Ch. 91..100

Chapter 91 This Is My Baby Monster Eiko

"Take care of yourselves, okay?" Vera said as she placed her left hand on Lux's shoulder, and patted Eiko's head with her right. "Visit me often."

"We will be careful, Grandma," Lux replied. "Please, take care of yourself as well."

"I love Manma!" Eiko stated, which made Vera smile. Vera kissed her adopted great granddaughter's head, causing the latter to giggle.

After looking at the father and daughter pair, Vera reluctantly stepped back. Whenever Lux returned to Elysium, she would feel worried about him. However, the red-headed teenager made sure to come home as much as he could, and each of his stays lasted for a few days before he left again.

Also, Lux would show her his Soul Book each time, just like a student who would show their parents their report cards, so they could see how well they were doing. The Half-Elf wanted to assure his grandma that she didn't need to worry about his safety in the Beginner's Zone because he was getting strong.

Since Vera already knew the extent of Lux's progress, her worries diminished a bit. But, just like a doting parent, she still felt sad whenever the two of them parted. After taking care of him for over sixteen years, the old lady knew that Lux had to take the path he had chosen on his own.

"Don't worry, Grandma. We will return safely," Lux said after seeing the worried expression that Vera wasn't able to hide as she looked at him.

Vera nodded. "I will be waiting for the two of you to return. May the Gods watch over the two of you."

Lux smiled as he placed his right hand over his chest.

"Open! Heaven's Gate!"

—----

Eiko, who had claimed the top of Lux's head as her nest, looked at her surroundings with great curiosity.

As the Half-Elf strolled through Leaf Village, several Dwarfs greeted him, while others gave him a brief nod as he passed through them. After defeating the Abomination, the reputation points that he gained after finishing his quest made the locals of Leaf Village treat him as a friend.

The little Slime on his head also caught the attention of some Dwarf children. Most of them would often look at Eiko with great curiosity as the latter walked alongside Lux.

It was at that moment when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him in the distance.

"Big Brother!"

Lux glanced at the balcony of the tavern he usually went to with Colette and saw the adorable little Dwarf waving at him.

He also saw Helen, Andy, Axel, as well as the Simp, Matty, who was looking at him with an annoyed expression.

Lux waved back as he walked towards the tavern where his friends were at. Today was the tenth day since they last saw each other. They were also planning to go to the Stronghold of Norria later in the afternoon.

The red-headed teenager still had the special permits that Boreas had given him to gain access to the checkpoints that they would be passing through along the way.

"What took you so long?"

That was the first thing that Matty asked when Lux joined their table. "We've been waiting for two hours already."

"Sorry, I was delayed a bit because I had breakfast with Grandma," Lux replied.

Matty clicked his tongue but didn't say anything else. Andy and Axel greeted Lux in a friendly manner, while Colette and Helen looked at the Blue Slime on Lux's head with curious gazes. Seeing the two girls' reaction, the Half-Elf decided to introduce Eiko to them.

"Everyone, this is my baby monster, Eiko," Lux said with a smile. "Eiko, they are your Big Sis Colette and Helen. These are your Big Brothers Andy, and Axel, and that Dwarf over there, just call him Simp."

Matty rolled his eyes, before drinking the ale in his mug. He was not interested in whatever the baby Slime called him because he didn't care about its existence.

"Sis!" Eiko said as she crawled down from Lux's head towards the table.

She stopped in front of Colette and looked up at her with innocent eyes, which melted the little Dwarf's heart.

"No good, I may not be able to kill Slimes anymore," Colette said as she lightly poked Eiko's cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle.

"Eiko, do you like pancakes? You can have some of mine," Helen commented as she used her fork to feed Eiko the pancake on her plate.

Eiko moved towards Helen's location and opened her mouth, allowing Helen to feed her.

"Is it good?" Helen asked.

"Un!" Eiko nodded happily, which prompted Colette and Helen to both feed her.

The baby Slime happily ate everything that the two girls gave her. Since Eiko had a transparent body, everyone was able to see how she digested it all.

"Do slimes digest things this fast?" Lux asked Colette, who had just finished feeding the baby Slime a small sausage.

The Half-Elf hadn't seen any Slime in the past, so she didn't know if Eiko's digestion speed was normal or not. Each bite of food that was given to her would be digested in less than five seconds, which made him wonder if all slimes were like Eiko.

Colette and Helen paused as they considered this question. Suddenly both of them looked at Eiko in disbelief when they realized that what they were seeing wasn't normal.

"As far as I know, it takes Slimes a few hours to digest anything they eat," Colette said as she looked at Eiko in a different light. "Even the Gluttonous Slime, that eats just about anything, takes at least half an hour to digest the things it eats."

Right after Colette finished talking, Eiko let out a burp before crawling back towards Lux's hand. Soon, she crawled back up to the Half-Elf's head before closing her eyes to sleep.

'I think I need to do a bit more research about Slimes,' Lux thought. 'Good thing, I have the Elysium Compendium. I will take a good look at it later.'

Looking at the baby Slime that was peacefully sleeping on Lux's head, Colette and Helen asked the red-headed teenager where he got Eiko. Since Lux couldn't possibly tell them that Eiko came from the egg that he had received as a bonus reward after killing Carbuncle, he just told them that she was given to him by his Grandma Vera.

The two Dwarves didn't find this strange because it was very common for parents to give their children gifts whenever they do something praiseworthy in Elysium.

An hour later, all of them left the tavern and went to the Merchant's Guild to hire a carriage that would take them to the Stronghold of Norria.

Before he left to return to Solais, Nevreal told him that they would bring the Nightmare Horse that he requested from the Stronghold while he was away. Lux was quite happy with this arrangement because he was also going there to pick up weapons and armor for his Skeleton Army.

He believed that even if they were just wielding the standard weapons that the Riders of Norria used, the strength of his minions would be raised to a higher level, allowing them to deal more damage, and be more resistant to the physical and magical damage that came from their enemies.

 

Chapter 92 It Is Not Only Kobolds That Keep Grudges

As their carriage traveled towards the Stronghold of Norria, Colette and Helen took care of Eiko.

Lux, on the other hand, was busy reading the Elysium Compendium and doing his best to learn more about Slimes. However, the more he read, the more his confusion grew.

Eiko was a Blue Slime. It was the most common type of Slime, and yet her abilities far exceeded that of ordinary Slimes, which made it very hard for Lux to identify what kind of slime she really was.

'There's no doubt that she's a Blue Slime,' Lux thought as he scratched his head. 'Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, the one who hatched her was Iris.'

His stepsister's luck was off the charts, so any egg that she personally hatched would definitely be a Mythical Monster at the minimum.

After reading for two hours, Lux closed the book and watched the baby Slime lightly hop on top of Colette's palms, making the latter and the other Dwarf girl giggle.

Lux watched this scene with a smile. However, his expression immediately changed when something suddenly descended from the sky, blocking the road in front of them.

p The horse pulling the carriage abruptly halted as it neighed in fear, but the coachman managed to reign it in. Even so, he looked at the monster in front of him with a guarded expression on his face.

The Dwarves immediately summoned their weapons, while Eiko hurriedly crawled towards Lux and hid behind him. All of them looked at the Draconic creature with wings behind his back, who was staring at them with a hint of amusement.

Colette and her friends immediately recognized the monster, which made their faces turn grim. How could they possibly forget the one that was responsible for sabotaging their mission by attacking the caravan that they were guarding? They were even kidnapped and brought into the latter's nest as prisoners.

"I remember you Dwarves…," the creature said as soon as his eyes landed on Colette and her friends, which made them flinch.

It then chuckled lightly after seeing the fear on their faces. After having its fill, it then shifted his gaze to the Half-Elf who stood out from the rest. "You are the one that the Chieftain mentioned some time ago. The Half-Elf that led the Warriors of Norria to our nest and started a massacre while I was away."

The Draconic Kobold released faint traces of killing intent as his gaze locked on Lux. Clearly, it didn't like the fact that its brethren were killed while he was fighting the Goblins that were trying to annex their territory.

Lux faced the monster with a fearless gaze, but deep inside he was feeling anxious. The Elysium Compendium had identified the creature that was blocking their way.

The red-headed teenager didn't expect that he would meet this creature on their way to the Stronghold of Norria. Looking at its information, he knew that even if he fought alongside his friends, in addition to summoning all his creatures, the ending would still be the same.

All of them would perish under the creature's overpowering might.

—--

< Draconic Kobold >

– Kobold Wyrmling

– Rank 5 Alpha Monster

Health: 400,000 / 400,000

Mana: 350,000 / 350,000

Strength: 300

Intelligence: 350

Vitality: 300

Agility: 300

Dexterity: 300

Active Skills: Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw, Dragon Tail, Dragon Fear, Berserk

Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude

—-

< Enhanced Fortitude >

– Reduce all damage taken by 30%

—-

'Sh*t,' Lux thought as he read the information that appeared in front of him. He also had the Enhanced Fortitude Skill as a passive skill, so he understood how troublesome it would be if he fought against the Draconic Kobold in front of him.

All Dragon Monsters had this skill. Lux was only able to obtain this skill because Vera had given him a beast core that contained the skill Fortitude, which the Skill Evolution [EX] upgraded to a higher rank, giving him the same resistance as the Dragon Race.

However, compared to the foe in front of them, his resistance was equivalent to toilet paper.

Rustling sounds were heard around them as several more Kobolds appeared to surround their carriage. Although none of them held any weapons, the Draconic Kobold that was eyeing their group was more than enough to make Lux and the others forget about this small detail.

"What do you want?" Lux asked the two-meter tall monster who was eyeing him like a predator that had found his prey. "Don't you know that your race and the Dwarves have signed a nonaggression pact treaty? You are no longer allowed to antagonize the citizens of this Domain."

The Draconic Kobold snorted as his eyes locked on to Lux's body.

"True," the Draconic Kobold agreed. "But that only applies to Dwarves. You are not included in that treaty.'

'Oh, f*ck…" Lux cursed internally because he had completely forgotten that he wasn't a Dwarf. The agreement between the Kobold Chieftain as well as Boreas, the Commander of Norria, only stated that they would no longer trouble the Dwarves in their territory.

"You are coming with me today, Half-Elf," the Draconic Kobold declared. "Take him. But, do not hurt the Dwarves."

"We won't let you touch Big Brother!" Colette shouted as she gripped her mace firmly in her hands. Although she knew that she wasn't a match against the enemy in front of her, she just couldn't possibly stand by and let them take Lux just like that.

"Surround Big Brother now!" Colette ordered.

Matty, Andy, Axel, and Helen, understood Colette's intentions. As long as they used their bodies as a shield to protect Lux, the Kobold wouldn't be able to do anything to them or they would break the agreement between the Kobolds and the Dwarves.

"Foolish children," the Draconic Kobold said as it unleashed its Dragon Fear.

Immediately, Colette and the others were subjected to an incredible pressure that made their knees buckle. They simply didn't have the ability to resist the fear-inducing effect of the Dragon Fear, which made them almost lose their consciousness.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves was heard in the distance. The Draconic Kobold turned its head to see six riders, mounted on goats, charging in their direction.

"What's the meaning of this?" the Captain of the Riders asked when it saw the Kobolds surrounding the carriage. "Are you planning on breaking the agreement, Kobold? How dare you harm our people?"

The Draconic Kobold scoffed as it pointed its reptilian finger at Lux. "I'm not harming your people. I only want him."

The Dwarf Captain frowned as he looked at the red-headed teenager, who was being surrounded by the Dwarf children.

"You can't take him," the Dwarven Captain said. "He is one of us."

"One of you?" the Draconic Kobold smirked. "Do you think I am blind, Dwarf?"

The Dwarf Captain ignored the Kobold and pointed at Lux.

"You there, do you have the medal bestowed unto you by his Majesty?" the Dwarf Captain asked.

Lux nodded and took the wooden box out of his storage ring. He then opened it and showed the Dwarf Captain the medal that had been given to him by the King of the Dwarves.

"Take a good look at that, Kobold," the Dwarf Captain said. "Although he is not one of our kind, he is considered a Noble of our Kingdom. This means that he is one of us, and our King treats him with high regard. You already know the punishment for those who try to kill the Nobles of this Kingdom, right?"

The Draconic Kobold walked towards the Half-Elf with steady steps. Colette and the others tried to move their bodies to block him, but Lux stopped them from doing so. The mere thought of letting the children get hurt because of him didn't sit well with him.

Since the Dwarf Captain was around, he knew that the Draconic Kobold wouldn't do anything that would break the agreement that their race had with the Dwarves.

The Draconic Kobold picked the golden medal up from the wooden box and scrutinized it. As one of the most intelligent creatures from its race, it knew the value of such trinkets. Seeing the insignia of the Gweliven Kingdom embedded on the medal, the Draconic Kobold had no choice but to recognize that what the Dwarf Captain said was true.

"Just this once, I will let this slide," the Draconic Kobold said as he returned the medal to the wooden box. "What is your name, Half-Elf?"

"Lux," Lux answered. "Lux Von Kaizer."

"I will remember you, Lux," the Draconic Kobold said with an evil smirk on its face. His face was only inches away from Lux's and his razor sharp teeth made the Half-Elf wonder when the Draconic Kobold had brushed its teeth last.

"My name is Cadmus," Cadmus introduced himself as he rested his claws on Lux's shoulders, holding him in a vice grip. "The next time we see each other, you better pray that I am not in a bad mood."

Cadmus sneered at the Half-Elf before making a gesture for his subordinates to leave. Its meeting with Lux and his friends had been completely by accident.

The Draconic Kobold was only able to detect Lux's location because the Kobold Sorcerer that the Half-Elf fought in the Kobold's Nest had subtly left a faint magical mark on his body. This allowed any Kobold to sense his general direction.

Lux didn't know that after the raid on their nest, the Kobolds had made him their public enemy number one. They were a race that kept grudges, especially grudges that involved the death of their kin.

The Half-Elf watched the Draconic Kobold spread its wings and fly towards the sky. He knew that if the Dwarf Captain hadn't arrived, he would have definitely been captured, and perhaps dragged back to their nest to be tortured.

'It's been a while since I felt this way,' Lux thought as he clenched his right fist. 'This feeling of helplessness. I hate this feeling.'

Lux remembered the times when he fainted after exerting his body. After he regained consciousness, that feeling of helplessness would wash over him, making him feel depressed.

However, this time it was different. He was no longer the same Half-Elf that he was a year ago. Now, he had been given a chance to become strong and catch up to his friends who had started their own journeys many years ago.

It was not only Kobolds who carried a grudge. Lux could also be petty at times, so he took Cadmus' words to heart. Although he was much weaker than the Rank 5 Monster that looked down on him, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he caught up to it.

Lux had only been in Elysium for a few months, but his combined stats had already far exceeded the requirements of the Beginner Zone. As the Half-Elf gazed at his Soul Book, a sneer appeared on his face.

—--

Name: Lux Von Kaizer

Age: 16

Race: Half-Elf

Rank: (None)

Health: 11,960 / 11,960

Mana: 940 / 940

Strength: 46 (+3)

Intelligence: 46 (+1)

Vitality: 31

Agility: 34 (+3)

Dexterity: 31 (+3)

Free Stat Points Available: 580

Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX], Item Transmutation [EX]

Active Skills: Power Shot, Dark Arrow, Fury Slash, Double Fury Slash, Battle Cry

Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Parry,

—--

'Your name is Cadmus, right?' Lux thought as he stared at the monster that was flying away from his location. 'I'll remember your name.'

Lux knew that there would come a day when his strength surpassed the arrogant Draconic Kobold. Although he and the Kobolds' conflict was over for now, his grudge against Cadmus, who intended to capture him, would remain.

Elysium was a world where only the strong survived. Since that was the case, then the other party shouldn't blame him for being cruel when the time comes. He was certain that Cadmus would be forced to leave the Territory of Norria after his rank broke through a certain threshold.

Although the chances were slim, Lux believed that he would meet Cadmus again in the future. When that time came, the grudge that bloomed on this day would be repaid in full.

 

 

Chapter 93 Chasing A Nightmare [Part 1]

"It's fine, Eiko. The ugly Kobold is gone," Lux said as he lightly patted the still-shivering baby Slime on his shoulder.

Eiko had been subjected to the skill, Dragon's Fear, that Cadmus had released to make Colette and his friends lose their strength and will to fight.

This was the first time that Eiko met such a fearsome monster, so she was unable to stop her natural instinct from taking hold of her body when the Dragon Fear hit her.

After a few more minutes of coaxing, the baby slime finally settled down as she hid inside Lux's robe, in order to feel safe and warm.

"Still, that was a close call, Big Brother," Colette said. If one listened carefully, they could trace the lingering fear in her words. "If you didn't have the medal with you, things might have gotten out of hand."

Helen, who was seated beside Colette, nodded her head in agreement.

"Big Brother, I didn't know that you were now an Honorary Knight of this Kingdom," Helen commented. "You are the third person I know that has received an Honorary Knight title from his Majesty."

Matty eyed Lux with an envious look on his face, as he tried to pry answers out of him.

"How did you get that medal of honor?" Matty asked. "What kind of achievement did you do in order to get enough merit to receive an Honorary Knight title?"

Lux glanced at the Simp Dwarf, as he proudly raised his chin.

"Did you forget? I saved your bum in the Kobold's Nest," Lux replied. "The Dwarf King thought that what I did was awesome, so he bestowed this reward on me. If you want to be like me, you better git gud you hen-pecked Simp!"

"Simp!" Eiko poked out of Lux's robes as she joined her Papa in teasing Matty. The baby Slime even giggled and called Matty Simp one more time before going back inside Lux's robes.

"Who are you calling a hen-pecked Simp?! I'm not a Simp!" Matty rebuked Lux's statement.

"Matty, be quiet," Colette said as she glared at the Dwarf. He instantly folded and immediately shut his trap. "You might scare Eiko."

"Okay," Matty replied before glaring at Lux.

Lux chuckled and wanted to say "See?" But in the end, he chose to hold back and give Matty some face. Although the Simp Dwarf bickered with him whenever an opportunity arose, Lux finally understood that it was just Matty's way of interacting with him.

The Riders of Norria, who had come due to the appearance of the Draconic Kobold, could only shake their heads due to how silly the children's conversations were. In order to prevent the Kobolds from sneak attacking Lux once again, they decided to just escort him straight to their Stronghold and prevent any trouble from arising.

The group traveled for half a day, before arriving at the base of a mountain, where the Stronghold of Norria stood.

Lux was quite surprised because the Stronghold was just as big as the Wildgarde Stronghold where he had grown up since he was a baby.

"Welcome to the Stronghold of Norria," the Captain of the Riders said with a smile. "We don't usually allow outsiders to enter our Domain, but you guys are an exception. Please, follow me and do not wander around after we've arrived at our destination."

Lux and the Dwarves nodded their heads in understanding. Although they wanted to take a stroll inside the Stronghold, they held back this urge for the time being until they got permission from Thoram, who was the Supreme Commander of the Stronghold.

Without taking any detours, the Dwarf Captain took their guests to the Barracks where another Dwarf Captain was waiting for them.

Before Lux and the others left the village, they had asked the Dwarf Captain, Boreas, who was stationed in Leaf Village to send a message to the Stronghold to announce their arrival. Because of this, Thoram was able to make preparations beforehand and even sent the Dwarf Captain to escort them to their Domain.

Fortunately, he had done that or else Lux might have been captured by the Draconic Kobold and might have suffered a lot from their thirst for revenge.

"Let's head to the stables first," the Dwarf Captain named Gustall said with a smile. "Lord Nevreal is there and is already waiting for your arrival."

Lux's eyes were suddenly filled with expectations because Nevreal had promised him several things before the two of them parted not too long ago.

Five minutes later, they arrived at the stables where several Dwarves were looking at a two-meter tall horse, whose body was completely black. Purplish flames blazed brightly near its feet and the edge of the mane and tail, which made it seem intimidating to those that were seeing it for the first time.

"Beautiful."

This was the word that escaped Lux's lips as he stared at the majestic creature in front of him.

"Glad you like it," Nevreal said as he walked towards Lux with a smug expression on his face. "Took me some time to bring the Nightmare to this place. However, are you sure you will be able to tame this beast? Not that I doubt your words, but even the stablemaster in the Royal Capital couldn't make it obedient."

Lux scratched his head because he also didn't know if Diablo would be able to tame the beast or not. The only thing he knew was that his Named Creature was a Skeletal Rider, and was well-versed in taming beasts that could serve as its mount.

"We'll find out soon enough," Lux said. "Come forth, Diablo!"

Lux's First Born appeared in front of him and gazed at the Nightmare Horse in the distance. As if sensing its gaze, the Nightmare also turned its head towards Diablo who was seizing him up.

The two monsters stared at each other for a full minute before Diablo leaped towards the enclosed area where the Nightmare was currently being held in.

The Nightmare neighed fiercely as it stomped its foot, while looking at the Skeleton in front of it. Clearly, it didn't like anyone intruding on its personal space.

"Kekeke," Diablo chuckled as it summoned its shield and sword.

The Dwarves who were standing behind the fence all cheered as they waited for a good show to start. All of them tried to tame the Nightmare, but the latter was too aggressive to be tamed.

The Beast was currently a Rank 2 Monster, which spelled trouble for those that were weaker than it. It was fast, and had both short and long ranged attacks in its arsenal, making it a troublesome opponent for those who attempted to deal with it unprepared.

"5 gold coins that the Nightmare will smash that Skeleton to pieces," one of the Dwarves said as he started to bet with his friends.

"10 gold coins for the Nightmare!"

"5 gold coins for the Skeleton. Although I'm not confident in its chances, I like to bet on the underdogs."

The Dwarves became rowdy as they started to pool gold coins for their bets. Colette and the others were itching to join them, but were stopped by Lux.

"Kids shouldn't gamble," Lux told them with a serious expression on his face. "It might turn into an addiction."

Because of this, the young Dwarves reluctantly nodded their heads and simply watched the two Monsters that were facing each other.

Eiko found this fight to be interesting too, so she perched on top of Lux's head to get a better view of the battle. As a battle junkie herself, Eiko wanted to learn as many strategies as she could about how to fight. This way, she would be able to beat the Unicorn, Astra, the next time she visited her Mama in Barbatos Academy.

"Goodluck, Diablo," Lux muttered. "Make that Nightmare submit to your will."

Lux had full confidence that Diablo would be able to tame the proud monster whose body started to blaze fiercely.

Clearly, the Nightmare had deemed Diablo as a strong opponent, so it didn't plan on holding back. Diablo, on the other hand, gazed at the Nightmare Horse in front of him. It had long wanted to use its ability to its fullest, but the lack of a mount made him unable to do so.

Now that an opportunity presented itself, he would not hesitate to use everything in his power to make the Nightmare yield and become his new mount.

 

 

Chapter 94 Chasing A Nightmare [Part 2]

The loud neighing of the Nightmare made everyone pay attention to the battle that was about to start.

Diablo was like a black knight as it held a sword and a shield in each hand in a defensive position.

Nevreal scratched his head as he looked at Lux's Summon before glancing at the Half-Elf who was cheering for the Skeleton, alongside the baby slime on his head.

"Is this how you plan to tame the Nightmare?" Nevreal asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Mmm." Lux hummed. "Don't tell anyone. It is a trade secret."

"What a bunch of nonsense."

"Relax. Just watch and learn."

Lux looked confident on the surface, but deep inside, he was wondering if Diablo's strategy to tame the wild Nightmare was going to work.

The fiery horse was a true Rank 2 Monster, which was of the same Rank as Diablo. Lux wanted to think that both were evenly matched, but there was one small problem. Skeletons were weak against Fire, Life, Healing, and Holy Magic.

The Nightmare was able to conjure purple flames to aid it in battle, which made the untamed mount Diablo's worst matchup. Even so, the Half-Elf felt that everything would just be fine. After all, his Named Creature had never let him down when it really mattered.

Suddenly, the Nightmare coated its entire body in purplish flames as it ran towards Diablo with the intention to ram him.

The Dwarves who were watching the battle smirked because they anticipated that the Skeleton's body would crumble even if it was just grazed by the Nightmare's attack.

However, to their surprise, Diablo did something unthinkable.

Diablo leaped high up in the air before throwing his shield like a frisbee towards the Nightmare's head.

A metallic sound reverberated in the surroundings the moment the shield collided with the Nightmare's head, dispelling the flames that coated its body. But, Diablo's attack wasn't over yet. After throwing the shield, Dawne, to disorient the monster in front of him, Lux's Named Skeleton took another shield out of its inventory.

He then charged towards the side of the nightmare, ramming its body, which sent it skidding a few meters away, and neighing in pain.

As a Rank 2 Monster, the Nightmare quickly recovered its footing and summoned two fire lances, and shot them in Diablo's direction.

Diablo didn't back down and fired two bone spears consecutively, which negated the attacks that were aimed at him. After the battle against the Kobold Sorcerer in the Kobold's Nest, Diablo had learned how to fight against spellcasters with long ranged attacks.

Also, Lux had helped him a bit by casting Battlecry, which raised his physical and magical damage by 100 points, allowing him to overcome his elemental weakness.

"Go Diablo!" Colette raised her fist as she cheered.

"Diablo go!" Eiko lightly jumped on Lux's head, as she also cheered for her Papa's Named Creature.

Nevreal rubbed his chin as he looked at the two monsters inside the monster pen.

"Not bad," Nevreal stated. "It's no wonder you were able to capture the mastermind behind the Figaro incident."

Lux didn't say anything and simply smiled. Although it didn't show on his face, he was worried about Diablo's chances of taking down the Nightmare.

By this time, the fiery horse had already realized that its opponent wasn't a pushover. However, because of its stubborn nature, it refused to believe that Diablo was better than it.

As the flames on its body burned brightly, eight flaming lances appeared around it. Their tip was pointed at the Skeleton that was currently standing perfectly still, as if he was just a mere target that was waiting for destruction.

However, before the Nightmare could even fire the lances that it had conjured, Diablo pointed his sword at the Nightmare, which made its body involuntarily charged forward.

Due to the loss of concentration, the spears that it had summoned disappeared, leaving only traces of ember behind.

Diablo had activated its skill, Duel [EX], which forced his target to exchange one blow with him.

As the Nightmare angrily charged forward, Diablo leaped up to the air at the last minute and fired a Bone Spear at his opponent's backside.

Everyone who saw this scene flinched, and some of them even subconsciously placed their hands over their backside, as their faces winced in pain.

The Nightmare neighed in pain as well as shame, as Diablo's Bone Spear pierced the one place that would make anyone go down on their knees.

The corner of Nevreal's lips twitched when he saw this shameless display of skill. Although this seemed to be an effective way to tame the wild mounts that refused to submit to anyone, he still found Diablo's method too… crude and unorthodox.

'If I mentioned this method to the Royal Stablemaster, he would definitely shout in anger and call me mad,' Nevreal thought as he tossed the idea to the back of his mind.

The dwarf then watched as Diablo walked towards the horse that had fallen on the ground and lightly stepped on the Bone Spear that was still embedded on its backside.

"Kekeke." Diablo chuckled as it looked at the Nightmare's defiant expression.

However, that stubbornness soon disappeared after it saw Diablo summoning another Bone Spear in its hand.

Seeing that his opponent had surrendered, Diablo placed his hand over its head as he activated the taming spell. The Nightmare was enveloped with a purplish glow before disappearing from the Monster Pen.

Lux then summoned his Soul Book as he went to check Diablo's Page to see the status of his mount.

To his surprise, the Mount received a page of its own, which also showed its stats and abilities. Diablo walked up to Lux as it peeked at his Soul Book to look at his new partner in crime.

​ "Do you want to give him a name?" Lux asked because the Nightmare's Page allowed him to bestow a name to Diablo's new mount.

Diablo rubbed his chin before nodding his head. He then tapped Lux's chest twice, before tapping the Nightmare's portrait, indicating his intention of letting his Master choose a name for his new steed.

"Understood." Lux nodded as he thought of a good name for the stubborn horse that refused to be tamed in the past.

After several minutes had passed, Lux lightly tapped the Nightmare's Page as he used his finger to write the name that he had thought of.

"Arion," Lux said softly. "From now on, your name will be Arion. The mighty horse that the heroes rode into battle."

Diablo nodded his head in satisfaction before turning into particles of light. Now that he had his own mount to carry him into battle, he would finally be able to unleash the full power of the Skeleton Rider Class, which Lux had bestowed unto him.

 

Chapter 95 Diablo’s Preference

"Here are the weapons and armor that you wanted," Nevreal said as he led Lux to the warehouse. "All of them were made by the Blacksmith here in Norria, and their quality is a cut from the rest. Use them well."

Lux looked at the rows of weapons and sets of armor that Nevreal had prepared for him. He then secretly used the Elysium Compendium to appraise them and see their stats.

—--

< One Handed Steel Sword >

Rating: Rare

– Standard Weaponry of the Warriors of Norria

– Increase physical damage by 10%

Attack: 35 - 50

—--

< Longbow of Norria >

Rarity: Rare

– Standard Weaponry of the Warriors of Norria

– Increase range damage by 10%

Attack: 45 - 60

—--

< Norria Light-Plate Armor Set >

Rarity: Rare

– Standard Armor of the Warriors of Norria

– Decrease Physical Damage Received by 10%

Defense: 100

—--

Lux smiled in satisfaction as he gazed at the twenty sets of weapons and armor that Nevreal generously gave him.

"Thank you," Lux said. "This means a lot to me."

Nevreal waved his hand as if this wasn't a big deal to him.

"With this, all debts have been settled," Nevreal replied. "We no longer owe you anything."

Lux nodded as he acknowledged Nevreal's words. The Dwarves had generously rewarded him for his help during the raid in the Kobold's Nest in order to save Robin. Although the Half-Elf now had a hunch of who the snobbish Dwarf boy was, he had no intention of revealing this to the others.

After all, it was only a hunch at the moment, and until it was verified, he shouldn't tell anyone about it.

"I have also talked to the Commander about your other request…," Nevreal frowned as he gazed at the red-headed teenager in front of him. "Are you sure you want to enter the C-Rank Dungeon that is under the jurisdiction of the Stronghold of Norria? It might still be too early for you and those kids. Are you sure you want to do it?"

"Don't worry, we are just going to take a look inside," Lux answered. "If it's really too much then we will just use our teleport crystals to leave that place."

Nevreal could only reluctantly nod his head after hearing Lux's words. The C-Rank Dungeon, Orc Dominion, was a twelve-man team Dungeon. Although it could be challenged even if the number of people in the party didn't reach twelve, it was still highly recommended to challenge it using a full party.

These Dungeons were quite special, and they also had another name and that was "Instance Dungeons".

Instance Dungeons were Dungeons that would generate a similar copy of the entire Dungeon for every party that entered it.

Meaning, although everyone was challenging the same Dungeon, they would be in a different version of the Dungeon, allowing each team to challenge it without worrying about other people interfering with their expedition.

A twelve-men Dungeon meant that it was highly recommended to challenge it with twelve people instead of the usual party of six or seven. There were also fifty-men Dungeons, and hundred-men Dungeons.

On very rare occasions, SSR-Ranked Dungeons would suddenly appear in Elysium. This type of Dungeon required a thousand people in order to clear it. This Dungeon was an open world Dungeon, in which they needed to fight a Calamity-Ranked World Boss, which could drop Legendary Items once it was defeated.

"Okay, I will wait for you at the barracks while you finish storing the equipment," Nevreal said before leaving the warehouse.

Although he was very doubtful whether Lux and his friends would be able to clear the Dungeon or not, he still gave the Half-Elf the benefit of the doubt.

The Orc Dominion Dungeon was the place where the warriors of Norria would train after they had become Grade C Apostles. The Boss Monster inside it was a Rank 3 Alpha Monster called the Dark-Skinned Orc Chieftain.

It was a monster that was slightly stronger than the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, and was very hard to kill because of its strength and tenacity. It also had a berserk ability which made it extremely dangerous once its health was dangerously low.

"Okay guys, time to suit up," Lux smirked as he opened his Soul Book and equipped the weapons and armor to his Skeleton Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers.

Ishtar wore the new armor as well, increasing her defense. Although she would be attacking her enemies from a distance, having armor was still better than not having any.

To Lux's surprise when it was Diablo's turn to equip the armor, his Named Creature decided to turn it down. When Lux asked him why, his Named Creature used his sword to write down two words on the ground.

Black Armor.

Those were the words that Diablo wrote, which made Lux scratch his head. This was the first time that Diablo told him his preferences, so he decided to respect his decision.

'I guess I better look for Dark Armor sets for him in the future,' Lux thought. 'I'll ask Grandma if she still has some Black Armor available. If not, I'll just have it custom made for him."

When all of his Summons had properly equipped their weapons and armor, the Half-Elf stored the rest of it in his inventory. He was sure that he would be able to use them in the future after the number of his Summons had increased.

For now, he left the warehouse in a good mood as he looked for Colette and the others who were busy sparring with the veteran soldiers of Norria.

The little Dwarfs were steadily getting stronger, and were nearing the Apostle Rank. Lux knew that it was only a matter of time before they parted ways with each other, so he decided to challenge the C-Rank Dungeon with them.

Although he didn't know if they would agree to his request or not, he hoped that they would. After all, he was confident that if they all worked together, they would be able to overcome the Alpha Monster that was considered to be one of the strongest monsters in the territory of Norria.

 

 

Chapter 96 Orc Dominion

"So, do you guys want to come with me and challenge a C-Rank Dungeon?" Lux asked the Dwarves who were currently having afternoon tea together.

"Eh?" Colette blinked once then twice before tilting her head to the side. "A C-Rank Dungeon?"

Lux nodded. "Yes. It is a dungeon that belongs to the Stronghold of Norria. Only their elite warriors can challenge it. Lucky for us, I got permission to challenge it. So, do you guys want to come along or not?"

Helen, who was currently holding Eiko in her hand, looked at Lux with eyes that were as wide as saucers.

"Big Brother, arent C-Ranked Dungeons too advanced for our current ranks?" Helen asked. "We haven't even entered the Apostle Rank yet. If I remember correctly, Monsters inside a C-Rank dungeon are all Rank 2 up to Rank 3 Monsters. Their bosses are also Rank 3 Alpha Monsters. I don't think that we can handle it."

"No. You're wrong Helen," Matty commented. "That is only applicable for the Normal Mode of a C-Rank Dungeon. In Nightmare Mode, all of the monsters are Rank 3, and the Boss is a Rank 4 Alpha Beast."

The Dwarf boy stared at Lux with a serious expression on his face. "If he is with us, clearing the Normal Mode is possible. But, Nightmare Mode is just plain suicide."

Although Rank 3 Monsters were strong, they were weaker than the Carbuncle that they had fought in the Aspiration Plains. Matty believed that they still had a chance to beat them if they entered the Normal Mode. The only problem would be the Boss Monster. It was a Rank 3 Alpha Beast, which was even stronger than the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis that they had no hope of beating with their current strength.

"B-Big Brother, are you going to challenge the Nightmare Mode?" Colette asked in a worried tone.

"Of course not," Lux shook his head. "I'm not stupid."

Lux knew that challenging the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion was indeed suicide. However, that didn't mean that he wouldn't challenge it in the future. The Elysium Compendium had told him about the quest that could be acquired inside the Orc Dominion even if it was in Normal Mode.

The rewards were also amazing, but this was a once in forever deal. If someone had finished the quest already then the reward would be gone forever. Lux wanted to know if someone had already cleared this hidden mission. If not, he would be more than happy to share the rewards with his friends.

"Don't worry," Lux assured them. "We can always use teleport crystals to leave the Dungeon if it's too much for us."

Matty crossed his arms over his chest. "How about the split of the Beast Cores and Monster Drops?"

Unlike the Monsters in the outside world, when the Monsters inside of a dungeon died, their bodies would disappear and they would drop items like Beast Cores, Weapons, and other monster parts exclusive to them.

"Matty!" Colette glared at the Dwarf boy, but Matty didn't budge.

Although he liked Colette a lot, he would not allow others to take advantage of her kindness.

"We will split the rewards evenly among all of us," Lux answered with a smile. He had no intention of taking all the Monster loot for himself. The only thing he was really after was the generous rewards attached to the hidden mission for those who were the first to clear it.

—-

Hidden Mission: I Wish For Dominion

– The First Orc Chief, who founded this empire hundreds of years ago, left his relics scattered across his territory. Those who are lucky enough to stumble upon them will gain the treasures that he left behind for the future generations.

< Rewards >

– Potion of Vitality

This potion adds +50 permanent Vitality Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Potion of Vitality in your lifetime.

– Rank 3 Skill Book of your choice.

You will be able to choose any Skill that is Rank 3 and below from the treasury of the Orc Empire.

< Bonus Rewards >

– ???

—---

These were the rewards that were available for the Hidden Quest inside the Orc Dominion Dungeon.

When Lux found out about it, he was already dead-set on checking to see if the quest was still available. Although the Potion of Vitality didn't seem much, it was quite precious for those who were just starting their journey in Elysium.

However, the real prize that Lux coveted was the Rank 3 Skill Book of his choice. With his special ability, Skill Evolution [EX], an ordinary skill would be upgraded one stage higher, making it more powerful.

These rewards would be available to all, meaning Colette and the others would also get a Potion of Vitality, as well as the Rank 3 Skill of their choice. As for the Bonus Rewards? Lux was also very curious on what kind of rewards he would be able to get from a C-Rank Dungeon's Hidden Quest.

"I'll go with you, Big Brother!" Colette raised her hand readily.

"Me, too!" Helen also raised her hand with a smile on her face. She still hadn't returned Lux's favor of saving her friends, so she was more than willing to accompany him on his Dungeon expedition.

"Ei!" Eiko also jumped up and down from Helen's palm. It was her way of telling Lux that she wanted to go as well.

Andy and Axel also nodded their heads. As for Matty? Lux didn't even need to ask if the henpecked boy was going or not. As long as Colette wanted to go, the Simp Dwarf was going to follow.

"Alright, let's go," Lux said with a smile.

After everyone prepared their gear, they went to find Nevreal, who took them to a hidden door inside the barracks that led them underground.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a Silver Gate that was guarded by a dozen Riders of Norria.

If one looked closely, the face of an Orc could be seen etched on the surface of the gate. It was a ferocious looking image that seemed to intimidate those who wished to enter its domain.

Helen, who was the most timid in the group, flinched when she saw the image on the gate. Seeing this, Colette immediately held her hand, and gave it a light squeeze of comfort. Lux smiled when he noticed this scene and affirmed that Colette really had what it takes to be a leader.

Her great observation skills allowed her to notice minute changes in her friend's body language and use the most appropriate method to deal with it.

Lux then shifted his attention to Nevreal and the Dwarf who seemed to be the Captain that guarded this Dungeon. He knew that Nevreal had to pull some strings in order for them to be allowed to challenge the Dungeon that was exclusively used by the Riders of Norria.

"Lord Nevreal, are they the ones who plan to challenge the Orc Dominion?" the Captain of the Dwarves that were assigned to guard the Dungeon's entrance asked.

"Yes," Nevreal nodded.

The Dwarf Captain looked at the Half-Elf as well as the little Dwarves with a complicated expression on his face.

"But they're not even of the Apostle Rank," the Dwarf Captain commented. "Also, there are only six people. This dungeon is meant for twelve people. I don't think that they are fit to challenge this Dungeon."

Nevreal frowned. He also understood this matter, and also thought that Lux was eating more than he could chew. However, before he could even reply, Lux stepped forward and smiled at the guard.

"Captain, we are just here to experience what it is like to fight against stronger opponents," Lux explained. "We wanted to know what we could do once we met Monsters of similar rank in the wild. As you know, there are times when we encounter Monsters that are leagues above our rank.

"I want my friends and me to experience what it is like to face such monsters, so in the future, we will not freeze up and become paralyzed with fear. Although this may sound silly right now, I believe that the ability to adapt to such situations will save our lives in the future."

The guards who were guarding the entrance couldn't stop themselves from nodding their heads in agreement. As soldiers of the Kingdom, they were duty bound to ensure that the Territory of Norria was safe from all threats.

There were occasions like Monster Outbreaks, in which Mutated Monsters would suddenly appear out of nowhere, posing great danger to everyone. The ability to quickly make decisions in the face of life and death situations would indeed increase their chances of survival.

"Very well," the Dwarf Captain reluctantly nodded his head to acknowledge Lux's explanation. "Each of you will take one teleport crystal that is exclusive to this Dungeon.

"If you really can't hang on, just use it. Being stubborn will only lead to death, which will automatically eject you out of the dungeon. The penalty is harsh, but compared to dying in real life, it is a small price to pay."

Lux happily took the teleport crystal that was handed to him by one of the guards. He understood that this was just a safety precaution, and he would really not want to lose his current stats just because of stubbornness.

After Colette and the others were given their own teleport crystals, the Dwarf Captain stepped aside and made a gesture for Lux to step forward.

The Half-Elf nodded his head and pressed his palm over the gate of the dungeon. A row of text appeared in front of him.

—-

< Choose Your Difficulty Setting >

– Normal

– Nightmare

—-

Just as Lux was about to click the Normal Mode with his finger tip, Eiko jumped from Lux's head and landed on the back of Lux's hand, making him press the Nightmare Mode by mistake.

Immediately, his group disappeared from the entrance of the dungeon.

A few seconds later, Nevreal, the Dwarf Captain as well as the other Dwarf Guards gasped in shock because the eyes of the Orc that was etched on the gate's surface blazed a fiery red.

This only meant one thing, and one thing only.

"That brat…" the Dwarf Captain scratched his head in frustration because he didn't know if he should smack Lux or not due to his stupidity.

"Fortunately they have their teleport crystals in hand," Nevreal patted the Dwarf Captain's shoulder to calm him down. "Let's just wait for a bit. I'm sure that they will come out sooner or later."

The Dwarf Captain sighed and nodded his head. Since it was already done, the only thing they could do was to wait for Lux's group to return after experiencing the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion.

 

Chapter 97 First Encounter

Lux looked at the baby slime on his hands, who was also looking back at him with a smile.

After checking his Elysium Compendium, which had activated its Dungeon Exploration Function, Lux was able to see the difficulty level of the dungeon that they were about to challenge.

"Orc Dominion: Nightmare Mode".

'Sh*t,' Lux cursed internally as he confirmed his worst fears.

The Half-Elf scanned his surroundings and found himself in what seemed to be a valley. With several trees scattered all around. In the distance, he could see a fortress-like stronghold that had a flag fluttering in the wind that depicted two axes crossed over the other.

The Dwarves who were standing beside him had pale expressions on their faces because they clearly heard a voice in their head say that they had now entered the Nightmare Difficulty of Orc Dominion.

"Um… Big Brother?" Colette asked. "I thought we were just going to challenge the Normal Mode?"

"... That was the plan," Lux replied. "But, Eiko jumped on my hand and accidentally made me choose the wrong difficulty."

The baby slime tilted its head innocently to the side, as if she didn't have an idea about what she did. Lux could only pick up Eiko and put her back on top of his head before turning to face the Dwarves beside him.

"Okay, we now have two choices. The first one is to use our teleportation crystals to leave this place," Lux said. "As you know, this is a one time consumable item. If we want another one, we need to pay ten gold coins for it."

"Although I'm sure that we can pay for the expense, I say that we check this place out first. Just make sure to place your teleport crystal where you can reach it immediately in case of an emergency."

The Dwarves nodded and placed the teleport stones in their pockets. They knew that they were biting off more than they could chew, but they were also very curious about what kind of Monsters they would be fighting against inside the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion.

"Okay, let's go," Lux said as he stepped forward.

The first thing he wanted to know was whether the quest had been completed or not. The Elysium Compendium could only show the locations inside the Dungeon that would activate the Hidden Quest. It didn't know if the quest had been completed in the past or not.

"For now, follow me," Lux ordered. "If we meet any Monsters along the way, we will first assess if we can beat them or not. The challenge rating we chose is the Nightmare Mode of a C-Ranked Dungeon. At the very least, the weakest enemy that is roaming around this area are all Rank 2 Monsters."

The Dwarves nodded their heads in understanding. The strongest Monsters that they had fought so far were Berserked Horned Rabbits (Rank 2 Monster), and the Mutated Carbuncle (Rank 3 Peak Alpha Monster).

The Orc Dominion Instance Dungeon was not the typical dungeon where those who entered needed to challenge each floor in order to advance. This dungeon was an open world, fortress assault, type of dungeon, and the only way to beat the game was by defeating the Orc Chieftain who could be found inside the Stronghold.

In short, this dungeon was a training ground for how to raid an Orc Stronghold with an elite team of fighters.

All of the Warriors of Norria needed to undergo this trial in order to officially join the Riders of Norria, and become part of the Gweliven Border Army.

"Let's go, Clover!" Colette raised her hand and a half-a-meter tall Carbuncle appeared beside her.

After going back to Solais, Colette had asked the Monster Breeder in their family to help hatch the egg. Right now, Clover had the strength of a Rank 1 Monster. It specialized in healing its allies, and increasing their movement speed with haste.

Once it had grown into an adult, it would be capable of becoming a mount, which would allow Colette to increase her mobility during mounted battles.

After walking for five minutes, Lux raised his hand to gesture for everyone to stop. He then made a gesture for them to crouch down and follow him to the bushes. After a while, he pointed in a direction, and the Dwarves found the reason why Lux had asked them to hide.

Two pig-like monsters, which had green skin, sauntered through the trees. They were at least two meters tall and armed with a war axe. They were regular Orc Warriors that made up the bulk of the Orc Army.

'Orc Warriors," Lux thought.

Each of them were Rank 2 Monsters and was a rookie's worst nightmare if they happen to encounter them in the wild alone.

The reason why Lux was able to know their location was due to the Map that the Elysium Compendium provided. After experimenting with the compendium, Lux found out that it had a special auto-mode function that gave him access to features such as appraise, show map, show quest locations, and many more things after he merged it with his Soul Book.

Similar to a game, Lux could see a mini map at the upper right side of his vision which he could expand anytime he wanted.

Naturally, if he went to a place that he had never gone before, the map would be blank. However, because of its special function, the Elysium Compendium allowed Lux to detect enemies within a hundred meters, even if they were in an unexplored area of his map.

After making sure that there were indeed only two enemies in the immediate area, Lux glanced at the Dwarves, and they all nodded back to him.

"I'll take the one on the left," Lux said. "All of you handle the one on the right."

"Okay," Colette replied as she firmly gripped the mace in her hand. "We're ready, Big Brother."

Lux nodded as he summoned four of his Skeletal Fighters. He didn't want to summon Diablo yet, because he wanted to see how his regular warriors handled facing off against a Rank 2 Monster with their current strength.

"Battlecry!" Lux activated his skill that added +100 points to physical and magical attacks. He then ordered for his Skeletal Fighters to charge at the two Orcs, giving Colette and the others ample time to prepare.

Just as expected, when the two Orcs saw the Skeletons, they immediately turned to confront them head-on.

"Now!" Colette ordered.

The blonde-haired Dwarf, as well as her side-kick, Matty, sprang into action and charged at one of the Orcs that had engaged their enemies in combat.

Both of them were nearing the Apostle Rank, so they could be considered as strong as Rank 1 Monsters. Of course, the one they were fighting against was a bonafide Rank 2 Monster, so they were taking this battle seriously.

Andy and Axel chanted their spells and waited for the perfect opportunity to use them.

Colette smashed her mace against the Orc's Legs with a growl which didn't look compatible with her adorable appearance. The Orc screamed in pain and was about to slash her with its weapon when a fire bullet and a water bullet hit its chest consecutively, pushing it back.

Matty took this opportunity to use his two short swords to slash at its legs, drawing blood. Unfortunately, the Orc Warrior was able to recover right away and swatted Colette and Matty away with the War Axe in his hand.

Colette blocked its blade, but she was still sent flying a few meters away due to the Orc's incredible strength.

Matty on the other hand was able to evade the Orc's attack, and even managed to counterattack by stabbing the Orc's right leg.

The Orc growled in anger and back handed Matty, sending him skidding across the ground.

The Dwarf boy's face contorted in pain because the blow almost broke his right arm. If not for the fact that Helen had given him a protective spell that mitigated the damage he received from the Orc's attack, he might have ended up with more than just a simple break.

Clover ran in Matty's direction and cast a healing spell on him, allowing him to recover just in time to evade the Orc's follow up attack.

Andy and Axel followed up with their magical spells in order to give Matty enough time to distance himself from the Rank 2 Monster. The latter was quite difficult to take down due to its high strength and vitality.

It was at that moment when one of Lux's Skeletons was smashed into pieces by the Orc that they were fighting against.

​ Although the Orc Warrior was wounded all over due to the four Skeleton's teamwork, its ferocity was something that Lux admired. The three remaining Skeletons immediately felt the increasing pressure after the death of one of their comrades in battle. They found themselves being pushed back by the Orc Warrior's powerful blows.

It was at this moment when a stone spike pierced the Orc's shoulder, making it scream in pain.

"Spike!" Eiko shouted and fired another Earth Spike at the enemy, which embedded itself in her target's waist.

Lux had allowed her to join the battle so he could see how Eiko fared against a Rank 2 Monster, while being flanked by his Skeletal Fighters.

The Orc then roared in anger as he swept its weapon in one mighty swing, using its skill called "Cleave".

The Skeletal Fighters raised their shields to block the attack, but they were still sent skidding a few meters away due to the impact.

Eiko, on the other hand, took this opportunity to shoot another Earth Spike, which conveniently hit the Orc's chest, causing it to cough blood. Wanting to continue her attack, the baby Slime teleported two meters away from the Orc's face and unleashed one of her upgraded spells.

"Fireball!" Eiko shouted and a ball of flame materialized in front of her, which exploded in the Orc's face, burning it to a crisp.

The Orc had been heavily injured by the Skeletal Fighters and Eiko's earlier sneak attacks. All it needed was a finishing blow to end its life, and the baby Slime didn't miss the opportunity to deliver the finishing blow.

A few seconds later, a green-colored beast core dropped on the ground, alongside the War Axe that the Orc was carrying.

Eiko unceremoniously ate the Beast Core, before blinking consecutively until she landed on Lux's head with a satisfied expression on his face.

She was quite proud of her performance and decided to eat the Beast Core as her reward, which made Lux feel helpless.

'Well, as long as she is happy, I guess it's fine?' Lux thought as he shifted his attention to the Orc that Colette and Matty were flanking.

After a shout that was filled with unwillingness, the Orc Finally collapsed on the ground, leaving a Beast Core and its weapon behind. Immediately after that, Colette, and Matty sat on the ground, panting for breath.

It was then that the little Dwarves realized how hard it was to challenge a Rank-C Dungeon in Nightmare Mode with their current level of strength.

 

Chapter 98 I Wish For Dominion [Part 1]

Eiko happily chewed the Beast Core she just stuffed in her mouth as she looked at Colette's and Matty's exhausted expressions after they defeated the Orc Warrior that was assigned to them.

Unlike the Berserk Horned Rabbits that specialized in speed, their opponent specialized in strength and it also had very high health.

Although both were Rank 2 Monsters, the difference in their fighting style was obvious to the naked eye.

Lux rubbed his chin as he checked the health of his Skeleton Fighters after the battle. Most of them were almost out of health, which showed how tough the battle was for them.

'If I summoned all seven Skeletal Fighters, Diablo, Ishtar, and the Skeleton Grand Archers, to fight side by side with Colette and the others, I estimate that we can fight against five to seven Rank 2 Monsters at the same time,' Lux thought. 'If there is a Rank 3 Monster among the group, we can at most fight three to four Rank 2 Monsters, while Diablo keeps the stronger monster at bay.'

Suddenly, a notification broke Lux out of his pondering. After reading the notification, he was unable to stop his lips from twitching.

—-

Eiko learned the Passive Skill Tough

< Tough >

– Add +30 Points to Vitality.

Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!

– Target Lux Von Kaizer.

– Successfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!

—--

< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >

– Since the skill Tough is a passive skill, it will automatically be upgraded to Very Tough.

< Very Tough >

– Adds +60 Points to Vitality.

—-

< Eiko >

"The world is my oyster!"

– Named Slime Monster

– Rating: E

– Progress ( 20 / 2000)

Health: 3,850 / 3,850

Mana: 7,500 / 7,500

Strength: 17

Intelligence: 150

Vitality: 77

Agility: 17

Dexterity: 17

—-

'Very Tough? Seriously?' Lux didn't know if he should laugh or cry due to his baby Slime's cheat-like ability.

Eiko managed to get a massive boost to her Vitality Points just from eating a single Beast Core thanks to Lux's skill. Of course, Lux was also very happy for her because the stronger the baby Slime became, the more help she would be to him in Elysium.

'If only she wasn't a troublemaker,' Lux shook his head helplessly. However, he now had a better understanding of one of the Skills that was available to Orc Warriors after Eiko had consumed the Beast Core. 'I need that Tough Skill as well. Diablo and Ishtar would benefit from it too.'

After Colette and Matty each consumed a stamina potion, the group once again continued to follow Lux as he guided them to their destination.

'We're here,' Lux thought as he looked at the small wooden cottage that was built in an inconspicuous place which wouldn't be noticed by someone who traveled along the main road.

He hurriedly went inside to check if the item he was looking for was still there, which would confirm whether someone had already cleared the hidden quest or not.

When he opened the door, the sight of a properly maintained cottage could be seen. There were no cobwebs, or any other signs that it hadn't been tended to for a long time. Clearly, someone was still living, or recently lived, inside the cottage for it to look like this.

"This is a good place to rest," Colette said as she stepped inside the room. "Is this the place you want to take us to, Big Brother?"

Lux nodded. "Yes, but we didn't come here to rest. I'm here to check something out."

"Check something out?"

"Mmm."

Lux walked straight towards the fireplace and stared at the bull ornament above it. An adult Dwarf wouldn't be able to reach it, unless they used a chair or something similar to help them gain that added leverage.

Orcs could easily reach it if they wanted to, but Lux crossed that possibility off. Since this was a dungeon for Orcs, the mission didn't include them in it.

Lux was still growing, so he wasn't that tall. Also, due to the imbalance between his soul and body for the past few years, he hadn't reached his growth spurt yet. Only after Eriol helped him stabilize his body, did his bodily functions finally get back on the right track.

According to his estimate, he would be able to reach his optimal height after a year.

Since that was the case, he lowered his pride and reached out for a chair, which made the Dwarves look at him with curiosity.

Now that he stood on top of a chair, Lux could easily reach the ornament. He held the two horns of the bull and pushed it upwards. The sound of something moving was heard inside the cottage, which made the Dwarves scan their surroundings in alarm.

"Relax. Everything is fine," Lux assured them as he climbed down from the chair and headed towards the large bed, located in the upper left corner of the room.

"Matty, Alex, Andy, help me move this bed to the side," Lux said as he asked the Dwarves for help.

Matty grumbled but he still went to help Lux move the bed according to his instructions.

Colette and Helen, who remained standing to the side, just watched the boys move the large bed that could easily fit an Orc.

A few moments later, everyone saw a set of stairs that seemed to be leading underground.

"You guys stay here," Lux ordered. "I'll go in by myself."

Lux could hear his heartbeat drumming as he walked down the set of stairs. Although the place was dark, Half-Elves were able to see through it with very minimal light. In his hand was a small glowstone that emitted just enough light for him to see a few meters in front.

He was silently praying that no one had taken the Hidden Quest before him. If someone really managed to do it, then there was nothing he could do about it.

After walking straight for half a minute, Lux saw a large wooden chest that was covered in a thick layer of dirt.

The Half-Elf took a deep breath before opening the chest with both hands.

There, lying inside the chest was some kind of ragged blanket that didn't seem special. However, after seeing this, Lux breathed out a sigh of relief. It was the item he was looking for.

"Fortunately, I am the first one to discover this quest," Lux muttered as he reached out to touch the item that would activate the Hidden Quest that he wanted to complete.

< You have acquired the Flag of the Blackrock Clan >

—-

Ding!

– You have discovered the Hidden Quest "I Wish For Dominion".

– Would you like to accept this quest?

< Yes / No >

—-

Lux decisively clicked the Yes option, and a notification prompted him that the quest was now active.

He was not the only one that received this notice. Colette and the others heard a voice inside their head that they had accepted the Hidden Quest.

Lux knew that he didn't need to beat the Boss of the Dungeon in order to clear the quest. As long as he managed to complete it, he would get the full rewards of the mission, as well as the rewards from the Dungeon, as if he had defeated the final boss.

This was why Hidden Quests were so good. It gave twice the reward for half the effort.

However, before Lux could even fully rejoice his discovery, a loud roar was heard in the living room of the cottage, followed by the shouts of Colette and the others.

Lux hurriedly climbed back up the stairs to see what was happening, only to find Colette and Matty standing in front of the others with their weapons drawn.

In front of them was a Half-Orc holding a greatsword in its hands. Its angry and bloodshot eyes glared at them.

Clearly, it was not too happy to see what the uninvited guests had done to its home.

 

Chapter 99 I Wish For Dominion [Part 2]

"Who are you lot, and what are you doing inside my cottage?!" the Half-Orc shouted as it threatened to brandish its sword towards the Dwarves, who had taken a defensive stance against it.

"We come in peace," Lux stepped forward and stood between the Dwarves and the Half-Orc with his hands raised in surrender.

"Peace?" the Half-Orc snorted. "You come and steal from my house and you say you come in peace? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you, right here, right now?"

Lux frowned because according to the data that the Elysium Compendium was giving him, the Half-Orc in front of him was a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.

At first, Lux didn't want to believe it, but after looking at the information for the second time, he realized that it was indeed correct.

The Half-Elf could feel beads of sweat forming on top of his head because he knew that if they really offended this Half-Orc in front of them, all of them would become sliced cheese in a matter of seconds.

Fortunately, before he could even reply to the Half-Orc's question, a row of texts appeared in front of him, giving him some options to choose from.

—--

– Option 1

(Chaotic Evil)

"We came here to burn this cottage and kill you, foul creature! A filthy half-blood like you deserves death!

– Option 2

(Lawful Good)

"Sorry for intruding into your cottage, good sir. We came here with the good intention of inviting you to a seminar on how to earn money while you sleep."

– Option 3

(True Neutral)

"We do not wish for conflict, and would like to talk things out. However, if you are adamant in using force, we will reply in kind.

– Option 4

"We came here to help you with your wish for Dominion."

—--

Lux knew that the first choice would instantly send all of them to the afterlife. The second option was funny, but he doubted that the Half-Orc was in the mood to humor them with their answer.

The third choice was rather tame and Lux was initially tempted to choose it, but he knew that these weren't the right words to say in their current circumstance either.

"Sir, we came here to help you with your wish for Dominion," Lux said.

Immediately the Half-Orc's rage changed into that of confusion. After a while, it lowered its greatsword and looked at Lux with a serious expression on its face.

"How did you know?" the Half-Orc asked. "How do you know that I wish for Dominion?"

Lux sighed in relief as he read the next row of text that was the answer to the Half-Orc's question.

"An Orc shouldn't be judged whether he is full-blooded or not. The only thing that is important to the Orcs is strength! Only the strong can rule and command the Horde!"

"Well said!" the Half-Orc replied as it patted Lux's shoulder with its hand. "Although I don't know how or why you came to know my goal, I believe that fate has brought us together. My name is Barca, tell me your name… Half-Elf."

"My name is Lux, and these are my friends," Lux made a gesture to introduce Colette and her friends to the Half-Orc.

After the introduction the Half-Orc walked towards his bed and pushed it back to where it once was. He then moved the horns of the bull ornament to its original position.

"Did you take it?" Barca asked. He didn't ask what Lux took, but the meaning behind his words was very obvious to the Half-Elf.

"Yes," Lux replied. "I took it."

Barca nodded his head in understanding. The Half-Orc then sat on the floor beside the bed and took out his whetstone to sharpen his greatsword.

"My mother was the daughter of a Tribal Chief, and my father was a mighty General in the Human army. They met by accident, and somehow fell in love, and I was born as a result. I will not bore you with the other details, because they are not important. Since you said that you wish to help me then are you prepared to ensure that I become the next Orc Chieftain?"

Lux nodded. "That is why I am here."

"Then prove it." Barca took a map out of his belongings and placed it on the floor.

The Elysium Compendium automatically recorded the map in Lux's Soulbook, allowing him to view it normally.

"The current Orc Chieftain, Orobak, has four warlords that support him," Barca said as he pointed at the marked locations in the map. "Tanabur of the South, Baronar of the West, Oreg of the North, and Mogazar of the East."

"As long as you are able to help me defeat or convince these Warlords to join my side, Orobak will lose his loyal supporters. This will give me the opportunity to challenge him in a duel in front of the other warriors for the position of Orc Chieftain."

A series of notifications once again rang inside Lux's Head as the information of the Hidden Quest was updated.

—

Hidden Quest: I Wish For Dominion

Bonus Rewards will be calculated depending on the choices you make in this mission.

—--

< Kill the Four Orc Warlords >

+500 Riders of Norria Reputation Points

– Gain one random Pseudo-Mythical weapon, armor, or artifact, that belonged to each of the Warlord that you have slain.

– Gain the Orc Slayer Title

( Orc Slayer Title )

– Increase damage to all Orcs by 20%

– Orcs will feel threatened by your presence

—-

< Negotiate with the Orc Warlords >

+1000 Riders of Norria Reputation Points

+200 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points (Exclusive to Kingdom of Gweliven)

+200 Gold Coins

– Gain Negotiator Title

( Negotiator Title )

– When dealing with Nobles or Royalty, your chances of closing a successful deal is increased by 10%

—-

The Half-Elf rubbed his chin as he pondered his next move.

'A Chain Quest,' Lux thought as he looked at the information of the four warlords. 'If I choose not to kill them then I will gain reputation points, gold coins, and a title…'

The Half-Elf then glanced at the other option, which sounded more tempting to him. 'Although I will not gain as many reputation points and gold coins if I chose to kill the Warlords, getting four random pieces of Pseudo-Mythical Gear is not a bad trade off.'

Lux understood that he was far from reaching the requirements to be able to craft Mythical Items. First, he lacked the materials he could practice on and his current Smithing rank wasn't high enough. Aside from that, the best weapon he could make with the items available in the Beginner's Zone were rare weapons.

The Half-Elf was not satisfied by that, especially after experiencing the power of his Master Randolph's Mythical Weapon, Blood Moon.

Barca was closely observing Lux's expression, and the moment both of their eyes met, the Half-Elf as well as the Half-Orc smiled evilly. As if waiting for that moment, both of them laughed at the same time, which made the Dwarves look at them as if the two had gone crazy.

Eiko, looked at her Papa, and the Half-Orc before joining them in laughter. Although she didn't understand what was going on, she felt like it would be fun if she followed her Papa's actions.

Lux and Barca understood that there was only one way to get what they wanted. For that to happen, only one option was left for both of them, and that was their opponent's complete and utter destruction.

 

Chapter 100 Observing The Orc Encampment

Since the Orc Warlord closest to their location was Baronar, Lux didn't hesitate to tell Barca who his first target was.

The Half-Orc agreed and set out with them in their mission to deal with one of Orobak's loyal supporters.

After checking the details of the quest in the Elysium Compendium multiple times, Lux found out that Barca's role was just like an extra fighter in their party. Meaning, he would help them fight with the enemies in order to help ensure the success of the mission.

The Half-Elf was quite happy about having a Rank 4 Alpha Monster on their side. After all, it would greatly increase their fighting power.

However, there was a catch. If Barca died, the mission would automatically fail and Lux would gain a -1000 Reputation Points Penalty with the Riders of Norria, and -200 Reputation Points Penalty with the Kingdom of Gweliven.

He didn't know what would happen if his reputation points dropped into the negatives, so he consulted the Elysium Compendium about it. According to the compendium, if his reputation points became negative and went lower than -500 points, he would be treated as a criminal in the Gweliven Kingdom.

A reputation of -1000 Negative Points would mean that the Dwarf King would place a bounty on his head, and any Dwarves that he came across would automatically become hostile towards him.

When one gained a negative reputation points of -5000 Points, that was when things would take a nosedive. The King would order the High-Rankers of the Kingdom to hunt you down and kill you.

Even if you hid in the Beginner's Zone, the High Rankers would ignore the level requirement just to deal with you personally.

Lux took note of this matter seriously and decided to never allow himself to fall to that point, so he could avoid inviting trouble to his front door.

"We are here," Barca said as he gestured for Lux's group to not make any noise as they traveled the secret trail that he had discovered back when he was searching for ways to infiltrate Baronar's Camp.

Lux glanced at the Orc Encampment that was surrounded by a three-meter tall stone wall. Several tents, which were made of animal skins, could be seen inside, and there were at least a dozen guards manning the outposts and making sure that everything was in order.

With the features of Elysium Compendium, Lux was able to identify the ranks of the enemies, which made him frown.

'The Orc Captain as well as the Orc Guards are all Rank 3.' Lux rubbed his chin. 'And it seems that these Orc Warriors are merely the cannon fodder of their army. I guess this is the custom settings of the Nightmare Mode.'

Among the twelve Orcs that were guarding the perimeter of the encampment, there was one wearing a black armor. It was the Orc Captain and according to the data shown in the compendium, the Captain was at the peak of Rank 3.

An ordinary Rank 3 Monster might be weaker than an Alpha Beast, but its threat level was similar to the Kobold Sorcerer that Diablo had faced off against in the past. Of course, it was not a problem for Barca, but for them, it was a tough hurdle.

Not to mention, the Captain's subordinates were also Rank 3 monsters, making the situation very tricky.

'A direct fight is out of the question,' Lux thought. 'Although I don't know how strong Baronar is, there is a possibility that he is at Barca's level. If that is the case, our strongest fighter shouldn't waste his strength in fighting the other mobs.'

Boss Monsters usually had some goons protecting them, especially high-leveled ones. Lux was certain that aside from the twelve Orcs guarding the camp, Baronar would still have other subordinates who would aid him in battle. However, Lux didn't know how many there would be.

Fortunately, most of the warriors of the Stronghold were out patrolling their territory. This greatly reduced the number of Monsters that Lux's party had to fight, but it was still a very tricky situation.

"What is your plan, Lux?" Barca asked. "Should we charge and fight our way in?"

Lux shook his head. He knew that Barca was only testing him. The Half-Orc was keen on knowing what kind of warrior the Half-Elf was.

"A head-on battle is out of the question," Lux replied. "We are both outmatched in quantity and quality."

The Half-Elf then glanced at the sun on the horizon. It was almost sunset, so a night attack would be the ideal opportunity to create chaos in the camp.

"Tell me, Barca, do you know how strong Baronar is?" Lux asked as he glanced at the Half-Orc beside him.

The Half-Orc crossed his arm over his chest as he pondered.

"Baronar is an Orc Shaman," Barca replied after organizing his thoughts. "He specializes in curses and other spells. If I can get close to him, I will be able to subdue him. But if I can't, then my chances of defeating him are slim."

"Orc Shaman? That is indeed a troublesome opponent." Lux nodded his head in agreement. It was at that moment when Baronar's information appeared in his Mission Page.

—--

< Baronar >

– Orc Shaman

– Rank 4 Alpha Monster

Health: 160,000 / 160,000

Mana: 272,000 / 272,000

Strength: 50

Intelligence: 340

Vitality: 200

Agility: 100

Dexterity: 200

Skills: Summon Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, Envenom, Fear, Frostfire, Life Drain, Soul Shield, Dim Vision, Amplify Damage.

—-

Lux scratched his head. The Orc Shaman's Skills spelled trouble. According to the provided information, Baronar could summon two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, which were peak Rank 3 Summons.

Although he was confident that Barca could deal with them just fine, the Orc Shaman's other skills would make things very difficult for the Half-Orc.

Especially Envenom, Dim Vision, Amplify Damage, and Life Drain.

Lux understood that this mission allowing Barca to accompany him in battle didn't mean that the mission would be smooth sailing. Just by looking at the current hurdle that they had to overcome made him finally understand why twelve people were needed to finish this mission.

It was at the level of difficulty in which the power of a single party was not enough to tip the balance in their favor.

'Fortunately I have my summons and Eiko with me,' Lux thought as he formulated a plan of action in his head.

The Half-Elf knew that if he wanted to defeat the first Orc Warlord in his list, he had to do some careful planning and designate positions to their limited forces in order to deal with the mission that would test their teamwork to its limits.