permission to enter the Dungeon." Nevreal couldn't stop himself from smiling bitterly.
What was supposed to be a Normal Dungeon Raid had become a big issue after Lux accidentally chose the wrong difficulty to challenge. All of them thought that they would return after a day inside the Dungeon, but they never expected that the Half-Elf and his friends would still be inside the Dungeon after three days.
—-
Inside Orobak's Residence…
The baby Slime looked left and right to check her surroundings to make sure that it was safe to continue her exploration. After making sure that there were no signs of the Orc Chieftain nearby, Eiko entered the room to check whatever was inside it.
p There, she found a large bed that was big enough for a bear to lie on. There were several things that were scattered here and there, which confirmed Lux's suspicion that Eiko had arrived in the Orc Chieftain's room.
'Be careful, Eiko,' Lux said through telepathy. 'If you feel like your life is in danger, teleport to me right away.'
'Pa!'
Eiko rummaged inside the room looking for things of value. Since she had no idea what was important or not, she just listened to Lux's voice inside her head.
Most of the things that were inside the Orc Chieftain's room were amulets made from the bones and teeth of monsters, several beast pelts, and beast horns.
'Pa?'
'Let's just take all of them. Maybe they are valuable.'
'Pa!'
Eiko then opened her mouth and ate the amulets, animal bones, horns, beast pelts, and anything that looked useful inside Orobak's room.
Lux couldn't use the Elysium Compendium while looking through Eiko's eyes, so he couldn't determine whether the items they found had stats or not. Even so, he was already quite thankful that he was able to support the baby Slime as she performed this dangerous mission on her own.
After summoning a Skeleton to help her open the wooden chest inside the room, the baby Slime found a stack of scrolls, a few rough gems, a dagger, and an ornate wooden box. She didn't bother to check what was inside it because they were short on time.
Eiko then ate the entire wooden chest, leaving nothing behind. Since she had already taken a lot of things inside the room, it was obvious that Lux and the baby Slime didn't care if Orobak found out that someone had stolen his belongings.
The baby Slime looked around the room from atop of her Skeleton Fighter's head, to ensure that she didn't miss anything. After seeing that there was nothing more of value inside the room, she decided to leave the room to return to her main mission.
Lux had tasked her to go to the Orc Chieftain's residence to see if there were any valuable treasures inside it. The Half-Elf didn't know what would happen once the Orc Chieftain was defeated, so he decided to play it safe and start looting in advance in case they were instantly teleported out of the Dungeon as soon as Barca defeated Orobak.
An hour later, Eiko scanned her surroundings with a critical gaze.
She was currently on top of the highest point that could be found inside the stronghold, which allowed her to get a view of what was happening inside it. Due to her small size, she managed to slip past the Orcs that had been patrolling the surroundings.
The Orc Warriors that were manning the gates were currently feeling lethargic, and some were even dozing on and off while leaning against the walls. Almost all the Orcs inside the stronghold were in a similar state due to the sedative that Baronar had created while they were traveling.
'Fortunately, there was an option to spare Baronar's life,' Lux thought as he stared at the weakened Orcs inside the stronghold. 'I'm sure that things would have been a lot harder if he hadn't become our ally.'
As the Half-Elf continued to monitor the movement of the Orcs, he heard Orobak's loud roar of anger. He must've already realized that his forces had been drugged. The remaining Orc Warlord, Oreg, was right beside him and was seemingly unaffected by the drug that was placed on their food supplies.
The Orc Warmonger's elite units, the Orc Berserkers, were also unaffected by the sedative, and seemed to be acting normally. For them to be unaffected by the potion that the Orc Shaman had made to dull their senses, they were clearly trained to resist such drugs,.
'Well, I guess this is the dungeon's way of making things a bit more difficult for us. Eiko, it's time for us to start the operation.'
'Pa!'
The baby slime climbed down from her vantage point and headed towards the gate. The battle was about to start, and this would decide whether Barca would be able to realize his dream for dominion or not.
Chapter 110 This Is Madness!
"Raise the flags!" Barca ordered as he sat on top of his Warg.
The flags of the three Orc Warlords fluttered in the breeze, letting Orobak know that they had changed their allegiance.
All of them were eager to charge at the Stronghold and fight their way in.
"Stay close to me guys," Lux was positioned in front of the Dwarves, while sitting on top of his mount. "Don't leave my side no matter what."
Colette, Matty, and the others nodded their heads. All of them were riding their mounts as well, and were at the rear of the formation.
Not wanting to get in the way of Barca's charge, Lux decided to stay in the back. This would also allow them to prepare for any unexpected scenarios that Orobak and Oreg could throw at them.
"Charge!" Barca shouted as his mount lunged forward. "For the Blackrock Clan!"
""For the Blackrock Clan!""
Due to the effects of the sleeping potions that were mixed on their food, none of the soldiers under Orobak's command stirred from their slumber.
The Orc Chieftain could only roar in anger as he watched Barca's forces charging towards the Stronghold at full speed.
"Man the ramparts!" Orobak shouted. "Oreg, Come here!"
"Yes!" Oreg replied. "Man the ramparts! Don't let them breach the walls!"
The Orc Berserkers specialized in head-on clashes, and were not really suited to be defenders. Even so, since there was no one else available to man the walls but them, they could only follow the given order, gripping their war axes as they glared at their enemies with bloodshot eyes.
"Let's see if you can climb the walls under my watch!" Orobak sneered as his eyes locked on Barca who was at the forefront of the rebels that dared to defy his rule.
When the Mounted Riders were only a hundred meters away from the Stronghold, something unexpected happened.
The gates that were tightly shut slowly opened, as if to welcome the invaders with open arms.
Orobak, as well as Oreg, almost couldn't believe their eyes seeing the gates of their stronghold open right under their noses.
The Orc Chieftain immediately glanced in the direction where the gate's mechanism was located, and found several Skeletons working together to raise the steel gate, which barred anyone's entry.
"Damn you, foul Creatures!" Orobak shouted as he grabbed the War Axe from the nearest Orc Berserker and threw it in the direction where the Skeletons were currently at.
Two of the Skeletons that were managing the pulley were instantly shattered, slowing the pace of the gate's opening.
However, just before the Orc Chieftain could throw another War Axe to kill the remaining two Skeletons, the Skeletons that he had killed immediately respawned and resumed their duty.
As if to mock Orobak's attempt, two more Skeletons appeared, but they didn't assist their comrades in opening the gates. They merely looked at the Orc Chieftain and waved their hands in greeting, infuriating Orobak and making him roar in anger, taking the Skeletons' actions as mockery.
Eiko giggled mischievously while hiding in the distance. She was remotely controlling her Summons in order to open the gates according to her Papa's orders.
When the gates had been raised fully, Barca and the rest of the vanguard riders had already entered the Stronghold, wreaking havoc to their surroundings.
"To arms!" Oreg shouted. "Kill them!"
""Kill!""
Orobak shouted a battlecry which had an effect that was similar to Lux's ability. It raised the physical attack of his allies, which allowed them to deal more damage to their enemies.
Blood spilled like a river as the two forces clashed. Although Orobak's side was outnumbered, their ability to fight in close quarters was second to none.
The Mounted Warg Riders' specialty' effectivity was greatly diminished after entering the stronghold. With little to no room to maneuver, the Orcs were forced to abandon their mounts and engage the enemies in close combat.
Lux herded his friends to the corner of the battlefield where he summoned his minions to fight against the Orc Berserkers that were at the peak of Rank 3.
"They are truly Berserkers," Lux gritted his teeth as he used a Void arrow in an attempt to blind his target. All the skeletons that he had summoned shattered instantly with a single swipe of the Berserker's weapon. They were completely outclassed.
"Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"
Pazuzu appeared and used a Shield Bash to send the Orc Berserker that was about to hack Colette in half. The latter was instantly sent flying to the opposite direction.
"Thank you, Pazuzu!" Colette shouted before smashing her mace into the leg of the Orc Berserker that was being ganged up on by Lux's Skeletal Fighters.
Matty didn't stray far from the little blonde Dwarf and used his two short swords to slash the Orc's Legs in order to limit its movements.
"They're too sturdy!" Matty complained. "My swords can't cut deep!"
"Fire Lance!"
"Hydro Ball!"
Andy and Axel fired their elemental spells at the Orc that Colette, Matty, and the Skeletons were fighting in order to help subdue it. However, their spells barely pushed it back, which proved how strong their opponent was.
"This is madness!" Andy gasped. "It's like we're fighting a boss."
"Yes, and there are over four hundred of these bosses," Axel commented as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Lux shared his friends' worries because he clearly felt the disparity in strength with just a few exchanges with their enemies. They were only dealing with two Orc Berserkers, and their forces were being decimated left and right.
If not for Diablo, Ishtar, and Pazuzu holding off one of the Orc Berserkers, they would have definitely found themselves in a precarious situation.
The main reason why they were having problems with the Orc Berserkers, was due to their ability "Rage". This was similar to the Berserk Skill which doubled the Orc Berserker's Stats for a period of time, making them extremely formidable.
An Orc Berserker under the effect of Rage was equivalent to a Rank 4 Monster, which put them on the same level as Boss Monsters in the eyes of Lux and the Dwarf children.
The Half-Elf couldn't help but glance in the direction where Barca and Orobak were duking it out with each other. From his vantage point, he could see the Barca was being pushed back by the Orc Chieftain, whose eyes had turned bloodshot from anger.
Lux also noticed that there were some kind of red mists that were flying in Orobak's direction that were coming from the blood of the corpses that were lying on the ground.
These red mists seemed to coat Orobak's Black Armor, as well as his sword, making them more durable, and deadly with each passing minute.
"Is that some kind of Skill?" Lux muttered as he observed the battle from afar. "Whatever that is, it doesn't bode well for us."
The Half-Elf's greatest fear was starting to come to light as Barca was blown away with one of Orobak's powerful Sword Slash.
With that single exchange alone, Lux fully understood that Orobak's current strength had broken through the initial stages of the Rank 5 Alpha Beast Rank, making him the strongest Orc inside the Stronghold, and an enemy that they would need to fight together in order to defeat.