Ch. 611: Chapter 611-620
Chapter 611 Let’s See Who Gets Killed First
A little more than ten million.
That was the number of soldiers that were mobilized by the Haca Dynasty to conquer the Wanid Kingdom.
They had carefully planned this campaign over the years, and they had also acquired plenty of resources from the lands they had conquered over the past fifty years. That was why they believed that they would finally stand a chance in their pursuit of annexing the Spirit Kingdom.
In their eyes, the Blackrock Clan was nothing. They were convinced that the Orcs only managed to make them retreat because the other Pillars were there to assist them.
Having considered that, they initiated collaboration with the other Kingdoms who were also eyeing the Wanid Kingdom and invited them into an alliance.
Their plan was to thinly spread the defenders of the Wanid Kingdom, giving them a higher success rate of conquering it.
Truth be told, the one with the highest chance of success in winning the war was the Haca Dynasty.
With so many trump cards in their possession, winning against the Blackrock Clan was going to be a walk in the park. At least, that was what they believed after winning two campaigns.
But now, their own weapon, The Destroyer, was being used by the enemy against them. The confidence they had accumulated from their past two victories, disappeared without a trace.
"Crystal Dragon's Breath!"
As soon as Lux unleashed this devastating attack, Great General Garret hastily retreated to evade the incoming attack.
The High-Rankers and other Rankers immediately followed their Great General, knowing that as long as they followed him, all of them would be safe.
When the barriers that had been erected by his subordinates shattered, a dazzling brilliance illuminated the surroundings, turning everything it touched into crystal statues.
Out of the ten million soldiers that had been mobilized for the war, only a third managed to survive Lux's devastating attack.
"Damn you!" Ronan cursed at the Half-Elf upon seeing most of his own subordinates turn into crystal statues. "I'll kill you!"
The Half-Elf barely let his eyes rest on the High-Ranker before giving him the middle finger.
"Let's see who gets killed first," Lux sneered. "Orion, teach that bastard a lesson!"
The Jade Golem, who had been protecting the "fake" Lux earlier, shifted his attention towards Ronan.
"Duel [EX]!" Orion shouted as he pointed at the High Ranker who dared to threaten his Master's life.
Immediately, Ronan's body shuddered as he subconsciously looked at the Jade Golem, who was standing next to Barca and Baronar.
"... Sh*t!" Ronan cursed out loud as his body moved against his will and charged at the Jade Golem.
"Ronan, are you mad?!" one of the High-Rankers shouted at his companion who was running head-first into the Orcs without backup.
The Commander of the Vanguard couldn't even spare a second to reply to his friend, well aware of the consequences that he'd face if he didn't focus on defending himself against his clash against the entire Orc Army. He would not be able to return to his Kingdom alive.
Although Barca and the other Orc Warlords didn't understand what was happening, they didn't let this opportunity slide and ran towards the lone High-Ranker with their weapons poised to strike.
Ronan raised his golden shield that had been dented by Barca's attack earlier in the hope that it would allow him to survive the Orcs' combined attack
A golden barrier wrapped around Ronan's body just before Barca's War Axe descended on top of his head.
Immediately a powerful shockwave erupted at the point of contact, and the ground under Ronan's feet shattered, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.
The golden-armored Commander kept his mouth shut tight, but that was unable to stop the blood from seeping out of the corner of his lips.
His Legendary Shield had another large dent on it now, which was the least of his worries. The golden barrier that he had erected was filled with cracks, and if another attack hit it, it would shatter completely.
Just as this thought passed Ronan's head, Oreg's gauntlet smashed into his shield, breaking it to pieces.
Suddenly, four clawed hands grabbed onto his golden shield and forcefully tore it away, leaving the Human Commander of the Vanguard defenseless.
"Die!" Barca roared as he once again slashed down to deliver the killing blow to the arrogant human commander who in his eyes deserved to die the most.
But just as his War Axe was about to decapitate the Human Commander, a black whip wrapped around Ronan's body and pulled him away, escaping Barca's killing blow by a hair's breadth.
The High-Rankers had all come to save their comrade and immediately engaged Barca and the Orc Warlords in a heated battle.
Many of their soldiers had turned into crystal statues, but they still had the advantage of numbers, so they decided to duke it out with the Orcs until they got the upper hand.
While all this was happening, ALL-MITE sneakily gave the Golden Shield to Pazuzu, and the latter thanked the four-armed hero with a fist bump.
The Fortress Defender had been eyeing Ronan's Legendary Shield since the beginning of the battle, so when the opportunity presented itself, he immediately requested ALL-MITE to help snatch the golden shield from the pitiful High-Ranker who angered his Master.
"ALL-MITE, Zagan, go to Master and ensure his safety," Asmodeus said to his comrades. "Although Draven is there, Master will need some time to store The Destroyer in the Guild's Treasury. We must get that weapon at all costs."
"Understood."
"Very well."
The Four-Armed Hero and the Strategist of the Covenant, immediately departed to reinforce Lux, who was in the middle of forcibly taking ownership of the Weapon of War and registering it as their Guild's Property.
If Lux had a storage ring that could store The Destroyer, he would have already used it to secure the deadly weapon of destruction.
However, since he had none of those, the only thing he could do was to override its ownership, and make it the property of his Guild, so that he could teleport it to his Guild Treasury.
This was one of the special privileges of having a Mythical Guild, and Lux would be an idiot if he let such an amazing weapon slip from his hands.
Chapter 612 The Only Things I Regret In My Long Life Are The Decisions I Didn’t Make
Great General Garret was currently facing a dilemma.
He had to choose between continuing the war or calling for a strategic retreat.
The army still had over three million soldiers left, but the morale of his army had fallen to its lowest point.
If not for the High-Rankers and the Rankers fighting fiercely on the front lines, preventing the bulk of the Orc Army from attacking them, they might have suffered more casualties in the ongoing war.
"It's all your fault," Great General Garret muttered, blaming the current situation on the Half-Elf. "Before anything else, I will kill you first!"
With his sword shining brightly, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty descended from the sky.
For him, allowing the Half-Elf to remain alive was a threat that he didn't want to deal with, so he decided to personally end the Necromancer's life once and for all.
Out of thin air, a Great Flame Skull materialized and unleashed a Cone of Cold at the approaching Great General in order to protect his Master.
However, Great General Garret wasn't fazed by the sneak attack, and simply slashed his sword forward, cutting through Lazarus' attack and splitting the Great Flame Skull's head in half.
"I have already seen through this petty trick of yours," Great General Garret stated. "You won't be able to escape me, Necromancer!"
Lux's hands remained fixed on the control panel of the Destroyer, and he paid no attention to the approaching General, continuing to overwrite ownership of Weapon of War to make it his own.
At that moment, several large vines emerged from the ground, blocking the Great General's advance and forcing him to stop.
The reason why Lux was able to keep his calm even when facing the highest-ranking officer of the Haca Dynasty was due to the Dryad Queen's protection.
"I have always wanted to see how strong the famed Great General of the Haca Dynasty is," the Dryad Queen, Cornelia, said with a smile. "I think now is a good opportunity to put your title of being The Untouchable to the test."
After sensing the incredible changes in the Orcs, the Dryad Queen became curious and directly asked Lady Avyanna what was happening.
At first, the Orc Chieftain didn't want to tell her anything, but after the red-headed teenager gave his nod of approval, Lady Avyanna whispered to her friend the true reason why they suddenly gained the power they currently had.
Naturally, the Dryad Queen didn't believe it at first, but after Lux personally sent her an invitation to join his guild, she had no choice but to believe what was happening.
The Half-Elf and the Dryad Queen then negotiated a few terms before Cornelia agreed to join the guild.
As per their agreement, Cornelia would only be an honorary member of Heaven's Gate and would not participate in any of the wars or battles that Lux would wage in the future. Their race preferred peaceful coexistence and didn't want to be part of any conflict.
Had it not been for the war that threatened their homeland, the Dryads wouldn't mobilize in such numbers to fight against the Humans greedily eyeing their lands.
In return for her help, Lux promised three things to Cornelia.
Firstly, he would ensure that the war would end with their victory.
Secondly, he would allow the Dryad Queen to use any of his Guild facilities and seek for assistance when crafting items.
Lastly, he would grant the Dryad Queen the authority to invite her sisters to the guild, similar to the authority that had been bestowed upon Lady Avyanna, which gave her the power to recruit the members of the Blackrock Clan to Lux's Guild.
Truth be told, it was Asmodeus that had suggested this proposal to the Dryad Queen.
Of course, the Dryad Queen understood that Lux and his strategist were simply trying to tempt her into becoming a permanent member of his Guild.
Cornelia understood this well. However, she also understood that they had long been ignorant of what was happening in the world.
Her desire was to use Lux's Guild as a medium to gather information to ensure that her sisters would be able to live in peace and arm themselves in times of war.
Although she knew that there was a possibility that she wouldn't be the same again after tasting the forbidden fruit, this was something that she had to do in order to protect those that were important to her.
"You must be the Dryad Queen, Cornelia," Great General Garret said as he scanned the Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster in front of him. "I thought Dryads were pacifists, but it seems that my assumption was wrong."
"You only have yourself to blame for this, human," Cornelia replied. "If not for you, we wouldn't be here right now. So why don't you take your men and leave?"
"Do you really think I have no way of defeating you, Lady Cornelia?"
"I don't like to fight, but I guarantee that you alone will not be able to defeat me."
Great General Garret sneered as he held his sword with both hands. "We'll see about that."
Lady Cornelia chuckled as she summoned more vines, converting the battlefield into a thorny forest.
"I know what your ability is, Great General," Cornelia stated as her eyes glowed golden. "You can see ten seconds in the future. However, this ability of yours only works if you are attacked directly or indirectly."
Great General Garret narrowed his eyes because his opponent got it right. Before her, only two people knew the specifics of his ability.
One was his king, and the other was the Great Wizard of the Haca Dynasty, who was always by the King's side.
"I see, so you have the ability to see the abilities of others," Great General Garret stated. "But, so what? Your attacks will never reach me."
"Arrogant Human, who said that I am going to attack you?" Cornelia chuckled. "I will just defend, so you can attack me as much as you want. But, do you really have time to deal with someone like me?"
The Dryad Queen pointed in the direction of the Human Soldiers, who had all huddled up together in a defensive formation.
"Aren't you going to save them from that?" Cornelia asked as she used her chin to point in the direction of the Undead Legion that numbered in the thousands, who was making a beeline towards the Haca Dynasty's Army.
Great General Garret was initially unconcerned by the Undead Soldiers that were about to collide with his army. There were only thousands of them, and his army was a million strong.
However, his stance changed when a blizzard suddenly appeared out of nowhere, covering the battlefield in ice and snow.
Immediately after that, the sound of screams spread in the surroundings, as the Undead Army, who wasn't affected by the cold, bulldozed their way through their enemies.
The weakest of Lux's Summons were Rank 4 Monsters, and they had the advantage when fighting inside a blizzard.
On the contrary, the Human army couldn't see past a meter in front of them, making them unable to defend themselves properly from the foes who didn't fear cold or death.
Great General Garret knew that this couldn't go on, so he decided to eliminate the Undead Army to save his men.
However, before he could even do that, giant vines rose in front of him, blocking his path for the second time.
"I changed my mind," Cornelia said with a smile. "I'm keeping you here."
After joining Lux's Mythical Guild, the Dryad Queen gained 100,000 Free Stats Points, making her more powerful than ever before.
Although she didn't like wars and conflicts, she was very eager to test her newfound strength and use it to prevent the Great General of the opposing army from going to the rescue of his men.
"I will make you regret this, Dryad," Great General Garret. "You should have let me go."
"The only things I regret in my long life are the decisions I didn't make," Cornelia replied. "Now, I've decided to keep you here. As such, whether I will regret it or not will depend on your ability."
The two powerful fighters stared at each other for half a minute before the Great General made his move.
Since he had no choice but to fight the Dryad Queen in front of him, he would not hold back and use the National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty that had been entrusted to him by his King.
Chapter 613 Don’t Even Think That Your Little Bird Is Enough To Beat Me
While the Dryad Queen and the Great General were facing off against each other, the Undead were wreaking havoc on the enemy army.
Diablo, who grew stronger the more dead people there were in the battlefield, was a force of nature that couldn't be stopped.
Since the Rankers were having trouble locating their enemies because of the blizzard that appeared out of nowhere, they were only able to fight against the Skeleton Gangbangers, and the zombies that had been revived by the Liches.
The Death Knight, who could sense the presence of these strong fighters purposely evaded them as he performed a one-sided massacre, killing dozens of people with a single strike.
Ishtar, on the other hand, was also a killing machine because of her special skill, Coup De Grace.
Anyone who had a status condition, would receive massive damage from her attacks. When the blizzard appeared, all of the Human Soldiers received the Freezing Debuffs, which slowed their movement and attack speed.
The Arondight Territories had never experienced snow, because they were in a tropical area.
Because of this, very few soldiers had the ability to resist the sudden cold, making them unable to do anything in the blizzard.
Although the Nightstalker couldn't kill as fast as Diablo, she played her role really well by singling out all the Initiate Ranked soldiers, killing them with her lethal strikes.
This allowed the Undead Army, who were Rank 3 and Rank 4 Monsters to overpower their enemies.
Gerhart and Cethus had also joined the battle because they had long been itching for a fight.
Only Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura and Livia had remained in the Orc City because they weren't really fighters, but crafters.
Lux had summoned Sid to protect all of them, which made the twin girls very happy.
"If this goes on, we will all perish!" one of the Captains of the Haca Dynasty shouted. "Everyone retreat!"
No matter how many Undead they killed, they kept on reviving, which made the Humans feel as if they no longer had a chance of victory.
"Retreat to where?! I can't see anything around me!"
"Dammit! What should we do now?!"
"Just keep fighting! Since we can't go anywhere, hold your ground and fight!"
After losing their Great General, no one was able to take command of the army. No matter how hard the Captains of other battalions tried to organize a proper defense, the cold, and their fear of death made the soldiers unable to think properly.
As a leader herself, the Dryad Queen understood how important Great General Garret's role was. Because of this, she had decided to prevent him from taking back the command of his army, allowing Lux's Undead Legion to kill to their heart's content.
Suddenly, the cage of vines that the Dryad Queen had trapped the Great General in burst apart.
Red flames rose up to the sky as a Red Phoenix opened up its majestic wings to utter a loud screech that spread throughout the battlefield.
"No matter how strong you are, your vines are weak against Fire," Great General Garret said as he stood behind the giant Celestial Bird of Legends. "The next time we meet, I'll make sure to burn you to ashes. Let's go!"
The Great General commanded the Phoenix to fly towards the blizzard in order to help his subordinates. However before the Phoenix could even follow his command, several vines rose up in the air and wrapped themselves around the Phoenix's body.
"While it's true that Fire is our weakness, do you really think that Phoenix Flames are enough to stop me?" the Dryad Queen sneered. "I've lived long enough to know how to fight against Fire Type Monsters. Don't even think that your little bird is enough to beat me."
As if proving her point, the Phoenix was unable to break free from the green vines that had taken on a darker color. These dark-green vines were very resistant to flames because of the Legendary Treasure that the Dryad Queen had in her possession.
She didn't use this earlier because she didn't want the enemy to know one of her trump cards. However, since her goal was to prevent the Great General from returning to his subordinates, she had no choice but to reveal her hand.
The Dryad Queen made a slicing motion and a giant vine appeared behind her. This vine then lashed out at the Phoenix like a whip, forcing Great General Garret to dismount from its back.
With a screech filled with pain, the Phoenix crashed to the ground, creating a blazing crater. As if venting her frustration, Cornelia created a dozen more vines and started to whip the fallen Creature non-stop, with the intention of killing it.
Soon, the Celestial Bird burst out into flames and shrank down until it became a red feather that shone like rubies.
This red feather was one of the Legendary National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty, which was personally given to Great General Garret to ensure the success of their campaign.
The Golden Shield that ALL-MITE had snatched from Ronan was another National Treasure that was loaned to the High-Ranker by the Dynasty, so that he would be able to contain Barca in battle.
At first, Great General Garret wanted to retrieve the Phoenix Feather, but after seeing a vision of the future, he could only grit his teeth and retreat towards his army as fast as he could.
Cornelia frowned, but after pondering for a while, she decided to not follow the Great General.
'Gerhart and Cethus, retreat now!' Lux ordered after seeing the outcome of the battle between the Dryad Queen and Great General Garret. 'The Great General is on his way towards you guys. If you don't want to go to the afterlife, leave now!'
After hearing that the Big Boss was on his way to take control of the situation, Gerhart and Cethus no longer hesitated and retreated as soon as they could.
Unlike the Undead Legion that Lux could summon anytime, the two of them were part of the living. Although they knew that there was a chance that the red-headed teenager would revive them if they died, they had no intention of taking that risk.
As the two made their hasty retreat, ALL-MITE and Zagan sneakily tried to take the Phoenix Feather, but were captured instead by the vines of the Dryad Queen, who found the two bandits quite amusing.
"Mine," Cornelia said as she wagged the Phoenix Feather in front of Lux's two subordinates who were hanging upside down in front of her. "Understand?"
"Yes," ALL-MITE replied.
"Yes, Ma'am," Zagan answered.
Cornelia giggled before releasing the two members of Lux's Covenant, who immediately went to their Master's side in order to protect him.
Lux pretended that he didn't see what his two subordinates did, and ordered Asmodeus to summon Ithaqua back to his side.
The Creature of the Cold White Silence was not a Monster that would revive itself after it was killed. He needed to pay a Deimos-Ranked Core in order to revive it if it died, and he wanted to save his high-level cores as much as possible.
Because of this, Ithaqua couldn't die, so he asked Asmodeus to save it from dying.
Lux also summoned Diablo and Ishtar to his side, leaving the Skeleton Gang Bangers, Steel Golems, and Liches to continue their rampage.
Five minutes later, a smile appeared on the Half-Elf's face as he successfully registered The Destroyer, as one of the Guild's properties.
Without even wasting any time, the red-headed teenager sent the Weapon of War to their Guild Treasury, which was located in their Main Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches.
After taking his prize, Lux shifted his attention to the Magical Cannons in the distance and gave Cornelia a devilish smile.
The corner of the Dryad Queen's lips twitched, but seeing that she agreed to help Lux in the war against the Haca Dynasty, she reluctantly nodded her head and picked up the Half-Elf like a sack of rice before flying towards the Magical Cannons that the Half-Elf had also set his sights on.
Great General Garret noticed where the Dryad Queen was going and almost puked out blood in frustration.
Although he was strong, he would need four more High-Rankers in order to fight the Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.
Unfortunately, these strong fighters were busy fighting against Barca and the four Orc Warlords.
With the Dryad Queen taking possession of their important War Machines, the Great General knew that they could no longer afford to continue the campaign, and ordered a full retreat.
Naturally, the Orcs didn't allow them to run away so easily, so they pursued the retreating army mercilessly.
While all of this was happening, Lux busied himself with securing the Magical Cannons for his Guild, while his Undead Legion accompanied the Orcs and chased away the Human army, which had suffered an unexpected loss against the Orc's counterattack.
Chapter 614 The Scariest Opponents Are Those Who Have Nothing To Lose
"What are you doing?" Flamma asked the Half-Elf who was holding onto the Magical Cannon as if it was something very precious.
"Taking my spoils," Lux replied. "What are you doing here? Aren't you going to chase after the soldiers of the Haca Dynasty?"
"Mother told me not to go."
"Okay. Don't disturb me."
Flamma wanted to chat with Lux more, but after seeing that he was focusing all of his attention on taking control over the Magical Cannon, he decided to just watch him.
Truth be told, when Lux defeated him during their duel, Flamma had started to recognize the Half-Elf's strength. It was the first time that he had lost to someone in the same age group, so he paid close attention to whatever the Half-Elf was doing.
This recognition grew exponentially after he discovered that Lux was actually the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world.
When the World Announcement was made, declaring that the first Mythical Guild of the world was created, Flamma dreamed about becoming one of its members.
Orcs were Monsters, so they didn't have a sense of belonging when it came to a Guild.
Their Clan was their family, and that was their concept of belonging to a group. However, that didn't mean that they were ignorant of the so-called Guilds that the Humans and other nations had.
After joining Heaven's Gate and suddenly gaining a boost in strength, as well as getting the Guild Buffs, Flamma thought that being in a Guild was really nice.
'I hope Mother wouldn't order us to leave the Guild,' Flamma thought. 'Also, what are these words appearing in front of me?'
Since Flamma had nothing to do, he tried to better understand what being in a Guild was like. It was at that moment when he discovered the Guild Chat.
Currently, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia, were informing the other members of Heaven's Gate on what was happening on their mission to the Wanid Kingdom.
—------------------
[ Guild Chat ]
"What?! You're getting treasures?!"
Cai's message flashed in front of Flamma's eyes, which surprised the Half-Orc.
"I should have gone with you guys! I'm so jealous! Fei Fei, let's go!"
"Wei~"
"Cai, I told Rose what you're planning to do," Keane replied. "She said that you better behave yourself if you don't want another beating."
"Hahaha… Um, what are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere, right Fei Fei?"
"Wei~"
—------------------
Flamma was quite amused after seeing the rows of text that were appearing in front of him. He still didn't know how to use this function, so he simply read everything that was being discussed inside the Guild Chat.
Lux gave the Half-Orc a side-long glance, and the corner of his lips rose up a bit. Truth be told, he didn't know if he would be able to keep the majority of the Blackrock Clan inside his Guild.
But, he was fine with that.
As long as Lady Avyanna, Barca, Baronar, Oreg, Tanabur, and Mogazar remained, Asmodeus' plan for getting strong members into his Guild worked.
Also, the Dryad Queen, Cornelia, seemed to like the benefits that she could acquire by staying in Lux's Guild.
Although she was just an "honorary member", Lux believed that if the Dryad Queen stayed in his Guild long enough, he would gain another Empyrean-Ranked Fighter that he could call on in times of need.
'If I see that bastard Abyssal Creature try to bully me again in the Sacred Dungeon, I'll give him a surprise he will never forget.'
Lux had a feeling that he would encounter the fearsome enemy again when he challenged the Gate of Famine, so having Barca around would give him some peace of mind.
He could only summon Keoza one more time, so he didn't want to use the Dragon Token unless he was backed into a corner.
It took the Half-Elf two hours to store all the Magical Cannons inside the Guild's treasury.
Draven had sabotaged them to decrease their firepower in order to prevent these weapons of war from destroying the Capital City of the Orcs.
Of course, now that the Weapons of War belonged to Lux, the Shadow Lord only needed to ask Randolph and the Orc Blacksmiths to help him repair them.
He could also draw the blueprint of the Magical Cannons, allowing them to create their own cannons in the future.
'It's quite unfortunate that the one that made The Destroyer is the Sorcerer Tower of the Haca Dynasty,' Lux sighed in his heart. 'If we could only get its blueprint, then we could mass produce it as well.'
The Half-Elf glanced at the millions of people that had been turned into crystal statues and wondered what he was going to do with them.
What others didn't know was that the people that had been turned into Crystal Statues were still alive.
Crystal Dragons had the option of turning someone into a true crystal statue, meaning that they would die the moment their bodies turned into crystals.
Lux chose the second option and simply encased the soldiers into nearly-unbreakable crystal statues.
If the Half-Elf chose to release them, he could just undo their crystallization and they would return to life instantly.
Lux might be a Necromancer, but he didn't like to take the life of others unless it was completely necessary.
This was why he chose to summon a Crystal Dragon when he activated the skill, Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], instead of choosing a Red Dragon whose Fire Breath would incinerate everything in sight.
'I guess I'll put them in the Guild Treasury as well,' Lux thought. 'I might put them to good use in the future.'
Nearly six million Soldiers had been turned into Crystal Statues. This was an army that was enough to invade a Kingdom if the right conditions were met.
Unlike the Weapons of War, the statues were now his property.
They fell under the "spoils of war" category, so Lux didn't need to do anything special in order to send them to his treasury.
The only problem he faced was their sheer numbers. All in all, it took Lux until an hour before sunset to finish depositing all the statues inside his treasury.
(E/N: Ooo, look! Lawn ornaments.)
When it was over, the Orcs also returned triumphantly after chasing their enemies for a few hours.
It seems that the Orcs had a lot of pent up anger after being forced to retreat, and having their Capital City destroyed.
"All done?" Lux asked Barca who returned with a fearsome smile on his face.
"All done," Barca replied. "But, I don't know if they will retreat all the way back to their Dynasty or not. There is a possibility that they will risk everything to go all out and fight us to the death, so I didn't want to push them into a corner."
Lux nodded his head in understanding. Even a cornered rat would bite if it became desperate enough.
"The scariest opponents are those who have nothing to lose," Lux said. "I'll send my Undead to scout their location and see if they are scheming something. Although they suffered a loss today, we can't be too confident of our victory. Besides, the Blackrock Clan also suffered many casualties."
Barca sighed after Lux reminded him of the losses that their Clan had suffered.
Although they managed to gain the upper hand in the battle a few hours ago, it didn't change the fact that thousands of brave Orcs had also died in battle.
Some of these Dead Orcs had turned into zombies, and continued to fight alongside them against the Human army with as much ferocity as they had when they were still alive.
The Orcs felt conflicted about this turn of events, so they asked Lux that when the war ended, their brethren should be dismissed, so that they could pass peacefully to the afterlife.
Lux didn't reject this proposal, and agreed to the Orcs' request.
Baronar was also very happy with Lux's reply, and volunteered to personally send their dead back into the embrace of the Earth Mother through a shamanic ritual.
While the Orcs, and their allies celebrated their victory, the Haca Dynasty felt very bitter about the outcome of the war.
All the High-Rankers, Rankers and the officers of the Army gathered for a high-level meeting to discuss if they would continue to fight or return to the Haca Dynasty.
Returning empty handed would be looked down upon by their King, but it was better than dying a senseless death on the battlefield.
Everyone in the Commander's Tent stared at their Great General and waited for his decision.
They had already given their opinions, and it was time to let the Head of their Army decide what to do.
Great General Garret sighed in his heart before making the decision that would affect the survivors of the war.
He knew that after he gave his order, his men would follow regardless of what they thought. That was how the army worked, and that was the responsibility he had to carry on his shoulders.
'I wish that all of this was just a dream,' Great General Garret thought as he closed his eyes to rest after everyone left the Commander's Tent. 'Because if this is nothing more than a nightmare, I want someone to wake me up.'
That night, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty wasn't able to sleep a wink.
He was afraid that if he allowed himself to fall into a deep slumber, the souls of his dead Soldiers would haunt him in his sleep, and drag him down to Hell, where all of them were waiting for him.
Chapter 615 A Necromancer’s Sincerity [Part 1]
Ishtar was one of the scouts that Lux had deployed to observe the movement of the Human Army that had retreated a good distance away from the capital city of the Orcs.
The Humans looked depressed, no longer having the will to fight, at the moment. However, that didn't mean that they were incapable of fighting.
If the Great General Garret were to issue an order, all of them would be mobilized according to his will.
Suddenly, Ishtar felt something move behind her.
Before she could even turn around, a large, rough hand grabbed onto her shoulder from behind, holding her in place.
"Help me pass a message to the Necromancer," Great General Garret whispered in Ishtar's ears. "Tell him that I want to negotiate with him."
As soon as the Great General finished speaking, he removed his hand, allowing Ishtar to regain her freedom.
"Negotiate?" Ishtar asked as she eyed the man in front of her with suspicion. "What do you want to negotiate?"
"The outcome of this war," Great General Garret said.
Ishtar pondered for a bit before communicating with Lux, informing him about Great General Garret's proposal.
"My Master said that he will speak with you through me," Ishtar said after a few minutes. "He said–"
"I won't talk to you," Great General Garret interjected. "I will only talk to your Master. Tell him to personally meet me."
Ishtar wanted to retort to the Great General, but since Lux was now connected to her, the Half-Elf momentarily took over her consciousness to talk to the enemy general.
"Whether I meet you personally or not will depend on what you want to talk about," Lux said. "If you're just going to spout a bunch of nonsense, then you should stop wasting my time."
Ishtar crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for the Great General's reply.
They didn't expect that the head of the enemy's army would personally come to negotiate the terms of the war, so they couldn't help but wonder why Great General Garret was doing this.
"The reason why I want to talk to you personally is because…"
—------------
Thirty minutes later somewhere near the camp of the Haca Dynasty…
"You're finally here," Great General Garret said. "Have you accepted my condition?"
"I've heard what you have to say," Lux replied. "But how can I trust you? How about you let me kill you, so I can raise you as Undead? That way, I will trust everything you say."
The corner of the Great General's lips curled up after hearing Lux's proposal.
"A tempting offer, but I have to refuse," Great General Garret said. "There are still things that I need to do, and I can't do them as an Undead."
"What a shame. I even plan to give you some freebies if you join my side."
"Maybe in my next life."
Lux rubbed his chin as he considered Great General's Garret proposal. If he agreed, then the war would end in their favor. However, if this was a trap, then the entire Blackrock Clan could be wiped out in a day.
"I can't risk the lives of the Blackrock Clan," Lux stated. "If you want to settle this, let's settle this between ourselves."
"And you think you can do that by yourself?" Great General Garret scoffed. "Maybe you should have brought Barca with you. It seems like I overestimated your influence over the Orcs."
Lux shrugged off the Great General's words as if they weren't important. For him, he could take responsibility for his own actions if he only moved the forces under his command.
However, the Blackrock Clan was different. Although they were now part of his Guild, he didn't want them to risk their lives on the gamble he was planning to make.
Unlike the Undead under his command which he could revive over and over again, he couldn't take responsibility for the lives of the Orcs. Although he could revive them, a living Orc and an Undead Orc were two different Orcs.
"I have a different proposal for you," Lux said after several minutes of silence. "Don't worry, our interests will not have any conflict with each other. There is another way to meet your condition without the need to drag the Orcs to the negotiation table."
"Oh?" Great General Garret arched an eyebrow. "Tell me, I'm all ears."
Lux walked closer to the Great General to tell him his plan.
"This is what we're going to do," Lux said.
The Great General of the Haca Dynasty listened to his proposal with a frown on his face. However, he didn't interject even once and simply listened to what Lux had to say.
"So it is my turn to take a gamble, huh?" Great General Garret chuckled. "You're making this difficult for the both of us, Necromancer. Just as you said earlier, how can I possibly trust you?"
Lux smirked before snapping his fingers together, showing something to Great General Garret, which made the latter's eyes widen in shock.
"This is my sincerity, Great General," Lux said. "As for whether you wish to trust me or not, that decision lies in your hands."
—------------
Just as the sun was rising from the East, the sounds of war drums echoed in the surroundings.
"Everyone! The Orcs are coming!" One of the Watchers shouted. He then rang the bell to alert everyone, especially those who were still asleep of the danger that was approaching their location.
"Hateful monsters!" Ronan, who had lost his shield and suffered serious injuries from the previous battle, cursed as he propped himself up from the bed.
His injuries had already been healed by magic, but his entire body was still sore and as heavy as lead.
When the Vanguard Commander came out of his tent, he saw everyone in the camp scrambling to pick up their weapons and organize their battle formations.
Great General Garret sat on top of his Warhorse as he gazed at the Orc Army in the distance.
'So it has come to this,' Great General Garret thought.
The Commander of the Haca Dynasty pulled out the sword from his scabbard and raised it high in the air.
"Everyone, hear my orders!" Great General Garret shouted. "Full Retreat! We're going back to the Dynasty!"
Chapter 616 A Necromancer’s Sincerity [Part 2]
"Full Retreat! We're going back to the Dynasty!"
As soon as the orders were given, the Vanguard raised their shields and formed a defensive line, while the other soldiers worked together to take down the tents and store everything that they could possibly carry.
The Orcs were still a good distance away from them, so they had more than enough time to pack everything before they left their temporary camp.
The High Rankers, all lined up at the front lines, were glaring hatefully at the approaching Orcs. Truth be told, they weren't afraid of fighting them in close quarters.
However, they were very hesitant to do this because their enemies had managed to capture their Weapons of War.
If the Orcs used the same tactics they had used against them in the past, then their chances of victory were very slim.
As if proving their worst fears come to life, a magic cannonball descended from the sky and landed a hundred meters away from the front lines, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.
"Activate the Barriers!" Great General Garret ordered as he rushed to the front lines in order to assist his men in protecting their retreating soldiers. "Don't let any of those magical cannonballs get past us!"
The Defenders activated their Shield Walls, shaping a wall of light in front of them that blocked all incoming attacks.
The rumbling noise of magical cannonballs hitting the barrier spread across the battlefield, but their defensive formation remained intact.
A smoke cloud that was the result of the continuous bombardment covered everyone's vision, preventing them from seeing what was in front of them.
One of the High Rankers dispersed the dust cloud because he understood that not being able to see their enemy was a fatal mistake in war. When the Blizzard had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the Undead Army was able to slaughter their men one-sidedly. They had suffered a lot due to that.
As soon as the smoke cloud cleared, everyone saw the Orcs charging in their direction, which made everyone's face turn grim.
At the very front of the Orc Charge was Barca, followed closely by the Dryad Queen, Cornelia.
Seeing this deadly pair, Great General Garret ordered everyone to retreat.
Ronan, who had run a few meters ahead, turned his head and looked at their Great General in disbelief.
"Garret, what do you think you're doing?!" Ronan shouted in anger.
"Go, Ronan," Great General Garret replied without even bothering to look at his comrade. "I'll hold them off here."
"Are you insane?! You can't hold them on your own!"
"Just go. I will hold them for as long as I can."
Great General Garret then took out a token from his storage ring and raised it high up in the air.
A moment later, an Aurora Borealis that was several kilometers long appeared before him. This was one of the National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty, and its main purpose was to create a barrier that could withstand any attack, even if the said attack came from a Saint.
"Go now, Ronan," Great General Garret ordered. "You know that this barrier will not last for long. Go back and tell my family that I love them."
"Garret... must you really do this?!" Ronan gritted his teeth in anger.
"There is no other way," Great General Garret replied. "If you want to stay, you can stay. But know this--the moment this barrier disappears is also the moment you will lose your life."
Knowing that the Great General's words were true, Ronan clenched his fist tightly before running away.
"Don't worry, I'll pass the message to your family!" Ronan shouted as he increased his speed, leaving his comrade behind to deal with the entirety of the Orc Army.
The Soldiers of the Haca Dynasty were very relieved when their Great General ordered the retreat.
They no longer had the will to fight, and the only thing they wanted now was to return home safely.
When the Aurora Borealis appeared, the Captains who served under the Great General understood that this was his way of buying time for their escape.
The National Treasure, which was called the Token of the Northern Lights, was an artifact that drained its user's mana and life force in return for a powerful barrier that could withstand the blows of a Saint.
The one who activated it wouldn't be able to move, keeping the barrier in place until he was drained dry by the artifact.
There was also no way to cancel its effects, so it was really a treasure that would trade a person's life for the survival of others.
"Great General..." One of the Captains who was leading his men to escape wept as he looked at the beautiful Aurora Borealis in the distance.
He was not the only one who felt touched by the Great General's sacrifice. Even the High Rankers couldn't help but feel sorrow at the loss of one of the most talented individuals of the Haca Dynasty.
When Ronan regrouped with the retreating soldiers, he gave the Aurora Borealis one last glance and sneered in his heart.
'Don't worry, Garret,' Ronan laughed in his mind. 'I'll take care of your family--especially your wife and daughters. I'll make sure to treat them well."
Ronan and Garret had been best friends since they were young. However, both of them fell in love with the same lady and courted her at the same time.
Unfortunately for Ronan, the lady chose Garret as her husband. Since then, the Vanguard Commander had hated the Great General in his heart, despite keeping a smile on his face any time the two of them talked.
During the war, he tried to look for an opportunity to eliminate the Great General and make it look like an accident.
However, Garret had always stayed at the center of the army, surrounded by his close Aides, so it was impossible for Ronan to make a move and dispose of him.
'You saved me a lot of trouble,' Ronan mused as he kept a sorrowful look on the surface. 'With this, I will surely become the next Great General of the Dynasty. It may take us years to rebuild our army, but when the time comes, I will definitely lead the army to conquer the Wanid Kingdom. Farewell, you bastard. I'll make sure to enjoy everything that belongs to you."
While Ronan was gloating in his heart, the Orc Army finally reached the Aurora Borealis.
Barca looked at the Great General, whose hair had already turned white.
His strong and sturdy body, which had fought many battles, had shrunk considerably, and his strong hands had wrinkled, turning frail with each passing minute.
Barca, Cornelia, and the Orcs didn't say anything. They simply watched as the powerful Great General slowly withered away.
Half an hour later, the Aurora Borealis disappeared, and all that remained was a wrinkled old man, whose eyes had clouded over, no longer able to see.
"... Keep... your word... Necromancer," Great General Garret said hoarsely. "I... kept... mine."
Lux nodded. "I will."
The Great General breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps, due to having received the Half-Elf's assurance his legs gave way. Just as he was about to fall over, a powerful hand caught him and prevented him from injuring himself further.
"Take him away, ALL-MITE," Lux ordered.
The four-armed hero nodded his head and carried the frail old man gently in his arms.
The Half-Elf then looked in the direction of the retreating army and summoned his Named Creatures to his side.
"Time to pay the Haca Dynasty a short visit," Lux said softly. "We have a promise to keep."
Chapter 617 I Found A New Friend! [Part 1]
The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the room, making the servants attending to their Mistress look up in surprise.
"M-My Lady, is the tea too hot? Are you hurt?!" one of the servants asked as she looked at her Mistress' hands to see if she had been burned by the tea she served earlier.
"Don't worry, Marie," the beautiful woman reassured her. "The cup simply slipped from my hands. Please, have someone clean it up."
"At once, My Lady."
Sarah Osbourne, the Mistress of the House, gazed solemnly at the broken tea cup on the floor.
For a brief moment, she felt as if someone had gripped her heart, making her loosen the grip on the cup that she was about to drink from.
'Garret…,' Sarah thought. 'I hope nothing happened to you.'
It had been four days since the full retreat of the Human Army from the Wanid Kingdom.
The Haca Dynasty was still unaware that their recent campaign ended up in failure as the retreating army was still on their way back to the border.
As the wife of the Great General of their Dynasty, Sarah was treated in high regard, and many wanted to gain her favor.
But she wasn't the type who liked to mingle in politics. The only things she cared for were her husband and her three daughters, whom she loved very much.
"Marie, do you know where my daughters are?" Sarah asked the maid that was busy collecting the broken pieces of the teacup that had shattered on the floor.
"My lady, your eldest is in her room and painting," Marie reported. "As for the other two, I believe that they are playing together in the garden."
"I see…" Sarah couldn't shake off the anxious feeling in her heart, so she decided to go to her eldest daughter's room to chat with her for a bit until the uneasiness she was feeling disappeared.
—---------
Meanwhile, outside the Ousborne Residence…
"Master, are you sure about this?" Draven asked.
"We've already come this far," Lux replied. "Besides, we don't have much time left. If we don't hurry, that Ronan guy might arrive here through the teleportation gate. When that happens, our mission will be more difficult."
The Half-Elf then crouched down and patted Eiko's head.
"Eiko, I will leave the rest to you," Lux said softly. "Do your best, okay?"
"Pa!" Eiko nodded her head with determination.
"Draven, watch over her."
"As you command, Master."
Eiko opened her mouth and swallowed her Papa whole. Draven looked at the Baby Slime with a complicated look on his face, but since his Master had given his orders, he had no option but to obey it.
After storing her Papa inside her body, Eiko crawled on the wall with the intention of going to the other side.
Draven merged with Eiko's shadow because he was tasked to protect the Baby Slime from any harm.
The Great General's residence was heavily protected by many powerful fighters, so if Lux were to enter through the backdoor, they would definitely sense him.
On the other hand, since Eiko was a Baby Slime, the guards might not see her as a threat, allowing her to explore the residence unhindered.
'Pa!' Eiko talked to Lux via telepathy as soon as she jumped over the wall, and landed on a field of flowers.
'Very good, Eiko,' Lux replied. 'Now, all we need to do is–'
Lux wasn't able to finish whatever he was going to say because a shadow fell over Eiko's body.
The Baby Slime turned her head and saw a little girl, who seemed to be around five to six years old, looking at her with curiosity.
"A Slime?' The girl crouched down and looked at Eiko closely. "A Baby Slime?"
"Hi!" Eiko said with a smile, which made the little girl cry out in surprise.
Half a minute later, the little girl regained her composure and lightly poked the Baby Slime that was as soft as jelly.
"You can talk?" the little girl asked.
Eiko nodded. "Un!"
"My name is Leah, what's your name?"
"Eiko!"
"What a cute name! Nice to meet you, Eiko!"
"Meet you!"
Now that she was acquainted with the Baby Slime, Leah felt a lot braver and picked up Eiko from the ground.
"What are you doing here, Eiko?" Leah asked. "Do you want to play with me?"
"Un!" Eiko nodded. "But! Need to find Mama first!"
"Your Mama?"
"No! Your Mama!"
"My Mama?"
"Yes!"
The Baby Slime nodded her head, which made Leah giggle.
"Okay, I'll take you to my Mama," Leah replied with a smile. "Let's play after you meet her, okay?"
"Un!"
Having found a new friend, Leah ran towards the house carrying the Baby Slime in her hands. The first person she saw was Marie, who had just come out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea and desserts.
"Marie! I found a new friend!" The little girl happily showed the Baby Slime to the Maid, which made the latter almost drop the tray in her hands.
"Leah, where did you find this Monster?" Marie asked. "Don't you know that you shouldn't casually touch them? What if they attacked you? Get rid of that Slime right now!"
"No!" Leah pulled her hand back close to her chest. "Eiko is my friend, she won't hurt me!"
"No hurt!" Eiko replied, which made the Maid scream and drop the tray she was holding on the floor.
"S-Someone! Anyone! Save the young lady from the Monster in her hands!" Marie shouted, which alerted the other servants in the house.
Leah couldn't understand why their Maid was so scared of Eiko even though she was so cute. The only thing she knew was that she couldn't let anyone hurt her friend, so she immediately ran towards the stairs in order to find her Mama.
Eiko, who was being carried by the little girl, found this event quite exciting.
"Run, Leah!" Eiko said happily. "Run!"
The Baby Slime thought that the two of them were playing, so she supported her new friend's action and cheered for her.
Leah, who was also emboldened by Eiko's encouragement, giggled as she ran towards her mother's room in order to find her.
"Mama?" Marie asked as she opened the room. "Are you here?"
"Hello?" Eiko said. "Here?"
The two looked around together, but it didn't take long for them to realize that Leah's Mama wasn't inside her room.
"Let's go to my sister's room!" Leah said.
"Un!" Eiko replied. "Go!"
As soon as the two left Sarah's room, the Maids, as well as a few Guards of the residence, appeared in the hallway and pointed in their direction.
"There they are!" Marie shouted. "Don't let that Monster harm our young lady!"
"Lady Leah, you're safe now," one of the Guards said as he approached the little girl with a smile on his face. "Just give me that Baby Slime, and everything will be fine."
Instead of obeying, Leah held Eiko close to her chest as if trying to protect her.
"Don't come closer!" Leah shouted. "Eiko is my friend! Don't take her away!"
The Baby Slime glared at the Guard who wanted to snatch her away from Leah's hand. Truth be told, Eiko was itching to summon a Blast Bomb and throw it at the annoying Guard's face.
However, Lux, whom she was sharing her senses with, repeatedly reminded her to not hurt anyone in the residence.
Just as things were about to get out of hand, Sarah appeared in the hallway, accompanied by a teenage girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
Now that Sarah was here, Leah felt more at ease because she knew that her Mama was always on her side.
Chapter 618 I Found A New Friend! [Part 2]
"What's going on here?" Sarah asked. "Why are all of you here?"
"M-My lady, your daughter picked up a Monster and is calling it her friend," Marie reported. "We are just trying to take the Monster away from her, but she ran away. I had to call the Guards in order to help me deal with the Slime that is threatening the young lady's life."
Sarah frowned and glanced at the slime in Leah's hands.
When she saw that the Baby Slime wasn't doing anything to hurt her daughter, the worry in her heart decreased. Also, a single glance was enough to tell that her youngest daughter was doing her best to shield the Monster from harm, so Sarah decided to handle this personally.
"I'll take over from here," Sarah stated as she walked towards Leah with steady steps. "All of you return to your duties."
Although they were reluctant, the Maids and the Guards obeyed, and left together.
When only Sarah, Leah, Eiko, and her eldest child, Alexa, were left, peace once again returned inside the Ousborne residence.
"Leah, my love, where did you find your new friend?" Sarah crouched down and asked her daughter.
"I found her in the garden," Leah replied. "Her name is Eiko. Isn't she cute?"
Leah no longer hid Eiko and showed her to her Mama with a big smile on her face.
"Hi!" Eiko said, which made Sarah arch an eyebrow.
This wasn't the first time she had seen a talking Monster. In fact, her father and mother had raised a Great Wolf back in their Ancestral Residence and taught it how to talk.
"Hello, Eiko. How are you?" Sarah asked.
"I'm fine," Eiko replied. "Let's talk!"
"Oh? You want to talk to me?"
"Yes!"
"What do you want to talk about?"
Eiko didn't answer right away. Instead she spat something out, which Sarah caught by reflex.
The beautiful woman's eyes widened in shock after seeing the golden pendant in her hand. Its design was very familiar, and it made her heart start to beat rapidly inside her chest.
Using her thumb, she deftly pried it open, and a projection appeared, showing her, and her daughters smiling back at her.
This familiar image made Sarah's heart skip a beat, and she looked at the Baby Slime on her daughter's hands with a solemn expression on her face.
"You said you want to talk, right?" Sarah gripped the pendant firmly in her hand.
"Yes," Eiko replied. "Important talk!"
Sarah closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself down. When she finally regained her composure, she patted Leah's head, and the little girl looked up at her in confusion.
"Leah, I need to talk with Eiko for a while," Sarah said. "We need to talk in private. Are you fine with that?"
"Can the two of us play after you finish talking?" Leah asked. Her blue eyes held a tinge of anxiety in it because she didn't know if her Mama would hurt her new friend or not.
"Of course you can. Isn't that right, Eiko?"
"Un! Play with Leah later!"
Seeing that the Baby Slime had assured her that both of them would play later, Leah finally passed Eiko to her Mama, and took a step back.
"Thank you, Leah," Sarah said as she stood up. "I'll talk with Eiko for a bit. You go with your sister Alexa for the time being."
Sarah didn't even wait for her daughter's reply and entered her room with Eiko without another word.
After closing the door, she activated the sound proofing spell to prevent anyone from hearing her talk with Eiko.
"Okay, Eiko, let's talk," Sarah said as she placed the Baby Slime on top of the table. "What happened to my husband? Why do you have his pendant?"
The baby slime looked up at the beautiful woman and nodded her head.
"Wait!" Eiko replied. "Papa will talk to you!"
Eiko didn't bother to answer Sarah's question because she had already decided to let her Papa handle the rest.
The Baby Slime opened her mouth wide, and spat out a red-headed teenager, which made Sarah summon her sword in preparation to strike.
"Wait!" Lux hurriedly said, raising both of his hands in surrender. "I came here because Great General Garret has an important message to tell you."
Sarah's sword was only a foot away from Lux's face, and a simple thrust would be enough to pierce through his head.
"Start talking," Sarah stated. "If I don't like what you're going to say, I'll kill you."
Although Sarah looked like a harmless housewife, she was in fact a warrior who had fought battles alongside her husband Garret.
Lux was taken aback when he realized that the woman before him was actually a C-Ranker, several leagues stronger than him.
Of course, if he were to fight seriously, he was confident that he would be able to gain the upper hand. However, he didn't go to the Ousborne residence to fight.
"Instead of me talking, it will be best if you let Garret talk to you personally," Lux replied while taking a round mirror out of his storage ring and holding it over his chest, reflecting Sarah's face on its surface. "Sir Garret, your wife is here."
As soon as Lux said those words, the surface of the mirror began to blur. A moment later, a wrinkled old man with clouded eyes appeared in the mirror.
Sarah's hand slowly rose up until it covered her lips.
Although this was her first time seeing the old man, she was certain that it was none other than her beloved husband, whom she hadn't seen for nearly two weeks.
—------------
While this was happening, the teleportation gate of the capital city of the Haca Dynasty, Aspen, glowed brightly.
A few seconds later, a dozen men appeared, making those that were watching over the Teleportation Gate gasp in surprise.
"Finally, I'm back," Ronan muttered as he glanced at the Castle in the distance. "I'll go first to see His Majesty. After that…"
The Commander of the Vanguard shifted his attention to a large manor that was located within the first layer of the Noble District.
'I've waited many years for this, Sarah,' Ronan thought as the image of the woman he loved for a very long time appeared in his head. 'Finally, you will belong to me.'
Chapter 619 Are We In Danger?
"Garret, my love, what happened?" Sarah asked, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, as she looked at the withered old man in front of her.
Great General Garret let out a deep sigh before answering his wife's question.
"The campaign to conquer the Wanid Kingdom has failed," Great General Garret replied. "The one responsible for our loss is none other than the messenger I asked to talk to you right now.
"His name is Lux Von Kaizer, and I pleaded with him to take you and our daughters away from the Haca Dynasty. Sarah, with the way I am now, I no longer hold any value to the King. It is only a matter of time before those who bear ill will toward me and my family make their move. I'm afraid that if you don't evacuate quickly, it will be too late for all of you."
Sarah carefully listened to her husband's words and didn't interrupt him. She knew that Great General Garret had many enemies, and they only stayed their hand because of the role that he played in the Haca Dynasty.
Now that he was gone, those who had been holding back their grudges would soon set their sights on their family, which was something she was aware of.
Sarah's gaze became sharp as she looked at the Half-Elf holding the mirror in his hand.
The beautiful woman looked gentle on the outside, but she was in fact a C-Ranker who was a veteran on the battlefield.
Her hands opened and closed as she fought the strong urge to break the Half-Elf's neck for what happened to her husband, but after listening to Great General Garret's explanation, she willed herself to not do anything and held her anger at bay.
While Garret was talking to his wife, Draven appeared beside Lux and whispered something in his ear.
'Are you sure?' Lux asked through telepathy.
'Yes, Master,' Draven reported. 'The Shadow Warriors that I assigned near the Teleportation Gate have confirmed the arrival of several High-Rankers. One of them is the Vanguard Commander, Ronan.'
'Where are they headed?'
'In order to avoid being detected, the Shadow Warriors didn't dare to move from their location. All they knew was that there were six of them, and all of them were High-Rankers.'
Lux no longer hesitated and interjected in the conversation between Great General Garret and his wife.
"I'm sorry, but Commander Ronan has just arrived here in the Capital," Lux reported his subordinates' findings. "There are other High-Rankers with him. Lady Sarah, if possible, please gather your daughters. We can't afford to wait."
After hearing Lux's report, Great General Garret's expression became grim.
"Sarah, take the kids with you," Great General Garret said. "Don't bother taking the treasures out of the house. Just prioritize our daughters first. I'm afraid that Ronan still has feelings for you, and now that I can't do anything, he might use this opportunity to make his move. My love, please, hurry. I will wait for you here in the Wanid Kingdom."
As soon as he finished saying his farewell, the connection was cut and the mirror returned to its original state.
"Your name is Lux, right?" Sarah asked as he stared at the Half-Elf with a solemn gaze. "Are you capable of taking us out of the Capital City?"
Lux nodded. "Rest assured. I have already made my preparations."
Sarah took a deep breath before leaving the room in haste.
Her husband was dead in the eyes of his subordinates. Now that they had arrived, it wouldn't take long for his enemies to get wind of the news.
The first place she went to was her eldest daughter's room. She had asked Alexa to look after Leah, while she talked with the Baby Slime in private, who had summoned her Papa to personally talk to her.
"Mother, are you done talking with Eiko?" Leah asked as soon as she saw her mother enter the room. "Can I play with her now?"
"You can play with her later, sweetheart," Sarah replied. "For now, I need you to stay close to me. Alexa, do you know where Emily is?"
Alexa vaguely sensed the anxiety on her mother's face, so she answered her mother truthfully.
"Emily said that she will go to the Marketplace to buy something," Alexa replied. "Why, Mother? Did something happen?"
Sarah's face turned ashen after hearing her daughter's reply. She couldn't possibly leave her daughter behind, so she planned to look for Emily herself.
"Pack some of your clothes," Sarah ordered. "Don't take any fancy dresses. Take clothes that are meant for outdoor travel."
"Mother, are we in danger?"
"Don't ask questions, My Dear. Just do what I say. I will explain it later once I find your sister. Make sure to pack clothes for Leah as well."
Alexa nodded and did as she was told. She didn't fail to notice the red-headed teenager standing by the doorway and had a Baby Slime perched on top of his head.
Sarah approached Lux and asked him to protect her daughters, but the Half-Elf rejected her request.
"Do you have a portrait of your daughter?" Lux asked. "I can find her faster. Just tell me where the Marketplace is."
Great General Garret's wife knew that Lux was as much in a hurry as her, so she didn't hesitate and took out their family painting from her storage ring.
"This is Emily," Sarah pointed at a girl who seemed to be around twelve to fourteen years old. "Please, find her."
"Don't worry," Lux replied. "Draven, go find her. We don't have time, so just kidnap her. If she resists, I permit you to knock her unconscious."
Draven bowed. "Yes, Master."
When Sarah heard Lux and his Shadow Lord discuss using force to kidnap her daughter right in front of her, she almost used her fist to blow the pair's head.
But she understood that the situation called for it, and they couldn't be too picky with their methods.
"I'll go pack my clothes," Sarah said. "But know this. I will not leave behind any of my family members. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Lux nodded. "I'll do my best."
After getting Lux's assurance, Sarah went straight to the Master's Bedroom, where she and her husband slept together.
Although Great General Garret said that she didn't need to pack their treasures, she couldn't possibly leave them behind.
They were their family heirlooms, and it would be a waste to let others have them.
Lux, who had been left in Alexa's room, closed his eyes and leaned on the wall.
Eiko was talking with Leah, while her sister finished packing her belongings. Just like Sarah, Alexa had important items in her possession that she had no intention of leaving behind.
After making sure that everything important was stored in her storage ring, she held Leah's hand and walked out of the room.
Lux followed behind her because their safety was his top priority.
---------
In the Capital City's Marketplace...
"How much is this?" asked a pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes to the merchant in front of her.
"You have good eyes, Young Miss," the Merchant replied with a smile. "That necklace came from the Wanid Kingdom and is said to be blessed by the Spirits themselves. It is yours for a very cheap price of 500 gold coins."
"500 Gold Coins?" the pretty girl frowned. "I'll buy it for 100 Gold Coins."
"My Lady, I can't possibly sell it to you for that price. How about 450 gold coins?"
"100 Gold Coins."
"400 Gold Coins."
"100 Gold Coins."
"Hahaha, my lady, you really know how to bargain."
While the Merchant was thinking about how he could negotiate with the pretty girl that was adamant about buying his necklace for 100 Gold Coins, a man who was two meters tall appeared behind Emily.
"Is that you Emily?" the man asked, making the girl look behind her.
"Uncle Ronan?" Emily was surprised to see the kind Uncle who had always given her birthday presents on her birthday appear behind her. "What are you doing here? Did you finish conquering the Wanid Kingdom? Has my father already returned?"
A devilish smile appeared on Ronan's face as he crouched down to pat the pretty girl on the head.
He was on his way to the Royal Palace in order to report to their king what happened on their campaign, but after seeing a familiar face in the Marketplace, he decided to pass the responsibility of reporting to their King to his companions.
This also gave him the perfect excuse to go to the Ousborne Residence in order to see Great General Garret's Wife, whom he was eager to meet after a long time.
Emily's Personal Guards, who were tasked to keep watch on their young lady, followed behind Ronan's Carriage. Since they were familiar with the Vanguard Commander, they allowed Emily to go with him.
If only they knew that the kind Uncle had evil designs for their Master's family, all of them would have risked their lives in order to rescue Emily and take her away from the man who wished to make her mother his woman.
Chapter 620 Today, I Will Make You Mine!
Emily's face brightened at the thought of seeing her father again.
Ronan, knowing the thoughts running through the little girl's head, only smiled and looked at the Merchant, who was now sweating buckets after seeing Ronan.
Everyone in the Haca Dynasty knew of him, and the way the pretty girl was interacting with him was enough to tell the Merchant that their relationship was very close.
"My Lady, you said you wanted to buy this for 100 Gold Coins right?" the Merchant asked as he anxiously rubbed his palms together. "Today is a good day, so I will sell it to you for 100 Gold Coins."
"Really?" Emily smiled like a blooming flower. She thought that her bargaining skills had allowed her to save hundreds of gold coins, which made her very happy.
"Yes. Please, take it for 100 Gold Coins."
"Thank you. Here is the payment."
After paying for the necklace, the Merchant placed it inside an ornate box before respectfully passing it to Emily.
There was no way that he could offend the Commander of the Haca Dynasty, so even if he had to suffer a loss, he would compromise for the sake of his future.
"Uncle, I'm good at bargaining, right?" Emily looked at Ronan with a very proud look on her face.
"Indeed," Ronan patted the pretty girl's head with a smile. "I'm sure that after a few years, you will become better at bargaining. Do you plan to buy anything else here? Or are you planning to go home now?"
Emily pondered for a bit before shaking her head.
"I've already bought a few things, Uncle Ronan," Emily replied. "I want to go back home and see Father."
"Emily, your Father is still on the battlefield." Ronan lied. "He was worried about you girls, so he asked me to pass a message to your mother. That is the reason why I am here."
"I see..." Emily looked disappointed, but she understood that her father had a lot of responsibilities to do.
Perhaps among her sisters, she was the one who idolized their father the most, and this was why she was really looking forward to his return.
"Since you're going home, allow me to accompany you," Ronan said as he offered his hand to Emily.
"Thank you, Uncle," Emily replied as she offered her hand to her father's right-hand man who had always treated her and her family very well.
Ronan escorted Emily to his carriage before ordering the coachman to head towards the Ousborne Residence.
A few minutes after they left the Marketplace, Draven and his Shadow Warriors arrived and scouted the area. Lux had given them a very important mission, and they needed to find Emily as soon as possible.
They had no idea that the one they were looking for was being accompanied by the most dangerous person on their list.
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Ousborne Mansion...
"Is there still no news?" Sarah asked Lux, who was seated on the couch and calmly drinking a cup of tea.
"My subordinates have nearly scouted the entire Marketplace, and they still can't find Emily," Lux replied. "Are there other places that she might have gone to?"
Sarah shook her head. Her second daughter always liked to explore the city, while being accompanied by her personal guards.
Since she always had guards with her, Sarah had given her daughter permission to leave the house anytime she wanted.
Alexa and Leah were also in the room and waiting patiently for the arrival of their sister. Their mother had insisted that all of them stay together so that they could leave anytime.
While Lux and Sarah were feeling a bit anxious about Emily's whereabouts, they heard the sound of running footsteps in the hallway.
"My Lady, Miss Emily has returned," Marie reported.
However, before Lux and Sarah could breathe a sigh of relief, the Maid's next words made their bodies stiffen.
"She is not alone," Marie continued her report. "Commander Ronan escorted her back."
Lux and Sarah exchanged a glance, and both of their faces didn't look good.
"Alexa, take Leah to your room," Sarah ordered. "I will meet with Commander Ronan first."
Alexa nodded her head and hastily took Leah out of the room. As per Lux's orders, Eiko accompanied the two girls, while he remained with Sarah.
"Go hide in the closet and erase your presence," Sarah said. "I will try to send Ronan away as soon as possible."
"Be careful," Lux replied before going to the closet to hide.
As soon as the closet door closed, Sarah waved her hand and removed all traces of smell in the room. She had also hidden the teacups and snacks that were on the table.
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, which informed her that Ronan had arrived.
"Come in," Sarah stated in a crisp and formal tone.
The door opened and the Vanguard Commander of the Haca Dynasty walked in as if he owned the place.
"It has been a while since I saw you, Sarah," Ronan said. "You're still as beautiful as always."
"And you still like to flatter me as usual," Sarah replied with a smile. Her gaze then landed on her daughter, who was holding hands with Ronan, which made her stomach churn on the inside. "Emily, your Uncle and I will talk for a while. Why don't you go to Alexa's room for a while? Leah is with her right now."
"Okay," Emily nodded. "Uncle, I'll see you later."
"Okay." Ronan grinned as he let go of the pretty girl's hand. "Play nice with your sisters."
As soon as Emily left the room, Ronan locked the door before walking towards Sarah, who was doing her best to keep herself calm.
"Ronan, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked. "Where is my husband?"
Instead of answering her, Ronan continued to walk towards her until their bodies were only a foot apart.
"Sarah, do you know? I've always loved you," Ronan replied. "Ever since the moment I laid my eyes on you, you've always been in my mind. Garret didn't deserve you. You should have married me instead of him."
"R-Ronan, what are you talking about?" Sarah backed away, sensing that Ronan was starting to lose control of his emotions. "S-Stay back!"
"Stay back?" Ronan chuckled as his gaze landed on Sarah's voluptuous body. "I've been holding back for years. You don't understand how painful it was to watch as you and Garret walk hand in hand together.
"You don't understand how much it drives me crazy every time I think that he has you in his embrace at night. The mere thought of him touching you is enough to make me want to kill people! No. Sarah, I will not stay back. Today, I will make you mine!"
Sarah summoned her sword and immediately slashed the crazed man who no longer cared about past friendships and simply wanted to make her his conquest.
Ronan grabbed the blade of the sword with his hand before forcefully tearing it out of Sarah's grip.
The Commander of the Vanguard was a High-Ranker, so he was several times stronger than the beautiful woman of his dreams. Sarah knew this as well and understood that she was at a great disadvantage.
Ronan understood that Sarah had decided to fight him to the bitter end, but he had already anticipated this scenario and made preparations.
Activating the ring on his finger, Ronan's speed suddenly increased as he moved behind Sarah to deliver a chop to the back of her neck.
The blow was enough to make the beautiful woman lose consciousness, but Ronan caught her before her body could even fall to the ground.
"Finally, you're mine, Sarah." Ronan kissed Sarah's neck and greedily inhaled her scent. His right hand then moved to tear apart her dress, baring her breasts, which intensified the lust that was burning in his heart.
Knowing that the beautiful woman wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, Ronan carried her to the bed, so that she could fully see her naked beauty.
The anticipation of corrupting another's wife by taking her without her consent made the horrible man's member become rock-hard.
"Don't worry, I promise to take good care of you and your daughters," Ronan said as he took off his own clothes. "I will make all of you my women. Alexa has already come of age and has grown as beautiful as you. I will make her my concubine and make you my main wife. That way, all of us can stay as a family."
After taking off all of his clothes, Ronan was very keen to start his conquest and mark Sarah with his colors.
(E/N: I want to cut off this bastard's d*ck so bad. Yours is next if you don't end this well.)
(A/N: Kekeke.)
Garret's best friend then spread Sarah's legs apart, about to start with the deed, but before he could even take action, a hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"You fools can just have fun with the maids!" Ronan growled in anger as he shrugged off the hand that was holding onto his shoulder. "We already discussed this. I take Sarah and her daughters, while you bastards have fun with the servants!"
Ronan turned around to glare hatefully at the person that was trying to get in his way.
However, instead of seeing a person, what he saw was a large fist that was only inches away from his face.
A second later, the High-Ranker's body smashed against the wall, destroying it completely.
The force of the punch was so strong that it sent Ronan smashing through every wall in the Ousborne Residence.
Before Ronan could even regain his balance, he received another punch in his face, sending him flying out of the Noble District, and crashing into the Commoner's District.
"Should I finish him?" Barca asked as he looked at the Half-Elf who had covered Sarah's naked body with a blanket.
"No," Lux replied. "We are in the Capital City of the Haca Dynasty. Let's leave before their reinforcements arrive."
The Half-Elf then carried the unconscious Sarah and ran toward Alexa's room in order to start their evacuation plan.
Now that he had secured Great General Garret's family members, all he needed to do was leave the Haca Dynasty as soon as possible and take them all to safety.
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(A/N: Sorry to disappoint you r0cket =P )