Ch. 21..30
Chapter 21 Monster Outbreak [Part 2]
"W-Wait! Stop!" Lux cried out as he waved his hands toward the Dwarven Defenders. "We are on the same side! This is my Summon!"
The Dwarves looked at Lux with doubtful expressions, but they no longer shot the White Skeleton that had suddenly appeared on the ramparts.
The Half-Elf ran to pick up Diablo's head that was chattering on the ground. For a brief moment, the red-headed boy thought that he heard Diablo complain about getting hit by friendly fire.
As soon as Lux returned the Skeleton's Head from its body, Diablo faced the Dwarven Defenders and raised its middle finger at them.
The Half-Elf subconsciously covered Colette's eyes, to prevent her from seeing something that a twelve-year-old shouldn't see.
Lux had never tried to communicate with Diablo in the past, but now he could confirm that his Named Creature was an intelligent being.
Because of this, he decided to tell him exactly what he had in mind.
"Diablo, stay close to me at all times," Lux ordered. "We will defend the village with everything we have. Do you understand?"
Diablo nodded its head once. He then stood behind Lux like a bodyguard that would strike anyone who dared to threaten his life.
"Wow! Mr. Skeleton looks cool!" Colette said.
"Just call him Diablo."
"Okay. From now on, I will call him Mr. Diablo. Nice to meet you Mr. Diablo."
The White Skeleton looked down at the little Dwarf before chattering its teeth in greeting. Diablo then patted Colette's head as if telling her that she was a good girl.
It was at this moment when the sword-bearing Dwarf approached and dragged Colette away from Lux.
"Hey, Matty, what do you think you're doing?!" Colette complained as she turned around to glare at the Dwarven boy who always got in the way of her discussions with Lux.
"The battle is about to start," Matty explained. "You are the leader of our group, so your place is here and not there! He is older than us, so he can fend for himself."
Matty then glared at Lux. "You don't need a little girl to protect you, right?"
"Yes, I don't need her protection," Lux replied. "My intention is to protect all of you."
Lux's declaration made Colette's party look at him as if he had a loose screw in his head.
"We don't need your protection," Matty snorted. "Just focus on yourself. Looking at you, I bet you'll die during the first wave of the outbreak. Colette, let's go!"
"Fine," Colette snappily replied at Matty. "Big Brother, just do your best! I will keep an eye on you, so don't worry. I will come running if you need help!"
"Haha, okay." Lux nodded. He then shifted his attention to the young Dwarf who was staring daggers at him. "Oi, Matty."
"What?"
"Keep Colette safe. You can do that, can't you?"
Matty scoffed at Lux as he raised his short sword towards the Undead Army.
"The only way they are going to hurt her is through my dead body," Matty declared. "Let's go, Colette."
The little girl no longer resisted as she allowed Matty to drag her back to their party members.
Lux only smirked at the little boy who seemed to be suffering from puppy love. In Lux's eyes, all of them were children, so he didn't intend to quarrel with them about every little thing.
He shifted his gaze back to the Undead Swarm that was only a hundred meter away from the village's defensive wall.
Lux held a fist-sized rock in his right hand, while he held the Elysium Compendium in his left.
—--
< Undead Skeleton >
Health: 15
Attack: 3 - 10
< Skeleton Warrior >
Health: 30
Attack: 5 - 15
< Zombie >
Health: 20
Attack: 5 - 8
< Ghoul >
Health: 50
Attack: 8 - 15
—-
'Fortunately, they don't have any range type Undead,' Lux thought. 'Their numbers are the problem. There are too many of them.'
In a battle of attrition, there was no doubt that the one who would come out on top was the Undead Swarm.
Lux scanned his surroundings and estimated that there were over seven hundred defenders protecting Leaf Village.
Three hundred of those were the village's Guards and the other adults who were capable of fighting.
The rest were the Dwarven children who were here in the Beginner's area to train themselves in order to advance to the Apostle Rank.
Lux then pointed the Elysium Compendium towards the Undead Swarm in order to get an accurate count of how many undead they were about to face.
—--
Undead Army: 9,889
—--
"Sh*t!" Lux cursed out loud after seeing the results. "Almost ten thousand. Can we really survive this?"
As if waiting for that moment, a row of text appeared in front of Lux, which made his expression turn grim.
—--
< Survive the Monster Outbreak >
– A monster outbreak is threatening to destroy the village of Leaf Gate.
– Quest Objective: Survive for one hour.
– You are unable to teleport outside of or leave the village at this time.
– Mission will automatically fail when you die.
– Outbreak Duration: 59:46
< Rewards >
– 10 Free Stat Points
– 100 Skill Points
– 50 Body Constitution Points
– 20 Elysium Silver Coins
—--
Lux gritted his teeth because the quest was clearly telling him that this was going to be a very hard battle.
Although the rewards were good, he knew that needed to survive first, before he could enjoy its benefits.
The bells in the village continued to ring without stopping. It was at this moment when Lux heard the distinct sound of another bell that didn't originate from the village.
The Half-Elf narrowed his eyes as he extended his senses to pick up the direction of the bell that seemed to be answering their village's request for aid.
'It's coming from the North,' Lux thought as the sound of the bell in the North intensified.
Suddenly a dawn of realization descended on him.
'I get it now!' Lux clenched his fist in determination. 'Reinforcements will arrive in an hour. We just need to hold out until then!'
The Half-Elf didn't know if his hunch was correct or not. But, he would like to believe that he was right. If there really was help coming from the North then that explained why they needed to endure the Monster Outbreak for an hour.
"Everyone listen to me!" a Dwarf wearing full body armor shouted as loud as he could. "My name is Aron, and I am the Captain of the Guards here in Leaf Village. Our reinforcements will arrive in an hour, so do everything in your power to protect the village until then! One last thing, none of you are allowed to die! Now, brace yourselves! They are almost here!"
The sound of a blow horn reverberated in the night, heralding the battle that was about to start.
"Archers, take aim!" Aron ordered.
All the archers, and crossbowmen loaded their bows, and crossbows with bolts and arrows and took aim at the approaching army.
Lux took out a deep breath as he held the fist-sized rock in his hand and aimed at the nearest undead in front of him.
"Fire at will!" Aron ordered.
Soon, a barrage of projectiles rained down on the Undead Swarm, destroying the Undead at the forefront of the battlefield.
This was how Lux's first Monster Outbreak started…
But, the red-haired boy had no idea how it was going to end.
Chapter 22 Do You Wish To Consume The Rank 1 Beast Core?
Lux immediately realized how proficient the Village's Guards were in defending Leaf Village.
Clearly, this was not the first time that a monster outbreak had happened, and all of them were veterans in this field.
Even so, the sheer number of Undead was still a hurdle that couldn't be overcome by experience alone. Aside from the low-tier Undead, Lux also noticed some stronger Undead mixed in the Undead Swarm that was now at the base of the village's protective walls.
"Foreigners, aim for the Skeletons and Zombies in front!" Aron ordered. "The rest, aim for the Draugrs! Kill as many as you can. Don't let them get past the walls of the village!"
The Draugr were similar to zombies, but with one clear distinction. They had blue skin and wore light-weight armor. They were stronger than the regular undead and were Rank 1 Monsters, which were equivalent to Grade D Apostles.
—--
< Draugr >
– Undead
– Rank 1 Monster
Health: 2,500 / 2,500
Mana: 400 / 400
Strength: 50
Intelligence: 20
Vitality: 50
Agility: 40
Dexterity: 40
Skills: Slash
—--
Lux knew that he was no match against these creatures, so he just focused on aiming at the Skeletons and Zombies that he could kill with two to three hits using Power Shot.
After a few minutes, bones started to pile up at the base of the protective wall. However, before Lux could even take a breather, he gasped as the undead used the piles of bones as leverage in order to climb up the village's walls, which were only three-meters tall.
Some of the undead even used each other as a ladder in order to breach their defenses.
Aron shouted one order after the other in order to stop the Undead's advance, but it was futile.
A scream that came from a little Dwarf reached Lux's ears, so he immediately turned to his left side to see what was happening.
A Draugur had managed to climb up the ramparts and pierce one of the Town's Guard's chest with its sword.
Aron hurriedly charged at the Draugr and sent it flying back towards the Undead Army with one powerful strike of his Mithril Hammer.
The Town's Guard that had been stabbed got lucky because the sword didn't pierce too deep due to his armor.
The Half-Elf thought that the guard would immediately retreat to tend to his injuries, but to his surprise, the Dwarf kept on fighting.
Lux could clearly see that the Dwarf was in pain, but he was still forcing himself to swing his mace at the Undead who were trying to breach the walls, with one hand pressing over his bloody chest.
"Someone heal him!" Lux shouted as Diablo parried a sword strike that Lux wasn't able to block due to his concern over the Guard's condition.
The red-headed boy knew that although this world was similar to that of a game, it was not.
The Elysians were not NPC's, but real breathing people. Eriol had hammered this fact into his head even before he had come to this strange new world, in the hope that Lux would not treat everything as if he was just playing an RPG game.
"Just focus on what's in front of you, boy!" one of the Town's Guards who was fighting near Lux shouted as he smashed his shield on a zombie's head. "He'll be fine after a drink or two later, so keep swinging ye damn sword at these bastards!"
Lux was about to argue, but the skeleton sword that was about to slash his face prevented him from doing so. Raising his shield, Dawne, Lux blocked the attack, and used Shield Bash to smash the Skeleton's head to bits.
'How are we supposed to survive for an hour like this?!' Lux gritted his teeth as he and Diablo slashed at the monsters that had now managed to climb up the ramparts to engage them in close combat.
Everyone was fighting with everything they had. The Town's Guards, Colette and her party members, as well as the other Dwarves who were just basically little children.
Lux ordered his Forest Wolf to grab a fallen Dwarf child from the ramparts and ordered it to take her to the village to get some treatment. Although there were over a dozen clerics who could heal the injured, there were just too many people for them to attend to, and had no time to heal everyone.
For their part, the Town's Guards did their best to protect the children who were fighting alongside them. These caused them to suffer grave injuries, while others died, alongside the children they were protecting, due to being ganged up by the Undead who had now taken a foothold in their first line of defense.
Colette and Matty were being pushed back by the growing number of zombies, while the Town's Guard focused their attention on the Draugr's who posed a threat to the Foreigners who were only a match for the low-tier undead.
Seeing that they would only suffer more casualties in this manner, Aron had no choice but to order everyone to retreat and use guerilla tactics against the Undead.
"What about the villagers?" Colette asked one of the Town's Guards that was helping them retreat from the frontlines. "Did they already evacuate?"
"Aye, lass," the Town's Guard replied. "They are now in the underground shelter. Relax, they're far safer there than we are out here. So, hurry along and don't let the Undead bite you!"
The minutes passed by as the Defenders and the Undead clashed against each other. Some of the villagers hadn't escaped to the shelter and were fighting against the Undead, by shooting crossbows at them from their rooftops.
Others were on the ground and swinging their axes left and right in order to protect their families who were currently hiding in the shelter.
Lux was doing his best to help transport the injured Dwarves at the rear of the battlefield, where the Clerics were currently treating everyone.
At times, only the Forest Wolf or Lux would carry the Dwarves because he was afraid that the Defenders would kill Diablo by mistake.
Although Diablo was a pure white Skeleton that stood out from the other Undead, it didn't change the fact that it was still an Undead. To prevent misunderstandings, he ordered his Named Creature to fight alongside Colette's party and protect them to the best of its abilities.
Diablo had already died three times in an effort to protect Lux and the other Dwarves from the swarm of Undead that showed no signs of stopping their rampage.
As Lux was carrying a Dwarf boy who had been stabbed by a Skeleton Warrior, he found himself blocked by a Draugr that had just killed one of the Town's Guards. Although the Rank 1 Monster was missing an arm, it was still a monster that was stronger than the Half-Elf, which made Lux's face turn pale.
If he dropped the Dwarf boy he was carrying and escaped, he would probably be able to save his life, but the boy would surely lose his life in the process.
Just as Lux was madly thinking of what to do next, the Draugr's body exploded in a fiery blaze, leaving only a blue Beast Core behind.
"Go, Child," a familiar voice reached Lux's ears. "I'll buy you some time."
Lux gazed at the old lady Dwarf who was holding a wooden cane in her hand in disbelief.
"G-Grandma Annie?" Lux asked.
"Yes. it is me," Annie said as she opened a small bottle and poured half of its contents on the boy's wound, before letting him drink the rest.
A few seconds later, the boy's complexion became better, and he was able to stand on his feet, albeit shakily.
"Go. I'll take it from here," Annie ordered as she tapped the end of her cane on the ground. Several small orbs of fire circled around her body as she faced off against the a dozen Skeletons that were headed in their direction.
"Go to the back of the village," Lux said to the Dwarf boy who was still not recovered enough to continue fighting. "I'll stay here with Grandma."
The Dwarf boy nodded as he fled from their location.
"Silly boy, I told you to go, didn't I?" Annie said as she pointed her finger at the approaching Skeletons. "Fire Bullet Barrage!"
The small orbs of fire that circled Annie's body shot out at the dozen approaching Skeleton Warriors, destroying their heads completely.
The Skeleton bodies collapsed in a heap of bones, never to stand up again.
"You've done well, Child," Annie picked up the blue beast core that the Draugr had dropped after dying and gave it to Lux. "Here. Take this as a reward for trying your best to help everyone."
Lux stared at the blue beast core wanting to refuse the old lady's goodwill, but Annie's expression wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I know that you don't intend to stop, so just use that Beast Core to get a little stronger," Annie said softly. "As you can see, today is going to be a busy night. I might not be able to open my shop in the morning because of these trespassers."
The old lady gave the Undead that was swarming her village a hateful gaze.
"Catch up to me after you're done," Annie ordered. "If you get lucky, we might be able to get more Beast Cores from the Draugr's we come across along the way."
As Annie walked away, Lux stared at the Beast Core in his hand before making a decision.
—-
< Ding! >
< Do you wish to consume the Rank 1 Beast Core? >
< Yes / No >
"Yes," Lux said with determination. He knew that Grandma Annie was right. If he wanted to help more people, he needed to become stronger first.
Chapter 23 Let’s Fight Together!
After choosing yes, two more options appeared in front of Lux.
—--
< Upgrade Stat Points >
< Upgrade Skills>
—--
This was the question that stomped Lux in the past, but now, he understood what he needed to do.
'Upgrade Stat Points,' Lux ordered and the Beast Core in his hand was consumed.
—--
< Upgrade Stat Points has been chosen >
< Are you sure about your decision? >
< Yes / No >
—--
Lux said yes to confirm his decision. Immediately, the Beast Core turned into particles of light and was absorbed by his body.
Several rows of text appeared in front of him, showing him the results of the Beast Core Consumption.
—--
Obtained 5 Free Stats Points
Obtained 10 Body Constitution Points
You have acquired the Skill Slash
< Slash >
Active Skill: Requires 2 Mana to use
– Slash at your enemy dealing +20 Physical Damage
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
Slash Skill will be upgraded into Fury Slash once the requirements have been met.
< Fury Slash >
Active Skill: Requires 5 Mana to use
– Slash at your enemy dealing +40 Physical Damage
– If your target has less than half of its health remaining, deals an additional +40 damage to your attack.
– Requirements to upgrade: Use Slash 100x
– Progress ( 0 / 100 )
—--
Lux immediately put three of his stat points into Strength, and two into Vitality, increasing his attack power, defense, and Health Points.
( A/N: Although I didn't mention it in the previous chapters, One Vitality Point is equivalent to One Defense Point. )
—--
Name: Lux Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Health: 35 / 35
Mana: 5 / 25
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 5
Vitality: 7
Agility: 9
Dexterity: 8
Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX].
Skills: Power Shot, Slash
—--
< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >
Rating: F
Progress: (26/100)
—-
Lux unsummoned his Soul Book as soon as he finished adding his stat points. He then ran after Grandma Annie, who was now actively shooting fire bullets at every Undead that she encountered.
The Half-Elf could see her breathing raggedly, but the old lady kept on hurling fire bullets at the Undead who were about to strike the Defenders who were slowly losing ground with each passing minute.
Lux was about to run past Grandma Annie to help Colette and her friends when the old lady stopped him.
"Take this, Lux," Grandma Annie said as she handed him a dozen Honey-Flavored Leaf Candies that restored Health and Mana by fifty points. "Don't use them sparingly. I have plenty of those, so if you run out, just come and find me."
Grandma Annie winked at Lux before putting a candy inside her mouth. Immediately, her complexion became better after replenishing her mana reserves.
"I will," Lux nodded. "Thank you, Grandma Annie."
Lux gave her a brief bow before running towards Colette, Matty, and Diablo, who were in an intense battle against several Undead that had encircled them.
Just as he arrived at their location, Diablo turned into particles of light after getting slashed by an Undead that was meant to hit Matty from behind.
"Rise and fight once more, Diablo!" Lux ordered and the White Skeleton reappeared beside him with red flames burning in its hollow eye sockets.
Lux felt a bit light-headed because his mana had almost dropped to zero after summoning his named creature for the fourth time.
He hurriedly ate one of the candies that Grandma Annie gave to him, and immediately felt better afterwards.
"Colette, take one and give the rest to your friends," Lux ordered as he handed six candies to the little girl who was breathing heavily. Her tear-stained face, which was proof of the terrible things that she witnessed tonight, made his heart ache.
"These candies will help you recover your stamina, as well as your mana," Lux explained. "Do you see that old lady over there shooting fire bullets? If you need more candies, just go to her."
Colette was still in a daze, but she was able to nod her head in understanding. After passing the candies to his friends, she ate one, which immediately made her feel that her strength had returned to her.
"Let's fight together!" Lux said as he faced the Undead that had now gathered up in front of them.
"Right!" Colette gripped her mace with both hands. "Everyone, let's fight!"
""Yes!""
"Summon Forest Wolf!" Lux ordered and a meter-tall forest wolf appeared beside him. Although the Forest Wolf was only slightly stronger than a Skeleton Warrior, having more allies was better than having none.
"Charge!" Lux shouted as he ran with Diablo and the Forest Wolf at his left and right side.
Colette and her party was right behind him as they supported Grandma Annie in holding back the Undead.
"Slash!" Lux shouted as he slashed his sword in a wide arc, instantly beheading two zombies in front of him.
—
< Fury Slash >
– Progress (1/100)
—-
The low-tier undead didn't drop Beast Cores. Only Ranked 1 Monsters and above—like the Draugr—had them.
Unlike the Half-Elf, Colette and the others gained experience points from killing monsters. These points allowed them to level up, which gave them free stat points that they could distribute freely depending on their wishes.
At first, Lux argued with Eriol that this was unfair treatment. Unlike the other Solaians, who could level up, the Half-Elf didn't have this advantage.
Eriol smiled at him at that time and told him the reason why he was unable to gain experience points by killing monsters. It was because his soul was damaged and wasn't able to be born naturally in the World of Solais.
Because of this, the laws of the world didn't apply to him because he was more of a transmigrator, than a reincarnator.
However, Eriol assured him that compared to Solaians, Lux's progress was far superior.
Instead of waiting to level up, he would receive quests that would directly upgrade his stats and skill points which Colette and her friends were unable to do.
Also, Eriol added that each time a person in Solais leveled up, they would only get three stat points that they could distribute freely.
Although they could progress faster in the earlier levels, when it came to the middle levels, unless their families were rich, and had many Beast Cores, and other resources in their possessions, Lux would leave them in the dust because of his "no-leveling-up" stats and skill points upgrade.
"Slash!" Lux faced three zombies and cut their bodies in half with the sword in his hand.
—--
< Fury Slash >
– Progress ( 5 / 100 )
—--
Checking his mana reserves, Lux sighed when he realized that he could at most use Slash five more times before his mana points would be down to five.
His mana regeneration of 1 mana point recovered every two minutes was not enough to obliterate the low-tier undead in his path.
'I'll add some points to Intelligence later,' Lux thought as he used his shield to block the attack aimed at his chest. 'At this rate, I might choose the Magic Swordsman Profession when I get a total of 100 combined stat points.'
Just like in games, there was also a Job Class Change mechanic in Elysium. They could use this function by going to the Adventurer's Guild, Temples, or Shrines that were scattered all over Elysium.
Just as the red-headed boy was sighing over his limited mana capacity, Grandma Annie shouted for them to retreat.
Lux backed off just in time to dodge a thrown sword headed in his direction.
When the red-headed boy looked in the direction where the sword had come from, he found three Draugr's walking leisurely towards their group, which made his expression turn grim instantly.
—--
(A/N: Take note that Lux said stamina here instead of Health Points because it would make no sense if he told them that the candy would help them recover their "Health Points". So, he opted to tell them that it would help them recover their stamina which, in some cases, is almost the same, since it will make them feel that they had recovered their strength to fight again.)
Chapter 24 Lux’s Regrets
"Sh*t!" Lux cursed out loud at the three Rank 1 Monsters that had come to personally deal with them.
"Run!" Grandma Annie ordered. "I can beat one of them, but I can't beat three at the same time! Let's retreat!"
Colette and her friends supported the old lady as they retreated, but the Draugrs didn't plan to just watch and let them escape.
"Block them!" Lux ordered.
The Forest Wolf and Diablo moved forward to intercept the three Draugrs in order to buy them some time to escape their pursuit.
Unfortunately, it only took one slash for the Forest Wolf and Diablo to turn into particles of light, which only brought them a few seconds of reprieve.
Gritting his teeth, Lux stopped running and held his ground.
Holding his shield, Dawne, and one-handed sword, Tranquility, he once again summoned Diablo and the Forest Wolf by his side.
After doing so, he swapped his sword for the Dagger of Frost.
—-
< Dagger of Frost >
Rarity: Rare
(Dagger)
– Attack: 10 - 15 Frost Damage
– Allows you to use the skill Ice Slash
(Ice Slash)
– Deals 20-25 Frost AOE cone damage to creatures that are within five meters away from the user.
– Has a chance of freezing the user's enemy for five seconds
– Skill Cooldown: 2 minutes.
—-
"Ice Slash!" Lux roared, sending a white, crescent, energy blade, flying towards the three Draugrs that were running towards him.
Two of the monsters were frozen in ice, while the third one brushed off the attack despite it dealing significant damage to its body.
The Forest Wolf growled as it lunged at the Draugr, biting its neck.
Diablo, on the other hand, slashed at the Draugr's hand that carried its weapon in an attempt to disarm it.
Unfortunately, the bone sword wasn't strong enough to cut the hand off making Diablo's attempt futile.
This exchange lasted only for a few seconds before the Forest Wolf and Diablo, once again, turned into particles of light after receiving the Draugr's counterattack.
During this brief period, Lux forcefully chewed another candy inside his mouth, recovering his mana at a fast rate.
No sooner had the Draugr killed the two annoying pests, then the Wolf and the Skeleton reappeared in front of it to continue attacking it from both sides.
It was also at this moment when the other two Draugrs broke out of their frozen state, roaring in anger.
Their eyes locked on Lux's with the intention of tearing him apart.
However, before the two Draugrs could even get close to the Half-Elf, the third Draugr had once again killed Diablo and the Forest Wolf.
It then roared and sent a hate-filled punch towards the red-headed boy, who hurriedly raised his shield to defend himself.
A loud crash reverberated in the air, followed by a pained cry as Lux was sent flying by the Draugr's attack.
The boy's body landed over a dozen meters away from where he previously stood and rolled on the ground for a few meters more before stopping completely.
Lux's body was wracked in pain, especially his left arm, which was bent in an unnatural angle. It was so painful that the Half-Elf's vision blurred as tears streamed down his face, while he gasped for breath.
With every breath he took, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and wondered how many of his ribs were broken.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand up, but he couldn't muster any strength in his body.
"Grandma… Vera…," Lux said between pained breaths. "Sorry…"
Lux looked up at the three Draugr's who were looking down on him, with their swords raised high. He knew that he no longer had the ability to dodge the assault of the three Rank 1 Monsters that surpassed his current abilities.
His only regret was that he wouldn't be able to keep his promises to his Grandma Vera, Eriol, and Max.
"I'm sorry…" Lux sighed as he closed his eyes, waiting for the strikes that would end his life, but they never came.
Instead, he felt a wave of hot air wash over his body, making him open his eyes abruptly.
The three Draugrs in front of him were roaring in pain as their bodies were consumed by blazing flames that illuminated the dark night.
It was also at that moment when the mighty sound of a blowing horn reached Lux's ears. The ground trembled, as hundreds of hooves made their way towards the front lines of the battle.
Suddenly, something jumped over Lux's body that was lying on the ground.
As if time had slowed down, Lux was able to see the face of an armor wearing Dwarf, who looked down on him from the back of a meter and a half tall Mountain Goat.
Their gazes met for what seemed like an eternity before time once again flowed naturally.
"Charge!" the Dwarf that had jumped over Lux's body shouted. "Ride warriors of Norria! Push them back!"
""Kill!""
Hundreds of mounted Goat Riders passed over Lux's body as they shouted their war cries. The goats rammed the Undead army, obliterating the Skeleton Warriors that blocked their way.
The weakest of the Goat Riders were equivalent to Grade C Apostles (Rank 2 Monster), which was more than enough to easily beat two Draugrs simultaneously.
Cheering broke out across the village as their powerful reinforcements arrived.
Lux felt his body easing up as he heard the sound of warcries spread across the village because powerful reinforcements from the Stronghold of Norria had arrived. They cut through the Undead horde like a hot knife cutting through butter, immediately turning the tides of battle.
Due to how intense the situation was, Lux had completely forgotten to check the remaining time of the quest that he had deemed almost impossible to clear.
Soon, the Half-Elf lay on the ground motionless. He had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion and relief.
The Half-Elf didn't even stir at the ringing sound that marked the successful completion of his quest, which had pushed his physical, mental, and emotional states to their limits.
Chapter 25 Aftermath Of The Monster Outbreak
When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself inside an unfamiliar room.
After looking around, still half-asleep, the images of what happened a few hours ago flashed inside his head, which woke him up completely.
"The Monster Outbreak!" Lux immediately inspected his body and was surprised to find out that he didn't feel pain anywhere. Even his left arm that had been broken due to the Draugr's attack was working properly, which made the Half-Elf think that everything that happened was just a dream.
'Was that really just a dream?' Lux frowned. 'I'd better confirm it.'
The first thing Lux did was summon his Soul Book to see his stats. If it was really a dream then he wouldn't have an increase in stats points, nor would he have learned the skill Slash.
'No. It wasn't a dream,' Lux sighed as he looked at his information. There had been a significant increase to his strength, as well as the gaining of the skill Slash, which was on its way to evolve into Fury Slash.
Lux sighed as he walked towards the window of the room. The sun was already at its zenith, which meant that he had woken up very late.
The red-headed boy viewed the houses within his vision and noticed that some of them had been damaged here and there, but most of them remained intact.
The Defenders had used some of the houses as strategic locations in order to use hit and run tactics against the Undead.
As he was observing the surroundings, the Half-Elf noticed a Dwarf wearing armor mounted on a Mountain Goat.
By the looks of it, he was patrolling the village and making sure that everything was in order.
Just as Lux was thinking about what to do next, he heard a knock on the door that broke him out of his daze.
"Come in," Lux subconsciously called out to the one knocking on the door.
When the door opened, the old lady Dwarf whom Lux was very familiar with, smiled when she saw him already awake.
"Although the Clerics healed your body a few hours ago, they might have missed a few spots," Annie said as she walked towards Lux. "Is there any place that still hurts? I still have some healing potions with me."
Lux shook his head. "I'm fine, Grandma Annie. What happened to Colette and the others?"
"Are you talking about those children who fought with us last night?"
"Yes."
"They have also been treated by the Clerics. A few hours ago they went to the plaza before they returned home," Annie answered. "If I'm not mistaken, they said that they would report what happened here to their Elders. Many people died last night. Fortunately, no more than a dozen children passed away due to the efforts of the Village Guards, and the reinforcements that came from the Stronghold of Norria."
Grandma Annie had a very sad expression on her face as she talked about the deaths of the children.
"It is a bit embarrassing to say, but as an adult, we don't like to see children dying in front of us, even if they are Foreigners," Annie stated. "Thanks to them, we were able to last as long as we could until the reinforcements arrived."
Less than a dozen children had died during the hour of fighting due to the strong presence of Aron and the Village Guards.
According to Grandma Annie, almost two hundred Village Guards died last night. That was almost two-thirds of the total number of guards that were protecting Leaf Village.
If only there hadn't been any Draugrs in the Undead Swarm, the number of casualties would have been much lower.
Rank 1 Monsters that numbered in the hundreds, were a nightmare for a village located in the Beginner's Zone. Aron was a Grade C Apostle, which was the equivalent of a Rank 2 Monster. The rest of the Town's Guards were Grade D Apostles, which meant they were only as strong as Rank 1 Monsters.
"Grandma Annie, do Monster Outbreaks happen often?" Lux asked as he sat on the couch, joining the old lady.
Annie nodded. "We get them once or twice a year. But, this time around, it was quite problematic. I'm sure that the Stronghold will station at least a dozen or two of their Goat Riders here to protect the village for the time being. With them around, we will probably survive the next Outbreak that is sure to happen in another half a year or so."
Lux sighed as he thought of the bi-yearly calamity that the Leaf Village had to face. He asked Grandma Annie a few more questions, which the latter answered to the best of her abilities.
Because of this, the Half-Elf was able to learn a lot of things.
In the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, villages would normally be built near a Dwarven Stronghold, which acted as its protector in times of need.
The Stronghold of Norria for example was the protector of four villages, including Leaf Village. The villagers used the bells to communicate with the Stronghold over long distances when they were being attacked by a force that far surpassed their capabilities to defend against.
In turn, the Stronghold would then dispatch its Goat Riders to assist the villages to resist the threat that had come knocking on their doors.
However, due to the distance, they needed at least an hour to arrive, which was why Lux's survival quest asked him to survive for an hour, before the reinforcements came to their rescue.
"You were very brave last night, Lux," Annie said as she held the red-headed boy's hand firmly. "Also, thank you for standing up to those Draugrs to give us time to escape."
"I only did what had to be done," Lux replied. "In the end, I was saved as well."
Lux wasn't delusional to think that he could have survived his predicament by himself. If not for the timely arrival of the Goat Riders, he might have been added to the list of casualties of the Monster Outbreak who had died protecting the village.
Although being regarded as a Dead Hero might be something that your bloodline could be proud of… a dead hero is still… a dead hero.
Lux would rather be alive than dead, so he was very thankful that he was still alive after that nightmarish night that he would always remember in his memories.
"Before I forget, please, take this," Annie took out three blue beast cores and handed them to Lux. "Those belonged to the three bastards that tried to kill you last night."
Lux didn't stand on ceremony and gratefully accepted the Beast Cores, which would allow him to grow stronger.
"Grandma, were you the one that saved me last night?" Lux inquired.
"If you were asking who was the one that burned those Draugrs then yes it was me," Annie answered. "But, it is not I who saved you, but it is you that saved me. If you didn't block their path, I and the children might have been grievously injured or, worse, dead.
"Also, you gave me enough time to cast a high-level spell, so it is still thanks to you that we were able to survive to live another day."
Lux smiled and didn't say anything else. As if waiting for this moment, his stomach growled in protest to tell him that he had not eaten breakfast.
Grandma Annie chuckled and bid Lux to follow her down the dining area to have lunch with her.
Naturally, the Half-Elf accepted her offer and enjoyed rice porridge with egg that was prepared especially for him.
After eating a filling lunch, Grandma Annie told him to rest more inside the guest room because the village was still in a bad state.
Lux nodded his head in agreement and thanked Grandma Annie for her hospitality. Right after he closed the door of his room, the red-headed boy sat on the couch and summoned his Soul Book.
He opened the Quest Page and saw the completion mark on top of it. He then eyed the rewards that he had no time to check last night due to exhaustion.
—--
< Survive the Monster Outbreak >
Status: Completed!
< Rewards >
– 10 Free Stat Points
– 100 Skill Points
– 50 Body Constitution Points
– 20 Elysium Silver Coins
< Bonus Reward >
– 100 Skill Points
—--
'I gained a bonus of 100 Skill Points after completing the quest which gives me a total of 200 Skill Points,' Lux mused. 'With this, I won't need to use the Beast Cores I earned to upgrade Diablo. I have enough points to upgrade him twice.'
Last night, he realized how fragile Diablo was when facing a monster that was a tier higher than him. Just a single punch was enough to obliterate his Named Creature and it made Lux very sad to see his partner die like that.
'Don't worry, Diablo,' Lux thought. 'I will ensure that no Draugr will be able to one-shot you in the future.'
Lux had a determined look as he opened Diablo's personal page in his Soul book. He was quite excited to see how powerful his partner would be, after he was upgraded twice.
Chapter 26 Diablo’s Upgrade
< Diablo >
Progress: (35/100)
—--
"So, I need 65 Skill Points to upgrade Diablo once," Lux muttered as he checked how much progress his Named Creature had made in the short time he had been in Elysium.
The Half-Elf didn't bat an eye and used the needed skill points to upgrade his partner, who had fought alongside him during the greatest battle he had experienced in his lifetime.
—-
< Diablo >
"Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"
– Named Skeleton
– Rating: E
– Mana: 10
– Progress ( 0 / 100)
Health: 55 / 55
Mana: 60 / 60
Attack: 8 - 15 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)
Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 12
Vitality: 11
Agility: 12
Dexterity: 12
Title: Firstborn
Note: Congratulations! Your Named Creature is now capable of equipping items! Take note that it can only equip items that match its current stats.
—-
"Equip Items?" Lux blinked as he gazed at the new bookmark that appeared in Diablo's profile.
After clicking the Equipment Page, an idea suddenly appeared on Lux's head.
"Come forth, Diablo!" Lux ordered.
A magic circle appeared on the ground in front of him and his trusted partner emerged from it.
"Can you equip this?" Lux asked as he handed Tranquility to Diablo, who didn't look any different from his pre-upgraded state.
The White Skeleton unsummoned its Bone Sword and held Tranquility in a firm grip, giving it a few practice swings.
Lux glanced at Diablo's Equipment page and saw Tranquility appear in its right hand weapon slot.
"Okay, take these as well," Lux ordered as he handed his shield, Dawne, and his Wolf's Leather Armor, over to Diablo, which made the Skeleton look like a decent Skeleton Warrior that was missing his pants.
The Half-Elf chuckled when he looked at this funny scene. To his surprise, Diablo also chuckled with its jaws rattling non-stop.
"Okay, how do you feel?" Lux asked. "Do you feel stronger now?"
The White Skeleton nodded its head in affirmation to its Master's inquiry.
The red-headed boy smiled as he gazed at his remaining Skill Points.
—-
Free Stat Points Available: 10
Free Skill Points Available: 135
—--
Just as he planned, Lux used another 100 Skill Points to upgrade Diablo and made him stronger.
—--
< Diablo >
"Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"
– Named Skeleton
– Rating: E+
– Mana: 10
– Progress ( 0 / 100)
Health: 105 / 110
Mana: 110 / 110
Attack: 16 - 25 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)
Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.
Strength: 23
Intelligence: 22
Vitality: 21
Agility: 22
Dexterity: 22
Title: Firstborn
Skills: Slash
Note: Not bad. Your Thug is now stronger than a typical mob character. They say that one good thing leads to another. On your next upgrade, your Named Creature will have a qualitative boost in its overall strength and performance. Look forward to it!
—-
Free Stat Points Available: 10
Free Skill Points Available: 35
—--
"Nice!" Lux wasn't able to hide his appreciation as he looked at Diablo's current stats. Just like the note at the end of his named character's profile said, Diablo had indeed become stronger than he was before.
Also, just based on stats alone, the White Skeleton was even stronger than his master, Lux. who was looking at his partner with admiration.
The other thing that made Lux happy was the information that Diablo would have a qualitative boost in his overall performance on his next upgrade!
"Partner, take care of me from now on," Lux said as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"Kekeke," Diablo chuckled as he extended his hand to shake his Master's hand.
Lux was caught by surprise because although Diablo had shown signs that it was an intelligent creature, this was the first time that it had attempted to talk to him.
Not only that, the White Skeleton's thoughts were clearer now compared to how they were in the past. The Half-Elf could now understand it, even though it was not speaking any formal language.
"Amazing! You are amazing, Diablo!"
"Kekeke."
A few minutes later, Lux unsummoned Diablo and stared at the three blue beast cores in front of him.
He was hesitating about whether he should use them to upgrade Diablo or not, or use them to upgrade his own stat points. After much deliberation, the red-headed boy decided to use them to upgrade himself.
The Monster Outbreak had shown him how much he was lacking in terms of combat ability. His mana was quite low, so he easily ran out of juice after using the Slash Skill, and Summoning Diablo and the Forest Wolf several times to bolster his forces.
"Now that Diablo has Tranquility, he can summon the Forest Wolf by himself," Lux muttered as he played with one of the beast cores on the palm of his hand. "He also learned Slash, so he is capable of dealing greater damage to our enemies now. Although he is still weaker than a Draugr, he won't die after getting hit once."
After pondering for a while, Lux returned the beast cores to his storage ring and went to talk with Grandma Annie.
"You're going now?" Annie asked as she looked at Lux with concern.
Lux nodded. "Yes, Grandma Annie. I will return home for a while."
Annie smiled after finding out the red-headed boy's reason for leaving.
"That's good," Annie replied. "Let your loved ones know that you are safe. You can always return here whenever you want. My house is always open for you."
"Thank you Grandma Annie for your care and hospitality. I'll be going now."
"Have a safe trip."
—--
As Lux walked the streets of Leaf Village, he genuinely felt the sadness of the people living in it. Just like Eriol had said, there were no NPC's in Elysium. In short, the people here were no different from him.
All of them were alive and knew how to feel happiness, sadness, anger, and helplessness.
But, aside from the sadness, Lux also noticed something had changed in the hearts of people around him.
They no longer looked at him with a guarded expression. Some of them even went out of their way to give him a brief nod of acknowledgement as he passed through them.
The villagers heard how the Half-Elf had fought tooth and nail, to defend their village from the Monster Outbreak.
They no longer treated him as an outsider, and had acknowledged his presence among them.
For some reason, this made Lux feel warm, and made his eyes water a bit.
Although he didn't want to admit it, he had been starving for recognition all his life.
Recognition from the people in Wildgarde Stronghold.
Recognition from his grandmother Vera.
And recognition from the world he was living in.
Now that he had finally taken a step into the world of Elysium, he understood more than ever how precious life was.
Because of this, he wanted to return home to see his Grandma and feel the warmth of having a family, all over again.
Chapter 27 Vera’s Equipment Collection
"I'm back," Lux said softly as he reappeared inside the Training Room of their residence.
Before he could even take a step forward, the door of the room opened and Vera appeared with a surprised expression on her face.
"I'm back, Grandma." Lux walked towards Vera and gave her a hug.
"Welcome back." Vera hugged her grandson in a loving embrace. For some reason, she felt that Lux's presence was different compared to what it was before he went to Elysium.
As someone who had experienced many things, she had a hunch that the red-headed boy had experienced something in Elysium that made him decide to go back home and see her.
"Are you hungry?" Vera asked. "I just had lunch, but I can easily prepare something for you."
Lux pulled back and shook his head. "It's fine, Grandma. I ate before coming here."
"Alright, let's go to the living room," Vera proposed as she lightly patted her grandson's shoulder. "Tell me about your adventures in Elysium."
"Okay." Lux nodded.
—-
"It must have been a scary experience," Vera said as she pulled her grandson close to her. "I'm just glad that you survived."
Lux had just finished his tale of the Monster Outbreak in Leaf Village, which made Vera's feel as if her heart was being squeezed inside her chest. Lux was one of her three remaining family members, and the thought of losing him made her feel very anxious.
"I'm glad I survived as well, Grandma," Lux replied with his eyes closed. "During that time, I felt very sad about the possibility of leaving you all alone. In fact, I was more scared of you being alone than the thought of me dying. It's so painful that it hurts."
Vera held Lux tighter. It was not only Lux who felt that way. She was also very scared of losing the grandson that she had raised since he was a baby.
"Will you return to Elysium?"
"Yes. I need to go back. There's still many things I need to do."
Vera sighed, but she didn't try to dissuade her grandson from his decision. The only thing she could do was give him her support and pray that he would be safe as he explored the world that she had journeyed through several years ago.
"Is there anything that I can help you with?" Vera asked. "As long as I have it, I will give it to you."
Lux nodded. "Grandma. I need weapons, armor, and other equipment."
"How about Beast Cores?" Vera asked. "I have some as well."
"Um, Grandma, don't the rules of Wildgarde Stronghold state that giving beast cores to beginners is not allowed?" Lux asked.
Gerald, the Guardian of Wildgarde Stronghold, had made a rule that the adults couldn't spoil their children and give them Beast Cores to increase their stats at an early stage. He believed that this kind of practice would only prevent the children from striving to reach a higher rank.
If they could jump tiers at the get go then they would not develop the proper mindset of warriors who had undergone the baptism of blood.
It was similar to the spoiled second rich generations, who enjoyed their current status due to their parents' achievements and hard work.
Gerald wanted to have a strong community. He had no use for useless people with high stats who would only serve as cannon fodder when the real fighting began.
Vera frowned because she understood what Lux was trying to say. However, she cared about the survival of her grandson, so she decided to reach a compromise with him.
"I will only give you Four Rank 1 Beast Cores," Vera replied. "Don't worry. Having that many isn't a big deal. Gerald's rules are there to remind the adults to not spoil their kids too much. I'm sure that he will not raise a fuss if I give you four low-grade beast cores."
Lux pondered for a bit before reluctantly nodding his head. He thought that it was indeed not a big deal if he had four low-grade Beast Cores. Besides, he was also itching to raise Diablo's strength to the next level.
"Good. Now, let's talk about equipment," Vera said. "Let's go back to the training area. The living room is not big enough to unload the items I want to give to you."
Lux was very keen to see what items his Grandma had prepared for him.
Gerald didn't forbid the adults from giving their children equipment to be used in Elysium. His reasoning behind this was very simple. Certain requirements must be met before certain types of equipment could be equipped.
Take Lux's shield for example. Dawne needed 10 points to Strength before it could be used.
Twelve year olds weren't that strong at the beginning. It would take them a while to "level up" and gain the strength necessary to equip the weapons, armor, and other artifacts that their parents had prepared for them.
Also, these things could also be obtained in Elysium, so Gerald didn't see any problem in letting the kids have them. Since that was the case, the adults had an unwritten agreement that supplying their children with equipment was allowed, as long as they didn't blatantly announce it to the world.
Lux's eyes widened in shock at the sheer number of equipment that Vera presented to him.
Truthfully, Vera was only planning to give them to Lux if her grandson asked for her help. The things that she had prepared for him were all rare and unique weapons.
The Half-Elf appraised these items one by one. He found out that he could only use most of them after he had stepped into the Apostle Rank, which was still quite a distance from his current state.
Even so, he still found some Set Equipment that made him smile from ear to ear.
Set Equipment were items that gave decent boosts to attack, defense, and bonus stats when two or more of them were equipped.
"Come forth, Diablo!" Lux shouted and his trusty companion appeared beside him wearing the Fox Leather Armor, Dawne, and Tranquility.
"Change your armor to this!" Lux ordered as he pointed at a black set of armor that he had specially chosen for his partner.
Diablo nodded and took off the Wolf Leather's armor and returned it to Lux.
—--
< Wandering Knight Set >
Set Requirement: 22 Points to Strength
– Wandering Knight Greaves
+15 Defense
– Wandering Knight Tassets
+15 Defense
– Wandering Knight Breastplate
+15 Defense
– Wandering Knight Bracers
+15 Defense
– Wandering Knight Helmet
+15 Defense
< Wandering Knight Set Bonus >
– 2 Pieces of Equipment
+1 to Strength
– 3 Pieces of Equipment
+2 to Vitality
– 4 Pieces of Equipment
+2 to Dexterity
– 5 Pieces of Equipment
+50 Health Points
+25 All Elemental Resistance
+ 2 to Agility
20% Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks
—--
Diablo had a complete makeover after putting on the black set of armor. His glowing red eyes could be seen through the helmet's eye slits, which gave him a very intimidating presence.
"It would have been perfect if his sword and shield were black as well," Lux muttered as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Still, this will have to do for now."
—--
< Diablo >
Health: 165 / 165
Mana: 110 / 110
Attack: 18 - 27 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)
Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.
Strength: 23 (+1)
Intelligence: 22
Vitality: 21 (+2)
Agility: 22 (+2)
Dexterity: 22 (+2)
Defense: 98
Title: Firstborn
Skills: Slash
—--
Vera was surprised when she saw that the White Skeleton was capable of equipping one of the armor sets that she had prepared for her grandson.
She didn't expect Lux's Named Monster to have grown to such a degree. This gave her a feeling of comfort, knowing that there would be a dependable bodyguard following her grandson around in the world of Elysium.
Chapter 28 The Story Of Elysium
After admiring Diablo's new armor set for a while, Lux finally went to gather his own set of armor, which was called the "Relentless Warrior" Equipment Set.
< Relentless Warrior >
Set Requirement: 15 Points to all Stats
– Relentless Warrior Circlet
+1 to Intelligence
– Relentless Warrior Leather Armor
+15 Defense
– Relentless Warrior Leather Tassets
+10 Defense
– Relentless Warrior Arm Guard
+10 Defense
– Relentless Warrior Boots
+10 Defense
< Relentless Warrior Set Bonus >
– 2 Pieces of Equipment
+3 to Strength
– 3 Pieces of Equipment
+3 to Agility
– 4 Pieces of Equipment
+3 to Dexterity
– 5 Pieces of Equipment
+150 Health Points
+40 Defense
+10 All Elemental Resistance
10% Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks
—-
Lux still didn't meet the requirements for this armor set, but with the help of the 7 Beast Cores in his possession, he was certain that he would be able to equip this set without any problem.
For the record, Equipment Sets were not easy to get. They could only be farmed in certain Dungeons in Elysium that required a party of six or more to complete.
"Thank you, Grandma," Lux said after storing the Relentless Warrior Set in his storage ring.
"You're welcome," said Vera as she returned the other items into her storage ring.
Several of the items in her possessions had very high requirements. The only reason why she had shown them to Lux was to tell her grandson that these items were available to him at any time.
Lux understood his grandma's gesture and was very happy inside his heart. Although some of the items he had seen would require him to reach the Apostle Grade, knowing that they were there made a difference.
"Grandma, you entered Elysium when you were young, right?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me what your starting village was like?" Lux inquired. "Did it also have Monster Outbreaks?"
Vera smiled as she made a gesture to Lux to follow her.
Fifteen minutes later, the grandma and grandson pair drank tea as they stared at the garden of their residence.
"Before I tell you the tale of my younger days, let me tell you first how Elysium appeared," Vera said as she stared at the distance, relieving the memories of the past that appeared inside her head. "The Hundred-Year War had just ended in Solais at that time, and the geography of this entire world had been changed forever.
The living areas where people could live had decreased greatly. If you were to leave this territory, the only things you would see are wastelands. Much of the land has been changed so no plants can grow, no water can be found, and no animal can stay for long due to poisonous fumes that erupt from the ground from time to time."
In order to prevent the loss of more lives and lands, all the ruling nations came to an agreement. They agreed that no more large-scale wars would be waged on the surface of Solais. In order to make this pact binding, they begged the Gods that had chosen to abandon this world to grant them this last wish.
Perhaps due to pity, or perhaps because they truly wished to cut all connections to this world, the Gods agreed. Since then, a universal law has enveloped this world to prevent large-scale wars from happening again."
"Right now, the only points of conflict are border issues, but most of the time only small skirmishes happen. No one dares to violate the rule, because they won't be able to bear the consequences of their actions."
Vera drank her tea before continuing her tale.
"Several years passed, and everyone had been living their lives peacefully when they suddenly heard a voice filled with power reverberate across the heavens," Vera said as she looked at her reflection on the tea's surface. "The voice said, 'The world is dying, but the way to save it can be found in Elysium."
Suddenly, Teleportation Gates appeared in several places around the world that allowed anyone to gain access to Elysium. And the Wildgarde Stronghold was built to monopolize one of those passage ways."
"Because of this, it became the Overlord of this territory. The villages and towns surrounding us send their children here in the hopes that they will be allowed entry into this unknown world that holds infinite possibilities."
Lux who was listening quietly on the side frowned. He had grown up within the walls of the Stronghold, and had seen these children travel to their Keep in order to pay tribute and get access to the Teleportation Gate that led to Elysium.
"Grandma, I've never thought of this before but, am I considered lucky?" Lux asked. "All I need to do is pass the trial and I can enter Elysium. Others need to pay a fee before they can enter the teleportation gate. Could it be that I didn't notice how privileged I've been all these years?"
Vera chuckled. "Well, it was very rare for you to leave the walls of the Stronghold, so you were not aware of the situation outside. In a way, you are indeed privileged. You don't need to worry about paying fees, and meeting strict requirements to enter Elysium. The other villages and towns in our Domain also pay taxes to us on a quarterly basis.
"But, in return for these offerings, the Stronghold is obligated to protect them from all forms of aggression, including the Beast Tides that happen every three to five years. The role we play is similar to the Stronghold of Norria that protects Leaf Village."
Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Then, the kids of the other villages who enter Elysium. What becomes of them?"
"They will randomly appear in one of the four villages that our faction belongs to in the Navarre Empire," Vera answered. "When we arrived at Elysium, there were already ruling families governing the territories we were teleported to.
Some of us decided to build our own strongholds, so that we could gain a foothold in that world. Others, decided to form strong connections with the ruling families, and earned enough merits to be bestowed a noble title, which allowed them to gain lands."
"The Founder of Wildgarde Stronghold chose the second option and did his best to gain enough merits until he could be granted the title of a Viscount. This was how our faction was able to have our own Domain in Elysium. It has grown since then. However, unlike the Leaf Village, our side doesn't have to worry about Monster Outbreaks."
Lux nodded in understanding. "Grandma, what happens if the kids from our Domain become Rankers? How does the Stronghold treat them?"
"Good Question." Vera nodded her head in appreciation for her grandson's curiosity. "As you already know, Rankers are special cases. They are known to be powerhouses, so they are treated in a way deserving of their rank. However, being a Ranker doesn't make your life any easier.
"You are almost always going out on missions for the Kingdom, Empire, or Dynasty that you belong to. Lux, you already know this, but Elysium is not a peaceful place. Wars are no longer possible in Solais, but in Elysium it is a very common thing. Battles between Parties, Gangs, Clans, Factions, and Guilds happen on a daily basis.
"It's as if people have forgotten our true reason for going to Elysium, and that is to find a way to save our world. I'm afraid that with the way things are going, everyone in Solais will just choose to migrate to Elysium, and abandon this ruined world for good."
Vera chuckled as she looked at her grandson who had a troubled look on his face.
"Child, this matter is not something that you should think about," Vera said in a teasing tone. "This is for the adults to worry about. As for you, just focus on getting stronger. Right now, a Rank 1 Monster can kill you with a single slap. You don't have the qualifications to affect the bigger picture."
Lux looked at his grandma with a complicated expression on his face. He had a feeling that Vera would only laugh at him, if he told her that his purpose for coming into this world was to help save it.
However, at the end of the day his grandma was right.
Someone who would die from a single slap of a Rank 1 Monster didn't really have the qualifications to make an impact on a world that was on the verge of collapse.
Chapter 29 Colette’s Older Sister
"Big Sister, you should really meet Big Brother Lux," Colette said with a smile. "Although he is a Half-Elf, he is as brave as a Dwarf! Both of you are of the same age, and he is also very good looking!"
A charming young lady with long blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, smiled back at her little sister, who had been chattering non-stop about the Half-Elf she had met in Leaf Village.
Colette's older sister looked like a doll that was made to perfection. But, unlike the adorable Colette, her sister's charm was like a flower that was about to bloom.
Her name was Aina, and she was recognized as one of the top prodigies in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, as well as the Dwarven Empire of Evarith in Solais.
"This is the first time that I've heard of a Half-Elf, or any other race for that matter, appearing in the Beginner's Village in the Dwarven lands of Elysium," Aina said with undisguised interest. "So, what is he like? Is he strong?"
Colette shook her head. "He's not that strong, but he is very cool! During the battle, he prioritized saving Dwarves and transporting the injured to the treatment area, at the far end of the village, away from the fighting."
Aina sipped the tea in her cup as she eyed her sister. "Maybe he's just scared of fighting, so he prioritized taking the injured as an excuse to not get killed."
"Big Brother isn't like that!" Colette pouted. "If he's afraid of fighting, he wouldn't have faced three Draugrs to let us escape! Those are three Rank 1 Monsters. If Big Brother didn't block them, I might have also died, you know?"
"I'm sorry," Aina apologized after seeing her sister's teary-eyed face. "He is indeed not a coward. He is a very brave person."
"Yes! He is a very brave person! I already told Father that he saved my life, and he agreed to give him ten Rank 2 Beast Cores as a thank you gift."
"Father sure is generous."
"Yes!"
Aina smiled. She could already understand what her father was thinking. If her guess was right, her father was indeed very thankful to the Half-Elf for saving her sister's life. However, gifting the young generation was akin to spoiling them and making their lives easier.
This would give them a fake sense of security seeing that their stat points would drastically increase due to the power of the Beast Cores. But, at the end of the day, even if they suddenly gained an increase in overall stats, there were still many dangers in Elysium that could end their lives if they weren't careful.
'Father's purpose is to let Lux graduate from the Beginner's Village, so that Colette would no longer be able to meet up with him again,' Aina thought. 'I guess this is not a bad thing. Once he steps into the Intermediate Area, I will be able to see this "Big Brother" that Colette is so proud of.'
The Beginner Villages would only allow Foreigners to stay in them until they reached the Apostle Rank.
Once they stepped into that realm, the laws of the world would only give them ten days before forcefully teleporting them away to the nearest Intermediate Area in the vicinity.
'The only question is, which Intermediate Area will he be transported to?' Aina frowned.
The Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven had over twenty Intermediate Towns for Apostles, and five cities, including the Capital City, Aeronwen, where the Rankers of the realm stayed.
Although twenty towns might seem like a small number, they were several miles apart from each other.
Aina had only registered in three towns so far, which meant that she could teleport to these three towns whenever she liked. If Lux were to appear in any of the towns that she had visited before, she could personally thank the Half-Elf for saving her sister.
'Ten Rank 2 Beast Cores would be enough to give him at least a hundred stats points,' Aina calculated in her head. 'This meant that he would just need a hundred more in order to reach the limit of the Beginner's Village. If he's talented enough, it would only take him two months before he reached the Apostle Rank.'
Aina was using her knowledge about gaining experience from monster kills, and leveling up in order to gain stat points. What she was not aware of was that Lux didn't need to level up, and could directly earn points by finishing his quests.
"Big Sister, once Big Brother and I come to the Intermediate Towns, make sure to take good care of us, okay?" Colette said while holding her sister's hands and looking up at her with puppy eyes.
"Okay," Aina replied with a smile. "However, you should understand that there will definitely be prejudiced people against him. Not many Dwarves like Humans, and although he is a Half-Elf, he might still be shunned because of his race."
Colette nodded in understanding. Their Dwarven Empire, Evarith, in Solais disliked Humans because of what happened in the Hundred-Year War.
Up to this day, the Evarith Royal Family still held grudges against Humans, and refused to entertain discussions about reconciliation between the two races.
"So, when will you be going back to Elysium?" Aina asked.
Colette pondered before raising two fingers. "Mother said that I should stay for two days because she missed me terribly. Father is also preparing new equipment for me to ensure my safety.
"I already talked to Matty and he said that his parents were doing the same. It seems that what happened in Leaf Village made them realize that it isn't as safe as the other Beginner Villages due to the Monster Outbreak."
Aina nodded in understanding. She, too, was surprised when she heard that a Monster Outbreak had happened in a Beginner's Village. Although this was not the first time something like this had happened, it was still something that the adults didn't want to hear.
After all, if their children were to appear in Leaf Village at the wrong time then they might also come face to face with a Monster Outbreak, which would lead them to an untimely demise.
"Father issued a decree ordering parents to educate their children about the dangers of Leaf Village," Aina stated. "If they were to encounter a Monster Outbreak, all of them were ordered to flee the village, or hide in the Underground Shelter until the reinforcements from Norria arrive."
"Should I do that as well, Big Sister?"
"Of course. Your life is very important. If a Monster Outbreak happens, just bring your party to the Underground Shelter. All of you are still children, so the people in Leaf Village will not bat an eye and allow you to enter their shelter."
Colette nodded. "Understood. I will hide when a Monster Outbreak appears. I'm just wondering, will they also allow Big Brother to take shelter with us?"
Aina frowned. She didn't know the answer to this question, so she didn't dare give her sister false hope.
"I don't know if they will allow him inside the Shelter or not," Aina replied. "But, it might be possible for him to leave Leaf Village long before the next Monster Outbreak starts."
Chapter 30 For As Long As My Heart Keeps Beating
< Ding! >
< Do you wish to consume the Rank 1 Beast Core? >
< Yes / No >
—--
< Upgrade Stat Points >
< Upgrade Skills>
—--
Lux consumed the seven Beast Cores and upgraded his Stat Points, which in turn upgraded his Special Body Constitution. After the boost in stats, he was finally able to equip the Relentless Warrior set to his "Battle Equipment Page".
Once someone had entered Elysium, their Clothes Inventory would be divided into two categories. The first category was Fashion and the other was Battle.
As the name suggested, the Fashion Inventory would mostly store normal clothes, while the Battle Inventory would mostly store armors that people wore when they went to battle.
Lux could easily swap between two sets depending on the situation. While other people liked to display their amazing armor for everyone to see, the Half-Elf didn't feel comfortable wearing it outside of battle.
After allocating his points, Lux felt more confident about returning to Elysium and challenging the locations around Leaf Village.
—--
Name: Lux Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Health: 225 / 225
Mana: 105 / 105
Strength: 20 (+3)
Intelligence: 20 (+1)
Vitality: 15
Agility: 17(+3)
Dexterity: 15 (+3)
Defense: 100
Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX].
Skills: Power Shot, Slash, Dark Arrow
—--
< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >
Rating: F
Progress: (96/100)
Conquest is not all about claiming lands, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.
Abilities: (None)
Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.
—--
< Dark Arrow >
(2 Mana)
– Hurls an arrow of darkness that has a small chance to blind your target.
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
Dark Arrow will be upgraded into Void Arrow once the requirements have been met.
< Void Arrow>
– Hurls an arrow of darkness that has an intermediate chance to blind your target.
– Requirement to upgrade: Successfully blind a target 30x
– Progress ( 0 / 30 )
—--
Lux was quite happy to receive the Dark Arrow Skill from the Beast Cores that he had received from his Grandma.
According to Vera, the Beast Cores came from the Rank 1 Monster called Night Shade Crow.
This Crow only hunted at night, and it was notorious for preying on the Beginners who happened to step into its hunting grounds.
Although the skills and the upgrade he received were good, there was still something that troubled the red-headed boy the most.
Lux could feel his liver itching when he saw that his Immortal Conqueror's Legacy only needed four more points before it could complete its first upgrade.
He was very curious about what kind of abilities it would unlock after it reached 100%. Because of this, Lux was hesitating whether or not he should ask his grandma for one more Beast Core in order to complete his upgrade.
Vera could see his dilemma, but she only gave him a smile. She understood that look on her grandson's face, but she didn't want to spoil him too much.
"Lux, I believe in you," Vera said as she patted her grandson's shoulder. "I look forward to the day when you're able to surpass me."
Lux smiled and nodded his head. "I'm also hoping for that day to come, Grandma. That way, it will be my turn to protect and take care of you."
Vera chuckled as she ruffled her grandson's hair. "No need to protect me. I'm already old enough to handle myself."
"Then, Grandma, is there anything you want? No matter what it is, I'll give it to you without fail," Lux said with determination, which made Vera rub her chin in contemplation.
After a few minutes, Vera flashed a mischievous grin to Lux and said her dearest wish.
"I want to hold my great grandchild," Vera replied. "It doesn't have to be now, but I want to see them within seven years. Do you think you can grant this wish of mine?"
Lux blushed because he didn't expect his grandma to ask him for a great grandchild. Even so, he summoned his thick skin to give the person who raised him a determined answer.
"Don't worry, Grandma," Lux said as he patted his chest with confidence. "Your grandson is very handsome. I'm sure that even if you cut the time down to five years, you'll be holding not just one, not just two, but many great grandchildren in your arms!"
Vera clapped her hands together. "Wonderful. I didn't know that my grandson was so capable. Very well, I'll look forward to holding my great grandchildren. You better work hard in Elysium and find me some good daughter-in-laws."
Lux could feel his cheeks burning after his embarrassing declaration. However, since he had already said it, he would definitely fulfill it.
The only problem was that he still had to wait a year before he could use the Widlgarde Stronghold's Teleportation Gate to connect to Elysium in order to meet with Humans. Although the Dwarven Lands were good, he felt that the Dwarves wouldn't like to have a Half-Elf staying in their Domain for a very long time.
—--
"Grandma, I'm going now."
"Take care, Lux. Come home when you get homesick."
Lux reluctantly took a step back after giving his grandma a hug.
"Be safe, always," Vera said as she waved her grandson goodbye.
Lux nodded. "See you soon, Grandma."
"Open! Heaven's Gate!"
—---
Lux strolled the streets of Leaf Village and saw that the houses that had been damaged during the Monster Outbreak were being repaired.
While the Dwarven children played on the streets, their parents busied themselves with helping their village restore its previous state.
Lux took a deep breath before taking steady steps towards the Adventurer's Guild.
He also wanted to do his part to help Leaf Village in his own way. This was why Lux made a vow to himself.
'It doesn't matter how long it takes,' Lux thought as he walked towards the Adventurer's Guild. 'For as long as my heart keeps beating, I will do the right thing. That way, I can live this precious life given to me without any regrets.'