Ch. 571: Chapter 571-580

Chapter 571 Lux’s Next Course Of Action

Two days after the battle…

"Big Brother Lux still hadn't woken up," Laura said as she looked at the sleeping Half-Elf that had over-exhausted himself during the last battle.

"It can't be helped," Grandma Annie said as she fed Eiko some candy. "If he didn't do what he did, perhaps everyone would have died back there."

Livia nodded her head in agreement as she fed the other two Baby Slimes, Cora and Nora, some candies that Grandma Annie had taken out of her storage ring.

Lux's party, as well as the residents of Abingdon Town, continued their journey towards Broughton Town.

Since they still hadn't arrived at their destination, the quest was still active, and Lux's Named Creatures were all guarding the evacuees, preventing anyone from being killed or kidnapped under their watch.

—---------------

< Remaining Number of Residents of Abingdon Town: 1,829 >

—---------------

Although many people had died, they had no choice but to move on for the sake of those that had perished two days ago.

Pietro, who kept everyone's spirits up during the long and arduous journey, hid the heartache he was feeling, and did his best to look calm and collected in front of his people.

He knew that everyone was trying to cope with the losses of their loved ones, whom they had given a proper burial when the battle ended.

Since no one wanted to bury the bodies of their dead in fear that the insects would just dig them up to eat them, they all decided to cremate them.

Pietro oversaw the farewell ceremony, giving closure to those who had died, and those that were still living.

Gerhart and Cethus had become relatively quiet during the past two days, as they continued with their duties of guarding the residents of Abingdon Town.

When they were forcefully taken out of the battlefield, the two were very tempted to help Lux, and the residents, but they also understood that the red-headed teenager had given them the duty of protecting their party members.

Because of this, they weren't able to leave Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia behind.

During that time, Grandma Annie had taken a golden mirror out from her storage ring, and used it to project what was happening on the battlefield.

Even though their Skeleton Cannonball landed a great distance away from where the battle was taking place, they were still able to see what was happening due to Grandma Annie's Pseudo-Legendary Artifact called Viewing Mirror.

It allowed Grandma Annie to see the current situation of people, and Creatures that she had deemed her allies, which made it possible for them to see what Lux and the others were doing.

When they saw the battle between ALL-MITE and the Crimson Berserker Mantis, the green-haired Half-Elf and the Dragon Born clenched their fists as they cheered for the four-armed Monster in their hearts.

Words couldn't express what the two of them were feeling at that moment, especially when ALL-MITE dealt the killing blow to the Monster that had terrorized everyone when it made its appearance on the battlefield.

Gerhart and Cethus knew that even if their entire party worked together, they would still be unable to beat the Deimos-Ranked World Boss like ALL-MITE did.

Suddenly, Eiko suddenly jumped off Grandma Annie's lap and landed on Lux's chest. The baby slime was looking intently at her Papa's face with great anticipation.

A moment later, Lux's eyebrows furrowed, which made Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Pa!" Eiko said as she happily jumped up and down on Lux's chest, making the latter abruptly open his eyes.

"E-Eiko?" Lux drowsily looked at the excited Baby Slime, who had been feeling anxious the past few days.

"Un!" Eiko replied as she crawled towards Lux's cheek, giving it a kiss.

Lux smiled as he lightly patted the Baby Slime who was butting his cheek with her head, making Laura and Livia giggle.please visit

"Did we win?" Lux asked as he shifted his attention to Grandma Annie, who had a smile on her face.

"We did," Grandma Annie replied. "It's all thanks to you and ALL-MITE."

Lux smiled and decided to sleep a little more because he was still feeling drowsy. He awoke three hours later when the sun was about to set, and talked to Asmodeus so he had a rough idea of what happened while he was passed out.

When Pietro finally decided to camp for the night, the Half-Elf gathered all of his Named Creatures to praise them for a job well done.

"Thank you everyone for doing your best," Lux said as he looked at his Named Creatures with a smile. "If it weren't for you guys, everyone might have died, including me."

Lux then shifted his attention to ALL-MITE who had played a crucial role in their survival. He had already seen the information of the newest member of his Covenant, and even he didn't believe what he saw at first.

Just like his Status Information said, ALL-MITE was indeed the strongest member of his covenant. He also had ten thousand more stat points than Lux, giving him the power of a Middle-Stage E-Ranker.

With this, Lux had gotten his very first Ranker in his ever-growing-army, and he was quite happy about it.

"Although the threat of the Insects has lessened considerably, we should never let our guard down," Lux stated. "We still have a few days to go until we reach the Town of Broughton, and I want everyone to remain vigilant until we accomplish our mission. Do I make myself clear?"

"""Yes!"""

All of Lux's Named Creatures gave a positive reply to their Master's orders. A few minutes later, they all returned to their guard duties, while Lux and Asmodeus had a strategic meeting.

"Master, I need a Deimos-Ranked Core to revive Ithaqua," Asmodeus said. "I'm sure that we will still need his expertise as we look for the Transcendent Flames in the Wanid Kingdom."

Lux nodded and didn't hesitate to hand over one of the Deimos Beast Cores in his collection to his Archlich in order to revive the Creature of the Cold White Silence.

He still had a little more than fifteen Deimos-Ranked Cores remaining, so he wasn't too stingy about giving Asmodeus that Beast Core he needed.

"Master, what do you plan to do with the Crimson Berserker Mantis?" Asmodeus asked. "Are you planning to revive it?"

Lux didn't answer right away but closed his eyes to ponder his next move. Truth be told, he didn't intend to revive the Crimson Berserker Mantis because he had other plans for it.

He wanted his Master, Randolph, to use its strong exoskeleton to craft a set of armor. Naturally, this would have to wait until they gained the Transcendent Flames to get a higher chance of getting a Pseudo-Legendary, or a Legendary Equipment

As for the Monster's Beast Core, the Half-Elf planned to use it for himself.

He planned to use the remaining cores he had to upgrade his special constitution, which was the Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy, in order to get stronger.

The Half-Elf also deemed that it was about time for him to learn new skills that would increase his offensive and defensive abilities.

He had already planned to upgrade his Body Constitution before entering the last gate of the Sacred Dungeon in the Domain of the Fallen.

Also, he planned to give his Guild Members some of the Beast Cores that belonged to the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantises.

Asmodeus knew how important these Beast Cores were, which was why he made sure to tell his allies to make sure that none of them escaped.

The Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis had several great skills and the skill, Doppelganger, was one of them.

He believed that if his Master, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, Livia, and Gerhart, were to gain this skill, the things they could do would greatly increase.

Just thinking of having three Transcendent Blacksmiths, and Three Transcendent Alchemists was enough for Lux to give the two old Dwarfs priority over the precious Beast Cores.

Although his Guild Buff allowed his members to gain a 100% chance to learn skills from Beast Cores, the skill that they would learn was still Random.

There was simply no way that they could be as lucky as Lux, so he intended to let them consume as many Beast Cores as possible until they gained the Doppelganger Ability, which would allow the two old Dwarves to excel in more ways than one.

 

 

Chapter 572 Party Upgrade

After collecting all the precious Beast Cores from the monsters on the battlefield, Lux found out that he only had around twenty-two Beast Cores that belonged to the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantises.

Because of this, he was forced to make an important decision.

'At the very least, I need to give Gerhart, Cethus, Laura, and Livia at least one Beast Core each,' Lux thought. 'I also need to give Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Zagan, Revon, and ALL-MITE, one Beast Core each.'

The Half-Elf scratched his head because there were not enough Beast Cores to go around for everybody.

Since twelve of the Beast Cores were already reserved for the others, it meant that his Master, Randolph, and Grandma Annie, could both have six Beast Cores each.

If they were lucky, they could get the Doppelganger Skill without using all six Beast Cores, allowing Lux to give the remaining cores to the others to enhance their strength further.

The only Monster on the battlefield that had the precious Doppelganger Skill was the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis. Even the World Boss didn't have this skill, so it made this the most important Beast Core in Lux's possession.

The power of Doppelgangers was that special.

Not only had it increased his flexibility in the battlefield, it also allowed him to stack up the effects of his skills, creating devastating attacks that consisted of three Dragon Breaths infused with the power of the Abyss.

Anyone below Lux's current rank, who were hit directly by these three breath attacks, would definitely feel a world of pain.

Since they were still traveling, Lux waited until Pietro called for a break before he gathered his party members.

"Each of you take one," Lux said as he handed over the Beast Cores of the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis. "This Beast Core is a bit special because it may have the skill, Doppelganger."

After hearing Lux's explanation, the eyes of his party members widened in shock. All of them had seen Lux fight with his clones, and they would be lying if they said that they didn't wish to have the same ability as him.

This was especially true for Gerhart and Cethus who wanted to become stronger.

Because of this, they eagerly received the Beast Cores that were handed to them and immediately absorbed them to increase their stats, as well as have the chance to get the Doppelganger Skill, which was the one they were aiming for.

Randolph sighed before shaking his head.

"I got Hunter's Mark," Randolph stated. "I knew that this was not going to be easy, but it's still frustrating nevertheless."

"It's fine, Master," Lux commented as he handed another Beast Core to his Master. You still have five more chances."

Randolph nodded as he once again took the Beast Core that was offered to him. However, the next skill he received was the skill, Air Steps, which made the old dwarf slap his cheeks repeatedly for failing to get the skill he needed.

"No luck here as well," Grandma Annie reported as she finished absorbing the second Beast Core.

The skills that Grandma Annie got were the skills, Intimidate, and Coup de Grace, which were amazing skills if you have a profession that specialized in offense.

However, Grandma Annie was an Alchemist. Although she had the ability to cast fireballs, and the likes, she was more of a craftsman than a battle junkie.

"No worries, Grandma Annie," Lux replied as he gave the kind old lady a third Beast Core. "You will get it eventually."

Fortunately, Grandma Annie did learn the Doppelganger Skill on her third attempt, which made her extremely happy.

"Pa!" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux's head, felt left out by the group, so she also asked Lux to give her one Beast Core.

The Half-Elf thought that it wouldn't hurt to give the baby slime one Beast Core, so he agreed to Eiko's request, making the baby slime giggle.

To his surprise, Eiko got the Doppelganger Skill immediately, which evolved into Doppelganger [EX],

Eiko was only able to create clones of herself whenever she was with Lux due to her skill, Mimicry [EX]. Now that she could create clones on her own, it allowed her to copy more skills from her Papa, which she could use temporarily.

After using four Beast Cores, Randolph successfully gained the skill Doppelganger, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Unlike Lu and Eiko, who could summon two clones of themselves, Grandma Annie and Randolph could only summon one clone each. But, it was already a good thing because the clones would be able to help them increase the speed of their production whenever they crafted things.

To Lux's surprise, the twins, Laura, and Livia got the Doppelganger Skill on the first try, which made the two Dwarves extremely happy.

"Cora, which one is the real me?" Laura asked her Baby Slime who was looking at her and her Doppelganger with a serious expression on her face.

"Eyah!" Cora pointed at Laura, which made the latter smile.

"How did you know?" Laura picked up her Baby Slime and gave it a kiss on its cheeks.

"Know!" Cora replied, which made Laura giggle and kiss her beast companion again.

Livia had also summoned her clone and they began striking poses in front of each other.

Gerhart only learned the skill, Hunter's Mark, from his Beast Core which made him disappointed.

However, the one that was most disappointed was none other than Cethus, who didn't learn even one skill from the Beast Core!

Usually, everyone had a 25% chance to gain a skill when they consumed Beast Cores. However, all the members of Heaven's Gate had a 100% chance of learning a skill from one.please visit

Because of this, even though they didn't get the skill they wanted, all of Lux's Guild Members learned a skill, which made Cethus feel as if he was blessed with bad luck.

The red-headed teenager also felt sorry for the Dragon Born, but there was nothing he could do about it.

As for his Named Creatures, Lux also found the Skills they acquired to be quite interesting.

Pazuzu and Orion both gained the Doppelganger Skill, which almost made the Half-Elf laugh out loud.

The two of them served as the Tanks of his Army, and having two Fortress Defenders and two Jade Golems who both had the most annoying skill, Duel [EX], was something that he was quite happy about.

Ishtar received the skill, Coup de Grace, which Lux thought to be a perfect fit for her.

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< Coup De Grace >

â€" Deals 500% additional damage to any target that is in a helpless or incapacitated condition.

â€" Targets who are knocked unconscious, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or in a crippled state, would be dealt with greater damage from this attack.

â€" Any target under a negative status buff will also receive additional damage from this attack.

Example: Fear from Intimidation.

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Since Ishtar had the abilities to slow down, and freeze her opponents, she could abuse the skill Coup De Grace, dealing devastating damage to her targets.

Asmodeus, Revon, and ALL-MITE gained the skill, Intimidate, which was also very useful to the three of them.

The Archlich had the ability to tame Wild Undead, and having the Intimidate Skill would allow him to have a higher chance to tame a Monster that was a Rank higher than him.

As for ALL-MITE, he was already intimidating in the first place. Having the skill, Intimidate, would further boost his intimidating presence when facing off against enemies.

Lux found this combination quite funny because ALL-MITE had a skill that increased all of his allies' Morale by 500%, while Intimidate would lower his enemies' Morale.

Although he still hadn't seen how this would work in an actual battle, he knew how important Morale was especially during large-scale battles with massive armies fighting against each other.

Revon on the other hand was the Commander of his Animated Undead Army. Having the Intimidate Skill would definitely make his opponents more fearful of him when they met on the battlefield.

Lazarus, on the other hand, gained the skill, Razor Wind, which further increased his offensive capabilities by creating razor-sharp Wind Blades that could easily cut lower-ranked monsters in half.

But, since all of Lazarus' attacks were infused with his Unique Ability, Cold FLames, the Wind Blades would be infused by this ability as well.

Zagan, another strategist that belonged to Lux's Necromancer Covenant, gained the Berserk Ability, which Lux found to be both a blessing and a curse for his fast and furious heavy hitter.

When it came to hit and run tactics, no one in Lux's Army was better than Zagan.

The Berserk Skill would double the stats of the user for fifteen minutes, allowing him to outrun and outgun his opponents, leaving them no choice but to endure Zagan's one-sided magical bombardment, which were also empowered by Abyss Touch.

Lastly, Diablo gained the skill Quick Assault.

This skill allowed Diablo to increase his speed exponentially as he charged at his target to deliver a single strike.

If they were fighting at nearly point blank range, this would allow him to instantly teleport to one of his opponent's blind spots, and deliver a blow that was infused with the Ethereal Element, dealing true damage that ignored defenses.

Originally, Lux thought that his Death Knight got the most crappy skill among the bunch. But, after careful consideration, he thought that this skill might also increase Diablo's fighting prowess when put to the test.

'I guess I'll see how effective this skill is in the future,' Lux mused.

There were still four more Beast Cores in Lux's possession, but he decided to store them for now.

He planned to give one Beast Core to Grandma Vera and Iris because the two of them were his important family members.

He had also reserved one Beast Core for his trusted subordinate, Sid, who was nearly a Ranker.

As for the last Beast Core, he was thinking of giving it to Cadmus, who was one of his Strongest Guild Members.

Now that he was done giving his Guild Members the opportunity to grow a little stronger, the Half-Elf then shifted his attention to the most important matter at hand.

'It has been a while since I upgraded my Body Constitution,' Lux thought. 'I wonder what special abilities I will receive on my next upgrade...'

Lux had always benefited a lot whenever he upgraded his body constitution.

Because of this, he was looking forward to the new skills he would gain that would help him in facing the challenges that were waiting for him as they continued their journey to search for the elusive Transcendent Flames that would bring the strength of his Mythical Guild to the next level.

 

Chapter 573 Immortal Dragon Conqueror’s Legacy Rank Upgrade [Part 1]

Lux waited until night time to take out all the Beast Cores in his possession.

He had 6 Argonaut-Ranked Beast Cores, 17 Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores, 36 Rank 5 Beast Cores, and 220 Rank 4 Beast Cores in his possession.

In order to create a miracle, Lux sacrificed all the corpses of the Insects on the battlefield, in order to give birth to ALL-MITE.

Because of this, the strongest member of Lux's Necromancer Covenant had become a Ranker, which allowed them to overturn their helpless situation.

As for the Rank 3 and below Beast Cores, Lux gave them to Pietro, so that the Mayor of Abingdon Town could exchange them for gold in order to help the survivors start anew. Many children had lost their parents, and had become orphans due to the incident that happened several days ago.

Because of this, the Mayor badly needed money to support these children as they grew older. Knowing that the Beast Cores would not be enough, Lux also gave Pietro 1 Million Gold Coins to help ease his financial burden.

The Half-Elf could have given him more, but he deemed that it would not be a good idea to showcase his wealth so openly in the Wanid Kingdom. A million gold coins might be a lot of money, but most high-ranking nobles had the leeway to carry this much money with them.

Because of this, Pietro and his Aides only thought that Lux was the son of a High-Ranking Noble, who happened to travel to the Wanid Kingdom for some sightseeing.

As the Half-Elf looked at the shining Beast Cores in front of him, he opened his Soul Book to check the status of his Special Body Constitution.

—------------

Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy

Rating: D+

Progress: (3,000 / 40,000)

—------------

"Let's do this," Lux muttered as he gathered all the Rank 4, and Rank 5 Beast Cores and started to absorb them as fast as he could.

Lux didn't gain experience points like the Solaians that go to Elysium. He could only gain stat points through Beast Core Absorption as well as doing the Quests that randomly appeared everytime the Half-Elf found himself in a difficult situation.

Each Beast Core gave him a fixed number of stat points, and Lux looked at his Soul Book to better understand how many points he needed in order to upgrade his Special Body Constitution.

—------------

Beast Cores Points Calculation

Rank 1 = 10

Rank 2 = 20

Rank 3 = 30

Rank 4 = 40

Rank 5 = 100

Deimos = 1,000

Argonaut = 5,000

Dreadnaught = 10,000

If Alpha Monster x2

If Field Boss x 3

If World Boss x 5

Note: When you become a Ranker, Rank 4 and below Beast Cores will only give you skills. You will no longer be able to gain Free Stat Points from lower-ranked Beast Cores when you step into the Realm of Rankers

—------------

You have learned the skill, Heat Vision…

You have learned the skill, Hunter's Mark…

You have learned the skill, Stinger Barrage…

You have learned the skill, Acid Spray…

You have learned the skill, Screech…

You have learned the skill, Sturdy…

You have learned the skill…

You have learned the skill…

You have learned the skill…

—------------

Progress: (5,300 / 40,000)

Progress: (9,200 / 40,000)

Progress: (16,500 / 40,000)

Progress: (20,800 / 40,000)

Progress: (31,400 / 40,000)

—------------

As Lux gained more points for his special body constitution, he also gained the skills that came from Insect-Type monsters. Since the majority of the Beast Cores came from the same species, the skills he could learn from them was quite limited, but he was fine with that.

"I need 8,600 points to upgrade it to the next level." Lux sighed as he picked the Beast Core of the Crimson Berserker Mantis. "Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores give 1,000 Stat Points. But, since this core came from a World Boss, I will get 5,000 Points if I consume it."

—------------

< You have learned the skill, Speed Burst. >

< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >

Speed Burst will be upgraded to Speed Burst [EX], once the requirements have been met.

< Speed Burst [EX] >

– Increase movement speed by 500% for 5 seconds.

– This skill can be used five consecutive times before entering a five-minute cooldown.

– Requirement to upgrade: Use the skill, Speed Burst 100x

– Progress ( 0 / 100 )please visit

—------------

'Not bad,' Lux thought as he looked at the skill that the Crimson Berserker Mantis had used to give itself an advantage against its opponents on the battlefield.

Suddenly increasing your speed for a short duration of time was enough to dodge an attack, or appear at the blindspot of your opponent to deal a lethal blow to them.

—------------

Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy

Rating: D+

Progress: (36,400 / 40,000)

—------------

'I'm still short by a few thousand points.' Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the remaining Deimos-Ranked Cores in his collection. After making an important decision, he chose the Purple Beast Core that was as big as a Basketball Ball.

This Beast Core also belonged to a Deimos-Ranked World Boss, which would allow him to finally upgrade his Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy to the next stage.

Taking a deep breath, Lux absorbed the Deimos-Ranked Beast Core. A moment later, his body shuddered as he heard several notifications inside his head, and rows of texts appeared in front of him.

—--------

< You have learned the skill, Dark Curse. >

< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >

Dark Curse will be upgraded to Dark Curse [EX], once the requirements have been met.

—------------

< Dark Curse [EX] >

– This skill has a 100-meter radius Area of Effect, and deals Minor-Dark Magic to the targets. However, anyone hit by this skill is guaranteed to suffer one of the following status debuffs. The status debuff applied to the victim is completely random.

– Blind

– Poison

– Weaken

– Slow

– This skill will not work on creatures that have immunity to the status debuff that would be applied to them.

– Only one status debuff can be applied at any given time. Each time you hit the enemy with this skill, the existing status debuff will be removed, and replaced by another one.

– Requirement to upgrade: Use the skill, Dark Curse 100x

– Progress ( 0 / 100 )

—------------

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! You have successfully upgraded your special body constitution, Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy! >

—------------

< Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy >

Rating: C

Progress: (1,400 / 80,000)

—------------

< Upgrade Rewards >

+500 Free Stats Points

– You have acquired the passive skill, Dragon Conqueror's Majesty, which will be automatically upgraded to Dragon Conqueror's Majesty [EX] due to your Skill Evolution [EX] skill.

– You have acquired the passive skill, Peerless Dragon Strike, which will be automatically upgraded to Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] due to your Skill Evolution [EX] skill.

– You will be able to summon 120 Skeleton Gang Bangers instantly without needing to summon them one by one.

– You will be able to summon 120 Skeleton Arcane Hunter instantly without needing to summon them one by one.

– Your Skeleton Mages are now automatically upgraded to Liches that have the skill, Animate Undead.

– Each Lich can revive up to 50 Undead Zombies that will always be a rank weaker than their current Rank. The number of Zombies that the Liches can revive will increase by 200, each time Lux Von Kaizer upgrades his Rank.

– You will be able to summon 50 Liches instantly without needing to summon them one by one.

– Rock Golems will now be automatically upgraded to Steel Golems with the skill Guts.

– You will be able to summon 20 Steel Golems instantly without needing to summon them one by one.

– You have unlocked one Exclusive Title of the Profession, Lord of the Dead.

– You have unlocked two Exclusive Skills of the Profession, Lord of the Dead.

Exclusive Skill 1 - Summon Plague Wing Gargoyles

Exclusive Skills 2 - Death Sentence. This skill will automatically be upgraded to Death Sentence [EX]

—------------

< Dragon Conqueror's Majesty [EX] >

– Your Charisma is enough to make the proud Dragons and other Races, who would otherwise look down on you, treat you more favorably.

– Dragons will most likely not attack you, unless you attack them first.

– When fighting against Lesser-Dragon Type monsters like Wyverns, Draconian Kobolds, and Pseudo-Dragons, their stats will decrease by 30%

– There is a high chance that Dragons, Dragon Borns, and Lesser Dragons will help you if you ask for their assistance.

More rows of text appeared in front of Lux as the details of his upgrade continued to flash before his eyes.

He had expected that he would gain a lot of abilities once he upgraded his special body constitution, but nothing could prepare him for the information that was still waiting for him to see.

 

Chapter 574 Immortal Dragon Conqueror’s Legacy Rank Upgrade [Part 2]

Lux couldn't take his eyes off at the rows of text in front of him because the flow of information kept coming, making it hard for him to digest everything in one go.

However, since he had encountered something similar in the past, he didn't hurry reading everything and just read what was in front of him.

He wanted to better understand the new skills that he had acquired, which made his eyes widen in shock.

—------------

< Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] >

– Create the illusionary image of any type of Dragon behind your back and use one of their Signature Abilities.

– Each Dragon has their own Unique Skills which differentiates them from the rest of their kin. You can only use Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] once a day.

– If you choose an offensive ability when using Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], its effect will be one Rank higher than your current Rank.

(Note: Lux is currently an Initiate. If he uses Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], he will be able to unleash a move that has the strength of an E-Ranker.)

—------------

< Lord of Death's Army >

(Profession Exclusive Title)

– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer's Named Creatures by 100%

– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer's Necromancer Covenant by 100%

– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer's Summons by 50%

– All creatures under Lux Von Kaizer's Command will have a 100% Increase in Defense.

—------------

< Summon Plague Wing Gargoyles >

– Heralds of the Army Of Death

– Monster Rating: S

– Max Summons: 30

Health: 250,000 / 250,000

Mana: 65,000 / 65,000

Active Skill: Poison Smog, Plague Bite, Plague Claws, Stone Bullets, Stone Spikes,

Passive Skill: Stone Skin, Statue Impersonator

Unique Ability: Plague Bearer

– The number of Gargoyles will increase by 30 each time Lux Von Kaizer's Rank increases

—-------------

< Poison Smog >

– Unleash a breath of Poisonous Smog at your enemies.

– Has a medium chance to inflict poison or disease.

< Plague Bearer >

– All attacks of the Plague Bearer have a chance to inflict poison or disease.

< Statue Impersonator >

– These Gargoyles can remain immobile for long periods of time, looking similar to statues.

– These Gargoyles can shapeshift into other kinds of statues to match their environment.please visit

—-------------

Note: The Rank of these Monsters will always be one rank lower than Lux Von Kaizer's.

—------------

< Death Sentence [EX] >

– Harness all of your Mana and unleash a Necrotic Beam of Darkness.

– The Damage of this attack will be your current remaining mana multiplied by 20.

– This skill can only be used once a day.

– After using this skill, the Caster's Mana will not regenerate for an hour, even when using Mana Potions, and other consumables that restore Mana.

– After using this skill, the Caster will enter a Lethargic State, similar to the backlash of Berserk after using this skill, and all of his stats will be reduced by 50%

—------------

"T-This is a serious upgrade," Lux muttered as he finished reading all the information that he received after upgrading his Special Body Constitution.

Aside from the 500 Free Stat Points that he could freely distribute, he also received two skills that strengthened his Draconic Abilities.

Dragon Conqueror's Majesty [EX] may seem like a simple skill, but in truth it was not. It was a passive skill that almost guaranteed that he wouldn't get attacked by any Dragons he met in the future.

The Skill also allowed him to weaken Lesser-Dragons who were antagonistic towards him, giving him an advantage in battle.

The Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] was also a game changer. Although he could only use it once, the potential for it was limitless.

For example, he could use Keoza's Crystal Dragon Breath, and turn weaker opponents into Crystal Statues.

The Profession Exclusive Title, Lord of Death's Army, also greatly increased the performance of all of his summons, making them more powerful than ever before.

His new Summons, the Plague Wing Gargoyles, were also a very pleasant addition to his forces.

When he was still in Leaf Village, he, along with Colette and the other Dwarves, challenged the Final Boss of the Bronze Crypt (Hell Mode). Inside that dungeon, they fought against the Plague Monstrosity, which was a Rank 3 Boss Monster.

This monster was very annoying to fight because whenever it attacked, it was almost guaranteed that you would be inflicted with status debuffs.

He had a hard time fighting against this Monster back then, but now, he actually had subordinates who carried its Unique Ability, Plague Bearer, making Lux understand how deadly they could be in battle.

Basically, any Monster that wasn't immune to poison or diseases, would find themselves crippled drastically, not being able to fight with their full potential.

However, the one that stood out the most was the last Exclusive Skill of his profession, Death Sentence [EX].

Using all of his Mana, he would be able to unleash a devastating attack that would surpass everything in his arsenal.

The drawback was very obvious, which meant that he could only use this skill as a last resort. If he failed to deal the killing blow to his opponent with this attack, the one who would end up dying would certainly be him.

Lux clenched his fists, and closed his eyes before taking a few deep breaths in order to calm himself down.

He couldn't help but remember when he was just starting his journey in Elysium, and was almost killed by Undead Monsters when Leaf Village was attacked.

Now, he was a Necromancer, who wielded the power of the Undead, which he found quite ironic.

'Life is indeed full of surprises,' Lux thought before yawning.

For some reason, he was feeling very sleepy after undergoing his upgrade. It was as if his body needed to rest in order to cope with the new powers that he had awakened.

"Let's sleep, Eiko," Lux said as he laid on the bed. "We have a long day tomorrow."

"Pa!" Eiko replied as she hurriedly ate the Rank 2 Beast Core that she was playing with, while waiting for her Papa to finish whatever he was doing.

She could faintly feel that Lux had become stronger than ever before, which made her smile as she buried her head in the Half-Elf's chest, which felt very comfortable and warm.

A few minutes later, the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime slept peacefully, dreaming of when they would be reunited with Iris.

 

Chapter 575 Second Chance At Life

"Thank you very much!" Pietro said as he held Lux's hand tightly. "We would have never survived without your support!"

The Mayor of Abingdon Town couldn't express how grateful he was for Lux's great effort in escorting them all the way to the Town of Broughton.

Although Pietro didn't know if they could return to Abingdon Town in the future, he was optimistic about the future.

After all, they were still alive, and being alive held infinite possibilities.

"You're welcome," Lux replied as he, too, firmly shook Pietro's hand. "Please, take care of yourself, and everyone, Sir Pietro. If Fate wills it, our paths will cross again."

Pietro nodded his head with a smile. "I pray for that as well, Lux. If we do meet again in the future, I'll do my best to repay this favor you did for us."

Lux returned Pietro's smile before bidding goodbye to the Mayor, as well as the residents of Abingdon Town.

"It's time to go, ALL-MITE," Lux said with a smirk as he looked at the Champion that protected everyone on the journey.

Currently, ALL-MITE was surrounded by the children, and a few of them were even sitting on his arms, while laughing.

The children of Abingdon Town idolized him. Some even said that when they grew up, they also wanted to become as strong as him, which made ALL-MITE laugh.

"Alright, kids, time for me to go," ALL-MITE said as he crouched down to allow the children to safely dismount his arms.

Although they were reluctant, the children obeyed. However, the next moment, all of them clung to ALL-MITE, telling him not to go.

Seeing that the little kids, who resembled clingy Koalas, had no intention of letting ALL-MITE leave them, the Half-Elf decided to give the Four-Armed Hero permission to play with them until nightfall.

Truth be told, Lux and his party were also tired from the journey and wanted to rest for a day or two in Broughton Town before they resumed their journey to look for the Transcendent Flames.

His Master, Randolph and Grandma Annie didn't complain during the entirety of the journey, but the Half-Elf was sure that they were at their limit. Also, the two Dwarf girls, Laura and Livia looked very exhausted.

Lux couldn't bear to see how tired they looked, so he decided to let everyone take a proper rest.

Truth be told, although everyone was tired due to the long journey, they were very happy with the rewards they received from their mission to help save the residents of Abingdon Town

—------------

< Congratulations! You have finished the mission: Abingdon Town's Great Escape >

< Abingdon Town's Great Escape >

– 1,000 Residents of Abingdon Town must survive.

– Quest Duration: 13 days.

—------------

< Rewards >

+200 Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points

5,000,000 Gold Coins

500 Free Stat Points.

One Rank 5 Skill Book that matches your profession.

You will obtain the Title: Insect Slayer

—---------

< Bonus Rewards >

– Bonus Rewards will be calculated depending on your performance in this mission. The bigger the role you play, the higher the rewards will be.

—---------

< Insect Slayer >

< Deals 100% increase damage against Insect-Type Monsters >

—------------

Everyone got the basic rewards for the quest, which gave everyone an increase in their stats, Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points, 5,000,000 Gold Coins, as well as a Rank 5 Skill Book that matched their Profession.

Rank 5 Skill Books were similar to Beast Cores of Rank 5 Monsters. Those that obtained them could freely choose what skill they wanted, regardless if the skill came from a Normal Monster, an Alpha, A Field Boss, or a World Boss.

Even the always grumpy Cethus couldn't remove the grin from his face when their mission was completed.

The Reputation Points for the Wanid Kingdom were extremely valuable. After helping the residents of Abingdon Town evacuate the Shaufell Plains, news of Lux's and his party's heroism started to spread.

This made the locals have a good impression of them, which would be beneficial as they continued their journey. Usually, the Wanid Kingdom was very wary of strangers. However, they welcomed those who had done good for their countrymen.

In fact, after arriving in Broughton Town, the Innkeeper with the best accommodations in Town, took the initiative to invite Lux and his party members to stay in their Inn for a few days, free of charge.

The Half-Elf happily accepted this offer to the delight of the Innkeeper. Clearly, the latter wanted to brag to his acquaintances that Lux and his comrades had stayed in his Inn.

Back on Earth, whenever celebrities or famous actors visited a place, the owner would usually take pictures of them, and display them as a commemoration of their stay. This enhanced the prestige of that establishment, inviting more customers to visit their establishments.

But, the rewards didn't end there.

The Bonus Rewards which were based on their performance during the mission gave them all a surprise that they never thought possible.

'I wonder what the others got?' Lux thought as he glanced at his party members, whose good moods were oozing from their facial expressions.

However, since he didn't want to pry, he decided to not ask them any questions and took Eiko to his room to rest.

—-----------

Cethus Room…

"Amazing…," the Dragon Born muttered as he looked at the Bonus Rewards he gained from the quest. "I knew that coming with him was the right decision. I'm sure that those uptight Royal Guards in Karhsvar Draconis will become jealous once they realize how much I've changed after leaving the Capital City."

The Dragon Born laughed happily as he summoned an exquisite looking spear that hovered in front of him.

"Not bad… not bad indeed." Cethus smirked as he held the handle of the spear firmly in his hands, making it hum and acknowledge the Dragon Born as its new Master.please visit

—-----------

Gerhart's Room…

A light breeze blew inside the room as Gerhart fanned himself with a green fan that seemed to have been made by a great artisan.

"I never thought I'd acquire a Pseudo-Legendary Item after finishing this mission," Gerhart said as he looked outside the window of his room. "Heaven's Gate… I look forward to the day when I no longer need to hide the name of my Guild, and can show everyone that I am one of its members."

The green-haired Half-Elf silently thanked Cai's Grandpa, Maximilian, for looking after him and making Lux take him on his journey. Back then, the only thought on his mind was to avenge his mother's death. He didn't know what he would do after he finished his revenge, but now, it was different.

He now had something to look forward to.

A place where he belonged.

Gerhart was now looking forward to his future adventures with Lux, as he set a new goal, not only for himself, but for everyone who was part of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.

—-----------

Laura's and Livia's Room…

"Cora, you've become stronger!" Laura praised her Baby Slime, who had gained a Unique Ability as part of the Bonus Rewards the little Dwarf received from the quest.

"Yes!" Cora replied happily as Laura spun her round and round, while giggling.

Livia was humming a happy tune, while holding her Baby Slime, Nora, in her hands. Just like her twin sister, she also received a Bonus Reward that allowed Nora to gain a Unique Ability.

Although they weren't sure how powerful these abilities were when put into action, the twins believed that their Baby Slimes would be able to accomplish amazing things in the future.

—-----------

Randolph's Room…

"I always thought that our adventuring days were over," Randolph said as he looked at Grandma Annie who was seated on the couch opposite him. "I'm just worried that our old bones will be unable to bear the burden of accompanying these kids to unknown lands."

"Well, you're not wrong," Grandma Annie replied before drinking her tea. "Truth be told, I thought that my time had come when the Insects attacked us in the Shaufell Plains. If not for the fact that Laura and Livia were with me, I would have probably gone to the frontlines to help Lux fight against those Insects."

Randolph snorted after hearing Grandma Annie's words.

"What good would an old lady do on the battlefield?" Randolph asked. "Well, I guess the Insects wouldn't bother to do anything with you because you don't look appetizing to them."

Instead of being angry, Grandma Annie just chuckled after hearing her friend's sarcasm.

"Say, do you really think we can make them submit?" Grandma Annie asked as she placed her tea cup on the table.

Randolph shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Subduing Transcendent Flames is not an easy thing," Randolph replied. "Many have died because the Flames didn't deem them worthy and burned them alive. Are you prepared to be burned alive?"

"No," Grandma Annie replied while shaking her head. "If I die, no one will take care of Laura and Livia. Because of that, I have no intention of dying. How about you? Have you already prepared your coffin?"

Randolph snorted, but didn't give a reply to Grandma Annie's inquiry.

Both of them understood that making the Transcendent Flames recognize them as their Masters wouldn't be easy.

Although it didn't show in their expressions, both of them were extremely anxious and excited at the same time.

Excited because there was a possibility of finding the elusive Flames that all craftsmen longed for, and anxiousness due to the possibility that the Flames that they were pursuing had already been taken by others.

There was also a fact that they were worried that the Transcendent Flames would reject them and burn them alive.

"Annie, if I die, I just want you to know that I have always lo–"

"Hush… let's not talk about this anymore. It's all in the past now. You're just feeling sentimental because of the danger we are currently facing."

Randolph sighed internally because he understood that Grandma Annie didn't want to talk about the things that happened in the past.

In the end, the two Dwarves drank tea in silence, while reminiscing about the days of their youth.

Days where they were still strong, fit, and ready to face the challenges of the world. Although those days were already gone, the two felt as if they were given a new starting point in life.

As long as they were able to subdue the Transcendent Flames, their second chance at life would officially begin.

—----------

Inside Lux's Room…

"..."

The Half-Elf didn't have time to look at his rewards earlier because several things were happening at once. However, after everything settled down and he finally had time to check his rewards, he found himself staring at his Soul Book in disbelief.

"... This can't be real, right?" Lux muttered after he regained his composure.

The Half-Elf stared at the projection in front of him, which displayed a giant map that encompassed the entirety of the Wanid Kingdom.

And on that map, he found a marked location, which showed the location of one of the Transcendent Flames.

This discovery was a pleasant surprise for the Half-Elf because finding the Transcendent Flames was his reason for coming to the Wanid Kingdom.

However, the thing that surprised him the most was the location of the flame.

"Blackrock Clan…," Lux said softly as he looked at the familiar emblem on the projection.

When Lux was just starting his journey in Elysium, he came upon a hidden quest inside the dungeon of Norria.

And in this quest, he came upon Barca, the Half-Orc, whom Lux had helped to become the Tribe Chieftain of the Blackrock Clan.

"Is this a coincidence?" Lux narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blinking location on the map. "I guess there is only one way to find out."

The Half-Elf knew that second-guessing wouldn't get him anywhere.

But, one thing was for sure. If they wanted to get their first Transcendent Flame, they had no choice but to go to the Blackrock Territory, and meet up with the Orcs, who were one of the pillars that protected the Wanid Kingdom.

 

Chapter 576 Reunion With The Blackrock Clan [Part 1]

"I'm sorry, but I have never been to the Orc Stronghold," Pietro said with a bitter smile.

"Although I have traveled to many places in my homeland, the Blackrock Clan's territory is off-limits to those who are not part of the Seven Spiritual Guardians of the Wanid Kingdom. Us ordinary commoners are not allowed to visit them without an important reason."

Lux nodded his head in understanding because he had already expected this outcome.

Before he came to the Wanid Kingdom, Keelan, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild and also a member of the Stronghold of Norria, had provided him with some information about the Guardians that served as its protectors.

The Witches of Moonbright

The Druids of the Forest of Beginnings

Templars of Cassemere

The Blackrock Orcs

Djinns of Valefor

Dryads of East Haven

The Harpies of Airedale

The Blackrock Orcs were located along the Western edges of the Wanid Kingdom.

In a lush and rich valley, the Orcs had erected an imposing fortress, which protected the Wanid Kingdom from the advances of the Haca Dynasty.

Similar to the Vahan Empire, the Haca Dynasty was a Kingdom that sought to expand its territory in order to enrich itself, and exert its dominance over its neighbors.

Unfortunately, when they launched their first campaign to conquer the mysterious Wanid Kingdom, the first to stop them had been the Orcs.

If the Orcs in question had been ordinary, the army of the Haca Dynasty would have managed to defeat them without taking any major losses.

Unfortunately, the one that led them was a Half-Orc, who was not only strong, but cunning as well.

Because of this, the Haca Dynasty found themselves fighting against an organized army of Orcs, and not a bunch of riffraff that they could overcome with great numbers. After consecutive losses, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty was forced to order a retreat.

It had been thirty years since they last stepped into the lands of the Wanid Kingdom, but the Orcs were certain that the Humans would launch another campaign to try and conquer their lands after they regained the losses they had suffered in the past.

"Well, this is where we part ways, Sir Pietro," Lux said as he shook the Mayor's hand firmly. "I hope that the next time we meet, you and the rest of the residents of Abingdon Town will be in a much better situation."

Pietro nodded as he returned Lux's handshake with both hands. "I pray for that as well. May the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over you."

After bidding his farewell, Lux and his group traveled westward.

Unlike the Kingdom of Gweliven, the Wanid Kingdom had very few teleportation gates. These gates were placed in strategic locations so that the Guardians could send their armies to reinforce their allies at any given time.

They couldn't be used by the general public, which meant that Lux and his group had no choice but to use the old-fashioned way of traveling, and that was by riding their mounts.

'The Wanid Kingdom is so big, and we may not have enough time before my two-month grace period is over,' Lux thought. 'I also promised to celebrate my birthday with Iris.'

Lux frowned as they continued their journey. He had spent ten days escorting the residents of Abingdon Town to Broughton Town, which was three days shorter than the deadline he was given by the quest.

Even so, the red-headed teenager estimated that it would take them four to five days of travel before they reached the Blackrock Clan's territory.

If that were true, they would've spent nearly a month in the Wanid Kingdom just by traveling to the location of the first Transcendent Flame.

'Look on the bright side,' Keoza's voice reached Lux's ears as they continued to head West. 'Perhaps the Orcs discovered the Transcendent Flame and moved it to their stronghold. If that were the case, then we won't need to head North, which would have made our journey longer.'

Despite hearing the Crystal Dragon's words of assurance, the Half-Elf still couldn't stop himself from feeling anxious.

'What if they have already tamed the Transcendent Flame?' Lux replied. 'Wouldn't that mean that our journey was wasted?'

'Calm down,' Keoza stated. 'The Transcendent Flame still doesn't have an owner. I am sure of it.'

'Really?'

'Are you doubting me, you brat? Okay, listen up. Back then, I wanted to call dibs on the Transcendent Flames, so I placed my mark on them. If someone succeeded in subduing them, my mark would have disappeared. But, since it is still there, it means that they still don't have any owners. Are you happy now?'please visit

Lux was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after hearing Keoza's explanation. His greatest worry was to come home empty-handed. However, since the Crystal Dragon had affirmed that the Transcendent Flame in the Blackrock Territory was still untamed, he could now put all of his energy into the completion of their mission.

—---------

Four days later…

"We would have arrived faster if we flew," Cethus grumbled. "If only that Tempest Elemental hadn't threatened us…"

The Dragon Born disliked traveling on land because, for him, it was a very lowly thing to do. He would rather spread his wings and fly freely in the sky and use his natural-born abilities to eliminate anything that stood in his way.

"Stop grumbling," Gerhart commented. "We're already here, so make sure that you don't annoy the Orcs. I don't have any intention of helping you if you accidentally irk one of them."

"Shut up, you green-haired Half-Elf," Cethus replied. "Don't order me around. I only listen to the red-haired one."

"Okay, it's your funeral anyway." Gerhart no longer bothered with the uptight and arrogant Dragon Born, who still hadn't learned the lesson he had been taught back in Karshvar Draconis.

Lux, who heard their conversation, turned around to look at the Dragon Born with a serious expression on his face.

"Cethus, if you create trouble here, I will kick you out of the party even if you beg me for forgiveness," Lux stated. "Do I make myself clear?"

The Dragon Born snorted and looked away. Although the Dragon Born acted like this, Lux had a feeling that Cethus would listen to his words and not cause any problems while they were in the territory of the Blackrock Clan.

They had already noticed several Orcs eyeing them from a distance, but none of them took the initiative to attack Lux's group.

When he finished the Quest inside the Dungeon, Orc Dominion, Lux received 3,000 reputation points with the Blackrock Clan. Back then, he didn't think too much of it because he thought that the reputation points he gained back then would serve no use in the real world.

But now that he was looking at the Orc Stronghold in front of him, he couldn't help but wonder if the reputation points he currently had was the reason why the Orcs weren't attacking him.

Just as their group was about to arrive at the gate of the fortress, over a dozen Orcs walked up to them to stop their advance.

"This is the first time I've seen your faces," an Orc that was over two meters tall said as he looked down on Lux and his companions. "Why are you here in our territory?"

Originally, the Guard Captain of the Orcs wanted to attack Lux and his party when their scouts found them traversing their Domain.

However, they didn't do that because, for some reason, they sensed that the red-headed teenager that was leading the group didn't have any bad intentions toward them.

"Actually, we came here to have a proper talk with your Tribe Chief to discuss some important matters," Lux replied.

"What matters?" the Orc Captain asked back.

"... something very important?" Lux answered.

"And what is that very important matter you speak of?" the Orc Captain growled.

Lux's brain immediately went into overdrive as he thought of a good excuse to say. He was already thankful that the Orcs weren't attacking him, so he was thinking of the best answer to give, to prevent hostilities from breaking out.

"Actually, I am a Necro– Summoner," Lux replied. "I have heard that the Great Baronar is the most powerful Orc Shaman in the Wanid Kingdom. Because of this, I traveled long distances to exchange pointers with him."

"Hoh… so, you have heard about our great Orc Shaman," the Orc Captain's expression became a little less fierce after hearing Lux's answer. "You said you were a Summoner, right? Show me one of your Summons."

Lux knew that this was the turning point, so he immediately summoned his Fortress Defenders, Pazuzu.

The two-meter-tall Orc Captain and Lux's Demonic Defender held each other's gaze for nearly half a minute before the Orc raised his fist.

Pazuzu did the same.

Lux's comrades who saw this thought that the Orc Captain and the Fortress Defender were about to have a fistfight, and took a fighting stance.

But Lux raised his hand to stop them from doing anything and simply watched Pazuzu and the Orc bumped their fists together as a sign of goodwill.

"You smell like one of Lord Baronar's Elite Orc Spirit Warriors," the Orc Captain stated as he shifted his attention to Lux. "Okay, I will believe you for now. Stay here while I inform Lord Baronar of your request to meet with him."

The Orc Captain raised his hand, and one of his subordinates hurried back inside the Stronghold to use an artifact that was able to communicate with another over long distances.

While this was happening, the Orc Captain was eyeing Pazuzu with great interest. Clearly, the former was itching for a fight, and for some reason, the Fortress Defender seemed very keen to fight as well.

 

 

Chapter 577 Reunion With The Blackrock Clan [Part 2]

Cheers rang out from the gate of the Fortress as the Orcs shouted to support their Guard Captain in his battle against the Fortress Defender, who had a fearless grin plastered on his monstrous face.

Among Lux's subordinates, it wasn't ALL-MITE that looked the scariest—it was Pazuzu.

The Demonic Defender had a very hideous appearance, which was meant to scare his opponents in battle. Pazuzu's face was so scary, that Lux was afraid of summoning him near children because they might all cry simultaneously.

Because of this reason, Pazuzu always wore a helmet whenever he was in town.

But, on the battlefield, he did not need to hide anything, especially when he stood on the front lines, protecting his Master from any harm. As long as he was alive, he would be Lux's strongest shield and would gladly sacrifice his life in order to shield his Master and his comrades till his dying breath.

"You're so hard," the Guard Captain, whose name was Klog, said as he distanced himself from his opponent. "What do you usually eat?"

"Attacks of Deimos Beasts," Pazuzu replied as he raised his mace with a smirk. "And Rankers."

Klog laughed out loud after hearing Pazuzu's answer. Even the spectators joined their Captain in laughter because they thought that the Fortress Defender was just joking.

Pazuzu didn't take the initiative to attack and simply waited for his opponent to stop laughing.

"Are you for real?" Klog asked. "Even I can't take the attacks of a Deimos Beast head-on. As for a Ranker, I will become one very soon."

Klog's voice was filled with confidence as if him becoming a Ranker was already a done deal.

Lux, Pazuzu, Gerhart, and Cethus knew that the Orc Captain wasn't lying. They could sense that the Orc was already at the peak of the Initiate Rank and was probably only waiting for the right opportunity to break through.

Instead of giving an answer, Pazuzu used his spiked mace to beckon Klog to attack him. The Fortress Defender didn't need to say anything to prove himself.

Although he died almost all the time from facing opponents that were way above his rank, the Fortress Defender learned a lot from fighting them.

As he and Klog clashed, Lux noticed that Pazuzu was not blocking Klog's attack directly with his shield.

Instead, whenever the Orc Captain's Axe was about to hit his shield, Pazuzu would move it at a certain angle to deflect the attack, and deliver a counterattack of his own.

This fighting style was the perfect counter against Klog's powerful and heavy-handed strikes.

Pazuzu was more of a defensive fighter than an offensive one, but after Lux gained the title "Lord of Death's Army", Pazuzu's already high defenses and mediocre attack power doubled.

This gave him the ability to effectively fight against opponents who weren't Rankers or Deimos-Ranked Beasts.

"Go, Uncle Pazuzu! Hit him!" Laura shouted.

"Smack him! Whack him!" Livia cheered with her small fist raised high.

"Eyah!"

"Eyah!"

"Eyah!"

Laura, Livia, Eiko, Nora, and Cora, were cheering for Pazuzu, which amused Lux and Grandma Annie.

Randolph, Gerhart, and Cethus were watching the match closely, as if they were trying to gain insights on how to fight in close quarters.

Klog was faster than Pazuzu. Even so, he was feeling frustrated because it seemed like he was fighting against a snapping turtle who blocked his blows and delivered a very painful bite when given the right chance.

Suddenly, Pazuzu's spiked mace hit Klog's right arm, making the latter grit his teeth in pain. However, the next second, the Orc Captain felt an overwhelming feeling of fear, which made him subconsciously take a step back.

Pazuzu's attack had a small chance to instill fear. However, after Lux gained several upgrades, the Fortress Defender's attacks now had a small chance to inflict paralysis on those that were hit by his attacks.

Since Klog had momentarily entered a state of fear, Pazuzu didn't miss this opportunity and unleashed a barrage of attacks, which forced the Orc Captain to fight defensively.

"It's my win," Pazuzu said as his spiked mace hovered inches away from Klog's head.

The Orc Captain was kneeling on the ground because one of Pazuzu's attacks had connected and the passive paralyzing effect activated.

"Yay! We won!" Laura happily clapped her hands together.

"You're amazing, Uncle Pazuzu!" Livia also clapped her hands in happiness after seeing that their side won.

"""Eyah!"""

"""Eyah!"""

"""Eyah!"""

The three baby slimes also celebrated their victory, while jumping on top of their Masters' heads.

"That was a good fight."

A voice filled with amusement reached everyone's ears, which made them look all at the gate of the Stronghold at the same time.

"""We greet the Great Shaman.""" The Orcs who were watching the duel earlier all pressed their fists over their chests as they greeted one of the Commanders of the Blackrock Clan.

"I greet… the great… Shaman," Klog said through gritted teeth as he tried to fight off the effect of fear and paralysis that had spread over his body.

Baronar smiled and waved his hand.

Immediately, a soothing breeze blew in the surroundings, making everyone feel refreshed.

A few seconds later, a sigh of relief escaped Klog's lips before he stood up.

"That was a good fight," Klog pressed his closed fist over Pazuzu's chest. "But, next time, I will win."

"I'll be waiting then," Pazuzu replied with confidence. He was quite happy with how the duel turned out because he had always wanted to test his newfound strength.

Orc Warriors were stronger than Humans. An Orc who was at the Initiate Rank was stronger than a Human Initiate when it came to raw strength.

Even the proud Barbarians had no choice but to admit that Orcs were naturally stronger than them. Pazuzu's victory also allowed Lux to gain a better understanding of his Fortress Defender's ability, which made him very happy as well.

"So, you are the Summoner Friend who traveled from afar to meet me, right?" Baronar asked in a teasing tone.

"Yes, Lord Baronar," Lux replied. "My name is Lux."

The Half-Elf gave the Orc Shaman a respectful bow, which made the Orcs have a better impression of him.

"Lux?" Baronar rubbed his chin as he narrowed his eyes to look at the red-headed teenager that he had seen for the first time. "Have we met before? For some reason, I felt like we have known each other for a long time. Also, your Summon feels similar to my Elite Orc Spirit Warriors… fascinating."

Lux smiled before answering Baronar's question. "This is our first time meeting each other, Lord Baronar. However, the moment I saw you I also felt like we've been friends for a very long time."

Baronar chuckled after hearing Lux's reply. Pazuzu had only piqued his interest earlier, but now, he was very interested to have a proper talk with the red-headed teenager in front of him.

As a powerful Orc Shaman, who communicated with the spirits, he already knew that Lux only spoke a half-truth about being a Summoner.

'This is only the third time I've seen a Necromancer in my lifetime,' Baronar thought as he eyed Lux with a critical gaze. 'Still, the Spirits are telling me that his Fate and the Blackrock Clan's Fate are bound together by an invisible string.'

The Orc Shaman was quite thrilled to meet someone who had the power to communicate with the Spirits of the Dead. He also had this ability, but it was nothing compared to the power of a true Necromancer.

Baronar was hoping that after exchanging pointers with Lux, he would be able to know how to evolve his Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, just like the Half-Elf had done with his Demonic Defender, whose origin belonged to a spell that Baronar had painstakingly created many years ago.

"Friends that came from distant lands, I welcome you to Rogdul, one of the Strongholds of the Blackrock Clan," Baronar said with open arms. "Please, come with me, so you can take a rest in the guest quarters."

Lux accepted Baronar's invitation, and entered the Stronghold with him.

Both of them had an agenda in mind, but neither of them was aware of what the other person was thinking.

For now, they just walked side by side and made small talk, as they made their way towards the guest quarters, within one of the Strongholds of the Blackrock Clan.

 

Chapter 578 Accomplices In The Wish For Dominion [Part 1]

Inside the room that was given to Lux as his temporary residence…

"There's only the two of us now, so why don't you tell me the real reason why you've come here?" Baronar asked with a smile. "Although you introduced yourself as a Summoner, both of us know that you only spoke half-truths. Isn't that right, young Necromancer?"

Lux returned Baronar's smile because he already knew that it was impossible to hide his true profession from someone who had mastery over the Shamanic Arts.

—--------

< Baronar >

– Orc Great Shaman

– Peak Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monster

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

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

Strength: ?????????

Intelligence: ?????????

Vitality: ?????????

Agility: ?????????

Dexterity: ?????????

—--------

Lux had attempted to check Baronar's stats earlier because, unlike Humans, Orcs were Monsters.

When Lux met Baronar for the first time in the Dungeon of Dominion, the Orc Shaman was only a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.

Not only was the Orc in front of him an Argonaut Ranked Monster, but Baronar's profession was also upgraded to Great Orc Shaman.

'I already expected this, but it seems that my assumptions were still a bit off from my estimate,' Lux thought.

As one of the Commanders of the Orc Tribe, it was impossible for Baronar to have a low Rank because their clan was fighting against invaders that were coming from the Haca Dynasty.

If the Great Orc Shaman's Rank was similar to what he had back in the Dungeon, Orc Dominion, where Lux had met him, they would have long been wiped out by the Humans who tried to invade their lands.

However, what astounded Lux was that the Blackrock Clan actually existed in the real world, which made him wonder how the dungeon of Orc Dominion came into being.

Baronar, who had asked Lux his true reason for visiting their lands, simply waited for the Half-Elf's answer. He was more powerful than the Half-Elf, so he didn't mind having a private chat with him.

Besides, he was still trying to figure out why he was feeling a strange connection with the Half-Elf, whom he was meeting for the first time in his life.

"The truth is, I came here to try my luck in taming the Transcendent Flames," Lux replied.

As someone who communicated with Spirits, it was as easy as breathing for Baronar to tell whether he was lying or not. Since that was the case, there was no point in hiding the truth. Lying would only lead to suspicions and confrontation, which was something that Lux wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Mmm, so you are one of them," Baronar commented. "One of the Fools who think that they can take our tribe's Flame of Origin for their own. You people really don't learn do you?"

Baronar's voice didn't hold any semblance of anger. In fact, it was filled with amusement.

Lux even thought that the reputation he had with the Blackrock Clan would immediately decrease as soon as he mentioned anything about the Transcendent Flames.

However, he didn't hear any notification sounds inside his head, which made him feel relieved internally.

Baronar took out a jar of fruit juice, and two wooden cups from his storage ring, and put them on top of the table. He then unceremoniously poured Lux a cup and handed it to him with a smile.

"Don't worry, it's not poisoned," Baronar stated with a fiendish smile. "It will be a great dishonor to poison a guest I had personally invited. Don't worry, I have no quarrels with you right now. At least for the time being."

Lux understood Baronar's subtle hint, so he decided to just drink the fruit juice that was offered to him as a sign of goodwill.

After emptying his cup, the Half-Elf immediately felt a surge of heat rise up from his chest as if his throat was on fire.

Half a minute later, he collapsed on the floor unconscious.

—----------

By the time Lux regained his senses, he found himself floating in space.

His body felt as heavy as lead, but he still managed to stand and look around his surroundings.

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

"Well, you recovered faster than I expected."

Lux immediately turned around to look behind his back, and saw Baronar standing several meters away from him.

"What did you make me drink?" Lux asked. "I thought you weren't going to poison me?"

Baronar chuckled as he wagged his finger at the Half-Elf, who still didn't have full control of his body.

"I didn't lie," Baronar replied. "I didn't poison you. What you drank was a concoction that I use whenever I want to travel in the Spirit World. It's called Ayahuasca, and it's a good drink to help increase the spiritual senses of a person."

After answering Lux's question, Baronar waved his hand and the scenery around them changed.

The Half-Elf found himself staring at a familiar wooden cottage. A few seconds later, he saw himself, Eiko, Colette, and the others walk towards the cottage and then open its door.

'Wait… could this be?' Lux's eyes widened in shock because he finally understood what was happening.

The Half-Elf once again shifted his attention back to the smiling Baronar, who winked back at him, making him subconsciously shudder.

'Sh*t!'

That was the word that popped up inside Lux's head the moment he realized what was happening.

Just as he was about to ask the Great Orc Shaman his reason for reading his memories, a loud roar reached his ears, which made the Half-Elf smile bitterly.

Heaving a sigh of helplessness, Lux turned around to find his previous self inside the wooden cottage.

He then stared at the Half-Orc, who was looking at the Dwarf children with blood-shot eyes, holding a greatsword in his hands.

'Barca…' Lux sighed for the second time as he gazed at the Half-Orc, who clearly didn't look happy at seeing the uninvited guests who had trespassed inside his home.

"Who are you lot, and what are you doing inside my cottage?!" the Half-Orc shouted as it threatened to brandish his sword towards the Dwarves, who had taken a defensive stance against it.

This was how he, and his friends first met Barca, and also when they had helped the Half-Orc accomplish his wish for Dominion.

 

Chapter 579 Accomplices In The Wish For Dominion [Part 2]

"Interesting…," Baronar muttered as he looked at his defeated image kneeling in front of Barca after he lost their duel. "Although there are some minor differences here and there, my fight with Barca decades ago had the same outcome. The slow-acting mage poison was a nice touch.

"That Baby Slime of yours was quite bold to add that to my drink. Now I no longer feel sorry for dragging you here in the Spirit World. At least I get to see something interesting."

The Great Orc Shaman rubbed his chin as he watched the events unfold right before his eyes.

Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless Orc who had drugged him against his will. The only saving grace was that his Baby Slime had not accompanied him when he went to have a private chat with the Great Orc Shaman.

'Fortunately, I left Eiko with Grandma Annie,' Lux thought. 'I don't know what she would have done if she saw me lose consciousness after drinking that fruit juice.'

Lux knew full well that no matter what he did, there was no stopping this trip down memory lane. So, he decided to give up and just watch everything unfold with his arms crossed over his chest.

'Watching all of this is very nostalgic,' Lux thought. 'Back then, I had to employ every trick I could think of in order to defeat Baronar. I've come a long way since then.'

Baronar narrowed his eyes when he saw Lux summon Pazuzu for the very first time.

Now, he vaguely understood why the Fortress Defender felt very similar to this Elite Orc Spirit Warriors.

However, he didn't say anything and simply watched as Barca continued his journey. The Great Orc Shaman wasn't in a hurry to ask questions. He could ask them after this interesting tale had reached its conclusion.

Baronar smirked when the young Barca arrived at Tanabur's Camp.

The Great Orc Shaman and the Orc Warlord Tanabur had never gotten along in the past, so he was very amused when the younger version of himself proposed that they attack Tanabur's Camp right after he was defeated.

A few minutes later, Baronar roared in laughter when he saw his rival, as well as the Orc Warg Riders, collapsed on the ground and panted for breath, all thanks to Baronar's special poison.

—------

"Baronar, you filthy traitor!" Tanabur shouted in anger. "I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

Tanabur gnashed his teeth in anger as he glared at the Orc Shaman, completely ignoring the blade that could cut his neck at any moment.

"All of this is due to your stupidity, Tanabur," Baronar sneered. "I bet you were laughing when you commanded your subordinates to not send reinforcements to my camp. This is just the consequence of your shortsightedness!"

"Bah! Shut up you weakling bone collector!"

"At least I'm not an Orc who can only screw his Warg because women won't look at him!"

"Bastard! Fight me!"

"Hah! Come! Who's scared of who?!"

—------

After having a good laugh, the scene once again changed, and this time Barca appeared in Morgazar's Camp, who was also one of the Orc Warlords.

This time, it was Tanabur who had devised the plan in order to bring down the deadly Orc Hunter whose arrows could instantly kill those who were unable to sense his presence until it was too late.

Lux watched the familiar scene with a nostalgic smile.

"Orcs are a race that follows the strong," Baronar said as he stood beside the Half-Elf whom he found quite interesting. "We could care less if it was Barca or Orobak who will end up leading us. In the end, the one who remains standing at the end will be our King."

Lux nodded because he already knew this back then. However, a question then appeared inside his head, which he immediately asked the Great Orc Shaman that was standing beside him.

"Is Barca your current King?" Lux asked.

"No," Baronar answered in a heartbeat. "He is not our current King."

Lux's face immediately became pale as soon as he heard Baronar's reply. Inside the dungeon, he had helped Barca become the Orc Chieftain, and he succeeded in doing that.

However, Baronar just told him that their current King wasn't Barca, which made the Half-Elf feel a lump in his throat.

Even so, he still asked the question inside his head because he needed to know the answer.

"Then… is Orobak your King?" Lux inquired, while dreading the answer to his question.

"No," Baronar replied.

The corner of Great Orc Shaman's lips rose a bit as he looked at the confused expression that appeared on Lux's face.

"If it's not Barca or Orobak then who?"

"You don't have to worry about that. Let's finish this entertaining show first."

Baronar no longer said anything and shifted his gaze to the heated battle between Barca and Orobak.

Judging from the Great Orc Shaman's expression, it seemed that the battle between the two Powerhouses was different from what he had seen in the past.

—--------

Barca spat a mouthful of blood after receiving Orobak's powerful blow, which almost broke his defensive stance.

"I see. So that is the armor that belonged to my Grandfather," Barca said as he looked at the black armor that covered Orobak's entire body. "The Blackrock Legacy Set."

"Indeed." Orobak sneered. "A fitting armor for me, isn't it?"

"The armor is good, but the one wearing it is trash," Barca replied. "If it could only talk, it would have already told you that you are garbage."

Orobak laughed. "A loser's last words. Have you had enough? It's time for you to die, Halfbreed."

—--------

As Orobak was about to give the killing blow, a blue tower shield slammed against the side of his body, pushing him away.

Baronar, who was watching this scene, frowned..

"Don't you know that Orc Duels are sacred?" Baronar asked the Half-Elf with a serious expression on his face. "Outsiders have no right to interfere!"

However, before the Half-Elf could even give a reply, Barca's words rang in Baronar's ears, which almost made the Great Orc Shaman choke on the words he was about to say next.

—--------

"An Orc Battle is sacred, and is not a place for outsiders to intervene," Barca said. "But, I'm fighting against trash, so it's allowed."

"Wow! Double standards much," Lux replied. "Can't you just say that you can't beat him and need our help?"

"No. You're just overthinking things."

"Fine. Kill first, talk later."

—--------

The red-headed teenager couldn't help but laugh after seeing the dumbfounded look on Baronar's face.

Clearly, the Great Orc Shaman didn't witness this scene in the past. In the end, Baronar watched the rest of the battle with his lips twitching uncontrollably.

It was very obvious that he didn't approve of such a thing, but since this was Lux's version of the story, there was nothing he could do about it.

When everything ended, the Great Orc Shaman remained silent for a minute before heaving a sigh.

"Okay, now I understand why I feel that connection with you," Baronar stated. "Let's go back to the real world. We have many things to talk about."

With a wave of Great Orc Shaman's hand, Lux found himself feeling extremely drowsy.

Half a minute later, the Half-Elf disappeared from the Spirit World and returned to the Material Plane, where Baronar was waiting for him.

 

Chapter 580 The Blackrock Clan’s Transcendent Flames

"That thing you've shown me was very interesting, Lux," Baronar said as he poured a cup of juice into his jug. "To think that our past struggles were shown inside a Dungeon, truly fascinating."

The Half-Elf fished out a cup and a drink for himself from his storage ring. After what Baronar did, he was having trust issues in regard to whatever the Great Orc Shaman would give him.

"I was also surprised when I found out that the Blackrock Clan existed in the real world," Lux commented. "I never expected that we would have this kind of reunion in the Wanid Kingdom."

Baronar nodded. Now that he had seen Lux's past struggles and how the latter interacted with his clan, his impression of the red-headed teenager changed considerably.

"Still, I don't understand how or why that dungeon came to be." Baronar rubbed his chin. "You said that if you challenge that dungeon normally, it will just be a typical dungeon with Orcs, right?"

"Yes," Lux answered. "The Leader of the Stronghold of Norria, Commander Thoram, attested that what we experienced was very different from how the usual Dungeon operated. Also, after clearing the hidden quest, Barca never appeared in the Dungeon again."

Baronar drained the content of the cup into his mouth and let out a loud burp before shifting his gaze back to the Half-Elf, who had also finished drinking.

"Well, this matter is outside of our understanding, so let's not dwell on it," Baronar stated. "Perhaps only the Gods know how this incident came to be. Now, let's tackle your agenda by visiting our Clan. You want the Transcendent Flame, right?"

Lux's expression immediately turned serious after he heard Baronar's words. The Transcendent Flame was the main reason why he visited the Blackrock Clan. If possible, he wanted to acquire it before leaving the Wanid Kingdom.

"That's the only reason why we came to the Wanid Kingdom, Your Excellency," Lux replied.

Baronar rubbed his chin as if he was mulling over something very important. Lux remained silent and waited for the Great Orc Shaman to give him a reply.

A few minutes later, Baronar fixed his gaze on the Half-Elf's face and spoke.

"Actually, our Clan has two Transcendent Flames in our possession," Baronar explained. "But, the two of them can't be separated because they are Twin Flames."

Lux's jaw almost dropped after hearing Baronar's explanation. He only came for one Transcendent Flame, and it so happened that the ones that the Blackrock Clan kept were Twin Flames.

"Having the Twin Flames is both a blessing and a curse," Baronar said with a sigh. "The good part about them is that, even though we haven't made a contract with them, we are able to use a bit of their powers because they allow us to use them. Are you familiar with the relationship between the Ants and Aphids?

Lux nodded. "Aphids provide Ants with sugar-rich honeydew as a source of food, and in turn, the Ants protect the Aphids against various natural enemies and improve the hygiene of the Aphid colony."

"Right," Baronar gave Lux a nod of acknowledgment. "In short, we are the Ants, and the Twin Flames are the Aphids. We act as their protectors while harnessing a bit of their powers. Everything would have continued to be fine, but the Haca Dynasty heard about this and decided to take the Twin Flames away from us.

"It has been thirty years since then, and we're seeing plenty of activity in the fortress they have built outside our borders. It is only a matter of time before they once again march into our lands, and when that happens, a bloodbath will take place."

Baronar's solemn expression was more than enough to tell Lux how worried the shaman was about the upcoming war.

"Why don't you ask the other Guardians of the Wanid Kingdom for help?" Lux inquired. "Isn't protecting your kingdom something that should be done by everyone?"

Baronar snorted. "Of course, they will definitely help, especially those Upstarts who want to be part of the 7 Pillars of the Wanid Kingdom. But, they will only come when we have suffered enough.

"It's not just the Haca Dynasty who's greedy for our Twin Flames. Sometimes, the enemy you should watch out for are the ones that call themselves your friends. You wouldn't see them coming until it is too late."

The Great Orc Shaman's ramblings made Lux frown. Originally, he thought that the Seven Pillars of the Wanid Kingdom were united and worked together to keep their lands safe.

'Greed is truly a sin,' Lux thought. 'Just like every Kingdom, the Overlords that governed each of their respective territories were playing a political game.'

Several years ago, Lux also thought that the Wildgarde Stronghold, the Rowan Tribe, the Six Kingdoms, and Barbatos Academy were all solid allies.

But after he gained the right to enter Elysium, he discovered that the great alliance was formed based on each of their respective interests.

Basically, they were only allies by convenience. Perhaps, the real alliance was only shared between the Rowan Tribe and the Barbatos Academy.

As for Wildgarde Stronghold, it was a territory that happened to border the domain of Barbatos Academy.

Two of the Six Kingdoms, who were adjacent to the Stronghold had once attempted to ask them to submit to them. However, Alexander intervened, and it took everyone by surprise.

With Vera joining the Guardians of the Stronghold, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, as well as one of the handful of Saints within the Six Kingdoms, declared that the Wildgarde Stronghold was a free territory, and no Kingdoms were allowed to annex it.

Due to Alexander's declaration, the Six Kingdoms left the Wildgarde Stronghold alone. This allowed the Stronghold to grow independently and make its own mark within Solais and Elysium under Alexander's protection.

This was also why the Wildgarde Stronghold and Barbatos Academy had a deep friendship, allowing both of their guilds to work and collaborate together in the world of Elysium.

"There are two ways for you to get the Twin Flames," Baronar raised two fingers as he looked at the red-headed teenager with a devilish grin plastered on his face. "The first one is to beat Barca in a duel."

"How strong is Barca?" Lux asked in a heartbeat.

"Empyrean," Baronar replied with a smirk.

The Half-Elf subconsciously took a deep breath after hearing Baronar's reply.

Above the Deimos Rank was the Argonaut Rank.

Above the Argonaut Rank was the Dreadnaught Rank.

Empyrean was the rank above that, and since Barca was a Half-Orc, he could be treated as an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.

In order to defeat such a powerful creature, it would need at least two to four SS-Ranked Rankers to subdue him in battle.

"And the second?" Lux asked.

He knew that beating Barca was impossible at this point in time, so he sought for the second option that might allow him to get a chance of getting the Twin Flames that the Blackrock Clan was protecting.

Barca lowered one of the two fingers he was holding up, and wagged it in front of Lux.

"The second option is for you to…"