Ch. 861: Chapter 861-870

Chapter 861 You’re A Very Bad Boy, Blackfire

"Um, can someone tell me what's going on first?" Lux asked as he looked at his Master, Cleo, and an Old Man he hadn't seen before, who were currently inside his room.

He and Eiko were taking a nap when he was suddenly woken up by his Master, Gaap, who had a solemn look on his face.

A moment later, he sensed two other presences inside the room. One of them was the Saintess, Cleo, and the other was the Old Man, who introduced himself as Darius.

The first thing that Darius demanded Lux was to return his comrade, Sion, who was "accidentally" swallowed by a certain black coffin.

After hearing the details of what happened, beads of sweat started to form on the Half-Elf's forehead. He finally understood why everyone in the room had serious expressions on their faces.

Left with no choice, Lux summoned Blackfire, and the Black Coffin answered his call.

"Did you swallow a Saint earlier?" Lux asked.

Blackfire nodded its head like a polite child.

"Can you spit him out?" Lux asked before pointing at Cleo and Darius. "His friends are very worried for his safety."

Blackfire tilted its head as if pondering whether he should obey Lux's request. A minute later, the Black Coffin shook its body side to side, which everyone easily understood as a "no".

"That won't do," Darius stated. "If His Majesty comes to know that one of the Saints of Agartha is currently confined inside this… thing, I don't know how he will react to the news."

"You heard him, Blackfire," Lux said.

However, Blackfire still shook its head, not caring about Darius' subtle threat.

A moment later, rows of text appeared in front of everyone, which caught everyone by surprise.

[This Saint sent Bounty Hunters to capture my Master, so he is a bad person. Also, based on his personality, I am certain that he will carry a grudge against my Master, which might result in further attacks in the future. In order to ensure that such a thing will not happen, I will confine him until my Master leaves Agartha.]

Darius frowned after reading the message that seemed to be coming from the Black Coffin.

Lux, on the other hand, was mind-blown as this was the first time he found out that Blackfire had means to communicate after it had transformed into a Divine Artifact.

"That's not possible," Darius replied. "I'm sure that His Majesty will demand Sion's release as soon as he hears this news. If you don't comply, then your Master's safety will still be jeopardized."

Blackfire tilted its head to the side once again as if thinking of a proper reply to Darius' comment.

A minute later, rows of text once again appeared in front of everyone, which was Blackfire's reply.

[Then, tell me, Old Man. Can you guarantee that this bad person will no longer target my Master after he is released? Are you willing to sign a Contract of Fealty to my Master stating that if you or your King fails to prevent this bad person from harming my Master again, you will become my Master's subordinate for a thousand years?]

The corner of Darius' lips twitched after seeing Blackfire's reply.

He knew that his comrade was someone who held grudges, and there was no way in hell that he would sign a Contract of Fealty for Sion's sake.

Darius was confident that after a day or two, the Juggernaut of Agartha would come looking for trouble again, which would trigger the Contract, binding him to become Lux's subordinate.

Even so, he still remained firm and tried to reason with the Black Coffin, who seemed adamant about confining Sion inside its body.

"But His Majesty might be upset with your Master if Sion isn't released," Darius insisted.

Blackfire's reply was simple.

[Then let him become upset. It's not my problem.]

"Didn't you hear me earlier?" Darius sighed. "His Majesty might target your Master and might even hold him in confinement. He just gained his freedom not long ago, but he might even be forced to stay here in Agartha for life."

Blackfire turned its body to the side as if glancing at its Master before shifting its attention back to the Old Man in front of it.

[Your King has given a decree that allowed safe passage to my Master. One of his subjects defied this decree, and you are also considered an accomplice since you knew about it and didn't stop it. Tell me, what is the punishment for defying your King's direct order?]

[Also, I can spread this news through the entirety of Agartha in a heartbeat. A Saint attacked a Highlander in El Hazard because my Master is more good-looking than him. This Saint also insisted that King Septimius decree doesn't hold power over him because he is a Saint and is above the law.]

[I will also add that an old Saint named Darius was the Bad Person's accomplice and even encouraged the Bad Person to send Bounty Hunters to capture my Master for five million gold coins. How do you think your people will react after hearing this news?]

Darius laughed out loud because he didn't expect the Black Coffin would resort to blackmail. He found all of this very funny because he didn't believe that the people of Agartha would believe this news if it was spread throughout their kingdom.

"I can tell you now that even if you spread this news, people will just think it was a bunch of lies." Darius sneered. "You're just making things more difficult for your Master by doing this."

Blackfire seemed unperturbed by Darius' statement and replied in a heartbeat.

[Is that your final answer, Old Man?]

"Hahaha! You cheeky little coffin. Do you think you can cause waves in Agartha by spreading false rumors?" Darius laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

Blackfire nodded.

[Well, if you insist. I'll make sure to bring flowers to your funeral, Old Man. No. Scratch that. I'll just devour you when you die.]

The Black Coffin then made several rows of text that only Lux could see, which made the Half-Elf's eyes widen in shock.

He then looked at Blackfire and gave it the "are serious" gaze, and the black coffin only nodded its head as if to assure its Master that everything was under its control.

"Okay, let's do this," Lux replied.

He was also annoyed that a Saint dared to bully him in El Hazard, and he wanted to let the Kingdom of Agartha know that he wasn't a pushover.

A few seconds later, Blackfire disappeared from the room and reappeared on the rooftop of the Inn.

However, he wasn't alone.

Seraphina, who was Lux's Battle Angel, was with it.

The Black Coffin then communicated with the Angel of Heaven, which made the latter giggle.

"You're a very bad boy, Blackfire," Seraphina said as she lightly patted the black coffin. "But this sounds fun. I'm in."

The Battle Angel then flew towards the sky. Once she was thousands of meters high in the air, she pressed her hands together and started to make an announcement.

Although her Divine Powers were greatly diminished upon arriving in the mortal plane, she still retained a few of her abilities, and one of them was to broadcast an announcement to an entire continent.

Although this wasn't as powerful as a Worldwide Announcement, it was still suitable for Blackfire's plan to come to fruition.

While everyone in Agartha was going about their daily routines, an angelic voice resounded in the heavens and spread in the entirety of the Ancient Kingdom.

"I am a messenger of the Earth Goddess Cybele, and I have come to relay her dissatisfaction towards the King of Agartha, King Septimius Vi Agartha III, for something that his subordinates have done in the City of El Hazard…"

Darius, who was feeling smug a moment ago, instantly stiffened after hearing the angelic voice in the sky.

He thought that Blackfire was just bluffing when it said it could spread its fabricated blackmail to the entirety of Agartha in a heartbeat.

The Saint didn't expect the Black Coffin to resort to a fake "Heaven's Announcement," and when he heard it, all the colors from his face were immediately drained.

All the Agarthians worship the Goddess Cybele, and all of them were her pious worshipers.

If a Heavenly Announcement mentioning her name was spread in their Kingdom, there was a 100% chance that everyone would believe it, even if they were lies!

"Stop! Are you trying to blaspheme our God?! Are you not worried about Divine Retribution?!" Darius growled in anger towards the Half-Elf who had a calm look on his face.

"Worried about Divine Retribution?" Lux replied. "Nope. Not at all."

The Half-Elf even smiled at the Old Saint, which made Darius look at him in a dumbfounded manner.

Lux was one of the few people who knew that Elysium had already been abandoned by the Gods.

The only God that was governing Elysium was Eriol, and he was on Lux's side.

Even if the Goddess Cybele were to hear of Lux's unwarranted use of her name, there was nothing she could do about it.

Since she had already abandoned the world, she no longer had any say about what happened in this world.

This was the reason why Blackfire was very confident about its Blackmailing tactic and even resorted to having a Divine Angel from Heaven to spread the news to give it more authenticity.

Even King Septimius, who was taking a nap inside his Royal Palace at that time, immediately became wide awake after hearing the voice from Heaven.

Unlike his people, a Supreme like him was able to tell if something was genuine or not.

Although the voice was indeed angelic and had a tinge of Divinity in it, this was very different from the Heavenly Announcement that he knew.

'City of El Hazard?' King Septimius thought. 'Just what happened in that place?'

Without any hesitation, the King of Agartha immediately used the Teleportation Gate of the Royal Palace in order to instantly travel to El Hazard.

He wanted to get into the bottom of this incident, and he had a feeling that the answers would present themselves once he arrived at the Border City where Lux was currently located.

 

 

Chapter 862 Something Profound

Seraphina purposely trailed off after making her initial speech because this was Blackfire's plan to pressure Darius to a compromise.

And it worked like a charm.

The Saint begged Lux to make the World Announcement stop.

Naturally, Blackfire paid attention to Darius the entire time, so when the Saint realized that his Fate was sealed, it decided to be merciful and asked Seraphina to put their plan on hold.

However, just before Blackfire was about to return to its Master's room, it sensed the presence of someone very powerful arriving in the city.

It was not only the Black Coffin that sensed King Septimius' arrival. Seraphina sensed him as well.

Naturally, everyone inside Lux's room also sensed the presence of the ruler of Agartha, which made Darius' face turn a shade paler.

Before anyone could even react, a man who seemed to be in his early thirties appeared inside the room with a frown on his face.

"It seems that something very interesting is happening here," King Septimius said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Can someone tell me what's going on?"

Everyone inside the room immediately pointed at Darius, making the King of Agartha look in his direction.

"Darius, it has been a while," King Septimius stated. "It's good to see that you are in good health. Where is Sion by the way? He should have sensed my presence. Why isn't he here?"

"About that, Your Majesty," Darius smiled bitterly. "Actually…"

The King of Agartha then raised his hand to stop Darius from finishing his sentence.

"We can talk about Sion later," King Septimius stated. "I heard something very interesting just now, and I was wondering if you can tell me what happened and why. Did something happen in this city? Make sure to start from the very beginning."

The King was still smiling and seemed to be very amiable. However, Darius could tell that his ruler was just putting on an act because the Highlanders were inside the room.

Left with no choice, Darius began to report everything that happened. From the moment Sion ordered the Bounty Hunters to capture Lux, up to the point where it ended in a fight. Lastly, he told his King what happened to Sion.

From start to end, King Septimius didn't reply and only listened to the Saint's report. When Darius stopped talking, the Ruler of Agartha rested his hand on Lux's shoulder and smiled at him.

"You brat. You dared to blackmail a Saint and even planned to tarnish my good name?" King Septimius said. "It seems that you need some discipline."

Suddenly, Blackfire appeared beside Lux and even moved close to the King of Agartha, as if staring at him eye to eye.

Rows of text then appeared on the black coffin's surface, allowing the King of Agartha to read them.

[I wouldn't do that if I were you. Earlier, this Old Man had the same domineering attitude as you. However, he realized his mistake and even pleaded for me to stop the announcement in your Kingdom.]

"Hoh? So it was you who was responsible for that fake Announcement." King Septimius narrowed his eyes at the black coffin that was hovering mere inches away from his face.

Words appeared on the surface of the black coffin, allowing the King of Agartha to read it.

[Yes. It was me. What can you do about it?]

The King chuckled before answering the black coffin, who was challenging his authority.

"I can just snap your Master's neck and rid myself of all troubles," King Septimius replied.

Blackfire wasn't perturbed by the King's threats and replied cordially.

[My Master has a relationship with two Supremes. The Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Palace. Just like my Master, they have the ability to instantly teleport to your Kingdom. Snap his neck, and you will face their wrath. Are you sure you can handle that consequence?]

"You're bluffing."

[You're a Supreme. You should know when someone is bluffing or not.]

Just like Saints, a Supreme could tell whenever someone was lying. However, since Blackfire was an object, he was unable to verify the authenticity of its words.

Naturally, he knew about the Dragon King because that being was the strongest Supreme in the world.

As for the Steward of the Crystal Palace, although he had only heard a little information about her, a Supreme was still a Supreme and must never be underestimated.

Since he couldn't tell if the black coffin was lying, King Septimius turned to look at the Half-Elf and asked him a question.

"Do you have a relationship with the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Palace?" King Septimius asked.

"Yes, I have relationships with them. In fact, my Guild Headquarters is currently stationed at the Crystal Palace, and Her Excellency, Lady Augustina, personally escorted us to our new home."

Blackfire had used the term "relationship" making Lux's connection with the two Supremes very vague.

It was true that the Half-Elf had a relationship with the two Supremes, as to whether it was good or bad, that was no longer important.

As long as King Septimius thought that there were two Supremes that knew the Half-Elf, he would not do anything high-handed until he had confirmed the news to be true.

"Can they instantly appear here in my Kingdom?" King Septimius voice became cold as he asked this question

Supremes who had the ability to instantly teleport into his domain was something that he wasn't too happy about.

"I'll leave the answer to your imagination," Lux replied in a casual tone.

"You are planning to dodge the question huh?" King Septimius wasn't stupid. He could tell that the Half-Elf was avoiding his question, so he pressed on. "Cleo, I will ask another question and I want you to make him answer me by force."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" Cleo stuttered and looked apologetically at Lux.

Her unique ability allowed her to make those who were weaker than her to do things she commanded. After being good friends with Lux, she no longer wished to use her power against the Half-Elf.

Also, she was now Lux's subordinate for a year according to their agreement. But since it was a direct order from her King, she had no choice but to do it.

"What method can those two Supremes use in order to enter my Kingdom?" King Septimius asked. "Answer me!"

Cleo then used her power to compel Lux to answer, just like she did when the Half-Elf was being interrogated when they first arrived in Rishi City.

Lux's lips quivered as he fought off Cleo's compelling power.

He suddenly remembered his Master's advice to think of something profound in order to overcome her ability.

'S-Something profound!' Lux desperately thought as his will was being invaded by the Saint's power.

At that exact moment, a pair of beautiful thighs appeared inside his mind. Lux momentarily blanked out, and even forgot what King Septimius' questions were.

The Half-Elf recalled the memory of when his head was buried between Iris' and Cai's thighs back in the academy.

The scene was so profound that only the word "thighs" escaped Lux's lips, confusing King Septimius and Cleo.

"What thighs?" King Septimius asked. "I'm asking how those two Supremes can travel to my kingdom instantly!"

"Two thighs," Lux replied in a trance.

King Septimius and Cleo were both baffled by Lux's reply. They had no idea how two thighs could instantly teleport two Supremes to their Kingdom.

But the thing was, no matter what kind of variations they use to press the Half-Elf for answers, his reply would always be "Thighs, Thighs, and more Thighs".

Gaap, who was looking at his Disciple from the side, gave Lux a thumbs up in his heart.

Although he didn't know why the Half-Elf kept on mentioning thighs, he had a feeling that the thighs the red-headed teenager was talking about were the most profound things in the world for him.

 

 

Chapter 863 I Can Only Forgive You Once

After interrogating Lux and getting no other answers aside from "thighs," King Septimius and Cleo gave up.

They also couldn't do anything to him because the threat of two Supremes possibly rampaging in Agartha was something that none of them wanted to risk.

In the end, everyone sat and settled for a compromise. After negotiating for nearly an hour, the King of Agartha reluctantly agreed to the settlement that Lux's side had asked for.

"In order to compensate you for the psychological trauma that you experienced after being hunted down by Bounty Hunters and your Master facing off against Sion, I will grant you five Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses Beast Cores," King Septimius stated. "I will also guarantee that Sion will not trouble the two of you again for the duration of your stay here in Agartha."

Lux and Gaap nodded because this was the condition that they had requested.

"Are you sure you don't want to negotiate Leonidas' release?" King Septimius insisted. "I will be generous and add two more Beast Cores for his freedom. You can keep the other Gladiators. I only want Leonidas."

"Sorry, but Sion's and Leonidas' cases are not the same," Lux replied with a smile. "We fought him in a Deathmatch, and in a Deathmatch, there is only one outcome. Either they die, or we die. Since we won, their lives belong to us, and this is non-negotiable."

King Septimius snorted before grumpily tossing a storage bag towards the Half-Elf, which contained the five Beast Cores as compensation.

After checking its contents and making sure that they were all World-Bosses Cores, Lux smiled and glanced at the black coffin that was hovering beside him.

"Spit him out, Blackfire," Lux ordered.

The Black Coffin nodded and opened the lid of the casket.

A moment later, a heavily injured Sion collapsed on the floor, the sight of which made King Septimius frown.

"Take him, Darius," King Septimius ordered before giving the Half-Elf a sidelong glance. "Know that it is not only Sion who isn't happy with my decision to allow you Highlanders to freely roam my kingdom. There might be other Saints who will come and harass you along the way."

"Really? That's good news then," Lux smirked. "Blackfire still has plenty of room for Agartha's Saints."

King Septimius scoffed before disappearing from the room.

He had to return to the Capital City and hold an emergency meeting, notifying all of the Saints, as well as their subordinates, to not mess with the Half-Elf while he was roaming Agartha.

He didn't expect Gaap to be capable of fighting against Saints. That was something that he, as well as Sion, didn't see coming.

During the Deathmatch, Gaap did nothing, so everyone assumed that he merely decided to not get in the way because he was only a Grade-A Apostle.

After this incident, King Septimius, Darius, and Cleo would no longer underestimate the Halfling, who seemed to have no fear, even when he was in the same room with an angry Supreme.

King Septimius also noticed that Lux wasn't afraid of him. The only reason that he could think of why they acted this way was due to the two Supremes that were backing them.

If he were in their shoes, he would also have the same attitude, which solidified the King's belief that they were telling the truth.

Darius picked up the injured Sion and also disappeared from the room, leaving Lux, Gaap, and the Saintess, Cleo, who had a guilty look on her face.

"It's fine, Cleo," Gaap said after making sure that they were truly alone in the room. "You had no choice, and my Disciple didn't mind. Isn't that right, Lux?"

Lux nodded. "I'm sure that you did it against your will, so let's forgive and forget shall we?"

"Lux… Gaap, thank you," Cleo replied with an apologetic look on her face.

"Ah, but if this happens again in the future, I will force you to call me Daddy, okay?" Lux stated. "I can only forgive you once. Next time, you will need to be punished."

"Okay." Cleo nodded. "If this really happens again, I will call you Daddy."

Cleo really didn't plan on using her ability against Lux ever again, even if her King ordered her to do so a second time. Also, since Lux already knew how to counter her ability, it would be useless even if she tried again.

"By the way, why thighs?" Cleo asked while arching an eyebrow. "You have some kind of thigh fetish?"

Lux pretended that he didn't hear Cleo's comment and simply handed the storage bag to his Master, Gaap.

"Master, since one of your Covenant Members is seriously injured, you can use these Beast Cores to give her a full recovery," Lux stated.

"I'll just take three of them," Gaap replied. "You can keep the rest."

Lux used the term seriously injured instead of perished. Although Hana had died after her battle with Sion, she was part of Gaap's Covenant, so she could be revived once Gaap sacrificed an adequate amount of Beast Cores.

In order to revive her, Gaap needed two Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses Cores.

The last Core that he took was for future emergencies, in which he might need a Beast Core to tend to his injured subordinates.

"Thank you, Blackfire," Lux said as he patted the Black Coffin's body. "You can rest now."

Blackfire nodded before disappearing from the room.

Truth be told, releasing Sion wasn't a very big deal for Blackfire and Lux. The moment the Juggernaut of Agartha was sucked inside the Black Coffin, his Fate had already been sealed.

Anyone that Blackfire had devoured would treat Lux as their Master and would be forever loyal to him.

Also, since Blackfire's Mark had already been placed in Sion's body and soul, the Half-Elf would be able to summon the Saint anytime he wanted.

Just like he could summon Sid and Scarlet to aid him, he could now call forth a Saint without the need to make him part of his Guild.

Lux understood this as well, so he and Blackfire put on an act of reluctantly agreeing to King Septimius' request.

Not only did they gain a Saint as a subordinate, but they also got five Empyrean-Ranked Beast Cores in exchange.

Lux was planning to use the two remaining Beast Cores for Leonidas and Alcapone.

According to Blackfire, these two Rankers had a very high chance of evolving into something great if they were revived using the Black Coffin's power.

Similar to Lux's Undead Generator Skill, Blackfire could now take in other materials aside from Beast Cores in order to revive any creature it devoured.

The Half-Elf's plan was to have Cleo unseal the Cursed Weapon in his possession and have Blackfire use it as an ingredient alongside the Empyrean-Ranked Beast Core to transform Leonidas into a more powerful being.

He believed that after Leonidas' rebirth, he would become one of Lux's strongest subordinates, who would serve him for as long as he lived.

"Rest for now," Cleo said before walking towards the door. "We will be leaving tomorrow at noon. The journey to the Pantheon of Exile is a long one, so prepare yourself for the journey."

Without another word, the Saintess left the room in order to return to her own room.

Gaap also bid his Disciple farewell because he needed to perform the ceremony that would revive Hana.

Also, the Halfling needed to talk to Baal about future battles against Saints. He had a feeling that even if King Septimius forbade all the Saints, as well as Rankers of Agartha, to harm them, they might still face other threats along the way.

To ensure their safety, he had to make preparations that would ensure that his subordinates could fight to their fullest potential and lower the risk of another death among his Covenant Members in their future battles within the Ancient Kingdom of Agartha.

 

 

Chapter 864 Very Soon, You Will Belong To Me.

"Are you sure you're fine, Sion?" Darius asked as he looked at his comrade, who was currently submerged in spring water that was filled with rare healing herbs and elixirs.

"I already said I'm fine," Sion replied in an annoyed tone. "You nag too much, Old Man."

"Well, you should thank this Old Man. If not for me and His Majesty, you would still be trapped inside that boy's Black Coffin."

"I said zip it! Can't you even understand simple human language?!"

Darius shook his head helplessly. "Fine. I'll leave for now. Make sure to call me if you need anything else."

The moment Darius left, Sion closed his eyes to focus on his recovery.

Right now, he was feeling very annoyed and conflicted.

The moment he regained his consciousness, he instantly felt that there was something very different about him.

The first thing that came to his mind was, of course, the Half-Elf. However, just as he was about to curse Lux, he found himself unable to say anything.

He did a few more experiments like cursing the Half-Elf in his thoughts, but even that didn't work. As more time passed, the more unsettled Sion became.

In the end, he started to meditate and go inside his inner world to better understand what was happening.

When he got inside his Sea of Consciousness, he found a familiar Black Coffin floating inside of it.

"All things are equal in death, let this be a sign," Blackfire said in a voice that seemed to belong to a child. "All who oppose my Master will meet their end, and their body and soul will be mine."

Sion felt his body shudder after hearing the Black Coffin's ominous words. He couldn't tell whether Blackfire's voice belonged to a boy or a girl, but that didn't matter.

The lid of the Black Coffin opened a bit, and a golden chain materialized in thin air.

A moment later, Sion looked in horror when he realized that the golden chain was connected to his body and had bound itself around his heart.

"N-No… this can't be happening!" Sion shouted inside his Sea of Consciousness. "I am the Juggernaut of Agartha! One of the most powerful Saints in the Kingdom—this can't be happening to me! I am the Master of my own Fate! No one has a hold over my will."

A childlike chuckle spread inside Sion's Spiritual World, which forced him to cover his ear. However, even with his ears covered, he could still hear Blackfire's words that were as clear as day, as if the Black Coffin was hovering right next to him.

"You are in the first stage of grief, which is denial," Blackfire said with childlike innocence. "Next will be anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. But let me tell you this, Sion. Being my Master's subordinate is not a bad thing."

"Shut up!" Sion roared in anger. "I am no one's subordinate! I am my own person!"

"Oh? You're angry now?" Blackfire tilted its body to the side. "You're already in the second stage of grief? That was fast."

"You damn Coffin!" Sion charged towards Blackfire with his fist ready to strike. "I will destroy you!"

However, before his punch could even reach its target, it stopped a few inches away from the Black Coffin's body.

No matter how hard Sion tried to push his fists forward, it simply wouldn't budge as if refusing to harm the Divine Artifact that now held his Fate in its hands.

After repeatedly trying to attack the Coffin using all means at his disposal, Sion finally gave up.

"What must I do in order to regain my freedom?" Sion asked through gritted teeth. "Tell me!"

"Bargaining?" Blackfire chuckled. "I didn't think that you would reach the third stage of grief in just a span of a few minutes. You Saints really are different from normal people."

The Saint of Agartha clenched his fists tightly, as he forced himself to remain calm.

Although Blackfire had a childlike voice, the ridicule in it made him very upset.

"Answer my question!" Sion demanded. "What must I do to regain my freedom?"

Blackfire didn't answer right away as if pondering the answer to the Saint's question.

A few minutes passed in silence as Sion stood with his chest heaving up and down, in an effort to control the rage he was feeling.

He had never felt so helpless in his life until now. It felt as if he was wearing a Slave Collar on his neck, and the only way to remove it was if the Master gave him mercy.

"Very well, I will make an exception just for you," Blackfire answered after a few minutes passed. "My Master is currently fighting against the Divine Army of Light. It is an organization in the Surface World that makes themselves look like they are the most righteous individuals on Earth.

"Their influence spans countless miles within the center of Elysium, as well as beyond the borders of their Empire. Their High Council is composed of thirty Saints, but the Saints that belong to their organization numbers a little over a hundred."

The Black Coffin paused as it slowly floated towards Sion, stopping only when it was only a meter away from him.

"You want your freedom, right?" Blackfire asked.

"Yes," Sion replied in a heartbeat.

"Then help my Master defeat this organization," Blackfire stated. "Then, and only then, will you regain your freedom."

"But they have a Supreme, don't they? And I am only one Saint," Sion countered. "I can't fight over a hundred Saints at once."

Although the Black Coffin didn't have a face, for a brief moment, Sion thought that he saw a smile appear on Blackfire's lid.

"Who said that you needed to fight all of them at the same time?" Blackfire's innocent voice reached Sion's ears. "It doesn't matter what means we use, whether good or foul. One by one, we will hunt them down, until their numbers dwindle.

"Worry not, for you are not alone. Others will move alongside you, and they will help you accomplish this goal."

From behind Blackfire, dozens of Souls appeared.

He recognized his subordinates among them and even saw the souls of two Saints, which were bound by countless chains.

As he raised his head to look upwards, he saw a beautiful elf lady, whose beauty took his breath away.

She was sitting on a golden throne, with her head resting on the palm of her hand.

A single glance was enough to tell Sion that the Elf Beauty was asleep, and yet, he had a feeling that the moment her beautiful eyes opened, the world would tremble in fear for what was about to come.

"That's right," Blackfire's devilish words once again reached Sion's ears. "You are not alone. Many others will help you accomplish this goal. And then, when you have done what I expect of you, I will give you a choice."

"The first choice is for you to remain my Master's subordinate and continue to serve him."

"The second one is to regain your freedom, and have complete control of your Fate once again."

The Black Coffin slowly backed away and closed its lid, making all the silhouettes behind it disappear.

"I look forward to the Juggernaut of Agartha's rampage in the Surface World," Blackfire stated. "I know that Agartha is quite peaceful, and you feel like you don't belong in this kingdom. Fortunately, the Surface World is vast and conflicts are everywhere. I'm sure that you will be able to put your talents to good use. For now, just recover. Soon, we will be needing your services."

A sigh escaped Sion's lips as his recollection of his meeting with Blackfire ended.

The Black Coffin had promised him his freedom after the threat of the Divine Army of Light was gone.

Sion didn't know why, but for some reason, the prospect of going all out to fight against Saints in the Surface World intrigued him.

Just like the Black Coffin had stated, Agartha was too peaceful.

He found his current lifestyle dull and monotonous.

No one dared to challenge him because of his power.

No one dared to confront him because they were afraid of his retaliation.

His battle with Gaap's subordinates made him understand that he had lost his touch. Due to the many years of not fighting against people of the same rank as him, his battle sense had rusted and his performance had many flaws.

"Although I know that you are just using me, I'll play along with you for now," Sion muttered as he slowly opened his eyes. "Divine Army of Light, huh? Wait for me."

Sion raised his fist high up and clenched it tightly.

"I'll make sure that the Surface World understands that no one below the Supreme Rank is a match against me," Sion declared.

Somewhere, in a place that the Saint of Agartha couldn't see, a certain Black Coffin hovered in the air.

"Little Oracle of Light, please wait and see," the Black Coffin said softly. "Very soon, you will belong to me."

After saying those ominous words, the Black Coffin disappeared and returned to its Master's side…

Waiting for the moment when it found new victims to devour to increase its Master's army until it reached a hundred thousand strong.

 

Chapter 865 A Wandering Calamity [Part 1]

"Thank you for your services. You can rest for now," the Oracle of the Divine Army of Light said to one of her subordinates who was kneeling in front of her.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" the messenger replied before leaving the room.

Once she was finally alone, a sigh escaped the Oracle's lips. She turned her head, looking at the scenery outside of her window.

"Who would have thought that our mighty Empire, which has stood for hundreds of years, would suffer great damage due to a natural disaster?" the Oracle shook her head helplessly.

After that great earthquake that spread from the center of Elysium, many kingdoms that belonged to the Divine Army of Light suffered serious damage.

Although the number of injured people was countless, the silver lining was that the response of the Rankers and Saints was fast, and they were able to rescue those who would have otherwise died without anyone's help.

Their Divine Sovereign, as well as their Divine Ancestor, had also reacted quickly enough, activating the city's defenses that protected their people in time.

Without them, the Capital City of their Empire would have crumbled, and countless people would have lost their lives.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, the casualties were kept to a bare minimum.

Still, the Oracle wondered why she didn't receive a premonition about the natural disaster.

Usually, she would be able to perceive these things before they happened. However, this time, she didn't have any warning whatsoever, catching all of them unprepared.

'Things haven't been going our way since that Heretic appeared.' The Oracle of Light clicked her tongue as she thought of the Half-Elf, who had been able to escape their pursuit time and time again.

In each of their operations, their members suffered injuries, and some even died. Because of this, she was determined to make their third attempt succeed at all costs.

"One day, your luck will run out, boy," the Oracle of Divine Army of Light muttered. 'Wash your neck until then.'

———————

Kingdom of Agartha…

"The moment you meet her, your luck will run out, boy," Cleo said with a smile. "Bad luck will follow you wherever you go. Are you sure you want to meet up with the Misfortune's Beloved?"

"You've asked this question many times already, Miss Cleo," Lux replied. "If I didn't want to meet her, I would have backed down long ago."

After traveling for a few days, they were nearing one of the border outposts of Agartha, which they needed to pass through to get to the Pantheon of Exile.

Eiko, who was taking a nap on Lux's head, suddenly opened her eyes and looked outside the window of the carriage.

"What's wrong, Eiko?" Lux asked as he lightly patted the Baby Slime's head. "You can sleep a bit more, you know?"

Eiko didn't answer right away and instead narrowed her eyes as she looked in the distance.

A moment later, Cleo and Gaap felt something, which made them also look in the direction Lux was looking.

"Something's coming," Cleo said in a solemn tone. "Do you feel it, Gaap?

Gaap nodded. "Something strong."

Lux, who didn't feel anything earlier, opened his Soul Book and checked the map inside it.

As soon as he opened the map, he saw a very big blinking dot heading in their direction from the West.

The Half-Elf was very good at accurately estimating the strength of any creature that appeared on the Map of his Soul Book.

However, this was the first time he was seeing a blinking dot this big, surpassing even the size of Empyrean Ranked Creatures.

'A Calamity Ranked Creature?' Lux's face turned grim after seeing the size of the blinking dot on the map. 'This could also be a Demi-Human. But why is it heading our way?'

Lux was certain that the blinking dot didn't belong to a human. Since that was the case, it could only be a Beast or a Demi-Human that possessed a very strong Life Force.

But there was one thing that surprised Lux the most.

The color of the blinking dot changed nearly every second.

One second it was Red, which meant that it was hostile.

The next second it was Yellow, which signified that it was a neutral creature.

In short, Lux didn't know if the creature was hostile or not, but one thing was certain.

It was coming for them.

"We can't outrun it," Cleo stated. "Let's get out and see if we can fight it. If not, let's just escape with all our might."

Lux and Gaap nodded.

With the three of them together, it was highly possible that they would be able to fight anything that came after them.

After unsummoning her carriage, Cleo raised her hand and summoned a bow.

Lux was also holding the Spear of Longinus, ready to strike if the creature was hostile.

Gaap simply stood with his hands behind his back. However, the Black Knight, Baal, was already standing beside him.

"Pa!" Eiko suddenly spoke, making Lux nod his head.

"I see it as well, Eiko," Lux replied. "It's big."

In the distance, something that seemed to be around ten meters tall was headed toward them at a very fast speed.

Lux had already tried to use his appraisal skill on it, but the majority of the information that he saw was a bunch of question marks, proving that the creature was several times stronger than him.

Even so, he still managed to get two pieces of information with his appraisal skill. The first one was the name of the Monster.

The second was its Rank.

————————————

< Wicked Queen Slime >

Monster Rating: Calamity Rank Monster (Peak)

Health: ????????????????/ ????????????????

Mana: ???????????????? / ????????????????

Strength: ????????????????

Intelligence: ????????????????

Vitality: ????????????????

Agility: ????????????????

Dexterity: ????????????????

————————————

Both pieces of information surprised Lux, making him feel as if he was about to face the Last Boss Monster in a game.

The only thing missing was the background music, which would immediately start to play when such an encounter happened.

Eiko, on the other hand, looked more curious rather than afraid of the approaching Creature.

Five minutes later, a ten-meter tall, blackish-purple slime stopped several meters away from them.

Its gaze locked on the Baby Slime on top of Lux's head for a few seconds before it shifted its attention to the Half-Elf, who was looking back at it.

"I-It can't be…" Cleo's lips trembled after she recognized the Monster in front of them. "W-Wicked Queen Slime! What are you doing here?! This isn't part of your territory!"

The Wicked Queen Slime narrowed its gaze as it looked at the Saintess, making Cleo subconsciously take a step back.

This monster was the Calamity-Ranked Monster that their King didn't dare to fight head-on, in fear that he wouldn't be able to annihilate it completely.

"Shut up, child," the Wicked Queen Slime said in a cold voice oozing with killing intent. "If you don't want to die, you better seal your mouth."

Cleo gritted her teeth as she stared at the Monster before her. She didn't dare defy its orders for she knew that, if she did, she would definitely die without a doubt.

'We haven't even met Princess Aurora and our Bad Luck is already starting,' Cleo thought bitterly. 'Just how did we end up in this mess?'

However, just as the Saintess was at a loss for what to do, an innocent voice spoke up, which caught the Wicked Queen Slime's attention.

"Aunt?" Eiko asked in an uncertain tone.

The Wicked Queen Slime then started to laugh as if finding what the Baby Slime had called her Aunt to be amusing.

Its laughter reverberated in the surroundings, even causing the ground under their feet to tremble.

Such was the power of a Calamity-Ranked Monster, which could only be defeated by dozens of Saints working together.

Eiko, who found the Wicked Queen Slime's laughter amusing, also started to giggle.

Cleo, who was witnessing this firsthand, looked at the Baby Slime perched on Lux's head and almost screamed internally.

The Wicked Queen Slime was a creature that rarely showed mercy to anyone. If someone was to ridicule it, or even laugh at it, that person would die a very gruesome and painful death.

No one in Agartha dared to do so.

But right now, a Baby Slime was innocently giggling at the Monster in front of her.

A Monster that could easily erase the three of them, if they were to get on its bad side.

 

 

Chapter 866 A Wandering Calamity [Part 2]

"In my entire lifetime, this is the first time someone referred to me as 'Aunt,'" the Wicked Queen Slime stated. "But, I'll let this one pass because you are still a baby. "What's your name, little one?"

"Eiko!" Eiko replied with a smile.

"Eiko? A decent name." the Wicked Queen Slime nodded. "Did this Half-Elf give you that name?"

"Yes!" Eiko nodded. "Papa!"

"Papa?"

"Un!"

The Calamity-Ranked Monster then shifted her gaze to Lux, which made the Half-Elf shudder.

"I can tell that this Slime is bound to you," the Wicked Queen Slime said. "What is your name, Half-Elf?"

"Lux," Lux replied.

The Calamity-Ranked Monster then gave the red-headed teenager an appraising gaze, scanning him from head to toe.

"I thought I was just imagining things when I sensed the presence of a Royal Slime from hundreds of miles away." The Wicked Queen Slime smirked. "I thought that she was being held captive by Agarthians, so I decided to come to her rescue. I was also planning to kill the fools who had captured her... but, seeing her like this, it's pretty obvious that she's not being enslaved by anyone."

The ten-meter-tall slime then started to shrink at a rapid pace and then transformed into a beautiful mature woman with jet-black hair and purple eyes.

A black crown faintly glittered on top of her head, making her look like one of the Evil Queens in one of the Fairy Tale stories that were popular back on Earth.

"Since you have already introduced yourselves, it is now my turn to return the gesture," the beautiful woman stated. "The Agarthians call me the Wandering Calamity or Wicked Queen Slime. However, you may call me by the name Lilian."

"Aunt Lilian!" Eiko shouted.

"Good girl." Lilian nodded her head in satisfaction. "Well then, Lux, I'll keep this short and simple. I will be taking Eiko with me. What do you want as compensation?"

"Sorry, but I won't be handing Eiko to you," Lux replied. "She's my daughter and my Beast Companion. She's not an object for sale."

"L-Lux!" Cleo, who had been silent since earlier hurriedly tugged on the Half-Elf's robes. "I know that Eiko is special to you, but in this kind of situation, it would be best if you just agree to her demand."

"Oh? It seems that someone here understands the situation." Lilian smiled. "Very well, I will turn a blind eye to you defying my orders to keep silent. You should listen to this Saintess while I'm still being cordial with you. You won't like it when I stop being civil."

"My answer will not change," Lux replied. "You will not take Eiko away from me."

Eiko, who seemed to have realized what was going on, was no longer giggling and even glared at Lilian for trying to take her away from her Papa.

"Bad Aunt!" Eiko shouted. "Bad! Bad!"

"Eiko, Darling, I'm just doing this for your own good," Lilian said. "You will have a better life with me than this Half-Elf. Also, he still hasn't awakened your bloodline power, which is the first step to becoming a truly powerful monster."

"No!" Eiko shouted. "Bad Aunt! I love Papa!"

A sigh escaped Lilian's lips as she put her hand on her forehead, looking very troubled.

"I tried to settle this peacefully, but it seems that peace was never an option," Liliana stated in a disappointed tone. "Since that is the case, I guess I will have no choice but to use force."

As soon as she finished her words, she released a very powerful killing intent that descended on Lux's and Cleo's bodies like a mountain, rendering the two incapable of moving due to how strong the pressure was.

Eiko was the only one exempted from the overwhelming pressure because Lilian didn't want to hurt her by accident.

"Pa!" Eiko shouted worriedly.

"I'm fine, Eiko," Lux replied as he forced himself to keep standing. "This is nothing."

Lilian, who saw the Half-Elf resisting her killing intent, smirked.

"Hoh~ not bad for a D-Ranker," Lilian commented. "But can you handle this?"

Lilian was about to increase the strength of her killing intent to make Lux and Cleo kneel.

But before she could even do that, the Halfling, whom she wasn't paying much attention to earlier, lightly cleared his throat, dispelling the pressure that she was emitting.

"Can you not bully children?" Gaap asked in an annoyed tone. "If you want to use force to have your way, then so be it. You're not the only one who can call the shots here."

As if waiting for that cue, a gigantic head materialized above Gaap, and Antero's crazy chuckle reverberated in the surroundings.

"Queen Slime," Antero said after chuckling. "Squishy Slime."

This time, it was Lilian's turn to feel pressured. Her Bestial Instincts were telling her to run away because the creature in front of her could potentially threaten her life.

What Gaap was doing was only Partial Manifestation of Antero, so it didn't drain much of his life force.

Also, he only made the Golem's head appear, so it didn't become too much of a burden for him.

A tension-filled silence descended upon the surroundings as a hushed standoff between the Wicked Queen Slime and Antero commenced.

This continued for a few minutes until Gaap spoke up, making Lilian shift her attention to him.

"You said earlier that Eiko's bloodline power still hadn't awakened, right?" Gaap asked. "Then do you know how to awaken it?"

"Of course," Lilian replied. "However, I will only do it if Eiko comes with me."

"But that won't happen," Gaap stated. "As you can see, she will not abandon Lux, and Lux will not abandon her. Forcing them apart will just lead to conflict. So, let's do it this way. You can just treat this meeting as if it never happened and we'll be on our way, or you can awaken Eiko's Bloodline Power and let her stay with my Disciple here."

Gaap made sure to highlight the word "Disciple" to make Lilian understand that he was Lux's Master.

This was the Halfling's way of telling her that if she did anything malicious to the Half-Elf, he would not hesitate to attack her until one of them died.

Lilian then shifted her attention to Antero's head before looking at Eiko, who was glaring at her.

Seeing that the Baby Slime seemed to hate her right now, she decided to back off for the time being until the Fairy Princess cooled off.

Without another word, Lilian turned around and disappeared from everyone's view.

Cleo was only able to breathe a sigh of relief when she felt that the Wicked Queen Slime had really left them.

However, Lux didn't share her relief.

His Soul Book was still floating beside him, and the map in it was still active.

Because of this, the Half-Elf was able to see the blinking red dot at the very corner of the map.

This time, it no longer switched to yellow.

Instead, it was blinking in a very deep shade of red, showing great hostility.

The Half-Elf was certain that, now that Lilian had seen Eiko for herself, she wouldn't stop until she got hold of the Baby Slime, whom she deemed to be a special existence just like her.

 

Chapter 867 Arriving At The Atlas Stronghold

Just an hour before sunset, Cleo's carriage finally arrived at the Atlas Stronghold.

Lux, who was paying close attention to his Soul Book, sighed internally.

'She's still following us,' Lux thought. 'What a persistent Calamity.'

The Wicked Queen Slime, Lilian, still hadn't given up on Eiko and was stalking them from a distance. This had caused much stress not only to the Half-Elf, but also to the Saintess. Both of them felt very wary of Lilian's strength and tenacity.

However, they temporarily cast this problem aside when they reached their destination, the last hurdle they had to pass through before reaching the Pantheon of Exile.

The moment Lux and Gaap disembarked from the carriage, they were briefed about where the Pantheon of Exile was located.

"Do you see that red pillar of light on the horizon?" Cleo pointed in the distance. "That is where the Pantheon of Exile is located."

Lux and Gaap could see it clearly even with the fading light of the sun. It was like a beacon, shining in the distance as if making sure that everyone was aware of its existence.

The only thing that was blocking their way was a vast, bubbling, purple sea, which Cleo insisted had claimed countless lives in the past.

"So, how do we cross it?" Lux asked as he looked to where the pillar of light was shining.

"We can't," Cleo replied.

"Excuse me?" Lux glanced at the Saintess with a confused look on his face. "What do you mean we can't?"

"Just like I said, we can't," Cleo stated. "No one except a Supreme can fly over this sea because there is an enchantment placed on it preventing anyone aside from a Supreme from flying over it.

"Anyone who tries will find themselves falling face first in that highly acidic water that can melt metals like ice in boiling water. This is the Pantheon of Exile we are talking about. Once you enter it, you will never be able to leave it. Also, those who try to reach it never came back alive."

A frown then appeared on Lux's face. He had just used the Elysium Compendium to gain information about the Purple Sea of Death, and it was just as Cleo had said.

According to the Compendium, unless someone is completely immune to acid, they would not be able to swim through the waters, let alone reach the Pantheon of Exile.

"It's getting late, and that Wicked Queen Slime is still out there," Cleo said softly. "Why don't we stay in the Stronghold first and rest for the night? You can leave this place tomorrow and return to the Capital if you like."

"Return?" Lux asked. "Why should we return?"

"Because no matter what you do, you will not be able to cross that sea," Cleo answered. "Also, there are Sea Monsters who are immune to acid that live there. All of them are Deimos-Ranked and above. Aside from them, there are also Wraiths patrolling the sky above the sea. Many believe that these were the spirits of those who have died in their attempt to cross these waters."

The frown on Lux's face deepened as he listened to Cleo's words.

"So, you brought us here to feel helpless, is that it?" Gaap asked with a smile. "You want Lux to see this sea and hope that he will give up on seeing Aurora, right?"

"I would be lying if I said no." Cleo nodded. "I want Lux to see that his goal to reach the Pantheon of Exile was impossible from the start. Unless you are a Supreme, you can't fly over those waters. That place is where the most dangerous creatures and individuals, who can threaten the stability of Agartha, are kept.

"Even if they manage to escape the Pantheon of Exile, they will not be able to cross this sea alive, leaving them with no other option but to stay on that island forever."

Lux pondered for a bit and was about to experiment when he felt someone tug on his robes.

"Let's rest for the night," Gaap said. "I know that you are feeling impatient, but we have had a long journey. We need to get some proper rest before you attempt to cross that sea. Not to mention, Lilian is still out there somewhere. She might even attack us while you are conducting experiments, so it is best to recuperate a bit in order to regain our spirits."

Lux sighed as he glanced at the pillar of light rising from the horizon. He had been feeling on edge as of late because of Lilian's stalking. He was certain that now that their negotiations had ended, the Wicked Queen Slime might resort to violence in order to capture Eiko.

Although he wasn't too worried since his Master was there, he still felt that it was his responsibility to protect the Baby Slime from harm.

Because of this, he reluctantly nodded his head and agreed to rest for the time being and conduct his experiments to cross the sea when morning came.

A few minutes later, they entered the Gates of the Stronghold, and they were welcomed by the Commander, who was tasked to ensure that if and when something could cross the Purple Sea of Death, they would warn the Capital City at once and inform their King of such an event.

Commander Garen, who was the top dog of the Stronghold of Atlas, welcomed Cleo politely.

Similar to the Saintess, the commander was also a Saint. He was stationed in the Stronghold to act as its Guardian, just in case something powerful was to emerge from the sea and invade Agartha.

"This is His Majesty's Decree," Cleo stated as he handed the scroll to the Commander. "Please read it. This is the reason for our visit."

Commander Garen nodded and opened the scroll. A moment later, a scowl appeared on his face before he glanced at Lux and Gaap, who were standing behind the Saintess.

"Madness." Commander Garen scoffed. "They want to see THAT girl and even set her free? By the Gods, are all of you Highlanders insane? Our King also agreed to this farce?"

"Watch your words, Commander." Cleo frowned. "Our King has given his decree. We only came here to let you know why we are here."

Commander Garen rolled up the scroll and returned it to the Saintess. However, his next words made the frown on Cleo's face deepen.

"I don't mind providing food and shelter to you, Cleo," Commander Garen said. "But my Stronghold doesn't have a place for these Highlanders who are courting death. If they really want to, they can camp outside our walls. There is plenty of space there."

"Commander…" Cleo was about to say something, but Garen raised his hand to stop her.

"I am the Commanding Officer of this stronghold," Garen declared. "I have read the King's Decree, and I will tolerate their presence here. But that doesn't mean I am obligated to shelter them. They can stay if they want, but only outside the walls of this Fortress. As to how they will cross the Purple Sea of Death, I'd like to see them try."

Commander Garen sneered at the two Highlanders, who looked back at him as if they were looking at someone dumb.

However, in order to prevent any more possible conflicts, Lux and Gaap left the stronghold and decided to camp outside.

Eiko looked at the Commander and stuck out her tongue in his direction. Clearly, she didn't like people who looked down on her Papa.

Cleo gritted her teeth and followed the Half-Elf and Halfling, but not before glaring at Commander Garren.

The Commander of the Stronghold of Atlas only shrugged as if he couldn't be bothered by childish tantrums.

No one could cross the Purple Sea of Death unless they were a Supreme. Only death would follow those who were stupid enough to ignore their warnings.

 

Chapter 868 We Need To Talk

This wasn't the first time that Lux and Gaap had camped outside, so they already had the necessary items to do so.

Lux had obtained one of the tents from the Rowan Tribe that was compressed into a storage ball.

All he needed to do was throw the ball on the ground, and it would activate, constructing itself without too much effort.

The tent was very spacious and was the size of a house. Clearly, Cai made sure that her fiance only had the best, so the tent she gave Lux could house a dozen people comfortably.

Even Cleo was pleasantly surprised when she entered the tent and immediately fell in love with it. There was already furniture inside it, including several beds that were very comfortable to lie on.

Lux took the initiative to prepare their dinner, while Cleo and Gaap sat on the couch, making themselves feel at home.

An hour later, they all finished eating and decided to talk about their plans for the night.

"Who will be on watch duty?" Cleo asked after they had eaten dinner. "That Wicked Queen Slime is still out there, and I don't want to take chances."

"You don't have to worry about that," Gaap replied. "My subordinates will handle the watch duty. Just get your beauty sleep."

If it were in the past, Cleo wouldn't have believed Gaap's words and would just think that the Halfling was spouting nonsense. However, after the battle in El Hazard, the Saintess no longer looked down on the Halfling due to his low Rank.

"I'll take you up on that offer then," Cleo said before going into one of the "rooms" inside the tent that she had claimed as her temporary lodging.

When only Lux and Gaap remained, the Halfling smiled before taking out a pipe to start smoking.

"You should rest as well, Lux," Gaap stated. "You will not be able to think of ways to cross this sea in your current state. I know you've been on edge due to Lilian following us, but rest assured, as long as I am here, she will not be able to lay her hands on Eiko."

"Pa!" Eiko nodded as if to support Gaap's words.

Although she didn't hate Lilian, the thought of being separated from her Papa made her feel upset.

"Understood, Master." Lux nodded. "I will rest for now. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Gaap replied. "I'll handle the rest."

Lux then went into one of the rooms to sleep, leaving the Halfling alone. Truth be told, he had already thought of a few ways to cross the Purple Sea of Death.

It was just that he still needed to conduct experiments to check whether his ideas would work. However, since Gaap insisted that he rested, he decided to follow his Master's advice and sleep for the night.

Gaap then stepped outside of the tent and looked at the beautiful lady who was standing hundreds of meters away from them.

Even without light, the Halfing could feel Lilian's strong life energy, which was like a beacon of light in the dark night.

"We need to talk," Gaap said before blowing white circles with his pipe. "You won't make any progress if you use force. You can try, but Eiko will only resent you. Is that what you want?"

Lilian didn't answer right away and instead looked at the red pillar of light in the distance.

"The Pantheon of Exile." Lilian narrowed her eyes. "So you and your disciple plan to cross this Sea?"

"That's the plan," Gaap replied. "Are you one of the Pantheon's former residents?"

Lilian smiled sweetly before glancing at the Halfling, who was still smoking his pipe.

"That place couldn't possibly hold me for long," Lilian stated. "Getting in and out of that place is mere child's play. How about I help you guys cross the sea and, in exchange, you give me Eiko? This is a win-win situation, and it sounds like a fair trade to me."

"Give it up, Lilian," Gaap commented. "Lux will not part with Eiko, and Eiko will not part with her Papa. How about I give you an offer instead?"

"An offer?" Lilian arched an eyebrow. "You want to reach a compromise with me?"

Gaap nodded. "Something like that. This might also be a good thing for you."

"Oh?" the smile on Lilian's face widened after hearing Gaap's words. "Start talking, Halfling. We'll see whether your proposal piques my interest or not."

———————————

The next day…

Lux did some light stretches while facing the sea.

The guards that were stationed on the walls of the Stronghold were looking at him with great interest.

Although it was not rare for them to see visitors coming to the Atlas Stronghold, seeing a Highlander in the flesh was something they didn't experience often.

If it weren't for their duties, they might have approached Lux and asked the Half-Elf to shake their hands.

Highlanders only existed in Myths and Legends, and although they knew that they were real, seeing one was not something they expected to experience in their lifetime.

"Eiko, are you ready?" Lux asked the Baby Slime on his head.

"Ei!" Eiko jumped in place, as if telling her Papa that she was ready to start their experiment.

"Okay, you do it first." Lux crossed his arms over his chest.

"Pa!" Eiko jumped off Lux's head and crawled closer to the beach.

When the Baby Slime was only a few meters away from the receding waves, she shouted, and a magic circle appeared in front of her.

"Come!" Eiko ordered.

A moment later, an Argonaut-Ranked Diabolical Acid Slime World Boss appeared.

This was the same Slime that Eiko had summoned back in the Gladiator's Tournament. Lux thought that Eiko's slime might be one of the keys to allow them to cross the Purple Sea of Death.

"Go!" Eiko ordered.

The Diabolical Acid Slime nodded its head and crawled towards the Purple Waters.

A moment later, it began to swim in it, looking perfectly fine.

Cleo, who was watching this from a distance, looked at the World Boss Monster with wide eyes.

"I forgot that she can summon one of those," Cleo muttered.

Originally, she thought that Lux would give up if his experiments bore no fruit. However, she was able to regain her calm after a few minutes. The sea's acidity was just one of the many hurdles that would block their path.

Although the Argonaut-Ranked Diabolical Slime could indeed swim in the highly acidic waters, there were still powerful Monsters and Wraiths in the sea.

If they were to face a Dreadnaught or Empyrean Ranked Monster while riding on the Diabolical Acid Slime, their chances of survival would decrease drastically.

Just as the Saintess was thinking that riding on the Diabolical Acid Slime wouldn't be good enough, Lux also walked towards the beach and raised his hand.

"Come," Lux ordered. "Deus Gigantia!"

A moment later, a gigantic Skeleton King appeared and walked towards the sea with steady steps.

Lux eyed the Skeleton King's body as it waded through the waters.

Seeing that the Acid couldn't melt its bones, an idea came into his head.

He then relayed his orders to the Skeleton King, and the latter continued to walk through the sea until its body slowly submerged little by little.

"It's quite deep," Lux commented.

The Skeleton King was over a hundred meters tall, yet its entire body had fully submerged under the acidic waters.

Even so, Lux wasn't worried because his experiment was still underway. As long as he confirmed that his hypothesis was correct, crossing the Purple Sea of Death wouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Not a problem even if the sea was infested with Sea Monsters and Wraiths, who were all Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above.

"Wait for me, Aurora," Lux muttered. "I'll be there soon."

 

Chapter 869 Danger That Lurked Within The Depths

Lux sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, facing the Purple Sea of Death.

Right now, he was connected with the Skeleton King, who was walking along the bottom of the sea.

Swimming around him were several monsters that were Rank 5 and below, most of which resembled underwater eels.

There was even a Deimos-Ranked Crab, which was nearly ten meters tall. It hurriedly scurried away when the Skeleton King walked in its direction.

The Skeleton King could sense the presence of other strong monsters that were Dreadnaught Rank and below in his surroundings, but he paid them no mind.

These strong creatures were not interested in the Giant Skeleton King because it was only made up of bones, and there was no flesh for them to eat.

Lux appraised these creatures through his connection with Deus Gigantia and took note of their features.

He had already expected that the Purple Sea of Death was deep, but he didn't know how deep it was.

A thousand meters…

Two thousand meters…

Three thousand meters…

Four Thousand meters…

Five thousand meters…

The Skeleton King then stumbled upon what seemed like a bottomless cliff. He stopped completely in front of it. These cliffs extended sideways, creating a natural barrier that prevented the Skeleton King from moving forward.

Left with no choice, the Giant Skeleton extended his senses downwards to check if there was something in the darkness below.

After several minutes passed, he detected a few things which he relayed to his Master, Lux.

"I knew it," Lux muttered. "Asmodeus, come."

The Lich King appeared beside the Half-Elf and waited for his order.

Lux told Asmodeus about his plan, and the Lich King nodded his head in understanding.

"Very well, I'll see to it that it is done to perfection," Asmodeus commented before teleporting to where the Skeleton King was currently located.

After the Skeleton King had been submerged in the highly acidic sea for a long time, he had confirmed that it had no effect on his Skeletal Body. However, in order to further test this theory, they needed to send one of Lux's Named Creatures, who was also an Undead Monster.

Among them, it was only Asmodeus who had a full body completely made up of bones.

Because of this, Lux felt that it was better if he sent the Lich King, rather than Diablo or Ishtar, who were starting to regain some flesh on their bodies after their evolution, making them look like Humans who had very pale complexions.

When Asmodeus arrived under the sea, he paid close attention to his arms, and legs to see if some of his body parts were melting. After staying there for five minutes, he confirmed that he was unaffected by the acid in the water.

"Well then, time to work," Asmodeus pressed his hands together as he looked down towards the bottom of the cliff that seemed bottomless.

"Skeleton Make… Ship!"

At first, nothing happened. However, a few seconds later, loud rumbling sounds reverberated from below the cliff in front of him.

Bubbles started to rise up to the surface as countless bones emerged from the darkness.

These were the bones of the Sea Creatures that had long died under the sea, and Lux intended to use them to build a ship that would help them cross it.

After several minutes, a ship made up of bones was formed which slowly rose towards the surface.

Lux, who was still connected with the Giant Skeleton King, appraised it in order to see whether or not it was capable of taking them to their destination.

————————————

< Ghost Ship Octavius >

Rating: Mythical

A ship that was formed from the bones of the Sea Creatures that had long died in the Purple Sea of Death. Although it is made up of bones, it is as hard as Orichalcum and can withstand the powerful attacks of Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters and below.

It is unaffected by the highly acidic water of the Purple Sea of Death, making it an ideal ship to sail through this deadly sea that has claimed countless lives.

————————————

After seeing the information, Lux nodded his head in satisfaction and commanded Asmodeus and the Giant Skeleton King to return to shore.

Now that they had secured a ship, they could travel to the Pantheon of Exile without any worries.

As for the Sea Monsters and the Wraiths that would stand in their way, Lux wasn't too worried about them.

On the contrary, he was even looking forward to fighting them and experiencing for himself how strong they really were.

Cleo, who was wondering if Lux had given up, was currently standing a few meters behind him with her arms crossed over her chest.

Several minutes later, a frown appeared on her face when she saw something white moving in their direction from the sea.

It was not only the Saintess who saw this but also the people stationed on the ramparts of the Atlas Stronghold.

Their duty was to repel any threat that would be coming from the sea, and they would not allow anything to get past their defenses.

"A ship made up of bones?" the Guard Captain muttered after looking through his telescope. A moment later, he raised his hand and called his Aide. "Report to the Commander that an unknown ship is heading our way!"

"Yes, Sir!" The Aide was about to leave when he heard Lux's voice from below the ramparts.

"There's nothing to worry about," Lux said, making sure to say it loudly so that everyone could hear him. "That ship belongs to me."

As if to assure everyone of his words, the head of the Giant Skeleton King emerged from the waters as he started to walk towards the shore.

Commander Garen, who noticed the commotion on the Ramparts, appeared and narrowed his eyes.

After seeing the Giant Skeleton King, as well as the Bone Ship, he frowned, but he didn't move from his spot.

He had seen many people try to cross the Purple Sea of Death with their own ships, but all of them sank not long after leaving the shore.

"Captain, should we inform His Majesty?" the Guard Captain asked.

"Wait for my orders," Commander Garen replied.

He had contacted King Septimius not long ago and informed him of Lux's arrival at the Atlas Stronghold.

The King of Agartha then ordered Commander Garen to report to him if the Half-Elf managed to find a way to cross the Purple Sea of Death or died in the attempt.

Right now, the Commander didn't know if the ship was strong enough to sail the deadly waters.

A part of him was hoping that it would sink mid-way through their journey, making the Half-Elf regret his decision to go to the Pantheon of Exile.

However, the latter half was quite curious if Lux would be able to reach his destination.

As far as they were concerned, only the Kings of Agartha were able to fly over the Purple Sea of Death, carrying those whom he deemed worthy of exile.

Countless people had tried to cross the sea, but none of them had succeeded.

After being stationed in the Atlas Stronghold for several years, Commander Garen had grown numb to the scenery around him.

Because of this, he was hoping that he would find some kind of entertainment in watching the Half-Elf cross the Purple Sea of Death, and face the monsters that lurked within its depths.

 

 

Chapter 870 Set A Course Towards The Pantheon Of Exile

"Are you sure that ship is safe to ride?" Cleo looked at the Ghost Ship Octavius anxiously.

"We'll know if we ride it," Lux replied.

"W-Wait?! You're not sure?!"

"Don't worry. It will not sink… I guess."

Cleo was very tempted to kick the Half-Elf and send him flying towards the sea for casually speaking about something so serious.

Even a Saint would not survive for long after falling into the Purple Sea of Death, unless they had hundreds of life-saving artifacts with them that would hold on to their life until they were able to return to the shore.

Seeing how worried Cleo was, the Half-Elf decided to give her a choice.

"You don't have to come with us, Miss Cleo," Lux said. "You can just wait until we return."

"And if you don't return?" Cleo asked.

"We will return," Lux stated.

Seeing the confidence in Lux's words, Cleo felt as if the Half-Elf was certain that the Bone Ship would take him to the Pantheon of Exile and back.

After pondering for several minutes, the Saintess sighed internally as she told Lux her decision.

"I'm sorry, but I will not be able to accompany you to the Pantheon of Exile," Cleo stated. "I will just wait for you here."

Lux nodded his head in understanding and didn't force the Saintess to join them on their journey.

In fact, the Half-Elf thought that this was for the better. He and his Master, Gaap, had many secrets, and, as much as possible, they didn't want others to know about them.

"Well then, see you when we return," Lux said. "Wait for us, okay?"

"I will wait for a month," Cleo replied. "If you're not back by then, I will assume that you are dead and inform his Majesty about your tragic end."

Lux smiled and bid the Saintess goodbye.

He was very thankful for Cleo's company because she had guided them as far as the Atlas Stronghold. The Half-Elf could also tell that the Saintess was genuinely concerned for his safety, so he didn't think badly of her when she decided to stay behind.

The Giant Skeleton King picked up Lux and Gaap and gently placed them on the Bone Ship.

As soon as they were on the ship's deck, Eiko jumped off Lux's head and teleported to the steering wheel. The Baby Slime then sat on top of it and raised her head with a smile.

"Yar!" Eiko shouted before giggling.

She had remembered the time when she was with Captain Jack Spawow and was tasked to navigate the ship as they pursued the kidnapped Princess through the high seas.

Seeing how peppy the Baby Slime was, Lux decided to let her have her fun and even played along.

The Half-Elf summoned his Skeleton Gangbangers and ordered them around.

"Raise the Anchor! Unfurl the Sails!" Lux ordered and the Skeleton Gangbangers scrambled to do as they were told.

Eiko looked at all of this with sparkling eyes and even jumped up and down on the steering wheel as if cheering for everyone to do their best.

"Captain Eiko, set a course," Lux smiled as he pointed at the shining red pillar in the distance. "Towards the Pantheon of Exile!"

"Aye!" Eiko replied before jumping on the steering wheel to make the ship turn around.

Since it was a ghost ship, it didn't need any wind to push it through the waters. Still, when The Octavius was made, it came with sails as an added aesthetic.

The ship started to gain speed as it left the shore. Cleo watched it shrink into the distance with a calm expression on her face. She really wanted to go with them, but the fear of the unknown stopped her as she didn't want to take the risk.

Even so, that didn't stop her from making a simple prayer, asking for Lux's, Eiko's, and Gaap's safety on their journey toward their destination.

"May Lady Cybele watch over all of you," Cleo said as she pressed her palms together. "Don't die, Lux."

Commander Garen looked at the bone ship that was getting smaller and smaller in the distance with his arms crossed over his chest.

Only when the ship was but a minuscule black speck on the horizon did he return to his office to report the most recent development to his King.

————————

On the Deck of the Bone Ship Octavius…

Eiko hummed as she sat on the steering wheel, feeling the wind blow past her.

Her Papa had assigned her as the Captain of the Ship, and she took this post very seriously. She even summoned her Terrorist Squad to act as support, just in case they were suddenly attacked out of the blue.

Lux and Gaap, on the other hand, were also busy monitoring their surroundings for possible attacks from above and below the sea.

According to Cleo, there were Underwater Monsters that were Empyrean Ranked and below in the Purple Sea of Death.

Not only that, but there were also Sea Wraiths that were said to be very aggressive and would attack once they sensed any living creature in their territory.

When the Half-Elf summoned his Soul Book, countless red blinking dots had appeared on his map. Even so, most of them were very small, which meant that they weren't much of a threat to them.

Just to be sure, he had ordered Asmodeus, who had created clones of himself, to travel underwater to serve as a scout.

The Lich King's task was to handle the small fries that dared to attack their ship and hinder their journey.

Because of this, several underwater explosions, which sent bubbles rising on the surface, could be seen all around the ship.

"Animate Undead!" Asmodeus raised his hand, and the Rank 5 Monsters that he had killed all came back to life as Undead Zombies.

He then ordered them to serve as Advance Scouts, which would warn him if stronger monsters appeared along the way.

Although The Octavius was a very sturdy ship, Lux knew that if it faced powerful Sea Monsters that were of the Empyrean Rank, the possibility of it being damaged was high.

Because of this, he and his Master, Gaap, both agreed that they would fight it with long-range attacks before it could even come close enough to damage their ship.

Back on the shore, a beautiful woman with black hair and purple eyes walked towards the sea with a sneer.

A moment later, she transformed to her original size, making Cleo and all the guards in the Atlas Stronghold gasp in shock.

The Wicked Queen Slime then began to swim at a rapid pace, unhindered by the highly toxic waters of the Purple Sea of Death.

Clearly, she had no intention of being left behind and followed the Half-Elf to the place where she had been born hundreds of years ago.