Ch. 291: Chapter 291-300
Chapter 291 Pride Of Solaris [Part 1]
291 Pride Of Solaris [Part 1]
"Kill!" Tarquin pointed his sword towards the smaller Death Tyrants as his right hand man raised the banner of his kingdom high in the air.
""Kill!""
The King of the Kingdom of Gedge charged bravely towards the right side of the battlefield, as his army pierced through the zombie horde like a hot knife cutting through butter.
"For the Alliance!" Terence roared as he pointed his sword towards the left flank of the battlefield. "Charge!"
""Charge!""
The King of the Kingdom of Lockridge bravely stood at the forefront of their formation as his warhorse trampled everything that stood in his way.
"I know that all of you are exhausted to the point that you find it hard to even stand," Lux said as he addressed the three factions that were now working together as one. "Many have tried to conquer the Sacred Dungeon and failed, but today is different. Today, we stand as one.
"Today we stand not as the members of the Rowan Tribe.
"Today we stand not as the Barbarian Tribe.
"Today we stand not as a Guild.
"Today, we stand as Solaians!"
Lux pointed at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant who floated at the center of the enemy formation, deep in the horde of zombies that were still increasing in numbers.
"Today, is the day we make history!" Lux roared. "Today, we make our stand!"
Lux's charismatic voice made everyone feel something warm coursing through their bodies as all of their passive abilities stacked with each other.
They had all formed a single party, allowing those with certain abilities that affect groups to boost everyone's stats.
This increase included attack and defense, as well as other status increases and resistances, making everyone feel as if they were being embraced by a gentle sunlight, while a soothing breeze passed through their exhausted bodies.
"Warriors of Solaris!" Lux shouted as he buffed everyone with all of his active skills, which were also being done by the other members that were in their party. "Today we fight! For Honor!"
""For Honor!""
"For Country!"
""For Country!""
"For Glory!"
""For Glory!""
Einar held his War Axe firmly in his hands, Vall had already crouched down in preparation to charge at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, and Lux covered his body entirely with the Favonius Legacy Armor.
This was the armor that was worn by the first founder of Leaf Village, and it bestowed upon its user the power of the Wind Element.
Lux created a dome of air in front of Vall in order to allow the Elegant Golden Jumping Spider to run faster, without worrying about air resistance.
Everyone else, who was mounted on their horses, held their reins tightly. Cai was already in its Hildivisni form, and ready to charge the moment Lux gave the signal.
"Solians!" Lux roared as he imbued the power of wind to everyone in their party to increase their speed, and wind resistance. "Kill!"
""Kill!""
The Elegant Golden Jumping Spider sprang towards the Monstrous Death Tyrant like a rocket, leaving behind the rest of their group.
Diablo took the helm of the charge, while riding on its Nightmare Horse, taking the place Lux had assigned him.
Lux's plan was to distract the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant before their main force came in. He wasn't worried about the others because Diablo's attack power was increasing at a rapid pace.
Due to how many zombies were dying in the surroundings, as well as the soldiers that came from the two kingdoms that had come to assist them in battle, it would only be a matter of time before Diablo's damage reached the six digits.
When that time came, Lux's Skeleton Rider, as well as the Rock Golem, Orion, would help Lux deal the damage that was needed to bring their opponent down.
Vall didn't even bother fighting against the zombies that were blocking their way. He just jumped, and crushed anything where he landed on as he moved forward at a rapid pace.
When they were only hundreds of meters away from their target, the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant locked its eyes on them and shot several different colored rays at the approaching Giant Spider.
Fortunately, Vall was moving very fast, allowing him to evade the Death Rays with ease.
When Lux fought Vall, he had already acknowledged the latter's speed, which was why he asked him to become the mount that would allow him, and Einar, to deal damage to the Death Tyrant while constantly on the move.
With the power of the Wind helping them increase their speeds, the Elegant Golden Jumping Spider's speed rose to the next level.
Death Tyrants didn't really have any blindspots because of the ten, red, glowing orbs that freely moved around it, and one big central eye that allowed it to use its other special ability which prevented anyone from regenerating on the battlefield.
However, being able to see everything and being able to react on time were two separate things.
As if to prove this point, Vall lunged at the back of the Death Tyrant and unleashed a venomous bite on its head.
Einar activated his Rage ability, similar to Berserk, which allowed him to deal more damage to his enemies for a brief period of time.
Swinging his War Axe with all the strength he could muster, the Barbarian was able to deal two Fury Slash before Vall leapt away to evade the Death Rays that were shot at them at point blank range.
Lux, on the other hand, didn't let the opportunity slide and unleashed two Dragon Claws, tearing off parts of the Beholder's skull, making it scream in pain.
The Power of the Abyss was a foreign power that wasn't exclusive in the world of Elysium. Because of this, it dealt true damage to anything it touched, with the exception of the Apex Creatures in the world like Dragons, Phoenixes, and other creatures that stood at the very top of the food chain.
The angry Death Tyrant fixed all of its eyes on the fast moving giant spider and unleashed several rays of light, with the intention of slowing it down. However, Vall had already anticipated this would happen, so he had already spun several silky threads on the surroundings, allowing him to make evasive maneuvers in the blink of an eye.
For two minutes, the Death Tyrant received a one-sided beating before it decided that enough was enough.
As if sensing that the Death Tyrant was about to unleash a devastating attack, Vall crouched its body low on the ground, and lunged under the Death Tyrant's body, as soon as he saw the giant red eye on its white Skull glow eerily.
At the same time, the Death Tyrant unleashed a cone of negative energy in front of it, turning the land in front of it completely black. Its eyes had also fired the multi-colored lights, two of which were Death Rays.
This combination attack was very scary because not only did it affect a wide area, those who were unlucky enough to die under this cone of deathly energy would instantly turn into zombies, becoming the Death Tyrant's servants.
After missing its target, the Death Tyrant turned its body and looked down on the ground, where the Giant Spider was crouched down.
Its eyes saw three Half-Elves, and one Barbarian, who were in the midst of unleashing their strongest attacks.
"""Dragon's Breath!"""
"Primal Slash!"
Golden flames, tinged with a reddish glow slammed into the giant eye of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, making it scream in pain.
The other eyes didn't stand idle, and once again shot their Death Rays at the Giant Spider, but as soon as Lux and Einar unleashed their attacks, Vall had already jumped away, evading the Death Tyrant's counter attack.
It was at this moment when the ground under their feet trembled. Lux's Avenger, Orion, had arrived and gave a mighty roar before jumping up to the air with his right arm pulled back in preparation to unleash one of his strongest attacks against the hated enemy that had killed it repeatedly over the past several days.
"Gaia Smash!"
An otherworldly scream rang out of the Valley of Death as Lux's reinforcements had finally arrived to help them attack the Boss Monster, whose deathly-red-eyes were looking at them with undisguised fury.
"Hellfire Annihilation Slash!"
Diablo's Nightmare horse leapt through the air, allowing the Skeleton Rider to unleash its strongest attack against the Death Tyrant, who was still reeling from the blow it took from the Rock Golem that had timed its attack to make contact right after his the Half-Elf's Dragon's Breath.
Hellish flames erupted from the tip of Diablo's sword, piercing the Death Tyrant's eye, dealing very high damage that had reached the six digits.
The floating eyes glowed brightly as they aimed at the Skeleton Rider, who was unable to dodge their combined attacks mid-air.
However, before these eyes could even launch their Ray Attacks at one of the greatest threats in their existence, the Death Tyrant's massive body suddenly moved forward, canceling the ray attacks that were just about to be unleashed in Diablo's direction.
Lux's Demonic Defender, Pazuzu, stood in the distance holding his Silver Shield in front of it. Since the skill, Duel [EX], forced its enemy to exchange one blow with him, the Death Tyrant charged towards Pazuzu with its giant mouth open.
"Wild Rush!"
Cai fearlessly charged at the Death Tyrant and slammed its tusk into its body and embedded them into the giant white skull, which knocked it back for a few meters.
Right after that, several magical spells descended from the sky, and exploded on the Death Tyrant's face, pushing it back for several more meters.
The young men and women, who had accompanied Diablo to break through the zombie horde, had finally reached the main battlefield.
Although they knew that the help they could give their leaders was limited, none of them decided to back away.
They were making their last stand, and as long as they still drew breath, they would use everything in their power to end the battle they started and defeat the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, that stood in their way.
Chapter 292 Pride Of Solaris [Part 2]
292 Pride Of Solaris [Part 2]
The battlefield had become a chaotic mess as the Solaians, as well as the army of the two Kingdoms, waged an all out war against the Death Tyrants who were putting up a good fight.
Diablo, who grew stronger as he was surrounded by the dead, was the greatest damage dealer in the group, followed closely by Orion, Lux, and Einar.
Vall no longer attacked the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant because he was conserving his stamina. He just focused on evading the ray attacks that were being fired in his direction, while marveling at the outstanding coordination between Lux and his summoned Creatures.
Einar was also paying close attention to the Half-Elf's Named Creatures, who were standing beside him. He felt a little bitter because when Lux had fought with him, he didn't summon his Undead Legion, unlike his fight against Cai in the Finals.
'I need to get stronger,' Einar thought. 'That way, I can challenge Lux to a rematch. When that time comes, I will make him use everything in his arsenal. But first, we will need to beat this monster before us.'
Einar had a very competitive spirit, which allowed him to surpass his limits. As long as he could set a goal for himself, he would be able to keep on going, despite how hurt, or injured he became from the rigorous training that he did for himself.
"Guillotine Throw!"
Making a full swing, and letting go of his War Axe, Einar's weapon smashed against the side of the Death Tyrant's head, pushing it a meter away from where it hovered,
The Axe then returned to Einar's hand like a boomerang. As he once again eyed the Monster, whose eyes were shooting in every direction.
Now that it had been surrounded by the Solaians, it could no longer focus on a single target and was firing colorful rays nonstop.
Some of the rays managed to hit their targets, slowing them down or turning them into stone.
Others became paralyzed, and some were imbued with fear so strong, their friends had no choice but to knock them out in fear that they would run straight towards the zombie horde and get mobbed completely.
The Death Tyrant was strong, but it wasn't as strong when fighting a large number of enemies. This was why it would summon several zombies to fight for it, in order to herd its enemies into a place where it could unleash its Negative Energy Cone and deal great damage to them in a single blow.
Anyone below the Apostle Grade would be insta-killed by this attack. Those who survived this skill would be unable to use healing spells, abilities, as well as health potions to recover their health, making a fight against a Death Tyrant a battle of attrition.
Its giant mouth would immediately bite at anything within its range, so most people kept a safe distance from it.
However, the moment they distanced themselves, they would have to deal with its Ray Attacks, which made them feel helpless.
The battle had been going on for nearly half an hour and the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant's Health had been decreased to around 70%.
Most of the damage it received came from Diablo, Orion, Lux, Einar, Cai, and Keane.
Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus, played a supporting role for the teenagers that were fighting against the Death Tyrant, often using their abilities to cancel the Death Rays, or hit the floating red eyes that were targeting those who were vulnerable to their attacks.
Vall gave a screech as it dodged a Death Ray that was fired in its direction by a hair's breadth.
"This thing's reaction time is getting faster," Lux said. As he, and his clones, bombarded the Death Tyrant with their ranged skills, Void Arrow, and Spinning Blades.
"Indeed," Einar commented as his War Axe flew back to his hand. "Either it is getting accustomed to our attack patterns, or Vall is moving slower."
Vall uttered a shriek filled with bitterness. Truthfully, he wasn't used to being used as a mount, and he was finding it hard to adjust to their current situation.
He had to constantly reapply silken threads to Lux's and Einar's feet, in order to keep them mounted on its back, while dodging the Death Tyrant who was treating them as an eyesore.
Also, his stamina was also running out. He had estimated that he would be able to keep his transformation for at least an hour, but due to how intense the battle was, he was burning more stamina than he originally intended.
Although Lux and Einar didn't say anything, they knew of the great burden that Vall was carrying on his shoulders, so they just focused on dishing out as much damage as they could.
Lux wasn't able to use his other skill, Draco Meteor, because this was an AOE attack that didn't discriminate between allies from foes.
The members of the Rowan Tribe, the Barbarians, as well as Vall's Guild, were already gritting their teeth as they hurled spells at their enemies, while evading the attacks that were aimed at them.
Since they weren't as fast as Vall, most of them had been hit by the Ray Attacks, making them suffer some status conditions.
Those who had been petrified simply remained where they were. Fortunately, there were a handful of Individuals in their combined party that could cast restoration. Although they couldn't heal their allies, they were able to remove the debuffs that they were afflicted with.
Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus, paid close attention to these individuals, prioritizing on saving their lives whenever one, or two, of the Death Tyrant's many eyes, targeted them.
"Hero's Charge!"
Diablo once again unleashed a devastating attack, making the Beholder scream another otherworldly pain. All of its eyes, including the giant eye at the center of its head, focused their attention on Diablo with the intention of ending the annoying Skeleton once and for all.
All of its eyes glowed with power as they were about to unleash their full-powered attack to finally put an end to their hated enemy.
However, as if waiting for that cue, Orion had used its Duel [EX], canceling the Death Tyrant's attack, and shifting its attention to the Rock Golem, whose rocky fist was only a few meters away from its central eye.
"Rampage!"
Orion unleashed a barrage of punches, and kicks at his opponent, tanking the Ray Attacks that were hitting its body-nonstop.
The Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant's gaping jaw, bit on the Rock Golem's body, crushing it with all the strength it could muster.
Half of the Rock Golem's body was inside the Death Tyrant's mouth, but Orion wasn't fazed and continued to hammer the monster's face, using his free arm.
A minute later, the Rock Golem's body crumbled into a pile of stones, as it once again died under the Death Tyrant's deadly combination.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Primal Slash!"
"Giga Slam!"
*Clink*
Lux, Einar, Cai, as well as Keane, unleashed their short-ranged attacks, while the Death Tyrant's attention was focused on Orion.
Since the start of the battle against the Boss Monster, Orion had already died twice. Lux would have to wait for five minutes in order to summon him again.
After Orion had been upgraded, the time needed to summon him had also become longer. Lux believed that the same would happen to Diablo, and his other Named Creatures as their ranks increased.
However, for him, this was a good thing because it meant that his subordinates were getting stronger.
"Cai, Orion is now dead," Lux shouted. "It's your turn to tank the boss!"
The Boar pretended not to hear Lux's words as it ran in zigzags to evade the Death Ray that was targeted in its direction.
Tank that thing? Are you nuts?
Sorry. I don't have any intention of dying!
Although Cai knew that it was tough, it also understood that if the Death Tyrant was able to bite its body, holding it in place then it would be over for it.
Just like what happened to Orion, all of its eyes would focus its attention on the trapped prey in the Death Tyrant's mouth, and bombard it with Death Rays, until nothing was left.
Cai didn't want to die, so it vehemently ignored Lux's orders and only used hit and run tactics against the Death Tyrant that had permanently designated one of its floating red eyes to the Boar who was shamelessly attacking it at every opportunity it got.
Seeing that Cai didn't want to take the risk, Lux decided to change his tactics in order to beat their opponent as soon as possible.
Vall's movement was starting to get slower, and he could tell that he was preserving his strength to keep his transformation longer. The Half-Elf knew that once the Giant Spider they were riding lost its transformation, they would be hard pressed to evade the attacks that would be aimed in their direction.
"Cai! I know you have a Third Gear," Lux shouted. "This is not the time to hold back! We need to kill this monster before it is too late!"
Cai glanced at the Half-Elf for a brief moment before shifting its attention at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant who had killed almost half of their forces.
Despite the efforts of everyone, dealing with a Boss Monster, who had no blindspots, and could attack in all directions, was truly a nightmare.
The teenagers were already exhausted, so they had become easy pickings for the red-glowing eyes that hovered around the Death Tyrant, shooting beams left and right at their targets.
Although only three of its Ray Attacks dealt damage, the rest of its attacks were as deadly.
Getting petrified, slowed, charmed, put to sleep, and being inflicted by fear, made things a lot harder for them.
The rays that dealt damage were the Disintegration Ray, Enervation Ray, and finally the Death Ray.
It also had one very annoying ability called the Telekinetic Ray, which gave Cai a fright when it was first hit by it.
This ray attack would instantly teleport any targeted creature right in front of the Death Tyrant's gaping mouth.
Fortunately, Pazuzu, and Orion were there to prevent the Boar from being bitten to death by the Boss Monster, allowing it to keep its life by a hair's breadth.
"Fine," Cai shouted. "Give me a minute. I need time to prepare!"
The Boar then undid its Hildivisni form and became a meter-tall boar, whose body started to glow white.
Lux, Einar, and Keane, attacked the Death Tyrant's central eye repeatedly, in order to catch its attention.
However, the Death Tyrant's floating, red eye, that had been designated to focus its attention on Cai, wasn't fazed, and glowed brightly.
It then fired a disintegration ray at the boar who had been immobilized by its transformation.
At that exact moment, a Blue Tower Shield rose up in front of Cai, as Pazuzu descended from the sky, standing between the Death Tyrant's floating eyeball, and Cai.
The disintegration beam collided with the Tower Shield, making several cracks appear on its surface.
The floating red eye continued its relentless attacks at its target, firing Death Rays, Enervation Ray, and Disintegration Ray, consecutively.
Just as Pazuzu's Shield Wall broke, a great presence erupted in the battlefield, as Cai's triumphant roar spread in the surroundings.
"Third Gear," Cai roared. "Ysgithyrwyn!"
Everyone glanced in the direction of where the Boar was, and marveled at its new, and more powerful form.
"Initiate Rank," Einar muttered as he glanced at the three-meter white boar, with massive, and deadly tusks. "So that is Cai's trump card."
Everyone in the Apostle Grade longed for the Initiate Rank.
This rank was considered to be the gateway they needed to pass through before they became true Rankers.
Of course, Cai wasn't really an Initiate. Her transformation only allowed her to step into this realm for a period of time, allowing it to become the strongest existence among those that had challenged the Sacred Dungeon.
"I'm Charging!" Cai roared as its right hoof stomped on the ground, creating a small crater, allowing it to propel itself forward for its devastating attack. Its tusk glowed faintly with magical powers, deflecting the ray attacks that were headed in its direction.
It was just like an unstoppable Juggernaut whose goal was to ram itself at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, whose central eye had shifted in its direction.
As all of its eyes unleashed a barrage of colorful rays at the approaching boar, Cai's entire body shone pure white, as its attack, defense, as well as its resistances to all status ailments rose dramatically.
The attack that it was going to unleash was its most powerful move, and it placed a lot of strain in its body.
The good part about this move was it almost made Cai Invulnerable to any form of attack, and crippling effects, for a few seconds, allowing it to unleash its powerful attack without slowing down.
"Demolition Crash!"
The moment Cai's deadly tusk pierced through the Death Tyrant's skull, a powerful shockwave erupted, pushing those who were fighting a hundred meters away from the point of impact backwards for several meters.
What followed next was an explosion like no other, making the ground under their feet tremble, as dust, and rubble, rose towards the sky, accompanied by an ear-piercing shriek that almost ruptured Lux's ear-drums with how intense it was.
Clearly, Cai's attack dealt devastating damage towards their enemy, which was currently within the dust cloud, and writhing in pain from the deadly tusks that were firmly embedded in its Central Eye, destroying it completely.
Chapter 293 Pride Of Solaris [Part 3]
293 Pride Of Solaris [Part 3]
Upon hearing their leader's scream of pain, all of the Death Tyrants tried to rush to its aid.
However, the armies of the two kingdoms had no plans to allow them to do as they pleased, pushing them back to allow the Solaians to continue their onslaught against their enemy's leader.
Cai, whose tusks were still embedded in the Death Tyrant's eye, immediately found itself surrounded by the glowing red-eyes that originally hovered around the other party's main body.
But instead of feeling afraid, the boar ignored them and simply smashed the main body of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant into the ground, as it continued its charge, using the monster's body to sweep the ground.
A Death Tyrant's eye had the ability to prevent any kind of regeneration magic from working on the battlefield. However, before it became a Death Tyrant, it was once a Beholder.
Instead of preventing others from regenerating and regaining their health, the main eye of a Beholder could create an anti-magic field with the range of a small cone that was 150 feet in length.
When Cai used its Third Form, its tusks radiated the same kind of anti-magic cone around it, preventing magical damage from working against it.
In short, the Boar's third form was an anti-magic form, allowing it to be resistant to anyone that specialized with magical attacks, which was complementary to Hildivisni, who was capable of enduring high amounts of physical damage.
The reason why Cai didn't use its Third Gear right away was due to the fact that it could only maintain this form for ten minutes. Once the ten minutes was up, the boar would enter a weakened state, similar to creatures that had lost the effect of their Berserk Skill.
The different colored-rays that rained on its body disappeared without a trace as soon as they collided with its skin that was as white as snow.
After seeing this sudden turn of events, the remaining teenagers felt revitalized. They joined Cai in dealing damage to the helpless Death Tyrant, who was being dragged around by Cai, who had taken its third form.
"Hold him steady for us, Cai!" Lux ordered, while he was atop Vall, who was lunging towards the Death Tyrant's giant body with the intention to deliver a powerful bite.
The Spider firmly embedded its mandibles on the Death Tyrant's skull, while Lux, and Einar, dished out their Dragon Claws and Primal Slashes non-stop.
Diablo, Orion, Ishtar, Asmodeus, as well as the other teenagers didn't miss this opportunity either, pummeling the Boss Monster with everything they had.
Five minutes later, Cai smashed the Death Tyrant against the ground again, and used its hooves to repeatedly smash the giant eye at the center of its body.
Although the Death Tyrant's eye had been completely destroyed by Cai's attacks, that didn't stop it from attacking Cai out of vengeance. Two minutes later, Cai stomped its right hoof on the ground and delivered another strong attack because it felt that its transformation was about to be undone.
"Giga Crush!"
Ramming the giant skull with its tusk, Cai sent it rolling several meters across the ground, allowing the other teenagers to attack it in its crippled state.
"Handle the rest!" Cai shouted as it charged towards the outskirts of the battlefield. "I'm outta here!"
All the zombies that blocked its way were torn to bits by its powerful charge and its deadly tusks which were at least three-meters long.
Lux almost fell off Vall's back after seeing the shameless boar escape just because its transformation was about to run out of juice. However, since Cai had already done a wonderful job, he decided to turn a blind eye to its retreat, and simply used everything he had to deal as much damage as it could to the Boss Monster, whose health had decreased by more than half.
"Stay strong!" Einar roared. "It's almost dead!"
After encouraging everyone to hang on for as long as they could, the Barbarian threw his War Axe at the heavily battered Death Tyrant, whose ferocity had significantly died down after getting its central eye destroyed.
Losing their main target, the floating eyes once again targeted the teenagers and attacked as if they were in a berserked state. The Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant also became more active in biting everyone that came within its range.
There were even times when it would teleport and bite one of the teenagers, who would instantly turn into particles of light after having their bodies cut in half by the Death Tyrant's monstrous jaws.
A few minutes later, only Lux, Einar, Vall, Xander, Lux's Named Creatures, and Skeleton Subordinates remained on the battlefield.
They were the last ones standing, since the rest had been eliminated by the Death Tyrant's rampage.
"Evade!" Lux shouted as four of the ten eyes that circled around the Death Tyrant fired colorful rays at Vall at point blank range.
Just as Vall was about to evade, its body stiffened, allowing the colorful rays to hit its body directly. Fortunately, the rays that hit him were the Petrification Ray, Slow Ray, and Fear Ray.
Vall's resistance against these things were high, and he was also wearing a special artifact that made him immune to petrification. Even so, those rays were like the last nail in the coffin, causing him to revert from his spider form.
The three of them crashed to the ground and rolled for several meters before coming to a complete stop.
Seeing that a perfect opportunity had presented itself in front of it, nine of the eyes of the Death Tyrants locked onto their position. Lux immediately used the power of wind to evade the attack by flying sideways across the ground.
Einar's body was hit by two rays, while the third was blocked by his War Axe.
The War Axe in the teenager's hand instantly turned into stone, while his leg and arm were hit by paralyzing rays, preventing him from moving.
Vall, who didn't have any more strength left, had escaped this predicament because Diablo rushed towards his direction and picked him up from the ground, evading the rays that were fired in his direction.
Finding that its prey had escaped, all nine eyes decided to focus on the fleeing Skeleton Rider, but this plan was immediately canceled due to the powerful taunt skill, Duel [EX], that forced it to move towards the newly summoned Rock Golem, whose stats had once again risen due to its Avenger Ability.
"""Dragon's Breath!"""
Lux and his clones didn't miss this opportunity, and the fiery blaze hit the back of the Death Tyrant's head, pushing it across the battlefield with a vengeance.
"Quick!" Einar shouted. "It only has a fifth of its life remaining!"
Lux's attack, which was imbued by the Touch of the Abyss, had dealt true damage to the Boss Monster, chipping off a huge chunk of its Health with one attack.
Diablo, who was still carrying Vall, decided to toss the teenager towards Pazuzu, before rushing towards the Death Tyrant, attempting to deal a powerful blow that would further decrease its remaining Health Points.
But before the Skeleton Rider could approach his target, the ground under his Nighmare's feet trembled, and a five-meter tall black turtle appeared on the battlefield. Lux cursed out loud due to the unexpected appearance of another strong monster, which was also a Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss.
Einar and Vall, who saw the new opponent before them, immediately grimaced because they were on their last legs. Even Lux, who believed that they were only a blow away from winning, felt as if an impenetrable wall had suddenly appeared before them.
—---
< Dark Spite Snapping Turtle >
– Snapping Turtle Golem
– Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss
Health: 7,500,000 / 7,500,000
Mana: 50,000 / 50,000
Strength: 4,000
Intelligence: 100
Vitality: 5,000
Agility: 200
Dexterity: 200
—----
The Spite Snapping Turtle was completely black, save for a flower on the top of its head, which was not more than a foot-tall that fluttered in the breeze.
"Sacred White Lotus!" Xander gasped in shock. "That's the thing that we need!"
With a mighty roar, the Turtle, who was similar to the Adamantite Golem that they met on the way to the Sacred Dungeon, glared at Lux and the others.
"You've… got to be… kidding me," Lux said while panting for breath. "Can't you give us a break?"
The Monstrous Death Tyrant was on its death throes, and only a few more blows from Diablo and Orion would finally finish it off.
However, the Black Snapping Turtle stood in front of them, preventing anyone from landing the finishing blow.
Before Einar, Vall, and Xander could despair at the unfair turn of events that just happened in front of them, several flying spears descended upon the black turtle's head, which just bounced off from its body.
Shifting its gaze towards the newcomers, Lux, and the others feel that a lump had appeared in their throats, making it hard for them to breathe.
No one would fault them from reacting that way because what they saw made them feel that they were having trouble breathing.
Hundreds…
Thousands…
Tens of thousands…
Hundreds of Thousands…
The skeletons that had lain dormant in the center of the Valley of Death, had left their resting place and traveled towards its outskirts.
Just as Lux was thinking that they had miserably failed their mission, the Rank 4 Skeletons, who were from the forefront of the formation, threw their spears towards the Dark Spite Snapping Turtle.
In the beginning, the teenagers' thought that the Skeletons were just missing their targets, which were supposed to be them.
However, after a minute had passed, they had realized that the Undead Legion weren't targeting them, but the Giant Black Turtle that was keeping the Death Tyrant safe.
The ground trembled as countless Undeads marched towards the Turtle with their eyes burning blighty within their hollow eye sockets.
"I, Farandir, the first King of the Kingdom of Gedge, have come to settle old scores!" a Death Knight wearing a golden crown on its head, stepped forward in the Undead formation holding a golden sword in its hand.
"I, Laurence, the King of the Kingdom of Lockridge, thank you, for freeing us from the Death Tyrant's control," another Death Knight, who was also wearing a crown raised its black halberd towards the sky.
Both of the Death Knight's voices were hoarse, but they contained a determination that couldn't be ignored.
"Warriors of the Middle Kingdoms who have fallen in battle, now is the time to redeem ourselves!" Farandir roared as he raised his tattered flag high up in the air. "For Hearth and Home!"
Laurence also raised the banner that contained the Insignia of the Royal Family high up in the air.
"For Honor and Country!" Laurence declared. "To all of us, who were buried within the sands of time, raise your weapons once more!"
All the Rank 4 Skeletons that had given Lux and his companions a lot of trouble in the past few days, all raised their weapons towards the sky, as if to salute their kings, while waiting for their orders.
Farandir and Lawrence pointed their banners at the Giant Black Turtle at the same time.
"Send this foul beast to the afterlife!" Farandir ordered.
"Show it the wrath of the Middle Kingdom!" Laurence stepped forward before running towards the Giant Black Turtle, while holding the banner of his kingdom.
"For the Alliance!"
""For the Alliance!""
"Kill!"
""Kill!""
In an unexpected turn of events, countless high-ranked Undead, led by two Death Knights wearing their crowns, led the charge to deal with the Black Turtle, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
This gave Lux, and the rest an opportunity to slip past the Black Turtle's defenses, running towards the Death Tyrant, which was currently hovering at the brink of death.
"Everyone, this is the final push!" Lux shouted. "Charge!"
Einar and Vall, dragged their aching bodies as they ran towards the Death Tyrant, who was now left unprotected by the Giant Black Turtle.
This was the moment of truth and, although they felt as if they would collapse at any point in time, they persevered as they closed the distance between them and the Boss Monster to deliver the final blows that would end the chaotic battle once and for all.
Chapter 294 Pride Of Solaris [Part 4]
294 Pride Of Solaris [Part 4]
Because of the appearance of the Undead Legion, the Giant Snapping Turtle left the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant unprotected.
Lux, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander were the only survivors near it, so they tenaciously moved their aching bodies forward, intending to end the battle that they started.
Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, and Asmodeus had already taken the lead, attacking the Boss Monster and protecting the remaining teenagers with everything they had.
Little by little, they tore away its Health, summing up into a huge chunk. The Boss Monster let out an otherworldly scream that echoed across the battlefield.
When the Death Tyrant's health was almost gone, its entire body turned blood-red.
Lux and his companions gazed at the giant, red skull, which glowed brightly within the Valley of Death, like a miniature sun.
"Foreigners, kill it quickly!" King Laurence shouted. "It's about to self-destruct! If it succeeds, all of us here will be buried alongside it! Kill it now!"
Simultaneous with the King's warning, Lux, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander, as well as the Half-Elf's Skeleton army, were about to deal the final blow.
But all of a sudden, the Giant Snapping Turtle turned to their direction and roared.
A powerful shockwave blew them away for dozens of meters, preventing them from getting close to the Boss Monster, whose floating eyes shone with an intense luster, signaling that it was about to self-destruct at any second.
Just when everyone was about to lose hope, a three-meter tall boar slammed its tusk into the back of the Death Tyrant's head, sending it crashing towards the ground.
"I'm Charging!" Cai's resounding voice reverberated within the battlefield as it fearlessly crashed against the Death Tyrant, which was about to self destruct.
Cai, who just recovered from her weakened state, had once again taken its Hildivisni Form and returned to the battlefield, dealing the last killing blow to the Boss Monster.
Immediately, ringing sounds followed by rows of text appeared in front of Lux, informing him that the Boss Monster had finally died, and the crisis was averted.
Cai, who had dealt the finishing blow, glowed several times, alongside Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander, who had "leveled-up", and increased their stats after the battle came to a conclusion.
Seeing that the Death Tyrant was dead, the Giant Snapping Turtle decided that enough was enough and immediately burrowed towards the ground, leaving the battlefield behind.
"Wait! Don't let it get away!" Cai shouted. "The Flower! We need to get the Flower!"
After hearing Cai's shout, Lux, as well as the others, broke out of their daze and remembered the reason why they had come to challenge the Gate of Death.
As they were about to run after the turtle underground, one of the Death Knights, who was a former King of his Kingdom, blocked their path.
"You said you were looking for a flower," Farandir stated as he raised his hand, which held a beautiful white lotus. "Is this the flower you are looking for?"
Cai immediately ran towards the Death Knight so that it could double-check if it was indeed the flower they were looking for.
Lux had already used his appraisal skill earlier, so it was unnecessary for him to give it a second glance. It was indeed the Sacred White Lotus that they were looking for. After going through so many hardships, their group had finally acquired it.
"Yes! This is the flower we are looking for," Cai said happily as it took the Sacred White Lotus and placed it in a special container, before storing it carefully in a storage ring that was personally prepared by its grandpa.
"Thank you very much," Cai stated.
The Death Knight only waved its hand as if to tell Cai that it wasn't a big deal.
"It fell before the Giant Turtle escaped underground," Farandir commented. "I'm glad that we are able to somewhat repay you for the help that you've given us all."
Laurence, the other Death Knight, nodded his head before glancing at his son, Terence, who had inherited his Kingdom of Lockridge after he passed away.
Farandir did the same, as his son, Tarquinn, walked up to him and gave him a tight hug.
"You've done well, son," Farandir said as he patted Tarquinn's back. "You've made me proud."
Tarquinn didn't reply and only hugged his father, who had already turned into a Death Knight, tighter.
"Strangers from another world, I thank you for timely assistance during our time of great need," Laurence stated. "I have already died, so I have nothing more to offer you. However, seeing that you are a Necromancer, you might be able to put these Skill Books to good use."
Laurence handed Lux two ancient tomes, which were part of the rewards that Lux gained after accepting the mission, Return of the Kings.
Farandir, who had finished talking to his son, walked towards Einar and Vall, who were now seated on the ground due to exhaustion.
"We will be forever grateful to your deeds, even in the afterlife," Farandir said. "However, it would be tasteless if I departed without giving both of you a token of my gratitude."
Raising his hand, a black Battle Axe, with several gems embedded in the center of its blade, glowed faintly.
"Barbarian, you have earned the right to wield Blazefury, the War Axe of the Forsaken." Farandir handed the two-meter tall War Axe to Einar. The axe was nearly the same size as the latter's body, and its sharp blade was a meter long and as wide as the Barbarian's arm.
"It's quite heavy," Einar commented after testing his new weapon's weight. "I like it."
Farandir chuckled after hearing Einar's words. "Only you will be able to wield it in battle. The moment you activate the gems embedded in its blade, it will become as light as a feather, allowing you to rampage to your heart's content."
Lux appraised the War Axe in Einar's hand, and his jaw almost dropped after seeing its information.
—----
< Blazefury >
– Might of the Forsaken.
Weapon Rating; Pseudo-Legendary
—----
Farandir ignored Lux's surprise and shifted his gaze towards Vall, who was looking up at him with a calm expression on his face. However, deep inside, the Spider Boy was quite excited about the reward that would be bestowed upon him by the Death Knight.
"You have done an amazing job in ensuring your allies to deal great damage to the monster that threatened the peace of our two kingdoms. For that, I bestow upon you this armor," Farandir said as he gave a silver chainmail to Vall.
Vall took the armor and nodded his head in satisfaction. It was not only Lux that had the ability to appraise things. There were some professions and special artifacts that were able to gauge the rarity and information of items, as long as it didn't surpass the rarity that it was capable of deciphering.
Vall had one of those artifacts in his possession, and it allowed him to read the information of the armor that he had just acquired from the Death Knight.
—----
< Silverglow >
– Chainmail of Heroes
Armor Rating: Pseudo-Legendary.
—----
The two current Kings, who led the army of the two Kingdoms to assist Lux and the others to fight against the Death Tyrant, approached Cai, and Keane.
Both of them also received Pseudo-Legendary items that made Lux swallow his saliva out of envy.
Cai received winged boots that would allow it to run in air, while Keane received a flute that would allow him to summon a random High-Ranking Elemental Spirit to aid him in battle.
—----
< Spire >
– Winged Boots.
Armor Rating: Pseudo-Legendary
—-----
< Enigma >
– Flute of Heroes
Artifact Rating: Pseudo-Legendary
—----
The Monstrous Death Tyrant had left a Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Beast Core, alongside its ten eyes that had floated around its body during the entirety of the battle.
Asmodeus nonchalantly picked up the Beast Core, leaving the Death Tyrant's eyes on the ground.
"Master, we can put this Beast Core to good use," Asmodeus whispered in Lux's ears. "Although the eyes of the Death Tyrants have its uses, it will be best if you divide them among the Barbarians, the Rowan Tribe, as well as Vall's guild. We can't be too greedy."
Lux nodded his head in understanding. Since he already had the Beast Core, it was only natural to give the other Monster Drops to the other people who had accompanied them till the bitter end.
Also, he could somehow understand why Asmodeus secured the Death Tyrant's Beast Core for their own. The two Skill Books that were given to Lux by the Death Knights were Animate Undead and Skeleton Make.
The Skeleton Make Skill was a unique skill, which Lux had only heard about for the first time. He planned to experiment with this skill later to understand its uses in battle better.
After giving their gifts to the teenagers, who had saved them from a calamity, the two Death Knights stood at the forefront of their Undead Army and gave the young heroes a salute.
All the Undead also raised their weapons as a way of saluting and thanking Lux and his companions, for freeing them from the enslavement of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.
"Strangers that came from another world…" Laurence wasn't able to finish whatever he was going to say next because Lux interjected in the middle of his speech.
"Solaians," Lux said. "We came from the World of Solais. We are Solaians."
Cai, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander, stood tall as they gazed at the Death Knight, who gave them an understanding gaze.
"We bid you goodbye, Solaians," Laurence said with a smile. "Carry that pride with you wherever you go, and like a torch in the darkness, give hope to those who could see it."
Lux and the others nodded their heads, as they gave the two Death Knights, as well as their Undead Subordinates, a salute meant for heroes.
"May good fortune smile upon all of you." Farandir nodded his head in satisfaction before closing his eyes. "Finally… we can rest in peace."
The entire Undead Legion, which once guarded the Valley of Death to protect the Death Tyrant, turned to ashes. The wind carried them away, as if helping them to embark on their new journey in the afterlife.
Lux and his friends suddenly found themselves glowing faintly, as the words, "Dungeon Cleared", reached their ears.
They only had enough time to glance at each other with a smile before they disappeared, turning into particles of light.
A moment later, all of them were teleported outside the Gate of Death, making them the first individuals to ever clear one of the Gates in the Sacred Dungeon in Hell Mode Difficulty.
This was an achievement that would not be easy to replicate, given how difficult the battle they fought was, which they had only managed to accomplish due to everyone's determination and the people who led them to victory.
Chapter 295 The Greater The Danger, The Greater The Reward
295 The Greater The Danger, The Greater The Reward
Right after they were teleported back to the entrance of the Death Gate, Lux, Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, decided to rest for the time being.
All of them had received great rewards from the battle, and they needed to sort them out first, before planning on what to do next.
Out of all of them, Lux was the one that gained the most. The reason? Because he was not the only one who received rewards from the Dungeon. All of his Named Creatures, as well as his Summoning Spells, had gained a boost after clearing the Gate of Death.
—----
< Your Named Creature, Diablo, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >
– Upgrade to Death Knight.
– Upgrade to Undead Paladin
– Upgrade to Doom Knight
—-----
< Your Named Creature, Ishtar, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >
– Upgrade to Nightstalker
– Upgrade to Arcane Hunter
– Upgrade to Beast Master
– Upgrade to Horizon Walker
—----
< Your Named Creature, Pazuzu, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >
– Upgrade to Fortress Defender
– Upgrade to Crusader
– Upgrade to Knight Templar
—----
< Your Named Creature, Orion, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >
– Upgrade to Blood Golem
– Upgrade to Jade Golem
– Upgrade to Steel Golem
—----
< Your Named Creature, Asmodeus, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >
– Upgrade to Demilich
– Upgrade to Archlich
—--
Aside from unlocking his Named Creatures' profession upgrades, the number of each type of Skeleton minion that Lux could summon increased by ten.
This meant that he was now able to summon 45 Skeleton Fighters, 40 Skeleton Grand Archers, and 10 Skeleton Mages.
Not only that, he also acquired two Necromancer skills, namely "Animate Undead", and the unique skill "Skeleton Make".
"The saying 'The greater the danger, the greater the reward' is true,' Lux thought. 'Not only did we get the Sacred White Lotus, we also got some great bonuses as well.'
Lux had received two quests when he entered the Sacred Dungeon.
The first one was the mission, Flower of Death, and the second one was the mission, Return of the Kings.
The Half-Elf had gotten generous rewards after clearing these two missions. For now, he decided to focus on the current agenda and upgrade his Named Creatures in order to make them stronger.
"Death Knight, Undead Paladin, and Doom Knight," Lux muttered as he gazed at the information of the three upgrades for his first Named Creature, Diablo.
Death Knights were powerful Undeads that were very efficient in fighting alone, or commanding an army of skeleton warriors, Liches, Banshees, and other types of Undead. One of its special skills was the ability to heal itself during battle, which made it a very annoying foe to fight.
They could also ride Nightmares in battle, making them look like an emissary that came from the deepest part of Hell to bring ruin to the world of the living.
In short, Death Knights were quite balanced classes because of their all-rounder set of skills and abilities, which allowed them to fight both alone or with groups, making them a tough opponent to face on the battlefield.
Undead Paladins, on the other hand, were supposed to be Paladins that died in battle. However, due to their unwavering faith, some of them rose up from the dead and became Undead Paladins. They were different from those who were forcefully revived and were left to serve as an Undying Warrior for powerful creatures such as Liches.
An Undead Paladin was a force to reckon with on the battlefield not only because they were able to fight proficiently, but also because they had the ability to heal their allies using Negative Energy.
Also, if the Paladin was a true devotee when he was still alive, the God he served would still allow them to use the Divine Powers within their body to smite their foes, whether they be the living or the dead.
Lastly, the Doom Knight.
If the Death Knight was an all rounder—an Undead Paladin and a Healer Warrior—the Doom Knight was a profession that was only made for one thing, and that was to kill.
Their sole purpose was to inflict fear and death to their foes as they used brute force to trample anything and everything that stood in their way.
The Doom Knights were proficient in both might and magic, allowing them to wield their weapons effectively in battle and use spells that would weaken, cripple, or even drain the essence of their enemies, over a period of time.
All three choices were good, but Lux was leaning more on the Death Knight because he had always thought of Diablo as his right-hand-man, who would command his mighty Undead Army to battle.
After several more minutes, Lux made up his mind and chose Death Knight as Diablo's next profession, giving his first Named Creature, a major boost in his stats.
—---
– Your Named Creature, Diablo, has successfully changed its profession to Death Knight.
– Your Named Creature, Diablo, has learned the skills Death Coil, Life Drain, Control Undead, Necrotic Shield, Rune Enchant, Rune Strike, and False Life.
– Your Named Creature, Diablo, has learned the passive skill, Unholy Aura.
– Your Named Creature, Diablo, acquired the Title, Lord of the Dead.
—----
< Unholy Aura >
Increase the Movement Speed, Health, and Mana Regeneration of all allies.
—-----
< Lord of the Dead >
– Increase Health, Attack, Defense, Movement Speed, Attack Speed, and Resistance on Status Ailments, by 10% for every 100 Undead Minions under Diablo's command.
– for every 100 Undead Minions under Diablo's command, all of his stats will increase by 5%
—------
< Diablo >
"Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"
– Named Skeleton
– Death Knight
– Rating: S
– Progress ( 0 / 20,000)
Health: 38,400 / 38,400
Mana: 16,200 / 16,200
Strength: 173 (+21)
Intelligence: 142 (+20)
Vitality: 171 (+22)
Agility: 185 (+22)
Dexterity: 152 (+22)
Title: Firstborn, Squad Captain, Relentless Charger, Lord of the Dead.
Active Skills: Slash, Heavy Slash, Bone Spear, Duel [EX], Whirlwind Slash, Leap, Hero's Charge, Warlord's War Cry, Wild Charge, True Thrust, Hellfire Annihilation Slash, Cross Slash, Death Coil, Life Drain, Control Undead, Necrotic Shield, Rune Enchant, Rune Strike, False Life.
Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician, Improved Dodge, Union of Man and Beast, Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Trainer, Warlord's Presence, Bloody Fervor, Tough, Unholy Aura
Note: Forgiveness is a concern of the living.
—----
Lux sighed after seeing the increase in Diablo's stats. He was reminded that he had come really far in his journey in Elysium.
The weak and always fainting Half-Elf back then was now gone. He was replaced by the Champion of the Lionheart Tournament and a Necromancer that reigned over a hundred Undead, who would fight with a single command from his lips.
'This is only the beginning,' Lux mused as he flipped the page of his Soul Book to look at his second Named Creature, Ishtar. 'Let's all get stronger, everyone. Our journey in this world is far from over.'
With a determined look on his face, Lux chose the professions which he believed were the best choices for his current line-up.
The Half-Elf busied himself in updating his Soul Book, unaware that outside of the Sacred Dungeon, his name, along with the names of his comrades, were being broadcasted for everyone to hear.
—---
< Field Announcement! >
< The Gate of Death (Hell Mode) has been conquered! >
< One of the Five Gates has been successfully conquered! >
< The Conquerors will be allowed to freely enter the Domain of the Fallen for an entire year at any given time, as their right as the First Conquerors! >
< Announcing the names of the Conquerors of the Sacred Dungeon in no particular order! >
< Cai… >
< Keane… >
< Xander… >
< Einar Mordosk >
< Vallaki Meitar >
< Lux Von Kaizer >
—---
Lux was unaware that their names had also been engraved on the Gate that led to the Hidden Domain, whose real name was Domain of the Fallen, and were all shining in golden lettering that would be immortalized for eternity.
The Barbarians, the members of the Rowan Tribe, and Vall's Guild Members, who had all respawned outside of the Giant Gate of the Hidden Domain, all cheered as they shouted and hugged each other in happiness.
Those who were not part of their group and had also died inside the Sacred Dungeon, looked at the faces of the members of the three factions with respect and admiration.
Naturally, there was also envy and jealousy mixed in, but in general, they felt reinvigorated.
Now that one of the Gates of the Sacred Dungeon had been captured, everyone believed that it was only a matter of time before the other Gates were conquered as well… or so they thought.
Chapter 296 I Will Take Your Words To Heart, My Lord
296 I Will Take Your Words To Heart, My Lord
Lux, who was still inside the Sacred Dungeon, was busy strengthening his Undead Army.
Ishtar had become a Nightstalker.
Pazuzu had become a Fortress Defender.
Orion had become a Jade Golem.
Last, but not the least, Asmodeus had become an ArchLich.
The red-headed teenager had thought long and hard on the roles that each of his Named Creatures played on his team. As long as they were able to work together, he believed that his Undead Army would soar to even greater heights.
Diablo was the Undead Commander whose role was to lead Lux's skeleton army into battle.
Ishtar, was the opportunistic damage dealer who would launch deadly sneak attacks, at any point in the battlefield.
Pazuzu was the Main Tank of Lux's army, so making him the bulkiest and toughest meat shield was the only way to go. Now that he was a Fortress Defender, he could play his role better compared to how he had performed in the past.
Orion was another heavyweight damage dealer in Lux's army. The Jade Golem served as an offensive and defensive behemoth, capable of attacking and defending, depending on the situation.
After getting a new upgrade, Orion has gained an incredibly high resistance against magical attacks, making him able to shrug off most attacks that were aimed at him. Another great feature about being a Jade Golem was that he gained the ability to heal himself in battle.
With his body, and fists harder than before, Orion was definitely one of the most fearsome units under his command.
Lastly, Asmodeus had become an ArcLich.
Among the Half-Elf's Named Creatures, Asmodeus was probably the most fearsome of the bunch in the long run. With his title as "Lord's Equal", he would gain all of Lux's abilities, with the exception of bloodline abilities, such as the Dragon War Arts and the Kaizer War Arts that Lux used in battle.
But, this didn't diminish the infinite growth that Asmodeus held. As Lux continued to become stronger, so would the ArchLich, whose role in his army was a tactician, who would support Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion to battle, making them a more cohesive unit.
—----
< Ishtar >
"Let the living beware."
– Nightstalker
– Rating: S
– Mana: 10
– Progress (0 / 20,000)
Health: 36,000 / 36,000
Mana: 16,500 / 16,500
Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage
Strength: 160
Intelligence: 165
Vitality: 180
Agility: 165
Dexterity: 225
Title: The Forgotten Queen
—----
< Pazuzu >
"Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"
– Fortress Defender
– Rating: S
– Progress (0 / 20,000)
Health: 183,0000 / 183,000
Mana: 10,000 /10,000
Attack Type: Bludgeon-Type Damage
Strength: 100
Intelligence: 100
Vitality: 610
Agility: 100
Dexterity: 100
Title: Demonic Defender
—----
< Orion >
"Where there is no struggle, there is no Strength."
– Jade Golem
– Rating: S
– Progress (0 / 40,000)
Health: 160,000 / 160,000
Mana: 10,000 / 10,000
Attack Type: Earth Elemental Damage
Strength: 400
Intelligence: 100
Vitality: 400
Agility: 100
Dexterity: 150
Title: Avenger
—---
< Asmodeus >
"I stopped fighting my inner demons. We are on the same side now."
– Named Skeleton Mage
– ArchLich
– Rating: S
– Progress (0 / 50,000)
Health: 22,000 / 22,000
Mana: 320,000 / 320,000
Attack Type: Necrotic Elemental Damage
Strength: 125
Intelligence: 800
Vitality: 220
Agility: 125
Dexterity: 125
Title: Lord's Equal
—-----
"Finally, I'm done," Lux stretched his neck left and right, while Ishtar gave his shoulders a massage. "Thank you, Ishtar.
"Thank you for your hard work, My Lord," Ishtar replied.
"Can you apply more pressure on my right shoulder?"
"Certainly."
"Ah… that's it. It feels so nice."
While having his shoulders massaged, Lux took the two Ancient Tomes out of his storage ring and looked at them with a serious expression on his face. This ancient tomes were given to him by the Deathknight, Laurance, as a reward for helping them defeat the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.
Each of his comrades had gotten a Pseudo-Legendary item, but he didn't receive anything like that. The only things he got were the tomes which were perfect for Necromancers.
—--
< Animate Undead >
– Raise a corpse from the battlefield. The strength of the monster that you will raise will always be a rank weaker than its original form.
– You can only summon skeletons or zombies from corpses.
– If trying to reanimate a creature whose rank surpassed the caster by two ranks or more, their rank will be decreased, equaling to the rank of the caster.
– Maximum Number of Animated Undead at any given time is twenty.
– You can upgrade your Animated Creatures, similar to your Named Creatures by feeding them Beast Cores.
– Any Animated Creature will remain as part of your Undead Legion until they are destroyed completely.
– If you wish to revive them, you must pay the corresponding amount of Beast Cores to summon them once again.
– You can summon your Animated Army anytime you use the skill, Summon Undead.
Number of Animated Undead: (0 / 20)
—--
Lux had never raised a corpse of a dead person, or creature in the past. Diablo, and the rest of his Skeleton Army could be summoned out of thin air, as long as he had the mana to summon them.
However, this time it was different. He could now raise the dead, and make them fight for his side.
In truth, Lux would be able to learn the skill, Animate Undead, automatically once he stepped into the Initiate Rank. However, that was still far away from his current strength, so having the skill early was a very good thing for him.
"Okay, time to learn this skill," Lux muttered as he activated the power of the Skill Book, making it turn into particles of light before flying towards his chest, becoming one with his strength.
—--
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
– Since the skill, Animate Undead, is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Animate Undead [EX].
—--
< Animate Undead [EX] >
– Raise a corpse from the battlefield. The strength of the monster that you will raise will always be a rank weaker than its original form.
– Your Animated Creatures are not limited to Skeletons and Zombies. You can now summon Higher-Ranked Undead depending on the quality of the corpse, as well as its rank when it was still alive.
– You are now able to choose what form your Animated Undead will become if you are willing to pay the adequate number of Beast Cores for them. If you don't want to turn them into specific creatures, you can just go ahead with the revival, making their new forms completely random.
– Animating Monsters doesn't need a corpse. If you have their Beast Cores, the likelihood of summoning an Undead Version of them is high. Their Rank wil always be a Rank lower when they were alive.
– If trying to reanimate a Creature whose rank surpassed the caster by two ranks or more. Their rank will be decreased, equaling to the rank of the caster.
– Maximum Number of Animated Undead at any given time is fifty.
– You can upgrade your Animated Creatures, similar to your Named Creatures by feeding them Beast Cores.
– Any Animated Creature will remain as part of your Undead Legion until they are destroyed completely.
– If you wish to revive them, you must pay the corresponding amount of Beast Cores to summon them once again.
– You can summon your Animated Army anytime you use the skill, Summon Undead.
– You can set a Commander among your Animated Units, to let them lead the rest of your Animated Units to battle.
– This skill will automatically upgrade everytime you raise your Rank.
– Next Upgrade: Initiate Rank
Number of Animated Undead: (0 / 50)
—--
'So, this is the reason why you decided to take the Death Tyrant's Beast Core, right, Asmodeus?' Lux inquired through telepathy.
'Yes, My Lord,' Asmodeus replied. 'If we can have a Death Tyrant among our Animated Creatures, we will have the upper hand in any battle.'
The Archlich knelt in front of the Half-Elf as he offered the Beast Core of the Pseudo-Deimos Monster, Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, to him.
Lux smiled, but he shook his head.
'Your strength is my strength,' Lux said. 'Since I acquired the Animate Undead [EX] skill, you also obtained it, right?'
Asmodeus nodded. 'Yes, My Lord.'
'Then you use that Beast Core and make it your first Animated Creature.'
'... Are you really fine with this?'
Lux smiled. 'Yes. Right now, we have a limited number of slots for our Animated Creatures. I want to choose the Monsters that I will add to my own retinue. Also, there will be occasions when we will have to separate in order to command our own individual armies.
'Having a Death Tyrant with you will give me some form of assurance. After all, they're nasty buggers when fighting with the living.'
The embers that glowed inside Asmodeus' eye sockets burned brighter, as he lowered his head respectfully towards his Master.
'I will take your words to heart, My Lord,' Asmodeus stated. 'I am quite fortunate to have someone like you as my Master.'
A moment later the Beast Core in Asmodeus' hand turned into particles of light, and above them, a meter-tall Death Tyrant appeared.
It was the mini-version of the Boss Monster they had fought, and it was only a Rank 4 Monster. Even so, Lux was certain that Asmodeus would transform this Animated Monster into a True Monster that would wreak havoc to his foes in the not so distant future.
"Master, this Death Tyrant has gained the ability to evolve," Asmodeus said as he lightly patted the Death Tyrant's head, making the white skull's jaw chatter non-stop. "I would be honored if you personally bestow a name on this Creature."
Lux rubbed his chin as he gazed at the little Death Tyrant whose eyes were all looking at him with anticipation.
"Morpheus," Lux said softly as he patted the Death Tyrant's skull, making the latter narrow its big central eyes in happiness.
—--
< Morpheus >
"My dreaming ends. Your nightmare begins!"
– Death Tyrant
– Rank 4 Monster
—----
The Death Tyrant's otherworldly laughter echoed in the Sacred Dungeon, making Cai, who was about to ask Lux on what they would do next, almost jump up in fright after seeing the little guy who was currently nudging its skull-like head against Lux, like a dog wanting to get petted by its owner.
"I have come to ask what we will do next," Cai said after realizing that the Death Tyrant that was hovering beside Lux was not an enemy, but one of his Undead Minions. "Are we going to challenge the other gates or…"
Lux shook his head before Cai could even finish its words.
"We're going back," Lux stated. "We have already gotten the flower, so there is no use continuing to explore the other Gates."
Lux glanced at the other Four Gates that had been left unconquered. Even though he had gained a massive boost in strength due to the upgrades of his Named Creatures, he was very exhausted.
Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander were also the same. They were just meditating at the side and using Health Potions in order to recover their health and mana just in case Lux wanted to challenge the other Gates that would lead them to the unknown.
"Just give me thirty more minutes," Lux said as he glanced at the rewards that he still hadn't sorted out from his Soulbook. "After that, we will exit the Sacred Dungeon, and head to the Rowan Tribe to deliver the Sacred White Lotus."
Cai nodded its head happily because it was already very exhausted. After using its Third Gear, it would not be able to use it again for a full day, rendering one of its Trump Cards useless.
After the Boar left Lux to pass his message to the others, the Half-Elf opened his Soul Book and rubbed his hands together.
"Now, let's see what kind of precious things I gained from this adventure," Lux muttered as the corner of his lips curled up into a smirk.
Clearly, he was itching to take a look at the goodies he had gained from his mission.
Rewards that would make anyone, even the current rulers of the Six Kingdoms, and perhaps Alexander and Cai's grandpa, Maximilian, covet the items that Lux currently held in his possession.
Chapter 297 The Key Of Agartha
297 The Key Of Agartha
< Congratulations you completed the Quest: Flower of Death! >
< Flower of Death >
Mission Rating: S
< Quest Objective >
– Kill the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.
< Quest Rewards >
+10 to Skeleton Summoning Skills
+10 to Skeleton Archer Summoning Skills
+2 to Golem Summoning Skills
+2 to Skeleton Mage Summoning Skills
+5,000 Body Cultivation Points
– 500,000 Gold Coins
– Beholder's Legacy
– The Flower of Death
—--
< Bonus Rewards >
– Sacred White Lotus
+10 to Summon Skeleton Fighters
+10 to Summon Skeleton Grand Archers
+5 to Summon Skeleton Mage
+ 1 to Summon Rock Golem
5,000 Body Constitution Points
—----
Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy
Rating: D
Progress: (5,000 /16,000)
—----
'I acquired another Sacred White Lotus?' Lux wondered upon seeing the flower that was currently inside his inventory. He didn't take it out and simply observed it.
However, he only needed a single glance to see that the flower rewarded by the quest completion was highly similar to the flower that Cai had received from the Death Knight. This unexpected boon made Lux smile inside his heart because it only meant one thing.
He hit the jackpot!
Originally, Lux thought that the "Flower of Death" that was meant as a reward was the flower that they were looking for. But it turned out that it was completely different.
'... So, this is the Flower of Death,' Lux mused as he gazed at a flower that greatly resembled that Sacred White Lotus.
They only differed in color because this one was completely black, with faint crimson colors along the edges of each petal. Unlike the Sacred White Lotus that emitted life, this one emitted death and decay. As a Necromancer, Lux was quite sensitive to these things, so it was easy for him to know that this flower was truly associated with death.
—---
< Flower of Death >
– Together with the Sacred White Lotus, this flower is the key to create a Panacea that can cure all diseases and injuries in the world.
– If used alone, as long as any dying creature still has a single breath in them, they will be saved from death. However, they will enter a comatose state for a month. By the time the month ends, they will have a body that is completely immune to poison.
Their vitality will also increase, allowing them to live for decades to come. There are also rare occurrences when those who had consumed this flower would revert to their youthful selves, allowing them to recover the strength of their younger days.
– Be warned. Only dying or near death creatures can ingest the Flower of Death and gain its effects. If a person is healthy and ingests this flower, they will die within a minute.
—---
A cold hiss escaped from Lux's lips as he read the information of the Flower of Death. This was simply a very powerful consumable item that could completely reverse the death of a dying person or creature.
Lux knew that he couldn't let anyone know, aside from his Grandma, about the black flower in his possession. This was simply something that would be coveted by those who were in a position of power. Letting the world know of its existence would bring him more trouble than harm.
'Now, what rewards did I get from my other mission…,' Lux flipped the page of his Soulbook after he had regained his calm.
But after reading the information about his rewards, the Half-Elf's hands, which were holding the Soulbook, shook, almost causing him to drop it.
—--
< Congratulations! You have finished the mission: Return of the Kings! >
< Return of the Kings >
Mission Rating: S
< Quest Objective >
– Kill the true Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant
– Quest Duration 24 hours.
– Quest will automatically end in failure if you, as well as your entire faction, die in battle.
– Quest will automatically end in failure if you fail to kill your target within 24 hours.
< Rewards >
– Key to the Legendary Kingdom of Agartha
+100 Reputation Points with the Kingdom of Agartha
—--
< Key of Agartha >
– Legendary Item
– Once a week, you will be able to instantly teleport to the Kingdom of Agartha by using the Key.
– You may return to where you came from anytime by using the Key a second time.
– This Item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer
—--
'Key of Agartha?' Lux scratched his head in confusion. "Kingdom of Agartha?"
His surprise initially came from seeing that the key he received was a Legendary Item. However, after his shock passed, he was baffled because he had never heard of a Kingdom named Agartha before.
Vera wasn't stingy when she taught Lux about history and even the geography of the region that they belonged in. However, the Half-Elf couldn't recall hearing about the Kingdom of Agartha, causing him to frown.
It was then when he was hit by a realization that he had an item that could give him the answer to his question.
'Good thing I have the Elysium Compendium.' Lux smirked as he used its search function to look for the keyword, Agartha.
A minute later, the smirk on Lux's face gradually faded and was replaced by disbelief. He didn't expect that the Key in his hands would lead him to a place that was beyond his wildest dreams.
—---
< Kingdom of Agartha >
Kingdom Rank: SSS
– The Kingdom of Agartha is found near the core of the World of Elysium. For thousands of years, its existence has remained a mystery to those who live on its surface. However, regular expeditions were made to the surface to better understand the world that they lived in.
On several occasions, this Mysterious Kingdom also lent its hand to help dealing with calamities that befell upon the world. While the common folk have never heard of them, many Kings, Emperors, and other powerhouses in the world, treat them as Untouchables.
– Only those lucky enough to acquire the Three Keys that led to this Legendary Kingdom are permitted to stay for long periods of time.
– The Key of Agartha can only be activated when you reach the Initiate Rank.
—---
'... Damn!' Lux cursed internally because he had acquired a priceless treasure. 'Are you for real?!'
When the Half-Elf saw the Kingdom Rank of Agartha, his jaw almost dropped from surprise.
The Six Kingdoms that belonged to their region were only Rank A Kingdoms. Even so, their rule had been unshakeable over the past hundred years, and no invaders had been able to breach their capital cities.
Simply put, a Kingdom's Rank was based on its strength. His Grandma Vera had told him in the past that outside the borders of the Six Kingdoms, there were several other Kingdoms, as well as Empires, that were S-Ranked.
The Half-Elf couldn't even fathom how powerful a SSS-Ranked Kingdom was. He was also very curious about what kind of things he would see in the mysterious city.
'Do they perhaps sell Legendary Weapons, Armors, or Artifacts?' Lux's imagination started to paint pictures of shops selling Legendary items in Bulk, which made him wish he could go to Agartha right away.
'As soon as I step into the Initiate Rank, I'll go there right away,' Lux vowed in his heart before closing his Soulbook.
He then took deep breaths in order to calm his overflowing emotions from seeing the things he gained from the Dungeon Expedition. A few minutes later, he looked at his comrades who had also recovered their strength and were just waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing.
"Let's go back," Lux said. "Our job here is done."
Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, nodded their heads. Deep down, they felt relieved that they didn't need to challenge the other gates, whose difficulty level was similar, or even greater than the Gate of Death that they had just conquered.
Everyone followed Lux as he headed towards the Teleportation Portal that was located behind the Five Gates, which would instantly teleport them back to the entrance of the Hidden Domain.
They were not aware that as one of the handful of people who managed to clear the Dungeon, they gained the right to enter and leave the Hidden Domain whenever they pleased.
—---
Entrance of the Hidden Domain…
The moment Lux opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar place, where several young men and women were gathered.
The members of the Rowan Tribe, who had died in fighting against the Death Tyrant, all ran towards Lux, Cai, and Xander, to ask them how they won against the Boss Monster that had killed them all.
The same thing happened to the Barbarians who immediately went to Einar and Vall's Guild Members, who all had smiles on their faces.
For them, their leaders' victory was their victory, and they had a share in their glory. No one had been able to clear the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon before, but now that it had been cleared, they gained the bragging rights to tell everyone that they had done what others had failed to do.
Lux allowed Cai and Xander to tell the story of the battle to the members of the Rowan Tribe.
"I was the one that killed it!" Cai raised its snout in an arrogant manner. "If it wasn't for me, all of us would have been wiped out! I'm the MVP! Isn't that right, My Daddy?!"
"Yes." Lux nodded. "You are indeed the MVP."
Cai glanced at the members of the Rowan Tribe with the "See? I told you so!" gaze, making them cheer in happiness.
The Half-Elf didn't want to ruin Cai's exaggerated story because even though the Boar had made it seem like it had been the one who single-handedly defeated the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, it wasn't an exaggeration that it played a crucial role in the battle.
Destroying the central eye of the Death Tyrant, as well as delivering the final blow to the back of its head, when no one had been able to, allowed the Boar to feel good about itself.
Even the proud Barbarian, Einar, and the narcissistic, Vall, didn't say anything, and just shrugged when asked if the Boar's claims were true.
Looking up at the gate that led to the Hidden Domain, Lux saw his name, alongside his companions, glittering in the darkness. It was proof that they had left their mark on history.
It was proof that humanity had managed to conquer the unknown, and lived to tell the tale of the dangers that lurked within the Four Gates that represented Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.
"Four horsemen of the Apocalypse, Conquest, War, Famine, and Death," Lux said softly. "These four laughed at the folly of humanity, and watched mankind take its final breath."
Staring at the gate in front of him, Lux wondered what diabolical monsters lay behind the fifth and final gate that was inside the Sacred Dungeon.
Although he didn't say it out loud, he had a hunch that whatever lay beyond that tightly shut door…
Had something to do with the Abyss.
Chapter 298 Subjugating Bandits Is A Noble Deed
298 Subjugating Bandits Is A Noble Deed
"This is impossible," Henrietta muttered as she looked back at the fourteen Monstrous Death Tyrants that were running after their group.
Unlike Lux and the others, who had received the help of the two Kings after defeating the first Death Tyrant, the three guilds that joined together didn't trigger this special event.
Henrietta, Iris, and the Guild Serenity.
Nero and the Storm Dragons.
Enlil and the Elves.
These three factions merged together in order to challenge the Death Gate together, and had made good progress together.
In fact, their progress was so good that they thought that they could just steamroll the Undead Army, and head straight towards the center of the Valley of Death, and clear it in one go.
Although they were facing Rank 4 Undead Monsters, the combined might of the three forces had surpassed Lux's ragtag group of fighters. But, this also led to their downfall.
They were so confident of their prowess, that they didn't know that those who went deeper into the Valley would find themselves trapped on all sides by the Death Tyrants that were buried under the ground.
When they found out about the true nature of their enemies it was already too late.
Due to the combined bombardment of the Death Tyrants, half of their forces were killed in less than five minutes.
In the end, only over a dozen people managed to break through the encirclement, but all of them had suffered various injuries. Enlil's left arm had turned into stone, Nero's legs were broken by the bite of one of the lesser Death Tyrants shortly after a telekinetic ray hit him.
If not for the fact that Iris had saved him from his predicament, allowing Astra to help Teleport Nero out of the Death Tyrant's jaws, he might have been eliminated already.
The only thing he was relying on was his ability to move fast in quick bursts using the power of lightning, allowing him to keep pace with the others.
Henrietta's Mythical Armor had been destroyed due to how intense the battle was.
The only one that wasn't injured throughout the clash was Iris because she was heavily protected by her Guardians, as well as Eiko, who was perched firmly on her head.
"Ma!" Eiko urged as she looked at the Death Tyrants that were pursuing them as they made their escape towards the outskirts of the valley.
'I know, Eiko,' Iris replied via telepathy. 'But the others are injured, so this is as fast as we can go.'
The blue-haired beauty was riding on top of the Unicorn, Astra, who was the fastest among her Guardians.
The Blue Dragon, Valerie.
The White Tiger, Hanz.
And the Red Phoenix, Zoe, were all beside her, keeping her at the center of the formation.
Myrtle, the Black Tortoise was at the rear, protecting Iris from the Ray Attacks of the Death Tyrants that were headed in her direction.
Eiko was copying Iris' guardians' abilities, especially Myrtle, in order to resist the rays that made it past her defenses. Her summons, Blackie, Whitey, and Cloud (Air Slime), were flying above her head, ready to block any attacks that Eiko wasn't able to stop completely.
Just as they were nearing the safety of the cliffs, the ground underneath their feet rose up, sending dust flying in every direction.
In front of them, a Giant Black Tortoise roared, creating a shockwave that blew all of them backwards.
Due to the unexpected sneak attack by another Pseudo-Deimos World Boss, the formation—that was barely able to keep those that remained alive—instantly crumbled, allowing the several Death Rays that had been fired by the Death Tyrants to descend without resistance upon the remaining survivors.
One by one, all of them turned into particles of light. The only one that survived the barrage was Iris because her Guardians had blocked the attacks that were aimed at her body.
"Ma!" Eiko shouted as she gazed at the Death Tyrants that was about to unleash another barrage of attacks on her Mama. Her Guardians lay beside her, unable to move because all of them had sustained grievous injuries.
No healing magic worked in the Valley of Death because the Death Tyrants' passive skills prevented any type of regeneration, or healing ability, from working and ensured that anyone who stepped inside the domain would have no way of surviving a battle of attrition against them.
"I guess this is it," Iris muttered as she gripped a purple crystal in her hand. "We're leaving!"
"Ma!" Eiko supported her Mama's decision.
A moment later, Iris Guardians' turned into beams of light and flew towards her body. She had recalled all of them before activating the purple crystal that had been given to her by her father, in the case that she was about to perish inside the Dungeon.
Although she could recover the lost stat points that would be deducted after her death, Alexander didn't want his daughter to suffer such a fate, so he just gave her the most expensive Teleportation Crystal he had, which allowed anyone to teleport out of any kind of Dungeon.
A second later, after she disappeared from the Sacred Dungeon, dozens of multicolored rays descended upon the location where she stood, sending dust clouds flying in every direction.
—--
The next time Iris opened her eyes, she found herself outside of the Hidden Domain where those that had died inside the Sacred Dungeon respawned.
She immediately ran towards Henrietta, who was in the middle of applying healing magic to her guild members, who had been injured inside the Dungeon.
Although no one would die if they perished inside the Dungeon, the injuries they received before they died would remain with them until they received proper treatment.
Enlil, whose arm had turned into stone, had already been treated, as well as Nero, whose legs were broken.
As Serenity's Vice Guild Master, Iris had to help treat their wounded members and ensure that they would recover in the shortest time possible. While treating her guild members, she noticed Lux standing several meters away from her with his arms crossed over his chest.
He didn't disturb her and simply allowed his fiance to do her duties, as the Vice Guild Master of her Guild.
Half an hour later, Iris walked towards Lux and gave him a hug.
"We failed in our mission," Iris said sadly. "The Hell Mode of the Gate of Death is too hard."
"I know," Lux replied as he patted her head. "We experienced it as well."
Iris looked at Lux's clothes and gave them a critical look. Clearly, she was looking for any injuries that the Half-Elf might have acquired during his Dungeon expedition.
Seeing that the clothes he was wearing weren't torn up or anything, Iris was able to breathe easy before shifting her gaze back to Lux's handsome face.
"Were you able to get any gains from the Dungeon?" Iris asked.
Although her group didn't manage to get the Sacred White Lotus, they were able to get high-grade weapons and armors that were all Pseudo-Mythical Ranked.
These things weren't easy to come by, especially for normal people. However, they were the types of items that could be given to their Guild Members who lacked proper gear.
Henrietta had already decided to split the gains between Serenity, the Storm Dragons, and the Elves, ensuring that no one went home empty handed.
"Yes, we were able to get some good stuff," Lux said with a smile.
"Oh? What did you get?"
"The Sacred White Lotus."
Iris giggled after hearing Lux'x reply. She then lightly pinched her fiance's cheeks because she thought that he was just teasing her.
However, seeing the devilish smile on Lux's face, as she pinched his cheeks, made her eyes widen in disbelief.
"... you're joking, right?" Iris asked.
"Who said I was joking?" Lux replied as he lightly pinched Iris' cheeks back. "You dare doubt your fiance? Looks like I need to punish you thoroughly when we get back."
Iris' cheeks immediately began to burn with embarrassment because Lux was giving her the "You're not getting any sleep tonight" gaze.
Lux knew that Iris still didn't believe him, so he decided to move closer and whisper something in her ears.
"If you don't believe me, why don't you look at the Gate of the Hidden Domain?" Lux whispered. "That will prove that I am not lying."
Iris turned her head to the side to look at the massive gate. Her eyes slowly moved upwards and stopped at a row of names, which weren't there before they entered the Hidden Domain.
Iris' lips formed an O, as she read the words written on the gate.
—---
< The First Conquerors of the Gate of Death (Hell Mode) >
< Cai… >
< Keane… >
< Xander… >
< Einar Mordosk >
< Vallaki Meitar >
< Lux Von Kaizer >
—----
"Impossible…," the proud Prince of the Elves muttered as he gazed upon the Gate. "This is impossible!"
As an Elf, he had very sensitive hearing. The moment Lux and Iris started talking, he had focused his senses on the two of them so he could eavesdrop on their conversation. At first, he found their chat cheesy because they were just flirting with each other.
However, after hearing that Lux had gotten the Sacred White Lotus from the Gate of Death, he felt as if his heart had skipped a beat.
Naturally, he didn't believe the words that he had heard come out of the Half-Elf's mouth. He wasn't there when Lux had won the Championship, and Enlil believed that if he had been the one to fight against Lux, he would have definitely won his match against him.
This was why he didn't think much of the news of Lux becoming the Champion when it reached the Elven Kingdom.
In his eyes, the Half-Elf simply got lucky because he didn't get to face him in the Tournament.
But, right now, he was starting to think that he had greatly underestimated Iris' current fiance, whose name had already reached the far corners of the Six Kingdoms.
Nero and Henrietta noticed the sudden change in their surroundings as Enlil and the Elves stared at the Gate of the Hidden Domain in disbelief.
The two Guild Masters followed their gazes and looked up at the Gate of the Hidden Domain. A moment later, both of them shuddered because of the things that were written on top of it.
"Impossi…" Henrietta stopped herself midway as she forced her lips shut.
When they had failed their Dungeon Expedition, she believed that no one else would be able to conquer the Gate of Death. Their forces were truly quite powerful, and one could even say that their lineup was among the best within the members of the young generation.
But, they were still unable to clear the Hell Mode difficulty of the Gate of Death, making her feel bitter inside.
Nero clenched his fists tightly as he looked up at the golden names that glowed faintly in the darkness.
He wasn't aware that the seed of the Abyss in his heart had started to grow bigger, allowing a small sapling to appear.
Shifting his gaze at the Half-Elf who was holding the blue-haired beauty whom he loved in his arms, a strand of black lightning flickered in the very depths of his eyes.
A storm was starting to form, but none of the teenagers present at the entrance of the Hidden Domain noticed the danger that was in their midst.
—--
"Are you sure that this is the place?" a young man with blonde hair asked the aide that was standing beside him.
"Yes, Your Highness. The artifact that detects living people is pointing in this direction. Also, their numbers are over a hundred." the man, who seemed to be in his early forties, replied. "If our guess is right, down this cliff is the entrance to the Domain of the Fallen."
The blonde prince nodded. "Good. Fortunately we were close by when he heard the Divine Message. Although this place isn't part of our Kingdom, it is still a Neutral Territory. Anything that can be found here is up for grabs, right? Especially when they are taken from the hands of bandits."
"Yes, your Majesty," the man nodded his head in understanding. "Subjugating bandits is a noble deed."
"I know, right?" the blonde prince laughed before pointing down at the cliff. "Let's go. We mustn't let any of these bandits escape."
"As you wish, Your Excellency," the man bowed his head.
Immediately, over a thousand elite soldiers descended on the cliff with determined looks on their faces. The Domain of the Fallen was considered a fable to them because no one had been able to find its entrance, until just a few years ago.
The Six Kingdoms had been incredibly secretive about their discovery. They had done so to make sure that none of the surrounding territories knew that they had come across the entrance of the Hidden Domain by accident.
If not for the fact that the Princes' hunting party was nearby, they wouldn't have known that the Hidden Domain was near them, allowing them to change their plans, and take advantage of the situation that had unknowingly fallen into their laps.
Chapter 299 The Fourth Prince Of The Ashina Kingdom [Part 1]
299 The Fourth Prince Of The Ashina Kingdom [Part 1]
"Y-You… Did you really conquer the Gate of Death?" Henrietta asked as she walked towards Lux in disbelief. "You've managed to beast the thirteen Monstrous Terror Death Tyrants?"
"I didn't beat them myself," Lux replied. "I beat them with Einar, Vall, their guild members, and the Rowan Tribe. It was us who fought those Death Tyrants and won against them."
"Impossible!" Enlil shouted. "Don't f*cking joke with me you Half-blood! How can you possibly win against those monsters?!"
Before Lux could even answer, Cai stepped forward with her snout raised up to the air in arrogance.
"How did we win against those monsters?" Cai snorted. "Isn't it obvious? It is because I am there! Ask Einar, and Spidey Boy. They will tell you that I am the MVP!"
Enlil glanced at Einar and the latter just shrugged.
Vall, on the other hand, glared at Cai.
"I'm not Spidey Boy, you filthy boar," Vall replied in annoyance.
"Um, I forgot t o ask, are you interested in becoming part of my secret organization?" Cai inquired. "Although you are a little shabby, you are qualified to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
"Like hell I want to join your stupid organization."
"Awww, I didn't know you wanted to join this badly. Fine, I'll make a special exception and allow you to join. Congratulations! You are now one of us!"
"Don't stop me!" Vall roared in anger as he was held back by his guild members with everything they had, preventing him from shredding Cai, who had gotten into his nerves, to pieces. "I'm going to beat up this pig!"
"Please, don't! The Saint of the Rowan Tribe will find trouble for all of us!"
"Young Master, please, stay your hand. Staining your hand with this filthy boar's blood is not worth it. Besides, its Grandpa would definitely come looking for us after this. It's just not worth it."
"Please reconsider, Guild Master!"
While Vall was getting held back by the members of his guild, Einar, who had his arms crossed over his chest, wanted to laugh out loud. He had never seen the handsome narcissist, so enraged, making him have a good impression of the boar, who had glanced in his direction."
"Um, Sorry, Einar," Cai said as he looked at the Barbarian with an apologetic look. "You're not handsome enough to join my organization. I'm sorry, but let's just stay as friends, okay?"
"Who the f*ck wants to be your friend, you bastard?!" Einar shouted.
Whatever good feelings he had for Cai earlier completely disappeared after the latter ridiculed his looks.
The Boar ignored the Barbarian who was also being held back by his comrades in order to prevent Einar from chopping the annoying boar into pork chops.
"The reason why all of you failed to clear the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon is because you don't have the Great Me on your teams!" Cai declared. "Next time, make sure to politely ask me for help. Maybe, just maybe, I will lend my assistance to you guys because I am such a magnanimous person."
After saying these words, the Boar laughed arrogantly as if belittling everyone for being unable to beat the Gate of Death like they did.
'Damn Cai, you really know how to annoy people don't you?'
This was the thought that came to Lux's and Keane's minds as they listened to the shameless boar's laughter which irritated those who heard it, friend and foe alike.
"Do you have to deal with this everyday?" Lux asked Xander who was looking at Cai with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Yes," Xander. "You don't have any idea how much we've suffered keeping Cai safe from those who want to mob h… it."
Lux and Keane both patted Xander's shoulders in understanding. If they were in his shoes, they would have surely kicked the Boar's bum in order to teach it a lesson for being annoying.
One by one, several more people respawned at the entrance of the Hidden Domain. Just like the others, they had failed in their missions, but they were able to gather some resources during their expedition.
Not everyone who went into the Sacred Dungeon targeted the Gate of Death. Some went to the Gates of Conquest, War, and Famine, bringing with them resources that were exclusive in those dungeons.
The rulers of the Six Kingdoms knew that the possibility of getting the Sacred White Lotus was small, so they didn't want to use all of their forces on a suicide mission. Instead, they asked half of their forces to scout the other Gates and gather as much information as they could.
They planned to use the data they gathered for the next expedition that they would launch when the Hidden Domain opened once again.
While the Guild Masters of each Guild were treating their injured, and checking the inventory of the resources they acquired, a faint rumbling sound was heard in the distance.
Soon, the sound became louder, and the ground under their feet started to tremble.
Lux, and Enlil, whose eyes could see clearly, even though the end of the passage was barely visible due to how dark it was, saw an unknown group of armed individuals headed in their direction.
"Battle formations!" Enlil shouted. "We have company!"
At first, the guilds were surprised after hearing the Elf's announcement, but soon, all of them were gripping their weapons and had formed ranks according to their respective Guild Master's orders.
The Six Kingdom knew that the possibility of being discovered while they were tackling the Hidden Domain existed. Because of this, they had already drilled into their representatives that, if such a case happened, they should do their best to work hand in hand in order to repel, or even subjugate, the forces that had come across the entrance of the Hidden Domain.
Lux stood in front of the Rowan Tribe, with his Named Creatures standing by his side.
Iris had returned to her Guild, Serenity, and assumed her role as the support and Vice Guild Master of her guild.
All of them stared at over a thousand Apostles mounted on Forest Wolves, whose ranks were all at the Apostle Grade.
"Well, well, well…," a playful voice said. "What do we have here? I see familiar and unfamiliar faces. It seems that we hit the jackpot this time."'
A handsome teenager with short blonde hair and blue eyes scanned the surroundings atop his Forest Wolf.
After a while, his eyes landed on Henrietta before shifting her attention to the blue-haired beauty behind her.
"Henrietta, Iris, fancy meeting both of you here," the blonde teenager said. "Hah, that annoying Nero is here too. Good. This certainly is a big haul."
Henrietta and Iris who saw the face of the blonde teenager immediately became grim because both of them recognized who he was.
"What brings you here, Prince Lowell?" Henrietta asked. "This is quite a distance from the Ashina Kingdom."
"My dear Henrietta, would you believe me if I said that I smelled your and Iris' fragrances from far away and followed you here?" the Fourth Prince of the Kingdom of Ashina, Prince Lowell replied with a smile.
"Gross." Henrietta almost spat on the ground after hearing the Prince's words.
Among the members of the Ashina Royal Family, Prince Lowell was known to be the most debauche among them. The King had almost given up on this son of his, so he kept him away from the capital city to prevent him from sullying their family name.
Because of this, Lowell had no choice but to wander around the neutral territories, meeting the Solaians that belonged to the Six Kingdoms.
As someone who liked beautiful ladies, there had been more than one occasion when he had tried to court Henrietta, Iris, and some of the beautiful ladies from the other guilds as well. However, they didn't like his advances, making him resort to a different kind of tactic, which involved the use of brute force.
Some of these ladies had fallen into his hands due to schemes, and ambushes made in the neutral areas. Unfortunately, he didn't have a chance to find a good opportunity to target the beautiful Guild Master and Vice Guild Master of Serenity because they rarely wandered too far from the territories that belonged to the Six Kingdoms.
Even so, the stories of Prince Lowell's villainy had reached their ears, making them hate him to the bone.
"Sir, I have checked all of the people here," one of Prince Lowell's aids whispered in his ear. "Although there are a few strong ones, none of them threaten our army."
The smile on the blonde prince's face widened after hearing his subordinates' report.
'Finally, something good came about on this trip.' Prince Lowell smirked as he gazed at the ladies whom he had his eyes on for a very long time. It was not only Henrietta and Iris whom the prince wanted to capture.
He wanted to capture all the ladies in front of him, so his men could enjoy themselves while he picked the most beautiful among the bunch.
"Meeting all of you here must be fate," Prince Lowell commented. "May I invite all the ladies here to have dinner with our group? Don't worry. All of us are gentlemen, isn't that right, everyone?"
The soldiers accompanying the prince all laughed and cheered at the same time. It had been a while since they had been to the city, and most of them were already feeling bored. Seeing a couple of beauties among the hundreds of teenagers in front of them was enough to make the sinister thoughts in their hearts come to the surface.
"Who would want to go with you?!" one of the ladies who knew Prince Lowell shouted. "A close friend of mine was captured by you a few months ago. After you had your way with her, you just tossed her aside and let your men ravage her. She's now pregnant and has no idea who the father of her child is! I'll kill you, you bastard!"
"Oh dear, did such a thing happen?" Prince Lowell rubbed his chin. "Well, don't worry. Since you are a beauty, I will take you as my personal bed warmer. If you get pregnant, at least you will know who the father is. Aren't you glad?"
"You scoundrel! I'll kill you!"
"Come down, young lady. The one doing the stabbing will be me, and I will assure you that you will not be disappointed."
Prince Lionell then shifted his attention to Henrietta and Iris, and licked their bodies with his eyes, as if savoring the prize that was hidden under their clothes.
"Henrietta, Iris, come with me and I promise that both of you will not get hurt," Prince Lowell said. "I will treat you properly as my wives, and give you the happiness you deserve. You no longer need to risk your lives going into dangerous Dungeons, and clearing missions from the Adventurer's Guild.
"Isn't this the life that all ladies should aspire to? I am willing to give this life to the two of you, as well as the other ladies who are smart enough to understand… that the only way to leave this place alive is to come with me peacefully."
Lux frowned after hearing the Prince's words. Clearly they had come across a hateful character, and they were completely outnumbered in terms of numbers. There was also one thing that bothered him.
Among the Princes' entourage, there were five people worth noting.
Four of them were of the Initiate Rank, while one of them was a Ranker.
These were Prince Lowell's personal bodyguards that ensured his safety. As long as they were around the Prince, he could get away with his wanton acts, using force to get his way if he had to.
"This is bad, like seriously bad," Cai muttered as it gazed upon the five people that Lux was paying close attention to. It knew that if those five made their move, none of the people who'd joined the alliance of the Six Kingdoms would be able to stop them.
It was not only Cai who had this thought. In fact, all the teenagers belonging to the Six Kingdoms were thinking the same thing.
If they didn't do something soon, all of them, with the exception of the ladies in their guilds, would be killed to ensure no witnesses were left to reveal Princes Lowell's bastardly act.
They were no longer inside the Sacred Dungeon, which meant that if they died fighting against the elite army of soldiers in front of them, their deaths would be permanent, which was something that they wanted to avoid at all cost.
Chapter 300 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 1]
300 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 1]
'The heavens truly are smiling upon me today,' Prince Lowell mused as he looked at the hundreds of teenagers that had grouped up together in order to defend themselves from his personal army.
Aside from Henrietta and Iris, there were other ladies whom he had tried to seduce in the past, but all of them ignored his advances. He could not do anything about it because he was afraid that the factions backing them up would strike back at their kingdom, so he held himself back.
However, right now, with his army blocking the only path of escape, and a Ranker by his side, he could just make sure that there were no witnesses that could expose the thing that he was about to do.
"All the ladies, step forward," Prince Lowell ordered. "I am giving you one chance at survival. Me and my men promise to take good care of all of you. Resist, and we will make sure to break your limbs and drag you away by force. Either way, you will be leaving with us whether you like it or not."
The young ladies who belonged to the Six Kingdoms gritted their teeth in anger after hearing Prince Lowell's threat. They had already heard how debauche the blonde prince was. Even if he didn't take them for himself, the men serving under him would take them by force, making them their playthings.
"A-And the men?" a teenage boy with light-brown hair asked. "What about the men?"
Prince Lowell smirked as he shifted his gaze to the person that spoke up.
"The men? Of course we will let you guys go," Prince Lowell replied. "But, that will be on the condition that all the ladies come with us peacefully. If they resist, we will have no choice but to use force… and kill all the men. Surely, you girls don't want that to happen, right?"
"Cut the crap!" Henrietta shouted. "Don't listen to him! He doesn't have any intention of letting any of you guys leave this place alive! He won't allow any witnesses to bring news back to our factions!"
Prince Lowell chuckled. Henrietta was right. He didn't really have any intention of letting any of the men leave this place. He just wanted to give them false hope in order to have his way, but due to the Purple-haired beauty's wakeup call, the teenagers whose faith was wavering returned to their senses.
"Dear me, do you need me to help you handle these commoners, Your Highness?"
Esmond, the D-Ranker who was assigned as Prince Lowell's personal bodyguard, stepped forward. His mere presence made the teenagers take a step back due to how powerful the aura he was releasing to suppress all of them was.
He had auburn hair, and seemed to look like someone in his early forties.
"Just make sure that none of the ladies are hurt," Prince Lowell said. "Especially Iris and Henrietta. Do I make myself clear?"
"Of course, Your Majesty." Esmond bowed respectfully before shifting his gaze to the two beautiful ladies that his Master had set his eyes on.
The members of the Serenity Guild all stepped forward in order to protect their Guild Master, and Vice Guild Master from the Ranker who was eyeing all of them with ridicule.
They knew that they had no hope in defending the two important ladies of their Guild, but since they were going to die anyway, they would rather die fighting.
Esmond took slow, steady steps, making the defenders feel their heart tremble inside their chest. The Ranker was clearly taking his time to savor the helplessness and despair of the teenagers.
He wasn't a talented individual, but he was very loyal to Prince Lowell. Because of this, the Prince rewarded him and pooled his resources in order to make him a Ranker. Since then, he had taken part in doing the dirty jobs to ensure that the blonde Prince would be able to have his way with the women he had set his eyes on.
However, just as he was about to massacre the members of the Serenity Guild, he disappeared from where he stood and directly appeared in front of Prince Lowell.
"""Dragon's Breath"""
Lux knew that the Ranker's first priority was to defend the Prince who was mounted snugly on top of his Forest Wolf. Because of this, he decided to aim his deadly attack in the Prince's direction with the intention of killing him.
"Impudent!" Esmond shouted as he blocked the attack using a barrier.
The beam attack tried to push him away, but Esmond didn't budge from where he stood. The Power of a Ranker wasn't something that could be overwhelmed so easily, which made the teenagers who saw this grit their teeth in frustration.
A moment later, the Dragon breath ended, leaving the ground nothing but molten lava in front of Esmond.
"Y-You dare to kill me!" the Prince shouted as he pointed his finger towards Lux in anger. "Esmond. Cut off his arms and legs but don't kill him! I will personally torture him later!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Esmond shouted. "Boy, you should have just stood and watched. I would have given all of you a quick and painless death because I don't like bullying children, but since you dared to hurt, His Highness, I will make you pay for your insolence!"
Without another word, Esmond took a step forward and reappeared a few meters away from Lux.
Summoning a spear in hand, the Ranker slashed towards Lux's arm. Although there were two clones standing beside the Half-Elf, Esmond was able to tell which one was real, making him focus on the red-headed teenager's body, targeting his right arm.
A resounding crack reverberated in the cavern as Edmond's spear delivered a powerful blow.
Lux, who was the target of Esmond's wrath, stood rooted to the ground as a familiar puppet stood in front of him, taking the brunt of the Ranker's attack.
"You don't like bullying children?" an aged voice filled with anger said. "A Ranker targeting children? What a joke. I've seen many people like you, and all of them have suffered the same fate."
Lux's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the old lady standing beside Iris.
"G-Grandma?" Lux stuttered.
Vera smiled as her fingers moved in an erratic manner. Behind her, two puppets charged towards Esmond and delivered two powerful attacks that sent the Ranker flying.
"You old hag! Who are you?!" Prince Lowell asked. "Do you not know who I am? How dare you stand in my way!"
Vera ignored the Prince and glanced in the direction of her grandson.
"Lux, protect Iris," Vera ordered. "I'll take it from here."
Lux, who had mostly recovered from his shock, nodded his head and ran towards his fiance, standing in front of her. He summoned all of his Named Creatures, as well as his Skeleton Army,so they were ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Esmond, who received Vera's blows, frowned because in that single exchange, he was able to know that his opponent was weaker than him. But, aside from that, he had also understood what he was facing.
"You're just an Avatar," Esmond stated. "Your real body is not here."
Vera smiled and nodded her head. "That's right. But, what about it?"
"It means that I will destroy you, and ensure that none of these children leave here alive."
"Oh? Aren't you worried that the Six Kingdoms will find trouble for your Kingdom after I return?"
Esmond snorted. "Since it has already come to this, do you really think we have the option of turning back? Besides, once my Master has played with all the girls and gotten them pregnant, the Six Kingdoms will have no choice but to settle this incident with a compromise.
"That girl over there is the daughter of a Saint. Unless he doesn't care for her life, he will not do anything reckless."
Vera narrowed her eyes because her enemy had guessed correctly that she was merely using one of her puppets to protect Iris remotely from Solais.
"Even if I'm just an Avatar, you will not be able to defeat me so easily," Vera replied as more puppets appeared behind her. "Also, my granddaughter is too good for the likes of your scummy Prince. After I'm done with you, I'll castrate him and feed his body to the fishes."
Prince Lowell glared hatefully at the old woman who was getting in the way of his plan to turn the ladies into his s*x slaves.
"Shut up, you old hag!" Prince Lowell shouted. "Esmond, kill her! The rest of you, kill all the men, and capture the women! I don't mind if they are injured, just make sure that none of them are killed!"
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Esmond replied before charging at Vera with his weapon radiating a deadly glint. Clearly, he wanted to finish the Avatar right away, so that he could help his men in ensuring that none of the teenagers got away.
"Lux, I'll leave the rest to you," Vera said before clashing with Esmond. Her goal was to keep the Ranker away from the teenagers and allow them to mount a counter attack.
A moment later, a free for all commenced between Prince Lowell's army, and the combined forces of the Six Kingdoms.
The teenagers were completely outnumbered, and there were also two Initiates among the soldiers that were attacking them.
Screams of pain, anger, and frustration spread inside the cavern as the teenagers were cut down one by one.
They had no problem fighting against the Apostle-Ranked Soldiers, but the two Initiates were taking advantage of the situation to kill the weakest links in the teenager's defensive formation, breaking it completely.
"Too easy!" one of the Grade-A Soldiers shouted to taunt the helpless teenagers who were getting pushed back. "Is this the best that you can do, you bra—argh!"
A sharp blade pierced through the back of his neck, creating a bloody hole, ending his life in a heartbeat.
A few seconds later, six more soldiers fell on the ground dead, without knowing how they died.
Beside Lux, an opened black coffin floated, radiating a crimson glow.
'You're not the only ones with Initiates,' Lux sneered in his mind.
During the chaos, he had summoned his two strongest fighters in order to backstab their opponents. Sid and Scarlet were both assassins, so it was quite easy for them to take advantage of the messy situations in order to thin out the enemies that were overpowering the teenagers who hadn't fully recovered from their dungeon expeditions.
Asmodeus and Lux also used their Skill, Animate Undead, raising those who had died in the battle to fight for their side.
"Necromancer!" one of the Soldiers shouted before his dead comrade grabbed his leg, preventing him from moving.
*Clink*
After a resounding clink, the soldier's head fell off his body, as Keane delivered his one-hit attack with great precision.
With the Undead using themselves as the meat shields in the conflict, the teenagers who had almost lost all hope, were slowly, but surely, able to stand their ground, and resist the enemies that outnumbered them in both quantity and quality.