Ch. 471: Chapter 471-480
Chapter 471 Taking Care Of Future Problems
Just a little over twenty thousand soldiers.
That was the number of soldiers that General Fahad had under his command, including those that had been injured during the battle that happened a few hours ago.
They might have won, but the losses they suffered were truly high, and they barely had enough men to defend their territory.
Because of this, they asked for the Main Camp to send some soldiers their way in order to take the prisoners back to the Main Yelan Headquarters, where they would be imprisoned.
Lux and his friends took this opportunity to get their well-deserved rest, and all of them woke up just past noon time.
Before resting, the Half-Elf had told General Fahad in private that General Phobus and his Vice General were dead, which made the Yelan General breathe a little easier.
As long as he and Benjamin were there to defend the Eastern Quarter, they would be able to hold it—but that was also as long as the enemy didn't send any other Generals with Rankers to their side.
When General Fahad asked if it was possible for Lux to give General Phobus' and Second's bodies to them as trophies of the war, the Half-Elf firmly rejected their request.
Naturally, the Yelan General tried to bribe him with great rewards, but the red-headed teenager was adamant in keeping the dead bodies of the two Rankers with him, so General Fahad could only give up in the end.
As a Necromancer, he had a lot of uses for the corpses of the two Rankers, allowing him to bolster his forces for the next campaigns against the Ammarian Army.
When Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock heard of the great achievement that Lux and General Fahad had made in the Eastern Battlefield, the two of them praised them to the high heavens.
They also immediately mobilized over 5,000 troops to march towards the Eastern Front to take the Prisoners, in addition to sending necessary supplies to the Eastern Encampment, which had suffered greatly from the war.
"Three more battlefields remain," Lux looked at the information that was available to him.
—---------
Forest Campaign Ammarian General - Revon
Mountain Campaign Ammarian General - Herodes
Plains Campaign Ammarian General - Gideon
—---------
On their way to the Marshlands, they had come across some border guards that were fighting in the Glouswell Forest that belonged to General Carran of the Yelan Kingdom.
His opponent on that battlefield was General Revon of the Ammarian Army, and based on the provided information, the Ammarian General was a seasoned warrior in his early fifties.
Unlike General Phobus, General Revon was said to be an Instinctual General, and was known for his ability to foil any strategies that were aimed at him.
Because of this, the General that Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock had placed to contend against him was the fiercest General of the Yelan Kingdom, and that was none other than General Carran.
According to the information that General Fahad shared with Lux, General Carran was the strongest warrior in the Yelan Kingdom and had never been defeated in the past.
Supposedly, General Carran should have been the one stationed at the Great Plains, facing off against the Main Army of the Ammarian Kingdom.
However, the General strongly requested that he be pitted against General Revon. He believed that he was the only one who could counter the unpredictable and powerful General, who was hailed as the strongest Warrior of the Ammarian Kingdom.
It was a battle between two Great Warriors who had risen to their position through many campaigns, earning them the right and reputation to lead tens of thousands of troops in battle, who idolized them.
"Lux, we can't afford to leave this place right now," General Fahad said. "Please, reinforce General Carran and help him defeat General Revon. Right now, the two of them are in a stalemate, but just like what happened here, the Ammarian Army had greater numbers.
"Also, the remnant troops that belonged to General Phobus will definitely go to General Revon, further increasing the army he commands. You are the only one that I can ask to tilt the battle in our favor."
General Fahad bowed his head towards the Half-Elf, who had allowed them to overcome the crisis that they were facing.
"Understood, General," Lux replied. "Please ensure that the people I told you about will not be able to escape from their imprisonment. Although they are my former comrades, we are at war right now. Don't show them any leniency because, believe me, if you give them an opportunity, you will regret it."
General Fahad nodded. "I will guarantee that they will not be able to return to the battlefield again. Even now, I placed powerful shackles on their bodies, preventing them from using any of their abilities. Even a Ranker will not be able to break those shackles easily, so you don't have to worry about them anymore.
"Still, if you think that they will cause future problems, I can dispose of them for you. Don't worry, I promise to be discreet and hide their bodies in a place where it can't be discovered."
Lux shook his head, knowing that if General Fahad really did this, he would suffer a headache when he left the Sacred Dungeon later on.
"You don't have to kill them, General," Lux replied. "They have already surrendered. Although we are on different sides right now, they were still once my comrades, so I will not be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that they died after they have already laid down their arms."
General Fahad looked at the Half-Elf with renewed appreciation because he never thought that Lux would still care for the men that turned their backs on him.
Naturally, the Yelan Commander didn't know the full story, so he was able to think in this manner.
Also, on the way to the Marshlands, Lux had already started to prepare for the battle in the forest.
He knew that if they lost the battle in the Marshlands, the Ammarian Army led by General Phobus, and Second, would target the Yelan Army in Glouswell Forest.
Because of this, he left his two Doppelgangers to handle things for him, in preparation for the possible pincer attack by the two armies.
Fortunately, the worst case scenario didn't happen, which gave Lux the opportunity to use the plan he thought out a few days ago.
'My Doppelgangers have already laid down the foundations,' Lux mused. 'All I need to do is use them at the right moment. Although I'm not sure how I will fare against this Instinctual General, it will be a great learning experience, especially since I'll be facing Rankers who specializes in large-scale battles.'
As a Necromancer, Lux knew that there would come a time when he would command vast hordes of Undead to fight against his foes.
He knew that he wasn't a good General, so he decided to learn from them in order to better understand how others fought on different battlefields.
He believed that his Named Creatures, the members of his Covenant, as well as his Animated Undead Legion, which he still hadn't started, could act as his Commanders in his future battles.
This way, he would be able to wield a force that could threaten not only his enemies, but entire Kingdoms, if they ever tried to step on him using their military might.
Chapter 472 Child, Do You Wish For Power?
Right now, Lux was being suppressed by the Skystead Alliance, the Xynnar Warpact, as well as the Six Kingdoms.
He had been sidelined and blacklisted when it came to taking quests in those territories due to the circumstances that happened in the past.
Because of this, he had no choice but to return to the Kingdom of Gweliven in order to complete quests that would allow him to become stronger.
If not for the Arondight Ring, Lux might have been unable to upgrade his Rank to the next level because none of the territories in the Human Lands welcomed his presence.
'Just you guys wait,' Lux thought. 'Once I become stronger, there is no place I can't go.'
Truth be told, he wanted to be like the Nomadic Rowan Tribe that could move unhindered no matter where they went.
Since the one leading them was a Saint, none of the factions dared to make things difficult for them and allowed them safe passage through their lands.
Lux wanted to have that same power and influence, letting others know that he wasn't a soft persimmon that they could pinch and that attempting so would make him their enemy.
Also, there was the precedent of Memento Mori.
According to the Elysium Compendium, this was an organization that consisted of only powerful Necromancers.
This group had been around for hundreds of years, and no one in their right mind would dare antagonize this group because doing so would be similar to courting death.
'I wonder where that old man is right now,' Lux mused as he thought of the old man that had subjugated the Creature of Ruin and ordered it to obliterate the Wolfpine Barony.
It was a scene that he could never forget. On that day, he had discovered a person that wielded powers, surpassing even his step-father, who was one of the strongest people the Half-Elf had come to know in his life.
For someone to be able to command the Creature of Ruin, which even a dozen Saints couldn't kill, allowed Lux to get a glimpse of what lay beyond the Saint Rank.
Among Monsters, the Rank after the Calamity Rank was called Demigod.
Among Mortals, the Rank after the Saint Rank was called Supreme.
These were the pinnacle existences in the world, and although the Old Man that Lux saw was still not a Supreme, he could feel that the latter was still stronger than his stepfather, Alexander, whom he believed was somewhere in the middle of the Saint Rank.
"Supreme…' Lux sighed. 'I wonder if I will be able to reach that Rank.'
Right now, the Half-Elf's Rank had degraded to the Apostle Rank, which was a great distance away from the Rank that stood at the pinnacle of the world and could decide the fate of entire nations, depending on their whim.
While he was deep in his thoughts, his team had already finished their preparations.
"We're ready to go anytime, Lux," Einar said.
Lux smiled and gazed at his team members who had chosen to side with him despite the awareness that they would suffer penalties by changing their allegiances in the war.
"Good," Lux replied as he gazed in the direction of the Great Forest. "Let's go to our next battlefield. Remember, none of you are allowed to die until we finish our mission. If you die… welp, you will still be in debt, so remember that, okay?"
Lux smirked before summoning his Thunder Warg King, who was now a Rank 4 Monster.
The other members of his team also summoned their mounts, with the exception of Cai, who was proficient in running long distances.
"Forward," Lux ordered as he led his Mercenary Group to their next destination.
None of them knew what kind of battlefield was waiting for them, but one thing was certain…
They would do everything in their power to clear their mission and conquer the Gate of Conquest, once and for all.
—--------
Nero, who had escaped from Lux several hours ago, panted for breath as he leaned his body on a boulder.
Tendrils of black mists oozed around him as he did his best to prevent the Seed of the Abyss from taking hold of his senses.
He knew that if he allowed the Corruption of the Abyss to progress, he would turn into a monster, similar to what happened to Lux when Eiko was killed by the Ranker who had ambushed them at the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.
Back then, he secretly cheered in his heart because he knew that Lux was done for and wouldn't be able to return to his senses.
However, the Crystal Dragon, Keoza, materialized and absorbed the power of the Abyss, giving the Half-Elf an opportunity to regain his reason.
Now, that same predicament was happening to Nero, and he was doing his damn best to prevent himself from turning into the monster that the Half-Elf had once become.
'Do not let this setback break you, Nero,' Nero encouraged himself as he desperately tried to control the Abyssal Corruption to keep it from spreading further inside his body. 'This is just a phase for you to reach your goal. As long as you can overcome this ordeal, you will become more powerful, and will be able to realize your dreams.'
The Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon's Guild, gritted his teeth as he forcefully suppressed the corruption that was spreading in his body.
He was having a hard time doing it because he wasn't in his optimal state.
Even though the injuries he received from his battle with Lux had already healed thanks to the high-quality potions he took, the damage in his soul was something that couldn't be fixed by drinking potions.
It could only recover gradually over time by getting plenty of rest.
Unfortunately, Nero didn't have the leisure to rest as the power that had allowed him to suppress the other prodigies of the same generation threatened to take over his heart, body, and soul.
Just as the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon's Guild was at his wit's end, trying to find ways to overcome his current predicament, a crimson mist spread in his surroundings.
"Child, do you wish for power?"
A man with silver hair, and crimson eyes, asked as he looked at the brown-haired boy, who was on the verge of turning into an Abyssal Monster.
Nero looked at the newcomer, and his eyes lingered on the two crimson horns on the silver-haired man's head, making him subconsciously shudder.
Seeing his reaction, the silver-haired man smiled.
He was someone who shouldn't have appeared in the Gate of Conquest because his Domain could only be explored once the Gate of Conquest, Gate of War, Gate of Famine, and Gate of Death, had all been conquered.
He was the Being that ruled the Domain of the Fallen, and for him, playing with the lives of mortals was simply a pastime.
A way of entertaining himself from his thousands of years of imprisonment.
He had started paying attention to Lux the moment he and his comrades had conquered the Gate of Death.
After the Half-Elf conquered the Gate of War, the Final Boss of the Sacred Dungeon's interest was piqued, making him have the strong urge to see just how far the red-headed teenager could go.
He had realized that Nero bore a strong grudge against Lux, and he thought that this was a good opportunity to use a good tool, which was about to be consumed by the Seed of the Abyss in his heart.
Since he wanted to be entertained, he decided to use a pawn in order to join the war that was currently taking place, and perhaps, find a way for his main body to escape the prison that had bound him for thousands of years.
Chapter 473 Survivors From The Different Factions
"Hah! That spoiled buffoon got himself captured and his troops decimated?" General Revon laughed after receiving the report of his Vice General, who had interviewed the thousands of Ammarian Soldiers who had fled to their Domain due to their defeat in the hands of General Fahad and the Yelan Army.
"General, this is no laughing matter," General Revon's Aide, Ronan, said with a frown. "Our defeat in the Marshlands meant that we have lost one of the battlefields crucial for regaining the territories we have lost."
General Revon snorted before opening a bottle of rum, and drinking it without a care in the world.
Half a minute later, he gave a loud burp before shifting his attention to his Vice General who had a fed up expression on his face.
"Our losses in the Eastern Territories isn't that big of a deal," General Revon replied. "As long as we win our campaign, we can easily attack General Fahad's camp from behind, leaving them no place to escape.
"Although they won their campaign, I doubt they have many soldiers left in their ranks. At the very least, they can simply hold their territory. They don't have the ability to reinforce the other battlefields."
General Revon took another chug of his rum until the bottle was empty. He then placed the bottle on top of the table and gave another loud burp before picking up a roasted chicken leg and eating it with gusto.
Ronan frowned, but he no longer said anything. Just as General Revon said, all they needed to do was win their own campaign. When that was over, they could deal with General Fahad as much as they wanted.
But, this would only become a reality if they won their campaign.
'We have had several clashes with General Carran, and he is just as formidable as his reputation,' Vice General Ronan thought. 'When General Revon and him fought a one-on-one battle, their duel ended in a draw with neither side going all out.
'Still, the added manpower that came from the remnants of General Phobus' army is a welcome addition to our own troops. This might just help us tilt the battle in our favor in our next clash against the part of the Yelan Army guarding the Glouswell Forest.'
Three days later, over twenty thousand troops from General Phobus' army joined with General Revon's sixty-thousand soldiers, forcing the Yelan Army—belonging to General Carran—to take defensive formations everytime they clashed.
Among the soldiers that joined with General Revon's Army were the survivors of the Storm Dragon's Guild, Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms.
Only five members from the Storm Dragon's Guild survived, and they had no idea what happened to their Guildmaster, Nero, because he suddenly disappeared during the battle.
The Skystead Alliance only had one member remaining, while the Xynnar War Pact had two, including Jasper, who served as their leader.
As for the Six Kingdoms, only the Elven Prince, Enlil managed to escape unscathed because he could fly, which allowed him to avoid Lux's deadly traps in the woodlands with ease.
All in all, nine people from the different factions remained, not including Nero, whose whereabouts were unknown.
All of these survivors decided to stick together and chose a temporary leader to lead them for the time being. They knew that there was no point in fighting against each other because all of them were on the same boat.
After taking a vote, Jasper, the leader of the Xynnar War Pact became the Temporary Leader of their Alliance.
The blonde-haired teenage boy was a very popular prodigy within the Xynnar War Pact. Since the Six Kingdoms, and the Storm Dragon Guild's main area of operation was within the Xynnar War Pact's territory, they had heard and seen Jasper several times in the past, and had worked with him in handling high-leveled Dungeons in the past.
"First of all, let's talk about what happened a few days ago," Jasper said after he and his comrades finished eating their lunch. "All of us thought that General Phobus had a very high chance of winning the campaign because of what happened during the previous battle between the Ammarian Army and the Yelan Army.
"However, that all changed overnight when we marched to the place where they were making their last stand. I can be wrong, but I strongly believe that the skill used against us that day was the Necromancer Skill, Corpse Explosion. Now, we need to look at the details we received about the identity of that Necromancer.
"Based on what you guys are telling me, there is a high chance that it was the Half-Elf, whom Vice General Second killed several days ago, who was the culprit for the sudden change in the battlefield, correct?"
The five members of the Storm Dragon Guild nodded their heads in affirmation.
"Aside from him, I know no other Necromancers who could have used such a skill," Enlil replied. "I thought that they were already out of the competition, but here we are, facing off against each other and all of us got the short end of the stick."
One of the Storm Dragon Guild voiced his opinion for everyone to hear.
"I saw the Boar that always hangs around Lux a few days ago in the Woodlands," the teenage boy said. "Although it is the only one I saw, there is a high possibility that everyone that Vice General Second killed several days ago has returned to fight for the Yelan Army."
An annoyed expression appeared on Enlil's face after hearing the words of his teammate. Lux was bad enough, but if Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm were still alive as well then it could spell a big deal of trouble for them.
"Okay, I got a plan," Jasper said after a few minutes of silence. "There is a high chance that he managed to complete the mission of killing General Phobus. If we follow this train of thought then he will definitely appear in the battle of Glouswell Forest.
"He could also use the same strategy again, so it is best if we stay at the rear of the formation and always keep a lookout in our surroundings. The moment something unexpected happens, all of us will retreat.
"Our numbers are already few to begin with, and we needed to complete this mission for our respective Factions. Failure is not an option."
The remaining member of Skyteam Alliance, which was once led by Malcolm, raised his head to look at their blond-haired leader with a solemn expression.
"What will we do if we meet the Half-Elf on the battlefield?" the teenage boy asked.
Jasper didn't answer right away, because he was weighing the pros and cons of engaging Lux in battle.
"If there is a chance to kill him then we will go for the kill," Jasper replied after he finished organizing his thoughts. "If we take him out then we don't have to worry about corpses blowing up in our faces. Once is enough. Twice, no thank you."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement to their temporary leader's orders.
If they could really kill Lux then all was good. If not, then they would just prioritize their retreat in order to keep themselves alive.
All of them had been briefed by their superiors about how important this mission was. They were even told that they were free to take whatever actions they deemed necessary, and no one would find fault in it.
"By the way, have any of you seen Nero?" Jasper asked. "If he is still alive, he will be a good asset to our cause."
Among the members of the young Generation, Jasper recognized Nero's strength. If he were able to rope in the brown-haired teenager into being his underling, he would have a higher chance of clearing the mission entrusted to him.
"No," one of the members of the Storm Dragon Guild replied. "We haven't seen Guildmaster because the battlefield became too chaotic to stick together."
When the explosions started, everyone was forced to scatter because the closer they were to each other, the higher the chances were of all of them dying together.
This was why they weren't able to say whether Nero had died or not. They simply believed that someone as strong as their Guildmaster wouldn't succumb to Lux's underhanded move, and was still somewhere out there, planning his next move.
What they didn't know was that Nero was indeed still alive.
However, as for whether he was in a good condition or not, this was something that they would only know when the War between the Ammarian Army as well as the Yelan Army, had reached its climax.
Chapter 474 How To Face A Charging Boar
"So, you were the Necromancer that helped General Fahad win his campaign," General Carran said coolly as he stared at the red-headed teenager, who was standing in front of him. "Your name is Lux, right?"
"Yes, General," Lux replied.
"Let me just say this. I hate Necromancers, which means I hate you as well."
"... I see."
General Carran didn't even bother to hide the displeasure on his face as he stared at the Half-Elf, making the latter wonder if the Yelan General knew any Necromancers in the past.
"Putting my dislike for Necromancers to the side, you did well in helping us achieve a victory against the Ammarian Army," General Carran stated. "The flagging morale of my army has changed overnight, and now all of them are raring to kill some of the Ammarian Bastards who have made things difficult for us for the past few days."
The Yelan General placed his hands behind his back as he looked at the map where several wooden figurines stood that represented the different units that were fighting in the Glouswell Forest.
"Our scouts have confirmed that General Phobus' remaining troops have merged with General Revon's army, boosting their numbers by a good margin," General Carran explained. "Their numbers now are almost double the size of our army. Currently, I have fifty thousand troops under my command. We were able to fight to a stalemate with the enemy, but now, the numbers are in their favor."
The General then gave Lux a side-long glance.
"I will allow you to move as you please in my Domain, but you are not allowed to use my men as cannon fodder." General Carran's voice was firm and would not take no for an answer. "If you do, I promise you that I will personally cut you down and put your head on a spike. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, General," Lux replied.
General Carran nodded. "Go, and make sure that you don't get in my way."
Lux left General Carran's tent with a helpless look on his face as he went to see his comrades, who were currently resting after traveling nearly non-stop to reach the Yelan Encampment in the Glouswell Forest as fast as they could.
General Fahad had already told Lux that General Carran didn't look at Necromancers favorably for reasons that were unknown even to him.
The only advice he gave Lux was to simply operate separately from the Yelan General's Army, and support them from the side.
As soon as they saw Lux, his team members gave him the "What happened?" gaze, which made the Half-Elf shake his head helplessly.
"General Carran said that we can do what we want as long as we don't stand in his way," Lux stated. "This means that we can move separately from the main army and chip away at the soldiers that belong to General Revon."
Cai, who was chatty most of the time, was surprisingly quiet, as it looked in the direction where the Ammarian Camp was located.
Lux, who also noticed this, approached the Boar and asked what was in its mind.
"The Enemy General this time isn't like General Phobus, and Second," Cai said as it continued to stare at the North. "I can feel my bestial instincts telling me that he is bad news. This feeling reminds me of my Grandpa whenever he gets angry, and I don't like it."
Lux frowned when he heard Cai's words.
He knew that the Boar idolized its Grandpa very much, and for it to put General Revon and the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, Maximilian, on the same page, meant that they might have a very tough battle ahead of them.
"Do you have any ideas on how we can overcome this obstacle?" Lux asked.
Cai gave the Half-Elf a side-long glance before shifting its gaze back to the North, as if lost in thought.
"What do you do when you are facing a charging boar, which is several meters taller than you?" Cai asked after two minutes had passed.
"You dodge to the side and evade it," Lux replied.
Anyone with common sense would do the same, and even Cai nodded its head to agree to Lux's words.
"That is what we need to do in this battle," Cai commented. "Wherever General Revon is, we stay away from that place. Although our mission is to kill the Generals in order to gain more rewards, this is one general that I don't want to face head-on. Also, I no longer have any of the poison with me. Our chances of winning against him is close to zero."
Lux crossed his arms over his chest and turned to look to the North where the Boar continued to look.
"You said close to zero, but not zero, right?" Lux inquired.
"Yes," Cai replied. "Certainly, the possibility exists. However, what price are you willing to pay in order to take General Revon's head? I know that you intend to pit General Carran against General Revon and look for an opportunity to go for the kill, just as we did with General Phobus and Second.
"However, there is still a high chance that we will lose several of our members in the attempt. I for one didn't want to throw my life away. I want to see this mission through to the end without dying. That is the only way I can get all the rewards, and brag about it to my Grandpa when I return to the Rowan tribe."
The corner of Lux's lips twitched after hearing Cai's words. He thought that the shameless Boar had changed a bit and became more mature after what it had experienced in the previous battle.
However, after hearing that the Boar planned to get all the rewards and brag after it returned to the Rowan Tribe made the Half-Elf chuckle internally.
Truth be told, fighting against a Ranker was a very risky thing to do.
If not for the amazing rewards that Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson were willing to exchange for them, none of them would dare to fight one again in their lives.
"Okay, we'll try your suggestion first," Lux said after a few minutes passed. "We will not confront General Revon directly, and simply decrease the number of his troops. As long as he has no soldiers to command, he will have no choice but to retreat. We'll just ask Watson and Sherlock to give us more compensation later."
Cai chuckled after hearing Lux's proposal. Although it was afraid of facing the Ammarian General head-on, it didn't shy away from bullying General Revon's soldiers, in order to gain more rewards from Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock.
"Sounds like a plan." Cai nodded. "I'm in."
"I'm also up for great rewards with half the effort," Einar commented as he stood beside Lux with his arms crossed over his chest.
One by one, Lux's team members including Henrietta, and Malcolm voiced their willingness to not confront General Revon head-on.
They had already died in the hands of a Ranker once, and they still hadn't forgotten that feeling of helplessness as they died in the hands of a person, who had treated them like they were ants that he could trample any time he wanted.
Chapter 475 A Way For Two Sides To Fight As Allies [Part 1]
Lux and his friends wanted to see just what kind of battle was taking place inside the Glouswell Forest, so they observed the battle from a distance.
General Fahad told him that General Revon of the Ammarian Army was a seasoned warrior, as well as an Instinctive General who followed his gut feeling in every situation.
Because of this, it was difficult to predict his next moves, and even the most famous strategists of the Yelan Kingdom, like Sherlock, were unable to set an effective trap for him over the past few years.
Because of this, General Carran, who was also a seasoned warrior and excelled in strategy, decided to face him in this important battle between the two Kingdoms.
With the faith of his Kingdom hanging in the balance, the Yelan General employed effective tactics in order to prevent the Ammarian Army from breaking through their defensive lines.
General Revon's strategy was quite simple, and that was to personally lead his men to battle. Unlike other Generals in the Ammarian Army, General Revon always stood on the front lines and would be the first to stab his weapon across enemy lines.
Most people looked down on his daredevil way of fighting because once he died, his army would fall apart and would be left at the mercy of his enemies.
For twenty long years, General Revon had used this strategy time and time again, and to this day, he was still alive and kicking, proving how formidable he was on the battlefield.
In fact, he had earned the reputation of being the most deadly General on the battlefield, and no one wanted to fight him head-on in any campaign he participated in.
"He is very different from General Phobus, who only commanded from the rear," Einar commented. "But, it's a shame that I can't see his technique clearly. The trees are blocking my view."
It was not only Einar who felt disappointed due to the lack of visual opportunities, which would allow them to have a better grasp of their enemy's strategy.
However, the most disappointed of them all was Lux, who had a frown on his face as he looked at the current spread of the forces on the battlefield.
When they were passing through the Glouswell Forest, he had summoned his two Doppelgangers and tasked them to collect the dead bodies of the Ammarian Soldiers and bury them in the ground, to be used as "land mines" in the future, just in case they needed to retreat to the Glouswell Forest after being defeated in the marshlands.
However, the traps that he had prepared beforehand, weren't able to be put to good use because, for some reason, the Ammarian Soldiers steered clear from it.
'I'm sure that General Revon has been told about what happened to General Phobus' army, but for a large army, to be able to evade my traps completely is simply impossible,' Lux thought. 'Does he have some kind of ability to see the dead bodies I buried underground?'
Lux didn't know if this was part of General Revon's instinctive abilities or not, but he was starting to feel that the General could tell where the traps were laid out, and ordered his men to stay away from those locations.
Two hours later, the battle ended and both armies retreating to their respective sides.
General Carran and General Revon had clashed with each other, but just like their usual fights, their battle ended in a draw.
Lux and his friends could only catch glimpses of the great battle between the two Generals because the trees blocked the majority of the fighting from their vantage point.
They only knew that the two Generals had engaged the other when several trees were uprooted at once.
But, as if not wanting either side to get a detailed glimpse of their fighting abilities, both of them would dart back inside the forest and continue their battle there, to the disappointment of everyone looking for a good show to watch.
"Ishtar, Lazarus, you already know what to do," Lux said as soon as he summoned his two Named Creatures.
"Yes, Master."
"I will do as you command, Master."
Ishtar and Lazarus then moved towards the forest in order to start their mission of hunting down the scouting parties of the Ammarian Army, which was responsible for gathering information on the location, as well as placement of the troops of the Yelan Army.
"Orion, Pazuzu, both of you do the usual," Lux ordered as he summoned the Jade Golem, as well as the Fortress Defender, to do the dirty work for the Half-Elf.
"Understood, Master." Orion replied.
"By your will, Master," Pazuzu stated.
Accompanying the two of them were the Undead Army and the Rock Golems whose role was to gather and bury the dead bodies of the Ammarian Soldiers and bury them underground to be used at a later time for Lux's Corpse Explosion skill.
This was the only thing that the Half-Elf could do at this point in time because he didn't want to go anywhere near the Instinctive General that made even Cai feel threatened.
Suddenly, something moved at the corner of Lux's eyes, which made him arch his eyebrow.
A familiar person rose up from the ground, dozens of meters away from the Half-Elf, and held a white flag in his hands.
It was none other than Jasper, the temporary leader of the survivors of the Factions that belonged to the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, Six Kingdoms, and Storm Dragon Guild.
"Can we talk?" Jasper asked with a smile as he stood dozens of meters away from Lux.
"Okay," Lux replied as he and his friends shifted their gaze to the Initiate who was standing a good distance away from them.
Jasper wanted to confirm if all the members of Lux's team had returned to the Sacred Dungeon to challenge the Gate of Conquest.
After seeing that all of them were there, he decided to talk to them for a bit in order to get a better understanding of their future course of action.
"Is there really no way for both of our sides to cooperate?" Jasper asked. "We came here to clear the Dungeon of Conquest together, but here we are, standing on opposite sides of the battlefield. No matter how I look at it, this is a lose-lose situation for all of us."
In truth, Jasper wanted to know if Lux and the others, with the exception of Henrietta and Malcolm, could enter the Gate of Conquest a third time after dying twice.
He had a feeling that this special privilege was only awarded to those who had cleared the other gates of the Sacred Dungeon, and if this was true, then they could enter the dungeon repeatedly despite dying many times.
Naturally, he didn't think that this was possible. But, if the possibility existed, then fighting against Lux, and the five others who had accompanied him in the previous gates, was a losing battle.
In truth, Lux believed that if they died again inside the Gate of Conquest, they would be immediately kicked out of the Sacred Dungeon, and would be forced to return from outside the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.
Chapter 476 A Way For Two Sides To Fight As Allies [Part 2]
Returning on the same dungeon after dying twice was not something that Lux and his friends wanted to experience.
The Half-Elf had a feeling that if they were to force themselves to return, they would be taken to a different Instance Dungeon that was separate to the one where the other factions were fighting.
"So, you want to change sides?" Cai snorted. "Isn't it a bit too late for that?"
"I'm just asking if the possibility existed," Jasper replied. "I mean, look, I admit that none of us wanted to have a debt of a million gold coins, in addition to losing 2,000 of our stat points. Do you know how hard it is to get that many points in Elysium?
"Even I can't get that many stat points after raiding dozens of Dungeons because the resources are shared in the Guild. But, it happened here, and it made me think that even if I fail to finish the Gate of Conquest, I've already gained a lot from this expedition.
"Although it is a selfish way of looking at things, I will have no regrets whatsoever… is what I'd like to say, but after seeing you guys, I'm starting to regret my decision to play it safe. So, I'll ask again, is there any way for us to fight on the same battlefield again, not as enemies but as allies?"
Cai and the others didn't reply to Jasper's words because they didn't have the authority to do that.
Right now, Lux was their leader, and whatever decision he made, they would follow them for the duration of their mission.
Lux pondered for a bit before giving his reply.
"I don't know if it's possible, but if it is, I will let you know my reply in two days," Lux replied. "In order to prevent the Ammarian and Yelan Armies from misunderstanding, I will just send a skeleton to deliver my reply to your proposal in this location in two days.
"If you don't see any of my Undead Minions here with a letter, it means that I wasn't able to find a way to allow you to change your allegiance. However, if there is a way, rest assured that I will do my best to let you know as soon as possible.
"Just remember, you may still lose a million gold coins, as well as 2,000 stat points once you change your allegiance. There is also a possibility that the penalty will be more this time because you already passed the opportunity once."
Jasper nodded his head in acknowledgement of Lux's words because he already thought of this possibility.
"Very well, I will monitor this place for two days," Jasper said as his body slowly merged with the Earth under his feet. "I hope that I will receive good news the next time we see each other."
After saying those parting words, Jasper disappeared completely from view.
If not for the fact that the blinking yellow dot on the screen showed his location, the Half-Elf wouldn't know where the prodigy of the Xynnar War Pact had disappeared to.
'I don't know if it is possible for them to switch to our sides or not,' Lux thought. 'But, making the other factions indebted to me is not a bad thing.'
Lux had wanted to explore the Human territories in Elysium for quite some time because his Grandma Vera had told him about interesting places and Dungeons he could visit that would benefit him a lot.
As long as he was blacklisted from being able to operate in the Human territories belonging to the Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact in Elysium, the Half-Elf had no choice but to remain in the Kingdom of Gweliven and explore the Dwarven Kingdom, looking for opportunities to help increase his Rank.
—---------
Yelan Army Camp…
"I'll be perfectly honest with you," General Carran said after hearing Lux's inquiry about letting the members of the Half-Elf's former mercenary group to join their side. "I don't like to have people who easily switch sides under my wing. I am able to tolerate you and the people you have in your team because you had helped us keep the Ammarian Army from invading our lands in the past.
"Also, you played a crucial role in defeating General Phobus' army, allowing General Fahad to regain control of the Marshland Area. If your friends had sided with you before General Phobus was defeated, I might have considered your request. However, it is simply too late now. They are only asking to change sides because they feel that the wind has blown in our favor.
"But, what if the wind starts to blow in the other direction? Will they switch sides again just because the other side has the upper hand? You know, I hate these people. I'd rather kill them than have them work under me just because I have the advantage in this battle.
"The only way for me to accept their allegiance is if Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock order me to. But, even then, I will not think highly of them because those who can easily betray others can betray you just as easily. The last thing I want is to have a sword stabbed into my back by my own men, whom I thought were fighting with the same ideals as me."
After saying what he wanted to say, the General ordered Lux to get out of his tent without even bothering to listen to his reply or counter argument.
'He is truly a stubborn person,' Lux thought. 'But, I guess his way of life had allowed him to reach where he is now. I can't blame him for his distrust of my former comrades. After all, I'm also finding it hard to trust them after what happened last time.'
However, Lux had given his promise that he would at least try to find a way to make Jasper's request possible.
This left Lux no choice but to try and ask Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock, who were currently fighting with the bulk of the Ammarian Army at the Great Plains with the hope of preventing them from regaining the territories that the Yelan Army had captured as their own.
'Good thing I left Diablo and Asmodeus at the Main Headquarters of the Yelan Army in the Great Plains,' Lux mused. 'I knew that I could use this as a convenient way to communicate over great distances.'
The other reason why the Half-Elf also left Diablo and Asmodeus in the Great Plains was to allow him to instantly teleport to their location using the Teleportation Boots if the need arose.
Now that General Carran had denied his request, he decided to let his Named Creatures talk to the two Great Generals to see if they were willing to hear Lux's proposal and find out if it was possible to make some last minute changes to the current situation of the battlefield.
Chapter 477 Don’t Let Those Skeletons Land!
"Hmm… I don't know, Lux," Watson said as he rubbed his chin. "I don't like this idea."
"It's quite shameful to switch sides when the war has progressed to this point," Sherlock commented. "Also, I don't think I will be able to completely trust them if they switched to our side. It's like having to always watch your back, so you won't get stabbed when you least expect it."
The two Great Generals of the Yelan Army looked at Diablo, who was currently sharing his senses with Lux, allowing the Half-Elf to see and hear Watson and Sherlock.
"I see," Lux muttered. "Thank you. I will pass this message to them."
Diablo repeated Lux's words and passed the message to the two Great Generals, who were currently resting after a skirmish with the Ammarian Army in the Great Plains.
After doing what he could, Lux bade the two Great Generals goodbye before giving a few orders to Diablo and Asmodeus. When he was done, he returned his senses to his body that was currently inside his tent at General Carran's camp.
"As expected, it's no longer possible," Lux muttered as he looked at the Quest details inside his Soul Book.
When they were given the choice to switch their allegiance for the first time, the information said that they would not be able to switch sides after their decision was made.
In short, all of them were locked in their respective Kingdoms, and no one could go to the other side if things got dicey on their end.
Lux sighed before writing a letter and summoning Ishtar to his side.
"Give this letter to Jasper, and tell him that I have done what I could," Lux ordered. "Also, tell him that the next time we meet, we will be enemies."
Ishtar nodded. "Yes, Master."
After giving Lux a brief bow, the Nightstalker vanished without a trace and headed to the location where Jasper was waiting for his reply.
At the very start of their expedition, he didn't think that he would be fighting against the representatives that were sent by the other factions.
Their purpose was to clear the Gate of Conquest together, but due to a difference in opinion, they all went their separate ways and chose the side that they thought was most likely to win the war.
The main reason why Lux and his teammates, with the exception of Henrietta and Malcolm, wished to join the Yelan Army was due to their previous experiences with them. It would be mentally challenging for them to fight against the army whom they supported during the war.
Also, Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock were very generous individuals, giving them great rewards when they conquered the Gate of War.
Compared to the measly rewards that they could get by helping the Ammarian Army win, they opted to go to the side with high risk rewards.
"I just need to do what I need to do," Lux said softly as he gazed outside of his tent. "Nothing else matters."
The Half-Elf knew that there was nothing he could do about the current situation of his former comrades.
Since it was not possible for them to stand on the same side, they would sooner or later face each other on the battlefield.
—-------------
"So, it has come to this," Jasper said as he read the handwritten letter that was given to him by Ishtar. "Tell your Master that I understand. If we ever face each other on the battlefield, tell him that we will show him no mercy."
Ishtar gave Jasper a brief nod of acknowledgement before disappearing from sight.
The temporary leader of the different Factions that now belonged to the Ammarian Army sighed a second time before merging with the earth.
Now that he had received Lux's reply, he had to share it with the others, so they could resolve themselves to fight against the Half-Elf and his team to the bitter end.
—-------------
Back at the Yelan Camp…
Lux gathered his teammates and told them the result of his proposal to Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock for their former comrades to join their side.
After hearing that the two Great Generals rejected the idea, a conflicted expression appeared on Henrietta's and Malcolm's faces, while the others simply took this news in stride.
Simply put, aside from Henrietta and Malcolm, none of the others cared whether the other Factions joined their side or not.
"Do you know how many of them remain?" Malcolm asked.
Lux shook his head. Jasper didn't say anything about their numbers, which was actually a smart thing to do.
"So, we have no choice but to fight them." Henrietta sighed before shaking her head helplessly.
If she wasn't strictly ordered to follow Lux, she might still be on the Ammarian Army's side and facing the same dilemma that Jasper and his comrades were having right now.
Although she was somewhat grateful for following Lux, she was still unsure about how the outcome of the war would proceed from here.
They might have won one of the four campaigns, but three remained, and based on what Lux was telling them right now, the Yelan Army was simply outmatched in terms of numbers of soldiers.
Even now, the forces under General Revon had swelled after it had absorbed the remnants of General Phobus' Army, forcing General Carran to not meet them in places where they didn't have the geographical advantage.
'I just hope that I'm overthinking,' Henrietta thought. 'If Lux can overcome the disparity in numbers with his skills, we might be able to win this battlefield, just like we were able to win the Marshlands.'
Although Henrietta tried to assure herself that everything was going to be okay, she was still worried because the General they were facing was very different from General Phobus and his Vice General, who fought them in the Marshlands.
Military men with both brain and brawn were rare, but if one were to rise to the rank of General, this made them exceptionally dangerous, especially when they were commanding tens of thousands of men.
Henrietta's fears were proven true two days later when General Carran lost over five thousand of his troops in the surprise attack that General Revon had launched against them.
Due to their superiority in numbers, they were able to push the Yelan Army all the way back to their main camp, where the fighting had become extremely fierce.
Because everyone was fighting in close quarters, Lux wasn't able to use his skill, Corpse Explosion. If he ever decided to use his Trump Card, it was possible for him to accidentally wipe out more than a third of the soldiers belonging to the Yelan Army.
This forced him to use Corpse Explosion remotely, injuring soldiers here and there, but the damage they received wasn't enough to kill them completely.
Out of desperation, the Half-Elf was forced to use another one of his Trump Cards in order to deter the enemy.
"Skeleton Make… Catapult!"
Lux and Eiko summoned their doppelgangers and created six Giant Catapults.
However, the ammunition they used weren't rocks, but the Skeleton Gangbangers, who were holding a corpse in their arms.
Each catapult could hold up to six Skeletons each, and all of these skeletons huddled together, as if they were a football team preparing to make a touchdown.
"Fire!" Lux ordered and all six catapults threw their payloads in the air, which fell in the middle formation of the Ammarian Army.
Even before his Skeleton Gang Bangers touched the ground, Lux had already cast his Skill, which he had been waiting to unleash since the beginning of the battle.
"Corpse Explosion!" Lux shouted and a chain of explosions erupted within the center of the Ammarian Formation.
Screams of pain reverberated in the surroundings as Lux's deadly attack started to spread among the Ammarian Army's ranks.
However, before Lux's skill could spread like wildfire, several barriers appeared in the area where the skill was starting to expand, cutting off its advance before it could reach the other soldiers, preventing the Half-Elf from wiping out countless soldiers, like he did with General Phobus' army.
In that short span of time, Lux had been able to kill dozens of soldiers, but the numbers that he had slain didn't even surpass three hundred, making the Half-Elf order another barrage of Skeleton Gang Bangers to be hurled onto the enemy's ranks.
"Don't let those Skeletons land!" General Roven shouted.
Although he was told that the Necromancer they were facing was only at the Apostle Grade, the Ammarian General didn't underestimate Lux.
When it came to Necromancers, their Ranks didn't matter much.
As long as the Necromancer had the ability to use the skill, Corpse Explosion, they became a menace that needed to be purged as soon as possible.
Chapter 478 He Has The Devil’s Luck
Immediately, several Clerics within his army chanted as they pointed their hands and staffs at the Skeletons that were falling from the sky.
"""Turn Undead!"""
One by one, Lux's skeletons exploded mid-air and turned to ashes as one of the abilities that specialized in killing undead creatures was used against them.
This scene made the Half-Elf curse under his breath, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Just like he was able to raise the dead because of his profession, there were professions that countered his abilities.
One of those professions was Clerics, who were blessed by the power of Holy Magic, allowing them to banish and annihilate any Undead creatures from their sight.
Those that survived the Clerics' counterattack were obliterated by the spells that the magic casters had cast to prevent them from repeating their earlier suicide attack.
Still, Lux persisted and, this time, he simply used the corpses as ammunition. Although the outcome didn't reach the magnitude of his earlier attack, it still gave the Ammarian Army cause for concern.
Lux didn't stop using every trick in his book to try to deter the Ammarian Soldiers from pushing through their defensive line.
"Animate Undead!" Lux roared as he finally used the Necromancer Powers he gained long ago.
He raised the dead Ammarian Soldiers and forced them to fight against their former comrades, affecting their morale.
Right now, Lux could only revive 50 dead people, but since he had summoned his Clones and had Eiko with him, he was able to command 300 Undead Warriors, who fearlessly attacked their comrades without care.
The Rank of the Undead Zombies that he had revived were only Rank 3 Monsters, but it was enough to cause a commotion in the area of the battlefield that he was fighting on.
The Ammarian Soldiers hacked their Undead comrades through gritted teeth, cutting off their heads and putting an end to their misery.
However, since Lux could raise new dead people every time an Undead was down, this scene repeated over and over again, making even the fiercest of warriors lose their composure because they were attacking their former friends and comrades at arms.
"Take out the Necromancer first!" General Revon shouted as he pointed at Lux, who was standing beside the Bone Catapults in the distance.
One of General Revon's trusted subordinates, who specialized in long range attacks, nocked an arrow on his bow and aimed at the Half-Elf from a distance.
After making sure that his aim was true, he released the arrow, which flew towards the Half-Elf with great speed.
A few seconds later, the arrow hit the Half-Elf's forehead, making blood spurt from the wound.
Jasper, as well as the other members of the different Factions who saw this, inwardly cheered because the Half-Elf, who was the greatest threat in the battlefield, was now dead.
However, their happiness didn't last for long when they saw the dead Half-Elf turn into particles of light.
One of the Bone Catapults also shattered, but the others remained.
This meant that the one they had killed was only a clone, while the original was still alive somewhere, waiting to detonate a series of Corpse Explosions on their heads.
Lux wasn't stupid. He knew that he would be targeted as soon as they deemed him the greater threat on the battlefield.
This was why, after summoning his clones, he and Eiko hid somewhere safe and commanded the clones remotely.
He also revived the dead from a safe distance, helping the battle in any way that they could.
Einar and the others didn't participate on the battlefield as per Lux's order.
All of them were protecting the Half-Elf as he remotely attacked their enemies.
It was at this moment when the Half-Elf realized that there was one more thing that he could do to even out the odds of this battle.
After reviving an Undead Zombie, he ordered them to throw the corpses near them at the back of the enemy ranks, allowing Lux to detonate them.
This strategy was quite effective because the injured soldiers at the back caused chaos, preventing those behind them to reinforce those at the front in fear that they would be caught up in the chain of explosions that might follow.
This allowed the Yelan Soldiers to get a second wind, as they pushed their enemies back with renewed vigor.
Seeing that his plan worked, Lux then summoned his Skeleton Army, as well as his Rock Golems, to join his Zombies in throwing the dead bodies behind the Vanguard of the Ammarian Army.
Since these corpses weren't Undead Creatures, the Clerics couldn't use Turn Undead on them.
Also, the soldiers that were near the path of falling corpses, immediately spread out in fear that it would explode in their faces.
As more soldiers tried to evade the corpse bombardment that was happening around them, the Ammarian Army started to gain more losses in the war.
Knowing that their momentum had been lost, General Revon glanced in the direction where one of the Half-Elf's clones was standing and ordered his subordinate to kill it.
Only after the second clone had turned into particles of light did the Ammarian General order his troops to retreat.
Continuing to fight while his troops' morale was failing wasn't a good idea, so he immediately cut his losses while he still could.
"He has the devil's luck." Jasper hissed before backing away from the frontlines of the battlefield. "We will retreat for now. Prince Enlil, please cover our retreat!"
His team listened to his orders, and Enlil, the Elven Prince, summoned gusts of wind to blow away the corpses that were flying in their direction.
They understood that this battle was lost, so they could only retreat as fast as they could in order to fight another day.
Seeing that their enemies were retreating, the Yelan Army cheered and General Carran snorted.
He then gave a side-long glance in the direction where the Half-Elf was hiding before shifting his attention back to the fleeing enemies.
The Yelan General didn't order his soldiers to pursue them because he knew that it would only work in their enemy's favor.
Although he didn't want to admit it, the one that deterred the enemy wasn't him, but the Necromancer, who had the ability to cause a one-sided genocide if the right conditions were met.
Lux, who had seen the retreat of the Ammarian Army, sighed in relief before chugging a bottle of mana potion.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, as he felt slightly nauseous after exhausting his mana twice over in the span of an hour.
Magic Casters who relied on their mana to fight usually didn't deplete their mana reserves because it would cause a backlash if they pushed themselves to their limit.
Eiko was faring slightly better than Lux, but the downside was that she was feeling very drowsy. The baby Slime was having trouble keeping her eyes open, and because of this, the one that fed her a mana potion was Fei Fei, who was tasked to take care of Eiko, while the others kept watch on their surroundings.
While the two drank potions in order to recover their strength, the Yelan Army started to take the dead bodies of their comrades away from the battlefield. On the other hand, Lux's Undead Army collected the corpses of their enemies in preparation for the next battle.
Now that General Carran had seen first hand how deadly Lux was on the battlefield, he decided to assign a few of his strong subordinates to act as the Half-Elf's bodyguards to ensure his safety in the battles ahead.
Although he could be stubborn at times, the war had progressed to the point where he couldn't be picky about the methods that were used.
Since the Half-Elf had the ability to deter their foes, he was willing to give him preferential treatment, allowing him to fight safely at the back of their formation.
Chapter 479 This Smells Like A Trap
"Now I understand why General Phobus lost his campaign," General Revon's second in command, Ronan, said with annoyance. "If not for the fact that we made preparations beforehand, we could have greatly suffered under that Necromancer brat's hands."
"To think that a mere Grade A Apostle can threaten my entire army," General Revon chuckled. "Now I understand why Carran hates Necromancers."
bGeneral Carran of the Yelan Army had told Lux that he hated Necromancers when they met. Even so, knowing that the teenager was responsible for reversing the tide in the Marshlands, he decided to allow him to join his campaign, as long as the Half-Elf didn't get in his way.
Fortunately, he did just that and Lux managed to help repel the Ammarian Army, whose number of soldiers surpassed the defenders of the Yelan Army.
"We need to take him out as soon as possible, or else, we will have a hard time reclaiming our lands. Our soldiers were already traumatized by today's battle, and we can't let it worsen," Ronan stated before shifting his attention to the blonde-haired teenager, who told them that he had a way of knowing the Half-Elf's exact location, allowing them to send assassins to kill him.
If not for the fact that Jasper had introduced himself as one of the members of Lux's Mercenary Group, the two high-ranking officers wouldn't have even bothered to listen to him.
"Yes," Jasper replied. "One of my members has a peculiar ability that allows her to send messages to a specific person, as long as she has an item that her target has used in the past."
The blonde-teenager didn't mention the fact that he utilized that ability to contact Lux in an attempt to switch sides to the Yelan Army.
Using the Half-Elf's handwritten letter as a medium to send messages to him, Jasper would be able to ask Lux to meet him in a place away from the eyes of the Yelan Army.
"Are you sure that he will meet up with you if you send him a message?" Ronan asked.
He was quite doubtful that Jasper would be able to succeed in luring the Half-Elf away from the Yelan Camp so easily.
"As long as the possibility exists, it's worth a try," Jasper replied. "Besides, we won't lose anything by trying."
What he wanted right now was to distinguish himself to General Revon, so that he could gain some influence and possibly trigger better rewards if they happen to win against General Carran and the Yelan Army.
General Revon rubbed his chin as he looked at Jasper's confident expression.
"Very well. Let's try it," General Revon stated. "Once we successfully kill the Necromancer, I promise to reward you generously for your contribution in this war."
Jasper smiled. "I will do my best to convince him. Once I get his reply, I will report back to you, General Revon, so we can plan his death."
General Revon nodded, and Jasper bade his farewell. Since the General of the Ammarian Army had decided to work with him to kill Lux, the only thing he should worry about was whether the Half-Elf would accept his invitation or not.
—---------
Inside the Yelan Camp…
Lux had almost recovered from his Mana Exhaustion and was looking a lot better compared to how he looked an hour ago.
Eiko, on the other hand, was sleeping peacefully on top of his head. Even though she had already drunk mana potions, the Baby Slime was still exhausted, so she decided to sleep to recover her strength.
Currently, Lux was in a meeting with his team members and discussing their next course of action when, suddenly, the Half-Elf heard the voice of a girl inside his head.
"Sir Lux, can you hear me?"
Lux immediately thought that he was just tired and hearing things. But after hearing the same thing for the third time, he finally understood that someone was talking to him through telepathy.
The Half-Elf then raised his right hand to catch the attention of his team members before placing a finger over his lips, telling them to stop talking.
When everyone inside his tent quieted down, the Half-Elf replied to the one talking to him using his thoughts.
"Who are you?" Lux asked.
"Finally, I am able to talk to you, Sir Lux," the voice of a girl replied with relief. "My name is Jenna, and I am one of the representatives of the Xynnar War Pact."
"Okay." Lux frowned. "What do you want?"
"Sir Lux, there is an important matter that our leader, Jasper, wants to talk to you about," Jenna replied. "I know that you said that the next time that we meet, we will be enemies, but our leader wants you to hear him out one last time. He said that if you come, he will find a way to convince the higher-ups of the Xynnar War Pact to allow you to explore the Kingdoms that belonged to our Alliance.
"Also, he will ensure that the members of the Wildgarde Stronghold will gain special privileges, like access to Dungeons regulated by the Kingdoms belonging to the Xynnar War Pact."
Lux didn't reply right away and weighed the pros and cons of Jasper's proposal. After thinking for a few minutes, he agreed to meet up with the blonde-haired teenager in the same place where they had met last time.
"Thank you, Sir Lux." Jenna's voice that was filled with respect and admiration reached his ears. "Our Guildmaster will meet up with you an hour before sunset."
After Jenna finished her message, the Half-Elf decided to tell his team members exactly what had just transpired between him and Jenna, who was part of Jasper's Faction.
"This smells like a trap," Cai replied. "Jasper asking you to meet with him just hours after our skirmish with the Ammarian Army has ended is very fishy."
"I know a little about Jasper," Henrietta commented. "And what I can say about him is that aside from his fighting ability, he is also a shrewd Guildmaster. Just like Cai mentioned earlier, this smells like a trap. I'm guessing that they want to catch you alone or eliminate you because of what happened earlier."
"I agree with Henrietta." Malcolm nodded. "After witnessing your abilities, I'm sure that the higher ups of the Ammarian Army want to kill you badly. It's highly possible that they will lay an ambush for you. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they send Rankers to deal with you this time. As long as you die, they will be able to overrun this camp without problems."
Now that he and Lux were in the same boat, Malcolm no longer held back and finally recognized the Half-Elf as his team leader for the duration of the mission.
Since he and the others could no longer switch sides, he needed the Half-Elf alive in order to have a higher chance of being able to clear the dungeon.
Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander had similar opinions, and they urged Lux to not honor his agreement with Jasper, who was currently leading the remnants of the other factions that survived their previous battle.
"I also feel that this is a trap," Lux stated. "But, this can also be an opportunity. I may not get this chance again, so it will be best to just meet with Jasper one last time."
Since the Half-Elf assured everyone to leave everything to him, they no longer insisted on letting Jasper wait forever at the meeting place that he, and Lux, had agreed to meet, an hour before the sun set.
Chapter 480 You Can No Longer Hide From Me
Jasper leaned against a tree as he waited for the Half-Elf to arrive.
The sun was about to set, and he was feeling a little anxious about whether or not Lux would really appear to meet up with him.
Finally, after nearly two hours of waiting, he saw the Half-Elf walking in his direction.
Just as he expected, Lux came alone, not bringing even a single bodyguards with him.
"You came," Jasper greeted with a smile.
"Of course," Lux replied. "You promised to give Wildgarde Stronghold special privileges, so I came."
Jasper arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that the only reason you came? What will you do if I break my word?"
Lux shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just making sure that those watching this conversation understand that you promised me some privileges to make this meeting happen. If you break it, then you will have to worry about the repercussions when we leave this place. Do you really think that Commander Gerald is someone that you can bully?"
Gerald and the other Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold had truly cared for him while he was growing up inside the Fortress City.
Although he held a grudge against them, that didn't mean that he didn't have their best interest at heart. If there was something he could do to allow his hometown to gain benefits, he would gladly do it, even stepping foot into a trap in order to make it happen.
Jasper chuckled before clapping his hands together.
"Of course, I will keep my promise," Jasper said. "I said that I will find a way to convince the higher-ups to grant special privileges to Wildgarde Stronghold. However, if I don't manage to convince them, then it isn't my fault. After all, even though I can be considered as a Prodigy, I'm just one of their many underlings."
Lux smirked because he had a feeling that it would come to this. However, he wasn't worried. Since he was already here, he decided to enjoy this farce until the end.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Lux asked.
"I'm not the one who wants to talk to you," Jasper replied. "It is General Revon who wants to talk to you."
As if waiting for that cue, the General of the Ammarian Army stepped out from the trees in a very casual manner as if he was just taking a stroll in the forest. He then walked towards Lux, eyeing the Half-Elf from head to foot.
"I don't see any fear in your eyes, which means this thing in front of us is one of your clones," General Revon said.
"I'm quite honored to see that General Revon has come personally to deal with me," Lux stated.
General Revon chuckled as he patted Lux's shoulder.
"I was very impressed with what you did earlier," General Revon commented as he poked the Baby Slime that was on top of Lux's head. "I was wondering if I could convince you to work for me. Whatever promises the Yelan Army gave you, I plan to double them all. The treasury of the Ammarian Army is bigger than that of the Yelan Kingdom. I'm sure that you will not be disappointed if you work for us."
Eiko's clone, who was being poked by the enemy General, spat a blob of water at General Revon's head, which the latter evaded with ease.
"Quite a feisty pet you have there." General Revon chuckled. "I've seen many people tame powerful beasts, but this is the first time I've seen someone tame an ordinary Blue Slime."
Eiko's clone then summoned a red-steel-ball and tossed it at the enemy general, who was making fun of her.
General Revon casually flicked the Blast Bomb with his finger and obliterated it before it could even explode.
"So, how about it, Lux?" General Revon pressed both of his hands over the Half-Elf's shoulder and stared at him straight in the eyes. "Want to join my side?"
"No," Lux replied firmly. "I've already made my choice. I'll stick with it till the end."
General Revon sighed before shaking his head helplessly.
"What a shame." General Revon then raised his hand, pressing his thumb and middle finger together. "Don't regret your choice, okay?"
The Ammarian General then snapped his fingers, making a loud and crisp sound.
A moment later, the Half-Elf's body exploded in a shower of blood, making Jasper wince.
"Ah, I almost forgot about you," General Revon said as he raised his foot to step on the baby slime, who had fallen on the puddle of blood and flesh.
A second later, his foot came down and crushed Eiko's clone, killing it instantly.
After making sure that his targets were all eliminated, General Revon smirked as he raised his hand.
"Now, you can run, but you can't hide from me." General Revon sneered.
The Ammarian General had the ability to locate the people that he had touched.
Although the one he talked to and touched was Lux's clone, it was a perfect replica of the Half-Elf, allowing General Revon to pinpoint the red-headed teenager's location.
The General had also poked Eiko's clone, which also allowed him to locate where the baby slime was currently.
After confirming that his ability had locked onto his targets, the Ammarian General smiled before returning to his camp.
The purpose of meeting with Lux was for him to use his ability to track his location. Once the battle started, he would order his Assassins to eliminate Lux as soon as possible to prevent him from continuing to be a threat to their mission.
Jasper gave the puddle of blood on the ground a side-long glance before following behind the Ammarian General.
He had accomplished his mission and would gain the rewards that the General had promised him for helping him put a tracker on the Half-Elf's original body.
—---------
Yelan Army Camp…
"Mumumumu!" Eiko jumped angrily in place, on top of Lux's head, as soon as her Papa's clone, and her own clone were killed.
Clearly, the Baby Slime didn't like seeing Lux get killed even if it was just a clone, making her very angry.
"It's fine, Eiko," Lux caught the jumping Baby Slime with both hands before coaxing her to calm down.
"Did it work?" Lux asked Eiko, who was still in a bad mood.
"Pa!" Eiko replied.
A devilish smile appeared on Lux's face after hearing Eiko's reply.
"Good." Lux patted the Baby Slime's head, which allowed Eiko to calm down a bit more.
After Eiko had secretly killed Second, who was hiding thousands of meters under the ground, the Half-Elf checked the Baby Slime's information in his Soul Book once again.
There, he found that Eiko had somehow acquired a Unique Skill called Fairy Princess' Grudge Domain [EX].
—----
< Fairy Princess' Grudge Domain [EX] >
– When Eiko has a grudge on someone, and treats them as an enemy with the intention of harming and even killing them, she will be able to detect their exact location as long as they are within a ten-mile radius of her location.
– It doesn't matter if the target is in the sky, at the bottom of the sea, or beneath the earth. Those who bear the Fairy Princess' Grudge cannot escape her sights as long as they are within Eiko's Grudge Domain.
—----
"Jasper and General Revon, you can no longer hide from me," the Half-Elf said as he opened his map, allowing Eiko's ability to fuse with it.
Since Eiko was his Beast Companion, he was able to pinpoint the location of the people whom she held a grudge with on his map, even if he didn't have her Unique Skill.
Neither side knew that they could now pinpoint each other's location anytime they wanted.
While both sides were thinking that they managed to get an advantage during their little meet-up earlier, the one who would truly benefit from it would be known a few days later, once both armies clashed again and performed their respective roles on the battlefield.