Ch. 931: Chapter 931-940
Chapter 931 Trials Of The Heart [Part 4]
"Sh*t!" Lux cussed as he fended off Zane and Zeke's opportunistic attacks and fought against Aurora at the same time.
The two Little Skeletons were Deimos-Ranked Monsters, whom he had originally created in order to accompany and protect Misfortune's Beloved.
But now, they had ranked up into Argonaut-Ranked Monsters and were assisting their Mistress in dealing with the pest that was preventing her from killing her younger self.
After kicking Zeke away, the Half-Elf immediately jumped to his right side and rolled on the ground.
A second later, a beam of purple light obliterated the place where he initially stood, creating a shockwave that pushed him away.
When Lux managed to regain his balance, a crater that was hundreds of meters wide stood in front of him.
Before he could even do anything, two bone swords stabbed his back, piercing through his draconic scales.
Fortunately, Lux's dragon scales were very thick and hard, so the bone swords were only able to embed themselves an inch inside his body.
Lux had also moved his body at the last second, preventing the two Little Skeletons from hitting a vital spot in his body.
'They're getting stronger,' Lux thought before swatting away the two pesky critters, shattering their bodies.
But that wasn't enough to stop them.
Zane and Zeke reattached their bones together and laughed at the Half-Elf as if mocking him for being unable to kill them completely.
"Die!"
Another beam of light descended from the sky, and this time, Lux had no way to avoid it.
Since that was the case, he decided not to evade and take it head-on.
"Calypso!" Lux summoned the Spear of Longinus and used it to block the incoming attack from the Succubus, whose bloodshot eyes were locked onto his body.
Another powerful explosion erupted, obliterating everything around the Half-Elf.
Aurora looked down at the ground, waiting for the dust cloud to recede. A few seconds later, she saw her opponent standing in the center of a crater, his body oozing with white smoke.
"That hur—ouch! Bastards!" Lux swung his spear around, destroying Zane and Zeke, who just landed another sneak attack on him from behind after their Mistress' Beam Attack.
The Half-Elf panted for breath as he looked up at the beautiful lady in the sky, who reminded him of the Succubus Queen, Rhiannon.
Aurora's expression was cold, and her eyes were emitting killing intent. Clearly, she wanted him dead, and if it weren't for Lux's strong physique, he would've lost.
He knew that it was impossible for him to beat Aurora in her Domain.
Not only was she getting stronger, but he could also feel himself getting weaker as if his strength was being sapped out of his body at a steady rate.
Lux knew that this was a trial, but it wasn't his trial. So no matter what he did, it was impossible for him to win.
Only Aurora would be able to defeat herself and overcome her heart demon, allowing her to become a Ranker.
The beautiful Succubus raised her right hand.
A moment later, a giant purple flaming sword that was hundreds of meters long appeared in the heavens and its sword point was pointing at the Demi-Dragon, who was on the ground.
"Time to end this," Aurora stated coldly. "Any last words?"
(A/N: Kekeke. Tell her that you banged her Succubus Mom.)
(E/N: "You'll have a new sister soon, and I'm the father. Call me Daddy.")
"Your mother asked me to tell you that being your mother was one of the happiest moments of her life," Lux stated. "She said that she didn't regret raising you as her own daughter, even though you and her weren't blood-related. For her, you were her precious daughter whom she loved with all of her heart.
"She also said that you don't need to blame yourself for what has happened. If you are still feeling guilty, she also told me to tell you that she forgives you, and she will be watching over you even though she is no longer in this world."
Tears of blood streamed down Aurora's beautiful face as she glared at the Half-Elf from the sky.
"Liar!" Aurora growled. "You liar! How dare you lie to me!"
With a roar filled with anger, sadness, and killing intent, Aurora swung her hand forward as if slashing the air.
Immediately, the Giant Sword descended from the sky, threatening to destroy everything below the Heavens.
Lux, who had a feeling that Aurora wouldn't believe him, also roared as he imbued all of his strength to the Divine Weapon in his hands.
"Pierce the Void!" Lux roared. "Spear of Longi—"
The Half-Elf wasn't able to finish his chant because someone suddenly appeared between him and the Giant Sword that was descending from the sky.
"Kyrie Eleison."
A golden magic circle appeared in the path of the Magic Sword, creating a barrier and preventing it from moving forward.
When the magic circle and the giant sword collided, a powerful shockwave decimated everything within a mile-wide radius around them.
The two forces tried to push each other away as they heeded their Masters' commands.
Lux subconsciously swallowed his saliva as he looked at the girl, who had created the barrier in front of him.
Her long, pink hair fluttered in the breeze, highlighting her delicate form. She stood like a beacon of light, holding off the darkness and preventing the world from being destroyed.
Half a minute later, several cracks appeared on the barrier, making Lux grit his teeth as he clenched his fists in preparation to save the girl in front of him.
However, before he could even do anything, the little girl turned her head to look at him. She had a sad expression on her face, which made Lux's heart ache.
"Don't do anything," the younger Aurora stated. "This is my battle."
As soon as she finished talking, the sound of countless crystal vases breaking at the same time spread in the surroundings.
The golden barrier shattered, and the Giant Sword pushed its way toward the little girl and the Half-Elf, who were only a few seconds away from being annihilated.
Chapter 932 Trials Of The Heart [Part 5]
Lux could feel his liver itch as the giant flaming sword neared them.
However, when it was only a few meters away from Aurora, the little girl casually raised her right hand and grabbed the tip of the sword barehanded.
A second later, she gave it a pinch, causing the sword blade to crack. This crack extended from where she pinched to the rest of the sword until the sword shattered like crystal.
"So you're finally here." the Succubus Aurora sneered. "You saved me the trouble of finding you. Are you ready to die, Child of Misfortune?"
The young Aurora didn't answer right away, instead, she looked in the direction where her little sister, Shayna, was crying while clinging onto her mother who had passed away in order to protect them.
"I tried to kill myself many times," the Young Aurora said softly. "But something or someone always got in my way. Whenever I harbor these dark thoughts inside my head, Shayna would appear and give me a hug.
"Her warmth prevented me from doing so, but whenever she wasn't around, these negative thoughts returned to me. Perhaps, my Father, the King, also realized what was happening, so he placed a powerful restriction on me, preventing me from committing suicide.
"A few years have passed since my mother's death, and yet, every night, Shayna would sleep with me on the same bed and hold me close, while her body trembled. I would often sing her a lullaby until she fell asleep in my arms before I, too, closed my eyes to sleep.
"When I wake up in the morning, I would often find my clothes drenched with my sister's tears. It was at that moment that I realized something important. If I died, my sister would still cry in her sleep. The only difference was that I would no longer be there to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be fine."
The Younger Shayna raised her head to look at the Succubus in the sky and gave her a bitter smile.
"You came a bit too late," the Younger Aurora stated. "If you had come here several years ago, I would have gladly surrendered myself to your blade in order to end my suffering. But times have changed. I no longer wish to die because I need to live for the sake of my Mother.
"I need to live for the sake of my sister.
"I need to live in order to let them know that this life that was given to me was worth living for."
The beautiful Succubus laughed and clapped her hands.
"Very funny," the Succubus Aurora commented. "No one needs you in this world. You are capable of nothing but spreading misfortune and heartache. How many families have you ruined? How many people have suffered because of you? How many people have died because of you? Are you still asleep? Why don't you wake up from your delusion, little girl?"
"And those are some of the other reasons why I need to keep living," the Young Aurora replied. "My death will not solve anything."
"It may not solve anything, but it will make them happy."
"And some will be sad when I die, so I don't plan on dying. Not today, not tomorrow."
The Succubus smirked.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice on that matter." The Succubus' entire body started to blaze in purple flames like a Phoenix. "Today, I will end your suffering. I will end our suffering."
The Young Aurora slowly floated towards the sky until she was on the same level as the Succubus.
Golden flames erupted from her body as she faced her counterpart with a fearless gaze.
A few seconds later, she glanced at the Half-Elf on the ground and smiled.
"Do you want me to live?" the Young Aurora asked.
Lux nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I want you to live, and live a happy life."
The smile on the Young Aurora's face widened after hearing Lux's reply. She then shifted her attention to the Succubus, who was looking back at her with contempt.
"The only reason why he wants you to live is because of your body," the Succubus scoffed. "Since he tried to save you, he will definitely ask for something in return. There's no free lunch in this world, you ignorant fool. It's either you use people, or you'll be used by them."
The Young Aurora blinked once then twice before looking at the Half-Elf on the ground.
"Is that true?" the Young Aurora asked. "You are only saving me because you want my body?"
"Huh? Of course not," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "I already have two fiances, you know?"
"Do you need more?" the Younger Aurora asked in a barely audible voice, which Lux didn't manage to hear.
"Can you repeat what you said?" Lux inquired. "I wasn't able to hear it properly."
"I-It's nothing," the Younger Aurora said before looking at the Succubus in front of her.
The Succubus smirked before summoning countless flaming swords in the sky, in preparation for the final showdown.
The Younger Aurora did no such thing. However, the two Little Skeletons floated beside her. They were no longer covered in purple flames, and instead, their bodies glowed in a golden luster.
"Zane, Zeke, we can do this," the Younger Aurora said.
The two Little Skeletons gave her a thumbs up before summoning their bone swords and taking a fighting stance beside their young Mistress.
Half a minute later, the Succubus Aurora raised her hand, and countless swords flew in the Younger Aurora's direction.
The little girl charged forward like a golden comet, accompanied by two small ones.
Lux watched as the two sides collided, creating explosions in the sky.
The countless swords fell on Aurora like rain, but Zane and Zeke parried them all like two War Gods protecting their Goddess from harm.
Seeing that her attacks weren't affecting her enemy, the Succubus summoned two purple swords in her hands and charged at the Young Aurora, her eyes burning in hatred.
Their collision made the entire world shake, creating cracks in the sky every time they exchanged blows with each other.
Lux knew that this was the moment of truth, and the Aurora that would prevail would take over her body in the real world.
But just as he was entertaining this thought, a golden comet fell down from the sky and landed several meters away from him.
There, lying on the ground with her gaze staring at the clouded sky, was the Young Aurora, with a bloody hole in her chest, that made the Half-Elf feel as if he had lost something very important to him in the span of a heartbeat.
Chapter 933 Overcoming The Heart Demon [Part 1]
"Aurora!" Lux shouted as he dashed toward the young girl who was falling from the sky.
"… She's… too strong," the Young Aurora said weakly. "I can't… win… in my current… state."
"Don't talk," Lux replied. "Save your breath."
The Half-Elf then used the skills Healing Wind and Half Life in order to help her recover from her injury.
The bloody hole in her chest was slowly but surely closing up, which made Lux sigh in relief. However, the young lady's face was deathly pale, and all the colors in her face seemed to have been drained.
Up in the sky, Zane and Zeke battled the Succubus in order to give Lux some time to heal their Mistress.
However, they were simply too weak to hold the Succubus back, which resulted in the two of them crashing on the ground after the Beautiful Succubus unleashed a barrage of attacks that overcame their defenses.
"Everyone, fight!" Lux ordered.
The Half-Elf summoned his two clones, who immediately summoned their Undead Army to assist in buying time.
Lux's Named Creatures and the Members of his Covenant also engaged the Succubus in a deadly battle in the sky, preventing her from targeting the young girl whose life could be snuffed out at any moment.
Originally, Lux thought that the Young Aurora would be able to overpower the Succubus Aurora after she had awakened. However, his assumptions were completely wrong, proven by the result of the clash between the two girls.
Aurora, who was now against thousands of enemies at once, didn't panic. She understood that she only needed to kill one person, and that was her younger self.
As long as the Young Aurora was killed, she would be able to take control of their body, allowing her to do whatever she wanted.
"Why don't you leave that trash and join me, Lux?" the Succubus Aurora said as she obliterated the Doomsday Gargoyles that tried to encircle her. "I promise that you will not regret it. I will give you my body and heart, how about it?"
"I'm not interested in your body and heart," Lux replied as he pressed his hands over the bloody hole in Aurora's chest.
"What a pity," the Beautiful Succubus shook her head, while she exterminated the Wraiths that attacked her en masse. "I guess you can die along with that little b*tch."
Without another word, the Succubus unleashed a hellish purple beam, aimed directly at the Half-Elf, who was busy healing her other half.
A second later, a powerful explosion shook the devastated city, making the Succubus sneer.
However, when the dust cloud receded, there was no sign of the Half-Elf or the little girl whom he was trying to save.
Lux acted fast, swapping places with one of his clones, and continued to heal Aurora as fast as he could.
He knew that even if he fought the Succubus Aurora with everything he had, it was still impossible for them to win because this was the Young Aurora's Ranker Trial.
She needed to overcome her heart demon by herself, or she'd be swallowed by it entirely.
Fortunately, the hole in her chest had finally closed.
Although her life was no longer in danger, it was only a matter of time before they were defeated.
'Think!' Lux thought desperately. 'What can I do to help? There must be something I can do. Something to help tilt the scales to our favor.'
While the Half-Elf was thinking of ways in order to help the Young Aurora win, countless explosions reverberated in the surroundings.
But, within those explosions, the Half-Elf's strong hearing heard something that made his eyes widen in shock.
He then gazed in the distance and saw Shayna still clinging to her mother and bawling her eyes out.
Although everything around Aurora's little sister was devastated, she and her mom were left untouched by the destruction that the Succubus had dealt upon this illusionary world.
As if the final piece of the puzzle fell into place, Lux finally understood that the goal of Aurora's Trial was not to defeat the Succubus.
It was a trial for her to forgive herself!
Without wasting any more time, Lux picked up the little girl in a princess carry and flew towards Shayna and her mother.
Seeing this scene, the Succubus' face turned grim and charged in their direction. No matter what happened, she must prevent the little girl from realizing what needed to be done in order to beat her.
"Where do you think you're going?" Calypso sneered. "Duel!"
Immediately, the Succubus found herself unable to continue flying in Lux's direction. She then gave an otherworldly scream before flying towards the Living Armor, who had summoned countless golden orbs around her.
"Golden Barrage!" Calypso roared, and the orbs of light unleashed countless beams of golden light that hit her target.
Even so, the Succubus didn't back down and charged at her like a Purple Phoenix, with its wings spread wide.
"Behold!" Asmodeus shouted. "Morpheus Blast!"
The Death Tyrant, who had now become an adult Death Tyrant, unleashed rays of light that struck the Succubus' Body, petrifying her completely.
But this petrification didn't last long. A few seconds later, the Succubus broke out of her stone prison and engaged Calypso in close combat.
As a Divine Weapon, Calypso faced her opponent fearlessly and the two clashed in the sky. Even so, she was still overpowered after forty moves and exploded into particles of light.
Lux's Undead Legion threw themselves at the Succubus in a desperate attempt to buy as much time as they could.
While this was happening, Lux finally arrived at his destination and landed beside Shayna.
"Aurora, do you still feel guilty about the death of your mother?" Lux asked
Instead of answering, the girl in his arms looked at her crying sister before shifting her gaze to her mother, who had breathed her last breath, not long ago.
She then looked back at Lux and nodded her head.
"I know that words are not enough to convince you, so, I will do this instead." Lux supported Aurora's body until she could stand on her own.
When he was sure that the little girl was standing on her own two feet, he lowered his head and pressed his forehead against her.
A moment later, the Young Aurora found herself in a flower field.
In the distance, two girls were giggling, while playing tag with each other.
"This is…" Aurora muttered as she looked at this scene that had long been buried inside her heart.
Suddenly, he heard someone talking not far from her.
When she glanced in the direction where the sound was coming from, she saw her mother standing beside Lux.
"Don't the two of them look adorable?" Queen Bianca asked the Half-Elf with a smile.
Aurora saw the look of surprise and confusion on Lux's face as he gazed at the beautiful Queen beside him.
"I can see you, you know?" Queen Bianca giggled, which made Lux subconsciously take a step back.
"Y-You can see me?" Lux asked.
"Yes," Queen Bianca replied. "But in my eyes, you look like a spirit. Did you perhaps die and still have lingering attachments to this world?"
"I'm not a spirit," Lux answered.
"Then you're probably someone from the future."
"Eh?"
Aurora then watched as her mother and Lux walked toward the tree that overlooked the Flower Field and listened to their conversation, which made her heart skip a beat.
Chapter 934 Overcoming The Heart Demon [Part 2]
"You see, I'm an oracle of sorts," Queen Bianca said softly. "Today, I made a divination, and it told me to come to this place at this time to meet someone who will help change the Fate of my daughter… or perhaps, daughters?"
As Aurora looked at her mother in the distance, she felt herself being pulled in her direction.
Before she even knew it, her feet and legs already moved on their own, heading toward her mother whom she loved very much.
Aurora watched as the Queen looked at the two little girls in the distance with an affectionate gaze.
"Those two girls are my daughters," Queen Bianca said after sitting down on the grass. "The younger one is named Shayna, and the older one is named Aurora. Do you know? Aurora means Dawn. Her name refers to the time of the day when the sun is just about to rise from the horizon, giving light to the world."
Yes, her name was Aurora. This was the name that Queen Bianca had given her when King Septimius adopted her into the Royal Family.
"You know, being an Oracle is a blessing and a curse," Queen Bianca stated. "I've seen many things, including things that I don't want to see. Do you know? I already know the exact date that I will die and what will happen after it? Very neat, right?"
Lux, who had just been listening, frowned.
"Since you know when you are going to die, can't you do anything about it?" Lux asked.
This was also the question in Aurora's mind. Since her mother already knew when she would die, couldn't she have done something differently and prevented her death? Maybe by doing so, she and Shayna wouldn't have to suffer.
"Perhaps," Queen Bianca answered. "But it takes a lot of courage and willpower to defy Fate. I don't know if I have the courage or the willpower to do it. Still, if I manage to succeed, my only regret is that I won't be able to see my two daughters grow up."
'What?' Aurora's eyes widened in shock. 'If she managed to defy fate, she would not be able to see me and Shayna grow up? How come? Why?'
While she was reeling from her mother's revelation, Queen Bianca's next words made her feel as if a bucket of cold water was poured over her head.
"Lux, I have a favor to ask," Queen Bianca said softly. "Sometime in the distant future, Aurora will need to make a difficult choice. One that will force her to choose between what is right and what is easy. When that time comes, I want you to tell her that being her mother was one of the happiest moments of my life.
"I didn't regret raising her as my own, and even though we don't share the same blood, that doesn't change the fact that she is my precious daughter.
"She's my family, and I love her very much. Tell her that she doesn't need to blame herself for what happened. If she still feels guilty about it, tell her that I forgive her and that I will always be watching over her even though I am no longer in this world."
"Understood," Lux replied. "I will relay your message to her."
Queen Bianca smiled. "Thank you. Meeting you here at this place and time gave me some peace of mind. Although it is regrettable, our time together will not last long."
A moment later, the Half-Elf disappeared, but the scene didn't change.
Aurora watched as Shayna and the other Aurora laid down on the grass and fell asleep, hugging each other.
Suddenly, a gasp escaped Queen Bianca's lips when her gaze landed on the disheveled Young Aurora, who was wearing bloody clothes and had bruises all over her body.
"A-Aurora?" Queen Bianca stood up as she glanced at the sleeping Aurora, who was hugging her sister, and the other Aurora, who was standing a few meters away from her.
The Young Aurora didn't speak and simply looked at her mother with tears streaming down the side of her face.
"Why?" the Young Aurora asked. "Why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave Shayna and me alone?"
Queen Bianca didn't reply right away. Instead, she walked towards the Young Aurora and hugged her small and frail body that was injured all over.
"I see… so that's how it is," Queen Bianca muttered as she hugged her beloved daughter. "It seems that Lux wasn't the only one that I was supposed to meet here today. Fate had decided that you could meet me here one last time after my death."
Aurora, who was no longer able to hold back her tears, hugged her mother and cried her eyes out.
She kept on saying, "Why?", "Why did you have to die?", "Why did you have to leave us?", "Why?"
Queen Bianca held her daughter until she calmed down. Only when Aurora was no longer crying did she crouch down to kiss her forehead.
"Because I love you, Aurora," Queen Bianca replied. "Because I love you and Shayna."
"I don't understand," Aurora shook her head.
Queen Bianca smiled bitterly before she cupped her daughter's face with her hands.
"I don't know how far you are in the future right now, or how much suffering you have experienced after becoming Misfortune's Beloved," Queen Bianca said softly. "But know this—even if I did something different and prevented something from happening, Fate always finds a way to right what was wrong.
"In order to defeat it, one must resolve themselves to stake everything, including their lives, leaving no option for a second chance."
The scene around them suddenly changed and they returned to the city that was being besieged by Monsters.
Aurora saw two little girls lying on the ground, in a puddle of their own blood. She saw her mother fighting off several monsters in order to reach them, but they were simply too many to fight on her own.
She watched as one of the Monsters devoured her sister, Shayna, and feasted on her flesh and blood.
She saw another monster lifting her own body and chomping on her legs, tearing her flesh and bones, eating heartily.
She watched as her mother shouted in pain, anger, and sadness as the rest of Aurora's body was eaten by the Monster, leaving nothing behind.
She watched as her father crashed down from the sky, stabbed by the pointed stinger of the Calamity-Ranked Monster that he was fighting, and died a few seconds later.
Lastly, she watched as her mother fought in a berserk state, maddened with rage for the loss of the people who were important to her.
An hour later, all the Monsters in the city were dead, leaving only the Queen behind.
She kneeled on the ground in front of the two puddles of blood while holding the body of her dead husband.
Queen Bianca wailed and pleaded for the heavens to return the people who were important to her.
But the Gods didn't hear her prayer.
For they were no longer around.
Even if they were still in Elysium, none of them cared about the life of a few mortals and their desperation.
"This is the future that I saw," Queen Bianca said as she held Aurora's body close to her. "This is why I've resolved within myself to defy fate, and I know that by doing so, I will pay the ultimate price."
Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face, despite the sadness that she was projecting.
"Seeing that you are here right now, it means that my gamble will succeed," Queen Bianca then used her handkerchief to wipe the tear stains on her daughter's face. "Aurora, if I were given the choice to return to the past, I would still do my best to defy fate. It might be selfish of me, but I didn't want to spend my life all alone, without the three of you by my side.
"Even when I'm no longer around, as long as you have Shayna and your father with you, I'm sure that things will be better. Hey~ I even saw a handsome Half-Elf earlier. I don't know if you saw him too, but his name is Lux. Both of your names are compatible. You represent the darkness, while he represents the light.
"Together, you will usher in a new dawn, which will illuminate the world that is filled with suffering and pain. My only regret is that I won't be seeing it alongside the two of you. But if ever you and he became lovers, can you name your firstborn daughter, Bianca, in order to honor me? I would love that very much.
"Even if I am no longer with you, I will be with you in spirit. So, my darling, I want you to live, not only for your sake but for mine as well. Can you promise me that?"
Aurora nodded before kissing her mother's cheek one last time.
"I love you, Mother," Aurora said as she did her best to hold back her tears.
"And I love you, more than anything in the world," Queen Biana said before planting one last kiss on Aurora's forehead.
A moment later, she disappeared, turning into particles of light that merged with her body, making Aurora feel as if all the burden that she carried for the past eighteen years of her life vanished without a trace.
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Flames covered the entire city as the Succubus Aurora walked towards Lux, who was protecting the Young Aurora, who was currently in a trance.
All of Lux's Undead Legion, Named Creatures, and Covenant Members had perished.
The Half-Elf was also in his Demi-Dragon form, but he had suffered grave injuries, with wounds that were weeping with his lifeblood.
"Goodbye, Lux," the Succubus Aurora said as she raised her two blazing hands. "It's a pity that we didn't see eye to eye."
Without another word, she unleashed a dazzling ray of light that would end everything, allowing her to become the sole owner of Aurora's body.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
The purple beam of light was split apart before it could even hit the Half-Elf.
The Succubus didn't know what happened, but it didn't take long for her to find the answer to her question
A young girl stood in front of her, her right hand having pierced the Succubus' chest, gripping her heart.
"I-Impossible," the Succubus muttered in shock. "How did you manage to become stronger than me?"
The Young Aurora smiled before saying something that only the Succubus was able to hear.
"That is my future husband you're trying to kill," the Young Aurora said. "Hands off, b*tch."
She then shattered the Succubus' heart, and the latter screamed in pain as she exploded in a shower of sparks, leaving nothing behind.
The dark clouds that were covering the sky earlier parted, and a ray of light descended upon the young girl, who had finally forgiven herself for the things that had happened in the past.
Even Lux, who was seriously injured, couldn't avert his gaze from the young lady, who looked like a divine being who was bathed in the ray of light.
A minute later, Aurora glanced in his direction and gave him a smile, which made the Half-Elf's heart skip a beat.
The smile on Aurora's face widened as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf who had reverted to his original form.
What Lux didn't know was that, after she had conquered her heart demon, Aurora had also laid the foundation of her next conquest.
Yes, the one she planned to conquer was none other than the person who had reached out to hold her hand in the darkness and allowed her to see the light that would soon usher in a new dawn in her life.
Chapter 935 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 1]
The Illusionary world began to crumble the moment the Young Aurora defeated her heart demon.
Half a minute later, Lux found himself hugging a naked beauty in his arms, and the realization made his body stiffen.
To make matters worse, he also noticed that he was also naked, making his blood rush to his mid region.
Aurora, who also noticed the situation she was in, didn't react the same way as Lux.
In fact, she was quite calm despite being hugged by a naked man and even looked up at the Half-Elf with an innocent look on her face.
"Lux, something hard and hot is hitting my stomach," Aurora said. "Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"
The Half-Elf wanted to facepalm so badly because his little brother chose the wrong time to say "hello" to the peerless beauty in front of him.
"I-I'm fine," Lux stuttered as he summoned a blanket from his storage ring, and wrapped it around Aurora's body. "Our clothes got destroyed when your body was covered with purple flames earlier. I'll get you some new ones."
Lux hurriedly took out some of the clothes that he had prepared for his fiance, Cai, just in case she returned to her old habit of not putting on clothes before transforming into her boar form.
"Thank you," Aurora said as she accepted the clothes given to her.
Lux turned around in order to put some clothes on as well. Only when Aurora said that she had finished donning her own clothes did he turn around to look at her.
Aurora wore a white one-piece dress that was snug at the waist, highlighting the curves of her body.
After she became a Ranker, her body had undergone a rebirth, and she no longer looked like a malnourished person.
In fact, she looked so energetic and lively that Lux was unable to keep his eyes off her.
Aurora then walked towards him and returned the blanket with a smile.
"Are you feeling better now?" Lux asked. "Do you feel any pain in your body?"
Truth be told, he didn't need to ask this question, but he still did.
Although he could sense that the burden she was carrying had disappeared from her body, he was still wondering if her ascension to become a Ranker had any lingering side effects.
"I feel great," Aurora replied. "I've never felt better before. In fact, I feel as if I can run for miles without stopping."
"That's good to hear," Lux nodded. "Well then, shall we leave this place? I feel like you are now able to do that."
Aurora looked at the barrier in the distance that had prevented her from escaping.
Because of what happened earlier, Lux wasn't able to tell her that she could teleport directly to his Guild Headquarters in order to escape her prison.
However, before he could explain this to her, Aurora walked towards the barrier with steady steps.
Her steps were filled with confidence as if nothing could stop her from doing what she wanted. A minute later, she successfully crossed the barrier, after which she turned around to look at Lux with a smug expression on her face.
'Congratulations, Aurora," Lux said as he, too, walked past the barrier. "You have taken your first step to regain your freedom."
"Thank you, Lux," Aurora said before holding his hand. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help."
The two then walked towards the stairs in order to leave the deepest part of the Inner Sanctum.
When they arrived at the middle layer, the two immediately heard a loud commotion.
All the monsters were attacking the Purple Barrier that locked them in place as if they had all gone crazy.
As Aurora was passing one of the monster cells, the monster that was locked up behind it suddenly roared, making the young lady jump back in surprise. However, as if she had stepped on a banana peel, she slid and nearly fell to the ground.
Fortunately, her hands managed to touch the barrier, using it as a support to prevent herself from falling.
Suddenly, a loud crack reverberated in the surroundings, making Lux feel a chill run down his spine.
Two golden eyes stared at Aurora, and a set of razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness. The creature suddenly moved and smashed its fist against the crack of the barrier, making it expand.
The monster's attack created a shockwave, which pushed Aurora to the cage beside it.
The young lady was forced to use both of her hands to prevent her face from smashing into the barrier.
Just like what happened earlier, a crack appeared on the barrier of the second cage, breaking Lux out of his daze.
The Half-Elf immediately scooped Aurora into a princess carry and started to sprint toward the stairs in order to reach his friends, who were waiting for him at the entrance.
"Everyone run!" Lux shouted as soon as he exited the gates of the Inner Sanctum. "Two Calamity-Ranked Monsters are about to break free!"
Cethus' face turned pale after hearing the news. The Dragon Born immediately opened his wings and took to the sky in order to escape.
Lux and Gerhart flew into the sky as well, while Lilian used Air Steps to jump upwards.
The Saintess, who had followed them, had heard Lux's shout, but she didn't believe what the Half-Elf had said.
They had gone into the Inner Sanctum in the past and tried to free the monsters there using brute force and magic, but their attempts didn't work.
She refused to believe that the newcomers were able to do something that even they couldn't achieve, so she stayed for a bit to confirm if they were telling the truth or not.
It was at that moment when the land under her feet shook, almost making her lose her balance.
A moment later, two creatures emerged from the Gates of the Inner Sanctum, which made the Saintess feel as if all of her breath were taken away from her.
Even so, as someone who had managed to reach her Rank, she was able to recover right away and retreated as fast as she could.
She had to inform their King that two Calamity-Ranked Monsters had escaped their prison.
Monsters that were deemed to be too dangerous to be left wandering the lands of Agartha, due to how powerful, and destructive they were.
Chapter 936 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 2]
Lux glanced at the ground and observed the two Calamity-Ranked Monsters that escaped the prison.
Aurora, who was in his arms, trembled because she knew that she was the one responsible for letting the two Monsters escape.
"I'm sorry," Aurora said. "My luck is simply terrible."
Lux was about to tell her that it wasn't her fault, but he managed to stop himself in time. He knew that saying those words wouldn't help Aurora.
The only thing he could do now was decide what he was going to do next.
"Should we warn the city?" Lux asked Lilian, who had transformed into a little slime that was currently perched on his shoulder.
"The Saintess who followed us is already on her way back to the city," Lilian replied. "I'm sure she will warn everyone once she arrives."
Cethus, who was flying beside them, glanced at the Monsters on the ground before shifting his gaze to Lux.
"So, what now?" Cethus inquired.
"Good question," Lux answered. "For now, let's distance ourselves from those Monsters. Let's return to the city first."
The Half-Elf and his comrades then flew towards the City of Exile, where the two Monsters were currently headed.
One of them was two meters tall and looked like a Naga with golden eyes and razor-sharp teeth.
The other monster, who looked like an Ogre, was bigger, which he estimated to be around six to eight meters tall. It had four arms, and its skin was dark red.
Although these two Monsters noticed Lux's group flying in the sky, they ignored them.
For some reason, the Monsters were determined to head to the City of Exile, where all the exiled people of Agartha were currently staying.
While this was happening, the Saintess finally arrived in the city. She immediately used her ability to pass the news to her King, as well as to everyone in the city.
"Two Calamity-Ranked Monsters are headed this way!" the Saintess shouted. "They are the Blood Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga!"
Immediately, the entire city was thrown into chaos.
Everyone started to leave their homes and scattered like wild ducks that heard the sound of gunfire.
The King of the Exiles smashed his wine cup on the ground before glaring hatefully at the sky, where Lux and his comrades were currently at.
"Sh*t! I should have killed all of them when I had the chance!" the handsome man cursed.
However, he knew that if he didn't take control of the situation, things would get ugly pretty quickly.
"Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, to me!" the King of Exiles shouted. "All Rankers and High-Rankers, defend the city walls!"
When the panicking crowd of people heard their King, they stabilized themselves and immediately took action. They no longer ran, and instead headed towards the City Walls in order to defend it.
Meanwhile, the Four Saints appeared before their King and waited for his order.
"Artagnan, Athos, and Porthos, the three of you will deal with the Blood Ogre," the King of Exiles ordered. "Aramis, you will help me distract the Golden-Eyed Naga."
The Handmaiden, who went by the name, Aramis, nodded her head.
Meanwhile, the three men, Artagnan, Athos, and Porthos, all nodded their heads in agreement before flying towards the City Walls in order to deal with the Blood Ogre.
"Remember this, Aramis—our purpose is to distract the Naga, not engage it in battle," the King of Exile stated. "It is impossible for us to defeat it with just the two of us. The most we can do is buy time until the others are done dealing with the Blood Ogre. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Aramis replied.
"Good." The King of Exiles sighed. "Let's go."
Ten minutes later, the two Monsters finally entered the range of the defenders on the City Walls.
"Open fire!" the King of Exiles ordered a barrage of spells and projectiles to rain upon the two Calamity-Ranked Monsters that were headed in their direction.
The five Saints didn't hold back and unleashed their strongest attacks, targeting the monsters that were assigned to them.
"Should we help them?" Gerhart asked.
Lux was hesitant to join the battle, but something tugged on his clothes, which made him look at the young lady in his arms.
"This is my fault," Aurora said. "If possible, I want to help them."
The Half-Elf understood that Aurora wanted to take responsibility for letting the monsters go free. Because of this, he decided to grant her request. But he had a condition.
"I will help them, but you will not join the battle," Lux stated. "I hope you understand."
"…I do," Aurora replied. "Thank you, Lux."
The Half-Elf then glanced at the Wicked Queen Slime beside him, who had a frown on her face.
"Don't tell me I'm going to babysit her?" Lilian asked. "I'm not your nanny."
Lux was shot down before he could even say anything, so he didn't have a choice but to shift his attention to Gerhart.
"Gerhart, please look after Aurora," Lux said. "I will help defend the City of Exile. If the two Monsters manage to break inside the city, take Aurora and leave right away."
Unlike Lilian, Gerhart nodded.
"Understood," Gerhart replied. "Take care."
Cethus also had no intention of joining the battle. He wasn't a Martyr, and he had no connection with the City of Exile. Because of this, he decided to stay with Gerhart and watch the battle from a safe distance.
"Be careful, Lux," Aurora said as she let go of his hand.
"Don't worry." Lux lightly patted her head. "If things get dangerous, I will escape as well."
After saying those words, Lux flew towards the battlefield and summoned his two clones.
Although his Covenant Members had died in Aurora's Dream World, their deaths weren't considered true death since the world they fought in wasn't real.
Because of this, Lux was able to summon them without any problems.
"Avernus, come!"
The Half-Elf summoned his Dracolich and stood on his back.
Now that he was fighting in the real world, he wanted to see if his forces were strong enough to stop the rampage of two Calamity-Ranked Monsters while helping the Exiled People of Agartha defend the city that they call home.
------------------------
Author's Note: Very soon, I will be making consecutive arcs that will break your hearts.
Some of you will hate me, curse me, and wish that you could strangle me alive. Those who know me understand that this will be a very painful journey.
But, to those of you who are able to survive until the end, I promise you that it will be worth it.
Everyone, brace yourselves. We are in the End Game now.
P.S Don't worry, this friendly message will not make you spend an extra coin. Kekeke.
Chapter 937 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 3]
"Don't slack off, boys!" an Old Lady holding onto a wooden cane shouted. "If we fail to push back these two critters, we're all gonna die. Put your backs into it!"
"We're doing what we can, you old hag!" a man who was nearly two meters tall and busy shooting at the two Monsters with his bow and arrows shouted back. "Stop yelling and start helping!"
"You bastard, who are you calling an Old Hag? You have a death wish?!"
"I don't. But if I run out of arrows, I'm gonna use you as a projectile!"
Similar scenarios were happening on the ramparts of the City Walls as the Exiles cursed, shouted, and encouraged each other to fight with everything they had.
The King of Exiles, who went by the name Louis, frowned as the two Monsters continued to advance toward their city even with all the able-bodied Exiles in the city doing their best to keep them at bay.
"Everyone, prepare to engage!" Louis ordered.
As soon as he gave the signal, he, along with the four other Saints of the City, all flew toward the two Monsters and engaged them in close combat.
Just like their earlier assignments, three of the Saints fought with the Blood Ogre, while Louis and Aramis fought against the Golden-Eyed Naga.
Seeing their King fighting on the Front Lines, the people cheered from on top of the ramparts and continued to support them with cover fire.
Suddenly, a giant shadow appeared above their heads, making the Exiles all look up at the sky.
There, they saw something similar to a Bone Dragon, which made their hearts shudder inside their chest.
They thought that the giant Monster was another creature that had escaped the Inner Sanctum and was going to attack them.
However, before they could even attack the Monster, it unleashed a Dragon's Breath at the Blood Ogre, catching everyone by surprise.
Louis gave the Dracolich a side-long glance before giving an order not to attack it.
But the surprise didn't end there.
The gates of the city opened, and countless Skeletons charged out of it. There were also Jade Golems and creatures that were similar to Orcs holding tower shields.
"Make sure to not hit those Skeletons!" the Old Lady shouted. "I don't know where the Undead came from, but they are on our side. Since they've come to help, make sure to not attack them!"
The Old Lady didn't have to remind everyone as everyone already knew what to do the moment the Skeletons surged out of the gate.
However, something happened that gave them goosebumps.
Nightstalkers and Lich Revenants climbed up the City Walls and joined the defenders in using long-ranged attacks at the two Calamity-Ranked Monsters.
Some of the Exiles backed away in haste until nearly half of the Ramparts were occupied by the Undead Army.
"Be at ease," Asmodeus said. "We are on the same side. At least for now."
The Old Lady looked at the Lich King with a frown on her face. "Who are you and why are you helping us?"
The Lich King chuckled before giving the Old Lady a slight bow.
"My name is Asmodeus, and I am a Lich King," Asmodeus introduced himself. "As to why I am doing this, it's simply because it is what my Master wanted. Since it's his wish to help defend the city, then we will do everything in our power to make it happen."
The Old Lady pondered for a bit before asking the Lich King another question.
"And who is your Master?" the Old Lady asked.
Asmodeus pointed at the Half-Elf that was standing on top of the Dracolich that was flying in the sky.
"My Master's name is Lux Von Kaizer," Asmodeus replied. "Make sure to thank him later, okay?"
Asmodeus then shifted his gaze to the Blood Ogre in the distance. He knew that targeting both Monsters wouldn't help in the long run, so he decided to focus their firepower on one target only.
"Aim at the Blood Ogre," Asmodeus ordered. "Open Fire!"
Ishtar, Lazarus, Morpheus (Death Tyrant), the Nightstalkers, and the Lich Revenants all unleashed a deadly barrage that forced the Blood Ogre to go on the defensive.
Lux, who was riding on top of Avernus, raised his right hand, and a tombstone that was six meters tall appeared hundreds of meters away from the Blood Ogre.
A few seconds later, countless Enraged Ghouls materialized in its surroundings and began to charge at the Blood Ogre like rabid dogs.
All of these Ghouls were Rank 5 Monsters and wouldn't pose much of a threat to the Blood Ogre.
However, since all of Lux's subordinates were boosted with multiple buffs that improved their Attack, Defense, and Health, they could all be considered Pseudo Deimos-Ranked Monsters.
This was also true for the Doom Knight Gangbangers, Nightstalkers, Lich Revenants, Jade Golems, Fortress Defenders, and Doomsday Gargoyles. All of them had powerful buffs boosting their attacks, making them truly formidable in large-scale battles.
But it didn't end there.
Since they were also boosted with Lux's Death God's Aura, as well as gaining the Divine Abyssal Touch, they were like a swarm of ants that could overpower even stronger opponents!
With one sweep of the Blood Ogre's clubs, countless Ghouls were turned to meat paste.
With another strike, countless Doom Knight Gangbangers shattered and died instantly.
Calamity-Ranked Monsters were no joke, and they could easily destroy entire cities when left unchecked.
Even so, with each Undead's destruction, another one would rise to take its place.
It was an endless cycle of killing and rebirth, which made Louis and the other Saints feel as if they had a chance of winning.
Unfortunately, they had greatly underestimated their opponents.
There were many Calamity-Ranked Monsters that roamed the lands of Agartha, but not all of them were imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum.
Lilian, who was a Calamity-Ranked Wicked Queen Slime, was one of these monsters. Although her fighting ability was quite high, it was nothing compared to the monsters that were deemed to be too powerful to be allowed to roam the land.
As if proving this point, the body of the Blood Ogre turned completely black. There was also a black substance that was swirling around its body like countless tentacles that were obliterating anything that came within a hundred meters of it.
Although Lux's Undead Legion was unending, none of them were able to get close enough to actually deal damage to the Blood Ogre, who had now turned into a Black Ogre with four arms.
Aside from the changes in its skin color, there was something else that changed in the monster. It had gained a third eye that was crimson in color.
This eye would glow from time to time, creating a barrier that prevented long ranged attacks from hitting its body.
Simply put, it was now like a walking fortress.
A fortress that could repel any kind of attacks that were aimed in its direction.
The Golden-Eyed Naga, had also stepped up its attack and let out an otherworldly screech. It then stabbed its razor-sharp claws into the palm of its left hand, drawing blood.
What it did next made the Exiles feel as if the hairs on the back of their necks stood on end.
The Golden-Eyed Naga sprayed its golden blood on the ground.
These droplets of blood transformed into dozens of Golden-Eyed Nagas, with each having the strength of a Dreadnaught-Ranked.
The Calamity-Ranked Monster, as well as its summons, all charged at the City of Exile with a deafening shriek.
Since all of them looked the same, the Saints were unable to pinpoint the Calamity-Ranked Monster because it had hidden its aura while mingling with its summons.
Because of this, it was nearly impossible to tell which of the Golden-Eyed Naga's was the original.
"Scatter!" King Louis shouted towards the people on the city wall.
That was the last thing he said before the dozens of Golden-Eyed Nagas, as well as the Black Ogre, unleashed hell upon the Defenders of the City of Exile.
Chapter 938 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 4]
Screams and curses reverberated on top of the City Walls as the Exiles started to run in different directions in order to escape the Monsters that could easily destroy the wall that protected their city.
They could have dealt with the Dreadnaught Ranked Golden-Eyed Nagas, but with the original monster mixed in the group, they didn't dare to gamble with their lives.
Only Asmodeus, Ishtar, Lazarus, Morpheus, and the other Undead Monsters remained, not stopping their attacks against the incoming Monsters, buying time for the people to escape.
The Doomsday Gargoyles even assisted dozens of people who weren't fast enough, like the Old Hag, to escape the City Walls by flying them to safety.
Avernus roared in the sky and unleashed a Dragon Breath from the sky, turning the zone outside of the city into a hellish environment, making the Dreadnaught-Ranked Nagas scream in pain.
The Original Monster was able to dodge the Dracolich's attack with ease. With one powerful punch, it easily destroyed the City Wall, sending big chunks of rock flying in every direction.
It then clenched its fist, letting its razor-sharp nails dig into its palm before spraying the blood high up in the air, creating dozens of Dreadnaught-Ranked Nagas that looked exactly like it.
"Damn bastard is cheating!" Cethus cursed. "No wonder it was imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum. It's a one-man army!"
"That Black Ogre is also equally dangerous," Gerhart commented. "Strong defenses and equally strong physical strength. It's really difficult to fight against it."
Lilian didn't say anything and simply observed the two Monsters that had breached the city walls with a smile on her face.
She had no obligation to help the Humans overcome this disaster. The Wicked Queen Slime was more than happy to sit in the peanut gallery and watch as the world burned.
The Black Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga gave Lilian a side-long glance but made no attempt to head in her direction.
Both of them had sensed that she was also a Calamity-Ranked Monster, so they simply ignored her and focused on the Humans, who were now desperately trying to find a safe place from their onslaught.
Louis knew that the destruction of the city was inevitable, so he gathered all the Saints to make a last stand to protect the Castle.
With a battle of this scale, it was impossible to not have any casualties.
Dozens of Exiles had already died, and those who had survived were doing their best to run or fly as far away from the monsters as they could.
Aurora felt a pain in her heart after seeing the death and destruction that she had caused.
After fighting against her Heart Demon, she understood that this wouldn't be the last time that this would happen.
It was possible that wherever Lux took her, this scene would follow her as well.
Even so, she was firm on the decision that she would not run away and blame herself for every misfortune that happened around her.
"Can any of you take me close to the monsters?" Aurora asked. "I have a plan."
Cethus immediately shook his head before patting Gerhart's shoulder. "Sorry, but I don't plan on dying. How about you ask this Half-Elf instead? He likes to do dangerous things."
Gerhart, who had been pushed into the limelight, also shook his head.
"It is too dangerous, and I'm afraid that even if I take you there, both of us will just die," Gerhart stated. "I'm sorry, but I can't accompany you."
Left with no choice, Aurora called out to Lux, who was flying in the sky with his Dracolich.
"Lux, please help me get close to those two monsters!" Aurora shouted. "Trust me!"
The Half-Elf glanced in her direction before reluctantly nodding his head. He knew that Aurora was feeling guilty, but that wasn't why he agreed to her request.
Although he was worried about her, there was a hint of certainty in her voice when she said that she had a plan.
"Blackfire, take her near the monsters and protect her to the best of your ability," Lux ordered. "Make sure to keep her safe."
The Black Coffin appeared beside Lux and nodded its head. It then flew towards Aurora
The Half-Elf, and the Dracolich started attacking the Dreadnaught-Ranked Golden-Eyed Nagas.
Unlike the Exiles, Lux could easily tell which one was the real deal. However, even if he knew, he alone wasn't enough to deal with it.
Since that was the case, he focused on annihilating its minions, who were busy killing the exiles without a shred of mercy.
While this was happening, Aurora jumped on top of the Black Coffin and asked it to fly near the Black Ogre.
Blackfire obeyed her words and flew as low to the ground as possible, staying out of the Monsters' line of sight.
A few minutes later, the Black Coffin rose from the destroyed streets, dodging the black substance that swirled around the body of the Black Ogre, which automatically attacked anything that was close to it.
As Blackfire closed the distance, Aurora undid the necklace that hung around her neck and eyed the Black Ogre with a determined expression on her face.
When she deemed that she was close enough, she raised her right hand and pointed at the monster in front of her.
"Chains of Misfortune!"
Countless black chains erupted from her finger and bound the Black Ogre for a few seconds before merging with its body.
Aurora's aura of misfortune had the ability to infect anyone within a certain range around her and curse them with bad luck.
With that said, she could also unleash a stronger version of this curse at a single target, making them incredibly prone to bad luck.
This skill was called the Chains of Misfortune, and it was Aurora's signature skill that would permanently bring the same level of bad luck she possessed to Monsters, Saints, and even Supremes.
In short, anyone hit with this ability would be cursed with misfortune until the day they died!
Blackfire then flew past the Black Ogre and headed in the direction of the Original Golden-Eyed Naga, as per Aurora's orders.
"Chains of Misfortune!" Aurora shouted, and countless chains bound the Calamity-Ranked Monster before merging with its body.
The Golden-Eyed Naga didn't know what the young lady riding the Black Coffin did to it. However, it didn't change the fact that the chains that bound it for a brief moment made it extremely angry.
As a Monster that had been imprisoned inside the Inner Sanctum for hundreds of years, it was triggered by anything that attempted to restrict its freedom.
The same could be said for the Black Ogre, whose club was now swinging towards the Black Coffin with the intention of swatting it like a fly.
Suddenly, the Black Ogre tripped and its club smashed the shoulder of the Golden-Eyed Naga, whose razor-sharp claws were about to slice Aurora to shreds.
However, after getting hit by the Black Ogre, its attack missed its target and hit one of the arms of the Blood Ogre, drawing blood.
Blackfire rose towards the sky as Aurora once again put the necklace around her neck.
There were too many people running around the city, so it wasn't safe for her to wander around.
Lux and his comrades finally figured out what Aurora's plan was. Although it was a very dangerous thing to do, they couldn't help but admire the beautiful girl, who had risked her life to curse the two monsters with bad luck that was as strong as hers.
King Louis and the other Saints who recognized the sudden shift in the battlefield, didn't miss this opportunity and attacked the two Monsters with great intensity.
Avernus also deemed that the time was right to open the gates of hell. The Dracolich hovered in the sky and roared loudly.
Right under it, a blazing gate appeared and opened wide.
Numerous denizens from Hell surged out like a raging tide as they answered Avernus' call.
This was the first time that the Dracolich had used its skill, Hell Bringer.
Just as the name implied, the Monsters that came from Hell razed the city, covering it in hellish flames that burned brightly.
Chapter 939 Because I Can
"From death's embrace, I rise with fire and bone!" the Dracolich roared, and a Hellish Gate materialized as if to answer his call. "As Avernus, I claim my rightful throne!"
The Gates of Hell opened wide, pouring out the denizens of Hell who answered the call of their Master.
Hell hounds charged like the rabid dogs that they were, leaving trails of flames in their wake.
Hell Knights, riding atop Nightmare Horses similar to Diablo's own, charged with wanton abandon.
Hell Revenants flew towards their enemies, with wings burning brightly.
They were the monsters of hell, and they would make sure that the world knew of their existence!
The black Blood Ogre as well as the Golden-Eyed Naga shifted their attention to the oncoming tide of Monsters and charged at them.
The black swirl protecting the Blood Ogre transformed into tentacle-like whips, attacking his targets.
However, for some reason, these whips failed to hit anything, allowing the monsters to advance in his direction.
The Golden-Eyed Naga once again stabbed its palm, drawing blood. It then sprayed it in the air, summoning Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters that looked exactly like it.
However, nothing happened.
Instead of summoning reinforcements, its blood fell on the ground with impunity.
Seeing this, Lilian frowned before shifting her gaze to the pink-haired beauty that was riding on the black coffin.
'What a scary child,' Lilian thought. 'Even Calamity-Ranked Monsters can't be spared from her curse of misfortune.'
Just like the Wicked Queen Slime had surmised, both monsters had been affected by Aurora's bad luck.
Simply put, anything that had probability in it would have the worst outcome.
Spells that relied on chances would not work.
Abilities that relied on certain conditions would not activate.
Attacks that never missed would miss.
And Magic that could cause instant death would fail.
As long as they were branded by Misfortune's Beloved, the only thing they could do was cry!
Lux, Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones summoned all of their Undead Warriors.
Avernus, who was flying in the sky, used his skill, Summon Undead Legion, to summon the exact same number of Undead that was present on the battlefield, regardless of whether they were summoned by Lux's clones or not.
To make matters worse, Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus, along with their clones, also used the skill, Summon Tombstone, making several tombstones appear around the two Monsters that summoned Enraged Ghouls.
The King of Exiles, the Four Saints serving him, as well as the Exiles, looked at this scene in shock because countless Undead swarmed the two Calamity-Ranked Monsters like Ants taking on larger prey.
Diablo's eyes burned brightly as he landed a sneak attack on the Golden-Eyed Naga.
Since the number of Deaths on the battlefield had reached a certain threshold, his attack imbued with Divine Ethereal Element effortlessly cut through the Calamity-Ranked Monster's body, making it scream in pain.
But that wasn't all. All the Doomknight Gangbangers also gain a percentage of Diablo's total attack, increasing their damage output as well.
The two Calamity-Ranked Monsters were powerful, but neither of them was able to use their powers fully due to Aurora's curse.
If they took a step back, they would find themselves tripping. If they stepped forward they would slip. They couldn't do anything aside from brandishing their claws and weapons and swatting everything around them.
Due to how dense the monster tide was, regardless of what they did, they were bound to hit something.
However, no matter how many they killed, Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus would just summon more, trolling these monsters that stood at the Apex of the World.
"This is our chance!" the King of Exiles, Louis, shouted. "Focus on the Golden-Eyed Naga first!"
The four other Saints nodded their heads before flying towards the enraged Monster, who was being besieged from every direction.
Instead of attacking the Monster, what they did was apply debuffs, as well as restrict its movements, allowing the Undead Legion and the Hellish Army to swarm it completely.
Originally, these monsters had high resistance to debuffs, but now that they were cursed, any kind of debuff applied to them was guaranteed to succeed.
The Golden-Eyed Naga was unwilling and unresigned to its fate. But what else could it do aside from desperately trying to defend itself from the unending swarm of Ants, whose blazing eyes were locked on its body?
Suddenly, a dragon tail lashed at the Naga's head like a whip, making it shriek in pain.
Avernus sneered as it circled for another strike, this time slamming its tail downwards.
Lux, who was hanging onto the Dracolich's back, was sweating buckets because he didn't expect that Avernus would be so brutal.
The Half-Elf wasn't aware that the Dracolich disdained Calamity-Ranked Monsters even though its current strength was only that of the Empyrean Rank.
For Avernus who had once fought against Demigods and their Abyssal Army, Calamity-Ranked Monsters didn't pose a threat to it.
"Stand aside, Peasants!" the Dracolich roared, forcing King Louis as well as the four other Saints to back away.
"Undying Breath!"
The Dracolich unleashed a Dragon Breath that was imbued with Necrotic Energy.
Necrotic Energy drained the life force of anything it hit and also prevented the target from using any type of regeneration ability.
Buffed by Lux's Divine Abyssal Touch, the Dragon Breath directly attacked the creature's soul. The Golden-Eyed Naga's scream of pain reverberated throughout the area as it rolled on the ground, destroying everything around it.
While the Naga was writhing on the ground, the Dracolich flew past it and slammed its tail once again, which gave the phrase "hitting people when they're down" a different meaning.
"You're supposed to be a Dracolich that uses spells to overwhelm your opponents," Lux said in exasperation. "Why do you love to engage in close combat?"
Avernus chuckled before soaring high in the sky.
"Because I can."
Three words, and yet those words made Lux realize that the newest member of his Covenant was truly overbearing.
"Time to end this," Avernus spread its wings wide, which made Lux feel as if something big was coming.
"Draco Meteor!"
Unlike Lux's Draco Meteor which summoned several small meteorites falling in every direction, Avernus' Draco Meteor only consisted of one meteor.
One gigantic Meteor.
"Oh sh*t!" Lux cursed loudly when he saw the meteor that was hundreds of meters tall.
It was not only him who cursed aloud.
The King of Exiles, King Louis also cursed loudly.
Cethus felt faint after seeing the giant meteor and immediately flew away like his life depended on it.
It wasn't just him, everyone in the city ran like madlads because they believed that the aftermath of that meteor strike would wipe out the entire city from the Pantheon of Exile.
"Avernus, don't!" Lux shouted. "You'll kill everyone!"
The Giant Meteorite that had already passed the Dracolich suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks, dealing no damage whatsoever to the forces on the ground.
"It was just a prank," Avernus laughed. "Did you honestly think that I would kill my allies?"
"…I have a feeling that you'd do it if given the chance," Lux replied.
"And why do you think I would do such a thing?"
"You said it yourself,..."
The Half-Elf could only smile wryly as he looked at the City of Exiles that was now in flames before he continued his sentence.
"It's because you can."
Chapter 940 No Need To Show Us The Way Out
The Blood Ogre's skin returned to its original red color before it collapsed on the ground with an unresigned roar.
It was a Calamity-Ranked Beast strong enough to threaten the entirety of Agartha.
However, because of the Misfortune that had been planted in its body, it was unable to use its power to the fullest, resulting in its downfall.
Hundreds of meters away from it, the Golden Naga lay, its golden eyes looking complexly at the sky, as if asking the heavens why it had to suffer in this manner.
Both Monsters were yet to die, and they were still clinging to life to the best of their abilities.
King Louis, who saw this, decided to personally end the life of these monsters, and take their Beast Cores away.
However, before he could even do that, a giant Dracolich landed in front of him, blocking his path.
"Don't even think about it, Peasant," Avernus stated. "Move or I will send you to the afterlife."
King Louis, as well as the Saints beside him, glared at the Dracolich, who was looking down on them.
'It's just one Dracolich,' one of the Saints said to King Louis using telepathy. 'We can kill it easily.'
'No,' King Louis replied. 'Stand down. This is a creature we cannot offend.'
The King of Exiles knew that if they really attacked the Dracolich over this petty matter, their city would truly be destroyed.
The only reason why he wanted to kill the Calamity-Ranked Monsters was to ensure that they would no longer pose any danger to his city.
As for getting the Beast Cores, he planned to negotiate with the Dracolich's Master, who had the Half-Elf on his back, for them.
Since his city was destroyed due to their actions, he believed that it was only right that they were compensated for it.
However, before he could even open his mouth to talk to the Half-Elf and start a negotiation, Blackfire casually devoured the two dying monsters, making the King of Exile's lips twitch.
The Black Coffin didn't give a hoot about whatever the Saints were thinking. It had called dibs on the two monsters the moment they appeared.
If the King of Exiles and his merry band of Saints, dared to stand in its way, it wouldn't mind adding five more Saints to its collection!
Avernus chuckled and raised its tail to high-five the black coffin, which happily returned the gesture.
Seeing his two shameless allies act like this made Lux shake his head helplessly.
"Um, sorry about what happened," Lux stated. "It was our fault that those two monsters escaped."
King Louis and the Saints looked at the Half-Elf and felt a little relieved that at least Lux was being civil with them.
"Since you admit that you were at fault, what can you do about this mess that you created?" King Louis asked. "Many of my subjects died in this siege. You can't possibly brush that aside, no?"
"As a matter of fact, we can," Avernus replied as he used his Dragon Fear and Intimidation Ability against the Five Saints, making them feel as if they were carrying the weight of an entire mountain on their shoulders. "You have a problem, brah?"
The Dracolich's words were filled with disdain and contempt, which made Cethus wonder if he could call the Dracolich his Uncle.
As someone who liked to look down on Low Landers, any Dragon or Dragon Born who had this ability was an Idol in his eyes.
King Louis gritted his teeth and stepped forward as if he had reached his limit. The Four Saints standing by his side did the same.
But the moment they did that, they suddenly found themselves surrounded from all sides by the Undead and Hell Legion.
Heck, even Eiko had summoned Blast Bombs in her hands, ready to throw the moment the Saints took another step.
Blackfire was also quick to summon the Tiger Saint and the Paladin Saint.
The Black Coffin also made a gesture, moving its lid up and down as if to taunt King Louis and telling him to come if he dared.
"If you insist on hurting Lux, I will curse you for eternity," Aurora, who had arrived at the standoff while riding on one of the Doomsday Gargoyles, said firmly.
"Misfortune's Beloved," King Louis said with a smile. "It seems that the Kingdom of Agartha will once again suffer from bad luck. Well, not that I mind. I even wish that you infect everyone with your curse. By doing so, they might feel a fraction of the pain we suffered when they exiled us to this land. Worry not, Princess. The Exiles will fully support you."
Aurora smiled back. "Do not think that I am a gullible girl who will become one of your pawns, Uncle? Father sent you to this place because you tried to start a civil war. Even though I have been locked up inside the Cold Tower, I have heard of your exploits that caused many of our citizens to perish."
"You may not be gullible, but you're naive," King Louis replied. "It is time for Agartha to rise to the Surface World and become a powerhouse. Your adoptive father is a coward and an incompetent fool who believes that the Status Quo must be maintained. Agartha has long stagnated under the hands of incompetent rulers!"
Aurora didn't reply and simply looked at the King of Exiles who had been biding his time, gathering support inside the Pantheon of Exile to overthrow her father's rule.
In her eyes, greedy people like Louis, who coveted power and resources to the extent of waging war on the Surface World, were the worst.
"Let's go, Aurora," Lux said. "Let's leave this place."
The Half-Elf had no intention of joining the political struggles of the Kingdom of Agartha. He only came to the Pantheon of Exile to free Aurora, and he couldn't care less who sat on the Agarthian throne.
Aurora nodded as the Doomsday Gargoyle flew towards Lux, allowing the Half-Elf to carry Misfortune's beloved in his arms.
"We're leaving," Lux stated. "No need to show us the way out."
Lux opened his Draconic Wings and flew towards the beach area, where they had disembarked.
His comrades did the same, and the Army of Undead followed them.
They were still in enemy territory, so Lux didn't unsummon his forces. He only joined the battle because he knew that Aurora would feel guilty if more people died because of her.
King Louis watched them go as he held back the killing intent that was oozing from his body.
Although his city had been destroyed and some of the exiles had died, he was still fine with it because the Castle was still standing.
Most of the treasures as well as the weapons that they had prepared for their inevitable return to the Kingdom of Agartha were stored in the Castle's treasury.
As long as that was left untouched, they would still be able to recover the losses that they had suffered today.
What they didn't know was that two Little Skeletons had infiltrated their castle as per Aurora's order when the battle was still underway.
The young lady had recognized the King of Exiles and knew of the atrocities that he had committed in the past.
Since they were doing their best to protect the castle at all costs, the young lady deemed that there must be something important inside it that they couldn't allow to be destroyed.
Zane and Zeke were able to bypass the protection of the Treasury because all the Saints were busy.
The two Little Skeletons then informed Lux of their discovery, and he sent one of Eiko's clones to sneak inside the castle.
Truth be told, Avernus' earlier performance was their way of buying more time for Eiko's clone to swallow up everything inside the treasury.
By the time King Louis and the Saints discovered what had happened, the Half-Elf and his comrades had already boarded the Bone Ship Octavius and set sail, making their way back to the Atlas Stronghold.