Ch. 191..200

Chapter 191 Lux’s Trump Card

When Lux arrived at the Inn, Emma, as well as Colette and her friends, were waiting for his return.

"Big Brother! Let's go to our Guild's Headquarters tomorrow before noon," Colette said. "My sister said that she wanted to meet you and personally thank you for always saving me."

"Okay," Lux replied before patting Matty's shoulder. He then winked at the young Dwarf. "Make sure to become stronger, so I don't always have to save this troublemaker. I can't always be by her side, you know?"

Matty frowned, but he still nodded his head seriously. He was already thinking of ways he could improve himself to become stronger, so he wouldn't always be the one that needed saving.

Naturally, it wasn't just Matty thinking about this. Colette, Andy, Axel, and Helen, also had the same thoughts.

Lux understood that his friends were still too young, so becoming strong right from the get go was impossible for them.

'Fortunately, the one being targeted is me and not them,' Lux thought. 'Still… an Initiate Assassin sounds like a pain in the ass.'

An Initiate was the grade above the Grade A Apostle Rank. It was the turning point where an Apostle would become a Ranker after accumulating enough points.

In order to reach the Initiate Rank, one must have at least 5,000 combined Stat Points.

This was a level that was still far away from his reach. Fighting against that kind of opponent would not be an easy task.

Even so, he would rather face an Initiate by himself instead of allowing someone of that caliber target his friends, who wouldn't stand a chance against such foes.

After eating dinner, Colette and the others left the inn and returned to their headquarters. Aina had given strict orders to her sister and her friends, forbidding them from spending the night outside their guild's headquarters, in order to keep them safe.

Right now, the tension inside Whitebridge City was high, and Aina didn't want her little sister to be caught in the crossfire between the combined might of the guilds and the authorities that were busy rounding up the members of Twilight Rain inside the city.

Lux was also aware of what was happening in the city and was told to stay in the inn for the night. The place where their inn was booked had guards patrolling on a regular basis, so, unless they wanted to be sent to prison, no one with ulterior motives would openly make trouble in the inn that was the mainstay of many high-ranked adventurer parties in Whitebridge City.

"Emma, there is something that I need to tell you in private," Lux said as he invited Emma to his room.

​ Once they were inside, he explained that there was a high possibility that he was being targeted by an Initiate, so he asked the pretty Dwarf to avoid interacting with him for the time being for her own safety.

But, contrary to what Lux expected, Emma became more determined to stay by Lux's side in order to protect him, rejecting his request, even though she wasn't a match against an Initiate.

"Since you are being targeted by Twilight Rain, I should always stay by your side," Emma insisted. "Make no mistake. I treasure my life, so I don't plan on doing anything reckless. But I also made an oath that I would return the favor for saving my life. If I can stall the assassin for a few seconds to allow you to escape, I will not hesitate to do that."

"And if I die, then I die. You're a Necromancer, right? Just raise me as an Undead. I don't mind it one bit!"

Lux rubbed his face with both of his hands when he heard the pretty Dwarf in front of him set up a death flag for herself. Even so, he was touched that she was willing to sacrifice herself for his safety.

"Very well, I promise you this, from now on, I truly recognize you as my first trusted subordinate," Lux stated. "I will do my best to help you grow stronger."

"Um? You didn't treat me as a trusted subordinate before?"

"Let's not dig up the past. What is important is that we should always go forward!"

Emma chuckled, knowing that Lux no longer wanted to dwell on the subject. Even so, she was quite satisfied that the Half-Elf had finally recognized her as his trusted subordinate.

After their short chat, Emma returned to their room to rest for the night, leaving Lux to think about how to handle the big threat that was looming over his head.

'An Initiate Ranked Assassin," Lux thought as he looked at the upper right corner of his vision where a map was located.

Enlarging the map, Lux tweaked its settings to show only allies and enemies on the map. Allies would be represented by green dots on the map, while enemies would be represented by red. He hoped that by changing the setting of his map, he would be able to detect if the assassin was near his immediate vicinity.

If he was able to detect the Assassin before the latter came in contact with him, he would immediately run away or hide in order to save himself from the other party who was ordered to kill him.

He also ran several simulations in his head for what he would do when the Initiate Ranked Assassin appeared. He also talked to his Named Creatures through his Soul Book about his plan, and all of them agreed to follow it to give Lux a chance at survival.

Right now, it was impossible for them to fight against an Initiate Ranked Assassin. However, he was not entirely powerless.

'I still have the Token of the Gold Dragon with me,' Lux thought as he held the golden token in his hand. 'Even an Initiate Rank would have no choice but to escape when faced with an Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon.'

This was his Trump Card, and it was the only thing that he could rely on against an opponent that was an expert in waiting for the perfect opportunity to end his life.

 

Chapter 192 Rivalry Between Assassins

Somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven…

"Useless fools!" A Dwarf with silver hair pounded the table with his fist after hearing the report of his subordinate. "They can't even do something so simple!"

The silver-haired dwarf once again smashed his fist on the table, making his subordinates inside the room lower their heads in shame.

He was none other than the Guild Master of Twilight Rain, Magnar Vonmus Gweliven. As a member of the Royal Family, he had also wanted to become the King of the Dwarven Kingdom but had lost the right to succession.

Because of this, he started a civil war, with the intention to bring down his nephew, who had inherited the crown. Unfortunately, he was defeated but fortunately managed to escape with his life and had gone into hiding.

A few years later, he returned as the founder of the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain, which started to terrorize the Kingdom from the shadows. However, there were a few people who had blocked him in his path.

They were the members of the Order of the Griffin that served his Nephew.

It was an Elite Group that had both brains and brawn, and its members were capable enough to fight against him in the shadows, stopping his second attempt to start another civil war.

After his nephew retired and passed his crown to the current ruling King, Magnar thought that he could use this opportunity to bring down the newly crowned King since he was not yet well versed in managing the affairs of the Kingdom.

But he made a mistake. The new King had long been educated by his predecessor about Magnar's desire for power.

The new King had forged bonds with the new batch of elites who now belonged to his own Order, which was currently lurking in the shadows, waiting to end this decades-long struggle between them.

After Magnar reined in his anger, he made a gesture for his right-hand man to step forward.

"Who is the best assassin among the Reapers?" Magnar asked. "I want him to personally kill this Half-Elf and rid us of this bastard once and for all."

Magnar's right-hand man thought for a moment before giving two names.

"Right now, we have two promising Reapers that have recently joined our ranks," the right-hand man answered. "All the missions that they have undertaken were completed without fail. Till now, none among their peers have managed such a perfect record when it comes to assassinating their targets. I believe that after a year or two, the both of them will become the new Slayer candidates that will bring our Assassination Squad to the next level."

"Oh? We have such promising talents?" Magnar arched an eyebrow. He had completely given his right-hand man the control over the assassination groups under their guild, so he could focus on domestic issues. Because of this, he wasn't aware about the current rankings among the Assassins under his command.

Magnar's right-hand man nodded. "Sid hails from the North, while Scarlet is from the West. Both of them are more than capable of dealing with the Half-Elf. Sir, which one do you want to take on this mission?"

Magnar pondered for a bit before a devilish grin appeared on his face.

"How about you let them compete with each other," Magnar proposed. "Give them both the mission, and tell them that the one who manages to assassinate the Half-Elf will officially be given the title of Slayer Candidate."

"Competition is good. This will ensure that the two of them will take this mission seriously."

"I agree with the Guild Master. This is the most effective method to deal with the Half-Elf, while also nurturing our own talents. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

"I'm also curious to find out who the best assassin among the young generation is. I'm sure that this is going to be interesting."

Magnar smirked after hearing his subordinate's take on his idea. Even his right-hand man thought that this was also a good way to make the assassins become more proficient in their craft. A good rivalry allowed both parties to grow due to the pressure that they were giving each other.

"Understood, I will issue this mission at once," Magnar's right-hand man bowed his head before leaving the room to send word to the two assassins about their latest mission.

He believed that it wouldn't even take two weeks before the Half-Elf's head was delivered inside their conference room, since the latter would have to deal with the two strongest Initiates that were part of the Reapers.

—--

"Achoo!"

"Ah… chu?"

Lux brushed his nose, while Eiko tilted her head to look at her Papa who had sneezed while brushing his hair.

Today was the day that he would be meeting Colette's sister, Aina, so he wanted to give a good first impression.

"Eiko, how do I look?" Lux asked the baby slime that was seated on top of the table, and chewing on a piece of bacon.

"Pa!" Eiko replied.

For her, it didn't really matter whether Lux combed his hair or not. In the end, she would perch on top of his head and render his hard work useless.

Just as the Half-Elf was admiring his image in the mirror, a knock was heard on the door.

"Lux, it's time to go."

Emma's voice sounded through the door, which Lux hurriedly opened.

"Not bad," Emma said after looking at the Half-Elf who had dressed for the occasion. "Are you doing this so that you can marry Colette's sister in the future?"

Lux was wearing a gown that was often used by nobles, which Nevreal had given him alongside the token that proved that he was now an Honorary Baronet.

In truth, this was the most expensive set of clothes that Lux had in his possession because it was specially made for the high-ranking members of the nobility.

"Of course not," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Don't listen to that little girl. She tries to matchmake me with her sister whenever there is an opportunity."

"But, I heard that the guild leader of the Eternal Guild is truly a beauty." Emma smirked. "You might even ask Colette's help later as you try to woo her."

Lux could only smile helplessly due to the pretty Dwarf's teasing.

He really didn't have any intention of letting Colette play matchmaker and pair him with her sister in marriage. Right now, the Half-Elf had a lot on his plate. Aside from the threat of assassins that were meant to kill him, he still needed to protect his step-sister from the machinations of her own father.

He really had neither the time or strength to chase the skirts of Dwarf girls due to his current circumstances.

"Let's go," Lux said before Emma could continue teasing him. "Eiko, come."

"Pa!" The baby slime jumped from the table and blinked on top of Lux's head.

In the end, Eiko didn't damage Lux's hairstyle and behaved properly. She was also very curious about seeing Colette's sister, and she hoped that she would be as friendly as the little blonde Dwarf, who spoiled her a lot whenever they were together.

Emma led the way, and Lux walked behind her. Right now, her role was to be Lux's bodyguard, so she would definitely do her best to ensure that no harm would come to her savior under her watch.

 

Chapter 193 Unfulfilled Wish

When the carriage stopped, Lux looked past the window and saw a grand mansion, which was at least three stories high.

The emblem that hung on the gate was a diamond surrounded by eight swords pointing outwards. Above the emblem, was a single word that Lux read with admiration.

Eternal.

It was a word that meant "to last forever".

Lux could feel the strong and unwavering resolve of the person who had named their guild with this word, and, for some reason, he felt an emotion stir inside himself.

It was an emotion that he was all too familiar with, and it was none other than "wanting to leave his mark on the world", making others recognize that he was not just another ordinary face in the crowd.

As soon as Lux stepped off the carriage, he heard the familiar call for "Big Brother," causing a smirk to appear across his face.

The guards, who were standing on the gate, opened the path for him. Their Guild Master had already informed them about Lux's arrival. This was their first time seeing a Half-Elf, so they couldn't help but look at him as if he was an exotic animal that was walking past them.

Colette didn't waste any time and grabbed Lux's hand, pulling him towards the main entrance of the mansion that served as their Guild's Headquarters.

"You're lucky, Big Brother," Colette said as she continued to pull Lux, who had caught the attention of the guild members in the lobby of their headquarters. "My sister was called to attend an emergency meeting by the Mayor of the city, but since she had promised to meet with you, she sent the Vice Guild Master to go in her place."

Lux frowned when he heard Colette's words. "Won't your Big Sister get into trouble for not going there? They would think that she's not doing her job properly as Guild Master."

"It's fine. My Big Sister and the Mayor of Whitebridge City are good friends, so she can get away with this much. Also, our guild is the one that sent the majority of our forces to hunt down the members of Twilight Rain, who are currently hiding inside the city. The other guilds may hold grudges, but they will never voice it out loud."

"... Isn't that bad?"

Colette stopped walking and turned towards the Half-Elf with a smile.

"With my sister at the helm of the Guild, they will not dare oppose us, or else they will suffer a fate worse than getting stomped on by a mountain goat." Colette smirked. "My sister is the best."

Lux could only pat the head of the smug-faced, little girl, who clearly idolized her sister.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the Guild Master's office where two guards stood at the ready.

"Go in, Big Brother," Colette said as she gave Lux's back a light push. "My sister said that she wanted to talk to you alone."

Lux nodded and knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, a curt and crisp voice answered from behind the door.

"Come in."

The Half-Elf no longer hesitated, stepping inside the room. The moment he saw her, the red-headed teenager froze. In front of him was a Dwarf girl with long-blonde hair, which had been tied up in a ponytail.

Her blue eyes looked at him with a calm gaze, but Lux was busy staring at her face, which had taken him completely by surprise.

Aina's pink lips, as well as her smooth white skin which could put the models on Earth to shame, made the Half-Elf subconsciously gulp.

Before him stood Aina Van Goldenslayer, the Guild Master of Eternal, as well as Colette's older sister who was known by her allies and enemies, as the Warrior Princess.

Lux didn't want to admit it, but he felt his heart skip a beat after seeing the girl, who looked exactly like the younger version of his favorite actress on Earth, who had the screen name Luna.

"L-Luna?" Lux stuttered after seeing the peerless beauty in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

The cold beauty looked at Lux with a calm expression before standing up from her chair. She then walked towards the Half-Elf, who was gaping at her with a silly look on his face, with steady steps.

She was like a warrior that had seen many battles and was no longer fazed by anything and everything she saw.

"I welcome you to the Eternal Guild, Lux Von Kaizer," Aina said in a calm tone. "I have heard many things about you from my sister."

The beautiful Dwarven beauty then gave Lux a deep bow, which snapped the latter from his daze.

"Thank you for always saving my sister whenever she is in trouble," Aina stated before raising her head to look up at the Half-Elf, who was taller than her. "Please, take a seat."

The doll-like beauty gestured to the chair beside her table before walking back towards her chair.

Lux lightly rubbed his face with his hands, while Aina wasn't looking at him and followed behind her.

After he sat down, he observed his childhood crush, who had come to life.

"Is there something wrong with my face?" Aina asked. "I often see others look at me with the same expression you have right now, and wonder if there is something they see that I don't."

"There is nothing wrong with you," Lux replied subconsciously. "You just look so perfect that sometimes I wonder if you are real."

Lux's favorite actress, Luna, was labeled as "perfect beauty", and many wondered if she achieved her good looks through plastic surgery. Even so, the beautiful actress simply brushed the question off as if it was not even worth her time to answer it.

Lux's greatest regret in his past life was the fact that he had been unable to attend the events that Luna was part of. He wasn't even able to get her autograph nor shake her hand during the fan meetings that she had posted on her social media profile.

Now that someone who looked exactly like her had appeared in front of him, he was finding it hard to control the emotions that were bubbling up in his chest.

"I look perfect?" Aina asked in the same monotonous tone that she always used. "You're the first person to directly say such a thing to me. I guess the person that saved my sister is built differently compared to the rest of the people that interact with me on a daily basis."

Aina then rested her delicate chin on the back of her intertwined hands as she gazed at Lux with the same expressionless look on her face.

"Tell me, Lux Von Kaizer. What kind of reward should I give you for saving my sister's life?" Aina asked.

"How about, I will be able to gain your guild's help once?" Lux answered. "But, you will have the right to reject it if you think that it will be detrimental to your guild's reputation or cause you innumerable casualties. I know that your guild isn't a charitable institution, so I'll let you decide whether you will agree to my request or not."

Aina decisively shook her head. "Think of something else. I cannot in good conscience order my guild to do something for personal reasons."

Aina met Lux's gaze, and although the look in her eyes remained the same, there was a firmness in her gaze that wouldn't accept any compromise. She was the Guild Master of Eternal. One order from her and her entire guild would mobilize.

the doll-like beauty wouldn't order her subordinates to sacrifice themselves for personal reasons. this was her bottom-line.

Instead of feeling down, the Half-Elf smiled because Aina's answer convinced him that the person in front of him wasn't someone who used her authority to order his people around to benefit only herself.

"Let's change the condition a bit," Aina stated after a few minutes of silence. "Since this is a personal matter, You can ask for my help once. I, as an individual, will help you to the best of my abilities. How does that sound?"

Lux smiled and reached out his hand towards her for a handshake. "We have a deal."

Aina stared at Lux's outstretched hand for a few seconds before extending her own. As the two shook each other's hand, both of them felt that this was the beginning of something that would last a lifetime.

 

Chapter 194 A Target With A Death Wish

Somewhere in the Gweliven Kingdom…

"Brother, you're back!"

"Brother, sweets!"

"Did the two of you behave while I was away?" A young Dwarf, who seemed to be in his early twenties, reached out to the two little girls who had grabbed onto his body the moment they saw him.

He was quite good looking, and with his light-brown hair, green eyes, and confident presence, any Dwarf beauty would definitely feel strong attraction to him.

"I did!" the dwarf girl proudly said with a smile.

"Me, too!" The other dwarf girl nodded her head vigorously.

"Great. Now, here are some candies that I bought along the way," the light-brown haired Dwarf said as he handed two bags of candies to the two girls, who jumped up and down in joy after receiving them. "Make sure to share them with the others, okay?"

""Yes!""

The Dwarf looked at the two little girls with an affectionate gaze as they ran back to the orphanage to share the sweets with everyone.

"You're finally back, Sid," a middle-aged Dwarf lady carrying a basket of vegetables said as she arrived at the entrance of the orphanage. "You've been away for a month. Being an apprentice merchant might give you a lot of money, but your little sisters miss you terribly every time you leave."

"You should spend a few days with them this time, or they'll probably cling to you like leeches to prevent you from leaving them again."

Sid could only shrug his shoulders helplessly after hearing those words from one of the ladies that managed the orphanage.

"Auntie, this is the only job that I know that pays well," Sid replied. "Once I have saved enough, I'll buy a big house in the capital and move there with my two sisters. I will let them enjoy life to the fullest. Also, I want to build an orphanage, one that is bigger than this, so that it can help more orphans like us."

Sid and his two little sisters had been orphaned due to a bandit attack in their previous village. The three of them were forced to run away,l and hide in the woods, while their parents, as well as the other adults, fought against the attackers in order to buy time for the women and children to escape.

Unfortunately, the bandit group had reinforcements, so the defenders of their village were overwhelmed. When Sid realized this, he and his sisters fled to a town with better security.

Sid had always been an excellent fighter and hunter. His patience had been trained through hunting. He could even stay motionless for several hours until his target had come within striking range.

Because of his abilities as a warrior, as well as a hunter, the branch head of Twilight Rain in the town where they were staying in, recruited him with the promise of greater pay for his services.

It was then that Sid had undergone a baptism of blood and was trained to kill people, instead of animals. Since he already had the basic skills to become an assassin, the transition was quite smooth.

After his assassin training, which almost cost his life several times, he decided to get his revenge. The first person he killed was the leader of the Bandit Group that had destroyed the peaceful life of his family.

After successfully killing the leader, he hunted all the members of the bandit group until none were left. After finally tying up the loose ends of his past, he then embarked on missions to kill the targets that the organization deemed to be an obstacle in their way to usurp the current royal family.

Sid really didn't care who sat on the throne of the Dwarven Kingdom. For him, the Dwarf King did nothing when his family was killed, so his loyalty to the other party wasn't strong. The one that gave him the means to get his revenge was Twilight Rain, and because of this, the latter won his faith and loyalty, serving them wholeheartedly.

"Well, just make sure to send them letters on a regular basis." The auntie knew how firm Sid was in his decision to earn a lot of money for his two sisters.

This was why he became a merchant apprentice, which was the cover Sid used in order to hide his true profession as an assassin.

In a way, his description wasn't wrong. He would travel to different places in order to "act" as a merchant while surveying the surroundings of his target and getting to know his or her daily routine.

There were plenty of times when he had to stay in a particular place for weeks or even months, while some missions only required him a few days to finish.

There were even occasions when he only needed a day or two before he could assassinate his target.

"Thank you, Auntie," Sid replied. "I'll make sure to send letters to my sisters once a week, so they won't worry about me."

"As long as you understand, then all is well." The Auntie smiled before walking towards the entrance of the orphanage to cook the vegetables that she bought from the market for the little ones, who were almost always hungry.

Just as Sid was about to go in as well, he noticed a man wearing casual clothes standing beside a tree not far away from the orphanage.

Sid didn't hesitate as he walked towards the man who had personally recruited him into Twilight Rain.

"Congratulations on a job well done," the man said with a smile. "Here is your reward. We also added a bonus because you managed to kill your target even though he was heavily protected."

"It took me three weeks to kill that bastard," Sid replied. "If not for the fact that one of the guards forgot to lock the window of his room, I wouldn't have been able to sneak in and kill him while he was sleeping."

The man chuckled as he patted Sid's shoulder. "The important part is that he is now dead. That is all that matters. However, I hate to disturb your reunion with your sisters, but you have a new mission."

"Can't you give it to someone else?" Sid frowned. "I planned to stay here for a week or two to spend some quality time with my sisters."

The man scratched his head before sighing. "Well, I won't force you because I know how hard working you are. But, hear me out first. You can decide whether you will reject this mission or not."

Sid reluctantly nodded his head as he listened to what his benefactor wanted to say.

"Our guild members in Whitebridge City are now being hunted down like pigs for the slaughter," the man stated. "It all started with an incident in Oakwood Town when one of our secret headquarters was discovered by an annoying bastard."

"Let me guess. This person is the target for assassination?"

"Right. It was the Guild Master that personally gave out this order, and you were one of the two people that were chosen to handle this job."

Sid's eyes widened in shock after hearing his benefactor's words.

"A mission that the Guild Master has personally decreed?" Sid asked. "This target must have a death wish to annoy the Guild Master this much."

The man nodded. "Aye. He was so angry that he even declared that whoever manages to kill that person will become the next Slayer Candidate."

Sid's body stiffened because he thought that he had heard wrongly. Becoming a Slayer Candidate meant that the Guild would provide that person access to enough resources to make the breakthrough to the rank of a Ranker.

The Slayers were the main assasination team of Twilight Rain, and all of them were Rankers.

"Who is the target this time around?" Sid asked. He wanted to know the name of the person that would allow him and his sister to live better lives.

"Your target this time is a Half-Elf," the man answered. "His name is Lux Von Kaizer."

 

Chapter 195 May The Best Assassin Win

A week passed since Lux first met with Colette's sister, Aina.

Aina agreed that she would extend her help to Lux once, but as an individual, rather than as the Guild Master of Eternal.

Lux didn't find any issue with this. Aina was in the middle stages of the Grade A Apostle rank, which also meant that she was halfway the Initiate Rank.

For someone her age, it was already a great achievement and the Half-Elf now understood why she was one of the prodigies of the Dwarf Race. Not only was she strong, but her future was also limitless.

Within the one week that passed, almost all the members of the Twilight Rain who hid in Whitebridge City had been captured. The others were lucky enough to escape the city before the encirclement, which was made up with all the guilds and the army of the Gweliven Kingdom, was formed.

However, Lux didn't participate in the hunt for the members of Twilight Rain. Instead, he familiarized himself with the city, in order to know which locations he could run to or hide in, in case of emergencies.

The one, who acted as his guide on this endeavor was none other than Emma, who was born in Whitebridge City. Colette and the others needed to undertake missions, so they couldn't spend a lot of time with Lux, which made the adorable little Dwarf leader pout in frustration.

Even so, she understood that this was her duty as a member of the Eternal Guild. Even her big sister, Aina, who was the guild leader, didn't exempt her from her rightful duties.

"We have almost explored the entire city, and only a little more remains," Emma said as she ate lunch with Lux and Eiko. "If my calculations are correct, we should be able to cover the rest in a day or two."

Lux smiled. "Thank you, Emma. You've been a big help. If I strolled alone, I might have gotten lost. This city is really big."

"Hahaha. I'm glad to know that I was able to help you. Don't worry, if any of those assassins arrive, I'm gonna help you… run away! It is impossible for me to defeat an Initiate. Our best course of action is to run as fast as we can and hope he trips or something."

"I'd rather hope that they don't send an assassin my way. This will save me the trouble of dyin–"

Lux wasn't able to finish his words because a notification had appeared in front of him. Glancing at the upper right corner of his vision, he saw that a red dot had appeared on his map.

A moment later, that single dot became two, and a frown appeared on Lux's face. After changing the settings of his map to only show allied and hostile units, the Half-Elf instantly knew that the people that wanted him gone had now appeared in the city.

However, just as he was about to tell Emma that the assassins had arrived, the two blinking dots on the map vanished without a trace.

'Could it be a glitch?' Lux thought as he once again scanned his map to look for the two blinking dots that suddenly disappeared. 'Maybe they're using some kind of artifact to hide their presence? If that is the case, I am screwed.'

Seeing the sudden change in Lux's reaction, Emma knew that something was wrong.

"Lux? Did something happen?" Emma asked as she looked at Lux with concern.

Lux nodded. "The assassins are here. Two of them."

Emma's face became grim as she took Lux's words seriously. She didn't even bother to ask Lux how he managed to find out that the assassins had appeared. The only thing she knew was that the Half-Elf would not joke about this matter because it affected his survival.

"What are we going to do now?" Emma asked. "Should we tell the authorities?"

Lux was also tempted to do it, but without proof, his reputation as a member of the Order of the Griffin might take a nosedive if he asked the guards to become his bodyguards out of the blue.

Galileo, Charles, and Nevreal were also not in the city since they each had their own important matters to attend to.

The three Dwarves initially stayed in the city for a few days to keep a lookout for possible assassins aiming at Lux's life, but since they hadn't noticed any suspicious individuals snooping around the city, they decided to leave and handle the aftermath of the Cleanup Operation that had recently transpired in Whitebridge City.

"For now, we should finish eating," Lux replied. "They just entered the city and still don't know where I am. At least, that is what I think. Even if they knew, this inn is under the protection of the Adventurer's Guild. There might be some strong individuals here that can make those in the Initiate Rank become wary to attack."

Emma nodded and ate her food silently. Even Eiko who was usually lively was now eating seriously as if preparing for a battle against her rival, Astra.

'Should I contact Nevreal?' Lux thought.

Right now, the middle-aged Dwarf was the only person of authority that he could contact at any given time. Galileo and Charles didn't want Lux to get in touch with them during their missions, so the Half-Elf was only left with the only option he had.

'I can't be passive,' Lux thought. 'I need to think this through.'

—---

Somewhere in Whitebridge City…

"It's annoying that I had to wait for you to arrive before I start this mission, Sid," a Dwarf girl with long red hair said in annoyance. "If only the Elder hadn't required that we entered the city at the same time to make things fair, that Half-Elf might already be dead by now."

"Perhaps," Sid replied. "Or the one who would be dead could have been you, Scarlet."

"Me? Die? Oh, please. I can kill the target with my eyes closed."

"That is because you rely on your eyes being closed to activate your special ability. Well, I won't argue because it is indeed my fault for coming late. Now that we're both here in the city, it's time to separate."

Scarlet snorted. "About time. May the best assassin win."

Scarlet didn't even wait for Sid's reply as she made a turn to an alley and disappeared in the shadows. All of the assassins of Twilight Rain were given special artifacts in order to hide their presence when they were about to start their assassination mission.

This was because most high-profile targets had artifacts of their own to help warn them of potential assassination attempts on their lives. These artifacts were made to counter those detection artifacts, which frustrated the counter-terrorist agents of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

Until now, they still hadn't found a way to bypass the artifact that hid the assassin's presence, preventing them from carrying out their plans of assasination.

Sid kept on walking on the main street ignoring the people around him. He had also activated the artifact to hide his presence, which nullified the effects of detection artifacts that were designed to find the members of Twilight Rain.

'You're right, Scarlet,' Sid thought as he gazed at the most famous inn in Whitebridge City.

His benefactor had gathered enough data about his target and had given it to him in order to help Sid one-up Scarlet, and allow him to become the next Slayer candidate.

"May the best Assassin win."

 

Chapter 196 Lapse In Judgment

Three more days passed as Lux holed himself up inside the Black Spade Inn.

The only one that left the inn was Emma as she complied with the instructions that Lux had given her.

The Half-Elf knew that going out would just spell trouble, so he made sure to let the pretty Dwarf handle the necessary groundwork for his plan.

—-

Somewhere near the Black Spade Inn…

Sid had memorized the surrounding neighborhood and had found some ideal locations to escape to after he had done the deed of assassinating his target. Usually, when the Assassin fails his first attempt, the difficulty of killing the target would increase by a significant margin.

What he wanted to do was kill the Half-Elf and leave Whitebridge City before his death could be discovered. That was the only way he could enjoy the bountiful reward that was waiting for him after his mission was completed.

'Laura and Livia, just wait a little more, and we can finally live a comfortable life together,' Sid thought as he gazed at one of the windows located in the second floor of the inn where the Half-Elf was currently staying.

So far, his target had not left his room, preventing Sid from assessing all of his abilities. Just like him, Scarlet had also just finished preparing the groundwork of her own assasination.

She and Sid were rivals, and only one of them would become the next Slayer Candidate. Because of this, she had no intention of letting the good-looking Dwarf get ahead of her.

Just like him, she had her own reasons for becoming an assassin. This was why, no matter what, she vowed to complete the mission and return triumphant.

Two more days passed, and the two assassins continued their observation of the inn where their target was staying. This was not something new to them, and they had long gained the patience to wait for the perfect opportunity to end the life of their target.

Sometimes, it would take them months to complete their mission because their target had employed guards, who were around the Initiate Rank, protecting them, making it difficult to move in for the kill.

Two more days passed, and finally something unexpected happened. For the first time since they arrived in Whitebridge City, their target left the inn.

For Sid and Scarlet, this was an opportunity that they couldn't allow to pass. Both of them immediately stalked the Half-Elf from a safe distance in order to check where he was going.

It was already around five in the afternoon, and the sun would set in an hour, or two, which was perfect timing for their assasination attempt.

Lux randomly strolled around the city, with seemingly no destination in mind. However, he only walked in places where there were a lot of people and patrol guards, who were going around the city to ensure that everything was in order.

Sid and Scarlet were forced to stay their hand, since if they made a move now, even if they succeeded in killing their target, it would be of no use if they were captured. They must be alive in order to enjoy the rewards of becoming a Slayer Candidate.

After all, this wasn't a suicide mission, but a mission with great benefits. Neither of them would throw their lives away just for the sake of killing the target for their Guild.

For them, their life was much more important.

An hour passed…

Two hours passed…

The sun had already set and the surroundings had grown dark. Only the lights of the streetlamps illuminated the surroundings.

Lux had strolled quite far from the inn, so he decided to take a shortcut in order to reach it faster. In order to do that, he must go down a long, narrow alley to reach a street that was close to his destination.

Sid and Scarlet secretly followed behind him, using their stealth abilities to their fullest as they jumped onto the roof of the houses in order to sneak attack their target from behind.

Originally, they planned to lead their target to a place without people, but since the Half-Elf had done this for them, they would be more than happy to accept the opportunity that he had presented them.

Sid and Scarlet glanced at each other. Both were competitors, and the desire to become a Slayer Candidate was clear in their eyes.

When Lux was halfway in the alley, Scarlet looked in another direction and a surprised expression appeared on her face. Her reaction didn't escape Sid's eyes, so he glanced in the direction where she had looked to see what surprised her.

However as soon as he looked away, Scarlet jumped off the roof and descended towards the Half-Elf with her dagger that was coated with the poison of a basilisk.

'Damn!' Sid cursed silently as he jumped a few seconds late. He couldn't believe that he had fallen for such a childish trick, allowing Scarlet to take the chance to attack first.

With one precise thrust of her dagger, Sid knew that Scarlet had this mission in the bag.

However, before her dagger could reach her target, a blue tower shield appeared to block its path. But, the next second, the tower shield shattered, and the blade continued its descent only to be blocked by another shield.

The shield was also destroyed, before the blade finally pierced the body of the chubby demonic defender, who had only managed to give a grunt, as his Health decreased until one remained.

His Skill, Guts, had activated, but it didn't help him much because Scarlet had twisted the blade on the Demonic Defender's chest, which made the latter turn into particles of light.

Lux, who was lying on the ground after Pazuzu had pushed him away, looked at this scene with a grim expression on his face.

His strongest defender, Pazuzu, had easily died at the hands of an assassin in just two strikes, despite the fact that he had used his strongest ability to block the incoming attack.

In gaming terms, Scarlet had landed a critical hit, and followed it up with a simple finisher, which had instantly decreased Pazuzu's life to zero, due to the devastating damage that her attack contained.

Scarlet clicked her tongue after her attack killed her target's minion, which was not her real target.

Just as she was about to attack the Half-Elf, a blur whisked past her, which caught her off guard.

Sid took Scarlet's momentary lapse of judgment into his advantage, and sprinted towards the Elf on the ground to deliver the Coup de Grace.

The short, silver sword in his hand gleamed with deadly sharpness as he delivered his strongest blow, that would put an end to his target's life.

 

Chapter 197 Oath Of Eternal Glory [Part 1]

Blood spurted in the air as Sid's short sword pierced through Lux's chest.

The Half-Elf's face contorted in pain as his health dwindled rapidly. Everything happened so fast that he didn't even have enough time to react to the assassin's killing blow.

As if to make sure that his fatal blow to his target would leave no room for survival, Sid twisted the short sword in his hand, shredding the Half-Elf's heart to pieces.

"Sorry, nothing personal," Sid said before pulling out his blade from his target's chest, where a bloody hole as big as a fist could be seen through. "I'll at least make an offering in the Temple for your soul after I leave the city."

To his surprise, the Half-Elf replied, and even smiled at him with blood seeping at the corner of his lips.

"Thank you," Lux replied with a smile. "I'll make sure to return the favor."

As soon as the Half-Elf finished saying his last words, he turned into particles of light and disappeared from the alley.

Sid's face became grim. He had seen one of the Slayers use this skill in the past.

"Doppelganger!" Sid hissed as he immediately ran towards the other end of the alley to escape.

Scarlet, who also saw this scene, knew that they had fallen into a trap. Immediately, she jumped towards the wall and used her ability "Spiderwalk" to climb the walls as fast as she could.

The only thought in her mind was to escape, and look for another opportunity to kill her target. This was not the first time that she her first assassination attempt failed, so this minor setback was fine to her.

As long as she was alive, another opportunity would appear in front of her… at least, that was what she thought.

However, just as she had climbed the rooftop, a powerful pressure descended upon her, making her body freeze completely.

"N-No, this can't be," Scarlet stuttered. "I was not told about this."

Hovering above her was a Crystal Dragon whose strength far surpassed her rank. The Dragon had used Dragon's Fear on her, which made her movements, as well as her abilities, decrease drastically.

Before Scarlet could even react, the dragon used its tail to swat her immobile body, sending her crashing back toward the alley.

The impact was so strong that several of her ribs had cracked. Scarlet spat a mouthful of blood, as stinging pain wracked her entire body.

She immediately took out a potion from her storage ring, but before she could even drink it, a bony hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed onto her wrist, violently twisting it, making her cry out in pain.

Diablo then stabbed his sword into her other hand, pinning her in place.

Scarlet screamed in pain. She had been trained to withstand all kinds of pain in her training, but the pain she felt was not just physical pain, but a pain that came from her very soul.

Diablo's attacks were infused with the Ethereal Element, which made it a ghost-like attack that bypassed armor, attacking the soul directly. Although his attacks could be blocked by weapons, a direct hit would make his targets feel as if their very soul had been seared by a hot branding iron.

Lux's named creature repeatedly stabbed Scarlet's body, purposely avoiding her vital parts. The only thing Diablo wanted to do was to ensure that the assassin felt as much pain as possible, as punishment for trying to kill his Master.

Just as he was about to land the killing blow, he received Lux's order telling him to stop.

A moment later, the sound of footsteps echoed inside the alley.

"Sorry, nothing personal," Lux said in a cold and merciless voice as he looked down on the Dwarf lying on the ground. "Any last words?"

"Y-You can't kill me!" Scarlet screamed. "I am the granddaughter of one of the Elders of Twilight Rain. If you kill me, he will make sure to make your life a living hell! He will kill everyone you care about in this world!"

"I was thinking about what an Assassin's last words would be, but it seems that you're not a full-fledged assassin," Lux replied. "You guys are called Reapers, right? Assassins in training to become Slayers."

"Yes! So you better let me go or you will regret it." Scarlet shouted. She was trying to get some attention from the surroundings. This way, she could frame Lux by saying that he attacked her.

Although she didn't want to rely on the patrol guards, whom she wanted to avoid at all cost, it seemed that they were her only hope to survive this mess.

"Regret? The only regret I will have is if I let a b*tch like you get away," Lux sneered. "Since you had said your last words, time for you to take your journey to the afterlife. Diablo end thi—"

"Noo! Spare me! I'll do anything! You can make me your slave if you want! Just don't kill me! Have mercy!"

"Mercy? When you killed people, did you show them mercy?"

The words that Scarlet was about to say became stuck in her throat because she didn't have a comeback to the Half-Elf's accusation. In the end, she resorted to begging for forgiveness, in the hope that the Half-Elf would reconsider and spare her life.

"I won't show mercy on people who haven't shown mercy to others," Lux stated. "As for you becoming my slave? You don't have to worry about that. Just accept your death as payment for the crimes you committed in the past."

The Half-Elf summoned Oathbreaker and stabbed it into the Dwarf's neck, drawing blood. He watched as Scarlet slowly grasped for breath, as blood seeped out of her neck.

From the beginning, he didn't intend to give her a quick death. He wanted her to die as slowly as possible, in order to make her taste the despair that she had given to others when she took their life.

After a few minutes, the Dwarf stopped moving and only laid motionlessly on the ground. Her eyes filled with unwillingness as they looked at the dark sky for a few more seconds before their light vanished completely.

Lux was a Necromancer, so he could confirm that Scarlet was now truly dead.

"Take her," Lux ordered. "Blackfire, Oath of Eternal Glory."

A black coffin with a golden cross embedded in its cover appeared behind Lux. It was one of the items that he had received after using the golden gacha ticket that Eriol had given him as a gift before he went on his adventure in Elysium.

This item was something that he hadn't been able to use in the past because it required its user to be an Apostle. Now that Lux had stepped into that rank, he could now wield the special artifact that had been with him this whole time.

The moment the coffin opened its lid, Scarlet's body flew towards it. When her entire body was inside, the coffin closed its lid again and transformed into a black cross that was as tall as Lux.

—---

,m < Blackfire, Oath of Eternal Glory >

Rarity: Mythical

Creatures in Storage: (1/4)

Requirements to use transformation ability: 400 Combined Stat Points

– This coffin can store any humanoid type creature and randomly transform them into Higher-Undead, Faeries, Spirits, Elementals, or Celestials.

– Only dead, or near-death creatures with complete bodies can be stored inside the coffin for transformation.

– Rates of transformation for each creature are as follows.

(Higher Undead - 40%)

(Fairies / Demons - 20%)

(Nymphs - 10%)

(Elementals - 5%)

(Celestial - .05%)

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

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

– All transformed creatures will be loyal to you.

– Each creature that you transform has a 5% chance to obtain the ability to evolve. This will allow them to become stronger and surpass their current forms, once certain requirements are met.

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

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

—--

"One down," Lux said as he held the black cross and rested it over his shoulder. "One to go."

The black cross on Lux's hand emitted a reddish aura, as if agreeing to its Master's words.

 

Chapter 198 Oath Of Eternal Glory [Part 2]

Before Sid exited the alley, he had turned his head to look behind him and saw that Scarlet had decided to escape through the rooftops.

He thought that it was a brilliant move, and even wished that he had done the same. Unfortunately, he didn't have his acquaintance's ability to climb walls.

As soon as he left the alley, he immediately chose to run in the direction of one of the escape routes that he had planned beforehand just in case his assasination attempt failed.

Without feeling any disgust in regards to his surroundings, Sid decisively went to the sewers as an escape route out of the city.

Only the sploshing sounds of his traveling boots echoed throughout the underground as he hurried to his destination. Sid had planned all of this beforehand, and he was confident that he would be able to shrug off any pursuers that would try to go after him.

There were many twists and turns in the sewers, and the murky waters would erase his footprints. Even if the guards were bold enough to follow him there, they would soon be lost in the many intertwining pathways that led to the different areas of the city.

It took Sid an hour to reach his destination. The first thing he did was to listen to his surroundings for any signs of trouble. He didn't dare to leave the sewers until he was sure that the coast was clear.

After a few minutes, Sid deemed that there was no threat in his immediate surroundings, so he decisively got out of the sewers and appeared near a small river that was right outside the city's walls.

He then ran towards the nearby forest with all of his might, and only stopped when he could no longer see the city walls.

As soon as he felt safe, Sid leaned against a tree and panted for breath. He had been running non-stop and was now very tired.

The distant sounds of beast roaring, squawking, howling, and chirping of insects could be heard all around him.

These sounds allowed Sid to relax because he knew that he was safe.

'I underestimated him,' Sid thought as he recalled the expression on the clone's face before it disappeared. 'He already knew that Twilight Rain was targeting him, and had made preparations beforehand. I wonder if Scarlet escaped.'

After catching his breath, Sid analyzed the Half-Elf's behavior for the past few days and realized that the other party's actions had indeed been odd.

Lux never left his room and holed up inside it for several days. Then, one day, he left, but he just randomly strolled around town with no destination in sight, as if he was just sightseeing.

Only when the sun had set, and the surroundings had turned dark, did he choose to go into an alley that was perfect for an assassination attempt.

'He goaded us to attack him,' Sid mused after he connected the dots of the recent events. 'Perhaps, staying inside his room for a few days was a way for us to make us feel a bit impatient. This is why when he left, it gave us a sense of urgency to finish our mission, while we still had the opportunity to do so.'

Actually, he was right. However, there were also things that he didn't know about.

Just like Twilight Rain had spies inside the officials of the Kingdom of Gweliven, the Kingdom also had spies in Twilight Rain.

After Lux contacted Nevreal, the latter told him about the identity of the two Assassins that were after his life.

This allowed Lux to formulate a plan, and use the Assassin's competition to his advantage.

In truth, if Scarlet and Sid were operating on their own and were not forced to compete with each other, they would have planned more thoroughly before they made their move.

However, since the two of them were wary about their competitor's action, they were unable to take it easy, so they had been less patient and were forced to take action.

The Slayer Candidate position was truly too tempting for them to pass up, so they had no choice but to deal Lux the killing blow the moment an opportunity presented itself. This was the loophole that Twilight Rain didn't think of when they decided to let their two top Reapers compete against each other.

"Next time, I'll make sure that I won't make any mistakes," Sid muttered.

"Well, that is all well and good. But do you think you will have a 'next time'?"

Sid immediately stood up with his weapon drawn. He didn't sense anyone approaching him, so he was surprised to find out that someone had gotten so close to him without his detection.

It was at this moment when he realized that the sound of the forest had quieted down.

No roars, howling, chirping, nor squawking could be heard. The only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart. Having realized this, Sid cursed himself for letting his guard down. He had been so engrossed in dissecting what went wrong, that he had forgotten that he was still in the vicinity of Whitebridge City.

"I admire your tenacity, but this game ends here."

A gust of wind descended from the sky, and a Crystal Dragon appeared in front of Sid, which made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"D-Dragon," Sid stuttered. "But how?"

"How?" the Crystal Dragon, Keoza, smiled. "Well, I'm not the one you should ask, but the one on my back."

The Dwarf looked behind the Crystal Dragon and saw a red-headed teenager with a blue slime on his head looking down on him.

"You don't need to know how," Lux answered. "Any last words?"

Lux's words made Sid's heart tremble. He knew that the Half-Elf had no intention of letting him live. Even so, he still decided to negotiate because if he died here, his two sisters would be left to fend for themselves.

"I know that you have every right to kill me, and I understand that," Sid said in a steady voice. "However, I have two little sisters that are waiting for me back home. If I die, they will no longer have someone to support them."

Lux looked down on the Dwarf who had stabbed his clone with a sneer.

"Did you ever wonder if the people you have killed had little brothers and sisters?" Lux asked. "Did you care if they were the only ones supporting their family? What about the fathers and mothers that you have killed? Did you think about whether or not their children would suffer after they were gone?"

"In order to support your sisters, you made others suffer. As someone who kills people, you should be ready to be killed as well. I have heard your last words. You can die now."

A crystal shard jutted up from the ground and pierced through Sid's chest, breaking past his defensive equipment and dealing him a killing blow.

As he felt his life force getting slowly drained from his body, the faces of his two sisters flashed across his mind.

"Laura, Livia… I'm sorry," Sid said softly as darkness slowly descended on his vision. "I will not be able to go home… and see the two of you… again."

Sid's short sword made a clunking sound on the ground as his arm fell to his side. A tear escaped his eye as he drew his last breath while thinking of his sisters.

"Why didn't you torture him like you did to that girl earlier?" Keoza asked. "Did his story about his sisters move you?"

"Perhaps," Lux neither confirmed nor denied Keoza's question. "Take him in."

The Black Cross on the Half-Elf's back transformed into a coffin and sucked Sid's body into it. He didn't regret killing the two assassins. After all, the one who could have died, if ample preparations hadn't been made, would have been him.

Nevreal had made sure that no guards were stationed around the vicinity of the alley earlier, to prevent the two assassins from being on their guard. Only after Lux had given them the signal, did they close off the perimeter to prevent any innocent pedestrians from getting involved with the battle that was about to start.

Originally, Lux's plan was to ask for some Initiates or even Rankers, to deal with the two assassins while he set up his trap. However, Nevreal advised him that there might still be some collaborators of Twilight Rain inside the city that might tip the assassins off about his plan.

Because of this, Lux had no choice but to use one of his three opportunities to summon Keoza in order to deal with Sid and Scarlet.

An Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon was more than enough to deal with two Initiate Ranked Assassins since only high-leveled Rankers would be capable enough to subdue it.

Now that the threat to Lux's life was gone, he ordered Keoza to return him to the city, so he could meet with Nevreal in the place they had agreed upon.

A few minutes later, the Crystal Dragon landed in a deserted plaza. The middle-aged Dwarf was already there. Nevreal wasn't able to hide the look of admiration in his face after seeing the Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon, which was a very rare species of Dragon inside Whitebridge City.

"Do you have the things I requested?" Lux asked as he approached his collaborator in today's incident.

"Yes," Nevreal replied as he opened a wooden box and showed two beast cores to the Half-Elf. "Two Deimos Beast Cores like you asked. However, you need to show me proof that you have indeed defeated the two Reapers of Twilight Rain before you get them."

Lux nodded and a black coffin appeared behind him. Nevreal gasped in surprise as he subconsciously took a step back because the coffin was giving off an eerie aura.

A moment later, two corpses floated in front of Lux. They were none other than Sid and Scarlet, who had come to assassinate him earlier.

Nevreal moved to the two corpses and placed a blue gem against their forehead. A few seconds later, the names and aliases of the two dead Dwarves appeared on the crystal's surface.

"You've caught two big shots," Nevreal looked at the two corpses in disbelief. "Sid and Scarlet. They are the two most promising Reapers in Twilight Rain. If they were allowed to live, I'm sure that both of them would have become Slayers after a few years. You have done well, Lux. With this, we have eliminated two future rankers from Twilight Rain."

Nevreal was very satisfied with Lux's performance and handed the two Deimos Beast Cores to him as a reward. This was the thing that Lux requested from Nevreal, but the latter only agreed to give it to him if he managed to defeat the assassins from Twilight Rain.

"I will make sure to report this to his Majesty," Nevreal commented. "I'm sure that he will be very pleased as well."

"I don't mind if you report this incident, but can you not mention anything about him?" Lux asked as he used his thumb to point at the dragon behind him.

"Very well. I will not include this in my report."

"Thank you."

After they parted from each other, Lux unsummoned Keoza because having a Crystal Dragon appear in the city would only stir panic. Fortunately, Keoza had the ability to turn invisible for a period of time, allowing him to fly inside the city undetected.

After returning to the inn, he was welcomed by the anxious Emma, who was waiting for his arrival.

"Did you succeed?" Emma asked right after Lux closed the door of his room.

Lux nodded with a smile. "The assassins are dead. For now, I am safe."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Lux's reply. She was the one that had been communicating directly with Nevreal as per Lux's orders, and was also responsible in looking for a suitable place to trap the two assassins.

She had been on edge ever since Lux left the inn to carry out the plan, but the latter had told her to stay inside the room and wait for his return. Lux was afraid that Emma might recklessly put herself in harm's way in order to save Lux's life, so he decided to let her stay inside the inn for her own good.

"For now, you should return to your room and get some rest," Lux said. "I am also tired and I want to rest early."

"Of course." Emma nodded her head in understanding. "Well then, I'll see you and Eiko tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Night!"

The moment Emma left his room, Eiko jumped towards the bed and yawned. Although the baby slime didn't do anything important, she still felt exhausted, so she decided to sleep right away.

Lux, on the other hand, had no plan to sleep anytime soon.

He opened the wooden box which contained the two Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores he got as a reward and looked at the Black Cross in front of him.

"Well then, here goes nothing," Lux said before using the two Beast Cores as offering.

The Black Cross glowed crimson red as a great amount of magic power surrounded its body.

Lux waited with bated breath for the result of this experiment that he was trying to execute for the first time.

 

Chapter 199 Treasure Everyday As If It Was The Last

Four days after Sid's and Scarlet's assassination attempt…

"Livia, how long do you think Big Brother will be gone this time?" a girl with long, light-brown hair and green eyes asked her twin as they laid down on the bed of their room.

"I don't know, Laura," Livia replied. She looked exactly just like Laura, and the only way to tell them apart was the color of the hairpin they used during the day. "But, Big Brother said that he would return within a month if his business transaction was successful."

"A month is too long…"

"Yes…"

They had gotten used to their brother leaving for long periods of time, but they still missed him terribly whenever he went to conduct his business. Each time, they would feel an anxiousness as if their Big Brother would no longer come back to them, but whenever he returned, this anxiousness disappeared.

However, a few days ago, they started to feel more restless than usual. It was as if something really bad had happened to their brother this time, and they might not see him again.

"I just hope that he comes soon," Laura said as she held her sister's hand, while lying on the bed with her.

"Yes," Livia replied. "He said that he will take us to a good place after he returns."

"Brother never breaks his promise."

"Yes. He doesn't ever break his promise. He will certainly take us somewhere safe and warm. A place where we have plenty to eat."

Just as the two girls were about to doze off to sleep, they heard a light knocking sound on their window.

Laura and Livia sleepily raised their heads to see what was causing the noise, but their drowsiness immediately disappeared when they saw the person smiling at them from the window.

"Big Brother!"

"Brother!"

Sid smiled as he placed his finger over his lips to tell them to be silent. The twins nodded their heads in unison as they went to the window to open it, and allow their dear brother to come inside their room.

Since Sid was one of the Reapers of Twilight Rain, his sisters were given the best accommodations in the orphanage, and were allowed to have their own room, separate from the rest of the children from the orphanage.

As soon as Sid entered the room, the two little girls immediately hugged him tightly from both sides.

"Brother, are you cold?" Laura asked. "Your skin is cold."

"It's a bit chilly outside," Sid replied as he lightly patted his little sister's head. "This is why my body temperature is cold."

"Brother, why did the colors of your eyes change?" Livia asked. "Are you hurt? They are red right now?"

"Ah… Um, I'm using a special magic potion right now that gives me additional strength," Sid replied with a smile. "While it is in effect, my eyes will be red for the time being. What's wrong? Am I not as good looking as before?"

"Big Brother is always good looking!"

"That's right! Big Brother is the best."

Sid chuckled as he gave his two little sisters a hug. He was doing his best to control his strength, so that he would not accidentally break their bones. Right now, his physical strength had surpassed that of his former self, and it would be very easy for him to harm the two most important people in his life if he wasn't careful.

"Did you remember the promise I made to both of you back then?" Sid asked. "About me taking you to a good place where you both can grow up happily?"

Both girls nodded their heads in unison.

"I've come to bring you there," Sid said. "But, we need to go now. We can't let others know that we are leaving."

"If we go with you, will you stay with us for a while?"

"Brother, you should play with us more."

Sid scratched his head before reluctantly nodding his head.

"Okay. I will ask my boss if I can take some time off to play with you guys," Sid said with a helpless smile. "But, if he doesn't give me permission, the two of you should not be angry, okay? My boss is a very busy person, and I have to always be by his side to make sure that he's safe."

""Un!""

"Okay. let's go."

"Wait, Brother. Don't we need to pack?" Laura asked.

"No need," Sid replied. "I have prepared everything both of you need for the journey."

Livia ran towards the table near their bed to pick up the two hairpins that Sid had given them as a gift on their 9th birthdays.

"We'll just take these," Livia said. "Can we, Brother?"

Sid looked at the two hairpins with a smile before nodding his head.

"Of course," Sid answered. "Can we go now?"

""Okay!""

Sid held both of her sister's bodies in each arm before jumping out of the window. The cold night-air brushed across their faces, as they slowly landed on the ground like a feather.

Sid held both of his sister's hands as they quietly left the orphanage to arrive at the main road. It was a moonless night and the surroundings were very dark, but he could see his surroundings as clearly as if it was day.

Laura and Livia walked beside him until they arrived at the main road, where a Warg was waiting for them.

At first, the two girls were scared of the two-meter tall wolf-like creature, but after Sid had assured them that it wouldn't hurt them, the twins became curious about the monster that they were seeing for the first time in their lives.

The Warg looked at the two little Dwarves with an amused expression on its face before lowering its body in order for them to ride his back.

Sid helped his sisters onto the Warg's back, before positioning himself behind them.

"Let's go," Sid ordered the Warg that was given to him by Lux, so he could take his sisters to one of the safest places in the Kingdom of Gweliven. "To Leaf Village."

"Leaf Village?" Laura asked. "Is that a good place?"

"It is a wonderful place," Sid replied.

"Do they have good food there?" Livia asked. "Will we have new friends there?"

"They have good food, and since both of you are good girls, I'm sure that you will make plenty of friends," Sid answered as he wrapped his two little sisters with warm blankets to prevent them from catching a cold.

The Dwarf then lightly patted the side of the Warg's body to tell it that his sisters were now secured in place, and they could leave anytime.

Receiving its orders, the Warg sprinted into the darkness, headed to the new home where Sid's sisters will be safe and warm.

Sid never expected his new Master to be kind enough to allow him to see his sisters, as well as take them to a village where they would be placed under the care of a person that went by the name Grandma Annie.

Although he was surprised to find himself revived as a Dhamphir, and a loyal servant of the same person that he attempted to kill, the Dwarf could only be forever grateful for Lux's mercy.

When he was dying, his greatest regret was not being able to see his sisters ever again. Now that he was given a second chance at life, he would treasure everyday as if it was his last, and dedicate his life to the kind Half-Elf, whose compassion touched his newly beating heart.

 

Chapter 200 I Will Make You A Slayer Candidate

Chapter 200 I Will Make You A Slayer Candidate

Somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven…

"Have Sid and Scarlet arrived in Whitebridge City?" one of the Elders of Twilight Rain asked his subordinate.

"Yes, Sir," the subordinate replied. "According to our collaborator, Sid and Scarlet entered the city a few days ago. I'm sure that they are now laying the groundwork for their assasination attempt."

The Elder nodded his head in understanding. He knew that assassinating people wasn't an easy task, but he had high hopes that his granddaughter would be the one to kill the Half-Elf and gain the Slayer Candidate title.

"Who would have thought that our branch would be uprooted in Whitebridge City just because a stupid whore got caught in Oakwood Town?" The Elder shook his head with a sigh. "Years of hard work went down the drain in just a couple of days. Even so, that slimy eel and his cronie are safe and sound in the city, and are still able to give us reports. They sure are capable."

The Elder's subordinate nodded his head in agreement. "The Head of the Merchant Guild in Whitebridge City is indeed capable, My Lord. However, one mistake and his business empire will come crashing down."

"Unfortunately, we still need him to keep his business running," the Elder replied. "His supply routes, in addition to his caravans, are the perfect camouflage for our logistic team. Working with him will continue to benefit our guild in the long run. Now, tell me, is there any other news about what is happening in the Kingdom at the moment?"

"Aside from the upcoming Guild Wars, there is nothing else at the moment, My Lord."

"Ah… I almost forgot about this event."

The Elder looked outside of his window and sneered.

Every two years, the different cities in the Kingdom would jointly arrange this event in which various guilds would compete with one another for the title of "Protector".

The Protector Guild would then become the city's defenders, alongside the city guards that were stationed in the city. They would gain access to the most promising commercial areas in the city, including a few stores within the city center.

This would allow the guild to gain massive profits for the duration of their term. Because of this, each guild could only hold the position for two years, and they would not be allowed to participate in the next Guild War.

The King had decreed this to be so, so that other guilds would get the opportunity to show their mettle, and prevent others from monopolizing the Protector Title.

After all, with such power, it would be impossible to not be blinded by greed. The two-year-term was to prevent the Protector Guild from doing anything shady in the long run.

"Our allies will also participate in the Guild Wars. If I'm not mistaken, we have two collaborator guilds inside Whitebridge City, right?" the Elder asked. "What were their names again?"

"Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords," the subordinate replied. "They are among the top Five Guilds in Whitebridge City."

"What are the names of the other three guilds?"

"Crescent Vanguard, Thunder Oath, and Eternal."

The Elder pondered for a bit before glancing back at his subordinate.

"Tell our collaborators to look for an opportunity to sabotage, or prevent those three guilds from joining the competition," the Elder ordered. "Also, send someone to contact their Guild Masters. If we can negotiate and bring them into our fold the better."

The subordinate bowed to acknowledge his Master's order. "Yes, My Lord."

—-

"Yes, My Lord," Scarlet replied while kneeling like a knight. "I will not disappoint you."

Lux nodded his head with a smile.

After Sid and Scarlet had been revived by his Mythical Ranked Artifact, Blackfire, both had returned to life as creatures with the ability to evolve.

Sid had become a Dhampir, while Scarlet had unexpectedly turned into a Cambion.

According to the Elysium Compendium, Cambions were born from an Incubus or Succubus who had mated with a mortal man and woman with the intention of conceiving a child.

At times, Cambions are described as the offspring of a union between Humans and Fairies. In the past, demonic creatures were often called Fae, so the distinctions between the two—when it came to Cambions—were divided.

Scarlet retained her original features, just with the addition of two small horns that protruded out of her head. These horns could easily be hidden if she covered the top of her head with a hat, or any other headgear, to prevent others from finding out her identity.

Lux knew that Twilight Rain would not stop until he was dead. If they learned that the assassins they had sent had failed their missions and died, there was a possibility that the next person that would come to try and kill him would be a Slayer.

Right now, Lux didn't want to deal with a Ranker. Even if he had Keoza to repel them, he could only be summoned two more times. The Half-Elf didn't want to constantly be plagued by assassins, so he decided to hatch a plan that would benefit him in the long run.

"Be honest, how do you feel about me?" Lux asked.

"I hate you," Scarlet replied.

"As expected, you hate me."

"Hmph!"

Lux chuckled after seeing Scarlet's reaction, but he was fine with that. As a creature under his command, Scarlet could never betray him because she would die even before that happened.

The red-haired Dwarf girl knew this as well, so she decided to just become Lux's useful pawn, while advancing her own goals on the side.

Also, even though she didn't want to admit it, she preferred her current form better than her previous self.

As a Dwarf, she was able to do many things only because she was a talented individual and had been raised with a silver spoon. Meaning, she could take any resources she needed in order to increase her strength, unlike Sid who had gained his strength through hard work.

But as a Cambion, she was stronger than even adult Dwarves, and she had even gained powerful abilities like enhanced strength, enhanced senses, energy absorption, flight, and demonic transformation.

Under her demonic transformation, her strength drastically increased to be like Apex Predators that had entered a berserk state. Although this transformation could only last for an hour, it was still a Trump Card that could be used during critical situations.

Both Sid and Scarlet had only been at the initial stages of the Initiate Rank, but after being revived with the power of Deimos Beast Cores, their rank had been upgraded to the middle stages of the Initiate Rank.

Right now, Lux and Scarlet were in a forest that could be found between Oaktown and Whitebridge City.

Lux didn't want to let anyone see him at this point in time because it would only create unnecessary trouble, so he decided to lie low.

Emma, who was serving portions of stew in wooden bowls, glanced at Lux and Scarlet with a smirk.

"Dinner is ready," Emma said as she handed the wooden bowl in her hand to Eiko, who had been looking at the cooking pot for quite some time now. "Eat slowly, Eiko. It's still hot"

"Un!" Eiko replied as she lightly blew on the wooden bowl in order to cool it down.

Lux sat beside the baby slime and used a wooden spoon to feed her. Eiko happily ate because, for her, any food that was fed to her by her Papa or Mama became more delicious.

Scarlet, on the other hand, sat on the log opposite her master and accepted the wooden bowl that Emma handed to her. However, she didn't eat right away. She stared at the Half-Elf who had now become her Master with a complicated look on her face.

"I will make you a Slayer Candidate."

That was what Lux had promised her after she was revived. In return, she would serve him faithfully and never ever betray him. Lux's plan was for Scarlet to become his mole inside Twilight Rain.

Sid could also take this role, but he decided that it would be better if the lady assassin were to become the Slayer Candidate since one of the Elders of the Dark Guild was her grandfather.

This gave her more leeway when snooping around their organization to retrieve information that would be beneficial for her new Master.

Sid, on the other hand, would stay with Lux and become one of his bodyguards.

Lux believed that even if Scarlet had the backing of Twilight Rain, and would be given ample resources by the Dark Guild to boost her to become a Ranker, she would still be unable to leave Sid in the dust when it came to raising their ranks.

In truth, Lux was curious to see which of his two new servants would become a Ranker first. Anyway, no matter who was first, it would still be a win for him.

After all, he didn't have enough resources to raise two Initiates. Because of this, he was more than happy to leech off of Twilight Rain and make them shower his undercover spies with all the resources and information at their disposal.