Ch. 171..180

Chapter 171 Lux’s Last Day In Leaf Village

Inside the newly built inn, Lux and Eiko were sleeping peacefully.

The baby Slime slept on top of Lux's chest, as always, because Lux's heartbeats were like a lullaby that made her feel safe and warm.

Only an hour was left until sunrise and both had gone to bed very late the night before, as they tried to finish the Orphanage within one day.

The work inside Leaf Village didn't stop. Even though there were a lot of other people sleeping, there were still some who stayed awake, working on rebuilding their homes. Artifacts and spells that lit up the surroundings were very common in Elysium, so it was not a big deal to work late at night.

Lux's and Eiko's Named Creatures, Skeletons, Slimes, and Golems were still helping the villagers even as their Masters rested inside their comfortable room that was specially arranged for them by the Inn's Owner.

—

Leaf Village Plaza…

"Well then, this turned out better than I thought," Randolph said as he admired the work that the Elders of Leaf Village, as well as Lux's Named Creatures, worked on in secret whenever the Half-Elf and his baby Slime were asleep.

"Indeed," Grandma Annie commented with a satisfied nod. "This will be the symbol of our village for years to come, so it must have an impact."

In order to maintain secrecy, the Elders of the village had erected four tall Earth Walls around their special project to prevent anyone from spying on their work.

"I'm sure that Lux will be surprised when he sees it." Cedwyn chuckled as he imagined the Half-Elf's reaction after seeing the surprise that they had made just for him. He turned to Diablo and asked, "What do you think, Diablo? Will your Master like it?"

Diablo nodded. "Yes."

Right now, Diabo and Ishtar were able to communicate through speaking, despite the limited vocabulary, due to the increase in their ranks.

"Well then, we should wrap up," one of the Elders commented as he stifled a yawn. "My old bones can't handle works that require high precision on a regular basis. Perhaps, this will be the last masterpiece that I will work on in this lifetime."

"Ah. Don't be like that. You're still young."

"What definition of young are you talking about? I'm almost two-hundred and forty years old."

The Elders laughed as they exchanged friendly banters. Half an hour later, all of them returned to their own homes to rest.

Only Lux's Named Creatures remained, and they once again looked at the new symbol of Leaf Village with pride.

—---

Five hour later…

The Half-Elf finally opened his eyes. He then lightly patted the baby slime on his chest to wake her up as well.

"....Pa?" Eiko asked sleepily before yawning.

"Good morning, Eiko," Lux lifted the baby slime and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's almost noon. Time to wake up."

Eiko looked at her Papa for a few seconds before closing her eyes again to sleep. Lux chuckled and no longer insisted on waking the baby, who was still exhausted from working all through the night.

After placing Eiko back on the bed, he washed his face and changed his clothes. He then combed his hair before picking up the baby Slime from the bed to place her on his head.

For some reason, Eiko could stay on top of Lux's head even if it was shaking badly. The Half-Elf still had no idea how she was able to do that, but he was thankful for having such ability.

When he went down the stairs to dine in the inn's tavern, he was instantly able to smell the delicious food that was being prepared in the kitchen.

Eiko, who was still asleep, started sniffing. The baby Slime liked to eat Beast Cores, but she also liked eating home-made food. She was not picky, unlike children who hated vegetables, and ate anything that Lux liked to eat.

A few seconds later, the smell of the food won her over, and she finally opened her sleepy eyes, and greeted her Papa before yawning.

"Pa…"

"Mmm. We will be having breakfast soon."

As soon as the innkeeper saw Lux, he immediately went to the kitchen and brought out a tray of hot food for him and the baby Slime, who had somehow become Leaf Village's mascot.

"Lux, are you going to leave Leaf Village today?" the innkeeper asked. Although he didn't try to show it, there was a faint trace of sadness in his voice.

Lux nodded. "The time has come. I wish I could stay longer and help finish the reconstruction of Leaf Village, but I just can't fight the inevitable."

Today was Lux's tenth day after ascending to the Apostle Grade. Even if he wanted to stay, he would still be kicked out by the laws of Elysium, and teleported to a random place near an Intermediate Town upon midnight.

The innkeeper nodded an understanding before presenting a plaque to the Half-Elf who blinked his eyes in confusion.

"Please sign this," the Innkeeper said. "I will hang it on the wall over there and keep it as a family heirloom."

"E-Eh? You don't have to do that," Lux replied in embarrassment after hearing what the innkeeper had to say.

"Nonsense. I insist that you sign it whether you like it or not. I have to brag to my great grandchildren that the Hero of this village and I were best friends!"

"... Um."

Lux wanted to ask the innkeeper the question "Since when did we become best friends?" but decided to just let it slide. Finally, he signed the plaque and handed it back to the smiling innkeeper, who felt like he was holding something worth over a million gold coins in his hands.

"Ah! Before I forget, the Village Head said that you should look for him before you leave," the Innkeeper stated.

"Understood," Lux replied.

The Innkeeper then left the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime alone.

Eiko had already started eating and was happily chewing on bacon strips that had become one of her favorite foods in Leaf Village.

Lux ate the roast beef sandwich that was the Inn's specialty and savored its taste for the last time.

'I'm finally leaving this place,' Lux thought as his eyes wandered around the inn.

This was the inn where he had stayed on his first night in Leaf Village and it was also the last place he'd slept in before leaving it.

Half an hour later, Lux and Eiko finished their meal. The Half-Elf then left the inn and aimlessly strolled around town.

Lux was taking in the sights and sounds of Leaf Village before he left. All around him, houses that were under construction could be seen, and the newly built ones stood out from the rest. The several Dwarves who saw him greeted him with a smile, and he greeted them in return.

The red-headed teenager had become a celebrity in Leaf Village, and everyone inside it knew his name by heart. Even the Dwarf Solaians looked up him and even told him that they would catch up to him soon.

As Lux wandered around the village, he found himself standing in front of Grandma Annie's Candy Store. The store was partially destroyed, but Grandma Annie said that she was not in a hurry to fix it, and insisted that the other houses should be constructed first.

"I'll miss this place," Lux muttered as he looked at the signage that said "Leaf Village's Candy Shop".

"Well, I will miss you too."

A familiar voice spoke from inside the house. A few moments later, the door opened and Grandma Annie appeared, smiling at Lux who would be leaving soon.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Grandma Annie inquired.

Lux nodded. "Yes, Grandma Annie."

"Then, would you like to have some tea with me? Randolph is still probably asleep and will probably wake up in two or three hours from now. Cedwyn is the same. So why don't you have a chat with me for a while before you look for those two old buffoons."

"It will be my pleasure."

"Pa!"

Lux accepted Grandma Annie's invite because he could see the sadness in the old lady's eyes despite her smiling face.

He had already decided to leave Leaf Village before sunset, so spending an hour with the old Dwarf who had helped him many times in the past was the least he could do to show how thankful he was for her help.

 

Chapter 172 Right Now, I Am Looking At The Future Heroes Of The World

"Come, Lux!" Randolph said with a smug smile on his face. "It's time for you to see my masterpiec-argh! Dammit woman! What do you think you're doing?!"

Grandma Annie, who had just finished whacking Randolph's head with her staff, glared at the bastard, who just made a failed attempt to claim all credit for everyone's hard work.

"One more word from you and I'm going to hurl a fireball in your face!" Grandma Annie shouted, which made the Blacksmith cower in fear.

Lux and Eiko chuckled after seeing this scene. Frankly, he wondered if Grandma Annie and Randolph were once a couple because of how close they were.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the Village's Plaza, near the spawning point of the Solaians when they enter Elysium.

"Lux Von Kaizer, on behalf of Leaf Village, allow me to once again thank you for everything you have done for us," Cedwyn said as he bowed his head.

The other Elders and the villagers of Leaf Village, who had also gathered in the plaza, also bowed their heads to their hero.

The Solaians on the other hand, looked at the Half-Elf with respect, admiration, and even a hint of jealousy. They also wished to become someone like Lux, so they made a promise to surpass him after they had reached the Apostle Grade.

"Village Head, you don't have to do this," Lux replied in embarrassment. "Leaf Village has helped me grow, not only as an adventurer, but as a person as well. I have learned many lessons in this place, and I will forever cherish them in my heart."

"Pa!" Eiko also agreed with what her Papa said as she looked at everyone in the village with a smile from on top of Lux's head.

Cedwyn smiled back, and gestured to Grandma Annie and Randolph as a signal to pull the cloth that was covering the surprise that they had prepared for Lux.

The moment the cloth fell on the ground, Lux's and Eiko's mouths opened wide as they looked at the bronze statues that had been erected in the plaza.

Diablo's, Ishtar's, and Pazuzu's statues stood tall and proud, with Diablo at the center riding his Nightmare, Airon.

Behind them was an elevated platform where a Half-Elf stood with his arms crossed over his chest, and a baby slime perched on top of his head.

Behind the Half-Elf was a Hulking Rock Golem with his arms spread wide in a protective manner. It was as if he was ready to block anything and everything that would dare to harm his Master, who wore a fearless expression on his face.

Eiko's eyes sparkled as she looked at the statues in front of her. With a joyful shout, the baby Slime jumped off Lux's head and hurriedly crawled across the ground to climb up her Papa's bronze statue. A minute later, Eiko looked closely at the bronze baby slime on top of Lux's head as if admiring herself.

"Pa!" Eiko shouted as she looked at the red-headed teenager who was looking at her with a smile.

"That's right, Eiko." Lux nodded his head. "That's you."

Eiko giggled and once again looked at the bronze baby slime. She stuck close to her statue and rubbed her cheeks against it, as if she was marking it as her own.

The Dwarves of Leaf Village, as well as the Solaians, were all in awe of the statue that they were seeing for the first time.

Suddenly, the chest of the Lux bronze statue shone, which spread to its entire body, as well as to the other statues around it. A moment later, a pillar of light shot up towards the sky and a blue barrier suddenly formed around Leaf Village.

Lux, along with everyone else in the village, suddenly felt a refreshing breeze pass over their bodies as the effect of the Guardian Crystal took effect.

—--

< You are affected by the Guardian Crystal Buff >

– Gives a permanent 10% increase to production success for Crafting, Alchemy, Smithing, and any form of crafts made in Leaf Village.

– Everyone inside Leaf Village will gain a 100% Health and Mana Regeneration Buff that will last for an hour after they leave the village.

—---

'Amazing,' Lux thought as he looked at the Bronze Statues that were radiating a very faint glow from their bodies.

When he gave the Guardian Crystal to Cedwyn, he didn't expect that the Head of Leaf Village would work together with the other Elders to create a statue of him and his subordinates, and use his statue as the home of the Crystal that would protect Leaf Village.

For him, this was the greatest honor that he could possibly receive, which made him teary eyed. Even so, he did his best to smile and not allow a single drop of tear to fall from his eyes. He needed to keep his cool image for the younger generation as he stood tall, while holding back the feeling of happiness inside his heart.

"Why don't you give us some parting words before you leave the village?" Cedwyn said with a playful smile on his face.

Everyone clapped as they cheered the Half-Elf who had become an important member of their lives.

"Actually, I don't know what to say," Lux said as he scanned the faces of everyone around him. "You refer to me as a hero, but I am not a hero. In my eyes, the heroes are the Dwarves who have stood their ground and protected this place since its conception."

Lux smiled as he looked at Grandma Annie.

"If you ask me who I think the true heroes of Leaf Village are, they would be Grandma Annie, who sells candies to everyone and stands at the front lines when monsters invade the town."

"My Master, Randolph, who busied himself in his smithy most of the time to craft and repair the weapons and armors that most of you use to fight and defend against Monsters and their attacks.

"The Riders of Norria, who ensured the safety of this region and is always there to send reinforcements when the sky falls down upon our heads."

"The adult Dwarves who escorted the children to the shelters whenever the town is being attacked by monsters."

Lux closed his eyes and pressed his right hand over his chest. "A hero is someone who would give their life to something bigger than oneself."

When the Half-Elf opened his eyes, he scanned the faces of everyone in the crowd, young and old alike, with a smile on his face.

"Right now, I am looking at heroes, and the future heroes of the world," Lux declared before raising his closed fist towards the sky "Long live Leaf Village!"

""Long live Leaf Village!""

""Long live Leaf Village!""

""Long live Leaf Village!""

""Long live Leaf Village!""

""Long live Leaf Village!""

Resounding shouts echoed all across the village, which made Cedwyn's and the Elders of the Village's blood boil. Not out of anger, but out of desire to uphold the Legacy that their Founder, Favonius, and now, Lux, had left behind.

Lux then bowed his head to his Master, Randolph, to Grandma Annie, to Cedwyn, to the Elders of Leaf Village, to Captain Boreas, to Aron, to the villagers, as well as the Solaians. After bowing to all of them, he summoned his mount Jed, and jumped on its back.

He had already said his final goodbyes to the people that were important to him. Now, he waved his hands as a final gesture of farewell to the dwarves of Leaf Village, as well as the Dwarves that came from Solais.

"I will bid you goodbye for now, but this is not our final farewell," Lux said as Eiko jumped onto Jed's back, and crawled towards her Papa's head.

She knew that the time to say goodbye had come, but the tears in her eyes fell like rain, drenching her Papa's hair.

"Let's all meet again soon!" Lux shouted as he urged Jed to make a dash for it. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, everyone would see him crying uncontrollably.

"Bye Bye!" Eiko shouted before crying like the baby she is. "Wuwuwu!"

Jed ran with all of its might, in order to protect his Master's dignity.

Grandma Annie and Randolph wiped the tears that fell from their faces. As they watched the red-headed teenager embark on the next stage of his journey. They never thought that they would love someone this much, even though he wasn't a Dwarf.

As the Half-Elf was approaching the gate of Leaf Village, the Guards and the Riders of Norria that were stationed there gave him a salute.

"Goodbye, everyone," Lux said as he returned their salute, while his tears blurred his vision. "Till we meet again."

The guards bid him safe travels as Lux went past them. Eiko watched with sadness as the village that she loved grew farther and farther away from her.

​ "It's fine, Eiko," Lux assured her. "We will definitely return here someday."

"Pa!" Eiko nodded her head as more tears slid down her eyes.

Even when the Half-Elf was already a kilometer away from Leaf Village, Lux and Eiko could still hear the resounding shouts of the villagers, who were still shouting to honor his name.

—--

End of Volume 1: Open! Heaven's Gate!

 

Chapter 173 You Better Not Lose Until You Meet Me

Vera happily hummed as she cooked Lux's favorite dishes.

Just before midnight, Lux returned home from Elysium with tears in his eyes. Eiko was still crying when Vera entered the training hall. The baby slime jumped into her Grandma's arms in order to cry her heart out more.

The wise grandma didn't ask why her grandson and her great granddaughter were crying. She just held both of them in a loving embrace, and told them, "Welcome home."

Perhaps due to the exhaustion from their journey and sadness, the two fell asleep two hours after their arrival. Even after the sun's crown peaked and appeared in the East, they were still in bed.

Vera didn't mind and allowed the two to sleep as long as they wanted.

"It's done." Vera smiled after she had finished cooking everything that Lux and Eiko liked to eat. There was beef stew, grilled fish, chicken soup with vegetables, grilled corn with butter, and freshly baked bread.

She wanted to prepare more, but she knew that there was a high possibility of Lux and Eiko not having an appetite when they woke up.

As soon as she finished placing all the dishes on the table, she heard the door to Lux's room open. A moment later, a Half-Elf, as well as a yawning baby slime, descended the stairs.

"Good morning, Grandma."

"Manma!"

"Good morning, Lux," Vera replied with a smile. "Good morning, Eiko. Breakfast is ready, let's eat together."

"Mmm," Lux hummed as he sat on his chair. "It's been a while since I ate your home-made cooking, Grandma."

"Manma!" Eiko said as she crawled down from Lux's head and lightly jumped on the table, away from the dishes. The baby Slime then crawled towards Vera and looked up to her like the spoiled great grandchild she was, hoping to catch her grandma's attention.

Vera chuckled and lightly patted Eiko's head. She was quite fond of Lux's and Iris' baby Monster, whom she also treated as her great grandchild. After making the baby Slime happy, Vera then placed a plate in front of her and served her some beef stew, a grilled fish, and a few cobs of grilled corn.

Eiko happily ate the grilled corn first because this was something she couldn't eat often in Leaf Village.

Lux, on the other hand, gave himself a good serving of beef stew. He then held a roll of freshly baked bread in his left hand, and alternated his bites between it and the beef stew on his plate.

"As expected, Grandma's cooking is the best," Lux praised Vera's cooking to the high heavens, which earned him a sweet smile from his grandma's weathered face.

"Manma!" Eiko nodded in agreement before eating the grilled fish on her plate.

Vera watched the two children eat with satisfaction. Eating alone was quite lonely, but whenever Lux and Eiko returned home from their journey in Elysium, their house would become lively for a short period of time.

"Eat as much as you want," Vera said. "There are still plenty in the kitchen."

"You should also eat, Grandma. You won't get full by watching us eat."

"Manma."

The old lady chuckled before nodding her head. She then filled her bowl with chicken soup and ate in a good mood.

An hour later, a satisfied Half-Elf and a baby Slime, washed the dishes together. Vera had gone through her usual morning rounds around Wildgarde Stronghold to ensure that everything was peaceful.

Lux knew that his grandma would be away for an hour or two, so he decided to use that time to check his inventory.

—---

< Favonius Legacy, The Heirloom of the West >

(Degraded Pseudo-Demigod Armor)

Rarity: Mythical (Degraded)

Requirements: Must gain the recognition of Favonius' Will.

– This armor was once worn by a Saint. However, due to the passing of hundreds of years, the armor had degraded to the Mythical Rank.

– After its rank degraded, the stats of this armor also degraded. In order to restore the armor to its former glory, you will need the help of a Saint-Ranked Blacksmith.

– Only those that had been recognized by the will of Favonius can wield this armor set.

– This armor is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer.

– This armor can be worn by any Creature under your command.

+20 to all stats

+300 to Defense.

– 50% Resistant to Wind Element

– While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to fly.

– While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Sky-High Rush".

– While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Gale Storm."

Active Skills: Razor Wind, Acceleration Charge.

Passive Skills: Levitation, Auto Fit

Title: Favored by the Wind.

—-

< Razor Wind >

(10 Mana)

– Send razor-sharp wind blades at your target that deals +100 Wind Elemental Damage.

—----

< Acceleration Charge >

– Increase flying speed by 100%

—----

< Levitation >

– The wearer of this armor can hover up to two meters above the ground.

– This passive skill can be turned on and off.

—----

< Favored by the Wind >

– The effect of Wind Elemental Damage, or skills, will increase by 20%

– Thrice a day, you may cast the skill, Healing Wind.

—----

< Healing Wind >

– Restores 20% of the Maximum Health Points of everyone within the two-hundred meter radius of the wearer of this armor.

—---

'Even though its abilities have degraded, it is still an amazing set of armor,' Lux thought as he looked at the legacy that was left behind by a Saint.

He then turned the page of his Soul Book and looked at the information of the spear that served as the Saint's weapon when he was still alive.

—-

< Misery's End - Destroyer of Lost Hope >

(Degraded Pseudo-Demigod Weapon)

Weapon Type: Spear

Rarity: Mythical (Degraded)

​ Requirement: Must gain the recognition of Favonius' Will.

– This spear accompanied Favonius during his travels. In the past, it was a fearsome weapon. But due to hundreds of years of inaction, its abilities and skills had degraded.

– This weapon is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer.

– This weapon can be equipped by any Creature under your command.

Attack: 300 - 350

– Has a 10% chance to trigger the skill, Bleed, while attacking an enemy.

– Has a .01% chance to trigger Storm Tempest, while attacking an enemy.

—----

< Bleed >

– has a 5% chance to apply the Bleeding effect to your target with every strike.

– Bleeding effect reduces your target's Health Points by 1% of its Maximum Health Points every 2 seconds.

– Bleed Effect Duration: 10 seconds.

—--

Lux equipped the spear to Diablo, so that the Skeleton Rider could use it whenever he charged at his opponent. But when fighting at extremely close range, Diablo could switch his weapon to the mythical sword that was given to Lux as a parting gift by his Master, Randolph.

It was none other than the blacksmith's prized masterpiece, Blood Moon. This was the weapon that Diablo used during the battle in the Kobold's Nest.

Because of this, the Skeleton Rider had gained a massive boost in his offensive capabilities, making Lux very happy.

After an hour, Lux finally finished sorting out his inventory. It was a grueling task, and he had no time to do it when he was still in Leaf Village because he had been busy helping the Dwarves repair their houses and build the orphanage.

'In a few days, I'll go to Barbatos Academy with Grandma in order to register for the tournament,' Lux thought as he took a mask out of his inventory. 'I have to change my plans a bit.'

The mask in Lux's hand was one of the Mythical Equipment that composed the Faunus Battle Regalia.

It was called the "Mask of a Thousand Faces." It was an exaggerated title, since the mask didn't exactly have the ability to let someone change their appearance with a hundred different faces.

The mask could only allow each user to store two appearances inside it. Perhaps the creator had already expected that the mask would be passed down from generation to generation, allowing many people to use it until it had created over a thousand faces.

The reason why Lux wanted to change his appearance was because he wanted to protect Iris from her father's plan to marry her off to the winner of the tournament.

Iris was a very important lady in the eyes of the nobles, as well as the royal families of the six kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy. Whoever won in the tournament would definitely be targeted by several powerful factions, and Lux wanted to avoid that scenario.

Surprisingly, when he was thinking about what face to use, an ingenious idea came to his mind. He could copy any face as long as he had seen them once. The great part about the mask was that it could also change the size and shape of the body to create a perfect replica of the person that he wanted to copy.

Since he didn't want to harm other people by copying their appearance, he decided to use his former appearance from when he was back on Earth.

In Lux's past life, he was a chubby teenager with short black hair and light brown eyes. He was confident that he had no look alike in the worlds of Solais and Elysium, so using his past identity was the perfect cover for his plan.

Naturally, he intended to reveal this secret to Vera and Iris as well. The reason for doing so was simple.

He was certain that Iris would not acknowledge the champion of the tournament as her fiance. She would definitely fight tooth and nail with her father, even if the latter were to imprison her somewhere.

The second reason was his grandma, Vera. Lux had a feeling that, aside from him, whoever won the tournament would meet an untimely death as soon as the tournament was over.

This was a feeling that was deeply rooted in his bones, so to ensure that he didn't die in his grandma's hands, telling her about his plan was of the utmost importance.

"Wait for me, Nero," Lux said with determination. "I'll settle all our scores in the tournament. You better not lose to anyone before you face me."

Lux would not allow the arrogant prodigy, or any of the other participants in the tournament, marry Iris against her will. Although he knew that the tournament would be filled with powerful competitors, he wasn't worried a single bit.

The red-headed teenager was no longer the weak and sickly Half-Elf who would faint whenever he over-taxed himself.

He was no longer the useless person that Nero humiliated in the past, or the person that Alexander didn't deem worthy of his daughter.

A faint smile appeared on Lux's face before he closed his eyes to take a nap. He had already formulated a plan in his mind, and he was confident that he would be able to succeed even in the face of needing to fight the strongest members of the young generation within the six kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy.

 

Chapter 174 I Wonder Where That Confidence Of Yours Is Coming From?

Later that afternoon, Lux decided to take a stroll inside Wildgarde Stronghold.

It had been a long time since he had taken a walk around the place where he grew up, and he was immediately greeted by the familiar faces that he hadn't seen for a long time.

As he was taking a stroll, he saw the Commander of the Stronghold, Gerald, walking alongside an old woman, who was one of his Grandma Vera's close friends.

"Grandma Natasha, Sir Gerald," Lux greeted the two important people in the stronghold with a big smile on his face. These were the two elders that took good care of him as a child, so he respected them a lot.

"Lux, my boy," Gerald waved his hand. "I haven't seen you for a long time. Vera said that you have been busy training for your next test to enter Elysium."

"K-Kinda." The smile on Lux's face stiffened after hearing Gerald's words. "Grandma Natasha, how are you?"

The old woman had taken care of Lux countless times, and the Half-Elf could be considered one of her regular patients due to his constant fainting.

"Tired, but good," Natasha replied. "How about you? You are not making things difficult for Vera, are you? Also, that is one adorable Slime you got there. Is that your pet?"

Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux's head, looked at the two old people with a smile. She was quite fond of old people because her Grandma Vera, Grandma Annie, and the other old people in Leaf Village spoiled her a lot. Because of this, she looked at the old commander, and old nurse, with a warm smile that almost made the hearts of the two oldies melt.

"She's not my pet," Lux replied. "Her name is Eiko. She is like a daughter to me."

,m Eiko nodded her head in agreement before continuing to smile at the two old people that were now only a meter away from them.

"Such a well behaved Slime," Natasha lightly patted the baby Slime, who giggled under her touch. "By the way, Lux, according to the last conference, the Entrance Test for Elysium will be delayed until the Tournament in Barbatos Academy is over.

"The Stronghold is putting their effort into training the kids to participate in the tournament. Although I'm sure that they won't reach the top 100, it is still a good thing to have a goal, right?"

Lux nodded. "Yes. Having a goal is important."

Gerald patted Lux's right shoulder. "Don't worry Lux. I believe if you continue to persevere, a miracle will happen. You will one day step foot in Elysium and realize your dream."

"Thank you, Commander," Lux replied. He had no intention of telling the old man that he had already stepped into Elysium, and had already ascended into the initial stages of a Grade A Apostle.

Right now, he was wearing a special ring given to him by Vera to hide his rank from the appraisal of other people. Since Lux had been a very sickly boy, no one would find it weird if he was still "Rankless", and considered to be one of the children who had no talent in going to the world on the other side of the gate.

"By the way, I heard that your step-sister, Iris, will become the fiance of the champion of the tournament," Gerald said as he gazed at Lux with a serious expression. "I know that the two of you are close. How do you feel about it?"

"Commander, I believe that everyone has the right to love," Lux replied. "I do not think that what her father is doing is right, but there is nothing that I can do about it."

Gerald glanced at his surroundings before whispering something in Lux's ears.

"You and I know that Nero had been pursuing your sister in Elysium for a long time now," Gerald whispered. "I know that you and him don't get along, but right now, his position among the younger generation is quite high. Some of the Guardians even believe that he has a high chance of becoming a champion in the tournament. If that happens, his goal of making your step sister his fiance will become a reality."

Natasha didn't say anything because she and Gerald were on Lux's side. Although Nero's performance in Elysium was great, and his ambition to reach the top was admirable, they were more biased to Lux whom they had raised with Vera.

"He has to win the tournament first," Lux replied. "Only then will he have the possibility of becoming Iris' fiance."

Natasha who was just standing at the side looked in the distance and smirked.

"Speaking of the devil," Natasha commented. "Look who just returned from Elysium."

At the Teleportation Gate of Wildgarde Stronghold, several teenagers walked down the platform. Lux recognized all of them because most of them had become his friends inside the Stronghold, with the exception of the good looking boy who was leading the group.

"Commander Gerald, I came to give you a report of our latest expedition in Elysium," Nero bowed his head with respect. He then gave Lux a side-long glance before shifting his attention back to the Supreme Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold.

"Feel free to speak, everyone is family here," Gerald replied as he patted Lux's shoulder to tell him that red-headed teenager was one of his people.

Nero smiled as he nodded his head in understanding. "Of course. Everyone inside the Stronghold is family. Isn't that right, Lux?"

"More or less," Lux replied.

"Don't be like that," Nero commented. "After all, after the tournament, we will really become part of the same family."

Gerald, and Natasha frowned, but they didn't say anything. Rivalry and any form of competition was allowed inside Wildgarde Stronghold because it allowed the young generation to strive and do their best to reach greater heights.

Lux's friends, who were part of Nero's entourage, didn't say anything and remained silent. Lux was their friend, but Nero was the appointed Guild Master of Wildegarde Stronghold's branch guild in Elysium, who managed the members of the young generation.

They didn't want to offend either side, so they decided to keep their silence to maintain a neutral stance.

"You talk as if you have already won the tournament," Lux replied. "I wonder where that confidence of yours is coming from?"

Nero chuckled and brushed aside Lux's sarcastic words as if they were a passing breeze.

"My confidence is fueled by my ability, performance, and the achievements that I have made in Elysium," Nero replied. "I'm not like you. Aside from your good looks, you have nothing else to offer. But, don't worry, there are plenty of pretty ladies out there that are unable to step inside Elysium because they lack talent. Just take your pick, I'm sure that any girl you choose would be a match made in heaven."

Lux chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yea, being handsome is a sin. Iris has been nagging me to marry her for a very long time. Unlike others whose face is as thick as the walls of the Stronghold, my face is enough to attract all the ladies even if I just stand here and do nothing."

Gerald and Natasha exchanged a glance at each other before looking at the Half-Elf who was tooting his own horn. Although they had to admit that Lux was indeed handsome because he was a Half-Elf, they had the strong urge to spank his bum for being shameless.

Surprisingly, Nero just nodded his head and smiled.

"Unfortunately, good looks alone is not enough to have her hand in marriage," Nero replied. "Her father, Saint Alexander, knows that only the strong can stand on top of the world. Only the strong can have riches, women, and influence. What you have is only superficial. In the end, it amounts to nothing. You can't even protect those that are important to you."

Nero sneered as he walked close to Lux until their faces were only a few centimeters apart.

"If you've got guts then I dare you to enter the tournament that will be held in Barbatos Academy," Nero stated. "At that time, you will understand that, in the face of absolute strength, your eloquent words are meaningless."

Nero snorted before bowing respectfully to Gerald and Natasha.

"Commander, I will be visiting Master's residence," Nero said in a polite manner. "I will also leave my detailed report with him. Please, consult with him later about the progress of the Storm Dragon Guild. I will now take my leave."

"Okay," Gerald replied. "Thanks for your hard work."

Nero nodded before leaving with his entourage. He didn't even spare Lux a backward glance as he headed towards his Master's residence.

When the young man was no longer in sight, Gerald sighed as he once again patted Lux's shoulder.

"Even though he is arrogant, I have to admit that he can back his words," Gerald commented. "The Storm Dragons have grown to be the leading Bronze Guild under the Wildgarde Banner. I believe that it will only take them a month or two before their Guild is upgraded to the Silver Rank."

Natasha took this opportunity to pat Luxs head as if giving him support.

"It's fine, Lux," Natasha replied. "Although I can't refute that strength makes right, I believe that strength isn't everything. One day, you will find your calling, and when that happens, no one, not even Nero, can look down on you."

"Thank you, Commander Gerald; thank you, Grandma Natasha," Lux said as with a confident smile on his face. "Don't worry. I am not bothered by his words. In fact, I wish him luck in the upcoming tournament."

Gerald nodded. "That's good. Although we sometimes have conflicting opinions, all of us are on the same side. Natasha, it's time to go. We still have matters that we need to settle before the tournament starts."

Natasha lightly pinched Lux's and Eiko's cheeks before following Gerald towards the Commander's office.

Lux watched them go with a calm expression, but deep inside his heart was boiling. If not for the fact that he was looking at the bigger picture, he might have challenged Nero to a duel to shut him up in front of everyone.

'I guess I'll return to Elysium after registering at the academy for the tournament,' Lux thought as he walked back towards his home where his Grandma Vera was waiting for him. 'Colette and the others are still waiting for me, and there's still plenty of time before the tournament starts.'

The Half-Elf chuckled internally as he looked forward to the upcoming tournament. Although he wouldn't personally appear there as "Lux" he would still stand on that grand stage, and show the arrogant candidates, like Nero, a thing or two about humility.

 

Chapter 175 When Two Rivals Meet

"Eiko!"

"Ma!"

Before Sophie could even step onto the shore, Eiko jumped off from the White Hippopotamus' head and used her Air Strider [EX] skill to fly in the direction of the beautiful young lady who was waiting for her on the shore.

Vera chuckled as she watched this scene, while Lux only smiled. With a glance, he could tell that Eiko really missed Iris, so he just happily looked at them as the Mama and daughter pair kissed each other after their reunion.

Alicia who was standing beside Iris looked at the White Hippopotamus who was now making its way up the riverbank.

"Lady Vera, welcome back to Barbatos Academy," Alicia greeted.

"Alicia, I hope you are doing well," Vera replied. "Is my no-good-son giving you some trouble with your work?"

Alicia vehemently shook her head as she tried to protect the honor and dignity of her employer.

"Lord Alexander is the one that is working too hard, Lady Vera," Alicia replied. "He sometimes works until midnight just to finish the paperwork."

"Don't worry. Dealing with paperwork is not enough to kill a Saint," Vera commented as she dismounted from Sophie's back assisted by Lux. "How are the preparations for the tournament going?"

"They are going well. In fact, they are going too well. There have already been over six thousand applicants this month alone."

"Not bad. It seems that a lot of people want to become the champion."

Everytime a tournament was held, the rewards that could be gained from it were enormous. After all, it was sponsored by the six kingdoms that were supporting Barbatos Academy. The lowest number of participants that joined the tournament was usually around ten thousand, but this year, they were expecting more participants.

Alexander's whim of making the champion of the tournament Iris' fiance, was just icing on the cake that was already sought by so many.

"Are there many promising individuals this year?" Vera inquired as Lux went to have a chat with Iris, who was currently busy pampering Eiko.

Alicia nodded. "Yes. Famed geniuses and prodigies that hail from the six kingdoms are going to join this year's tournament. There are at least thirty notable individuals who are as strong as, and maybe even stronger than, the last tournament's champion."

"Oh? That sounds incredible."

"Yes, Lady Vera. I was even surprised when I got their information. This year's tournament is going to be the talk of the kingdoms for the next few years."

Vera smiled as Alicia and her followed Lux and Iris, who were already making their way towards the hidden path that led to Barbatos Academy.

"Alicia, there is a matter that I will need your help with in regards to the tournament," Vera said softly.

Alicia already had an idea on what Vera was going to say as she glanced at the handsome Half-Elf who was walking hand in hand with Iris in the distance.

"Lady Vera, can Lux really do it?" Alicia asked. "If he faints in the middle of the tournament, it might traumatize him for life."

"Don't worry. What you're thinking about will not happen. Also, I'm planning to have his identity be a secret, so you will have to become his guarantor when he enters the tournament.

Guarantors were part of the high-ranking staff of the tournament who were in charge of dealing with participants who refused to reveal their identity to anyone. These participants could wear masks, or any other form of disguise, to prevent anyone from knowing who they were.

However, since this rule could easily be taken advantage of, they were given strict guidelines by the guarantors who knew of their identity. This is to ensure that people wouldn't switch places with someone else for the duration of the tournament, which would lead to harsh consequences if discovered.

"If that is your wish, Lady Vera, I will personally handle this task," Alicia promised. "May I get permission to tell this to the Headmaster?"

Vera smirked as she thought of her no-good-son who was trying to get in the way of her granddaughter's happiness.

"You can tell him that Lux is joining, but don't tell him what kind of identity he will use in the tournament. Let him guess as much as he wants."

"Understood. I will handle the necessary preparations, and will register Lux before the sun sets. Is that acceptable, Lady Vera?"

Vera nodded. "Thank you, Alicia. You can now return to your duties. I'll look after my grandkids for the time being."

Alicia bowed respectfully before taking a left turn on the hidden path that they were traversing. Barbatos Academy had many hidden pathways and only a select number of people knew about them.

The reason for this was because Barbatos Academy could be used as a fortress during war time, so these secret passageways were made in order to let high-ranking nobles, as well as members of the royal family, escape if and when their lives were in danger.

The moment Lux, Vera, and Iris arrived at the young beauty's private residence, the bro-con little sister immediately hugged Lux tightly and the latter responded by patting her head.

Vera excused herself and left her grandkids alone to go and meet her son, who was buried under a lot of paperwork that was related to the upcoming tournament.

Also, Vera wanted to give Lux and Iris some private time together, since she knew that her granddaughter had plenty of questions to ask Lux. As a very understanding Grandma, she didn't want to become a third wheel.

Iris served Lux and Eiko some fruit juice, as well as sweets. She was dying to know what kind of adventures her brother and her baby slime had had in Elysium.

However, just before Iris could ask the Half-Elf her question, the baby slime, that was happily drinking her fruit juice, jumped off the table and glared at the Unicorn who was now walking towards Iris.

It was none other than Eiko's mortal enemy, Astra, who had given the baby slime a hard time when she was just born.

"Simp!" Eiko shouted towards the Unicorn, which made Lux almost spit out the fruit juice that he was drinking.

In truth, Eiko wanted to call Astra, f*cker, but since her mama was around, she refrained from using it and used the word that her Papa used to tease Matty back in Leaf Village.

The Unicorn scoffed as he looked down on the baby Slime in contempt. Clearly, he still didn't see Eiko as a threat to its existence.

Seeing that she got ignored, Eiko wanted to attack the arrogant Unicorn, but Iris immediately picked her up from the ground and patted her head.

"You and Astra can fight later, Eiko," Iris said as she tried to coax the baby Slime to not fight inside her living room. "For now, I want to hear about your adventures with your papa in Elysium."

Eiko looked up at her Mama and obediently nodded her head. She then gave the Unicorn a sidelong glance and stuck out her tongue towards the arrogant horse that she would be fighting later.

Astra scoffed at Eiko's petty attempts to taunt him and just walked towards Lux with an annoyed look on his face. He was giving the Half-Elf the "Bruh, what is wrong with your daughter?" look, which the Half-Elf replied with a helpless smile on his face.

"Astra, make sure to not underestimate Eiko later," Lux warned. "If you're not careful, you'll be in a world of pain."

Astra rolled his eyes at the red-headed teenager. Clearly, he didn't take Lux's words seriously. For him, Eiko was just a little baby who didn't know her place. As an elder, he was more than happy to teach her a thing or two about knowing her place.

Lux could only smirk at the Unicorn who served as one of Iris' guardians before drinking his fruit juice. He was already looking forward to the battle between the two Monsters, who held a grudge against each other.

'I guess both of them are now considered rivals for Iris' attention,' Lux mused. 'Still, this will be one interesting battle. I look forward to how Eiko will showcase her skills against a veteran like Astra in battle.'

Although he didn't know who would win between the two rivals, Lux still wanted to see how Astra would react after it realized that the baby slime he bullied in the past was no longer the weak monster that he could deal with in a casual manner.

 

Chapter 176 Eiko’s Monster Grade

Eiko managed to convince Iris to make Astra leave the room before Lux told her about their adventures in Elysium.

The baby Slime didn't want her rival to hear how powerful she had become and wanted it to be a surprise to him later. Iris agreed and asked Astra to head to the training grounds to prepare for his battle with Eiko, which the Unicorn thought was a big joke.

Even so, for Iris' sake, he left the room and allowed Eiko to monopolize Iris for a short period of time.

Astra was confident that he would easily win against the baby Slime who still didn't know her place in the hierarchy of beasts that protected Iris' safety.

The moment Astra left, Lux began to tell Iris about the details of the adventures they had in Elysium. The young beauty's eyes would widen in shock from time to time, and her mouth would open and close as the red-headed teenager told the tale of things that seemed impossible to have happened inside a Beginner's Zone.

Even so, Iris believed every word of it. She could tell at a glance that her stepbrother was not exaggerating his tale, and even went out of his way to downplay the story telling, so he wouldn't come out as someone who bragged about the feats he had accomplished in Elysium.

After hearing about his encounter with the Indus Death Worm and Keoza, the Argonaut-Ranked Crystal Dragon, Iris asked Lux to pause his story telling, so she could drink some water in order to calm herself.

Only after she had regained her calm did Iris allow Lux to continue his tale.

In the Intermediate Areas, Pseudo-Deimos and Deimos-Ranked Monsters were considered quite rare, and were deemed as the ultimate bosses that needed to be fought by an entire guild to ensure that there would be less casualties in battle.

A single party would not challenge Monsters of such rank because it would immediately turn into a party wipe. If they met such Monsters inside a Dungeon, it would still be fine because if they died since they would just lose some of their stat points.

However, if they encountered them in the wild, the first thing that a party should do is run away as fast as they could. It was simply impossible to beat creatures of that rank. If there were people stubborn enough to think that they could fight it using the power of friendship, they would end up as monster poop.

"Unbelievable," Iris commented after Lux finished his tale about the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian. "A dungeon that degraded because its Dungeon Core was damaged. Although this is the first time that I've heard of a story like this, I'm still glad that you are still safe after that experience, Lux."

Iris decided to just call the red-headed teenager, Lux, when it was just the two of them. Although Lux was surprised at first, he didn't mind it too much and allowed the young beauty to call him whatever she wanted.

Iris then stared at Lux with a serious expression on her face, while holding Eiko in her hand. A few moments later, she nodded her head in admiration after sensing the faint power of Dragons inside Lux's body.

As a Beast Tamer, she was quite familiar with how the blood of beasts could be fused with ordinary people, giving them specific abilities that belonged to that Beast. Although this practice was very common, it still held significant danger to the person that consumed the Monster Blood.

In the worst case scenario, they would die due to incompatibility or the Monster Blood having a strong side-effect on those who tried to fuse with it.

"Lux, can you transform parts of your body?" Iris asked. "I have seen others do it, so I am curious if you can do it as well."

Lux nodded and transformed his hand into that of a dragon claw, which made Iris very curious. She even reached out to touch Lux's clawed hand, and pressed it in places to confirm if it had merged completely.

Her gaze was so serious that it reminded him of scientists who were focused on their craft. Out of curiosity, Iris almost licked Lux's hand just to taste what a transformed claw tasted like.

Fortunately, Lux undid the transformation in time, which prevented Iris from continuing to carry out her experiments.

After a few minutes of dissatisfaction, Lux continued his tale. When he mentioned fighting against the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, Iris' brows furrowed.

"When it died, did it leave behind a vial of mutated blood?" Iris asked.

Lux nodded. "Yes. it did."

Iris's expression became more serious after hearing Lux's answer.

"Do you remember when Nero came to Wildgarde Stronghold to look for me because our guilds were going to challenge a Dungeon together?"

"How could I forget?"

Iris nodded. "The Boss of the Dungeon we faced was a Mutated Thunder Wolf King. Fortunately, there were two hundred of us, so we were able to deal with it. After it was defeated, according to the rules of conquest, the one that made the greatest contribution would take the first pick at the Monster loot.

"Nero didn't even hesitate to take the Monster's Beast Core. Since he specializes in Lightning Abilities, the outcome was acceptable. I don't know if he succeeded in learning a skill after absorbing the Monster Core, but one thing is for sure, he is strong, Lux, very strong. Be sure to be extra careful if you meet him in the tournament."

Lux gave her a brief nod to acknowledge Nero's abilities. "I understand. I promise to be careful. So, since you knew of the vial, did your group receive it as well?"

"We did. The Mutated Monster Blood was given to the Prince of Exalos Kingdom, as his compensation for his support in the battle."

"How about you? What did you get?"

Iris gave Lux a mischievous smile, which caught the latter's interest.

"For some reason, the Mutated Thunder Wolf King dropped an egg," Iris answered. "As the main Beast Tamer in the group, it was given to me by unanimous vote."

Lux chuckled. "I'm sure that no one will challenge you over a monster egg. So, did you hatch the egg already?"

"Yes," Iris replied. "I gifted the baby monster to Alicia because she has long wanted to raise a baby Monster, but never found the time to hunt in Elysium."

"Um, do you mind if I ask what kind of monster came out of the egg? It isn't a Mutated Thunder Wolf King, right?"

"No. What came out of it was a Mythical Class Golden-Winged Griffin. Alicia loves the little guy so much that he named him Alex."

Lux almost burst out laughing because, not expecting that Alicia would be so bold as to call a Golden-Wing Griffin, Alex, which was obviously a shortened version of Iris' father's name, Alexander.

"But, as expected of you, Iris," Lux said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "A Mythical Beast from the get go. You sure are lucky when it comes to hatching eggs."

"Ma!" Eiko, who was sitting on Iris' lap and being petted by her Mama, nodded her head in agreement.

Iris smiled sweetly as she lightly squeezed Eiko's cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle. "To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I thought I was going to hatch a Legendary Class Monster, but this time, I only got a Mythical one. I am losing my touch."

Lux stared at his step-sister for a few seconds before rubbing his face with both hands. The only one who could casually say she was losing her touch by hatching a Mythical Grade Monster was none other than the young beauty with light-blue hair in front of him.

If other Monster Tamers or Monster Breeders were to hear her complaints, all of them would definitely suffer from high blood pressure or aneurysm for her audacity.

'My sister is in another league when it comes to her standards in hatching monsters,' Lux thought as he shook his head helplessly. Finally, a thought came across his mind as he asked Iris the question he forgot to ask long ago.

"Iris, what is Eiko's Monster Grade?" Lux inquired.

Iris blinked once then twice as she looked at Lux with surprise.

"Didn't I tell you about her Monster Grade when she was born?" Iris asked.

Lux shook his head. "No. Is she perhaps Mythical Grade just like that Golden-Winged Griffin?"

Iris smiled as she lightly rubbed Eiko's chubby cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle for the second time.

"I also thought that she was a Mythical Monster," Iris replied. "But, after thinking for a long time, I came to a conclusion. Eiko is not a Mythical Monster. She is a Legendary Monster, whose untapped potential is endless. Even now, I'm still researching what kind of Monster she is."

Lux stared at the baby Slime that was giggling from Iris' constant squeezing, and wondered what kind of evolution Eiko would take once she reached a higher rank.

Now that Iris had confirmed that Eiko Monster Grade was of the Legendary Rank, he was sure that whatever the baby Slime would become in the future, she would definitely leave a mark in history as one of the strongest Slimes that was ever born in the world of Elysium.

Eiko didn't understand anything about Monster Grades or anything of the sort. She was just happy that her Mama was spoiling her before she'd go to fight that annoying Unicorn that was waiting for her in Mama's private Training Grounds.

She had long wanted to have a revenge match with Astra. Since she had been expecting this, she practiced a lot in Elysium. Eiko was confident that no matter how strong the Unicorn was, she would emerge victorious and show her arrogant rival that she was no longer the weak Monster that Astra had bullied in the past.

 

Chapter 177 Eiko Vs. Astra

Lux and Iris stood at the corner of the Training Ground, watching Eiko face off against Astra.

They were not the only spectators this time since Vera had come just before they headed towards the training grounds. She was very curious to know how much stronger Eiko had become after staying in Elysium for several months.

Iris' other Guardians were also present to observe Lux and Iris' "baby" and see for themselves what the little slime was capable of.

Hanz, the White Tiger.

Valerie, the Blue Dragon.

Myrtle, the Black Tortoise.

And lastly, Zoe, the Red Phoenix.

These were all Iris' Beast Companions, and they had been raised by her ever since they were hatched from eggs.

They were her loyal protectors who ensured her safety in Elysium. All of them were powerful beasts, which made Iris a very precious member of the Serenity Guild, which was a subsidiary of the Barbatos Guild in Elysium.

"Who do you think will win, Brother?" Iris asked.

"If Astra underestimates Eiko, our daughter will definitely win," Lux replied.

"Really?"

"Yes."

When the Guardian Beasts beside Iris heard Lux's words, all of them thought that the Half-Elf was just joking, except Hanz, the White Tiger.

He had been there when Eiko and Astra fought for the first time. Although the baby slime didn't hold a candle to the Unicorn then, the White Tiger could see Eiko's potential. Just like the others, he was looking forward to this rematch, wanting to know if the baby slime had improved since the last time he saw her.

Eiko glared at the Unicorn, who was looking down at her with contempt, in the distance. They were waiting for Iris' go signal to start the battle before they began attacking each other.

"Are the both of you ready?" Iris asked.

"Ma!" Eiko replied.

Astra just nodded his head and stomped his right hoof on the ground. He was also raring to teach the baby slime a lesson.

"Start the Duel!"

As soon as the battle started, Eiko summoned Four Slimes which spread out in order to attack the baby slime's opponent.

Blackie and Whitey flew in the air and fired their spells at the unicorn, while Eiko's two new summons, Rocky, the Earth Slime, and Maya, the Water Slime, did the same.

"Looks like Eiko has made some new friends in Elysium," Iris commented as she looked at the four slimes that were working together to fight against the Unicorn who easily dodged their attacks due to its speed.

Lux nodded. He didn't tell Iris that Eiko had also received a reward after defeating the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, which allowed her to gain another rank. Rocky and Maya were fairly new to Eiko's arsenal, so their teamwork with Blackie and Whitey wasn't that great at the moment.

However, that didn't change the fact that the four slimes were performing extremely well against an opponent that was as strong as Astra.

Just when the Unicorn evaded Blackie and Whitey's combination attack, Eiko appeared beside him and unleashed her skill, Moon Blast, which she had gained after she had ranked up.

Astra's body briefly glowed as he disappeared from his location and reappeared behind the baby slime. However, at that exact moment, Blackie and Whitey's special combo attack, Starfire Tempest, collided with the side of the Unicorn's Body that had just teleported behind Eiko.

The unicorn was pushed back a few meters from where he stood, but he was mostly unscatched because it managed to activate its Magical Barrier just in time. Even so, there was a minor burn mark at the side of his body, which made the Unicorn narrow his eyes.

"Astra is now going to get serious," Iris smiled. "He finally recognized Eiko's threat."

"Yes," Lux agreed. "Now, Eiko will be hard pressed to fight him since the element of surprise is now gone."

Vera and the Guardians that were watching the battle from the side were quite impressed on how things played out. Clearly, Eiko expected that Astra would teleport behind her and ordered Blackie and Whitey to fire their special move behind her, even before Astra teleported.

This made the attack hit the Unicorn without fail. If not for the fact that Astra reacted in time, a minor burn mark would be the least of his worries.

"Simp!" Eiko raised her head arrogantly, taunting Astra.

The Unicorn didn't reply and simply unleashed its Aura, which created a shockwave that pushed back Eiko, as well as the slimes that were in a thirty-meter radius around it.

Lightning crackled at the tip of Astra's horn and its entire body was covered in lightning bolts. This was similar to the Mutated Thunder Wolf King's Lightning Body, which damaged those who came close to it.

Astra then aimed its horn at Eiko and unleashed a Lightning Blast, which the latter easily evaded using Blink.

However, after she disappeared, the lightning changed direction and attacked the place where she had gone to.

A thunderous explosion erupted as a slime crashed on the ground, rolling away for several meters before coming to a complete stop.

"Rocky!" Eiko shouted as she gazed at the Earth Slime who had appeared in front of her to shield her from Astra's attack.

Rocky's body shook as it propped itself up before looking in Astra's direction.

"Careful!" Rocky shouted as he fired a barrage of Stone Bullets at the Unicorn, who was in the middle of preparing to unleash another attack.

Astra didn't dodge and simply allowed himself to get hit by the Stone Bullets. The lightning that covered his body incinerated the stones before they could even reach him.

Astra then unleashed three lightning bolts which were all targeted at Eiko. Knowing that dodging was not an option, the baby slime activated her Elemental Shields to mitigate the lightning bolts that were aimed at her.

Three magic circles which glowed with the colors of the rainbow appeared in front of Eiko. However, they only lasted for a few seconds before they broke apart.

At that moment, Blackey, Whitey, and Maya, appeared in front of Eiko and blocked the lightning bolts with their bodies. All three slimes were sent flying several meters away before they crashed on the ground, motionless.

Eiko glared at Astra as her body glowed briefly.

Suddenly, two baby slimes who looked exactly like Eiko appeared beside her. However, the moment these slimes appeared, Eiko shook her head and the two slimes vanished without a trace.

Lux, who was watching this scene smiled, because he understood what Eiko was thinking.

Clearly, she wanted to fight against Astra using only her powers, which proved that she had started to gain confidence in her own abilities. Although she could copy Lux's abilities and gain an upper hand, she didn't do that.

More than anything else, Eiko wanted to beat Astra using everything she got, without relying on others.

'You can do it, Eiko!' Lux cheered for the baby slime in his heart as he watched the battle become more intense.

Iris' Guardians were no longer observing with a carefree manner ever since they realized that the baby slime's performance had exceeded their expectations.

Little by little, Eiko was being pushed back by Astra's dominating attacks. Even if the other slimes were to help her, all of them were helpless against the Unicorn's swift and powerful attacks that didn't give them any time to rest.

"Simp!" Eiko shouted at Astra as she stood her ground. "Fight!"

Astra paused as he looked at the baby slime. Although Eiko only said the word "Fight," he understood her intention. The baby slime was challenging him to a head on clash with their most powerful attack.

Astra stomped his right foot against the ground and aimed his horn at the baby slime. He had accepted her challenge and decided to face her head-on.

Eiko then opened her mouth wide as a magic circle appeared in front of her. To everyone's surprise, the magic circle was getting bigger and bigger. Clearly, Eiko was pouring all of her magical energy into one powerful attack with all of her might.

Astra knew that he couldn't afford to hold back since he could feel that Eiko's magical energy was rising at a rapid rate.

Lightning crackled at the tip of the Unicorn's horn, creating a ball of lightning which growed bigger and bigger every second.

Lux had summoned Pazuzu to stand in front of them, while the Black Tortoise, Myrtle, stood in front of Iris. The rest of Iris' Guardians had also taken a defensive stance, forming a circle around their Master to ensure her safety.

"Grandma, please, make your move if you see that Eiko's life is in danger," Lux said softly.

Vera nodded. She had also made her preparations to take action if Eiko's and Astra's life were in danger.

"Moonblast!" Eiko shouted and a two-meter tall orb of light erupted from the magic circle in front of her. It had a shape similar to that of the moon's which emitted a radiance that shone brightly.

Astra neighed as it unleashed its skill called "Thunder's Fury." It was his strongest attack that he only used when he fought against strong opponents in Elysium.

When these two spells collided, a mini shockwave erupted in the surroundings as both spells tried to push each other away.

These lasted for several seconds before both attacks merged into each other.

"Pazuzu, block it!" Lux ordered.

The Demonic Defender immediately activated its Shield Wall, creating a giant Tower Shield in front of them.

Vera disappeared from where she stood and a few seconds after that, a powerful explosion rocked the entire Training Grounds, forcing Lux, and Iris, to cover their eyes due to the intense radiance that turned their sight completely white.

 

Chapter 178 I’ve Seen That Mofo Two Times Already

When the bright light receded, Lux and Iris stared at the aftermath of Eiko's and Astra's final clash.

The training grounds were in a mess, with bits of equipment scattered all over. However, there was no damage in the Training Ground itself. It was obvious that the facility was made to endure strong attacks. It could probably only be destroyed by blows that came from High-Rankers.

Vera approached her grandchildren while holding a small puddle of goo in her hands. The small blue puddle was none other than Eiko who had used up all her energy in her last attack. The baby slime didn't even have any strength left to retain her usual form, which worried Lux and Iris.

However, after Iris checked Eiko's condition, she was relieved to find out that aside from exhaustion, her baby slime was fine and had simply fell into hibernation mode to regain her strength.

Astra, on the other hand, stood arrogantly in the training ground. The moment the lightning that covered its body disappeared, several bruises could be found on its pristine white skin. Clearly, it suffered minor injuries during his last clash with Eiko.

Vera had stood in front of Eiko to block the explosion and protected the awakened slime from getting injured. Because of this, the baby slime was unscathed by the aftermath, and was now being cared for by Iris, who was pouring regeneration potions on Eiko's puddle-like-body.

"This is your victory, Astra," Lux said as he approached the Unicorn who was looking at the baby slime in Iris' hands from a distance. "Thank you for taking it easy on my daughter. However, if you slack on your training, Eiko will surely catch up to you. She may not beat you in your next rematch, or your rematch after that. But, I'm sure that a year from now, you'll no longer be able to take it easy."

Astra glanced at Lux and let out a snort before walking away. The Unicorn was about to return to its personal residence when Iris blocked his path.

"Thank you, Astra, for holding back," Iris said with a smile. She then opened a regeneration potion and offered it to Astra, which the latter took without even a slight hint of hesitation.

The young beauty then opened another potion and poured its contents on Astra's bruised body. A few seconds later, all of his injuries were healed. Aside from the dirt that was stuck on its body, the Unicorn had mostly recovered.

Just like what Iris said, Astra had held back in the end. If it wished, it could've blasted through Eiko's Moon Blast and pushed the attack back to the baby slime, which might have resulted in a critical injury.

Astra didn't reply and simply nudged his head on Iris cheek, telling her that it was not a big deal to him. After a while, the Unicorn walked away before teleporting towards his residence.

His battle with Eiko had made him realize that Lux was right. If he slacked on his training, Eiko would definitely catch up to him, which was something he wouldn't want to happen.

It wasn't only Astra who felt this way. All of Iris' Guardians who witnessed the battle felt a fire light up inside their chest. More than anything else, they didn't want to lose to the baby slime the most. The battle had shown them that even a baby like her could threaten their lives if they weren't careful.

Vera looked in amusement as she held the puddle of blue goo in her hands. According to her estimate, it would take Eiko a few hours or a whole day before she finally regained her consciousness.

She had seen many slimes in the past, and for some reason, Eiko reminded her of that one slime she had once encountered in one of the High-Ranking areas in Elysium. Vera didn't know if Eiko would grow up to become similar to that slime she had met, but if the baby slime did, then her current impression of her adopted slime granddaughter would have to be revised.

After all, that Slime Queen had taken over an entire kingdom by itself and was now considered as one of the Overlords in Elysium.

It was an existence that even High-Rankers didn't dare to offend.

Iris had taken Eiko back to her room to do a full body examination. She was very curious about Eiko's current form since she had never taken care of a slime before.

Lux felt that it would be a bad idea to follow Iris back to her room, so he decided to stroll around Barbatos Academy with Vera, while waiting for Alicia to finish the preparation for his registration as well as the paperwork she had to complete to become his guarantor in the tournament.

When the two appeared in the training grounds of the students, Vera pointed at one of the teenagers that were standing in the arena. The teenager had short blonde hair and blue eyes and he was quite handsome.

The blonde teenager stood as straight as a sword and his mere presence made Lux feel that he was looking at an expert.

"He is one of the people that you should look out for in the tournament, Lux," Vera said softly. "That young man is the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Azov, Rupert Evans Vi Azov. Have you heard of the 'Four Kings, and the Five Overlords'?"

Lux nodded. "They are considered as the strongest members of the young generation among the Six Kingdoms."

"That's right. That person is one of the Four Kings and the younger generation refer to him as the Sword King."

"What a domineering title. So, he's a genius in swordsmanship?"

Vera chuckled as she shook her head. "Calling him a genius is belittling him. Even my son hadn't reached his level of proficiency with the sword when he was of the same age. Also, he has a very unique body constitution that is very resistant against magical attacks. This makes him a very dangerous opponent for magic users."

Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Looks like he got all of his bases covered. If Nero were to match up against him, who would win?"

Vera paused as she pondered the answer to this question.

"I say that Nero has a forty percent chance to win against him," Vera replied. "Although Prince Rupert might be strong, he is not invincible. Just remember Lux that there are many strong people that will be joining the tournament. You should never let your guard down."

Lux knew that his Grandma was only concerned about his well-being, so she decided to show him one of the possible opponents that he could be facing in the tournament.

As if sensing Lux's gaze, Prince Rupert glanced in his direction and gave him a brief nod before walking down from the arena. His opponent had conceded even before their mock battle started, which the spectators who were hoping to gain an insight to his abilities, sigh in disappointment.

"Grandma, are the members of the Four Kings and Five Overlords also here in Barbatos Academy?" Lux inquired.

"Two of the Four Kings, and two of the Five Overlords reside here," Vera answered. "The others like Nero spend most of their days in Elysium. They only return to Solais to give their reports, so it's hard to get a hold of them."

"Heh, I've seen that Mofo two times already," Lux said. "He's not that hard to find."

Vera could only shake her head helplessly at her grandson's comment. Clearly, Lux and Nero had bad blood between them. But, as a responsible adult, she didn't plan to interfere. This was a conflict between the younger generation, so this must be settled by the two of them.

Besides, she didn't dislike Nero being Lux's rival. This kind of relationship would only encourage her grandson to work harder. Aside from that, she was sure that Lux would settle their differences in the tournament, so she didn't have to do anything about it.

 

Chapter 179 Is My Disguise Good?

"Brother, you're going to join the tournament, right?" Iris asked as she sat on the couch of her residence's living room.

Lux nodded his head. "But I'll be hiding my identity."

"Is it because of my father?"

"Not really. I just don't want to stand out."

Iris giggled as she looked at her stepbrother with an amused expression on her face.

"So, will you be wearing a mask?" Iris asked in a mischievous tone.

Lux replied with a smile as he took out the mythical mask that belonged to the Faunus Battle Regalia.

The mask was called the Mask of a Thousand Faces, but the number of faces that it could store in its memory were only two.

As soon as Lux wore the mask, something unbelievable happened. His body instantly changed. In just a short moment, a chubby boy with short black hair and light-brown eyes appeared in front of Iris.

The young beauty's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. When Lux said that he would be using a different identity to enter the tournament, she didn't expect something like the scene in front of her eyes.

"Well, how do I look?" Lux asked.

His voice had also changed after wearing the mask, but his expressions were the same.

Iris reached out to poke Lux's chubby belly, as well as pat his chubby arms. She then reached out to pinch Lux's face and felt its softness. What surprised her the most was the fact that even though she tried to take off the mask, the only thing she managed to pull was Lux's skin, which made the latter cry out in pain.

"S-Sorry!" Iris immediately apologized. "Brother, this mask is amazing! Are you the only one that can take it off?"

"Yes," Lux said as he took off the mask, which allowed him to revert back to his handsome appearance. "What do you think? Is my disguise good?"

"Very good! I think even my father will not be able to tell that it is you."

"That's the plan. Since no one will know who I am, let alone how I fight, it's the perfect disguise for me."

Iris quieted down as she looked at Lux with a serious expression on her face. The Hal-Elf blinked once then twice because Iris' was staring at him as if she wanted to see through his very soul.

"Lux, can you wear it again?" Iris asked. "Please?"

"Okay." Lux nodded. He didn't know what Iris was thinking, but for some reason he felt that he should comply with her request.

As soon as Lux transformed into his chubby appearance, Iris walked up to him and cupped his face.

"I see… so that's it," Iris said softly as she stared at Lux's light-brown eyes.

"Um, Iris?" Lux couldn't help but feel anxious because Iris' stare never left his eyes. "Is there something wrong with my eyes?"

"No," Iris replied. "Even though you have taken a new form, the look in your eyes is the same."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've been observing Brother for a long time, so I can tell that the way you look at others is the same."

After she finished talking, Iris hugged Lux and rested her head on his shoulder. A minute later, Iris hand lightly patted Lux's round belly and giggled.

"Lux, I'd like to experience what it's like to sleep on your belly," Iris said. "Can we do that?"

"I don't mind," Lux answered. "But, let's do that when you are in Grandma's house. If for some reason, your father suddenly visited you and saw us together, he might kill me without asking for any explanation."

Iris giggled because what Lux had said was certainly possible. Her father wouldn't allow a random stranger to be so close to Iris without his permission. Even if he didn't kill that person, that person would still suffer from excruciating pain, which would make them wish they were dead.

Just as the two were about to continue their discussion, a knock was heard from the door. Lux immediately took off his mask and hid it inside his storage ring, and sat on the couch as if nothing had happened.

With a smirk on her face, Iris called out towards the door.

"Come in."

"Excuse me, Lady Iris."

Alicia entered the room, and opened the door for Lux and Iris' grandma, Vera.

The old woman entered the room first before Alicia closed the door and locked it behind her.

"Lady Vera had already told me that you're planning to join the tournament and asked me to become your guarantor," Alicia stated. "Are you now ready to register, Lux?"

Lux nodded his head to confirm his determination to participate in the tournament.

"Good," Alicia commented before tossing a blue crystal on the floor.

As soon as the crystal touched the floor, it transformed into a circular artifact that remained motionless on the ground.

"Lady Vera said that you're going to wear a disguise in the tournament," Alicia stared at Lux, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Wear your disguise and step onto the artifact. It will record your body's statistics."

Lux smiled before wearing his mask. He was quite curious on how Alicia would react after seeing his current form.

The moment his form changed that of a chubby boy, Alicia just nodded her head and made a gesture for Lux to step into the platform, which confused the Half-Elf.

"Um, aren't you going to say anything?" Lux asked the beautiful secretary who always did her work properly.

"About what? Your transformation?" Alicia arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, but I've been working with several Foxkin's as of late, and all of them are expert in transformations. If you showed this trick to me half a year ago, I would have been surprised. But now, I'm just numb to it all."

"Hah… it can't be helped." Lux sighed before stepping into the platform that recorded his overall stats. This record would be the one that Alicia would use to register Lux to ensure that no problem would arise during the tournament.

Only those who were aged twenty and below were allowed to participate in the tournament. Even if Lux changed his appearance, his bone age was still the same. This was how the artifact would ensure that Lux didn't surpass the age of twenty, which was the main requirement to join the tournament in Barbatos Academy.

"Your features are now recorded," Alicia commented after looking at the data that flashed in front of her. "Now, all you need to do is give me the name that you want to use in the tournament."

Lux smiled. He had thought long and hard for the name that he was going to use in the tournament. After Alicia, and Iris heard of the name, the two girls looked at Lux in a weird manner before chuckling at the same time.

Vera only smiled because she had already known the name that Lux would use in the tournament. From the name alone, the old lady could already see how everyone would react when the tournament in Barbatos Academy finally started.

"Lux, are you sure that this is the name that you are going to choose?" Alicia asked after she had regained her composure. "For some reason, I am already looking forward to how the referee will announce your name in the tournament."

"Me too!" Iris commented. "I want to see how everyone will react after hearing your name."

Lux smirked because this was the reaction that he was aiming for when he chose his name. Alicia stayed for a few minutes to have idle chat with Lux and Iris before leaving the room.

She was quite busy and there were still some things that she had to do. However, before anything else, she would go to the Headmaster's Office to make a report that Lux was going to join the tournament.

This was what Vera asked her to do, so that her son would be informed that the Half-Elf would also join the festivities.

'I just hope Lux doesn't faint in the middle of the fight,' Alicia thought anxiously as she knocked on the door of the Headmaster's office. 'Will he really be alright?'

To say that Alicia was worried about Lux was an understatement. The beautiful secretary was well aware of Lux's condition since it had also happened several times in the past when the Half-Elf visited Barbatos Academy.

However, since Vera had assured her that everything was going to be fine, Alicia had no choice but to believe the kind old lady, who had raised Lux with all the love and care in the world

 

Chapter 180 There’s No Chance That He Will Pass The Qualifiers

Alexander sighed after hearing Alicia's report.

"Does she really want Lux to get hurt that badly?" Alexander asked Alicia who had a complicated look on his face. "This is not a friendly sparring match. There's a huge chance that he would get seriously injured in the tournament."

Although Alicia also had misgivings, she believed that Vera wouldn't have agreed to anything that could actively harm her grandson. Also, Lux somehow felt different to her at the moment. For some reason, she felt like the teenage boy had grown a lot since the last time that the two of them had met.

"Sir, Lady Vera treasures Lux a lot," Alicia replied. "I'm sure you know how much she cares about him. Knowing her, do you really think that she would allow Lux to get hurt?"

Alexander didn't respond and merely tapped his finger on top of his table. He knew how overprotective his mother was more than anyone in the world. He didn't believe that his mother would allow Lux to enter the tournament if she didn't have some kind of assurance about his safety.

"Let's not talk about him for now," Alexander stated. "How are the registration of the tournament proceeding? Are you encountering any problems?"

Alicia shook her head. "Everything is in order, Sir. I believe that the number of candidates will surpass our initial estimates. Perhaps declaring that the champion will become Lady Iris' fiance inspired the members of the young generation to go all out."

Alexander's expression remained calm after Alicia's reply. He had long decided to go down this path for the sake of his daughter. Although his mother was against it, both of them knew that the only thing that mattered in this world was strength.

Love might be good, but it was not enough to protect the people that are important to you when faced with someone who was truly powerful.

Alexander and Vera knew this very well, and yet, both have divided opinions on how to settle Iris' future.

Alexander wanted his daughter to have a stable and comfortable life.

Vera on the other hand wanted Iris to live a happy life with her beloved.

Right now, Alexander had the strength to protect his daughter, but who knew if that would change in the future. Accidents could happen, so at the very least, he wanted Iris to be with someone who could properly protect her when the sky falls down above her head.

"If there are any concerns regarding the tournament, report it to me at once," Alexander ordered. "I don't want any mishaps to happen in this year's event."

Alicia nodded her head. However, before she left the room, she decided to see if Alexander cared for Lux's well-being in the tournament or not.

"Sir, do you think that Lux will be able to get far in the tournament?" Alicia asked. She was curious on how the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy would answer her question.

"I don't need to think. There's no chance for him to even pass the qualifiers," Alexander said before staring at his secretary with a serious expression on his face. "Make sure to personally handpick the referee for his battles. At the very least, order him to prevent that fool from dying. Although he's not good enough to become Iris' fiance, I don't hate him enough for him to get killed. He is still family, so make sure he doesn't die. Do you understand?"

Alicia bowed. "As you wish, Headmaster."

The beautiful secretary then left the room and returned to her duties. Now that Alexander had given her another order, she would have to personally handpick the referee that would be mediating Lux's battles to ensure his safety.

At the very least, Alicia felt relieved knowing that behind Alexander's rough treatment for his step-son, he still cared enough to ensure Lux's safety.

—--

Inside the Storm Dragon's Guild Headquarters in Elysium…

"Sir, one of our people in Barbatos Academy had discovered that Lux had come to the academy to register for the tournament," one of Nero's trusted subordinates reported.

"Good," Nero replied. "Thank you for the report. You may leave now."

His subordinate bowed before leaving the Guildmaster's office. He was the person that Nero had tasked to make a report if Lux was found in Barbatos Academy. After hearing that the Half-Elf had registered for the tournament, Nero felt an incredible itch in the palm of his hand.

"Too bad that I am already a seeded participant," Nero muttered. "I would love to personally kick that bastard out of the tournament. He sure is lucky that he didn't have the chance to face me."

The Four Kings and the Five Overlords were exempted from participating in the Qualifiers. Among the thousands of participants, only a few dozen would make it to the Final Qualifying Matches.

After that, the regular matches would be held. That was where The Four Kings and the Five Overlords would participate until only eight would remain.

These eight people would then head to the Semi-Finals.

In Nero's Eyes, only the Four Kings posed a threat to him. This was especially true for the Sword King, whose abilities were known to everyone.

"You got lucky this time, Lux," Nero sneered. "But, don't worry. I'll make sure to win the tournament not only for your stepsister, but for my ambition as well."

As someone who was born among the common folk, Nero wanted to escape from his origins and become a dragon among men.

For that to happen, he needed power and influence.

These were the things that he longed for and although his position allowed him some authority over the younger generation of Wildgarde Stronghold, for him, it was not enough.

Right now, the tournament matched the goal he had in mind. Not only would he gain power and influence, he would also gain riches and the prized daughter of the Saint of Barbatos Academy.

Nero could feel the ambition burning in his chest and his desire to become the champion intensified.

His only regret was that he would not be the one to personally cripple the Half-Elf in front of the latter's grandmother, as well as the young beauty that loved Lux.