Ch. 581: Chapter 581-590

Chapter 581 March Towards Ludrar Bragh

"Earn an achievement that will be recognized by the entire Blackrock Clan?" Lux scratched his head. "Isn't the hurdle too high?"

Baronar laughed as he patted the Half-Elf's back, which almost made Lux spit blood due to how strong the Great Orc Shaman was.

"Do you think Transcendent Flames are cabbages that you can just pick up anywhere?" Baronar asked back. "Besides, the second option is much more realistic than fighting against Barca. Or do you think you have the chance of beating him, hmm?"

The Half-Elf had no comeback for the Great Orc Shaman's question.

Empyreans were considered to be Pseudo-Saints.

Clearly, it was impossible for the current Lux to even withstand a single blow from an opponent of such magnitude, let alone beat it. Even if he had the help of Eiko, his Undead Army, the Elemental Heart, and the Dragon Token, beating Barca seemed like an impossible task.

You see, Monsters, especially those of the Empyrean Ranks, had the power to destroy well-fortified cities single-handedly.

Their abilities were so great that Lux was certain that even if he used the skill, Duel [EX], repeatedly, the damage they could give Barca would only be at most, superficial wounds.

The only way he could beat Barca was if Alexander and Maximilian were there to tie him up and allow the Half-Elf to whack the Orc Chieftain silly until Barca forgot his own name.

Of course, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon, so the Half-Elf could only sigh in his heart and scratch his head.

Baronar was about to make fun of the depressed Half-Elf when suddenly, a loud knock was heard on the door.

"Great Orc Shaman, the Great Chieftain calls for an emergency meeting," an anxious voice said from behind the door. "Our Scouts have passed along a message and set fire to the Torch of War. The Haca Dynasty has finally made their move."

Baronar hurriedly stood up and almost ran towards the door.

"Sorry, but let's talk another time, Lux," Baronar stated. "All of you behave and stay here. I'll tell my subordinates to not make things difficult for you and your comrades."

Lux knew that if he just listened to what Baronar was saying, he and his friends would have to stay in the Stronghold for an immeasurable number of days. Because of this, a plan entered his mind, as he ran after the Great Orc Shaman, who had been laughing at him a moment ago.

"Your Excellency, how about you take us with you?" Lux asked. "You've already seen what we're capable of back in the Dungeon. Perhaps we can be of assistance to you?"

Baronar momentarily stopped walking and turned around to look at the Half-Elf with a conflicted expression on his face.

It seemed that he was having an internal battle inside his head, but in the end, he reluctantly nodded his head and agreed to Lux's proposal.

"Gather your comrades now," Baronar ordered. "Don't blame me if I leave you behind due to how slow you guys are."

The Great Orc Shaman no longer said anything and hurried away. Lux, on the other hand, immediately informed everyone, except for Cethus through the Guild Chat about the latest development in the Blackrock Clan.

Five minutes later, all of them gathered at the North Gate of the Stronghold.

There, a teleportation gate stood.

The inscribed runes on the structure were all glowing. This meant that the Teleportation Gate was active, and ready to transport anyone or anything that passed through it.

"March!" Baronar declared. "To Ludrar Bragh!"

The Orc Shamans, as well as the Orc Warriors all raised their weapons to acknowledge their Commander's order, and walked behind him as Baronar entered the Teleportation Gate first.

Lux and his comrades were at the very back of the formation because they didn't want to get in the way of the Orcs, who had been mobilized for war.

"It seems that being with you will not give me any time to rest," Gerhart said in a teasing tone. "I didn't know that you lived a very fast-paced life."

Cethus, who was standing beside the green-haired Half-Elf, agreed to what Gerhart had said. Although he had already expected that something big would happen once they entered the Orc Encampment, he didn't expect that he would witness the beginning of a war.

'Bring it on!' Cethus thought as he gazed at the red-headed teenager who was his temporary leader. 'I want to see what other interesting rewards I will get by following you on this mission.'

The Dragon Born couldn't stop himself from smirking. Not only did he get free stats points, gold coins, and other rewards, but he also managed to get a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon, which complimented his abilities perfectly.

For Cethus, this trip to the Wanid Kingdom had given him more rewards compared to the five years he had spent as one of the Royal Guards in the Capital City of Karshvar Draconis.

Although his Grandma spoiled him, he had many other siblings, who were more talented than him. Because of this, most of their family's resources were given to those people, leaving only scraps for Cethus.

Being assigned as one of the Royal Guards due to his Grandma's connections was the only silver lining in his life.

Now that a perfect opportunity had presented itself in front of him to gain powers and riches that he never thought possible, the Dragon Born no longer had any hesitation in following the Half-Elf until he became a Ranker.

If Lux could only read people's minds, he would have certainly laughed at Cethus for his "simple-mindedness".

For the Dragon Born, becoming a Ranker was a necessity.

For Lux, becoming a Ranker was on par with his journey in Elysium.

Being a Ranker wasn't the end game for him. He was tasked to find a way to save Solais from destruction.

In order for him to do that, he would need to search high and low, perhaps even going to the most dangerous places in the world, with the hope that he would find a clue that would ultimately lead him to the goal he had in mind.

"Let's move out," Lux ordered as he lightly patted Jed's back. "Stay close, everyone. We don't know what we will find after we cross through the gate."

Everyone nodded their heads in acknowledgement of Lux's orders and followed behind him as they entered the gate that would take them to the capital city of the Orcs, Ludrar Bragh.

The place where the Half-Orc whom he had met inside a Dungeon many months ago was stationed.

Baronar had hinted that Barca wasn't the current Orc Chieftain, which perplexed the red-headed teenager. If Barca wasn't the one true leader of the Orcs, then who could it possibly be?

—----------

In the City of Ludrar Bragh…

While the Orcs were preparing for war, Barca was busy writing letters to inform the other Pillars of the Wanid Kingdom that the Haca Dynasty had finally broken their thirty-year silence.

As the sound of the war drums grew in volume and intensity in the background, the second in command of the Orc Stronghold, Barca, finished writing his letters.

War was knocking once more on their door, and the Blackrock Clan, who was one of the Pillars of the Wanid Kingdom, must stand their ground until their reinforcements arrived.

"I just hope that those bastards come early," Barca muttered as he summoned several Spirit Hawks to deliver his letters to the people who needed to read them. "Fly my friends, fly swiftly and inform everyone that war is coming."

The Spirit Hawks screeched in acknowledgment before flying high in the sky and turning into rays of light. It would take them an hour to reach their destination and, by that time, Baronar's troops and Lux's party would also arrive in the Capital City of the Orcs, to answer the call of their Chieftain.

 

Chapter 582 You Must Have A Death Wish, Yes?

"So, that's Ludrar Bragh."

Lux and his party looked at the imposing fortress that seemed to be unconquerable in the distance.

As the capital city of the Orcs, as well as its greatest stronghold, Ludrar Bragh's fortifications wouldn't lose to the fortifications of an S-Ranked Kingdom.

Clearly, it would take an extremely strong army to break past its gates and lay waste to the capital city of the Orcs.

The Teleportation Gate had brought them to the nearest relay point, which was a kilometer away from the main Orc Fortress. Even so, it didn't take long for Baronar and his entourage to arrive at the gates of the Stronghold.

His banner fluttered in the wind, allowing the sentries to instantly recognize which force was coming to aid them in battle.

"Open the gates!" shouted the Orc Hunter standing on the ramparts. "The Great Orc Shaman has arrived!"

The massive gate, which seemed to be made from pure Adamantium, rose slowly to allow Baronar's Army to enter.

Just as the Great Orc Shaman said before they left, Lux would definitely stand out from the crowd, so it would be best that he and his group behave well, or else the Orcs would kick them out of the Stronghold.

Baronar had left his men behind to meet with the Orc Chieftain, but before doing so, he ordered his right-hand man to handle Lux's and his party's accommodations inside Ludrar Bragh.

"Follow me, Half-Elf," an Orc Shaman, who was nearly two meters tall said softly. "Lord Baronar has asked me to take you to your temporary quarters. While all of you are there, make sure that you don't come out of your room unless you are called. Do you understand?"

Lux nodded. "Yes."

The Orc Shaman no longer said anything and took the Half-Elf and his party to the West Wing of the Stronghold.

Along the way, almost all the Orcs they passed through glanced in their direction as if looking at some exotic animals that they were seeing for the first time.

Lux was already used to this treatment because he had experienced the same back in the Wildgarde Stronghold, as well as the Kingdom of Gweliven, in the past.

Unfortunately, the others were not used to this kind of stare, especially Laura and Livia, who stuck close to Grandma Annie.

Once they were safely inside their temporary quarters, Lux gathered everyone for a meeting. He could have easily done this through the Guild Chat, but since Cethus was not a member of their guild, he decided to just speak out loud, so that the Dragon Born could participate in the discussion as well.

"I have some good news and some bad news for everyone," Lux said. "The good news is that the Orcs are in possession of a Transcendent Flame. However, this is no ordinary Transcendent Flame, but Twin Flames."

Randolph's and Grandma Annie's eyes widened in shock because they didn't expect that they would have the chance to see a Twin Flame in their lifetime. However, Lux's next words made them feel as if a glass of cold water had been poured over their heads.

"As you may have already guessed, getting the Twin Flames is a gargantuan task because it is protected by the Orcs," Lux continued his explanation. "According to Lord Baronar, there are only two ways we can get it. The first one is to defeat the Vice Chieftain, Barca."

Before Lux could even continue his explanation, Cethus cleared his throat before making his opinion known.

"Then let's fight Barca," Cethus stated. "If all of us worked together, I'm sure that we can beat him eas—"

"Empyrean Rank," Lux interjected before Cethus could finish his words.

Cethus frowned after he was cut off from what he was about to say. "Excuse me?"

"Barca is an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster," Lux replied in a teasing tone. "Do you really think that we have a chance of beating him?"

Cethus immediately quieted down after hearing the red-headed teenager's reply.

After witnessing how strong ALL-MITE was, Cethus believed that if they all worked together, they would have a chance of beating the Orc named Barca and acquiring the Twin Flames as easily as taking a walk in the park.

However, he didn't expect that the Vice Chieftain of the Orcs was incredibly strong, making him unable to make a comeback.

An awkward silence descended inside the room, which was only broken when Grandma Annie decided to ask a question.

"Is that the bad news?" Grandma Annie asked.

"Kinda," Lux replied with a bitter smile. "There is also another option, but it is just as hard as the first. In order to get the opportunity to tame the Twin Flames, we need to create an achievement that will be recognized by the entire Blackrock Clan. Then, and only then, will we get the chance to get the Twin Flames."

Although the second option didn't sound as hard as fighting against an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster, it was still something that made everyone realize that they couldn't just simply go and grab the Twin Flames from its location.

"Did we just waste our time coming here?"

As always, Cethus was the first one to voice out his discontent.

Even so, no one berated him because deep inside their hearts, they were thinking the same thing. They didn't want to admit it, but if this was truly the case then getting the Twin Flames was already next to impossible.

"Can we just… steal it?" Gerhart said with a serious expression on his face. "Right now, the Orcs are about to enter a state of war. Why don't we take the opportunity to take the Twin Flames, while everyone is fighting on the front lines?"

Lux firmly shook his head after hearing Gerhart's proposal. "We mustn't do that. We might face extreme repercussions if we do that. Besides, what good will it bring to have the entire Blackrock Clan as our enemy? We would just become wanted fugitives in the Wanid Kingdom."

Randolph and Grandma Annie nodded their heads in agreement.

The Wanid Kingdom was one of the neighbors of the Kingdom of Gweliven. If they really did something inappropriate, it would not be out of the question for the Wanid Kingdom to send emissaries to complain to their King that they did something terribly wrong while visiting their Domain.

"I think that Gerhart's idea is good," Cethus commented with a smile. "I mean, all you need to do is go to Karshvar Draconis, and these lowly Orcs wouldn't be able to touch any of you. Wait, why are you all looking at me like that?"

Lux, and the others inside the room, weren't really looking at the Dragon Born.

They were looking at the person behind the Dragon Born.

"Hoh… so you want to steal our Twin Flames?" A voice filled with ridicule whispered in Cethus' ears. "I don't know if you're arrogant or just plain stupid. But, since you are having thoughts of stealing one of our Clan's Treasure, you must have a death wish, yes?"

Cethus slowly turned his head to look behind him.

There, he saw what seemed to be a teenage Half-Orc, who was looking back at him with a devilish smile across his face.

 

 

Chapter 583 I Hate Smart People

Everyone in the room froze, especially Lux.

He was one of the strongest people in the room, yet he had not sensed the Half-Orc's presence until the other party spoke.

In fact, he didn't even know how the Half-Orc got there in the first place. All he knew was that they were in a very tricky situation, and one wrong move could make the entire Blackrock Clan instantly turn hostile towards them.

If that were to happen, the chances of them being able to leave the Stronghold safely would be extremely difficult.

"And you are?" Cethus did his best to remain calm, but deep inside, he was feeling quite anxious.

Now that he and the rest of the people had taken a good look at the Half-Orc, who was crouched down beside Dragon Born, they immediately knew that the uninvited guest was someone stronger than them.

'Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster,' Lux's face became grim as soon as his Soul Book identified the Rank of the Half-Orc whose devilish smile remained on his face.

"My name?" The Half-Orc smirked. "I go by the name Flamma. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah…"

The Half-Orc rested his hand over Cethus' shoulder and held it in a vice grip. "You must have a death wish, yes?"

The Dragon Born didn't answer right away. Instead, he gave a very awkward chuckle before giving his reply.

"I-It was just a joke," Cethus stuttered. "Everyone is feeling depressed, so I just thought of making it more lively."

"HA. HA. HA," Flamma said in a voice filled with sarcasm. "Very funny. This is the second time I've seen a Dragon Born, and you are just as stupid as him."

"Y-You've seen one of our kind before?"

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"Dead."

This time, it was Flamma's turn to chuckle, and his chuckle made everyone inside the room shudder.

After the Half-Orc finished laughing, he gave everyone a smile and said.

"What are you guys looking at? I was just joking."

Although Flamma said he was joking, no one inside the room believed him because of the look of ridicule in his eyes.

"Your Excellency, I apologize on behalf of my party members," Lux said. "His mother accidentally dropped him when he was still an egg, so his brain has been a bit damaged since he was born."

"Oh?" Flamma smirked. "Such a thing happened? Unfortunately, being stupid is not an excuse. Now, I ask all of you here, do you want me to spread this news to everyone, or should I keep it to myself?"

Everyone glanced at Lux, including Cethus, who was still being held by the Half-Orc.

Although the Half-Orc was young, he was already a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster.

Of course, Flamma wasn't as strong as the Crimson Berserker Mantis that ALL-MITE had fought in the Shaufell Plains.

In fact, Lux was confident that he could beat him as long as he fought Flamma with his Undead Army. However, being able to beat him wasn't the real problem.

They were inside the Capital City of the Orcs, and if a fight broke out, they would immediately find themselves surrounded by Flamma's Clansmen.

The red-headed teenager didn't need to be a genius to know how he was going to answer Flamma's question.

"How can we keep this amongst ourselves, Your Excellency?" Lux inquired.

"Hmm, you're smart," Flamma gave Lux a gaze of approval. "I hate smart people."

The corner of Grandma Annie's lips twitched because she understood that the Half-Orc was simply toying with them.

Although Flamma looked like someone that could easily be reasoned with, the scheming gaze the Half-Orc used to look at them made her want to slap him with her slipper so badly.

However, before Grandma Annie could entertain these thoughts, Lux posed a question that made the Half-Orc chuckle.

"How about we settle this with a friendly spar?" Lux inquired. "I and Cethus will fight you one at a time. If either of us wins, you will pretend that you didn't hear any of our discussion. Do we have a deal?"

"Hahaha! This is a very Orcish way of settling things," Flamma chuckled. "Very well, I agree. You two will become my warmup before the war starts."ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom

Without even waiting for Lux's reply, the Half-Orc stood up and dragged Cethus out of the room with an excited expression on his face.

His parents forbade him to join the war, and he was feeling very rebellious about it. Because of this, when he heard that there were some interesting guests that had appeared in their stronghold, he immediately went to look for them.

It was at that moment when he heard their discussion, and it enraged him when he learned that they were planning to steal their Twin Flames from right under their noses.

Fortunately, Lux rejected the idea, which reduced Flamma's anger. Even so, he wasn't too happy with the Dragon Born, who kept insisting that their group steal the Twin Flames while Flamma's entire Clan was busy preparing to fight for the Wanid Kingdom.

"Don't worry, Dragon Born," Flamma said as he dragged the helpless Cethus with him. "I'll only clobber you till you're half-dead. After that, your leader will be next."

Cethus could only grit his teeth as he endured the humiliation of being dragged away by the young Half-Orc, who was smaller than him by a head.

Lux and the others quickly followed behind Cethus and Flamma because they couldn't possibly leave their party member alone.

While this was happening, a high-level meeting was happening inside the throne room of the Stronghold.

Barca and the Four Orc Warlords knelt in front of a throne made of Monster Bones. They were paying their respect to the Orc Chieftain, who had gathered all of them in preparation for the War against the Haca Dynasty.

"According to my estimate, It will take their army at least five days to reach the outskirts of Lor Dhuga," Mogazar, the Orc Warlord who specialized in long-distance warfare reported. "Our scouts didn't see anything unusual about their army, but I have a feeling that they are more prepared than they were thirty years ago."

Half a minute of silence descended inside the throne room before the Orc Chieftain gave her reply.

"It is only natural to feel that way," the Orc Chieftain replied. "Humans may be weaker than us, but they are very cunning. I'm sure that they have prepared a surprise or two for us, but it doesn't matter."

The Half-Orc Lady lightly tapped the armrest of the throne with her left hand, while she rested the side of her face on her right hand.

"As always, we will go to war using every means necessary to win," the Orc Chieftain stated. "Do not expect help from the other Pillars because all of you know that they are eyeing our Twin Flames. I'm sure that they will offer their assistance if we allow them to harness its power as well."

Barca and the Orc Warlords nodded in agreement.

For them, the Twin Flames were both a blessing and a curse. Everyone wanted to have them, but only a few could actually possess them.

Because of this, tensions between the other Pillars were at an all-time high because the Blackrock Clan was very protective of one of their Clan's treasures.

"Baronar, I saw earlier that you brought outsiders to our city," the Orc Chieftain said as she shifted her gaze towards the Great Orc Shaman. "You must have a good reason for bringing them here, right?"

Baronar had a conflicted look on his face after she looked at him with a steady gaze.

"Just like everyone else, they came here for the Twin Flames," Baronar replied.

He had no intention of hiding Lux's reason for coming to the Orc Capital, so he might as well let everyone know so that they would not become too suspicious of the Half-Elf who shared a spiritual connection with them.

"Hah… they never learn," the Orc Chieftain sighed. "They aren't the first, nor will they be the last, to ask for the Twin Flames, but our answer will never change. If they can't follow our rul–"

Before the Orc Chieftain could finish what she was going to say, a Raven flew inside the throne room through the window and landed beside the armrest of the throne.

"Flamma is asking for permission to use the Arena," the Raven stated. "It seems that he has decided to spar with the newcomers."

The Orc Chieftain's lips curled up into a smirk after hearing the Raven's report.

"Barca, I swear that he inherited his hot-headedness from you," the Orc Chieftain said softly.

Barca shook his head firmly before giving his reply. "Everyone here knows that he inherited that trait from you. You've spoiled him too much."

The Half-Orc Lady giggled before lightly patting the Raven's head with her finger.

"Give him permission to use the arena," the Orc Chieftain ordered. "He's being rebellious because he was not allowed to join this war. Also, I'd like to know why you brought them here, Baronar.

"I'm sure that you of all people would not bring anyone who covets the Twin Flames to our capital city. There must be more to this than meets the eye."

Baronar didn't reply and only smiled. However, deep inside he was cursing Lux.

'I told you to behave, didn't I?' Baronar sighed in his heart. 'Just what did you do in order to rile up that battle junkie? This is not going to end well.'

The Great Orc Shaman knew how strong Flamma was. Although he had a good opinion of Lux, he didn't believe that the Half-Elf was capable of defeating the Half-Orc, who was going to be the next leader of the Blackrock Clan once his mother retired from her position.

 

 

Chapter 584 A Seed Inside An Innocent Heart

"N-No... Hah... don't...bite it... Ngh!"

Valerie clutched the bed sheets as her sweet voice escaped from her seductive lips.

"Stop sucking... are you a baby? I said... stop... Mmm! N-No... I'm feeling... weird. S-Stop... don't... pinch me... Hah!"

The Dragon Princess' young and beautiful body, that was void of any imperfections, glistened with sweat as she cried out helplessly against the merciless kisses that rained upon her voluptuous chest.

"Even if you say stop, isn't it too late for that?" the handsome Half-Elf said in a teasing tone before nibbling on the firm, pink tip that was aching for his touch.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Valerie asked the red-headed teenager, who was making her feel things she had never felt before.

"Why? Isn't that obvious," the handsome Half-Elf replied as he raised his head to look at the beautiful Princess, whose flushed face could make any man lose their senses. "You're already pregnant with my child. Which means that the two of us are now lovers, right? What we're doing now is what lovers do."

"L-Lovers?"

"Mmm. Lovers."

Valerie didn't have any experience when it came to love. However, she had read many books about Knights, Princes, and Princesses, who became lovers after their fateful meeting.

Also, Valerie's mother would often tell her stories on how she met her father, and how the reigning Dragon King courted her.

You can even say that, all of Valerie's knowledge when it came to the opposite sex came from her mother, whom she loved and admired.

With these thoughts swirling inside her head, the beautiful Dragon Princess was unable to stop the red-headed teenager's advances.

The only thing that she could do was shudder helplessly under his caress.

After marking both of her breasts with kisses, the Half-Elf then kissed Valerie's forehead, and her cheeks before finally claiming her lips.

They kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more, with each kiss growing in intensity.

Only when Valerie felt the Half-Elf's hand moving ever slowly downwards, from her breast, to her belly, to her lower abdomen, did the alarm bells started to ring inside her head.

"Stop!" Valerie cried out as she grabbed Lux's hand, who was inches away from her...

The Dragon Princess looked teary-eyed at the handsome Half-Elf and pleaded for him to stop.

"You really can't go any further," Valerie said hoarsely. "I will really get pregnant if you continue. Please, have mercy."

The Half-Elf paused and gave Valerie a gaze filled with affection.

"Aren't you already pregnant?" Lux asked with a smile.

"N-No," Valerie replied. "M-Mother said that it was just a misunderstanding. Holding hands doesn't make Dragons pregnant. But, if you touch me there, I will really get pregnant."

"Really? Is that what she said to you?"

"Y-Yes. She said she got pregnant when father touched her there."

The Half-Elf gave the Dragon Princess a devilish smile as his hand once again moved downwards, despite the fact that Valerie's hand was holding onto his wrist.

"Then get pregnant," Lux said softly as his hands finally reached the place where he wanted to go. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom

The moment Lux's fingers pried her petals open, an electric shock washed over Valerie's body. A moment later, the Half-Elf's lips sucked her breast once again, while his fingers made the beautiful Dragon Princess lose all sense of reason.

Valerie's cries of pleasure that were tainted with helplessness echoed inside the room. She felt so weak that she couldn't do anything, but accept the intoxicating pleasure that had completely taken over her senses.

-----------

"..."

Valerie woke up with a jolt, and found herself covered in sweat.

pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ The dream she had was still fresh in her mind, and it made her cheeks turn beet red.

"I-It was just a dream?" Valerie muttered as she placed her hand over her chest to try to calm down her wildly beating heart.

It was the first time that the naive, and gullible Princess experienced a wet dream, and she herself didn't understand what just happened.

What the Half-Elf did to her was something she knew nothing about, and only heard about in passing whenever her mother talked about her intimate moments with the Dragon King, as a way of educating Valerie about the opposite sex.

Because of what happened recently, the Dragon Queen decided to tell Valerie the truth on how babies were made. This was to ensure that her daughter wouldn't be too ignorant of the world, and understand when she was in real danger of getting pregnant.

Perhaps, this conversation with her mother was the real reason why such a dream became a reality. All of Valerie's questions, and frustrations, had been answered by the dream.

It also made her feel like digging a hole, and burying herself inside of it out of embarrassment.

She kept on telling herself that it was just a dream, over and over again, and yet her body felt hot due to the illusionary traces of Lux's kisses and caress.

"I'll take a bath to cool myself down," Valerie muttered as she got up from her bed, and headed to the spring right next to her private residence.

Her nightgown was already drenched with sweat, which stuck to her alluring figure that was still in the process of maturing.

Perhaps, in a year or two, her growth phase would end, and by then, Valerie's charm would reach unprecedented heights.

This would surely force the Dragon King to increase the number of Rankers that accompanied her everytime she snuck away from the Capital City of Rex Lapis.

Of course, Valerie wasn't aware that her parents had prepared such a contingency each time she left the Inner Palace.

The only thing in her mind right now was her dream, as well as the affectionate and gentle Half-Elf, whose smile and touch made her heart flutter inside her chest.

'Should I tell mother about the dream I just had?' Valerie thought as she removed the strings of her nightgown, making it fall beside her feet. 'Or, should I tell father about it first? He said that he will invite Sir Lux to go fishing with him when he returns to Karshvar Draconis. I wonder if I can be with them as well? Fishing sounds fun.'

The Dragon Princess waded inside the spring, until only her head was visible. The spring waters washed over her sweat-stained body, helping her body cool down.

"Sir Lux...," Valerie muttered as she thought of the red-headed teenager whose affectionate gaze, and gentle touch lingered inside her memory. "I guess Ali and Ari were right all along. Half-Elfs really do eat Dragons. I better be careful when Sir Lux returns. If I get carried away, I might get eaten by him. Just like he did in my dream."

The Dragon Princess then lightly cupped her breasts that were submerged under the water, and remembered how the Half-Elf suckled and bit them like a baby.

Although she was feeling a bit fearful about what just transpired in her dream, a small seed had already been planted inside her innocent heart.

A seed that would be nourished with time, and grow to become a beautiful flower...

Waiting for the day when a Prince would come and make her innocent, and untamed, heart skip a beat.

 

 

Chapter 585 Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 1]

"Don't worry, I'll do my best not to kill you by accident," Flamma said as he stood facing Cethus in the Grand Arena used by the Blackrock Clan.

Cethus didn't bother to give a reply and simply summoned the spear he had received as a reward after completing the quest of escorting the residents of Abingdon Town.

After hearing that Flamma had challenged the newcomers into a duel, all of the Orcs who had finished their preparations for the war went to the Grand Arena to watch the battle.

Of course, they knew that Cethus, who was only of the Initiate Rank, had no chance of winning against Flamma. But, it didn't matter.

They were there to support the son of their Orc Chieftain, and also to watch something entertaining before they headed off to the battlefield.

"Are both fighters ready?" Baronar, who had come to the Grand Arena in a hurry to better understand what happened, decided to referee.

He had no chance to ask questions because Flamma insisted on having the duel, and Cethus kept his silence.

Because of this, the Great Orc Shaman had no choice but to facilitate the duel. The only thing he could do was to ensure that the Dragon Born wouldn't die if the son of their Chieftain got carried away with his antics.

"Start the battle!" Baronar shouted, and all the Orcs in the stands raised their weapons and cheered.

The first thing that Cethus did was to fly upwards because there was no way he could battle a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster in close quarters. The Dragon Born understood that he needed to gain distance, as soon as possible, but Flamma had anticipated this move from the get go.

"Fire Snakes!" Flamma roared as he unleashed two flames, which transformed into giant snakes.

These Spirit Snakes flew towards Cethus, forcing the Dragon Born to distance himself from the enemy's attacks.

The spear in his hands hummed faintly, as if telling Cethus that all was well. With his sentient weapon telling him that the preparations were underway, the Dragon Born focused all of his attention on evading.

Flamma chuckled after seeing Cethus' desperate struggles. He had fought almost all of the Orcs in the Blackrock Clan that was close to his age, and none of them even managed to deal a decisive blow on him.

Part of this was because Flamma was born strong, and another was that he acquired several artifacts, and pieces of equipment, which were all Pseudo-Legendary in nature.

In time, no one dared to challenge him again because he was simply too strong for the younger generation.

"Maybe two Fire Snakes isn't enough for you," Flamma said as he raised both of his hands. "How about four then?"

Two more FIre Snakes materialized in the arena, and once again flew in Cethus' direction. Everyone watching the battle, with the exception of Lux and his party, thought that the battle was already over, but what they saw next made their eyes widen in shock.

"Gravity Domain!" Cethus roared as he pointed his spear towards the sky.

Immediately, a black dome encapsulated the entire arena, increasing the gravity inside the domain by six times.

The Fire Snakes, which were like fishes in the water earlier, fell to the floor of the arena, barely able to raise their heads.

Flamma narrowed his eyes, as he stood unmoving from his spot. Although he seemed to be completely fine, the truth was, his body felt as heavy as lead.

'I underestimated this Dragon Born,' Flamma thought. 'I guess it's time for me to get serious.'

Baronar, who was outside of the arena, looked at the battle with his arms crossed over his chest. Just like everyone else, he didn't expect Cethus to have a Trump Card that could make things difficult for Flamma.

One of the rewards that Cethus acquired when he cleared the mission in the Shaufell Plains was a Rank 5 Skill Book of his choice.

The Skill Book he chose was something that he had always wanted to have, and that was none other than Gravity Domain.

Cethus' true power lay in manipulating gravity. However, he could only manipulate the gravity of his equipment.

For example he could make his weapon lighter, or heavier, depending on the situation.

When attacking, he could decrease the gravity of his weapon to allow him to make it lighter, and instantly make it heavier at the point of impact.

This would take his enemies completely by surprise, and one of aces he kept up his sleeve. Only his Grandma knew about this ability of his, which he only used during life and death situations.

During his duel with Lux, the Dragon Born wasn't given the opportunity to highlight this ability because he got gang banged pretty early during their duel. However, right now, he felt as if he could do it, and that's why he was now showcasing his might for everyone to see.

The Gravity Domain skill perfectly complimented his ability, making Cethus more deadly than ever before.

"Pay for your arrogance, Half-Orc!" Cethus roared as he pulled back his arm in preparation to throw the spear in his hand.

"Gravitas Dominion!"

The moment Cethus threw his weapon, he activated his ability and nullified the gravity of the spear, making it travel at the speed of sound.

When the spear was only a meter away from Flamma, the Dragon Born once again activated his ability, and increased the gravity of the spear by 10, making it extremely heavy.

The weapon that Cethus received was a sentient spear, meaning that it had intelligence and the ability to communicate with its Master.

The spear was called Oblivion, the Impaler of the Forsaken, and now, this same weapon was only a meter away from the Half-Orc, who originally thought that he could defeat Cethus without breaking a sweat.

Oblivion hit his mark, and embedded itself in Flamma's shoulder. Since they were in the Blackrock Clan's territory, accidentally killing the son of the reigning Patriarch would certainly spell doom for everyone in Lux's party.

Because of this, Cethus had only aimed at the Half-Orc's dominant shoulder. He believed that as long as his spear made contact with Flamma's body, the match would be over in no time at all.

A resounding clap reverberated in the surroundings as Oblivion pierced through the Half-Orc's shoulder. At least, this was what Cethus believed would happen.

Unfortunately, the moment the spear hit the Half-Orc's shoulder, it immediately bounced off as if it was a rubber ball, hitting a boulder.

Before Cethus could even recover from his shock, Flamma created runic symbols with his fingers before pressing his hand over the arena.

"Wind Break!"

A moment later, Cethus found himself falling from the air as if he was a puppet whose strings had been cut off.

As the Dragon Born struggled to regain balance, he suddenly saw Flamma's face, inches away from his own.

"Nice try," Flamma said. "But not enough to beat me."

Without even giving Cethus an opportunity to recover, Flamma slammed his clenched fist against the Dragon Born's chest, smashing him towards the ground.

The Dragon Born was only able to cough a mouthful of blood before passing out completely.

Almost all of his ribs had been broken, and if he didn't get medical help soon, his condition would quickly deteriorate.

Fortunately, Baronar was there and he immediately stopped the match before Flamma could get carried away and harm the unconscious Dragon Born further.

The Great Orc Shaman had invited Lux and his comrades as his guests, and it would reflect badly on him if one of them died under his watch.

"Flamma Wins!" Baronar shouted before summoning several Elite Orc Spirit Warriors to carry the unconscious Cethus to his side.

Cheers erupted on the stands as the Blackrock Clan shouted Flamma's name, cheering him on his victory.

"""Flamma!"""

"""Flamma!"""

"""Flamma!"""

Gerhart, who watched the battle from start to finish, looked at the fallen Dragon Born with a calm expression on his face. He had no love for Cethus, and he could care less if he lost the duel.

However, after seeing how the latter was defeated, he realized that Flamma had used an ability that rendered him invincible for a short period of time. Because of this, he was worried that Lux might also get defeated in a similar manner, which might bring further complications to their mission.

 

 

Chapter 586 Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 2]

"Be careful," Gerhart said to the Half-Elf. "Don't give him a chance to do anything."

Lux nodded before walking towards the Arena where Flamma was waiting for him with arms crossed over his chest.

When the Half-Elf stood facing Flamma in the Arena, the Orcs once again started to cheer and call out Flamma's name.

"Don't worry," Flamma said with confidence. "I will not be as brutal to you as I was to your friend."

"Thank you?" Lux replied. "Ah. by the way, there is one thing that I would like to say to you. You see, I'm a Summoner, so I need to summon Creatures in order to fight. Is that fine with you?"

Flamma only laughed after hearing Lux's words. For him, it didn't matter if Lux was a Summoner. Clearly, he was very confident of his strength.

"It's fine," Flamma stated. "Feel free to summon all of your Creatures. It won't change the outcome of this match."

Unknown to Flamma, the Orc Chieftain, Barca, and the other Orc Warlords were watching the duel from their VIP seats in the Grand Arena.

"I pity those newcomers," the Orc Raider, Tanabur commented. "They're just like punching dummies for Flamma."

Morgazar, the Orc Hunter, nodded his head in agreement. "Flamma should really stop bullying people."

Only Barca and the Orc Chieftain looked at the Half-Elf with interest.

"Do you feel it, Barca?" the Orc Chieftain asked.

"Yes," Barca replied. "That Half-Elf is not simple. Flamma might hit his first roadblock today."

The Orc Chieftain only smiled at the thought of her son's arrogance getting brought down a peg.

After making sure that Cethus was no longer in danger, Baronar once again walked toward the Arena to ask both fighters if they were ready to fight.

Lux and Flamma nodded their heads, which made the Great Orc Shaman raise his hand and announce the start of the battle.

Earlier, Flamma simply stood and allowed Cethus to gain distance from him. But now, he changed his mind.

As soon as Baronar gave the signal to fight, he immediately charged in Lux's direction with the intention of smashing his fist against the Half-Elf's chest, to give him the same injury that Cethus had received from his strike.

If not for the fact that he had an artifact that allowed him to become invincible for ten seconds, Cethus' spear strike might have really pierced through his shoulder, making him feel a world of pain.

Flamma wasn't stupid. He was a warrior, and was capable of knowing if his opponent was strong or not.

Lux might be weaker than him, but the Half-Elf looked like a veteran who had fought many life and death battles.

The Half-Orc didn't want to take any chances and decided to end the match before something unexpected happened.

"Brutal Smash!" Flamma roared as he delivered a powerful punch that would send the Half-Elf flying towards the other side of the arena, where he would hit the stands.

However, before the Half-Orc's punch punch could even land on the red-headed teenager's body, a clawed hand caught it securely in its grasp, preventing it from moving forward a single inch.

"You call that a Smash?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "ALL-MITE, show him what a true smash looks like."

The Unsung Hero of Abingdon Town obeyed his Master's orders and smashed his fist into the Half-Orc's face, sending Flamma flying backwards.

A moment later, a pin-drop silence spread within the arena as everyone looked in disbelief at what just happened.

The strongest member of their young generation struggled to prop himself up from the ground, while blood oozed from his nose.

"Good!" Flamma growled as he wiped the blood off his nose. "It has been a while since someone has managed to hurt me. Your Summon is strong. Our battle will be Legendary!"

"Okay," Lux replied.

"Just a piece of advice, Half-Elf. I won't be able to hold myself back anymore."

"Okay."

"Don't blame me if I accidentally killed you."

"Okay."

"Bastard, here I come!" Flamma roared as he took out a Pseudo-Legendary War Axe in preparation to duke it out with Lux.

However, just before he could charge at the Half-Elf, something he didn't expect appeared in front of his eyes.

"Arise!" Lux ordered.

All of Lux's Named Creatures, and all the members of his Covenant appeared in the Arena. Not only that, Lux had also used his Legendary Artifact, Elemental Heart, and summoned a Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental, who sent powerful gusts of winds throughout their surroundings.

This made the Orcs who were about to cheer on Flamma, once again fall into silence.

Baronar, who was watching from the side of the Arena, couldn't stop the corner of his lips from twitching.

'What in the Son Jinwoo is this sh*t?' Baronar thought as he looked at Lux's summons that were strong enough to screw Flamma ten times over.

The Orc Warlords who were inside the VIP Room also almost choked on their saliva after seeing the unexpected turn of events.

They had seen Summoners before, but they didn't expect that someone as young as Lux could summon a force that was enough to make some of the members of the Blackrock Clan feel as if their bum was about to get a beating.

Lux and Cethus might not see eye to eye most of the time, but since the Dragon Born reminded the Half-Elf of when he himself was still struggling and wanted to be strong, he decided to take Cethus under his wing.

After seeing the Dragon Born's sorry state, the Half-Elf felt the strong urge to teach the Half-Orc a lesson that he shouldn't bully those who were weaker than him.

"Sorry, Flamma," Lux said as his two hands transformed into Dragon Claws. "I don't fight one-on-one battles. So, don't blame me if I accidentally kill you."

"T-This is a sacred duel, you know," Flamma stuttered. "Fight me one-on-one!"

"Okay," Lux replied as he pointed his finger at the silly Half-Orc who thought that he could bullsh*t his way out of this mess.

"Bang his nuts!"

As soon as the Half-Elf gave his orders, his subordinates moved as one and charged at the pitiful Half-Orc who would soon understand what it meant to be Gang Banged.

 

 

Chapter 587 Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 3]

Flamma had tasted losses several times in the past.

However, these losses weren't earned from those who were the same age as him.

He would often spar with the Orc Warlords, on a regular basis in order to hone his fighting skills. Of course, sparring had its limitations because the Orc Warlords were not going all out because they were afraid that they might accidentally injure him during their sparring matches.

Because of this, Flamma didn't really understand what it means to really fight against strong opponents.

The young Orcs that he had beaten, although strong, were still weaker than him. This made him feel unsatisfied most of the time.

Fighting monsters was also an option, but since there were several people who were assigned to protect him, he hadn't really encountered a situation where his life was truly on the line.

He was equipped with Pseudo-Legendary and Legendary Equipment that had many ways to preserve his life, like the one he used against Cethus earlier.

It was an earring given to him by his mother, the Orc Chieftain, that allowed him to become invincible for ten seconds. However, it had a cooldown time of twelve hours.

With so many powerful pieces of equipment and artifacts at his disposal, he believed that he could win against anyone who was the same rank as him.

When he faced Lux, he thought that he could easily beat the guy and get it over with, but he faced the wrong opponent.

The one he fought was a very disgusting opponent.

"... Argh!"

A grunt escaped Flamma's lips as ALL-MITE's fist smashed against his face a second time, sending him flying in the opposite direction.

However, before he could even regain his balance, he found himself being pulled back towards the four-armed Hero due to the power of the Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental, whose role was to ensure that Flamma wouldn't be able to distance himself from Lux's subordinates.

"Don't Underestimate me!" Flamma roared in anger as he prepared to hack ALL-MITE with his War Axe. "Brutal Swing!"

Raising his War Axe above his head, the Half-Orc planned to use a full-powered blow in order to defeat the weird-looking-creature with four arms, once and for all.

Unfortunately for him, ALL-MITE wasn't the only opponent he had in the battlefield.

Orion grabbed hold of Flamma's leg and smashed him to the ground before he could hit ALL-MITE.

A moment later, Diablo used his skill, Quick Assault, and stabbed Flamma's bum with his sword, making the Half-Orc, half-groan and half moan.

The Orcs who were watching the duel, especially the young Orcs, all covered their backsides with both hands, as if they were afraid that they would be next.

Even Barca and the Orc Warlords winced after seeing what happened to Flamma.

The only exception was the Orc Chieftain who hastily covered her lips in order to suppress the laughter that was bubbling up inside her chest.

Flamma roared in both anger and embarrassment before propping himself up and jumping upwards. He then hastily checked the surroundings looking for a single person.

'As long as I bring down the summoner first, these bastards will all disappear!' Flamma thought as his gaze landed on the Half-Elf, who was at a good distance away from where they were fighting.

"Fire Snake!" Flamma summoned a Fire Snake, which he used as a foothold in order to run towards Lux's direction.

The Half-Elf looked at him with a teasing smile on his face, which made the Half-Orc want to slap Lux's face so badly.

"We'll see if you can keep that smile on your face!" Flamma shouted as he jumped off from the Fire Snake's body, shooting towards Lux's like a Cannonball.

The smile on Lux's face widened as the Half-Orc closed the gap to only a few meters.

However, just as he was about to reach the Half-Elf's body, the red-headed teenager suddenly flew up into the sky.

Unfazed by what Lux did, Flamma hastily stomped his feet on the ground with the intention of jumping after his target, but before he could do that, his body suddenly froze mid-jump.

A moment later, Flamma found himself charging towards the Jade Golem, whose gauntleted hand was glowing brightly.

With a roar filled with hatred, the Half-Orc slashed the Jade Golem using every ounce of strength he could muster.

A resounding cracking sound spread in the surroundings as the Orion's Golden Gauntlet, and Flamma's War Axe collided with each other.

"Perfect Counter!" Orion shouted as he returned force behind Flamma's strike back to the Half-Orc, which made the latter fly backwards like a kite whose strings had been cut.

Red blood trailed in the air as Flamma momentarily lost consciousness.

What Orion did was a perfect counter, which reflected the Half-Orc's full powered blow back at him.

After Lux had gotten an upgrade, most of his subordinates had acquired new skills and abilities, and the Jade Golem, as well as the Fortress Defender, benefited greatly from it.

Aside from the Beast Cores that Orion could use to power up his gauntlet, he had also learned the skill, Counter.

Pazuzu on the other hand, learned the skills Shield Reflect and Shield Counter, which were capable of storing the force behind magical and physical attacks, before unleashing them as an offensive counter to his enemies.

Flamma's temporary loss of consciousness was taken advantage of by Lux's subordinates.

Diablo and the rest didn't hesitate, and unleashed a barrage of attacks that made Baronar's teeth itch, just watching the battle.

Lux, who was looking down on the Half-Orc from above the arena, crossed his arms over his chest.

The Half-Elf was currently standing on the palm of the Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental, which made Lux look so badass.

Truth be told, Lux wasn't only paying attention to Flamma who was getting gang banged in the arena. He was also observing the reaction of Baronar, as well as the other Orc Warlords, whose presence he had sensed when the battle started.

Lux gave Barca a side-long glance.

The Half-Orc was older than the one he had met in the Dungeon, and a scar could be seen etched on the right side of his face, reaching up to his eye, making him look hideous.

Moving his gaze to Baronar's right side, the Half-Elf saw an unfamiliar face, sitting on a make-shift throne.

Although he was a good distance away, he could tell that he was looking at a Half-Orc.

'I guess I'll introduce myself later to them,' Lux thought as he once again shifted his attention to Flamma, who could no longer tell which was left and right after the non-stop battering he was receiving from all sides.

The reason why Lux decided to summon his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, was to make a name for himself within the Capital City of the Orcs.

This was why he suggested that Flamma duel with them, so that the Blackrock Clan could see what he was capable of doing, allowing him to make a name for himself.

Seeing that he had already received the effect that he wanted, Lux gave his subordinates a thumbs down giving them the order to finish the match.

At that exact moment, Flamma suddenly did the unexpected and stomped his foot on the ground. A second later, he was hurtling towards the Half-Elf, while shouting a war cry.

"For the Clan!" Flamma shouted as four Fire Snakes materialized around him, shielding him from Lux's subordinates who had given him a good beating.

Lux smirked as he pointed his finger at the Half-Orc whose bloodshot eyes were locked on his body.

"Death Sentence [EX]!"

A powerful beam of darkness shot out from Lux's fingertips which immediately expanded in size, engulfing the Half-Orc's entire body.

Currently, this skill was Lux's strongest attack, and, whenever possible, he didn't want to use it.

If not for the fact that Flamma had managed to regain his senses at the last minute, the Half-Elf wouldn't have resorted to using the skill that would cripple him temporarily.

"Seriously, that hurts," Baronar complained as he removed the Spirit Shield that was blocking his body. "To think that your attack can bypass even magical defenses. I am very impressed."

The Orc Great Shaman decided to step in because he understood that Flamma would be seriously injured if he took on Lux's powerful attack head-on.

Using his right hand to block Lux's attack, and using his left to restrain the nearly-unconscious Half-Orc, Baronar made sure that both parties wouldn't have lasting injuries from their duel.

"Winner, Lux!" Baronar announced as he pointed at the red-headed teenager that was standing on the palm of his Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental.

Flamma groaned as he gazed up at the Half-Elf who was calmly looking back at him with a smile.

"I lost," Flamma muttered.

With a sigh of unwillingness, the Half-Orc closed his eyes because his body had reached his limit. The War Axe he was holding on tightly earlier now fell on the ground with a thud, signifying that the battle had truly come to an end.

A few seconds later, Flamma lost consciousness, which made Baronar shake his head helplessly.

"Oi, carry your own son," Baronar said as he looked up at the VIP area where Barca and the others were watching. "Don't make me clean up his mess."

The Orcs, who were almost silent minutes ago began to raise their hands high up in the air and started cheering. Although Flamma had lost, Orcs didn't find fault with Lux's methods and applauded him.

They were a race that respected the strong, and in their eyes, they acknowledged that Lux was strong despite his young age.

"Barca, invite the Half-Elf and his companions to dine with us later," the Orc Chieftain said with a smile.

Barca nodded before jumping towards the Arena to carry his unconscious son away, who had gotten beaten so badly.

"Your name is Lux, right?" Barca said as he took his son from Baronar's hands.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Lux replied.

"Eat with us later," Barca stated before turning around to leave the arena. "Make sure you come hungry."

Without another word, the Vice-Chieftain of the Blackrock Clan carried his son away from the arena, while the members of his clan were cheering for the Half-Elf, who showed them a heated battle that also lit the fire in their hearts.

 

Chapter 588 I’m Still Alive, You Bastard!

"The other creatures you summoned, I didn't see them when I looked at your memories," Baronar said as he sat cross-legged opposite Lux.

"Well, a lot of things happened," Lux replied as he drank a glass of fruit juice.

Currently, he was in a weakened state after using the skill, Death Sentence [EX]. However, since the battle was over, he could relax a bit while waiting for his stats to return to normal.

'Fortunately, Death's Sentence's side-effect only lasts for an hour,' Lux thought as he emptied his glass. 'I'll be back to normal in time for dinner.'

The Half-Elf and his companions were back in their residence, celebrating Lux's victory over Flamma.

Randolph and Grandma Annie were both surprised because this was the first time that they had seen Lux fight since he saved their Leaf Village from the last Monster Outbreak.

Back then, a Mere Rank 5 World-Boss Monster threatened to wipe out their entire village from the face of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

This catastrophe was only resolved when Lux appeared to save them.

'I can't believe how strong he has become in the short time that I haven't seen him fight,' Grandma Annie mused as she looked at the Half-Elf who had looked so lost and lonely when he first arrived in Leaf Village.

She wasn't the only one that was feeling nostalgic. Even Randolph looked at the red-headed teenager with pride in his eyes.

'You've grown so much, my boy,' Randolph thought. 'I look forward to seeing how strong you will be in the future.'

As Lux's Master, Randolph felt truly happy for him. He knew that Lux had set a goal for himself, and although he didn't ask his disciple what it was, he believed that as long as the Half-Elf was given the chance to grow, he would be able to accomplish many things in life.

Laura and Livia were also very impressed with Lux's performance. They now understood why their Big Brother, Sid, chose to serve under him.

"Livia, let's get stronger too," Laura whispered to her sister.

"Un!" Livia replied as she nodded her head.

Their two Baby Slimes, Nora and Cora, were also talking to Eiko, and both of them said that they wanted to become as strong as her as well.

"Eyah!" Eiko nodded her head in approval to Nora's and Cora's wishes because she was also constantly striving to get stronger.

She still hadn't won a duel against the Unicorn, Astra, whom the Baby Slime had labeled her archenemy.

Gerhart already had an idea of how strong Lux was, but seeing the Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental that the Half-Elf had summoned in the Arena made him realize that the Half-Elf still had one more powerful fighter at his beck and call.

'He already summoned a powerful lineup, and yet, that was still not the extent of his full power,' Gerhart gave the Half-Elf a side-long glance before emptying his glass of fruit juice. 'Although I'm a bit older than him, I can say with confidence that I don't have any chances of defeating him at this point in time.'

Originally, Gerhart believed that there were not many teenagers, who were about the same age as him, who could beat him in battle.

But, after seeing what the Half-Elf was capable of doing, he realized that there was always someone stronger than you, somewhere out there.

"If your purpose for doing what you did in the arena was to get our Orc Chieftain's attention then you succeeded," Baronar stated as he eyed the Half-Elf, whose hands were shaking a bit as he held a glass of fruit juice. "You've made a name for yourself, Lux.

"Our Flamma hadn't lost a single battle amongst his peers, and you are the first to make him taste the bitterness of defeat. Tell me, did you do that in order to avenge your friend whom he had bullied earlier?"

Lux didn't answer right away as he carefully placed his cup in front of him.

"Yes, and no," Lux replied as he raised his head to look at the Great Orc Shaman in front of him. "Just like you mentioned earlier, your Excellency, my goal is to gain recognition from the Blackrock Clan. I want them to know my name, and what I am capable of. However, it is also true that I was angry about what he did to Cethus. Because of that I went overboard a bit."

"Well, all is good. I'm sure that no one will find fault in what you did."

"Thank you, Your Excellency. I'm sure that Cethus will also be happy in the afterlife since I avenged him."

"I'm still alive, you bastard!" Cethus shouted. "Don't kill me off just yet. Damn you!"

The Dragon Born was lying on a make-shift stretcher not far from everyone.

Although Baronar had used his Shamanic Powers to repair Cethus' broken ribs, it would still take him a few days to have a complete recovery.

Baronar chuckled after seeing the exchange between the Half-Elf and the Dragon Born. Clearly, the two really didn't get along with each other much, but he could also tell that Cethus was feeling grateful that Lux taught Flamma a lesson.

"This might be a bit late, but... you have the Power of the Abyss in you, right?" Baronar asked as he rubbed his chin. "I clearly felt its power when I blocked your attack. If I wasn't a Great Shaman, who has strengthened my spiritual power to a higher realm, your last attack might have caused injury to my soul."

Lux nodded his head. "Yes. I do have the power of the Abyss in me."

"I knew it!" Baronar clapped his hands together. "Is there a chance that you carry with you an Abyssal Core? Truth be told, I've always wanted to acquire the power of the Abyss myself. However, I haven't had the opportunity to face any Abyssal Monsters in my lifetime. No matter the price, I am willing to give it to you in exchange for an Abyssal Core."

Lux closed his eyes for a bit as he pondered on how to answer Baronar's request.

Truth be told, he still had the body of the Grim Butcher Nightwalker, which was a Rank 5 World Boss Monster.

This Abyssal Monster appeared during Bedivere's reunion with his family. It was a very powerful monster, and if not for the help of the Tyrannosaurus Monster, they wouldn't have been able to defeat it at all.

Originally, Lux and Asmodeus wanted to reanimate the Abyssal Monster to make it one of their companions. But, they had yet to find the right opportunity to do so.

Its Beast Core was also still intact because Lux didn't plan on absorbing it. Having more than one Abyssal Power was dangerous because it led to the fast corruption of one's soul.

The Abyss Touch that Lux possessed was already strong enough to make him lose his senses when his anger reached a certain threshold. Adding one more ability on top of that was complete suicide.

Also, after experiencing the power of the Abyss, Lux didn't want any of his family members, and close friends to take the unnecessary risk of possibly being corrupted by the Abyss.

A few minutes later, Lux opened his eyes to look at the Great Orc Shaman who was looking at him with anticipation.

"Very well, Your Excellency," Lux said with a smile of a businessman. "What are you willing to trade for the Beast Core of an Abyssal Monster?"

The Half-Elf took out the Abyssal Core from his Storage Ring and held it firmly in his hands.

Baronar gulped subconsciously as he looked at the item that he had always wanted before forcefully shifting his gaze back to the Half-Elf's face, who were asking him what price he was willing to give.

"What do you want?" Baronar asked. "I know that you came here for the Transcendent Flames, but I cannot give them to you. The most I can do is support you when you ask for it, but aside from that, there is nothing I can do to help you."

Lux shook his head because the Transcendent Flames weren't the things that he wanted to trade for the Beast Core. he understood that Baronar would never betray the Blackrock Clan, so asking for him to give him the Twin Flames was impossible.

However, the Half-Elf had something else in mind, and for that to happen, he would need the expertise of the Great Orc Shaman who were very proficient in using Shamanic Arts, as well as several resources that were only exclusive in the territory of the Blackrock Clan.

"I will exchange the Beast Core with you if you give me two things," Lux said. "The first one is rather simple. All you need to do is give me as many Monster bones as you can. The Blackrock Clan regularly hunts strong Monsters, right? I want as many of those bones as possible."

Baronar didn't even bat an eye as he nodded his head to accept Lux's first request.

"Our Blacksmiths use the Monster bones in order to forge weapons and armor for the clan," Baronar stated. "Especially now, during this time when war is approaching, the warriors will hunt as many Monsters as they can so that their parts can be used as resources to arm our warriors to the teeth.

"However, I have two Deimos, and two Argonaut-Ranked Monster bones in my possession. I can give those to you. I also have several Rank 5 Monster bones and below with me. I will give those to you as well."

Lux was quite satisfied because Baronar had met his first condition easily.

"Okay, now, the next condition is..." Lux explained to the Great Orc Shaman what he wanted to happen, and the latter listened to his explanation patiently.

"That's it?" Baronar asked. "You came to ask the right person. I am an expert in summoning Elite Spirit Monsters."

After completing the Dungeon of Dominion, Lux had managed to acquire Baronar's ability to summon Elite Spirit Warriors. Because of that, Pazuzu was born.

Since then, his skill of summoning Elite Spirit Warriors had not been used again, and he was hoping that Baronar could help him find a way to upgrade this skill, by giving him the skill books of Elite Spirit Summons that the Great Orc Shaman had mastered in the past.

Lux had long wanted to have several Elite Spirit Shield Warriors to act as Tanks for his Undead army.

As long as Baronar was able to help him with this task, trading the Abyssal Core was a small price to pay for the addition of powerful elite units that would make his Undead Legion a force to be reckoned with.

 

 

Chapter 589 Both Quantity And Quality [Part 1]

Baronar took out a scroll from his storage ring and wrote several intricate runes over it.

"This scroll is the second Skill Scroll that I made when I was younger," Baronar explained as he continued to write more runes over the scroll's surface. "However, I have learned many things since then. I have trained many Orc Shamans, and all of them are now able to create their own unique Spirit Warriors. Unfortunately, none of their Spirit Warriors could come close to the level of what mine could do.

"It's quite funny that you were able to acquire my abilities inside a Dungeon. Perhaps it's fate, or some other kind of power at play, but knowing that someone out there managed to inherit my legacy makes me somewhat happy."

Baronar added the last rune to the scroll and pressed his palm against it as if marking it with his seal.

"Here you go," Baronar said as he handed the completed Skill Scroll to Lux. "Although I may not be your Master, and you are not my Disciple, I expect good things from you. After all, you have made my power your own, right?"

Lux bowed gratefully to the Orc Shaman before accepting the Skill Scroll with both hands. Only those who had mastered their arts to the peak could create something like this, and what he had in his hand was a very valuable consumable item that would go for millions of Gold in Auction Houses.

Unlike Beast Cores which gave people a small chance to learn skills from them, Skill Books and Skill Scrolls were guaranteed to give you a skill. This was what made them much more valuable to other people, especially those that belonged to the Royal Families or other Influential Clans.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Lux replied. "I will put it to good use. Here is the Abyssal Beast Core that you wanted."

The Half-Elf offered the black Abyssal Core to the Great Orc Shaman, who happily took it with a smile.

"The trade is done," Baronar stated as he brought the Abyssal Core close to his eyes to give it a closer inspection. "I'll give you the bones later tonight. Also, make sure to prepare a gift for the Orc Chieftain to get in her good graces. I'll take my leave for now."

After bidding his goodbye, the Great Orc Shaman left the room in order to return to his own quarters. He didn't plan on absorbing the Abyssal Core right away. For Baronar, this was the perfect opportunity to do some experiments in order to get a higher chance of acquiring a skill from the Beast Core he had acquired from Lux.

"I'll go to my room as well," Lux said to his companions. "If there is something important, just call for me. Eiko, you can stay and play with Cora and Nora, but make sure that you guys don't leave the residence, okay?"

Eiko nodded her head. "Pa!"

The Baby Slime was having fun talking to Cora and Nora, so Lux decided to let her stay with them for the time being. His priority right now was to go to his room and do two things.

The first one was to use the Skill Scroll and gain a new powerful unit to enhance the performance of his Undead Legion.

The second one was to summon Asmodeus and discuss what they should do with the Abyssal Monster Corpse in his possession, as well as the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Beast Bones that Baronar would be giving them later.

The cooldown for the Skeleton Generator Skill had finished, and it was about time for him to create another monster to join his army.

After making sure that the door was firmly closed, Lux took a few deep breaths before sitting on top of the bed. He then activated the Skill Scroll in his hand in order to absorb its powers.

—------------

< Your Skill, Summon Elite Spirit Warrior, has received an upgrade >

< Choose one of the options to complete your upgrade >

– Elite Spirit Shield Warriors

– Elite Spirit Raiders

– Elite Spirit Skirmishers

– Elite Spirit Berserkers

– Elite Spirit Hunters

Note: After choosing one of the options, that unit will evolve to become a stronger unit due to the effect of Baronar's Legacy. Your choice is irreversible, so make sure to choose wisely!

—------------

"Baronar really went all out on this one," Lux muttered. "That trade was worth it."

Although there were several choices on the list, Lux had already made up his mind and chose Elite Spirit Shield Warriors.

He didn't need Spirit Berserkers because he already had the Skeleton Gang Bangers to play a similar role.

He also didn't need Spirit Hunters because the Skeleton Arcane Hunters and Liches were already potent enough for long-range attacks.

What Lux really needed right now were Meat Shields.

Lots of Meat Shields.

After making his choice, he heard a ringing sound in his head confirming his choice.

—------------

< You have chosen Elite Spirit Shield Warriors >

< Undergoing Elite Spirit Evolution! >

< Evolution Progress… 1% >

< Evolution Progress… 15% >

< Evolution Progress… 38% >

—------------

Lux waited patiently until the progression bar hit 100%. He didn't know what the Elite Spirit Shield Warriors would evolve into, but he was very optimistic about how they would turn out.

Finally, after two minutes of waiting, the evolution progress was completed.

—------------

< Congratulations! >

< Your Elite Spirit Shield Warriors have evolved into Elite Spirit Protectors >

—------------

< Elite Spirit Protectors >

"We Protect and Serve."

– Defenders of the Legion

– Monster Rating: S

– Max Summons: 50

Health: 350,000 / 350,000

Mana: 75,000 / 75,000

Active Skill: Shield Bash, Shield Wall, Shield Throw, Madlad Rush, Last Stand, Power Strike, Stone Skin, Taunt.

Passive Skill: Guts, Very Tough, Equip Item, Auto Guard

Unique Ability: United We Stand.

Note: Every time Lux Von Kaizer's Rank increases, the number of Elite Spirit Protectors that can be summoned will increase by 100.

—------------

< United We Stand >

– When 10 or more Elite Spirit Protectors stand side-by-side in a defensive stance, each attack's damage received will be shared equally by everyone. If the damage they received surpassed the limit of their combined health, all of the Elite Spirit Protectors will die at the same time.

< Taunt >

– Has a 50% chance of making the enemy target them specifically.

—------------

"Finally, I have more tanks in my army," Lux said with a smile. "Come, Asmodeus."

The Half-Elf summoned his trusted strategist, whom he'd ask for advice when it came to the expansion of his Undead Legion.

Lux's personal army was enough to defeat an E-Ranker, and even contend with D-Rankers to a certain extent.

He would also have no trouble fighting against Deimos Ranked Beasts. As for Argonaut-Ranked Monsters, Lux wasn't too confident of his chances.

Even so, very few individuals around his age could match the Half-Elf in single or group battles due to the quantity and quality of his Summons.

"Master, back then, I advised you to use the skill Animate Undead to transform the Abyssal Corpse into an Undead Monster," Asmodeus stated. "However, we have more choices now. Truth be told, aside from you, Diablo, and Zagan, no one else in our army has the ability to deal True Damage to our enemies, which can break past their defenses and target their souls.

"Right now, we have three options. First, we can use the Skeleton Generator Skill, and use the Abyssal Corpse as an ingredient to get a Random Higher Undead Monster.

"Our second option is to simply use the Animate Undead Skill, and choose among the options available there like you did with Revon. That way, the new monster will become Revon's subordinate.

"The last option is to make this creature a member of your Covenant. Similar to using the Animate Undead Skill, you can also choose what profession or form the new monster will take. Personally, I highly recommend that you choose the second or third option, Master."

Lux rubbed his chin as he considered Asmodeus' advice.

"Indeed, the Skeleton Generator is completely random," Lux replied. "Even if we somehow get an Abyssal Undead Monster, what will come of it is too unpredictable, and we have no control over it. However, if we used the Animate Undead Skill or make this monster a part of my Covenant, the profession it could get is within the scope of my control."

"Exactly, Master." Asmodeus nodded. "We must have both quantity and quality in our army. Although we might not get another exceptionally strong comrade like ALL-MITE, it is still possible to get a versatile unit like Ithaqua. What we need is diversity, so we will be able to make contingencies for any given situation."

Lux wholeheartedly agreed with Asmodeus' words. Because of this, he decided to think very carefully about how he would deal with the Abyssal Corpse in his possession, which had caused great trouble for him, Cai, and his Dragon Knight, Bedivere, several months ago.

 

Chapter 590 Both Quantity And Quality [Part 2]

"I'll just use Animate Undead this time," Lux said after careful consideration.

Currently, his Necromancer Covenant consisted of Bedivere, Zagan, and ALL-MITE.

On the other hand, his Animated Undead Legion was composed of Revon and the monster that was created through the power of his Skeleton Generator Skill.

This monster had somehow become too strong for Lux to control, so he had no choice but to seal it. According to the information, he would only be able to make it obey his will once he became a C-Ranker.

It meant that the one he had managed to summon was a truly powerful Creature, which could potentially attack him if it was given the chance.

"... What are the chances that this Monster will also be too strong for my current Rank?" Lux turned to ask his trusted strategist who only flashed him a cheeky smile.

"Master, I think the Animate Undead skill has this risk as well," Asmodeus replied. "Only us and the members of your Covenant will be around your level of strength. Even so, having stronger allies is a good thing. Of course, there's a problem as well. If they are too strong, they may not obey you."

Lux nodded. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let's do this."

The Half-Elf took out the body of the Grim Butcher Nightwalker and activated his Animate Undead Skill.

—----------------

< You have chosen to revive a dead Abyssal Creature. >

< Choose which group you plan to register this Unique Creature under >

Choice 1: Necromancer's Covenant

Choice 2: Make the Unique Creature a member of your Animate Undead Legion.

—----------------

Lux chose the second option because he wanted to add the Abyssal Creature to his Animate Undead Legion.

—----------------

< Choose between the two options for the Revival of your Undead Creature >

Choice 1: Revive the Creature as a Specter

Choice 2: Revive the Creature using Advance Customization

—----------------

Lux once again chose the second option because he preferred to freely customize what profession the creature would have when it was revived.

—----------

< You have chosen to use the Advance Customization option.

< Take note that the choices here only show the types of Profession they can revive into. Their abilities and appearance are decided randomly >

< If you are going to choose a Profession that has a low percentage of success, the chances of reviving the creature will decrease drastically. If the revival fails, the corpse, as well as the materials used for the Advance Customization method will disappear. >

< To increase the chances of success, select the Profession you like and pool in resources to increase its percentage! >

<[Possible transformations of your Animated Undead]>

Abyss Walker - 100%

Shadow Creature - 84%

Returned Drifter - 77%

Deathlock Wight - 52%

Ebon Knight - 33%

Grim Rider - 16%

Shadow Lord - 4%

—----------

"Hmm…" Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the options in front of him.

When it came to Beast Cores, he had used almost all of them to upgrade his body constitution.

What was left were Deimos-Ranked and above Cores, which the Half-Elf didn't plan to use anytime soon.

The only resources he had right now were the dead bodies of the insects that he had collected after the battle in the Shaufell Plains.

"What if…" Lux decided to do an experiment that could help him overcome the hurdle of having limited Beast Cores at his disposal.

The first thing he did was to offer the corpse of a Red-Striped Mosquito as an ingredient to increase the Shadow Lord profession. He had never done this before, and he was wondering what the final outcome would become.

—----------

< You have offered a Red-Striped Mosquito as a resource to upgrade the rating of the Shadow Lord Profession. >

< Checking Resource Value… >

< This is a Common Monster. It is not enough to raise the rating of your chosen profession. The Red-Striped Mosquito will now be destroyed. >

—----------

"Oh? So it doesn't accept common monsters? Then how about Rank 1 Monsters?" Lux took out an Obsidian Spite Mosquito, which was a Rank 1 Monster, and offered it as a resource to raise the rating of the Shadow Lord Profession.

—--------

< This is a Rank 1 Monster. It is not enough to raise the rating of your chosen profession. The Obsidian Spite Mosquito will now be destroyed. >

—--------

Lux didn't hesitate and threw another monster corpse. This time it was an Iron-Scaled Torment Mosquito which was a Rank 2 Monster.

—--------

< This is a Rank 2 Monster. It is not enough to raise the rating of your chosen profession. The Iron-Scaled Mosquito will now be destroyed. >

< Warning! You have attempted to use three lower-ranked Monsters in order to raise the rating of a Unique Profession. If you plan to use Monster Corpses as offerings, you can only use Rank 4 Monsters and above >

—--------

Lux scratched his head after reading the new information that appeared in front of him. He thought that he could use brute force to raise the rating of his Animated Undead Creature, but the price he had to pay was quite high.

He had the corpses of several Rank 4 and Rank 5 Monsters, like the Horned Harlequin Mosquito and the Diabolical Doom Mosquito, which were very strong monsters.

However, he had given these corpses to Asmodeus to allow the Archlich to conduct his experiments.

The only ones he had on hand were low-ranking monsters that he planned to use as fodder for his Corpse Explosion Skill.

Asmodeus wasn't able to stop himself from chuckling after seeing his Master's depressed expression, so he offered a suggestion.

"Master, why don't you wait until we receive the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Bones from Baronar?" Asmodeus proposed. "He promised that he will give us Rank 5 and below Beast Bones as well. Perhaps that will help you increase the Shadow Lord's rating."

Lux sighed before reluctantly nodding his head. "I guess we have no choice but to do that."

After choosing Unique Professions like Dragon Knight and Fallen Wargod, Lux was determined to choose the rarest profession for his subordinates.

So far, he hadn't been disappointed with his choices because his Dragon Knight and Fallen Wargod were both strong warriors.

Although he didn't know what a Shadow Lord was capable of doing, its name sounded badass, which made Lux even more determined to get it.

For the time being, Lux put the Abyssal Monster's revival on hold until he got the resources from Baronar.

The Half-Elf would rather wait for a few hours than miss out on the chance of acquiring a powerful new subordinate under his wing.

"Master, what are you planning to give the Orc Chieftain as a present for your first meeting?" Asmodeus asked in order to change the atmosphere inside the room.

"Draconium Ore," Lux replied. "I'm sure that they would love to have this rare ore to craft some Legendary Equipment for the upcoming war."

Right now, the Draconium Ore was the most precious material he possessed, and he planned to use it to gain the favor of powerful factions.

Even Saints like his stepfather, Alexander, and Cai's Grandpa, Maximilian, were very interested in the Draconium Ore.

Because of this, he decided to use a few of the ores to build closer ties with the ruler of the Orcs, and perhaps allow him to get one step closer to his ultimate goal of acquiring their Twin Flames.