Ch. 881: Chapter 881-890

Chapter 881 Iris Versus Ampelos [Part 2]

"Blue Dragon's Descent!"

"Dark Slash!"

The two attacks collided in the air, sending sparks flying in every direction.

Iris held firm and tried to push Ampelos' attack back, and the Satyr did the same.

A few seconds later, the Dark Slash was slowly gaining momentum, pushing the Blue Dragon back despite Iris' efforts to win their clash.

Half a minute later, the blade cut the blue dragon in half and continued its trajectory toward the blue-haired beauty, who immediately flew sideways to evade it.

Suddenly, and without any warning, Iris heard the whistling of wind.

At that exact moment, a black shell that was the size of a round mirror appeared a meter away from Iris' neck.

When the young lady finally understood what happened, she saw a silver needle sticking out from the center of the black shell. If it weren't for the black shell's protection, it would have hit her neck.

Ampelos clicked his tongue because his follow-up attack failed. The needle he shot toward Iris using his blowpipe contained a very powerful paralyzing poison.

He thought that he had the battle under his control, but it seemed that his opponent had a few aces up her sleeve.

'Thank you, Myrtle,' Iris said to her Black Turtle, whose specialty was defense.

In their Bestial Forms, each of Iris Guardian Beasts were powerful in their own right. They were all Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monsters, so they weren't weak.

However, the moment they merged with Iris, their specialties were heightened, giving them a drastic boost.

Myrtle, the Black Turtle specialized in defense.

Lapiz the Blue Dragon, specialized in powerful attacks.

Hanz, the White Tiger, specialized in speed, agility, dexterity, as well as an overall increase in Physical Strength.

Zoe, the Red Phoenix specialized in long-ranged attacks, flight, regeneration, and increased resistance against magical attacks, and status debuffs.

Together, her Guardian Spirits ensured that Iris would be able to stand against stronger opponents even if she was only an E-Ranker.

The Leader of the Satyr, who refused to use any deadly attacks against Iris, was in a dilemma.

His original plan was to overpower the young lady with his Dark Slash at a decreased speed, giving her a chance to evade it. While she was focused on doing that, he would use his blowpipe to end the battle.

It was a perfect plan, but because things didn't go according to his expectations, his opponent would now be more wary of future sneak attacks.

'I guess I have no choice,' Ampelos thought before summoning a lyre in his hand.

His fingers then lightly plucked its strings, creating beautiful music that slowly grew in intensity with each passing second.

Iris, who was hovering in the air, casually moved to the side, causing something to fly past her, making her hair flutter.

After a brief pause, Iris once again dodged to the side and did it a third time. As Ampelos' rhapsody rose to the next level, the young lady kept on dodging the invisible attacks that were flying in her direction.

The only reason why she was able to do this was due to her White Tiger, Hanz.

One of its unique abilities was primal roar, allowing it to attack with supersonic shockwaves in its Bestial Form.

Because of this, Iris was quite familiar with sound wave attacks and was able to predict their trajectory with the White Tiger's help.

As if understanding how his opponent was able to dodge his invisible strikes, Ampelos strummed the string as if he were slashing the lyre in half.

Iris then raised her right hand, with her palms open.

"Tiger's Roar!" Iris shouted and a deafening roar of a tiger spread in the surroundings, creating a shockwave that nullified Ampelos' Sound Wave Attack that was meant to hit a wide area.

"You are starting to annoy me, Young Lady," Ampelos said in a cold and deadly tone. "If I wanted to kill you, I could do it anytime."

"I know," Iris replied. "But since you have no plans to kill me, you will not be able to defeat me."

"Don't push me," Ampelos growled. "As long as you don't die from my attack, I will be able to nurse you back to health. Although I dislike doing it, I can just slice off your limbs, making you unable to do anything. I admit that it will lower the thrill of ravaging you, but you are leaving me with no other choice."

The Satyr then summoned his short sword again, making it glow in a purplish hue.

'I'll just cut off her arms first,' Ampelos thought. 'Once she is defenseless, she will no longer have a means to resist.'

Iris could tell that Ampelos no longer planned on holding back. Because of this, she pressed her palms together, gathering the power of her four Legendary Beasts for one single attack that would contain all of her power.

"Infinity Edge!" Ampelos roared as he swung his sword, creating countless Crescent Blades with different colors that flew toward Iris.

Iris then unleashed her own concentrated attack, with the intention of drilling a hole in the Satyr's chest, obliterating his heart.

"Ruinous Prayer!" Iris shouted and unleashed a four-colored ray of light that flew toward her opponent like a rail gun.

The crescent blades that were on its path were all shattered like pieces of glass, shocking Ampelos because he didn't expect Iris' final strike to be so strong.

Because of this, he was forced to dodge to the side, but the ray still brushed past his body, leaving a trail of blood on his chest.

The Crescent Blades that survived Iris' spell were about to land on her body when suddenly a blue beam of light flew through the barrier and appeared in front of her.

"Ei!"

One by one, the Crescent Blades shattered, failing to reach their target. Iris then looked at the little girl who was standing in front of her with her arms spread wide, shielding her from harm.

"E-Eiko?"

"Ma!"

The little girl immediately hugged Iris and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. After having had her fill, she then spat two orbs of light towards the ground.

A moment later, Lux and Gaap appeared, making Ampelos growl in anger. He had long wanted to vent his frustration on something or someone because the lady he wanted to embrace was resisting him with all of her might.

"Good! Good! Good!" Ampelos clenched his fists, making the muscles in his body bulge. "You came here to rescue her, right? Well sorry to disappoint you, but the only thing you will get is a one-way ticket to hell!"

Just as the Satyr was about to lunge at the two newcomers, a gigantic shadow was cast upon his body.

Lux, who had seen how his fiance was about to be sliced up by the Satyr's attack, was very angry at the moment.

Because of this, he had summoned the Giant Skeleton King, in its basic form.

As if feeling the wrath of his Master, the Skeleton King, who was hundreds of meters tall, materialized out of thin air and broke the red dome of light that prevented Iris from escaping earlier.

It then raised its gigantic foot, which made Ampelos subconsciously take a step back.

"The only one going to hell today is none other than you!" Lux growled. "Now, die!"

As if given the signal to strike, the Giant Skeleton King then stomped its foot towards the Satyr, crushing Ampelos under his foot.

 

Chapter 882 You Already Know What I Want, Right?

In the castle high up in the Mountains, overlooking the Dark Forest…

Alicia, Henrietta, and the other girls who were taken to Succubus Palace were currently submerged in a pool of magical water that had restorative effects.

All of them were naked and seemed to be asleep. Their bodies slowly healed from the injuries that they had garnered in the fight against the Satyrs.

While this was happening, Xander, Malcolm, and the rest of the men found themselves being surrounded by beautiful ladies, who each had a charm of their own.

All of them were also injured and, similar to the girls, they were all naked as well.

Each man was being cared for by several beauties, which would make those who ever saw them wish that they could trade places with them.

Even Xander, who had a very strong willpower, found himself unable to muster any strength to resist, as one of the beautiful ladies kissed him passionately on the lips.

While this was happening, another lady was also kissing, and licking his little brother, stroking the desire that lay dormant within his chest.

Right beside Xander, Malcolm, who didn't have any strength to even move his finger, found his head buried in the chest of a beautiful young lady, who seemed to be in her late teens.

"You poor thing," the succubus embracing Malcolm said sadly. "Those Satyrs are idiots who only think with their lower half. Here, let me make you feel better."

The young lady guided Malcolm's lips to the pink tip of her right breast and gently patted his head while telling him that he was going to be okay.

Behind him, another beautiful lady was pressing her breasts against his back, while her hand stroked Malcolm's shaft, which had become as hard as a rock despite his injuries.

"The young ones are good," the beautiful succubus behind Malcolm commented before nibbling his right ear. "I think he'll be able to go for a few rounds."

The Succubi inside the Passion Palace, where Queen Rhiannon ruled, had not frolicked with Humans for nearly two decades.

Because of this, they were very eager to have their fun with the men that their Queen had brought them and taste their fertile seeds which were considered to be the most delicious delicacy in the world.

Soon, Xander and Malcolm were embraced by the Succubi, who whispered words of love and affection in their ears. They took the lead in making love with the helpless young men, who were at their mercy.

It didn't take long before sighs and grunts of pleasure spread in the Main Hall of the Passion Palace, which was a place that was specially made to accommodate orgies.

A few minutes later, Xander, Malcolm, and the other men shuddered, as their seeds spurted inside the beautiful ladies, who felt ecstatic after being filled with their essence.

While this massive orgy was happening, Queen Rhiannon gazed at the young lady, who was submerged in a pool of water all alone.

Unlike the place where Alicia, Henrietta, and the other ladies had been placed, Cai had her own personal pool, and floating on the pool's surface were crimson flowers that bloomed only in the Abyss.

Cai, who was also unconscious and seemed to be asleep, was also slowly recovering due to the restorative effects of the pool that served as the Succubus Queen's personal property.

No one had been able to use it in the past, but she made an exception for the young lady who possessed the Celestial Body Physique, which held significant importance to her.

Suddenly and without any warning, an emblem appeared on Cai's lower abdomen that glowed in a golden light.

Queen Rhiannon arched an eyebrow after seeing this phenomenon. Although she was seeing it for the first time, her woman's intuition let her know what it signified.

"So, the man who took your chastity followed you to the Abyss," Queen Rhiannon said softly. "Did he come here because he was afraid of losing his tool that would allow him to become a future powerhouse, or did he come here to save you because you are important to him? Care to answer me, my dear?"

Cai's eyes slowly opened, and her pupils glowed in a purple color.

"Lux came here because I am his fiance," Cai answered in a monotonous tone. "He will do everything in his power to save me."

"Oh really?" Queen Rhiannon smirked. "Tell me, does he love you?"

"…I believe that he loves me," Cai replied in the same monotonous tone. "At least, that is what I hope."

Queen Rhiannon then entered the pool and lightly caressed the side of Cai's face. "Then, should we put this love to the test? Do you want to know if he merely sees you as a tool or as someone really important to him?"

"…Yes," Cai replied. "I want to know his true feelings."

"Then, let's have a bet," Queen Rhiannon whispered in Cai's ears as if she were a devil trying to tempt Cai into selling her soul to her. "If you win, I will grant one of your wishes. But, if I win… You already know what I want, right?"

"Very well," Cai replied in the same monotonous tone. It was as if she wasn't fully conscious and merely answering the Succubus Queen with an automatic response. "If you win, I will agree to your proposal."

"Good." Queen Rhiannon grinned. "We have a deal."

The Succubus Queen then caressed the emblem that was glowing on Cai's lower abdomen.

The heart-shaped emblem with six wings spread wide slowly lost its golden glow and was replaced by a purple light.

After making sure that Cai's mark was now dyed with her colors, the Succubus Queen disappeared from her private pool and reappeared at the very top of her palace.

In the distance, she could see a towering Skeleton King, who easily shattered the barrier that was covering the Satyr's Lair, where Ampelos and his gang of Satyrs lived.

"Lux…," Queen Rhiannon smirked as her gaze locked on the red-headed teenager, who had come to the Abyss to rescue the Celestial Maiden that she had kidnapped. "You look so tasty. I'm very tempted to drain you dry."

The Succubus Queen's purple eyes glowed faintly as she giggled. Right now, she didn't plan on interfering with the battle.

She didn't have to do anything because, no matter the outcome of Lux's battle with Ampelos, sooner or later, he would come to her if he wanted to rescue his comrades, who were currently inside her Passion Palace.

Queen Rhiannon wanted to see Lux's despairing face when he found out that the one who captured the Celestial Maiden was a Demigod.

A Demigod that he had to fight if he wanted her back in one piece.

 

Chapter 883 A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

Ampelos panted for breath as he looked at the gigantic foot that had stomped the place where he had been standing not long ago.

At the very last second, before the foot could descend on his body, he managed to use his skill that allowed him to instantly dash a hundred meters away from his original location, which was similar to a teleportation ability.

Seeing that his target managed to evade his attack, the Skeleton King once again raised his foot and stomped for the second time.

Ampelos didn't stand idly by and quickly distanced himself from the Behemoth, whose rank was lower than him by one stage.

Deus Gigantia's Basic Form was only that of a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.

Ampelos was much stronger because he was a Peak, Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster. Even so, he didn't dare to allow himself to get hit by the Skeleton King's attacks because his bestial senses were telling him that one direct hit might give him serious injuries.

The reason why the Leader of the Satyrs was feeling this way was due to Lux's skill, Divine Abyssal Touch [EX].

Before its upgrade, his Abyssal Touch ability not only directly attacked a creature's soul, but it also dealt 200% Pure Damage against Abyssal Creatures.

Now that it had evolved into the Divine Abyssal Touch [EX], it was now imbued with Divine Energy, which was another one of the weaknesses of Abyssal Creatures.

This skill now deals 400% increased damage against Abyssal Creatures and had the same "Pure Damage" effect that it had before the skill was upgraded.

Simply put, even if Ampelos was a Rank Higher than Deus Gigantia, a single attack from the Skeleton King would deal great damage to him. However, what he didn't know was that the Giant Monster in front of him was not the only one who had this ability.

Lux's Undead Army, as well as the members of his Covenant, also had this ability!

But that was not all. Due to the Half-Elf's passive skill, Death God Aura, all of his Undead were capable of dealing massive damage to Abyssal Creatures that were equal in rank or higher by one stage.

"Come!" Lux, whose anger would not be sated until the Leader of the Satyrs was beaten half dead, raised his right hand and summoned his clones, who summoned his Undead Army in full force.

The Doom Knight Gangbangers, Nighstalkers, Jade Golems, Lich Revenants, Doomsday Gargoyles, and Fortress Defenders all surged forth like a tide and charged towards the Leader of the Satyr with a vengeance.

At that moment, the sound of hooves running across the forest reached Lux's ears.

"Boss! Are you alright?!" one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked Satyrs asked as soon as they arrived at the scene.

"We saw the giant skeleton from afar and knew that our Lair was being attacked," another Satyr shouted in indignation. "Who has the guts to attack the mighty Satyrs of the 13th Layer of the Abyss?!"

All the Satyrs, who had just arrived at the scene, also shouted in anger. The Lair was their home, and anyone who dared to attack it was going to be exterminated no matter what.

However, when they saw the thousands of Doom Knight Gangbangers that were running in their direction, they instinctively felt as if their buttholes were in danger of being violated.

This was a feeling that the Satyrs had never felt before in their lives, and because of this, they did what any sensible Satyr would do in that situation.

They ran!

"Sorry Boss, nature calls," said one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked Satyrs, who had come earlier, intending to help fight whatever attacked their Lair, before running away in full force. "This one is going to be a big one, so I don't think I'll return soon."

"Um, I forgot I have a prior appointment with the Corrupted Dryad on the 14th Layer," another Satyr stated. "I'll be back in a few days."

All the Satyrs gave various excuses to Ampelos before running away full throttle. However, just as they thought that they were about to get away, a barrier surrounded the entire Dark Forest, trapping all of them inside it.

High above the peak of her castle, the Succubus Queen giggled because she had not seen something so amusing in the past decade of her life in the Abyss.

Since she wanted to be entertained, she made sure that none of the Satyrs could escape the Dark Forest, forcing them to fight Lux and his summons with everything they had.

Lux and Gaap frowned after sensing the barrier that had surrounded the forest. This was very different from the Barrier of the Satyrs which they had broken so easily.

"Antero, spit them out, but don't show yourself," Gaap ordered.

A moment later, a red portal materialized above his head.

From inside that portal, two beams of light emerged and landed a few meters away from Gaap.

Lux's eyes widened in shock once he saw who they were. He never expected to see the Wicked Queen Slime in the Abyss.

"Aunt!" Eiko shouted as soon as she saw Lilian, making the beautiful woman smile at her.

"We meet again, Eiko," Lilian said as she walked towards the baby slime and picked her up from Lux's head. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? I was very sad, you know?"

"Sorry, Aunt," Eiko replied. "Have to save Mama."

"Don't worry. Now that I'm here, everything is going to be fine," Lilian coaxed the Baby Slime as if she were her own baby.

Piccoro, who had also been spat out by Antero, scanned his surroundings with a serious look on his face.

He sensed that there was a creature that was stronger than him, rivaling that of a Supreme. Because of this, he walked towards Lux and handed him something that had been passed to him by their Steward, Lady Augustina.

"Take this, boy," Piccoro said as he handed the Dragon Token to the red-headed teenager. "Lady Augustina had a premonition that you might need this when you entered the Abyss."

Lux didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the Dragon Token with gratitude.

With Keoza by his side, he now possessed another Trump Card that would help him fight an opponent that was leagues above his current Rank.

Lilian also sensed the presence of someone stronger than her, but she wasn't too worried.

When she fought using her full powers, her rank would jump to the peak of the Calamity Rank. Even against a Demigod, she was confident that she would be able to survive, even if they were to fire her their strongest attack.

Also, she had left bits and pieces of herself in secret places in Agartha, that she could use to revive herself in case she died in battle.

Although it might take her a year or two to return to her full strength, for Calamity-Ranked Monsters like her, a few years was no different from taking a nap.

Ampelos and his gang of Satyrs, who were now cornered by Lux's Undead Legion, no longer had any choice but to fight.

They were stronger than Lux's summoned Creatures and were confident that they would be able to overwhelm quantity with their quality.

"Brothers, follow me!" Ampelos shouted. "Charge!"

"""Charge!"""

Hundreds of Satyrs all took out their weapons and clashed against Lux's Undead Legion.

It didn't take long before shouts of surprise, pain, and indignation, spread across the battlefield.

Although the majority of the Doom Knight Gangbangers were instantly shattered after the clash against the stronger monsters, some of them succeeded in sticking their long, hard swords into their designated targets, giving the Satyrs a taste of their own medicine.

 

 

Chapter 884 More Than A Century Had Passed Since We Last Saw Each Other

"Dammit, you bastards. Don't screw with me!" one of the Satyrs roared in anger as he smashed one Doom Knight Gang Banger one after the other.

But after killing dozens of them, he realized that his enemies were somehow getting stronger and stronger.

The other Satyrs realized this phenomenon, but none of them paid too much attention to it. There were simply too many enemies to fight, and they had no time to ponder the cause of the Doom Knight Gang Bangers' special ability.

Even before their evolution, the Doom Knight Gang Bangers already had a special ability that would make them grow stronger as more of their fellow Gangbangers died in battle.

This skill was called, United in Death.

——————

< United in Death >

– Gains 5% increase in attack when an ally Doom Knight Gang Banger dies on the battlefield. This ability can stack up to 500%. Bonus damage will disappear once the Doom Knight Gang Banger is killed.

——————

However, the advantages didn't end there!

The Doom Knight Gang Bangers still had another special hidden ability.

They would gain a 20% additional damage based on Diablo's overall attack damage.

Simply put, if Diablo's Battle Fervor had reached a state where his damage output surpassed a million, the Doom Knight Gangbangers would become the strongest fighters in Lux's Undead Army that could deal a disgusting amount of damage to their enemies.

Right now, Diablo was also on the battlefield fighting against the Satyrs.

Since the Satyrs were far stronger than Lux's Undead Army, it was only reasonable for dozens of them to die with each passing second.

With each death, Diablo's damage output increased.

With each Doom Knight Gang Banger that fell in battle, their damage output also increased.

Lux, Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones weren't idle and were actively replenishing their Undead Army, making all of them stronger with each passing minute.

Nearly ten minutes later, the Skeleton Gang Bangers, who had initially been easy to defeat, were now able to stab the backsides of the Satyrs, dealing great damage to the Monsters who liked to screw others.

"I-Is it just me or these small fries are getting stronger?" a Satyr voiced his concern after getting stabbed in the butt, which made him retreat from the front lines. "If this continues, they might defeat us for real!"

"B-Boss, what do we do? There's no end to them," another Satyr said anxiously after smashing three Doom Knight Gangbangers who had tried to sneak attack him from behind.

"Our Dark Elemental attacks are also not working against them." a Deimos-Ranked Satyr complained. "It's like they have some kind of immunity against Dark Magic!"

Ampelos had noticed this problem from the start of the battle.

He had tried to kill a large number of the Undead Monsters with his Dark Slash, but even after unleashing the devastating attack, the Monsters were simply pushed away, but none of them were killed by it.

Just as he was thinking about what to do next, the Wraith King, Leoric, descended from the sky and slashed down at the Leader of the Satyrs, who managed to dodge it by pure instinct.

"Not bad," King Leoric commented. "But not good enough."

After his sneak attack failed, the Wraith King summoned Ethereal Spears all around him and unleashed them on the Satyrs, who had no choice but to dodge with everything they had.

The Satyrs knew that Ethereal Weapons bypassed armor and other kinds of defenses. Having known this, they didn't face the spears head-on, but focused on just dodging and evading the Wraith King's attack.

"Hell Fire Annihilation Slash!" King Leoric swung his blade and a blazing crescent blade flew towards Ampelos.

"Don't underestimate me!" Ampelos roared in anger as he used his short sword to unleash his own powerful attack.

"Primal Destroyer!"

When the two attacks collided, King Leoric's Hell Fire Annihilation Slash was nullified. However, it also weakened Ampelos' attack, allowing the Wraith King to deflect it harmlessly to the side.

The Wraith King was a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.

The Leader of the Satyr was an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.

If it had been based solely on stats, Ampelos was stronger. However, King Leoric had more experience in battle compared to the Satyr.

While the two were fighting, the Satyrs were slowly but surely being pushed back by the Undead Army with some of them getting seriously injured with every blow they traded with their enemy.

Ampelos was also aware of this, so he was thinking of ways he could get the upper hand, or come to a compromise with the Half-Elf, who was commanding the Undead Legion.

The Satyr had noticed that, ever since the battle started, the Skeleton King had not moved from its location. He deemed that if the Skeleton King attacked, it would definitely hit its allies on the battlefield, which was something Lux didn't want to have happen.

'Maybe there's a chance to negotiate,' Ampelos thought as his comrades were starting to die one by one.

Due to the barrier surrounding the Dark Forest, they had no means of escaping their enemies. It was either they die fighting, or surrender in order to survive.

For Ampelos, the choice was simple.

"Stop fighting!" Ampelos shouted. "We surrender! Name your condition! I will do my best to meet your demands!"

King Leoric frowned after hearing Ampelos' shout of surrender. However, the Wraith King no longer made a move to attack and waited for Lux's orders.

Lux's Undead Army also stopped fighting and glanced at their Master who was standing in the distance.

Iris, who was standing behind Lux, lightly pulled on his clothes and nodded her head.

"What they did was unforgivable, but right now, we need information about our enemy," Iris stated. "You can punish them later. Saving Cai, Henrietta, Alicia, and the others takes precedence."

Lux took a deep breath before nodding his head.

In the distance, Blackfire was already swallowing the corpses of the Satyrs who had died in battle, as well as those who were in a near-death condition.

Ampelos and the other Satyrs shuddered as they watched this scene because they already knew that Lux was a Necromancer.

Since he was a Necromancer, their slain comrades could only serve one purpose and that was to turn into his Undead Servants who would further bolster his Army's strength.

"Answer my question," Lux said in a cold tone. "Where are the other people that you had tried to capture earlier? Where did that Succubus Queen take them?"

"I-I will answer your question!" Ampelos shouted in a heartbeat as if he was afraid that if he didn't answer fast enough, Lux would change his mind and annihilate them all.

"You see that Mountain over there with the purple clouds covering its peak?" Ampelos stated as he pointed in the distance. "That is Passion Mountain, and it is also the location of the Passion Palace where Queen Rhiannon, as well as her Succubi, live. She has taken your friends and brought them over there, and I'm sure that you will find them if you go to that place."

Lux glanced at the mountain in the distance before shifting his gaze back to the Leader of the Satyrs, who was doing his best to keep his life.

"How strong is the Succubus Queen?" Lux inquired.

"Demigod!" Ampelos answered. "She is the only Demigod here on the 13th Layer of the Abyss."

Piccoro and Lilian frowned after hearing Ampelos' answer. They had already sensed that a strong being had cast the barrier around the Dark Forest that prevented the Satyrs from escaping.

This could only mean one thing.

The Demigod already knew about their arrival, and simply watched the battle from afar.

Without warning, a purple ray of light descended from the sky. Its target was none other than the Leader of the Satyrs, who didn't expect that the Succubus Queen would kill him in order to shut him up.

A second later, a powerful explosion took place, causing an earthquake that shook the Dark Forest, making the Satyrs cry out in alarm. Some of them were caught in the blast and were instantly obliterated, leaving nothing behind.

The Skeleton King used his gigantic body to block the aftermath of the explosion, protecting his Master as well as their allies behind him.

When the attack ended, a giant crater was seen on the location where Ampelos had stood just a minute ago.

The Satyrs, who thought that their leader had died, all knelt down and cried out in desperation, pleading for the Succubus Queen to spare their lives.

While the Satyrs were crying out in despair, a carefree voice reached their ears.

"That was a close call," Adonis said as he looked at the Satyr that he had saved from the Succubi Queen's wrath. "Are you okay, son?"

"F-Father?!" Ampelos stared in disbelief at the Satyr that was standing beside him. "Is that really you?"

Adonis chuckled before lightly patting his son's head.

"More than a century has passed since we last saw each other," Adonis said with nostalgia. "Although you're still a bit rough on the edges, I'm glad you managed to survive this long, my son."

Ampelos and the surviving Satyrs looked at their former Leader who had gone to fight in the Great War to conquer the world of Elysium.

"To think that the little girl Rhiannon is now a Demigod." Adonis stated. "Time sure flies fast here in the Abyss. Now then, why don't you show yourself, Rhiannon? Or is your Demigod Rank just for show?"

Adonis' challenging tone was met with a sweet laughter that spread in the surroundings.

A moment later, a peerless beauty appeared in the sky above their heads.

Queen Rhiannon looked down in disdain at the former Leader of the Satyrs, who had once made her life difficult when she was still looking for a place to call her home in the Abyss.

 

Chapter 885 Raid Boss Battle [Part 1]

"So, you are still alive Adonis," Queen Rhiannon said with a smile.

"Not quite," Adonis replied. "I have already died once. I was simply re-animated by a Beautiful Necromancer, and I am now serving her Disciple."

"Oh, such a thing happened?"

"It did."

Queen Rhiannon sneered at the former leader of the Satyrs of the 13th Floor.

"Good." Queen Rhianon nodded. "Now that you are here, I can finally kill you myself. Although I waited for over a hundred years, the wait was certainly worth it."

"Well, you can try," Adonis shrugged. "But I doubt that things will go your way."

Piccoro and Lilian stared at the otherworldly beauty in the sky.

However, they were not looking at her with admiration but appraising her to find possible weaknesses that they could exploit.

While everyone was looking at the Succubus Queen, the latter shifted her gaze to look at the Half-Elf, who was glaring at her from the ground.

"You must be Lux, right?" Queen Rhiannon said sweetly. "Cai told me many things about you. Why don't you come to my Castle? I will guarantee that you will not want to leave after you experienced our warm hospitality."

After hearing the name of his fiance, the Half-Elf narrowed his eyes and continued to glare at the peerless beauty in the sky.

He originally thought that the Angel, Himea, as well as his Grandmaster, Hereswith, were the most beautiful ladies he had seen in his life. But after seeing the Succubus Queen, he had no choice but to admit that her beauty was a level higher than the two ladies that were on the top of his list.

Gaap, who understood what his disciple was feeling, spoke to the Succubus Queen in a calm tone. He intended to try to settle things peacefully as much as possible so that a battle could be avoided.

However, the Halfling wasn't someone who would shy away from battle. If the Demigod were to act hostile against them, he would not back down and show her that they were not soft persimmons that she could pinch so easily.

"Queen Rhiannon, we have come to rescue our comrades who have accidentally entered the Abyss," Gaap stated. "We would be very grateful if you returned them to us unharmed. If you wish to trade anything for their release, we will definitely try to meet your conditions, as long as it doesn't go below our bottom line."

"A trade?" Queen Rhiannon crossed her arms over her chest. "I only trade with someone of equal strength. If all of you can defeat me in battle, I will consider your proposal. But if you can't, all of you will die here in the 13th Layer of the Abyss."

"Can we not settle things peacefully?"

"No. This is the Abyss. Only the strong have the final say. Weaklings have no choice but to kneel and obey the orders of their superiors. So, if you all want to survive, beg me to spare your lives."

Piccoro, who had been silently listening since the dialogue started, snorted.

"What a cheeky little Demigod," Piccoro stated. "Since this is the first time I've seen you, I can say for certain that you did not join the great war between the Abyssal Legion and the Forces of Elysium more than a century ago, right?"

"So?" Queen Rhiannon arched an eyebrow.

"So it means that you're just a newly minted Demigod." Piccoro sneered. "How naive. Do you think that someone like you who hadn't experienced that Great War can easily crush us like insects under your foot? How delusional."

The Succubus Queen frowned after hearing the Dragon Born's words.

She had been paying close attention to the Half-Elf, the Halfling, the Dragon Born, as well as the black-haired woman, whom she was certain was a Calamity-Ranked Monster in human form.

Although the Half-Elf seemed to be wary of her, the others were not. It was as if they weren't facing a Demigod, but an opponent of equal standing.

"This is interesting," Queen Rhiannon smirked. "I can tell that the three of you are not afraid of me. Are you perhaps thinking that I am a fake Demigod?"

"Hah! We couldn't care less if you are fake or real." Piccoro scoffed. "In the end, it doesn't matter. Do you want me to tell you a short story about that Great Abyssal War over a hundred years ago?"

Queen Rhiannon didn't say anything and simply looked down on the Dragon Born with a smile on her face.

Seeing that the Succubus Queen didn't reject his offer, Piccoro decided to tell her his story.

"When the Abyssal Creatures invaded our world, a war of epic proportions was waged," Piccoro said. "Back then, the lives of Rankers were like grass being culled in the thousands. Even Saints, and Supremes, who stood at the Apex weren't spared, and many died in that great battle for survival."

King Leoric hovered beside Lux and listened to the Dragon Born's explanation.

He was one of those who had fought at the beginning of the Abyssal Invasion and died alongside his loyal retainers, who fought till the last man.

His country was one of the first kingdoms that fell in the early phase of the invasion, and now, very few people, with the exception of historians, knew that a Kingdom named Zangrila once existed in the past.

"Due to how fierce the battle was, former warring kingdoms set aside their differences and fought side by side with each other.

"Mortal enemies, who wished nothing more than to slit each other's throats, fought back to back in order to repel the invaders that threatened to destroy all they held sacred. Even the Apostles, who knew that they were powerless against the monsters that had come to ravage their friends, family, and their loved ones fought until they breathed their last.

"We fought hundreds of Calamity-Ranked Monsters and battled dozens of Demigods during that Great War. It was a sight to behold. An intense huge-scale battle that we had very little hope of winning. Even so, we fought, and didn't back down.

"In the end, the people of Elysium pushed the Abyssal Legion back to the Abyss and sealed the Portals and other Gates that your kind used to invade our world. But some of these gates remain active.

"The only silver-lining was that no Calamity-Ranked Abyssal Creature or above, could pass through them due to the powerful enchantments that were put in place."

Piccoro then summoned his sword and pointed it at the Succubus Queen, who had remained silent as he told his tale.

"And now, we will once again show you that even Demigods like you, cannot defeat us so easily!" Piccoro shouted in an arrogant tone.

"Is your boring tale over?" Queen Rhiannon yawned. "While you did manage to win that war against the Abyssal Creatures back then, most of your powerhouses also perished. A little Saint like you thinks that you can talk big in front of me? How delusional. In the beginning, I intended to show mercy to all of you, but now, I changed my mind."

Queen Rhiannon then pointed at the black-scaled Dragon Born and sneered.

"Aside from that girl whose name is Iris, and that Half-Elf, whose name is Lux, all of you will die here," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Don't worry. I will at least turn your bodies to ashes, so your souls wander the 13th Layer and suffer for eternity!"

Piccoro didn't reply to Rhiannon's statement and simply took a fighting stance.

"Ranged and Close Attacker," Piccoro said.

"Defender," Gaap commented.

"Disruptor." Lilian brushed her hair in a carefree manner.

It took a while for Lux to realize what Piccoro, his Master, as well as Lilian was talking about.

They were simply stating their roles in the battle.

In short, Piccoro would serve as the main attacker, and his Master would focus on the defense.

A Disruptor was someone who would try to prevent the enemy from using strong attacks, or cancel any attack completely.

Since he understood what they were talking about, he also decided to state what role he was going to play on the battlefield that matched his current abilities.

"All Rounder," Lux said firmly, which made Piccoro, Gaap, and Lilian nod their heads at the same time.

Right now, they were a party that was about to conduct a Raid Battle with a powerful Boss Monster.

Ampelos and the other Satyrs stared in disbelief at the people who had decided to fight against a Demigod.

For Abyssal Creatures like them, it was very normal to serve those who were stronger than them. They would rather submit than fight a hopeless battle against someone, who could destroy entire cities with just a single punch, or a single spell, due to how strong they were.

Lux's Undead Legion, Named Creatures, and Covenant, all stood behind their Master in preparation for the battle ahead.

Even Blackfire, who had been busy swallowing the dead Satyrs earlier, hovered behind Lux.

Since their Master was going to fight against a Demigod, it was their duty to see this battle until the end, even if it meant that all of them died and were turned to ashes.

 

 

Chapter 886 Raid Boss Battle [Part 2]

Queen Rhiannon didn't know whether she should laugh at her enemies' folly because, in her opinion, only a Demigod could fight a Demigod.

The only one who could potentially threaten her was probably the Wicked Queen Slime, who was a peak Calamity-Ranked Monster, only a step away from becoming a Demigod herself.

But to those that had fought in the Great War, which was written down in the history books as the "Great Abyssal War," a Demigod wasn't impossible to defeat.

Not all Demigods were the same, just like the Gods that once graced Elysium.

A God of Healing's status as a God wouldn't make them adept at fighting. However, when it came to healing, they were second to none.

These were the things that the Elysians and Solaians had discovered after fighting against these creatures, and because of that, they had developed ways to fight them.

"I guess it's time for me to make you understand what it means to fight against a Demigod!" Queen Rhiannon declared as she unleashed her aura, making the Satyrs on the ground tremble.

"Go ahead," Piccoro stated. "Knock yourself out."

As soon as the Dragon Born finished speaking, he opened up his Draconic Wings and took to the skies in order to fight against the Succubus Queen.

The Saint unleashed a barrage of dark fireballs at his target.

Queen Rhiannon didn't even bother dodging and simply created a purple barrier around her, blocking Piccoro's attacks effectively.

Lilian, who was on the ground, raised her hand toward the Succubus Queen and snapped her fingers.

A second later, a beam of green light shot upward, aimed at her target.

Queen Rhiannon held her ground and once again allowed her barrier to block all attacks. She wanted to make the Elysians understand that in the face of absolute strength, all tricks are meaningless!

However, the moment the green beam of light hit her barrier, cracks immediately appeared and spread on it, which made the Succubus Queen's eyes widen in shock.

"Shield Breaker," Lilian said with an amused look on her beautiful face. "Is this the first time you've seen this skill? It just proves that you're just a frog in the well."

Before Queen Rhiannon could even react to Lilian's ridicule, a flaming dark spear collided with her barrier, increasing the size of the cracks in its surface.

Knowing that her barrier wouldn't hold any longer, she immediately dodged to the side, allowing the flaming dark spear to harmlessly pass by her.

A second later, she heard a snapping of fingers once more, which made her instinctively fly sideways, but it was futile.

Dozens of magic missiles flew in her direction and followed her wherever she went.

"You insects!" Queen Rhiannon shouted before unleashing several purple rays of light that clashed with Lilian's Magic Missiles, nullifying them completely.

But, before she could even take a breather, Lux, Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones, all pointed their fingers in her direction and used a spell that was meant to fight against Boss Monsters.

"""Mana Drain!"""

When Lux had broken through and became a Ranker, one of the skills that received an upgrade was the skill, Mana Drain.

It was now Mana Drain [SSR], and its effects were still the same before it got an upgrade. The only difference was its range.

In the past, Mana Drain absorbed 5% of the target's maximum Mana for five seconds.

It also had a range of 20 meters, and had a 30 second cooldown, making it very effective against creatures that heavily relied on magical attacks.

However, after being upgraded to Mana Drain [SSR], its range had drastically increased to a thousand meters, allowing Lux to drain the mana of their target from a great distance.

Lux and Asmodeus had three clones each, while Eiko had five.

In a span of five seconds, they managed to effectively drain 55% of Queen Rhiannon's mana, catching the Succubus Queen by surprise.

Out of shock, she blanked out and moved on instinct, momentarily forgetting her reasoning, and unleashed one of her strongest offensive spells at the Half-Elf and his subordinates.

"Nether Flare!"

Hellish Crimson Flames descended from the sky as if wanting to turn everything on the ground into a sea of fire.

Only after Queen Rhiannon unleashed the spell did she remember that she needed Lux and Iris alive, making her feel panic.

Just as she was cursing herself for getting carried away, Gaap raised both of his palms in an attempt to block the attack.

A moment later, two gigantic hands appeared several meters above him and stood firm like a wall, meeting the Succubus Queen's attack head-on.

An earth-shaking explosion reverberated in the surroundings, sending hellish flames flying in every direction.

The Satyrs cried out in shock and tried to flee for their lives, but some of them were hit by the stray flames, igniting their bodies into a blaze.

Before their bodies turned to ashes, Blackfire appeared and swallowed them all. As long as they still had a body and a soul, Blackfire could still revive them, adding them to its Master's Animated Undead Army.

When the Hellish Flames finally disappeared, Queen Rhiannon felt relieved, but at the same time, her annoyance peaked.

She originally thought that she could easily crush her opponents, capturing Lux and Iris before bringing them back to her castle.

"Just what do you think you're looking at?" Piccoro sneered as he unleashed countless Dark Flame Spears at the Succubus Queen, who had remained stationary after unleashing her powerful attack.

"Scram!" Queen Rhiannon shouted as she waved her hand, creating countless purple beams of light, fending off Piccoro's attacks.

Again she heard the annoying spell that had made her unleash a powerful attack in the first place.

"""Mana Drain!"""

Lux had always known that this skill was a pain in the arse for magical-type monsters. However, never in his life did he think that he'd be using this skill against a Demigod.

He knew that most of his spells wouldn't even scratch Queen Rhiannon's defenses, but Mana Drain was different.

It was a skill that would make those who specialized in Magic cough blood out of anger and frustration.

To make matters worse, Lux's Undead Army had started to join the offensive barrage, forcing Queen Rhiannon to dodge relentlessly while flying in the sky.

The Elemental Arrows of the Nightstalker.

The Stone Throws of the Jade Golem.

The Necrotic Attacks of the Lich Revenants.

The Poison Sprays of the Doomsday Gargoyles.

Originally, Queen Rhiannon could easily face these attacks head-on even if she were to stand still.

However, she had greatly underestimated the abilities of her opponents, which jeopardized her offensive and defensive abilities.

Ampelos and the other surviving Satyrs couldn't believe what they were seeing. They originally thought that all of them were going to be turned to ash due to how powerful the Succubus Queen was.

However, as the battle dragged on, they were starting to think that Lux and his team might just be able to beat the uncontested Ruler of the 13th Floor, through their impeccable teamwork and specialties.

Queen Rhiannon gritted her teeth in anger as she unleashed a barrage of low-level spells at the Halfling who had blocked her skill, Nether Flare.

As a Demigod who prided herself on her powerful magical attacks, she found herself reeling in shock after realizing that the one that blocked one of her strongest offensive spells was only of the Apostle Rank.

This made Queen Rhiannon question herself if she had misread Gaap's rank, but after appraising him, while dodging the relentless rain of attacks that were being fired in her direction, she confirmed that the Halfling was truly a Grade-A Apostle.

'Just what is going on here?!' Queen Rhiannon thought as she continued to fire countless purple orbs at the ground, hoping that one of them would hit the Halfling, whose main role was to defend his comrades from her concentrated attacks.

Although her Mana had been drained earlier, she possessed a powerful Mana Regeneration ability, which was one of the best among the Abyssal Lords.

Unfortunately, even with this advantage, the only thing she could use at the moment were low-ranking spells in great numbers.

Even so, each of these spells contained the might of a Demigod.

If one of the Satyrs were to be hit by her bombardment, they would find their bodies littered with holes due to how powerful these low-ranking spells were.

But, no matter what she did, her spells didn't reach her intended target.

If she only knew that the one blocking her spells was the Indestructible Golem of Destruction, she would have definitely changed her tactics to something more practical.

Unfortunately, she had no idea, and because of this, she was unable to land a decisive blow on the weak creatures, who decided to fight her as a group.

 

Chapter 887 Raid Boss Battle [Part 3]

In the eyes of the Satyrs, the battle seemed to have easily shifted in their favor after only a few minutes since the fight started.

However, those who were fighting, especially Lux, Piccoro, and Lilian, knew that the only reason why they were able to resist was due to Gaap's impeccable defense.

The Dragon Born and the Wicked Queen Slime were quite surprised by Gaap's ability to block a powerful attack that was coming from a Demigod.

Seeing this, they lowered their guards a little and became bolder, increasing the pace of their attacks against the Succubus Queen, who was now starting to doubt her abilities.

'Impossible!' Queen Rhiannon shouted internally. 'How could this be happening?! Just what are these giant hands that this Halfling is controlling?! How can it block my attacks as if they were low-ranked spells?!'

Question after question popped up inside Queen Rhiannon's head. She didn't know that Gaap had temporarily unlocked Antero's seal, raising his Rank back to the Demigod Level.

Although it took a toll on his lifespan, it wasn't as cumbersome as before since he was only using the hands of the Golem of Destruction to block the Succubus Queen's attacks.

"We need to finish this battle as soon as possible," Lux said through telepathy. "Master can't fight long battles."

After they all teamed up, the Wicked Queen Slime created a spell that allowed all of them to communicate telepathically. This was to ensure that their opponent wouldn't be able to hear their strategies in real-time.

"Understood!" Piccoro replied and once again engaged the Succubus in a deadly battle in the sky.

Every time Queen Rhiannon tried to close the distance to kill the Dragon Born, Lilian or Gaap would get in her way, forcing her to dodge or back away.

On the other hand, Lux concentrated on draining the Succubus Queen's Mana, preventing her from casting powerful spells, similar to the one she used earlier.

"Duel [EX]!" Pazuzu's clone, who was flying in the sky, used the Taunt Skill to prevent Rhiannon from landing an attack against Piccoro.

The Succubus Queen had suddenly increased her speed, surpassing the calculations of Lilian and Gaap, which created an opening for a decisive blow on the Dragon Born.

Fortunately, Lux's Named Creatures were also paying close attention to the Succubus Queen and were just waiting for a good opportunity to strike.

But something unexpected happened.

After Pazuzu's clone used the skill, Duel [EX], Queen Rhiannon's body only stopped for a brief moment before she slashed at the Dragon Born using the purple dagger in her hand, which looked extremely poisonous.

But those few seconds that she had lost proved to be crucial as it provided Piccoro time to back away, just in time for Gaap's and Lilian's attacks to arrive at the scene.

This prevented the Succubus Queen from pursuing her target, making her glare hatefully at Pazuzu's clone.

With a flick of her hand, the dagger in her hand flew towards Pazuzu's clone in a heartbeat, creating a big hole in its chest.

Pazuzu's Gut Skill activated, but due to the poison that coated the dagger's blade, the clone died a few seconds later and turned into particles of light.

"Duel [EX] doesn't work on Demigods…" Lux narrowed his eyes because this was the first time that the skill, Duel [EX], had failed to give them the result they wanted.

It was a skill that the Half-Elf had used repeatedly in the past and, without it, he would have definitely faced a lot of hardships while fighting against strong opponents.

'It could stall them for two seconds at most,' Lux thought. 'Perhaps even three seconds, if we are lucky. I'm glad I learned this information now. Otherwise, I would have made a great mistake if I had to fight beings that were as strong as Demigods without them.'

The red-headed teenager's curiosity was ignited, so he summoned Calypso in order to test his theory.

In her Living Armor Form, Calypso could fight autonomously, or merge with Lux, granting him a suit of armor.

But Lux didn't intend to wear the Living Armor at the moment. He wanted to experiment if the skill Duel [Epic] would work against a Demigod.

"Calypso, do it," Lux ordered.

"Yes, Master," Calypso replied.

The Living Armor then rose towards the sky and observed the battle between Piccoro and Queen Rhiannon. A moment later, she activated her skill when she deemed that the right time had come.

"Duel [Epic]!"

Piccoro and Queen Rhiannon were exchanging blows in close combat.

The Succubus Queen was fast, and her magical attacks were strong. But in terms of raw strength, the Dragon Born had the advantage.

Due to the fact that she was unable to cast powerful skills due to Lux and his supports casting Mana Drain every half a minute, she had no choice but to resort to close combat to get rid of the annoying Dragon Born, who was being aided by Gaap and Lilian.

Just as the two were about to clash with each other, Calypso activated her skill, Duel [Epic], which made the Succubus Queen's body stiffen.

"Take this!" Piccoro, who seemed to understand what just happened, didn't miss the opportunity to land a powerful blow on Queen Rhiannon's body, sending the Succubus Queen flying backward.

"Five seconds, Master," Calypso reported. "I can only stop her for five seconds after using my Duel Skill."

Rhiannon's Succubus Garment was damaged due to Piccoro's attack, but due to its powerful defensive abilities, the Succubus Queen only suffered a very shallow wound.

This wound, however, was immediately regenerated by her Regeneration Ability, but it didn't change the fact that her opponent could now land a blow on her body.

"Lux, summon your Light Elemental," Gaap said after seeing the effect of Lux's experiment. "The creatures of the Abyss are inherently weak against Light and Divine Magic. If you use the Light Elemental's skill, Field of Light, we can create a battleground that is disadvantageous to our enemy."

"Understood, Master," Lux replied before summoning his Greater Light Elemental to join the battle.

But he didn't stop there.

He also summoned Seraphina, who was a Divine Angel. He believed that even if she had been weakened due to the laws that bound Heavenly Beings, she could still use Divine Magic to help suppress their opponent.

"Eiko, summon Slimes that have Light or Divine Elements," Lux ordered.

"Pa!" Eiko nodded before she and her clones all raised their hands together. "Summon!"

Five Argonaut-Ranked Radiant Slimes appeared beside the Fairy Princess and waited for her orders.

"Greater Light Elemental, Seraphina, use Field of Light!" Lux commanded.

Immediately, the Light elemental spread its arms wide, expanding its brilliance into its surroundings.

Seraphina clasped her hands together in prayer and emitted her Divine Powers to help increase the power of the Field of Light that the Light Elemental had summoned.

"Ei!" Eiko and her clones also commanded the Radiant Slimes to assist the Greater Light Elemental.

One by one, the Radiant Slimes glowed brightly like giant light bulbs in the darkness.

With the Divine Angel's as well as the Radiant Slimes' help, the Field of Light spread for miles above and below the ground, making the Succubus Queen draw in cold breath.

Her pride was the only thing stopping her from backing down, despite the fact that she was unable to get the upper hand against her weak opponents, who were ganging up on her.

"Now then, Queen Rhiannon, are you ready for round two?" Piccoro, who now felt that they could finally win the battle, asked in an arrogant tone.

Earlier, he was struggling to land an attack on his opponent despite the backup from his comrades.

However, with the Field of Light active, he could tell that the Succubus Queen's Aura had weakened considerably.

Also, now that he had seen that Lux was capable of stopping his opponent for a few seconds, the Dragon Born, who had the most battle experience in fighting against Abyssal Monsters—second only to Lady Augustina, finally saw that victory was within his reach.

 

Chapter 888 Raid Boss Battle [Part 4]

Queen Rhiannon glanced at the ground before shifting her gaze back at the arrogant Dragon Born, who seemed to think that he already won their battle.

Although she admitted that she was now at a disadvantage, she still had a few tricks up her sleeves that she could use to tip the scale of battle in her favor.

However, after experiencing the teamwork of her opponents, as well as the ability that momentarily restricted her freedom, she had become very wary about attacking haphazardly without a plan.

Right now, she was analyzing her opponents' strengths, as well as their abilities.

Although Piccoro was weaker than her, she had to acknowledge that his attacks were indeed powerful and could potentially bypass her defenses.

This was because Dragon Borns were superior creatures, and their strength surpassed the norm. She also knew that if push came to shove, her opponent could turn into a true Dragon, further boosting his strength.

The Wicked Queen Slime on the ground was another threat that she couldn't underestimate. During the entirety of the battle, she had to pay close attention to Lilian's sneak attacks from the ground while evading Piccoro's attack.

There had been a few close calls when the Wicked Queen Slime's attacks almost hit her, which could have dealt serious injuries if they hit her vital points.

The Halfling was also a very troublesome opponent. No matter what she did, none of her attacks could land on their target because Gaap was solely focusing on defense.

Lastly, Lux Von Kaizer.

Cai's fiance, and the one sharing half of the power of the Celestial Maiden Physique. Capturing him was of the utmost importance in order to set her plan into motion.

As for Iris, she was Cai's best friend, and capturing her was optional.

Now that a Field of Light had been erected on the battlefield, her body's performance was greatly affected.

Even as a Demigod, she couldn't shrug off the effects of the Field of Light, which was powered by a Light Elemental, Five Argonaut-Ranked World Boss Radiant Slimes, as well as an Angel, who had come from the Divine Realm.

'Should I use that?' Queen Rhiannon frowned as she weighed her options. 'To think that a Demigod like me would be cornered to this extent. How laughable. Is this the consequence of living a monotonous lifestyle here on the 13th Layer of the Abyss?'

A silence descended on the battlefield as the Succubus Queen hovered in the air.

For some reason, Piccoro and Lilian stopped their attacks because they suddenly felt a great change in Queen Rhiannon's Aura.

Lux also felt this, so he commanded their creatures to cease their attacks, in order to ready themselves for whatever the Succubus Queen was planning.

"Congratulations," Queen Rhiannon said in a calm manner. "After stepping into the Ranks of a Demigod, this is the first time I've suffered like this. Perhaps I got too conceited after stepping into this realm because no opponents dared to fight me for nearly five decades. I guess I've become rusty after being the Overlord of this place."

The Succubus Queen giggled as if finding her current helplessness very funny.

"Very well. This time, I will fight without holding back," Queen Rhiannon declared. "You, Halfling on the ground, make sure to protect Lux no matter what. I am about to use one of my Trump Cards and, in this form, I am unable to hold myself back when facing enemies. Make sure to not let him die, okay?"

Gaap didn't reply and simply narrowed his eyes.

He could tell that the Succubus Queen's words carried a hint of confidence in them, so he heightened his senses and prepared for any unexpected attacks that she might unleash in their direction.

Queen Rhiannon then closed her eyes, and her Aura completely disappeared. It was as if she had perished while hovering in the air, making Lux and Gaap have a very bad feeling about it.

Suddenly, something glowed on Queen Rhiannon's lower abdomen.

It was a black, heart-shaped crest with four bat-like wings spread wide on the sides.

On her forehead, another crest appeared, resembling a third eye. The air around her crackled as if space was being distorted.

Six bat-like wings sprouted on her back, and countless amount of flower petals began to rain from the sky.

Dark clouds blocked the moonlight, and purple lightning started to streak across the heavens.

Without any warning, a powerful pressure descended upon everyone, making Piccoro almost fall from the sky.

The pressure was so great, and yet, Lux held his ground as he looked up at the peerless beauty, who had now completed her transformation.

Earlier, Queen Rhiannon was wearing skimpy clothes that showed most of her body.

Now, she was wearing a dark, lightweight crimson armor that seemed to be made up of dragon scales.

The corner of Queen Rhiannon's lips curled up as he looked at the shocked expression of the Dragon Born, who had been acting quite arrogant earlier.

"Thank you for waiting, everyone," Queen Rhiannon said before pointing her finger at Piccoro, who now had a grim expression on his face. "Now then, Dragon Born, are you ready for round two?"

Queen Rhiannon's voice was filled with amusement as if she found this whole situation very funny.

"Enough talk!" Piccoro mustered all of his strength, and courage before charging towards the Succubus Queen, who seemed to have evolved from a normal succubus to a Battle Maiden.

Lilian, who was on the ground, snapped her fingers several times, sending countless beams of light flying toward the Succubus Queen who was hovering in the sky.

A faint chuckle escaped Queen Rhiannon's lips before her body turned Ethereal, like a ghost that had no material body.

The countless beams of light that Lilian had shot in her direction passed harmlessly through her body.

Piccoro, who had summoned a Dark Flaming Sword, slashed at his opponent, but similar to Lilian's attack, his sword passed through her body as well.

"You have to do better than that, Dragon Born," Queen Rhiannon playfully whispered in Piccoro's ear. "Otherwise, you're going to die soon."

A second later, Piccoro's body was sent flying backward as Queen Rhiannon returned to the material plane and punched the Dragon Born's chest, making him cough a mouthful of blood.

The Succubus Queen then glanced at the ground to check out Lux's and Gaap's expressions.

She thought that the two would show despairing faces after witnessing how strong she had suddenly become, but the Half-Elf and the Halfling both looked at her with calmness. She frowned, finding their expressions unusual.

"She sure has become strong, Master," Lux thought. "I think she reversed her Intelligence Stat with her Strength Stat, while retaining her speed stat. This makes her an exceptional melee attacker, but her magical attacks are no longer a problem."

"That's right," Gaap agreed. "She is also using a different version of Ethereal Jaunt. Instead of nullifying ordinary physical attacks, she nullifies magical and force-based attacks. There's also a possibility that she can use a normal Ethereal Jaunt, making her immune to physical attacks as well. If she can really use both versions, this will be a tricky battle."

"Even so, that doesn't change the fact that we need to beat her."

"Yes."

Now that Queen Rhiannon had no choice but to close the distance in order to attack them, the abilities and Summons that they hadn't used earlier would now be able to show their mettle.

Especially Diablo, as well as the Doom Knight Gangbangers, who couldn't directly attack Rhiannon in the sky.

Lux's First Born looked at the Succubus Queen in the sky eagerly, gripping his sword tighter in his hand.

Due to the number of deaths on the battlefield, his attacks had also increased drastically.

Also, Queen Rhiannon wasn't aware that Lux's Death Sovereign also specialized in Ethereal Attacks.

An attack that could cut through the Ethereal Plane and damage the foes that normal attacks couldn't possibly reach.

 

Chapter 889 Raid Boss Battle [Part 5]

After her transformation, Queen Rhiannon had gained formidable strength.

Just as Gaap and Lux guessed, she changed her tactics from attacking with magic to attacking physically.

In the Abyss where every day was a fight for survival, the Succubus Queen had experienced her fair share of fights. She always adapted to her environment as she raised her Rank to that of a Demigod, becoming one of the true powerhouses of the Abyssal Realm.

And now, she would show the foolish mortals, who had pushed her to a corner, her true might.

'I'd better get rid of the real threats first,' Queen Rhiannon disappeared from where she was hovering and appeared a few meters away from Lilian.

The Wicked Queen Slime was already expecting that the Succubus would attack her first, so she met her head-on with a flurry of kicks and punches.

Since magical and force-based attacks wouldn't work against an opponent phased into the Ethereal Plane, the only thing she could do was use melee combat.

Queen Rhiannon didn't expect that the Wicked Queen Slime would not only be proficient in magical attacks, but she was also good in martial arts.

The two clashed, destroying everything around them, forcing Lux, Gaap, and the Satyrs to distance themselves from the battle.

'So this is a fight between true Power Houses,' Lux thought as he watched from the side. He felt both fear and awe from the destructive power shown by the two beings that stood at the Apex of the World.

The Dark Forest, as well as the land beneath, split apart as Lilian and Queen Rhiannon exchanged blows that would've been strong enough to instantly annihilate an Empyrean-Ranked Monster without giving it a chance to scream.

Knowing that the Wicked Queen Slime couldn't lose the exchange, Lux's forces moved in to support her.

"Duel [EX]!" Orion's clone used the taunting skill and managed to make the Succubus Queen's body stiffen for a split second.

Lilian, who saw this opportunity, didn't hold back and threw a punch at her opponent's face. However, the Succubus Queen phased out into the Ethereal Plane, rendering the physical blow useless.

"Just as we feared, she can use both kinds of Ethereal Jaunts," Gaap stated.

Lux nodded as he finished his preparations on his side.

While Lilian and Queen Rhiannon were fighting the Half-Elf and the Halfling weren't standing idly and were readying their counterattack.

The Field of Light was also playing a vital role in the battlefield. Although the Succubus Queen didn't seem to be affected by it, her speed and strength had decreased a bit, preventing her from completely overpowering Lilian despite the difference in their ranks.

After clashing one last time, Queen Rhiannon found an opportunity and kicked Lilian away, sending her crashing towards one of the mountains in the distance.

The Succubus Queen then flew in the direction of the Light Elemental that was keeping the Field of Light active.

After her exchanges with the Wicked Queen Slime, she deemed that the Field of Light was affecting her performance significantly and needed to be destroyed at all costs.

But Lux and Gaap already saw this coming and were prepared to prevent this, so they also made their moves.

"Go, Baal!"

"Diablo, show her what we can do!"

The two Black Knights who were under the Master-Disciple Necromancers charged at the Succubus Queen fearlessly. One was riding on a flaming horse, and the other was running holding a black sword in his hand.

Diablo and his trusted mount, who had fought countless battles together, were now Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.

Their strength grew as their Master, Lux, grew, making them very formidable.

An Argonaut-Ranked Monster fighting against a Demigod sounded like a very laughable concept. However, just like his Master, Diablo wasn't fighting alone.

"Hellfire…" Diablo said and the sword in his hand blazed with hellish flames. "Annihilation!"

Baal, who was running next to him, raised his sword high and swung it forward.

"Oblivion Slash!"

The Fiery Attack as well as the Crescent Sword Slash that the Knights unleashed merged together, forming a Hellish Crescent Blade that sent flames trailing in its wake as it flew towards its designated target.

Queen Rhiannon wasn't impressed and was about to deflect it with her sword when suddenly, her body froze mid-air, preventing her from deflecting the attack.

The combined attack hit its mark and pushed the Succubus Queen a few meters away due to the impact.

However, due to Queen Rhiannon's Scaled Armor, the attack didn't wound her body, nor showed any signs that they had dealt damage to her, with the exception of the black smoke that rose from the place where they hit her.

"That skill is starting to annoy me," Queen Rhiannon muttered as she looked at Calypso, who was hovering in the sky, with killing intent.

She knew that anything that could momentarily make her pause on the battlefield was a dangerous ability because it allowed her opponents to deal a blow to her uncontested.

This had happened thrice already, and at this point, the Succubus Queen was past being annoyed.

If she were to have her way, she wished that she could kill all of her foes instantly.

But now, she knew that she was not capable of doing that. Their actions had proved that they weren't people whom she could underestimate any longer.

The Succubus Queen might look calm on the surface, but Diablo's and Baal's attacks surprised her greatly.

Although there was no visible damage on the surface, she felt pain at the moment of impact as if the attack had grazed her soul.

As a Demigod, her soul was extremely powerful because she had to undergo a Rebirth that strengthened not only her body but also her soul.

Soul-Based attacks were something that everyone was quite wary of, even Demigods, and if their opponents possessed such an ability, they must do their best to eliminate them first.

Using her incredible speed, she flew past Diablo and Baal with ease and reappeared a few meters away from Lux and Gaap.

Since she wanted to capture the Half-Elf alive, she focused her attention on the Halfling, who had thwarted her attacks many times already.

"Do you think you can hurt my Master under my watch?"

The Fox Lady, Hana, whom Gaap had revived, placed her hands on Lux's and Gaap's shoulders. A second later, the three of them disappeared and reappeared hundreds of meters away in a different location.

Queen Rhiannon clicked her tongue. Her opponents were sure like slippery eels that refused to be caught.

Even so, she still pursued Gaap and Lux, forcing Hana to teleport repeatedly across the battlefield in an attempt to shake off the Succubus Queen.

While Queen Rhiannon was chasing Lux and Gaap, she made sure to attack indiscriminately throughout her surroundings, killing countless Undead Monsters in her wake.

However, since Hana refused to give up, the Succubus Queen deemed that it was counterproductive to continue chasing them at this point in time.

'I'll deal with the small fries first.' The Succubus Queen then slashed sideways, creating a wind blade that flew in the direction of the Greater Light Elemental, as well as the Radiant Slimes that were supporting it.

But, just like always, a pair of gigantic hands appeared, blocking her attack, making the Succubus Queen frown.

Knowing that the same thing would happen again and again, Queen Rhiannon finally made the decision to prioritize eliminating Gaap at all costs.

She was starting to get suspicious of the Gigantic Hands that were blocking her attacks. The more she saw them, for some reason, the more familiar they looked to her.

The Succubus Queen had a nagging feeling at the back of her head, but she didn't pay it too much attention and pursued her target with a vengeance.

Hana, who was protecting Lux and Gaap, sneered as she used her teleportation ability to distance themselves every time the Succubus Queen headed in their direction.

Queen Rhiannon unleashed devastating ranged attacks at the Halfling, but each of them was blocked effortlessly by the Gigantic Hands which were like an impassable wall, blocking her path.

Once she deemed that enough was enough, she unleashed wide-scale attacks, not caring what she hit or where it hit.

Although the Gigantic Hands were big, the Succubus Queen didn't believe that they could block all of her attacks that obliterated everything around her, changing the topography of the land.

And she was right.

Nearly 95% of Lux's Undead Legion perished instantly after getting hit by her wide-scale attack that split the land in half.

But just as she was feeling good about her strategy, her body once again stiffened, and eleven ominous-looking red lightning bolts flew in her direction.

"""Finger of Death!"""

Lux's, Eiko's, and Asmodeus' clones all attacked at the same time under the Half-Elf's command.

The finger of death only worked on monsters, and it could insta-kill any monster that was equivalent to Lux's Rank or lower. It was not fatal to Humans or Demi-Human Creatures, and he was not delusional enough to think that it would work against a Demigod.

However, there were two things that this skill was capable of doing.

One was that it could inflict great pain on their targets.

And two, it was imbued by Lux's Divine Abyssal Touch, which dealt increased damage against Abyssal Creatures.

Although the attack was not lethal, the pain from getting hit by the Finger of Death on top of the damage that it inflicted on the Soul was something that even the Succubus Queen wouldn't be able to shrug off so easily.

"You brat!" the Succubus Queen said through gritted teeth as her beautiful purple eyes locked on Lux's body. "I swear I'll make you pay for this!"

Although she intended to capture Lux alive, that didn't mean that she would not hurt him in order to achieve her goal.

As long as his heart was beating and he was still breathing, the Succubus Queen would not hesitate to give him a serious injury that could permanently cripple him for the rest of his life as punishment for the trouble he was giving her.

 

 

Chapter 890 Raid Boss Battle [Part 6]

"She's really mad now, Lux," Gaap smirked. "Don't let her catch you, or she will wring you dry down there."

"That's a very scary thought, Master," Lux replied. "My little brother only belongs to my fiances."

"You Master and Disciple pair can still joke at this time!" Hana complained. "Who do you think is making sure that she doesn't catch either of you?!"

Among the members of Gaap's Covenant, it was Hana who specialized in formations as well as the one who served the role of Disruptor.

She could help teleport her allies as well as give them a boost in their overall performance with her powerful enchantments.

But right now, she was solely focused on teleporting the pair away from the Succubus Queen, whose speed and attack power were no laughing matter.

Hana was certain that if one of Queen Rhiannon's attacks really connected, her Master and Lux would definitely be seriously injured or, worse, killed on the spot.

Iris was currently under the protection of Eiko and Blackfire, so Lux didn't have to worry about her.

He had even given Eiko an explicit order to swallow Iris and run away with Blackfire if things really got messy, and right now, things were really starting to get messy.

The Dark Forest, which spanned for miles, was no longer the same forest as it was an hour ago.

It was now almost completely destroyed, and deep fissures could be seen in the land where trees used to stand tall and undisturbed for centuries.

Only Lux's and Gaap's Named Creatures and Covenant Members were still alive, and only a few dozen remained of his Undead Legion.

Due to this battle's high danger level, Lux didn't summon Bedivere or Garret to fight alongside him, knowing that both of them had families to take care of.

Also, he wasn't confident that he would be able to protect them in a battle of this magnitude, where one mistake could end their life in a heartbeat.

Only Zagan, ALL-MITE, Shax, King Leoric, and Draven were present from Lux's Covenant, who were also hard-pressed to evade the Succubus Queen's Wrath.

Just as Queen Rhiannon was about to chase Lux and Gaap, several colorful light rays once again flew in her direction.

She immediately turned into her Ethereal Form, allowing these attacks to pass harmlessly through her body.

Lilian had returned to the battlefield and she was angry as hell.

It had been a while since someone had managed to hurt her. The last time she suffered a similar fate was when she fought against the previous King of Agartha, which ended in a draw.

Now that her rage had been fueled, she returned to her original form, which towered ten meters tall.

Queen Rhiannon, who understood the Wicked Queen Slime's threat, changed her target and flew in her direction.

But just as the Succubus Queen was about to engage her enemy, she noticed something that made her face turn grim.

Inside the Wicked Queen Slime's body were nearly twenty Succubi who had left Passion Castle in order to help their Queen fight against the people that invaded their realm.

Unlike Lux and Gaap, Lilian didn't care about fighting fair and square. She was a Calamity-Ranked Monster who had fought against countless Monsters in the past, and she would do everything in her power to win.

It didn't matter what methods she used, whether it was moral or immoral, as long as she was able to grasp victory.

"You fiend!" Queen Rhiannon shouted. "Release my people!"

Lilian ignored the Succubus Queen's demand and unleashed an acid spray that could melt Adamantine.

Queen Rhiannon dodged to the side and circled around the Wicked Queen Slime, looking for a way to rescue her people.

"Your Majesty! Don't worry about us!" one of the Succubus inside the Wicked Queen Slime's body shouted through telepathy. "Just kill this monster!"

"That's right, Your Majesty! Kill it!"

"We don't want to drag you down, Your Majesty! Forget about us! Eliminate all of them without holding back!"

The Succubus Queen gritted her teeth in anger before drastically increasing her speed, allowing her to close the gap between her and the Wicked Queen Slime in the blink of an eye.

"Die!" Queen Rhiannon slashed furiously with the intention of cutting the Wicked Queen Slime in half, but she made sure to only target the place where none of the Succubi were being held captive.

But her attack didn't hit anything because Lilian split her body in half, evading Queen Rhiannon's attack completely.

"Die!" Lilian's hateful telepathic voice reached Queen Rhiannon's ear at the same time her two bodies unleashed an Acid Spray at point-blank range.

"""No! Your Majesty!"""

The captured Succubi cried out in shock and anger as their Queen was sprayed with the Wicked Queen Slime's Concentrated Acid, which Lilian always used against stronger opponents.

This attack would almost, always, melt her opponent's flesh and bones, allowing her to gain the upper hand.

The only downside of this strategy was that its effective range was short, extending only thirty meters.

Lilian had to fight her opponent at close quarters in order to bring them close enough for her to unleash the Concentrated Acid, which was one of her Trump Cards in battle.

Suddenly, two gigantic hands materialized in the air and enclosed the Succubus Queen between them.

The Wicked Queen Slime, who was already certain that her foe would suffer serious injuries from her attack, frowned after seeing this scene.

At first, she thought that the Gigantic Hands appeared in order to crush their enemy.

However, after taking a good look at what happened, instead of crushing their foe, the Gigantic Hands protected the Succubus Queen instead!

"What's the meaning of this Halfling?!" the Wicked Queen Slime's telepathic voice reached Gaap, making the latter narrow his eyes.

He wanted to ask Antero the same question—why did it choose to protect their enemy instead of ending the battle?

The Succubi were initially crying out due to anger and frustration because of their own weakness, causing their Queen to suffer terribly, but they were all shocked after understanding what had happened.

When the acidic mist disappeared from its surroundings, the two hands opened, revealing an unharmed Rhiannon, who was just as confused as everyone else.

Suddenly, a gigantic face appeared above the Succubus Queen and chuckled.

"Little Rhiannon is now a Demigod," Antero chuckled. "Very funny."

"L-Lord Antero?!" Queen Rhiannon, who now realized the reason why the Gigantic Hands looked familiar, finally connected the dots.

The Golem of Destruction, which disappeared from the Abyss over a hundred years ago, now appeared in front of her once again.

Antero laughed, and his laugh reverberated across the entire 13th Layer, making the land tremble as if a giant was walking across them.

"Good girl," Antero said as it used its finger to pat Queen Rhiannon's head. "Now, behave."

Everyone on the battlefield was dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.

The Golem of Destruction had moved autonomously, regardless of Gaap's will.

Truth be told, even if Gaap were to temporarily unseal the limiter that prevented Antero from unleashing his full powers, the Golem didn't drain much of the Halfling's life force.

One of the reasons for this was due to the fact that Gaap was only using Antero's hands to fight against Queen Rhiannon.

The other reason was that, in the Abyss, Antero's power was magnified by several folds, allowing him to take nourishment from his surroundings.

In short, as long as Antero was in the Abyss, the Golem of Destruction would no longer need to drain Gaap's lifespan in order to materialize.

But the problem was the seal that bound him to the Halfling.

As long as he was bound to Gaap, Antero had no choice but to listen to his orders.

It was different now. The Golem of Destruction could move autonomously as long as he was in the Abyss, which gave the Halfling a bad premonition.

"Run!" Gaap shouted because he knew that Antero now had full control of his body, allowing him to resist the Halfling's orders.

Lilian, Piccoro, Eiko, Iris, and Blackfire, all moved towards the Halfling. Gaap didn't hesitate to take one of the White Marbles out of his storage ring in order to use it.

Just as Gaap was about to activate the White Marble, Queen Rhiannon snapped her fingers, and Cai appeared in front of them.

Seeing the person that he wanted to rescue, Lux's body subconsciously moved by itself and flew towards his fiance in an attempt to rescue her.

Antero watched this scene with a smirk on its face as its eyes glowed crimson.

The White Marble on Gaap's hand activated by itself, creating a black hole that sucked the Halfling, Eiko, Iris, Piccoro, and Lilian inside it.

The strong suction force was about to suck Lux and Cai as well, but Antero's Giant Hand caught both of them, preventing them from escaping.

When the Black Hole disappeared half a minute later, the Golem of Destruction placed the unconscious Half-Elf, and his fiance on the ground before looking at the Succubus Queen with a smile.

"Bye bye, Little Rhiannon," Antero chuckled. "Play nicely."

Although he could move autonomously in the Abyss, the fact still remained that he was bound to Gaap's body.

The moment the Halfling disappeared from the Abyss, his bond with Antero would pull the Golem of Destruction back to him, whether he liked it or not.

The Succubus Queen stood rooted on the spot because everything that had happened was like a blur to her.

When she finally regained her composure, she looked down at the two unconscious teenagers beside her feet.

"Although there were several mishaps along the way, I finally have you," Queen Rhiannon muttered. "The one that shares the other half of the Celestial Maiden Physique."

Queen Rhiannon was worried about her people who had been captured by the Wicked Queen Slime. However, she knew that since the Half-Elf had been left in the 13th Layer of the Abyss, they would have no choice but to come back and come to his rescue.

That would give her enough time to get what she wanted and make the Half-Elf pay for the things he did to her.