Ch. 31..40
Chapter 31 Colette’s Gift
A week had passed since the Monster Outbreak. The residents of Leaf Village paid their respects to the brave men and women who had stood their ground to protect their village from the Undead that had broken past their defenses.
Because it was mainly the Village's Guards who battled against the Monsters, they incurred the most casualties and only a little more than fifty had survived.
Aron, who was the Captain of the Guards, had requested his counterparts from the Norria Stronghold to station thirty Goat Riders in their village to help bolster their defenses.
The Commander of Norria approved his request, and stationed a group of Dwarven Defenders, known as the Black Thorn, to guard Leaf Village for the time being.
These thirty mounted warriors had the rank of Grade C Apostles (Rank 2 Monster), led by their Rider Captain, Boreas, who was a Grade B Apostle (Rank 3 Monster).
Due to the intensity of the battle, Aron had also broken through to the rank of a Grade B Apostle, and had become a staunch defender of the village. It was quite unfortunate that his about fifty subordinates, who fought alongside him, didn't break through and remained as Grade D Apostles (Rank 1 Monster), falling short of reaching the next rank.
All in all, more than eighty defenders were left in Leaf Village as protectors.
—-
Adventurer's Guild…
"Big Brother, please, take this!" Colette said as she happily handed a storage bag to Lux. "This is a thank you gift from my father for saving my life."
"A thank you gift?" Lux asked. "For saving your life? I don't remember doing that."
Matty, who was standing beside Colette, snorted. "She is talking about the time when you held back those three Draugrs to let us escape."
The young Dwarf boy, who had never liked Lux, acted as obnoxious as always. However, although his words sounded a bit rude, it no longer contained the contempt it originally had when the two of them met for the first time.
In his own way, Matty had recognized Lux's bravery, and no longer treated him with disdain.
Lux accepted the storage bag and checked its contents. The red-headed boy almost dropped the bag given to him when he saw the ten beast cores that were the size of tennis balls.
"I can't take this." Lux tried to return the storage bag to Colette's hand, but the little girl ran behind Matty and stuck her tongue out at the Half-Elf who wanted to return her gift.
"Just take it already!" Matty shouted. He wanted to impress Colette, so he took a firm stance and prevented Lux from returning the storage bag to Colette. "Are you really a man? If you don't like her gift, then give it to me. I'll use it myself!"
"What do you mean you'll use it yourself?! That's for Big Brother!" Colette glared at Matty, which made the Dwarf boy blush, because he found her glare very adorable.
Colette then placed her hands on her hips and then turned her head to look up at Lux, who was struggling to keep himself from chuckling over Matty's submissive attitude.
"Big Brother, if you really feel bad about it, you can just help us with our Dungeon Expedition later," Colette tried to butter Lux up, so he would no longer think of returning her gift. "Having a strong person join our party will definitely help us clear the dungeon."
"Dungeon Expedition?" Lux frowned. "Are you talking about raiding the Bronze Crypt?"
There was only one dungeon in the Beginner's Area and it was the Bronze Crypt located in the South Zone of Leaf Village. This was also where the Undead Swarm had broken out from not long ago. It made Lux wonder if it was a good idea to challenge it right now.
"Duh! There is only one dungeon here in the village," Matty once again found his courage and decided to vent his frustration on the person whom he had labeled as his rival. "What? Don't tell me you developed a trauma against the Undead?"
Thinking that Lux might have really developed a trauma after the Monster Outbreak, Colette tried to assure him that their Dungeon Expedition would be conducted in a safe manner.
"Don't worry, Big Brother. We can buy teleportation crystals from the Adventurer's Guild," Colette stated. "With the crystals, we will be able to automatically teleport outside of the Dungeon anytime we want."
Matty who was just listening to the side crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't have to come with us, you know? Even without you, we can beat it just fine."
"Shut up Matty! You're being mean to Big Brother!"
"..."
Lux snickered internally at the hen-pecked Dwarf boy who wouldn't dare defy Colette's wishes. In the end, he decided to agree to Colette's request. He was also curious to know about what it would be like to explore a Dungeon.
In these past few days, the Half-Elf accepted a couple of missions that focused on repairing the village. He hadn't gone out to hunt, so his stats hadn't shown any signs of progression.
Now that an opportunity was at hand, he thought that it would be a good way to test how strong he and Diablo had become.
"Okay," Lux finally agreed to accept Colette's invitation. "When do we leave?"
Colette grinned as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall of the Adventurer's Guild.
"Around six when the sun is about to set," Colette replied. "The Bronze Crypt only opens at that time."
Lux nodded. "Okay. I will meet you there later. Make sure to prepare everything, including the teleportation crystals."
"Un!" Colette grinned.
The red-headed boy bid them all farewell as he went back to his inn to use the Beast Cores that had been given to him. He was certain that the Beast Cores Colette gifted him were none other than cores that were looted from Rank 2 Monsters, which made him a bit excited.
After closing the door of his room, Lux immediately took one of the cores from the storage bag and then walked towards the bed.
"These are indeed Rank 2 Beast Cores," Lux muttered as he sat on top of the bed. "Now, let's see how many points I get by consuming one."
—--
< Ding! >
< Do you wish to consume the Rank 2 Beast Core? >
< Yes / No >
—-
Lux clicked yes and chose "Upgrade Stat Points" from the next batch of options. Immediately, rows of text appeared in front of him, which made him grin.
—--
Obtained 10 Free Stats Points
Obtained 10 Body Constitution Points
—--
"So, Rank 2 Beast Cores will give me 10 free stat points," Lux muttered as he rubbed his chin. "It's quite unfortunate that I haven't learned any new skills and my body constitution points remain the same."
The Half-Elf didn't know from which monsters the beast cores were taken from, so he could only sigh in regret for not being able to acquire more skills to add to his arsenal.
"Now, it's time to upgrade my Body Constitution." Lux opened his Soul Book to allocate points to the Immortal Conqueror's Legacy.
He was looking forward to seeing what new abilities he would gain once the upgrade was finished.
Chapter 32 Immortal Conqueror’s Legacy Upgrade
< Ding! >
< Congratulations! Your Body Constitution has been upgraded! >
< Choose one from among these three options as your bonus reward! >
(Option 1) – +50 permanent points to Vitality
(Options 2) – Warcry: +30 Physical and Magical Damage to you and your allies
Duration: 5 minutes
Cooldown: 10 minutes
(Options 3) – Mana Drain: Absorbs the Mana of your target for five seconds. Mana absorbed is equivalent to 2% of Target's Maximum Mana.
Range: 10 meters
Duration: 5 seconds
Cooldown: 30 seconds
—--
The Half-Elf almost drooled upon seeing the three bonus rewards that were presented to him. If possible, he would like to have all three. It was quite unfortunate that he could only choose one of them.
'50 points to Vitality is good because it will increase my Health and Defense by a substantial amount,' Lux thought as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. 'However, I am leaning more towards the War Cry and Mana Drain skills.'
Since Lux had learned necromancy, War Cry would provide an excellent boost to his summons, increasing their damage.
Mana Drain, on the other hand, would allow him to drain his target's mana, allowing him to have an unlimited supply of energy to cast spells. For classes and professions that relied heavily on active skills and spells, this was an ability that they couldn't afford to pass up.
The Half-Elf kept on scratching his head because both War Cry and Mana Drain were very important to him.
'I wonder if the same options will appear again as I continue to upgrade my Body Constitution,' Lux mused. 'This is really a hard choice to make, but if I have to choose one over the other then I'll choose… Mana Drain.'
During the Monster Outbreak, Lux had been very depressed by his very low mana pool. If he'd had more mana, he would have been able to continuously use his Slash Skill, and summon Diablo and the Forest Wolf over and over again.
Although he really wanted to choose Battle Cry,. Mana Drain was more important to him right now.
—-
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
< Since the Skill is learned from your Body Constitution Upgrade and not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >
< Mana Drain [EX] >
– Absorb the Mana of your target for five seconds. Mana absorbed is equivalent to 5% of Target's Maximum Mana.
Range: 10 meters
Duration: 5 seconds
Cooldown: 30 seconds
—--
< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >
Rating: F+
Progress: (6/100)
Conquest is not all about claiming lands, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.
Upgrade Rewards: +5 to All Stats, +200 Health Points, Mana Drain [EX]
Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.
—--
Name: Lux Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Health: 450 / 450
Mana: 130 / 130
Strength: 25 (+3)
Intelligence: 25 (+1)
Vitality: 20
Agility: 23 (+3)
Dexterity: 20 (+3)
Defense: 100
Free Stat Points Available: 10
Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX]
Skills: Power Shot, Slash, Dark Arrow
—--
After looking at his Soul Book, Lux eyed the nine remaining beast cores in his storage bag with determination.
"My combined stat points right now is 93," Lux muttered. "If I convert all of the Beast Cores into stat points, I will have a total of 193 combined stat points. I'm only seven points away from becoming an Apostle."
The Half-Elf didn't expect that he would be able to graduate from the Beginner's Village in less than a month after arriving at Elysium.
Now he understood how important it was to have many resources, especially a good supply of Beast Cores, to instantly raise a person's stats to a very high degree.
Lux was, of course, very happy with how things turned out, but he also understood that he hadn't achieved his current status by his own abilities alone.
Even so, his goal hadn't changed. Once he decided on something, he would carry it out to the best of his abilities.
After taking a deep breath to regain his composure, Lux took the beast cores out of the storage bag and consumed them one by one.
There was still one more thing he had to do before meeting Colette in a few hours, and that was to visit the Adventurer's Guild to choose a Job Class.
Once a person had accumulated 100 combined stats. They would be eligible to pick a Job Class, which would give them a boost in overall strength.
Not only that, they would also learn exclusive skills that belonged to their chosen profession.
Lux was curious about what kind of Job Classes would become available to him when he visited the Adventurer's Guild.
His Grandma Vera had told him that there were some hidden Job Classes that could be found in Elysium as well. These classes were extremely powerful like the Dragon Rider Class, which allowed them to tame Dragons that could fight with them in battle.
Just like everyone else, Lux also dreamed of having one of those hidden Job Classes. Most people said that they found these rare classes through fortuitous encounters, while others said they were bestowed upon them by Masters who were looking for disciples to inherit their legacies.
Lux sighed as he put aside these thoughts for the time being. He had finished consuming all of the Beast Cores, and prepared to leave his room to visit the Adventurer's Guild.
He had no intention of leaving Leaf Village anytime soon because he still needed to do a few things in order to prepare for the goal he had in mind.
As long as this goal was achieved, he could leave Leaf Village with a clear conscience.
Lux decided to pave his own path in the world of Elysium, regardless of what people thought of him. As long as his Grandma Vera, Max, and Eriol believed in him, then he could walk the rough and winding road with his head held high.
Chapter 33 Lux’s Job Class [Part 1]
"A Job Class change? Certainly," the guild receptionist said with a smile. "Please follow me, Lux. We need to go to the back of the Guild where the shrine is."
"Thank you Miss Amelia," Lux replied.
After walking for a few minutes, Amelia led Lux to a small shrine where a white crystal ball the size of a basketball ball was placed on a pedestal.
On their short walk towards their destination, the guild receptionist gave Lux some tips when it came to choosing a Job Class.
Lux had already asked his Grandma about changing professions in Elysium, so he already knew most of what Amelia was telling him. Even so, he appreciated the gesture because it meant that the receptionist cared for his well being.
"Just place your hand on the crystal ball, Lux," Amelia said. "Make sure to think carefully before you choose your profession."
Lux nodded. "I will. Thank you, Miss Amelia."
After taking a deep breath, Lux placed his palm over the crystal ball.
A few seconds later, it glowed and a projection appeared in front of him.
—--
Name: Lux Von Kaiser
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
< Compatible Job Classes >
Swordsman
Magic Knight - (Rare)
Magician -
Battle Mage - (Rare)
Summoner - (Unique)
Necromancer - (Hidden Class)
—--
Lux blinked once then twice after seeing the Job Class options that were available to him.
He had already expected the Necromancer Class to appear in his choices, but he didn't expect that it was categorized as Hidden Class.
In Elysium, there were several classes that people could choose from. They are further divided into different types.
The first type was the Basic Job Classes, which were available to everyone. Examples of the Basic Job Classes were Swordsman, Thief, Brawler, Magician, Archer, Fighter, and Healer.
Then there were the Rare Job Classes. These classes were usually a hybrid of the Basic Job Classes. If a person was good in swordsmanship and capable of wielding magic then he could become a Magic Knight.
Same with magicians who preferred to learn both close combat and magic spells. The option to become a Battle Mage would be allowed to them.
As for Unique Classes, these were professions that were relatively hard to find. Just like the Hidden Class, Unique Classes could only be obtained through fortuitous encounters. These rare events, which would only happen out of the blue, usually blessed people to learn Job Classes that were not available to everyone.
Hidden Classes were similar to Unique Classes. Only lucky or very unlucky people could bump into professions that no one usually had access to.
An example of this was Lux's Necromancer Class. If he didn't acquire the Necromancy Skill Book during his Gacha Pull, then there was no way that he would have access to the Summoner and Necromancer Job Classes from the get go.
Of course, there were instances when people stumbled upon these hidden classes as they journeyed through the world of Elysium. If this happened, they could visit the Adventurer's Guilds, Temples, or Shrines, to change their professions and start from scratch.
Thankfully, however, only the skills of the previous Job Class would be erased from the person's Soul Book. Their stat points would remain the same.
After thinking for a while, Lux finally decided on the Necromancer Job Class. Since he had already intended to strengthen Diablo, picking this choice would be the optimal choice for his future progress in Elysium.
—--
< You have chosen the Necromancer Job Class >
< Is this your final answer? >
< Yes / No >
—-
Lux chose yes.
After making his choice, the crystal ball glowed and enveloped Lux in a white light. This only happened for a brief moment, and yet, Lux felt a new kind of power start to flow inside his body.
—--
< Necromancer >
"Say hello to my Little Friends!"
– the Necromancer specializes in the practice of Black Magic, which is sometimes called Death Magic, that allows them to communicate with and summon the dead.
They are also capable of casting curses to weaken their enemies and allow their Undead Minions to deal them the final blow.
< You already have learned the Necromancy Skills for this Job Class >
< Calculating Job Class Change Bonus as compensation >
< Job Class Change Bonus >
100% Mana Regeneration
+500 to Health
+1 to all Stats
+1 to all Summoning Skills
—--
"Wow!" Lux wasn't able to stop himself from voicing out his excitement after seeing the Job Class Bonus that he received.
Usually, people who changed their professions wouldn't get the same kind of Bonus that Lux got. However, since he did not need to learn the Necromancer Skills, he was given a Job Class Change Bonus as compensation.
Seeing Lux's expression, Amelia thought that he had been blessed by a Rare Job Class.
She had witnessed this event happen many times in the past, so she just smiled and proceeded to do her job as the Guild's receptionist.
"Have you already chosen a Job Class?" Amelia asked.
Lux nodded. "Yes, Miss Amelia."
"Then, please, give me your Guild Card. we will need to update your current information."
"Ah! I almost forgot."
Lux presented his guild card to Amelia, and the receptionist asked the Half-Elf for a drop of his blood in order to upgrade his current information.
The red-headed boy complied and the information on his guild card was updated..
—--
< Guild Card >
Name: Lux Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Job Class: Necromancer
Registered in Leaf Village
—--
"N-Necromancer?!" Amelia almost dropped the guild card in her hand after seeing Lux's current Job Class. "Isn't this a Hidden Class? How did you get this?!"
Lux blinked as the gears in his head started to turn in overdrive as he thought of an excuse to explain how he gained this profession.
Usually, Hidden Classes weren't that easy to obtain. Any individual who acquired a Hidden Job Class would receive special attention from the Adventurer's Guild.
They could also gain access to information that was exclusive to the Adventurer's Guild like current news in the neighboring kingdoms, or any monster sightings that required strong adventurers to exterminate.
"D-During the Monster Outbreak, I kind of felt a connection with the Undead after almost dying," Lux replied. "When I was attacked by the Draugr, I thought I was going to die. The thought of death might have unlocked something inside me, and allowed me to grasp the power of Necromancy."
Amalie listened to Lux's explanation with a serious expression on her face.
"This is a possibility." Amelia nodded. "There are certain people in history who have unlocked Hidden Classes during life and death situations. This information has been in the Adventurer's Guild Compendium. You're very lucky, Lux. Not many are able to get a Hidden Class. I'm happy for you!"
"T-Thank you," Lux replied. He was feeling a bit guilty for lying to Amelia, but he had no other choice. He couldn't possibly explain that he acquired the Necromancy Job Class through using a golden ticket for a Gacha Pull.
Chapter 34 Lux’s Job Class [Part 2]
After leaving the Adventurer's Guild, Lux returned to the inn and went back to his room in order to tie up the loose ends of his Class Change.
Lux stared at the 100 untouched Stat Points in his Soul Book and decided to start allocating them.
After someone had acquired 200 combined stat points, they would step into the ranks of a Grade D Apostle.
This was the first step towards breaking through the limits of mortality, and would set the person apart from commoners. Therefore, after Lux stepped into this new realm, he would have to leave Leaf Village and go to an Intermediate Town.
But for the time being, Lux had no intention of leaving yet because he still had unfinished business in the Beginner's Area. Having considered this, he decided to limit his stats, so he wouldn't cross the threshold into that of Apostles.
—--
Name: Lux Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Health: 960 / 960
Mana: 940 / 940
Strength: 46 (+3)
Intelligence: 46 (+1)
Vitality: 31
Agility: 34 (+3)
Dexterity: 31 (+3)
Free Stat Points Available: 30
Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX]
Active Skills: Power Shot, Slash, Dark Arrow,
Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude
—--
< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >
,m Rating: F+
Progress: (51/100)
—--
After limiting his stats, Lux was now only twelve points away from becoming an Apostle. Although he had enough stats to do so, he decided to put them on hold until he was done upgrading all of his other skills to the limit of the Beginner's Area.
His Health Points and Mana had risen drastically after he changed his profession, which made him feel more secure in fighting against the monsters that had easily beaten him in the past, just like the Draugr.
His first skill Summon Skeleton that he acquired after he got + 1 to all Summoning Skills had also been upgraded.
—--
< Choose which upgrade you wish to take. >
Option 1: Summon two Skeletons to fight for you instead of one.
Option 2: Upgrade Summon Skeleton Skill to Summon Skeleton Warrior.
—--
After experiencing the Monster Outbreak, Lux's mentality had also changed. Instead of quantity, he now focused on quality.
"Let's go with Summon Skeleton Warrior," Lux muttered as he clicked his choice.
—--
< Summon Skeleton Warrior >
Rating: F+
Mana: 5
– Summons one Skeleton Warrior to fight for you
– Summon duration: 1 hour
– Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.
< Skeleton Warrior >
Health: 30
Attack: 5 - 15
—---
Unlike Diablo, whose stats he could see, the stats of the Summoned Creatures were fixed. This was also an example advantage of having a Named Creature instead of normal Monsters. Their growth rate was at least two to three times faster when compared to other Monsters of the same rank.
Lux smirked before going to Diablo's Personal page. His Named Creature was also affected by the "+1 to all Summoning Skills" bonus that he received from his Class Change.
He remembered the note telling him that Diablo would go through a qualitative change after he was upgraded again, so Lux happily checked to see if the changes had already been implemented on his Named Creature's Status Page.
—-
< Diablo has reached the requirement for a Job Change >
< Please Choose your named Creature's Job Class wisely >
< Compatible Job Classes >
< Skeleton Barbarian >
– U MAD BRUH? The Skeleton Barbarian is always mad. Its sole purpose is to deal as much damage to the enemy without care for its own life. This is a pure offensive Job Class that brings fear to the hearts of anyone who faces them in battle.
(Job Class Bonus)
+20 Strength
Active Skill: Berserk, Stone Body.
—--
< Skeleton Fighter >
– If you need a lackey that handles everything like fighting, cooking, or doing the laundry then the Skeleton Fighter is your best pick. It is not only a warrior, but also a tactician. It has well rounded abilities that allow it to both attack and defend, depending on the situation.
(Job Class Bonus)
+10 Strength
+5 Agility
+5 Dexterity
Passive Skill: Parry, Tactician
—--
< Skeleton Shield Warrior >
– Need a meatshield? Look no further! The Skeleton Shield Warrior is the Masochist of the Skeletal Race. No matter if you are fighting a Dwarf, or a Dragon, this cannon fodder will always die before you!
(Job Class Bonus)
+20 Vitality
+500 Health Points
Active Skill: Taunt
Passive Skill: Guts
—-
"Diablo can also change Job Classes?" Lux's eyes widened in shock after looking at the three options that were presented right in front of him.
This also made Lux realize that he still hadn't given his Named Creature a role in his party. Roles were very important because it could make or break a team's composition, especially when going on raids and dungeon expeditions.
'Although a Barbarian is good, I don't want Diablo to be a mindless killing machine.' Lux rubbed his chin. 'A Skeleton Fighter is also good because it's an all rounder. As for the Shield Warrior, this is a must have in any party…'
Currently, Lux was torn between a Skeleton Fighter and a Skeleton Shield Warrior. After spending a quarter of an hour thinking about the pros and cons of both, he finally settled for the Skeleton Fighter for its well rounded stats.
It could both attack and defend. The Skeleton Fighter had the flexibility that neither the Skeleton Barbarian or the Skeleton Shield Warrior had.
—--
< Diablo >
"Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"
– Named Skeleton
– Skeleton Fighter
– Rating: D
– Mana: 10
– Progress ( 35 / 100)
Health: 670 / 670
Mana: 640 / 640
Attack: 50 - 65 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)
Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.
Strength: 33 (+1)
Intelligence: 32
Vitality: 31 (+2)
Agility: 32 (+2)
Dexterity: 32 (+2)
Defense: 75
Title: Firstborn
Active Skills: Slash
Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician
Note: Congratulations! Your Partner has finally unlocked its first Job Class! Now things are going to get really interesting!
—--
After properly organizing his Soul Book, Lux unsummoned it and laid on his bed.
The Beast Cores that had been given to him by Colette also allowed him to learn the passive skill "Fortitude", which automatically upgraded itself to Enhanced Fortitude due to Lux's Skill Evolution [EX].
—---
< Enhanced Fortitude >
(Passive Skill)
– Enhanced Fortitude decreases all damage received by 10%.
—--
Although a 10% decrease in damage might not seem much, this would prove very useful when he fought off stronger monsters because it worked for both physical and magical damage.
'Now I understand why Lord Gerald issued a decree to not allow any of the adults to spoil their children by giving them Beast Cores to boost their stats at the early stages,' Lux mused. 'It gives them a false sense of security knowing that they will be able to outclass the Monsters in the Beginner's Area.
This carelessness might lead them to lower their guard, causing them to commit several mistakes because they thought that they were strong enough to handle anything the Monsters throw at them.
'I better be careful with my mindset, or else I might suffer the same fate as those sons of noble families who fearlessly challenged the Alpha Monsters and Field Bosses due to their boosted stats.'
Lux glanced at the clock on the wall and decided to take a nap for a few hours before meeting Colette and Matty at the Bronze Crypt. This had been a very eventful day, and he needed to rest his mind in order to be ready for his first ever Dungeon exploration.
Chapter 35 Leaving A Legacy Behind
"So, you're finally here," Matty said in an annoyed expression. "What took you so long? I've been waiting here for twenty minutes already!"
"Sorry, I woke up a little late from my nap," Lux apologized. "Where is Colette?"
After scanning the faces of the Dwarves in front of him, he found that only the adorable little girl was missing. As if waiting for that cue, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard in the clearing.
"Sorry, everyone!" Colette shouted as she ran towards her party members. "I overslept. Did I make you guys wait for too long?"
Matty smiled as he looked at the object of his affection. "No. We just arrived here a minute ago. You're not late at all."
"Really? I'm glad. I thought I made you guys wait."
"No. I also overslept a bit. Hahaha."
Lux looked at the fawning Dwarf boy and forced down his urge to spit on Matty's face.
'When I was the one that was late, you got angry.'
'But, when the one you like is late, you turn a blind eye.'
'What's this? Discrimination much? Double standards!'
"Big Brother, did I make you wait for long?" Colette shifted her attention to Lux and held his hand. "Sorry. It won't happen again."
"I just arrived as well," Lux replied. "Don't worry about it."
This was the first time Lux would explore a Dungeon with a party, so he didn't want to create a commotion and clash with Colette's friends. For now, he decided to turn a blind eye to Matty's behavior because he understood that the little Dwarf was a simp.
'This is really like a game,' Lux thought as a row of words appeared in front of him.
< Do you want to join the Golden Slayers Party? >
< Yes / No >
Lux accepted Colette's request and formally joined the Dwarven Party. Although there was no option to see each other's Health Points like in games, forming a party allowed everyone to share team buffs that increased their stats.
This was similar to the skill War Cry that Lux didn't get because he chose Mana Drain instead.
The moment he joined the party, he felt as if a refreshing breeze blew over him.
Seeing his reaction, Matty immediately smirked and decided to tell him what was happening.
"Colette changed her profession to Paladin," Matty explained. "Everyone that is in her party gets a passive regeneration boost that heals minor injuries. However, if you get a fatal injury, don't expect it to save your life."
"I see." Lux nodded in understanding. "You are amazing, Colette!"
The little girl smiled after being praised by Lux. Due to her good mood, she grabbed Lux's hand and dragged him towards the entrance of the Bronze Crypt.
"Big Brother, take a look at this," Colette said as she pointed at a bronze slate located right beside the entrance of the cave. "The names of the Top Three Party that have cleared this dungeon in Hell Mode are all written here. The rankings are based on their individual performance. But usually, the party who clears the dungeon faster will get in the Top Six spots."
"I see." Lux glanced at the Bronze Slate and focused on the name that held the top spot. 'Aina Van Goldenslayer… wait! Goldenslayer? Isn't that the name of our party?'
Lux blinked once then twice before shifting his attention at the adorable little girl that was looking back at him with a big grin on her face.
"Aina Van Goldenslayer is my Big Sister!" Colette said with pride. "Ever since she cleared the dungeon in Hell Mode with her party members, her record has never been broken for the past four years. Isn't my Big Sister amazing?"
"She is amazing," Lux agreed, "but we can be more amazing than her! How about we beat Hell Mode and put our names on this slate as well?"
"Hah? Are you stupid?" Matty, who suddenly appeared beside Colette glared at Lux. "Don't you know that the boss in Hell Mode is a Rank 2 Berserker Barbarian Draugr? If you want to die, you can go in there by yourself! We're just challenging the Normal Mode!"
The rules of Dungeons in Elysium were different from the rules of the outside world.
In Elysium, all dungeons had two modes. Normal Mode and Hell Mode.
Hell Mode was, of course, the hardest mode, but it also gave better rewards. However, it was very dangerous to choose this mode without proper preparation. Many parties had died for this reason.
Fortunately, the penalty for dying inside a dungeon was more forgiving than dying in the open world.
Those who died inside the Dungeons in Elysium wouldn't really die. They would respawn in the nearest town. But as a penalty, a quarter of their Status Points would be taken away.
After dying, they had no choice but to regain their deducted experience points or consume Beast Cores to recover these lost points. Even so, this was still a better outcome than challenging an unknown Dungeon and dying in the process.
Lux was just teasing Colette when he said that they should challenge Hell Mode and let their names be written on the bronze slate.
The Half-Elf was aware that with his current strength, he would still need a bit more preparation before he could challenge the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt.
"I'm not saying that we should challenge it now," Lux replied to Matty. "Before we leave Leaf Village, most of us will be in the Apostle Rank. That is the perfect time to challenge the Hell Mode difficulty. Are you sure you don't want to leave your mark here to be seen by future generations?"
Matty turned quiet after hearing Lux's words. Of course, he wanted to leave his name on the Bronze Slate, so others would know that he had once been here in the Leaf Village and had accomplished an amazing feat.
"That's right!" Colette said as she gazed at her sister's name in the Bronze Slate. "Before we leave this village, we should leave our mark here. Although I'm not confident that we can beat my Big Sister's record, taking second place is not impossible!"
The members of Colette's party also nodded their heads in agreement. They also wanted to leave a memento behind. Having their names recorded on the Bronze Slate was the best thing they could do to preserve their legacy.
"Okay! Let's do this!" Colette placed her hand on the Bronze Gate which would lead them inside the dungeon. The adorable dwarf chose Normal Difficulty. A second later, the gate in front of them opened wide.
"Please, listen to my orders once we're inside," Colette reminded everyone. "Although this is just the Normal Difficulty, we might still be killed if we're not careful."
Everyone, including Lux nodded in agreement.
Seeing that no one had any complaints, Colette led the way and everyone else followed behind her.
Chapter 36 Overcoming Your Fears [Part 1]
"Summon Skeleton Warrior!"
A gray skeleton with a horned helmet, wielding a bone sword and a shield appeared in front of Lux.
'Hmm, not bad,' Lux thought as he observed his Skeleton Warrior. From the stats alone, he could already tell that it was stronger than Diablo back when it was still a Named Creature at its first level.
—-
< Skeleton Warrior >
Health: 30
Attack: 5 - 15
—--
"Is this the skeleton that fought alongside us back then?" Colette asked as she looked at the Skeleton Warrior. "He looks stronger than before."
"No. This is not Diablo," Lux replied. "I just want to see how this skeleton performs during a fight."
"I see." Colette nodded her head in understanding. "Still, I think it is stronger than most monsters here in Normal Mode. Of course, except the dungeon boss called Dark Draugr."
Lux already knew that the only real threat in Normal Mode was the Boss, which was a monster that was at the peak of Rank 1 Monsters. This was why he had summoned his Skeleton Warrior in this stage. This dungeon was the perfect place to test its fighting abilities.
"Well then, time to suit up," Lux thought as he equipped his Relentless Warrior Armor and his new sword, Oathbreaker.
—-
< Oathbreaker, Dark Blade of Eternity >
Rarity: Unique
(One Handed Sword)
Requirement: 100 Combined Stats
– Attack: 100-145 Dark Damage
– Physical skills deal 20% more damage.
– Has a 10% chance to trigger double damage with each attack. This ability works with skills as well.
—--
Lux's red armor and sword caught the party's attention because they looked so cool as a set. Even Matty, who liked nitpicking everything about him, was left speechless by his current attire.
"Big Brother, you look so cool!" Colette exclaimed as she looked at Lux with sparkling eyes. "Where did you get that armor and sword? I'm pretty sure that this set can't be found here in Leaf Village."
"My Grandma gave it to me. After hearing what happened during the Monster Outbreak, she thought that I needed equipment to protect myself in battle."
Earlier, Lux had been wearing his Wolf's Leather Armor, which was considered a fashionable set of armor.
Since he had two interchangeable equipment slots, the Half-Elf decided to use the wolf's armor as his default Fashion Set to make others think that it was his only set of armor.
"This sword seems powerful." Matty eyed Lux's weapon with great interest.
He was a Dwarf Weaponmaster, which was a rare class just like the Paladin. It was normal for Matty to have a great interest in swords, so he had always been familiar with them. He could naturally feel that Lux's swords were quite extraordinary.
"Its name is Oathbreaker," Lux said with a smile.
p "It's a good sword."
"Thank you."
After finishing their short chat, everyone started to pull their focus back to their mission.
Lux, Colette, and Matty were the vanguards, while the mages Andy and Axel were at the rear. The only cleric in their party, Helen, was at the center of the formation, and she was protected by everyone.
The Skeleton Warrior was used as a scout for detecting if there were any enemies ahead.
It didn't take long before the Skeleton Warrior attacked the lone zombie that it had detected in front of it.
The battle didn't last long. Naturally, the Skeleton Warrior came out victorious.
Lux observed his Summon and found out that it wasn't as smart as Diablo when it came to making decisions in battle. Although its performance was passable, he had long gotten used to Diablo's style. The Skeleton Warrior's movement and attack patterns were too stiff for his taste.
'Maybe things will change after its next upgrade,' Lux thought as he continued to follow the skeleton from behind.
On their way, their party encountered two skeletons and a zombie blocking the path they wanted to take.
Colette, Matty, and the Skeleton Warrior only took a short time to deal with them because they were merely small fries.
After experiencing the Monster Outbreak, these low level monsters were no longer a big deal to Colette's party. Just like Lux, their parents had given them Beast Cores to allow them to boost their stats and get their first Job Class. As a result, they had become stronger than they originally were during the attack on Leaf Village.
Lux could somewhat understand what Colette and the others were doing. They were trying to prove that they were no longer the weak little children who had almost lost their lives in a battle that was way out of their league.
'People grow through adversity,' Lux thought as he kept his stance to protect the mages and the cleric from any sudden attacks from their rear.
Although everyone had a boost in their strength, none of them wanted to be too complacent during their very first Dungeon expedition.
An hour passed and, just as Lux expected, their party managed to reach the Boss Room without any hitch from the common Undead.
"This is the real thing," Colette gazed at the door with determination. "Everyone, please prepare to battle. Our opponent is a monster that is only a step away from becoming a Rank 2 Monster. It is more powerful than the Draugr's we faced on the Monster Outbreak. Does everyone have their teleportation crystal?"
Lux, Matt, and the rest of the party nodded their heads. If they really couldn't overcome their opponent, they would use the teleportation crystal to escape the battle.
"Okay, let's go," Colette stated as she pushed open the door.
After everyone had entered the room, the bronze gate behind them closed, sealing their path from behind.
The dim light coming from the glowing crystals in the room allowed them to see a figure seated on what seemed to be a small hill made of bones.
Blue orbs of light glowed at the monster's eye sockets as the Dark Draugr slowly stood up from where he sat.
"It is about to attack," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "Colette, your orders?"
Lux asked Colette, but the latter didn't reply to his question.
"Colette? What's wrong?" Lux was about to pat her shoulder because she didn't give him any reply. However, before his hand could even reach her, the little girl collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily.
"Colette?!" Lux immediately crouched down to check on the girl's condition, but all he could see was that Colette's body was trembling all over.
'D-Don't tell me this is some sort of trauma she developed from the Monster Outbreak?!' Lux shifted his attention to his other party members, and almost all of them were showing the same expressions as Colette.
The Dark Draugr released a ferocious howl and charged towards them, holding a black sword in each hand.
"Skeleton Warrior! Block him!" Lux ordered.
The Skeleton Warrior charged at the Dark Draugr in an attempt to stop its charge, but as soon as the two Undead Warriors collided, the Skeleton Warrior shattered into pieces.
The Dark Draugr continued its charge towards the Dwarves with no intention of showing any mercy.
"S-Sh*t!" Lux cursed out loud as he grabbed Colette from the ground and carried her towards the Bronze Gate. "Matty, Andy, Axel, Helen! Use your teleportation crystals now!"
Matty breathed heavily as sweat streamed down his forehead. His body shuddered uncontrollably as he forced himself to move, but the Draugr's intimidating presence froze him in place.
Andy, Axel, and Helen weren't faring any better.
Lux had forgotten that these Dwarves were just twelve-year-old children. Although they had already changed their professions and became stronger, deep down inside, the Monster Outbreak had left a scar in their minds.
The Half-Elf even had a hunch that the reason why their party decided to challenge the Bronze Crypt was to overcome the fear that had buried itself deep into their hearts.
"M-Mama…," Matty's tears and snot poured out from his eyes and nose as the Dark Draugr raised its weapons to cut him to pieces.
"Matty!" Colette shouted as she looked helplessly at her friend who was about to get killed in front of her eyes.
It was at that moment that a Black Knight suddenly appeared and smashed its shield against the side of the Draugr's body, sending the latter flying a few meters away.
The Dark Draugr howled in anger as it stood back up, facing the enemy that had dared to get in its way.
A Black Knight stood in front of the Dwarves, carrying the sword, Tranquility, and the shield, Dawne, in its hands. A pair of golden eyes glowed brightly inside the Black Knight's helmet as it stared at its opponent fearlessly.
"Diablo, don't let that bastard near the children!" Lux ordered.
The Black Knight nodded its head before summoning a Forest Wolf to fight alongside it.
Diablo, Lux's first Named Creature and trusted companion, pointed its sword at the Dark Draugr's face and moved it in a taunting manner.
After being upgraded and getting its First Job Class, Diablo's intelligence had risen to a higher level. He knew that his opponent was stronger than him, but he didn't care. Right now, he only had one duty, and that was to protect everyone in the Boss Room and ensure that all of them would be able to leave this place alive.
Chapter 37 Overcoming Your Fears [Part 2]
"Skeleton Warrior, go!" Lux ordered as he hastily carried Helen in a princess carry.
The Skeleton Warrior, on the other hand, grabbed Andy and Axel, carrying them like sacks over its shoulders.
Matty had somehow recovered his wits and ran alongside them. Only when all the children were at the edge of the room, with their backs against the Bronze Gate, did Lux finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He then watched as Diablo and the Dark Draugr fought an intense one-on-one battle.
The Dark Draugr's twin blades glowed as it prepared to use its Slash against the Black Knight in front of it.
Diablo didn't back down as he, too, prepared to unleash his own Slash Skill as well.
When the two attacks met, the Dark Draugr took a step back, while Diablo skidded a few meters away. Even so, the golden embers that glowed brightly on the Black Knight's helmet never wavered.
Diablo lunged towards the Dark Draugr, and thrust it sword forward. The latter deflected it to the side and counter-attacked with a stab of its own, but it was blocked by Diablo's round shield.
The two Undead exchanged several blows against each other, with Diablo being pushed back most of the time. Even so, Lux's Named Creature had successfully activated his Parry Skill several times, dealing damage to the enemy in front of him.
After watching the battle, the children had somewhat recovered their composure and were able to think clearly. All of them were surprised that the skeleton that had fought alongside them during the Monster Outbreak had become so strong.
They couldn't believe that in the short period of time that they hadn't seen Diablo, the latter was now able to stand up against a Rank 1 Monster by himself.
"A-Amazing," Matty stuttered. "Despite the difference in strength, Diablo is able to fight back."
"Do you think Diablo can win?" Helen asked.
"No," Lux replied. "The Dark Draugr is stronger than Diablo right now, so he can't win by himself. However, he is not alone. All of you stay here, I'll help Diablo. Skeleton Warrior, protect the children."
Lux didn't wait for any of their replies and charged at the battlefield pointing his finger at their adversary.
"Dark Arrow!"
An arrow of darkness shot out from Lux's finger and hit the Dark Draugr's face. Unfortunately, it didn't trigger the Blind Effect that he was hoping for.
The Dark Draugr glanced at Lux's direction in annoyance, but before it could even attack the red-headed boy, a shield slammed into its body, sending it skidding several meters away.
Just as the Dark Draugr was about to counter attack, the Forest Wolf jumped and clawed the Undead's face once before running away.
Ever since the battle had started, the Forest Wolf was doing hit and run tactics following Diablo's will. It was weaker than the Dark Draugr and would instantly die if the latter slashed it once. However, Diablo used it effectively and only ordered it to attack whenever the Rank 1 Monster couldn't retaliate.
"Dark Arrow!"
Another arrow of darkness landed on the Dark Draugr's head. This skill dealt no damage since its sole purpose was to blind its targets. Unfortunately, the Blind Effect didn't trigger, which made Lux wonder if their enemy was immune to Blind Spells.
This time around the Dark Draugr was truly mad. Three enemies were attacking it at the same time in quick succession, and it was having trouble deciding who among them it was going to attack first.
Diablo had kept close proximity to the Draugr, ready to react to whatever kind of action it might take. The Named Creature's defenses and stats had been upgraded, so only a third of its Health Points had been shaved off by the enemy during their intense exchange earlier.
Lux was also starting to familiarize himself with the Boss Monster's attack pattern. He was only waiting for an opportunity to strike and deal it a devastating blow.
The Dark Draugr howled as it once again activated its slash Skill. Diablo received it with practiced defense, mitigating the damage he received.
At the same time, the Forest Wolf and Lux charged at the Draugr from its left and right sides.
"Slash!" Lux roared as Oathbreaker shone in a crimson glow. Its blade slashed the Undead's body, shaving off a tenth of its Health Points in a single blow.
The Forest Wolf once again swiped its claws on the Draugr's head, dealing very little damage.
The Dark Draugr took a step back, due to the force behind Lux's blow and raised both of its swords to a defensive position.
Lux immediately backed away because he didn't want to continue attacking the Draugr that had opted to defend itself from further attacks. However, the Half-Elf didn't forget to fire a Dark Arrow on the immobile Undead to try his luck.
This time around, the Blind Effect triggered and a black mist oozed out of the Dark Draugr's eyes.
"Andy! Axel! Attack it now!" Lux shouted which brought the two Dwarf Mages back to their senses.
"T-That's right. We came here to fight, not to watch," Andy muttered as he raised his staff and aimed it at the Undead that was suffering from blindness. After saying a short incantation, a ball of flames the size of a tennis ball appeared at the tip of his staff.
"Fire Bullet!"
Just like Andy, Axel had also cast his own offensive spell and fired it at the same time his friend did.
"Water Bullet!"
The two spells pushed the Dark Draugr another two steps from where it stood, making the two mages regain their confidence.
"We can do this!" Lux shouted. "This is not a one-on-one battle! This is an eight versus one battle! We got the upper hand. There's no need to be scared. Diablo and I will protect all of you! So fight!"
Colette, Matty, and Helen gripped their weapons firmly. After hearing Lux's encouragement and seeing Andy's and Axel's attacks land on their enemy, their courage had once again been reignited.
"Charge!" Colette ordered as she ran towards the Dark Draugr with her mace ready to strike.
Matty ran alongside Colette because there was no way he would let her fight alone. Holding his sword in a firm grip, he rushed ahead of her and slashed at the Draugr that was wildly swinging its weapon around itself, in an attempt to hit something.
As soon as Matty felt his sword hit the monster's body, his blood started to boil for battle. He no longer felt afraid and timed his attacks, alongside his companions.
"Holy Smite!" Colette shouted as she smashed her mace against the Dark Draugr's right leg, forcing it to lose its balance.
Helen, the Cleric of the group chanted and an arrow of light shot out from the tip of her staff, flying towards the Undead that had haunted her dreams for the past few days.
"Holy Arrow!"
The arrow of light hit the Undead's chest and made it shriek in pain. Holy and Life Magic were the bane of the Undead, which made Colette's and Helen's attack deal significant damage to it.
Suddenly, the Dark Draugr roared and a red mist oozed out of its body. The Blind Effect had also lost its effect, which allowed the Rank 1 Monster to finally see the insects that were ganging up on it.
"Careful, it went berserk!" Lux shouted. "Colette, Matty, back away! Let Diablo handle the aggro first! Andy, Axel, Helen, stop firing spells and wait for my signal!"
The children obeyed Lux's orders without any complaints and allowed Diablo to fight the Draugr head-on.
They didn't realize that they had started to recognize Lux as the leader of the party instead of Colette. The Dwarves listened to his orders as they reorganized their formation.
Although he couldn't see their enemy's Health Bar, Lux was sure that the damage that they had dealt had surpassed half of the Dark Draugr's Health Points, which forced it into a Berserked State.
Chapter 38 Overcoming Your Fears [Part 3]
Earlier, Diablo was forced in a passive position where it had no choice but to block, dodge, and parry the Dark Draugr's strengthened attacks, which slowly depleted its Health Points.
"Summon Diablo!" Lux shouted before his partner's life was reduced to zero.
The first thing that Diablo did after being respawned was to use Shield Bash against its enemy in order to prevent it from targeting the children. After a short delay, three spells flew side by side and blasted the Dark Draugr's several meters away from where it stood.
"Dark Arrow!" Lux shouted for the umpteenth time in the hope that it would once again trigger the Blind Effect. Unfortunately, nothing happened, which forced the Half-Elf to use his other skill.
"Mana Drain!"
After using spell after spell, the Half-Elf's mana had decreased a considerable amount. Lux used Mana Drain after the skill's cooldown was over in order to replenish his dwindling mana reserves.
Ten minutes passed as this intense battle continued. Diablo had been killed four times during that time, but it had successfully fended off all attacks aimed at the children.
Soon, the red mists surrounding the Dark Draugr faded. Lux and Diablo immediately closed the distance to deliver devastating blows, while their enemy entered a weakened state.
"Slash!"
Diablo swung his sword on the Draugr's left arm, while Lux's slashed its right, successfully cutting them off their enemy's body.
"Now! Do it!" Lux shouted as he grabbed what remained of the Draugr's right arm, and Diablo did the same with their enemy's left arm.
After doing so, Colette and Matty unleashed devastating attacks on the Undead's body as if they were injected with chicken blood.
Andy, Axel, and Helen watched this scene with complicated expressions on their faces.
From their perspective, Diablo and Lux were like two Big Brothers who were pinning down a bully that had bullied their younger brother and sister.
The two Dwarven children attacked without mercy as if venting out all of their frustrations on the person that bullied them, while their Big Brothers ensured that the Big Bad Bully couldn't fight back.
The other three watched the one-sided beating and glanced at each other. Soon, they also ran towards the Dark Draugr like little Gremlins shouting war cries.
Half a minute later, five little children were hacking, slashing, and bashing the pitiful Undead who could only passively accept their beating.
The two mages and Cleric smashed their staffs on the Draugr's face, while Colette and Matty bashed and hacked its body.
Since the Dark Draugr was already at a weakened state, Diablo and Lux were able to hold it in place due to their stats that hovered near the Apostle Rank.
Lux could have ended the Draugr's life faster if he worked together with Diablo. However, he didn't do that for a simple reason.
He wanted the children to overcome the trauma that had started to grow in their hearts. The only way for them to do that was to face their fears head on and overcome it.
This was a very common occurrence for those that suffered in driving accidents. Once those people sat behind the wheel again, they would have a distinct fear gripping their hearts. The best way to cure this feeling was to resume driving as soon as possible.
If they delayed it, the trauma would just grow. It would make it harder for them to return to and regain their confidence in driving cars.
Lux didn't want the children to suffer, so he decided to nip the problem in the bud, while it still hadn't fully grown.
After five excruciating minutes, the Dark Draugr's body shattered into a pile of bones before turning into particles of light.
It left behind a Beast Core as well as one of the Dark Swords it had wielded earlier.
"W-We did it!" Colette raised her weapon in excitement. "We won!"
Matty clenched his fist in triumph before giving Colette a High Five.
The other children also cheered and hugged each other for a job well done.
Lux watched the young Dwarves with satisfied expressions plastered on their faces as they realized they had succeeded in defeating the Boss Monster. It was also at that moment that a series of notifications appeared in front of him which made the smile on his face widen.
—--
< Achievement Unlocked! >
< Clearing Bronze Crypt Normal Mode >
< Rewards >
– 5 Free Stats Points
– 5 Body Constitution Points
– 5 Skill Points
—--
Lux didn't expect that he would get additional rewards for clearing the dungeon. Although the rewards weren't much, he was still happy to receive them.
"Big Brother, we did it!" Colette happily jumped up and down like a little kid that had won a competition.
"Yes, you did well," Lux gave Colette a high five which made the adorable girl giggle.
The Half-Elf raised his hand to also give the other children a high five, which they gave happily. Even Matty returned Lux's gesture, which proved that the Dwarf boy was in a good mood.
"Now, it's time to divide the loot," Colette said after calming down.
All the Dwarves looked at the Beast Core and the sword lying on the ground and exchanged a glance with each other.
"I don't want it," Matty said.
"Me, either," Axel stated.
"Me, either." Helen giggled.
Colette smiled as she looked at Lux. "Big Brother, you can have the Beast Core and the Black Sword. I also don't want it."
Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Alright. I will gratefully accept your wishes."
All the Dwarves looked up at him with smiles on their faces. They knew that if Lux wasn't there with them, all of them would have been killed by the Dark Draugr.
The seed of fear and doubt that had started to grow in their hearts could have also grown bigger and haunted them for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, they had already managed to break free from its hold, and overcome their fears.
Right now, all of them had the confidence that if they were to meet Draugr's in the future, their bodies would no longer freeze up like scared children that were waiting for themselves to be killed.
"Big Brother, do you have a moment?" Colette grabbed Lux's hand after their party had exited the Dungeon.
"What's wrong?" Lux replied with a smile.
"Nothing much. I just want to tell you that I have a beautiful older sister that is of the same age as you," Colette stated. "I guarantee that she is a good person. Although you're not a Dwarf, I can play matchmaker and let the two of you meet. What do you say?"
Lux blinked his eyes once then twice as he stared at the adorable girl that was looking back at him with the "leave everything to me" expression.
"I will think about it," Lux replied.
Colette pouted. "Big Brother, my Big Sister is very popular, you know? If you don't act fast you will miss the opportunity of a lifetime. My Big Sister is that good!"
Lux didn't know whether he should laugh or cry at Colette's attempt to play matchmaker. In the end, the little girl was able to make the Half-Elf promise that he would meet her sister, Aina, once he left Leaf Village.
After accomplishing her goal, Colette and her friends walked towards the village, while chattering happily. Lux walked behind them with a helpless smile on his face.
For some reason, he was looking forward to his adventures with this little band of merry Dwarf children, while waiting for the day when he could leave Leaf Village without any regrets.
Chapter 39 Adventures That Would Be Remembered For A Lifetime
After arriving in Leaf Village, Lux parted with Colette and her friends and went back to the inn to check his spoils of war.
He felt that it wasn't appropriate to appraise the loot that the monster had dropped while they were still in the Dungeon, so he decided that he would do it when he was alone.
Lux summoned the Sword that the Dark Draugr had dropped and checked its information.
—--
< The Black Blade, Foe of the Covenant >
Rarity: Rare
(One Handed Sword)
– Attack: 30 - 50
– When equipped, the user will gain the Passive Skill "Dual Wielding".
< Dual Wielding >
– Able to wield two one-handed weapons in each hand without receiving any penalty. You will be able to use both weapons as if you are wielding them with your dominant hand.
—-
"Its attack is stronger than Tranquility, and allows its user to Dual Wield…," Lux thought as he rubbed his chin. "But, Tranquility can summon a Forest Wolf. Also, having Dawne on Diablo allows him to use Shield Bash to stun enemies for a brief moment. The reason why the Dark Draugr wasn't able to deal any powerful blows is due to Shield Bash."
After thinking things through, Lux decided not to swap the Black Blade with Tranquility. His only weapon right now was Oathbreaker. It was a unique weapon that could be considered a cheat item in his current level.
"I guess for now I can equip both Oathbreaker and the Black Blade," Lux muttered as he returned the sword inside his storage ring.
Lux also didn't forget to allocate his rewards to his Body Constitution and Diablo to increase their progression level. As for the free stat points he had, he didn't touch them for the time being because he had no intention of breaking through the Apostle Grade anytime soon.
—-
Free Stat Points Available: 35
—--
< Immortal Conqueror's Legacy >
Rating: F+
Progress: (56/100)
—--
< Diablo >
Rating: D
Progress ( 40 / 100)
—---
Colette and the others invited him to come with them to the Figaro Garden located in the North Zone of Leaf Village. This was a place where insectoid monsters roamed.
According to the adorable little Dwarf girl, there were rumors that there was a Unique Weapon hidden in this area. This was also the reason why they planned to investigate by themselves and check if the rumors were true.
As the owner of the Elysium Compendium, Lux was aware of all the Unique Quests that could be found in Leaf Village. One of them was even a Mythical Quest that was exclusive only to Beginner Villages.
The Mythical Quest would give out Mythical Ranked items as rewards. However, its difficulty was so high that no beginner in their right minds would dare and try to challenge it. Also, since Mythical Quests were extremely rare quests, the only way to acquire them was based on luck and fortuitous encounters.
Currently, Lux had two Mythical Items in his possession. One was the Elysium Compendium, which had all the information about Elysium. The other one was the black coffin in Lux's possession that went by the name "Blackfire".
The Elysium Compendium alone was already considered a priceless treasure. If Lux could complete the Mythical Quest before he left Leaf Village then he would gain another trump card on his journey through Elysium.
Actually, the trigger of the quest was simpler than expected. All they needed to do was defeat all of the Alpha Monstres that were exclusive to each zone. However, even if the Dwarves defeated them, they would not be aware that they had triggered a Mythical Quest by accident.
Until now, no one had managed to complete the Mythical Quest in the Beginner's Village because of how random it was.
—-
< Mythical Quest >
(Birth of a Legend)
– Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Aspiration Plains.
Carbuncle (0/1)
– Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Leaf Village Cemetery
Ghoul Beast (0/1)
– Defeat the Alpha Monster of Figaro Garden
Red-eyed Terror Mantis (0/1)
– Defeat the Field Boss of Heartwood Forest
Forest Wolf King (0/1)
—--
< Rewards >
– 500 Skill Points
– 50 Body Constitution Points
– 50 Stats Points
– Leaf Village Equipment Set (Mythical)
– One random Mythical Item exclusive to the Leaf Village
Note: The Mythical Item reward will depend on your overall performance. So you better do your best!
—--
Lux was sure that even if the Dwarves were able to defeat the three Alpha Monsters, the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King, was something that they wouldn't dare to fight.
—--
< Forest Wolf King >
– Beginner Zone Field Boss
– King of the Forest
– Rank 4 Field Boss Monster
Health: 300,000 / 300,000
Mana: 80,000 / 80,000
Strength: 200
Intelligence: 100
Vitality: 250
Agility: 250
Dexterity: 150
Skills: Windwalk, Wind Blade, Air Blast, Call of the Wild.
—--
Lux estimated that only a hundred-men team composed of Grade D up to Grade B Apostles, would be able to fight against this Field Boss, who was the Apex Creature within the boundaries of Leaf Village.
Field Bosses were different from Normal Rank 3 Monsters because of their strength and rarity.
Similar to how Diablo was different from normal Skeletons, Field Bosses also had higher stats and powerful skills that surpassed monsters of the same rank.
Clearing the Mythical Quest was only one of the two reasons why Lux was not in a hurry to leave Leaf Village.
His other goal was more important than the Mythical Quest, and it was on a more personal level.
As long as this goal wasn't achieved, Lux wouldn't leave the Beginner's Village even after he completed the Mythical Quest that no one had cleared in the past.
Lux closed his eyes and the images of Colette and the other dwarves appeared in his head. They were the first companions that he had met in Elysium, and thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea to go on adventures with them while he was still in Leaf Village.
"Grandma, I think I've made some new friends today," Lux said softly as he closed his eyes. "I hope that tomorrow will be another wonderful day."
A minute later, Lux was already fast asleep. He dreamt a happy dream.
A dream where he and the Dwarf children went on epic adventures all around Elysium.
Adventures that would be remembered for a lifetime.
Chapter 40 Graduation Turned Disaster
"Big Brother, over here!" Colette called out to Lux as soon as he appeared at the Northern Gate of Leaf Village.
"You guys are a bit early," Lux said with a smile. In order to prevent making the children wait, he had come half an hour earlier from their appointment.
However, it seemed that he was not the only one who thought of this because everyone else had already gathered, with the addition of one more Dwarf boy in the party.
"Big Brother, let me introduce you to our Ranger, Robin," Colette said with a smile. "He wasn't able to accompany us yesterday because he was finishing a quest for his Job Class Promotion."
Lux eyed the young Dwarf with short dark-brown hair and hazel eyes, who was looking back at him with a frown. There was a hint of disapproval on Robin's face, but Lux had long been used to this kind of expression from the Dwarves in Leaf Village.
Only Colette, and the other children that had explored the Dungeon with Lux, treated him like a friend.
"Nice to meet you. Just call me Lux," Lux commented.
Robin gave the Half-Elf a brief nod before averting his gaze. Clearly, he wasn't interested in getting friendly with the new addition to their party.
"Now that we're all here, let's go to the Figaro Gardens," Colette stated. "My acquaintance told me earlier that there are several 'Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes' wandering around in the middle areas of the Garden. Although we can fight them, it is best that we avoid them if possible. If any of you see one, alert everyone in the group so we can withdraw as fast as possible."
Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.
The Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes were one of the most annoying monsters in Figaro Garden. All of them were a foot tall, and were known to always travel in groups.
Their bite had a mild paralyzing effect, but it was not strong enough to completely render someone immobile. The problem was that, since they traveled in groups, the effect of each bite would stack. If someone were bitten more than six times, the paralyzing venom would take a hundred percent effect and render the victim completely paralyzed.
After that, they would have no choice but to watch in horror as these bloodsucking monsters drink their fill until they slowly lose consciousness due to blood loss.
There was a saying in the Figaro Gardens.
If the mosquitoes didn't kill you, the other bugs will.
Unconscious prey was a welcome meal to any insects that lived within the garden, that had already claimed countless lives, since the world of Elysium had opened to the world of Solais.
After traveling for fifteen minutes on foot, all of them finally arrived at their destination.
Lux was mildly surprised when he found out that the Figaro Garden was actually a place where giant plants grow.
For a brief moment, he even thought that he had shrunk because of the sheer size of the flowers around them.
"It's like a forest of flowers," Lux muttered as he followed behind Colette's group.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Colette asked with a smile.
"Yes, but I can also sense the danger in the surroundings," Lux replied. "I feel as if we will be attacked at any moment."
As if waiting for that cue, a meter tall Ant suddenly came out of the grass beside the Half-Elf, which made the latter jump back in fright.
Colette, Matty, and the rest of the group laughed after seeing this funny scene.
"Damn, that almost gave me a heart attack," Lux said as he pressed his hand over his chest.
The Ant that had crawled out of the bushes created a clicking sound with its mandibles as if trying to communicate with them.
Lux did his research and read the information about all the monsters in the Figaro Garden. The Ants in the garden were considered pacifists and simply minded their own business as they scavenged for food.
They would not actively attack anyone, and they were also known for carrying wounded Dwarves back to Leaf Village if they stumbled upon them while they were foraging.
Because of this, the people in Leaf Village would always warn the Foreigners to never attack or, worse, kill the Ants because no matter how docile they usually were, once they were attacked, they would retaliate.
If someone killed one of their members, they would attack in swarms and hunt down the offender all the way to Leaf Village. Anyone who committed this taboo would not be protected by the Town's Guards. They would be left to their own fate.
As the Ant tried to communicate with Colette and her friends, more Ants came out of the bushes carrying berries and other food stuff. They walked past the Dwarves as they headed back to their nest.
Some of the Ants were even kind enough to offer berries to the Dwarves, which they politely declined.
Lux watched this scene with great interest because this was the first time that he was interacting with the Ants of Figaro Garden.
"I see." Robin nodded. "Thank you for the warning. We greatly appreciate it."
The Ant clicked its mandible a few more times before leaving the group of Dwarves to go back to its nest.
After the Ants disappeared, everyone looked at Robin in askance. He was the only Ranger in the group with the skill called Beast Empathy, which allowed him to understand the language of monsters on a basic level.
"They said that there are several Dwarves fighting against the Alpha Monster, roughly a kilometer in that direction," Robin said as he pointed towards the East. "The Ant also warned that dozens of Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes are loitering around the Northern area."
Colette frowned because according to the rumors, the location of the Unique Weapon that they were searching for was said to be found in the Northern area of the garden. However, the presence of over a dozen Predator Mosquitoes was extremely bad news for them.
Although they weren't as strong as a Rank 1 Monster, their sheer numbers and potential threat was more than enough for the little girl to reconsider their options.
"For the time being, why don't we head to the East?" Colette proposed. "Since the Ant said that several dwarves are fighting against an Alpha Beast, it must be the Graduation Ceremony of Leaf Village."
"Graduation ceremony?" Lux asked. "What Graduation Ceremony?"
Helen, the party's cleric, patted Lux's arm in order to get his attention.
"Big Brother, the Graduation Ceremony is when the Dwarves challenge any of the Alpha Monsters after reaching the Apostle Rank," Helen explained with a smile. "For us Dwarves who go to Elysium, this is our Rite of Passage to becoming full-fledged Warriors."
"I see." Lux nodded in understanding. "Since this is a special occasion, why don't we go and observe their fight against the Alpha Monster? This will allow us to prepare for our own Graduation Ceremony before we leave Leaf Village."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and immediately walked towards the East.
Lux didn't think that this so-called Graduation Ceremony was out of place. In fact, he even thought that it was a very sensible thing to do. After breaking through the Apostle Rank, they would formally be known as true Warriors, and fighting an Alpha Beast was a good way to test their mettle before advancing onto their next journey in Elysium.
Alpha Beasts were Peak Rank 2 Monsters. Although fighting them one-on-one was almost a suicide mission, fighting them as a party was doable.
As they neared the territory of the Alpha Monster, they noticed that several dwarves were also headed into the same direction that they were.
Graduation ceremonies were quite popular among the Dwarf children, and they all thought that it was a good opportunity to see just how strong an Alpha Beast was from a distance.
Soon, sounds of metals clashing against each other, and shouting reached their ears.
In a wide clearing, a group of six Dwarves were fighting against the Alpha Monster of the Figaro Garden known as the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.
A single glance was enough to tell Lux that the Dwarves had the upper hand in the battle.
"Amazing," Lux muttered. "Their teamwork is amazing."
Lux watched in awe as a Shield Warrior, a Swordsman, and a Spearman, took turns in keeping the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis from attacking their rear fighters.
At the back, Two Mages fired spell after spell, while the Shaman erected a healing ward that passively regenerated the Health of everyone in the party.
Whenever the Terror Mantis changed target and attacked the mages, the Shield Warrior would use a Taunt Skill to force the monster to drag its attention to him.
Once they had successfully shifted its attention, the swordsman and the spearman would unleash a barrage of attacks at the Alpha Monster making it shriek in pain.
—--
< Red-Eyed Terror Mantis >
– Figaro Garden Apex Creature
– Rank 2 Alpha Monster
Health: 8,560 / 40,000
Mana: 2,250 / 10,000
Strength: 100
Intelligence: 50
Vitality: 100
Agility: 150
Dexterity: 100
Skills: Fury Slash, Gust, Berserk.
—--
After the Health Points of the Terror Mantis was halved, the color of its body immediately turned red. This signaled the start of its berserked phase, which was also the most dangerous moment for the Dwarves who were currently facing it with their amazing teamwork.
The Dwarves watching from afar clenched their fist in excitement because this was the turning point in the battle. All of them could feel their blood boiling as they watched the amazing display of skills in front of them.
While the battle between the berserked Terror Mantis and the Dwarves were about to reach its climax, a buzzing sound reached everyone's ears.
All the Dwarves in the area unconsciously shuddered because this sound was very familiar to them. Anyone who had been exploring in the Figaro Gardens for a long time was very familiar with this sound because it was the sign that a swarm of Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes were headed in their direction.
"Everyone retreat to the South!!" the swordsman of the Dwarf party, that were facing off against the Terror Mantis, shouted. He was the leader of the group and knew more than anyone else how dire their current situation was.
After issuing his order, his party immediately disengaged their battle with the Red Terror Mantis and hurriedly retreated. However, the Berserked Alpha Monster had no intention of letting them get away that easily.
The other Dwarves, who had been observing the battle, also ran as if their pants were on fire. Lux's and Colette's group were among them and everyone's faces were grim.
As they ran away in haste, Lux glanced behind him and saw a dark cloud headed in their direction. The sound of buzzing wings became stronger as the Predator Mosquitoes drew near.
The Half-Elf had no doubt in his mind that if any creature were unfortunate enough to be overtaken by the swarm of mosquitoes, the only fate that awaited them was turning into a dried husk with all of their blood sucked out of their bodies.