Ch. 331: Chapter 331-340

Chapter 331 Even The Dead Have Someone To Protect [Part 3]

On the way to the Adventurer's Guild, Lux asked Heidi more about her Uncle Knight, who seemed to have taken a liking to her.

"Uncle Knight is a good person. That is why he helps me gather herbs," Heidi said with a smile. "He rarely talks, but whenever he does, he would always tell me that I should listen to my Mama and not venture deep inside the forest.

"I meet him everyday in the outskirts, and we look for herbs together. Although there were some monsters from time to time, Uncle Knight makes sure to protect me every time."

Lux held Heidi's basket in his hand and listened to her story.

According to her, the first time she met her Uncle Knight was when her mother went to town to buy some food.

Heidi was just playing outside of the house when the Crimson Knight appeared and left a traveler's bag right in front of their doorstep.

Little girls were filled with curiosity, so instead of running away, she approached the Knight and started to ask him questions.

The Crimson Knight didn't answer any of them and simply crouched down in front of her to pat her head.

After that incident, Heidi would often spot the Crimson Knight observing her and her Mama from a distance. Whenever the little girl told her Mama about her Uncle Knight, Lilia would think that her daughter had made up an imaginary friend due to loneliness.

How could Lilia possibly believe that a Knight wearing crimson armor with glowing yellow eyes would play hide and seek with a little girl from a poor family?

Knights didn't have that much free time!

Lilia knew this for a fact because her husband was almost always away from home as a Knight of the Vahan Kingdom.

However, due to his righteousness, he had made many enemies. So in order to escape their line of sight, he took Lilia and his daughter, Heidi, to the outskirts of Brookwest Town, far away from the Northern Regions of the Vahan Empire, where the people who had a beef with him ruled.

Once a month, her husband would send her letters, telling her that he was fine. However, she hadn't received a letter from him for more than two years already.

Lilia knew that something might have happened to him, but since she had no other place to go, she and her daughter remained in the small hut that her husband had built for their family.

"Uncle Knight also gives me many fruits!" Heidi said as she hopped along the road. "When I told him that I wanted to go look for rare herbs in the forest to buy medicine because Mama was sick, he agreed to help me. And then... that big bad monster appeared. After that, I met Big Brother!"

Lux smiled. "Your Uncle Knight is really a good person. It's nice to know that he is looking after you and your Mother."

Heidi returned Lux's smile with a big smile of her own and nodded her head.

Clearly, this was the very smile that the Living Armor, who was being controlled by the spirit of the dead, strived hard to protect.

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After they arrived at the Adventurer's Guild, Lux made sure that the little girl would get a fair price for the herbs that she had collected, especially after almost dying inside the forest.

Fortunately, the clerks of the guild didn't try to short-change the girl, which made Heidi very happy. It was a lot for her, especially since she no longer needed to buy her Mama medicine because her Big Brother had already made it for her.

With money in hand, the little girl went to the Baker to buy two loaves of bread.

Heidi said that because they didn't have much money, her Mama would only buy her bread when there was a special occasion.

Because of this, Lux bought the little girl some Jelly Tarts, which made Heidi jump in joy.

That night, after tucking the little girl on the bed with her Mama, Lux went outside of the house. In the distance, he could see two glowing yellow orbs of light, watching him from a distance.

Lux was only surprised for a brief moment, but he still walked in the direction of the lights. When he was only dozens of meters away from Heidi's "Uncle Knight," the Living Armor made a gesture for him to follow him inside the forest.

The two walked without talking to each other until they arrived at a clearing. There was no moon in the sky, and only the stars illuminated the night.

Even so, the Half-Elf could see as clearly as if it was day due to his Dark Vision, which he had inherited from his Elven Ancestry.

"I... have a favor... to ask," the Living Armor said. "Earlier... you tried... to make me your... subordinate. If... you do this... favor. I... will... serve you."

"It's about Heidi and her Mama, right?" Lux asked. "You are her..."

The Living Armor turned around and slashed his sword towards the Half-Elf without any warning.

Lux didn't have his guard up because the Living Armor didn't have any hostility directed at him. That was why when the other party made a move, he had been unable to react in time, allowing the sword that the Living Armor held to rest at the side of his neck.

"Do... not... mention it... again," the Living Armor was three-meters tall and its glowing eyes burned brightly within the socket of its armor. "Are... you going to... do me a... favor or not?"

Lux transformed his right hand into the claws of a dragon and pushed away the sword that rested against his neck.

The Crimson Knight didn't make things difficult for him and pulled the blade away from his neck.

"I'll hear it first," Lux replied. "I'll decide if I am capable of doing this favor of yours or not."

The Living Armor nodded its head. As an Undead, it felt a very strong connection to those who could wield the power of Necromancy.

For two whole years, he had traveled from the Northern Regions of the Vahan Empire to return to Brookwest Town. Only his strong resolve to return to the place where the important people in his life were waiting for him, kept him going.

The battles he fought weren't easy, and he had fought many monsters along the way. From a Rank E Living Armor, he slowly made his way up, consuming the Beast Cores of the Monsters that blocked his path home.

In those two years, he managed to become a Rank 4 Wandering Field Boss due to the curse that had been placed upon him before he drew his last breath.

He never killed any Humans and only injured them enough to prevent them from following him. The only creatures he killed were Beasts, so he could consume their cores and have the chance to see Lilia and Heidi again.

But he was reaching his limit.

His memories of the past were getting hazy, and he knew that it wouldn't take long before the sword that protected the little girl from harm might one day take her life.

It scared him, making him want to leave, but he felt very reluctant to do so.

How could he possibly go when Lilia and Heidi were fending for themselves, just the two of them with no one else to support them?

After hearing the Living Armor's request, Lux didn't answer right away. It was not because he didn't want to help, but because he didn't know how to help. Aside from that, he was still working on his quest to create a guild.

After pondering for a few minutes, Lux gazed at the Crimson Knight in front of him and raised his two fingers.

"Two weeks," Lux stated. "I will return here in two weeks. By then, my mission will be finished. I will help you then."

The Living Armor made a long and hoarse sigh. Lux didn't know if it was due to disappointment or relief. Perhaps, it was even both.

Even so, the Living Armor nodded his head in understanding.

"Very well... I will wait... for you," the Living Armor said. "Two weeks... keep your word... Half-Elf."

The Crimson Knight then turned around to walk towards the forest.

Lux watched as the Living Armor disappeared from his sight before sighing.

"Even in death you still have things to protect," Lux said softly. "I would love to have someone like you as my comrade."

This was the first time that an Undead Creature had purposely asked him for a favor in exchange for becoming his servant.

Lux was touched by the Living Armor's determination to keep Lilia and Heidi safe, even safeguarding them from a distance...

Like he had always done when he was still alive and living by their side.

Chapter 332 Bro, You Are My Bro From This Day Onwards

"Big Brother, you'll visit us again, right?"

"Of course, I will. The next time we meet, I'll bring apple pies for you."

"Yay!"

A day after Lux talked with the Living Armor, Lilia's fever went down, and her complexion looked a lot better than before. The Half-Elf had bought them enough food supplies from Brookwest Town that would last them a week, so Lilia could take it easy until she was fully recovered.

"Lux, I can't take this money," said Lilia in rejection to the small pouch containing 50 gold coins Lux offered to her. "We are already indebted to you for helping us out, so you don't have to do this."

"It's fine, Aunty Lilia," Lux replied. "This much is at most pocket change for me. Just use this to buy some new sets of clothes for Heidi, as well as more food to put on the table."

The Half-Elf wasn't lying when he said that 50 gold coins were just like change for him. He had over two million gold coins in his possession, which he earned from his quests, in addition to the reward for winning the Lionheart Tournament.

Lilia was persuaded when the red-headed teenager mentioned that she could use it to buy clothes for her daughter, whose clothes were already worn out from constant washing.

"Thank you, Lux." Lilia looked at the Half-Elf with gratitude. "Please, have a safe trip to the capital."

Lux smiled and nodded his head. Although he had been delayed from his mission by a day for taking care of Lilia and Heidi, he never thought that what he did was a waste of time. If he wasn't pressed for time, he would have stayed for a few more days. After bidding his farewells, he once again returned to Brookwest Town.

Instead of heading straight towards the Adventurers Guild to hand the Passion Blossom to the Guildmaster, Cobie, he first visited the Starfleet Tavern where the waitress, Diana, was working.

He was pretty sure that Cobie would use the Passion Flower as an ingredient for an aphrodisiac to do XXX and XXX to the waitress, so he decided to see her first and find out if he would feel guilty about handing the flower to Cobie.

"Welcome to Starfleet Cavern!" As soon as Lux entered the shop, Lux was greeted by a pretty blonde waitress. "Will you be dining today, Sir?"

"Yes," Lux replied.

"Please follow me. I will take you to your table."

"Thank you."

As the waitress led Lux towards the table at the very back of the tavern, the Half-Elf scanned the surroundings and noticed that all the waitresses were quite pretty. Any of them would definitely be wanted by any able-bodied man, so he kind of understood why Cobie wanted to marry one of them.

After taking his order, the blonde waitress left with a smile before heading towards the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Lux's food arrived, and he was surprised at how delicious it was. While the Half-Elf was enjoying his meal, a two-meter tall man who resembled a gorilla entered the tavern.

"Hello Patricia. You're looking more beautiful than you looked yesterday," Cobie, the Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild praised the blonde waitress that had greeted Lux earlier.

"Thank you Guildmaster," Patricia answered in a professional manner, but if one looked closely enough, one would notice the corner of her lips rise by a fraction after seeing Cobie enter their establishment.

Lux ate his sandwich while staring at the Guildmaster who was led to a table not far from him to order some food.

"What will your order for today be?" Patricia asked.

"The usual," Cobie replied.

"Okay," Patricia smirked before heading towards the Kitchen. "Guildmaster Cobie is here, and he ordered the usual!"

As soon as everyone in the tavern heard Patricia's words, they all started laughing and cheering for Cobie, who seemed to be in a very good mood.

'It seems like he is well liked by everyone here,' Lux mused.

As the Guildmaster of the branch of the Adventurers Guild in Brookwest Town, Cobie was definitely not as simple as he looked.

No one would be able to attain such a position with just luck since all the candidates were screened and tested to check if they were at least capable of leading one of the branches of the Adventurers Guild.

Lux had just finished his meal and was drinking his tea when someone emerged from the kitchen.

She swayed her hips from side to side, while holding a tray in her hands. The waitress walked towards the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild with such grace, making the latter smile from ear to ear.

The moment she appeared, everyone in the tavern started whistling and cheering.

"You brute, just go eat your food and leave," the two-meter-tall woman said. "Aren't you tired of causing a commotion day in and day out? Why don't you give up already?"

"Others may give up, but that others isn't me," Cobie said with confidence. "The one who will XXX you will be me, Diana."

Lux spat the tea he was drinking because he didn't expect that Cobie had this kind of kink. The waitress named Diana was none other than a two-meter-tall Gorilla-Kin.

She was one of the Beastkin Races that could be found both in Solais and Elysium. Although Lux had seen Cat-Kins in Barbatos Academy, this was the first time he was seeing a Gorilla-kin, so it clearly made an impression on him.

Diana gave Cobie a slap after hearing the man's bold words. It sounded loud, but the force applied to it wasn't that strong. Clearly, the waitress, Diana, didn't want to hurt Cobie too much.

"You brute, just give it up," Diana replied. "Looking at you doesn't make me go in heat. It's impossible."

"Impossible is just another word for possible," Cobie said with the "never surrender" attitude. "You'll be marrying me soon enough, and we will create a bunch of kids that look just like us."

The corner of Lux's lips twitched because he couldn't find the right words to describe his feeling right now.

A Gorilla-looking-man wooing a Gorilla-Kin was like a match made in heaven. It was quite clear that Cobie was serious about Diana, and the waitress seemed to be fond of the Guildmaster as well.

Because of this, Lux stood up from his seat and approached Cobie's table.

Sensing his gaze, Cobie glanced in his direction and immediately stood up from his chair. He then moved between Lux and Diana, glaring at the handsome Half-Elf as if looking at a mortal enemy.

"Your name is Lux, right?" Cobie stated. "I guess you came here to find out what Diana looks like after I gave you that quest for your Recommendation Letter. But sorry, I'm not handing her to any good-looking men like you. She's too good for a Half-Elf, so give it up, kid. There are many fishes in the sea, but Diana is the only one for me."

Lux was very tempted to spit on the Guildmaster's face for even saying such a thing. He already had a beautiful and loveable fiance, whom he would be marrying in two years. Why would he even bother to XXX a Gorilla?

"Boys, please, don't fight over me," Diana said. "You shouldn't disturb the other customers. Cobie, go back to your seat."

"No! I will not. Every man has something to protect, and I am here to protect your smile, Diana."

"Are you going to sit, or should I have you blacklisted from entering this tavern again?"

Without another word, Cobie obediently sat while glaring daggers at the Half-Elf, who was already regretting coming to the Starfleet Cavern because he was concerned for the waitress that Cobie was in love with.

Sighing inside his heart, Lux walked towards Cobie's table and took out a storage ring from his pocket. He then passed it to the Guildmaster, who took it with a doubtful look on his face.

However, as soon as he saw what was inside the storage ring, a look of surprise and shock appeared on his face, before it was replaced with a dazzling smile that would make the toothpaste models on earth cover their faces in shame.

"Bro. You are my bro from this day onwards," Cobie said before giving Lux a bearhug that almost broke his bones.

"Sorry, I'll pass on being your bro," Lux replied as he tapped the Gorilla-like man's arm to tell him to release him.

Cobie released Lux and laughed so loud that everyone in the tavern thought he had gone mad.

"Everyone, drink up!" Cobie shouted. "The tab is on me! We're getting drunk today!"

Although no one knew what happened, all of them raised their mugs and cheered. Free drinks was something they wouldn't turn down, so they cheered for Cobie's generosity.

"Here is the Recommendation Letter," Cobie handed a scroll with his seal attached to it. "You have earned it. When I marry Diana and have kids, I'll make you their Godfather!"

"...I'll think about it." Lux was starting to sweat buckets seeing Cobie look at him as if he was his lord and savior.

After a round of drinking, Lux was finally able to leave the Starfleet Tavern.

"Let's go, Jed," Lux said as he summoned his Thunder Warg King. "Let's head to our next destination."

Jed gave a growl of agreement before sprinting to the North Entrance of Brookwest Town.

"There are really so many kinds of people in the world," Lux muttered with a helpless smile. "I guess love has many forms as well."

The Half-Elf fondly remembered the scene in the tavern where Cobie started to dance with Diana after getting the Passion Blossom from Lux.

Perhaps, unable to turn Cobie down, who was brimming with happiness, the waitress agreed to dance with him, while the customers who had musical instruments with them played music for them. The tavern immediately had a festive atmosphere, making the Half-Elf momentarily forget his worries about getting his Recommendation Letters, as well as passing the Trial of Leadership.

Jed left the town in a steady sprint with its Master looking forward to the next adventure that he would face.

It was just past noon, and the sun was still at its zenith. However, Lux had a feeling that when night came, Cobie would finally be able to make his wish a reality, and tumble on the bed with the woman of his dreams.

Chapter 333 You’re Going To Bradford Town Next, Right?

After traveling non-stop for a day, Lux finally reached Aeston Town, where he would attempt to get his second Recommendation Letter from its local Adventurers Guildmaster.

Although tired from his journey, the Half-Elf still headed straight to the Adventurer's Guild and asked for an audience with its Guildmaster.

It took several minutes before the Guild Receptionist brought Lux to the Headmaster's office, where its Guildmaster, Guthram, waited for him.

"You must be Lux," said Guthram as soon as the Half-Elf took a seat in front of his table. "I've heard many things about you."

"I pray that they were all good things," Lux replied with a smile.

"Hahaha. Well, it's mixed, so there are good things and bad things. Even so, I'm glad I was finally able to see the Half-Elf who has been making a lot of trouble for the Vahan Empire."

Guthram was a middle-aged man, who wore a monocle over his right eye. He had this calm presence in him that made others feel at ease around him.

But this was why Lux raised his guard to its fullest. Vera had warned him that this kind of people was the hardest to deal with because one never knew if they were scheming something behind your back.

"Good," Guthram commented after sensing that Lux was being wary of him. "Only those who have passed a certain threshold in life experience would be cautious around me. It seems like you have your fair share of life and death battles."

Lux didn't comment, since Vera had also warned him that these sly foxes would flatter people as well in order to make them lower their guard.

"Sir Guthram, I am here for a Recommendation Letter," Lux stated.

Guthram nodded his head and opened the drawer at the side of his table. He then took out a scroll with a seal attached in it and passed it over to Lux.

"Here is the Recommendation Letter," Guthram said.

Lux blinked in confusion because he didn't expect that the recommendation letter would be handed to him in such a casual manner.

He thought that he would be given a quest, just like what Cobie had given him before he received the recommendation letter with the Guildmaster's seal in it.

"What's wrong?" Guthram asked. "You don't want it?"

"Of course I want it," Lux said as he carefully took the scroll from Guthram's hand.

Guthram smiled as he eyed the Half-Elf who carefully stored his letter of recommendation inside his storage ring. He found the red-headed teenager's reaction quite funny, making him want to tease him.

"The Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact has always been at odds with each other," Guthram stated. "However, the Adventurer's Guild is a neutral party, which allows us to have branches all over the world.

"But, this is what only the common folks believe. In truth, even an organization as big as ours isn't free from corruption. We still need to protect our own interests, so if we have to blacklist a handful of people in order to continue serving millions of them, this choice is one that we will easily take.

"You are a good example of this improper procedure. In order to create a guild, you have no choice but to travel to the rival empire of your faction just to secure Recommendation Letters and take the Trial of Leadership. Do you know why this happened?"

Lux nodded. "To prevent a war from taking place."

Guthram smiled. "You're only half right. It's all about politics and keeping the interest of each kingdom. No one wants to see a war start, or at least, most of the rulers don't. But, Emperor Andreas is an exception.

"What puzzles me is that he didn't use what happened in the Domain of the Fallen, as well as the attack on the Ashina Kingdom, as a righteous cause to declare war on the Xynnar War Pact."

Lux offered his own opinion on the matter. "Isn't it just because the Xynnar War Pact has two more Saints on their side, making Emperor Andreas reconsider declaring war?"

Guthram smirked. "While Saints are indeed beings that have a deterrence effect, you have to understand that Emperor Andreas also has aces up his sleeve. It has been five years since the Emperor, who likes to expand his territory, stopped sending his army across his Empire's borders to wage war on his neighbors. The only reason I can think of is that he is busy with other things."

Lux frowned because this talk about conspiracy theories was something he wasn't fond of. For him, they were just conjectures, and worrying about something that had no solid evidence backing it up was just a waste of time.

"Oh, forgive me, it seems like my tale has bored you," Guthram chuckled. "Well then, since your purpose for coming here is over, you will head to Bradford Town next, right?"

"Actually, I haven't decided where to go yet," Lux replied. "There are a couple of other towns that I can visit before going to a major city to use their teleportation gate to reach the Capital City of Dainsleif."

Guthram pressed his hands together and eyed the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on his face.

"You're going to Bradford Town next, right?"

"I still haven't decided..."

"Understood. You're going to Bradford Town. Since that is the case, can you pass this letter to my colleague there?" Guthram stuffed a letter into Lux's hands without even asking for his opinion. "Since you will be visiting Bradford Town to get a Recommendation Letter, you might as well deliver this letter to my friend, who also happens to be the Branch Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild. His name is Boris and we go way back."

"...Okay." Lux could only accept the letter from Guthram because the latter was insisting that he go to Bradford Town next.

"Excellent. I knew that you were an amazing person the moment you walked through the door. Now, if you will excuse me, I still have many things to do," Guthram stood from his chair and shook hands with Lux, before firmly escorting him outside of his office. "Safe travels and may you arrive in Bradford Town before it is too late."

Without another word, the Guildmaster closed the door leaving a dumbstruck Half-Elf who still couldn't understand what just happened.

'I guess I'll know when I arrive in Bradford Town.' Lux scratched his head as he looked at the letter in his hands. 'Also, what did he mean when he said before it's too late?'

The Half-Elf had a feeling that this matter wasn't so simple, so he decided to rest for a few hours. When the clock struck midnight, he would then travel to Bradford Town.

Chapter 334 You Got The Short End Of The Stick, Boy

After resting for a few hours, Lux traveled to the Town of Bradford in the middle of the night.

It didn't really matter whether he traveled during the day or night, because either way, he could clearly see everything.

However, after getting some proper rest, the Half-Elf pondered why Guthram insisted that he traveled to the Town of Bradford. He had expected that he would be given some kind of quest in order to get a Recommendation Letter, but the Guildmaster gave him none.

But in return, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild made sure that Lux would only choose the Town of Bradford as his next destination.

'Is there something going on in Bradford Town?' Lux mused.

Using the Elysium Compendium, the Half-Elf mapped out the shortest route to reach his destination. Due to Jed's enhanced movement speed after becoming a Thunder Warg King, Lux arrived at the outskirts of Bradford Town just before sunrise.

Upon arrival, instead of being happy, a grim expression formed on the Half-Elf's face. The outskirts were littered with the dead bodies of Rat Monsters, as well as Humans.

A single glance was enough to tell him that something was terribly wrong, so he immediately summoned Diablo to prepare for any unexpected surprises.

"These bodies haven't been dead for long, Master," Diablo commented. "At most, they have been dead for two to three hours."

The Death Knight, whose strength had increased after absorbing the power of the dead, paid close attention to the surroundings, just in case a monster appeared out of nowhere and attacked the Half-Elf who was riding by his side.

"Diablo, wear this cloak," Lux ordered as he tossed a cloak to his Named Creature. "Also, dismount from Airon. I want you to ride one of the Wargs for the time being. I don't know what's going on, but it will be best if you're not seen as a monster. The Humans we'll encounter along the way might take you for an enemy, and we don't want to be attacked by them.."

(A/N: Airon is the name of Diablo's Nightmare Horse.)

Diablo obeyed and donned the cloak on his body, covering his face completely.

The stench of blood was getting thicker, which caused the frown on Lux's face to deepen. After ten minutes, they finally reached the entrance of Bradford Town, which was shut tightly.

"Halt!" A man holding a crossbow on top of the town's walls aimed his weapon towards the Half-Elf. "What are you doing here in Bradford? State your business!"

There were other men holding crossbows in their hands, and all of them were pointing it at him and Diablo with bloodshot eyes.

Lux raised both of his hands to show that he meant no harm in order to pacify the anxious looking guards who were aiming at them with their crossbows. His gesture reduced the tension in the air, preventing the guards from accidentally shooting him due to their nerves being stretched to the limit.

"My name is Lux, and I have come to Bradford Town to pass a letter that came from the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in Aeston Town, Sir Guthram. He said that I should personally hand the letter to his friend, Sir Boris, who is the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in this town."

The men lowered the crossbows in their hand, but they were still giving Lux suspicious glances.

"Someone tell the Guildmaster that someone is looking for him," the man who seemed to be the captain of the defenders ordered one of his subordinates.

The subordinate left in a hurry, causing Lux to heave a sigh of relief.

Just by looking at the defenders on the walls, he could tell that he came at a very bad time. But after careful consideration, he realized that he might have been sent here by Guthram on purpose precisely because it was a very bad time, which made the Half-Elf silently curse the sly fox who set him up.

'Isn't this the same as giving me a quest?' Lux scratched his head. 'Why must he make things complicated?'

Several minutes later, a man with sharp features, who seemed to be in his early forties, appeared on top of the town walls and gazed down on the Half-Elf with a frown.

"I am Boris," Boris stated. "You said that you have been sent by Guthram to deliver a letter to me?"

Lux nodded. "Yes. Sir Guthram told me to bring the letter here after I asked him for a Recommendation Letter in order to create a Guild."

The Half-Elf decided to state his real purpose for coming in order to make Boris understand that he wasn't an enemy. He thought by doing so, the Guildmaster would lower his guard and tell everyone to let him go inside the city.

"A Recommendation Letter?" Guthram crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you just making an excuse so we will let you enter the town? Boy, I didn't become the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild because I am stupid. Do you really think that we will allow you to enter with that Monster beside you?"

The guards gasped before shifting their gaze towards the robed figure that was mounted on the Warg beside Lux. All of them once again raised their crossbows and aimed their bolts in Diablo's direction.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" Lux shouted. "He is my Summon. I am a Necromancer! I saw several dead bodies along the way and decided to summon my servant to be my escort on the journey."

"Necromancer? So young and already playing with the dead," one of the men holding a crossbow in his hand commented.

"Do you think he is in cahoots with those monsters that are attacking our town?"

"It's possible. Maybe he wanted to destroy our defenses from within so we will be overwhelmed on their next attack."

"Hiss… these dark practitioners cannot be trusted. He may have already raised an army of the dead and is waiting for the right moment to strike us!"

Boris eyed Lux with a serious expression, while the guards around him debated whether they should shoot the robed figure or not.

"If you don't want me to enter the town, that's fine," Lux shouted at the guards who were inching their fingers at the trigger of their crossbows. "It's not like I came here to help you guys defend this town or anything. Don't get the wrong idea, okay?"

The Half-Elf then shifted his gaze towards Boris who still hadn't said anything since he declared his purpose for coming.

"Here is Sir Guthram's letter," Lux said. "Will someone take it, or should I just leave it on the ground?"

All the guards glanced at Boris, waiting for his instructions.

"Fine, let him in," Boris ordered. "But don't make any stupid moves. If you summon Undead Monsters inside the town, we will treat you as our enemy."

Lux nodded his head and unsummoned Diablo. Since a compromise had been reached, he decided that he should just recall his Death Knight. This way, the trigger-happy guards would have no reason to shoot him with their crossbows.

As soon as the red-headed teenager entered the town, the gate behind him closed with a heavy thud.

'This is worse than I thought,' Lux mused as he gazed at the town that looked like it had barely survived a bandit attack.

Many houses were destroyed or burnt, and the ground had several dark stains, which the Half-Elf believed to be blood that had already dried up.

While Lux was assessing the situation around him, Boris had come down from the town walls and walked in his direction. He was followed by four more adventurers and, judging by their posture, Lux knew that all of them were at least of the Initiate Rank.

"The letter?" Boris asked.

Lux didn't even bother to reply and simply handed the sealed scroll to the Guildmaster, whose sharp features reminded him of a bird of prey.

Boris broke the seal and read the contents of the letter with a calm expression on his face. When he was done, he glanced at Lux and gave him a pitiful gaze.

"You got the short end of the stick, Boy," Boris said. "Sorry for doubting you earlier."

The Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild handed the letter back to Lux and told him to read it.

Boris had known Guthram for a long time, and understood that his friend would not hesitate to lend his help to him. Since he had sent someone to deliver a letter to him and didn't come in person, it just meant that the situation in Aeston Town, where Guthram was stationed, was slowly starting to deteriorate as well.

Curious about the contents of the letter, the red-headed teenager read it carefully to ensure that he wouldn't miss anything.

—---------

Dear Boris,

I have received your letter asking for aid, but I am unable to leave Aeston Town at this time. We have also received reports that the Goblins in our area are behaving erratically, and it is quite possible that we could be facing the same problem you are facing right now.

But don't worry. There will always be someone trying to gain favors from me. If I meet such an individual, I will send him to you right away. Treat it as my way of helping you.

Hoping to see you again, your dear colleague, Guthram.

P.S

Before you die, can you pay the two thousand gold coins you owe me? I'd hate it if I have to collect your loan from your family members.

—---------

The Half-Elf scratched his head after reading the letter.

"I already had a feeling that this was the case," Lux commented. "So Sir Boris, can you tell me what is going on here? Maybe I can offer you some assistance."

Since he was already there, then he might as well see what was going on. Perhaps by helping Boris a bit, he would get a Letter of Recommendation which would bring him one step closer to his goal to take the Trial of Leadership.

Chapter 335 Skeleton Make [EX]

"A Monster Outbreak?"

"Yes. A Monster Outbreak, but not a natural one. This one is clearly premeditated, and the strength of the Monsters far surpassed their normal strength."

Boris took Lux to his Guild office to explain to him the current problem they were facing.

"It all started a week ago," Boris explained. "At first, the adventurers had sighted Stone Clawed Rats more than usual roaming around the forests from the North. We didn't think much of this back then because the Northern Forest was their natural habitat. However, four days ago, things changed.

"On the night of the New Moon, the Rat Monsters attacked us, which caught us completely by surprise. They only numbered around three hundred at most, but all of them had the strength of Rank 4 Monsters, which was completely unheard of.

"At most, Stone Clawed Rats are only rank 2 Monsters, so they aren't much of a threat to adventurers. But the ones we faced were of a different breed. Glowing red veins covered their entire bodies, giving them strength that far surpassed their normal strength.

"We didn't have that many Grade A Apostles in town, but we did have ten Initiates, including myself, so we managed to fend them off. After we killed all the Monsters, we thought that it was the last of them. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

"Everyday, we were attacked by Stone Clawed Rats, and with every wave, their numbers have grown. Two of our Initiates died a day ago, and two more were injured. I am afraid that if those Monster Rats attack us tonight... Bradford Town is finished."

After hearing his tale, Lux now understood why Boris gave him a pitiful gaze after reading Guthram's letter. Clearly, the Half-Elf had indeed gotten the short end of the stick, and was involved in a very big problem that he didn't ask for.

"So, what's the plan?" Lux asked.

He had traveled all through the night, and frankly, he was still exhausted from his journey. However, after hearing that he might be facing thousands of Rank 4 Rat Monsters, who could easily scale the town's wall due to their exceptional agility and dexterity, his desire to rest disappeared completely.

"It is impossible to defeat them," Boris replied. "So, we have decided to evacuate everyone, and head to Aeston Town. The sun has just risen, so it is a good time to travel.

"However, traveling with over ten thousand people will be a great challenge. I'm afraid that we won't reach our destination before sunset. Although the Rat Monsters have been attacking us an hour after sunset, that is not a guarantee that they will not attack during the day."

Lux nodded his head in understanding, but he and Boris both knew that there was nothing that could be done except to flee from Bradford Town and seek help from Aeston Town.

"We will be leaving in an hour," Boris stated. "I know that you came here for a Letter of Recommendation, so let's do it this way. Help us evacuate the people to Aeston, and I will give you the letter you want. Do we have a deal?"

"Okay," Lux replied.

The Half-Elf understood that he wouldn't be getting his Recommendation Letter for free, so he decided to just help with the evacuation.

Exactly an hour later, the gates of Bradford Town opened. Thousands of people started their march, carrying their belongings on their backs, in their carts, and on their mounts.

There were many old people, as well as little children, who were lagging behind on the march, but there was nothing that anyone could do about it. There were not enough carts in the town to carry them all, so they had no choice but to travel on foot.

Lux felt pity for these people, so he decided to use the skill that he had received after he defeated the Death Tyrant in the Gate of Death.

He didn't have the chance to use it until now because this skill was quite unique. A single use of this skill required a whopping 8,000 Mana Points, and Lux could only use it three times with full mana.

But since he usually spent a great deal of his Mana Pool in summoning his Skeleton minions, he could only use this skill once in battle, making it the most draining skill he currently possessed.

This skill was none other than his Skeleton Make [EX], which he hadn't used until today.

-------

< Skeleton Make [EX] >

: Summon 200 Skeletons to form anything the user wants to make.

: This skill can only form physical objects.

: Caster must have a clear picture of what he wants to form in his mind to make this skill work properly.

: This skill will automatically upgrade after the caster raises his current rank.

: Aside from the 200 Skeletons that will be summoned by this skill, the user can also use the other summoned Skeletons under his command, to merge with this skill, and further empower it.

: Each Skeleton that is summoned by this skill will consume 40 Mana Points.

: Summoned Skeletons using this skill will last for approximately twelve hours, or until they are destroyed.

: There can only be three active Skeleton Make creations at a time.

: More active creations will be unlocked once the Caster's rank increases.

: Skeleton Make in use (0/3)

-----

Lux took a deep breath as he raised both of his hands.

"Skeleton Make..." Lux shouted as hundreds of skeletons appeared in front of him, waiting for the form that they would take.

"Bone Wagon!"

The Half-Elf immediately felt the great drain in his Mana, which made his legs almost turn to jelly. However, he endured it and his summoned Skeletons formed the Bone Wagon in his mind.

Several children screamed after seeing the horrifying Bone Wagon that was at least 15 meters long, while some of them ran to their mothers crying because they were so afraid of the weird object that appeared out of nowhere, and made up of bones.

It took Lux nearly half an hour to coax everyone that the Bone Wagon was safe, and it wouldn't hurt them.

In the beginning, no one wanted to ride it, so Lux thought of a plan to make them less afraid of the Bone Wagon he had created.

What the Half-Elf did was to ask everyone, especially the elderly to drop their luggage on the Bone Wagon, so they didn't have to carry them on their backs, allowing them to feel less burdened in their journey.

Although they were quite reluctant to do it, a few old people who really couldn't carry their possessions for the long trip accepted Lux's offer, and placed their luggage on the Bone Wagon, which followed behind the exodus of people headed towards the Town of Aeston.

His plan worked perfectly, and almost everyone that was at the very end of the procession had placed their belongings on the Bone Wagon, giving them the freedom to travel lightly.

The kids then became curious, and some of the braver ones decided to climb on it. Finally, two hours later, the Bone Wagon was filled to the brim with children and their mothers, who seemed to enjoy the free ride.

After seeing that everyone had warmed up to the idea of riding on the Bone Wagon, Lux created two more before chugging down a bottle of Mana Potion.

Asmodeus, who was also able to use all of Lux's skills, summoned three more Bone Wagons, allowing more of the women, children, and the old people to ride in them.

"Master, this skill is quite amazing," Asmodeus commented as he rode on top of a Warg that Lux had summoned for him. "How about we try merging our Skeleton Summons to make these Bone Wagons longer?"

Lux pondered for a bit before nodding his head. "Okay. Let's do that."

In truth, the Half-Elf was curious about what would happen if his Skeleton Soldiers merged with the Skeleton Make Skeletons.

The outcome was just like Lux envisioned. The 15 meter long wagons all became 20 meters long, and even gained a roof, made up of bones. This protected the people riding in the wagons from the sun, allowing them to have a more comfortable ride towards their destination.

"It's a pity that we can only use it three times," Asmodeus commented. "Master, I look forward to how you will be able to use this ability in battle."

Lux only smiled, and didn't comment. In truth, he was also thinking about how to use the Skeleton Make Skill in battle.

He already had several ideas in mind, and was itching to try them, to see what would work and what would not.

When it was almost noon time, Lux received a message from Ishtar, whom he had left in Bradford Town to monitor the surroundings.

"Master, there is a dust cloud coming from the North West," Ishtar reported. "I'm afraid that these are the Rat Monsters that should only be attacking Bradford during the night."

After hearing Ishtar's report, Lux closed his eyes and used his connection to his Named Creature to see what she was seeing.

Half a minute later, Lux saw the dust cloud in the distance, that was headed in the direction of Bradford Town. The Half-Elf's expression became grim when he saw the number of Monsters that were headed in their direction.

"This can already be called a Pseudo-Beast Tide," Lux said through gritted teeth before cutting off his connection with the Night Stalker.

He needed to tell Boris that the Guildmaster's worst fears had become a reality.

Over three thousand Rank 4 Rat Monsters were headed towards Bradford Town, and if the Monsters found out that not a single soul was inside it, they might track them down, which would spell doom to the people who were fleeing their hometown in search of a safe place to hide from the Monsters that were about to reach the town that they called home.

Chapter 336 A Little Rat Managed To Escape

Restore scroll position 78%

In a conference room, several black-robed figures sat and were currently discussing the latest breakthrough in their research.

"How is the plan coming along?"

"Very good, if I say so myself. The experiment on strengthening weak monsters and controlling them from a distance is showing desirable results."

"Excellent. Have you sent the latest batch to Bradford?"

"They are already on their way."

"How about the Goblins targeting Aeston?"

"We're still working on that part, but we have gained sufficient data from the Rat Monsters to take control of the Goblins as well."

"The Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild, Guthram, is quite an intuitive fellow. He dispatched elite Adventurers to go and wipe out entire Goblin Encampments and Nests before we were able to gather a sizable force to attack Aeston Town."

"Well, it doesn't matter. We have already succeeded if we look at the grand scheme of things."

"Who is in charge of the attack in Bradford Town?"

"It's the Pied Piper."

"Ah… that guy. Well, I guess news of an entire town being destroyed will spread throughout the entire Empire when morning comes."

"Congratulations, everyone. We are now one step closer to our goals."

"All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"

"""All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"""

–—----

Somewhere between Bradford Town and Aeston Town…

Lux was no stranger to Monster Outbreaks, and had even participated in the defense against a Beast Tide in Whitebridge City back in the Kingdom of Gweliven.

If he was fighting alone, he was confident that he would be able to escape unscathed.

Unfortunately, he wasn't alone, and was helping the Guildmaster, Boris, evacuate over ten thousand people to the town of Aeston before the Rat Monsters overtook them along the way.

"How credible is this information?" Boris' face immediately became grim upon hearing Lux's report about the approaching danger from the rear.

Although they had made good progress in their travels, it was highly possible that the Monsters would run after them if they discovered that no one was inside Bradford Town.

"I left one of my subordinates there to inform me if Rat Monsters appeared," Lux replied. "It won't be long before the Monsters arrive in Bradford Town."

"Do you think they will follow us?" Boris asked.

Lux shook his head. "I don't know, but the possibility exists. If they don't follow us, that would be for the best."

"But what if they follow us?"

"You already know the answer to that question, Sir."

Boris sighed, knowing that Lux was correct. If the Monsters did follow them, it was possible for them to catch up in just two to three hours. Although they had made good progress, the Monsters' speed was far greater than their own.

They couldn't possibly outrun them unless they were willing to leave some people behind.

"Right now, we only have a little over two hundred Apostles and eight Initiates," Boris stated. "The majority of those Apostles are Grade D and C. They will be unable to block thousands of Rank 4 Monsters even if we were able to double that number."

"Then what's the plan?" Lux inquired. Right now, only Boris and he knew of the approaching danger from behind, so the march was still proceeding steadily.

If anyone were to tell them that monsters were headed in their direction, the people might start to panic, which would be bad for everyone.

"We will tell everyone to hasten the pace," Boris answered. "Is it possible for you to conjure more of those Bone Wagons?"

Lux shook his head. "I am already at my limit. I can't add more than what we currently have."

If Lux could have his way, he would certainly summon more Bone Wagons, but his skill, Skeleton Make [EX], had a limit.

There were still many old people and children who required assistance, but there was simply nothing he could do about it. All the space in the Bone Wagons was already taken, and there was no more room for more people inside it.

"Let's just do what we can," Boris finally answered after a few minutes of silence. "Remember this, Lux, we can't save everyone. If there comes a time when you have to escape to save yourself, don't think twice and just do it."

Boris then took out a sealed letter from his storage ring, and gave it to Lux.

"I planned to give this to you once we reach Aeston Town," Boris said after handing his Letter of Recommendation to Lux. "But I can't, in good conscience, allow you to risk your life to do more, especially when you have already done a lot for us.

"I hate to say this, but my life is also important. I will not die here as a hero, nor will I act as a martyr. I have responsibilities, so if I think that there is nothing that can be done, I will flee by myself and head to Aeston Town. I will tell the other Defenders about this news, but I won't tell anyone else. We don't want people trampling over the other in their panic to escape with their lives."

Boris patted Lux's shoulder before he turned around to leave.

Gazing at his steady pace, Lux understood that although Boris would feel bad about leaving the people behind to save his life, he would not change his decision.

This was a decision of a man who had lived through many battlefields and became a Branch Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild.

Lux glanced behind him, in the direction of Bradford Town, where Ishtar was left to monitor the current situation.

'I hope that the Monsters just remain in the town,' Lux thought. 'May the Gods have mercy on these people.'

Unfortunately, no Gods heard Lux's prayer.

When the Monsters arrived in Bradford Town, they easily scaled over the town's wall and swarmed the town like a plague of locusts.

After seeing that there were no humans around the vicinity, the Rat Monsters wandered around the town, entering houses to make sure that no Humans were hiding anywhere. After completing their rounds of every nook and cranny of the town, the sound of a flute spread in the surroundings, alerting all of the Rat Monsters of their new orders.

Ishtar, who was hiding in the shadows, heard the flute and glanced in the direction that it was coming from. Lux already had some suspicions that someone was controlling the Monsters and giving them orders, but this had just been a hunch.

Now that the ringleader had appeared, the Nighstalker decided to scout their target, and learn more about them.

But, before she could even see the flute player, her hiding place was attacked by over a dozen Rat Monsters, forcing her to flee and escape into the shadows.

"A little rat managed to escape," a blackrobed man said after he finished playing his flute. "No matter. This will not change the outcome of this mission. Everyone, follow the tracks of the townspeople. Leave no one alive!"

""Squeak!""

Thousands of Rat Monsters obeyed their Master's call and followed the tracks that were left by the people that had decided to leave their hometown.

Ishtar, who had just escaped from the enemy's pursuit, relayed the bad news to Lux, informing him of the approaching danger from behind.

Chapter 337 Master, You’re Too Kind For A Necromancer

The pace of the march had increased, which allowed the townspeople of Bradford to have a three hour lead ahead of their pursuers.

Unfortunately, they still needed to travel fifteen more hours to reach their destination. No matter how Lux and Boris looked at it, the monsters would be upon them before they even arrived anywhere near the Town of Aeston.

Lux had already informed Boris of the worst case scenario, making the Guildmaster sigh.

"It is now clear that there is someone controlling the Monsters' actions," Boris said. "Now, we have two choices. Tell everyone of the approaching danger, and have those with the capacity to escape to run for their lives, or we tell everyone, and work together in order to find a solution to this problem."

Lux gazed straight into Boris' eyes and shared his opinion.

"We should tell the people about the Monsters running after us," Lux said. "Although it will cause them great worry, and some might even panic, that is still better than leaving them behind as we run for our lives."

Boris nodded. "You're right. I will gather my staff and have them spread the news of the Monster Army's arrival. Do you have anything to add that might make them less anxious about our impending doom?"

Lux thought for a while before nodding his head. "Ask them if they know of a place where we can hide, or at least, give the old people, women, and children a chance of survival. The rest can escape if they are confident in their abilities.

"Also, if you have a way to contact the Adventurer's Guild in Aeston, please do it. Even if there is no hope to ask for reinforcements, doing nothing will just be waiting for our deaths."

Boris smiled after hearing Lux's words. "Okay. I'll inform everyone. I just hope that we will be able to weather this storm."

Lux nodded before urging Jed to run towards the rear of the formation.

After arriving at his destination, the Half-Elf ventured farther until he reached a high vantage point to scan the surrounding area, looking for anything that might help him delay the monster army.

Asmodeus, who had followed behind Lux, stood behind his back, and waited for the Half-Elf to make a decision.

​ "Asmodeus, what do you think we should do?" Lux asked after pondering things through.

"Master, you're too kind for a Necromancer. If I was in your shoes, I would have said good riddance to these people and made my escape already," Asmodeus replied. "But, then again, I don't mind serving a kind Master like you."

"Um, thank you?"

"Hahaha."

Lux didn't expect that he would be given a pep talk by the Archlich whom he believed was the best strategist among his Named Creatures. He watched as Asmodeus rubbed his chin with his bony hands, as the glowing embers in his eyes danced with amusement.

"Right now, we have less than three hours headstart from our enemy," Asmodeus stated. "If we want to delay them, there is only one way and that is by using Guerilla Tactics. I propose that you leave a golem behind here, so you can travel back using the Boots of Teleportation in case you get cornered by the enemy. Although we would do our best to protect you, having insurance is better than having none."

Lux nodded in agreement. By doing this, he would be able to escape safely due to the Boots of Teleportation that he received from Keoza.

"Master, just know that if we are going to do this, you are not allowed to use the Dragon Token," Asmodeus said in a serious tone. "That is a life saving artifact and you can only use it two more times. Using it in this situation would be a waste.

"We do not owe these people anything, and using the token for their sake will not sit well with me. I'm sorry for being blunt, but it will truly be a waste to use it to save complete strangers. Um, have I said how wasteful it is to use the Dragon Token? Truly it is a waste. It will be best if you use it when you find yourself facing a situation similar to what happened in the past, when your fiance and grandmother got injured. "

The Archlich said the word waste several times to ensure that Lux wouldn't use the Dragon Token in this situation no matter what. Fortunately, the Half-Elf understood what his Strategist was trying to say, and nodded his head in agreement.

"Well then, since everything is settled, here is the plan," Asmodeus smiled. "First, we need to take back our Skeleton Summons, including all of our Bone Wagons. The Skeleton Make skill is quite profound, and I believe we will be able to use it effectively in the battlefield as well."

"Okay," Lux readily agreed with Asmodeus' suggestion.

In his mind, it didn't matter if the refugees were to suffer some difficulties when the Bone Wagons were gone for a chance of survival. No matter how comfortable they were on their journey while riding the Bone Wagons, they wouldn't enjoy it for long once the Monster Army overtook their march.

"Now, here comes the fun part," Asmodeus gave Lux a devilish smile, which made the Half-Elf wonder what the Archlich was cooking up. "Here is what we are going to do, Master."

The Archlich whispered something in Lux's ears, making the Half-Elf shudder. He had never thought of this method of fighting before, and it made him realize that there were indeed many things that he still needed to learn when it came to large scale battles.

"Good," Lux replied before urging Jed to run in the direction of Bradford Town. "Let's go, Asmodeus. Time to kill some Rats."

The Archlich chuckled before following behind his Master. Clearly, his plan made the red-headed teenager find hope amidst the desperate situation.

—----

"Um, Little Swordy, are you sure My Daddy went over to that town called Bradford?" Cai asked as it walked beside the Skinny Swordsman that was mounted on top of a Warg.

Lux had given Keane a mount of his own after the battle in the Gate of War because the swordsman had realized that traveling on foot was a very tiresome thing to do.

"Yes," Keane replied. "Sir Guthram said that it is so."

"Hmm… for some reason, I am having a bad premonition about the direction we are headed."

"Really?"

Cai nodded. "I can't explain it. It's like my animal instincts are telling me that following this road is a bad idea. Are you sure this is where My Daddy went?"

"You've asked me this question a dozen times already in different variations," Keane replied with a fed up gaze. "If you don't stop talking, I'll leave you behind."

"... Fine. I just really feel really apprehensive for some reason," Cai commented. "I just hope I'm overthinking things."

Cai had a very keen sense of danger. She had felt these several times when they were inside the Sacred Dungeon, but strangely enough, she didn't feel worried whenever she was with Lux.

Perhaps, as someone that had been defeated by him, Cai had recognized the red-headed teenager's strength, and felt much more secure around him. One could even call this a sense of deep rooted trust after everything they had been through.

As the two followed the path that would lead them to reunite with the Half-Elf, they were not aware that the person they were looking for was on his way to fight a large Monster Army with his own Undead Army, not only for his own survival, but for those from Bradford who wanted to survive as well.

Chapter 338 Just Who Is Getting In My Way?! [Part 1]

"Did they really think that they could escape from death?" A man wearing a black robe on top of a Giant Rat Monster chuckled. "Well, this is at most a prey's struggle for life before the hunter takes its life. This is also a form of entertainment."

After finding out that the entire town of Bradford had been abandoned, the man didn't even bother ordering the monsters to loot whatever that was left. Instead, he ordered them to pursue the townspeople to the closest town possible.

What he came here to do was cause a massacre. He needed to do it to spread fear and anxiety to the surrounding towns and villages in the Southern Regions of the Empire.

Judging by the scent that still lingered by the roadside, he could tell that the people had left not too long ago. Traveling with plenty of people would greatly slow down the pace of the journey, so the black-robed man was confident that he would be able to overtake them in just a few hours.

It had been an hour since his Monster Army left Bradford Town. They traveled with a steady pace, with the black-robed man riding a mile behind his minions.

Their Organization's plan was to make the village's annihilation look like a Monster Outbreak, so his identity couldn't be discovered no matter what.

His ability allowed him to control Rat Type Monsters to a certain extent, which had earned him the title of "Pied Piper".

"Still, the Organization's growth serum did wonders," the Pied Piper muttered. "Who would have thought that Rank 2 Monsters could turn berserk permanently, and increase their strength to Rank 4? Unfortunately, they could only live for a week at most, so raising an army to conquer the empire's lands is still impossible. It also takes a lot of manpower to capture these Monsters."

The Pied Piper sighed as he glanced at his formidable army that was more than enough to raze villages and towns.

The main cities of the Empire were heavily guarded, so the Organization's experiments could only be conducted in the countryside, allowing them to try out their Monster Armies on the villages and towns with weaker defenses.

'I can't wait to see the look of despair on the townspeople's faces when they see my army behind them,' the Pied Piper mused. 'Boris, you had this one coming. I still haven't settled my scores with you yet!'

The Pied Piper sneered at the thought of personally cutting off the head of the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild, who had gotten in the way of his promotion in the past. In order to seek vengeance, he joined the guild Twilight Dynasty to bring down the Guildmaster, as well as those who had ridiculed him in the past.

While the Pied Piper was relishing his upcoming victory, he heard a loud explosion somewhere in the distance.

A moment later, another explosion occurred, and shrieks of pain from his Monster Army reverberated in the surroundings.

The Pied Piper was downhill when the first explosion happened, so he wasn't able to see clearly what happened. However, the moment he reached the top of the hill, his eyes widened in shock. When he got there, he witnessed a scene that he never expected to see.

His Monster Army had started to disperse, and dozens of the Rat Monsters, who had collapsed on the ground, were writhing in pain as various parts of their body were missing. Although none of the Monsters had died, the ones that were injured were close to dying, so it didn't really matter whether they were still alive or not.

They had stopped running and were looking around their surroundings for the hidden enemies that had come to ambush them.

"What in the world happene–"

The Pied Piper wasn't able to finish his sentence because he was silenced by another incredible scene that he was seeing for the first time.

A three-meter-tall Flaming Skull that left a blazing trail in the sky was about to descend on his Monster Army

"Scatter!" the Pied Piper ordered.

The Monsters did as they were told, but some were unable to escape in time.

The Fiery Skull descended on a dense cluster of monsters and exploded. Fiery bony shrapnel flew in different directions, injuring hundreds of Rat Monsters, making them shriek in pain.

Before the Pied Piper could even react to the devastation that happened, another Flaming Skull descended upon the Monster army, and this time, it killed the seriously injured monsters who barely survived the first two bombardments.

Over two hundred Rat Monsters had died after the three Flaming Skulls crashed into them.

The rest of the Monsters had safely escaped and had backed away a considerable distance from the place where the Fiery Skulls had previously landed, all of which were still covered in black smoke.

The Pied Piper ordered the Rat Army retreat while trying to understand what just happened.

While the ringleader of the Monster Attack was trying to assess the damage his army had taken, Lux was crouching on all fours and panting for breath.

"How do you feel, Master?" Asmodeus asked as he crouched down beside the Half-Elf, whose drool was already spilling from his mouth due to exhaustion.

"I feel like dying," Lux replied as he tried to catch his breath. "Did we get them?"

Asmodeus nodded. "Congratulations, Master. It is a success. This new skill of yours is truly wonderful. The only downside is that whenever you use it, it drains almost all of your Mana, leaving you exhausted."

Lux wiped the drool from his mouth and took out a mana potion. He then chugged it all down, and only then did he feel a bit better from the aftermath of his and Asmodeus' experiment.

"Let's go, Master," Asmodeus said as he extended his hand to help Lux stand up. "At most, we bought ourselves a few minutes. We need to head to the next location."

"Uhhh…"

Lux felt nauseated because his head was hurting so badly. This was the first time he experienced Mana Deprivation, and he didn't like it.

Not one bit.

Seeing that Lux was unable to stand by himself, Asmodeus supported his Master's body and helped him mount Jed's back, so that they could go to their next destination.

Since the Half-Elf and the Archlich knew that someone was commanding the Rat Army, they were confident that the latter would hesitate to continue the pursuit after experiencing an unexpected attack that killed over two hundred of his Rat Monsters.

'It's a shame that the monsters scattered and moved away from the corpses,' Asmodeus thought as he mounted the Warg that was assigned to him by Lux. 'If they hadn't, I could have killed more using Corpse Explosion. What a pity.'

The Archlich's mana had also taken a beating, but since his mana was higher than Lux's and he was an Undead, he didn't suffer too much of a backlash after using the skill, Skeleton Make, to attack their enemy from great distances.

As Lux and Asmodeus made their hasty retreat, the Pied Piper was still wary about letting his Army advance. Since there were unknown enemies hiding around them, he dispatched dozens of Rat Monsters to scout the surroundings.

Although he still had many Monsters under his command, he didn't want a repeat of what just happened earlier.

This gave Lux and Asmodeus precious time to reach their destination and prepare for another round of bombardment.

Chapter 339 Just Who Is Getting In My Way?! [Part 2]

Even from far away, the loud explosions that were caused by Lux's and Asmodeus' attempt to stop the Monster Army were heard by the refugees, who were making their way toward Aeston Town.

Boris glanced at the smoke rising in the distance and frowned.

When Lux had told him that he would try to delay the approaching monsters, Boris wasn't informed of the methods that the Half-Elf would use to do it.

Judging from the loud explosions earlier, he at least assumed that the Half-Elf had succeeded in his mission.

What they needed right now was an opportunity to increase the distance between them, and thanks to Lux's interference, the Monster Army had momentarily stopped their pursuit.

"Guthram, you sent me one hell of a helper," Boris muttered.

When he saw Lux for the first time, he didn't think much of the teenager. However, right now, it was the Half-Elf who was doing the job that he should have be doing--ensuring the safety of the people that had entrusted their lives to him.

-----

The Rat Monsters came back from their scouting trip and found no enemies in the surroundings.

Because of this, the Pied Piper decided to send dozens of scouts ahead of the army, in order to detect hidden dangers.

Just to be on the safe side, the Pied Piper also changed the formation of the Rat Army so that there were only a hundred Monsters per group. Each group would travel several dozens of meters apart from each other, so that he could order them to escape if he saw another Flaming Skull descending from the sky.

At the beginning, the Monster's Army's pace was slower than before because the Pied Piper was being cautious. However, after an hour of not encountering any incidents, he ordered the Monsters to increase their pace once again.

The Pied Piper was a local of the Southern Regions of the Vahan Empire. Because of this, he was highly familiar with the topography, so he decided to take a shortcut by getting off the main road and traveling through the forest in order to recover the time he had lost earlier.

The Rat Monsters dexterously traveled the forest as they followed the command of their master.

The other beasts that dwelled in the forest were either massacred by the Rat Army, or had escaped the moment they sensed that a great danger was approaching. Even the Rank 5 and Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Monsters were not a match to over a thousand Rank 4 Monsters, so they chose to make their escape before the Monster Army arrived near their location.

While this was happening, Ishtar, who was perched on top of a tree, observed the approaching army with a sneer on her face.

'Master, they have come within range,' Ishtar reported.

'Thank you, Ishtar. You can return to my side now,' Lux ordered before taking a deep breath. All members of his Skeleton Army, as well as his Named Creatures, were gathered around him.

"Diablo, carry me later like a sack of rice if you have to," Lux said. "I don't think I'll still be able to ride properly this time."

Diablo nodded with a hint of amusement on his deathly face. "Understood, Master."

Lux took another deep breath before raising his right hand to start to use his latest skill once again.

"Skeleton Make!"

Hundreds of Skeletons merged together behind the Half-Elf forming a thirteen-meter-long cannon with a barrel that was four-meters-wide.

Asmodeus didn't stand idly and did the same, forming a cannon of the similar size as Lux's and aimed it at the forest that was right in front of them.

"Grand Cannon!" Lux roared.

Immediately, the two cannons unleashed two three-meter-tall Flaming Skulls that was headed towards the center of the forest.

A loud explosion ensued, creating a fiery blaze that started to burn the trees in the surrounding areas.

The Vanguard of the Monster Army was caught in the explosion and, although they were moving in groups, the trees around them that had been hit by magical flames started to burn, which spread like wildfire.

Two more explosions were heard in the distance as Lux and Asmodeus once again fired another round of bombardment. However, this time, it was aimed hundreds of meters in front of the Giant Rats, who had broken through the blazing flames only to find themselves facing two more Flaming Skulls of destruction.

"Fire!"

Lux ordered, and a third round of bombardement ensued, which landed in the center of the Monster formation.

After testing the cannon's maximum range earlier, they found out that it could hit targets three miles away.

Because of this, Lux was able to attack their enemy at great distances, making it so they were unable to launch a counterattack against him in a short period of time.

The Pied Piper gnashed his teeth in anger as he ordered his Army to retreat. Monsters were inherently afraid of fire, and even though he was forcefully controlling them using his ability, their animal instinct was kicking in, subconsciously causing them to flee even without his orders.

"Dammit!" the Pied Piper cursed. "Actually setting an entire forest ablaze just so that I can't pursue them. Just who is getting in my way?!"

The Pied Piper couldn't see beyond the sea of flames and smoke that had spread in the surroundings.

Lux was currently riding with Diablo on top of the Nightmare, as they made their escape from the scene of carnage.

Only Orion, Ishtar, and Pazuzu, were left behind to deal with any stragglers that managed to escape the blazing forest that had been around for hundreds of years.

Hundreds of Monsters fled from their homes and charged towards the Rat Army like crazed Beasts. In their minds, the Rat Monsters were the ones that had started the fire, so all the Monsters ganged up to fight against them, making the Pied Piper gnash his teeth in anger.

"Master, make sure to put the blame on our pursuer for the destruction of the Forest," Asmodeus teased as he rode beside Diablo.

"Huff... right... it's their fault... Hup," Lux replied through heavy breaths, as dark smoke rose up from the sky that could be seen for miles on end.

He had a feeling that once the local Nobles, who owned the lands between the territories of Bradford Town and Aeston Town, found out that their favorite hunting ground was set on fire, they would immediately put a bounty on Lux's head, and ask Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters to hunt him down and feed his remains to the fishes.

Chapter 340 It’s Gang Bang Time! [Part 1]

The Pied Piper gritted his teeth as he looked at the sea of flames that burned brightly in front of him.

Some of the Monsters in his army had completely lost their senses and broke free from his control due to their primal fear of fire. Because of this, the Rat Monsters under his control now numbered less than two thousand, which made the black-robed man curse internally.

'I might get punished because of this later,' the Pied Piper hatefully thought as he watched the forest burn without any signs of dying.

The reason they built their base in the countryside in the first place was due to the fact that they could hunt Monsters in the wild to use for experiments. However, if the Monsters' home was destroyed, it would be hard to capture them without alerting the authorities that managed the lands of the nobles.

But that was the least of his worries. The black smoke that rose from the forest fire was so eye-catching that it would be impossible for anyone to not see it unless they were blind. He knew that mounted knights would be sent to investigate the cause of the blaze, including those with flying mounts.

When that happens, he would be discovered by them and possibly get tracked down, making it hard for him to escape later on.

Right now, the Pied Piper was left with two choices. Go back in shame and face the wrath of his superiors, or order his Monsters to circle back to the original route to continue their pursuit of the townspeople while he reported back to their headquarters.

Although he wouldn't be there to command the Rat Army, giving them two simple orders was enough for them to get the job done.

'They won't be able to live past a week anyway, so retreating with them is a waste of resources,' the Pied Piper thought.

With no other alternative, the Pied Piper ordered his Rat Army to return to the main road and continue their pursuit of the townspeople, while he made his escape.

Whatever would happen from now on was up to Fate, but at least his identity and their organization's identity wouldn't be discovered.

—-----

Lux felt better after an hour of riding.

Although he still felt nauseous, he was at least able to ride on his own without Diablo's support.

According to Ishtar's report, the Rat Army initially retreated, but they ended up returning to the original route to continue their pursuit.

"They are still over a thousand strong, Master," Ishtar reported. "Although we managed to increase the distance between them and the townspeople, they will catch up to them in about five hours."

Five hours.

It might sound like a lot of time, but in truth, it was not. After Lux had taken the Bone Wagons back, the speed of the march dropped considerably, and based on Boris' calculation, they still needed twelve hours to reach their destination.

When Lux traveled towards Bradford Town, he passed along a canyon along the way. The path was only wide enough for three wagons to travel side by side. If the Half-Elf was to choose one last opportunity to deal damage to their enemies, this was the most ideal place to lay out an ambush.

The refugees still hadn't reached the canyon, but according to his rough estimate, the Rat Monsters would catch up to them when the townspeople were halfway through the narrow canyon.

"I guess we have no choice but to stake everything in that one chance," Lux muttered.

The Half-Elf knew that Boris was right. He couldn't save everybody.

When Iris almost got captured, he was unable to save her.

When Eiko tried to protect her, she died, and Lux had been unable to do anything then as well.

The Half-Elf knew that there was no way that he could save every person that he saw. But that didn't mean that it would stop him from doing what he thought was right.

"Master, you're too kind for a Necromancer."

This was what Asmodeus had told him. The thing was, Lux wasn't only a Necromancer. He was raised as a warrior by Vera, and he only become a Necromancer recently. His experiences in Elysium, and the friends he met along the way, helped shape him to what he was now.

'I'm glad that Leaf Village became my starting point,' Lux thought as he rode Jed in order to reach the canyon and set up the last line of defense to at least slow down the Monsters that had resumed their pursuit.

If he had started in the Human villages, he might not have experienced what it was like to be truly accepted by people whose race was very different from him.

A Half-Elf was a race shunned by Elves because their blood wasn't pure.

On the contrary, they might be a race that fascinated Humans because of their aesthetic beauty, but was still not accepted as one of their own. For Humans, Half-Elves were only good because of their looks due to their Elven Heritage. The nobles thought of them as stud horses, broodmares, or slaves that only served to heighten their own influence for owning such aesthetic creatures.

In Leaf Village, Lux gained recognition due to his efforts, and even became its Eternal Guardian.

His statue, which was erected at the center of the Village, was proof that everyone there treated him as their hero, and spread his tale far and wide within the Kingdom of Gweliven.

—--

Just as the Pied Piper had predicted, the thick and dense black smoke that rose up in the air could be seen for miles, alerting the nobles of the area that was near Bradford and Aestown Towns.

Sending their Elite Forces to investigate, hundreds of mounted Knights traveled in haste to see what caused such a large forest fire, which was happening for the first time.

Guthram gazed at the smoke rising up in the air with his arms crossed over his chest.

'While it is near Bradford Town, the distance isn't quite right,' Guthram mused. 'I guess it is best if I go there personally to investigate.'

Guthram had already met with the Mayor of Aeston Town and gained his approval to close the gates and mobilize all the guards and adventurers, so they were ready for any kind of invasion.

After talking with the Captain of the Guards, who was responsible for the defense of the city, Guthram mounted his Hippogriff and took off towards the sky.

Although he didn't want to leave the Aeston Town behind, his gut feeling was telling him that he needed to go no matter what.

"Boris, just make sure you are still alive when I get there," Guthram muttered as he urged his flying mount to increase its speed and head in the direction where the thick, black smoke was rising up in the air.