Ch. 321: Chapter 321-330
Chapter 321 It Will Take More Than Killing Me To Kill Me
Diablo's sword swept the battlefield, killing those who were unlucky enough to stand in his path.
Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion, were also busy dealing with the remaining survivors, but they were visibly having a harder time compared to the Death Knight, whose might had reached staggering levels.
"Have you found him?" Diablo asked Ishtar who had appeared beside him.
"No," Ishtar replied. "I will check the North West. I'll notify you right away once I find them."
Without another word, the Nightstalker melded with the shadows. She, along with Diablo, were the most mobile among Lux's named creatures, so it was mostly up to them to find the commanding general of the Ammarian Army in order to end his life.
The explosions were starting to fade away because most of the people within the vicinity were dead.
Out of the four hundred thousand people that had climbed up the mountains, only around thirty thousand were left, and all of them were scattered all over the place, looking for a safe place to hide.
Malcolm and Moriarty still had around five thousand soldiers with them, making them a sizable force.
These soldiers had created temporary trenches using magical spells, allowing them to survive the explosions that were happening around them.
When everything started to quiet down, Moriarty stood up from his hiding place and scanned the surroundings.
"Everyone, prepare to descend the mountain." Moriarty ordered. "No matter what happens, pay close attention to your surroundings. Do not go near any of the corpses at all costs. We don't want a repeat of what just happened."
His voice wasn't too loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. No one was talking because they were hoping that the explosions around them would start to die down, so they were able to hear their General's orders clearly.
"Form Ranks." Moriarty raised his hand, making the soldiers take a battle formation with him at its center.
Time was crucial, and he knew that he needed to return to their Main Camp as soon as possible before their enemy could regroup and launch a counterattack while they were still in the mountains.
His worries were on point because one of Lux's Skeletons raised a red flag at the top of the mountain, telling the Yelan Army that all was clear.
"The flag is raised, what now?" Watson asked Sherlock who was mounted on top of a mountain goat.
"Elementary, my Dear Watson," Sherlock said as he loaded a metallic ball into his flintlock. "Raise our banner and order the men to go for the kill!"
Watson immediately hoisted the banner while riding on his own Mountain Goat.
"You heard the Man, I mean, Gnome!" Watson roared. "Everyone, charge! Avenge our brothers!"
""Kill!""
—---
Moriarty and Malcolm heard the war cries that sounded in the distance and knew that they didn't have much time to spare.
"Everyone, hasten your pace!" Moriarty ordered. "We mustn't let them catch us!"
With their general urging them to hurry, the soldiers started to increase their pace. They had already been jogging down the mountain path, but now, they were almost running.
Moriarty, along with his officers and elite protectors were mounted on War Horses.
Malcolm and his comrades had also summoned their Forest Wolves, and were moving at the right side of the General.
They had two mission goals. One was to defeat the Yelan Army, and the other was to protect Moriarty's life. Due to the heavy security that guarded the General, Malcolm and his comrades were able to focus their attention to finding ways to weaken the Yelan Army.
However, they, including their target of protection, were currently in a precarious situation. In order to succeed in their mission, they prioritized escorting the General back to the Main Camp and ensuring that he wouldn't be killed along the way.
Suddenly, a loud whistle spread in the surroundings, making all the soldiers at the front of the formation take a defensive stance.
A moment later, everyone felt a powerful presence approaching their position from the right side, making everyone face in that direction.
A Death Knight, mounted on a Nightmare, was charging in their direction. Flying beside him was a chubby knight, whose whole body was covered in armor.
"Protect the General!" Malcolm shouted as he, as well as his comrades, positioned themselves in front of Moriarty, with their weapons drawn.
"Archers and Mages, fire at will!" Moriarty ordered.
Immediately, a rain of arrows and spells headed towards the charging Death Knight, but the latter didn't slow its advance. Instead, it even increased, making the glowing embers in Diablo's eyes grow brightly.
"Shield Wall!" Pazuzu flew in front of Diablo and activated his strongest defensive ability.
Immediately a six-meter-tall, blue Tower Shield appeared in front of him, deflecting the arrows and absorbing the spells that were aimed in his direction.
Pazuzu knew that his shield wouldn't hold for long, so he once again activated his other skill, Madlad Rush, and bulldozed his way forward.
"Block him!" Moriarty ordered. "Phalanx Formation!"
Following their General's orders, the soldiers in front of their formation all raised their shields, and pointed the tip of their spears forward to intercept the Fortress Defender whose blue tower shield was filled with cracks.
A moment later, the blue tower shield shattered, revealing the charging juggernaut, who was now relying on his own Silver Shield, as well as its armor, to block the attacks aimed in his direction.
When Pazuzu was only a dozen of meters away from the soldiers of the Ammarian Kingdom, he roared and activated one of his skills with the intention of smashing the defenders that were blocking his way.
"Shield Bash!"
Just like a bowling ball hitting a set of bowling pins, everyone in front of the formation was blown away by Pazuzu's last hurrah.
Less than ten seconds later, Pazuzu's health got depleted due to the combined attacks that were aimed in his direction, and he turned into particles of light.
However, as soon as the particles of light disappeared, the image of a Death Knight took its place.
"Whirlwind Slash!"
Right after Diablo entered the gap that Pazuzu had created for him, the bodies of the soldiers around him were split in half, sending blood flying in every direction.
This gruesome scene made Malcolm, who was right in front of Moriarty, subconsciously shudder. At that moment, he knew that the moment the Death Knight reached their location, there was nothing that could stop it from killing Moriarty.
"Turn Undead!"
The Oracle, who was part of Malcolm's army, pointed the golden staff with a skull on its tip towards the Death Knight who was swinging its weapon like the God of Death, reaping the lives of the soldiers as if he was just cutting grass.
When the spell hit Diablo, the Death Knight was momentarily pushed back, but the spell wasn't enough to instantly kill it.
"What are you waiting for?!" the Oracle shouted. "Kill the Wandering Field Boss! Kill him now!"
The Oracle's shout broke the soldiers around Diablo out of their daze, and they once again swarmed the Undead with their weapons drawn high.
"Futile," Diablo replied as he swung his sword, killing dozens of men in a single swing. "It will take more than killing me to kill me."
The health that he had lost after he was hit by the Turn Undead skill was instantly restored due to the Life Steal ability of his weapon, Blood Moon.
The Oracle clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw that his spell didn't work the way he wanted. This skill had a small chance of instantly killing a High-Ranking Undead as long as they were not Boss Monsters.
Although the Oracle had labeled Diablo as the Wandering Field Boss they were looking for, he still decided to give it a try, just in case a miracle happened.
Little did the Oracle know that this one spell of his could've ended Diablo's life, had he been lucky enough to trigger the spell's One-Hit-KO probability against the Undead.
If he had only used this skill two to three more times, perhaps the Death Knight would have died due to that small probability.
Sadly, he didn't use it again, which allowed Diablo to break their formation and continue to advance towards the Great General, whose death would spell the end of Malcolm's mission.
"Kill it," Moriarty ordered his elite guards who were all of the Initiate Rank. "Make it quick."
Immediately, a dozen soldiers wearing red capes on their backs charged at the Death Knight, who created a trail of blood behind him.
When the Initiates neared him, Diablo did the unthinkable, making Moriarty and Malcolm open their eyes wide.
The Death Knight jumped on its mount's back in order to gain a foothold and used its Leap Attack, aiming towards Moriarty's location.
"Hellfire Annihilation Slash!"
That was the last thing that Malcolm and his comrades heard before the flames of hell descended upon them, and burned their bodies into particles of light.
Chapter 322 Shut Up, Uncle! Just Go Die Already! [Part 1]
Malcolm's entire group, with the exception of the Oracle, were instantly killed by Diablo's AOE attack.
The Oracle only managed to escape because he had used a blink ability, taking him out of harm's way and teleporting him behind the Death Knight whose skill had annihilated everyone that was in front of him.
Surprisingly, Moriarty hadn't died from Diablo's attack, and no damage whatsoever could be seen on his body. Only his War Horse, which he had been riding earlier, had died from the Death Knight's attack.
—---
< One of the Opposing General's Protective Charms was destroyed. >
< Remaining Protective Charms ( 2 / 3) >
—---
When Lux heard this notification inside his head, he couldn't help getting surprised. He thought that the battle would already be over with Diablo's attack, but it seemed that his mission wasn't as easy as he originally thought it would be.
'Still, we have the upperhand. Diablo, finish him!' Lux ordered as he directed all of his summoned creatures to help the Death Knight land the finishing blows on the General, who was one of his primary objectives.
Diablo once again slashed at Moriarty, not giving the General time to recover, but the latter raised his bastard sword to parry the Death Knight's blow and even counterattacked.
The blow was strong, causing Diablo to skid across the ground for a few meters before coming to a halt.
Moriarty was a Pseudo-Ranker, so he was quite strong. Although Diablo's damage reached over a million, as long as he doesn't land a hit, it would be useless.
Time and time again, the two clashed, but Moriarty seemed to be an expert in parrying. In fact, Diablo had the Expert Parry Skill, and yet, he was unable to land a hit on the General and, in turn, couldn't break the two remaining Protective Charms that protected him.
'Maybe he has Extreme Parry or God-like Parry,' Lux thought as he observed the battle from Diablo's perspective. 'Well, no one said that it has to be a one-on-one battle.'
Suddenly, a dark arrow shot from nowhere and flew towards Moriarty's back.
However, before the arrow could even land on its target, Moriarty did a backswing, using the flat of his blade as a shield to block the incoming threat from behind.
"Protect the General!" one of the soldiers broke out of his daze and shouted. "Men! Protect the general!"
Immediately, several magic spells landed on Diablo's body, pushing him away from his opponent.
While this was happening, Ishtar appeared a few meters away from Moriarty and used twin blades to attack him at close range. However, as if already expecting an attack from behind, the General calmly side-stepped, allowing Ishtar's blow to pass harmlessly by his side.
Losing her balance, the Nightstalker wasn't able to block the follow up kick that Moriarty had aimed from behind her, which sent her crashing towards a tree several meters away.
"Jackhammer!"
Orion's thunderous roar spread in the surroundings as the Jade Golem smashed his fist towards the General, who didn't even flinch at the sight of a four-meter-tall Jade Golem, whose terrifying fist was descending in his direction.
"Perfect Counter," Moriarty muttered as he blocked the Golem's attack with his sword, preventing any damage to his body.
Orion was about to exert more strength to his fist in order to smash the General to the ground, but before he could do that, something unbelievable happened.
The four-meter-tall golem was sent flying by Moriarty, destroying the trees that blocked his way.
At that exact moment, the corpses around Moriarty exploded at the same time, dealing sharp shrapnels, as well as a cloud of necrotic damage towards the General.
A moment later, a notification sound was heard inside Lux's head, making him clench his fist tightly.
—---
< One of the Opposing General's Protective Charms was destroyed. >
< Remaining Protective Charms ( 1 / 3) >
—---
"Yes!" Lux was unable to stop himself from shouting and doing a fist pump. "Just one more!"
Lux was so focused on observing the battle through Diablo's eyes that he didn't notice the spell that was about to hit his body from his left side.
"Flame Strike!"
The Half-Elf's body instantly combusted into flames, destroying the robe and mask that he was wearing.
Fortunately, after his body constitution was upgraded to Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy, Lux's body had become immune to fire.
Also, he was wearing armor underneath his robes, so only the robes and the ordinary mask he received from Sherlock were destroyed.
After blinking away from Diablo, the Oracle knew that he couldn't stay on the mountains and decided to use his blink ability to descend the mountain. While he was going down, he noticed two suspicious robed figures with their hands raised in the air as if performing a long-distance spell.
After landing his hit, the Oracle cast the tracing spell that he had used to find the "Wandering Field Boss" because his instincts were screaming at him to do it.
To his surprise, the purple beam of light landed on the person that was currently being bathed by blazing flames.
"It's you!" the Oracle shouted after seeing Lux's face that was no longer disguised by a mask. "What are you doing here?! Are you the Necromancer controlling that Death Knight?!"
Lux didn't answer. Instead, he stomped his right foot on the ground and turned into a streak of lightning, heading towards the Oracle.
Now that his secret was blown, there was only one thing left to do and that was to kill his enemy, and get it over with.
The Oracle was about to blink away and almost succeeded. But to his dismay, instead of getting away from his enemy, he was now standing two meters away from the Half-Elf whose hands had already transformed into dragon claws.
"Stop!" the Oracle shouted while looking at the Half-Elf whose eyes had turned purple.
"Dragon Claw!" Lux ignored the Oracle's plea and slashed his chest using his claws.
"Ack!" the Oracle shouted as the power of Lux's passive ability, Touch of the Abyss, rioted inside his body, making him writhe in pain.
Giving his enemy no mercy, the Half-Elf used his free hand to use another Dragon Claw. this time it was aimed at his opponent's face, sending blood flying in the air.
"Dragon Rend!"
Both of Lux's claws were covered in dragon flames, making the Oracle shout in fear and desperation.
Without holding back, Lux's right hand slashed down on the Oracle's hand, which was holding a golden staff, and cut it completely from his body.
Lux's left hand, pierced through the Oracle's body, making him combust from within, and turn into particles of light.
Chapter 323 Shut Up, Uncle! Just Go Die Already! [Part 2]
The faces of Malcolm and the High-Ranking officials of the Skystead Alliance, who were observing the battle from the projection on the wall, were all contorted in anger. They had gotten a clear view of the Half-Elf's face when he was about to kill the Oracle, making them cry out in anger.
The image on the wall disappeared as soon as the last surviving member of Malcolm's team was killed, which also signified that their mission to conquer the Gate of Conquest had ended in failure.
"Just what is going on here?!" the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire shouted as he pointed his finger at the members of the Xynnar War Pact. "Is this part of your ploy?! You dare scheme against us?!"
"Preposterous!" one of the High Ranking Nobles of the Six Kingdoms shouted back. "We have no idea what you are talking about! Also, I don't see anything wrong with what happened. Your kids are fighting against our kids and lost. Or are you saying that you bastards can't accept a loss, huh?!"
"What did you say, you bastard?!"
"Hah! Are you deaf?! I'm saying that your kids are weaklings! What? Do you have a problem? Come and bite me!"
Tension started to spread outside the gates of the Domain of the Fallen as both parties unsheathed their weapons. Clearly, all it needed was one more push before a scuffle started.
"Everyone, sheathe your weapons!" Xander's Father, Hector, shouted to calm everyone down. "We still have no idea what is happening, so it will be best if we wait until Lux and his comrades come out of the dungeon. Once they are out, we can all ask them what happened."
"Ask them?" the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire sneered. "Why is there a need to ask them? We're not blind. Clearly, they are sabotaging our empire's representatives even after we paid the price to gain the slots to enter the Sacred Dungeon!"
"That's right! You double crossers!"
"How dare you cheat us?! Do you think we are soft persimmons?!"
"Do you really think that we will take this lying down? If you want to fight, let's fight!"
Hector crossed his arms over his chests and emitted a Lion's Roar, which drowned out the complaints of the Skystead Alliance.
"I'm telling you to wait!" Hector shouted. "This needs to be investigated properly. The Sacred Dungeon is an Instance Dungeon. It is unusual for two parties to exist on the same plane! We have entered other Dungeons of the same kind for several years already, and this has never happened before. We must know what triggered it to prevent something similar from happening in the future!"
Hector didn't want to fight because he knew that if he made his move, the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance would also make their move.
If Rankers started to fight each other, a bloodbath would ensue, which would cause the loss of many lives. Although the Skystead Alliance was their rival, they weren't their enemy, at least not yet.
In order to prevent the worse case scenario, he needed to use the voice of reason in order to calm everyone down.
Fortunately, he succeeded, making the members of the Skystead Alliance question their counterparts if such a thing really hadn't happened in the past.
"It's true, this is the first time this has happened," one of the Rankers from Barbatos Academy commented. "Just like Hector said, the Sacred Dungeon is an Instance Dungeon. It is impossible for two teams to be present in the same Dungeon at the same time. This has never happened before!"
There were Dungeons in Elysium which they referred to as Open World Dungeons and Boss Raid Dungeons.
These Dungeons allowed many people to challenge it all at the same time, and everyone would be fighting on the same plane of existence. It was different from Instance Dungeons which would separate the challengers into different copies of the Dungeon, and allow them to challenge it on a team by team basis.
Malcolm and his comrades were forced to rein in their anger because this matter was simply unheard of. Also, they had fought against Lux's team and lost. If they whined about it, they would simply become the laughing stock of everyone.
Losing in a Dungeon Raid simply meant that they didn't have the skills to win, or luck wasn't on their side.
Malcolm and the other representatives of the younger generation didn't want to make it look like they couldn't take a loss. However, that didn't mean that they weren't angry about it.
'Bastards, let's see how you face the wrath of our Emperor when you come out of that dungeon!' Malcolm cursed internally.
He knew that Emperor Andreas was someone who carried a grudge. The price the Skystead Alliance had to pay to obtain the fifteen slots from Lux wasn't really a big deal.
The problem was that they had "paid" for the entrance to the Sacred Dungeon, but the one who received their payment was the same person that killed them inside it.
It's like paying a Bandit Leader for protection money to allow them to pass, but after receiving the payment, the Bandit Leader still decided to kill them, making them feel aggrieved.
While the tension outside of the Domain of the Fallen had somewhat gotten under control, Lux and his skeleton soldiers were going all out to try and deal the last blow to Moriarty, who was defending perfectly against all of their attacks.
Suddenly, the ground trembled as the warriors of the Yelan Empire appeared with Watson leading the charge.
"Hah! Moriarty we finally meet!" Watson shouted as he made a beeline towards the General of the opposing army. "Your head is mine!"
It was not only Watson whose eyes had turned Bloodshot. All of the soldiers of the Yelan Army shouted as they urged their mounts to strike the General who was fighting a desperate battle on his own.
"Watson, do you dare to fight me in a duel?!" Moriarty shouted. "Or are you telling me that the General of the Yelan Kingdom is a cowardly dog who only knows how to hide behind his army's back?!"
"Desperate cries from a desperate person!" Watson replied. "But sure, I will humor you! Men, do not interfere!"
Jumping down from his mount, Watson held a great sword in his hands and engaged Moriarty in a duel.
As if watching a cut-scene from a game, Lux watched as the two repeatedly clashed their weapons against each other without backing away.
Moriarty looked exhausted, which was probably because of the battle he'd had with Lux's forces. But the determination in his eyes gave him strength and allowed him to stand up against Watson, who was at the peak of his prime.
Blow after blow, the ground under their feet crumbled as their attacks, which carried the might of their respective armies, clashed against each other.
Then it happened.
Moriarty saw an opportunity and managed to successfully trick Watson with his feint, allowing him to stab his bastard sword on his opponent's shoulder, breaking his form.
"Die Watson!" Moriarty's frenzied gaze was filled with killing intent as he pulled his sword from Watson's shoulder to deliver a killing blow to the Yelan General's neck, to chop it off completely from Watson's body.
But before his blade could land on his target, a mighty, and defearning roar reached his ears.
"I'm Charging!"
Caught off guard, Moriarty wasn't able to dodge the deadly tusks that pierced through his armor.
—-
< The Opposing General's protective charms are all completely destroyed. You may now directly attack his body and deal damage! >
—---
Cai, who had also heard the notification, was currently slamming Moriarty's body into the trees that were blocking its way. Its tusks were firmly embedded on the General's body, making the latter unable to break free from it.
"I'M CHAAAAAAAAAARGING!"
Cai, who only knew how to charge, did what it did best and simply dragged the General on a ride of non-stop suffering.
The Boar smashed the aggrieved General into everything available—trees, boulders, trees, boulders, across the ground, more trees, more boulders, and anything else that it could use to inflict pain on the enemy, whose bloody lips were repeatedly releasing curses.
"Filthy coward!" Moriarty spat a mouthful of blood on Cai's face. "How dare you get in the way of a duel?!"
"Shut up, Uncle!" Cai shook its head side to side, and slammed Moriarty's body on the ground repeatedly. "Just go die already!"
Finally, after a couple agonizing minutes, a notification sound reached Lux, as well as his comrades' ears, signaling that the Great General of the Ammarian Kingdom, Moriarty, finally died in Cai's hands.
—-----
< Congratulations! You have finished the mission: The Warring Kingdoms! >
Mission Rating: S
< Quest Objective >
– Kill the General of the opposing army.
< Subquest Objective >
– Capture the Main Flag of the opposing army.
– Kill the Mercenaries that have been hired by the opposing party.
– Quest Duration: 1 week
—--------
Suddenly, rows of text appeared in front of everyone, stating that the mission was only partially completed.
—--------
< Important Notice! >
Although the Mission has reached its Main Objective, the Subquest, Capture the Main Flag of The Opposing Army, is still unfinished. If you wish to get the maximum reward for this mission, you must finish all the quest objectives.
< Would you like to continue the Quest, The Warring Kingdoms? >
( Yes / No )
If you choose No, the mission will be graded on the respective contributions of each Party member.
—---
Contribution Ranking List
Lux Von Kaiser
Cai…
Einar Mordosk
Vallaki Meitar
Keane…
Xander…
—--------
Einar, and the others who saw the rankings almost spat blood after seeing that Cai was listed as the second. The Boar did nothing but simply "Kill Steal" the Army's general, yet it was second in the rankings from that mere contribution.
"Let's charge at the main camp and capture the flag!" Einar shouted! "Vall, let's go!
This time, Vall didn't hesitate and transformed into a giant spider. However, instead of allowing the Barbarian to jump on its back, it spat a mouthful of sticky net on Einar's body, pinning the barbarian on a tree.
A moment later the Alpha-Ranked Elegant Golden Jumping Spider descended the mountain in a mad rush. Clearly, its aim was to capture the enemy's flag in order to gain some merit points and get higher in the rankings.
"Vall you traitor!" Einar roared in anger. "I'll get you for thissssssssssss!"
Cai, who saw this scene, simply snorted and raised its chin arrogantly.
"Peasants fighting for a few coins," Cai said, making the Barbarian glare at it in anger. "Bitter much? Better luck next time, Brah."
Keane and Xander glanced at each other and just shook their heads helplessly. Although they didn't contribute much to the mission's completion, they were still satisfied that it was finally over.
In truth, the chances of the Yelan Army losing was quite high. If Lux wasn't a Necromancer, their loss would have already been assured.
"Corpse Explosion… such a frightening thing," Xander muttered. "I can never look at a corpse the same way ever again."
Keane nodded his head in agreement. If Lux truly had used this ability without care for morals, then the outcome would be truly devastating.
Both teenagers didn't dare to think about what would happen if Lux decided to use this ability outside of a dungeon.
Once again, the two teenagers felt relieved that Lux was on their side.
If he was their opponent, then they would have to seriously consider eliminating him first, given the high level of threat that he could bring on the battlefield.
Fortunately, they were good friends, so they didn't have to worry about this. Even Einar, who had treated Lux as his rival, decided to not be on bad terms with the Necromancer, whose abilities had far exceeded his expectations.
These teenagers were not aware that the moment they left the Gate of War, a new kind of War would be waiting for them in the real world.
A war that would not be fought with weapons, or words, but a cold war, that would make the Half-Elf the center of everyone's attention.
Chapter 324 Mission Rewards [Part 1]
< Congratulations! You have finished the Main Quest and Subquest of the mission: The Warring Kingdoms! >
Contribution Ranking List
Lux Von Kaiser
Cai…
Vallaki Meitar
Einar Mordosk
Keane…
Xander….
< Calculating Rewards. Please, standby! >
—----
"Mwahahahaha! Easy win!" Cai laughed with its snout raised up to the heavens. "Is this Hell Mode? More like Easy Mode! I can do this all day!"
Lux, Keane, Einar, and Xander ignored the shameless Boar's laugh which sounded like it had won the lottery.
The notification of the mission being completed showed up as soon as Vall arrived at the Main Camp of the Ammar Kingdom and captured their Main Flag.
The giant spider ignored all the defenders and just focused on grabbing the flag with its superior speed and agility. This allowed him to get third place in the rankings, leaving Einar behind by one Rank.
As for Keane and Xander, they were just happy that the mission was over, even though they didn't do much to help clear it.
< Rewards calculated! Please check your inventories! >
Rows upon rows of words appeared in front of Lux as he checked the rewards that were given to him.
—------
< Rewards >
1,000,000 Gold Coins
15,000 Body Constitution Points
1,000 Free Stat Points
+10 to all Summon Skeleton Skills
+ 2 to all Summon Golem Skills
– All Skeleton Summon Ratings will be upgraded to S-Rating. This upgrade doesn't include Named Creatures.
– All Summon Golem Ratings will be upgraded to S-Rating. This upgrade doesn't include Named Creatures.
– Key to the Legendary Kingdom of Espoir Frieden
+100 Reputation Points with the Kingdom of Espoir Friden
—----
Before Lux could even jump in joy from seeing the rewards he received from his quest, another round of notifications appeared in front of him.
—---
< Your Skeleton Fighters have reached the S-Rating and are ready to be upgraded to their next profession! Please, choose one among the three choices for their next upgrade! >
Skeleton Rider – A mobile warrior who specializes in mounted combat. Able to tame creatures to be used as mounts.
< Job Profession Bonuses >
Passive Skill: Union of Man and Beast, Cavalry Charge, Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor Proficiency.
Gains 100% increase to attack, and defense when mounted.
– Each Skeleton Rider will be summoned riding their own Skeleton Horse Mounts.
+5,000 Health
+100 Attack
Note: It's not about what you Ride, It's about HOW you Ride. I am Speed!
—-------
Skeleton Swashbuckler – A swaggering Warrior who can battle on land and on the sea. Often mistaken for Pirates because of their unruly behavior, these Warriors excel in single combat, and can fight with two weapons, or with a shield, while safely darting away, or parrying the attacks of their opponent.
They may not be knights in shining armor, but their undying attitude makes up for it.
< Job Profession Bonuses >
Passive Skill: Fancy Footwork, Master Duelist
Gains 100% increase to attack, and defense when fighting in sea.
Gains 200% increase to attack, and defense, when fighting alongside a beautiful lady.
+5,000 Health
+200 Attack
Note: My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled. What a coincidence! I am DYING to help you!
—-------
Skeleton Gang Banger– The first requirement to becoming a Skeleton Gang Banger is to… well, be a skeleton. Once you meet this requirement, you will be able to use this unbelievable profession that would even make Pazuzu blush in shame.
If the Skeleton Shield Warriors are the Masochists of the Skeletal Race, the Skeleton Gang Banger holds second place! These fearsome warriors don't use any shields to block their enemy's attacks.
Using their strong and sturdy bodies, they exchange blows against their opponents without backing away, making them one of the most terrifying Madlads on the battlefield.
Although they could fight one-on-one battles with their enemies, their specialty is targeting a single enemy and grouping up to beat it up until it dies. Sometimes, this single-mindedness of theirs could turn the situation around because they would not stop until they got the job done.
< Job Profession Bonuses >
Passive Skill: Vengeful Berserker, Retaliate Expert, United In Death, Gang Bang Expert
– Gains 5% increase in attack when an ally Skeleton Gang Banger dies on the battlefield. This ability can stack up to 500%. Bonus damage will disappear once the Skeleton Berserker is killed.
+20,000 Health
+300 Attack
Note: Peace is never an option! Prepare to get Gang Banged!
—------
Reading the description of the upgrade options for his Skeleton Fighters, Lux felt as if there was an itch in his back that he couldn't scratch.
All of the choices were good. Even the Skeleton Gang Banger, which made the Half-Elf chuckle after reading its information, was a very tempting option for him. However, in the end, Lux decided to choose the most optimum choice for the Skeleton Fighter's next upgrade.
After the war they had just experienced, the red-headed teenager knew that he needed to choose the most optimum job class for his Summons, so that they would be able to play the role that he needed them to.
< You have chosen Skeleton Gang Banger as the next upgrade for your Skeleton Fighters. Are you sure about this? >
( Yes / No )
—------
Lux firmly clicked Yes in order to upgrade his Skeleton Fighters to their next profession. Originally, he wanted to choose the Skeleton Rider Job Class. However, there were places where mounted combat wouldn't work.
Indoor battles, Siege battles, as well as other instances where mounts would not play a role would greatly limit the Skeleton Rider's effectiveness.
He already had Pazuzu, Orion, and the Rock Golems to act as defensive units if he had to. What he needed right now was an explosive force that would wreak havoc the moment they were summoned to the battlefield.
"Hmm… the Skeleton Grand Archers need to be upgraded to the SS Rating before they can get their next profession," Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the ratings needed to upgrade his skeleton summons.
"The Rock Golem and the Skeleton Mages need to be upgraded to the SSS Rating in order to gain their Job Professions. Hah… it sure takes a lot of resources to fully upgrade all of them."
The Half-Elf scratched his head, knowing that this was the fate of any profession that could summon Creatures or Beast Companions as their main fighting force.
It simply ate up too many resources, making it hard to even upgrade their own stats in order to advance.
Fortunately, Lux didn't have this problem. The Quest Rewards from completing his missions allowed him to gain Free Stats and upgrade his Body Constitution for free!
Chapter 325 Mission Rewards [Part 2]
Lux's special body constitution, the Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy, also received an upgrade. This upgrade of his might not have many rewards, but he instead gained something better that he didn't expect, and that was… Dragon Wings!
"Three times a day, I can conjure Dragon Wings on my back to allow me to fly," Lux muttered as he read the information in his Soul Book. "The wings last for an hour, which means I can use them for a total of 3 hours. Not bad."
Aside from that, Lux's ability to use Dragon's Breath increased to six times a day from the usual three. He also gained an additional 20,000 points to his Health, making him sturdier.
—-----
Name: Lux Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: Grade A Apostle
Health: 113,000 / 113,000
Mana: 32,500 / 32,500
Strength: 450
Intelligence: 450
Vitality: 460
Agility: 400
Dexterity: 400
—---
In order to break through the Initiate Rank, one must have 5,000 combined stat points.
Lux was almost halfway there because of the rewards he gained from clearing the mission. However, instead of prioritizing a single stat, the Half-Elf decided to spread them out because he was more of an All-Rounder.
He was not a pure Necromancer, but a fighter as well. Because of this, he needed to add stats to his other attributes, allowing him to fend for himself, if ever there were threats that managed to break past his Summoned Creatures.
After looking at his Soul Book, he then glanced at the information on the Key he had obtained from the mission.
When he cleared the Gate of Death, he received the Key to Agartha.
Now, he received another key, and the Half-Elf was very curious on what this key was capable of doing.
—------
< Key of Espoir Frieden >
– Legendary Item
– Once a week, you will be able to instantly teleport to the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden 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
—----
< Kingdom of Espoir Frieden >
Kingdom Rank: SSS
– The Kingdom of Espoir Frieden is the legendary kingdom of the High Elves, who stood alongside Agartha when the world was created. They were an ancient race of Elves believed to have been born from the seeds of the very first World Tree that has long since perished.
– The other Elven races, that was born after that era, treat them with great respect, and often ask them for counsel and mediation whenever there are conflicts between the other Elven Clans, such as the Moon Elves, Sun Elves, Wood Elves, and the other Elven races that are currently in Elysium.
– Any other races, aside from the Elves, are not allowed to enter the Elven Kingdom. However, its first founder made an exception and created a single key that would allow any race to enter their Kingdom if Fate willed it.
– The Key of Espoir Frieden can only be activated when you become a Ranker.
—----
"Hiss…"
Lux couldn't help but draw in a deep breath after reading the information of the key that he gained from his Quest.
'First it was the Kingdom of Agartha, now it's the Kingdom of the High Elves,' Lux thought. 'Just what exactly is this place to have so many keys that lead to SSS-Ranked Kingdoms?'
The Domain of the Fallen was still a mystery, even to the Six Kingdoms who had first discovered it. They didn't know what kind of place it was, and merely thought that it was another one of those hidden dungeons that could be found anywhere.
However, they were wrong.
It was a very dangerous place where the members of the Young Generations could die at the whims of the monsters that lived in it. The journey to the Sacred Dungeon was filled with dangers and, usually, the price of death must be paid by many in order for the others to reach their destination.
Also, only five hundred people could enter the Domain of the Fallen at a time. Because of this, the slots allocated inside the Domain were quite limited.
These already limited slots had decreased by more than half, now that they had to split the slots between the Six Kingdoms, the Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact.
According to the negotiations, the Skystead Alliance would gain 200 Slots, while the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact gained 150 each.
The good news was that Lux's and his comrades' bonus slots were not counted in the 500 Limit number, which allowed them to bring in thirty more people without any problems.
Although thirty additional slots seemed like a very small number, every slot counted, making these limited slots all the more valuable in the eyes of many people.
"Ah, there you are, Lux," Sherlock said as he walked towards the Half-Elf who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Lord Sherlock, congratulations on your victory," Lux replied with a smile.
The Gnome fixed the glasses on his face before giving Lux a nod of satisfaction.
"We only won because of the great efforts you and your comrades have made for us," Sherlock stated. "We might have won this war, but this is just the beginning. As long as the Ammarian Kingdom covets our lands, this war would never end, but let's not talk about that. Here, take this."
The Gnome threw Lux a golden bracer, and the latter caught it by reflex.
"That Bracer is called the Warrior's Might," Sherlock said. "It is the latest invention of the Gnome Race. Unfortunately, we were only able to craft six of them. Now, these six bracers belong to you and your friends. May they help you in your future endeavors."
—---
< Warrior's Might >
Rating: Pseudo-Legendary
– Increase Attack, Defense, Health Regeneration, Mana Regeneration, and Mobility by 100% for five minutes.
– This artifact is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer
—----
"Thank you very much for your gift, Lord Sherlock." Lux bowed his head. "I will treasure it."
Sherlock smiled as he glanced towards the camp of the Ammar Kingdom which was now burning in the distance.
"Lux, I have a feeling that this will not be our last meeting," Sherlock stated. "Until then, I look forward to the next time we will meet on the battlefield. I just hope that when we do, we will still be on the same side, and not fighting against each other as enemies."
The Half-Elf's eyes widened in shock after hearing the Gnomes' words.
"Lord Sherlock, please, don't raise a flag."
"Flag? What flag? We have many flags raised already. What are you talking about?"
The red-headed teenager could only smile bitterly because the Gnomes' words were like a prophecy about what was going to happen in the future.
"Well then, Lux, I'll be going now," Sherlock said as he turned around to walk in the direction of the Command Center of the Yelan Kingdom. "Let's meet again under better circumstances."
The Gnome no longer looked back and continued to walk away, leaving Lux behind to ponder his words.
"My Daddy, are you ready to go?" Cai, who had also just finished sorting out its rewards, walked towards the Half-Elf with a smile. "Vall is back, so we can leave anytime."
As if waiting for that cue, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander all appeared and gathered around the Half-Elf, whom they had treated as their temporary leader inside the Gate of War.
"Okay, let's go," Lux said before accepting the completion of the quest in his Soul Book. "Let's go back to Elysium."
—---
< Field Announcement! >
< The Gate of War (Hell Mode) Has been Conquered! >
< Two of the Gates have been successfully Conquered! >
< The Conquerors will be allowed to freely enter the Domain of the Fallen for two years at any given time. This is their reward for conquering the Two Gates of the Apocalypse! >
< 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's as well as his comrades' names were engraved on the Gate of War, which was now glowing brightly after it was cleared.
The Field Announcement was also heard by the people outside of the Domain of the Fallen which surprised them as well.
"They cleared the Gate of War and not the Gate of Conquest?" asked the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire to the Ranker that was standing next to his side who served as his protector. "Did I hear that correctly?"
"Yes," the Ranker replied. "The announcement said that the Gate of War has been cleared and not the Gate of Conquest."
Malcolm, who was standing not far from the ambassador, frowned after hearing the announcement.
All of them thought that Lux had also entered the Gate of Conquest and somehow ended up in the same Instance Dungeon as them. However, according to the announcement, they had entered a different Gate, which made the members of the Skystead Alliance speechless.
"See?" Hector, Xander's father sneered. "All of you are too quick to judge. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, do you still believe that our side purposely sabotaged your representatives?"
The Ambassador snorted, but he couldn't refute Hector's words. On the main gate of the Domain of the Fallen, several golden letters appeared with the label, Conquerors of the Gate of War.
A moment later, Lux's names, as well as his comrades' appeared on it. This was the blatant proof that none of them had misheard the announcement, and their earlier assumption of Lux purposely sabotaging their mission was proven to be false.
Even so, they still felt bitter about it.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared beside the gate.
Lux, Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, who had just exited the Sacred Dungeon, gathered the attention of everyone in the cavern.
No claps, cheers, or shouts of admiration could be heard in the surroundings. Instead, what they were welcomed with was awkward silence from the people who had wrongly accused them, and were currently thinking about how to deal with them after the incident that happened inside the Sacred Dungeon.
Chapter 326 A Very Thorny Road To Take
"You did well, High Priestess–I mean, Cai," Hector coughed lightly. "You too, Xander. Great job."
"Hahaha! Hector, my man, you should have seen how awesome I was! What Pseudo-Initiates? PITUI! I spit on them! " Cai gloated, making Malcolm as well as his comrades feel irritated. "I was the one who killed General Moriarty. I'm the MVP!"
"No you're not," Keane jabbed the side of the Boar, causing the latter to squeal in pain. "You just kill stealed. Your skin is as thick as usual."
Hector and Xander who saw Keane jabbing Cai with his shoulder almost couldn't stop themselves from slapping the skinny swordsman silly. Fortunately, the two of them had great self control and just watched as the Boar started to nag at the skinny swordsman for being bitter.
"Hmph! It's not my fault that I'm good, Little Swordy," Cai pressed its forehead against the skinny swordsman. "If I didn't do what I did, Moriarty might have killed Watson! That is what you call reacting in time before it's too late. This is why you lost to me, Little Swordy. You're not resourceful enough!"
Keane was itching to rebuke the Boar, but after spending some time with Cai, he knew well how stubborn it was. Since that was the case, he just snorted and walked away, leaving the Boar to continue bragging about its latest accomplishment in the Gate of War.
While Cai was telling Hector everything that happened while tweaking the story a little to make sure it sounded good, Einar and Vall were also busy talking to the adults from their respective factions about what happened in the Gate of War.
Lux, who was the center of attention, was also giving Alicia a report of what happened. The Ambassador of the Vahan Empire was there to better understand how he appeared in the same Instance Dungeon as Malcolm and the others.
As the one who personally gave Lux the resources for the bid they made to obtain the slots to enter the Domain of the Fallen, he demanded that he be briefed of what happened as well.
"So there's a chance that two parties that enter different gates can end up on the same plane as the other," Alicia commented. "If this is true, then we must test it a few times to understand what the determining factor triggers the merging of two dungeon instances."
,m The Ambassador didn't say anything from start to finish, but he didn't look pleased about the outcome of the mission that was entrusted to him.
"I understand that it is not entirely your fault that the merging of the Dungeon Instances happened," the Ambassador said after Lux finished his explanation. "But this doesn't change the fact that you got in the way of our representatives being able to clear their missions.
"You and your friends can enter the Dungeon anytime you want. However, we must bid for the next opportunity to claim the spots that you and your friends possessed.
"Isn't this extortion? We have paid a good amount of resources for this mission, but what happened? The person who brought our representatives inside the Dungeon was also the one responsible for killing them."
The Ambassador was indeed an Ambassador. He had a way with words, which made Lux unable to refute. Truth be told, even Lux would be annoyed if the same thing happened to him, so he could understand where the man was coming from.
However, what was done was done. There was nothing he could do about it. Also, the resources they paid for his, Cai's, and Keane's slot was only a one time thing. They had agreed that their slots would always be put on auction, so that they could earn by selling the slots in their possessions.
"Um, I can't speak for Cai and Keane, but I'm willing to let you guys have my slots for free the next time you want to enter the Domain of the Fallen," Lux decided that it would be better to pacify the Ambassador, since he didn't want to get blacklisted again.
He could only create a guild in the territory of the Skystead Alliance because the Xynnar War Pact still hadn't lifted the ban on his, Cai's, and Keane's names.
This meant that their field of operation would center in the Skystead Alliance for some time. Angering the Kings of the Kingdoms they were supposed to get missions from would be a very bad thing.
"At least you have morals," the Ambassador replied. "However, His Majesty will still be disheartened by what happened today. You better make up for it next time!"
Without another word, the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire left with a disgruntled expression on his face.
Alicia could only smile wryly at the attitude of the man, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Politics was a very complicated thing. To prevent war and large scale conflicts from happening, compromises must be made for the greater good.
"So what are your plans?" Alicia asked. "Will you return to Wildgarde Stronghold or would you rather stay in Barbatos Academy?"
Lux shook his head. "I still need to create a guild because the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold gave this mission to me. If I don't complete it, they might exile me."
Alicia was very tempted to say, "So let them exile you. We will adopt you in Barbatos Academy!" but she couldn't say that.
Lux owed Wildgarde Stronghold a lot for raising him with love and care, alongside his Grandma. He couldn't possibly allow himself to get exiled before he could even repay them for what they had done for him from when he was young.
"Okay, so you will be going to the Vahan Empire to complete your Guild Creation quest first?" Alicia inquired.
Lux nodded before whispering in Alicia's ear. "Yes. After that, I will rest for a bit to wait for Grandma and Eiko to revive."
Alicia smiled because she was also hoping to see the old lady, who was very supportive of her pursuing her son, Alexander, alive again.
As for Eiko, Alicia was also very fond of the baby Slime, whom Iris treated as her and Lux's daughter.
"Just be careful, okay?" Alicia said as he patted Lux's shoulders. "Emperor Andreas is a schemer. He might nod and forgive you on the surface, but deep inside, he will bear a grudge. Make sure you are always on your toes when you visit the Vahan Empire for your Guild Quest."
"Thank you, Alicia," Lux replied. "I will be careful."
Lux then glanced in the direction of the representatives of the Skystead Alliance who were all glaring at him.
From their faces alone, he could already tell that his trip to the Vahan Empire would be a very thorny one, filled with hidden dangers that would be waiting for him to step on.
'Well, I just hope they don't make things too difficult for me,' Lux sighed in his heart.
Even though it would be awkward, he was planning to travel with the representatives of the Vahan Empire on their return trip back home.
This was also the first time he would be going to the lands that were off limits to the members of the Xynnar War Pact. Although Lux didn't want to admit it, he was also feeling very excited inside.
He was looking forward to the new adventures he would go on in the Empire that was hailed as the Empire of the Sun.
Chapter 327 The Guildmaster’s Quest [Part 1]
Royal Palace of the Vahan Empire…
"Such a thing happened?" Emperor Andreas asked while his brush glided on the canvas. "Talk about bad luck. Still, I didn't expect our elite kids to lose to that Half-Elf brat. Did Malcolm fail as a leader? I expected good things from him."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, it was not Malcolm's fault," the Ambassador commented. "His leadership was good, and the tactics he used was outstanding. If he knew that he was dealing with a Necromancer who can cause corpse explosions, he might have…"
A clattering sound could be heard as Emperor Andreas dropped the brush in his hand on top of the table.
"There is no IF," Emperor Andreas said coldly. "IF doesn't write history. Only the winners do. Since Malcolm lost, it means that he still has many things to learn. Tell him that, on the next mission, he will be the Vice Leader. Someone else will lead our representatives in the dungeon."
"U-Understood, Your Majesty," the Ambassador replied.
He could feel cold sweat starting to trickle down his face from Emperor Andreas' look that made him feel like the Grimreaper of Death was standing right behind him with its scythe resting against his neck.
"Where is the Half-Elf?" Emperor Andreas inquired. "I believe he wanted to create a guild, right?"
"The Half-Elf was seen entering Brookwest Town," the Ambassador replied. "According to my estimate, he would visit the three towns leading towards our capital city. Since the Trial of Leadership is hosted here, he will arrive here within a week or two."
The corner of Emperor Andreas' lips curled up. The Ambassador who saw this smirk instantly knew that his Emperor was scheming something.
He had long known that Emperor Andreas was someone who didn't like being taken advantage of. This made the Ambassador pity the Half-Elf because the young man would get a taste of what it was like to be on the Emperor's bad side.
"Call Murray," Emperor Andreas ordered. "It's about time for the two of us to have a talk."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Ambassador bowed respectfully before leaving the room.
After walking down the hallway for a few minutes, the Ambassador took a handkerchief from his pocket and started to wipe the sweat on his forehead. Being alone with Emperor Andreas, especially when he was in a bad mood, was enough to give him an anxiety attack.
Fortunately, the Emperor didn't make things difficult for him and sent him away to call the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in the Capital City of the Vahan Empire.
—---
Brookwest Town…
"Ah, so you are the one who is asking for the Recommendation Letter in order to complete the Trial of Leadership," the Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild of Brookwest Town, Cobie, said. "Understood. But you already know that you must still perform a quest to prove that you have the ability to get the recommendation letter, right?"
Lux nodded. "I am willing to take the test in order to acquire the Recommendation Letter."
The Half-Elf looked up at the two-meter-tall man, who closely resembled a gorilla in terms of body and face. However, since he didn't want to hurt the feelings of others, he made sure to not comment on his looks and simply stated what he came for.
"Good. I like people who get to the point." Cobie smiled. "Then, your quest will be very simple. You see, there is a lady I like and I want to marry her. Your quest will be to help me convince her to marry me."
"..."
Lux was astounded. The quest was so random that he didn't know how to reply. Also, the thought of any girl marrying Cobie made the Half-Elf shudder.
Seeing his reaction, Cobie laughed and patted the Half-Elf's shoulder. He thought that the red-headed teenager was awed by his overflowing awesomeness, so he decided to lower the tension inside the room.
"Just joking," Cobie stated. "It's not like I am in love with the lady named Diana, who works in Starfleet Tavern as a waitress. Trust me, I don't like her. Um, maybe I like her a little, but not that much, okay?"
"...Okay?" Lux didn't want to deal with this business, so he just nodded and allowed Cobie to state the real quest he wanted.
"In Maplewood Forest, there is this herb called Passion Blossom," Cobie said. "It is a very powerful aphrodisia–err medicine to help ladies during their menstrual periods. I want you to retrieve this flower for me.
"Once you accomplish this mission, I will give you the Recommendation Letter. Just make sure that you pass the flower to me discreetly. Make sure that no one comes to know about our transaction or you'll be sorry. Do you understand?"
Lux nodded his head like a hen pecking rice. Cobie's grip on his arm was getting stronger, so he decided to just nod his head to get this over with.
"Great!" Cobie stated. "If only everyone is like you, then this world will be a better place to live in. Here is the portrait of the flower. It's usually guarded by Rank 4 Alpha Monsters or Rank 4 Field Bosses. Anyway, since you are here, that must mean that you already have members for your guild, right? Work with them to get this flower and we can all part on good terms. Bye bye, and have a good day!"
The door slammed right in front of Lux's face, causing the Half-Elf to subconsciously take a step back.
"I feel like I've become an accomplice to a crime that is about to happen," Lux muttered as he left the branch of the Adventurers Guild in Brookwest Town. "Still, I can't afford to fail. I need those three recommendation letters. I only have two weeks before time is up."
Gerald and Rainer had given Lux an ultimatum of one month to finish his Guild Creation. If he failed, he would either let himself be exiled or join Nero's Guild, the Storm Dragons, as the outcome of his quest.
Neither was an option he liked, so he had resolved himself to do his best to finish the Recommendation Letter quests as well as the Trial of Leadership as soon as possible.
That was the only way for him to remain in Wildgarde Stronghold and have the Guardians of the Fortress accept his wish to become independent with the intention of helping the Stronghold gather resources in Elysium.
'One step at a time,' Lux thought as he walked in the direction of Maplewood Forest. 'I'll finish this mission no matter what.'
Chapter 328 The Guildmaster’s Quest [Part 2]
Maple Forest…
Lux went deeper inside the forest to look for the Passion Blossom, which the Guildmaster asked him to look for as his quest in order to be granted a recommendation letter.
For the one hour Lux had spent inside the forest, he noticed that, although there were many people along the outskirts, very few could be seen in the place where he was heading to.
Out of curiosity, he stopped one of the teenagers he came across to ask him a few questions.
"Uhh… the Guildmaster is at it again?" The teenager, who seemed to be in his late teens, had a disgusted look on his face after he heard the reason why Lux came inside Maple Forest.
"Again?" Lux asked back in confusion.
The teenager nodded. "The Guildmaster's Recommendation Quest has become the biggest joke of Brookwest Town. Everytime someone asks for a recommendation letter, he will always ask the person to find the Passion Blossom, which he would use to make an aphrodisiac to make Diana go into heat. Seriously, the Guildmaster has a few screws loose in his head, but I guess everyone has their kinks.
"But whatever. He is the reason why people go to other towns for Recommendation Letters if they are planning to create a guild. It's not just because the intention behind the quest is bonkers, but also because the Field Boss guarding the Passion Blossom is simply too broken for a Recommendation Letter Quest."
"Simply too broken?"
"You'll understand when you see it. No one will risk their life fighting such a beast for a silly quest like getting the Passion Blossom."
The teenager was kind enough to point Lux to the right direction, and even told him a little bit about the Guardian that guarded the flower.
Half an hour later, Lux finally arrived at his destination and finally understood why the teenager said that the Monster he had to face was broken.
—----
< Crimson Wanderer Living Armor >
– Living Armor
– Rank 4 Field Boss
Health: 2,400,000 / 2,400,000
Mana: 40,000 / 40,000
Strength: 1,500
Intelligence: 100
Vitality: 1,500
Agility: 450
Dexterity: 450
Special Ability: Invincible Body
—-----
< Invincible Body >
– Only attacks that deal the right Elemental Damage can deal damage to this monster.
—-----
"...This Field Boss is indeed broken," Lux muttered as he stared at the three-meter tall Crimson Knight with burning yellow eyes in its sockets.
The reason why the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor was famous in Brookwest Town was because, to this day, no one knew what element was its weakness.
Vera had once told him that there were special monsters in Elysium that possessed Special Abilities. Some of these abilities gave these monsters an advantage in battle, and some were so broken that people just stayed away from them as much as they possibly could.
These special abilities weren't too rare. According to Vera, one out of every hundred monsters would possess a special ability, but very few people had the skill, Monster Appraisal, to know whether the monster they were fighting had any special abilities or not.
Vera added that Boss Monsters above Rank 4 usually had Special Abilities, so Lux must be very careful when dealing with them.
Fortunately for Lux, he had the Elysium Compendium which had the information he needed.
"Let's see… Crimson Wanderer Living Armor," Lux muttered as he searched for the Monster's name in his Bestiary Compendium, which was another feature of the Elysium Compendium.
It didn't take him long to find the Monster's weakness, but to his surprise, he finally understood why no one had been able to figure out the Monster's elemental weakness till now.
"Necrotic Elemental Damage, Divine Magic."
Divine Magic was an ability used by high level High Priests, Battle Clerics, Oracles. Only Paladins were able to use this magic at the very beginning, but the Paladin Profession was a rare profession that could only be obtained through a trial made by their Order.
In short, unless one knew any of the Paladin Organizations, it would be almost impossible to gain this profession at the beginning. Most Elysians, as well as Solaians, would only get the basic Job Classes at the beginning like Swordsman, Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Archer, Thief, Monk, Spearman, Priest, etc.
Of course, even if there was someone in the team that could deal Divine Magic to the Living Armor, it would take at least a dozen Paladins, or other classes with Divine Abilities to beat the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor.
As for Lux, he could only deal direct Necrotic Damage to his enemies using Corpse Explosion.
Diablo and Asmodeus both had the Death Coil skill, which was capable of dealing Necrotic Damage, but aside from that, they had no other ways to damage the Field Boss Monster.
'Even Abyss Touch is useless against this one huh…' Lux scratched his head. 'I guess I have no choice but to chip away at its health little by little.'
There was simply no other way to defeat the Monster, so Lux prepared himself for a drawn-out battle. After making up his mind, he immediately summoned his Named Creatures and discussed the information about the enemy they were about to face.
As Lux was about to summon his Skeleton Minions, Asmodeus stopped him and looked at the Living Armor as if it was looking at a new toy to play with.
"Master, let me get this straight. You said you need to defeat that Monster in order to get the herb it is guarding, correct?" Asmodeus asked as he pointed at the Monster in the distance.
"Yes." Lux nodded.
"... Then, why fight it when we can tame it instead?"
"Eh?"
Lux blinked once then twice before he finally understood what the Archlich was talking about.
Asmodeus chuckled. "Master, you forgot that Living Armors are also Undead Creatures. Relax, I got this."
The Archlich casually strolled towards the Living Armor while humming. When they entered the Sacred Dungeon for the first time, they faced several Undead Skeletons that had merged together to form the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King, which was a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster.
Unfortunately, the Skeleton King died in the battle against the Death Tyrants when it used its body to block the Ray Attacks that were aimed at the fleeing teenagers. Lux had been saddened after losing such a strong Monster as an ally, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Tamed Creatures were not Summoned Creatures.
Although they could be summoned anytime Asmodeus pleased, once they died, they were dead for good, unless Lux decided to pay a ridiculous high amount of Beast Cores to revive them.
(A/N: In order to revive a Tamed Creature, Lux must pay ten times the price of their original cores. For example, the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King was a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster. It meant that in order to revive it, Lux must pay 10 Rank 5 Field Boss Monster Cores.)
Right now, he was short of high-level cores, so he couldn't give any of them to the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King at the moment.
As if sensing the approaching enemy, the Living Armor let out an unholy roar before summoning several spinning blades around its body. However, before it could even attack, Asmodeus pointed his bony finger at it and shouted…
"Tame Undead!"
As if hit by an invisible attack, the Crimson Knight paused in its charge and its body started to shake.
"Oh? Are you resisting me?" Asmodeus narrowed his eyes. "Good. This just proves that taming you is worth it."
As if to shrug off the attempt to tame it, the Living Armor continued its charge towards the Archlich who was waiting for its skill to cool down.
"Shield Bash!"
Pazuzu suddenly appeared out of nowhere and slammed his shield towards the Crimson Knight, causing it to take three steps back from the collision.
"How long is the skill cooldown?" Lux asked the Archlich as he summoned his Skeleton Soldiers to help stall the Field Boss, who had resisted Asmodeus' Tame Undead Skill.
"Master, this skill has a fifteen minute cooldown," Asmodeus replied apologetically.
The red-headed teenager felt the trace of embarrassment in his Archlich's voice for failing with his first attempt to tame the Living Armor.
"It's fine," Lux said. "We will try again once your skill's cooldown is over. For the time being, everyone, attack!"
Lux summoned all of his Skeleton Soldiers and Golems to fight against the Crimson Armor, but it took no damage from their combined attacks.
Even True Damage didn't work, which proved how broken the Armor really was. This also made it more precious in Lux's and Asmodeus' eyes, making them use everything in their arsenal to buy some time for the Archlich's skill to finish its cooldown.
Chapter 329 Even The Dead Have Someone To Protect [Part 1]
An hour later…
"..."
"..."
Lux and Asmodeus didn't know if they should laugh, or cry, because all of their attempts to tame the Living Armor had failed.
Suddenly, Ishtar appeared beside Lux, telling him that the battle had attracted the few adventurer parties that were doing their quest deep inside Maple Forest.
Because of the heated battle that was taking place in front of him, The Half-Elf had asked Ishtar to scout the surroundings and report to him if people were headed in their direction. He didn't want others to know the full extent of his abilities, so he had decided to retreat if people were headed in his direction.
"It can't be helped," Lux sighed before summoning Jed to run away from the scene.
A moment later, he unsummoned all of his minions, leaving only the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor behind.
After getting to a safe area, he once again summoned his Named Creatures to discuss the next stage of their plan.
"Ishtar, when we were fighting, you didn't see the Passion Blossom anywhere?" Lux asked. "It should be around the area where the Field Boss Monster is."
Ishtar shook her head. "I searched everywhere, Master, but I didn't see it. Maybe it was already taken by someone before we arrived?"
Lux scratched his head because he couldn't rule out this possibility. There might be others desperate enough to get Cobie's Recommendation Letter, and decided to take the flower while the Living Armor was distracted.
"Master, we should get the Living Armor before we leave," Asmodeus insisted. "It is a very rare specimen, and I believe that it will serve us well in the future."
Lux nodded. He understood how precious the Living Armor was. If they were to fight against strong monsters in the future, its presence in the battlefield would be priceless since it couldn't be damaged by any kind of attacks except for Necrotic and Divine Elemental Magic.
"Too bad it isn't a Rank 5 Field Monster like the Skeleton King," Lux muttered. "If we succeed in capturing it, we will have to spend a lot of cores to upgrade it to its next Rank."
The Half-Elf started to feel depressed. He had too many creatures to upgrade, and so little resources to do so. If not for the fact that the Gate of War had allowed him to get free upgrades for his Skeleton Fighters, he would have had to hoard lots of Beast Cores to upgrade all of them to the next level.
Asmodeus chuckled. "The payoff will be worth it in the future, Master. Although it will be troublesome at the beginning, once we reach a certain threshold, everything will be smooth sailing."
Lux only smiled at Asmodeus' words. He remembered when Iris was first raising her Four Guardian Beasts.
With a Saint as her backer, the resources she needed to raise their Ranks were readily available to her. Naturally, Alexander didn't spoil her too much because he knew that if all of her guardians reached the S-Rating, Iris would have a false sense of security, making her unable to experience hardships while exploring Elysium.
This would be detrimental to her training, so Alexander only raised them up to the C-Rank, and left Iris to handle the rest.
Now, all of Iris' Guardian Beasts' Ratings had stepped into the A-Rank, making them as strong as Rank 4 Monsters.
Lux's Skeletons had a lower rating. Although their Ratings were now S-Ranked, their strength was only at the early stages of Rank 3 Monsters.
Undeads were relatively weaker by one grade compared to their living counterparts. The only advantage that the Undead had was that they could be summoned again and again, and they wouldn't get exhausted nor get hurt because they were already dead.
The Skeleton Gang Bangers were Rank 3 Monsters at the Early Stages.
The Skeleton Grand Archers were Rank 2 Monsters at the Early Stages.
The Skeleton Mages were Rank 2 Monsters at the Early Stages
The Rock Golems were Rank 3 Monsters, and Lux could only summon six of them at their current rank.
Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, and Asmodeus, were Rank 4 Monsters in their own right, and were Lux's main attack force.
"Ishtar, take a look to see if those people have left already," Lux ordered. "We will change our strategy and only engage the Living Armor whenever Asmodeus' Tame Undead skill is active again. If he fails to tame it, we will explore this area and look for the Passion Blossom. If possible, do not let other people see any of you."
Lux's Named Creatures nodded their heads in agreement. Ishtar then disappeared from where she stood, melding with the shadows.
After getting the signal from his Nightstalker, Lux and Asmodeus returned to the place where the Crimson Knight was standing, and tried to tame it.
Alas, their attempt once again failed, forcing them to retreat and look for the whereabouts of the flower for the time being.
It was at that moment when he heard a scream in the distance. A loud roar followed, causing the entire forest to tremble.
Lux was confident that the scream didn't come from a Monster, but from a person.
Because of this, the Half-Elf hurried towards the place where the voice came from, and was surprised to see the Crimson Knight fighting against another Monster, while protecting a little girl, who seemed to be no older than ten years old and was carrying a basket of herbs in her hands.
"Sh*t!" Lux cursed loudly after seeing the monster that the Crimson Knight was fighting against in order to protect the little girl behind it.
—-----
< Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus >
– Dinosaur Monster
– Rank 5 World Boss
Health: 10,000,000
Mana: 250,000 / 250,000
Strength: 3,000
Intelligence: 500
Vitality: 2,000
Agility: 1,500
Dexterity: 1,000
Special Ability: Steel Body
—----
< Steel Body >
– This monster's body is as hard as steel.
—------
The difference in Ranks was quite obvious, and the Living Armor was only able to stand up against its enemy because the latter didn't have any Elemental Attacks that could deal the Living Armor any damage.
However, that didn't stop the World Boss from sending the Living Armor flying after it used its barbed tail to lash against its body, sending it crashing towards the trees in a straight line.
After temporarily dealing with the annoyance in front of it, the World Boss glanced down at the trembling girl in front of it and opened its mouth to eat the girl, along with the basket filled with precious herbs that had nourishing properties that could further strengthen its body.
Chapter 330 Even The Dead Have Someone To Protect [Part 2]
The little girl screamed as the gaping jaw of the monster drew closer, about to eat her whole.
Suddenly, Ishtar appeared beside the child and threw her in the direction of the Nightstalker's Master, turning the prey into herself. When the Tyrannosaurus bit the Nightstalker's body with its razor sharp teeth, she instantly snapped into half.
The Half-Elf hurriedly caught the girl with his arms, while his Skeleton Army and Rock Golems confronted the Monster to buy them both of them time to escape.
Lux could have fought the World Boss if he really wanted to, but he carried the little girl away, prioritizing the girl's safety.
"Jed!" Lux shouted and the Thunder Warg King appeared to allow his Master to ride on his back.
Without looking behind, Jed sprinted away. The entire forest was filled with the echoes of the World Boss' roars, making those who heard it also run away in fear. Truly terrified of the Monster that had almost eaten her, the girl in Lux's arms kept on crying.
Although the Half-Elf didn't know how a girl like her could casually take a stroll deep inside the forest alone and pick herbs, this was not the right time to ask her questions. He put his focus on retaining vigilance at everything that was in front of him and urging Jed to run as fast as it could.
Half an hour later, they were finally able to leave the forest due to Jed's full sprint towards the exit. Only when Lux was sure that they were safe did he ask his mount to stop.
"Don't worry, we're safe now," Lux said to the crying girl in his arms. "What's your name?"
The girl looked up and wiped the tears in her eyes. "Heidi… *hic*."
"What a cute name," Lux commented as he wiped away her tears using his handkerchief. "Where do you live? I'll escort you back. Your parents must be worried about you."
Instead of answering Lux's question, Heidi looked in the direction of the forest with an anxious look on her face.
"Will Uncle Knight be okay?" Heidi asked. "That is a very big monster. He might get eaten by it."
"Uncle Knight?" Lux blinked in confusion. "Are you talking about that Living Armo– I mean, that Crimson Knight in the forest?"
Heidi nodded her head. "Uncle Knight always helps me look for herbs in the forest, so I can sell them to the Adventurer's Guild. Mother is sick and I need to buy medicine for her. Uncle Knight is a very good person."
"...Yes. He is a good person. Your Uncle Knight is a good person."
"Un!"
After Heidi gave him directions, Lux arrived at a small hut that was still a good distance away from the outskirts of Brookwest Town.
The Half-Elf was also worried about the condition of Heidi's mother, so he decided to see if he could help her in any way.
"Mama! I'm back!" Heidi shouted before pushing the door. "Big Brother, please come in. I can give you some water."
"Thank you," Lux replied and entered the house.
In the right corner of the room was a bed that was big enough for two people to lay side by side. Sleeping on top of it was a woman who looked very pale and seemed to be suffering from a fever.
Lux knew a little bit about medicine because Vera had taught him the basics in preparation for his journey in Elysium.
After checking the vital signs of Heidi's Mama, the Half-Elf was relieved. Although she was suffering from a fever, her life wasn't in danger.
"I'll mix some medicines for your Mama," Lux said. "Are you hungry? I have some apple pies with me."
"I love apple pie!" Heidi exclaimed. "But aren't apple pies expensive? I don't have any money with me."
"It's fine. I'll give it to you for free."
"Mama said that I should be wary of strangers who give me food for free. She said that they can't be trusted, but I'll believe you, Big Brother. I trust you!"
Lux smiled, infected by Heidi's liveliness. He watched as the girl happily took a bite of the apple pie he gave her. Seeing the look of satisfaction on her face as she ate like a little hamster, Lux took out more food from his storage ring, which was supposed to be his snacks on his journey.
"Eat up, I still have a lot of food, Heidi."
"Wow! Big Brother, you are the best!"
"I know, right?"
Lux chuckled and gave the little girl a pat on the head before he started mixing fever medicine for her mother.
Since the herbs in his storage ring were already prepared and only needed to be mixed together, the medicine was finished within ten minutes.
'I guess I'll cook something first,' Lux thought. 'This medicine is a bit strong and cannot be taken in an empty stomach.'
Lux left the house for a bit and summoned Ishtar.
"I know I shouldn't ask this but, did it hurt when the Monster bit down on you?" Lux asked out of curiosity.
"A bit," Ishtar replied. "Why have you summoned me, Master?"
"Can you hunt some fowl in the forest for me? Two will be fine."
"Understood"
But before Ishtar could even carry out her task, she and Lux felt a powerful presence hiding behind a tree that was only dozens of meters away from the small hut where Heidi and her sick Mama stayed.
"Who's there?!" Ishtar shouted as she took out twin blades and stood in front of Lux in a defensive stance.
As if waiting for that cue, a tall figure emerged from behind the tree and looked at Lux and the Nightstalker with its glowing yellow eyes. In its hands were three pheasants that looked very plump.
Lux didn't feel any hostility coming from the Living Armor, so he didn't summon any of his minions and simply stared back at it.
The two stared at each other for a full minute before the Crimson Knight placed the three plump pheasants on the ground. It then took something out of its armor and placed it on the ground beside the pheasants before turning away.
Lux watched as the Crimson Knight headed towards the forest and disappeared from view.
Clearly, it only came to deliver the pheasants to Heidi and, perhaps, also a gift for Lux, who had rescued the little girl from the jaws of death.
"Go take it, Ishtar," Lux ordered.
The Nightstalker turned into black mist and reappeared beside the pheasants, which had been cleanly killed with one strike. However, Ishtar's eyes widened in shock after seeing the item that the Living Armor had placed beside the pheasants.
Ishtar hurriedly picked up the pheasants and the item that was left by the Living Armor and returned to her Master's side.
"Master, is this the flower we are looking for?" Ishtar asked as she handed the flower to Lux.
Lux nodded as he held the flower with great care.
"This is indeed the Passion Blossom that we are looking for," Lux replied. "Just… why?"
Lux was still in doubt about why the Crimson Knight cared for the little girl, Heidi, and why it would even bother to give him a thank you gift for saving her.
For the time being, he set these thoughts aside and entered the house again to cook food for the mother and daughter pair.
Several hours later…
"Thank you for taking care of my daughter," Heidi's Mama, Lilia, said with gratitude. "Heidi likes to pick herbs on the outskirts of the forest because there are no dangerous animals there.
"Even though I tried to stop her many times, she still goes there on her own, and when she returns home, she will always have a basket filled with herbs. By any chance, did you meet her in the outskirts of the forest earlier?"
Lux was about to say that he met Heidi deep in the forest and was almost eaten by a Rank 4 World Boss, but the words he was about to say were stuck in his mouth when he saw the little girl, who was standing behind her mother, pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture.
Her teary-eyed expression was enough to make Lux understand that her mother, Lilia, would be angry and get worried sick if she knew what her child had done in order to get some medicine for her.
"Yes," Lux replied. "I saw her looking for herbs along the outskirts and decided to bring her back home because it is too dangerous for a little girl to stroll around the forest alone."
Lilia nodded her head. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience she caused you. Heidi, please thank Sir Lux for helping you. He is even kind enough to cook for us and give me medicine."
Heidi heaved a sigh of relief and gave Lux a sweet smile because the Half-Elf didn't expose her near-death-experience to her mother.
"Thank you, Big Brother," Heidi said as she gave Lux a polite bow. "I promise not to go deep in the forest again."
"Again?" Lilia glanced at her daughter with a confused expression. "Did you go deep in the forest?"
"No! I mean, I promise I won't go deep inside the forest. I didn't say I went inside the forest."
"Good."
Lilia nodded her head in understanding. It didn't cross her mind that her daughter had gone to the depths of the forest on her own because that would be akin to inviting the wild beasts inside it to a free meal.
When Lilia went back to sleep in order to recover from her fever, Lux took Heidi to the Adventurers Guild to help her sell the herbs that she had collected.
After everything that happened, Lux was very reluctant to let the little girl wander alone on her own.
Because of this he decided to tag along, and ensure that no monsters, not even a common one, would hurt the little girl, who braved the dangers of the forest in order to save her mother's life.