Ch. 341: Chapter 341-350

Chapter 341 It’s Gang Bang Time! [Part 2]

Four and a half hours later...

Lux stood on top of the canyon and watched the procession of the refugees from above.

He then shifted his attention to the dust cloud that could be seen in the distance and knew that they had less than an hour before the Rat Army caught up with the townspeople, who had also discovered the Monster Army that was behind their back.

However, thanks to Boris, the Guards, as well as the Adventurers, a stampede caused by panic was averted.

They had all assured the townspeople that they had everything under control, and that none of them would be harmed.

Even Boris, who told Lux that he would run away when he felt that his life was in danger, stayed and became the pillar that supported everyone.

"Those Monsters will not be able to get past our defenses," Boris shouted. "All of you should just increase your pace and pass through this canyon as fast as possible. We have laid a trap for the Monsters, and we will stop their advance here. Do not be afraid! We will prevail!"

Boris' speech boosted everyone's spirit and made them strive to increase their speed as they traveled the narrow pathway.

In truth, the Guildmaster had a one-time use artifact that would allow him to instantly teleport to one of the major cities of the Vahan Empire. This was one of his life saving trump cards that he wasn't supposed to use.

However, Lux's bravery had inspired him to try a little harder and remain until the bitter end.

'I can't believe I am competing with a teenager at my age,' Boris thought as he glanced at the dust cloud that was getting close with each passing second. 'I just hope that his plan works, or else, I'm out of here.'

Boris didn't plan on dying anytime soon. It was just that he changed his plan a bit, so he would only leave when he deemed that it was impossible to win.

The Guildmaster looked up at the top of the canyon where the Half-Elf was looking at the approaching Monster Army with a fearless gaze. His Named Creatures stood by his side, like Generals waiting for their King's orders.

"Get ready, everyone," Lux said. "Let's do this."

As soon as he gave the order, the Skeleton Gangbangers, who were standing at the rear of the procession of the refugees, all took a fighting stance, blocking the only path that led to the townspeople who were fleeing for their lives.

The Skeleton Mages and Skeleton Grand Archers lined up along the ridge of the canyon and took aim.

All of Lux's Skeleton Summons combined with Asmodeus' own summons numbered above 350.

This reminded him of the movie he watched back on Earth where a bunch of Spartans held back an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands with only 300 people.

Even though Lux was only facing a Monster Army that was less than two thousand strong, all of them were Rank 4 Monsters and were being led by a Rank 5 Field Boss that was called the Vicious Horned Flame Rat.

This Rat Monster was four-meters tall and its paws blazed as if they were on fire. Its body had crimson streaks on it and looked very intimidating.

If the Field Monster that was leading an army of Rank 4 Monsters had been the one that attacked Leaf Village in the past, the chances of the Village being completely destroyed was quite high.

Although it was far weaker than the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, the army under its command was of higher quality, and it was more than enough to raze any of the villages and smaller towns to the ground.

A few minutes later, the ground started to tremble as thousands of rats neared the canyon. It sounded similar to a raging avalanche that was about to swallow everything in its path, which made the townspeople who were at the very rear of the procession cry out in fear.

"Don't panic!" Boris shouted. "Just walk in an organized manner! We're here to protect your backs. You will be safe!"

Boris' timely shout calmed the people and prevented them from running in panic, which would have crushed those who were in front of them.

Even though the Guildmaster looked calm on the surface, he was already holding a blue crystal in his hand, ready to break it at a moment's notice.

When the Vanguard of the Rat Army entered the canyon, they noticed that several Monster carcasses littered the ground. Most of them were common Monsters like horned rabbits, beetles, monkeys, and other Monsters that were native within the Southern Regions of the Vahan Empire.

The Rat Monster ignored these dead animals since their true target was the people whom their Master ordered them to kill.

When over a hundred monsters had run past the dead bodies on the ground, Asmodeus pointed his finger on the dead bodies and shouted.

"Corpse Explosion!"

Immediately, hundreds of Rat Monsters were thrown up in the air as powerful explosions sent dirt and rocks flying.

Monstrous shrieks of pain and anger reverberated within the canyon as hundreds of Rats got injured from the sudden explosion that happened under their feet.

Lux had ordered his Skeleton Army to hunt any Monsters they could find in order to use them as fuel for the Corpse Explosion skill that he would use within the cramped space of the canyon.

With great effort, Lux's Skeleton Army still managed to hunt a few hundred during the limited time they had. It was not enough to instantly kill Rank 4 Monsters, but it was sufficient to deal serious injuries, lowering their health past the halfway point.

"Skeleton Make Boulder!"

Hundreds of Skeletons merged together, forming a giant boulder made up of bones which floated in front of Lux.

The Half-Elf then jumped in the air and transformed his legs to that of a dragon and kicked the bone boulder with all of his might like it was a soccer ball, aiming for the horde of monsters that were advancing at the narrow canyon.

"Power Shot!" Lux roared as he kicked the ball that flew towards his target like a giant cannonball of death.

----

< Power Shot >

: Increase Skill accuracy by 30% and damage by 30%

: Has a 5% chance to deal critical damage when using Power Shot Skill.

-----

The attack was not only infused by the Abyss Touch Skill that ignored all defenses, but also by the passive skill, Tempest Fury, which coated the bone boulder with the power of the Wind Element, increasing its speed and striking power.

Just like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins, the giant boulder rammed into the vanguard of the Rat Army and sent them flying. However, it didn't end there. Due to the force behind the attack, the Monsters which were already injured by the corpse explosion also died, which made Asmodeus's eyes blaze with excitement.

"Corpse Explosion!"

A chain reaction similar to fireworks being lit together ensued, devastating the Monsters that were caught in the explosion. Due to the narrow space, the Monster Army had no choice but to suffer through the explosions that dealt necrotic damage to them, giving them all fatal injuries.

"Squeaaaaaaaaaaaak!"

The Vicious Horned Flame Rat screeched, and the Rat Monsters started to climb up the side of the rock canyons, heading towards Lux, who was responsible for killing their comrades.

The Half-Elf knew that Rats were good climbers, so he had already expected this to happen.

"Orion! Bury them alive!" Lux ordered.

The Jade Golem, as well as the other Rock Golems all smashed their fists against the ground in front of them.

Earlier, Lux had ordered them to loosen up the rocks by punching it repeatedly, in preparation for the attack that would bury their foes in the ground.

With one final punch, which came from Orion, the side of the canyon gave way, falling down on the climbing rats that didn't expect their footholds to crumble under their feet.

An avalanche occurred, crushing the hundreds of Monsters that had climbed up the side of the canyon in order to deal with Lux.

Unfortunately, the Vicious Horned Flame Rat was quite agile, so it managed to jump off its foothold to the other side of the canyon, allowing it to survive the calamity that befell its subordinates.

"Corpse Explosion!"

"Corpse Explosion!"

"Hahaha! Corpse Explosion!"

Asmodeus laughed as he detonated all the Rat Monsters that had died, killing a few more in the process.

"It's Gangbang Time!"

One of the Skeleton Gang Bangers shouted, which was like a spark that made its brethren charge at the injured Rat Monsters like crazed Beasts that were injected with chicken blood.

The moment these Madlads reached their injured targets, a one-sided gangbanging session began, which made the Rats who were at death's door spit out mouthfuls of blood, mainly because of the Skeleton Gang Bangers skewering their backsides with their long, and thick, bastard swords.

The other Rat Monsters, including the Vicious Horned Flame Rat Field Boss, who saw their brethren's fate, couldn't help but shudder.

Although they were far stronger than the Skeleton Gang Bangers, they couldn't help but feel fear in their hearts because their animal instincts were telling them that they, too, were about to get gangbanged as well.

Chapter 342 Tipping Point [Part 1]

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...As expected of Master. You deliberately chose to upgrade the Skeleton Fighters to Skeleton Gang Bangers to get this effect. I daresay that although this… gang bang team is a bit crude, it does the job perfectly!"

Lux, Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion, were quite speechless upon seeing how the Skeleton Gang Bangers attacked their foes like berserked homies that had just taken 5000 mg of Viagra. Their might was so profound that even Monsters far stronger than them felt intimidated.

Only Asmodeus was able to comment on their effectiveness, and surprisingly, no one was able to refute him.

This was the first time that Lux had used the Skeleton Gang Bangers in battle. Despite their questionable fighting style, the most important thing was they were able to get the job done with flying colors.

But this was not enough to tip the battle completely in their favor. Lux might have been able to kill hundreds of their enemies, but the Rat Army still numbered around a thousand strong.

A thousand Rank 4 Monsters with a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster was still a force that could easily destroy a village or a small town with ease.

With that said, Lux didn't put his guard down and used the momentum that the Skeleton Gang Bangers had provided to push their enemy back, preventing them from attacking the townspeople, who were still traversing the canyon.

"Orion, Diablo, Pazuzu, help the Skeleton Gang Bangers and block the pathway of the canyon," Lux ordered. "Asmodeus, bring out Morpheus, and let him be our bodyguard for the time being."

"As you command, Master," Asmodeus replied and summoned the Death Tyrant, who let out a bone-chilling chuckle the moment it was summoned to the battlefield.

Although the Death Tyrant was similar to the Rank 4 Rat Monsters, it was far stronger than them.

From the top of the canyon, Morpheus fired colorful rays at the Rat Monsters on the ground, alongside the Skeleton Grand Archers and Skeleton Mages.

The Vicious Horned Flame Rat had managed to rally the rest of its subordinates and ordered them to break past the Skeletons in order to accomplish their mission.

Due to their huge number, several Rat Monsters were able to break through the blockade by climbing up the sides of the canyon, completely ignoring Lux's Army.

"Sh*t!" Lux cursed as he used his Doppelganger ability to summon his clones.

"""Dragon's Breath!"""

Three Dragon's Breaths were unleashed at the same time, hitting the Monsters, and in turn, the ground around them, causing the sides of the canyon to collapse. While some of the Rat Monsters were buried under the rubble, dozens of them were still able to continue their advance despite their injuries.

Just as these dozens of monsters neared the townspeople, a screech could be heard coming from the sky.

"Fireball!"

A large fireball blasted the lead monster that was heading towards the townspeople.

Guthram, who had decided to check the cause of the flames, had noticed the battle from the sky and decided to help.

He was an Initiate, similar to Boris, and his might was more than enough to deal with a few Rank 4 Monsters who were already injured from Lux's earlier attack.

Seeing his friend, Boris laughed out loud as he raised his sword to rally the Adventurers under his command.

"Kill!" Boris shouted before charging towards the Rat Monsters with his subordinates right behind him.

Now that those that had broken past their defenses were being dealt with, Lux and his clones focused on dealing with the Field Monster that was leading the horde.

"Diablo, Pazuzu, Orion, attack the Boss!" Lux ordered. "Ishtar, provide backup!"

Lux's four Named Creatures followed their Master's command and engaged the Boss to prevent it from issuing any more commands to the Rat Army.

A very chaotic battle took place as each of Lux's clone summoned their own minions, boosting the numbers of the Half-Elf's Army.

The red-headed teenager and Asmodeus could no longer use the Corpse Explosion skill despite the fact that there were now many dead monsters in the battlefield. They didn't want to cause friendly fire and break the current state of the battle.

Although Skeleton Gang Bangers and Rock Golems were dying left and right, Lux, his clones, and Asmodeus, had no problems re-summoning them.

"We're finally seeing it, right, Master?" Asmodeus asked.

"Yes," Lux replied.

The Skeleton Gang Banger was similar to Diablo in a way that, when their fellow Skeleton Gang Banger died, they would get a significant boost in their attacks, which made them stronger.

—---

– 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.

—---

Some of these Skeletons had even reached the 500% Damage Increase Mark, and were able to fight against a Rat Monster in a one-on-one battle.

"We need one more push," Lux muttered. "We need something to completely overwhelm them."

Asmodeus nodded.

Despite the fact that Guthram had arrived, and Boris had started to participate in the battle, it had only ended in a stalemate. None of the Monsters were able to break past their defenses, but they were also having a hard time pushing them back completely.

Lux had been chugging one Mana Bottle after the other because he was summoning Skeletons and Rock Golems to hold the line.

It had now become a battle of attrition, and the side that weakened first would lose the battle.

Because everyone was fighting at close range, the attacks from the Skeleton Grand Archers and Skeleton Mages ceased because they were afraid that they might hit the Adventurers who had arrived at the front lines.

Just as Lux was thinking of ways to tilt the momentum to their favor, a loud, and familiar roar was heard from the other side of the canyon.

"I'm charging!"

Cai, who had taken its Hildivisni Form, appeared with Keane standing on its back. The duo that had come to look for Lux in the Vahan Empire had hastened their pace after seeing the dense black smoke in the distance.

They had met with one of the adventurer's that was rushing towards Aeston Town to ask for reinforcements. When they asked about the current situation, they found out that Lux was among the people who were escorting the townspeople to safety, so they decided to help.

The Boar was running across the top of the canyon in order to gain momentum before jumping into the densely packed monsters, crushing them under its feet.

The adventurers cheered after seeing the arrival of another formidable ally, who even crushed a few of their enemies into meat paste after falling from such a height.

Cai raised its snout arrogantly towards the heavens. It looked so imposing, so majestic, and so cool, that it boosted everyone's morale, allowing them to push their enemies back with renewed vigor.

The battlefield had become so chaotic that no one noticed the single tear that streamed down the side of the Boar's face as it continued to stand in the middle of the battlefield postured like a Boss.

'... It hurts!' Cai weeped internally. 'I think I broke my legs. Wuwuwu. It hurts!"

Even Keane didn't know that Cai was suffering from its stupid attempt to look cool because he had jumped off its back the moment it landed, and started to slice the limbs off of the Monsters, who were around them.

Lux, who saw his two friends appear on the battlefield, was overjoyed. Not only was the stalemate finally broken, the fight was also tilted in their favor.

Chapter 343 Tipping Point [Part 2]

"...Next time, don't try to act cool, okay?" Lux nagged at the Boar, who was currently unable to move due to its broken legs.

He noticed that something was wrong with Cai because it stopped moving after it jumped off the canyon to join the battle. When he asked what was wrong with it, the latter replied that it broke its legs, making Lux want to slap it silly for doing something stupid.

A minute later, the Half-Elf busied himself with pouring healing potions on the Boar's legs, helping it recover faster from its injuries. Although Cai was a bit pitiful, its appearance had helped them greatly, so it was the least he could do.

Lux's clones had also descended into the canyon, fighting side by side with the defenders to keep the upper hand they had gained. Momentum was important in battles, so he didn't want to waste the opportunity that Cai and Keane had presented to them.

When only a few hundred monsters were left, the Vicious Horned Flame Rat thought that enough was enough and ordered a retreat.

Unfortunately for it, Lux had no intention of letting it go.

Why would he let a Rank 5 Field Monster leave? Wouldn't it be a shame if he didn't harvest its Beast Core?

After hearing their leader's order, the Rat Monsters pulled back in haste.

Lux had waited for the opportune moment before ordering Pazuzu to use his Duel [EX] Skill to force the Boss Monster to return.

The Vicious Horned Flame Rat shrieked in frustration as its body moved on its own to attack the Chubby Fortress Defender, who was surrounded by Hundreds of Skeleton Gang Bangers, who were eyeing the Field Monster with excitement.

"Gang Bang Time!" Pazuzu shouted, making the Skeletons charge at the approaching boss like mad men out for slaughter.

Lux, Diablo, Ishtar, Orion, and Asmodeus meaningfully stared at the Fortress Defender, whose face was as thick as the armor he was wearing.

"I just wanted to say it once," Pazuzu tried to explain himself after getting weird stares from his Master and comrades at arms.

Surprisingly, everyone nodded their heads in understanding. Deep inside, they wanted to say it too, but they thought it was too embarrassing to shout such thing in front of everyone.

When the boss was only dozens of meters away from Pazuzu, Orion ran forward with its arm pulled back, ready to deliver its most powerful strike.

"Gaia Smash!"

The Field Monster skidded a few meters back as Orion's punch hit it squarely in the face. However, it was still a Boss-Level monster, so it would take more than just that to bring it down.

Fortunately, Orion wasn't alone and the Vicious Horned Flame Rat found itself being attacked without mercy from every direction, making it unable to retreat even if it wanted to.

Diablo, who was the main damage dealer of the group, dealt massive damage to the enemy, shaving large portions of its health with every strike.

Orion who in second place pounded the Field Monster with devastating blows one after another that made everyone's teeth itch due to how painful it looked.

Isthar used her Ice Arrows to slow the monster's movements, buying time for everyone to encircle it completely.

Keane darted in and out of the battle as he used his Sword Style, Grand Void, to attack the Rat Boss Monster in its blind spot.

Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, the Boss Monster finally collapsed on the ground before drawing its last breath.

Cheers spread in the canyon as everyone celebrated their victory over such an overwhelming foe.

Of course, there had also been casualties, especially on the side of the Adventurers. More than fifty Adventurers had died to defend the path of the canyon, making Boris sigh in his heart.

As the Guildmaster who had commissioned them to help defend the townspeople, it would be his duty later to send the news to their families and ensure that all of them would be properly compensated by the Vahan Empire for their sacrifice.

Guthram, who had also joined the battle from the sky, nodded his head in satisfaction when the battle ended.

A smile appeared on the Guildmaster's face not because they had won, but because he was looking forward to how the Emperor would react after hearing about the destruction that had taken place in the Southern Regions of the Empire.

The Standeen Forest, which spanned a total of several miles and was used as the general hunting grounds of several High-Ranking nobles, had been burnt to the ground. This would certainly raise a lot of commotion in court, and the Emperor would be forced to conduct an investigation.

Naturally, the Adventurer's Guild would not say anything about the matter because they owed Lux a debt.

Even so, Emperor Andreas had many ways of finding the answers to his question, and once he did, it would certainly make things more difficult for the Half-Elf, who had already secured three Letters of Recommendations from three Guildmasters, which would allow him to take the Trial of Leadership.

'This boy really knows how to stir up trouble.' Guthram chuckled internally as he eyed the Half-Elf who was busy collecting the Beast Cores of the Monsters as his spoils of war.

No one, not even the Adventurers, took part in the collection of Beast Cores because they all agreed that Lux deserved to have them all.

To the Half-Elf's disappointment, the Beast Cores of the Rat Monsters he got were still Rank 2 Beast Cores. It seemed that forcibly raising the rank of the monster to Rank 4 didn't affect the quality of its Beast Core, making it remain the same.

The only true prize was the Vicious Horned Flame Rat's Beast Core, which was a bonafide Field Boss, making Lux feel a little better about his effort.

Just as Lux was about to take the core of the Field Boss Monster, Cai beat him to it and dug the Monster's Core from its chest.

But, before the Boar could even place the Beast Core inside its storage ring, Orion's hand rested on its back, holding it in place.

"Um? Sir Orion, what's wrong?" Cai asked as he looked at the four-meter-tall Jade Golem, who was the same size as the boar in its Hildivisni Form.

Orion smiled and simply presented its open palm to the Boar as he looked at Cai with the "give it to me" stare.

Cai glanced at the Jade Golem's palm before shifting her gaze to Orion's face before once again looking at his palm.

"Great job!" Cai shouted as it smacked its hoof on the Jade Golem's palm, giving it a high five. "Our teamwork is the best!"

A moment later, a squeal filled with fear and pain could be heard as Orion tied up the boar's hooves, hanging it over the barbecue pit that Lux had made using his skill, Skeleton Make.

Stacks of firewood were placed under the Boar's body and they were ignited by one of the Skeleton Mages to start their barbecue.

It didn't take long before Cai begged for forgiveness and returned the Beast Cores that it had sneakily stolen earlier.

"You never learn," Keane sighed as he gave Cai a fed up gaze while the Boar shed crocodile tears over having its fur slightly burned by the flames of the fire pit that Lux had created earlier.

Cai was too sad and depressed to reply, so it just cried as if its life fortune had been stolen from it.

"What are you two doing here?" Lux was finally able to ask the question that was on his mind since his two friends appeared to help him.

"Well, Cai was bored, so it decided to follow you here to the Vahan Empire," Keane replied. "We are also still blacklisted in the regions of the Xynnar War Pact, so coming here to explore a bit is not a bad idea. Since you are already here, we decided to look for you and travel together."

Lux nodded his head in understanding because this was indeed the case.

"Thank you for coming," Lux said. "You helped us a lot."

"So, where are you going next? Did you already get your Letters of Recommendation?"

"Yes. I already got the letters. My next stop will be the capital city, Dainsleif, so I can take the Trial of Leadership and finally make my own guild."

After Keane left the mountains, he came to learn a bit about guilds in Elysium. He didn't have any intention of creating one since it was too much trouble. However, he was quite interested in joining one.

Although the Rowan Tribe had been good to him, he didn't have any sense of belonging with them. He also didn't want to join any random guild because he didn't want to be around strangers who had never fought side by side with him in life and death battles.

The skinny swordsman then stared at the Half-Elf with a serious expression before making up his mind.

"Can I join your guild when it is made?" Keane asked. "Of course, if you don't want me to, it's fine as well."

"I'd love to have you in it!" Lux readily agreed to make Keane one of his guild members. "Do you want to be one of its Vice-Guild Leaders?"

"No. Too much work."

"Alright, a Squad Captain then."

Keane thought about it before nodding his head. Since a Squad Captain only managed around a dozen people, he didn't mind accepting the position that Lux offered to give him.

"Then it is settled," Lux smiled. "Just wait for me to create the guild."

Keane nodded and smiled back at Lux. "Okay."

Suddenly, Cai squeezed itself between the two and nudged Lux with its tusks.

"How about me?" Cai asked. "I want in as well!"

"...Aren't you already in the Rowan Tribe's Guild?" Lux asked.

"Yes! But there is no rule that says that I can't guild hop, right? Guild hopping sounds fun, don't you think?"

"..."

Lux ignored the shameless boar and went to talk to Boris and Guthram about his next course of action. Since the crisis was already averted, he wanted to tell them that he would leave as soon as he had finished escorting the townspeople to Aeston Town to head to the capital city of the Vahan Empire.

The journey there would take some time because he would need to travel to several different cities in order to use their Teleportation Gates to reach his destination.

With Cai and Keane to accompany him, the Half-Elf was certain that his journey would be more fun because he had friends to travel with to the capital city of the Empire, which was known to be the most lively city in the entirety of the Skystead Alliance.

Chapter 344 Do All Of You Want To Die That Badly?

Two days after Lux's battle against the Rat Monsters, a high-level meeting was held within the throneroom of the Vahan Empire.

"Your Majesty, the reports of our investigation have arrived," a high-ranking noble who bordered the Standeen Forest spoke up. "Two days ago, we noticed dense black smoke rising near the territories of Bradford and Aeston Towns. I Immediately sent my knightsalongside a Wyvern Rider to investigate the incident.

"According to the Wyvern Rider who was first to arrive at the scene, he found a long procession of refugees headed for Aeston Town. When he asked one of the townspeople what happened, he was informed that Stone Clawed Rats numbering in the thousands attacked Bradford Town.

"Now, as you may already know, these Monsters' strength is around the initial stages of Rank 2 Monsters. But according to the guards, as well as the Adventurers who escorted the townspeople, they were different from the usual Stone Clawed Rats. They were all in a berserk state, and their strength had reached the Initial Stages of Rank 4 Monsters."

Murmurs started to spread among the nobles that were present at the meeting, unable to believe what they had heard. Only major cities in the Empire could resist an invasion of thousands of Rank 4 Monsters, which explained why the people of Bradford Town chose to flee instead of staying to defend their hometown.

"According to the refugees and several eyewitnesses, the one who boldly tried to delay the pursuit of Monsters and stop them from reaching the townspeople was a red-headed Half-Elf," the high-ranking noble explained.

"However, when my Wyvern Knight asked the Adventurer's Guild Masters, Boris and Guthram—who were present at the scene—who the Half-Elf was, they said that they had no idea, and insisted that the red-headed teenager just happen to arrive at the scene, while being accompanied by a Boar and a swordsman of unknown origins."

The corner of Emperor Andreas' lips rose ever so slightly because, even if the two Guild Masters didn't say who the Half-Elf was, the shrewd Emperor already knew the identity of the Half-Elf in question.

"The townspeople of Bradford Town hailed the Half-Elf a hero, and I will not say that what he did wasn't heroic," the high-ranking noble stated. "However, we have every reason to believe that in order to stop the Monsters' advance, this Half-Elf razed the Standeen Forest to the ground, without care for its importance to the Empire."

"That's right!"

"What he did is a crime!"

"We lost countless resources because of him!"

"Execute him!"

"Your Majesty, please, give us justice!"

Several nobles, whose territories bordered the Standeen Forest and who used it to hunt monsters for sports and even going as far as making them their servants, voiced their anger. Clearly, they were very unhappy about what happened.

For them, the loss of the Forest was a greater blow than losing Bradford Town and its people. In their eyes, profit was more important than the lives of commoners whose only purpose was to pay them taxes.

Emperor Andreas listened to the nobles and closed his eyes in order to give his verdict.

While he sympathized with the townspeople of Bradford Town, he agreed that losing the Standeen Forest was a great blow to the nobles of the Southern Regions of his Empire. But be that as it may, the fact that Lux saved a lot of people was a fact.

If he were to punish him for such an act, this news would spread across the land, making the common folk feel disgruntled about his decision. The one who understood commoners the most were their fellow commoners.

If they heard that people of their status were not important in the Emperor's eyes, then a seed of rebellion would bloom in their hearts.

Also, Emperor Andreas' secret agents had also reported that although there was no clear evidence that was found on the scene, they believed that the Dark Guild, Twilight Dynasty, had a role to play in this incident.

If Emperor Andreas was to punish Lux, he believed that the Dark Guild would use this opportunity to fan the flames and make the commoners stand up and rebel against him.

Commoners and Noble Families. These were the two factions that supported his empire. Emperor Andreas was confident that if this wasn't handled properly, things could get ugly real quickly.

'Still, this isn't the first time that the Half-Elf has made things difficult for me,' Emperor Andreas mused.

The Emperor of the Vahan Empire was quite annoyed with what happened to the Sacred Dungeon. Although he acted calm on the surface, he felt cheated by what Lux had done to his representatives.

His goal was to conquer the Gate of Conquest in order to gain a key that would allow him to make contact with the Dragon Empire whose whereabouts were unknown.

Emperor Andreas believed that if he were able to make them his ally, then his wish to expand his borders would become a reality.

The incident was still fresh in his mind, yet this time, another incident involving the Half-Elf happened. As someone who bore grudges, he felt the need to punish Lux in order to teach him a lesson without dirtying his hands.

"I understand your concern but I also sympathize with the townspeople of Bradford Town," Emperor Andreas said after organizing his thoughts. "But someone as young as him risked his life to help other people, so he should not be punished by death. Also, his identity is quite special.

"If any of you make a move to kill him, a Saint, perhaps even two of them, will cross our borders and erase your existence from the face of the world. Do all of you want to die that badly?"

The moment a Saint was mentioned, all the nobles that were asking for Lux's execution all shut up. It was not long ago since the capital city, as well as the Royal Palace of the Ashina Kingdom had been razed to the ground.

Fortunately, the two Saints weren't heartless and didn't kill any of the people that resided in it. They just destroyed structures that were void of people in order to cause panic, while giving the people time to evacuate before they started their rampage.

Even so, this incident reminded everyone that there were people who they couldn't afford to mess with, prompting them to be more careful with their words and actions.

"But… are we just going to turn a blind eye on this, Your Majesty?" the high-ranking noble asked.

Clearly, he was very unwilling to let this incident slide because it was a great loss for his territory.

The other nobles felt the same, and they wanted to at least punish the Half-Elf in a way that would make him suffer.

"Don't worry," Emperor Andreas assured the nobles that he was also on their side. "The Half-Elf will arrive here in the capital city in two to three days. His purpose for coming here is to take the Trial of Leadership in order to form his own guild.

"I will allow all of you to choose the manner of his trial, but let me make this clear. None of you are allowed to kill him. If you do, I will offer your head, as well as the heads of your entire family's bloodline to his Step-Father, who is a Saint, in order to appease his anger. With that said, I believe that all of you gentlemen will not do anything over the top, right?"

"Understood, Your Majesty," the high-ranking noble replied through gritted teeth.

Although the high-ranking noble was still reluctant to let the Half-Elf go with such a light punishment, he had no choice but to obey the order of his Emperor.

Since that was the case, he decided to make the red-headed teenager suffer in his Trial of Leadership that will teach him a lesson he would never forget.

Chapter 345 Arrival In The Capital City Of Dainsleif

"So this is the capital city of Dainsleif?" Cai looked at the magnificent city in the distance. "Not too shabby."

Keane had not stayed in Elysium for long, but even he was amazed at how impressive the city was.

Lux had to admit that among the places that he had seen in his current lifetime, the Capital City of the Vahan Empire was the most spectacular of all.

No one was able to teleport directly into the capital city aside from the Royal Family. Because of this, it took Lux and his friends several days to arrive at their destination. He still had seven days left until his deadline to create a guild came, so he was quite happy that he had made it to the capital city without too many problems.

"Let's go," Lux said. He really wanted to finish his quest as soon as possible, so he could return triumphantly back to Solais.

Unlike the people who had to line up in the long queue, Lux was able to enter the city using the passage reserved for the staff of the Adventurer's Guild.

Boris and Guthram both gave him letters of introduction to the Guildmaster of the Vahan Empire, giving him the ability to act as their messenger of sorts which also gave him the qualifications to use the privileges reserved for high-ranking members of the Adventurer's Guild.

As soon as Lux entered the city, he headed straight to the Main Branch of the Adventurer's Guild in the Vahan Empire.

According to Boris and Guthram, the Guildmaster's name was Alastor.

He was the highest ranking officer of the Adventurer's Guild within the Vahan Empire, and all the Branch Guild Masters reported to him.

To Lux's surprise, Alastor was already waiting for him in the lobby of the Adventurer's Guild and personally escorted the Half-Elf to his office. Keane and Cai had to wait for him in the lobby because the only one who had business with Alastor was the Half-Elf.

"I know your purpose for coming, and your Trial has already been approved, but there is a catch," Alastor said with a solemn expression on his face. "The ones conducting your Trial are the high-ranking nobles of the Vahan Empire, and I can tell you with certainty that they are up to no good. I'm guessing that it has something to do with… an entire forest being burned to the ground?"

Lux coughed lightly after hearing Alastor's words. In hindsight, he had already expected that something like this was going to happen. If it had been the forest bordering the Wildgarde Stronghold that got completely burned, the Guardians would definitely raise havoc and look for the culprit with blood-shot eyes.

He had already expected a similar response, but he didn't expect that the nobles would use his Trial to get back at him.

".. Can I get a Trial in other cities?" Lux inquired. "You know, a place where there are no angry nobles that will do everything they can to make me fail? Although not being able to create a guild isn't a life and death scenario for me, I am on a tight deadline."

"Hahaha, you are still trying to worm your way out of this mess?" Alastor chuckled as he eyed the Half-Elf who fully understood his current situation. "Unfortunately, the Emperor has decreed that you will only be able to create a guild in this city.

"I've already relayed his orders to all of the Adventurer's Guild in the entire Empire. I'm sorry, but there are politics involved. We may be a neutral organization, but the Vahan Empire has every right to kick us out of their lands, as well as the territories of the Skystead Alliance if the Emperor wants it so.

"That is how much influence he possessed, and in order to prevent countless lives from losing their livelihood, I have no choice but to sacrifice you for the majority. I'm sorry that I am unable to help you in regards to this matter."

Lux nodded his head in understanding. If the Adventurer's Guild disappeared, the Adventurers would lose their main sources of income, and they would have to go to other regions in order to continue their profession.

If sacrificing one person meant that countless people would be able to continue living their everyday lives as usual, then Alastor would harden his heart and turn a blind eye to the high-ranking nobles' pettiness.

"What are the chances of me actually passing their trial?" Lux asked. He was still hoping that there was a slim chance that everything would still work out in the end.

"Zero," Alastor replied. "If you agree to continue the trial despite the overwhelming odds, then tomorrow at noon, you will have a duel in the arena.

"I don't know who they are going to send as their representative, but they plan to use this opportunity to humiliate you in front of everyone and make you the laughing stock of the Vahan Empire. If I were you, I'd go back to your faction's territories and beg to be allowed to create a guild there."

Lux sighed because what Alastor asked of him was impossible at this point in time.

"So are you still going to accept the Trial?" Alastor asked. "If you are, be prepared to be at a great disadvantage. It is highly possible that they will force you to fight a World Boss or something similar for everyone's entertainment."

Lux pondered for a bit before nodding his head. He didn't know what kind of enemy he was about to face, but the least he could do was check to see if there was a chance of winning. If not, then he would just concede and look for other ways to reach his goal.

"Okay, I will inform them that you have agreed," Alastor sighed and patted Lux's shoulder. "On behalf of all the Adventurers in the Vahan Empire, I thank you for doing your best to save thousands of lives to the best of your abilities. Also, I hope that you realize your goal in one form or the other."

Unlike Lux, Alastor wasn't hopeful about the Half-Elf's chances in the Trial. He had been dealing with the high-ranking nobles of the Vahan Empire for a long time and understood how petty they were.

No matter how small the grievance, these nobles would carry a grudge and stab you when you least expected it. If possible, Alastor wanted to help Lux and give him a letter to the adjunctive Kingdom of the Vahan Empire, so that he could take his Trial there.

Unfortunately, Lux was running short on time, and even if he accepted Alastor's help, the duration of his quest would end before he could create a guild in another Kingdom.

After leaving the Adventurer's Guild, Lux and his friends went to find an inn to stay for the night. The Trial would be held the next day, so he wanted to rest in order to reach his maximum potential during his duel.

"Those scummy nobles!" Cai snorted. "They always make things difficult for everyone. Even our settlement in Elysium has been harassed from time to time. If my Grandpa hadn't personally punched their faces and sent them flying, they would still be scheming behind our backs!"

Cai was really annoyed because her tribe had suffered a lot when they were just starting to create their own faction in Elysium. The Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic Tribe, but they were unable to travel the lands of Elysium the same way they could in Solais.

Even as a Saint, there were places that Cai's grandfather, Maximilian, couldn't go. Because of this, the members of the young generation, as well as the adults, made two permanent settlements in the forests that were within the territories of the Xynnar War Pact.

Since the teenagers and the adults were separated, the one who took the helm as the leader of the young generation was Cai's older brother, Callum.

"It seems that they are hell-bent on making you suffer tomorrow," Keane commented. "Will you still go?"

Lux nodded. "If it's not too unreasonable, I might still have a chance. If not, I'll just concede and call it a day."

The Half-Elf was unwilling to give up because he was already so close to his goal. As long as there was a slim chance of victory, he would take it, and fight with everything he had in the duel that would decide whether he could stay in the Vahan Empire or not.

Chapter 346 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 1]

346 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 1]

"I will guide you to the arena grounds," a pretty lady said after meeting Lux in the lobby of the Coliseum.

Lux nodded and followed the lady to the challenger's waiting room where he'd prepare for his battle.

Before going to the Arena Grounds, Lux had already told Cai and Keane what to do if something unexpected happened. He didn't know what the high-ranking nobles were planning, so the chances of him winning were very slim.

That was good in its own way, but the problem would be what might happen to him later. There was a chance that he would be taken somewhere without his approval, so he instructed Cai and Keane to leave the city as fast as they could and send the news to his step-father in Barbatos Academy.

Lux's two friends agreed to his request, so they made sure to secure seats near the exit of the arena. In case that Lux was right, they could leave in a moment's notice right after the duel ended.

Today, there were three battles that would commence in the arena—and Lux's battle was the last. The first two were also taking the Trial of Leadership, which was always an event that most people wanted to see.

When the challenger, who was a Grade A Apostle, entered the scene, he was surprised to see that his opponent was a Ranker.

Even the audience, who had watched similar events in the past, didn't expect this kind of trial for the person who was about to take the Trial of Leadership.

"Don't worry, boy," the Ranker said to the challenger. "This trial will test how courageous you are in facing opponents far stronger than you. In order to pass this trial, you just need to break this bottle."

The Ranker placed the glass bottle in the center of the arena and smiled.

"You may use any method in order to break this bottle," the Ranker stated. "My goal is to prevent you from breaking it. Of course, I will also attack you, but rest assured, I will be holding back. Let us enjoy your trial, shall we?"

After that short introduction, the Trial started.

Contrary to what people expected, the battle was quite entertaining to watch. The Ranker used some flashy skills that didn't contain much power behind them. In the end, it looked like a Mentor teaching a student some lessons, making the crowd cheer and encourage the challenger to break the bottle.

Finally, after thirty minutes of an exciting exchange of abilities, the bottle broke, allowing the teenager to pass his trial.

The audience loved the spectacle because the Ranker knew how to entertain others with his performance.

A few minutes later, the second challenger came and another round of fighting began. He faced a different Ranker this time, but their exchange was just as exciting as the first. In fact, even Cai and Keane were moved by the battle, and before they knew it, both of them were cheering for the challenger.

High above the VIP seats, Emperor Andreas smiled.

"They sure know how to entertain the masses," Emperor Andreas said.

A man who stood behind him nodded his head in agreement. His name was Aron, and he was the strongest High-Ranker in the Vahan Empire. He served as Emperor Andreas' bodyguard and right-hand man, and had also come to watch the duel.

"They've put on this elaborate display in order to prepare for the main event," Aron commented. "Those nobles sure know how to put on a show. Unfortunately, the last one will be a farce."

Emperor Andreas laughed, knowing that this was indeed the case. Although he wasn't aware of what the nobles had planned for Lux, they had surprised him with the pretext of holding a Trial of Leadership against Rankers.

Since Rankers were simply too powerful for the members of the Young Generation, they needed to come up with a scheme to allow the challenger to win, but also entertain the masses that had come to watch the trial.

"Well, this is also a good opportunity to see the ability of the person that defeated Malcolm's team." Emperor Andreas leaned back on his chair. "I've only heard rumors about his strength, but rumors are just rumors. I'd like to see what he is really capable of with my own eyes."

Aron nodded in understanding and no longer said anything. He also wanted to see just how strong the rumored Half-Elf was, who managed to deter the Ranker who served the Prince of the Ashina Kingdom.

Half an hour later, the second battle ended with the challenger breaking the bottle at the center of the arena.

Finally, it was Lux's turn to enter.

He didn't know what kind of challenge he was going to face because all the challengers weren't briefed on what was to come. The Half-Elf had already prepared for the worst, but he was shocked when he saw that he was going to fight against a Ranker.

"The first two challengers before you have cleared their trial," the Ranker that was facing Lux said with a smirk. "They have also faced Rankers, like me, and succeeded in their challenge. This trial is all about facing someone who is far stronger than you and overcoming them. Let me explain the rules, so you will not cry when you fail."

The audience laughed, but they, too, cheered for Lux. After seeing the previous two battles, all of them were hyped up for the main event.

This was the perfect plan that the nobles had come up with in order to trick the audience into thinking that Lux was just incapable of clearing the trial. Since the first two challengers succeeded, the audience were fooled to think that the Rankers wouldn't go all out, and were giving the challengers a handicap.

Doing it this way would not make it look like something underhanded was being done, which might give the nobles, who had organized the event, a bad reputation.

"The trial is really simple," the Ranker said as he placed a bottle at the center of the arena. "All you need to do is break this. You may use whatever method is available to you. The trial will end if you break the bottle or when you give up. Sounds simple enough?"

Lux nodded. "I understand."

The Ranker smirked as he placed the bottle down on the ground.

"Ready when you are," the Ranker stated with his arms crossed over his chest. "Give it your best shot."

The Half-Elf summoned Pazuzu and Ishtar and ordered them through telepathy.

Pazuzu flew high up in the air, while Ishtar turned into a black mist, disappearing from sight. The Ranker who was facing Lux still had a confident smile on his face, seemingly unbothered by whatever the Half-Elf was scheming.

A moment later, a surprised expression appeared on the Ranker's face when he felt his body move on its own.

'A taunt ability?!' The Ranker's expression immediately changed as he gathered his willpower to release his aura.

As someone who had stepped past the limits of Mortals, Rankers had the innate ability to resist certain skills that were impossible for those who still hadn't reached their current rank.

This was why after taking just four steps, the Ranker was able to completely break free from Pazuzu's Taunt Skill, which surprised the Half-Elf because it had never failed him in the past.

But those precious seconds when the Ranker had momentarily shifted his attention to Pazuzu weren't in vain.

Ishtar, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared from the Shadow of the Ranker and immediately kicked the bottle to destroy it.

The audience gasped because they thought that the battle had already ended. However, the bottle didn't break and was instead sent flying towards Lux, who had already anticipated that the bottle had been rigged from the start.

When Pazuzu had taunted the Ranker, the first thing he did was to charge towards the bottle standing beside his opponent.

When Ishtar kicked the bottle to break it, she just didn't kick it in any direction. She had kicked it towards Lux, which was part of their plan, just in case the bottle didn't break on their first attempt.

"Dragon Claw!" Lux roared as he transformed his right arm into that of a dragon and swung it towards the bottle with all the strength he could muster.

Chapter 347 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 2]

347 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 2]

Everyone in the coliseum watched with bated breath as Lux's Dragon Claw slashed the bottle mid-air.

Emperor Andreas and Aron who were watching the Trial from the VIP seat also didn't expect this sudden turn of events.

'As expected, he isn't someone simple,' Emperor Andreas thought. 'Too bad it is futile.'

As if confirming his thoughts, the bottle, which received Lux's full powered attack, didn't break, and only crashed on the ground with a resounding thud.

The Ranker who saw everything that happened, immediately threw a punch in Lux's direction, sending a shockwave attack that sent the Half-Elf flying towards the other side of the arena. Naturally, he held back because he was strictly ordered to not kill the Half-Elf, or he would risk having their entire bloodline erased from the world.

The audience watching the battle was confused by the sudden turn of events. They were already expecting the bottle to break after receiving Lux's attacks, but it didn't, which made them wonder what had happened.

"I used my ability to coat the bottle with my aura to prevent it from breaking," the Ranker said as he looked at Lux with contempt. "Nice try, kid, but you will not pass this trial so easily."

Of course, this wasn't the truth. Although there were Rankers who were able to pass their Auras to certain objects to strengthen or empower them, the Ranker fighting Lux didn't have that ability.

His statement might have made the audience understand why the bottle didn't break. However, it didn't sit well with them.

"Booooooo!" Cai booed at the Ranker. "You cheater! What's the point of this trial if you do something like that!"

Keane was also disappointed and started booing.

Soon, more boos came from the audience, with some of them even cursing the Ranker for his shamelessness.

"You're already a Ranker, yet you're still bullying a child?! Shame on you!"

"Are you really a Ranker? Why are you going so far as to cheat? You make me sick!"

"Your name is Mason, right? I looked up to you in the past, but now, I feel ashamed of even treating you as my role model. You cheater!"

""Cheater!""

""Cheater!""

""Cheater!""

The crowd went wild as they chanted together. They came to watch a good show, so seeing Mason's disappointing performance riled them up. Because of this, all of them started to show their discontent by shouting and cursing at the Ranker who was gripping the bottle tightly in his hands.

The nobles who were in charge of the event started to panic because they weren't aware of Lux's abilities. All they knew was that he was a Necromancer, but they also didn't fully research the abilities of his Summoned Creatures.

"Oh, dear. I wonder how they will wrap this up?" Emperor Andreas chuckled.

"Sir, wouldn't it be a good idea to intervene?" Aron asked.

Emperor Andreas shook his head. "I came here in secret, Aron. I'm just here to watch, and not do anything. Whatever happens, it will be the nobles who will take the brunt of the populace's dissatisfaction."

"Such a roundabout way of doing things," Aron commented.

"That is politics." Emperor Andreas shrugged. "They have enjoyed too much freedom as of late, and I need a good reason to punish them. This is a good opportunity to do that, and it is about time for them to be brought down a peg. However, I have a feeling that things are going to get ugly from this point onwards. Aron, make sure the Half-Elf doesn't die. I don't want to start a war before I find the key that I am looking for."

"Understood, Your Majesty." Aron bowed.

—----

Lux spat out a mouthful of blood before propping himself up from the ground. Even with his strong body constitution, the Ranker's attack still managed to break three of his ribs and injure some of his internal organs.

Mason was a C-Ranker. He was as strong as Lux's grandma, Vera. Even if he held back, his attack was simply too powerful for Apostles to receive straight on.

If it were an ordinary Grade A Apostle that got hit by such an attack, they would have suffered more damage, or in the worst case scenario, die.

"My bad," Mason chuckled as he placed the bottle on the ground, shrugging off the boos that were coming from the audience. "I shouldn't have done that. Let's try again, shall we? This time, I promise that I won't use my Aura to shield the bottle from attacks. Since I dampened the mood, how about I make up for it? Healers, please heal our outstanding challenger. We will continue the Trial after he is healed."

The clerics hurriedly rushed to Lux's side and started to heal his injuries. They were in cahoots with the High-Ranking nobles who had organized the event, and they were also paid an adequate sum to ignore Lux's injuries.

However, the current situation didn't give them that leeway, so they did their supposed jobs and patched the Half-Elf properly until all of his injuries were recovered.

"Well then, now that you are healed, let's start Round 2," Mason said. "This time, I will not use my hands to fight you. This is enough of a handicap for cheating earlier, right?"

Lux who had already seen through Mason's farce laughed out loud. Earlier he thought that the bottle was just an ordinary bottle, so he didn't put much attention to it.

However, after failing to break it, he used his Appraisal Skill which was tied up to the Elysium Compendium in order to appraise the bottle. The description he saw made him so angry.

"What's so funny?" Mason asked. "Do you think that my handicap is not enough? How about I only use one leg to fight you? How about it?"

Lux looked at the Ranker with contempt as he pointed at the bottle on the ground.

"How about this? Go and break that bottle yourself," Lux sneered. "If you are unable to break it within ten seconds I win."

"What nonsense are you talking about, Half-Elf?" Mason asked. "Did the healers perhaps fail to heal your head? Did you receive some brain injuries?"

"I'll count from one to ten," Lux stated. "If you still haven't broken that bottle after I've counted to ten, I win. Everyone, please bear witness to this challenge. If the Ranker fails to break the bottle after I finished counting, that means that it is impossible to break it. From the start, this whole Trial is a farce!"

The audience was still doubtful of Lux's words, but once again, Cai shouted from the audience.

"Okay! I agree to this condition!" Cai shouted. "If that Ranker isn't able to break that bottle after I count to ten, this means that this Trial is rigged! Everyone count with me! I didn't pay the entrance fee to watch a farce! One! Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

Soon the audience joined in the counting making Mason grit his teeth in frustration.

""Five!""

""Six!""

""Seven!""

Suddenly, Mason made his move. Instead of breaking the bottle, he appeared right in front of Lux and punched his chest, which sent the Half-Elf crashing towards the barrier of the Coliseum.

The audience who saw this scene cried out in shock as the Half-Elf collapsed on the ground coughing blood.

"You think you're so smart, aren't you?" Mason said as he stepped on Lux's hand, slowly applying pressure on it until his bones started to break, making the Half-Elf scream in pain. "Boy, I don't care about your squabbles with the nobles, but there is one thing that you shouldn't do and that is to never annoy someone stronger than you."

After breaking Lux's right hand, Mason stomped on his left hand as well, making the Half-Elf cry out in pain.

"I was told not to kill you, but that doesn't mean that I can't cut off a limb or two, right?" Mason laughed as he took out a sword from his storage ring.

Aron, who was standing beside Emperor Andreas, glanced at the man sitting beside him. He was waiting for the Emperor's orders to stop Mason from cutting off Lux's limbs, but the Emperor didn't give that order.

Instead, Emperor Andreas smiled and said.

"We can always reattach an arm or a leg," Emperor Andreas stated. "It will be best if I appear at the last minute to save the Half-Elf. That way, the people's hearts will be moved and that boy will be indebted to me as well."

Aron sighed in his heart, but he no longer said anything. He simply watched and readied himself to protect the Half-Elf just in case Mason aimed to take his life, instead of a limb from the red-headed teenager's body.

Mason spat on the Half-Elf before raising the sword in his hand. "If you want someone to blame, blame yourself for being weak!"

The Ranker then slashed to cut off Lux's right arm in order to teach the Half-Elf a lesson. He knew that his reputation would take a blow for harming a junior, but he was prepared to take the infamy.

As a Ranker of the Empire, the Emperor wouldn't punish him too harshly and might just send him to the outskirts of the Empire in order to help expand the territories. He could return after a few years when the people had forgotten what he had done and, by then, everything would be back to normal.

In front of everyone, an arm fell on the ground, and blood sprayed in the air.

A scream of pain reverberated in the surroundings as Mason pressed his left hand over the stump on his right, where his right arm used to be.

Hovering behind Lux, a black coffin which radiated a crimson glow could be seen. The cover of its lid was open slightly, and a silvery thread could be seen coming from inside it.

Soon, the coffin's cover slowly opened, revealing a silver-haired lady, who seemed to be in her late twenties.

Her blue eyes, which were as clear as the sky, looked at the screaming Ranker coldly as she stepped out from the coffin.

Without even saying anything, she raised her index finger, and a silvery thread appeared from it.

A moment later, another scream of pain was heard as Mason's left arm was cut off from his body. Now that both of his arms were cut off, the blood that sprayed out of the stumps of his arms dyed the ground red.

"If you want someone to blame, then blame yourself for being weak," Vera said in a voice that was colder than ice. "Tell me, arrogant weakling. Would you like to try 13:39

dying once?"

Vera, who loved Lux more than anyone in the world, looked at the Ranker in front of her with the intention to kill.

In truth, her transformation inside the coffin was still unfinished.

But, after sensing that her grandson's life was in danger, she had forcefully awakened from her slumber and attacked Mason.

The arrogant Ranker backed away in fear and pain as he looked at the silver-haired beauty, whose eyes were filled with killing intent, making him regret accepting the bribes of the nobles to hurt the Half-Elf, whose Grandma had now appeared to avenge him.

Chapter 348 I Don’t Need Anyone’s Permission To Do As I Please

"Tell me, arrogant weakling. Would you like to try dying once?"

A pin drop silence descended in the Coliseum as the silver-haired lady made her appearance. Even the Ranker, who had lost both of his arms and was still in pain, found it hard to make any sound in the face of the woman in front of him.

He had a feeling that if he let out even just a single sound, his head would be chopped off from his body, just like what happened to both of his arms.

"What are you doing?!"

"Who are you, and why are you getting in the way of the Trial?!"

The two Rankers, who fought the first two challengers before Lux appeared in the Coliseum, landed beside the Ranker whose blood had dyed the ground red with his blood.

"What am I doing?" Vera asked back. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to end this farce. How about you two? Where were you when your comrade was bullying my grandson? Don't you have any pride as Rankers? It seems like I have overestimated the Rankers of the Vahan Empire. What a joke. The only people you can defeat are mere Apostles."

"You bastard, how dare you!" roared one of the Rankers as he summoned his sword.

The other Ranker summoned a War Axe and held it firmly with his hands.

"Did you think you can barge in on our capital city and do what you want?!" the other Ranker shouted before charging towards Vera with his weapon at the ready. "Do you think we'll allow you to do as you please?!"

His fellow Ranker followed suit as they flanked the silver-haired lady from both sides with the intention to kill her.

"I don't need anyone's permission to do as I please," Vera replied as the fingers in her hands moved, creating faint ripples in the air. "If you want to stop me, you'll need to bring stronger Rankers. Just the two of you alone will not be enough."

The two rankers ignored Vera's words and slashed their weapon towards her with all their might. A moment later, two screams of pain reverberated in the coliseum as both of the Rankers' arms were cut off from their bodies.

But the thing that surprised everyone who was watching the scene was that the one that cut off the arms of the two Rankers wasn't Vera, but each other.

"What is happening?! My body is moving on its own!"

"Damn it! What have you done to us?!"

Vera didn't answer as she once again moved her fingers.

A moment later, the two Rankers punched each other's face repeatedly, until both of their teeth had fallen off. This continued for two minutes before the two Rankers lost their consciousness and collapsed on the ground.

Just like the Ranker that attacked Lux earlier, both of the Rankers who ganged up on Vera were C-Rankers. They were as strong as Vera of the past, and the old lady would have found it difficult to deal with two Rankers at the same time.

But now, things were different.

The silver-haired lady was no longer a C-Ranker, but an A-Ranker.

Due to the powerful effects of the Flower of Death, not only were Vera's injuries fully healed, but her body also regained its vitality. This allowed her to use a fraction of her full power from when she was at her prime.

Now that the two obstacles were gone, Vera once again shifted his attention to the Ranker named Mason, who bullied her grandson. However, before she could cut off the Ranker's legs, a man appeared beside him with his arms behind his back.

"I apologize for the injustice that happened just a moment ago," Aron said. "I know that this isn't much of a compensation, but I declare that Lux Von Kaiser has succeeded in his Trial of Leadership."

Aron then made a slicing gesture of his hand, and the bottle that Lux had failed to break was sliced in half.

An S-Ranker like him felt quite ashamed of what had happened earlier, but since the Emperor didn't say anything, he had only prepared to save Lux at the very last moment.

Vera, who had sensed how strong the Ranker in front of her was, just snorted. She was currently an A-Ranker, and her opponent was an S-Ranker, which was also called a High-Ranker. The difference in their abilities was evident, but the silver-haired lady didn't have any intention of backing down.

Because she had wanted to save Lux earlier, she broke free from Blackfire's control and ended her transformation before it was completed.

If she had remained inside Blackfire for a couple more days then her Rank would be the same as the man that was currently standing in front of her.

—-----

(A/N: The Rank of Rankers are E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. Rank S up to SSS are called High-Rankers. The Ranks above High-Rankers are Saint, and Supreme.)

—------

"That's it?" Vera asked. "Your Rankers attacked my grandson, and the only thing you are going to say is that he passed the Trial of Leadership? Very funny."

"You have already punished him enough," Aron stated. "Please don't forget where you are. This is not your backyard."

Vera eyed Aron coolly, but she no longer said anything. She understood that she was in the Capital of the Vahan Empire, which meant that it was the headquarters of the Rankers, as well as the Saint that protected the Empire.

"Let's go, Lux," Vera said as she walked towards her grandson and helped him stand up. "Making a guild in this Empire is not worth it. You will only stain your record if you register in this place."

"Yes, Grandma," Lux replied as he allowed the silver-haired lady to support him. "I'll do as you say."

Vera smiled before giving Aron a side-long glance. A second later, she jumped up in the air, carrying Lux.

The Half-Elf understood that his grandma was only making a bold front, but as Blackfire's owner, he knew that Vera still hadn't completed her transformation.

Once they were safely out of the capital, the Half-Elf urged Vera to enter the coffin again to recover. Right now, there was a danger that her Rank would regress due to her incomplete transformation, and this was something that Lux didn't want to have happen.

"Be careful," Vera said as he patted Lux's head. "I'll be sleeping again for a while. I will not be able to help you if something bad happens again.

"Leave the Vahan Empire as soon as you can and return to our Faction's territories. Don't worry, once I recover, I will beat up Gerald for you, and make the other Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold agree to allow you to retake your quest."

Lux chuckled when he imagined the leader of Wildgarde Stronghold, Gerald, being beaten up by his Grandma using a broom in order to punish him for bullying her grandson while she was away.

"Don't worry, Grandma," Lux replied. "Everything will be fine. I know what to do."

Vera nodded. "Okay. I trust you. But leave this place as soon as possible. I'm sure that the Rankers of this Kingdom will hold a grudge against you for what happened."

"Understood, Grandma." Lux smiled. "Now please return inside Blackfire."

The Black Coffin appeared beside Lux and opened its lid. Vera didn't resist and allowed herself to be transformed into particles of light that flew towards it. She really needed to rest and complete her transformation.

Although she wouldn't be able to become an S-Ranker because of what happened, she would at least be able to retain her current Rank and get stronger in the future.

Lux sighed before looking at the magnificent city in the distance. After everything that happened, he still failed to create a guild in the Vahan Empire.

"I guess I have no choice but to do it," Lux summoned the Dragon Token in his hand and held it firmly.

Now that his back was pressed against the wall, he had no other choice but to use his last resort.

Chapter 349 Who Are The Bastards That Are Cutting Onions Near My Eyes?

Lux didn't leave the Vahan Empire right away.

After leaving the capital city, he camped out on the meeting place that he had agreed upon with Cai and Keane, just in case they all got separated from each other.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait for long because the two arrived at their meeting point an hour after the incident ended.

"Hahaha! You should have seen it, My Daddy!" Cai said with a smug expression on his face. "After you left, the Emperor arrived and punished the nobles who were responsible for rigging your Trial.

"Several other Rankers also arrived at the scene, and all their High-Clerics were busy re-attaching the limbs that were cut off from those bastards. Um, who is that silver-haired beauty that protected you earlier? She doesn't look familiar, but she feels familiar. I have a feeling that I've met her somewhere before, I just can't remember where."

Lux glanced at the Boar who was walking by his side and casually told it the identity of the lady that appeared to save him.

"She's my Grandma," Lux replied.

"Hahaha! Nice joke! I almost fell for it."

"I'm not joking though."

Cai laughed and once again ignored Lux's reply. How could the silver-haired beauty that saved Lux be his grandma? The Boar couldn't possibly believe that a lady who could easily pass as Alice's older sister was Lux's grandma.

Keane, who was mounted on the warg that was also traveling beside Lux, asked a question.

"Where do you plan to go now?" Keane inquired. "Are you going back to the Xynnar War Pact's territory?"

Lux shook his head. "No. I made a promise earlier, so I have to do that first. I will go to Brookwest Town first."

"Brookwest Town? I vaguely remember passing that place…" Cai frowned as she tried to remember where Brookwest Town was.

"It's the place where the Gorilla-like Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild is stationed," Keane commented. "If I remember correctly, he said he would be marrying the Gorilla-kin named Diana in a week's time. Ah. He also mentioned that since we are your friend, we should invite you to their wedding. The Guildmaster insisted that you become his best man for making the marriage possible."

Lux almost fell off Jed's back after hearing Keane's words. He didn't expect the Guildmaster, Cobie, to be successful in his attempt to ask Diana for marriage.

'I guess the Passion Blossom's effect is more powerful than I expected,' Lux thought with a complicated look on his face. As for becoming Cobie's best man for his marriage, he would have to pass.

He didn't have a lot of spare time. The Half-Elf only wanted to visit Heid and her mother, Lilia, and finish the favor that the Crimson Knight had asked of him.

Their journey towards Brookwest Town took them four days, leaving only two days until Lux's deadline.

Since he was short on time, he immediately went to meet up with the Crimson Knight, which surprised Cai and Keane. The two almost assumed a fighting stance against the Rank 4 Field Boss Monster, but Lux stopped them before a misunderstanding could occur.

"Wear this," Lux said as he handed his Mask of Thousand Faces to the Crimson Knight. "I don't know if it will work on you, but with this mask, you will be able to transform into your previous self. You need to convince your family to trust me, so I can take them somewhere safe, where they won't be attacked by the people who have targeted you."

The Crimson Knight glanced at the mask in the Half-Elf's hand for a minute before taking it.

"Do you remember what you looked like in the past?" Lux inquired.

It was very important for the wearer of the mask to hold the image they wanted to change into inside their mind in order for it to be registered in the Mask of a Thousand Faces.

"Although I have forgotten many things, I still remember my face when I was still alive," the Crimson Knight answered.

"Good." Lux nodded. "Now envision that image and put the mask on. I don't know if it works for Undead Monsters, but there is no harm in trying."

After instructing the Living Armor what to do, it placed the mask over his helmet.

In truth, Lux had a plan B if his Plan A didn't work. However, it would require him to make Lilia believe that the living armor was none other than her lost husband, whom she hadn't seen for two years.

A few minutes passed but nothing happened. The Living Armor didn't change its appearance, just like what happened to him when he chose to transform into his previous life's form, in order to join the Lionheart Tournament.

'I guess it only works for living creatures,' Lux thought.

Just as he was about to retrieve the mask, something unexpected happened. The Living Armor's body glowed faintly before its color changed to silver. A moment later, the helmet disappeared, and was replaced by a human head.

A man with short blonde hair, and blue eyes appeared in front of Lux. Although he hated to admit it, the person standing in front of him was only slightly less handsome than him.

"Um, it's quite unfortunate that you are too old and already dead," Cai said as he looked at the handsome Knight standing in front of it. "If you were still alive and several years younger, I would have invited you to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

Lux and Keane glanced at the thick-skinned boar who was blatantly staring at the hunk in shining armor.

"Did… we succeed?" the blonde-haired man asked.

"Yes," Lux replied. "See for yourself."

Lux summoned a full body mirror, allowing the Living Armor to look at the temporary shell that he was using. His hands moved up to lightly touch his face, but he couldn't feel anything. This was understandable because he was already dead.

Even so, he was quite happy that he had the opportunity to talk to his loved ones again after being separated for two years.

"I haven't asked for your name, but I think now is a good time to ask it," Lux stated. "Can you tell me your name, Sir Knight?"

The blonde-haired man shifted his gaze from the mirror to the Half-Elf who was looking at him with a smile.

When he first saw the young Necromancer, he decided to take a gamble. He had promised Lux that he would serve him if he did him a favor. However, he didn't expect that the red-headed teenager would use this method to make his wish a reality.

"Bedivere. That was my name when I was still alive," Bedivere replied.

Lux nodded. "Well then, Sir Bedivere. Let's go. I don't have much time left, and I would appreciate it if we could hurry to fulfill your request. All you need to do is…"

An hour later, Lux, Bedivere, Cai, and Keane, arrived at the small hut on the outskirts of Brookwest Town.

When they neared the hut, they saw Heidi and Lilia reading a book in the distance.

Although the Living Armor no longer had a heart, but a Beast Core instead, he felt as if his chest was aching. Perhaps, it was his current human form that was affecting his emotions, but he couldn't stop but feel a great deal of both sadness and happiness for getting the opportunity to talk to his loved ones again.

As if sensing that they were no longer alone, Lilia shifted her gaze in Lux's direction. When her gaze landed on the man who was wearing silver armor beside the Half-Elf, she dropped the book in her hands, and immediately started running.

"Bedivere!" Lilia shouted as tears streamed down her eyes.

Heidi, who also saw her father after such a long time, also shouted "Daddy!" and ran towards him crying.

Lux, Cai, and Keane gave way to the family reunion, and simply watched from the side.

The Boar started crying as well, and tears streamed down from its face. Cai was a sucker for happy endings, and just looking at the happy family in front of it made its heart ache.

"Wuwuwuwu! Who are the bastards that are cutting onions near my eyes?" Cai asked. "Get away from me dammit!"

Cai wasn't the only one that was feeling emotional due to the happy scene in front of them. Even Lux, who had orchestrated this brief moment of happiness for the family, felt an ache in his heart.

Bedivere was already dead, and yet, he did all he could to meet with his family one last time. Perhaps, this was the strong will that prevented him from getting tamed by Asmodeus when they tried to subdue him almost two weeks ago.

As a Necromancer, this was the first time Lux had encountered such a strong soul, refusing to leave the mortal realm. Clearly, Bedivere still had lingering attachments to the world of the living, so his soul refused to pass on.

This allowed him to transform into a Living Armor, in order to anchor himself to the mortal plane, but he was already nearing his limit.

The people who killed Bedivere had also sent people to kill his family. But the Living Armor had foiled their plans time and time again, killing all the mercenaries that went after his family's life.

Unfortunately, he was starting to lose his memories as time passed by. Bedivere was afraid that when the time did come when all of his memories of the two most important people in his life were gone, he would no longer be there to protect them when the subordinates of the nobles that had killed him came to Brookwest Town to look for them.

This was why, when he saw Lux, the Living Armor pledged that he was willing to become his servant if he would do him a favor.

All for the sake of the two people, whom he cherished with all of his heart, even after he had breathed his last.

Chapter 350 A Chance To Get A Happy Ending

"Bedivere, I missed you so much!" Lilia hugged her husband tightly.

"I missed you just as much, my love," Bedivere replied as he hugged her back with his right hand, while patting the head of his daughter, Heidi, with the left. The little girl was bawling her eyes out as she clung to her father's body. "You too, Heidi."

"Daddy! Wuwuwu!" Heidi cried because it had been so long since she last saw her father. Just like her Mommy, she missed him terribly.

"I know that the two of you have a lot of questions, but there is no time," Bedivere said as he pulled back to look at his two family members. "We need to leave this place right now."

Lilia, who had been with Bedivere for many years, nodded her head in understanding. She already knew that her husband had offended powerful nobles in the past, which was the reason why they fled to Brookwest Town.

"I'll pack our things," Lilia stated. "Look after our daughter."

She gave Bedivere a kiss on the lips and then hurried towards the hut.

'Strange, why are his lips so cold?' Lilia thought as she entered the house to pack their belongings.

While Lilia busied herself with packing, Bedivere coaxed the crying Heidi until she stopped.

"Daddy, will you not leave us again?" Heidi asked. "Mommy and I want you to stay with us."

"...I can't stay for long," Bedivere replied. "I have an important mission that I must finish."

"Then will you come back after you finish your mission?" Heidi inquired.

"...Yes." Bedivere forced himself to smile after assuring Heidi that he would come back and see her again. "So be good and always listen to your mother, okay?"

"Un!"

"Good girl."

Cai, who was watching this scene, cried even harder. Since it knew that Bedivere was already dead, the white lies he told his daughter to assure her that he would come back made it feel heartbroken.

Lux could only sigh in his heart as he looked at the father and daughter pair. Unlike the two assassins, Sid and Scarlet, who he had resurrected, Bedivere no longer had a body.

As a Living Armor, he no longer had a mortal body. In place of his body was a suit of armor, which had been dyed crimson by the blood of the monsters and people that he had slain over the past two years.

'If I reanimate his Beast Core, will it change things?' Lux pondered. 'As for Blackfire… it only accepts dead bodies and near-death bodies. But I don't know if it can accept a soul…'

Lux opened his Soul Book and checked the description of his skill, Animate Undead [EX], to see if it was possible to give Bedivere a mortal body.

—------

< Animate Undead [EX] >

– You are now able to choose what form your Animated Undead will become if you are willing to pay the adequate number of Beast Cores for them. If you don't want to turn them into specific creatures, you can just go ahead with the revival, making their new forms completely random.

– Animating Monsters doesn't need a corpse. If you have their Beast Cores, the likelihood of summoning an Undead Version of them is high. Their Rank will always be a Rank lower when they were alive.

—-------

Lux frowned. In truth, he wanted to have Bedivere as the Living Armor who was immune to almost everything, with the exception of Necrotic Damage and Divine Magic.

There was also the fact that he was a Rank 4 Field Boss Monster, making him a high-ranking Undead, even surpassing his Named Creatures in strength.

If he were to use Animate Undead to give him a mortal body, he might lose his ability, Invincible Body, which made the Half-Elf want to tame him in the first place.

—-----

< Invincible Body >

– Only attacks that deal the right Elemental Damage can deal damage to this monster.

—-----

The Half-Elf was then faced with a dilemma between choosing what was right and what was convenient. If he chose to give the family a happy ending, he might no longer have the Living Armor he wanted. Not only that, Bedivere's rank would regress to match Lux.

Instead of a Rank 4 Field Boss Monster, Bedivere's new form would demote him to a Rank 4 Monster, similar to Diablo and his other Named Creatures.

'There's also the need to offer Beast Cores in order to give him the desired form once he is reanimated,' Lux scratched his head. 'I don't have too many Beast Cores in my possession at the moment…'

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the Forest, which was not far from the hut where everyone was staying.

Bedivere, who was hugging Heidi immediately froze because he recognized the owner of the roar that they just heard. It was the same Monster that had tried to attack Heidi when he was escorting her to look for rare herbs inside the forest to sell to the town in order to buy medicine for her mother.

"It's worth a try," Lux gazed in the direction of the forest where several trees were flying in different directions.

Although it was a bit troublesome, the Half-Elf decided to take on the Rank 5 World Boss, Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus, in order to get the Beast Core he needed to give the family of three a chance to have a happy ending.

"Sir Bedivere, let's go hunt a World Boss," Lux said to the Living Armor who held Heidi in a protective embrace. "If we are lucky, you might be able to stay with your family for a long time. Would you like to give it a try?"

Bedivere looked at the Half-Elf with surprise etched on his face. However, the surprise didn't last long before he stood up and nodded his head.

If there was really a chance to be together with his family, he would grasp it with both of his hands.

He didn't care even if he needed to fight the entire world to do it. As long as the possibility existed, he was willing to put his trust in the Half-Elf, whose fearless smile made him feel as though his hopes and dreams were not lost just yet.