Ch. 751: Chapter 751-760
Chapter 751 It Is Better To Call It Returning The Favor
After his short detour in Leaf Village, Lux had once again returned to the Outer Reaches in order to check on the changes that had happened while he was away.
Just like he expected, Gerhart, and Cethus were not in the Guild Headquarters. According to General Garret, the two of them said that they would undertake their own Ranker Trials and return once they had succeeded in becoming Rankers.
For Lux, this was great news because having more Rankers in the Guild would ensure that they would be able to protect their Guild, once they exposed themselves to the world.
"I had a talk with the Mayor of Pygmalion, Jorinn, and he agreed to send some workers to help build the foundations of a small town at the base of the mountain. The only downside is that the fee he asked for is quite pricey."
Garret handed Lux a scroll which listed all the resources and expenses that they would need in order to make it happen.
Aside from the town, they also planned to build a barracks within the mountain range, so that they could train their soldiers without being seen by the public.
"You didn't lie when you said that it was pricey," Lux muttered as he gazed at the price at the end of the scroll, which ended up being a whopping 350 Million Gold Coins.
Although he could be considered very rich due to the Draconium and Aenarium Ores in his possession, 300 Million Gold Coins was still an amount that made his liver itch.
With that amount of money, he could probably build five Leaf Villages, and still have money to spare.
"These are overpriced, right?" Lux asked Garret, who nodded his head in affirmation.
"It is overpriced," Garret replied. "But he insisted that this is the standard price of services done by Dragon Borns."
Lux pondered for a bit because he understood how Dragon Borns prided themselves in being superior to others.
Having Cethus around was more than enough to make everyone in the Guild Headquarters know how highly Dragon Borns thought of themselves.
"Although we can shoulder this amount, it is best if we ask others to build it," Lux said after careful consideration. "I guess I will have to rely on them this time as well."
Using the artifact that Bentley had left him, Lux contacted the leader of the Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild, Bentley, and asked if they had experience in building a town.
"Of course we have experience in building towns and cities," Bentley replied. "We built the City of Constad, and it is also called the Windy City. The breeze there is very refreshing, you should come and visit when you have time. I'll treat you to some apple cider vinegar."
"When I have time, I'll make sure to visit," Lux commented. "So, how much will it cost to build a town?"
"Hmm… that really depends. I have seen your location before, but where do you want to build it exactly, and how big is this town that you want to build?"
"I want it to be built at the base of the mountain, as to how big it is, I also don't have any idea. Also, I want you guys to build a barracks for soldiers as well. Can you give me an estimate on how much all of this will cost?"
Bentley didn't reply right away. It seemed that he was doing some mental calculations for how much he would charge Lux for this big project.
"I will be honest with you, at the very least, it will cost you 200 Million Gold Coins minimum," Bentley replied. "The price can go up as well because this is just a rough estimate. But, I don't think it will go above 400 Million."
After hearing Bentley's reply, Lux made the decision then and there and hired the Merchant Group to build the town, and the barracks that they needed.
Since they were the ones that built their Castle, he was certain of the quality of their work. Even Garret didn't have any objections.
After living inside the Guild Headquarters of Heaven's Gate, he realized how much care was given in order to create the Stronghold of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.
An hour later, a Giant Blue Dragon with four wings arrived at the Outer Reaches.
When the Dragon finally landed near the base of the mountain, a little girl wearing a red-riding hood attired jumped off from it and ran towards Lux with her arms spread wide.
"I'm here, Eiko!" Glee shouted happily as she ran towards her comrade who liked to make things go boom as well.
"Glee!" Eiko jumped off Lux's head and flew towards the little Elf with a big smile on her face.
Glee caught Eiko mid-air and both of them rubbed their cheeks against each other, like Bomber Girls that had reunited after a long time.
Lux and Bentley both smiled after seeing this scene.
"Welcome back, Bentley," Lux stretched his hand for a handshake.
"It's good to do business with you again, Lux," Bentley shook the Half-Elf's hand before looking at the castle on the mountain that they had made several months ago.
"It seems that your Guild has gained a lot of members since the last time we were here," Bentley commented.
"Many things have happened," Lux replied. "Now, let's talk about business."
Bentley nodded. "Of course."
The two then discussed the design of the town that they were going to build. After hearing what Lux wanted, Bentley wrote a few things on a scroll, and showed the Half-Elf the rough design of the city.
Lux asked it to be modified a bit. The two continued to go through rough designs of the town for two hours, until they finally made something that both of them were in agreement with.
"How long will the construction take?" Lux asked.
"If we bring all able-bodied builders from our Guild, I think it will be finished in four to six months," Bentley replied. "Also, before we start, you will need to give me 200 Million Gold Coins as a down payment. The town you have in mind is bigger than I expected, so I will need that much money in order to purchase the raw materials needed for the construction."
Lux nodded. "Do you accept Draconium Ore as payment?"
"Of course," Bentley replied. "Ah! Before I forget, there will be an auction in one of the biggest cities near my hometown. If you don't mind, I can auction your Draconium Ores in bulk, so that you will have bigger returns. Of course, I will take 5% commission for the overall sales."
"That's fine. Even if the Auction House and you take a commission, the returns will be worth it," Lux stated. "I will be leaving the Outer Reaches for a period of time. I don't know how long it will be, but if you have other concerns, don't hesitate to coordinate with my secretary, Emma."
The Half-Elf then pointed at the pretty Dwarf who was talking to the members of the Game-Shin Impact Guild and trying to get to know them better.
"Understood," Bentley replied. "I promise that I will not disappoint your trust in us. Our customer's satisfaction is our top priority."
"I look forward to seeing the completion of this project as well," Lux stated.
While the Half-Elf and the Merchant Leader were talking, an old Half-Ling stood on the top of the mountain with a mischievous smile on his face.
In his hand was a palm-sized Earth Turtle.
"Go, and merge with this floating island," Gaap ordered.
The Earth Turtle nodded and jumped off his hand and merged with the ground beside Gaap's feet.
This was the same Earth Turtle that Antero had defeated, and ate when Gaap had summoned him inside the Gate of Famine.
The Old Half-Ling planned to give Lux a pleasant surprise when they returned from the Ancestral Ground after he became a Ranker.
"Master, I wish you were here," Gaap said softly as he remembered his kind, yet very tomboyish, Master, who often got into trouble when she was still alive due to her hot temper.
It had been many years since his Master died in order to save him, and even now, Gaap still missed her terribly.
"Divine Army of Light," Gaap muttered with contempt. "Sooner or later, I will have my revenge."
For the time being, the Old Half-Ling set aside his goal of revenge in order to teach Lux the ways of the Necromancer.
After he had imparted all of his knowledge to his Disciple, he would settle old scores with the organization that hunted Necromancers, as well as those who possessed powerful Dark Magic, whom they called Heretics.
They had been a thorn inside Gaap's chest for the past couple of years, and his hatred for them was greater than his hatred for the Guild of Memento Mori.
"The word Revenge is too mean, it is better to call it Returning the Favor."
That was one of the words that Gaap's master often said to him when she was still alive.
"Don't worry, Master," Gaap vowed. "Before I turn to ashes, and join you in the afterlife, I swear that I will be returning the favor to them."
A deadly glint flashed within the depths of the old Half-Ling's eyes.
Clearly, his heart, which had grown old and vengeful, still carried a flame that would remain until the day he had properly returned the favor to those that pushed his kind, and beloved Master, to her doom.
Chapter 752 Eiko’s Weapon Of Mass Destruction
"B-But, I want to help make things go boom…"
"Boom!"
"Sorry," Bentley said to Glee, and Eiko, who was perched on top of the little-red-riding hood's head. "No can do. We don't need to make things go boom this time."
"Not even a little boom?"
"Boom Boom!"
Bentley sighed and shook his head.
Glee was very good at demolishing things, but she wasn't good at building things. If Bentley allowed her to join the construction work, the chances of the structure exploding was 100%
"Why don't the two of you play somewhere for the time being?" Bentley stated before looking at the design of the town in his hands. "I still need to gather the raw materials for the construction. Just be good and don't cause trouble for anyone, okay?"
Bentley then flew towards the back of the giant Four-Winged Blue Dragon, which took to the skies in order to return to their hometown to buy the necessary materials and recruit the manpower for the big Project that Lux had entrusted to him.
"Eiko, Bentley doesn't understand," Glee said as she held the Baby Slime in her hands. "He doesn't understand how amazing making things go boom is."
"Un!" Eiko nodded. "Not understand!"
"That's right. I wish we could share how wonderful explosions are with more people."
"Yes!"
The Baby Slime who had now become a full-fledged bombardier decided to help Glee a bit and told her about Leaf Village. Since Lux was still discussing a few things with Garret and Emma, he decided to leave the next day to head to the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancers.
Because of this, Eiko decided to spend time with her best friend, Glee, and visit Leaf Village with her.
"You're going to Leaf Village?" Lux arched an eyebrow as he looked down on the adorable pink-haired Elf, and the Baby Slime that was on top of her head.
"Yes!" Glee answered. "Eiko said that I can make a lot of friends there."
"… Well, you're not wrong," Lux replied with a stiff smile.
Since Glee was quite small, others would think of her as a Dwarf if they didn't pay any attention to her long ears.
After Eiko pleaded with her Papa, Lux reluctantly agreed to let the two troublemakers enter the Teleportation Gate that would lead them to Leaf Village.
—————————
"Wow! What a nice statue!" Glee eyed Lux's statue that was at the center of Leaf Village. "You're also there, Eiko!"
"Un!" Eiko nodded her head happily because she was indeed part of the Guardian Statue that protected Leaf Village from the Monsters that had threatened it in the past.
When the Baby Slimes sensed Eiko's presence, all of them perked up and looked in her direction, making their owners wonder what was going on.
"La la la la~" Eiko started to sing. "La La la la~"
As if wishing to join the Fairy Princess in her singing, all the Slimes sang as well, which created a soulful melody within Leaf Village.
Some of these Baby Slimes went to the plaza, making their owners follow them in confusion. Soon, the Guardian Statue was crowded with Slimes of different colors, all of them looking at Eiko with expectations.
"Glee!" Eiko said with a smile. "Share boom boom!"
"Oh! What a great idea!" Glee happily clapped her hands and began to rummage around in her bag.
A few seconds later, she took out a storage bag that contained all of her Boom Boom Cores, which allowed those who consumed them to learn the skill, Blast Bomb.
"Here you go~" Glee crouched down and handed a red Beast Core to one of the Baby Slimes closest to her.
"Eyah?" The baby slime tilted her head in confusion.
"It's good!" Eiko said to the baby slime. "Eat and become strong!"
After getting the assurance of the Fairy Princess, the Baby Slime ate the Beast Core that Glee handed to her.
Seeing that one of their comrades had eaten the Beast Cores, the Baby Slimes formed four lines, and waited for their turn to eat the Beast Core that Eiko highly recommended.
The owners of the Slimes looked at this scene with amused expressions on their faces. Although they were confused why their Baby Slimes suddenly wandered to the plaza, they didn't stop them from eating the Beast Cores that were being handed out by the cute girl that was wearing red clothes.
Getting free Beast Cores was something that they would not reject, especially if these would help their Slimes become stronger.
Glee had a nearly endless supply of Beast Cores, so she was more than happy to share them with everyone.
Eiko even helped to give the Beast Cores to her fellow Slimes, and they all thanked her for it.
After an hour, all of the Baby Slimes in Leaf Village had learned the skill Blast Bomb, which surprised their owners as well.
"That was very fun!" Glee said after all the Slimes had returned to their owners. "What do we do next, Eiko?"
"Boom!" Eiko replied.
"That's right! Let's make things go boom!" Glee agreed wholeheartedly. "But, this is not a good place to do it. Do you know a place where we will not be a nuisance to others?"
Glee liked to make things explode, but she didn't want to destroy anything in Leaf Village.
She understood that this was Eiko's hometown, so she didn't want to make the Baby Slime sad.
After pondering for a bit, Eiko asked Glee to head through the East Gate that led to the Aspiration Plains. She said that they could make things go boom in that place and no one would find fault with them if they did.
Glee nodded her head and did as the Slime told her.
Upon arriving at the Aspiration Plains the two immediately started to make a stockpile of Blast Bombs that they would be using later.
"Glee!" Eiko said as she looked at the Elf with a mischievous smile. "Play a game!"
"Game? That sounds fun," Glee replied. "What kind of game?"
"Game of making more bombs!"
"Oh! This sounds like a good game. Let's do it!"
Eiko immediately summoned her two clones, and created several blast bombs, throwing them in a stockpile that started to accumulate to the size of an ant hill.
Glee, who saw this, didn't bat an eye, and even though Eiko had used a cloning ability, the speed at which the adorable Elf made Blast Bombs wasn't the least bit slower than her.
The two kept on making Blast Bombs until their stockpile grew, and grew, and grew some more.
After nearly an hour of making Blast Bombs, a large hill of Blast Bombs stood in front of the two Bombardiers that were emanating a menacing glow.
"Hmm… if we detonated all of this…. It can wipe out an entire town," Glee muttered as she tried to do some rough calculations of the scale of explosion that their Blast Bombs could make.
The adorable Elf pondered for a bit before giving Eiko a mischievous smile.
"This is not enough!" Glee said. "We must make more. Make as many as we can so that the explosion can make an entire city go boom!"
"City go Boom!" Eiko jumped up and down as she wholeheartedly agreed with her best friend.
Two hours later, an anxious Cedwyn contacted Lux saying that he should take Eiko and her friend away from Leaf Village.
When the Patrolling Guards saw ten hills of Blast Bombs piling up just two hundred meters away from the East Gate, all of them became alarmed.
With such a large number of bombs right at their doorstep, no sane people would remain calm after understanding how dangerous this situation was.
When Lux arrived at Leaf Village, he immediately told the two Bomber Girls to not do this again in the future.
However, due to Eiko's pleading, Lux helped the baby slime encase all the Blast Bombs inside a giant Skeleton Bomb that made even the Half-Elf feel fearful.
Eiko, on the other hand, swallowed the Giant Skeleton Bomb inside her body.
The Half-Elf prayed that the day would not come when his Baby Slime would choose to use such a weapon against their enemies. If the calculation of his Soul Book was correct, the bomb that was currently stored inside Eiko's body could turn two entire cities to ruins.
In short, the Baby Slime was in possession of a tactical nuke.
A weapon so powerful that even Saints would run away if ever they knew that the harmless looking Baby Slime that was perched on top of Lux's head, carried a weapon of mass destruction.
Chapter 753 Necromancer’s Ancestral Grounds
"Well then, I'll leave everything to the two of you," Lux said to Garret and Emma, whom he asked to supervise the building of the town, which they decided to call, Town of Edea.
"Don't worry," Garret replied. "We will not fail you."
"If anything unexpected happens, I will contact you through the Guild Chat, Master," Emma stated. "Go and do your Ranker Trial. Our future home is in good hands."
Lux smiled at Emma's choice of words, which he appreciated greatly.
"Ready to go?" Gaap asked his Disciple who had finished saying his goodbyes to the people that would handle the work he had left behind.
"Yes, Master," Lux replied. "I'm ready to be a Ranker."
Gaap smirked as he lightly tapped his wooden stick on the ground in front of him. A few seconds later, a magic circle appeared under his feet.
"Come," Gaap ordered. "The Ancestral Lands await."
Lux readied himself and stepped onto the Magic Circle, which he believed was a teleportation spell that would take them directly to their destination.
Before the Half-Elf could even blink, the scenery changed.
He then found himself staring at a giant black dome in the distance, that was composed of black mist that swirled continuously.
As far as his eyes could see, the place looked so desolate. No trees, shrubs, or even a blade of grass could be seen in the surroundings. As a Heaven's Necromancer, he was sensitive to the presence of both the living and the dead.
Right now, he could only sense the element of death in the surroundings, and this feeling seemed to be calling out to him from somewhere within the black swirling mists in the distance.
"That is the Necromancer's Ancestral Grounds," Gaap said in a nostalgic tone. "The place where everything begins and, in a way, the place where everything ends as well for people like us."
Since Lux didn't know much about the place, Gaap decided to give him a bit of background about the Sacred Land of Necromancers.
"Any Necromancer who has stepped inside the Ancestral Ground, will leave behind their mark," Gaap explained. "This is our way of giving back for what we gain inside it, and allow the future Necromancers to partake in the wisdom that we have left behind. It's a cycle of death and rebirth.
"Necromancers don't always succeed in their breakthrough and become a Ranker. When this happens, the Ancestral Ground also serves as their graveyard, in which their souls remain for a few years until they have gained the strength to cross over to the next life."
Lux, who was about to make his breakthrough, couldn't stop himself from smiling bitterly.
"Master, can you not please raise any death flags for me?" Lux said in a helpless tone. "I don't have any intention of dying."
Gaap smiled, showing the Half-Elf his three remaining teeth before telling him something funny.
"You know, there is a saying in the Necromancer community," Gaap stated. "They say that you aren't a true Necromancer unless you died once. Some even say that Death is a per-requisite in order to reach true enlightenment. There were even rumors that the Supreme Necromancers, who stood at the Apex of our profession all died once in their lifetime.
"As to whether this is true or not, I have no idea. I have only met one Supreme Necromancer in my lifetime and that person… is unfathomable. It was as if I was staring at a bottomless pit, which had the ability to suck the soul out of my body, leaving only an empty shell behind.
"If my Master wasn't there, I might have died just by simply staring at the strongest Necromancer in existence."
The final destination of all mortal Professions was the Supreme.
As for Monsters, they all strived to become Demigods.
They were the strongest beings in the world, and once they took action, the entire land would tremble in their wake.
"Master, what is your Master like?" Lux asked. "I often hear you talk about her, but I still don't know what she is like."
Gaap, who heard Lux's question, became silent. It was as if he was thinking about how to better describe his Master, who had helped him in more ways than one.
"My master's name is Hereswith," Gaap replied after a few minutes of silence. "I do not know her last name because she said that she threw it away after stepping into the path of a Necromancer.
"My Master was a helpless gambler. This is why we almost always ran out of money during our travels. If not for the fact that I always keep a few gold coins for our survival, we would have probably suffered a lot more in the past."
Gaap chuckled as his eyes, that were usually always serious, softened as he recalled the time he had spent with his Master.
"She had long green hair and eyes, befitting an Elf." Gaap continued his story. "Naturally, her ears were longer than yours. Um, they were longer by at least an inch or two. Needless to say, she was incredibly beautiful. A beauty that could bring down a nation.
"Due to this, she always wore a veil whenever we traveled. Even then, people would still flock to her due to her Charisma. I can't count the number of suitors that always sought her during our journeys.
"Some of them were very influential people including Kings, Emperors, and Saints. If my Master had her way, a word from her would make these people go to war for her sake. She was incredibly kind, witty, and stubborn. But, most of all, she couldn't say no to those who are in need.
"Even now, I can't understand why someone like her, who only helped people, would be targeted by those bastards from the Divine Army of Light."
Gaap's tone leaked killing intent after he mentioned the Divine Army of Light. However, this killing intent faded after the Half-Ling took a deep breath in order to reign in his emotions.
He then resumed telling the Half-Elf about his Master's good traits as they walked towards the Ancestral Grounds.
Gaap mentioned in passing that the black mist that swirled around it was made up of a dense, and deadly miasma that would kill anyone who tried to step inside it, if they weren't a Necromancer.
"Lux, there is a possibility that we will meet other Necromancers inside," Gaap said with caution. "Although all of us are Necromancers, that doesn't mean that we all get along. If we see others inside, be sure to stick to me, understood?"
"Yes, Master," Lux replied.
Seeing how serious his Master was, the Half-Elf decided to pay heed to the old Half-Ling's advice.
Lux even thought that if there was a Necromancer whom Gaap thought of as an enemy, that person would definitely be a very strong person.
He had already seen a fraction of his Master's power. If Gaap's enemy could match that kind of strength, that would only mean that they were also powerhouses in their own right.
A few minutes later, the Master and Disciple pair entered the Sacred Lands of the Necromancers.
A place where they would break through to become Rankers, and the place where their legacy would be left behind as well.
Chapter 754 If I Don’t Go To Hell, Who Will?
Chapter 754 If I Don’t Go To Hell, Who Will?
The moment Lux stepped foot inside the Necromancer's Ancestral Lands, he felt a slight shiver run down his spine.
It was similar to the feeling he got when he entered Zangrila, which meant that he was in a special Domain that was within and, at the same time, outside the boundaries of Elysium.
To his surprise, he sensed the presence of at least a dozen people inside the Ancestral Land.
"Looks like we're not alone this time," Gaap muttered as he stood beside the Half-Elf. "Remember what I told you earlier. Stay close to me. Understand?"
Lux nodded. "Yes, Master."
After five minutes of walking, the two arrived in front of a giant skull, which had a sword embedded in the top of its head.
"Hundreds of years ago, there were several creatures that tried to trespass this Domain," Gaap explained. "This skull you see here belonged to a giant—a very notorious one that had the rank of Calamity. He thought that he could desecrate our Ancestral Grounds, but the moment he stepped inside, his body started rotting at a rapid pace.
"The Guardian of the Ancestral Ground at that time was enraged, so he embedded this sword into the Giant's head and relocated it here to serve as a reminder that the Sacred Lands of the Necromancers are only for the Necromancers.
"No one can trespass this place without paying the price of their arrogance. Even Supremes and Demigods cannot get inside this place unhindered."
Just as Gaap finished his explanation, a clapping sound was heard from the sky.
"Well said," said a handsome man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, with a smile. "Gaap, it's been ages since the last time I saw you. I thought you'd be spending the rest of your days in Zangrila."
"Dracul, it seems that the years have done nothing to you," Gaap replied with a smile. "It's good to see that you're still alive and well."
The handsome man laughed before descending to the ground, a few meters away from the Halfling.
"Lux, let me introduce to you one of the most infamous Necromancers that ever lived," Gaap said. "This is Dracul. He is a Vampire King and a powerful Necromancer. Don't be deceived by his calm demeanor. This bastard is a Saint, and he's older than us by at least two thousand years."
"Three thousand to be exact," Dracul corrected. "Is this perhaps your Disciple? He looks too peppy to be a Necromancer. Also, I can sense a bit of Holy Aura in his body… interesting."
Dracul circled Lux and looked at him from every angle while rubbing his chin.
"He looks very tasty, Gaap," Dracul said after circling Lux a few more times. "Do you mind if I take a bite of him?"
"Fangs off, man," Gaap snorted. "You should know better than to drink the blood of your fellow Necromancers. Didn't you learn from last time?"
Dracul chuckled after being reminded of the mishap that happened several decades ago. Out of curiosity, he drank the blood of a Necromancer whom he got into an argument with. Not long after that, he endlessly puked blood for several days until he almost turned into a dry husk.
Not wanting to see one of their older members die in a stupid way, one of the Necromancers took him out of the Ancestral Lands to let him feed on the blood of Humans. Only after having his fill of blood did Dracul return to his dashing self, and moving forward, he no longer thought of doing something stupid again.
"For some reason, I feel like drinking your Disciple's blood will give me an experience I have never felt before." Dracul insisted. "How about I give you two Empyrean Ranked Beast Cores for a mouthful of blood? That's a fair trade, right?"
"No," Gaap replied firmly. "Fangs off."
Dracul gave an exaggerated sigh before scratching his head. His eyes still lingered on Lux's neck, as if it was calling out to him to have a drink.
"Ah, before I forget, your best friend is here, Gaap," Dracul said. "He also brought his seeing an acquaintance after many years of staying inside the Necromancer's Ancestral Grounds.
Disciple. Although she's older than your disciple by a year or two, she's about to make her breakthrough and become a Ranker. Kids these days grow up fast. During my time, it took me thirty years to become a Ranker. How times have changed!"
The Vampire King gave another exaggerated sigh before floating in the air.
"I'll be going now, but I'll be back with some good wine," Dracul said. "Stay for a day or two, Gaap. We have a lot of catching up to do."
Gaap nodded and gave the Vampire King a smile. "Make sure to bring the best one. It's been a while since I've had some good wine."
Dracul laughed before flying into the sky. It seemed that he was in a good mood after seeing an acquaintance after many years of staying inside the Necromancer's Ancestral Grounds.
Although he had already prepared himself for the inevitable, he still couldn't help but feel anxious about whether his breakthrough would be smooth sailing or not.
"Master, I didn't know you had a best friend," Lux said.
"I don't have a best friend," Gaap replied and made a gesture for Lux to follow him. "I only have enemies. But I have an idea who Dracul is talking about."
A scowl appeared on the Halfling's face as if he had eaten a fly. Clearly, this "best friend" of his wasn't really the friendly type, and Gaap seemed to have a bad relationship with them as well.
The Ancestral Grounds was very vast. However, there was one thing that caught Lux's attention.
There were countless skulls that littered the ground, as well as weapons, making the area look like the battleground of a great war that had been fought in the past.
However, since Gaap wasn't saying anything, Lux decided not to pry and simply followed his Master as they walked along the paths that were not covered with bones.
A moment later, they arrived at a Giant Gate that was over ten meters tall, and completely made up of bones.
Gaap then raised his walking stick and gave it a few taps.
Suddenly, the great bone gate opened wide. However, Lux couldn't see anything aside from pitch-black darkness from inside it.
"We are still in the outer area of the Ancestral Grounds," Gaap explained. "This is the inner area and the place where all Necromancers stay whenever they are inside this Sacred Place. This is also where you will undertake your Ranker Trial and receive the world's blessings."
Gaap then motioned for Lux to follow him as he entered the pitch-black darkness.
This act reminded Lux of a popular saying back on earth.
"If I don't go to hell, who will?" Lux muttered as he took a step forward to walk into the darkness.
Although he had already prepared himself for the inevitable, he still couldn't help but feel anxious about whether his breakthrough would be smooth sailing or not.
Chapter 755 Famous Last Words
Chapter 755 Famous Last Words
Although everything around him was pitch-black, Lux stably walked in a calm manner.
Gaap didn't tell him anything after entering the Gate, but he could tell with every fiber of his being that he knew exactly where to go.
It was as if there was an irresistible force that was calling out to him, serving as his light as he traversed the dark world, where not even a single speck of light existed.
After an unknown amount of time, Lux found himself in what seemed to be an ancient city.
At its center was a giant World Tree, whose leaves were as black as the night.
A few people could be seen standing at its base, and all of them were looking in their direction with curiosity.
"Let's go," Gaap said. "You are my Disciple, so don't get intimidated by them. Just beware of the people who wear rings similar to the one that is hanging around my neck. They are members of Memento Mori, and those people are a different kind of breed among Necromancers."
"Are they strong, Master?" Lux asked.
"… Very," Gaap replied reluctantly. "They are very strong, and they won't bat an eye while destroying entire cities just because they felt like it. Master didn't like their attitude, so she left their organization. Although they didn't make any move to make her life difficult, they also didn't help her when she needed them the most."
Lux could sense that Gaap detested the members of Memento Mori, which explained why he suddenly became angry when the old Halfling thought that Lux was one of their members.
When they arrived near the base of the tree, some of the Necromancers gave Gaap a nod of greeting, which he returned in kind. However, there was one Necromancer that stood out from the rest, and from his stance alone, Lux knew that this was the "different breed" that his Master was talking about.
"Well, if it isn't the little Halfling who was imprisoned in Zangrila by the Dragon King," a Necromancer, whose age could not be defined, said with contempt. "You should have stayed there. At the very least, your rotten body could have served as a snack for those lowly Abyssal Monsters."
"Your body will be a better fertilizer than mine will ever be," Gaap replied. "The current Head of the Divine Army must be incompetent if you are still alive, Kieran."
"Heh~ those fools can only hunt weaklings," Kieran replied with a smile. "The ones who tried to hunt me down are all dead. I was even kind enough to send them back to their organization in order to kill their own subordinates. You should have been there
—it was such a great show."
Kieran had long black hair that was tied up with a black band. His looks were above average, and there was a sharpness on him that was similar to what Lux had felt when he first saw Keane's Master.
The only difference was that the person in front of him was not a Pseudo-Saint, but a real Saint, who could easily kill Lux with just a sneeze.
"And this boy that is still wet behind the ears is your Disciple?" Kieran asked as he eyed Lux from head to foot. "Peak Initiate at such a young age. At the very least, you found someone decent. But he doesn't smell like a Necromancer."
"What he smells like is none of your business," Gaap snorted. "He is still better smelling than you, lousy fart."
"Haha, it seems that you still haven't been punished enough," Kieran replied with an evil smile. "How about it? Want to have a go? I want to see how long you can use Antero before you croak."
Gaap ignored Kieran's taunt and made a gesture for Lux to follow him.
As one of the people who despised Gaap, Kieran knew exactly what the old Halfling's weakness was.
Lux didn't know why his Master, who was only an Apostle, was enemies with a Saint. Even so, it seems that the grudge they had against each other was deep. Although Gaap tried to hide it, his body would shiver from time to time as he walked while being supported by his walking stick.
Clearly, he was very angry, but for Lux's sake, he held it in and silently led his Disciple toward the base of the tree.
Kieran, who seemed to understand how Gaap felt, laughed as he followed behind the Halfling and kept on saying provocative words to him. Clearly, he wanted Gaap to snap so that the two of them would have a good fight.
"My Disciple might be older than yours, but I'm sure she is more talented," Kieran stated as he walked beside Gaap. "I don't know if you just fed that child Beast Cores until he reached his Rank, but mine is the real deal."
As if reaching his limit, Gaap stopped talking and glanced up at the World Tree in front of him.
"You said your Disciple is more talented than mine, right?" Gaap asked.
"Of course," Kieran replied with a confident smile on his face. "What's wrong? Are you unwilling to acknowledge it?"
Gaap didn't reply to Kieran's question. Instead, he glanced at the Half-Elf beside him.
As if knowing what was in his mind, Lux gave his Master a confident smile and spoke out loud.
"I don't want to toot my own horn, but I believe that your disciple isn't as strong as you believed her to be," Lux stated. "I'm sure that if we fought one-on-one, the one who would win would be me. That also means that my Master is a better teacher compared to a black-haired nobody."
"Hoh~ black-haired nobody?" Kieran's smile widened after hearing Lux's reply. "Those are some famous last words, boy. Are you sure you can back that up?"
"Of course," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Is she perhaps undergoing a Ranker Trial right now?"
Kieran nodded. "She is."
"Then after both of us become Rankers, we'll have a duel with each other," Lux said. "Let's see. How about the loser following the winner's orders for a day? Your Disciple will follow my orders, and you will follow my Master's orders. How about that?"
"Quite the arrogant one, aren't you?" Kieran sneered. "I don't mind accepting your bet, boy. However, allow me to confirm it once. You're fine with the bet, Gaap?"
"Of course," Gaap replied. "I can't wait to use your back as my chair."
"Hahaha! It seems that you have found the right Disciple. Both of you are weak and foolish and only know how to talk. Very well, I agree to this duel," Kieran smirked before shifting his gaze to the Half-Elf who thought that he could beat his Disciple.
Kieran then walked towards Lux until they were only a foot apart.
He then looked down at the Half-Elf, as if trying to intimidate him.
"My Disciple is very rough on the edges. Don't worry, I'll make sure to tell her not to accidentally kill you," Kieran said in a confident tone.
"Don't worry," Lux replied. "It will take more than killing me to kill me. I want to see just how strong this Disciple of yours is."
Lux looked up fearlessly at the Saint who was looking down on him. Kieran chuckled before grabbing the Half-Elf's clothes.
"We'll see just how long you can act cocky," Kieran commented before throwing Lux towards the World Tree.
Before the Half-Elf could even understand what happened, his body merged with the World Tree and entered the place where all Necromancers undertook their Ranker Trial.
Chapter 756 Half-Elf Meets High-Elf [Part 1]
An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file '/data/script/email_list.txt'.
Lux, who had been thrown towards the World Tree disappeared in an instant.
This made the other Necromancers, who saw the exchange between the Half-Elf and Kieran, chuckle.
Even though they found the whole thing quite funny, they had to admit that the red-headed teenager had guts in order to stand up to a Saint that belonged to the organization Memento Mori.
Not all Necromancers were qualified to join this group.
Each of their members were Saints, and only their Disciples got a free pass when it came to entering this exclusive group of Necromancers, that even the Divine Army of Light didn't want to hunt down unless it was a last resort.
A Necromancer that had the rank of a Saint was not a pushover. In fact, they were the ones that liked to antagonize others.
Only the Saints of the Divine Army were allowed to fight against the members of Memento Mori, and the regular army's main role was to hunt other Necromancers, who didn't belong to this organization.
The Divine Army of Light also had a special ranking for High-Profile Targets, and the one at the top of the list was none other than Lux's Master, Gaap, who commanded the Gigantic Antero, who could easily crush any and all opposition.
"You must be very confident in your Disciple for you to accept my bet," Kieran said as he glanced down at the Half-Ling, whose gaze was directed in the World Tree. "Aren't you afraid that I will humiliate you in front of others?"
"What a coincidence," Gaap replied. "I was thinking of the same thing. Are you ready to bark like a dog and fetch my walking stick?"
The Old Half-ling smirked at his "best friend", who was still thinking that there was no way that he would lose the bet he had with Gaap's Disciple.
"My Disciple will wipe the floor with your Disciple," Kieran stated.
"Your Disciple will become my Disciple's b*tch," Gaap commented. "I can guarantee it."
"Bold words coming from a coward."
"The only coward here is the person I am looking at right now."
The two Necromancers then shifted their gaze back at the World Tree where both of their Disciples were undergoing their Ranker Trial.
Since the outcome of the bet would be determined in a fight between their protege, there was no point to even trash talking each other for hours.
Only one Disciple would win, and only they would have the last laugh.
————————
Lux crashed on the ground and rolled for a few meters before coming to a complete stop.
"That hurts," Lux said hatefully as he propped himself up from the ground and started to dust himself off.
"Are you hurt, Eiko?"
"Pa!"
"Good. Don't worry, when I become a Saint, we will have our revenge on that bastard."
"Yes!"
Since Eiko was Lux's Beast Companion, she was able to enter the trial alongside the Half-Elf. The Baby Slime looked around her surroundings, which was filled with lush trees and greenery.
A glance was enough to tell Lux that they were inside a Forest of unknown origin. However, the most interesting part about the place was that he could only sense one presence in the entire forest, which made him frown.
'It's no use in worrying about pointless things,' Lux thought as he stared in the direction where he was feeling the fluctuation of life. 'I'll go and take a look first.'
Lux suddenly sprinted and ran towards the direction where the only living creature inside the forest resided.
It was a very logical decision and within minutes, he had arrived at his destination.
At the center of a clearing, a woman, whose long green hair, fluttered lightly in the breeze. Her eyes, that were of the same color as her hair, glanced in Lux's direction, making the Half-Elf's heart skip a beat.
After being surrounded by many beautiful ladies, Lux thought that he had already gained an immunity to beauty.
However, after seeing the beautiful woman in front of him, he felt as if he had been affected by a charm spell, that he had no power to resist.
The beautiful woman's ears were long, which easily identified her as an Elf.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a Goddess that descended on Earth, and Lux firmly believed that he was truly meeting a Goddess for the first time in his life.
The beautiful woman smiled sweetly at the Half-Elf before opening her luscious, and seductive lips that would make Kings and Emperors go to war with a single word from her.
However, the first words that came out of the beautiful Elf's lips made Lux wonder if there was something wrong with his ears.
"What took you so long?" the beautiful Elf asked. "You little piece of sh*t?"
Lux blinked once and twice as he blanked out, unable to understand how to respond to the beautiful Elf's words.
"What's this?" the Elf asked again. "Not only are you a piece of sh*t, you're mute as well? I have waited many years for a c*nt like you to appear before me, but what do I get? A Half-Elf whose **** can't even f**k a fart!"
Lux, who had blanked out earlier, finally understood that he didn't mishear things.
The beautiful Elf woman in front of him, who had made his heart skip a beat, was now making his heart beat wildly inside his chest for other reasons, and it was not a good reason!
"Not only are you a mute sh*t, you're also a deaf ****." The beautiful Elf sneered. "To think that the person who had achieved something that I wasn't able to do in my lifetime was a **** is making me **** you ****! You made me wait for decades and the only thing you can do is **** you **** piece of ****!"
In just a span of two minutes, Lux received a barrage of profanities that exceeded the times he was cursed in both of his lifetimes combined.
The Half-Elf stood in silence, as the beautiful Elf continued her litany of vulgarities that could even make his Grandma Vera blush in embarrassment.
Lux didn't know how someone so beautiful could be so vile at the same time.
This made him wonder if his Master, Gaap, who described his own Master as a kind, and benevolent woman, was just spouting a bunch of lies.
Even though this was the first time he was meeting this person, Lux strongly believed that the beautiful Elf in front of him was none other than Gaap's Master, Hereswith.
The same woman who had died decades ago, in order to protect her Disciple, who, to this day, still missed her terribly.
Chapter 757 Half-Elf Meets High-Elf [Part 2]
An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file '/data/script/email_list.txt'.
"A-Are you perhaps Great Grandmaster Hereswith?" Lux asked after he had bathed in the beautiful woman's curses, that made Cethus' senseless arrogance look cute.
"That is indeed who I am," Hereswith replied. "Has Gaap told you about me?"
"He has," Lux answered. "He said that you are kind, benevolent, caring, beautiful, gentle, and couldn't turn a blind eye to people that need help."
"Awwwww! My Gaap still hadn't forgotten me," Hereswith said softly. "He's so sweet. Unlike you, little c*nt, who isn't even half as cute as him when he was your age!"
Lux pretended that he hadn't heard the beautiful Elf's words, and looked at her with a calm expression on his face.
"Great Grandmaster Hereswith, are you really dead?"
"Calling me Great Grandmaster is so stiff. Just call me Lady Hereswith, or just Hereswith. Also, you still haven't introduced yourself, you little sh*t. Didn't your mother teach you proper manners?"
"I don't have a mother," Lux replied. "Or at least, I am not aware of who she is."
Hereswith clicked her tongue in annoyance, but she no longer continued to hurl profanities at the Half-Elf. Perhaps, she felt that she went too far with her comment about Lux's mother, so she decided to tone down her words a bit.
"Introductions first," Hereswith stated. "My name is Hereswith. A beautiful High-Elf who hailed from the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden. When I was alive, Kings, and Emperors prostrated themselves before me. Powerful Saints were at my beck and call. My three sizes are…"
"Wow…" Lux was at a loss for words because not only was Hereswith confident with her beauty, she didn't mind rubbing it in other peoples' faces as well!
"I finished with my introductions." Hereswith narrowed her eyes. "Now it's your turn."
Lux nodded and started to introduce himself.
"My name is Lux Von Kaizer, and this baby slime on my head is Eiko," Lux said.
"Ei!" Eiko jumped in place as if introducing herself as well.
Lux then smiled and continued his introduction. "I am a Half-Elf, and I hailed from Wildgarde Stronghold in Solais. I am someone who your people call Foreigners, and I have only been in Elysium for less than two years.
"In that span of time, I rose from a beginner, to an Initiate. I am now here to take the Ranker Trial in order to become a Ranker. Also I have two beautiful fiances whom I will be marrying in the future. Although they might not be as beautiful as you, they are exceptional ladies as well. There three sizes are…"
Hereswith listened to Lux's introduction until he was done. The first thing that came out of her mouth, made Lux wonder if they were speaking in the same language.
"Are you bragging?" Hereswith asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Less than two years and now you're about to become a Ranker? Not only that, you have two beautiful fiances, and their three sizes could even make the boys their age howl like wolves?
" You little c*nt, do you know about humility? Do you know about modesty? Is this what a Heaven's Necromancer is? Do you know how long it took me to become a Ranker? I died single as well, and you're rubbing your lovers in my face? I curse you! I curse that your d**k will no longer raise its head ever again!"
Lux, who suffered emotional damage from Hereswith's words almost puked blood then and there. He simply followed her way of introducing herself, and thought that it was okay to add more details, especially about his fiances.
However, to his surprise, the beautiful woman, who died single, was raving at him for having two beautiful fiances, who had taken that next step in order to strengthen their relationship.
After a few minutes of being bathed with flying spittle that was filled with hate, and contempt, Lux realized that there were things that he shouldn't say to people who Friendzoned others.
"So, your name is Lux," Hereswith said after calming down. "Tell me, how did you do it? How did you become a Heaven's Necromancer? What was the factor that allowed you to unlock this Sacred Profession?"
Hereswith's questions were filled with anticipation, and a little bit of frustration. As someone who had struggled to enter the doors of Heaven, and falling short from her goal, she wanted to know the answer that had haunted her soul for the past decades of her life.
Lux understood that Hereswith truly wanted to know how he gained his profession, so he began to explain how it all began from the very beginning.
"I was supposed to enter a Dungeon, but ended up appearing in Zangrila," Lux explained. "That is where I met Master Gaap. When I was there, I…"
The Half-Elf told the beautiful High-Elf everything that happened in Zangrila. He described his experiences as clearly as he could, which made Hereswith sigh after Lux finished his story.
"Zangrila… I didn't know that my cute disciple was imprisoned there after I died," Hereswith said in a sad tone. "Gaap, I'm sorry for being an incompetent Master. I made you suffer."
A pained expression appeared on Hereswith's beautiful face that made Lux's heart ache.
He even felt a little jealous because the beautiful High-Elf treated Gaap, and him differently, making him wonder what the Old Half-Ling really looked like when he was younger.
"I understand how you managed to become a Heaven's Necromancer," Hereswith stated after she had regained her composure. "It is indeed a feat worth being blessed by Heaven."
A sigh then escaped Hereswith's seductive lips as she stared at the blue sky above her head.
After a moment of silence, the High-Elf once again shifted her attention to Lux, and gave him a brief bow.
"Thank you for saving my beloved Disciple from his lonely fate," Hereswith said. "Also, thank you for becoming a Heaven's Necromancer. It is the profession that I sought out all my life.
"At first, I thought that I was chasing an impossible dream. However, after seeing you now, it has made me realize that I wasn't wrong when I decided to take a different path in Necromancy that no one had taken before."
Hereswith smiled a bitter smile, and yet, Lux could tell that the bitterness in it wasn't because he succeeded in achieving something that she didn't.
As for the reason behind that bitterness, Lux didn't ask. His instincts were telling him that this was a question that he shouldn't ask the beautiful High-Elf, who had waited for him for decades.
"Since you are already here, I will impart to you my full legacy," Hereswith said with determination. "I will not allow you to break through unless you master all the spells that I created years ago.
"Although Gaap is already your Master, no one can teach you the path of Heaven better than I can. Since I am the Master of your Master, it is only natural that I impart to you my teachings as well."
Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on Hereswith's beautiful face that gave Lux goosebumps.
"Prepare yourself, Lux," Hereswith stated. "Your training as a Heaven's Necromancer is officially about to begin."
—--------------
(A/N: Important Announcement!)
My other novel, Wizard World Irregular, will be going premium soon. Since this is a non-exclusive novel, it cannot be seen in my profile.
Just search for it in the NovelFire search engine in order to see this amazing story.
Come with me, and enter a Magical World, similar to Harry Potter, but 1000% more awesome.
Open the pages and read the story that you have been secretly craving for in your life.
Grab your wands and broomsticks, for it is time for all of you to enroll in Brynhildr Magic Academy, and see a Magical World that will become your new reading addiction!
Chapter 758 Hey, Lux, Can I Slap You?
An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file '/data/script/email_list.txt'.
"Damn! What kind of broken skillset is this?! Skill Evolution [EX]?! Who in the Heavens made this thing?!" Hereswith complained as she browsed through the skills that were listed in Lux's Soul Book.
A second later, she complained once again after seeing Lux's special body constitution. The beautiful elf thought she misread the information on the Soul Book, but after reading it thrice, she found out that what she saw was indeed a reality.
"What kind of broken body constitution is this Immortal Dragon's Conqueror's Legacy?! You can even spit Dragon's Breath?!" Hereswith asked again. "If I had this when I was alive, I would have fried those d*cks from the Divine Army of Light. They wouldn't have been able to kill me! You **** why do you have these **** abilities that defy all logic!"
Lux, who was doing push-ups while Hereswith was sitting on his back, didn't know what to say.
The first thing that the beautiful Elf demanded of him was to see his Soul Book so that she would better understand what he was capable of.
However, after seeing its contents, Hereswith once again showered Lux with curses and spittle that were flying in every direction.
"Life is so unfair," Hereswith said before spanking Lux's bum, making the Half-Elf cry out in pain. "You are unfair! What have you been eating and drinking all your life? You little c*nt! I want that too!"
Eiko, who was eating some peanuts at the side, looked up at the beautiful Elf that was hurting her Papa and frowned.
"Grandmaster, please don't speak vulgarities in front of Eiko," Lux said as he endured the physical and emotional damage from the beautiful Elf who was sitting on his back. "She's still young and there's a high chance that she will start to imitate you."
"Oh, no, we don't want that happening," Hereswith replied before looking at the Baby Slime. "Eiko, sweetheart, girls shouldn't say vulgar words or shout profanities, okay? I'm just doing this because your Papa is a **** who needs to get his **** in the right place. Don't imitate me, okay?"
"Un!" Eiko nodded.
However, whether she truly understood what Hereswith told her or not was another matter.
A few minutes later, Hereswith closed Lux's Soul Book and gave a very long and deep sigh.
"Maybe it's because you have these skills that you were allowed to become a Heaven's Necromancer," Hereswith said. "Even though my skills are stronger than yours, the potential that you possess is higher. Those **** Gods. Why can't they just give me a break?!"
Although the time he spent with Hereswith was rather short, Lux believed that he had an inkling as to why the beautiful Elf couldn't become a Heaven's Necromancer.
'The Heavens might have blacklisted her from this Profession because of her curse-filled mouth,' Lux thought.
Hereswith looked like a literal Goddess, and he was sure that everyone who saw her for the first time would think the same way.
However, all of them would have their image of her shattered, just like what happened to him, the moment she opened her mouth to start hurtling vulgarities at the pitiful soul that happened to be in front of her.
In fact, Lux was quite impressed by how his Master, Gaap, was able to survive becoming Hereswith's disciple. The time he spent with Gaap was longer, but he never heard his Master curse the same way that Hereswith did.
"Master, I have a question?" Lux asked. "What does push-up have to do with my training?"
"It doesn't," Hereswith replied. "I just need you to stay put for a bit while I read your Soul Book."
Although Lux's Necromancer Training hadn't started, he already felt like giving up.
"Well then, let me see your Named Creatures, as well as the members of your Covenant," Hereswith ordered. "We are Necromancers. The stronger our subordinates are, the stronger we are. Only third-rate Necromancers focus on the quantity of their summons. They are the types that the more Undead they can summon, the stronger their army is.
"However, even an army numbered in tens of thousands would instantly turn to dust when faced with a handful of High-Ranking Rankers, which the Divine Army of Light use to hunt those who practice our profession."
Lux nodded his head in understanding and summoned all of the main combatants of his army.
Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Asmodeus, Lazarus, Bedivere, Zagan, Revon, ALL-MITE, Shax, Draven, and King Leoric.
Hereswith narrowed her gaze as she looked at Lux's strongest fighters and nodded her head in approval.
"Not bad for an Initiate," Hereswith stated. "With this lineup, you will be able to hold your ground against a High-Ranker. Now, show me the bulk of your main army and the things that they can do."
With a wave of his hand, Lux summoned his Skeleton Gangbangers, Skeleton Arcane Archers, Liches, Steel Golems, and Plague Wing Gargoyles.
After showing his summons, Lux ordered his Skeleton Gangbangers and the Steel Golems to merge, forming two Hecatoncheires that towered over their figures.
"You get a passing grade," Hereswith commented after seeing Lux's main army. "So your clones as well as that Archlich over there could summon this army as well, right?"
"Yes," Lux replied. "My clones, including Eiko's and Asmodeus' clones, can summon an Undead Army as well."
Hereswith clicked her tongue in annoyance before scratching her hair.
Due to his strong sense of hearing, Lux was able to hear Hereswith mutter 'Unfair C*nt', under her breath, but he simply pretended that he didn't hear anything.
"Since all of them are already here, I will impart to them a skill that they must master as soon as possible," Hereswith stated. "This skill is called Death God's Aura. This is a skill that I invented after combining the two skills, Unholy Aura, and Holy Aura. Since you are a Heaven's Necromancer, you need to master this skill as well."
Hereswith snapped her fingers, and several beams of light shot out from her forehead. These lights flew toward Lux's and his subordinates' foreheads, allowing them to directly learn the skill that she was intended to impart to them.
————————————
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
– Since the skill Death God's Aura is a Legacy Skill, it will automatically be upgraded to Death God's Aura [EX]
— Your Named Creatures, as well as the members of your Necromancer's Covenant will also learn the upgraded version of this skill.
————————————
< Death God's Aura [EX] >
— Increase your attack and defense by 100%
— Increase your movement and attack speed by 100%
— 100% Resistance to Dark, Necrotic, Holy, Life, and Divine Magic
— You are immune to the effects of Fear and Intimidation.
— Wild Undead Monsters that aren't under someone's control will not take the initiative to attack you.
———————————
The added bonus of the Death God's Aura [EX] was good, but that wasn't all. Lux had a special title that was called Lord of Death's Army.
Similar to Death God's Aura, this special buff also increased the attack, and defense of his Army, making them stronger than regular Undead.
———————————
< Lord of Death's Army >
(Profession Exclusive Title)
– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer's Named Creatures by 100%
– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer's Necromancer Covenant by 100%
– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer's Summons by 50%
– All creatures under Lux Von Kaizer's Command will have a 100% Increase in Defense.
———————————
Simply put, Eiko, Lux's Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, had a 200% increase in their attacks and defense after the two skills were combined. They also had a 100% increased movement and attack speed buff which would further improve their performance in battle.
Although this wasn't as broken as Aina's two Unique Skills, it was still good and made Lux's subordinates stronger than ever before.
"…. This Skill Evolution [EX] skill is truly disgusting," Hereswith complained after seeing the changes in Lux's Soul Book. "It took me five years to learn this skill. However, not only did you learn it right away, you even have the upgraded version. Hey, Lux, can I slap you?"
Hereswith gave Lux a very sweet smile while motioning for him to come closer to her.
Since the Half-Elf wasn't a masochist, he firmly shook his head and said, "Sorry, but I'll pass."
Even so, that wasn't enough to save him from getting kicked in the bum by the furious High-Elf, who once again hurled a storm of expletives at him while constantly complaining about how unfair and how broken his abilities were.
Chapter 759 The Birth Of A Legend [Part 1]
An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file '/data/script/email_list.txt'.
Although Lux's subordinates had now learned the Death God's Aura [EX] Skill, they still needed to put it into practice.
Lux thought that by simply activating the skill, he would be able to use its benefits. But, to his surprise, the skill was not as simple as he thought it would be.
Hereswith explained that the Death God's Aura wasn't a passive skill but an active skill. She had created this skill in order to combine the power of light and darkness, which she managed to do after years of painstaking trial and error.
In order to use it well, one had to master the feeling of being one with this ability. When Lux first tried using it, the skill only lasted for half a minute before dispersing completely.
"I already mentioned that it took me five years to master this technique," Hereswith stated. "You might have learned it through me, but you didn't get my experience of using the skill. This is something that you should discover on your own. Once you're able to release the Death God's Aura for long periods of time, it will feel as natural as breathing. That is the final goal that you should aim for."
Lux understood what the beautiful Elf was trying to say, so he immediately focused on mastering how to use the Death God's Aura. However, Hereswith had other plans for him.
"You can master Death God's Aura later," Hereswith stated. "Your subordinates can master it first. What I want you to do is create your own Transcendent Skill."
"Transcendent Skill?" Lux tilted his head in confusion. "I can create one?"
Hereswith nodded her head. "You are the first Heaven's Necromancer in the world. This means that you are the Progenitor of this class. As the one who pioneered this path, you must create a Transcendent Skill, so those who also choose this path will have a Unique Skill that is exclusive to them.
"As you may already know, all the Professions in the world had a Progenitor. The Progenitor of Necromancers created the skills Summon Skeleton Soldiers, Summon Skeleton Archers, Summon Skeleton Mages, and Summon Golem.
"Because of this, all Necromancers can use these abilities, which have evolved over the years, giving birth to stronger versions of Skeletons and Golems. That's why, as the Progenitor of the Heaven Necromancer Class, it is important to create a Transcendent Skill exclusive only to this profession."
Lux was left dumbfounded by Hereswith's explanation. Asking him to create a Transcendent Skill out of the blue was like throwing a complete amateur into an international competition, which he had no idea about.
"Grandmaster, can I do this later?" Lux asked. "I'm sure that there is a better place and time for this."
Contrary to his expectations, Hereswith firmly shook her head.
"You must create a Transcendent Skill before receiving the World's Blessing," Hereswith replied. "By doing so, the power of the Transcendent Skill will become stronger. Similar to your Skill Evolution [EX]. Who knows? You might even give birth to an [SSR Skill] after you receive the world's blessing."
Lux scratched his head because the hurdle was simply too high. Even so, if his skills could really jump to the SSR Grade in one go, he didn't mind putting more effort into it.
"Grandmaster, can you give me some advice?" Lux asked. "How do you make a Transcendent Skill?"
"Um, just think of the most powerful skill that you can think of that is compatible with the Necromancer Class," Hereswith explained. "As long as it doesn't break the laws of the world, it will materialize and become a reality."
Lux crossed his arms over his chest and pondered.
'The strongest skill that I can think of?' Lux mused.
Several ideas popped up inside his head. Although these skills sounded strong, the Half-Elf wasn't truly satisfied with them.
After spending nearly half an hour thinking, Lux started to feel frustrated because he was going around in circles. In the end, he decided to sit on the ground, cross-legged, and entered a meditative state.
Only after regaining his calm did the Half-Elf do some soul-searching on what the word strong meant to him.
A moment later, he thought of his Stepfather, Alexander, who was a Saint. For the longest time, he thought that no one was stronger than his Stepfather.
The measurement of strength that Lux was using was the Saint Rank.
Of course, he knew that there was a rank above the Saint Rank, which was the Supreme. However, this Rank was too far for him to comprehend, so he decided to remain at the level of Saints.
"Something stronger than Saints….," Lux muttered, and a past memory rose up to help him.
The Seven-Headed calamity that wiped out the Capital City of Wolfpine Barony appeared in his head.
This monster was so strong that even a group of Saints were unable to defeat it completely. The most they could do was seal it away to prevent it from spreading death and destruction within their Domain.
Suddenly, the Half-Elf's body shuddered after he followed that line of thought.
"An existence that even a Supreme cannot defeat…," Lux said softly as he opened his eyes to look at the beautiful Elf, who was flipping the pages of his Soul Book and reading all of the information about him.
The Half-Elf smiled bitterly because he didn't think of it sooner. There was one creature that was so strong that even a Supreme couldn't defeat it.
A creature that would survive even if a planet was destroyed.
It was none other than the Indestructible Golem of Destruction, Antero.
Lux knew that it was impossible for him to create a second Antero. However, what if he could create something that wasn't indestructible, but still very strong?
"Gigantic…," Lux said softly as if he was in a trance.
Using the Hecatoncheires as a template, Lux imagined a skill where his entire army, including his Named Creatures and Members of his Covenant, merged together, forming a single and powerful entity that would laugh at those who opposed him and smash them with a single gigantic fist.
"Deus Gigantia."
Those were the words that escaped Lux's lips while he was in a trance, imagining this creature who would be powerful enough to fight against Antero in a one-on-one battle.
A creature that even Supremes wouldn't be able to defeat so easily.
——————————
< Congratulations! You have built the foundation for the Transcendent Skill, Deus Gigantia. >
< Since this was a Transcendent Skill, it would automatically be upgraded to Deus Gigantia [EX] >
< Skill Evolution [EX] had detected a Transcendent Skill. Being the first skill of a Progenitor Class, it will receive two evolution upgrades. >
< Congratulations! You have now created the foundation for the Transcendent Skill, Deus Gigantia [Epic]. >
——————————
The skies above the forest where Lux and Hereswith were staying started to turn red.
The beautiful Elf arched an eyebrow after seeing this scene before shifting her gaze back to the Half-Elf, who was still in a trance.
Within the depths of her beautiful eyes, a profound excitement was rising to the surface.
For she, the one who had struggled to become a Necromancer of Heaven, was about to witness the birth of a Legend.
A Legend who would open the doors of Heaven, which she failed to do in her lifetime.
Chapter 760 The Birth Of A Legend [Part 2]
Eiko hummed on top of the head of a two-headed Ogre Zombie.
This creature was the latest addition to her Terrorist Squad, and she named him BataBoom.
After seeing Lux's Skeleton Generator Skill, Hereswith decided to impart her knowledge to him, making the skill evolve into Undead Generator [EX].
Because of this, Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus, were now able to generate any Undead-Type Monster, and were no longer limited to Skeletons.
Shax was a special case because there had been a mutation when Lux had created him using the Skeleton Generator skill. This also led to him being unable to control the Nightgaunt at the beginning because its Rank had surpassed the Half-Elf's rank.
As Lux's Beast Companion, Eiko also learned the skill, Death God's Aura.
But, the Baby Slime wanted her Slime party, and the Terrorist Squad to learn it as well. Fortunately, Hereswith didn't mind and imparted the skill to Eiko's subordinates as well.
Bataboom had three abilities. The first one was Fire Blast. This was a skill that hurled a fireball at the target, and detonated upon impact.
Its second skill was called Burning Casks, which it hurled at its targets, dealing burning damage per second, as well as slowing their movements by 30%
Its last skill was Fervor. It was able to bless its allies with increased movement and attack speed, making them more efficient in battle.
Just like all of Eiko's summons, Bataboom's skills had a chance to deal 200% up to 400% damage.
This was something that made all of them very deadly because one could never gauge how strong the exploding attacks could be, until it hit you right on your face.
It had been a week since Lux had started his training under Hereswith, and she had imparted five abilities to him that were unique to the Heaven's Necromancer Class.
The first one was Death God's Aura, which he, and all of his subordinates learned.
The second one was Mass Bone Prison. This ability encases his targets into cages made up of bones, which would require a very strong attack to break.
The third skill was called Bone Storm. This ability allowed Lux to summon a tornado made up of bones that had a very wide area of effect. Anything that was sucked up inside it would find themselves being shredded by razor sharp bones that could easily cut through flesh.
The fourth skill was called Half-Life. This increased a target's Health by 50% when cast, which was perfect for tanks such as Pazuzu and Orion.
Last but not the least was the skill, Blood Mist. For a few seconds, Lux could transform into a Blood Mist, negating any kind of physical damage aimed in his direction.
It also gave him a 50% resistance to magic attacks when he was in his blood mist form, greatly reducing the damage of Magical Attacks.
Due to Lux's Skill Evolution [EX], all of these skills were upgraded to the next stage, making them stronger than ever before.
Currently, the Half-Elf was sitting in a cross legged position while mastering the skill, Blood Mist.
Hereswith was throwing rocks in his direction, making Lux yelp in pain whenever he failed to turn into a Blood Mist in time.
"Although you have the Corpse God to protect you, your goal should be to focus on avoiding getting hit by anything," Hereswith said as she threw another rock, which Lux managed to dodge using the skill. "Some attacks don't only target the body, but also target the soul. As someone who had the Divine Abyss Touch ability, you should know this very well."
In order to make the training more challenging, Hereswith had asked Lux to close his eyes, while she threw stones at him.
The beautiful Elf had forcefully sealed Lux's Corpse God, so it could not automatically protect him from getting hit. She wanted to make the Half-Elf competent in turning into a blood mist by reflex, so her training became more intense with each passing day.
———————
Two weeks had passed since Lux had entered the World Tree, and things had become more calm since he left.
Since the old Half-Ling and Kieran were waiting for their Disciples to appear, the two no longer indulged themselves in verbal warfare, and simply enjoyed Dracul's wine and company.
"The outside world is a mess right now," Dracul said as he swirled the wine inside his glass. "Battles for Hegemony and Conquest are happening everywhere, making me think that we have all entered a new era of war."
"Nothing's changed," Kieran replied before emptying his glass of wine. "You've been cooped up here in the Ancestral Lands so long that you haven't seen how many Kingdoms and Empires have disappeared over the past decade."
"Well, you know me," Dracul commented. "I dislike conflicts. Why wage war when I can just sit back, relax, and enjoy my nearly immortal life?"
Gaap smirked after hearing Dracul's reply.
Although the Vampire King was a happy-go-lucky person, that didn't change the fact that he was the current Guardian of the Ancestral Grounds.
This meant only one thing.
Dracul was a very strong Necromancer.
Without Antero by his side, Gaap and Kieran combined, wouldn't be able to defeat Dracul even if they asked all the Necromancers that were currently inside their Ancestral Ground to help them. That was how powerful their Guardian was, making them wonder how he was able to achieve his current level of strength.
Suddenly, black lightning bolts descended from the heavens and continuously hit the bark of the World Tree.
Although there were different signs when a Ranker was breaking through, lightning was one of the most common signs that someone was about to transition from an Initiate to a Ranker.
"The quality of the lightning bolts are superior to the ones I've seen before," Dracul commented. "I wonder who it is. Could it possibly be your disciple, Kieran, or is it perhaps Lux, who entered two weeks ago?"
"We'll know in a bit," Kieran replied as he gazed at the powerful lightning bolts that were trying to tear the World Tree apart.
However, this was an impossible task because the World Tree in their Ancestral Grounds wouldn't even get a scratch even if it was continuously hit by lightning bolts.
Nearly ten minutes later, the barrage of lightning stopped completely.
From within the bark of the World Tree, a green-haired High-Elf emerged.
Behind her back were black angel wings, highlighting the black dress that clung to her body.
She was very beautiful, and even Gaap had no choice but to admit that Kieran's Disciple was a cut above the rest.
Judging from the Aura she had, she had just broken through as a Ranker, making Gaap's best friend smile from ear to ear.
"Welcome back, Lorelei," Kieran said with a smile. "Did your breakthrough go smoothly?"
Lorelei nodded. "Yes, Master. Thanks to everything you taught me, my breakthrough didn't have any problems."
"Good to hear." Kieran then made a gesture to introduce the old Half-Ling, who was seated across him. "This is Gaap, and his Disciple is currently inside the World Tree."
Lorelei glanced in the direction of the old Half-Ling and gave him a brief nod. She knew who Gaap was because her Master would always mention his name in passing, and call him a coward, and a loser.
After seeing the Half-Ling in person, the beautiful Elf, who seemed to be in her late teens arched an eyebrow, which made Gaap also raise his own eyebrow.
Seeing the look on his Disciple's face, Kieran chuckled internally.
He had bad-mouthed Gaap so many times that a single glance was enough to tell him that Lorelei was also looking down on the Apostle, whom her Master called a failure.
"Lorelei, Gaap and I made a bet two weeks ago," Kieran said. "We want to know who has the better Disciple between us. Because of this, we decided to make a bet. The two of you will fight, and the loser will do what the winner commands them to do for a day.
"This also applies to me and Gaap. If you win, I will be able to command this bastard to walk on his hands and circle the Ancestral Grounds naked."
Lorelei who heard this only smiled. "Master, bullying the weak isn't a good thing. But, since this bet has already been made, I will accept it. I also want to see what kind of Disciple a coward can raise."
Gaap only shook his head helplessly after hearing Lorelei's side remark.
"Like Master, like disciple," Gaap replied. "All bark and no bite."
"Hah! Say whatever you want, Gaap." Kieran sneered. "At the end of the day, your words will not help you win."
Before Gaap could even reply, a voice filled with sarcasm reached everyone's ears.
"Oh, really?"
Gaap, Kieran, Dracul, and Lorelei, all shifted their attention in the direction that the voice came from.
Standing in front of them was a red-headed Half-Elf, who had a baby slime perched on top of his head.
"I'm back, Master," Lux said with a smile.
Gaap frowned after seeing Lux. Judging by the aura that his disciple currently had, it was clear that he was still an Initiate, making him wonder if something had gone wrong inside the World Tree, where his Disciple was supposed to enter the realm of a Ranker.