Ch. 981: Chapter 981-990

Chapter 981 The Beginning Of The End [Part 9]

Hereswith, who was fighting against the Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army, brandished her Death Scythe and blocked both of their attacks.

The two were dead-set on taking her life, but due to her current Rank, they were having a hard time landing a blow on her body.

In fact, the ones that were receiving injuries were none other than them, despite Hereswith looking like a delicate girl that couldn't even harm an ant.

However, had they known how vulgar her mouth was and how deadly she was in close combat, they would have thought twice when they were trying to court this extremely beautiful Elf.

Hundreds of meters behind Hereswith's back, a middle-aged man approached her slowly.

He was the Supreme that had turned invisible in order to join the battle and launch a sneak attack on her from behind.

This middle-aged man had been one of Hereswith's Suitors, but the Elf had rejected him, even trampling on his pride and dignity as a man by calling him a One-Pump-Chump.

This nickname spread among the Circles of Supremes, making him a laughingstock.

Back then, he felt quite regretful that he wasn't the one who landed the killing blow on the foul-mouthed Elf's body. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, he would make sure he put her in her place.

Although his steps didn't make any sound, or indentation on the ground, he still made sure to time his steps every time the two Supremes attacked her, masking any kind of trace that still might be left behind.

When he was only a hundred meters away from Hereswith, the middle-aged man took a step forward and instantly teleported behind Herswith.

His silver dagger moved with deadly precision as he aimed at the beauty's back, with the intention of piercing her heart from behind.

It was at that moment when a loud roar reverberated in the battlefield.

"Get your filthy hands off my daughter!" the Elven King smashed his fist into the invisible man's face, sending the latter flying.

The Elf King was so enraged that someone had actually dared to sneak attack his daughter from behind.

At first, he didn't plan to do anything because he could tell that Hereswith had the situation under control.

But, when the middle-aged man moved, the Elf King no longer hesitated and made his move.

He gave his daughter a side-long glance before charging at the man with the intention to kill. There was no way he would stand idly and watch his daughter die a second time.

The Elf King didn't care if he had to make the entire world his enemy. If someone really planned to kill Hereswith under his watch, he would not hesitate to kill them and wage war on the organization backing them.

Hereswith didn't even bother to look at her father, but an extremely sweet smile was plastered on her face.

Truth be told, although the middle-aged man was invisible. Hereswith could see him just fine. As a Necromancer, she was very sensitive to the presence of the Living and the Dead.

Even if the Supreme masked his actions, his movements were as clear as day to her. The only reason why she didn't make a move was due to the fact that she also wanted to know if her father would simply be an observer in this battle, or if he'd get involved.

It had been many years since she had last seen him, and she wondered if he still cared for her as his daughter.

Seeing his actions, and hearing how angry he was for her sake, the smile on Hereswith's face widened.

'It looks like I still have a family waiting for me in Espoir Frieden,' Hereswith thought.

A second later, her movements became quicker, overpowering the two Supremes that she was fighting.

After seeing the middle-aged man and the Elven King fighting in the distance, the other Supremes started to move.

The Divine Army of Light had allied themselves with several factions, including powerful kingdoms that had Supremes guarding their Domain.

The only reason why they didn't help the Divine Army at the very beginning was due to the fact that they felt that it was beneath them to bully the Half-Elf and the Half-Ling, who were merely a High-Ranker and an Apostle.

But now, things were different. Hereswith was a Demigod after refining the body of the Fallen Seraphim, making her stronger than Supremes.

Antero was a Peak-Demigod Monster, which many considered to be Immortal. Although the Golem was powerful, it was not as if he was invincible.

People feared the Golem of Destruction due to his immortality. No matter how many of them tried to kill him, he would just reform and return the favor he got from those that had managed to destroy his body.

Then, there was the Skeleton Queen.

Hereswith's Summon was also at the peak of the Demigod Rank. After observing her battle against the Beast King and the Lizard King, the other Supremes found out that the Skeleton Queen had a similar ability to Antero.

She could also reflect powerful attacks on her enemies, making her a very dangerous opponent.

Over a Dozen Supremes moved to join the battle, but they didn't fight against Lux, Gaap, and Hereswith.

They all fought against themselves.

Some of these Supremes were the hidden Allies of the DIvine Armies, and those who fought against them were the Supremes that were indebted to Hereswith.

Although the beautiful elf was foul-mouthed and unruly, it didn't change the fact that she traveled the lands of Elysium in order to help people and those that were in need.

This was also why she was well loved, and many wanted to make her their lover. Unfortunately, Hereswith wasn't someone that was easily moved by a person's strength, standing, or background.

Those who failed to make her their women felt that if they couldn't have her, then no one else could be her lover.

This mentality made them want to kill Hereswith, but they refrained from doing so because they knew Hereswith's background.

Only the Divine Army didn't care about this, and went ahead with ending her life many years ago.

"Faustina, take care of everyone here," the Dragon King stated. "I'm going as well."

Without even waiting for Faustina's reply, the Dragon King joined the chaotic battlefield, attacking the Supremes who were affiliated with the Divine Army.

He owed Hereswith a favor, and now was the perfect time to return it. Soon, the spectators were forced to distance themselves from the battlefield again due to how utterly dangerous it was becoming.

Dozens of Supremes duking it out with each other wasn't something you got to see everyday. But, no one dared to come close because if they did, they would just die a needless death due to their curiosity.

In the midst of this chaotic battlefield, Lux was running away as fast as he could.

The reason? Four Supremes were hounding him, and they were not an enemy that a High-Ranker like him could deal with easily.

Asmodeus had told him that the teenagers, who had temporarily gained the power of Supremes, wouldn't last long.

As long as the Half-Elf was able to survive for ten minutes, his pursuers would implode after reaching their limit.

Ten minutes might be a short span of time, but for the Half-Elf, every second made him feel as if he was one step closer to death.

Chapter 982 The Beginning Of The End [Part 10]

'Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!' Lux cursed to himself as he flew away like a mad lad in an attempt to distance himself from the Four Supremes who were hounding his back like devils.

Right now, he had no one to depend on aside from himself.

"Die!" one of the teenagers shouted as he punched forward, sending a blow that would instantly obliterate a mountain.

Lux summoned the Spear of Longinus and didn't hesitate to dive down to the ground, burying himself in it.

The Supreme's attack wasn't aimed at the ground, but the blow was strong enough to destroy the topography of the land.

Fortunately, Lux had dug deeply enough, so he managed to survive a direct hit from the teenager's merciless attack.

After his attack ended, the teenager coughed and spat out a mouthful of golden blood. His face turned bloodless, but aside from that, he was still able to endure the power inside his body.

"Be careful," one of his comrades said. "At most, we can only unleash two powerful attacks before we return to our God's embrace."

The pale-faced teenager nodded as he wiped away the golden blood that seeped out of the corner of his lips.

"I will take him to the afterlife with me, even if it's the last thing I do," the pale-faced teenager vowed.

His other comrades nodded before looking at the ground.

Even if they didn't launch any attacks, their bodies would soon reach their limit, so they couldn't afford to stay idle.

Lux, who also understood this, continued to dig deeper on the ground. This was his only path to survival.

Even if he had to dig until he reached the kingdom of Agartha, he would do it just to live another day!

The Oracle, who was paying close attention to Lux, didn't look too anxious as she held the Divine Bow in her hand.

'What you're doing is futile.' The Oracle sneered internally as she aimed in a certain direction. 'You are underestimating our Supremes. Do you really think you can escape just by hiding in the ground like a mole?'

Three of the Supremes looked at the only lady in their Ranks as if waiting for her to finish something.

A giant magic circle had appeared on the ground, and the runes in it were glowing brightly.

"Get into positions," the young lady ordered.

Immediately, two of the four teenagers flew in different directions and returned to the battlefield.

The two remaining Supremes took a fighting stance as if they were preparing to unleash their strongest attack.

The Oracle narrowed her eyes before letting go of the bowstring in her hand, sending her Arrow of Destruction flying.

As if waiting for that cue, the young lady shouted.

"Now!"

Immediately, the runes of the Magic Circle exploded into a shower of sparks.

A moment later, the Half-Elf who was digging his way under the ground appeared above the Magic Circle. An expression of utter shock appeared on his face.

Seeing that two powerful attacks were about to collide with his body, the Half-Elf decided to swap places with one of his two clones.

However, when he activated the skill, it didn't trigger, which made his eyes widen.

There was only one explanation for this, his clones had died, preventing him from swapping with their bodies!

Just as the attacks of the two Supremes were about to hit Lux, his shadow moved, and the Half-Elf found himself standing hundreds of meters away from where he was hovering earlier.

Draven, who was hiding in Lux's shadow, forcefully swapped places with his Master in order to allow him to survive.

His Loyal Servant wasn't even able to say his last words when the attack of the two Supremes obliterated his body, killing him instantly.

Lux, who felt his connection with the Shadow Sovereign get cut off, winced in pain as if a part of his flesh was torn off from his body.

But before the Half-Elf could recover from the unexpected turn of events, he saw the black arrow that was only inches away from his chest, giving him no time to dodge.

"Checkmate," the Oracle sneered as her arrow pierced through her target's chest, leaving a bloody hole behind.

However, a look of surprise appeared on her face when she saw that the one her arrow hit was not the Half-Elf, but the Halfling who swapped places with his Disciple at the last second.

With everything happening so fast, it took Lux a while to register what had just happened.

When he realized that his Master had swapped places with him, taking the arrow that was meant to end his life, everything around him came to a complete stop.

He was in a state of shock, and he could only look in disbelief at his Master's body, which had frozen mid-air as blood sprayed off his chest.

"N-No…"

Words seemed to fail him as time started to move again, but this time, it moved at a snail's pace.

Lux's body moved before he could even think, and at that exact moment, time finally returned to normal.

"Masteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!" Lux roared as he turned into a lightning bolt, catching Gaap before his body hit the ground.

The Half-Elf didn't stop flying while holding onto his Master's body, which was slowly starting to turn black.

Right now, Lux's only goal was to get away from the Divine Empire as fast as he could in order to find a way to save his Master.

However before he could do that, he felt four powerful presences lock onto his body.

The four teenagers were now burning their remaining vitality as they caught up with the Half-Elf who was holding his Master in his hands.

"Die!" the pale-faced teenager, who had taken the initiative to attack Lux at the very beginning, punched forward.

A giant flaming fist materialized in front of him and flew towards the Half-Elf.

This attack contained all of his power, and a smile appeared on the pale-faced teenager's face before cracks started to form in his body.

"I'll take you with me to the afterlife."

Those were the last words that the pale-faced teenager said before his body exploded in a shower of sparks.

Lux, who was about to get hit by the Giant Burning Fist, stopped flying and roared in anger.

His Dragon Token hovered in front of him, but before he could activate it, a red beam of light collided with the burning fist, pushing it away from the Half-Elf.

"I'll take it from here," Dillon said as he stood on one of the Seven Heads of Teju Jagua, who had once obliterated the entirety of the Wolfpine Barony with a single attack.

"Go."

Lux glanced at the Black-Robed Necromancer before flying away in haste.

The three surviving Supremes wanted to catch up to him, but before they could do that, six red beams of light were fired in their direction, forcing them to dodge.

"It seems that the Divine Army really thinks that they can do anything they want just because no one is standing up to them," Dillon stated.

"Hmph! They're lucky that we're just too busy at the moment." A man wearing a red robe snorted. "Collecting the Stars of Calamity is not an easy task. If not for that, I would have slapped these bastards silly sooner."

The red-robed man was standing on the head of a Giant Boar with four tusks, and fangs that made it look like a tiger.

This monster was none other than the Lord of the Hills and Mountains, who went by the name Ao Ao.

Similar to Teju Jagua, it was one of the Beasts among the Seven Stars of Calamity.

Although they were called Calamity Beasts, they were in fact Demigods that had been sealed due to the threat of their power.

Memento Mori was trying to unseal all of them and, so far, only three of these Seven Beasts of Calamity had been freed from their shackles.

The Third Beast of Calamity was still recovering from the effects of its seal, so it wasn't sent to the Divine Empire to join the battle.

However, Teju Jagua and Ao Ao standing side by side were more than enough to block the three Supremes who wanted the Half-Elf dead.

Seeing that they were unable to pursue their target, the three teenagers took a fighting stance in order to unleash their strongest attacks.

Dillon and his comrade scoffed at this futile attempt. In their eyes, these three kids were nothing they'd be afraid of.

A few seconds later, a loud explosion shook the lands of the Divine Empire as the three teenagers and the Two Beasts of Calamity clashed.

When the dust settled, the land was destroyed beyond recognition, and yet, the two Beasts and their Masters were completely unharmed.

"Those who want to die, step forward," Dillon shouted. "Memento Mori will take you on!"

"Don't worry, even if you die, we will take good care of your bodies." The red-robed man sneered. "It seems that you all have forgotten why you are afraid to step out of your Divine Empire at night. I guess it's about time for a wake-up call. You fools are not as strong as you think you are."

The two members of the Divine Army raised their hands, and the two Beasts of Destruction opened their mouths.

"Disappear!" Dillon stated.

As if waiting for that cue, eight red beams of light flew toward the Divine City. Seeing this, the members of the Divine Army quickly soared toward the sky in an attempt to evade them.

A second later, a blinding flash of light covered the entire land with its brilliance, forcing everyone to cover their faces.

It was followed by an earth-shaking eruption that made almost everyone turn deaf.

When the light receded, the entirety of the Divine City could no longer be seen, and the Main Headquarters of one of the strongest organizations in the continent ceased to exist.

Chapter 983 The Beginning Of The End [Part 11]

After flying for several minutes, Lux finally landed on top of a mountain and hurriedly laid his Master on the ground.

The Halfling's breathing was slow and labored, surprising Lux a little, given the bloody hole through his Master's chest, where his heart was supposed to be.

Normally, it was not possible to survive such an injury, especially if their heart was not just stabbed but blown apart.

"… Lux," Gaap called out with difficulty. He attempted to raise his hand, but he struggled to even gather strength inside his body.

"I'm here, Master," Lux replied as he held Gaap's hand, holding it firmly. "I'm here. Everything is okay."

"… Mmm." Gaap hummed as black blood seeped out of the corner of his lips.

His entire body had nearly turned black as if the Halfling bathed in black ink.

Only his neck and head still retained a bit of color, but Lux knew that it was only a matter of time before they, too, turned as black as ink.

"I don't… see Eiko anywhere… Did you… leave her… in the Guild Headquarters?" Gaap asked despite the fact that he was having a hard time breathing, and talking.

"She's off to an adventure somewhere," Lux replied as a tear fell from the corner of his eyes. "I'm a bit worried about her, but I believe that she will return home safely."

"Ah… she left the nest." Gaap smiled weakly. "Good. You pamper her… too much. She needs… to grow up… and see the world on her… own."

The Halfling paused before coughing a few times.

"Lux, thank you for… coming into my life," Gaap said. "I always… dreamed of having… a Disciple. You… made me… very proud."

"I'm also proud to be your Disciple, Master," Lux replied as more tears fell from his eyes. "Don't worry. Blackfire will definitely save you. Both of us will ensure that you get the best body possible."

Gaap didn't answer and only smiled.

At that moment, a beautiful Elf landed beside the two.

Hereswith then moved to gently place Gaap's head on her lap and lightly brushed his head.

"Ah… Master. I missed… you."

Tears as black as ink started streaming down the side of his face. He didn't expect that his Master would appear during his last moments again.

"I missed you too, Gaap," Hereswith said with a sad smile on her extremely beautiful face. "I'm sorry that I left you alone to fend for yourself. I was a bad Master."

Gaap started sobbing as all the pent-up sadness and loneliness that he had locked up in the deepest part of his heart and mind after his Master's death rose to the surface.

The Halfling was the only survivor of a war that killed his parents, friends, and acquaintances.

When Hereswith found him, he was at death's door after being pinned down by a wall that had fallen on his body.

He was only nine years old at that time, and if not for her, he would have died that very day.

Since then, he had followed Hereswith on her journey.

For Gaap, Hereswith was not only his Master. She was his adopted mother, and he treated her like his one and only family member.

This was why, when she died, Gaap felt as if there was a big hole in his heart that couldn't be filled no matter what.

Because of this, he made a deal with Antero, which the Golem of Destruction accepted on a whim.

Antero once belonged to Hereswith, and after her death, he was supposed to return to the Abyss as per their contract.

However, after watching Gaap grow alongside the elf, the Golem of Destruction found the little Halfling pitiful.

Also, Antero was also annoyed at the Divine Army for what they had done to Hereswith. He believed that even if you needed to play dirty in battle, there were certain bottom lines that shouldn't be crossed.

When they used Gaap as a hostage to kill Hereswith, even the Golem of Destruction was disgusted.

This scene reminded him of his adopted daughter, Rhiannon, who had followed him through the Abyss hundreds of years ago.

If someone used her as a hostage, Antero would definitely go all out to destroy that person. However, since he was feared in the Abyss, no one dared to touch the little Succubus even if she was very weak at that time.

Although Gaap and Rhiannon were very different from each other, the Golem knew that Hereswith treated the little Halfling like family.

The beautiful Elf didn't say anything and continued to gently pat Gaap's head as the black corruption started to spread across his face.

"Master, I love you," Gaap said as a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"I love you too, Gaap," Hereswith replied. "I will love you forever."

Both of them loved each other as family, and this would not change no matter what.

One by one, several colorful orbs of light flew out of Gaap's chest and landed beside him.

"Baal… thank you for everything," Gaap smiled.

"Thank you for trying to avenge Hereswith to the best of your ability," Baal replied. "It was an honor to serve you as my temporary Master."

"Master," the Gothic Lolita, Carol, held Gaap's free hand and cried. "I will miss you."

"Carol… thank you for always being there… for me," Gaap replied. "Your herbal beverages… are always delicious."

Naberius, Tharin, and Adonis all knelt beside Gaap and thanked him for using his limited lifespan to avenge Hereswith.

Gaap also thanked them for all the help they gave him when he was weak and struggling.

"Master!" Hana was no longer able to say anything as she clung to Gaap and cried bitterly.

"Hana, thank you… for being part… of my Covenant," Gaap said softly. "Please… serve and protect Lux. He is… a magnet for… trouble. I leave him… in your care."

A sigh escaped Gaap's lips because he could feel his body turning cold. His entire body had already turned black, including his hair and the whites of his eyes.

"I free… all of you… from our… contract," Gaap stated. "Return… to your original… Master."

The members of Gaap's Covenant all nodded their heads in affirmation, despite the fact that all of them had sad expressions on their faces.

Seeing that his Master was about to die, Lux summoned Blackfire.

"Take Master," Lux ordered. "Before it's too late!"

The Black Coffin didn't open its lid to absorb Gaap like it did whenever it wanted to devour someone.

Instead, it lowered its head as if it was feeling extremely sad that it wasn't able to obey his Master's order.

"What are you doing?!" Lux asked. He was truly feeling anxious because he felt that he was about to lose his Master forever. "Take Master now!"

It was at that moment that he felt his Master lightly squeeze his hand.

"It's… no use," Gaap said through gritted teeth. "Don't… blame… Blackfire. I cannot… be saved."

"I see." Lux finally calmed down a bit. "I just need to wait until you die, right, Master? Once you die, Blackfire can take your corpse and revive it. Also, I can capture your soul before you cross over. It is going to be fine. Yes… things are going to be fine."

Hereswith, who had kept her silence, shook her head.

"No, Lux," Hereswith said. "You might have already sensed it. But Gaap's soul is no longer inside his body. The fact that he is still alive despite his heart being destroyed is proof of it."

"Grandmaster, I don't understand," Lux was doing his best to prevent his voice from cracking up. "Both of us are Necromancers, right? How can we not revive Master after his death? Isn't this impossible?"

Gaap was about to reply, but Hereswith placed her finger over his lips before gently patting his head.

"I will explain it to him for you," Hereswith stated because she knew that speaking was already very painful for Gaap.

Her disciple was already dying, and even speaking was difficult for him. The least she could do was answer on his behalf.

"Gaap didn't have the power and authority to command Antero," Hereswith stated. "He was also only a Grade-A Apostle, so it was impossible for him to supply him with enough magic to materialize in this world.

"Since that was the case, there was only one source of power that he could use to allow the Golem of Destruction to enter this world. Lux, what do you think is powerful enough to barely sustain a Demigod to fight for a mere Apostle?"

Lux pondered for a bit before finally connecting the dots. He had often wondered why his Master was only a Grade-A Apostle.

With Gaap's ability, he could easily become a Ranker with the forces under his command. But, even after separating from Hereswith, his Rank remained the same.

There was only one explanation for this. He was unable to increase his Rank no matter what he did.

So, how can someone be stopped from being able to increase their rank? It was simple.

Those who didn't have a soul couldn't increase their rank.

Even Undead Monsters could become powerful because they had Beast Cores inside their body that served as their power source.

In time, these Undead would also develop sentience, which would in turn be the catalyst for them to form souls of their own.

"Antero," Lux said softly. "Antero is consuming Master's soul."

Hereswith smiled bitterly before nodding her head.

"Yes," Hereswith confirmed Lux's deduction. "This is why every time he is summoned, Gaap becomes older. Antero uses the power of his soul to appear in this plane of existence. And now, Gaap has reached his limit. He can no longer be saved."

The Halfling was smiling despite the fact that he would soon cease to exist—his soul would disappear, which meant that he couldn't even enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.

"Lux… don't avenge me," Gaap said as his legs started to turn into flakes of ashes that were being carried away by the wind. "The Divine Army… still serves… a purpose. This is why… Memento Mori… is not making… any moves… to wipe them out."

Lux's vision blurred as his tears fell like rain. He didn't promise Gaap anything for he knew that he couldn't make that promise.

Gaap, who seemed to have sensed Lux's resolve sighed, but he no longer repeated his words.

Half of his body had now turned to ashes, and he only had less than a minute to say his final goodbyes.

"Master… look after Lux," Gaap said softly. "He is… more stubborn… than you… and me… combined."

"I will do my best," Hereswith replied, as a tear fell from her eye, falling down on Gaap's cheek. "Be at peace."

"Thank you… Master." Gaap smiled. "Lux. Live… a great life… and die… a great death."

Those were the last words that Gaap said before his entire body crumbled and turned to ashes.

A gust of wind blew and sent his remains flying to the sky, leaving nothing behind.

Lux finally broke down as the tears that he had been holding back flowed like a river.

Hereswith wrapped her arms around her Grand Disciple's head and pulled him to her chest.

The beautiful Elf was also crying just like Lux. She had done her best to appear calm in order to not make Gaap sad during his last moments. However, how could she possibly not feel sad?

How could she possibly not feel heartbroken?

Her Disciple had sacrificed his soul in order to avenge her, so how could she not be moved?

The two held onto each other as they both wept bitter tears.

For they knew that one of the most important people in their lives had disappeared completely, never to be revived or be seen ever again.

Chapter 984 The Elf King’s Invitation

The Elven King sighed as he watched her daughter hug her Grand Disciple in a tight embrace.

He wanted to talk to Hereswith, but seeing the two Necromancers mourning, he knew that this wasn't the right time.

The Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Palace hovered in the air, not far from the Elf King.

A few other Supremes, who owed Hereswith a debt in the past, were also there and simply observed the beautiful Elf from afar.

No one dared to make a move to console her and the Half-Elf, whose face was buried in her chest.

The two members of Memento Mori observed the two from afar and acted as their guards.

After destroying the Divine City, the members of the Divine Army no longer pursued Lux and Hereswith in fear that the other Supremes would join the two members of Memento Mori in fighting them to the death.

They already lost their Main Headquarters, dozens of Saints, and thousands of Rankers. Any move that would add more to the death count would be foolish, especially now that they realized that there were many powerful factions who would choose to side with Hereswith and prevent them from harming her.

Valerie was also in tears when she saw how heartbroken Lux was. If possible, she wanted nothing more than to hold him in her embrace, but she knew that now was not the time and place to do that.

Aur felt the same as Valerie. He had known how much Lux cared for his Master, proved by how much he had done and how he dared to come to the Divine Empire in order to save him.

He couldn't even imagine how much effort it took for Lux to raise his rank in a short period of time.

The Dragon Prince was also very surprised that Lux was able to fight toe to toe with anyone below the Supreme Rank. The red-headed Half-Elf was certainly one of a handful of individuals who were capable of such a feat.

It was not only Aur who was impressed by the Half-Elf's performance.

The other Supremes, as well as the Saints, who were their subordinates, had seen how Lux fought against all odds.

When they realized that he was the Heaven's Necromancer that the World Wide Announcement had mentioned, their interest in him grew even more.

Victor and Tristan were also there, observing the Half-Elf from afar.

'Good thing I didn't try to suppress him by force back then,' Victor thought as he wiped the imaginary beads of sweat that formed on his forehead.

Although Lux had shown a great deal of fighting prowess when he fought the Beast Tide that threatened the Xeno Kingdom, it seemed that he wasn't using all of his abilities.

If Victor were to really muscle his way in and force Lux to leave her daughter alone, the Half-Elf might have summoned his Calamity-Ranked Subordinates to slap Victor silly, making the latter lose face in front of his family.

Tristan, who was now aware that the person branded a Heretic by the Divine Army was actually his little sister's fiance, didn't know if he should laugh or cry.

With such a powerful brother-in-law, their Xeno Kingdom would definitely grow to become a powerful faction in Elysium in a few years.

However, Tristan also understood that the Half-Elf was a double-edged sword.

Although Lux was strong, had an extremely beautiful Grandmaster, and seemed to have close relationships with powerful factions, it also meant that he had many enemies.

These enemies could easily wipe their kingdom from the face of Elysium. Having thought of this, Tristan felt that his future brother-in-law was a walking time bomb that could blow up in their faces at any given time.

"Father, what should we do?" Tristan asked with a conflicted look on his face.

"Let's ask your mom when we return home," Victor replied. "Whatever her decision will be, I will support it."

Tristan nodded because he found this answer fair. Their mother was the real decision-maker of their family because, among all of them, she was the most level-headed.

Two hours later, Lux finally regained a semblance of calmness, allowing Hereswith to help him stand up.

At that exact moment, several figures landed a few meters away from the two Necromancers.

"Hereswith, where do you plan to go after this?" The Elf King, Kazimir, asked.

Hereswith didn't answer right away. Instead, she lightly patted the head of her Grand Disciple, whose head was still resting on her chest.

"Lux, do you want to come with me to Espoire Frieden for a while?" Hereswith asked. "The air there is very fresh, and the scenery is superb. Also, the Elvish Wines are very good. Drinking them will knock you out, and help you forget… for a short while."

Lux didn't answer, as tears continued to stream down the side of his face. Right now, he felt so drained and didn't care much about anything.

After spending a month of continuously grinding and farming Beast Cores, he rarely had a moment of rest.

Before coming to the Divine Empire, he only had two hours of sleep, and the dark circles under his eyes were proof of how exhausted and sleep-deprived he was.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to shut himself out from the world and sleep in order to not think about his Master's death.

Seeing that the Half-Elf was not in the right state of mind to make a decision, Hereswith glanced at her father and smiled.

"Father, my Grand Disciple and I will be staying in Espoire Frieden for a while," Hereswith stated. "I'm expecting that you will give us the best hospitality that the Elves can offer."

"Of course," King Kazimir replied in a heartbeat, fearing that Hereswith might change her mind if he didn't give a positive reply. "We will open the best wine casks and prepare the best food for you and your Grand Disciple."

Hereswith nodded before shifting her gaze to Valerie and Aur, who had tear stains on their faces.

Although she had been sleeping inside Blackfire, her mind was quite awake and aware of her surroundings.

Blackfire also shared images of the outside world in her dreams, so she was well aware of who Valerie and Aur were.

"Both of you are Lux's friends, right?" Hereswith asked with a smile. "How about you accompany him for a while in Espoire Frieden? I promise you that it will be a wonderful experience. Will you be fine with this arrangement, Father?"

"You can bring as many people as you like," King Kazimir replied. "The doors of our kingdom are open to them."

The Dragon King, as well as the Steward of the Crystal Palace, glanced at Valerie and Aur. Truth be told, it was a very rare opportunity to visit the Kingdom of the High Elves.

Now that the Supremes of the continent had chosen their side, forming diplomatic relationships with other places was a needed step to form strong alliances.

All of them were connected through their ties to Hereswith and Lux. They were not really allies and only worked together due to the favor that they owed her.

But since an opportunity had presented itself, it would be foolish to reject such a wonderful offer.

"Faustina, accompany Valerie to Espoire Frieden," the Dragon King said through telepathy. "Ali, Ari, make sure to keep an eye on my daughter."

"""Yes, Your Majesty!"""

Lady Augustina lightly patted Aur's shoulder before glancing at Piccoro and her subordinates.

"The Elven King had given us an invitation," Lady Augustina said softly. "Since that is the case, it will be a good idea to let Aur learn from their culture. Piccoro, take the others and ensure his safety."

"""Yes, Your Excellency!"""

The other Factions also made their intentions known of joining the celebration in Espoire Frieden.

The High King didn't mind allowing these powerful people to enter his kingdom to form connections.

Now that the world was entering a New Era, forming New Alliances would benefit all of them.

After making the necessary arrangements, Valerie, Aur, and their entourage traveled with Hereswith and Lux to Espoire Frieden together.

As for the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Palace, they would remain in their territories to handle the aftermath of what had just happened in the Divine Empire.

Things were going to be chaotic for a time while the dust settled.

Until then, they would need to remain in their respective territories and ensure that no one would take advantage of the chaos to involve their Domains in their petty schemes.

Chapter 985 I’m Rooting For You, So Do Your Best

Since there were more people with them, the High King of the Elves took a different route to bring everyone to the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden.

The journey took three days, but no one complained. They were all excited as almost all of them, with the exception of the Elves, had never set foot in this legendary kingdom that was said to be as old as the Primordial Era.

The High Elves kept to themselves, and although they interacted with other races, it was very rare for them to invite people to enter their kingdom.

Just like Agartha, Karshvar Draconis, and the Crystal Palace, there were strict requirements that must be met before anyone was allowed to enter their Kingdom.

If not for the fact that the High King of the Elves was personally escorting so many people, the Elf Guards would have attacked without asking any questions.

The High-Elves prided themselves for being superior to the other races, similar to what the Dragons think about their race.

However, unlike the Dragons, the Elves were easier to interact with. Even so, entering Espoir Frieden, which they consider as their Holy Land was not an easy task.

Countless guards escorted their King, and his guests, back to the Royal Palace.

When they saw that their supposed to be dead Princess was among the guests of their King, none of them could help but look at her as if they had seen a ghost.

The beautiful Elf found this reaction funny, and even playfully waved her hand at the guards and her people, who had come to watch their arrival.

Several minutes later, they arrived at the Royal Palace. The Prime Minister personally took care of their guests and led them to their temporary residences.

Hereswith, on the other hand, took the liberty to take Lux, Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari, to her Private Villa, which had dozens of rooms in it.

Lady Faustina and Piccoro, who were tasked with guarding the Dragon Princess and the Dragon Prince, could only look at each other and shrug helplessly.

They were not worried that their wards would be harmed inside the Elven Kingdom, for it would mean a war of unimaginable proportions.

Also, they trusted Hereswith to a certain extent. They were certain that the beautiful Elf would safeguard Valerie and Aur to the best of her ability.

Hereswith was currently the strongest person in Espoir Frieden due to her being at the peak of the Demigod Rank.

Even her father, the Elf King, wasn't as strong as she was, so with her around, no one in the Elf Kingdom would even dare to threaten the Dragon Princess and Dragon Prince unless they had a death wish.

"Lux, you will be staying in this room," Hereswith said as she picked the Master Bedroom that was supposed to belong to her. "Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari, you will be staying here as well. Don't worry, this room has six bedrooms, so all of you can stay together without problems."

Hereswith didn't want Lux to be cooped up alone because she didn't want him to fall into complete depression.

Having people whom he had a close relationship with nearby would definitely help him recover faster.

Valerie blushed at the realization that she would be staying under the same roof as Lux. However, since Aur, Ali, and Ari would be there as well, she regained her composure right away.

Aur didn't mind this arrangement because he also wanted to be with Lux. He knew that he would always be there for him.

Ali and Ari were also fine with this setup because it would give their Princess a chance to squeeze her way inside Lux's heart, while the Half-Elf's defenses were at their lowest.

Both of them knew that Lux was heartbroken due to Gaap's death.

Although they felt like it was cheap to use this opportunity to allow their Princess to get close to Lux, they also understood that there was no better time than now to make it happen.

Valerie had always been cooped up inside the Dragon Palace and was always guarded by countless Rankers and Lady Faustina.

Now that their guards were not around, they would be able to get away with a few encounters, which might just help Valerie gather the courage to confess her feelings to the Half-Elf.

"I'll tell the servants to bring some food and drinks here," Hereswith said. "This room also has a private underground spring. It's big enough to hold a dozen people, so feel free to soak together. The more the merrier!

"Don't worry, this place has a special enchantment. No one can hear anything coming out from this residence, nor can they pry on what is happening inside it."

The beautiful Elf then lowered her head to whisper something in Valerie's ears.

"I'm rooting for you, so do your best," Hereswith whispered. "Good luck!"

Hereswith pulled back and winked at Valerie, which made the latter's face turn beet red.

After saying what she wanted to say, Hereswith left them alone and went to look for the strongest wine available in the Castle's inventory.

Just like Lux, she wanted to drown herself in wine. Maybe she'd momentarily forget the heartache that she was feeling.

"I'll be sleeping for a bit," Lux said without even bothering to look at his friends as he randomly picked one of the bedrooms to sleep.

Valerie and Aur looked at his back with sad expressions on their faces. If possible, they wanted to console him, but they had a feeling that Lux wanted to be alone right now.

Because of this, they decided to hold back for the time being and give him some space.

"Let's go and choose our room, Mistress," Ali said. "Although there are many rooms here, Ari and I planned to sleep with you. Are you okay with that?"

Valerie nodded. "I'm fine with that."

Ali and Ari then chose the bedroom that was right beside Lux's and opened the door.

The two were pleasantly surprised to see a very large bed that could easily fit a dozen people.

The room was spacious and even had its own bathroom, complete with all the amenities.

While the three ladies were inspecting their room, Aur chose the room that was on the left side of Lux's bedroom.

The room that Aur chose was similar to the room that Ali and Ari had chosen. It had the same large bed, as well as the bathroom that had everything he needed.

Although it didn't show on his face, the Dragon Prince was also quite exhausted from their journey, so he decided to lay on the bed to rest.

Thinking that Lux was sleeping in the room beside his own, Aur felt at ease and immediately fell asleep just a few seconds after his head rested on the pillow.

But before he fell into sleep's embrace, he thought of the handsome Half-Elf and smiled.

Similar to Ali's and Ari's plans, he also wanted to get closer to Lux and help him overcome his sadness.

Aur hoped that by doing so, he would be able to get a closer to the Half-Elf, whom his father had chosen as his Champion

A Champion who would help save two worlds from Minion the Outer God, a being who planned to end their existence and destroy Elysium and Solais, leaving nothing behind.

 

Chapter 986 What Now?

Lux woke up in the middle of the night and was momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar room he was currently in.

It took him a while to remember where he was and why he was there. However, after his memories gathered, a sigh escaped his lips.

He then stood up from the bed and looked at his blood-stained robes, which he still hadn't changed out of since the end of the battle in the Divine Empire.

It was at that moment that he remembered his Grandmaster mentioning something about an underground spring inside the residence.

Lux opened the Elysium Compendium and checked the map to see where it was located.

A few minutes later, the Half-Elf descended the stairs that led to the underground spring.

When he arrived at his destination, he unceremoniously removed his clothes and entered the spring water, creating splashing sounds as he walked towards the stone located at its center.

It was at this moment that he realized that he wasn't the only person in the spring.

"W-Who is there?!" Aur, who noticed that someone had entered the spring, hurriedly covered his body with a bath towel before crouching down, submerging his body underwater.

Lux looked at the Dragon Prince, whose face, for some reason, had turned beet red as he stared at his naked body.

Currently, only Lux's legs were submerged underwater, leaving his naked middle and upper body bare for Aur to see.

"There's no need to feel panicked or anxious," Lux said. "It's just me. I didn't know that you're this fidgety, Aur."

Lux then continued to walk until he was only a meter away from the Dragon Prince before sitting down, leaning his back on the boulder that was located at the center of the spring.

When he opened his Elysium Compendium earlier, he saw that Aur was bathing in the spring. Seeing that the Dragon Prince was alone, he decided to join him since both of them were boys.

Lux then casually washed his arms, chest, and neck with the hot spring water before sighing.

"This water feels good," Lux said softly. "I feel that my exhaustion is being washed away."

Aur, who had somewhat regained his calm, eyed the Half-Elf with concern.

He could tell that Lux wasn't as lively as he used to be and only kept up appearances. The Half-Elf's aura was also very weak, like a candle that was about to burn out.

But before he could even say words of comfort to the red-headed teenager, Lux looked in his direction and smiled.

"You're weird, Aur," Lux said. "Why are you covering your entire body with a bath towel in a hot spring? Is the mighty and handsome Dragon Prince feeling insecure about his body?"

The Half-Elf had said these words in a teasing tone, which made Aur have the strong urge to smack him.

'Why do you think I am covering my body?!' Aur clenched his right fist underwater. 'Isn't it because you came here unannounced!'

Lux, who had no idea that the Dragon Prince was very tempted to smack him, eyed Aur up and down.

"You always wear robes that cover your entire body," Lux commented. "I'm not gonna lie, I expected that your body was lean and toned, but looking at you now, you look very delicate."

Aur had wrapped his body with his bath towel, covering his chest, and lower half, leaving his shoulders and arms bare for Lux to see.

Suddenly, and without any warning, Lux held Aur's arm and used his free hand to caress it.

"Strange. You don't have any muscles," Lux muttered. "Also, your arms are so soft and smooth. It is very femin—ack!"

Aur smacked the side of the Half-Elf's face with his palm, making the latter release his hold on him to rub his face.

"Sorry, I was just curious," Lux stated as he rubbed his face. "I was in the wrong for not asking for permission to touch you."

"I-It's fine," Aur who had smacked Lux's face subconsciously broke out of his daze and tried to smooth things out. "I'm just not used to being touched by men."

"Oh? So you're always being touched by women?" Lux chuckled as he leaned his head on the boulder. "As expected of a Dragon Prince, you are surrounded by beauties."

Aur wanted to say that Lux had misunderstood, but in the end, he decided that it wasn't worth it to correct him.

The two then sat in silence as they soaked in the hot spring waters.

Suddenly, Aur broke the silence and offered to wash Lux's back.

The Half-Elf didn't find any problem with this, so he nodded his head and allowed the Dragon Prince to wash his back.

Lux closed his eyes and enjoyed Aur's soft hands on his back. It was then when he realized that the Dragon Prince might not be a warrior, but a mage.

The reason? His hands weren't rough and calloused, which was a typical trait of those who wielded martial weapons.

While Aur was washing Lux's back, he noticed that tears were flowing down the Half-Elf's closed eyes.

Although the Dragon Prince wasn't sure, he thought that Lux wasn't aware that he was crying. It gave him the strong urge to hug him, which his body subconsciously did.

However, due to his unexpected movement, the bath towel that was covering his body became undone and fell on the water.

Aur didn't notice this and hugged Lux from behind.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Aur said softly as he hugged Lux tightly. "I wanted to console you, but I didn't want to sound superficial. I know that you cared deeply, and respected your Master, even going so far as to go to the Divine Empire to save him.

"That act alone is worth more than a thousand words, and it resonated in my heart. I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough to help you. I wish I could have done more. Perhaps, things might have ended differently."

Aur closed his eyes and held Lux close to him. He didn't notice that he was no longer wearing the bath towel, and his body was pressing against the Half-Elf, as he held onto him tightly.

Lux, who was feeling melancholic, felt two soft mounds pressing on his back.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in the right state of mind to wonder why Aur's chest was soft like marshmallows when it should be firm and hard.

The two stayed like this for several minutes.

Seeing that Lux was still hurting, Aur could no longer hold himself back and moved in front of the Half-Elf.

He then wrapped his arms around the red-headed teenager's head and pulled him close to his chest.

Aur then lightly patted Lux's back, encouraging him to cry and let all the pain that he was feeling, out of his system.

Half an hour later, Lux lightly patted Aur's back, signaling to him that he was feeling better.

The Dragon Prince reluctantly released his hold on the Half-Elf's head and looked at him with concern.

"Aur, I'm sorry," Lux said as he looked at the Dragon Prince with a serious expression on his face. "If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have done the things that I have done to you."

"It's fine," Aur said with a sad smile. "Both of us are friends. This is the least I can do for you."

Lux had a complicated look on his face as he held the Dragon Prince's gaze.

However, as if to make sure that his guess was right, the Half-Elf's gaze moved down to look at the Dragon Prince's chest, which made the latter subconsciously follow Lux's gaze.

When Aur looked down on his chest his body immediately stiffened.

Without saying anything, the Dragon Prince hurriedly stood up and left the scene in haste without even giving the Half-Elf a second glance.

Lux could only watch as his friend's smooth and perky backside faded from his sight after a few seconds.

A moment later, Lux summoned Hana, who appeared in the hot spring with white bandages covering her chest.

"She's a girl, right?" Lux asked as if asking for a second opinion.

Hana nodded. "She is."

"… What now?" Lux inquired.

"That will depend on her." Hana shook her head. "I just hope that things won't escalate outside of your control, Master."

After saying those words, Hana disappeared leaving the Half-Elf alone in the hot spring.

Lux looked at the floating bath towel, which Aur had used to cover his body in a daze.

A few minutes later, he also left the hot spring, feeling cold, despite the fact that the water had been keeping him warm, not so long ago.

Chapter 987 No One In Elysium Is More Beautiful Than Me

When morning came, Valerie wondered why she couldn't find Aur anywhere inside their residence.

Ali and Ari, who were always beside the Dragon Princess, naturally had not seen the Dragon Prince either.

"Lux, have you seen Aur?" Valerie asked the Half-Elf, who was eating the Elven Kingdom's special egg drop soup made from the eggs of a colorful bird that was said to put anyone to sleep after they heard its song.

The Half-Elf didn't reply right away as he recalled what happened several hours ago.

"No," Lux answered. "Maybe he had something to do and went to look for Piccoro."

Valerie, who thought that Lux's answer held some logic in it, didn't inquire any longer and ate alongside Ali and Ari.

Because she was too focused on her food, she failed to notice that the tips of Lux's ears had reddened quite a bit.

After eating, Valerie asked Lux what he wanted to do. The Dragon Princess wanted to help Lux momentarily forget Gaap's death by looking at the different attractions of Espoire Frieden.

Unlike Karshvar Draconis, the Elven City was on a different level of beauty. Even the buildings were like a work of art.

Although her Kingdom had its own natural wonders, when it came to aesthetics, the Elven Race won, hands down.

"I have no plans for the day," Lux replied. "Why don't we tour Espoir Frieden together?"

"Let's!" Valerie was very happy when Lux took the initiative to ask her out on a date.

Of course, it wasn't technically a date since Ali and Ari were going with them, but it still made her happy.

As if waiting for that moment, a knock was heard on the door of their residence.

Thinking that it was Aur, who had returned for breakfast, Ali opened the door without asking who it was.

However, instead of the Dragon Prince, a beautiful Elf who had a little resemblance to Hereswith smiled and introduced herself.

"We have already met, but I'm not sure if you remember my name," Lorelei said. "My name is Lorelei, and I am Aunt Hereswith's niece. My Aunt had asked me to give all of you a tour of Espoir Frieden if any of you are in the mood for it."

Lorelei glanced at Lux, who was focused on eating his Egg Drop Soup.

He didn't even give the young and beautiful Necromancer a glance, which made her sigh.

'He must still be devastated by the loss of his Master,' Lorelei thought as she eyed Lux. 'I just hope that he recovers soon. Memento Mori and the Divine Army are about to enter their second Cold War.'

Truth be told, the Divine Army didn't use their other Trump Cards during the battle. They had underestimated Lux and Memento Mori so much that they didn't bother to bring their big guns, thinking that it would be overkill.

They would never use an Axe to butcher a chicken, or use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It would be beneath them, and they thought that their allies and manpower would be enough to handle everything.

None of them expected that Hereswith would make her appearance as a Demigod.

The moment she appeared, the entire chessboard was flipped over.

The Supremes, who had decided to spectate at first, joined the battle, which made things complicated.

Also, the Elf King, the Dragon King, as well as the Steward of the Crystal Palace, moved to join Lux's side, forcing the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army to revise their strategy.

Although the Divine Army was expecting Memento Mori to make an appearance, they didn't expect that they would be bringing two of the Seven Stars of Calamity to fight them.

Simply put, the Divine Army had suffered a massive loss, even losing their Divine City, as well as their Main Headquarters.

Instead of a glorious celebration for their Founder's Day, what they got was an anniversary of its destruction.

Although they hated Lux, none of them dared to provoke him right now, especially now that the delicate balance of power between the factions of Elysium was broken.

Lorelei, who understood this, waited until Lux and Valerie finished eating before taking them on a tour of their beautiful kingdom.

As the group took a stroll around the city, Valerie noticed that some of the Elves were looking at Lux with disgust, contempt, and disdain.

Although they didn't make any move to taunt him or call him out, this reception made the Dragon Princess very irritated.

Originally, she planned to enjoy sightseeing inside the city, but after seeing that nearly all the Elves were looking at the Half-Elf as if he was some kind of reject, the Dragon Princess finally snapped.

Valerie asked Lorelei to show them things outside of the city so that Lux's mood wouldn't worsen.

Lorelei felt a little apologetic about this because she had completely forgotten that Elves looked down on Half-Elves. Elves took pride in their bloodline, so in their eyes, a Half-Elf like Lux was beneath them.

Lux didn't mind these stares and couldn't be bothered by the opinions of others. However, he was touched by Valerie's attempt to protect him from the disdainful stares of the Elven Race.

Lorelei summoned a giant colorful bird, which they used to fly out of the city.

Lady Faustina and the members of the Royal Guard followed discreetly after they sensed Valerie's presence.

For a brief moment, Lux momentarily forgot his sadness after looking at the beautiful sights in front of him.

It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, and he even wished that his fiances were there with him to see these picturesque wonders of the Elven Lands.

They returned to their temporary residence an hour before sunset.

The Elf King had prepared a Grand Feast for his guests, and Lux and the others were required to join the festivities.

They all knew that this was a good time to form solid alliances between the factions of Elysium, so establishing connections was of great importance.

Hereswith was waiting for them in their residence to give them the clothes that they would be wearing for the party.

She followed Valerie inside her room and asked the Dragon Princess something with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Why don't you reveal your true face at this party?" Hereswith asked. "I'm sure that Lux will be happy to see it."

Valerie, who didn't expect Hereswith would be able to see through her disguise, almost panicked, but the beautiful elf only laughed and patted the young lady's shoulders.

"Is there a reason why you are hiding your appearance?" Hereswith asked with genuine curiosity.

Valerie nodded. "Actually, my father and mother told me to always wear a disguise every time I leave the Dragon Palace. They said that I was too beautiful for my own good. Both of them are afraid that I will be mobbed by people."

"That's it?" Hereswith blinked.

Valerie nodded. "Yes."

"Then you don't have to worry," Hereswith said. "I mean, no matter how beautiful you are, you can't possibly be more beautiful than me, right? It's simply not possible. After all, no one in Elysium is more beautiful than me."

Ali and Ari, who heard Hereswith's narcissistic statement, wanted to refute her, but they couldn't.

Hereswith was indeed more beautiful than the Dragon Princess, but they still believed that Valerie's beauty would still be enough to cause trouble at the party hosted by the Elven Race.

None of those present would dare touch Hereswith because she was a Demigod and her father was the Elven King.

However, Valerie was a green-house beauty who had yet to see the world. If she were to appear using her true appearance, then they were certain that all the eligible Elves of the Elven Race would forget about their disdain for other races and line up to have the opportunity to talk and dance with her.

In the end, Valerie decided to keep her plain-looking appearance. She didn't like to let anyone see what she truly looked like, with the exception of Lux.

After what had happened in the Divine City, Valerie thought that she didn't want to lie to the Half-Elf anymore.

She wanted to show him her true appearance and wanted him to know about her feelings. However, she wasn't a very courageous or bold person.

Right now, she was still doing her best to gather up her courage to make it happen.

She hoped that before they left the kingdom of the High Elves, she would be able to overcome her fears and become a pillar to support the Half-Elf, who had just lost someone very important to him.

---------------

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Chapter 988 Oh My, The Womanizer Is Here

Valerie, Ali, and Ari arrived at the Great Hall of the Elven Royal Palace, escorted by Lady Faustina and the other Saints of the Dragon Race.

Disguised with a plain-looking face, the most attention Valerie received from the High Elves and other guests were mere passing glances.

On the contrary, Ali and Ari, her handmaidens, were more eye-catching than her, earning a few favorable looks from Elven Nobles.

The two handmaidens were true beauties in their own right. They were simply not fond of dressing up and making themselves look too presentable since they always accompanied Valerie whenever she snuck out of the Royal Palace.

Valerie scanned the surroundings and finally saw Aur, whom she hadn't seen for the entire day, sitting with the envoys of the Crystal Palace.

The handsome Dragon Prince looked exceptionally breathtaking tonight, which made some of the single ladies in the event hall look at him with flushed faces.

"I am honored to have you here, Lady Faustina," King Kazimir said with a smile, and then he subtly moved his gaze to Valerie, giving the young lady a nod of acknowledgment.

Lady Faustina had already talked with the Elf King, requesting for him to not pay too much attention to Valerie because she didn't want their Princess to be in the limelight.

Because of this, the Elf King didn't call her out and simply nodded his head to greet her.

Valerie smiled and also nodded her head in greeting. Ali and Ari did the same as they stuck close to their ward.

After escorting them to their table, the Elf King greeted the other guests, especially those who had accompanied them back from the battle in the Divine Empire.

The Dragon Princess looked at her surroundings, hoping to see Lux, but the Half-Elf was nowhere to be seen.

After giving them the clothes that they would wear to the party, the beautiful Elf kidnapped her Grand Disciple and dragged him away.

She said that she had something special prepared for Lux, so they would be a little late to the party.

"I'll get us something to eat," Ali said before standing up to head to the buffet area where special Elven delicacies were laid out for everyone.

Faint music reverberated in the surroundings as the Elf Performers played their musical instruments to liven up the atmosphere.

When the performance ended, the Elven King made a short speech and thanked everyone for coming to the party to celebrate Hereswith's return to the Elven Kingdom.

A minute after the Elf King's speech ended, all the lights in the event hall suddenly dimmed, which caught everyone by surprise.

Just as the High King was thinking what could have possibly gone wrong, a spotlight shone towards the top of the staircase.

The moment everyone's gaze landed on the two individuals that were on top of the staircase, they felt as if their breaths had been taken away by such a beautiful sight.

Hereswith, who was wearing a white and green ball gown that bared her smooth shoulders and back and highlighted her voluptuous chest, made all the men look at her like wolves who had found their prized prey.

Standing beside her was a handsome, red-headed Half-Elf, who was wearing white princely clothes. A faint smile could be seen on his face, and his eyes, which were as green as the leaves of the world tree, captivated the ladies who saw them.

Valerie couldn't help but blush due to how handsome Lux was.

Even Aur, whom many Elf ladies considered to be extremely good-looking, couldn't keep his gaze off the Half-Elf, whom he had been avoiding since their encounter in the hot spring.

Hereswith placed her hand on Lux's bicep as the two walked down the stairs with steady steps.

They were like Celestials descending from the Heavens in order to join the mortals in their celebration.

The Elf King and Elf Queen looked at their daughter with love and affection. They hadn't seen Hereswith for many years, and both of them wanted nothing more than to hold her tight.

However, they reined in their emotions in order to keep the dignity of the Elven Royal Family.

They could embrace each other behind closed doors, but it would not be appropriate in the presence of everyone, who had traveled from all corners of the Elven Kingdom just to see the return of their Elf Princess, whom many loved… and hated, at the same time.

When they arrived at the base of the stairs, the two continued to walk until both of them were at the center of the dance floor.

Lux bowed to his Grandmaster before placing his right hand on her waist and holding her hand with his left.

A melodious music played, and the two began to dance, mesmerizing the crowd.

Hereswith wanted everyone to see her Grand Disciple, so she purposely made this arrangement to introduce him to everyone.

She knew about the discrimination directed against Half-Elves, so she decided to send everyone a subtle message that anyone who dared to badmouth or harm her Grand Disciple would face her wrath.

When the music ended, the two beautiful people bowed to each other, and a resounding applause reverberated inside the event hall.

Lux then held his Grand Master's hand and led her towards her parents.

Before the Elf King could even praise Lux and Hereswith for that wonderful dance, the Half-Elf spoke something that made the extremely beautiful Elf giggle.

"Father, Mother, thank you for giving birth to Hereswith," Lux said in a monotonous tone. "I will make her happy for the rest of her life."

King Kazimir and Queen Eurydice blinked once, then twice, as they looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who seemed to have just asked them for their daughter's hand in marriage.

After regaining his composure, the High King sighed and looked at his daughter with a fed-up expression on his face.

"Hereswith, you never change," King Kazimir stated. "You still make things difficult for people. Can't you show mercy even to your own Grand Disciple?"

Lux, who had just followed along with what Hereswith had instructed him to do earlier, looked at his Grand Master with a calm expression on his face.

"Grand Master, it seems that your prank didn't work," Lux said. "Can I go now?"

Hereswith affectionately patted Lux's head and smiled. "Okay. But don't leave the party and go off somewhere. You promised me."

Lux sighed before reluctantly nodding his head.

"Go, make sure to treat ladies well," Hereswith smiled. "Don't worry. I will make you take responsibility no matter what."

"Grand Master… what are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

Hereswith giggled before she lightly pushed Lux's back towards Valerie's table.

Knowing what his Grand Master was trying to do, the Half-Elf obliged and made his way towards the plain-looking lady, who had breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that Lux's earlier declaration was only a prank forced on him by Hereswith.

Valerie didn't know why, but she felt a sense of anxiety when she thought that Hereswith wanted to marry Lux.

It was as if something very important was being stolen from her, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Oh my, the womanizer is here," Ali said in a teasing tone as soon as Lux sat beside Valerie.

"Hide the ladies, hide the little girls," Ari commented. "This Half-Elf will attack anyone wearing a skirt."

Lux snorted. "Since both of you are wearing a skirt, does that mean that I will attack you as well?"

Ali and Ari exchanged a glance before looking at Lux in disdain.

"Do you even have the guts to do it?" Ali chuckled. "Even if I strip naked in front of you, I doubt that you'll be manly enough to make a move."

"Heh~ how about we put it to the test later?" Ari smiled sweetly. "Bet you a million gold coins that you won't even last five minutes after looking at my drop-dead gorgeous body."

Lux rolled his eyes at the two beautiful ladies taunting him. He knew that Ali and Ari were just joking, so he didn't take their words to heart.

Instead, he looked at Valerie and smiled.

"That dress looks good on you Valerie," Lux said. "You should wear beautiful dresses more often."

"Uwah… what a lame pickup line." Ali shook her head. "3 points."

"I'll give him 4 points for the effort," Ari remarked. "At least he complimented Valerie, so he gets one extra point."

Valerie, who was very happy after being praised by Lux, glared at her two handmaidens, who immediately averted their gaze and shut their mouths.

Aur looked at this scene from his table with a frown. He also wanted to sit down with his friends and chat with them.

But every time he was about to do it, he would remember the scene of what happened in the hot spring, making him unable to look at the Half-Elf in the eyes.

This made him very conflicted, so he simply resigned his fate to stay at their table and watch Lux and Valerie from afar.

Piccoro, who noticed his reaction, only clicked his tongue before glancing in the Half-Elf's direction.

He already had a feeling that Aur was starting to develop feelings for Lux.

But since their Steward wasn't doing anything, he decided not to intervene and let nature take its course.

Chapter 989 Can I Eat?

"And that was how our ship, the Billy O' Tea, fought off the whale that almost dragged us down to the bottom of the sea," Captain Jack Spawow said. "So, my darlings, the moral lesson of the story is, don't drink rum when you go whaling, understand?"

"Aye!" Eiko replied.

"Yar!" Fei Fei answered.

The two Baby Slimes both had pirate hats on top of them, and Eiko was even wearing an eye patch.

Captain Jack Spawow was quite happy to have the two stowaways, who had snuck onto his ship the night they sailed out to sea, on board.

The Pirate Captain was naturally familiar with the two Baby Slimes who decided to become part of their Pirate Crew, so he happily accommodated them.

"Listen to me, Eiko, Fei Fei," Captain Jack Spawow said after taking a swig of his rum. "We are headed to Pirate Enclave where the baddest and meanest pirates who have sailed the Seven Seas will be gathering for a conference.

"A special Domain was discovered at sea, and many believe that it is where the Pirate Captain had hidden his greatest treasure. Isn't that right, Jibbs?"

"Aye, Captain," Jibbs replied. "According to the rumors, the great treasure was hidden by Uncle Roger, which he called, the One Cheese."

"Cheese?" Eiko tilted her head. "I like cheese."

"I'm sure you do, darling." Captain Jack Spawow smiled. "But it's no ordinary Cheese. Back in the Pirate Golden Era, the warring Pirates of the Sea fought for this Cheese before they were united under the Pirate King's banner.

"But that time is now nothing but in the past, and the Pirate Era seems to be nearing its final curtain call. The Great Fleet of the Ford Federation has finally decided to wipe us all out and is currently sending all of their battleships to the Pirate Enclave."

Jibbs and the other pirates all had solemn faces as they listened to their Captain. They were among the few who had answered the call of the various Pirate Warlords who had sent the rallying call to all Pirates for one last stand at the Pirate Enclave.

"Make them go boom?" Eiko summoned a small blast bomb and showed it to Captain Jack Spawow, which the latter happily took and tossed up and down on the palm of his hand.

"Well, that's the plan." Captain Jack Spawow grinned. "But they also have Boom Booms on their side. I heard that they are also gathering Supremes to ensure that none of us will be able to escape.

"Well, don't worry, Darling. When things get tough, you and Fei Fei can just escape. I'm sure that they will turn a blind eye to two babies like you."

Suddenly, Eiko sensed something and immediately climbed up to the top of the Main Mast of the ship.

Fei Fei followed her, and soon, the two Baby Slimes looked in the distance.

At first, the mist was blocking their view, but a few minutes later, they saw it.

Countless bones of Giant Sea Monsters were piled up on top of each other, forming Bone Islands that jutted out of the water.

"We call this place, the Sea King's Graveyard," Captain Jack Spawow said as he landed beside the two Baby Slimes who were looking at the bone islands in front of them. "According to legend, a great war between the Sea Kings was fought here.

"According to hearsay, whenever a Sea King felt that their life was about to end, they would visit this place and make it their final resting place. As to whether that story was true or not, no one was able to confirm."

Suddenly, Eiko did something unexpected.

"Bomber!"

Eiko summoned his Floating Blast Bomb and jumped on top of it.

"Go!" Eiko ordered.

Bomber then flew towards one of the Bone Islands as per Eiko's order. The moment the Baby Slime landed on the island, she used the skill Undead Generator [EX], which she had permanently copied from her Papa's Skill List.

When Lilian was teaching Eiko the Fairy Princess Legacy, Eiko learned the skill, Copy Skill [Epic].

This skill gave Eiko the power to copy a skill from one target, permanently.

At first, Lux thought that his Baby Blime would copy his Skill Evolution [EX] because it was the best skill in his arsenal.

Also, it worked perfectly with the Copy Skill ability since it would automatically upgrade any skill that Eiko could learn.

However, to his surprise, Eiko chose to copy his Undead Generator [EX] instead, which dumbfounded the Half-Elf.

When Lux asked Eiko why she didn't choose the Skill Evolution skill, the Baby Slime only told him that she didn't need to copy it because she would always be with her Papa when she learned skills.

Because of this, gaining the Skill Evolution skill wouldn't benefit her in any way.

Lux wanted to refute, but since this was Eiko's decision, he no longer objected to her will.

Several rows of text appeared in front of the baby slime as the Giant Bone Cauldron materialized in front of her.

——————————

< Thank you for using Undead Generator, your one-stop generator for creating any type of Undead Creature. Choose the option that you wish to use in creating your Undead Creature. >

< Options 1 - Create Random Undead using materials. >

< Options 2 - Create an Undead Monster of your choosing, using ingredients as catalysts. The more materials you sacrifice, the more powerful this creature will become. >

< Which Option do you wish to choose? >

< Option 1 / Option 2 >

——————————-

"Option 2!" Eiko answered.

——————————-

< A minimum of two materials can be used for fusion. There is no maximum limit for materials in creating an Undead Monster. Do you wish to create your Undead Monster now? >

——————————-

"Un!" Eiko nodded.

——————————-

< Take note that there is a possibility of having an accident while fusing. Sometimes, the Undead Species that you will generate from this accident is exceptionally weak or could be exceptionally strong. >

< Detecting large quantity of Monster Bones in the surroundings! >

< Do you wish to use these Monster Bones as ingredients for your Undead Creation?>

< Yes / No >

——————————

"Yes!" Eiko answered.

——————————

< Gathering Ingredients Phase Initiated! >

——————————

The Giant Bones in her surroundings slowly rose up in the air and were absorbed by the Bone Cauldron like a black hole.

Eiko wasn't idle and immediately started throwing Blast Bombs inside the Bone Cauldron to add to its ingredients.

Bomber did the same, as per Eiko's orders.

Captain Jack Spawow and his Pirate Crew could only watch this scene in disbelief, not expecting that something like this would happen on their way to the Pirate Enclave.

They had no idea what Eiko was doing, but something was telling them that they were about to witness something phenomenal.

The Bone Islands slowly disappeared from the surroundings as all the bones above and under the water were all gathered by the Bone Cauldron.

When the Pirate ship arrived next to Eiko, Fei Fei jumped off the ship and landed on top of Bomber.

She also started throwing Blast Bombs because it looked fun.

While the two Baby Slimes were throwing Blast Bombs left and right, several rows of text appeared in front of Eiko, which made the Baby Slime stop throwing her Blast Bombs.

——————————

<I detected four Demigod Beast Cores underwater. >

< Do you wish to add these Beast Cores as ingredients for your Undead Monster? >

< I highly suggest that you do! >

——————————

The Giant Bone Cauldron seemed to have gained a consciousness of its own after discovering the incredible boon underwater.

However, when Eiko heard the words Beast Core, she immediately thought of eating them.

"Can I eat?" Eiko asked in an innocent tone.

< It would be a waste of precious ingredients. I highly advise that you don't eat it. >

"Not eat?" Eiko suddenly became sad. "How about Lick?"

<….>

"Please?"

<… Okay. >

A giant skeleton hand emerged from within the Giant Cauldron and went to grab something deep underwater.

A few minutes later, it presented something to Eiko—a Beast Core that was at least three meters tall.

The Baby Slime was very tempted to eat it, but since it promised to only lick the Beast Core the Eiko proceeded to lick it like a candy.

Fei Fei did the same, and after a few seconds of licking, the two Baby Slimes both learned a skill from it.

Eiko learned the skill Sea Queen's Command, which allowed her to command a hundred sea creatures that were of the same Rank as her or lower.

Fei Fei, on the other hand, learned a passive skill called Sea Explorer, which allowed her to dive underwater and travel to its deepest parts without suffering from water pressure.

After the two Baby Slimes learned the skills, the Giant Skeleton Hand dropped the Demigod Beast Core inside the Giant Cauldron before once again grabbing something from the Sea Floor.

"Captain, am I dreaming?" Jibbs asked. "Did those two Baby Slimes just lick a Demigod Beast Core?!"

"It's not a dream, Jibbs," Captain Jack Spawow said as he took another swig of his rum. "It seems like we are in for a big surprise."

The Giant Cauldron had detected four Demigod Beast Cores from the ocean floor, and it intended to use all four of them as ingredients to create Eiko's Undead Monster.

Captain Jack Spawow looked at the Giant Cauldron with a smile because he was looking forward to seeing what kind of creature would be born from such a powerful fusion.

The Giant Hand emerged from the sea and presented another Demigod Beast Core to the two Slimes.

Naturally, Eiko and Fei Fei didn't hesitate to lick it before the Giant Hand proceeded to drop it inside the Giant Cauldron, which was already emitting golden sparks due to the high-quality ingredients that it had absorbed from its surroundings.

 

Chapter 990 I Can’t Be That Shameless, Can I?

Four days after Eiko, Fei Fei, and Captain Jack Spawow arrived in the Sea King's Graveyard…

"Can you see that, Eiko, Fei Fei?" Captain Jack Spawow pointed at the island in front of them.

"Aye!"

"Yar!"

Captain Jack Spawow grinned. "That is the Pirate Enclave. I'm sure that both of you would want to explore it, but it will be best if you don't wander off on your own. Either I accompany you, or you let Jibbs come with you. These are troubled times, Darlings. Everyone is on edge, and we don't want those gruff Pirates to mess with the two of you, okay?"

Eiko and Fei Fei glanced at each other before nodding their heads.

"Aye, Captain!"

"Aye!"

Jack Spawow breathed a sigh of relief internally.

Truth be told, he was not at all worried about the safety of the two Baby Slimes.

On the contrary, he was more worried about the safety of the Pirates who would antagonize Eiko and Fei Fei!

'I pity the fools who'd end up annoying these two babies,' Captain Jack Spawow shook his head. 'You can't really judge a Slime by its color.'

Captain Jack Spawow and his crew wouldn't forget what happened four days ago.

If not for the fact that they all witnessed it, the Pirate Captain would have thought that it might only be a dream. But he clearly remembered being drunk with rum at that time and then being abruptly pulled into sobriety real quick when that happened.

An hour later, the Pirate Ship arrived at the docks, and Captain Spawow and Jibbs disembarked.

Naturally, Eiko and Fei Fei went with them because the two were very curious about the Pirate Island.

Captain Jack Spawow went straight to the biggest building on the island, which was where the Pirate Conference would be held.

They still had a few hours before the start of the meeting, but he decided to go early in order to see if his "friends" had already arrived.

After scanning the meeting place, Captain Jack Spawow noticed a group of four people and called out to them.

"Shane, Francesca, Britton, and Qing!" Captain Jack Spawow shouted. "You buggers are still alive? How did you escape the Ford Federation?"

"Zip it, Jack," Shane growled. "We're not in the mood for your jokes."

"Don't mind Shane, Jack," Francesca said with a smile. "He almost got caught yesterday, so he's still in a bad mood."

Shane snorted but didn't rebuke the middle-aged Pirate Woman who commanded one of the strongest pirate fleets in the Seven Seas.

"Seeing you so peppy brings back old times, Jack," Britton, who was a muscular man with sun-kissed skin and standing at two meters tall, smiled. "It's good to see that you're still alive and kicking."

"What's good about seeing this coward?" a handsome man, who seemed to be in his late thirties, asked. He was none other than Qing, and he was the Captain of the Red-Shark Pirate Fleet.

"Oh? You're calling me a coward, Qing?" Captain Jack Spawow snorted. "You have the balls to say that when your crew specializes in hit-and-run tactics? Very funny."

"At least we still hit our targets." Qing scoffed. "Unlike you who just runs away when things go South."

Captain Jack Spawow wagged his fingers at Qing.

"That's not cowardice, my dear Qing," Captain Jack Spawow replied. "It's called a strategic retreat."

"Whatever." Qing drank a mug of mead before belching.

Captain Jack Spawow looked at his former comrades with a nostalgic look on his face.

'Who would have thought that the group who used to hunt Whales in the open seas would become the most feared pirate captains in the Seven Seas,' Captain Jack Spawow mused. 'It's truly unfortunate that the old man isn't here to see this. I'm sure that he would be jumping for joy in his grave.'

There was a time when Captain Jack Spawow, Shane, Francesca, Britton, and Qing, were part of the crew of the Whaling Ship called Billy O' Tea.

After their Captain's death, the group disbanded and became Pirates. This transition from being honorable whalers to notorious pirates was something that surprised Captain Jack Spawow even to this day.

Still, all of them had no regrets.

They were doing this to avenge their old man who had been framed and executed just because he had offended a Marquee of the Ford Federation.

Captain Jack Spawow sighed before glancing at his surroundings. There, he saw other famous pirates who had made a name for themselves.

Mankie D. Buffy

Tit Mama

Blue Beard

Baggy

Mohawk

Hani Cock

Kuma Kuma

Crocodine

Flamingo

There were many other pirates that he didn't recognize, but all of them were exuding strength that made him smile.

'They're all Saints,' Captain Jack Spawow thought. 'But are they enough to overturn the situation? If my sources are right, the Ford Federation will be sending a Supreme to help wipe us out.'

The Pirate Captain's gaze then landed on Eiko and Fei Fei, who were currently eating the bread and cheese on the table, which made him smile.

'Well, if worst comes to worst, I can always take Eiko and Fei Fei to run away,' Captain Jack Spawow mused. 'But I have a feeling that as long as Eiko is with us, we have a chance.'

The Pirate Captain then scratched his cheek when he realized that he was putting his hopes on a Baby Slime to help them overcome this calamity that was about to fall on their heads.

'I can't be that shameless, can I?' Captain Jack Spawow shook his head helplessly. 'Well, at least they didn't skimp on the rum.'

The Pirate Captain went to pour himself a drink and refill his cask with some rum.

Since there were still a few hours before the meeting started, he planned to drink a lot in order to temporarily forget what was happening around them.

As countless Pirate ships began to arrive in the Pirate's Enclave, the battleships of the Ford Federation were gathering at the Special Domain that they had discovered.

They believed that this was the place where the Great Pirate King, Uncle Rogers, had buried his treasure.

A treasure that was said to hold the power to dominate the Seven Seas, and give those who were able to wield it the ability to gain near-godlike powers.