Ch. 541: Chapter 541-550

Chapter 541 A Very Disgusting Necromancer [Part 2]

The proud Dragon Born was pulled down from the sky when Orion activated his Taunt Skill.

When Cethus came within the strike range of the Lazarus, Zagan, Asmodeus, and the Skeleton Mages, he found himself being bombarded by spells and other magical attacks that made him curse internally.

As an Initiate, and a member of the Royal Guard, it was only natural for him to have some abilities that would counter such devastating attacks.

Before the spells could even land on Cethus' body, a golden barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the sudden bombardment that came in his direction. However, a few seconds later, several cracks appeared in the barrier, making the Dragon Born's face turn pale from fright.

Suddenly, Cethus heard a humming sound. His enhanced senses allowed him to discover where the sound was coming from, and this discovery made him clench his teeth as he prepared to withstand four rotating silver blades that were flying in his direction.

"Impaler's Wrath!" Revon shouted as he commanded four of the eight blades that hovered behind him to shatter the barrier that was protecting the Dragon Born from their one-sided barrage.

The moment the four blades hit the barrier, the sound of crystal glasses breaking reverberated in the surroundings.

A second later, several magical attacks, and spells, collided with Cethus' body making him shout in pain.

"Damn you!" Cethus roared. He then flew towards the Jade Golem with all of his might with the intention of shattering it to pieces.

The only thing he could do right now was endure Lux's attacks, because there was nothing he could do about it. However, when he saw the Half-Elf open his mouth, the Dragon Born knew that he was about to get f*cked.

"Dragon's Breath!"

Lux unleashed the signature move of the Dragons and the Dragon Borns, making everyone that was watching the battle gasp in shock.

"I-Impossible!" Valerie gasped in shock. "J-Just how?!"

She wasn't the only one who reacted this way. Ali, Ari, the Rankers, the High-Rankers, and even Cethus' grandmother were all shocked by the Half-Elf's powerful attack.

The blazing flames engulfed Cethus, and pushed him away from Orion, whose right hand was now glowing golden.

After being pushed nearly two hundred meters away from the Jade Golem, an explosion happened, which sent the Dragon Born crashing towards the ground.

Everything happened so fast that Cethus couldn't understand what had happened to him just now.

Unfortunately for him, Lux had no intention of giving him a breather. Before he could even land on the ground, Ishtar materialized mid-air and gave the Dragon Born a powerful kick, sending him flying in Lux's direction.

"My turn!" Lazarus blinked in front of Cethus and activated his magic attack at pointâ€"blank-range.

"Cone of Cold!"

The Great Flame Skull sprayed a cone of ice and snow at the pitiful Dragon Born, making the latter's blood turn cold.

The attack had made Cethus' entire body rigid, as he received Lazarus' passive ability, Cold Flames. Any attack that the Great Flame Skull made was imbued by this power, which was similar to Diablo's Ethereal ability.

Lazarus didn't linger long and blinked away because he had already done his part. There were still others who wanted to have their turn, and they were eagerly waiting to have a piece of the arrogant Dragon Born, who looked down on those that belonged to the so-called "Lower Realm".

Before Cethus could even break free from the cold spell that nearly paralyzed him, the Jade Golem appeared in front of him with its arm pulled back and ready to smack him to oblivion.

"Gaia Smash!" Orion shouted as he smashed his fist into Cethus' chest, sending the Dragon Born spiraling to the ground.

A loud booming sound was heard as the Cethus' body collided with the ground, creating a crater that was dozens of meters wide.

"Gwark!" Cethus grunted as blood spilled from the corner of his lips.

If earlier he was just nearly paralyzed, now, he was completely paralyzed.

The Dragon Born couldn't utter a single word, as his teeth started to chatter due to the cold flames that lingered on his body and the injuries he received from the attacks of Lux's subordinates.

Although Cethus couldn't move, he could still use his other senses, mainly his sense of sight and hearing.

Because of this, he heard the sound of rattling bones that were closing in on him, and for some reason, his sixth sense started to scream at him. Cethus knew that something very very veeeeeeeeeery dangerous was approaching him, but there was nothing he could do about it because he was paralyzed.

Half a minute later, the Dragon Born saw several Skeleton Gangbangers look down at him with keen interest.

"S-St-Stoâ€"p," Cethus barely managed to stutter, as he pushed himself to try and voice out his thoughts out loud.

Naturally, the Skeleton Gang Bangers ignored him and proceeded to Gang Bang him!

"Mistress, cover your eyes!" Ali shouted as she hurriedly covered Valerie's eyes with both of her hands.

"You too, Eiko, cover your eyes!" Ari said as she covered the baby slime's eyes, making the latter tilt her head in confusion.

After making sure that Valerie's and Eiko's eyes were covered properly, Ali and Ari shifted their gaze to the Dragon Born, who was being stabbed repeatedly in his backside.

"Oh my, so Big!" Ali commented.

"Wow! Look at them go!" Ari stated.

The two handmaidens continued to mutter and gasp as they watched Cethus, whom they didn't like, get stabbed repeatedly without mercy.

If not for the fact that the Dragon Born had called Valerie an ugly duckling, they might have pitied him, and even asked Lux to stop his minions from torturing the poor soul.

However, since Cethus had committed a capital sin by mocking the Princess of Karshvar Draconis, they deemed that what was happening to the Dragon Born was an appropriate punishment for looking down on their mistress.

High above the skies, the Rankers subconsciously put their hands on their backside, as if they were worried that they would suffer the same fate as Cethus.

One of the High-Rankers lightly coughed as he glanced at the Old Lady, who was looking down on her grandson with a complicated look on her face.

"We will not report Cethus' earlier disrespect to Her Royal Highness," she said. "I think this is enough punishment. Don't you think so, everyone?"

"Agreed," one of the High-Rankers replied.

"My lips are sealed," another High-Ranker commented. "You boys, make sure that whatever you see in Brokeback Mountain, stays in Brokeback Mountain, okay?"

"""Yes, Sir!"""

Truth be told, the Rankers were very tempted to tell their Dragon King of what Cethus had said to their Princess. However, after seeing the horrifying scene on the ground, they thought that the Dragon Born had received the punishment he deserved, so they no longer wanted to find trouble for him.

They only looked at him with pity because they knew that the Dragon Born would never be the same after this duel.

-------------

Ten agonizing minutes later...

"Everyone, stop," Lux ordered, and the Skeleton Gang Bangers immediately stopped what they were doing.

The battle-hardened Undeads moved to the side as their Master walked past them.

"Well then, Cethus, do you surrender, or do you want this to continue?" Lux asked. "I'm sure that my Skeletons Gang Bangers will be more than happy to begin Round 2."

"I ... Con... cede," Cethus said through gritted teeth.

Lux nodded to acknowledge the Dragon Born's surrender.

"Now, since you lost, you will stay here in the Guild Headquarters, okay?"

"No... take me with you. Please, take... me with you!"

Cethus tried to prop himself up from the ground, not caring about the injuries he received from Lux's minions.

Since Lux had no intention of killing him, the Skeleton Gang Bangers had held back, and only screwed the Dragon Born a little.

Compared to what they did to Jasper, the Prodigy from the Xynnar War Pact, the Dragon Born got off easy.

"You... want to go with me?" Lux arched an eyebrow as he looked at the Dragon Born who was struggling to stand up, but was unable to do so.

"Yes!" Cethus replied as he clenched his fists. He was now on all fours, facing Lux, and the arrogance he had in the past could no longer be seen in his face.

"Please, take... me... with you!" Cetus pleaded as he raised his head to look straight into Lux's eyes. "I want... to be... strong too."

Lux originally wanted to say no, but after seeing Cethus' determined gaze, it reminded him of the time when he was still weak and powerless.

The time when he could only watch in envy as the young boys and girls of Wildgarde Stronghold went to Elysium in order to explore that mysterious and amazing world, leaving him behind.

 

Chapter 542 Make A Wish

"Fine," Lux stated. "We will leave tomorrow. For now, recover as much as you can."

The Half-Elf then glanced in the direction of his Baby Slime and telepathically ordered Eiko to summon Whitey (Angel Slime), and Mara (Water Slime), to help heal Cethus' injuries.

Unknown to them, the Old Lady, who had seen her grandson's pitiful state, looked at the Half-Elf with a grateful expression. Although she was a little angry about how the Half-Elf had tormented the grandson she had looked after since he was a child, she understood that Cethus needed a setback in order to realign him to the right path.

"Arrogance without strength is not arrogance, but stupidity," the Old Lady muttered. "All of you remember this. Before you act high and mighty, make sure that you have the strength to back it up, or else you will just look like a fool. Do I make myself clear?"

"""Yes Commander!"""

The Old Lady briefly nodded to acknowledge her subordinates' reply. She had cast a wide-area stealth, and sound-proofing spell, which prevented anyone from detecting their presence.

Because of this, she wasn't worried that they would be seen or heard by anyone on the island.

Only those that had become High-Rankers would be able to see past the illusion that she created.

'Lux Von Kaizer,' the Old Lady mused. 'Why did Keoza bestow his token upon you? Is it because you are a Necromancer? No. I believe there is a deeper meaning in this. That child would not randomly choose a Half-Elf on a whim.''

The Old Lady pondered, but she couldn't come up with a good answer to explain the Crystal Dragon's decision to allow Lux to come to Karhsvar Draconis, and build his Guild Headquarters in the Dragon Kingdom.

'Well, whatever reason that is, I will set it aside for now,' the Old Lady thought. 'I just hope that my stupid grandson will be able to learn something by accompanying you to whatever place you want to go.'

For her, letting Cethus leave Karshvar Draconis to explore the world was a good thing. She believed that it would allow her Grandson to see many places, meet many people, and experience many different things, which would ultimately allow him to grow, not only in strength, but in character as well.

For now, she prayed that Cethus losing to Lux would become a turning point, and allow the Dragon Born to realize that there would always be someone stronger than him in the world.

That night, Lux sat on the roof of his castle, looking at the starry sky above his head. His original plan was to leave during the day. But, since Cethus had managed to convince him to bring him along, he decided to let the Dragon Born recuperate for a night before they went to the Kingdom of Gweliven.

"Pa!" Eiko said when she saw a shooting star trail across the horizon.

"Make a wish, Eiko." Lux lightly patted the Baby Slime's head. "Whenever you see a shooting star, you should make a wish. Who knows? The God of Games might just hear you and grant it."

"Okay!" Eiko replied before closing her eyes to make a wish.

Lux didn't know what the Baby Slime wished for, and simply waited for her to finish.

It was at this moment when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"I wish that I can sneak away next time as well! I also wish to have an obedient and cute Baby Slime, just like Eiko!"

Valerie said her wishes with her hands clasped together in prayer.

Lux couldn't help but smile after seeing the plain-looking girl pray enthusiastically with her eyes closed.

'I guess I'll pick a couple of eggs from the nursery in the Leaf Village and bring them here,' Lux thought.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past them.

With a cry of shock, Valerie lost her balance and slid down the roof due to how strong the wind was.

Just as she was about to fall over to the edge, a hand reached out to grab her hand and pulled her back to safety.

When Valerie came to her senses, she found herself being held by the red-headed teenager who had prevented her fall.

"It's fine, you're safe now," Lux said as he tried to reassure the plain-looking girl that had almost fallen off from the highest point of his Guild Headquarters.

"T-Thank you," Valerie said. "You saved me."

"You're welcome," Lux replied.

Suddenly Valerie's body stiffened when she finally regained her composure.

"H-hand!" Valerie nearly shouted when she saw that her hand was still locked in Lux's own hand.

"Oh, did I grab you too tightly?" Lux asked as he slowly let go of Valerie's hand.

As soon as her hand was free, Valerie felt relief, as well as a small amount of loss that she couldn't understand. However, she hastily put these thoughts aside as she hurriedly left the scene to return to the guest room.

Lux didn't understand why Valerie ran away, but he thought that it was just due to the fright she received from almost falling down from such a height.

Of course, Valerie's body wasn't as fragile as it looked. Even if she fell from such a height, the most she would get is a light injury, which would easily be healed by a spell or two.

—------

Inside the Guestroom of Lux's Guild Headquarters…

"Ali, Ari, we have to leave now!" Valerie shouted as soon as she pushed the door open. "Hurry, we need to leave before it's too late!"

Ali and Ari, who were busy preparing a bath for their mistress, looked at her with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

"Leave?" Ali asked back. "I thought you said that we will leave tomorrow when Lux and the others also left this place?"

"No! We need to leave now!" Valerie stated firmly. "If you don't want to go, I'll leave by myself!"

As if to prove that she was serious, the plain-looking girl turned around to run away, leaving Ali and Ari looking at each other in confusion.

"Let's go," Ali said as she stopped what she was doing. "We can't let the princess leave by herself. I'll follow her first, and you go to find Lux and tell him of our departure. Although it was short, he was a good host, so we can't just leave without saying our goodbyes."

Ari nodded her head in understanding and went to find the Half-Elf, who was still on the roof of the castle and watching the stars in the sky with Eiko.

The two handmaidens didn't know what happened for their Mistress to be this adamant about leaving the Outer Reaches during the night.

They would only find out what truly happened a day later, when the extremely beautiful, and extremely gullible, Princess of Karshvar Draconis, returned to the Capital City of the Dragon Race.

 

 

Chapter 543 Everyone Needs A Baby Slime In Their Lives

"Although our stay has been very short, our Mistress wanted to tell you that she enjoyed every minute of it," Ari said with a smile. "Thank you for your hospitality and generosity."

"The pleasure is mine," Lux replied. "Tell Valencia that she is welcome to visit the Guild Headquarters anytime. Unfortunately, I am not always around, but I'll leave a message to the Kobolds and let them know to treat you as our VIP guests whenever you visit."

After doing a bit more small talk, Ari finally left to catch up with Ali and her Mistress, Valerie, who was determined to return to the capital city as soon as possible.

A few hours later, Lux went to his room to rest because when morning came, he would take Gerhart and Cethus to the Kingdom of Gweliven to meet his future Guild Secretary, Emma, as well as Collete and the others, whom he hadn't seen for quite some time.

He had delayed making contact with them for as long as he could, but since he was about to go visit another kingdom, he thought that now was the best time to see them again.

—-------

Morning the next day…

"Are the two of you ready to go?" Lux asked his two companions, who seemed very eager to embark on a journey alongside him.

"Although I don't know where we are going, I have a feeling that we'll find plenty of excitement along the way," Gerhart commented.

Cethus only nodded his head and didn't say anything.

After being beaten one-sidedly by Lux, the arrogant Dragon Born had no choice but to admit that the Half-Elf was stronger than him. Because of this, he decided to no longer act high and mighty in front of Lux, and simply nodded his head to affirm his intention of coming with him.

"Accept my invitation," Lux ordered as he looked at Cethus, whom he planned to add to his party.

Several rows of text appeared in front of Cethus, asking him if he wanted to join the "Ars Goetia Party", which he accepted without a second thought.

After confirming that the Dragon Born was a member of his party, Lux pressed his closed fist over his chest and shouted.

"Open! Heaven's Gate!"

A second later, Lux, Gerhart, and Cethus were bathed in white light before disappearing from the lands of Karhsvar Draconis.

High above the sky, a lone High Ranker hovered with her hands behind her back.

This was none other than Cethus' Grandmother, Faustina, who had stayed behind to see her grandson go with the Half-Elf whom she recognized as one of the elite members of the young generation.

Faustina smiled as she muttered a few words to bless her grandson, who had decided to leave their homeland to find his true self.

"May the friendships you make,

Be those which endure,

And all of your gray clouds

Be small ones for sure.

And trusting in Him

To Whom we all pray,

May a song fill your heart,

Every step of the way."

Faustina smiled before disappearing from the skies of the Outer Reaches. She hoped that the next time she saw her grandson, he would no longer be the arrogant Dragon Born, who knew nothing about the world he called the "Lower Realm".

When Lux, Gerhart, and Cethus opened their eyes, they found themselves in the plaza of Leaf Village.

"Dwarves?" Cethus frowned. "And… so many of them?"

Gerhart, who heard Cethus' words, looked at the "little people" with great interest.

"This is the first time I've seen Dwarves," Gerhart commented. "They're shorter than I thought."

Lux could only chuckle after hearing Gerhart's comments. However, he didn't forget to remind the green-haired Half-Elf to not call the Dwarves short to their faces.

"They're so weak," Cethus stated. "What kind of place is this? The strongest I can see in this town are Grade-A Apostles. The majority of people living here aren't even Apostles. Are you sure you didn't come to the wrong place?"

Cethus originally thought that Lux was going to go to a very dangerous place in order to become stronger. However, after seeing that the inhabitants of the town were people that could drop dead if he punched them, the Dragon Born felt cheated.

"This is called a Beginner's Village," Lux replied. "It is the place where those who are aspiring to become Apostles gather."

The Half-Elf then pointed to a group of Dwarves who were chatting happily as they walked. From what he could hear, they were talking about going to the Aspiration Plains to hunt some Horned Rabbits.

"As you can see, those are just Dwarf children," Lux explained. "Once they become Apostles, they will leave this place to move on to the next town."

Cethus, who listened to Lux's explanation from start to end, snorted.

"How primitive," Cethus replied. "But, then again, I wasn't expecting much from Low Landers anyway."

Just as the Half-Elf was about to retort to Cethus' overbearing remark, two little Dwarf girls called out to Lux and Eiko in the distance, which made the Half-Elf stop whatever he was planning to say.

"Laura, Livia," Lux said as soon as he saw Sid's two little sisters, who were learning the art of Alchemy under Grandma Annie.

"Big Brother Lux, have you been well since we last saw each other?" Laura asked as she approached the Half-Elf with a smile.

"Eiko! It has been a while," Livia greeted the Baby Slime who happily jumped into her hands. "How are you?"

"I'm fine!" Eiko replied with a smile.

Laura's and Livia's two Baby Slimes, Cora and Nora, waved at their Fairy Princess and greeted her excitedly.

"Eyah!"

"Eyah!"

Eiko giggled as she greeted them back as well.

"Eyah!"

While the three Slimes were having a nice chat with each other, Lux crouched down to look at the two girls at eye level.

"I've been too busy as of late and only found a bit of time to visit here before I leave again," Lux replied to Laura's question. "Tell me, has anything interesting happened in Leaf Village while I was away?"

Laura and Livia exchanged a glance before nodding their heads.

"The Village Chief has been constantly telling Grandma Annie that it was time to expand and build more houses," Laura answered. "He said that it is time to make Leaf Village a town, and he is asking everyone to help build more houses to accommodate more people."

"A town?" Lux rubbed his chin. 'I guess Sir Cedwyn is really determined to make Leaf Village an important hub for the future. The Old Dwarf had already told Lux about his plan, and the Half-Elf didn't find anything wrong with it.

The only thing that Lux had forbidden was the mention of his Guild's true name publicly because it might cause unwarranted attention, which was very dangerous for them at this point in time.

"What did Grandma Annie say about expanding Leaf Village and making it a town?" Lux inquired.

"Grandma Annie said that it's fine as long as Uncle Cedwyn can handle managing a town," Livia replied. "The other Elders of Leaf Village also like the idea, so they are planning to start building new houses at the end of this month."

Lux nodded his head in understanding. As long as the Village Head, as well as the Elders, all agreed to the expansion, it would mean that Leaf Village would turn into Leaf Town within a few months.

"How is Slime Paradise?" Lux asked again. "Are the Slimes doing well?"

"They are doing extremely well," Laura answered. "There are many new eggs as of late. They are all waiting for their future Masters to hatch them."

Lux smiled after hearing Laura's answer. One of the reasons why he had come to Leaf Village was to get a few eggs that he could bring to his Guild Headquarters in Karshvar Draconis.

Valencia had mentioned in passing that she wanted to have a Baby Slime like Eiko, so Lux decided to bring a few eggs and have her hatch one of them.

Although they hadn't been around each other for very long, Lux felt that Valencia was a good person. Eiko also got along with the plain-looking lady, which meant that she had gotten the Baby Slime's approval.

By now, Gerhart and Cethus had noticed that almost all of the Dwarfs around them were carrying Baby Slimes on their heads or shoulders.

Originally, they thought that Lux was weird for letting Eiko stay on top of his head. However, after seeing the Dwarves around them, they found that it might actually be a very normal thing in the Village they were currently in.

"Let's go to Slime Paradise," Lux stated. "I need to get a few eggs for my friends."

"Sounds like a good idea!" Laura clapped.

"Indeed!" Livia nodded. "Everyone needs a Baby Slime in their lives."

The two little Dwarves then grabbed one of Lux's hands and pulled him in the direction of the Nursery for the Slimes.

Naturally, the Half-Elf didn't resist and allowed the two little girls to pull him along.

Gerhart and Cethus followed behind the Half-Elf while shaking their heads. Clearly, they weren't too impressed with the Baby Slimes, which were very weak beasts in their eyes. For them, Slimes were just pets, who couldn't do anything without their owners.

Well, this kind of mentality toward one of the weakest Monsters in existence was a very normal thing. In fact, the Solaians Dwarves, who had appeared in Leaf Village, had been just like Gerhart and Cethus in the past.

However, after seeing that these Slimes were very different from the ones they knew, they decided to raise one of their own and always took them on their adventures.

If Gerhart and Cethus had seen Eiko in action, the two of them would certainly change their minds about Slimes. Unfortunately for them, the Baby Slime on Lux's head didn't participate in the Half-Elf's duel with the Dragon Born, preventing them from understanding how strong Eiko really was.

If only they knew, perhaps they would have taken this matter seriously and would also have started raising a Slime of their own, which had now become a tradition in Leaf Village.

 

 

Chapter 544 I Want One Too!

A few minutes later, the group arrived at Slime Paradise.

The two little Dwarfs dragged Lux to the nursery where the eggs were located. Along the way, they saw several Dwarfs holding Baby Slimes that just hatched from the eggs with great care and happiness, making Eiko smile brightly.

"I can't believe this, they are just Slimes… why the happy faces?" Cethus muttered. "It's not like they hatched a Phoenix or something."

Gerhart didn't share the same thoughts as Cethus, but he was also wondering what was so good about Slimes.

Cai also had a Baby Golden Slime with her, and from what the green-haired Half-Elf could see, the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe genuinely loved Fei Fei. Naturally, Fei Fei loved her as well, which made Gerhart wonder if there was more to the Slimes than what someone could see on the surface.

"Eiko, can you pick a dozen eggs for me?" Lux asked. "We will bring them back to the Guild Headquarters."

"Pa!" Eiko nodded.

She then jumped off her Papa's head and crawled toward the eggs in front of her. To Gerhart's and Cethus' surprise, the eggs came in different colors, like that of a rainbow. However, the most common color was blue, similar to Eiko's color.

There were eggs that had more than one color, and some even had four colors on them, which made Lux wonder if the coloring of the shells had a deeper meaning.

But since he wasn't a Slime expert, he just left the task to the expert, which was none other than Eiko.

After pressing her forehead against the third egg, the Baby Slime nodded her head in satisfaction and swallowed it whole. She then proceeded to check the other eggs one by one, until she had stored a dozen eggs inside of her body.

"Pa!"

"All done? Good job, Eiko."

"Un!"

After getting a dozen eggs, they left Slime Paradise and visited Lux's Master, Randolph.

Just as the Half-Elf expected, the old Dwarf clung to him like a leech after being informed that he was going on a journey to get him a Transcendent Flame.

"I knew that my eyes didn't deceive me when I chose you as my Disciple," Randolph said as he wiped his snot and tears on Lux's clothes. "Don't worry. As long as I get the Transcendent Flames, I'll start crafting weapons and armor for our entire Guild. I'm sure that my old pals will die of jealousy once they learn that I acquired a Transcendent Flame before them!"

"Master, I am just going to look," Lux replied helplessly. "There's no guarantee that the Transcendent Flame is still there."

Randolph understood what his Disciple was saying.

However, deep inside, he hoped that the Transcendent Flame still hadn't found a Master and had remained undiscovered since Keoza saw it.

"Are you going there now?" Randolph asked. "Let me just close my shop. I will start packing as well."

"Eh? You're coming with me, Master?"

"Of course! A Transcendent Flame will only recognize one Master. I must be there to tame it if I want to make it mine."

Lux tilted his head to the side when he heard the word tame.

"Is the Transcendent Flame a monster?" Lux inquired.

"Silly boy, of course not," Randolph replied. "It's more of a spirit. A Transcendent Spirit! It will only acknowledge one Master throughout its lifetime. Once its partner dies, it will disappear and be reborn again a hundred years later."

"I see." Lux nodded. "Very well, Master. Make the necessary preparations. I will just talk to Grandma Annie and the Village Chief to discuss a few things with them. When we're done, we'll leave right away."

Randolph nodded. "Don't worry. I won't take long. Go and visit the others first."

The old Dwarf hurriedly started packing his tools for the upcoming journey. For Blacksmiths like him, acquiring a Transcendent Flame was a dream come true.

He would gladly drop anything he was doing in order to accompany Lux to find the elusive symbol of the Transcendent Blacksmiths who were able to forge Legendary Equipment.

For him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The whereabouts of the Transcendent Flames were just as elusive as a needle in a haystack. As long as there was a chance of finding one, all the craftsmen in the world, including Alchemists, would fight to get a Transcendent Flame.

—-----

Grandma Annie's Candy Shop…

"What?!" Grandma Annie gasped in shock after hearing Lux's story about the Transcendent Flame. "You're going to look for a Transcendent Flame in the Wanid Kingdom?!"

The Alchemist of Leaf Village looked at the Half-Elf with bloodshot eyes.

"Do you know the location of another Transcendent Flame?" Grandma Annie asked. "I want one too!"

"Um…" Lux didn't know how to answer Grandma Annie's question because the one that had seen the Transcendent Flame was Keoza and not him.

As the Half-Elf was thinking of a proper answer for the kind Grandma who had looked after him while he was in Leaf Village, Keoza spoke directly inside his head.

'Bring her along,' Keoza stated. 'I forgot to tell you that I didn't see just one spark in the Wanid Kingdom—I saw two.'

'Eh? I thought Transcendent Flames were rare?' Lux replied. 'How come two of them were born in the same Kingdom?'

Keoza chuckled because the Half-Elf didn't know the requirements for the birth of a Transcendent Flame.

The Wanid Kingdom was a Kingdom loved by Spirits. Giving birth to one, two, or three Transcendent Flames was highly possible for a Kingdom that had preserved its relationships with the Spirits and had lived as one with nature.

It was the Kingdom of Druids and Shamans, who used the power of Nature and the elements to protect their Kingdom against invaders.

"A-Actually Grandma Annie, I also know the whereabouts of a second Transcendent Flame," Lux stuttered. "Do you want to come with us?"

"I'm going!" Grandma Annie almost kissed the Half-Elf on the lips after telling her that he might know the location of another Transcendent Flame.

Just like Blacksmiths, Alchemists also relied on the power of flames in order to craft pills, potions, and other consumables that helped those who took them in more ways than one.

"Laura, Livia, both of you start packing as well," Grandma Annie said to the two little Dwarves who were feeding candies to their Baby Slimes. "You're coming with me."

""Yay!"" The two little girls clapped happily because they initially thought that Grandma Annie would leave them behind.

Laura and Livia headed to their rooms with excited expressions on their faces. This was the first time that they would go on an adventure outside the territory of Leaf Village.

They were Grandma Annie's disciples and were also learning the arts of Alchemy. The kind old lady wanted the two of them to gain experience in the real world and not stay cooped up in Leaf Village.

Grandma Annie didn't want to raise Laura and Livia to be like greenhouse flowers that didn't know the danger around them.

She believed that as long as the two little girls were able to overcome the hardships they would encounter as they grew older, the two of them would be able to surpass her as the new generation of Alchemists in Leaf Village.

 

 

Chapter 545 The Meaning Of Life

A few hours later, Lux's party of three, became a party of seven.

Lux was extremely generous and gave his Master, Randolph, Grandpa Annie, Laura, and Livia one Griffin each.

At first, the two old Dwarfs were reluctant to accept such High-Ranking mounts as their own, but after Lux said he had more, they no longer hesitated and thanked him for his generosity.

As for Laura and Livia, although Lux had already given them two Wargs as their land mounts, since Sid had performed extremely well on their previous mission, he decided to give both of the girls a Griffin to serve as their air mounts and protectors as well.

The two girls were extremely delighted by the gifts they received from Lux and promised to take good care of them. They were the only dwarves among the young generation in Leaf Village to ever have such High-Ranking Mounts at their disposal.

After bidding goodbye to Leaf Village, the seven of them went to the Stronghold of Norria to use their teleportation gates in order to quicken their journey to reach the borders of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

Since the commander of Norria, Thoram, was one of Lux's Guild Members, he gave them a letter stamped with his seal. This allowed the Half-Elf and his fellow Guild Members to use the gateways that were used exclusively by the High-Ranking Military officers of the Kingdom to make their travel faster.

Several hours later, the group arrived at the Westernmost Town of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

All they needed to do was to cross the border, and they would finally step into the Wanid Kingdom, whom the Dwarves had a good relationship with.

"Wow, that's a very large forest," Lux stated as he gazed at the sea of trees that stretched as far as his eyes could see.

Currently, the Half-Elf was riding on top of his Thunder Warg King, Jed, and flying alongside the Griffins. However, even from high up in the air, the forest seemed unending, making him wonder about how enormous the forest was.

Suddenly, Jed and the Griffins stopped flying forward and hovered in the air. Lux could feel that his mount was all tensed up, as if ready to run away at any given moment.

Before he could even ask the Thunder Warg King what was happening, a gigantic Elder Elemental appeared before them.

This Elemental was like a giant cloud that took the shape of a Dragon without wings. Its body crackled with lightning and exuded powerful gusts of winds that were strong enough to blow them away.

"M-My God," Cethus stuttered. "An Elder Tempest. Everyone, don't do anything rash, or we're goners!"

Lux immediately opened his Soul Book to better understand the monster that was growling at them and made no move to attack.

—-------

< Tempest Elemental >

– Fusion Elemental Monster

– Argonaut-Ranked World Boss

– Forest of Beginnings Guardian Beast

Health: ???????????/ ???????????

Mana: ???????????/ ???????????

Strength: ??????

Intelligence: ??????

Vitality: ??????

Agility: ???????????

Dexterity: ??????

—-------

Lux's expression turned grim after he saw the stats of the monster in front of him.

There had only been a few instances when he was unable to check the stats of his enemies, and every time it happened, it meant that he was facing a monster that was way beyond his league.

"If you wish to enter the Wanid Kingdom, you must do so on land," the Elemental Tempest stated. "The next time you break this rule, I will not show you any mercy. Go, before I change my mind!"

The Elemental Tempest roared, blowing away Lux's Thunder Warg King, as well as the Griffins who were hovering beside him.

Perhaps it was intended, but the moment everyone recovered their bearings, they were hovering just beyond the outskirts of the forest, with the Giant Elemental glaring at them from thousands of meters away.

"Go ahead and land," Lux said as he patted his Thunder Warg King. "We'll travel that way for the time being."

Jed obeyed and descended to the ground. The other Griffins did the same because there was no telling what the Elemental Tempest would do if they tried to challenge its orders.

"I guess we just have to follow the rules of this kingdom," Gerhart commented as he glanced in Lux's direction. "You said that following you was dangerous, but I didn't expect that it would be THIS dangerous."

Cethus also glanced at the red-headed teenager with a calm expression. However, deep inside he was feeling extremely excited.

'This is what I've been looking for!' Cethus thought as he clenched his fists. 'With this, I think I will be able to increase my rank again. I knew that coming with him was the right choice.'

The Dragon Born had been surprised by Lux's explosive growth. Now that he had seen the Elemental Tempest, he was certain that he would uncover the secrets he needed in order to raise his Rank faster.

—-------

Karhsvar Draconis…

Valerie finally arrived at the Capital City of Rex Lapis.

Ever since the incident back in the Outer Reaches, the Princess of the Dragon Race was filled with anxiety.

'I know that he only did that to help me, but he still held my hand,' Valerie blushed as she remembered what it felt like to have Lux's strong arm wrapped around her body, holding her in place, while his hand locked with her own in a firm grip.

Ali and Ari, who were walking behind their Mistress, were unaware of what happened to her and were busy preparing her bath for the night.

The Royal Family used secret passageways within the city to navigate their way around, and only those that had been permitted by the Dragon King would be able to use them.

Since Ali and Ari were given permission by Valerie to accompany her, they were also able to use these passages any time they wanted to.

"Your Highness, this is not the path going to the Inner Palace," Ali said as soon as she noticed that Valerie had veered off the path that they usually use to return to Valerie's personal residence.

"Ali, Ari, the two of you should wait for me in my room," Valerie replied without even bothering to turn her head to look at her handmaidens. "I have something to discuss with my Father."

""As you command, Your Highness.""

The two handmaidens bowed their heads respectfully before turning around to head back to the Inner Palace.

Valerie, on the other hand, continued to walk the pathway that would lead her to her Father's throne room without being detected by others.

Knowing that her father usually had guests in the throne room, she first took a peek outside to check if her father was dealing with something.

After seeing that the Dragon King was alone in the throne room, Valerie no longer hesitated and opened the pathway directly behind her Father's throne.

"Valerie. How are you, my daughter?" the Dragon King asked with a voice filled with affection as he gazed at his daughter who had bowed to him to show her respect.

"Father, I have a very important thing to tell you," Valerie said with a solemn expression on her face.

The Dragon King smiled and made a gesture for her to continue.

"Go on," the Dragon King stated. "What is this important thing that you must tell me?"

Valerie hesitated for a bit, but since this was something that had something to do with her future, she gritted her teeth as she made her confession.

"Father, I am pregnant," Valerie declared. "I'm sorry, but it happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to prevent it from happening."

Dark clouds immediately covered the skies of Rex Lapis as the Dragon King's killing intent rose towards the heavens. Naturally, this killing intent wasn't felt by Valerie because the Dragon King made sure that his daughter wouldn't be affected by his bad mood, which was strong enough to split the sky apart.

"Who?" the Dragon King asked through gritted teeth. "Who did this to you?"

Although he tried to ask these questions as calmly as possible, the roar of thunder reverberated in the heavens as lightning snaked across the skies.

"Father, please spare him," Valerie pleaded. "For the sake of your future grandchildren, please spare him. He didn't do it on purpose. I was shocked as well, but when I regained my senses, the deed had already been done."

"... Who is it?" the Dragon King repeated his question. "Don't worry. I will not do anything to him. I'll just ask him to go fishing with me."

Valerie sighed in relief after hearing her father's words. Going to fish together wasn't such a terrible thing. In fact, it was a very fun thing to do!

"Father, the one who got me pregnant is the Half-Elf that built his Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches," Valerie replied. "He is none other than Lux Von Kaizer."

Lightning descended from the sky, and thunder boomed ceaselessly as if heralding the end of the world.

The Dragon King then extended his senses to search for the bastard Half-Elf who dared to lay his hands on his treasured daughter. Unfortunately for him, Lux had already left the Outer Reaches and had just entered the Wanid Kingdom, where the power of the Spirits reigned.

Even if the Dragon King was a Supreme Being, he was still unable to find the Half-Elf's whereabouts because the latter was on the other side of the world.

Because of this, he could only roar in his heart as he looked at his innocent daughter, who was stained by the Half-Elf that he had allowed to stay in his kingdom.

While all Hell was breaking loose in Karshvar Draconis, the Dragon Token in Lux's hand glowed faintly.

A faint chuckle could be heard in the surroundings as the Crystal Dragon laughed at the scene that was happening in Rex Lapis. Although he was far away from the Kingdom of Dragons, he was still able to see what was happening in the throne room.

'Lux, I knew you were good, but I didn't expect you to be this good!' Keoza said in a teasing tone. 'It seems that you will receive some good news when you return to Karhsvar Draconis.'

'Really, Sir Keoza?' Lux asked.

'Yes, definitely,' Keoza chuckled. 'In fact, the first thing you must do when you return to the Dragon Kingdom is visit the Dragon King. He plans to go fishing with you!'

Lux didn't understand what Keoza meant when he said that the Dragon King wanted to go fishing with him. However, if what the Crystal Dragon said was true, then the Half-Elf would be more than willing to accompany the Dragon King, and talk with him about the meaning of life.

A talk that would make him understand that the Dragon King's definition of going fishing was very different from the fishing he had in his mind.

 

Chapter 546 Creating A New Path Of Escape

"Achoo!" Lux rubbed his nose.

He and his party were currently traveling through the dense forest.

'A beautiful lady must be thinking about me, Eiko,' Lux said telepathically to the Baby Slime perched on top of his head. 'Do you think it's your Mama?

'Pa!'

'Mmm. I think you're right.'

After being blown away by the Elemental Tempest, none of them dared to use their flying mounts to travel in the sky.

Even Cethus, who prided himself on his flight speed, had no choice but to travel on the land, while mounted on one of Lux's Wargs.

An hour had passed since they entered the forest, and so far, none had barred their path—at least, not at the moment.

The explanation for this was simple. Lux had opened his Soul Book and was paying close attention to the map.

Several red blinking dots and yellow dots could be seen everywhere, but the most eye-catching indicator among them was the BIG red dots. The Half-Elf assumed that they were Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above, and he also noticed that they seemed to be moving in their direction.

Unfortunately for them, the Half-Elf could see their movements, so he guided his party into the forest with the intention of avoiding these powerful Monsters, who clearly disliked his party's intrusion into their domain.

Cethus and Gerhart were both on edge because they could feel the presence of these strong Monsters approaching their location.

Although weaker than the two Initiates, Randolph and Grandma Annie could sense them as well. The only ones that were oblivious to the true danger they were facing were Laura and Livia, who were riding on the Wargs and following behind the old lady, their Master.

Lux didn't say anything except for the words "Go left" and "Go right."

As they continued their journey, the Elemental Tempest, who was observing them somewhere within the Forest of the Beginnings narrowed its eyes.

It didn't know how Lux was effectively evading the dangers that were moving in their direction, but the fact that the Monsters were unable to corner them despite their ever-growing numbers remained.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted in the forest as countless number of trees were destroyed in a straight line.

White smoke escaped Lux's lips after unleashing a Dragon's Breath, which created a straight path in the dense forest.

"Let's go!" Lux shouted. "Increase the pace!"

After looking at the map in his Soul Book, the Half-Elf came to the conclusion that if they continued to evade the monsters by repeatedly veering off course, they would still be encircled in the long run.

Since that was the case, the only thing he could do was not follow the path that was laid out in front of him and create a new path to escape their current situation.

Loud roars suddenly erupted within the forest as the High-Ranked Monsters began to head straight to the location where the explosion had erupted.

"Laura, Livia, move to the center of our formation!" Lux ordered. "Cethus, Gerhart, protect our left side. Master, Grandma Annie, protect our right side.

Eiko, who was on top of Lux's head, opened up her mouth and unleashed a Dragon Breath of her own, destroying the trees in front of them, and creating a straight pathway through the dense layer of trees.

A moment later, Lux summoned Diablo, Ishtar, Asmodeus, Lazarus, and Zagan.

"Spread out and delay them," Lux declared as he, Eiko, and Asmodeus began to summon their Undead Army.

Hundreds of Skeletons emerged around them, which Lux had summoned to block the path of the monsters headed in their direction.

"Boomer!" Eiko shouted.

Immediately, the Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier appeared and jumped to one of the trees in order to help the Skeletons create a diversion, giving them time to escape.

Ishtar merged with the shadows of the forest and reappeared where the Deimos-Ranked monsters were coming from. She didn't hesitate and unleashed a barrage of frost arrows, slowing their movement speed by a little bit, which greatly annoyed the Deimo-Ranked Alpha Monsters that were trying to encircle Lux and his party.

Lazarus also appeared a short distance away and began to unleash a barrage of magical attacks. His main role was to act as a Magical Turret and deal as much damage as possible to their foes, pulling their attention onto him.

Fortunately, it worked, and these Monsters began to target the two slippery Undead Creatures, who could appear, and disappear, at their leisure.

"Ithaqua!" Asmodeus raised his hand and summoned the Creature of the Cold White Silence, who immediately conjured a blizzard when he made his appearance, decreasing the visibility in the surroundings.

Due to its mastery over Ice and Snow, the newest member of Asmodeus' Undead Army was able to manipulate the blizzard so that it wouldn't affect Lux and his party.

Undeads were never affected by the extreme changes in temperature. Since they were Undead, they could care less if their surroundings were hot or cold.

Unfortunately for their enemies, they cared, and after seeing that a blizzard had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they lost track of the targets they were planning to attack.

In a tunnel made of ice and snow, Lux and the others made their speedy retreat.

As usual, Gerhart and Cethus were amazed by the Half-Elf's ingenuity, making them wonder if they would be able to act just as calm if they were faced with the same situation.

This game of Cat and Mouse went on for several hours until the monsters gave up and turned to hunt weaker foes that couldn't use such underhanded means in order to stop them from being eaten by them.

Also, they knew that Undead didn't taste good, so they thought that the effort was not worth their time.

When Lux finally deemed that they were now safe, he ordered everyone to stop and rest for an hour.

The Wargs had overexerted themselves, and the two little girls, Laura and Livia, were also exhausted from the thrilling chase that they experienced just a few minutes ago.

Randolph and Grandma Annie weren't faring any better. The two of them had stayed in Leaf Village and, aside from the occasional Beast Outbreaks, they never had the chance to leave the Village and come across near-death adventures like the one they had just now.

Seeing that everyone was resting properly, Lux also sat down to lean against the tree in order to rest. He had exhausted himself mentally after formulating the best method to evade the Monsters.

If he had been traveling alone, he would have had plenty of ways to escape such a predicament. Unfortunately for him, he was with other people, so he had no choice but to use every means at his disposal to ensure their safety.

'Eiko, do you sense any treasures nearby?' Lux asked the Baby Slime that was resting on top of his head.

'... Pa!'

'I see. They are being guarded by monsters. Let's just return to collect them when we're stronger.'

'Pa!'

Lux had already anticipated that the forest that was being guarded by a Powerful Elemental was a treasure trove of resources. If not for the fact that there were strong monsters guarding them, Lux might have attempted to collect them along the way.

However, since he didn't know how the Elemental Tempest would react once he took these treasures, he decided to play it safe and not touch them for the time being.

His priority was to get the Transcendent Flames for his Master Randolph and Grandma Annie. As for the rest of the treasures… he would just come back to get them when he became stronger.

'It will take us at least two to three days in order to break out of this forest,' Lux thought as he looked at the map in his Soul Book. 'After that, we will reach the open plains. From there, it will take another four-day trip to reach the mountains, where the first city of the Wanid Kingdom can be found.'

Lux sighed because there were very few teleportation gates in the Wanid Kingdom, and most of these were controlled by the Tribe Elders of each group. Meaning, no one could use the gates without their permission.

'I just hope that they let us use those teleportation gates when we arrive at the city,' Lux sighed internally.

He knew that if they were unable to use the Teleportation Gates, they would have to spend almost a month just to reach the location where one of the Transcendent Flames could be found, according to Keoza's memory.

 

Chapter 547 The Organization Of Transcendent Blacksmiths

Two hours later, the group had finally recovered their bearings and were once again ready to continue their journey.

Originally, Lux only wanted to let everyone rest for an hour. But, after seeing that there were no signs that the Monsters were targeting them, he decided to extend their rest by one more hour, so that everyone could fully recover.

No one talked to Lux during the journey because they didn't want to interrupt his concentration. They only followed behind him as he chose the best paths in the forest that would ensure their safety.

An hour before sunset, Lux decided that they should rest for the night and continue their journey the next day. He didn't know what kind of Monsters were on the prowl at night, so he planned to summon all of his Named Creatures, as well as Skeleton Soldiers, to guard the perimeter of their temporary campsite.

Grandma Annie had bought a tent with her because she didn't want her two disciples to freeze from the coldness of the night.

Lux also had brought tents with him that he shared with Gerhart and Cethus. However, the Dragon Born didn't know how to set up his tent, so Lux ordered the Skeleton Gang Bangers to do it for him.

For some reason, Cethus flinched the moment the Skeletons approached him. Clearly, the memory of the one-sided beating he received from them was enough for Cethus to put them on his "must not provoke" list.

"Thanks," Cethus replied after the Skeleton Gang Bangers finished fixing his tent, which earned him a brief nod from the Undead, whose sole purpose was to make their opponents feel as if they had been screwed a hundred times over.

Randolph was staying inside Lux's tent, so the old Dwarf did not need to set up a tent of his own.

After dinner, everyone went back to their tents to rest, while the Undead Army guarded their camp from potential threats during the night.

Eiko fell asleep as soon as she laid on top of the soft pillow that Iris had made just for her.

Lux and Randolph, on the other hand, weren't able to sleep right away. Because of this, the two decided to chat with each other about random things in order to kill some time.

"There is this organization of Blacksmiths that called themselves, Hephaestus," Randolph said. "All of their members have Transcendent Flames, and according to the information I heard, there are only around twenty members in the group.

"This organization isn't bound by race, so the Blacksmiths from different cultures gather to share smithing techniques, as well as unique recipes with their members every three years. It is every Blacksmith's dream to be part of this organization. I felt the same way in the past, but not anymore."

"Oh? Why did you have a sudden change of heart, Master?" Lux asked.

Randolph sighed as he told his disciple that this illustrious organization wasn't the same one he idolized when he was younger.

"They have become too greedy," Randolph replied. "Also, almost all of their members approve of their respective Kingdoms going to war, so they can gather more resources and increase their Ranks through forging.

"It's a heartless practice, and I for one didn't want to forge Legendary Equipment for the sake of wars. True, I did make equipment for profit, but I will never stoop as low as them. I'm not fond of wars. Never was, never will be. Even if I grow old in a piss-poor village, I would rather remain true to my ideals than let them be tainted by greed."

Lux remained silent as he digested his Master's Words. Right now, he had one Legendary Artifact, and this was given to him by Great General Sherlock after the war ended.

The Artifact that Lux received was called the Elemental Heart.

This Legendary Artifact had the ability to summon Greater Elementals.

—-----------------------

(A/N: This is the Hierarchy of Elementals)

– Lesser Elemental

– Elemental

– Greater Elemental (Deimos)

– Elder Elementals (Argonaut)

– Ancient Elementals (Dreadnought)

—-----------------------

The Tempest Elemental was a Fusion Elemental that combined the powers of Lightning and Air. Its rank was an Elder Elemental, whose strength was at the Argonaut Rank.

Lux's artifact could summon a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Elemental of any of the elements he wanted. However, he could only summon one of them at any point in time.

If the Half-Elf were to summon an ordinary Elemental, he could summon four Elementals at any given time.

If Lux summoned a Lesser Elemental, the Half-Elf could summon eight of them at the same time.

This artifact would enter a cooldown period of three days each time it was used, so it was more of a Trump Card that would allow the Half-Elf to reverse situations in a pinch.

Of course, this artifact was crafted by a Transcendent Jewel Smith of the Highest Caliber. Great General Sherlock even told Lux that there was a possibility of upgrading the Legendary item into a Demigod-Ranked Item if he could fuse the hearts of Ten Argonaut-Ranked Elder Elementals to the Elemental Heart.

The Elemental Tempest was one example of an Argonaut Ranked Elder Elemental, and with Lux's current strength, defeating it was only a pipedream.

"Don't worry, Master," Lux said. "You don't need to join such an organization. After all, our Guild is a hundred times better than them."

Randolph chuckled after hearing Lux's words.

Indeed.

His guild was the only Mythical Guild in the world, and when compared to Hephaestus, the Transcendent Organization of Blacksmiths was nothing.

Also, the Guild, Heaven's Gate, had a 20% Bonus Success Rate when crafting items. This meant that there was a higher chance for Randolph and Grandma Annie to create Legendary-Ranked Equipment, Pills, and Potions.

"Lux, if there comes a time when these Transcendent Blacksmiths wish to join our Guild, what will you do?" Randolph asked as he eyed his Disciple with a solemn gaze. "Adding them to our Guild will surely boost its strength by leaps and bounds.

"I'm sure that they will do everything in their power to get into your good graces. When that happens, you don't need to think about my opinion. You can accept them if you wish."

Lux wanted to tell Randolph that the only Blacksmith he needed was him. However, the Dwarf's strong and steady gaze made him feel that saying these words might not be the best reply that he could give to his Master.

"I don't mind letting them join," Lux replied after careful consideration. "However, they must first pass your approval, Master. If they are guilty of using their skills to instigate wars, then they have no place in our Guild. Just like you, I am not fond of wars. Never was, and never will be."

The corner of Randolph's lips rose up after hearing Lux's answer. Truth be told, he wanted his Disciple's Guild to become powerful. Because of this, he didn't shy away from the idea of having more than one Transcendent Blacksmith working to equip their Guild Members to the teeth.

"Aye." Randolph nodded. "I'll make sure to pick only those who meet our Guild's requirements. Thank you, Lux. Because of your answer, I have overcome the bias in my heart."

Randolph knew that not all Transcendent Blacksmiths wished for war to happen. If there were those within the group that shared the same ideology as him, he would definitely do his best to poach them from Hephaestus.

As a crafter himself, he knew that the Guild Buffs were simply too good to be ignored. Also, the status of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world was more than enough to tempt anyone to jump ship if they were given a chance to hug Lux's thigh.

An hour later, Lux and Randolph finally went to sleep.

Neither of them knew that the Elemental Tempest, who had observed them for the past few hours, was busy communicating with the other Guardians, who had protected the Wanid Kingdom from all outside interference for the past hundreds of years.

 

 

Chapter 548 May The Spirits Of The Wanid Kingdom Watch Over All Of You

"I thought we were going to get attacked last night, but nothing happened." Gerhart yawned. "Well, it's why I got a good sleep, so I have no complaints."

Lux smirked after hearing Gerhart's comment. In fact, he was thinking the same thing. Because of this, he was mostly in a half-asleep state, ready to wake up at a moment's notice when danger arrived.

Just as the red-headed teenager was about to comment about the other Half Elf's words, Ishtar and Lazarus warned him that there were people mounted on what seemed to be Reindeer, approaching their location at a leisurely pace.

'Master, the way I see it, it's like they're just taking a stroll in the forest,' Ishtar reported. 'But there is no doubt that they are headed in your direction.'

'That's not all,' Lazarus commented. 'I'm pretty certain that they also detected Ishtar's and my presence, but they don't seem to mind it. One of them even playfully waved in my direction.'

The awkwardness in Lazarus' voice made the Half-Elf ponder.

'Continue observing them,' Lux ordered. 'From what I can see, they are giving us plenty of time to prepare for their arrival. If they are not showing an aggressive attitude, maybe their purpose is to have a conversation with us. Also, I think they waited until we woke up before they marched to our camp. This alone is a sign that they are not hostile—at least, not on the surface.'

Ishtar and Lazarus both agreed with Lux's comment and continued to monitor the mounted warriors who numbered more than a hundred.

Lux, on the other hand, informed his comrades that they were about to make contact with people who seemed to live in the Forest and shared the description that Ishtar and Lazarus gave him.

Half an hour later, several men and women, wearing dark green light-weight armor that gave them almost near-perfect camouflage in the forest, appeared in front of Lux and his party.

"Greetings, travelers," a pretty woman riding the biggest Reindeer said with a smile. "It is very rare for people to wander so deep inside the Forest of the Beginnings without going through the proper channels of our kingdom. Do you know? Emissaries from the Kingdom of Gweliven must first gain our approval before they are allowed to traverse our Domain?"

Lux and the others couldn't tell how old the woman was because, in their eyes, she seemed to be in her late twenties. However, the people of the Wanid Kingdom had long lives because they had all made contracts with the Spirits of their Kingdom.

After the lady took a long hard look at Lux and his comrades, the corner of her lips rose up by a tiny margin.

"Two Half-Elves, a Dragon Born, and four dwarves," the pretty woman said. "Such a strange combination, and yet, all of you are here standing before me. Tell me, strangers, what brings you to our lands?"

Gerhart, Cethus, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia all looked at the red-headed teenager who was the leader of their party.

"I came here to look for the Transcendent Flames," Lux replied. "If the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom wish for it to happen, then it will happen according to their wishes."

"My my my… you're quite bold to say that you came here to look for Transcendent Flames," the woman commented. "Do you think that we will allow you to do as you please?"

The men and women behind their leader all unsheathed their weapons, ready to attack the moment their leader gave them the order.

Gerhart, Cethus, Randolph, and Grandma Annie took a fighting stance, while Laura and Livia hid behind Grandma Annie's back.

Lux raised his right hand, signaling his party to not do anything rash.

Although the people in front of them had drawn their weapons, he didn't feel any kind of hostility from them, which made him wonder if they were only testing their reaction.

Earlier, he planned to lie and tell them that they were merely sightseeing, but Keoza spoke to him first before he could answer the pretty woman's question.

'The Forest and Mountain Dwellers hate liars the most,' Keoza cautioned. 'Once you lie to them, they will not put their trust in you regardless of how good your intentions are. It is best that you state your true reason for coming here. Although they might get confrontational, they won't attack unless you take the initiative to attack first.'

Lux decided to trust Keoza's advice and told the Forest People their true reason for visiting their kingdom. However, that didn't mean that he wasn't prepared to strike back if they really wanted to harm their group.

"I apologize that we didn't use the proper channels and gain your permission to enter your Domain," Lux stated. "I know that ignorance of the rules is not an excuse, but we came here in good faith. If there is something that we can do to gain your trust, we will do it as long as it doesn't touch our bottom lines."

The pretty woman nodded her head as a gesture of acknowledging Lux's statement.

"It's good to know that you are someone who doesn't use ignorance as an excuse to break the rules of our Domain," the pretty woman replied. "However, the fact still remains that you broke it, so a punishment is in order."

The pretty woman then closed her eyes as if she was pondering on what kind of punishment she would give Lux and his party for trespassing into their territory.

A few minutes later, the pretty woman opened her eyes and made a gesture for her subordinates to sheathe their weapons, which they all obeyed at the same time.

"We will allow you to pass through the Forest of the Beginnings on one condition," the pretty woman raised a finger with a smile. "When you reach the Shaufell Plains, you will help the inhabitants of the town of Abingdon with their dilemma. As for the specifics, it will be best if you meet the Town Mayor to better understand their situation.

"Of course, you are also free to ignore this condition and continue your travels. However, I assure you that if you do that, you will regret it."

The pretty woman's smile widened, making Gerhart and Cethus subconsciously shudder. The veiled threat in the pretty woman's words was like a sharp knife about to pierce their chest, stopping only a centimeter away from their hearts.

"Understood," Lux replied. "This is our first time in the Wanid Kingdom, and we would greatly appreciate it if you can provide us with a map, so we can find Abingdon Town after leaving the forest."

The woman laughed when he heard Lux's reply. "Interesting. You take a step back and then take two steps forward. Very well, I will be generous enough to give you a map of the Eastern Regions of our Kingdom. Consider this you taking advantage of me and succeeding in the process."

Without another word, the pretty woman took a scroll out of her storage ring and tossed it to Lux, who caught it with his right hand.

"I don't know if you are stupid, or brave for hoping to gain a Transcendent Flame from right under our noses," the pretty woman said. "However, the Spirits will be the ones to decide if you and your people are worthy of the miracles that you seek in our Domain. Go, and may the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over all of you."

After saying those words, the pretty woman and her entourage left without even looking back at them. Clearly, their purpose for coming was to ascertain Lux and his party's reason for coming to their Kingdom.

Now that they gained the answers they wanted, they would pass the message to their Mountain brethren, who would oversee the second phase of Lux's journey within the mysterious Kingdom that had remained unconquered since time immemorial.

 

 

Chapter 549 Underground Menace

The sound of intense fighting reverberated inside the forest as a Pack of Rank 5 Gray Wolves attacked Lux and his party during their travel.

The Half-Elf was always paying attention to the map, so when these red blinking dots approached them, he purposely didn't change course and engaged them in battle.

The reason he did this was simple.

Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above were almost always alone. At most, there would be two to three of them together, signifying that they were a family or life-long partners.

Having dozens of small, red blinking dots working together meant that they were monsters that moved in packs, which meant that they were inherently weaker.

For Lux, he wasn't afraid of facing Monsters below the Deimos Rank, so he didn't evade them and even took the initiative to intercept them.

"Kill them cleanly if possible," Lux ordered. "I will either use them as Fusion Materials or cannon fodder for my Necromancer Skills."

Although Gerhart and Cethus didn't know what Lux was talking about, they obeyed his orders and initiated one-hit kills that targeted the Gray Wolves' hearts or heads, killing them in one blow.

The two of them were Initiates, so Rank 5 Monsters weren't that hard for them to deal with.

Lux, on the other hand, didn't attack and simply ordered his Named Creatures to engage the enemy. He was there to ensure that the Dwarves' lives wouldn't be in danger.

As an added precaution, Lux summoned Pazuzu and Orion, who stood in front of Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia as their protectors just in case one of the wolves decided to target the weakest members of their party.

After killing over a dozen wolves, the Alpha of the Pack decided that enough was enough, so it howled and ordered his brethren to make a hasty retreat.

'I should probably feed the Wargs some of the Gray Wolves' meat and beast cores,' Lux thought. 'They have stayed at Rank 3 long enough.'

Aside from Jed, who was a Rank 4 Monster, the rest of the Wargs that Lux received as a reward in the Dungeon hadn't made any progress in their Rank.

Truth be told, the Half-Elf had neglected them and only used them as mounts for his Guild Members. Most of his resources were used in fusing and upgrading his Undead Army, so the Wargs' growth came to a standstill.

Even Jed, Lux's Thunder Warg King, was still a Rank 4 Monster.

Back then, it was the strongest Monster in his team. But now, it had been left behind by the others and was only summoned by Lux whenever he needed a ride.

Having remembered this, the Half-Elf felt a bit guilty, so he decided to give the Wolf Cores to the Wargs as compensation for his negligence.

After collecting the spoils of over thirty Wolves, the group continued their journey to leave the Forest of Beginnings.

No Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above tried to block their path, and they were able to leave the Forest smoothly after three days of traveling.

"Finally, we're out of the forest." Cethus snorted as he unfurled his wings to fly. "I felt like I was a caged bird the whole time."

The Dragon Born then soared toward the sky and did a few aerial maneuvers, as if he had just been freed from his cage.

As a creature who was used to always flying in the sky, Cethus' mood had always been stormy since they entered the forest.

"Scout for us from above," Lux shouted. "Just make sure you don't provoke any Deimos-Ranked Flying Monsters and lure it in our direction."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Cethus scoffed. "I would never do such an idiotic thing."

Although Cethus' words still sounded a bit arrogant, he still performed his duty well and looked down on his surroundings from the sky, making sure that his group wouldn't find themselves walking into a herd of monsters in the plains.

The Shaufell Plains was a vast expanse of land that was almost double the size of the Forest of Beginnings.

The Forest Folk had told them that they should head to Abingdon Town in order to help the residents deal with a serious problem. As for what that problem was, the Forest Folk only told Lux to talk to the Town's Mayor to get a better idea of what was happening.

"It will take us a day to reach Abingdon Town if we pace ourselves normally," Lux said as he guided his party in the Northwest direction where the town was located.

After traveling for half a day, the Half-Elf ordered everyone to stop their advance, not because they were going to take a break, but because they could no longer take another step forward.

Lux was frowning as he looked at the Map in his Soul Book.

In front of him, thousands of red blinking dots were moving non-stop as if they were holding some kind of procession.

However, he couldn't see any monsters in front of him. While they were traveling, Lux saw herds of monsters grouped together, but they had stayed a good distance away from them.

But now, he couldn't see even a single monster, which made him feel that something wasn't right.

Cethus, who was in the sky, was wondering why his group stopped, so he landed beside Lux to inquire what was happening.

"What's wrong?" Cethus asked. "There's nothing but open plains in front of us. Why did you stop?"

"Monsters," Lux replied. "Thousands of Monsters are in front of us."

"Hah? What nonsense are you talking about?" Cethus frowned. "There's no sign of monsters on the land and in the sky. Are you sure you didn't just imagine things?"

Lux shook his head firmly before summoning one of his Skeleton Gang Bangers.

He then ordered the Skeleton to run ahead of them, which the latter did obediently.

Everyone watched as the Skeleton Gangbanger ran for nearly four hundred meters before the ground under its feet erupted.

A four-meter-long Iron Ant captured the Skeleton Gang Banger's body in its mouth and dragged it under the ground, which made Laura and Livia cry out in shock.

Cethus, who had just told Lux that there was no monster in sight, almost choked on his saliva after seeing such a scene.

Although it was only a brief moment, the Half-Elf was able to identify the attacker, and it made his skin crawl.

—------------

< Iron Tetramorium Ant >

– Colony Worker

– Rank 4 Monster

Active Skills: Iron Bullet, Crunch, Acid Spray

Passive Skills: Iron Body.

Special Ability: One with the Colony.

—-----------

< Iron Bullet >

– Spits an iron ball projectile, similar to a cannonball, at targets that are 500 meters away.

—-----------

< Crunch >

– A bite that is strong enough to crush a human in half.

—-----------

< Iron Body >

– The body of this creature is as hard as Iron.

—-----------

< One with the Colony >

– A Tetramorium Ant can communicate with its entire colony, and call for backup even though it is three miles away from its nest.

– The Queen Ant can also use its connection with its brood to see, hear, and order them, regardless of how far they are from the colony.

—------------

"I think it's time for us to fly," Lux stated after looking at the information of the monsters hiding underground. "Make sure to fly at least a thousand meters above the ground, so you won't get hit by long-range attacks."

The others all nodded their heads and felt grateful that they didn't suffer the same fate as the Skeleton Gang Banger, who didn't even stand a chance against the sneak attack that came from under its feet.

This once again reminded them that they were no longer in the Kingdom of Gweliven, and they needed to be more aware of their surroundings, or else they would become easy prey for an entire Ant Colony.

 

 

Chapter 550 Flying Terrors

Originally, Lux just wanted to take it easy after they reached Abingdon Town.

However after checking the map, he was surprised to know that the number of Tetramorium Ant far exceeded his expectations.

There was no safe place, and the only thing they could do was to continue to fly high in the sky to prevent themselves from getting sniped by the underground colony, whose numbers were enough to make Lux very wary of them.

Finally after a few hours they finally arrived at their destination.

"Halt! And state your business!" the Guard Captain that stood up on the town walls shouted. All of them had aimed their crossbows at the Griffins who were hovering two hundred meters away from them.

"We are travelers that have come from the Forest of Beginnings," Lux replied. "The Forest Folk asked us to come here to meet with your Mayor. They said that you guys are having some kind of problem and are in need of assistance?"

The Guards looked at their Captain, whose eyes locked in on the Half-Elf who answered his question.

The Guard Captain replied right away as if he was having an internal battle inside his head. Five minutes passed before he finally opened his mouth to give his reply.

"All of you may enter, but you guys will dismount and enter through the gate," the Guard Captain replied before telling one of his men to go to the Mayor to inform them of the visitors that had come to help them with their current circumstance.

After gaining permission to enter the Town, Lux and the others entered through the Towns Gate, and what they saw made the red-headed teenager frown.

There was no one on the streets, and people peeked through the windows of their houses to look at them. It was as if they were scared of something, and they only felt safe inside their homes.

Laura and Livia, who hadn't visited other towns outside of the Kingdom of Gweliven, held onto Grandma Annie's hand as they looked around their surroundings. Clearly, the two little girls also felt that something was terribly wrong, and it made them feel anxious.

"Grandma, why are all the people inside their homes?" Laura asked. "Are they scared of something?"

"I'm not really sure," Grandma Annie. "We'll probably find out the reason once we meet with the Mayor."

However, just as Lux and the others reached the Plaza, the sound of bells ringing reverberated in the surroundings.

All the people watching them from the windows all disappeared as if they went somewhere to hide.

A moment later, the sound of buzzing reached their ears, which made all of them turn around to see where it was coming from.

It was at that moment when they saw over a dozen Red Giant Hornets headed towards the town.

"Peak Rank 5 Monsters," Cethus frowned after seeing the Hornets that were approaching them.

Peak Rank 5 Monsters, would require a party of Initiates to fight. Even the Dragon Born who prided himself of his fighting ability wouldn't attack such dangerous opponents alone.

Lux, who knew the danger they were in, immediately summoned his Doppelgangers. He then summoned his Named Creatures, as well as his Undead Army to give them time to find a safe place to hide.

Even from a distance away, they could see the Guards desperately firing their crossbows at their targets.

Although some of their crossbow bolts landed on the Giant Hornet's bodies, it seemed that the damage the flying insects received was very minimal, and not enough to deter them from targeting the Guards as their food supply.

Screams of pain, desperation, anger, and fear spread throughout the surroundings as the Giant Hornets claimed their first victims.

While some feasted on the guards, the others flew past the town walls and headed straight to the town, looking for juicy morsels to eat.

"""Dragon's Breath!"""

Suddenly, seven beams of blazing red light collided with one of the Giant Hornets, making it screech in pain before crashing towards the ground.

A moment later, hundreds of Skeleton Gang Bangers swarmed over it like ants, preventing it from making a comeback.

Seeing that one of their comrades had fallen, Six of the Giant Red Hornets emitted a resounding screech before flying in Lux's and his party's direction.

The Half-Elf, Eiko, and their clones, both activated their skills, Skeleton Make, at the same time in order to intercept the flying insects which threatened their safety.

"Skeleton Make... Skeleton Titan!"

With a mighty roar of defiance, a Giant Skeleton that was over fifteen meters tall, appeared in front of Lux's party and smashed its skeletal fist at the lead Giant Hornet, sending it flying in the opposite direction.

At the same time the Skeleton TItan was summoned, the Archlich, Asmodeus, raised his hand into the air.

"Ithaqua!" he yelled, summoning the Creature of the Cold White Silence, which created a blizzard as soon as he appeared behind him on the battlefield.

Asmodeus' newest summon intensified the power of the blizzard, turning the visibility to zero.

Lux and his party members weren't affected by the sheer cold that buffeted the surroundings because Ithaqua had created a dome that was unaffected by the power of his blizzard, allowing the others to see their enemies, without being seen.

It was this moment when Lux finally realized how impressive Ithaqua was in battle. Although he couldn't see the Red Giant Hornets, the Skeletons were very perceptive of body heat and any other signs of life within the blizzard.

This allowed them to pinpoint their target's location, even if there was nearly zero visibility around them.

The Red Giant Hornets that were caught inside the blizzard, hastily tried to flee, but since they lost their sense of direction, they didn't know where to go.

These insects thrived in both dry and humid environments like the plains. However, they would never survive in extremely cold temperatures.

While the Giant Hornets struggled to flee, the effect of the blizzard was starting to slow their movements, nearly paralyzing their bodies.

It didn't help that the Skeleton Archers, and Mages, were attacking them non-stop, making them suffer.

The Skeleton Titan, Ithaqua, Ishtar, Asmodeus, Lazarus, and Zagan, didn't hold back either and attacked their foes, using the blizzard to their advantage.

A few minutes later, the Giant Hornets could no longer continue flying, and fell on the ground. The Skeleton Gang Bangers, the Rock Golems, Diablo, Pazuzu, Orion, and Revon, didn't miss this opportunity to deal devastating blows to their targets.

Although they were much stronger than them, the Red Giant Hornets' movement, and attack speed had decreased significantly. They were completely outmatched by the Skeleton Army that swarmed them like ants, stabbing their eyes, their abdomens, and any other place that they could think of.

The Blizzard had also extended up to the Town's Wall, which pushed the other Giant Hornets back.

Seeing that they could no longer advance, the Giant Hornets retreated, carrying some of the guards they killed away as their prize.

Only when the last hornet had been dealt with did Ithaqua disperse his blizzard. Abingdon Town was covered in white snow, but the residents were protected from the cold that it brought due to Ithaqua's control over his ice domain.

"These are good specimens," Asmodeus said as he asked Lux for permission to take two of the Giant Hornets to add to his collections.

The Half-Elf readily agreed to his Archlich's request, because there were six more Hornets that they had killed in the battle that just ended.

Lux had a feeling that sooner or later, Asmodeus would create a Chimera made from the bodies of the different monsters he was collecting. Although he didn't know what diabolical creation his Archlich would create, a part of him was looking forward to the results of Asmodeus' experiments.

Just as the Half-Elf was collecting the dead bodies of the Giant Hornets, a group of people mounted on horses approached their location.

Just a glance was enough to tell Lux that the middle-aged man at the center of the guards' formation was the most important person in Abingdon Town, the Mayor whom they planned to meet.

"Friends that came from far away, I thank you for extending your hand to help our humble Town of Abingdon," the middle-aged man said. "My name is Pietro, and I am the Mayor of this town. Please, can I invite you all to my residence to talk? One of my men informed me that you planned to meet me, yes?"

Lux smiled before nodding his head.

"Well met, Sir Pietro," Lux replied. "We humbly accept your invitation."

Pietro returned Lux's smile as he made a gesture for the Half-Elf to follow him and his entourage back to their residence. After seeing how Lux dealt with the Red Giant Hornets in order to help save his Town, Pietro's first impression of them was extremely good.

Because of this, he planned to give them the VIP treatment during their stay in his territory.

Lux didn't know if the Forest Folk was referring to the Red Giant Hornets when they asked him, and his comrades, to go to Abingdon Town to see their Mayor.

However, something was telling him that the town had more troubling concerns than the recent attack they faced just now.

'I just hope that it's nothing too serious,' Lux thought as he rode his Thunder Warg King, Jed, to follow the Mayor back to his residence.

And Lux wasn't the one that was thinking that way.

Randolph, Grandma Annie, Gerhart, and Cethus were the same.

Although they had managed to drive off the Red Giant Hornets from the town, they weren't too keen in fighting against an entire nest.

Once that happened, although the Giant Hornets would be at a great disadvantage with Ithaqua's help, they were sure that those terrifying monsters would definitely fight them to the bitter end.

Besides, they had just fought Rank 5 Monsters.

It was highly possible that there were stronger hornets inside the nest that could take them by surprise.

Also, they had no doubt in their minds that the Queen, who stood above these flying terrors, was a Deimos-Ranked Beast that was way too dangerous for their current party to deal with.