Ch. 731: Chapter 731-740

Chapter 731 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 1]

After finalizing his deal with the Head of the Merchant Union in Whitebridge City, Harrus called his two subordinates and asked them to help him look for those who tried to cause trouble for their Guild.

"No matter where they are, I will be able to find them with my ability," a Skinny Dwarf with brown hair said with confidence as he took out a bottle that contained a silver powder inside his storage ring.

He then lightly sprinkled the silver powder on the place where one of Lucius' guards had been found unconscious earlier.

The Skinny Dwarf then muttered an incantation and a wisp of white smoke rose from the ground, creating a trail that only the three of them could see.

"Well then gentlemen, we got ourselves a trail to follow," the Skinny Dwarf declared. "I sure hope you will give me a bonus for this Boss."

"Of course." Harrus promised. "You've been with me for a long time. You know that I'm not stingy with hardworking individuals."

The Skinny Dwarf nodded his head to acknowledge his leader's words.

Although Harrus could be arrogant, and pushy at times, he treated his men well. Because of this, he stayed with him even though he was being scouted by the other Factions in Twilight Rain, who valued his tracking abilities.

The three Dwarves then took a stroll through the city, following the white mist that was in front of them. They had done this countless times in the past, and they were already sure that no matter where their target went, they wouldn't be able to escape their pursuit.

After an hour of walking, the three Dwarves arrived at the Western Exit of Whitebridge City. In the past, these walls had been destroyed due to the Monster Outbreak. Fortunately, the damage wasn't that serious, so the repairs were done without much difficulty.

"As expected, he left the city after failing his mission," the Skinny Dwarf rubbed his beard as he looked at the Gate. "Should we follow his trail, Boss? The density of the white mist is telling me that he passed through the gate just recently. A rough estimate is around an hour."

"Of course we follow," Harrus replied. "Since he just left, we just need to hurry and catch up to him. The two of you, follow me."

Harrus walked past the gate and immediately summoned a Gryphon. After Lux left him stranded in the sea, the red-headed Dwarf had tamed three mounts for himself. One was exclusive for land, the other for air, and lastly a sea creature for the sea.

The past experience taught him that he should be prepared for any situation, or else he would have to spend days trying to reach the shore through sheer willpower like last time.

His two other subordinates summoned their own Flying Mounts, which were Hippogriffs.

The three of them then chased after the White Mist with firm determination, hoping to capture whoever was responsible for attacking Lucius' men.

A good distance from them, the Wraith King, Leoric hovered above the clouds with his arms crossed over his chest.

He had been paying close attention to Harrus due to Lux's orders, and wanted to know what the arrogant Dwarf was up to.

"I didn't think that one of them would be proficient in using Ever Bright Powder," King Leoric said with a smile. "If my subordinate wasn't a Wraith Knight, they might have been able to capture him right away."

The one who orchestrated the attack on Lucius' subordinates was none other than King Leoric and his Wraith Knights.

Their method was on point, but they were forced to halt their mission when the Wraith King sensed that Ferron had noticed that something was wrong.

Even though he and his men could have defeated the Pseudo-High Ranker without much effort, the possibility of destroying parts of the city was something that Lux forbade them to do.

Also, they had no idea if Ferron possessed an artifact that would warn Lucius that they were under attack, forcing the Merchant to flee using the means available to him.

Because of this, he deemed that it was best to retreat while they still could, leaving their enemies no clues as to who attacked them.

"Lux, the Variables are now away from the city," King Leoric reported using his link with the Half-Elf. "Should we attack them?"

"No," Lux replied. "They are not our targets. Also, I don't want to unnecessarily alert the members of Twilight Rain about our existence. The time will come to do that, but not now."

Lux didn't want to create more variables by letting King Leoric attack Harrus, while chasing after one of the Wraith King's Wraith Knights, who were flying farther away from the city.

"For now, return to monitoring the Merchant Guild, and pay close attention to Lucius' movements," Lux ordered. "Although we can pinpoint his location, and Draven can hear every word spoken around Lucius, I want him to be monitored at all times. We will strike tonight when he sleeps. The darkness will allow the Shadow Warriors to move freely."

"By Your Will," Leoric replied.

The Wraith King then gave Harrus, and his two subordinates one last glance before flying back to the center of the city to keep watch over their target.

Whitebridge City was a big city, and there were many Rankers and High Rankers inside it. After the battle due to the Monster Outbreak, the Kingdom decided to place strong individuals to watch over the city to calm the hearts of the people

The Adventurer's Guild had done the same thing and had permanently stationed a High-Ranker in Whitebridge City, at the request of the King of Gweliven.

Naturally, this request wasn't free, making the King pay for the commission of hiring this High-Ranker as a Quest issued by the Guild.

Leoric knew that if he made any unnecessary movements, these people might sense his presence, which would make the situation more unpredictable.

The Wraith King was a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.

A Monster in the eyes of others, whom they would treat as a hostile Creature that had wandered into their peaceful city.

This was the other reason why Lux didn't want a fight to start inside the city because there was a possibility that these powerful fighters would help save their enemy.

'All we need is one Blitzkrieg attack to end it all,' Lux thought as soon as he finished cutting off his connection with Draven, who was eavesdropping on Lucius' and Ferron's discussion.

After careful consideration, Lux had issued an order to all of his subordinates who would be participating in the Night Raid that would be happening in a few hours.

Capture Lucius dead or alive.

He preferred to capture Lucius alive if possible, but if he resisted, his subordinates were ordered to kill him without batting an eye.

After becoming a Heaven's Necromancer, Lux had become more adept in talking to spirits.

As long as the dead person he was talking to had died recently, he would still be able to extract all the information from that person's soul, allowing him to find more targets for his operation.

Lux might look calm on the surface, but deep inside, he was busy making countermeasures for every possible scenario that might arise during the Night Raid.

In the end, he decided that it would be easier if he allowed Nevreal to aid him in his quest, making the middle-aged Dwarf talk to some of his acquaintances for damage control.

————————-

(A/N: Continuation of the Rankings)

Guild Rankings

Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Mithril, Orihalcum, Adamantite, and Mythical

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Monster Rankings

Common Monster, Rank 1, Rank 2, Rank 3, Rank 4, Rank 5, Deimos Rank, Argonaut Rank, Dreadnaught Rank, Empyrean Rank, Calamity, Demigod.

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Mortal Rankings

Beginners, Grade-D Apostle, Grade-C Apostle, Grade-B Apostle, Grade-A Apostle, Initiate, E-Ranker, D-Ranker, C-Ranker, B-Ranker, A-Ranker, S-Ranker, SS-Ranker, Saint, Supreme.

A-Ranker and above are referred to as High-Ranker.

Saint and Supreme are in a different bracket, and aren't called Rankers.

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If you have more questions, just post it in the comment section. And No, I don't have OnlyFans. Kekeke!

 

Chapter 732 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 2]

"…Didn't you say that you're not going to fight inside the city?" Nevreal muttered as he looked at the flashes of light, as well as the sound of loud explosions that could be heard near the Merchant Guild Building.

"Lux might have encountered some difficulties," Robin, who was standing beside Nevreal, commented. "Besides, it's fine. The battle is contained on that plot of land. Thankfully, Lucius owns all the structures in that part of town, so even if they are turned into smithereens, it's not our concern."

Nevreal sighed. "Your Highness, you seem to be siding with Lux on this one."

"I'm on the side of the Royal Family. Since he is fighting against Twilight Rain, then I'm naturally taking his side. Are our own preparations ready? Make sure to deploy our men to prevent the battle from spreading to the rest of the city."

"Understood, Your Highness. I'll make sure to let everyone know your intentions."

Robin nodded before shifting his attention back to the battle that was currently taking place inside the city.

Although the sounds of explosions intermittently sounded every five seconds, the Prince of the Kingdom of Gweliven calmly crossed his arms over his chest and wished the Half-Elf victory over the unexpected surprise that Twilight Rain had prepared for him.

—————

Three hours earlier…

"This will be a Blitzkrieg Operation," Lux explained to his Named Creatures, as well as Nevreal and Robin, who were with him inside the middle-aged Dwarf's VIP Room. "We break in, we kidnap Lucius, then we get out. After we've captured the Head of the Merchant Union, we will immediately leave the city. Any questions?"

Nevreal cleared his throat and asked his question.

"Are you confident that this plan will go smoothly?" Nevreal asked.

"Of course I am confident," Lux replied.

"What are the chances of a large-scale battle occurring inside the city?"

"A large-scale battle? That's not going to happen. This operation will end before they even know what hit them."

Lux was confident that as long as they were able to grab Lucius from inside his residence, the rest would be easy.

Nevreal looked at the Half-Elf's determined expression before nodding his head.

"I have asked a few people to watch over the surrounding residences and deal with any unexpected surprises," Nevreal stated. "Since the area around the Merchant's Guild is owned by Lucius, certain damage to property is fine. Just make sure that the fighting doesn't spread to the rest of the city."

"… Sir Nevreal, please, don't raise a flag," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "There will be no battle. It will just be a kidnapping operation with a high chance of success. Everything will be fine."

"I hope so," Nevreal shrugged. "I don't want to clean up after your mess, that's all."

Lux shook his head helplessly. Clearly, the middle-aged Dwarf had lost faith in him after that time the Half-Elf scammed him for ten million gold coins to help build his Guild Headquarters.

"The operation will start at midnight," Lux declared. "This is an important mission, so please, everyone, do your best."

All of Lux's Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, nodded their heads in understanding.

They were Lux's Main Fighting Force, and their presence gave the Half-Elf the assurance he needed in order to succeed in his Night Raid Operation.

Half an hour before midnight, Lux looked down at the Merchant Guild from the sky. It was a moonless night, but countless stars illuminated the heavens.

The majority of the residents of Whitebridge City were already asleep, and only taverns and a few entertainment districts were active during this time of the night.

The red-headed teenager sighed as he gazed upon the City, which he had defended alongside the other Guilds of the Kingdom of Gweliven who didn't want to see its destruction.

They had succeeded in doing so, but they hadn't defeated the true monsters that lurked within the Kingdom—the members of the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain.

If he were to be honest, Lux feared them in the past.

It was to the point that he had no choice but to fake his death in order to protect himself and those whom he held dear in Elysium like Colette and his friends.

But now, it was different.

He was no longer that inexperienced Beginner of the past, who was almost killed due to a Monster Outbreak of Undead in Leaf Village.

He had proven himself to be one of the strongest members of the young generation in the Lionheart Tournament that was held at Barbatos Academy.

Lux was still an Initiate, but he had the ability to contend with most Rankers.

Even so, he knew that he alone was not enough to root out the foundations that Twilight Rain had cemented over the past several decades. It was an organization that even the Royal Family was unable to rid themselves of, no matter how hard King Uther tried.

But now, Lux would take that first step to create cracks within that Behemoth's foundation, and soon, he would make them understand that there were still those who would stand up to their tyranny.

"When was the last time I appreciated the night sky?" Lux muttered as he raised his head to look up at the heavens. "I see it almost every day, but I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to enjoy the scenery."

The Half-Elf sighed as he thought of the time when he was still back on Earth, cooped up in his own room.

There were times when he would look at the night sky outside of his window.

The light pollution of the city was bad, and the only stars visible to his eyes were the brightest stars in the heavens.

Back then, he could still count them all. But now, the countless stars in the sky winked at him, as if daring him to start counting them all, which was truly impossible.

Lux smiled as he thought back on the time when the Angel, Himea, brought him to the Celestial Heavens and made him fill out several sheets of paper in order to map out the settings of his next life.

Many years had passed since then, and Lux often wondered what would have happened if he wasn't chosen to become part of the Heaven's Gate Project.

There had been more than one occasion when the Half-Elf would think about these things, and the answer would still be the same.

'There's no use in thinking of what if's and what might have been's,' Lux thought as he rubbed his face with both hands.

Right now, he was living his life to the fullest, and in order to keep living that life, he had to make sure that those who threatened his happiness would be erased from his life.

Taking a deep and long breath, the red-headed teenager calmed himself.

He then glanced at his subordinates, who were already in position, from where he stood in the sky, and he knew that they were all ready to fight with him even if he was going to fight against the entire world.

Slowly but surely, Lux raised his hand, signaling everyone that their long wait was finally over.

"Commence the operation," Lux ordered. "Operation Blitzkrieg starts now!"

 

Chapter 733 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 3]

As soon as Lux gave the order, Draven and King Leoric made their move.

They were the two in charge of capturing Lucius, while the others were on standby to deal with any situation that might arise if they failed on their first attempt.

Since Draven had marked Lucius' shadow, he knew the exact location of the merchant, so they didn't hesitate to infiltrate the Merchant Guild in order to find him.

However, as someone who had offended many people in the past, Lucius made sure that his living quarters were well-protected from any kind of assassination attempt.

The merchant's personal room was actually deep underground, surrounded by many Elite Guards as well as Traps for those who would even attempt to harm his life.

Draven and the Wraith King worked hand in hand in order to neutralize these obstacles along the way. When they finally arrived underground, they found themselves in what seemed to be a maze, which was made to confuse any assassin lucky enough to go past Lucius' first line of defense.

"What a tricky fellow," Leoric said. "And here I thought that there wasn't someone more paranoid than my brother in the past."

"Good thing it doesn't run in the family," Draven replied. "Now, follow me."

The Shadow Lord and the Wraith King didn't need to wander around the maze because Draven could sense the lingering life force that Lucius had left behind. The two of them advanced for five minutes before facing a wall, which seemed to be a dead end.

However, Draven wasn't fazed and simply pressed his hand on one part of the wall.

A moment later, a narrow passage appeared, wide enough for only one person to pass through.

After entering the passageway, Draven and Leoric found themselves in an open space, where several Guards were positioned to intercept anyone who was lucky enough to stumble upon the hidden doorway.

"I knew it," Ferron said with his arms crossed over his chest. "Two Assassins, and from the look of it, you're not Dwarves."

Lucius' right-hand man narrowed his gaze as he held a short sword in each hand.

"What organization do the two of you belong to?" Ferron asked. "Who ordered you to assassinate my employer?"

Draven and Leoric were wearing black robes and masks to cover their entire beings. Lux had already anticipated that the possibility of a confrontation was there, so he made sure that his two subordinates were wearing masks to hide their identity.

"Make a guess," Leoric replied before charging toward Ferron.

Now that a battle was imminent, the only thing he needed to do was deal with the defenders who were blocking their path.

"Fool," Ferron replied before stomping his foot on the ground.

Immediately, a ringing sound reverberated in the surroundings, alerting all the guards, as well as their hired help, that intruders had appeared inside the Merchant's Guild.

A barrier of light then flashed between Leoric and Ferron, which protected the Dwarf from Leoric's sword strike.

When the sword hit the barrier, the underground shelter shook due to the impact of the Wraith King's attack.

This single strike made Ferron's face turn solemn, now understanding how powerful the assassin was.

'This bastard is stronger than me,' Ferron thought. 'Fortunately, this barrier has the ability to withstand three full strikes of a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster. But, it will not last for long.'

King Leoric, who had his attack blocked by the barrier, only smiled beneath his mask.

In the past, he was a Saint.

But after dying and getting corrupted by the Abyss, his Rank degraded, and he had even turned into a monster.

Even so, the Wraith King persevered and waited for the day when he and his people would be liberated from the eternal prison that prevented them from crossing over to the next life.

This was why, when Lux appeared, he had vowed that he would repay him until his debt was fulfilled.

"Fool," King Leoric muttered as he once again raised his sword to slash the light barrier in front of him. "Only children would think that this barrier of yours is indestructible!"

King Leoric's second strike was stronger than the first, causing the barrier to shatter completely.

Even Ferron, who thought that the barrier would survive two more strikes, was surprised to see that it was destroyed by the intruder's second blow.

However, the barrier was only a stop-gap measure for what he and Lucius had prepared for any strong assassins that would come to assassinate the Head Merchant.

When King Leoric was about to unleash his strike against Ferron, he sensed five more powerful presences that were about to attack him from different directions.

Because of this, the Wraith King didn't hesitate to distance himself from Lucius' right-hand man to better assess the situation.

'Five additional High-Rankers,' Draven thought. 'It seems that Lucius secretly asked for reinforcements without me knowing.'

Since Draven could only monitor Lucius' location as well as hear things around the Merchant, he didn't notice that the Merchant had written a letter and given it to Ferron earlier in the day.

This was a request asking for their Guild Leader to send some strong fighters to help him get rid of the offenders who seemed to be targeting him personally.

As one of the important Honorary Elders of Twilight Rain, the Guildmaster of the Dark Guild took his request seriously and ordered the Rankers and High-Rankers that were near Whitebridge City to assist in eliminating those who were targeting his undercover agent.

Aside from the High-Rankers, who were now facing off against Leoric, twenty more Rankers ranging from D-Rank to C-Rank entered the room from the back.

This proved just how important Lucius was to Twilight Rain and that the organization couldn't risk losing him anytime soon.

'Master, Plan A has failed,' Draven reported. 'It seems that they were expecting assassins to infiltrate the Merchant Guild tonight.'

'Is that so?' Lux's words, which were filled with regret, resounded inside Draven's mind. 'Very well, time for Plan B.'

High above the sky, Lux glanced in the direction of the inn where Nevreal and Robin were staying.

He said earlier that he wouldn't fight in the city, but after the middle-aged Dwarf subtly told him that the surrounding area near the Merchant Guild was owned by Lucius, he made a backup plan just in case things went south.

"Sorry, but things are going to get a little noisy around here," Lux said as he ordered his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, to infiltrate the Merchant Guild and reinforce Draven and King Leoric.

He then summoned his Undead Warriors to surround all the exits in the residence, preventing anyone from escaping.

Eiko, who was on top of Lux's head, giggled before summoning her Slime Army and Terrorist Squad.

Since peace was no longer an option, it was time to blow things up.

Lux's first fight against the Rankers of Twilight Rain using his own army was finally about to unfold.

And thus, a night battle that the residents of Whitebridge City would remember for years to come was about to blow up, and wake them up from their peaceful slumber.

 

Chapter 734 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 4]

Diablo, Ishtar, Revon, Zagan, and ALL-MITE, all infiltrated the Merchant Guild, while Pazuzu, Asmodeus, Orion, and Lazarus, stayed outside to block any possible reinforcements that would be coming from the outside.

Bedivere circled the skies above the Merchant Guild in order to help patrol the surroundings.

While this was happening, loud explosions that seemed to be coming from under the ground reverberated in the surroundings.

Ferron, the High-Rankers, as well as the Rankers that Lucius had hired to kill those who came to try to assassinate him that night thought that they had the upper hand against the two Assassins.

However, when they tried to attack King Leoric, Twelve Wraith Knights appeared out of nowhere and clashed with them, pushing them back.

The Wraith Knights were all Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monsters, who served as King Leoric's Royal Guards when they were still alive. They were once High-Rankers when they were alive, but now, they had become Monsters, and their strength had degraded, just like their king.

Even so, their sudden appearance made the members of Twilight Rain feel as if they had eaten a fly.

"Monsters!" Ferron shouted. "What organization do you hail from? Answer me!"

"Dead men tell no tales," King Leoric replied. "Now, die!"

With one powerful slash of his sword, King Leoric unleashed a pale blue, Ghostly Sword Slash backed with the full strength of a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.

However, the members of Twilight Rain had fought against Dreadnaught and Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses before, so they calmly dealt with the blow by using their skills and artifacts to block it.

The outcome of this clash created a powerful explosion that shook the entire underground maze, making rocks, soil, and rubble fall from above their heads.

"We might get buried alive here," one of the High-Rankers said. "Ferron, take Lucius and escape aboveground. We'll hold them back and follow behind you, so hurry!"

Ferron didn't even bat an eye and immediately left through the backdoor with the intention of taking their employer to the secret passageway to escape the Merchant Guild.

Lucius had created several escape passages to be used for such emergencies, so Ferron was confident that they could escape this Assassination attempt from an organization that controlled powerful monsters.

When Ferron entered his employer's bedroom, he immediately saw an anxious-looking Lucius looking at him with bloodshot eyes.

"What is happening out there?" Lucius asked. "Just who is attacking us?!"

"I don't know," Ferron replied. "But, whoever they are, they came prepared. We have to escape, Master. This place is no longer safe."

Lucius nodded and took out a book from the bookshelf. As soon as he did that, a passageway opened in the wall.

Without even waiting for Ferron to tell him anything, the Merchant decisively ran through the passageway, followed by his right-hand man. A moment later, the passageway closed, revealing an ordinary wall that had no redeeming features.

Meanwhile, the High-Rankers and Rankers who were fighting against King Leoric and his Wraith Knights knew that enough time had passed, so they also left in haste. There was another exit aside from Lucius' bedroom, and this was also the path they took in order to leave the underground.

Draven, who had remained at the back during the entire battle, ran towards the backdoor that Ferron had taken earlier.

King Leoric and his Wraith Knights didn't hesitate and followed the Shadow Lord. The High-Ranker and the Rankers from Twilight Rain weren't their priorities.

Their objective was to capture Lucius, and that was what they were going to do.

Meanwhile, above ground, the Rankers who had escaped the underground passageway found themselves facing hundreds of Undead when they emerged.

"Undead?" one of the Rankers frowned. "What are the Undead doing here?"

"Did Lucius perhaps make a Necromancer his enemy?" another Ranker commented. "Aish. These bastards are a thorny lot. I fought one of them in the past, and barely escaped with my life."

"Don't worry, they're just small fries," a gray-haired Ranker stated. "Let's just kill them all and escape."

"Right. These small fries are nothing."

"Follow me!"

Naturally, these low-ranking monsters weren't a threat to them, so they calmly dealt with them, and bulldozed their way out.

They had just exited the premises when a blinding blue light flashed in front of them, forcing them to cover their eyes for a brief moment.

One of Lux's Legendary Artifacts that was given to him by Great General Sherlock was capable of summoning one Greater Elemental Monster of his choosing (Deimos Rank).

However, after their meeting with the Transcendent Flames, Randolph tweaked the artifact and refined it further, boosting its effectiveness.

Now, instead of one Deimos-Rank Great Elemental Monster, Lux could summon a Deimos-Rank World Boss Elemental of his choosing.

Lux had summoned a Greater Light Elemental (Deimos-Ranked World Boss), in order to deal with the Rankers.

He could have summoned a Greater Fire Elemental, and blown things up, but he was afraid that the flames would spread to the entire city, causing massive damage to their surroundings.

The reason why he chose the Greater Light Elemental is due to its Divine Presence in the battlefield, which would make the Dwarves who saw it think that it was not a Monster that was attacking the city, but a Monster that was fighting for them.

After seeing its targets, the Greater Light Elemental unleashed Light Rays that forced the Rankers to dodge.

Loud explosions once again spread in the surroundings as the battle broke out within the premises of the Merchant's Guild.

Nevreal and Robin, who were watching the battle from afar, suddenly heard a playful voice behind them.

"Looks like things are heating up over there."

The middle-aged Dwarf and the Dwarf Prince looked behind them only to see the adorable, and spoiled princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

"Anastasia?" Robin frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Princess Anastasia replied. "Millie's Master informed her that something big was going to happen in Whitebridge City and that Sir Lux would be involved. Since that was the case, I came here to lend him my assistance!"

Princess Anastasia brought her own Royal Guards, as well as Four Rankers that served as her Guardians. She still felt indebted to Lux for being saved by him, so when Millie told her what was happening in Whitebridge City, she didn't hesitate and also made her move to help.

"Millie, go and see how you can help Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia ordered. "Also, make sure to tell him that I came all the way from the Capital City to help him. Make sure to let him know that, okay? It's very important!"

Millie, who had fought alongside Lux to rescue the Princess, nodded her head.

"Understood, Your Highness," Millie replied before flying towards the location of the battle.

Just like Princess Anastasia, the pretty Ranker also wanted to repay Lux for the debt she owed him.

Meanwhile, not far from the battle itself, several Rankers were ordering soldiers around to create a blockade, preventing the ordinary citizens from getting near the battlefield.

"We haven't seen him for a while, but it seems that our newest member knows how to party,"

"Hah, I should be sleeping right now. But, no. I had to deal with this mess."

Galileo Darwin and Charles Galilei, two members of the Order of the Griffin, chatted in a casual manner.

Behind them, hundreds of Mercenaries, who served as the Order of the Griffin's personal army, were waiting for their orders.

"Okay, boys, people are starting to wake up from all these ruckus," Charles said. "You know what to do, okay? Don't let anyone near the Merchant Guild. Use any method necessary to stop those who would try to bypass our blockade. However, don't resort to violence right away."

"Even if Peace isn't an option, it is our duty to protect our countrymen," Galileo said. "We don't harm the innocent, so remember that well. Now go!"

"""Yes, Sirs!"""

Since Lux's Undead Army had engaged the Rankers of Twilight Rain, the dome that had sectioned off the area had disappeared.

Curious people, as well as the City Guards, were now starting to flock towards the location of the explosions, making a blockade very important.

As the Kingdom's special agents, who specialized in sweeping everything under the rug, there were no better people than the mercenaries of the Order of the Griffin to control the situation.

These experts had been trained by the Leader of the Order the Dao of Bullsh*tting, so they could bullsh*t their way out of almost anything, including the furious Mayor of Whitebridge City, who was now headed to the battlefield.

 

Chapter 735 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 5]

"Mom, what's happening over there?" a young Dwarf asked. "Why is it noisy over there?"

"I don't really know," the mother of the Dwarf replied. "But, it looks dangerous, so we mustn't go there, okay?"

The Dwarf boy nodded. "Un!"

Unfortunately, not everyone was able to keep their curiosity in check and headed towards the location of the Merchant Guild in great numbers.

However, after getting near their destination, they found themselves being blocked by hundreds of armored Dwarfs, who had an intimidating atmosphere.

The ordinary people were intimidated by their presence, but those who held great influence in the city including the Captain of the City Guards, as well as the Adventurers of the Adventurer's Guild all tried to pass through their blockade.

"Get out of the way!" the Captain of the City Guards ordered. "I am the Captain of the Guards that protects Whitebridge City! I order you to step aside and let us pass."

The man, whom the Guard Captain spoke to was the leader of the Mercenaries, who had a scar on his left eye, making him look like a real villain. However, instead of stepping aside like he was ordered, the Mercenary Leader simply smiled and tried to control the situation.

"Nothing is happening here, Guard Captain," the Mercenary Leader replied. "Do all of you know what time it is? It's way past your bedtime."

"Nothing is happening?" the Guard Captain sneered. "What do you call those loud explosions that we are hearing? Are you deaf?"

Before the Mercenary Leader could even reply, one of the Mercenaries spoke up, making the curious Dwarves who wanted to see what was happening beyond the blockade look in his direction.

"Sorry Captain," a chubby mercenary commented. "I ate some cabbage earlier and now I am unable to control my farts."

At that exact moment, a loud explosion erupted, making the ground under their feet shake.

"Ooops, my bad," the chubby Mercenary said with an embarrassed expression on his face. "I farted again."

Five seconds later, consecutive eruptions reverberated in the surroundings, making all the city guards look at the Mercenary in disdain.

"Sorry bro, that was me," another Mercenary said. "I also ate some cabbage earlier."

"What a coincidence! I ate cabbage as well!"

"You, too, bro? Same same. The gas is really bad. I've been farting non-stop for some time now."

"Bro, it seems that all of us have eaten the same thing. Looks like tonight is going to be a long night."

"Right! A Farting night!"

"""Hahahahaha!"""

All the mercenaries laughed, making the Captain of the City Guards, the City Guards, and the curious spectators look at all of them with contempt.

'You bunch of farts! Do you think we are stupid? Even if each of you ate a hundred cabbages, your farts would not be able to cause those loud explosions!'

That was the collective thought of everyone who was itching to bypass the Mercenary blockade in front of them.

The Leader of the Mercenary group chuckled and waved his hand to the people.

"Go home, everyone," the Mercenary Leader said in a calm manner, while spells shot up in the night sky behind him, illuminating the dark night. "There's nothing to see here. Nothing's going on."

"Bullsh*t!" the Captain of the City Guards roared in anger. "I have enough of your nonsense! Get out of my way now or we will arrest all of you!"

The City Guards all took a fighting stance, while the onlookers cheered and even chanted "Fight! Fight Fight!" like the madlads they were.

The Mercenaries didn't make any moves and simply stood with calm smiles on their faces.

"Why must you be violent bro?" the chubby mercenary asked. "We Farting, You Hating."

Just when the Mercenary Captain was about to retort to the chubby mercenary's words, one of the other Mercenaries farted loudly, which sounded like a machine gun that had just opened fire.

A stinky smell reached everyone's nose, making them glare at the Mercenary, who only waved his hand in front of his nose, as if trying to dissipate the smell that came out of him.

"Bro, who farted?" the Mercenary that farted asked. "Have you no shame? There should be proper etiquette when farting in public. At least, admit that you farted, okay?"

The Mercenaries paused for a brief moment before all of them roared in laughter.

"Good one, bro! I almost fell for it!"

"Hahaha! I thought bad cottage cheese smells bad, but your fart, bro, beats it hands down."

"That was actually a loud and long fart, bro. Respect, bro, respect."

The Guard Captain no longer wanted to mess around, so he tried to brute force his way through.

However, the leader of the Mercenaries blocked his path like an immovable mountain, and stared at the Captain, while excluding his bloodlust that had been honed in several battlefields.

"Calm down, Son," the Mercenary Leader said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "My boys are just practicing for the upcoming Whitebridge Festival. You know, that one with the fireworks display."

"We don't have that kind of festival," the Guard Captain replied.

"It's a proposed festival. You will be hearing about it sometime soon."

"And, just what kind of festival is going to happen without my approval?!"

A loud, and thunderous shout that came from behind the crowd reached everyone's ears.

The Mayor of Whitebridge City, Mr. White, walked with firm steps towards the Mercenary Leader. The crowd parted to give their Mayor a path to walk along until he arrived at the forefront and stared at the Mercenary Leader's eyes without flinching.

"Get out of my way, or get out of my city," Mr. White stated. "I call the shots here. If you refuse to yield, I will force you to yield."

The Guard Captain who had gained a backer, also held his ground and glared at the Mercenary Leader who made him feel as if he was staring death in the face.

The standoff lasted for half a minute before a pretty Dwarf descended from the sky and landed beside the Mercenary Leader and the Mayor of Whitebridge City.

"I am Millie, and I am one of Princess Anastasia's Royal Guard," Millie introduced herself and showed the insignia that belonged to the Royal Family. "What you are hearing and seeing right now is actually a live drill that is being done in order to react to terrorist attacks inside the city."

"L-Live Drill?" Mr. White stuttered. "Terrorist Attacks? Why wasn't I informed about this?"

"The Royal Family deemed that it was best to not inform you about this matter," Millie replied. "This was to make sure that we would be able to see how the city would react should a real terrorist attack occur. Princess Anastasia is observing this live drill demonstration as we speak."

Mr. White was still half in doubt, so he decided to make his stand. "Although it is Princess Anastasia's orders, I am not a member of her faction. This live drill should have been done through the proper channels. If it was done properly, I would have collaborat—"

"Fool!" the Mercenary Leader interjected. "When terrorists attack you, will they send you a letter telling you that they will attack at this exact time and place? This is why this live drill is being conducted. I'm sure that Princess Anastasia, who is serving as the King's representative, is very disappointed in how you and your people have handled this mess thus far.

"Instead of preventing the citizens from going to the battleground, you even insisted on bringing them along. You are a failure as the Mayor of this city, same for you Guard Captain. The first thing you should have done is order some of your men to prevent the people from coming here."

After being chastised by the Mercenary leader, Mr. White, and the Guard Captain gave each other the "Do you believe this crap?" gaze.

However, seeing that the Royal Guard, as well as the Mercenary Leader weren't going to budge, they had no choice but to order the rest of the City Guards to reinforce the blockade, forcing people to stay away from the battleground.

Mr. White then stared at the ten-meter-tall floating Great Light Elemental that was shooting Light Rays into its surroundings like laser beams, with an anxious look on his face.

Although he tried to keep himself calm, seeing that a Deimos-Ranked World Boss had appeared inside his city without his notice made him feel as if something terrible was happening at the Merchant Guild where the explosions and the sound of battle were happening at the moment.

—————

"Big Sister! Something is happening outside!" Colette barged into Aina's office with a worried expression on her face. "Let's see what is happening over there!"

Aina didn't show any change of expression on her face and only looked calmly at her sister like she always did.

"Okay," Aina replied. "However, no matter what happens, stay close to me."

"Un!" Colette nodded and left the office in order to gather her friends.

Aina stared at the open door of her office and sighed.

"I didn't think that you would go this far for us," Aina muttered as she stared outside of the window.

In the distance, she could see the Great Light Elemental that seemed to be fighting against multiple people at once.

She didn't need to be a genius to know who was behind this incident, and it made her wonder what the aftermath of this battle would be.

——————————

Somewhere in Whitebridge City…

Lucius and Ferron, who had taken the secret passageway in order to leave the Merchant Guild, arrived at a small house that was a good distance away from the center of the battle.

Even so, they could still hear the loud explosions in the distance, which made them realize that this wasn't an ordinary assassination attempt to target the Merchant's life.

"Master, who have you offended recently?" Ferron asked with a frown.

"I don't know," Lucius replied. "There's too many of them!"

He had indeed abused his power and authority as the Head of the Merchant Union, as well as the Honorary Elder of Twilight Rain during the past few months.

He had made businesses close, separated families from each other, and even stolen the merits of others.

Looking back, Lucius wasn't too surprised that someone was aiming for his life. However, he didn't expect that the scale would be this big, involving the entire city in the battle.

"We're going to leave the city and go to one of the hideouts of the Twilight Rain," Lucius ordered. "Let's go."

Ferron nodded and escorted his Master to leave the house.

They both wore black robes to cover their faces, as they wandered through the alleys in order to avoid being spotted by whoever was causing all these ruckus.

However, as they made a right turn in one of the alleyways, they found themselves facing a red-headed Half-Elf, with a baby slime on top of his head, who was holding a red metallic ball in her hand.

"Taking a late-night stroll I presume?" Lux asked with sarcasm.

Although it had been a long time since he saw him, Lucius would never forget the Half-Elf whom he had personally declared dead during the Monster Outbreak in Whitebridge City.

"Y-You," Lucius pointed at Lux. "How are you still alive? You're supposed to be dead. Scarlet killed you!"

Ferron, who also recognized Lux, stood in front of his Master and eyed the Half-Elf, checking to see how strong he was.

A few seconds later, a surprised expression appeared on his face when he realized that the red-headed teenager in front of him was only at the peak of the Initiate Rank.

This surprise then turned into a solemn gaze, making him feel that something wasn't right.

For an Initiate to face off against him was similar to someone courting death. He just couldn't see how the Initiate in front of him could possibly win against him, even with the help of the Baby Slime who seemed to be holding something dangerous in her hands.

However, Lucius didn't share his right-hand man's worries.

"Are you the one that wants to assassinate me?" Lucius asked.

"Killing you is a last resort," Lux replied. "I plan to capture you alive."

Lucius snorted. "Capture me alive? With just you? Since you came here to die, I will gladly grant your wish. Ferron, kill him!"

Ferron was about to execute his Master's orders when the Wraith King appeared in front of Lux, alongside his Wraith Knights.

The Half-Elf had summoned them from where they were in their pursuit in order to face Ferron, who was simply too powerful for him to handle alone.

However, just to be on the safe side, the Wraith King and the Wraith Knights weren't the only ones he summoned.

One by one, the members of Lux's Undead Army and Covenant, encircled the Merchant and his bodyguard, leaving them no place to escape.

"This is checkmate," Lux declared. "Are you going to come with me peacefully, or do you want me to break your legs and tie you up like pigs?"

Since a marker was placed on Lucius' shadow, Lux could track him as well using his Soul Book.

This was why the Half-Elf was confident that he could pinpoint the Merchant's location, no matter where he went in the Kingdom of Gweliven.

From the beginning, there was simply no means of escaping the Half-Elf's drag net.

Even if Lucius was carrying a life saving artifact that would teleport him away, similar to what Amir used when he escaped Eiko's killing strike a few days ago, there was simply no place for the merchant to hide from him.

 

Chapter 736 Unfortunately, I Have A Grudge Against Twilight Rain

"Are you going to come with me quietly, or must I use force?" Lux asked.

"Pa!" Eiko, who was on top of the red-headed teenager's head, raised the Blast Bomb in her hand in a threatening manner.

Clearly, she wanted to make things go 'Boom!' but decided to let her Papa do the talking for now.

Lucius and Ferron swept their glance at their surroundings and deemed that there was simply no chance of them breaking through the encirclement.

'I probably can get away if I were on my own, but I'm not alone,' Ferron frowned as he eyed the Wraith King in front of him with a wary gaze.

Lucius, who was standing behind the High Ranker, was able to calm himself down and assess his current situation.

"I'm very curious," Lucius said while staring at the Half-Elf in front of him. "How could it be possible for someone, who is supposed to be dead, to make his appearance here? You and I have no grudges against each other, so why are you targeting me?"

"True," Lux replied. "You and I have no direct grudges with each other. Unfortunately, I have a grudge against Twilight Rain, so all of their members are my enemy."

"Enemy, you say?" Lucius scoffed. "While it is true that you have the ability to capture me, that doesn't mean that you can take on an entire Dark Guild on your own. Are you sure that you really want to go down this path? If you let me go, I am willing to turn a blind eye to what happened tonight and let bygones be bygones."

Lux chuckled. "Do you think you can sweet talk yourself out of this mess? Sorry, but no can do. Enough talk. Are you going to come with us peacefully, or do we get to beat the crap out of you first?"

Lucius sneered at the Half-Elf. "I'll remember this, you bastard. I'll make sure to inform Twilight Rain that you're still alive. No matter where you go, there is no place here in the Kingdom of Gweliven where you can hide!"

"Good luck with that," Lux sneered back. "Capture him!"

As soon as Lux gave the order, Zagan and Ishtar made their move to capture Lucius.

King Leoric and his Wraith Knights focused their attention on Ferron. Since the Pseudo-High Ranker was still the strongest threat in front of them, they needed to neutralize him as soon as possible.

But before any of Lux's subordinates could even reach the two people, Lucius and Ferron activated their life-saving artifact that would teleport them a mile away from their current location.

Just like Amir, they didn't plan to use it unless it was a last resort.

Unfortunately for them, the location of the place where they would next appear was completely random, so the two of them would be separated from each other.

"Draven, Leoric, and Zagan, apprehend Lucius," Lux ordered as he checked his Soul Book. "He appeared North from here. Don't let him escape a second time."

""Yes, Master!""

"By your will."

The three fastest members of Lux's forces flew North in haste in order to capture the Merchant who thought that he could escape.

"What about the High-Ranker, Master?" ALL-MITE asked. "Aren't we going to pursue him?"

Lux shook his head. "He's only a bodyguard. We don't have any use for him."

In the midst of Lux giving orders to his minions, a high-pitched ringing sound spread in the surroundings.

The Greater Light Elemental that Lux had summoned exploded into a shower of sparks, which meant that it had been defeated by the Rankers of Twilight Rain.

From the very start, Lux had decided to use the Greater Light Elemental, as well as his Undead Summons, inside the Merchant's Guild to serve as a distraction while he dealt with Lucius and Ferron.

"Although things didn't turn out exactly as planned, this isn't bad either," Lux muttered as he gazed in the direction of the Merchant Guild. "Now, Twilight Rain will be aware that someone is targeting their Honorary Elders. They will also know that they are dealing with a Necromancer.

"As for Ferron, letting him inform the Dark Guild about my existence is fine. Actually, things are better this way. With this, all their attention will be shifted to me."

With someone as dangerous as Lux on the prowl, the members of Twilight Rain would be more cautious because there was a high chance that they would be targeted.

This would prevent them from stirring too many waves within the Kingdom of Gweliven until their forces had hunted down the Half-Elf, who was causing them trouble.

Lux would be going to the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancers in a few days, so he needed to do something big that would catch the Dark Guild's attention.

Furthermore, he also planned to let Shax, Sid, and Bedivere hunt down the important people, serving as the eyes and ears of Twilight Rain, while he was away.

The constant threat of their members continuously being attacked would definitely put Twilight Rain on edge. This would also make them unable to do any of their side missions, such as targeting Aina and her Guild, Eternal, in the short term.

Half an hour later, Draven, Zagan, and King Leoric returned, carrying an unconscious Lucius, who didn't expect that he would be captured as soon as he tried to escape.

"Shax, come to Whitebridge City and bring Sam with you," Lux ordered his Nightgaunt through Telepathy. "If he tries anything funny, you know what to do."

Although Shax couldn't say anything in reply, its connection with Lux was enough to inform the Half-Elf that it understood its Master's order.

"Let's take him somewhere safe," Lux said as he eyed the unconscious Merchant with a smile. "But before anything else, strip him of all his clothes with the exception of his underwear. There is a possibility that he is hiding some other life-saving item with him, and it would be a pain to capture him again."

After giving his order, Lux led his people outside of Whitebridge City in order to find a secluded place to make the Merchant talk.

Now that he no longer had the means to escape, Lucius' fate was sealed in stone.

 

Chapter 737 The Legacy Of Gaap’s Master

Two hours after Lux ordered Shax to bring Sam to him, the Nightgaunt appeared, carrying the merchant like a sack of rice on its shoulder.

Lucius glared at the traitor with a face filled with injustice, while Sam only looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the Head of the Merchant's Guild in Whitebridge City.

"Now that the traitor is here, tell me, what do you want?" Lucius demanded. "Do you also want me to betray Twilight Rain? I can do that for you. If you want to know where their hiding places are, I know some of them as well. I am more useful than that country bumpkin over there. So how about it? I promise you won't regret collaborating with me."

Sam, who had been called a country bumpkin, raised his head to look at Lucius with contempt. Although Wisp Tree Town wasn't as big as Whitebridge City, it was still a Dungeon Town, which held great importance to the Kingdom.

For Sam to become the Head of the Merchant Union in his own territory proved that he had the ability to do it. Although he was far from Lucius' influence, that didn't mean that his connections were lacking either.

"You're right," Lux replied. "You are more useful than Sam."

"I know, right?!" Lucius stated. "So work with me instead. I'll show you that I can exceed your expectations!"

Lux nodded his head before summoning a sword in his hand.

Then, without any warning, he stabbed Lucius' chest, catching the merchant, as well as Sam, by complete surprise.

"Since you are more important than Sam, I will need to have your unconditional loyalty," Lux stated in a cold voice that made Sam shudder subconsciously. "There are many people that I trust in this world, and you are not one of them. However, since I need you to become one of my trusted subordinates, there is only one way to make that happen."

There was nothing that Lux trusted more in the world than his family, as well as the Undead. Since the Dwarf could betray him at any given time, there was only one way to make him loyal to him without fail.

The light in Lucius' eyes slowly faded as his entire body started to become stiff.

"Animate Undead," Lux said before pulling the sword out of the Dwarf's chest. "Half-Life Zombie."

Lucius' heart, which had been stabbed by the sword, immediately healed. A few seconds later, a scream of pain escaped the merchant's lips as he reached out to grab the air in front of him.

Lux watched the scene with great curiosity because this was the first time he used this kind of Animate Undead ability.

This skill was passed to him by Gaap, which was something that the Half-Ling's Master had invented when she was still alive.

Half-Life Zombie. This was a monster that was alive and dead at the same time.

The zombie's heart would still beat like a normal heart, and its bodily functions would remain the same as if it were still alive. The only difference was that they would gain a boost in their sense of taste, hearing, vision, touch, and smell.

Their strength would also improve significantly, making them stronger than their normal self.

Since Gaap's Master aimed to become a Heaven's Necromancer, she wanted to create a skill that would turn a person into a half-living, half-dead creature.

Hence, the Half-Life Zombie was born.

However, there was a very strict requirement to activate this ability.

The first one was the most important one, and that was for the Necromancer to kill the person themselves by stabbing their heart.

The second condition was to revive the slain person while they were still hovering between life and death.

The third condition was that the person that they were trying to revive must be weaker than them.

If the target was stronger than the caster of the spell, the revival would not be complete, and the target would turn into a full Zombie, instead of a Half-Life Zombie.

Last, but not the least, only Necromancers who didn't possess the Unholy Aura, who were similar to other Necromancers like Gaap, could use it.

In short, only Necromancers who didn't embrace killing as a way of life could use this ability.

Lux met all of these requirements, allowing him to use the Legacy Skill that Gaap's Master had invented through years of hard work.

Also, this spell had a special ability. Those that had become Half-Life Zombies couldn't be detected as Monsters. The ranks of the people that died would remain as they were as well.

"I-I'm still alive?" Lucius patted his chest to check the wound that was given to him by Lux. However, he found nothing as the stab wound had healed completely, making it seem as though nothing had happened to him.

"It looks like it worked," Lux said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I-I… I must be out of my mind for trying to defy you earlier, Master," Lucius replied as he knelt down to pay his respects to the Half-Elf that revived him. "I hereby swear that I will serve you faithfully and loyally to the best of my ability."

Lux nodded and patted Lucius' shoulder.

"Rise, Lucius," Lux ordered. "I expect great things from you."

"Yes, Master!" Lucius rose up and bowed reverently to the Half-Elf as if he was his savior.

The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to Sam and gave the Merchant a devilish smile that made the latter feel as if something terrible was going to happen to him.

"Please, don't kill me," Sam pleaded as he kneeled in front of Lux. "I beg of you. I promise that I will do as you say. I will not do anything to harm your interest, just please spar—arghh!"

Lux didn't even listen to Sam's pleading and stabbed the Dwarf's chest, targeting his heart directly.

"Animate Undead," Lux stated. "Half-Life Zombie."

Just like what happened to Lucius, Sam turned into his fateful minion who would serve him with unconditional loyalty.

"Don't worry," Lux said as he looked at his two new subordinates. "The two of you may live your life in any way that you want. However, when I need your assistance, both of you will help me without fail. Do we have an understanding?"

"Of course, Master," Lucius replied.

"Understood," Sam nodded.

Lux then shifted his attention to Lucius, who had to play an important role from this point onwards.

"Lucius, we will drop you off somewhere away from the city," Lux stated. "What you will do is pretend that I am still looking for you and hide in one of Twilight Rain's bases. Once you have reunited with them, act as you usually would. Feel free to curse me if you have to in front of the members of Twilight Rain to make it believable.

"Also, when you reunite with Ferron, handle things the same way you would have done in the past. However, do not offend more people this time. One more thing, you must take the initiative to report me to Twilight Rain and make sure that I become one of their high-profile targets."

Lucius nodded. "Understood, Master. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

Lux pondered for a bit before giving Lucius another order. "If ever Aina, her Guild, and her sister are being targeted by Twilight Rain, make sure to warn them in advance as subtly as possible. I will talk to her later about you, so make sure to make this your priority."

"Okay," Lucius replied. "What about that investment that Nevreal talked about earlier, Master? Was that only an excuse for him to meet me, or were you serious about it?"

"I was only half serious about it. But since you mentioned it, let's proceed with this project," Lux commented. "Invest in the construction of an outpost, and make sure to tell them that you will get 20% of whatever gains they get while exploring the Savage Lands."

"Very well." Lucius gave Lux a brief nod of understanding. "As for the resources that I will gain from the Savage Lands, I will set them aside as Master's personal funds."

Lux was quite impressed that Lucius was taking the initiative to make money for him. Although he expected that the spell would make the merchant loyal to him, he didn't expect it to be like a brainwashing ability that made the Merchant go beyond, volunteering to become Lux's personal fundraiser.

"How about me, Master?" Sam, who didn't want to lose to his rival, asked.

"Don't worry, I have something planned for you as well," Lux replied. "From now on, you will coordinate with Guildmaster Keelan of the Adventurer's Guild and help my Branch Guild, Ars Goetia, expand. Your goal is to create shops that will sell consumable items."

"Just shops, master?" Sam frowned. "Will this be of great benefit to you?"

Lux smiled. "These shops are only a front. Their true goal is to gather information within the city that they are based in, similar to what Twilight Rain is doing with the Merchant Guilds. Help them in subtle ways, but don't let the members of Twilight Rain suspect you of anything."

"Consider it done, Master." Sam patted his chest with confidence. "I will do this without fail."

"I know you will." Lux rested his hands on Sam's and Lucius' shoulders. "Now let's talk about how we can make Twilight Rain feel as if their house is on fire. Lucius, tell me the names of the people who you know that are part of your organization. My friends will give them all a friendly visit."

"Yes, Master," Lucius replied.

————————

Somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven…

Sid pushed the dead body of the Merchant he just stabbed onto the floor of his bedroom.

Having been an Assassin for many years, all he needed was the name and the location of the target, and he would head there to carry out his mission.

After receiving the name of one of Twilight Rain's avid supporters from Sam, the Dhampir didn't hesitate and went to find his target.

"One down, two more to go," Sid said softly as he opened his bat-like wings and flew toward the dark sky.

The night was still young, and he still had more people to kill.

Sid didn't shy away from killing people—especially the bad ones.

Now that he was working on behalf of his Master, Lux, the Dhampir, who was considered a genius Assassin when he was still alive, would become one of the many hunters that the red-headed teenager would unleash against the members of Twilight Rain.

The Dark Guild had no idea that two of their Honorary Elders were already working for the person who wished to pay them back for all the hardships he had suffered they had caused him in the past.

For a few months, none of their members dared to make a stir out in the open, in fear that these unknown hunters would knock on their door and paint the ground under their feet with their blood.

 

Chapter 738 He Is Going To Marry My Sister Soon!

After Lux finished giving Sam and Lucius his orders, he ordered Shax to take Lucius outside Whitebridge City to make it seem like the merchant successfully escaped their pursuit.

The Half-Elf then returned to the Dancing Lass Inn, where Nevreal and Robin were waiting for him.

However, when he arrived, it was not only the middle-aged Dwarf and the low-profile Prince who welcomed him.

"Sir Lux!"

"Big Brother!"

Two adorable Dwarves instantly latched onto the Half-Elf as if they were bees attracted to honey.

"Hey! Why are you holding onto Big Brother? Who are you?" Colette asked as she glared at the Dwarf girl who was a few years older than her.

"Because he is my benefactor," Princess Anastasia replied while narrowing her gaze. "And what about you? Why are you hugging Sir Lux as if you have a close relationship with him? Who are you?"

"I'm his little sister!"

"Hah? Since when is it possible for a shortie like you to become Sir Lux's little sister?"

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You're also a shortie!"

The two adorable Dwarves glared at each other and were still fastened onto the arms of the Half-Elf, who found his current circumstance quite amusing.

"Colette, what are you doing here?" Lux asked the little girl who was holding onto his left arm with a smile. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Big Brother, how could I possibly sleep with the explosions outside?" Colette asked back. "I'm sure that only those who sleep like their dead could have kept sleeping through all that ruckus."

At that moment, Aina walked towards Lux and gave him the "is everything okay?" gaze.

The Half-Elf nodded. "Everything has been dealt with. However, do not go out of Whitebridge City for a while just to be safe. We will talk more about the matter tomorrow morning."

"Understood," Aina replied before shifting her gaze to Princess Anastasia and giving her a respectful bow. "Greetings, Your Highness. I apologize if my sister has offended you."

Colette, who saw her sister's sudden gesture, blinked in confusion.

"Your Highness?" Colette muttered. "You're a Princess?"

Princess Anastasia then smiled evilly, which made Colette hide behind Lux, making the Half-Elf chuckle.

"Princess, please do not bully my little sister," Lux said.

"How can I possibly do that, Sir Lux?" Princess Anastasia's devilish smile then changed into a captivating smile so sweet that would make anyone's teeth rot. "But this is the first time I'm hearing that you have a little sister."

Colette, who had gained Lux's support, stopped hiding and raised her chin arrogantly while facing the Princess.

"Big Brother is my family member," Colette stated. "He is going to marry my sister soon!"

Princess Anastasia's smile stiffened after hearing Colette's declaration. The Princess then looked to the side to see the doll-like beauty, who had great popularity among the young nobles of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

She even thought that the reason why her brother, Robin, was always hanging out with the members of the Eternal Guild was to get close to Aina.

This was what Princess Anastasia had assumed from knowing about her brother's constant travels outside the Capital City.

"Y-You will marry each other?" Princess Anastasia. "Is this true, Sir Lux?"

"Colette is just joking, Your Highness," Lux replied. "Aina and I don't have that kind of relationship."

The Princess breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the Half-Elf's words, but a faint feeling of anxiety rose in her heart.

Aina was truly an exceptional lady, and even Princess Anastasia found herself being attracted to her charm and charisma. If even a Princess like herself was already feeling like this, it was very easy for others to be attracted to her as well.

"Big Brother, you know I'm not joking!" Colette pouted as she swung Lux's left hand like a spoiled child who hadn't gotten her way. "All you need to do is say yes, and I'll convince my entire family to hold the wedding as soon as possible!"

"Hmph! Stop playing matchmaker," Princess Anastasia stated. "Sir Lux said that your sister and he don't have that kind of relationship. Why are you being a busybody?"

"You're the busybody!" Colette shot back. "Also, you're not the only one who has Big Brother as a benefactor. I have been saved by him many times already!"

"… That's not something that you should be proud of, you know?" Princess Anastasia found herself at a loss of words with Colette's attitude.

Almost everyone in the Kingdom would bow their heads to her in respect, but the Dwarf in front of her was different. She was like a mother hen protecting her egg and would automatically attack anyone who came near it.

For some reason, the Princess found this to be ironic because she too didn't want other people stealing her golden egg.

"Alright. Why don't the two of you calm down first?" Lux decided to intervene before things escalated further. "Colette, the explosions are gone, so it's time for you to head back to your Guild Headquarters and rest. Don't worry. I promise to see you tomorrow."

"Really?" Colette asked back.

"Of course," Lux replied. "The only reason why I came back to the Kingdom of Gweliven was to see you and the others."

The adorable Dwarf's face brightened after hearing Lux's assurance, and it even made her feel special knowing that her Big Brother had gone out of his way just to see her.

Because of this, she no longer argued with Princess Anastasia and obediently went to her sister's side like the good girl she was.

"We will wait for you at the guild tomorrow, Lux," Aina said before giving him and Princess Anastasia a bow. "Let's go, Colette. Time to sleep."

Colette nodded and bid her Big Brother and Eiko goodbye before following her Big Sister back to their Guild Headquarters.

"It must be nice being popular," Millie, who had just descended from the sky, commented. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused tonight?"

"It's good to see you again, Millie." Lux grinned. "You have gotten prettier since the last time we met."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Millie replied. "You're just dodging the question."

Lux could only shake his head helplessly because he understood that he truly did cause a lot of trouble for everyone.

He couldn't even imagine how Nevreal handled the aftermath of his raid at the Merchant's Guild, which had been mostly destroyed due to the battle between the Rankers and the Greater Light Elemental.

"Why don't we head to the inn first?" Nevreal proposed. "The night is still long, and all of us can talk while having a midnight snack."

The middle-aged dwarf's proposal was exactly what everyone needed, so they followed him back inside the inn.

All of them were very curious about what happened during the battle at the Merchant's Guild, and they were hoping that the red-headed teenager would be able to give them the answers that they were looking for.

Naturally, Lux didn't plan on telling them everything. He only told them that they didn't have to worry about Lucius for the time being because he and the Merchant had managed to come to an agreement that would benefit both sides.

As to whether Nevreal and the others would believe his story, that was something that Lux no longer needed to worry about for the time being.

 

Chapter 739 A Half-Baked Ranker

"So, after forcing him to sign a Blood Oath, Lucius promised to be a role model for all merchants in the Kingdom of Gweliven," Lux said. "I would appreciate it if the Kingdom no longer looked for ways to trouble him. Both of us now share the same interest."

An awkward silence descended upon the room as Nevreal, Robin, Princess Anastasia, and Millie looked at the Half-Elf who was clearly bullsh*tting them.

However, this silence was broken by Princess Anastasia's cheerful voice that almost made Nevreal and Millie choke on their saliva.

"As expected of Sir Lux, you handled things perfectly," Princess Anastasia commented. "You are truly the savior of this Kingdom."

Lux, who received Princess Anastasia's praises, only smiled and kept his calm demeanor.

"Well, if you are certain that Lucius will no longer harm this Kingdom's interest, then I will accept your bullsh*— I mean, I will accept your explanation," Nevreal replied. "We will treat this matter as an unfortunate incident, and Lucius was just the victim of an assassination attempt by those he wronged in the past. Will that be fine with you?"

Lux nodded. "That's fine. Also, do not make contact with Lucius whatsoever. This is especially true for you, Sir Nevreal. I'm sure that Ferron is suspecting you right now."

"Got it." Nevreal sighed. "I hope this is the last time we are doing something like this. Fortunately, I managed to contact some people to help with the cleanup operation. If not, His Majesty would certainly be livid after hearing about this incident."

Princess Anastasia, who felt that the right opportunity had arrived, immediately voiced her opinion.

"Don't worry, I will take care of Father," Princess Anastasia patted her chest. "I'll tell him that Sir Lux acted on the behalf of the Kingdom and that he handled the incident to the best of his abilities. I'll make sure that no fault will fall upon your shoulders, Sir Lux!"

"Thank you, Your Highness," Lux gave the Princess a grateful bow, which made Princess Anastasia extremely happy.

Robin and Millie, who could see the Princess' lovestruck, gaze only averted their gaze and pretended to not see anything.

"Please take this, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia offered Lux a Mithril Bracelet that had a very intricate design. "This is a protective artifact, which also has the ability to send me messages. Just activate it and speak to it directly. The message will then be sent to me, and vice versa."

The Princess then pointed at the blue jewel embedded in the center of the bracelet.

"If this jewel turns red, it will vibrate lightly, which will inform you that a message was sent," Princess Anastasia explained. "You will need to activate it in order to hear the message. Simple, right?"

"Understood," Lux accepted the bracelet and used his appraisal skill on it. "Thank you again, Your Highness."

"Don't mention it." Princess Anastasia's face slightly reddened after seeing Lux put on the mithril bracelet that she gave him.

This was the first time she had given something very precious to someone else, which showed just how much she cared about the safety of the red-headed teenager who regularly visited her dreams every night.

Just like Princess Anastasia had claimed, the bracelet was a protective charm that created a barrier around the one wearing the bracelet that could block any attacks from a Low-Ranker.

This protection could be activated once every ten minutes, making it a life-saving artifact that could be used in dangerous situations.

Lux already had the Corpse God to protect him, which served a similar purpose. However, the protective charm was also a good thing because there might be some kind of attacks that even his Corpse God couldn't block.

"So, what are your plans after this?" Nevreal asked. "I heard from Thoram that you're quite busy with your Guild at the moment."

Nevreal didn't know that the money he gave Lux was used to build the Guild Headquarters of the only Mythical Guild in the world.

If he knew, he would certainly drop all grudges and give the Half-Elf a thumbs up for putting half of his life savings to good use.

"I will be leaving the Kingdom of Gweliven in a week because I need to go somewhere far away," Lux explained. "It might be a few months before I am able to return."

Princess Anastasia's happiness plummeted drastically after hearing that Lux would disappear for a few months.

She even planned to invite him back to the Capital City of Aeronwen to spend some time relaxing in her villa. But now that she heard Lux's decision, she decided to put this plan on hold for the time being.

"Where will you be going, Sir Lux?" Princess Anastasia asked. Although she had already set aside her plan on inviting the Half-Elf to spend a few days in her villa, she still wanted to know where he was going.

"Actually, I don't know either," Lux answered. "My Master plans to take me to the Ancestral Grounds of Necromancers to receive the world's blessings. I don't know wher—."

"Wait!" Millie who had remained silent all this time interjected. "Receive the world's blessings? You mean, you are already about to become a Ranker?!"

"Yes," Lux replied. "I will go to the Necromancer's Ancestral Grounds to become a Ranker."

Robin and Nevreal couldn't help but look at the Half-Elf as if they were seeing a miracle come to life.

Both of them had met Lux when he was just starting out in Leaf Village, and they never imagined that the Half-Elf would become so strong in such a short period of time.

"Unbelievable," Nevreal muttered. "You're now going to be a Ranker. Have you been consuming Beast Cores without a care in the world? This is not the right way of doing things, Lux. You're just going to become a Half-Baked Ranker if you continue this path."

"That's right, Lux!" Millie's expression became serious. "If you just consumed Beast Cores to raise your rank without working hard for it, the World will count that as cheating. You will also receive very few blessings during your breakthrough, and any Ranker of the same Rank would be able to beat you with ease."

"A solid and strong foundation is the true way of becoming a Ranker," Nevreal stated. "The World's Blessing is not a joke. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The next time you receive such blessings is when you become a Saint, which will take decades to happen."

Even Princess Anastasia, who had full faith in Lux, felt anxious after hearing Millie's and Nevreal's explanation. She wanted Lux to become the strongest Ranker in the Kingdom and didn't want him to become a Half-Baked Ranker, just like the two adults were talking about.

"Don't worry," Lux replied. "Believe me when I say that I've worked very hard to reach my current rank. It will be fine."

Lux didn't want to tell them that he had fought in several large-scale battles and faced many strong opponents during the time that they hadn't seen each other.

The Half-Elf firmly believed that he of all people didn't have to worry about becoming a Half-Baked Ranker because that was only for spoiled second-generation kids who had a strong backing.

An hour later, Lux went to the guest room that Nevreal had assigned to him to rest. Eiko had already peacefully fallen asleep on top of his head, so he gently placed her down on the pillow.

Lux was also very exhausted, so almost upon laying down on the bed, he fall asleep.

While the Half-Elf was resting, news of what happened in Whitebridge City spread across the entire Kingdom of Gweliven overnight.

All the Information Guilds were hard at work to gather all the information they could, so that they could sell it for a high price.

There were always people who wanted to buy the latest information about important things that happened in the Kingdom, like the High-Ranking Nobles and their counterparts.

Twilight Rain was also one of the organizations that were paying close attention to what happened to Whitebridge City because it involved one of their Honorary Elders.

They also received a report that another of their Honorary Elders had died in another city.

According to the initial investigation, the Merchant was killed with a single stab in the chest, giving him no chance to even scream for help.

This prompted the Dark Guild to send out its own people to investigate what happened as well as find Lucius' whereabouts, whom they assumed was still on the run from the organization that tried to kill him in Whitebridge City.

 

Chapter 740 I’ve Never Seen You Smile Before

"Why are you here again?" Colette asked with a frown when she saw Princess Anastasia inside their Guild Headquarters, holding onto Lux's right arm.

The adorable Dwarf was waiting patiently for Lux to arrive after a very eventful night in Whitebridge City.

She even repeatedly rehearsed the lines that she was going to say in order to convince Lux to marry her sister so that he would officially become part of their family.

Unfortunately, her greeting was spoiled by the appearance of the clingy princess, whom she felt had feelings for her Big Brother.

"Oh my, is that the proper way to talk to the Princess of this Kingdom?" Princess Anastasia arched an eyebrow. "I just happened to be free today, so I decided to accompany Sir Lux here. Do you have a problem with that?"

Colette wanted to say that she did have a problem. However, she held back her retort because she didn't want to get her sister into trouble with the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

Because of this, she pouted with a face filled with injustice, making Lux shake his head helplessly.

"I came here to talk to your sister in private, Colette," Lux said as he lightly patted Colette's head in an attempt to calm her down. "Is she free?"

Colette nodded. "She's already waiting for you in her office."

"Good," Lux replied. "For the time being, please accompany Princess Anastasia. I'll be talking to your sister."

Colette wanted to disagree, but since Princess Anastasia was escorted by Four Rankers, including Millie, she could only smile and nod her head obediently.

When the Half-Elf was no longer in sight, Colette gave Princess Anastasia a side-long glance before inviting her to the guest area.

Along the way, Princess Anastasia looked around her surroundings with great curiosity.

"I've heard that the Eternal Guild was promoted to a Gold-Ranked Guild by my father," Princess Anastasia commented. "However, the design of this place is quite simple. It doesn't look like a Gold-Ranked Guild at all."

"That's because my sister doesn't like fancy stuff," Colette replied in a heartbeat. "She would rather use the funds supposed to make the guild look fancy to arm our members that would ensure their safety when facing off against Monsters."

"I see. She is a good Guildmaster."

"I know, right?"

As Colette chatted with the Princess, Lux arrived at Aina's office and knocked on its door.

"Come in."

Aina's voice, which sounded like usual, came through the other side of the door.

When Lux entered the office, he found Aina busy reading some documents that were piled up on her table.

"Please take a seat," Aina said without even lifting her head from the document she was reading. "I'll be done in a minute."

Lux didn't mind the short wait and sat on the chair in front of Aina's table. The Half-Elf then stared at the doll-like beauty, who had a strong effect on him due to how closely she resembled the idol he loved back on Earth.

'She looks almost exactly like her, but there is one major difference,' Lux thought as he stared at the dwarf who was being courted by countless nobles from Solais and Elysium because of her beauty that was too good to be true.

Lux had noticed that Aina had this 'standoffish attitude' and that most of the time, she had a deadpan expression.

A face that didn't show any emotions, which made the Half-Elf wonder if the doll-like beauty in front of him had lost her heart somewhere.

Two minutes later, Aina set the document down and raised her head to look at the Half-Elf who was looking back at her.

"I'm sorry for making you wait," Aina said as she set her beautiful eyes on the Half-Elf, which made his heart skip a beat. "First and foremost, I would like to thank you for everything that you have done for me and my sister.

"As a Guildmaster, I can't use my authority to make the Guild repay the debt that our family owes you. However, as an individual, I am willing to do anything to repay you as long as it is within my power. So, tell me, Lux Von Kaizer. Is there something you wish for that I may be able to grant?"

Lux pondered for a bit. The reason why he helped Colette was because she was his first friend in Elysium and, whenever possible, he didn't want her to get hurt.

Since Aina was Colette's sister, he felt that he couldn't turn a blind eye on those who wanted to harm her as well.

The Half-Elf was certain that if anything bad happened to her sister, the first one to be devastated was none other than the adorable Dwarf, who had made Lux feel that he was welcome in Leaf Village when he first arrived more than a year ago.

"How about a smile?" Lux asked. "I've never seen you smile before."

"A smile?" Aina looked at Lux with the same emotionless face, "You want me to smile?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

The doll-like beauty and the Half-Elf stared at each other for nearly half a minute. During this time, the Half-Elf noticed that the corner of Aina's lips was twitching, as if resisting something that it wasn't used to doing.

A few more seconds later, the twitching stopped and Aina informed Lux that she had finished smiling, which almost made the Half-Elf choke on his saliva.

"Y-You call that a smile?" Lux asked in a dumbfounded manner.

"Yes," Aina replied. "I don't smile often, but when I do, that is the best that I can do."

Lux didn't know whether he should laugh or cry when he heard the doll-like beauty's reply.

Now that she had said it, his initial assumption that Aina was unable to express any other emotion on her face, with the exception of her eyes, was now proven true.

Aina, who didn't know what Lux was thinking at that moment, went on to ask a question that she had been thinking of for the rest of the night.

"What really happened last night?" Aina asked. "Seeing how confident you were when you returned to the inn, I am sure that you have handled this matter in a way that satisfied you."

Lux nodded and explained to the doll-like beauty everything that happened. Unlike what he had told Nevreal, Robin, Princess Anastasia, and Millie, he told Aina the truth without leaving anything out.

Since the doll-like beauty and Colette were the main reason why he took the initiative to capture Lucius, he thought that the Guildmaster of Eternal deserved to know the truth about what really transpired a few hours ago.