Ch. 361: Chapter 361-370
Chapter 361 Mythical Guild, Heaven’s Gate [Part 2]
Lux was personally escorted back to Leaf Village by Boreas and his men. All of them had been briefed by Thoram to keep their identities as Guild Members of Heaven's Gate a secret.
Naturally, all of them accepted their Commander's orders, knowing that now was not the time to make themselves known to the world.
Lux's Guild was still in its infancy stage, and his Guild Members were still weak.
Cadmus, Sid, Cai, Keane, Thoram, and Keelan were the strongest fighters at the moment. The rest of Lux's Guild Members were Grade B Apostles and below, which was decent, but not strong enough to protect their Guild from the bullying of long established guilds in Elysium.
It was highly possible for Lux to be captured and be forced to hand over the Guild ownership of Heaven's Gate. That was something that they didn't want to happen. With this in mind, keeping a low profile—despite their Guild being the hottest topic of discussion across the entire world—was the best option they had.
"Don't worry, My Daddy!" Cai said as it ran beside Lux's mount, Jed, with a smile on its face. "I won't tell anyone about this! You can count on me."
"Good." Lux replied. "I know that I can count on you, Cai."
"Hahaha. But of course, um. I'll just brag to my Gramps that I'm a member of the only Mythical Guild in the world. Hahahaha! I'm sure that he will lose his marbles once I let him see my Soul Book. Xander too. I'm sure that he is very troubled right now because I left the Guild. I'm sure that he will understand why I left after letting him see my Soul Book as well."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Boreas glanced at Lux and gave his Guild Master the "Can I roast this boar, please?" look, which the Half-Elf was almost tempted to approve of.
He was now regretting his decision to add the chatterbox Cai to his Guild, and wondered if he should really eliminate the Boar that might cause his downfall.
Cai, who felt something was wrong, glanced at the Riders of Norria who had already drawn their weapons and were looking at it as if they were going to skin it alive, making its heart tremble.
"Hahaha! I was just joking!" Cai said as beads of sweat appeared on its forehead. "You guys are too serious. Can't you see that I am just joking? Of course I am going to keep this a secret. I mean, I'm very good at keeping secrets~"
"Cai, please keep this a secret," Lux said. "We're not strong enough to protect our Guild. I hope you understand that this Guild is very important to me. You can brag about it in the future, I'm sure that everyone will look at you with admiration and even idolize you by then."
The Boar's pupils shook as it imagined itself standing on top of piles of gold coins and other treasures, as people worshipped it as one of the founders of Heaven's Gate.
"Don't worry, My Daddy," Cai said as if it was a general that was about to go to battle. "I'll keep this as a secret and surprise my Gramps when I become a Ranker. I'm sure that I'll be strong enough by then."
"Okay," Lux nodded. "You can tell your Grandpa after you become a Ranker."
Being a Ranker was the bare minimum when it came to having the power to protect oneself in Elysium. Anyone below that Rank, including Initiates, were just little kids in the eyes of adults and were simply asking for a beating.
"Man~ I can't believe that creating a Mythical Guild is this easy," Cai commented. "Maybe I should create a guild of my own. Knowing me, I'm sure that it will also be Mythical. Perhaps, even Legendary!"
"Just tell me when you want to resign from your position, okay?"
"Hahaha. This is still far in the future, okay? We still don't even have a Guild Base. Um? Why can't we build our Guild Headquarters in other places? Why is there a restriction?"
Cai was quite excited to see what their Guild Headquarters would be like. Usually, Guild Headquarters were built in Major Cities in order to have the opportunity to become the City's Protector, allowing them to gain great benefits throughout the duration of their term.
This was similar to the competition that was held in Whitebridge City, where the Guild that ranked the highest in the defense of the city would become its City's Protector.
Lux also didn't know where Karshvar Draconis was located. Fortunately, the Dragon Token, whose true name was the Token of Bahamut, was capable of bringing him to that place once every three days.
The Half-Elf was very tempted to go, but he still had some loose ends to tie up in Leaf Village. He also wanted to ensure that his Guild Members, especially his Master, Randolph, who was known as a braggart, would keep mum about the identity of their Guild.
It didn't take long before they arrived in Leaf Village, and the first thing that Lux did was gather his Guild Members and have their first Guild meeting.
Lux explained the things that Thoram and Keelan had told him, and asked everyone to not mention anything about the Guild for the time being.
After hearing the Half-Elf's explanation, Cedwyn put his plan on hold for the time being.
Originally, he wanted to open a Guild Branch in Leaf Village and directly recruit the Foreigners (Solaians) who had just arrived in their village. But since Lux had asked them to keep their Guild a secret for the time being, the Village Head postponed his plans and decided to focus on doing the groundwork for the future.
"We will do our best to hasten increasing our Rank so that we can walk proudly under the sun," Lux stated. "But until then, we need to lie low or else we risk being nipped in the bud before we can even fully grow."
Everyone agreed with Lux's words and, after an hour, their meeting ended.
Cadmus chatted with Lux before he left Leaf Village. He planned on adding the elite members of the Kobolds in the Guild, so that all of them could benefit in the Guilds Buffs, especially the 100% Increase in Experience Points.
Unlike Lux, who could only increase his stats by consuming Beast Cores, the Elysians and Solaians could only level up by killing monsters.
Because of this, the Experience Buff was a very important buff that the Draconic Kobold didn't want to waste.
The Half-Elf agreed with Cadmus' plan to let the Kobold Clan enter the guild. With Cadmus as their leader, he believed that the Kobolds would grow faster and become one of the staunchest vanguards of his Guild.
Sid planned to stay in Leaf Village for a week to spend some time with his sisters. He would rejoin Cadmus in the Savage Lands after his short vacation in order to get stronger.
Heidi's mother, Lilia, also went to have a private talk with Lux, asking if Bedivere could stay with her for a short while.
"You see, Heidi has been pestering me to let her have a little sister and little brother," Lilia said with a beet-red face. "I know that my husband had already pledged his sword to become your knight, but can you give him a few days off? I haven't seen him for years."
"Of course," Lux replied with a smile. "I'll give him a week's vacation. Please use that time to give Heidi a little brother or sister."
The blush on Lilia's face turned a red shader after hearing Lux's answer. In truth, she was worried that her husband would go with Lux right away after only being reunited for a short period of time. Now that she had gotten the Half-Elf's approval, she felt relieved. Bedivere would finally be able to spend some time with them and catch up on what had happened over the two years that he hadn't been home.
The next day, Lux, Cai, and Keane bid goodbye to everyone and embarked on their new journey.
Now that his Guild was created, it was now time for him to go back home to Solais. However, he didn't plan on going to Wildgarde Stronghold right away.
Right now, he was a hot potato, so he needed to talk to his Step-Father, Alexander, about the status of his Guild. He also needer to send a letter to Gerald, who was the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, to meet with Lux in private within Barbatos Academy.
Since the matter of his Guild was quite delicate, he only wanted to inform the people he trusted, so that his secret would not spread in the world before he became strong enough to stand on his own.
Chapter 362 Finding A Reliable Ally
"Lux!" Iris jumped into the Half-Elf's arms and hugged him tight.
"I'm back, Iris." Lux returned a hug to the young lady who jumped into his arms. After half a minute of holding each other, the blue-haired beauty took the initiative to give the Half-Elf a kiss on the cheek.
Cai cleared its throat because it couldn't endure the PDA that the two forcefully fed it.
The Boar only volunteered to accompany Lux to Barbatos academy because it also wanted to see Iris. It had been a while since it had last seen her.
(A/N: PDA stands for Public Display of Affection.)
"Can't you wait until the sun goes down before the two of you tangle yourselves with each other like snakes?" Cai made its displeasure known, making Iris giggle.
"Welcome to Barbatos Academy, Cai," Iris said as she gave the jealous boar a hug. "I'm glad that you're here as well."
"This hug alone is worth the trip coming here," Cai replied, enjoying Iris' hug.
A moment later, the two started chatting with each other like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time.
Cai started to brag about its adventure in Elysium, which portrayed the scene of the Boar fearlessly charging towards thousands of Rank 4 Rat Monsters, in order to save Lux from dying.
Lux rolled his eyes at the Boar, who kept outrageously bragging non-stop. He decided to initiate a conversation with Alicia, who was standing not far away from them.
"Is the Headmaster busy right now?" Lux asked. "There is something important that I need to consult him about."
Alicia smiled as she looked at the Half-Elf who seemed to have grown a little taller since the last time she saw him.
"The Headmaster is always busy," Alicia smiled, "but he will always make time for you since you are his family."
Lux didn't know how to react to Alicia's words because he found out that this statement was indeed true. As the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy and one of the most active Saints within the territories of the Six Kingdoms, Alexander was always busy.
However, he always made time to talk to Lux despite his busy schedule.
"Is he in his office?" Lux asked.
Alicia nodded. "Shall I guide you there?"
"No need. Please prepare a room for Cai and Keane. We will be staying here for a few days."
"Understood."
Lux bid goodbye to Iris, Cai, and Keane before heading straight towards the Headmaster's office.
There were only a handful of people whom Lux trusted with his life in Solais, and Alexander was definitely one of them.
—----
Inside the Headmaster's Office…
Alexander calmly looked at Lux's Soul Book, reading the information about the Guild that he had created.
It was the Half-Elf that took the initiative to present his Soul Book to his step-father, so that the latter could better understand the guild that the Half-Elf had created.
A few minutes later, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy sighed before glancing at the red-headed teenager who was looking at him with an anxious gaze.
"To think that the Guildmaster of the Mythical Guild that was announced to every corner of the World is my own step-son. It makes me feel as though Fate is playing a prank on me," Alexander commented. "Do you realize that the Six Kingdoms, as well as our neighboring kingdoms, are scrambling to look for any information regarding your guild?
"Of course, it is not only them. This announcement was also heard in Elysium. The Xynnar War Pact and the Skystead Alliance are doing everything in their power to find the identity of the Guildmaster who founded Heaven's Gate. The moment they find him, they will probably offer him lucrative deals or force him to submit to their rule."
Lux nodded. "I am aware. This is why I came to find you, Father. This matter needs to be handled discreetly. I would appreciate it if you don't mention this to Alicia for the time being."
"How about Iris?" Alexander inquired.
"She's family," Lux answered. "I plan to tell her after I discuss the matter of the guild with you."
Alexander nodded his head in satisfaction.
"Are you planning to inform the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold as well?" Alexander asked.
"Actually, this is the reason why I came here first, Father," Lux replied. "I need your help to invite Sir Gerald here to Barbatos Academy, so we can have a private talk. I also need your help in forming a binding contract to prevent Sir Gerald from spreading the news."
Alexander lightly tapped his armrest before giving his reply. "Okay, I'll help you. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Lux took a deep breath before nodding his head.
"Actually, there is one more matter that I need to talk to you about," Lux stated. "I was given the opportunity to enter Elysium before the Tournament was held in Barbatos Academy."
Alexander arched an eyebrow after hearing Lux's reply. He had already heard from Alicia that Lux hadn't been able to pass the test that was given to him by the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold, barring him from entering Elysium through their Stronghold's teleportation gate.
The Half-Elf then narrated his adventures in the Kingdom of Gweliven and also told him about the people he had met along the way. He also mentioned Eriol, but he made sure that he introduced the God of Games as a wandering healer who happened to appear in Wildgarde Stronghold and helped him with his condition.
When the tale ended, Alexander took some time to digest everything he had heard before voicing out his thoughts.
"I already had my suspicions, but I didn't expect that you would jump from zero to hero in just a few months by going to Elysium," Alexander commented. "Many who have come before you weren't able to accomplish the things you have. Even Iris, who had been in Elysium since she was twelve, is just in the middle stages of the Grade A Apostle.
"You, on the other hand, have almost overtaken her in just a short period of time. Not only that, you were able to defeat the strongest members of the young generation from the Six Kingdoms. Just what kind of juice have you been drinking? Make sure to give Iris some of that as well."
Lux almost chuckled after hearing his father's teasing remark. He almost joked that he would give Iris some juice later tonight, but he knew that if he really said that, Alexander might slap him silly, losing several of his teeth in the process.
"Still, I think that staying in the Dwarven Kingdom is a good idea," Alexander said with a very interested look on his face. "The Dwarven Kingdoms don't usually allow other races within their lands.
"This is a good opportunity to open connections, as well as initiate trade between our factions. However, this is something we will discuss further in the future when you are strong enough to protect your Guild, your Guild Members, and your Guild's interest.
"For now, focus on getting stronger. Learn your lesson from what happened with your fight with the Prince of the Kingdom of Ashina. Until you become a Ranker, make sure to keep the identity of your Guild a secret. Do you understand?"
Lux nodded his head in understanding.
Now that he'd had a proper talk with his Step-father, confessing his adventures in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, he felt a lot lighter. He finally found a reliable ally that would keep his Guild a secret and also help him clean up, just in case something unexpected were to happen in the future.
Chapter 363 Lux’s Secret [Part 1]
Since Alexander had decided to fully support Lux, he took it upon himself to make the necessary arrangements to invite Gerald to Barbatos Academy in the fastest time possible.
Just hours after he had a heart to heart talk with the Half-Elf, the Commander of Wildgarde, Stronghold, Gerald, as well as the two High-Elders, Natasha and Rainer, arrived in Barbatos Academy, using the teleportation gate of the Academy.
Alicia led them to the Headmaster's office, where Lux and Alexander were already waiting for them.
"Lux, it's good to see you again," Gerald greeted with a smile. "Alexander, I apologize because I was not able to come alone as you mentioned in the letter. I had a feeling that the talk was going to be very important, so I decided to bring Natasha and Rainer with me. As you may already know, even if I am the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, the decision making doesn't lay on my hands alone.
"I had a feeling that this matter concerns Lux, so I decided to have the two of them accompany me as witnesses, so the others won't say that I am showing favoritism to him. This is about his Guild, right? Did you ask your step-father to negotiate with me because you failed to meet the deadline? Is this how badly you don't want to join Nero's Guild?"
Gerald gave Lux a teasing smile that says "You little critter. You think I don't know what you're thinking? You're still too green, boy."
Natasha smirked because she came with Gerald to see how Lux would try to squeeze himself out of this predicament.
Rainer, on the other hand, remained calm and simply sat on one of the chairs and listened to the conversation with a faint smile on his face.
"I don't mind, Gerald," Alexander replied. "Also, I thank the three of you for coming in such short notice. I have already asked Alicia to prepare a sumptuous dinner for all of us later."
"Hahaha! I look forward to it!" Gerald laughed as he patted Lux's shoulder, who had his head lowered.
He thought that the Half-Elf was already feeling down because he wasn't able to accomplish his mission, and had no choice but to join the Storm Dragons and make peace with Nero. What he didn't know was that Lux was doing his best to keep his face straight, as he waited to see Gerald's reaction when he knew the real reason he was asked to visit Barbatos Academy.
Alexander nodded his head before diving into the main issue at hand.
"You are right," Alexander replied. "I am here in order to negotiate on behalf of Lux, concerning his Guild."
"Um, I'm just going to say this, okay? I am a very righteous person, you won't be able to bribe me," Gerald said. "Although I feel bad about forcing Lux to join Nero's guild, both of them are young and they can still settle their differences civilly. If Vera was here, she might disagree with me, but for the sake of a united front in Elysium, past grudges must be resolved in a peaceful manner."
Alexander nodded. "Before we start, I would like for the three of you to sign this binding contract. The contract states that whatever we would talk about in this room, stays in this room. If any of you divulge this secret to others, I will immediately take control of Wildgarde Stronghold, and bring it under my faction's umbrella."
When Gerrald, Natasha, and Rainer, heard Alexander's words, all three of them immediately frowned because they weren't expecting the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy to act in such a bold and domineering manner.
"Aren't you over exaggerating, Alex?" Natasha asked. "This is just a simple matter, why are you acting like a bandit?"
"I'm afraid that this isn't as 'simple' a matter as you think, Natasha," Alexander replied. "This concerns Lux's safety, and my daughter's safety."
"Your daughter's safety?" Gerald asked. "What do you mean?"
Alexander passed the contract to the three adults before answering Gerald's question.
"My daughter is Lux's fiance," Alexander replied. "Since the two of them are bound to get married in the future, I don't want my daughter to suddenly become a widow because some people aren't able to keep a secret."
Rainer glanced at the contents of the contract, and just like Alexander said, all that was stated in it was that they would have to keep everything they would hear a secret.
"Boy, it seems that I have underestimated your thick skin." Gerald ruffled Lux's hair as he tried to organize his emotions. "This is too high-handed. I will not agree to sign this."
The Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold returned the contract to the top of the table and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Our two factions have been good allies both in Solais and Elysium," Gerald stated. "I can't believe that you would go as far as to use your status as Saint to make us submit, Alexander. I really didn't see this coming when I came here to meet you. Everyone, let's go. We're going back to the Stronghold. As for you, Lux, don't let me see you anywhere. Even if Vera is around, I'll give you a good spanking!"
Gerald was quite angry because he had a bottom line.
He would not allow others to make him forcefully submit, and even if his opponent was a Saint, he would not lower his head, and would fight till the bitter end.
That was his principle in life, and not even Alexander's Rank would change his mind.
Natasha also stood because she supported Gerald's opinion. Deep inside, she felt betrayed because she had taken good care of Lux when he was young. She didn't expect that the kindness they had given him, while he stayed inside Wildgarde Stronghold, would be repaid in this manner.
Rainer, on the other hand, casually took out his Quill Pen from his storage ring and signed the contract.
"Will this do?" Rainer asked as he passed the contract to Alexander.
After signing the contract, the white paper glowed faintly, which proved that the binding agreement had now taken in place.
This contract was made by a Saint, so the moment Rainer broke his word, Alexander would know it right away.
"What's the meaning of this, Rainer?" Gerald asked. "Are you mad?"
He couldn't believe that Nero's Master, who was always stern with Lux, would sign the contract as if it was nothing.
That was a binding contract made by a Saint. If Rainer broke it, a tracker would be placed on his body, making it impossible for him to escape, even if he ran to the ends of the world.
Chapter 364 Lux’s Secret [Part 2]
"Calm down, Gerald," Rainer replied as he eyed the Half-Elf who still had his head lowered and was looking on the carpeted floor. "Do you really think that Alexander is so petty as to use this method to force us to cancel our agreement with Lux to join Nero's Guild? I highly doubt it. This matter must be quite serious for him to go as far as to make a binding contract.
"I am very interested to hear his reason, so if the two of you aren't going to sign, please leave the room immediately. I want to know why a Saint would intervene with our agreement with Lux and take this matter into his own hands."
Gerald frowned, not expecting that Rainer would decide to take a gamble that placed him in a great disadvantage.
"Oi, boy, tell me the truth," Gerald said as he looked at Lux. "This is not about your conflict with Nero, right?"
Lux, who had his head lowered, finally raised his head and looked at Gerald with a determined gaze.
"No," Lux answered. "This is not about me and Nero."
"Is this something that might affect Wildgarde Stronghold?"
"In a way, yes. But, if no one says anything, everything will be fine."
"On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how serious is this matter that you and your step-father wanted to talk about?" Gerald inquired.
After learning that this meeting was not due to Lux's conflict with Nero, he felt as if his curiosity was piqued due to how seriously Alexander was handling this issue.
Lux spread his two hands and showed Gerald all ten of his fingers, causing the latter's brows to furrow.
Half a minute later, the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold scratched his head as he pulled the contract on the table and signed it with a huff.
"Okay, there." Gerald handed the contract to Alexander before sitting with his arms crossed. "This better be good!"
Natasha sighed and signed the contract as well. Since Gerald and Rainer had already accepted the agreement, she had no other choice but to follow suit. Also, she was quite curious about what the big secret was all about, which made the atmosphere inside the room very tense.
The High-Cleric noticed that Alexander's secretary, Alicia had left the room after Rainer signed the contract. It seemed that this matter was highly confidential that even the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy refused to have his trusted secretary participate in the discussion.
After all three contracts were signed, Alexander waved his hand, and the white papers turned into particles of light, flying towards Gerald's, Natasha's, and Rainer's chest. This was the proof that the discussion was about to start.
"Everyone, please don't be surprised by what you are about to see," Alexander said before glancing at Lux. "Show them."
Lux nodded and summoned his Soul Book. He then opened it and flipped to the Guild Page of his Soul Book and gave Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer permission to view it.
The moment the three of them saw what was written in Lux's Soul Book, a curse escaped Gerald's lips from surprise.
Natasha had completely lost her calm and her mouth hung wide open, making her unable to close it due to shock.
Rainer, who was the most curious of them all earlier, felt cold sweat forming on his forehead. He had already suspected that Lux and Alexander were about to show them something big. But, he didn't expect it to be THAT big.
"Dear God," Natasha muttered after she finally regained a bit of her senses. "J-Just how did this happen?"
Natasha felt scared for the Half-Elf because this matter was simply too heavy to ignore. As people who held influence among others, she knew more than anyone else the significance of having a secret this big.
"It hasn't even been a day since we heard the announcement," Gerald said weakly as he stared at the red-headed teenager, who was looking at him with a smug expression on his face. "You little critter. What kind of token did you use to create your guild?"
Lux didn't hesitate and took out the token that he received from Keoza. He passed it to the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold.
The token was now Soul Bound to him. All he needed was a single thought for it to instantly return to his hands. It couldn't be stolen no matter what, so it didn't matter if he allowed someone to hold it.
Rainer, who was observing the token in Gerald's hand, gasped after recognizing some of the runes written in it.
"Draconian Runes!" Rainer exclaimed. "This token was made by a Dragon!"
As a craftsman who specialize in armor, weapon, and accessory crafting, Rainer was well-versed in runes. Depending on the quality and power of the rune embedded on a piece of equipment, their ranks and power would be increased.
Because of this, he had studied many ancient languages, as well as the runic inscriptions that they had inscribed in their items. One of the languages that Rainer studied was Draconian, allowing him to recognize the runes that were inscribed on the token's surface.
"Where did you get this?" Rainer asked Lux with bloodshot eyes. "How did you come to possess this item?"
Lux and Alexander had already discussed this matter beforehand, and had come up with a fool-proof excuse to explain the Dragon Token's existence.
"I found it on the Gate of War," Lux replied. "It is one of the items that the army general dropped when we were fighting him."
"You found it in the Sacred Dungeon?" Rainer heaved a deep sigh before shaking his head. "To think that something so precious could be gained inside the Domain of the Fallen. I thought that the Sacred White Lotus was the only prize that could be found there. We have truly underestimated the dungeon's significance."
Rainer felt regret that the representatives they had sent to explore the Sacred Dungeon returned with so little resources. Compared to what Lux gained after clearing the two Dungeons, the gains of the Storm Dragon Guild lost its significance.
Chapter 365 Lux’s Secret [Part 3]
"Now that our quota has been reduced because of the agreement between the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and the Skystead Alliance, the chances of forming a sizable force to challenge the three remaining gates is practically nil," Natasha commented. "Lux, I guess we will have to rely on you to help gather resources for the Stronghold."
Gerald rubbed his chin as he glanced at the Guild Buffs that were enabled in Lux's Guild. The more he looked at it, the more he felt his liver itch.
If not for the fact that he was the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, he might have asked the Half-Elf to let him join his Guild as well!
In fact, it was not only Gerald who was thinking about this matter. As a craftsman, the buffs inside Lux's Guild were simply too good to be true.
Anyone who had a profession would be willing to pay a hefty price for the opportunity to use the 20% Bonus Success Rate in Crafting items that was available in Lux's guild.
"Hahaha! That's my boy." Gerald said as he patted Lux's shoulder with a big smile on his face that made the Half-Elf shudder. "The times when I had to change your loincloth when you were young weren't in vain. Um, you know, our Stronghold is suffering difficulties as of late. Could you perhaps help gather these…"
Gerald gave Lux a list of items that the Stronghold was currently in short supply. Some of them could be taken from Dungeons, while some could only be bought in Elysium.
Seeing that the list wasn't that excessive, the Half-Elf agreed to keep an eye out for the items and hand some of them to the Stronghold as his way of repaying the kindness they had given to him since he was young.
"Now I understand why you went to such great lengths, Alexander," Gerald said after talking with Lux. "Don't worry. I promise that I will keep this a secret."
"I will keep this a secret as well," Natasha replied.
Rainer looked at Lux with a serious expression on his face before voicing his thoughts.
"I have signed the contract, so I plan to keep this secret as well," Rainer stated. "However, Lux, you already know that I am a craftsman. If there comes a time when I need your Guild Buffs to craft an item, will you allow me to join your Guild to increase my chances of success?"
Lux nodded. "Of course. Sir Rainer, although Nero and I have our conflict, you never intervened and allowed us to settle it amongst ourselves. Also, your role in the Stronghold as our Blacksmith and Craftsman is a very important position. I am very happy to let you join my Guild, and contribute to the Stronghold in this manner."
Gerald laughed after hearing Lux's magnanimous declaration. However, deep inside, he was very tempted to jump ship. If not for the fact that he needed to keep his reputation, he would have used his thick skin and asked Lux to allow him to transfer all of the members of their Guild, into Heaven's Gate.
Their meeting lasted for two more hours as they discussed the manner of the cooperation they would have with Lux's Guild. Overall, the meeting went quite smoothly, and all sides were quite happy with the arrangements they had created.
After that, they all went to have dinner together.
Iris and Cai couldn't help but stare at Gerald, whose smile almost reached his ears, as he talked to Lux in a very friendly manner.
Alicia, who was excluded in the meeting, could feel that Gerald's, Natasha's and Rainer's attitudes towards Lux were no longer that of adults dealing with a child. In her eyes, it seemed that the three Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold were treating Lux as their equal instead of someone that was under their command.
The dinner ended without too much fuss, and everyone went to the rooms that had been prepared for them. Naturally, Lux went to Iris' bedroom, as they talked about everything that happened that day.
Just like Lux had promised to Alexander, he told Iris everything. Contrary to what he expected, Iris remained calm during his narration, which made the Half-Elf wonder if he didn't explain it properly.
Seeing his confusion, Iris just smiled and kissed his cheeks.
"I am indeed very surprised with the story that you have told me," Iris explained. "But, when the announcement was made, I had a feeling that it was somehow connected to you. I didn't know where this confidence of mine was coming from, but I knew then and there that the one who created Heaven's Gate was no one else but you."
Lux gazed at the blue-haired beauty beside him and lightly squeezed her hand. He felt very blessed to have a smart, loving fiance like Iris, who made him feel like he was the luckiest man in the world.
A minute later, he moved closer to her and kissed her lips, making the beautiful lady close her eyes and cling to his body.
Soon, the sound of rustling clothes echoed inside the room, as Lux undressed his fiance, who was eager for his love.
After another round of kissing and sensual touching, sighs of pleasure escaped Iris' lips, fanning the burning desire that had ignited inside Lux's chest.
When he finally reached the limit of his patience and endurance, he spread Iris legs and lowered his hips to become one with her.
Although she was quite wet and ready to receive him due to his ministrations, her tightness almost made Lux release his seed as soon as he entered her.
Both of them missed each other terribly, and it could clearly be felt through the burning desire that was spreading in their bodies like a flame that couldn't be put out, unless it found the release they were looking for.
Waves upon waves of pleasure washed over Iris' body, until finally, her body arched like a bow, as her heart and womb were filled to the brim with Lux's love.
As the blue-haired lady panted for breath, she looked up at the man whom she loved dearly.
"I love you, Lux," Iris said as she reached out to cup his face. "I've loved you for a very long time."
"I love you too, Iris," Lux replied as he lowered his head to kiss her lips. "More than you'll ever know."
The two of them shared one more kiss before Lux once again moved his hips to start their second round.
Lux had a very strong body and a lot of stamina, giving Iris the sweet taste of passion that she had missed during the time when they were away from each other.
The two only stopped making love when Lux felt that Iris finally reached her limit.
Not wanting to put too much strain on her young, soft, delicate body, the Half-Elf decided to stop after doing it five times.
He gently carried her to the bathroom and washed her properly. The Half-Elf did his best to resist the temptation of making love to her again then and there as he held her waist to hold her in place inside the bathtub.
"Will you stay with me for a while before returning to Elysium?" Iris asked.
She wanted to spend more time with Lux because she believed that he would be incredibly busy once he returned to Elysium—especially now that her fiance was the Guildmaster of a Mythical Guild, which was the first of its kind in Solais and Elysium.
"I will stay for a week," Lux replied as he playfully drew circles on Iris' lower abdomen. "I have a feeling that Grandma or Eiko will return to us by then, so I want to stay here and ensure that there is nothing wrong with them before returning to Elysium."
Iris smiled. "I miss them both."
"I miss them, too," Lux commented.
"Let's go on a picnic—just the four of us, after they've revived," Iris proposed.
Lux chuckled and nodded his head. "Sounds good."
The Half-Elf wanted to treasure the precious moments he had together with his loved ones. Although he was a Necromancer, he didn't want to see any of them dying anytime soon.
He could still remember how happy Heidi and Lilia were after being reunited with Bedivere. Deep inside, he was glad that he was able to give the family of three a happy reunion.
Lux wanted everyone to have a happy ending, which is why he made another vow that he would do everything in his power to save Solais from destruction, so that the future generations, including those of his future children, would be able to live in a world that was not headed down the path of ruin.
Chapter 366 The Name Of Lux’s Guild
Two days had passed since Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer had a meeting with Lux and Alexander in Barbatos Academy.
After resting for a night, the three returned to Wildgarde Stronghold and had a high-level meeting with the other Guardians.
The agenda of their meeting was on what they must do in order to maximize the benefits they could reap once the Hidden Domain opened again next year.
After seeing the rewards, and resources that the conquerors managed to bring back home after their adventure, the rulers of the various kingdoms was now very eager to explore the secrets of the Domain of the Fallen, as well as conquer the Sacred Dungeon.
Since Lux, Cai, Keane, Xander, Einar, and Vall, were the only people who could access the Sacred Dungeon at any point in time, the slots in their possession were very valuable.
All of these teenagers had managed to gain a lot after they sold their slots to both Skystead Alliance and Xynnar War Pact.
Due to the delicate balance of relations in Elysium, the Six Kingdoms had no choice but to let the Xynnar War Pact monopolize the 15 slots that belonged to Xander, Einar, and Vall.
Cai and Keane didn't particularly care about their slots, but they had already jumped on Lux's ship. Whatever the Half-Elf wished to do, the two would follow along and do the same.
Due to what happened between Lux and the Vahan Empire, the Half-Elf decided to leave the Skystead Alliance and focus on his Guild for the time being.
Emperor Andreas was quite displeased about how things turned out in Lux's Trial of Leadership. He had already prepared a stage where he would come to save the Half-Elf at the last minute and offer him the opportunity to create a Guild as a compensation.
However, before he could even do that, Vera appeared and made short work of the Rankers that bullied her grandson. The Emperor of the Vahan Empire didn't even have time to properly talk to Lux and work things out because the Half-Elf disappeared without a trace.
Because of this, only the Xynnar War Pact would be able to explore the Sacred Dungeon, while the Skystead Alliance had no choice but to wait for Lux to appear in Elysium, so that they could negotiate and reach a compromise.
Lux, on the other hand, had other plans for the slots available to him, Cai, and Keane.
What he did was to offer the 15 slots to the Six Kingdoms, so they could create an elite party to challenge the Sacred Dungeon. However, he didn't allow Iris to participate in this dangerous mission.
Alexander didn't reject this proposal because he doted on his daughter quite a lot.
The Guild that represented Barbatos Academy in Elysium, Serenity, would send two representatives to participate in the mission.
One was the Guildmaster, Henrietta, and the other was the guild's strongest Shield Warrior.
The other members would consist of two elite members from each of the Six Kingdom, while the last slot was given to Nero.
"Nero, do your utmost to the best of your capacity," Rainer said as he patted his Disciple's shoulder. "This trip to the Sacred Dungeon will be a joint effort by everyone in the Six Kingdoms, so the leader of the expedition will also be decided by the Six Kingdoms. No matter the outcome, obey their orders without fail."
"I understand, Master," Nero replied. "But, if you don't mind, can I ask a question?"
"Okay."
"Did Lux really manage to create a guild? How did he do it?"
The brown-haired teenager was paying close attention to the news regarding Lux's quest to create a guild in Vahan Empire. The last thing he heard was the battle in the Coliseum, which ended in a battle between Rankers.
He hadn't heard if Lux was allowed to create a Guild after that, but after Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer returned to the Stronghold, they announced that Lux had successfully created a Guild within the time frame allocated to him.
Although the other Guardians had their doubts, they still accepted Gerald's explanation.
The Half-Elf knew that the other Guardians would act this way, so he threw something to them as a bonus.
Lux promised Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer that he would allow the Storm Dragon's Guild to have fifteen slots in order to enter the Sacred dungeon, a month after the joint expedition between the Six Kingdoms was over.
This news made the Guardians quite satisfied, so they no longer bothered to check whether Lux had really made a guild or not. However, just for the sake of appearances, they still asked what the name of Lux's guild was, and it was none other than…
"Twilight Rain. That is the name of Lux's guild," Rainer replied. "As for how he did it, he had his ways. If you're still doubting whether it exists, you can just ask the Adventurer's Guild to check their records."
All the Guilds in Elysium were managed by the Adventurer's Guild. Once a Guild Name was created, it could never be used again.
No one could gather information on who the Guildmaster of a Guild was, the rank of the guild, nor the number of its members.
All of this information was confidential.
Perhaps, the only one who could access this information was the founder of the Adventurer's Guild, whom no one had seen since the first Guild Branch was created.
"Twilight Rain," Nero muttered. "Master, where does Lux plan to build his Guild Headquarters? Will the Wildgarde Stronghold provide him with a good location?"
Rainer shook his head. "The Guild has just been founded. Lux is still looking for a good place to build his Guild Headquarters. Also, stop worrying about him. Worry about your own guild, do you understand?"
Nero nodded. "Of course, Master. I won't let you down."
Rainer smiled and once again patted Nero's shoulder before heading towards the Conference Room. The Guardians still had other matters to address.
He just asked for a short break in order to leave some reminders for Nero since the latter was going to participate in the joint expedition with the Six Kingdoms and Barbatos Academy.
After seeing his Master disappear from the hallway, Nero frowned.
'I'll ask the Information and Merchant Guilds in Elysium to collect as much information as they can about Twilight Rain,' Nero thought.
After losing to Lux in the tournament, the brown-haired boy no longer underestimated the Half-Elf and treated him as a real rival.
Nero was confident that no matter what the Half-Elf did, he wouldn't be able to accomplish the things he managed to do with the Storm Dragon's Guild, which he had upgraded to a Silver-Rank Guild with his own efforts.
What he didn't know was that no matter who he asked, he would get no information on the whereabouts of Lux's Guild.
After all, Twilight Rain was the Dark Guild that belonged to the organization that wanted to overthrow the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Gweliven.
Since the distance between the territories were tens of thousands of miles apart, Lux wasn't worried in the slightest even if all the Kings and Emperors in the Eastern Regions of Elysium were to use everything in their power to look for traces of the Guild he was using as a cover.
—-----
Barbatos Academy…
Iris hummed as she held Eiko's egg that was resting on her lap.
As a Monster Breeder and Tamer, she was quite sensitive to when an egg was about to hatch.
Right now, she could sense that the baby Slime was about to hatch from her egg at any time, so she decided to wait until Eiko revived again.
Lux was also in the room with her, but he was busy communicating with his Guild Members through a guild chat that was only available to them.
The Half-Elf's guild was the only guild in Elysium that had this function. When Cai found out about this function, she became addicted to chatting with Laura and Livia, who were Sid's sisters that resided back in Leaf Village.
The two little Dwarf girls were quite happy because they had someone to talk to aside from Grandma Annie and their friends in Leaf Village.
The only downside was that if people saw the Boar talking alone to itself, they would think that it had gone crazy because it was laughing about something without anyone around it.
Chapter 367 The Birth Of The Fairy Princess
"I'm very tempted to join your Guild, Lux, just for the fact that we can communicate even though we are miles apart," Iris said as she looked at the Half-Elf who was experimenting with the functions of the Guild chat.
"I also want you to join my Guild, but if I were to do that, Henrietta will kill me," Lux replied helplessly. "She's quite overprotective of you."
"She's not my best friend for nothing."
"Mmm."
Lux and Henrietta were friends as well, but their relationship wasn't as close when compared to how she treated Iris.
"Hey, My Daddy! When are we going to return to Leaf Village?" Cai asked using the Guild's chat function. "I want to play with Laura and Livia."
"Do you want to stay in Leaf Village for a bit?"
"Can I?"
"Why not?" Lux replied. As he sent Cai a telepathic message. "Come to the Academy in two hours. Keane, do you want to accompany Cai in Leaf Village?"
"No. I'd rather stay here where it is nice and quiet."
Lux heard Keane's uninterested reply inside his head and couldn't help but chuckle internally.
After experimenting with the chat function, the Half-Elf was surprised when he discovered that there were two modes of communication available to them.
One was to talk out loud, just like what Cai was doing with Laura and Livia, and the other was talking through thought.
The second method was more convenient, but there was a catch.
Talking to the Guild members through thought consumed mana. After experimenting a bit, Lux found out that every word that was said using this function consumed 5 Mana.
If used properly, this function would allow them to communicate similar to telepathy, allowing them to coordinate without letting anyone know what they were talking about in public.
Suddenly, the egg on Iris's lap started to shake.
The Half-Elf and the blue-haired beauty glanced at each other before they shifted their attention to the blue egg that was shaking left and right on Iris' lap.
The two waited with bated breaths as the egg continued to shake. A moment later, a small cracking sound was heard.
The side of the egg broke, and something peeked at them from the inside. A moment later, a giggle could be heard from the egg, which remained motionless after a minute had passed.
"Someone is being naughty," Iris said with a smile.
"Mmm." Lux agreed. "She wants to play hide and seek."
Another giggle was heard inside the egg. However, this time, Iris lifted the cracked shell and exposed the baby slime, who was looking up at her with a smug look on her face.
"Ma!" Eiko shouted before jumping on Iris's shoulder and moving close to her cheeks, giving her a kiss.
Lux looked at the baby Slime with a smile before using his appraisal skill to check Eiko's stats.
He was already prepared to see all of Eiko's stats and reset back to square one because according to the records of the Monsters who had a similar rebirth ability, they would start from scratch after they were revived.
One of Iris's Guardians was a Phoenix, and because of this, she studied a lot about Monster species that had the ability to resurrect themselves even after their former body had died.
However, when Lux looked at the stats of the baby Slime, he almost choked on his saliva because the changes in Eiko's Status Page was something he didn't expect.
—------
< Eiko >
"The world is my oyster!"
– Named Slime Monster
– Princess Slime
– Rating: E
– Progress ( 0 / 30,000)
Health: 17,600 / 17,600
Mana: 32,500 / 32,500
Strength: 92
Intelligence: 650
Vitality: 152
Agility: 92
Dexterity: 92
Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX], Family Bond [EX], Speech [EX], Dig [EX], Storage [EX], Poison Immunity [EX], True Sight [EX], Stealth [EX]
Summon Skills: Summon Blackie (Devil Slime), Summon Whitey (Angel Slime), Summon Rocky (Earth Slime), Summon Maya (Water Slime), Summon Saber (Saber Slime), Summon Cloud (Aero Slime).
Active Skill: Water Bullet, Hydro Ball. Fire Bullet, Fire Bolt, Wind Bullet, Aero Ball, Stone Bullet, Stone Spike, Shadow Bullet, Shadow Ball, Blink, Teleport, Cure, Cure-All, Mad Sprint, Moon Blast, Elemental Shields, Slash, Heavy Slash, Scorching Ray, Fire Wall, Entangling Vines, Locate Flora or Fauna, Sticky Web.
Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough, Guts, Queen's Majesty, Ten Thousand Promise
Titles: Mama's and Papa's Girl, Treasure Hunter, Fairy Princess
Note: Rimuru is that you?
—-----------
< Queen's Majesty >
– All slimes below Eiko's Rank would obey her command without fail.
– Any slime above Eiko's rank would treat her favorably.
—-----------
< Ten Thousand Promise >
– Grants additional 10,000 points to Eiko's health. These ten thousand health points will not be affected by debuffs or any health decreasing ability.
—----------
< Fairy Princess >
– As a Fairy Princess, Eiko is immune to any kind of attacks that would cause instant death.
After taking any type of damage that could possibly kill her, her health will not decrease past 1 Health Point, and she will gain an invincibility buff that would protect her from any further damage for the duration of ten seconds.
– Eiko would gain complete immunity to any kind of status ailments, including petrify, and similar debilitating conditions.
– Any Fairy Type Creature, including Elves, will treat Eiko in a favorable manner.
—----------
Eiko's Rank had indeed returned to scratch, however, her stats remained the same.
Also, she gained some additional passive skills, as well as a new title that made Lux wonder if it was influenced by the Beast Core of the Queen Slime that he had given Eiko, as a catalyst to help her recover faster.
'Either way, these skills will help Eiko become stronger,' Lux thought as he gazed at the changes in Eiko's Status Page. 'The only downside is that her rating progression has increased again. Still, I'm glad that she's back.'
Lux assumed that the higher rating progression was due to the changes to Eiko's identity.
Back then, she was just a regular blue Slime, but now, she was a Slime Princess. An ordinary person and a Princess had different status, which explained why the rating progression suddenly went up.
"Pa!" Eiko happily jumped on Lux's head and even playfully ruffled his hair, as if taking advantage of the fact that she would not be scolded for doing so.
Iris giggled from the side because Eiko had turned Lux's hair into a bird's nest, making the mother and daughter pair giggle again at the same time.
Lux raised his hands to grab the mischievous little slime and tickled her body, making her squirm.
"How is her status?" Iris inquired after she finished laughing. "Did everything reset?"
"See for yourself." Lux smirked as he passed his Soul Book to Iris so that she could check Eiko's Status Page.
Iris still had a relaxed expression before she took a glance at Eiko's status.
The corner of Lux's lips rose as he watched her expression change from being relaxed, to serious, to disbelief.
Iris knew that it was impossible to fake Eiko's status inside Lux's Soul Book, so she didn't bother asking if what she saw was real or not.
She had no choice but to accept it as reality, which made her look at the giggling slime on top of the Half-Elf's head in shock.
Iris knew that although Eiko looked harmless right now, there would come a time when she would be a force to reckon with, as she commanded a legion of Slime Monsters that were willing to do her bidding.
Chapter 368 He’s Not My Friend
After regaining her composure, Iris read Eiko's information in Lux's Soul Book one more time to make sure that she didn't miss anything.
A few minutes later, she returned the Half-Elf's Soul Book to him before grabbing the baby Slime who had fallen asleep in the bird's nest, which she had made and placed on top of Lux's head.
Eiko didn't even open her eyes when Iris held her. Clearly, she knew that she was safe in her Mama's hands, so she continued to rest.
She had just been born, and she still had to adjust for a few days so she could fully adapt to her new body. Although she still looked like an ordinary baby Slime on the surface, her status information was beyond ordinary.
Suddenly, a loud knock was heard on the door followed by Cai's voice inside Lux's head.
"My Daddy, can I go now?" Cai asked. "Laura and Livia said that they are planning to pick up some herbs. I plan to go with them!"
The Half-Elf smiled as he opened the door, allowing Cai, who had shrunk to a meter-tall boar, enter Iris room.
The moment Cai spotted the sleeping Eiko in Iris' hands, the Boar immediately went over to look at the adorable Slime, whom it had met in the past.
"Did she revive just now?" Cai asked. "Awwww. She's still as cute as ever."
"Don't be too loud, Cai," Iris said softly. "You'll wake her up."
As if to prove that she was right, Eiko yawned before opening her eyes to look at the Boar with a sleepy gaze.
"Cai?" Eiko asked.
"Yes!" Cai answered. "It's me, Eiko! I'm very happy that you are revived again! I'm going to Leaf Village now. Do you want to come?"
Eiko shook her head before closing her eyes to sleep again. Right now, she wanted to be with Iris, so she didn't plan to go anywhere for the time being.
"I'll be out for a bit," Lux said to Iris, who only nodded her head in understanding. "Are you ready, Cai?"
"Of course I am ready. Let's go!"
"Okay."
Lux pressed his fist over his chest as he activated the power of the Arondight Ring in his finger.
"Open! Heaven's Gate!"
—----------
Leaf Village…
Lux and Cai appeared at the plaza where the statue of the Eternal Guardian was located. As soon as they arrived, both of them were immediately welcomed by Laura and Livia.
However, there was one more person waiting for them, and it was none other than Heidi, whom the twins had also invited to go to the plains with them.
Just like the two Dwarves, it didn't take long for Heidi to follow the newest tradition in Leaf Village—having a Slime as a Beast Companion.
Heidi's baby Slime was pink, and she named it Pink as well. Cai laughed when she heard about it, making the golden-haired little girl go pink in embarrassment.
For some reason, the baby Slimes liked to perch on top of their Master's head, imitating the baby Slime in the statue, who had helped Lux defend the village from the Monster Outbreak that almost wiped it off from the map.
"I'm tempted to get a baby Slime too…," Cai looked wistfully at the cute Creatures on top of the little girl's heads.
"That's a good idea!" Laura said. "Come, let's go to the Slime Paradise, so we can pick a Slime for you. Follow the Leaf Village's tradition."
"It's decided then," Livia stated. "Cai is now one of us. Let's go!"
"I'm also curious to know what kind of Slime would fit Cai's personality," Heidi commented. "It's still early, and we have plenty of time to look for herbs. Let's go to Slime Paradise first."
Seeing that its three new friends decided to invite it to the Slime Paradise, where baby Slimes were being raised, Cai didn't resist and happily went with them.
Lux on the other hand, stared at the Boar, who was happily chatting with the three little girls. For some reason, he felt like Cai was a lonely person. He didn't know where this feeling came from because it was hard for him to believe that the chatty Boar would ever be lonely.
'I might just be imagining things,' Lux thought before returning to Solais.
He had promised Iris that he would stay with her for a week, so he returned as soon as he could.
As soon as the Half-Elf left Leaf Village, a plain carriage, which was escorted by several Riders of Norria, arrived at its entrance.
"It's been a while since I've been here," Robin muttered as he disembarked from the carriage and looked at the rustic Village that was located on the very outskirts of the Kingdom of Gweliven. "Are you sure that he is here, Nevreal?"
The middle-aged Dwarf, who always accompanied Robin whenever he wasn't doing any field work, nodded his head.
"He is here," Nevreal replied. "Thoram would not lie to me."
Robin frowned. "We need to find him as soon as we can. We don't have much time left."
"Understood." Nevreal nodded as he led Robin towards the Village Head's house.
Their purpose for coming to Leaf Village was to talk to Lux. Although the Half-Elf was currently hiding his identity, the Riders of Norria, as well as the Order of the Griffin, had worked together to keep his identity hidden, preventing the Dark Guild, Twilight Dynasty, from getting suspicious.
Now that more Humans had appeared in Leaf Village, the Order of the Griffin was sent by the Kingdom to determine whether they were friends or foes.
"I sure hope they will not be a threat to our kingdom," Robin stated. "If they are friends with him, then we can give them preferential treatment."
Nevreal nodded his head in agreement. "Naturally, we still have to test them and see if they are trustworthy. Our friend no longer needs to be tested, but his acquaintances are a different matter. Also, the Young Master needs to gain more allies. We've already talked to the Eternal Guild, but Aina's stance remains the same. She doesn't plan on joining the kingdom's politics."
"That's fine," Robin replied. "I don't really want to drag Colette and my other friends in this mess."
"You're fine not dragging them, but you want to drag him into your family's struggle?"
"Why not? He's not my friend."
Nevreal chuckled after hearing Robin's reply.
'I almost feel sorry for Lux now,' Nevreal mused as he looked at his Young Master's back, who was determined to beat his brothers in a battle of wits, in order to achieve his goal of making the Kingdom of Gweliven the mightiest kingdom in the Southern Regions of Elysium.
Chapter 369 Can I Meet With Your Master?
"He's not here?" Robin frowned. "Where is he?"
"He returned to Solais," Cedwyn replied. "He said that he has some important matters to attend to."
"When will he be back?"
"I'm not really sure. However, his subordinate is currently staying here in the village. We have given them one of the non-occupied houses that we built after the village was destroyed by the Monster Outbreak."
The frown on Robin's face deepened, but he knew that there was no point in making things difficult for Cedwyn, who had no way of contacting the Half-Elf that he was looking for.
"Understood," Robin felt relieved after knowing that he could at least talk to Lux's subordinate. As long as the message would be passed along, his trip to Leaf Village wouldn't be in vain.
He had traveled in secrecy just to prevent his brothers from knowing where he was. Since he couldn't stay for long, he wished that he would be able to personally talk to the Half-Elf, but since it was not possible, his subordinate would have to make do.
"By the way, I noticed that almost all the Dwarves here in Leaf Village have Slimes accompanying them," Robin commented. "Is this some kind of trend?"
Cedwyn chuckled. "At first, we decided to raise slimes for fun after seeing how Eiko accompanied Lux. We even asked Commander Thoram to help us catch them, since Slimes are not native to this region.
"But, to our surprise, after catching a dozen of them, the slimes multiplied at a rapid pace. Also, we discovered something interesting. These Slimes are somehow evolved. Perhaps, this is the side effect of the Guardian Crystal, allowing them to become stronger than regular Slimes."
Nevreal tilted his head in confusion. "Slimes are just Slimes. They're one of the weakest monsters out there. Are you sure you want the villagers to have Slimes as their first Beast Companion?"
Cedwyn only smiled at Nevreal and glanced outside the window of his house. From there, he could see the statue in the distance, which had become the main attraction of their old rustic village in the countryside.
"You're forgetting that Eiko is also a Slime," Cedwyn replied. "Have you seen her unleash a Dragon's Breath? I have. It was the most surreal thing I've witnessed in my lifetime."
The Village Head of Leaf Village could still remember the Monster Outbreak as if it was just yesterday.
Even though he and Grandma Annie had retreated to a safe distance, they were still able to witness the battle that made his blood boil in excitement, allowing him to regain the feelings that he had forgotten due to his old age.
"Also, all of the Slimes that are born in our Village can use magic." Cedwyn turned around to look at Nevreal and Robin with a smug look on his face. "I'm sure that one day, our village will be known throughout the Kingdom of Gweliven for fostering the future heroes of the world."
Robin and Nevreal exchanged a glance before shaking their heads helplessly. They didn't want to say that Cedwyn was being delusional because they didn't want to hurt his feelings.
What they didn't know was that someday, what the Village Head had said would become a reality.
The young Dwarves, alongside their Slimes, who had started their adventures in Leaf Village, would rise up to protect the Dwarven Kingdom, and their legacy would be immortalized for centuries to come.
Of course, this was a story for another time.
Cedwyn led Robin, Nevreal, and their bodyguards to the house where Bedivere, Lilia, and Heidi, were staying.
Bedivere, who was at the side of the house and chopping firewood, noticed Cedwyn approaching him and stopped his work.
He was quite grateful for the accommodations that were given to him and his family by the Elders of Leaf Village. Because of this, he told them that if there would come a time that they would need his help, he would gladly lend it without asking for any repayment.
"Bedivere, I brought some guests who are looking for your Master," Cedwyn said with a smile. "This person is Sir Nevreal, and he had helped your Master a couple of times in the past. This young Dwarf, on the other hand, is Robin. He came here because he wanted to discuss something important with your Master. Do you know when he will be back in Leaf Village?"
"Is it important?" Bedivere didn't answer when Lux would be back to Leaf Village because the Half-Elf could come anytime. However, he was not willing to pass on just any kind of information to his Master and disturb the red-headed teenager's quality time with his fiance.
As a married person, Bedivere knew how important it was to spend some time with your lover. He would not allow anyone to pester his Master, unless it was a very pressing matter.
"It is important," Robin replied. "Can I meet with your Master?"
Bedivere glanced at Robin before shifting his gaze to the bodyguards that were escorting him.
Ten of them were Grade A Apostles, while two of them were Initiates.
In his peak, Bedivere had been a Ranker. Even though he had regressed to a Grade A Apostle to match Lux's current Rank, he was confident that he could take out half of Robin's bodyguards before they could overpower him using their numbers.
Naturally, this was only referring to his own strength without asking for his partner's help, which was a Wind Dragon, whose rank was the same as him.
A Rank 4 Dragon was very different from a Rank 4 Horned Rabbit. If the two were to fight, the rabbit would become the dragon's lunch with plenty of energy to spare.
"Tell me the details," Bedivere replied. "If it is important enough, I'll let him know. But, it will be up to my Master whether he will come here or not. He is a very busy person, and there are many things that he is handling at the moment."
Robin glanced at Nevreal because he didn't know if it was fine to tell Bedivere why they had come to Leaf Village.
After pondering for a minute, Nevreal found an easy solution to their problem.
"Tell your Master that Nevreal is looking for him so we can have a serious discussion," Nevreal said. "We will only be staying here in Leaf Village for two days, so I hope that I can talk to him before we leave."
Bedivere nodded. "Okay. I will send the message to my Master. Where can he find you?"
"We'll be at the Prancing Pony Inn," Nevreal replied. "Please pass the message along as soon as possible."
"Okay." Bedivere smiled.
In truth, he had already passed the message—that Nevreal was looking for him, to Lux. As a seasoned veteran, Bedivere could faintly feel that Nevreal and Robin were troubled by something.
He just didn't know what it was nor did he care about it. If Lux wanted to help them, then he would go and help them.
As one of the Half-Elf's Knights, he would be there to lend his hand, even if it meant that he would fight in a foreign land, where no one knew who he was and what kind of past he carried.
Chapter 370 Eiko’s Upgrade
When Lux heard Bedivere's report, a frown appeared on his face.
The middle-aged dwarf was his middle-man between the Order of the Griffin, who once helped him evade the eyes of Twilight Dynasty, as well as some high-ranking officials in the Kingdom of Gweliven.
His relationship with Nevreal was similar to that of a business partner. Both of them benefitted when the two of them collaborated, so Lux was quite curious why the Dwarf Official was looking for him.
Also, a name that he hadn't seen for a long time had popped up, which made his curiosity increase even further.
'Robin,' Lux thought. 'He is a friend of Colette and the others. I already have a suspicion that the kid isn't someone simple...'
The Half-Elf wasn't naive. Now that Nevreal came to find him, even though the Half-Elf was supposed to keep a low profile, it meant that something important had happened.
"Inform them that I'll meet them tomorrow," Lux said to Bedivere using their Guild Chat Function.
"Understood, Master," Bedivere replied.
Lux could have met Nevreal and his entourage right away. But, he didn't want the middle-aged Dwarf to think that he would rush to his side, if the Dwarf called for him at any given time.
He wasn't Nevreal's subordinate, nor was the Dwarf his employer. The two of them worked together on mutual benefits, so it would look bad if he had the wrong impression of him.
"Did something happen in Elysium?" Iris, who saw the frown on Lux's face, asked.
Lux nodded and explained to her what just happened. After hearing everything that Lux had to say, the blue-haired beauty nodded her head in understanding.
"It seems that your vacation will be cut off short," Iris said as she finished feeding Eiko a Beast Core.
Lux had left her his stash of Beast Core from the tournament to ensure that Eiko would rank up at least once.
He was quite curious about what kind of abilities she would gain after an upgrade. Also, the Beast Cores she had eaten were from high-ranking Monsters, allowing the baby Slime to learn nearly 50 new skills, which made Lux, and Iris quite happy.
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(A/N: I don't want to flood this chapter with Eiko's skills, so I will just go over them as we continue the story.)
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< Eiko >
"The world is my oyster!"
: Named Slime Monster
: Princess Slime
: Rating: E+
: Progress ( 0 / 40,000)
Health: 19,100 / 19,100
Mana: 40,000 / 40,000
Strength: 122
Intelligence: 800
Vitality: 182
Agility: 122
Dexterity: 122
Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough, Guts, Queen's Majesty, Ten Thousand Promise,
Titles: Mama's and Papa's Girl, Treasure Hunter, Fairy Princess,
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'The changes are evident,' Lux mused. 'All of her stats, with the exception of Intelligence, rose by 30 points. She has also gained an additional 150 points in Intelligence, which is a big deal compared to her previous self. It seems that being a Princess Slime allows her to gain massive benefits. The only downside is that every upgrade needs a lot of resources, but the trade off is worth it.'
Eiko's monster rating was E+. However, her current stats made her a Rank 4 Monster, which was very strong for a newly born Slime.
Clearly, the baby slime who was in a good mood after eating so many Beast Cores was a cut above the rest of her peers.
Eiko's upgrade did not affect her stats alone. Lux was currently looking at the rows of words that notified him of the options that he could choose from, to complete her upgrade.
Back then, Lux chose to give her the ability to summon Slimes, as well as some life saving skills that gave her the ability to keep herself safe.
If not for the fact that she had protected Iris during the battle at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen, it would be very hard to kill the baby Slime, who could dig underground, and teleport a short distance away from her enemies.
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'Perhaps, this is also a blessing in disguise,' Lux mused as he looked at the options that were available to Eiko. 'If this was a novel, Eiko would be the real protagonist instead of me."
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< Please choose one of the Special Abilities available here. Once you have made your decision, it will be final, so make sure to choose wisely! >
: Elemental Affinity.
If you choose this passive skill, Eiko will gain the ability to be unharmed by that particular element. For example, if you chose the Elemental Affinity of Fire, Eiko will be able to play and swim in a pool of Lava without suffering any damage.
: Slime Party Festival
For every slime under Eiko's command, she would gain a 1% increase to her physical and magical attacks. Physical and Magical damage increases will not go over 1,000%
: Wonder Guard
Decrease all damage taken by Eiko by 60%
: Shadow Tag
Eiko will be able to travel through the shadows of her allies within a mile radius around her.
: Cute Charm
Wild Monsters up to 3 ranks above Eiko's Rank would not attack her, unless she attacks them first.
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Some Creatures were born with Special Abilities, similar to Bedivere's Wonder Guard after he became a Dragon Rider.
When the handsome Knight was still a Living Armor, he had a unique special ability called Invincible Body, which made him practically invincible unless he was hit by the elemental weakness associated with it.
'Basing on previous upgrades in the past, no matter which of these options I choose, the possibility of them popping up again in the future is high,' Lux thought as he gazed at the passive skills in front of him.
'We will not be traveling with many Slimes, so the Slime Party Festival is not ideal at this point in time. Perhaps, this is an End Game special ability, but Eiko won't get a significant boost with it if I choose it now.'
If Lux just wanted to make things simple, he would just choose Elemental Affinity, and allow Eiko to become invincible in one particular element.
However, it lacked the flexibility that the other special abilities had.
Wonder Guard is a no-brainer, and was a good choice if anyone wanted to decrease any kind of incoming damage, including Abyssal Damage.
Shadow Tag on the other hand is an all around ability, allowing Eiko to slip into the shadows of her allies, allowing her to pop anywhere in the battlefield. This could also become another life saving skill for the baby Slime, whom they didn't want to see die for the second time.
'I guess I'll go with Shadow Tag,' Lux thought as he chose the Shadow Tag option to become Eiko's Special Ability.
Special Abilities were similar to Passive skills. Some Creatures had more than one Special Ability, while others had many more.
Dragons were said to even have dozens of them, with Wonder Guard as one of their permanent abilities, allowing them to fight against Abyssal Monsters on equal footing.
< Special Ability Shadow Tag has been chosen. >
< Congratulations! Eiko now has Shadow Tag as her Special Ability! >
< Adding bonus skills as part of Eiko's Rank up! >
< Eiko's Skill, Mimicry [EX], can now copy up to six skills. >
< Eiko's skill, Storage [EX], can now store items and living creatures. Up to six living creatures can be stored inside it for the duration of a day. >
: Maximum weight of items that can be stored inside her body is ten tons.
< Eiko's Treasure Hunter skill is now upgraded to Treasure Hunter [EX] >
: Eiko can now detect treasures in a mile-wide radius around her.
< Upgrade Completed! >
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< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
: Since the skill Shadow Tag is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Shadow Tag [EX].
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< Shadow Tag [EX] >
Eiko will be able to travel through the shadows of her allies within a two-mile radius around her.
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Lux sighed internally because Eiko's Rank Upgrade was finally completed. The baby Slime had gained many benefits after her upgrade, making her a lot stronger than before.
It was not an exaggeration to say that the Half-Elf was looking forward to the baby slime's next upgrade with anticipation.
Naturally, Lux shared his Soul Book to Iris, allowing her to see the upgrades that Eiko had received after she ranked up.
"Maybe I should stop being surprised when I look at Eiko's stats in your Soul Book," Iris could only smile bitterly after seeing the skills that the baby Slime had gained.
Although her Guardians would also receive amazing abilities every time they ranked up, she had a feeling that Eiko would surpass them easily after her Monster Rating reached Astra's current Rating, which was B+.