Ch. 701: Chapter 701-710
Chapter 701 Is It Too Late To Fix Our Relationship?
After the battle in the City of Peyton had concluded, General Fahad ordered his men to take the bodies of the soldiers who had perished and gather them in the city's center.
Lux told him that he could help the souls of the deceased move on to the next life and offered to do so. Naturally, the General was more than happy to agree.
This was the least that the General could do for his men who had fought with their lives to protect their Kingdom from the Monster invasion.
It took some time to gather all the bodies. By the time they finished, the sun had already set, cloaking the land in darkness.
"I will now begin," Lux declared as he respectfully bowed toward the soldiers who died in the battle.
The Half-Elf then raised both of his hands toward the heavens and a faint ripple spread in the surroundings.
A moment later, white butterflies started to appear all over the city as the wandering ghosts of the dead answered Lux's summons.
"So pretty," Cai said softly while looking at the butterflies that were dancing in the surroundings, illuminating the city.
"Wei~" Fei Fei, who was perched on top of Cai's head, agreed while looking at this picturesque scene in front of them.
Even Aur and the members of the Crystal Palace, who were used to seeing beautiful sceneries, couldn't help but be mesmerized by the otherworldly beauty that they were witnessing.
After circling the city once, the butterflies rose up toward the sky, creating something similar to a bridge of light that connected the Earth and the Heavens.
This phenomenon lasted for half an hour, ending when the last butterfly disappeared into the horizon as it crossed to the Cycle of Reincarnation.
Lux did this ceremony for a reason.
He wanted to know if the Yelan Kingdom was connected to the outside world, just like the Blackrock Clan.
Although Lux looked calm on the surface, deep down, he was very startled by his discovery.
Although the Yelan Kingdom was indeed inside a Dungeon, this world was also connected to the whole of Elysium.
What did this mean? It meant that everyone inside this Domain was living in a miniature world that was hundreds of times smaller than the world of Elysium.
The Half-Elf would even go so far as to think that the Sacred Dungeon was similar to Zangrila, a place that no one could enter from the outside unless they were to use a special method to do so.
Lux was very tempted to ask his Master, Gaap, for a second opinion. Unfortunately, the Old Halfling was currently sleeping inside the Mayor's Residence, and the Half-Elf didn't want to disturb him.
Although Gaap didn't say anything to him, Lux could tell that the old Halfling was quite exhausted after saving them and cleaning up the rest of the Monster Army with his summons.
Knowing this, he didn't want to disturb his rest and decided to just put his questions on hold for the time being.
"Is it done?" General Fahad inquired.
Although he had a feeling that the ceremony was over, he still wanted to confirm his thoughts.
Lux nodded. "Yes. It is over. Their spirits have moved on to the other side."
A sigh of relief escaped General Fahad's lips before bowing his head to thank Lux. Now that the spirits of the departed had been put to rest, he was feeling a little bit better, knowing that all of them had moved on to a better place.
"It will take a while before our messengers reach Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson," General Fahad stated. "At most, it will take a day or two before we can pass on the message that the Giant Earth Turtle has been dealt with."
"Good," Lux replied. "I will wait until they give a reply before deciding what my Mercenary Group would do next."
Since Lux had declared in the past war that he was the leader of a Mercenary Group, he decided to use that same setup in order to make things less complicated.
This also saved him the trouble of making up other excuses, which he didn't want to do in the first place.
After parting with the General of the Yelan Army, Lux asked the members of the different factions to rest for the time being.
Currently, they had nothing else to do but wait for confirmation from Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson that the Monster Army had been eliminated from the territories of the Yelan Kingdom.
Lux summoned his Soul Book and once again checked his Quest Objectives.
—--------------------
< Clash of Titans >
< Quest Objectives >
[Main Quest]
– Prevent the complete destruction of the Yelan and Ammarian Kingdoms
[Sub Quest]
– Defeat at least two of the three Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses and put an end to their tyranny.
– Quest will automatically fail when 80% of the territories of both the Yelan and Ammarian Kingdoms are destroyed by the Monster Army.
—--------------------
'As long as we secure the territories of the Yelan Kingdom, this quest will not fail,' Lux thought. 'But it won't be completed unless we go to the Ammarian Kingdom and deal with the two remaining Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses.'
Lux understood that in order to get the maximum quest rewards, he needed to wipe out the entire Monster Army from the face of the map, leaving not a single one of them behind.
While the Half-Elf was laying down the groundwork of his plan to finish the mission as early as possible, the silver-haired Devil in the Ammarian Kingdom was also busy formulating ways to deal with the current situation.
'There is no need to fight them,' the silver-haired Devil thought after spending hours of pondering. 'All I need to do is secure that Dragon Humanoid and suppress his soul. As long as I am able to become the dominant party, I will be able to control his body, allowing me to leave this place for good.'
Although his original goal was to kill Lux and avenge his previous failure, Gaap's appearance had thrown a wrench into his plans.
Since that was the case, the silver-haired Devil decided to focus on his main objective, which was to possess Aur's body and use the power of the Abyss to suppress the Dragonoid's soul, sealing it away at the deepest corner of his subconscious mind.
By doing so, he would become the sole owner of the body, allowing him to do whatever he wished to do with it.
Truth be told, the silver-haired Devil wouldn't care even if the entire Monster Army were wiped out as long as he was able to secure Aur's body. In fact, he intended to use the Monster Army as a distraction, while he focused his attention on the Dragon Prince, whom he had selected to become the vessel of his soul.
His true body was still trapped at the Final Gate of the Apocalypse. The only reason why he was able to move to the other Dimension within the Domain of the Fallen was his ability to create temporary bodies, which people referred to as homunculi.
The body he's currently possessing was one of his best creations, allowing him to temporarily use it as a vessel and have the Rank of a Dreadnaught World Boss.
'I better lay out the groundwork just to be sure,' the silver-haired Devil mused as he looked at the projection in front of him. 'I must do it as subtly as I can so no one will become suspicious when I finally take over the body.'
Ever since Aur appeared on the Gate of Famine, the silver-haired Devil had been paying very close attention to him.
He was analyzing and memorizing the Dragon Prince's mannerisms, as well as overall character.
This way, he would be able to free his own body using Aur's power and influence when they returned to the Sacred Dungeon to clear the final gate.
—-------------
Vahan Empire…
Emperor Andreas stared long and hard at the projections in front of him.
Currently, he was observing all the feedback coming from the artifacts that Prince Cyrus, Nero, Malcolm, and the other members of the Skystead Alliance were wearing.
After finding out that Lux had such a powerful Master, the Emperor, who had always desired to expand his territory, felt a bit unnerved by the sudden turn of events.
The appearance of the Dragon Borns from the Crystal Palace was already surprising enough. He thought that if he could become one of their allies, the conquest of the surrounding territories would be easier.
However, after seeing that even the four Saints, who served as Aur's bodyguards, were quite fearful of the Old Halfling, his plans for conquest hung in a delicate balance.
'That Half-Elf and I still have some bad blood between us,' Emperor Andreas thought. 'Is it too late to fix our relationship?'
The Emperor of the Vahan Empire didn't know the answer to this question, but deep inside, he was hoping that Lux and he could decide on a compromise.
Out of all the people that were observing the Half-Elf after he entered the Gate of the Famine, it was Emperor Vahan who was starting to feel the pressure about making Lux his enemy.
Before, he thought that the red-headed teenager was someone that he could easily kill if he wanted to.
However, after seeing his incredibly speedy growth, the Emperor was feeling a bit apprehensive that it might only take a year, or two, before the Half-Elf came to look for him to settle old scores.
If that were to really happen, he was afraid that, even if the entirety of the Skystead Alliance were to declare war against the Half-Elf, the one who would lose in the end would be them.
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Chapter 702 I Hope I’m Just Overthinking Things
Three days after the battle at the City of Peyton, an army composed of ten thousand soldiers arrived at the city.
Leading this army was none other than Great General Sherlock. He had received General Fahad's letter, telling him of the battle that had transpired a few days ago.
"It's good to see you again, Great General," Lux said with a smile.
"Lux, why is it that everytime I see you, our Kingdom is always just a few steps away from complete destruction?" Great General Sherlock asked in a teasing tone. "Death God of the Battlefield. That is what we call you, but I think Herald of Death is a more apt title, don't you think so?"
Lux smirked because he could tell that the Great General was just joking.
"Thanks for giving me such a cool title," Lux replied as he gave the Great General a thumbs up. "I like it."
This time, it was Great General Sherlock's turn to chuckle.
"I've read General Fahad's letter, and I'm quite shocked by what he wrote to me," General Sherlock said. "Can we talk about it in more detail after my men have been given their temporary quarters?"
"Of course. I'm staying at the Mayor's Residence, along with my Mercenary Group. You can find us there, Great General."
"Understood. I'll see you later."
After bidding his goodbye, Great General Sherlock led his men to the city's center.
"Are we really going to waste our time here?" Prince Cyrus asked with an annoyed look on his face. "It has already been three days since the battle ended. How long do we have to stay here?"
Lux glanced at the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire and arched an eyebrow.
"No one is stopping you from leaving this place, you know?" Lux stated. "If you really want to leave then you can go. I'm not going to stop you."
"Y-You!" Prince Cyrus wanted to tell the Half-Elf that he should stop wasting his, and everyone's time. But, after hearing Lux's reply, he was unable to come up with words that could force the Half-Elf to go to the Ammarian Kingdom with him.
What the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire didn't know was that Lux had already sent Zagan and Shax to scout the borders of the Ammarian Kingdom.
Gaap was still sleeping, and Lux didn't want to leave him behind if it was possible.
However, Carol, who was guarding her Master, informed the Half-Elf that he could just leave his safety to her, and do whatever he needed to do.
Because of this, Lux no longer felt too worried and sent his two fastest scouts to check on the current situation of the Ammarian Kingdom.
He didn't want to rely on his Master to solve all of his problems for him, and he had a feeling that Gaap had no intention of helping him again on this expedition.
Although no words were spoken between them, the Half-Elf understood that his Master did what he did for a reason, as for whatever that reason was, they would have a proper talk when Gaap regained consciousness.
He was also very curious about Antero's background.
A being such as that was simply too memorable to ignore.
—------
"Your Highness, are we really going to follow that Half-Elf for the duration of this expedition?" one of the members of the Crystal Palace asked.
"Yes," Aur replied as he nonchalantly flipped the page of a book. "You have already seen what he and his Master are capable of. If we want to clear this dungeon, and have all of you gain the ability to bring more people to enter the Gate of the Apocalypse, we will need his help."
Aur then glanced at the remaining members of his entourage in a calm manner.
"I know that all of you are dissatisfied with my decision," Aur stated. "But, I am not here to cater to your petty pride and arrogance. Even if all of you attacked Lux at the same time, I can guarantee that all of you will die before any of you can even touch a strand of his hair. Now, I understand why our Steward's Grandson, Cethus, is following him."
The members of Aur's entourage no longer said anything because none of them had the ability to surpass what Lux had done in the short period of time he had been in the Gate of Famine.
During their first try, they only lasted for several days before they had all been annihilated by the Monster Army that had overwhelmed them in both quality and quantity.
No one blamed them when they failed because even the Saints, as well as the High-Rankers who saw everything that happened, deemed that there was no possible way that mere Initiates could defeat the gate.
But, after Lux made his appearance, the seemingly impossible hurdle was now easily solved.
This shocked all the Rankers that were currently outside the Gate of the Fallen, making them see the Half-Elf in a new light.
"I've already made my decision," Aur said in a tone that would not allow any kind of opposition. "Do not try to dissuade me again. Anyone who does will not be allowed to accompany me on the next expedition. Do I make myself clear?"
"""Yes, Your Highness!"""
Aur shifted his gaze back to the book he was reading.
This was one of the records that belonged in the library of the Crystal Palace pertaining to the Golem of Destruction that had wreaked havoc across the land during the first invasion of the Abyssal Race.
Originally, he didn't think much about the history of what had happened in the past. However, after seeing Antero, he realized that being ignorant of the past might come to bite him in the present.
As the future King of the Crystal Palace, he should know more about the powerhouses of the world.
People whom he should form connections with, and those he couldn't afford to offend.
'Mother, out of all the visions you have seen about the future, did you also see this scene?' Aur thought.
Before he left the Crystal Palace, his mother told him that he would meet a red-headed Half-Elf on this expedition in the Domain of the Fallen.
She said that whatever happened, Aur should not antagonize this person even though he didn't look that special.
Just as his mother said, Aur had been paying close attention to whatever Lux was doing. He even asked the Vahan Empire for every bit of information that they had of him.
Although Lux had done many amazing things, he wasn't that impressed by it. He was certain that if he faced the same trials as the Half-Elf did in the past, he would have also won the war against the Ammarian Kingdom, even if the odds were against his favor.
But now, he had to correct this mindset.
Even though he could also fight a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster alone, he was unable to fight against a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.
An ordinary Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster was nothing compared to its World Boss counterpart.
If the Giant Earth Turtle hadn't appeared, Aur was certain that Lux would have been able to defeat the monster that none of them could defeat at their current Rank.
'Still, why do I feel like someone has been observing me ever since I came through the Gate of Famine this time around?' Aur thought. 'I didn't feel this way in the past.'
He understood that everyone was watching what was happening inside the Dungeon through the artifacts they carried. However, the pair of eyes that had been watching him was different, and it made him feel as if he was truly in danger.
'I hope I'm just overthinking things.' Aur sighed.
He wasn't aware that the feeling he had was on point, and even at that moment, the silver-haired Devil was looking at him, even though they were miles apart from each other.
Chapter 703 The Blade Rider
"We have sent several scouts to every part of the Kingdom to check if there are any remnants of the Monster Army," Great General Sherlock said as he pointed at the map on the table. "Watson had informed me just a moment ago that the scouts have not seen any Monster Army that could potentially harm our Kingdom."
Lux nodded his head in understanding. "That means that the last remaining enemies are currently within the borders of the Ammarian Kingdom."
Great General Sherlock snorted. Clearly, he had no love for the Kingdom that had repeatedly sent their armies to try to conquer their lands.
The Half-Elf also understood what the Great General was thinking. Because of this, he no longer said anything.
"I have also sent my own scouts to the Ammarian Kingdom," Lux stated. "Contrary to what I expected, only the outer cities have been destroyed. Those near the center of the Kingdom remained intact, but the two Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters seemed to have occupied the Capital City."
Lux knew that saying this to the Great General would not change things, but he still felt that the Gnome should know about the current situation of their greatest rival.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Great General Sherlock asked. "Are you going to poke the hornet's nest?"
Lux nodded. "I am not doing this because I want to, Great General. You also know that just like you, I have no love for the Ammarian Kingdom. However, regardless of what I feel, I must go."
Great Sherlock didn't know why Lux wanted to go to the Ammarian Kingdom just to fight against Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters. Still, he had known the Half-Elf long enough to understand that he had his reasons for doing so.
"Do you need anything from us?" Great General Sherlock asked. "If it is within our abilities, we will lend you our hand."
"Yes, there is one thing I need from you, Great General," Lux replied.
"Speak. I'm all ears."
"Can you give me some of your latest inventions? I'm very interested in Gnome technology. Actually, I've had the opportunity to come across something like this."
Lux showed him the blueprint of the Magical Cannons that he had gained during the battle in the Wanid Kingdom.
Just like he expected, the Great General became engrossed when he saw the blueprints that Lux's Shadow Lord, Draven, managed to acquire in the enemy's camp.
Their only regret was that they didn't get the chance to get the blueprint of the Destroyer, which was made by the Mages of the Haca Dynasty.
Because of this, they were doing their best to reverse engineer it with the help of the Dryads, and blacksmiths of the Blackrock Clan.
Even Lux's Dwarven Master, Randolph, was doing his best to better understand this magnificent weapon.
Currently, the Destroyer could only be used one more time. What they wanted was to create something similar, or even something better, that would help their Guild have a Trump Card that could unleash an attack that was equivalent to a Grand Spell.
Although it wasn't able to defeat Calamity Ranked Monsters, it was still very possible to lethally injure Empyrean-Ranked Enemies, if they managed to get a direct hit.
"These Magical Cannons are better than what we have invented in the past," Great General Sherlock admitted. He then closed his eyes and pondered for a bit.
He looked like someone who was having an internal battle inside his head, which made Lux wonder what the Gnome was thinking at the moment.
After several minutes passed, the Gnome finally opened his eyes and asked for Lux to follow him.
After leaving their temporary residence, the Gnome took him to a spacious location.
"Truth be told, I shouldn't be showing this to you right now," Great General Sherlock said. "But, you have saved our Kingdom many times in the past, and I believe that you will not use this technology against us."
The Gnome then raised his hand and a magic circle appeared on the ground. A moment later, something unexpected materialized in front of them, which made Lux gasp in shock.
'H-Helicopter?' Lux didn't hesitate and approached the helicopter-like vehicle to give it a closer look.
Of course, it didn't look like the modern helicopters on Earth. Aside from the rotor blades that would allow the Magical Vehicle to fly, everything about it was different.
"What do you call this invention?" Lux asked.
"We call it the Blade Rider," Great General Sherlock replied. "It is the newest invention, but we still haven't used it on the battlefield. Originally, we planned to test it out against the Monster Army. It is made by the best minds of our nation, and we planned to mass produce them."
"How strong is this Magical Artifact?" Lux asked.
Great General Sherlock rubbed his chin. "Currently, this can only fight against 5 Monsters and below. Although they are fast, we still don't know if they are able to outfly flying monsters in the skies. We added some boosters that can momentarily increase its speed, but at most, the boost would only last for a minute. This is why this can only be used as a last resort to escape more powerful enemies."
The Gnome stopped his explanation before pointing at the two magical cannons on the sides of the Blade Rider.
"Although it can only fight against Rank 5 Monsters at the moment, with the blueprint you gave me, it is possible to raise its firepower to be able to deal with a Deimos-Ranked Monster," Great General Sherlock then took out a scroll and resolutely handed it to Lux. "I pray that you will not betray my trust, and use this weapon against us."
The Half-Elf carefully opened the scroll that was handed to him and his eye widened in shock after seeing what was inside it.
It was the blueprint for the Blade Rider, which made the Half-Elf look at the Great General with gratitude.
"Thank you, Great General," Lux said. "I promise that I will never betray your trust, and put this gift of yours to good use."
Great General Sherlock nodded. "Make no mistake, Lux. The only reason why I gave you this blueprint is because you have helped us time and time again. Although the blueprint of this magical artifact is precious, our people's lives are priceless. Think of it as our way of showing our undying gratitude to you for everything you have done for us."
Lux once again thanked the Great General for his gift.
Although he already had flying mounts to allow his Guild Members to fly in the skies, having the Blade Riders would greatly increase the aerial superiority of his Guild, in more ways than one.
Chapter 704 So, Do You Want Revenge?
Four days after the battle in the City of Peyton, Lux and his comrades finally bid their goodbyes to the Yelan Generals and made their way toward the Ammarian Kingdom, where the last of their enemies were located.
"We should have brought that old Halfling with us," Prince Cyrus grumbled. "If he came along, we no longer have to worry about failing to conquer this dungeon."
Malcolm, Nero, and the rest of the members of the Skystead Alliance kept their silence. They neither agree nor disagree with their Prince's statement, but inside their minds, the majority of them shared the same opinion.
Gaap had woken up before Lux left the City of Peyton. The two of them talked for a while about many important things.
The old Half-Ling didn't tell Lux why he fell asleep for a few days, and Lux didn't ask. Even so, they discussed what must be done, and the way on how to do it.
After their talk ended, the Half-Elf announced that he would now go to the Ammarian Kingdom to deal with the remaining monsters. He added that those who wanted to come with him may do so, and those who wanted to stay in the city could remain behind.
If this was an ordinary scenario, many would have stayed in the city in order to play it safe. However, since they were being watched by their superiors outside of the Domain of the Fallen, showing cowardice was not an option.
An hour later, everyone hopped onto their mounts and followed the Half-Elf, who was leading them to the venue of their last battle.
Since Gaap had stayed behind in the city, the majority of the teenagers were feeling anxious. Only Lux and his guild members weren't too worried because they believed that they would be able to overcome any situation as long as they were with the red-headed teenager.
"The spirits are feeling restless," Cai commented while sitting atop of her Winged Serpent, Coatl. "We should be careful when we arrive at the Ammarian Kingdom."
"Can you communicate with them?" Lux asked while his Thunder Warg King flew alongside Cai's flying mount. "Maybe they can tell you something we don't already know."
"Um, I can do it, but not now," Cai replied as she gave Lux a knowing glance.
The Half-Elf nodded because he understood what Cai was trying to say. Since there was a risk that people would find out about her real identity, the High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe made sure that she stayed in her Boar form whenever she was in public.
So far, only a handful of individuals aside from her Tribe members knew about her true form.
"But even if I can't communicate with them, I can make a guess," Cai stated. "You remember that silver-haired Devil that kidnapped me? He's here."
Lux's expression immediately turned serious after hearing his fiance's words. If that silver-haired Devil was really here, then this final showdown in the Ammarian Kingdom wouldn't go smoothly.
"Do you think he is one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses we are going to fight?" Lux inquired.
Cai didn't reply right away. Instead, she closed her eyes as if using her Divine Powers to find the answer to her fiance's question.
A few minutes later, the Boar opened her eyes and shook her head.
"I don't know," Cai replied. "But if he isn't one of the two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses that we already know about, then things would be a lot harder. That bastard is pretty sly. I still want to pay him back for kidnapping me back then."
Lux also wanted a piece of that silver-haired bastard's face. Back then, he was still too weak to fight against him.
The Half-Elf was confident that as long as the Abyssal Creature wasn't a Calamity-Ranked Monster or a Saint, he would be able to beat him to a pulp.
Two days later, they finally arrived at the border of the Ammarian Kingdom.
It was quite evident that a fierce battle had taken place. No matter where one looked, there was destruction everywhere. Many villages, towns, and cities along the way were in ruins.
Bloodstains could be seen in all directions, but no bodies were found.
Clearly, the monster made sure to devour their victims, leaving nothing but the blood that dyed the ground.
"Let's rest here for the night," Lux said as he urged his Thunder Warg King to land in a ruined city, where several houses were still intact. "It will take us one more day to reach the Capital City. Everyone, do what you can to recover your strength just in case we need to fight monsters along the way."
The Half-Elf wanted to test something that he had learned in Zangrila, and this city was the perfect place to do his experiment.
After everyone had settled down, Lux went off on his own and went to the place where he could feel the strongest presence of lingering souls in the city.
Following the awakening of his Necromancer sense in Zangrila, Lux could see the earth-bound souls of the dead that were unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation.
"Can any of you tell me what happened here?" Lux asked the souls that he had summoned to him. "What kind of monsters attacked you?"
"Devil," an old man replied. "It was a Devil that attacked us. He commanded countless monsters. We weren't able to do anything."
"Everything happened so fast, we were unable to defend ourselves," a man wearing armor answered. "However, even if we had been warned beforehand, it would still be simply impossible to fight against them. We were outranked and outmatched."
The other souls also shared everything they saw during the day of their deaths, but aside from the silver-haired Devil that they spoke of, they didn't get the chance to see the other monsters that were as strong as him.
"I can't find my mommy anywhere," a little girl said tearfully. "Can you help me find her? I've already looked everywhere."
"It hurts… it burns… stop… don't kill me!"
"Noo! Don't come close! I don't want to die!"
Some of the souls had already lost their reason and were reliving their last moments before they died. It was very painful to see, so Lux helped them cross over to the other side.
But not everyone wanted to enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Several soldiers and those who had helped to defend their city on that fateful day wanted revenge.
There were several hundreds of them, with a few of them being rankers as well.
"How about I help you out on this one, Lux?"
Leoric appeared beside the Half-Elf and looked at the souls of the dead with a smile.
"What do you plan to do?" Lux asked.
"Well, I plan to temporarily convert them into Wraith Soldiers until they finish their revenge," Leoric replied. "Although they are only numbered around five hundred, with my ability, they will be able to instantly gain combat experience, making them more effective in battle."
As the Wraith King of Zangrila, Leoric had the ability to recruit ghosts, specters, wraiths, and any other corporeal spirits into his own Legion.
Each member of Lux's covenant could have their own armies under them, greatly increasing the Half-Elf's forces, without him having to do anything.
"So, do you want revenge?" Leoric asked the souls in front of him.
"We do!"
"Kill those monsters!"
"I'll avenge my family!"
"I'll kill them all even if that's the last thing I do!"
"Very well." Leoric nodded. "All of you kneel."
The souls all knelt in front of Lux and Leoric as if they were their sovereign.
"Do all of you swear to acknowledge Lux Von Kaizer as your temporary Sovereign until you finish with your revenge?" Leoric asked.
"""We swear!"""
"And, do you also swear to defend and obey him until death takes you for the second time?" Leoric asked.
"""We swear!"""
"Then I dub all of you Wraith Knights under the service of your new liege!" Leoric raised his sword and a ray of light descended upon the souls in front of him. "Rise! And until you have exacted your revenge, serve him well!"
"""Yes! My Lord!"""
All the souls that had sworn fealty towards Lux received spectral armor, similar to what the Wraith Soldiers of Zangrila were wearing when they fought against the Abyssal Creatures.
The knighting ceremony also raised their ranks back to the peaks they had reached when they were alive, allowing these warriors to fight at their full potential.
Although they were just temporary soldiers that would fight under Lux's banner, having them around would greatly bolster their current forces.
Lux, who had seen Leoric's ability, pondered for a bit.
Gaap had told him before they left that if ever he came across a battlefield with many earth-bound souls, he should ask the newest member of his Covenant, the Wraith King, to make them all part of his spectral army.
After seeing it firsthand, Lux finally understood how terrifying Leoric could be. As a Necromancer, he could revive the dead, but the souls of the departed were still out of his reach.
'Maybe I can unlock a skill that would allow me to have dominion over souls after I become a Ranker,' Lux thought as he eyed the Wraith Army in front of him.
Because of this, Lux decided to go to the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancer with his Master, Gaap, in order to receive the blessing of the World as soon as possible.
That way, he would be able to unlock his Transcendent Skills, which would truly bring out the power that he currently possessed inside his body.
Chapter 705 Using Blackmail To Keep Everyone In Line
Aur, who had secretly followed Lux, looked at the Wraith Army in the distance with a calm expression on his face.
Currently, everyone was depending on the Half-Elf to overcome the wall that was preventing them from conquering the Dungeon.
'You're really full of surprises, Lux,' Aur thought.
A dozen members of the Crystal Palace, who served as Aur's bodyguards, were also in awe at the hundreds of Wraith Soldiers that the Half-Elf had acquired in a short period of time.
Although they were still not sure whether the Half-Elf's Undead Legion would be able to overcome the disparity in numbers, they no longer felt as hopeless as they did when they left the City of Peyton.
"Let's go," Aur ordered.
The Dragon Prince gave Lux one last glance before flying back to his temporary residence to rest.
Even now, he could still feel a pair of eyes observing him from somewhere. But, after being subjected to this gaze for many days, he had gotten accustomed to it already.
With the Wraith Soldiers guarding the city and keeping an eye out for possible Monster attacks, the teenagers slept peacefully despite the fact that they were currently in a ruined city, where countless people had died.
Perhaps, it was due to how dangerous the world of Elysium and Solais was that they were able to tolerate staying in such conditions.
When morning came, the teenagers ate their breakfast, after which Lux gathered everyone to tell them about the strategy that he had in mind.
"All of you already know that we will be facing at least two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses when we arrive near the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom," Lux stated. "I can effectively deal with one of them, which leaves one more World Boss to contend with. In order to fight the last remaining threat, I will need your help, Aur."
The red-headed teenager looked at the Dragon Prince which made the latter arc an eyebrow.
"What kind of assistance do you need?" Aur asked back. "As long as I am able to do it, I will cooperate with you in order to conquer this Dungeon."
Lux smiled as he explained what he had in mind.
"When we first arrived in the Dungeon, you had an artifact that allowed you to amplify the power of your Dragon Breath, right?" Lux inquired.
Aur nodded. "Indeed. However, I have almost used up the power of this artifact. At most, I can only use it one more time."
"Once is enough. However, can it amplify anything aside from your attack?" Lux wanted to know if the plan he had in mind was feasible or not. "For example, if we all use spells at the same time, will you be able to amplify all of them?"
"Impossible," Aur answered in a heartbeat. "At most, it can amplify two kinds of attacks. If I attempt to amplify more than two, the artifact will break before it can even amplify anything."
Lux breathed a sigh of relief because this was the thing that he wanted to hear.
"Two is fine," Lux stated. "I will need you to amplify both of our attacks. I believe that if the two of us combine our powers, we will be able to deal with one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses. If we can't kill it, we can at least freeze it for the time being, giving us time to deal with the first World Boss."
"Very well," Aur commented. "I will cooperate with you."
Now that one of his immediate concerns was taken care of, Lux then glanced at the faces of everyone around him before explaining the next step of his plans.
"Just like what happened in the City of Peyton, we can expect to fight against several Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters," Lux said. "There is nothing we can do about the disparity in Ranks, so all of you should focus on helping each other overcome dangerous situations.
"I will also be summoning the entirety of my Undead Legion, which might be able to hold off the Monster Army for a while. Our survival will rely on how fast Leoric and his Wraith Knights will be able to kill one of the World Bosses.
"As long as he is able to defeat it fast, we will be able to overturn any situation with his help. So, I implore all of you to set aside your differences with each other. I know that some of you don't like me, and believe me when I say that the feeling is mutual."
The Half-Elf eyed Prince Cyrus as if telling him "I know what you did last summer," making the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire snort.
After making sure that the Prince understood what he was trying to say, the Half-Elf continued his explanation.
"Right now, we are here as one, and fighting on the same side. I would also like to remind you that people are watching you from the outside. If you don't do your best, and hold back from using your full powers, they will know about it.
"Wouldn't it suck if you get punished because you look like extra baggage in the eyes of your superiors? So, if I were you, I'd go all out and ensure that we clear this mission with flying colors."
Although they didn't say it out loud, everyone who was there knew that the Half-Elf was using blackmail in order to keep everyone in line.
Even the Rankers and other envoys of the different factions could only shake their heads after hearing the Half-Elf's words from the projections outside the Gate of the Fallen.
But, having reached this far, everyone who was looking at the Half-Elf right now understood that he was right.
If they didn't give their best, it would reflect badly on them when they returned to the outside world.
"Well then, there is one last thing you need to do," Lux said in a teasing tone. "No matter what happens, do your best to survive. The more survivors we have, the more people we can bring when we challenge the final Gate of the Apocalypse. Isn't this why all of you are here?"
The Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar War Pact were very desperate to increase the number of candidates that they could send inside the Domain of the Fallen.
The Crystal Palace had a special artifact that allowed them to bypass this rule. But, even then, they could only send a limited number of Initiates that served as Aur's bodyguards.
If many of them were able to survive, then they would no longer feel so restricted or have to go as far as to negotiate with those who had the ability to enter the Domain of the Fallen again.
"Now that we're done here, do you have any questions before we leave?" Lux asked.
Surprisingly, no one asked him any questions. Now that everything had been said and done, they once again embarked on their journey toward the capital city of the Ammarian Kingdom.
As to what surprise they would be welcomed with once they got there, Lux and his team had no way of finding out until it was almost too late.
Chapter 706 This Small Fry Is Not Enough To Kill Me [Part 1]
"You guys go on ahead," Lux said. "But don't go too near the Capital City. I'll just go for a bit and take a piss in that forest over there."
Without another word, the Half-Elf urged his mount, Jed, to descend into the forest, disappearing from everyone's view.
"Does he have a habit of peeing when things are about to get dicey?" Prince Cyrus asked.
This wasn't the first time the Half-Elf had done this, and every time he did, he couldn't help but feel like the latter was up to something.
Contrary to what Lux expected, no one left and waited for him to finish his business.
A few minutes later, the Thunder Warg King once again took off towards the skies, carrying the red-headed teenager, who looked like someone who had just reached enlightenment.
They then proceeded to continue their journey and headed toward the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom.
Inside the forest, a Half-Elf watched as the group disappeared into the horizon with his arms crossed over his chest. A faint smile hung at the corner of his lips, which only lasted for a brief moment before he disappeared to who knows where.
—---------
Two hours later, on the outskirts of the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom…
"Something doesn't feel right." Cethus frowned as he looked at the city in the distance.
He could sense people inside the city, but he couldn't see any Monsters anywhere.
Lux remained calm as he scanned the surroundings. Zagan and Shax had both scouted the Capital City a few hours ago and had told him that the area was littered with Monsters.
If not for the fact that they were chased away by a giant fly, who was at least four meters tall, the two of them would have continued to observe the city from a distance.
The fly was very fast, even faster than Shax. It even nearly killed the Nightgaunt. If not for the fact that Lux had recalled him at the right moment, nothing could have saved him from dying.
Due to the dangerous situation, he also recalled Zagan, ending the scouting mission for the two of them.
The Fly was one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses that went by the name Gloom Wing Horror.
Due to how fast and dangerous it was, Lux deemed it best for Leoric to personally deal with it in order to prevent the Giant Fly from targeting the teenagers and killing them before they could even react to its speed.
"What should we do now?" Cai asked. "Should we enter the city and ask the residents if they have seen any Monsters around?"
Lux shook his head because he felt that entering the city would be the most dangerous thing to do at this point in time.
While they were thinking of what to do next, a magic circle appeared in the sky, encompassing a wide stretch of land, including the city as well as its surrounding areas.
Suddenly, everything around them turned red, which reminded Lux of the scenery in Zangrila when he was there.
No other colors aside from red could be seen, making all the teenagers feel alarmed.
"Calm down everyone," Cethus said. "Look at the bright side. There's no crack in the sky right now that is spewing monsters above our heads."
As if on cue, a resounding crack reverberated in the surroundings, and the sky directly above them broke apart.
Immediately, a buzzing sound was heard, which made the Half-Elf's expression turn grim.
"Leoric, I'll leave it in your hands!" Lux ordered.
The Wraith King materialized beside Lux before flying upward to exchange blows against the Gloom Wing Horror.
Just as he expected, the Fly was indeed fast. It was so fast that Lux could only see faint blurs when he tried to follow it with his eyes.
Fortunately, Leoric had the ability to phase in and out of existence, reappearing in other locations as if he was using Teleport.
Lux and the others didn't have enough time to pay attention to the battle between the Wraith King and the Giant Fly because Monsters had started to pour from above them en masse.
A moment later, the ground under their feet shook, making everyone on the ground almost lose their balance.
"Cai! Fly upwards now!" Lux ordered.
The Boar, who had sensed the urgency in Lux's voice, commanded his Winged Serpent to fly upwards.
As soon as Coatl rose in the air, the ground under its body broke apart, and a Giant Death Worm that was nearly a hundred meters long opened its massive jaws in an attempt to eat the Winged Serpent whole.
'A Dreadnaught Ranked World Boss?' Lux's face became grim because the numbers weren't adding up.
He had assumed that the silver-haired Devil was one of the two Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters. However, after seeing the two World Bosses in front of him, his worst fears came to life.
Lux no longer had any time to think about other things as he summoned his Undead Legion to his side.
The Half-Elf summoned a single clone, while Eiko and Asmodeus summoned all of their clones.
A moment later, sixteen Hecatoncheires appeared on the battlefield, towering over most of the Monsters, yet they were still completely dwarfed by the Giant Death Worm, whose massive jaws were open wide, revealing its countless razor-sharp teeth.
"This is what a Raid is like," Lux muttered as he ordered all sixteen of his Hecatoncheires to fight against the Giant Death Worm, who burrowed into the ground once again, preparing to strike when they least expected it.
"Shax, focus on attacking Argonaut Ranked Monsters," Lux ordered.
The NIghtgaunt nodded and took off to the skies.
The battlefield had become extremely chaotic, with all the members of the different Factions duking it out with the Monsters who had started to attack them.
Aur flew beside Lux and took out the artifact that could amplify their attacks at the same time. This was the Trump Card that they were planning to use against one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses.
The only problem was that the Giant Fly was too fast, and the Giant Death Worm was too sly, making it difficult for them to aim their attacks properly.
The Dozens of Wraith Knights and Hundreds of Wraith Soldiers fought alongside the teenagers, preventing them from dying.
Since the Wraith Knights were all Deimos-Ranked Fighters, they were able to hold off Monsters of their same Rank.
The only problem was that there were at least a dozen Argonaut-Ranked Monsters on the battlefield, making everyone's heart beat wildly inside their chest due to the tension.
"Fire Snakes!"
Flamma roared, and four Fire Snakes clashed against an Argonaut Ranked Monster, entangling it in its fiery embrace.
Although the Half-Orc was only a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster, he had the artifacts and skills that allowed him to deal with Argonaut-Ranked Monsters in a one-on-one battle.
Aside from Shax, Flamma was one of the handful of fighters in Lux's entourage that could contend with Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.
The Half-Orc fearlessly repelled one Argonaut Ranked Monster after the other as he summoned Fire Snakes left and right.
He could control ten of them at the same time, and the only thing he could do right now was defend against these monsters.
Even if he were to fight one of them, it would still take a while before the end of the battle. By then, half of the teenagers might be killed, which was something that Lux wanted to prevent no matter what.
Truth be told, the Half-Elf wanted everyone to survive the battle because he had a feeling that the rules of the Final Gate of the Apocalypse would be different from what they currently knew.
Gaap told him about the possibility that, if they successfully cleared the Gate of Famine, Rankers and High-Rankers might be allowed to enter the Gate of the Apocalypse.
Because of this, Lux wanted to have as many survivors as possible, prioritizing the people who had formed alliances with him.
As if to mock their efforts, something unexpected happened.
Four strong monsters made their presence known, which made the hair on everyone's neck stand on end.
"Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters?!" Prince Cyrus exclaimed. "What the hell is happening here?! Aren't we only supposed to fight two of them?!"
This was the same thought running through everyone's mind. All of them were already reeling from the shock of fighting so many High-Ranking monsters at once, which was truly impossible at this point.
Except, the new arrivals weren't Alpha Monsters or World Bosses. All of them were of the Dreadnaught Rank, which was above the Argonaut Rank.
These monsters all had the ability to destroy entire cities, making killing dozens of teenagers look like mere childsplay.
Chapter 707 This Small Fry Is Not Enough To Kill Me [Part 2]
One of theseArgonaut-Ranked Monsters was a Black Hawk, who currently had its gaze locked on the Half-Orc who had just summoned a Fire Snake to save Einar from getting attacked by a Deimos-Ranked Monster in his blind spot.
An ear-piercing screech spread across the sky as the Black Hawk dove down for the kill.
Flamma, who only noticed the Monster when it was only dozens of meters away from him, couldn't do anything because he was occupied, fighting against a Kobold King.
If he tried to block the Black Hawk's attack, the Kobold King would certainly take this opportunity to cut off his head.
If he focused on the Kobold King, the Black Hawk would definitely peck a bloody hole in his body, killing him on the spot.
Whatever choice he made led to death, and Flamma had no choice but to hold his ground and fight. Suddenly, he saw something in the corner of his vision, making him grit his teeth.
With one roar of defiance, the Half-Orc chose to block the Kobold King's slash that was aimed at his neck, stopping its sword with his War Axe.
Just as the Black Hawk was about to deliver the deadly blow to the Half-Orc, a crude spear suddenly stood in its way.
A resounding clash spread on the battlefield as the Black Hawk's beak collided with the crude spear.
A moment later, the Black Hawk's giant body skidded across the ground for hundreds of meters, sending Monsters flying in every direction.
"You little bird dare to bully my son?"
A disdainful voice reached Flamma's ears, making him grin like a little kid who had just received his birthday present.
Protecting his back and standing proud and tall was none other than the Chieftain of the Blackrock Clan and his mother, Lady Avyanna.
Although her mate, Barca, was the strongest among the Orcs of the Blackrock Clan, that didn't mean that she was weak.
Lady Avyanna was a Dreadnaught-Ranked Alpha Monster, and dealing with ordinary Dreadnaughts was something that she could do even if one of her hands were tied behind her back.
"Flamma, if you lose against that Kobold King, I'll give you a spanking when you get back home," Lady Avyanna said as she walked towards the fallen Black Hawk, who was trying to prop itself off from the ground.
"Don't worry, Ma," Flamma declared. "This small fry is not enough to kill me."
Lady Avyanna nodded before raising her staff high in the air.
"Blackrock Clan!" Lady Avyanna shouted. "Assemble!"
As if waiting for that moment, loud warcries erupted in the battlefield as tens of thousands of Blackrock Clan Warriors bulldozed their way through a horde of monsters, tearing everything in their path apart.
Upon seeing this scene, a raging inferno was lit up inside Flamma's chest, making him shout his warcry.
"For the Clan!"
Lady Avyanna laughed as she, too, as well as countless warriors of the Blackrock Clan, chanted their warcry.
"""For the Clan!"""
Flamma had always prided himself as one of the warriors of the Blackrock Clan.
But, he never felt as proud of his clan as he did in this very moment when all of them were cutting through the Monster Army like a hot knife cutting through butter.
—--------
A good distance away from the battlefield, Barca watched the battle with his arms crossed over his chest.
One of Lux's clones stood beside him, paying close attention to the surroundings.
"Do you think he will make an appearance?" Barca asked as he gazed at his wife and son, who were fighting side by side on the battlefield.
He was itching to join the mother and child, but Lux had assigned to him a very important mission, which was to wait until the silver-haired Devil appeared before he made his move.
"He will definitely appear," Lux's clone replied with confidence. "The only question is when."
Barca scanned the battlefield with his gaze, but even his strong sight couldn't spot any silver-haired Devil flying around.
This was the second time Lux had summoned him using the skill, Heaven's Call [EX], and the Half-Elf wouldn't be able to summon him again for at least a month using this special method.
The Blackrock Clan had received many resources from Lux, including Draconium Ores and Aenarium, allowing them to craft Pseudo-Legendary and Legendary equipment, which strengthened their Warriors' performance significantly.
Because of this, they were more than happy to lend their hands to the Half-Elf, especially during this crucial moment.
In the distance, the Giant Death Worm resurfaced, eating one of the Hecatoncheires whole in the process.
Lux had used one of his Hundred-Armed Giants to lure the Giant Death Worm out of the ground in order for him and Aur to deal it a devastating blow.
Without even making eye contact with each other, the Dragon Prince activated his artifact before opening his mouth wide.
Lux, who was hovering a few meters away from him, also opened his mouth wide at the same time.
An image of a giant Crystal Dragon appeared behind the Half-Elf as he prepared to unleash one of his strongest attacks, the Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], which he could only use once a day.
At the same time, as if they had already done this numerous times in the past, the two teenagers simultaneously unleashed their breath attack, which was amplified by Aur's special artifact.
""Crystal Dragon's Breath!""
A brilliant, and misty Dragon's Breath flew towards the Giant Death Worm, whose skin was so thick that normal weapons couldn't even put a dent in it.
Perhaps sensing that its life was in danger, the Death Worm hurriedly tried to dig into the ground, escaping the Breath Attack.
Unfortunately for it, its action was a bit too late.
The combined Crystal Dragon Breaths slammed against the Giant Death Worm's body, making it shriek in pain.
Lux and Aur raised the output of their Dragon Breaths, squeezing every ounce of Draconic Energy they had in their body to ensure that the Giant Death Worm would turn into a crystal statue.
While this was happening, a brilliant flash of light erupted in the Heavens, nearly blinding everyone on the battlefield.
Because of this, Lux and Aur were forced to stop their attacks in order to shield their eyes from the light that came out of nowhere.
In that brief moment in time, when everyone was unable to see, the silver-haired Devil made his move.
He had been waiting for the right opportunity to initiate his plan. And now that any opportunity presented itself, he was more than willing to take the chance in order to obtain freedom.
Chapter 708 A Dragon’s Wrath [Part 1]
When the blinding light receded, Lux looked in front of him and saw that half of the Giant Death Worm had turned into crystal.
Unfortunately for them, only its lower half had been hit, instead of the upper part where the head was located.
If only they hadn't been forced to stop their attacks due to the sudden brightness that enveloped the surroundings, they might have been able to turn the worm's whole body into a crystal statue.
The Giant Death Worm then slammed its head against the ground, digging deep in order to prevent itself from getting attacked again.
"We almost got it, Aur," Lux said with disappointment.
"Y-Yeah," Aur replied as he looked at his two hands before clenching them together into tight fists. "Don't worry about it. We will deal with the small fries first."
"Right." Lux nodded as he gave the Dragon Prince a glance. "How about you and your subordinates reinforce the members of the Skystead Alliance over there? They sure look like they badly need some help."
Aur smiled and gave Lux a brief nod. "Very well. Leave them to me."
The Dragon Prince was about to fly in the direction Lux had pointed to when he suddenly found himself crashing towards the ground after getting hit by an attack from the back.
Aur's subordinates gasped in shock as they looked at the Half-Elf that had turned into a lightning bolt, and executed a dropkick on their Prince's head, just as Aur was about to hit the ground.
This created a hundred-wide crater, showing how strong Lux's attack was.
Piccoro and the other Saints who saw this cried out in alarm, not expecting the Half-Elf to backstab their prince without any rhyme or reason.
"What's the meaning of this?!" one of Aur's subordinates shouted as he dove down from the sky in order to attack the Half-Elf who had assaulted his Prince.
"Damn you! How could you do that to His Majesty?!"
"Kill him!"
"Break his bones!"
"Cut off his head!"
The Dragon Borns all roared in anger as they all charged at the Half-Elf who was busy stomping their Prince's head on the ground, expanding the crater that had been caused by his earlier attack.
However, just as they were about to attack the Half-Elf, Zagan, Lazarus, and Revon all appeared in front of them and immediately clashed with the Dragon Borns, whose eyes had turned bloodshot due to anger.
Lux didn't pay any attention to them and kept on hitting Aur's body like a punching bag, making the Saints who were watching outside the Gate of the Fallen enraged.
"Damn it!" Piccoro shouted in anger. "You're courting death, Half-Elf!"
The Saints had unleashed their auras, making everyone inside the cavern feel as if an entire mountain was pressing on their shoulders. Even though some of the people there were High-Rankers, they were unable to hold a candle against the Powerhouses who were only below the Supreme Rank.
"You!" Piccoro pointed his finger at Hector, whom he believed had a close relationship with the Half-Elf, forcing the High-Ranker of the Rowan Tribe to kneel due to the pressure that the Saint was releasing towards him. "Tell me, what the hell is that Half-Elf doing to our Prince?!"
Hector, who received Piccoro's rage, as well as the rage of the other Saints, wasn't able to resist their combined pressure, causing blood to pour out from his ears, nose, and lips.
"I-I don't… know!" Hector forced himself to reply to the Saint's inquiry despite the fact that he had suffered internal injuries. "I don't know what's happening!"
The Rankers of the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact didn't intervene because they didn't want to suffer the same fate as Hector, who was on the receiving end of the frustration of the Saints that couldn't enter the dungeon to save their Prince from Lux's one-sided beating.
If only any of them were inside the dungeon, they would have definitely slapped the Half-Elf, turning his body into meat paste.
Unfortunately, no matter how strong they were, they were unable to force themselves to enter the Domain, which only accepted individuals of the Initiate Rank and below.
Piccoro and the other Saints also knew that even if they tortured Hector to death, they wouldn't get the answers they were looking for.
Because of this, they shifted their gaze back at the projection and glared at the Half-Elf with bloodshot gazes, wishing that they could twist the red-headed teenager's neck, and feed his body to the fishes.
Just as the Saints were nearing the limits of their patience, Lux's voice, filled with disdain, reached their ears through the projection.
"Do you really think that you can fool my eyes?" Lux asked with a sneer as he pulled the Dragon Prince's hair, forcing the latter to look at him. "Tell me, Zelken Leth Ailphostes, do you really think that you can possess someone's body and get away with it that easily?"
Lux's words made the expressions of Piccoro, as well as the Saints of the Crystal Palace, turn grim. They didn't know why the Half-Elf was saying such nonsense. However, deep inside, they felt greatly alarmed at the possibility of having the body of their Prince possessed by others.
The Half-Elf knew that those outside of the Gate of the Fallen would be surprised by what he did, and he was worried that the four Saints might vent their frustrations on his allies.
Because of this, he made sure to speak loudly and clearly, making sure that those who were watching him right now through the artifact that Aur carried understood why he attacked the Dragon Prince without any warning.
"H-How did you know?" Aur asked back in disbelief.
Although Lux had given him a one-sided beating, he only received moderate injuries. The Dragon Prince's body was quite strong, and even though Lux kept on attacking him, it was not enough to break his bones.
Of course, Lux held back his attacks because he didn't want Aur to suffer any lasting injuries. At most, he would just make whoever possessed the Dragon Prince feel a world of pain, forcing the latter to leave Aur's body.
However, the silver-haired Devil was persistent, and no matter what Lux did, he didn't want to leave.
This was his one chance at freedom, so even if the Dragon Prince died, he would not leave his body no matter what.
Even though he was just a soul, his rank far exceeded Aur's, forcing the latter's soul to enter a hibernation state and sealing it deep within his consciousness.
Due to the preparations the silver-haired Devil had made, he was able to take over the Dragon Prince's body without any hardship.
After experiencing how powerful and resilient Aur's body was, the silver-haired devil rejoiced that he had chosen the right vessel to possess.
Unfortunately for him, he was not dealing with an ordinary teenager, but a Necromancer, and one who had a Master with a lot of experience handling souls.
All Lux needed to do was seal Aur and bring him to his Master, letting the old Half-Ling deal with the silver-haired Devil, who had taken an all-out gamble for freedom.
But, before Lux could even knock the Dragon Prince unconscious, the silver-haired Devil unleashed his own powers, sending the Half-Elf flying backward.
"You bastard Half-Elf!" Aur spoke in a different voice, which made Piccoro's and the Saints' who were watching the projection blood turn cold. "Why are you always getting in my way?!"
As if the power sealing his body was broken, Aur's rank suddenly rose exponentially, breaking through the Initiate Rank, and jumping to that of an A-Ranker.
"This is the last time you will get in my way!" Aur said hatefully as he raised his hand, summoning a giant ball of darkness that had black lightning bolts snaking around its surface. "Die!"
The Dragon Prince unleashed his unholy attack that was fueled by his rage and bloodlust. In a world devoid of any color but red, the Dark Energy Ball, which was nearly ten meters tall, stood out on the battlefield, catching everyone's attention.
The silver-haired Devil had failed to kill Lux when he sent him directly to the void the moment he entered the Gate of Famine.
Although he didn't know what happened during that time, he decided to just kill the Half-Elf with his own hands to get it over with and ensure that the red-headed teenager would be erased from the face of the world.
Chapter 709 A Dragon’s Wrath [Part 2]
The silver-haired Devil, whose name was Zelken Leth Ailphostes, sneered at the Half-Elf as his strongest attack was about to collide with the red-headed teenager's body.
He had hated Lux since the first time the latter got on his way and had long been dreaming to kill him with his own hands.
Although things would be a bit complicated once he exited the Dungeon, he was certain that he would be able to keep Aur's body as long as he timed his escape properly.
However, before that could happen, he had to eliminate all the bastards who were getting in his way, and he would start with the one he hated the most first.
But, just as his attack was about to obliterate the Half-Elf, a ferocious Dragon Roar spread in the surroundings.
The Dark Energy Ball suddenly dispersed, shocking Zelken, who was already celebrating Lux's demise.
"How dare you?!"
A growl filled with intense rage reverberated in the surroundings, making the silver-haired Devil subconsciously shudder.
Hovering in front of Lux was a Dragon Token that was being enveloped by golden lightning bolts.
"I'll kill you!"
Keoza's hateful roar made the land shake, creating large cracks that extended in every direction.
Suddenly, the red environment shattered, similar to tens of thousands of crystal cups breaking at the same time.
The sky, which was clear a while ago, was covered with dark clouds, and golden lightning rained down from the heavens, instantly killing any monsters that were unlucky enough to get hit by it.
A few meters above Lux's head, a giant silhouette of a Crystal Dragon, who was at least a hundred meters tall, looked down at the silver-haired Devil that had possessed the Dragon Prince.
"H-His Majesty Keoza!" Piccoro shouted in both awe and excitement as their one true king finally made his appearance.
The other Saints shared the Black-Scaled Dragon Born's feelings, making them rejoice in their hearts.
They had been looking for their King for the past century, and they had exhausted every means at their disposal to find him. However, no matter how far their search extended, they were unable to find any clues about where they could find their King, who had disappeared without a trace.
As if sensing the presence of his mortal enemy, Zelken decided to flee.
However, before he could do that, a giant transparent dragon claw snatched him from the sky, holding him in a vice grip.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Keoza locked his bloodthirsty gaze on the silver-haired devil, making the latter cry out in pain.
The Crystal Dragon's claws were coated with divine power, which was very fatal to Abyssal Creatures.
The Crystal Dragon was directly attacking the silver-haired Devil's soul instead of Aur's body, making the Abyssal Duke scream in pain.
"I-If you kill me, I will make sure to kill this Dragon Prince's soul as well!" Zelken shouted in desperation. "I will take him with me to the afterlife!"
Keoza roared hatefully as he once again increased his grip on Aur's body as if squeezing the devil's soul out of it.
"You think you can trick me, you despicable creature?" Keoza sneered. "I wasn't born yesterday!"
The Crystal Dragon once again increased his grip with the intention of crushing the silver-haired Devil's soul inside Aur's body.
Lux watched this from the side with a calm expression on his face. In his eyes, Keoza was an easy-going Dragon whom he could depend on for advice when he needed it.
This was the first time he saw Keoza this angry as if someone had touched his reverse scale.
He didn't know what kind of relationship the Crystal Dragon had with the Dragon Prince, but seeing how enraged Keoza was, it was quite easy to tell that they shared a very close relationship with each other.
"Oi! Don't crush that soul! Why are you being so wasteful, you stupid Dragon?!"
Suddenly, an annoyed voice, which was similar to someone who had been forced to wake up in the middle of the night, reached everyone's ears.
Lux, Keoza, and everyone in the immediate vicinity glanced in the direction where the voice was coming from.
There, they saw an Undead Wyvern with an old Halfling standing on top of it, wearing an impatient expression on his face.
"It's very rare to get hold of a High-Ranking Abyssal Soul in this day and age, and you plan to crush it completely?" Gaap scoffed. "Stand aside, Amateur. I'll handle this!"
Keoza narrowed his eyes, but he didn't make any move to attack Lux's Master.
As someone who had accompanied the Half-Elf on his journey, it was impossible for him to not recognize those whom the Half-Elf deemed important to him.
An Undead, whose body was covered by a black plated armor from head to toe, appeared beside Gaap.
The Black Knight then opened its black angelic wings and flew towards the Crystal Dragon, who was holding the Dragon Prince in his claws.
"Hand him over," the Black Knight said. "My Master will take care of him."
Keoza narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Black Knight before shifting his gaze to the Dragon Prince in his hand.
A few seconds later, he passed Aur to the Black Knight, making the latter give the Crystal Dragon a brief nod of acknowledgement.
"Y-You! Stay away!" Zelken felt his soul shudder after seeing the old Halfling who was looking at him with a devilish smile, showing off the remaining three teeth in his mouth.
As a soul, he was very sensitive to those who had the potential to harm him.
Even though he had suffered a lot in the claws of the Crystal Dragon, he knew that his fate would be sealed the moment the Old Necromancer got hold of him.
In one desperate attempt, he decided to destroy Aur's soul, in order to have someone accompany him to the afterlife.
Although killing people inside the dungeon would just teleport them to the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen, having their souls extinguished would lead to permanent death, leaving only a living shell that housed their souls when they were alive.
Zelken could have succeeded in his double suicide attempt if he were dealing with an inexperienced Necromancer like Lux.
But in the face of a true Master like the Halfling, his attempts were futile.
Gaap had already anticipated that the silver-haired Devil would try to destroy Aur's soul, which he had sealed deep inside the Dragon Prince's consciousness.
The old Halfling had seen many who had attempted to do this in front of him, but none of them succeeded.
With a single wave of Gaap's hand, the silver-haired Devil's soul was instantly expelled from Aur's body.
In that brief period of time, Zelken knew that it was a do-or-die situation, so he immediately created a small dimensional rift in front of him that would allow him to escape to the Gate of the Apocalypse, where his true body was sealed.
"Ah… the final struggle of a corrupted soul," Gaap said softly as misty black tentacles shot out from his body. "Unfortunately for you, it's game over the moment I placed a mark on your body."
Zelken's soul had managed to enter the dimensional rift, but it was quickly followed by the shadowy tentacles that Gaap had unleashed to capture the Abyssal Duke's soul.
A few of the tentacles prevented the Dimensional Rift from closing, while the rest hunted down the fleeing Abyssal Soul who planned to return to its true body as soon as possible.
Half a minute later, a screaming and struggling soul was pulled out of the dimensional rift, which immediately closed as soon as he was successfully captured.
Gaap looked at the screaming soul in front of him with delight, as if he had found a new toy.
"Too noisy," Gaap chuckled before he slapped the soul with his wooden stick, causing the silver-haired Devil to go into a daze.
The Old Halfling then placed his wrinkled hands over the Zelken's head, making the latter writhe like an earthworm that had been sprinkled with salt.
This scene lasted for a full minute before the Abyssal Soul stopped moving completely.
Gaap then calmly took out a crystal ball from his storage ring, which he used to suck the unmoving soul inside it.
"Another one added to my collection." Gaap chuckled as he grinned from ear to ear, admiring the crystal ball like one of those wealthy collectors who were passionate about their hobby.
A moment later, the old Halfling stored the Crystal Ball back into his storage ring and looked at the still unconscious Dragon Prince, who was being carried by one of his servants.
"I almost forgot about you," Gaap muttered before pressing the tip of his walking stick against Aur's forehead, making the latter's eyebrows flutter.
Half a minute later, the Dragon Prince opened his eyes and looked around him in a daze.
This scene made the Dragon Borns, who had been beaten black and blue by Lux's subordinates who blocked their attempts to hurt their Master, cry out in joy.
Even the Saints who had been wanting to kill Lux earlier breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that their Prince was now safe from harm.
As if waiting for that moment, the Dragon Prince's gaze landed on the silhouette of a Giant Crystal Dragon, who was looking down at him with a conflicted look in his eyes.
The two stared at each other for a period of time before a sigh escaped Keoza's lips.
Now that Aur was safe, the silhouette of the Crystal Dragon disappeared, and the Dragon Token lost its radiance.
It then flew towards Lux and landed harmlessly on the palm of his hand.
The Half-Elf stared at the token in his hand before shifting his gaze back to Aur, who was looking at him with the same conflicted look that Keoza had earlier.
When Keoza had made his appearance, the Crystal Palace and those affiliated with it had finally been able to see their missing King, who had suddenly disappeared when the world needed him the most.
Chapter 710 Quest Completion
"C-Can you guys stop trailing behind me like ducklings?" Lux complained as he finished killing a Kobold Knight. "All of you are creeping me out. There are still monsters to clean up, and all of you are following me like loan sharks!"
Aur, as well as the Initiates of the Crystal Palace were also killing monsters. But, whenever Lux moved to a new location, they followed him like chicks following a mother hen.
Deep inside, the Half-Elf was cursing Keoza, who for some reason had become completely silent, no matter how many times he called out to him.
"We're not following you," Aur replied. "We just know that fighting alongside you is more efficient."
"That's right! It's not like we like you or anything," one of Aur's subordinates commented. "Don't get the wrong idea, baka!"
"If we all work together, these monsters will all be exterminated in less than an hour. Let's just keep it up!"
"You know what they say, Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much!"
"In union there is strength!"
"Yeah! While you're at it, can you hand over that Dragon Token we saw earlier? I'd like to take a good look at it!'
"Me, too!"
"Me three!"
'These Mofos are really getting on my nerves.' Lux wanted to slap the Dragon Borns silly for suddenly becoming chummy with him.
Earlier, they were like oil and water unable to mix, but now, the oil was forcing itself to mix with the water, giving Lux a headache.
The Half-Elf sighed before glancing in the direction of his Master, who was busy drinking some tea with Barca.
The Heavy Hitters were just chilling, while the teenagers were busy killing. They didn't want to lower themselves to fight against small fries. Barca's role was to deal with the silver-haired devil. However, since Gaap had already dealt with him, the Half-Orc just watched from the side, while his entire Clan helped decimate the Monster Army.
Baronar and the other Orc Warlords were busy storing the Beast Cores of the Monsters they killed in their storage ring, making the corner of Lux's lips twitch.
Instead of a raiding army, they were like bandits taking Beast Cores and Monster parts right under the Half-Elf's nose.
Still, Lux didn't say anything because he did call for their help.
"Mumumumumumu!" Eiko jumped up and down on her Papa's head after seeing that her precious Beast Cores were being taken by everyone.
"Go, Eiko," Lux stated. "Just be safe, okay?"
"Pa!" Eiko replied before jumping off Lux's head and summoning her slime army, as well as her Undead Terrorist Squad in order to get as many Beast Cores as possible.
She and her clones even summoned six Hecatoncheires and their only purpose was to get as many Beast Cores as possible.
Truth be told, the Orcs were not the only ones who were doing it.
All the teenagers had thrown their caution into the wind, and started to farm as many Beast Cores as possible. They didn't usually have the opportunity to get so many Beast Cores in one mission because all their gains would usually be sent to their Kingdom's treasury, or their Guild's treasury, leaving only a few resources within their possession.
Simply put, this was like an all-you-can-eat buffet, but instead of food, you ate Beast Cores.
Prince Cyrus cursed out loud after seeing the Baby Slime's shameless tactics.
"Dammit! How can we possibly win against those giants that have hundreds of arms?!" Prince Cyrus cursed out loud. "They are plucking Beast Cores like they're just plucking grapes!"
Even the Deimos-Ranked and Argonaut Creatures felt that it was no longer worthwhile to stay and fight, so they started to flee one by one.
Unfortunately for them, Lady Avyanna, Baronar, and the Orc Warlords, who were all Dreadnaughts, didn't let a single one of them escape.
The Blackrock Clan had suffered greatly in the war against the Haca Dynasty, and in order to regain what they had lost, they would need a lot of resources to strengthen their warriors.
What better way to do it than to amass a large number of Beast Cores in order to boost their ranks?
"Back in the days, I used to hunt Manticores alone," Barca said after drinking his cup of beer. "But I took an arrow on the knee. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I already had a son.
"Ah, youth," Gaap said softly. "When I was young, I was very popular with the ladies in my village. But, I wanted to see the world, so I left, breaking the hearts of many. Thinking back, I should have enjoyed life more and left a few sons and daughters behind. I'm already old, so I'll just treat Lux's kids as my grandchildren."
"Do you want another cup of beer?"
"Don't mind if I do."
The two Powerhouses enjoyed their Bro moment together, while dying screams spread throughout the surroundings.
Both of them had seen their fair share of battles, and were already used to death and destruction, even thinking the noises around them as nothing more than background music that enhanced the flavor of their beer.
One hour later…
—----------------
< Congratulations! You have completed the mission Clash of Titans! >
< Quest Rewards >
10,000,00 Gold Coins
Two Random Rank 5 Skill Books that matches your profession
+20 additional Skeleton Gangbangers (Total: 340)
+20 additional Skeleton Arcane Hunters (Total: 340)
+20 additional Elite Spirit Protector (Total: 170)
+20 additional Plague Wing Gargoyles (Total: 100)
+10 additional Liches (Total: 60)
+10 additional Steel Golem (Total: 70)
1,000 Reputation Points with the Crystal Palace
500 Reputation Points with the Six Kingdoms
500 Reputation Points with the Xynnar War Pact
200 Reputation Points with Karshvar Draconis
200 Reputation Points with the Skystead Alliance
—----------------
< Bonus Rewards >
– Your Doppelganger [EX] will evolve into Doppelganger [SSR]
– Your Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] will evolve into Peerless Dragon Strike [SSR]
—----------------
< Doppelganger [SSR] >
– None of your clones will disappear unless you unsummoned them, or they have been killed.
– All Clones will have 75% of your Max Health.
– All Clones will have 75% of your total Physical and Magical Damage.
– You can now swap places with any of your clones anytime you want to. The maximum range for this ability is 100 Miles.
—----------------
< Peerless Dragon Strike [SSR] >
– Create the illusionary image of any type of Dragon behind your back and use one of their Signature Abilities.
– You can now use this ability 3x a day.
—----------------
Lux sighed in relief because the mission was now over. However, after reading the information about the rewards he received, another notification appeared in front of him, as well as everyone in the dungeon who had survived the battle.
—----------------
< Hidden Quest: The Gate of the Apocalypse >
– Against all odds, all of you had conquered the Gates of Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. Because of this, you have been granted permission to enter the Gate of the Apocalypse.
– C-Rankers and below may now enter the Domain of the Fallen as well as the Gate of the Apocalypse
– The Gate of Apocalypse will open its doors exactly thirty days from now. Until then, the gate will remain closed until the designated time has come.
– No one will be able to enter the Domain of the Fallen during this time period.
—----------------
The teenagers who saw this message all cheered, especially those that belonged to the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and Skystead Alliance.
Since the very beginning, these factions were eyeing the resources inside the Domain of the Fallen.
Unfortunately, their candidates were unable to gather these precious resources because they were simply too weak to fight the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked monsters that roamed the Domain.
Lux, who saw this message chuckled internally because even if the other factions were to send their Rankers to loot the Domain of the Fallen, they would not find anything except for the scraps that were left behind by the two Saints, who had taken everything of importance from it.