Ch. 481: Chapter 481-490

Chapter 481 Lux’s Proposed Strategy

A day after his meeting with Jasper and General Revon, Lux told General Carran that he had found a way to pinpoint the location of two important people in the Ammarian Army, with one of them being the Ammarian General himself.

General Carran knew that this information was very critical. Having access to the enemy General's location at any given time was crucial to their victory.

But, there was one problem.

Only Lux was able to pinpoint General Revon's location, but only General Carran had the strength to face off against the enemy General.

The Yelan General knew how important Lux was in the war, so he couldn't bring him to the frontlines. He was well-aware that General Revon would definitely do his best to kill the Half-Elf at all costs.

Because of this, General Carran decided to assign a fast rider to always accompany Lux so that he would be updated on where General Revon was on the battlefield.

However, Lux had a better idea and tasked Ishtar to accompany the Yelan General to relay General Revon's location to the General in real time.

"This is a good idea." General Carran agreed. "Very well. I will leave four of my most seasoned men to protect you at all times. I'd like to give you more, but we lack manpower at the moment. Make sure to stay at the rear and update me of any changes happening on the battlefield."

"Understood, General," Lux replied. "I will make sure to always keep you updated during the battle."

After finishing his report, Lux once again gathered his teammates to tell them the strategy he had in mind.

"I'm sure that all of you want to participate in the war, and I will not hold you back from doing so," Lux replied. "However, I will choose what side of the battlefield you guys will be fighting on. Right now, I can pinpoint General Revon's and Jasper's location, so I'll make sure that all of you won't be fighting anywhere near them."

Lux knew that his teammates were strong, so fighting against ordinary soldiers wasn't a problem. Although their ranks had degraded everyone, except Malcolm who had kept his Initiate Rank, were still Grade A Apostles.

The ordinary soldiers that belonged to the Ammarian Army consisted of Grade C to A Apostles, so they should be more than capable to handle them. There were Initiate Ranked Soldiers, but Malcolm would be there to protect the others if the former were to appear and attack them.

Lux also assigned Lazarus to guard and relay his orders to his friends, giving them added protection.

Orion's role would be to guard him and keep him safe while he controlled his clones remotely on the battlefield.

"This is a good plan," Cai replied. "But I am worried about you, so Fei Fei and I will stay with you. Isn't that right, Fei Fei?"

"Wae!" Fei Fei replied.

Lux didn't mind if Cai stayed with him, so he nodded his head in agreement.

Xander sighed after hearing Cai's words because he really didn't want her anywhere near the battlefield, especially if there was a chance that a Ranker would suddenly appear in front of them.

The others also didn't have any objection to Lux's strategy.

"I also asked General Carran to give you guys the armor used by the Yelan Army," Lux stated. "This will allow you guys to blend in perfectly, preventing our former teammates from recognizing right away. From now on, Lazarus would be the one telling you guys where to go, so be sure to stick together.

"As for you Val, I'm sorry, but you are not allowed to use your Spider Form. you can only use it as a last resort. The moment you use that form, Jasper and the rest will know your identity and might send several Initiates your way.

"In order to fool them, I will send Pazuzu and one of my clones on the opposite side of where you guys are fighting to fool them into focusing on that location. I believe that everyone in the Ammarian Army wants to kill me, so they will swarm that place like flies."

The Barbarian Prince, Einar, smiled after hearing Lux's detailed plan. He was even touched that the Half-Elf was doing his best to prevent a repeat of what happened with the Vice General back in the Marshlands, where they were killed without having the power to even defend themselves.

"I have no objections with this plan," Einar replied. "How about you guys?"

"I have no objection," Keane replied.

"No objections here," Val stated.

Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm all shook their heads, telling the Barbarian Prince that they didn't have any problems with the plan.

Lux nodded and ended the meeting. He still had things he needed to do before the next battle started, so he left the camp and looked for an ideal place where he could observe the battle from a safe distance.

After nearly two hours of looking, the Hal-Elf found a cave that was well hidden due to the vines that covered its entrance.

It had good elevation, allowing Lux to have a scenic view of the forest.

"Eiko, I will need your help," Lux said as he lightly patted the baby slime on top of his head and told her what he wanted her to do.

"Pa!" Eiko nodded in understanding and immediately did what her Papa asked of her.

While the baby slime was working, the Half-Elf opened his Soul Book once again to check the location of the purple dots that represented Jasper and General Revon.

Naturally, he didn't believe General Revon's excuse of asking him to join their side when Jasper asked to meet with him. Since he knew that their meeting might be a trap, he sent his clones instead of his original body.

The Half-Elf was sure that Jasper and General Revon knew that he would do this, so he believed that they had another agenda when they had set a trap for him.

As to what that agenda was, Lux had no idea. However, he had this nagging feeling that wouldn't go away no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

'There's no use of thinking about these things,' Lux thought as he gazed in the distance where the Ammarian Army camp was located. 'Whatever they planned to do, I'll be ready for it.'

Even though he was feeling slightly anxious because his instincts were telling him that something was wrong, he had no other option but to keep his calm and continue with the plan he had in mind.

Right now, he only needed to win.

Nothing else mattered.

Deep inside, Lux was very curious about what kind of rewards he would gain once he cleared the Gate of Conquest.

He already acquired two keys that would allow him to go to two SSS-Ranked Kingdoms after clearing the Gates of Death and War.

If the third reward was also a key that would send him to another SSS-Ranked Kingdom, Lux would need to revise his thoughts about the Sacred Dungeon.

A Dungeon that was able to give such rewards couldn't be a simple dungeon, which might be the reason why only those of the Initiate Rank and below could enter it, preventing Rankers and those stronger than them from uncovering the secrets that hid behind the Gates that represented the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

 

Chapter 482 The Longest Fifteen Minutes Of My Life [Part 1]

For two days, the Ammarian Army didn't try to attack the Yelan Encampment, and because of this, an uneasy peace settled inside the Glouswell Forest.

Lux had been paying attention to Jasper's and General Revon's markers on the map, but aside from always seeing them together in the same area, there was nothing else that looked out of place.

Even so, the persistent feeling of dread he felt never eased up, making him wonder if he was just feeling stressed due to the current situation of the war.

According to Diablo's and Asmodeus' report, the Mountain Battlefield that was located on the Western Front of the battlefield was experiencing intense battles, which worried not only Lux, but also Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock.

General Hubert, the General of the Yelan Army who was tasked to hold the fort on the mountainous area, reported that they were slowly being pushed back, despite their geographical advantage.

This was bad news for the Yelan Army, but only the higher-ups were aware of it.

Great General Sherlock dispatched 5,000 soldiers to reinforce their Mountain Defenses in hopes that it would help them out in the battle that was being waged at their Western Front.

Naturally, General Carran had also been told of this news by Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock. However, there was nothing he could do about it.

Even he was having a lot of problems dealing with General Revon, whose army had swelled considerably after absorbing the remnants of General Phobus' men.

One mistake and it was possible for them to be overwhelmed by the Instinctive General's tactics, which were quite unpredictable.

While Lux and General Carran were pondering how they would be able to reverse their current situation, the Ammarian Army finally made its move.

"Report to me if General Revon made any sudden movements," General Carran said.

"I will," Lux replied. "Be careful, General. Something feels amiss. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure that our enemies didn't just sit idly on their camp these past few days."

General Carran nodded. He then ordered his four elite soldiers to never leave Lux's side and keep him safe.

While the General prepared to intercept General Revon's troops, the Half-Elf turned to his friends and asked them to go to the left flank of the battlefield, which was the furthest battlefield from where General Revon and Jasper were located.

"All of you be careful," Lux ordered. "Our priority is to clear this mission. If your lives are in danger, do not hesitate to retreat. Did I make myself clear?"

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.

"Go," Lux said as he pressed his fist and palm together. "May fortune shine upon all of you."

The others returned his gesture before departing to join the battle.

Cai, who was standing beside Lux, raised its head towards the sky and frowned. Dark clouds started to gather in the sky, bringing in strong gusts of wind blowing in their direction.

"The spirits are restless," Cai muttered. "This is not a good sign."

Fei Fei, who was on top of Cai's head, also looked up at the sky and tilted her head to the side. She didn't know what her Master meant when it said that the spirits were restless.

Lux, who had strong hearing, heard the Boar's words and glanced in Cai's direction.

"Do you sense anything bad, Cai?" Lux inquired.

Cai nodded. "The Spirits are telling me that if I want to live, I should stay where I am right now. They added that following you is dangerous at the moment because you have been marked."

"I've been marked?" Lux asked with a serious expression on his face. "What do you mean that I've been marked?"

Cai took a deep breath before shifting its attention to the Half-Elf, who was waiting for its answer.

It then spoke in a solemn voice, different from its usual snarky comments that could irritate even a monk that was meditating to reach enlightenment.

"I can sense faint traces of a mark on your shoulder," Cai said as it narrowed its eyes. "There is also a faint mark on Eiko's forehead. Both of you have been marked, and I see the omens of death hovering over the two of you. If not for the fact that the Spirits of the Forest are gathering around me right now, I wouldn't have noticed it at all."

Lux's eyes widened in shock. He finally understood why he was feeling a sense of dread that wouldn't go away even after the passing of a few days.

"So, this was what they planned to do from the start," Lux muttered as he connected the dots together. "Thank you, Cai. Now I know what I need to do. For the time being, you stay here. Since the Spirits are telling you that you shouldn't move from this spot, then don't move from this spot, okay?"

Cai nodded its head in understanding. "Be careful, Lux. I'm sorry I can't accompany you right now."

"It's fine. You've already saved me big time," Lux replied before he shifted his gaze towards his four bodyguards who were all at the Initiate Rank. "The four of you, stay with Cai as well. I have to go somewhere."

The Captain of the four soldiers stepped forward and shook his head.

"The General has ordered us to accompany you," the Captain stated.

"But it will be very dangerous to come with me," Lux insisted. "Don't worry, I have plenty of life saving abilities that will keep me safe."

"The answer is still no. Even if we die, we will follow the General's order without fail."

"You're all so stubborn."

Lux crossed his arms over his chest. His four bodyguards were all Initiates, but if what Cai said was true, then the one who would come after him was none other than General Revon, who was a skilled Ranker.

The Ammarian General wouldn't even break a sweat when it came to killing four Initiates. His bodyguards would just lose their lives needlessly.

The Half-Elf didn't want this to happen, so he tried to convince the four soldiers to let him go alone. However, they didn't budge and insisted on going.

"Fine, since you don't want to follow my orders then have it your way," Lux said before activating his Boots of Teleportation.

The Half-Elf and the Baby Slime on top of his head were bathed in a silvery light for a few seconds before disappearing in front of everyone's eyes.

It took the Captain a few seconds to realize what just happened before cursing out loud.

"Find him!" the Captain ordered. "The General will have our heads if something bad happens to that Half-Elf!"

The four soldiers immediately spread in different directions to look for Lux, who had teleported to the cave he had discovered a few days ago.

Cai, who saw this scene, only smirked before turning its head in the direction that Lux had gone.

The lingering traces of death were still active, so the Boar was able to tell the general direction of where the Half-Elf was.

"Be careful, Lux," Cai said softly. "The shadow of Death creeps closer to you with each passing second."

—---------

"We're finally here," Lux said as he glanced at the Skeleton Mages that gathered around him.

Before he had left the cave a few days ago, he summoned his Skeleton Mages to keep watch over it, just in case it turned out to be a nest of a Beast that had left to look for something to hunt in the forest.

However, as the days passed, no creature entered the hidden cave, making Lux assume that it had no owner.

Since his four bodyguards were adamant about staying with him, he had no choice but to use his teleportation boots to reach his secret hiding spot.

'It's a bit of a shame that the teleportation ability of the Boots of Teleportation is now on cooldown,' Lux thought. 'Fortunately, I just have to wait for fifteen minutes before I can use it again.'

Fifteen minutes might seem like a short time, but in a war, a lot of things could happen in fifteen minutes.

The first thing that Lux did was open his Elysium Compendium to see the current state of the battlefield.

A moment later, he noticed that one of the purple dots on the map, accompanied by over a dozen red dots, started to move in his direction.

Lux's face immediately became grim because he was able to confirm his suspicion that Cai's words were correct. The Ammarian General had indeed put a mark on him, allowing the latter to locate his current position on the battlefield.

"This is probably going to be the longest fifteen minutes of my life," Lux muttered as he gazed at the approaching dots that were headed in his direction.

Although he had other life saving artifacts, he didn't want to use them at the moment. Because of this, he decided to do what he could as he waited for General Revon to make his way to his hiding place.

'Fortunately, I prepared for something like this to happen,' Lux thought as he patted Eiko's head, who was now on his shoulder and looking at the map that the Half-Elf had projected in front of them.

"Eiko, we have work to do," Lux said.

"Pa!" Eiko replied.

Even though a Ranker was coming after them, the two of them were still calm because they had made modifications to the inside of the cave beforehand.

Since General Revon was firm in his decision to end their lives, the Half-Elf would be more than happy to return the favor.

Although he wasn't confident that he would be able to kill the Ammarian General, the Half-Elf was certain that he could at least send the General's subordinates to the afterlife.

 

Chapter 483 The Longest Fifteen Minutes Of My Life [Part 2]

General Revon was paying close attention to Lux's whereabouts even before he ordered the attack on the Ammarian Camp.

He knew that as long as the Half-Elf wasn't eliminated, the chances of mutual destruction on both sides was high if the Yelan Army found itself driven into a corner.

Although he might win the battle, the loss of manpower was something he preferably wanted to avoid, so his purpose in this battle was to assassinate the Half-Elf using his elite subordinate who specialized in eliminating high-ranking officials in the battlefield

He was prepared to send these men deep inside the Yelan Army in order to reach the Half-Elf, but to his surprise, his senses told him that his target had moved away from the Yelan Camp, far away from where the fighting was taking place.

General Revon knew that this was a great opportunity, so instead of simply ordering his subordinates to head in Lux's direction, he took the initiative to personally deal with the Half-Elf, bringing his subordinates along.

As long as Lux was killed, he was confident that he could win against General Carran in a war of attrition. The Ammarian forces were more numerous compared to the defenders, who were desperately trying to hold their position, preventing the Ammarian Army from breaking past their defenses.

Since he was such a high profile character, General Revon made sure to use the dense forest as his cover, while he headed towards the Half-Elf who had isolated himself on the Western Outskirts of the Battlefield.

Suddenly, without warning, the Ammarian General raised his sword and slashed in front of him, creating a wind blade that sliced everything in front of it, including the giant Skeleton Cannonball that was aimed in their direction.

The Skeleton Cannonball was sliced in half and fell harmlessly on the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces.

'I see, so you are aware that I am headed in your direction,' General Revon thought. 'Interesting. It's a shame that you refuse to join my side.'

General Revon could truly tell how dangerous the Half-Elf was, and this discovery amazed him. This was the first time that a Grade A Apostle had been able to throw a wrench in his grand plan, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to kill Lux and make sure that he wouldn't be able to live another day.

It was at this moment that the Ammarian General and his subordinates saw another Giant Skeleton Cannonball headed in their direction.

"It's useless." General Revon sneered as he sliced the incoming skeleton cannonball into two halves.

Just like he intended, his target was cut perfectly in half.

However, something else happened.

When the skeleton cannonball was cut in half, dozens of red-steel-balls burst out from inside its center and descended upon the General and his subordinates.

A moment later, a powerful explosion erupted within the forest, making the Half-Elf who was sitting in a meditative position clench his fist tightly because his attack managed to have the outcome he was aiming for.

Right now, he was sharing his senses with his Doppelganger, who was doing his best to delay the approach of the Ammarian General, allowing the cooldown of the Boots of Teleportation to finish.

—-------

< Boots of Teleportation >

Cooldown: 00:12:16

—-------

Twelve minutes still remained, but the distance that the Ammarian General needed to travel in order to reach him was less than three kilometers.

Even so, with his mount, General Revon could easily reach Lux's position in around five minutes, giving the Half-Elf no time to flee using his Boots of Teleportation.

However, before Lux could even celebrate, the General's mount, as well as a few of his subordinates', passed through the cloud of smoke that was caused by the explosion of the Blast Bombs that he and Eiko had prepared for the Ammarian General and his entourage.

'As expected, it is not easy to deal with a Ranker,' Lux thought. 'Also, I only managed to take out three of his subordinates.'

Although he had already expected General Revon to easily survive his attack, he was still disappointed that he hadn't been able to wipe out the General's subordinates, who were riding behind him.

'Let's go with Plan B then.' Lux immediately ordered his clone, and Eiko's Doppelgangers, to proceed with their next plan. Right now, it was a race against time, and he would do everything in his power to halt General Revon's advance.

—--------

"Stick close to me!" General Revon ordered as he led his men in the direction where he could sense the Half-Elf.

If not for the fact that he acted quick enough and used his sword to create a gust of wind to blow away the Blast Bombs that were in front of him, his men would have already suffered under the Half-Elf's schemes.

However, even though he was a Ranker, he still wasn't able to save everyone, so three of his people died in the process.

General Revon looked calm on the surface, but deep inside, he was quite annoyed that he had lost three of the Initiates that he had personally trained to become Assassins.

They specialized in sneak attacking people, and weren't good in face-to-face combat. Also, the amount of Blast Bombs that exploded in front of them numbered in the hundreds, which was more than enough to kill an Initiate.

Eiko and her clones, as well as Lux, made the Blast Bombs with the intention of wiping out General Revon's subordinates' using the second Skeleton Cannonball as a surprise attack.

Unfortunately, they didn't succeed, so they proceeded with the second phase of their plan.

Several bone arrows, as well as dozens of elemental bullets, descended upon General Revon and his entourage, but the powerful Ranker simply used his Sword Aura to create strong gusts of wind, repelling these attacks with ease.

It didn't take long before General Revon saw hundreds of Undead Creatures, as well as Rock Golems blocking their path.

The Ammarian General was about to slash his sword to cut them all in half, but before he could even do that, he suddenly felt a powerful attraction pulling him towards his left side.

'This might be that taunting ability that Jasper had warned me about,' General Revon thought. 'The one that managed to bring down General Phobus.'

When he first heard about this ability, he only thought that General Phobus' willpower wasn't strong enough to resist it, so he didn't think too much about it.

Now that it was being used against him, he finally understood why this skill was something that he should be wary of because even though he was using his will power to break free from the invisible shackles that bound him, it was of no use.

Shifting his gaze to his right side, he saw a Giant Jade Golem in the distance whose finger was pointing in his direction.

With an angry roar, General Revon steered his Black Panther to face off against Orion, who used the skill, Duel [EX], to force the General to fight him.

His subordinates were surprised by the General's sudden action, which left them unable to react to the volley of bone arrows, elemental magic, in addition to another Giant Skeleton Cannonball that headed in their direction.

Knowing that this was a matter of life and death, the Assassins unleashed a barrage of their most powerful spells, and abilities, in order to defend themselves.

General Revon could only hear a series of loud explosions behind him, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only grit his teeth as he charged at the Jade Golem, whom he wanted to crush with his own two hands.

Orion took a fighting stance, knowing full well that he could only survive two blows from his opponent.

The Jade Golem had the Guts skill, which allowed him to survive an attack that could otherwise kill him instantly. However, this wouldn't save him from the next blow from the Ranker, whom he was sure wouldn't show him any mercy.

Even so, the Jade Golem had no intention of backing down because his Master's life was on the line.

"Come!" Orion declared as he pulled back his arm in preparation to unleash his strongest attack.

When General Revon was only a few meters away from the Jade Golem, he suddenly felt four powerful energy sources headed in his direction.

However, since he was forced to duel with the Jade Golem, the only thing he could do was to summon a barrier around his body in order to protect himself from the attacks that had been timed perfectly to coincide with Orion's Duel [Ex].

As Orion and General Revon were about to exchange blows with each other, Four Dragon Breaths collided with the General's barrier.

At the exact same time, the Skeleton Bombs that Lux's and Eiko's clones created, that were buried in front of Orion, detonated as well, creating an earth shaking explosion that shook the entirety of Glouswell Forest.

 

Chapter 484 The Longest Fifteen Minutes Of My Life [Part 3]

—-------

< Boots of Teleportation >

Cooldown: 00:09:32

—-------

The explosion was so powerful that even the soldiers fighting way off in the distance noticed it, making them wonder what was happening in a place that was devoid of any of their soldiers.

However, since they were currently neck to neck with each other, they pulled their attention back to their enemy and fought with everything they had.

The Ammarian Army didn't know that their General was currently dealing with a threat greater than General Carran at the moment, while the Yelan Soldiers weren't aware that their Trump Card was currently dealing with the greatest threat in the Glouswell Forest.

—----------

At the center of a crater that was hundreds of meters wide, dense white smoke rose towards the sky, blocking anyone from seeing anything past it.

A moment later, the smoke was dispersed and the Ammarian General roared in anger.

The clothes in his body were covered in soot, and he received very minor injuries. However, his mount, the Black Panther, didn't survive Lux's devastating attack.

Although the Black Panther was a peak Rank 5 Field Boss Monster, it wasn't able to survive Lux's devastating attacks that were imbued by the Power of the Abyss. The Touch of the Abyss directly targeted the soul, so even if someone had strong defenses, they wouldn't be able to block it completely.

Even General Revon's wasn't an exception, and he sustained some injuries to his soul. However, that kind of injury wouldn't stop the Ammarian General from killing the Half-Elf who had already broken past his bottom line.

After finally deciding that he would no longer play games with his target, General Revon stomped his right foot on the ground, and was about to run at full speed to where the Half-Elf was when he felt another strong pull coming from behind him.

General Revon growled fiercely before turning his head to look at the person who dared to stop him from killing the person he wanted to kill.

There, he saw Lux's clone sneering at him and making the "come over here" gesture with his hands, making something inside the Ammarian General snap.

"You bastard!" General Revon growled before lunging at the Half-Elf's clone, who was looking at him with disdain.

"Do you think I'll just allow you to kill me so easily?" Lux asked with a sneer. "My life isn't cheap. Even if I am fighting against a Ranker, I will struggle to the bitter end."

"I'll seal your soul and torture you for a hundred years!" General Revon shouted as he swung his sword to end the clone's life. "I will not stop even if you beg me to kill you!"

"Whether you will be able to seal my soul or not is still uncertain," Lux replied. "Don't think too highly of yourself just because you are a Ranker."

Lux's clone then pressed his closed fists together, casting his strongest attack at him.

"Draco Meteor!"

Immediately, giant fireballs descended from the sky and fell toward where the Half-Elf was standing. Any ability that Lux used was empowered by the Touch of the Abyss. No matter how minor it was, any injury to the soul was harder to heal compared to the injuries of the flesh.

The fireballs descended from the sky, creating another round of explosions, but General Revon's furious roar overpowered the noise of the explosions, showing just how much he hated the Half-Elf who kept on delaying his inevitable death by his hands.

Half a minute later, General Revon emerged from the devastated forest and ran towards the red-headed teenager, who had made him suffer more than General Carran whom he had faced repeatedly inside the Glouswell Forest.

He had already noticed that the injuries he received to his body were all minor injuries, and that he didn't even need to bother with them. However, the injuries he received to his soul were something that he couldn't turn a blind eye to, so with this, he planned to capture the Half-Elf and return to his camp to start the recovery of his soul.

—------

< Cooldown: 00:08:08 >

—------

Lux, who was inside his hiding place, raised his hand and summoned Pazuzu in front of him.

"Pazuzu, buy as much time as you can," Lux ordered. "I still have one clone to hold him off, and Eiko's two clones are also moving to intercept him. You are my last line of defense. Please, hold him off for as long as you can."

Pazuzu knelt like a knight and pressed his right fist over his chest. "The only time General Revon will be able to get past me is over my dead body, Master. I will do everything in my power to hold him back."

"I know," Lux nodded.

The Half-Elf then stood up and tapped Pazuzu's shoulder, signaling his Fortress Defender to stand up.

After doing that, he walked towards the entrance of the cave and summoned his Dragon Knight, Bedivere.

"Bedivere, help Pazuzu fend off General Revon to the best of your abilities," Lux stated.

"I will, Master," Bedivere replied as he pressed his fist over his chest, while mounted on the back of his wind dragon. "I will fight to the death for your sake."

Lux nodded. "Blackfire, come!"

A moment later, a black coffin appeared behind Lux. Its lid opened, and two black mists surged out from inside it.

Sid and Scarlet stood in front of Lux with different expressions on their faces.

The Dhamphir Assassin knelt and bowed his head with respect, while Scarlet only gave Lux a brief nod of acknowledgement.

"Sid, Scarlet, I call upon you now to protect me," Lux stated. "You are facing a Ranker, so don't hold back and attack with everything you have. I have managed to damage his soul, so he isn't at his peak. If you are lucky, you might be able to give him a scratch. Just make sure that the blades you use are coated with poison."

"Yes, Master," Sid replied.

"If I die from this, you better revive me," Scarlet said through gritted teeth. "I still have many goals in this lifetime, and I want to achieve them all."

Lux glared at the beautiful scarlet-haired Dwarf in annoyance. "I am doing my best to not raise any death flags, yet you casually jinx us. Girl, you need to learn how to choose your words."

Scarlet snorted, but she no longer said anything else. Lux was her Master, so she couldn't be too rude to him, so she decided to just shut up and do what he asked of her.

If Lux died, she would also die. Although dying in the Dungeon wasn't a permanent death, she knew that if she allowed the Half-Elf to die right now, the latter would lose more stats, making his rank regress.

And, if his Rank regressed again, wouldn't that make him weaker?

If Lux was weak, he might accidentally die if he was slapped by a monster while he was exploring Elysium.

If Lux died outside of the Dungeon, she would die for real as well. This was a fact, so no matter what would happen, she would not allow the Half-Elf to die.

His death would also be the end of her ambitions.

"Don't worry," Lux said as if to assure Scarlet. "If you die, I will make sure to revive you, okay?"

Scarlet nodded in relief after hearing Lux's assurance. Unlike Lux's Named Creatures, Sid, Scarlet, and Bedivere couldn't be summoned back to life so easily.

Once they died, the Half-Elf had to use Beast Cores in order to revive them, chipping away at valuable resources, which Lux could use to increase his strength instead.

The Half-Elf then glanced to the North and saw a dust cloud heading in his direction.

"Our guest is finally here," Lux stated. "Make sure to let him know that I am not someone he can kill just because he has the strength to. Let him know that even a rat will bite back once it is cornered."

"""Yes, Master!"""

Pazuzu, Bedivere, Sid, and Scarlet, all went to intercept the Ammarian General who planned to kill their Master.

Now that the Half-Elf's life was on the line, the four of them would do everything in their power to stop the General in his tracks, even if they had to sacrifice their own lives to make it happen.

Lux stared at his subordinates as they faced the enemy Ranker in battle.

He then took out the Dragon Token and held it firmly in his hand.

He didn't really want to use it until it was absolutely necessary. But, he wouldn't be shy when it came to using one of his Trump Cards in order to save his life.

Additionally, the Half-Elf was waiting for something else to happen.

He didn't just randomly decide to come to this cave in order to lure General Revon out to attack him.

If he genuinely wanted to play it safe, he would just have stayed in the Yelan Camp where he was heavily protected.

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity," Lux said softly as he stared in the direction where the Ammarian Army and Yelan Army were fighting against each other. "Whether you use this opportunity or not is for you to decide."

The Half-Elf stepped back inside the cave and sat in meditation. The seconds that passed felt like days, and the minutes felt like years.

Now that the final minutes of the clock were ticking down, it was only a matter of time before the conclusion to Lux's gamble would come to pass.

 

Chapter 485 I Have Come To Take Your Head

Never in his life had General Revon suffered under the hands of a mere Apostle.

As someone of his Rank, he could easily crush hundreds of Apostles if he wished for it. But, the Half-Elf he was fighting against was using tactics that he never thought was possible.

Although the attacks that he received only made him suffer minor injuries, the damage in his soul was getting worse with each time he was exposed to Lux's Abyssal Touch, which could pass through any defenses, attacking his soul directly.

"You brat, don't let me get my hands on you!" General Revon said through gritted teeth as he neared the location of the hidden cave where Lux was currently staying.

However, just as he was getting near his destination, he felt a familiar strong pull once again, forcing him to veer off his path.

"Damn you!" General Revon glared to his right side and saw a familiar baby Blue Slime, which he had poked a few days ago. Back then, he thought that this particular Slime was harmless and would be of no threat to him.

But now, after experiencing Lux's annoying delaying tactics, the General was no longer in the mood to show any mercy to a low-ranked Monster, even if it was a baby.

General Revon's eyes turned bloodshot because right in front of the Baby Slime, dozens of red-steel balls were scattered, making him curse out loud.

"I'll kill you!" General Revon's blood-curdling roar was similar to that of a beast's that was about to annihilate everything in its path.

Even so, Eiko's clone held her ground and even spat a bone bomb in front of her, in addition to tossing another red-steel ball it had just created, adding to the number of bombs that were lying in wait for the Ranker, whose lips were already bleeding from viciously biting them out of anger.

"Boom Boom Bakugan!" Eiko's clone shouted as General Revon swung his sword down to obliterate it completely.

Just like what happened before, another explosion erupted, and this time, General Revon staggered a bit because he suffered another injury to his soul, making his vision spin for a brief moment.

Just before the Ranker was able to regain his senses, three Dragon Breaths hit him from three different directions.

One was from the sky, and the other two were from his left and right sides, making him unable to dodge them.

Clearly, these attacks were synchronized to hit him just as soon as he was engulfed in the explosions from the Blast Bombs and Skeleton Bombs that Eiko's clone had created.

General Revon skidded a few meters away from where he stood. Currently, his arms were crossed in front of his body in a defensive position, shielding his chest and head from the Dragon Breaths that had just hit him.

A moment later, blood spilled at the corner of the General's lips. For the first time, he had received a serious injury from the combined assault on his body.

Due to his soul being injured, he was unable to raise his barrier in time and got hit directly by the three Dragon Breaths, which further damaged his soul.

Suddenly, General Revon swung his sword backwards, deflecting two throwing knives that were hurled at his back.

After the Ammarian General deflected the throwing knives, he jumped away from where he stood and evaded a blood spray that came from above his head.

The place where he initially stood melted as if it was corroded by a strong acid, causing white smoke to rise from its surface.

Sid immediately flapped his wings and flew away as his bleeding palm healed at a very fast rate.

When he was reborn as a Dhamphir, Sid gained many new abilities like Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed, Flight, Enhanced Senses, Eidetic Memory, Superhuman Stamina, Fast Regeneration, and a few other things that made him several times stronger than his past self before he died in Lux's hands.

But, among Sid's new abilities was Blood Magic.

He could use his blood to empower a spell, transform into a weapon, as well as other Blood Arts that would make an Anemic Person shake their head in disgust just by looking at him.

The reason why he was able to accompany the Draconian Kobold, Cadmus, in the Savage Lands, was due to his unique ability that allowed him to match the explosive abilities of an E-Ranker.

General Revon was a C Ranker, which meant that he was many times stronger than Sid. However, after suffering several Soul Injuries, the General's reaction time had significantly slowed, allowing Sid to use sneak attacks against the weakened General.

However, even though he was confident that he was currently faster than his target, he still didn't dare to linger close to General Revon. He knew that one sword strike from a C-Ranker was enough to cut him in half, no matter how sturdy and durable his body was.

"You annoying insects!" General Revon roared as he raised his sword high up in the air. "Die!"

Suddenly, a powerful gust of air spun around the General, creating a powerful tornado, uprooting all the trees that were hundreds of meters around him.

Scarlet transformed herself into her Cambion Form and flew away to prevent herself from getting sucked up by the giant tornado that was slowly getting bigger and bigger.

"Pull back!" Bedivere shouted as he ordered his mount, who was desperately flapping its wings to escape the powerful suction that was pulling it towards the tornado.

"None of you will escape!" General Revon's roar reverberated in the surroundings as the tornado's size increased drastically.

Truth be told, the General was having difficulty moving his body, so he decided to create a tornado as a means to defend and attack the annoying insects that were coming at him from all sides.

He was beyond angry right now and was already going all-out to ensure that the pesky flies buzzing around him would be torn to shreds.

Just as he expected, Lux's and Eiko's last remaining clones were slowly being pulled towards the tornado.

The Half-Elf's clone had summoned a Skeleton Sword, and dug it on the ground to prevent himself from being sucked in, but it was only a matter of time before he and Eiko's clone would be torn to shreds by the powerful winds that were as sharp as knives.

Bedivere, Sid, and Scarlet were also unable to fly away from the vicinity and slowly lost their ground with each passing second.

Just as all of them were about to reach their limits, a Giant Skeleton Cannonball flew towards the tornado, and behind it were two Dragon Breaths, pushing it from behind, and increasing its speed.

A moment later, the tornado twisted erratically before swelling in size. It didn't take long before an explosion was heard from within its center, and the tornado was dispersed completely, allowing Lux's subordinates to break free from its pull.

"Now, I finally know where you are hiding," General Revon spat a mouthful of blood as he narrowed his eyes in the direction where the two Dragon Breaths had come from.

His vision zoomed in on the Half-Elf and the blue baby slime, whose mouths were currently smoking due to attacks that they had just unleashed.

Since General Revon was unable to properly move his body, the only thing he could do was channel his strength and launch a concentrated long distance attack, in order to kill the Half-Elf where he stood.

"Time for you to die," General Revon muttered as he summoned a spear in his hands.

Wind magic started to gather from its tip as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack, which he originally planned to use against General Carran should an opportunity present itself.

However, right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill the Half-Elf, so he threw caution to the wind and prepared to throw his spear at the Necromancer who made him suffer repeatedly.

Just as he was about to unleash his attack, his sixth sense kicked in, telling him that a danger that could potentially end his life was coming from behind him.

General Revon's body moved subconsciously and used the spear in his hand to deflect a blue spear that was only two meters away from hitting his back.

A metallic ring spread in the surroundings, as the Ammarian General's skidded a few meters from where he stood.

The spear that had attacked him from behind flew towards the air and returned to its owner, which made General Revon's face turn grim.

"So, you're finally here," General Revon wiped the bloodstain at the corner of his lips as he looked at the Yelan General who was charging in his direction, mounted on the back of a Giant Black Bear.

"Yes," General Carran replied. "I have come to take your head and end your tyranny once and for all."

 

Chapter 486 If I Survive This, You’d Better Compensate Me

Lux sighed after seeing that General Carran had finally arrived at the scene.

However, he didn't order his subordinates to leave. Instead, he ordered them to look for an opportunity to give the killing blow to the Ammarian General, whose injuries were more serious than the injuries that could be seen by the naked eye.

---------

< Boots of Teleportation >

Cooldown: 00:04:19

---------

Although his reinforcements had arrived, the Half-Elf didn't drop his guard because he knew that he wasn't out of danger just yet.

If not for the fact that General Carran had forced General Revon to deflect the spear that he had thrown at his enemy's back, the Ammarian General might have already killed the Half-Elf, ejecting him out of the Dungeon, and preventing him from rejoining the war.

The two Generals stared at each other for a brief moment before General Revon held the spear in his hands firmly, and gathered a great amount of wind magic in its tip, creating strong gusts of winds that blew towards him.

General Carran knew that his enemy understood that there was no way for him to escape, so he assumed that General Revon planned to end their faceoff with a single killing blow that would decide the outcome of the war.

"So be it!" General Carran also held the spear in his hand, and channeled his own unique magic in it.

General Carran's specialty was Metal Magic. This allowed him to manipulate any kind of metal, to a certain extent, as well as empower his weapon, and armor beyond its limit.

Black mists rose up from the ground and gathered on the tip of General Carran's Spear as he activated his Trump Card to face off against General Revon's own final gambit.

The black mists that were flying in his direction weren't actually gas, but iron filings, and other metals that were in his immediate surroundings.

General Carran condensed them together, increasing the size of his spear, making it harder, sharper, and countless times more deadly.

There was a time when General Carrran had made a gigantic spear that easily pierced through the barriers of the Ammarian Army, and broke through the walls of their fortress, allowing the Yelan Army to capture one of their main strongholds, which allowed them to capture the lands belonging to the Ammarian Kingdom.

Lux knew that there was a very high possibility that he would be caught in the aftermath of the two General's confrontation, so he was paying close attention to the cooldown of his Boots of Teleportation.

As soon as the cooldown finished, he would immediately teleport away, and recall his Subordinates.

Although he felt regretful that he wouldn't be able to land the killing blow at the General, his life was more important than the rewards he would gain if he remained on the battlefield.

---------

< Boots of Teleportation >

Cooldown: 00:02:23

---------

Beads of sweat formed on top of Lux's head, as he continually shifted his attention between the battle that was about to start, as well as the cooldown of his life saving artifact.

Due to his constant glancing at his Soul Book, he noticed a green dot appear on the map, and it was currently speeding towards his direction.

Unlike the other green dots on the map, this particular green dot had a name, which meant that they were one of Lux's party members.

A quick glance was enough to tell him who it was, but before the Half-Elf could even tell the thick-skinned boar to stay away from the battlefield, Cai's voice reached Lux's ears.

"Lux, don't move from where you are!" Cai shouted.

The Half-Elf only understood what Cai had meant when it told him to not move from his spot when he heard General Revon's crisp and overbearing roar.

"Rend my foes to shreds!" General Revon roared. "Requiem of the Storm Winds!"

"Annihilate!" General Carran shouted as he pulled back his arm to throw the giant spear towards his enemy. "Florance, Spear of Giant Slaying!"

Both Generals threw their weapons at the same time, but to General Carran's surprise, General Revon didn't throw his spear in his direction, but towards the Half-Elf, whose eyes had widened in shock.

The wind hummed as the spear containing the full might of a C-Ranker headed towards the Half-Elf, whose body was frozen in place.

General Revon's attack had an added ability, and that was to immobilize his targets, preventing them from escaping his killing blow.

This was why General Revon was a feared enemy by the Yelan Generals because he had slain many of their comrades in the same manner. Only General Carran was confident enough to face off against him, so he was the one that was assigned to fight against the strongest among the Ammarian Generals.

Although he knew that it was futile, Lux still decided to summon several layers of Bone Walls in front of him, in an attempt to decrease the force behind the General's attack, giving him a chance of survival.

However, before he could even do that, he heard Cai's shout, which seemed to suppress all sounds in his surroundings.

"Fourth Gear!"

At that moment, a boar that was over five meters tall appeared in front of the Half-Elf, standing in the path of the destructive spear that was strong enough to obliterate an entire town.

"Twrch Trwyth!" Cai roared as she used her tusks to create a barrier and block the incoming spear that was meant to take the Half-Elf's life.

After the incident at the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen, her Grandfather, Maximilian, had given her two things.

The first one was the poison that could paralyze a Ranker.

The second one was the spirit of a powerful Boar who had reached the Argonaut Rank.

This was Cai's Fourth Form and Trump Card, allowing her to gain the strength of a Ranker temporarily.

Even so, the disparity between an E-Ranker, and a C-Ranker was immense, making Cai's hooves skid across the ground.

Due to his strong sense of hearing, the Half-Elf heard a faint cracking sound in front of him, making him feel as if he had lost all the breath in his body.

Cracks started to form on the surface of Cai's tusks, but the Boar held its ground as the power behind the spear decreased with each passing second.

"Lux, I apologize for the things I did to you in the past," Cai said as the cracks in its tusks widened. "Originally, I didn't want to come because the spirits were telling me that doing so would be extremely dangerous."

Cai's tusks began to splinter, as it resisted the pressure that was similar to a mountain pressing on top of it, with every fiber of its being.

"But, if something happens to you, Iris will be sad," Cai stated as bits and pieces of its tusks broke apart. "Iris is my first best friend, and I want her to be the happiest girl in the world. Which means that I can't just stand idly as you face someone that can end your life so easily. That's why... I decided to come.

"And Lux, if I survive this, you'd better compensate me."

A grunt escaped Cai's lips as one of its tusks shattered. Cracks immediately appeared in the barrier, making creaking sounds, alerting the Boar and the Half-Elf that it could shatter at any given moment.

"Iris... I'm sorry."

Cai's words, filled with unwillingness, spread in the surroundings as its last tusk broke apart, making the barrier in front of it shatter.

The Boar then decisively used its body to shield the Half-Elf behind its back.

General Revon's spear embedded itself halfway in the Giant Boar's body, which sent Cai flying.

Lux, who was behind the Giant Boar, was pushed away by Pazuzu, preventing Cai's body from colliding against his Master.

The Fortress Defender then activated his Shield Wall in an attempt to slow down the speed at which Cai was pushed back by the momentum of General Revon's attack, making his body smash against the trees behind him.

As much as possible, he didn't want the already seriously injured Cai to suffer more injuries as he used his body to break its fall.

After being pushed for hundreds of meters, Cai's body finally collapsed on the ground, while Pazuzu's body slowly turned into particles of light.

He had done his best to protect the Boar, who had saved his Master's life, from further injury. Pazuzu hoped that the next time Lux summoned him, he would still be able to see the annoying Boar, whose vocal antics could even force the dead to rise up from their grave, in order to slap it.

Lux, who had been pushed aside by his Fortress Defender, propped himself off the ground and immediately looked at the wreckage behind him.

Blood drained from his face when he saw the Boar's current circumstance, making him feel as if a stake had been stabbed in his heart.

"Cai!" Lux shouted as he flew towards the Boar, whose body glowed faintly.

Just as the Half-Elf landed beside Cai, the Boar's body shattered like a crystal glass that had fallen on the floor.

These shattered pieces soon dissolved into particles of light, revealing a naked beauty lying on the ground. A puddle of blood could be seen under her body, and her face was devoid of any colors.

Even so, a sad, yet beautiful smile could be seen on her face, despite the fact that her body was covered with her own blood, and all the warmth she currently had was slowly slipping away, like the sand inside an hourglass, whose time was about to run out.

 

Chapter 487 To Damnation And Beyond

"Why?" General Carran asked as he looked at the Ammarian General who had been mortally wounded by his attack.

General Revon spat a mouthful of blood as he lay on the ground, dying. Instead of throwing his spear towards the Yelan General, he threw it towards Lux in an attempt to end the latter's life once and for all.

This move shocked General Carran and made him wonder why the Ammarian General did such a thing.

"Why?" General Revon asked back hoarsely. "Do you really not know the answer, or are you just pretending to be ignorant?"

The Yelan General narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the dying General on the ground.

"Tell me," General Carran insisted. "I want to hear it from your own lips."

Although he was hurting, General Revon managed to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Even he didn't think that at the last second, he would choose to target the Half-Elf instead of the Yelan General who fought against him.

However, he was sure that if he could turn back time and given the same choices, he would repeat what he had done today.

General Revon chuckled as blood dripped from the corner of his lips.

"I… have heard how formidable you are… and wanted to know if the stories were true," General Revon said with ragged breaths. "You are… indeed strong, but… not strong enough to tip the outcome in favor… of the Yelan Kingdom."

General Revon then coughed a few times before shifting his gaze in the direction where the Half-Elf was.

"It is not you… or me who will decide the outcome of this war…" General Revon closed his fists. As he tried to prop himself up. "The greatest… threat on this battlefield… is him."

He forced himself to stand because, as a General, he wanted to die standing on his two feet, instead of lying on the ground and waiting for death to take him.

General Carran didn't do anything and simply allowed the enemy general to do as he pleased. He had recognized the Ammarian General as a fearsome foe, so the least he could do was allow him to die in a way fitting of his rank.

"If he only chose my side… the one who would be dying would have been you," General Revon stated as he fixed his fading vision on the Half-Elf, who was desperately pouring bottles of healing potions on the body of the young lady, who risked her life to save him.

"You should… know what… Necromancers… are capable of doing," General Revon coughed once more as his body slowly but surely neared its limit. "After all… you also lost to one… right?"

General Carran didn't refute the Ammarian General's words. There was one time when he had accidentally come across a vagabond Necromancer, who was performing an unholy ritual on the border of the Yelan Kingdom.

The Necromancer was also a Ranker, and although he was a realm weaker than the Yelan General, that disparity was overcome by the hordes of Undead that obeyed his command.

General Carran had lost many of his trusted and loyal subordinates in that battle, and since then, he hated Necromancers with a vengeance.

If not for the fact that Lux had helped them out in the Marshland Campaign, he would have definitely ended the Half-Elf's life because of the grudge he'd held for the past few years.

"You… should be… careful, Carran," General Revon said as he faced the Yelan General. "Necromancers are… willful beings. You might be… his ally now… but who knows what will… happen tomorrow. It will be… best if you dispose of… him now… while you still ca–kreuk!"

The Ammarian General wasn't able to finish his words because a dagger had pierced through his neck, surprising even General Carran, who was only several meters away from General Revon.

"You talk too much," Sid stated. "Just go to hell where you belong."

The Dhamphir then twisted his knife, creating a gaping hole on General Revon's neck.

A moment later, the Dwarf Assassin casually pushed the general's body, making it fall on the ground, before making a slashing motion to his side, removing the blood that stained his dagger.

"Y-You!" General Carran shouted in both surprise and anger. "Why?! He's already dying!"

Sid shifted his gaze from the fallen General beside his feet to the Yelan General who was looking at him with bloodshot eyes.

"If he's still dying, then it means that he is not dead yet," Sid replied with a shrug. "My Master wants him dead, and I also want him dead. Because of this, he needs to die. Simple as that. Also, before you spout more rubbish, let me just say that you were only able to kill him because we had already worn him down.

"You heard what he said earlier. The one whom he thinks is the greatest threat to their Army in this war is not you, but my Master. So, if you want to win, don't make my Master your enemy. Even if he cannot kill you, he can certainly kill a lot of people."

Sid then shifted his gaze on his Master, who was still desperately pouring bottles of Health Potion over Cai's body.

"My master is too kind to be a Necromancer," Sid added. "If he wasn't, my sisters might be suffering right now and only the Gods know what might have happened to them. Fortunately, he isn't a bad person and allowed me to reunite with them. That is why…"

Sid then fearlessly pointed his dagger to General Carran, and looked at him with a steady gaze.

"Even if you are stronger than me, the moment you harm my Master will be the day that this blade will end your life," Sid declared.

The Dhamphir then flapped the wings behind his back and flew towards the sky. Although the battle had now ended, there was still the possibility that Ammarian Reinforcements would come to see what had happened on this side of the battlefield.

Sid would gladly risk his life to eliminate anyone who would dare to harm his Master, as well as make his little sisters cry.

He didn't care how strong they were, or how high their position was.

Assassins didn't care for such trivialities.

As long as that person must die, he would make sure that they died, not caring what methods he used to make it happen.

For him, his second life was precious, but his little sisters' happiness was more precious.

To that end, Sid would ensure that Lux remained alive, even if it meant that he, himself, would go to Damnation and Beyond.

 

Chapter 488 Unexpected News

Inside the cave, a gentle refreshing breeze circulated around Lux and Cai as he used the skill, Healing Wind.

He had already poured all of his healing potions over her body, and right now, he was doing his best to stabilize Cai, whose heartbeat had become extremely faint.

Eiko, her Water Slime, and her Angel Slime were the ones that helped with removing the blood on Cai's body using gentle methods, as well as applying their own healing abilities to help the Half-Elf save the young lady, whose life hung by a thin thread.

After her body was cleaned up, Lux used a blanket to cover her as he focused his undivided attention on healing her.

Hours passed as Lux continued to use healing magic over and over again.

He had ordered all of his subordinates to prevent anyone from entering the hidden cave. Right now, no one knew about Cai's true form, and he intended to let it stay that way.

However, he ordered Ishtar to inform Xander about the current situation because he knew that the young man was loyal to Cai and served as one of her retainers.

Xander hurriedly came to where Cai was, but was stopped at the entrance of the cave. Only when Lux gave his permission was the young man let inside the cave to look at the situation of their Tribe's High Priestess.

He didn't interrupt Lux and the Slimes who were using Healing Magic to stabilize Cai's condition and sat a meter away from her, looking at her pale face that was as white as a candle.

Xander didn't have any healing abilities, so he did what he could do and stayed seated, waiting for the High Priestess of their clan to overcome her current situation.

Unlike the other representatives, Xander didn't have the artifact that allowed people to see what he could see. This was to ensure that their tribe's secrets would remain a secret and not be divulged to the outside world.

Finally, just a little past midnight, a sigh escaped Lux lips.

"She will live," Lux said with exhaustion.

After hearing these words, Xander also breathed a sigh of relief before giving Lux a respectful bow.

He then left the cave to stand guard and prevent anyone from trespassing.

Now that their High Priestess' safety was confirmed, he would now do everything in his power to protect her identity from their comrades, who were still unaware of the current situation.

Lux closed his eyes for a brief moment in order to recover a bit of his strength. When he opened them again, he looked at Cai's face, which had now regained a little bit of color.

Although she still looked pale, it was way better than her complexion a few hours ago.

"Iris, you have a good friend," Lux said softly.

Whenever he and his fiance were together, they would often talk to each other about random things. One of the main topics of their discussion was Cai.

Lux knew about Cai's true form, and Iris had confirmed this as well during one of their pillow talks.

This was why he wasn't too surprised when Cai returned to her original form.

"Thank you, Cai," Lux commented as he gave the sleeping young lady a bow of gratitude. "I will make sure to compensate you properly after this mission ends."

The Half-Elf then lightly patted Fei Fei, who was resting on top of Cai's chest. The Golden Slime had just finished crying a few hours ago and had fallen asleep due to exhaustion.

After making sure that Fei Fei was fine, he stood up and called for Ishtar to enter the cave.

"I will go and rest," Lux said. "Look after her and Fei Fei while I sleep. Wake me up when she regains consciousness."

"Yes, Master," Ishtar replied.

Lux went outside the cave to look at his subordinates, who had also stayed vigil while he was healing Cai.

Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Sid, and Bedivere.

Scarlet couldn't stay any longer because her absence would complicate things, so she returned to the Kingdom of Gweliven once the battle was over.

Lux patted Xander's shoulder before using his boots of Teleportation to return to his tent, where he left a single Skeleton Mage as an anchor point.

When he arrived, the sound of merrymaking could be heard all around the camp.

He didn't know what happened after he had ordered Sid to kill General Revon. The Half-Elf had dedicated all of his attention to keeping Cai alive, in order to prevent her from getting kicked out of the dungeon.

Although the young lady wouldn't really die, her identity would be exposed, which might cause the Rowan Tribe to suffer some hardships.

He didn't know why Cai hid her true form under the guise of a thick-headed and shameless Boar, but something was telling him that her identity must not be exposed no matter what.

This was why he didn't bat an eye and used every resource at his disposal to keep her alive.

As Lux got out of his tent, he saw the merry soldiers drinking, eating, and some were even dancing near the bonfire, which proved how happy they were that they had won the fight against the Ammarian Army.

After asking a few soldiers, the Half-Elf found out that General Carran launched an all-out assault and killed countless Ammarian Soldiers as they fled in droves after seeing General Revon's body tied up on a pole for everyone to see.

Now that their General, and one of their most formidable Rankers, was dead, the Ammarian Soldiers had lost the will to fight, and no matter what the other commanders ordered, none of them listened, allowing the brunt of the Yelan Army to break through their defensive lines.

Blood dyed the land as General Carran and his elite soldiers cut through the enemy's ranks like a hot knife through butter. He knew that an opportunity like this wouldn't present itself again, so he used his powers to drain the iron from the blood of the slain Soldiers, and transformed it into countless Blood Spears that rained upon the Ammarian Army without any mercy.

General Carran wouldn't allow the survivors to regroup and make an exodus towards the Great Plains, further increasing the bulk of the main army of the Ammarian Kingdom.

However, no matter how hard he tried, it was impossible for General Carran to kill everyone.

Thousands of soldiers managed to escape, and he and his men were already too exhausted to chase them for miles.

In the end, General Carran returned to the main camp and declared that they were victorious, which was happily met with cheers by the Yelan Soldiers who had fought long and hard all throughout the campaign.

However, just as General Carran was sharing drinks with his soldiers and toasting them for their hard work, a messenger arrived at the camp, and hurriedly passed him a news that made the smile on his face disappear completely.

Their army protecting the Mountainous Region from the Ammarian Army was defeated, and General Hubert, who was stationed to protect their Western Flank, had been killed in battle.

The survivors of the battle fled the Mountains and went to the Great Plains where Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock received the news of their comrade's passing.

Both Generals were devastated at the loss of one of their Generals, as well as more than half of the army that had been guarding the Mountains.

Now that one of their defensive lines had been breached, it was only a matter of time before the Yelan Main Camp was attacked from two sides, making it difficult for them to feel happy about the two victories that they gained from the Eastern Front, where they had just defeated the enemy Generals whom they were contending with.

 

Chapter 489 One Last Push

A day before Lux had fought against General Revon…

"So… this is my true power," Nero muttered to himself as he looked down upon the mountain that was blown in half.

Several dead bodies that belonged to the Yelan Soldiers that guarded it were torn to bits, and all of them had died a very painful death.

A man with silver hair, crimson eyes, and horns protruding on his head hovered beside him with a smile.

"That's right," the silver-haired man commented. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

Nero smirked as the wings behind his back flapped lightly. Just like the silver-haired man, there were two crimson horns protruding on top of his head, and his eyes that were as red as blood glowed faintly.

"With this… I will be able to kill him," Nero stated. "I will finally put an end to the person that denied me my true destiny."

The silver-haired man chuckled before pointing at the Yelan General, who had just arrived with the rest of his army to defend their territory.

"Well, the big fish has finally arrived." the silver-haired man smirked. "What are you planning to do?"

Nero snorted. "Nothing. I have already done my part. It is now their turn to earn their keep."

On the ground behind him, tens of thousands of Ammarian Soldiers rushed up to meet the Yelan Army in order to take advantage of the opening that Nero created.

General Herodes, the Ammarian General in charge of the Mountain Campaign, led his men to fight against General Hubert of the Yelan Army.

Nero watched this battle with a sneer as he crossed his arms over his chest. Now that he had eliminated nearly a third of the Yelan Army, he no longer needed to do anything. The Ammarian Forces could brute force their way using the momentum he created for them and their numbers.

On that day, General Herodes took General Hubert's head and raised it up high, marking their victory in the Mountain Campaign. Now that the Western Flank of the Yelan Defenses were open, it was now time for them to advance, and finally put an end to this war.

—--------------

Glouswell Forest…

After receiving the emergency report, General Fahad from the Marshlands traveled a whole day without rest in order to reach the Glouswell Forest.

He only brought four men with him, and left his right-hand man to defend the Marshlands while he was away.

There was still a possibility that the Ammarian Army might send another army to break through their Eastern Flank, so the Yelan General decided to leave the bulk of his army behind.

When he arrived at the Glouswell Forest, he immediately went to see General Carran, who was also making preparations to move a third of his army to reinforce the Great Plains, where the most important battle would be fought.

They knew that time was crucial, so they were making preparations in haste. While this was happening, Lux gathered his team and discussed with them the next course of action they'd take.

"Einar, you will be the temporary leader of our team," Lux said. "I have sent Cai on a secret mission, and I am still waiting for it to return. Xander will remain with me, for the time being. All of you will travel with General Carran and reinforce the main camp at the Great Plains.

"Diablo and Asmodeus are there, and you can talk to them if you want to pass a message to me directly. Do you have any questions?"

Henrietta was the first to voice out her opinion, and her words were something that didn't surprise Lux.

"I'm staying with you," Henrietta replied. "I was tasked to follow you around, so you're not getting away this time. The battle that just ended was an exception. Please, don't make things difficult for me, okay?"

Lux was about to turn her down, but he then suddenly remembered that since Henrietta was a girl, it would be best if she could be the one that took care of Cai while the latter was unconscious.

Henrietta had already told him that the only person who could see what she was doing was the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, Alexander.

Lux knew that the other people, who might see the world through Henrietta's eyes, were none other than Iris and Alicia, who were also at Barbatos Academy.

They were the three people that the Half-Elf trusted the most, aside from his Grandma, and he had a feeling that all of them had already been aware of Cai's true identity from the start. As for Henrietta, he would force her to make an oath that she would not divulge Cai's secret to anyone.

Since there were people around, he decided to put this matter aside and simply nodded his head to agree to Henrietta's proposal.

"Okay, you can stay with me," Lux stated. "But, you will follow my orders, okay?"

Henrietta nodded her head in acknowledgement, which made Lux sigh in his heart.

"We will meet up with you guys as soon as Cai has returned," Lux said as he looked at his comrades. "Until then, do your best to not kick the bucket. We are almost finished with this mission. We just need one last push."

Keane reluctantly nodded his head. In truth, he was more comfortable staying with Lux or Cai.

Although he had already considered Einar, Val, and Xander his friends, he had always been with the Half-Elf and the annoying, and thick-skinned, Boar. Without them around, he felt a bit uncomfortable.

It was as if he had forgotten his mission of pursuing the true meaning of peace. Even so, he believed that Lux and Cai would not miss this opportunity, and would be there when the battle was in full swing.

Einar, Val, and Malcolm acknowledged Lux's orders and promised to do their best while he was away.

After their talks ended, Lux took Henrietta with him, while the others prepared for their trip toward the Great Plains.

Along the way, he told Henrietta of what had happened, and the true reason why Cai and Xander were absent in their meeting.

Naturally, the Guildmaster of Serenity, which was the main guild of Barbatos Academy, was surprised by Lux's confession.

Iris, who was listening to their conversation from inside the Headmaster's office, almost dropped the tea cup in her hand after hearing that her best friend had almost died after protecting Lux from General Revon's killing blow.

'Cai, I hope that you are safe.' Iris pressed her hands together as she prayed in her heart.

Cai was one of the people she trusted the most in her life. Knowing that she had almost suffered a fatal injury in order to save the man she loved was enough to make her worry.

Alicia was just as shocked after hearing the news. The Rowan Tribe was the Barbatos Academy's most staunch ally, and Cai and Xander were their two representatives in the expedition.

Alexander, on the other hand, still wore a calm expression on his face, but deep inside, he was already thinking about how serious Cai's injury was.

Even if someone didn't die in the dungeon, the injuries they received from it could remain even after they left it.

The only time they would be ejected from the Dungeon was after they had been dealt the killing blow.

If one of their arms or legs were cut off before they died, there was a high possibility that they would return to the real world without their arm and leg intact.

Iris, Alexander, and Alicia knew how high Cai's position was in the Rowan Tribe. If something really bad happened to her, the relationships between their two factions could become strained in the future.

The Chieftain of the Rowan Tribe was a Saint. Cai's Grandpa, Maximilian, was a ticking time bomb. Alexander was sure that if Maximilian found out that Cai returned to Solais with a permanent injury because of Lux, the chances that the Black Boar going on a rampage to hunt the Half-Elf were high.

'I just hope that her injuries can be treated,' Alexander thought. 'If not, I might need to find other ways to pacify Maximilian and prevent him from hurting Lux in his anger.'

Alexander knew full well that if Iris were in a similar situation as Cai, he would certainly start killing people. And the first one he would kill would be none other than the cause of her injuries.

Although they still hadn't seen Cai's condition, the Half-Elf's expression was telling them that it was very serious, which made Iris feel as if a rock was weighing on her heart.

 

Chapter 490 You're A Real Bro

When they arrived at the location of the hidden cave, Henrietta saw Xander, as well as Lux's summons, guarding the entrance of the cave.

The Half-Elf gave Xander a brief nod before entering the cave, with Henrietta following close behind him.

There, Henrietta saw Cai lying down on a makeshift bed, covered with a blanket.

Lux knelt beside the young lady and placed his palm over her forehead to check her temperature.

He was worried that Cai would get a fever, but fortunately, her temperature was normal. After getting half a day's rest, her complexion had turned for the better, but there were still no signs of her waking up.

"Do you have any spare clothes with you?" Lux asked Henrietta after checking up on the beautiful young lady, who was sleeping with steady breaths.

"I do," Henrietta replied.

She understood what Lux was trying to say, so she took out a plain looking dress from her storage ring and moved towards Cai.

The Half-Elf then left the cave to allow Henrietta to take care of the Rowan Tribe's High Priestess, while he talked to Xander about the events that had happened while he was standing vigil outside the cave.

"I see," Xander commented after Lux finished his explanation, but his expression didn't change even after knowing that one of the Yelan Bases had fallen.

The Half-Elf could tell Xander placed more importance in Cai's well being than the outcome of the war. He didn't find fault in this because he knew how loyal the young man was to their High Priestess.

He simply sat beside him in order to organize his own thoughts.

"Xander, can you answer my question honestly?"

"Okay."

Lux smiled bitterly before asking the young man the question that he had been thinking about for most of the night.

"If Cai doesn't wake up, do you think that Sir Maximilian would kill me?" Lux asked.

After hearing Lux's question, Xander turned his head to look at the Half-Elf and chuckled. However, although the young man was laughing, his eyes weren't smiling.

"You don't have to worry about the Chief wanting to kill you first," Xander replied. "If our High Priestess doesn't wake up, the entire Rowan Tribe will have hunted you down before the Saint can even grab hold of you."

The young man then rested his hand on Lux's shoulders and held it in a firm grip.

"I will be the first to hunt you down if that happens," Xander said in a teasing tone, but the Half-Elf knew that he wasn't really teasing him.

Xander was merely stating a fact, which made Lux nod his head in understanding.

"Thank you," Lux commented as he pried Xander's hand over his shoulder. "You're a real bro."

Xander only smirked before closing his eyes to rest for a bit. He hadn't rested since he started to guard the entrance of the cave because he was afraid that someone might find their hiding place and attack Cai in her sleep.

Now that the Half-Elf had returned, he could finally take some rest.

Xander knew that as long as Lux was around, he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt the unconscious beauty, who had jumped into the fray to save his life.

—-------

Great Plains Ammarian Main Camp…

"You did well, Nero," Great General Gideon said with a smile. "With this, we have been able to reverse our previous losses in this war. Although it is quite unfortunate that General Phobus and General Revon have lost their lives, the defeat in the Mountain Area finally allowed us to put an end to this war."

Nero returned Great General Gideon's smile with a smile of his own and briefly nodded his head in acknowledgement of the praise given to him.

"It is only natural to help my ally," Nero replied. "As long as you keep your promise, I will continue helping you."

Nero had already returned to his human form as he casually chatted with the Great General of the Ammarian Army, who had personally invited him to have dinner in his tent.

"It is only a small thing," Great General Gideon stated. "Still, for you to ask us to not interfere in your fight against your former Mercenary Leader… you must really hate him so."

Nero smirked after hearing the Great General's words. He did hate the Half-Elf, and he would not be able to rest easy until he personally crushed his head with his own hands.

For that, he accepted the silver-haired man's offer and gained the power to temporarily become a Ranker for the duration of his mission inside the Sacred Dungeon.

Although he took a shortcut to achieve it, his hatred for the Half-Elf knew no bounds. As long as he would be able to end the latter's life, the demon that had grown inside his heart would finally disappear, allowing him to fully master the power that had been bestowed upon him.

Nero didn't know who the silver-haired man was, or what the man wanted to achieve by helping him.

However, he didn't mind being used as a pawn just this once, as long as he would be able to see the desperation on the Half-Elf's face, and make him understand that going against him was the worst mistake he had made in his life.

'This war is just the beginning,' Nero thought. 'After I return to Solais, my conquest will finally begin.'

From somewhere inside the Sacred Dungeon, the silver-haired man chuckled after hearing Nero's thoughts.

Since he had found a very willing pawn to help him escape the prison he was in, he would gladly offer him his assistance until he broke free from the chains that bound him.

After that, he would return to Elysium and take revenge against the descendants of those that had imprisoned him inside the Domain of the Fallen.

For that to happen, he needed to let Nero get his revenge first, so he could further corrupt his heart and soul until he could bend to his will.

"Ah… the passion of youth," the silver-haired man muttered as he glanced to the East and focused his attention on the red-headed teenager, whom Nero wanted to defeat no matter what. "Such raw feelings of hatred is the perfect nourishment for my soul."

The silver-haired man chuckled as he watched the armies of the two Kingdoms gather at the main battlefield for one last battle that would decide the outcome of the war.

For him, the outcome of the war wasn't important.

In his eyes, people killing each other was just a form of entertainment.

The only battle he wanted to see was the fight between Nero and the foul-smelling Necromancer that had already conquered two of the gates of the Sacred Dungeon.

Once the Four Gates of the Apocalypse had been conquered, the Fifth Gate would open, and they would finally enter the world where he resided.

He had been waiting for that moment for hundreds of years, but he didn't want Lux to be the one to break his seal.

No.

He wanted someone he could manipulate and control, and the person he chose was none other than Nero.

"Little children, do beware," the silver-haired said with a devilish smile on his face as he imagined the faces of Nero's acquaintances when they met the young man again at the Great Plains.

"All of you are in for a scare."