Ch. 491: Chapter 491-500

Chapter 491 Just Who Do You Think I Am?

Two days had passed since General Carran killed General Revon, and now, he was headed for battle once again, bringing five thousand of his men.

That was the number of men that accompanied General Fahad and General Carran to the Great Plains to reinforce their main camp from the pincer attack of the Ammarian Army that would be coming from the Mountain Regions at their side as well as the Army stationed in the Great Plains.

Even though they had won two campaigns, they would all be in vain if the Yelan Main Camp was defeated by their enemies.

This was why the two Generals made haste and left with as many men as they could. Although five thousand men was a pitiful number, it was all that they could take right now.

Both armies had lost many men during their previous campaigns, and they needed to leave a large enough force to defend the territories they left behind.

Lux watched them leave from a distance and wished he could go with them. However, since Cai's condition still hadn't stabilized, he decided to remain with her until she woke up.

The good news was that Cai seemed to be recovering well.

According to Henrietta, aside from the faint scar that could be seen on Cai's chest, there were no other injuries that could be seen on the surface of her body.

What Lux was worried about was her internal injuries.

He had used every potion in his disposal, and Eiko's slimes had also done their part and healed her, but he had no way to determine whether Cai still had some internal injuries that they were not aware of.

Lux wasn't proficient in healing magic, and the Lady Cleric that he had asked to help him from the Yelan Camp said that Cai was recovering well.

However, the Cleric also said that the injuries Cai received from the attack of the Ranker would take at least a month or two to fully heal. She advised Lux to not let the unconscious young lady participate in any more battles in the future because she had just escaped death by a hair's breadth.

If Lux hadn't immediately fed her the healing potions he had and received healing magic from the Slimes, Cai would have died within minutes of taking General Revon's full powered attack.

"Tomorrow," Lux said softly. "If tomorrow, she still hasn't woken up. I will ask Bedivere to carry her until we reach an area near the Great Plains."

The Half-Elf knew that he couldn't wait any longer than that because Diablo had told him that the Ammarian Army was already on the move.

According to his estimate, the final battle might start three to four days from now, and the journey to the Yelan Main Camp from Glouswell Forest was a day and a half when mounted.

Naturally, not all the troops that accompanied General Fahad and General Carran had mounts. Because of this, the two Generals, and those with mounts went ahead first, while the foot soldiers would do their best to arrive in time for the great battle.

The Half-Elf had his Thunder Warg King, Jed, and his mount had the ability to fly. This was also true for Xander's mount, which was a flying Manta Ray.

Bedivere could take Cai and Henrietta with him as they flew in the sky with his dragon mount, so their travel time would be significantly faster than the rest of General Carran's troops.

"I just hope she wakes up tomorrow," Lux muttered as he returned to the hidden cave to check Cai's condition.

Henrietta, who had become Cai's personal attendant, reported that there were no significant changes in the young lady's condition. Her breathing was stable, and from what Henrietta could tell, Cai's life was no longer in any danger.

"I think she is just physically, mentally, magically, and spiritually exhausted," Henrietta commented. "This is a very common thing, especially when diving into high-ranked Dungeons. It would be best if we just let her rest for now."

Lux agreed with Henrietta's words and told her his plan.

The Guildmaster of Serenity listened and nodded her head in agreement to Lux's words.

"Let's just sneak her inside the Yelan Camp and have one of your Named Creatures guard her," Henrietta proposed. "As long as you, I, and Xander don't say anything, no one will know about Cai's true identity. You're also quite close to Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock. I'm sure they will be willing to accommodate her if you request it."

The Half-Elf nodded because Henrietta's proposal would solve most of their problems in the case that Cai didn't regain her consciousness when morning came.

—------

The next day, just when the sun was about to rise from the East…

"Make sure you don't drop her, okay?" Lux said in a teasing tone as he tied Cai to Henrietta's waist with a rope.

He did this to ensure that the sleeping beauty wouldn't accidentally fall from the sky whenever Bedivere was forced to make some evasive maneuvers during an emergency.

Henrietta didn't reply and simply arched her eyebrow as if telling the Half-Elf "Just who do you think I am?"

After making sure that Cai was securely tied in place, Lux gave Bedivere a nod to tell him that everything was ready.

Bedivere returned his Master's nod before lightly tapping his partner's back, signaling to the Dragon that it was time to go.

The Dragon flapped its wings twice as if testing the weight on its back. It planned to fly at a speed that wouldn't harm the sleeping lady on its back because it knew that she was a very important person to its Master.

The Dragon then flapped its wings for the third time and soared towards the sky.

Seeing that Cai was firmly secured on its back, it started to circle around Lux, waiting for its Master to join it in the skies.

"Let's go," Lux summoned Jed.

The Thunder Warg King let out a growl of acknowledgement as Lux mounted its back.

Xander also summoned his Manta Ray, which was the Rowan Tribe's personal mount. He urged the Manta Ray to fly closer to Bedivere's Wind Dragon in order to protect his High Priestess in case they encountered any danger in their travels.

Lux then lightly tapped Jed's back, and the Thunder Warg King dashed on the ground before jumping high in the air.

Within moments, it was running several meters above the ground using air steps.

With Lux in the lead, all of them traveled towards the Yelan Main Camp, unaware that someone was observing them from a great distance, wishing that he could travel faster, so that he could watch a good show.

 

 

Chapter 492 Don’t Tell Me It Died?

The trip from the Glouswell Forest to the Great Plains wasn't a smooth ride.

Due to the upcoming battle, Lux and his friends encountered several of the Ammarian Army's flying scouts and engaged them in a dogfight.

Fortunately, the number of the enemies they faced only came in threes and fours, so Lux and Xander were more than enough to handle them.

The mounts of the Ammarian Kingdom were Griffins, which were Rank 4 Monsters. Although they were wary of the dragon, when they saw that there was only one knight accompanying a few teenagers, they thought that it would be fine if they attacked and eliminated them before they could regroup with the Yelan Main Camp.

They wanted to weaken the Yelan Army as much as possible right now, and having a Dragon Knight join their ranks was something that the Ammarian Aerial Scouts weren't willing to ignore.

But, that was their biggest mistake.

Although Xander was an Earth Mage, he was quite proficient in aerial combat as well. The thing that surprised the Ammarian Scouts, as well as Lux and Bedivere, was Xander's Mount.

The Manta Ray was surprisingly fast, moving like a fish in the water even though it was flying in the skies.

As if feeling a bit of Rivalry, Jed also performed extremely well, making incredible last second turns in the air, allowing Lux to kill the Ammarian Soldiers mounted on the Griffins' backs.

Bedivere had told him that, if given time, he would be able to tame the Griffins in order for them to become their allies.

Just like Diablo, who had the ability to tame Land Beasts, Bedivere was able to tame Flying Beasts because of his profession.

A Dragon Knight who could tame Dragons had a high chance of taming aerial Monsters weaker than him.

Bedivere's Rank would always be the same as Lux., meaning, if Lux regressed, the Dragon Knight's Rank would also regress to the Apostle Rank.

However, this was not a problem because Griffins were Rank 4 Monsters, which was almost the same rank as him.

Beasts were inherently stronger than Humans, so even if they were equal in Rank, it would still take two to three Humans to subdue a Rank 4 Monster on their own, unless these Humans had very high fighting abilities that could easily overpower the difference in strength.

Since they were in a hurry, Bedivere didn't have the leisure of using normal means to tame the Griffins.

Instead, Lux simply killed one of the Griffins, and used his skill, Animate Undead, to revive it, striking fear in the hearts of the Flying Beasts that they had captured.

Those who were too prideful to be subjugated were beaten up until they could no longer move.

Eiko then swallowed them up, making the other Griffins think that the Baby Slime had eaten their allies whole, making them more willing to accept the mark that Bedivere placed on their foreheads.

Since their former Masters were now dead, their contract with them had expired as well, allowing Bedivere to create a new contract and allowing them to become their new allies.

'Having Griffins as mounts for the guild isn't a bad idea,' Lux thought. 'After this expedition is over, I will ask Cethus back in the Outer Reaches if there are any Griffin territories around.'

In order to lure more Griffins to them to be subjugated, Lux and Xander put on the clothes of the dead Ammarian Scouts and rode their mounts.

They then followed behind Bedivere, making the other Scouts that they came across think that the two Griffins were pursuing the Dragon, who was carrying Yelan Soldiers on its back.

The Griffins that had been subjugated could only look at their comrades, who had fallen into Lux's trap, in pity because they knew what fate awaited them next.

A day later, a dozen Griffins were flying in the sky, in pursuit of the Wind Dragon, inciting more Scouts to join the fray.

Lux had revived the dead Scouts and ordered them to ride their mounts, making it look like they were in hot pursuit of a single Dragon.

By the time Lux arrived near the Yelan Main Camp, the Aerial Knights of the Yelan Army, which were riding Hipogriffs, immediately prepared to engage them in combat, thinking that the Ammarian Army had launched a sneak attack from behind.

Lux had managed to capture twenty Griffins on their trip, which was enough to make the Yelan Defenders think that the Ammarian Army had sent an elite unit of Aerial Knights to launch a preemptive strike at their camp.

After the anxious Hippogriff Riders confirmed that Lux was on their side, they allowed them to continue to their Main Camp, which surprised Einar, Keane, Val, and Malcolm, who had only arrived half a day earlier.

Lux had summoned his clone to talk to his comrades, while his real body talked to the two Great Generals, asking them if they could give Cai a personal tent.

Bedivere landed at the very rear of the Yelan Camp in order to hide Cai from the eyes of Lux's comrades, who carried artifacts that allowed those who were waiting outside the Domain of the Fallen see and hear what they were seeing and hearing.

"This is not a problem," Great General Watson said with a smile. "Cai has done a wonderful job and should be treated as a VIP."

After hearing Lux's report on how he managed to weaken General Revon, which allowed General Carran to deal the killing blow, the two Great General's impressions of Lux rose by a few notches.

For an Apostle to be able to stall an enemy General, who was a Ranker, was a great achievement, which was enough to reward the Half-Elf with military medals.

However, due to their current situation, they were unable to hold such a ceremony. They still had to prepare for the Ammarian Army that was about to attack them on two fronts.

"We will also dedicate one of our Lady Clerics to attend to her while she is unconscious," Great General Sherlock said. "She had already done her part in this battle. The rest is up to us."

Lux nodded her head in agreement.

He couldn't always be with Cai, so having someone to look after her would be a good thing.

Although Henrietta could check up on her from time to time, she couldn't be with her all the time because it would raise suspicions.

Keane, who treated Cai as a close friend, waited for everyone to disperse before meeting with Lux in private.

"Please answer me honestly. Where is Cai?" Keane asked. "Don't tell me it died?"

Although Keane found Cai to be very irritating at times, he also acknowledged the Boar as one of his trusted companions who had fought life and death battles by his side.

Aside from Lux, Cai was the only one that interacted with Keane a lot in the tournament and even invited him to their Tribe when he had no place to go.

Lux sighed because he knew that lying to Keane would only sour their relationship with each other. Just like Cai, he treated Keane as a close friend, so he couldn't treat him the way he treated Einar and the others.

"Come with me," Lux replied and guided Keane to the rear of the Yelan Camp where Cai's tent was located.

As soon as they entered the tent, Keane immediately saw a meter-long-boar that was sleeping sideways on some soft bedding and snoring like a pig.

Lux was taken aback because he didn't expect Cai to have returned to her Boar form after he left her to check on the rest of their comrades.

"Oi, stop sleeping like a pig," Keane said as he lifted his hand to smack Cai's head, but before he could do anything else, Lux hurriedly grabbed the skinny Swordsman's wrist, preventing him from hurting the sleeping boar.

"Da waaaaaaaaaaaaae!" Fei Fei glared at Keane and even summoned a Blast Bomb in her hand, ready to throw it at the skinny Swordsman who was about to smack her Master.

"Calm down, Fei Fei," Lux hurriedly pacified the Baby Golden Slime, who had stayed by Cai's side while she remained unconscious. "Keane doesn't know that Cai is hurt. If he knew, he would never hurt it."

Keane's body stiffened after hearing Lux's words, which made him look at the snoring boar in shock.

"Cai is hurt?" Keane asked. "How?"

"It's a long story," Lux replied. "Let's talk about it later. Just know that Cai has been seriously injured because it saved my life when General Revon was about to kill me. I didn't tell you guys anything because I was worried that your moods would be affected. Because of this, I waited until Cai had recovered enough to travel. I'm sorry for keeping this a secret from you."

Keane didn't speak for a few seconds as he digested the things that Lux had told him.

In the end, Keane sighed and knelt beside the Boar and apologized to the disgruntled Fei Fei, who was still holding the Blast Bomb in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Fei Fei," Keane said softly. "I didn't know. You must have been very worried about it."

Fei Fei pouted before making the Blast Bomb in her hands disappear. She knew that Keane was one of her Master's closest friends, and he would never do anything to hurt her.

However, the Golden Slime was still a baby, so she still couldn't fully control her emotions.

Right now, anyone who wanted to hurt Cai was her enemy, so even if Keane was her Master's friend, she would not hesitate to attack in order to protect her Master from further harm.

After getting Fei Fei's forgiveness, Keane sat cross-legged beside Cai as if wanting to keep watch, while he waited until the Boar woke up.

'I wonder how Keane would react if he knew that Cai was actually a girl,' Lux mused. 'I'm sure that he will be very shocked.'

The Half-Elf didn't have the right to divulge Cai's secret to others, especially Keane, whom the Boar treated as a very close friend.

Henrietta was an exception because he needed someone to take care of Cai. Although he and Cai were close, he didn't want to do her wrong by doing things like cleaning her body while she was unconscious.

The Half-Elf had made an exception and pushed this responsibility to Henrietta. Since Serenity was a Guild that belonged to Barbatos Academy, and their main ally in Elysium was the Wildgarde Stronghold and the Rowan Tribe, he deemed that it was safer for her to learn about Cai's real identity than anyone else.

This way, she could also help protect Cai's identity from being exposed in the future.

Now that one of Lux's worries had been settled, he decided to send Ishtar and Lazarus to do a bit of scouting and watch the movement of their enemies, who were preparing to launch a decisive battle against them, pushing them out of their territories, so the Ammarians could reclaim the lands that rightfully belonged to them.

 

Chapter 493 Identity Of The Unknown Ranker

​ The air inside the Main Commander's Tent was tense as all the high-ranking officers of the Yelan Army had gathered to discuss their strategy.

Great General Sherlock had invited Lux to join them. He believed that the Half-Elf had the right to participate in their meeting.

Lux felt quite flattered when he received an invite, but he didn't actively participate in the discussion. He just stood in a spot where he could see the map of the battlefield on the table, where several wooden figures were placed.

The Generals all had grim expressions on their faces when their scouts reported the estimate of how many soldiers they would be facing when morning arrived.

"The Army led by their Great General, Gideon, should have no less than 200,000 men," The Captain of the Yelan Scouts, who had risked his life and the lives of his men in order to observe the Ammarian Main Camp, reported.

He paused for a bit before continuing his report to ensure that everyone was taking his words seriously.

"My subordinates, who I ordered to check the Army led by General Herodes, reported that his troops numbered around 70,000. Right now, they have cut off our routes of escape, leaving us no choice but to fight them here in the Great Plains or retreat to the Glouswell Forest, where we can take the narrow path that would allow us to return to the borders of our Kingdom."

All the Generals inside the room frowned, aware of the fact that they only had 150,000 soldiers in their army.

Even though the Ammarian Army was 200,000 men strong, they could still fend them off even despite having fewer men.

However, since their Western Flank had been breached, and an army that was estimated to number around 70,000 had blocked their path of escape to the mountains, they were in a relatively more difficult position.

Just like the Scout Captain said, they could choose to retreat to the Glouswell Forest and withdraw completely from the Ammarian Lands, or they could try to fight both armies, who were going to attack them from two sides.

"If we retreat now, they will take this as an opportunity to launch a direct attack on our Kingdom," General Fahad said. "I say we stop them here and kill as many of them as possible, preventing them from eyeing our homeland for a period of time."

General Carran looked at the map of the battlefield as he checked the position of the enemy troops, as well as their own troops.

They had always fought against the Ammarian Army, and every time, they were outnumbered, but this time around, something different had happened.

An unknown Ranker had joined the Ammarian Army and used a devastating attack to blow away the fortification that had been erected in the Mountains to protect their Western Flank.

In fact, they were so confident that General Hubert would be able to easily hold the line because he specialized in defense and fortress sieges. His death was truly a surprise to them because they believed that as long as the Yelan General was holding their western post, the enemy could only dream of breaching their defenses.

And yet, General Hubert was killed, and only a quarter of his army managed to escape. This made Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock very wary of the unknown Ranker who had appeared out of nowhere.

"According to the reports of the survivors, the one responsible for destroying most of the fortifications made by General Hubert was a Ranker who shoots black lightning bolts from his fingers," Great General Sherlock said.

"Also, this same Ranker had the ability to create a giant Shadow Ball, capable of mass destruction. According to the survivors, this attack was strong enough to create a giant hole in the mountain, killing our defenders with one blow."

When Lux heard that the opponent Ranker was able to shoot black lightning bolts with his fingers, the image of Nero popped up inside his head.

However, he immediately dismissed this because Nero had just become an Initiate Rank. It was impossible for him to become a Ranker in a short period of time.

"When I asked the survivors to describe the Ranker, they said that he had long, dark-brown hair, and two bat-like wings protruding behind his back," Great General Sherlock added. "He also had two crimson horns on his head, which were the same colors as his eyes.

"The Ranker was also wearing black plated armor, covering most of his body, which they hadn't seen before. I'm guessing that he just recently joined the Ammarian Army because we have no records of such a powerful individual on their side."

The Generals as well as the Commanders glanced at each other with worried looks on their faces.

Just like their Great Generals, they had never seen someone that matched the description of the survivors who had fled the mountain to escape.

It was at this moment when Great General Sherlock shifted his attention to the Half-Elf who had remained silent during their discussion.

"Do you perhaps know who this person is, Lux?" Great General Sherlock asked. "Is he perhaps one of your former mercenary members?"

Lux was about to shake his head, but the part about their enemy being able to shoot black lightning from his fingers made him have a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.

After organizing his thoughts, the Half-Elf held Great General Sherlock's gaze before giving him an answer.

"None of my previous members were Rankers," Lux replied. "However, I do know someone that can shoot black lightning bolts from his finger. However, the rank doesn't match. He is still of the Initiate Rank. I think he might not be the one that you are referring to."

Great General Watson who had his arms crossed over his chest, lightly cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention.

"Maybe he came across a miraculous encounter," Great General Watson said. "Although it is still uncertain that he is the person you have in your mind right now, it will be better if you tell us his abilities, so that we can prepare countermeasures just in case your hunch is right.

"Getting information about our new opponent is vital in this war. As long as we know who we are fighting against, we will not be caught by surprise, which is what happened to General Hubert."

All the Generals shifted their attention to the Half-Elf, and the latter nodded his head, agreeing to share Nero's information with them.

Although he was still doubtful that the identity of the unknown Ranker was the teenager with dark-brown hair, he still couldn't refute Great General Watson's comment about Nero having a miraculous encounter, allowing him to temporarily raise his rank to become a Ranker.

'If he really is capable of temporarily boosting his strength to the level of a Ranker, I'm sure that the first one he will target in the battle will be none other than me,' Lux thought. 'I better make preparations for the worst case scenario.'

After facing off against General Revon in the Glouswell Forest, Lux had gained insight for how he could fight against stronger enemies using all of the abilities he had at his disposal.

 

Chapter 494 Do You Dare To Fight Me One On One?

"They're finally here," Einar said as he looked at the two massive armies coming toward them from their left and right sides.

Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock had decided to use a tactic that would allow them to fight and retreat at the same time, killing as many Ammarian Soldiers as possible.

Lux, who was looking at his map, frowned at the sight of countless red dots that were headed towards them like a giant wave that would wash away everything in their path.

The Half-Elf then raised his head to look at the actual army that was represented by those dots and took a deep breath.

Countless Griffins were flying in the sky, and War Beasts of every size marched towards their camp at a steady pace.

Clearly, the Ammarian Army intended to use everything in their power to crush their opponents and make the Yelan Kingdom understand that conquering their lands had been a very big mistake.

The Ammarian Kingdom had always been the conquerors.

They had never been the defenders, and for them, wiping the Yelan Army from their lands was a way to remove the stain and humiliation of being conquered by a kingdom that was a few times smaller than theirs.

"Are you guys ready to die?" Val asked in a teasing tone.

Einar snorted as he looked at the Spider Boy with disdain.

"The only one dying here will be you," Einar stated.

Val smirked as he looked at the Barbarian Prince who seemed unfazed by the armies that were now making their way to their location.

"Wanna make a bet?" Val inquired. "The first one to die will pay the other one million gold coins."

"Sounds good," Einar replied with a sneer. "Since you want to give me your money so badly, I will gladly accept your donation."

"Prepare to cry, Barbarian Boy."

"Prepare to die, Spider Boy."

Malcolm glanced at the two teenagers who were younger than him by a year with disdain. He didn't know where their confidence was coming from, but he could tell that surviving this battle would be difficult if they fought on the front lines.

"By the way, where is Xander?" Henrietta asked because she couldn't see the young man anywhere.

"He's looking after Cai," Keane replied. "The Pig isn't feeling well, so he decided to guard it just in case some of the others decided to cook it for lunch."

The corner of Henrietta's lips twitched as she looked at the skinny swordsman, whose gaze was directed at the approaching armies.

Lux, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile when he heard Keane's words.

He had forced the skinny swordsman to get a few hours of rest and let Xander look after Cai for the time being.

The Half-Elf knew that Xander would do better, knowing he would prioritize protecting Cai's life instead of participating in the war.

This was how loyal the Rowan Tribe was to their Tribe Chief, as well as their High Priestess. Even if they failed their mission, Xander wouldn't bat an eye and remain by Cai's side until the bitter end.

"Although it is not confirmed, there is a possibility that Nero might have found a way to temporarily become a Ranker," Lux said as he faced his team members. "I'm sure that all of you know that I am on the top of his Kill List, and you guys are in second. Jasper and the others might still be alive, and there is a high possibility that all of them are working with Nero to eliminate us.

"Your role is to eliminate Jasper and his cohorts while I fend off Nero. Before you guys say anything, I will tell you now that I won't be able to fight him for a long time.

"I don't know how high his Rank is, but if he is just as strong as Second or General Revon, then I will definitely die in his hands. So, make sure to eliminate Jasper and his team then come help me right away. Do I make myself clear?"

Keane, Einar, Val, Henrietta, and Malcolm all nodded their heads to acknowledge Lux's order.

"Now this is the plan. I will use myself as bait and drag Nero to..."

Lux gave his detailed plan to his teammates, and told them about the things that they should watch out for.

Jasper had the ability to merge with the ground and move undetected, which made him a very slippery opponent.

Since Lux would be fighting against Nero, the Half-Elf decided to leave one of his clones with Keane and the others to help them locate Jasper, should the latter and his cohorts decide to sneak attack them.

After knowing that there was a possibility that Nero might be the one who had a hand in destroying the fortifications in the Mountain Stronghold, the Half-Elf had snuck outside of the Yelan Camp and set up a battlefield that would ensure his survival under Nero's assault while he waited for his friends to dispose of Jasper and his cohorts.

Just as Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock were about to give their orders to prepare for battle, something unexpected happened.

A lone person with bat-like wings fearlessly flew toward the Yelan Camp and stopped hundreds of meters away from their first defensive lines.

After taking a closer look, they noticed that it was only a teenager with long dark-brown hair that fluttered in the breeze.

The first thing they noticed aside from his bat-like wings were the two crimson horns protruding from his head, as well as his eyes that glowed blood red.

"Lux Von Kaizer! Come out!" Nero shouted.

Lux didn't recognize him right away because of the drastic changes in his appearance. However, after hearing his voice, he confirmed that the devil-like person hovering in the sky was none other than Nero, who had a grudge against him.

Lux coated his entire body with the Favonius Legacy, which allowed him to fly, and flew above the Yelan Camp, facing Nero who now reeked with the smell of Abyssal Monsters.

"So you fell into the corruption of the Abyss," Lux said before crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

Nero calmly gazed at the person whom he wanted to kill the most. With his current strength, he could easily crush the Half-Elf in an instant, but he didn't do that because he wanted to see despair on the Half-Elf's face before he gave him the killing blow.

Also, he knew that Henrietta had an artifact that allowed the Headmaster of Barbatos to see and hear what she was seeing and hearing. Since that was the case, he was confident that Iris was also able to view the war through Henrietta's eyes.

He wanted her to witness the moment when he crushed the Half-Elf's heart and tore Lux's head from his body. Because of this, he was able to endure the strong urge to attack the Half-Elf this instant.

"When the war starts, do you dare to fight me one on one?" Nero asked with a sneer. "Or do you plan to hide behind those Rankers down there to protect you?"

Lux was tempted to give Nero the middle finger because of how shameless he was. Right now, the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon's Guild was a Ranker, yet he was challenging the Half-Elf whose rank had degraded to that of an Apostle.

"I guess your shame also disappeared the moment you lost to the seed of corruption in your heart," Lux replied.

Nero shrugged off Lux's words because, for him, it didn't really matter whether the Half-Elf accepted his challenge or not. He just wanted everyone to see that he was no longer the same person who had lost to Lux in the Tournament that was held a few months ago.

"So, do you dare to accept or not?" Nero asked again. "It doesn't really matter what your answer will be. I'll crush you and the Yelan Army together if that is what you want."

Right now, he was oozing with confidence. Even though he was only hundreds of meters away from the Yelan Camp, he showed no fear because he had the ability to escape anytime he wanted.

"You've already lost to me twice," Lux replied in a teasing tone. "First in the tournament, and second in the Marshlands. You were an Initiate and yet you ran away after fighting me, an apostle, in a fistfight. Since you can't beat me in the Initiate Rank, you are hoping that you can beat me as a Ranker. Nero, do you even have the face to show yourself to the people of the Six Kingdoms?"

Contrary to his expectations, Nero didn't have an angry reaction. In fact, the devil-like young man even chuckled after hearing Lux's words.

"True, I lost to you twice." Nero nodded to acknowledge Lux's words. "But, what of it? In the end, the last one standing is King. When this battle ends, the only thing that everyone will remember is that I am the winner, and you are the loser."

"You talk too much," Lux stated. "If you want to fight then let's fight. Since you are the one that challenged me, I will choose the time and place where we will fight. Are you fine with that?"

Nero nodded. "I don't mind. Consider it as me being generous to you."

"Good, when the sun is at its peak, meet me over there." Lux pointed in the direction that was a distance away from where the two armies were going to fight. "We will have our duel there."

Nero shifted his gaze in the direction where the Half-Elf was pointing before giving Lux a brief nod.

"Very well," Nero replied. "Let's use the first clash of both armies as a warm up for our duel. Make sure that you don't die before I kill you."

Nero turned around to fly in the direction of the Ammarian Camp.

Since the Half-Elf had already agreed to duel with him, he would just kill some time by watching the battle between the two sides.

Even if he didn't lend his hand, Nero was sure that the Ammarian Army still had the advantage in the battle. Now that he had the power to tilt the tide of battle in his favor, he believed that everything was within the palm of his hands.

That included the Half-Elf, whom he thought was stupid for accepting his one-sided proposal despite the vast difference between their ranks.

 

Chapter 495 What A Disgusting Strategy [Part 1]

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" General Fahad commanded.

In a moment, they would be facing off against General Herodes' Army, which would attack them from the rear.

Since their manpower was limited, Great General Sherlock could only give him 30,000 men to face off against General Herodes' 70,000 army.

The remaining 120,000 soldiers of the Yelan Army would face off against the Ammarian Main Army, which numbered a little over 200,000 soldiers.

After Nero's challenge, Lux came looking for Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock to propose a strategy that he thought would be the best way to deal massive damage to the Ammarian Army.

In truth, the two highest commanding officers of the Yelan Army had already made a strategy against their enemies. However, after hearing Lux's proposal, both of them thought that this was indeed a brilliant plan, and although the price they had to pay was high, they immediately called for an emergency strategy meeting, summoning all of the commanding officers of the Yelan Army.

After hearing Lux's proposal the other Generals, Commanders, and Captains, had bitter expressions on their faces, but understood that this was all for the greater good. Since they were fighting a war where the fate of their Nation hung in the balance, they couldn't be too picky with the methods used for the battle.

Truth be told, Lux didn't have any intention of using this strategy at the beginning, but since Nero wanted to fight, and the Ammarian Army wouldn't show them any mercy, he decided to go all out and devastate his enemies.

He would show them that even though he was only an Apostle, he was an Apostle that could make the impossible happen.

Also, the Half-Elf wasn't really that scared of his duel with Nero because of one simple reason.

Right now, Nero had fallen into the corruption of the Abyss, and that meant...

'We'll see if you can still act cocky later,' Lux sneered at Nero, who was hovering above the Ammarian Army, as if he was the one leading them to battle.

Great General Gideon, who was commanding the Main Army, looked at the Yelanians who had taken a defensive stance and raised his arm.

"Advance!" Great General Gideon commanded and the Ammarian Army moved as one.

Nero, who was hovering above them, simply crossed his arms over his chest. He planned to watch the battle from above, like a nobleman looking down on a circus troupe that was there to entertain him.

"Steady!" Great General Watson ordered when he finally saw the enemy army move.

The archers had nocked their arrows on their bows, while the magicians started chanting.

General Carran, who was mounted on a giant black bear, was at the very front of the Yelan Army, raising their morale, and driving away the fear in their hearts.

The strongest General of the Yelan Army looked at the approaching Ammarians with a calm expression on his face. After hearing Lux's plan, he couldn't help but laugh in his heart because their enemies would definitely be surprised at the gift that he prepared just for them.

The Generals knew that sacrifices were needed to win this war, so they no longer hesitated and agreed to Lux's plan, even though it went against their morals.

"I'm sure they will understand," General Carran muttered. "This is for the good of the Yelan Kingdom."

When the Main army started moving, General Herodes' army also moved in order to attack the rear of the Yelan Army.

"Kill them!" General Herodes shouted as he pointed his sword in front of him. "Show them the might of the Ammarian Kingdom!"

""Kill!""

""Kill!""

""Kill!""

The loud chants of the Ammarian Army reverberated in the battlefield as they marched onwards, boosting their morale, and making the ground tremble under their feet.

Great General Sherlock and General Fahad narrowed their eyes as their enemies came within firing range.

However, they still didn't order their archers and mages to attack. Both of them deemed that it was still too early to attack, and doing so would not give them the outcome that they were looking for.

Only when the Ammarian Army was five hundred meters away from them did the two Generals give the order to attack.

"Open Fire!" Great General Sherlock shouted.

"Kill!" General Fahad ordered.

Immediately after that, countless arrows and spells rained down the Ammarian Army, who had deployed their barriers to protect themselves from the deadly barrage that was meant to decrease their numbers.

While this was happening, the Griffins and Hippogriff Riders clashed in the sky, making a different kind of rain fall towards the ground, dyeing it with the color of blood.

The attacks continued, but the Ammarian Army only suffered minimal casualties, as some of the barriers protecting them broke apart after repeated bombardment.

Second had used a similar tactic back in the Marshlands, and seeing that the Yelan Generals were unfazed about what was happening, Lux assumed that this was a standard strategy of the Ammarian Army.

As the enemies inched closer to their front lines, General Carran raised his spear high up in the air, and the archers immediately retreated.

The men behind them stepped forward and planted their giant shields firmly on the ground, while their spears pointed outwards.

This formation was called the Phalanx Formation.

It was an ancient battle formation back on Earth, but here in Elysium, it was a standard military formation, allowing both attack and defense at the same time.

"Brace!" General Carran ordered as the heavy cavalry of the Ammarian Army advanced towards them.

Just like a wave hitting a cliff, the Yelanians held strong as the mounts of their enemies were stabbed by their sharp spears, making their riders fall forward face-first into the wall of sharp spears that were waiting for them.

The first, second, and third wave of soldiers was easily dealt with, but not the fourth wave.

Using the corpses of their slain comrades as stepping stones, the Ammarian Army was able to break past the blockade, and engaged the Yelan Army in close combat.

General Carran found himself facing off against two Rankers, who were hell-bent on preventing him from helping his men.

"It will be my honor to take your head today, General Carran," one of the two Ammarian Rankers said. "I will display it in our family's residence as a trophy and keep it as our family heirloom."

"That is if you kill him first," the second Ranker said. "If I kill him, I will be keeping his head."

"Fine. May the best man win."

"Make sure you don't change your mind later."

General Carran remained silent as he looked at his two opponents with a calm expression on his face.

Unlike his two opponents, he had no time for nonsense and was simply waiting for their next course of action.

Fifteen minutes after the two sides clashed, the sound of a horn spread across the battlefield. This was the retreat signal from the Yelan Army.

"Retreat!" General Carran ordered before using a powerful attack to blow away the two Rankers that were facing off against him.

He then immediately retreated alongside his men to initiate the second phase of their plan.

After seeing the Vanguard of the Yelan Army retreat, the Ammarians shouted their war cries and chased after them. However, a barrage of arrows rained down on them, forcing them to defend themselves, stopping them in their tracks.

As General Carran and the Vanguards retreated, they ran past several clerics, who were busy chanting a spell.

When the last Yelan Soldier went past them, the Clerics immediately summoned barriers in front of them, preventing the Ammarian Army from continuing their pursuit.

"Mages, destroy it," General Herodes raised his hand and countless mages hurled their powerful spells against the barriers, who were getting in their way.

Just like other soldiers, the Clerics also retreated after summoning their barriers. The barriers they put up were only a temporary one, and weren't meant to last.

Its purpose was only to give their side precious minutes to regroup with their main army as it slowly retreated towards the East, just as they planned earlier.

As the barriers broke one by one, the Ammarian Army surged forward like a swarm of locusts, who had no intention of letting the Yelan Army escape them.

It was at this moment when Lux, and Eiko, alongside their clones, activated their trump card at the same time.

"""Corpse Explosion!"""

"""Boom Boom!"""

Immediately a shower of blood erupted from everywhere in the battlefield as Lux's deadly skill started its one-sided massacre.

Great General Gideon who saw this, immediately ordered the spell casters to erect barriers to prevent the deadly corpse explosions from spreading.

However, they were simply too far from the vanguard, and by the time the barriers were erected, thousands of their men had already been killed in the span of half a minute.

The two Rankers then found themselves isolated from their main army, because all of the men behind them had perished due to the surprise attack that Lux had launched.

This time, the Half-Elf didn't hesitate and detonated the dead bodies of the Ammarians, as well the Yelan Soldiers, who fought bravely to protect their kingdom.

Great General Gideon, as well as the other Generals were well aware of Lux's ability. They just didn't expect that he would use it in this manner.

The two Rankers exchanged a glance at each other and were about to run back to their Main Army when they felt a very powerful force pull them towards the Yalan Army in the distance.

Nero, who was paying close attention to the war, arched an eyebrow after seeing this scene.

He knew that Lux had this kind of ability, and found it very annoying. Depending on the circumstances, this skill could easily break the momentum of the Half-Elf's enemy, allowing the red-headed teenager to take advantage of his enemies' "taunted" state.

 

 

Chapter 496 What A Disgusting Strategy [Part 2]

"Sh*t!" one of the Rankres said through gritted teeth as his feet skidded on the ground, trying to fight the strong pull that had taken hold of his body.

Even so, the force was simply too powerful to resist.

With their Main Army erecting barriers to prevent the spread of the Corpse Explosion Skill, no reinforcements would come to save the two of them.

The two Rankers glared angrily at Lux's Fortress Defender and Jade Golem who stood in the distance.

"Damn you!" one of the Rankers shouted as he turned into a fireball and charged in Orion's direction, who had already taken a fighting pose to receive his attack.

The other Ranker did the same, but he headed towards Pazuzu.

After mastering the art of Duel [EX], and dying several times because of it, the Fortress Defender and the Jade Golem had created a strategy that would prevent them from dying, which they had shared with their Master, Lux.

As soon as the two Rankers exchanged blows with the Half-Elf's two Named Creatures, Lux immediately summoned the two of them to his side, preventing them from dying.

Pazuzu and Orion both had the skill, Guts, which prevented them from dying from a single attack.

As soon as their health started to decrease rapidly, the Half-Elf summoned them to his side, and initiated the second part of his plan, which made the two Rankers cough up blood due to how shameless it was.

Lux's two Clones also activated Duel [EX] forcing the two Rankers to charge at them, while they were standing in front of the Yelan Army.

"T-Time out!" one of the Rankers shouted in fear when he saw Great General Watson and General Carran move to intercept the two of them at the same time.

The other Ranker also shouted in desperation, but unlike his comrade, the latter tried to use a life saving artifact that could allow him to escape this deadly clash.

But, before he could activate it, Asmodeus' Death Tyrant, Morpheus, shot a Petrification Ray at the Ranker's hand, turning it to stone.

"Nice one, Morpheus," Lazarus, said as he hovered beside the Death Tyrant who was very pleased with himself.

Both of them were floating Skulls, and the two were like kindred brothers-in-arms who immediately hit it off as soon as they met each other.

Morpheus gave an eerie chuckle, which was enough to give the Vanguard of the Yelan Army goosebumps due to how unworldly its laughter was.

The two Rankers did their best to defend themselves, but since their bodies weren't cooperating with them, Great General Watson's sword and General Carran's spear found their marks.

The Great General managed to cut off one of the Ranker's arms, which was holding his life saving artifact that had turned to stone.

General Carran, on the other hand, managed to stab his spear through the other Ranker's chest, making the latter cough up blood.

What surprised Great General Watson, and General Carran was the fact that after the two received serious injuries, they didn't stop to charge towards the clones of the Half-Elf, who were being protected by two more Rankers, who served as Great General Sherlock's bodyguard.

Two blood curdling screams filled with unwillingness spread along the side of the Yelan Army as the two Rankers were attacked by the powerful fighters of the Yelan Army, who made sure that both of them wouldn't be able to leave alive.

"What a shame," Asmodeus said with a sigh. "Those were two fine specimens. These Yelan punks don't know when to hold back."

The Archlich liked to collect the bodies of strong individuals to experiment on.

Although he could use Animate Undead to turn them into his minions, he wanted to have their bodies intact as much as possible.

Half a minute later, the two Rankers dead bodies, which had been mutilated by their attackers, dropped on the ground.

Asmodeus reluctantly collected their bodies before joining the retreat of the Yalan Army, who had managed to distance themselves from their enemies, who were too anxious to pursue them.

There were still many dead bodies that were blocking their way, and they were afraid that if they went near them, the Half-Elf would detonate them, starting a new wave of terror that already gripped their hearts.

Meanwhile, General Fahad, who had lost nearly five thousand soldiers, also retreated. He did his best to fend off General Herodes' Army for as long as he could, allowing Lux to carry out his plan.

Although he had lost many men, his opponents also suffered the same in order to prevent the Main Army from getting attacked from behind, while they retreated after fending off General Herodes' Army for as long as he could.

Asmodeus' two clones, who were stationed on his side, also used the skill, Corpse Explosion, which killed a quarter of the Ammarian Army, forcing General Herodes to give an order to stop their pursuit of the fleeing Yelanians, who had created a strategy that would grant mutual destruction to both sides.

"What a disgusting strategy." Great General Gideon spat on the ground as he looked at the retreating army in the distance. "Mages, burn those bodies until nothing is left!"

"G-General?" The Commander of the Mages in the Army looked at their Great General in shock. "B-But our soldiers' bodies are mixed up with them. Can we spare them?"

"No," Great General Gideon replied firmly. "It is better that we dispose of them using our own means, than have those bodies explode right under our noses."

"B-But, General…" the Commander of the Mages wasn't able to finish his words because his body froze when Great General Gideon's eyes, filled with killing intent, landed on his body.

Great General Gideon narrowed his eyes as he stared down the Commander who dared to oppose his orders.

"Obey your orders, Soldier," Great General Gideon growled in a voice that was as cold as ice. "Or else, I will let your body burn alongside the dead. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, General!" The Commander immediately moved into action and ordered his subordinates to set the dead bodies in front of them ablaze, until only ashes were left.

Nero, who watched the battle from start to finish frowned. Although he hadn't joined the battle earlier, he had seen first hand what the Half-Elf was capable of doing.

"What do you think? Will you need help in dealing with that pesky Half-Elf?"

A playful voice reached Nero's ears, and the latter's frown deepened.

"No need," Nero replied. "I can take care of him myself."

"Are you sure about that?" the silver-haired man's voice asked inside Nero's head. "The way I see it, he will give you a lot of trouble in your duel."

"They are just petty tricks," Nero replied. "In the face of absolute strength, all of his schemes are meaningless."

A laugh filled with amusement echoed inside Nero's head for a few seconds before disappearing completely.

For some reason, the brown-haired teenager sensed a faint tone of ridicule in his benefactor's laughter, which made him subconsciously clench his fist because the Half-Elf he wanted to duel with had once again shown that he was someone that shouldn't be underestimated.

 

Chapter 497 Do You Have A Chance Of Victory?

The Yelan Army knew that if they stayed any longer on the Great Plains, they would end up cornered sooner or later, so they had decided to retreat from the very start.

Aware that they wouldn't be able to retrieve the bodies of their countrymen once they did that, they decided to follow through with Lux's plans to use their corpses as fuel for his Corpse Explosion.

Although this was something they didn't want to see happen, they believed that their countrymen would be happy if their remains had been used to protect their Kingdom.

"As expected, they had no plans to pursue us right away," Great General Sherlock said as he gazed in the distance.

"They're busy burning the bodies of the dead from a safe distance as a precaution against Lux's ability," Great General Watson commented. "Still, it won't be long before they make their move."

Great General Sherlock nodded.

They had already prepared for this outcome.

Before the war started, he had sent two thousand of his men to build a makeshift camp that they would retreat to, which was only five miles away from the Great Plains.

At least, with this arrangement, they wouldn't have someone attacking them from behind, and they could use all of their forces to face the Ammarian Army head-on.

After arriving at the make-shift camp, the rest of the Yelan Army immediately helped to finish the temporary fortifications for the upcoming clash against their enemies.

"We've lost around 15,000 men," Great General Watson stated as the Generals, Commanders, and Captains of their army met up to discuss the next stage of their plan. "The Ammarians lost three times more than that, but they still outnumber us almost two to one."

Great General Sherlock nodded. "Now that they know what Lux is truly capable of, they will do their best to prevent it from happening again."

The two Great Generals as well as the other commanding officers, glanced at the Half-Elf who was standing in the corner of the tent. Because of him, they were able to retreat safely and deal a bitter blow to their enemies.

"If it was me leading the Ammarian Army, I would definitely eliminate Lux first," General Carran said while giving the Half-Elf a steady gaze. 'I hate to admit it, but General Revon made the right decision when he tried to kill Lux back then. This brat is more of a threat than me on the battlefield.'

General Carran had asked General Revon back then why he chose Lux over him, and the General's response was...

"Do you really not know the answer, or are you just pretending not to know?"

Even as he was dying, General Revon was firm that the one who would decide the outcome of the war was not the Great Generals, but an Apostle Necromancer, who had the power over the dead.

"If I was Great General Gideon, I would simply wait for Lux to be defeated by that devil-like Ranker who issued him a challenge," General Fahad commented. "Lux, I hate to say this, but right now, you are our main deterrence against the Ammarian Army. If possible, I ask you to not honor that unfair duel.

"I didn't know what fortuitous encounter your ex-mercenary member had when he left your side, but right now, he is an E-Ranker, who has fighting ability that matches a D-Ranker's. It is simply impossible for you to win against him."

Lux smiled after hearing General Fahad's words.

The Yelan General was a D-Ranker at its peak, which was slightly weaker than Second, who was a C-Ranker in its initial Stages.

Even he, who was a D-Ranker, acknowledged Nero's current strength, who had challenged Lux to a one-on-one duel.

"I agree with General Fahad," General Carran stated. "No one here will judge you if you chose to not honor your duel with that brat named Nero. I'm sure that even the enemy Generals don't expect you to show up. Right now, they all want to see you dead, and this is a good opportunity to do that. As long as you die in the hands of that devil, nothing will stop them from reclaiming their lands."

General Carran knew that if the Ammarian Army decided to advance straight to the Yelan Kingdom's borders, they would be hard-pressed to defend it.

"While it is true that not honoring the agreement will keep me somewhat safe, it will not solve our problems," Lux replied in a firm voice. "The reason why we were able to retreat safely is because Nero didn't join the battle. According to the reports of the survivors under the command of General Hubert, Nero played a crucial role in destroying their fortifications, and allowing the Ammarian Army to advance.

"If I don't face him, he will certainly join the battle and we will be hard pressed to fight against a Ranker who can fly in the sky. I have fought against him twice, and I can tell you that he is not only strong, but very cunning as well. Right now, his confidence is at its peak because of his current Rank.

"I believe that he will not kill me instantly, but slowly torture me to get revenge for the defeats he suffered from me in the past. That mentality of his is perfect for what I have in mind. Believe me when I say that although it is difficult, the one who will have the last laugh between us is not yet set in stone."

Great General Watson frowned after hearing Lux's words. He could hear a certain amount of confidence from the Half-Elf's tone, which made him wonder if it was really possible for a Grade-A Apostle to fight against an E-Ranker, whose fighting strength was equal to that of a D-Ranker.

"Lux, my boy, let me ask you this question," Great General Sherlock crossed his arms together and gave the Half-Elf a solemn gaze. "Do you have a chance of victory?"

Lux didn't hesitate and nodded his head.

"I do," Lux replied. "I have already made preparations. Nero's current strength will be the source of his own downfall."

A sigh escaped the Gnome's lips because he could tell that Lux was very serious about fighting against Nero.

"Very well." Great General Sherlock nodded. "If you defeat him, and we win this war, I will give you a Legendary Item."

The Half-Elf's body stiffened after hearing General Sherlock's words. He didn't expect that the Great General of the Yelan Kingdom would offer him a Legendary Item as a reward if he won against the bastard who had hated him since they had met in Wildgarde Stronghold many years ago.

"I will do my best," Lux replied.

A few hours later, the Ammarian Army and the Yelan Army once again faced each other, but this time, Great General Gideon didn't give his men the order to attack.

Instead, Nero, who didn't join the battle earlier, hovered between the two armies and called out to Lux to start their battle at an earlier time.

"No need to wait for noon to arrive," Nero stated. "Let's fight now, Lux. Or are you going to tell me that you're backing out?"

Lux rose up from the Yelan Army and stared at Nero, who had transformed into a devil under the corruption of the Seed of the Abyss.

"Why would I back out?" Lux asked. "It's not everyday that I'm given an opportunity to use a Ranker's face to wipe the floor. If you want to fight, then let's fight."

"Good," Nero replied. "But, I have one more condition. Bring Henrietta with you. No, bring all of your allies with you. I don't mind if all of you work together to fight against me."

"Sure," Lux replied. "But, bring your lackeys with you as well. It's about time we end this once and for all."

The corner of Nero's lips rose before glancing in the direction where Jasper and the other survivors of the different factions were.

"You heard him," Nero stated. "All of you are going to follow us as well."

For him, this was the perfect opportunity to let all of the Factions watching outside the Domain of the Fallen to see how formidable he was. He didn't care if they would think badly of him for bullying a Grade A Apostle when he was already a Ranker.

What he wanted from them was recognition of his strength, which would open up new opportunities for him in the future.

Nero also wanted Iris to see Lux's desperation, as well as his sorry state after her beloved Half-Elf suffered under his hands. This was his revenge for everything that had happened back in the tournament, and he would make sure that the Half-Elf would have a very slow and painful death.

After both sides had stated their conditions, the Half-Elf flew Eastwards.

Nero and his lackeys all followed him, while Keane and the others weren't far behind.

After many twists and turns, the Factions that were originally meant to work with each other to clear the dungeon, were now at each other's throats.

Although their reunion was something that none of them wanted, all of them understood that it was time to eliminate their rivals as soon as possible.

 

 

Chapter 498 I’m A Necromancer. We Don’t Do One-On-One [Part 1]

Nero's Master, Rainer, had been wearing a frown on his face after he first saw his Disciple ever since the latter broke the artifact that allowed them to see and hear whatever he was seeing and hearing.

The last time they saw Nero was when he was about to face off against Lux.

Everyone in Wildgarde Stronghold was now fully aware about the bad blood between him and the Half-Elf, who was currently in the limelight.

Truth be told, Rainer was long worried that the pent up jealousy, envy, and hate that Nero held towards Lux would hasten the growth of the Seed of the Abyss in his heart, which would lead to the corruption of his mind.

However, a glance was enough to tell him that although Nero had fully embraced the Seed of the Abyss in his heart, he was still sane and was able to make rational decisions.

This was very different from the time that Lux had lost control over the power of the Abyss in his heart when Eiko was killed. Back then, the Half-Elf had lost all sense of reason, and the only thing on his mind was to kill those who dared to kill the Baby Slime, who had treated him as her Papa.

'Nero, just what happened to you?' Rainer didn't know if he should be happy or not after seeing his disciple's current form.

Although Nero was still in control of his body and seemed to be thinking properly, he was still worried that this might just be a temporary thing.

If Nero had truly transformed into an Abyssal Creature, then he would no longer be treated as a Human, but an enemy that they would have to deal with when he returned from the Sacred Dungeon.

Gerald and Natasha also had complicated looks on their faces. Nero was a prodigy that belonged to their Faction, and seeing him like this made them feel bitter inside.

'In the end, you still kept your grudge against Lux,' Gerald thought. 'As for what happens next, we will just wait until this mission ends.'

Natasha, who served as the healer of Wildgarde Stronghold, understood that it would be extremely hard to revert Nero back to what he was before the Seed of the Abyss had taken hold of his body.

Although there were cases where people had managed to overcome the power of the Seed of Darkness, those that had succeeded could only be counted with the fingers of one hand. That was how difficult it was to remove the hold of the Abyss on a person's heart once the Seed had fully grown.

The other Factions whose representatives were on Nero's side were feeling hopeful that they might be able to win the war. They didn't really care what happened to Nero afterwards as long as their representatives cleared their mission.

Aron, who was the right-hand man of Emperor Andreas, looked at the devil-like teenager with great curiosity.

He could tell that Nero was an ambitious person, and this was someone that he would like to pull to their side if possible, if not for the fact that the youth had now transformed into an Abyssal Creature.

'Unfortunately, he had been corrupted by the Abyss.' Aron sighed in his heart. 'Such a waste.'

Truth be told, the main reason why Aron felt a strong urge to get Nero to their side was his hatred towards Lux.

Just like the devil-like teenager, Emperor Andreas had also started to think that it was better if the Half-Elf was disposed of in order to nip the bud of a future hindrance and keep it from growing. Aron had the same thought, and this desire to eliminate the Half-Elf had only grown stronger after seeing how formidable the latter was in large-scale battles.

Wars weren't fought in one-on-one battles like tournaments. It was a fight between armies, and Lux's Corpse Explosion skill was a very disgusting ability that each side would want to have.

A few minutes later, everyone outside the Domain of the Fallen saw the Half-Elf landing on the ground, which was the location that he had chosen to fight against Nero.

Nero landed hundreds of meters away from the Half-Elf with his arms crossed over his chest.

The two only stared at each other, and waited for their allies to arrive.

The Half-Elf wasn't comfortable facing off against Nero when Jasper and the others were there to potentially "sneak attack him", while he was busy fighting against a Ranker.

In order to prevent that from happening, he needed Keane and the others to protect his back, while he focused all of his attention on the Abyssal Monster in front of him.

Several minutes later, Jasper and his team arrived. They didn't stand beside Nero and simply went to a place where they would not be hit by stray attacks that could potentially harm or even kill them.

Keane and the others arrived shortly after, and just like Jasper and the others, they also looked for a place where they could watch the battle safely.

Einar and Jasper gave each other a brief glance before shifting their gaze back to Lux and Nero.

The two temporary leaders didn't intend on simply watching Lux and Nero fight.

They wanted to eliminate each other as well, so that they would have the upper hand in the war when it resumed later.

"Everyone's here," Nero said. "Let's start. Are you now ready to die, Lux?"

The Half-Elf didn't reply and simply covered his arms with dragon scales and took a fighting stance.

Seeing that he didn't plan on replying, Nero smirked and flapped his wings to fly high in the sky. A moment later, the devil-like teenager dove toward the ground with a sneer as he pulled his arm back to punch the Half-Elf, and break the bones in his body.

Lux remained standing, and didn't move from his position.

When Nero was only a few meters away from him, his body stiffened because he suddenly felt a strong pulling force coming from his right side.

This brief pause was enough for Lux to take action, so he immediately crossed the gap between them and delivered a punch to his enemy's face.

Nero forced himself to dodge to the side, while fighting the effect of the Duel [EX] that Pazuzu had cast on his body.

Lux's punch grazed Nero's face, but he had already prepared for such a scenario.

A moment later, a Dragon Breath slammed against Nero's body, making the latter grunt and skid on the ground for several meters before coming to a complete stop.

At that moment, the effect of Duel [EX] suddenly disappeared, and Nero once again regained control of his body, which surprised Lux who had orchestrated the attack.

This was the first time it happened, and it made the Half-Elf wonder if an Abyssal Creature had a certain resistance to his tried and tested taunting skill that had helped him face off against strong opponents in the past.

"Such a troublesome skill." The silver-haired man who was watching the battle from a great distance chuckled. "We can't have that, can we now?"

Earlier, he had snapped his fingers to break the effect of Pazuzu's taunt skill, which he deemed was a very troublesome ability in one-on-one battles.

Naturally, Nero and Lux weren't aware that someone was interfering in their battles, and both teenagers thought that the Seed of the Abyss was the one responsible for negating the effects of Pazuzu's Duel [EX].

Nero, who had been hit by the Dragon Breath of Eiko's clone, hurriedly flapped his wings to distance himself from the Half-Elf who had successfully dealt the first strike in his body.

He was too confident in his strength that he thought that he could brush away all the Half-Elf's attacks with ease.

But, the Dragon Breath that he had managed to barely block earlier left a sting in his soul, which made him remember that he wasn't the only one on the battlefield who had the power of the Abyss, which resided at the deepest part of their heart.

 

Chapter 499 I’m A Necromancer. We Don’t Do One-On-One [Part 2]

"Does it hurt?" Lux asked with a sneer. "It hurts, right?"

"Not as much as the pain you will feel after I'm done with you," Nero replied in a heartbeat.

The devil-like teenager then hurled several black lightning bolts at the Half-Elf, who immediately summoned several Bone Walls to block its path.

These bone walls immediately shattered to pieces, but the lightning bolts failed to hit their target because the Half-Elf was no longer in the place where he originally stood.

Lux had changed his armor to the armor that he had prepared for the tournament when he fought against Nero in the past.

It was none other than Lux's Dragon Regalia, which allowed him to use the skills, Lightning Strider, that would allow him to instantly teleport to any place within a twenty-meter radius around him, and Improved Lightning Reflexes, which enhanced the speed of his movements, allowing him to dodge and execute maneuvers that required fast movement.

His armor and these two skills allowed him to go toe-to-toe with the young man who had the power to control black lightning bolts at will.

"Coward, fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Nero shouted.

"Yeah, no," Lux replied while giving Nero the middle finger. "I'm a Necromancer. We don't do one-on-one."

When the Half-Elf summoned the Bone Walls earlier, he had also summoned his other Named Creatures at the same time, allowing them to position themselves throughout the battlefield.

Orion pointed his finger at Nero, and used his skill Duel [EX], prompting the latter to attack him.

This time around, the skill connected, and Nero used his incredible speed to reappear in front of the Jade Golem to deliver a powerful blow on its body.

But, at that exact moment, a devilish smirk appeared on Eiko's face, whose head was barely poking out of the ground.

A moment later, the ground under Nero's feet cracked as countless Blast Bombs exploded at the same time, engulfing him in a fiery blaze.

When Lux had summoned the Bone Walls earlier, he ordered Eiko to go hide underground.

The Baby Slime obeyed and used her Dig skill, so that she wouldn't be killed by their opponent.

Eiko's other clones were also underground and were creating small tunnels, allowing them to travel from one point to another without much difficulty.

It was Eiko's clone that had used a Dragon Breath earlier to hit Nero.

Although Nero seemed well on the surface, he wasn't unscathed from the Dragon Breath that collided with his body, despite having managed to block it at the last second.

The reason behind this was simple.

Eiko was able to copy Lux's abilities, and among the skills she copied was her Papa's Abyss's Touch [EX].

This skill dealt 200% more damage against Abyssal Monsters, which made Lux very confident that he would be able to fight against Nero because all of his attacks were "super effective" against his enemy.

A moment later, Lux heard a pained shout, which was like music to his ears.

He had already summoned Orion to his side to prevent the Jade Golem from dying. Although his Named Creature was a Revenger, he didn't like to see him die every time he appeared on the battlefield.

Besides, Orion could help him better if he was alive rather than if he was dead.

After seeing that her plan had worked, the Baby Slime hid underground once more and, with her two clones, began to create several Blast Bombs in order to prepare for their next attack on the very cocky Ranker, who was about to experience a world of pain from the power of Lux's Abyssal Touch [EX].

The silver-haired man who saw this from far away pinched the bridge of his nose because he didn't know whether he should continue to interfere with the battle or not.

He had already helped Nero once, which was something he shouldn't have done in a one-on-one duel.

Nero was already a Ranker, and his opponent was an Apostle, but the Half-Elf's way of fighting had improved by leaps and bounds after gambling with his life in a fight against General Revon.

It was during that battle when Lux truly felt the power of the Necromancer Class, which allowed him to fight with everything he had.

"This isn't a one-on-one battle," Jasper stated as he looked at Nero who had flown up into the sky after suffering an injury from the trap that Lux had laid out for him.

"It definitely isn't," Einar replied as he took out his War Axe from his storage ring in preparation to fight against Jasper and his team, along with his own teammates. "The moment Nero challenged Lux to a one-on-one battle, he should have taken this into account. A Necromancer doesn't fight alone. It has been one against many from the very start."

Jasper nodded his head in agreement as he took two swords out of his storage ring.

"Well then, shall we start?" Jasper asked as he pointed his sword towards Einar.

It was now time for them to settle their differences with each other as well.

"Let's," Einar replied with a fearless smirk. "Right now, I feel like I can beat an Initiate."

Jasper snorted. "Dream on, you're not Lux."

"That, I'm not," Einar took a step forward as he held the War Axe Firmly in his hands. "I'm more handsome than him."

Diablo, who was standing beside the Barbarian Prince, gave Einar a side-long glance before shifting his gaze back to his Master.

The Death Knight was very tempted to tell the Barbarian that he should take a good look in the mirror before saying that he was more handsome than his Master.

However, since both of them were on the same side, he would just pretend that he didn't hear Einar's words, and simply focused his attention on the battle that was happening in the distance.

Lux had a reason why he didn't ask Diablo to participate in the battle.

His Death Knight had a more important duty to do, and he would do it to ensure that his Master would come out of his battle victorious.

 

Chapter 500 Time For Round Two. Come Here, You Bastard! [Part 1]

Jasper's team and Einar's team started to duke it out with each other, which made the Factions who were watching outside the gate of Domain of the Fallen sigh in dissatisfaction.

Originally, all of them wanted to have the teenagers work together and complete the mission as one team, but due to a conflict of interest, all of them were at each other's throats now.

Even those who initially believed that Nero would allow their representatives to breeze through the final battle found themselves dumbfounded about the fact that an Apostle could fight against a Ranker, even able to push the latter back.

This was something that never happened in the past, and they didn't think it was possible.

"This is why those idiots from noble families fall short. They've only attained their Ranks through the use of their family's resources," one of the Representatives from the Xynnar War Pact complained. "When faced with a person of equal rank, they are simply cannon fodders who can't even do anything!"

"True. But, he is now a Ranker and, this time, his opponent is just an Apostle," a member of the Skystead Alliance. "Is he that incompetent? I mean, I can understand if his opponent was also a Ranker. But an Apostle? You gotta be kidding me."

The member of the Skystead Alliance then glanced in the direction of Gerald, Rainer, and Anastasia and sneered.

"This is the result of bad upbringing," the member of the Skystead Alliance stated. "In the end, a paper tiger is no match against a true tiger."

Several of the people around him nodded their heads in agreement. They also glanced in the direction of the three Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold, who were watching the projections.

Gerald was seething in anger, but he kept his rage in his heart. He didn't want to bicker with anyone because it might only worsen the situation.

His greatest regret was seeing Lux and Nero, who both belonged to their faction, fight against each other with the intention to kill.

Rainer and Anastasia also remained silent and simply watched the glimpse of the battle between the two rivals.

After careful thought, all of them came to the collective opinion that since Nero's strength was just forcefully upgraded to a Ranker, the prodigy from the Wildgarde Stronghold didn't have the battle experience to handle his newfound powers.

This conjecture of theirs was partly true because Nero wasn't truly in full control and mastery of the power of the Abyss that he had just gained, but what others didn't know was that if it were other people who were fighting against Nero, they would find themselves being pushed back because of the latter's current strength.

They didn't know that Lux was only able to make Nero suffer due to his passive ability, Abyss Touch [EX], which was specially designed to fight against Abyssal Creatures.

Also, there was the fact that Lux, Eiko, and the Half-Elf's Named Creatures had the ability, Duel [EX], which forced anyone to exchange a single attack with the one that cast it.

These two skills combined allowed the red-headed teenager to deal consecutive attacks against Nero, who was being repeatedly affected by the taunting spell.

The silver-haired man who was watching the battle had a complicated look on his face as he watched the battle unfold between the two.

On one hand, he wanted Lux to lose against Nero because the teenager he had chosen would play an important role for him.

On the other hand, he could sense something in Lux's possession that had the power to threaten his life should he make an appearance on the battlefield.

Because of this, he decided to observe the battle for now without interfering, just to better understand what was making him feel a little anxious in his heart.

'I wish I could see more of the battle between Lux and Nero,' Aron thought with regret.

Since most of the representatives inside the Sacred Dungeon were fighting against each other, those outside were only able to see glimpses of the battle between the Half-Elf and the Devil-like creature, who were the leaders of each Faction.

—-------

Nero unleashed a barrage of black lightning bolts from his position in the sky towards the Half-Elf on the ground.

Black blood seeped out from the corner of his lips as he glared hatefully at the red-headed teenager on the ground who was doing his best to avoid the long-range attack that he was unleashing from the sky.

After being repeatedly taunted by Lux's summons, Nero had suffered a lot of damage, not only to his body but also to his soul.

The damage he received grew increasingly more serious every time he came within range of the Half-Elf's minions, who had the power to forcefully taunt him from a distance, causing him to suffer injuries and grievances each time.

"Come down and fight here, coward!" Lux shouted in disdain. "What's wrong? Are you afraid of a weak Apostle like me?"

If Lux wanted, he could fly in the sky and engage Nero in Aerial Combat.

However, if he did that, it would be a bit hard to synchronize his attacks with his allies because most of them couldn't fly.

Also, while fighting with Nero, he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was observing him closely.

Whoever that someone was, Lux knew that they were a powerful being, whose strength surpassed the Abyssal Monster he was currently facing.

Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to play safe for the time being, just in case someone was planning to ambush him while he was engaged in a duel against Nero.

'Is it perhaps a Ranker from the Ammarian Kingdom?' Lux thought as he continued to taunt Nero with his words. 'I might get killed if they suddenly sneak attack me, so it is better if I just fight here on the ground.'

Right now, Lux's forces had positioned themselves in key locations around him, ready to intervene if a Ranker from the Ammarian Army decided to use this opportunity to eliminate Lux.

They always had two individuals who could cast Duel [EX] at any given time in case of emergencies.

Naturally, Nero also tried to target Lux's Summons, but the Half-Elf would just summon these Monsters to his side, evading Nero's attacks with ease.

Nero endured Lux's hateful taunts because he knew that if he came within range of the Half-Elf's ability, he would experience another round of suffering once again.

The stalemate between the two lasted for nearly ten minutes before something unexpected happened on the battlefield.

A silver-haired man appeared in the sky between the two fighters.

Lux and Nero looked at this newcomer with varying expressions on their faces.

In Nero's case, he felt a little intimidated because the silver-haired man, who was his benefactor, had a disappointed look on his face.

Lux, on the other hand, found himself feeling angry because the silver-haired man didn't appear alone. Hovering beside him was a meter-long Boar, who was still unconscious.

"Who are you?" Lux asked as he tried to reign in the anger in his heart. "What are you planning to do with Cai?"

The silver-haired man smiled after seeing the Half-Elf's seething expression. After watching the battle for so long, he knew that he had to intervene, or else, his chosen candidate was going to lose in the long run.

Even though he felt that Lux possessed something that could endanger his life, he thought that as long as he had a hostage and played his card right, he had nothing to fear against the hidden danger that threatened him.

"I've grown bored of watching this battle," the silver-haired man replied. "So, let's do it this way. You are going to fight Nero without using that disgusting taunting skill of yours. If you use that skill again, I will kill this Boar. Easy to understand, right?"

The silver-haired man summoned a silver sword and placed it over Cai's neck, and made a chopping gesture, which made Lux seethe in anger.

The Boar was currently in a weakened state because she had done everything in her power to keep Lux alive.

Seeing that Cai had been captured, the Half-Elf knew that Xander, who was duty-bound to protect her, might have been incapacitated by the unknown enemy that appeared in front of him.

Now that the enemy was using Cai as a hostage against him, he felt as if something inside him had snapped completely.