Ch. 401: Chapter 401-410

Chapter 401 The Decisive Battle [Part 1]

Soon enough, the gap between the two ships shortened.

What used to be a speck in the horizon was now big enough for everyone to see.

The distance between the Black Pearl and the Twilight Ship was less than a mile, and everyone was preparing for the battle that was only minutes away from happening.

Millie was currently on the Black Pearl, while the two Rankers of the Adventurer's Guild were on the Battleship, Starlight.

"Steady lads," Captain Spawow said. "You can light those cannons when we get closer, but for now, stay your hands."

Rows upon rows of cannons were placed at the deck of the ship, pointing out its left side. Naval warfares were much simpler than land battles. The only thing that either side needed to do was to blast the opponent's ship to oblivion until it sank.

As for the survivors, they would be under the mercy of the victors.

Lux, who was looking at the enemy ship using a set of binoculars, could see that three of the remaining four Rankers had arrived on the deck.

'The numbers are even now,' Lux thought. 'We now have a chance to beat them. But, rescuing the Princess is still an issue.'

The Half-Elf knew that if their opponent became desperate, they would definitely use Princess Anastasia as a hostage. What he must do is to create a situation where the Princess would be able to meet with Eiko's Doppelganger, allowing the former to be devoured by it.

"Millie, listen to me," Lux said as he pointed at the Merchant Ship. "Do you see that small window over there on the side of the ship?"

Millie squinted her eyes to look in the direction where Lux was pointing at and nodded her head.

"The Princess is kept in that location," Lux explained. "Don't worry. The Princess is seated on the bed, and it is far from the window. Even if you blast that part of the ship, she will still be safe."

"Are you telling me to attack that spot of the ship?" Millie asked. She could tell that the reason why the chubby teenager was telling her this information was because he wanted her to attack that location in order to free the Princess.

"Yes," Lux replied. "You are to ignore the other Rankers on the ship, and just focus on that location. Just be warned that there is a Ranker that specializes in Dark Magic guarding her. Aside from her, there are five other Initiates. Whatever you do later, don't kill the lady with scarlet hair. You can injure her, but make sure that it is not fatal. Do you understand?"

Millie wasn't dumb, so she was able to piece together the information that Lux had given her. She had long wondered how the chubby teenager was able to know the location of the Princess, as well as gauge the strength of their enemies.

The only reason she could think of was that he had an accomplice, and this scarlet-haired lady was the one who was sharing the kidnappers' information with him.

"Understood," Millie replied.

Lux smiled. "Also, your goal is to not rescue the princess. Your goal is to engage the Ranker in a battle, forcing her away from the Princess. I will handle the rest."

Millie nodded "Okay."

"Go back to the battleship for a moment and inform them that I will now cripple the enemy ship," Lux stated. "Tell them to focus their attacks on the Rankers on the deck, and leave the saving of the Princess to us."

Millie gave the Hal-Elf a brief nod before flying towards the battleship, Starlight.

Cai's and Keane's expressions became serious because they knew that it was now time to give a payback to their kidnappers, finally putting an end to their criminal act.

"Pazuzu, come!" Lux summoned his Demonic Defender because Pazuzu would play an important role in the battle.

"I am here," Pazuzu announced as soon as he appeared.

"Listen, when Millie attacks the ship, I want you to…"

The Half-Elf explained in detail what the Demonic Defender would do as soon as Millie had infiltrated the ship and engaged the Ranker in a battle. Although the Ranker would be gone, the remaining Initiates were still a threat to Pazuzu.

However, Pazuzu's role was not to engage their enemies, but to only hold them off for a short period of time.

As long as he was able to hold out long enough, an opportunity would arise, and the Half-Elf would use that opportunity to hit his enemies with a surprise attack from a place that they wouldn't expect.

"Eiko, detonate the bombs," Lux ordered.

The baby Slime that was perched on top of his head, nodded.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Eiko shouted as it jumped in place on top of Lux's head

Suddenly, loud explosions rocked the storage compartment of the ship, making those who were inside the cabin, as well as those in the deck, to grab hold of something, so that they wouldn't be thrown off the ship.

Seawater started to flood the Hold of the ship, making its crew panic.

Captain Jack Spawow smirked as he swung the steering wheel to the right, making the Black Pearl make a right turn, allowing its cannons to face the target that was now within firing range.

"Lads! Time to make a few things go Boom," Captain Spawow shouted. "Open Fire!"

As soon as the order was given, the cannons on the deck of the Black Pearl roared to life. The Rankers on the Merchant Ship immediately stepped into action as they deflected the cannon balls from further damaging their ship.

Unfortunately, they couldn't deflect all of them because the Battleship had also come within firing range and joined the barrage, making sure to not hit the location that Millie had told them was where the Princess was currently being held.

"Millie, go now!" Lux ordered.

The green-haired Dwarf shot towards the sky, using the distraction of the cannons and the black smoke that was rising in the air, to launch her own sneak attack towards the enemy.

Pazuzu also flew behind her in order to initiate the plan that his Master had devised.

Deep in the sea, the Skeleton Ship also started to rise to the surface.

Asmodeus, Orion, and Diablo, prepared to join the battle as well.

Ishtar, who had boarded the Skeleton Ship upon Lux's orders, had taken a siege stance on the deck of the Skeleton Ship, and aimed her crossbow at the Merchant ship above them.

The moment they came in range, the Night Stalker pulled the trigger, allowing the bolt that had a rope tied in it to shoot upwards.

Several rock golems held onto the rope, keeping it in place. Preventing the Merchant ship from going anywhere.

"Advance!" Asmodeus ordered.

Soon hundreds of skeletons started to climb up the rope.

This was an all out attack from above, and underneath, the water. Both sides knew that the decisive battle had come.

However, even though the members of Twilight Rain were at a disadvantage, no one knew for certain who the final victors of the battle would be.

One wrong move and things could get ugly, leading to consequences that Lux, as well as those who wished to rescue the princess, didn't want to have happen.

Chapter 402 The Decisive Battle [Part 2]

As several volleys of cannonballs rained on the ship non-stop, the Rankers of Twilight Rain, as well as some of the Initiates onboard, deflected them with everything they had.

The boat was no longer moving, and its storage compartment was being flooded with seawater at a very fast rate, making them unable to go anywhere.

Harrus, who was on the deck of the Merchant Ship, had bloodshot eyes as he punched one of the cannonballs that flew in his direction, sending it back to the battleship in the distance.

However, before the cannonball could hit the ship, an arrow pierced it, destroying it mid-air.

The Sniper, who belonged to the Adventurer's Guild, fired another arrow at the Dwarf with reddish-brown hair, forcing the latter to evade it.

A cannon ball shot by a cannon was different from an arrow shot by a Ranker. Even if the Brawler was confident in his skills, he didn't dare try to meet the attack head-on.

'I guess there's no other way,' Harrus gritted his teeth. 'We must use the Princess as leverage in order to escape this predicament.'

Harrus knew that they were already out of options. They had been backed into a dead-end, and the only way to escape it was to capture one of the ships belonging to their enemy, or force them to negotiate using the Princess as a hostage.

The Brawler wanted to use the first option, but the enemy ships were attacking them from a safe distance. Although he could jump to where they were, the Rankers stationed on both ships would not watch idly as they tried to capture it.

As Harrus was thinking about how they would use the Princess as a hostage to reverse their current circumstances, a green-haired Dwarf flew past their ship and suddenly unleashed a barrage of Wind Blades on the side of the ship, making the Brawler gasp in shock.

The part of the hull that the Wind Blades destroyed was the room where Princess was being kept, making the faces of the three Rankers on the deck turn pale in fright.

"Oi! Aren't you afraid that you will accidentally kill the Princess?!" Harris shouted as he immediately tried to go to the cabin of the ship where the Princess was being held.

However, before he could do that, he saw a water dragon spell that was about to smash the deck of the Merchant Ship, forcing him and the two Rankers with him to block the attack, otherwise, their merchant ship would be split apart.

'Dammit, why are these people attacking so crazily?!' Harrus cursed internally. 'Aren't they afraid of accidentally killing our hostage? Just where is their confidence coming from? Don't tell me they plan to kill everyone in the ship including the Princess, so that there won't be any witnesses?!'

Harrus thought that this idea was too crazy, so he forced himself to focus on the task at hand, instead of being distracted by some random thoughts.

The smoke that covered the Merchant Ship grew in intensity as more cannonballs found their marks, inching the battered merchant ship closer and closer to complete destruction.

Suddenly, the green-haired Dwarf, who had unleashed a barrage of Wind Blades, made a nose dive towards the ship, entering the gap she had created.

As soon as Millie entered the ship, she came face to face with Carol, who wielded a dark whip in her right hand. The Dark Magician then lashed her whip at the green-haired Dwarf, making her weapon attack her target like a living snake about to sink its fangs into its prey.

However, Millie was no push over. She was a bonafide Ranker and had experienced many hardships before she reached her rank. As soon as the dark whip approached her, she summoned a sword made of wind, and deflected it to the side before unleashing a gust of air, pushing everyone inside the room backwards.

She had already seen the Princess in the corner of her vision.

Scarlet, who was closest to the Princess, grabbed Princess Anastasia and pushed her to the corner of the room, shielding her from the attack.

Carol approved of the Slayer Candidate's action because as long as the Princess was safe, she could focus on exterminating the pesky Ranker, who dared to get in the way of their plans.

Millie was so tempted to grab the Princess and escape, but she knew that the Ranker she was facing wouldn't just stand idly and let that happen.

Since Lux had already told her that the scarlet-haired girl was on their side, she endured her impulse and attacked the Dark Magician, destroying portions of the room in the process.

Seeing that an opportunity appeared, Scarlet grabbed Princess Anastasia and made a run towards the door.

The other Initiates followed her because they knew that they would just get in the way of their superior.

There was no place for them in a battle between Rankers. If they chose to stay, the chances of them dying by accident was very high, so they didn't think twice and followed Scarlet without looking back.

As soon as the Initiates entered the hallway, they found themselves face to face with several skeletons, who were wielding weapons in their hands.

Scarlet used her dagger and slashed at those who blocked her way, splitting the Skeletons apart with a single strike. Instead of going to the deck, where the other Rankers were fighting, the Slayer Candidate ran towards the very back of the ship, where it was "safe".

What she was doing was simply distancing herself from the deck of the ship, in order to prevent her superiors from being able to use the Princess as a hostage.

As she was running down the hallway, she ran past three Skeletons that were quite different from the others.

Diablo, Ishtar, and Asmodeus had boarded the ship, serving as Scarlet's backup, and effectively separated her from the rest of the Initiates, who were following behind her.

"Morpheus, come!" Asmodeus ordered and the Death Tyrant materialized in front of him.

Without being given an order, Morpheus immediately began shooting colorful rays at the Initiates, forcing them to dodge to the side.

"I-Isn't that a Death Tyrant?!" the lady who didn't like Scarlet gasped in shock. "What is it doing inside the ship?!"

The other Initiates were also surprised at first, but after seeing Skeletons appear inside the ship, they assumed that they were summoned by the Death Tyrant, which was known to be a very powerful Undead Creature.

"Fortunately, Scarlet was able to run past them," the young man who had a crush on the Slayer Candidate said. "But, we must support her at once, or else she might get surrounded."

The lady who didn't like Scarlet suddenly thought of a good idea. This was a perfect opportunity to rid them of a rival, so she immediately glanced at her comrades, who shared the same opinion as her.

"Let's not do that," the lady Dwarf said. "Can't you see what is blocking our way? That's a Deathknight and a Death Tyrant. As for those other Skeletons beside them, I don't know what they are, but they don't look like some random mob we can kill easily."

The young man frowned, but he had no choice but to agree with his comrades' assessment. Although he wanted to help Scarlet, the Skeletons in front of him were giving him a bad feeling, making him hesitate.

Scarlet, who had gotten rid of her comrades, didn't let her guard down and continued to run. She could already see the blue slime in front of her, which was her goal.

It wouldn't even take her ten seconds to cross the distance between them and finish the mission that was assigned to her.

However, before she could even deliver her baggage, the floorboards in front of her exploded, and Harrus appeared in front of her with bloodshot eyes.

"Hahaha! Scarlet, you did well!" Harrus laughed as soon as he saw the Slayer Candidate carrying the Princess.

The Brawler had intended to enter the cabin earlier to retrieve the Princess, but the Water Elemntalist and the Sniper prevented him from doing so.

Because of this, he smashed the deck of the ship with a punch and entered through that gap. To his surprise, he found dozens of Undead in the Storage Area, which was now flooded with seawater.

Since he was in a hurry, he ignored them and just ran in the direction where he thought the cabin was.

To his surprise, he immediately saw Scarlet carrying the Princess as soon as he entered the hallway, making him laugh out loud. Now that the Princess was in his hands, he would be able to use her as a hostage to prevent their enemies from annihilating all of them.

Scarlet smiled as she handed the Princess to the Brawler's hands. She couldn't afford to blow her cover, and she could only blame the Princess for being unlucky.

Eiko's Doppelganger hid itself in the corner of the hallway as soon as Harrus broke through the floor.

It knew what the Ranker had done to the other clone, so it didn't plan to take any reckless actions that might get itself killed before it could finish its mission.

Just as the Ranker was about to grab hold of Princess Anastasia, a hand that looked like it was made out of exquisite jade broke through the floor underneath Harrus' feet, and dragged him down, making Harrus roar in anger because there was someone, or something, that was always getting in the way of his plans.

Chapter 403 How About You Take A Nice Long Swim Instead? [Part 1]

"Let me go, you bastard!" Harrus roared before he was dragged down into the water by the Jade Golem, who had grabbed hold of his foot.

With one powerful kick, he managed to break free from the Golem's hold and send it crashing towards the seabed.

As a B-Ranker, he didn't even recognize a Rank 4 Jade Golem as a threat. For the Dwarf, it was just a mob character that could easily be crushed with his hands.

With one kick, he easily broke the arm that grabbed his foot and sent it speeding towards the bottom of the sea. However, just as he was about to swim back up, a powerful pulling force pulled him to the bottom, which made Harrus' rage burn to its limit.

Back on the ship, Scarlet peeked down into the hole that was in front of her and waited for a few seconds. After sensing that Harrus wouldn't be back anytime soon, she jumped across the hole onto the other side where Eiko's Doppelganger was waiting for her.

"If you want to escape, listen closely to what I am going to tell you and listen well," Scarlet whispered to the Princess as she ran towards the Doppelganger. "You will be devoured by the slime, but don't resist. My Master is waiting on the other side."

"Who is your Master?" Princess Anastasia inquired as she looked at the scarlet-haired girl with a critical gaze.

"You'll meet him soon enough," Scarlet replied as she tossed the Princess towards the blue slime who had already opened its mouth to swallow the Princess whole. "Make sure to tell him that he shouldn't order me to do anything unreasonable in the future."

Although Princess Anastasia was scared, she didn't resist or struggle when the slime devoured her whole.

Eiko could store living creatures, but there was a condition. They must not resist her, because if they did, she would be unable to swallow them whole.

Cai, Keane, and Clyde, were all unconscious when all of them were swallowed, so it wasn't a problem back then.

However, the Princess was conscious, so Lux thought that Princess Anastasia would struggle if she felt threatened by the Slime. Because of this, he ordered Scarlet to tell the Princess that she had nothing to worry about and that she should simply allow herself to be devoured, so that she could be rescued without a hitch.

After devouring the Princess, Eiko's Doppelganger didn't teleport right away. Instead, it once again opened its mouth and unleashed a Dragon's Breath, pushing Scarlet back and sending her crashing towards the wooden floor.

'He could have at least chosen the least painful method,' Scarlet complained in her heart before hitting a wall, and coming to a complete stop with bruises and wounds on her entire body.

She didn't bother to block the attack and allowed herself to be injured, so that she wouldn't be suspected of betraying her guild.

Scarlet still needed them to provide her with resources so that she could become a Ranker. Until then, she didn't plan on leaving Twilight Rain to accompany Lux as he traveled around Elysium.

After seeing that it had accomplished its mission, the Doppelganger glowed briefly before disappearing from its place.

When it reappeared, it was now in front of the chubby teenager, who was in the process of unleashing a Dragon's Breath towards the enemy ship, sinking it for good.

"Dragon's Breath!"

Lux roared and the powerful breath attack flew towards the flying ship, hitting its side and making it explode.

"Now, Captain!" Lux shouted.

"All hands, grab onto something!" Jack Spawow ordered as he maneuvered Black Pearl for a speedy retreat.

The Doppelganger was already at its limit, so it jumped towards Lux and released the Princess before it turned into particles of light.

The chubby teenager caught the Princess safely in his arms, making the latter raise her head to take a good look at him.

One moment, she found herself surrounded by darkness, the next second, she found herself wrapped in the arms of the Human, whom she had only met a few days ago.

"S-Sir Lucien," Princess Anastasia stuttered. "Than:"

"Let's talk later, Princess," Lux stopped the Princess from thanking him because they were not out of danger yet.

The plan was for the Doppelganger to release the Princess when they had retreated a safe distance in order to prevent the enemy Rankers from seeing her.

However, since the Doppelganger had also received damage due to the indiscriminate attack on the ship, it had reached its limit and could no longer maintain its form.

At the last moment, it decided to release the Princess before disappearing, allowing some of the members of Twilight Rain to spot her from a distance.

"They got the Princess!" one of the Sailors shouted as she pointed at Princess Anastasia who was now in Lux's arms.

The two Rankers on the deck of the ship immediately shifted their attention to the Princess and were already planning to jump off their own ship in order to retrieve her, but the Water Elementalist and the Sniper naturally wouldn't let them have their way and unleashed a barrage of attacks, forcing the Rankers from Twilight Rain to defend themselves.

Just as the Black Pearl was gaining some distance away from the enemy ship, a tower of water erupted beside the ship and, from there, Harrus appeared.

He had just smashed the Jade Golem to pieces before rushing towards the surface in order to capture one of the ships that belonged to their pursuers.

However, to his surprise, when he emerged, he saw Princess Anastasia being carried by a Human, whom he had already met in the past.

"It's you!" Harrus shouted as he looked at the chubby teenager who was holding Princess Anastasia with bloodshot eyes. "You're the one responsible for all of this mess!"

The Brawler then stomped his foot in the air, as if using it as a foothold to propel himself onto the Pirate Ship that was trying to make a run for it.

A moment later, he shot towards Lux like a cannonball with his arms pulled back in preparation to punch the human for getting in the way of his plans and smash him into a pulp.

He had recognized Lux as the owner of the two clones that he had fought in the Port City of Watford.

With all the pent up rage in his chest, the Dwarf prepared to unleash an attack that was strong enough to destroy an entire city wall.

"Die!" Harrus shouted. His enraged face was only a meter away from Lux, and his right fist was just a foot away from the chubby teenager's cheeks.

Harrus specialized in burst attacks that allowed him to travel at great speeds, and deliver powerful blows that left his enemies hopeless.

Lux, whose face was about to get smacked by a Ranker, was still calm, and met Harrus' gaze head-on.

Just as the deadly fist was about to hit its target, the Brawler's body froze, and his attack stopped mid-air.

"Y-You Bastard!" Harrus said through gritted teeth as he forced his right fist to kill the Half-Elf who had gotten in the way of his plans.

However, instead of moving forward, the fist continued to remain in its place, as Harrus' feet slowly skidded backwards.

"I will not lose to this petty trick!" Harrus roared. As he tried to fight the powerful pulling force coming from behind him.

The Ranker took a step forward in an effort to get near Lux. However, after just taking a single step to approach the chubby teenager, his feet once again slowly skidded backwards, unable to fight the strong pull that was preventing him from killing the chubby teenager who was holding the Princess.

"Your name, Boy?!" Harrus shouted.

He knew that he would be unable to fight the strong pull that was holding him back, so he wanted to at least ask for the name of the person that he planned to kill in the future.

"Randolph," Lux replied. "My name is Randolph."

Lux had no intention of saying his name, so he decided to use an alias.

However, the first name that came to his mind was the name of his Master, Randolph, who was happily drinking a mug of mead, back in Leaf Village, without a care in the world.

Chapter 404 How About You Take A Nice Long Swim Instead? [Part 2]

Leaf Village…

"Achooo!" Randolph sneezed before raising his fist high up in the air and roared in anger.

"You unfilial bastard, Lux! I'm guessing you're using my name as a scapegoat! Unfilial disciple! Do you plan to get me killed?!"

Lux had no idea that Randolph had a special ability that would give him a warning whenever someone was planning to kill him.

This ability worked no matter the distance.

As long as the other party was seriously planning to kill him, Randolph would be able to know the attacker's name, age, Rank, as well as their current location.

After seeing that a B-Ranker had vowed to kill him, the blacksmith almost choked on the mead that he had been drinking.

This was one of the few reasons why he had managed to live so long in his life—he always made sure to run away from those who wished him ill, and secluded himself as he learned the arts of blacksmithing.

—-----

Back in the Naval Battle…

"Randolph? Good!" Harrus growled in anger. "I'll remember you! The next time we meet, you're dead!"

The Dwarf then hatefully turned around to look at the Fortress Defender, who was floating high in the air, and looking down on him with disdain.

Lux had specifically ordered Pazuzu to lock onto the Dwarf with reddish-brown hair because Harrus was the strongest Ranker and the one in charge of the kidnapping operation.

The Half-Elf's intention was clear. He wanted Harrus to be unable to help anyone by forcing him to fight against Pazuzu who was hovering in the sky.

The Dwarf hatefully stomped on the floor of the Pirate Ship and shot toward the sky in order to deal with the Fortress Defender who had forced him to duel.

Using that opportunity, Jack Spawow maneuvered the Black Pearl to escape the messy battle and fled by leveraging the wind to gain as much distance as possible.

Pazuzu, whose role was to ensure that his Master could escape, flew away, forcing Harrus to use the Twilight Ship as a springboard to jump towards the Fortress Defender's location at a speed that was impossible to evade.

Having lost their hostage, the Rankers that belonged to Twilight Rain started to fight desperately.

At first, they thought of taking over the Battleship, Starlight, to pursue the fleeting Black Pearl.

But after the battleship had also retreated to a safe distance while keeping their bombardment active, the Rankers had no choice but to shelve this plan.

"Looks like you won," Carol hatefully spat on the ground before glaring at the green-haired Dwarf that had kept her busy all-throughout Lux's rescue operation.

"Yes," Millie replied. "You lost."

Carol snorted, but she didn't refute Millie's words.

The green-haired Dwarf smirked before flying out of the Merchant Ship that was now teetering on the brink of total collapse.

Carol watched her go for a few seconds before looking at her surroundings. The walls had been destroyed, and the Initiates, who were with her not long ago, were all lying on the ground, suffering from several injuries due to the stray attacks from Millie and the powerful bombardment of attacks that came from the Water Elementalist and the Sniper.

Some of them were unconscious, which made Carol click her tongue in annoyance. However, since they were the new blood of their organization, it was impossible for her to leave them to die.

Using her Dark Magic, she procured dark whips and grabbed hold of their bodies one by one.

When she found the unconscious and badly wounded Scarlet at the back of the ship, Carol lightly tapped on the latter's cheeks.

A few seconds later, Scarlet woke up and looked up at the Dark Magician, who had the expression of a person who had eaten a fly.

"Take out your teleportation crystal and leave this place," Carol ordered. "The mission failed. We are returning to base."

Scarlet weakly nodded her head and took out a teleportation crystal from her storage ring and activated it. A moment later, her body turned into particles of light, disappearing from where she lay a few seconds ago.

The other Initiates had already left, and it was only Scarlet that was left on the ship.

The two Rankers met up with Carol, and both of them had furious looks on their faces. However, there was nothing they could do.

Just before the three could activate their own teleportation crystals, Harrus landed beside them. Compared to the three Rankers, their leader's face was so contorted that it was scary enough to make little children start crying.

"Return to the Stronghold," Harrus ordered. "We will get them next time."

The three Rankers nodded their heads and no longer hesitated. When the three of them disappeared, Harrus glanced in the direction of the Black Pearl, which was now nothing more than a small black dot in the distance.

"Randolph, I'll make sure to repay you in full," Harrus clenched his fist in anger before taking out the teleportation crystal from his storage ring. "I'll chase you, even to the end of the world!"

Just as he was about to activate the teleportation crystal in his hand, a teasing voice reached his ears.

"Really? How about you take a nice long swim instead?"

The Brawler turned his head to the right and stared at the Archlich who had his arms crossed over his chest.

Before the Ranker could even act to kill the Archlich, he felt another strong pull that was coming from the bottom of the boat, making him howl in anger.

Suddenly, Ishtar appeared beside him and kicked the flying crystal that he was carrying away. A moment later, the Night Stalker turned into black mists, and reappeared some distance away, catching the teleportation crystal.

Harrus, who was already overwhelmed by anger, irritation, and grief, roared, destroying the entire ship.

"Looks like we pushed him to the limit," Isthar said as she stood in the air, using two of Morpheus' floating eyeballs as a foothold.

"Well, since he is already our enemy, it doesn't really matter if he gets angrier," Asmodeus replied as he stood on top of Morpheus' head.

Ishtar nodded because this was indeed the case.

"Let's go," Asmodeus replied. "Diablo wanted to give that Ranker a piece of his mind, so let's leave the aftermath to him."

"Okay," Ishtar replied.

Soon, the Named Creatures, as well as the Death Tyrant, turned into particles of light and returned to their Master's side, who had succeeded in rescuing the Princess with the limited time he had.

—-----

Under the Sea….

Diablo stood on the deck of the Skeleton Ship and looked up above him.

Harrus was already swimming in his direction, which made Lux's first Named Creature sneer.

He knew that it was impossible for him to defeat a Ranker of Harrus' rank, but that was not important.

The Death Knight could have just returned to Lux's side and called it a day, but after seeing Harrus' strong hostility and killing intent directed towards his Master, the Death Knight decided to use his strongest attack to give the Ranker a little bit of pain before dying.

Holding the Mythical Sword in his Hand, Diablo's eyes glowed brightly from under the water as he brandished his weapon with all the strength he could muster.

"Hellfire Annihilation Slash!" Diablo shouted as his sword was covered with Hellish Flames, making the water around him instantly boil due to the powerful flames he produced.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted under the sea, creating a tower of water to rise up to the surface.

A minute later, Harrus emerged from the water, and clung to one of the floating parts of the merchant ship that had now been completely destroyed.

This was Diablo's, Ishtar's, and Asmodeus' last gift to the Ranker, who had almost succeeded in killing their Master.

Now that the Teleportation Crystal was gone, he had no choice but to swim to the nearest island if he hoped to survive. Harrus felt bitter, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Chapter 405 A Human’s Touch [Part 1]

If someone were to ask me if I felt blessed, the answer would be yes.

Out of the millions of Dwarfs in the world, I was born as the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven and was loved by my father and three mothers.

I said three mothers because my father married three women.

My birth mother was his second wife. But, even so, all three of my mothers loved us all, just as much as they loved their own children, making me feel lucky that I was born into the Royal Family.

Perhaps because I was born on the same day as my father, he spoiled me more than the others.

But that didn't mean that he loved the others less.

My mother said that fathers usually loved their daughters more, while mothers loved their sons more. I didn't really know if this was true or not, but perhaps it was true because my father loved all of his daughters and spoiled us rotten, more than he did my brothers.

Even so, my sisters and I didn't take his love for granted and worked hard for the betterment of this Kingdom to the best of our abilities. No matter how small it was and no matter how short our reach extended, we all took pride that we were born as members of the Royal Family.

As I grew older, I realized that there were many more things that I wanted to do in order to help the kingdom. However, with the power I currently had, I was unable to do them.

The Dwarven Kingdom had always been ruled by a King.

There had been no instance when a Queen had sat on the throne and ruled the Kingdom of Gweliven since the day it was founded.

Because of this, I wanted to be the first.

The first to be crowned as its Queen, and make it so that everyone in my kingdom could live better and more prosperous lives.

When I asked my father if it was possible for me to become the one to take his position, he laughed, patted my head, and said in a gentle tone. "You can easily carry the crown on my head with a single hand. But, the moment you put it on your head, a burden, which is heavier than a mountain, will press on your shoulders. Do you think you will be able to carry its weight?"

The me back then was still naive and said with confidence.

"I can do it! I will become a Queen that will make our kingdom prosper!"

​ My father chuckled and rested his right hand on my shoulder before giving his reply.

"Very well, Anastasia. See with your own eyes, hear with your own ears, taste with your own lips, and feel with your own skin everything this kingdom has to offer. Compete with your brothers, and see for yourself if you are able to take this burden off my shoulders in the future."

"Un!"

Oh… how naive I was.

Bolstered with confidence, I began to rally people and started to build my own faction. My older brothers didn't mind having additional competition because that was how the Crown Prince of this Kingdom was chosen.

Only through great deeds, not words.

Only through actions, not words.

Only through merits, not words.

Only through great feats, not words.

The Royal Family of Gweliven wasn't only talk.

They must prove their words with action as well.

And so, my father decided to add me, along with my other sisters, as candidates who could have the right of succession.

Three Years.

In three years, the one who would be able to obtain the most merits would be hailed as the next Crown Prince or Crown Princess.

My father was still at the prime of his life and would probably still rule the kingdom for a decade or two.

Dwarves may not be as long-lived as the Elves, but their lifespan was still longer than that of Humans'.

If a Dwarf didn't choose to cultivate and raise their rank, they would be able to live up to three hundred years. However, those who chose to go to Elysium and raise their ranks could increase their lifespan fifty to a hundred years more.

Rankers, in general, gained an additional fifty years in their lifespan with every breakthrough they made.

At least, that was what people believed.

It had never been proven, but Rankers, especially High-Rankers and Saints were long-lived people.

My father was a High Ranker. Because of this, he would be able to live for a long time.

I couldn't speak for my brothers, but for me, I was content to let him rule for as long as he could because, through him, our kingdom had grown stronger and better than before.

If not for the fact that there was a Dark Guild that constantly hindered our development, our Kingdom would have already expanded and grown to new heights.

I hated this Dark Guild.

I hated it with a passion.

Because of them, many of our citizens were suffering. Many of them were hurt, and some of them had even died. Their merciless acts of violence in order to get what they wanted was something that I, my brothers, and my father, would never approve of.

Although I had already considered myself to be a target of this Terrorist Organization, I never thought that they would really go for it.

I had always thought that my guards and the two Rankers, who served by my side, were more than enough to protect me.

But, in the end, my assumptions were all wrong.

Although I, myself, didn't know why I decided to go back to the Capital to check on my family and bring the Baron's Second Son with me, I thought that seeing my parents wasn't a bad idea, so I cut short my visit in the Wolfpine Barony and returned home.

It happened so suddenly and without any warning.

One moment I was riding on my carriage, the next, I was at the center of a life and death battle.

My guards were murdered one by one, and the Ranker, who was also one of my trusted confidants, used her body as a shield to protect me against the Rankers of this terrorist organization.

In the end, I decided to go with them with the promise that they would no longer hurt or kill any of my people.

Much blood had already been shed, and I didn't want the survivors to die a meaningless death.

"Well, since her Royal Highness wished for it, then we will stop, but on one condition—you must kneel and beg us to take you," teasingly said by the Ranker, who wielded the power of flames and was stepping on my protector, Megan. A flaming lance was pressed against her neck, and I knew that if I didn't do as he asked, one of the people that had always supported me would perish right in front of my eyes.

A member of the Royal Family wouldn't kneel to their enemies, but at that time, I tossed my dignity and honor aside and knelt.

I begged them to take me and spare the lives of my people.

The Ranker who had reddish-brown hair, who I believed was called Harrus, grabbed the pendant on my neck before knocking me unconscious.

However, just before I lost my consciousness, I heard him tell me that he would honor the promise and leave my people alone.

I remembered the faces of my father, mothers, and siblings, who were waiting for me back in the capital.

'I'm sorry.'

Those were the last words I spoke in my heart before I closed my eyes.

A second later, my world, which was filled with color and happiness just a few minutes ago, was replaced by complete and utter darkness.

Chapter 406 A Human’s Touch [Part 2]

My memory became a blur after that.

I was placed in a wooden crate, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a cabin, which I believed was inside a ship.

Then, another battle began.

I could hear explosions around me. I felt hopeful because I thought that my rescuers had arrived.

For a brief moment, I thought I heard Millie's voice. But several minutes later, the fighting ended.

My hope waned as we journeyed far out to the sea.

I knew that with every hour that passed, the lower the chances of me being saved became. There was even a time when I thought that I would never see my family again, but it didn't last because I was aware that I was a valuable hostage and my father would pay a great price for my return.

I felt ashamed of myself when the image of my proud, honorable, and loving father bowing his head to terrorists for my sake, filled my mind.

I hated it.

I HATED IT!

Then suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the entire ship.

Two of the Rankers that were guarding me left the room and ran to the deck of the ship. Several minutes later, the sound of cannons being fired reverberated in the surroundings.

Everything was in chaos, and the only thing I could hear were the sounds of explosions being set off all around us.

Then it happened.

The wall of my room exploded and several Wind Blades passed before my eyes.

There was only one person that I knew who would risk her life to save me, and that was none other than Millie. She was my Protector, who was always with me no matter how difficult the situation was.

Half a minute later, I saw her enter the room through the destroyed wall and fight against the Ranker who was guarding me.

One of their Dark Faction's members, a Dwarf lady who seemed to be in her early twenties, grabbed me and took me into the hallway.

The entire ship was shaking due to the relentless attacks that were hitting it from all sides.

"If you want to escape, listen closely to what I am going to tell you and listen well. You will be devoured by a Slime, but don't resist. My Master is waiting on the other side."

That was what the scarlet-haired lady said to me as she carried me in her arms.

"Who is your Master?" I asked because I was genuinely curious about who that person was.

"You'll meet him soon enough. Make sure to tell him that he shouldn't order me to do anything unreasonable in the future."

Then, the Harrus named Ranker appeared, and for a brief moment, my heart skipped a beat. I thought that I would be used as a hostage to force those who wished to rescue me to compromise.

Just as I was lamenting my bad luck, the Ranker was pulled down towards the bottom of the ship, disappearing right before my eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, the scarlet-haired lady then jumped over the hole that the Ranker created, and tossed me towards the baby Slime that I played with back at the Baron's house.

Yes. This was the Slime that belonged to Sir Lucien. The one who Millie had said was a probationary member of the Order of the Griffin.

An organization that belonged solely to the King and carried out his will without fail.

Just as the scarlet-haired lady had instructed me, I didn't resist when the Slime devoured me. It was then when I found myself in pitch-black darkness.

It was so dark that I couldn't help but feel fear. However, the darkness didn't last long.

One moment I was in total darkness, the next moment I found myself being cradled by two strong arms.

When I raised my head to look at the person carrying me, I saw the man who went by the name Lucien.

At least, that was what he said his name was. However, Millie and I both knew that this wasn't his real name.

Then, the realization hit me.

I was saved.

And the one who saved me was none other than this chubby human, whose strong arms that were carrying me made me feel safe.

​ Suddenly, I heard an explosion not far from me, and a tower of water erupted from the sea.

Then, I saw him.

The Ranker named Harrus, and he was looking at Sir Lucien with bloodshot eyes.

"It is you! You're the one responsible for all of this mess!"

For a brief moment, I felt Sir Lucien's body stiffen, but this stiffness immediately went away as he gazed at the Ranker whose killing intent was oozing out of his body.

"Die!"

The Ranker named Harrus charged at us back then. I subconsciously closed my eyes and buried my head into Sir Lucien's chest. I knew that the one holding me in his arms right now was only an Apostle.

An Apostle had no chance of winning against a Ranker.

I feared that the next time I opened my eyes, the one who tried to save me would be dead.

"Y-You Bastard!"

Hearing Harrus' voice filled with surprise and hatred, I opened my eyes and looked up just in time to see the sneer on Sir Lucien's face.

"I will not lose to this petty trick!"

Harrus shouted, and took a step forward. He succeeded, but it only lasted for a second as his body slowly backed away as if he was being pulled by something.

"Your name, Boy?!"

The Ranker asked, and I could tell that he planned to engrave Sir Lucien's name to his memory, so that he could kill him at a later time.

'No! You mustn't tell him your name!'

That was the thought that passed through my head at that moment. However, before I could form my thoughts into words, Sir Lucien opened his lips and gave him an answer.

"Randolph. My name is Randolph."

Randolph? I almost laughed out loud after hearing such a silly name. I almost felt sorry for this person because I knew that the Ranker with reddish-brown hair would look for him, thinking that he was Sir Lucien.

'I see,' I thought. 'He has this childish side to him.'

"Randolph? Good!" Harrus growled in anger. "I'll remember you! The next time we meet, you're dead!"

Oh, Mr. Ranker, do you still not realize that Sir Lucien is merely teasing you? I was tempted to say this out loud, but in order to protect my savior, I decided to cover my lips, just in case I laughed out loud due to my savior's shamelessness.

Again, I uttered a silent prayer in my heart to whoever this Randolph was. Sir Lucien also had this mean side to him.

No good… for some reason, I find myself strongly attracted to his daring personality.

Several minutes after that incident, the ship I was on finally left the scene.

I had been successfully rescued and was currently being carried by two strong arms, which made me feel as if they could carry me all my life.

Unfortunately, this blissful moment didn't last because Sir Lucien handed me over to Millie, whose face was covered in tears.

Although I was happy that my loyal retainer had come to save me, I wished that she could have waited for five… no, two more minutes before she made her appearance.

That way, I would still be held by those two strong arms and be close enough to hear the heartbeat of the person who had devised a plan to save me from my captors.

All my life, I had seen many handsome young men among the ones that tried to ask for my hand in marriage.

Even though the person who I reluctantly parted with wasn't good looking, was fat, and was a Human, I felt that it wouldn't be so bad to have him by my side, so that he could keep me in his embrace forever.

No matter what he looked like, no matter what his race was, it would not change the fact that he was there when I needed him the most.

He was none other than…

The first person who truly made her heart skip a beat, not out of fear, but a feeling that made her long for a human's touch.

Chapter 407 Return To Wolfpine Barony [Part 1]

"Millie, I must go now," Lux said. "You already know the reason why. Please, take the Princess back to the Capital City to keep her safe. I must return to the Wolfpine Barony as soon as possible and deal with the unfinished business waiting for me there."

Millie nodded her head in understanding. "Be careful. I will also ask his Majesty to send some help."

The moment Black Pearl returned to the damaged port of the City of Watford, Lux bid goodbye to the green-haired Dwarf and Princess Anastasia.

Now that the princess had been successfully rescued, the Adventurer's Guild would personally escort her back to the Capital City to reunite with her family.

Princess Anastasia had already thanked Lux for saving her life and was reluctant to see him go.

In truth, she wanted to invite the chubby teenager back to the Royal Palace so that her father could reward him personally, but according to Millie, her savior still had something very important to do in Wolfpine Barony that needed his immediate attention.

The Princess watched as Lux summoned his mount, Jed, and left the City of Watford alongside Cai and Keane.

"Millie, is the reason why Sir Lucien rejected my invitation to go back to the Capital City of Aeronwen that important?" Princess Anastasia asked. "Is it more important than meeting the King and getting his rewards for saving me?"

"Yes, Princess," Millie replied. "Actually, I am not supposed to tell you this, but Lucien is doing something in order to help save our kingdom. In fact, the thing he is going to face in the Wolfpine of Barony would make all the Rankers of Twilight Rain that kidnapped you look like a joke."

Princess Anastasia's eyes widened in shock after hearing Millie's reply. Since her sworn protectors had sworn their loyalty to her, she believed the green-haired Dwarf was telling her the truth.

"Tell me. What is happening in the Wolfpine Barony aside from the drought?" Princess Anastasia inquired. "Tell me everything that you know and make sure to not leave out even the smallest of details."

Millie felt conflicted, but knowing how serious her Princess was, she decided to tell her what Lux had told her, as well as what she had seen in the Dark Plains.

While this was happening, Lux had just left the city gates and was traveling in haste to return to the Wolfpine Barony, where the Monster of Ruin was currently headed.

—-------

< Optional Quest COMPLETED! >

< Rescue the Princess of Gweliven! >

Mision Rating: S

< Rewards >

+200 Free Stat Points

+5,000 Points to Body Constitution

100,000 Gold Coins

< Additional Rewards >

+1,000 Reputation Points to the Kingdom of Gweliven

– A gift personally given by the King of the Kingdom of Gweliven

—-----

'Not bad,' Lux thought when he saw the rewards he gained after saving the Princess from the members of Twilight Rain.

'For the time being, I'll just pump the 200 Free Stat Points to Intelligence. The skill, Skeleton Make, is a very flexible skill, but it requires a lot of Mana. I still need to conduct experiments on how else I can use it in the future.'

After experiencing what the skill, Skeleton Make, could do, Lux decided to conjure possible combinations, like the Skeleton Grand Cannon which he could use as a long distance attack that could deal devastating damage.

There was also the Skeleton Ship that they had used to follow the Merchant Ship under the sea, which proved to be a very good decision.

The Half-Elf then opened his status page, as well as his Body Constitution Page to check his progress.

—-----

Name: Lux Von Kaizer

Age: 16

Race: Half-Elf

Rank: Grade A Apostle

Health: 113,000 / 113,000

Mana: 42,500 / 42,500

Strength: 450

Intelligence: 650

Vitality: 460

Agility: 400

Dexterity: 400

—-----

< Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy >

Rating: D+

Progress: (6,000 / 40,000)

—-----

Back then, Lux's stats looked extremely pitiful. But now, all of his parameters had reached the 400 mark, making him an inch closer to the next Rank, which was Initiate.

The Initiate rank required a minimum of 5,000 combined Stat Points to reach it, which many considered as the wall that blocked them from becoming a Ranker.

Not everyone could step into the Realm of Rankers because, once you became an Initiate, experience points could only be gained from Rank 4 and above Beast Cores.

Any Beast Core whose rank was lower than Rank 4 would only give 1 EXP at most and was only useful in learning skills.

This was why many had a hard time advancing in order to become a Ranker because hunting Rank 4 Beasts wasn't an easy task, even for someone that had stepped into the Initiate Rank.

Beasts were inherently stronger than humans, and a Rank 4 Beast would require a team of Grade A Apostles in order to be defeated safely.

'I'm halfway there,' Lux thought as he looked at his stats. 'After this mission in the Wolfpine Barony is over, I'll visit the floating island, Karshvar Draconis, and build my Guild Headquarters. Sir Nevreal will be the one paying for its construction, so I could choose the second to the most expensive option…'

The second most expensive option, which cost ten million gold coins, would allow Lux to build a Guild Headquarters made of marble.

The most expensive option was a hundred million gold coins, and the Half-Elf knew that if he asked the middle-aged dwarf to give him this amount of money, there was a high chance that Nevreal would go berserk and hack him to pieces.

Ten million gold coins was already an astronomical sum for the Half-Elf, so he couldn't possibly ask for more… at least, for the time being.

The Half-Elf also glanced at the remaining time he had to return Clyde to the Wolfpine Barony to complete his most important mission.

The Baron's Second Son was currently tied up and was riding with Keane on his Warg.

Clyde was still sleeping because the Half-Elf didn't dispel the sleeping spell that was cast on him by the Rankers of Twilight Rain.

To keep it safe, the Half-Elf decided to keep the Dwarf asleep until they returned to the Wolfpine Barony.

—-----

Mission Time: 8: 24: 10

—-----

'With the time remaining, we will barely arrive at the Border of the Barony,' Lux thought. 'Maybe I should have asked Millie to carry us instead.'

As the Half-Elf thought about the green-haired Dwarf, he felt a strong gust of wind from above his head, making him look up.

"Millie and Princess Anastasia?" Lux frowned. "What are the two of you doing here?"

Princess Anastasia looked at the chubby teenager before shifting her gaze to Clyde, who was still tied up with a rope.

After hearing the full details from Millie, the Princess almost cursed herself for bringing the Baron's Second Son to the Capital City, which would ultimately make the Creature of Ruin follow him.

As a member of the Royal Family, she was well-aware of the history of the Kingdom, especially about the Monsters of Ruin that were scattered around the Arondight Territory.

Within the Kingdom of Gweliven, the giant Seven-Headed Dog, Teju Jagua, which was one of the four Monsters of Ruin, had the ability to suck up the life of the land around it, turning it into a wasteland.

If such a Beast were allowed to wander freely across the Kingdom of Gweliven, the Princess knew that her people would suffer unprecedented hardship if she didn't do anything to help stop its advance.

"We are going to take you to the Wolfpine Barony as fast as we can, Sir Lucien," Princess Anastasia said as she hovered in the air with the help of Millie's power. Unfortunately, we can't bring all of you there. However, since time is of the essence, Sir Lucien and Clyde will come with me.

"With Millie's help, we will be able to reach our destination in time, and still have room to spare before the Creature of Ruin arrives."

Lux nodded after hearing the Princess' words. That was indeed the fastest mean they could use to return to the barony.

"Cai, Keane, I'll go on ahead," Lux said. "I'll wait for you in the Barony, so please, do your best to arrive in time."

Cai and Keane nodded in understanding.

Traveling on land took too much time, so it would be a lot faster if Lux traveled in the air with Millie and the Princess.

Without another word, the chubby teenager grabbed the sleeping Clyde and signaled Millie that he was ready.

"Bye bye!" Eiko waved at Cai, Keane, and Fei Fei on the ground as she and her Papa floated in the air.

"Bye bye!" Fei Fei replied as she jumped in place on top of Cai's head.

A moment later, the Half-Elf, Eiko, Clyde, Millie, and Princess Anastasia soared into the sky, headed towards the Wolfpine Barony.

Chapter 408 Return To Wolfpine Barony [Part 2]

Because Millie was still tired from the battle, they weren't able to fly at a very fast rate. However, it was swift enough.

Lux believed that, within the eight remaining hours, they would arrive at Dunspear City, where the Baron's Residence was located, in time.

Seeing the Half-Elf carrying the sleeping Clyde in his arms made Princess Anastasia frown a bit.

Right now, she was being carried by Millie in a princess carry as they soared across the sky headed towards the Baron's territory.

In truth, the Princess wanted to propose that she swap places with Clyde, allowing herself to be carried by the chubby teenager.

But, knowing the crisis that her Kingdom was about to face, she decided to set this selfish thought aside.

'There will be plenty of opportunities in the future,' Princess Anastasia thought.

Since she was a Princess of the Kingdom, she would just use her authority to create opportunities for him to pamper her.

Due to the urgency of the situation, none of them had the chance to talk as they continued their journey.

Princess Anastasia had asked the Adventurers from the Adventurer's Guild to head to Wolfpine Barony in order to serve as reinforcements, just in case something out of the ordinary happened.

After completing their mission, Keelan and his comrades were about to disband and return to their own hometowns, but after hearing the Princess' request, they decided to take a detour, and assist her one more time.

Keelan, who had already been informed by Lux about the Creature of Ruin, decided to convince his people to do as the Princess asked.

However, he insisted that they should be given additional compensation because they would treat the Princess' orders as a direct commission to the Adventurer's Guild.

Princess Anastasia didn't bat an eye and agreed to their request. It wasn't her money that would be used to pay the Adventurer's Guild, so she was fine with that. She would just collect the payment from the Baron, or from her father, and cite that this was an emergency request that concerned the safety of the Kingdom.

If what Millie told her was real, then the Adventurers would not hesitate to help them because once the Monster of Ruin rampaged across the land, their livelihoods would be affected as well.

Seven and a half hours later, an exhausted Millie landed on the outskirts of Dunspear City at Lux's request.

He knew that bringing Clyde back to the Baron's house was a bad idea, so they agreed to just hide him somewhere for the time being until the Monster of Ruin arrived.

The Half-Elf passed the sleeping Clyde to Eiko, who unceremoniously devoured him for safekeeping.

The Half-Elf then rented a big room in an inn, while Millie and Princess Anastasia put on robes with hoods to cover their faces.

Only after they were safely inside the room did the two Dwarves take them off.

"Let's rest for now," Lux proposed before glancing at the remaining time on his mission. "We don't know what will happen later. There is still an hour left before the Monster of Ruin arrives."

—-----

Mission Time: 1: 14: 37

—-----

The Half-Elf opened the window and stared towards the North.

He could see the dark clouds in the distance, which meant that the monster of Ruin was close.

"Sir Lucien, I have something to ask," Princess Anastasia said as she sat on top of the bed. "Millie told me that her Master said that the latest member of the Order of the Griffon was a Half-Elf and not a Human. Are you perhaps hiding your true identity?"

Lux glanced at the adorable Princess before nodding his head.

"Yes," Lux answered. "I am indeed hiding my true identity."

After receiving Millie's help, Lux felt that it was fine to share this bit of information with them since they were currently temporary allies.

The green-haired Dwarf was the disciple of one of the members of the Order, so it was only natural for her to know some information about him.

"Then, are you using some kind of artifact to hide your true looks?" Princess Anastasia asked. "If possible, I want to see what you really look like."

"Is there even a need for that?" Lux asked back. "Also, Twilight Rain is looking for me. It will be best if I don't show my true appearance right now."

Princess Anastasia pouted.

"We are not members of Twilight Rain, and you are my benefactor," Princess Anastasia insisted. "Your secret is safe with me."

Lux sighed before glancing in Millie's direction.

After seeing that Lux was asking for her opinion, the green-haired Dwarf nodded her head.

"Although your employer and her Highness are currently competing, it doesn't change the fact that we owe you a great debt," Millie stated. "We will not do anything to jeopardize your identity. Also, I am very curious about what you truly looked like. Just this once, I want to see the real face of the person who helped save Her Highness, so I can repay this favor in the future. I won't be able to do that if I didn't know your real face, right?"

Lux couldn't come up with any reason to refute the green-haired Dwarf because she had indeed helped him a lot on this mission.

Also, he didn't know what would happen in the future, and having a Ranker become indebted to him wasn't a bad idea.

"Okay," Lux finally agreed. "But, you have to promise me one thing. No matter what happens, you will not spread my information to other people. Right now, Twilight Rain thinks that I am dead. It should stay that way until I am strong enough to let them know that I am still alive and kicking."

Princess Anastasia and Millie nodded their heads and promised Lux to not divulge his information.

"Actually, my true name is not Lucien, but Lux," Lux said as he took off his mask, undoing his current transformation. "And this is what I truly looked like."

Princess Anastasia's face turned beet red after seeing the handsome Half-Elf look at her with a smile. Even Millie, who didn't expect Lux to be a good looking teenager, blinked a few times just to confirm that she wasn't seeing things.

'He looks like a Prince,' Princess Anastasia thought as she looked at the Half-Elf with a flushed face. 'Although our race is different, I think I can convince my father to…'

The Princess started to get lost in her fantasy as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who was responsible for devising a plan to save her.

Millie, on the other hand, just nodded her head before telling Lux that he could put his mask on again.

"Thank you for your trust," Millie said. "In the future, if you ever need my help, just ask. I will not hesitate to offer you my assistance in order to repay the debt that I owe you."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Lux replied. "I always find myself in situations similar to this, so having a Ranker's help is greatly appreciated."

The corner of Millie's lips twitched when he heard that Lux always found himself in tricky situations such as this.

"...Do you always attract Calamity-Ranked Disasters?" Millie asked. If someone were to listen closely to the tone of her voice, they would hear the faint traces of anxiety and regret in her voice.

"Not always," Lux replied as he put on his Mask of Thousand Faces. He was so close to answering Yes to Millie's question. Fortunately, he managed to stop himself at the last minute, making Millie breathe a sigh of relief.

For the green-haired Dwarf, the Princess' kidnapping on top of the Calamity-Ranked Monster of Ruin was already a very big deal.

If Lux were to admit that he often found himself in trouble, Millie might take her offer back, making him lose a dependable ally in the future.

Half an hour later, a thunderous roar reverberated in the skies above Dunspear City, making Princess Anastasia jump up from the bed in fright and run towards Lux, clinging onto him.

At first, Lux wanted to pry the Princess' hands from his robes, but after he saw that her body was trembling, he had no choice but to pat her head and assure her that everything was going to be fine.

Millie walked towards where Lux was standing before looking out of the window.

Strong gusts of wind were blowing in the surroundings, and thunder and lightning rampaged in the sky, forcing the people outdoors to seek shelter.

"Is it here?" Millie asked Lux with a voice that was almost akin to a whisper. She still couldn't forget the instinctive fear that she felt when she saw the seven-headed dog monster, making her subconsciously clench her fist due to anxiety.

Lux narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the blurry figure that seemed to be covered by a thick mist that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shrouding the entire city.

The Half-Elf might not be able to see the seven-headed dog, but he could hear its steady steps in the distance. He knew that it was only a matter of time before it arrived.

Princess Anastasia had never seen the Monster of Ruin before, but due to the nature of her powers, she was quite sensitive to everything that was dangerous to living things.

She couldn't stop her body from shuddering as she buried her face in Lux's waist, hoping that her savior would be able to deal with the current situation and stop the Monster of Ruin from turning her Kingdom into a wasteland.

Chapter 409 Seven-Headed Calamity [Part 1]

"Listen to me, and listen very closely," Lux said as he stared at the ominous scene outside the window while gently patting Princess Anastasia's head. "No matter what happens, you mustn't attack the Creature of Ruin. Do you understand, Your Highness, Millie?"

Princess Anastasia, who had buried her head in Lux's waist, nodded her head in understanding.

Millie also replied with a brief nod to indicate that she understood. As a Disciple of one of the members of the Order of the Griffin, she had the opportunity to meet one of the two Saints of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

She had felt how strong a Saint was back then, but after seeing the Monster of Ruin, she felt like she would rather offend a Saint than offend a creature like that.

'Cai, Keane, where are you guys?' Lux asked using the guild chat function.

Now that the timer of his mission was less than half an hour, he assumed that Cai and Keane should have already entered the border of the Wolfpine Barony.

'It will take us at least an hour to reach the city,' Cai replied. 'But, I can see dark clouds in the distance. Also, my instincts are telling me that I should stay away no matter what.'

'I also sense something very powerful in the distance,' Keane replied. 'Are you sure we are going to be fine?'

Lux wanted to tell them that everything was going to be fine, but even he was feeling that he should run away as far as he could.

If not for the fact that his life depended on it, he would have already escaped the Wolfpine Barony alongside his friends and the Princess, who was shivering non-stop while holding onto him.

'The two of you are still cursed, so it is best that you come here as fast as you could for the curse to be lifted,' Lux explained. 'Also, remember what we talked about earlier. No matter what happens, do not attack the Monster. Keane, if Cai does anything stupid due to panic, just knock it unconscious, okay?'

'How barbaric!' Cai exclaimed. 'Do you really think I'm stupid? I already told you that I only bully the weak and fear the strong. Something like that creature who is stronger than my Gramps is way out of my league!'

'Okay, I'll knock this pig out if it does something stupid,' Keane replied.

'Hello? Little Swordy. I'm a Boar, not a Pig! Get your facts straight.'

'Okay, Pig.'

'Kuh! I made sure that you are well-fed, yet you still developed the gall to talk back to me!'

'Huh? I think you're reversing the situation. Who do you think always pays when we go to restaurants? You're the one that is well-fed, you leech.'

'I'm a Boar, okay?'

'Just shut up.'

The Half-Elf couldn't help but smile when he heard the bickering of his friends. It somehow took his mind off the approaching calamity in front of him, giving him an opportunity to regain his composure.

Eiko, who was perched on top of his head, was shivering as well, just like Princess Anastasia.

Clearly, she could tell how powerful the beast was because of her own Monster instincts.

"Eiko, release Clyde," Lux ordered.

Eiko nodded and spat out the Baron's second son, who was still tied up by a rope. Now that there was less than half an hour remaining, there was no way in hell that the Dwarf playboy would be able to run away.

—---------

< Emergency Quest! >

< Whisper of Ruin >

Mission Rating: SSS

< Quest Objective >

– Find the Baron's second son and stop him from leaving Wolfpine Barony within the next 72 hours.

– Do not attack the Creature of Ruin. The quest will automatically fail if you or any of your members harm the creature in any way possible.

—----

< Mission Rewards >

– The Curse of Ruin will be lifted.

– Your lives will be spared.

—---------

Mission Time: 00: 18: 21

—---------

Suddenly, a loud roar spread in the surroundings, causing the gust of wind that was blowing down on the city to intensify.

It was at that moment when Lux finally saw it.

Amidst the Dark Mists that grew thicker every passing minute, he saw several glowing orbs, which he believed were the eyes of the seven-headed dog monster, Teju Jagua.

"Millie, take care of the Princess," Lux said as he coaxed the Princess who was clinging to him as if her life depended on it. "Princess, stay with Millie. You will be safer with her. I still have things I need to do."

"Princess, Lux is right," Millie stated. "Please, come here."

Without waiting for Princess Anastasia's reply, the green-haired Dwarf pried the princess' hands away from Lux and pulled her back towards the bed.

Lux then gave Millie a brief nod before grabbing the tied up Dwarf and jumping out of the window.

The Half-Elf then equipped his Favonius Battle Regalia, which he had inherited from the founder of Leaf Village, Favonius.

Eiko remained on top of Lux's head, fighting off the fear she was feeling, as the Half-Elf flew in the direction where the glowing eyes were located.

"Hoh… What's this? A Half-Elf?"

A voice filled with amusement spread in the surroundings.

Perhaps, knowing that Lux was heading in its direction, the black mists that covered the surroundings thinned, allowing the Half-Elf to see the monster of Ruin whose seven heads were looking on his body as if he was something delicious.

"It has been a while since I've seen a Half-Elf."

"It has been hundreds of years since I ate one. I wonder if this one tastes the same as the one we ate in the past."

"Do you even have time to taste them? As far as I know, you just devour them whole."

"Hahaha! You got that part right. They are so small that I can't even taste them properly."

Four of the Seven Heads were talking among themselves, while the three heads looked at him with a sleepy gaze.

'It seems like this monster is still not fully awake,' Lux thought as he landed on the rampart of the City Wall.

He didn't know if the Monster of Ruin would break through the city's protective wall in order to get Clyde, but to ensure that no other people would get hurt, the Half-Elf decided to meet it halfway, as he held the dwarf in his hands firmly.

"I brought the person you are looking for," Lux said as he held his ground, showing Clyde's face to the Seven-headed Dog whose heads were talking among themselves.

"Oh?"

One of the Giant Dog's heads took a closer look to see the Dwarf in Lux's hands.

"Well, he matches the description that our new Master gave us. Is this the boy we are looking for?"

"There's no rush. The Master is almost here," one of the heads replied. "We will know once he gets here."

As if waiting for that cue, a giant black eagle descended from the sky. Mounted on its back were two people.

One was covered with a black robe, preventing Lux from seeing what they looked like, and the other was a female Dwarf, whom Lux believed to be in her early twenties.

The moment she saw the tied up Clyde, an expression of hate, tinted with excitement, appeared on her pretty face, making the Half-Elf shudder subconsciously. He instinctively felt something ominous about the Dwarf lady, whose gaze had locked on to the Dwarf in his hands.

"I told you I'd be back, didn't I, Clyde?" the lady dwarf said with a smile that was borderline crazy. However, her smile disappeared when she realized that the tied up dwarf wasn't conscious.

"What did you do to him?!" the lady dwarf shouted hatefully at Lux. "Did you kill him?!"

"Calm down, young miss," the black-robed man spoke. "He is not dead. Just under a sleeping spell."

The black-robed man snapped his finger, creating a crisp and clear sound that woke up Clyde, who had been sleeping all this time.

"Wher–Hiiii!" Clyde glanced at his surroundings, but immediately froze in place after seeing the Giant Seven-Headed Dog in front of him.

"Clyde, you're finally awake!" the lady Dwarf said. "Did you miss me? Because I've missed you a lot!"

"D-Dora… No!" shouted Clyde, who recognized the Dwarf lady who had been exiled from the Barony due to her claim of getting pregnant with his child.

She reappeared in front of him, however, unlike before, the Dwarf lady had a crazed smile on her face, making Clyde regret taking advantage of her when she was still innocent and ignorant with the ways of the world and love.

Chapter 410 Seven-Headed Calamity [Part 2]

"No? What are you talking about, Clyde?" Dora asked. "Are you saying that you didn't miss me?"

"I-I missed you!" Clyde replied because he had a feeling that if he replied otherwise, he would die a very miserable death.

"Really?"

"Yes! I missed you very much. In fact, I am regretting my decision to toss you aside. If only I took responsibility after getting you pregnant, then the three of us, along with our child, would have lived very happy lives."

The crazed smile disappeared on Dora's face as she stared at the Baron's second son with a serene gaze.

For some reason, Lux could feel that the current Dora is more dangerous than the one that he had seen before. It was as if the crazed smile earlier was just a facade of something more sinister that hid within the depths of her heart.

"Did you regret that time when we lost our child?" Dora asked calmly.

Clyde nodded desperately as if it was his last chance to appeal to that innocent teenage girl, whom he had tricked to spend the night with him a few years ago.

"Of course!" Clyde answered. "That was my child. How could I possibly not regret its death?"

"But you are the reason why he is dead, you know? You were the one that killed our firstborn son."

"I am truly sorry for what happened. Please, allow me to make it up to you! I will do anything. I swear that I will love you, and only you!"

Lux then saw a smile appear on Dora's face.

Although the pretty Dwarf was smiling, it gave him a feeling of sadness and heartache.

It was the smile of someone who had lost someone very important to them. And this was true for her, as she lost the child she had protected inside her body for several months.

This was the first time that Lux had seen such a smile, and for a brief moment, he could see the true feelings inside Dora's heart, which no one had seen since she had disappeared from Wolfpine Barony.

"Words are cheap, Clyde," Dora said calmly. "But, don't worry. I forgive you."

"R-Really?" Clyde looked at the pretty Dwarf with a hopeful gaze, as if he had been spared from the death penalty.

As long as he could survive his current predicament, he was willing to say anything, do anything, even tell her words that he didn't really mean.

The Baron's second son would, of course, abandon Dora as soon as the Monster with seven heads, who was looking at him with amusement, disappeared from his sight.

"Yes, I will forgive you," Dora said as she once again gave Clyde a very sweet smile that made the hairs on the back of Lux's neck stand on end.

"Thank you!" Clyde shouted. "I promise this time I will do it right! We will live as a happy family. As for the child we lost, don't worry! I can give you as many children as you want. We can build a big family together!"

"...Right." Dora nodded. "Since you want to be with me so badly, then I guess I have no choice but to accept it, right?"

One of the heads of the Seven-Headed Dog laughed.

Suddenly, Clyde's body froze in place before it slowly rose up from the ground.

Clyde wanted to scream, but no voice came out of his mouth. He flew helplessly towards the head that laughed at him, unable to close his eyes even if he wanted to.

When Clyde's and the Dog's eyes met, the dwarf's body shuddered once before a calm and infatuated look appeared on his face.

The ropes that bound him split apart, and the Baron's second son shifted his gaze to Dora, who was looking at him with a smile on her face.

"My love," Clyde said. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I've hurt you very much."

Clyde's green eyes had turned purple, and he looked lovingly at the young lady whom he had tossed aside almost a year ago.

"Mmm, don't worry, I forgive you," Dora said as he reached out to the Baron's second son, who would now live and die for her sake. "Since you wanted to be with me so much, I guess I have no choice but to accept you, right?"

"I'm sorry, my Love. I promise to dedicate everything to you from this day onwards."

"I'm sure you will… I'm sure you will."

Lux clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms in order to keep himself sane as he watched the scene in front of his eyes.

He knew that Clyde had been stripped of his freedom and will for the rest of his life, due to whatever the monster had done to him.

"I love happy endings," One of the monster's heads said before glancing down at Lux with its crimson eyes. "Don't you agree, Half-Elf?"

Lux forced himself to nod, and agree to the monster's words. He was afraid that if he didn't, he would suffer the same fate as Clyde, who would now live and die according to Dora's will.

Dora, who was now hugging the Baron's second son, shifted her gaze to the Half-Elf, who was ready to flee at any moment.

"You are the one that brought Clyde to me," Dora said. "What reward do you want?"

The lady dwarf smiled at Lux, but it never reached her eyes. It was as if she was just promising him a reward, when in fact, she didn't plan on giving him anything.

Even so, Lux forced himself to talk. He knew that if he didn't, he would regret not saying anything at a later time.

"My life," Lux said through gritted teeth. "As well as the life of my friends, and the people of this city."

Dora's eyes widened in surprise after hearing Lux's words. However, this surprise didn't last for long before a chuckle escaped her lips.

A moment later, this chuckle turned into laughter.

A crazy laughter that spread across the entire city, making the blood of those who heard it turn cold.

"I think that is an appropriate reward," Dora replied with a smile. "What are the names of your friends?"

Lux then said Cai's, Keane's, Princess Anastasia's, Millie's, and the Adventurer Guildmaster's name. He wanted to say more names, but Dora's face was telling him that adding more would make her make her promise null and void.

"Very well, the names of the people you said will be spared," Dora stated. "As for the rest…"

Four of the seven dog heads opened their mouths and unleashed a breath attack that instantly obliterated everything it touched.

In just a span of a second, half of the city was already destroyed and turned into ruins.

Screams, cries for help, curses, and wailing reverberated in the surroundings as the smile on Dora's face widened. It was as if she was enjoying the death and destruction around her, making her pretty face contort into something hideous.

"All of you will accompany my child to the Underworld!" Dora shouted as the four Heads once again unleashed a breath attack, destroying the parts of the town that had survived its earlier strike.

At that moment, a green-haired Dwarf soared towards the skies, holding the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven in her arms.

One of the Dogs shifted its gaze on Millie and Princess Anastasia, and was about to unleash an attack to kill them. But, the black-robed man spoke out, preventing it from doing what it was supposed to do.

"Don't kill those two," the black-robed man said. "They are two of the people that he mentioned earlier."

The Dog Head clicked its tongue before shifting its gaze on the part of the city that hadn't been destroyed yet.

From the very start, they had no intention of letting anyone in Dunspear City survive for it was the promise they made to Dora, who had helped them unlock the seals that bound their main body.

—---------

< Emergency Quest - Completed! >

< Whisper of Ruin >

Mission Rating: SSS

< Rewards >

– The Curse of Ruin will be lifted.

– Your lives will be spared.

—---------

Lux felt conflicted after seeing the completion of the mission.

He, Millie, and Princess Anastasia had survived, but everyone in the city had been killed without mercy by the Monster of Ruin, which was known as a walking Calamity.

The Half-Elf pondered if there was another way he could have salvaged the situation, but after everything that happened, he knew that there was really nothing he could do aside from plead for his life, his friends' lives, as well as the lives of Princess Anastasia and Millie.

Suddenly, a series of words appeared in front of Lux, which made him bite his lip due to helpness and frustration.

He didn't expect that things would turn out this way, but after seeing the next quest that appeared in front of him, he felt as if he had lost the ability to breathe for a brief moment.

—---------

< Optional Quest Activated! >

< Destroy One Of The Head of Ruin! >

Mission Rating: SSS

– Now that it has been revived, the Creature of Ruin will hide for the time being to fully recover its powers.

– While it is still in its weakened state, destroy one of its heads in order to delay its complete revival.

– This quest is optional. You have the right to accept or reject it.

< Rewards >

+10,000 Free Stat Points

+500,000 Body Constitution Points

+100,000 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation points.

– 200,000,000 Gold Coins

– Gaining 100,000 Reputation Points in one territory will give you the status of "Reverence," making your influence, and authority, second only to the ruler of that territory.

—---------

< Will you accept this quest? >

< Yes / No >