Ch. 141..150

Chapter 141 A Touch Of Dragons

—-

Ding!

– You have received the Hidden Quest "A Touch of Dragons".

– Would you like to accept this quest?

< Yes / No >

—----

Lux stared at the prompt in front of him before shifting his gaze at Cadmus whose eyes had locked unto his body.

"If I help you, aside from these gold coins, what other benefits can I get?" Lux asked.

"You're too greedy, Half-Elf," Cadmus replied.

"Then, go find another Elf that will help you," Lux scoffed. "I'm not interested. You can take your gold back."

Lux didn't even bat an eye as he threw the pouch filled with gold coins back at the Draconic Kobold whose eyes had turned bloodshot.

The Half-Elf had acquired the title, Negotiator, after clearing the Hidden Quest of Orc Dominion. This allowed him to have a higher chance of winning when negotiating with anyone, especially those that were members of the Nobility or Royal Family.

Although he was dealing with a Draconic Kobold, who was neither noble nor royal, this was still a negotiation, so he was hoping that he would gain more by accepting this mission that was thrown at his face without prior notice.

"What more do you want?" Cadmus growled. Clearly, he was feeling frustrated because he couldn't use brute force to get his way in this situation. He knew that Lux was now an Honorary Knight of the Kingdom of Gweliven, and killing a Noble would spell out, not only his doom, but his entire clan's future as well.

"I want a share of everything that will be acquired in the dungeon," Lux replied. "I want a third of whatever treasures, Beast Cores, or any other useful items that are found inside it."

Cadmus growled and a streak of flame burst out from his mouth, as he spat on the ground beside him.

"Fine," Cadmus agreed through gritted teeth.

"Ah. Can I also have that pouch back? I'm short on gold coins right now." Lux smiled at the Draconic Kobold, which almost pushed the latter to slash the Half-Elf's face with his claws.

"Take it!" Cadmus tossed the pouch back to the red-headed teenager using all the willpower it could muster. If not for the requirement of the Dungeon to have an Elf be part of the group, he would never, ever, go as far as to negotiate with the Half-Elf who was trying to extort him.

After receiving the pouch of gold coins, Lux finally accepted the mission. A few seconds later, several rows of text appeared in front of him, which made him drop the gold pouch, and his jaw practically fell off his face.

'Oh sh*t…,' Lux thought as he read the information in front of him.

—--

Hidden Quest: A Touch of Dragons

Difficulty Rating: S

Quest Location: Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian

Dungeon Rating: C

Dungeon Mode: Hell Mode

—--

< A Touch of Dragons >

(Chain Quest)

Deep within the earth, an ancient city was unearthed. Find out the secret that was buried along its demise within the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.

Bonus Rewards will be calculated depending on the choices you make in this mission.

—--

Primary Rewards upon mission completion.

– Potion of Intelligence

This potion adds +50 permanent Intelligence Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Potion of Intelligence in your lifetime.

– Rank 2 Skill Book of your choice.

You will be able to choose any Skill that is Rank 2 and below from the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.

1,000 Gold Coins

+2,000 Hazeback Kobold Clan Reputation Points

—---

Lux didn't expect that the difficulty rating of the mission would be S, which made him wonder if he could still back out from the mission he had just accepted.

"Um, can I back out?" Lux asked the grumpy Draconic Kobold.

Instead of answering, Cadmus placed its clawed hand on Lux's shoulder, preventing him from moving from where he stood.

"Do you want to?" Cadmus asked. Although his clawed hand that was keeping Lux in place wasn't exerting any kind of pressure, the Half-Elf understood that the Draconic Kobold wouldn't allow him to go, not after being told the secrets of the Ancient Ruins.

"I don't want to."

"Good. You made the right choice."

Cadmus glanced at the guards at the gate, who had unsheathed their weapons after seeing him seize the Half-Elf who was under their protection.

"You have two hours to prepare." Cadmus growled as he released his hold on Lux's shoulder. "We'll be leaving before sunrise. Now, go."

Lux reluctantly nodded his head as he went back to the inn to gather his things. He also asked Aron, who was the Head of the Leaf Village guards to pass a message to his Master, Randolph, that he would be leaving Leaf Village for a week or two.

After exiting the gate, Cadmus grabbed Lux's body before taking off to the skies. He didn't plan on letting the Dwarves follow him, so he decided to cover his tracks by flying to the North for a few minutes before changing direction by turning towards the West.

Lux understood why the Draconic Kobold was being secretive of the Ancient Ruin's location because it could attract the attention of the Dwarves, who would not pass up the chance to gain more treasures.

—--

After an hour of flying, Cadmus descended towards the ground, in a valley that was several miles away from the Stronghold of Norria.

There, he made a beeline towards a giant boulder that was surrounded by vines. As soon as the Draconic Kobold landed, he released Lux and pushed the boulder to the side, revealing a narrow entrance.

"Go in," Cadmus ordered.

Lux nodded as he entered the narrow cave, which was big enough for Cadmus to traverse only if he crouched on the ground.

There were several glowing crystals along the way, so Lux didn't have any trouble seeing what was in front of him. The minutes passed by in silence, as the Half-Elf, as well as the Draconic Kobold, walked at a steady pace.

After walking for almost half an hour, the two finally arrived in a spacious cavern, where an underground lake had formed.

Cadmus walked along the side of the lake, until he arrived at another tunnel, leading deeper into the ground.

The Half-Elf followed behind the Draconic Kobold as he secretly mapped the pathways that they took. Deep inside, he sniggered after discovering Cadmus' attempt to confuse his sense of direction, in order to prevent him from memorizing the path that they were taking.

'He is too cautious,' Lux thought as he followed the Draconic Kobold who was leading him in circles around the underground labyrinth.

Finally, after three hours, Cadmus finally took the right path, and led Lux to the real location where the Ancient Ruins were discovered.

When they arrived at their destination, Lux couldn't help but whistle at the sheer size of the underground city. According to his estimate, even if ten Leaf Villages were stuffed inside, it would fit and still have room to spare.

Kobolds could be seen everywhere and most of them were digging into the ground, trying to unearth the entire city from its buried state.

"Come, the Dungeon is at the very back of the city," Cadmus said as he dragged Lux forward. "You can go sightseeing when we get back."

Lux didn't reply and simply allowed Cadmus to lead him to the Dungeon's entrance, while his eyes wandered around the place.

All the Kobolds were giving him unfriendly gazes as if he was a thief that had come to steal their treasures.

'Well, in a way, I did come to steal their treasures,' Lux thought as he ignored the steely gazes of the Kobolds who had stopped their work to observe him.

Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux's head, was looking around as well. This was something new to her, and she looked at this scene with genuine curiosity.

After walking for twenty minutes, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Dungeon.

Lux marveled at the design on the gates, which had the head of a dragon carved in it. In truth, he was both afraid of and excited about what he was going to find inside the Dungeon.

Although he didn't know if another Story-Mode would activate once he entered, since he was with the Kobold explorers, he had a feeling that if he played his cards right, he would gain unimaginable rewards, which would be similar to the ones he gained inside the Orc Dominion, making him look forward to the secrets that were buried deep within the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.

 

Chapter 142 Actions Will Speak Louder Than Words

Barbatos Academy…

Alexander was signing documents in his office, when a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," Alexander said without even bothering to raise his head as he continued to sign the documents that were on top of his table.

"If you keep forcing Iris, you'll end up pushing her away and she will run somewhere far from you," Vera said as she walked towards her son who was busy with work. "You know who she loves and yet you still push other young men to become her fiance. Did you lose your heart after stepping into the Ranks of a Saint?"

"Love won't keep her safe when the sky falls down above her head," Alexander replied. "What she needs is someone that can take care of her, and not a good looking Half-Elf who faints at the first sign of danger."

Vera chuckled as she shook her head. She knew that her son didn't really dislike Lux. In fact, he liked the young man to a certain extent. His only concern was that he didn't think of Lux as someone who could take care of Iris because of his weak body.

For someone that stood at the peak of the world, they knew that only strength mattered. Without it, you will just get trampled on by those who were stronger than you. It didn't matter if you were right or wrong. All that mattered was whether you were strong enough to make all those who oppose you, shut up.

"You've already made a declaration that whoever wins the tournament would become Iris' fiance," Vera stated. "What if the one who won mistreats her in the future? What then?"

"Impossible."

"Impossible?"

For the first time since Vera entered the room, Alexander raised his head to look at his aged-mother with a serious expression on his face.

"Anyone who dares to harm my daughter will be erased from the face of this world," Alexander declared. "Even if a prince does it, I would kill him, as well as the rest of his entire family. If he's from an influential clan, I will wipe them all out until none is left. Mother, do you really think that anyone would dare to harm Iris, knowing the Fate that awaits them?"

Vera leaned forward in her chair and lightly tapped her fingers on top of the table.

"You think too much, Alex," Vera replied. "Since you've already declared that whoever wins the tournament will become Iris fiance then so be it. Just don't regret your decision later."

Alexander frowned. He thought that his mother would openly oppose his decision to have the champion of the tournament become Iris' fiance. Since Vera didn't come to his office to dissuade him, it only meant one thing.

"So, you plan to let Lux join the tournament," Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you afraid that he will become a laughingstock because of your whims?"

The corner of Vera's lips rose as she listened to her son's words. She knew that Alexander had no faith in Lux when it came to fighting in the tournament, so she just kept her mouth shut.

'Actions will speak louder than words,' Vera mused as she allowed the smile to spread across her weathered face.

Her reaction made Alexander feel that something was off, but he didn't pay much attention. He knew that if Vera really wished to renege his earlier declaration, his mother would have already done it, even if it meant that the two of them would end up fighting against each other.

"I'm going back to Wildgarde Stronghold," Vera said as she stood up. "If I hear that my granddaughter is getting bullied again, I will return to bring her back with me. You can come and pick her up when the tournament starts."

The old woman walked towards the door without even looking back at her son. No more words needed to be spoken, for this was not her fight. She believed her grandson, and knew that no matter how high the hurdle he faced, he would never give up, even if the entire world were to turn its back against him.

—--

"I give up!" Lux shouted. "No more! I quit!"

Cadmus, as well as the other Kobolds who accompanied him inside the dungeon glared at the Half-Elf who was throwing a tantrum. As soon as they entered the dungeon, the Half-Elf had almost been swallowed whole by two Rank 4 Basilisks that were over two hundred meters long.

If not for Cadmus' quick rescue, the Half-Elf might have spent the rest of his days inside the stomach of the Giant Black Serpents.

The two Basilisks weren't slain because they retreated quite quickly after discovering that one of their opponents had a higher rank than them. Unfortunately, even as a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, it was quite difficult for Cadmus to kill both Basilisks at the same time.

"Just stick close to me if you don't want to die," Cadmus stated as he picked the Half-Elf up like a kitten by grabbing onto his clothes.

If not for the fact that almost all the passages inside the dungeon required someone with Elven blood in them, he would have long abandoned the red-headed teenager who was getting on his nerves.

Lux stopped struggling and simply looked at the map in the upper right corner of his vision. He could see that the two basilisks were stealthily following them in the distance, and just waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

In truth, if Lux really wished it, he could have gotten out of that situation alive. He just wanted to know if Cadmus would really go and save him if his life were ever threatened inside the Dungeon.

The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was a labyrinth style Dungeon. Unlike the Orc Dominion which had an "open world" setting, this particular Dungeon was similar to the Kobold's Nest which had many underground pathways.

Even with the Elysium Compendium, Lux couldn't fathom how big and deep the dungeon was. If there were already two Rank 4 Monsters near the entrance of the dungeon, he was afraid to find out what lurked in its depths.

'Orobak had jumped to the Initial Stages of a Rank 5 Monster near the end of Story Mode,' Lux thought. 'Back then I thought that having a Rank 4 Alpha Monster (Barca) with me guaranteed smooth sailing, but I was terribly wrong in my assumption.'

Right now, he was under the protection of a Rank 5 Alpha Monster. Hell Mode Dungeons were known to adjust their settings, depending on their challengers. If their group had one Rank 5 Alpha Monster in their party then the Dungeon would definitely make things difficult for them.

'I sure hope that a Deimos Ranked monster will not appear here,' Lux thought. 'If that happens, I'll take Eiko and run as far away as possible. There is simply no way we are going to defeat something of that rank.'

In the world of Elysium, there were Five Primary Stages. They were Rank 1 up to Rank 5 Monsters.

For the Elysians, as well as Solains, there were Grade D Apostles, up to the Initiate Rank. Initiates were what people referred to as those that had the strength equivalent to Rank 5 Monsters. They were called Initiates, because it was the stage before being a Ranker.

A Deimos Monster was equivalent to E-Rankers and F-Rankers.

A Rank 5 Monster was simply food to a monster of that rank. Even though Cadmus could walk unhindered in the Beginner's Zone, once it stepped into the Intermediate Territories, it was just another Boss Monster that was slightly harder to kill.

In the Intermediate Territories, Deimos Monsters were the Apex Creatures. They were the threat that many Apostles avoided fighting because they were simply too powerful if not fought with hundreds of people at a time, or by a strong Guild.

They were the "World Bosses" that dropped Unique up to Mythical items, and any guild would be willing to pay just about any price for any of those items to fall into their hands.

'I hope I'm just overthinking things,' Lux thought as Cadmus and the Rank 3 Kobolds that had accompanied him in this endeavor, scanned their surroundings with vigilance.

They had no destination in mind, and were simply trying to find out what this particular Dungeon had to offer.

Unknown to them, a pair of golden eyes were watching them in the darkness. It was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab the Half-Elf, whose blood was calling out to it.

 

Chapter 143 I Need To Catch Up To Them Soon

Unlike the Kobolds, who were used to living underground, Lux was having trouble adapting to the environment.

Everywhere he looked, there was just dirt. The smell of soil also permeated the surroundings. Eiko, on the other hand, seemed at ease, and just stayed on top of Lux's head for the duration of the expedition.

For her, anywhere was good as long as she was with her Papa.

"Let's camp here for now," Cadmus said after they arrived in a small enclosed cavern. "Did you bring food with you, Half-Elf?"

"The name is Lux, and yes, I brought food with me," Lux replied as he summoned a basket of sandwiches that he had asked the Tavern Cook to make on short notice.

Eiko happily took a bite of the sandwich that was handed to her by her Papa. She hadn't eaten anything yet, and she was starving. Lux felt sorry for his baby Slime and fed her five sandwiches, so Eiko would feel satisfied.

After eating, Eiko went inside Lux's robe to sleep. It was now her most favorite spot for sleeping after experiencing the horrors of the Goblin Crypt Hell Mode.

Lux, on the other hand, glanced at his map to check for the Monsters that were wandering around the underground labyrinth.

Along the way, they had met several Worm type Monsters, as well as Centipedes. All of them were Rank 2 and 3, but they were of no match for the Kobold Lineup that accompanied Lux and Cadmus on this Dungeon exploration.

2 Kobold Shamans, 2 Kobold Mages, and 4 Kobold Raiders.

All of these Kobolds were Rank 3 Monsters, while Cadmus was the only Alpha Monster who was Rank 5. Lux still hadn't increased his stat points, so he was just skirting along the boundaries of the Apostle Grade.

While resting, Lux looked at the two Beast Cores in his possession that he got from the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis. He still hadn't used them because the primary skill he wanted from it was the Doppelganger, but then he had managed to acquire it from the quest reward.

Originally, he planned to let Eiko absorb them, so that she had a chance to gain the Doppelganger ability on her own, but he decided against it.

The baby Slime could mimic up to four skills that he possessed. Since they were always together, Lux decided to just consume the two beast cores so that he would gain a chance to acquire two of the Alpha Monster's precious skills.

—-

Skills: Crimson Slash, Double Fury Slash, Berserk, Air Steps, Quick Assault, Hunter's Mark, Doppelganger, Coup de Grace.

Passive Skills: Intimidate, Razor Wind.

—--

Lux eyed the skills that belonged to the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis, and found all of them were to his liking, especially Coup de Grace and Berserk.

The Half-Elf had always wanted to acquire the Berserk Skill since it was a crucial skill that could be used when pushed into a corner. Getting an explosive burst of strength to turn the situation around was common among Boss Monsters, and this was what made them extremely difficult to beat.

—--

Do you wish to absorb a Rank 3 Beast Core?

< Yes / No >

—--

Lux chose yes and the familiar two options appeared in front of him.

—-

< Upgrade Stat Points >

< Upgrade Skills>

—--

Obtained 30 Free Stats Points

Obtained 60 Body Constitution Points

You have acquired the passive skill Razor Wind.

—--

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

– Since the skill, Razor Wind, is a passive skill, it will automatically be upgraded to the passive skill Tempest Fury

—-

​ < Tempest Fury >

(Can be switched On and Off at any given time)

– Any weapon that the user wields will be enchanted by the wind element, making it sharper, and able to deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.

– This Skill is applied to unarmed combat as well. Punches and kicks will be imbued by the power of wind, and deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.

– This Skill is also applied to range attacks, including arrows, throwing knives, throwing axes, darts, or any projectile weapons that the user wields.

– Adds +100 Wind Elemental Damage to all attacks by the user.

—-

'Nice!' Lux almost did a fist pump because the Skill he got was simply too awesome. Having all of his attacks imbued by an elemental attack would drastically increase his damage potential, as well as deal double damage to enemies that had a weakness to the wind element.

It even allowed the Half-Elf to imbue projectile weapons like arrows with this elemental attack, giving Lux flexibility in battle.

The skill could also be toggled On and Off depending on the situation, which was a handy feature, just in case his opponents were resistant to the Wind Element.

Lux had plenty of unused stat points on his Character Page. If the Half-Elf were to use them all, he would immediately jump ranks up to a Grade B Apostle, which was equivalent to a Rank 3 Monster.

'Nero and the others are nearing the peak of Grade A Apostle,' Lux thought. 'This is still not enough. I need to catch up to them soon.'

The tournament was only a couple months away, leaving Lux with only half a year left in Elysium to get the points that he needed in order to reach the rank he wanted.

'Now, for the second one,' Lux wished that he got either Coup de Grace or Berserk for his last attempt. Although the other skills were good, he needed either of these two to get an edge over his opponents.

After consuming the Beast Core, a series of texts appeared in front of Lux, which made the smile on the Half-Elf's face stiffen.

—-

Obtained 30 Free Stats Points

Obtained 60 Body Constitution Points

You have acquired the skill, Air Steps.

—--

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

The skill, Air Steps, will be upgraded into Air Strider [EX] once the requirements have been met.

—--

< Air Strider [EX] >

– Aside from traversing on air, this skill also gives the user the ability to fly for a short period of time.

– This skill consumes fifty Mana Points every thirty seconds, up to a maximum of five minutes while flying in the air.

– Requirement to upgrade: Use Air Steps 50x

– Progress ( 0 / 50 )

—-

Lux scratched his head since he didn't get the two skills he was aiming for.

'Air Strider [EX] is also good,' Lux mused. 'It's a very flexible ability. Although I didn't get what I wanted, I got an all-rounder ability in exchange. I guess this isn't a bad tradeoff.'

The reason why Lux wasn't really thrilled in getting the Air Strider [EX] skill was due to the fact that there were flying mounts, as well as several flying abilities in Elysium.

Air Strider [EX] was just one of those skills that allowed the user to fly for a short period of time. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. It was just as Lux said, it was an all-rounder skill that could be used if there were neither flying mounts nor other flying abilities.

While Lux was upgrading his skill, Cadmus was paying close attention to him out of the corner of his eyes. He was still holding a grudge against Lux, but due to the fact that he was now an Honorary Knight of the Gweliven Kingdom, the Draconic Kobold was forced to stay his hand in attacking the Half-Elf in fear of the Kingdom's retaliation.

Cadmus knew that he was still a frog in the well. Unlike real Dragons that could threaten an entire Kingdom with its overpowering might, the Draconic Kobold was just a lizard with wings.

The moment he left the territory of Norria, the chances of him getting attacked by the foreigners in the Intermediate town was quite high. This was also why he didn't plan to leave his nest until he'd stepped into the Deimos Rank.

Then, and only then, would he gain sufficient strength to intimidate those who wished to attack him because of his race.

After paying close attention to Lux, he noticed the subtle changes in the Half-Elf's expression which made him wonder if Lux was feeling constipated.

Just as he was about to continue his observation, the Half-Elf abruptly stood up and glanced at the entrance of their camping site with a shocked expression on his face.

"Everyone, we need to find a safe place to hide!" Lux shouted. "A Dungeon Outbreak is about to happen, and if we don't leave here soon, we will be caught in the crossfire!"

 

Chapter 144 Fancy Meeting You Guys Here

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Cadmus asked as he glared at the Half-Elf who was panicking after receiving a Quest out of the blue.

Lux didn't know how to explain their current situation to the Draconic Kobold because he knew that no matter what he said, Cadmus wouldn't believe him. He just stared helplessly at the Quest information in front of him, while thinking about his next course of action.

—-

Survival Quest!

Difficulty Rating: A

< Dungeon Outbreak >

– The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian has regular dungeon outbreaks to cull the spawned Monsters that have reached their maximum capacity.

– However, since the entrance of the Dungeon was sealed by a powerful spell to prevent the Monsters from emerging from the dungeon, the Monsters have nowhere to go. Because of this, they are forced into a maddened state where they would start killing each other in order to decrease their numbers.

But, if there are any intruders inside the Dungeon during this period of time, all the Monsters will focus their attention towards disposing of the invaders first, before they start killing each other.

(Quest Clear Conditions)

– Survive the Dungeon Outbreak for one hour.

(Quest Failing Conditions)

– Lux Von Kaizer dies or more than half of his party members die.

Failing this Quest will automatically expel the survivors out of the dungeon and prevent them from entering it again for the duration of two years.

—

(Rewards for Quest Completion)

100 Rank 2 Beast Cores

20 Rank 3 Beast Cores

2 Rank 4 Beast Core

Title: Outbreak Survivor

Bonus Reward: ???

—

Time before Dungeon Outbreak Begins: 18 minutes 38 seconds

—----

"Okay, listen to me," Lux said as he stared at Cadmus with a serious expression on his face. "You know that I cleared the Hidden Mission in the Stronghold of Norria, right?"

"Yes," Cadmus replied.

Lux took a deep breath as he prepared to spout some random bullsh*t in order to convince the Draconic Kobold, as well as his brethren to listen to believe his words.

"The truth is, I was able to clear it because I have a special ability," Lux stated with an expression that would put con artists to shame. "This is an ability that is exclusive only to a handful of Foreigners. Not many have this, and those who do are known to have an easier time in clearing dungeons. Do you guys understand what I'm trying to say?"

Cadmus reluctantly nodded his head, while the other Kobolds just exchanged glances with each other. Doubt was written on their faces. Clearly, they didn't believe what Lux was trying to tell them.

"Okay, so this ability activated right now, and gave me a warning that a Monster Outbreak would be happening soon," Lux said. "We need t–"

"What you're talking about is impossible," one of the Kobold Mages interjected Lux's speech. "The entrance of this dungeon is sealed, and can only be opened with the blood of an Elf. You barely meet this requirement, so unless your blood is used, the Monsters inside this dungeon can't esca–"

The Kobold Mage wasn't able to finish his explanation because he, too, realized that the possibility of the gate opening was quite high since they had Lux with them.

"If the monsters are able to capture you then they could leave the dungeon and escape to the surface!" one of the Kobold Shaman's exclaimed as he pointed at Lux. "Our brethren outside will be annihilated and overrun by these beasts! We must stop them at once!"

All the Kobolds now fully understood what could happen, but a few of them were still in doubt about whether Lux was telling the truth or not.

"Do you have any proof to back your claims?" one of the Kobold Raiders asked. "This is a serious matter, and if you're lying, we will make you understand what the meaning of pain is!"

Lux snorted as he headed towards the wall of the cavern they were staying at.

"I don't need to explain anything to you guys," Lux said as Eiko jumped off his head and used her digging ability to burrow to the ground. "Fifteen minutes from now, the Dungeon Outbreak will happen. All of you can die if you want, but I'm not planning on dying here."

Lux then turned around to look at the Kobolds who were glaring at him.

"I have promises I need to keep, and I won't allow myself to die inside a Dungeon I was forced to enter because I was threatened!" Lux glared back at the Kobolds, and glared more at Cadmus, who left him with no other choice, but to accept the quest that was forced into him.

Eiko tunneled deep underground, but the hole she made was only big enough for her to enter. She hurriedly dug back to the surface, in order to widen the hole, and allow her Papa to hide with her.

"You can do it, Eiko!"

"Pa!"

"Just a little more!"

"Pa!"

The baby slime was like a bulldozer that shoveled dirt, in and out of the hole that she was creating. After ten minutes of digging, and chugging a few bottles of Mana Potions, the hole Eiko created was now big and deep enough to allow Lux and the other Kobolds to enter.

However, it wasn't big enough to allow Cadmus to squeeze inside because of the Draconic Kobold's hulking figure.

The exhausted baby Slime then looked up at her Papa with a proud smile on her face. Lux didn't forget to praise Eiko to the high heavens before entering the hole that she had created.

The Half-Elf didn't bother inviting the Kobolds to follow him because he was sure that they would be able to sense the sudden changes that would happen in a few minutes.

'Once they realize that I was telling the truth, they will be more likely to listen to me in the future,' Lux thought as he settled down at the farthest corner of the hole Eiko had dug for him. 'I don't know what kind of Monster Outbreak is going to happen, but I'm sure that it is going to be a messy one.

Outside of the hole where Lux was hiding at, the Kobolds were discussing the Half-Elf's words.

"He might just be trying to trick us so that he can escape," one of the Kobold Raiders said. "He's a land-dweller. He isn't as sturdy as under-dwellers like us."

"That may be true, but I am more inclined to believe him," one of the Goblin Shamans commented. "He is the weakest among us, and if he tries to leave without our protection, he will just be food to the Monsters that wander around this labyrinth."

The Kobold Raider wasn't able to refute this fact, so he didn't say anything else and merely looked at the other Kobolds, asking for their opinions with his gaze.

"He said that the Dungeon Outbreak will be happening in a few minutes," the oldest among the Kobold Mages stated. "Let's just wait for a while to see if what he is saying is true or not. It won't be too late to punish him later if he was just making a fool of us."

"I agree."

"This makes sense."

"It doesn't hurt to have a second opinion."

The oldest Kobold Mage then glanced at Cadmus who was just listening to all of them talk.

"What do you think, Cadmus?" the Kobold Mage asked. "Do you think he is telling the truth?"

Cadmus shook his head.

"I don't know if he is telling the truth or not," Cadmus replied. "All I know is that we need him alive or else we won't be able to leave this Dungeon. The gate requires someone with Elven blood flowing in their veins to open and close it. Without him, all of us will be trapped here, forever unable to leave."

The Kobolds all simultaneously glanced into the hole where the Half-Elf was currently hiding.

"Understood. We just need to wai–" the oldest Kobold Mage froze as he, and every other Kobold around him, felt the vibrations coming off the ground.

As a race that spent most of their time mining underground, they were well aware what this vibration meant, especially since they had experienced stumbling upon the denizens of creatures that lived under the earth.

Usually, when Kobolds, gnomes, dwarves, and underground monsters met during one of their digging sessions, both sides would immediately start attacking the other without any questions asked.

This was a normal occurrence in Elysium, so the Kobolds were quite aware of the tremors that were slowly getting stronger. Cadmus' strong hearing had caught onto the sounds of hundreds of monsters crawling in their direction, which made the back of his spine tingle.

"Everyone go inside the hole!" Cadmus ordered. Do it now!"

The Kobolds hurriedly followed his command and squeezed themselves inside the hole that Eiko had created.

Soon, they met the Half-Elf who was seated in a small cavern that Eiko had specially made for him in the farthest side of the hole.

"Yo," Lux said with a smile. "Fancy meeting you guys here."

The Kobolds looked at him with flushed faces, feeling embarrassed, and didn't know how to react to the Half-Elf's greeting.

—-

Outside the hole…

The two Kobold Shamans chanted and cast a spell over Cadmus to make him shrink to the size of a normal Kobold Warrior, so that he could enter the hole alongside them.

After the spell had taken effect, the two Shamans hurriedly went inside the hole, with Cadmus following last.

Although his size had shrunk to that of a normal Kobold, his strength remained intact.

The Draconic Kobold summoned its sword as he faced the entrance of the hole with a determined gaze.

No matter what happened, he wouldn't allow any of the Monsters to make it past him. That was the only thing he could think of doing to prevent his comrades from being massacred, as well as to survive this Dungeon Outbreak that was now starting to fall upon their heads.

 

Chapter 145 Remember The Time You Thought You Could Never Survive?

"How did you know about this?" the Kobold Mage, who entered the hole first, asked the Half-Elf, who refused to let them enter the comfortable small space that Eiko made, hogging it to lie down on the ground properly.

"Half-Elf secrets," Lux replied as he casually fed Eiko a sandwich as a reward for her hard work in digging the hole. "Also, don't talk to me. All of you refused to believe me earlier, so why are you now all here in my hole? Why don't you play with the monsters outside instead? I'm sure they would be more than happy to play Whack-a-Kobold with you guys."

The Kobold Mage's face reddened as he glared at the irritating Half-Elf who caused his cheeks to burn in anger and embarrassment.

Lux sneered at the Kobold as he continued to feed his baby slime. He wasn't afraid even if the monsters were able to enter the hole. Anyway, even if the other Kobolds died, he would be teleported outside of the dungeon before the monsters could even get to him.

The vibrations coming through the ground were getting stronger, and the Half-Elf knew that the Monster Army was near their location.

Cadmus, who was vigilantly facing at the entrance of the hole, narrowed his gaze and gripped his weapon firmly in his hand.

He was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, and only a handful of existences in the Beginner's Zone were capable of matching his strength. However, the Dungeon was different.

It was a completely unknown territory and even he didn't know how strong the Monsters inside it were. Even so, he was confident that none of them would get past him.

The reason?

Because he was strong.

Cadmus sincerely believed in his strength, for he was a Draconic Kobold. He was someone meant to reach greater heights once he stepped into the Deimos Rank and had to leave the Territory of Norria behind to see the world.

Suddenly, a Crimson Centipede gazed into the hole with its red-beady eyes which glowed faintly in the darkness.

Cadmus arrogantly activated his Dragon's Fear, which made the centipede back away in fright, crashing into the Monsters behind it. Soon, more Monsters tried to enter the hole, but Cadmus Dragon's Fear made them unable to approach more than a meter inside the hole.

Loud hisses, screeches, as well as roars of frustration spread in the surroundings, making the Kobolds, with the exception of Cadmus, tremble.

After a few minutes of repeated attempts, the Monsters finally reached the limit of their patience and immediately raided the hole. Although they were too scared to do it, the compelling influence of the Dungeon to attack all intruders overrode their senses, making them rabid killing machines whose single purpose was to kill.

Cadmus opened his mouth and unleashed a concentrated beam of Dragon's Breath, which instantly incinerated the monsters that entered the hole.

The smell of burning flesh permeated the air, reaching Lux who was in the very back, causing his nose to twitch.

Cadmus' angry roar reverberated within the hole as he stabbed, hacked, and smashed the monsters that were foolish enough to force themselves inside the hole he was guarding.

Bodies upon bodies of monsters piled up in front of him, blocking the view. But, Cadmus didn't allow those bodies to block the entrance and incinerated them using a Dragon's Breath, effectively killing those who had tried to use this opportunity to get inside the hole that Lux created.

'Looks like my plan worked,' Lux thought.

When he ordered Eiko to dig, he had already imagined how things might go and expected this scenario to happen. Since the entrance was narrow, the monsters didn't have any choice but to enter the hole one by one, completely disregarding their advantage in numbers.

This allowed Cadmus to freely kill his opponents without too much trouble. As long as he was blocking the way, none of the monsters could dream of getting past him.

After nearly twenty minutes of repeated failures, the monsters all gave a resounding cry of anger before they started killing each other.

The Dungeon Outbreak happened because the Dungeon was unable to contain the big surplus of Monsters. Since they were unable to get past Cadmus who was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, they resorted to killing each other in order to cull the number of the Monsters inside the Dungeon.

By doing so, they would have a better chance at survival instead of committing suicide by entering the hole were a ferocious Draconic Kobold was waiting to kill them.

As the battle raged on, Lux and the other Kobolds were finally able to sigh in relief because the worst case scenario was over.

All they needed to do was wait until the number of Monsters decreased before they came out of the hole to kill the remaining survivors.

The two Rank 4 Basilisks that had tried to eat Lux earlier were among the Rank 4 Monsters that had entered the chaotic battlefield, killing everything in their surroundings.

Naturally, there were other Rank 4 Monsters, like the Earth Golem, Earth Trolls, as well as Earth Mawler, who were among the strongest Rank 4 Monsters in the Dungeon.

All the Rank 4 Monsters were so big that their bodies couldn't possibly enter the hole that Eiko had created. Because of this, they had no choice but to face each other, while the weaker monsters massacred those around them.

It was complete and total pandemonium, and Lux was quite thankful that he was safe and snug under the ground with his baby Slime in his arms.

Minutes passed, and dirt started to fall inside the hole as the tremors intensified.

Eiko had dug a hundred-meters into the ground, so Lux was confident that they were down far enough not to be implicated in the battle that was going on above ground. However, the constant rumblings in the surroundings made him anxious that a cave-in might happen if the battle didn't end soon.

'I'm really glad I have Eiko with me,' Lux thought. 'If not, we would be forced to repel so many monsters at once.'

The Half-Elf was sure that their chances of surviving such an onslaught if they were aboveground was non-existent. He didn't know how many monsters were currently killing each other on the surface, but one thing was clear. He would rather stay underground than mingle with them on the surface.

The minutes moved ever so slowly and painfully, for those in the hole who were feeling anxious. Each minute was feeling more and more like the passing of a year.

Suddenly, the monstrous head of a Giant Black Basilisk appeared in the hole. It opened its jaw and was about to unleash some kind of acid attack, but Cadmus was faster than it.

Before the Basilisk could even unleash its attack, a Dragon Breath passed through its opened mouth, making it shriek in pain.

Since it had forced itself inside the hole, it was unable to get out quickly, so Cadmus Dragon's Breath continued to raze its head, burning it to a crisp.

Soon, the Giant Basilisk stopped moving after its head and body erupted in flames from the Draconic Kobold's powerful attack.

A minute later, its body was pulled out of the hole, followed by a deafening roar that Lux believed came from a troll. A moment later, the sound of chewing reached their ears.

It seemed that whatever had pulled the Basilisk's body from the hole was enjoying the toasted, and headless black serpent that had tried to attack the Kobolds that were hiding in the hole.

Several minutes had passed. Lux patted his chest in relief when he saw the series of text that appeared in front of him.

—-

Survive the Dungeon Outbreak for one hour. (Cleared!)

Rewards:

100 Rank 2 Beast Cores

20 Rank 3 Beast Cores

2 Rank 4 Beast Core

Title: Outbreak Survivor

Bonus Reward: Key of the Inner Grotto.

< Outbreak Survivor >

"Remember the time you thought you could never survive? You did it, and you can do it again."

+10,000 Health Points

—-

Lux looked at the Outbreak Survivor title and chuckled after reading its information. However, what he was most curious about was the Bonus Reward that he received, which was the Key of the Inner Grotto.

The Half-Elf didn't know where the Inner Grotto was, but now that the key was in his hands, he believed that it was only a matter of time before they found it and put the reward he got to good use.

 

Chapter 146 It’s Impossible To Win!

The battle aboveground quieted down, but Lux and the other Kobolds didn't move from their location.

They only kept their senses at their highest state as they listened to their surroundings. Cadmus waited for fifteen more minutes before slowly crawling out of the hole with his weapon at the ready.

The Draconic Kobold poked his head outside the hole and scanned the surroundings with a critical eye. Only after making sure that the coast was clear, did he make a gesture for his comrades to come out of the hole, and see for themselves the outcome of the battle that had lasted for an hour.

Lux frowned after leaving the hole. The ground was dyed in blood, and nothing else was left behind. Usually, when Dungeon Monsters died, their bodies would turn into particles of light, leaving only their Beast Cores, as well as their Monster drops, behind.

The stench of blood was so strong that it was making Lux and Eiko feel uncomfortable. They had been into battlefields before, but this incredibly thick scent of blood was strong enough to make Lux gag.

"Come, Diablo," Lux ordered and his Named Creature appeared wearing the Blackrock Legacy armor.

The Skeleton Rider looked at his surroundings before his armor glowed crimson. Diablo had activated the skill of his armor, Blood Fervor.

The blood that littered the ground was all being sucked by Diablo's armor, giving it an eerie crimson hue. It was as if the Harbinger of Death had ascended from Hell, in order to collect the souls of the fallen.

Cadmus as well as the other Kobolds frowned after seeing this scene. Diablo's strength that was originally only at the Rank 2 Monster Rank, was starting to feel like something that belonged to a Rank 3 Monster.

Although it wasn't a threat to most of them, they found this discovery rather interesting, making them look at the Skeletal Rider, whose entire body was covered from head to toe with a black-plated armor that had suddenly turned crimson due to the blood around it.

As the blood disappeared, so did the scent it left behind. Lux wasn't new to battles, but too much blood was still too much blood. He may be able to endure it to a certain extent, but it still made him feel uncomfortable.

The Two Goblin Shamans chanted and summoned their spirit animals. One of the spirit animals that appeared was a black crow, while the other was a ferret.

A minute after they appeared, the two Monsters moved towards the Labyrinth, in search of a safe path that they could travel.

"Eiko, summon Blackie and Whitey," Lux ordered before summoning his Skeleton Monsters. "Go and explore this place."

The Skeletons nodded and headed in different directions as well. Diablo stayed behind in order to guard Lux because the Half-Elf felt that his Skeleton Fighters, and Skeleton Grand Archers were more than enough to investigate the surroundings.

Cadmus, and the other Kobolds frowned, but they didn't say anything.

"Undead Magic is such foul magic," one of the Kobold Shamans said. "I haven't seen a Necromancer since the day I was born."

"There's a first for everything," Lux replied while shrugging. "Ah, to be fair, I'd never seen any Kobolds until I met you guys. The world is such a big place. The more we know, the more we know we don't know."

The Kobold Shaman nodded. "True. The world is a big place."

The discussion came to an end, and everyone remained inside the cavern where they had made camp. After what had happened, they were not in the mood to randomly wander around the labyrinth.

They didn't really have a destination in mind, and were just wandering around aimlessly. Because of this, they were fine with Lux sending his Skeletons to help scout for them.

Suddenly, while the other Kobolds were discussing what they were going to do next, a powerful and deafening roar made them turn their heads to one of the entrances of the cavern they were staying in.

"Get behind me!" Cadmus roared as he reverted to his original size. His primal instinct told him that the monster that was approaching them was stronger than him.

It was then when they saw the Monster, holding several Skeleton Fighters in his hands.

Lux's expression instantly became grim as another notification appeared in front of him.

—--

< Indus Death Worm >

– Monstrous Giant Worm

– Wandering Boss Monster of the Outer Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian

– Rank 5 Boss Monster (Pseudo-Deimos Rank)

Health: 1,600,000 / 1,600,000

Mana: 200,000 / 200,000

Strength: ???

Intelligence: ???

Vitality: ???

Agility: ???

Dexterity: ???

Defense: 1000

Skills: Corrosive Acid Spray, Rending Jaws, Tail Smash, Crunch, Bind, Bull Rush, Dig

Passive: Double Life, Jade Skin, Tough Carapace, Guts, Regeneration

Title: Tunneler, All-Hearing.

– The Indus Death Worm was one of the two monsters that destroyed the ancient civilization that had once thrived underground for hundreds of years.

– Usually, it stays dormant and spends its days in hibernation. However, when a Dungeon Outbreak breaks loose, it wakes up from its slumber and devours all the Monsters that dared to wake it from its sleep.

– It will, also, mercilessly attack any intruders that dare to intrude upon its Domain. It was said that only Rankers were able to defeat this Beast, due to its incredible strength.

—

'What the F*ck?!' Lux cursed internally after seeing the monstrous stats of the giant Monster that was in front of him. Although it still hadn't stepped into the Deimos Rank, its level was very close to it.

The red-headed teenager didn't expect there to be a Wandering Boss Monster inside the dungeon, and it filled him with dread.

The Half-Elf knew then and there that it was impossible to defeat the Monster due to its overwhelming strength. Even with Cadmus by their side, fighting against it was pure suicide. Perhaps, Cadmus knew this as well, which explained the grim expression on his face.

In front of a Deimos, a Rank 5 Monster was merely food.

This was the thought that passed through Cadmus' head as he remembered the words that the scholar of the Kobolds had told him. Although he knew that this was true, the Monster that he was facing against was only at the Pseudo-Deimos Rank.

He believed that as long as the enemy wasn't of the Deimos Rank, he could beat it. But his belief shattered because he was certain that even before he managed to decrease the monster's life by half, he would definitely be dead.

"Run!" Lux shouted. "It's impossible to win!"

As soon as Lux shouted, the head of the monster turned in his direction. The Indus Death Worm was blind and only relied on sounds and strong vibrations on the ground. Since the Half-Elf's shout caught its attention, it decided to make Lux its target instead.

'Oh f*ck!' Lux thought as the monster's enormous head charged in his direction.

Although he wanted to evade, the monster's speed far exceeded his. He could only watch helplessly as the giant maws of the monster came crashing down, while the Kobolds, that were supposed to protect him, stood rooted in their place.

 

Chapter 147 The Moment Lux F*Cked Up

The labyrinth trembled as the Indus Death Worm's gaping mouth slammed against the ground, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.

Cadmus looked in despair as he knew that Lux was the only one that could help them maneuver inside the dungeon. Without the Half-Elf they would all be stuck inside the dungeon and would be unable to leave.

'Why did this happen?!' Cadmus screamed internally as he gazed helplessly at the Giant Worm that had eaten up the Half-Elf who was supposed to be their key to unlock the mysteries of the Dungeon.

Just as the Draconic Kobold was about to attack the Giant Worm in despair, he saw something move from the dust cloud that had obscured his vision.

A fat demon was running away from the point of impact, carrying a Half-Elf in his arms.

Seeing the Half-Elf alive, Cadmus was overjoyed and was about to shout at the red-headed teenager when the latter beat him to it.

"This monster is blind!" Lux shouted. "As long as you don't make any noises, it will take some time for it to find you guys! No matter what happens, don't speak, and don't move! I have a plan!"

The Giant Worm raised its head and once again shifted its attention to the place where the voice was coming from. Pazuzu had used his Madlad Rush after Lux had summoned him in order to escape the Boss Monster's attack.

Lux waved his hands and Ishtar appeared in the distance. Pazuzu then threw Lux towards the Skeleton Hunter, before turning in the direction of the Giant Worm.

"Pazuzu is here!" Pazuzu shouted. "Come, you little worm!"

After shouting with all of his might, Pazuzu ran away while his Madlad Rush was still active, luring the Giant Worm away from his Master.

Ishtar easily caught Lux and held him in place as the Giant Worm wiggled past them. Eiko, who was still perched on her Papa's head, sighed in relief. They were safe now, at least for the time being.

Ishtar then stealthily ran towards Cadmus and the other Kobolds, creating as little sound as possible. When they were only a few meters away from the Draconic Kobold, Ishtar supported Lux to stand on his own before bowing her head and running in the direction of the Giant Worm.

Lux looked at his Skeleton Hunter with a grim expression on his face before shifting his head towards the Kobolds, who were still visibly shaken by the appearance of the Indus Death Worm.

"Okay, listen to me," Lux said in a hushed voice. "We need to find a gate or any type of entrance that will lead us to the Inner Grotto. I have the key to open it, so our priority would be escaping through that door while evading that monster's pursuit."

"If we don't make any noise, will that monster be unable to find us?" Cadmus asked.

Although he was curious about how Lux obtained the key to the so-called Inner Grotto of the Dungeon, he knew that staying here even for just a minute longer was dangerous. After what had happened during the Dungeon Outbreak, he was now more inclined to believe the Half-Elf's words and didn't bother questioning him further.

"It still can find us through the sound of our breath and heartbeats," Lux answered. "However, if we make a louder noise, the monster will focus its attention to the direction of that noise."

"It can even hear our heartbeats? That's impossible!" one of the Kobold Mages replied in hushed tones. "Wouldn't that leave us no way out of this situation?"

"Are you deaf?" Lux asked back in irritation. "I said that if there is a noise that is louder than our breath and heartbeats, that thing wouldn't be able to find us. Also, stop doubting everything that I say. If you want to die, I can leave you here!"

Lux knew that the Kobolds still held a grudge against him, so they would always second guess whatever plan he had in mind. Since that was the case, he would not tolerate them any further and move at his own discretion if they kept on making things difficult for him.

The Kobold Mage was about to argue, but after it saw Cadmus' glare, it held back the words it wanted to say and just averted its gaze in frustration.

"Okay, here is the plan," Lux said. "We need to separate and look for the entrance individually. Now, before any of you whine, or voice a complaint, just let me finish firs–"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Lux wasn't able to finish his words because Pazuzu's loud scream echoed within the entire labyrinth. He also felt that his connection with his Demonic Protector had been cut, which meant that the latter was already dead.

The Half-Elf had instructed Pazuzu to shout if it was about to die, to allow him some time to prepare for his next move.

'Eiko, contact Blackie and Whitey,' Lux talked to the baby slime via telepathy. 'Tell them to go as far away as they can from our location and start making noises.'

'Pa!' Eiko nodded as she gave out a suicide order to her two Named Creatures.

The Kobolds who heard the Pazuzu's blood curdling scream all quieted down as they gave Lux their undivided attention.

"All of us will separate from each other, but there is no need to worry," Lux said. "My summons will keep on making sounds in order to draw the Giant Worm in their location. Once any of you has found the gate, or any kind of entrance that requires a key, come back and look for me here. I will focus on drawing the monster's attention.

"Also, there's no need to worry about any other monsters in this labyrinth. The Giant Worm has eaten them all, and it would take some time before they respawn again. During this crucial period, we just need to find the entrance as soon as possible. If we don't, all of us will become worm food, so keep that in mind."

All the Kobolds nodded their heads at the same time and dispersed in different directions. Cadmus chose to stay by Lux's side, so the earlier incident wouldn't happen again. Even if they found the entrance, everything would be in vain if the Indus Death Worm ate the Half-Elf who held the key to their survival.

Lux glanced at the Draconic Kobold but didn't say anything else. Having Cadmus as a bodyguard was better than staying alone.

The sounds of rattling bones could be heard from time to time within the Labyrinth. Lux had ordered his skeletons to lure the Giant Worm away from him.

The Indus Death Worm had the title "All-Hearing."

This title allowed it to hear even the smallest sound within its Domain, making it a very accomplished hunter. Its giant body could maneuver over and under the ground, allowing instant access to its designated targets before it ate them whole without any mercy.

Every time a Skeleton died, Lux would summon it right away and command it to head in a direction far from them.

Blackie and Whitey, the Devil and Angel Slime, also used their skills to create noises to get the attention of the Boss Monster.

Explosions rang inside the dungeon, as the two slimes attacked the floor and walls of the labyrinth.

Since the Indus Death Worm had a strong sense of hearing, Lux decided to make all of his minions make noise, in order to prevent the Monster from sensing their breaths and beating hearts.

Two hours passed, and Lux could feel his sweaty clothes sticking to his skin. Just as he was thinking of fanning himself with his hand, the Head of the Giant Worm appeared out of the ground, only a few meters away from him.

The Half-Elf as well as the Draconic Kobold stopped everything they were doing and became completely still. Both of them even held their breath in order to make as little noise as possible.

The Giant Monster's head turned to its left and right side as if trying to choose who among the noisy trespassers it was about to target next.

Just as it was about to leave, it heard a long and diabolic fart that made it turn its giant head around to where the sound came from.

It was at this moment when Lux knew that he f*cked up.

"You f*cking bastard!" Cadmus growled in anger.

"Sorry," Lux replied out of embarrassment. It just happened out of the blue, and there was no way he could have stopped it.

Cadmus glared at the Half-Elf who just farted with an irritated expression on his face, while the latter looked back at him with an apologetic one.

The Indus Death Worm turned its head towards Lux and Cadmus and let out a deafening roar. However, before it could even charge at the two individuals.

Several spells flew towards its head, creating elemental explosions that made it shift its attention to the creature that attacked it. The baby Slime might not be a match against the Boss Monster, but she wouldn't allow the latter to eat her Papa without a fight.

Eiko had teleported more than a hundred meter away from Lux and bombarded the Giant Worm with everything she had, completely gaining the latter's anger.

After seeing that the monster had shifted its attention to her, Eiko immediately dug into the ground and hurriedly escaped the scene. She had the skill Dig [EX], which allowed her to burrow through the dungeon's floor, which was normally impossible to do.

Naturally, the Indus Death Worm wouldn't allow the disrespectful baby Slime to get away that easily and followed her underground.

Both monsters were expert diggers. One was the hunter, the other was the hunted. Soon, the entire Labyrinth trembled as the Giant Worm tunneled underground.

Lux could only stand rooted on the spot as he looked at the giant hole in front of him with a grim expression on his face.

 

Chapter 148 How Confident Are You Guys In Running?

The ground shook as if there was an earthquake inside the dungeon.

Eiko had zigzagged across the underground Labyrinth, with the angry Giant Worm hot on her heels. Her Dig [EX] skill allowed her to keep digging as long as she had Mana, and that was what the baby Slime was doing at the moment.

However, just as she was running away from the Indus Death Worm, she felt some kind of attraction that pulled at her from the Eastern Part of the Labyrinth.

Following her instinct, Eiko headed in that direction in a straight line as she pushed through the ground like a hot knife cutting through butter.

Five hundred meters…

Three hundred meters…

A Hundred meters…

Finally, after almost running out of Mana, Eiko's body came to a complete stop as she bumped into something that was radiating a silver light.

Eiko didn't know what it was that she bumped into. All she knew was that she couldn't dig through it.

Suddenly, the ground under her body rose as the Giant Worm closed its massive jaws in an attempt to eat her.

"Pa!" Eiko shouted and her body glowed before the Indus Death Worm swallowed her whole.

After triumphantly eating its opponent, the Indus Death Worm tunneled towards the surface. Behind it, a silver gate that was buried deep underground glowed faintly in the darkness.

—-

"Pa!"

"Sorry, Eiko. Were you scared?"

The baby Slime shook her head before smiling at her Papa. She had the skill, Family Bond [EX], which allowed her to instantly teleport to Lux's or Iris' location, wherever they may be. This was also the reason why she was confident she could escape the Boss Monster, even if it chased her to the far end of the Labyrinth.

Lux knew this as well, but he still couldn't help but feel guilty about what had happened earlier. It was an unexpected bodily reaction, possibly from anxiety due to the sudden appearance of the Boss Monster that he thought was busy chasing his Summons around the Outer Grotto of the dungeon.

"None of this would have happened if you held it in!" Cadmus growled in anger, but he kept his voice very low. "Can't you even do something so simple?

The red-headed teenager wanted to argue that it just happened out of the blue and had been completely out of his control. Everyone farts, which was a perfectly normal thing.

Unfortunately, it happened at the wrong moment, which almost caused their demise. Even so, he knew that he was in the wrong, so he didn't bother arguing with the Draconic Kobold. He just busied himself with comforting his baby Slime, who was happily chugging a bottle of Mana Potion.

After drinking two bottles of Mana Potion, Eiko telepathically told Lux about the thing that she found underground.

The Half-Elf then expanded the map that was located on the upper right side of his vision. Earlier, he had been looking at the map in order to follow Eiko's escape underground. His heart had almost jumped out of his chest when he saw Eiko's green dot get swallowed by the giant red dot that was chasing her earlier.

It was also at that moment when Eiko suddenly landed on top of Lux's head, after she had used her skill to teleport to his location. Because of this, Lux had completely forgotten about the silver blinking dot on the map that was accidentally unearthed by his baby Slime, while she tried to escape from her pursuer.

The Half-Elf clicked on the silver blinking dot to check its information.

—-

Entrance of the Inner Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.

Requires a key to enter.

—-

Lux wanted to curse out loud due to the absurdity of the situation. The gate that they were looking for had been buried deep underground. If not for the fact that Eiko had done what she did, they might be trapped in the Outer Grotto forever since they wouldn't have been able to find the exit.

What he didn't know was that after the Ancient Civilization perished, the Dungeon Core of The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was damaged as well. This prevented it from adding more floors to the Dungeon or fixing its damaged parts. The only function that it had retained was spawning monsters.

Due to this uncontrollable cycle of death and rebirth, the Indus Death Worm ended up changing the topography of the Outer Grotto, burying the entrance to the Inner Grotto deep underground.

The cycle repeated over and over during the past hundreds of years, and if it weren't for Lux's appearance, the cycle would have continued indefinitely.

After calming down, Lux praised Eiko for doing a wonderful job in finding the entrance, which made the baby Slime very happy. He then ordered his skeletons to look for the other Kobolds, and told them to bring them back to where he and Cadmus were staying.

An hour later, all the Kobolds had returned, while the rest of the Skeletons were still busy luring the Giant Worm to the far corners of the labyrinth.

Lux informed them about Eiko's discovery and told the Kobolds that they needed to reach the gate in order to escape the Indus Death Worm's looming threat upon their heads. However, there was one problem.

The Gate of the Inner Grotto was located at the very center of the dungeon. It was highly possible that during their journey, they would meet with the Giant Worm along the way.

"How about you let that slime lure that Monster away again?" the oldest of the Kobold Mages proposed.

"How about you do it instead?" Lux angrily replied. "I'm not sacrificing Eiko for you guys."

"But she can instantly appear by your side, no?"

"So? No is still no."

The oldest Kobold Mage glared at the Half-Elf who couldn't understand the situation they were in. "You fool. Doing this would ensure that all of us will be able to pass safely. Why don't you let her do it?"

"Because I don't want to," Lux answered. "If you have a problem with that, I'll just leave you guys here and go to the gate myself. Let's see how you escape that giant worm on your own."

Lux would never tell anyone that Eiko could only use this skill twice. Since she had already used it once, she could only use it one more time. The Half-Elf had no intention of letting the baby Slime use her life saving skill another time because he didn't know what lied in the Inner Grotto of the Dungeon.

If Eiko were to lose her only means of survival when her life was truly in danger, Lux wouldn't be able to forgive himself for letting such a thing happen.

"Tell us your plan then," Cadmus said with his arms crossed over his chest. "Since we can't use her to lure away the Giant Worm, we need a major distraction that will prevent the worm from sensing our presence."

Lux nodded. "Actually there is no other way than to head towards the gate as fast as we can. Thanks to the tunnels that the Indus Death Worm made, we can reach our destination in ten minutes if we all run at full speed. However, we are bound to get noticed if we do that."

"Then, why don't we travel slowly?" one of the Kobold Shamans asked. "That way, we won't be noticed."

Lux shook his head as he summoned two Skeleton Fighters and ordered them to go to the corners of the Dungeon and create noise. "We can't do it slowly. The Indus Death Worm moves very fast, and my Summons will all die before we can reach our destination. If we want to survive, we must make a run for it."

All the Kobolds had troubled expressions on their faces. Lux's plan was too risky. Even though Lux could summon his Skeletons underground, the chances of them getting buried had a high possibility if the Indus Death Worm started to chase them underground.

"So, it's an all or nothing sprint?" Cadmus asked. "Either we do it, or we die?"

"Yes," Lux replied. "How confident are you guys in running?"

The Kobold Shamans, and Mages glanced at each other with bitter smiles on their faces. They weren't built for running, and they would definitely drag everyone down if they did. This was why they felt very reluctant upon hearing Lux's idea of running non-stop for ten minutes and suggested if they could do it slowly.

"I can carry the Kobold Shamans, but I cannot carry the Mages," Cadmus admitted. "The Raiders are good at running, but if they carried the Mages, they would be encumbered."

Lux then looked at the older mage with disdain, and gave him the "You're just baggage" glare, which made the latter avert its gaze.

"If it's only the two of them, I can take them with me," Lux said. "However, we only have one chance. If any of you lag behind and the Indus Death Worm is upon us, I will not hesitate to open the gate and leave you guys behind. Do I make myself clear?"

"Talk about yourself, Half-Elf," one of the Kobold Raiders replied. "Do you really think your puny legs can take you that fast?"

"No," Lux answered. "My puny legs can't take me that fast. But, he can."

Lux then summoned his mount, Jed, before glancing at the Kobold Raider. "Problem?"

The Kobold Raider's jaw hung wide as he looked up at the Rank 3 Warg which was stronger than it.

"Enough," Cadmus stated. "We only have one chance. If anyone lags behind, you will have no one to blame but yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

The four Kobold Raiders nodded with serious expressions on their faces.

p Lux then commanded Jed to allow the two Kobold Mages to mount his back, so that they could safely reach their destination with one death-defying sprint.

Lux and Eiko then summoned their Skeleton Fighters and ordered them to go to the farthest corner of the map in groups of four. They only had one shot at this, and no matter what happened, they had to make it count.

Or die trying.

 

Chapter 149 The Great Escape

"Are you guys ready?" Lux asked as he scanned the faces of the Kobolds around him.

All the Kobolds nodded their heads. They had determined expressions on their faces, which gave Lux the feeling that they were planning to put their lives on the line for this mad sprint.

Lux had also summoned Pazuzu to make noise and lure the Giant Worm away as a last resort and ordered him to fly behind their group.

Just as Lux was about to signal the start of the operation, the oldest Kobold Mage who was mounted on top of Jed said something that made the Half-Elf want to slap him silly.

"If the Giant Worm discovers us then we'll just fight it to the death like true Kobolds," the Kobold Mage said. "Our God, Ross, will definitely send our souls to the next batch of eggs in the nursery."

All the Kobolds nodded their heads with the exception of Cadmus. He had no intention of dying in the dungeon, and it was evident in his eyes.

Lux cursed the old Kobold internally because he was setting up a death flag. The red-headed teenager was very tempted to toss the old fogey behind as a sacrifice to the Indus Death Worm, so that he could bring his cynical attitude to the afterlife.

"Ready," Lux said. "Go!"

As soon as Lux gave the order, several clanging sounds resounded in the dungeon as the Skeleton Fighters bash their metallic swords into their shields to make noise. The Skeleton Archers on the other hand aimed a barrage of arrows at the walls or ground of the Labyrinth, creating vibrations for the Giant Worm to detect.

Blackey and Whitey casted spells in different directions and made explosions that resounded in the surroundings. Ishtar was doing the same as she fired ice arrows at the walls and the ground, creating a crackling sound as the ice spread out.

​ The ground trembled as the Indus Death Worm charged to the eastern side of the Labyrinth were Blackie and Whitey were creating a ruckus. Since the explosive spells created more sounds than anyone, it easily caught the Giant Worm's attention.

The Half-Elf and the Kobolds entered the giant hole that the Indus Worm had created when it chased Eiko and ran in the direction of the gate. Pazuzu flew behind them, and kept its senses on guard just in case the Indus Deathworm were to head in their direction.

Dirt fell down from the ceiling of the tunnel as Lux led the way while mounted on Jed. Cadmus was only a few steps away from the Warg, while the Kobold Raiders were a dozen steps away from Cadmus.

Around the three minute mark, the Giant Worm's body broke through the wall behind them, missing one of the Kobold Raiders by only a few meters.

Pazuzu, who was behind the group, immediately shouted and lured the giant worm away using his madlad rush.

A minute later, Lux felt his connection with his Demonic Defender disappear, which meant that Pazuzu had been slain.

Another minute passed, and several more Skeletons died as the Indus Death Worm charged in their direction.

Lux and Eiko summoned their Skeletons and ordered them to stand their ground and hold the line as they continued their journey.

Six Minutes…

Seven Minutes…

On the eighth minute mark, an angry roar resounded behind the group as the Giant Worm annihilated all the Monsters that were hiding on the surface. It then turned its massive head from side to side, trying to detect the location of the invaders of its Domain.

Half a minute later, it charged towards the direction of Lux's group, after hearing the vibrations of their advance underground.

Lux and Eiko ordered the Skeletons that they had summoned underground to make some noises, in order to buy them as much time as possible.

Finally, after nine minutes, the location of the gate appeared in front of their eyes.

"There it is!" the old Kobold shouted. "We're almost there!"

Lux, as well as the other Kobolds glared at the old mage as if telling him "Can't you f*cking shut your trap, old man?"

As if waiting for that cue, the ground trembled, and the head of the Giant Indus Worm smashed through the wall behind them.

At that exact moment, Lux and the other Kobolds looked at the old Kobold with serious expressions on their faces.

All of them were very tempted to let their pig teammate be sacrificed in order to buy them a few seconds of precious time to reach the gate.

As if sensing the intention of his comrades, the Old Kobold Mage grabbed hold of Jed's fur, with the intention of not letting go no matter what.

At that moment of life and death, Eiko's body glowed and two more baby Slimes appeared beside her.

These two Slimes then jumped off the back of the Warg and fired several spells in the Giant Worm's direction. After that, they dug through the left and right sides of the tunnel while creating as much noise as they could.

""Pa!""

""Pa!""

""Pa!""

""Pa!""

""Pa!""

""Pa!""

The Giant Death Worm turned its head to the right side and followed one of Eiko's doppelgangers with a thunderous roar that caused the tunnels around it to collapse.

The Kobold Raiders increased their speed because the ground behind them was collapsing at a fast rate, similar to a domino effect. They knew that if they didn't reach the gate in time, all of them would be buried underground.

Lux summoned the key and held it firmly in his hand. The moment the key appeared within a dozen meters away from the Silver Gate, the barrier surrounding it disappeared, and the gate opened.

Lux passed through it safely, alongside Cadmus who was carrying the two Kobold Shamans like sacks of rice in his arms.

Just as the four Raiders were about to pass through the gate, a giant mouth closed in on them, and successfully gobbled up two of the Kobold Raiders.

A loud explosion resounded as the head of the Indus Death Worm tried to dash through the Silver Gate. Fortunately, it wasn't able to pass through because the silver barrier activated, preventing it from entering.

Lux and the others watched as the silver gate slowly closed, while the Giant Worm continued to ram the barrier with its head. After a few tension-filled seconds passed, the gate closed fully, completely barring the Indus Death Worm from entering the Inner Grotto.

The Half-Elf sighed in relief, while the Kobolds looked at the closed gate with grim expressions on their faces.

They had a close relationship with the members of the expedition, and the deaths of their comrades made their hearts ache.

The Half-Elf didn't have a close relationship with the Kobolds, so he just kept his silence. Right now, he was thankful that they managed to escape the Pseudo-Deimos Boss Monster, but he was feeling anxious about what they would find inside the Inner Grotto.

Since the Boss Monster outside was already that strong, he was afraid that the boss they would be facing was much stronger than it, which made the Half-Elf feel like they had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

 

Chapter 150 The Guardian Of The Inner Grotto

After their harrowing escape, everyone decided to rest for the time being. Lux had unsummoned Jed, and lightly patted the Baby Slime that was resting on his chest, in order to calm her down.

Eiko was forced to copy Lux's Doppelganger [EX] skill in order to create a distraction to allow everyone to escape.

Unfortunately, the Giant Worm changed its decision half-way and decided to pursue the group that was headed to the Silver Gate that led to the Inner Grotto of the Labyrinth. This resulted in the death of the two Kobold Warriors, which made the atmosphere of the expedition tense.

Half an hour later, Cadmus stood up and faced his comrades.

"All of us here knew that we were going to be risking our lives to explore this dungeon," Cadmus said. "They both died for the greater good, and Ross would definitely allow them to be reborn again as soon as possible.

"What we need to do is continue our journey in order to solve the mystery of why the Ancient Civilization got destroyed. This is to ensure that the same fate does not happen to us, should we chose to inhabit the legacy that they left behind."

All the Kobolds nodded their heads in agreement, as they, too, stood up one by one, and faced Cadmus with determined faces. Clearly, the Kobolds wanted to make the ancient city their new home, but due to the mystery of how it got destroyed, they were reluctant to do it.

All of them hoped that they would get the answers inside the dungeon.

Lux kept his silence, but he already knew half of the reason why the Ancient Civilization was destroyed. When he read the information of the Ignus Death Worm, it clearly stated that it was one of the two monsters that was responsible for its destruction.

This meant that there was one more monster, and Lux guessed that this monster could be found inside the Inner Grotto where they were currently at.

'Perhaps, a Dungeon Outbreak happened and the Indus Death Worm and that other Monster left the dungeon,' Lux thought. 'Due to its having the power of the Pseudo-Deimos Rank, it could easily overpower anyone in the Beginner's Zone.

However, there was one thing that puzzled Lux. The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was a C-Ranked Dungeon, so it was impossible for it to produce a monster that was as powerful as the Indus Death Worm.

Creatures of that rank could be found in B-Ranked and A-Ranked Dungeons as a Boss Monster for its Hell Mode. For it to appear in a C-Ranked dungeon, it only meant that they may be missing something important.

'It couldn't possibly be that, right?' Lux thought as his body subconsciously shuddered at the absurd idea that passed through his mind.

Lux didn't even want to consider the thought that appeared in his head because it was simply too crazy. However, if the off-chance that he was right, that would easily explain the presence of the Indus Death Worm, in addition to the other Monster that might even be stronger than it here inside the Inner Grotto.

The Half-Elf followed Cadmus as they walked into the single tunnel that led to something bright in front of them.

"Just… how?" Lux muttered as he gazed at the unbelievable scene in front of him.

A fantasy-like scenery that could easily become a postcard appeared in his vision.

A Majestic Mountain range served as a backdrop for the dozens of floating islands that hovered around it. Some of these islands had water falling from their bodies like waterfalls, catching the sunlight and creating stunning rainbows.

This was vastly different from the underground labyrinth that they had exited just a while ago.

Cadmus frowned, because he shared the same thought as Lux. this scene shouldn't be here, which made him unable to understand what was happening.

"You've finally arrived."

A majestic voice resounded from the heavens, which made everyone look up at the biggest floating island above them.

Soon, they saw a giant beast flying in their direction, and its presence made Lux, Eiko, Cadmus, and the rest of the Kobolds feel an incredible pressure pressing on their bodies.

The giant creature landed dozens of meters away from them, which allowed everyone to look at it at close range.

A creature that was over twenty six meters long, and had a wingspan of twelve meters stood in front of them, with an amused expression on its face.

Its glossy-white body sparkled in the sun, and its ancient golden eyes scanned the faces of its visitors before stopping on the red-headed teenager, whose green eyes were locked onto its body.

All the Kobolds dropped down on their knees as a sign of respect to the majestic creature in front of them. They were a race that worshiped their God, Ross, as well as the Dragon God, Bahamut, whom all Kobolds revered as the perfect being.

"A Crystal Dragon." Lux gulped as the Dragon looked at him with great curiosity.

Although the Dragon wasn't showing any signs of agressions, its mere presence was enough to make his breath ragged.

Lux activated the Elysium Compendium to see what kind of monster he was facing, and the information that he saw almost made his knees buckle in fright.

—--

< Keoza the Forbidden Guardian >

– Crystal Dragon

– The Guardian of the Inner Grotto

– Argonaut Ranked Monster

Health: 45,000,000 / 45,000,000

Mana: 4,200,000 / 4,200,000

Strength: ????

Intelligence: ????

Vitality: ????

Agility: ????

Dexterity: ????

– The Crystal Dragon, Keoza, was the one of the two monsters that were responsible for the destruction of the Ancient Civilization that thrived underground.

– this Dragon is usually very friendly, and would not attack anyone unless they tried to attack it first, or rob him of his treasures. The Ancient Civilization's greedy ruler thought that since Keoza wasn't an aggressive Dragon, he could take advantage of its kindness and steal one of the Legendary Items in its possession.

However, the ruler failed to understand that no matter how amiable a Crystal Dragon was, it was still a Dragon. Fools who didn't have the strength to back up their greed, would simply end up dying from its sharp claws, while being blinded by its dazzling dragon breath that could pulverize those that it hit directly.

– Tread wisely upon dealing with Keoza, for it is a creature who can see the greed in people's hearts.

—---

'A-Argonaut Rank?!' Lux's eyes widened in shock because the stats of the Dragon had surpassed the Deimos Rank, leaving it on equal footing with those who reached the level of a C-Ranker.

This was a creature that didn't belong to the Beginner Zone, nor in the Intermediate Zone. This was a creature that could only be seen in the Advance Zone of Elysium, where massive cities—that spanned for several miles—could be found.

Simply put, this was a creature that could destroy the entirety of the Territory of Norria, if it wished for it.

"Salutations, to all of you," Keoza said in a friendly manner, which made Lux, as well as the Kobolds, jump up in fright.

The Crystal Dragon chuckled after seeing their reactions and a mischievous smile appeared on its friendly face.

"Worry not, as long as you don't try anything funny, all of you may leave this place alive," Keoza stated. "However, if you are planning to do something wicked then I assure you that all of you will stay in this place forever as crystal statues that I will be adding to my collection. Do I make myself clear?"

Lux as well as the rest of the Kobolds nodded their heads like hens pecking rice. The creature in front of them was simply too powerful, and only fools would dare to defy it in its own Domain.

The Half-Elf's heart shuddered as his earlier hunch became a reality. They had made a grave mistake when they tried to evaluate the rank of the Dungeon.

It was not a C-Ranked Dungeon, but an S-Ranked Dungeon that had degraded due to the damage that the Dungeon Core had received after the great battle that happened inside its depths, hundreds of years ago.

However, although its rank had degraded, the monsters that lived inside it remained the same, especially the two Boss Monsters that retained their strength, even after the Ancient Civilization had perished under their overwhelming might.