Ch. 211..220

Chapter 211 My New Master Sure Is Willful

"Should I help those kids or not?" The middle-aged dwarf played with his beard as he watched the Flying Tiger head towards one of the Silver-Ranked Guilds in the Kingdom.

He was seated on top of an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Mammoth that he had defeated in less than a minute.

"Well, our newest rookie is over there, so I guess I'll let him handle this?" the middle-aged dwarf, who went by the name Nikola Einstein muttered.

He was one of the twelve original members of the Order of the Griffin. Just like everyone else, he was looking forward to the performance of the newcomer, whom the King had decided to add to their organization.

Nikola then glanced at the rear of the Beast Tide and narrowed his eyes.

"So, that is where you are hiding…," Nikola frowned. "This is one tricky bugger. I don't think I can beat this guy alone."

A pair of ancient eyes met Nikola's gaze. It was the leader of the Beast Tide, and unless it was defeated, Whitebridge City would not be safe.

—--

"Colette! Aina! Run as fast as you ca–" Lux almost choked back his words when he turned his head and saw that Colette and her sister, Aina, were already hundreds of meters away from him.

In fact, the two sisters were in front of the retreating guild, which proved how fast the two of them were running.

Lux had completely forgotten how fast Colette could run, but he didn't know that Aina shared the same trait.

"At least, the two of them are decisive." Lux didn't know if he should laugh and cry at his current predicament.

Right now, the Half-Elf was at the rear of the fleeing Dwarves as all of them were fast runners.

Perhaps it was because of their small statures, or perhaps they were just built differently, but Dwarves in the World of Solais and Elysium could put even the Olympic sprinters to shame.

Diablo, as well as the Skeleton Fighters, guarded the red-headed teenager's retreat as they tried to get the attention of the Flying Tiger. However, the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster was very intelligent.

It knew that Diablo and the Skeletons were merely summons, so it didn't pay attention to them.

With a mighty roar, it increased its speed in preparation to descend onto the fleeing Dwarves, who were running with their lives on the line.

It was at this moment when the Flying Tiger felt a strong pull, forcing it to change its direction mid-air.

With a roar of annoyance, the Alpha-Ranked Deimos monster descended on the Skeleton Rider, who was waiting for its arrival.

Diablo had ordered the Skeleton Fighters to scatter because they would just die against the Alpha Monster, aware that even he didn't have a chance of defeating it on his own.

Raising Blood Moon high in the air, Diablo planted his feet firmly in the ground as he used his skill, Cross Slash, which was similar to Lux's, Double Fury Slash, to deal as much damage as he could to his enemy.

The moment the Flying Tiger's razor sharp claws met Diablo's sword, a metallic sound reverberated in the battlefield. A second later, the Skeleton Rider was sent flying due to the force behind the Flying Tiger's attack.

The Skeleton Rider crashed hundreds of meters from where it stood earlier, and rolled on the ground repeatedly.

The Monsters mercilessly stomped on Diablo's body as they headed towards Whitebridge City, since it was blocking their path.

Lux's face sank when he saw that Diablo's HP was reduced by half due to the Flying Tiger's blow. Right now, Diablo had an unimaginable defensive stat, thanks to the constant deaths that were happening around him.

For him to take that much damage from the Flying Tiger could only mean one thing. The Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster managed to deal a critical hit on the Skeleton Rider, bypassing its powerful defense.

However, before Lux could panic, Diablo used its skill, Whirlwind Strike, instantly annihilating all the Monsters around him.

Since Blood Moon had the passive skill, Life Steal, the Skeleton Rider's health became full again after reaping the lives of the Monsters that were about to stomp on his body.

Diablo fired three Bone Spears at the Flying Tiger, but the latter dodged them with ease. It was the only ranged attack that Diablo had in his arsenal, so even if the enemy was able to evade them all, he just kept on shooting the spears at his target in order to gain its attention.

Lux felt that he should look for suitable Beast Cores for his Skeleton Rider so that his range abilities could have some kind of variation.

"Jed, come!" Lux ordered and his Thunder Warg King appeared in front of him.

Without another thought, Lux jumped on its back and urged it to run faster. A moment later, the Half-Elf had caught up with the rest of the Dwarves that were nearing the defensive walls of Whitebridge City.

Suddenly, a ferocious roar resonated in the sky. The Flying Tiger flapped its mighty wings, creating several tornadoes that spun around its body, razing everything that was on the ground to shreds.

The Skeleton Fighters who got caught up in the tornado all shattered, turning into ashes due to the Flying Tiger's overwhelming strength. Of course, it was not only the Skeleton Fighters that were ripped apart by the tornadoes.

None of the other Monsters escaped the onslaught as a shower of blood mist gaved the tornadoes a crimson hue.

Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux's head, was constantly muttering.

"Mumumumumu."

She felt her heart break when she saw the hundreds of Beast Cores her Slime Summons couldn't take due to how dangerous the situation was.

Diablo managed to escape the suction of the tornadoes because he didn't hesitate to use his skill, Leap, to distance himself from his enemy. Of course, he didn't forget to fire Bone Spears at the Flying Tiger while doing so, but it was of no use.

The Bone Spears were sucked up by the tornadoes, preventing him from even grazing his target.

'Finally, that damned Skeleton has met his match!' The Leader of Twisted Destiny managed to escape the slaughter that had come upon his guild because he had retreated as soon as he saw the Flying Tiger flying towards their direction.

Of the thousand men that he had brought to the frontlines with him, more than half were killed by the Diabolical Demon Flying Tiger. If not for the Kingdom of Gweliven's cover fire, more of his guild members might have died.

He had brought the Elite Members of his guild with him in order to gain as many points in the rankings as possible. However, instead of gaining points, he had lost his members that specialized in raiding A-Ranked and S-Ranked Dungeons.

The Guild Master of Twisted Destiny knew that thanks to this incident, his guild would weaken considerably and might even fall off from its position as one of the Top 5 Guilds in Whitebridge City.

'Once I find the owner of that blasted defender, I will definitely make him pay with blood.' The Guild Master of Twisted Destiny gnashed his teeth in anger as he tried to salvage the situation he was in.

Just as he was about to order his right-hand man to check how many members he still had left in his command, he felt a stinging pain on the back of his neck.

A moment later, the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny collapsed on the ground and twitched a few times.

"Guild Master!" The Vice-Guild Master of Twisted Destiny cried out in alarm when he saw the arrow that was embedded in the Guild Master's neck.

It was the same poison-tipped arrow that the Assassin, who tried to assassinate Lux, had used earlier. For some reason, this same arrow landed in the neck of the Dwarf that managed the Guild which was one of Twilight Rain's collaborators.

"Someone! Help!" the Vice-Guild Master shouted, and several clerics rushed to come to their aid.

Unfortunately, the poison that was used was very rare, and, unless a specific antidote was used, it was impossible to cure it.

"My new Master sure is willful," Scarlet grumbled as she returned her bow to her storage ring. "Why must I do these menial chores?"

Lux had ordered her to assassinate the Guild Masters of the two collaborator Guilds of Twilight Rain, while the battle was at its fiercest. This way, she would be able to catch her targets by surprise, and complete her Master's orders.

Scarlet gave Lux one last glance before the grumbling Dwarf made herself scarce by heading to where the members of the Arcadian Lords were located.

For now, the death of Twisted Destiny's Guild Master would be overshadowed by the Beast Tide that had broken through the main defensive lines of the city.

Scarlet was confident that before the Guild Master of the Arcadian Lords got wind of what happened to his comrade, he would have already fallen into her hands, accompanying the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny to the afterlife.

 

Chapter 212 A Gift From A Senior [Part 1]

"Don't let them break past the walls!" The General who was in charge of the army ordered, "Fire!"

Several catapults that were inside Whitebridge city hurled the burning steel balls towards the Beast Tide that had broken past the first and second lines of defense.

Only the location around where Eternal was stationed wasn't completely broken through since they had Diablo on their side, using his Whirlwind Slash to eliminate all the enemies within his strike range.

The Demonic Flying Tiger had decided to ignore the Skeleton Rider and attacked the city alongside the horde of monsters that numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Eternal, as well as the other guilds, had safely entered the city thanks to the coverfire of the Army of Gweliven. However, there were two guilds that suffered a great loss in this battle. The first one was Twisted Destiny, who lost more than half of its Elite Members due to the Demonic Flying Tiger that had rampaged in the location that they were guarding. Aside from that, their Guild Master was assassinated, which lowered the morale of the entire guild. The Vice Guild Master immediately rallied the survivors to return to the city to regroup with the main bulk of their forces.

The Arcadian Lords suffered a similar fate, but not as harsh as what happened to Twisted Destiny. They were faring quite well during the battle, but after their Guild Master was assassinated, the chain of command broke apart, allowing Rank 3 up to Rank 5 Alpha Monsters to wreak havoc on their forces.

Left with no other choice, the Vice Guild Master of the Arcadian Lords also ordered an immediate retreat.

Now that all the guilds had retreated behind the last defensive wall of the city, the atmosphere had turned tense.

Everyone knew that if the monsters managed to scale the city walls, the tide would spill into the city center, making the battlefield more chaotic. This was something they didn't want to happen, so everyone was gritting their teeth in preparation for the intense battle, including Garth, the mayor of Whitebridge City.

The flaming steel balls descended on the horde of monsters, annihilating everything in their path. They were one of the main defensive methods of the Dwarven cities, and each ball was created to inflict as much damage as possible, even to Deimos and Argonaut Ranked Monsters that couldn't be defeated by normal means.

Several Wind Blades descended from the sky as the Demonic Flying Tiger flew above the city and unleashed a barrage of attacks aimed at the catapults that were attacking its comrades.

"Not on my watch!"

A confident declaration echoed inside the city as Nikola blocked the Deimos' Monster's attack, using over a dozen Elemental Shields that hovered in front of the catapults, keeping them safe.

"Come down here!" Nikola shouted at the Flying Tiger in the sky. "I dare you!"

He was a ranker that specialized in land battles, and flying enemies weren't his forte. Even so, he still activated several Earth Spears and hurled them at the flying tiger, but the latter evaded them with ease.

Lux frowned when he saw this scene. He could tell with a glance that the middle-aged man who was shouting at the Flying Tiger was very strong. However, his strength was useless because his attack couldn't reach his target.

It was at that moment when a plan appeared inside his head.

"Colette, stay with your sister," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "I'll help deal with the Flying Tiger."

"Okay!" Colette nodded her head in understanding. "Goodluck, Big Brother!"

The little girl had so much faith in Lux. If the Half-Elf told her that he would defeat an Argonaut Monster on his own, Colette would definitely believe it without fail.

Aina gave Lux a sidelong glance before shifting her attention to the Flying Tiger that was attacking them from the air. There were other flying monsters within the Beast Tide, but they were easily taken down by the Archers and the Mages who specialized in dealing with flying monsters.

The only problem was that the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster's movement was so erratic, that neither their arrows or magic spells could land on its body.

Two minutes later, Lux arrived at the location where the catapults were stationed.

"Sir, if I can bring that flying monster down from the sky, will you be able to do anything about it?" Lux asked as he looked at the middle-aged man whom he was seeing for the first time.

"Of course," Nikola flashed Lux a wide grin. "Rookie, we have high hopes for you. Do you have a plan in mind?"

"Rookie?"

"Ah. I forgot to tell you that we are on the same team."

Nikola showed the token of the Order of the Griffin to Lux, making the Half-Elf understand why the middle-aged Dwarf addressed him in a familiar manner.

"Sir, may I know your name?" Lux asked.

"Nikola," Nikola replied. "Nikola Einstein. I am a C-Ranker, and specialize in close combat and Earth Magic."

Nikola had a smug expression on his face as he looked at Lux. He thought that the Half-Elf would be surprised with his declaration, but the latter only said, "Oh", and gave a brief nod of understanding.

What Nikola didn't know was that Lux had been living with a C-Ranker for most of his life, so he wasn't too surprised about the middle-aged Dwarf's statement.

Although his Grandma Vera looked like a friendly old granny on the surface, she could be quite scary whenever someone crossed her bottom line. Lux had seen that side a few times during his childhood.

"Sir Nikola, I can bring that Monster down from the sky. However, you will only have one window of opportunity to deal it a devastating blow that will prevent it from flying ever again."

"Relax. As long as that little kitty comes within my strike range, it is as good as dead."

Lux could feel the confidence of a Ranker oozing from Nikola's words, so he decided to thicken his face and use this as an opportunity to get some benefits.

"I can do this for you, Sir Nikola, but it will not be for free," Lux commented. "I want the Monster's corpse as well as its Beast Core."

"That's it?" Nikola chuckled as he patted Lux's shoulder. "Such a trivial thing. Okay, you can have it. Consider it a gift from one of your seniors."

"Thank you very much!"

"Don't thank me yet. Let's bring down that kitty cat first."

Lux didn't expect the negotiations to go so smoothly. However, he didn't realize that the Beast Core of a Deimos Monster, as well as its corpse, although good, was no longer appealing to a Dwarf of Nikola's rank.

C-Rankers often hunted Argonaut-Ranked Monsters and even Dreadnaught-Ranked Beasts in order to increase their rank, gather monster parts, and gain Beast Cores.

Also, Nikolas specialized in land battles. None of the Flying Tiger's body parts or skills interested him.

"Let's go, Rookie!" Nikola pounded his two fists together activating his personal buffs to increase his defense, and attack to the next stage. "Show me what you're made of!"

None of the members of the Order of the Griffin were useless. Although not all of them were fighters like Nikola, each of them had a specialty that allowed them to rise above the others.

Although Nikola didn't know what Lux's specialty was, he believed that the King wouldn't recruit someone, especially not a Half-Elf, to his personal Elite Unit that safeguarded the peace of the Kingdom of Gweliven, if there wasn't some skill present.

"It's time to shine!" Lux shouted while pointing at the Flying Tiger in the air. "Bring it down, Orion!"

Lux's fourth Named Creature, the Rock Golem Orion, appeared behind the Half-Elf and roared towards the sky.

Immediately, as if a kite was being pulled towards the ground, the Flying Tiger's body made a sharp turn in the sky and descended towards the ground with a frustrated roar.

Nikola grinned evilly as he concentrated his strength in his right arm.

"Come to daddy!" Nikola shouted as he stomped his left foot forward, preparing to unleash his strongest attack. The moment the Flying Tiger appeared within his ability's strike range, the middle-aged Dwarf blinked in front of the Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster and unleashed a deadly punch that could shatter boulders into hundreds of pieces.

"Earth Dragon Smash!"

Immediately, a cry of pain reverberated in the surroundings before the ground trembled violently.

The Flying Tiger that terrorized the Dwarven Army was smashed towards the ground, creating a hundred-wide crater.

"Amazing!" Lux stared in awe at the middle-aged Dwarf who was now standing on the body of the Deimos Monster that suffered from serious injuries with just a single punch from the C-Ranked Dwarf.

Although Nikola was less than five feet tall, the power that was radiating from his small body was the same power that Lux had coveted all his life.

The Half-Elf had always wanted to become a Ranker, like his Grandma Vera. Now that he was fighting alongside someone whom he had aspired to become, Lux felt that the dream that he had in the past, was slowly, but surely, becoming a reality.

 

Chapter 213 A Gift From A Senior [Part 2]

The ground trembled, as Nikola unleashed a barrage of punches that buried the Flying Tiger deeper into the ground with every punch that he unleashed.

Several earth spikes had jutted out of the ground and shredded the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster's wings, preventing it from flying away.

The monster was unable to mount any counterattack and was forced to endure Nikola's one-sided blows that brought it closer to death.

"Die!" Nikola shouted as his right hand flashed for a brief moment before he smashed it into the Flying Tiger's head, shattering its skull.

The monster gave one last unwilling roar of frustration before it completely stopped moving.

Nikola faced Lux and gave him a thumbs up, which the Half-Elf returned with a thumbs up of his own. A moment later, the giant body of the Flying Tiger disappeared.

The middle-aged Dwarf looked down on a baby, blue Slime that was jumping happily on the ground, looking very pleased.

After Eiko took the body of the Deimos Monster using the Enchanted Beast Ring in her possession, she hurried back to her Papa, and crawled up on his body, until she was snugly perched on top of his head.

"Eiko, you're too excited," Lux said softly. "The monster was already ours. It was not going anywhere."

"Pa." Eiko nodded her head in understanding.

"The Beast Core is yours, but the monster parts are mine, okay?"

"Pa!"

"Good."

Nikola watched the exchange between Lux and the baby Slime with great interest. At first glance, the baby Slime was just an ordinary Slime that could be seen anywhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven. But, he believed that Eiko was different from the other Slimes that he had seen in the past.

As someone who had achieved his rank, he trusted his gut instincts very much. And his gut was telling him that the baby Slime that was perched on the Halff-Elf's head was a creature that could perhaps one day, rival a dragon.

"Thanks for your help, Rookie," Nikola said as he walked towards Lux. "Although the Flying Tiger had been dealt with, the battle is far from over. You can return to the ramparts, but be wary of the Monster that leads the horde. It is something that even I will not be able to fight alone."

Lux could sense the trace of concern in Nikola's voice which had surprised him. If a C-Ranker was feeling weary, it only meant that the opponent was stronger than him.

"An Argonaut Ranked Monster?" Lux inquired in a voice so low that only Nikola was able to hear.

Nikola nodded. "Close, but not quite. The Monster leading the Horde is an Alpha-Ranked Argonaut Monster that is known to us Rankers as a Lesser Demogorgon. If this was a full-fledged Demogorgon, I would have already ran away because that monster is simply too powerful for someone like me to handle.

"But, even though I say it's a Lesser Demogorgon, it is still a Demogorgon. Only Holy, Life, and Divine Magic can pierce its defenses. Right now, we don't have someone like that here in the city. The best thing I can do is fight it to a stalemate and prevent it from advancing towards the city."

Lux could see the worry on Nikola's face, which told him that the monster was not as simple as he described it to be. Even so, this was something that was far from his reach.

Deep inside, he wondered if Keoza was stronger than the Lesser Demogorgon that the middle-aged Dwarf told him about. He could only summon the Crystal Dragon two more times, and it was his life saving trump card.

Unless he was pushed in a corner, Lux wouldn't use the Dragon Token to fight against the Lesser Demogorgon if he could help it.

"Don't worry, even though I can't beat it, I am confident that I can keep it at bay," Nikolas said after seeing the trace of anxiousness in the Half-Elf's face. "Also, it is the only Argonaut-Ranked Monster in this Beast Tide. all the other threats haVE been dealt with, so as long as we endure thIS last wave of attacks, we can count this as a victory."

Lux nodded his head in agreement. Thinking about these things that were outside of his control was just a waste of time. If push came to shove, he would just retreat alongside his friends, as well as the Eternal Guild.

"I'm going back to my friends, Sir Nikola," Lux stated.

"Go," Nikola replied. "Leave the troublesome things to the adults. We are old enough to handle these things."

Lux gave the middle-aged Dwarf a brief nod before heading towards the City Walls.

Nikola watched him go with a sigh before looking towards the sky.

"I should have asked his Majesty to bring one more ranker with me," Nikola said with resignation. "If there are two of us here, we might find a way to beat the Lesser Demogorgon."

What Nikola didn't tell Lux was that the Demogorgons were not only as strong as dragons themselves, but were capable of casting magic, in addition to being able to fight in close combat. It was proficient at both, and deadly on both fronts.

Having two heads, one that specialize in magic casting, and one in physical fighting, it is one of the opponents that even Rankers like him found to be too troublesome to fight.

Nikola had fought one in the past, but he wasn't alone. There were two more rankers with him, but even with the three of them combined, the only thing that they managed to do was to make the monster flee.

It was simply too powerful for C-Rankers to handle, and only A-Rankers and above could effectively deal with these beasts that had come from the Abyss.

"I just hope it goes away on its own," Nikola muttered as he made his way back to the Mayor's side, who was also on the ramparts, commanding the city guards. "If not, may the Gods help us all."

 

Chapter 214 Visitor From The Abyss

Three hours had passed ever since the start of the defensive battle of Whitebridge City.

The defenders were about to get tired in fighting against the seemingly unending horde of monsters that were now doing their best to climb up the city walls, even if it meant using each other as a stepping stone to breakthrough the line of defense, which all the Dwarves were painstakingly trying to maintain.

Aina panted, catching her breath, as she swung her sword to cut off a monster's claw, sending it falling from the wall, crushing its comrades down below.

Although her guild, Eternal, had now taken the lead in the rankings, the doll-like beauty was more concerned about the welfare of her guild members.

The mages were exhausted after continuously casting spell, after spell, after spell. The archers had already run out of arrows, and those who could use their own magical energy to create elemental arrows, were suffering from mana exhaustion just like the mages.

The warriors, who boasted great physical strength, could only barely lift the weapons in their hands and swing them at the enemies that were now scaling the walls of the city.

There was also the issue of flying monsters that would harass them from the sky. It wasn't easy for the archers and the mages to shoot them down. However, after running out of ammunition and mana, the hundreds of flying monsters that remained posed a serious risk to the struggling defenders, who were now on the verge of collapse.

'Not good,' Aina thought as she swung her sword to save one of her Shield Warriors who could no longer lift his shield to defend himself from a wolf-type monster that had jumped over the wall.

Just after Aina successfully blocked the wolf's attack, a six-meter-long serpent appeared behind her and lunged at her blindspot.

"Sister!" Colette shouted as she smashed her mace against the underside of the serpent's jaw, giving it an uppercut, and changing the trajectory of its attack.

The Serpent was a Rank 3 Monster called Blue-Scaled Mamba, so the only thing that Colette had done was make it angrier. When the monster was about to launch another attack against the two Dwarf girls, an energy ball composed of light and dark magic smashed into its head, which pushed its serpentine body off the wall, making it fall down on the other side of the wall.

"Thank you, Whitey, Blackie!" Colette shouted as the Angel and Devil Slime flew above their heads to continue helping the defenders fend off the monster army.

"To those who are no longer able to fight, retreat to the plaza of the city!" Aina ordered. "Those who can still wield their weapons and cast spells, rally to me!"

""Yes!""

Aina's call was answered by her loyal guild members. Those who were unable to fight any longer had to force themselves to follow the order because they knew that they would just burden their Guild Master, who had already stepped up many times to save their lives.

Those who could still fight, gritted their teeth as they fought with everything they had.

'Everyone is nearing their limit,' Lux frowned as he scanned the surroundings.

He had already summoned Ishtar, and his Skeleton Grand Archers to attack the flying monsters that were doing sneak attacks from the sky.

The Skeleton Fighters were assisting the retreating members of the Eternal Guild, and protecting them from harm.

In order to lessen the burden that the Eternal Guild was facing, he even ordered Diablo to stand directly under the wall where Aina's Guild was defending. Unfortunately, the other guilds didn't have the inexhaustible Undead Warriors to help them protect their stations, which were now being overrun by monsters.

'Scarlet, are you sure that no Reapers are left in Whitebridge City?,' Lux asked through telepathy. All the creatures under his command could be talked to in this matter, as long as they were within a two-mile radius from Lux.

'I am not entirely sure,' Scarlet replied. 'But, I already killed four Reapers. I don't think they would send more of them, knowing that Sid and I are the ones that are supposed to kill you.'

Lux could only take a gamble right now because he needed all the help he could get at the moment.

'Scarlet, for now, continue to monitor if there are any Reapers around,' Lux ordered. 'Also, your priority is to protect Aina. As for you, Sid, stop defending Aina and just focus on eliminating as many monsters as you can in this location.'

'I understand, Master,' Sid replied. 'I will do my best.'

The two Assassins were Initiates, so they were more than capable when it came to dealing with small fries that were scaling the walls. However, since there was still a threat of assasination, he could only order Sid to go deal with the offense, leaving Scarlet with the defense.

Just as Lux was about to summon Orion to help with the defense, he heard a loud shout come from behind him.

"Everyone, brace yourselves for impact!" Nikola shouted.

As soon as this warning reached everyone's ears, a loud explosion took place, sending Aina and her guild members, who were near her, flying off the wall of the city.

Lux, who was dozens of meters away from the point of impact, could only gasp in shock upon seeing a three-meter-tall hole on the wall where Aina and her defenders stood a minute ago.

The Half-Elf's sixth sense screamed for him to get off the wall as soon as he could, so he immediately jumped off the wall, just in time for a second explosion that hit where he was standing just a few seconds ago.

A rocky hand reached out and caught the Half-Elf as he was about to fall on the ground.

"Thank you, Orion," Lux said as he glanced at the ramparts that were now partially destroyed due to the explosion.

A minute later, he saw a long tentacle-like arm grab hold of the rampart. What happened next made the Half-Elf shudder.

A creature, which he was seeing for the first time, appeared in front of his eyes. It had a humanoid appearance, with the exception of its two heads, which didn't even look like heads. They were more like one of those carnivorous plants with razor sharp teeth in its maw. However, instead of one head, there were two of them, making Lux subconsciously shudder.

Out of reflex, Lux activated his Elysium Compendium to appraise the monster above him. The information before his eyes made him draw cold breath.

—-

< Lesser Demogorgon >

– Abomination from the Abyss

– Wandering Field Boss

– Alpha-Ranked Argonaut Monster

Health: 70,000,000 / 70,000,000

Mana: 17,500,000 / 17,500,000

Strength: ?????

Intelligence: ?????

Vitality: ?????

Agility: ????

Dexterity:????

– A Lesser Demogorgon is a monster born from the abyss. It has incredible strength, and is proficient in close and magical combat. Anyone below the rank of a Rankers are just prey to this beast. If you happen to see one during your journeys, it will be best to run as far away as you can before it sets its sights on you.

– If you stare into the abyss the abyss will stare back at you.

—---

"S-Sh*t." Lux could feel the color draining from his face as he stared at the Monster that had come from the abyss.

He had long heard about these Abyssal Monsters from his Grandma, and she said that they were the natural enemies of both Elysians and Solaians alike. Now that he was staring at one of them, he now understood why they were considered a universal threat to every living creature in the world.

 

Chapter 215 This Is Payback. Enjoy Your Trip To Hell

"Everyone get back!"

Nikola's shout reverberated in the city before a giant hand, made up of rock, smashed into the Lesser Demogorgon's body, sending it flying back out of the city.

However, the middle-aged Dwarf didn't end his counterattack there. Nikola raised his hands and several earth spikes jutted upwards from the ramparts of the city wall, annihilating all the monsters on top of it.

These spikes then moved like a saw, continuously shredding the rest of the monsters that were still climbing over the city walls.

"Are you alright?" Lux ran towards Aina, who was currently being supported by Colette.

Aina shook her head, "I just sprained my ankle. But I already applied healing magic on it. It will recover in a minute or two, but I'm very exhausted and can no longer fight."

"Looking at your expressionless face, I find it hard to believe that you are exhausted," Lux commented.

"How rude. I get tired like everyone else."

"Well, I guess you do have a point. Let's retreat for now. Sir Nikola will handle the rest."

Lux then summoned his Skeleton Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers. He then ordered them to pick up Aina, Colette, and the rest of the Dwarves that had fallen from the explosion earlier.

The Skeletons had only taken a dozen steps when Lux suddenly frowned before looking at the walls of the city. As if waiting for him to do that, Diablo's body was hurled over the walls, crashing a few meters away from where Lux was standing.

A few seconds later, the Skeleton Rider turned into particles of light. Diablo's attack and defense had increased to over three hundred thousand, and yet, the Lesser Demogorgon was able to defeat him easily due to one of its unique Skills called "Abyss Touch".

Similar to Diablo's Ethereal Damage, this ability ignored all defenses, and dealt true damage to the Lesser Demogorgon's enemy.

Without batting an eye, Lux once again summoned Diablo. The earlier boosts in attack and defense that he had accumulated had been reset. But, the effect of Bloody Fervor started to activate once again, increasing Diablo's damage and defense at a rapid pace.

"Fall back!" Nikola shouted. "I will not be able to block it for long!"

Lux, Aina, and Colette knew that they would only hinder Nikola if they stayed, so they immediately evacuated the scene, leaving the Ranker to deal with the Monster from the Abyss alone.

Suddenly, a loud explosion took place. When the dust settled, the city gates of Whitebridge City lay in rubble, and the Lesser Demogorgon walked past it, with an intimidating aura.

Nikola pressed his hands together before slamming it full force on the ground. A few seconds later, a thirty-meter tall boulder materialized in front of him and was hurled at the Abyssal Creature, whose body had turned a shade darker.

The Lesser Demogorgon let out an ear-piercing shriek before using its tentacle-like hand to cut the boulder in half.

Nikola clicked his tongue when he saw that his attack didn't work. Just as he was about to follow up his attack, a giant wind blade descended from the sky, which cut off the tentacle arm of the Abyssal Monster, making it shriek in pain.

"What took you so long?!" Nikola shouted. "If you didn't come sooner, I might have died, you know?"

"Hahaha, sorry," a Dwarf who looked to be in his early twenties with silver-white hair said in a carefree manner. "I didn't know that you couldn't even handle a weak Lesser Gorgon by yourself."

"Bastard, give me a hundred more years and I'll wipe the floor with that Lesser Gorgon and you at the same time!"

"Tsk. If I knew that you would be this ungrateful, then I wouldn't have come. Okay, fine. I'll leave. You handle this yourself."

Nikola almost choked after hearing the Dwarf's words. He knew that if his comrade left now, he would be hard pressed to resist the Lesser Demogorgon on his own.

"I was just joking, you know?" Nikola laughed in a carefree manner. "I'll treat you to a mug of your favorite drink in the Capital. Can you help me deal with this rascal first?"

"Well, since you begged me nicely, I guess I have no choice," the silver-haired Dwarf said with a smile. "But, I want two mugs, okay?"

"Just one mug!"

"Ohh… I no longer feel motivated to fight. Only three cups of my favorite drink will restore my mood."

"Y-You bastard! Are you planning to take my entire month's salary in one sitting?"

The silver-haired Dwarf gave Nikola the "if you don't like it then I'll leave" gaze, which made the latter feel his liver ache from frustration and anger.

"Fine! Three mugs then!"

"Now we're talking!"

The silver-haired Dwarf was about to say more, but the Lesser Demogorgon had unleashed a giant fireball in his direction, making the Dwarf frown.

"Don't interrupt us, fiend," the silver-haired Dwarf waved his hand in a casual manner and dispersed the fireball using his wind magic.

The Dwarf then glared at the screaming monster, who was conjuring another spell on its left hand.

"I guess you're eager to be put in your place that badly," the silver-haired Dwarf stated. "Fine, I'll play with you for a bit. I just hope that you won't break that easily."

—--

On that day, Lux and the other defenders of Whitebridge City witnessed a scene which made them feel both fear and excitement at the same time.

Fear, because an Elder Wind Elemental appeared above Whitebridge City and conjured three Living Hurricanes which were strong enough to wipe them all from the face of the world.

Excitement, because the Elder Wind Elemental was fighting on their side, and commanded his Summons to suck up all the Monsters in the vicinity, and shred them to bits.

The Lesser Demogorgon roared in anger as the Elder Wind Elemental trapped it in a whirlwind, allowing the silver-haired Dwarf to attack it without any means to defend itself.

"Time to end this," the silver-haired Dwarf said as he raised his hand forming a gigantic crackling spear made up of the element of wind and lightning.

"Ultima Spear!"

The wind howled as the spear flew straight towards its target, who had erected a barrier to protect itself. However, this barrier lasted only for a few seconds before it broke apart, allowing the Ultima Spear to pierce through its body, disintegrating it until only its Beast Core was left.

The silver-haired Dwarf waved his hand, and the Beast Core flew in his direction.

"Say, Nikola, that is the rumored Half-Elf, right?" the silver-haired Dwarf asked before glancing at the Half-Elf who was looking at him in awe. "Our latest member?"

"Aye, that he is," Nikola replied.

The silver-haired Dwarf hummed before playing with the obsidian colored Beast-Core in his hand.

"Here," the silver-haired Dwarf said as he tossed the Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core towards Nikola. "Tell him that this is a gift from one of his seniors."

Nikola caught the Beast Core. He grumpily looked at the silver-haired Dwarf who was also the strongest member of the Order of the Griffon. "Why don't you give it to him yourself?"

"Now is not the right time," the silver-haired Dwarf answered. "If he becomes strong enough to travel to the Capital City, then I will personally meet him. But now, he's still not ready."

Nikola snorted, but he could also understand what their leader was saying. "Fine. I'll give this to him later."

The silver-haired Dwarf nodded. "Don't forget your promise. I will wait for your return to the Capital."

Without saying another word, the silver-haired Dwarf flew upwards and disappeared in a matter of seconds. He couldn't leave the Capital City for long, sinc his duty was to always be by the King's side.

He only came to Whitebridge City because Nikola had sent him an urgent request for help. As the leader of the Order of the Griffin, he just couldn't ignore the request of one of the pillars that ensured the safety of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

After the great battle ended, cheers rang out from the city as all the Dwarves celebrated their victory. Now that the Beast Tide was over, everyone could only feel happy that they had survived such a calamity.

"Big Brother, let's eat dinner together!" Colette said with a smile. "My treat!"

"Very well," Lux replied. "I'll be happy to have dinn–"

Colette, who was standing in front of her Big Brother screamed when he saw a blade pierce through the Half-Elf's chest.

A second later, the blade was pulled out and a hooded figure immediately ran away, leaving the Half-Elf, clutching his chest that was now soaked with his blood. Everything happened so fast that no one was able to react to the assailant, who had chosen the moment, when they had relaxed their guard because the battle was over, to attack.

"Big Brother!"

"Pa!"

"I-I'm alri…" Lux wasn't able to finish his words before he collapsed on the ground.

Soon, the plaza suddenly became chaotic as the Dwarves, who were celebrating with Lux only minutes ago, scrambled to help the fallen Half-Elf, as well as pursue the attacker that had stabbed him in the back.

Before Lux's vision failed him, the words that the assassin had said to him replayed inside his mind.

"This is payback. Enjoy your trip to hell."

That was the last thing that the Half-Elf thought before Colette's and Eiko's screams were silenced by the darkness that came crashing over him without any shred of mercy.

 

 

 

Chapter 216 This Is What You Get For Going Against Twilight Rain

"Big Brother!"

"Paaaaaaaaaa!"

Colette and Eiko held onto Lux as Aina and the Clerics of her guild tried to heal his injury.

"Guild Master, the blade that the attacker used missed his heart by a centimeter," One of the Cleric reported. "However, it has a very potent poison. As we speak, it is rapidly spreading inside his body. At this rate, he won't last for more than a few minutes."

"Do you have the antidote or any mean to stop the spread of the poison?" Aina asked. Her expression remained the same, but her eyes betrayed the anxiety in her heart.

The Cleric and her comrades shook their heads. "This is a new type of poison, and I've only seen for the first time today. I'm afraid…"

"Pa!" Eiko's body glowed as she used her skill "Cure" to cure the poison that was spreading inside her Papa's body.

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

"Pa!"

Eiko repeatedly used her ability as her tears streamed down the side of her face. However, the only thing she was able to do was delay the spread of the poison for a few seconds before it continued its invasion on the Half-Elf's body.

"Wuwuwu." Eiko knew that her skill wasn't working, but she still desperately continued using her Cure ability over and over again.

"Can I have a look at him?" a dwarf who was wearing a noble's robe knelt down beside the Half-Elf whose face was slowly growing pale. "I have knowledge about medicine. Maybe I can help him."

"You are…" Aina frowned after recognizing the man. "The personal bodyguard of the Head of the Merchant Guild, Ferron."

"It is an honor to be recognized by the Warrior Princess," Ferron replied with a smile. "Is it possible for me to check his condition?"

"Yes," Aina nodded. "Please, help him."

"I will do my best." Ferron placed his hand over the injury on Lux's chest and activated his diagnostic skill.

He didn't lie when he said that he was proficient when it came to medicine because he was an alchemist that dabbled in the use of drugs and poisons. However, his hand shook when he saw the poison that was spreading inside the Half-Elf's body because he had instantly recognized it.

"Jade World Dragon!" Ferron exclaimed. "The poison is from the blood of the Jade World Dragon!"

Aina's body shuddered after hearing Ferron's words. The Jade World Dragon was an Empyrean Ranked creature, which was two ranks higher than an Argonaut-Ranked Monster.

It was a monster that could only be found at the Jade Forest, which even High-Rankers dare not explore. That was how dangerous the forest was. There were few occasions when the blood of the Jade World Dragon was placed on auction houses, and, every time, its final price was astronomical due to how rare it was.

The blood of this type of dragon could cure almost any kind of poisons, as well as other serious illnesses that couldn't be cured through the use of abilities. However, if the blood of this dragon was mixed with the blood of a Hydra, it would create a poison that could only be cured using the untainted blood of the Jade World Dragon.

​ "Guild Master, I'm sorry," Ferron shook his head. "There's nothing more that I can do."

"No! That can't be!" Colette held Lux's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Big Brother! You promised that we will still go on adventures together! Please! Don't die!"

"Paaaa!" Eiko nudged her head on Lux's cheeks, who had grown as pale as a candle. "Wuwuwuwu!"

Aina looked at the Half-Elf with a complicated look on her face before closing her eyes. She was clenching her fist so hard, that if it weren't for the gauntlets she was wearing, she would have already drawn blood on the palm of her hands.

Ferron stood up and glanced at his Employer before shaking his head. The Head of the Merchant Guild nodded his head in understanding before glancing at the Half-Elf who was as good as dead.

A minute later, a long and deep sigh escaped Lux's lips as his heart finally stopped beating.

Sid, who was standing not far away, turned into particles of light.

Scarlet, who had hidden herself inside a house, looked at her hands that were slowly turning into particles of light. A sigh then escaped her lips before her entire body shattered into hundreds of glowing orbs that disappeared a few seconds later.

Diablo, Ishtar, Orion, as well as the other Skeletons under Lux's command, turned to ashes, and disintegrated completely.

Such was the fate of summoned creatures when their Master died. It was a law that no summoned creature could escape from.

"Paaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Eiko's sad shout reverberated in the plaza when she felt that her Papa's heart had stopped beating.

The Clerics beside Lux shook their heads as they made the sign of the Goddess of Life over Lux's body to give him their blessings for his journey to the afterlife.

"Make way!" Nikola shouted as he rushed towards Lux, who had breathed his last.

After placing his hand on the Half-Elf's neck the C-Ranker closed his eyes with a regretful look on his face.

"Is there anyone here his relative?" Nikola asked. "Is there anyone here who can take him back to his hometown?"

Usually, when Foreigners die, those who live in the same hometown would take their bodies back to Solais to be buried. That had been the custom since the Solaians gained the means to travel to Elysium.

"Big Brother came here in Elysium alone," Colette answered as she fought the tears that were falling from her eyes. "He doesn't have anyone to bring him back home."

"... What a pity." Nikola sighed. "Very well. In behalf of the bravery that he had presented today, I will ask his Majesty to bury him in this kingdom. Although he is a foreigner, he fought for us with everything he had. This is the only thing we can do for him."

Nikola picked up the Half-Elf from the ground, and looked at the Baby Slime who was still crying her heart out.

"I will now take my leave," Nikola declared. "Take care, everyone."

Colette wanted to go with Nikola to give Lux her final farewell, but Aina held onto her and prevented her from following them. Even though Colette tried to escape from her hold, her sister's hand wouldn't budge.

Aina even ordered her Officers to ensure that Matty, as well as Colette's other friends, wouldn't follow Nikola and create a scene.

Just as Nikola was about to arrive at the Teleportation Gate, he saw a dwarf wearing very expensive clothing blocking his way.

"Is there something you need, Sir Lucius?" Nikola asked. "I didn't know that the Head of the Merchant Guild of Whitebridge City is interested in the dead?"

"Sir Nikola, it has been a while since we saw each other," Lucius replied as he walked towards the C-Ranker who was carrying the Half-Elf in his arms. "I just came to give my final respect to one of the unsung heroes of our kingdom. It's truly a pity, the one and only Half-Elf in the Dwarven Kingdom had died tragically."

Lucius didn't hesitate to place his hand over Lux's hand that was resting over his chest. A moment later, he pulled his hand back and gave an exaggerated sigh that grated on Nikola's ears.

"Truly a pity," Lucius said. "I hope his majesty gives him a proper burial. That is the least that we can do for him."

"You don't have to tell me that," Nikola snorted. "That is what I am planning to do."

Without another word, Nikola entered the Teleportation Gate, leaving Lucius, who was looking at his back with a sneer.

'This is what you get for going against Twilight Rain,' Lucius gloated inside his heart. 'No matter how strong an Apostle is, it is still an Apostle. I'm sure that the Guild Master will be pleased after hearing this news. Scarlet had done well.'

Although the red-haired assassin was wearing a robe, Lucius had been able to get a glimpse of the long red hair that she was well-known for.

The Head of the Merchant Guild chuckled as he thought of the profits that he would make by offering his services to help the city rebuild.

For him, this was a great day. Not only was the pest that almost shut down his operation in Whitebridge City dead, but he would also be able to profit from the Gweliven Kingdom.

For a merchant like him, this was a win-win situation that benefited him in more ways than one.

 

Chapter 217 I Hope You Return This Favor In The Future

After taking an exclusive Teleportation Gate that would instantly send him to the Capital City of the Dwarven Kingdom, Nikola headed to the Headquarters of the Order of the Griffin under the cover of darkness.

"Wuwuwu."

"Don't cry, little one. Just wait a little bit longer."

Eiko's tears had already covered Lux's face as she kept on nudging the Half-Elf's forehead with her own. The baby Slime was heartbroken due to Lux's sudden death, and she couldn't stop herself from crying.

Nikola sighed as he looked at the baby Slime, who influenced him to also feel depressed. He never thought that he would be affected by a Monster crying for its Master, just like the baby Blue Slime did for Lux.

After entering a mansion at the outskirts of the capital, Nikola used his right foot to open the secret passage that led underground.

Several minutes passed as he walked down the secret path that led directly to their Headquarters.

The moment he opened the door, four Dwarves turned their heads to look at him.

"So you're finally here," Nevreal said as he glanced at the dead Half-Elf in Nikola's arms. "Lay him down on the table."

Nikola nodded and gently laid Lux's body on the table that the others had prepared for him.

"Charles, do the honors," Nevreal made a gesture for one of his comrades whom he had forced to become one of their collaborators in the Whitebridge City's operation.

Charles nodded and took out a metal syringe from his storage ring. Inside it was a purplish liquid that he had created a year ago.

"All this trouble for a rookie," Charles grumbled. "I just hope he doesn't disappoint us."

As soon as the serum was completely injected inside Lux's body, the Half-Elf's body jolted as if it was given an electric shock.

A moment later, the Half-Elf inhaled deeply as if taking his first breath in the world.

"Still, I can't believe that someone was able to gain an immunity against the Jade World Dragon's Poison," Charles muttered as he placed his fingers over the Half-Elf's wrist to check his condition. "I'm very tempted to open him up and study what makes him tick."

"Don't do that," Nikola said. "That Baby Slime had been crying non-stop since he died. It is best to limit yourself to the prisoners we captured from Twilight Rain."

Charles snorted. "Fine."

Eiko, who had been crying earlier, suddenly stopped crying when she felt her Papa's heart start beating again. To make sure that she wasn't hearing things, she crawled towards Lux's chest and closed her eyes in order to feel, and hear, his heartbeat.

When she confirmed that Lux's heart had indeed started beating again, the Baby Slime was overjoyed and hastily crawled back to Lux's forehead. After that, she spat a blob of water on the Half-Elf's face, which made the latter open his eyes in shock.

"E-Eiko?"

"Wuwuwu!"

The Half-Elf struggled to raise his hand to lightly pat the crying baby Elime on his forehead. He had already told Eiko about the plan, and even made sure that she understood that Scarlet would assassinate him in front of everyone, so the news of his death would reach the ears of Twilight Rain as soon as possible.

What he didn't know was that Eiko thought that he was just joking.

When he died in front of her, the Baby Slime had completely forgotten what Lux had told her a day ago and felt heartbroken by his death.

In truth, Lux didn't die from the Poison of the Jade World Dragon. He "died" from a different kind of poison, which would temporarily stop his heartbeat and make him appear to be dead. As long as he was given the antidote within the next 24 hours, he would wake up instantly.

If not, then he would remain dead forever.

This was a poison that Charles had invented just in case some of the members of the Order of the Griffin needed to play dead for a short period of time.

The funny thing about this poison was that when a diagnostic spell was used, it would appear as if the victim had been poisoned by the blood of the Empyrean Dragon, whose blood could fetch a price into the tens of millions.

"I hate to interrupt your reunion. But, now that you are dead, what do you plan to do next?" Nevreal said as he walked beside Lux who was coaxing the baby slime to stop spitting water on his head.

Eiko was relieved but also very angry at Lux for doing something so reckless, so she kept on spitting water on him as payback for making her cry.

Lux held the baby slime with both of his hands and placed her on his chest, so that he could talk to the middle-aged Dwarf who had set this whole plan into motion.

"I will return to my hometown and will stay there for two to three months," Lux replied. "That way, Twilight Rain will not doubt that I am dead."

Nevreal nodded his head in understanding. "What about your friends? Those kids are sure to be feeling depressed right now."

Lux sighed as he thought of Colette and her friends, who were sure to be devastated because of his death. Even so, he made sure that Aina would handle the rest and tell them that he was safe and sound.

"Truth be told, I'm a little scared to meet them right now," Lux said before a blob of water landed on his face, making him wince.

After shaking his head side to side like a dog, Eiko giggled in his hands, which allowed Lux to continue the things he wanted to say to Nevreal.

"If Eiko is already reacting like this, I'm sure they will want to have a piece of me when I appear in front of them," Lux stated. "It will be best if I lie low for a bit."

Nevreal nodded. "We will assign an Initiate to serve as a bodyguard to the Guild Master of Eternal. I don't know if they will send Reapers to end her life, just as they did for you, but it is in the Kingdom's interest that she remains alive to serve as Whitebridge City's Protector."

"That is for the best. Thank you, Sir Nevreal."

"You owe us a lot from this, boy. I hope you return this favor in the future."

The fourth Dwarf inside the room turned around and left without another word. It was too soon for him to talk to Lux, and he only stayed because he wanted to make sure that he was fine.

Nikola then approached Lux and gave him the Beast Core of the Lesser Demogorgon which instantly caught Eiko's eye.

However, to his surprise, Eiko only crawled towards the Beast Core in Lux's hand before reluctantly giving it a lick.

As if having tasted something extremely bitter, the Baby Slime's started to spit water on the floor as if trying to cleanse her mouth from something very foul.

Nikola chuckled after seeing this scene before glancing at Lux.

"Beast Cores extracted from Abyssal Monsters are usually not liked by other Monsters," Nikola stated. "However, they contain very potent skills that are exclusive to Abyss Type Monsters. I hope that you get lucky and get a decent Skill from it. Who knows? It might come in handy in the future."

Lux gazed at the black Beast Core in his hand before giving the middle-aged dwarf a grateful look. "Thank you, Sir Nikola. I will not forget this favor."

"No." Nikola shook his head. "That Beast Core didn't come from me, but from our Leader. When you get stronger, you will have the opportunity to meet him in the future. You can thank him then."

Lux smiled as he once again looked at the black Beast Core in his hand. He would never forget his encounter with the Lesser Demogorgon.

'That monster was stronger than Keoza,' Lux mused as he gazed at the Beast Core in his hand. 'If that silver-haired Dwarf hadn't come to our rescue, we might have all died in Whitebridge City.'

While Lux was deep in thought, Nikola, and Charles left the room, leaving only Nevreal behind.

"There is something important that I need to take care of in the next couple of months," Nevreal stated. "It might be possible that you will not be able to contact me, or any member of the Order of the Griffin at that time. Just in case that happens, do not do anything remotely dangerous like you did today. You only have one life. Make sure that you treasure it."

Lux nodded and thanked Nevreal.

After giving him a few more reminders, Nevreal left the room and proceeded to return to the Royal Palace.

Since Lux could return to Solais with the power of the Arondight Ring in his hand, he didn't need to leave their Headquarters to go to the Teleportation Gate in the Capital City.

Several agents of Twilight Rain were stationed in the city and it would be very easy for them to identify Lux since he was the only Half-Elf in the Kingdom of Gweliven.

Great lengths had been taken in order to orchestrate his death, and he was not stupid enough to put all of those efforts to waste.

"Aina, I hope that you explain it properly to Colette and the others," Lux muttered as he placed the still pouting Eiko on top of his head. "I will apologize to them the next time we see each other. Although it pains me to part in this manner, it is the only way that I can protect them as well."

Lux took a deep breath as he stood in the center of the room.

"Sid, Scarlet, come," Lux ordered as he summoned the Coffin that housed his two loyal subordinates.

"Welcome back, Master," Sid bowed respectfully.

"Since you are alive, it means that we have succeeded," Scarlet commented from the side.

Lux smiled as he looked at the two assassins that were now serving under him. Although they tried to hide it, he was able to trace the anxiety in their voice.

As long as Lux was alive, they could live.

If Lux died, they would be sealed in the coffin for eternity.

"Sid, I will be away for a few months," Lux said as he looked at the Dhampir who was looking at him with a serious expression on his face. "You can stay with your sisters in Leaf Village for a month. Emma is going to stay in Whitebridge City and work with Aina in order to become stronger.

"Until I return, you are free to do whatever you want so you won't feel left behind by Scarlet, who is now going to become a Slayer Candidate."

Sid nodded his head in understanding. "As you command, Master."

Lux then shifted his attention to Scarlet, who was looking at him with anticipation.

"Return to Twilight Rain," Lux ordered. "Do not make contact with me and just focus on becoming a Ranker. I don't care how long it takes, but the moment you become a Ranker, you will come to find me. That is an order."

"Very well," Scarlet replied. "I will do my end of the bargain."

"Both of you may go. I hope that next time we meet, both of you will become stronger than ever before."

"Yes! Master!"

"That's a given."

Lux waved his hand and sent the two Assassins on the Save Point he had created using the Blackfire Coffin in Oakwood Town. This was to ensure that the location of their Headquarters would remain a secret.

Even though he trusted his two subordinates, it was still better to keep the location a secret to ensure the safety of the other members of the order.

"Are you ready to go, Eiko?"

"Pa!"

Lux then placed his right hand over his chest. He had already done everything he needed to do in Elysium, and it was now time to go back home and focus on the tournament that was about to take place.

"Open! Heaven's Gate!"

 

Chapter 218 Those Who Dwell In The Abyss

"Eiko, hey… Eiko, look! It's your favorite Beast Core," Lux shook a Rank 4 Beast Core in front of the pouting baby Slime, but Eiko just ignored him.

After returning to Solais, the baby Slime stuck herself to Great Grandma Vera's side like glue, refusing to take even a single step away from the latter, completely ignoring her Papa.

Vera could only smile at the baby Slime's antics, because she knew why Eiko was acting this way.

Lux had told her about everything that had transpired in Elysium, and even the mild mannered Vera hadn't been able to stop herself from flicking her beloved grandson's forehead for doing what he did.

Although the plan worked, and he had completely hoodwinked the organization known as Twilight Rain, Lux had hurt many people's feelings in the process.

Vera understood that what her grandson did was the best solution he could think of, and even she found that—during the time that her adoptive grandson had been in Elysium—he had become quite resourceful.

"When you return to Elysium after the tournament, make sure to apologize to those poor kids properly. I'm sure that they felt heartbroken after your fake death, and they might hate you for doing such a thing." That was what Vera had told him a day ago, after he had finished telling her everything that he had done in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.

The Half-Elf already planned on doing just that when he returned. However, he decided to bring some souvenirs to his little brothers and sisters, with the hope that it would lessen their anger towards him.

'If Eiko is already like this, I wonder how Colette will react when I return,' Lux thought as he kept on sharking the Beast Core in front of the baby Slime who was ignoring his existence.

Vera lightly patted Eiko's head as she looked at her grandson's attempts to pacify his daughter.

"Lux, I was unable to tell you this yesterday because I knew you were tired, and I decided to let you rest," Vera said. "However, since you are rested now, it's time to talk to you about the monsters from the Abyss."

When Vera heard that Lux had fought against an Abyssal Being, a deep frown appeared on her face, and she immediately used a diagnostic spell to check Lux's and Eiko's bodies for signs of corruption.

After making sure that the two of them were okay, she decided to tell them everything she knew about the Abyssal Beasts to ensure that her grandson and her great granddaughter were aware of what they were fighting against.

"When the Solains first ventured into Elysium, we tried to adapt to the similar yet unique world that we found ourselves in," Vera explained. "Over the years, some managed to form partnerships with the ruling families of the land, while others looked for unexplored lands and built their home there.

"After living in Elysium for several years, we had learned from the Elysians, as well as from personal experience, about the existence of creatures that had come from the Abyss. Hence, we have given them the name Abyssal Monsters."

Vera paused to make sure that Lux and Eiko were listening to her explanation before she continued her tale.

"These Abyssal Creatures are more powerful than the creatures in both Solais and Elysium. For example, a Deimos-Ranked Dragon will always be stronger than another Deimos-Ranked creature because of their superior race, and bloodline. The Abyssal Monsters are the same. In fact, if the Dragons and an Abyssal Monster of the same rank fought, more often than not, it will be the Abyssal Creature that will be victorious. The reason why they are able to beat even the strongest of Beasts is their race's specialties which are the Abyss Touch, Abyss Charm, and Abyss Corruption."

"Abyss Touch ignores any kind of defense, allowing Abyssal Creatures to deal True Damage to their enemies. This means that even the sturdiest of Dragon Scales is only as good as a sheet of paper to them. In their eyes, we are just defenseless creatures that they can kill easily."

Very's expression became serious as she mentioned the Abyssal Creature's next ability.

"Their next ability is the Abyss Charm," Vera replied. "This ability works in almost all kinds of Monsters. Even Dragons can fall prey to this ability, making them mere puppets of the Abyssal Creature. The Beast Tide that you encountered, might have been orchestrated by this Abyssal Beast, making them the embodiment of mass destruction."

Lux's and Eiko's expressions also became serious as they listened to Vera's explanation. This was the first time they heard about these things, and it made them realize how terrible these monsters were.

"Last, but not the least, is their Abyss Corruption," Vera stated. "Some Abyssal Monsters have the inherent ability to corrupt anything they touch. Those who are infected by their miasma must be purified as soon as possible in order to stop the corruption from spreading completely. If the infected person isn't able to get treatment after four to five days, the miasma will drive them crazy."

"They will no longer be able to tell friend from foe and will attack any living creature within their sight. The scary part about this was, once they have been taken over by the miasma, they become carriers of corruption. Meaning, they can infect other creatures and spread the corruption like wildfire."

"Several settlements have been destroyed because those who have been infected kept their situation a secret until it was too late. Only High-Ranking Class Priests, Clerics, and other similar professions would be able to purify the miasma from the bodies of the infected. For this same reason, parties that were formed to fight against these creatures would always have a High-Ranking Cleric, or Priest, to prevent such a scenario from happening."

Vera lightly patted Eiko's head as she stared at Lux.

"If you ever got infected by an Abyssal Creature, return here at once," Vera ordered. "Natasha is a High-Ranking Cleric. She will be able to help purify the miasma in your body."

"Manma!"

"Of course, Eiko. If you get infected, you must return here at once as well."

"Mmm!"

Lux scratched his head before taking out the Abyssal Beast Core that was given to him by Nikola.

Vera froze after seeing the Obsidian-colored Beast Core in her grandson's hand, and looked at him askance.

"This was given to me by Sir Nikola," Lux replied. "Should I use it, Grandma?"

"... You can," Vera replied after a brief internal struggle. "There have been Rankers who managed to gain the skills of Abyssal Creatures and used them to fight against them. However, once you gain an Abyssal Ability, you will be required to register this skill with the Adventurer's Guild.

"After that, you will be given a Black Adventurer's Card, which is given only to those who possessed an Abyssal Skill. The holders of these Black Cards will be given priority when it comes to missions or quests involving Abyssal Beings."

"Will I also gain an Abyssal Slayer title after getting the Black Card?"

"Silly boy." Vera gave Lux a disapproving look. "Once you personally kill an Abyssal, you will gain that title automatically in your Soul Book."

Lux took a deep breath before focusing his attention on the Abyssal Beast Core in his hand.

"I'm going to use it now, Grandma," Lux said.

Vera nodded. "Tell me if you gain any kind of skill afterward."

Lux summoned his Soul Book and checked his stats.

—--

Name: Lux Von Kaizer

Age: 16

Race: Half-Elf

Rank: Grade A Apostle

Health: 33,000 / 33,000

Mana: 22,500 / 22,500

Strength: 200

Intelligence: 250

Vitality: 260

Agility: 200

Dexterity: 150

Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX], Item Transmutation [EX], Warrior's Luck [EX], Doppelganger [EX], Air Strider [EX], Dragon's Fear [EX], Elemental Shield [EX], Guardian's Call

Special Body Constitution: Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy

Summoning Skills. Summon Diablo, Summon Ishtar, Summon Pazuzu, Summon Orion, Summon Skeleton Fighters, Summon Skeleton Grand Archers.

Active Skills: Power Shot, Dark Arrow, Void Arrow, Fury Slash, Double Fury Slash, Battle Cry, Improved Jade Body (Mass Buff), Spinning Blades, Bone Wall, Barbed Bones, Sky-High Rush, Gale Storm.

Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Parry, Tempest Fury, Last Stand, Sticky Foot, Very Tough

Title: Apprentice Blacksmith, Negotiator, Outbreak Survivor, Eternal Guardian

—--

Lux held the Beast Core in his hands as several rows of text appeared in front of him.

< Do you wish to consume Argonaut-Ranked Abyssal Beast Core? >

< Yes / No >

—--

Lux chose Yes and two more options appeared in front of him.

—--

< Upgrade Stat Points >

< Upgrade Skills>

—-

Lux decisively chose to upgrade Stat Points and a series of notifications appeared in front of him.

—--

Obtained 100 Free Stats Points

Obtained 100 Body Constitution Points

You have learned the Passive Skill, Abyss Touch

—--

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

The skill, Abyss Touch, is a Passive Skill, it will be automatically upgraded into Abyss Touch [EX].

—--

< Abyss Touch [EX] >

– The touch of the Abyss ignores all kinds of defenses whether it be physical or magical.

– Any attack you deal to your foes will deal True Damage, regardless if it is physical, or magical in nature.

– This ability allows you to deal 200% Bonus True Damage against Abyssal Creatures of any Rank.

– This skill has a very small chance to inflict Abyss Charm on any monster (including Abyssal monsters) that is similar to your Rank or Below. The condition that must be met in order to trigger this skill is that your target must have less than 10% of its Max Health remaining.

– Charmed creatures will obey your every command for thirty minutes, regardless of what it is. Once the Charm effect's duration has ended, you will be unable to charm that creature again.

– This skill has a very small chance to inflict Fear Status on your opponent.

– This skill has a very small chance to inflict Paralyze Status on your opponent.

– This skill has a very small chance to inflict Diseased Status on your opponent.

– This skill has a very small chance to inflict Weakened Status on your opponent.

—--

Lux's eyes widened in shock after reading the information of his newly acquired passive skill. He then passed his Soul Book to his Grandma to allow her to read it. Surprisingly, Vera also had the same reaction as the Half-Elf, which made Eiko look at the grandmother and grandson pair with amusement.

"Lux."

"Grandma?"

"I think you should not register this skill in the Adventurer's Guild for the time being," Vera replied. "I'm afraid that once my son finds out about this, your cover will be blown."

Lux scratched his head because he felt that this skill would indeed cause his Step-Father to become suspicious of his abilities. He wanted to give Alexander a surprise, so keeping this a secret for now was the best option at this point in time.

"Understood," Lux replied. "Let's keep this as a secret for now, Grandma."

Vera nodded. "This is for the best. It is good to have the Element of Surprise on your side."

Vera looked at her grandson with a complicated gaze. Now that Lux had also become a Grade A Apostle, as well as having acquired an Abyssal Skill, it wouldn't be long before he surpassed his friends who had gone to Elysium years before him.

'Alex, I can't wait to see the look on your face after Lux wins the tournament,' Vera smiled as she thought of her son who had orchestrated the tournament to look for her granddaughter's fiance. 'By then, you will have no choice but to acknowledge him.'

Vera knew that, although Alexander didn't hate Lux, he still thought of the Half-Elf as someone lacking due to his weak constitution when he was very young. In Alexander's eyes, the young man was not worthy of his daughter's love and affection.

Right now, Vera couldn't wait for the tournament to start. She was looking forward to seeing her grandson shine on the stage that he had been dreaming about all of his life.

 

Chapter 219 Return To Barbatos Academy

Two weeks had passed ever since Lux's return from Elysium.

He and his Grandma Vera left Wildgarde Stronghold, so the Half-Elf could undertake an intense training session which pushed him to the limits.

With her granddaughter's happiness at stake, Vera had been very strict with the training. It was because she loved Lux with all of her heart that she didn't show him any mercy during their sparring sessions.

It made the Half-Elf understand that even though the kind, old lady, who had raised him since he was a baby, had lowered her rank to match him, his battle experience was lacking, so much that he wasn't able to even touch a strand of her hair.

During the first week, Vera made sure to drill the weaknesses he possessed into him, allowing the Half-Elf to understand his shortcomings better.

Eiko was also undergoing training with Vera. It was not only Lux who wanted to become stronger. As usual, the Baby Slime's motivation was to defeat her archenemy, the Unicorn, Astra, who had defeated her in their last rematch.

Although Lux thought that it was still too early for Eiko to beat Astra, he allowed her to do as she pleased since he understood that having a rival allowed someone to push themselves to the limit.

On the thirteenth day, Vera and Lux stopped their training to allow the Half-Elf to rest properly. Although their training session was rather short, Vera was still quite pleased with how strong Lux had become compared to how he was a year ago.

"Are you ready?" Vera asked as she glanced at her grandson, who was staring at the Academy that was slowly getting closer with each passing minute.

"Yes," Lux replied. "Thank you, Grandma, for everything."

"No need to thank me. I just want you and Iris to be happy."

"Mmm."

As Sophie climbed the banks of the river, a young lady with long, light blue hair, that was fluttering in the breeze, was waving at them from a distance.

Right beside her was a mature beauty, who also served as the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy's personal secretary.

Both ladies had been waiting for Vera's and Lux's arrival. The moment Iris' Guardian Beast had sensed the Half-Elf's presence, it immediately notified its master, who in turn hurried towards the Riverbank to meet them.

If it weren't for the fact that Alicia was walking down the hallway, inadvertently noticing Iris' happy expression, she wouldn't have known that Vera and Lux had entered the territory of Barbatos Academy.

"Grandma, Big Brother, Eiko!" Iris shouted as she ran towards them. "I missed the three of you."

"Ma!"

Eiko immediately perked up after seeing Iris, and happily jumped off of Lux's head, and used her skill, Air Strider [EX], to fly towards her.

Vera chuckled after she saw this scene, while Lux only sighed helplessly as he watched the mother and daughter pair finally reunite, showering each other with kisses.

"It's good to see you look happy and healthy, Iris," Vera said as she hugged her beloved granddaughter in a warm embrace. "Is your father well?"

Iris nodded. "Father has been busy, making sure that nothing would go wrong with the tournament. Even so, he is still a Saint, so this amount of work is nothing to him."

"Indeed, but don't forget that Saints are still people who get tired. My son is just a bit stubborn, but he truly loves you, Iris."

"I know, Grandma, but he's so strict at times. If he really loves me, then he wouldn't come up with the idea of using this tournament to look for my fiance. I already have Big Brother, I don't need anyone else!"

Alicia, who was standing a few meters away from Iris, could only smile bitterly as the young beauty scolded her father behind his back.

Her boss, Alexander, had indeed been quite busy as of late that he didn't even have time to spare to eat meals together with Iris. Because of this, the young lady, who was treated by everyone as the princess of Barbatos Academy, was not in a good mood.

While she was looking at the Grandma and Granddaughter pair who were still stuck to each other like glue, she turned her head to the Half-Elf who was just smiling from the side. Using her ability as a ranker, she tried to gauge Lux's strength, but to her surprise, she was unable to appraise how strong the red-headed teenager was.

As if sensing her gaze, Lux shifted his attention to her and smiled.

"Have you been well, Alicia?" Lux asked. "If you don't take care of yourself, you will not be able to get married even after you become 40 years old."

"Lux, it seems that you've grown quite bold since the last time we saw each other," Alicia replied as she locked the Half-Elf's head into a headlock. "Don't worry, this Big Sister will make sure that you won't die during the tournament."

Lux, whose face was now buried in Alicia's voluptuous chest, felt embarrassed. Clearly, the mature beauty didn't think of him as a man, but as a boy who was still unaware of the intricacies of a woman's body.

Iris, who saw this scene immediately pulled Lux away from Alicia, and wiped his face using her handkerchief. She was doing her best to remove any trace of Alicia's scent from her beloved brother's face, whom she hadn't seen for more than a month.

"Big Brother, you're too careless," Iris said in a reprimanding tone. "Do you let girls grab your head like that? If you have that kind of fetish, I am more than willing to do it for you. So, come!"

The beautiful young lady spread her arms wide in an inviting gesture. Although Iris was only sixteen years old, her body was already showing great promise, which made almost all the boys in the academy look at her with infatuated gazes.

'Unbelievable, she's only sixteen and she's almost a C-Cup,' Lux thought. 'A year or two from now, she will definitely be one of the most outstanding ladies in the Eastern Lands.'

Although he didn't want to admit it, Lux didn't want another young man to become Iris' fiance. This was why he decided to join the tournament and ensure that his step-sister would be able to continue living her life the way she wanted to.

"Big Brother, the tournament will begin in three days," Iris said as she walked towards the red-headed teenager and gave him a hug. "Please, do your best."

Lux patted Iris' head and assured her that she had nothing to worry about.

"Don't worry, no one will beat me," Lux replied in a firm tone. "I am afraid that Eiko will drench me with water everyday if I lose the tournament. Do you know how cheeky she has become since we last saw each other? Iris, our daughter has entered her rebellious phase.

"Pa?" Eiko, who was perched on Iris' head, tilted her head in confusion. She didn't understand what a rebellious phase was, so she decided to just not think about it!

"Big Brother, let's go," Iris said as she held Lux's hand firmly. "Tell me about the things that happened to you in the time we haven't seen each other."

"Ma!"

"Of course, you tell me your story as well, Eiko."

"Ma!"

As the blue-haired young lady pulled the smiling Half-Elf towards Barbatos Academy, a pair of eyes looked at them from a distance.

Alexander had his arms behind his back as he gazed at the Half-Elf who was going to participate in the tournament. A few moments later, he disappeared from where he stood, leaving only a fleeting breeze that also disappeared without a trace.

 

Chapter 220 Past And Present Grudges

Teenagers from all over the six Kingdoms, as well as the adjacent lands, made their way to Barbatos Academy in order to join the tournament whose name had spread far and wide.

It was none other than the Lionheart's Tournament.

The rewards for the tournament were simply too good, that even those above the age of twenty were tempted to join. Unfortunately, an age limit was set, and only those who were aged twenty-two or below were allowed to participate in the tournament.

"Is he already here?" Nero asked one of his subordinates who was also a student in Barbatos Academy.

"I saw him walking hand in hand with Lady Iris yesterday in the gardens," a blonde-haired boy said in a flattering tone. "I don't know if he registered in the tournament or not, but I didn't see his name in the official roster."

"Understood," Nero replied. "Continue to keep your eyes and ears open. I will give you your rewards in Elysium."

"Thank you very much!"

"No need to thank me. As long as you remain loyal to me, I will take care of you in Elysium."

After the blonde-haired boy left Nero's room, the latter clenched his fist in anger.

"Walking hand in hand?" Nero muttered. "You are really pushing your luck, you worthless piece of trash!"

Lightning crackled on Nero's closed fist as he did his best to reign in his anger. A few minutes later, he finally regained his calm as he stared at the mirror in front of him.

"Aside from the Four Kings and Five Overlords, no one else will reach the Semi-Finals." Nero gazed at his reflection on the mirror. "I've worked hard over the past few years and sacrificed many things in order to reach what I am today. I will not allow a spoiled Half-Elf, who only got lucky to be picked up by a Ranker in the river, step over my head."

Nero's gaze sharpened as the image of the beautiful young lady with long blue hair, and eyes as beautiful as sapphires, flashed across his mind.

"Lady Iris is only the beginning," Nero stated. "Soon, I will be known by everyone as the Champion of this tournament. Everyone will know my name, and I will no longer be ridiculed because of my lowly commoner's background."

As if Fate was playing a trick on him, the moment he looked outside the window of the room he was staying at inside the Academy, he saw the Half-Elf walking alone, headed towards the Training Grounds.

Nero sneered at the red-headed teenager whom he had hated all his life inside his head.

"I hope you joined the tournament," Nero said with ridicule. "You're fortunate that I am willing to waste my precious time to watch your face get beaten to a pulp by one of the participants in the tournament."

Nero, as well as the Four Kings, and the other Four Overlords of the Young Generation were treated as Seeded Contestants, who no longer needed to join the early elimination rounds.

They would instantly be among the top thirty-two contestants, who would battle it out until eight of them remained. Those eight would then battle and the victors would proceed into the semi-finals, where the final four would be chosen.

Aside from the recognized geniuses of the young generation, Nero didn't fear anyone. For him, as long as he used the Trump Cards in his possession, becoming the Champion had a high possibility.

"Just you wait, Lux Von Kaizer," Nero pledged. "I will take away the things that are important to you, and you will understand that you only achieved the things that you have right now because you got lucky in life.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to live a happy life.

"Someone like you… does not deserve to be Lady Iris' partner for life."

Nero gave the Half-Elf one last glare before closing the window of his room. He then stared at his rough hands that had been stained by blood and clenched them tightly.

No matter what happened, he would be the one to win the tournament, and, above all else, prove to the world that his lowly background would not hinder him from soaring high in the sky like a dragon in flight.

—--

'Not bad,' Lux thought as he looked at the countless young men and women who had come to participate in the most prestigious tournament that happened once every four years.

The Gathering of Heroes.

This was what this grand gathering was called.

The young heroes from all over the Six Kingdoms, as well as the surrounding territories, would send the strongest members of the young generation to participate in the Lionsheart Tournament that would commence in two days' time.

Lux had seen the previous tournament, and he vowed to himself that the next time it was hosted, he would participate and show how strong he was to everyone.

Although he was now about to realize his aspiration, the method he was going to use to join the tournament was different from the one he envisioned. Even so, he had already decided to join the tournament on his own terms, and stand on the stage that he had dreamed about in the past.

It was not only the brown-haired teenager that held a strong grudge against the Half-Elf. Lux also held a grudge against him too.

Both of them wanted to face each other in the tournament. However, Nero was unaware that Lux had joined the tournament using a different persona.

The Half-Elf needed to win the qualifying rounds without losing once in order to reach the top 32 participants, where the Four Kings and the Five Overlords were waiting for him.

'Lionsheart Tournament,' Lux recalled with a smile. 'Don't lose before I face you, Nero. I will make you understand that the useless Half-Elf, who you disdain so much, is going to use your face to sweep the arena of the tournament.'

The Half-Elf chuckled internally because he believed that, as long as he took the battles seriously, it was very hard for him to not reach the Semi-Finals where the true monsters of the young generation were waiting for him.