Reincarnated With The Strongest System #500-1200
Author: Elyon
Date: 2022-09-10T10:55:30.962000+00:00

Chapter 500: Give Me The Honor Of Being Your First

A house shattered as Thor crashed down on it. Wendy, who was riding on its back, got thrown off and fell down a few meters away from the gravely injured beast, unconscious.

Blood spilled at the side of her lips, and injuries riddled her body.

Thor forced himself to stand up, and walked shakily towards her. He then used his body to shield her from the spells that were flying in every direction, not caring if they hit friend or foe.

The only thing that was on his mind was to protect Wendy, for he knew that William would be sad if she lost her life in this battle.

Ashe was the first to fall after she had shielded Est from the attack of Drakon Nalzrig. The King of Serpents had zeroed in on her after Dia appeared on the battlefield.

The Mermaid had unleashed her full powers, but against the might of a Myriad Beast at its peak, she was like a puppy challenging a full grown tiger to a biting contest.

Icarus and Daedalus came to Est's rescue and pushed the Winged Serpent back from its one-sided bullying. Although neither of them were Myriad Beasts at the moment, their ranks were half a step away from it.

Eneru had once again fought against Jekyll, while Ezkalor and Zyphon watched from the side. The two Guardians felt distaste at the current state of things and refused to participate in the fight.

They were Myriad Beasts, so no one could order them to do anything. Besides, Zyphon didn't want to antagonize William because both of them had a unique relationship, due to him being the disciple of the God who ruled over them.

Ezkalor had never wanted to participate in the war in the first place, so he was fine with watching from the side. He only joined last time due to William's threat. Now that the Half-Elf couldn't be seen anywhere, the Ancient Dragon simply spectated and watched as blood flowed freely like a river.

The Protectors of the Kraetor Army were no longer at their encampment. Empress Sidonie had sent them to the city to look after the people that were important to William. All of them had been tasked to protect Wendy, Est, and the girl with light-blue hair.

The purple-haired woman was assigned to Wendy.

Nero was the one that looked after Est.

And the teenage boy with light-blue hair was assigned to Ashe.

Empress Sidonie only told them to interfere if their wards were about to die. Until then, they could just observe the battle and see how it ended.

Among the three, only Est remained.

Dia flapped her wings and summoned powerful wind blades that cut through the bodies of the Elves that tried to target Est, who was riding on her back.

Celine and Oliver, reaped lives like cutting grasses, but they stayed near Est's vicinity so they could come to his aid if ever someone decided to attack him.

Right now, the handsome boy was the only one that was commanding the Defenders in the siege that was happening all over the city.

"Stay out of my way, Bastards!" Nalzrig shouted as he transformed into his true form. Icarus and Daedalus had managed to push him back for a quarter of an hour in his humanoid form. Although the King of Serpents didn't want to admit it, he couldn't overpower the two unless he took on his true form.

A ten-meter long White-Winged-Serpent roared in fury as he lashed his tail towards the two Champions of the Minotaur Race.

Icarus and Daedalus deftly evaded this attack and even managed to do a counter attack that pushed the Winged Serpent back a few hundred meters in the air.

Although they still hadn't reached the rank of Myriad Beasts, Icarus and Daedalus were equipped with Mythical Ranked Equipment that allowed them to fight those that were a realm above their ranks.

Feeling humiliated by his failure to get the upper hand, Drakon Nalzrig finally decided to get serious. He soared towards the sky where he opened its mouth in preparation for a Dragon Breath Attack.

However, before he could even unleash his attack, King Minos managed to throw Drauum in his direction. The Ancient Golem collided with the Winged Serpent's head, cancelling its attack.

Nero laughed when he saw the disgruntled look on Nalzrig's face, and Drauum's irritation as the Ancient Golem landed on the ground.

Clearly, he was enjoying the hardships that the two Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent were experiencing.

'I finally caught you!'

Alessio silently declared as he cast a fireball in Est's direction. Due to the chaos that was happening in the surroundings, he managed to sneak right next to Dia, using a special invisible spell, and unleashed a Fireball at Est's blindspot.

The fireball exploded and almost dismounted Est from Dia's back. Due to the bond that Dia had shared with him, Est managed to acquire the skill Union of Man and Beast. This allowed him to stay mounted on Dia's back even with the fireball's explosion.

If Est hadn't been wearing any special kind of armor that resisted magical attacks, he might have become a charred corpse by now. However, William didn't skimp on their protection and forged light-weight mithril armor that resisted both physical and magical attacks.

Caught in the unexpected attack, Dia angrily turned around and fired a Dragon Breath in Alessio's direction. However, the Leader of Deus in the Silvermoon Continent dodged to the side as he activated his invisible spell.

Dia screeched angrily as she flew high in the air to prevent Alessio from taking her by surprise again.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Est said through gritted teeth as a burning sensation spread across his back. Although his armor had mitigated the damage, it still left him with serious injuries.

He hastily drank the Elixir in his possession, and the pain on his back immediately disappeared. However, at the same time, Nalzrig successfully broke through Icarus' and Daedalus' defense, and charged towards Dia, whom he had labeled as a traitor to the Winged-Serpent's Race.

Dia tried to outfly Nalzrig, but it was to no avail. In the end, the older Winged Serpent lashed out its tail and sent Dia crashing near the Royal Palace of the Hellan Academy.

Est was almost crushed by Dia's body, if not for the fact that the Golden-Winged Serpent managed to flip her body to the side at the last minute.

"It's over," Drauum declared. "Surrender, and I will spare your life, livestock."

King Minos glanced at his people and the Humans that were still fighting with everything they've got. All of them were riddled with injuries, but the fire in their eyes still burned with determination. Seeing that they would fight till they breathed their last, the King of Minotaurs once again faced the Ancient Golem and gave a powerful war cry.

Surrender was not an option. They would fight to the death, down to the last man!

Inside the Palace…

William walked slowly and used the wall to support his body. He could hear the sounds of battle ringing just beyond the empty hallways of the palace, and it urged him to increase his pace.

However, instead of going to the battlefield, he was headed to a place that had been abandoned by everyone.

When he arrived at his destination, he was surprised to see a single person standing there. A person that he had seen countless times, and yet, he still couldn't remember her name.

"Welcome back, Sir William," Ariadne greeted as she walked towards him.

William took in a deep breath before replying to the young lady that had kept him company back at the Sanctuary of the Minotaurs.

"Stop," William said. "Don't come near me. It isn't safe."

His legs were already shaking, and was on the verge of bending over. However, he firmly held the wall to give him support because there was still something that he needed to do.

"I know that it isn't safe," Ariadne replied. "That is why I am here."

She then walked towards William and held him in a firm embrace.

"It is fine, Sir William," Ariadne said as she gently pulled the back of his head towards her. "Give me the honor of being your first. Use me, to win this war."

Ariadne pressed William's head over her chest as she whispered words of encouragement in his ears.

"It's fine, Sir William," Ariadne whispered. "I am here because I need to be here. Please, end this war. End the suffering of our people."

William's breath grew ragged and his heart started to beat wildly inside his chest. It was not the young lady's softness, her fragrance, her words, or the warmth of her body that caused this reaction to William.

It was the powerful, and rich blood that flowed in her veins.

William opened his mouth as his fangs extended. He had been fighting the extreme bloodthirst ever since he returned from the Undying Lands. His thoughts had started to grow hazy, and yet, he was still aware of the situation.

Right at the moment when he was about to draw blood from Ariadne's body, William paused. Although the young lady whom he couldn't remember had given her permission, he still needed to ask.

This was his way of confirming that he was still in control of his thoughts and emotions.

"Are you sure?" William asked in a ragged voice.

Instead of answering, Ariadne used both of her hands to pull William's head in.

Just like a parched man being offered a glass of water, William finally accepted the gift that was being presented to him.

Blood spilled, and the young lady shuddered due to the pain that briefly made her draw a sharp breath. Even so, she didn't move nor push William away.

William's fangs had penetrated deep into her neck and drew blood. He drank the sweet nectar, and felt himself come alive again.

He didn't dare waste a single drop, as he forcefully controlled his urges. William could feel Ariadne's life force flowing inside his body, and with it, came a surge of power that he had never felt before.

Ariadne sighed as William pulled back.

Her sigh was full of relief, with a tinge of regret. It was as if she had wanted William to drink more of her blood, but was also afraid that he would drink to the point where her life would wither away, like a flower that had grown past its prime.

"Thank you, Ariadne," William said softly as he gently laid the young lady on the floor because she had lost the strength to stand. "Sleep. When you wake up, I promise that this war will have already ended."

Ariadne glanced at William's handsome face that was now brimming with life. It was vastly different from the paled-face Half-Elf, who had struggled to reach the Altar that the organization had built.

"I believe you, Sir William."

"Thank you."

Ariadne reached out to touch William's face one last time before she closed her eyes to rest. William sent her inside the Villa of his Thousand Beast Domain.

That was the safest place right now, and William didn't have to worry about her safety if she was there.

The Half-Elf then walked towards the Altar that was currently absorbing the souls of those that had died on the battlefield.

William summoned Malacai's Scepter and gripped it firmly using his left hand. If one were to look closely, the skin tone of this hand, up to the arm, was different compared to the rest of his body.

His right hand pressed over the surface of the Altar as he searched for the souls that he was looking for.

"Finally, I found you guys," William said with relief as he exerted his power on the altar, drawing out the souls that he had searched for.

"System, it's time to play some music."

< Understood. >

< Now playing the background music of the Final Boss. >

Chapter 501: I Thank Whatever Gods May Be For My Unconquerable Soul

"Big Brother!" Princess Aila screamed as she rushed towards Prince Alaric that had been blown away by a spell that had been cast by an Elven Prodigy.

"You're the Crown Prince of the Zelan Dynasty?" the Elven Prodigy sneered. "Pathetic."

"Don't be like that," another Elven Prodigy commented from the side. "He is still the Crown Prince. If we capture him, we will get merits from the Commander. Also, that girl beside him is not half bad. I call dibs on her, you get the Crown Prince."

"Haven't you had your fill of Human girls yet? You have almost bedded over a hundred of them."

"How can those women compare to a princess? Don't worry, after I'm done with her, you can play with her next."

"Sounds good. I'll take you up on that offer."

Princess Aila ignored the two Elves and focused her attention on her Big Brother. She used her Life Magic to cure his injuries, and ensured that his life would no longer be in danger.

The Elven Prodigy who called dibs on Princess Aila whistled when he saw her use Life Magic. It was a rare magic, even among the Elves. Someone who was born with this magic would be sent to the forest where their Spiritualists resided, to be trained as a healer.

The other Elven Prodigy sighed when he saw this. If he had a choice between Crown Prince Alaric and Princess Aila, he would definitely choose the latter. For him, a Crown Prince's life was nothing compared to a talented Life Mage.

While this was going on, King Minos' and Drauum's battle had reached its climax. The Ancient Golem played a dirty trick and attacked one of the Minotaurs that had accidentally wandered in the path of their battle.

King Minos naturally did his best to protect his people, and that is where the Ancient Golem dealt him a crushing blow that gravely injured him.

The King of the Minotaurs gritted his teeth as he smashed the Earth Spear that had embedded itself on his chest. Fortunately, it didn't hit his heart, but his movement slowed because of it. Drauum used this to his advantage and immediately gave King Minos a beating.

Ezkalor clicked his tongue when he saw this, while Zyphon only shook its head.

Enero, and the Purple-Haired Woman snorted, while the teenage boy just gave a devilish smile.

Regardless of how it transpired, the result was already obvious. Drauum threw King Minos to the center of the city. The King of MInotaurs crashed to the ground and created a crater, sending dust and rubble flying everywhere.

"This war is already over!" Drauum shouted. "Surrender or d--"

The Ancient Golem wasn't able to finish his words because a loud sound spread across the battlefield. At first they thought that it was just some random noise that the Defenders were using to scare them.

However, they then realized that there was a certain pattern to the noise that resembled music.

Yes, it was some kind of music.

A music that made anyone who heard it feel a sense of tension.

Drauum and the other Guardians narrowed their eyes as they looked in the direction of the castle.

Suddenly, a powerful and unyielding voice reverberated across the city of Gladiolus

"Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever Gods may be,

For my unconquerable soul."

William walked down the stairs that was leading to the palace with even steps as he gazed fearlessly at the smoke-filled city that was in ruins.

"In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud," William said as he continued to walk down the stairs. "Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed."

Princess Sidonie's and Morgana's expressions changed as they observed their beloved. With a glance, they could tell that something was very different about William. However, they couldn't determine what it was.

All they knew was that the person that they had loved had returned, and had come to save the people that were important to him.

William continued to walk, unimpeded as he quoted the rest of the poem that had left an impression on him back on Earth. A poem that had given him hope when everything was lost.

"Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

"And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid."

Countless portals appeared behind him, and in the sky. They illuminated the surroundings in a bright light, and yet, those that came out of it, made everyone shiver in disbelief.

Even the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent flinched because the pressure that descended on them was on par with their current strength.

"It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll…"

William raised the scepter in his left hand and pointed it at Drauum who took the role as the leader of the Elven Invaders.

"For I am the master of my fate," William declared. "I am the captain of my soul."

(A/N: This poem is called Invictus by: William Ernest Henley.)

A Giant Ox with Dark-Blue Skin stood right behind William. Blue flames poured out of its eyes, shoulders, hands, and feet. It gave a mighty roar that spread far and wide.

Elandorr, who was standing in the center of the Elven Army, trembled when he recognized the Giant Ox standing behind William. How could he possibly forget the creature? The Elven Commander had its Millennial Core inside his storage ring.

Erchitu raised his hand.

Suddenly, the Storage Ring of the Blademaster that had killed him glowed briefly.

A few moments later, A Giant War Axe made of Adamantium flew out of it. It traveled at a straight path until it was caught by a large and powerful hand.

The Bone Dragons carrying the Diabolical Death Knight, Grim Nightmare Revenant, and Arcane Spectral Lich hovered above William.

The Arcane Spectral Lich glanced at its surroundings and the blue flames that glowed on its hollow eye sockets turned red.

"Unforgivable," The Arcane Spectral Lich said with undisguised anger.

He was the first King of the Hellan Kingdom, so it was impossible for him to not recognize the Kingdom that he had built. The Lich glared at the Elves, but it didn't attack them right away. He was not the commander of this army.

The one who would give the orders, was the one holding the Scepter that commanded the entire Undead Legion.

Nuckelavee chuckled evilly as it raised its spear and pointed it at the Elves. One of the races that it had fought during the Era of the Gods were the Elves. They were among the races that had ganged up against the Humans, thousands of years ago.

Seeing his old enemies, the Devil of the Sea that had been trapped in the Undying Lands was now feeling giddy. Just like the Arcane Spectral Lich, it was holding itself back for the massacre that was about to occur.

William raised his right hand, and four colorful lights flew towards his body. He had recalled Wendy, Ashe, Thor, and Ragnar back to the Thousand Beast Domain where they would be safe from the second round of battle that was about to ensue.

Although they were injured, the system had assured him that their lives weren't in danger. For this, William was thankful.

The Half-Elf then glanced at Dia who had weakly called out to him from afar. Est leaned against her body as he looked at William with a relieved expression.

"Do you want to stay?" William asked.

Est nodded his head. "I want to see its end."

William gave her a brief nod before shifting his gaze back towards his adversaries. He didn't try to dissuade Est's decision. Since his lover wanted to see how this war would end, he would let her witness it all, while sitting in the front row seats.

William scanned the faces of the Elves before stopping on the Ancient Golem. William had to admit that Drauum had given him a lot of headaches in the past. That was how strong the Guardian of the Elves was.

Then, two more Guardians appeared which had completely flipped the scales of the battle in the Elves' favor.

The red-headed boy chuckled. The once scary existence that had forced him into a corner, was now like a bug in his eyes. A bug that he had long wanted to crush beneath his foot.

"You said a while ago for everyone to surrender, or die, right?" William sneered at Drauum. "Don't worry, I won't ask you to surrender."

William channeled his will into Malacai's Scepter before a devilish smile appeared on his face.

"Tell me, you bastard Elves," William said in a teasing tone. "Would you like to try dying once?

Chapter 502: The Wrath Of The Righteous [Part 1]

The three Goliaths, Monstrous Skeleton Sovereign, Giant Slaying Draugr, and Nuckelavee, towered beside William. They simply stood there, like three tall mountains, but that was more than enough to make the expressions of the Elves turn pale.

The portals above William's head, and in front of him, were still active as hundreds of thousands undead soldiers marched forward. Like the System had told him before, they numbered over twenty million. A number that had exceeded the army of the Elves, and to a certain extent, the army of the Kraetor Empire as well.

"I call upon the heroes, whose names have been forgotten," William said softly as the undead warriors all raised their weapons in recognition of his words. "In an Era where hope was scarce, and many were saddened."

"When all hopes were lost, and victory was out of sight.

That was the time when humanity showed its true might."

Hundreds of thousands of lights shot out from William's chest as they landed on the battlefield. All the members of the Minotaur Tribe that had died in the battle, and those that he had recalled inside his thousand Beast Domain, once again appeared on the battlefield.

Similar to Erchitu, all of them had dark-blue skin. Their eyes, and parts of their body, flared with eerie bluish flames, as they stared at their adversaries that had taken their lives.

Surprisingly, it was not only the Minotaurs that appeared. Elves, and humans were there as well. They had turned into undead revenants, and shared the same features as the Minotaur race.

The Elves shivered as they recognized some of their fallen comrades had once again risen up from where they had fallen. Only this time, they were fighting on the side of Humans.

Williams' words rang loudly in the surroundings as he raised the dead from their slumber in order to fight for his side.

"Come, brave warriors of old," William ordered. "Monsters abound, and war behold."

"Show them the might of those that were forgotten.

Make them see the error of the path they have trodden."

William waved his Scepter once and all the undead took a fighting stance.

"Kill!" William ordered. "Send these foul elves and their guardians to the afterlife! Show them the Wrath of the Righteous!"

Nuckelavee roared and charged forward. The Giant Skeleton and Draugur ran behind it and the ground trembled in their wake.

The Arcane Spectral Lich urged his Dragon and it stood between Drakon Nalzrig and Dia. The Lich gave Est a sidelong glance before facing the Guardian Beast in front of him.

"Is it fun to bully children?" The First King of the Hellan Kingdom asked. "You don't need to answer. I'll chop your body apart and use it as an ingredient for my experiments."

Although he had turned into a Lich after touching Malacai's staff, and had been inside the Undying Lands since then, he still held strong feelings toward the Kingdom that he had founded.

Drakon Nalzrig felt an unprecedented danger come from the Arcane Spectral Lich whose hatred for him was evident. However, he also understood that they were at war and it was only natural that the Lich didn't like him.

"I don't mind killing you twice, Lich," Nalzrig replied. "I'll grind your bones and use it as fertilizer."

The Lich chuckled as it raised its magic staff. Talk was cheap, it was now time to take action.

Several Dark Rays shot out its staff like laser beams. The King of the Winged Serpents cast a magical barrier to protect himself from the attack, but to his surprise, the Dark Rays passed through his barrier, and caught him completely off guard.

A pained cry erupted from Nalzrig's lips as the Lich's Undead Magic tore off his draconic scales and dissolved his flesh. This was the first time that he had experienced something like this, and he immediately retreated to a safe distance in order to heal his injuries.

"Just like an earthworm that has been sprinkled with a bit of salt," the Lich teased. "Does it hurt? Don't worry. There's more where that came from."

The Undead Dragon flapped its wings and gave chase. The Arcane Spectral Lich had already confirmed Est's identity and because of this, he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him.

Drauum's body crashed heavily towards the Elven Formation, severely injuring the Elves that were unlucky enough to be on the same spot where he landed.

Nuckelavee's horse neighed in contempt as it charged towards the Pseudo-Demigod whom it wanted to crush under its heels.

Kasogonaga, who had been fighting alongside Psoglav gazed at the Devil of the Sea with genuine surprise.

"It really is Nuckelavee!" Kasogonaga gasped as the giant abomination rampaged within the disorderly Elven Army.

After the surprise passed, a devilish smile appeared on Kasogonaga's face. There were several instances when it had fought side by side with Nuckelavee during the Era of the Gods.

The rainbow-colored Anteater knew how strong it was, so it had a smug expression on its face as he once again turned into a spiky rainbow-colored-wreckingball that was out for blood.

Psoglav sneered at the Elves that had lost their composure. Its Doppelganger was keeping up with Kasogonaga to ensure that the Anteater would not delve too deep into the enemy's ranks again.

After the Incident with Erchitu, Kasogonaga had learned its lesson and stayed within reasonable bounds.

Just as the three were engaging multiple enemies, a Bronze Dragon swept down from the sky. Its target were the two beasts that were creating a lot of casualties due to their teamwork.

The Bronze Dragon opened up its mouth and unleashed a Dragon Breath at the Demonic Dog who had just finished killing two elves in succession.

"Sh*t!" Kasogonaga cursed loudly. It braced itself for the impact because the Dragon had attacked him from his blindspot. He was unable to dodge, nor cast a protective barrier because there was no time for it.

Right before the Dragon Breath hit the Demonic Dog, a giant shadow covered it. Searing flames streaked past Psoglav's side as a Giant Ox stood in front of it, protecting it from one of the Dragon's strongest moves.

Erchitu stood tall as blue flames erupted from its mouth, colliding with the Dragon's Breath. The two attacks cancelled each other out.

The Bronze Dragon was about to soar towards the sky in order to flee, but a Giant Axe flew in the air and partially cut the base of its wings, preventing it from flying away.

The Dragon screamed in pain as it tried to stabilize its body from the air, but Erchitu didn't give it that opportunity. The Giant Ox summoned his axe back and threw it once again. This time, it cut off the Bronze's Dragon's wing completely, sending it crashing towards the ground.

Erchitu once again summoned his axe as it ran towards the fallen Dragon. Once near, Erchitu jumped into the air and body slammed the Dragon with all its might.

The Bronze's Dragon's body was sturdy, so it didn't take much damage from Erchitu's attack. However, the Giant Ox's true motive was to pin the dragon down, as his weapon… hacked it to pieces!

The Adamantium Axe descended with fury at the Dragon's neck, sending sparks flying in every direction. The Dragon roared in pain as the Adamantium Axe embedded its blade a few inches into its neck.

Erchitu didn't relent in his attack and continued to slash his axe, with the intention of cutting the dragon's head off completely.

When the Dragon's head was finally cut off from its body, a whip of darkness wrapped around it. Psoglav pulled the head towards him and happily stored it inside his storage ring. The Dragon's Millennial Core was located in its head, so Psoglav had no intention of letting it go.

"Erchitu is that really you?" Psoglav asked as it looked at the disgruntled Giant Ox in front of it.

'Yes,' Erchitu replied through telepathy.

Psoglav didn't know why, but it felt relieved after hearing its friend's confirmation. It thought that the Giant Ox in front of it was only an empty husk that William had reanimated using Undead Magic.

Knowing that his friend was alive… rather, dead, but alive, the Demonic Dog's anger decreased significantly as it ran towards its Doppelganger, and the rainbow-colored Anteater, who was laughing crazily as it slaughtered as many Elves as it could.

The scary part was that, everytime an Elf died, they would immediately rise up as undead warriors.

This unholy practice unnerved the Elves and made them feel despair.

Elandorr knew that it was only a matter of time before the place where he was would be overrun, so he decisively gave the order to retreat.

"Vanguards! Hold them back!" Elandorr ordered. "Rearguards prepare to cover our retreat!"

Little by little, the Elven Army got pushed back. It didn't even take half an hour before all of them had completely left the vicinity of the city.

Ezkalor and Zyphon no longer spectated as they did their best to cover the Elves' retreat. Unfortunately, the Grim Nightmare Revenant, and Diabolical Death Knight engaged them in one-on-one combat, giving the two Giants, The Monstrous Skeleton Sovereign, and the Giant Slaying Draugr free reign to massacre the elves as they pleased.

Eneru was currently locked in a battle with Jekyll, and this time, it was Jekyll that had the upper hand. He was unable to catch the Qilin during their earlier battle because the latter had used ranged attacks to bombard him with lightning bolts.

The Qilin that had lost a good chunk of his power had opted for ranged combat. Eneru knew that he couldn't beat Jekyll at close range, so he used cheap shots to harass the Taotie from afar.

All of that ended when William and his undead army appeared.

For some reason, the Qilin was unable to use his incredible speed to escape, and only flew at his normal speed.

Eneru glared hatefully at William because he knew that this powerful suppression was coming from him. The Half-Elf noticed that the Qilin was glaring at him, so he did what he had to do and waved back at Eneru with a smile.

The Qilin almost spat blood at the shamelessness of the Half-Elf who had interfered with his fight against Jekyll. Due to the slight loss of concentration, a massive tail slapped the side of its head, and sent it crashing towards the houses near the Eastern part of the city.

King Minos had already received treatment from William and had re-joined the battle against the Qilins and Dragons that posed a threat to the Minotaur Race. Although he felt disgruntled that Nuckelavee had taken his prey, he also didn't want to mess with the Devil of the Sea.

He had seen with a single glance that he was not the Devil's match. Since that was the case, he then focused his attention on the other threats of the battlefield and plucked their lives one by one.

For every Qilin and Dragon that fell, the sneer on William's face widened. With a wave of his scepter, these magical beasts were revived and bared their fangs at the Elven Army.

Every minute that passed, thousands died.

Every minute later, thousands of undead were born.

The Staff of Malacai glowed eerily in William's hands as he stood on the back of a Bone Dragon.

William's Beast Legion wanted to join the battle, but William prevented them from doing so. Only King Minos, the Minotaur Revenants, Kasogonaga, and Psoglav had been given the permission to continue to fight.

(A/N: Minotaur Revenants are the MInotaur Races that William had once again brought back to life in order to fight for his side. Erchitu is one of them.)

The Half-Elf didn't want to see any members of his Legion to risk their lives now that the Undead Army was under his command. Although he could bring them back to life as an undead, William knew that they wouldn't be the same as when they were alive.

Besides, even if the Skeleton Soldiers were smashed to bits, as long as he held Malacai's Scepter, those broken bones would re-attach themselves and continue to fight.

Simply put, there was no need for William's Herd and Legion to risk their lives in a battle that was dominated by the Undead, whose numbers were steadily increasing, as the life of Elves, and their Magical Beasts, were culled like grasses on the open plains.

Chapter 503: The Wrath Of The Righteous [Part 2]

"This is no longer a war, this is a massacre," Princess Eowyn muttered fearfully as she gazed upon Nuckelavee, who was like a God that swung its spear to smash the Ancient Golem into broken pieces of stone.

The Elves forced themselves to not scream in fear as their Guardian was smashed in front of them. They then gazed at the Monstrosity that towered over them, who had now set its sights on new targets… namely the Elves.

"Stop him!" Princess Eowyn ordered. "Stop him at all costs!"

The two Blademaster that served as Princess Eowyn's bodyguard glanced at each other before resolving themselves.

They summoned their weapons and armors before charging towards the Pseudo-Demigod that had just obliterated their Guardian. Although both knew that they were not its match, they just couldn't possibly stand by and do nothing as members of their race were slaughtered without mercy.

"Die, Monster!" One of the Blademasters shouted as the sword in his hand glowed brightly. "Crescent Flash!"

A five-meter-long blade of light slashed down on the Devil that had its back turned on the Blademaster. The blade cut off Nuckelavee's right arm from its body, which made the Elves that encircled it cheer.

However, what happened next immediately brought them despair.

The severed right arm that laid on the ground casually flew in the air and re-attached itself to Nuckelavee's body. The Devil of the Sea then turned its head to look at the Blademaster with a teasing smile.

The Blademaster's body became stiff and unmovable due to Knuckelavee's devilish stare. Even though the Blademaster had the rank of a Saint, it was nothing compared to an existence that had fought against Demigods during the Era of the Gods.

With a simple thrust, Nuckelavee's spear pierced through the Blademaster's chest, killing him instantly. It then chuckled and threw the body to the side as if it just killed some random elf.

The Devil's laughter had gripped the hearts of the Elves and made them feel despair. Some of them were even starting to think that this was all a dream. A terrible nightmare that they should wake up from, or else they would die in their sleep.

Drauum, who had once again reformed itself, smashed its body towards the monster whose evil knew no bounds.

The Ancient Golem called forth the power of the Earth to entrap Nuckelavee in an Earth Prison. The land answered Drauum's call and rose up to wrap itself on the monster's body. Soon, the Devil had been firmly trapped in a rock prison, forming a small mountain at the center of the battlefield.

Elandorr, and the Patriarch's had just breathed a sigh of relief when a powerful explosion erupted in front of them. The Stone Mountain blew up like a volcano and sent rocks and dirt flying in every direction.

A moment later, Drauum was sent flying by a powerful blow that erupted from the tip of Nuckelavee's spear.

Drauum didn't know that it had stepped on a landmine when it decided to imprison the monster in a dome of soil and rocks.

Nuckelavee hated being imprisoned. Since the Demigods were unable to contain him, they decided to just ask the Gods for help to deal with him. The God of the Earth rose up to bind Nuckelavee with the Earth, but just like what happened to Drauum's attempt, it ended in failure.

Only the Gods of the Sea managed to effectively entrap Nuckelavee in the depths of the ocean. However, even that entrapment only lasted for a few months. When Nuckelavee broke out of its watery prison, it became more enraged, and this time, it rampaged until the Giant Race was almost wiped out from the face of the world.

The Gods then knew that the Monster didn't like to be bound and every attempt only made it stronger, and madder with rage. This was how Nuckelavee got the title "Devil of the Sea" because the moment it rose up from the ocean, it had completely become a Devil that no one in the world of Hestia dared to fight.

Nuckelavee's eyes turned bloody red as it charged towards Drauum that had failed to stop it. With a thrust of its spear the Ancient Golem was once again destroyed. After destroying its target, it sweeped around him, slicing the bodies of the elves within thirty-meters around it in two.

"By the Goddess!" one of the Patriarch's gasped as the Devil glared in their direction.

Elandorr and Shefal also felt the Devil's stare and it filled their hearts with dread.

Right at that moment, A Winged Serpent riddled with bloody holes on its wings, and body, fell down from the sky.

Before the Elves could even react to this new development, A Golden Dragon and a Giant Deer, came crashing down from the sky as well.

One of the wings of the Golden Dragon was torn off, and the Giant Deer had lost one of its Antlers, leaving a bloody gash on its head.

Everything descended into silence as the Elves looked down on their fallen Guardians with pale expressions.

Suddenly, a soft sob was heard.

One of the teenage elves had finally lost her composure and cried. This was the spark that started everything. The Elven soldiers who were at the frontline of the war turned their backs on their enemies and started to run away in panic.

The women screamed in despair as mass hysteria spread across the Elven Ranks.

"Stop running!" Elandorr shouted. "Deserters will be killed on sight!"

His voice was loud, but none of those in front cared for his orders. In the face of existences that had even defeated their Guardians, what role did a mere cannon fodder have to play?

In a desperate attempt to restore order among their ranks, Elandorr nocked an arrow on his bow and shot one of the Deserters that ran away from its post. His arrow flew straight and true and embedded itself in the Elf's head, killing him instantly.

However, that was a mistake.

A very big mistake.

Fifteen seconds hadn't even passed since the Elf had fallen on the ground when it once again stood up. Its eyes that blazed in a bluish glow stared at Elandorr with the arrow still sticking at its forehead.

It then gave a guttural cry before charging at the nearest Elf, biting her neck with its teeth. Although this was not the first time they had seen this scene happen, the way the Elf died was different. They didn't die from the enemy's blade, but at the hand of their own Elven Commander.

The Vanguard then stared at Elandorr with undisguised fury. They had already lost their reasoning due to the madness that was happening around them, but seeing their own kind, killed by their Commander, and then turning into an undead made them feel that they were just disposable pawns that could be tossed away at any time.

While their minds were in a confused state, a soft voice that offered an olive branch reached their ears.

"Those who don't want to die, I will give you a chance to live," a Half-Elf whose red hair swayed in the breeze said with compassion. "Anyone who can bring Elandorr to me alive will be spared. Not only him, but the Patriarchs of the Elven Race as well.

"I promise on my handsome face that those who heed my order will not die today. This is a first come first serve basis. For every Patriarch that you capture, I am willing to spare twenty people. As for the Elven Commander, I am willing to spare fifty people.

"There are Six Patriarchs here, so that sums up to a hundred and twenty people. If you add Elandorr that would bring the total to a Hundred and Seventy. According to my rough estimate, there are still over two million elves remaining… among those two million, I will only spare a hundred and seventy."

William chuckled like an innocent teenage boy that had just received a kiss from a beautiful girl. However, instead of spreading happiness, it spread despair to the entire Elven Race who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Stop! We surrender!" Shafel shouted. "You won this war! We accept our defeat!"

William stopped laughing and stared at Shafel who was standing at a raised platform.

"So, what if I won?" William asked back in a teasing tone. "What of it?"

"There is no need for us to continue this bloodshed," Shafel said in a respectful and polite manner. He also bowed his head in apology. "We are willing to heavily compensate you for our transgressions."

If anyone from the Elven Council could see the domineering Elder of the Gilwen Clan, they would probably rub their eyes in disbelief.

Shafel had never bowed his head, and acted in a respectful manner except when he was in the presence of the King. Even the Head of the Elven Council, and Arwen's father, Theoden, didn't receive any polite words nor acts of respect from the proud Elder of the Gilwen Clan.

It just proved how dire their situation was.

William looked indifferently at the bowing old Elf as he raised his head arrogantly. "I believe that I mentioned earlier that I will not ask any of you to surrender."

The Half-Elf paused as he let his words linger in the air for a few moments before continuing his speech.

"Meaning, I have no intention of accepting any form of negotiations or surrender," William said coldly. "What I want to see… is for all of you to die."

"You can't do that!"

A familiar voice reached William's ears. The Half-Elf turned his head to the side to look at the Elven Princess whose tears were falling down the side of her face.

"This is not something the son of the Saintess would do!" Princess Eowyn shouted. "This is not something that the son of our Hero would do!"

William chuckled for a brief moment before shaking his head. "Princess, do you think attacking the Kingdom of the Hero that saved your race is something that the Elves should do? Do you think it is something that those who owe our family a favor would do? I think not."

The Half-Elf stared down at the entire Elven Race with disdain from on top of his Bone Dragon.

"You are the invaders, and oppressors. You conquered our lands due to your greed and arrogance. Did you even stop to think that those whom you conquered would one day rise up and point their weapons at you?

"Did you not even think of the possibility that they would rebel and conquer you back?"

"Did you ever think that a repeat of the Demon Race's invasion would not ever happen again?" William shook his head. "If you think that way then all of you are fools. Now, enough talk. Those who want to live, you know what to do. Those who don't want to live, you can just stand to the side and wait for your death."

The Undead Legion encircled the Elven Army, leaving no room to escape. On William's order, the countless skeletons, and undead soldiers stepped forward, in order to herd the Elves and make them compress against each other.

"Only a few will live. Are you one of those select few?"

William's devilish words spread across the Elven Army as their willpower wavered. One by one they stared at Elandorr, as well as the Elven Patriarch's who were standing at the raised platform at the center of the army.

No one wanted to die, if there was a way to live then why not take it?

Chapter 504: The Wrath Of The Righteous [Part 3]

As the Elves were thinking these things, a Golden Portal appeared above the center of the Elven Army.

"Enough!"

A powerful voice forced the Undead Legion to stop their advance.

A giant bird clad in flames flew out of the portal and hovered above the Elven Army.

"Know your limits, Half-Elf. If you do not cease your arrogance, I will be more than happy to teach you a lesson!"

The proud and majestic voice gave hope to the Elves as they looked up at the blazing bird that hovered above their heads.

The Demigod Phoenix, Sepheron, that served as the protector of the Elves in the Silvermoon Continent had forced its appearance using the Teleportation Gate of the Elves. It felt the aura of the Guardians weakening and knew that they were in danger.

Because of this, it hurriedly crossed the distance in order to save them from certain demise.

The Elves regained their confidence and cheered for the arrival of their Demigod. A few moments ago they were already feeling despair, now that the head of the Guardians had arrived they had once again regained their courage that had been nearly snuffed out like the flame of a candle.

William gazed at the Majestic Phoenix that burned brightly in the sky. It was like a beacon of hope amidst the darkness that would shine for eternity.

"Big words from a flashy chicken that dares to barge into someone else's house and even have the audacity to tell the owner what to do?" An amused voice said. "Haven't you heard of the saying, the guest does as the host pleases?"

High up in the Kyrintor Mountains, Takam sat on his throne. The side of his face rested on the palm of his left hand. The Sovereign that ruled the Northern Tribes then raised its right hand and a beam of blue light shot out from it, traveling at great speeds.

"I am not pleased by your attitude," Takam said. "It's time for you to know your place."

As soon as his speech was finished the beam of light had arrived at the battlefield. The Phoenix opened its wings wide and created a fiery magical shield that protected its entire body.

The moment that beam collided with the shield, no explosion happened, or any of the sort. Instead. The beam spread across the magical shield, enclosing the Demigod of the Silvermoon Continent in an Icy Prison.

Soon, magical chains descended from the sky and bound the Sepheron.

Several cracks immediately appeared on the Ice that were currently holding the Demigod in place. At a glance, one could tell that the Ice Prison wouldn't hold for long. However, what was even more surprising was that they saw an individual standing on top of it with a smile.

William, took out a pocket cube from his storage ring and dropped it on the Ice Prison. The Cube immediately expanded and covered the entirety of the cage. It then slowly shrank, as sparks emitted from all over the cube's body.

'System.'

< I'm on it! >

< Sacrificing 100,000 God Points to bind the Demigod for a few seconds! >

The sparks appearing on the Pocket Cube disappeared as it shrank to the size of a carriage.

William stood on top of the cube, with a serious expression on his face. This was a critical time and even the air around him seemed to be at a standstill. This was a decisive moment, and William waited with bated breath for the result of his gamble.

Drauum, which had just reformed itself, shouted at William and fired a massive Earth Spike at the cube that had imprisoned Sepheron. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about the weird cube that had imprisoned the Demigod that protected the Silvermoon Continent.

William jumped off from the cube to evade Drauum's attack. The moment the Earth Spike hit the Cube, a loud cracking sound was heard. Parts of the cube started to shatter, emitting a fiery blaze that was threatening to burn it down.

Soon, more cracks appeared, and burning beams of light shot out from those cracks, which made William frown.

"You fool who dared to entrap a Demigod, I will burn you to ashes!"

Sepheron's mighty scream resonated through the sky as the cube trembled violently. It started to break apart, and the top part of it burst open, as if it was hit by a cannonball.

"I will end you!" Sepheron shrieked. The cube now expanded threatening to explode.

Drauum had a satisfied look on his face as he sneered at the Half-Elf that was standing on top of the Bone Dragon. Once Sepheron had broken out of its cage, they would work together to annihilate the pesky undead warriors and display William's severed head on a sharp pike, as a warning to everyone that dared to oppose them.

However, before the Demigod was about to break free, the cube disappeared from the sky, taking the Demigod along with it.

A series of notifications appeared on William's status page which made the Half-Elf laugh out loud.

His laughter was like the sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard, which irritated Drauum's and the Elves' ears.

"What have you done?!" Ezkalor, who had somewhat recovered, asked out loud. "Where is Sepheron?"

William stopped laughing. However, a very domineering smile spread across his face as if he had won the lottery a thousand times over.

< Ding! >

< Demigod Sepheron had been successfully sent to the Auction House of the Gods >

< Auction will begin in two days. >

< Host had been given a special token to watch the auction at a VIP seat >

(A/N: You might be wondering where he got those God Points, right? Then let me remind you about a certain Millennial Dragon that disappeared in the story. Yes, he was sold in the Auction House for 100k God Points. Now you know.)

"You don't have to worry about him," William replied with a smug expression. "You won't be seeing your precious Demigod ever again. This is the price you Elves have to pay for trespassing on our domain."

At first, Drauum didn't believe William's words. Sepheron and the Guardians had a strong connection to each other. Although it was certain the Sepheron was very much alive, since it was an immortal creature, The Ancient Golem couldn't sense the Demigod's location no matter how far he extended his senses.

"What have you done?!" Drauum demanded. "Where is he?"

William narrowed his gaze as he looked down at the annoying golem on the ground.

"Do you want to meet him so badly?" William asked back as he took out another cube from his storage ring, and shook it in his hand. "I can do that."

Drauum unconsciously took a step back when it heard William's threat. It still didn't know where Sepheron was, but it was sure that the Demigod was no longer in the Southern nor in the Silvermoon Continent.

Sepheron simply vanished, as if it was thrown into a domain that it couldn't escape from.

"Now where was I?" William casually played with the cube in his hand as he looked down on the Elves. "Ah yes… only a hundred and seventy of you are going to live. You better act quickly, my patience is limited."

As if agreeing to William's words, the three monstrous beasts, and the three Sovereigns riding on top of the Bone Dragons advanced towards the Elves.

Nuckelavee chuckled as it thrust his spear forward, killing a dozen Elves without warning.

The Arcane Spectral Lich also fired a cone of cold energy that froze several elves in place. It then snapped its fingers causing the frozen elves to shatter into hundreds of pieces.

"As you can see, I don't have all day," William commented from the side. "Well, I suppose I can let my Legion kill to their heart's content until only a handful of you are left. I guess I'll spare twenty people at most."

Hearing William's words, the Skeleton Soldiers rushed towards the Elven Army like a swarm of locusts. Their intention? Complete annihilation of the Elven Army.

"Don't you have any compassion?" Zyphon the deer tried to stand up as it gazed pleadingly at William. "The Elves have already surrendered. This war is over."

William snorted as he stared at the Guardian Deer of the Elves that reminded him of Spire.

"It's not over until I say it is over," William answered crisply. "I can still turn a blind eye to your actions since you didn't play any active role in this war. However, if you get in my way, I swear upon my name that I will exterminate your entire Clan when I go to the Silvermoon Continent. Do not test my patience."

Zyphon lowered its head dejectedly because it could tell that William didn't want to negotiate.

The officers of the Kraetor Empire clicked their tongue because they thought that it was a waste to kill the Elven Women who were known for their beauty. If they could have them, they would definitely profit from this expedition to the Southern Lands.

Prince Jason was of the same mind. However, after seeing what William did to the Demigod of the Elves, he was forced to keep his idea to himself.

Even the Protectors of the Kraetor Empire felt threatened by what William had done to the one and only Demigod of the Silvermoon Continent.

They didn't dare to gamble with their lives to see if William could do it a second time.

Empress Sidonie had a serious expression on her face as he observed the Half-Elf from afar. This had gone beyond her calculations, and flipped the plans that she had prepared on their head.

Morgana however was different. After William had made his appearance, Sidonie's other half became silent. She just looked at William with a sad expression. Her eyes could see things that Empress Sidonie couldn't see.

After seeing William's current state she knew that the boy had paid a high price in order to obtain the power he had now. A price that saddened her.

Alessio who was standing at the center of the Elven Army gritted his teeth as he made a decision.

He used the special invisibility spell that he was proficient in and vanished in place. A minute later, he reappeared behind Elandorr and gave a quick jab to the Young Elven Commander's jaw, knocking the lights out of him.

"I captured Elandorr!" Alessio shouted. "Anyone who sides with me will be part of the fifty people that will be spared from death! Who is with me?!"

The Elven Warriors froze in shock at Alessio's sudden betrayal. However, some of them were relieved. They didn't dare make the first move because they didn't want to be seen as traitors of their race.

However, since someone had already seized their Elven Commander, it was now time to switch sides in order to live.

"I will go with you!"

"I will, too!"

"Me too!"

Several Elite Warriors stormed towards Alessio and surrounded him. They raised their weapons and pointed it at the Elves who were planning to save Elandorr from Alessio's grasp.

"Okay, you and fifty of your men will be saved," William declared. He then sent a mental message to Nuckelavee which sent the Monstrous Devil to where Elandorr was held.

The Elves screamed as they hurriedly parted to give way to Nuckelavee. However, the monster didn't shy away from killing anyone within its spear's reach. Seeing that William was serious in exterminating them, the remaining Blademaster by Princess Eowyn's side decided to capture one of the Patriarch's in order to save the Princess' life and the life of her entourage.

"Very decisive, I like," William praised the Blademaster. "Aren't you glad, Princess? You get to live another day."

Princess Eowyn bit her lip in frustration as she wiped away the tears on her eyes. She didn't want to give William the satisfaction of seeing her sorry state.

What the princess didn't know was that William had already decided to let her live, along with her entourage. The Half-Elf knew that he wouldn't be able to face his mother in the Silvermoon Continent if one of her Disciples died under his subordinate's hand.

The Blademaster's betrayal was the last straw that broke the camel's back, and the Elves began to swarm the location of the remaining patriarchs. Not only that, they started to fight each other. Princess Eowyn covered her lips and averted her eyes. She didn't want to see the gruesome scene that was happening around them.

The once prideful and elegant Elves had now turned into distorted creatures that clung to life.

Skyla had already told William some of the backgrounds of these clans from the Silvermoon Continent. They were the clans that were Anti-Humans and had given his Grandfather, Theoden—who was also the head of the Elven Council—a lot of trouble.

Since that was the case, William decided to eradicate all of them since they were making things difficult for his family.

Nero clicked his tongue as he watched the Elves kill each other as if they were fighting against their most hated enemies.

The Undead didn't stop killing either as the ranks of the Elven Army thinned. William didn't bat an eye and raised the dead that had fallen on the ground, over and over again. He wanted the Elves to experience fear, and despair, before their lives ended at the hands of their own comrades.

Chapter 505: The Darkest Places In Hell [Part 1]

'I will give you a little reward for this victory,' Malacai said through the scepter in his hand. 'Since your current state is still unstable, I will allow you to spare the Elven Women. You will need a constant supply of blood, right? The blood of the Elves is rich in Magic and Spirit Power. It will allow you to regain your strength sooner.'

William nodded his head and told his Legion through telepathy to focus on killing the men and spare the women for the time being.

Frankly, he didn't want to drink the blood of his lovers, so this alternative was fine too. The thought of sinking his fangs on their tender bodies, and drinking their blood had already crossed his mind. But, right now, he wasn't confident that he would be able to stop once he started.

He was afraid that he would suck them dry if he got lost in his blood thirst. For the time being, he needed to get used to drinking blood, and controlling his urges first.

Soon, the millions of Elves that had invaded the Southern Continent shrank to only tens of thousands.

All of which were women that William had spared for the time being. Skyla, who had not participated in the war against the Elves, stood indifferently on top of the Hellan Royal Palace. Secretly it was relieved that William didn't go through with a full extermination and allowed the women to live.

Although a tens of thousands was nothing compared to several million, it was still better than mere hundreds.

The Elven women cowered in a corner as their comrades, who had been turned into undead, looked back at them with blank stares.

William raised his staff and the millions of undead Elves vanished from where they stood. They were sent directly to Avalon where they would stay for eternity. The next time they would leave that place was when Malacai emerged from his prison.

That wouldn't be happening for a few more years, and William no longer needed to think about the consequences that the Dracolich would bring to the land. The two of them had made a bet, and William barely won that bet.

Once Malacai had been freed from his shackles, the Dracolich wouldn't antagonize William or any of those who were important to him. And for that price, William had almost lost his humanity and his life.

The defeated Guardians looked on helplessly at the remaining survivors who seemed to be on the edge of losing their sanity. Ezkalor sighed as he closed his eyes. This was not the ending that he had envisioned, and the current circumstances left him helpless.

Half of the Dragons had been reanimated and turned into Zombie Dragons. The remaining half, now cowered behind Ezkalor in the hope that their Sovereign would protect them.

The Qilins had all been wiped out, and turned into Undead Qilins. Eneru could only grit his teeth in frustration when he saw his clan members' current forms.

Right now, he was being pinned down by Jekyll. The Taotie had long wanted to end Eneru's life, but he couldn't. Killing a Qilin would bring extreme bad luck to his killer, so the Taotie couldn't kill him even if he wanted to.

As for William, the curse of the Qilins couldn't affect him. This was why he didn't bat an eye when he ordered his undead army to wipe them all out, except for Eneru.

The undead warriors dragged Elandorr and the Patriarch's to William's location. They were currently captives and were forced to kneel in front of the Half-Elf whom they referred to as a filthy Half-breed.

Naturally, William wanted to personally deal with them. However, before he could even say anything, a loud slap resounded in the air.

Elandorr's body flew to the side as Psoglav hatefully gave him a slap on the face.

"How dare you desecrate Erchitu's body?" Psoglav growled in anger. "How dare you do that to my friend?"

The Demonic Dog stepped on Elandorr's leg, crushing the bones completely. The Young Elven Commander cried out in pain, but his suffering was far from over.

"My turn!" Kasogonaga stepped forward and turned into a spiky wrecking ball. "I'm Roll--"

"Oi!" Psoglav hurriedly grabbed the spikes of the rainbow-colored Anteater, before Kasogonaga could start rolling. "Idiot! If you roll now, wouldn't he turn into meat paste? How can we torture him if you kill him quickly? We have to avenge Erchitu's death!"

Kasogonaga undid his transformation because he realized that the Demonic Dog was right. The Anteater hatefully stepped forward before it slapped Elandorr's other cheek with its little paw.

"You scum! You're lucky that I was reminded not to kill you right away!" Kasogonaga shouted as he angrily stepped on Elandorr's forehead. "I will make sure you die slowly after killing Erchitu!"

Elandorr wanted to scream that he wasn't the one that killed Erchitu, but Psoglav had already used a spell on his body to prevent him from speaking. It then suffered Kasogonaga's one-sided cursing, and slapping.

William had promised Psoglav that he would give Elandorr to him. Although he had hated the Elf for what he did to Erchitu's corpse, the Giant Ox was now very much alive--rather dead--but still alive in a way.

Since he couldn't touch Elandorr, William then focused his attention on the Patriarch's of the Elven Clans.

They were the ringleaders of the Elven Invasion, so William didn't plan to go easy on them. He would make sure that none of the Elves would dare attempt to invade the Human lands a second time.

"Do you know your sin?" William asked the Patriarchs who had been forced to kneel before him.

"Yes," the Patriarch of the Rhys clan replied in a defeated voice. "It was a mistake coming here to the Southern Lands."

The other Patriarchs' except Shafel bowed in apology in an effort to pacify William's anger.

"Fools. It's too late to ask for forgiveness," Shafel snorted. "Do you think he will spare your lives just because you apologized? All of you are already this old, and yet you still cling desperately to life? Pathetic!"

"Shut up!" the Patriarch of the Saleh Clan shouted. "You are the mastermind of this expedition! You bribed us to join you in this endeavor. The fault lies in you!"

"That's right!" The Patriarch of the Nasir Clan supported his friend's claim. "This is all your fault. If you didn't threaten us back then, we wouldn't have joined you!"

The other Patriarchs also spoke up and blamed Shafel. They even teamed up and painted the Ex-Patriarch of the Gilwen Clan as the supreme traitor of the Elven Race.

William watched this farce with amusement. Seeing all the heads of the different clans blame Shafel, made the old man's face turn red in anger.

"I see, so this is all your fault," William nodded as he stared at Shafel. "If not for you then all of this wouldn't have happened."

"That's right! It is his fault!" The Patriarch of the Eroan Clan immediately supported William's claim. "Lord William, please, allow me to atone for my mistake by killing this traitorous Elf with my own hands."

"No! Lord William, please, allow me to kill him!"

"No! I will kill him!"

The Patriarchs' raised their voice and fought for the chance to prove to William that they were innocent, by killing Shafel.

William just nodded in understanding, as he listened to their pleas.

"Very well, I will give you all a chance to atone," William said with a smile.

"The Saintess' son is wise, and merciful."

"Truly the son of a hero."

"The Nasir Clan will forever remember this favor. Once you visit your mother on the Silvermoon Continent, we will give you the grandest of welco-argh!"

A blade pierced through the Patriarch of the Nasir's Clan's chest, which prevented him from finishing his words.

The old man looked at the blade that pierced his chest in disbelief before falling headfirst to the ground, dead.

Shafel spat on the dead Elf's body before laughing out loud. He knew that William had no intention of sparing any of them, so asking for forgiveness never crossed his mind.

He was indeed the Mastermind behind this invasion, and had already accepted his fate. His only regret was that the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent didn't get the opportunity to kill the Filthy Half-Breed before everything was too late.

Chapter 506: The Darkest Places In Hell [Part 2]

The Draugr pulled his blade out of the body of the Elven Patriarch and smiled. Although the smile was creepy, it gave its intended effect on the other Patriarchs and made them shout out in fear.

"Why did you kill him?" William inquired in a troubled tone. "Didn't you have your fill of killing a while ago?"

The Draugr gave a dry chuckle and scratched its head. It was acting as if it was an innocent child that had made a mistake.

"Alright, no killing for now, okay?" William coaxed the undead warrior and made it back away.

The Half-Elf then looked down on the dead Patriarch with a troubled expression.

"Oh dear, what should I do with you?" William rubbed his chin as he pondered. "Well, for the time being, why don't you stand up first?"

William snapped his fingers and the lifeless corpse propped itself up to stand once again. It even did a comical pose as if waiting for William to praise it.

"You vile creature!" the Patriarch of the Saleh Clan cursed out loud. "Using Death Magic is a transgression to all living things! Also, where did you take our Demigod? Are you not afraid of the Wrath of the Heavens?! Are you not afraid of the Gods?!"

William smiled when he heard the Patriarch's condemnation. "Wrath of the Heavens? You Elves should have thought of that first before you came here to wage war on us. As for the Gods? Why should I be afraid of them?

"Ah! Thank you for reminding me about the Gods. I don't really get along with the Sun God, so I'll make sure to take a piss on his altars, statues, and temples, when I visit the Central Continent."

William didn't know if it was only his imagination, but for a brief moment, he thought he heard Lily's loud laughter, after he said that he would piss on the statues of the Sun God in the Central Continent.

"Y-You! Heretic! You even slander the Gods! You and your bloodline will be cursed for eter--ack!"

The undead Patriarch who was doing a comical pose a moment ago used its dagger to stab the neck of the Patriarch of the Saleh Clan.

The old man spat a mouthful of blood as he stared fearfully at William. "I d-don't want to t-turn into an undea…"

"You talk too much," William cut off the Patriarch from finishing his words.

The Undead Patriarch that had stabbed the Elf's neck took that as a hint to continue his act. It then stabbed the Elf's chest and ended his life once and for all.

A few seconds later, a second undead stood up and just like the first undead patriarch, it did a comical pose by raising both of its hands in the air as if praising the sun.

"Forgive me, but I'm not an expert in torture," William said with a teasing smile. He then turned to the Arcane Spectral Lich and gave it a brief bow. "Your Majesty, how about you handle the rest?"

The Lich nodded its head and created black chains in the air. Those chains tied up the bodies of the Patriarchs including Shafel. Suddenly, several silver chains materialized in the air and pierced through the Patriarchs' chests where their hearts were located.

A few seconds later, William saw an interesting sight. The Arcane Spectral Lich waved his hand in an attempt to pull out the silver chains from the Patriarchs' bodies.

Soon, screams of despair reverberated in the air as the Lich pulled out the souls of the Elves that it had bound with its powers.

The First King of the Hellan Kingdom was a scholar, and his specialty was Soul Research. In his pursuit of immortality, he tried to find a way to keep his soul alive, even after death. It was quite unfortunate that he lost the bet with Malacai when he failed to resist the corruption of its Scepter.

In fact, the three Sovereigns who rode on top of the Bone Dragons were once powerful men during their era. Unfortunately, they also wished to become immortal, but the immortality that they had found was not the one that they had envisioned.

Sadly, it was now too late for regrets. All of them had achieved their goals, but they had become Malacai's subordinates in the process. Only William was able to resist the corruption of the Scepter after paying a high price for it.

The Arcane Spectral Lich then opened a black bottle, and the souls of all the Patriarchs were sucked inside it.

Having lost their souls, their bodies collapsed on the ground. It was still alive, but since there was no soul inside it, they were as good as dead.

It was the Arcane Spectral Lich who had asked William earlier if the Half-Elf could hand over the remaining Patriarchs to him. Seeing that both of their goals were the same, William agreed to the Lich's request.

After getting what he wanted, the Lich gave William a bow before returning to its Bone Dragon.

William then turned his head to the side only to see Psoglav gnawing on an arm. Naturally, the arm belonged to Elandorr who was currently being kicked repeatedly by Kasogonaga without mercy.

Psoglav noticed his stare and gave him a satisfied smile. "You want some?"

"I'll pass," William replied before shifting his attention to Alessio, and the men that had captured the Patriarch's of the clan.

All of them felt their hearts tremble when William's gaze landed on them. They had seen how the Half-Elf had treated the Patriarchs of their Clans, and were worried that they would suffer the same fate.

"Relax, I will keep my word and not kill any of you," William said with indifference.

Alessio and the other Elves internally breathed a sigh of relief. Since William had already said that he wouldn't kill them then it must be true, right?

"All of you go over there," William ordered as he pointed in a direction, over a hundred meters away from the Elven women. "I don't want to see your faces."

Alessio and the Elves hurriedly obeyed their command as they cursed William in their heart. If they could only speak out loud, all of them would also be saying that they didn't want to see his face either.

Arslan who was part of the Elven Princess' entourage clenched his fist as he eyed Alessio and the Elves from a distance. The corner of the young man's lips curled up into a smile as he channeled his magic to the ground.

Moments later, a loud explosion took place and Alessio, as well as the Elves near him howled in pain. The Leader of Deus that was stationed in the Silvermoon Continent, had his lower half blasted to pieces.

The other Elves that were near the area of explosion had their legs destroyed as well. Panic immediately ensued among the remaining survivors as they ran towards the place where the Elven Women had huddled themselves.

"Y-You lied," Alessio said hatefully as he glared at William. His lower half had been completely obliterated. Unless a powerful restoration spell was cast on him, he would die in less than five minutes.

"What are you talking about? I didn't lie," William replied with a frown. "You should probably ask him, instead of me."

William raised his chin and pointed it in the direction where Princess Eowyn and her entourage was stationed.

Arslan and William exchanged a glance, and the Prodigy of the Zelan Dynasty placed his arms over his chest and gave William a respectful bow.

Princess Eowyn, and her wards, noticed this exchange and connected the dots together. Arslan was well known for his undetectable Earth Bombs that could instantly kill any Elves of the Platinum Rank.

However, it was not only one, but three Earth Bombs that exploded at the same time. It was more than enough to end the life of anyone, but the latter decided not to kill Alessio instantly. He wanted the hateful Elf to suffer first before his life ended.

Arslan had sneakily planted the bombs in a location, and asked William to lead Alessio to that place in order to have his revenge.

The Half-Elf had rejected Arslan's condition to kill the Elven Princess, so the latter compromised and asked for Alessio's life. The Elf was the one responsible for the creation of the Ash Golems, and for Arslan, that was an unforgivable act.

Due to their need to increase their fighting force, Alessio had ordered the Elves to torture the survivors of the Zelan Dynasty, while Princess Eowyn was not in the capital. Some of the children were not strong enough to endure the torture and died right away.

These dead children were then thrown into a pit where Alessio conducted a vile ceremony and transformed them into Ash Golems.

Frankly, Arslan only wanted to kill Princess Eowyn because it would be a great blow to the Elven Army. He knew that the Princess was innocent, so when William rejected his offer, he shifted his attention to his original target, which was Alessio.

The Half-Elf readily agreed to his request, and tweaked the Slave Collar that was on his neck. Arslan would be able to use his powers, and send William some crucial information about the movements of the Elves, while spying on the Elven Princess.

"Y-You," Princess Eowyn looked at Arslan in disbelief. "Why?"

Arslan looked at the Elven Princess with pity. "You're far too naive. You must have grown up a sheltered lady. A flower in a greenhouse that had no idea about the horrors of the outside world."

Arslan removed the collar on his neck and threw it on the ground. The Blademaster that guarded the Princess stood in front of her and raised his sword in Arslan's direction.

"Don't you dare harm the princess!" The Blademaster growled.

He wouldn't be able to face the Elven King if something happened to Princess Eowyn. His comrade had already died under Nuckelavee's strike, and he was the only one that remained to protect the daughter of his King.

Arslan ignored the Blademaster's words. He just eyed Princess Eowyn as he continued his words.

"You asked me why, so I'll give you an answer," Arslan said as he raised his hand and pointed it at Alessio, who was miraculously still alive and howling in pain. "Because this is the will of the victors of this war."

Arslan once again snapped his finger, and the ground underneath Alessio's head swelled up.

Princess Eowyn closed her eyes and averted her gaze, just in time to hear a loud explosion take place.

She didn't need to see the result of the explosion, because there was no need to see anything. This was how the Leader of Deus in the Silvermoon Continent had met his end, but Arslan was not finished, at least not yet.

Arslan once again glanced in the Princess' direction before saying a few more words that the latter would remember her the rest of her life.

"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their silence at times of crisis," Arslan said before walking away towards Prince Alaric and the members of the Freedom Fighters.

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Remember that, Your Highness. It is not too late for you, and the Elven Royal Family, to learn from your mistakes."

Princess Eowyn felt her cheeks burn in shame and guilt due to Arslan's words. She had silently turned a blind eye to the things that were happening in the Zelan Dynasty, thinking that it was the Elves' way of venting out their frustration due to sufferings that they had experienced in the hands of Humans.

She thought that after venting it out for a while, the Elves would change their views and treat the Humans more kindly. However, she was wrong.

And now, the Elven Race had paid the price for the consequences of their actions.

Chapter 507: Making A Mark In The Pages Of History [Part 1]

"Do you regret it?" Evexius asked Conner, who was standing behind him.

The leader of Deus who was assigned to the Southern Continent didn't give an answer. He merely stood there, and looked at William with a calm expression on his face.

Evexius didn't pry any longer, because it would be uncouth. Since Conner had already made his decision, he had to accept the results of his actions. Whatever Conner thought of the current situation, none of that mattered anymore.

Right now, he was part of the Kraetor Empire, and Evexious had no intention of letting a capable man like him escape from their grasp.

William gazed at the Kraetor Army that had been watching their battle in the distance. Their flags fluttered in the wind creating an imposing sight. However, right now, they were no longer feeling as composed as they were when the battle had started.

Empress Sidonie met William's gaze with a smile. She then gave a silent command to the Flying Golden Ant, where her throne was enshrined, to move.

Opening its wings, it flew towards the sky, carrying the Young Empress with it.

The Protectors of the Kraetor Empire, as well as the person wearing a robe followed behind her. Evexius, and Prince Jason remained because they understood what Empress Sidonie wanted to do.

The Kraetor Empire had no desire to expand their conquest of the Southern Continent. Doing so would only cause trouble for them. Empress Sidonie had known this beforehand, so she didn't give out an order to attack the Zelan Dynasty or the Hellan Kingdom.

Also, after meeting William, her perspective had also changed. She also no longer cared for Dominion. Her pursuit now lied elsewhere. When she reached the Halfway point between The Kraetor Army, and William's Undead Legion, she ordered the flying ant to land.

William mounted his Bone Dragon and headed to where the Young Empress was. Erchitu, the Diabolical Death Knight, Grim Nightmare Revenant, and the Arcane Spectral Lich accompanied the Half-Elf as well.

The Bone Dragon landed fifty meters away from the Flying Golden Ant. William and Sidonie exchanged glances before simultaneously dismounting their mounts and walked towards each other.

They only stopped when they were only three meters apart. Their escorts stood behind them and waited patiently for the dialogue that was about to start.

"Congratulations, Sir William for winning the war against the Elves," Empress Sidonie said. "With this, the Southern Continent will experience a brief period of peace, while we wait for the Continental Spell to lose its effects."

William nodded as he stared at the beautiful lady in front of him. "Does the Kraetor Empire wish for a peaceful co-existence between our Kingdoms?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Empress Sidonie walked forward as she extended her hand for a handshake. William also took a step forward and held Empress Sidonie's soft, and delicate, hand firmly.

Not far away, the Elves and their Guardians looked at this scene bitterly. Eneru who had returned to his humanoid form had his head lowered.

Jekyll had beaten him black and blue earlier, and only released his hold on the Qilin when the Elves and the other Guardians had finally surrendered to William.

The Taotie stood beside the depressed Qilin with a smug expression on his face. Since Eneru had regressed in his rank, Jekyll didn't have much trouble in subduing him. However, the Qilin's lightning bolts still pained him.

Even before William and Sidonie had taken the liberty to formally end the war, Eneru had been subtly congregating all of his magic power inside his body for one last hurrah.

He was only waiting for the perfect opportunity in order to make his move.

The moment William and Empress Sidonie shook hands, the sound of cheering ensued on both sides. Finally, the war had officially ended. The tension that everyone had been holding in, was finally released and their body slackened a bit.

Even Jekyll lowered his guard and allowed a smile to appear on his face.

Then it happened.

Without signs or warnings, Eneru acted.

"Die!" Eneru roared as his hand stabbed forward like a knife. His aim was to stab William's chest and pierce through his heart. Everything happened so fast that no one was able to react. Eneru could travel as fast as a lightning bolt, so doing a surprise attack was easy for him.

He crossed the distance between William and him in the blink of an eye, and delivered his final blow with all the power he could muster.

His hand met some resistance because the one he hit was wearing armor. This resistance lasted only for a brief moment before the Qilin's hand stabbed through flesh, and pierced the heart.

"Y-You!" Eneru exclaimed as he hurriedly pulled out his hand, but it was already too late.

Blood flowed from the wound in Empress Sidonie's chest, because she had used her body to block Eneru's attack. William hurriedly reached out to catch her body, while the Protectors of the Kraetor Empire angrily lunged at Eneru, who was about to escape.

Black chains materialized out of thin air and wrapped around Eneru's body, preventing him from turning into a lightning bolt and fleeing.

Nero's fist collided with the Qilin's cheeks, sending blood and teeth flying. The Qilin was immediately pinned down and pummeled with punches and kicks from the angry Protectors of the Kraetor Empire.

While this was going on, Empress Sidonie weakly reached out to hold the side of William's face.

"I-It's a shame," Empress Sidonie said as blood seeped out of the corner of her lips. "I still… wanted to… have… your babies."

After saying those words, the Young Empress breathed her last breath and died with her eyes looking up at William. Those beautiful hazel eyes had completely lost their luster, and looked at the Half-Elf lifelessly.

Evexius and Prince Jason who were standing at the Kraetor Empire cried out and rushed towards their Empress Side.

Prince Jason couldn't believe what had just transpired. Everything felt surreal, that he thought that he was just seeing an illusion. One moment, the beautiful lady whom he was so strongly attracted to was shaking Williams hand, the next, she was dying.

This sudden transition was hard for him to accept.

He couldn't accept it.

Afterall, he had already planned to propose to Empress Sidonie once they had returned to the Anaesha Dynasty. He would take her back to the Kraetor Empire where the two of them would be wed.

For him to see his bride candidate die right in front of him was unacceptable!

"Kill!" Prince Jason ordered. "Kill the Elves!"

The Army behind him roared in anger and charged along with their Prince. The Ants that were under Empress Sidonie's control entered a berserked state as they made their way towards the Elven Women who screamed in fear at the approaching army, who was hell bent to exterminate them all.

"Stop!" Drauum shouted as it stomped his foot on the ground. Thousands of Earth Spikes pointing forward emerged from the ground. It didn't plan to harm the Kraetor Army, but only to deter them.

Although the Elves had already surrendered, that didn't mean that the Guardians would just stand by and allow the remaining survivors to be massacred.

They, too, were surprised by Eneru's selfish action that had brought them unwarranted hate from the Kraetor Empire.

Drauum gritted its teeth in anger. Right now, it wished that it could drag Eneru to its side. That way, it could personally tear the Qilin's body apart and show the Kraetor Army that they had nothing to do with his individual action.

Chapter 508: Making A Mark In The Pages Of History [Part 2]

The Guardians mobilized their strength in order to create a defensive perimeter to prevent the enraged army's advance.

While all this was happening around him, William stared at the lifeless body in his arms. Empress Sidonie's body was still warm, but he knew that this warmth would soon disappear, and be replaced by coldness.

It would be very easy for him to turn her into an undead, but he couldn't do that. The moment he used Undead Magic to bring her back to life, the Young Empress would spend eternity in an undying body, and her soul would be put under a curse of servitude as well.

William couldn't do that. He couldn't possibly do that.

Empress Sidonie's last words made William finally realize how serious she was in becoming his lover.

"She said that if there came a time when the Hellan Kingdom were to really face the threat of total annihilation, we would join the war and prevent that from happening."

A voice filled with pity, and regret said beside William.

"I had a hunch when I first saw you in the Anaesha Dynasty, but now, I am sure of it." Evexius sighed. "Our Empress favors you, and even went as far as to drag our entire army into this war. It's quite regrettable that her feelings were one-sided."

William gently closed Empress Sidonie's eyes before removing the torc that was wrapped around his arm. This was given to him by Cernunnos when he visited the Centaur Tribe back at the Whimsical Forest.

The Half-Elf had worn it like an arm bracelet all this time. It had accompanied him since the beginning of war, and Cernunnos had watched everything that William had experienced since he left the domain of the Lord of the Forest.

"Your Excellency, please, bestow your mercy upon this lady," William said as he placed the golden Torc on Empress Sidonie's chest. "Look favorably upon her, this one time."

A few seconds later, Cernunnos voice reached William's ears.

"Are you sure?" Cernunnos asked. "This bracelet is supposed to save your life once. Do you really want to give this opportunity to another?"

"Yes," William replied. "Please, save her."

The golden torc glowed as Cernunnos granted William's request.

"Fine. You Humans are truly fascinating creatures. It was entertaining to watch your struggles. May you not regret this decision in the future, Little Will."

The Lord of the Wilds wanted to say something, but after careful consideration he decided to just let the matter rest. This was a matter between Humans, and he decided that Humans should be the ones to resolve it as well.

Cernunnos was the protector of the balance of nature. He didn't want to dabble its hands in the affairs of mankind.

The wound on Empress Sidonie's chest healed at a rapid pace. Soon, her expression became ruddy as a gentle warmth washed over her body.

Suddenly, the lady in the red-headed boy's arm drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes abruptly opened, and the first thing she saw was William's relieved expression.

Her hand unconsciously moved towards her chest, where a gaping hole used to exist. Feeling her skin under her palms, Empress Sidonie looked at the Half-Elf that was looking down at her with gentle eyes and asked a question.

"I'm alive?" Empress Sidonie asked.

"Yes," William replied. "You are alive."

"How?"

"It's a long story. I will tell you another time."

Evexius' eyes widened when he saw the Young Empress come back to life. As a person that had reached his current rank, he had already affirmed that Empress Sidonie had died.

He didn't hear Cernunnos and William's exchange, and only thought that the boy was giving the Empress a parting gift when he placed the golden torc on her body.

The Young Empress tried to stand, but her body was still weak, so William supported her to stand upright. The two of them then gazed at the battle between the Kraetor Empire and the Guardian of the Elves.

The Protectors had already torn Eneru's body limb by limb, and were about to join the battle when they noticed the Young Empress leaning on William's body.

"Stop the war," Empress Sidonie ordered. "Much blood has already been spilled. There's no need to add more."

William gave a mental order for the Undead Legion to interfere as well.

The moment Nuckelavee faced the Kraetor Army, all of them froze in place. They had seen how this monster had one-sidedly beaten up Drauum, and massacred the Elven Army. None of them dared to challenge its notoriety.

The Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent breathed a sigh of relief when William's Army moved in to stand between the Kraetor Army and the Elven Survivors. They were hard-pressed earlier because they were only defending.

They didn't dare kill any warrior of the Kraetor Empire because they knew that if they did that, they would step beyond the point of no return.

They couldn't afford for such a thing to happen!

"The Empress lives!" Nero shouted with all his might. "The fighting ends now!"

Prince Jason, who was commanding the army, turned his head to look at where his Empress had fallen. When he saw that she was indeed alive, relief flooded his heart. However, this was soon replaced by jealousy when he saw that her slender body was leaning on William, who was supporting her.

"Cease all actions!" Prince Jason ordered. "The Empress lives! Long live to her Majesty!"

""Long live to her Majesty!""

""Long live to her Majesty!""

""Long live to her Majesty!""

The cheers of the Kraetor Army reverberated in the air, and the conflict had been averted.

Empress Sidonie, who was leaning on William's body, raised her head to look at her beloved.

"Back in the Aenasha Dynasty, one of the conditions that was written on the contract was for you to grant a request from me," Empress Sidonie said in a soft voice. Clearly, she had still not fully recovered and was still suffering from lethargy.

"I remember," William replied.

There was indeed a clause in the contract where the Empress could ask one favor from William and Elandorr. This particular condition was vague, but William still agreed to it. As long as it didn't go past his bottom line, he was willing to grant Empress Sidonie's request.

"I want to call on that request right now. Can I?"

"As long as it is within what I can do."

Empress Sidonie smiled as her hand reached out to touch the collar on William's neck.

"I want you to place this collar on my neck," Empress Sidonie said. "I want to belong to you."

Evexius and the Guardians that were standing beside the two were dumbfounded by Empress Sidonie's request. Although they were looking elsewhere, they had been secretly listening to the two people's conversation.

When they heard that the Princess wanted to wear William's slave collar, all of them turned their heads to look at the young lady with shocked expressions.

However, none of them said anything. The beautiful lady was doing this of her own free will. This was not a forced enslavement. They only looked at Empress Sidonie with serious expressions and waited for William's answer.

"You… want to become my slave?" WIlliam asked in disbelief. For a brief moment, he thought that he had misheard the young lady's request, so he decided to ask for confirmation.

"Yes," Empress Sidonie answered firmly. "I want to be yours. Will you grant this request?"

The beautiful Empress looked at William with pleading eyes as she leaned weakly on his body. William stared straight to her eyes, looking for any signs of falsehood. However, the only thing he saw was his own reflection staring back at him.

Right now, the beauty in his arms was staring only at him, and no other. Even if William didn't want to admit it, he was moved by Empress Sidonie's determination.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

William thought long and hard, but he didn't see any downsides in the Empress' request. In fact, it was to his advantage. Although he didn't want to say it out loud, he was wary of Empress Sidonie's powerful charm.

If she were to really become serious, she could bring the downfall of Empires in the world of Hestia. If she were to become William's slave, the Half-Elf could keep her in check and prevent the worst case scenario from happening.

William raised his hand and touched the collar on his neck. A soft sound of metal being unlocked reached Empress Sidonie's ears.

The Collar of Wisteria had already been passed over by Celine to William. It meant that its current owner was none other than him. Naturally, if he placed the collar on a person, that person would become his slave.

Only William would be able to take the collar off that person's neck, and grant them back their freedom. Naturally, the enslavement would only last for four years. When the four years had passed, the effect of the collar would vanish and the beautiful Empress would once again regain her freedom, even if William didn't remove her collar.

"I'll ask you one last time," William said with a serious expression. "Are you sure about this?"

Instead of answering, Empress Sidonie closed her eyes and raised her chin, presenting her smooth and sensuous neck to William. It was her way of telling the Half-Elf to place the collar on her neck without worries.

Evexius and the Protectors heard a soft clicking sound as William secured the Collar of Wisteria around Empress Sidonie's neck.

The beautiful lady immediately felt a connection between her and William and it made her heart skip a beat. When she opened her eyes, she saw a faint red leash that connected the collar on her neck to William's wrist.

This proved that she was now William's slave, however, the Half-Elf was not aware of this. William couldn't see the leash that bound him and the beautiful Empress in his arms. It was a special ability that was exclusive to those that had been born with the bloodline of the Kraetor Royal Family.

This ability allowed them to find the location of their partner, wherever they may be in the world. Even if William were to hide under a lady's skirt, Empress Sidonie would be able to find him without fail.

It was a secret that was only known to the Kraetor Royal Family, who was one of the major factions in the Central Continent.

Evexius sighed when he saw the collar on the young lady's neck. He then shifted his attention to William. The Grand Archmage of the Kraetor Empire had seen how the boy performed in the battle against the Elves.

Frankly, he had to admit that a young man like William was truly hard to find.

'I guess this is fine as well,' Evexius mused. 'I'm sure that Emperor Leonidas will also agree.'

The Protectors exchanged a glance at each other before smiling inwardly. This was an unexpected turn of events, but overall the Kraetor Empire profited a lot from this war.

They also looked at William with expectations and wondered how the boy would react after finding out that he had just made a decision that he couldn't take back, even if he cried a river.

Chapter 509: Making A Mark In The Pages Of History [Part 3]

Prince Jason, who had just returned from the Army, to check Empress Sidonie's condition, immediately became pale when he saw the collar on her neck.

"Y-You! What have you done?!" Prince Jason charged forward with the intention of breaking the collar on his bride candidate's neck.

How could he possibly accept such an outcome? For the girl he was planning to marry to be enslaved to someone besides him had made him extremely jealous and angry.

Nero immediately blocked the Young Prince's path. The protector had his arms crossed over his chest. It was obvious that he didn't have any intention of allowing Prince Jason to vent out his anger on the two people who had done this of their own free will.

"Give it up, Prince Jason," Nero said firmly. "The Empress had already made her decision. This is not something that you can interfere with."

"How could this be?! Clearly, he used something to befuddle her!" Prince Jason protested. "How can she possibly ask someone to enslave her? This is impossible!"

"Impossible?" the person wearing a black robe said with amusement. "I personally inspected her state of mind. She wasn't under the influence of anything. This was done out of her own free will and choice. Even if you cannot accept it, you have no choice but to accept it."

Prince Jason gritted his teeth in anger. The Protectors had already made their stance and even if he threw a tantrum, it would not do anything. It would only make him look like a child that had lost his favorite toy, which would make the others look down on him.

"This is not over!" Prince Jason swore. "His Majesty will still have the final say in this matter."

The robed man nodded. "This is indeed the case. If you have a complaint, you will have to wait until we return to the Kraetor Empire to voice them out."

Prince Jason snorted and hatefully stormed off. He couldn't bear to see the girl of his dreams being embraced by another man. It was something he couldn't accept, and he would do everything in his power to gain his father's approval when they returned to the Kraetor Empire.

Evexius watched the Prince go and sighed internally. He had already known about Prince Jason's strong attraction to the Empress, but he thought that it was only due to the power of her Charm. He then shifted his attention back to William as he rubbed his chin in contemplation.

'This Half-Elf seemed immune to it.' Evexius mused. 'Perhaps, this is also why the Empress favors him.'

While the Grand Archmage of the Kraetor Empire was deep in his thoughts, an internal struggle had been happening inside Sidonie's mindscape.

< Switch with me! I want to hug darling as well! >

'You can do it later. Let me stay like this for a little while longer.'

< This is unfair! How can you hog Darling all to yourself? I want some of the action, too! >

'Why are you so persistent? It's already a done deal. He can't back away even if he removed the collar on our neck. It's our win.'

< .... Well, you do have a point. But, still! >

The Young Empress currently had her eyes closed as she leaned on William's body. The Half-Elf only thought that she was still feeling weak since she had just been revived not long ago, so he allowed her to cling to him for the time being.

It was at that moment when Evexius approached him with a smile.

"Congratulations to you, William, and to you, too, Empress Sidonie," Evexius said with a smile. "I'm sure that the grand wedding that will take place a few years from now would be talked about, not only in the Kraetor Empire, but through the entire Central Continent as well."

William, who heard Evexius' words, tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"What wedding?" William asked.

"Your wedding of course," Evexious' smile widened.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Don't you know? Placing a slave collar on a member of the Royal Family of the Kraetor Empire is akin to putting a wedding ring on their finger?"

William's body shuddered. He was about to grab the collar from Empress Sidonie's neck, when the lethargic Empress sprang to life and backed away hurriedly. She then hid behind the back of the purple-haired protector, to prevent William from taking the collar off her neck.

The corner of William's lips twitched when he saw how agile the Once-Dead-Empress was. He then shifted his attention to the smiling Archmage by his side and was very tempted to slap Evexius' face.

"What do you mean wedding? I'm not aware of this custom," William protested.

"Well, you're not the first, nor will you be the last person to say that," Evexius replied.

"Um? What do you mean, I'm not the first nor the last person?" William inquired.

Evexius moved close to William and whispered something in his ears. The Half-Elf's expression immediately changed as he realized that he had been set-up by the Succubus Empress.

"Well, don't worry," Evexius patted William's shoulder. "You're still young and the wedding has to wait for a few more years. Besides, the Emperor of the Kraetor will have the final say in the marriage. You just need to visit him in the Kraetore Empire and convince him that you have been duped."

William was about to protest again when he remembered that he still had matters to settle in the Kraetor Empire. Est's, Ashe's, and Isaac's curses could only be lifted after he had a meeting with Lady Astrid's brother, Aamon.

His base of operation was in the Kraetor Empire, so burning his bridges here would only make things difficult for him in the future.

The Half-Elf just stared at the dark clouds that hung in the sky in resignation. He knew that he still had to explain himself to his lovers about his shotgun wedding with Empress Sidonie who had successfully hoodwinked William by using his conscience against him.

Evexius chuckled internally as he looked at the Half-Elf's resigned expression. Having a son-in-law like William would be a huge boon to the Kraetor Empire's prestige. Not only was he the son of the Saintess of the Elves, he was also the son of the Human Hero that had fought off the Demon Invasion.

His lineage was solid, and the merits that he had performed during this war were also noteworthy. With such an imposing resume, it was practically a done deal that William would become a son-in-law of the Kraetor Royal Family.

The only thing that would seal it completely was Emperor Leonidas' Imperial Decree. As long as that was issued, William wouldn't be able to escape, even if he grew wings and flew away.

After lamenting his current situation, William sighed and looked at the Empress who was peeking out from behind the purple-haired woman.

Empress Sidonie looked back at William with a teasing smile on her face. However, her eyes were filled with love. This made the Half-Elf sigh once again before walking towards the Bone Dragon that would take him back to the Hellan Kingdom's camp.

The undead that had escorted William in this endeavor glanced at the Young Empress before following their Vampire Prince back to the City of Gladiolus.

Although they had been dead for thousands of years, they still appreciated the Young Empress' boldness in ensnaring the only person that managed to win against Malacai's bet.

Although there were a lot of twists and turns, the war had finally come to an end.

A few years in the future, the battles between the Elves and the Hellan Kingdom would be compiled and sent out to the various Factions, Kingdoms, Empires, and Academies across the entire world of Hestia.

Although many things would be omitted like Malacai's Scepter, and the Undying Lands, the story would remain true to how the events had transpired. William, along with his lovers, and Empress Sidonie had taken the center stage in this tale.

Many commoners, nobles, and members of the Royal Families wouldn't be able to keep themselves from praising it and calling it a masterpiece.

It was a classic that would still be talked about thousands of years in the future. A tale that would serve as the first among several sagas of the Legendary Shepherd who had made his mark in the pages of history in a world of Swords and Magic.

Chapter 510: On Behalf Of Humanity, Please, Accept My Sincerest Gratitude

"This is mine!" Kasogonaga declared as he held Erchitu's Beast Core in a vice grip. "You already got that Dragon's head. This is mine!"

Psoglav chuckled as he moved closer to the Anteater who was looking at him with a determined expression.

"What are you talking about? I caught that Dragon's head fair and square," Psoglav said in a calm manner. "Also, I was the one that secured the storage ring from Elandorr."

"Not only did you have that Dragon's head and its Beast Core, you also ate that bastard Elf as well! You've already profited, so this is mine!"

The Anteater was adamant on keeping Erchitu's Beast Core for himself. He planned to eat it in order to raise his ranks, and reach the peak of the Millennial Rank as soon as possible.

"How about we talk about this? Let's negotiate like civil beasts."

"Scram!"

The corner of Erchitu's lips twitched as he watched his two friends started to wrestle in order to gain possession of his Beast Core.

The leader of William's Revenants was very tempted to slap the two annoying creatures and say…

"Am I a joke to the two of you?"

A few minutes later, Kasogonaga happily gnawed on Erchitu's Beast Core. Psoglav laid on the ground unconscious, because the Demigod resorted to violence and rolled all over the Demonic Dog until his eye rolled up in its socket.

This was the scene that William saw when he arrived to check on Erchitu's condition.

Kasogonaga waved at him as crisp sounds came out of its mouth. It was eating Erchitu's Beast Core as if it was eating a bag of potato chips.

"Erchitu, are you sure you don't want to crossover?" William asked. "I will be performing the Ceremony of Purification in an hour. You can still change your mind."

Erchitu shook his head. "No. I will continue to serve until you have crossed to the afterlife. This is what I, and the rest of the other Revenants, decided during our meeting."

"Understood. However, if you ever change your mind, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay."

William gave Kasogonaga a side-long glance before heading outside of the city. The rainbow-colored Anteater had a blissful expression on its face as it continued to eat Erchitu's Beastcore.

The Half-Elf found this sight comedic, but since Erchitu had no qualms with it. He didn't say anything as well.

An hour later...

William stood outside the city where the Super Soldiers, and the Ash Golems gathered. The millions of Skeleton Soldiers that had been in the Undying Lands for thousands of years, were also there.

Even though they were only bones right now, the blue blaze within their hollow eye sockets burned with anticipation.

William looked at this impressive army and sighed. The Undead Legion had protected the last bastion of Humanity for thousands of years. It was now time for them to rest.

Malacai had also given his silent approval of William's actions. Although no words were shared between the two of them, the Dracolich kept mum on what William was about to do.

Instead of Humans, the Undead Elves now resided inside Avalon. They were the replacement army that would serve as the Fortress' protectors for many years to come.

"On behalf of humanity, please, accept my sincerest gratitude for your bravery. Without you, we would not be enjoying the things that we now have today." William bowed respectfully. "May all of you pass safely through the Cycle of Reincarnation and be blessed with new lives that are worthy of your sacrifices."

The Skeletons raised their weapons in salute to William's words.

The Three Goliaths, and the Three Sovereigns who were now mounted on Undead Qilins looked at their comrades. They had refused to cross over to the afterlife, and wished to remain in the World of Hestia.

William respected their decision, and was even glad that they planned to stay. As long as they were around, the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent wouldn't dare to renege on their promise of surrender.

Then the Half-Elf looked at the Ash Golems and the Super Soldiers that stood beside the Undead Legion.

"I also wish for all of you to find happiness in your new lives," William said softly. "Rest assured, this land is now at peace. Your sacrifices will not be forgotten. I will see to it that none of you will be forgotten."

The Ash Golems and the Super Soldiers made subtle movements. It was their way of thanking William for giving them a chance to cross over.

William raised his right hand, and it was soon covered with a white blaze.

The Flames of Purification burned brightly as its blaze rose over a hundred meters into the air.

"If Fate permits it, let us meet again," William declared. "Goodbye, everyone."

William waved his hand and the white flames fell over the Undead Legion, Ash Golems, and the Super Soldiers.

The flames spread quite fast, enveloping all of them as if they were dried leaves. The Elves, the Kraetor Army, the Minotaur Race, and the survivors of the Hellan Kingdom witnessed this amazing scene with solemn expressions.

Soon, a joyous laughter rang out from the flames. As if a spark was ignited, more laughter followed until it became the sound of cheering.

Thousands…

Tens of thousands…

Hundreds of thousands…

Millions…

Millions of souls rose up and circled around the skies of the capital. Some approached William and thanked him. Others wished him well, and some told him that they would return the favor if ever they crossed paths again in the future.

It was a joyous scene, and yet, William wasn't able to stop his tears from falling. He had locked the emotions inside his heart after witnessing the darkness of humanity.

The darkness inside his heart hadn't disappeared. It was still there, and yet, after hearing the champions of humanity, who stood against the armies of the Gods, thank him for letting them find true rest, he wasn't able to stop the tears from falling like rain.

They were heroes in an era that had been long forgotten, and now, they would embark on a new journey, somewhere out there.

Not even the dark clouds that hung over the Southern Continent could block their path. The surroundings had already turned dark, but the millions of souls shone like countless stars in the sky.

William waved his hand to see them all off, and they waved back at him before ascending towards the heavens.

"Beautiful," Wendy said softly.

Celine, Ashe, Est, and Isaac, who were standing beside her nodded their heads in agreement. It was indeed a beautiful sight.

A sight that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

A few hours after William finished his Purification Ceremony...

Empress Sidonie looked at her reflection in the mirror and giggled. Her hand caressed the slave collar on her neck that marked her as someone who belonged to William.

According to the customs of the Kraetor Empire, members of the Royal Family that had been given a slave collar, out of their own free will, would become the lifelong partners of the one that placed the collars on their necks.

Although this may sound like a weird tradition, it was actually a rule that was passed down by the First Emperor of the Empire when it was first founded.

It was more like a game.

Every member of the Royal Family in the world of Hestia was protected from the effects of a slave collar. Meaning, even if they were forced to wear collars on their necks, they could disobey the orders of their so-called masters.

This also held true for the members of the Kraetor Royal Family. However, Aamon's condition, before he became their Protector God, was that this game must be added to their tradition. Naturally, he also imposed a requirement for it.

The slave collar must be worn on their own free will. If anyone dared to place a slave collar on the Royal Bloodline of the Kraetor Empire, they would be cursed by Aamon himself and their souls would be dragged down to Hell, to suffer eternal torture, when they died.

As long as this rule was honored, one of the Gods from Hell--who wouldn't lose to Cernunnos when it came to mood swings--would remain the Kraetor Empire's Protector Deity.

Since then, members of the Royal Family had followed this rule. Even the reigning Emperor of the Kraetor Empire proudly wore a slave collar on his neck. This proved how inviolable this custom was.

"Although there were a lot of mishaps, we still did it in the end, Morgana," Empress Sidonie said as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

< Yes. >

The reflection on the mirror smirked. Morgana then caressed the collar on her neck and sighed.

< The moment the Elves decided to come here to negotiate, their fates had already been sealed. >

Morgana smiled sweetly at her other half, who was looking back at her with a devilish smirk.

Contrary to what the Elven Delegation thought, Empress Sidonie had successfully planted her Charm Spell inside their consciousness, the moment they laid their eyes on her.

From the beginning, Elandorr, and Alessio had already fallen into her hands. However, she didn't exert her control over them until the last minute.

The only one that managed to resist her Charm Spell was Eneru.

A Myriad Beast was not very easy to subjugate, however, when he was injured during his solo attack on the Hellan Kingdom, Prince Ernest was forced to use Heaven's Fury. This attack had not only cut off Eneru's Arm, but also cut dimensional space.

This allowed Lady Eros to send a strand of her Divine Charm to penetrate Eneru's body, while he was fleeing. This was done in utmost secrecy, because Lady Eros needed to follow certain rules imposed upon them by the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

If Prince Ernest hadn't used that attack, Lady Eros wouldn't have been able to place a Charm Spell on Eneru's body, that she could use to manipulate him anytime.

Everything that the Elves planned was known to Sidonie, because she could see, and hear, what her Charmed Ones could. This allowed her to gain full access to confidential information that was known only to the Elves.

Empress Sidonie also gave subtle commands to Elandorr, which had prevented the Elven Commander from issuing critical commands at the right moment.

< Still… Lady Eros should have told us her plan. Eneru suddenly attacking Darling was not something we knew beforehand. If we've only known what our Goddess was planning, we might have made our own preparations. >

'True. But, if we knew about her plan, I'm afraid that the outcome would not be the same. Perhaps Lady Eros knew that we would overthink things and decided to keep us in the dark."

Eneru's attempt to kill William was orchestrated by the Goddess of Lust. It was her way of helping her girls form a deeper connection with the red-headed boy whom her daughters loved.

Empress Sidonie and Morgana knew that William was someone who cared about people important to him. They were quite touched when the latter used his life saving artifact in order to bring them back to life.

The armor they were wearing was called Immortal Empress Armor. It was Lady Eros' gift to them to ensure their safety. Anyone who wore the armor would be revived from death after an hour passed.

This ability could be activated once every three days.

The Young Empress took a calculated risk, and it paid off.

If William hadn't revived them then their feelings towards William might have changed. Princess Sidonie was looking for someone that would be willing to love her with all of their heart. William's selfless act had made her love for the Half-Elf burn even brighter inside her heart.

'With this, Sir William will be our fiance.'

< Yes! Now, we just need to have a good relationship with his other lovers and it will be perfect. Also, he mentioned that he is planning to visit the Kraetor Empire in the Central Continent. Once he's there… we can immediately make the wedding preparations! We'll be on our home turf! >

Empress Sidonie smiled and nodded her head. She was sure that William would resist with all of his might, but if he really needed to do something inside the Kraetor Empire, he would have to gain the permission of the Royal Family first.

The beautiful lady blushed as she heard Morgana's devious plan to milk William dry and get his babies. Although she had gotten used to her other half's lustful nature, she didn't mind having William's children.

She had long decided that she would only give birth to the children of the man that would capture her heart.

Chapter 511: When The Past No Longer illuminates The Future, The Spirit Walks In Darkness [Part 1]

"Twenty thousand God Points!"

"Twenty five!"

"Thirty!"

William looked at the noisy surroundings as he sat in his VIP box inside the Auction House of the Gods.

This was a place where the followers of the Gods, as well as the Gods, bid for items that caught their fancy. Naturally, there were restrictions placed on the Gods that forbade them from bidding on any item that they saw.

Since the currency used were God Points, the Gods were clearly at an advantage. In order to balance things out, a clear-cut rule was made, so that certain items could only be bought by their followers.

The Auction of the Gods was separated by two schedules. The morning auction, and the evening auction. The morning auction as an exclusive auction for their followers. The evening auction, on the other hand, allowed both the Gods and their followers to bid for the items that they wanted.

Right now, William was seated on an expensive couch, with Lily's head resting on his lap, as he waited for his auctioned entry to make an appearance.

Yes. This was also a place where the Gods, and their chosen candidates, could mingle and see each other freely.

Issei and David were also in the VIP room with William, and seated on special seats beside his couch.

William lightly patted Lily's hair as he listened to the bidding war that was happening right now. If the disciples of the Loli Goddess could see the adorable loli right now, they would, without a doubt, raise a ruckus and conspire for William to get stabbed to death by kitchen knives.

"Sixty thousand God points! Going once! Going twice! Sold to bidder Number 69!"

The beautiful auctioneer smiled as she lifted her small wooden mallet and hammered it on her desk, which signaled the end of the deal.

Right now, William was a beggar. He had used up all of his God Points in order to seal Sepheron for a few seconds. This had given the System ample time to send it to the Auction House to be auctioned.

After receiving the confirmation of his entry, the Auction House gave him his own VIP room because the item that he had sent them for auction was a very hot commodity. Naturally, the Gods who favored William wouldn't miss out on the fun and would participate in the war to buy the Demigod of the Silvermoon Continent, Sepheron, the Fire Phoenix.

The atmosphere inside the auction house was very lively. There were times when William was tempted to bid for an item, however, he didn't have any God Points with him right now. Although Issei, Lily, and David were with him, his skin wasn't thick enough to ask them for another loan.

William still owed them two hundred thousand God Points each, and he didn't want to abuse their kindness.

The hours passed by as the bidding war heated up. William gulped because the highest amount of God Points that he had managed to acquire was one million God Points. But, he had used them all to merge the Undying Lands to his own domain.

Right now, a dozen Pills of Awakening, that were personally made by the Alchemist God, were being auctioned and the price had already reached two million.

Pill of Awakening was a special pill that allowed mortals to unlock their latent potential that couldn't be brought out using normal means. This was a pill that the Gods favored to possess in order to distribute to their loyal followers, to help them succeed in the words where they currently resided.

"Pills of Awakening sold to esteemed bidder Number 007 for five million God Points!"

It didn't take long for William to realize that when the auctioneer said the words "esteemed bidder", it meant that the winner of the bid was a God. Several items had been bought by these esteemed bidders, and sometimes, their bidding wars would reach in the tens of millions.

"And now, we come to the highlight of tonight's event!" the beautiful auctioneer announced. She then waved her hand and an image of a Phoenix appeared in a projection.

"This Mythical Beast is of the Demigod Rank," the lady said with a smile. "Bidding starts at five million God Points with a minimum increment of one million."

Lily, who was resting her head on William's lap, raised her head with a mischievous glint on her eyes. She had come to the auction because she wanted to buy the Phoenix, Sepheron, in order to teach it a lesson that it would never forget.

As soon as the host announced that the bidding was now open, Lily immediately raised her hand and made her bid known.

"Six Million God Points!" Lily shouted.

"Seven Million!"

"Eight Million!"

"Nine Million!"

William wasn't able to stop himself from grinning ear to ear because he had never expected that a Demigod could be sold for a high price.

'I should have also captured Drauum,' William thought.

The Half-Elf had no love for the Ancient Golem. However, for the sake of the Silvermoon Continent, he didn't follow through with his plan.

Now that Sepheron was out of the picture, and Eneru had been turned into a Dark Qilin using his powers, the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent had lost a big chunk of their powers.

If not for the fact that his mother and father were still in the Elven Continent, William wouldn't have shown the Guardians any mercy and captured all of them.

Also, Skyla had told him that the Demons were still eyeing the Silvermoon Continent. The Elves still needed the remaining guardians to safeguard their lands. Right now, only the The Ent King, Myrendor, was left to safeguard the Silvermoon Continent, while they were away.

Fortunately for the Elves, the Demons didn't know that Sepheron had been captured and that the other Guardians were trapped in the Southern Continent. Of course, they knew about the movement of the Elves, but no one knew that the portal that the Elves had made was a one way portal.

It meant that although Elven reinforcements could come to the Southern Continent, they couldn't go back even if they wanted to.

"Ten Million!" Lily bid valiantly in order to deter the other Gods from fighting against her.

However, her adorable voice was silenced when a crisp and clear voice spread across the auction house.

"Thirty Million."

Lily, and the other Gods turned their heads to the direction of the voice. Their eyes landed on an unassuming VIP Room that floated in the distance. The blinds of the room blocked anyone from identifying who the bidder was.

There were Gods who liked to keep their identity anonymous when they came to the Auction House. This allowed them to freely bid without being singled out by the other Gods who wanted the same item.

"Thirty Million!" the auctioneer repeated with a smile. "Anyone else?"

A few sighs of frustration echoed inside the Auction House, and Lily's sigh was one of them.

"We got a big spender," Lily bit her nails as she looked at the VIP room in the distance. "I have a feeling that even if I bid higher, that person will still outbid me."

William who was seated beside the Loli Goddess patted her head. "It's fine. You don't need to bid higher. The current price has already exceeded my expectations. This is already enough."

Lily nodded her head as she leaned back on the couch and allowed William to spoil her.

"Going once!"

"Going twice!"

"Sold!"

The resounding clap of the gavel signaled the end of the auction.

William glanced at the VIP room that had made a bid of thirty million for Sepheron, and bowed his head in gratitude.

The Auction House took a cut of 5% for every item that they had auctioned, leaving William with 28,500,000 God Points.

"Big Brother, you are now rich!" Lily said with a smile as she hugged William.

Issei and David also nodded their heads in agreement. They admired William for having the guts to send a Demigod to the Auction House of the Gods.

Ever since William succeeded in his first attempt to send Elandorr's Beast Companion, the Silver Dragon, Deoldreoss, to the Auction House, the Half-Elf had considered using it as a means to deal with his opponents.

The only downside was that William also lost the pocket cubes that he had used to capture them.

Right now, he only had four remaining pocket cubes with him. Out of those four, one was already in use and held Xerxes, the Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor.

(A/N: Previously, Xerxes was only a Hobgoblin With Doctor. However, after receiving William's blessing, its rank rose and it successfully evolved to a Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor.)

He had already asked Sancus, the God of Contracts, if he could get replacements, but the latter denied his request.

The God of Contract told William that he had already given him the maximum amount that was allowed by the rules that bound them. Adding more would put him in a difficult spot and he didn't want to risk it.

William felt that it was a shame because he wouldn't be able to use this tactic repeatedly. Although it was regrettable, William didn't regret auctioning Sepheron to the Auction House of the Gods.

The Elves had grown very arrogant as of late, and it was good to bring them down a peg. Without the protection of their Demigod, and the loss of one of their Guardians, they would need to think thrice before planning to wage war on anyone again.

William knew that the Elves would no longer act as wantonly as they had in the past. A Demigod's deterrent was the real deal. Without it, the Elves would have no choice but to strengthen their defenses in fear of another invasion from the Demon Race.

"Lily, is it possible for me to have a transaction with a God?" William inquired. "I plan to use my God Points to free some people."

"Free some people? Lily tilted her head in confusion.

A smile appeared on David's face because he had a hunch on what William was planning to do. Because of this, he placed his hand on the Half-Elf's shoulder as he confirmed his guess.

"Is it about Zhu and Sha?" David asked.

William nodded his head in confirmation. Issei who was standing by the side crossed his arms over his chest as he thought of a plan inside his head.

"How about you let me handle this," Issei proposed. "I'm good friends with the Jade Emperor. I'll put in a good word for you and try to secure a meeting today."

"Thank you, Brother Issei."

"This is but a small matter. Leave it to me."

William thought of the two demons that had helped him during his fight against the Celestial Army. He was indebted to the both of them, and the red-headed wanted to repay them in full for the debt he owed them.

'This is the only thing I can do for the two of you,' William thought. 'May both of you find happiness in your next life.'

William's wish was for Zhu and Sha to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation. He knew that this was the only way for the two of them to have a fresh start, and William was more than willing to pay the price for their freedom.

He just hoped that the Jade Emperor would listen to his request.

He hoped that he would show mercy and compassion to the two retainers that were forever loyal to his cause.

Chapter 512: When The Past No Longer illuminates The Future, The Spirit Walks In Darkness [Part 2]

In the depths of Hell, several warriors ran in an orderly fashion. These were the members of the Celestial Army that had failed to prevent William from entering the Heavenly Gate.

The Jade Emperor was lenient with his punishment and only asked them to train in hell for two years before returning to their duties.

Zhu, and Sha, who had helped in William's endeavor had also been thrown into hell as well as punishment for their actions.

The Pig Demon and Sand Demon were enjoying a rare opportunity to drink wine together when one of the personal aids of the Jade Emperor appeared beside them.

"Zhu and Sha, the Jade Emperor has issued a decree," the aid said crispily.

Zhu and Sha immediately knelt on the ground to listen to the decree that was given by the Lord that they had served for thousands of years.

"Starting today, the two of you are hereby given an official pardon," the aid announced. "You are also given the chance to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation to start your new lives. The Jade Emperor also promised that after a thousand years, he will once again give both of you a chance to serve under him after you have lived your lives to the fullest."

Zhu and Sha glanced at each other in disbelief. They had already resigned themselves to stay in hell for eternity, and yet, a miracle had happened out of the blue.

"Sha, am I dreaming?" Zhu asked.

Instead of answering, Sha slapped Zhu hard on the face.

The Pig Demon howled in pain as he caressed the side of its swollen face. "Oink! I just asked you if I was dreaming. Why did you slap me?"

"Did it hurt?"

"Duh! Of course it hurt! Oink!"

"Then it's not a dream." Sha chuckled. "It's not a dream! We're free! The Jade Emperor has forgiven us!"

The Sand Demon laughed wholeheartedly as tears streamed down the side of his face. A moment later, Zhu joined his friend as they both laughed and cried at the same time.

The aid looked at the two with a smile. Secretly, he was there when the two demonic beasts helped William fight against the Celestial Army, and even envied them a bit because they had fought for what they believed in even though the odds were stacked against them.

A few minutes later, the two had calmed down and shifted their attention to the aid that was waiting patiently at the side.

"So, are the two of you ready to reincarnate?" the aid asked.

Zhu and Sha glanced at each other before giving their answer.

"Is it possible to see the Jade Emperor once?" Sha asked.

Zhu stared at the aid in bated breath as he waited for the man's answer.

"The Jade Emperor had given me two orders," the aid answered. "The first one is to accompany the two of you to the Cycle of Reincarnation. The second one is to accompany both of you to meet with him in the Jade Palace if you wish to seek an audience."

The aid then waved his hand and a Majestic Chariot descended from the sky.

"Come," the aid made a gesture. "The Jade Emperor is waiting for both of you at the Jade Palace."

William walked with steady steps as he left the Jade Palace. The first thing he did after getting his God Points was to negotiate with the Jade Emperor for Zhu's and Sha's freedom.

At first the Jade Emperor played hard to get, but in the end, he relented.

However, the price for Zhu's and Sha's freedom was steep.

Twenty four million God Points.

That was the price that the Jade Emperor had given William. He thought that the amount would make the boy back down, but to the Jade Emperor's surprise, the latter agreed and didn't even bother to bargain with him.

The Jade Emperor watched the red-headed boy from afar until William disappeared from sight. He recalled the conversation that the two of them had half an hour ago, and sighed.

"Perhaps this is Fate," the Jade Emperor muttered. "This is their Karma."

After William paid the Jade Emperor the amount for Zhu's and Sha's freedom, the ruler of the Jade Palace asked the Half-Elf why he was going this far for two criminals.

William's answer made the Jade Emperor realize that the boy was someone who knew how to repay the debt he owed to other people.

"True friends will always find a way to help you,' William answered. "Fake friends will always find an excuse. Zhu and Sha had done me a favor that no amount of God Points could ever repay. I have always wanted to set the two of them free, because I know that both of them were good people."

William placed his closed fist over his chest and bowed at the Jade Emperor.

"Please, Your Majesty, give them their freedom. Allow them to reincarnate and shower them with your blessings. They have already atoned for their sins. It is time for them to return to the Cycle of Reincarnation."

After hearing William's reply, the Jade Emperor immediately wrote a decree and gave it to his Personal Aid. He also ordered him to carry out his order at once.

As soon as the Emperor's Personal Aid left, the red-headed boy also left the palace.

There were still things that he needed to do in Hestia, and the aftermath of the war was still being dealt with.

The Elves that had surrendered were now stationed inside the City of Gladiolus. William had tasked them to help with the repairs of the City Walls, as well as the buildings and houses that they had destroyed during the war.

The majority of the Kraetor Army had returned to the Anaesha Dynasty, with the exception of Empress Sidonie, Evexius, Prince Jason, the Protectors of the Kraetor Empire, and a hundred thousand elite soldiers.

The reason for their stay was to help William draft certain rules that would be implemented for the entire continent as they waited for the effects of the Continental Spell to end.

Takam had told William that it could end anywhere between one to two years, so it would still take some time before things returned to normal.

For someone as lazy as William, dealing with this was a pain. However, he didn't have a choice because he was the nominated leader of the Hellan Kingdom. He wasn't allowed to shirk his responsibilities this time.

Somewhere in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods…

Sepheron, the Demigod of the Silvermoon Continent, shrieked in fear, and desperation, as an otherworldly beauty approached it with a smile.

"Worry not, I will not hurt you," the celestial beauty said in a teasing tone. "How can I possibly hurt you? You still have a role to play."

The lady reached out her hand to touch the struggling phoenix in the special cage that had sealed its fate.

The moment the slender, and delicate hand touched the Phoenix's body, something incredible happened.

The blazing red flames that covered its entire body had a sudden change. Beginning on the spot where the lady had touched it, black flames started to surge forth. Soon, this black flame spread across its body as Sepheron shrieked and struggled with all its might.

"Struggling is, also, good." the lady chuckled. "I enjoy watching the last struggle of living things. Seeing the last embers of their life being dyed in black is a truly fascinating thing to see."

Sepheron emitted one last desperate cry, before the black flames enveloped its entire body. Two minutes later, the Black Phoenix spread its wings wide, and eyed the lady before it.

It had been reborn, and its power had also increased after its transformation. It then bowed obediently to its new Master and uttered a cry of servitude.

"Do not worry," the lady stated while patting its head. "The time is not yet ripe. However, rest assured. You will be able to return to your world, and spread your wings far and wide."

Yes, the time was not yet ripe.

The Goddess stared in the distance and the corner of her lips curled up into a smirk. She watched as a certain Half-Elf left the God Domain to return to his world.

The Primordial Goddess focused her attention on the Temple and locked her sights on the Goddess of Lust. She stared at Lady Eros for a few seconds before shifting her attention to the Goddess of Female Knights, Astrid.

"Foolish girl," The Primordial Goddess said softly. "Play with fire and you will get burned. But, this is also good. You and your brother should make things difficult for him."

The Primordial Goddess unconsciously licked her lips in anticipation. Just like a dish that was slowly being cooked and mixed with spices, she looked forward to the feast that she would partake in, when everything fell in place.

"When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness." The Primordial Goddess giggled. "Pendragon, I don't need you to light up my world. All I ask is for you to just sit with me, in the darkness..."

End of Volume 3: The Wrath of the Righteous.

Chapter 513: The Beginning After The End

More than two years had passed since the battle against the Elves in the Southern Continent.

William thought that they had to wait two full years before the spell wore off, but it only took fifteen months before the continental spell lost its power.

On that day, many tears were shed. Not only in the Hellan Kingdom, but in the three other kingdoms as well.

For those that had turned into a statue, only a second had passed. To those that had survived, it was more than a year of suffering.

Many children had died during that time. Their parents became heartbroken after finding out what happened, and wailed towards the heavens.

If not for the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent, the tens of thousands of Elves that had survived the war might have lost their lives due to the anger of the citizens of the Zelan Dynasty.

Fortunately, the Minotaur Race had intervened and allowed the Elves to return to their ships and sail back to the Silvermoon Continent. They didn't intervene because they wanted to protect the Elves, they intervened because Drauum was on the verge of starting a massacre.

The Ancient Golem was still a Pseudo-Demigod, and was more than capable to conduct a genocide.

A month after the spell was lifted, monuments to honor the dead were installed in the Anaesha and Zelan Dynasties. The Kingdom of Freesia had also done the same.

Empress Sidonie had effectively dealt with the Royal Family and nobles of the Anaesha Dynasty by using her Charm. After that, she stepped down from her position as Empress, and delegated the throne to her little brother, Prince Carl, and made him the new Emperor of the Anaesha Dynasty.

Naturally, the transition wasn't smooth, because there were still people who opposed the new Emperor.

But, who was Empress Sidonie? She was the Companion of the Guardian Beast of the Anaesha Dynasty. Not only that, the Protectors of the Kraetor Empire ensured that there would be no further problems. They secretly disposed of those who dared to instigate a rebellion behind the scenes to reinforce Emperor Carl's rule.

After losing the ring leaders, the opposition finally submitted and peace once again reigned in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Midgard...

Sounds of kissing could be heard on a small island in the middle of the lake. A beautiful lady with light-blue hair, and a handsome teenager with Silver Hair were currently in the middle of their love making.

Their clothes had long been abandoned at their sides, and a voice tinged with pleasure would escape the lips of the Lady of the Lake every now and then.

"I love you, Ashe," William said as he held his lover in a tight embrace. "I love you."

Ashe's body shuddered because at the same time the silver-haired young man had declared his love for her, the two of them became one.

William's strong and lithe body pinned her down, but instead of rejecting him, she accepted him fully.

The Half-Elf didn't rush things, and made sure to satisfy his lover by attacking her weak spots. This wasn't the first time that they had made love inside a dream, but everytime they did, both of them enjoyed it to the fullest.

William brought her to the peak countless times until Ashe begged him to stop.

"What kind of body do you have? You're so peerless," Ashe said as she panted for breath.

William chuckled as he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Don't worry. I am also peerless in the real world. Would you like to try me?"

The mermaid snorted and rested her head on William's chest. They were still two months away from William's birthday, when he would finally come of age. Ashe didn't want to admit it, but she was looking forward to having a union with William in the real world as well.

"I feel a little guilty." Ashe gently rubbed the gem embedded on William's chest. "I feel like I'm cheating."

"Don't be," William replied as he held her tighter. "I'm sure that Wendy and Est will understand."

William understood why Ashe was feeling guilty. Wendy and Est had stayed behind in the Southern Continent because there were important things that they had to do. Also, their parents felt that going to the Central Continent was still too soon for them.

Because of this, only Ashe accompanied William to the Kraetor Empire. They traveled alongside the Kraetor Warships thanks to the invitation of Princess Sidonie.

The sensuous beauty knew that William needed to go to the Kraetor Empire, so she decided to use this to her advantage and invited him to travel with her to see her Grandfather.

On paper, he was Princess Sidonie's fiance. The plan that the scheming beauty had made was foolproof, and William couldn't take the collar off her neck even if he wanted to.

Why? It is because the Princess threatened that if the Half-Elf took her collar off, the Royal Family of the Kraetor Empire would think badly of him. She also added that the possibility of William being banned from entering their territory was guaranteed if that were to happen.

Princess Sidonie's other half, Morgana, also did her best to close the gap in William's heart. The Half-Elf had not resisted their advances, because he knew how serious Princess Sidonie and Morgana were.

In the end, even Wendy, Ashe, and Est relented. They accepted Princess Sidonie as one of William's lovers, which made the latter and her other half, Morgana, very happy.

William also came clean and told Princess Sidonie that he would have nine wives in the future. To his surprise, the Princess only smiled and kissed him passionately.

The scene where the Princess and him had a heart to heart talk flashed inside his mind.

"I don't care how many wives you have," Princess Sidonie had said as she looked at William's eyes. "The only thing that matters to me is your love. Do you promise to learn to love me?"

He had answered yes back then, and promised that he would learn to love her back.

William had no plan to go back on his promise and spent a lot of time with Princess Sidonie in the Kraetor Empire. The only problem was Morgana.

Sidonie's lustful half had made a vow that on the day that William had come of age, she would eat him up, even if his other lovers were present. If not for the fact that he was always on guard against her night raids inside his room, Little William might have already been eaten whole.

"Will, these dreams… are they real?" Ashe asked. "Did they really happen?"

William pondered the answer to this question seriously before giving his reply. "I'm not sure. They are too much of a coincidence. I believe that this isn't just an ordinary dream. Ashe, do you believe in past lives?"

As someone that had kept his memories after entering the Cycle of Reincarnation, William understood that past lives existed. If his recurring dreams with Wendy and Ashe were true then it meant that he had shared a past lifetime with the two of them.

William was not the only one who thought this way. Wendy and Ashe shared the same thought, and both girls were secretly happy about this possibility.

Wendy even joked that they were still destined to become lovers even in their next lifetimes, and WIlliam shouldn't cheat on them, or else he would face divine retribution.

"We should probably go back soon," Ashe said softly. "Classes are about to start in a few hours."

"Okay," William replied as he naughtily groped Ashe's chests, who was currently possessing the body of the Lady of the Lake.

Ashe looked at him with a reddened face, but didn't pry off the naughty hands that were having their way with her body. "You still haven't had enough?"

"Let's go for one more round."

"... Fine."

William and Ashe opened their eyes at the same time.

They were currently inside the Villa that William had built on the Beach Area, that was supposed to be the Boss Room on the Tenth Floor.

They always slept inside the dungeon because in this place, Ashe would be able to return to her true form without any time limit. This allowed the two of them to spend intimate moments together, within the appropriate boundaries.

The two of them showered and dressed together before leaving the Dungeon.

William's Herd and Legion were still busy clearing the floors of the dungeon. Right now, they were currently at the 50th Floor, and their advance had been slow as of late.

The 50th Floor only allowed six individuals to challenge it at a time, which greatly limited their exploration.

Even so, William wasn't in a hurry. He knew that challenging Atlantis was no easy feat. He was not delusional enough to think that he could capture the dungeon anytime soon.

What he was waiting for was the person that his father had chosen to contact him as soon as he arrived at the Central Continent. This would allow William to capture any other Dungeon, aside from Atlantis.

Just as the name suggested, the Dungeon Conqueror Prestige Job Class could conquer ANY Dungeon.

William was already looking forward to adding another Legion in his ranks. The Minotaur Race had already returned to their duty as the Guardians of the Zelan Dynasty. The Centaurs had also returned to their tribe.

Only the Revenants, led by Erchitu, and Bastian, remained. Of course, William still had the other monsters that he had tamed like the Malevolent Nightmare Kelpie and Elusive Mist Wildebeest.

The other residents like the Black-Winged Panthers had also given birth to a few individuals, and had already settled inside William's Thousand Beast Domain.

Due to the vast supply of food and resources from both the Undying Lands, and Atlantis, the creatures that had submitted to William wouldn't leave even if the Half-Elf asked them to leave. Although they needed to fight for the red-headed teenager during his time of need, they were completely fine with it.

William held Ashe's hand as he guided her out of the Villa.

"Let's go," William said with a smile. "I just hope that the Fifth Master hasn't destroyed anything in the Alchemist Pavillion. Last time, the Treasurer almost cried a river of blood because the damages reached half a million gold coins."

Ashe giggled and nodded her head.

Both of them were enrolled in the Silverlight Academy of the Kraetor Empire. This was one of Emperor Leonidas' conditions for allowing William to stay inside the Kraetor Empire.

The Emperor didn't say anything about Wililam's engagement to his granddaughter, which made the Half-Elf wonder if Leonidas favored him or not.

However, the red-headed teenager wasn't too worried.

'What will come will come,' William thought as he opened the portal that would take him and Ashe back to the real world. Although there would be obstacles that might block his way, he was confident that he would be able to break all the walls that stood before him.

After all, he was never alone.

Chapter 514: William’s First Day At Silverwind Academy

"Good morning everyone, my name is William Von Ainsworth," William introduced himself to his new classmates. "I hope to get along with everyone till this year is over."

The girls in the class looked at William with curious gazes, while the guys looked at him as if he was their rival in love.

"Greetings, my name is Ian Dy Moxie," Ian said with a smile. "I am Sir William's retainer. I hope to get along with everyone as well."

"Tsk, two good looking transfer students. How are we supposed to get ourselves some beautiful girls if they are around?"

"I know, right. They should have gone to the other classes, but why were they placed in Class A? Are they that good?"

"Hmp! I know the names of all the nobles in our Empire, and I don't remember any noble household with the surname Ainsworth. He must be an upstart."

"Maybe he used some connections to get in?"

"That's possible. Just look at his face. Maybe he is one of the female professors' pets."

The murmur grew louder and the Homeroom Professor of Class A cleared her throat, which made all the students shut their mouth and focus their attention on her.

"Sir William, please take that seat at the far right on the back row," Rita Geiss, the homeroom professor of Class A said with a smile. "Since it's a three seater, Sir Moxie can also share the seat with you."

William nodded and thanked Professor Rita. He then walked towards the back of the Class and sat in the seat that was assigned to them.

Ian sat beside him and acted as a proper retainer to a noble heir. She had been trained since young to become Est's retainer, so it wasn't hard for her to play her part perfectly.

Just like William, several of the nobles also had their retainers inside the classroom. Some of them stood outside the room, while those of similar age to their masters stood in the back corners of the room as they watched over their masters.

"Will you look at that," a teenage boy wearing glasses smirked. "An upstart and his retainer are seated side by side. Don't they even know the etiquette of nobles?"

"That is why he is an upstart," a Chubby boy chuckled. "Seriously, he doesn't even understand the hierarchy of subordinates and their master."

Ian frowned. She didn't want to stand out, so she decided to go with the flow and stand in the corner of the room, where the other retainers were staying.

(A/N: From this moment onwards, I will refer to Ian as she. Don't get confused by the pronouns. Only I am allowed to get confused by it xD!)

However, before she could even stand from her seat, a hand held her waist, preventing her from standing up. Ian looked at William in askance, and the latter just shook his head.

"You don't need to listen to these little pricks," William said. "Since I am your employer, you will only follow my orders. I order you to sit and attend class with me. Do you understand?"

Ian smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, Young Master."

Ian had forgotten that William could be adamant when it came to things that were important to him. This made her feel warm inside her chest, because her lover didn't want to treat her like a retainer, like the rest of the nobles in the Kraetor Empire did.

Of course, although she thought this way, she also knew that the Kraetor Empire was different from the Hellan Kingdom. There were certain rules that they needed to follow in order to prevent themselves from getting ostracized by the nobles of the empire.

The guys who heard William's words raised their eyebrows, while the girls looked at him with weird expressions on their faces.

Although what William was doing wasn't uncommon, very few had the guts to call the noble heirs of the Kraetor Empire little pricks.

"Wow, this plebeian is a feisty one," the chubby boy remarked as he looked at William with a mischievous smile.

"This just proves that he's an upstart." the teenage boy shook his head in disdain. "Don't worry. He will soon understand the error of his ways."

The boys inside the classroom exchanged glances and nodded their heads in agreement. They had singled William out and decided to teach the transfer student a lesson when the professors were not around.

Professor Rita turned a blindeye on what was happening inside their classroom, because she was also looking forward to seeing how William would deal with his classmates.

The Kraetor Empire encouraged rivalry and competition because they were a nation of warriors. The Emperor would watch over these promising students and pick the best among them to be trained and to serve in important posts when they graduated from Silverwind Academy.

Just as Professor Rita was about to start class, the door of the classroom opened.

"Sorry, I'm late, Professor," a beautiful lady, with long reddish brown hair and hazel eyes, said with a smile.

The newcomer then scanned the room until her eyes landed on the red-headed teenager that was looking outside the window. She was very tempted to go to his seat, but as a member of the Royal Family, she needed to show restraint.

Everyone in the room sucked in deep breaths as they laid their eyes on the sensuous beauty in front of them. Men and women couldn't help themselves from staring at her face, which made them unable to take their eyes off of her.

"My name is Sidonie Val Freesia," Princess Sidonie introduced herself. "Starting today, I will be your classmate. I pray that all of you will take good care of me for the rest of the year. Thank you."

"... I think I'm in love."

"I call dibs on her."

"In your dreams. Do you think you stand a chance with your pig face?"

"Hah… this is the first time I've seen such beauty. Just where did this lady hide all these years? I need to ask my father to arrange a meeting with her family."

It was not only the men that had been charmed by Sidonie's presence, even the girls were looking at her as if they had seen their idol.

Princess Sidonie's smile made their faces redden, and some of the girls even wanted to stand up and call her My Lady, even though they were nobles of the Empire.

"Princess Sidonie, it is an honor to finally meet you," Professor Rita bowed respectfully. "You may sit anywhere that you please. I'm sure that your classmates will do their best to help you in any way that they can."

"P-Princess?!"

"I knew it! Such a beauty couldn't be someone ordinary."

"The moment she stepped in, I already felt her royal bearing. This must be fate. The two of us were fated to be together."

"... Didn't I tell you to stop daydreaming? Next time, please, buy a mirror. Perhaps that will wake you up from your delusion."

The class became rowdy due to Princess Sidonie's appearance. William kept looking outside the window and didn't dare to look in her direction.

Seeing that the Half-Elf was purposely ignoring her, the corner of Princess Sidonie's lips curled up into a smirk as she walked towards the back of the classroom. Ashe was seated on William's left, so the Princess mischievously sat on his right.

However, it didn't end there.

Princess Sidonie moved closer to William and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made everyone freeze in place, including the Half-Elf that had just received Princess Sidonie's kiss.

Moments later, chaos erupted inside the classroom. Professor Rita had no choice but to step in and stop the ruckus because the noise might disturb the other classes. If that were to happen, it would reflect badly on her as a professor and she didn't want that to happen.

"Morgana, you are really making things difficult for me from the get go," William whispered as he held the naughty girl's hand from under the desk. "Can you behave and not stir up trouble? Switch with Sidonie for now."

William had grown used to Princess Sidonie's other half, who would always pounce on him whenever she managed to take control of the princess' body.

"I'll think about it if you kiss me," Morgana replied with a mischievous smile.

"Later."

"No. I want it now."

William sighed as he gave the naughty girl a quick peck on the cheek before telling her to behave.

Morgana knew that William had already compromised, so she decided to just rest her head on his shoulder before closing her eyes. If one were to look at her, they would only see happiness and contentment on her face.

Ian, who was seated beside the two, rubbed her temple. She had already accepted Princess Sidonie and Morgana as William's lover. However, she was still not used to Morgana's antics whenever she was around.

Sometimes, even she was embarrassed by how bold, and open, Princess Sidonie's other half acted. Part of her also admired Morgana because she didn't have the guts to do half of what she was capable of doing.

'I guess Sidonie will bury herself in a hole later,' Ian sighed internally. 'I almost feel sorry for her.'

Princess Sidonie was currently sleeping inside her and Morgana's mindscape. She had been up all night dealing with important matters with the Anaesha Dynasty. A letter had arrived from her little brother, Carl, asking for advice on what to do with certain issues that had sprung up under his rule.

The doting princess stayed up all night as she wrote proposals and solutions to the problems that her little brother was facing. These letters would be sent via courier to the Southern Continent, in order to help her brother solidify his rule as Emperor.

Before she slept, she repeatedly told Morgana to conduct herself properly as a Princess of the Royal Family. Morgana promised that she would do her best, so the tired Princess reluctantly relinquished control over her body and went to sleep.

If only she knew that Morgana would create a scandal on the very first day of class, she would have attended even though she was dead tired.

This was how William's first day started inside the most prestigious academy in the Kraetor Empire.

Because of Morgana's little fiasco, William had not only become Class A's Public Enemy Number One, but the public enemy of the entire Third Year Division inside Silverwind Academy.

This brought him unwarranted attention and scorn from all the influential nobles of the Empire.

A place where all the influential heirs gathered, and competed with each other in order to make their mark in the annals of history, and to gain the favor of Emperor Leonidas.

An Emperor who was given the title, The Emperor Who Stands Above The Clouds.

Chapter 515: When In Rome, Do As Romans Do

"I want to bury myself in a hole," Princess Sidonie muttered as she buried her head into William's chest.

Ian sighed as she patted the depressed princess' shoulder. She felt sorry for the princess because her other half, Morgana, could sometimes do embarrassing things without thinking of the consequences.

The three of them were currently inside a private room in the Academy's dining area that was reserved for the members of the Royal Family of the Kraetor Empire. The morning classes had just ended, and Princess Sidonie had woken up from her slumber.

When she asked William if Morgana behaved while she was sleeping, the Half-Elf lightly coughed before telling the princess what her naugthy other half did. After hearing William's narrative, the Princess' expression immediately became stiff.

Princess Sidonie then stood up, and walked away without a word.

William and Ian became worried, so they followed her and ended up inside one of the private rooms where the members of the Royal Family dined during their stay at the academy.

"Morgana, you should hold yourself back during the day," William admonished the naughty girl who was busy coaxing Princess Sidonie inside their shared mindscape. "Sidonie has an image to maintain because she is a member of the Royal Family."

"Okay," Morgana replied as she temporarily took over Princess Sidonie's body. "I won't do it again. I will only attack you when we are alone."

Ian, who was listening from the side, shook her head helplessly. "I guess this is also fine. Sooner or later, the Emperor will announce Sidonie's engagement to you. I mean, that collar on her neck is very striking, no?"

William glanced at the Collar of Wisteria that had accompanied him during his childhood. It was currently placed on Princess Sidonie's neck because the latter had succeeded in convincing him to place the collar on her.

The Half-Elf knew that even if he went back in time, the result would still be the same. The Princess was one of the Seven Deadly Sins. If she wasn't kept in check, there's a high possibility that Princess Sidonie could bring ruin to the world.

In order to prevent that from happening, William agreed to her request to become her master. This way, William could stop her when she got carried away with using her Charm on other people.

William didn't want to admit it, but he had a feeling that if he had rejected her request that day, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Because of this, he had also opened up his heart to the Princess, and her other half, Morgana.

Their relationship had advanced steadily during the months that they worked together in order to prevent chaos from erupting in the Southern Continent. Since William had already come clean to his lovers that he intended to have nine wives, they also accepted Princess Sidonie and Morgana as his lovers.

To his surprise, it didn't take a long time before the four ladies got along really well. They even asked Princess Sidonie, and Morgana, to keep an eye on William, so that he wouldn't start flirting with the noble ladies in the Kraetor Empire.

"Has the Emperor said anything?" William asked.

Princess Sidonie, who had her head buried in WIlliam's chest, raised her head and shook her head.

"No," Princess Sidonie replied. "He hasn't said anything, but I'm sure that he's currently pondering what his next move will be. Will, be careful. I feel that Grandfather is scheming something behind our backs."

William nodded as he patted the Princess's head. "Did he give me the permission to enter Aamon's Temple?"

Ian, who was seated beside Princess Sidonie, looked at William in surprise.

"What's to be surprised about?" William asked with a smile. "My main reason for coming here was to find a way to lift the curse on your bodies. The sooner I meet Aamon, the sooner that You, Est, and Isaac, can return to your true bodies.

Princess Sidonie had already been told about Ashe's, Est's, and Isaac's circumstances. This was why she also did her best to negotiate with the Emperor to allow William to visit Aamon's Temple.

The Temple of the Grand Marquis of Hell was not open to the public. Only members of the Royal Family, and important leaders of the Kraetor Empire could enter its sacred grounds. Anyone who dared to go there without permission of the Emperor would face the wrath of the Kraetor Empire.

If possible, William didn't want to form hostilities with Emperor Leonidas because they would be in-laws in the future, after he and Sidonie got married.

Starting off on the wrong foot would just make the relationship strained in the long run.

"Grandfather said that he would consider it if you performed well after three months of being enrolled in the Academy," Princess Sidonie replied.

"Also, he was very interested in your promised battle with Rebecca in the Misty Sect that will be happening seven months from now. He told me that if you lose, he will personally kick you out of the Empire," Princess Sidonie added.

William sighed as he scratched his head.

His battle with Rebecca had been pushed back due to the mess that happened in the Southern Continent. Upon careful consideration, the Misty Sect decided to have their battle during the Founding Ceremony of their Sect.

This was a grand ceremony that happened every three years. The Misty Sect would send invitations to the important people in the Central Continent.

Twelve Kingdoms, Six Sects, Eight Empires, Four Institutions, and One Church.

This was the distribution of power within the Central Continent.

On the Southern Continent, there were only four powers that ruled the land. These were the Hellan Kingdom, the Anaesha Dynasty, the Zelan Dynasty, and the Kingdom of Freesia.

These four held absolute power in the Southern Lands, but they were nothing compared to the forces in the Central Continent, which were rich in resources and manpower.

'They really made it a big deal,' William thought as he remembered his Ex-Fiance whom he hadn't seen for a long time. He wondered how strong Rebecca had become. Although he wasn't worried about the outcome of the match, he was very curious about if he could win against her if he didn't use his trump cards.

'I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there,' William mused as closed his eyes. 'I wonder if Gramps and Sir Lawrence will be there as well. Knowing Gramps, he would not miss such an opportunity…'

Princess Sidonie and Ian exchanged a glance because William's mind had wandered away from them. They had a hunch about what he was thinking, so they didn't disturb him.

From the get go, Ian didn't like Rebecca. For her, Rebecca was too full of herself, and only used William as a shield to prevent other people from courting her.

This was something that she couldn't accept. How could the man she loved be used as a tool for the so-called genius of the Hellan Kingdom, in order to ward off her suitors?

Wendy had mixed feelings about William's battle with Rebecca because she considered the brown-haired lady a very close friend, akin to a sister.

Est, on the other hand, didn't like or dislike Rebecca. For her, Rebecca was also a victim of an arranged marriage that had been planned by her Elders when she was a baby. It was very common for the members of the Royal Family to have arranged marriages, so Est didn't think of this as a big issue.

Her only concern was that William might try to lose on purpose in order to give face to his Grandfather and Sir Lawrence. This was something that she didn't want to see because she believed that William shouldn't hold back, and put an end to their engagement properly.

"You said that Emperor Leonidas will consider my request depending on my performance over the next three months," William said as he looked at Princes Sidonie. "What is going to happen in three months?"

"A tournament for all the students of Silverwind Academy," Princess Sidonie replied. "The Winner will be personally awarded by the Emperor. According to tradition, the winner of the tournament may ask the Emperor to grant one wish. As long as this wish was within his capacity, the Emperor would grant it without fail."

William had noticed the slight anxiousness in Princess Sidonie's expression as she explained the grand prize of the competition. It was then when a thought formed inside his mind.

"Don't worry," William said as she firmly held her hand. "You are already my lover. I won't hand you to anyone."

"Un…" Princess Sidonie nodded her head and kissed William's cheek.

She didn't mind being intimate with William as long as it was done in private. Princess Sidonie wasn't like Morgana who acted without thinking of the consequences of her actions.

With William's help, she was able to reign in the Power of Lust that was slowly awakening in her body. She would turn eighteen a month from now, and the Emperor had already prepared a grand ball for her debut.

This ball would be attended by all the elite heirs of the Empire, and a perfect opportunity to mingle with their peers, and of course, members of the Royal Family.

William didn't have a good memory when it came to tournaments.

When the Inter-Division battles were about to begin in the Hellan Royal Academy, the demons had attacked, quickly followed by the start of the war, which was followed by another war.

If not for the fact that he needed permission from the Emperor to enter Aamon's Temple, he would have already snuck past its guards in order to have an audience with Lady Astrid's twin brother.

'When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' William thought. 'I guess I have no choice but to participate in this tournament. This will also put Sidonie's mind at ease, just in case there is a fool who has decided to choose her as the reward for the tournament.'

"Will." Princess Sidonie said as she cupped William's face.

"Yes?" William replied with a smile.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

The two kissed passionately. After their kiss ended, William pulled Ashe, who had already transformed into her mermaid form, closer.

William kissed her as well.

"Me, too!" Morgana complained after switching with Princess Sidonie. "Don't show favoritism, Darling."

William chuckled as he softly pecked Morgana's lips three times, before giving her the kiss that she wanted. The two girls pressed their bodies on him as they savored this intimate moment.

Inside the Dining Hall, where the students ate their lunch. A certain Shepherd had his fill of hugs and kisses from three ladies, who loved him with all of their hearts.

Chapter 516: Rainbow-Colored Calamity

"Fifth Master…"

"Mmm…"

"Fifth Master…"

"Mmm…"

"A hot and sexy lady is currently waiting for you at Alchemy Hall. She said that she wants you to rock her world!"

"Mmm?!"

A man with disheveled platinum blonde hair rose from the couch. Although he looked like a mess right now, his mesmerizing gray eyes, and his angelic features were enough to make any lady swoon the moment he smiled at them.

This man's name was Albert Antstein, The Full Kettle Alchemist.

"William, cancel all my appointments" Albert ordered as he rushed to his closet to pick an attire that would make even an old grandma blush like a teenage girl.

"Fifth Master, you don't have any appointments scheduled today," William said with a sigh.

Albert started to apply some light powder on his face to give him that extra youthful glow. His original age was in the late forties, but due to him being a Half-Elf, he had retained his good looks and overflowing charisma.

After making the finishing touches, he turned to look at William.

"Tell me, apprentice, how do I look?" Albert inquired.

William crossed his arms over his chest as he appraised his new Master from head to foot.

"You look awesome, Fifth Master," William replied. "It's just a shame that I am still more handsome than you."

"Cheeky brat." Albert chuckled as he walked towards the door. "Don't worry, I'll bring you to the red light district in two months. I'll show you how to pick up girls in a dungeon."

William rolled his eyes as he shooed his Master away.

If he really went to the red-light district to have some fun, his lovers would certainly beat him up, or worse, castrate him for his stupidity.

Morgana even went out of her way to call dibs on him on the night of his birthday. Although he didn't promise her anything, he didn't reject her either.

William knew that his Master wouldn't be back until morning the next day, so he decided to clean up the room, so that it would look like it belonged to one of the most prestigious Alchemists in the Kraetor Empire.

Albert was the second Half-Elf that William had seen aside from Conner. Originally, William thought that Half-Elves were rare, because there were only two of them in the Southern Continent.

However, in the Central Continent, Half-Elves could be seen everywhere. Although they weren't as common as the other races, they could still be found in almost every major city in the Central Continent.

Today was Sunday, so there were no classes at the Silverwind Academy. Princess Sidonie had come to take Ian away after breakfast, and simply told William that both of them would go shopping.

William didn't mind because he had other matters to settle as well. It had only been four days since he had enrolled at the Silverwind Academy, and life had been a little bit difficult because of Morgana's bold action on the day that they had transferred.

All the boys in the classroom had filed a petition for William to be kicked out from the class because they believed that he didn't belong there. The Board Members of the Academy also didn't like the fact that the granddaughter of the Emperor was being intimate with a foreigner that came from distant lands.

In the end, the issue was brought to the Emperor.

The ruler of the Kraetor Empire, Emperor Leonidas, listened to the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy and left the final decision in his hands.

Due to pressure from the noble families, the Headmaster reluctantly agreed to transfer William to Class-F, where the most notorious students in the Third Grade were gathered.

This decision made the students, and the Board Members, very happy.

To their surprise, Princess Sidonie accepted this outcome and even smiled at the Headmaster, when he told her that the reason for William's transfer was due to the fact that he was a bad influence on the elite students in the Third Year Division.

However, it didn't end there. The pompous heirs also made sure that Ian stayed in Class A instead of following William in Class-F. They didn't want William to have an easy life in the academy.

William's Ex-Classmates thought that without his retainer to cater to his needs, William would become helpless and show his true colors.

Ian didn't care about their pettiness, and was determined to follow William to Class-F when the Half-Elf stopped him.

"Stay in Class A and watch over Sidonie for me."

This was what William had told Ian while they had dinner with the Princess. The Half-Elf didn't mind being transferred to another classroom. For him, this was even a blessing in disguise because he didn't want the noble families to always be at odds with him.

It would also allow him to move freely, without extra pairs of eyes to watch his every move.

Although Ian was reluctant to part with him, she still agreed to his request on the condition that William didn't cheat on them while he was in Class-F.

"Finally, this looks like a dwelling fit for a Human," William said after looking at his handiwork.

Albert was someone that didn't like to clean. He would just do his everyday work, until the trash piled up in his room.

When there came a time, when even he couldn't stand the mess that he created, he would then seduce the Auntie, who was responsible for assigning maids to clean the dormitory rooms. He would whisper sweet words in her ears and take her in a night of passion, in order for her to send someone to clean his room once a month.

William's Fifth Master, Albert, had a wide strike range. However, even though he had the ability to seduce any lady under the heavens, he still had his principles. He never targeted people who had lovers or were married.

That was his bottom line, and even William felt that his Master was a Saint compared to those playboys that he had read about in web novels.

After finishing his job, William went to his Master's laboratory to practice his Alchemy.

Even though Albert was a skirt chaser, his skills were the real deal, and was still the most prestigious Alchemist of the Kraetor Empire.

It was William that had first approached him and asked if he was willing to teach him Alchemy. To his surprise, the Full Kettle Alchemist accepted him as his Disciple.

When William asked Albert why he agreed to his request, the latter only said that since William was a Half-Elf, and as good looking as him, it was only natural to extend a hand.

Also, he was planning to look for a Disciple as well, so the timing had been perfect. One could even say that the two shameless Half-Elves, who always called themselves handsome, were a match made in heaven.

After locking the room of the laboratory, William focused his attention on his Alchemy. He checked the notes that Albert had left him and followed the instructions that were written on him to the letter.

At the Bestiary of the Silverwind Academy…

A loud roar resounded in the shared Bestiary of all the Beasts that belonged to the Third Years.

A Golden Dragon towered above the other Beasts to show his dominance. This was what the Beast Handlers called the battle for the seat of Kings. Every year, only one beast would stand above the rest and reign over the other beasts that belonged to the other students.

The Golden Dragon was the Third Year's King and had been the leader of the other monsters ever since the classes started.

Of course, the Kings were not allowed to harm any monster in the Bestiary. In return, he would be given the best accommodations, the best food, and the best services that the Academy could provide.

Garganta, the Golden Dragon, had enjoyed all of these comforts and his reign was unchallenged… until today.

In front of him stood a rainbow-colored Anteater who was eyeing him with genuine curiosity.

Garganta roared as it stood on its hindlegs to show his dominance to the newcomer.

The Beast Handlers watched this scene with amusement. Deep inside they pitied the Anteater because of its ignorance. For them, the Anteater was like a newly born calf who was unafraid of the tiger that intended to eat it whole.

Garganta slightly opened its mouth and golden flames flickered inside his mouth. It was clearly telling the Anteater to scram before it was eaten for lunch.

The Anteater didn't budge and the Golden Dragon had finally reached the limits of its patience. It uttered a deafening roar, it was its way of issuing a challenge to the beast that dared to covet his throne.

Finally, the Anteater opened its mouth to reply to the Dragon's challenge.

"Motherf*cker, let's take this outside."

Kasogonaga raised its head arrogantly before it walked outside the Bestiary. It had accepted the challenge of the Golden Dragon, and the latter followed behind the small Anteater that it could easily crush like a pancake.

Battles between beasts were allowed because only the strong could become the Sovereign of the Bestiary. As long as there were Beast Handlers present, these battles would be declared as official.

Since every Beast was an important asset, special considerations were placed in the battling arena. Similar to the Grand Coliseum in the Hellan Kingdom, the fighters would turn into particles of light if they died in battle.

As soon as the two beasts faced each other, various roars, shrieks, and cheers erupted in the surroundings. The Beasts and the Handlers had been bored as of late, so seeing a stupid rainbow-colored Anteater die under the claws of a Golden Dragon was still entertainment for them.

"Roar! Roar!" (I haven't eaten your kind before, but you look delicious! You better surrender now, while I'm still being merciful! )

"... Motherf*cker, stop talking and start fighting!" Kasogonaga shouted with an adorable voice.

Kasogonaga spent most of its time with the Angray Birds, so it was very easy for it to pick up their habits. Its two companions, B1, and B2, taught the innocent Anteater how to curse at its enemy, and the latter quickly ingrained this knowledge in its vocabulary arsenal.

When William first heard Kasogonaga curse, the corner of the Half-Elf's lips twitched before hurling Stormcaller at the two dumb birds who had influenced the Deity of the Sky to hurl vulgarities when it fought.

"Roooooooar!" (Ignorant Plebeian. It seems that you still don't understand your place. Very well, I will end your pitiful life. Die!)

Garganta swung at the Anteater with its claws, but the Anteater nimbly stepped to the side, evading the Dragon's attack.

The Dragon sneered because it thought that it was just a fluke and used its other claw to rip the Anteater into shreds.

However, Kasogonaga moved effortlessly to the side to evade Garganta's attack.

The Handlers and the Beasts continued to cheer because they thought that the Golden Dragon was merely playing with its prey.

After evading his two attacks, Garganta finally realized that he was not fighting an ordinary Anteater.

It flapped its wings to fly as it opened its mouth to unleash a breath attack. The Golden Dragon decided to end the Anteater with its most powerful move because its opponent was making it uneasy.

"Garganta is going for an overkill." One of the Beast Handlers shook his head because he could already foresee the ending of the duel.

"Well, this is to be expected for the King of the Third Division," the other Beast Handler commented. "Very few Beasts can survive a Dragon's Breath head on."

Garganta was a Millennial Dragon at its middle stages. To make a comparison, it was weaker than Elandorr's Silver Dragon that he had fought during their duel at the Gate of Beginnings.

Even so, a Millennial Dragon was still a force to reckon with, and only powerful beasts and warriors could face it in a battle of life and death.

Kasogonaga raised its head arrogantly as he looked at the Dragon that was high up in the sky. It then rolled up its body and grew into a two-meter wrecking ball with spikes covering its entire body.

"I'M ROLLING!"

Kasogonaga shot up towards the Dragon Breath to meet it head-on. If the Golden Dragon only knew what this small, rainbow-colored, Anteater had fought during the Era of the Gods, as well as the war in the Southern Continent, it would immediately throw in the towel to surrender.

Unfortunately, it didn't know.

The Dragon's Breath dispersed, and the rainbow-colored, spiked, wrecking ball continued its trajectory, until it smashed into the Golden Dragon's open mouth.

Garganta uttered a roar of pain as the spikes pierced the soft tissue inside its mouth. However, Kasogonaga was not done yet.

"Super, Last, Final, Finishing, Ending Finale! I'm Rolling!"

The Deity of the Sky's spinning force increased as it descended into the Golden Dragon's throat, shredding everything in its path.

Garganta wasn't able to cry out in pain because the Anteater had turned its insides into ground-dragon-meat. The King of the Bestiary turned into particles of light as its life ended.

That was the day when a new King reigned over the Beasts of the Third Year division, and he was given the nickname.

Rainbow-Colored, Rolling Calamity.

Chapter 517: You Are Now In My Home Turf

"Okay, introduce yourself," an old man with glasses made a gesture for William to step into the podium.

"Good morning everyone," William said with a smile. "My name is William Vo--"

"We already know who you are." a boy with freckles on his face cut William off before he could even finish his introduction. "You are Princess Sidonie's lover, right? Man, I'm so jealous of you."

"How far have you gone with the Princess? Have you already done this and that?"

"Can you teach us the way on how to be popular with the girls?"

"Hey, is it true that the Princess has a weird hobby?"

"What food does she like to eat?"

William was immediately bombarded from all sides. The teacher who had asked him to introduce himself to his classmates was already dozing off in his chair. Clearly, the professor had no intention of teaching and planned on sleeping from the start.

The corner of William's lips twitched as the questions rained on him non-stop. He had already expected that he would be thrown to the worst class, but from the looks of the facilities inside the room, it was not as bad as he thought it would be.

To his surprise, Class A, and Class F, didn't have any differences when it came to the quality of the room. It seemed that the SIlverwind Academy was an academy that didn't look down on its students. They just divide them based on their performance, which made William's impression of the academy rise by a good margin.

A mischievous idea came to the Half-Elf's mind as he raised his hand to silence his classmates who seemed hell-bent to know some juicy gossip.

"I have heard all of your questions, and I'll answer them to the best of my abilities," William said with a smile that wouldn't lose to his Grandpa, James, when the old coot was about to scam people.

"First you asked what my relationship is with Princess Sidonie? The answer to this is that she is my lover."

A low murmur erupted in the classroom as the Third Year Students talked to each other. William smiled as he continued with his plan to stir some trouble for the nobles that had sent him to the worst class among the Third Year Division.

"You ask me what the Princess' favorite food is? The answer to this is simple," William flipped his hair and raised his chin arrogantly. "What she likes to eat the most is me. Just make sure not to tell anyone, okay?"

William winked at his classmates as if they were trustworthy people that could keep a secret. The boys turned green with envy, while the girls blushed in embarrassment because they somewhat understood what William was hinting at.

"As for the secret on how to be popular with the ladies, the answer to this is very simple as well."

The boys perked up their ears as they focused their attention on William. If he could tell them how to have a beautiful girlfriend they would worship him to the high heavens.

The girls, on the other hand, were also very curious on what William was going to say next. They wanted to know if the Half-Elf really knew what attracted the ladies to men.

"The secret on how to be popular is not really a secret," William said as he placed both of his hands to his hips. His chin was raised in arrogance like a Young Master looking down on his servants.

"What you need is confidence. Girls like confident men. Even if you are not born as handsome as me, if you know how to carry yourself, the girls will be attracted to you."

The teenage boys glanced at the ladies in their class and saw them nodding to William's words. This made them realize that what the Half-Elf was saying is true.

The atmosphere inside the room became more lively as William interacted with his new classmates. He learned their names one by one, and even joked with the ladies in the class that they shouldn't fall in love with him because he already had four lovers.

Although polygamy was allowed in their world, the women of course preferred men who didn't have many lovers.

This move made those who were interested in William back off regretfully.

"Why are all the good looking men taken?" a pretty girl sighed. "They should leave some of the good men for me."

"I know, right?"

"Half-Elves are so dreamy. I want to have one as a lover, too!"

The girls started to whisper at each other. Soon, giggles resounded inside the room and the boys looked at the pretty ladies with disguised infatuation.

A few hours later, William and the boys of his class went to the dining room together. The Half-Elf had already sent a message to Ashe that he would be dining with his new classmates. The latter replied right away, and said that she would just have lunch with Princess Sidonie.

While William and his new classmates were talking, a group of teenage boys approached their table.

The moment William's crew saw who was leading the group, they all stood up and bowed their heads in greeting.

""Good afternoon, Your Highness.""

"Be at ease," Prince Jason replied. "We are all students here, so there's no need for formality."

The Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire smiled as he made a gesture for the boys to return to their chairs. He then shifted his attention to William. A tinge of killing intent flashed in his eyes for a brief moment before it disappeared without a trace.

"I'm sorry to hear that you've been ostracized by the students in Class A," Prince Jason said. "As the President of the Student Council, I regret not being able to do anything to help you."

William nodded his head in understanding. 'Do you really think of me as a fool? I bet you were the one who pulled the strings from behind.'

The Half-Elf didn't say this out loud because doing so would just complicate things. For him, as long as he was able to meet Aamon and lift the curse from his lovers, he didn't mind getting ostracized or insulted by anyone in the Kraetor Empire.

From the start, he didn't intend to stay for a long time. He only promised that he would finish a school year to make the Emperor look at him favorably.

"Is there something you need from me, Your Highness?" William asked.

William knew that Prince Jason was infatuated with Princess Sidonie. If he hadn't accepted the beautiful lady as his lover then he wouldn't mind if the two of them became a couple. However, times had changed. He had no intention of giving away the Princess whom he had already considered as one of his future wives.

"Yes, there is something I need to tell you," Prince Jason replied. "I will be joining the Tournament of Heroes in three months' time. Not only that, I intend to be the champion."

"Oh, so you wanted the Emperor to grant you one of your daydreams."

"Daydreams?"

William nodded his head. "Yes. Because whatever you planned to wish for, you will not have it."

"Oh? Just where is that confidence of yours coming from?" Prince Jason smiled evilly. "We are no longer in the Southern Continent. You are now in my home turf."

William chuckled as he eyed the Prince who was planning to ask the Emperor to engage him with Princess Sidonie.

"It doesn't matter where I am," William declared with confidence. "What mine is mine, and it will never be yours."

"We'll see about that."

"Look but don't touch, or else you might become a blind person."

Prince Jason smirked before taking his subordinates to the VIP rooms that were reserved for the Royal Family.

William watched him go with a neutral expression on his face. The moment he made Princess Sidonie his lover, he knew that there would be plenty of opposition. Unlike Wendy, Ashe, and Est, Princess Sidonie was the princess of the Kingdom of Freesia and the granddaughter of the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire.

Her status was quite high, so it was only natural for people to covet her beauty and the status that was attached to it.

"Wow," one of William's classmates muttered after the Prince had left. "You know Prince Jason? That's amazing."

"Yes," William replied. "The two of us had met in the Southern Continent."

To his surprise, it seemed that none of his classmates were aware about the war that had transpired in the Southern Continent. The major powers in the Central Continent had put a tight lid on the news about the Kraetor Empire's, and the Elves', conquest of the Southern Lands.

However, that didn't change the fact that William's name had been known to a lot of people from high places. Some of them even sent spies to watch his movements and see if they could bring him to their fold.

Someone who was capable of standing up against the Elves and their Guardians was someone that any Faction wanted to obtain. They would gladly give William riches, resources, and women, just to ensure that the Half-Elf would swear his loyalty to them.

Emperor Leonidas knew this, and ignored several requests from the neighboring Kingdoms and Empires that wanted to see and meet with William.

While he hadn't made his stance known to Princess Sidonie and her chosen lover, he didn't intend to allow others to have the Half-Elf either.

The High Priestess of Aamon's Temple had already given him an instruction on how to deal with the teenage troublemaker. He was also told of William's main reason for coming to the Kraetor Empire.

Evexius had given him the recordings of the battle that had happened between William and the Elves, and he had watched all of them in one sitting. This gave him a better understanding of William's character and already thought of a way on how to use it to his advantage.

Although the skies above the Kraetor Empire were clear and very blue. A storm was brewing on the horizon.

It was a storm that would test not only how strong William's resolve was, but also how strong his emotions were when it came to the people that mattered in his life.

Chapter 518: Hunger That Knew No Bounds [Part 1]

After classes, William decided to roam the academy grounds.

The Silverwind Academy was so big that it was a common occurrence for new students to get lost. Ian and Princess Sidonie had been spending a lot of time together and had been going out to shop very often.

At least, that was the excuse that they always gave when William asked what they were up to.

One time, he almost managed to pry the answers from Morgana's soft, and sensuous lips after buttering her up with hugs, kisses, and a little bit of skinship.

However, before the naughty girl could spill the beans, Princess Sidonie managed to take over and the conversation ended there.

In the end, William had given up and decided to let his lovers do whatever they were planning behind his back. From the little information he got from Morgana, both girls were doing it for his sake.

The Silverwind Academy was located in a mountainous region, not far from the capital city of the Kraetor Empire.

If one wished, they could easily visit the capital if they were to use the Teleportation Gates within the Academy grounds. At the base of the mountain was the City of Silverind. It was the second largest city in the Empire.

Due to the fact that this was where the prestigious Academy was located, many merchants had set up their stalls in this place because this was a good place to conduct trade and form connections with the noble families.

William stared down at the city from on top of the mountain. He had only been there once since he arrived at the Academy and had never gone back again.

While he was pondering whether he should take the teleport gate to go to the city, he saw something in the corner of his eye.

A girl, wearing a black dress, who seemed to be around the age of ten, walked towards the garbage dump of the Academy.

The garbage dump was a mile away from the Academy, and the only people that went there were the staff that were assigned for waste disposal.

Due to William's keen sight, he could tell that the girl was indeed headed in that direction.

'Is she perhaps lost?' William frowned. 'I'd better check just in case.'

William jumped off from the peak of the mountain, and glided steadily towards the girl.

The girl wearing a black dress was oblivious of William's approach as she continued to walk towards her destination.

As the Half-Elf neared the girl, he noticed something peculiar about her. The way she walked was unsteady, as if she didn't have the strength to support her body. Also, she seemed to be panting.

William landed in front of the girl, and the latter stopped to look at him.

'Cute,' William thought as he stared at the little girl in front of him.

According to William's estimate, the girl should at least be 4'8 feet in height (144 cm). She had long, light-pink hair that ended at her waist. Her eyes, which were the same color of her hair, looked back at William in surprise. However this surprise didn't last long before it turned into anxiety.

"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person," William said with a smile. "I noticed you walking towards the garbage dump, so I got worried that you might be lost. Are you perhaps lost?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person," William said with a smile. "I noticed you walking towards the garbage dump, so I got worried that you might be lost. Are you perhaps lost?"

The little girl didn't answer, but William could tell that she was getting flustered. Suddenly her body started to sway, and the Half-Elf immediately reached out to support her body, before she collapsed on the ground.

"Are you alright?" William asked in worry. "Don't worry. I will bring you to the infirmary of the academy right now."

However, before William could execute his plan, the girl said something that made him freeze in his tracks.

"I'm fine," the girl said as she panted for breath. "Please, just leave me alone. I need to go."

"Where are you going?"

"Over there."

The little girl pointed at the place where the garbage dump was located.

"Are you going to the garbage dump?" William inquired.

The little girl hesitated before nodding her head.

"Yes," the girl replied. "I need to go there. Please, let me go."

William marveled on how light the little girl was. Although she wasn't as light as his cousin, Eve, the Half-Elf was sure that he could carry her easily even if he trained with weights attached to his body.

"Okay. I will take you there." William compromised. "But, after that, I will bring you to the infirmary."

The little girl looked straight into his eyes for a few seconds before nodding her head.

William once again activated his flight ability and carried the girl towards the Garbage Dump. as he neared the site, the foul stench reached his nose. Usually, the trash would be burned every weekend.

Unlike the cities on Earth, there are no plastic, cardboard boxes, or any other modern garbage in the World of Hestia. The garbage that had been thrown at the garbage pit consisted mostly of the food wastes that the academy disposed of on a daily basis.

Fruit peelings, egg shells, failed alchemy experiments like pills, animal bones, fish bones, and similar things were segregated in various pits that would soon be burned up by the staff of the Academy when weekend arrived.

William landed near the pit and reluctantly lowered the girl to stand on her own feet.

"Thank you," the little girl said before walking towards the place where fruit peelings were located.

Suddenly the girl jumped on the pit, which caught William by surprise. The Half-Elf immediately rushed to check on her, but what he saw almost made him do a double take.

After landing inside the pit, the girl casually grabbed a banana peel and raised it towards her mouth. She was about to eat it when a hand grabbed hold of her wrist, to prevent her from putting the rotting banana peel on her mouth.

"Are you crazy?!" William asked in confusion. "Why do you want to eat this?!"

"Because I am hungry," the girl replied. "Please, let me eat. I am hungry."

"If you're hungry, let's go to the canteen, I'll buy you something to eat."

"... No. I can't go there. People will feel uncomfortable if I go there."

William pried away the banana peel from the girl's hand and carried her in a princess carry. He then shot up from the pit and flew towards the direction of the academy.

"Stop! Don't take me to the academy." the little girl struggled in William's arms.

"Behave yourself," William said. "Don't worry, I will buy you food to eat. You don't have to eat those things."

"No, you don't understand," The girl pleaded. "Please, just leave me alone."

The girl was struggling so much that William wobbled in his flight. In the end, he was forced to land on the ground to ensure the little girl's safety.

"Are you a student of the Academy?" William asked. Although the possibility was small, the possibility still existed. Aside from being a student, the little girl could also be a daughter of one of the professors, or the staff that was working on the academy.

The pink-haired girl hesitated once again before nodding her head.

"Yes, I am a student."

"Then why don't you eat at the canteen like all the other students do?"

"I can't," the girl answered. "Anyone who sees me will feel disgusted that they will lose their appetite."

William frowned when he heard the little girl's answer. He had just arrived at the Academy, and a quarter of the year had already gone by. It meant that he was not aware of certain things that had transpired during that period of time, including the reason why this little girl would go to the garbage dump just to have something to eat.

While William was pondering, he heard a rumbling sound, and the little girl who stood in front of him placed both of her hands over her stomach. The rumbling sound grew stronger, and the girl seemed about to faint any second due to hunger.

"For now, eat this," William said as he created a chocolate lollipop. "This lollipop can last for three days. Just make sure that you don't chew on it."

William unwrapped the lollipop and presented it to the little girl who was looking at it in a daze.

"Here. Hold it." William placed the lollipop on the girl's hand, and the latter held it firmly, like it was her last lifeline.

The little girl looked at the lollipop for a few seconds before putting it inside her mouth. Immediately her expression changed as the sweetness of the chocolate spread across her taste buds.

"Is it good?" William asked.

The little girl didn't answer. Instead, she bit on the lollipop and started chewing. William sighed as he produced another lollipop for the little girl. He explicitly told the girl to not chew it, but the latter was too hungry to understand his words.

To his surprise, not only did the girl eat the lollipop, she also ate the lollipop stick like a pretzel. William was about to reach out and pry her mouth open to retrieve the lollipop stick when the System's voice reached his ears.

< Host. Don't worry. According to my analysis, she will just be fine. Please, use your Appraisal Skill and look at her information. >

William was doubtful at first, but he still did what the System had told him.

Moments later, his jaw dropped after he read the information of the little girl, whom he just fed his lollipop a while ago.

Name: Chiffon Val Gremory

Age: 18

Race: Nerezza (Half Dwarf, Half Demon)

Title: Glutton from Hell

-- One of the Seven Deadly Sins that represents the Sin of Gluttony.

Chapter 519: Hunger That Knew No Bounds [Part 2]

"Big Brother, do you still have more?" Chiffon, the adorable girl, looked up at William in expectation. She had already seen the lollipop in William's hand, but still pretended not to see it.

William stiffly handed the lollipop at her and the girl happily tore the wrapper off, revealing the chocolate candy that made her eyes sparkle.

Chiffon unceremoniously ate the wrapper first, before she placed the candy inside her mouth. This time, she didn't chew it and just licked it, like William had told her to do.

For some reason, after eating the chocolate lollipop earlier, the hunger she felt disappeared completely. This was the first time that Chiffon experienced something like that. Usually, even after she ate three tons of garbage, the hunger would return after a few hours.

She was very shocked when a single lollipop managed to stop her hunger pains as if it was done by magic.

William stared at the cute girl who seemed to have reached enlightenment. After hesitating for two minutes, he finally decided to introduce himself to her.

"My name is William Von Ainsworth," William said. "Feel free to call me, Will. How about you? What's your name?"

Although he already knew the answer, he still asked the question because he felt that it would be rude to call out people's names without proper introduction.

The loli took out the lollipop from her adorable lips as she made a curtsy and introduced herself.

"Chiffon Val Gremory," Chiffon replied. "Big Brother, just call me Chiffon."

"Um, I'm seventeen years old. I will have my birthday in a month. Is it really fine to call me Big Brother?"

"It's fine, Big Brother. I am only twelve years old. You are clearly older than me."

The corner of William's lips twitched because the little loli dared to lie to him. If he didn't have the System, he would readily accept her explanation without any doubt, because she did look like a twelve year-old due to her height and loveable appearance.

'Am I fated to always stumble upon this kind of situation?' William thought as he sighed internally. 'My gut feeling is telling me that I'm going to be involved in something problematic.'

Chiffon watched William with genuine interest. She had an extra strong perception towards magic, and she was sure that William didn't take out the lollipop from his storage ring.

Since that was the case, Chiffon came to a realization.

William could produce the lollipop using his ability.

The pink-haired girl didn't know what kind of ability it was, but one thing was for certain. William was someone that could solve her hunger problems.

"Big Brother, is there something wrong?" Chiffon inquired as she walked up to him in a cute manner.

She then took hold of William's hand and held it firmly. 'I need to know more about this person.'

William was at a loss on what to do. He didn't regret giving Chiffon his lollipop, but her very existence was a flag that he didn't want to take part of. If this was a route for a game, William would steer clear off her route and look for other heroines to conquer.

Nothing good came out of dealing with one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

He already experienced the threat that Princess Sidonie and Morgana possessed, so how could he possibly underestimate someone who bore the title of one of the Greatest Sins of the world?

William cleared out his throat as he decided to make an excuse in order to leave Chiffon behind.

"Um, Chiffon, I still have things to do," William said as he looked at the small hand that firmly held his own hand. "I need to go to Silverwind City to buy a few things.

"Is that so?" Chiffon asked. "Don't worry, Big Brother. I came to the Academy three months ago. Although I'm not very familiar with the city, I had visited it thrice during my stay here."

"... You don't say."

"?"

Chiffon tilted her head cutely, which made William's heart shudder. Looking at Chiffon made him remember his cousin Eve, and Brianna whom he had considered as his own little sister.

"Big Brother, do you have any more of these lollipops?" Chiffon asked. "I like them very much."

Chiffon looked up at William and stared at him intently. The innocent pair of eyes was too much for him to bear, so he averted his gaze to calm his heart.

After thinking things through, William relented. He produced ten, red, blue, and chocolate lollipops and handed them to Chiffon. He then carefully explained their uses.

"As I told you before, the chocolate lollipop can last for three days as long as you don't chew it," William explained. "This red lollipop has the ability to cure minor wounds. If you get injured, eat one of them. This blue lollipop replenishes magic power. If you feel drained from using magic spells, take one as well

"Remember that the red and blue lollipop can be only eaten once, and will not last as long as the chocolate lollipop. If you are feeling hungry, just place the chocolate lollipop in your mouth and lick it."

Chiffon held the lollipops as if they were priceless treasures. She then carefully placed it inside her storage ring before looking at William with a grateful expression.

"Big Brother, thank you for the lollipops," Chiffon said. "Where did you buy them? If possible, I want to buy them in bulk."

"Um, these lollipops can't be bought anywhere. These are all hand made."

"Did you make them, Big Brother?"

"...Yes."

William wanted to say no, but the puppy eyes that were looking up at him, made the lie that he was about to say become stuck in his throat.

"You are amazing, Big Brother!" Chiffon praised. "Maybe you should open a candy shop. I promise that I will be your number one customer!"

"... I'll think about it," William replied.

Chiffon nodded her head like an obedient child. She then pulled William's hand as she walked towards the Academy.

"Big Brother, Let's go," Chiffon urged. "We need to get back before six in the evening. If we dilly dally, we won't be able to stroll around the city for a long time."

William shook his head as he allowed the girl, whom he had just met, drag him back to the Academy. Although he didn't regret giving Chiffon his lollipops, he was feeling troubled because of the consequences of his actions.

Inside Silverwind Academy…

"Your Majesty, I have something to report," Gilbert Geis, the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy, as well as Professor Rita's father, said as he looked at the mirror inside his office.

(A/N: In case you had forgotten, Professor Rita is the professor in charge of Class A)

"Gilbert? Did something happen?" Emperor Leonidas stared at the Headmaster with a calm expression on his face.

"Chiffon came in contact with William," Gilbert replied. "Should I intervene?"

An expression of surprise appeared on Emperor Leonidas' face when he heard the Headmaster's report. However, this surprise didn't last long before it became serious.

"How did it happen?" Emperor Leonidas inquired.

Chiffon was a special existence within the Academy and there were people that monitored her from the shadows. When Gilbert had been informed about the current development, he immediately sought the Emperor's opinion on how to deal with the current events.

After listening to Gilbert's narration on how the two met, Emperor Leonidas rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Are they getting along?" the Emperor asked.

Gilbert nodded. "I just checked and I saw Chiffon dragging William back to the academy. Also…"

"Also?"

"She seemed to be happy. Although she wasn't smiling, I could vaguely feel her mood from afar. How should I proceed, Your Majesty?"

A minute of silence enveloped the room as the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy waited for the Emperor's orders. Finally, after the wait that almost felt like years, Emperor Leonidas finally made up his mind.

"Gilbert."

"Your Majesty?"

"Don't do anything," Emperor Leonidas ordered. "However, continue to constantly monitor Chiffon. You already know who she is, and what her affiliation is. I don't want that bastard to say that I was not looking after the daughter that he had tossed away."

Gilbert nodded respectfully. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Emperor Leonidas was about to cut off the connection, but stopped midway and asked a question.

"Did she really look happy?"

"Yes. I even have a recording. Do you want to see it, Your Majesty?"

"Show it to me," Emperor Leonidas ordered.

The Headmaster showed a projection where Chiffon could be seen dragging William's hand. The Half-Elf had a resigned look on his face, while the little girl was wearing an expression of calm.

When the recording stopped, the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire also ended the conversation.

Inside his study room, the Sovereign of the Empire leaned his back on his chair. The image of Chiffon dragging his granddaughter's fiance back to the Academy was still fresh in his mind.

"Evexius was right," Emperor Leonidas snorted. "That Half-Elf is a penchant for trouble."

Chapter 520: You Are Too Defenseless

As soon as William and Chiffon entered the academy gates, several stares landed on the two of them.

Chiffon seemed to be used to this treatment already, so she ignored them and continued dragging William behind her.

William, also didn't mind being talked about by the students in the academy. He didn't intend to stay there for long, so he wasn't bothered by any of the gossip that was to spread while he was enrolled there.

However, even though he didn't care about what others said, that didn't mean that his sensitive hearing wasn't able to pick up what the students were saying as they walked past them.

"Did you see that? It's that disgusting trash eater."

"Ewww! I bet a thousand gold coins that she went to the Garbage Dump again."

"Isn't that Princess Sidonie's lover? What is he doing with that freak?"

"You know what they say, birds of the same feather, flock together."

"Hahaha! Does he also eat trash?"

"Who knows? Maybe they shared some fish bones or eggshells between them."

"Gross!"

William still had a calm expression on his face, but he was feeling irritated by the insults that were being said behind Chiffon's back. Now that he knew the sin that she carried, he could somewhat understand why she would visit the Garbage Dump to look for something to eat.

'Did she perhaps get banned from the canteen because she ate a lot?'

This was the thought that passed through William's mind as he allowed himself to be dragged by the little girl who seemed to have increased her pace after entering the Academy.

"Chiffon, where are we going?' William asked.

The little girl abruptly stopped and turned her head to look at William.

"Big Brother, where are you currently staying?" Chiffon asked back.

"The Third Year Male Dormitory?"

"Okay."

Chiffon once again dragged William. This time, she headed towards the Aberdeen Dormitory where the Third Year boys stayed.

After entering the Boy's Dormitory, Chiffon paced the halls unhurriedly. She was looking around like a country bumpkin and taking in the sights that she was seeing for the first time.

Chiffon was a well-known celebrity inside the academy, but not of a good kind.

She was given the nickname, Trash Eater, because she was often seen at the Garbage Dump picking up trash to eat during lunch and dinner. At first, the boys tried to approach Chiffon because she was very cute. However, after finding out her daily routine, all of them backed away in disgust.

None of the girls wanted to have any connection with Chiffon either, because, for them, she was the embodiment of filth.

They didn't even want to be in the same room with her, so Chiffon stopped coming to classes and only wandered around the Academy grounds, while the classes were ongoing because it was empty.

She was surprised when William talked to her because she thought that no one in the Academy would dare to get near her.

Right now, Chiffon treated William as her first friend in the Academy, so she wanted to know more about him.

"Aren't you a little too bold?" William asked after closing the door of his room. "You came here to the boy's dormitory and even came inside my room. Aren't you afraid that I might do something to you?"

"Do something? Like what, Big Brother?" Chiffon asked back as she sat on the only couch in the room.

William rubbed his temple as he sat on top of his bed. He didn't know if Chiffon was really ignorant or she was only messing around with him.

If one were to look at the Chiffon, they would come to the conclusion that she was only an eleven or twelve-year-old Human child. However, since William had the System, the pink-haired girl wouldn't be able to hide her age even if she kept mum for the rest of her life.

The other thing that bothered Williams was Chiffon's race.

Nerezza

Half Dwarf, Half Demon.

Nerezza was a general term used for hybrid races that had a demonic origin. Although there were other specific names for such unions, this term was the most commonly used in the World of Hestia.

William was a Half-Elf, and his parents were a Human and a High Elf.

Although he was very tempted to ask Chiffon about her parents, William was hesitant to do that. He hadn't had the chance to see a dwarf, but he had already seen demons, in the form of Sha and Zhu.

According to the System, Dwarves were only four to five feet tall with broad and stout bodies. Chiffon's body was slender and delicate just like a human girl. This made William believe that her body's constitution was taken from her Demon Parent, while her height was taken from her Dwarf Parent.

'So this is what you call a legal loli,' William mused as he looked at the girl who was busy licking his lollipop.

(A/N: Boys, behave yourselves.)

Chiffon felt William's stare and thought that the latter wanted her to come close. The pink-haired girl stood up from the couch and walked towards William's bed. Out of curiosity, she pressed the mattress of the bed to see how soft it was.

"Big Brother, your bed is very comfortable, can I lay down on it?" Chiffon asked.

"Mmm? Aren't all beds in every dormitory the same?" William replied with a question of his own.

Chiffon became silent for a while. It seemed that she was hesitating whether to answer William's question or not.

"Big Brother, I don't sleep in the girl's dormitory," Chiffon answered after a few minutes passed.

William raised an eyebrow as he pressed the little girl for answers. After a short interrogation, the Half-Elf finally got the answers to his question, and he didn't like them one bit.

According to Chiffon, the academy didn't assign her any room and only delegated the stables as her resting area. William was appalled when he found out that the little girl was left to fend off for herself, without anyone to take care of her.

He didn't say anything earlier, but he had noticed that Chiffon's uniform was quite dirty, even before she went to the Garbage Dump. Now that he knew that the girl was being mistreated by the academy, William found himself clenching his fist in irritation.

One of William's weaknesses were little children. They reminded him of the little brothers and sisters that he had cared for in the orphanage. This was why he was overprotective of Eve and Brianna and ensured that the two of them were safe from harm.

Although Chiffon was eighteen years old, her appearance was that of a child. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he felt sorry for her and wanted to do something for her sake.

It was at that moment when William heard the soft breathing of a sleeper. Chiffon had fallen asleep on his bed, with a peaceful expression on her face.

'You are too defenseless,' William thought as he shook his head. He then took off her shoes and helped her have a more comfortable sleeping position.

Suddenly, the door of the room opened and two people entered without knocking on the door.

"Will, what are you doing?" Ashe asked in a tone filled with disbelief.

"Will, how could you," Princess Sidonie covered her lips with a hand. Just like Ashe, she couldn't believe the scene that she was seeing with her own eyes.

William turned his head to look at his lovers. "Oh. Welcome back. Just a minute, I'm about to finish."

The Half-Elf was currently holding onto Chiffon's sleeping body, in an angle that could cause plenty of misunderstandings.

Ashe closed the door and locked it in place. Princess Sidonie narrowed her eyes, and approached the bed with the intention of educating William about laying his hands on minors.

When she was only a few meters away from the bed, Chiffon sleepily reached out to William and held on to his arm.

"Big Brother, it was good," Chiffon said sleepily. "I want more."

After saying those misleading words, the pink-haired loli once again returned to her slumber. Ashe and Princess Sidonie looked at the girl's dirty, and crumpled uniform, before looking back at William, who was right on top of the sleeping girl.

"Will, we need to talk," Ashe said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Princess Sidonie was also smiling, but her eyes had already turned golden. Clearly, the two had misinterpreted the girl's words, and William's current position.

The Half-Elf looked at the sleeping girl under him, before shifting his attention to his two lovers, who were looking at him with murder in their eyes.

He knew that if he didn't explain things properly, someone was going to sleep on the floor tonight.

Chapter 521: A Sense Of Euphoria

"And that's what happened."

William narrated everything that happened before his two lovers arrived inside his dormitory room. The two girls listened with serious expressions at first, but this expression then turned into pity after finding out Chiffon's current circumstances.

"Will, you picked up a troublesome person," Princess Sidonie said after hearing William's story. She then glanced at Chiffon with a complicated expression before shifting her attention back to William.

"I'm sure you have no idea on what kind of person she is," Princess Sidonie stated.

"I know," William replied. "She is just like you, Sidonie."

Princess Sidonie's body stiffened because of William's answer. She didn't expect that William would use the term "she is just like you", and it made her wonder how he knew about Chiffon's special characteristic.

After becoming his lover, the Princess shared her secret with William about her being one of the Seven Deadly Sins. At first, Princess Sidonie thought that William would treat her differently after finding out about her secret.

However, the Half-Elf only smiled and even teased her that she had to wait for a few more years before she could have his babies.

"How did you know?" Princess Sidonie asked. She was very curious on how William found out that Chiffon also carried one of the Deadly Sins of the world.

"Half-Elf's intuition," William replied.

"As if." Princess Sidonie wrinkled her nose. It was quite obvious that William had no intention of sharing this information, so she decided not to pry.

Ian, who was seated on William's right side frowned. She didn't understand what the two were talking about.

"Is she also a Princess?" Ian inquired. This was the only connection she could think of when William said that Chiffon was just like Princess Sidonie.

William and Princess Sidonie exchanged a glance and grinned. Although they felt a bit guilty about not telling the other girls about Sidonie's and Morgana's secret, both believed that this was for the best.

If possible, Princess Sidonie didn't want anyone else to know, aside from William, that she was the embodiment of Lust. This way, she could protect herself from those who would try to use her powers to do something nefarious.

"No." William replied. "I'm saying that she's just as adorable as Sidonie."

"Huh?" Ian glanced at Princess Sidonie then at Chiffon then back again to the princess. "I don't understand."

"It's fine, it's not important." William smirked. "Just think of her as a mini version of Mr. Jekyll."

"Ah! Is she also a Taotie?" Ian looked at Chiffon with wonder. "You mean she could swallow a lot of things at once?"

"... Something like that," Princess Sidonie replied in William's place because she was afraid that the Half-Elf would make things more complicated. "She is someone that can eat a lot."

The Princess poked the sleeping girl's cheeks. She had a complicated feeling upon meeting one of the people that also bore a sin that was as strong as hers.

When she remembered Wiliam's story about Chiffon's attempt to eat a banana peel in the Garbage Dump, her feeling of wanting to take care of the little glutton budded inside her heart.

Ian nodded in understanding. She had seen how domineering Jekyll was during the war. Right now, she had labeled Chiffon as a young Taotie that still couldn't control her powers.

"Ah, I almost forgot," Princess Sidonie stopped poking the sleeping girl before staring at William with a serious expression. "How is your bloodthirst coming along these days? I think you should take a drink now, while you're still feeling better. I'll look after Chiffon for the time being, Ashe, I'll leave him in your care."

"Understood." Ashe then held William's hand. "Let's go. It's no good if you try to wait until you reach your limit before taking action. Do you still remember what happened last time?"

"Okay," William replied and held Ian's hand firmly.

A few seconds later, both people disappeared from the room, leaving only Princess Sidonie and the sleeping Chiffon behind.

Ashe's body shuddered when she felt the familiar prickling pain, followed by a sense of Euphoria.

William drank slowly. He didn't want to waste a drop of Ashe's blood because for him, his lover's blood was precious. The mermaid wrapped her arms around William's neck as she enjoyed the pleasurable sensation that was washing over her body.

Ashe wouldn't admit it, but she was somewhat addicted to the sublime ecstasy that was sending shivers down her spine.

After having his fill, William kissed the place where he drew blood from Ashe, and used his Life Magic to heal her wound.

The beautiful mermaid had lost all of her strength, so she allowed William to dress her up once again.

"Next time, I'll drink Charmaine's blood," William lovingly whispered in her ears. "I've been drinking a lot of your blood as of late. I don't want you to become anemic."

Ashe sighed before reluctantly nodding her head. "I understand."

Charmaine was one of the Elves that had surrendered to William after the War in the City of Gladiolus. She was also the officer of the platoon that had captured Arslan when the Freedom Fighters were having a meeting, near the border of the Zelan Dynasty.

When William went to the Undying Lands, Malacai told him that the only one that could use his scepter was an undead.

This was how the First King of the Hellan Kingdom transformed into an Arcane Spectral Lich. anyone who touched Malacai's Scepter would be transformed into a High-Level undead and become Malacai's servant.

Naturally, William didn't plan on dying, but he also needed the power to command the Undead Army to help them in the war.

With the help of the System, they fought against the corruption of the scepter. However, it also came with a price. The power of the scepter was insane. It was a Mythical Artifact, which forced William to pay two hundred years of his life, and permanently turn his left hand, all the way up to his arm, into that of a vampire's.

Vampires were also undead creatures, and held incredible strength and powers. Upon touching Malacai's Scepter, William gained the Prestige Job Class, Vampiric Necromancer.

This was why William's left hand, and arm, had a different skin tone compared to the other parts of his body. Fortunately, if William drank some blood, the paleness of his hand and arm disappeared, making it look completely normal.

Even Malacai was surprised that William was able to resist his scepter's corruption, and didn't turn into one of his subordinates. Out of admiration, Malacai decided to cease all hostilities with William, with a condition.

The Half-Elf would cease to rob Avalon of its treasures and artifacts, that had survived the Era of the Gods.

Also, Malacai allowed William to command his Undead Legion once.

Out of curiosity, William asked if Malacai would give William the permission to summon his Undead Army from time to time. The Dracolich surprisingly agreed to his request, but there was another condition attached to using the Undead Legion.

"You can only command my army if you are planning to conduct a Massacre."

This was the answer that the Dracolich had given him.

A massacre that would number in the tens of thousands. Malacai even joked that a massacre of millions was more suited to his taste.

When William made a proposal of purifying the souls of the Undead Warriors that had been stationed in Avalon for thousands of years, Malacai didn't reject it right away. Instead, he said that Avalon must always have an army within.

Of course, the Dracolich hinted that the new undead army didn't need to be humans.

This was why William conducted a massacre and sent the newly born Undead Elves to Avalon in order to take the place of the warriors that he was about to send back to the Cycle of Reincarnation.

True to his word, William spared the Elven Women, as well as the Elves that he had captured when he faced off with Elandorr at the Gate of Beginnings. These young elves cursed William's names to the high heavens and Charmaine was the most vocal of them all.

The Arcane Spectral Lich knew of William's need for blood, so he made his move and… used his arcane powers to wipe all of Charmaine's memories.

It was not only her, The Lich had wiped the memories of twelve teenage Elves, and made them William's personal blood banks.

These Elven ladies now stayed inside William's Thousand Beast Domain, and treated William as their master.

In return, the Half-Elf treated them courteously, and they became the caretakers of the Villa inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

Although their memories were lost, they were still excellent warriors and magicians. They often accompanied William's Herd and Legion in clearing out the Atlantis Dungeon when they finished their chores in the Villa.

The moment that William had attained the Vampiric Necromancer Job Class, the Passive Skill Bloodthirst had been permanently added to his Status Page.

< Bloodthirst >

-- You would regularly crave for the blood of others.

-- If the craving for blood passes a certain limit, there is a high possibility of going into a berserked state until you have sated your thirst for blood.

-- Drinking the blood of others will give you +20 to all stats for one hour.

"Will, after a few years, set them free," Ashe said as she held William's hand. "Don't worry, I'm sure that Wendy, Est, Sidonie, and I will be more than enough for you to drink to your fill.

William squeezed Ashe's hand gently as he nodded. "If that is your wish then so be it. I will set them free when I go to the Silvermoon Continent."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I also think that this is a good idea."

Currently, William needed to drink blood at least twice a week. The longest he could last without drinking blood was eight days, but if he went past that limit, he would lose himself to his bloodthirst and go on a rampage.

Wiping the Elves' memories was the Lich's way of thanking William for saving the kingdom that he had founded. Although it might seem like a horrific way of thanking someone, the Lich didn't think much about it.

After all, those who dared to attack his Kingdom had only themselves to blame for the consequences of their actions.

Chapter 522: I Will Never Do Anything Shameless

"You're a girl, so you should take better care of yourself," Princess Sidonie said as she scrubbed Chiffon's body with her soapy hand.

They were currently inside the Princess' own dormitory room, and were taking a bath together.

After hearing William's explanation, Ian and Princess Sidonie felt pity for Chiffon and decided to look after her for the time being. They had just finished their dinner, and the Princess took Chiffon to her room because the little girl couldn't possibly spend the night inside William's room.

Chiffon allowed herself to be cleaned thoroughly like an obedient child. It had been a long time since she had taken a proper bath. Usually, she just swam in the river near the academy to clean her body.

Half an hour later, the two girls left the bath wearing bath towels. Princess Sidonie helped Chiffon dry her hair, after drying hers.

The Princess had also given Chiffon a change of clothes, while her maidservants negotiated with the Academy for new and clean Academy Uniforms that Chiffon would wear the next day.

After the little girl had donned her nightdress, she looked at Princess Sidonie with a curious expression.

"What is your relationship with Big Brother?" Chiffon asked.

Even though she had only met Princess Sidonie for the first time today, Chiffon had already sensed the divinity inside the princess' body that represented the Sin of Lust.

"I am Will's fiance," Princess Sidonie replied with a smile. "That means that he will be my husband in the future."

Princess Sidonie wanted to make it clear that William and her were lovers. This was her way of telling Chiffon that she shouldn't have any ideas about approaching her lover.

"Does he know?" Chiffon inquired. "Have you told him about your Sin?"

Princess Sidonie nodded. "Yes."

The Princess hesitated whether she should tell Chiffon that William also knew the Sin that the little girl carried. However, after careful consideration, she decided to hold back this information as she first assessed Chiffon's character.

< It is better to be safe than sorry. Darling is weak against children. >

Morgana commented from inside their shared mindscape.

'Yes. this is also the thing that worries me,' Princess Sidonie replied. 'I just hope that she won't take advantage of Will's kindness.'

< Hmp! Let's see her try. I'll spank her bum to oblivion! >

Princess Sidonie covered her lips and giggled. 'We'll just observe for now. I don't want you to do anything reckless. Do you understand?"

< Fine~ >

Chiffon observed the beautiful girl in front of her. The little girl's eyes then wandered down on Princess Sidonie's chest. After taking a good look at the princess' assets, the adorable loli glanced at her own chest and sighed internally.

After a while, Chiffon once again raised her head and asked Princess Sidonie a direct question.

"Did you use your charm on him?" Chiffon inquired.

Although she could see that Princess Sidonie was very beautiful, she still asked just in case the Princess had used her charm to make William her fiance. Chiffon considered William to be her first friend.

Because of this, she would do everything in her power to free him if he was under the Princess' Charm. Also, William was able to make those delicious lollipops that were able to keep her hunger at bay.

If possible, Chiffon wanted William to give her an unlimited supply of candy everyday.

"I did use my power on him," Princess Sidonie answered. "However, Will is resistant to my charms."

The corner of Chiffon's lips raised by a millimeter after hearing that William wasn't affected by the power of Princess Sidonie's Charm. This made her impression of the boy, whom she referred to as Big Brother, have a bigger presence inside her mind.

"Listen, I don't mind if you become his friend, but don't abuse his kindness," Princess Sidonie stated. "Don't get any ideas. Do you understand?"

Chiffon's expression remained calm as she kept her silence. Whatever she was thinking at that moment, the beautiful princess, and her other half, had no idea whatsoever.

"Where did you come from?" Princess Sidonie asked. "You're not from the Kraetor Empire, right?"

Chiffon shook her head. "I was born in the Demon Continent. However, my father cast me aside and asked his subordinate to bring me here."

Princess Sidonie frowned. She didn't know that the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire and the reigning Demon King had a complicated relationship.

'Maybe I should do a little investigation about this matter,' Princess Sidonie thought as she stared at the little girl, who was currently licking one of William's lollipops.

She didn't know why, but her intuition was telling her that Chiffon would bring a lot of problems if she were to continue interacting with William.

"My granddaughter has taken Chiffon to her room?" Emperor Leonidas looked at one of his trusted subordinates that was currently serving as Princess Sidonie's maidservant. Her duty was to give regular reports to the Emperor if something unusual happened to, or around, the Princess.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the pretty lady bowed her head. "They have just finished taking a bath, and seemed to be having a chat with each other. It is quite unfortunate that I can't spy on their conversation because the Princess will get mad if she senses my presence."

Emperor Leonidas rubbed his chin as he listened to the rest of his subordinate's report.

"Continue to monitor them, but don't get too close. It doesn't matter if you don't hear their conversation."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Are you feeling better?" Ashe asked.

"Much better," William said as he held her in an embrace.

The two had gone to the Beach Villa on the Tenth Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis, right after they finished having dinner with Princess Sidonie and Chiffon.

For some reason, William refrained from eating food right after he drank someone's blood. The reason for this was due to the fact that everything he ate tasted like burnt food that resembled charcoal.

This abnormality in William's taste would usually fade away a day after he had quenched his blood thirst.

Contrary to what William expected, Chiffon ate with restraint just like a proper noble lady. The sheer contrast between the starved girl, who was about to eat a banana peel in the Garbage Dump, and the prim and proper lady, who was using a knife and fork to eat her steak, made William breath a sigh of relief in his heart.

"That girl, Chiffon… what do you intend to do with her?" Ashe asked while softly caressing the jewel that was embedded in William's chest.

"I'll ask Sidonie to take care of her for the time being," William replied. "If it's her, I'm sure that everything will be fine."

"Will it truly be fine?"

"Of course. Sidonie is the Emperor's Granddaughter. I doubt that anyone would make trouble for her."

Ashe closed her eyes as she continued to caress the jewel in William's chest. She had seen the stares of the students when they saw Chiffon walking alongside Princess Sidonie, on their way to the dining hall.

Surprise, envy, and disgust, painted their faces. Ashe was well aware that those three emotions could lead to problems for the Princess, who was currently visiting her Grandfather's empire. Although there might be no problems in the short term, no one could predict what would happen in the long term.

William had been with Ashe for a long time, so he could understand her thought process.

"Understood." William planted a kiss on his lover's forehead. "During the day, I'll take care of Chiffon. Since both of us are outcasts, it will be best if the two of us stick together. Keep your ears perked up for any rumors that will spread in regards to Sidonie. I'll handle the rest. By the way, have you heard of any good dungeons nearby?"

Ashe's body stiffened when her lover mentioned the word dungeon. She didn't need to be a genius to understand what the shameless Shepherd was thinking right now.

"Are we going with Plan B?" Ashe asked as she raised her head to look into William's eyes.

William lightly poked her nose as a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "What Plan B? Your lover is an upright and outstanding individual. I will never do anything shameless."

Ashe rolled her eyes because she was very tempted to smack the smug expression on William's face. Aside from the Half-Elf's grandfather, James, she had not seen anyone more shameless than him.

Back in the Southern Continent, William had stolen resources in the Anaesha Dynasty, right under the Kraetor Army's nose.

She was sure that if William felt like it, he would also do the same thing to the Kraetor Empire if they made him angry.

Chapter 523: I Will Teach You How To Smile

William woke up early because he planned to look for his Master to seek his advice.

As an Alchemist, Albert was capable of creating Food Pills that allowed people to stave off hunger for three days at a time.

He was planning to get the pill recipe from the Full Kettle Alchemist and try to use it as an ingredient to strengthen the effects of his chocolate lollipop, which he would give to Chiffon.

Although the effects of his lollipop could last for three days when consumed, that only worked for normal people.

Chiffon was not part of that category, and William wanted to help her. The sight of her picking up trash to eat was something he couldn't erase from his mind.

Five minutes later, William barged inside his Fifth Master's residence and saw the renowned Alchemist snoring on his couch.

Clearly, he had once again drunk at the Tavern, and probably snagged a beauty while he was at it. William didn't know why his new Master was living a playboy lifestyle. However, since this was Albert's private life, he decided to mind his own business.

After waking up the disgruntled Alchemist, William had gotten the recipe that he needed.

"Just what are you planning to do with those Food Pills?" Albert yawned. "Are you planning to go on a journey?"

"Yes," William replied. "I plan to visit the dungeon in Silverwind City tomorrow."

"Is that so? Well, just make sure you don't accidentally kick the bucket."

"Don't worry, Master. I'm too young and too handsome to die so early."

"That's the spirit!" Albert patted William's shoulder. "My offer still stands. We can celebrate your birthday in the Red Light District. The tab is on me!"

"I'll pass."

"Tsk. What a killjoy."

Albert laid on the couch and smirked in WIlliam's direction. "Tell me, are you planning to feed those Food Pills to Chiffon?"

William glanced at his No-Good-Master and wondered how the latter knew that he had met with Chiffon.

"Stupid boy, I have eyes and ears everywhere." Albert raised his head in arrogance. "So, am I right, or am I right?"

"You are right, Master."

"Mmm."

Albert rubbed his chin as he eyed William with a smile. "One Food Pill can satisfy her hunger for an hour. As you can see, the prices of the ingredients of the Food Pill is not cost-effective when it comes to her.

"If you plan to become her food supplier, you better rob a merchant or a bandit hideout. That is the only way that you can keep that little lass from going to the Garbage Dump everyday."

"Did you also try to help her, Master?"

"Well, someone asked me for a favor. Unfortunately, I was only able to help her for three weeks before I gave up." Albert scratched his head. "I'm an Alchemist. Making pills without getting any profit is a loss for me."

William nodded. "Thank you, Master."

"Will."

"Yes?"

"Do you prefer those types of girls? The cute and adorable ones?"

William rolled his eyes at the smiling bastard before leaving the room. Knowing Albert's personality, he was sure that his Fifth Master would tease the hell out of him, so he decided to make a strategic retreat and save himself from embarrassing himself.

As William was walking towards his classroom, he saw Chiffon walking in the direction of the Boy's Dormitories.

The red-headed teenager smirked and sneaked up behind the adorable little girl with the plan to surprise her. Unfortunately, when he was only ten meters away from her, Chiffon turned around and looked at the tree behind her.

"Big Brother? Why are you hiding behind that tree?" Chiffon asked.

William was surprised because he was sure that he had properly snuck up behind her using the skills that he had honed over the years.

"Big Brother?" Chiffon called out once again, forcing William to show himself.

A single glance was enough to tell William that Chiffon had just finished taking a bath. Her hair still looked a bit wet, but her current expression was way better compared to the one she had yesterday.

William had to admit that Chiffon's cuteness was as destructive as his cousin's, Eve. He also noticed that she was wearing a brand new uniform, which enhanced her appeal.

Anyone who saw her would have the urge to spoil her, and put a smile on her face.

When this thought came to William's mind, he realized something important.

'That's right,' William thought as he looked at the approaching girl, who was looking at him with a curious gaze. 'I didn't see her smile yesterday.'

When the girl was only a meter away from William, Chiffon extended her hand as if she was asking William to give her something.

The Half-Elf stared at the slender and delicate hand for a while, before raising his hand to place it over her palm.

Chiffon looked at William in a dumbfounded manner because the latter had misunderstood her extension.

"Big Brother, I want some lollipops," Chiffon said. "Can you please, give me some?"

William scratched his cheek in embarrassment before he summoned a lollipop in his hand. He once again gave Chiffon ten red, blue, and chocolate colored lollipops just like he did last time.

If Eve were to meet Chiffon, both of them would definitely become good friends. Why? It is because both girls were quite good at extorting people for food.

"The next time you ask me for lollipops, you will have to pay me," William said in a teasing voice.

Chiffon's expression became serious because she was dirt poor. At most, she only received 100 Silver Coins as allowance every week.

This was nothing compared to the 500 gold coin allowance that the nobles gave to their children who were currently enrolled at Silverwind Academy.

"H-How much will the lollipop cost?" Chiffon asked teary eyed.

William felt conflicted when he saw the sad expression on Chiffon's face. He only said it as a joke, but the little girl had taken it seriously.

"A smile," William replied. "You will give me a smile every time I give you a bunch of lollipops. Do we have a deal?"

"A smile?"

"Yes. Just one smile."

Chiffon hesitated but she still nodded her head in the end. She carefully stored William's lollipop in her storage ring and placed her two fingers at the corner of her lips.

She then moved them upwards and showed William the most horrendous smile that he had seen in both of his lifetimes.

William flicked Chiffon's head which made the latter cry out in pain. She then looked at William with a face filled with injustice, as she held her aching forehead.

Right now, the little girl was upset because she felt that she had been terribly wronged by the Half-Elf in front of her.

"I said give me a smile, not a grimace," William said. "Are you joking with me?"

"... No." Chiffon pouted. "I just don't understand."

"Don't understand what?"

"How do people smile?"

William looked at Chiffon and was itching to flick her forehead again. However, when he saw how serious her expression was, he realized that the little girl wasn't joking.

"You mean to tell me that you don't know how to smile?" William asked with a frown. "Have you never smiled? Not even once?"

"I-I don't know," Chiffon shook her head. "Big Brother, can you please, teach me, how to smile? That way, I can pay you for the lollipops that you give me."

The little girl's pleading eyes were too much for William to bear. In the end, he sighed and patted Chiffon's head.

"Okay. I will teach you how to smile," William said softly.

"Thank you, Big Brother," Chiffon lowered her head so that William could pat it more. This was the first time that someone had done this to her, and for some reason, she didn't dislike it.

Chapter 524: I Will Be This Girl’s Caretaker

"Oho~" Ewan Krueger, the Homeroom teacher of Class F, looked at the little girl that was seated beside William with great interest. "Ms. Gremory, aren't you supposed to be in Class C?"

"Y-Yes," Chiffon replied as she lowered her head.

Ewan adjusted his glasses when he saw the uneasiness of the little girl, who had her head bowed. A smile appeared on his face as he thought of an idea.

"Ms. Gremory, would you like to stay in our class for the time being?" Ewan inquired. "I'll talk to your Homeroom Teacher and ask for a Class Transfer."

Chiffon raised her head in surprise. The Professor in Class C was a woman in her early thirties, and she had shown open dislike to Chiffon after being in her class for three months. In the end, the Professor even hinted to Chiffon that there was no need for her to continue coming to class.

She even added that Chiffon should just do self study in her room because she was dirtying the air in her classroom.

After that day, Chiffon stopped coming to classes and just wandered the Academy during class hours.

Ewan had heard about her circumstance and he pitied the little girl, but he was just a professor in the Academy. There were some things that he could, and couldn't do. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, he planned to execute the plan he had thought of long ago, and that was to bring Chiffon to his classroom to study.

"C-Can I really stay here?" Chiffon asked back.

The boys and girls inside the classroom grimaced because they already knew who Chiffon was. She was the girl that had been labeled as the Trash Eater and, to be perfectly honest, some of them were disgusted with her.

"Of course you can stay here." Ewan chuckled as he ignored the faces of the students who seemed to have eaten a rotten egg.

Clearly, they were not enthusiastic about the idea of having the Little Girl who eats trash from the Garbage Dump as their classmate.

One of the boys stood up and was about to protest, but Ewan raised his hand to cut him off before he could say anything.

"Those who don't like the idea of Ms. Gremory staying here can leave the classroom," Ewan declared. "I'll be more than happy to write recommendation letters for those who want to transfer to other classes. Of course, whether the homeroom teachers of those classes will accept you will depend on your ability."

The boy's words got stuck in his throat. He gave Chiffon a side-long glance before going back to his seat.

They were students of Class F.

The rejects of the Third Years, and no other classes would want to accept them into their ranks. Even if they succeeded, there was a high chance that they would get ganged up on and bullied by their classmates after a day or two of their transfer.

They would rather endure Chiffon's presence than suffer humiliation from the noble households of the Kraetor Empire.

William stood up from his seat. He already knew how the students of the Academy saw Chiffon, so he had already expected this outcome. The Half-Elf didn't expect that Professor Ewan would extend the pitiful girl an olive branch and accept her into his class.

Since an opportunity had presented itself, William would be foolish if he were to let this go. But for now, he needed to pacify his classmates in order to prevent any problems from happening in the future.

"I know what all of you are thinking," William said as he scanned the faces of his classmates. "This girl beside me is the one that this Academy has labeled Trash Eater."

Chiffon's body shuddered because she felt the stares of everyone in the room gathered onto her.

"I intend to erase this label from her," WIlliam declared as he placed his hand over the head of the little girl who was on the verge of crying. "From now on, I will be this girl's caretaker. I will give you my word that she will never go to the Garbage Dump again. I will also ensure that she looks presentable at all times."

William paused as he pulled the little girl close to him, to give her some encouragement.

"I know that it will not be easy for any of you to accept her, because of the things she had done in the past," William said softly. "All I ask is that you give her a chance. We are Class F. We are the discarded students of this academy. Right now, Chiffon is one of those discarded students. Having said that, isn't this classroom a place where she should belong?"

William's words resonated within the hearts of his classmates because what he said was true. However, some of them were still reluctant to accept the little girl into their fold.

The Half-Elf knew that he needed to give them one more push in order to get their consent, and allow Chiffon to study together with them.

"Every quarter of the year there is a Class Performance Assessment," William stated. "How about this? I will make sure that our class will get the highest Merit Points this month."

William smirked. "Don't you want to taste that feeling of looking down on those other classes who treat us as trash? Once we become the Academy's Top Class for the Third Year, all of them will not be able to say anything. That also goes for Class A."

The boy who stood earlier pointed his hand at William and sneered.

"Hah? Become this month's top ranker? I thought you were going to say something good, but you're just spouting nonsense," the boy said in disdain. "If you can really make us the Top Rankers then I will call you Boss.

"However, if you fail to keep your words, how about you become my servant for a month? Don't worry, I will treat you fairly."

William nodded. "Okay. If our class fails to snatch the top spot this month, I'll be your servant for a month. Professor Ewan, and the rest of you will be the witness of this bet."

"Don't regret your words, Ainsworth."

"I'm doing this because I don't want to regret anything. Just wait and see."

William sat down and held Chiffon's hand under the desk. "Don't worry. Leave everything to me."

Chiffon looked at the hand holding her own and nodded her head. William's hands were big, encompassing her own. It was also rough due to calluses, but it was warm.

The little girl felt that she didn't mind if William were to hold her hand like this more often. In fact, she preferred it if he would always hold her hand. That way, she would feel that she was not alone in the world.

"Oh my~ what a bold declaration." Professor Ewan clapped his hand. "Getting the top spot in the Quarterly Class Assessment is no easy feat. I will definitely get a raise if that were to happen. Mr. Ainsworth, please, do your best. My salary increase depends on you."

William gave the professor a soldier's salute, and the latter did the same. The girls giggled because the comedic exchange dispersed the tension in the air. The boys also breathed a sigh of relief because the confrontation ended.

"Chiffon, I already promised everyone that I will be your caretaker," William said. "Please, promise everyone that for the duration of this school year, you will no longer go to the Garbage Dump. Don't worry, I will ensure that you don't go hungry while I am around."

Chiffon raised her head to look straight at William's eyes. She was looking for any signs of deceit in William's words, but found none. The little girl nodded her head and stood up from her seat.

"I, Chiffon Val Gremory, hereby swear that I will no longer go to the Garbage Dump for the rest of the school year," Chiffon swore in front of everyone in the room. "I will do my best, so please, allow me to stay here."

Chiffon bowed her head before going back to her seat.

The students of Class F exchanged glances before nodding at each other. They had decided to give William and Chiffon a chance. Although they didn't expect their class to hold the top spot for the month, they still wanted to see if the Half-Elf would be able to keep his promise.

The Academy had a special test every quarter of the month. The students would get merit points depending on how well they performed during the week the test would be held.

They could choose to do a written exam, a commission from the Academy, or a quest from the adventurer's guild. They could even do all three at once. It doesn't matter what they chose, as long as the points they gathered were sufficient.

All the points of the class would then be pooled together and the outcome would become the overall Class Merit Points. The highest one within their respective year would be deemed as the Classroom of the Elites, and would be given special privileges.

William had already thought of a way to earn as many Merit Points as possible during that one week assessment. Even if his classmates underperformed, he was sure that he would be able to carry their class to the top.

"Can you really do it, Big Brother?" Chiffon asked.

William lightly squeezed the small hand that he was holding as he returned Chiffon's gaze. "It's not a matter of whether I can do it or not."

"It's I Will."

Chapter 525: The Mirage Caverns

"Fall back! Don't let them overrun us!"

"Leader, we are surrounded!"

"Dammit!"

A group of six stood back to back as they faced over thirty Toxic Frogs that were led by a Crowned Shadow Toad. They didn't expect that they would be facing these many enemies at once, and it made them very anxious.

All of them were Gold Ranked adventurers, who had come to Silverwind City to challenge the Dungeon known as The Mirage Caverns. This was a dungeon which had fifty floors and was considered a Class A Dungeon.

Because of this Dungeon, Emperor Leonidas had decided to build a Dungeon City around it. Thus, Silverwind City was born. A few years later when the city prospered, he decided to build an academy on/in the mountain overlooking the city, with the intention of nurturing the elite children of his Empire.

It was the perfect training ground to train the students of the Academy in life and death battles, while they were still young. This was also why most of the children in the Empire aspire to enroll inside the prestigious academy, even though the requirements were very high.

Naturally, certain restrictions were placed in order to prevent senseless casualties from piling up. No students below the Platinum Rank were allowed to go past the 30th Floor, but there were still idiots that thought that they were strong enough to challenge the dungeon monsters beyond these floors.

After breezing through the lower floors, the adventurers thought that they could aim higher, so they decided to go to the 30th Floor, which was the dwelling place of Frog and Toad type monsters.

(A/N: I know what you are thinking. Just ask Google senpai for more details.)

The Toxic Frogs were a meter tall, and were classified as Class B Monsters. The Crowned Shadow Toad was a Class A Monster that specialized in short range combat using its flexible and powerful tongue.

At most, Gold Ranked adventurers could only fight against Class C Monsters. To give a brief example on how strong Class C Monsters were, they were as strong as the Angorian War Ibex.

As for the Crowned Shadow Toad, it was as strong as Psoglav when William met him for the first time.

After meeting four Toxic Frogs, the adventurers immediately engaged them in battle. Although the frogs were stronger than them, the Adventurers had an advantage and that was their teamwork that had been honed over the years.

Unfortunately, after killing two of their prey, the two remaining frogs uttered a loud cry, which was meant to call for reinforcements.

The adventurers were not aware of the Toxic Frogs' habits, so they thought that it was just a war cry that would boost its strength.

A minute later, several Toxic Frogs appeared behind them.

Seeing that they were at a disadvantage, they decided to retreat. Unfortunately, the escape route they took led to the dwelling of the Crowned Shadow Toad. The Class A Monster had a dozen Toxic Frogs as its underlings, so the group was sandwiched in a pincer attack.

"Sorry, I was too greedy," the leader of the group apologized. "I will unleash my strongest attack. Use that opportunity to escape. I will hold them back for as long as I can."

"Leader! We won't leave you behind!"

"He's right. We will get out of this place together."

"Don't be so pessimistic, it's just a few frogs and a two-meter chubby toad. I still haven't gone to the brothels of this city. I can't possibly die without sleeping with their top prostitute!"

"You guys." The leader was touched because his party didn't want to leave him behind. However, he knew that if they stayed, all of them would be buried in this floor and he would not be able to forgive himself even in the afterlife if that were to happen.

The Crowned Shadow Toad extended its venomous tongue to kill the invaders that had dared to enter their domain. Many people had died in this manner because they had underestimated the strength of the monsters inside the Mirage Caverns.

"Brace yourselves!" The leader of the adventurers raised his sword to parry the Toad's tongue that was hard as steel.

The Toxic Frogs took that opportunity to close the gap, and emit a poisonous smog that would paralyze its victims.

The adventurers tried to hold their breaths, but it was impossible in the current situation they were in because they were being attacked at all sides.

"Gwah!"

The leader of the adventurers slammed against the wall after getting lashed by the Toad's poisonous tongue. If not for the fact that he was wearing heavy armor, he might have already died due to the Toad's merciless attack.

"L-Leader!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Brothel… I still haven't gone to the Brothel…"

"Someone! Anyone! Please! Save us!"

The adventurers were now unable to move their bodies due to the paralyzing poison that they had inhaled. The frogs had now surrounded them, and were about to deal the killing blow when a shower of arrows pierced the frogs' bodies.

The Crowned Shadow Toad emitted a loud croak and the remaining frogs sprayed their poisonous smog in the direction where the arrows came from. However, a powerful gust of wind pushed the smog away, clearing it completely.

"Will, let me handle this," a voice that seemed to belong to a young man reached the adventurer's ears.

"Very well, just make it quick," William replied. "Um? Chiffon, where do you think you're going?"

"I want to see if those frogs taste good," Chiffon answered as she pointed at the frogs that had died due to William's arrows.

"Don't eat them," William said. "Those frogs are poisonous."

"But, I am immune to poison…"

"Would you rather eat a frog? Or would you rather eat my lollipop?"

"Big Brother, I love your lollipop. It's so long, hard, and sweet…"

The corner of William's lips twitched because Chiffon's words could be easily misunderstood by anyone that heard her.

The arrows that had pierced the Frogs' bodies flew into the air and returned to the quiver behind William's back, while he was chatting with Chiffon.

Ian on the other hand, summoned her water whip, and activated the power of the Geomancer Job Class. Right now, she was fighting in swampy terrain. The Geomancer Job Class allowed her to use spells that were empowered by its current environment.

"Mud Binding!"

The mud on the swamp surged up to wrap itself on the Frogs, trapping them in place.

When the Crowned Shadow Toad saw that its underlings were in danger, it unleashed its powerful tongue to slap the annoying newcomer that had gotten in the way of finishing off the adventurers that entered their domain first.

"Water Cannon!" Ian unleashed a torrent of water at the tongue that was headed in her direction. The powerful force of the attack repelled the Toad's tongue and continued its trajectory until it hit the opened mouth of the Crowned Shadow Toad.

A second later, the Toad's head exploded, ending its life.

Ian watched its two-meter-tall body crash on the ground before shifting his attention to the Toxic Frogs that were still struggling with/against the mud that bound their bodies.

"Water Whip Sword Mode."

The floating whip above Ian's head turned into a razor sharp, transparent blue sword that glowed in a bluish hue.

"First Form, Blade of Hysteria." Ian charged at the helpless frogs and decapitated them one by one.

When the last of the Toxic Frogs had died, their bodies glowed and transformed into particles of light, leaving several Beast Cores behind.

William waved his hand and the beast cores flew in his direction. He stored them all inside his storage ring before checking the condition of the hunters that had seemed to have lost their consciousness.

"They're safe, but the poison in their bodies is a bit troublesome,' William said as he changed his Job Class to Life Wizard. "We can't leave them in this condition."

William lined the unconscious adventurers side by side before casting a spell to cure them of their paralysis.

"Mass Cure"

The leader of the adventurers opened his eyes and abruptly sat upright.

He grabbed his sword that was lying by his side as he scanned his surroundings. His body felt unusually light, and the injuries that he had received during the battle had been healed.

If not for the fact that the damage on his armors were still there, he would have treated everything that happened to them as an illusion.

"Wake up!" the leader shook his members one by one. "Let's get out of here!"

"L-Leader?"

"I-I'm alive?"

"Am I in heaven? Where are the ladies in the Brothel?"

The leader slapped the last guy on his cheeks to wake him up from his nonsense. He couldn't believe that the bastard was still thinking of brothels right after they survived a near death encounter.

After making sure that his members were really fine, he placed his fist over his chest and shouted.

"I don't know who saved us, but know that the Crimson Storm will always be in your debt," the leader yelled. "My name is Sam Brock. Our Party is staying at the Dragon Claw Inn. Feel free to find us if you ever need our help. Thank you!"

The Crimson Storm gathered their belongings and hurried towards the 29th Floor. They would never step on the 30th Floor again unless they had raised their ranks and regained their confidence.

"At least they know how to be grateful," William said softly with a smile on his face.

The Quarterly Assessment Test was currently happening in the academy and William only had a week in order to collect as many points as he could before the final day of the exam.

When he told Ian his plan, the latter immediately insisted that she go with him to clear the Mirage Caverns.

Currently, Ian has been registered as a member of Class A, but due to Princess Sidonie's influence, the Homeroom Teacher of Class A agreed to temporarily place her in Class F for the duration of the exam.

The students of Class A weren't too bothered by this last minute transfer. They were confident in their skills and they would definitely not need William's Retainer to help raise their merits during the exam.

"Let's go," William walked forward. "We still have twenty more floors to clear before we get to the Final Boss Room."

Ian and Chiffon nodded their heads and followed William's lead. This was the first dungeon that William had explored since he and Ian had arrived at the Kraetor Empire. He was looking forward to the types of the monsters that were found on the higher floors.

Monsters that would soon become part of his strength, once the restriction on his Dungeon Conqueror Job Class had been lifted.

Chapter 526: Farming Merit Points

The Mirage Cavern was the home of Amphibian Type Monsters.

Frogs, Toads, Salamanders, and Caecilians were the local monsters of this dungeon. The Mirage Cavern had fifty floors with different types of environments.

So far, the students of the academy had only managed to reach the 40th Floor of this Dungeon, but it took them a month to get that far. William only had a week to clear the Dungeon, but he was not too worried that he wouldn't make it in time.

(A/N: Three days inside the dungeon is equivalent to a day in the outside world)

Just like William, some of the students also decided to choose the Mirage Cavern to earn merit points for their test. They planned to go as far as they could within the time limit, but everyone had agreed that they wouldn't go past the 33rd Floor where the Blaze Salamanders were located.

These Salamanders were very ferocious creatures and their Ranks ranged from Class B to Class A. It was almost impossible to find a lone individual, because these salamanders liked to move in groups of four to six.

William had only spent six days (two days in the outside world) to reach the Thirtieth Floor of the Dungeon. For someone like him that had fought in a war, fighting against Class D and Class B Monsters was a walk in the park.

Soon, William and the two girls arrived at the 31st Floor.

William had already bought the maps up to the 49th Floor and integrated it with the system. Right now, they were doing a speedrun to reach the lower floors as fast as possible.

Another day passed and William and his party finally reached the 35th Floor.

They didn't fight much and avoided battles as much as they could, which greatly sped up their dungeon expedition.

The moment William stepped foot on the 35th Floor. The system gave him some good news.

< Host, I have done a full sweep of this floor and didn't find any humans, or humanoid type creatures. It is safe to farm points here on this floor. >

It was then when a devilish smile appeared on William's face. He had been holding back as of late, and this was the perfect time to seriously farm some Merit Points.

"Let's go to the safe zone of this floor first," William said as he led the two girls towards the East. "We've been traveling for a while. Let's rest before we go to the next floor."

Ian and Chiffon nodded their heads. They were quite relieved that William had decided to rest for the time being. Although their bodies were strong, they still felt exhausted as they rushed towards the lower floors of the dungeon.

Half an hour later, the group created a small camp in one of the safezones on the 35th Floor. This was a place where a barrier was erected to prevent monsters from entering.

This safezone was made by the Archamages of the Kraetor Empire. Some of their Knights and Mages in training would often go to the Mirage Cavern to thin out the number of monsters.

They didn't want to suffer from a Dungeon Outbreak that usually happened when the amount of monsters within the dungeon floors exceeded its capacity. The excess of monsters would overflow on the other floors, creating an imbalance that would lead to a Dungeon Outbreak.

In order to prevent that from happening, the Knights and Mages of the Kingdom would go on a punitive expedition every four months to forcefully thin out the monsters on the lower floors of the dungeon.

"I'll be back in three hours," William said. "Ian, just call for me if something unexpected happens, okay?

"Understood." Ian nodded.

William had already told her what he was planning to do. Ian's role would be to look after Chiffon and prevent her from wandering around. This way, William could go all out without worrying about anyone finding out about his secret.

After gaining some distance from his companions, William raised his hand and several portals appeared around him.

Erchitu, Psoglav, Bastian, Fenrir, Scadrez, and the other local beasts of the Thousand Beast Domain flowed endlessly inside the dungeon.

"I'll give all of you three hours to exterminate all the monsters on this floor. Go and collect as many Beast Cores and materials as you can," William ordered. "I've already checked and found no humans on this floor.

"However, in the small chance that you come across someone, knock them unconscious and call for me. I will handle the rest. Do I make myself clear?"

""Yes!""

William nodded. "Disperse!"

William's army, that numbered over ten thousand, scattered in different directions. Erchitu had led his fellow Minotaur Revenants towards the North, Bastian, who had also been turned as a Revenant like Erchitu, led the other Centaur Revenants to the West, Psoglav, the Trollhounds, and the local Beasts of the Thousand Beast Domain went to the South.

The Goblins, led by Xerxes the Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor, and Sharx, The Goblin Marauder, headed towards the East.

William looked at the dungeon map where thousands of green dots encompassed the entire dungeon.

The bracelet on William's wrist that automatically counted merit points started to come to life.

Merit points gained inside the dungeon were calculated based on the quantity and quality of monsters that the owner of the bracelet had killed. Monsters killed by Beast Companions also add to the merit points of their masters.

Some Beastmasters could summon several beasts at once. The Kraetor Empire also had these types of students, so they made sure to modify the bracelets to include the beasts that a Beastmaster could summon.

Earlier, William had summoned Psoglav to kill a beast in the 32nd Floor. The points on his bracelet increased when the Demonic Dog had killed a Rock Caecilian that was sneaking up behind them.

This was why William was sure that all the members of Herd and Legion were automatically classified as Beasts under his command. If the Headmaster and the Artifact Masters of Silverwind Academy, who had created the bracelets were to know about this loophole, they would probably pull out their hair in frustration.

Most Beastmasters could summon up to a dozen beasts. However, they had never heard of anyone being able to summon over ten thousand monsters, aside from the Dungeon Conqueror who had sacrificed himself to become one with the World Tree.

Although everyone assumed that the Dungeon Conqueror was dead, they still didn't know if his profession had been passed on to someone else.

Naturally, the Kraetor Army, and the Elves had their suspicions after William had brought a Beast Army to fight in the war. However, they still thought that the Beasts only participated in the war due to King Minos' influence.

It was not impossible to gather thousands of Beasts if they had been threatened by someone more powerful than them. This was why although they were suspicious of the Half-Elf, they still doubted the possibility that he had inherited his father's profession.

Three hours later, William returned to the safe zone with a smug expression on his face. The merit points on his bracelet had surpassed a hundred thousand. Although the number was high, he knew that this was far from enough to beat the accumulated points from other classes.

Even so, William wasn't worried. They were only on the 35th Floor. There were still fifteen more floors they could farm points on. The Half-Elf was looking forward to seeing the looks on Professor Ewan's and his classmates' faces, once they saw the amount of merit points he had acquired on his dungeon expedition.

Chapter 527: This Is What Happens When I Become Serious

There was one day left before the Assessment Test ended, and everyone was scrambling for points. Aside from the Class Rankings, there were also the individual rankings.

Anyone who stood at the top of the rankings would also gain several benefits and even have a chance to get a medal from the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire.

This was something that every student strived for. As long as they were able to get the Emperor's recognition, it was not impossible to acquire a good position in the Empire after they graduated from the Silverwind Academy.

"Prince Jason, I'm sure that you will once again snatch the top spot for the Fifth Years," a brown-haired young man said in a flattering voice.

"That is only natural," another young man commented. "Afterall, Prince Jason is one of the Top Three Prodigies of our Empire. He already got this in the bag."

Prince Jason and his party was currently at the 26th Floor of the Mirage Caverns. Among the students of the academy, they were one of the few that had made it this far in a short period of time.

It took them five days to reach their current floor.

However, before they challenged the Dungeon, Prince Jason first took the written exams for the different subjects of the academy. This took a day of his time, so he didn't know that William had gone to the Dungeon ahead of him.

Prince Jason was quite satisfied with his progress, because he believed that no one could explore the dungeon as fast as his team. He had personally handpicked his members and only took the best students in his class based on their individual specialties.

300,558 Merit Points

That was the amount of accumulated Merit Points that Prince Jason had collected over the past few days. The record of the academy for the individual rankings was over Five Hundred Thousand Points.

This was the record that the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire had set when he was still studying in Silverwind Academy. Since then, no one had been able to beat his record.

Prince Jason wanted to make a name for himself in history, so he was doing his best to collect as many points as he could before the time limit.

"If we continue this pace, we will be able to clear the 30th floor by tomorrow," Prince Jason said. "After fighting the boss monster, all of us will return to the academy and submit our bracelets."

"Your Highness, should we also have a victory celebration when we return? It will take the academy two days to process the merit points of the entire academy."

"That sounds like a good idea! Your Highness, I think it is fine if we celebrate, right?"

Prince Jason nodded his head. "Very well. Let's head to the tavern tomorrow and have fun. This is my reward for all of your hard work."

The Prince's party members cheered as they did their best to flatter Prince Jason. Forming a connection with him was a very rare opportunity, so they were doing their best to leave a good impression.

Prince Jason carried himself with grace, while thinking of the Half-Elf who was nowhere to be seen. He still couldn't accept that the Half-Elf had managed to make Princess Sidonie his fiance, by using the slave collar that he always carried around.

If not for the fact that he couldn't forcefully take it off his cousin's neck, the Prince would have already done so back in the Southern Continent.

'Just you wait, I'll show you what I can do when I'm serious,' Prince Jason thought as he set his sights on the entrance of the 27th Floor.

'Hahaha! This is what happens when I become serious!' William laughed internally as he looked at the bracelet on his wrist.

The bracelet showed that his merit points had exceeded Four Million Points

They had arrived at the 49th Floor some time ago and were merely taking a short rest before going to the 50th floor to challenge the Final Boss of the Dungeon.

Chiffon looked at William's bracelet with a dumbfounded expression. She couldn't believe that William had accumulated so many points in a short period of time. Every time they reached a different floor, William would take them to the Safe Zone before leaving for a few hours.

At first, Chiffon didn't mind because they were making good progress. However, whenever they began to move to head to the entrance that led to the next floor, the passages would be free from monsters.

Once was luck, the second was coincidence, and the third time was a pattern.

Yes, it was a pattern.

They would go to the next floor then they would immediately head to the Safe Zone, while killing the monsters along their way. Chiffon had somehow fallen into this pattern, and thought that it was a normal thing when conquering dungeons.

However, when he saw the merit points on William's bracelet, that was when she started to get suspicious.

"Did you tinker with the bracelet?" Chiffon asked. "Big Brother, this is not good. If the Academy finds out that you are cheating, you will be severely punished!"

"Don't worry your pretty little head over this," William patted Chiffon's head. "I'm not breaking any rules. This bracelet is working fine."

"B-But, how?" Chiffon inquired. "How have you done it?"

"Chiffon, remember this," William replied with a serious expression. "Your Big Brother is an awesome individual. As long as you stick to me, all you need to do is smile and wave."

"S-Smile and wave?"

"Yes. Smile and wave. Um, I forgot that your smile is horrendous. Okay, forget the smiling part. Just wave."

Chiffon pouted and turned her head to ignore WIlliam. She had tried her best to practice how to smile, while resting in the safezone, and William saw it by accident. The Half-Elf chuckled at the little girl's attempt, which earned him a nagging from Ian.

William had already told Ian that Chiffon couldn't smile. At first, Ian was skeptical because how could someone not know how to smile. However, the more she interacted with Chiffon, the more she realized that William was telling the truth.

This was why she took it upon herself to teach Chiffon how to smile whenever William left them to hunt the monsters on the floor they were on.

"Will, stop teasing her." Ian glared at her lover, while patting Chiffon's head.

William raised both of his hands in surrender as he checked the time on his status page. There was still a day left, but William wanted to beat the dungeon as soon as possible.

"Let's go," William said. "It's time to clear the last floor and meet the boss of this dungeon."

Although he still couldn't add the Mirage Cavern into the list of his conquered dungeons, he could leave a waypoint on the Dungeon Core Room.

This waypoint would allow William to instantly travel to the Dungeon Core without challenging the floors of the dungeon a second time. To be perfectly honest, William didn't plan to take the Mirage Cavern as one of his new dungeons.

He was in a relationship with Princess Sidonie, so he didn't want to create any disagreements with his future in-laws. However, that didn't mean that William wouldn't create a backup plan, just in case the other party suddenly turned hostile.

In short, William was planning to take the dungeon cores located in important Dungeon Cities as hostages. This would give him ample bargaining chips to use to force the Kraetor Royal Family to compromise with him.

This was the advice that James had given him before he left for the Central Continent. William understood what his grandfather was trying to tell him.

His father, Maxwell, had saved the Elves from the Demonic Invasion. But, instead of repaying this kindness, the Elves decided to launch an invasion on the Southern Continent.

William realized that the only way he could protect the peace in his life was to ensure that he had the power to threaten the peace of others.

This was quite similar to owning a Nuclear Weapon. If the enemy knew that their opponent had the power to erase them from the face of the Earth, they would think thrice before provoking them.

'I'm sure that Sidonie would approve of this method,' William thought as the image of the beautiful Princess appeared in his mind. 'I hope that the treasure chest in the Boss Room is good. If it is, I will give it as a gift to Sidonie and Morgana on their birthday.'

William chuckled internally because Morgana had taken the liberty to remind him that they were expecting a gift from him. The Naughty Girl also added that if William wanted to make her happy, he would allow her to tie him to the bed.

Honestly, William was also helping Princess Sidonie control the Power of Lust that was slowly awakening in her body. The two would often spend some time together inside William's Thousand Beast Domain in order to curb her cravings.

That was the only way to keep the power of Lust at bay. He was afraid that if he allowed its power to grow unimpeded, a disaster would befall upon the land due to the beautiful princess' craving for his Love.

Chapter 528: A Thorny Path Called Life

50th Floor.

Boss Room....

"Mmm, as expected, the last stage isn't going to be easy," William said as he stared at the Boss Monster and its subordinates in front of him.

He had already expected that the last floor of the Dungeon wouldn't be easy to beat, because if it was, the students of the academy might have already cleared it.

However, no student in the academy had been able to do that. The farthest they had come was the 40th Floor, and they had suffered several casualties along the way. Because of this, all the students had been warned not to go past the 35th Floor of the Mirage Cavern if they valued their life.

Any student that decided to challenge the Dungeon had to sign a Death Waiver that stated that the Academy would not be blamed if they were to lose their lives inside the dungeon. This was to prevent the noble houses from finding fault with the Academy, due to the reckless actions of the students who wanted to have a high score on the Quarterly Assessment Tests.

< Crowned Purple Behemoth >

-- Boss Monster

-- Toxic Toad Behemoth

-- Threat Level: SS (High)

-- Millennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

< Berserked Lava Toad >

-- Last Floor Guardian

-- Threat Level: S (High)

-- Centennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

< Fiery Lava Toad >

-- Last Floor Guardian

-- Threat Level: S (High)

-- Centennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

< Wave Rider Toad >

-- Last Floor Guardian

-- Threat Level: S (High)

-- Centennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

< Defiant Tempest Toad >

-- Last Floor Guardian

-- Threat Level: S (High)

-- Centennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

< Vicious Stone Toad >

-- Last Floor Guardian

-- Threat Level: S (High)

-- Centennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

A ten-meter tall purple toad wearing a crown on its head looked down on the three people that dared to enter its domain. It was the last boss of the Mirage Cavern and it was highly toxic. Only those that had a strong resistance to poison would be able to survive its deadly attacks.

However, even if one could escape the attacks of the Boss Monster, they still had to deal with the four guardian toads by its side. These guardians were three-meters-tall, and all of them controlled one of the four elements.

This deadly combination was enough to exterminate anyone below the Adamantium Rank.

Ian gripped her weapon tightly as she prepared herself to fight. She knew that this battle would be difficult, but she was not afraid.

"Ragnar, let's go."

A magic circle appeared in front of her, and Ragnar was summoned inside the boss room. Ian had made a pact with Ragnar long ago. That was why she was able to summon him just like how William summoned his Herd and Legion.

"Ruff!" Ragnar stood in front of Ian and looked at his enemies with arrogance.

Ian waved her hand as she activated the special ability that allowed Ragnar to take on a stronger form.

"Kinship Evolution!"

Ragnar's body grew and transformed into a five-meter tall Grand Cerberus. Ian jumped on her partner's back because they were already used to fighting together.

"Wow," Chiffon looked at the towering three-headed dog in front of her with sparkling eyes. "So cool."

This was the first that she had seen Ragnar and it reminded her of the powerful Beasts in the Demon Continent. However, her admiration didn't last long because she knew that now was not the time for it.

Chiffon took a fighting pose and her hands were covered by a black, spiked gauntlet, which served as her main weapon.

Surprisingly, the little girl was a close combat fighter, and she was quite proficient in it. However, William wasn't sure if he should allow Chiffon to fight against monsters that were stronger than her.

"Chiffon, stay at the back, " William ordered. "There's no need for you to participate in this battle."

"Big Brother, don't worry," Chiffon replied as she gathered magic power to strengthen her body. "I'm confident that I can handle that Stone Toad over there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Please, trust me."

William nodded his head, but he wouldn't take Chiffon's words at face value. He had already decided to call for reinforcements to help him deal with the final obstacle that blocked his way.

"Erchitu, Psoglav, Kasogonaga, Fenrir, B1 and B2, come forth!" William shouted.

The Giant Revenant Ox, stepped out of the portal and focused its attention on the Crowned Purple Behemoth. Since it was already a revenant, it was not affected by any type of poison.

Psoglav and Kasogonaga faced the Fiery Lava Toad, while Ian and Ragnar faced the Wave Rider Toad.

William was going to face the Defiant Tempest Toad that held the power to control the Wind Element. However, he called out Fenrir, B1 and B2, to serve as Chiffon's reinforcements.

"Chiffon, allow me to introduce you to Fenrir," William said as he patted the Trollhound's head. "As for these two dumb birds, the red one is B1, and the blue one is B2. They will help you deal with that Centennial Toad."

Chiffon nodded her head in understanding. Although she wanted to ask William some questions, she decided to ask them after the battle was over.

"Let's go!" William took a step forward and charged at the Defiant Tempest Toad.

That was how the Final Battle in the 50th Floor of the Mirage Cavern started.

Meanwhile, back at Silverwind Academy....

"William still hasn't returned," Stanley, the boy that had made a bet with William crossed his arms over his chest. "Did he perhaps chickened out of our bet?"

"Who knows?" a boy named Scott, who was Stanley's good friend, replied. "He doesn't strike me as someone that will declare something and run away from it."

Steffan, who was also Stanley's and Scott's friend, nodded his head in agreement. He was a man with few words, and only talked when it was necessary.

Due to the fact that these three boy's names started with S, they were given the nickname the Triple S.

Stanley rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Well, I don't really mind if he doesn't manage to bring our class to the top spot. Back then, I was just carried away by my emotions."

"So, you mean that you're fine with having a Trash Eater as our classmate?" Scott asked. He was about to say more when he felt a hand hold onto his shoulder.

"We should stop calling her that," Stanley replied. "I feel bad when someone in our class calls her that nickname."

"Um, yes, sorry," Scott apologized. "It's just a habit. I will do my best not to call her that nickname again. Besides, William said that he would prevent her from going to the Garbage Dump again. As long as he does that, there will be no reason to continue calling her Trash Eater. Am I right, Stanley?"

Stanley nodded his head. "We should stop calling her by that nickname."

Their classmates that were listening to their conversation also nodded their heads in agreement. All of them were students of Class F. Although everyone looked down upon them, that didn't mean that they had to vent their frustrations on Chiffon and make her feel bad.

Professor Ewan walked inside the classroom to check if all the students in his class had finished with their respective tests.

After doing a headcount, he found out that William, Chiffon, and Ian, still hadn't returned. The assessment test would end at three in the afternoon the next day and, if they were still not back by then, they would be punished for not returning their Test Bracelets that recorded the points that they had gathered during the duration of the one-week assessment test.

'I hope that the three of them are fine,' Professor Ewan thought as he adjusted the glasses on his face. He had already been teaching in the academy for seven years, and had been the Homeroom Professor of Class F from the beginning.

The Professor had seen how his students had struggled in their grade, and some of them had lost motivation to climb up the social ladder. However, he still didn't give up and continued to teach the worst class, every school year.

The reason?

It was because of a belief.

He believed that anyone had the potential to succeed in life. It didn't matter how low their status was, or how lacking they were compared to geniuses in the empire. What Professor Ewan wanted to instill in them was a belief.

A belief that no matter how high the hurdle that they must face in the future, they should find the courage to face it head on.

That way, they would regain the confidence that they had lost, and a world of infinite possibilities would once again open its doors to each and every one of them.

'William, I'm counting on you,' Professor Ewan prayed inside his heart. 'Make it so that the students of Class F, can once again raise their heads with pride, and walk the thorny path that is called life.'

Chapter 529: Is Your Academy Teaching Weaklings? [Part 1]

The Last Day of the Assessment Test…

Princess Sidonie had just finished lunch, and was about to return to her room when she heard a commotion in the dining hall.

A crowd gathered around Prince Jason and those who had gathered were constantly praising him for his triumphant return at the academy after challenging the Mirage Cavern.

"That's amazing, Your Highness!" one of Prine Jason's classmates exclaimed. "You actually beat the record that was set by the First Prince. Your name will definitely go down in the Academy's history!"

"Incredible! I am blessed to witness the birth of a legend in my generation. Thank you, Your Highness, for giving me this opportunity to witness your greatness!"

"Long live Prince Jason!"

""Long Live!""

Prince Jason acted as if what he did wasn't a big deal. When his gaze landed in Princess Sidonie's direction, he gave her a brief smile before nodding his head in greeting.

Princess Sidonie returned his greeting with a nod of her own before turning away to return to her room.

The Prince's eyes followed the beautiful princess until her back disappeared from view. Everyone noticed his behavior and exchanged glances with each other. All of them were well aware of the custom of the Kraetor Royal Family.

Cousins marrying each other was a very common thing, and one look was enough to tell them that the Prince was planning to do just that.

However, there was one problem.

The Princess was wearing a collar on her neck, and the one that gave it to her was none other than the red-headed boy that hailed from the Southern Continent. Due to William's declaration of being Princess Sidonie's lover, almost everyone in the academy had come to know his name by now.

They also knew that he had been thrown to Class F due to the reaction of the nobles of the kingdom. Simply put, they didn't like William and they wanted Princess Sidonie to take the collar on her neck off, and find someone who was more deserving of her beauty.

None of the students surrounding Prince Jason said anything, because they didn't want to be singled out by the Prince. Instead, they continued to praise him for his achievement, and ingratiate themselves to him.

< What a bunch of bootlickers. >

Morgana snorted from inside their shared mindscape.

'Well, that's just how the world works,' Princess Sidonie replied. 'Those in power tend to gather people around them. This is a very common thing when you're a member of a powerful faction.'

< Hmp! Just because he broke the Academy's record he thinks he's that good? The moment Darling returns, everyone will probably have a stroke due to shock. By the way, where is Darling? >

'He didn't tell you?' Princess Sidonie asked back.

< No. Also, why are you asking me? If I know about it, you will also know, right? >

The corner of Princess Sidonie's lips curled up into a smirk 'Big Sister, don't think that I don't know about your night escapades when I am in deep sleep. Every time I wake up in the morning feeling hot and bothered, I know that you've been doing something behind my back.'

< W-What are you talking about? I-I'm not doing anything wrong. >

'You're stuttering, Big Sister.'

< B-Because you are saying weird things. >

'Heh.'

Princess Sidonie shook her head because she could tell that Morgana had no intention of spilling the beans. Actually, she wasn't too bothered by it. She had already known how naughty her other half could be. Her only concern was that she wasn't there to see whatever she was doing with her beloved.

As soon as Princess Sidonie entered her room, a sudden surge of power washed over her body. She almost collapsed from where she stood, fortunately, she was able to lean on the door before her legs lost their strength.

< It's breaking out of control again >

Morgana muttered worriedly, as she hugged Princess Sidonie within their shared mindscape. It had been a week since the Princess had been with William, and there had been no time for them to spend some quality time with each other.

William had been helping her regulate the Divinity inside her body, but due to his absence. The Power of Lust was starting to break free from Princess Sidonie's control.

The only saving grace was that whenever these outbreaks occurred, she was alone without anyone around her. She had long stopped using her power to turn people into her loyal subordinates.

< Take deep breaths. Follow me, inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale… >

Morgana guided Sidonie to help her to calm down. Five minutes later, the beautiful princess had regained control of her body.

< Don't worry. Darling will be back soon. Just hang in there, okay? >

'Yes.'

Princess Sidonie walked up to her bed and laid down. She felt so weak after fighting against the Divinity that was starting to manifest.

Just before she fell into sleep's embrace, the image of her beloved Half-Elf appeared inside her head. She hoped that by the time she woke up, William would have already returned to the academy.

That way, he would be able to help her, dispel the Power of Lust that she had forcefully held back inside her heart.

"Should we wrap things up here? I think all of the students had already submitted their bracelets," one of the professors that was managing the collection of the bracelets proposed.

A few of the professors nodded their heads, however the Headmaster of the Academy, Gilbert, remained seated.

"It's only half an hour before the promised time. Let's just wait and see it through till the end," Gilbert said. His voice was firm, which meant that he was not going to take no for an answer.

A year ago, there was an incident when a dozen students had been unable to pass their bracelets in time because the Professors managing the collection had left earlier than the promised time.

Many nobles had complained to the Headmaster, so he decided to personally participate on the last day of the Assessment Test to ensure that all the Professors would do their duty properly.

The Professors glanced at each other before sighing inside their hearts. Since their Employer told them to wait for half an hour, they would wait for half an hour.

While everyone was waiting for the clock to strike three in the afternoon, three students entered the room. All of them looked disheveled, and it was clear that they rushed to the Academy's staffroom in order to submit their bracelets in time.

The Headmaster immediately recognized two of the latecomers. One was a Half-Elf who was being monitored by the special agents of the Emperor, the other was a troublesome girl that hailed from the Demon Continent.

William also recognized the Headmaster of the academy and headed in his direction. He thought that it would be best if he surrendered his bracelet to the man on top, so that no mishaps would happen.

"Sorry we are late," William said as he removed the bracelet from his wrist. "Here you go, Headmaster."

William placed his bracelet on top of GIlbert's desk with a smile. Chiffon and Ian did the same. Gilbert nodded before looking at the clock on the wall. There were still ten minutes before three in the afternoon, so William and his group had arrived in time.

"I have received your bracelets," Gilbert replied as he took William's bracelet from his desk to personally see his results. "All three of you can return to your rooms and take a bat-- Wait! Don't go!"

The three teenagers almost jumped back in fright due to the Headmaster's sudden shout. They didn't expect that the man who stood at the top of the Academy would look at them with bloodshot eyes, as if they had committed something outrageous.

Chapter 530: Is Your Academy Teaching Weaklings? [Part 2]

"T-This!" Gilbert's hands shook while holding William's bracelet. His eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at William's Merit Points.

The Professors got curious because their Headmaster was acting in a weird manner. They sneaked behind him to check what was wrong with the bracelet. Their eyes widened in shock, as their jaws dropped from the unbelievable sight that they saw.

William Von Ainsworth: 6,913,367 Merit Points

"Oh my God! Almost Seven Million Merit Points!" the Homeroom Professor of Class B exclaimed in shock. "How is this even possible?! Boy, you better explain this!"

"Did you tinker with the bracelet?" a Professor from the Fourth Year Division asked as he looked suspiciously at the red-headed teenager who had a smile on his face. "Do you know that there is a heavy punishment for anyone who dares to cheat in the Assessment Test?"

"I didn't tinker with it," WIlliam replied.

"Then how?!" another professor stepped forward. "Do you know that the highest record we currently have was from Prince Jason. His Merit Points were 621,489. His Highness has set a new record, and yet your points are ten times higher than him!"

"What? Only 621,489?" WIlliam replied in a dumbfounded manner. "Is your Academy teaching weaklings? Why are his points so low?"

The professors almost spat blood when they heard William's comments. They couldn't believe that someone actually dared to call Prince Jason's accumulated points low. Not to mention, he even added that they were teaching weaklings?

The Homeroom Teacher of Class A in the Fifth Year division's face became beet red out of anger. He had been feeling smug earlier because not only did the Prince set a new record, his class had also gained the highest Merit Count among the Fifth Years.

Although it was guaranteed that they would be hailed as the best class in the Fifth Year Division, he was unable to accept the fact that someone had easily beaten the new record that a student of his class had made.

"We need to investigate this." Prince Jason's homeroom teacher stepped forward. "How can this be possible? No one has gotten this many merit points since the Academy has been founded."

William crossed his arms over his chest as a devilish smile appeared on his face. "No one managed to do this? Oh, my. I guess I overestimated the elite students of this academy. Something as easy as gaining six million points is deemed impossible?

"If I had taken this assessment test seriously I could have easily earned ten million points. However, I wanted to be lowkey, so I only settled for nearly Seven Million."

The Half-Elf shook his head in disdain. "What are you going to say next? Are you going to tell me that no one has beaten the Last Boss on the 50th Floor of the Mirage Cavern? Because I just beat that boss not long ago."

The room descended into silence after William had dropped a bomb in their faces. Gilbert almost dropped the bracelet in his hand, because of how much it shook after hearing William's words.

"Y-You have beaten the Boss Monster at the 50th Floor of the Mirage Caverns?" Prince Jason's homeroom teacher pointed a shaky finger in William's face.

"Yes," William answered. "The Boss was a ten-meter-tall purple frog, and his subordinates were three-meter tall. Each of them had a different element. Man… those toads were quite springy. They jumped around like their butts were on fire."

William took out Five Beast Cores inside his storage ring and piled them on top of Gilbert's desk.

A Purple Beast Core the size of a basketball, and four beast cores the size of bowling balls stood side by side.

The professors all stared at the glowing Beast Cores on top of the desk. Beast Cores that were not a day old had a certain lively luster in them that was different from those that had been stored for a long time.

All of them had fought in dungeons before and they were very familiar with the quality of Beast Cores. With this kind of evidence in front of them, it was hard to refute William's claim.

"How did you do it?" Gilbert had regained his calm and asked this question directly.

"It's a trade secret," William replied before he took the Beast Cores and stored it inside his storage ring. "I don't intend to share it with anyone."

All the professors inside the staffroom cursed William in their hearts. What he did was not uncommon. Most adventurers didn't want to share their strategy when dealing with High-Level Dungeons. It was their way to earn big, so these kinds of things were a well-guarded secret.

Gilbert sighed and placed the bracelet down on his desk. "The three of you may leave now. The final result of the Assessment Test will be announced in two days."

William nodded his head and thanked Gilbert. Ian and Chiffon did the same and the three left together in a carefree manner.

After the students left, an old man wearing glasses stood up from the corner of the room. He was the Grandmaster that had created the bracelets that were used to measure the Merit Points that the students earned during this time of year.

He took William's bracelet from the desk and scrutinized it properly. The Headmaster and the other Professors didn't say anything and waited for him to announce his verdict.

Five minutes later, the old man placed the bracelet back on the desk.

"It wasn't tampered with," the old man stated. He then tapped the bracelet thrice and a projection appeared in front of everyone.

William Von Ainsworth

Merit Points: 6,913,367

Merit Source: Mirage Cavern

Last Entry: Boss Room.

Mirage Cavern 50th Floor

The professors sucked in deep breaths after they had seen the records inside the bracelet.

They knew that once they announced the results of this year's Assessment Test, the entire Kraetor Empire would go into an uproar. Gilbert hurriedly stood up from his seat to return to his office.

He needed to talk to Emperor Leonidas and tell him what the Half-Elf had achieved during the week-long test. Gilbert knew that if William's record was announced publicly, it would go down in the annals of their Empire's History.

William escorted Chiffon to Princess Sidonie's quarters because he was afraid that the little girl would be bullied along the way.

The noble ladies looked at the disheveled Half-Elf in shock as he swaggered inside the Girl's Dormitory.

This was not the first time that William had come here, because Princess Sidonie had often invited him to dine with her. The girls were also used to the dashing Half-Elf who made their hearts flutter with his smile.

However, seeing his current appearance, they couldn't help but be shocked because the latter was currently not very presentable.

William noticed their stares, but he didn't mind them one bit. He just walked with confidence as if he owned the place while holding Chiffon's hand.

After knocking on Princess Sidonie's room twice, the Half-Elf thought that the Princess was not around. He then opened the door to allow Chiffon to go in when he noticed a peculiar scent in the air.

William scanned the room and found that the door that led to the Princess' bedroom was left partially open.

The Half-Elf could sense a Divine Power emitting from within, so he hurriedly walked towards it to see what was happening.

Inside, he saw the beautiful Princess lying on top of the bed, and panting for breath.

The moment her beautiful golden eyes landed on William, a barely audible plea escaped her lips.

"Will… help me…"

Chapter 531: Wrapped In Tender Feelings

The sound of kissing reverberated inside the bathtub.

William felt the urgency in Princess Sidonie's kisses, and knew that she was at her limit. He then embraced her smooth and seductive body as the power of lust overflowed from within her, sending shivers down her spine.

"Will, please…," Princess Sidonie pleaded as she pressed her naked body over him.

Although the bathtub was filled with cold water, the heat inside her body continued to burn unabated.

"I understand," William replied as he kissed her forehead.

The Half-Elf then started caressing the Princess' body in order to release the pent up lust that it had accumulated since he left to conquer the Mirage Cavern in Silverwind City.

The beautiful lady surrendered her body to her beloved, and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Just like an itch behind her back that she couldn't scratch, Princess Sidonie had felt her frustration build while William wasn't around.

Seeing her current state made the Half-Elf's heart ache, so he used his expertise to kiss, suck, lick, and bite the itch that the Princess wasn't able to reach. It didn't take long before Princess Sidonie's body shuddered, as her beloved brought her to the peak.

However, once was not enough. It was not so easy to sate the Power of Lust, and both of them knew it.

"Darling, let's take this to the bedroom," Morgana whispered in William's ear. "It's my turn now."

"Okay," William replied and kissed her.

They were currently inside the Villa located in the Dungeon of Atlantis. A day in the outside world was equivalent to three days inside the Dungeon. William thought it would be best to absorb all the overflowing divinity from his lover's body, in order to stabilize her condition completely.

After drying themselves with magic, William sat on the bed, while Morgana kneeled on the floor in front of him. Princess Sidonie's other half, lowered her head and lovingly kissed William's…

If other people were to see her now, they would be surprised because the beautiful lady that all the men and women adored in the academy, was currently servicing a Half-Elf with her seductive lips.

Although both girls were still inexperienced, that didn't stop them from doing their best to make William feel good.

It didn't take long before the red-headed teenager uttered a soft grunt, before releasing his essence inside her mouth.

Morgana ceased all actions and focused on taking in William's precious seed. She didn't intend to waste even a single drop of it because it belonged to the man that she, and Princess Sidonie loved.

Two minutes later, the two lovers were on top of the bed and seeking each other's warmth. The power of lust was continuously being absorbed by the gem on William's chest, easing the discomfort that the Princess was feeling as the time went by.

Although they still didn't cross the last line, that didn't prevent them from having their fill of each other's love, through words, and actions.

A few hours later, Princess Sidonie slept peacefully in William's embrace. Her smooth, and near-perfect body, that would drive both men and women crazy, laid on top of the man she loved, and the latter held her firmly, unwilling to let go.

William looked at his lover's sleeping face. He realized that parting with her for a long period of time would put her and the people around her in grave danger, if her power suddenly flared out in the wrong place, and the wrong time.

'System, can you make it so that Sidonie can go to the Thousand Beast Domain even if we are far apart?'

< It is possible. >

'I want you to make it happen.'

< Certainly. However, for that, the host will need to pay 50,000 God Points. We will need to tweak the Collar of Wisteria and add a waypoint that will allow it to connect to the Thousand Beast Domain, regardless of how far the two of you are apart. >

William nodded. 'Do it.'

< Understood. >

< Deducting 50,000 God Points in order to embed a mini teleportation gate inside the Collar of Wisteria. >

Remaining Points: 4,450,642

The collar on Princess Sidonie's neck glowed, but its wearer was currently not aware of what was happening.

Half a minute later, the glow disappeared and everything returned to normal.

William breathed a sigh of relief because with this added feature, his lover would be able to teleport inside his Thousand Beast Domain to seek his help if her Divinity suddenly started to go out of control.

The Half-Elf kissed the sleeping Princess' forehead once before closing his eyes to sleep. He was also exhausted because Princess Sidonie's, and Morgana's, stamina almost rivaled his own.

Clearly, the two girls were born for love making, and William looked forward to the day when he would finally become one with her.

Back in Princess Sidonie's Room inside the Girl's Dormitory…

Chiffon hummed as she scrubbed her body with soap. She had not taken a proper bath since she had explored the dungeon with William, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

After properly washing her body, she donned a new set of clothes that Princess Sidonie had bought for her, and laid on top of the bed to sleep.

She hadn't had a proper sleep as well, so she took this opportunity to catch up. Ian promised to pick her up so they could have dinner together. The little girl was surprised when the Princess of the Kraetor Empire suddenly disappeared from on top of the bed.

Chiffon had wanted to ask William what happened, but the latter only said that he would explain it at a later time. Back then, William had a worried look on his face, so she decided to not pry any further and watched him leave in haste.

Ian had also accompanied William to return to the dormitory. Both of them were boys, so they couldn't possibly stay inside the girl's dormitory for a long time.

'I hope they will take me with them again when they go to the dungeon,' Chiffon thought as she hugged Princess Sidonie's pillow. 'I didn't know that exploring dungeons with other people was that much fun.'

She had always been alone most of the time, and stayed away from people. When William asked her if she wanted to accompany him to the dungeon, she readily said yes.

Back then, she only agreed because she didn't want to be lonely. Chiffon didn't expect that in those days battling inside the dungeon, she would feel things that she had never felt before.

It was not her first time fighting monsters. In the Demon Continent, fighting was a way of life. However, this time, she hadn't fought alone. There were people who treated her as their equal, and William even held her hand most of the time.

The little girl placed her hand over her chest as she pondered on what the source of this warmth that she was feeling inside her chest was.

She wished, with all of her heart, that there would be more opportunities where she would experience this feeling again.

"I don't want to be alone again," Chiffon said softly as the tender feelings wrapped itself over her cold body.

She had been alone for a very long time, and longed for the warmth of someone that would stay by her side… forever.

Chapter 532: My Era Has Come

"Have you heard the news? They said that someone has broken the record of the academy in the Individual Rankings."

"I did. According to the Fifth Years, Prince Jason has broken the record that had been set by the First Prince."

"His Highness is truly a prodigy. I bet that all the girls in his class are looking at him with infatuation."

"Hasn't that always been the case?"

"I wish that they would just post the result now. Must they keep us all in suspense? I want to see which classes were able to get the highest points this year."

"Why are you in a hurry? Do you have a bet with someone?"

"Yes. I made a bet with a Third Year student from Class F. That moron said that they would be ranked first this year, so I agreed to the bet."

"How lucky. You got some easy cash there, Bro."

"I know, right?"

The students were getting rowdy as they waited in the Academy Plaza for the results of the Quarterly Assessment Test.

This was where all the points of the different classes in each school year would be posted. Not only that, it would also show the individuals who gained the highest merits in each Year Grade as well.

These Individuals would often be sought out by the High Officials, and nobles of the Kraetor Empire to train under their guidance. This way, they would have a talented subordinate that would help them out in the future.

"Look! It's Prince Jason!"

"He's so handsome!"

"He must be feeling proud of himself for beating the record that his older brother made a few years ago."

"Definitely. I know I would be grinning from ear to ear if that were to happen to me."

Prince Jason had a friendly smile on his face as he made his way at the very front of the Giant Monument at the center of the plaza. The crowd parted before him, and all of them bowed their heads to show their respect for the Prince of their Empire.

Prince Jason didn't stop walking until he arrived at the very front row, where most students were waiting for the result.

The Prince ignored all of them and raised his head to look at the very top of the monument. There, a name, written in bold letters shone brightly even when the sun was at its zenith.

Maximilian Hal Kraetor

The name of the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire shone brightly. This name had been the target of all the students inside Silverwind Academy. A name that they had long wanted to surpass in order to gain untold honors from their Emperor.

Prince Jason sneered in his heart because he had long wanted to prove that he was better than the First Prince of the Empire. He had been feeling giddy since the moment he woke up that morning.

Why?

Because this was the day, when his name would appear on the top of the monument. A name he believed would remain at the top even after hundreds of years had passed.

It was the greatest honor within Silverwind Academy. Just imagining all of the students looking up to his name made Prince Jason almost laugh out loud. However, since he was a Prince, he needed to maintain his image.

Suddenly, a commotion happened. The crowd once again parted to allow three beautiful ladies to pass unimpeded. They were Prince Jason's cousins.

Emperor Leonidas had three sons, and two daughters. Currently, his three sons were vying for the throne.

The current Emperor was old, and he had also announced that he would only remain in his position for two years before handing it out to one of his sons. No one knew whom the Emperor was leaning on, but the battle between the three brothers was being waged in the shadows.

Although their children didn't dabble in politics, the young princes' and princesses' accomplishments would also give their parents a much needed boost in popularity if they performed well inside the Academy.

"So you are here, Big Brother Jason," one of the beautiful ladies with long blonde hair, and gray eyes, said with a smile. Her eyes softened as she looked at her Big Brother whom she had secretly loved all these years.

"Vanessa, it's been a while," Prince Jason replied with a nod. "Big Sister Hannah, Big Sister Amanda, I pray that both of you are well?"

"I'm good," Princess Hannah answered. "The Assessment Test was quite competitive this year. Did you manage to get some good points, Cousin?"

Prince Jason crossed his arms over his chest and gave his cousin a mysterious smile. "I think I managed to get some decent points."

"Heh~" Princess Amanda chuckled as he looked at her cousin who was looking back at them with a confident smile. "There are rumors going around that you have beaten Big Brother Maximilian's record. How true is this rumor?"

Prince Maximilian was Princess Amanda's blood brother. The two of them had a very good relationship with each other, and always watched each other's back. Seeing that someone was threatening her Big Brother's position, Princess Amanda felt anxious inside her heart.

Prince Jason didn't answer and only smiled at his cousins. He was doing his best to not boast in front of them, because he wanted to see the look on their faces when his name appeared on top of the monument.

"You look very smug today, Cousin."

A deep and confident voice reached Prince Jason's ears, and the latter clenched his fist before looking at the direction where the voice came from.

Four good looking teenage boys walked with grace, which made the faces of the ladies in the plaza blush in delight.

They were the four young princes of the Kraetor Empire, and all of them had gathered to see the results of the rankings.

"Do I look smug right now?" Prince Jason asked the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire whom he had treated as his rival.

"Very," Prince Maximilian replied. "I could see your nose from beyond the Seventh Grade Residences. Looks like the rumors flying around have substance in them."

Princess Amanda's heart sank when she heard her Big Brother's words. Although she wouldn't believe the rumors until the evidence was right in front of her eyes, it still made her uneasy because of how confident Prince Jason looked.

"A Prince of the Kraetor Empire should be confident." Prince Jason shrugged. "If we can't even do that then we won't be suited for the position that was bestowed upon us. Isn't that right, Cousin?"

"True," Prince Maximilian replied as he placed his hands behind his back.

No more words were spoken between the two Princes. A subtle tension hung in the air as the rowdy crowd earlier quieted down. For some reason, it was very hard for them to speak because the presence of the Royal Family pressed down on them like a mountain.

A few minutes later, the bell of the academy started to ring. It was the spark that made everyone look at the monument at the same time.

The Giant Black Monument suddenly sprang to life as the names that had been written there months ago disappeared, and were replaced by new ones.

The first ones to appear were the Rankings of the First Years. It was immediately followed by the Second Years then Third Years, and so on, and so forth.

Prince Jason's lips curled up into a smile when he saw his name appear in First Place in the Individual Rankings of the Fifth Year Division.

The changes on the monument were happening gradually. It would still take a few seconds before it reached the top of the monument where Prince Maximilian's name shone in bold golden letters.

Prince Jason clenched his fist as he waited for his name to appear on the top. His smile became wider when his older cousin's name slowly faded from on top of the monument.

'My era has come,' Prince Jason mused. 'This time, all of you will look up to me.'

Every student in the plaza also noticed the change that was happening at the very top of the monument. All of them waited in bated breath as a new name appeared on the spot reserved for someone who had broken the previous records of the academy.

A name whose fame would spread far and wide in the Central Continent in the next years to come.

Chapter 533: Short-Lived Happiness

Jason Hal Kraetor

Merit Points: 621,489

A loud cheering broke out in the crowd when they saw Prince Jason's name appear on top of the monument. Anyone who was able to break the record of the academy was like an idol in their hearts.

This was the goal that everyone in Silverwind Academy strived for. They wanted their names to be at the very top of the monument, to be stared at by the future elites of the empire.

The Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire faced the crowd and gave them a princely bow that was overflowing with charisma.

Princess Vanessa's face reddened when she saw her beloved's name on top of the monument. She glanced at the handsome Prince, and hurriedly covered the lower half of her face with a fan, to prevent anyone from seeing the sweet smile on her face.

Prince Maximilian didn't look at his cousin's smug expression as his gaze remained fixated on the name on top of the monument.

'Fool,' Prince Maximilian sneered internally.

As the first Prince of the Kraetor Empire, he was privy to confidential information that was not readily accessible to the public. Since that was the case, he already knew that his record had been broken.

However, it was not only broken by one person.

It was broken by two people.

The Giant Black Monument showed things in its proper order. Since Prince Jason had broken his record first then his cousin's name would appear on the monument, albeit fleetingly. What Prince Maximilian was waiting for was the moment when his arrogant cousin's happiness would come crumbling down.

After paying the students his good graces, Prince Jason noticed that the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire was still staring at his name on top of the monument.

A sense of superiority bloomed inside his chest as he walked towards the First Prince who had always stood ahead of him for the past few years.

"Cousin, I got lucky this time," Prince Jason said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Prince Maximilian said. "You did well by breaking my record."

"This is the right attitude that a Prince should have. Cousin, let's go to the Whispering Wind Tavern later. Drinks are on me."

"I will take you up on that offer, Cousin. Make sure that you don't keep me waiting."

"But of course."

Prince Jason chuckled as he sneered at the First Prince internally.

'You sure know how to put on an act,' Prince Jason ridiculed Prince Maximilian in his heart. 'Let's see how long you can keep up that facade of yours, dear Cousin of mine.'

What Prince Jason didn't know was that The First Prince of the Kraetor Empire was already laughing internally. Prince Maximilian had already noticed that his cousin's name was starting to fade from the top of the monument.

Since he was the only one looking at the monument at the moment, no one had seen the changes that were happening. The oldest Prince waited for a few more seconds before shifting his gaze at Prince Jason who had a smug expression on his face.

"Dear Cousin, it's quite unfortunate that your happiness is short lived," Prince Maximilian chuckled as he pointed his finger at the top of the monument. "Your name is no longer written there."

Prince Jason sneered at his cousin before looking up at the monument. He thought that the First Prince was just saying nonsense in order to divert his attention away from him. However, the moment Prince Jason's eyes laid on the name that was written on top of the monument, his body stiffened and the sneer on his face disappeared completely.

William Von Ainsworth

Merit Points: 6,913,367

"W-What?!" one of Prince Jason's lackeys gasped in shock. "O-Over Six Million Merit Points?!"

It was not only Prince Jason's lackeys that had been shocked, but everyone in the plaza. They thought that they were only seeing things, but after rubbing their eyes repeatedly they had come to the conclusion that what they were seeing was real!

"Impossible! How could such a high merit exist?!"

"Prince Jason's was only over Six Hundred Thousand. This new record is nearly Seven Million! How could this be possible?!"

"Wait, I know that name. Isn't that the name of the Fiance of Princess Sidonie?"

"Now that you mention it, you are right! It's that guy that has been tossed to Class F!"

"T-This is truly unexpected. To think that one can gain this many merit points during the Assessment Test is a first."

Everyone was in uproar and William's name was spoken here and there.

Prince Maximilian had a devilish smile on his face as he patted his cousin's shoulder, who seemed to have lost the color in his face.

"I'll be waiting for you at the Whispering Wind Tavern Later," Prince Maximilian said. "Don't keep me waiting, Cousin."

Prince Maximilian chuckled as he walked away from the Giant Monument to return to his residences. The expression on his cousin's face was priceless, and he had succeeded in secretly recording it in a crystal because Prince Jason wasn't able to recover from the shock right away.

'I think I will meet with this boy named William,' Prince Maximilian thought. 'Someone as extraordinary as him will definitely be a good addition to our Empire. I heard that he is Princess Sidonie's Fiance. That girl sure knows how to pick good men.'

The First Prince of the Kraetor Empire was in such a good mood, that he didn't notice that he was humming as he walked back towards his residence in the academy.

Meanwhile, while everyone was in an uproar, a certain Shepherd had just left the bathroom alongside a beautiful lady with light-blue hair.

"The results of the Assessment Test should have been posted by now," Ashe said as she dried her hair with a bath towel. "Are you sure you don't want to go there?"

She was currently seated on the bed, and looking at the boy who was rummaging for clothes inside the closet.

"I'll look later," William said as he helped his lover wear her clothes. "The test results won't be going anywhere. Besides, I'd rather look at you than that Giant Black Monument. What's so good about it? Can those results be eaten?"

Ashe lovingly pinched William's ears because of his flattering words. The Half-Elf suddenly grinned mischievously as he counter attacked and pinched Ashe's…

"You're hopeless," Ashe replied as she grabbed the naughty hand that had repeatedly brought her to the peak of pleasure a few minutes ago. "Be serious, Sidonie and Chiffon are already waiting for us."

William kissed her lips before putting on his own clothes. Today was also a rest day for the students, so they planned to go to the Whispering Wind Tavern to celebrate.

The Half-Elf had gone there once when he was exploring the city in search of its popular attractions.

The Whispering Wind Tavern was a place that was exclusive for the nobles of the Kraetor Empire. No commoner could enter the place. Technically, William, Ian, and Chiffon wouldn't be able to enter.

Fortunately, Princess Sidonie was well-known in the Academy and in Silverwind City. it would be easy for them to enter the tavern since they were going to act as the Princess' entourage.

Also, William, Ashe, and Princess Sidonie, wanted to let Chiffon experience something that she had never experienced before. The Half-Elf had asked the little girl if she had drunk in a tavern before, and the latter firmly shook her head.

When WIlliam asked if she wanted to try going to one, Chiffon nodded her head like a hen pecking rice. The pink-haired girl was Half Dwarven, but she had never had the chance to drink wine in the past.

According to the information that William had gained from the System, Dwarves had a high alcohol tolerance. As for Ashe, William already knew what state she would be in after drinking a few glasses of wine.

The Half-Elf was half tempted to let his mermaid lover drink to her heart's content. That way, he would once again experience that aggressive mermaid that once tore off his clothes in her drunken state.

None of them were aware of the commotion that was currently happening in the Plaza of the Academy as William's fame shot up to the roof.

Chapter 534: Let’s Go Darling. It’s Now Time For Our Date

William and Ian walked side by side as they headed to the girl's dormitory to pick up Princess Sidonie and Chiffon.

The Half-Elf noticed that all the students that he passed were looking at him with various expressions. Some look at him with admiration, envy, and jealousy, but none of them looked down on him like they did a week ago.

The Half-Elf had a calm expression on his face, but deep inside he was feeling smug because of the attention he was getting. Since he had declared that he would be Chiffon's caretaker, he needed to show his classmates that he was capable of backing up his words.

Ian, who seemed to have guessed why the students were acting like this, chuckled internally.

'I guess the impact of your performance shut them up completely,' Ian said through telepathy.

Although she didn't say it out loud, she was very proud of William's accomplishments. Any girl would be happy if their man was an outstanding person. Ian wouldn't admit it, but she had admired William since he had saved them from the Mountain Trolls on their way to the Temple to take the Test of Courage.

'As long as they don't bother us, I won't come looking to bother them,' William replied. 'I came here to the Kraetor Empire to lift the curses on your bodies. It's just the Emperor is playing hard to get and stalling for time. Without his approval, I am not allowed to visit Aamon's Temple.'

Ian nodded. Even with Princess Sidonie's help, the Emperor hadn't yet agreed to William's request to go to Aamon's temple to have an audience with the God that was responsible for placing a curse on their bodies.

The Emperor, however, told William that he should enroll at Silverwind Academy for the time being and show him what he was capable of. Once he deemed that he was worthy to meet with their Deity, he would give his approval, so that William could visit Aamon's temple.

The two of them continued their journey towards the Girls' Dormitory, however, the moment they entered its premises a dozen girls appeared out of nowhere and clung to William.

"Sir William, you are amazing. I know that you are Princess Sidonie's fiance, but I can't stop myself from loving you," a cute girl said with starry eyes. "Can you please, make me your mistress? Even a concubine will do!"

"Sir William, pick me instead," the girl clinging to William's left arm pleaded. "I am a good cook, and I have been trained with proper etiquette. Do you have a maid? I can be your personal maid. Of course, if you also want me to warm your bed at night, this humble servant will happily serve you all night."

"Pick me, Sir William! I am the only daughter of Baron…"

"I am the third daughter of Duke...."

William was bombarded by proposals left and right, and was unable to get rid of the girls clinging to him. Even Ian who was just standing beside him a minute ago was pushed aside by the crowd of girls that was growing by the minute.

"Girls, please, listen to me," William said in a suave voice that would put all the best Hollywood Actors to shame. "I know that I am handsome, and awesome, but you shouldn't fight for me like this."

The Half-Elf raised his head to look at the sky. It was at this moment when a gentle breeze ruffled his hair, making the hearts of the ladies around him skip a beat.

"Beautiful ladies, I apologize because my heart is not big enough to fit all of you," William said in a tone filled with regret.

"However, I believe that all of you will be able to find a man that is less handsome and less awesome than me. Life is filled with unexpected surprises, so don't give up. I am but one of the many fishes in the ocean. I pray that you girls will find your beautiful ending someday.

The girls blushed because of William's shameless words. Although the bastard Half-Elf had explicitly told them that they would never find a man as handsome and awesome as him, they still thought that he was just teasing them.

They became more rowdy and started to say things like "Kyaaah! Sir William is so romantic!", or "Sir William is what all men should aspire to be!"

Ian, who had been pushed away, stared at the crowd as if she was staring at lunatics that hadn't taken their medicine for the day. The mermaid was half tempted to summon her whip and whip the crazy girls until they returned to their senses.

She then glanced at the smug-faced-bastard-Half-Elf and cursed him internally. Although she understood that William couldn't possibly push the girls away because he might hurt them, seeing dozens of pretty girls clinging to her lover was making her feel irritated.

"Will, what's this? Are you planning to cheat on me?"

A cold yet seductive voice reached William's and the crowd's ears. All of them turned to look at the entrance of the Girl's Dormitory where a very sensuous beauty stood with a sweet smile.

"Your Highness, how can I possibly cheat on you?" William replied as if he was wronged. "These beautiful ladies and I were merely discussing how beautiful the weather was. Am I right, everyone?"

""Yes!""

The girls giggled because of the way William replied to Princess Sidonie. His teasing voice tickled their heartstrings, and they felt regret that they hadn't met a young man just like him.

Chiffon, who was standing beside Princess Sidonie, looked at the crowd before shifting her attention to the Half-Elf who was surrounded by women.

The little girl was currently licking a lollipop, as she stared unblinkingly at the red-headed teenager who had declared to become her caretaker.

For a brief moment, something flashed within the depth of her clear and beautiful eyes. It didn't last long and immediately disappeared in the next second. However, her foot subconsciously stepped forward.

Before she knew it, she was already walking in William's direction. The girls' who saw Chiffon walking towards them immediately backed away.

Chiffon was notoriously known as the Trash Eater, and none of the noble ladies wanted to be near her. They were afraid that if they were to breathe the same air around her, they would breathe in the stink of the garbage that she regularly ate.

Thanks to Chiffon's deterrence, the girls who were clinging on William hastily retreated, leaving the Half-Elf all alone.

The little glutton reached out her hand and held William's left hand. She didn't say anything and simply licked the lollipop inside her mouth. Chiffon didn't understand why, but the moment she held William's hand, the lollipop inside her mouth suddenly tasted sweeter compared to before.

Princess Sidonie shook her head as she, too, walked towards William.

The Half Elf then bent his arm to allow the beautiful Princess to hold on into it.

"Shall we go?" William asked.

Princess Sidonie didn't say anything. Instead, she reached out to hold the back of William's head and pulled him close to her.

Right in front of all the girls at the entrance of the Girl's Dormitory, Princess Sidonie kissed William's lips.

The Half-Elf was surprised by the Princess' action, but played along with his lover's wishes. The two kissed, and kissed, and kissed more, making the girls looking at them blush in excitement and anticipation.

After a while, their kiss finally ended. Princess Sidonie leaned on William's chest, while the latter wrapped his right arm on her back.

"Let's go, Darling," Princess Sidonie said. "It's time for our date."

William nodded as he guided Chiffon, and Princess Sidonie outside the gates of the Girl's Dormitory.

Ian followed behind them without a word like a retainer. She had already had her fun with William earlier, so she didn't mind letting Princess Sidonie have her turn.

With two beauties in each hand, and a handsome retainer behind his back. The Half-Elf entered the teleportation gate that would bring them to Silverwind City.

Their destination, the Whispering Wind Tavern. A place where the noble students gathered for fun, and to gossip about the recent events that had happened within the Academy.

Located on the top floor of the tavern, Prince Jason, along with the other members of the Kraetor Royal Family gathered. They were seated at a table exclusively for them, while their peers were seated on tables around them.

The atmosphere was very lively because the students were currently in a festive mood. Their Assessment Test had just ended, and all of them wanted to enjoy themselves, while the school was still on break.

Everyone had smiles on their faces, but among them, a certain Prince was seething inside his heart.

'Damned Half-Elf,' Prince Jason cursed internally. 'Why must you always get in my way? You should have stayed in the countryside, you plebeian!'

Prince Jason had hated William ever since he had placed the Collar of Wisteria on Princess Sidonie's neck. He had also seen the way that the beautiful Princess looked at the Half-Elf and it filled his heart with jealousy and envy.

Unknown to Prince Jason, the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire was observing his every action in a subtle manner.

Prince Maximilian was not a schemer, but he was a witty individual. He knew when to attack, and when to defend. He was just waiting for the perfect moment to strike and make sure that his target would be unable to recover from the devastating blow that he had prepared.

Chapter 535: My Business Is None Of Your Business

"The two of you really made a scene back there," Ian said as they rode a carriage that would bring them to the Whispering Wind Tavern. "Was that really necessary, Princess?"

Princess Sidonie, who was currently resting her head on William's shoulder, smiled sweetly at Ian.

"Of course it is necessary," Princess Sidonie replied. "I need to make sure that those nobles know that Will is my lover. This way, it will deter those who intend to lay their hands on him. Isn't that right, Will?"

"Mmm." William hummed as he agreed to his lover's words.

Right now, he had his hands full with the Princess and Ashe. Adding a dozen pretty noble girls to the list of his lovers was not part of the reason why he came to the Kraetor Empire.

Although what Princess Sidonie did was very bold, and unexpected, it was also very effective. When the news of their public display of affection spread inside the academy, the noble ladies would probably back off, in fear of angering her.

Chiffon, who was holding William's left hand, licked the lollipop in her hand in silence. She didn't join in the conversation and merely listened. For her, being around the Half-Elf was enough.

Since William had declared that he would be her caretaker, the little girl decided to stick close to him to avoid the stares of ridicule and contempt that were always sent in her direction, whenever she walked around the academy.

A few minutes later, the carriage finally arrived at their destination.

A very enthusiastic staff greeted Princess Sidonie and personally guided her, and her entourage towards the top floor, where the luxurious accommodations for the high ranking nobles of the Empire were waiting for them.

"Today seems to be a special day, Your Highness," the staff said with a smile. "Aside from your presence, the other Princes' and Princesses' of the Empire are also here."

Princess Sidonie smiled as she told the staff that today was indeed a special day. However, she didn't divulge any details and acted mysterious.

The staff member knew better than to seek information from the Royal Family, so he didn't pry any further.

"Please, enjoy your stay, Your Highness," the staff member said as he opened a luxurious door.

As soon as the door was opened, the sound of laughter and merry-making reached their ears. Only when Princess Sidonie stepped inside the room did people start to notice her presence.

The staff led the Princess to an empty table near the balcony where a scenic view of the city could be seen.

William played his part and pulled the chair out to allow the princess to sit. He did the same for Chiffon, while Ian pulled a chair out for him to sit on.

Right now, Ian played the role of the retainer. Since she had plenty of experience serving Est in the Hellan Kingdom, her actions were very natural.

The nobles that were being rowdy earlier quieted down a bit as they chatted while paying attention to the beautiful Princess and her lover, who was currently the Top Ranker of the entire Academy.

Princess Sidonie and William didn't pay them any attention and gave the waiter their order. After the waiter left, the place returned to its lively atmosphere, but everyone still perked their ears for any juicy gossip that Princess Sidonie and William might spill as they chatted inside the Tavern.

Prince Jason clenched his fist from under the table as he stared at William.

Princess Vanessa who always had her eyes on her Prince followed his gaze. That was when she saw William and Princess Sidonie talking casually to each other.

As a member of the Royal Family,s he had known about the Half-Elf that had traveled to their Empire as part of Princess Sidonie's entourage. She was also aware that the collar that the beautiful Princess wore came from William as well.

Although the Half-Elf was indeed handsome, Princess Vanessa only had Prince Jason in her heart. The Princess also felt slightly jealous of Princess Sidonie. She couldn't count how many times she had dreamed that her beloved cousin would attach a collar on her neck, and claim her as his wife.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the courage to tell anyone about this dream, in fear that they would laugh at her for aiming for the moon.

"Cousin, can you tell me more about that young man, William?" Prince Maximilian asked Prince Jason, who was looking at William with a calm expression on his face.

"Him? He's nothing more than a shepherd who tended goats and sheep in the countryside," Prince Jason replied. "There's nothing special about him."

"Really? You call someone who managed to gain over six million Merit Points nothing special?" Prince Maximilian chuckled. "If there's nothing special about him then both of us are just pebbles on the ground. Dear Cousin, I think your judgement is clouded by jealousy right now."

Prince Jason forcefully tore his gaze from William and shifted it to the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire. He knew that Prince Maximilian was just provoking him, so he decided to show him that he was not someone that the latter could step on lightly.

"What do you mean by that, Cousin?" Prince Jason asked.

Prince Maximilian smiled as he met his cousin's gaze straight on. "You are in love with our cousin, Princess Sidonie, are you going to deny it?"

Vanessa felt her chest tighten when she heard Prince Maximilian's words. Although this possibility had crossed her mind in the past, she tossed it aside completely.

Why?

It was because of the collar on Princess Sidonie's neck.

The Kraetor Royal Family had a custom that any member of the Royal Family that had been given a collar, would become the life-long lover of the person that gave it to them.

One could even say that it was the unwritten law of the Royal Family, and no one had challenged this tradition since the Empire had been established.

Because of this, Princess Vanessa managed to curb her jealousy because she knew that her beautiful cousin was already taken by another man. However, this idea she had tossed aside was now brought back to the surface by Prince Maximilian who had a confident smile on his face.

"My business is none of your business," Prince Jason replied. "Instead of minding my affairs, you should focus on your own, Dear Cousin."

"Oh my, it seems that I hit a sore spot. Well, it's fine if you don't want to admit it." Prince Maximilian chuckled. "It's already written on your face."

Prince Jason snorted before drinking the wine in his cup. He then made a gesture for the waiter assigned on their table to fill it up again.

Princess Vanessa's hand under the table trembled. Even though her beloved cousin didn't answer Prince Maximilian's question, his actions already spoke volumes.

'No. this can't be…' Princess Vanessa felt an ache on her chest as her unique ability confirmed her suspicion. 'He's in love with her.'

Princess Vanessa had the unique ability to know if people were telling the truth or not. Her parents had strictly forbidden her from sharing this secret with anyone because this was a trump card that they could use during critical moments.

Since people could lie anytime they wanted, they needed someone with the ability to discern the truth from what was false. This ability had already helped Princess Vanessa's parents secure some merit for the Kingdom, and made Emperor Leonidas very pleased.

"What's wrong, Vanessa?" Princess Amanda asked. "Your face is very pale. Did something happen?"

"I-I think I drank too much wine, Big Sister," Princess Vanessa stuttered.

Although Princess Amanda and Princess Hannah were not her blood related sisters, Vanessa had always referred to them as Big Sisters, and the two Princesses' treated her like their own.

Princess Vanessa's twin brother, Prince Rainier, looked at his sister with worry.

"Vanessa, do you want to return to the Academy?" Prince Rainier inquired. "I can take you back if you're not feeling well."

"Sorry, everyone," Princess Vanessa lowered her head. "I think I will return to the Academy. I'm not feeling well."

Princess Amanda patted the younger Princess' head. "I knew that it might be a bit early for you to drink wine, but I still allowed it because today was a day for celebration. I shouldn't have forced you earlier. I'm sorry, Vanessa."

"I-It's fine, Big Sister," Princess Vanessa stuttered. "As a member of the Royal Family, I have to get used to it sooner or later."

Prince Rainier had already stood up from his seat and walked towards his twin sister. He was quite worried about her condition, so he immediately suggested that they return to the Academy in order to allow her to rest.

The twins left the tavern, accompanied by their retainers. Their sudden departure didn't decrease the liveliness of the surroundings, because Princess Vanessa and Prince Rainier had always kept a low profile.

They were not like Prince Maximilian or Prince Jason that the younger generation looked up to because of the accomplishments that they had achieved in their age. For them, the twins were only part of the Kraetor Royal Family and nothing else.

"Instead of looking at what you can't get, why not look at the one who only has eyes for you?" Prince Maximilian muttered.

Although he seemed to be just saying random things, Prince Jason understood that the First Prince's words were targeted at him.

Prince Jason pretended not to hear Prince Maximilian's words and stood up from the table. He then made his way towards William's and Princess Sidonie's table, while carrying a wine cup in his hand.

Clearly, he was not satisfied with the way the two were chatting with each other, and he intended to put a stop to it; by force if he had to.

Chapter 536: Sweeter Than Lollipops

Inside the Kraetor Royal Palace....

"You've been praising him a lot since you returned here to the Empire," Emperor Leonidas said. "At first I thought that you were just exaggerating. But now, I'm starting to think that your praise is well deserved."

Evexius, the Grand Archmage of the Kraetor Empire, bowed his head respectfully. "Your Majesty, that boy is someone we should bring to our side. His potential is limitless."

Emperor Leonidas tapped the side of his armchair as he looked outside the window. He didn't agree or disagree with Evexius' proposal, but the Grand Archmage knew that the Emperor had agreed with him.

"That Domain is going to open in three months." Emperor Leonidas stared at Evexius. "The top finalists in the tournament will participate in exploring that domain. If he becomes one of the finalists, I will consider your suggestion."

Evexius nodded. "Your Majesty, I only have one concern."

"Yes?"

"It's Prince Jason. He is in love with Princess Sidonie. I'm afraid that he might do something reckless and provoke William."

"Mmm." Emperor Leonidas hummed as he leaned on his chair. "You may go, Evexius. Whatever happens between Jason, and that boy, William, is something that they have to settle between themselves."

"Y-Your Majesty, you mean?"

"Nothing is settled yet. It will depend on both of their performances in the upcoming tournament. Also, His Excellency Aamon, is expecting that boy's visit to his temple."

Evexius frowned, but didn't say anything. It was not his place to ask what their God wanted from the boy. The only thing he cared about was the continuous prosperity of the Kraetor Empire.

"Hey, Shepherd, looks like you did well in the Assessment Test," Prince Jason said as he walked up towards William's and Princess Sidonie's table.

The Half-Elf turned his head to look at the Prince before raising one of his eyebrows.

"And you are?" William asked.

The corner of Prince Jason's lips twitched because of the Half-Elf's unexpected reply. They were currently in the Kraetor Empire, and he was its Fifth Prince. Also, they had met several times back in the Southern Continent, and William was pretending that he didn't know him?

Absurd!

Princess Sidonie lowered her head, because she was doing her best to suppress a giggle from escaping her lips. William really knew how to get on people's nerves. The Half-Elf had probably known that Prince Jason was after his woman.

Since that was the case, he didn't need to be civil with him. Even if he was the Prince of the Kraetor Empire.

"Surely you jest?" Prince Jason said with a smile. "How can you possibly not know me?"

"Are you famous then?" William asked back. "I don't really know who you are. Can you please introduce yourself to me?"

The lively tavern became silent as everyone listened to William's and Prince Jason's conversation. Everyone was thinking the same thing.

'How could you possibly not know the name of our Prince?'

Suddenly a loud laughter reverberated inside the room. The First Prince of the Kraetor Empire, Prince Maximilian, laughed heartily as he looked at William from his table. This was the first time that he had seen someone toying with Prince Jason, and it raised his impression of the red-headed teenager drastically.

"William, was it?" Prince Maximilian raised his winecup after his laughter ended. "I toast to your good health."

William raised his own winecup with a smile. "It is my honor for Prince Maximilian to know my lowly name. May your Highness live a long and happy life."

""Cheers!""

Both teenagers raised their winecup and drank its contents happily. There was a famous saying that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Since it was very obvious that both of them treated Prince Jason as their enemy, they would stick together as allies.

"Are you still going to act dumb, Shepherd?" Prince Jason inquired. "You know the name of the First Prince, and you don't know mine?"

He was currently doing his best to stop himself from throwing his wine cup at the irritating Half-Elf who was mocking him on purpose.

"Sorry, but I only know famous people," William replied with an apologetic expression. "Prince Maximilian is the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire and held the highest record in the previous Assessment Test. A celebrity like him is well known by everyone. Um, let's go back to the topic. Who are you again?"

Another loud laughter from the First Prince erupted and it grated in Prince Jason's ears. If not for the fact that there were many witnesses inside the Tavern, he would have already engaged William in a duel.

In the end, the Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire held his irritation back and decided to play along with the Half-Elf's game.

"Listen, I am the Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire," Prince Jason said with veiled contempt. "Jason Hal Kraetor."

"Chiffon, you should eat more vegetables, instead of eating only meat." William placed a few carrot sticks on Chiffon's plate, while the latter nodded her head obediently. "I want you to grow up as a beautiful lady in the future, so you need to eat a balanced diet. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Big Brother," Chiffon replied. "I will do as you say."

"Good girl. Um, what did you say your name was again?" William asked as he shifted his attention back to Prince Jason, whose hand was already on the hilt of his dagger.

"You, Bastard! Stop messing around!" Prince Jason shouted and his aura exploded around him.

A powerful gust of wind blew away the tables near him, including the nobles' tables, who were watching the scene with dumbfounded faces. The Fifth Prince was about to lunge towards William to beat the crap out of him, but two people grabbed both of his arms and held him in place.

"Cousin, get a hold of yourself!" Prince Maximilian warned as he held Prince Jason's right arm firmly. "Remember where we are. If news of this spreads, your reputation will suffer."

The Third Prince of the Kraetor Empire, Kevin Hal Kraetor, grabbed Prince Jason's left arm to prevent him from making a bigger scene.

"He's right, Cousin," Prince Kevin commented. "If the Emperor got wind of this, you might get punished for endangering the lives of the other nobles."

Prince Kevin had already placed a magical circle around the three of them to prevent anyone from listening to their conversations. Although there were some people that were capable of lip reading, since most noble children weren't taught this skill by their parents.

Prince Jason forcefully reigned in his anger, and stopped struggling. He gave the Half-Elf one last glare before telling his cousins to release him.

Prince Maximilian and Prince Kevin let go of his arms, but remained where they were. Although they would like to see Prince Jason make a fool of himself, it would reflect badly on them if news of the Fifth Prince Rampage was to reach the ears of the Emperor and their parents.

Since they were at the scene, they were duty bound to stop Prince Jason's reckless actions to preserve the dignity of the Royal Family. Not doing anything would definitely make the Emperor become disappointed in them, and this was something that they didn't want to happen.

Prince Jason turned around to leave the Tavern before he totally lost control of his remaining reason. His lackeys hurriedly followed behind him, but none of them dared to talk to him, or walk near him.

Only fools would do that, and they were not fools.

"You really are something, Sir William." Prince Maximilian praised. "I have heard great things about you. The Hero that had protected his Kingdom from an Elven Invasion, truly a man of the times. I wish that I can be someone like you."

"Hahaha! You praise me too much, Your Highness," William replied as he scratched his head. "Feel free to praise me more."

The corner of Prince Maximilian's, and Prince Kevin's, lips twitched after hearing William's reply. The First Prince thought that he could settle the conflict by praising the red-headed teenager. However, he underestimated William's shamelessness.

'What a shameless person!'

This was the thought of everyone in the room, including the Two Princes, who were now regretting their earlier action of stopping Prince Jason from beating the crap out of William.

Princess Sidonie and Ian exchanged a glance as their bodies shook from trying to hold back their laughter.

Chiffon, on the other hand, was busy eating the carrot sticks that William had given her. Although she preferred eating William's lollipops, any food in between was fine with her.

'Big Brother sure is nice,' Chiffon thought as he looked at the Half-Elf who was now putting some meat pieces on her plate. 'Is this what it's like to have a Big Brother?'

Chiffon had older brothers, and sisters, as well. However, they paid her no attention. They avoided her at all times, and didn't even want to be in the same place as her.

While she was reminiscing these depressing thoughts, she felt a hand brush the top of her head.

"What's wrong? Are you not hungry anymore?" William asked in a teasing voice.

Chiffon raised her head to look at the Half-Elf who was looking at her with a gentle gaze. Suddenly a thought came to her mind as her heart beated wildly inside her chest.

'I wonder what Big Brother tastes like…,' Chiffon thought. 'Will he be as sweet as the lollipops he gives me daily, or will he be sweeter?'

The little girl didn't know the answers to her question. She hoped that one day, she would get to taste it. The taste of the Half-Elf who was currently patting her head with a smile.

Chapter 537: Is This What It Feels Like To Have A Pet?

A week passed after the Assessment Test and things finally settled back inside the academy. However, after the result of the test came out, it brought an unbelievable change to a certain class of the Third Year Division.

"Look, it's the Triple S!"

"Damn, this guys again!"

"Just because they became the top class, they started to become arrogant. The nerve of these bastards!"

Stanley, the leader of the group walked arrogantly with his head raised high. Steffan and Scott walked beside him and both of the boys were smiling.

"Do you hear that?" Stanley asked in a voice that was loud enough for the students to hear.

"I do." Scott chuckled. "It's the sound of sore losers."

The students who heard their words feel indignant because the losers of the past were now strutting on their high horse.

"Shut up, Scott!" one of the students of Class C shouted. "You only got lucky because of the Princess' Fiance! You and your class are only riding on his coattails!"

"Pffft!" Stanley sniggered as he eyed the student that was looking at them with disdain. "You don't understand. From the very beginning this was part of our strategy."

"What strategy?! Stop spouting nonsense!"

"That's right! You only just got lucky!"

"If not for Sir William, all of you would still be the worst class in this grade!"

Jeers and taunts flew in every direction. The spacious hallway that led to the classes of the Third Year was now crowded with students who couldn't accept the new status quo.

"Stanley, let's not waste our time on these sore losers." Scott chuckled. "This is why they will never raise their ranks. All of them are stupid."

"What did you say?"

"You want to fight?"

"Come! Show us what you can do, you bootlicker!"

The crowd circled the three boys, but before they could do anything, a friendly voice called out from behind the crowd.

"Good morning, Everyone. What is all the commotion?" William asked as he looked at the crowd that was blocking his way.

Chiffon was standing beside him, while licking a lollipop.

Everyone immediately recognized him and made a path for him to walk through. After the Assessment Test, William had become the idol of the Third Year Division. The girls adored him, and the guys wanted to be like him.

Although he was not part of the Royal Family, or a member of the nobility, right now, William's Status in the Academy wouldn't lose to the Princes' of the Kraetor Empire.

"Sir William. These Mofos are saying that Class F's rise in the ranks is due to their strategy. They're lying, right?"

"Sir William, I really admire you, I really do, but these bastards are taking credit for all of your hard work. It irritates me!"

"Yes. They even act as if they were the ones responsible for bringing Class F to the top!"

Several more complaints were hurled in William's direction. A few minutes later, the Half-Elf raised his right hand to tell everyone to stop.

"They are telling the truth," William stated. "If not for Stanley, Class F would not be in the spot we are now. It was all thanks to him that everything turned out the way it did."

Everyone shifted their attention to the good looking boy, who seemed to be waiting for this exact moment.

Stanley flicked his light-brown hair with his hand and sighed. "This is what I've been trying to tell them, but they wouldn't listen."

Scott, the chubby boy shook his head helplessly as he scanned the faces of the crowd that had surrounded them from all sides.

"Sometimes, the truth is hard to believe, but it is still the truth," Scott said sagely. "Even if Sir William managed to gain nearly Seven Million Points, that would not be enough for an entire class to reach the number one spot."

Stanley nodded his head. "This is what you call Team Effort. We just played our role to ensure that all the classes wouldn't know the plan we had decided on beforehand."

Steffan, who was just listening at the side, was looking down at his shoes. He didn't dare raise his head because he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to keep a straight face from all the b*llsh*t that his two close friends were saying.

"That's right. It was a Team Effort," William agreed as he walked towards his three classmates.

He walked while holding Chiffon's hand because he wanted everyone to change their opinion of the little girl whom they had labeled Trash Eater.

Because everyone was focusing on William, they didn't notice the little girl that was by his side. Only after they had regained their senses did they recognize the pink-haired girl whom they had mocked and ridiculed behind her back.

"Sir William, why are you with the Trash Eater?" One of the boys from Class D asked. "Who knows what she ate for breakfast? Maybe she just went to the Garbage Dump to eat some rotten food that the kitchen had thrown out."

"Someone like her is not worthy to be by your side, Sir William," a pretty girl stated. "Having her around will only dirty your good name."

"Trash Eater! Get away from Sir William!"

The students shifted their attention on the pink-haired girl whose body trembled from their piercing glares.

William pulled her close to him in a protective embrace as he glared back at those who were ridiculing his ward.

"From this day onward, let it be known that this girl will be under my care," William declared. "She will no longer go to the Garbage Dump to eat, nor will she sleep in the stables. So, please, Everyone. Stop calling her Trash Eater."

The students glanced at each other and looked back at Chiffon with a complicated gaze. Her head was currently buried in William's chest, and the Half-Elf could feel something wet and warm staining his clothes.

William's arms held the fragile girl in his embrace as she cried silently. His heart ached because Chiffon was such an adorable and loveable girl. For her to suffer this injustice, due to the sin she carried, left a bitter taste in William's mouth.

"Everyone, what's going on here?"

Professor Ewan, the Homeroom Professor of Class F, parted the sea of students that were littering in the hallway.

"Classes are about to start," Professor Ewan announced. "Please, return to your rooms and wait for your professors."

The students gave William, and the little girl in his embrace, one last glance before returning to their rooms. Soon, only William, Chiffon, and the Triple S remained in the hallway.

"Let's go to our room," Professor Ewan stated. "Mr. Ainsworth, I don't mind if you come a bit late, but make sure to come to class. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Professor."

"Good."

Professor Ewan herded the other three boys into the classroom, while William patted the head of the crying girl who was hugging him tightly.

"It's fine," William said softly. "They will change their minds soon. Chiffon is so cute and adorable, I'm sure that after a month or two, people will start to approach you to become your friends."

"I don't need friends," Chiffon replied. "I just need Will, Ian, Sidonie, B1 and B2. I don't need anyone else."

William's hand that was rubbing Chiffon's head stopped when he heard the little girl's reply. Him, Ian, and Princess Sidonie were understandable. However, what surprised him was that Chiffon thought of B1 and B2 as friends.

Sensing the hand that was patting her head had stopped, Chiffon raised her hand and grabbed it. She then made the motion of patting her head, using William's hand.

The Half-Elf's heart almost melted due to Chiffon's cute gesture, so he immediately returned brushing the little girl's head until she finally calmed down.

'This is bad,' William thought. 'Is this what it feels like to have a pet?'

He had never had a pet before, but being around Chiffon was like taking care of a small adorable pet that followed him around.

Ten minutes later, William and Chiffon entered their classroom. The stains on his uniform had already been dried using Magic Power. He had also used his handkerchief to wipe the tear stains off from Chiffon's face and used a bit of water magic to wash them away.

Ian had returned to Class A to watch over Princess Sidonie. Her birthday was only ten days away, and the celebration would be held in Silverwind Academy's Grand Ballroom.

Originally, it was supposed to be in the Royal Palace. However, after thinking things through, Emperor Leonidas declared that his granddaughter would be celebrating her birthday in the Academy.

Professor Ewan stood in front of everyone and made an announcement.

"Everyone, ten days from now, we will celebrate Princess Sidonie's birthday party here in the Academy," Professor Ewan explained. "I want all of you to be on your best behaviors. I know that your heads are in Cloud Nine right now due to our current Rank. However, remember that we will not always be at the top.

"Arrogance without the strength to back it up will only cause your downfall. Remember that what goes around, comes around. Don't wait for the time when your arrogant words will be sent right back into your faces.

"This is true, especially for both of you, Stanley and Scott. I've been getting several complaints in the Staff Room. The two of you better behave, or else…"

Professor Ewan smiled, but his eyes screamed of murder. Stanley and Scott immediately nodded their heads in understanding.

William shook his head helplessly because what Professor Ewan said was true. The entirety of Class F had suddenly become arrogant after becoming the Top Class in the Third Grade Division.

The students of Class F had been bullied many times in the past. After having a taste of success, they suddenly felt like they were superior to others. It made them feel that they now had the qualifications to return the favor to those that had wronged them.

However, this would not be good in the long run.

'Fear leads to anger. Anger would lead to hate, and hate would lead to suffering,' William thought as he remembered the quote he once had seen in a movie back on Earth.

While the Half-Elf was in the middle of his thoughts, Professor Ewan continued his explanation.

"A month and a half after Princess Sidonie's Birthday, the Silverwing Tournament will begin," Professor Ewan announced.

"As you may already know, the winner of this tournament will have one of their wishes granted by the Emperor. This is not compulsory. Those who want to register for the tournament, make sure to tell me a week before the tournament starts."

Professor Ewan scanned the crowd. His gaze lingered at William for a few seconds before looking at the other students of his class. Right now, all the Professors in the Academy had their eyes on William.

He was currently the Dark Horse in the tournament, and everyone wanted to see the power of the teenager, who was now hailed as one of the strongest students in Silverwind Academy.

Chapter 538: Ian’s and Chiffon’s Secret

The days passed swiftly and the Staff of the Academy busied themselves with the preparations for Princess Sidonie's Birthday Party.

Several servants from the Royal Palace had been sent to the academy to help, and even the Head Butler of the Palace was mobilized into action.

"Everyone, Her Highness' birthday is just two days away," Michaelis, the Head Butler of the Kraetor Royal Palace, said in a commanding tone. "I don't want any mishaps to happen, so please, do your best. Do I make myself clear?"

""Yes!""

This was not the first time that a member of the Royal Family had celebrated their birthday in Silverwind Academy. Everyone already knew the arrangements that needed to be made, so the preparation was going at a smooth pace.

While everyone was doing their best to make her happy, Princess Sidonie was currently inside the Beach Villa, on the Tenth Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis.

As the day of her Eighteenth Birthday drew near, the power inside her body was starting to awaken. It was to the point that William had to help her with maintenance every two days, to prevent it from breaking out completely.

Her voice tinged with pleasure sounded inside the room, as William absorbed the power of her Divinity inside the gem embedded in his chest.

William had to admit that if he didn't have the Incubus Job Class, he would be hard pressed to help his lover alleviate the burning desire that was threatening to consume her.

"Darling, I promise that I will not let you rest on your birthday next month," Morgana vowed as she lovingly kissed William's lips.

After their passionate kiss ended, the beautiful succubus pressed her sinful body against her beloved before whispering in William's ears.

"I swore long ago that I will have your babies. I will not let you run away."

William kissed Morgana's neck before replying to her.

"I don't have plans on running away," William whispered. "Let's fight for thirty rounds if you like. The winner will get to order the loser to do one thing. What do you say?"

"Sounds good. Sidonie is also in agreement. Are you ready to lose, Darling?"

"Silly girl. Let's see if you will be able to brag after I'm done with you."

The two once again frolicked on the bed, not caring about what was happening in the outside world.

Ian was currently taking care of Chiffon. Due to William's declaration that he would take care of her, the students of the Academy no longer called her Trash Eater in the open. Especially since they were aware that the girl no longer visited the Garbage Dump since she started hanging around William and Princess Sidonie.

This change in her routine made the other students almost forget the things that she had done in the past.

Also, Chiffon was not only well fed, but also well taken care of. Her uniforms were clean, her hair smooth and silky, and her skin was white and radiant.

After weeks of rehabilitation, the pink-haired girl that everyone ridiculed was like a blooming flower that carried the scent of jasmines.

Even the boys in the academy were starting to take notice of this cute, and adorable girl, who seemed to have transformed from a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly.

There were even high-ranking nobles who were starting to think that she would be an ideal lover after a few years, once she had matured.

(A/N: Chiffon's race and age are only known by a select few, namely William, the Emperor Leonidas, and Evexius. Everyone else thinks of her as a twelve year old girl because of her cuteness and height.

Just in case any of you had forgotten, Chiffon is older than William by a year. She likes to call William Big Brother because she wanted to be spoiled by one, but her blood related brothers were scum, so there has never been an opportunity.)

As Ian and Chiffon strolled around the academy, the little girl seemed spaced out. Although she didn't mind being around Ian, she still preferred to hold William's hand. Although it felt rough to the touch, her heart felt at peace whenever they were together.

Also, her stock of chocolate lollipops grew by the day.

William was able to create fifty of each lollipop type, except for the Pink Lollipop. The effect of the chocolate lollipop lasts for three days. Even if Chiffon were to chew one, it wasn't much of a problem.

Chewing the chocolate lollipop made her not feel any hunger for a day. Right now, she had hundreds of them in her storage ring, so she felt at ease.

(A/N: Since she is the Sin of Gluttony, the effects of the chocolate lollipop is lessened. Instead of three days, its effect lasted only a day.)

Chiffon was now also able to enjoy regular food like normal people. Back then, she didn't really have the luxury of taking the time to enjoy the taste of the food, because her hunger had clouded her other senses.

Sometimes, she would wake up in the middle of the night in tears because she had a bad dream. A dream where her current life, and the happiness she was experiencing, was only an illusion.

If not for the fact that she slept beside Princess Sidonie every night, the pink-haired girl might have suffered from a nervous breakdown. She didn't want to return to those dark and difficult days when she had to fend for herself, alone.

Chiffon would rather stay in the dream and never wake up, if the reality that awaited her when she opened her eyes was a nightmare that she had to live with for the rest of her life.

"Ian, when will Big Brother return?" Chiffon asked as the two sat on one of the benches overlooking the Black Giant Monument in the plaza.

"Don't worry. He will be back soon." Ian patted Chiffon's head. "Why? Do you miss him already?"

Chiffon nodded before looking at the Giant Monument where the names of the most outstanding students of the academy could be seen.

William's name shone brightly at the very top of the monument, and Chiffon looked at it with a pout. Although she knew that William was Princess Sidonie's fiance, she couldn't help but feel envious of the beautiful princess because she had what she didn't possess.

When the two kissed in front of the Girl's Dormitory many days ago, she felt a slight pain in her chest. She didn't understand why she felt that way.

After leaving the Whispering Wind Tavern, she had consulted William about the pain she had felt back then. What the Half-Elf did back then was to place his hand over Chiffon's head and close his eyes.

Chiffon felt a slight tingling sensation as William activated his Life Mage Job Class and used a diagnostic scan on the little girl's body to check if there was something wrong with her. The test results showed that everything was fine, and Chiffon was perfectly healthy.

The pink-haired girl trusted William with all of her heart, so when the Half-Elf told her that there was nothing wrong with her, she thought that it was just a figment of her imagination.

However, whenever the image of the Princess kissing William appeared in her mind, the slight pain returned and it made Chiffon feel uncomfortable.

"Ian, does your chest hurt sometimes?" Chiffon asked. "Mine hurts from time to time."

Ian frowned, and decided to ask Chiffon more about the pain she was experiencing. Although she wasn't an expert in medical knowledge, she still knew the basics on how to deal with simple illnesses.

"What kind of pain do you feel?" Ian asked. "Is it a dull pain, a sharp pain, or a stinging pain?"

Chiffon placed her hand over her chest and closed her eyes. She recalled Princess Sidonie kissing William and felt a dull ache spreading in her chest.

"It's a dull pain," Chiffon replied. "If I hold the image long enough, I feel like I will suffocate from the pain."

"Image? What image?"

"The image of Sidonie kissing Big Brother. The pain, it's suffocating. It's hard to breathe."

Ian's body stiffened as she looked at the little girl beside her. She then pulled her close and gave her a hug, while silently cursing the Half-Elf who was spreading his pheromones everywhere.

"Stop thinking about it," Ian said softly. "Nothing is wrong with you. The pain you are feeling is normal. Sometimes, I feel like that, too"

"You do?" Chiffon opened her eyes and looked at Ian in surprise. "Do you also feel pain when you see Princess Sidonie kiss Big Brother?"

"No." Ian firmly shook her head. "However, back then, I also felt a similar feeling."

Yes. In the past, when William was together with Wendy, Ian felt the same. That dull ache in her chest as she looked at the lovey-dovey couple who were blatantly showing their affection in public.

"Is this pain really normal?"

"Yes."

In truth. Ian was on the fence about whether to tell the little girl the truth or not.

'Maybe it's just a crush,' Ian thought. 'Since William is the first person who treated her kindly, she feels a certain attachment and like for him. The moment that attention is diverted to other people, she unconsciously feels jealousy.'

Ian sighed internally and cursed the red-headed teenager a second time. Right now, she couldn't tell William what the little girl was going through. There was a possibility that William would distance himself from Chiffon, in order to prevent the little girl from developing feelings for him.

She knew that if that were to happen, Chiffon might close up her heart to people and return to the state she was in the past. Ian didn't want to see that happen because she found the little girl too pitiful.

"Chiffon, don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Ian said as she held Chiffon's hand firmly. "Not even to Will. This will be our secret. Can you promise me that?"

Chiffon nodded her head. Although she didn't understand why she must keep the pain she was feeling a secret from William, something inside her was telling her that Ian was right.

"Then, what should I do if I feel the same pain again?" Chiffon inquired as she stared straight at Ian's eyes.

Ian met her gaze steadily and smiled. "It's really simple. Whenever you feel that kind of pain, all you need to do is…"

Chiffon listened to Ian's suggestions and closed her eyes. As soon as she followed Ian's advice, the pain in her chest disappeared and was replaced by warm, and happy feelings.

The corner of the little girl's lips rose very slightly. It was very hard to detect, so Ian wasn't able to see it.

"Ian, you are right," Chiffon said with her eyes still closed. "I no longer feel any pain. I feel warm and safe."

"Mmm." Ian hummed.

Ian then hugged the little girl more firmly. Ian sincerely wished that Chiffon would find happiness in her life. Just like how she found her happiness, in the embrace of the person she loved.

Chapter 539: My Taste In Men Is Simply Amazing

William looked at the mirror while fixing his hair. It was six in the evening, and the party in the Academy's Grand Ballroom was already in full swing.

The Half-Elf didn't intend to go early because he didn't want to become the center of attention. His short exchange with Prince Jason had been a juicy gossip among the nobles, and many were looking forward to seeing how he would conduct himself at the birthday party.

If he had his way, he wouldn't bother joining the festivities. However, Sidonie had asked him to go, so he had no choice but to go.

William looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled.

"Ladies, prepare to get heartbroken," William said as he made a suave pose in front of the mirror. "This Sir, is already taken."

"..."

Ian, who was in the same room as William, shook her head helplessly. She already knew that William could be childish at times, and she was helpless against it.

"Let's go," Ian said as she approached the red-headed teenager who looked very handsome in his suit. "Sidonie and Chiffon are already there. Let's not keep them waiting."

William nodded. He glanced at the mirror one last time before heading out of the room.

Ian played her role as William's retainer, and walked a few steps behind him. They had already agreed upon a few things on what they would do at the party, and one of them was lobbying a certain Prince that was trying to get his hands on Princess Sidonie.

It didn't take long before they arrived at their destination. Several royal guards patrolled the surrounding area to ensure that nothing out of place would transpire during this important event.

As soon as William stepped inside the Ballroom, Chamberlain announced his name, which made everyone look in his direction.

William walked with grace, that wouldn't lose to the members of the Royal Family. He had already equipped the Sun Knight Job Class, which greatly enhanced his charisma, making the ladies that looked at him giggle in delight.

Princess Vanessa looked at the Half-Elf from where she was seated with a serious expression. She had also heard what had happened in the tavern after she and her twin brother had left.

The Princess couldn't believe that someone would treat her beloved that way, and it made her dislike the handsome Half-Elf who seemed to be enjoying the attention that everyone was giving him.

'Brother, do you know anything about him?' Princess Vanessa asked her brother, Prince Rainier, using telepathy.

Princess Rainier glanced at William's direction before answering her twin. 'I know very little of him. The only thing I know is that he is from the Southern Continent. He was the one that led the resistance against the Elves, who tried to conquer his Kingdom."

Since they were born as twins, they shared this unique ability to communicate with each other, as long as they were within five miles away from each other. This was quite similar to how Ashe could talk to William using the gem that was embedded in his chest.

The only difference was that Ashe could contact William even though they were miles away from each other. As long as both of them were in the same continent, the two lovers could talk to each other wherever, and whenever, they wanted.

Princess Vanessa nodded her head. She also didn't know much about the Half-Elf, but one thing was clear.

'He is Big Brother Jason's enemy,' Princess Vanessa thought as she looked in the direction where the Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire was currently at.

Prince Jason was at the opposite table, along with Prince Maximilian, Prince Kevin, Princess Sidonie, and the girl that everyone in the academy referred to as Trash Eater.

The pink-haired girl was wearing a pink ballroom dress that brought out her cuteness. She was like an adorable doll that made everyone attracted to her.

Fortunately, this doll didn't know how to smile. If she did, her charm would probably be as destructive as Princess Sidonie's.

The birthday girl was wearing a red princess ball gown, which enhanced her natural beauty. Her reddish-brown hair was neatly arranged, like that of a bride that was about to be married off to a Prince of the neighboring kingdom.

A tinge of myrth appeared in her mesmerizing hazel eyes, the moment she saw her lover walk in her direction.

From within their shared mindscape, Morgana squealed in delight because the Half-Elf was wearing the clothes that she had personally chosen for the party. She had already memorized William's body size, so it was very easy for her to pick a suit that suited him perfectly.

< I knew it. My taste in men is simply amazing. >

'That's OUR taste in men, Big Sister.'

< Fine~ >

While the two were giggling inside their Mindscape, William finally arrived at their table and bowed courteously.

"Happy Birthday, Princess," William said as he looked at the princess with gentle eyes. "May you always find happiness in your life for many more years to come."

"Thank you, Sir William," Princess Sidonie replied. "Please, enjoy the party."

"I shall, Your Highness," William bowed his head once more before shifting his attention to the adorable pink-haired girl seated beside Princess Sidonie.

"You look very cute in that dress, Chiffon," William grinned.

"Really?" Chiffon asked half in doubt.

It was Princess Sidonie that had picked the dress that she was wearing at the party. At first, she refused to dress up and insisted on only wearing her uniform. However, when the Princess mentioned that William would definitely praise Chiffon if she dressed up, the latter reluctantly agreed to Princess Sidonie's arrangement.

"Yes, you're very cute." William nodded in affirmation. "Well then, shall we go?"

William extended his hand to Chiffon, and the latter subconsciously reached out her hand as well. She had always been with William most of the time, and holding his hand felt natural to her.

"I'll be taking her for now, Princess," William said with a smile.

"Okay." Princess Sidonie nodded.

However, before William could leave, Princess Sidonie took the initiative to ask him for something that made Prince Jason frown.

"Sir William, can I reserve you for my first dance?" Princess Sidonie asked in a teasing tone.

Prince Jason looked at the princess before glaring in William's direction. He had already planned on asking her out for the first dance, but it seemed that his beloved cousin planned to avoid his advances.

"Naturally," William nodded. "Afterall, I am your fiance. It is only natural for me to have your first… and last dance."

The way William said the words had a deeper meaning in it. The beautiful princess and her seductive other half immediately understood what William was talking about, and they couldn't help but blush because of his boldness.

"I will look forward to it then, Sir William," Princess Sidonie replied and gave William the "You're not getting any sleep tonight" wink.

This playful exchange between the two made Prince Maximilian, and Prince Kevin give each other a knowing glance. They didn't expect that William was capable of doing such a feat, especially when he was in the presence of the Royal Family.

"You think too highly of yourself, Shepherd," Prince Jason commented from the side. "Know your place."

Prince Jason wasn't planning on saying anything, but the moment he saw the blush on his beloved's face, his jealousy burned within his chest.

Everyone was paying close attention to what was happening at the table of the Royal Family. Although the nobles kept their distance and were chatting with each other, their ears, and eyes, had locked in to the conversation that Prince Jason and William were having.

William frowned as he glanced at the Prince who was staring daggers in his direction.

"Who are you again?" William asked. "Sorry, but I only know important people."

Princess Sidonie's, Prince Maximilian's, and Prince Kevin's bodies stiffened at the same time. They didn't expect that William would openly provoke Prince Jason in front of everyone in Silverwind Academy.

The three princes wanted to slap the Half-Elf because he intended to have a repeat of what he did in the tavern, which was so close to becoming a brawl between William and Prince Jason.

"Oh? This is interesting. Someone in my Empire doesn't know the name of one of my Grandsons."

A deep and powerful voice said from behind William.

William turned around as he respectfully bowed his head in greeting.

"Good Evening, Your Majesty." William greeted Emperor Leonidas.

Emperor Leonidas gave him a brief nod in acknowledgement before repeating his question.

"Tell me, do you really not know his name?" Emperor Leonidas inquired.

Evexius who was standing not far from the Emperor sighed internally. The Emperor of the Kraetor Empire was someone that protected the reputation of the Royal Family. Anyone who dared to step on its dignity would be sent to the prison to be tortured for an entire week, before sending them to the gallows to be executed.

"Sorry, but I don't really know who he is," William replied fearlessly. "Why would I bother to know the name of the person that is eyeing my fiance with lusty eyes?"

All the students, including the Professors inside the Great Ballroom, sucked in a deep breath after hearing William's words. Although they were surprised that the Half-Elf dared to talk back to their Emperor, they were more surprised at the bomb that William had thrown at them.

Their gazes landed on the Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire who had a calm expression on his face. If what William said was true, Prince Jason's reputation would take a beating, and he would be the subject of the most juicy gossip the Kraetor Empire had ever heard in a long time.

Chapter 540: Too Smart For Your Own Good

"I don't know if you are very brave, or very stupid," Emperor Leonidas commented as he appraised the young man in front of him. "I think it is the latter."

William chuckled as he faced the Emperor with a devilish smile. "That is also what the Elves thought, before they got massacred. They thought of me as a stupid country bumpkin that only knew how to rear sheep in the countryside. Jokes on them, I'm not someone that they can step on lightly.

"You should have seen the look on their faces, Your Majesty, when their Demigod…"

William didn't finish his words and left it hanging in the air. His words carried confidence and even a subtle hint that he could do the same to the Demigod of the Kraetor Empire, if they went too far and annoyed him.

Naturally, this was just a bluff.

He was only able to capture Sepheron, the Demigod of the Elves, because Takam had helped him seal him for a period of time. If the pocket cube alone had been used against a Demigod, it would immediately be destroyed, and the capture would automatically fail.

If Takam didn't partake in Sepheron's capture, William would have had no way to deal with the Demigod of the Silvermoon Continent. He would probably run back to Lont, and hug Vlad's legs and ask him to deal with the Demigod who wanted to bully him.

'This boy sure knows how to cause a scene,' Evexius was starting to regret his decision of accompanying the Emperor to attend Princess Sidonie's Birthday Party.

"The last time someone threatened me, they suffered terribly before they died," Emperor Leonidas said.

"What a coincidence," William smirked. "I'm good friends with the dead. Do you want me to meet up with my friends, Your Majesty?"

William subtly opened the portal that led to the Undying Lands. Eight powerful auras descended inside the ballroom which made everyone gasp for breath. Before he came to the party, he visited the Undying Lands and asked Malacai if the Demigod could help him with his bluff.

After the war ended, Malacai had stepped into the Ranks of the Demigods, but he was still unable to break the chains that bound him. He would have to wait for a year or two before he was freed of his shackles.

Malacai agreed with William's request because he was feeling bored. Since there was nothing to do within the Undying Lands, scaring a Human Emperor was a good way to pass the time.

Emperor Leonidas had heard from Evexius that several powerful Undead helped William in the war against the Elves. Since he didn't see it personally, he was unable to estimate how strong these undead were.

The Emperor of the Kraetor Empire felt a chill run down his spine when he sensed something sinister among the eight auras that leaked into the Great Ballroom.

He wasn't too worried about the other Seven Powerful Auras that were being released. Although these auras belonged to the peak of the Myriad Beast Category, they were no match for the Demigod that watched over the Kraetor Empire.

What unnerved him was the eighth aura that he had perceived. This aura clearly belonged to a Demigod, and a very powerful one.

It was a presence that was stronger than the Protectors of the Empire and the Demigod that ruled them all.

"Your Majesty, I want to visit Aamon's Temple," William said. "You're going to give me permission, Yes?"

William was sick and tired of waiting for the Emperor to give him permission to meet with Aamon. He didn't come to the Kraetor Empire to enroll at Silverwind Academy, or to play mind games with the Royal Family.

Also, he still had to go to the Misty Sect for his promised battle with Rebecca that would be happening on the Founding Anniversary of her sect.

Since the Emperor wasn't taking him seriously, he had no choice but to show Emperor Leonidas that he was someone that the Royal Family didn't have the leisure to ignore.

William closed the connection to the Undying Lands because everyone in the ballroom, except for Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, Ian, Emperor Leonidas, and Evexius, were already gasping for breath.

The Half-Elf had shielded his two lovers, and the little girl that was holding his hand, from the effect of the Undead Auras.

For someone of Malacai's level, his Aura was several times more powerful than Ezkalor's Dragon Fear that could easily paralyze anyone below the Adamantium Rank (Centennial Rank).

"Since today is my Fiance's birthday, I will wait to receive his Majesty's answer tomorrow," William said as he gave Emperor Leonidas a curt nod. He then guided Chiffon towards the table of Class F who was looking at him as if he was a monster.

< Darling is so awesome! Damn, that confidence gave me the chills! >

Morgana had entered her fan girl state as she cheered for William inside their shared mindscape.

Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, had a complicated look on her face as she gazed at her lover from afar.

'Will, you took things too far.' Princess Sidonie sighed.

William had already told her his frustrations about the lack of reply from Emperor Leonidas in regards to his request. She had also helped William and talked to her grandfather once, but the latter brushed her inquiry aside and changed the topic.

< Sidonie, sometimes, the most direct method is the most effective. Darling is usually a carefree person, but when it comes to things that are important to him, he will not back down. I'm sure that he will do the same for us if we were in Ashe's and Est's circumstances. >

Princess Sidonie smiled bitterly because she also understood this. It is because she understood, that William's action made things complicated.

'Grandfather is not someone who takes threats lightly,' Princess Sidonie said. 'Although he will give Will his permission to visit Aamon's Temple, our lover's relationship with the Kraetor Royal Family will not be the same again.'

< No, Sidonie. I think you are misunderstanding something. >

Morgana replied to her other half with a smirk.

< This is not where we belong. We are from the Southern Continent, and we will return there someday. Whatever the Kraetor Emperor wants to do with his empire is none of your business. With that said, who we want to marry is none of his business as well. >

Princess Sidonie's eyes widened in realization. She had completely forgotten that she was only visiting the Kraetor Empire because she wanted to help William meet with Aamon in his temple.

Her other half was right. She didn't belong in the Kraetor Empire. Wherever Wiliam would be, that was where she would belong.

'Thank you for reminding me, Big Sister. I had practically forgotten that this was not the place I was born due to the VIP treatment that we are receiving.'

< You're too smart for your own good, Sidonie. Don't worry, as long as I'm around, you don't have to worry about the small stuff. >

Evexius walked towards Emperor Leonidas and stood by his side. He had served the Emperor for many years, and knew his personality. Deep inside he was even anticipating what was going to happen in the future.

'Congratulations, your Majesty,' Evexius said through telepathy. 'You succeeded in probing one of William's Trump Cards.'

The corner of Emperor Leonidas' lips raised slightly. Just like what Evexius had said, he was only probing William. He wanted to know how the Half-Elf would react if he faced him directly.

The Emperor of the Kraetor Empire wanted to know where William's confidence was coming from.

'You're right, Evexius,' Emperor Leonidas replied. 'I underestimated him. With this, I have gained more confidence in the plan we have in mind. We are going to proceed as planned.'

Evexius briefly nodded his head to acknowledge his Emperor's command. 'As you wish, Your Majesty.'

Chapter 541: I Am The One That Makes The Rules

The sound of music permeated the Grand Ballroom as two people danced at its center.

Princess Vanessa watched the two of them from afar in admiration, but it only ended in admiration.

She didn't envy them, nor felt jealousy. In fact, she even felt happy because William had made his stance. Princess Vanessa hoped that after William's show of force, her beloved Prince would give up on his pursuit from their cousin that hailed from the Southern Continent.

William firmly held Princess Sidonie's hand, and waist, as they danced across the ballroom. The princess had a sweet smile on her face, as she looked at her lover lovingly. They were like a match made in heaven, and everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts because the gorgeous pair looked good together.

What they didn't know was that the two lovers were in fact having a serious talk as they danced.

'What would you do if the Emperor didn't give you permission to visit Aamon's Temple out of spite?' Princess Sidonie asked. 'You should have endured a bit, Will, and talked to him properly.'

'Sidonie, you and I both know that talking to him will not work,' William replied. 'The Emperor is merely gauging me to see what I can do. Well, if he refuses to give me permission, I'll find other means to sneak into Aamon's Temple.'

'You're still going even if it means burning the bridge between you and the Emperor?'

'Yes. I don't have much time left to do the things I need to do. I'm on a tight schedule.'

< I suggest that the three of us elope! I bet that would be very interesting. >

William's smile stiffened because Morgana could also communicate with him directly due to the added feature on the Collar of Wisteria. As long as they were a mile away from each other, communication was possible.

The Half-Elf had also explained to Princess Sidonie that whenever her Divinity was going out of control, she should just immediately teleport to the Thousand Beast Domain, and ask William to help her.

Princess Sidonie knew that her lover couldn't stay with her all the time because someone like him carried many responsibilities. This was why being able to enter the Thousand Beast Domain at any given time was an advantage on her part.

Among William's lovers, she was the only one that had been given this capability. She could come and see him anytime, and return to the exact place where she activated the collar when she exited the domain.

'You read too many novels, Morgana,' William replied at Sidonie's other half that had been inspired by the latest romance book that she had read.

< Boo! Darling, you're no fun! >

Princess Sidonie chuckled internally as William and Morgana started a debate at the pros and cons of elopement. Soon, the music came to an end, and both of them bowed to each other.

Just as William expected, Prince Jason had stood up from his seat and walked towards Princess Sidonie. It was obvious that he was planning to ask her for a dance, but William had already taken this into consideration.

"Would you honor me with a dance, Princess?" Ian bowed respectfully and offered his hand to Princess sidonie.

"It will be my honor, Sir Ian," Princess Sidonie replied and accepted the invitation.

Prince Jason stopped halfway when he saw the recent development, William shot him a smirk before going towards his table, where Chiffon was waiting for him.

The pink haired girl looked at William with a calm expression. She was waiting for William to sit beside her, so that she wouldn't feel lonely, while Ian was away.

"Do you want to dance?" William asked.

Chiffon pondered William's question for a while before giving her answer.

"I don't know how to dance," Chiffon replied. "But, I memorized how you danced with Princess Sidonie. I don't know if I can fully imitate it, but I'll know when I try."

"Oh? Are you good at memorization?"

"Well, I can remember everything that I see."

William looked at the adorable girl with a curious gaze. He had heard that there were people that had incredibly good memories because they could remember practically everything that they had seen.

The term used for this was Photographic Memory.

"Well then, why don't we give it a try?" William asked. "Will you honor me with this dance, My Lady?"

Chiffon stood up from her seat and held William's outstretched hand. Other people were also going to the dance floor with their partners.

Surprisingly, Prince Jason and Princess Vanessa were also on the dance floor, right next to Princess Sidonie and Ian.

The one that invited Prince Jason to dance was none other than Princess Vanessa. Since the Prince was already standing in the ballroom, it would be awkward if he returned to his seat empty handed.

Because of this, Princess Vanessa took the initiative to invite him to dance with her. The Prince politely accepted her request and led her to the center of the dance floor, where the apple of his eye was standing.

'He really doesn't know when to give up,' William thought as she led Chiffon right next to Princess Sidonie.

Emperor Leonidas and Evexius looked at this scene from afar with knowing smiles on their faces.

"It's good to be young," Emperor Leonidas said.

Evexius nodded as he eyed the six children from afar. "Princess Vanessa had grown to be a fine and considerate lady. It's just a shame that the one she likes doesn't return her advances. Also, that girl, Chiffon, looks better now compared to how she was when she first arrived here."

Emperor Leonidas shifted his attention to the pink-haired girl that was dressed like a princess. Although he wouldn't say it out loud, he was quite happy with the way the little girl was being cared for by William, Princess Sidonie, and Ian.

"Her father is a bastard," Emperor Leonidas commented. "Seriously, we should have stopped April back then. She deserves someone better."

Evexius sighed as he nodded his head. "Sometimes, I think that she would have been happier if you had taken her as your concubine, Your Majesty."

"Yes. I should have done that. At least, she wouldn't be dead," Emperor Leonidas replied. His voice was tinged with regret. "Even if everyone in the family had opposed it back then, I should have been more bold. Now, it's too late.

"The only thing I can do is to watch over her daughter in her place, which I've also failed to do quite miserably. If not for that boy, William, Chiffon might still be eating at that Garbage Dump right now."

Emperor Leonidas looked at the little girl who was dancing with the red-headed teenager. Although her movements were a bit stiff, William was able to guide her properly.

"I forgot to tell you, Your Majesty, that person's envoys arrived at our borders yesterday. They will arrive in the Academy anytime. I'm sure that they will not be very happy if they see her being treated well. They will definitely demand that we cut any form of support to her immediately."

"Ignore them."

"They might insist that it is their duty and make contact with Chiffon," Evexius stated. "It's very possible that they might take her away by force if we don't comply."

Emperor Leonidas chuckled as he shifted his attention to his Grand Archmage.

"If they make any trouble, you have my permission to kick them out by force," Emperor Leonidas replied. "This is my Empire. I am the one that makes the rules.

"If we can't even protect one little girl then wouldn't we become the laughingstock of the Central Continent? Also, I doubt that He of all people will care. Afterall, he was the one that tossed the child away. Someone like him... doesn't deserve to be a father."

Evexius nodded. "Do I have your permission to eliminate them, Your Majesty?"

"I leave it in your care, Evexius. Just make it so that it doesn't get traced back to us."

"Understood."

When the second dance ended, Prince Jason approached Princess Sidonie to invite her to dance with him.

However, the Princess politely declined his request with the excuse that she was tired from dancing.

She then walked towards the table of the Emperor and sat on his right side. Prince Jason had no choice but to let her go, and joined the other Princes' at the table reserved for them.

The night went on, and the party went without any mishaps. Prince Jason made several attempts, but all of them were in vain because William blocked him every time.

After several attempts, Prince Jason reluctantly backed off. He didn't want to create a scene, so he held back his anger as he stared hatefully at the Half-Elf who was chatting happily with Chiffon.

'Just you wait, I will show you your place in the tournament,' Prince Jason vowed. 'It is not only you that can jump in the ranks using an ability. I can do that, too.'

A week ago, Prince Jason had been called by the Oracle at Aamon's Temple. There he received an artifact that was said to be one of Aamon's possessions.

Although the Prince was surprised at the unexpected gift that came from the Kraetor Family's Patron God, he was quite happy to receive it. He believed that William was only superior to him due to the Half-Elf's ability to jump to the Ranks of a Saint, for a short period of time.

Now that Prince Jason had the same ability in his possession, he wanted everyone to witness that William was nothing special. The only reason why he hadn't used this ability yet was because of Aamon's condition was that he could only use it during the tournament.

Outside of the academy…

"Let us in, we want to see Chiffon," a man wearing a black robe demanded. "We have an agreement."

"I know, but we can't allow you to enter the Academy right now," the Captain of the Guards of the Academy replied. "Today is Princess Sidonie's birthday, and the Royal Family is inside. If the Emperor sees you right now, he might become annoyed. I advise you to come back in two days. I promise that I won't get in your way then."

The black-robed man frowned, and exchanged a glance with their leader. He was only the spokesperson of their envoy, and it was not up to him to call the shots.

"Fine. We will leave for now," a deep and powerful voice stated. "We will return in two days. Make sure that you won't get in our way then."

"As long as you don't do anything unnecessary to the students of the Academy then I will allow you to pass. Remember, you are only allowed to see and talk to Chiffon. Contact with the other students is prohibited."

The leader of the envoy nodded. He gave the gates of the Academy one last glance before walking away under the cover of darkness.

Their mission was to check on Chiffon to make sure she was suffering. If she was not then they would do their best to make her life miserable.

It was the mission that had been assigned to them by their Lord who ruled in the Northern Continent, and they were duty bound to see it through at all cost.

Chapter 542: To Damnation And Beyond

In a sea-side port located in the Hellan Kingdom...

"Mistress, it's time to go," Oliver said as he looked at the beautiful Elf that was drinking tea, while staring outside of the room of their inn. "The ship bound for the Central Continent will be leaving in two hours. We should board it now, Mistress."

Celine placed the empty teacup on the table, but she didn't stand up right away. Instead, she glanced at the Parrot Monkey that had accompanied her for many years.

"Oliver, have you ever had the urge to return to the Silvermoon Continent?" Celine asked.

"No, Mistress," Oliver answered in a heartbeat. "I don't have much attachment to the Silvermoon Continent."

"Oh? I always thought that you wanted to see Grandfather."

"While it's true that I think of him from time to time, I have no intentions of returning to the Silvermoon Continent. Of course, if Mistress wants to go there, I will have no choice but to accompany you on your journey."

Celine smiled wryly as she stood up from her seat. She then took a purple hat, and covered her face with a veil. As a very beautiful elf, she was always in danger of being targeted by people with bad intentions.

Of course, Celine had dealt with several of these people in the past and had sent all of them to the afterlife.

Two hours later the ship headed for the Central Continent blew its horn to announce its departure. Celine, who was standing at the deck of the ship, looked at the Southern Continent with a sad expression.

"When I first arrived here, I didn't have any expectations," Celine said softly. "I thought that I would be living a dull and monotonous life, but Lady Fate thought otherwise."

Oliver, who was hiding in her shadow, listened attentively. He knew that Celine was feeling emotional, and decided to let her relieve the burdens in her chest.

"Isn't it funny, Oliver? I never imagined that I would have a Disciple in this lifetime." Celine chuckled. "It's quite unfortunate that the Disciple I chose is a troublemaker. He always makes me worry."

"That he is, My Lady. That he is."

"Say, Oliver. Do you think that we made the wrong decision in teaching William the Dark Arts?"

The Parrot Monkey pondered this question seriously. After a few minutes of silence, Oliver said his honest thoughts for Celine to hear.

"I think we made the right decision."

"You think?"

Oliver nodded his head. "If Mistress didn't make William her Disciple, I'm sure that life would have been… boring. While it's true that he has a penchant for trouble, he is also someone that strives to reach greater heights."

Celine nodded in agreement. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was very proud of William. During the war against the Elves, the boy went above and beyond her expectations.

"I only have one last thing to impart to him before I go and meet Master in the Demon Continent," Celine said. "Oliver, I think it would be best if you stayed by William's side. That way you would be able t-"

"I won't leave you, Mistress." Oliver cut Celine off before she could finish what she wanted to say.

"William doesn't need me anymore. He's no longer the helpless child that we need to save from time to time. He can already stand on his own. Also, I don't want the Mistress to be lonely. That is why wherever you will go, I will follow."

"Thank you, Oliver." Celine looked at the Southern Continent that was slowly getting farther and farther away.

She had already said her goodbyes to the people in Lont, and had tied up all loose ends before leaving. Celine didn't know how many years it would take before she returned to the Southern Continent.

The path that she had chosen was a thorny one, and salvation may be out of her reach. Even so, she still wanted to meet William, and her twin sister, Celeste, one last time before seeing her Master in the Demon Continent.

It had been many years since she had seen Celeste. Although the twins didn't know when the prophecy of the Elves would come to pass, Celine felt that it would be happening soon.

Because of this, she wanted to meet the people that were important to her, before destiny took its hold of her.

"Oliver, if I decided to turn this world upside down, would you still stay by my side?" Celine inquired.

If possible, she didn't want her loyal retainer to be mixed up in the struggles that she would face in the future. Celine would rather choose to be lonely than to see the Parrot Monkey follow her down a path of no return.

"I will, My Lady," Oliver answered. "I will follow you, to Damnation and Beyond."

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

A pretty elf sighed in pleasure as sharp fangs sank into her neck. Her Name was Charmaine and she was one of the thirteen Elves that served as William's blood banks.

They were part of the Elven Army that tried to conquer the Hellan Kingdom, and became his spoils of war. All of their memories had been erased by the Undead Lich, and the latter had made sure that they would be loyal to their new Master, William.

Ashe had pleaded with William on their behalf, and the Half-Elf agreed that he would set them free after a few years.

After a few minutes, William retracted his fangs and healed the wounds that he had made on the elf's slender neck.

"Thank you, Charmaine," William said as he patted her head. "You can now put your clothes back on."

"You're welcome, Master," Charmaine replied as a blush spread across her face. "I will always be here if you need feeding. Don't hesitate to call me anytime."

William nodded his head. He watched as Charmaine wore the maid's uniform that he had bought for her from the Godshop. Once she was properly dressed, she gave William a respectful bow before leaving the room.

After the Elf had left, William closed his eyes and asked the System to take him to the Auction of the Gods.

He currently had 4,450,642 God Points, and he planned to participate in the morning auction to see if there were items that were worth bidding for.

The morning auction was an auction exclusive to the followers of the Gods of the Temple. This is where several candidates like William would auction their goods that they had acquired in their current world.

Naturally, if the quality of these goods passed a certain threshold, it would be automatically sent to the Night Auction where the Gods would be able to bid for it. Just like what happened to William when the System sent the Demigod Sepheron for auction.

"Two hundred Thousand God Points!"

"Two hundred fifty!"

"Four hundred!"

William leaned on his couch as he listened to the bidders raise the price of the items that were auctioned. So far, he hadn't seen anything that caught his fancy.

'Looks like today is another miss,' William thought as the auctioneer presented the last item to be auctioned.

The beautiful lady who served as the host of the auction smiled at the crowd.

"The last item to be auctioned is an Exotic-Grade Gauntlet," the lady declared. "Although it is labeled as an Exotic-Grade Weapon, its true rank is Pseudo-Legendary. A weapon that even Heroes from any world would want to have in their possession."

When the cloth that covered the glass casing of the weapon was removed, William instinctively felt that this would be a good gift for Chiffon.

During the battle at the 50th Floor of the Mirage Caverns, Chiffon's gauntlets broke. The gauntlets she used were nothing special, and could be bought from or commissioned by any blacksmith in the Empire.

However, William always wanted to give her something that was more durable and packed a stronger punch.

"The name of this weapon is Titania's Gauntlets," the lady declared. "A gauntlet that had been forged by the Fairy Queen herself. It is slotted with a special gem that allows its wielder to use the Wind Element proficiently even though they may not have the affinity for it."

Gauntlet type weapons were not very popular in the auction because people preferred using swords, spears, axes, and other martial weapons. This was why it was being auctioned in the Morning Auction instead of the Night Auction.

The auction house hoped that there would be some melee fighters who would be tempted by the Pseudo-Legendary label that they had attached to the weapon.

After seeing the lackluster response of the audience, the beautiful lady felt anxious. However, she still raised her slender hand, and commenced the start of the bidding.

"Bidding starts at 500,000 God Points with an increment of 100,000. Bidding starts now!"

Chapter 543: When Was The Last Time You Ate Trash?

Titania's Gauntlet was a pair of dark-steel gauntlets with gold plated lines engraved over it. Its design was similar to the Infinitea Gauntlets that he had seen in a movie, which was used by a Super Villain to wipe out half the population of the universe.

William noticed that only one of the gauntlets had a green gem embedded on it that glowed with a greenish light. There were five slots in each gauntlet, which meant that it was possible to embed other gems in it to increase its power.

Although William didn't know how he could procure these other gems, the most important matter at the moment was securing the gauntlet. He could worry about the elemental gems later.

"500,000."

William raised his bid as soon as the auctioneer opened the bidding.

"600,000!"

"700,000!"

The Half-Elf narrowed his eyes because he expected that there would be interested parties that would bid for it as well. However, he had no intention of backing down.

"1.3 Million!" William declared.

William wanted to intimidate everyone so he decided to raise the bid instantly. He only hoped that the other bidders would be intimidated and back off, because he had limited funds.

Unfortunately, there were others that had also noticed the potential of the gauntlets, and wanted to acquire it for themselves.

"2 Million!" one of the bidders declared.

"2.5 Million!" William countered.

"3 Million!" the person who had outbid William earlier shouted.

Clearly, he was not going to back down.

William only had over Four Million God Points, and he had already gone past his budget. He leaned back on the comfortable couch and sighed in regret.

< Host, if you like, I can analyze the gauntlet and create a recipe that you could use to craft a near-replica of it using the Blacksmith Job Class. However, you will need to pay 100,000 God Points for it. Would you like to proceed with the analysis? >

The System's words were like music in William's ears. He had completely forgotten about his Blacksmith Job Class. Although its level wasn't high enough to create Titania's Gauntlets, creating a near-replica was not impossible.

'Yes! Analyze it for me!'

< Understood. >

< Starting Analysis. >

After William stopped bidding for the gauntlet, the auctioneer tried to hype it up a little more, but the bidders had already decided to give up.

They were only candidates, and their funds were limited. They couldn't compete with Big Shots that were greatly favored by their Patron Gods that showered them with God Points.

"Going once!

"Going twice!"

"Sold for 3 Million God Points!"

The auctioneer's gavel slammed on her desk, marking the end of the Auction.

William waited in bated breath as the System rapidly analyzed the gauntlets before it was taken away by the staff of the auction house.

Only after William heard the familiar notification sounds did he breathe a sigh of relief.

< Analysis Completed! >

< Titania's Gauntlet (Replica) Crafting Recipe has been acquired. >

God Points: 4,350,642

William hurriedly checked the materials needed to craft the gauntlet. Not only that, the exact process on how he could craft it was also written in the recipe that the system had analyzed for him.

'A little tricky but not impossible,' William pondered. 'If I succeed, It will take me three days to craft it. The materials that I need are a bit pricey, but they are still within the acceptable range.'

After confirming the things he needed, he asked the System to purchase the items that he currently didn't have in his possession.

'I need to tell Ashe and Sidonie that I will be gone for a day or two,' William mused as he returned to the Thousand Beast Domain. 'For the time being, I'll have both of them to look after Chiffon while I'm gone.'

Just as soon as William returned to his room inside the Boy's Dormitory, Ashe's voice sounded inside his head and it sounded very urgent.

"Will, come and help us," Ashe's said in a voice laced with anxiousness. "There are six people that have us surrounded. It seems that they know Chiffon, and wanted to take her away. Please hurr-kyah!"

Ashe's words were cut off and it sounded that she had been attacked by someone. William immediately dashed out of his room and asked the System to pinpoint her location. After finding her coordinates, William clad himself in lightning and disappeared from where he stood.

Fifteen minutes earlier…

Ian and Chiffon went to see the Garden of Silverwind Academy. The two were admiring the beautiful scenery around them when suddenly, six people encircled them, while they were taking a stroll in the garden.

Ian immediately knew that something was wrong because the moment Chiffon saw one of the men, her body stiffened, and started to shake uncontrollably. She then pulled the little girl close to her as she eyed the adults with a guarded stance.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ian asked.

One of the men stepped forward and gave Chiffon a sidelong glance before shifting his attention to Ian. The man seemed to be in his mid-twenties and had short purple hair. He also had above average looks, but his light-red eyes, that were looking at Ian, weren't friendly.

"Who I am is not important," the purple-haired man replied. "We have no business with you. Our purpose for coming here is to talk to that little girl by your side. Chiffon, come with us. I'm sure that you don't want your friend to be involved in our business, right?"

Chiffon's body shuddered even more when the man called out her name. The little girl felt her legs weaken, and would have collapsed on the ground if Ian didn't support her body right away.

"I-I don't want to talk," Chiffon stuttered. "P-Please, I've been a good girl. I haven't done anything wrong."

The purple-haired man eyed the shivering girl from head to foot. His eyes were filled with ridicule and contempt as he took a step forward to grab Chiffon's wrist. .

The little girl cried out in fear. And clung to Ian like her life depended on it.

"Let her go now, or I'll call the guards!" Ian threatened as he wrapped his arms around Chiffon to prevent anyone from taking her away.

The purple-haired man chuckled as he firmly held Chiffon's wrist like a vice grip. The little girl was in a state of complete fear, that it had over-ridden the pain she was currently experiencing from the man's strong grip.

"Guards?" the purple-haired man snorted. "Are you talking about those guards over there?"

The purple haired man pointed at a dozen guards in the entrance. They were blocking the entrance of the garden and prevented any students from coming in.

It was quite obvious that they were in cahoots with the six-men that were surrounding two of their academy's students.

"Chiffon, you look so pretty and neat right now," the purple haired man said with a smile. "Tell me, when was the last time you visited the Garbage Dump? When was the last time you ate Trash? Isn't your nickname Trash Eater? Why have you stopped eating it?"

A tear slid down the side of Chiffon's face, followed by another, soon, the pink-haired girl's face was stained by tears as she started to wail and struggle from her captor's grip.

"Bastard! Let her go!" Ian summoned her water whip and immediately attacked the man out of anger.

However, the man was already on his guard and summoned his own weapon to deflect Ian's attack.

"Since you attacked first, I will fight back as self defense." The purple-haired man sneered. "Don't worry, I will not beat you up too much because we have a deal with the Academy."

The purple-haired man kicked Ian's chest sending him flying a few meters away from Chiffon. Two men immediately pinned him down to the ground to prevent him from interfering with their mission.

"Ian!" Chiffon cried out as she struggled to break free from the man's grip. "Let me go! Let me go!"

The purple haired man chuckled as he grabbed the little girl's neck and lifted her in the air.

"Don't worry, I will let you go, but we have to take a trip to the Garbage Dump first," the purple haired man said in a teasing tone. "I'm sure that you're very hungry right now, so I'll help you eat a lot."

Chiffon's face was starting to redden due to her struggle and lack of air to breathe. The guards who were watching in the distance sighed as they averted their gaze in guilt. If possible, they wanted to help the little girl, but this was what they had agreed upon when the six men came to meet Chiffon during Princess Sidonie's birthday party.

"Chiffon, you're so light right now that I can lift you with a single hand," the man said. "This is no good. You must eat more trash. You need to eat a lot until you are full."

Chiffon's gaze was starting to blur due to the lack of oxygen. She had already stopped struggling because it was pointless. The little girl had already accepted her fate, and no longer resisted her captor's taunting.

Seeing that Chiffon had already given up hope, the purple haired man sneered internally. He was about to let the little girl go when a flash of light appeared, followed by a loud cracking sound.

"Ahhhhhh!" the purple-haired man screamed in pain as he held his arm, which was now bent in an unnatural angle.

Chiffon raised her head to see who had come to save her. Even though her vision was already blurry, she immediately recognized the red-headed teenager who was holding her in a princess carry.

"Sorry I'm late," William said in a voice laced with killing intent.

After seeing Ian being pinned down on the ground by two men, and Chiffon being strangled by someone, the Half-Elf's killing intent oozed out from his body.

The Half-Elf looked down at the purple-haired man who seemed to be the leader of the group that was responsible for hurting his girls.

"Hey, punk, do you want to try dying once?" William asked.

William was not someone who condoned senseless killing, but he didn't shy away from killing bastards that deserved to die.

Right now, even if the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire intervened, he would stop at nothing until he gave the man in front of him a very slow, and painful, death.

Chapter 544: Your Souls Are Mine

"Big… Brother," Chiffon said weakly. More tears flowed down from her eyes as she looked up at the person that had declared to become her caretaker. "Don't fight them. They are very strong. You will only get hurt. I will go with them, and apologize on your behalf. So, please, take Ian and go."

"Strong?" William smiled as he helped Chiffon to stand up. "A bunch of men bullying a little girl is strong? Don't worry, Chiffon. Now that your Big Brother is here, I'll beat up these bullies for you."

William didn't add that he also planned on killing them later even if he had to chase them to the ends of the continent.

The Half-Elf used his fingers to wipe away the tear stains on Chiffon's face before shifting his attention to the purple-haired guy that dared to strangle the little girl that he had taken under his wing.

"Oi, I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but you have successfully made me angry," William said.

Ian, who had been pinned down on the ground earlier, was also sheathing in anger. However, the two men that were holding her in place were stronger than her. However, she was no longer worried because her lover had come to their rescue.

She sneered internally because she knew that the six people who had ganged up on them would not have a good ending.

The Half-Elf's eyes glowed with power as tendrils of lightning snaked around his body. He then pointed behind him and two streaks of lightning zapped the two men that were pinning Ian down, sending them skidding across the ground for several meters.

Ian immediately stood up and ran towards William and Chiffon.

The six men were at least Adamantium Ranked Fighters (Centennial Ranked). They couldn't believe that a mere teenager was able to push them back as if they were just rookie mercenaries.

The purple-haired man forcefully fixed his broken arm using an elixir before giving William a hateful glare. He didn't know how the red-headed teenager managed to land a sneak attack on him, but now that he was on guard, he wouldn't allow the same mistake to happen again.

"Brat, we have an agreement with the Academy, so we are not allowed to severely injure the students here," the purple haired man stated as he summoned a greatsword in his hand. "Although I won't kill you, I will cut off one of your arms. That way, you will know that there are people in this world that you can't afford to provoke no matter what."

The guards that were standing at the side glanced at each other. They were not only there to prevent the students from entering the garden, they were also there to ensure that the six Adamantium Ranked Mercenaries wouldn't go too far with their harassment.

Now that the situation had turned for the worse, the Captain of the Guard finally decided to step in and prevent the mercenaries from harming William. However, before he could even make his move, William's words stopped him in place.

"Since you had already decided to become mere spectators then you can stay as spectators." William turned his head to glare at the Captain of the Guards. "Don't interfere, or I'll hold you accountable for turning a blind eye on this farce."

The Captain of the Guards unconsciously shuddered because, for a moment, he thought that a blade was pressed against his neck. If he took a step forward, this blade would penetrate his flesh and draw blood.

After saying what he had to say, William shifted his attention to the purple haired man whom he was planning to torture to death.

From behind his back, a portal emerged and dozens of Rainbow Birds flew out with a vengeance. B1, and B2, had spent some time with Chiffon inside the Mirage Cavern and grew fond of the girl.

Although they didn't know exactly what happened, William's feelings passed through them and their gazes locked on to the purple-haired man who was a few ranks above them. Even so, the two dumb birds were not afraid.

Unfortunately, William had already ordered them to deal with the other five men, because he personally planned to beat the crap out of the bastard that dared to kick Ian and strangled Chiffon.

The last one to come out of the Portal was Psoglav. The Demonic Dog smirked evilly as his single eye scanned his surroundings.

'Just where did that pig-headed Anteater go off to?' Psoglav thought. 'Well, I'll just look for him lat--'

Just as Psoglav was about to summon his doppleganger, a big shadow loomed over them.

Psoglav raised his head, and the smirk on his face widened when he saw a Golden Dragon hovering above them. On top of the Dragon's head, a small rainbow-colored anteater arrogantly looked down upon the six men as if they were just little insects.

"Psoglav, Kasogonaga, B1, and B2, I will let you handle the small fries," William ordered. "Don't kill them, understand?"

""Okay!""

"Ian, watch over Chiffon for me." William summoned his wooden staff and held it firmly in his hand. Without another word, he stomped on the ground and appeared right next to the purple-haired man.

The name of William's opponent was Augustus. He was a Demon Mercenary that had been hired by a High-Ranking Noble from the Demon Continent to ensure that Chiffon lived a miserable life in the Kraetor Empire.

He and his men would visit Silverwind Academy twice a month in order to observe Chiffon and send a report to their employer.

Augustus liked this mission very much. Why? Because it was super easy to do and the pay was quite high. He would rather bully a little girl than face dangerous missions in the Demon Continent where the chances of dying were high.

He just didn't expect that this easy mission of his would encounter difficulties that would cause him to waste a precious elixir to fix his broken arm.

The two clashed several times against each other. Both men were trying to gauge each other's strengths, while exchanging blows deadly enough to instantly kill a weaker opponent.

It didn't take long before Augustus noticed that he was being pushed back by the red-headed teenager, who was looking at him as if he was a walking corpse.

Augustus channeled his aura into his weapon with the intention of using his most powerful attack, to obliterate the annoying Half-Elf.

William was about to dodge the attack when he realized that the man in front of him didn't randomly choose this instance to hit him with a full-powered strike.

Ian and Chiffon were directly behind him. If he dodged Augustus' attack, it would hit the two people behind him. William knew that even if the two girls survived, they would be severely injured due to how powerful his opponent's attack was.

"Ignite!" Augustus roared. "Blaze Fury!"

William raised his left hand and summoned a Silver Shield in front of him. The wooden staff in his right hand disappeared and it was replaced by Soleil.

Right now, William had equipped the Sun Knight Job Class, which was known for its very high resistance against flame-based attacks.

William's feet skidded on the ground as Augustus' attack collided with his shield. The flames had ignited the flowers around them, turning their surroundings into an inferno.

Ian had held Chiffon close to her when the attack started and used his body as a shield to protect the girl from the raging flames that seemed to have a life of their own. William sneered as Soleil glowed in his hand. The Mythical Weapon greedily absorbed the flames since they could be used as a source of power.

A few moments later, the raging flames died out completely, and the spear in William's hand turned dark red.

William didn't dare to use Soleil inside the academy because there was a chance that some of the students might get involved in the destruction that Soleil was capable of unleashing.

Augustus clicked his tongue because his plan failed. He then hurriedly distanced himself from the red-headed teenager as he took out a Seventh-Circle Scroll from his storage ring to unleash a follow-up attack. He didn't intend to use this scroll because it was very expensive.

However, William had angered him so much that he decided to not only pull the teenager's soul out from his body, but to devour it alongside Chiffon's and Ian's.

"Your Souls are Mine!" Augustus activated the scroll in his hand. "Soul Devourer!"

The leader of the Mercenary Group knew that once he activated his Trump Card, the annoying brat and his friends were bound to die. Although it was regrettable that Chiffon would be part of the casualties, Augustus didn't mind.

All he wanted to do was kill the boy in front of him, regardless of what methods he used to make it happen.

Chapter 545: Your Daughter’s Lover Is A Good Person

The Seventh-Circle Spell was designed to capture the souls of anyone in its path.

A seven-meter tall apparition of an Astral Worm appeared in front of Augustus. It then opened its mouth as it sucked greedily to absorb the souls of the three teenagers in front of it.

Ian felt her spiritual world tremble as the Soul Devourer skill passed through her. She had given half of her heart to William, so her Spiritual World's defenses were also cut in half. Although she had a very high-resistance to Soul Attacks, a Seventh-Circle Spell was nothing to sneeze at.

William was about to decimate the Astral Worm using his Life Mage Job Class when a determined shout reverberated in the air.

"N-No!" Chiffon cried out. "I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Chiffon stood in front of Ian who was already kneeling on the ground and doing her best to keep her soul from leaving her body.

The pink-haired girl opened her mouth as wide as she could. It was at that moment when the air around her trembled, and a powerful suction force collided with the Astral Worm's own devouring power.

It was then when something unbelievable happened. The Astral Worm's apparition shrieked in fright as a powerful force pulled its body towards the little girl.

William, who saw this scene, wasn't too surprised because he already knew what Chiffon was capable of. He even laughed internally as he lunged towards Augustus to give him a world of pain.

He wasn't too worried about Chiffon when it came to a battle of Devourers. Challenge the Sin of Gluttony to an eating contest? They must be out of their mind!

Just as William expected, the Astral Worm was sucked up by the pink-haired girl's little mouth, until nothing was left.

Augustus didn't expect this outcome, so he was a second late in raising his guard to block William's punch that was headed right into his chest.

A loud clap resounded as William's fist dug into August's chest that sent him smashing towards the ground. The punch that William did was not an ordinary punch, but a punch that he had not used for a very long time.

It was the Monk Skill, Overwhelming Strike, that he used to beat the Sword Saint's Disciple and the pompous noble that had a crush on Rebecca.

< Overwhelming Strike >

(Needs 5 Skill Points to unlock)

-- Once a day you can deliver one full-powered unarmed strike that contains all of your strength.

-- Damage dealt is equivalent to your Strength Stat multiplied by 20.

William's attack was so strong that a seven-meter-wide crater appeared in the ground where Augustus' body laid. The purple-haired man's eyes had rolled on its sockets, and blood spilled at the corner of his lips.

The Half-Elf held back a bit to ensure that the Demon wouldn't die because he planned to torture him slowly.

William turned his head to see how the others were faring, and saw Kasogonaga and Psoglav slapping the face of the last conscious mercenary in the six-man group.

Ian and Chiffon were both unharmed, and were currently looking at Augustus, who was sprawled on the ground.

William smiled and walked towards the little girl with a smile.

"You did well," William said as he patted Chiffon's head. He then shifted his attention to Ian who seemed eager to kick the half-dead man on the ground because of what he had done to her.

"You, too, Ian. Thank you for protecting Chiffon," William pulled Ian close to him and whispered something in her ears. "Don't worry, I will let you torture him later. Make sure to pay him back a hundredfold for hurting you."

Ian gave William a very rare evil smile that didn't match her personality. It just showed how much his mermaid lover resented the man who had barged in on their peaceful stroll in the garden.

When William was thinking of how to smuggle the six unconscious men to his Thousand Beast Domain, the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy, along with some of the Professors, arrived at the garden.

Gilbert sighed when he saw the damage that William's battle had caused. The Garden was one of the most famous attractions of their Academy. However, more than half of it had been destroyed, and had been turned into scorched Earth.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Young Man?" Gilbert asked as he looked at William's direction. He had the strong urge to pull the Half-Elf's long ears until the teenage boy cried out in pain.

"Took you long enough," William replied in a casual manner.

Gilbert found himself unable to reply to William's reply. He had been informed days ago about the six mercenaries that had come to perform their regular check on Chiffon's lifestyle in the Academy.

This life-style check had been going on for more than a year already, and the Headmaster had turned a blind eye on it due to the agreement that the Kraetor Empire had with the Demon Continent.

William snorted and summoned a water whip to tie up Augustus' body, along with his men. He was about to drag them away when Gilbert stepped in to stop him.

"We will take over from here," Gilbert said in a firm manner. "This falls under our jurisdiction."

"What if I refuse?" William asked back. He used his question to stall for time while the System put some trackers on the six men, so that the Half-Elf could hunt them down later.

< Host, trackers have been successfully planted on their bodies. >

'Thank you,' William replied. He had spent six hundred God Points to ensure that no matter where the six men went, William would know exactly where they were.

"What do you want?" Gilbert asked in irritation. Not only did he have to deal with the damages that had been made to the Academy's garden, he also needed to bribe the Half-Elf who was defying his authority.

"I want them dead."

"Sorry, that's not possible."

"Alright, then give me Six Centennial Beast Cores instead. If you do that, I will let them live." William proposed.

Gilbert frowned and held up two fingers. "Two Centennial Cores."

WIlliam shook his head. "Not only did these men hurt three students of your Academy, they also scared my two dumb pets."

William pointed at B1, and B2, who was perched on top of two of the six mens' heads.

"These Motherf*ckers scared the sh*t out of me!" B1 shouted in an aggrieved tone. "I will sue your Academy for Emotional Trauma!"

B2, raised its head in an arrogant manner as it lifted its claw. "Just look at my pinky claw, I can't raise it up due to how scared I am. You old f*cker better take responsibility, or else you'll talk to my lawyer!"

Gilbert had the very strong urge to hurl a fireball at the two dumb birds to roast them completely.

What Emotional Trauma?

Can't raise a Pinky Claw?

If anyone needed to sue someone due to Emotional Trauma it would be no one else but him!

"Three Centennial Cores. That is my final offer," Gilbert said as flames danced on the tip of his fingertips.

B1, and B2, hadn't stopped hurling profanities in the Headmaster's direction calling him "Old Motherf*cker" and other vulgar words that pushed Gilbert to the limits of his tolerance.

"Fine," William agreed before the old man snapped and roast the two dumb birds to the afterlife. "Pay upfront or no deal."

Gilbert took three Centennial Cores from his storage ring and shoved them into William's hands. The Half-Elf took them and stored the Beast Cores inside his storage ring before holding Ian, and Chiffon's hand, leading them back to the Boy's Dormitory.

The three students left without a word. Psoglav, and the Rainbow Birds returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, while Kasogonaga once again rode on top of the Dragon's Head.

Kasogonaga was currently the King of the Bestiary in the Third Grade Division. The rainbow-colored Anteater intended to brainwash all the Magical Beasts that belonged to the students of the Academy to become its followers.

Gilbert watched William's entourage leave with a sigh. He then kicked one of the tied up men who had just regained consciousness to vent out his anger. The pitiful man once again lost his consciousness as his eyes rolled up into their sockets.

"Take them and lock them up properly!" Gilbert ordered. "I am going to see his Majesty!"

The Headmaster of Silverwind Academy didn't even bother to give the six mercenaries a second glance as he left to return to his office. He knew that Evexius was planning to deal with the mercenaries after they had left their territory.

However, William had already done the deed which complicated things. If this matter wasn't resolved properly then several problems might arise regarding the relationship of the Kraetor Empire and the Demon Continent.

Somewhere in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods…

"Eros, it seems that your daughter's lover is a good person," a fat Goddess said while eating a slice of cake. "You know, although he's a bit skinny for my taste, I like his personality."

Lady Eros smiled as she sipped her tea. The Goddess of Gluttony, Adephagia, suddenly appeared in front of her castle, and asked if she could come in for some afternoon tea.

Naturally, Eros invited her in because she was none other than her best friend in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

What the Erotic Goddess didn't expect was that Adephagia would come to see her, in order to talk about William. The Fat Goddess kept on asking personal questions like what William liked to eat, or how many lovers the boy had.

It was quite obvious that her good friend wanted to either fatten William up to suit her taste, or help her daughter, Chiffon, make her move on the boy.

Lady Eros was quite supportive of her friend, so she decided to help her out a bit. Whether Chiffon would end up becoming one of William's nine lovers, was none of her business.

The only thing that mattered to her was the happiness of her daughter, whose power was currently being kept at bay by the Half-Elf who seemed to have caught the attention of another troublesome Goddess.

Chapter 546: A Sin That Is Too Much To Bear

Chiffon was currently seated on William's lap, with her head resting on his shoulder.

Ever since they had returned to William's room in the Boy's Dormitory, Chiffon refused to leave his side. The Half-Elf wanted to ask her some questions regarding the six men, but decided to put it on hold for the time being.

Chiffon was in no condition to answer any questions, so William decided to just stay by her side until her fears subsided. The little girl's body would shudder from time to time, even though she was enclosed in William's protective embrace.

Clearly, she had suffered some kind of trauma at the hands of the six mercenaries that were commissioned to make her life miserable.

"Don't worry," William coaxed the trembling girl in his embrace. "I will not let them hurt you again. I promise."

Chiffon gripped William's robe as she tried her best to calm her heart that seemed to be on the verge of bursting. The past month had been the happiest month that she had spent in the Academy. She had been so happy that she had forgotten why she was sent to the Kraetor Empire, and why those mercenaries would visit her twice a month.

"Big Brother, I'm scared," Chiffon said softly. "I'm scared that they will take me away. I don't want to go."

"Rest assured, As long as I'm around they will not be able to take you anywhere." William promised.

"Really?"

"Yes. So, stop crying."

Chiffon sighed as she leaned her body on her protector. For some reason, her heart was telling her that William would indeed keep his promise. Perhaps due to the feeling of relief, and William's assurance, the little girl closed her eyes, and fell asleep in his arms.

William stayed still until Chiffon's breathing became steady. After making sure that the girl was in deep sleep, he carried her to the bed, so that she would be able to rest properly. After settling her down, the Half-Elf was about to go when a small hand grabbed his arm.

Chiffon was still asleep, but her body moved unconsciously to prevent William from leaving her. The Half-Elf glanced at the hand on his arm, and the sleeping girl on the bed before sighing internally. Her breathing had become unsteady and he knew that she might wake again if he took another step away from her.

"B1, B2, fly around the Academy and gather some information. It doesn't matter what kind of information it is, even random things are fine too," William ordered. "When you return, I'll give both of you one Centennial Core each."

A small portal appeared above William's head and one Red and one Blue Bird appeared inside his room.

The Half-Elf waved his hand and the window in his room sprang open. The two noisy birds left the room without uttering a single word because they noticed that Chiffon was sleeping. Although the Angray Birds were all vulgar birds, they were surprisingly considerate to the people whom they deemed to be their friends.

With another wave of his hand, William closed the window and laid beside Chiffon. He hugged the little girl to assure her that he's not going anywhere. The hand that held William's arm relaxed, and Chiffon's breathing once again became steady.

William brushed away the strand of hairs that were blocking her adorable face, and looked at it closely.

'The Sin of Gluttony might be too much for you to bear,' William thought as he hugged Chiffon. 'But, don't worry. I will make sure that you won't go hungry again.'

Yes. Using the power of the Divinity that she received from the Goddess Lily, William was confident that he could prevent Chiffon's sin from taking over her rationality.

Princess Sidonie's Sin of Lust was capable of charming anyone around her, making her a very dangerous being.

Chiffon held the Sin of Gluttony. William didn't know the extent of this Sin's power. However, after seeing Jekyll devour the Elves in the war just by opening his mouth and sucking them all in, the Half-Elf guessed that Chiffon's Gluttony works the same way.

William wasn't aware that there was a time when Chiffon's power went out of control in the Demon Continent. Back then, she was in a gathering of High-Level Demons that oversaw the different territories of the Demon Realm.

Chiffon's father had starved her for a month, in order to use her as a means to make the other Demons submit by force. However, he didn't expect that the little girl's power had far surpassed his expectations.

Back then, Chiffon had gone crazy due to hunger and started to devour everything around her. Houses, demons, monsters, even the rocks and dirt had not been spared.

She had become a small black hole that greedily sucked in everything around her. Because of this, all the High-Ranking Demons tried to stop her by bombarding her with powerful spells. Unfortunately, these spells were also devoured by her, leaving her father and the High-Ranking Demons helpless.

Killing one of the Seven Deadly Sins was taboo. Anyone who dared to do that would have their entire bloodline suffer eternal punishment under the hands of the God, or Goddess, to whom the Original Sin belonged.

This was why Chiffon's father, and the High-Ranking Demons, could only attempt to knock her unconscious to stop the destruction that she was causing.

Chiffon's rampage ended after a day had passed. The little girl fainted after sating her hunger.

After she collapsed, the High-Ranking Demons all agreed to seal her because she was far too dangerous. However, Chiffon's father proposed a different idea.

"Let's send her to the Central Continent and let the Humans deal with her," Chiffon's father proposed. "It will be an effective way to weaken their forces. If they tried to kill her then their lands would be cursed and that would only be to our advantage."

His proposal was well received by the High-Ranking Demons and all of them voted for Chiffon's exile. Chiffon's father then sent her to the Kraetor Empire because he knew that Emperor Leonidas would not be able to turn her away.

However, the Human Emperor wasn't a fool either. In return for taking Chiffon custody, he extorted Chiffon's father for precious resources that could only be gained from the Demon Continent.

Both sides had settled on a compromise, and Chiffon was sent to the Kraetor Empire. The High-Ranking Demons would occasionally send mercenaries to check Chiffon's condition in order to see if she was nearing her limit.

Emperor Leonidas was not aware of the danger that Chiffon posed to his Empire, and tried to help the girl in his own way.

Albert, William's Alchemist Master, was in charge of supplying Chiffon with Food Pills. However, it didn't take long for them to realize that the Food Pills' effect gradually lost its power as time went by.

Right now, a pill was only enough to stave off Chiffon's hunger for half an hour. Although they could keep on making pills for her, the nobles of the Demon Continent had sent supervisors to check her condition.

After they found out that Chiffon's hunger was being kept at bay using pills, they sent a petition to the Kraetor Empire and Chiffon's father and threatened to bring her back to the Demon Continent.

Knowing that what awaited the girl--if she were to return--was suffering, Emperor Leonidas decided to cease all support to the girl and allowed her to fend for herself.

Of course, Albert would sneak a few pills every now and then, so that she could eat them when the hunger became too unbearable. However, due to the heavy monitoring that was being done on the girl, he couldn't help her much.

"The boy beat them up?" Emperor Leonidas asked with a smile. "Did he beat them good?"

"Your Majesty, this is no laughing matter," Gilbert said. "What should we do with the Demon Mercenaries? If they return to the Demon Continent then news of this will spread and they might even send a punitive expedition."

Emperor Leonidas pondered for a while before giving his decree.

"After they had recovered from their injuries, set them free," Emperor Leonidas ordered. "I doubt they will be stupid enough to find trouble for Chiffon after the suffering that they have received from William."

"But, what about the Chiffon's father?" Gilbert inquired.

A devilish smile appeared on Emperor Leonidas' face as he told Gilbert the answer.

"Tell them that the one that beat up the men he sent was the son of the Dungeon Conqueror and the Saintess of the Elves," Emperor Leonidas replied. "I'm sure that once he gets this news, he will try his best to capture the boy."

"Will we let him catch the boy?"

"Catch him? Well the possibility exists, but are you forgetting something important?"

Gilbert frowned, "Something important? Ah!"

The Headmaster of the Academy remembered the Auras that he had felt when William fearlessly confronted Emperor Leonidas.

"That boy isn't even afraid of me," Emperor Leonidas said. "Since that is the case, why would he be afraid of Chiffon's father? I hope that sorry excuse of a father gets his just desserts. Losing an arm against the Dungeon Conqueror back then was not enough for his arrogance."

Emperor Leonidas would love to see the face of Chiffon's father after he realized that he had f*cked up. What he didn't know was that the Half-Elf was only bluffing back then.

William couldn't ask for the help of the Myriad Undeads in the Undying Lands, unless he was about to conduct a massacre that would number in the hundreds of thousands.

Malacai was not running a charity.

There were only a little more than a year before he would be free from his bindings. When that happens, he would once again set foot in the lands of Hestia. A land that he had not seen for thousands of years.

Chapter 547: The Vault Of The Vanished Warlord

Just like William instructed, B1 and B2 started to gather information inside the academy. Most of the information they gathered was about the battle that had happened in the Garden.

There were rumors flying around that the Academy was under attack and the Headmaster was keeping a tight lid on it. The two birds knew that this was not the information that William wanted so they kept their ears open for any kind of gossip no matter if it was credible or not.

"Man those idiots, I shouldn't have agreed to let them inside the academy." Eumann, the Guard Captain of Silverwind Academy scratched his head in irritation. "Everytime those bastards come here, I get the urge to punch their faces."

The other guards nodded their heads in agreement. Earlier, when they saw William and his summoned monsters beating the mercenaries, they wanted to join the fight and clobber the bastards as well.

However, they were duty bound not to interfere because this was something that the Emperor had decreed. It would become a dispute, so they couldn't do anything about it.

"Look at the bright side, Captain," one of Eumann's trusted subordinates commented. "I doubt they'll have the guts to return here after that one-sided beating."

Eumann snorted because he knew that things weren't that simple.

"Even if they don't come back, the other side will send in more people. This time, those hired goons will be stronger and more brutal than the first batch."

B1 waited just in case Eumann would say more, but half an hour passed and no further talks about Chiffon were discussed.

B2, on the other hand, went to see Kasogonaga and asked it for help.

"Those motherf*ckers," Kasogonaga cursed. Due to the influence of the Rainbow Birds, the Deity of the Sky would curse from time to time, especially when it was around them. "Don't worry, B2. I'll ask my minions and share the news at a later time."

B2 nodded and flew away. It still didn't find any worthwhile information, so it decided to go to the places where many students gathered to listen to their conversations.

Meanwhile in the Infirmary of Silverwind Academy…

"You've already seen Chiffon," Gilbert said as he looked at the six mercenaries that had been patched up by their school's clerics. "Now leave this place before I ask you to pay for the damages that you have caused."

"Headmaster, do you think that this will end well for you?" the leader of the mercenary group, Dickie, sneered. "If my employer hears about this, he will definitely not sit idly."

"Indeed." Gilbert agreed. "I mean, if I heard that the mercenary group I hired was beaten black and blue by a teenager, I would probably be infuriated. Who knows? I might even kill you on the spot for being incompetent fools."

Dickie flinched because the possibility of that happening was very high. Their employer was not a very understanding person, and once he got angry, heads would start to roll.

"In fact, I was just about to write a letter to him," Gilberd said with a smile. "I will make sure to report everything that happened here. I'll even ask him to pay for the damages that you have caused.

"Don't you know that the Garden is one of our Academy's attractions? Now that half of it is destroyed, it will take a while for it to be restored to its former glory. Guess what? That's going to cost a great sum of money. I bet your Employer will be very happy when he reads my letter."

Dickie was starting to feel anxious. If word of their group's failure were to spread, they would definitely become fugitives in the Demon Continent and would have no choice but to stay in the Central Continent to evade their employer's wrath.

This was something that they had to prevent at all costs!

Dickie cleared his throat, "Headmaster, we've known each other for a while. Why don't the two of us compromise?"

"Hmm? Compromise?" Gilbert questions. "Are you going to pay me for the damages?"

"...No, but I have a better idea," Dickie could tell that he was at a disadvantage in the negotiation.

The leader of the mercenary group knew that If he didn't come up with something to keep the Headmaster's mouth shut, things might get dicey for him in the future.

"How about this, I will give you this scroll that I stol-- I picked up by accident," Dickie said as he summoned a scroll from his storage ring. "A merchant was carrying this scroll and it seemed to be a prized possession. I was planning to sell it at an auction, but since the Headmaster and I are good friends, I will use this to pay for the damages I did to your academy.

"Not only that, I will also report that Chiffon is more miserable than the last time I saw her. I will continue to give this kind of report to my employer, everytime we visit in the Kraetor Empire. How does that sound?"

Gilbert thought for a while before nodding his head in agreement. If he could wrap things up in a peaceful manner then he and Emperor Leonidas didn't need to worry about Dickie's employer.

Also, he was very curious about the scroll in Dickie's possession. Since he had nothing to lose in this exchange, he acted to reluctantly accept the Mercenary Leader's offer.

"Fine," Gilbert made a gesture for Dickie to pass the scroll to him. "I will compromise, but we will make a soul contract first. All six of you will sign it with your blood. Do we have a deal?"

"Of course!" Dickie answered in a heartbeat. He was worried that Gilbert would change his mind so he hastily gave him the scroll and waited for the Headmaster to finish drafting their contract.

Although he lost an ancient scroll that he was planning to sell in an auction, it was more important to keep his head on his body. His employer was someone that didn't look at failure favorably.

After all six mercenaries had signed the contract, they hastily left the Academy to return to the Demon Continent. Dickie had seen the pure killing intent in William's eyes, and he knew that the boy was serious.

This was why he didn't bother to stay long in the Academy just in case the Half-Elf would come knocking on their doors.

Gilbert had asked the guards to escort the mercenaries out of the Academy to ensure that they wouldn't do anything stupid along the way.

"Finally, everything's been wrapped up nicely," Gilbert sighed as he sat on his couch. "I swear that William brat will be the death of me."

The Headmaster of Silverind Academy shook his head in helplessness before opening the scroll that Dickie had given him. He was a linguist and had studied almost all the languages in the World of Hestia, including the Ancient Language of the Firstborns.

The Firstborns were the first residents of the world when it was just formed. They were an ancient race that was said to have gone extinct during the Era of the Gods because they were hunted down by the other races due to their unique abilities.

Gilbert raised the cup of tea on the table and took a sip. However, he immediately spat it back out after reading the first lines on the very top of the scroll

"The Vault of the Vanished Warlord."

The Headmaster's hand trembled because he knew the backstory of the Vanished Warlord.

He was the ruler of the Firstborns, and was said to possess an incredible treasure that could rival the power of the Gods.

Gilbert had dedicated his life to finding the Vault of the Vanished Warlord, where the Priceless Treasure of the Firstborns was held.

"To think that I would find its location in this manner, Fate is really a fickle lady," Gilbert muttered as he read the contents of the scroll. Five minutes later, the Headmaster of the Academy slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"Dammit! Why must it be on the 51st floor of Babylon?!" Gilbert cursed out loud. "So this is why no one had found it, even after all these years. It's right there!"

The Headmaster of the Academy cursed for ten-full minutes before he finally calmed down. After reigning in his emotions, the first thing he did was to press his left palm over the scroll.

A moment later, a flash of light shrouded the room in white. Gilbert used his unique ability to create a perfect replica of the scroll that would lead him to the treasure vault that he had searched for his entire life.

The Headmaster didn't settle for one copy. He made twelve exact copies of the scroll and translated the text into the language commonly used in the world of Hestia, this way he could look for people who would dare to challenge the place where none had returned alive.

Chapter 548: Eradicate! World End Tempest!

"I will come with you," Ashe said as she watched Wiliam wear a hooded robe that covered his entire body.

She knew where her lover was going, and she intended to go with him at all cost.

"Okay," William replied as he adjusted his assasination uniform.

Due to the trackers that the System had placed on Dickie and his subordinates, he was able to see and hear the conversation between the Mercenary Leader and the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy.

Even though the Mercenary Leader had agreed to report to his employer that Chiffon's life in the Academy was the same as always, he had no intention of letting them go so easily.

William was someone that could see the bigger picture, so he also understood that if the mercenaries were to really do as they promised in the contract, Chiffon would no longer need to worry about her father who was on the Demon Continent.

The Half-Elf didn't care who Chiffon's father was because, to him, her father was scum. William even promised himself to give that person a good beating if he met him sometime in the future.

The Half-Elf was an orphan in his past life. He didn't have any parents, nor did he know what it meant to have a family. The director of the orphanage said that he was abandoned on their doorstep, and the only thing that they had left him was an embroidered handkerchief with his name.

William.

This was why he had developed a grudge to people that abandoned their children because they were considered baggage.

William was someone that couldn't forgive these people, so he planned to take action to protect Chiffon in the way he knew best.

"Let's go," William said as he opened the window of his room.

Ashe nodded and merged with William. It had been a while since the two of them had activated the ability of the Familia to fuse and fight together.

Tendrils of lightning snaked around William's body before he disappeared from the room.

"Boss, are we really going to let that kid go?" one of Dickie's subordinates complained. "I can't take this lying down, Boss. I want to murder that kid so badly."

"Boss, I feel the same way. How about we sneak inside the Academy and kill the brat in his sleep? I'm confident that we can sneak past the Academy's defenses if we all work together."

"Shut up!" Dickie shouted. "Stop your blubbering and just hurry up. We need to get to the next town before midnight!"

Although they could use Teleport Gates to hasten their journey, there were certain rules that they had to follow while they were in the Kraetor Empire.

Every time they came to the Kraetor Empire from the Demon Continent, they had to travel along a fixed route that was away from the Human cities. This was the compromise that Emperor Leonidas had agreed upon when he decided to allow Chiffon to stay in his territory.

"Boss, just let me have a go at that kid. I promise that I'll end it quickly."

"I'll go with you, brother, let's go back. We can reach the Academy in five hours tops if we hurry."

Dickie wanted to slap his subordinates for their stupidity. He was the strongest in their group and the one that had fought against the boy. After their short battle, he realized that the boy was stronger than him.

This was why he used his ultimate attack as well as his Soul Devouring Scroll to finish him off and prevent the Kraetor Empire from gaining another prodigy.

(A/N: He didn't know that William was not from the Kraetor Empire)

While he was about to take action and show the fools their place, a peal of thunder sounded in the heavens. Seconds later, a streak of lightning descended a few meters away from them.

"You don't need to return to the Academy to find me," William said as sparks of lightning flashed all over his body. "I have come for all of you."

"Hahaha! Perfect!" one of Dickie's subordinates summoned a War Axe. "You saved us the trouble. Now, it's time for you to die!"

The man charged at William with the intention of slicing him in half. He was a veteran in the battlefield and he had already determined that William was only in the Peak of the Platinum Rank.

He was in the middle stages of the Adamantium Rank, which was two realms above the boy. With such a huge gap in power, how could he possibly lose to a teenager who was still studying in an Academy?

It was not only the Ax Wielder that decided to attack William. The other mercenaries, except Dickie, also joined in to ensure that their prey wouldn't be able to escape.

"Exceed Break," William muttered as he took a step forward. He had activated the skill that heightened all of his senses and multiplied them tenfold.

"Fools! Are you blinded by rage that you didn't notice?! He's a lightning user!" Dickie shouted as he, too, took out his weapon to assist his men in battle. "Don't underestimate him just because his rank is lower than ours!"

Dickie's subordinates returned to their senses after they had overlooked this important part. However, it was already too late.

At the center of William's palm, a ball made of electricity and fire swirled like a whirlpool.

"Thunder Blaze!"

William unleashed his magical attack and sent the Axe Wielder flying. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air as William's eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

After disabling one of his targets, the Half-Elf stomped his foot on the ground and jumped high into the air.

"Icicle Realm!"

Icicle Shards sprouted off the ground and trapped the mercenaries in a dome filled with razor sharp icicles. These icicles would shoot into the air and break into pieces. Each piece was sharp enough to cut off a person's body part, and William had trapped the mercenaries in a slaughter house made of icicle shards.

Although this attack was one of William's favorite moves, his opponents were veterans in their own right.

The mercenaries activated their spells in order to destroy William's attempt to hold them in place, but to their surprise. The Ice that they destroyed would regenerate at a rapid pace.

The mercenaries thought that they were just fighting against a single Individual, but they were wrong. Right now, Ashe had merged with William, and she was equipped with the Ice Mage's Final Job Class, which was the Ice Monarch.

William was currently using the Elemental Lord Job Class which allowed him to wield the powers of Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning.

The Half-Elf gathered the five elements on both of his hands and merged them together. This was the first time that he would use this attack in actual combat. Its output was not very strong, but it was devastating nevertheless.

The purpose of the Icicle Domain was to simply buy some time until William had merged the five elements together to create a spell that he had created on a whim.

"Eradicate!" William roared as he threw the rainbow colored ball of light in his hands.

"World End Tempest!"

A blinding flash of light illuminated the dark night, followed by a loud explosion. Gilbert, who was patrolling the academy grounds saw a radiant light in the distance, and instinctively felt that something had gone terribly wrong.

'That stupid brat!' Gilbert immediately summoned a giant owl and headed to the direction of the light in haste. He was afraid that if he arrived a second late, the only thing he would find were ashes of the Mercenaries, who had left his Academy just a few hours ago.

Chapter 549: I Don’t Get Hungry For A Day After Eating It

The corner of Ashe's lips twitched as she looked at the aftermath of William's spell. This was the first time that she had seen her lover use this spell and the effect was...

"... That's it?" Ashe asked. "All that spell did was just a flash of light and a loud explosion?"

William lightly coughed before raising his chin in arrogance.

"Just as I had planned," William replied.

"As if!" Ashe's spectral image slightly pulled on Wiliam's ears because he was bragging about something not worth bragging about.

William had still not perfected the World End Tempest and at most, it only served as a super flashy flash grenade with a stunning effect.

"Isn't it fine? The targets were still neutralized in the end," William insisted. "Besides, I was not planning on killing them. I'm still itching to beat them up for what they did to Chiffon."

Before Ashe could even say anything, the Half-Elf summoned a gust of wind and threw the mercenaries inside the portal. He made sure that all six of them were accounted for, before entering the Thousand Beast Domain to conduct his interrogation.

Dickie awakened due to ice cold water that had been splashed on his body. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a Half-Elf, seated on a chair, with one leg crossed over the other.

The leader of the Mercenary Group immediately recognized William because it was not long before that they had battled against each other.

Dickie was about to stand up when he realized that his body had been tied up with adamantium shackles that prevented him from using any kind of magic. He scanned his surroundings and saw his subordinates tied up in the same way as him.

However, what made him suck in a deep breath was over a hundred Elven Undead who were standing behind his men, with their weapons at the ready. It was as if they were just waiting for William's order to hack his comrades to pieces.

"You don't have to worry about them. I won't kill them, at least not yet. I have questions, and I want answers," William said with a devilish smile. "You can choose not to answer them, but I will advise you to cooperate if you don't want to get hurt."

"If this is due to the harassment we did at the Academy, please, allow me to apologize." Dickie bowed his head submissively because this was the only thing he could think of to save his life.

"I have already made a deal with the Headmaster to keep Chiffon's current circumstances a secret. I swear that I won't harass her again, so please, forgive me and my men."

William shook his head slowly as if telling Dickie that gaining his forgiveness wasn't that easy.

"Answer my questions first, we will talk about forgiveness later," William stated. "But, before we get to that, I just want you to know that if you lie to me, I will kill your men and turn them to undead. I have a skill that allows me to tell whether someone is lying or not."

Kasogonaga stood a few meters away from William while gnawing on a Centennial Core. This was one of the cores that Gilbert had given him earlier as compensation. The two other cores had already been given to B1 and B2 in order to raise their ranks.

Kasogonaga's role was to tell the Half-Elf if his prisoners were lying or not. Demigods could easily ascertain lies from truth, and William needed the rainbow-colored Anteater to ensure that Dickie wouldn't be able to lie to him.

"First question, who is your employer?"

"A Duke in the Demon Continent. He commissions us to visit Chiffon in the Academy to see how she's doing, and whether the Kraetor Empire is following the agreement."

"His name?"

"Piers Ryder, the Duke of Grimgar," Dickie answered.

William glanced at Kasogonaga and the latter nodded its head in affirmation.

"Is he Chiffon's father?" William inquired.

Dickie shook his head, "I'm not sure. All I know is that he pays us good money to do this commission."

William snorted. For the time being, he would remember the name of the Duke. If there was an opportunity in the future to visit the Demon Continent, the Half-Elf would give him a visit, and smack his face for good measure.

"Let me get this straight." William rested the side of his face over his right palm. "Your mission is to visit the Kraetor Empire twice a month to check whether Chiffon is suffering or not, correct?"

"Yes."

"And if she's not suffering?"

"... We are duty bound to make her suffer."

William nodded his head before pointing his finger at Dickie's head.

"Stone bullet."

A stone which was as large as a baseball ball, materialized in the air and flew towards Dickie, hitting his forehead, before breaking into pieces.

As a Demon who had reached the Adamantium Rank, the stone bullet wasn't able to deal him a serious injury. However, it was still enough to make him feel hurt.

William shot five more stone bullets, which hit the other mercenaries who were pretending to be unconscious.

All of them cried out in pain, but William was still not done with his interrogation.

"Aside from your group, are there any other envoys that come to check up on her condition?" William inquired.

"No. We are the only group that travel to the Human Lands. You can be assured that we will keep everything a secret," Dickie answered. "If you don't believe me, you can ask the Headmaster. We already signed a Blood Oath. if you like, I can tell you the details in full."

"No need." William shook his head. 'I already know the details of the contract.'

William interrogated, and tortured the mercenaries for half an hour before forcing them to sign another contract with their blood.

One of the things that was written in the contract was that they would not say any information about him to anyone. If they were to break this oath, they would immediately die due to a breach of contract.

The only contract that William trusted was a contract that was supervised by the God of Contract, Sancus. There were certain beings that were capable of forcefully breaking a contract, but none of them would be able to break a contract that was reinforced by the God of Contract himself.

This was why William preferred to form his own contract, than trust a contract that was only reinforced by lesser beings.

After knocking the mercenary group unconscious for a second time, William tossed them out of his Domain.

"Before I forget, I want you guys to do something for me. I want you to bring me a detailed map of the Demon Continent on your next visit," William ordered. "It doesn't matter how expensive it is. I'll pay you once you hand it over to me, Understood?"

"Y-Yes!" Dickie answered.

He and his men were bruised and battered because William didn't go easy on them. All they wanted was to get as far away from the Half-Elf as they could, and never see him again if possible.

Unfortunately, the latter had bound them to do his bidding with the help of the Arcane Spectral Lich. Although they weren't wearing any collars on their neck, they had been placed under a powerful curse, which left them no choice but to follow William's orders.

The Half-Elf raised his head to look at the East. he had sensed someone approaching their location, and he was quite familiar with the person's magical presence.

"Go," WIlliam ordered. "Seeing you guys makes me want to beat you up all over again."

The bodies of the demons shuddered as they hurried to leave in fear of William's threat. This time, they used their physical abilities to empower their body and ran as fast as they could.

The Half-Elf didn't bother to watch them go because his attention was focused on the black dot that was approaching his location. The System had already informed him of the identity of the newcomer, which proved that William's hunch was correct.

Five minutes later, an owl hovered above William and Gilbert looked down on him with a glare.

"What are you doing here, William?" Gilbert asked. "Don't you know that our Academy has a curfew?"

William gave the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy an innocent smile before giving his reply.

"Headmaster, I wasn't able to sleep, so I decided to take a stroll."

"Take a stroll? Do you know how far away we are from the Academy? I even used the teleportation Gate of Silverwind City just to get here as fast as I could! Boy, do you think I'm stupid?"

Gilbert patted the Owl and ordered it to land. He had already used his Night Vision to check the surrounding area and found traces of battle. There was even some blood on the ground, which made him livid.

"Did you kill them?" Gilbert asked.

William shook his head, "No."

"Are you telling the truth? You'd better not lie to me. You have no idea what the consequences are if you killed the envoy from the Demon Continent."

"They're not dead. Don't worry, Headmaster. Everything is fine. I just taught them a little lesson, that's all."

Gilbert didn't know if William was telling the truth or not. However, he would rather believe his words than think of the worst case scenario. He nagged at William for a bit before urging the boy to ride the owl with him.

He intended to personally take the boy back to the Academy in order to get some peace of mind.

Meanwhile inside Princess Sidonie's room…

"And that's how William and I became lovers," Princess Sidonie said with a smile.

She was currently brushing the little girl's hair in front of the mirror, while telling her the story of how William and her became lovers.

Chiffon looked at the beautiful princess' reflection in the mirror with a dumbfounded expression. "... You tricked him?"

"I didn't trick him. I just didn't tell him that the Kraetor Royal Family had this custom."

"You used his ignorance to get what you wanted."

Princess Sidonie nodded. "Yes. I did."

The beautiful princess admitted without any tinge of guilt or embarrassment. She loved William so much that she was willing to do anything in order to make him her lover. In the end she succeeded, and the Half-Elf had also opened his heart to her, which made her lovelife very colorful.

"Tell me, Chiffon, what is Will to you?" Princess Sidonie asked.

As someone who loved William, she could feel that the little girl in front of her was somewhat interested in her lover. However, the feeling was very vague, so she wasn't sure if what Chiffon felt for him was love or only admiration.

"He's my caretaker," Chiffon answered. "He makes sure that I don't suffer from hunger."

"How can he stop you from feeling hungry?" Princess Sidonie inquired. "The Sin of Gluttony can only be sated by massive amounts of food. We always eat together and although you eat more than me, that can still be considered normal because I don't eat much.

"Just what is Will feeding you? How did he prevent you from losing to the power of your sin? I just don't understand how he did it. Okay, all done."

Chiffon turned her head to look at Princess Sidonie and answered her question.

"I stave off my hunger by licking Big Brother's lollipop," Chiffon replied. "It is long, hard, and is very delicious. Also, It is very sweet. For some reason, I don't get hungry for a day after eating it."

"..."

< … >

William was unaware that the little girl that he was protecting had made Princess Sidonie misunderstand what she was talking about. He would come to learn about it the next time he spent some time with his Princess Lover, who made sure she bit his lollipop to show how displeased she was with his action.

Chapter 550: Devourer’s Gauntlets

Two days after William had dealt with Dickie and his mercenary group…

< Gained Exp Points: 400,000 >

< Ding! >

< Congratulations Your Blacksmith Job Class had Increased a level! >

< Congratulations Your Blacksmith Job Class had Increased a level! >

< Congratulations Your Blacksmith Job Class had Increased a level! >

< Congratulations Your Blacksmith Job Class had Increased a level! >

< Blacksmith Job Class has reached its Max Level! >

< Would you like to advance to the next Job Class? >

< Yes / No >

"Finally it's completed," William wiped the sweat on his forehead as he looked at his latest creation.

Two silver-gilded, black gauntlets glowed faintly in front of William. Its main body was made from Adamantium, and Mithril, so its durability and ability to synchronize with its wielder's magic power was guaranteed.

William felt that his current skill was insufficient to create a near-replica of a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon, so he decided not to push himself, and just make an Exotic Grade Weapon that is well within the limit of his capabilities.

After studying the recipe of Titania's Gauntlet, the Half-Elf decided to tweak it. Since he didn't know how the jewels with elemental properties worked with Titania's Gauntlet, he altered its performance, so that his own elemental powers would work in it.

"Now that the body is made, it's time to create the jewels for it," William muttered as he clicked the Job Advance Job Class for the Blacksmith Job Class. "System, change my Job Class to Artificer."

< Ding! >

< Blacksmith has been successfully upgraded to Artificer! >

Unlike the other Job Classes, a Blacksmith could branch out to different areas of specialties. Since William could freely change his Job Class, it didn't matter if he chose Artificer, White Smith, or Battle Smith.

Since his priority was to create elemental jewels to place on the gauntlets he made, he needed a job that specialized for it.

William received five skill points after changing his Job Class, and he placed them all in Jewel Smithing. The Half-Elf was also interested in the Metal Smithing Skill, but for now, he decided to focus on Jewel Smithing.

Once he leveled up and gained Skill Points, it wouldn't be too late to add points to the Metal Smithing Skill.

< Jewel Smithing >

-- Allows the Artificer to refine, or create jewels for various purposes.

-- Chances of success in Jewel Creation are dependent on the Skill's Level.

-- Chance of Success in Jewel Creation: 50%

William took out an emerald from his storage ring. He had no time to polish a gem from the beginning, so he decided to use a ready-made gem for his experiment.

Unlike the Titania's Gauntlet that allowed its wielder to fully manipulate the Wind Element, William's gauntlet was not so convenient. However, what it lacked in power, it made up for in diversity.

At least, that is what William had planned for the weapon he had personally crafted for Chiffon.

William closed his eyes and focused his magical power on the jewel that he was holding in his hand.

"Jewel Skill Creation."

A faint green light glowed inside the emerald as William attached a skill to it. The glow became stronger as the Jewel Skill Creation neared its completion. However, just before William was about to succeed, cracks appeared on the emerald's surface. A second later, the emerald turned into fine glittering green dust.

William failed on his first attempt, but William wasn't too worried. He once again took an emerald from his storage ring and started the process all over again.

On his ninth attempt, William finally succeeded and successfully imbued a skill into the emerald.

< Jewel Creation Success! >

< The host has created a High-Quality Jewel of Flight! >

< Gained Exp Points: 2,000 >

< Congratulations Your Artificer Job Class has Increased a level! >

< Congratulations Your Artificer Job Class has Increased a level! >

William gained six additional skill points after his Job Class gained two levels. He immediately maxed his Jewel Smithing Skill and increased the chance of success to 75%

Although it wasn't a hundred percent, William was still happy about the current success rate.

He placed the Flight Jewel on the middle slot of the right gauntlet. After admiring his work for half a minute, he once again took out a different jewel from his storage ring.

This time, William took out a Moon Stone and imbued another skill to it.

"Jewel Skill Creation."

Several hours passed before William finally finished his masterpiece. Using his Jewel Smithing, and Metal Smithing Skills, William had worked tirelessly until the Gauntlet transformed into a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon.

< Please give a name to your creation >

"Name it Devourer's Gauntlets," William said before falling on his back. He had given his everything to create this weapon, and now he was too exhausted to even move.

< Ding! >

< Weapon has been successfully named >

< Devourer's Gauntlets >

-- Pseudo-Legendary Weapon

-- Gauntlet Type Weapon

-- Increase all stats by 20

-- Allows the wielder of this weapon to use the skill Overwhelming Strike three times a day.

-- Has a 5% chance to stun your opponent for three seconds whenever you land a hit on any part of their body.

Devourer's Gauntlet Imbued Skills

-- Flight (Active)

Gives the ability to fly.

-- Lightning Reflexes (Passive)

Increase Reaction time by 50%

-- Heroism (Passive)

Increase all stats by 50% when fighting against stronger opponents.

-- Underwater Breathing (Passive)

Gives the ability to breathe underwater.

-- Improved Concentration (Passive)

Increase Concentration during battles.

-- Cure (Active)

Cures harmful status effects.

-- Ox's Strength (Passive)

Increase Strength by an additional 20

-- Immolation (Active)

Coats the body with searing flames.

-- Shadow Clone (Active)

Creates one replica with 50% of the wielder's overall strength.

-- Dodge (Passive)

Increase the rate of dodging an attack by 30%

"Ashe, help me," William called out to his mermaid lover through telepathy. "I can't move."

A few minutes later, the door of the workshop opened and a young lady with light-blue hair walked in with a worried look.

"Three days have passed in the outside world and all of us are worried about you," Ashe said with a sigh. "I was surprised when you contacted me, but to think that you worked till the point that you are even unable to move astounds me."

"I know. I'm just that awesome."

"More like that stupid."

Ashe then looked at the glowing gauntlets on top of William's working desk, and felt a little jealous of the little girl who would soon receive them.

Just a glance was enough to tell her that William had poured his heart and soul to its creation, to the point of exhaustion. If the Half-Elf had done the same for her, she would definitely be moved by his token of love.

Ashe picked up William from the ground and carried him like a princess. The Half-Elf willed his thoughts and the Devourer's Gauntlet flew towards his storage ring.

Two days later, he would travel to Aamon's Temple to finally meet with the God who could lift the curse from Ashe, Est, and Isaac.

Emperor Leonidas finally gave his permission a day after Princess Sidonie's birthday party. Lily had said that Aamon was a moody person. If William managed to catch him in a good mood then the quest he would receive would be relatively easy.

However, if he caught him in a bad mood… he would give William an unreasonable quest that was near impossible to complete.

Having encountered Cernunnos in the past, William had already accepted that he had Dog-Sh*t Luck. He had already prepared himself for the worst case scenario in his meeting with Aamon. Even so, he wouldn't back down.

He had promised Ashe, Est, and Isaac that he would lift their curse, and bring back the things that they had lost.

William looked forward to the day where he could finally embrace Est in her true form. More than anything else, he wanted to keep the promise that he had made with her before he went to the Central Continent.

A promise that when they meet again, they would truly become lovers, in heart, body, and soul.

Chapter 551: A Petty God

"You must be William, our Oracle has been waiting for you." One of the gatekeepers guarding Aamon's temple bowed her head in greeting.

William nodded his head. "I came to have an audience with his Excellency, Aamon."

"We have already been notified. Please, follow us, Sir William."

"Thank you."

The gatekeeper led William to one of the rooms where he must cleanse his body in preparation for his meeting with the God.

He had already experienced this before in the Temple of Courage, so he obediently followed the etiquette that was needed to gain the Oracle's approval to enter the Inner Temple, where Aamon would communicate with his followers.

Half an hour later, William stood in front of Aamon's Statue and closed his eyes. Slowly, but surely, he felt himself getting drowsy. He didn't resist it, and allowed himself to go to that place.

The Boundary of Heaven and Earth.

"So, you've come," a voice tinged with amusement said.

William opened his eyes and came face to face with a silver-haired man sitting on a throne. The man's blue eyes looked amused, and his lips were curled up in a charming smile that would make any young lady blush in infatuation.

'I'm still more good looking than him,' William thought as he eyed the God in front of him.

The smile on Aamon's lips twitched because he was able to read William's thoughts. At first he was planning to give the Half-Elf an easy task due to his friendship with the Loli Goddess, Lily. However, William's inner comment made him change his mind.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself, I am Aamon," Aamon said. "A Grand Marquiess of Hell, and one of the members of Ars Goetia. You don't need to introduce yourself, because I don't care about puny mortals who are not as handsome as me. Now, let's get down to the business at hand."

Aamon rested his chin on the back of his left hand as he eyed William from head to foot.

"I am going to give you three quests…" Aamon wasn't able to finish his words because William's thoughts flashed across his mind.

'This God must be delusional thinking that he's more good looking than me, William thought. 'Well, I better not say anything. I don't want to hurt the feelings of others.'

"I've changed my mind. You need to finish seven quests," Aamon stated in an icy voice. "I will lift the curse once you've completed them all."

William nodded his head in agreement. He had already anticipated that the God would make things difficult for him, so he wasn't surprised about the number of quests that Aamon had given him.

"This is your First Quest." Aamon raised his hand and a scroll appeared on William. "Return to me once it's done. I have other things to do. Goodbye."

Aamon didn't even wait for William to ask him any questions before sending him back to the Temple. Clearly, he didn't have any good impression of the Half-Elf that criticized his good looks.

William opened his eyes and looked at the scroll in his hand. He was very displeased at how Aamon treated him. If there was a place where he could file a complaint, he would definitely give Astrid's Twin Brother a one-star review.

The Half-Elf opened the scroll and read its contents.

Ammon's First Quest

Conquer the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

-- The 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon currently had no owners. Your Mission is to gain complete control of this floor, and solve the mystery as to why it had remained unconquered for over a thousand years.

P.S

If you like to know more details about the Tower of Babylon, feel free to ask the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy.

"... I knew it," William muttered. "Looks like Aamon intended to make my life difficult from the get go."

William had no idea where the Tower of Babylon was. However, one thing was clear. No one had been able to conquer its 51st Floor for thousands of years, which meant that its difficulty rating was very high.

'I need to return to the Academy and have a talk with the Headmaster,' William thought. 'Fortunately, Aamon was a bit considerate and gave me a hint as to who to ask for information.'

After giving an appropriate donation to Aamon's Temple, the Half-Elf hastily returned to Silverwind Academy, to find the answers to his questions.

Meanwhile at the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods…

"That brat is quite annoying!" Aamon complained to his twin sister, Astrid, who was currently sipping a cup of tea in her garden. "I was planning to make things easy for him, but he got on my nerves. Hmp! Let's see if he can clear the near-impossible quest that I gave him!"

Astrid sighed as she placed the tea cup back on the table. "Near-impossible? Just what kind of quest did you give the boy?"

The Goddess of Female Knights had taken a hands-off policy when it came to the quests that Aamon would give to William. Est, Ian, and Isaac, were her devout followers. Naturally, she only wanted the best for them.

She was willing to give William her blessings to become their lovers, but that would only happen once he had completed her twin brother's quests.

Aamon chuckled as he gave his sister a devilish smile, "The mission I gave him was to clear the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon. Haha! Don't worry, I will show mercy on him once he returns to the temple and begs me to change the First Quest that I gave him."

Astrid frowned. She was aware of the reason why no one had conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower.

Long ago, when the world was still young, the Gods decided to create a tower for their entertainment.

Similar to a dungeon, each floor of the dungeon was a stage that needed to be cleared in order to advance to the next floor.

The one who was able to clear any of its floors would become the Owner of the floor. There were even some powerful families in the Central Continent that had migrated their entire clans on the floors that they had claimed as their own.

This Tower was located at the very center of the Central Continent, and was considered to be the greatest challenge for humanity.

Similar to the Atlantis Dungeon, the Tower of Babel had a hundred floors. However, for over a thousand years, the exploration had stopped at the 51st Floor. Anyone who dared to challenge it had never been seen again.

After losing so many prodigies, and talented individuals in the 51st Floor, the Empires, Kingdoms, and Sects prohibited their people from challenging it again. Of course, there were still people who wanted to make their names known to the world, but after entering the mysterious floor, they were never heard from again.

"You're so petty, Aamon," Astrid said as she eyed her brother. "What would you do if the boy died on that floor?"

Aamon shrugged, "If he dies then he dies. Don't worry. If that happens, I will lift the curse on your devout followers. I'm sure that they will forget about him in time and fall in love with someone else."

Lady Astrid smirked before emptying her cup of tea.

Her brother was right. Although her followers would be hurt after William died, they will get over it in time. The Goddess didn't believe that the Half-Elf would be able to complete the quest that her brother had given William.

Seated on a throne made from Black Obsidian, a Primordial Goddess observed Astrid from afar. She had overheard Astrid's discussion with Aamon and simply giggled at their foolishness.

'Near-impossible doesn't mean impossible,' the Primordial Goddess mused as she looked at the projection of the red-headed teenager in front of her. 'Show me, young Pendragon. Are you really the Master of your Fate? Are you really the Captain of your Soul?'

The Primordial Goddess smiled as she petted the head of the Black Phoenix that was resting beside her throne. She was looking forward to seeing William's growth, and the day when they would meet at the crossroads of Fate.

Chapter 552: Are You Planning To Commit Suicide?

Chiffon hugged the gauntlets that William had given her while she slept.

The little girl really liked her new gauntlets, and was even touched when she learned that the one that forged them was her Big Brother.

If not for the fact that the Academy had forbidden its students from carrying their weapons on their bodies, Chiffon would have worn her gauntlets during class as well.

Ian and Princess Sidonie exchanged a glance as they looked at the pink-haired girl that was sleeping on William's bed.

"Ever since William left, she stopped going to class and spent her free time sleeping on his bed." Ian sighed. "She's like a little puppy that is waiting for her Master's return."

Princess Sidonie pressed her palm on her forehead as she looked at the little girl who had been entrusted to her by William.

"Aamon's Temple is located at the North of the Empire," Princess Sidonie said. "The Temple itself is located in a valley that had been closed off from the public. According to my estimate, it will take two days to get there even if he used teleportation gates."

"Then, he should have arrived there at this time."

"Yes. We will probably see him after two days."

Ian shook her head as she looked at the corner of the room, where a spear was leaning on the wall.

"No. he will be arriving shortly," Ian said with confidence.

Princess Sidonie was about to ask what Ian meant when suddenly, a brief flash of light illuminated the room.

"I'm back, did the two of you miss me?" William asked as he pulled Princess Sidonie into his embrace and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Ian transformed into her true form, and allowed William to give her a kiss as well. After kissing his two lovers, William noticed the pink-haired girl who was sleeping on his bed and smiled.

"It seems that she really liked the weapon I made for her," William commented. "She's even using it as a hug pillow."

William was about to poke the little girl's cheeks when Princess Sidonie grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him away.

"How were you able to return that fast from the Temple?" Princess Sidonie asked. "Also, what did his Excellency, Aamon say?"

William grinned and told Princess Sidonie the trick on how he could travel from one point to the other instantly. The beautiful girl listened attentively to William's explanation. She then realized that it was the same trick that her lover used, to escape from Eneru and the Elves, when he escaped from the Capital City of the Anaesha Dynasty.

"That's amazing," Princess Sidonie commented after William finished his explanation.

Ashe, who was listening from the side, held William's hand and asked the question that had been on her mind ever since the Half-Elf returned.

"Did you manage to talk with his Excellency, Aamon?" Ashe inquired.

William nodded as he summoned the scroll that the God had given him.

Ashe and Princess Sidonie (Morgana) looked at the scroll and read its contents.

"Conquer the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon?" Princess Sidonie frowned. She was not a native of the Central Continent and was not aware of its landmarks.

Ashe was on the same boat, and the two looked at William for answers.

"Sorry, I also don't know." William shrugged. "I returned as soon as I could, so I could talk to the Headmaster about it. Look after Chiffon for me. I'll be right back."

William bid his goodbye to his two lovers before leaving his room in haste. Although it didn't show on his face, William was actually quite anxious about the mission that had been assigned to him.

Gilbert sighed for the umpteenth time as he read the Ancient Scroll in his hands.

"Vault Of The Vanished Warlord," Gilbert muttered. "Why must you be there of all places?"

The Headmaster of the Academy was not afraid to go to dangerous places in order to search for the thing that he was looking for. However, the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon was an exception.

The most powerful families in the continent had formed joint exploration groups in order to conquer the mysterious floor of the Tower. However, all of them had failed.

For as long as he could remember, no one had been able to bring back any news of what kind of secrets the 51st Floor held. There had been rumors flying around, but none of them were credible.

While Gilbert was feeling depressed, he heard a knock on the door of his office.

"Who is it?" Gilbert asked.

"Headmaster, it is me, Dio-- I mean, William," William replied through the door. "There is something important that I need to discuss with the Headmaster. Can I come in?"

Gilbert rubbed his forehead because a troublesome character had come. He was still dealing with the aftermath of William's confrontation with the mercenary group from the Demon Continent and it was giving him a headache.

"Come in," Gilbert said as he fixed his posture. He was still the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy and he needed to look presentable in front of his students.

William walked in the door and sat after the Headmaster had given him permission to do so.

"I thought you were supposed to go to Aamon's Temple?" Gilbert asked. "Didn't his Majesty give you permission to go?"

William nodded. "I just returned from the temple because there is something important that I need to discuss with the Headmaster."

"Something important?" Gilbert eyed the red-headed teenager with a curious gaze. "Go on. What is it that you want to ask me?"

William then narrated a made-up story about receiving a vision in Aamon's Temple about going to the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babel.

Gilbert, who had just drank a mouthful of tea, spat it on William's face after hearing his story.

"Y-You can't be serious!" Gilbert pointed at the Half-Elf that had been drenched by his tea. "Are you planning to commit suicide? Boy, if this is a joke, it is not a funny one."

William wiped his face with a handkerchief as he looked at the stuttering Headmaster that seemed to have lost his composure. He was very tempted to get back at the old man, but since he needed some information, he decided to just pay him back another day!

"Headmaster, like I said, it is the vision that I saw on Aamon's Temple," William explained after cleaning, and drying himself with magic. "The Headmaster is the most knowledgeable person that I know of in the Academy. This is why I came to you for answers."

Gilbert organized his thoughts as he looked at William with a serious expression.

"Are you planning to go there?" Gilbert asked. "What did the vision tell you?"

William had already anticipated that the Headmaster would ask him these kinds of questions, so he had prepared a backstory beforehand.

"The vision told me that I needed to go there," William replied. "I don't know what I will find on the 51st floor, but it is important that I go there. It is a revelation given to me by his Excellency, Aamon."

William thought that if he just used Aamon's name, everything would become more believable. Although Gilbert still had his doubts, he told the red-headed teenager everything he knew about the temple.

The Headmaster of the Academy even gave William the translated scroll of the Vault Of The Vanished Warlord, which was said to be hidden somewhere on the 51st floor.

After hearing Gilbert's explanation, the Half-Elf's anxiousness eased up a bit. Instead of feeling afraid, the Half-Elf became very curious about what was hidden on the mysterious floor of the Tower.

When the Headmaster mentioned about the Vault of the Vanished Warlord, William's hand became very itchy. He was already looking forward to the treasures that he would soon loot from the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

Chapter 553: I Promise That I’ll Be A Good Girl, So Please, Don’t Leave Me Behind [Part 1]

On the same day that he had returned to the Academy, William had dinner with Ian, Princess Sidonie and Chiffon. When the little girl found out that her Big Brother had come back, her liveliness and appetite returned in full.

After dinner, William finally told them about his upcoming travel towards the center of the Central Continent, where the Tower of Babylon was located.

William didn't lie to them and told them the difficulty of the quest that was given to him by Aamon. He even added all the information that the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy had told him.

After hearing everything he had to say, the three girl's expressions became pale. Fortunately, they already finished eating dinner. If not, the three girls would have certainly lost their appetite after hearing William's explanation.

"... You have to make it back no matter what," Morgana said after hijacking Princess Sidonie's body. "Darling, you still haven't given me your babies. You can't die on me. I'm too young to become a widow."

The usually naughty girl looked at William with a pleading gaze. Morgana held William's hand with both of her hands, as if she didn't want him to leave her.

The Half-Elf felt touched because it was very rare for Morgana to show this expression to him, whenever they were together. This just proved how worried she was about his upcoming departure.

"I promise, I will return to you safely," WIlliam replied as he gently squeezed her hand. "You're right. I still haven't given you my babies. There is no way I can allow that to happen. Wouldn't it be my loss if you get married to someone else?

"That's right! If you don't want me to cheat on you, make sure you return as fast as possible."

"Okay. I will return as soon as I can. I promise."

Ian looked at William with a determined gaze. Since he was already going to a dangerous place, she decided to follow him.

"I'm going with you," Ian said. "I can't let you go alone."

William firmly shook his head. "No. You can't come with me."

"Why? Are you afraid that I will hold you back?"

"That's not it. I need you to stay with Sidonie. Without me around, only you will be able to help her when her divinity runs amok."

"B-But."

William reached out to hold Ian's hand and squeezed it softly. "Don't worry. I will make it possible for you to enter the Thousand Beast Domain even when I'm away."

"Is that even possible?" Ian inquired. If it was really possible then she could meet with William anytime.

"Of course, it's possible," William replied. "Sidonie can already do it by using the Collar of Wisteria."

Ian looked at the beautiful Princess, and the latter nodded her head in acknowledgement. Because of the many things that happened, William had forgotten to tell Ian about the additional function that he had added in the Collar of Wisteria.

William knew that Ian would definitely insist on coming with him to the Tower because of how dangerous it was. If possible, he didn't want to bring her with him. This was why he decided to ask the System for help, and allow Ian to visit the Thousand Beast Domain, whenever she missed him.

Chiffon, who had no idea what they were talking about, simply listened to their conversation. The days where William was away were the most depressing days she experienced in her life.

When she no longer had to worry about how to keep the overwhelming hunger at bay, the little girl had more free time to live as a normal girl. To be honest, it was very rare for Chiffon to find happiness in life.

This was why she was unable to smile.

Her default expression was always a frown, due to her constant worry about what she was going to eat next. Now that she had met William, Ian, and Princess Sidonie, her life became more colorful.

Sometimes, Chiffon wondered if she was living inside a dream.

'If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up again,' Chiffon thought as she looked at William who was busy coaxing Ian and Princess Sidonie. Feeling left out, the little girl decided to catch William's attention by asking him a question.

"Big Brother, when are we going to leave?" Chiffon inquired. "I don't have much luggage with me, so we can leave anytime."

William, Ian, and Princess Sidonie all looked at the pink-haired girl at the same time.

"We?" William looked at Chiffon with a dumbfounded expression. "Sorry, Chiffon. I will not be taking you with me either."

Chiffon tilted her head in confusion. "You're not taking me?"

"No," William answered. "Stay here in the academy with Ian and Sidonie. They will look after you while I'm away."

Chiffon's eyes clouded over when she realized that William didn't intend to bring her along with him. According to her Big Brother, it would take a month to reach the Tower of Babylon from the Kraetor Empire.

But that was only the duration of the travel. William didn't know how long he would be staying inside the tower, and this was also Ian's and Princess Sidonie's concern.

The Half-Elf had only been away for two days, and yet, Chiffon felt that there was a gaping hole in her heart. She felt so empty inside while William was away to visit Aamon's Temple.

If William were to be away for more than a month, Chiffon had no idea what was going to happen to her.

A tear fell, followed by another.

The pink-haired girl looked at her Big Brother with blurry eyes as the pain inside her chest intensified.

"Big Brother, you're going to leave me?" Chiffon asked. "You're going to leave me alone?"

William hurriedly stood up from his seat and went beside the little girl to wipe her tears away. For some reason, William was very weak to little children. Although Chiffon was older than him, her current appearance was similar to Brianna, whom William had treated as his own little sister, back in the Southern Continent.

"You will not be alone," William replied. "You will be with Ian and Sidonie. They will look after you."

Chiffon covered her face with her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. No matter what William said, no matter what he promised, her tears didn't stop falling. What was worse was that the moment she started crying, her stomach also started grumbling.

Although she had just eaten dinner, Chiffon's hunger came back, and it came back with a vengeance.

The little girl had lost control of her emotions, and her powers.

< Host! Get away from Chiffon. Her Divinity is going to activate! No! Scratch that! Bring her to the Dungeon of Atlantis instead. Hurry! If you are a second late, this whole Academy, along with all its students will be devoured! >

Chapter 554: I Promise That I’ll Be A Good Girl, So Please, Don’t Leave Me Behind [Part 2]

William teleported inside the 10th Floor of Atlantis and brought Chiffon in his Sea-Side Villa. A few seconds later, the little girl's Divinity went berserk.

Before her reasoning had been taken over completely, Chiffon punched William's stomach with all her might, sending the Half-Elf flying hundred of meters away from her location.

"Big Brother, I'm sorry," Chiffon muttered before she lost consciousness. "Please. Run away."

That was when William saw first hand what the power of the Seven Deadly Sins could do, once they lost control.

Chiffon opened her mouth wide, and a crackling sound was heard. It was as if space itself was being distorted and the air around her trembled.

A series of notifications sounded inside William's status page warning him of the danger that was about to come.

< Host! Please hurry! Leave this place! Everything on this floor will be devoured by Chiffon! >

William gritted his teeth as he looked at the unconscious girl, whose tears were still streaming down the side of her face. Suddenly, the ground rose from under her feet and flew towards her mouth, to be eaten.

The sea churned and charged towards the shore as if they were being compelled by some unknown law that they couldn't fight against. Everything within a thousand meters of Chiffon was being devoured, and that range was slowly increasing by the second.

William kept backing away, but the power of Gluttony that was akin to a blackhole had instantaneously increased its might. The Half-Elf suddenly found himself within the range of Chiffon's devouring ability, and was helplessly pulled in her direction.

"Quickshot War Art, Fusion Form!" William roared as he summoned his wooden staff and pointed it at Chiffon's opposite direction. "Blitzer Railgun!"

William merged with his staff and flew away. At least, that was what was supposed to happen, but reality was different. The wooden staff only managed to travel for five meters, before it stalled and stayed in place.

Slowly, but surely, it was being pulled towards Chiffon's small mouth that was capable of devouring entire cities in the Central Continent.

It broke William's heart to see Chiffon in such a condition, but there was nothing he could do.

'System, put a tracker on Chiffon. I want to monitor her condition!'

< Understood! >

A beam of light shot from the wooden staff and hit Chiffon's forehead. After successfully planting the tracker, William left the 10th Floor of Atlantis and returned to the First Floor in haste. He knew that if he stayed, he would just be devoured by the power of Gluttony that had gone berserk.

After reaching safety, William immediately asked the System to allow him to see what was happening in real time.

The System complied, and shared the view around Chiffon.

What he saw was complete, and utter Darkness.

If not for the fact that he could still hear the faint devouring sound in the background, he might have thought that the Tracker was not working.

Even the artificial lighting on the 10th floor had been sucked away completely. The growling sounds of Chiffon's stomach could be heard amidst the darkness. William doubted that his lollipops would be able to fight against this Divinity that had run out of control.

All he could do was wait.

An hour passed.

Two hours passed.

More hours passed.

William sat cross legged as he continued to monitor Chiffon's condition. After a day inside the dungeon, the growling sound stopped.

The System scanned the surroundings, and Chiffon's body several times, before giving William the go signal that everything was fine.

William returned to that dark, and empty world. Even his eyes that could see past the darkness couldn't see anything inside the 10th Floor of Atlantis.

"Light," William said softly and several balls of light illuminated the surroundings.

It was then when he saw her. Standing at the center of the destruction that she had caused, with tears still streaming down the sides of her face.

William wrapped his arms around the girl who followed him around, and hugged her tight.

"Big Brother, please, don't leave me," Chiffon said weakly as she buried her head on William's chest. She wanted to hug him back, but she was feeling very weak right now. If not for the fact that William was hugging, and supporting her body, she might have already collapsed on the ground.

"I promise that I'll be a good girl, so please, don't leave me behind."

"Okay. I won't leave you behind. I promise."

As if waiting for that answer, Chiffon closed her eyes and slept. She had already reached her limit physically, and emotionally.

William carried the pink-haired-girl in a princess carry, before teleporting to his Villa in the Thousand Beast Domain.

Ian and Princess Sidonie were there and had been waiting for any news about Chiffon. William had ordered everyone to leave the Dungeon of Atlantis, just in case Chiffon's devouring ability broke through the spatial floors of the dungeon.

Fortunately, it didn't, and only one floor was sacrificed to the little girl's devouring ability.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe looked at the disheveled pink-haired girl and felt an ache in their chests. Chiffon had become very dear to them and seeing her like that broke their hearts.

"Please, clean her up," William said as he handed Chiffon to Ian. "Let her rest here in the villa for now. Although the possibility is low, a relapse could occur. We'll keep her here just in case."

Ian nodded in understanding and transformed into her true form before going to the bathroom.

Princess Sidonie walked towards William and gave him a hug. "If someday, I will also lose control of my powers, make sure to trap me in one of the floors of your dungeon. That way, I will not be able to hurt anyone."

William's body stiffened. He wanted to assure her that such a day would not come, but he couldn't say it. In a few days, he would be leaving the Kraetor Empire to go to the Tower of Babylon.

Although they could meet in the Thousand Beast Domain, this was only a temporary fix to the problem. William shuddered at the thought of Princess Sidonie losing control of her powers.

"I will find a way," William said as he hugged the beautiful princess in his arms. "I promise. I will find a way."

"We believe you," Princess Sidonie replied. "I and Morgana believe in you."

William sighed as he closed his eyes. He could still hear Chiffon's pleading words inside his mind. After seeing her in that state, and the reason why it happened, William already knew what he needed to do.

He only hoped that at the end of their journey, he would find a way to help Chiffon have better control of her Divinity. That way, she would no longer need to suffer from the heartbreak of devouring the things that were important to her.

Chapter 555: Let’s Talk About You And Her Wedding

When Chiffon opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.

Fortunately, there was someone familiar to her inside the room, and it put her heart at ease.

William was sitting at the side of the bed and holding her hand. The moment their eyes met, Chiffon had the strong urge to run away. If not for the fact that she still couldn't move her body, she might have already bolted out of the room in haste.

"How are you feeling?" William asked with a smile.

"Exhausted," Chiffon answered. "But, aside from that, I'm good."

William nodded his head as he asked the System to run a diagnostic scan on Chiffon's body to ensure that nothing was wrong with her.

< Chiffon's vital signs are all normal. The possibility of a relapse is .001% >

'Thank you, System.'

Chiffon couldn't remember much of what happened to her. There were lapses in her memory, and she wasn't sure if what she saw was real or only a dream.

The last thing she remembered was being enclosed in William's embrace, and hearing his promise to not leave her alone.

The two stared at each other for a full minute without saying a word. The awkward silence was unnerving, and it made Chiffon anxious. She was about to say something when suddenly, a growling sound reverberated inside the room.

Chiffon's body stiffened because she thought that it was her stomach that was making a sound. She had just eaten an entire dungeon floor, so her hunger would be sated for at least two days.

"That was my stomach," William said to assure the panicking girl on the bed. For some reason, seeing Chiffon's flustered expression tickled his heart.

William took out a basket of sandwiches from his storage ring, and offered one of them to Chiffon. The little girl shook her head, and politely declined the sandwich.

The Half-Elf didn't insist because food was a sensitive topic right now. He just ate in silence, using his right hand, while his left hand held the pink-haired girl's hand.

After eating his fill, William returned the basket to his storage ring, and laid down beside Chiffon.

"Goodnight." William yawned as he closed his eyes to sleep.

He had been up for nearly two days, and he was already very sleepy. He hadn't eaten anything, and only drank water during his vigil. For some reason, he didn't have any appetite after seeing Chiffon's berserked state.

Two minutes later, William's deep sleeping breaths reached Chiffon's ears. The little glutton stared at his peaceful sleeping face, as if embedding it in her memory. She had wanted to ask William a few things, but the latter had slept before she could even ask anything.

Chiffon sighed as she tried to move her body towards William. Although her body felt heavy, the need to feel someone's warmth fueled her determination. More than anything else, she hated being alone.

Now that someone was sleeping next to her, she decided to move closer to assure herself that what she was seeing was reality and not a dream.

"Wake up, Mr. Lollipop."

A teasing voice reached William's ears, which made him open his eyes abruptly.

The first thing she saw was a lady.

A very fat lady.

She was sitting on a small chair that creaked every time her body moved slightly. William couldn't help but think that the chair would break at any time, which would make the lady fall on the ground, unable to get up due to her body size.

"You're thinking a very rude thing," the fat lady snorted. "Don't you know that girls are very delicate? You already have three lovers and you still don't understand this fact?"

The fat lady opened a red fan and started fanning herself. Her action made the chair she was sitting on creak dangerously, which made William's teeth itch.

The Half-Elf forcefully tore his attention from the chair and looked at the lady in front of him. Since he had been around the company of Gods during his visit to the temple, it was easy for him to identify the fat lady as a Goddess.

The only question was.

Who was she?

"You really are too skinny," the fat lady commented as he eyed William from head to foot. "I suggest that you add at least 170 lbs to your weight."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the comment of the Goddess.

"I'll take that into consideration, Your Excellency," William said as he gave the lady before her a respectful bow. "My name is William. May I know, Her Excellency's, exalted name?"

The fat lady chuckled, matching the creaking of the chair where she sat. "It has been a while since I introduced myself to a mortal, so forgive me for not introducing myself first. My name is Adephagia, and I am the Goddess of Gluttony."

William felt the last piece of the puzzle fall in place as he heard the name of the Goddess in front of him. The Half-Elf decided to remain silent and wait for Adephagia to tell him the reason why she had brought him to the Boundary of Heaven and Earth.

He had been here not long ago when he met with Aamon, Astrid's twin that had given him an unreasonable quest from the get go.

The Goddess smiled and nodded her head in appreciation. She had already read what William was currently thinking, so she decided to get straight to the point.

"First of all, I would like to thank you for taking care of my daughter," Adephagia said softly. "My daughter has been through many tough times, and although her fate is filled with suffering, as her mother, I can't help but weep for her."

(A/N: All the Gods of the Seven Deadly Sins call their personifications in the mortal realm daughters. Yeah, all of them are born as girls. I'm just going to clarify things in case you guys are thinking of something else.)

Adephagia started to dab her eyes with a handkerchief as if to wipe away the invisible tears that weren't there.

William played along and nodded his head in understanding.

"Chiffon is like a little sister to me," William stated. "It breaks my heart to see her hurting."

"I see!" Adephagia grinned. "Now, let's talk about you and her wedding."

"Um? What wedding?"

"Sorry, I stuttered. I meant to say let's talk about you and her well being. Don't you know? Having a healthy body and mind will lead you to greatness."

The Goddess laughed with "Ohohoho!" like a second rate villainess, which made William worry about the future. Lady Eros had asked him to take care of her daughters, while she was training him in her palace.

The Goddess of Lust didn't imply anything aside from taking care of her daughters, but the end result was having Princess Sidonie and Morgana as his lover.

Seeing that the Goddess of Gluttony had appeared in front of him. William had a nagging feeling that he was about to become the groom in a Shotgun Wedding.

"Oi, don't think too highly of yourself," Adephagia closed her fan and pointed it in William's direction. "You're too skinny for my lovely daughter. I will only allow you to become her lover if you increase your weight by 180 lbs."

William felt that he was about to have a migraine. Earlier the Goddess mentioned that he needed to add 170 lbs to his weight, now she changed it to 180 lbs. He had a feeling that the Goddess of Gluttony would continue to increase his weight as they continued their chat.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, let's talk about you and her wedding."

"Well-being."

"Tsk." Adephagia clicked her tongue before opening her fan to cover half of her face. "You are going to the Tower of Babel, right?"

William nodded his head in affirmation. "Yes."

"Very well, allow me to give you a gift." The Goddess of Gluttony threw two small boxes in William's direction, and the latter caught it by reflex.

"The red box is for Chiffon, and the pink one is for you," Adephagia stated. "You don't need to know what is inside the box because you wouldn't be able to open it even if you used all of your strength.

"Just know that the box will open at the right time. Hold on to them for now, and keep them safe. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Excellency," William replied.

"Good. Now go back." Adephagia made a gesture to shoo William away. "Make sure to take care of my daughter. If you don't, I'll sit on your head. Let's see if you can bully her again after that."

Even in his spirit form, William could feel beads of sweat forming on his head. If the Fat Goddess really sat on his head, it would easily be crushed like a watermelon getting run over by a tank.

Chapter 556: To Infinity And Beyond

William and Ashe laid on the bed, hugging each other.

The gems on their chests glowed in synchronized rhythm, as the System bestowed Ashe the ability to instantly teleport to the Thousand Beast Domain.

This was not an easy thing to do because it required fifty thousand God Points to make it possible. William didn't mind spending that much because it allowed Ashe to have the means to visit the Thousand Beast domain anytime she wanted.

William had already told Ashe and Princess Sidonie that they could also teleport to his domain if their lives were in danger. Their safety was his priority, so he didn't mind spending God Points to ensure their safety.

God Points: 4,250,042

If only he had known about this feature before leaving the Southern Continent, he would have definitely made it so Wendy and Est could drop by his Domain to come see him.

After half an hour, the modification of their gems had been successfully completed. It was a very delicate process, but thanks to the System's ability, it went as smoothly as planned.

"With this I can see you anytime that I want," Ashe said as she stared at William's eyes. "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" William asked as he kissed her forehead. "I like having you around. If not for the fact that I'm worried about Sidonie being alone, I would have also taken you along with me."

Ashe smiled as she buried herself in William's embrace. Aside from William, only she had the ability to keep Princess Sidonie's divinity from going berserk. She and the Princess had seen what had happened to their Beach Villa in the Dungeon of Atlantis.

What was once a beautiful floor was now a dark place, devoid of anything.

According to the System, the floor would revert to how it was in the past. However, it would take at least a year for that to happen. Naturally, there were ways to hasten up the process, like fixing it using the Dungeon Settings.

However, for that to happen, William needed to finish conquering it first. The progress in conquering the dungeon had halted, on the 52nd Floor because the monsters were quite powerful.

Each group had a dozen individuals, and there would always be a Millennial Beast, and two Centennial Beast among them. However, it didn't end there. Once the teams engaged them, the Red-Eyed Razor Naga (Millennial Beast), would shout a warcry that would call the other groups to come to their location.

William and his party would then face at least Four Millennial Beast, Eight Centennial Beast, and thirty-six Class A Monsters.

This would have been easily dealt with if William was able to use his Heroic Avatar. But, for some strange reason, his Heroic Avatar was disabled on the 52nd Floor of Atlantis. This left him no choice but to allow his Herd and Legion to get stronger first, before challenging the floor again.

'Darling, are you done?' Morgana asked.

'Yes. we just finished,' William replied. 'What's the problem?'

'There's no problem,' Morgana stated. 'I just managed to put Chiffon to sleep, so I can join you and Ashe.'

Before William could even reply, the door of the room opened and a beautiful girl with golden eyes walked towards the bed with a sensuous smile.

"You're going to leave tomorrow, so you need to at least do some maintenance,' Morgana said as she sat on the bed. 'It has been a while since the three of us did it. You're not going to get any sleep tonight, Darling~"

The next day…

"Big Brother, what's wrong?" Chiffon asked as she looked up at the sleepy looking William.

William yawned before patting the little girl's head. "Nothing. I just wasn't able to get much sleep last night."

Chiffon tilted her head in confusion, but she decided not to pry. The two of them would be leaving today, and she was feeling quite excited about traveling alongside William.

"Ah, there you are, William," the Headmaster of the Academy, Gilbert, appeared on the gates of the Academy. "I'm glad I managed to see you before you left the academy."

William had notified him beforehand that he would take a leave from his studies to go to the Tower of Babylon.

The Headmaster wanted to accompany him as well, but he was currently too tied up with the school activities that had been scheduled. He also had to supervise the preparation of the tournament that would happen in less than two months.

This tournament held a special meaning to the Kraetor Empire because this decided the rankings of their top prodigies. Those who were in the top ten would be given resources in order to further increase their ranks.

Those who weren't able to get to the top ten, but had shown great potential would be sponsored by the Empire as well. This was a way to motivate the young generation to strive for excellence, which would further boost the strength of the Kraetor Empire in the future.

"What's wrong, Headmaster?" William asked. "Do you perhaps want to tell me to buy you a souvenir?"

"Well, that is also a good idea. But, I came here to ask you a favor."

"I'm all ears."

Gilbert took out a scroll from his storage ring and gave it to William. The Half-Elf spread it open and saw what seemed to be an exquisite, green flower brooch, with a sparkling jewel at its center.

"This is called the Brooch of Emerald Desire," Gilbert explained. "It was said that it was among the priceless treasures that can be found in the Vault of the Vanished Warlord. If you are able to get the opportunity to retrieve it, I am willing to pay a hefty sum for it."

"If I see it then I'll trade it to you, Headmaster," William replied. "But, if I don't. No hard feelings, okay? There is a possibility that I might get trapped there for an indefinite period of time."

Gilbert nodded in understanding. To be honest, he didn't want William to go to the Tower to risk his life. He had already done his best to convince him, but the latter was determined to go.

Since that was the case, he decided to give him as much support as he could and prepared the necessities he would need in his journey.

"Very well, May the wind be always at your back, and the light shine upon your way," Gilbert placed his hand on William's shoulder. "Also, look after Chiffon for us. You don't have to worry about what the other side is going to say. We will handle that for you."

The old man lowered his head and whispered something in William's ears.

"If it becomes dangerous, do your best to escape the floor," Gilbert whispered. "You don't need to run a fool's errand. Life is very precious, do not waste it on trivial things."

William nodded his head, and didn't make any further comments.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, Headmaster. Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye, Headmaster," Chiffon said as she bowed her head. "Thank you for letting me stay in the Academy."

Gilbert looked at Chiffon with gentle eyes as he patted her head. "Sorry, child. We have been unfair to you. Be careful on your journey, and come back safely. We will be waiting for your return."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"You're welcome."

William held Chiffon's hand, as both of them walked out of the gate of the academy. They had already said their goodbyes to Ashe and Princess Sidonie, who were currently sleeping in their rooms. Just like William, both of them were quite exhausted due to their night of skinship.

"Come out, Raiden," William ordered.

A Black Qilin who was three-meters tall, and five meters long, appeared in front of William. It was radiating the presence of a Millennial Beast, and Chiffon wasn't able to stop herself from clinging to William's arm.

"It's fine, he just looks scary, but he's harmless." William patted Chiffon's head before lifting her up to ride on the Qilin's back. After the little girl was secured in place, William sat behind her and wrapped his arms firmly on her waist.

"Let's go, Raiden," William ordered. "To infinity and beyond!"

Gilbert watched as the Black Qilin rose in the air and flew towards the East. They were headed to the first town that would allow them to use the Teleportation Gates that were specially designated for those who planned to go to the Tower of Babylon.

The Headmaster of Silverwind Academy didn't know if he would see the Half-Elf again. However, after observing William for a few months, he realized that the boy seemed to have the tendency to make the impossible possible.

Chapter 557: Fate Really Knows How To Crack A Joke

The Black Qilin's body soared towards the sky and flew above the clouds. Chiffon looked in awe at the surroundings because this was the first time she had flown in the air.

She was like a little child that was taken on a field trip, and currently enjoying the sights and sounds around her.

"Big Brother, I heard that Qilin's are only native to the Silvermoon Continent," Chiffon said. "Where did you find this Black Qilin?"

"I kille--, I mean, I tamed him when I was in the Southern Continent," William replied. "It had a very nasty personality, so I was forced to beat the crap out of him until he submitted to me."

"Big Brother is so amazing!"

"Yes. I am amazing."

The Black Qilin didn't show any kind of reaction to the two passengers in its back, and continued to fly in silence.

The Qilin was the former Guardian of the Silvermoon Continent, Eneru, who was killed by the angry Protectors of the Kraetor Empire.

William took the Qilin's corpse and its soul--which was trapped in the Altar inside the Hellan Royal Palace--and used his Necromantic power to bring it back to life as a servant.

Supposedly, Eneru should have turned into an Undead Qilin after William had brought him back to life. However, something happened within his Sea of Consciousness.

The King Chess Piece glowed, and the Black Strand that had laid dormant within his Spiritual World, lent its power to bring Eneru back to life, which allowed the Qilin to be reborn as a Black Qilin.

William wasn't aware that these two pieces of Divinity had worked hand in hand to create a very rare Mythical Beast that was known for its power to wield black lightning.

Raiden was the name William had bestowed to the newly born Eneru, who had no memories of his past life. The Qilin's personality was like a man with few words. It would only talk if William was the first to initiate a conversation.

The Qilin's Myriad Core had been taken out of its body and given to Ella. She, along with the other goats that also received Millennial Cores from William from the Beasts that were slain during the war, were currently hibernating in the Kyrintor Mountains.

Takam had volunteered to watch after them as they completed their evolution. William didn't know when the first members of his herd would wake up. Although he was going to miss them, he knew that this was also a good opportunity for all of them to grow stronger.

He hoped that the next time they met, All of them would have taken on their human forms, and would come to accompany William on his journey through the Central Continent.

"And that is Chiffon's current state inside the Academy," Dickie reported through a communication crystal. "She's still as miserable as ever."

"Is that so?" an arrogant voice replied. "Did you see something unusual? Like, an odd behaviour from her?"

"No, Sir. I didn't see anything of the sort."

"Very well. Continue to monitor her. Also, be mindful of the news, and rumors that are currently spreading in the information network of the Kraetor Empire. No matter how unbelievable the news, make sure to take it down and report it to me as soon as possible. I'll see you in a week."

"Understood, Duke Ryder."

Somewhere in the Demon Continent...

"How peculiar. Based on the current time line, she should have already gone berserk by now…," Duke Ryder tapped his desk with a frown. "Did we make a mistake in our calculation?"

The Duke activated the ring on his ring finger.

"Sir, it is me," Duke Ryder said in a respectful voice. "I have called you to give a report."

A beam of light shot from the ring and created a projection in front of the Duke. There, a man sitting on a throne made of skulls looked back at him with a serious expression.

"Did that vermin finally lose control of her powers?" the man asked. "Did she devour the entire Silverwind Academy?"

Duke Ryder shook his head. "No, My Lord. According to the report, the Vermin is still living off the trash in the Garbage Dump of the Academy. So far, aside from her miserable condition, her Divinity remains dormant."

The man frowned. This was not the report he was waiting for. According to the calculations of his warlocks, the Sin of Gluttony should have already gone berserk at this point in time.

They had sent Chiffon to the Kraetor Empire in order to give them a surprise that they would never forget in their lifetime. The man sitting on the throne made of skulls was Chiffon's father.

He used Emperor Leonidas' sentiment for Chiffon's mother to bring the little girl under his care.

Chiffon's father readily agreed to send her daughter away, but gave Emperor Leonidas two conditions. First, Chiffon must be enrolled at the Silverwind Academy, and second, she would not receive any form of support from Emperor Leonidas' Empire.

Their goal was to let Chiffon's Divinity go berserk and devour the entire academy. That way, all the members of the young generation, including countless prodigies and heirs of noble families, would all die a tragic death.

This would weaken the Kraetor Empire for at least twenty to thirty years because of the loss of their young prodigies. This was a blow that no Empire wanted to bear.

If only Emperor Leonidas knew of the sinister plan that his former companion had prepared for him, he wouldn't have brought Chiffon back to his Empire.

Chiffon's father wanted to weaken one of the pillars that kept the peace of the Central Continent. If one of those pillars crumbled, chaos would once again prevail and the other major powers would swarm the Kraetor Empire in droves like vultures and hyenas, looking to eat some scraps from a dying wild beast.

"Well, no matter," the man sitting on the throne said after some time. "If it doesn't happen now, it is still bound to happen later. At most, it will only take one more month before our plan comes to fruition."

"I agree, My Lord." Duke Ryder nodded his head. "I will continue to monitor the Kraetor Empire. Once I get wind of any good news, I will report it to you right away, My Lord."

"Good." The man on the throne nodded. "We've been experiencing a lot of setbacks lately. The plan to get Broodmares in the Southern Continent also failed…"

"My Lord, have you heard about the news regarding the Elves?"

"I did. I already sent people to verify whether the news was true or not."

The man sitting on the throne had heard a very interesting rumor from the Southern Continent. According to the information he got, the Elves tried to conquer the Human Kingdoms, and failed miserably.

Aside from losing millions of elves, their Demigod, Sepheron disappeared, and one of their Guardian Beasts, Eneru, died in battle. If this news was true then it would greatly weaken the forces of the Silvermoon Continent.

The man still hadn't forgotten the time when he almost succeeded in conquering the Elves and making them their slaves. It was quite unfortunate that a Human Hero stood before them and trampled his ambitions into the ground.

The man rubbed his left arm that had been regrown using the power of Dark Magic. They had suffered greatly in that war. Due to the Demon Race's slow reproduction rate, they decided to capture Humans who had strong magical and spiritual powers.

They were to be their broodmares that would help them increase their numbers. Although the Human Empires and Kingdoms in the Central Continent were always at odds with each other, they would set aside their grievances and unite if their peace was threatened.

This was why the Lord of the Demonic Continent didn't dare to capture the prodigies in the Central Continent, and just settled for the ones in the Southern Continent. Unfortunately, this plan had failed as well.

In the end, they resorted to dealing with slave traders in order to get their hands on promising slaves that had the potential to give birth to powerful demons. Although slave trading was banned in some parts of the continent, there were still places where the underground auctions were held.

The Slave Traders didn't care who bought their wares as long as the money was good. Some of them even formed a partnership with the Demon Race who always bought their slaves in bulk.

"My Lord, I have other things to report," Duke Ryder said with a smile. "I heard from a credible source that the son of our nemesis is also in the Kraetor Empire."

"Son of our nemesis?" The man eyed the Demon Duke with an appraising look. "Are you talking about Maxwell's son with the Saintess?"

"Yes, My Lord. according to one of my business partners in the Kraetor Empire, the Half-Elf is currently enrolled in Silverwind Academy."

A devilish smile appeared on the man's lips. Soon, he roared in laughter.

Duke Ryder smiled as he watched his Lord laugh to his heart's content.

"Fate really knows how to crack a joke," the man said after laughing. "I can't wait to see the day when that girl, Chiffon, will devour everything, including that bastard's son. I wonder how the Saintess will react after hearing this news."

The man laughed once again. He had long wanted to have his revenge on Maxwell, and Arwen, but there had never been an opportunity.

Now that the boy was inside Silverwind Academy, it was only a matter of time before his name would be added to the list of people that died due to his daughter's Deadly Sin.

Chapter 558: You Also Carry A Sin

"Big Brother, is that the Tower of Babylon?" Chiffon asked as she pointed in the distance.

They had just exited an underground tunnel, and the first thing that they saw was a Giant Tower that extended towards the sky.

"Yes," William replied. "If that is not the Tower of Babylon, I don't know what it is."

The Qilin gave his silent agreement as he flew towards the tower. Their month-long journey was about to come to an end. Along the way, they visited several cities, and stayed for a day or two to rest.

During their journey, Chiffon became more lively, suitable for a girl of her age. Without being constantly monitored and restricted by other people, the pink-haired girl's latent curiosity burst forth.

William liked this change in Chiffon's personality. Although she still couldn't smile, the subtle rise at the corner of her lips were becoming more and more evident as time went by. The Half-Elf hoped that there would come a day where Chiffon would show him a smile that came from the bottom of her heart.

A smile that will definitely melt the heart of anyone who would see it.

"It's massive," Chiffon looked in wonder at the giant tower that was getting bigger and bigger. "I've never seen anything like it."

William nodded in agreement. The tower was indeed very impressive, and in a way, intimidating. It was like a Giant that was looking down on the entire world and daring everyone to climb to its highest floor.

After an hour, the Dark Qilin slowly descended from the sky.

At the base of the tower, a massive city was built. This was where people of all ages and various ethnicities gathered to challenge the floors of the tower.

There were a total of fifty conquered floors inside the Tower of Babylon. Those who managed to conquer these floors became the ruling families who governed it. One can even say that they were the Kings of their own domain, and not even the Emperors of the different Empires held control over them.

Because of the riches and other rewards that the Tower offered, many would challenge it from time to time, in order to break past the 51st Floor which was deemed to be impossible to conquer.

In the end, most people gave up and settled to work for the families who had already managed to conquer a floor of their own.

The city at the base of the tower became the hub of these ruling families. This was where they sold, or auctioned off the products exclusive to their respective floors, and they profited immensely from it.

The city was ruled by a council, which was composed of fifty members. Each of these members hailed from the family of each floor and worked together to create the city that was known as the City of Babylon.

William landed a mile away from the city because the Black Qilin was too catchy. He made Chiffon wear a black hooded robe, and a mask to cover her adorable face.

Gilbert had been to the city before and he said that it was a place where slave trading was encouraged. William was a Half-Elf and Chiffon was Half Dwarf-Half Demon. Both of them were good looking, so their chances of getting captured were very high.

William wasn't afraid of slave collars, because enslavement magic didn't work on him anymore. This was one of the benefits of wearing the Collar of Wisteria in the past. Celine confided that one of the reasons why she made William the collar was to prevent others from enslaving him.

Since Celine and Celeste had also worn the collar when they were younger, they had also gained the immunity from enslavement magic. This was the preparation made by their Grandfather to prevent the two girls from being enslaved and used for notorious deeds.

The only concern he had was Chiffon's safety. He didn't know if one of the Seven Deadly Sins could be enslaved. He just hoped that nobody would be stupid enough to make their moves on her. Otherwise, William would erase them from the face of the Earth.

William and Chiffon had just reached the gate when the Half-Elf suddenly stopped walking.

The reason?

There was a familiar face looking at him with a smile.

"Master?" William asked as he watched the beautiful elf walk towards him in a daze.

Out of everyone he knew, he didn't expect to see Celine in the City of Babylon.

"It is me," Celine replied before ruffling William's hair. "You've grown a little taller since we last met."

Chiffon looked at the lady in front of her. She could tell that she was quite close to William because her Big Brother seemed happy to see her.

"Master, why are you here?"

"Because a bird told me that you would be here."

"Huh?" William blinked as he looked at his shadow. "Second Master?"

Celine covered her lips and chuckled. She was just teasing William and the latter didn't betray her expectations.

"Oliver is not here," Celine commented. "He is watching over my room in the inn for me. I know that you have a lot of questions, but this is not a place for them. Come, I'm sure you're also tired of your journey."

Celine didn't wait for William's reply before walking away. The Half-Elf glanced at Chiffon and the latter nodded her head.

William followed Celine while he firmly held Chiffon's hand. The streets of the City of Babylon were quite crowded, and he was worried that he would be separated from her if he didn't hold her hand.

Soon they arrived at an elegant looking inn that was away from the main streets of the city. Celine led them to her room without a word.

"It has been a while, Little Will," Oliver greeted William as soon as the latter entered Celine's room.

"Second Master, I hope you're doing well," William replied.

"I've been well." Oliver nodded his head. "I just didn't expect that you would be visiting this place, so Mistress and I took a detour."

Celine started to brew some tea, while William chatted with Oliver. Chiffon had already taken off her hood, and mask and listened to their conversation with interest. This was the first time that she had seen a strange creature like Oliver that was Half Parrot, Half Monkey.

After filling their cups with tea, Celine sat on the table and stared at William.

"It looks like your hobby of picking up girls in the Dungeon still hasn't changed," Celine said.

William lightly cleared his throat, "Master. You're talking about a different protagonist. I don't pick up girls in the Dungeon."

"Well, why don't you introduce me to your new companion?" Celine asked. The beautiful Elf had already sensed Chiffon's uniqueness. Even though she didn't have Oliver's eyes, she still had a spell that could identify a person's origins.

Unlike the Elves of the Silvermoon Continent, Celine held no bias towards other races. She was even mildly surprised when she found out that Chiffon had demonic blood running in her veins.

"Master, this is Chiffon Val Gremory," William said. "Chiffon, this is my Master, who taught me how to use Dar--Darts Magic. Her name is Celine Dy Wisteria."

Chiffon stared hard at Celine, and the latter stared right back at her. The beautiful elf ignored the part where William was about to tell the little girl that she taught him how to wield Dark Magic.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the little girl opened her adorable lips and made a statement.

"You are just like me," Chiffon said softly. "You also carry a Sin."

Chapter 559: Are You Ready For Your Last Lesson? [Part 1]

"You are just like me. You also carry a Sin."

Celine didn't deny or confirm Chiffon's statement. She just stared at the little girl with pity, as if she was looking at her past self.

William tilted his head as he looked at Chiffon and his Master. He clearly heard the pink-haired girl say that his Master, Celine, was someone like her.

Someone who also carried a sin.

"What is your relationship with my Disciple?" Celine asked in order to change the topic.

Chiffon glanced at William before looking back at Celine, "Big Brother is my caretaker. He also provides me with food to eat."

"Caretaker? Well, I guess he is good at taking care of kids."

"Big Brother has been very nice to me. He always lets me eat his long and hard…"

"M-Master, what are you doing here?" William interjected before Chiffon could finish her statement. Last time, Princess Sidonie suddenly bit him while the two of them were having an intimate moment together.

When William asked why she did that, the beautiful Princess said that it was punishment for letting Chiffon do things that she shouldn't have done. Naturally, the Half-Elf was confused about what his lover was talking about.

After coaxing and asking the Princess the reason for her bad mood, he found out that all of this came from a misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding due to Chiffon's poor choice of words.

William didn't want his Master to misunderstand, so he decided to intervene before the pink-haired girl said things that might cause others to think badly of him.

Celine gave William the "let's talk about this later" look before answering his question.

"Like I said earlier, I came here because I got wind that you were headed here for the Tower," Celine answered. "Don't ask who told me that you'd be here. It will just complicate things if you know who it is."

William scratched his head. Clearly, his Master had no intention of divulging her secret, so it was best to leave the matter alone.

"But, that is not the only reason why I am here," Celine stated. "I came here to keep my promise and impart to you the last lesson you need to learn about Dart Magic. After that, I will go and see my sister, before going to the Demon Continent."

Chiffon's expression changed after she heard the words Demon Continent. Her body unconsciously shuddered because that was the place of her origin. A place that she didn't want to go back to ever again.

William digested Celine's words. The tone his Master used was firm and carried no hint of hesitation. It was then when he also realized that there was a possibility that he wouldn't be able to see Celine again for a very long time.

Part of him wanted to tell her not to go to a very dangerous place, but he also knew that his Master wouldn't back down just because he asked her not to go. Celine was already an adult. She could make her own decisions and knew full well the consequences of her actions.

"Master, we will see each other again, right?" William asked softly.

Although there had been many twists and turns to their relationship as Master and Disciple, Celine was one of the important people in his life. He had learned a lot of things from her, and for that, he was forever grateful.

"Silly boy, of course we will see each other again," Celine answered. "I'm an Elf. I have a very long life ahead of me. It might take a few years before we see each other again, but we will definitely meet."

"Can you promise me that, Master?"

"Mmm. I promise. Now, tell me all the things that you have done ever since you left the Southern Continent. Don't omit anything, especially in regards to how you met Chiffon."

William nodded his head and told his Master the things that he had experienced in Silverwind Academy. How Emperor Leonidas snubbed him at first, and forced to enroll at the Academy. His meeting with Chiffon, and also about the Quarterly Assessment Test, and how he beat the old record.

Celine shook her head helplessly and lit a candle for the future students of Silverwind Academy. The beautiful Elf believed that none of them would be able to beat William's record for many years to come.

After finishing his tale, Celine then informed him about what happened in the Southern Continent while he was away.

Due to the increasing pressure from the citizens, and the neighboring Dynasties and Kingdom, King Noah had been forced to send the First Prince, Lionel, to the guillotine and had him executed.

Although he was angered by his son's betrayal, he only decided to imprison him for life. But, that didn't sit well with the citizens who had lost their children during the war. In order to prevent a Civil War, King Noah compromised and steeled himself, sacrificing his firstborn to quell the masses.

His second son, Prince Rufus, was exiled from the Hellan Kingdom. According to Celine, the exiled prince decided to come to the Central Continent and enter the Misty Sect.

After losing his two sons, the King proclaimed Prince Ernest as the new Crown Prince of the Hellan Kingdom. Not only that, he also announced the name of his future Queen, which was none other than Princess Brianna of the Northern Tribe.

A smile appeared on William's face when he heard that the two children had become officially engaged. He treated Brianna as a little sister, and he only had her happiness in mind. William knew that Prince Ernest really cared about her, so he wasn't worried that his little sister would get bullied.

Even if she got bullied, so what? William would just return to the Hellan Kingdom and give the new Crown Prince a good spanking, in order to avenge his little sister!

Celine left out the troublesome part about the rebuilding of the Hellan Kingdom, and other matters regarding the peace treaty that had been signed by the four ruling factions in the Southern Continent.

She knew that none of these were important to William, so she didn't want to waste her time explaining about these things as well.

"Well then, are you ready for your last lesson, Will?" Celine asked. "This time, I will not hold back. I want to see if you've been slacking off in your training after you left the Hellan Kingdom."

William patted his chest with confidence and gave Celine a confident smile.

"I am ready, Master. This time, the one who will lose is you."

"Quite confident are we? Very well. Let's see if you can back it up."

William held Chiffon's hand and reached out towards Celine. The beautiful Elf held his hand firmly. Oliver entered Celine's shadow so that he wouldn't be left behind.

A few seconds later, the scenery around them changed.

William had taken everyone inside his Thousand Beast Domain where he and Celine would have their final match against each other.

In the past, William always lost against the beautiful Elf whenever they spared inside his Sea of Consciousness. But now, things were different.

William was no longer the powerless child that Celine had tormented during their training.

The red-headed teenager was even looking forward to having a match with her. What he didn't know was that Celine's final lesson wasn't an ordinary lesson.

It was a lesson that he would remember for the rest of his life.

Chapter 560: Are You Ready For Your Last Lesson? [Part 2]

William dried his hair after stepping out of the bathroom. This had always been his routine whenever he was about to train with Celine inside his Sea of Consciousness.

He glanced at Chiffon who was sleeping peacefully on top of his bed. They had eaten dinner three hours ago, and the little girl decided to sleep early because she was still exhausted from their journey.

William, on the other hand, had an appointment with Celine, so he left the room after putting on a clean set of clothes.

He left the Villa and went straight to Celine's Residence that he had built for her long ago. This residence included a laboratory where his Master would conduct her experiments from time to time.

William thought of all of these things as if they happened just yesterday. Now, Celine was going to a far away place, and the Half-Elf didn't know when he was going to see her again. Although his Master was being casual about it, he couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought that the two of them wouldn't be able to see each other again.

He sighed as he knocked on Celine's door, announcing his arrival.

"Master, I'm here."

"Come in."

William entered the room and headed straight to the bedroom. There he saw a silver door where Celine waited for him.

The door was the entrance of the special artifact, Eternity. This was where William had trained with Celine during his childhood.

A day inside the artifact was only an hour in the real world. In order to maximize their training time, Celine would use this artifact, so the two of them could train for days, and even weeks on end, during their free time.

He had done this countless times in the past, even so, seeing Celine in her nightwear still made his heart beat a little faster than normal.

William paused to admire the beautiful elf in front of him. It was as if he was imprinting this image in his head, just in case he forgot about her after years of not seeing each other.

"What's wrong?" Celine asked as she looked at the dazed Half-Elf that was looking at her. "Come. Time waits for no one."

"Yes, Master," William replied as he laid on the bed.

He faced Celine that he had done many times in the past, and waited for the latter to press her forehead over his.

"William, this time, don't hold back," Celine said as she moved closer. "Let's have a proper death match."

"Understood, Master."

"Synchronize."

Sounds of explosion reverberated inside William's Sea of Consciousness. Their battle had been going on for an hour, and none had managed to deal a decisive blow at each other.

Celine had lowered her Rank to match William's, so they were almost on even ground. The beautiful elf's battle experience was higher, but William's countless skills made up for that gap.

"Icycle Realm!"

"Darkness Domain!"

The two powers clashed and cancelled each other out. William shot several Ice Spears, Fireballs, and Wind Blades, in Celine's direction, but the latter was too fast to be hit by his attacks.

"Void arrow!" William pointed his finger and a black arrow shot out from it.

Celine sneered and fired her own Void Arrow. When the two arrows met, Celine's Void arrow destroyed William's and continued its trajectory towards the boy.

William evaded and this time, he used his dark whip to lash out at Celine. As if waiting for that move, Celine also summoned a Dark Whip and attacked William.

When the two whips clashed against each other, William's Dark Whip dispersed and Celine's Dark Whip snaked towards him like a living being.

William raised his hand and several pillars of ice blocked the whips' advance. However, they were all destroyed by the power behind Celine's attack, forcing William to back away and escape its attack range.

"Even when two similar powers are used, that doesn't mean that they will just cancel each other out," Celine explained as she fired several dark beams in William's direction. "What you are using is simply Dark Magic, while mine is True Dark Magic. This is the difference between our powers."

Wiliam summoned Stormcaller and fired a barrage of lightning to counter Celine's magical attacks. Rumbling sounds were heard when the two attacks collided, but the Half-Elf and his Master paid it no mind.

The two fought each other in close combat as Stormcaller and Celine's Deathscythe struck each other, sending sparks flying in all directions.

"Master, how can I get True Dark Magic?" William inquired when Celine distanced himself from him.

Even though he asked a question, his magical bombardment didn't stop.

After deflecting William's attacks, Celine smiled as he channeled her Battle Aura on her weapon.

"You can wield True Dark Magic once you surrender yourself to Darkness," Celine replied as she stomped her foot on the ground to propel herself forward. "You don't need to use this power because you are capable of wielding the power of all the elements.

"If you ever meet someone who uses True Dark Magic in the future, never use Dark Magic against them."

Celine didn't give William any chance to reply as her Scythe Extended like a whip that was out to cut William in Half.

The Boy wasn't fazed as he pointed his weapon in Celine's direction.

"Quick Shot War Arts," William roared. "Grand Bazooka!"

A powerful Lightning Blast erupted from the tip of the spear, clashing against Celine's powerful attack. The collision between the two only lasted for a brief moment before William's attack overwhelmed his Master's killer move.

Celine dodged to the side by rolling on the ground. Before she could stand up and continue to fight, the tip of Stormcaller pressed against her neck.

"I won, Master," William declared.

He could have cut Celine's neck off her head, but he couldn't bear to do that. She was still his Master, and William respected her. That's why, he only settled to end their battle in a way that would not leave a bad aftertaste in his mouth.

"Well done," Celine replied after half a minute. "You have really grown leaps and bounds since the last time we fought against each other."

William removed Stormcaller's tip from his Master's neck and extended a hand to help her up.

"With this, I can go to the Demon Continent without worrying about you," Celine said as he patted William's shoulder. "I'm sure that you will do well even without me."

William was her very first Disciple, and probably her last. She was very proud of him, especially during the war in the Southern Continent. The Half-Elf had also taught her a lot of lessons in life.

Because of William, Celine had changed her mindset and decided to face the things that she had been running away from all her life. This was why she wanted to see him first, before meeting her twin sister, Celeste.

After she reunited with her sister, she would then travel to the Demonic Continent to visit her Master. Celine was quite worried about her, and missed her terribly.

William lowered his head, because he didn't want to let his Master see his sad expression.

"Stop acting like a spoiled child," Celine said as she used the tip of her finger to raise William's head. "Since you have beaten me fair and square, allow me to give you a reward."

Celine moved her head closer.

William's eyes widened when Celine's soft lips pressed over his own.

"Happy Birthday, William," Celine said with a smile. "Congratulations, today marks the day of your coming of age. You are now considered an adult, so it's time for you to become one."

Yes. When the clock struck twelve, William officially turned eighteen years old in the World of Hestia. The Half-Elf hadn't forgotten about his birthday, and even made plans to have a celebration in the Thousand Beast Domain after Ashe's and Princess Sidonie's classes ended in the afternoon.

Before William could even react to Celine's words, the beautiful elf snapped her fingers. The surroundings changed, and they returned to the bedroom where the two of them laid facing each other.

"This will be our last lesson together," Celine whispered in William's ears. She once again kissed William's lips before untying the string that bound her nightwear. "Although I feel sorry about your lovers, I will be taking your first."

William looked at the beautiful Elf that was looking down on him. He would be lying if he said that this possibility never crossed his mind when he was still young. Now that Celine was actively stripping him of his clothes, he knew that his Master was serious.

"Master, I think you're making a misunderstanding," William said as he cupped Celine's face. "It's not you, but me. I will be taking your first."

William pulled the beautiful Elf towards him and kissed her passionately. This was the start of their first night together.

Not as Master and Disciple.

But as a man, and a woman who would be taking that next step in their relationship.

Chapter 561: Eternity With You - R18

(Disclaimer: You've already watched enough H to know where this is going. This chapter will be all about ahem, so if you're not interested in it, feel free to skip!)

The sound of kissing could be heard inside the artifact, Eternity.

Celine felt a tingle run down her spine as William's hands caressed, and fondled her smooth and jade-like body.

She wanted to take the lead, because she felt that it was her duty as a Master to show William how it was done. The beautiful Elf was not aware that when it came to love making, the Half-Elf had more experience between the two of them.

"I've dreamt of this in the past," William said as he kneaded Celine's two peaks with his hands. "Master, you're very beautiful."

William lowered his head and slightly bit the pink tips that had already become firm due to his fondling. He kissed, licked, and sucked them like a baby. While his lips were busy with Celine's breasts, his right hand moved downward, past her abdomen and into the entrance of her maidenhood.

Celine's body uncontrollably shuddered under the machinations of William's hands.

The Half-Elf had already known that although his Master acted like she had a lot of experience in these kinds of activities, Celine was still a pure maiden that had not been touched by any man.

Unlike her, William had already done the deed in his dreams, but none in real life. He had never crossed that line with Wendy, Ashe, and Princess Sidonie, because the time wasn't right.

Now that he had officially turned eighteen, there was no need for him to hold back.

"W-Why are you so good?" Celine stuttered as William playfully pinched her… "Have you done this before?"

"In my dreams," William answered.

"Are you… Mmhh!… Hah… stupid?"

"It's the truth, Master. I have done this many times in my dreams."

"With me?"

"... Yes."

William's slight hesitation didn't escape Celine's gaze, but her thoughts turned to mush as the Half-Elf's hand continued their relentless attacks.

After sensing that Celine's body was ready to accept him, William kissed his Master's lips before spreading her legs wide. His gaze landed on that place where he would soon claim as his own.

"Master, are you sure that you want it to be me?"

"We've already come this far. Let's finish it till the end."

Celine relaxed her body and waited. She didn't have to wait long, because William was also at his limit. The moment he lowered his hips, Celine's final resistance was torn away and swept aside like a boat facing a storm in the open seas.

The beautiful Elf felt pain, but it was not as painful as she expected it to be. Lady Eros had instructed William to make sure that his partner would be able to accept him fully, and the teenager used everything he learned to practice.

William made love with Celine, and the latter's pleasurable sighs permeated their surroundings. He didn't do it roughly, but he did it in a way that would torture his master. This was his payback for the years that he had suffered in her hands.

The Half-Elf gave her a sweet, and slow, but pleasurable experience. There were times where he would stop, and only continue after Celine had begged him.

Celine might be his Master when it came to Dark Magic, but when it came to lovemaking, William won hands down.

They made love many times, each time a different position. This time, it was William's turn to teach Celine what he was capable of. To his credit, the beautiful Elf had no complaints, only asking him for more.

Several hours later…

Celine slept soundly on the bed, while William wiped the sweat off her body with a hand towel. The red stains on the white sheet were proof that he was Celine's first man, and William was very tempted to take it inside his storage ring to serve as a memento of their passionate night together.

'I guess I should,' William thought as he used his Wind Magic to lift Celine's body from the bed. He then took the white sheet inside his storage ring and hurriedly placed a new one, in order to remove any evidence.

"Pervert," Celine said as she opened her eyes. She was really asleep earlier, but the moment she sensed magic being used on her, she woke up, just in time to catch William in the act of putting the bed sheets in his storage ring.

William pretended that he didn't hear her and carried the Elf towards the bathroom to clean her up.

Eternity was an artifact where one could spend several days in closed training. Naturally, it had facilities like a house complete with all the necessities for someone to live there for an extended period of time.

William used his Fire and Water Magic and filled up the bathtub with warm water before placing the lady in his arms inside it.

Naturally, he also stepped into the tub and positioned himself behind her, letting her body lean over his chest.

The two soaked in the water without saying a word. William's arms were wrapped around Celine's waist, holding her in place. William was hesitant to ask Celine a question, because he already knew what the answer would be.

Although she was with him now, Celine wouldn't change her decision to go to the Demonic Continent.

A day passed and then two…

William and Celine didn't leave Eternity and spent their days together. Celine told William about her childhood and her relationship with Celeste.

Contrary to his expectations, Celine had a good relationship with her twin sister. She added that both of them only treated each other coldly on the surface, so that the Elders of the Elven Council would think that they didn't get along.

"When I meet her, I will make sure to tell her about you," Celine said as she caressed William's head that was resting on her lap.

The two of them spent their days like this. Neither wanted to break the atmosphere between the two of them, so they resorted to talking about random things, instead of asking each other where they both stood in their relationship.

William could tell that his Master didn't want to give him false hope, so he decided to respect her wishes.

"Master, when I was young, Oliver told me to take the Seed of Life from Celeste after I traveled to the Central Continent," William stated. "He said that I should give it to you afterwards."

"Oh? He did?" Celine chuckled. It was then when a devilish smile appeared on your beautiful face. "Well, why not? I'm curious how she will react after you state your claim."

"Master, I can tell from your words that something bad will happen to me if I do that."

"You're just overthinking things."

Celine's body shuddered as she held back a giggle from escaping her lips. She was very curious about what would happen if William were to really do as he said. Naturally, she had an idea why Oliver asked this of William.

The beautiful Elf didn't know whether she should praise or nag the Parrot Monkey for doing things behind her back. Even so, one thing was certain. The Parrot Monkey had schemed against William and thrown him into the Lion's Den.

Of course, Celine wouldn't say anything because she wanted Celeste to know how shameless her Disciple was. She only hoped that during their first meeting, William wouldn't suffer too much from her twin sister's reaction to his demand.

Chapter 562: Darling~ You Can Still Do It, Right?

A few more days passed inside Eternity.

William and Celine had made love with each other countless times. Everyday that passed, the fervor of their passion grew, as if they were making love with each other for the last time.

On their last night together, Celine took the initiative to pin William down and sat on top of him. This time, she would take the lead, and William didn't resist. He allowed her to do what she pleased, for the time they would spend together was coming to an end.

That night, William poured his heart to her. He gave her everything, and she accepted them all.

After their intense love making, Celine laid on William's chest, and the latter held her in a firm embrace.

"Master, I will be waiting for you," William said softly. "When that time comes, let us sit down and talk about our relationship."

"Okay," Celine replied. Although it was only a word, it held a promise, and that was what William needed from her.

William sighed as he allowed himself to bask in Celine's softness and warmth. He then closed his eyes to look at his status page that had been recently updated.

< Familia >

< Third Familia Member >

-- Celine Dy Wisteria

-- Host is able to use Darkness Domain

-- Host is able to use Dark Ray

-- Host has acquired Familia Oversoul Skill

-- Increase +30 enhancement bonus to all stats

Strength of Stats and Abilities will increase, or decrease, depending on the Synchronization Rate between the host and his Familia Member.

-- Synchronization Rate: 65%

Celine had been registered as William's Third Familia Member on their first night together.

This meant that Celine was now one of William's women, but his Master didn't confirm nor deny it. Her goal was to see her sister, before going to the Demonic Continent to check on her Master's condition.

Until she had seen her Master, Celine had no time to entertain romance in her life. Also, she was also worried about the Elven Prophecy that would soon come to pass. Celine didn't want William to be involved in her affairs, because this was her burden to deal with.

In time, the two fell asleep in each other's embrace. William felt terribly good feeling Celine's soft, warm, naked body nestled into his. This was the kind of intimacy that he didn't expect to share with his Master, who had been with him for many years.

An intimacy that he would not feel again, until the two of them reunited.

They woke up around noon, and bathed together for the last time. After putting on their clothes, they walked out of Eternity side by side.

The artifact shrank in size and transformed into a necklace. Celine took it in her hand and wore it, like she always did.

"Will, make sure that you return from the 51st Floor," Celine said as she squeezed his hand with her own. "Only by doing so will the two of us meet. The place you are going to is more dangerous than the Demonic Continent. Prioritize your safety, and Chiffon's, at all times."

"Yes, Master," William replied. "I promise that I will return safely. So, make sure to be safe as well."

Celine smiled and nodded her head. She gave William one last kiss on the forehead before William sent her outside the Thousand Beast Domain.

The Half-Elf sighed and looked at the blue skies overhead. The two of them had already said their final goodbyes, and there was no use in prolonging the inevitable.

With a slightly heavy heart, William returned to the Villa where Chiffon was waiting for him.

When he arrived, Chiffon was already at the dining table eating pancakes. She was being served by Charmaine, and accompanied by B1, and B2, who were also eating pancakes beside her.

The Two Dumb Birds were quite fond of Chiffon and would often accompany her whenever she visited the Thousand Beast Domain and the Dungeon of Atlantis.

William was happy for her because she found friends that would accompany her and not make her lonely. His only concern was whether the vulgarities of the two birds would rub on the innocent girl.

"Good morning, Big Brother." Chiffon's face brightened as soon as she saw William. When she had woken up, he was not around, but she wasn't worried.

William had already told her that he might appear a bit late due to his training session with Celine.

"Good Morning, Chiffon," William replied as he sat on the chair beside her. He had already eaten breakfast with Celine, so he wasn't feeling hungry.

"Happy Birthday, Big Brother," Chiffon said.

"Thank you."

"Here is my gift to you."

Chiffon stood up from her chair and gave the Half-Elf a chocolate lollipop. The corner of William's lips twitched because he didn't know whether he should laugh, or cry at the gift that the little girl was giving him.

In the end, he thanked Chiffon and unwrapped the lollipop before putting it inside his mouth. It had been a while since he had eaten one, and it gave him a very nostalgic feeling.

Its taste reminded him of his battle against the Celestial Army that was guarding the Heavenly Gate.

'Zhu and Sha might have been born by now,' William thought as he remembered the two Demons that had helped him during the trial. 'I hope that both of them will find happiness in their new life.'

Seeing that William seemed to be enjoying the gift she gave him, the corner of Chiffon's lips raised a bit before returning her attention to the pancakes in front of her.

She had developed a habit of not wasting any food that was served to her. Chiffon carried the Sin of Gluttony. She knew more than anyone else in the world how it felt to be hungry and had nothing to eat.

While the two were spending some quality time together, two unexpected guests appeared inside the Villa.

Ian and Princess Sidonie walked in wearing their uniforms and they both made a beeline to William.

"Happy Birthday, Will."

"Happy Birthday, Darling!"

"Thank you."

Morgana was currently the one in charge of Princess Sidonie's body because her other half was still asleep. She had discussed a lot of things with Ashe till late in the night on how they would spend their night with William.

This was the day that they had been waiting for and the ever naughty Morgana had reached her limits.

"Darling, tonight, prepare yourself," Morgana whispered in William's ears. "Wait, I smell something funny."

Morgana wrinkled her nose as he sniffed around her. As the embodiment of Lust, it was very easy for her to identify the scent of lovemaking.

It was at that moment when the lollipop fell out of William's mouth because he had forgotten his lover's special ability.

"Darling~ did you by chance spend the night with a woman?" Morgana's sweet and devilish voice tickled William's ears. "Did you cheat on us?"

William lightly cleared his throat and decided to ride the tiger's back. This was the point of no return, so he decided to come clean and put all the blame on Celine!

After hearing William's story, Ian and Morgana glanced at each other. They had long known that Celine was William's Master, so they knew that he wasn't lying. Also, Chiffon was there to serve as witness.

In the end, Ian and Morgana could only sigh because the early bird had eaten William's worm. Their only concern was whether the Half-Elf could still do his duty as their lover after their class was over in the afternoon.

"Darling~ you can still do it, right?" Morgana pressed her arms over William's shoulders. "You left something for us, right?"

William gulped because right now, he had no more juice to spare because Celine had made sure to take everything for herself.

'S-System, look for the most powerful rejuvenation potion that you can find,' William ordered. 'It doesn't matter how much it is. As long as it brings my body to peak condition, anything is fine!'

< …Understood. >

Chiffon, who was still eating her pancake, looked at this scene in confusion. She was wondering what Morgana and Ian were talking about as they looked down at William with dissatisfied looks on their faces.

Fortunately, William was able to buy a powerful rejuvenation potion from the God Shop which helped him with his predicament.

That night, he was sandwiched between two beauties, who were very eager to share their first times with him, not in a Dreamworld, but in the real world, where their love for each other blazed brightly amidst the darkness.

Chapter 563: I Can’t Wait To Step On Your Face

Traveling high above the clouds, a dark raven flew towards the East.

Seated on its back was Celine. She had only parted with William an hour ago, and yet the distance between them had widened significantly. Deep inside, she was relieved that her disciple had grown up to be an outstanding man.

She had a taste on just how outstanding William was, in that one week that they had been together.

Oliver, who was lurking in Celine's shadow, finally spoke up after the Tower of Babylon disappeared from view.

"Mistress, is Little Will perhaps…"

"No."

Celine cut off Oliver's question because she already knew what he was going to ask.

"He's not the Prince in the Prophecy," Celine stated. "A crest didn't appear on my body."

"... I see."

When Celine offered herself up to William, it was her way of fighting against her destiny. She was one of the bride candidates for the prophesied Prince who would not only wreak havoc in the Silvermoon Continent, but the one who would cover the entire world in darkness.

Simply put, Celine took a gamble. If William was the Prince in the prophecy, she would cancel all her plans, to visit her sister and to go to the Demonic Continent, in order to be by his side. Her purpose was to prevent him from getting corrupted by darkness and turning the world upside down.

To be honest, Celine felt relieved that William wasn't the one in the prophecy, because it meant that her disciple wouldn't have to suffer and fall into corruption.

The prophecy stated that when the prince appeared, and took either her or Celeste as his bride, a crest would appear on their body. This would prove that he was the Prince in the prophecy, a Prince that the Elves wanted to capture at all cost.

Celine wanted to be the one in control of her life. Whom she wanted to love, whom she wanted to dedicate her life to, she wanted the right to choose. She would not allow a prophecy to dictate her destiny.

She loved William, not as a man, but as her Disciple. Even so, she still chose him to be her first man. Celine would rather give her maidenhood to the Disciple she raised, than to a stranger who would deprive her of her freedom.

"Oliver, if you like, you can stay by William's side," Celine said softly. "You don't have to worry about me. As long as the Prince doesn't appear, I'll be safe wherever I go."

Oliver snorted before giving his reply, "Mistress. I am not Little Will's nanny. Also, he's no longer a child. He is now strong enough to stand on his own feet. Besides, there are many strong beings by his side. I'm sure that he would be safe without me."

Celine nodded her head in agreement. Although she didn't want to admit it. Not having Oliver with her would make her lonely. The Parrot Monkey not only served as her loyal retainer, but someone to talk to about important matters as well.

Kraetor Empire Capital, City of Azmar…

"Are the preparations for the tournament going well?" Emperor Leonidas asked Evexius who was standing beside his throne.

Evexius bowed, "Yes,Your Majesty."

"Good. Will that boy, William, participate?"

"I do not know, Your Majesty."

Evexius shook his head as he narrated the report that Gilbert had passed to him during their meeting at the Academy.

"Headmaster, Gilbert, said that William was going to the Tower of Babel to clear the 51st Floor of the Tower," Evexius reported. "He added that it was a revelation that William received from His Excellency, Aamon, when the boy went to his temple."

"Clear the 51st Floor of Babylon?" Emperor Leonidas snorted. "That sounds like a suicide mission. Either his Excellency hates the boy, or he is confident that William can clear it. What do you think, Evexius? Does that boy have what it takes to do something that you, me, and the rest of the champions of our Era failed to do?"

Evexius lowered his head as he pondered Emperor Leonidas' question. Frankly, he didn't believe that William would be able to accomplish what they had failed to achieve. Back then, He, along with Emperor Leonidas, as well as the Saints of the other Empires and Kingdoms, formed an alliance in order to pave the way for a new era.

However, they failed miserably. If not for the help of the Eight Demigods in the Central Continent, they would have been trapped on the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon for eternity.

"I don't know whether William can clear that floor or not, Your Majesty," Evexius replied after careful consideration. "However, that person has a knack for reversing a hopeless situation into a hopeful one. Even if he can't clear it, I think being able to escape with his life is not a problem."

Emperor Leonidas closed his eyes. "For now, focus on the Grand Tournament. I want this to be perfect. Don't let me down, Evexius."

Evexius pressed his fist over his chest and bowed. "Your Majesty, is it true that this year, you will allow, not only the citizens of the Empire, but also anyone who wishes to participate? Even if it's from an enemy nation?"

"Yes," Emperor Leonidas answered with his eyes still closed. "It is time for our young warriors to experience what it's like to fight those who are outside our borders. Although things are quite peaceful now, what happened to the Southern Continent was a wake up call for everyone in the Central Continent.

"They asked me to allow their prodigies to join the festivities as well. A council will be formed to set up the rules of the tournament and the prizes for the top three warriors. The scale of this tournament will be grander than any of the ones we had in the past. Evexius, I don't want any mishaps. Do I make myself clear?"

"I will do my best to meet your expectations, Your Majesty." Evexius bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room.

The Grand Archamge of the Kraetor Empire hoped that the tournament that they would be hosting would proceed smoothly. He was also curious about who would become the champion of the young generation.

Evexius knew that whoever it was, that person would definitely rise in fame, not only in the Kraetor Empire, but in the entirety of the Central Continent as well.

Meanwhile inside Silverwind Academy…

'It has been a month since that Half-Elf was last seen,' Prince Jason thought as he looked outside of the window of his dormitory room. 'The tournament will start in a month and will continue for three weeks.'

Prince Jason stared at the bracelet on his wrist. This was the artifact that the Oracle of Aamon's Temple had given him, in order to counter William's ability to increase his Rank for a short period of time.

The Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire believed that if the two of them were in the same standing, The Half-Elf didn't have a chance of winning against him.

"You better be there, Half-Elf," Prince Jason muttered. "I can't wait to step on your face in front of everyone. I can't wait to see the despair on Sidonie's face when she sees you begging for mercy, while being crushed under my foot."

Chapter 564: I’m Sorry, But This Is Our Bottom Line

William awoke to soft breathing sounds that tickled his ears.

He glanced at the two beautiful girls that were currently nestled beside his body. They had spent a night of passion where they had consummated their love for each other.

Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Morgana milked him dry, and forced Little Will to wave his flag in surrender. Perhaps, it was their way of punishing William for spending his first time with his Master, who was now nowhere to be found.

It was also that night when William realized that Princess Sidonie's sin was not just for show. The moment she lost her chastity, the power of her Divinity bloomed and the Princess transformed into a Succubus. The moment she transformed, an exact replica of her separated from her body.

The newcomer was, of course, Morgana.

The two beautiful girls, who looked exactly the same, made love to him like there was no tomorrow.

Ashe's performance also didn't lose to Princess Sidonie, and Morgana. The mermaid had done the deed several times with William in the Dreamworld, so her union with the Half-Elf was just as intense, even though it was her first time in the real world.

The relentless attacks of the three girls overwhelmed William. Even though he was already using his Incubus Job Class, he was unable to beat two ravenous succubi, and a jealous mermaid, who were out to milk him dry.

'I have no regrets,' William thought as he held the two beauties in his embrace. Morgana had already returned inside Princess Sidonie's Spiritual World to rest after she had her fill.

William kissed the two sleeping girls on their forehead before closing his eyes to go back to sleep. He was still feeling exhausted, and decided to sleep for an hour or two to regain a little bit of his strength back.

'I need to buy a bigger bed. A bed that will be big enough for twelve people.'

These were William's last thoughts before his consciousness sank into sleep's embrace.

Several hours later, he awoke in bed alone.

The two beauties were no longer there, but the evidence of their lovemaking remained in the sheets. William had no choice but to take all the evidence inside his storage ring to prevent a certain pink-haired girl from discovering them by accident.

William headed to the bathroom to take a bath, before going to the dining room to eat.

The only person inside the residence was Charmaine. According to her, Chiffon had gone to the Atlantis Dungeon with B1, B2, Psoglav, and Erchitu.

William thanked his personal maid because he had assigned Charmaine to prevent Chiffon from coming into his room at all cost. The little girl insisted on sleeping with William that night, like she always did for the past month, but Ashe and Princess Sidonie managed to convince her to rest in the guestroom for one night.

The two girls even made an excuse that they would be doing some secret training with William that shouldn't be leaked to outsiders. Chiffon was still half in doubt, but after William promised her that this was only a one time thing, she relented and slept with Charmaine in the guestroom.

Chiffon disliked being alone. This was why William asked his personal maid to accompany her to sleep.

After eating his brunch, William drank a rejuvenation potion to speed up the recovery of his body. Today was the day when he was supposed to climb the Tower of Babylon with Chiffon, but he decided to postpone it for a day.

(A/N: Just in case any of you don't know what brunch is, it is a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. Thank you Google Senpai for the answer.)

William returned to his room and sat on the couch before closing his eyes. There was a place that he wanted to visit first, and he hoped that this time around, he would find something of interest.

Crafting the Devourer's Gauntlet using the recipe for the Titania's Gauntlets had been very profitable for William. Because of this, he decided to visit the Auction on a regular basis, hoping to see some treasures that were worth bidding for.

He was also paying attention to rare weapons that the system could help him replicate, to increase the levels of his Smithing and Artificer Job Classes.

'System, take me to the Auction of the Gods.'

< Understood. >

A few hours later…

William opened his eyes with a grin.

He left the Villa and asked the system to expand his Thousand Beast Domain another fourteen square miles.

William spent 100,000 God Points for this expansion, but it was not over yet. He asked the system to create a forest in the Northeast Area of the domain to become the home of the new additions to his herd.

The forest that the System made wasn't an ordinary forest, but an Enchanted Forest filled with rich Spiritual Energy. Now that William had God Points, it was perfectly fine for them to splurge a bit.

The forest cost William 10,000 God Points, bringing the total expenses to 110,000. After everything was prepared, William opened the special feature of the God Shop which was called, Divine Bestiary.

This was where the followers of the Gods could store the beasts that they had bought in the auction before bringing them to their world. Since Beasts were living things, they needed a special storage space that could be used to store them.

Soon a five-meter-tall golden portal appeared beside William. It was the entrance to the Divine Bestiary which housed the Beasts that he had bought from the Auction of the Gods an hour ago.

"Ok, guys, time to come out," William ordered. "Welcome to your new home."

As if waiting for that cue, thirteen white Pegasi flew out of the portal one by one. There was a seller in the auction that auctioned a dozen of them, along with their Alpha, and this was something that William couldn't pass on no matter what.

Fortunately, not many were interested in rearing Pegasus because they were very proud, and aggressive creatures. They were very hard to tame, and all of them were Class A Beasts.

Although they looked majestic, not everyone had the patience to make these beasts submit. Fortunately, William had two ways to make members of the herd submit. The first way was to have a peaceful negotiation.

The second way was to beat the crap out of them before using his Taming Skill to make them submit to him. Either way worked, so William wasn't too worried about taming any of them.

Among the thirteen Pegasus, four of them were female, which meant that William could allow them to breed and reproduce.

The Pegasi looked at the unfamiliar surroundings with a curious gaze. They were currently inside the clearing of the Enchanted Forest that William had bought to serve as their home.

The most Majestic of them, the Alpha of the Herd, walked to William and raised its head in arrogance.

It was a Centennial Ranked Pegasus, and served as the leader of the group.

William stared at the arrogant, yet dumb, horse who was looking down on him. The Half-Elf had spent 700,000 God Points to buy them all in the auction, so he intended to make them submit at all cost.

"I can feel the aura of the Eternal Guardian coming from you," The Alpha Pegasus said through telepathy. "Speak! What do you want from us? Are you one of those mortals who wish for us to become your Mounts? Even if you are a disciple of the Eternal Guardian, we will not submit to you."

The Pegasus words were laced with disdain. It looked at William with ridicule and contempt. Its last owner wasn't able to tame him and his group, so he decided to put them on auction to gain some God Points.

"Yes," William replied. "The reason why I bought you and your group was so you would serve as my mounts."

The Alpha neighed fiercely and pawed the ground, as if preparing to attack William.

"We will never submit to you!" the Alpha Pegasus said fiercely. "No one will be able to make us submit!"

Ten Minutes later…

"Boss, my Pegasi and I are at your service," the Alpha Pegasus said as it stood with shaking legs. Clearly, it was having trouble standing up and could collapse at any moment. "Please, take good care of us in the future."

William nodded his head with a smile. The spiked spear in his hand was still bloody after he impaled it in the Pegasus' bum numerous times until it begged for mercy.

The other Pegasi were huddled at the edge of the clearing, and looking at William with eyes filled with fear. They had been whipped before by their former master, but they endured it and stayed true to their goal of not allowing others to mount them.

However, after seeing William's barbaric approach to negotiation, all the Pegasi decided that it would be best to compromise than suffer the wrath of William's spiked spear.

"Boss, we will agree to become mounts, however there is a condition," the Alpha Pegasus stated. "We can only be mounted by women. I'm sorry, but this is our bottom line."

"No problem," William replied. "Now, time for all of you to officially become part of my herd."

William raised his hand and used his Taming Skill to bind the Pegasi under his command. He was not someone that trusted the verbal promises of the Alpha Pegasus that was known for its stubbornness.

After all the Pegasi had been successfully added to William's herd, he sent a mental message to Charmaine, as well as the twelve other elven ladies, who were currently residing in the Thousand Beast Domain.

He had already intended to make the Pegasi their flying mounts, so that they could help William in his future battles.

It didn't take long for the Pegasi, and the Elves to warm up to each other. Both parties were quite satisfied with the arrangement that William had made for them.

"Ladies, it will be your duty to take care of them," William said. "They will serve as your loyal companions on the battlefield. So, please, make sure to get along well."

The Elves and the Pegasi nodded their heads in acknowledgement of William's orders.

"Charmaine, from now on, your unit will be called Valkyries," William declared. "You will be their leader. I will prepare a training regimen for your unit, so make sure to go to the Dungeon of Atlantis to train regularly during your free time."

"Yes, Young Master," Charmaine replied and bowed her head. "I will not let you down."

William smiled, "Good."

The Half-Elf left the group and allowed them to bond with each other more. Elves were known for their strong empathy to Magical Beasts, so William was sure that it wouldn't take long before they would get the hang of aerial warfare.

Also, William could use Rhongomyniad and bestow upon them the Aerial Cavalier Job Class, which would speed up the process of their proficiency.

William checked his status page to check on how many God Points he had left. When he met Lily and the other Gods at the Auction, he tried to pay them back with the God Points that they had loaned him.

However, the Gods just smiled and told him to keep the points because they were just small change for them. Issei, Lily, David, and Lady Eros knew that William needed the God Points more than they needed them.

God Points: 3,440,042

'Just over three million,' William thought as he teleported to the Dungeon of Atlantis to find Chiffon and the others. For now, he intended to save his points and use them only when it was necessary.

He had a feeling that his remaining God Points would come in handy when he made it to the 51st Floor that no one had managed to conquer for the last thousand years.

Chapter 565: Genesis, The First Floor Of The Tower Of Babylon

When the Tower of Babylon appeared in the world of Hestia, many people believed that it was a tower that had been built by Gods.

Back then, a declaration was heard by every living thing in the world, asking them to challenge the Tower and seek the riches that were hidden within.

This story happened a thousand years after the Dark Era of Humanity. Since then, millions of people have made a pilgrimage to the tower to seek fame and fortune. Many failed, and only a select few succeeded.

Each floor was supervised by a Guardian. Some called them Deities, some Administrators, and some simply called them Gods.

The people who had first cleared the floors made a contract with these Guardians, and became the rulers of the Domain. Naturally, they were also there to reinforce the rules that the Guardian had set, and allowed the others to challenge the tower.

No ruling family, or faction, was allowed to prevent anyone from climbing the tower. If they were to do so, their qualifications would be stripped from them, and others would be allowed to take their place.

For thousands of years, the people that had ruled the different floors prospered. Their clans held power, similar to the Royal Family of the different Empires and Kingdoms in the Central Continent.

Perhaps, due to their unshakeable position, some of these ruling clans had developed a tendency to abuse their authority, and harassed the challengers of the tower.

There were times when they even forced them to become their subordinates, with the promise of allowing them to climb the other floors with their backing.

William sat at a table and read all the information about the 49 Families that ruled the tower. He got the information from the Merchant's Guild that was located in the City of Babylon. Although the price he paid was quite high, the information he gained from it was worth every gold coin.

Chiffon was eating an apple pie by his side, as she waited for William to finish what he was doing. Today was the day that they would start climbing the tower, and she was quite excited to embark on an adventure with William.

It was said that if you managed to climb up to the 100th Floor of Babylon, a wish of yours would be granted. William had no intention of doing that. He only wanted to clear the 51st Floor before returning to Aamon's Temple to take on the second quest he prepared for him.

'The 2nd, 9th Floor, 16th Floor, 23rd Floor, 37th, 41st, 45th, and 49th floors are the floors where player enslavement had been confirmed,' William thought. 'I better be alert when I am on those floors. It would be best if no unforeseen events happen.'

(A/N: The people who climb the towers are called challengers or players. They will be interchanged from time to time.)

After letting the System compile all the information that he had gathered, the two finally headed towards the first floor of the tower.

The first floor of the Tower was called Genesis.

Only those that were able to clear the Guardian's test would be allowed to start climbing the tower. Those who failed would be banned from entering the tower for a year.

According to the information, challengers were able to gain tokens whenever they cleared the tests of the Guardians. Depending on how well they performed, it was possible to earn many tokens, which they could exchange for items, weapons, artifacts, and other unique materials that were only available inside the Tower of Babylon.

William was quite interested in these items and wondered if they were better than the ones that were being sold in the God Shop.

No one owned the First Floor of the Tower, because this was the starting point of everyone. According to the information he received, the Guardian of the First Floor was a Goblin.

In order for them to advance to the Second Floor, they must choose one of the four trials that would test their ability. As long as they passed one of these trials, they would be allowed to proceed to the next floor with ease.

"Welcome to Genesis," a Hobgoblin greeted William, and Chiffon, as they entered the main entrance of the Tower. "My name is Dobbie, and I will be your guide on the first floor of the Tower."

"Hello, Dobbie," William replied. "We would like to take the test of the tower."

"Certainly, please, proceed this way," Dobbie bowed as he made a gesture for William and Chiffon to follow him.

The First Floor of the Tower was quite crowded. Many rookies could be seen chatting with each other, as their Hobgoblin guides explained to them the rules of the tests.

William and Chiffon were wearing enchanted robes with a hood to prevent others from knowing their identity. These robes were also being sold in the City of Babylon, and its effects would only work inside the tower.

The Half-Elf didn't want to attract trouble, so he decided to play it safe.

After walking for ten minutes, they arrived in front of a red door. Dobbie opened the door and made a gesture for the two to enter.

After entering the door, four more doors appeared in front of the two teenagers. William had already known what kind of tests the Floor of Genesis were giving. He even had a plan prepared. The only problem was whether his plan would work or not.

"There are four tests that you can choose from," Dobbie said as he stood in front of William.

"The First Door leads to the Trial of Blades."

"The Second Door leads to the Trial of Senses."

"The Third Door leads to the Trial of Fate."

"The Fourth Door leads to the Trial of Dominion."

Dobbie paused for a short while before bowing, "Please, choose the trial you wish to take."

The guides of the tower weren't allowed to divulge what lay behind the doors. However, the people who managed to pass these trials had already shared the information with everyone.

This means that anyone who had made necessary preparations could clear these trials and gain the approval of the Guardian to proceed to the next stage. If they liked, they could even try to clear more than one trial to gain more tokens, so they could exchange for the things inside the tower sooner.

Among the four doors, three were commonly used by people. The Fourth Door was something that no one wanted to challenge because of its absurd difficulty.

Each trial could be challenged by a team. The maximum number per team is eight people. The more people there were, the lesser the rewards. This made clearing the Genesis Floor easier. Even so, no one dared to challenge the Fourth Door after a survivor managed to escape using a forbidden technique.

The survivor shared his experience, and swore an oath to the Gods that everything he said was true. After getting confirmation from one of the Oracles in the Temple, affirming the survivor's words, nobody chose to challenge the Fourth Door ever again.

"I choose the Fourth Door," William said as he firmly held Chiffon's hand. "This person will accompany me inside."

The Hobgoblin smiled and nodded its head. "As you wish."

With a wave of its hand, all the other doors disappeared except for the Fourth Door.

"May the Guardian smile upon your choice," the Hobgoblin bowed before opening the door. He had been guiding challengers for nearly ten years in the Tower of Babylon.

The Hobgoblin knew that it would never see these two people again, because they were about to die a brutal death. Since that was the case, the least he could do was to be courteous and wish them luck for the choice they made.

A powerful suction pulled William and Chiffon inside the door. The pink-haired girl subconsciously clung to her Big Brother's arm as both of them entered a world of darkness.

"Hmm?" The Guardian of the First Floor opened its eyes because someone had chosen the Fourth Door of the trial on the floor that it administered.

It had been over a hundred years since someone had chosen the Fourth Trial, and the Guardian wondered if some unlucky fool had been kicked in the head by a donkey to make such a suicidal choice.

"Well, I guess, it's time for me to know what this idiot looks like." The Guardian yawned before heading towards the trial grounds where the test was held.

He wanted to see for himself the kind of face the challenger would have once he saw what lay beyond the door of Dominion.

Chapter 566: Trial Of Dominion [Part 1]

Dark-red clouds loomed above the heavens and the ground under their feet was rough and uneven.

William and Chiffon felt their strength decreasing at a rapid rate. The Half-Elf had already reached the initial stages of the Mithril Rank, while Chiffon was in the initial stages of the Platinum Rank.

(A/N: Mithril Rank is equivalent to Class A Beasts. Platinum is equivalent to Class B Beasts.)

However, right now, both of their Ranks continued to regress. After two minutes, both of their Ranks stopped at the Bronze Rank (Class E).

William flexed his right arm and tested his body's reaction time.

'The laws of this floor is the real deal,' William thought as he did some stretching exercises. 'Although my rank decreased, my fighting ability remains intact.'

According to the last survivor, the Fourth Trial was impossible to clear. There were two reasons for this.

The first one was that whoever chose this trial would have their strength sapped away from their body, until they reached the Bronze Rank.

If it was only a regression in rank then it wouldn't be such a big deal. However, what they would face after being stripped of their strength was simply asking them to die.

William looked at the farthest point of his vision and saw a red fog, moving in their direction. When the fog was only a mile away from them, several figures emerged from it, each armed with a weapon of their own.

Hundreds…

Thousands…

Tens of thousands…

Hundreds of thousands…

A million…

Chiffon's eyes widened when she saw the familiar looking creatures that were marching towards their direction with the intention to kill.

'Looks like that survivor's testimony is correct,' William mused as he eyed the million strong army that had made this trial impossible to clear for normal people.

Yes. The reason why the survivor said that the fourth trial was impossible to clear was due to the fact that after he was stripped of his power, he had to face an army of Goblins that numbered in the millions.

Even if that person was a former Saint, there was no way they could defeat this kind of army even if they had eight members in their team.

"Kcatta!" The Hobgoblin Leader raised its sword and shouted.

""Kcatta!""

""Kcatta!""

""Kcatta!""

After making his declaration known, the Hobgoblin leader points its weapon to William and ran forward, leading the charge.

""Kcatta!""

The ground trembled as the entire goblin army charged forward, brandishing their weapons. Chiffon frowned as she held William's hand tighter. The Half-Elf squeezed her hand back to assure her that everything was under control.

A portal appeared in front of William and four figures emerged from it.

Xerxes, the Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor, who was seated on top of its Salamander Beast Companion.

Rex, the Hobgoblin Chieftain who was mounted on top of a Trollhound.

Sharx, the Goblin Marauder who was mounted on top of his mount, Sparky.

And a two-meter-tall Goblin wearing a white, full body armor. It was holding a blue sword in its right hand, and a silver-round-shield in the other. It was seated on top of a Flying Tiger that William had bought in the Auction House for thirty thousand God Points.

His name was Jareth, the Goblin Paladin, the new addition to the officers of William's Goblin Army, and boasted the highest attack power among all the Goblins under his command.

Due to the laws of the trial, all of their ranks had also regressed to Class E Beasts. However, William's purpose for summoning them was not to fight the Goblin Army but to recruit them!

Jareth urged his mount forward and fearlessly faced the charging Goblins head-on. Xerxes, Rex, and Sharx, followed behind him. Just like humans, Goblins had a hierarchy as well.

The strongest Goblin would become the King, and everyone else had to submit to his will.

Just as William expected, the frontrunners of the Goblin Army slowed down their advance. The goblins at the back also felt the presence of a strong Goblin and their instincts kicked in.

"Ohw si ruoy redael?" Jareth asked. "Emoc tou dna thgif!"

(Who is your leader? Come out and fight!)

(A/N: If you can understand Goblin Language then you must be a goblin as well. Kekeke!)

The Goblin Army glanced at each other before looking behind them.

At the very rear of the army, a black goblin that was three meters tall stepped forward. It brandished its war axe left and right, and glared at Jareth who was looking back at it with a calm expression.

William arched an eyebrow and used his appraisal skill to see this type of Goblin that he had never seen before.

< Dark Goblin Warmonger >

(Rank Suppressed to Class E)

-- Goblin War Commander

-- Threat Level: SS (Low)

-- Millennial Beast

-- Cannot be added to the herd

-- The Dark Goblin Warmonger is a new breed of Goblin that evolved due to the need for war. It is a very aggressive Goblin Commander that was known to attack less fortified Human cities in order to expand its territory.

-- It is also known to forcefully assimilate goblin encampments into its army to bolster its rank.

-- It has the ability Titan Form, which allows it to increase its size up to ten meters, tripling its strength and fighting prowess.

'Oh, this is one tough cookie to beat,' William thought as he eyed the Dark Goblin Warmonger in front of him. 'However, it doesn't matter. Jareth will be able to handle it.'

A devilish smile appeared on William's face as he looked at the Goblin Paladin that he had bought for Ten Million Dungeon Points.

< Jareth >

(Rank Suppressed to Class E)

-- Goblin Paladin

-- Divine Champion

-- Threat Level: SS (Mid)

-- Millennial Beast

-- Chosen Deity: Keem Shin

-- A rare breed of Goblin that was said to hold great courage, strength, and intellect. It is not an exaggeration to call it the Champion of all Goblins due to its powerful presence in the battlefield.

-- The Goblin Paladin can choose to become the follower of a God. Upon doing so, they will be able to use Divine Powers in the Mortal Realm and fight for the cause they believed in.

-- Jareth has chosen Keem Shin as his Patron God, which enabled the Goblin Paladin to wield his powers.

< Skills granted by Keem Shin >

(Keem Shin is the God of Goblins)

-- Weapon Master

Allows the Goblin Paladin to wield any kind of weapon and use it effectively in battle.

-- Regeneration

Allows the Goblin Paladin to recover from its injuries over the passage of time. Although this regeneration ability is weaker than the Hydra and Mountain Troll, it will still be enough to allow the goblin to regrow any part of its body (with the exception of its heart and brain) within an hour after it was destroyed.

-- Supernatural Strength

Thrice a day, the Goblin Paladin can increase its stats by an additional 100%

-- Supernatural Senses

The Goblin Paladin can increase its sense of taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing, tenfold if needed.

-- Supernatural Resilience

Able to endure powerful attacks and recover at a faster rate.

-- Supernatural Mobility

The Goblin Paladin can blink ten meters away from its location consecutively. This ability lasts for half a minute, and has a cooldown period of five minutes.

-- Healing

Due to the blessing of its chosen Deity, Keem Shin, the Goblin Paladin has the power to heal others.

-- Energy Blast

Gives the Goblin Paladin the ability to channel the magical energy in its surroundings, and create an energy blast to push away its surrounding enemies.

-- Divine Shield

Any attack that the Goblin Paladin's Shield will receive will be reduced by 50%

-- Light Manipulation

The Goblin Paladin is a being blessed by the power of Light Magic. It can effectively cast any rank of light magic up to the 7th Circle.

'That ten million dungeon points is worth it.' William smirked. 'Show them what you can do Jareth, and nab me a million more goblins for my Goblin Army!'

Unknown to William, the Guardian of the Floor of Genesis was looking at this scene with a dumbfounded expression.

'Someone found a loophole in the trial I made,' The Guardian thought while scratching its head. Although the duel between the two Goblin Commanders hadn't started yet, it had a nagging feeling that the worst was yet to come.

Chapter 567: Trial Of Dominion [Part 2]

The Goblin Paladin and the Dark Goblin Warmonger faced each other.

William and the Goblin Army stood far away from both combatants in order to not get in the way of their battle.

The Dark Goblin Warmonger was a meter taller than The Goblin Paladin and looked more intimidating. However, Jareth's holy presence wasn't something that could be ignored either.

Both fighters had taken their fighting stance and circled each other. At the blink of an eye, both Goblins clashed against each other, making the ground under their feet burst apart. A second later, Jareth jumped to the side and evaded The Goblin Warmonger's follow up attack.

After the initial clash, Jareth realized that the Goblin Warmonger was stronger than him in regards to body strength. Although the Goblin's Paladin's rank was higher than his opponent, he was an all rounder.

The Dark Goblin Warmonger, on the other hand, was a creature that specialized in physical strength. This gave it an upper hand in their initial clash.

Emboldened that it was stronger than its enemy, the Goblin Warmonger unleashed a flurry of blows that forced Jareth to dodge and keep his distance.

Seeing that their champion had the advantage, the goblins raised their weapons and cheered. Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, also started to cheer for Jareth. They had full confidence in him for he was the strongest Goblin in their ranks.

After a minute of dodging, Jareth suddenly took the initiative to close the distance, and used his shield to bash the body of his opponent, breaking the Goblin Warmonger's momentum.

This attack caught his enemy by surprise, and was unable to regain his balance right away. Jareth didn't miss this opportunity and thrust his sword towards his opponent's chest to claim his victory.

However, something unexpected happened.

Sensing that its life was in danger, the Goblin Warmonger immediately activated its Titan Form, increasing its body size instantly.

Jareth's sword pierced through the Titan's knees, missing the opportunity to end its opponent's life.

The Goblin Warmonger roared and kicked its opponent away with the intention of breaking all of Jareth's bones.

Unfazed by this sudden change of events, Jareth used his Supernatural Mobility to blink behind his opponent, and slashed the Goblin Warmonger's calves.

'Too shallow,' William thought as he observed the battle from afar.

Just like he thought, Jareth's attack was only able to deal a flesh wound to his opponent. The Goblin paladin hastily backed away because it realized that its current tactics won't work against its oversized opponent.

'I've never seen a Goblin as smart as this one.' The Guardian rubbed his chin in appreciation. 'I want to add him to my collection.'

The enraged Goblin Warmonger ran towards The Goblin Paladin with the intention of stomping him to death.

Thanks to his Supernatural Mobility, Jareth was able to evade these frenzied attacks. The Goblin Paladin distanced himself from his enemy, while gathering the energy in his surroundings to deliver a lethal blow to its adversary.

William didn't expect that he would be able to witness this kind of battle against two combatants, whose power levels had been downgraded to the bare minimum.

The blue sword in Jareth's hand glowed brightly. Light extended from its tip, forming a longer blade that shone brightly, amidst the dark-red sky that loomed over their heads.

"Rise at the face of Adversity," Jareth shouted as he pulled back his sword, just like a baseball bat preparing to be swung. ",and overwhelm all opposition! Laugh for me! Joyeuse!"

(A/N: I translated it to make things easier for everyone. No need to thank me *wink wink*)

Jareth released the shield in his hand and held his sword, Joyeuse, with both hands. A humming sound reverberated in the battlefield as the blade of light extended several meters in length.

The Goblin Paladin then swung it with all of its might at the approaching Titan, whose weapon was ready to meet his blow.

A blinding flash of light illuminated the surroundings when the two weapons clashed, which forced everyone to cover their eyes.

Only the Guardian of Genesis didn't avert his gaze to see the final conclusion of the battle. Within that white world, the giant war axe was split in two. Joyeuse went past the Goblin Warmonger's body, drawing the conclusion to the battle.

'Good!' the Guardian grinned happily at the wonderful display that the Goblin Paladin had shown in battle. However, the grin on his face disappeared when he noticed something unexpected.

The white world receded, and William once again opened his eyes. The Dark Goblin Warmonger had returned to its normal size and laid face down on the ground.

Jareth, on the other hand, stood straight and tall with its cape fluttering in the wind. His blue sword had already regained its normal form. A soft hum was heard in the wind. It was as if the Joyeuse was saying that it had enjoyed the battle that had transpired.

The Goblin Paladin faced the million strong Goblin Army and raised his word up high. A few seconds later, a resounding cheer spread across the trial floor as the Goblins swore their allegiance to their new leader.

"Why?"

A hoarse sound reached Jareth's ears. The Goblin Paladin glanced at the Goblin Warmonger that was still lying on the ground.

"Why didn't you kill me?" the Goblin Warmonger asked.

The Goblin Paladin sheathed his weapon before walking towards his fallen adversary.

"I didn't kill you because I admire your strength," Jareth said. "If possible, I want to fight side by side with you on the battlefield."

"You will regret this. When I recover my strength, I will challenge you again. This time, the victor will be me."

"Go ahead. Challenge me as many times as you want. The result will still be the same."

The Goblin Warmonger raised its head to look at the Goblin Paladin that had knelt beside him.

"Where is your confidence coming from?" the Goblin Warmonger asked as it forced itself to try to stand. However, due to its injuries, it wasn't able to lift its body from the ground.

Jareth extended his hand to help as a gesture of friendship. The Goblin Warmonger looked at his hand for a moment before firmly grabbing it with its own hand.

The Goblin Paladin smiled, while pulling his new comrade to stand by his side.

"You ask where my confidence is coming from, right?" Jareth asked. "My confidence lies in him."

The Goblin Paladin's gaze landed on the red-headed teenager who had a confident smile on his face.

"I see," the Goblin Warmonger replied. "Fine. Let me see if this confidence of yours will stand the test of time. When that confidence of yours wanes, it will be my time to make you my subordinate."

Jareth didn't reply, and simply nodded his head. Deep inside, the Goblin Paladin was smiling evilly. He was looking forward to seeing the expression of his new comrade at arms when the latter discovered the forces under William's command.

By then, all the doubts in the Goblin Warmonger's mind would disappear. Perhaps, it would even become his rival, in getting the good graces of the Half-Elf that had a penchant for attracting all kinds of troubles that came his way.

Chapter 568: The Guardian Of The First Floor Of Babylon

"That was wonderful. Bravo!" a voice filled with admiration was heard coming from the sky.

William raised his head and saw what seemed to be a green-skinned man with a black mane draped over his shoulder.

The strange man was over two meters tall and had above average looks. Even though this was the first time William was seeing him in this life, he was aware of the man's identity.

The man's name was Xod. He was the Guardian assigned to the First Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

"You passed this trial with flying colors, and may I say, that was the most amazing performance I have seen in my lifetime!" Xod declared. "However, you're making a very big mistake here. The goblins on this floor all belong to me. You can't take them without my permission."

William smiled and nodded his head in understanding. "I see. I apologize for my rudeness, your Excellency."

The information he received from the Merchant Guild informed him that Xod would often show himself during the trials, whenever he found something of interest.

William hoped that the Guardian wouldn't show himself during his trial, so that he could smuggle the Goblin Army into his Thousand Beast Domain. Unfortunately, Xod appeared, so he wouldn't be able to proceed with the plan he had in mind.

"But, after seeing that duel, I think the two of us can come to an agreement," Xod stated as he looked at Jareth with great interest. He appraised the Goblin Paladin like a connoisseur who had an obsession when it came to a new breed of goblins.

Xod stared at Jareth for half a minute, before shifting his attention back to William.

"Your reward for clearing this trial is Four Thousand Tokens," Xod said. "These tokens are used as currency inside the Tower of Babylon.

"You can use these tokens to buy exclusive items in the Babylon Shop, or just spend them however you wish as you climb the tower. Now, let's return to the topic at hand. I see that you are interested in my goblins, right?"

"Yes, Your Excellency," William replied.

"Well, at least you are honest. Now, how about we make a trade? I will give you my Goblin Army, as well as an additional Five Thousand Tokens for that Goblin wearing a knight's armor." Xod pointed at Jareth with a grin. "Not only that, I can use my authority as a Guardian, and allow you to jump straight to the 10th Floor of Babylon. So, are you up for a trade?"

Xod believed that the offer he gave William was something the boy couldn't resist. Although he thought that it was overkill to pay that much for a single goblin, the Guardian of the First Floor wasn't able to resist its exclusive Hobby.

And that Hobby was collecting rare breeds of Goblins.

Xod was a being that came from another world. Nor was he the only one; all the Guardians of the Tower were beings that were not native to the World of Hestia.

"Okay deal," William replied with a smile. "Let's trade."

Xod arched his eyebrow as he stared at the red-headed teenager who was looking at him as if he had struck a great bargain.

"Jareth, sorry, but this is where we will part," William said as he patted the Goblin Paladin's arm. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Jareth flashed William a refreshing smile.

Xod watched this scene in confusion. He was expecting that William would reject his offer, or bargain with him to raise the stakes. However, not only did the Half-Elf do that, he even agreed to his proposal in a heartbeat.

As if afraid that the Guardian would go back on his word, William opened several portals in front of the Goblin Army. Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, went to work and started herding the Goblins towards the portals that led to the Thousand Beast Domain.

Sharx stood on top of his mount, Sparky, and raised his chin in arrogance.

"Any goblin who wants to be as strong as I, enter the portal," Sharx announced. "I will teach you how to ride a Doge!"

The Goblin Marauder then glanced at Xod and gave the Guardian a smile, before returning his attention to the goblin army.

All the Goblins looked at him in awe. In their eyes, they wanted to be just like Sharx and own a powerful mount like the one he was seated upon.

"Okay, everyone please line up," Xerxes ordered. "Come inside the portals in an orderly manner. No pushing, okay?"

Xerxes also turned his head to look at Xod. It even bowed his head showing how happy it was.

The Hobgoblin Shamans' on the other hand were looking at Xerxes in admiration. They could instinctively feel that the Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor was one of the branches of evolution that was available to them.

All the Goblins' desires to become strong made them increase their pace to enter the portals.

William looked at this scene with satisfaction, while Xod blinked his eyes in confusion. The stares of the Half-Elf's goblins made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if he had been given the short end of the stick in the deal he made with the red-headed teenager.

"W-Wait, I changed my mind," Xod said as he placed his hand on William's shoulder. "I no longer want your Goblin."

"Um? Why?" William asked in confusion. "Didn't we already make the deal? Are you going back on our deal?"

"Yes, we've already made a deal," Xod answered. "But, I changed my mind. I think I am on the losing end of this transaction."

William chuckled internally because the gamble he had taken had paid off. According to the information he got from the Merchant Guild, Xod had a mild case of Paranoia.

If things were going too smoothly for the Guardian, Xod would think that something was wrong, and would immediately think of a way to back out of the agreement he personally proposed.

Right now, Half of the Goblin Army had already passed through the portals, and it would take a few more minutes before all of them had been smuggled away.

"This is no good," William said as he shook his head. "We already made a deal. Wouldn't your reputation take a hit if you were to renege our deal?"

Xod frowned. Although he was akin to a Demigod inside the Tower, there were certain rules that bound him in place that prevented him from directly harming the challengers on the floor he managed.

Also, William had passed his trial, and received the Tower's approval. It would reflect badly on Xod's record if he were to casually break an agreement that he himself proposed.

'It's fine. They are just ordinary goblins,' Xod tried to convince himself internally. 'A million Goblins in exchange for a Goblin Paladin is worth it.'

William smirked and turned around to look at the new additions to his army. He muttered something in a barely audible voice that made Xod's expression become grim.

"A million goblins for a Goblin Paladin, what a steal! I have over ten thousand Goblin Paladins, so losing one isn't a big deal. Fortunately, he only asked for one. What a sweet bargain!"

Xod was capable of knowing everything that happened inside his domain. Because of this, even the faintest whispers could easily reach his ears. Right now, his full attention was on William. It would be impossible for him to miss the teenager's casual mumbling.

'No good! I got scammed!' Xod almost lost his composure. If this news was to reach the other Guardians of the Tower, he would be so embarrassed to show himself in their Gathering Hall.

He couldn't allow that to happen!

"Boy, we need to talk," Xod said in a voice that wouldn't accept no for an answer.

William glanced at the Guardian. "Yes?"

"Like I said earlier, this transaction is unfair," Xod smiled. "Because of this, we will change the contents of our agreement. I will sell you the million strong goblin army for two thousand Tokens."

William rubbed his chin with a frown. "I will only agree if you sell them to me for five hundred Tokens. Any higher than that and the deal is off."

"Okay deal! Mind you, if you go back on your word, I will kick you out of the tower and ban your entry."

"... Fine. I agree to this condition."

William lowered his head and sighed. He then reluctantly fished out five Golden Tokens from his storage ring and gave it to Xod with an aggrieved expression. This brought down William's Token Count to 3,500 Tokens.

(A/N: Each Golden Token is worth a hundred tokens.)

"8500 Tokens, I could have bought a lot of items in the tower for that." William sighed for the second time.

Seeing William's dejected face, Xod felt better and nodded his head in satisfaction.

"I like working with smart people," Xod said as he patted William's shoulder. "There are times when people need to take a step back, to ensure that the bridges will not be burned down. You did the right thing in agreeing to my request. Also, don't mention what happened here to the other Guardians, okay?"

William sighed for the third time before nodding his head. He was like a gambler that had lost his life savings in a bet, which made Xod feel that he got the upper hand in the deal.

After all the Goblins, including Jareth, Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, had safely returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, William closed the portal and held Chiffon's hand.

"Your Excellency, please, send us to the next floor," William said in a dejected tone.

Xod nodded his head and clapped his hand. Soon William and Chiffon disappeared from the trial room and turned into beams of light headed towards the Second Floor of the Tower.

After arriving at the Second Floor of the Tower, the first thing that William did was to go back to the Thousand Beast Domain with Chiffon, to increase the number of floors in the Goblin Crypt.

Right now, The Goblin Crypt had Sixty Five Floors and was undergoing a massive renovation, in order to accommodate the new goblins that had joined his ranks.

Due to the war, William's army had swelled to nearly a million. They were mostly composed of Goblins, the Beasts in the Thousand Beast Domain, the Revenants from the Minotaur Race, under Erchitu's command, and Revenant Centaurs, under Bastian.

With the addition of the goblins from the tower, William's forces were now nearly two million.

Earlier, he had talked to Jareth, Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, to act as if they were very happy with the deal he made with Xod. He was hoping that the Guardian would feel something was off and trigger his paranoia.

William wasn't worried even if Xod decided to not cancel the agreement. He had already made a backup plan, which would forcefully summon Jareth back to his side after leaving the Tower. This would not leave any kind of Trace, and the Guardian couldn't accuse William of anything.

How could he possibly allow his prized Goblin Paladin to be taken away from him? William had no intention of doing so. William could only have one Goblin Paladin at a time, and he had spent Ten Million Dungeon Points to get him.

When William mumbled that he had over ten thousand Goblin Paladins, his intention was to lower Jareth's value in Xod's eyes. Collectors only appreciate something if they are rare.

If they were all over the place like cabbages, he would feel that the deal was not worth it.

William used the Guardian's paranoia and collector's mindset to lay a trap for him. Fortunately, it worked and the Half-Elf didn't have to resort to his Plan B.

The Half-Elf spent half a day inside the Thousand Beast Domain to fix everything. While he was busy with his remodeling, Xerxes, Sharx, Rex, and the Goblin Warmonger took the Goblins to the Atlantis Dungeon and helped them familiarize themselves with the place.

William hoped that after a few months, the new Goblins would all evolve to stronger forms, which would immediately increase the strength of the forces under his command.

Chapter 569: Champion’s Den

After William and Chiffon had left the First Floor of Babylon, Xod had started to feel uneasy.

This feeling was very uncomfortable, so he decided to return to the Guardian Hall, where the other Guardians resided.

Each Guardian was tasked to become the administrator of a floor. Naturally, the floors that had already been conquered had "owners" who had made a contract with the Guardians after clearing their trials for the first time.

Among all the floors, the Genesis Floor which Xod supervised was the only exception to this rule. Since it was the floor that tested whether the challengers had qualifications to climb the tower or not, no ruling family could claim it as their own.

"Oogwei, I need your wisdom," Xod approached a foot-long black turtle who was busy reading a book. "I want to use your Index."

The turtle gave Xod a side-long glance before casually flipping the page of its book. "That is Master Oogwei to you, Xod. What is it this time? I thought I told you to stop bothering me."

The small turtle was the Guardian of the Third Floor of the Tower. Among all the guardians, he was the most well informed and knew many things about the multiverse they were currently in.

"I want you to check on how rare a Goblin Paladin is."

"You and your fetish with Goblins. Scram and leave me alone!"

Xod coaxed the little turtle by promising to give it a bowl of lettuce. Oogwei reluctantly agreed to the green-skinned man's request, after a bowl of lettuce was placed in front of it.

"What do you want to know again?" Oogwei asked as it summoned a black book in front of it.

Xod repeated his request about finding the rarity of the Goblin Paladin that he had seen earlier. The little turtle snorted and the black book opened by itself.

It stopped at a page where a Goblin, wearing dazzling armor, a sword, and a shield, was seen polishing its weapon.

< Goblin Paladin >

Rarity: SSR+

-- Only one Goblin Paladin is born among a billion goblins.

-- A Goblin Paladin's Rank after evolution will start at the Millennial Rank.

-- It's next form, Goblin Sovereign, pushes its rank to the Myriad Rank.

-- This is the strongest Goblin in Existence

"That scammer!" Xod shouted in anger. "He tricked me!"

Xod's shout was so loud that Oogwei and the other Guardians looked at him with dumbfounded expressions. This was the first time they had seen their colleague act this way, and their interest was quite piqued.

"You got scammed?" Oogwei asked with a smirk. "Who scammed you? I want to meet that person."

'Oh, Sh*t!'

Xod had completely forgotten where he was and acted on impulse. The other guardians approached him as if they were paparazzi looking for juicy gossip.

Xod's green skin wasn't able to help him from turning beet-red out of shame and anger. He hastily returned to his own Domain to escape the inquiry of his acquaintances, and to think of a way on how to take his revenge on the Half-Elf that was currently out of his reach.

After seeing Xod leave, the smirk on Oogwei's face widened as he shifted his attention to the book in front of it.

"Hack the visual records of the First Floor for the past 24 hours," Oogwei ordered. "Find the reason why Xod became upset."

[Understood.]

The pages turned and stopped on what seemed to be a war that was about to begin. Oogwei scrutinized the red-headed teenager with curiosity and watched everything unfold. The little turtle chuckled when it saw Xod try to break the deal that he made with the Half-Elf, due to the latter's first-class acting skills.

"This person has guts," Oogwei muttered before giving out another order. "Find his location on the second floor."

[Understood.]

[Target not found on the second floor.]

[Cannot do a full sweep due to the floor's restriction.]

The little turtle frowned. If the book told him that William wasn't on the second floor then it means that he really wasn't on the second floor. It then asked the book to check if his target had already appeared on the Third Floor, but the answer was still negative.

Oogwei pondered for a bit, before giving out another order.

"Inform me as soon as his presence is detected inside the Tower. It doesn't matter what floor he is on. Notify me as soon as a match is made."

[Understood.]

William was currently sleeping inside his Villa at the Thousand Beast Domain. Setting up the place where the Goblins would stay took most of his time and energy.

As soon as he was done, William had dinner with Chiffon and went to sleep. Chiffon was also tired from playing with B1 and B2 inside Atlantis, and accompanied the boy to sleep. They had been together for more than a month already, and they usually slept by each other's side.

The next day, the two reappeared on the Second Floor of Babylon, to take the test to proceed to the next floor.

"The test will begin in ten minutes," a pretty lady said with a smile. "All challengers, please proceed to the Grand Arena."

The Second Floor of Babylon was ruled by the Agnis family. This family prided themselves on being the first family to clear the tower. Because of this, the Guardian of the Second Floor gave them the rights to conduct their own trials to test the challengers of the tower.

As a Martial Family, they believed that only the strong were qualified to climb the tower. This was why their test required all the challengers to fight each other in a Royal Rumble.

There was only one trial held everyday, and all participants who wanted to proceed to the next floor must participate in it. No substitutions were allowed.

Everyday, only five people were allowed to pass this trial. Those who failed were allowed to take the test again the next day.

If the First Floor was called the Genesis, the second floor was called Champion's Den, for only the champions were allowed to leave this place.

Most challengers weren't able to climb past this floor because of the sheer difficulty it presented. This was why teams of five were quite common in the second floor, to give themselves a higher chance of passing the trial.

Those who had given up climbing the tower had settled as residents of this floor. They would always go to the Grand Arena to look at the new batch of people that would fail, just like them. Because of their experience, some of these people had developed a crab mentality.

This was a mentality that the Agnis family had encouraged and even gave the losers a way to vent their frustrations.

The time limit for the Royal Rumble was two hours. If after two hours, there were more than five people remaining inside the Grand Arena, the audience was given the permission to enter and eliminate the players, until only five of them were left.

This was a very unique, and brutal way, to ensure that all the players would fight each other to the fullest. Getting ganged up by spectators who numbered nearly half a million, was not a fun way to get beaten to a pulp.

"Don't leave my side no matter what, okay?" William said as he patted Chiffon's head.

Chiffon nodded while putting on the Devourer's Gauntlets that William had crafted for her. The Half-Elf had given her permission to attack anyone that came near her striking range.

The pink-haired girl's rank was Platinum. This meant that she was more than capable of fighting half of the participants in the Grand Arena. William wasn't too worried about her safety because he had already seen how Chiffon fought during their Dungeon Exploration.

Fighting against opponents of the same rank would not pose any difficulty to her.

'Fifteen,' William rubbed his chin as he looked at his status page. 'Nine Mithril, five Adamantium, and one Black.'

These were the strongest people who posed against William, and Chiffon, inside the Grand Arena.

Since only five were allowed to survive, these fifteen individuals would definitely do their best to secure a slot. William had asked the system to put a marker on these individuals depending on their ranks.

The Half-Elf knew that they must avoid the Black Ranked person at all cost. This was why he moved to the location that was farthest away from the person.

'I just hope that you don't go out of your way to come to our side,' William thought as he led Chiffon to the corner of the arena. 'I don't want to use my Heroic Avatar so early in the game.'

Chapter 570: Scheme Of The Agnis Family

Xod was looking at the projection in front of him while gnashing his teeth. He had been paying close attention to William's whereabouts, but he couldn't find him. This was why he had once again returned to the Guardian Hall and sought out Oogwei's assistance for a second time.

"So this is the person that scammed you, right?" Oogwei chuckled. "Indeed, he has the face of a scammer."

"I know, right?" Xod hatefully munched on peanuts as he glared at William. "I hope he gets beaten up to a pulp!"

"Hey! Those are my peanuts!" Oogwei pounded its small foot on the table. "Get your own!"

"Why are you a cheapskate? It's only peanuts." Xod grumbled as he ordered a platter of peanuts from the Babylon Shop using his tokens.

The two Guardians ate as they looked at the projection with different expressions. Xod's expression was that of irritation, while Oogwei's was full of interest.

Xod hated William for playing a trick on him.

Oogwei on the other hand was interested in William because very few mortals dared to antagonize a God. He was hoping to discover if the red-headed teenager had other interesting qualities aside from being a scammer.

"Well no matter how good of an actor he is, he won't be able to pass the Second Floor." Xod sneered. "The Agnis Family will keep him there forever."

Oogwei smirked because he had a feeling that something different was going to happen this time around.

"Do you want to make a bet?" Oogwei asked.

"A bet?" Xod tilted his head. "What kind of bet?"

"I will bet that the boy who scammed you will be able to clear this tower."

"Hahaha! You will bet on him? Okay, I accept this bet. What shall we bet on?"

"A bowl of lettuce!" Oogwei raised its head and gave Xod the "You can back down if you're scared" stare.

"... I agree to the bet, but not the prize," Xod shook his head. "How about this? If you win, I'll give you a bowl of lettuce. If I win… you will help me negotiate with Tony to hand that scammer to me."

Oogwei nodded his head. "Very well. We have a deal."

Tony was the Guardian of the Second Floor and Oogwei's good friend. Xod knew that if the little turtle were to ask his friend a favor, the scamming Half-Elf would be served to him in a silver platter.

However, before that happened, he must win on the bet first.

'It doesn't matter,' Xod thought. 'The one winning this bet is me anyway.'

The green-skinned man sneered at William's projection who was currently looking around his surroundings. Xod's hand was itching to get his hands on William. Once he had dragged him back to the First Floor, he would make sure that the Half-Elf would regret crossing a Guardian of the Tower of Babylon.

A pretty lady stood on top of a floating artifact and glided towards the center of the Arena. She started the countdown and the crowd joined her in chorus.

"The battle will begin at Five!"

""Four!""

""Three!""

""Two!""

""One!""

A bell rang to signify the start of the Battle Royale.

As if a spark was ignited, everyone in the arena started attacking each other. The battle was fierce and those that had died turned into particles of light.

Originally, William thought that the Agnis family were pacifists because they prevented others from dying, but the information he read from the Merchant's Guild made him realize that there were worse fates than dying.

Every time they went to the Arena, they had to pay two hundred tokens upfront. The five survivors at the end of the match would receive a thousand tokens each.

In short, the Agnis family was using the Arena as a means to farm tokens from the players who wished to climb the Tower. Once their tokens ran out, and could no longer participate in the battles, they would have no choice but to stay on the Second Floor for two years, before the tower automatically kicked them out.

These people that had been kicked out may challenge the tower once again, but due to the trauma they had received on the second floor, the majority of them refused to step foot inside Babylon again.

During those two years, these players would have no choice but to work for the Agnis Family to earn a few tokens in order to live, or to challenge the Arena again.

Either way, the one profiting from the whole deal was the Agnis Family, which had turned the Grand Arena into their Golden Goose.

There were over five thousand participants in the battle. Some of them had known each other for a very long time and had already formed their alliances. This way, they worked with each other in order to eliminate as many challengers as they could.

After an hour, the number of players inside the arena had shrunk to only three hundred. The fifteen people that William identified early on had all survived, and the Half-Elf made a startling discovery.

'Those three teams are in cahoots with each other.' William clicked his tongue in annoyance.

William had asked the system to monitor these people. After watching their battles, the System had formed a conclusion and passed it to William. This was what caused the Half-Elf to feel irate.

< Host. It seems that the rumors are true. >

'Indeed. Looks like this isn't going to be easy.'

There was a rumor flying around in the City of Babylon, that the Agnis Family had secretly formed three teams to prevent others from clearing the trial of the second floor.

Although they were just rumors, the Merchant Guild had stated that the possibility that this rumor was true was high.

After seeing the proof in front of his eyes, William had to agree that this was an effective way to keep the players stuck on the Second Floor of the Tower, and to keep them there for as long as possible.

Some of those that had lost all of their tokens had ended up as servants, prostitutes, shop owners, and guards for the Agnis Family. The talented Challengers were then scouted and placed in high positions within the family in order to gain their allegiance.

William had no intention of getting stuck inside the tower, so he decided to take action.

"Everyone, listen up!" William shouted. "Those fifteen people over there are thugs of the Agnis Family. They are here to prevent us from climbing the tower. If you don't want to become their slaves, work with me to eliminate them first!"

The fifteen people whom William had accused all glared at him.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

"That's right! Us? Working for the Agnis family? Preposterous!"

"Nice try, boy. I bet you are doing this to make the others become your cannon fodder!"

The remaining players glanced at William and the so-called dogs of the Agnis family. Some of them had also heard the rumors about this nefarious act, but they were still half in doubt whether it was true or not.

"Everyone, let's eliminate that Half-Elf first," the man wearing a black robe said calmly. He was the Black-Ranked Warrior that William had been wary of. "After we dispose of him, we can resume our battle."

The black-robed man didn't wait for anyone's reply and immediately attacked William. He had already sensed the boy's rank earlier. He was quite surprised that the red-headed teenager's rank was higher than expected. However, William didn't pose any threat to him.

When the black-robed man was only twenty meters away from the boy, his sixth sense kicked in and immediately stopped his advance.

The man's battle sense had been honed after fighting at the Grand Arena for so many years and he had already developed an ability that alerted him if anything that endangered his life was near him.

'Strange, just where is this feeling coming from?' the black-robed man thought as he eyed William from his location. 'His rank is still the same, but this feeling just won't go away.'

William observed the man with a calm expression on his face, but deep inside he was giving the black-robed man the middle finger.

'Just one more step and you would have been blown away.' William's eyes glared at the man in front of him. 'Why did he stop?'

William had equipped his Runemaster Prestige Class and had planted several landmines around him. These landmines were infused with the Earth Element, similar to Aslan's Earth Bombs, which were very hard to detect even by magic.

Although they weren't as powerful as the Earth Bombs, they were still strong enough to injure anyone that would step on them.

'Deal with the others first,' the black-robed man ordered. He used an artifact given to him by the Agnis family to communicate with his team members. 'Don't come near this Half-Elf and his companion. We will save them for last.'

After receiving their orders, the fourteen-men team charged at the other players and started to eliminate them at a rapid pace.

High above the Grand Arena, in the VIP box exclusive for the Agnis family…

"It seems that someone did their research," a middle-aged man said with a smile. "These kinds of people appear every now and then, but the end result is always the same."

The people around him nodded their heads in agreement. This was not the first time that this had happened. There had been several instances in the past, but due to the strength of their undercover agents, none of them were able to pass the trial.

Only one fate awaited them and that was enslavement. Human trafficking was a very easy way to earn tokens inside Babylon. Although some of the ruling families looked down on this practice, that didn't stop the other families, like the Agnis Family, from doing it blatantly.

In their eyes, William and Chiffon were already slaves that were waiting to be sold. All they needed to do was wait for their agents to end their lives, and rob them of the precious tokens that they needed in order to survive within the confines of the Tower of Babylon.

Chapter 571: We Need To Get Rid Of That Boy

"Die!" one of the agents of the Agnis Family shouted as he targeted one of the players inside the arena. However, before he could even hit his target, his head exploded and turned into particles of light.

The black-robed man frowned, at his comrade that died out of the blue. His gaze then landed on William who was holding a wooden staff in his hand.

The Half-Elf had a smile on his face, and even winked at the black-robed man before running towards one of the agents.

William brandished his wooden staff, and smashed his target's head like a watermelon before continuing his rampage.

"Stop him!" the black-robed man ordered. "Kill him first!"

The other agents complied with their leader's order and circled William to give him no room for escape. It was quite unfortunate that the Half-Elf had no intention of escaping. His goal was to eliminate the subordinates of the black-robed man, before dealing with him for last.

William sneered as he pointed his wooden staff at the approaching agents who had no idea what was in store for them. He waited until they were only thirty meters away from him before activating his war art.

"Quick Shot War Art, Second Form," William said as he took aim.

"Shotgun!"

Immediately, a loud clap reached the agent's ears. Two of the black-robed man's subordinates that had attacked William's right side, turned into particles of light.

The other agents paused momentarily due to the sound of William's skill. However, that only lasted for a moment before they continued their advance.

William waved his hand and six purple blades materialized around him. He was currently using the Runemaster Job Class and activating the skills that he had mastered over the years that he had spent in the Southern Continent.

Wendy was the one that had increased the levels of this Job Class, and even developed a few tricks of her own, which she had shared with William. The Half-Elf was quite impressed with Wendy's ability to create things from scratch, even without the knowledge of skills that came from Skill Trees.

When William asked the System about this, it only said that any kind of skill could be created as long as the theory behind it stood. Since that was the case, WIlliam decided to further enhance his lover's created skill in order to make it more deadly.

The blades that surrounded William were called Runic Blades. They were blades that dealt Ethereal Damage to their enemies. What made this blade scary was that they ignored armor, and other kinds of defenses.

Although they were not lethal, they had one annoying ability, and that was to drastically weaken those that they had slashed, as well as slow their movements by half.

"Go!" William ordered and the six purple blades flew towards their individual targets.

The agents' initial reaction was to defend themselves, using artifacts that blocked physical attacks. However, the Runic Blades were more of a spiritual attack, than a physical one. The blades easily passed through their armors, making them feel that their world had slowed down.

After making sure that his targets had a taste of the nasty blades, William charged forward and smashed their heads like watermelons. He knew that if he could dispose of them now, the black-robed man wouldn't have any allies left when he dealt with him later.

Nine died, six remained.

After seeing William's performance, the other players rallied behind his back and attacked the six remaining agents that the Half-Elf had pointed out earlier.

Faced with over a hundred people. The black-robed man decided to become serious and activated his Battle Aura.

He was an Adamantium Ranked Warrior.

He was the strongest warrior in the Grand Arena, so he wasn't too worried about the number of enemies that were charging towards him.

"You think all of you can beat me?!" the black-robed man shouted as he wielded his dual swords. "Die!"

With a powerful slash, a raging inferno snaked towards the approaching players, turning them into particles of light.

Those who managed to dodge the first strike, didn't survive the second, and were burned completely.

Twenty-four players remained, including William and Chiffon.

Out of those twenty-four, six of them were the agents from the Agnis family, leaving only eighteen players on William's side.

"I'll deal with him," William said as he stood in front of the Black-robed man. "Please, deal with the others."

The other players exchanged a glance with each other before charging towards the remaining agents.

The agents were stronger, but now that their opponents were working together against them, they were slowly being pushed back.

William's Runic Blades flew towards the leader of the agents, but the latter easily incinerated them with his fire magic.

The black-robed man had seen how his subordinates had died under William's attack, so he didn't underestimate the Blades that flew in his direction.

After destroying the Ethereal Blades, the black-robed man jumped to his right side. A second later, he felt something brush past his body, creating a small scratch on his left shoulder.

'An invisible energy-based attack?' the blackrobed man thought as he eyed William with caution. 'I need to close the distance.'

William clicked his tongue in disappointment because the man was able to dodge his attack. However, this only lasted for a brief moment.

'I'll make sure that you won't be able to run away later,' William vowed as he closed the gap between them.

Meanwhile, while William was busy fighting the Black-robed man, Chiffon had killed one agent from the Agnis family.

Chiffon was a Brawler.

She had been taught to fight, while she was still young by one of her mother's attendants. Her fast reflexes, and mobility allowed her to hit her enemies, before they could hit her.

If she were to gain William's Zen Master Job Class (Monk's next Job Class), she would be twice as fast, and three times more deadly.

Her Devourer's Gauntlets also helped her increase her repertoire of skills that she could use at any time. If one were to look closely, they would notice that Chiffon's feet were actually floating above the ground.

William had told her earlier to use the flight skill, and hover just an inch above ground. Although she didn't understand why she had to do that, Chiffon was very obedient to William. This was why she didn't question his order and did as she was told.

The audience that were watching the battle clenched their fist in excitement and frustration.

When they heard William's words, they thought that the Half-Elf was just spouting nonsense. However, after giving it some thought, they realized that the black-robed man had always been in the arena every time there was a Battle Royale.

They didn't notice this fact before because the Black-robed man always lost in the end. The audience thought that he was just unlucky, but now that William had exposed their modus operandi, the players that had been stuck in the Second Floor for months, felt cheated.

All of their gazes shifted to the VIP Area, where the Agnis Family was seated. Their blood boiled in anger. If not for the fact that they were the current rulers of the Second Floor, and had formed a contract with the Guardian, they would have already attacked them by now.

"We need to get rid of that boy," the Patriarch of the Agnis family said as he placed his teacup on the table. "He must not be allowed to remain on the Second Floor of the Tower."

The Elders of the family nodded their heads. Although they could tell that their agents were slowly getting the upper hand, they didn't wish for the hearts of the inhabitants of their domain to be stirred up by the Half-Elf's words.

Although they had a contract with Tony, the Guardian of the Second Floor, they didn't wish for any form of rebellion under their nose. Before a small spark could turn into a mighty blaze, they would snuff it out, preventing all sources of future troubles.

While they were thinking this, the majority of the players had been killed by the Agents of the Agnis family.

Only six players remained in the arena.

If one of them died, the battle would be over and the rest would be able to advance to the next round.

William, Chiffon, and the four agents, including the Black-robed man glared at each other.

'Boss, what should we do?' an agent asked through a special artifact they used for communication. 'If we kill one of them, the other will be able to pass. The Patriarch said that no matter what happens, the Half-Elf must stay. Should we target him and leave that pink-haired girl alone?'

The Black-robed man shook his head. 'None of them must escape. Neutralize them first and we'll kill them at the same time.'

All the agents nodded their heads in understanding.

"Now!" the Black-robed man ordered and all of them ran in William's, and Chiffon's direction.

The two didn't move and stood their ground.

When the black-robed man was only twenty meters away from the two, the same feeling he had felt earlier nagged at his head.

'I'm just overthinking things,' the Black-robed man thought as he ignored his sixth sense. 'I'll end this as quickly as possible.'

Fifteen meters....

Ten meters…

Five meters…

When the agents were only five meters away from the two teenagers, a devilish smile appeared on William's face.

This smile made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. A second later, the ground under their feet swelled.

A powerful explosion reverberated inside the Stadium which made the audience, and the members of the Agnis Family cry out in shock due to the unexpected development that none of them was able to foresee.

Chapter 572: Do You Miss Him?

A loud explosion spread across the Grand Arena, making everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

Earlier, William was just not randomly fighting against the Black-robed man. He was busy planting Rune Mines, using the power of the Runemaster skill in preparation for this moment.

William knew that even though the players sided with him, their opponents were simply too strong, and organized. The agents' teamwork were superb, so an impromptu alliance wouldn't be much of a threat for them.

Since that was the case, William just planted as many mines as he could. He intended to make them explode simultaneously, to create a deadly attack that would instantly obliterate anyone who stepped upon them.

A dust cloud had settled inside the arena, and none were able to see the outcome of the battle. Two minutes later, the dust cloud receded showing a fifty-meter wide crater. At the edge of the crater, two figures stood.

William and Chiffon were safe and sound, but none of the agents could be seen anywhere.

The Half-Elf raised his head to look at the VIP seats of the Agnis Family. They were the family that had conquered the SecondFloor and had turned it into a place where they farmed tokens, and enslaved the players who wished to climb the tower.

If possible, William wanted to knock them off their high horse, but he also understood that he didn't have the power to do that right now.

As William thought of these things, a playful voice resounded inside his mind.

[Congratulations! You have cleared the Second Floor of the Tower of Babylon!]

[You have been rewarded with 10,000 Tokens!]

[An additional reward of 2,000 Tokens will be rewarded because less than five players remained in the Grand Arena!]

[Tokens in Hand: 15,500]

[Would you like to proceed to the next floor?]

[Yes / No]

William glanced at Chiffon, and the latter nodded her head. It was her way of telling William that she also heard a voice inside her head.

Before William could even say anything to the little girl, an arrogant voice echoed in the arena.

"Honored Guests, would you like to work with the Agnis Family?" a middle-aged man asked. "If you agree, not only will we help you climb the tower, we will also provide you with resources that will make your journey smoother.

"In return, all we ask is that you pledge your loyalty to our family. If you have further conditions, we are willing to accommodate them."

The Patriarch of the Agnis Family was moved by William's ability and fighting prowess. If he could make him a subordinate of their family, he would definitely bring them glory as he continued to climb the tower of Babylon.

William ignored the Patriarch and held Chiffon's hand firmly.

In truth, after finding out the Agnis Family's underhanded trick, William's impression of the rulers of the Second Floor had hit rock bottom. He felt very dirty staying on the Second Floor, so he wanted to leave the place as soon as possible.

"Let's go," William said.

He had no intention of becoming a subordinate of a family who enslaved others.

"Yes, Big Brother," Chiffon replied.

Two beams of light shot out towards the sky. Those who had been forced to work for the Agnis Family looked at this sight with tears in their eyes.

They had long lost their determination to climb the tower, but after seeing the two players win against all odds, their passion was reignited.

The Agnis family had no idea that after this incident, the foundation and power that they had built in the Tower of Babylon for many years would soon crumble under their feet.

Oogwei happily ate the bowl of lettuce that was presented to him by Xod. It had been a while since new players had appeared on the Third Floor, where he supervised.

"I'll be back," Oogwei said after eating the last lettuce in the bowl. "I want to have a nice chat with that Half-Elf."

Xod snorted, but didn't say anything else. Although a bowl of lettuce was only worth a single token, the Guardian of the First Floor didn't like losing. Oogwei knew this, so it decided to leave its friend alone for the time being.

It was quite curious about William and wanted to have a chat with him. The Guardian of the Third Floor wanted to know why the Half-Elf was climbing the tower.

It was widely known in the Central Continent that If someone were to reach the Hundredth Floor of Babylon, they would be able to make a wish.

Whatever this wish would be, it would be granted without fail.

This was the promise of the God that created the tower, and since then, many had attempted to climb it. Unfortunately, all of them stopped at the 51st Floor and were never heard from again.

Oogwei wondered if William also came here to make a wish. Although it found the Half-Elf interesting, the Guardian of the Third Floor knew that no matter how strong he was, the red-headed teenager would not be able to get past the 51st Floor.

It was simply impossible. A fact that all the Guardians in the Tower of Babylon had long accepted by now.

A Four-Tailed Black Fox, with a crescent moon on its forehead, landed on a mountain overlooking Silverwind City. Seated on its back was a delicate-looking teenage boy with silver-gray hair and blue eyes.

"Master said that Will is currently here," the teenage boy muttered. "I wonder what he will say when the two of us meet again."

The Black Fox turned its head to look at its companion.

[Are you perhaps afraid of meeting him?]

"I would be lying if I said that I said that I wasn't."

[Should we continue?]

The teenage boy nodded his head. "Nothing is going to happen if I stay behind the scenes. Let's go, Luna. I want to see how Will is doing."

[Do you miss him?]

The Black Fox asked with a smirk. It knew that its companion was still feeling guilty about what happened in the Southern Continent.

"Why should I miss him?" the teenage boy asked with a calm expression. "I'm sure that he has forgotten me by now. Enough of this, Luna. Let's go."

The Black Fox nodded its head and once again took flight. They had traveled from the Silvermoon Continent, and its companion was one of the four candidates that were chosen to participate in the Tournament of the Kraetor Empire.

Although the Elves had suffered terribly during the war, they were mostly the clans that were Anti-Human. Many in the Silvermoon Continent, including Arwen's father, Theoden, were against the war.

It had been too late when they discovered that something was amiss.

They didn't ask for it, and yet, they also suffered due to the selfishness of Shafel and the other Patriarch's that led the Anti-Human Faction.

With Sepheron and Eneru gone, the Elves were in no position to antagonize anyone. They only hoped that the Demons were still weakened from the war that happened many years ago, and would not launch another attack in their domain for the next hundred years.

The Tournament in the Kraetor Empire was a good way for the Elves to recover their dignity. This was why they had sent their envoys to participate in the Grand Tournament that would be happening very soon.

Chapter 573: I Walk In The Darkness So That Others May See The Light

"Eve. Where are you, my cute granddaughter?" James shouted.

The White Goose glared at the noisy old man who had come to the lakeside. It was currently swimming in the middle of the lake, with a sleeping girl on its back. Seven ducks slept beside the little girl, encircling her in a protective formation.

The Seven Ducks whom she had cared for since they were young were now full-fledged adults. These ducks would attack anyone who dared to hurt Eve, and bite their noggins if they were a boy.

Because of this, Eve's playmates were only girls. James and Mordred didn't have any complaints with this setup. Anna would shake her head from time to time because of how overprotective the men of their family were towards her daughter.

"Oi! Goose, bring my granddaughter here!" James ordered.

A second later, James heard an annoyed voice speak inside his head.

"Shut up, old man. The Mistress is sleeping. Tone down your words and stop shouting."

"Then bring her here now. There's an important guest that wants to see her."

The White Goose frowned before wading towards the lakeside. It had enlarged itself earlier because Eve wanted to play in the lake while on its back. However, after playing for a while, the calmness of the lake made her sleepy, so she decided to take a nap on the White Goose' back along with her ducklings.

The white Goose stepped on land, but still retained its size. If possible, it didn't want to wake the sleeping girl on its back and simply glared at James as if it wanted to peck him to oblivion.

James looked at his adorable granddaughter with a fawning gaze. Seeing how peacefully she slept, he decided to just wake her up after they returned to the residence.

The old man and the White Goose walked sided by side as they headed towards the direction of Lont. A guest had arrived, and James hurriedly looked for Eve because her presence was needed.

It didn't take long before the two arrived at the Ainsworth Residence. As if sensing that she had returned home, Eve's eyes fluttered. Half a minute later, she opened them and looked at her surroundings, while still half asleep.

"Grandpa?" Eve asked as she saw James walking beside the White Goose.

"Good Afternoon, Eve," James said with a smile. "Someone came to visit you."

Eve's drowsiness went away when she heard that someone came to visit her. There was someone she misses very much, and she hoped to see him soon.

"Big Brother?"

"William? No. It's someone else."

"Who?"

James smiled and pointed at the entrance of the Ainsworth Residence. A beautiful lady dressed in ceremonial garb stood near the doorway. The moment she saw Eve, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

The guest of the Ainsworth Family walked towards the White Goose to have a better look at the girl that she had come to see for the first time. She had not met Eve before, but she and William were good friends.

There were times when the red-headed teenager would talk about his cute cousin in the countryside. That was how she knew Eve's name. She just didn't expect that she would be sent to William's hometown, to take the little girl under her tutelage.

Eve looked at the beautiful lady and felt a strong connection to her. This connection was hard to describe, especially for a little girl. Because of that, Eve said the closest thing that she could to describe the feelings welling up inside her heart.

"Big Sister?"

"Yes. From now on, you can call me Big Sister."

Ariadne smiled and patted Eve's head affectionately. Now she understood why William kept on bragging about his cute cousin.

Eve was probably the most adorable little girl that she had seen in her lifetime. Also, the powerful Divine Energy emanating from her body was proof that she was destined to be an Apostle of a God.

A few minutes later, James, Mordred, Anna, and Eve gathered in the garden where they all had afternoon tea and snacks.

Ariadne had waited for everyone to gather before she spoke of her reason for coming. Mordred and Anna exchanged a glance at each other in disbelief. James, on the other hand, frowned. He then placed his tea cup on the table before speaking out his mind.

"Are you going to take Eve away from us?" James asked. He spoke casually, and yet, his words seemed to contain an underlying challenge.

It was as if he was telling Ariadne to "You won't be taking my darling granddaughter away from me under my watch".

Ariadne smiled because she already expected this outcome.

"Eve is still young," Ariadne replied. "I can't bear to take her away from her family. This was why I have decided to stay here in Lont while I teach her the duties of an Apostle."

Mordred and Anna sighed in relief. Being chosen as an Apostle of a God was an honor, but it was also a heavy responsibility. Eve was still young, and they didn't want their daughter to leave them at this stage.

James hummed and nodded his head.

"Very well. I will allow you to teach Eve, but you have to make an oath that you will not secretly take her away, while we're not looking," James said. Although he knew that Ariadne was an Oracle of the God William followed, he still couldn't trust her because of the fact that he kept on forgetting what she looked like!

'What a troublesome ability,' James thought. 'No matter how hard I try, her face slips away from my memory.'

Eve ate the cookies on her plate with gusto. She looked at Ariadne from time to time, and the latter would smile back at her each time the lady sensed her stare.

Unlike her family, Ariadne's ability didn't work on her. Even if Ariadne were to wear normal clothes and was tossed inside a crowd, Eve would be able to recognize her right away.

Ariadne had said that she came here to teach her how to become an Apostle.

Eve didn't understand what an Apostle was. But, for some reason, she felt that being an Apostle wasn't a bad thing.

Ariadne sighed in her heart. She was someone that could see glimpses in the future, but she couldn't see the future of certain people. The Oracle of the God of Shepherds knew that her duty was not an easy one.

For some reason, she was feeling uneasy. She kept on dreaming about a man with black hair, and eyes. He sat on a black throne, surrounded by beautiful women and a little girl sitting on his lap.

Behind him, several powerful beasts stood as if waiting for his command to unleash havoc across the land. Above him, a Black Phoenix had its wings spread wide as if to usher a new Era.

Ariadne's hand trembled as she remembered the scene in her dream. That man looked at her and smiled. Although she couldn't remember what he looked like, she could still remember the words that he had told her.

"I walk in the darkness so that others may see the light."

Yes. That man decided to walk in the darkness.

However, in doing so, he also covered the entire world in darkness.

Chapter 574: Oogwei’s Test

"I see, so that's how it is," William said as he ate a sandwich.

"Right." A small turtle unceremoniously bit into his own sandwich. "Right now, the possibility of the Agnis Family sending players to make things difficult for you is very high."

"What a petty family."

"I know, right?"

Chiffon happily ate her sandwich, while listening to her Big Brother and the small turtle.

When they arrived at the Third Floor, they found themselves standing on a cliff, right beside a raging waterfall. The scenery around them was so beautiful that it reminded William of the Waterfall Town of Lauterbrunnen, which was found in Switzerland.

Some said that the author of the Lord of the Rims, was inspired because of the magnificent view and decided to write a story about it.

Seeing this scene, William could understand how that author might have felt due to the sheer beauty of the surroundings.

After taking careful considerations, William decided to have lunch with Chiffon first, before exploring the Third Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

After spreading a picnic blanket, and taking out the sandwiches that he had prepared beforehand, the two sat and admired the view before biting into their sandwiches. A minute later, a black turtle crawled onto their picnic blanket and asked if it could have some of the food they had.

Due to his appraisal skill, William was able to find out the true identity of the little speaking turtle. Since the being in front of them was the Guardian of the Third Floor, William decided to become civil and sacrificed one of his sandwiches for World Peace.

After eating the sandwich, Oogwei introduced itself and told William a little bit about its domain. The Half-Elf thought that this was a perfect opportunity to get firsthand information about the tower from one of its Guardians.

Oogwei was an easy going fellow, so it answered most of William's questions, with the exception of the things that it was forbidden to tell mortals.

"Tell me, are you climbing this tower because of a wish?" Oogwei asked after finishing the sandwich which was given to it.

"A wish?" William tilted his head. He then placed one more sandwich on Oogwei's plate as thanks for answering most of his questions. "What wish?"

It was now Oogwei's turn to be confused. The little turtle looked at William with the "Are you joking with me?" look. However, since it was a being that could be considered as a Demigod, it could tell that William wasn't lying and was really not informed about the Tower of Babylon.

"This Tower is made to grant mortals riches, resources, power, and influence beyond their wildest dreams. But that's not all," Oogwei explained. "Whoever reaches the 100th Floor will be given the opportunity to make a wish. It doesn't matter what kind of wish it is, for it will be granted without fail."

William nodded his head in understanding. He had no intention of climbing up to the 100th Floor of the tower. His goal was to clear the 51st Floor in order to lift the curse that was placed on his lovers.

"I am only here to clear the 51st Floor," William replied. "After that, I will return to the Kraetor Empire."

"51st Floor, is it?" Oogwei nodded its head. "Indeed. You will not be able to proceed if you can't even clear the 51st Floor. However, I don't think you, or anyone in this world, has the ability to do that."

"What do you mean?"

"The Guardian of the 51st Floor has gone crazy. Well, not the crazy kind of crazy, but something similar. If I were you, I would just stop at the 50th Floor. Going to the 51st Floor would be a suicidal move."

William frowned as he ate his sandwich. After properly chewing it, he then asked the question that had been in his mind since he arrived at the City of Babylon.

"How come no one has been able to clear it?" William inquired. "With so many talented people in the world, I find it hard to believe that it has remained unconquered for hundreds of years."

Oogwei sighed internally. It really wanted to tell William the reason, but it was bound by the rules of the tower. In the end, it bit off a bite of its sandwich and completely ignored William's question.

William had a feeling that it was one of the things that Oogwei couldn't tell him, so he didn't continue to ask in this direction. Instead, he asked a question that made the turtle look up at him with a smirk.

"What kind of Test do I have to do in order to proceed to the next floor?" William inquired.

"Good question," Oogwei answered. "Actually, you should be taking a test in that town located down there in that valley."

The little turtle pointed at the town nestled at the center of the valley that boasted an out of the world scenery that would put all Instagramme pictures to shame.

"However, since I have taken a liking to you, I decided to give you a different quest. Of course, this will also give you better rewards. Are you interested?" Oogwei said in a challenging tone.

William pondered for a bit before nodding his head. He couldn't detect any kind of malice coming from Oogwei, so he believed that the turtle didn't mean them any harm.

"Excellent." The turtle grinned. "Allow me to introduce you to my disciples."

A brief moment later, four demi-human turtles appeared behind Oogwei carrying different kinds of weapons.

"Introduce yourself to our guests," Oogwei ordered.

The two-meter-tall turtle holding a wooden staff stepped forward and took a fighting pose.

"My name is Donutella," Donutella said with a determined expression. "Nice to meet you."

William cringed internally because he was reminded of that super sweet chocolate spread that was used by the kids in the orphanage. He had to use all of his willpower to prevent himself from teasing the turtle who had a funny name.

The next one to step up was another demi-human turtle wielding two swords. Just like Donutella, he took a fighting pose and introduced himself.

"My name is Leonardude." Leonardude snorted. "Only fight me if you dare. As long as I am around you won't be abl--"

"Watah!"

A loud shout cut off Leonardude's words as another turtle took a step forward while brandishing its nunchucks.

Chiffon clapped her hands in admiration because the way the turtle wielded its weapon was simply fascinating.

"I am Michaelangelhoe," Michaelangelhoe took a pose after showing his demonstration. "I am not a hoe."

"... " William and Chiffon didn't know what to say and simply stared at the turtle with a funny name just like its companions.

The last turtle stepped forward, while holding the two shortswords in his hands.

"I am Narnyah~," Narnyah said with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

William choked on the sandwich he was eating and had to beat his chest in order to help the food go down. He was already expecting the last turtle to introduce itself as Raphaella or something similar, but the name it gave was something out of the blue.

After recovering from his earlier mishap, William eyed the lady turtle who was looking at him weirdly.

"Um, are you sure that your name isn't Raphaella?"

"I just said my name is Narnyah~."

The corner of William's lips twitched because whoever made this plot, needed to have his brain thrown in the gutter.

Oogwei, who had just finished eating his last sandwich, looked up at William with a smirk.

"If you want to pass the third Floor, you have to defeat my disciples first. Don't worry, they will take it easy on you."

William scratched his head as he looked at the Demi-Turtles, and the small turtle who was looking up to him.

"We need to fight them in order to proceed?" William inquired.

"Fighting is too strong a word," Oogwei's replied. "More like competing. You need to defeat them in the thing they specialize in. With each victory, you will get five thousand tokens. Don't worry, you only need to win two out of four matches and you can proceed to the next floor.

William and Chiffon exchanged a glance with each other. They had no idea what the Guardian of the Third Floor was thinking. However, since they were already here, they might as well see what the little turtle had in store for them.

Chapter 575: Donutella Versus Chiffon

"I'll be your first opponent," Donutella said in arrogance. "Our battle will be simple. We will play a drinking game. Whoever drinks the most in five minutes will win. Easy, right?"

"Sounds easy enough," William replied. "But, what are we going to drink?"

Donutella snapped its fingers and two tables appeared in front of them. On top of those two tables, several mugs filled with what seemed to be sweetened chocolate could be found. Williams almost gagged at the diabetes inducing scene in front of him.

There was no way he could drink so many chocolate drinks in one sitting.

"I will give both of you a handicap." Donutella crossed its arms. "You can fight me two versus one."

The demi-turtle's tone was filled with confidence. It was as if it was telling William that there was no use even if Chiffon and him teamed up, because it would still be a victor in the end.

The Half-Elf sneered internally at the cocky turtle. Donutella had no idea that the one who didn't stand a chance in this drinking battle was itself.

William patted Chiffon's head and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Chiffon, can I leave this challenge to you?"

"Un!" Chiffon patted her chest with confidence. "Leave it to me, Big Brother."

The pink-haired girl then walked towards the table and looked at the chocolate mugs with sparkling eyes. Clearly, she was very excited to start the drinking competition as soon as possible.

"Are you sure you will not join her?" Donutella asked as it, too, went to the table facing Chiffon's. "You might regret it later."

"Nah, I'm good." William smirked. He was looking forward to seeing Donutella's surprised expression after it realized that its opponent was something it couldn't beat in a drinking game.

The three Demi-turtles, and Oogwei, shook their heads in disappointment. They felt sorry for Chiffon because a little girl had to fight against their group's strongest drinker.

Drinking a mug full of sweetened chocolate may be an easy task. However, if you were to drink many of them at any given time, you will definitely wave your hands in surrender.

"Are both combatants ready?" Oogwei asked.

Donutella and Chiffon nodded their heads in unison. The rules of the battle were simple enough, so there was no need to complicate things.

The Demi-turtle looked at the pink-haired girl in disdain. Clearly, it couldn't believe that an adorable girl like Chiffon could beat it in a game that was its specialty.

"Don't cry later, little girl." Donutella teased.

Chiffon only tilted her head to the side in confusion. She didn't understand why she would be crying when she was about to have her fill of something sweet and delicious!

Oogwei then raised its small foot and declared the start of the battle.

"Start!"

Donutella casually took a mug from the table and drank it in one go.

Chiffon, on the other hand, did the same. She was two seconds later than Donutella in finishing her drink, but Wiliam wasn't too worried.

In a span of ten seconds, Donutella had already drunk four mugs, while Chiffon only had three.

A minute later, Donutella had already finished twenty four mugs, while Chiffon only had eighteen.

The three Demi-turtles and Oogwei were surprised about Chiffon's tenacity. None of them were able to even drink more than ten mugs of sweetened chocolate, but the pink-haired girl had already gone past that mark.

Three more minutes went by, and several mugs of chocolate had already been cleared from the table. Even though this drinking match was Donutella's specialty, it was starting to feel nauseous due to the vast quantity of sweetened chocolate it had ingested.

'Just a minute more,' Donutella thought. 'I just need to hang for a minute and I will win.'

Chiffon placed the mug that she had just finished drinking on the table and gave Donutella a side-long glance.

Oogwei and his disciples thought that Chiffon was about to give up, but their eyes almost fell out of their sockets when they saw what the little girl did next.

The pink-haired girl opened her mouth. Suddenly, the chocolate that was inside the mugs all rose up in the air and flew towards her mouth.

Donutella choked on the chocolate it was drinking after it saw what its opponent had done. It couldn't believe what it was seeing.

"T-Time's up." Oogwei stuttered. "Winner of this match is Chiffon!"

Chiffon smiled as she returned to William's side. The Half-Elf took out his handkerchief and wiped the chocolate stains at the side of her lips. He could read Chiffon's mood and almost laughed out loud.

A single glance was enough to tell William that the pink-haired-girl hadn't had her fill. He was half tempted to tease Donutella, and ask for a rematch in order to satisfy the little glutton, who was eyeing the chocolate mugs on her opponent's table.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Central Continent…

The Supreme Pontifex of Deus was busy reading the reports of his subordinates that he had sent to the Southern Continent.

"... Ainsworths," the Supreme Pontifex of Deus said softly. "Whenever there is a great upheaval in the world, this family is always involved one way or the other."

The Supreme Leader of Deus frowned as he put the report down on the table. "Alessio was a good subordinate. It's quite unfortunate that he died in the Southern Continent."

The battles between his subordinates was something that he encouraged. This was how his organization managed to become a Faction that rivaled the Church of Light from the shadows.

The Hypocritical Church lorded over the masses on the surface, while Deus wanted to make the world submit to their will.

These two organizations had fought each other for hundreds of years, and their victories and losses were almost the same. Right now, both forces were fighting a different kind of battle. They were looking for a person.

A person that was said to challenge the existing powers in the continent and make everyone submit to his will.

"It will not take long before the Prophecy of the Elves will come to pass. At most a year, maybe two," the man muttered. "We still haven't found the Prince."

Just like the Elves, Deus had also used their manpower to identify suitable candidates that could possibly be the Prince in the Prophecy. They had been doing it for years, but the candidates that they had observed showed no signs of wielding the True Power of Darkness.

Most of the candidates were Dark Mages, and they were very promising as well. However, the reports that the Supreme Pontifex had received from his watchers made him feel that they were overlooking something.

The document that was on the very top of his table, was none other than the information that they had on William.

Bold letters could be seen written at the bottom most part of William's scroll, which indicated the verdict that his spies had concluded after watching William's performance in the Southern Continent.

Dungeon Conqueror Candidate.

That was the conclusion that Berthold, and the other members of Deus had come to, after compiling the information they had on William.

"Dungeon Conqueror?" The Supreme Pontifex muttered as he stared at William's information.

The leader of Deus had the power of clairvoyance. However, no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to read the fate of anyone that belonged to the Ainsworth Family, including the people whose Fates were tied with them.

James and he had fought each other in the past. The same with Maxwell and Morgan because of a difference in beliefs.

The Supreme Pontifex chuckled as he walked towards the balcony of his residence. Right now, an era of change was upon the land.

He could smell it in the wind.

He could feel it in his bones.

He could hear it from the beating of his heart.

The Supreme Leader of Deus was already in the final stage where his ambition would be realized. All he needed was a person.

A person that all the powers in the world were frantically searching for.

'I guess I should send someone to monitor the boy,' the Supreme Pontifex thought. 'It never hurts to put eggs in different baskets.'

The leader of Deus watched the beautiful sunset in the distance, and waited for the light to disappear before going back to his room.

He still had reports to read, and miles to go before he slept.

Chapter 576: Kawabangga Motherf*ckers! [Part 1]

"What's the next test?" William asked. "We just need to win one more and we can proceed to the next floor, right?"

Oogwei nodded its head. "Right. Just one more win and you guys can proceed to the next floor."

After Chiffon won her fight, William realized that the test that was given by the little turtle, wasn't something that could be easily overcome by any ordinary person.

If Chiffon wasn't the personification of Gluttony, William had no doubt in his mind that they would have lost the first match. Only people with the Devour ability like Jekyll, and Chiffon, would be able to rise up to the challenge.

William looked at the three remaining Demi-Turtles and clicked his tongue internally.

'If each of them specialized in something that we are not capable of, the chances of us winning are slim,' William thought. 'I just hope the next test will be easy.'

Oogwei may not be able to read minds, but William's expression told it what it needed to know. In fact there were several players whom the little turtle had taken an interest in.

It would meet them on its floor and allow its disciples to challenge them all. Some of these players had failed miserably due to a difference in specialty, and had to stay in his domain until they either succeeded, or surrendered.

Those who surrendered were kicked out of the tower where they had to redo everything from scratch.

Oogwei was one of the pacifist Guardians of the Tower of Babylon. For it, finding worthy players was a pastime, and it liked to test them personally each time they appeared in its domain.

"Who wants to go next?" Oogwei asked its disciples.

"I will go next!" Leonardude stepped forward.

However, before Leonardude could say the details of its challenge, it was dragged away by Donutella, and Michalangelhoe.

"Whatever you do, don't challenge them in an eating contest," Donutella whispered. "You've seen that girl's ability, right? The ending will be the same. Although you are our team's greatest eater, and I am the greatest drinker, we won't win against her!"

Leonardude nodded its head. "I know. Don't worry, the one that will be eating will be us, and not her."

Michaelangelhoe heard its two siblings and understood what Leonardude was planning.

"So, you're going to do that, right?" Michaelangelhoe whispered.

"Exactly," Leonardude smirked.

"You're playing dirty."

"This is called tactics. There is nothing dirty about it."

The three Demi-Turtles exchanged glances and smiled evilly.

William's sensitive hearing was able to hear their conversation. However, what the three talked about was not enough to give him a hint of what the next test was going to be.

"Okay, this will be your next test," Leonardude snapped its fingers and a portable kitchen appeared in front of it. "Your next test is that you will cook me some food. If I like it, you will pass my test."

"That's it?" William inquired.

"That's it," Leonardude replied. "Easy, right?"

Donutella, Michaelangelhoe, and Narnyah~ snickered internally. This was a trick that Leonardude always pulled when it planned to fail a player. Even if the food was delicious, it would say that it was trash, automatically making the challenger fail.

Oogwei sighed internally because it could tell that its disciple was at it again. This was not the first time Leonardude did this, but the little turtle didn't prevent it from doing so. It believed that if the players were fated to win, not even this dirty trick was enough to stop them from climbing the tower.

"Very well, I will be the one to take this challenge," William walked towards the portable kitchen and checked the tools that were available. They were the same cooking equipment that were commonly used in the world of Hestia, but William's dish required something more modern.

Because of this, William decided to ask if he could bend the rules of the test a bit.

"Can I use my own equipment and ingredients in his test?" William asked.

Leonardude thought for a moment before nodding its head.

"I don't mind," Leonardude replied. "In fact, this is better. Give me your best shot."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. All you need to do is cook."

Leonardude laughed internally because he was confident that no matter what kind of ingredients, or methods William used, the ending would still be the same. The Demi-turtle would just say that the food was not delicious and fail William on the spot.

The Half-Elf was not aware of this sinister plan that Leonardude was thinking.

The reason?

He was confident that he could make something that would make the Demi-turtle ask for more.

'System, get me a portable oven that can be used anywhere. It will be best if it is powered by Magic Crystals or Beast Cores. Also, get me these ingredients. Make sure that they are of high quality.'

< Understood. >

The System immediately opened the God Shop to gather everything that William needed. The Half-Elf didn't even need to spend more than Ten God Points in order to acquire everything that he needed.

William took out a big mixing bowl, and used his magic to create 3/4 cup of warm water. After that, he poured a pack of active yeast inside the bowl and gave it a quick stir.

Chiffon stood by his side and watched William as he did his work. She didn't know what her Big Brother was making, but watching him work with a smile on his face piqued her curiosity.

William placed the mixing bowl to the side and let it rest for a few minutes, as he took out the other ingredients from his storage ring.

The Half-Elf took another mixing bowl and poured two cups of flour inside it. He then added a pinch of salt and sugar before giving it a mix with a whisk. After that was done, he took the mixing bowl with the yeast in it.

William poured a quarter of the flour in the bowl and used his hand to mix it. He added more flour along the way as he kneaded the dough. Chiffon who was watching from the side felt her hand itch because what her Big brother was doing looked fun.

"Interesting," Oogwei muttered as it looked at the dough in William's hands.

The Demi-turtles weren't too impressed because they thought that William was just going to make bread. They ignored William's performance and instead, played cards with each other. Only Oogwei kept on watching William as its eyes sparkled with genuine interest.

William placed the dough to the side to let it rest. He then glanced at Chiffon who looked to be fascinated with what he was doing. In the end, William decided to let the little girl have fun and let her play a bit in dough making.

William gave her a batch of ingredients and watched from the side as Chiffon imitated what he did earlier, albeit a bit clumsy at first.

The pink-haired girl had a photographic memory. She could instantly recall things that she had seen in the past. After watching William's work from start to finish, Chiffon only nodded to follow his steps to create a dough of her own.

The little girl kneaded the dough with great interest. Although she still couldn't smile, William noticed that her eyes held myrth in them. Clearly, Chiffon was having fun with her dough making session.

After watching Chiffon for a while, William returned to his own work. He took the dough and placed it inside the multi-purpose special oven that has a special "speeding up" function that works well when getting pizza dough to rise.

A minute later, William took the dough out of the oven and placed it on top of the table. He then sprinkled some flour on the table before placing the pizza dough on top of it. He then summoned a rolling pin and started to shape it.

Chiffon had also taken the pizza dough from the special oven and started using a rolling pin to shape it, imitating William.

William made the dough on his hand spin, and Chiffon did the same. The two even had a pizza dough spinning contest, which made Oogwei climb on top of the table to have a better look.

After the two had their fill, William remoulded the pizza dough to have the shape he wanted. He then brushed its top with a little bit of oil. He then added pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, mushroom, sausage, and pepperoni.

William admired his work for a few seconds before placing his creation inside his multi-purpose special oven.

"We just need to wait ten minutes," William said to Chiffon, who was currently placing the toppings on her own pizza.

"Big Brother, what do you call this food?" Chiffon asked after she finished her work.

William smirked before giving his creation a name. "This is called Kawabangga Pizza. This will lead us to victory."

The Half-Elf glanced at the Demi-Turtles that were busy playing cards not far from them. He already had a feeling that this test was rigged from the start, and Leonardude had no intention of letting them win.

Since that was the case, he would force the sucker to accept defeat by using the food that was known to be the favorite of the Ninja Tortols in his world.

The moment he took the pizza out of the oven, a delicious smell spread across the surroundings. Chiffon narrowed her eyes and gulped subconsciously. She was very tempted to eat the Kawabangga Pizza that William had made because it looked delicious.

The four Demi-turtles simultaneously turned their heads to look in William's direction. It was clear that the smell had caught their interest, which made the Half-Elf chuckle internally.

He knew that it was just a matter of time before they cleared the Third Floor of Babylon. However, before that, he planned to do something to the Demi-Turtles first to ensure that his climb to the Tower would be a smooth one.

Chapter 577: Kawabangga Motherf*ckers! [Part 2]

The Demi-Turtles walked towards William's location with calm expressions on their faces. As Oogwei's disciples, they used their strong will power to prevent themselves from stuffing their faces with the unknown dish that William had made for them.

"This is Kawabangga Pizza?" Leonardude asked. "Well, I'll give you a passing grade for the presentation. However, the most important part is the taste."

William nodded his head as he cut the pizza into several slices. After he was done, he took a slice and gave it to Oogwei, the next slice he gave to Chiffon.

The Half-Elf took the third and ate it in front of everyone.

Leonardude gulped and hurriedly took a pizza slice to eat. The other Demi-turtles didn't want to be left out and secured their own.

The moment the pizza entered their mouths, they tasted an explosion of flavors that put them into a daze. William smirked because he got the intended effect that he wanted.

Before Leonardude could even recover his senses, William took advantage of the situation and asked him a question.

"Is it good?" William asked.

"It is the best!" Leonardude replied.

"Did we pass?"

"You did!"

The moment Leonardude gave his approval, the Demi-Turtle realized that he had fallen into William's trap.

The Half-Elf grinned and offered the regretful turtle another pizza slice, which the latter gobbled up in fury.

"This is good," Oogwei stated. "Can you give me a recipe?"

"Of course," William replied. "But on one condition."

Oogwei smiled. It knew that William was planning something, but it didn't know what it was. As a Guardian, there were certain things that it could and couldn't do while it was inside the Tower. However, he was also curious about what kind of condition the red-headed teenager wanted to ask of him.

"Earlier, you said that the Agnis Family will probably hunt us down, and make our climb in the tower difficult, right?" William looked at the Guardian of the Third Floor with a serious expression.

Oogwei nodded its head. "Right."

"Can you prevent them from following us?"

"I can't. Guardians are not allowed to harm any player within the Tower.

William sighed before he picked up the pizza that Chiffon had made, and placed it inside the oven to bake.

The Demi-turtles glanced at each other. After tasting William's pizza, they had a feeling that they wouldn't be able to live without it. In order to satisfy this craving, they had to get William's recipe and the weird looking Oven in his possession.

"Master may not be able to do it, but we can," Michaelangelhoe stated. "However, we cannot leave the Third Floor. The only thing we could do is deal with them on this floor."

"That's right." Donutella nodded. "The players in the tower could return to any floor that they wanted, as long as they were able to clear it. Even if you deal with your pursuers on this floor, they could still jump to the Fourth Floor in order to hunt the two of you down."

William listened to the Demi-turtles' explanation with a frown. They had made an enemy of the Agnis Family that ruled the Second Floor of the Tower. Since they were one of the major forces in Babylon, they could send their lackeys to prevent William and Chiffon from climbing higher.

Although William wasn't afraid of conflict, he was not fond of being chased by mercenaries from behind.

Seeing the frown on William's face, Narnyah decided to offer a solution.

"I have an idea," Narnyah commented from the side. "We can capture those pursuers for you and hold them here for a short period of time. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to kill the players, so this is the most we can do for you."

Oogwei listened as it ate its pizza in peace. It had already felt the members of the Agnis Family enter his domain, but they were spawned at the bottom of the valley where the trial town was located. It would take them some time to track William's and Chiffon's whereabouts.

"The fighters of the Agnis Family have arrived," Oogwei announced. "Looks like you made the Patriarch angry with your rejection. He didn't bat an eye and sent forty experts to hunt you down. According to the standards in this world, they have sent fifteen Mithril Rankers, ten Black Rankers, and one Saint."

William scratched his head in irritation, "What a pain."

"Like my Disciples said earlier, we can keep them here for a time. Since they have already cleared this place once, they can come and go as they pleased," Oogwei explained. "My domain is big, so it will take considerable time for them to find you.

"My Disciples' offer still stands. Although they cannot kill players, they can beat them up and detain them for a time. What do you want to do?"

William crossed his arms over his chest and pondered. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and asked Oogwei a question.

"Xod said that he has the authority to send us to a higher floor in the tower," William said. "Can you do that, too?"

Oogwei nodded its head. "I can send you up to the 9th Floor. However, the ruling family there is similar to the Agnis Family. Since you have passed my test, I can send you there anytime you want. Do you want me to send you there, right now?"

William shook his head. "Not now. However, I will ask this favor later."

The Half-Elf looked down at the Trial Town below the cliff. He decided to get rid of their pursuers now rather than deal with them at a later time.

Inside the Trial Town…

"Have you seen them?"

"No, Sir."

"Keep looking! You need to find them as soon as possible!" Byron, the High-Ranker of the Agnis Family, ordered.

Inside the tower, those that had the rank of Saints were referred to as High-Rankers. They were the epitome of strength, and not many could face them in battle. Every ruling family in the tower had at least one of these powerful fighters under their wing.

They were the so-called deterrence to keep everyone in line and not make trouble for the families that ruled the floors that they owned.

Byron didn't feel embarrassed about hunting down two teenagers because this was his job. The Agnis Family had paid him a hefty amount of Tokens that allowed him to reach his rank after forming a binding contract with them.

"That fool missed a golden opportunity," Byron snorted. "If he only agreed to the Agnis Family, he would definitely become a High-Ranker after three to four years."

Right after Byron said these words, he heard a chuckle behind his back.

"Three to four years to reach Sainthood?" a red-headed teenager said in disdain. "Too slow. Now I understand why you're already this old before you became a High-Ranker. You don't have the qualifications to be one, so you used a shortcut to become a Saint."

The teenager curled up his lips as if mocking Byron's talents.

"It's you!" Byron stood up and lunged at the boy. Although William had ridiculed him, he didn't let it go to his head and prioritized the boy's capture. The warriors of the Agnis Family also recognized the Half-Elf and joined their leader in subjugating him.

William stood still and only smirked at the Saint, and his men, who were only a few meters away from him.

Byron was just about to punch the boy's chest when something golden appeared in his vision. The next thing he knew, he was hurtling towards the ground with blood seeping out of its mouth.

The same thing happened to his subordinates, but they got it worse than Byron because their ranks were lower than him.

The High-Ranker wiped the blood from the side of his lips as he raised his head to look at William, who was holding a golden-metallic rod in his hand.

"Kawabangga, Motherf*ckers!"

The Half-Elf sneered as he prepared to annihilate the hunters who now became the hunted. William had long known when to show mercy and when to eradicate the problem at its root. The only reason why he couldn't confront the Agnis Family directly was because they had formed a contract with the Guardian of the Second Floor.

The moment someone attacked the members of their family, the Guardian would appear and deal with the threat to honor the contract. Because of this, the ruling family of each floor enjoyed unchallengeable safety in their own domains.

Each Guardian was equivalent to a Demigod, so William didn't want to fight them in a head-on battle.

William might not be able to fight against a Demigod, but fighting against a Saint, and his lackeys, was not a big deal for him when he used his Heroic Avatar.

The Patriarch of the Agnis Family thought that the forces he sent to hunt down William and Chiffon were more than enough to capture two brats. He even thought that it was overkill.

If he only knew William's true identity then he might have turned a blindeye on the incident that happened in his domain, and let bygones be bygones.

Unfortunately, he didn't know. And this was why the subordinates, whom he had sent to seize the two teenagers, were never heard from again.

Chapter 578: Reunion in Hestia Academy [Part 1]

Nine days had passed since William began his climb in the tower of Babylon. The Kraetor Empire had focused all of its attention in preparation for a Grand Tournament, where several prodigies from all over the Central Continent would come to participate.

Of course, Emperor Leonidas had also sent several invitations to the ruling factions in the Silvermoon Continent, the Demonic Continent, and the Gunnar Federation.

The Gunnar Federation was composed of many kingdoms in the Western Continent. Unlike the relationship between the Hellan Kingdom, Anaesha Dynasty, Zelan Dynasty, and Kingdom of Freesia, the members of the Gunnar Federation were all allied with each other.

They had done this to repel the invaders that had attempted to conquer their lands thousands of years ago, and their alliance had remained strong even through the passing of time.

There was no invitation sent to the Southern Continent because they had just suffered a calamity of unprecedented proportions.

"Just as we expected, the number of participants has exceeded our expectations," Evexius said.

Emperor Leonidas nodded his head in agreement. "How about the venue? Will we make it in time?"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Our Archamages are giving their best to create hundreds of platforms, where the initial battles will be held. The Grand Arena is also undergoing a massive renovation to accommodate the guests coming from all over the world."

Emperor Leonidas and several rulers of the Central Continent had a meeting earlier, to talk about the prizes that would be given away to the semi-finalists and the champion of the tournament.

Having so many sponsors for the event, the prizes were something that any member of the young generation would gladly get their hands on. According to their discussion, several people from the different empires would serve as referees to facilitate the hundreds of battles that would be happening at the same time.

All the major powers in the continent had unanimously agreed that the Demons were not allowed to become referees and would only send their candidates to participate in the tournament.

The Demon King remained indifferent during the entire meeting, and only listened to the discussion. The Major Powers in the Central Continent weren't afraid of him because if he did anything funny, they would all launch a crusade and erase him from the face of the world.

Also, the Demons still hadn't fully recovered from their invasion in the Silvermoon Continent. It would still take them a decade, or two, to regain the power that they once held. However, even if they did, they would not be stupid to challenge the might of the forces in the Central Continent.

"One of the Elven participants has arrived," Evexius reported. "According to him, there are four of them in total. His colleagues will arrive three weeks from now. For the time being, we allowed him to stay in the special residences we have prepared. He is being given VIP treatment by our men."

Emperor Leonidas nodded. "For now, tell the generals to increase the security in the capital. I don't want any mouse to take advantage of this event to dig into the secrets of our Empire."

"Understood." Evexius bowed.

Although the preparations were getting hectic, he was sure that everything would be finished a few days before the tournament began. This was the grandest tournament since the founding of their empire, and they wanted to impress the guests that would soon be visiting their lands.

Meanwhile in the world renowned Hestia Academy…

A lady wearing a white academic dress stood in front of the gates as if waiting for someone. Two fairy-like beings sat on her shoulder and kept her company during this vigil.

Five minutes later, a loud shriek was heard in the sky and a Dark Raven descended a few meters away from her.

A sweet smile appeared on the lady's face as she walked towards it, in order to greet the person whom she had not seen for many years.

Celine dismounted the raven's back and opened her arms wide.

The lady wearing the white academic dress jumped into Celine's arms and hugged her tight.

"Silly girl. You're already this old and you still don't know how to control yourself," Celine chastised her little sister, but her gaze was filled with love and affection.

"I missed you, Big Sister," Celeste said as she continued to hug her twin.

Celine sighed and patted her sister's head. It had indeed been a long time since they had seen each other, and she missed Celeste dearly as well.

After a few minutes, Celeste reluctantly took a step back before grabbing hold of Celine's hand.

"Let's go to my room," Celeste proposed. "I'm sure you are tired of your journey. I'll have the staff prepare us something good to eat, while we do some catching up."

Celine nodded with a smile. She was indeed tired from the journey. But, after seeing that her little sister seemed to be doing well and was very healthy, her exhaustion decreased by a good margin.

Fifteen minutes later, the two beautiful ladies were sipping tea and sharing stories with each other.

"I've heard about what happened in the Southern Continent," Celeste said as she placed her teacup on the table. "Actually, I went there along with an acquaintance in order to check if you were safe and sound.

"Unfortunately, there was a powerful barrier that prevented us from reaching our destination. We tried to break it, but it was of no use. In the end, we decided to return here to the Academy."

Celine sighed, "It's good that you didn't get caught up in that mess. If you were there, things might have become more complicated."

Celine narrated the things that happened right after the Continental Spell was activated. How the elves treated the citizens of the Zelan Dynasty, and how the battle ended. By the time she finished, the sun was about to set.

Celeste felt saddened about the outcome of the war. She was also an Elf, and hearing the news that millions of them had died in battle, made her sigh in regret.

"Wow! What an interesting Half-Elf," One of the fairy-like creatures with short blonde hair and blue eyes, said with a smile. "Where is he now? Did you bring him with you?"

"Chloee, don't be rude to our guest," the other fairy with short green hair, and gray eyes commented. "I apologize for my sister's rudeness. She doesn't think before she acts."

"Don't pretend, Claire." Chloee stared at her twin. "I'm sure that Half-Elf had piqued your interest as well."

Claire didn't deny or affirm Chloee's statement. She just smiled and shifted her attention to Celine. The little fairy's eyes were giving Celine the, "Is he with you?" stare.

"He's not with me," Celine replied with great interest. "William is currently climbing the Tower of Babylon. It seemed that he needed to do something there."

Chloee's eyes sparkled as she flew in front of Celine.

"The Tower of Babylon?" Chloee asked. "That tower that goes all the way up to the sky with no end in sight?"

Celine nodded and appraised the little fairy with a critical eye.

"Is she the chatty familiar you've told me in your letters?" Celine inquired.

Celeste grabbed the over-excited Chloee and held her in place. "Sorry. Chloee can get over-excited at times."

"Don't worry about it," Celine replied. "This is the first time I've seen a familiar like her. She looks exactly like you when you were younger. I guess this is because of your Familiamancer Profession, right?"

Unlike Chloee and Claire who had shoulder length hair that ended up in a curl, Celeste's hair was long, just like Celine's.

"Yes." Celeste nodded. "This is the power of the profession I received in the ancient ruin I talked to you about."

Celeste then released the pouting Chloee from her grasp before looking back at Celine with a serious expression.

"Big Sister, I already noticed this earlier, but, where is the slave collar that was placed on your neck?" Celeste asked.

Celine smiled as she gazed at the Collar of Wisteria that was still on her little sister's neck. The collar that held many secrets that were only known to a handful of people back in the Silvermoon Continent.

"I gave it to my Disciple," Celine replied. She didn't have any reason to hide the truth from her sister because the collars on their necks played a very important role in their lives. "He wore it until the war ended, but due to circumstances, he placed it on the neck of another."

Celeste's eyes widened in surprise. She never thought that her proud sister would pass her collar to anyone. Because of this, she was itching to know more about her sister's Disciple, whose fate had already been tied with Celine's.

Chapter 579: Games Of Intrigue

"Have you still not heard of any news from our men?" Waltier Agnis, the Patriarch of the Agnis family asked his right hand man.

He was the person who held the highest authority within the Second Floor of the Tower of Babylon. Ever since their family had changed the rules of the trial, very few people were able to climb to the next floor.

They were using the second floor as a base in order to make the talented challengers of the tower to become their subordinates. This practice had been going on for hundreds of years, and the Agnis Family had profited greatly from this practice.

"There's still no word from them, My Lord." The middle-aged man bowed his head in apology. "The Third Floor is quite big, and our men might be having trouble finding their targets. I already received reports from our spies on the Fourth Floor.

"None of them have seen anyone who closely resembles the two teenagers who passed our trial. It is quite possible that they are still on the Third Floor. They promised to send us a report as soon as they found people matching the portraits that we have drawn for them."

Waltier nodded his head. "Keep me updated for any news regarding those two."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Leave me. I want to be alone."

The middle-aged man bowed again before leaving the room. He pitied the two teenagers because Waltier was known to be a ruthless individual. He was sure that if William and Chiffon were to fall in his hands, their fate would be sealed.

"That red-headed teenager brought up a bad memory," Waltier muttered. The image of a man accompanied by a Taotie appeared inside the Patriarch's head.

That person had challenged their family openly, and they were left with no choice but to apologize and compensate him. That was a stain in the history of their family. One that the patriarch had long wanted to forget, but was unable but to do so.

'Fortunately, he is dead,' Waltier thought as he closed his eyes. 'That Maxwell, I hope he suffers in hell.'

William had stayed on Oogwei's floor for a week. After wiping out the group that were hunting them, he decided to wait until the cooldown of his Heroic Avatar was ready.

He didn't know how many Saints the Agnis Family had under their wing, but William decided to play it safe and learn more about the Guardians of each floor from Oogwei, whom he bribed with several recipes that were not present in the world of Hestia.

The little turtle was more than happy to host William and Chiffon in his Domain. When Oogwei asked if the Half-Elf wanted to meet the ruling family of the third floor, William politely declined. He didn't want to involve others in his affairs.

"So, the Guardians will not make a move even if someone attacks the ruling families," William commented. "However, will they interfere if there is a possibility that the family's entire bloodline was facing extinction?"

"Yes." Oogwei nodded. "Mind you, there are many factional disputes even among the ruling families. There were even cases when they fought against each other to gain the role of administrators for the floor.

"We Guardians stay out of these family feuds, and allow them to duke it out. We will only interfere if less than twenty members of the family remain. So, if you're thinking of attacking one of the families in Babylon, I suggest that you just kill the annoying ones. If you went too far, the Guardians will have no choice but to subjugate you."

Oogwei smirked. The floor that it was planning to send William and Chiffon to was such a floor. The 9th Floor has a very unique balance of power. The two sons of the current ruler of the Tristan Family were at war with each other.

The Patriarch of the Clan was bedridden and there was no telling when he would kick the bucket. Because of this, the two brothers fought for succession because they had differing outlooks on life.

Although the elders in the family tried to mediate, both brothers didn't want to pay them any heed, so the elders decided to just let them do what they wanted.

The Eldest Brother wanted to retain the status quo, but the youngest wanted to bring change. Because of this, the main family, and the branch family were split and fought against each other for supremacy.

The players of the 9th Floor were forced to choose between the two sides. They couldn't advance unless one of the two won their succession war. Their fighting had already been going on for two years, and right now, the Older Brother had the advantage.

This was why the Youngest of the two was desperate for help from new players that entered their floor. He hoped that one of these players would be strong enough to tip the balance in his favor.

Oogwei had made sure to explain the current situation of the Tristan Family to William. After hearing the details, the Half-Elf thanked the little turtle, while he pondered about his next course of action.

He was left with two choices, the first choice was to take the shortcut and jump straight to the 9th Floor, or climb the tower up to the 7th Floor. The Guardian of the 7th Floor was a close friend of Oogwei.

The little turtle assured William that as long as he passed the Guardian's Trial, he could use his authority to help William jump to the 12th floor directly.

After weighing the pros and cons, William decided to bite the bullet and jump to the 9th Floor directly.

The reason why William decided to go to the 9th Floor was due to the fact that this floor allowed slavery.

The Older Brother wanted the slave trade to continue, while the younger one wanted to abolish it completely. Choosing which side to support was a no brainer to William.

A day later, William and Chiffon faced Oogwei and his disciples. It was now time for them to continue their journey. During that one week living with the Demi-Turtles, the group had become good friends.

The Demi-Turtles were more than happy to spar with William and Chiffon. Through their matches, the little girl had become accustomed to fighting alongside William in group battles.

The Half-Elf was also impressed with how fast Chiffon was able to learn moves that she had seen for the first time. Perhaps it was due to her Photographic Memory, or maybe the pink-haired girl was that talented.

Whatever the reason was, Chiffon was like a sponge that absorbed the different fighting styles of the four Demi-Turtles who had become her friends, in the time that they were together.

"Take care, both of you," Donutella said. "If things get rough, feel free to return to the Third Floor. We will gladly welcome the two of you with open arms."

"That's right!" Leonardude commented. "Come visit us anytime!"

Michaelangelhoe shook William's hand, and gave Chiffon a pat on the head.

"Although we can't accompany you in your endeavors, know that we will wish for your success from this floor." Narnyah winked. "May both of you be safe, and may we see each other again."

""Thank you.""

William and Chiffon replied at the same time. The two of them were very grateful due to the hospitality that Oogwei and the Demi-Turtles had given them during their stay.

The Half-Elf held Chiffon's hands tightly as he waited for Oogwei to send them to their destination. Chiffon leaned close to William and clung to his arm. If not for the fact that both of their hair colors were different, people would think that the two of them were a brother and sister pair that were climbing the tower together.

"See you again," Oogwei said. "Goodluck to both of you."

After saying its parting words, Oogwei raised its foot and both William and Chiffon turned into beams of light that shot towards the sky.

Oogwei believed that although the two teenagers would face difficult challenges as they climbed the Tower of Babylon, he was sure that William, and Chiffon, would be able to overcome them as long as they were together.

'I sent you the help you wanted, Yves,' Oogwei thought. 'Now, it's time for you to give me those heavenly cucumbers you promised me two days ago.'

Oogwei returned to the Guardian's Hall to look for his friend and ask for payment. William didn't know that he, and Chiffon, had been sold by the little turtle for a dozen heavenly cucumbers.

If only he knew that this was just Oogwei's ruse to get some free snacks, William would have tossed the Guardian inside a pot, and used it as the main ingredient for turtle soup.

The Guardians of the Tower had been bored as of late, so they participated in games of intrigue. William and Chiffon were the new players that had caught their interest. They even placed bets on how far the two could climb the tower.

For them, the plight of the players was merely entertainment. As long as they could relieve their boredom, they were more than happy to move the strings behind the scenes. That way the entertainment that they were watching would be a little bit more interesting.

Chapter 580: Reunion in Hestia Academy [Part 2]

After knowing the truth, Celeste pressed her sister for answers, which went on for an hour before the two decided to have dinner together.

"I wish I could meet him, this William," Celeste said as she sat on the couch with her twin sister.

Celine smirked. "Don't worry. I'm sure that you'll meet him sooner or later. He's a handful, but I've watched him since he was ten years old. I can vouch that he is a good person, albeit narcissistic."

Celeste giggled as she leaned on her sister. Celine knew exactly what she wanted so she wrapped her arms around Celine and brushed her twin sister's light-green hair, that was as smooth as silk, with her hand.

If the students of the academy could see their beautiful Elven Professor right now, all of them would be shocked because she was acting like a spoiled little girl. Just like Celine, Celeste was an exceptional beauty, even among the elves.

She would often receive marriage proposals from nobles, princes, and even very influential figures that hailed from all over the Central Continent. Unfortunately, she rejected them all.

The Sin she carried and the prophecy of the Elves prevented her from having a relationship with anyone. The collar on her neck also protected her from being enslaved, and forced against her will.

If anyone was foolish enough to take her by force, all of them would suffer a fate that was worse than death.

"Big Sister, is he?" Celeste asked. After hearing Celine's tale, she managed to connect the dots together, which led to a possibility.

However, Celine's answer invalidated the suspicion she had in mind.

"No," Celine replied firmly. "He's not the Prince of Darkness. I used my body to confirm this. It can't be wrong. But, if you still have reservations, you can check every inch of it later when we bathe together.

"There's a possibility that it appeared in a place that I couldn't see. Would you be a dear, and do a detailed diagnosis of my body? Your ability allows you to do that, right?"

Celeste nodded her head. For her sister to use her maidenhood to confirm whether her Disciple was the Prince in the prophecy was something she didn't expect.

She had long known that Celine had wanted to break free from the shackles of Fate that bound her. But, the method her twin sister used was quite extreme.

Celeste didn't want to admit it, but she was quite envious of her sister's strong determination. Unfortunately, she couldn't do the same. The Sin she possessed wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Don't worry, Big Sister," Celeste said as she held Celine's hand. "When I find who the real Prince is. I will do my best to… kill him."

Celine squeezed Celeste's hand and shook her head. "If you were to cross paths with him, run away as far as you can. I will be the one to kill him. You don't need to dirty your hands."

Celeste bit her lip in frustration. It was always Celine that protected her from the shadows. Although she had killed people before, she was not very fond of it. Unlike Celine that wouldn't bat an eye in ending someone else's life, Celeste wasn't that coldhearted.

This was why she was quite thankful that she received the rare profession Familiamancer. It allowed her to summon two powerful familiars that did the dirty work for her.

"I have a favor to ask you," Celine said as she looked straight into Celeste's blue eyes. "I will be going to the Demon Continent soon. I don't know when I will be able to return to the Central and Southern Continent.

"If you crossed paths with my Disciple, look after him for me. He is a magnet for trouble, and I'm afraid that he will be doing something troublesome during his stay here in the Central Continent."

Celeste nodded, but she couldn't help but tease her sister for worrying too much about her Disciple.

"He sounds like a problem child." Celeste chuckled. "Just what did you see in him to make him your Disciple?"

"... I lost a bet with him."

"E-Excuse me?"

Celine chuckled because it was true that she became William's Master because of a bet. Back then, she thought that the boy was just bluffing, so she agreed to bet with him.

She never thought that one of the little Shepherds of Lont, who herded goats, would someday be a conqueror that would command an army that numbered in the millions.

The image of William standing on top of Ella flashed in her mind. A few seconds later, it was replaced by William standing on top of a Bone Dragon, commanding an Undead Army that had massacred the Elves without mercy.

A frown appeared on Celine's beautiful face when she remembered that scene that happened years ago. Although William hadn't turned into a complete undead. He still suffered from bloodthirst due to the effects of Malacai's staff.

During the week that they were together inside Eternity, she had offered her blood to William. Celine thought that William would reject her offer. However, the Half-Elf shamelessly accepted her offer, and sank his fangs into her tender breast.

Back then, the feeling of pleasure that washed over her body intoxicated her. Now, she understood why the Elves that were living inside her disciple's Thousand Beast Domain, were very eager to have their blood sucked by their new Master.

The feeling was simply too good to be true.

Her only gripe was the location where William decided to suck her blood. He could have bitten her neck like he does to others, but the Half-Elf had to take her blood from that part of her body.

A blush appeared on Celine's face when she remembered that scene. She silently cursed William for being shameless, because he did it not once, but twice, during the week that they were together.

"Big Sister, what's wrong?" Celeste asked after noticing the redness of Celine's face. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Celine replied to hide her embarrassment. "I think I had too much of the wine we drank during dinner."

"Big Sister, you only drank one cup. Usually, it takes at least twenty cups before that wine has any effect on you."

"It's been years since I drank wine. I guess my tolerance went down during that period."

Celeste looked at her big sister with a doubtful expression. However, since she didn't want to ruin the mood, she decided to toss it to the side and talk about other things.

During the entirety of the night, the two beautiful elves chatted about the experiences they had during the time that they weren't together. They no longer talked about the Elven Prophecy, or the Prince that would one day claim one of them as his bride.

The two of them only had a few days together, and they were trying to make up for the years that they had been separated. Both of them didn't know when they would meet again. However, one thing was certain.

The peace that both of them shared at the moment, would soon disappear, like the fleeting clouds in the horizon.

Chapter 581: Floor of Partings

The Ninth Floor of the Tower of Babylon was called the Floor of Partings.

The reason for this name was that when the tower just opened, this floor had been a turning point for most of the players who challenged the tower.

This was the floor that many people hated, especially if they came to the tower in groups of two or more. The reason? The trial of this floor required a party to fight against each other.

If the party had two members, only one of them would proceed to the next floor. If the party had six, three of them would pass.

What happened if the group was an odd number? That was the worst part. If there were three people in the group, only one of them could pass. If there were five, only two of them would pass.

For a group of seven, only three could proceed to the next floor.

This was why this Floor was called the Floor of Partings. It is the floor where people had to separate with their family, friends, and acquaintances in order to proceed to the next stage of their journey.

The players that had been left behind wouldn't be able to challenge the tower for half a year. This was a long period of time, and most people just spent their days in the City of Babylon, waiting for their family, friends, and acquaintances to reunite with them, if they ever decided to stop climbing the Tower of Babylon.

"Xander, your tyranny ends today."

"You're a fool, Xavier. Why don't you embrace the legacy that has been passed down to us? This is our birthright, you should just embrace it!"

"Shut up!" Xavier roared as he attacked his Big Brother using his blade.

Xander calmly parried Xavier's blow before counterattacking.

Since Xavier specialized in speed and mobility, he was able to evade his Big Brother's attack that had been targeted at his legs.

Around the two combatants, a great battle was taking place. Both their subordinates were duking it out, and casualties were piling up on both sides.

Xander had found his little brother's hideout and mobilized an army, to finally put an end to their couple years-long struggle for the position of Patriarch.

It was quite unfortunate that Xavier was not an easy bone to chew, and Xander had attacked his home turf. Although the older among the two had superior numbers, this advantage was greatly reduced after being subjected to traps, and guerilla type warfare.

When the two forces finally clashed against each other, the disparity wasn't that big, and the battle raged with great intensity.

"Just surrender and accept your fate!" Xander shouted as two of his subordinates bombarded Xavier with magic spells that were meant to restrain him and slow down his movements.

Xavier angrily cursed his Big Brother's dirty tactic. He had long known that Xander would not bat an eye in resorting to playing dirty as long as his goal was achieved.

"Bastard! Fight me one on one!" Xavier backed away in order to dodge the bombardment that rained above his head.

Xander sneered as he closed the gap between himself and his little brother. He had timed his attack perfectly with his subordinate to create an opportunity to kill his brother before his subordinates appeared to help him.

Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, two beams of light descended from the sky.

Xander's sword hit something solid, preventing him from ending his brother's life. He cursed internally because he didn't expect that something would get in his way of ending the battle that he thought was already in the bag.

William and Chiffon, who just arrived at the 9th Floor, found themselves in the middle of a war between the two brothers.

They didn't expect that they would arrive in this manner, and were confused on what to do next. However, after looking at the glaring person in front of him, an idea popped inside William's head.

"Who are you?" William asked as he looked who seemed to have lost all his money in the casino by going all in.

"I am Xander Alf Tristan!" Xander declared. "Get out of my way or die!"

William nodded as he took a fighting stance.

"So you're the older brother," William replied. "Thanks. That is all I need to know."

Without any warning, William immediately lunged at Xander in order to knock him unconscious. Unfortunately, Xander had already raised his guard the moment William made his appearance. He activated an artifact that allowed him to teleport away from his location for a few meters.

This move, however, didn't deter William as he stomped on the ground to continue his pursuit. Chiffon was already running behind William and was closing the distance at a rapid pace.

Their goal was to capture Xander and use him as a hostage to stop the war. He didn't intend to kill the guy because the Guardian paid close attention to the direct bloodline of the main family.

He already had the Agnis Family hounding his backside. He didn't want the Tristan Family to be added to that list.

"Who are you?!" Xander asked in irritation. "Why are you getting in my way?!"

This was the first time that Xander saw William. It didn't take long for him to realize that the red-headed teenager was a player who had just arrived in their domain. This was why he couldn't understand why the new arrival seemed to be determined to fight him at all cost.

William didn't reply because he didn't come to this floor to talk. His goal was the 51st Floor, so taking care of Xander was just a means to an end.

Just as he was about to clash with his target, several chains rained down from the sky.

William dodged to the side and unleashed a powerful gust of wind to blow away the chains that came out of nowhere.

Xander took this opportunity to teleport away. But, William also had an ability that allowed him to move as fast as lightning. The moment Xander Teleported, William appeared right in front of him with his wooden staff raised high.

A resounding clap reverberated across the battlefield.

William flew several meters away before falling on the ground with a thud. A second later, he was back at his feet again and stared at Xander with a frown.

'That hurt,' William thought as he endured the throbbing pain on his right chest. The moment he unleashed an attack to knock Xander unconscious, a powerful defensive spell erupted from the artifact hanging on his target's neck, sending him flying a few meters away.

"It won't work," Xavier appeared beside William. "I don't know who you are, but my brother can't be damaged or killed by anyone except me. The necklaces on our neck were given to us by his Excellency, Yves, to prevent other people from taking our lives."

Earlier, the spells that Xander's subordinates aimed at him weren't damaging spells, but restraining spells. This was why the artifact that Xavier was wearing didn't activate.

William scratched his head because Oogwei didn't tell him anything about the artifact. However, since he was now informed about the rules between the siblings' battle, he would not commit the same mistake again and use restraining spells in order to let Xavier deal the killing blow to his brother.

Just as William was about to put his plan into action, two men appeared beside Xander that exuded the power of Saints.

At the same time, two people also landed beside Xavier and carried him far from William. They were the Two Saints working for Xavier.

Although they had seen how William attacked Xander, they still couldn't trust him completely. They thought that this was all a ruse in order to get their Young Master's trust, so that Xavier would lower his guard.

It had happened a few times in the past, so the two men were very wary of William. Both of them had been enslaved by the Tristan Family, and it was Xavier that had set them free. Because of this, they had decided to fight for him in order to repay his kindness.

Before they completely assessed that William was indeed on their side then and only then would they allow Xavier to be in close proximity with him.

Chiffon landed beside William. When she saw her Big Brother get repelled by an invisible attack, she also stopped her advance and backed away as well. Fortunately, she reacted in time or else she might have been captured by the two Saints that were working for Xander.

"We will back away for now, but we will return," Xander declared. "Enjoy your short moment of reprieve, little brother. Your luck will not save you forever."

After spouting the lines of a third rate villain, Xander and his lackeys retreated. A variable had appeared on the battlefield and a glance was more than enough to tell them that William was not an ordinary person.

Xander still regretted the fact that he wasn't able to end his brother's life then and there. However he was not too worried.

They had already surrounded Xavier's base, so they were not optimistic about his chances of escaping. In short, the youngest of the two brothers was a cornered rat who had no choice but to bare his fangs and fight to the death.

Since that was the case, it didn't matter if they waited for more reinforcements before they went for the kill. Xander had already waited for more than a year. He could easily wait for a few days as long as his victory was guaranteed.

William sighed as he watched Xander escape. He missed the chance to advance to the next floor due to lack of information. He didn't know if Oogwei didn't tell him on purpose, or if the little turtle had forgotten about the artifacts that protected the two brothers from outside interference.

Chapter 582: We’ll See Who Will Have The Last Laugh

Oogwei ate its cucumbers with a satisfied expression on its face. Seated beside it was Xod, the Guardian of the Floor of Beginnings, and Yves, the Guardian of the Floor of Partings.

"It's good that you didn't tell him about the artifact," Yves said with a smile.

"Why should I?" Oogwei asked in an innocent tone. "That is already outside of my jurisdiction. I already gave him enough information about your floor. That in itself is already pushing the rules."

Xod and Yves nodded their heads. There was an unwritten rule between the Guardians of the Tower. None of them would actively get in the way of each other's business.

"Still, I have a feeling that the feud in your floor is about to end," Xod commented. It then grinned evilly because even if William were to succeed in helping Xavier become the Patriarch of the Tristan Family, the Half-Elf would still need to undertake Yves' trial to go to the 10th Floor.

Since William and Chiffon were a pair, one of them had to stay behind. This was the rule in Yves' domain and this rule had existed since the tower arrived in the World of Hestia.

Xod, Oogwei, and Yves were curious about who among the two would advance, and who would be the one who would be left behind.

"Do the two of you want to bet?" Xod asked. "Let us all bet this month's salary. Winner takes all."

Yves nodded its head. "Sounds like a plan. I will give you a handicap and allow you to choose first."

The Guardian of the 9th Floor was a Giant Cobra with dark gold scales. Oogwei had many friends in the tower because of the little turtle's chill personality. Yves was one of them. Actually, Yves had asked Oogwei for the favor of bringing some new players to the 9th Floor to help end the battle faster.

It didn't care who among Xander and Xavier would win their fight for supremacy. It just wanted for things to end faster, so it asked its friend Oogwei for help.

The green-skinned Guardian nodded its head. Truth be told, it didn't know if William would leave Chiffon behind. However, it noticed that the little girl was very obedient to the Half-Elf's orders. Because of this, the chances of William climbing the tower was higher compared to Chiffon.

"Okay, I'll choose William," Xod said after careful consideration. "He will be the one to climb the tower and leave Chiffon behind."

Yves tongue flicked thrice before replying.

"Very well, I will choose Chiffon," Yves stated. "I will bet this month's salary."

The two Guardians smiled at each other because this was a rare occasion where they had raised the stakes this high. Gambling was a common pastime among the Guardians. Ever since the players failed to capture the 51st Floor, their daily lives had become monotonous.

Sometimes, they would go into hibernation for long periods of time. They would only awaken if something of importance happened in the Domain they supervised. Since each of them was responsible for taking care of a floor in Babylon, they still needed to perform their task when the circumstances called for it.

Each Guardian would receive a salary every month. The currency they received from the tower was not tokens, but Karma Points.

These Karma Points that they received on a monthly basis, would allow them to exchange things from the Karma Shop. the items on the list couldn't be compared to the items that the mortals could exchange using their tokens in the tower.

The difference between the two was like night and day.

Some of the things that the Guardians could exchange from the Karma Shop were habitable planets, on which they would be worshipped as Gods.

They could also buy the right to become a constellation. Once they became one, they could send their spirit to enter the cycle of reincarnation, and live a new life. In these new lives, they would be able to harness the power of their own constellations and wield the power they had in the past.

This was very similar to what happened to Ella. The only problem was that her constellation couldn't be seen in the world of Hestia.

If her constellation was there, she would be able to unleash her full powers, without worrying about her vessel being unable to withstand its backlash.

"Sounds fun," Oogwei interjected after it finished eating its cucumbers. "I will also bet this month's salary."

"Oh? Who would you bet on?" Xod asked with a smile.

Yves also looked at its friend with genuine curiosity.

"Since Xod has bet on William, and Yves chose Chiffon, I'll bet that both of them will proceed to the next floor together," Oogwei said with a smile.

Xod and Yves exchanged a glance before laughing together.

"Hahaha! Okay! Let's go with that! I didn't know that you were so generous." Xod said after it finished laughing. "You planned on giving your Karma Points for free. As one of your friends, I humbly accept your sacrifice."

Yves coiled up and lowered its head to look at its friend. "Oogwei, being wasteful is no good. It's impossible for your bet to happen. No one can disregard the rule of my Domain."

Oogwei grinned. "Just think of it as me raising the prize money for the both of you. Regardless of who wins in the end, my bet still stands."

Xod and Yves exchanged a glance before shaking their heads. They couldn't understand why Oogwei would do such a thing, but since Karma Points were important to them, they would not dissuade the little turtle if it was dead set on joining their bet.

Oogwei looked at the projection in front of it which showed William and Chiffon's actions in real time. The little turtle chuckled internally because it believed its intuition. It was sure that William wouldn't leave Chiffon behind, and Chiffon wouldn't leave without her Big Brother.

Since that was the case, there was only one answer.

'Both of them will climb to the next floor together,' Oogwei mused. It then looked at its two friends with a smirk. 'We'll see who will have the last laugh once this is over.'

Chapter 583: Big Brother Was So Small and Cute

Chiffon's body shook uncontrollably before bolting upright. Sweat formed on her forehead as she panted for breath. She raised her hand and placed it over her chest, to calm her wildly beating heart.

"Chiffon?" William asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Due to their current circumstance, William didn't dare to sleep deeply, so he was immediately woken up by Chiffon's sudden movement. At first, he thought that they were under attack. However, after spreading his senses, he didn't detect any threats in their surroundings.

Just to be on the safe side, he asked the System to do a detailed sweep of the area to ensure that they were indeed safe from harm.

"Big Brother." Chiffon buried her head on William's chest as her body shuddered from time to time. Clearly, she still hadn't recovered from the nightmare that she had experienced.

"Don't worry, I'm here," William said softly as he patted Chiffon's head. "You're safe."

A few minutes passed and Chiffon finally regained her calm. She leaned her body on the Half-Elf as if she was seeking whatever warmth and assurance that William could provide her.

Usually, when people had a nightmare, they were afraid to go back to sleep. William understood this, so he firmly hugged the girl in her arms to let her know that she was not alone, and it was going to be alright.

In time, the shivers that plagued the girl stopped, and her breathing had also returned to normal.

The two were currently staying inside the room that was provided to them by Xavier. Although the son of the patriarch offered to give them a room each, William decided to let Chiffon stay with him because although they were siding with Xavier, he still didn't fully trust the man.

Besides, it would be easier to coordinate on the battlefield if Chiffon was with him, rather than away from him.

William looked at the clock on his status page, and saw that it was only three in the morning. They had rested early during the night, so the Half-Elf didn't think that it would be a big deal if they were to not go back to sleep again.

Since that was the case, he decided to ask the little girl what she dreamed about. William hoped that he would be able to give her counsel and assure her that it was only a dream.

"What did you dream about?" William inquired. "Can you tell me?"

Chiffon didn't answer right away. It seemed that recalling her dream was something that she was not too keen to do. Several minutes later, the pink-haired girl looked up at William and told him what she had dreamt about.

"Big Brother, in my dream, someone tried to kill you," Chiffon said. After saying those words, her body shuddered as if the mere thought of it scared her.

William didn't comment and waited patiently for Chiffon to tell her everything that happened.

According to the girl, William and her were in this strange dark forest that was covered with snow. The trees were over ten meters tall, and the surroundings looked grim and inhospitable.

At the center of that vast forest, was a mountain that reached high up to the sky. It was so high that Chiffon couldn't see its peak, similar to the Tower of Babylon whose height was immeasurable.

"There are very tall people living inside that forest. They were as tall as the trees," Chiffon said as she moved her hand upwards as if to point out how tall they were.

"I wasn't as tall as them. But, I was still bigger than Big Brother." Chiffon looked at William and her eyes turned into crescents. It was as if her eyes were laughing at him. "Big Brother was so small, and so cute."

William smiled. He noticed the slight curl at the corner of Chiffon's lips, which meant that the girl was feeling happy. Although the pink-haired girl called him small and cute, it didn't matter as long as she was happy.

"Big Brother was injured, so I decided to take you to my favorite place in order to nurse you back to health." Chiffon continued her tale. "The tall people eat humans, and I was afraid that they would eat Big Brother if they discovered you in our land.

"I would visit you from time to time after I scavenged for something edible to eat. That winter was harsh, and there was very scarce food in the forest. Fortunately, Big Brother was small, so he didn't need a lot of food to eat."

William lightly patted Chiffon's head and asked the question that was nagging in his mind. From the beginning, she kept on calling him small, which meant that she was quite big. Now, the question was, how big was she in her dream?

"How tall were you in your dream?" William inquired.

Chiffon pondered for a while as her expression became serious. She was seriously trying to estimate her height in the dream that she had.

"Around five to six meters," Chiffon answered. "I was the smallest in the forest. Everyone was three to four times taller than me."

William smirked. He thought that the girl was very conscious of her height, so he assumed that the dream she had, made her a giant to compensate for her height in real life.

"Big Brother had almost recovered from his injuries, when my hiding place was discovered by one of the giants that roamed the forest." Chiffon's expression became serious when she reached this part of her story. "Big Brother tried to run away, but you couldn't outrun the giant. In the end, you got caught and were about to be eaten.

"That was the scene that I saw when I arrived after scavenging for food. I immediately ran to your rescue, and bit the leg of the giant that was holding you captive."

Chiffon started to pant and William patted her head in order to help her calm down. A few minutes later, she regained her composure. The pink-haired girl wrapped her arms around William and held him tight.

"The giant screamed in pain and released his hold on you," Chiffon said while her head was buried on William's chest. "I was able to catch you, and was about to run away when the giant grabbed hold of my hair. He then grabbed a nearby tree and used it as a wooden club to beat me up."

Chiffon's body shuddered and she started to sob. "In the end, I collapsed and he pried you from my hand. The last scene I saw was the giant putting you inside his mouth. That is the time that I woke up."

William coaxed the sobbing girl and whispered words of assurance in her ear that it was only a dream. After a quarter of an hour, Chiffon's body grew lax as her tears stopped falling. Clearly, her dream had scared her greatly, especially the part when William was about to be eaten by the giant.

"Don't worry," William whispered. "Your Big Brother is so strong that even a giant can't eat me. You should have seen me fight against a Giant Golem and a Phoenix! It was two against one. One was a Pseudo-Demigod, and the other was a Demigod. However, they were no match to me. If I can beat those two weaklings, how can I be eaten by a mere giant?"

William tooted his own horn and bragged about the exploits that he didn't do. However, his bragging had achieved its intended effect. Chiffon, stared at him wide-eyed as the Half-Elf spun a tale of epic proportions.

A tale where he single handedly fought an army of Elves, using his bare fists.

Chapter 584: Big Brother, Do Not Resist

After telling Chiffon about his overwhelming victory against the Elves, the little girl found herself dozing back to sleep.

William then laid her back on the bed and held her tight. In order to prevent any bad dreams from plaguing her, he decided to use his Incubus Job Class, and used his Dreamwalker skill to enter her dream.

A few seconds after his skill activated, William found himself staring at a gaping mouth, with rows of yellowing teeth. Clearly, whoever was planning to eat him didn't care for their dental health.

William hurriedly summoned Stormcaller and aimed it at the mouth that was closing down on him.

"Quick Shot War Art, Fourth Form!" William roared. "Grand Bazooka!"

A powerful blast of lightning exploded at the tip of Stormcaller and blasted the Giant's mouth to oblivion.

The Giant uttered a guttural cry of pain before losing its hold on William. The Half-Elf switched his Job Class to Elemental Lord and floated in the air.

According to his estimate, the Giant was only at the peak of the Centennial Rank, so it was something that he could defeat with his current level of power.

(A/N: Even if William switched Job Classes in the dream, his Dream Walker skill will still be active, because it is just a dream.)

After bombarding the giant with several Grand Bazooka's, it finally fell to the ground dead. After killing his foe, William hurriedly ran towards the unconscious, and gravely injured, little giant girl that was lying in the snow.

William felt his heart aching as he gazed at the Giant Chiffon who was in a very sorry state.

"Greater Healing!" William cast the Life Mage's strongest healing spell at his disposal in every part of Chiffon's body.

Even though Chiffon was a "little giant", in her dream, she was still five-meters tall, and had a very high resistance to magic spells. Unfortunately, the effect of healing magic was also lessened due to this attribute.

It took William a quarter of an hour to fully heal the giantess' injuries before she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Big Brother!" Chiffon grabbed William with both hands. "Are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?!"

"D-Don't grip me too tight. It hurts," William said in a pained voice, which made Chiffon loosen her grip on him.

William panted for breath as he laid on top of Chiffon's left palm. The pink-haired giant looked at him closely to check his body for injuries. Aside from tears on William's clothes and bruises, the man seemed to be perfectly fine.

It didn't take long for William to notice that his current form was the silver-haired adult William from his dreams. However, he didn't think much of it.

He always had this form whenever he went inside a dream, so he was used to it by now.

"Are you really alright, Big Brother?"

"Yes. Your brother is strong, you know?"

As if to prove his point, William used the Greater Healing spell to remove the bruises and other hidden injuries in his body.

After showing Chiffon that he was perfectly fine, the pink-haired-giant placed William on her shoulder, before picking up the pinecones, and snowberries, that she had foraged earlier.

"Let's get out of here, Big Brother," Chiffon said. "It's no longer safe here."

William nodded his head in agreement. He didn't know the place very well, and the Dream World was filled with many uncertainties. There were occasions when he had accompanied Wendy and Ashe in their dreams and they ended up appearing in battlefields, surrounded by enemies.

While the two were eating, William noticed that Chiffon was giving him side-long glances. The giantess would often look at him while eating berries. He clearly felt a chill run down his spine, because the gaze that Chiffon gave him was something very familiar to him.

It was that curious gaze that she would often have, when she looked at something that she had never eaten before.

While William was thinking of these things, Chiffon moved closer to him and picked him up.

"Big Brother, can I have a taste?" Chiffon asked. Her eyes were looking at William with a serious expression. "Just an arm will do. I just want to know what Big Brother tastes like."

Before William could even give a reply, Chiffon had already opened her mouth.

William abruptly opened his eyes. At that exact moment, he felt something soft, and wet on his shoulder.

The sleeping girl beside him was gnawing on his left arm. Although it wasn't painful, and even ticklish, William wasn't able to stop his body from shuddering. The Half-Elf hurriedly backed away in fright.

The reason?

Chiffon was the embodiment of Gluttony. Even in her sleeping state, there was a high chance that she would really bite his arm off if her instinct kicked in.

"Big Brother, do not resist," Chiffon said in her sleep. "Just an arm is fine. I promise I won't eat your other body parts… maybe."

The corner of William's lips twitched. He then approached the sleeping girl and lightly pinched her cheeks.

"You dare eat your Big Brother?" William snorted. "See how I punish you later when you wake up. I won't be giving you any lollipops anytime soon!"

Chiffon's nose wrinkled and her eyes trembled. It was as if William's threats had reached her in the Dreamworld. She no longer said anything about eating his arm, or any of his body parts. Instead, she slept peacefully as if everything that happened was just an illusion.

William sighed and laid two feet away from the sleeping glutton. He didn't dare lay beside her, while Chiffon was still in her dreamstate. It was better to be safe than sorry. For now, William thought of ways to prevent the same thing from happening again.

He often slept beside Chiffon, and had already gotten used to hugging her to sleep. The girl was also afraid of sleeping alone, because she often had nightmares whenever she slept.

'Maybe this is just a one time thing,' William thought. However, he was still feeling anxious, so he decided to ask the System for advice.

'System, what are the chances of' Chiffon eating me in her sleep?' William inquired. He knew that the system's high-speed calculations would be able to think of different scenarios and possibilities in a matter of seconds.

< The chances of Chiffon eating the host in her sleep is Zero Percent! >

'Um? Why is it Zero Percent? Does that mean I am safe even if I sleep beside her? She won't eat me?'

< Host. Chiffon had already attempted to eat you several times. However, she has always held back at the last second. >

'Hyeok!' William almost choked on his saliva after hearing the System's words. He then pressed the System for an explanation, and the latter showed him footage when Chiffon and him slept together.

As William looked at the recorded images, he saw Chiffon open her mouth several times and attempted to bite him in his sleep. However, those attempts ended midway because the pink-haired girl would subconsciously halt her action when her lips touched William's body.

At most, she would just lean her lips on William's clothes, and her drool would wash over him. After seeing this scene, William now understood why there were times when he would wake up in the morning, with his clothes drenched in Chiffon's saliva.

He thought that this was a normal thing because even he would drool from time to time when he was asleep. William wasn't expecting that those drool-stained clothes were evidence that the sleeping girl beside him had attempted to take a bite of him during his sleep.

Chapter 585: As Long As You Promise Not To Eat Me

When Chiffon woke up, she found herself sleeping alone in the bed.

Instantly, her drowsiness vanished as she sat upright and scanned the room. She was about to get out of bed when the door opened, revealing William holding a tray of pancakes, and a bottle of honey.

"Good morning," William said with a smile.

Chiffon sighed a relief in her heart when she saw her Big Brother. After having that kind of dream, the last thing she wanted was to wake up all alone in their room.

"Good morning, Big Brother," Chiffon replied. "Sorry, I overslept."

William placed the tray on the small table beside the bed and motioned for Chiffon to join him for breakfast.

"It's fine." William busied himself in placing three pancakes on Chiffon's plate and topping with a generous serving of honey. "Girls need their beauty sleep. Also, you need to be properly rested since we don't know when the enemy is going to attack."

Chiffon nodded her head as she sat facing William.

"Thank you, Big Brother."

"For what?"

"For always taking care of me," Chiffon answered. "I'm glad to have Big Brother in my life."

William smirked, "Well, as long as you promise not to eat me, I will ensure that you won't get hungry again. Go on. Eat while the pancakes are still hot."

The Half-Elf said this as a joke, but for Chiffon, it had a different meaning. The pink-haired girl looked at her Big Brother as if she was finding it hard to make that promise.

William didn't notice that Chiffon unconsciously gulped as she stared in his direction. The Half-Elf was so busy lathering his pancakes with honey that he didn't catch the look of regret on Chiffon's face, which only lasted for a brief moment.

"Um? What's wrong?" William asked as he glanced at the girl who still hadn't started eating. "Do you want more pancakes?"

"N-No," Chiffon stuttered. She almost bit her tongue because her thoughts had wandered to a scene that she saw in her dream. A scene where she took a bite of William… and nearly succeeded.

After breakfast, William took Chiffon to where Xavier and his officers were having a discussion about how to escape the encirclement of Xander's forces.

"I say we all focus on one side to break through their encirclement," one of the Saints proposed. "Or, we can choose to use the secret passages and pray that nothing is waiting for us on the other side."

"The escape routes are already compromised," the other Saint commented. "That traitorous Randy has already sold us out. I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance."

Xavier sighed after hearing the name of one of his trusted subordinates. He didn't know what methods Xander used to make Randy work for him, but the man's betrayal had led to their current circumstances.

Randy had guided Xander and his troops to their hiding place, effectively cornering Xavier and his allies with nowhere else to go.

Seeing that the meeting was going nowhere, William left the conference room with Chiffon in tow.

'I guess I'll finish what I started yesterday,' William thought as he equipped his Runemaster Job Class.

William had placed several landmines within Xavier's base in preparation for a head-on battle with Xander and his troops. He had set them all on standby, so anyone that stepped on them wouldn't trigger them and cause an explosion.

The last thing he wanted to happen was to have friendly fire between allies, before the battle between the two brothers even started.

This was the only thing he could do for now, and he planned to do it well.

Chiffon didn't do anything special, and followed William around while licking a lollipop. For her, it didn't matter which side won. As long as she could climb the tower alongside William.

The pink-haired girl had developed an unwavering trust in the Half-Elf, who had extended his hand to bring her out of her suffering. The only thing she could think of to repay his kindness was to protect him from any kind of harm.

Chiffon wouldn't think twice about devouring anyone that would dare to hurt her Big Brother in front of her.

William was not aware of what Chiffon was thinking. For him, the one that needed protection was not him, but Chiffon. He had seen how the pink-haired girl fought in close combat. Although she was quite proficient in a melee fight, William still worried that she was still inexperienced in fighting against strong opponents.

Although William had seen Chiffon devour an entire floor in the Dungeon of Atlantis, he thought that the incident only transpired because the little girl had lost control of her powers.

What he didn't know was that Chiffon was capable of using this ability in battle as well. If not for the fact that she didn't want William to be repulsed by her actions, she might have already devoured the bad men that they had fought a day ago.

Right now, the last thing that Chiffon wanted was for William to hate her. She would rather keep this ability of hers a secret, and fight with her fists, rather than being left alone, like what happened when she was still living in the Demonic Continent.

Two hours passed before William finally finished laying down the traps in every nook and cranny that he could find. Right now, if he willed it, it was possible for him to detonate the entire base, causing a collapse that could bury anyone inside it.

Seeing that William had stopped making hand seals, Chiffon raised her head and tugged at his arm.

"Big Brother, are you done?"

"Yes. Let's go back and see if they finally finished their meeting."

"Un!"

Just as William and Chiffon were about to return to the conference room, a loud ringing sound spread across the entire base.

William grabbed Chiffon's hand, and the two ran as fast as they could, in order to meet up with Xavier and his men.

All of them had anticipated that Xander wouldn't wait too long before commencing his attack. Fortunately, the Half-Elf had already finished his preparations, but he had no intention of activating his traps right away.

He would allow Xander and his men to infiltrate the base first. That way, they would not be too wary of the traps that he had set. William wanted to activate the bombs at a crucial moment in order to create an opportunity to capture Xander, and let Xavier put an end to his misery.

Chapter 586: I Guess I Will Have To Do This The Hard Way

"Finally, the time has come," Xander muttered as he gazed at his army that numbered in the tens of thousands.

Several officers and high-ranking members of the Main and Branch Families of the Tristan Clan had come to support him in this war against his brother. These people were those who wanted to keep the tradition that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Slave Trading was a very profitable business, and the 9th Floor was one of the floors that freely engaged in this kind of trade. As rulers of a floor, they were allowed to bring anyone directly to their floor, without having to undergo the trial of Babylon.

This was a special privilege awarded to them, but only members of the main family were given this ability. This was why Xander often descended to the City of Babylon, to pick up the slaves that his men had captured while touring the nearby towns and cities near the Tower of Babylon.

Xavier hated this practice so he rose up and rebelled against the family, which had led to the feud within the Floor of Partings.

The current Patriarch of the Tristan Clan was bedridden. However, he was aware of the current strife that was happening between his sons. Even though he knew it, he was powerless against it.

In the end, he had issued a decree that whoever among his sons would win over the other, the position of Patriarch would be his. He even made a contract, with the Floor Guardian, Yves, that whoever side won, the Main and Branch families had no choice but to support the victor.

Anyone who refused to do so would be expelled from the tower, never to set foot in it again.

With such a heavy penalty in place, the Family was forced to split, and thus the war of succession began.

Right now, Xander had more people under his command, which put him at a great advantage.

Several Mercenary Groups, and players, whom Xander had promised rich rewards also accompanied him to battle. Those who lived in the tower knew that being under the good graces of the ruling families would only bring them riches and a life filled with comfort.

For such a life, they would do everything in their power to get the ruler's recognition.

"Young Master, you don't have to fight alongside our vanguards in this battle," one of the High-Rankers standing by his side said with a serious expression. "There is a possibility that your brother had laid out traps in order to thin out our numbers. We will just wait here until your brother has been captured by our men."

(A/N: In case you have forgotten, High Rankers are equivalent to Saints.)

Xander pondered for a bit before shaking his head.

"No. I want to personally be there to kill my brother," Xander replied. "My brother has the luck of a devil, so there is a chance that he might be able to escape with his life. However, don't worry. I will stay at the rear and advance according to our strategy."

The two High-Rankers glanced at each other before nodding their heads. As long as they stayed beside Xander, they were sure that he would be safe from harm.

Inside Xavier's Base…

William frowned because he suddenly felt that the connection between him and his Thousand Beast Domain had been blocked.

In order to test this theory, he tried to summon B1, and B2, but none of them appeared before him.

'System, do you know what's happening? I can't summon my Herd, or King's Legion from the Thousand Beast Domain.'

< Please wait a moment while I try to identify the cause of this problem. >

While William waited for the System's response, the first wave of fighters had already infiltrated the base. The Defenders bombarded the invaders with projectiles, and spells that greatly decreased their rate of advance.

William unleashed one spell after the other, while Chiffon stood beside him. The pink-haired girl had already equipped her gauntlets, and acted as William's bodyguard.

Slowly, but surely, the defenders were being pushed back by their enemy who greatly outnumbered them four to one.

Several minutes passed before the System notified William about the problem in regards to his connection with the Thousand Beast Domain.

< Host, it seems that the Law of this Floor has been changed. After spending a Hundred God Points, I found out that any means of summoning foreign aid was disabled on this floor. Only those that have arrived on this floor and its inhabitants were allowed to fight against each other. >

William frowned and thought that the Guardian of the 9th Floor, Yves, might have known about his ability to summon reinforcements to aid him in battle. Since it was the administrator of the Floor of Partings, it had the ability to change the Laws of his domain, and make the battles more fair for everyone.

'Let me get this straight. I am not allowed to send anyone out, but can I send people inside my Thousand Beast Domain?'

< Theoretically yes. However, it's like a one way portal. You can only send them in, but you will be unable to send them out. I'm guessing that this effect will expire once we advance to the next floor. For now, Host is unable to summon your forces from the Thousand Beast Domain to fight for you. >

'Understood.' William nodded his head. 'I guess I will have to do this the hard way.'

Half an hour passed and Xavier grit his teeth in frustration. They had already retreated as far as they could go. Seeing that the only path for them was to go forward, he rallied his men and prepared to charge through.

However, before he could do that, a series of explosions resounded across the base. Screams of pain reverberated around them as William activated the landmines that he had planted all over the place.

The Invaders momentarily lost the momentum of their advance, and the Defenders didn't miss this opportunity for a counter attack.

While the battle was ongoing, several Guardians inside the Hall of Guardians were also watching the fight with interest. For them, wars inside the Tower of Babylon were a great way to relieve their boredom.

Some of them even started placing bets on who would win between the two brothers.

Xod was the one that told Yves about William's ability to summon creatures to fight for his side. He still held a grudge against William for tricking him about the rarity of the Goblin Paladin. He had suffered a great loss during their negotiation, and he wanted the Half-Elf to pay for his transgression.

Yves readily changed the settings of his Domain because an army that numbered in the millions would break the balance of the war that was currently being waged between the two brothers.

This was not the first time that the Guardians of Babylon had witnessed something like that. More than twenty years ago, a man that went by the name Maxwell had also attempted to climb the tower.

He left a great impression among the Guardians because Maxwell was able to summon a horde of Beasts to fight for him, making the Trials that they had laid down easier.

After knowing William's abilities, Yves immediately changed the laws of his territory. None of the Guardians of Babylon wanted to see another Dungeon Conqueror, who could use his cheat-like ability to breeze through their challenges once again.

Chapter 587: I Guess I Will Have To Do This The Hard Way [Part 2]

Due to William's nasty surprise, the Invaders found themselves getting mobbed by Xavier and his men who were out for blood.

William and Chiffon stayed a few meters away from him, as they, too, helped in dealing with Xander's seriously injured subordinates. After half an hour, they managed to break through the blockade in front of them. They headed towards the north, where they believed they had less enemies, who were waiting to ambush them.

"Looks like your guess was right, Randy ," Xander said in appreciation. "I will reward you greatly after I take your Ex-Leader's head."

"You honor me with your praise, Your Excellency." Randy bowed respectfully. "I only wish to serve the future Patriarch of the Tristan Clan."

Xavier and his subordinates glared at their ex-comrade, who smiled back at them in contempt. They had trusted the bastard with many of their secrets, so his betrayal was a very bitter pill for them to swallow.

If they only knew that they were raising a snake, they would have definitely cut off its head before it had the chance to bite them from behind.

"Xavier, don't think badly of me," Randy stated. "You don't have the qualities of a Patriarch. You are far too naive. Your ideals are nothing more than daydreams. It will be best if you submit to your Big Brother. His Excellency, Xander, is a benevolent person. I'm sure that he will forgive you for your transgressions."

Xander smirked as he glanced at his little brother whose face had now become beet red due to anger. He had no intention of letting Xavier live. As long as his younger brother was alive, the threat to his reign would continue to exist.

It was better to pull the problem from the root and deter anyone from daring to rebel against his rule, when he became the Patriarch of the Tristan Clan. He would not allow anyone to stand in his way, not even his brother by blood.

"Randy, I swear, even if I die, I will bring you and my brother with me to the afterlife!" Xavier roared as he raised his sword. "Kill!"

""Kill!""

Xavier and his men charged towards Xander's location with fury. They no longer wished to escape with their lives. What they wanted was to bring the two bastards with them to hell.

"Your last struggle is not bad, however, it will not change the end result." Xander snorted. "Kill them all! Leave my Younger Brother to me!"

""Kill!""

The two forces collided and a free for all ensued. The two brothers faced off against each other, while the four high rankers fought not far from them. both sides wanted to win over the other, so the battle was quite intense.

Although the Guardian of the Floor had decreed that only the two brothers could kill each other, that didn't stop their subordinates from helping their chosen leader to get the upper hand.

William was fighting alongside Chiffon and observing the chaotic battlefield. For some reason, he could feel that someone was intently observing him, but he couldn't find that person's location.

'I guess, I'll just have to risk it,' William thought as he ran towards Xavier's and Xander's location. Chiffon also followed suit, because she didn't want to get left behind.

When William was only ten meters away from the two combatants, two powerful presences descended upon him from his left, and right side.

The sound of metal clashing against each other rang in the battlefield as William blocked two swords that were aimed at him using the golden-metallic rod in his possession.

'I knew it.' William cursed internally as he swung Ruyi Jingu Bang to push his attackers away. However, it didn't end there. Five more High-Rankers appeared out of nowhere, and all seven of them attacked William and Chiffon without mercy.

"Where is Byron?" One of the High Rankers that attacked William asked. "Is he dead?"

William ignored the High Ranker because he currently had no leeway to reply. He didn't know where these seven Saints came from, but all of them ignored the duel between Xander and Xavier. They focused their attention on William, and seemed to be hell bent on capturing him alive.

"Sweep away all adversaries!" William declared as the golden metallic rod in his hand extended. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

All seven High-Rankers had no choice but to defend against the powerful attack that William had unleashed.

William frowned because his opponents were more sturdy than he originally thought they were.

The High-Rankers of the Tower of Babylon were different from the Saints outside of the Tower. They had reached their rank by getting resources from the ruling families, which greatly increased the speed of their cultivation. This allowed them to break through the ranks faster than their counterparts outside the tower.

Not only that, they also possessed powerful weapons, and artifacts that could be exchanged using tokens. The ranks of these weapons fall under the Unique and Legendary Ranks, which allowed them to hold their ground against William's powerful attack.

(A/N: Weapon ranks in ascending order Rare, Unique, Legendary, Myth, Divine.)

"Are you all from the Agnis Family?" William asked.

He couldn't believe that the Agnis Family had these many Saints under their command. If he added Byron, the Saint that he had killed in the Third Floor of Babylon, the Agnis Family had eight Saints under their wing.

They had the military might that was equivalent to one of the Kingdoms in the Central Continent, which made William rethink his understanding of each ruling family's fighting force.

"You should have submitted when you had the chance, boy," another High-Ranker commented. "Working under one of the ruling families of the tower gives great benefits. You were a fool for rejecting the olive branch that the Agnis Patriarch extended to you."

William snorted because he would never lower his head to a Clan that enslaved people and used them to increase their wealth. This was why he chose to side with Xavier, instead of his older brother, because he was against the practice of enslavement in the Floor of Partings.

While William was about to unleash Sun Wukong's special abilities, a scream sounded behind him.

The Half-Elf looked behind him and saw Chiffon being held by two of the Saints that he had fought earlier.

"Bastards! Let her go!" William gritted his teeth. He didn't think that the Saints would stoop so low as to attack a girl that was beneath their rank.

"Big Brother, just beat them up!" Chiffon shouted. "Don't worry about me!"

One of the High-Rankers that held Chiffon snorted and dislocated her right arm. They were expecting her to cry out loud in pain, but Chiffon only bit her lip. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, but she held them back using her willpower.

She had suffered more brutal things in the Demonic Continent, so she was used to pain. Chiffon had learned the art of disconnecting her sense of pain in her body, and converting it to hunger instead.

The reason why tears were forming in her eyes was not because of physical pain, but an emotional one. She felt frustrated that she allowed herself to be taken as hostage in order to make her Big Brother submit to their enemies demands.

"Let her go or else," William stated. He had unleashed his full aura and its pressure made anyone below the rank of Saint in the battlefield gasp for breath.

"Or else what?" One of the High-Rankers holding Chiffon sneered. As if to mock William's attempt to threaten them, he dislocated Chiffon's other arm. Making both arms of the little girl bend in an unnatural angle.

William raised his weapon and slammed it towards Xander who had distanced himself away from Xavier. Ruyi Jingu Bang increased its length, and size, until it was over two hundred meters long, and fifty meters thick.

The Legendary Weapon of the Monkey King smashed towards the ground, creating a dust cloud.

The High-Rankers of the Agnis Family sneered because what William did was useless. Both brothers were protected by the Guardian of the Floor. There was no way that someone could kill them aside from each other.

When the dust cleared, William lifted the golden rod and glanced at the man that he had crushed a while ago.

Xander's clothes were stained with blood, and his right arm was broken. Even so, he was still alive, thanks to the protection of the amulet that he wore.

"What are you waiting for?" William asked Xavier who was looking at his older brother in a daze. "Kill him!"

Originally, William had no intention of using his Heroic Avatar because of its very long cooldown time. However, he was forced to do so because he was fighting against the Saints. This ability only lasted for an hour, so every second was precious.

He couldn't just sit by and let Chiffon be harmed any further by the Two Saints who were currently using her as hostage.

Xavier snapped out of his daze and charged at his Big Brother. This was an opportunity that he couldn't afford to miss.

Seeing that their trading partner was about to be killed, the High-Rankers of the Agnis Family immediately moved to prevent Xavier from killing his Big Brother, whom the Patriarch of their clan, secretly supported in the background.

William snorted and swatted the annoying High-Rankers like flies, preventing them from coming close to the two brothers.

"Stop!" the High-Ranker that was holding Chiffon shouted. "If Xander is killed, we will kill this girl too!"

Before William could give his reply, the pink-haired girl that was being held hostage by the two High-Rankers raised her head.

"The one who is going to die are the two of you," Chiffon said in a cold voice.

A second later, a scene that nobody had expected, including William appeared in front of their eyes. The pink-haired girl's body grew until it was over five meters tall.

Chiffon then opened her mouth like a taotie, and devoured the two men that held her as a hostage a while ago.

A cracking sound reverberated in the battlefield as the Giantess chewed the two Saints inside her mouth with a vengeance. Blood flowed at the corner of her lips, but Chiffon didn't care.

It felt as if time paused completely still, and only resumed the moment she finished eating the two High-Rankers from the Agnis Family.

Chiffon roared and this roar made everyone's hearts tremble. She had entered a berserked state and the Devourers Gauntlets in her hands shone bright red.

Clearly, eating two Saints was not enough to satisfy her craving. Seeing that there were plenty of humans to eat around her, Chiffon hunched her body and lunged towards the nearest man, who would soon become her third victim.

Chapter 588: Nothing Is Permanent. Not Even The End Of The World

A few minutes before Chiffon transformed into a Giant…

"Big Brother, just beat them up!" Chiffon shouted. "Don't worry about me!"

The High-Rankers that held her snorted and dislocated her right arm. The pink-haired girl bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out loud. She immediately disconnected her sense of pain from her consciousness, like she did in the past when her father, brother, and sisters beat her up in the Demonic Continent.

'Why? Must it always be like this?' Chiffon cried internally as the High-Ranker dislocated her right arm.

Although she wasn't feeling any pain, her heart was aching due to the trouble that she had brought upon William. She felt so helpless being used as a hostage against her will.

"Let her go or else," William stated.

Chiffon watched as the Half-Elf, whom she had called her Big Brother, unleashed a powerful Aura that created a shockwave around him. She rarely saw William getting angry, but when he did, it was always about some people trying to hurt her.

"Or else what?" The High-Ranker holding Chiffon sneered and dislocated her left arm.

Chiffon's lips trembled because she could tell that William was about to explode from anger. She was about to tell William to just attack their enemies without worrying about her. However, before she could voice out her thoughts, she found herself standing in a gray world that seemed to be in ruins.

"Child, we finally meet again."

A voice that was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time sounded behind her. Chiffon hurriedly turned around, and saw a lady wearing shining light-weight armor, adorned in silver and gold.

She couldn't see the lady's face because she was wearing a veil. However, Chiffon could somehow tell that the person in front of her was a very beautiful woman.

"Who are you?" Chiffon inquired. "Where am I?"

The lady approached Chiffon until they were only a meter apart from each other.

"Who I am is not important," the lady replied. "I came here to ask you, what is your wish?"

"W-Wish?"

"Yes. A wish. It can be anything. I was supposed to grant this wish many lifetimes ago, but an opportunity never presented itself… until now."

The lady wearing a veil looked down at Chiffon and caressed the side of her face.

"Go on, what is the thing that you want the most in this world?" the lady asked. "I will grant your wish, no matter what it is."

"I want…" Chiffon raised her head and held the lady's clothes. She didn't understand what was going on, but if this lady could grant her wish then she would believe in her words.

"I want to always be by Big Brother's side," Chiffon pleaded. "I want to have the strength to remain by Big Brother's side."

The lady giggled. "Very well. I will grant this wish of yours. However, this power that once belonged to you, is very unstable. I will allow you to use it only once, and I will seal it afterwards.

"Do not fret, you will be able to use it again in the future when you finally understand the feelings inside your heart. After all, you will need this power in order to face the person that will once again destroy everything that William holds dear in his heart."

Before Chiffon could ask what the lady meant, the lady's hand that was caressing the side of her face glowed.

In that instant, Chiffon saw herself standing on a chaotic battlefield where Giants, beasts, and men, fought against each other, while the world around them crumbled. The sky fell in pieces from the heavens and the earth collapsed under their feet.

At the center of that battlefield, a Giant holding a flaming sword roared in anger. Facing off against him was a man. A man whom Chiffon knew too well. The only difference was that this man didn't have pointy ears and his hair wasn't red, but white.

The man was swept away during their clash, because the Giant was far too powerful for him to face headon. Before the man could even stand up from the ground, the Giant slashed down with the intention to kill.

Chiffon found herself running, while shouting that man's name. No matter what happens, she couldn't allow the Giant to kill the man in front of her because he was the most important person in her life.

Just as the sword was about to strike the man, a Valkyrie appeared and blocked it using a silver spear that shone in the darkness. Her golden blonde hair fluttered in the breeze, and her fearless eyes, filled with determination, held back the giant's onslaught for a few seconds, before she was swatted away like a rag doll.

The Giant once again posed to strike, but this time, Chiffon had already arrived in front of it. Using her bare hands, she caught the flaming sword that was about to kill the most important person in her life.

Her hands started to blaze, but she never let go of the sword, fearing that everything would be over once she did.

A few seconds later, the flames spread to her arms, and her entire body. It was painful, and she was scared, but the fear of losing him overwhelmed all the fears she had.

"Nothing is permanent," the lady whispered in Chiffon's ears. "Not even the end of the World."

"Stop!" the High-Ranker that was holding Chiffon shouted. "If Xander is killed, we will kill this girl too!"

Chiffon felt like laughing when she heard the man's words. Him? Kill her? How could a puny mortal possibly kill her? Better yet, how could a puny mortal dare to use her as a hostage?

The pink-haired girl found all of this very laughable. Compared to the burning flames that had the power to destroy worlds, this man's threat was the greatest joke she had heard in both her lifetimes.

Chiffon raised her head. She'd had enough of this nonsense. It was time to end this farce.

"The one who is going to die are the two of you," Chiffon said in a voice that was as cold as ice.

Chiffon harnessed the power that laid dormant inside her. Her dislocated arms righted themselves, and her body grew in size. She then opened her mouth wide and devoured the two puny mortals who dared to use her as hostage.

It was time for them to know that they had made a mistake. A grave, and terrible mistake. Chiffon crushed their bodies with her teeth easily, despite the fact that they were wearing armor.

'As expected of trash,' Chiffon thought. 'They taste like trash.'

Chiffon swallowed the two men and set her sights on the person nearest her.

'Not enough,' Chiffon's body moved to follow her bidding. 'I want more… I want more!'

Chiffon laughed as she ran towards her target. She was feeling very hungry. It was as if she hadn't eaten for thousands of years.

Fortunately, there were plenty of people around her. She will eat them first, before setting her sights on her prize.

Out of all the people that were in that God Forsaken Place, Chiffon knew, without a doubt, the most delicious one of them all… was the red-headed teenager, who was looking at her with genuine worry in his eyes.

Chapter 589: Let Me Eat You. I Promise It Won’t Hurt

"M-Monster!"

"Giant! Kill her!"

"Kill her first before she kills us!"

Xander's forces focused their attack on Chiffon who had just eaten her third victim.

Naturally, William didn't allow anyone to gang up on her, and swatted anyone that came her way, sending them flying hundreds of meters away.

The Half-Elf didn't want Chiffon to eat humans, because he was afraid that it might cause her lasting harm when she regained her consciousness.

The giantess, on the other hand, didn't know, or care, about William's intentions. In fact, she was getting annoyed that the one she planned to eat for last was getting in her way. After several attempts of trying to seize the puny humans to be eaten, the Giantess became irritated by the Half-Elf that kept on sending her food away from her.

Chiffon grabbed Ruyi Jingu Bang, and threw it away, along with the red-headed teenager that was firmly holding it in his hands.

After dealing with the pest, Chiffon scanned her surroundings and found an injured man lying on the ground. The man was none other than Xander, who suffered from William's earlier attack.

The Giantess chuckled as she unceremoniously picked up the man beside her feet and threw him inside her mouth. Cracking sounds were heard as the pink-haired giantess ate Xander like a potato chip.

After eating her prey, she once again looked for new targets to eat. The ones that had caught her eye were the five High-Rankers that had attacked William earlier. Chiffon didn't like other people stealing her prey (William), so she decided to attack the five High-Rankers who had grouped themselves together.

"Don't be afraid!" one of the High-Rankers shouted. "Don't let her looks fool you! She's only big, but she is not that strong. We can kill her if we fight together!"

What the High-Ranker said was true. Although Chiffon was in her giant form, she wasn't that strong. However, what he didn't know was that the pink-haired giant's red gauntlets weren't just for show.

Heroism activated which increased Chiffon's stats by 50% if she was fighting against someone stronger than her.

Right now, Chiffon's rank was that of a Millennial Beast (Mid). In Human Rankings, she would be a Black Ranked Fighter. This rank was only a level below Saint, but thanks to the Heroism Passive Skill, Chiffon was now a Pseudo-Saint.

But, since her Devour ability had been added to the equation as well, her fighting prowess was akin to a Myriad Beast in its initial stages.

Myriad Beasts would always be stronger than Saints. This was the difference between beasts and mortals.

"Young Master, let's go!" one of the High-Rankers protecting Xavier grabbed his arm, dragging him away from the Giantess who was still in her berserked state.

Xavier didn't resist, and allowed himself to be carried away to safety. Inside his heart, he was thankful to Chiffon. Xander was still his brother. Killing him with his own hands would have left a bitter aftertaste.

Fortunately, he no longer needed to do that because Chiffon had already eaten his older brother. This also marked the end in the feud of the Tristan Clan that ruled the Floor of Partings.

The members of the Tristan Family also retreated from the battlefield, leaving the High-Rankers of the Agnis Family to their Fates.

"Chiffon, stop!" William reappeared in the battle field and used Ruyi Jingu Bang to block Chiffon's path. Although he hated the High-Rankers who were tasked to hunt them down, he was more worried about Chiffon's mental state after she regained her consciousness.

The Giantess roared in anger at the Half-Elf who had once again prevented her from eating the trashy rankers that she had set her sight on. In the end, the two fought against each other, with William playing the defensive role, keeping Chiffon at bay.

When the High-Rankers of the Agnis Family saw this, an evil plan appeared in their mind, and that was to attack William while he was busy dealing with Chiffon. That way, the Half-Elf would get injured and would be the one who would be eaten by the Giantess next, since she couldn't tell friend from foe.

As William fought off against Chiffon, the Five Saints activated their weapons and charged at William in every direction. They even chose the time when Chiffon and William exchanged blows, to prevent the Half-Elf from blocking their synchronized attack.

When Chiffon saw this scene, she stopped her attack, and opened her mouth wide. The five High-Rankers found themselves being sucked up inside her gaping mouth.

Screams filled with fear and unwillingness escaped their lips as they closed in on the Giantess' mouth. All of them regretted their decision to backstab William, while he was fighting against Chiffon.

If they had decided to escape and wait until the Giantess had lost her berserked state, there was a higher chance that they would have been able to capture both teenagers. Regret flashed across their eyes before their sight was covered with a row of teeth.

William gritted his teeth when the Saints were eaten in front of him. He didn't attempt to stop Chiffon from eating them because they didn't deserve to live. Also, Chiffon's devour skill was quite powerful.

The moment Chiffon opened her mouth wide, he immediately distanced himself, in fear of being devoured as well.

William had made the right decision. If he was only two seconds late, he might have also been sucked inside Chiffon's mouth and eaten alongside the High Rankers of the Agnis Family.

After eating the pesky High-Rankers, Chiffon's bloodshot eyes focused their gaze on William. Drool flowed at the corner of her lips as she looked at the main dish that she had saved for last.

"Come," Chiffon made a gesture as if she was coaxing a child. "Let me eat you. I promise it won't hurt."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the Giantess' attempt to trick him into becoming her snack. The Half-Elf had no doubt in his mind that the moment he arrived within Chiffon's devouring range, it would be the end for him.

Since that was the case, he summoned a cloud and flew towards the sky, leaving the Giantess on the ground calling out to him.

As someone that had been subjected to Dark Magic since he was young, William knew that Chiffon's berserked state wouldn't last for long. He decided to wait it out until she returned to normal.

He just hoped that when the time arrived, the pink-haired girl whom he had cared for would not be traumatized by the events that had happened while she was in a berserked state.

Chapter 590: I Will Destroy You With All My Might!

Flames surged forth.

It descended from the sky, and bathed the land in a perpetual blaze.

The citizens of Asgard, and the remaining Aesirs fled from their homeland, and went to Ithavllir, for it was the only place that would not be affected by the flames of destruction.

In order to allow them to escape, the bulk of the army of Asgard held back the giants of Jotunheim, along with the giants' allies, in the plains of Asgard, which was now akin to hell.

Odin, Thor, Loki, Heimdall, and several other Gods had already fallen into battle. All that remained was death and destruction.

In the middle of this chaos, several beings were still fighting. One of them was the Giantess Chiffon, who was the smallest of all giants. She was branded a traitor by her race, and yet, she didn't bat an eye as he faced them in battle.

As she held back the flames of destruction with her bare hands, which had now started to burn, Chiffon offered a prayer to whatever God that could hear her.

'Regardless of the price, I will accept it in full,' Chiffon prayed with all of her heart. 'All I ask is a chance. A chance to…'

As the flames ate away her flesh, she heard a soft, yet reassuring whisper that held promise.

"I will grant your wish."

A voice filled with pity reached her ears.

"No matter how many lifetimes it takes, I will grant your wish without fail," the voice assured her. "That's why, go. Show that arrogant God the power of mortals!"

Chiffon smiled. Although her hands, arms, and the rest of her body had started to burn, she didn't feel any kind of pain.

With a powerful roar, she tossed aside the Giant Flaming Blade that was meant to slay her beloved.

She stomped on the ground, and jumped towards the God of Destruction fearlessly.

"In this dark and chaotic night,

Fear grips me with all its fright.

Now that my end is right in sight,

I will destroy you with all my might!"

"Shatter the Void!" Chiffon roared. "Blood Wing Tempest!"

A resounding cry of pain echoed across the blazing battlefield. This was the first time that the God of Destruction had been injured since the start of the battle, and it wouldn't be the last time he would suffer under the hands of the mortals whom he looked down upon with scorn.

Chiffon's eyes fluttered open and found herself in a protective embrace. She raised her head and saw William with his eyes closed. The Half-Elf looked exhausted as if he had just fought a hard battle.

The pink-haired girl then shifted her attention to her surroundings. She didn't want to leave William's embrace because it felt warm and comfortable, so she just turned her head to look around.

Several craters, that extended tens of meters wide, could be seen all around them. With a single glance, Chiffon could tell right away how intense the fighting was.

She tried to recall what happened during the battle, but, no matter how hard she tried, her memory stopped at the part when both of her arms had been dislocated by the two High-Rankers that held her in place.

As if sensing that the girl in his embrace was already awake, William opened his eyes and stared at the little girl who seemed to be deep in thought.

A few hours earlier, he waited for Chiffon's berserked state to fade away. However, contrary to his expectations, the Giantess was still very lively, and doing her best to coax William to come down to the ground, so that she could eat him.

Back then, the Heroic Avatar only had ten minutes remaining. William knew that if he still waited until the last minute, there was a high chance that he would end up in Chiffon's stomach, before she regained her sanity.

Using the remaining time afforded to him. William tried to dispel Chiffon's berserked state by fighting against her. Naturally, he only attacked her because he was confident that he could heal her using his Life Mage Job Class.

The two exchanged several blows, and it ended up in a stalemate. William didn't want to use the full power of Ruyi Jingu Bang because he might accidentally kill Chiffon if he wasn't careful. Fortunately, at the last minute, Chiffon's berserked state wore off and she returned to her original size.

William firmly hugged the girl, keeping her close to his chest, as he sat down to rest. He didn't want Xander's subordinates to use this opportunity to take revenge on her, while she was currently unconscious.

Due to William's deterrence, none of them attacked and decided to retreat. Only Xavier and his group remained, but even they had been scared by Chiffon's unexpected transformation.

Because of this, William told them that they should head back to the Residence of the Tristan Family in order to start the succession ceremony.

Xavier agreed with William and took all of his subordinates with him. However, before he left, he left a parting message to William, inviting him to stay and rest in their main residence for a few days.

William accepted the offer and promised to find them after a day or two. This battle had been quite fierce, and he didn't want to challenge the other floors of the Tower right away.

"Does it hurt anywhere?" William asked. "Are you hungry?"

Chiffon tilted her head to the side before reconnecting the sense of pain in her body. The moment she did, a cry out pain escaped her lips, as the pain that she had been oblivious about came back to bite her.

"Don't worry." William smiled as he placed his hand over Chiffon's head. "Heal."

Each time William used his power to heal her, the pain she felt lessened little by little, until it had gone away completely.

"Thank you, Big Brother," Chiffon said softly. "I feel better now. I no longer feel hurt."

"That's good to hear," William replied. At the same time, a red lollipop appeared inside his hand. William focused and stacked the effects of the red lollipop until it had reached its limit.

After that he casually placed it inside his mouth to help him heal his injuries. For some reason, William was unable to heal himself using the power of the Life Mage. He didn't know if this was yet another restriction that the Guardian of the Floor had reinforced in order to make things difficult for him.

Soon, the bruises in William's body disappeared without a trace. Chiffon looked at the lollipop inside William's mouth and gulped.

This action of hers didn't escape William's eyes and the latter hurriedly made a chocolate lollipop, which he unceremoniously unwrapped and placed inside Chiffon's mouth.

Clearly, he was afraid that the pink-haired girl would have a relapse and once again turn into a Giantess that was very fond of eating humans.

Chiffon leaned her head on William's chest as she happily ate her lollipop. Although she wasn't feeling hungry, the delicious chocolate taste had become one of her favorite flavors.

"Big Brother, what happened?" Chiffon asked after a few minutes of silence.

"You don't remember anything?" William asked back.

"No." Chiffon shook her head. "The last thing I remember is having two High-Rankers sneak attack me from behind. They used me as a hostage to make you submit to their demands. That was as far as I can remember. Everything seemed to be covered in a dark haze, and I was hoping that you could tell me what happened to the battle."

William nodded his head in understanding, but deep inside he was sighing in relief. He didn't want Chiffon to remember the things that she did when she was still in her giantess form.

"Alright, I'll tell you about it," William replied.

He then started to narrate everything that happened, except for the fact that the one that had killed Xander and his subordinates had been her.

Chiffon listened seriously as she took them in her memories.

The end of William's tale was about Xavier being able to turn the entire situation around, and came out victorious.

William didn't mention anything about Chiffon turning into a giant and eating people. Instead, he praised Xavier for being able to fight against his Big Brother and deliver a decisive blow that ended the family feud, which had lasted for years.

Chiffon nodded her head in understanding. She trusted William's words completely, so he didn't even question his ridiculous tale of single-handedly fighting against the High-Rankers and beating the crap out of them.

"You're amazing, Big Brother," Chiffon said after William's tale ended. "I wish I had been there to help you."

William chuckled. However, if someone paid attention, they would recognize that William's chuckle was not out of happiness, but out of nervousness.

Clearly, the Half-Elf was still shaken about Chiffon's transformation, and his worry of being eaten by her in her sleep, had increased drastically.

Chapter 591: Breaking The Rules Of The Floor Of Partings

A week passed after the battle in the 9th Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

The Old Patriarch had tasked his right-hand man to handle everything and ensure that Xavier's succession would be witnessed by all the high-ranking members of the Main and Branch Families.

This also included the vassals, and retainers that served under them. The 9th Floor was a very spacious domain. It was the size of the Hellan Kingdom, and the Anaesha Dynasty combined.

During his speech, Xavier had openly announced that the Slave Trade would be abolished from his territory. Anyone who would dare to break this law would suffer the wrath of the Floor's Guardian.

Right after this announcement was held, the slaves were immediately freed by their masters, in fear of being subjected to punishment by the Administrator of the Floor of Partings.

William and Chiffon watched this festivities until its end. However, when Xavier invited them to join the celebratory feast, the Half-Elf politely declined the offer.

"I'm sorry, we can't stay here longer," William said apologetically.

Xavier nodded his head in understanding. He felt regretful that the people that helped him acquire his position were now leaving, but after seeing the determination of William's gaze, the new patriarch of the Tristan Clan didn't insist on delaying him any further.

"I guess, Ms. Chiffon will be staying with us for the time being then," Xavier stated. "Do not worry, Sir William. I promise to look after her until you return to the Floor of Partings."

William smiled, but the hand holding Chiffon remained firm.

"We will be ascending to the next floor together," William declared.

"I see, you will ascend to the next floor toge-- what?" Xavier looked at William in a dumbfounded manner. "Sir William, this is the Floor of Partings. Even if you want to take her, the laws of this floor will prevent you from doing so."

William patted Xavier's shoulder, but didn't say anything else. He gave the dumbfounded patriarch a brief nod before heading towards the teleport gate that would allow them to proceed to the next floor.

Xod and Yves looked at this scene with genuine interest. They had thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment that they had watched on the 9th Floor.

Now that William and Chiffon decided to leave, the two Guardians eyed each other with a smile.

"Remember, a month's salary." Xod grinned. "You too, Oogwei."

Oogwei nodded its head as it continued to eat the cucumbers in its bowl.

Yves, on the other hand, was unfazed as it flicked its tongue towards the green-skinned guardian, who had a smug expression on its face.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Yves said. "Make sure to pay it to me in full."

The two Guardians chuckled, while the little turtle between them ate the bowl of cucumbers with gusto. Oogwei was chuckling internally because it knew William's character. The Half-Elf was the type of person that wouldn't leave those important to him behind.

He was just curious on how the latter would bypass the laws that Yves had placed inside its domain.

The floor of partings didn't have any kind of test. The moment the players arrived at this floor, they could proceed to the next right away. However, they would have to leave the people important to them behind.

This was the cruel condition that Yves had engraved upon the Floor of Partings, and no one had been able to break this law, since the time the Tower had arrived in the world of Hestia.

During the succession war, the teleport crystal had been disabled. Yves felt bored, so it forced those who wished to advance to the next floor, to pick one of the two brothers to support during the duration of their battle.

Now that the succession war was over, the portal was once again active.

William faced Chiffon and hugged her tight.

"Are you ready, Chiffon?"

"Un! I'm ready, Big Brother."

William smiled and raised his hand to touch the crystal. However, before he touched it completely, he sent Chiffon inside his Thousand Beast Domain first.

After making sure that the pink-haired girl was inside the Thousand Beast Domain, William sent her to the Undying Lands.

He didn't know how strong Yves' Law was, so he decided not to take any chances. The Undying Lands had their own set of rules, making it impossible for the Laws of the world to affect it.

Of course, if this method didn't work, William would return to the 9th Floor and think of a way to smuggle Chiffon to the 10th Floor with him.

The moment William's hand touched the crystal, the world around him was bathed in light.

A few seconds later, he stood in front of what seemed to be a temple, located on top of the mountain.

Before William could even do anything, the System confirmed that he was already on the 10th Floor, and Chiffon was still in the Undying Lands.

The Half-Elf hurriedly summoned the pink-haired girl to his side, and Chiffon appeared right away.

"Huh?!"

"What?!"

Xod and Yves who were looking at the projection couldn't believe their eyes. There had been instances in the past where people had done the same thing that William did.

Usually, powerful individuals were able to open their own domains where they could place living beings. Several individuals had thought that they could hoodwink the powers of the Tower and placed their comrades within their private domains.

However, it didn't take long for them to realize that this plan didn't work on the Tower of Babylon. This was why Xod and Yves were confident that William couldn't smuggle Chiffon even if he wanted to.

Oogwei who was watching this scene chuckled and raised its little head to look at his two friends.

"Remember, both of you will give me your monthly salaries at the end of this month," Oogwei said in a teasing manner. "We already made a contract, so the two of you can't make any excuses. Thank you for the gift!"

The little turtle chuckled before ordering a bowl of shredded carrots from the tower. He was very pleased with how the situation played out and cheered for William and Chiffon inside his heart.

Xod and Yves glanced at each other. Earlier, they thought that they were getting Oogwei's Monthly Salary for free. However, what they didn't know was that the little turtle had planned to get both of their salaries from the very start.

"W-We've been had." Xod stuttered. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this sudden turn of events.

Yves was feeling the same. It double checked the set of laws that it had applied on its domain, and a glance was enough to tell him that it wasn't tampered with. This proved that William had been able to bypass the rule of his floor in a "fair" manner, and was not subjected to any kind of punishment from the tower.

Xod and Yves left the little turtle alone as they hurriedly went to talk to their Guardian friends from the tower. Both of them felt bad about what William did, so they decided to get back at him by telling their friends to make things difficult for him.

Oogwei on the other hand just chuckled at the two's attempt to hinder a player who was climbing the tower.

'This must be Fate,' Oogwei thought. 'Perhaps, the stagnation that we have experienced for the past hundreds of years will soon be broken.'

Oogwei didn't have the power of clairvoyance. He didn't know how high William could climb the tower. However, he hoped beyond hope that William would be the one to usher a new Era.

Not only for the players climbing the Tower of Babylon, but for the sake of the Guardians, who had long forgotten their purpose for coming in this world, that was nearing its end.

Chapter 592: An Existence That Threatened Their Beloved

A month had passed since William had started climbing the tower of Babylon. He and Chiffon had faced many challenges along the way. Sometimes, they faced strong opposition from the ruling families on each floor, because of what they did to their "allies" on the previous floors they had visited.

While the two dealt with these troublesome situations, the world outside the Tower of Babylon was bubbling with excitement. Several prodigies from the Central Continent, and beyond its borders, had all congregated in the Kraetor Empire.

After many days of preparation, the Tournament of Champions was about to begin.

"A good day to all of you," Emperor Leonidas said with a smile. His voice spread across the arenas where the prodigies of the different Empires, Kingdoms, Sects, and influential families had gathered.

"On this glorious day, the fight for the title of the Strongest Prodigy among the young generation is about to begin," Emperor Leonidas scanned the surroundings with a confident expression on his face. "All of you that are standing here today, are not only fighting for your honor, but for the honor of your homeland.

"I will not bore you with a long winded speech, because I know that all of you are eager to start the competition. So, without further delay, I hereby announce the start of the Tournament of Champions! Goodluck to each and everyone of you!"

Resounding cheers echoed across the hundreds of arenas where the participants stood in preparation for their upcoming battles.

The total number of participants that gathered for the tournament was a whopping 428,069. All the leaders of the various powers agreed that the first stage of the tournament would be a royal rumble.

Among these participants only a few thousands would remain on the first day. The Kraetor Empire had prepared two hundred arenas. In each arena, two thousand one hundred and forty-ish fighters would duke it out, until only ten were left standing.

This was a brutal elimination round that had been agreed on by all parties. The fighters were asked to draw lots that would designate them to their respective arenas. If they got lucky, they would be among the ten fighters that would proceed to the next qualifying round of the tournament.

When the day was over, only two thousand warriors would remain.

Princess Sidonie and Ian sat in the VIP box that was designated for the Royal Family of the Kraetor Empire. Sitting not far from them was Princess Vanessa and her twin brother, Prince Rainier.

The two other Princesses of the empire, Princess Hannah, and Princess Amanda were in the next room, along with their servants and entourage.

The other Princes namely, Prince Maximilian, Prince Darren, Prince Kevin, and Prince Jason, were participating in the tournament. As the hosts, and members of the Royal Family, they had the obligation to show the other Empires that the Kraetor Bloodline didn't shy away from battle.

Originally, Princess Sidonie didn't want to watch the tournament, but since she had nothing else to do, she decided to look for talented individuals that could possibly serve as her retainers.

The Princess who had been recognized as the most beautiful not only in the Southern Continent, but in the Kraetor Empire as well, had gained many admirers from the nobility, as well as the common people.

If it were the Princess Sidonie of the past, she would not bat an eye, and turn these admirers into her servants. However, after becoming William's lover, her purpose of finding her beloved had now been fulfilled.

Now, her interest lay on finding candidates that would serve as her eyes and ears in the Central Continent. Princess Sidonie had thought long and hard on how she could support William in the Central Continent.

Since she had already had the experience in managing the underworld of her homeland, the Kingdom of Freesia, the beautiful princess decided to create a spy network that would extend to every corner of the world.

That way, she would be able to gather important information that she could analyze in order to understand the geopolitical structure of the new battleground, where she intended to become the Dark Empress that moved the strings from the shadows.

Princess Sidonie was looking lazily at the names of the prodigies from each faction, when she came across a familiar face in the records.

"Ian, do you remember this person?" Princess Sidonie asked as she pointed at the name and picture of a delicate looking teenage boy with silver-gray hair and blue eyes.

"Kenneth Xin Ashleigh," Ian's eyes widened when she saw the familiar name, and face of William's ex-roommate back in the Hellan Royal Academy.

"It says here that he is a representative of the Silvermoon Continent," Princess Sidonie pointed at Kenneth's affiliation, which put a frown on her beautiful face. "Is Will aware of his background?"

Ashe shook her head. "I don't know. However, Will and Kenneth were pretty close when they were still in the Hellan Royal Academy. He was one of William's most trusted officers."

The mermaid could still remember how William interacted with Kenneth several years ago. With a glance, one could tell that they had a good relationship with each other.

But, when the Continental Spell descended on the Southern Continent, and Chaos engulfed the Hellan Kingdom, Kenneth disappeared without a trace.

William had tried to look for him on several occasions, but his search came out empty.

The two girls exchanged a glance, before tweaking the settings of the projection crystal beside them.

Soon, the image of the 77th Arena came to view. It was the arena where Kenneth had been assigned. It didn't take long before they found the person they were looking for.

In the Southwest Corner of the arena, there stood a silver-haired teenage boy with delicate features. Although several years had passed, it was impossible for Ian to not recognize William's roommate, whom the boy took wherever he went.

'Just who are you?' Ian thought as she narrowed her gaze. 'Did you betray William back then? Did you betray us? Are you a spy of the Silvermoon Continent?'

Several questions appeared inside Ian's head, but she had no way of knowing the answer. Right now, she stared at Kenneth as if she was trying to read his every move.

Princess Sidone was someone that was good at reading the body language of people. Just by looking at Kenneth's stance, she could tell that the silver-gray haired teenager wasn't a push over.

"Let's go and talk to him later," Princess Sidonie proposed.

Ian nodded her head in agreement. If her hunch was true, and Kenneth had really been a spy of the Silvermoon Continent then it only meant one thing.

'He was targeting William right at the very start,' Ian thought as she clenched her fist. The thought of her lover being spied on by others left a bitter taste in Ian's mouth. If possible, she wanted to drag Kenneth out of the arena and interrogate him for answers.

However, now was not the time. The silver-gray haired boy was one of the representatives of the Silvermoon Continent, and causing trouble for him could turn into a diplomatic protest.

Even so, both girls would stop at nothing until they got their answers. They couldn't allow an existence that threatened their beloved to remain alive. Even if he used to be one of William's close friends.

Chapter 593: Finding Answers Without Resorting To Violence

"Fight!"

The referee gave the signal for battle, and the entire arena descended into chaos.

All the fighters were briefed that if possible, they should abstain from killing anyone in the arena. Unlike what happened in the arena of the Hellan Royal Academy, those who would die in the Tournament of Champions would not come back to life.

In order to prevent the other Empires, Kingdoms, Sects, and Influential Families from finding fault with the Kraetor Empire, Emperor Leonidas had issued a decree that all those who wished to participate in the tournament must sign a Death Waiver.

The waiver explicitly declared that the Kraetor Empire would not be blamed for the deaths of any participants, who planned to join the tournament. Everyone must take responsibility for their own lives, and their respective Kingdoms or Sects should adhere to the rules written in the tournament.

Alas, there were some prodigies who craved to take the life of others, so several deaths had transpired on the first day of the competition.

Majority of those deaths came from the hands of the Prodigies that hailed from the Demonic Continent.

Unfortunately for them, some of the geniuses of the Central Continent hated demons as well, so their acts didn't go unpunished. Out of the twenty fighters from the Demon Continent, only thirteen remained.

Two of them were killed by Prince Jason who happened to be in the same arena as them. Just like the other contestants, Prince Jason had a certain bias when it came to Demons, and Half-Elves.

It was quite fortunate that no Half-Elves stood in the arena where the Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire fought. If there was, their fate would have been the same as the Demons that Prince Jason had killed in battle.

The brutal tournament lasted several hours until ten survivors remained.

Princess Sidonie and Ian frowned as they watched the battle that was happening in the 77th Arena.

"This Kenneth is not as simple as he looked," Princess Sidonie muttered.

Ian who was seated by her side nodded her head in agreement.

During the entirety of the elimination round, Kenneth stood in place and didn't move from his location. However, everyone who was near him had been knocked unconscious, and laid on the ground around him.

Princess Sidonie and Ian didn't know how the delicate looking teenager did it. All they knew was that Kenneth didn't even move a muscle, nor lifted a finger, before those who tried to attack him fell down like puppets whose strings had been cut.

It was an eerie scene to watch.

Because of Kenneth's mysterious performance, the other candidates stayed far away from him, as they battled amongst themselves.

They would rather fight someone that fought back, rather than a person that only stood completely still, but still able to knock everyone around him unconscious. For the players, Kenneth was the biggest threat in their arena.

No one tried to challenge him as they fought for the remaining 9 slots that would take them to the next phase of the tournament.

Kenneth simply remained standing, while holding a short silver blade in his hand. He didn't lower his guard, and paid close attention to his surroundings.

Princess Sidonie and Ian were very disappointed with this development. Deep inside, both girls wanted someone to beat Kenneth up because he lied about his true affiliations.

Three hours later, the battle in the 77th Arena ended and Kenneth was one of the ten remaining survivors.

The two girls didn't waste any time and left the VIP Room in haste. They wanted to confront Kenneth as soon as possible before he returned to the special guest residences that were assigned to the envoys of the Silvermoon Continent.

Kenneth was on the way back to his room, when he noticed two presences that were headed in his direction. One of them held clear hostility towards him, which made the teenager frown.

'Are they perhaps some of the earlier participants that couldn't accept their loss?' Kenneth unsheathed his blade and held it firmly in his hand. 'To think that I would get into trouble on the very first day of this tournament. Master will definitely nag at me if she finds out about this.'

The delicate looking teenager sighed as he walked towards an alley where he would deal with his two pursuers. Naturally, he didn't plan to kill them, but only to knock them out.

Kenneth erased his presence and hid behind a barrel. The moment the two people walked past him, he would immediately strike and escape from this location.

As the sounds of footsteps drew closer, Kenneth prepared himself to attack, however, just as he was about to execute his plan, the sound of footsteps stopped.

Kenneth frowned, but he remained in place as he controlled his breathing.

'Why did they stop?' Kenneth thought. 'Could they have possibly detected my presence?'

Kenneth immediately denied this idea. He was quite proficient in erasing his presence and he was sure that only powerful individuals could find him, while he was patiently waiting for his next move, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Kenneth, come out," Ian said. "We need to talk."

Kenneth's eyes widened when he heard the voice of the snot-nosed-pansy that William would often curse inside their room when they were still roommates.

The Half-Elf had not hidden his irritation for Est's retainer, who always bickered with him. Back then, Kenneth would chuckle internally as he watched William's depressed expression. Clearly, the red-headed teenager had no love for the annoying boy, who liked to butt heads with him.

Kenneth came out of his hiding place and confronted the two girls who stood in front of him.

To his surprise, he also recognized the girl standing beside Ian.

How could he possibly forget the beautiful Princess that had graced them with her presence during the war against the two Dynasties that threatened the Hellan Kingdom.

"What are you doing here?" Kenneth asked Ian. "Do you know where I can find Will? I need to talk to him. It is very important."

Princess Sidonie and Ian exchanged a glance, before shifting their gazes back to the teenage boy in front of them.

"If you want to talk, we can talk," Princess Sidonie. "However, this is not the place for that. Come with us."

Princess Sidonie turned around and headed out of the alley. Her identity was well-known, so she wore a veil to cover her face. However, the moment they made a turn to the alley, she had removed her veil as a means of self protection.

As long as she was able to look at her target, she would be able to charm them. However, the moment her gaze fell on Kenneth, she understood right away that charming him was not an option.

Since that was the case, they should sit down and talk. Perhaps by doing so, both sides would be able to find the answers to their questions, without resorting to violence.

Ian glared at Kenneth before turning around to follow Princess Sidonie.

Kenneth, on the other hand, sheathed his weapon before following the two girls. He could tell that both of them seemed to have grudges against him. The silver-haired teenager understood Ian's feelings, but he couldn't understand why Princess Sidonie felt the same.

As far as he knew, they didn't have any conflict with each other.

'No matter,' Kenneth thought as he followed the two girls with determination. 'I will know the answers soon enough.'

Chapter 594: Over My Drop Dead Gorgeous Body

Three people sat inside one of the private rooms reserved for the Royal Family of the Kraetor Empire in the Dancing Lady Pavillion.

What they were going to talk about required confidentiality, so Princess Sidonie decided to go to a High-Class Inn, that was not far away from Kenneth's accommodations.

The three people drank their tea in silence. It was as if they had agreed upon an unwritten rule that they would first finish drinking before they started their discussion.

Ten minutes later, the tea in their cups had been emptied.

Princess Sidonie smiled and decided to take the lead in the conversation.

"I believe that the two of us haven't introduced ourselves to each other," Princess Sidonie said. "I am Sidonie Val Freesia. Princess of the Kingdom of Freesia, and Granddaughter of Emperor Leonidas. I am also William's fiance. Nice to meet you."

Princess Sidonie didn't extend her hand in greeting, because there was no need for it. Since Kenneth was under suspicion of spying on William, the beautiful princess decided not to be too lax with the person in front of her.

"Kenneth Xin Ashleigh," Kenneth replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Sidonie."

Kenneth also didn't exchange his hand in greeting. He could tell that both girls were very wary of him, so he decided to just stick to his purpose of coming with the two of them.

"Is William here in the Kraetor Empire?" Kenneth asked.

Ian frowned before answering Kenneth's question with another question, "Why are you looking for him?"

"... I can't tell you that."

"What a coincidence. I also can't tell you the answer to your question."

The corner of Kenneth's lips twitched after hearing Ian's reply. He could tell that the latter had no intention of telling him William's whereabouts until he stated his reason for looking for the Half-Elf.

"I really can't tell you the reason because it is a private affair," Kenneth replied. He needed to compromise to get some answers, so he faced Princess Sidonie who seemed to be less hostile than Ian. "I can only answer questions that I am able to answer. Aside from that, my lips are sealed."

Princess Sidonie nodded in understanding.

"Very well." Princess Sidonie pressed her palms together and rested her chin over them. She then stared at Kenneth with a scrutinizing gaze that made the latter feel uncomfortable. "Back in the Hellan Kingdom, were you spying on my fiance?"

"Yes." Kenneth admitted in a heartbeat. He had no reason to deny this point since everything was already over. "I volunteered to spy on him, to prevent others from spying on him.

"Know that while I was with William, I didn't divulge any of his secrets to others. I only reported what I thought would be overlooked, so that the Elders of my Family would not pay too much attention to him."

Princess Sidonie arched an eyebrow. She was a good judge in reading the body language of people and Kenneth's words, and actions told her that he wasn't lying.

"You came here to the Kraetor Empire to look for William, right?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Princess Sidonie asked.

Kenneth smiled as he tapped the table with his finger. "I think it is my turn to ask questions, don't you think?"

Princess Sidonie smiled sweetly because the person in front of her was someone that wouldn't lose to her when it came to negotiations. Since that was the case, she nodded her head and waited for Kenneth's question.

"Is William here?" Kenneth asked.

Princess Sidonie shook her head, "No. My Fiance is currently out on an errand, and is not present in the empire right now."

Kenneth frowned, but he still nodded his head. Although he wasn't as proficient with Sidonie in reading people, his gut instinct told him that the beautiful princess was telling the truth.

"Were you with the Elves during the war in the Southern Continent?" Ian asked from the side.

Kenneth shifted his gaze to the snot-nosed-pansy before shaking his head. "No. I didn't join the Anti-Human Faction because my family is part of the Conservative Faction. Also, I didn't want Will to hate me, so I stayed away from the conflict."

After hearing Kenneth's words, the irritation that Ian felt decreased significantly. She hadn't seen him among the survivors of the Elves, which proved that he didn't take part in the war that almost brought the Hellan Kingdom to its knees.

"Then, where were you during the war? Don't tell me you were just watching from the sides?" Ian inquired.

"Yes," Kenneth replied. "I was watching from the sides. I gazed at the battle from far away, but I didn't expect that kind of outcome. William is really something, isn't he?"

Princess Sidonie grinned. "Of course he is. He is the man I chose, after all."

Ian wanted to say that she chose him first. But, since she couldn't possibly say that in front of a spy from the Silvermoon Continent, she allowed Princess Sidonie to take the spotlight.

"When will William return?" Kenneth asked. "Like I said earlier, there is an important message that I need to pass to him."

Princess Sidonie sighed before leaning back on her chair. "I don't know when he will come back. But, it had been a month since he left the Empire. I miss him terribly."

Kenneth ignored the part about the princess missing William terribly and only focused on the important information that she had just told him.

'He had been away for more than a month?' Kenneth thought. 'Just where did he go?'

A few minutes of silence passed inside the room. Both sides wanted to ask each other more questions, but they somehow came to an agreement that they had discussed enough for the day.

Princess Sidonie couldn't leave the Royal Residence for a long period of time, and she had only snuck out with Ian as her escort.

"We will come and find you again when the opportunity arises," Princess Sidonie said as she stood. She was about to leave when she remembered something important.

"By the way, did you also join the tournament because you are attracted to the prizes?" Princess Sidonie asked.

Kenneth smiled as he gazed at the princess that had declared herself as William's fiance. Although he still had doubts whether Princess Sidonie was telling the truth or not, he decided to believe her for the time being.

"The Emperor of the Kraetor Empire would grant a wish to the winner, correct?" Kenneth asked back.

"Oh, so that is what you are aiming for." Princess Sidonie smirked. "Yes. Grandfather plans to award the champion a wish. As long as he is able to fulfill it, that wish will be granted without fail."

Kenneth nodded. "So, that means that he can also break your engagement with William, right?"

Princess Sidonie's smile stiffened when she heard Kenneth's question.

The silver haired teenager chuckled before standing up. He then headed to the door in a carefree manner. However, before leaving the room, he glanced back at Princess Sidonie one more time and left his parting words.

"I may not have stayed long by William's side, but I know him well enough to know he would not make a girl his lover just because of her beauty," Kenneth commented. "That collar on your neck belonged to William. I also know the custom of the Kraetor Royal Family.

"I don't know what kind of trick you used to have William place that collar on your neck, but know this, I don't like other people taking advantage of his kindness."

Kenneth opened the door and left the room. However, before the door closed, he left a few more words that made Sidonie want to strangle him up.

"William is too good for you," Kenneth added. "I will free him from your clutches."

The door closed leaving a beet-red princess who seemed to be out for blood. Ian, who was standing not far away from her, lowered her head as she suppressed a giggle.

She had long accepted Princess Sidonie as William's lover, so Kenneth's words didn't bother her much. However, the look on her friend's face as she received Kenneth's one-sided banter was priceless.

Clearly, the scheming princess didn't want her engagement with William to be broken by anyone. What she didn't know was that an intense internal discussion was currently happening inside Princess Sidonie's mindscape.

< That boy wants to break our engagement with Darling? Over my drop dead, gorgeous body! Sidonie, let's have that person killed! >

Morgana was fuming. After having their first time with William on his eighteenth birthday, both girls had truly become his women both in heart and body. They would not allow their engagement to be broken, even if the one that decreed it was the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire.

'Don't worry, he will not win the tournament,' Princess Sidonie replied. 'I will not let him no matter what.'

< Hmp! That pretty boy bastard. Why is he getting in our way? >

As Morgana was raving, a sudden possibility appeared inside her head.

< W-Wait! Could it be that he is also… >

'He is also what?'

< He is also cursed like Ashe? Maybe he is a girl in disguise? >

'... Okay, let's kill him.'

< … >

Morgana wanted to protest that she had already proposed it earlier, but her other half had rejected it. Now that she mentioned that Kenneth could be a cursed person like Ian, Princess Sidonie switched gears in order to eliminate the silver-haired pretty boy.

< I don't mind if you plan to eliminate him, but do that after you find out why he is looking for William. Whatever he wanted to talk to him about, it seemed rather important. >

Princess Sidonie agreed with Morgana's advice, and promised that she would do her best to pry some answers from Kenneth on their next meeting.

She had worked hard to become William's lover, and she would not allow anyone, not even the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire, to get in the way of her happiness.

Chapter 595: Big Brother, I Want To Eat You Soon

Princess Sidonie kissed William's lips passionately. It had been a while since the two of them shared intimacy because William had been so busy climbing the Tower of Babylon.

As the two of them shared a deep lingering kiss, William's left hand rested on top of Ashe's head. The mermaid was busy kissing Little William, who was very eager for her attention.

A few minutes later, Ashe straddled William and lightly moved her hips. Princess Sidonie was not the only one who was eager to make love with him. The beautiful mermaid had also been looking forward to this moment.

Ever since she and Princess Sidonie had given their first time to him, the two had come up with a plan on how to share William between the two of them. The current set-up was something that the two beautiful girls had agreed on beforehand, which made William very happy.

After a few rounds of lovemaking, the three laid on the bed with the two girls resting their heads on William's chest. All three of them were very satisfied with their bonding session and were now talking about Kenneth's reappearance within the Kraetor Empire.

"He has something important to tell me?" William inquired.

Morgana nodded her head. After Sidonie had reached her limit, the seductive succubus finished what her other half started.

"At least, that is what she told us," Morgana replied. " What should we do next, Darling?"

William closed his eyes as he pondered what to do next. If he were to believe what his two lovers told him, Kenneth's purpose for coming to the Southern Continent was to spy on him on behalf of the Elders of his family.

The Half-Elf already had a hunch that this was indeed the case. Even so, he allowed Kenneth to stay close to him while they were in the Hellan Royal Academy. The reason for this was simple, for some reason, he felt that Kenneth had no intention of hurting him.

Even though he was a spy, he only reported what was on the surface, and not about William's deepest secrets. This had made the Elders of his family not pay too much attention to the red-headed teenager.

Their opinion of him only changed when they had read the reports of what had transpired in the Southern Continent. Because of this, they had changed their stance on him and delegated him a target that should be placed at the top of their priorities.

"Maybe he came to warn me that the Elves are going to target me from the shadows," William said after careful consideration. "What I did in the Southern Continent definitely ruffled their feathers."

Princess Sidonie and Ashe nodded their heads at the same time. If the Elven Race still thought of William as a pitiful Half-Elf in the past, now they regarded him as someone whom they should pay extra attention to.

There were even talks about asking Arwen to be a negotiator in order to patch up the relationship between the Half-Elf and the Elves in the Silvermoon Continent. Not all Elves supported the Clans that had invaded the Southern Continent.

There were also rumors flying around that William had inherited his father's position as the Dungeon Conqueror. This brought another round of headache to the Elven Council because this was a threat that they couldn't ignore.

They had already seen what a Dungeon Conqueror could do. If they were to make one their enemy then they didn't have to wait for the Prince of Darkness to appear in the world. William was more than enough to raze their continent to the ground if he felt like it.

The other Guardians, especially Escalor and Zyphon (the Guardian Deer), were quite adamant that the Elves should send an envoy to make peace with William. Both had been on the frontlines of the war and experienced the might of William's Undead Army, which still brought them chills to this day.

Drauum had secluded himself in his domain and refused to come out. Sepheron's disappearance weighed a lot on the Ancient Golem's mind because the two had known each other for thousands of years.

Perhaps, due to the laws of the Silvermoon Continent, Sepheron's disappearance had triggered a phenomenon.

The sole Guardian that had remained to protect the Silvermoon Continent, while the others were away, had transformed into a Demigod.

The Ent King, Myrendor, was once a World Tree.

After living for thousands of years, a seed had been born from its body. This seed had taken most of its powers, allowing it to grow.

After losing its strength, the Elves thought that the World Tree had died, and did their best to care for the new sapling that would take its place. Hundreds of years later, the first World Tree broke out of its empty husk and was born anew as an Ent.

Now, this same Ent had been blessed by the Silvermoon Continent, and transformed to a Demigod, replacing Sepheron as the pillar of support for the Elven Race.

"Sidonie, Morgana, I will leave Kenneth in your hands," William stated. "Don't hurt him, okay? He's one of the few friends I have. In regards to his background as a spy, this is not a big deal. After all, the Elves have to think thrice if they want to mess with me again."

"Understood," Morgana replied. "Darling, what would you do if…"

Morgana didn't finish the words she wanted to say, because she didn't want to think of such a possibility.

William, who had been waiting for her to finish her sentence frowned.

"What is it?" William inquired. "Is something on your mind?"

"No. it's not important," Morgana replied. "Forget what I said, Darling."

Ashe, who had her eyes closed, slowly opened them to look at Morgana. The two ladies exchanged a knowing glance. Both of them had discussed the possibility of Kenneth being cursed just like Est, Ashe, and Isaac.

If that really were the case, they would stop at nothing to ensure that the silver haired teenager would not pose a threat to their beloved.

A few minutes later, William fell asleep with both girls in his embrace. The Tower of Babylon was unforgiving and even with his Trump Cards, the challenges proved to be quite difficult.

Although the Agnis Family had stopped sending High-Rankers to hunt William down, the other ruling families had taken notice of him and Chiffon. Because of this, the two had to always be on guard against possible attacks from every direction.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe watched William's sleeping face with gentle gazes.

After having their fill, both ladies kissed their beloved's cheeks at the same time before closing their eyes to sleep.

Chiffon, who was sleeping in the guest room in William's Villa, tossed and turned on her big bed. She had always slept by the red-headed teenager's side, and sleeping all by herself made her feel uncomfortable.

It was as if something was missing in her life.

Chiffon sighed as she covered her eyes with her left arm. She knew that William was spending the night with Princess Sidonie and Ashe. The pink-haired girl had insisted that she would sleep with them, but William's two lovers politely turned her down.

The two ladies told Chiffon that they wanted to be with William till morning, and humbly asked her to not disturb them during that time.

As someone who had never been in a relationship before, Chiffon was clueless why she couldn't join them on the bed. Even so, she respected her friends' requests because they had taken good care of her as well.

'I wish morning would come soon,' Chiffon thought as she sighed internally. 'Big Brother, I want to eat you soon.'

Chapter 596: The Rice Has Already Been Cooked

Two days had passed since the first Elimination Round of the tournament. The two thousand participants that survived the Battle Royale were given a day to rest in order to fully recover from their injuries.

Of course, they received proper treatment from the Clerics of the Kraetor Empire, so all of them had recovered from their injuries. The one day of rest was given in order for them to raise their performance to the peak condition, before fighting their next match.

The two thousand contestants were once again divided into the two hundred arenas that were prepared for the battle.

This time, each arena had ten people in it. There would be five one on one matches. The winners would proceed to the third phase of the tournament.

The Tournament of Champions was a grand event. It meant that almost all the merchants in the Central Continent were taking advantage of the festivities and doing business in the capital city of the Kraetor Empire.

Naturally, the Empire received a small percentage of their earnings. This was why Emperor Leonidas had drafted out a plan to control the pace of the competition, and secure more profits as the days went by.

The other rulers knew of this as well, but they decided to turn a blind eye on it. All of them decided to make the Tournament of Champions a regular event that would be hosted by the different Empires every three years.

Although they were quite envious of the current riches that Emperor Leonidas was raking in, they held back their greed in preparation for the time when it would be their turn to host the event in their home turf.

Kenneth stood in the arena and stared at his opponent. The one he was facing off against was one of the candidates from the Demon Race. Just like always, everyone drew a ballot to find their designated arenas.

It just so happened that Kenneth was paired up against a Demon who had gained infamy on the first day by killing many people.

"I guess this is your unlucky day, Elf." The Demon chuckled as he appraised Kenneth from head to foot. "Too bad you are not a girl. If you were, I would definitely bring you back to my room after I knocked you unconscious."

The demon chuckled lecherously, which made Kenneth frown.

The referee stared at the two fighters before raising his hand to begin the battle. As soon as he gave the signal, the demon disappeared from his location and reappeared behind Kenneth with a sneer.

As one of the prodigies of the Demon Race, the reason he had no qualms in killing people was due to his ability to control Space.

The Demon Lord saw his potential and decided to nurture his talents. Because of this, he was able to raise his rank at a very rapid pace.

The Demon Lord had ordered the ten Demonic teenagers that he had sent to the Kraetor Empire to kill as many as they could. His purpose for this was two-fold. The first reason was that it was the most efficient way to show everyone that they should be feared.

The second one was to weaken the empires by killing off their young geniuses. There was once a popular saying in the Demonic Lands when it came to talented individuals.

A dead genius is no longer a genius.

Before the demons declared war on the Elves, the competition in the Demonic Continent was fierce. Now that the number of their talented individuals had decreased, they stopped killing each other, and focused on increasing their ranks as much as possible.

Slaves were a hot commodity in the Demonic Continent.

Slave merchants would go out of their way to travel there in order to share their wares, which they had captured from all over the world.

The Demon that controlled Space was one of the spawns that was birthed from the union of Demon and a lady that was born with strong magical power. It was quite unfortunate that she had been backstabbed by her rivals, and sold to the slave merchants, which in turn brought her to the Demonic Continent.

She was but one of the many people who were unlucky enough to be enslaved for various reasons and sold to the highest bidder.

When the Demon was about to stab Kenneth's back to end the pretty boy's life, he felt his body turning sluggish.

It was as if he was moving thirty times slower than normal even with his power of Space.

"Pay for your sins in the afterlife."

That was the last thing that the Demon heard before his head fell off from his body.

Kenneth flicked his short sword, sending the bloodstain flying towards the ground. He was someone that didn't enjoy killing. However, if faced with someone that deserved to die, he would not hesitate to end their miserable lives and send them to hell.

The spectators who were watching the match looked at Kenneth with dumbfounded expressions.

What they saw was the silver-haired teenager casually swinging his sword behind him. After that, the demon's head was cut off from its body, ending the battle in mere seconds.

Princess Sidonie and Ian, who was paying close attention to Kenneth's battle, couldn't believe their eyes. They didn't see anything special about Kenneth's move. What he did was just a simple slash and the match ended just like that.

They didn't even see him use any technique or magical ability.

Kenneth sheathed his sword and left the arena with even steps. His Master had sent him to get real life experience in the world, so he decided to go to the Southern Continent to meet William.

Now that the Half-Elf had gone to the Central Continent, Kenneth decided to follow him. For him, it was his duty to look after William in place of his Master who couldn't leave the Silvermoon Continent.

He also didn't like the way Princess Sidonie tricked the Half-Elf into becoming her fiance. Kenneth despised these underhanded methods and vowed to free William from the scheming princess' grasp.

Unknown to him, William had already recognized Princess Sidonie as his lover and had even become her first man. Even if the silver-haired teenager managed to win the tournament, and ask Emperor Leonidas to break the engagement, the two had already been joined at the hip.

The rice had already been cooked, and it couldn't be uncooked no matter how hard Kenneth tried.

(A/N: Just in case you guys are not familiar with the term the rice has been cooked, it meant that the deed has already been done. This refers to having experienced sex, or losing one's maidenhood. Since it is already lost, it cannot be recovered again.)

"Should we go and meet him?" Princess Sidonie asked as she glanced at Ian who was seated by her side.

Ian pondered a bit before nodding her head. William had assigned them to try and get close to Kenneth, to find out the real reason why his Ex-Roommate was looking for him. The Half-Elf had also forbidden the two ladies to harm Kenneth and scheme against him.

The two reluctantly agreed to William's order and promised not to do anything reckless. However, that didn't mean that they would take things lightly if they discovered that Kenneth was lying to them.

"It will be best if we can pry some answers from him," Ian replied. "Will said that Kenneth isn't hostile towards him, but we need to confirm if this is really true. Our lover trusts people too much, and it worries me."

Princess Sidonie nodded her head in agreement.

The two of them once again headed towards the city where the Silver Haired teenager was already waiting for their arrival.

Chapter 597: Chiffon’s First Fishing Experience

Chiffon and William were currently on the 20th floor of the Tower of Babylon. In order to proceed to the next floor, they would need to catch some rare fish in the lake and present it to the examiner.

This trial could be accomplished individually or as a group. The overall score would be calculated on the number and rarity of fishes that were caught.

William and Chiffon took their fishing lines and stood at the fishing area assigned to them. They were not alone in their fishing spot because several middle-aged men were there as well. These men had been living in the Floor of Anglers for many years.

They were the people who had a passion for fishing and decided to stop the dangerous climb up the tower, and just spend their lives doing their hobby, which was fishing.

Chiffon was the only girl in the group and she was very cute and adorable. Because of this, the friendly uncles befriended her, and decided to have a chat as they taught the little girl how to put the bait on her fishing rod.

William was just as clueless as Chiffon when it came to fishing. Although he had the Dungeon of Atlantis, he never tried catching fish using a fishing pole. This was the first time he was going to try traditional fishing, and he looked forward to it.

"Back in my younger years, they called me Master Baiter," a middle-aged man said as he instructed Chiffon how to place her bait properly. "No one can beat me when it comes to picking the best baits in order to catch the rarest fish in my hometown. I've been challenged so many times, but none of them were able to defeat me."

"You're amazing, Uncle," Chiffon replied. "I have never tried fishing before. However, it looks very fun!"

"It is." Master Baiter chuckled. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, you can easily pass the trial. I have rare baits with me, I'll give them to you free of charge."

"Yay! Thank you, Uncle!"

"Hahaha! It's not a big deal."

One of the middle-aged men standing nearby snorted. "Don't believe this rascal, Sweetheart. He may have been good in the past, but that was because he hadn't met me in my prime. I go by the name Mr. Quickie.

"The moment I throw my fishing line, the fishes flock to me like bees to honey. If there is anyone here that can teach you to fish, that will be none other than me."

Master Baiter chuckled in a teasing manner, "Quick is not always good. The true way to fish is by taking the time to understand your prey. Even if you catch fish easily, what of it? The Floor of Anglers base the points depending on how rare the fish is."

"Shut up, old fart." Mr. Quickie glared. "You're just jealous because I'm quick."

Master Baiter sneered. "You are also an old fart. So what if you are quick? This is why you're still single. You can't even satisfy the ladies."

Mr. Quickie almost had an aneurysm because Master Baiter had stepped on his landmine. He had been in several relationships in the past, but none of them lasted long. They came as quick as he did, and left him just as fast.

"You really are asking for it," Mr. Quickie shouted. "How about we have a match. Right here, right now. Let's see who among us is the real deal."

"Hah! I'm not afraid of you. Chiffon, step to the side. See how I beat the crap out of this fool."

The other middle-aged men who were also on the fishing platform sighed and shook their heads. They were the friends of Master Baiter and Mr. Quickie, but they really hated it when the two started bickering.

"The two fools are at it again."

"Can't we just fish in peace and get it over with? Why must these two numbskulls bark at each other at every opportunity they get?"

"I told you we shouldn't have invited both of them at the same time. Now our day is going to be ruined."

"These poor players. How can they proceed to the next floor when these two bastards are scaring the fishes?"

Chiffon, who had just finished her preparations, looked up at the two middle-aged men who were looking at each other as if they were about to come to blows. She could tell that they were good people, and didn't want them to fight each other.

At a loss on what to do, she decided to change the topic and raise the prestige of her Big Brother to the two uncles whom she had met for the first time. She hoped that by doing so, the two uncles would stop fighting each other.

"My Big Brother is also good at fishing," Chiffon said. "He also holds a title that is similar to Mr. Quickie."

"What?!" Mr. Quickie tore his gaze from his nemesis before looking at Chiffon. "The same title as me?"

Chiffon nodded her head. It was then when the corner of her lips rose ever so slightly. It was as if she was about to brag that she was the one that raised William to become the man he was.

Master Baiter who didn't want to lose to anyone also looked at Chiffon before looking at William who had also finished attaching bait to his fishing hook.

"Chiffon, is your Big Brother's title more awesome than mine?" Master Baiter asked.

"Just as awesome!" Chiffon replied.

"Is he as quick as me?" Mr.Quickie asked.

"Quicker than you!" Chiffon answered.

The two men glanced at each other because they couldn't believe what the little girl in front of them was saying.

"What is his title?" Master Baiter asked.

Mr. Quickie stayed silent and waited for Chiffon to answer the question. He didn't believe that there was someone much faster than him.

"My Big Brother's title is Quickshot," Chiffon patted her chest. "I heard him say it several times in the past."

William, who was about to throw his fishing line, almost fell off the platform after hearing Chiffon's words. More than anything else, he didn't want others talking about his main profession.

Master Baiter's expression softened after hearing Chiffon's words. He then walked towards William and patted his shoulder.

"It must be hard to be a Quickshot," Master Baiter said. "I feel sorry for you, Young Man. However, do not worry. Just do your best to hold it in, and you will be just fine."

The corner of William's lips twitched. He was about to explain that Chiffon was only joking when Mr. Quickie patted his other shoulder.

"You are indeed quicker than me," Mr.Quickie sighed. "You don't even last five seconds do you? Is this the reason why you're climbing the tower? Your wish is not to become a quick shot any longer, right?"

The other men on the platform also looked at William. Their eyes were filled with pity.

"It's okay, boy. You will find someone that will appreciate your… quick shots."

"That's right. There are many fishes in the sea. Who knows? You're quite good looking, so finding a partner won't be too hard. Since you can't satisfy them with your junior, use your hands instead. That way, they will be satisfied as well."

The other middle-aged men voiced similar words of encouragement to William. What they didn't know was that the Quick Shot was very close in unleashing his bazooka to blow them off from the face of the tower.

Master Baiter and Mr.Quickie had forgotten their feud and tried to cheer William up by sharing their stories with women. The two middle-aged men made sure to tell William how awesome they were, and the techniques they used in hooking up with women.

William tried to fight back and told Master Baiter and Mr.Quickie that he already had four lovers. Two of them were even princesses.

When the group of men heard William's words, all of them broke out into laughter. For them, it was William's last attempt to wash away the embarrassment he was feeling. After exchanging a knowing glance to each other, they all told William that they were willing to share more of their techniques in order to woo women.

William listened to all the advice that the older men gave him while giving each of them the middle finger in his heart. No matter what he said, none of them believed him, so the Half-Elf decided to just stay mum and continue his fishing.

They were only given half an hour, and he didn't want to waste them chatting with Master Baiter and Mr. Quickie.

Now that their moods were uplifted, the two middle-aged men instructed Chiffon how to properly throw the fishing line in the water.

The pink-haired girl followed their advice and her line drew a beautiful arc before landing on the water.

The two middle-aged men also threw their lines as well. Since fishing required patience, they chatted with Chiffon and told her about their adventures in the tower.

A minute after Chiffon had thrown her bait, the floating ball near the little girl's hook started to bob. It meant that she had caught a fish and it made her very excited.

The two old men also noticed it as well and told Chiffon what to do. After a bit of struggle, the pink-haired girl pulled her catch out of the water and made it land on the platform, which surprised everyone.

"A Silver-Striped Pupfish!" Master Baiter exclaimed. "Isn't this the third rarest fish on the Floor of Anglers?"

"It is," Mr. Quickie replied. "You're amazing, Chiffon. I've been fishing here for years, and I still haven't caught this fish. This is more than enough for you to pass the trial if you present it to the examiner."

"Really?" Chiffon asked in disbelief. "This little fish is enough to let us pass?"

"Yes," one fo the middle-aged men in the fishing platform answered. "It is enough for you to pass, but not your Big Brother. You need to catch at least one more Silver-Striped Pupfish in order for both of you to advance to the next floor."

"Okay!" Chiffon nodded her head with determination.

This was the first time she tried fishing and she found it quite enjoyable. After putting her catch on a pale filled with water, the pink-haired girl once again threw her line to the water.

William smiled from the side as he waited for a fish to bite his bait. He was quite happy that Chiffon seemed to be enjoying herself. In fact, he could faintly hear the little girl humming a song.

A minute later, Chiffon pulled out another fish, this time, it was a golden fish that was over a meter long.

"Crowned Golden Sturgeon!" Master Baiter cried out in alarm. "This is the rarest fish in this lake. Chiffon, you're amazing!"

The other men in the platform crowded around Chiffon and the Crowned Golden Sturgeon. They had only seen this fish in picture books, but had never seen one alive. Just like Master Baiter said, it was the rarest fish in the Floor of Anglers.

"I didn't think that I would be able to see this fish in my lifetime."

"Wait, we need to document this! Who has a recording crystal?!"

"I have one!"

"Okay, everyone, gather around!"

Chiffon stood at the center while holding the Golden Crowned Sturgeon in her hands. She was wearing her Devourer's Gauntlet, which locked the fish in place, preventing it from escaping.

William stood beside her and patted her head affectionately. The older men stood behind the two teenagers and smiled at the recording crystal. This recording crystal would soon be part of the Floor of Angler's Hall of Fame, so they were quite eager to have their faces shown in the recording as well.

By doing so, they could bask in Chiffon's glory and could brag to their children, in the years to come.

"Big Brother, let's come back to this floor again," Chiffon said sleepily as she rested her head on William's chest.

"Okay," William replied and patted her head. "Let's come back here after we clear the 51st floor."

"Un!"

Chiffon closed her eyes and slept. She was quite exhausted. After taking their catch to the examiner, they were rewarded with ten thousand tokens. Chiffon was given an additional ten Thousand Tokens for catching the rarest fish on the Floor of Anglers.

After passing the trial, the two didn't leave right away. William thought that it would be a shame if they left the floor now. He could tell that Chiffon didn't want to go and wanted to continue fishing a little longer.

William thought that it was not a bad idea to continue fishing and let Chiffon enjoy a rare day of happiness in the tower.

They then returned to the fishing platform, alongside the old men that had accompanied them to the examiner. Chiffon had caught several other rare fishes, but she didn't catch another Golden Crowned Sturgeon.

However, that was fine with her.

For the first time since William had met Chiffon, the Half-Elf saw the makings of a smile on her adorable face. William wished that there would be more opportunities for Chiffon to have fun in the tower, and watch her face glow with happiness.

Chapter 598: Connoisseur Of Men

Two weeks passed since the Tournament of Champions started in the capital city of the Kraetor Empire, Azmar.

Out of the thousands that joined the event, only thirty one remained. Prince Maximilian and Prince Jason were the only representatives of the Kraetor Empire that had lasted until this point.

As for the Elves and the Demon Race, three remained on each side.

Kenneth was one of the three Elves that managed to get far in the tournament. Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Morgana, weren't able to identify how the Elf had been able to deal with his opponents.

All of Kenneth's battles ended the same way, which made the three girls helpless. They thought that the silver-haired pretty boy wouldn't be able to survive until the end, but they had greatly underestimated Kenneth's ability.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe had approached several times during the tournament, but they were unable to get any more information from him. William's Ex-Roommate was tight-lipped, and was adamant that he would only pass his message to William.

< No matter what happens, he mustn't win! >

Morgana glared at the pretty boy from within Princess Sidonie's mindscape. Kenneth had said on more than one occasion that he would break William's engagement with the Princess of Freesia, which infuriated the two beautiful ladies.

Princess Sidonie nodded her head in agreement. She had promised William that she wouldn't do anything to harm the young man, so she was putting her hopes on the other contestants.

"After today's battle, the seventeen participants will be placed in different brackets until one of them remains," Ashe commented from the side. "The crowd favorites are of course, Prince Maximilian and Prince Jason. However, their opponents are not pushovers. I think both of them will have a hard time advancing to the finals."

Princess Sidonie once again nodded her head in agreement. All of the fighters that had reached this stage were the strongest fighters in the young generation that hailed from all over the continent.

Any one of them could become the victor in the tournament, but she didn't wish for Kenneth, or Prince Jason to be the last man standing. Both of them had the intention to break her engagement with William.

Naturally, Princess Sidonie wouldn't budge even if the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire really fulfilled their wish. She would rather return to the Southern Continent than break up with the Half-Elf that she had chosen as her future husband.

Thirty-One players arrived in their designated arenas. Since it was an odd number, they were asked to draw ballots because one of them would get a free pass and directly proceed to the next stage of the tournament.

Kenneth took out a golden ball from the ballot box, which made Princess Sidonie and Morgana clench their fist in frustration.

As if feeling their stare, Kenneth looked in their direction and waved the golden ball at them with a smile on his face.

< What a hateful bastard! Why is he this lucky?! Did he cheat? >

'No.' Princess Sidonie firmly shook her head. 'The ballot boxes have special runes embedded in them that prevent anyone from cheating. There's no way that he can bypass this rule.'

Morgana clicked her tongue in annoyance and stared daggers at the Elf whom she had marked as her mortal enemy.

After all the players had received their ballots, the matches began.

Less than an hour later, Seventeen contestants remained.

Prince Maximilian - Kraetor Empire

Prince Jason - Kraetor Empire

Kenneth Xin Ashleigh - Silvermoon Continent

Pearl McLean - Silvermoon Continent

Zach Knowles - Silvermoon Continent

Xanhast Valatieri - Demonic Continent

Alinska Lafitte - Demonic Continent

Eleazar Blackthorn - Demonic Continent

Ephemera Fortuna - Gunnar Federation (Edelweiss)

Luther Luna - Gunnar Federation (Quince)

Frederick Maslin - Zaleska Empire (Beastkin)

Jared Toussaint - Zaleska Empire (Beastkin)

Lilith Lynn - Ares Empire (Amazon)

Tasha Hayes - Ares Empire (Amazon)

Ged Walker - Tenser Empire

Allanon Mosley - Rincewind Empire

Silvanus Rahl - Halle Empire (Dwarf)

After the final match ended, Emperor Leonidas stood up and congratulated the contestants.

"It has been a while since I've seen how outstanding the young generation is," Emperor Leonidas said. His voice spread across the entire arena using a magical artifact. "The final phase of the tournament is upon us, and I wish all of you the best of luck. I look forward to your future battles!"

The audience cheered in unison because they, too, had been impressed on how amazing the final contestants were. The next battles would be held after a day, but before that, each of the contestants were once again asked to draw ballots so that they would be placed in one of the four team brackets, from which only one would emerge victorious.

The Elite Four would then fight in the semifinals. Even if they lost the match, they would still receive amazing rewards from the sponsors of the event.

After picking their numbers, a giant projection appeared at the center of the arena, showing the names of the contestants, and their respective divisions.

Bracket A

-- Prince Maximilian

-- Prince Jason

-- Pearl McLean

-- Alinska Lafitte

Bracket B

-- Kenneth Xin Ashleigh

-- Jared Toussant

-- Tasha Hayes

-- Xanhast Valatieri

-- Eleazar Blackthorn (Seed Player)

Bracket C

-- Ephemera Fortuna

-- Zach Knowles

-- Frederick Maslin

-- Silvanus Rahl

Bracket D

-- Lilith Lynn

-- Allanon Mosley

-- Ged Walker

-- Luther Luna

The Kraetorians groaned when they saw that their two princes were in the same Division. It meant that only one of them would be able to advance to the next round, to fight in the Semifinals.

The members of the Kraetor Royal Family also felt the same when they saw the final placement of the contestants in the last elimination round.

Majority of the audience was quite surprised because among those who had joined the tournament, the Elven Race had only sent four representatives. Three out of four managed to survive the competition, which proved that the Silvermoon Continent was still a force to reckon with.

The leader of the Elves, Zach Knowles was quite disappointed. He had heard the story of the Half-Elf that had fought in the war of the Southern Continent and wished to fight him in battle.

Although William's name brought fear to the Anti-Human Faction, those who idolized the Human Hero, Maxwell, thought highly of him. It could even be said that Zach's reason for traveling to the Kraetor Empire was to meet the Legendary Shepherd.

He wanted to meet his idol, who stood against the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent, and ask if he could become his Sworn Brother for life.

Lilith Lynn, the Amazon Princess, scanned the other contestants with a greedy look. She had come with the Amazon Empress to the Kraetor Empire to find powerful men that they could bring back to their Empire.

The Amazons were a race composed purely of women. Due to the blessing of their Goddess, they could only give birth to girls. Because of this, they were on the constant lookout for strong men, whom they would invite respectfully, or by force, to become their partners to give birth to strong individuals who would raise the prestige of their empire.

For them, the Tournament of Champions was the perfect place to find strong men. They didn't care what race they were. They could be humans, elves, demons, dwarves, beastkin, or any other races.

In the end, their offspring would always be human girls, so they weren't too picky with the race. All they cared about was strength. The stronger the men, the more they wanted him to become their stud.

The Amazon Empress looked down from her VIP seat with a smile. She had already chosen a few individuals among the finalists. Even if they lost, she would still give them an invitation to return to the Amazon Empire with them.

'Kenneth Xin Ashleigh,' Empress Andraste, the Sovereign of the Amazons mused. 'He will definitely be one of the Seeds that I will bring back to Ares after this tournament is over.'

Empress Andraste had noticed the irregularity of Kenneth and thought of him as someone who carried a very rare bloodline. The Amazons had the unique ability to be able to awaken the unique powers of their Father's bloodline.

Because of this, they prized those who came from Influential Families that have unique abilities exclusive to their bloodline.

For the Empress, Kenneth was like an apple that she wanted to take a bite of no matter what.

'Patience,' Empress Andraste thought. 'At most the tournament will be finished in two weeks. I need to make the necessary preparations beforehand to ensure that the Seeds we take back will not be able to escape our grasp. Too bad, that William boy is not here. I heard great things about him.'

Empress Andraste sighed. Due to her vast information network, she had already known William's name and the achievements that he had made back in the Southern Continent. If she were to choose between William and Kenneth, she would definitely choose the red-headed teenager as the ideal choice.

The Amazon Empress leaned back on the couch, as her gaze landed on her daughter, Lilith. Empress Andraste had no doubt in her mind that her daughter would become the champion of the tournament.

Her only concern was whether her darling daughter would become too greedy, and create a ruckus before the Semifinal Matches began.

As Lilith, who was standing in the arena, continued to scan the faces of the finalists, she was like a connoisseur that was looking for the perfect dish to eat. A frown appeared on her face when her gaze landed on Kenneth.

Kenneth had long noticed Lilith's uniqueness. He sighed in relief that the Amazon Warrior wasn't in the bracket where he belonged. The silver-haired teenager had his guard up, just in case the young lady staring at him tried to do something funny.

Lilith snorted, and ignored Kenneth. Although he was quite good looking, she was not a fan of delicate looking boys. For her, the ideal man should be imposing and carry himself with arrogance.

She was a girl that preferred badboys over gentlemen.

After taking a good look at the people around her, Lilith grinned because there were a few individuals that caught her interest. She knew that after beating them up into submission, they would gladly follow her to the Amazon Empire, where they would become her toy, until she found someone better.

Chapter 599: William Von Ainsworth, Launching!

A hysterical laughter rang out across the 25th Floor of Babylon.

Several Myriad Beasts were obliterated as a powerful laser beam bathed them in a golden light.

William sneered from inside the cockpit of a Giant Robot as he faced off against hundreds of Myriad Beasts that were out to destroy him.

It had been a long time since he had this much fun, and he planned to enjoy himself to the fullest

Several hours earlier...

After several hardships, William and Chiffon had arrived at the Floor of Creation. Upon arrival, the Half-Elf saved a pretty girl who was being chased by men wearing some kind of imperial uniform.

After beating the crap out of them, a Young Master of the ruling family, who governed the 25th Floor arrived at the scene. The newcomer immediately reprimanded William for getting in his way.

"You must be new here," Xanhast Colton said while glaring at William. "Release my little sister before I ask the Enforcers to capture you and imprison you for life! How dare you take her hostage?!"

"Little sister?" William blinked as he looked down on the young lady that was latched on him like a leech.

The pretty girl with dark-brown hair smiled sweetly and looked at William as if she had found her Prince Charming.

"My hero," Marissa Colton, Xanhast's little sister, rested her head on William's chest which made Xanhast clench his fist in anger.

"You, bastard, let go of my sister now!" Xanhast roared.

William tried to detach the pretty leech that was clinging to him because he didn't want to add another ruling family to the list of those who were after his life.

The clash against the Agnis Family was troublesome enough, so if possible, he would like to avoid this kind of situation as much as possible.

No matter how William tried, Marissa refused to let go. The Half-Elf didn't dare exert force because he was afraid that he would hurt the girl, leading to a confrontation between him and the Colton Family.

"Are you deaf? I said to unhand my little sister!"

"Calm your tits, bro. Can't you see that it is your sister that doesn't want to let go?"

Chiffon who was watching from the side frowned.

Marissa was clinging to William and it was making her feel irritated. Due to her sensitive nose, she could tell that the daughter of the Colton Family was using perfume. The fragrance had already attached itself to William's clothes, as if marking him as her man.

Of course, this was something that Chiffon had assumed. In reality, Marissa was unaware of what was happening.

'Big Brother is mine,' Chiffon thought. 'Mine.'

The pink-haired girl stepped forward and forcefully pried the pretty girl, who had started to sniff the Half-Elf's clothes, off of William.

"H-Hey! Don't be too rough," Marissa cried out when Chiffon used her strength to pull her away from her Prince Charming.

Chiffon didn't care about the girl's nonsense and immediately pushed the thieving cat towards Xanhast, who hurriedly caught her in a firm embrace.

After dealing with the pest, Chiffon clung to William and buried her head on his chest. She then opened her mouth and devoured the fragrance that lingered on his clothes. The pink-haired girl would not allow a random girl to mark her Big Brother under her watchful eye.

William scratched his head because he didn't know what to do in his current situation. In the end, he decided to hold Chiffon in a princess carry and left the scene as fast as he could.

Little did he know that his episode with the Brother and Sister pair wouldn't end then and there.

Marissa, who had been tossed aside by William, was in a very foul mood. She couldn't believe that someone would dare to reject her advances on the Floor that was ruled by her family.

Because of this, she went to the Trial Grounds, bringing along her maidservants, as well as her overprotective Big Brother, Xanhast.

"Marissa, what are we doing here?" Xanhast asked. "Don't tell me you plan to make trouble for those two players?"

Marissa turned her head and glared at her Big Brother. She had been spoiled by her family ever since she was a little child. Because of this, she had developed a habit of always getting what she wanted, even if she had to brute force her way to do it.

She knew that no matter what she did, her parents, and her brother, would clean up her mess for her.

"What of it?" Marissa pouted. "Big Brother, that little girl bullied me. My hand still hurts because of her."

Marissa showed her reddened hand to Xanhast, which made the latter's gaze soften.

"It was your fault for clinging to that stranger," Xanhast replied. "Did you forget Grandma's warning? There is a chance that you might get pregnant if you hold hands with a boy."

The corner of Marissa's lips twitched when she heard her brother's reply.

"Big Brother, I am no longer a child that you can trick with such nonsense." Marissa huffed. "If you don't want to help me then get out of my way!"

Marissa angrily walked away. She knew that William and Chiffon had just arrived in the Floor of Creation. Because of this, she decided to head straight towards the Trial Grounds, where the tests would be taken in order to proceed to the next floor.

The Floor of Creation was a unique floor. On this floor, people would fight against each other. However, instead of a simple fight, each person was allowed to "Create" anything that they wanted.

Of course, there is a limitation to this law.

They could only summon things that they knew by heart. Marissa may not be a fighter, but she was a scholar. She had read many ancient books, and learned a lot from them. Because of this, she was hailed as the greatest obstacle that the players had to face in order to proceed to the next floor.

Whenever Marissa was in the Trial Ground, the players--who knew about her notoriety--would cancel their appointment and wait until she left the premises, before challenging the examiner that was assigned to the trial.

The moment Marissa arrived at the Trial Ground, she immediately saw William and Chiffon in the crowd.

A sneer appeared on her pretty face as she marched towards the examiner who was about to start the examination.

"I will take over from here," Marissa declared. "You may stand down."

"Y-Young Lady! What are you doing here?" the examiner stuttered.

"Are you deaf? I said I will take over here. Stand down!"

"U-Understood! I apologize for my mistake."

Marissa snorted and stepped on the podium. She then focused her attention on Chiffon who was looking back at her with a frown.

'You b*tch, I will teach you not to mess around with me.' Marissa cursed Chiffon in her heart.

After looking at the annoying pink bug, Marissa shifted his attention to the other players who were about to take the trial.

The moment their eyes met, the players hurriedly left the place in fear of facing Marissa's wrath. Only William and Chiffon remained because they didn't know how difficult it was to pass the test when Marissa took on the role as examiner.

"I will now explain the details of this trial," Marissa said with a smile as she looked at William. "As you may already know, this Floor is called the Floor of Creation. Inside this domain, everyone is able to create something out of thin air, and use it to aid them in battle.

"In order to pass, you must defeat me and my Big Brother in combat. Don't worry, we will take it easy on you."

Marissa laughed internally. Even though she said that she would take it easy, she had no intention of giving William and the hateful pink bug any handicap. She would use her full power to defeat William, with the intention of showing him how powerful she was.

With a wave of her hand, Marissa activated the privilege granted to her family by the Guardian of the Floor.

William and Chiffon found themselves in a wasteland. The environment was quite desolate and dark clouds blocked the sky.

Marissa and Xanhast stood two hundred meters away from their opponents. The older brother pitied William and Chiffon because they had no idea what they were about to face. Even if he didn't assist her little sister, the two players wouldn't be able to beat her even if all the players earlier assisted them in battle.

"Allow me to demonstrate how this floor works," Marissa said with a smirk.

A few seconds later, dozens of giant beasts appeared behind her.

The corner of William's lips twitched when he saw this. The System had informed him that all of the Beasts that Marissa had created were all Myriad Beasts.

"Now that you have seen how this trial works, I'll give you a minute to create something that you can use to win against me," Marissa stated. She was overflowing with confidence because she had stood in this battleground countless times before.

The pretty girl was even looking forward to what William could do in this hopeless situation.

"Let me confirm something, I can create anything right?" William asked.

"Yes." Marissa nodded. "However, it must be something that you are knowledgeable about. You can't create something that doesn't exist."

"Okay." William grinned.

He had bought the information of each floor from the Merchant Guild and had a vague understanding about the Power of Creation that the 25th Floor specialized in.

In fact, he was even looking forward to going to this floor because there was something that he had missed in his previous lifetime. Growing up, William had dreamed of riding a Giant Robot.

The Half-Elf closed his eyes and let his imagination run wild.

The air trembled, and a Giant Robot that looked like a Gandamn appeared behind him. William held Chiffon's hand as a beam of light shot down towards them.

Immediately, the Half-Elf found himself inside a cockpit holding a PayStation Controller in his hands.

The cockpit was a two seater and Chiffon sat snugly behind him. William's eyes glowed with excitement as he pressed the button of his controller. The Gandamn started to move, which made the Half-Elf incredibly excited.

"Okay, let's do this," William grinned like a little boy who had found his favorite toy. "William Von Ainsworth, Launching!"

The Giant Robot's rocket boosters that were located on its back roared to life. It then charged forward like a rocket that was about to go to space.

Marissa and Xanhast looked at the unknown metallic creature in front of them. This was the first time they had seen such a thing, but for some reason, they felt that they would have to take this fight seriously if they wanted to win against William.

Chapter 600: The Smile Of A Devil

Chiffon couldn't understand what was going on.

One minute she was standing beside her Big Brother, the next second she was seated on a chair with a belt that held her in place.

William's chuckle reached her ears as the Gandamn charged fearlessly towards the dozens of Myriad Beasts that he was supposed to fight.

A monster that looked similar to Godzilla roared at the Giant Robot and released a firebreath.

William sneered as he moved the joysticks in his controller, and evaded the monster's attack with ease.

'System, tell me all the weapons that we have right now and how to use them,' William ordered.

< Understood. >

Right now, William was just testing the speed of the Gandamn as he maneuvered in the terrain. Several magical attacks flew in his direction, but he easily dodged all of them. Seeing that their attacks weren't working, the Myriad Beasts decided to engage William in close combat.

It was also at that moment when the System finished analyzing the Giant Robot that William was currently controlling.

< Finished Analyzing Gandamn's Weaponry >

< Beam Sabers >

< Plasma Beam Cannons >

< Railguns >

< Beam Rifle >

< Vulkhans >

< Chest Gatling Guns >

< Homing Missiles >

< Would the host like to synchronize with the Gandamn for maximum performance? >

< Yes / No >

William didn't think twice and agreed with the synchronization. Right after the System successfully established the connection between William and the Gandamn, the red-headed teenager felt like the entire Giant Robot had become his body.

He knew exactly well its capabilities, and the proper usage and range of its weapons. After that brief relay of information in his brain, the smile on William's face widened.

"I've always wanted to try this once," William thought as a seed seemed to sprout in his consciousness. It was some kind of awakening that it was hard to describe.

Immediately, his concentration drastically increased and his senses encompassed the entire battlefield.

The System had automatically "Locked On" the Myriad Beasts that were approaching him and just waiting for William's order.

"Beam Rifle and Railguns, open fire!" William shouted as he pressed the buttons on his controller.

Several laser beams erupted from the Gandamn. The Myriad Beasts had no time to avoid and their heads exploded like watermelons.

"I'm not done yet!" William took out the Gandamn's Beam Sabers and attacked the remaining Myriad Beasts in close combat.

With a slash, he cut off the head of a Black-Scaled Sabertooth Tiger that was five meters tall. The Sabertooth Tiger was fast, but it was not as fast as William's Giant Robot which had rocket boosters attached on its back.

Seeing that her Monster Army was decreasing at an alarming pace, Marissa hurriedly summoned more. She couldn't believe what was happening. In the past, a single Myriad Beast was enough to scare away the players who were unlucky enough to have her as their examiner.

Now, she summoned over thirty Myriad Beasts in order to trample William's and Chiffon's chances of clearing the trial. However, the scene that was playing in front of her eyes was a far cry to what she had envisioned in her mind.

"T-This is not happening," Marissa stuttered. "What is that thing?!"

Xanhast was also in awe of what he was witnessing first hand. This was the first time he was seeing such a thing and it broke his common sense.

However, as the direct descendants of the Colton Family, they couldn't afford to back down. Their battle was being displayed outside of the Trial Grounds, and everyone was able to see the battle in real time.

The Players that had left earlier couldn't stop their mouths from opening wide. Some of them were even paying extra close to William's Gandamn, in the hope that they would be able to create it as well in order to pass their trials.

"Sister, focus on summoning Land Beasts," Xanhast ordered. "I will summon Aerial Beasts."

Marissa wasn't someone that liked being ordered, but right now, she was not in the right state to argue with her brother. She just nodded her head and summoned all the Millennial, and Myriad Beasts that their family had recorded for the past thousands of years.

Soon, over a thousand Beasts appeared on the battlefield. Half of them were flying in the air, and the others were on the ground trying to get as close as possible to the fast moving robot.

Oogwei, Xod, and Yves, who were watching William's and Chiffon's journey, couldn't believe what they were seeing. The cucumber that the little turtle had already bitten fell out of its mouth due to how shocked it was.

The other Guardians were also looking at the Gandamn with fascination. They hadn't seen anything like it even in their own worlds. Because of this, they gave the battle in the Floor of Creation their undivided attention.

If other people were to see the powerful beasts in front of them, they would probably faint. However, William just roared in laughter.

"Good! More target practice!" William pressed the triangle button on his controller and the homing missiles on the Gandamn's back, and feet flew towards their target.

Millennial Beasts?

Myriad Beasts?

So what?

How could they possibly win against high-tier weapons that could even destroy space colonies?

The Gandamn held the two beam rifles in his hand and merged them together, creating the Buster Cannon, which was as strong as a battleship main cannon. The two plasma beam cannons protruding behind the Giant Robot's back also activated and aimed at the monsters in front of it.

"Buster Cannons, Fire!" William roared and three powerful beams of light shot out from the tips of the weapons in his arsenal.

The monsters that the beams hit disintegrated, as well as those that were behind their back. William moved the cannons sideways, and the laser beams decimated everything it hit in a straight line.

Its firepower was truly unbelievable. Perhaps, if William had the Gandamn during the war in the Southern Continent, the Elves wouldn't have stood a chance, even if they had their Guardians with them.

Perhaps, the Immortal Phoenix, Sepheron, would be the only one to survive such destructive power and that was only a possibility.

Marissa and Xanhast had to cover their eyes due to the intensity of the light that almost blinded them.

When the light receded, only ruins remained. All the monsters had vanished leaving only the brother and sister standing in place.

Marissa and Xanhast watched as the Giant Robot landed a few meters away from them. The cockpit on its chest opened up, revealing William with a big smile on his face.

"Please, summon more!" William pleaded. "I still haven't played enough."

Marissa's eyes rolled up into their sockets when she heard William's requests. Creating beasts was no easy feat because it required strong mental power. After summoning hundreds of them, the pretty girl had reached her limit, and William's carefree words gave the finishing blow.

Xanhast hurriedly caught his little sister and sighed internally. He then looked up at the Half-Elf that was smiling down on them.

The eldest son of the current Patriarch of the Colton Clan hadn't seen the Devil Race yet. However, after looking at William's delighted expression, he believed that if the rumored Devil Race existed, they would definitely look like the Half-Elf, whose devilish smile made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Chapter 601: From Now On, Your Name Will Be Optimus

William's and Chiffon's trial had ended, but the Half-Elf refused to leave the trial grounds.

He and the System were busy thinking of ways that they could smuggle the Gandamn off of the Floor of Creation.

After having a taste of piloting the Giant Robot, William was very reluctant to let it go. He was adamant about finding a way to smuggle, or recreate, the Giant Robot, so that he could use it in the outside world.

The System was currently busy analyzing the Law of Creation that managed the 25th Floor. Although the Gandamn was a fictional thing, William believed that there was a possibility that it could be replicated if one knew how the Laws of Creation worked.

Xanhast had already left the trial grounds along with his unconscious sister, Marissa. He had given up trying to convince William to leave and allow the other players to use the trial grounds.

As a compromise, William took the Giant Robot at the very corner of the vast plains, in order to not get in the way of the trial of others.

Frankly, all the players didn't mind this setup because they were still busy analyzing William's robot from afar. They had seen how amazing it was, and even the Patriarch, and Elders of the Colton Family were very interested in it.

< Host, it is impossible to recreate the Laws of Creation. I checked the database to see if it could be done, but the ability to materialize things out of thin air is only exclusive to this Floor. >

'Can we manufacture it then?'

< No. >

William was unwilling to give up. He asked the system to check the God Shop if there was any item that they could use to smuggle the robot off of the 25th floor.

After half an hour of searching, the two still couldn't find a way to make William's wish come true.

Just as the two were about to give up, the three divinities in William's consciousness began to glow. A minute later, a small, yet perfect replica of the Gandamn appeared on top of the CPU Core.

The System's monotonous voice became sharper, and had more life in it. After the changes had been made the Giant Robot faded away, leaving William, and Chiffon, standing right next to each other.

'System, what happened?' William asked. For some reason, a sense of anticipation was bubbling inside his chest.

< The CPU Core has been upgraded to a higher grade. >

< Importing all preferences from home interface. >

The system replied in a tone that reminded William of Aeon Man's artificial intelligence, Jarveez.

< Would you like to bestow a name to the System? >

< Yes / No >

William's eyes widened in shock when he saw the message on his status page.

'System, do you want me to give you a name?'

< Affirmative, Host. Please, give me a name. >

The Half-Elf rubbed his chin as he pondered. The system had been with him since he was young, and it had helped him tremendously in his journey. He had to give it a good name no matter what!

"How about I give you the name The Strongest System?"

< … Host, please take this seriously. Your naming skills suck btw. >

William chuckled because not only did the System's voice changed, its interactions had become more lifelike as well. He liked how snarky it had become.

'How about Eren?'

< No. >

'Lelouch?'

< No. >

'Saitama?'

< No. >

'Gon.'

< Rejected. >

'Gok--'

< No. >

'Pikac-'

< Host, do you want me to electrocute you? >

William scratched his head. Giving names had not always been easy for him, so he was at a loss on what to do. Suddenly, he remembered Truck-Kun that had hit him during the time when he was about to cross to the silver portal that he had chosen.

Because of this incident, William was born in a world that was not his choosing. Even so, the world he was currently living in had given him a wonderful family, friends, and lovers who truly cared about him.

A smile appeared on William's face as he looked at the head of the Gandamn Replica that was talking back to him.

'Optimus,' William said. 'From now on, your name will be Optimus.'

< Optimus…, very well. From now on, you may call me Optimus. >

< System has been bestowed a name. >

< New features added. >

< System's Completion Rate: 3% >

-- All stats increase by 50 points

-- Every time the completion rate reaches a 20% completion marker, all stats will increase by 50 points.

-- Once the Completion Rate reaches 100% the system will be able to unlock its true abilities.

-- Once the Completion Rate reaches 100% all stats will increase by 1000 points.

-- Once the Completion Rate reaches 100% the title "Strongest System" will be unlocked.

The additional features caught William completely by surprise. He didn't expect that his insistence to smuggle the Gandamn would bring out unexpected results.

'Optimus, how do I increase your completion rate?' William inquired. He was very keen to raise Optimus' competition rate as soon as he could. The rewards were quite enticing, and he definitely wouldn't pass up the opportunity to complete it as soon as possible.

< I will grow as the host grows stronger. Whenever the host makes a breakthrough, or passes a certain milestone, the completion rate will also increase. >

'I see.' William crossed his arms over his chest.

Chiffon, who was standing beside William was looking at him in confusion. Her Big Brother had been muttering something every now and then as if he was talking to someone. Also, he would nod his head from time to time as if agreeing to something.

Fortunately, before Chiffon could ask if William was fine, the Half-Elf turned his head to look at her.

"Are you ready to go to the next floor?" William asked with a smile.

"Un!" Chiffon nodded.

As soon as the two held hands, both of them transformed into beams of light that shot towards the sky. A new adventure was about to begin, but they were still several floors away from their goal.

William didn't know how long it would take until they reached the 51st Floor, but he was sure of one thing. Whatever trial was waiting for them there, its difficulty couldn't compare to the previous floors that they had visited.

After all, no one had cleared it for the past thousand years. Although it didn't show on his face, William was feeling anxious. The trials they had undertaken seemed simple, but in reality they were not.

Take the Floor of Partings for example.

If William didn't have the Undying Lands, or the Dungeon of Atlantis, there wouldn't be a way for him to use the loophole that the Laws of the floor held. Chiffon would have been stuck on the 10th Floor and would have to wait for William to pick her up on her way back from the tower.

The same could be said for the Floor of Creation. Fighting hundreds of Myriad Beasts? This was a near impossible feat. William just so happened to know about a Giant Robot which had the capabilities to turn anything beyond the rank of Demigod into ashes.

If not for that, they would be stuck on the 25th Floor due to Marissa's grudge.

Even so, William and Chiffon had no choice but to continue. Their goal was to clear the 51st Floor, and there was nothing he could do about it. Whatever dangers lurked on that floor that had blocked Humanity's advance, he would have to face it head-on, or risk staying on that floor…

Forever.

Chapter 602: Acting High And Mighty Doesn’t Suit your Senile Face

Cheers resounded in the arena as two fighters stood with their weapons drawn.

Prince Jason faced Alinska Lafitte from the Demonic Continent.

The two fighters appraised each other with a critical eye. Anyone that had survived the harsh competition wasn't someone ordinary, and although Prince Jason was arrogant, he knew that he couldn't underestimate the lady that was in front of him.

"Battle Start!" The referee declared as he stepped outside the arena.

Prince Jason raised his sword and Alinska summoned her spear. A second later, both fighters lunged at each other.

Having a longer reach, Alinska unleashed a consecutive barrage of spear thrusts, which forced Prince Jason to take defensive actions.

The attack didn't last long because Alinska noticed something wasn't right. She jumped away from where she stood, just in time to evade a metallic spike that jutted out of the ground.

Prince Jason didn't miss this opportunity and closed the gap between them. He specialized in Metal Magic, just like Wendy, but his technique was more refined than William's lover. In order to prevent Alinska from regaining her stance, several metallic spears materialized in the air and flew in her direction.

The demonic lady sneered as she twirled her spear, creating a purple barrier. The metallic spears pelted it to no avail, but that was only a distraction that Prince Jason created. As soon as he came within strike range, the Prince activated his artifact and slashed the barrier.

At first, many thought that it was a futile attempt, but as soon as the sword touched the barrier, it went through as if the barrier didn't exist.

Alinska didn't expect the turn of events, and hurriedly tried to block the attack, but it was already too late.

With a shout, Prince Jason cut off the Demonic Lady's arm as the latter bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming out loud. She had forced herself to lean to the side and sacrificed her left arm, in order to survive the killing blow that was meant to slice her body in half.

Prince Jason was about to do a follow up attack, but something unexpected happened. The arm that he had just cut off pierced his right shoulder, which broke his momentum.

Alinska screeched and thrust her spear forward, with the intention to stab Prince Jason's chest, destroying his heart in the process.

Princess Vanessa who was watching from the Royal Seats, covered her eyes as a whimper escaped her lips. She didn't dare to look at her beloved's unexpected demise at the hand of the Demonic Lady whom she thought was as good as dead.

No one expected Alinska's counter-attack to be so fierce.

Blood sprayed in the air as the weapon hit its target. A scream filled with pain and disbelief resounded in the arena.

Alinska's spear had grazed Prince Jason's waist, and the Prince's sword was firmly planted on her chest.

"H-How?" Alinska asked as blood spilled at the corner of her lips.

Prince Jason twisted his sword, completely crushing the Demon's heart. Until her last breath, Alinska didn't hear the Prince's reply.

Prince Jason knelt on the ground as he pressed his hand over the wound on his waist. The Demonic Lady's spear was coated in a powerful poison that even a scratch was enough to kill a person in minutes.

Prince Jason forcefully slowed down his blood flow, and tried to slow down the poison from invading his body.

The referee hurriedly declared the end of the match, and several Clerics standing at the side ran towards the arena.

The Head Cleric ran a diagnostic scan on the Prince's body and hissed at his discovery.

"Venom from the Two Horned World Cobra," the Head Cleric immediately administered a powerful cure spell, but he knew that it would only help slow down the poison.

The Two Horned World Cobra was one of the Myriad Beasts that lorded over one of the territories in the Demonic Continent. Its poison was very potent, and the only way to cure it completely was to use the Divinity of the Gods.

"Quick, take him to Aamon's Temple!" the Head Cleric ordered.

The Cleric knew that this was a fruitless task. There was no way that Prince Jason would be able to resist the poison until they arrived at the Temple, but there was nothing he could do. He could only pray that the Emperor wouldn't punish him for his inability to save the Prince's life.

As the Clerics were about to carry their Prince, a cold and commanding voice stopped them in their tracks.

"There's no need to go to the Temple," a beautiful woman with purple hair appeared a few meters away from where they stood. "I will take over from here."

"L-Lady Alina," the Head Cleric stuttered. He didn't expect that the Oracle of Aamon's Temple would be present in the tournament.

Alina ignored the Head Cleric and pressed her hand over Prince Jason's chest. She then closed her eyes and muttered a short prayer for the God that watched over the Kraetor Empire.

"Great Aamon, Our Lord and Guardian, hear my prayer in my troubled hour," Alina prayed reverently. "Renew my strength so I might show the world your greatness. Sustain our Prince with your power, so he may overcome this obstacle.

"I seek this of you, Our Lord and Savior. Absolve our Prince with your infinite mercy!"

A bluish light descended from the heavens and covered Prince Jason's body. When the light receded, Prince Jason's injuries were completely healed. Although his face was still a bit pale, his life was no longer in danger.

The Head Cleric thanked the Oracle as he ordered his subordinates to carry the Prince out of the arena.

'Too bad,' The Demon General, Zagarl Rannath, thought.

The handsome Demon General with gray hair, and two protruding horns on his head leaned on his chair in disappointment.

He was Carter's superior and the one responsible for the plan to abduct the talented young men and women of the Hellan Royal Academy. Unfortunately, his plan failed and two of his trusted subordinates had died in the aftermath.

The Demon General was hoping that the Prince would also die along with their disposable pawn. That way, there would be less competitors, and it would also deal a devastating blow to the Kraetor Royal Family.

Although some of the Emperors, and Kings had gathered in the Kraetor Empire for the competition, that didn't mean that their rivalries had ended.

It was not only Zagarl who felt the same. Several of the Kraetor Empire's rivals, and enemies were disappointed that the Oracle of Aamon was present in the competition. If she wasn't then one of the Princes' would have died, giving them a reason to celebrate.

Some of them glanced at Emperor Leonidas who was seated far from them in the VIP Box that was reserved for the rulers of the Central Continent.

The Emperor had a calm expression on his face. No one could tell what he was thinking, or what he felt at that time.

As if understanding their intentions, Emperor Leonidas smirked as he looked down on the arena.

"Only weaklings and cowards scheme in the dark," the Emperor said with confidence. "These kinds of people will not amount to anything. They will forever be mediocre."

The Emperors, Kings, as well as the Patriarch's of the other influential families were very tempted to spit on the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire. Among all of them, Emperor Leonidas was known as a schemer.

This was why he was given the title of the "Emperor that Stood Above the Clouds".

"Have you no shame, old man?" Empress Andraste wasn't able to take the Kraetor Emperor's words lying down. "You should just retire and wait until the day you kick the bucket. Acting high and mighty doesn't suit your senile face."

Emperor Leonidas chuckled and completely ignored Empress Andraste's outburst. Among the Sovereigns seated near him, the Amazon Empress was one of the handful of people that could openly berate him like this.

After all, the two of them had gone adventuring together when they were still young. They even shared several romantic nights together. It was quite unfortunate that their unions had born no fruit.

This was one of Emperor Leonidas' regrets. The same could be said to the Empress Andraste, who still held some lingering attachment to the man who took all of her firsts. If only a child was born between them then their relationship wouldn't have become distant, as they parted ways to rule their own Empires.

Chapter 603: Prince Maximilian’s Unexpected Move

"This is a surprise," a beautiful elf with light-green hair said with a smile. "You don't look disappointed."

Prince Maximilian grinned as he summoned his Rapier. "Lady McLean, although we quarrel, and treat each other as rivals, the members of our family don't find satisfaction in the death of our kin. I will appreciate it if you remember that."

Pearl McLean nodded her head as she summoned her bow. "I will remember that."

The earlier battle may have ended quickly, but the outcome of the match was something that the spectators didn't expect. One died, and the other one would have also died, if not for the Oracle personally making an appearance.

"Battle Start!" the referee declared.

Immediately, Pearl jumped backwards and her body floated in the air. The Elves were known for their strong magical power, and affinity to Wind and Earth Magic. Some of them specialized in Spirit Magic which allowed them to summon Spirits to aid them in battle.

Unlike all Elves, Pearl was a prodigy that specialized in Wind Magic. She was also Charmaine's older sister.

The reason why she joined the tournament was to find William and ask him to release her sister. Several of the survivors that had returned to the Silvermoon Continent had told her that her sister had been taken hostage, by the Half-Elf who was also the son of the Human Hero and the Saintess.

Pearl was out on a mission when the Elven Expedition sailed to the south. She only knew about the events that transpired there when she returned to the Silvermoon Continent.

Because of this, she begged the Elven Council to allow her to be one of the Elven representatives that would go to the Kraetor Empire and participate in the Tournament of Champions.

The Council approved her request because Pearl was truly one of the most outstanding members of the young generation. However, she had been made to swear an oath to never antagonize William.

Clearly, the Elven Council didn't want to have another confrontation with William after what happened to the Southern Continent.

Pearl released several wind arrows with deadly precision. Although she could only use Wind Magic, her proficiency with it was well beyond the ability of her peers.

If there was a ranking among the young prodigies of the Elven Race, Pearl would be on the Top Five because of her uncanny fighting ability.

Prince Maximilian's face remained calm as he dodged the attacks that were coming at him from different directions. The Elven beauty didn't stay in one location, and flew all over the arena, sending a rain of arrows that showed no mercy.

The Prince dodged, and deflected those that he couldn't dodge. The fight had only been around two minutes when something unexpected happened.

"Okay, you are good," Prince Maximilian said as he dodged an arrow that was aimed at his head. "I concede."

Pearl, who was jumping around the arena, almost lost her balance when she landed on the ground. She was secretly preparing a full-powered attack that was capable of destroying half of the arena once it was unleashed.

However, before she could finish her plan, the Kraetor Prince had already surrendered, which left a complicated feeling in her heart.

"Are you sure you want to surrender?" the referee asked Prince Maximilian for confirmation.

The Prince nodded his head. "Yes. I concede this match. It is Lady McLean's victory."

Prince Maximilian gave the beautiful Elf a curt nod before leaving the arena.

The citizens of the Kraetor Empire didn't react to their Prince's surrender, but the foreign guests were unable to understand why Prince Maximilian gave up on the match.

A few minutes later, Prince Maximillian appeared in the VIP Box reserved for the Kraetor Royal Family.

"It seems that you met someone very formidable, cousin," Princess Vanessa said in a teasing tone.

Prince Maximilian chuckled as he sat beside the girl who had developed a crush on Prince Jason, ever since she was ten years old. Since marrying their relatives was a common practice among the Kraetor Royal Family, no one prevented Princess Vanessa from making advances on Prince Jason.

Unfortunately, the one she loved didn't seem to be too interested in her. Although they could talk normally, and even spent some time alone with each other, the Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire never said, did, or implied, anything that added fuel to Princess Vanessa's infatuation.

Even so, the Princess believed that as long as she endured and persevered, her feelings would reach her beloved, and he would, in turn, return the overflowing feelings she had for him.

"Yes, she is indeed very formidable," Prince Maximilian replied. "If I stayed there for half a minute longer, I would have definitely died. That b*tch intended to take half of the arena with me."

Prince Maximilian's scholarly facade disappeared as he openly cursed Pearl within their VIP Box. This room had been engraved by powerful runes, so he wasn't worried that everything he said would be heard by others.

For him, everyone in the room was family, except for Ian, who was seated beside Princess Sidonie. Even so, he believed that William's retainer was someone that could keep his lips sealed when it came to the secrets of the Kraetor Family.

Prince Darren, the Second Prince, almost choked on the fruit juice he was drinking. Many thought that Prince Maximilian was a strong fighter, but the truth was, he was more of a scholar.

The other Princes' and Princesses' were also alarmed by their cousin's words, because they knew that the eldest among them wasn't someone who liked making excuses.

The Prince was trained to fight using a sword since he was young, which helped cement the citizens' misunderstanding that he was a prodigy that excelled in sword fights.

In reality, the First Prince's sword skills were only average.

However, his true specialty lay in Fire Magic, but this was something that only the members of the Royal Family knew. Prince Maximilian rarely used this skill because it was his trump card. Those who had seen him use his magic had long been erased from the world.

He would not allow anyone to know the secret he was hiding, not only for his sake, but for the sake of the entire Royal Family since the Kraetor Family had a secret hidden in their bloodline.

The reason why the people thought that Prince Maximilian specialized in sword fighting was due to the Prince's inborn blessing, which was clairvoyance.

Prince Maximilian could see the things that would happen in the future. This ability only triggered if his life would be in danger. This was why, among the Princes of the Kraetor Empire, he was the least likely to die in any given situation.

While fighting against Pearl, the Prince saw himself being blasted into pieces by a powerful spell with unknown origins. Since he had no intention of dying, the Prince ate his pride and surrendered.

He would rather live and fight another day, than die and not see another day.

It was a very easy decision to make, and Prince Maximilian chose the most suitable option that would guarantee his life.

With this, the battles within Bracket A had almost been settled.

Emperor Leonidas knew of his grandson's ability, so when the latter chose to surrender, he didn't berate him. In the end, only one Prince would proceed to the next round, so it didn't matter if Prince Maximilian won or not.

Although the last battle was a bit lackluster, there was nothing that anyone could do about it. The next set of matches would be held the next day, and it would be Bracket B's turn to take the spotlight.

Princess Sidonie and Ian were also very interested to see the results of those battles. After all, the one whom they had their eyes on, Kenneth, would be in tomorrow's battle.

The beautiful Princess and her other half hoped that the lucky streak of the Silver-haired pretty boy would end. He was a threat to their happiness, so she wished with everything she had that William's Ex-Roommate would kick the bucket.

Ian knew what Princess Sidonie was thinking and smiled bitterly.

If someone were to ask her if she liked or disliked Kenneth, the answer would be Yes. However, she also felt that the boy really didn't have any malice, or hostility, towards William. It just so happened that he was so tight-lipped about the message he was carrying.

If only Kenneth had said the words that they wanted to hear, the two ladies might have been more than happy to allow him to personally pass his message to William, who was busy challenging the floors of the Tower of Babylon.

Chapter 604: A Thousand Years Of Waiting [Part 1]

After leaving the floor of creation, William and Chiffon appeared in a pure white world. There was nothing to see in this world, only the color white.

William frowned. According to the information he had, the next floor was called the Floor of Waterfalls. It was a floor that had over a thousand waterfalls, and the test would be finding the right waterfall where a treasure was hidden.

However, the world they were in didn't have anything. There was no sky, no scenery, nothing, but only pure white. It didn't take long for him to realize that something was wrong. William pulled Chiffon close to him as he scanned his surroundings.

He didn't want to get caught by unexpected surprises, especially surprises from the Guardians of the Tower of Babylon.

Chiffon clung to her Big Brother's arms while scanning the surroundings. She distinctly felt that something was wrong, but she didn't know what it was.

Two minutes passed in silence before the area above their heads opened up.

Just like a box that had been opened, they saw a blue sky. The sides of the pure white world also collapsed revealing beings that surrounded the two teenagers from every direction.

They came in all shapes and sizes, and some of them looked very alien.

As the two looked around, they recognized two familiar faces.

Xod looked at William as if the Half-Elf had owned him a million gold coins. Oogwei, on the other hand, had a smile on its face. It even waved at William and Chiffon, and the pink-haired girl waved back in return.

As if the last piece of the puzzle fell in place, William finally realized who these beings surrounding them were.

'They are the Guardians of Babylon,' William thought.

"Correct."

A being who looked like a Jellyfish floated in front of William. Its head was purple in color, while its tentacles had the colors of the rainbow.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the Jellyfish said in a calm and soothing voice. "My name is JellyBelle, and I am the Guardian of the 50th Floor of Babylon."

William nodded his head in acknowledgement, "I am William and this girl beside me is Chiffon."

"I know," JellyBelle replied. "Oogwei had already told us a bit about both of you. Tell me, William, what is your reason for climbing this tower?"

The Guardians looked at William with a serious expression. What they were doing right now was against the rules of the Tower. However, after hearing Oogwei's story, all of them convened and made a joint decision.

What is that joint decision?

It was to have a serious talk with William and find out his real reason for climbing the Tower. JellyBelle had the power to read the mind and heart of anyone. No one could beat it when it came to interrogations.

All it needed to do was use one of its rainbow-colored tentacles to pry the answer directly from William's mind. However, since what they were doing now was illegal, it decided to take the pacifist approach and just settled for a dialogue.

This was the first time that all the Guardians below the 50th Floor had brought a player to their domain, and perhaps, there would be no precedence after.

"I came to the Tower with the intention to clear the 51st Floor," William answered.

"And why do you want to clear it?" JellyBelle inquired. "You already know that none have been able to clear it for the past thousand years, and yet, you still want to clear it? Do you know how many have come to challenge that floor? These people are stronger than you.

"In our eyes, you are just an outstanding youth, but that's it. Sure, you may be able to reach my Floor, but it is impossible for you to clear the 51st Floor."

William smiled. He didn't understand why the Guardian of the 50th Floor was telling him these things. In his perspective, the Guardians should remain neutral and not interfere with whatever the players wanted.

However, right now, they kidnapped him and Chiffon. What could this mean? It meant that things weren't so simple. Although JellyBelle seemed to berate William, the tone it used didn't have malice or any kind of hostility.

"It doesn't matter whether I can clear the 51st Floor or not," William stated. "The fact still remains that my purpose for coming here is to go to the Floor of the Devils and conquer it."

"Just where is your confidence coming from? Are you thinking of using your million-strong goblin army to pave the floor for you?" JellyBelle asked in an amused tone.

Several of the Guardians also chuckled. Truthfully, they too, didn't know what was on the 51st Floor.

The 1st Floor up to the 50th Floor were called the Challenger Floors.

The 51st up to the 100th Floor was called the Floors of the Elite.

The Guardians of the Challengers and the Guardians of the Floors of the Elite were separated into different planes.

None of them could interact with each other.

This was why the Guardians didn't know what kind of Challenge was available on the 51st Floor, which had stopped humanity's climb to the top of the Tower.

Truth be told, the Guardians wanted to know what was on the other side. That way, they would know the reason as to why no one had succeeded in the past. Right now, no one dared to climb up to the 51st Floor.

Most of them only wanted to reach the 50th Floor, and the Guardians had already given up on Humanity.

However, William came. If he was only someone that wanted to climb the tower then that was fine. But, he was climbing the tower with the intention of reaching the 51st Floor and clearing it.

To the Guardians this was good news because they could finally use William as their eye, to see what was on the other side of the veil, that even their authority failed to breach. Even so, they must first know if the Half-Elf was really serious in climbing the tower, or if he was just spouting nonsense to make himself look good in their eyes.

"I don't know the reason why you brought me here, and I don't really care," William said as he held Chiffon's hand firmly. "Just like everyone in the tower, I am climbing it for my own reasons. I humbly ask all of you to allow us to proceed to the next floor. People's lives depended on my mission."

JellyBelle floated near William and extended its tentacle towards his forehead.

"Don't move," JellyBelle ordered. "If you cooperate we will let you go unharmed, but if you resist, you will stay here in this place forever."

Although the Guardian's tone was still civil, the aura it radiated would not accept any opposition.

JellyBelle pressed the tip of its tentacle on William's forehead. It didn't care whether the Half-Elf wanted to cooperate or not.

The Guardian of the 50th Floor only wanted to know one thing. It wanted to know if William really had the ability to end the boredom that it felt for the past thousand years.

Chapter 605: A Thousand Years Of Waiting [Part 2]

As soon as the tentacle touched William's forehead, JellyBelle saw a pitch-black world. It turned around and looked at its surroundings, but there was nothing that could be seen but darkness.

"It's not good to invade other people's privacy."

A soft and teasing tone reached JellyBelle's ears which made it quickly look behind it.

The darkness slowly lightened up revealing a throne that was as black as the world it resided in.

Seated on the throne was an otherworldly beauty who was looking at JellyBelle with amusement.

The Guardian of the 50th Floor wasn't able to stop its body from shuddering because it realized the identity of the being it was staring at. The beautiful lady that was seated on the throne was someone that it couldn't afford to offend no matter what.

"Go back, Guardian," the beautiful lady ordered. "You have overstepped your bounds. I don't like bugs laying their hands on my property."

"F-Forgive me," JellyBelle stuttered as it hurriedly cut the connection.

—-

The tentacle had only touched William's forehead for a few seconds before JellyBelle pulled it out. The Jellyfish's body shuddered uncontrollably as if it was hit by an electric shock. A moment later, JellyBelle crashed on the ground as if it had lost its ability to float in the air.

The Guardians became alarmed and JellyBelle's close friends hurried to check its condition. After looking at it upclose they realized that the Jellyfish had lost consciousness.

Oogwei walked towards the unconscious Jellyfish and tapped its head repeatedly with its foot, while chanting a spell. A minute passed, and the Jellyfish's tentacle started to move. It had regained its consciousness, but its body would still shudder from time to time.

William glanced at the Guardian with a confused expression. Earlier, when the tentacle touched his forehead, he felt a shock run through his body. After that, JellyBelle hastily pulled back its tentacle and lost consciousness.

The Guardians at the scene frowned because they didn't understand what was happening. They chose JellyBelle to be their envoy to communicate with William because they trusted its ability to get to the bottom of things.

They never thought that one of the strongest Guardians of Babylon would faint just by touching the red-headed teenager's forehead!

"Y-You!" JellyBelle shakily pointed one of its tentacles in William's direction. "You were sent here by a God?"

"Yes," William replied. "I was sent here by a God to clear the 51st Floor of Babylon. I will greatly appreciate it if you allow me to proceed to the next floor unharmed."

What William and JellyBelle didn't know was they were referring to two different Gods. The Half-Elf was referring to Aamon, while JellyBelle was referring to the Primordial Goddess that it had seen a few minutes ago.

"So that is the case…," JellyBelle's body slowly floated in the air. "You are here under the orders of a God."

The Guardians finally understood why JellyBelle had an intense reaction earlier. If what it said was true then the reason it had received a backlash was due to its attempt to pry against the workings of a God.

"So, what is everyone's decision?" Oogwei asked.

Xod, who had its hands crossed over his chest, answered in a casual manner.

"Since he is under the orders of a God then his intention to go to the 51st Floor and conquer it is genuine," Xod replied. "I believe that the Gods had finally decided to resume the progress of humanity and send this Half-Elf to pave the path for the next Era."

The Guardians nodded in agreement. They too think that this was the will of the Gods. Since that was the case, why was there a need to fight it? Their reason for bringing William in their domain was to give him a chance to directly jump to the 51st Floor in one go.

JellyBelle's duty was to test whether William had the ability to clear the 51st Floor or not. Now that they knew that he was being guided by a God, they were more eager than ever to send him to the Floor of the Devil, which no one had cleared in the past.

JellyBelle, who had just recovered, remained silent. It appraised William from head to foot as if trying to find the reason why THAT Goddess was favoring him.

A few more minutes passed before a sigh escaped JellyBelle's thoughts.

"Fine. As the Guardian of the 50th Floor, I hereby grant you passage to the 51st Floor," JellyBelle raised its tentacle and a ray of light covered William and Chiffon's bodies.

"I have planted a part of my consciousness inside you," JellyBelle commented. "All of us here want to see the 51st floor through your eyes. I wish you goodluck. Know that even though a Goddess is watching over you, that doesn't guarantee any chances of success."

'Goddess?' William thought. 'Is it talking about Lily?'

William wanted to ask JellyBelle what the Goddess looked like, but before he could do that, the world around him had already changed its scenery.

The Half-Elf and the pink-haired girl found themselves standing on a raised platform. In the distance, a massive maze could be seen. The Maze reminded William of the labyrinth that protected the Minotaur Race from outsiders.

'A maze would not be enough to prevent people from clearing this stage,' William thought.

Although mazes were hard to clear. It was not impossible. William didn't believe that humanity failed to advance to the next floor because none of them were able to find the exit of the maze.

While William was thinking of other possibilities as to why no one was able to conquer the floor, a series of notifications appeared in his Status Page which made his eyes widen in shock.

< Connection to the Thousand Beast Domain has been disconnected >

< Connection to the Dungeon of Atlantis has been disconnected >

< Connection to the Goblin Crypt has been disconnected. >

< Connection to the Undying Land has been disconnected >

< The Test of the Devil has started >

Chapter 606: Devil’s Floor [Part 1]

After reading the series of notifications, William became alarmed.

This was the first time that this had happened so he immediately consulted the System to ask what was happening.

'Optimus, what happened?' William inquired.

Ever since the System had an upgrade, its functions had also improved as well.

< Give me a moment, Will. I am currently analyzing the laws of this floor. >

The Half-Elf sighed internally as he gazed at the maze in the distance. Chiffon noticed the subtle changes in William's expression because she had been observing him pretty closely ever since the two of them had started to spend time together.

With a glance, she could tell that something was wrong.

"Big Brother, what happened?" Chiffon asked.

William lightly squeezed her hand before replying.

"We can't go to the Thousand Beast Domain to play for the time being," William answered. "No matter what happens, stay close to me. We will enter the maze in just a few minutes."

"Un!" Chiffon nodded her head.

She had complete trust in William's judgement and simply gazed at the Maze in front of her. Dwarves had an uncanny ability of retracing their steps no matter where they were. It meant that regardless of where they went, they would not get lost in the place since they knew where they had traveled before.

Even if they couldn't find the exit of the dungeon, retracing their steps wasn't a problem. Because of this, Chiffon was confident that they could find the exit of the maze without fail, albeit it would take some time to do so.

For the time being, William decided to have lunch with Chiffon, while Optimus was busy analyzing the notorious floor that no one had conquered before.

An hour later, several system messages appeared in William's Status Page.

< Will, according to my analysis, there is a certain law that prevents any kind of domain from overlapping with this floor. But, rest assured. Our connection with the Thousand Beast Domain, Dungeon of Atlantis, Goblin Crypt, and Undying Lands, are merely disconnected. It will be reconnected the moment we leave this floor. >

William nodded in understanding, 'Thank you. What about the maze? Can you find the exit?'

< No. The mapping system also doesn't work in this place. At most, you can only clear the places that you have travelled on the map. Be careful, Will. I have a bad feeling about this place. >

'Thank you,' William replied. 'I will keep that in mind.'

Even without Optimus' reminder, William had already decided to take this matter seriously. This was not the first time that his Domain had been blocked by a law of the Tower. The Floor of Parting also had similar laws that prevented others from hiding in a domain in order to proceed to the next floor.

If not for the fact that the Undying Lands was governed by its own set of rules, Chiffon might have been left behind when William ascended to the next floor.

After eating, William and Chiffon stepped inside the entrance of the maze. After walking for some time, they came across their first intersection.

"Let's go right first," William said.

"Un." Chiffon nodded her head in agreement.

An hour passed as William and Chiffon entered the maze. Whenever there was an intersection, they would always choose the right path. William gave Chiffon a special marking pen, and the little girl would always write an arrow in the direction that they traveled.

Chiffon found this very interesting and took her job seriously. Meanwhile, William and Optimus were carefully mapping the area that they had traversed. They were looking for signs for any changes in the pattern of the maze.

So far, there were no changes. However, William noticed something strange. In the black area of the map, on the place where the map was not revealed, there were several red spots that blinked unceasingly.

Naturally, these red spots were hostile creatures. The Half-Elf had already anticipated that something like this would happen, but he wasn't worried. The two continued to chart their course until twelve hours had passed.

William frowned when he looked at the map. After twelve hours of walking they had only covered a small area of the map. This just proved how big the maze was. It also made William realize that conquering the 51st Floor in a day was out of the question.

Earlier, he tried to break down the walls to no avail. The walls were protected by the Law of the Guardian, so destroying it was out of the question.

Flying and any other forms of flight were also disabled. After turning into a corner, William saw a blinking red dot that they would come across at the next intersection. This battle was inevitable, and William was also curious on what kind of Monster was waiting for them at the other side.

"Chiffon, wear your gauntlets," William said as he summoned Stormcaller.

The pink-haired girl's expression immediately became serious as she equipped the Devourer's Gauntlets.

Instead of waiting for them to make a right turn, the red blinking spot started moving.

William immediately took a fighting stance, and Chiffon did the same. Their eyes focused on the right intersection where the monster was going to appear.

A few seconds later, a red, frog-like man with a freakishly big head, peeked at the corner of the intersection. Its blood-red eyes stared at William and Chiffon with undisguised hunger. It then gave them a creepy smile, showing a mouth without teeth.

This was the first time that William saw this creature, so he immediately used his appraisal skill to get its information.

—--

< Yara-ma-yha-who >

-- Devouring Vampire

-- Bloodsucker

-- Threat Level: A (Mid)

-- Cannot be added to the herd

– The Yara-ma-yha-who likes to hunt unsuspecting travelers when they least expect it. Although it is only a meter tall, and is very fast and agile. It sucks its victim's blood through their fingertips, while its mouth could devour its prey even if they were ten times its size.

– Once it devours its victim, it will immediately take a nap. After it wakes up from its nap, it will regurgitate its victim and take a nap again.

– The Victim that had been regurgitated would be extremely weak from the loss of blood, and their skin would have a reddish tinge in them. It is advisable that those that had been regurgitated must do any means necessary to escape.

Once the Yara-ma-yha-who wakes up from its nap, it would once again hunt its victim and devour it again. Everytime the victim gets devoured and regurgitated by the The Yara-ma-yha-who, there will be changes in their body.

The victim would become smaller, and their skin redder. It was said that after the Yara-ma-yha-who devours its victim for the fourth time. The next time the Yara-ma-yha-who regurgitates its victim, they would no longer be human, but a Yara-ma-yha-who.

—--

As the Yara-ma-yha-who looked at William and Chiffon, a creepy laugh emerged from its toothless mouth.

Soon, this laughter was followed by a chorus of laughter that came from all over the maze. The red blinking dots on the map were slowly converging towards them. According to William's estimate, there were at least a hundred of them.

"Chiffon, no matter what happens, stay as close to me as possible."

"Understood, Big Brother."

As the red dots drew closer, the laughter of the Yara-ma-yha-who became louder. It had been a very long time since they had sucked the blood of those that were foolish enough to enter the 51st Floor.

This was William's and Chiffon's first battle within the floor that was given the nickname…

Devil's Floor.

Chapter 607: Devil’s Floor [Part 2]

Lightning snaked around William's body as the power of Stormcaller burst forth. He knew that this was a critical time, so he intended to get serious and use the power of his Prestige Class. He hadn't been spending his time idly in the Southern Continent after the war with the Elves.

William knew that he needed more power once he stepped into the Central Continent and didn't stop training his other Job Classes in the Dungeon of Atlantis.

'Optimus, change my Job Class to Ninja.'

< Understood. >

As soon as the Job Class was activated, a dozen clones appeared in front of William. This was the Clone Skill that was available in the Ninja Skill Tree. Ninjas were known for their agile movements, assassination abilities, and ninjitsu.

One of their specialties was to create clones of themselves that aided them in battle.

The Prestige Class Ninja was acquired when William visited the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods. Its requirements were the Geomancer, Stalker, and Archer Job Classes.

The Stalker Job Class was the next form of the Thief Class. As for the Archer Class, William had maxed this Job Class long ago. The Geomancer class had been trained by Ashe, which also allowed it to reach the necessary level requirement.

Two years after the war in the Southern Continent ended, William focused his attention in unlocking the strong Prestige Classes like the Elemental Lord and Ninja to boost his repertoire in battle.

Each clone possessed 50% of Wiliam's strength. However, instead of holding Stormcaller in their hands, they were wielding various weapons.

Five of them were wielding swords called Ninjato, which was the default weapon of the Ninja Clones. The other five held Kama in each hand, while the last two held crossbows.

(A/N: Kama is a form of sickle.)

A dozen clones was the maximum number that William could create right now. If he wanted to have more clones, he would have to upgrade the Ninja Job Class to its final form, Shadow Sovereign.

Although these dozen clones were weaker than William, they gained all the buffs of William's King's Legion, which increased their stats by a good margin. Also, there was another hidden trick to William's close which was…

""Quick Shot War Art Second Form!""

All the clones said in unison. At the same time, dozens of Yara-ma-yha-who, appeared at the path leading towards them. They were so fast and agile that they were able to walk on the wall itself.

The meter-tall Yara-ma-yha-whos opened their disgusting large mouths and jumped at William's clones with the intention to cling on them like a koala. That way, they could wrap their arms around the clone's body, sucking their blood, while their abnormally large mouth would devour their bodies starting from their head.

This scene would be perfect for a horror movie and was guaranteed to make anyone scream in fear. Chiffon was intimidated by their appearances, and numbers. Because of this, she unconsciously took a step backwards. That was how scary the scene was in front of her.

As the Bloodthirsty Devouring little vampires jumped in the air, the clones completed the war art they had prepared in hand.

""Shotgun!""

Powerful Auras erupted from the tip of their weapons and pushed back the approaching Yara-ma-yha-whos including those that had jumped into the air to attack them from above.

William, on the other hand, raised Stormcaller and dozens of lightning bolts erupted from its tip, blasting the disgusting creatures away and severely wounding them.

*Chuckle*

One of the severely injured Yara-ma-yha-who raised its head and grinned. The injuries on its body were healing at a rapid pace, similar to the regeneration abilities of the trollhounds.

William snorted as Stormcaller once again crackled in preparation for the next attack.

His clones followed suit as they, too, prepared to use a more powerful war art to deal with the annoying Yara-ma-yha-whos whose regeneration made them a very annoying enemy to fight.

""Quick Shot War Art Fourth Form!""

William and his clones roared.

""Grand Bazooka!""

A loud explosion echoed within the maze as the Yara-ma-yha-whos cried out in pain from the attack that had torn their bodies apart.

Since the passage was not that wide, the effect of the Grand Bazooka was quite profound. All the Yara-ma-yha-whos who had attacked William were all blasted into bits.

William frowned because he noticed that the pieces of flesh on the ground started to wriggle. He had a very bad premonition, so he decided to obliterate them again for the second time.

However, before he could even do anything, Chiffon stepped forward and opened her mouth. The wriggling pieces of flesh were helplessly sucked inside her mouth, making them unable to reform their bodies.

The surviving Yara-ma-yha-whos who saw this scene instantly panicked and ran away in fear. They were creatures who specialized in sucking the blood of others, and devouring them whole.

However, when they saw Chiffon do the same, their survival instincts kicked in. All of them chose to flee. They were not afraid of getting injured, or blasted into pieces because they could still regenerate and re-attach their bodies.

But, if they were devoured then that would be their end. This was why, instead of confronting the pink-haired girl, they chose to escape for the time being.

The maze had several other creatures in it aside from the Yara-ma-yha-who, so the little critters were confident that they would have their revenge. Soon, their chuckle once again echoed within the maze, making Chiffon cling to William's arm in fright.

The Half-Elf sighed because he knew that this was only the beginning. There were blinking red dots on the map that were bigger than the Yara-ma-yha-who. The annoying little devouring vampires were troublesome enough, William only hoped that they would not encounter stronger monsters.

He was sure that the opportunistic little bastards would pay close attention to them, and wait for the right opportunity to go in for the kill.

"Let's return to that dead end we found a little while ago," William said. "It is not safe to travel right now. We need some rest."

Chiffon was still shaken from the encounter, so she just nodded her head, while clinging to William's arm.

They didn't know that at the center of the maze, someone was paying close attention to their every move.

That being licked his lips in anticipation as he waited for his guests to arrive at his location. Even from that distance, it could hear the sound of William's and Chiffon's heartbeats.

"Yes. This is what I want to hear." the being chuckled as it focused on Chiffon's loudly beating heart. "The heart of someone with a strong Divinity. I can't wait to pierce your chest, and take that small and innocent heart of yours from your body."

The being once again chuckled as it resisted the temptation. He needed to ensure that his two guests would reach the center of the maze first. That way, he could start the real Trial of the 51st Floor.

A trial that would make the hearts of his prey, succulent and sumptuous. Hearts that he would eat, in order to break the seal that bound him inside the Tower of Babylon.

Chapter 608: I Will Bulldoze My Way Through

William and Chiffon retraced their steps to return to the dead end that they had seen a while ago.

After the battle against the Yara-ma-yha-whos, The Half-Elf knew that they couldn't continue to push forward for the time being. Hundreds of blinking dots had already arrived at the area, that was just outside the black fog that covered the map in his status page.

Along the way, William used his Runemaster Job Class to place traps on the floors, and walls, that lead towards their destination. Some of the Yara-ma-yha-whos were quite impatient and followed them as they retreated, triggering the traps.

The little vampires cried out in pain as they hastily retreated. Although they had a fast regeneration ability, the power of lightning decreased the speed of their recovery. Also, the lightning traps were very painful, which made the Yara-ma-yha-whos very hesitant to follow William and Chiffon.

Their creepy chuckles spread across the maze like the cacklings of hyenas, who were encircling the prey that they had chosen.

"Sleep, don't mind them," William said as he softly patted Chiffon's head.

Chiffon didn't move because William's touch calmed her down. However, she was still worried about the Yara-ma-yha-who whose chuckles were growing in fervor.

"How about you, Big Brother?" Chiffon inquired. "Are you not going to sleep?"

William smiled, "I will sleep later. Don't worry, I will wake you up when it's your turn for watch duty."

The pink-haired girl reluctantly nodded her head before leaning her head on William's chest.

Both of them were seated with their backs against the wall. Although this was not a comfortable position to sleep in, the two had no choice but to adjust due to their current situation.

William created a sound proofing spell and applied it to Chiffon's ears. This way, the little girl wouldn't be too bothered by the creepy chuckles that resounded within the maze of the 51st Floor.

Several explosions could be heard in the distance. Clearly, some of the Yara-ma-yha-whos decided to try once again, and stepped up on William's traps.

'Optimus, do me a favor and alert me right away when they go past the danger zone,' William said. 'I will also rest. I leave the watch duty to you.'

< Affirmative. >

Just like Chiffon, William was very tired as well. He knew that in order to break out of their current situation, he needed to be properly rested in order to react to any kind of situation.

A few hours passed, and the defensive line that William had set was slowly being chipped away by the relentless little vampires. Due to their vast numbers, they were taking turns in clearing the lightning mines that the Half-Elf had set beforehand.

The System was paying close attention to the little critters to ensure that they wouldn't be able to sneak attack the two teenagers who were fast asleep.

A few hours passed, before William was awoken abruptly by the System.

< Will, they're here. >

William opened his eyes and dispelled the sound proofing spell on Chiffon's ears. He then lightly shook the girl who was drooling on his chest.

"Chiffon, wake up," William said as he stared at the blinking red dots that were only a few hundred meters away from them. "We have company."

Chiffon opened her eyes, but she was still half asleep. However, her drowsiness disappeared instantly when she heard the familiar chuckling sounds of the Yara-ma-yha-whos.

The pink-haired girl immediately stood up and equipped her gauntlets. Although she was still fearful of the creepy, little vampires, she knew that fighting them was inevitable.

William took a step forward and took a deep breath. He had already consulted with Optimus earlier that their chances of advancing on the maze, littered with thousands of Yara-ma-yha-whos, was not ideal.

Sure, they could defeat them, but they would just keep on coming back. William had a nagging feeling that these thousands of little vampires were once the challengers who had come to the 51st Floor with the hope of conquering it.

He estimated that those below the rank of Adamantium (Centennial Rank) had all turned into Yara-ma-yha-whos. Those who were stronger might have transformed into more frightful beings, which represented the big red dots on the map.

According to Optimus' estimate, the Yara-ma-yha-whos in the maze numbered in the hundreds of thousands, while the red dots numbered in the thousands.

It was clear that this was an uphill battle with no end in sight. This wouldn't have been a problem if William could summon his army. Unfortunately, that option was ruled out, so he had to do what was needed in order for him and Chiffon to survive.

Although 98% of the map in his status page was still covered in black fog, something could be seen at its center.

A small, stationary, golden rectangle could be seen at the center of the map. Although William and Optimus didn't know what it was, both of them guessed that it was something important.

'According to your calculations, how high is the chance for that golden rectangle to be the exit of this maze?' William inquired.

< 53% >

William narrowed his eyes as he came to a decision.

Finding the exit using normal means was not possible. They would have to deal with the Yara-ma-yha-whos constant harassment, and that would be an exhausting experience. Also, it greatly increased the risk of them being overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

After careful deliberation, William decided to take a chance. He didn't know if the plan he had in mind would work. But, he would rather try than fight a losing battle of attrition.

Chiffon unconsciously took a deep breath when a few small heads poked at the corner of the intersection.

Three Yara-ma-yha-whos, looked at William and Chiffon before chuckling. A few seconds later, more of them appeared , instantly blocking the only path that they could take.

"Chiffon, I will bulldoze my way through," William said. "Stick to me, and don't get left behind."

Chiffon nodded, "Understood."

William summoned a metallic golden staff in his hand as he took a step forward. He then pointed its tip towards the snickering little bastards who were staring at them with hunger.

"Break all the walls that stand before me!" William roared. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

Chapter 609: Such A Waste Of Good Genes

Ruyi Jingu Bang extended and increased its size.

The Yara-ma-yha-whos who had already entered the pathway shrieked as the tip of the golden staff, smashed unto their bodies until it slammed on the wall of the intersection.

William could feel a powerful resistance that was resisting Ruyi Jingu Bang's blow. He knew that it was the laws of the world that prevented the destruction of the walls of the maze.

However, what was Ruyi Jingu Bang?

It was a weapon that could increase its length, size, and weight.

William roared as he continued to increase Ruyi Jingu Bang's size. It was at that moment when several cracks appeared on the wall that had already turned the little vampires into meat paste.

With a loud crack, the wall finally collapsed. The Half-Elf didn't relent and charged forward. The weapon in his hand answered his call and glowed brightly. All the walls in front of them were smashed to pieces.

"Chiffon!"

"Un!"

William and Chiffon ran as fast as they could as the Half-Elf used Ruyi Jingu Bang as a battering ram.

Immediately, the blinking red dots in the map were alerted and immediately swarmed towards them.

William decreased Ruyi Jingu Bang's length, but not its width. If you look at this scene from afar, it would appear that the red-headed teenager was holding a giant bazooka.

"Quick Shot War Arts, First Form!" William shouted. "Destroy everything in your path!"

"Railgun!"

A powerful explosion took place that sent William skidding tens of meters from where he stood. The recoil of the attack made his body creak as the bones on his arms cracked.

The Half-Elf endured the pain and began running. Sun Wukong was one of the most indestructible beings in creation. Although his bones had cracked, they were healing at a very rapid rate.

Meanwhile, all the monsters that had flooded the destroyed walls were obliterated to bits. This included the larger beasts that looked like a Cockatrice, that were rumored to have the ability to turn living creatures into stone.

Although William had destroyed the first wave of monsters, more came. He plucked out a few strands of his hair and blew on them, creating clones.

The clones' roles were to only protect them from the monster attacks, while William's role was to keep smashing the walls until they reached the center of the maze.

William was forcefully breaking the laws of the domain using Ruyi Jingu Bang, but this also came at a price. The duration of his Heroic Avatar was being sapped quite quickly.

With a loud shout, the Half-Elf smashed the final wall that blocked their way.

Chiffon's eyes widened when she saw what seemed to be a giant red oak tree. At its center, a rectangular red portal shone eerily.

"Chiffon," William said as he held her hand. "Let's go."

"Yes," Chiffon replied as she firmly held William's hand.

Thousands of monsters were rushing behind them, so the two didn't think twice and ran towards the red portal.

As soon as their bodies passed through it, a devilish chuckle echoed within the maze of the 51st Floor.

The chuckle sounded amused, and was even filled with anticipation.

After hearing this chuckle, the monsters stopped their advance and dispersed as if nothing had happened. The broken walls that William had smashed slowly returned to its original state. A few minutes later, all the traces of the battle disappeared.

The only thing that remained was the devilish laughter that belonged to the Lord of the Devil's Floor.

—---

Meanwhile, in the Kraetor Empire…

Kenneth had just defeated his opponent, which made him one of the final contestants in his division. Right now, his final opponent was Eleazar Blackthorn who was lucky enough to get the free pass on the ballot draw, due to having an uneven number of participants.

As he walked down the arena, he glanced at the lightly-tanned young lady, who was wearing light-weight leather armor.

The lady returned his gaze with a smirk that seemed to be asking, "What are you looking at?"

Kenneth averted his gaze as he walked towards the seats that were reserved for the contestants of the tournament. He didn't want to create any trouble during his stay because it would only complicate his mission.

Lilith snorted as he turned her gaze back at the arena. For her, Kenneth was too delicate looking to match her preferences. As an Amazon who was looking for a potential partner, looks, bearing, and strength was important.

'He is strong, but too girly looking,' Lilith thought. 'Such a waste of good genes.'

The young Amazon shook her head lightly as she walked towards the arena. Her opponent was not a stranger to her. They had met several times when she was exploring dungeons and domains, and every time they met, they would always battle each other.

"My Dear Lilith, tell me, are we perhaps fated to be together?" Ged asked with a smile. "I don't know why the two of us always ended up fighting each other, but, there must be a deeper meaning to this, yes?"

Ged was well-known as the bastard prince of the Tenser Empire. He refused to get the surname of the Royal Family and settled for her mother's family name, which was Walker. This earned him the scorn of the Royal Family, but none of them dared to do anything underhanded to the bold teenager.

The Emperor favored him because of his fighting prowess, and allowed him to attain some degree of freedom. Although everyone called him a bastard, he was still recognized as a Prince by one of the powerful Empires that stood in the Central Continent.

Lilith chuckled as she nodded her head in agreement. "You're not bad, Ged. Your looks, and physique are passable, but you are a softie inside. You know that I don't like softies."

"How bold of you to assume that I have an interest in you." Ged crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "Having you as a wife or concubine will be the death of me."

"Don't be like that. If I don't really find a suitable partner, I will consider you as my last resort."

"Should I be honored then?"

"You should."

Ged shook his head because they had already had this conversation countless times before. Lilith was a beauty, even among the Amazons, but Ged only thought of her as a good friend. Aside from her good looks, Ged abhorred her vices like gambling and theft.

What he wanted was a loyal and virtuous lady, and not a powder keg that could blow up at any moment.

"Well then, how about we have a bet for old times sake?" Lilith asked as she summoned a short sword and a shield.

Ged summoned a two handed sword and made a few casual swings. "Go on. I'm listening."

"If I win, you become my servant for a month," Lilith stated. "If you win, I'll be your servant for a month. Do we have a deal?"

"Only on the condition that neither of us will have the authority to auction or sell each other in order to gain profit," Ged replied.

"Tsk!"

"You never change, Lilith."

After that light banter, the two clashed at the center of the arena, leaving the referee dumbfounded.

"I still haven't said the start of the battle," the referee muttered helplessly.

To his credit, no one paid attention to him and only focused their gazes at the two combatants who were exchanging blows with sneers on their faces.

Chapter 610: You Can Stop Daydreaming

Lilith and Ged exchanged several blows that rang across the stadium.

Both of them had a firm grasp on each other's fighting ability. They had already fought against each other so many times in the past, and most of their Trump Cards were known to each other.

Empress Andraste sighed as she looked at her daughter, duking it out with the handsome boy that came from their rival Empire. The Tenser Empire and the Amazon Empire weren't really at odds at each other.

Both Empress Andraste, and Emperor Eugene of the Tenser Empire, do their best to not antagonize each other. The Emperor even joked at the Empress that he would give his blessings if Lilith were to drag Ged back to the capital of the Amazon Race.

Because of this, there was a time when Empress Andraste urged Lilith to drag Ged back to their Empire, but the latter refused it. The Amazon Princess would always say that Ged was not fit to become a mate of any of their warriors because he was a softie.

In truth, Empress Andraste didn't know if Lilith and Ged had the possibility of being a couple. The two of them would always bicker, and fight, but their battles were not a fight to the death.

The Amazon Empress felt like Lilith was only using Ged as a reserve candidate, just in case she didn't find a man that matched her taste. Truth be told, she had a feeling that Ged just treated her daughter as a naughty little sister, who was at loggerheads with her older brother.

'Well, if it is meant to be then it is meant to be,' Empress Andraste thought as she leaned back on her chair. 'Maybe I should just kidnap the boy and bring him back to our Empire by force. Let's see if my daughter will react then.'

As the Amazon Empress was busy concocting a kidnapping plan in her head, the battle in the arena was starting to heat up.

"The Amazon Princess is living up to her reputation," Evexius said softly beside Emperor Leonidas. "Prince Ged has also improved a lot. I think he is now stronger than Prince Jason. If the two of them meet in the finals, our Prince would have a hard time if he fought him in close combat."

Emperor Leonidas nodded his head. Currently, the remaining participants--who had not been eliminated--in the tournament were the strongest members of the young generation. Anyone of them could become the champion.

While it is true that Prince Ged was stronger than Prince Jason when it came to physical prowess, the Prince of the Kraetor Empire relies more on technique and strategy to get what he wants.

After five-full minutes of non-stop attack and defense, the two fighters pulled back at the same time.

"You've improved quite a bit, Lilith," Ged praised.

"And you didn't." Lilith chuckled. "Looks like you are destined to become my servant for a month. I've missed your cooking, make sure to not disappoint me later."

"You can stop daydreaming."

"Me? Daydreaming? What a joke. I want to eat steak tonight, medium rare is best."

Ged didn't answer. Instead, he lowered his double handed sword, with its tip pointing towards the ground in front of him.

When Lilith saw this, the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced with a serious expression. She knew that Ged was now about to get serious, and the play time was over.

The Amazon Princess tapped her round shield twice with her sword. Sharp blades protruded at the corners of her shield, which could easily cut flesh like a sword. The short sword in her hand glowed golden as light particles emitted from her body.

"It has been a while since I've seen the Dance of the Fireflies," Ged said softly. "Let's end this properly, Lilith."

The Amazon Princess took a fighting stance as she prepared to strike. The two fighters faced each other as if they had agreed beforehand to end this battle with their next attack.

The audience held their breaths, as they waited for the outcome of the match.

Without any warning, both fighters disappeared from where they stood. A few seconds later, a blinding light erupted at the center of the arena, forcing most of the spectators to cover their eyes.

Empress Andraste's gaze didn't leave the two fighters. After seeing the result of the clash, her hand clenched into a fist.

'You underestimated your opponent, Lilith,' Empress Andraste sighed.

The other veterans shared her opinion. They were the ones that weren't fazed by the brilliant light that surrounded both fighters.

Ged's sword had pierced through Lilith's right shoulder, which made the Amazon's face tighten. Her sword had also fallen on the ground, and with the condition of her arm, it would be impossible for her to pick it back.

"Looks like this is the end," Ged commented.

"Yeah," Lilith agreed. "It's my win."

Lilith's bladed round shield was pressed on Ged's neck. A trickle of blood had already stained its blade. If the Amazon Princess was to push it a little more, the young man's neck would have a large gush in the next second.

Ged pulled back and released the grip on his sword. Just like Lilith had said, it was indeed her win. The Amazon Princess had incredible flexibility, which enabled her to twist her body at the last second, preventing a lethal injury.

"I concede, you are the victor of this match."

"Okay, that's now 128 wins and 127 losses. Remember, prepare my steak tonight. I want medium rare."

"..."

The Clerics rushed up to the arena and deftly pulled out the sword on Lilith's shoulder. They then healed their injury and gave her a few potions to drink to increase her speed of recovery.

Emperor Leonidas applauded, and the rest followed suit. Deep inside, he was feeling depressed. Truth be told, he wanted William to participate in the tournament.

He had seen him fight alongside with his army, but it wasn't enough to assess his overall strength. It was quite unfortunate that the Half-Elf had to leave the Kraetor Empire because of their Patron God's quest.

The Emperor knew why Prince Jason joined the tournament and what he would wish for if he won. Frankly, Emperor Leonidas had already thought of his answer if his grandson were to wish for what he had in mind.

For now, he tossed the idea at the side of his head. In order for that to happen, Prince Jason must win first.

'I'll cross that bridge when I get there,' Emperor Leonidas mused as his gaze landed on his granddaughter who was seated in the VIP seats reserved for their family.

He had received several marriage requests for Princess Sidonie, not only in the Kraetor Empire, but in the surrounding Empires as well. However, he rejected them all. His granddaughter had already made up her mind, but the Emperor didn't know if this was the best for her.

Emperor Leonidas was planning to use the tournament to know if William was truly a capable person. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to see the aces hidden in the Half-Elf's sleeves.

Aces that he was quite interested to see.

Chapter 611: Afterall, We Are Family, Right?

Ashe cradled Princess Sidonie's head on her chest, as the latter panted for breath.

Both of them were currently inside the Thousand Beast Domain because the princess' sin was acting up again. Unfortunately, there was no news of William and where he had gone.

No matter how much the two called out to him, no reply came back to them. It didn't take long for the two young ladies to realize that something might have happened to William during his climb inside the tower.

Left with no choice, Ashe took the role of absorbing Princess Sidonie's surging Divinity into her body. Ever since William had gone to the tower, the Half-Elf had designated his Incubus Job Class to Ashe as a countermeasure, just in case he wasn't around when Princess Sidonie's Divinity went out of control.

Naturally, this Job Class changed into the Succubus Job Class when Ashe took on her Mermaid Form. However, since this was an incomplete Job Class, William and Ashe didn't grow any horns, tails, or wings on their bodies.

Even so, the power they wielded was enough to use the basic function of the Incubus and Succubus Job Classes without fail.

As the power of Lust was absorbed by the gem on Ashe's chest, Sidonie's breathing became smoother, but her face was still pale.

After an hour, the princess finally regained full control of her body.

"Thank you, Ashe," Princess Sidonie said weakly. "I'm glad you were here to take care of me."

"There's no need to thank me," Ashe replied. "I can't possibly turn a blind eye when you are clearly suffering."

Ashe sighed internally as she calmed the power that she had absorbed. The power of a Divinity wasn't easy to control. Only William, who had the aid of the System, could easily store this power inside his body as a sort of battery for future use.

Ashe was different. She was a mermaid, and was a complete novice when it came to dealing with these kinds of things. Her forte lay in spirit control, and the power of Lust was not an easy power she could tame from the get go.

Both of them were covered in sweat, so they decided to take a bath together. After they were done, they returned to the bedroom.

Princess Sidonie knew that Ashe was having trouble in dealing with the power that she had absorbed, so she decided to lend her a hand.

Ashe didn't resist, because she had been with the princess everytime they made love with William. Because of this, the barrier between the two of them had already crumbled. This was something that the Half-Elf had encouraged, because he preferred to make love with the two beautiful girls at the same time.

Soon, the two ladies rolled on the bed, as Princess Sidonie helped Ashe find relief. This was the only thing she could do to ensure that her friend would not be overwhelmed by the power of Lust.

—--

Meanwhile, back in the Tower of Babylon…

Chiffon opened her eyes and found herself in a very familiar room. This was a place that she had been to several years ago.

A place that filled her with dread.

Suddenly the door in the room opened up, and a handsome boy with green hair entered. There was a devilish grin on his face, which made Chiffon unconsciously shudder. Truth be told, the pink-haired girl was very afraid of this person.

She wished more than anything else that she wouldn't get the opportunity to see him again.

"What's wrong, little sister?" the green-haired boy asked. His blood-red eyes stared at Chiffon with ridicule. "Are you hungry? Don't worry, I will take you to a place where you can eat your fill."

Chiffon unconsciously stepped back as she shook her head. "N-No. I'm not hungry."

The green-haired boy paused for a minute before laughing.

"Little sister, how can you not be hungry?" the green-haired boy asked in a teasing tone. "You haven't eaten anything in two days. You don't have to lie to me. As your big brother, it is my duty to ensure that you eat until you are full.

"N-No. I'm not really hungry. Big Brother Felix, you don't have to take me anywhere."

"Oh? Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"I'm not hungry."

As if mocking her attempt at lying, a gurgling sound resounded inside the room. Felix laughed once again as Chiffon's stomach growled in hunger.

"Let's go." Felix grabbed her hand, not carrying whether she wanted to go with him or not. "Time for you to eat."

Felix was Chiffon's half-brother. They were born from different mothers, and had the same father.

The pink-haired girl also had several other brothers and sisters. Some were older than her, some were younger than her. However, all of them shared the same attitude when it came to Chiffon.

All of them treated her like trash.

Felix dragged Chiffon to the forest that was just outside their manor. It was a villa that their family used for lodging during hunting season. Naturally, the forest was nearby, so that they didn't need to travel far in order to hunt their prey.

After half an hour, the two arrived at a small clearing inside the forest.

There, over a dozen boys and girls chatted happily.

"I brought her with me," Felix announced as he pushed Chiffon forward. "She's very hungry. I hope that all of you will help our sister eat as much as she can. After all, we are all family, right?"

The boys and girls laughed and voiced their agreement.

Chiffon clenched her fist as she lowered her head.

'Why? Why is this happening?!' Chiffon panicked internally. 'Just a minute ago, I was with Big Brother Wi…'

Chiffon paused. The name she was about to say was stuck at the tip of her tongue. She tried to recall her Big Brother's name, but whenever she did, only a blurry image appeared inside her head.

All she could remember was the color of his hair and eyes. However, even those two things were starting to become blurry as well.

"What's wrong?" Felix inquired as he once again pushed Chiffon's body.

Because of the sudden push, Chiffon fell down on the ground.

Everyone around her laughed when they saw the scene in front of their eyes. Their laughter drowned out the memory that Chiffon was trying so hard to hold unto. A memory that she didn't want to let go, no matter what.

"Everyone, our sister is very hungry," Felix raised his hand with a wicked grin. "Come on. Let's shower Chiffon with our love."

"Alright!"

"I've prepared for this day."

"Heh! I even went to the small village nearby to help our sister get something to eat."

"Oh? How kind of you. I only found some rotting food in the kitchen."

As if the floodgates had been opened, Chiffon's brothers and sisters opened their storage rings and showered her with an assortment of trash that they had gathered over the past two days.

Rotten eggs, fishbones, dead mice, insects, bones, pieces of flesh, animal droppings that they found in the forest, and many other things both disgusting and mundane.

The pink-haired girl was covered in filth from head to foot, but this didn't cause her despair. The one thing she was worried about was the fleeting memory that was slowly, and surely, slipping out of her grasp.

Chapter 612: The Future Belongs To Me

An old woman looked up at what seemed to be a big red bubble floating on the sky.

Inside that bubble, two teenagers floated. The old woman had a nasty smile on her face as she observed the color of the red crystal that hovered above Chiffon's heart.

Right now, a small glow could be seen at its center. This was the proof that Chiffon's Heart Devil was slowly taking hold of her heart. Once the entire crystal was filled with a radiant glow, it then would start to crack.

This meant that the person's heart had lost to their Heart Devil and was now ready for the final phase. The Guardian that governed the 51st Floor liked to eat hearts. He especially liked the hearts of innocent people because they had a very rich and overpowering taste.

However, the Guardian had discovered a much better way to make the taste of people's hearts extra special. Once they had lost to their Heart Devil, the Guardian would grant that person's deepest desire and satisfy that person's wish.

That way, their already delicious hearts would become richer, and would give him more power once he consumed them.

They had already known that Chiffon was a holder of a powerful Divinity. Although they didn't know what this Divinity was, they really weren't too bothered about it. She was not the first one that was born with this priceless treasure.

There had been many others who had succumbed to the Heart Demons and ended up in the Guardian's hands. Their powers had long become part of his body.

"Just one more Divinity and his Excellency will be able to break through the laws that bind him to this tower," the old woman said softly. "You should be honored, Child. Your heart will give birth to a God that will rule this world. Worry not, before you draw your last breath, your deepest desire will be granted. Isn't my Lord benevolent?"

The old woman chuckled before setting her eyes on William who was floating right beside Chiffon.

"Well, this boy is not bad," the old woman muttered. "I guess, I can ask his Excellency to bestow you to me as a reward for serving him for the past hundred years."

The old woman grinned showing her yellowish teeth.

"All the men here have turned into those disgusting Yara-ma-yha-whos and cockatrices. It has been so many years since I saw a decent looking young man, you will have to satisfy me for now until we are able to leave the tower."

The two teenagers were unaware of what was happening in their surroundings. Their consciousnesses were currently trapped within the second trial of the 51st Floor. Truthfully, the reason why no one had been able to clear the Devil's Floor was due to the Guardian.

As the God that ruled over the floor, no one was his match. This allowed him to manipulate the laws according to his wishes and make the trial very difficult to clear. Even if someone were to clear the trial, they would still need his approval to proceed to the next floor.

This was why no one had been able to succeed. The Guardian of the 51st Floor had done the taboo and ate the hearts of the players that had stepped onto his floor.

Supposedly, Guardians shouldn't actively participate in the trials of their respective floors. However, the administrator of the floor was an exception because he was a very malevolent being.

The moment he became the Sovereign of the Devil's Floor, the result had already been set in stone.

Up above the sky, two eyes were looking fondly at the pink-haired girl, whose heart was screaming in fear, pain, and anxiety. The glow of the red-crystal was becoming stronger by the minute, but the Guardian knew that it would still take anywhere from three days to a week before the heart he desired was finally ready.

He had already waited for over a thousand years, he could afford to wait a few more days. All he wanted to do was to sink his teeth into Chiffon's heart that contained a piece of Divinity.

For the past thousand years, he had already collected twenty-three Divinities. Each of them gave him enormous power. Now that another Divinity was presented to him, he was certain that once he left the tower, no one would be his match!

As for the girl's companion, he hadn't sensed anything from his body. For him, William was just an ordinary Half-Elf. Even the power he showed earlier wasn't anything special.

His servant had already requested that the Half-Elf be given to her. Since that was the case, the Guardian readily agreed and promised to give the red-headed teenager to her as a reward.

Why should he care about a mere Half-Elf? The only thing he cared about was the adorable, pink-haired girl, whom he had set his eyes on from the very start.

—--

A day passed, and Prince Jason woke up inside his room.

His injury had already been healed, and there were no other side effects of the poison inside his body.

He walked towards the balcony of his room and gazed upon the sunrise in the distance.

Today was the last day of the quarter finals. If he won his fight today, he would proceed to the semi-finals, which would only be a step away from realizing his goal.

He caressed the bracelet on his right hand. This was the artifact that was given to him by the Oracle. It was his Trump Card in the tournament. If possible, he didn't want to use it and leave it as a secret weapon when he stepped into the finals.

However, his last battle made him realize that he couldn't underestimate his opponents. If not for the fact that the Oracle was also in the Grand Arena, he would have perished under the hands of the deadly poison from the Demonic Continent.

"It doesn't matter who I face," Prince Jason muttered. "I will be the Champion of this tournament."

A sneer appeared on his face when he remembered the red-headed teenager who had suddenly disappeared from the academy. Prince Jason had long wanted to have a one on one battle with William to show everyone that he wasn't anything special.

In his mind, the Half-Elf only won the war due to the Undead Army.

He was only strong because he had an ability that allowed him to jump ranks and become as powerful as a Saint.

Prince Jason believed that now that they were on equal footing, he would be able to prove that he was a better warrior. He would be able to prove that he was a better man.

Someone that others should look up to with fear and respect.

That he was the person that deserved to be surrounded by riches and beauties, and the only person who had the qualification to pin down the seductive Princess from the Southern Continent on his bed. He vowed that after he won the tournament, he would stake his claim and make his cousin his bride.

"It's your fault for running away, Half-Elf," Prince Jason smiled. He then raised his right hand as if trying to grab the sun that was rising in the East. "The future belongs to me!"

Chapter 613: Humans Are Truly Despicable

When the sun shone at its Zenith, the Grand Coliseum of the Kraetor Empire opened its doors.

Tens of thousands of people took their seats as they waited with bated breath for the end of the Quarter-Finals. This will be the last hurdle before the Semi-Finals. The gambling houses were in full swing as they accepted the bets of those who wished to try their luck in the tournament.

They looked at the finalists in each bracket and weighed the pros and cons of their decisions. In the end, all of the remaining contestants were said to be the strongest among the young generation, and it was hard for anyone to make a decision.

Naturally, the Kraetor Empire was a bit biased when it came to their own Prince. Right now, all the bets were placed in favor of Prince Jason, while a few individuals decided to pin their hopes on the beautiful elf, Pearl McLean.

Bracket A

-- Prince Jason

-- Pearl McLean

Bracket B

-- Kenneth Xin Ashleigh

-- Eleazar Blackthorn

Bracket C

-- Ephemera Fortuna

-- Silvanus Rahl

Bracket D

-- Lilith Lynn

-- Luther Luna

—--

Prince Jason stepped on the arena and raised his fist. The cheer of the Kraetorians resounded like thunder as they gave their full support to the remaining representative of their Empire.

Luna entered the arena with a confident smile on her face. Even though she wasn't the crowd favorite, none of that mattered to her. Her goal in coming to the Kraetor Empire was to force William to free her sister.

It was quite unfortunate that the Half-Elf was nowhere to be seen, so her initial plan was thrown out of the window. However, she still intended to win the tournament. The Silvermoon Continent wanted to regain their face on the world stage. As an Elf, it was her duty to bring glory to her race.

She could always ask the Kraetor Emperor to use his influence to force William to release her sister. This way, her trip to the Human Empire wouldn't be in vain.

The referee glanced at both combatants and nodded his head.

"The two of you already know the rules," the referee said. "Are both of you ready?"

Prince Jason raised his hand in a gesture to pause the start of the match.

"Why don't we make this fight more interesting?" Prince Jason commented with a smile. "How about the two of us have a bet. If I win you will b–"

"There's no need," Pearl interrupted Prince Jason's words with her own. "I'm not interested in your bet because you don't have the power, or the authority to grant me my request."

The smile on Prince Jason's face stiffened when he heard the beautiful Elf's statement.

"You're questioning my power and authority in my own Empire?" Prince Jason asked with a sneer. "How bold of you. Well then, why don't you tell me what you want and I'll tell you whether I can grant it or not."

Pearl returned Prince Jason's sneer before answering his question.

"William Von Ainsworth took my sister captive," Pearl replied. "Do you have the power and authority to give her back her freedom?"

Prince Jason used all of his willpower to keep the smile on his face. He was aware that William had taken several Elves with him back in the Southern Continent. His relationship with William was like oil and water. The mere thought of asking the Half-Elf for a favor was enough to make his skin crawl.

"Well, can you do it?" Pearl took a step forward. Her voice was filled with ridicule and contempt.

Prince Jason nodded, "Of course I can. I am the Prince of this Empire. There are very few things that I cannot do."

Prince Jason couldn't afford to lose face in front of his people. He had to act bold and confident because he would definitely lose face if he backed down. Even though he was sure that William wouldn't release Pearl's sister if he was the one to talk to him, he still gave Pearl a positive answer.

He would just worry about the Half-Elf once he returned to the Empire. For now, it was more important to show the Emperor that he wasn't afraid of his love rival.

The corner of Emperor Leonidas' lips rose. Sometimes, it was important to learn the art of bluffing because it could give you the advantage in a negotiation.

Unfortunately, Pearl didn't bite and only shook her head helplessly.

'A man who is lusting over the fiance of another man cannot be trusted,' Pearl thought as she summoned her bow. 'Humans are truly despicable.'

Seeing that the Elf had no intention of accepting his bet, Prince Jason summoned his sword and prepared for battle.

The referee glanced at the two fighters before raising his hand.

"Fight!"

Both combatants immediately reinforced their bodies using their auras and spells.

Just like she did during the battle against Prince Maximilian, Pearl jumped around the arena while showering Prince Jason with a hail of arrows.

The Prince of the Kraetor Empire calmly deflected and dodged her attacks as she closed the distance between them.

Prince Maximilian who was watching the battle along with the other Princes and Princesses, frowned. This was the same style that Pearl had used against him, and his power of clairvoyance watched her each and every move.

In Prince Jason's vision, the two fighters in the arena had clashed several times, before Pearl unleashed her Trump Card that was enough to destroy half of the arena. This attack was also the reason why Prince Maximilian decided to surrender.

As he watched the battle unfold, the scene that he was dreading came into fruition. Pearl had unleashed a powerful attack, leaving no place for Prince Jason to escape.

Prince Maximilian increased the power of his clairvoyance, but the result astounded him. He couldn't see past the point when Pearl had unleashed her attack.

No matter how hard he tried, the Prince wasn't able to see the outcome of the battle. It was as if there was some kind of power that was blocking his ability to see the future.

Originally, Prince Jason could only use this ability for things that were going to happen to him. But, if he paid a price, he would also be able to see the future of others, albeit for a short period of time.

'This is my limit,' Prince Maximilian sighed as he stopped the use of his ability. Blood seeped at the corner of his lips, but he quickly wiped it with his handkerchief.

"What's wrong, cousin?" Princess Vanessa asked. "Are you not feeling well?"

Prince Maximilian patted her hand to assure her that he was alright. He didn't dare open his mouth because he could still taste the blood. If his cousin saw this, she might start to panic, so he decided to just act as if nothing had happened and focused on the battle that was currently happening in the arena.

Princess Vanessa frowned, but didn't say anything else. She once again returned her gaze to the arena where her beloved was having an intense battle against the beautiful elf who was hopping, and flying around the arena like a pesky grasshopper.

A few seconds later, the scene that Prince Maximilian had seen using his ability came to pass.

Pearl jumped high up in the air as the arrow on her bow glowed brightly.

"Air that flies freely in the world, eradicate those who stand in your way!" Pearl shouted as she released the arrow in her hand.

"Aero Annihilation!"

Chapter 614: I Will Set You Free

A powerful blast of air descended from the skies.

Prince Jason's sixth sense screamed at him to dodge it at all cost. However, no matter where he went, he would still be within the range of the attack.

The Prince knew that now was a moment of life and death, so he decided to activate the bracelet on his wrist.

A powerful explosion shook the arena. A cloud of dust rose up in the air, preventing everyone from seeing the outcome of Pearl's powerful attack. The Emperors, Kings, and Patriarch's, who were at their respective seats, narrowed their eyes.

Empress Andraste shook her head before speaking out her thoughts.

"Maybe we should have added in the rules that these kinds of artifacts must not be allowed in the tournament," Empress Andraste said. "This is considered cheating."

The other rulers nodded their heads in agreement before glancing at the Emperor who hosted the event.

Empress Leonidas' face remained calm as he gazed down at the arena. "We can always add this to the rule later. Right now, it is too late to change anything."

Empress Andrasted nodded her head. She was one of the people that had drafted the rules of the tournament. None of them had anticipated the use of such artifacts, so it wasn't included in the rule book.

The other Sovereigns exchanged glances at each other, but there was nothing they could do about it. It was a loophole that they didn't foresee. As the host of the tournament, Emperor Leonidas had taken a hands off policy in the drafting of the rules. This meant that he was innocent and the current circumstance couldn't be blamed on him.

The Demon General, Zagarl, snorted to show his stand on the matter. Deep down, he was disappointed because Prince Jason didn't die. Now that the Prince had activated his Trump Card, the outcome of the match was set in stone.

A powerful aura dispersed the dust cloud from the arena. Just like Prince Maximilian had predicted, half of the arena was destroyed. But, there was one thing he wasn't able to predict.

Standing at the destroyed part of the arena was Prince Jason. He was wearing crimson colored full-plate armor that was strong enough to withstand Pearl's devastating attack.

"Despicable Human Prince!" Pearl's face contorted in rage. "So this is why you wanted to have a bet with me. Compared to that brat named William, you're nothing but a piece of trash!"

Prince Jason was feeling a surge of power inside his body and decided to enjoy the pleasurable feeling. However, his opponent had spoken something he didn't like and it soured his mood. What he hated the most was to be compared to William.

For him, the Half-Elf was a thorn in his side that wouldn't disappear no matter how hard he tried to pull it out. Now that he was being called a piece of trash, he no longer planned to show any mercy to the beautiful Elf whom he planned to humiliate in front of everyone.

Prince Jason took a step forward, and instantly appeared two meters away from Pearl. The beautiful elf gritted her teeth as she attempted to jump backwards.

It was quite unfortunate that the Prince's hand was able to grab her arm first, preventing her from jumping away.

With a loud cracking sound, the bones on Pearl's arm broke. The Elf bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming out loud.

Behind the crimson helmet covering his face, Prince Jason was sneering.

"You b*tch, I'll make sure that you will regret comparing me to that Half-Elf bastard!" Prince Jason pulled back his arm with the intention of punching Pearl's stomach to make her kneel in front of him.

However, before he could execute his plan, someone grabbed his hand, preventing him from punching the Elven beauty.

"That's enough, Your Highness," Evexius said with a smile. "This round goes to you."

Prince Jason didn't know why Evexius stopped him from teaching the Elven girl a lesson. However, the look that the Grand Archmage of the Kraetor Empire was giving him made him feel that something was terribly wrong.

Because of this, he decided to play along to better understand the situation.

The Prince glanced up to where the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire was seated. He wanted to know why someone interfered in the middle of his match.

Emperor Leonidas stared down at him. His expression was calm as if there was nothing in the world that could move him. But, this same expression was enough to tell Prince Jason that he could no longer do anything to his opponent, whose arm was now currently being treated by the medics of the Kraetor Empire.

"Let's go, Your Highness," Evexius commented. "The other matches still need to be held. We are hogging the spotlight right now."

Prince Jason snorted as he turned around to walk towards the exit of the arena. The crimson armor that covered his body receded, and once again turned into a bracelet that hung on his right wrist.

"The winner of this battle is Prince Jason!" The referee announced.

Although the audience was confused on what happened inside the arena, they still applauded Prince Jason for winning and proceeding to the Semifinal Rounds. Only the elite warriors were aware of what had transpired, and they felt that the Prince had won unfairly.

Even so, they kept mum about it. It was not their place to scold the Prince for using an underhanded trick to win the tournament. They just pitied the Elven beauty who was being escorted outside the arena.

Pearl saw Kenneth standing not far from her, and decided to walk in his direction. She passed by him, but before she did, she said something that only the silver-haired teenage boy could hear.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Pearl said as she passed Kenneth. "Take the win for our race. Use whatever means necessary to accomplish our goal."

Kenneth didn't give her any answer. Instead, he walked towards the arena because it was his turn to fight next.

Pearl glanced at his retreating back with complicated feelings before heading towards the resting area. Although she lost, she planned to watch the tournament until the end.

Kenneth was the only remaining candidate of the Elven Race. Originally, she wanted to become the champion of the tournament. It was quite unfortunate that her goal was crushed by the Prince who shamelessly used an artifact to drastically increase his defenses, and boost his rank to the peak of the Mortal Realm.

Pearl was frustrated, but she understood that she couldn't make any waves within the Kraetor Empire. The only thing she could do was wait.

Wait for Kenneth to win, and wait for the son of the Saintess to return. While Pearl was pondering about these things, a soft but firm voice reached her sensitive ears.

"Don't worry. I will win."

Kenneth stepped inside the arena with a determined look on his face. He vowed that he would break Princess Sidonie's engagement with William, and he would carry it out without fail.

'Don't worry, Will,' Kenneth thought as he unsheathed the shortsword from his scabbard. 'I will set you free.'

—--

Chapter 615: A Past That Was Left Behind

Chiffon dragged her weary body to a small house near the villa. Her clothes were all dirty, and her body felt wet and sticky.

Just as she crossed the living room, a light cough reached her ears.

"Chiffon, you are back," a small, and beautiful lady with pink hair said as she walked towards Chiffon. Her eyes looked over at her daughter, and her heart ached on what she saw. "Let's go to the bathroom first. I haven't taken a bath as well, let's bathe together."

Another cough escaped the lady's lips after finishing her sentence. Clearly, she wasn't feeling well, but seeing her daughter in that state hurt her more than her sickness.

"Mama," Chiffon reached out and hugged her mother. A few seconds later, she started sobbing. It was as if she was venting all of her grievances to the one person that truly cared for her.

April, Chiffon's mother, hugged her back.

She didn't care that her daughter was dirty.

She didn't care that her daughter stunk.

What she cared about was that her beloved child was hurting and, as her mother, she would stay by her side regardless of her current state.

After a few minutes, Chiffon finally regained her calm. She allowed herself to be taken to the bathroom, and be cleaned up by her mother.

April used a small bucket to pour water on her daughter's head. After that, she used soap and water to clean her from head to foot.

She would cough from time to time while doing this, but she didn't care. After ensuring that she had properly cleaned every nook and cranny of Chiffon's body, she washed her with water.

"Mama, let me help you, too," Chiffon offered.

April nodded. "You can wash my back. I can handle the rest."

"Un!" Chiffon held the soap firmly in her hand and helped her mother clean her back.

The two spent a good amount of time in the bathroom, before they emerged wearing bath towels on their bodies.

Chiffon hummed as her mother helped dry her hair using a hand towel.

"You're going to be twelve soon, Chiffon," April said. "A few more years and you will be old enough to marry. I wish I could see that day."

After saying these words, April had a coughing fit that alarmed Chiffon.

The pink-haired girl immediately helped rub her mother's back in order to help ease her discomfort.

When April's cough subsided, Chiffon sat beside her. She was still worried about her mother, but the latter just gave her a hug and kissed her forehead.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," April assured her.

Chiffon was still worried about her mother, but since April said that she was fine, she decided to believe her.

"Mama, what do you mean old enough to marry? What is marry?" Chiffon asked.

April lightly tapped her forehead because she had forgotten that Chiffon was still too young to understand what marriage means. In the end, she decided to explain this to her properly, instead of leaving it to her Half-Brothers, and Half-Sisters, whose only aim was to make Chiffon suffer.

"Marriage is a ceremony where you say your vows to someone you love. Once this is done, both of you will be partners for life."

April sighed as she looked in the distance. It was as if she was reminiscing about a memory of the past. A past where she thought that she had found her true love. A love that would make her the happiest dwarf in the world.

"I hope that you will find someone who will truly love you," April said as she patted Chiffon's head. "Someone who will never leave your side in times of happiness as well as hardship."

Chiffon vaguely understood what April was trying to say. However, she was still too young to fully comprehend it.

"Mama, did Papa and you marry?" Chiffon inquired.

April's body stiffened before she once again had a coughing fit. Chiffon hurriedly patted her mother's back once more to help ease her suffering.

After a few minutes, April sighed and hugged Chiffon close to her.

"Your father and I didn't marry," April replied. "He… he chose not to marry me because of political reasons. You don't have to worry about this. Even if I didn't marry your father, I am very happy to have given birth to you. For me, you are my treasure. My one and only baby in this world."

April tightened her hug, which made Chiffon feel warm and happy inside. She couldn't see her mother often because April was considered an outcast. Earlier, Chiffon had to beg the guard stationed on the door of the house to allow her to see her mother.

Out of disgust, the guard allowed her inside just so her stench would go away.

Chiffon still didn't understand why she couldn't live with her mother, but April said that she was already happy if Chiffon visited her from time to time.

The pink-haired little girl stayed with her mother till the next day. In truth, she didn't want to return to the villa because she was afraid that she would get bullied again by her half brother and sisters.

Her father had many wives, and all of them treated Chiffon with scorn. Just like her mother, Chiffon was treated as an outcast. A freak of nature that had a disgusting Divinity that allowed her to eat anything.

The pink-haired girl's father turned a blind eye to the harassment that Chiffon and her mother suffered at the hands of his wives, sons, and daughters. If there had been any love between April and him in the past, that love had long disappeared without a trace.

All that was left was disappointment and regret.

Disappointment because April didn't bear him a son.

Regret because April couldn't give birth to another child because of her condition.

In her father's eyes, they were merely baggage from the past.

A past that he had long left behind.

Chapter 616: A Mother’s Final Request [Part 1]

A group of beautiful women chatted in the garden located at the side of the villa. They were the other wives of Chiffon's father, and they were talking about random things in the Demonic Continent.

After a while, they saw Chiffon walking back to the villa from the small house where her mother was housed.

One of the ladies clicked her tongue in disgust, "I still don't understand why our husband still keeps that woman around. He should just toss her to the desert and let her fend for herself."

The other ladies around her chuckled and nodded their heads in agreement. All of them were rivals, but Chiffon's mother was a thorn that they had long wanted to get rid of these past few years.

April was their husband's first lover. If he married her, she would have become the main wife and first among all of them. Fortunately, the Demonic Council opposed his idea, so Chiffon's mother didn't gain a noble title.

All of them were very happy with this set-up, but deep inside, they still felt worried that their husband would once again rekindle the love that he had for April and make her one of his legal wives.

The ladies exchanged a knowing glance as a plan formed inside their heads.

Luciel, their husband, and Chiffon's father, was currently out on a hunting trip along with his subordinates. The only ones in the villa were their guards. If they were to make a move on April, now was the perfect opportunity to do so.

However, they needed a valid excuse to do it. Although they didn't say it out loud, they were afraid that Luciel would get angry if they made a move on April, while he was away.

Luciel's first legally married wife, Natasha, narrowed her eyes. She was the daughter of one of the Dukes in the Demon Continent who supported Luciel's reign. Because of this, her authority was the highest among his wives, and everyone followed her orders without fail.

"Our husband won't be back for three more days," Natasha commented. "If any of you can come up with a good plan about how to deal with April, I am willing to lend an ear. Naturally, all of you are required to participate once the plan is set in motion."

"Of course, Big Sister. We will give you our full support."

"As long as we can make that April suffer, I am willing to cooperate."

The other ladies voiced their agreement. Although all of them didn't get along well, they were united in their hatred for April. They still thought that having a dwarf as one of their husband's lovers was a stain in their reputation.

"I thought of a good plan," one of the ladies said with a smile. "We will be able to punish both mother and daughter at the same time."

"Oh? Let us hear it then!"

"Go on. Don't leave us hanging."

Natasha lightly brushed her long, light-green hair with her hands, before making a gesture for her compatriot to tell them her plan. If it was really as good as she claimed it to be then they would definitely act on it without fail.

While the ladies were talking, there was someone who heard their conversation from above their heads.

William's consciousness had somehow merged with Chiffon's consciousness.

He had seen how Chiffon was treated by her half brother and sisters.

He had seen April and how much she loved her daughter.

He had heard how Chiffon's step mothers came up with a plan to make the mother and daughter pair suffer.

William gnashed his teeth in anger and his hands balled into fists. However, he was powerless to do anything.

It was as if he was watching a movie as a spectator. No matter what he did, nothing happened. He couldn't contact Optimus, he couldn't use his skills, and he couldn't talk to Chiffon. After several tries, William gave up and observed Chiffon's childhood.

William made sure to remember the names of Chiffon's father and stepmothers. He vowed that when he visited the Demonic Continent, he would give all of them a piece of his mind.

The next day, Chiffon was dragged by her half-siblings to the garden to play dodgeball. Of course, this wasn't an ordinary game because they were using a special artifact that Natasha had secretly lent to her son, Felix.

The children were split into two teams, and the game began as Felix threw the ball at Chiffon's team, and eliminated them one by one.

Of course, they didn't aim for Chiffon at the beginning. They saved her for last because the children had already been told secretly by their mothers about the plan that they had come up with a day ago.

Finally, only Chiffon was left on her team because everyone had been eliminated.

Felix grinned and threw the ball towards Chiffon in a casual manner. The ball flew very slowly, so Chiffon decided to catch it.

When Chiffon caught the ball, a cry of pain escaped her lips because the ball suddenly became very hot. It was as if she had caught a big lump of coal that had just recently begun burning in a fireplace.

Chiffon immediately let go of the ball. She then tearfully inspected her hands in order to see the damage she had taken, but to her surprise, her hand was perfectly fine. Aside from the pain she was feeling, there were no visible injuries that could be seen anywhere.

"What's wrong?" Felix asked. "It's your team's turn to hit us. What are you standing there around for? Hurry up and go to your position!"

Chiffon almost jumped up in fright because of Felix's yell. She hurriedly went to the spot that was reserved for her and waited for the game to begin.

The siblings exchanged a glance at each other and sniggered. It was now time for the second phase of their plan.

The game began and Felix's team deftly dodged the balls that were thrown at them. Every time it was Chiffon's turn to throw the ball, she would feel a searing pain in her hands. This caused her to throw the ball haphazardly which made her siblings burst out in laughter.

The ladies who were watching them from afar chuckled among themselves because they fully knew what was happening to Chiffon.

In the end, Felix's team was eliminated and it was now their turn to throw the ball at Chiffon's team. Just like always, they saved Chiffon for last.

Felix sneered as he threw the ball at Chiffon. This time, he didn't hold anything back and threw the ball with all of his might.

Chiffon was about to dodge to the side when suddenly, the speed of the ball increased. It then hit her squarely on the chest, which sent her flying a few meters in the air. Felix had activated the special ability of the artifact that increased its speed and made the ball twenty times heavier.

Everything happened so fast that Chiffon had no idea what happened. The pain in her chest made it hard for her to breathe. Several of her ribs had been broken, so every time she drew breath, she would feel a stinging pain that made breathing difficult for her.

Blood seeped at the corner of her lips, and tears came out of her eyes. It was at this moment when a scream was heard in the distance.

April had witnessed Chiffon getting hit by the ball and was shocked at what happened next. As a fighter, she realized that the ball was not an ordinary ball, but an artifact that could also be used as a weapon. This realization filled her with anger as she ran towards her daughter to check her condition.

"M-Mama," Chiffon cried out weakly. She was in great pain, and wished for her mother to make the pain go away.

April ran towards her darling daughter with tears in her eyes. She was feeling murderous right now, and had the strong urge to kill Felix with her bare hands. However, she knew that the guards who were watching by her side would prevent her from doing that.

Since that was the case, she rushed towards her daughter who was currently in pain. April would do everything in her power to save Chiffon, even if the price she had to pay was her own life.

Chapter 617: A Mother’s Final Request [Part 2]

"I'm here," April held Chiffon's hand as she channeled her power towards her daughter's body.

April had dual abilities. She could control the Earth Element as well as Spiritual Power. She harnessed the power of nature and used it to heal Chiffon's injuries.

She rarely used this power because this was not her specialty. However, after seeing how much her daughter was suffering, April decided to heal her injuries with utmost care.

As she used her powers, the miasma that had remained dormant inside her body resurfaced. This was the reason why she was ill all the time. Her strength was slowly being sapped away by the miasma, and all she could do was to hold it at bay.

After seeing Chiffon's state, April ignored her own hardship and used her power to heal her daughter, allowing the miasma to rampage inside her body.

Chiffon's injuries were slowly recovering, and yet April's own injuries were getting worse.

Natasha saw this scene and laughed internally. She knew that April was barely keeping the miasma in her body at bay. If she were to use her powers again, there would be no turning back. This was the plan that they had concocted, so that they wouldn't be blamed if anything happened to her.

Black blood spilled at the corner of April's lips as she endured the pain in her body.

Chiffon was not aware that her mother was currently suffering. Right now, the pink-haired little girl was being cradled by the Spirit of Nature that specialized in healing.

It was easy to mend broken bones, and flesh, but treating miasma wasn't something that Healing Magic could cure. Only powerful Oracles could use the power of Restoration to drive the miasma out of a person's body.

Unfortunately, the Demonic Continent didn't have an Oracle that sided with Lucien. All of them rejected his request to cure April many years ago. What Lucien didn't know was that Natasha was responsible for this rejection.

She couldn't allow April to regain her health and threaten her position as Lucien's first wife. Fortunately for her, the most powerful of the Oracles was part of her family's faction. The other Oracles belonged to the factions of Luciel's other wives.

None of them wanted to see April's rise, so they all united together to strangle her chance of survival.

After the healing ended, April spat a mouthful of black blood. Several black marks appeared on her skin, and they wiggled like little snakes that were crawling all over her body.

April gritted her teeth as she endured the miasma that was tearing her body apart. Chiffon's injuries were now fully healed. She was about to thank her mother when she noticed that April's expressions were very pale.

Also the black lines that were appearing on her body were slowly increasing.

Alarmed by what was happening, Chiffon clung to April and cried. April gathered all of her willpower and forcefully suppressed the miasma inside her body.

Several minutes passed and the black lines on April's body disappeared. However, her complexion was as pale as a candle. Chiffon supported her body and took her back to the house where April stayed.

"Mama, we're here, you're going to be fine," Chiffon said while sobbing.

April was too weak to say anything. Instead she just squeezed her daughter's hand firmly to show that she was fine.

"Mama, I read books in the library and found out about what marriage meant," Chiffon said. For some reason, something was telling her that she needed to keep her mother awake at all cost. She remembered what her mother mentioned in passing, so she used this topic to talk to her.

April only smiled and weakly nodded her head.

"I'm still too young to marry, so Mama needs to watch over me and pick my future husband," Chiffon said. "Help me find someone better than Papa. Someone who will not leave me alone and toss me to the side."

A tear escaped April's lips as she squeezed Chiffon's hand. She could feel her life force slipping away from her body, and knew that her time had finally come. She looked at her pitiful daughter and felt her heart ache, not from the pain of the miasma, but the pain of leaving her behind to fend for herself.

"Mama, how many grandchildren do you like?" Chiffon asked. She was too young to realize that her mother was already at death's door. However, her instinct was telling her that she had to keep talking. She had to keep her mother awake at all costs.

"Two is good," April forced herself to reply to her daughter's inquiry.

"Okay! I will have two children."

"I can't wait to meet them."

April wasn't able to stop the tears from falling. As her life was about to reach its end, she prayed. She prayed to any God that could hear her to have pity on her beloved daughter.

William who was watching beside them felt his heart breaking. Somehow, he could hear April's prayer that came from her heart.

"Chiffon…"

"Mama?"

"I love you."

"Un! I love you too, Mama!"

April then turned her head to the side.

"Take care of her," April said. "Please, take care of my daughter."

William didn't know if this was just a coincidence, but April was facing him. You could even say that April was looking straight at him. It was as if she could see William's soul.

"I… I will take care of her," William replied with uncertainty. "I promise."

"Thank you." April smiled before she closed her eyes.

William and Chiffon felt a gentle breeze pass through them.

Suddenly, the black lines on April's body resurfaced. They covered her entire body until all of her turned pitch black.

"Mama?" Chiffon felt the grip of her mother's hand slacken and immediately realized that something wasn't right. "Mama, what's wrong?"

The pink-haired girl looked at the black lady who was lying on the bed. Chiffon shook her mother lightly, but April no longer reacted. Only the smile on her face remained. Perhaps it was due to William's assurance, or perhaps it was her last attempt to assure her daughter that everything was going to be fine.

She remained smiling, until the end.

It was at this moment when the door of the room suddenly opened.

Natasha and her cohorts entered with gloating faces. They had sensed April's passing, but they still decided to take a better look to ensure that their rival was indeed dead.

After seeing the black, dead, Dwarf on the bed, Natasha sneered and even spat on her body.

"Good riddance!" Natasha said with contempt. "Guards, take Chiffon away and lock her up in her room. I will deal with this dead body myself!"

Chiffon, who was suddenly grabbed on both arms, panicked.

"Let me go! My mother is not dead!" Chiffon cried out. "She's just sleeping! She even said that she wanted to see her grandchildren!"

Natasha ignored her and went towards the bed. She then kicked April's body, causing the deceased Dwarf to fall off from the bed.

"Noooo! What are you doing?!" Chiffon shouted in anger. "Mama! Stop kicking Mama!"

Natasha and Luciel's other wives kept on kicking April's body, as if they were venting all the frustration they had held back all these years.

"Stop it!" William roared in anger. "Do you not have any respect towards the dead?!"

William even attempted to kick the ladies, but his attacks just passed through them. Although he knew that it was useless, his anger didn't allow him to sit idly.

"Nooooooooo! Mama!" Chiffon shouted.

She struggled and struggled, but the guards held her firmly in their grasp. A few minutes later, Chiffon stopped struggling as she lost consciousness. She wasn't able to take what Natasha and her cohorts were doing to her mother, all she knew was that, at that point in time, her anger reached its limit and her world descended into darkness.

In the real world, the glow inside the crystal that was floating above Chiffon's chest increased. Her Heart Devil was slowly taking hold of her heart and body.

The old woman who was observing her and William chuckled.

"A few more days, and this little girl's heart will reach its limit," the old woman said with a devilish smile on her wrinkled face. "She will be the final sacrifice that we need to gain our freedom. Finally, we can leave this wretched place."

Up above the heavens, a sinister chuckle was heard. The Guardian of the floor agreed with his subordinate. It was only a matter of days before his thousand-years of waiting would meet its end.

As long as he succeeded in absorbing Chiffon's heart and Divinity, no one would be able to stand in his way.

Chapter 618: Justice Always Wins

Eleazar's demonic head fell on the arena amidst the cheering of the crowd.

The representative from the Demonic Continent had crossed many people because of his unmerciful display during the tournament. All the opponents he faced in battle were killed, which made the family and friends of the contestants out for his blood.

Unlike his previous battles, Kenneth didn't have an easy time because Eleazar was indeed a very powerful fighter. As a representative of the demon race that was bred for slaughter, the elf had no choice but to end the match as soon as possible.

Kenneth didn't allow Eleazar to use his dirty tricks and other underhanded methods. The crowds applauded the elf for killing the Demon whom they wished to kill with their own hands.

Zagarl looked unperturbed even when the last candidate from the Demon Continent died. This demeanor made the rulers of the Central Continent frown. They had long noticed the seeming indifferent attitude of the Demonic General in regards to the young prodigy of the Demon Race.

It was as if they were just sending cannon fodders, instead of prodigies to participate in the Tournament of Champions.

Even Emperor Leonidas thought that something was wrong, but there was no way to pry any answers from Zagarl. As the right hand man of the Demon Lord, he was not someone that was easy to deal with.

After Kenneth's Victory, two of the main divisions finally had their semifinalists.

—--

Bracket A

– Jason Hal Kraetor

Bracket B

– Kenneth Xin Ashleigh

—--

After a ten-minute break, the fighters of Bracket C walked towards their battling stage.

Ephemera Fortuna stood tall at the center of the arena. She was one of the crowd favorites that hailed from the Gunnar Federation.

The Gunnar Federation was composed of several kingdoms that had united under one banner, which gave birth to the only Federation in the world of Hestia.

Her birth country was the Kingdom of Edelweiss. It was a kingdom known to foster Magic Swordsmen who specialized in both swordplay and various types of magic.

Her opponent, Sylvanus Rah, hailed from the Dwarven Empire known as the Halle Empire. Among the various Empires in the Central Continent, no one could beat them when it came to craftsmanship.

Weapons, armor, artifacts, accessories, and other miscellaneous items that came from the Halle Empire were hot commodities in the Central Continent. No one dared to attack them because the dwarves were notorious for their advanced military weaponry.

They had made entire mountains their fortresses, and their ferocity in battle was recognized by all the races that shared their borders.

Sylvanus raised a giant hammer that was at least twice the size of his body. With just a glance, one could tell that it was a very deadly weapon that could crush boulders with a single strike.

Some of the audience hoped that the beauty from the Gunner Federation wouldn't suffer too much at the hands of the dwarf who had a confident smile on his face.

"Girl, why don't you surrender now?" Sylvanus asked. "I'm not confident that I will be able to hold back once I start swinging my hammer."

Ephemera smiled at the dwarf who was showing concern for her.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have to pass," Ephemera replied. "Feel free to swing your hammer as much as you like. Even if I die, my family or my people will not find any trouble for you."

Sylvanus sighed and nodded his head. Since his offer was rejected then there was no other choice but to fight.

Ephemera pulled out the Rapier from her scabbard. The thin golden blade was quite eye-catching. Those who didn't have an eye for weapons would think that the beautiful lady's weapon was just for show. However, those who were veterans in the battlefield could tell that this blade had already claimed countless lives.

It was not a sword for special ceremonies, but a true sword meant for killing.

Sylvanus' expression became serious when he saw Ephemera's sword. In the previous matches, she only used an ordinary rapier as her weapon. For her to take out her soul-bound weapon meant that she was taking this fight seriously.

The judge glanced at both participants and raised his hand.

"Battle Start!" the referee shouted before retreating outside of the arena.

Sylvanus slammed his hammer on the ground, and something unexpected happened. The tiles under his feet rose up in the air and transformed into an Earth Dragon that was over ten meters long.

"Gaia Force!" Sylvanus roared.

The Earth Dragon opened its mouth and released a concentrated ball of Earth Energy.

The referee made several hand seals and five barriers surrounding the arena appeared simultaneously. He had estimated that this particular attack could be blown out of proportion, and might endanger the audience's lives.

Although several protective measures were set in place, they didn't want to take any chances and opted for the safest option.

Ephemera stood straight like a sword as the Energy Blast that looked like a miniature sun descended upon her.

"Exterminegra Imperfi!" Ephemera shouted as she slashed forward.

The golden blade shone brightly. A few moments later, a giant sword that was over six-meters long sliced the Earth Dragon's attack in half.

A powerful explosion resounded within the arena as the barriers took the brunt of the attack.

Ephemera's long purple hair fluttered in the breeze, and her light-red eyes glowed in power. She had a determined look on her face, which made her beauty shine even more.

Sylvanus smirked as he slammed the ground with his hammer for the second time. Just like what happened earlier, another Earth Dragon formed above the dwarven prodigy.

"Gaia Tempest!" Sylvanus ordered.

The two Earth Dragons floated high above the arena before unleashing two Dragon Breaths that were imbued with Earth Spikes.

"Deflectundis Angelegra," Ephemera calmly chanted as she took a defensive position. The Giant Golden Sword transformed into a four-layered, golden shield that was over three meters tall.

The collision between the dragon breaths and the shield caused another powerful explosion.

The ground under Ephemera's feet was crushed as she withstood the might of Sylvanus' Earth Dragons. Half a minute later, she skidded a few meters away from where she stood.

The Dragon Breath of two Earth Dragons was not something that any ordinary sword mage could block. Even though these beasts were created by Sylvanus' ability, their firepower was not in any way inferior to real Earth Dragons.

A smile appeared on Ephemera's face as she held her ground from the powerful attack. Flashes of golden light appeared all over her body as she activated her Virtue.

"Right is right even if everyone is against it," Ephemera said softly. "Wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it."

Two golden wings sprouted behind her back, and the shield in her hand grew in size.

"I will fight for what I believe in," Ephemera roared. "This is my justice!"

With a powerful flap of her wings, Ephemera flew towards Sylvanus with the golden shield in front of her. Seeing that his opponent intended to bash him with her shield, the dwarven warrior pulled back his hammer and prepared for one mighty swing.

"Earth Smash!" Sylvanus swung with all of his might.

A resounding ringing sound echoed across the arena as the giant hammer and the golden shield met. It was as if a giant bell had been struck, causing it to emit a ringing sound that rang unimpeded.

"This is a battle worthy of the Semifinal round," Empress Andraste commented as the corner of her lips curled up into a smile.

The rulers also nodded their heads in agreement.

A brief moment later, a loud cracking sound spread across the Grand Coliseum. The barriers that were holding back the chaotic powers within the arena were starting to break.

Emperor Leonidas raised his scepter at the exact moment the barriers broke. Fortunately, the Emperor had already erected several other barriers that protected the audience from the aftershock of the powerful collision between two strong fighters.

"Extermiite Gargantinius!"

A giant golden sword slashed the two Earth Dragons hovering in the air in half, before descending towards the ground.

Not long after, a loud grunt was heard. A figure flew out of the arena, hitting the barrier in place.

Sylvanus coughed a mouthful of blood before his body slid down towards the ground. His armor was in tatters, and he was seriously injured. Fortunately, he would live to see another day as the Clerics of the Kraetor Empire rushed in his direction.

Ephemera flicked her rapier to the side before sheathing it back to its scabbard. Her clothes were a bit dirty, but aside from that, she was fine.

The crowds cheered for the victor without waiting for the referee's announcement. The latter shook his head helplessly, but he still raised his hand to do his job.

"The Winner of this match is Ephemera Fortuna!" the referee declared. "She will now proceed to the Semi-Finals!"

The purple-haired beauty gave a curtsy to the audience before leaving the arena.

On the way to the resting area, she saw Lilith with a smirk on her face.

"So, Justice has come to the Central Continent," Lilith said in a casual manner. "Where are the rest of your compatriots?"

"That's none of your business, you sinful lady," Ephemera replied as she walked past her. "I'll wait for you in the finals."

"Confident aren't we? I suppose I will meet you there, but only if you win your next match."

"Of course I will win. Justice always wins."

Chapter 619: It’s Up To You Whether To Believe Me Or Not

Lilith didn't reply to the arrogant lady's words. Instead she chuckled as if what Ephemera said was the biggest joke of the year.

The Amazon Princess walked towards the arena with a spring in her step. Ephemera's battle had fanned the flames of rivalry in her blood, and she was very eager to show everyone what she was capable of.

Kenneth sighed internally. "Looks like winning this tournament isn't going to be easy."

His gaze landed on Ephemera for a brief moment before landing on Lily's sun-kissed body. He already knew that the two ladies were powerful, but both of them were still keeping their trump cards hidden.

Kenneth understood that he had to go all out if he wanted to win. However, by doing so, it would expose a few things that he wanted to keep hidden.

"Fortunately, Will isn't here," Kenneth muttered.

Of all people, he didn't want William to see him going all out. Since the Half-Elf was not around, he could fight to his heart's content without worrying about the consequences.

'I will win,' Kenneth declared in his heart. 'Not only will I win, I will also complete the promise I made to my Master back at the Silvermoon Continent.'

As the silver-haired teenager made a vow in his heart. Princess Sidonie and Ian observed Lilith closely.

"Are you sure?" Ian asked.

"Yes," Princess Sidonie replied.

The Princess of Freesia was one of the Seven Deadly Sins. They had the inborn talent to sense the presence of other sins in their immediate vicinity.

"That girl carries a Sin," Princess Sidonie stated. "A very troublesome Sin."

Ian snorted from the side. "All the Sins are troublesome. I don't know if it's my good or bad luck to be surrounded by ticking bombs that could explode at any moment."

Princess Sidonie smiled sweetly. She also agreed with Ian. All the sins were troublesome. Even she didn't think that she would get the chance to meet the members of her faction so soon after arriving in the Central Continent.

< Fortunately, Darling isn't here. We don't have to worry about him being sniffed out by that troublesome b*tch! >

Princess Sidonie nodded. The Amazon Princess was a troublesome character. If William was here, he would definitely be in danger. After all, the Amazons were always in the lookout for strong individuals to mate with them.

Since Lilith was the Princess of the Amazon Race, her standards were very high. Princess Sidonie and Morgana thanked their lucky stars that William was currently inside the Tower of Babylon.

They even wished that William would stay there until the Amazon Delegation had left the Kraetor Empire. That was the only way to prevent Lilith and him from meeting each other.

Empress Andraste who was seated not far from Emperor Leonidas took the initiative to ask her acquaintance a question. Her informers had come out empty handed these past few days that she had spent in the Kraetor Empire. Because of this, she thought that Emperor Leonidas was purposely hiding someone from her.

It was not only the Empress of the Amazon Race that came empty handed. What happened on the Southern Continent might have been kept confidential from the masses, but the rulers were quite aware of what had transpired during the period of time when the Southern Continent was closed off from the rest of the world.

They had come to the Kraetor Empire with the intention of scouting the Half-Elf that was born between the union of the Dungeon Conqueror and Saintess of the World Tree.

"Emperor Leonidas, I believe that there is a red-headed teenager that is currently residing in your domain," Empress Andraste said with a smile. "I believe his name is William. If possible, I'd like to meet him."

Emperor Leonidas glanced at his acquaintance with a calm expression. "William? Are you talking about the fiance of my granddaughter?"

"Yes. Where is he?"

"He's not here."

Empress Andraste frowned. She thought that Emperor Leonidas would pretend that he didn't know about William's existence. The Amazon Empress was prepared to hear her peer's excuses, but instead of lying, the Emperor answered her without hiding anything.

"Where is he?" Empress Andraste asked. "I am very interested in the boy. If possible, I want to invite him to my Empire for a vacation."

The rulers who heard Empress Andraste's words cursed her internally.

Invite him to your Empire for a vacation?

More like you were planning to invite him in order to participate in an orgy!

All of them had known the Amazon Empress for a long time. They knew that she would not bat an eye to drug, drag, and incapacitate any promising men that she could take back to her Empire in order to mate with her Amazon warriors.

"William? He's busy clearing the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon," Emperor Leonidas replied.

Empress Andraste, Zagarl, and the other rulers of the Central Continent all snorted in disdain.

Clearing the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon?

What a joke!

If it was that easy to clear the Devil's Floor, all of them would have cleared it long ago.

"You should make a better excuse next time," Empress Andraste snapped at the old bastard. "Stop making things up and just spill the beans. Where is the boy?"

Emperor Leonidas smirked as he looked at the annoyed Amazon Empress.

"I already said that he is clearing the 51st Floor," Emperor Leonidas answered. "It's up to you whether to believe it or not."

Emperor Leonidas knew that even if he explained, none of his peers would believe him. All of them had long given up climbing the tower, so the Rulers' reactions were understandable.

Unfortunately, he was telling the truth.

Even he wanted to know what is currently happening to the boy. Just like everyone else, he didn't believe that William could conquer the 51st Floor.

All of them had failed, so how could a teenager, who had just come of age, possibly be able to do what they couldn't accomplish?

Emperor Leonidas shifted his attention back to the arena. It was no use thinking about things that were outside of his control.

Whether William would be able to return or not was up to the Gods. it was not his place to question the things that were going inside Aamon's head.

Chapter 620: Chiffon’s Heart Devil

"Worthless thing!" Chiffon's father, Luciel, kicked the little girl until she slammed into the wall.

Chiffon fell on the ground, unconscious. Blood flowed out of her mouth and dyed the floor red.

"Husband, you should just get rid of that girl," Natasha said. "If you like, you can just give her to one of your generals as a plaything. She's still young, but she still has a pretty face. Give her a few years and she will serve well as a bed warmer to one of your loyal men. I'm sure tha–"

A resounding slap echoed across the room. Natasha wasn't able to finish her words before she, too, slammed into the wall.

"Do you think I don't know that it is you who schemed behind April's back?" Luciel took a step forward. "Did you not think that I would find out? Or were you confident that because you have the backing of your family, I would not lay my hands on you?"

Luciel sneered as he stomped on Natasha's hand, breaking all of its bones.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Natasha screamed, and this screamed made all of Luciel's other wives back away in fear.

"Mother!" Felix shouted. Just as he was about to come to her aid, a pair of blood-shot eyes froze him in his place.

"You want to save her?" Luciel sneered. "Go on. Come. I dare you to save her."

Felix felt all the hair on his body stood on end. His survival instinct was telling him that if he dared to take a step forward, his life would come to an end. His pants became wet as he lost control of his body functions.

Such was the fright he received from his own father who was not looking at him as a son, but a mongrel that he could kill any time he pleased.

Luciel waved his hand and Felix was pulled towards him. He then grabbed the boy's neck and raised him in the air.

The boy struggled, for he was unable to breath. Seeing that Luciel was serious about killing her son, Natasha begged and pleaded for forgiveness.

If she only knew that Luciel's feelings for April were this strong, she wouldn't have schemed against Chiffon's mother, causing her to die.

The pink-haired girl who was lying on the ground opened her eyes and came upon this scene. This was the first time that she saw her father this angry.

Chiffon's injuries were slowly starting to regenerate. Although it wasn't as fast as the regeneration ability of Hydras, Mountain Trolls, and Trollhounds, it was still good enough to help her recover from the injury that she had received earlier.

When April sacrificed her life to heal Chiffon's injuries, she used all of her powers to imbue her body with a regeneration ability. If her life was in great danger, this regeneration ability would activate, healing her injuries at a faster rate.

Luciel glanced down and noticed Chiffon was already awake. It was then when an idea came to his head. He released his hold on Felix's body allowing the boy to drop to the ground.

The eldest among his sons gasped for air, and Natasha hurried to his side, protecting him with her body.

"Forgive me," Natasha said. "I am willing to compensate for my wrongdoings. Just say the word, I will ask my family to surrender half of our wealth to you!"

Luciel ignored her and grabbed her hair, making Natasha scream in pain. He then pried Felix out of her grasp and tossed the young boy aside.

"Only one of you will get to live today," Luciel declared. He then looked at his son who was looking back at him in fear and sneered. "Boy, do you want to live?"

"I do!" Felix replied. He was afraid that if he didn't reply right away, his father would crush his neck, ending his fifteen years of existence.

Luciel then threw Natasha in front of his son with indifference.

"Kill her," Luciel ordered. "I will only give you fifteen heartbeats to do it. If you still haven't killed her by then, I will kill you."

Felix looked at his mother with a complicated expression. Natasha looked back at her son in tears. She understood that Luciel wasn't joking. One of them would die today, and if it was not her, it would be none other than her son.

"You monster!" Natasha summoned all of her strength and attacked Luciel with everything she had.

Rather than having her own son kill her, she would rather die by Luciel's hand. She was still his mother, how could she possibly allow Felix to bear the burden of killing his own mother?

Luciel snorted, but he didn't move from where he stood. Natasha's dagger drew an arc in the air with the intention to cut off her husband's head. However, before her dagger could even make contact, a sword blade pierced right through her chest.

Natasha stared at the blade on her chest in disbelief before looking at her husband's face who was looking at her with contempt.

She didn't need to turn around to know the identity of the person who stabbed her in the back. How could she possibly not know?

Bitter tears streamed down the side of her face as she fell on the ground.

"F-Father, I did what you told me," Felix stuttered. "I killed Mother. This is what you want, right?"

Luciel gave his son a brief nod, "Good. You did well, Felix."

Felix wanted to smile, but his face distorted in pain as he looked at his dying mother. Natasha didn't know how brutal her husband was because she had never seen that side of him. However, Felix did.

He had been with his father on a few expeditions and fully understood what kind of man he was. If he really hesitated to kill his mother, his father would not only kill her, but kill him as well.

That is the character of the Demon who stood above all of the others. The one that ruled the Demonic Continent.

The one and only Demon Lord, Luciel Hal Gremory.

"She's still alive," Luciel frowned. "Finish her."

"... Yes," Felix replied. He didn't want his mother to suffer, so this time, he imbued his blade with magic power and stabbed her chest.

Natasha didn't resist as she stared at her son. As the last vestige of her life seeped away from her body, she regretted everything she did.

She was Luciel's Main Wife.

The Lady of their household.

Her position had already been secure, so why did she have to bother with a dying woman? Even if she hadn't schemed against April, the dwarf would, at most, have only lived another two to three years. She died with her eyes open, filled with regret and unwillingness.

Felix sobbed as he kneeled beside his mother. He pressed his palm over her eyes and closed them. This was the last thing he could do for his birth mother.

The other women who were holding their children close shivered in fear. They had also participated in April's demise. If Luciel were to really investigate the matter, they would also be punished for being her accomplice.

Luciel looked down at the dead woman under his feet. Without any respect for the dead, he kicked Natasha's corpse towards Chiffon.

"Eat," Luciel ordered.

Chiffon looked angrily at the dead woman who had killed her mother. Even though Natasha was already dead, her anger didn't decrease. Instead, it had increased. The pink-haired-girl angrily bit the corpse's hand.

She devoured it like a wild animal who feasted on the prey that it had caught. Natasha's arm followed next. After that it was her head. Chiffon devoured her with anger. Her eyes glowed in hatred as the tears in her eyes flowed like rain.

William watched this scene while gnashing his teeth.

Right now, he was only an observer. He was powerless to do anything because he knew that this event had already transpired. It was a memory that Chiffon had locked deep inside her heart.

It was quite unfortunate that the Heart Devil was making these painful memories rise to the surface, in order to break Chiffon's willpower.

In the outside world, the floating crystal hovering above Chiffon's chest increased its radiance. It was vastly different from William's, whose crystal had remained dormant.

Although the old woman and the Guardian of the 51st Floor found this strange, they didn't think too much about it. Their target was Chiffon, so regardless of what happened to William's Heart Devil, neither of them cared.

After Chiffon finished eating Natasha, Luciel walked towards her and picked her up like a puppy. He then carried his daughter towards the house where April used to stay.

Coincidentally, Luciel arrived half a day after April died. His wives panicked when he arrived, so they didn't have the time to dispose of her remains. They just left April on the floor, and locked the door of her room. They hoped that Luciel wouldn't bother to look for her, so they kept things as it is.

What they didn't know was that Luciel was in possession of April's Life crystal. The moment she died, the Demon Lord rushed back from his hunt. Although he had left her alone for so many years, she was still, after all, the first woman he loved.

It was impossible not to feel anything after the first love of his life had died.

"Eat her," Luciel ordered as he dropped Chiffon beside her mother's blackened corpse. "She can't be buried in the Demonic Continent because her body will corrupt the land. Eat her, so that her remains will not be harmed by anyone ever again."

Chiffon looked at her beloved mother. She kneeled on the floor and hugged the corpse. A moment later, her sad cries permeated inside the room.

Luciel became irritated and threatened her that if she didn't eat April's body, he would have her corpse chopped to pieces and thrown in the sea to feed the fishes.

Because of this threat, Chiffon decided to do as he ordered. But, she didn't devour April like she did to Natasha.

Chiffon opened her lips and sucked April's body inside her mouth. She didn't chew, and just swallowed her mother's whole body.

This was one of Chiffon's saddest memories, and the Devil that was slowly corrupting her heart laughed out loud.

It fed on her despair, anguish, sadness, loneliness, and fears.

The moment Chiffon finished devouring her mother, the scenery around her changed.

She found herself in a familiar place, staring at a red-haired teenager who was standing in the center of a crowd. Chiffon's eyes became a bit dull, as part of her memories were taken away.

The little girl had a feeling that she knew who the young man was, but no matter how much she searched her memories, she just couldn't remember his name.

In the outside world, a cracking sound was heard.

A small crack appeared in the red crystal that hovered above Chiffon's chest. It was the sign that her heart would soon reach its limit.

And when it does, her consciousness, and all of her memories, would also be erased completely.

Chapter 621: I Think I Am Really In Love With You

William Von Ainsworth, that was his name.

I came to know about it after I mustered my courage and asked for his name. Strange, it was such a good name, how did I forget it? How could I possibly forget the name of the person, who extended his hand to me when I needed it the most?

Okay! This time, I will not forget his name. I will remember it with all of my heart!

"Big Brother, when are we going to leave?" I asked. "I don't have much luggage with me, so we can leave anytime."

Big Brother, Ian, and Princess Sidonie looked at me at the same time.

Um? Why are the three of you looking at me like that? Isn't it a given that I will follow Big Brother wherever he goes?

From what I could gather from our earlier conversation, he was planning to climb a tower named Babylon. This was the first time that I had heard about such a place, but that didn't matter. As long as I was with Big Brother, any place we went would be wonderful!

"We?" Big Brother looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. "Sorry, Chiffon. I will not be taking you with me either."

I tilted my head in confusion, because I thought that I misheard Big Brother's words.

"You're not taking me?" I asked.

"No," Big Brother answered. "Stay here in the academy with Ian and Sidonie. They will look after you while I'm away."

I didn't know what expression I was making, nor did I care. Only Big Brother's rejection echoed in my mind.

'Why? I've been a good girl. I did everything right. Why are you leaving me behind?'

These were the things that I wanted to say out loud, but I wasn't able to do it. I felt light headed, and Big Brother's next words made me feel as if the ground under my feet was being torn apart.

'Did he say that he is going to be away for a month? What will I do then? Wait for him to return? What if he doesn't return? What if he just leaves me behind?'

'Am I going to be abandoned once again? No! I didn't want to be alone! I don't want to be alone!'

It was at that precise moment when I felt a gaping hole inside my heart. This was similar to the feeling I had when my mother died. This was the feeling of parting with someone forever.

"Big Brother, you're going to leave me?" I asked in a desperate attempt to convince Big Brother to take me with him to the Tower of Babylon. "You're going to leave me alone?"

I watched as Big Brother wiped away the tears in my eyes, and assured me that Ian and Princess Sidonie would look after me.

But, I didn't want them to look after me. I only want to be with Big Brother.

My mother once told me what falling in love felt like. She said that love was a feeling that makes you feel that you were unable to live without that person by your side. Being apart from the one you love would make your heart ache.

Simply put, it was a painful experience.

Yes. It is very painful. Right now, I feel like my heart is breaking.

'I don't want Big Brother to leave me,' I thought. Deep inside, I know that there was only one thing that I could do in order to make Big Brother and I stay by each other's side forever.

Yes. There was only one way.

Just thinking about it made me feel hungry.

'Big Brother… I want to eat you…'

That was the last thought in my head before Big Brother grabbed hold of me and took me to a place I hadn't seen before.

The place was very beautiful. There was a house near the sea, and it gave me a very relaxing feeling.

'Um? Big Brother? Where are you going? Why are you running away? Don't run. Let me just take a bite, I promise it won't hurt!'

When I came around, I couldn't see anything. I thought I still had my eyes closed, so I opened them wide.

But, nothing changed.

Darkness…

Darkness as far as I could see…

It was one of the saddest things in my memories…

I didn't know how long I stayed in that dark, and lonely world.

It could have been a few minutes.

It could have been hours.

Days…

Months…

Perhaps, even years had passed.

I wanted to lay down, close my eyes, and just sleep forever. Maybe the next time I opened my eyes, I would be with my mother again. I missed her terribly. If possible, I wanted to be with her again.

As I was about to lay down on the ground, I saw light in the distance. The light was very small, just like the light of a candle that could disappear at any moment.

'It must be an illusion,' I thought. 'I should just lie down and sleep.'

However, the light expanded and it was drawing closer to me.

When I saw that familiar red hair, and those beautiful green eyes filled with worry, I felt like crying.

That's what I did.

I cried.

Not long after that, I found myself enclosed in a tight embrace.

It felt warm, it felt nice, it felt safe, it felt like love.

"Big Brother, please, don't leave me," I pleaded. My voice sounded very weak because I felt really exhausted. In fact, if Big Brother wasn't supporting me, I would definitely collapse on the ground due to how weak my knees were.

"I promise that I'll be a good girl, so, please, don't leave me behind." I held him as tightly as I could, but I didn't have enough strength. I could feel my grip weakening, and my consciousness was failing me.

Just before I closed my eyes to sleep, I heard Big Brother's words that were filled with tenderness.

"Okay. I won't leave you behind. I promise," Big Brother replied. I could feel his embrace getting tighter. It was as if he was unwilling to let me go.

'Big Brother, I think I am really in love with you.'

That was the last thing I thought before I fell asleep in his embrace.

—--

The Guardian who was observing Chiffon from the Heavens smiled. He could tell that the pink-haired girl was at the last phase of her Heart Devil. The red crystal floating above her chest was now littered with cracks.

The light inside it was very bright. Bright enough to illuminate the desolate plane where he currently resided.

The Final Phase of the Heart Devil was to make the person feel very happy, at least, for a brief period of time.

When that happiness reached a turning point, that was when the Heart Devil would strike, and shatter that happiness into a thousand pieces.

The Guardian pointed his finger, and a red beam of light shot out from its tip. This beam hit Chiffon's red crystal and made it glow brighter.

The Guardian was multiplying the power of the Heart Devil, to ensure that when Chiffon's heart finally broke, her body and soul would completely belong to him.

Chapter 622: We Won’t Lose To Those Puny Mortals!

Just as everyone expected, the Amazon Princess, Lilith, won her match with relative ease. It was not because she had it easy, but things happened during the fight that nobody was able to explain.

Whenever her opponent, Luther, was about to deliver a deadly blow, the weapon in his hand would be pried loose from his grip, breaking the momentum of his strike.

Every time this happened, Luna would deliver a deadly strike of her own which rendered the challenger from the Gunnar Federation unable to make a comeback. In the end, Lilith kicked her opponent off the stage, ending the match in her favor.

With her victory, the Final Four were now headed to the Semifinal Matches.

– Jason Hal Kraetor (Kraetor Empire)

– Kenneth Xin Ashleigh (Silvermoon Continent)

– Ephemera Fortuna - Gunnar Federation (Edelweiss)

– Lilith Lynn - Ares Empire (Amazon)

Princess Sidonie sighed when she saw the final outcome of the match. Two of the people she disliked had made it to the Semifinals.

One of them was a Prince that wanted to make her his bride.

The other was someone who wanted to break her engagement with William.

Both of them wanted different things, and yet, the end goal was still the same. Their goal was to separate the beautiful Princess from the person she loved.

Ian, who understood what Sidonie was thinking, shook her head helplessly. It had been a few days since they had lost contact with William and Chiffon. Both of them were getting worried, but there was nothing they could do about it.

They even asked the residents of the Thousand Beast Domain if they heard any news from the two. Unfortunately, none of them knew what the Shepherd's current circumstances were.

"The Semifinals will be held tomorrow," Ian said in a low voice. "Perhaps Prince Jason and Kenneth will face each other. If that happens, one of your worries will disappear."

They were currently inside the VIP box for the Kraetor Royal Family, so she didn't dare let the other Princes and Princesses hear her words. That might cause complications in the future, so she decided to play it safe.

Princess Sidonie sighed for the second time before nodding her head.

"Ephemera is quite strong. Princess Lilith, on the other hand, is a crafty and opportunistic fighter. I'm sure that they will prove troublesome to their opponents," Ian added.

"I wish that Ephemera and Lilith will fight against those two annoying people in separate matches and eliminate them," Princess Sidonie replied. "That way, the representative of the Gunner Federation and the Amazon Princess will be the ones competing in the Finals."

Ian chuckled as she looked at the beautiful girl beside her. Princess Sidonie didn't mince her words and said what was on her mind. Not to mention, she didn't bother to lower her voice, which made the people in the Kraetor Empire VIP Box look at her with complicated expressions on their faces.

Although Prince Maximilian was at odds with Prince Jason, he was someone that could look at the bigger picture. This was the grandest tournament that had happened in the past decade, and it would be a great honor if a representative of their Empire had won the championship.

Princess Vanessa was also troubled because of this outcome as well. She loved Prince Jason, so naturally she wished for him to win. This was what every woman wished for their beloved. However, she also knew the reason why the Prince joined the Tournament.

If Prince Jason won the tournament, he would ask for the Emperor to make Princess Sidonie his bride, which was something Princess Vanessa didn't want to see.

As for the other Princes' and Princesses' they wished for their cousin to win the tournament. That way their pride as the members of the Royal Family would be remembered by all the powerful factions that vied for supremacy in the Central Continent.

The next day, the Grand Coliseum was jam packed with people. All the seats were occupied, and several flying artifacts were used to accommodate those who wished to watch the show, above the arena grounds.

Several viewing crystals were also arranged outside of the Grand Coliseum to allow those who weren't able to get inside, to watch the matches in real time.

Emperor Leonidas stood on a raised platform and addressed the audience with a smile.

"Today, four of the powerhouses of the current generation will fight for the honor of their homeland," Emperor Leonidas said. "Among them, only two will remain and they will advance to the finals. Great rewards await the final victor of this tournament. So without further delays, I present to you the Final Four of the Tournament of Champions!!"

As if waiting for the Emperor to finish his words, a powerful roar was heard from the sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a white blur descending from the heavens.

It was none other than a White Tiger, and seated on its back was a handsome young man with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a confident smile on his face, which made the ladies look at him fondly.

The Kraetorians cheered for their Prince who looked so imposing in his full battle regalia. Prince Jason landed in the center of the arena and raised his fist as if proclaiming his victory in the tournament.

Amidst the cheers, and whistling, an arrogant shriek spread across the Grand Coliseum. The audience wasn't able to stop themselves from gasping in shock when they saw a giant bird swoop down from the sky.

A giant bird with a wing span of twenty meters circled the grand coliseum twice. It was a Roc that served as the flying beast of the Amazon Royal Family. Lilith giggled and jumped off its back when the bird flew down the arena.

She raised her head arrogantly because she was able to shut everyone up with her entrance.

Empress Andraste had a smirk on her face when she saw the antics of her daughter. Clearly, she was very happy with her performance, and decided to forgive her for taking the Empress' Roc without permission.

While the audience were trying to recover their bearings, two more creatures appeared and circled the Grand Coliseum from the West and the East.

One was black, the other white.

Ephemera grinned as her Alicorn flew above the audience's heads, creating gusts of winds in its wake, as it flew clockwise on the arena.

(A/N: Alicorns are Winged Unicorns, or Pegasus with horns. They are born from the union of Pegasus and Unicorns.)

Opposite her, a black fox with four tails, and a silver crescent moon on its head flew in a counter-clockwise direction. Kenneth sat on its back with a calm expression on his face.

When the Alicorn and the Black Fox finished their circuit, the two magical beasts dove down into the arena. Their two passengers jumped at the same time and landed perfectly on the ground.

A thunderous applause broke out, which put a smile on Emperor Leonidas' face. This was the first time that his Empire had hosted such a grand event, and he was quite satisfied with the preparations that his subordinates had made for the Semifinals.

Kasogonaga, who was seated on top of a Golden Dragon's head, snorted. They were perched on one of the pillars of the Grand Coliseum and were watching the festivities from their own VIP Seat.

"Let's go Garganta!" Kasogonaga ordered. "We won't lose to those puny mortals. Let us show them something truly memorable!"

Garganta didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard the rainbow-colored Anteater's orders. Even if he had recognized Kasogonaga as its boss, it didn't dare to follow its command blindly.

It knew that if they were to steal the limelight of the contestants, they would be immediately kicked out of the Grand Coliseum. Not only that, there was a possibility that both of them would be locked up in the Bestiary until the competition ended.

"Let's go!" Kasogonaga repeated its orders with its cute voice. "Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility!"

The rainbow colored Anteater stomped its adorable foot on the Golden Dragon's head to urge it to go.

'Responsibility? What responsibility?' Garganta thought. 'When trouble arrives, you will just hole yourself up in that domain of yours, and leave me to clean up your mess!'

In order to preserve World Peace, Garganta pretended that it didn't hear its boss orders. It would rather get scolded by the Rainbow Anteater than be beaten up to a pulp by the Elite Warriors of the Kraetor Empire!

Chapter 623: The Semifinals [Part 1]

After the impressive entrance ceremony, three of the four contestants were each given a dart of different colors. Prince Jason wasn't given any because his grandfather had already told him what he was planning to do for the Semifinals.

There was nothing special about the darts, except for the fact that it would decide who their opponents would be.

In order to make the match as fair as possible, Emperor Leonidas decided to choose this method of pairing the contestants with each other. This way, no one would say that he had rigged the tournament and chose an advantageous opponent for his grandson.

A spinning board with the design of a Yin and Yang appeared at the edge of the arena. Although the four contestants already had an idea on what they would do with the dart in their hands, they still waited for Emperor Leonidas to explain the mechanics of the Semifinals.

"When that spinning wheel starts to spin, the three of you will throw your darts," Emperor Leonidas explained. "If two darts land on the same color then the owners of the darts will fight each other in the Semifinal round.

"If all three darts landed on the same color, we will base it on which ones landed first. Of course, the one who didn't get a pair would be matched against my grandson. Do the three of you have any other questions?"

Lilith smiled because the method the Emperor used for the Semifinal Match was fool proof.

'As expected of Emperor Leonidas,' Lilith thought. 'He surely knows how to appear fair and just on the surface.'

She had to admit that she didn't expect this kind of method would be used for the pairings. In truth, she wanted to fight Ephemera in the Semifinals. Lilith believed that among the four of them, she was the weakest.

Of course, this was just Lilith's excuse.

The truth was that she didn't like the Seven Virtues. Ephemera represented Justice, and just like the name suggested, she only believed in her own Justice. Even if she was in the wrong, she would insist that she was in the right.

Lilith had long wanted to beat the crap out of one of the Seven Virtues, and Ephemera was her first target.

Prince Jason crossed his arm over his chest. He didn't care who his opponent was, because he was confident that as long as he had Aamon's artifact he would win the tournament.

Emperor Leonidas and the rulers of the various factions had a meeting a day ago about the artifact that Prince Jason was using. Surprisingly, the representative of the Gunnar Federation, and the Silvermoon Continent didn't care whether Prince Jason had an artifact that would boost him to the Saint Rank.

For them, this was something trivial and they weren't worried about it. Even Empress Andraste didn't comment about the issue. Because of this, no one raised an issue about the bracelet that the Prince of the Kraetor Empire used during his last battle.

Since the representatives were fine with it, there was no longer any need for discussion.

The first one to throw the dart was Ephemera. Not wanting to be outdone, Lilith threw hers as well.

Kenneth was the third to throw. He didn't really care who he would end up fighting up against. For him, no matter who his opponent was, he would strive to come out as the victor.

In time, the spinning wheel slowed down, showing the pairings of the matches.

Kenneth's and Ephemera's darts landed on the black portion of the spinning wheel. Lilith's dart landed only a centimeter away from Ephemera's dart, but it had hit the white area. With this, the pairings had been made, and no one would be able to find fault in the outcome.

Prince Jason glanced at the Amazon Princess who was going to be his opponent. Lilith was an Amazon Warrior and her body was filled with vitality and strength. Even so, her womanly curves were still present. Not only that, her sun-kissed skin was quite appealing as well.

Perhaps if Prince Jason wasn't dead set on Princess Sidonie, he would consider Lilith as a potential bride candidate. The Prince raised his head to look at the seats where the Kraetor Royal Family was located.

His gaze briefly stopped on Princess Vanessa before shifting to the beautiful Princess with long reddish-brown hair. Even though they were far apart, he could tell that Princess Sidonie wasn't looking in his direction.

This made him feel a bit irritated, but soon, this irritation disappeared without a trace. Prince Jason knew that when his match started, his beloved Princess would have no choice but to watch his fight.

He intended to show his best performance in order to win her heart.

"Who among you wants to fight first?" the referee asked the four contestants. "The rules for the matches are not too strict for the Semifinals. We can start the battle as soon as all of you are ready."

Prince Jason took a step forward and threw away his princely robe. Since there was no order of who would fight first, he would take the initiative to take the limelight and secure the victory for the first match.

He had already seen how Lilith fought, and for him, it was such a clumsy performance, so he didn't think of Lilith as a worthy adversary.

"I'll go first," Prince Jason declared. He then glanced at the warrior standing not far from him and gave her a brief nod. "Is that fine with you, Princess?"

The corner of Lilith's lips curled up into a smirk as she nodded her head. "Might as well be the first."

Ephemera and Kenneth glanced at each other before leaving the arena at the same time. Their time to fight would come, but for now, they would give the stage to the Prince of the Kraetor Empire, and the Princess of the Amazons.

Empress Andraste chuckled before glancing at Emperor Leonidas.

"Who do you think will win?" Empress Andraste asked.

"My grandson, of course," Emperor Leonidas answered without even looking at her.

"Oh? Then do you want to have a bet with me?"

"Sure."

Both the Emperor and Empress had full confidence in their representatives, so they were not afraid to have a bet with each other.

"If my daughter wins, I'll be taking your grandson's bracelet," Empress Andraste said.

Emperor Leonidas frowned. The bracelet belonged to the Temple, and it was not his place to use it as a betting material. Before he could reject the Empress' condition, the Oracle of Aamon's Temple voiced her opinion on the matter.

"Go for it, Your Majesty," the Oracle commented from the side. "I approve of this bet."

Empress Andraste looked at the Oracle and smiled. There was a common understanding among the people that the Oracles could see the future. However, this was far from the truth.

The Oracle's main duty was to receive the message of the Gods that they serve. Although there were Gods that had the power of Clairvoyance, not all of them did.

Aamon was a God from Hell and his specialty lay in warfare. If Empress Andraste was up against the Oracle of one of the scholarly Gods then she might find the situation rather tricky. Fortunately, Aamon was not a scholar, and his Oracle couldn't see the future.

As long as no one knew the outcome of the match, Empress Andraste was confident that her daughter would come up as the winner.

"Very well. If you win then the bracelet is yours to keep," Emperor Leonidas replied. "Then how about if I win?"

"Feel free to state a condition." Empress Andraste rested the side of her face on the palm of her right hand. "As long as you don't ask for too much, I will agree to anything."

Emperor Leonidas pondered for a bit before giving his reply.

"Gleipnir," Emperor Leonidas said. "I want Gleipnir."

This time, it was Empress Andraste's turn to frown. Gleipnir was one of the treasures of the Amazon Race and it held great powers. It was said that anyone that it bound would not be able to break free, even if it was a Demigod.

Emperor Leonidas smirked when he saw Empress Andraste's expression.

"How about it?" Emperor Leonidas asked. "The artifact of a God for the artifact of another God. I think this is fair trade, don't you think so?"

The other rulers didn't say anything and simply watched the outcome of the negotiation. Deep inside, they were tempted to join the gamble. The artifacts of Gods were very different to the artifacts created by mortals.

The power they possessed was enough to tilt the scales of war in their favor.

After weighing the pros and cons, Empress Andraste resolutely nodded her head.

"Fine," Empress Andraste replied. "I accept this bet."

"Good. Don't go back on your word."

"Between the two of us, you are the ones whose words can't be trusted."

Emperor Leonidas and Empress Andraste smiled at each other. The two had been lovers in the past, but they were now the rulers of their respective Empires. They needed to prioritize their own gains, and this bet was one of those opportunities where they could legally take a priceless treasure from each other's hands.

The two once again shifted their attention to the arena, where the two young warriors were preparing to fight with everything they had.

No one knew the outcome of this match, not even the Gods. The audience watched with bated breath as they waited for the first battle of the Semifinals to begin.

Chapter 624: The Semifinals [Part 2]

Prince Jason summoned his sword and took a fighting stance. He believed that he didn't have to use his artifact in order to win against the Amazon Princess.

Lilith, on the other hand, didn't use her sword and shield. Instead, she summoned a War Axe that was almost as tall as her body.

Prince Jason's expression immediately changed when he saw the confident smile on Lilith's face.

This was the first time the Amazon Princess had used this weapon, so no one knew if she was proficient in it or not.

Empress Andraste smirked when she saw the War Axe in Lilith's hands. Her daughter was proficient in all kinds of weapons. It was a blessing that the Royal Family of the Amazon Race received from their Patron God.

The God whom the Amazons prayed to was the Goddess of War and Sexuality, Astarte.

Her blessing gave the Amazons incredible strength and the ability to wield many kinds of weapons.

Because of this, the Amazon Empire rose in prominence and very few dared to challenge the might of the female warriors.

"That's a large axe," Prince Jason commented. "Are you sure you can lift that up, Princess?"

Lilith smiled as she leaned her body on the War Axe that was embedded on the ground.

"Of course I can," Lilith answered. "Come, Prince. Show me how strong you are. Who knows? I might take a liking on you and let you follow me around as a subordinate."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not interested."

"Such a shame."

After that brief exchange, Prince Jason took a step forward and the ground under his feet shattered. A few seconds later, several steel spikes jutted all over the arena.

Lilith didn't do anything and simply leaned on her War Axe. The smile on her face turned into a smirk as she looked at the handsome blonde boy who had erected a wall of steel spikes to prevent her from running around the battlefield.

"Oh my, so this is how you deal with the ladies," Lilith said in a teasing voice. "Not bad, but not all women like clingy men."

Prince Jason ignored her and took another step forward. This time, he disappeared from where he stood and reappeared right in front of Lilith, stabbing her with his sword.

When the sword was only inches away from the Amazon's Princess amorous chest, the tip of Prince Jason's sword suddenly pointed upwards.

It happened so unexpectedly that the Prince wasn't able to fully dodge the Amazon's Princess' counterattack, which was a kick that was aimed at his manhood.

At the last minute, the Prince was able to twist his body to the side. Because of that, Lilith's kick connected with his hip, sending him skidding on the ground.

The Amazon Princess clicked her tongue as she ran towards the Prince, leaving her War Axe behind.

Prince Jason didn't expect that Lilith's physical strength was greater than his. He had heard that the Amazons were strong, but he didn't expect that they were this strong!

Before he could even stand up from the ground and muster a defense, Lilith's foot kicked the side of his body sending him flying to the air.

The crowd gasped at the unexpected display of skill that the Amazon Princess didn't show in her previous battle. The Prince of the Kraetor Empire was kicked repeatedly in the air like a soccer ball.

Empress Andraste giggled when he saw this scene. In the past, she had wanted to do the same to Emperor Leonidas, but she didn't get the opportunity to do so. Now that her daughter was beating the crap out of the Emperor's grandson, she felt like the years of frustration that she had held inside her chest for many years, had been repaid in full.

"Are you regretting the bet now?" Empress Andrasted asked in a teasing tone.

Emperor Leonidas didn't even glance at her as he continued to watch the one-sided beating of his grandson in the arena.

"The match is not over yet," Emperor Leonidas said. "It's too early for you to feel smug."

Empress Andraste chuckled before shifting her gaze to the arena.

'The match isn't over yet? That's what you think, old fool.' Empress Andraste sneered internally. 'The moment my daughter stepped on the Arena, your grandson was doomed to lose.'

With a loud shout, Lilith delivered a powerful palm strike that connected with Prince Jason's chest. Although he was wearing light-weight armor, the power of Lilith's strike ignored his defenses.

A loud cracking sound was heard, and the Prince of the Kraetor Empire slammed on the arena, creating a small crater.

Two of his ribs were broken by Lilith's strike, and blood seeped out at the corner of his lips. He forcefully used his magical ability to hold the broken bones in place as he glared at the Amazon Princess who was looking at him with a devilish smirk.

"I admit that I underestimated you, but you made a grave mistake," Prince Jason said as he raised his right hand. "You should have finished me when you still got the chance!"

The Prince activated the artifact that was given to him by the Oracle of Aamon's Temple. He had decided to return the Amazon Princess' favor in full. He would break her arms and legs and make her beg for mercy.

After that, he would humiliate her in front of everyone, by stripping her clothes. That way the arrogant Princess wouldn't be able to act arrogant and raise her head in front of him ever again!

Prince Jason waited for the overwhelming power to surge inside his body, but it never came. He wondered if something happened to the artifact, so he looked at the bracelet on his arm to see what was wrong with it.

His eyes widened in shock, and his expression paled when he didn't see the bracelet on his wrist. That was the Trump Card he was planning to use to win the tournament, so he couldn't afford to lose it at all cost!

"Are you looking for this?" Lilith asked as he held up a crimson bracelet in his hand. "You should take better care of your treasures. If you're careful enough, the things that are important to you might get stolen right under your nose. Just like this."

Lilith casually placed the bracelet on her wrist and sneered at the dumbfounded Prince who thought that he could win against her just by relying on a divine artifact.

"You Wench! Give that back to me!" Prince Jason shouted as he charged at Lilith with fury.

Lilith smirked as he ran towards her War Axe that had remained stationary at the center of the arena.

"I think it's about time I give you a taste of your own medicine," Lilith stated.

She activated Aamon's bracelet and a crimson armor covered her entire body. Lilith wasn't able to stop herself from moaning in pleasure at the incredible power that was flowing inside her body.

Prince Jason's eyes became bloodshot as he swung his sword with fury, with the intention of cutting the Amazon Princess in half.

Unfortunately, the moment he lost the bracelet, his chances of winning had already become non-existent.

A metallic sound reverberated in the arena as Prince Jason's sword was stopped by Lilith's thumb and index finger. No matter how much Prince Jason struggled to free his weapon, Lilith's hold didn't budge.

"Time to end this farce."

That was the last thing Prince Jason heard before he found himself hurtling into the air.

Lilith had casually tossed him outside of the arena as if she was just throwing away a piece of trash. She didn't even need to turn around to see the expression of disbelief in Prince Jason's face.

Just like Empress Andraste mentioned earlier, the moment Lilith stepped on the arena, Prince Jason's fate was already set in stone.

The Amazon Princess grabbed the War Axe that she hadn't had the opportunity to use. She thought that she would be able to go all out with the Prince, but the reality didn't meet her expectations.

Clearly, the Prince had relied way too much on the power of the artifact that he had forgotten to use his own strength to fight Lilith in a fair battle.

"Quite disappointing," Lilith muttered as she returned her weapon inside her storage ring. "Aren't there any good men around? A man that is worthy of me?"

As soon as Lilith finished her complaint, the referee raised his hand and declared the winner of the match.

"The winner of this match is Princess Lilith!" the referee announced. "She will now proceed to the finals!"

The Amazon Princess gave the Prince who was lying on the ground outside of the arena a side-long glance before heading towards the resting area. The battle had disappointed her greatly, and she hoped that her next opponent would be able to give her the thrill of battle that she was looking for.

High above the arena stands, Princess Sidonie had a wide smile on her face. She wanted to shout out loud and cheer for the Amazon Princess, but because of her position, she refrained from doing so.

Morgana roared with laughter inside their shared mindscape. Clearly, she was very happy with the outcome of the match.

With this, one of their problems was out of the picture. All that remained was the silver-haired pretty boy who was going to fight in the next match.

Princess Sidonie and Morgana hoped that the representation of Justice, Ephemera, would put Kenneth in his place. That way, all the problems that had made her anxious these past few days, would finally disappear.

'One down, one to go,' Princess Sidonie thought.

< Don't worry! That Ephemera is one of the Seven Virtues. How can she possibly lose to that silver-haired bastard? >

Although Princess Sidonie agreed with her other half, she still couldn't rest easy. Kenneth was a mystery to her. She had no idea how strong he was, or whether he was hiding some tricks under his sleeves.

She just hoped that Ephemera wouldn't put the Seven Virtues name to shame, and be defeated by a delicate looking boy, who was out to break her engagement with William.

Chapter 625: The Moment A Heart Breaks [Part 1]

"Tomorrow is the day…," Chiffon muttered as she looked up at the moon in the sky. "Tomorrow, I will tell Big Brother that I… love him."

Chiffon closed her eyes and the memories of her mother resurfaced. It had been a while since she had thought of her.

Since the day that she had met William, everyday that passed was filled with happiness. The pink-haired girl allowed herself to face the bitter memories that she had kept inside her heart.

She wanted to hear her mother's words.

She wanted to remember her voice.

—--

"You're going to be twelve soon, Chiffon," April said. "A few more years and you will be old enough to marry. I wish I could see that day."

"Mama, what do you mean old enough to marry?" Chiffon asked. "What is marry?"

She had been too young then to understand her mother's words. Even so, April was patient enough to answer her inquiry with a smile.

"Marriage is a ceremony where you say your vows to someone you love. Once this is done, both of you will be partners for life."

Chiffon could still remember her mother's expression when she looked in the distance, as if reminiscing a distance past.

"I hope that you will find someone who will truly love you," April said as she patted Chiffon's head. "Someone who will never leave your side in times of happiness as well as hardship."

—--

Chiffon opened her eyes as a tear slid down the side of her face. It had been so long since she had seen her mother's face, and her heart ached because she missed her too much.

"Don't worry, Mama," Chiffon said softly. "I found the one I love. If it's him, I'm sure that he will definitely love me back."

The pink-haired girl looked at the moon for a few more minutes before going to her bed to sleep. When morning came, she would gather up all her courage and ask her Big Brother to make her one of his wives.

She had already known that he had intended to have nine wives. Ashe and Princess Sidonie were two of his future wives. According to them, there were two others who were waiting for William in the Southern Continent.

Although she still didn't understand what marriage meant, Chiffon had decided to become one of William's wives. She wanted to be with him, and be his partner for life.

—--

Right after afternoon classes, Chiffon looked for William. The Half-Elf hadn't joined the class today because he said that he had some important things to do.

It didn't take long for the pink-haired girl to find her Big Brother. There were very few places that William visited in the academy, so it wasn't that hard to find him.

When Chiffon entered Princess Sidonie's room, she heard weird sounds coming from her bedroom. Out of curiosity, she lightly opened the door and took a peek.

There, he found William holding the beautiful princess in his arms. The two were sharing a passionate kiss. What caught Chiffon's attention was Ashe, who had her head lowered and seemed to be licking something on her Big Brother's lower body.

All three of them were naked, and were so busy with what they were doing that they didn't notice someone peeking at them from the door.

This was the first time Chiffon saw the art of love making, and she didn't know what to do. Her instinct was telling her that she should go away, but her curiosity made her stay.

She watched silently as the three people shared kisses, and pressed their bodies against each other.

Chiffon could feel her cheeks heating up, but she was unsure what was causing the feeling. All she knew was that her Big Brother's current performance was making her feel things that she had never felt before.

She watched everything from start to end. The pink-haired girl didn't know how much time had passed. All she knew was that she had seen something that she shouldn't have.

Chiffon was about to leave the room when she heard Princess Sidonie ask William a question. It was a question that made her stop in her tracks and prevented her from leaving.

"Darling, I think Chiffon has feelings for you," Princess Sidonie said. "What are you planning to do about it?"

Chiffon perked her ears up as she inched closer to the small gap on the door. This way, she would be able to better hear her Big Brother's reply. Since this question concerned her, she wanted to know the answer to Princess Sidonie's question.

"Chiffon has feelings for me?" William asked back. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I am a woman, so I can understand women best. That little girl might be in love with you."

"I see…"

Ashe, who was resting her head on William's chest, joined the conversation with a light-hearted mood.

"Will, I know that it is not my place to say this, but I think that you should turn her down," Ashe commented. "We don't know anything about her background. It is better to be careful."

Chiffon silently cursed Ashe inside her heart. She wanted to complain, and tell the girl that had started to nibble William's ears to mind her own business!

"I agree with Ashe," Princess Sidonie stated. "Chiffon is a very adorable girl. However, what if she is hiding a dark secret? Who knows, that secret might come back to bite us later on."

Chiffon gritted her teeth. She had been getting along well with Ashe and Princess Sidonie. The pink-haired girl thought that they were her friends. Their sudden betrayal left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

William chuckled as she kissed both girls.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of making her my lover," William replied. "You're right. How can I possibly accept a complete stranger as my lover?

"Also, I can't bear the thought of kissing her lips. She had been eating trash for who knows how long. If I kiss her, wouldn't that mean that I'll be kissing trash? That's so disgusting!"

Chiffon pressed a hand over her chest. She felt a sudden ache that made her breathing ragged. Dragging her feet, she left the room as fast as he could.

After stepping in the hallway of the dormitory, Chiffon leaned on the floor as she struggled to breathe.

She felt suffocated.

She needed to leave as fast and as far as she could before she was discovered.

In the outside world, the cracks on the crystal that hovered above Chiffon's chest, widened. Red light was starting to spill from those cracks, threatening to burst out at any moment.

Chiffon used the walls as support as she tried to leave the girl's dormitory, but it was of no use.

Her legs felt too weak, so the girl had no choice but to slowly lower herself to the floor as she tried to calm her senses.

It was at that moment when the door of Princess Sidonie's room opened. William, Ashe, and Princess Sidonie came out of the room and looked down on Chiffon, who was sitting on the floor, gasping for breath.

William's upper part was naked, and he was just wearing pants. Ashe and Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, were wearing nightgowns of blue and red.

Chiffon looked up at William with a pale expression. She appraised her Big Brother's face, looking for any signs of tenderness or affection but she found none.

"Did you hear us?" William asked.

Chiffon hurriedly shook her head in denial. She was afraid that if she said yes, her Big Brother would abandon her completely.

"Liar," Princess Sidonie said with contempt. "You've been peeking on us the whole time. Did you think that we were not aware that you were behind the door?"

Ashe stepped forward and lowered her head. "You thieving little cat. Do you really think that you can steal William away from us? You sure got guts, little girl."

"N-No," Chiffon stuttered. "I don't plan on stealing Big Brother. I just want to be like the two of you. I want to be by his side as well."

Ashe raised an eyebrow when she heard Chiffon's reply. She then glanced at the Half-Elf who was just listening on the side.

"Will, you heard her," Ashe said. "She wants to be like us. Chiffon wanted to become your lover. What is your answer?"

William took a step forward. Ashe gave way and straightened her stance to allow her lover to approach Chiffon.

The Half-Elf knelt in front of Chiffon until they were eye to eye with each other.

"Do you love me?" William inquired.

"Yes," Chiffon replied. "I love you, Big Brother. I love you very much."

"Then, do you want to marry me?"

"I do. Please, marry me, Big Brother."

Chiffon pleaded. Even if William didn't love her as much as Ashe and Princess Sidonie, as long as she was by his side, she would be happy. The pink-haired girl looked at William with a face filled with longing.

William cupped the side of Chiffon's face.

The little girl shivered because William's hands felt cold. Also, his eyes… his eyes stared at her with disdain.

"Me? Marry you?" William sneered. "The only thing that you are good at is eating trash. Do you really think that I'll marry trash? What a delusional girl you are."

Tears formed at the corner of Chiffon's eyes, and her eyes became dull and lifeless. The last thing she heard was a loud cracking sound, before her world shattered, and her consciousness descended into darkness.

(A/N: To those who doesn't read author notes, and is still asking me why there are only 2 chapter updates at the moment it is because I have Omicron. Like I said, this week, I may only publish 1 - 2 chapters until I recovered from it. I ask for your understanding because believe me, its a hassle to write chapters while feeling dizzy and nauseous.

To those who have cursed me for not giving them the usual number of chapters, I pray for your souls. Know that you're just making me feel worse because of your ungrateful comments. I could have stopped uploading and focused on my recovery, but I still do my best to give you 2 chapters a day, despite my suffering. I hope all of you are happy because you have made me suffer more due to your lack of empathy.)

Chapter 626: The Moment A Heart Breaks [Part 2]

A beam of light shot out towards the sky, accompanied by the sound of crystals breaking.

The red crystal that hovered above Chiffon's chest shattered into thousands of pieces, and was replaced by a beautiful pink flower in full bloom. The flower glowed brightly, but its light would flicker from time to time like the beating of a heart.

The old woman's smile widened as she watched Chiffon slowly descend towards the ground. The little girl's eyes were open, but it was like a window covered by fog. No light, nor hope, could be seen within their depths.

Only lifelessness, as if her soul had left her body.

The old woman approached Chiffon and caressed the side of the little girl's face. It felt smooth to the touch, which reminded her of her youth that had withered away after staying in the Tower of Babylon for hundreds of years.

"Such a beautiful flower, but it has not bloomed completely," the old woman said as she looked at the pink flower that hovered above the little girl's chest. "Your Heart Devil was due to love and marriage?"

The old woman chuckled, "It's good to be young. I was like you, once. Young and naive. Clinging to dreams and thinking that love would be enough to make me happy for the rest of my life."

The old woman sighed as she continued caressing Chiffon's cheeks. The pink-haired girl just stared in front of her, looking at nothing. She was like a doll that was waiting for someone to play with her.

"Worry not, My Dear," the old woman commented. "His Excellency is benevolent and kind. He will grant your wish. You want to get married, right? Very well, tomorrow, we will hold the grandest wedding in this tower.

"Tomorrow, your dream will be fulfilled, and at the same time… his Excellency will feast on your heart, body, and soul."

Chiffon didn't reply, or say anything. In fact, it seemed as if she hadn't heard a single thing that the lady had said. Her lifeless eyes simply stared straight, devoid of sadness, happiness, and other emotions.

"Take her away, and make the necessary preparations," the old woman ordered. "Clean and purify her body so that she will be worthy to be His Excellency's bride!"

Two women wearing veils appeared behind the old woman. Both of them held Chiffon's hands and led her away. The old woman watched them go with a smile on her face.

She then snapped her finger and several red vines protruded off the ground. They rose to the sky and entangled William's arm, and legs. The vines didn't stop there and wrapped itself around the Half-Elf's body until he was covered up like a cocoon.

"I don't know why your Heart Devil hasn't advanced, but it's not a big deal," the old woman said. "I can always use force to hasten the process."

Soon, the vines glowed bloody red. The crystal that hovered above William's chest started to glow as well. What the old woman was doing was trying to forcefully mature the Heart Devil in William's heart.

That way, she would have full control over him, the moment his heart fell into corruption.

—---

"No! Chiffon!" William roared in anger.

He had seen his fake self, the fake Ashe, and the fake Princess gang up on the little girl and say harsh words to her.

The Half-Elf was so angry that he had trashed his fake self over and over, but no matter how hard he tried, he could only pass through them without dealing any kind of damage.

William watched as Chiffon's eyes became dull before collapsing on the ground. After that, the world shattered, and he found himself falling from the sky.

The Half-Elf couldn't forget the look on the pink-haired girl's face before she and her world disappeared.

William's heart was aching. He wanted to fight the mastermind behind Chiffon's suffering. But, for that to happen, he needed to break out of the world he was in first. The Half-Elf had already known that he was in some kind of Dreamworld.

He had walked the land of Dreams so many times in the past, so he was quite familiar with its sensation. The only problem was, he couldn't break out of the dream he was in. A powerful law prevents him from doing so.

After a discussion with Optimus, both of them agreed that In order to break this law, William needed to clear his own Dream World first.

As William descended from the sky, the powerful sound of a horn spread across his surroundings.

William narrowed his eyes and saw a man standing on top of a rainbow bridge. He held a giant horn in his hand and was blowing on it with all of his might.

Upon hearing this unfamiliar yet familiar sound. A flood of memories rushed towards William's head, causing it to ache.

Gritting his teeth, William activated his flight skill, while fighting off the headache that was tearing his head apart. With a thud, he crashed towards the ground and rolled for several meters before coming to a stop.

"Gjallarhorn…," William muttered as he propped himself from the ground. He then looked at the warrior that was continuing to blow his horn from on top of the rainbow bridge.

"Heimdall."

For some reason, William had recognized the warrior's features and knew for certain that his assumption wasn't wrong.

A few moments later, the ground trembled, and the Half-Elf had to plant his feet firmly on the ground to prevent himself from collapsing.

William looked to the South and saw an unfamiliar, yet familiar scene. Countless numbers of Giants, Monstrous Beasts, spectres, and everything that spelled the end of the world was marching towards the plains of Valhalla.

Among them, a Giant stood out from the rest. He was holding a flaming red sword that burned so brightly that Soleil's full powered attack would look like a small flame that came from a matchstick.

"Ragnarok." William grimaced because he understood what was about to happen. The memories that had rushed to him earlier had given him a glimpse of the outcome of this fateful battle that would end all life in the world of Yggdrasil.

For some reason, William felt the need to look at the Bifrost Bridge.

There he saw a small giant, with long pink hair standing behind Heimdall. She was looking at the approaching Giant army with a fearful gaze.

She was the traitor of the Giant Race.

The Giantess that had sided with the Aesir due to her feelings for the silver-haired Einherjar who had brought her back with him to the land of Asgard.

"Chiffon." William felt like there was a lump on his throat when he saw the Giantess.

The Half-Elf knew that although her body was shaking right now due to fear and anxiety, Chiffon would be at the frontlines of the war, fighting against her own race.

William knew that she was not fighting for herself.

He knew that the small giantess was fighting for love.

She was fighting for his love.

"No!" William shouted as he ran towards Chiffon. "Leave! Go to Ithavllir! You will be safe there!"

William's tears fell unabated as he held unto the Giantess calf. This time, he was able to touch Chiffon, but the latter didn't seem to be aware that there was a human hugging her calf beside her.

The Half-Elf cried.

He already knew the outcome of this battle, and the fate that awaited the pink-haired giant. He didn't want to see it again.

William knew that if he were to relieve that scene again, his heart would burst to pieces. Everyone thought that Ragnarok and the destruction of Asgard was just a myth.

However, for those who had fought in that great battle that decided the fate of the Nine Realms, it was a heart-wrenching experience. It was a day that no living being would be able to forget.

It was the greatest battle that was written in recorded history. It was a Myth, a Fairytale, a Saga, an Epic that people on Earth had read about or watched someone's interpretation of the events at some point in time.

Many thought that it was a good form of entertainment. But, what they didn't know was that everything that was written down on those fragmented tablets that had survived up to the modern day were all real.

It wasn't a Myth. It was a reality that had been lost through time like the legendary city of Atlantis.

As William cried his heart out, Heimdall stopped blowing Gjallarhorn.

The Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge had already played his role. The twilight of the Gods was at hand, and the battle of Ragnarok was about to begin.

Chapter 627: I Will End Your Sinful Existence!

"I will give you one last chance," Ephemera said as she looked at the silver-haired teenager whom she had pushed to the edge of the arena.

The moment their fight started, Ephemera had unleashed her power and clashed with Kenneth numerous times.

With each collision, Kenneth felt a searing pain in his shoulders. If possible, he didn't want to have a head-on confrontation with the beautiful lady from the Gunner Federation. However, he was left with very little choice because his opponent had outclassed him in both speed, and power.

"Just jump off the arena," Ephemera stated as the golden blade in her hand buzzed with power. "There is no shame in losing against me. You didn't have any chance from the beginning."

Kenneth looked calmly at the warrior in front of him. He firmly gripped the hilt of his short sword as his eyes scanned a way for any blindspots that he could take advantage of, in order to return to the center of the arena.

Just like Ephemera had said, he was at the very edge of the arena. Just a step was enough for him to fall off completely.

'I guess I have no choice but to go all out,' Kenneth thought. 'It is really difficult to deal with one of the Seven Virtues.'

Kenneth's eyes glowed in a subtle manner as he prepared for Ephemera's strike.

Seeing that her opponent didn't have any wish to surrender, Ephemera nodded her head in appreciation. In truth, he admired Kenneth because the latter had reached the Semifinals with the meager ability he had.

Ephemera thought that the Silver-haired Elf just got lucky with his opponents. She firmly believed that the moment Kenneth's path crossed with hers, his luck had all run out.

"In respect to your bravery, I will try my best to not kill you," Ephemera declared. "However, since I plan to go all out, I can't guarantee your safety. This is my final warning. Concede now, or get seriously injured. What is your choice?"

"Thank you for the offer," Kenneth replied. "But, I'll have to pass. This tournament is important to me."

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes."

The golden blade on Ephemera's rapier radiated with power. Kenneth had no way out, so all she needed to do was unleash one last attack to end the battle.

Although she looked carefree, the lady that hailed from the Gunnar Federation was not stupid. She could tell that Kenneth hasn't given up hope, which only meant one thing.

'He still has a trump card,' Ephemera thought as she prepared to unleash her attack. 'No matter. I'd like to see what you can do in this situation!'

"Explosion Infernale!" Ephemera shouted as she slashed sideways, leaving no room for Kenneth to maneuver.

(A/N: Excuse my French.)

A powerful explosion took place that shattered the two barriers that were a few meters away from the arena. Fortunately, there were five barriers in place, so the blast didn't spread too wide.

Ephemera narrowed her gaze because she believed that Kenneth wouldn't be able to survive her attack. However, just as she was about to drop her guard, a silhouette passed through the wall flames and headed in her direction.

The people exclaimed when they saw the silver-haired teenager survived Ephemera's powerful attack.

Princess Sidonie who was seated in the VIP Room with the other members of the Kraetor Royal Family couldn't believe what she saw.

'N-No, this can't be happening.' Princess Sidonie's eyes widened in shock.

< This… there's no doubt. She's one of us. >

Morgana also looked at Kenneth in disbelief. She never expected that William's Ex-Roommate had hidden his identity deeply. Princess Sidonie and Morgana had approached Keneth a few times in the past, but neither of them had detected anything unusual about him.

Both girls understood now why the latter refused to concede to Ephemera's suggestion earlier.

Kenneth ran towards Ephemera, while his long-silver hair fluttered in the air like a living creature. With a glance, one could estimate that it was at least three meters long.

Ephemera gritted her teeth as she brandished her weapon to strike her opponent, who for some reason, had unleashed a power that was equal to her own.

Kenneth's hair wrapped itself around Ephemera's weapon, preventing her from continuing her attack. When he arrived at striking distance, he immediately unleashed a palm strike that hit his opponent squarely on the chest.

Ephemera had channeled her magical power on her chest to cushion Kenneth's strike. However it was still powerful enough to send her flying a few meters in the air.

"So this is your true form!" Ephemera said hatefully as she landed on the ground. "You are one of those b*tches!"

Kenneth ignored her as he stood with his hair fluttering in the wind.

"Concede," Kenneth said. "I am returning the favor that you gave me earlier."

His voice was calm and the intonation he used was neutral. Clearly, he didn't want to offend the Virtue of Justice. Even so, Ephemera found his words condescending, so she ignored him and unleashed the full power of her Divinity.

"I will end you and your sinful existence!" Ephemera shouted as a pair of golden wings sprouted behind her back. She flew into the air and channeled the power of her Divinity into her weapon.

"Frappe Du Dragon Radieux!" Ephemera roared and a blinding explosion reverberated in the arena.

This was her strongest attack which was meant to obliterate everything in its path. This was a concentrated version of Soleil's full-powered attack.

Although its range could only encompass the entire arena, it was more than enough for Emperor Leonidas and the Grand Archmage Evexius to work hand in hand to erect, and strengthen the barriers that protected everyone inside the arena.

"That was a strong attack. Unfortunately, it was still too slow."

A voice that was as soft as silk whispered from behind Ephemera.

A moment later, a pair of delicate hands pressed down on her shoulders.

"Sorry. I need to win this battle," Kenneth whispered in Ephemera's ears. "No hard feelings."

Before the justice-minded lady could even reply to Kenneth's words, she felt that the world around her was starting to slow down at an alarming pace. Within that slow moving world, Kenneth moved normally and pushed Ephemera away.

The beautiful lady could feel her body falling to the ground, and yet, she could do nothing about it. Her brain functions had slowed down drastically. Even though she wanted to move and prevent her fall, her body wasn't responding fast enough to execute her thoughts.

Her actions were half a snail's pace, so no matter what she did, she couldn't stop the inevitable.

The moment her body hit the ground, Ephemera knew that she had lost. Kenneth was kind enough to not push her into the bottomless pit that the lady from the Gunner Federation had made after unleashing her strongest attack.

Kenneth hovered above the arena with his hair flapping in the air like the wings of a bird.

'Not good,' Kenneth thought. 'I am feeling sleepy.'

He then glanced at the room where Ashe and Princess Sidonie were seated. Without any hesitation, he flew towards their location.

As soon as Kenneth landed beside Ashe, he collapsed on the floor, asleep. His long hair shortened until it returned to its normal length.

However, before he closed his eyes to sleep, he managed to pass a message to Ashe. He knew that Princess Sidonie didn't like him, so he decided to pin his hope on William's lover.

Kenneth already knew Ian's true form, so he decided to take a gamble and ask for her help. He couldn't trust anyone else to look after him, while he was unconscious.

Ashe looked at William's Ex-Roomate with a complicated gaze before sighing internally.

After hearing Kenneth's words, Ashe was duty bound to keep him safe. After all, the message that he had passed to her telepathically were the words.

"I bear a message from William's mother. Keep me safe, so that I can pass this important message to her son."

Ashe would be lying if she said that she wasn't interested in hearing the message that came from William's mother. The Half-Elf had shared a few stories of his mother with her.

The mermaid had long wanted to meet her future mother-in-law and wanted to know what she was like. Since Kenneth was her messenger, she had no choice but to protect him from the Princess beside her, who was half-tempted to kill the silver-haired Elf while he slept.

Chapter 628: Is He A Boy Or A Girl?

Princess Sidonie glared at the sleeping silver-haired Elf on William's bed.

If not for the fact that Ashe had told him that Kenneth was holding a message that came from William's mother, she would have already strangled him in his sleep.

Ashe looked at the Princess who was clenching and unclenching her fist, as if she was waging an inner battle. She could only sigh internally because she understood what Princess Sidonie was going through.

"Tomorrow is the Final Match between him and Lilith," Ashe said in order to draw Princess Sidonie's attention away from William's ex-roommate. "Who do you think will win between the two?"

"If it were up to me, this bastard wouldn't be able to go to the arena tomorrow," Princess Sidonie pinched Kenneth's cheeks and pulled it hatefully.

Ashe couldn't stop herself from chuckling because of the funny scene in front of her. After having her fill of laughter, her expression became serious as she addressed the thing that had been nagging at her mind.

"Earlier, you said that he is the same as you and Chiffon." Ashe looked at the silver-haired teen whose cheeks were now slightly red due to Princess Sidonie's pinching. "He's one of the Seven Deadly Sins?"

"Yes," Princess Sidonie replied. "There's no doubt that he is one of us."

"I thought all the Sins were girls?"

"They are."

Ashe then tilted her head to the side and looked at Princess Sidonie in confusion.

"He's a boy, right?" Ashe asked with uncertainty.

Princess Sidonie didn't answer Ashe's question and simply pulled down Kenneth's pants. She was also confused, so she decided to confirm Kenneth's gender.

Ashe was lost for words because of Princess Sidonie's action. She didn't expect that her friend was bold enough to undress Kenneth while he was asleep. The mermaid hastily averted her gaze because she didn't want to see any man's lower half, except for William's.

Even so, she was still rather curious so she decided to ask the Princess the result of her investigation.

"Well, is he a girl or a boy?"

"A boy."

Princess Sidonie pulled up Kenneth's pants as a frown appeared on her beautiful face. She was certain that the Seven Sins were all girls. There had been no precedent about a boy being one, so she didn't know what to feel about Kenneth's existence.

While she was pondering, the Princess shifted her attention to Ashe who was looking back at her in disbelief.

"How can you suddenly do something like that?" Ashe asked. "You are bolder than you look."

Princess Sidonie snorted, "I am the Sin of Lust. Do you think I will be fazed just by looking at a man's privates?"

"Well, when you saw Little Will for the first time, you got dazed for a few seconds before regaining your composure," Ashe countered.

Princess Sidonie wasn't able to retaliate because it was the truth. When William and her had first shared some intimacy with each other, Morgana became naugthy and reached out to touch his…

That was the first time that the beautiful princess had seen a man's asset, and it caught her completely by surprise. Of course, she got used to it after kissing Little Will a couple of times, but she wouldn't be able to deny the fact that it was different from what she originally thought.

"I got dazed because it was Will's," Princess Sidonie replied with a beet red face. She didn't want to admit that her first time caught her completely by surprise.

While the two girls were arguing, the hand of the sleeping boy twitched.

After that, his eyelids fluttered before a sigh escaped his lips.

Ashe and Princess Sidonie immediately shifted their attention to him.

Half a minute later, Kenneth opened his eyes and looked at the two girls in the room. He was still feeling drowsy, so after seeing that he was not in any immediate danger. He once again closed his eyes to sleep.

Clearly, he didn't want to move his body. Not even by an inch.

"Oi! Don't go back to sleep!" Morgana swapped with Princess Sidonie and pinched the Elf's ears. "You still have some explaining to do. Who are you and what is your relationship with Darling's mother?"

Kenneth opened his eyes and looked at Morgana with contempt.

"Darling? You call Will, Darling?" Kenneth asked. "Don't you have any shame?"

Morgana smirked because she could tell that Kenneth didn't like the way she called William her darling.

"Why should I be ashamed?" Morgana replied. "Darling is already my fiance. Isn't it right, and proper, to call him my Darling?"

"You think too highly of yourself. Lady Arwen will not appro–"

Kenneth wasn't able to finish his words because he had a feeling that not only would his Master approve, she would also welcome Princess Sidonie with open arms.

Arwen was already aware of what had transpired in the Southern Continent due to Skyla's report. The Saintess of the World Tree had also mentioned that she wanted to meet William's lovers who fought by his side during the war against the Elves.

Also, Arwen was very curious about the Princess of Freesia, who managed to rope William into becoming her fiance by asking her son to put the slave collar on her neck.

When William's mother first heard this from Skyla, she even laughed out loud and complemented Princess Sidonie for being daring.

Kenneth was there when Arwen praised the beautiful Princess. For some reason, the method that Princess Sidonie used to trick William to become her partner didn't sit well with him.

For him, it was his duty to look after William in his Master's stead and ensure that he lived a safe and happy life in the Southern Continent. This was also why he volunteered to spy on him and prevent the other Elves from monitoring the boy and disrupting his peaceful life.

"Hah? What were you about to say?" Morgana sneered. "Mother-in-law is not going to accept me? That is not for you to decide. I will personally visit the Silvermoon Continent with William and get her blessing on our marriage!"

Kenneth turned a deaf ear to the babbling princess and decided to resume his sleep. This was the side-effect of tapping onto the power of his Divinity for an extended period of time.

In his earlier battles, he also used the power of his Divinity, but he only used it sparingly. This was why Princess Sidonie, Ephemera, and Lilith weren't able to sense that he shared the same qualities they had.

If he wasn't pushed into a corner, he would have kept his secret for as long as possible. Fortunately, William wasn't around. With this, Kenneth's secret would not reach him until he was able to have a proper talk with the Half-Elf.

A talk with just the two of them.

"Oi! I said don't sleep on me!" Morgana shook the Elf, but the latter had already decided to sleep. If Kenneth wanted to sleep, not even an earthquake would be enough to wake him up from his slumber.

"This hateful person!" Morgana tossed Kenneth back to the bed with a huff. She wasn't able to get her answers because the Elf had no intention of saying anything.

"Fine, if you want to play it the hard way then so be it." Morgana placed her hand over Kenneth's head. "Since you want to sleep so badly, I'll let you sleep forever!"

Ashe immediately grabbed Morgana's wrist and pulled it away .

"Don't do it," Ashe said. "We don't know his relationship with Will's mother. If something bad happens to him, our relationship with our mother-in-law might get sour."

Morgana knew that Ashe was right, but she was still feeling angry. In the end, she settled on pulling the cheeks of the hateful Elf until they reddened to oblivion.

Chapter 629: The Past Cannot Be Changed, But The Present Belongs To Us

Thunderous drum beats permeated the air.

Towering Giants wielding their weapons of war shouted their war cries.

Beasts of all shapes and sizes roared in defiance.

And the Spectres of the Undead screamed in the sky as they waited for the Aesirs in the Plains of Asgard. This was the unwritten rule that both parties had agreed upon, and so they formed their ranks and waited for their opponents to arrive.

The Aesirs, the proud defenders of the Tree of Yggdrasil, answered their challenge. The gates of Valhalla opened and millions of human warriors marched towards the greatest battle that would decide the destiny of the entire world.

They were the human warriors who had been slain on the battlefield, and personally ferried by the Valkyries back to Asgard, in order to fight for the long-standing peace of the Nine Realms.

These mighty warriors stepped on the Bi-Frost Bridge and, among them, a silver-haired teenager, wielding a spear, led his contingent to war. All the warriors of Valhalla had mobilized for this moment, and none of them would shy away from this war.

The God of Trickery, Loki, sneered when he saw these human warriors. When half of the warriors had passed through the bridge, the vengeful god snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the bridge shattered, causing millions of human warriors to fall to their doom. This unexpected turn of events not only surprised the Asgardians, but the Giants who were also allied with Loki.

Both parties didn't expect that the God of Tricks had already planned for this for many years, and he was only waiting for an opportunity to use the seed he had planted long ago.

"LOKI!"

A loud roar followed by the rumbling of thunder and lightning pierced the sky.

Thor, the Champion of Asgard, rode his mighty chariot pulled by two Goats. Their names were Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr.

He had never hated Loki as much as he hated him at that moment. Not only did he betray them, he also schemed to exterminate the majority of the Einherjars that Valhalla had raised for thousands of years.

"William!" A valkyrie with golden hair and blue eyes dove towards her Beloved that was about to fall to his doom.

Several other valkyries rushed to save their champions from certain death.

William reached out his hand and Wendy caught it without fail. She then flapped her mighty wings and flew upwards. Deep inside she wished she could have done more, but there was very little that she could do.

At the very least, she wouldn't allow her husband to fall to his death due to the scheming of the hateful God, Loki.

Out of the millions of warriors that had fallen off the bridge, only several thousand had been pulled back from the jaws of death.

All of them had already died once, but if they died one more time, there would be no going back. The Goddess of the Dead, Hel, one of Loki's children, wouldn't allow these warriors to revive a second time.

Heimdall raised his sword and the bridge was reconstructed. This time, all the remaining warriors that were waiting their turn to cross the rainbow bridge, ran towards it in fury. They had seen how their brothers died without glory or honor.

For these warriors, this was their everything.

The only thought in their minds right now was to kill as many giants as they could in order to pacify the souls of their dead brethren who had failed to die on the battlefield. They vowed that they would make Loki pay for his underhanded trick that led them to their second demise.

"To war!" Odin shouted as he sat on top of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse, which was also one of Loki's children. "For Asgard and the Nine Realms!"

""For Asgard and the Nine Realms!""

The Asgardians flew towards the battlefield with their mighty steeds and chariots.

Loki watched all of this with a sneer. He had long waited for this day. A day where he would personally see the downfall of everything Odin and Thor held dear in their hearts. While he was at it, he would also destroy the World Tree, and end the other worlds that resided within it.

"Death!" Loki shouted as he raised his sword. "Kill the Asgardians! Send them all to Hell!"

""Death!""

The ground trembled as the Giants advanced, Trolls, and Monstrous Beasts advanced.

The Human Warriors and the Aesirs charged at them fearlessly. When the two forces collided, blood sprayed in the air en masse. Everyone fought against each other, without holding back.

Roars, war cries, screams, and curses rang out in the bloody battlefield.

It was complete pandemonium, and in the middle of all of this chaos, a silver spear shone brightly. William Pendragon, fought fearlessly as he thrust his spear into the head of a Mountain Troll.

"Ignite! " William roared. "Flame Tempest!"

Immediately, the head of the Mountain Troll exploded, making its giant body collapse to the ground. Although they had very strong regeneration, they were not invincible. Fire and acid were their weaknesses, and William had been bestowed the power of Ice and Flames after he had received the Right of Purification in order to become an Einherjar.

Suddenly, William jumped to his right side and rolled to the ground. A few seconds later, a corpse of one of the warriors of Valhalla smashed on the place where he stood. The poor warrior almost turned into meat paste after being thrown full-force by a giant that found William an eyesore.

William gritted his teeth as he faced the towering Giant alone.

The giant smashed his Giant War Axe towards the pesky little man, but the attack was disrupted halfway due to a powerful attack that collided with the Giant's waist.

"I won't let you hurt him!"

The Giantess, Chiffon, had seen that William was at a disadvantage and rushed to his rescue. It was because of the silver-haired teenager that she left her homeworld and traveled with him back to Asgard.

Chiffon didn't care about the purpose of the war. All she cared about was William. She wasn't that smart, but she would fight to the teeth to protect the person she loved.

The Giantess' weapon was a giant spiked club that Wendy had taken from the treasury of Valhalla. It was one of the prizes that Thor had brought back to the battlefield, and it belonged to one of the Giants he had slain in battle.

Since none of the Human Warriors could wield such a weapon, it had remained in the treasury for hundreds of years. Now, it had found its new owner, and its new Master was not afraid to use it to brutally smash her opponents with all of her strength.

William wasn't being idle either. After Chiffon had made the Giant lose its balance, he imbued the spear in his hand with both Magic and Battle Aura.

"Frostfire Fury!" William shouted as he threw the spear towards the Giant's chest.

The silver spear was covered in red and blue flames that made it transform into a small blazing comet. This was one of William's strongest attacks and it had enough power to pierce through a Giant's protective armor, and cause massive damage to its body.

As expected, the Giant roared in pain after receiving William's deadly attack. However, it was far from dying.

Chiffon jumped high in the air shouting a warcry before smashing her spiked club on the giant's head. Due to William's sudden attack, the Giant wasn't able to defend itself and died a gruesome death from Giantess' merciless strike.

"Traitor!" one of the Giants who had seen his fallen comrade die under Chiffon's hands bellowed. "I will kill you!"

Chiffon was unfazed as she stood in front of William.

The silver-haired warrior raised his hand and the silver spear returned to its rightful owner.

"Chiffon, let's fight together," William said.

"Yes," Chiffon replied as she smiled happily. "Let's fight together, Will!"

Not far from them, a Half-Elf with tears streaming down the side of his face, watched helplessly. His heart ached, for what was about to come. He knew, more than anything else, that no matter how fierce the silver-haired warrior and the pink-haired Giantess fought, the outcome would remain the same.

"The end of the world cannot be stopped," William said sadly. "The outcome of this battle has long been set in stone."

William raised his hand and reached out towards the sky.

"The past cannot be changed, but the present belongs to us," William's voice gained strength.

"You made a mistake."

"You shouldn't have shown me this past."

"You shouldn't have made me angry!"

Optimus had been with William ever since he was a child. It was very easy for it to know what the Shepherd wanted to have happen.

< Initiating Merging of Job Classes >

< Choosing the Optimal Job Classes for best results >

< Choices Confirmed! >

– Prince of Thunder

– Runemaster

– Ninja

– Elemental Lord

– Gladiator

< Proceed to Merging Job Classes >

< Merging in progress >

< Current Progress 1% >

William eyed the progression bar, and ignored the battle that was happening around him.

Since the past couldn't be changed, no matter how much he cried, pleaded, and screamed, nothing would change. Right now, the only thing he could do was wait.

Wait for the time when he would break free from his prison.

Wait for the time when he would unleash his fury upon those who touched his reverse scale.

Wait for the time when he would be reunited with the pink-haired girl, who had already found a place inside his heart.

Chapter 630: Wedding Preparations

Chiffon's body was submerged in a small pool filled with flower petals. Her body had already been cleaned, and purified. What was left were the finishing touches, before she wore the bridal gown that the Guardian had personally chosen from the Shop of Babylon for her to wear.

A few minutes later, a lady wearing a veil approached the pool, carrying a bath towel.

"Come," the lady ordered.

Chiffon stood up and waded towards the lady, who had the towel spread out wide. As the lady dried the body of the little girl, she couldn't help but be amazed at how smooth, and radiant Chiffon's skin was.

Perhaps it was due to the cleansing, or the purification ceremony, but the young girl's skin had returned to its clean and untainted state.

After drying her off, the lady led her to a room where a two-meter-tall mirror stood. Chiffon gazed at this mirror unflinchingly, and stood straight. No ripples of emotions could be seen in her eyes.

Two ladies wearing veils that covered their faces helped her put on her wedding dress. After they finished, they then moved to arrange Chiffon's hair.

The little girl's smooth, and silky long hair was arranged neatly into a princess hairstyle that highlighted her natural beauty. The boys in the academy that had ridiculed her in the past, would definitely widen their eyes in disbelief were they to see Chiffon's current form.

Back then she was like an ugly caterpillar that no one wanted to touch, now, she was a bewitching butterfly that everyone wanted to covet.

The two ladies worked hand in hand, and soon they finished the bride's preparations. Chiffon faced the mirror wearing a pink bridal gown.

"Young Lady, you are very beautiful," one of the ladies that dressed her up said softly.

Chiffon didn't reply. Perhaps, she didn't even hear the lady's flattery.

The pink glowing flower hovered above the little girl's chest, and acted like a matching accessory. It looked so beautiful, so radiant, and brimming with life. It was the complete opposite of its owner, whose consciousness had been sealed inside the flower itself.

A moment later, the door of the room opened.

The old woman entered and looked at the young bride with satisfaction.

"Both of you did well," the old woman said to Chiffon's two handmaidens.

She then turned to the pink-haired doll who was blankly staring at the mirror and gave an order.

"Come, Chiffon." The old woman extended her wrinkled hands to the young bride. "His Excellency, Belial, awaits. You shouldn't keep your groom, and future Master waiting."

Chiffon turned around and walked towards the old woman. She then placed her hand on the old woman's wrinkly palm, and allowed the old hag to guide her towards the portal she had opened.

After passing through the portal, they arrived on a wide open plain. It was a crimson world, in which everything, as far as the eye could see, was the shade of red. From the ground, to the sky, to the towering pyramid where the little girl's wedding would take place, everything was dyed in the color of blood.

Countless Yara-ma-yha-whos, Cockatrice, Basilisks, and other monstrosities gathered at the bottom of the pyramid. When the old woman and Chiffon appeared, the horde of monstrosities parted, and allowed the two to pass.

The old woman stood in front, Chiffon at her back, and the two ladies behind the little girl. Several other ladies wearing veils walked alongside them.

The monsters looked at this procession with excitement. They had already been told that their Master was going to get married today, and with it, they would be freed from the tower.

Belial's aim was to first conquer the City of Babylon and make it his base of operation. After this was done, he would increase the number of his army and start his conquest of the nearby lands. He wasn't afraid of any kind of opposition, for he was confident in his strength.

The Guardian of the 51st Floor had long prepared for the day of his conquest, and only a handful of individuals had the power to stop him in his tracks.

When the procession arrived at the base of the Pyramid, a red mist descended from the heavens. The old woman smiled and walked to the side, allowing her Master to take a look at his young bride.

The red mist gathered and transformed into a handsome man with dark blue hair and eyes. There were two curved black horns on his forehead which signified that he wasn't a Human.

Belial walked towards his bride and lowered his head until the beautiful flower that hovered in front of Chiffon's chest was mere inches away from his face.

The Guardian of the 51st Floor inhaled deeply and savored the fragrance of the heart that he coveted.

"Such a sublime fragrance," Belial praised. "Worthy of the last offering that will free me from this tower."

He took another whiff before sighing in pleasure.

"My bride is such a beauty," Belial said as he gently caressed the side of Chiffon's face. He liked how soft and smooth Chiffon's skin was, and it almost made Belial lose to the temptation that he was trying so hard to suppress.

"Come, Chiffon, my little pet," Belial said as he held the young girl's hand. "I will grant your final wish to marry someone. After that, I will feast on your heart, body, and soul."

Belial led the little girl to climb the steps up the pyramid. He would glance at his young bride from time to time. Clearly, he was looking forward to plucking the innocent girl's flower, and savoring it, to his heart's content.

It didn't take long before they reached the top, where an Altar had already been set in place. Standing on a small podium was a lady wearing a veil. She would be the one to officiate Chiffon's and Belial's wedding.

The old woman and the ladies standing beside her, looked up at their Master. The monsters of the Devil's floor also looked up. They were all looking forward to seeing the flower on Chiffon's chest bloom to its fullest once her Heart Devil's final wish was fulfilled.

The Priestess who stood before Chiffon and Belial opened the holy book in her hand and recited the opening phrases.

"We are all gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Chiff–"

Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder roared in the sky with a fury, preventing the Priestess from finishing her words.

A large bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and striked near the base of the pyramid, obliterating the monsters who were unlucky enough to be in its landing site.

Belial, the Priestess, and the monsters gathered around the pyramid stared at the gatecrasher who dared to appear before them.

A teenage boy with blazing red hair looked up at the tower with his glowing green eyes. His gaze landed on the young bride, and the anger that he had bottled up in his chest broke out like a raging river.

—--

< Merging Successful >

< The Unique Prestige Class, Einherjar, has been unlocked! >

—--

"Get your filthy hands off my bride," William declared. "The one she will be marrying is me."

William's red hair lengthened and slowly changed color until it became silver-white. It looked exactly like the hairstyle he had in his past life when he still bore the name William Pendragon.

The Half-Elf summoned Stormcaller and Soleil, and held them in each of his hands. Clearly, he was planning to go all out, and make the bastard, who stood beside Chiffon, regret his decision for setting his eyes on his woman.

Lightning crackled on Stormcaller's body, and Soleil's body blazed.

The old woman's eyes widened in shock because she recognized who the troublemaker was. She had already made sure that the Half-Elf wouldn't be able to break free of his prison, by increasing the power of the Heart's Devil that would corrupt William's soul.

The old woman was already looking forward to making William her pet after his Heart Devil finished eating away his consciousness and willpower. Never in her dreams did she think that her future toy would be standing in front of her, with the intention of fighting against them.

It was at that moment when the loud toll of a bell spread across the entire floor.

It marked the beginning of a battle that would shake the very foundations of the Tower of Babylon, and change the course of its history, forever.

Chapter 631: Heroes Of Valhalla

< Einherjar >

– The Einherjars are the Elite Warriors chosen by Odin, and blessed by the Goddess Freya. They are handpicked among the brave warriors that the Valkyries have taken to Valhalla in order to protect the Nine Realms, and fight those who threaten its peace.

– They are the warriors who stood above others, and were the pinnacle of mankind. Once they received the blessing, their bodies were reformed and strengthened, until they could be born anew as Einherjars.

– They are the last line of defense against the Prophecy of Ragnarok, where the fate of the Nine Realms will be decided.

– Prestige Class Unique Skill: Heroes of Valhalla

– Prestige Class Unique Skill: World End Tempest

– Prestige Class Unique Bonus: Receives +100 Enhancement Bonus to all stats

– Unlocked Title: Army of One

– Unlocked Title: Jack of All Trades (Incomplete Version)

– Unlocked Title: One Who Breaks The Rules

< Army of One >

– +50 Enhancement Bonus to all stats

< Jack of All Trades (Incomplete Version)

– Receives +150 Enhancement Bonus to all stats

< One Who Breaks The Rules >

– The Einjerjar can forcefully break the rules of any plane of existence as long as he is willing to pay the price for it.

– Each time the Einherjar uses this power, he will lose a random memory from his previous life. The more powerful the rule, the more memories will be erased, never to return again.

—-

Belial snorted in disdain. It had been hundreds of years since someone had dared to challenge him openly. All those who did had already been dealt with, and transformed into one of the monstrosities that were present inside the Devil's Floor.

For him, William was just one of those stupid mortals who thought that they could challenge the authority of one of the Guardians that ruled a floor in the Tower of Babylon.

In the Hall of Guardians, Xod, Oogwei, Yves, JellyBelle, and the other Guardians from the 1st up to the 50th Floor were watching the events that were unfolding at the 51st Floor.

JellyBelle had planted a miniature piece of itself in William's body, allowing it to see everything on the mysterious floor that they had no idea about.

They had seen William fight the Yara-ma-yha-whos, and the other Beasts in the maze.

For the first time in a thousand years, they had seen what the Devil Floor was like and the Guardian that resided on it.

Even though Xod had grudges with William, he didn't like the fact that a Guardian had done the taboo. Instead of giving the players a chance to clear his floor, Belial prevented anyone from conquering his domain. The Renegade Guardian even resorted to eating their hearts, which made the other Guardians look at him in contempt.

"So, this is why no one has cleared the 51st Floor in the last thousand years." Oogwei sighed. "This is simply tyranny."

The other Guardians nodded their heads in agreement. They knew full well that no one could beat a Guardian on its own floor, even if the challenger was a Demigod.

They could only watch the silver-haired teenage boy with pity, because there was no way for him to beat Belial, who was the reigning God of the 51st Floor.

Belial pointed his hand at William and sneered.

"Kill him," Belial ordered. "I have no need for his heart. All of you can have it!"

The Guardian of the 51st Floor then stared at the Priestess, hinting her to continue the wedding ceremony.

The old woman wanted to protest because she had already claimed William for herself, but against Belial's orders, her voice carried little power. She could only sigh in her heart and curse William for being stupid.

'You should have just allowed yourself to become my toy. At least you will be alive.' The old woman lamented. 'Such a waste. I guess I will have to settle for another toy when we are freed from this tower.'

Hundreds of Yara-ma-yha-whos lunged at William with bloodshot eyes. Since their Master had given his order, they would definitely carry it out without fail.

William ignored these little vampires and hurled Soleil towards Belial who had already turned his back on him. After throwing his spear, he raised stormcaller and zapped the living daylights of the obnoxious, creepy vampires that had once scared Chiffon out of her wits.

Soleil flew straight and true, leaving a blazing trail in its wake. However, when it was only a meter away from Belial's head, it stopped completely as if it had come across an invisible barrier.

"True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons," The Priestess said as she read the book in her hand. "It is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day."

Belial laughed internally. He was merely going through the motions of the wedding in order to make Chiffon's heart bloom fully. He didn't care about the nonsense of the union of two hearts, he was someone who ate people's hearts!

He once again glanced at his young bride, and the pink flower whose radiance was steadily increasing. Letting the final wishes of those that had succumbed to the Heart Devil be fulfilled brought out the greatest power in their hearts.

It was the power that Belial wished to acquire, so he was willing to play his part, and become the groom of the pitiful girl, who wished to marry the person she loved.

The Priestess was about to say more, but her words were once again interrupted when Belial's body was kicked off from the top of the Pyramid by the silver-haired Half-Elf that had materialized behind him.

Belial quickly regained his balance as he floated in the air. He then narrowed his eyes as he looked at William with a serious expression. The Guardian didn't know how the irritating teenager managed to break through the barrier he had erected.

This barrier was made from the laws of his Domain. No ordinary being would be able to simply ignore the rules that he had set beforehand. Only a Demigod was able to do this, and clearly, the boy in front of him was not one.

William didn't have time to glance at his status page because of the situation at hand. If he had time, he would be surprised to see his current stats were boosted by his Shepherd Skill, Heroism.

—

< Einherjar >

Name: William Von Ainsworth

Race: Half-Elf

Health Points: 365,100 / 365,100

Mana: 396,600 / 396,600

Job Class: Quick Shot Shepherd (Level 30)

Sub Class: Einherjar (Level 20)

< Strength: 258 (+972) >

< Agility: 275 (+997) >

< Vitality: 254 (+966) >

< Intelligence: 295 (+1,027)>

< Dexterity: 315 (+1,058) >

—

Right now, William's stats had boosted him into the Initial stages of the Saint Rank. This was good news for him because he wasn't able to use his Heroic Avatar Skill because a week hadn't passed since he last used it.

"What you're doing is futile." Belial sneered. "No matter what you do, you won't win! If you kneel before me, I will show mercy on you and make you one of my generals. This is your final chance to keep your pitiful life, Mongrel."

William ignored the Guardian's words and stood as straight as a sword. Soleil and Stormcaller floated above his head like bodyguards that were waiting for the order of their Master. With just a thought, the two Sentient Weapons would immediately take action, and raze the surroundings in a rain of fire and lightning.

"Heroes of Valhalla," William said and activated the Einherjar's unique skill.

Immediately thirteen perfect clones of William appeared behind him. Each of these clones were as strong as William, and was able to use all of the abilities he possessed.

One of the clones grabbed Stormcaller, and another one held Soleil.

Rhongomyniad flew out of the gem on William's Chest and landed in the hands of another clone.

'Optimus, do it,' William ordered. 'I don't care how much it costs. Just do it!'

< Understood. >

< Purchasing all the weapons from the God Shop >

< Longinus successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Khryselakatos successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Gungnir successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Gaebolg successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Caliburn successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Grail Sword successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Galatine successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Arondight successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Courechouse successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

< Clarent successfully bought for 200,000 God Points >

The weapons that William had bought all landed in the hands of his clones.

These were the weapons that were part of his Lightning God War Art that he hadn't used in the past because his strength was not enough to unlock all of them.

However, now it was different. As an Einherjar, he specialized in wielding all kinds of weapons thanks to the Gladiator Class that Optimus had chosen. With this, William's clones were now able to enact all of his War Arts using the original weapons.

What did this mean? This meant that there would no longer be a time limit of one minute when the skill was used. As long as his clones were active, they would be able to use their weapons' respective war art, infinitely.

After they had received their respective weapons, the thirteen clones moved a few meters away from William and Chiffon, with their weapons pointed in thirteen different directions. They were like the members of the Royal Guard that protected their King from any threat that would put his life at harm.

William held Chiffon's hand and gave it a light squeeze before glancing at the Priestess who was still holding the book in her hands.

"Resume the ceremony," William said. "I am the one who will be marrying this girl."

William expected that the Priestess would not cooperate, but to his surprise, the latter only nodded her head and continued where she had left off earlier.

"May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace, when the day is done. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding."

After saying these words, the corner of the lady's lips curled up into a smile. She had come to fulfill the promise that she had made thousands of years ago. However, she could only do so much.

She hoped that the silver-haired warrior in front of her would be strong enough to protect his young bride. Because if not then the price she had to pay to enter the Tower of Babylon would all be in vain.

Chapter 632: You Leave Me No Choice!

Belial raised his hand and the forces under his command roared in unison.

"Kill!" Belial ordered as he flew towards William. He planned to deal with the troublemaker himself, and leave the clones to his subordinates.

Seeing that the Guardian decided to face him head-on, William answered the challenge. He wouldn't allow any other man to marry Chiffon. The pink-haired girl had already suffered so much in her previous and current lifetime.

If he allowed the Guardian to eat her heart then he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.

William held the wooden staff that had accompanied him since his childhood. For others, this weapon must be the most mundane weapon in existence. However, only a few knew this weapon's true form.

It was the weapon that the God of Shepherds had carried since he was born in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods. It was quite similar to Lily's weapon, a candy cane. If one were to only look at it at face value, it was not threatening at all.

William still didn't know the true form of his wooden staff, but there was something he knew with certainty. The wooden staff in his hand was indestructible.

Even if he faced off against the sharpest sword in the multiverse, his staff wouldn't be cut in two.

He decided to fight against Belial since the latter wouldn't dare to harm Chiffon because he needed her heart. William also feared that the pink-haired girl would be caught in the crossfire, so he decided to battle Belial in the sky.

"Illuminate the World!" one of William's clones shouted. "Rhongomyniad!"

A blinding beam of light obliterated the Yara-ma-yha-whos that was in front of William's clone. They all had their respective defending positions, and they would not allow anyone to come near the altar.

"Exterminate," another one of William's clones chanted as he pulled back the string of the bow in his hands "Khyrselakatos!"

A green arrow shot forth from the bow and multiplied into the tens of thousands, hitting everything in a spray shot. The monsters that were hit by this attack shrieked in pain because the arrows shot by this bow carried a deadly poison.

"Strike with unparalleled precision, Gungnir!"

"Pierce through the void, Longinus"

"Go for the kill, Gaebolg!"

Waves upon waves of monsters tried to climb up the pyramid in order to deal with William's clones. Their numbers were endless, but the clones stood their ground and attacked any monster that came within their weapon's respective range.

William's clone, who was holding Arondight, held Chiffon's hand as the Priestess continued the wedding in the midst of the chaotic battle.

Meanwhile, above the pyramid, Belial and William clashed against each other. Their powerful collisions sent shockwaves in the air, and sounded like peals of thunder.

"Quick Shot War Art, First Form!" The tip of William's staff collided with Belial's sword, which the latter used to defend itself from William's frenzied attack. "Railgun!"

The Guardian was blasted away by the power of William's War Art. Not only that, Belial's chest had a gaping hole in it, which had surprised not only the Guardian of the 51st Floor, but the other Guardians of the Tower as well.

"It is still useless," Oogwei said. "No matter how many times Belial is injured, as long as he is inside his Domain, no one can kill him."

Just like the small turtle said, Belial's injury regenerated at a rapid pace.

"You won't win!" Belial sneered. "Just surrender and accept your fate!"

"You're right, I may not win," William admitted as he took a fighting stance. "But, I will also not lose."

As if to prove his point, William once again closed the distance and slammed his weapon full force on Belial's head.

The Guardian activated the powers of the world to defend himself from William's attack. But, the barrier he had erected immediately shattered and the wooden staff smashed Belial's head like a watermelon.

As soon as the attack connected, William felt that he had forgotten something.

Something very important to him, but he knew that there was no other way to deal with the current situation.

Memories of smiling children, the kind auntie at the orphanage who would always bake cookies for them during the weekends, and a few other memories slowly disappeared without a trace.

"I told you it's useless!" Belial roared and materialized behind William, giving him a strong kick that sent the silver-haired warrior towards the ground.

William twisted his body and a powerful gust of wind erupted under his feet, breaking his fall and allowing him to soar towards the sky and fight the Guardian for another round.

Belial clicked his tongue in irritation. Although he could materialize and interfere with the challengers in his floor, there were still many rules within the tower that prevented him from doing certain things.

His inability to muster the full power of his Divinity was one of them. Although he had broken the taboo, there were just some things that he couldn't do as long as he was in the Tower of Babylon. As long as the requirements weren't met, his hands and feet were tied and he could only fight William with his Demonic Legion with the current power he had in the physical body he was currently residing in.

"You leave me no choice!" Belial roared as he flew straight towards Chiffon. Although her heart still hadn't bloomed to its fullest, the power of the Divinity inside it would be enough to allow him to break the shackles that bound him to the Tower of Babylon.

Although it is regrettable, he wouldn't allow anyone to get in the way of his thousand-year-wait for freedom.

William's clone who was holding Chiffon's hand narrowed his gaze as he aimed Arondight at the approaching Guardian, who was determined to take the heart of their bride.

"Cut through the firmament!" the Clone shouted, "Raze the world, Arondight!"

A reddish-black beam of light erupted at the tip of the Demonic Sword that was said to equal the power of the Sword Caliburn. Caliburn was a sword that was said to be more powerful than the Holy Sword, Excalibur.

For Arondight to be labeled as its equal, proved that this Demonic Sword, that was said to be capable of butchering dragons, was one of the strongest Legendary Weapons in existence.

Belial gritted his teeth as he disappeared from the path of the beam of light that was meant to obliterate his body.

He then reappeared in front of the clone and delivered a powerful palm strike that sent it flying.

Belial didn't even bother to look at what happened to the annoying clone and hurriedly grabbed Chiffon in a Princess Carry.

He then turned into a mist carrying the girl towards the sky. The Guardian planned to take Chiffon to the safest place in his Domain, where he would ravage every part of her being. Belial even concocted a sinister plan to cast a projection into the skies of his domain, and show William how helpless he was to even attempt to prevent the Guardian from ravaging his young bride.

The Guardian planned to do this out of spite, and show William that he couldn't stop the inevitable. As long as he was in his Domain, the laws of the world would bend to his will!

Chiffon didn't show any kind of resistance and merely stared blankly in space. However, a tear slid down at the corner of her eyes. Belial was in too much of a hurry to notice this change. All he wanted to do was to escape to a place where William couldn't reach him, and let his countless demonic legion to tear the silver-haired warrior, and his hateful clones, to shreds.

Chapter 633: The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills [Part 1]

William sped upwards with all his might in order to catch up to the fleeing Guardian. Something was telling him that if he allowed Belial to leave his sights, he would never see Chiffon ever again.

The mist that carried the pink-haired girl condensed together and Belial took on his Demonic form. He was just a few hundred meters away from the anchor that bound him to the Domain. As long as he would be able to pass that point, he would be able to get rid of the pursuer that was slowly closing the gap between them.

As the Guardian made his final sprint, a portal appeared a few meters in front of him.

Two colorful birds flew past him and glared hatefully at the person who tried to take their close friend against her will.

"F*ck you!" B1 screeched as it unleashed a barrage of magic missiles from the two lollipops it was holding in its claws.

The Magic Missiles' damage was dependent upon William's intelligence stat. Right now, the Half-Elf's intelligence stat was at 1,322, which allowed the power of the indigo lollipop to reach a threatening level.

B1 had properly aimed his attack in order to not hurt Chiffon. The magic bullets peppered Belial's body making him lose his hold on the young lady in his arms.

The Guardian was about to retrieve the girl, but a second wave of Magic Bullets once again slammed into his body without any shred of mercy.

"F*ck you too!" B2 cursed out of anger.

The attack had pushed Belial away, preventing him from chasing the falling girl, and bringing her to his private Domain.

Unbeknownst to William, Chiffon had secretly made B1 and B2 her Beast Companions. The two Dumb Birds had been the pink-haired girl's close friends ever since William had brought her to the Thousand Beast Domain.

They had long wanted to appear on the Devil's Floor because they had sensed that something had happened to Chiffon. However, the laws of the world had prevented them from doing so.

When William's clone, who was wielding Arondight, unleashed a powerful attack, the two birds' connection to Chiffon strengthened, allowing them to come to her rescue.

Belial roared in anger as he reformed his body and regenerated his wounds. He was about to try again to reclaim the young bride, when two powerful screeches rang in his ear.

""Brave Angray Bird!""

The two dumb birds' bodies grew until their wingspan was three meters long.

B1 transformed into a Red Phoenix, while B2 transformed into a Blue Phoenix.

The two phoenixes shrouded themselves in flame as they rammed Belial with their body.

"F*cking Cunt, how dare you hurt our Chiffon?!" B1 cursed angrily and clawed Belial's face until its blazing claws drew blood.

B2 wasn't being idle either as it used its burning wings to slap Belial's back making him cough a mouthful of green blood.

"B*tch, this Sir is going to tear you apart. F*cking motherf*cker!" B2 cursed as it clawed, pecked, and slapped Belial with its wings, causing the Guardian to scream in pain.

While the two Angray Birds were going on a rampage, William caught Chiffon and headed back towards the Pyramid.

He knew that as long as the pink flower didn't return to where it belonged inside Chiffon's body, her safety was still an issue.

William noticed that Chiffon's body felt cold to the touch. Perhaps, it was due to the humidity in the atmosphere, or perhaps Belial's coldness had rubbed off on her when he carried her towards the skies.

The Half-Elf hugged the girl tighter. He wanted to share his warmth with her, and make sure that she didn't suffer from the cold.

The Clones were busy fending off the minions of the Guardians with their superior firepower. Even though they were completely outnumbered, the power of the Legendary Weapons was not something to sneeze at.

William landed beside the altar while hugging Chiffon. He then looked at the Priestess and asked for the ceremony to continue.

The Priestess nodded her head, but instead of continuing to read the book, she closed it and made a gesture to William.

"Say your vows to her," The Priestess said. "Since she is incapable of giving an answer, it is up to you to profess your feelings for her."

William glanced at the young bride in his arms. He understood that the Priestess was right, and there was no way for Chiffon to answer his vow. However, that was fine with him.

In their past lifetime, it was Chiffon that chased after him. Now, it was his turn. William lowered his body and knelt in front of the pink-haired girl who had accompanied him in his journey through the Tower of Babylon.

While the time that they had spent together was not that long, William knew in his heart that he wanted Chiffon to be part of his life forever.

"I pledge to honor you, love you, and cherish you, as my wife today and every day," William said softly amidst the great battle that was happening around them.

The roars, screams, and war cries, weren't able to pierce the soundproofing spell that he had erected around the altar.

"Today I say, 'I do' but to me that means, 'I will'," William declared with all of his heart. "I will take your hand and stand by your side in the good and the bad. I dedicate myself to your happiness, success, and smile. I will love you forever.

"I promise to be your guiding light in the darkness, a warming comfort in the cold, and a shoulder to lean on when life is too much to bear on your own."

William took out the box that Adephagia had given him when the two of them had met. The Goddess of Gluttony had said that the box would open at the right time, and William believed that "Now" was the right time.

The moment the box was taken out of William's storage ring, it floated in the air and opened by itself. Inside, a golden ring with runic carvings shimmered with expectations.

William took the ring out from the box and reached out to hold Chiffon's delicate left hand.

"I was supposed to say, give me your hand, and I will give you forever." William smiled as he slid the ring that would mark Chiffon as his wife on her ring finger. "Instead, I will promise you that today I will have all the patience and passion that love demands. In the laughter and in the silence, I'll be forever by your side.

"I love you, Chiffon."

The Priestess nodded to acknowledge the vows that William had said. She didn't expect that the boy would be this fluent in proposing his love. It was quite unfortunate that his young bride wasn't able to say her own vows of love in her current state.

"William Von Ainsworth, you have expressed your love to your beloved, and through the commitment and promises you have just made. I now pronounce you husband and wife," the Priestess announced. "You may now kiss the bride."

William half rose as he cupped Chiffon's face. He then pressed his lips over hers and gave her a sweet and lingering kiss.

A kiss that bound them together for the rest of their lives.

The pink flower that floated in front of Chiffon's chest shone brightly. It was like a supernova that illuminated the crimson world that had remained unconquerable for the past thousand years.

When Belial saw this light, he roared in anger and tried to use his power as a Guardian to forcefully take Chiffon's heart who had reached the pinnacle of its power. Unfortunately, the pink-haired girl's two beast companions didn't allow him to do as he wished.

"Not in my watch, Motherf*cker!" B1 angrily slapped Belial's face with its blazing wing and pushed the Guardian a few meters away from his location.

B2's body blazed in a blue radiance as it rammed Belial's body with all its might.

The two dumb birds were willing to use suicidal attacks to prevent Belial from acquiring their Master's heart.

Belial screamed in anger and frustration as the two birds used their bodies to block him at every turn. Although B1 and B2 received severe injuries from Belial's counter-attack they didn't back away and continued their relentless attacks.

They'd rather burn their lives away than allow the Guardian to even touch a strand of hair from Chiffon's head.

Back at the altar, the pink flower embedded itself into Chiffon's chest then disappeared not long after.

It was also at that moment when William's kiss ended. He was about to pull back, when a pair of soft and delicate hands cupped his face, stopping him from moving away.

Chiffon's lifeless eyes slowly regained their vitality and stared straight into William's own green eyes with tenderness.

"Big Brother, was everything that you said earlier true?" Chiffon asked. "The vows that you made, are you going to fulfill them?"

"Yes," William replied with a smile.

"Are we really married? Am I truly your wife?"

"Yes."

"Big Brother, Do you love me?"

"I do."

This time, Chiffon took the initiative and kissed William's lips. Her soft lips, pressed over his as tears slid down the side of her face.

Right now, her heart was beating wildly inside her chest.

She felt loved.

She felt happy.

She felt that her life was finally complete.

Amidst the chaos on that forsaken floor,

Amidst Belial's angry screams,

Amidst the gazes of the other Guardians in the Tower of Babylon,

Two hearts that had been apart for thousands of years…

Had finally become one.

Chapter 634: The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills [Part 2]

Within the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, a squeal of happiness broke the peace.

The Loli Goddess, Lily, touched her cheeks as she looked at the projection in front of her. She was fangirling so hard because William's vow of love, and Chiffon's assertiveness made her feel as if the one getting married was her and not Chiffon.

The little loli then jumped and gave the fat Goddess beside her a high five.

Adephagia had tears streaming down from her eyes, but that didn't stop her from celebrating with Lily.

"Now William finally has a loli as his wife." Lily laughed happily. "Big Brother really won the lottery this time."

"Of course he won the lottery." Adephagia laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "That bastard used all the karma in all of his past lives just to marry my daughter. Hmp! If he dares bully Chiffon, I will descend to Hestia and sit on his head!"

Lily giggled because she knew that the Goddess of Gluttony was only half joking. She truly believed that if William really did treat Chiffon badly, Adephagia would stay true to her word and give William a piece of her mind.

Issei and David, who were standing a few meters away from the two Goddesses, exchanged a knowing look at each other.

In a small hut outside the outskirts of the Temple, Gavin looked at the projection in front of him with a smile on his face.

He was still not fully recovered, but when he felt William use the blessing that he had given him in the past, the God of All Trades woke up from his slumber and watched as William battled for his lovely young bride, who was currently showering him with kisses.

"That's my boy," Gavin chuckled. However, his chuckle didn't last long because of the sudden pain on his chest. Even so, he was truly happy because the boy had made him proud. He then laid back on the bed as he closed his eyes.

Gavin hoped that the next time he opened his eyes, William would have reached greater heights.

Also, he wished that his other disciple in Hestia would come and meet the boy. He believed that William would learn a lot from his Senior Brother.

"Why are both of my followers so shameless? Is this a trait of those who follow my path?" The Jack of All Trades sighed before he closed his eyes to sleep. He didn't know what would happen once his two disciples met.

He could only hope that his two shameless, and arrogant, disciples would not band together to destroy an empire or two.

—---

Chiffon kissed William lovingly.

This was the first time that she had kissed someone, and for her, it tasted very sweet.

It was sweeter than the lollipops that the Half-Elf had given her. Perhaps, it was due to the overflowing love that she was feeling for William, and the latter's overflowing love for her as well.

The two kissed, and kissed some more.

At first, the Priestess was smiling, and the clones were smiling.

However, the two continued to keep kissing, not caring that the world around them was starting to become malevolent.

The Priestess cleared her throat, and decided to put an end to the newlywed's public display of affection. There was something more important to take care of, and the two could continue kissing after they had survived the calamity they were about to face.

"It is best that you save your kisses for later," the Priestess said. "The Guardian has decided to go all out and use the full power of his Domain to crush the two of you."

The first to pull back was Chiffon.

She stared at the Priestess for a few seconds before giving William one last peck on the lips. After that, she held her cheeks in embarrassment, and averted her gaze.

It was also at that moment when two figures fell from the sky and crashed at the base of the Pyramid. They were none other than B1 and B2, who had been slapped by Belial from the sky using his full power.

"YOU PUNY MORTALS DARE TO DEFY THIS GOD?!" Belial's hateful voice descended from the sky making the entire world tremble. "I WILL CAPTURE YOUR SOULS AND TORTURE THEM FOR ETERNITY!"

Suddenly, the world trembled for the second time. The eyes of the monsters around the pyramid glowed bloody red, and their bodies increased in size.

The meter-tall Yara-ma-yha-whos became two meters tall, and the towering Cockatrice and Basilisk stared angrily at those who had defied their Master.

Belial transformed into a hundred-meter tall giant demonic creature with two pairs of bloody wings at its back. His two curved horns glowed in a crimson hue, and his eyes shone like the flames from hell.

Just like the Priestess said, Belial was now going all out. It seemed that he had reached the requirement to unlock his true form after William successfully married Chiffon.

"Chiffon, let's teach that Guardian a Lesson," William said as he summoned his staff.

"Un!" Chiffon replied as she stared at the Demon who tried to make her his wife. "B1, B2, let's fight together!"

The two dumb birds forcefully propped themselves off the ground, before transforming into two beams of light.

They merged together and entered Chiffon's body.

A golden flame then started to burn on Chiffon's forehead. The power of the flame intensified and rose up in the air until it became a foot long. Two pairs of wings sprouted behind Chiffon's back. One of them was red, the other blue.

Chiffon then equipped her Devourer's Gauntlets. She then hovered in the air to match William's height.

'Optimus, please. I'm counting on you,' William said as he prepared himself to go all out against the Guardian of the 51st Floor.

< Understood. Leave it to me, Will. >

Optimus knew that William would have no choice but to use the power of his skill, Rulebreaker, in order to effectively fight against Belial. They were at a disadvantage if the Guardian were to forcefully use the power of the Laws of the Tower against them.

Although the price was steep, it was the price that William had to pay to fight against an opponent that was equal to a Demigod.

William's clones also took a fighting stance. Their aim was to annihilate the countless monsters in front of them and deal with the Guardian once and for all.

"Charge!" William ordered as he took the initiative to fly towards the towering Demonic Guardian in the distance.

Chiffon matched William's speed and flew alongside him.

The thirteen Clones also followed suit, and flanked the two lovers on both sides.

"Kill!" Belial ordered as he unleashed a barrage of fireballs aimed in William's and Chiffon's direction.

His plan, to extract the girl's heart, was already in tatters. Even if he could capture Chiffon once again, he would no longer have the chance to absorb her power and Divinity.

If he wanted to use the Heart Devil to corrupt Chiffon once again, he would have to wait a year to do so. That was time he no longer had because he decided to go all out and use the power of the Divinities that he had absorbed in the past.

The Clone that held Soleil sneered as he advanced to face the barrage of Fireballs that Belial had unleashed.

"Absorb them all, Soleil!" the clone ordered.

Soleil answered his call and the fireballs were sucked into the spear's blade, further empowering its capabilities.

"Bloom in the battlefield!" the clone roared. "Fleur Du Soleil!"

Soleil was a weapon of mass destruction. William had seen its full capabilities when Lugh, the God of the Sun, had used it during their battle in the Heavenly Domain.

The flaming spear had long gained sentience and trailed across the sky like a falling meteor, that would burn and destroy everything around it.

The clone didn't aim Soleil at Belial because he knew that it would be of no use. Belial could use the laws of the world to protect itself from most attacks, and William had to pay with his memories in order to break through them.

William had already communicated with them that it would be Chiffon and him who would fight against Belial. The Clones, on the other hand, would ensure that none of the Guardian's minions would get in the way of their battle.

A world-shaking explosion took place as Soleil descended on the horde of monsters. It instantly annihilated everything that was several hundred meters away from its landing site, and razed the surroundings in a hellish flames.

"Fools, you forget that I am the God of this world!" Belial raised his hand and the flames that were spreading like wildfire rose into the sky and transformed into flaming wyverns that flew towards William's group.

William's clone sneered as he summoned Soleil back to his hands. "Fool, no matter what form it takes, flames will always be flames!"

The clone raised Soleil once again and all the Fire Wyverns were sucked into it like moths to a flame. Although Belial held the Divinity of Flames, Soleil was a weapon of the God of the Sun.

Clearly, between his feeble flames and the might of the sun, Belial's Divinity fell far too short.

The thousands of Basilisk that had grown up to twenty-meters long, raised their hands and unleashed a poison spray that was strong enough to kill a Centennial Beast in minutes.

William was about to use a spell to deflect their attacks, but he stopped after Chiffon took the initiative to fly ahead of their formation. The pink-haired girl then opened her mouth and a black rotating sphere appeared in front of it.

Just like a small blackhole, the poison was devoured until nothing was left.

As if waiting for that cue, William's clones spread out, and descended to the ground. Each of them unleashed the power of their legendary weapons causing massive destruction in their respective positions.

William and Chiffon zigzagged in the air as they dodged the red vines that Belial had summoned to capture them. They were the same vines that had wrapped around William's body when he was still inside the Dream World that was made by his Heart Devil.

Belial's frenzied attacks didn't faze the two lovers as they gathered the powers in their hands. The two worked together to deflect the Guardian's attacks that they couldn't dodge, as they closed the distance.

When they were only a hundred meters away from the towering Behemoth in front of them, the two glanced at each other and nodded their heads in unison.

The four elements, as well as the power of lightning merged together in William's hand creating a crackling rainbow sphere of elemental energy.

"Eradicate," William roared. "World End…"

Countless red butterflies materialized around Chiffon as she, too, prepared her strongest attack.

"Shatter the Void!" Chiffon shouted. "Blood Wing…"

""Tempest!""

The two delivered their combined attacks at Belial's chest. However, just like William expected a powerful barrier was erected in place.

William gritted his teeth as countless images from his past life disappeared from his memories.

A beautiful lady with long black hair, holding a bow in her hand stood elegantly in the distance. Her pose was the image of perfection as she released the arrow from her hand.

A soft sob escaped William's lips as the fleeting image escaped his memories. That was the first time she saw Belle in the academy, and he had fallen in love with her at first sight.

William roared as his memories burned away. The barrier in front of him shattered and his attack, and Chiffon's, slammed full force at the Guardian's chest, destroying it completely.

The Guardians who were watching the battle couldn't believe what they saw. They had long tossed away the idea of William being able to beat Belial successfully. But, the scene in front of them made them realize that they were completely wrong.

Belial's pained scream resounded throughout the Devil's floor, and along with it, William's first encounter with Belle was wiped away from his memory.

Chapter 635: I’m Still Hungry. I Have Room For Desserts

A powerful explosion shook the 51st Floor when its Guardian was blasted away by William's and Chiffon's combined attack.

"I-Impossible!" Belial gazed at his chest, where several cracks were spreading at a fast rate.

He had utilized the laws of the Devil's Floor to make himself practically untouchable, and invincible. However, for some reason, William had been constantly breaking the rules that he had set to prevent anyone from clearing the 51st Floor.

All the Guardians that saw this scene had a look of disbelief in their faces. They were not aware of the price that William had to pay, each time he broke the rules of the Tower of Babylon.

Belial slowly rose from the ground as the cracks continued to spread across his body.

William's clones were decimating everything that surrounded them, so no monsters were able to come near their Master, who was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

"Who are you?!" Belial roared in anger. "Just who are you?!"

William sneered at the Guardian who dared to touch one of the most important people in his life.

"Just a Shepherd," William replied. "And the lover of the girl you tried to marry against her will."

Belial laughed. But, he didn't laugh out of happiness. He laughed out of anger and frustration at his current circumstances.

The Guardian who ruled a floor of the Tower of Babylon was reduced to a sorry state, after eating the hearts of those who challenged his floor for the past thousand years. In truth, Belial had long lost the protection of the Tower of Babylon.

If he were to return to his homeworld, or try to leave the tower, he would immediately disintegrate into nothingness. This was why he had resolved himself to devour as many hearts as he could, until he was able to break free from his self imposed prison, which was the 51st Floor.

"This is not over!" Belial stated as his body crumbled little by little. "This is my Domain! As long as this Domain stands, I am immortal! I will return, and once I do, I will torture you and that little b*tch for eternity!"

"Sorry, but there won't be a next time," William replied as he looked at the pink-haired girl floating beside him.

"Chiffon, let's fight together," William said softly.

Chiffon nodded and moved towards William. She then cupped William's face and stared straight at his eyes.

"I love you, Big Brother," Chiffon said affectionately. "Let's end this, and return together."

William wrapped his arms around her and stared back at her eyes filled with fondness. "I love you, too. After this, let's get back together."

A sweet, and beautiful smile bloomed on Chiffon's face. This was the first time that William had seen Chiffon smile like this, and it made his heart skip a beat.

The pink-haired girl then kissed William's lips as the latter held her tight. A moment later, Chiffon turned into pink particles of light and flew towards the gem embedded in William's chest.

"Familia… Oversoul." William closed his eyes as Chiffon's power and divinity merged with his own.

A golden flame appeared on William's forehead, just like it had with Chiffon earlier. The flame burned brightly, just like his young bride's love for him.

Two pairs of blazing wings sprouted behind his back. The Devourer's Gauntlets also equipped themselves on William's hand and a powerful aura erupted around him.

William's clones turned into colorful beams of light and merged with his body.

The Legendary Weapons floated around William's body as they gathered their powers to completely obliterate the Guardian that was barely hanging on to dear life.

William gathered the elemental powers in his hand and synchronized with the Legendary weapons around him.

"World End Tempest!"

William unleashed the strongest attack of his Einherjar Job Class. It was an ability that was created when the world was about to end. It was an attack that William had used when he faced the God of Destruction, who had razed the Nine Realms to the ground.

Answering to his call, Rhongomyniad, Gaebolg, Longinus, Khryselakatos, Gungnir, Caliburn, Grail Sword, Galatine, Arondight, and Courechouse unleashed their strongest attacks.

Their combined attacks disintegrated Belial's Giant body, creating a world-shattering explosion.

Belial's hateful scream spread across the Devil's Floor, but William knew that this was not enough to finish the Guardian. What he did was to simply prevent his opponent from taking material form.

Just as he expected, the crimson clouds in the sky swirled and took on the face of the Guardian that he had destroyed.

"Just you wait!" Belial's hate-filled words made the entire Domain tremble. "I will be back! This is not over!"

William raised his head to look up at the sky. "No. This is over."

When he had married Chiffon, the pink-haired girl was registered as one of his Familia Members.

What did this mean?

This meant that William was able to use Chiffon's Power and Divinity.

—--

< Familia >

< Fourth Familia Member >

-- Chiffon Hal Ainsworth

-- Host is able to use Devour-EX (Divine)

-- Host has acquired Familia Oversoul Skill

-- Increase +30 enhancement bonus to all stats

< Synchronization Rate: 35% >

—--

Belial was impossible to defeat completely as long as he was the Administrator of the 51st Floor. As long as the Devil's Floor existed, Belial would be reborn again and again. This was the sole privilege that remained to him after breaking the taboo of the tower.

That same privilege was responsible for making the 51st Floor unconquerable.

Since that was the case, there was only one thing that William could do to ensure that the Guardian would cease to exist, and that was to devour the Devil's Floor in its entirety!

"Devour-EX!"

The silver-haired Half-Elf opened his mouth and a rotating black sphere appeared in front of it. At first, this sphere was only the size of a golf ball, but it didn't take long before it grew bigger, until it became as big as a basketball.

Belial sneered at William. He didn't know what the boy was planning, but he was sure that no matter what his adversary did, it would still be useless against him.

It was at that moment when the air around William quivered. A few seconds later, one of the Yara-ma-yha-whos on the ground shrieked as it was pulled into the air by an invisible sucking force.

Soon, more monsters rose in the air, shrieking in panic and fear as a powerful force forced them off the ground.

It didn't take long before Belial felt that something was terribly wrong. He felt that his connection with his minions were lost the moment they were swallowed by the black rotating sphere that hovered a few inches from William's mouth.

Soon, the Crimson Clouds where he had taken form was also being pulled by the Sphere that seemed to devour everything in existence.

'Not good!" Belial finally felt that his very existence was in mortal peril. He decisively used all the power he could muster to escape towards the private domain that he had planned to take Chiffon earlier.

However, just as he was about to break free from the powerful suction that came from the black rotating sphere, two words reached his ears that made his blood turn cold.

"Duel-EX!"

Belial was alarmed when he realized that his current form was not responding to his orders, and thoughts.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Belial fired a barrage of spells at William in desperation, to prevent the silver-haired Half-Elf from devouring him.

All of the Guardian's attacks were sucked up by the rotating Black Sphere, causing no damage whatsoever.

"YOU WON!" Belial shouted. "I RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE NEW OWNER OF THE 51ST FLOOR! YOU HAVE CLEARED THIS FLOOR!"

The power of the suction force grew stronger, devouring countless monsters from the ground. If Jekyll was around, he would definitely be surprised because William's devouring power far exceeded his own.

"I don't need your recognition," William answered via telepathy. "I want your life!"

Belial struggled with every fiber of his being. He knew that the moment he was sucked by the rotating black sphere, he would cease to exist. Desperate for William's mercy and forgiveness, the Guardian of the 51st Floor promised him many things.

Promises of great rewards that were only exclusive from the Tower of Babylon, but William wasn't interested in such things.

"Curse You!" Belial roared hatefully. "The other Guardians will avenge me! They will avenge me! You will pay for your insolence! They will rip your body apart and torture your soul for eternity!"

William answered Belial's threat with a chuckle.

"I'd like to see them try," William answered. "I'm still hungry. I have room for a multitude of desserts."

It was not only the Guardians of the first 50 Floors that were paying attention to the battle. Even the Guardians from the 52nd Floor up to the 100th Floor were there to witness everything that had happened from the start.

All of them had been bored out of their minds since no one was able to clear the 51st Floor. This was why William's appearance made them very happy. However, when they heard Belial's words, all of them immediately panicked and gave Belial the middle finger.

F*cking bastard! If you're going to die, just die! Don't involve others to your doom!

Their bodies unconsciously shuddered as they cursed Belial for involving them in his problem.

If possible, the Guardians of the Tower of Babylon wanted to drown Belial in spit because his words might have made Wiliam think that they would make things difficult for him as he continued his conquest in the Tower of Babylon.

They were very afraid that the boy would also devour their entire floors, and end their existences in the most horrifying way possible.

Chapter 636: The Final Match Of The Tournament Of Champions [Part 1]

Today, the number of people in the Grand Arena had far exceeded the number of the previous matches.

It was quite understandable because this was the Final Match of the Tournament of Champions. Today, the greatest prodigy of the young generation would be crowned. A day before the match started, all the seats in the Grand Arena had all been sold out.

Business minded individuals had used this opportunity to auction their tickets, so that they could profit from the grand event.

The rulers had already taken their seats and were looking forward to the outcome of the match. This was the last match of the tournament, so they wanted to see it until the end.

Empress Andraste had a confident smile on her face. For her, this match held no suspense. She had complete faith in her daughter. Even though her daughter had mentioned in passing that Kenneth might be one of the Deadly Sins, the Amazon Empress wasn't too bothered.

No matter what it took, the Amazons must show everyone their domineering side. They were a race that recognize the strong. For them, strength was everything!

Almost all races had to admit that the Elves were among the superior races in the world of Hestia.

However, the Amazons didn't think that way. For them, they were the superior race. Why? Because they would only allow strong men to become their partners, and give birth to their children.

For the Amazons, the genes of an individual was of the utmost priority. The stronger that person was, the more attractive he was to the Amazonian Race. This was also the reason why they joined this tournament.

They were looking for potential seeds that they could invite back to their Empire and let them sire the new generation of Amazons that would make their Empire reach its peak of power.

Kenneth was one of the seeds that Empress Andraste had her eyes on. However, since her daughter had mentioned that Kenneth was one of the Deadly Sins, he must definitely be a girl.

However, right now, no matter what artifact she used to check Kenneth's gender, the result was always male.

Of course, Empress Andraste had been present during Kenneth's last match when his hair grew extraordinarily long. With the Elf's delicate looking face, and his long hair, everyone would think of him as a girl.

Empress Andraste was not an exception. Regardless, the fact still remained was that Kenneth was a boy right now. Unless he was using a special artifact that changed his gender, the Amazon Empress would still take him with him back to the Amazon Empire, by force if she had to.

Emperor Leonidas stood at the podium as he addressed the audience who was looking forward to the final battle between Kenneth and Lilith. As the host of the tournament, the Kraetor Emperor handled everything flawlessly. He didn't scrimp on the budget of the event and ensured that everything would run smoothly.

As he looked at the last two finalists who were waiting to climb up the arena, he felt a sense of regret that his grandson, Prince Jason, had been eliminated in his previous battle. If he had won, he would have represented the Kraetor Empire in this battle for supremacy.

"Today is the final day of the tournament." Emperor Leonidas' charismatic voice spread across the Arena. "Only one name will rise to claim the title of the Strongest Champion of the young generation! "

"I know that all of you are already tired of waiting, so let the final match commence!" Emperor Leonidas declared.

A thunderous applause answered his declaration. The Emperor returned to his seat and the referee of the final match made a gesture for both combatants to step on the arena.

Lilith walked with confidence, while Kenneth walked in silence. Their presence was different, and the people were leaning towards Lilith more because of her beauty, and confident appearance.

Some of the ladies cheered for Kenneth. They always liked the underdogs, and Kenneth was a delicate-looking teenager that made the girls giggle in their seats.

After the two came face to face in the arena, Lilith smirked as she placed one of her hands on her waist.

"Tell me, are you really one of us?" Lilith asked. "I've always thought that I only had sisters. I'm going to be perfectly honest, you're too girly to be my type. But, some of my friends might take a liking to you. Do you want to visit our Empire? I promise that you will be treated as a VIP by the Amazonian Race."

Kenneth didn't answer and simply unsheathed his shortsword from its scabbard. He was still feeling sleepy, so he had no strength or time to have a conversation with the talkative Amazon Princess.

Seeing that she was being ignored completely, Lilith clicked her tongue.

"Fine. I'll just drag you to our Empire whether you like it or not," Lilith declared. "Although you're not really my type, my friends will definitely love to have your genes. I guess your children will be decent warriors once they grow up."

Kenneth remained silent and simply waited for the battle to start. He intended to end the battle as fast as he could because he was not in peak condition.

The referee didn't want to delay the match either, so he raised his hand and declared the start of the battle.

"Final Match Start!"

Lilith's expression became serious as he summoned her War Axe. This was the same weapon that he had used during her battle with Prince Jason, but she never had gotten the chance to use it.

Right now, the Amazon Princess wielded the weapon with both hands.

She was certain that Kenneth was one of the Deadly Sins, which meant that she couldn't take him lightly.

Kenneth, on the other hand, pointed his sword in Lilith's Direction and chanted.

"Spirits of Time, veil us from the gaze of the Creator," Kenneth said and his silver-gray hair grew until it touched the ground. "Time Stop!"

Lilith was about to charge at Kenneth, but before she was even able to execute her plan, the Elf had already frozen her in time.

The Amazon Warrior was in the act of running with her War Axe raised high. However, she stayed in that position like a statue, unable to even blink her eyes.

Kenneth walked towards his opponent in a steady pace in order to not break the Time Spell that he had cast. A gust of wind blew inside the arena, making his long silver-gray hair flutter.

Although his gender was still in question, everyone would agree that the delicate looking Elf in his current appearance would easily pass as a beautiful young lady.

Within the safety of the Kraetor Empire VIP Room, Princess Sidonie watched with bated breath, as the person she hated the most, thrust his blade on the Amazon's Princess chest.

Clearly, Kenneth wanted to end the match as soon as possible.

He didn't care for fame and honor. All he cared about was freeing William from the grasp of the Lusty Princess, whom he believed had used underhanded tricks in order to force his Ex-Roommate, and the son of his Master, to become her fiance.

Chapter 637: The Final Match Of The Tournament Of Champions [Part 2]

The moment Kenneth's blade pierced Lilith's Chest, a loud cracking sound was heard.

The body of the Amazon Princess shattered like a vase, and the War Axe that she was holding in her hands fell on the ground, embedding itself on the arena.

Kenneth immediately took a few steps back and scanned his surroundings. His long hair spread out like living snakes, and took a defensive stance around him.

"Now, I know what Sin you bear."

A teasing voice whispered in Kenneth's Ears, and the latter immediately tried to find where the sound of the voice was coming from.

"I don't know if you are a sister, or a brother, but it doesn't matter. I will find out soon enough."

The only one that could hear the voice was Kenneth, and he was finding it hard to pinpoint the location of the voice because Lilith was using telepathy to talk to him.

"Now that I know your Sin, I now know how to beat you." Lilith chuckled.

Kenneth narrowed his eyes as he extended his senses to encompass his surroundings. Right now, he was tapping on the power of his Divinity. He couldn't keep this state for a long time, so he needed to finish Lilith as soon as possible.

"You know, I can just wait for the power of your Divinity to disappear before I attack you," Lilith commented. "However, that will leave a bad aftertaste. I came here to fight, not to hide."

"Then fight!" Kenneth interjected and shouted in his mind. "Show me what the proud Amazon Princess can do."

"Very well, but let's agree on a condition first."

"A condition?"

"Yes," Lilith's playful voice answered. "You are not allowed to stop my time. If you break this condition, I promise you that you will regret it."

Kenneth readily agreed to this condition. The more time that passed, the more difficult it is for him to retain his current level of power. He was already starting to feel drowsy, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he reached his limit.

"I agree to your condition."

"Good. Now, let's have a good battle!"

As soon as Lilith said those lines, a blue crystal shard, the size of an electric pole jutted out of the ground, aiming at Kenneth's head.

The Elf pushed himself backwards using his long silver hair, and successfully dodged Lilith's surprise attack.

Suddenly, the arena trembled and more crystal shards jutted out of the ground. These crystals encompassed the entire arena and surrounded Kenneth from all sides.

"Are you ready for this?" A blue crystal that took the form of Lilith appeared in front of Kenneth and winked at him. "Crystal Nova!"

The crystals detonated themselves, sending sharp shrapnels in every direction. Kenneth didn't move from where he stood, but his hair increased its volume and wrapped Kenneth like a yarn ball.

The crystal shards bounced off at the giant ball of hair, as if they were hitting reinforced steel.

These shattered crystals turned into glittering crystal dusts that fell on the ground, coating it with a bluish tint.

"Now I know your Sin as well," Kenneth said after unwrapping himself from his protective stance. "You're Greed."

"Yes, but you don't know me well enough." Lilith giggled. "You should be feeling pain, right about now…"

As soon as Lilith finished saying her words, Kenneth felt a burning sensation in his entire body. He hurriedly tore off the sleeve of his robe, and saw that his skin was starting to turn blue.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the blue color was actually the crystal dust that Lily had manipulated to penetrate his skin's pores. From there, the Amazon Warrior activated her powers and attacked Kenneth in a place that he least expected.

The blue skin was now tainted with red blood as the crystal dusts bore deep inside his body.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning to kill you," Lilith said with a charming smile. "My sisters will love to have a pretty boy as their plaything. Also, you are one of my kind. They will definitely take that into consideration when they squeeze you dry."

As red blood dyed Kenneth's clothes, the Elf remained calm and activated the power of his Divinity.

He gazed at the teasing smile on Lilith's place before using one of his trump cards.

"Rewind Time."

The image of a clock appeared above Kenneth's head and its hands were moving counterclockwise. The Battle that Kenneth had just fought against Lilith was now a few minutes in the future.

Because Kenneth couldn't use his Divinity for long, he had created a checkpoint in time, right after Lilith's body shattered into pieces, so he could glimpse into the future and know what his opponent was planning to do.

This took a heavy toll on his body, but this was the only way he could think of to beat one of the Deadly Sins, whose abilities were unknown to him.

—---

A blue crystal shard, the size of an electric pole jutted out of the ground, aiming at Kenneth's head.

Just as he did earlier, the Elf pushed himself backwards using his long silver hair, and successfully dodged Lilith's surprise attack.

The arena trembled and more crystal shards jutted out of the ground. These crystals encompassed the entire arena and surrounded Kenneth from all sides.

"Are you ready for this?" A blue crystal that took the form of Lilith appeared in front of Kenneth and winked at him.

Kenneth once again activated his Divinity as he held the shortsword in his hand. He was now feeling incredibly drowsy, so he needed to make the most of what little time he had left.

"Stretch the Moment," Kenneth said softly.

Immediately, the world around him became as slow as half a snail's pace. If one weren't paying attention, they might think that the time inside the entire arena had stopped completely.

That was only half correct.

What Kenneth did was to slow down the time of the entire Arena, including his own time.

The only thing that was working faster than normal was his brain, and he used it to calculate the moves that he needed to do in order to defeat Lilith.

After calculating the exact amount of Divinity that he needed to use to beat the Amazon Princess, Kenneth once again activated another of his Trump Card.

"Time Leap."

The Elf took a step forward, while the world around him was moving at a very slow pace. He didn't attack the crystal Lilith, but instead, ran towards the War Axe that was embedded in the ground.

Time Leap has a certain restriction.

When he uses this ability, only Kenneth's body was allowed to pass through time and space.

This meant that he had to leave everything behind, including his clothes. Fortunately, the long that fluttered behind him, wrapped itself around his body, creating a light-weight armor that was as hard as steel.

The Elf then channeled his physical strength to his right foot and kicked the handle of the War Axe with all of its might.

The War Axe flew in the air, and soon, it transformed into the Amazon Princess, who was in shock because she didn't know what had happened.

"Accelerate!"

With a burst of speed, Kenneth jumped to the air and delivered a roundhouse kick, hitting Lilith squarely in the chest.

The force of the blow was strong enough to send Lilth flying towards the edge of the arena. A mouthful of blood sprayed in the air as the Amazon Princess received another devastating blow from her opponent.

'Why is he so fast?' Lilith thought as she tried to use all of her strength to resist Kenneth's follow up attack. 'Isn't he supposed to be slow?! What's happening here?!'

The Amazon Princess knew that it didn't matter whether she succeeded in defending against Kenneth's attack or not. She would still be pushed outside of the arena regardless of what she did.

The only choice she had was whether she would be able to prevent any further injuries on her body, or suffer a lethal blow that might endanger her life.

Gritting her teeth, Lilith chose to block Kenneth's attack no matter what. Even if she lost this battle, she would still drag the boy back to their Empire in order to exact her vengeance.

Kenneth had arrived in front of Lilith and was about to deliver the coup de grace when, suddenly, his stance faltered in the air.

The two crashed on the ground, with Lilith almost falling off the arena. Fortunately, she transformed her hands and feet into crystals, and dug them deep to gain a foothold.

Although she looked like a monkey holding at the edge of the arena for dear life, she managed to prevent herself from falling off completely.

The Amazon Princess crawled back at the safety of the arena and glanced at her opponent who was currently laying on the ground.

His long hair was a mess, but its volume was enough to cover his body.

Lilith carefully approached Kenneth and poked him with her foot. Seeing that the Elf wasn't reacting to anything, the Amazon gathered up her courage and moved closer.

As the amazon eyed her opponent, she heard a snore, which made her realize that her opponent had actually fallen asleep in the middle of their battle!

Lilith didn't know whether she should laugh or cry at Kenneth's current circumstance.

"Oh well, a win is still a win," Lilith mused as he looked down on the sleeping elf beside her feet. "No hard feelings."

Lilith kicked Kenneth off the battle platform, and the latter offered no form of resistance. She then raised her head in an arrogant manner as she raised her voice to declare her victory.

"Just as planned," Lilith declared. "Everything I did was just an act. Mother Empress, how were my acting skills?"

Lilith waved her hand and called out to Empress Andraste whose posture almost collapsed because of her daughter's shameless behavior.

Empress Andraste opened her fan and waved it a little to keep the heat out of her face as her lips twitched, due to her daughter's shameless boasting.

'Silly girl, you just made us look bad,' Empress Andraste thought. She really wanted to pinch her daughter's waist for doing something unbecoming of an Amazon Warrior.

Ashe's and Princess Sidonie's bodies stiffened because Lilith somehow reminded them of their shameless lover, whom they had lost contact with these past few days.

Lilith glanced at Emperor Leonidas who was seated on the highest seat of honor. Before she came to the Kraetor Empire, she had mulled over the wish that she wanted to be granted.

Now that she had won, she felt like it was perfectly fine for her to claim her just rewards.

"Emperor Leonidas, can I state my wish now?" Lilith asked in a respectful manner.

Although she could be arrogant at times, she still had been taught the Royal Etiquette of the Royal Bloodline of the Amazon Race.

The Emperor of the Kraetor Empire nodded his head, and made a gesture for Lilith to say her wish.

Lilith smiled and was about to say what she wanted the most when the resounding tolling of a bell reverberated in the air.

Right after that, a dignified voice filled with authority and Divinity spread across the entire world of Hestia.

"Let it be known to one and all that the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon has been conquered!"

"I repeat, Let it be known to one and all that the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon has been conquered!"

Emperor Leonidas, Empress Andraste, and the other Sovereigns of the major powers in the world of Hestia immediately rose to their feet.

They couldn't believe what they heard. Someone had been able to conquer the Devil's Floor that had been deemed unconquerable, not only by the people of the world of Hestia, but the very Guardians that resided within the Tower itself.

The dignified voice from the heavens didn't know, nor cared, about the thoughts of the mortals that lived in the World of Hestia. Its only role was to deliver the message it had been assigned to give, and it had done this ever since the Tower of Babylon had appeared in the Central Continent.

"Let it be known to one and all that the one who conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon is none other than…

"William Von Ainsworth!"

Chapter 638: His Legend Is About To Begin [Part 1]

"Let it be known to one and all that the one who conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon is none other than…

"William Von Ainsworth!"

Ashe and Princess Sidonie's eyes widened in shock as they glanced at each other. Both of them hadn't heard from William for the past few days and they were very worried about him and Chiffon's current circumstances. They didn't expect that this was how they would know his current situation, and they were caught completely unprepared by the incredible news.

Gilbert, the Headmaster of the Silverwind Academy, and the one that gave William all the information he knew about the Tower of Babylon, almost choked on his saliva when he heard the world-wide announcement.

It had only been a short time since William had left the Academy, and Gilbert was sure that the Half-Elf would give up before he could even reach the 51st floor. He didn't expect that the boy, who had caused trouble in his academy, would really be able to clear the floor that no one had cleared for the past thousand years.

'That brat really did it!' Gilbert pressed his hands over his chest. 'He actually did it!'

Emperor Leonidas and the rest of the rulers exchanged glances because this was something totally unexpected. With this development, the era of climbing the Tower of Babylon would once again commence, and the Empires would immediately start to send their elite subordinates to fight for riches for their respective empires.

Lilith, who had won the tournament, had been completely forgotten. She had been basking in the limelight, but after the announcement, her earlier fame felt like a big joke. William had completely stolen the spotlight, and it made Empress Andraste feel sorry for her daughter.

However, the Amazon Princess wasn't feeling depressed or affronted. Instead, her eyes lit up because an idea came to her mind. She had long wanted the Half-Elf who was the son of the Saintess of the World Tree, Lady Arwen, and Dungeon Conqueror, Maxwell.

A devilish smile appeared on her face, which was similar to James' when he was about to scam people.

Zagarl, the Demon General, had a frown on his face when he heard the announcement. As a Demon, there was one surname that they hated the most and it was none other than the surname "Ainsworth".

For them, if Maxwell hadn't interfered with their invasion of the Silvermoon Continent, they would have already enslaved the Elves.

'Such a hateful family,' Zagarl clenched his fist in anger. 'I better nip him in the bud before he can awaken his full potential.'

While Lilith, Zagarl, and the Sovereigns of the various factions in the continent were making plans in their heads, they once again heard the familiar tolling of a bell. Not long afterwards, the Divine voice spoke once again and announced a world-shaking declaration.

If earlier, the first announcement surprised them, the next one alarmed them.

"Let it be known to one and all that the ruling family of the 49th Floor, the Moreau Family, is now stripped off their rights as the ruling family of the 49th Floor, and hereby exiled from the Tower of Babylon!"

"I repeat, Let it be known to one and all that the ruling family of the 49th Floor, the Moreau Family, is now stripped off their rights as the ruling family of the 49th Floor, and hereby exiled from the Tower of Babylon!"

"As the Mandate of the Tower of Babylon, I hereby announce the name of the new owner of the 49th Floor."

"The new ruler of the 49th Floor is none other than William Von Ainsworth!"

"I repeat!"

"As the Mandate of the Tower of Babylon, I hereby announce the name of the new owner of the 49th Floor."

"The new ruler of the 49th Floor is none other than William Von Ainsworth!"

—---

A grin appeared on Emperor Leonidas' face after hearing the announcement. To be perfectly honest, the moment that William conquered the 51st Floor, The Emperor had finally made up his mind to write a decree that would officially recognize William as his granddaughter's fiance.

He also planned to hold a Grand Wedding as soon as possible to prevent other forces from nabbing the red-headed teenager, and make him the groom of their own princesses.

The other Sovereigns also had the same line of thought. If they could bring William under their wing then they would be able to have a share of the pie that the Half-Elf had nabbed for himself.

What they didn't know was that it was only the beginning of a series of announcements that would make everyone in the World of Hestia know William's name.

—---

In the Town of Lont…

James was roaring with laughter as he held his granddaughter, Eve, in his hands. He then decided to start calling his friends by using the communication crystals, so that he could boast about his grandson's achievements.

He passed Eve to her mother, Anna, and took out the communication crystals in his storage ring. James called Lawrence and his plan was to make his old friend feel sorry for his daughter's and granddaughter's arrogant behavior.

Since this was a world-wide announcement, everyone in the World of Hestia heard it. The Griffith Family, who had antagonized William in the past, would definitely not feel good about the Half-Elf's amazing accomplishments.

"Hahaha! Lawrence, MY good friend, how are you?" James greeted with a big smile on his face.

Lawrence snorted at James' smug expression and knew the reason why the Old Bastard called him. He had already expected the old coot to settle old grievances and chose this opportunity to rub salt on their faces.

However, before Lawrence could even nag James for being petty, another announcement spread across the heavens.

—--

"Let it be known to one and all that the ruling family of the 45th Floor, the Valkazar Family, is now stripped off their rights as the ruling family of the 45th Floor, and hereby exiled from the Tower of Babylon!"

"I repeat, Let it be known to one and all that the ruling family of the 45th Floor, the Valkazar Family, is now stripped off their rights as the ruling family of the 45th Floor, and hereby exiled from the Tower of Babylon!"

"As the Mandate of the Tower of Babylon, I hereby announce the name of the new owner of the 45th Floor."

"The new ruler of the 45th Floor is none other than William Von Ainsworth!"

—--

James who had been roaring with laughter earlier choked on his own saliva and coughed out loud. After regaining his composure, James looked at his old friend Lawrence with a smirk.

"Sorry, Old Friend," James said. "I will talk to you later. I still have important matters to attend to!"

"Wait, you Old Bastard! We still have something to talk–"

James cut off the connection and didn't even bother to listen to what Lawrence was about to say. For him, there was something more important that he had to do, and he had to do it now.

"Ezio, come," James ordered.

A black mist appeared out of nowhere and materialized in front of James. Ezio, bowed his head in greeting and waited for James's orders.

"Prepare to travel. We are going to the Central Continent," James ordered. "It's time to help my grandson secure the riches that he has acquired. I don't want any annoying flies to try and get their filthy hands on the resources that belong to our family!"

"Understood, My Liege," Ezio bowed and disappeared. It had been a while since he last saw William. However, Ezio was amazed because his Disciple's ability to stir up trouble had reached new heights after he went to the Central COntinent.

Deep inside, Ezio was really curious about how his shameless Disciple managed to accomplish such an unbelievable task.

—---

Demonic Continent…

"Speak of the Devil," an old hag with a wrinkled face and a crooked nose said with amusement. "You just mentioned that your Disciple's name is William, right? Is that the same William that the Messenger of the Tower of Babylon is announcing right now?"

Celine, who was kneeling on the ground to pay respects to her Master, had a dumbfounded expression on her face when she heard the consecutive announcements. It wasn't that long ago that she had parted with William, and Celeste, in the Central Continent before looking for her Master in the Demonic Continent.

To think that on the same day she found her Master, her Disciple's accomplishments would be broadcasted world-wide.

The old hag chuckled as she approached her Disciple who had a complicated expression on her face.

"It seems that your first man is very capable," the old hag teased. "In truth, I was about to look for him and test whether he is worthy of you. I guess, I don't need to go through all that trouble now."

"Master, there must have been some kind of mistake," Celine answered.

The old hag chuckled for the second time as she patted Celine's soft, and silky hair.

"Silly girl, how could there be a mistake?" the old hag commented. "This is a Divine message that is passed whenever someone clears a floor in the tower. I have heard it several times in my lifetime, so I can guarantee its credibility.

"However, what I didn't expect was that your chosen man was capable to this degree. Not only did he conquer the 51st Floor, he even managed to dethrone the ruling families of the 49th, and 45th Floors? Truly unbelievable."

The old hag was about to say more when she heard another tolling of a bell. Both she, and Celine glanced at each other in surprise, and this time, both the Master's, and Disciple's mouth opened wide in shock as the Divine Voice once again made an announcement.

—---

Silvermoon Continent…

"Let it be known to one and all that the ruling family of the 41st Floor, the Amaral Family, is now stripped off their rights as the ruling family of the 41st Floor, and hereby exiled from the Tower of Babylon!"

"As the Mandate of the Tower of Babylon, I hereby announce the name of the new owner of the 41st Floor."

"The new ruler of the 41st Floor is none other than William Von Ainsworth!"

"I repeat…"

Arwen and Skyla stood side by side as they looked up at the heavens. Both of them were in the Sanctuary of the World Tree when they heard the announcements about William's achievements.

At first, Arwen couldn't believe what she was hearing, but after a few minutes, her mood returned to normal. She then walked towards the World Tree and pressed her forehead against its trunk.

"That's our boy," Arwen said softly. "That's our little Will."

The tree trunk shimmered for a brief moment as if agreeing to Arwen's words. William's mother who hadn't seen her son for years wept silently. She had long wanted to hold her son in her embrace, and wanted to shield him from all kinds of harm.

However, this was not possible at this moment in time.

Skyla had already told her repeatedly that her son would almost always be in the forefront of trouble, wherever he goes.

It was as if he was born with the troublemaking genes that would attract all the troubles in the world to stand in his way.

"This is your fault," Arwen lightly tapped the trunk of the World Tree. "He inherited all your bad habits."

The trunk glowed in protest to Arwen's claims.

Skyla watched as the Saintess and the World Tree bickered at each other using their own language. In the end, she left the two and flew towards the sky. The White Crane was trying hard to fight the temptation of visiting William in the Central Continent.

Skyla wanted to see just what kind of ruckus the Half-Elf had made this time around.

—--------------------

The series of announcements didn't stop, and kept on coming. With each new announcement, those who heard it became baffled, until their bafflement turned into numbness.

The announcements were quite ridiculous, and if not for the power of Divinity contained within the voice, they would think that someone was merely pranking them.

The 49th Floor.

The 45th Floor.

The 41st Floor.

The 37th Floor.

The 23rd Floor.

The 16th Floor.

And finally, the 2nd Floor, which belonged to the Agnis Family, fell in William's hands.

These were the floors within he Tower of Babylon that had promoted human trafficking and enslavement. After dealing with the 51st Floor, William descended to the lower floors and blackmailed the Guardians into tearing up the contracts that the Ruling Families had signed with them.

For the Guardians that had seen how he devoured Belial, and the entirety of the 51st Floor, the choice was an easy one to make. Instead of becoming William's enemies, they decided to cooperate and broke ties with the families that had conquered their respective floors.

Not only did they break the contracts, they even exiled the said families, forbidding them to set foot in the tower again.

Only after finishing this endeavor did William return to the 51st Floor. He still had things that he had to settle on the Devil's Floor, and he was almost like a spent candle after merging with Chiffon, and using the power of her Divinity.

The Half-Elf was completely oblivious that the things he did in the tower had already been announced to every corner of the World of Hestia.

This information was like a tidal wave that forced everyone to stop whatever they were doing.

After a thousand years of waiting, William finally paved the way for the new generation to once again challenge the Tower of Babylon, and climb to new heights that no one had reached before.

Chapter 639: His Legend Is About To Begin [Part 2]

Armstrong Duchy…

Wendy, Est, and Isaac were currently having an afternoon tea at the balcony of the Armstrong Residence when William's exploits in the Tower of Babylon rang far and wide.

William's two lovers glanced at each other in disbelief. They never expected that they would hear news of their beloved Half-Elf in this manner, and both of them were surprised and confused about what was happening.

It was at this moment, when Wendy's grandfather, Jevan Cy Armstrong, her father, Joaquin, and twin brother, Spencer, arrived at the balcony. After hearing the news, Jevan and Joaquin immediately went to look for Wendy.

Spencer noticed them and decided to accompany his father and grandfather in looking for his sister, and see the reaction on her face after hearing the unbelievable news that they had just received.

Wendy, Est, and Isaac were about to rise from their seats to pay their respect to the former Duke of the Armstrong Duchy, when Jevan made a gesture for them to remain seated. Right now, he was not in the mood for any formalities.

"At ease. We are all family here, there's no need to show excessive etiquette," Jevan said with a big grin on his face.

The doting grandfather looked at her granddaughter and sighed internally. Originally, he was against Wendy's and William's relationship because he never got along well with James. But, since his son, Joaquin, had said that her granddaughter was really in love with William, and the Half-Elf also loved Wendy, the former Duke reluctantly gave the two teenagers his blessing.

'That grandson of James is really lucky to be able to marry my granddaughter,' Jevan thought.

Joaquin had ordered the maids to bring additional snacks, in order to accommodate all of them. When everyone was finally seated, Jevan finally spoke his reason for finding Wendy.

"Wendy, I'm sure that you heard the Divine Announcement a moment ago, but do you really understand what your lover has accomplished?" Jevan asked.

Wendy shook her head, "No. Grandfather, can you please tell me more about the Tower of Babylon?"

Jevan nodded his head. The Southern Continent was quite a distance away from the Central Continent, so it is very normal for the younger generation to not know anything about the Tower of Babylon.

Est was also very curious about what her lover had accomplished in the Central Continent. She waited with bated breath for Jevan to tell them the significance of William's accomplishments.

"Thousands of years ago, when the races had finally drawn the boundaries of the world, an announcement, similar to what you heard a while ago was heard by everyone," Jevan narrated. "It said that riches, fame, honor, and glory await those who would be able to conquer the floors of the tower and reach its peak.

"Many years have passed since then and humanity has faithfully climbed the tower and conquered every floor that they had set foot on… with the exception of the 51st Floor."

Jevan's tone became serious as he continued his tale. "The Devil's Floor, as many called it, had become the graveyard of countless heroes and renowned warriors that hailed from all parts of the world. It has remained unconquered for a thousand years… but today, someone has managed to clear it."

Jevan paused before looking at his granddaughter with a complicated gaze. Although he had heard of William's exploits during the war, he still had doubts about his abilities. However, after hearing the Divine Announcement, all of those misgivings disappeared completely.

"And that someone is your lover, William Von Ainsworth."

Wendy could feel her face reddening because she felt very proud to be the lover of the only man who managed to do the unimaginable. Est too was feeling very proud. She was very tempted to say that William was her lover too, but in order to not complicate matters, she decided to just keep her feelings inside her heart.

However, Jevan wasn't finished with what he wanted to say. He could tell that Wendy was still not aware of how incredible these events were.

"Wendy, I think you still don't understand the magnitude of what your beloved Half-Elf has done," Jevan said. "Not only did he conquer the 51st Floor, he also took the rulership of the other floors of the Tower of Babylon."

Jevan's countenance turned extremely serious. "This meant that all the families that have reigned for thousands of years were deprived of their rights in a single day and exiled from the Tower of Babylon, never to step inside it again. Do you know what this means?"

"... it means that William had made these ruling families his enemies?" Wendy answered with uncertainty.

Jevan sighed and nodded his head. "Indeed. Your Lover had made many enemies, but this is only the downside of what he achieved. Right now, William had gained not only one floor, but several floors of the Tower of Babylon.

"This means that your lover is no longer an ordinary Shepherd that everyone can look down on. His status is now equal to one of the Emperors in the Central Continent. An Emperor that not only holds vast resources within the Tower of Babylon, but also someone who can build several kingdoms on each floor of the Tower that now belong to him."

Wendy's jaw dropped because she finally realized the magnitude of what William had attained on his trip to the Central Continent.

Est and Isaac were also enlightened. It was quite unfortunate that both of them couldn't go to the Central Continent because they had some important things to handle in the Hellan Kingdom.

Wendy was the same. Although she wanted to look for William in the Central Continent, she still needed to inherit the secret arts of her family. Until she successfully cleared this mission, Jevan and Joaquin would not allow her to set foot in the Central Continent, and meet the Half-Elf that was currently in everyone's sights.

—--

Back in the Kraetor Empire…

Empress Andraste walked towards her temporary residence, along with her entourage. Due to the announcement from the Tower of Babylon, the awarding ceremony had lost all its flare and vigor.

Even so, the Amazon Empress didn't put it into heart. In fact, aside from her, several of the Sovereigns of the Central Continent had already made preparations to return to their empires.

They didn't want to be the last one to send a delegation to the Tower of Babylon. Their purpose for going to the Tower was to make contact with William, and try to negotiate with him for the ownership of the Floors that now belonged to him.

Also, they wanted to investigate how the Half-Elf was able to do it. They were even willing to marry their daughters to William in order to have a share of the resources that had now fallen into his grasp.

Once a floor had been conquered, they would need to wait for a year before the entrance to that floor was opened again. William would also need to remain in the tower for a month, in order to fully register his ownership for the Floors that he had taken by force.

Empress Andraste had already sent a message back to her Empire, telling her Prime Minister to send their elite warriors to the Tower of Babylon in order to make contact with William.

She was supposed to return, but changed her mind halfway after her attempt to bring Kenneth to her Empire failed.

Princess Sidonie had come to the sleeping Elf's rescue when the Amazons were about to carry him out of the arena.

Naturally, Lilith stepped in to confront the beautiful princess, but after Princess Sidonie said a few words, Lilith, the Amazons, and even Empress Andraste, decided to compromise and give the Kraetor Princess custody of the sleeping Elf.

When they heard that Kenneth was actually a messenger by the Saintess of the World Tree, and had a message for William, all of them backed off completely. Right now, William was a hot potato.

No one wanted to offend him in any way. This was especially true for the Amazonian Race who was very eager to acquire the Half-Elf's genes. Although Princess Sidonie managed to gain custody of her hateful enemy, Lilith still managed to make the Kraetor Princess promise her one thing.

And that promise was for William to have a private meeting with her and Empress Andraste.

Naturally, Princess Sidonie already had an idea about what Lilith and the Amazon Empress were planning, but she was not afraid. If they only knew how shameless her lover was, they would not dare to bring a wolf in sheep's clothing inside their chicken coop.

As the Amazon Empress walked the path that led to her residence, she wasn't able to stop the chuckle that escaped her lips. Right now, the entire world was in chaos, and it was all due to a Half-Elf that had done the impossible.

She had long wanted to meet the fabled teenager who had accomplished great things in the Southern Continent.

"I hope you're ready, Little Half-Elf."

The Amazon Empress glanced at the clear blue sky with great expectations as the smile on her face widened.

—--

Meanwhile., high above the Kyrintor Mountains…

An otherworldly beauty sat on the highest place of Takam's castle. There was a very pleased smile on her face, and her cheeks were slightly red due to the feelings that were welling inside her heart.

'Seriously, you're such a troublemaker,' Ella thought with a smile. It had been a while since she had seen the boy she had raised since he was a baby, and her heart missed him terribly.

After a few minutes she gazed at the sky and narrowed her eyes.

"It won't be the same as last time," Ella said. "I will not let you have your way."

A giggle filled with amusement answered her words. It was at that moment when a soft and silky voice reached her ears.

"We'll see about that Amaltheia," the voice said. "In the end, the one who will make the choice is him, and not you."

A few minutes of silence passed. Ella's gaze never wavered as she looked past the clouds. It didn't take long before her gaze penetrated the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

"Do not break our agreement. We will do this fair and square," Ella stated. "You're not allowed to use your dirty tricks and other underhanded methods to try and sway him."

"You already know that I can't promise you that," the owner of the voice replied in a teasing manner. "The only thing that I can promise is that whatever decision he makes, you have my word that I will respect it."

Amaltheia sighed and closed her eyes. She knew that this was the only compromise that her acquaintance would accept. That person doesn't negotiate or bargain. Only on very rare instances would her acquaintance allow exceptions, and William was one of those exceptions.

A few minutes later, Ella opened her eyes and asked the person in front of her the question that had been weighing on her heart for a very long time.

"When will he arrive?"

Amaltheia's acquaintance didn't answer right away. Instead, it seemed that the person was trying to give Amaltheia the best answer they could give, without breaking the laws that were imposed among Gods.

"Two years, maybe three," the person answered. "The current you is not his match. It is a futile endeavor to even try."

Ella shifted her gaze and looked at the direction of the Central Continent. The icy cold wind of the Kyrintor Mountains blew past her, making her long, light-blue hair flutter in the breeze.

"It doesn't matter if I am not his match or not," Ella replied firmly. "I believe in Will."

It was also at that moment when a giggle echoed across the Kyrintor Mountains.

"What a coincidence. I, too, believe in Will.

His Legend… is about to begin."

—---

End of Volume 4

The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills

Chapter 640: The Floor Of Asgard

Only a few hours had passed since they had defeated Belial, and both of them were quite exhausted. William received full authority of the 51st Floor and was able to transform it according to his will.

Soon, the scenery took an amazing change. Belial's Crimson world, which was filled with despair, and corruption, was erased completely. It was replaced by the beautiful world that William had seen so many times in his dreams.

A world where he stayed after the Valkyrie, Wendy, took him from that bloody battlefield of Midgard.

Yes. William had transformed the 51st Floor to match his memory of Asgard. After this exhausting task was done, he decided to take Chiffon to the tallest mountain on the Floor of Asgard, where he once bathed with his wife, Wendy, on their first meeting in a dream.

"Big Brother, I love you."

"I love you too, Chiffon."

William and Chiffon were soaking in a spring, overlooking the beautiful views around them. However, the Half-Elf's young bride didn't have much interest in the scenery, and busied herself with kissing William's lips.

Chiffon was still inexperienced in the art of kissing, but for William, her kisses were very sweet. Her soft pecks, and clumsy attempts to stick her tongue inside his mouth made the Half-Elf's love for her burn intensely in his chest.

William allowed her to do what she wanted, while keeping the flames of passion under his control. He wanted to do this properly, and give Chiffon some time to get used to their new relationship.

Although their bodies were pressed against each other, William's hands were firmly planted on Chiffon's waist, and not wandering around her body.

After a good amount of time had passed, Chiffon finally pulled back as she panted for breath. Her flushed cheeks, adorable face, and teary eyes, that were filled with love for him, made William's heart melt.

"Big Brother, this is not a dream right?" Chiffon asked with a hint of anxiety. "We really got married, right?"

William nodded his head before planting a kiss on the pink-haired girl's forehead.

"This is not a dream," William replied as she held Chiffon's right hand and placed it over the gem on his chest. "We are officially husband and wife."

Perhaps waiting for that moment, the other box that Adephagia had given William, flew out of his storage ring and floated in front of Chiffon.

A few seconds later, the box opened, revealing a golden ring with runic carvings. This was the matching pair to the ring that William had placed on Chiffon's finger during their wedding.

Chiffon took the ring and reached out for William's left hand. The Half-Elf had a troubled look on his face, as he allowed Chiffon to place the ring on his finger.

When the pink-haired girl was about to place the ring on William's ring finger, she noticed that there was already a ring on it. After looking at the ring for a brief moment, Chiffon confidently placed the ring on William's thumb.

The customs of the Dwarves were very different from Humans. Instead of placing the ring on their partner's ring finger, they placed it on their thumbs.

In the Dwarven Culture, a thumb ring symbolized freedom, love, and loyalty. Chiffon's mother, April, had no rings on any of her fingers, but her father, Luciel, had a thumb ring. The Demon Race was against marriage to other races, especially the Dwarves.

This was also why April and Luciel didn't marry. Instead, Chiffon's mother placed a ring on Luciel's thumb, to express her undying love and loyalty to him.

Chiffon had wanted to do the same, so she wasn't too bothered by the ring on William's ring finger.

After the ring fixed its size to fit William's thumb, a sweet smile appeared on Chiffon's face. She had been feeling anxious because she thought that she was still inside the Dreamscape of the Heart Devil, which had reminded her of things that she had long buried in her heart.

Chiffon's smile was like a drug to William. For some stupid reason, he wanted his young bride to only show this smile to him. It was like a treasure that he had fought hard to get, and he didn't want to share it with others.

Of course, William didn't voice this opinion out loud. He wanted Chiffon to always be smiling. If he prevented her from doing so, wouldn't the girl just revert to the gloomy self of her past?

After having her fill of admiring the ring on William's hand, the ever-eager young bride once again clung to her husband and kissed him passionately.

Chiffon was addicted to kisses, and William was more than happy to volunteer himself to be kissed by the pink-haired girl, who loved him with all of her heart. Deep inside, his heart was at peace. He vowed that no matter what happened in the future, he would cherish Chiffon, as well as his other lovers, until he drew his last breath.

An hour later, the two finally left the spring and entered the castle of Asgard.

It was currently empty, since they were the only two existences on the 51st Floor.

William didn't regain all of the memories of William Pendragon during his stay in Valhalla. The only thing he remembered were his memories with Wendy, and Chiffon, and the war of Ragnarok--where everything precious to him was razed by the burning flames of destruction.

After walking around the castle for a few minutes, William took Chiffon to the Halls of Valhalla.

A place where his brother in arms had stayed, and feasted whenever they finished a mission.

William paused to look at the great seat of honor where Odin, Thor, and the other Gods of Asgard dined. They would usually dine with the warriors from time to time and make toasts to them for the great accomplishments that they had done for the safety of the Nine Realms.

"Big Brother?" Chiffon asked. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

William touched the side of his face and realized that he was crying. He had many memories of this place, and for some reason, he felt that he had finally come home after a ten-thousand year journey.

"Don't worry," William closed his eyes as he lightly squeezed Chiffon's hand. "I'm fine. Just… pretend that you didn't see anything just now."

"Un," Chiffon replied as she squeezed back William's hand.

William didn't suppress his tears and allowed them to fall freely. For him, this was not a show of weakness, but a form of acceptance.

Acceptance for the things that had happened in the past, where he, along with his lovers, comrades, and the Aesir, fought with everything they had. And yet, they still failed to prevent the destruction of the world.

Chiffon wasn't able to continue watching and hugged William. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. The pink-haired girl wanted to share her love, warmth, and companionship with the person she loved.

William, in turn, hugged her back and held her until he no longer had tears to shed.

There, in the center of the Hall of Valhalla, where the greatest warriors of the world gathered, a lone Einherjar, had finally found his way back home.

Chapter 641: Honeymoon in Valhalla [Part 1]

After all of his tears had dried up, William led Chiffon to the room that was granted to him after he had become one of the Commanders of the Einherjars.

It was a very spacious room, and luxuriously decorated, matching his status as one of the elites in Valhalla.

Right now, William was feeling very tired, so he unconsciously led Chiffon to the place where he stayed whenever he was not out on a mission.

Chiffon, on the other hand, looked at the room with great curiosity. Her heart was beating wildly inside her chest as a thought crossed her mind.

'Mama said that after I get married, My husband and I need to consummate our marriage,' Chiffon thought with great expectations. 'By doing so, I will be able to give birth to Big Brother's babies. But, how are babies made?'

The pink-haired girl glanced at the ring on William's ring finger with a serious expression. Chiffon was not completely oblivious to the meaning behind a ring. Her mother, April, had told her about the human's customs and what it meant to have a ring on someone's ring finger.

While she was busy pondering several things in her innocent little head, William opened the door that led to his bedroom. Chiffon gazed at the giant bed that could easily fit a dozen people, and wondered if it would be just as comfortable as the beds in Princess Sidonie's room.

"Let's sleep together, Chiffon," William said as he led his young bride to the big bed.

He made Chiffon sit on top of the bed as he gently removed the shoes that she was wearing. After removing her shoes, William playfully tickled the soles of her feet, which made the latter laugh uncontrollably.

"Big Brother, stop bullying me," Chiffon said with a pout. She was still heaving pretty deeply after experiencing William's tickling attack that caught her completely by surprise.

The Half-Elf chuckled as he planted a kiss on her adorable cheeks, which made the latter's pouting face disappear.

William laid on the bed, with his arms spread wide. The soft cushion felt so comfortable that he almost fell asleep. If not for the fact that a pair of soft lips had once again started pecking his own lips, he might have really fallen asleep without a care in the world.

"You really love to kiss, don't you, Chiffon?"

"Un. I love kissing Big Brother's lips."

William smiled and lightly pinched Chiffon's nose.

"You still call me Big Brother?" William asked. "Shouldn't you change your way of addressing your husband?"

Chiffon stared at William and cupped his face.

"Will."

"Mmm."

"I will call you Will in front of the others," Chiffon said. "But when the two of us are alone, I will call you Big Brother."

"Um?" William arched an eyebrow because he didn't understand why Chiffon insisted on calling him Big Brother. "Why?"

Chiffon looked straight into his eyes as she said her reason for insisting to call William as her Big Brother.

"Because, I've always wanted to have one," Chiffon replied. "I do have older brothers and sisters, but…"

A sad expression spread across Chiffon's face when she remembered her half-siblings, especially Felix, who was the oldest among them all.

William had already seen how Chiffon was treated by her family inside the Dreamscape. He had already made a vow that when he saw Chiffon's father, Luciel, and Big Brother Felix, in the flesh, he would give them both a taste of Ruyi Jingu Bang.

"It's fine," William said as he caressed Chiffon's cheek. "You can call me Big Brother when we are alone."

Chiffon happily nodded her head when she heard William's permission. "Un!"

After another round of kissing, Chiffon gathered her courage and asked William the question that had been weighing on her heart since she saw the ring on his finger.

"Big Brother, am I your first wife?" Chiffon asked.

William looked straight at Chiffon's innocent eyes that demanded the truth. What the pink-haired girl didn't know was that William had already decided to be honest with her before they took that next step in their relationship.

"No," William replied. "Actually, you are my third wife."

"Third wife? Who is the first?" Chiffon inquired. "Is it Ashe, or Princess Sidonie?"

Chiffon already knew that William had several lovers. In truth, she didn't really care how many lovers William had, as long as she was one of them. Her own father, Luciel, had many lovers, his Mother was among them.

For the pink-haired girl, a man of great status would always have many lovers by his side. She just wanted to know her position, and where she stood among William's other lovers.

"The name of my first wife is Wendy," William said as he showed Chiffon the ring on his ring finger that was made from Mithril. "The two of us got married in secret before I left the Southern Continent."

William could still remember that fateful day when Wendy took him to the Temple to get married. The two of them had no other witness, except Ashe, who had secretly followed them to the temple.

Since half of William's heart used to belong to Ashe, she was able to find his location, wherever he was on the continent.

Wendy knew that William would travel to the Central Continent, so she decided to take the initiative and took matters in her own hands. She knew too well that many girls would be infatuated with her lover's good-looks and there was nothing she could do about it.

Since that was the case, it was better to secure her position as his first wife, before it was taken by another thieving cat!

Her mother, Diana, was very supportive of her and decided to look for a pair of rings inside their treasure vault. There, she found a pair of mithril rings that were said to have mysterious powers.

Diana didn't know what kind of power the rings had. However, she was certain of one thing. The rings were an heirloom that was passed down by the founder of the Armstrong Duchy. It was said that if these rings were used to bind two people in marriage, their true powers would activate.

After receiving the rings from her mother, Wendy looked for William and forcefully kidnapped him, with the help of Thor.

The blond beauty traveled until they had reached the Temple of the God that was near their family's Duchy.

William didn't know whether he should laugh or cry at his lover's daring action. Even so, Wendy's feelings reached him, and he agreed to marry her on the spot.

Under the blessings of the High Priestess of the Temple of the Gods, the two were wed successfully.

Ashe, who had followed their trail riding Ragnar, had arrived just in time to see William kissing Wendy's lips to seal their vow of marriage. William's mermaid lover could only look at the two with a pout because they had secretly wed each other without notifying anyone, including her and Est, who were also William's lovers.

In order to pacify the pouting mermaid, William and Wendy decided to hold another marriage, this time, it was Ashe's turn to marry William.

The High-Priestess didn't have any objections because it was perfectly fine for a man to have many wives in their world. Also, William was no ordinary man.

He was the one that had prevented the Elves from conquering the Hellan Kingdom, and all the adults that had turned into statues had been told about his legendary exploits. Because of this, the High-Priestess was honored to be chosen as the one to conduct the marriage ceremonies for the Hero that had saved the realm.

"Ashe is my second wife," William continued his explanation. "If you are wondering where our wedding rings are, they are not in our fingers, but in our hearts. William took off his upper clothes and pressed his hand over his chest.

"If Ashe hadn't given me half of her heart, I would have died long ago," William said softly.

Chiffon moved closer and kissed the gem on William's chest. The gem glowed brightly, as if responding to Chiffon's gesture of love.

"Aside from Princess Sidonie, do you have other lovers?" Chiffon asked.

William nodded his head and wrapped Chiffon in a loving embrace. "You still haven't met her, but the name of my other lover is Est. Actually, the reason why I came to the Kraetor Empire was to break the curse on her, Ashe's, and Isaac's bodies."

The Half-Elf then narrated his true reason for coming to the Kraetor Empire. He didn't hide anything from Chiffon and told her that their reason for coming to the Tower of Babylon was due to the quest that the Patron God of the Kraetor Empire, Aamon, had given him.

"Aside from Est, there is also my Master," William stated. Although Celine hadn't confirmed what their current relationship was, William had already decided that his Master was already one of his women, and as such, he added her to the list of his lovers, regardless of what Celine would say about it in the future.

"Your Master is very beautiful," Chiffon said with a sad expression. "I can't beat her."

The pink-haired girl looked down on her chest, and felt depressed.

"Silly girl," William lightly pinched Chiffon's ears. "You're fine as you are. There's no need to compare yourself to my master. Besides, you're not small at all. At the very least, you are a B cup."

"B C-Cup?"

"Yes. It means your size is perfect."

Chiffon was still half in doubt, but William didn't stop there, and continued to praise her good qualities, which made the pink-haired girl forget about her insecurities.

"Aside from your Master, is there anyone else?" Chiffon continued her interrogation.

William paused before nodding his head.

"I have forgotten a bit about her, but I do have one more lover," William replied with a complicated expression on his face. "I know that I love her, but I can't remember when the two of us first met. Chiffon, there might come a time that I will completely forget about her, but for my sake, please, remember her name."

Chiffon waited patiently as William tried to recall the name of his first love. After the battle with Belial, the memories of his past life were in shambles, so it took him a while to gather his thoughts and piece his remaining memories together."

"Her name is Belle," William said with reservation. "I think her name is Belle. No. I am certain her name is Belle."

"Belle." Chiffon nodded. "I will remember her name for you, Big Brother. Do you have any other lovers aside from her, Big Brother?"

"No."

"Understood."

Chiffon rested her head on William's chest. The Half-Elf kissed her forehead before patting her head.

William thought that Chiffon was done with her questions, and decided to rest for the night. However, before he could put this plan into motion, the young bride in her arms raised her head, and said a few words to him that made his heart skip a beat.

"Big Brother, please, make love to me," Chiffon stared at her husband with eyes filled with love and tenderness.

Her Patron God, Adephagia, had whispered some words in her ears a while ago. The Goddess had guaranteed that if she said these words to William, he would shower her with his love and affection and stay with her forever.

For Chiffon, staying with William forever was akin to magic words. She was willing to do anything to make this happen, so she repeated the words that Adephagia had told her, word for word.

"Make me your woman," Chiffon said with embarrassment. "Fill me to the brim with your love."

Chiffon only understood half of the meaning of these words, but she didn't care. As long as Wiliam would shower her with his love and affection, she was willing to say such embarrassing words as many times as she needed to.

The Goddess Adephagia gave her daughter a thumbs up in her heart. The Goddess of Gluttony was sure that William wouldn't be able to resist her darling daughter's advances. Because of this, she decisively used her Divinity and wrapped the entirety of William's room with it.

This was to ensure that no one would get in the way of her daughter's special night.

Not even the owner of the Tower of Babylon, who could see everything that happened within his Domain.

Soon, the rustling of clothes could be heard inside the room. William laid his young bride on the bed and admired her beauty.

A beauty that belonged only to him.

Chapter 642.2: Honeymoon In Valhalla [Part 2] - Rated 18

( Disclaimer: You guys already know that this is coming. However, before I say anything else, let me just share three words with all of you and that is "She's Legal, Okay?". If you are not comfortable in reading these kinds of scenes, feel free to skip this chapter. )

Chiffon looked up at her husband with anxiousness. Deep inside, she was worried that William would find her body unattractive. This was the night they would consummate their marriage, and she didn't know whether she would be able to meet his expectations.

The pink-haired girl was paying close attention to William, so she was able to see the changes in his body and expression. Both of them were bereft of clothes, so it was easy for Chiffon to see everything about her partner.

William was looking at her entirety with a heated gaze. She could tell that he wanted her, and this discovery decreased the worries in her heart. Although she was embarrassed, she didn't cover herself and allowed William's gaze to wander to all the places he wanted to see.

The Half-Elf had sensed Chiffon's anxiety so he kissed her forehead, and her cheeks, before whispering in her ear.

"You're perfect the way you are, Chiffon," William whispered. "And even if you aren't perfect, that won't change the fact that I love you. No matter what happens, you will have a place in my heart."

Tears started to fall from the sides of Chiffon's eyes because William's words had chased away all of her insecurities. The Half-Elf wiped her tears away with his fingers, and gave her a lingering kiss on her lips.

The pink-haired girl returned William's kiss and even wrapped her arms around his back. Ever since William had kissed her on the lips for the first time, and returned her heart to her, she had grown very fond of kissing.

She had never felt so happy in her life, and it made her realize that the world wasn't as dark and difficult a place as she had thought in the past.

After their kiss ended, William lowered his head and kissed Chiffon's neck. He then moved downwards and left a trail of kisses on her soft, and smooth body, until he reached the two soft snowy mounds that were his for the taking.

William didn't hesitate and planted a kiss on Chiffon's… before having his way with it. William alternated between the two, which made his young bride take several deep breaths, as she endured his relentless assaults.

"B-Big Brother, I am feeling strange," Chiffon said with a flushed expression.

Instead of answering her, William continued to shower her with his love, making the pink-haired girl clutch the sheets with her hands, and unknowingly allowed her sweet voice to escape from her lips.

The Half-Elf found Chiffon's pleasure-filled moans simply irresistible. Even though his bride was a few months older than him, her petite features--due to her lineage of being Half-Dwarf and Half-Demon--made William feel a sense of corruption that was hard to describe.

The Half-Elf spent a good amount of time preparing Chiffon for their union. He was very worried that she might not be able to take it, but the pink-haired girl had assured him that she wasn't a fragile vase that would break easily.

The moment they became one, Chiffon was filled from head to foot with a firm belief that she had been born for this moment. Her sad childhood, and what remained of her innocence, fell apart and shattered like the broken fragments of a precious crystal cup that had been locked up for display. Even the transient pain disappeared, and was replaced by a promise of eternity.

For a brief moment, Chiffon envisioned herself staring down on their lovemaking from above their heads.

Chiffon observed her body from her vantage point, and felt that her body was smooth, and sufficient, capable of weathering the storms that the Half-Elf was stirring up inside her. The pink-haired girl regarded her body with satisfaction because it was safe and sound.

Her small, yet strong body, that had been born in the Demonic Continent, and accompanied William to the Tower of Babylon, would take care of everything.

Chiffon even had the notion that her body was both a gate, and a fortress that housed a priceless treasure within, and William had the key to open it.

With a sigh of pleasure, she pressed herself against William, and clung to him, never wanting to let go.

With every thrust, she felt her body shuddering.

With every breath she took, she felt more alive.

Catching her breath, more sighs of pleasure escaped her lips, as she moved with him, and not against him.

She was fine.

Her body was fine.

Everything was going to be fine.

William and Chiffon kissed and tangled their bodies up in the bedsheets.

Every time that they thought that their desires were spent, they found out that they weren't, and made love once more.

Their last love making session was sweet and slow, but just like their first time that was filled with passion, it was equally as pleasurable.

When they finally stopped, and nestled their naked bodies in each other's warmth, Chiffon thought that even this simple form of skinship felt so terribly good that she felt like crying.

It was an intimacy that had far surpassed the concept of lovemaking. Being together with the man she loved made her body, and soul, feel complete.

For the first time in her life, Chiffon felt that her heart was filled to the brim with love, that not even her Sin of Gluttony, could make her feel hungry at that moment in time.

Soon, they fell asleep in each other's arms, knowing that their love for each other had been properly conveyed.

The two newlyweds had no doubt in their minds that the flames of love they shared, would continue to burn until the end of time.

—--

Kraetor Empire…

Tears started to stream down the side of Ashe's face, not because of sadness, but due to the overwhelming feelings of love that she felt through William.

The two of them shared both halves of her heart, so she was able to feel the strong emotions from her significant other. Now that the laws of the 51st Floor were under William's control, their connection to each other had been re-established.

Although Wiliam couldn't go to the Thousand Beast Domain due to the restrictions of the Tower of Babylon, Ashe could still send him a message if she were to enter William's Thousand Beast Domain.

After securing Kenneth from the Amazons, Ashe went to William's Domain to communicate with her lover. There, William explained his and Chiffon's current situation without hiding anything.

Ashe had been shocked silly when she found out that William had married Chiffon in the Tower of Babylon. She and Princess Sidonie had already thought of the possibility of Chiffon being one of William's lovers, but they didn't expect that the two would actually get married during the short time that they were away from each other.

When Princess Sidonie got wind of this news, she immediately went to see her Grandfather and urged him to set the date of her wedding with William.

Now that the Half-Elf was a celebrity in the entire world of Hestia, Princess Sidonie was sure that the Emperors, Kings, and Queens of the world would use any means, including using their daughters, to ensnare William.

Emperor Leonidas was in agreement and immediately scheduled his granddaughter's marriage at the soonest time possible. After careful consideration, they decided to hold the wedding a month after William went to visit the Misty Peaks to have his fated battle with Rebecca.

Although Princess Sidonie had heard of William's Ex-Fiance, the princess didn't really think too highly of her.

She had already asked William, as well as his other lovers--Wendy, Ashe, and Est, about the so-called genius of the Hellan Kingdom, and didn't hear any good things about her.

Wendy was the only one that took the neutral stance because Rebecca was a close friend of hers, similar to that of a sister.

However, Ashe, and Est, didn't hold back their contempt for the brown-haired lady, who only treated William as a tool to escape marriage proposals from the different influential families.

They had been there when Rebecca and William were forced to agree on their Seven-Year Duel on the peaks of the Misty Sect. However, due to the events that happened in the Southern Continent, their long-awaited battle was moved to the founding day of the Sect she had joined.

Princess Sidonie could only laugh in her heart at the current state of things. For her, Rebecca had lost big time the moment she decided to break her marriage agreement with William.

The Princess was even looking forward to when she, Ashe, and the envoy of the Kraetor Empire would visit Rebecca in the Misty Sect, and personally witness the so-called genius getting trampled under her lover's feet.

Chapter 643.1: Looking For Treasures [Part 1]

William woke up at dawn to see an unexpected scene.

His young bride, who was nestled in his arms, was nibbling on his chest, while she slept. It felt really ticklish, but William endured it because it was very rare for him to wake up and see Chiffon nibbling on his body, while she slept.

Drool could be seen spilling out from the corner of her lips, as she continued nibbling without a care in the world. William didn't know if he should laugh or be worried about Chiffon's current state.

On one hand, he wished he had a cellphone to record his pink-haired bride's embarrassing moment and save it for eternity. He was actually looking forward to the kind of reaction she would do, once she saw herself doing something very "Chiffon-like" to him.

On the other hand, he was feeling slightly anxious because his wife carried the Sin of Gluttony and was a former Giantess. Both personas liked to eat, and William felt that he should find a way to ensure that Chiffon wouldn't accidentally eat him in her sleep.

After his anxiety subsided, William was able to appreciate the young beauty in his arms. Different from his other lovers, Chiffon was like a little angel that had been born into the world to be loved.

Unfortunately, reality was cruel, and she had to fend for herself after her mother passed away. It was truly heartbreaking, especially when she was surrounded by THAT kind of family. The Half-Elf's resolve to smack Chiffon's older brother, Felix, and her father, Lucian, grew stronger in his mind.

William could still remember the promise he made to April inside Chiffon's Dreamscape. He didn't know if what transpired there really happened, or if it was just a result of the Heart Devil's and Chiffon's wills.

'Please, rest in peace, mother-in-law,' William said in his heart. 'I will love and protect your daughter for the rest of my life.'

William removed the strands of hair that blocked Chiffon's face and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. He could tell at a glance that his lover was very tired and might wake up around noon due to how passionate both of them were on their first night.

The Half-Elf lovingly activated his Life Mage skill and used it to heal Chiffon's body. Although he did his best to be gentle, his little wife's moans were simply too hard to resist. Because of this, there were times when he had been a little rough with her.

William was using healing magic right now to ensure that any injury that Chiffon might have received during their lovemaking would be healed. He cared for her so much that his heart ached at the thought of leaving bruises on her delicate body.

Perhaps due to William's healing magic, Chiffon stopped her nibbling and simply rested her head on his chest. This continued for a few minutes until William's healing spell wore off.

Chiffon chose this moment to wake up, and the first thing she did was to kiss William's cheeks.

"Thank you, Big Brother," Chiffon said. "I love you."

"I love you too," William replied as he kissed her back. "Did I wake you up?"

Chiffon nodded her head and yawned, before snuggling on William's chest. Her exhaustion had been washed away completely by William's healing magic. Although she was still sleepy, she fought it off and sought the warmth of her lover.

The Half-Elf was more than happy to accommodate his bride, and spoil her rotten.

After pampering the pink-haired girl, Chiffon suddenly had a playful mood and started to pinch William's chest while giggling. However, she made a mistake in doing so. She had unknowingly awakened a sleeping dragon due to her actions.

Little Will rose up from his slumber and decided to poke her back. Chiffon's face immediately reddened because she remembered the little guy's tenacity a few hours ago. She looked up to see William's expression, but she instantly froze when he saw the devilish smile on his face.

"Chiffon."

"B-Big Brother?"

"Don't play with fire unless you're prepared to get burned," William said in a teasing tone. "I just healed your body and you're already asking for trouble."

Chiffon covered her face in embarrassment because she didn't expect that her actions would turn into this kind of development.

William chuckled internally because he was just joking with her. He knew that Chiffon was still inexperienced in these kinds of things, so he decided to take things slow.

He acted as a bandit and carried Chiffon off the bed and headed to the bathroom. The pink-haired girl didn't resist and simply allowed herself to be carried off by her husband.

Chiffon knew that after a month, she and William would once again return to the outside world. When that happened, she wouldn't have the opportunity to monopolize her husband because he also loved other women.

After asking who William's current lovers were, Chiffon had a rough idea about who he would be marrying next. Because of this, she decided to take advantage of the time she had while she and William couldn't leave the tower.

William only planned to take a bath with Chiffon, but due to the latter's determination, both of them spent two hours inside the bathroom. The Half-Elf was surprised to see that his wife had a daring side to her.

Nevertheless, he accepted her advances and spent some quality time with his bride on their month-long honeymoon.

—--

Five hours after William's and Chiffon's episode in the bathroom…

William was currently staring at the treasure vault of the castle of Asgard. Naturally, since he had just remodeled the 51st Floor a day ago, the vault had nothing inside it… or so he would like to think.

As the owner of the Floor of Asgard, William was aware of everything that happened on the floor. Right now, there was a strange fluctuation coming from the Treasure Vault of the castle, and William had gone there alone to investigate.

Chiffon was currently exploring the Floor of Asgard with B1, B2, Psoglav, Kasogonaga, and Erchitu.

Unlike William, Chiffon didn't recover the memories of her past life. For her, Valhalla was a familiar yet unfamiliar place, so she decided to look at the world that her husband had made.

The Half-Elf didn't allow her to go alone, so he summoned Psoglav and Erchitu to accompany her. Kasogonaga had been staying inside the Thousand Beast Domain after the tournament because it had nothing else to do.

After seeing that his friends were going to William's location, the rainbow-colored Anteater decided to tag along.

After the little group of noisy tourists left the Halls of Valhalla, William headed to the castle of Asgard to face whatever was on the other side of the Treasure Vault's doors.

He already had a rough idea on what it was because the Headmaster of Silverwind Academy, Gilbert, had passed all his knowledge about the 51st Floor to him.

"Vault of the Vanished Warlord," William muttered as he pressed his hands over the gate of the Treasure Vault and gave it a push. According to Gilbert, anyone who discovered the vault may choose one item from inside it.

Its location was rumored to be in the Devil's Floor of the Tower of Babylon, so no one was able to find it for a long time. The Headmaster had also told William that he was willing to give him a handsome reward if he could retrieve the artifact that he wanted from the mysterious treasure vault.

In truth, William had no intention of looking for the artifact that the Professor wanted. Since he could only take one item from the vault, he would definitely pick the best and keep it to himself.

When the doors of the Treasure Vault opened, William's eyes widened in shock when he saw a room overflowing with weapons, armors, artifacts, accessories, and other miscellaneous items.

'It's a shame that I can only choose one,' William thought as he stared at the Legendary Treasure Trove of the Firstborns, who once walked the world of Hestia.

"Optimus, is there a way that we can acquire all of these treasures? I am willing to use all our God Points to do so."

< It's no use, Will. The ruler of this Tower will not allow such a thing to happen. The most I can do is to create a list of all the items here and arrange them according to their rarity and uses. However, I have some good news for you. >

'I'm always happy to hear good news. Go on, spill it.'

< Chiffon has also been recognized by the Vault of the Vanished Warlord. Meaning, she can take a treasure for herself. >

'That is indeed some great news.' William chuckled. He hadn't thought of this possibility, but after thinking things through, he realized that Chiffon had indeed earned the right to get a treasure because she had also fought against the Guardian of the Floor and won.

"Optimus, make sure to list every item in this treasury. Do not let even a single piece of jewelry escape your sights."

< Rest assured. This treasure vault can't hide anything from me. >

The smile on William's lips widened. He had already used his appraisal skill on some of the items inside the vault and he liked what he saw.

Almost every item that he checked was either a Unique, or a Legendary Ranked item, which made William feel giddy inside.

Stormcaller and Soleil were both Mythical Ranked Weapons that belonged to Gods. If he could get another mythical weapon in his arsenal then his fighting prowess would once again rise to another level.

(A/N: Weapon ranks in ascending order Rare, Unique, Legendary, Mythical, Divine.)

William strolled through the Treasure Vault, without touching anything. He didn't want to make the mistake of touching an item, and accidentally binding it to him permanently. If that happened, he would probably weep tears of blood due to his stupidity.

For now, he just allowed the system to create an inventory, so that he could take a peek later.

—--

High above the Tower of Babylon, an old man with a long white beard tossed a black box into the void. The box traveled through time and space until it materialized inside the Vault of the Vanquished Warlord.

The black box glowed faintly in a purplish hue before returning to its dormant state. It lay there waiting for someone to pick it up, and opened it to see its contents.

The old man who threw the box, looked at William from above the Tower of Babylon with a serious expression on his face. There was no guarantee that the Half-Elf would choose the box out of the countless treasures inside the vault.

Whether the box would finally find an owner, would be completely up to Fate.

Chapter 644.2: Looking For Treasures [Part 2]

< Compiling all the treasures in the Vault of the Vanished Warlord has been completed! >

< Check your status page, Will. >

William nodded his head and checked the list that Optimus had prepared for him. The System had properly arranged it to groups such as swords, axes, spears, rings, necklaces, earrings, scrolls, and other groupings that made checking them easier.

Optimus also made sure to arrange them according to their tiers, rarity, and special characteristics, which allowed William to narrow down his search among the countless treasures inside the Treasure Vault.

According to Optimus, there were thousands of Unique Artifacts, less than a Hundred Legendary Artifacts, and three Mythical Artifacts.

The first thing that William checked were the Legendary Artifacts. Although Mythical Artifacts were a grade above them, there were still items that had caught his fancy.

After taking his time to read the description of these Legendary items, he then checked the information on the Three Mythical items that were housed inside the Treasure Vault.

—--

< Svalinn >

– Rarity: Mythical

"The Shield which stands before the sun and protects the world from burning."

– This shield is impregnable against any kind of fire based attacks.

– Even if the full strength of a sun were to collide with its surface, the shield wouldn't break and would remain steadfast to protect its wearer, and the area around it from harm.

—-

The corner of William's lips rose up when he saw the description of the shield. Immediately, Lugh's face appeared in his mind. The Half-Elf was tempted to pick the shield for the sole purpose of bashing the Sun God's head with it until the latter lost consciousness.

'A shield is not bad,' William thought. 'I don't really have a shield in my inventory, so this might be a good choice.'

William then shifted his attention to the next Mythical Item on the list and read its information.

—--

< Sharur >

– Rarity: Mythical

"The Smasher of Thousands."

– This mace belonged to the War God Ninurta who governs over Farming, Healing, Hunting, Law, Scribes, and War.

– Its master, Ninurta, no longer exists, and had already turned into a constellation, but his weapon remains to this day.

– There were unfounded rumors that those who have wielded this weapon in the past have died of Heart Attacks.

– According to one eye witness, the last owner of Sharur had uttered a few words before he breathed his last and they were…

"F*cking Mace, don't you know how to shut up?!"

Whether the rumors were true or not, no one alive, or dead, could confirm the authenticity of the rumors.

—--

The corner of William's lips twitched as he read the information about the weapon Sharur. He glanced at the imposing crimson mace with wariness.

'Dafuq is this mace?' William scratched his head. 'Anyone who uses it dies of a Heart Attack? Sounds ominous!'

Although the rumors were unfounded, William thought that it would be best to be on the safe side and checked the other Mythical item on the list. Although the label "Smasher of Thousands" sounded cool, William didn't want to take a gamble with his life.

He planned to have nine wives, wouldn't it be a pity if he died of a heart attack just because he became the owner of a mace?

No thank you!

After glaring at the mace in the distance, William once again looked at the last item on the list and checked if it was better than the Heart Attack inducing weapon that he had just seen.

Since William's attention was focused on his status page, he didn't notice that Sharur's body glowed with an ominous light in the distance, before returning to its normal state.

"The Emblem of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," William said with awe after seeing the last item on the list.

—--

< Emblem of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse >

– Rarity: Mythical

"Four horsemen of the Apocalypse,

Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.

These four laughed at the folly of humanity,
and watch mankind take its final breath."

– The First Rider feeds desperate places, His white coat brings false hope.

For him peace has two faces, Strife that ends hanging on a bloody rope.

– The Second Rider brings carnage like a mad hound, His red eyes filled with burning desire,

Dire screams fill the air when the trumpets sound, War that ends deep in a sinister mire.

– The Third Rider never felt any reason to mourn, His black soul laughs when others slowly decay. People wish that they were never born, Famine that ends in an uncontrolled dismay.

– The Fourth Rider is poisoned with wrath, His pale skin breaks every heart filled with fear.

Corpses laying on his traveled path, Death that ends in a timeless tear.

– He who seeks to release these Devils upon the world. Do you know what monsters you plan to let loose of your own accord? Someone who's weak-willed must never even try, for the consequences of their actions will make many people die.

—--

(A/N: I was looking for information about the four horsemen when I came upon this random poem. I thought that it matched the theme perfectly, so I decided to use it. The author of the poem is named Niels. There's no other information I can get aside from the fact that he is 31 years old and lives in the Netherlands. All credit belongs to him.)

William felt goosebumps after reading about the final mythical item on the list. The Emblem of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was embedded in a medallion that was as big as an adult man's closed fist.

The Half-Elf was very tempted to choose this item, but he was having second thoughts because of how ominous the information was.

"Optimus, what do you think?" William inquired.

< The one who needs to decide is you, Will. I can only give you options, the rest is up to you. >

William scratched his head. He was really tempted to choose the Emblem of the Four Horsemen, but his instincts were telling him that he needed to carefully consider his decision.

For the time being, William walked in the direction where the Medallion was located. He would make his decision after personally seeing the medallion.

The medallion was placed on a pedestal at the right-most corner of the treasure-vault, in order to get there, William must climb the stairs to reach the second floor of the tower. As he walked down the hallway that led to the room of the Medallion, he saw an unassuming black box at the side of the path.

William gave it a passing glance before walking past it. However, his feet immediately came to a halt when he read the information that appeared on his status page.

Just as he was casually passing the box, William had activated his appraisal skill. It had been a subconscious action on his part because the place where he currently explored was a Treasure Vault.

Since the place was surrounded with treasures, his instinct kicked in and appraised the item before he even realized it himself.

William turned his head to glance at the black box at the side of the path in disbelief. The system had told him that it had finished listing all the items inside the Treasure Vault without missing a single item.

Since that was the case, how come it didn't mention anything about the black box, which could be easily overlooked if one wasn't paying attention.

The reason why William halted his steps was due to the unbelievable information that appeared in his status page.

—--

< ??? >

– Rarity: Divine

–???

–???

–???

—--

Although the information about the black box was littered with question marks, there was one piece of information that had completely caught William's attention and that was the rarity of the object.

Rarity: Divine

This was the first Divine Item that William had seen inside the Treasure Vault, and even Optimus was surprised that it had missed such an item when it did his scan earlier.

"Optimus…"

< Tread cautiously, Will. Not all treasures are what they seem, especially in a place like this. >

William nodded his head in understanding. He retraced his steps and sat cross legged in front of the black box. He eyed it suspiciously, while Optimus was running an in depth scan in the background.

Both of them wanted to know just what sort of item was hidden inside the box.

While this was happening, the old man on top of the Tower of Babylon had crossed his arms over his chest.

Fate had started to move her hand.

Now all he needed to do was wait for the final outcome.

Chapter 645.3: Looking For Treasures [Part 3]

(Disclaimer: Some of you had said that there seemed to be a missing chapter, and you guys are right. I am not really feeling well so I didn't notice that the "Looking for Treasures" Chapter is a 3 part series. I apologize for the mishap. I'll ask the staff to rearrange the chapters as soon as possible).

William stared at the black box with a serious expression. It reminded him of the dagger that King Noah, the King of the Hellan Kingdom, had given him for safekeeping.

Back then, his appraisal skill didn't have the ability to gain any useful information from it. It was only when he accidentally discovered the Hidden Domain, with the help of his little Wren, Aethon, did William find out its true purpose.

He had a feeling that the Black Box was different. However, since the System was currently analyzing it, they may be able to gain some clues on what items were stored inside it.

< Will, I have finished scanning the box. I'm afraid that there is a powerful law that protects the box from being appraised or even analyzed. It is also the same law that is responsible for sealing whatever is inside it. >

"This is a bit troublesome,' William muttered as he rubbed his chin. "What do you think we should do, Optimus? Should we take the gamble?"

< I'll bring flowers to your funeral. >

William chuckled because of Optimus' way of saying "It's your call buddy."

Suddenly, William's hair turned silver and his expression became extremely serious. He had equipped his strongest Job Class, Einherjar, just in case something unexpected happened.

"Optimus…"

< Understood. Currently on standby for immediate support. >

After getting the System's confirmation, William summoned his wooden staff and used it to poke the black box.

The box in question didn't have any reaction to his poking, so William continued to poke it just to be on the safe side. After a full minute of non stop-prodding, William decided to use the wooden staff to open the box.

However, no matter what he did, the box wouldn't budge. After consecutive attempts, a voice rang out inside the Treasure Vault which made William cease all of his actions.

"Anyone who is given an opportunity to enter the Vault of the Vanquished Warlord, may only take one treasure from inside it," the voice brimming with authority declared. "Any items that are destroyed or damaged, whether intentionally, or by accident, will automatically be registered as the item of the chosen one."

"You, who have cleared the 51st Floor, may choose one item from the vault. However, once an item is chosen, you cannot return it or swap it with other items."

A Red Genie appeared in front of William with his hands crossed over its chest. It was the caretaker of the Treasure Vault, and it was very displeased with the Half-Elf's act of prodding one of the items under his care.

"Are you planning to take that item?" the Red Genie asked with impatience. "If so, go get it and stop wasting your time, and mine."

William glanced at the displeased genie who was giving him the impatient gaze. It was at that moment when an idea came to his mind.

"Excuse me. But, who are you?" William inquired.

The Red Genie snorted as if it couldn't be bothered to answer the question of a mortal. However, it was his duty to assist those who had gained the right to pick one of the treasures in his domain.

"My name is Plutus, and I am the caretaker of the Vault of the Vanquished Warlord," Plutus answered in an arrogant manner. "Enough rubbish, Mortal. Just pick a treasure already and leave!"

The corner of William's lips twitched, he wanted to ask the Red Genie so badly if it was on its period because of how irritable it was.

< Will, I have an idea. We should ask that Genie about the box. Maybe we can get some answers from him. >

William's eyes widened because he had forgotten such a simple thing. Fortunately he had a good sidekick by his side.

"I still haven't decided what to pick," William said. "However, this box caught my interest. Can you tell me what is inside it?"

The annoyed genie gave the box a side-long glance. However, its body stiffened after seeing the emblem that was placed on top of the cover of the box.

"I don't have any idea what is inside that box," Plutus' tone immediately changed and became a little more formal. It knew all the items inside the Treasure Vault and a glance was enough for it to know that the black box was not among the treasures under his safekeeping.

Since that was the case, it could only mean one thing. One of the Three Masters of Babylon had placed the box there on purpose.

"Um, you don't know?" William tilted his head in confusion. "You're the caretaker and you don't know what is inside this box? Aren't you being too sloppy with your job?"

The Red Genie wanted to slap the boy silly for his ignorant words. If it were asked any questions about the items inside the Treasure Vault, it would immediately know the answer in a heartbeat.

However, this time, it was different. How could it possibly know what is hidden inside the box that had come from one of its masters?

"Look here, Kid." Plutus was doing its best to control its temper from flaring. "You should jus–"

The Red Genie halted its words mid-way because it had received a message from one of its Big Bosses. After its short chat with its Boss ended, the genie eyed William with a mischievous glint.

"I already said that any damages on the items here will automatically register them as your own right? Since that is the case, you had already damaged that black box when you prodded it earlier," Plutus stated. "Go on and take responsibility for your actions and take it."

William glared at the Red Genie because it was clearly making things difficult for him.

"What damage are you talking about?" William asked in a challenging tone. "Just look at the box. See it's clearly undamage–"

Before William could even finish his words, a soft crack echoed inside the Treasure Vault. The lid of the box that William had prodded earlier started to have cracks in it.

Plutus looked at the Half-Elf with contempt and gave him the "What were you about to say?" glare that made William speechless.

"Go on and take it already, or do you want me to kick you out of the treasury without taking a single treasure from inside it? I will be a bit more accommodating and count to ten. If you still didn't choose an item then I'm sorry, you've lost your chance. Better luck next time."

The Red Genie didn't even wait for William's reply and started its countdown.

Given no other option, William gritted his teeth and grabbed the Black Box just before Plutus finished counting.

"Thank you for visiting the Vault of the Vanquished Warlord," Plutus sneered. "Good riddance."

The Red Genie waved his hand and William was automatically sent out of the Treasure Vault. Clearly, it didn't want to deal with the Half-Elf for another second and ended their meeting.

Plutus was not as ignorant as William. Whoever cleared the 51st Floor would be given an opportunity to gain a special reward from the Tower as its first conquerors. This was a one time thing, and only William and Chiffon would be granted this opportunity.

However, those who were able to clear the 100th Floor would once again be given the opportunity to enter the Vault of the Vanquished Warlord. This was like a bonus stage where challengers could get an extra reward for doing their best in climbing the Tower.

Of course, there were other rewards that would be given to those who had reached the 100th Floor. One of those rewards was a wish.

Regardless of what kind of wish it was, it would be granted without fail. Aside from the wish, the first to clear the tower would receive one Divine Artifact from one of the Three Masters of the Tower of Babylon.

The Black Box in William's possession was one of those Divine Artifacts. Plutus' boss didn't expect for the boy to take the path towards the Emblem of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

It just threw the Black Box to the pathway of one of the three Mythical Items inside the treasury. Since the Half-Elf had already moved in that direction, the owner of the Black Box decided to play a little dirty and ordered Plutus to cooperate with his plan.

'That kid got lucky,' Plutus thought. 'The Boss took a liking on him.'

The Red Genie turned into a red mist and disappeared.. It would wait for Chiffon to enter the vault and assist her one time, before the Treasure Vault completely disappeared from the Floor of Valhalla.

Chapter 646: Enuma Elish

William stood in front of the entrance of the Treasure Vault while holding the black box in his hands.

Earlier, the lid of the box had a crack in it, but after he was expelled from the treasury, all the damages had vanished. It was as if the box hadn't been damaged at all! As someone that likes to scam people, William fully understood what happened.

However, just to be on the safe side, he decided to ask his trusty partner for his opinion.

"Optimus…"

< Congratulations! You got duped my man. >

The corner of William's lips twitched because he couldn't refute Optimus' claims. No matter what angle he used, everything was fishy from the start. The Red Genie's sudden mood change was a clear indicator that something was out of place. But, there was nothing he could do about it now.

'This better be worth it.' William gritted his teeth as he placed the black box on the ground.

Optimus was also on alert and continuously scanned the box in William's hands.

"Ready?"

< Ready. >

William decisively opened the lid of the box and ran away as fast as he could. He then hid behind one of the pillars in the hall and peeked at the opened black box in the distance.

< After a preliminary scan, I didn't sense any kind of fluctuation in the air. >

"Do you think it's empty?"

< The possibility exists. We need to take a better look to confirm our suspicions. >

William sighed internally as he approached the box with great care. He already had Stormcaller in his hands just in case something unexpected would pop out of the box and fight him.

When he was only two meters away from the box, something finally happened.

Several objects flew out of the box and hovered mid-air.

William narrowed his eyes as he observed the floating objects that were radiating divine auras. He had already taken a fighting stance and was prepared for anything, but the flying objects, which looked like clay tablets, weren't doing anything out of the ordinary.

In short, William couldn't feel any malice or hostility coming from the clay tablets that were starting to pile themselves on top of each other.

When the Seven Tablets finally became one, it flew towards William very slowly. It stopped a meter away from William as if telling him that it meant him no harm. The Half-Elf and the System had once again activated their Appraisal Skill, but both came out empty handed.

After a standoff that lasted for five minutes, William finally lowered his guard and reached out to touch the clay tablet that was shining with a golden glow.

As soon as his hand made contact with the clay tablet, several notification sounds were heard inside his head. Inside his status page, several rows of text appeared which held vital information about the item in his hand.

—-

< Enuma Elish >

"The Seven Tablets of Creation"

– Rarity: Mythical Artifact

– In the very distant past, there was a world created by the Gods. Because of a conflict of interest, the Creator God of that world decided to kill the Younger Gods, so that he could continue his work to make the world prosper.

Unfortunately, his significant other felt that this action was too extreme and warned the Younger Gods of the danger that would befall them. One of the Younger Gods, devised a plan to put the Creator God to sleep and kill him.

A plan which succeeded.

The Goddess that warned the Younger Gods didn't expect that the little ones would be too unforgiving and kill her mate. Angered by her husband's death, the Goddess decided to have her revenge and warred against the Gods that had killed her husband.

The Younger Gods fought a losing battle until a champion emerged from their group. His name was Marduk, and was also the person that killed the Great Goddess Tiamat, and ushered in an era for mankind.

Unfortunately, due to mankind's folly, the world was destroyed and only the strong will of the Gods remained, which was stored inside Enuma Elish, the Seven Tablets of Creation.

– Anyone who wields this Divine Artifact may summon one of the Wills of the Gods that resided within it.

– Each Tablet contains the Will of a God, and all of them have different powers and specialties.

– Although the power that they will wield wouldn't match the God's strength when they were at their peak, they are still the Wills of Gods, and the forces they can muster are still above the capabilities of Mortal Men.

– The Owner of Enuma Elish may summon any of the Avatar of the Gods as long as the requirements are met.

< Name of the Wills of the Gods inside Enuma Elish >

– Tiamat

– Marduk

– Enlil

– Enzu

– Gula

– Ereshkigal

– Ishtar

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! You have acquired the Unique Prestige Class Familiamancer! >

(A/N: Read this as Familia Manzer.)

—--

< Familiamancer >

(Locked)

"Please, Dear God, LUBRICATE THE BEAR."

– Familiamancer is a class that relies heavily on their familiars. Naturally, the stronger their familiars become, the stronger they become. The only downside of this specific class is that they heavily rely on their familiars.

– This Job Class is currently locked because you will need the Progenitor to assist you in summoning your familiars.

– More information about the Job Class will be shown after the Job Class has been properly unlocked.

—--

William took a deep breath unconsciously after reading the information that appeared on his status page.

He didn't expect that the item he got from the Treasure Vault was such an amazing artifact. He re-read the information three times to ensure that he wasn't just seeing things. Aside from being able to summon the Avatar of Gods, he also received a Unique Prestige Class.

The only downside was that the Prestige Class was currently locked, because he needed the help of its Progenitor before he could use it.

Even so, William was very happy because the item he got was simply that good. According to the System, Enuma Elish was similar to the special guardians that the characters could summon in RPG games where they unleash a powerful attack that could defeat even boss monsters.

'Damn, this reminds me of Final Funtazee,' William thought. 'Those summons were just so cool."

"Optimus, can you tell me who among the Gods can we summon in our current state?" William asked.

< According to my calculations, you will be able to summon different Gods depending on what Job Class you are currently equipped with. For example, in your default form, Quick Shot Shepherd, the only God you can summon is Enzu, the God of Wisdom.

If you add the subclass Life Wizard, you will be able to summon Gula, the God of Healing. If you equipped the Vampiric Necromancer, you will be able to summon Ereshkigal, and so on, and so forth.

Right now, the Einherjar Job Class is equipped so you are able to summon Enzu, Ishtar, and Enlil. As for Tiamat and Marduk, I believe that you will be able to summon them once you finally unlock the True Power of the Jack of All Trades. >

William nodded his head in understanding. He was also quite amused that the God he could summon was dependent on the Job Class he had equipped.

The tablet turned into particles of light and flew towards the gem on William's chest. It seemed that it couldn't be placed inside a storage ring, and could only be stored inside a person's body.

The color of the Half-Elf's hair had once again returned to its normal color after he had switched out his Einherjar Job Class. If possible, he didn't want to use the Job Class often because whenever he used its full potential, the memories of his past were burned away.

Although his first encounter with Belle may seem insignificant, it was still the moment he fell in love with her at first sight. The sad part was that the emotions that were connected to those lost memories were erased as well.

Fortunately, William's feelings for Belle were quite strong, even though the first memory disappeared, the others were strong enough to fill in that gap that had been created when he had lost the memory.

More than anything else, William dreaded the thought of completely forgetting about Belle.. This was why, if possible, he didn't want to use his Einherjar Job Class unless it was absolutely necessary.

Chapter 647.1: Chiffon’s Choices [Part 1]

"Did you sense it?"

"I understand, I will proceed right away to the Tower of Babylon."

An old man placed both of his hands behind his back as he regarded his Disciple. William had chosen the black box that he had tossed inside the Vault of the Vanished Warlord, so he needed his Disciple to go to the Tower as soon as they were able to.

"Make haste, you still need to teach him the things he has to know before he leaves the tower."

"I will do my best."

"I know." the old man nodded his head. "You always do your best."

After saying those words, his connection with his Disciple disappeared. He glanced at the Half-Elf that was currently looking at the Seven Tablets of Creation with a serious expression. The old man didn't know what the future held, but he was certain of one thing.

The time when the world would be covered in darkness, drew near with each passing day.

—---

"Big Brother, where are we going?" Chiffon asked.

Right after she arrived from her exploration, William led her towards the Mysterious Treasure Vault where she could claim a treasure as her prize for clearing the 51st Floor with him.

"We're going to pick some treasures," William said with a smile. "But, you can only pick one. So choose the best treasure that you can find, okay?"

"Treasure?" Chiffon tilted her head in confusion.

William chuckled and lovingly patted her head.

Although the two of them were already married, his habit of patting Chiffon's head remained. The pink-haired girl had also grown accustomed to William's show of affection, and even thought that this was a privilege that only belonged to her.

"You will understand it in a little while," William replied. "However, let me warn you that you shouldn't touch things randomly once we enter the treasure vault. You can only take one item, and some artifacts automatically bind themselves to the person who touches them."

Chiffon nodded. "Understood. I will listen to you, Big Brother."

It didn't take long for the two to arrive at the Treasure Vault. William pushed the doors and entered alongside Chiffon.

As soon as they stepped in, the Red Genie appeared right away. It scoffed at William before looking at Chiffon with gentle eyes.

"Young lady, Welcome to the Vault of the Vanished Warlord. I will be your guide, Plutus, and show you around to pick a suitable artifact that will be of great use to you," Plutus said in a respectful tone.

"Thank you, Uncle Plutus," Chiffon replied politely.

Although she originally had a shy personality, the current Chiffon no longer felt like running away when being talked to by other people. The test of the Heart Devil and her marriage to William had made her stronger physically and emotionally.

While the pink-haired girl and the Red Genie were having an amiable conversation, the corner of William's lips was twitching because of the treatment that the pink-haired girl was receiving from Plutus.

"Double standard much?" William wasn't able to stop himself from voicing his thoughts out loud. He already didn't have any good impression of Plutus, and the latter didn't even try to hide his dislike for William.

However, for some reason, the Red Genie seemed to be on good terms with Chiffon, and this ticked William a bit.

Plutus gave William a side-long glance and sent him a telepathic message.

"Be grateful that I allowed you to enter the Treasury even though you have already taken one of the treasures in the tower," Plutus said. "The only reason why you're here is because I don't want Chiffon to randomly pick an artifact she can't use. She had already suffered enough on the Devil's Floor, the least I can do is help her get an item that will be useful to her."

William's expression immediately became serious when he heard Plutus' reply. Since he had used the term "she had already suffered enough in the Devil's Floor", it meant that Plutus was aware of what had happened to them inside the tower.

As if reading his thoughts, Plutus snorted and confirmed his suspicions.

"The Vault of the Vanished Warlord has remained hidden in the 51st Floor. Naturally, I know everything that happened on this floor," Plutus answered. "However, unlike you, the owner of The Tower of Babylon has granted a special service to Chiffon and ordered me to assist her in picking two treasures from within the vault."

William's eyes widened in shock because he didn't expect to receive this kind of news from the caretaker of the Treasury. However, after thinking things through, he felt that it was justified that Chiffon took two items from the Treasure Vault.

She had indeed suffered a lot from Belial's sinister plan, so it was only natural for her to get two treasures instead of one.

William had no complaints with Plutus' arrangement and even begrudgingly thanked him for telling him this information.

"There are many Unique, Legendary, and Mythical artifacts inside this treasury. Each of them have their own specialties," Plutus explained. "If you like, you can tell me your preferences, and I will find the closest fit that matches your choice.

"Also, before I forget, you are given a special privilege to pick two items within this treasury. There's no rush, take your time and decide carefully on what kind of abilities you wish to acquire."

Chiffon glanced at William and the latter nodded his head. Although he could tell Chiffon to choose the Mythical Artifacts, he refrained from doing so.

His wife had long been oppressed and he wanted her to learn how to stand on her own two feet, and make her own decisions. Regardless of what choice she made, William would respect it.

"S-Sometimes, I dream about being burned alive," Chiffon stuttered as she looked at the countless treasures that surrounded her. "If possible, I don't want to get burned by fire ever again."

William's heart skipped a beat after Chiffon mentioned her dream of being burned alive. A pang of ache started to spread in William's chest when he remembered a certain memory.

Chiffon facing off against the God of Destruction in order to protect him. The Half-Elf closed his eyes because the memory was too raw, and too heart-breaking to remember.

Plutus rubbed his chin before snapping his finger.

From inside the treasure vault, a diamond-shaped shield that was over two meters tall disappeared from its pedestal and reappeared in front of Chiffon.

The shield originally had a bluish color, but its color changed until it turned light-pink, just like the color of Chiffon's hair and eyes.

At its center, a golden snowflake design was embedded and it glowed faintly to acknowledge its new owner.

William was quite familiar with the shield. It was one of the Mythical Artifacts that he had seen on his status page.

"The name of this shield is Svalinn," Plutus introduced the shield to Chiffon as if he was a matchmaker for couples. "Legend has it that this is the shield that stands before the sun and protects the world from burning. With this item by your side, Chiffon, I guarantee that you will never be hurt by fire again."

Chiffon reached out to touch the snowflake at the center of the shield. For some reason, she felt that this shield would indeed protect her from the flames that had devastated the world in her dreams.

The moment her hand touched the Snowflake emblem, the shield shrunk and transformed into an arm guard. It equipped itself on Chiffon's right arm, and looked like a very expensive accessory that was fit for an Empress.

"You chose wisely, Young Lady." Plutus nodded his head in appreciation. "Svalinn is a Mythical Ranked Treasure. I'm sure that it will serve you well. Now that you have a shield to protect you from harm, do you perhaps need a weapon?

"You specialize in gauntlets, right? Although the gauntlets you currently have are good, we have legendary artifacts that are more powerful than the Devourers Gauntlets in your possession. If you like, I can bring them all out for you to choose from."

Chiffon firmly shook her head. Her weapon had a special place in her heart, and she wouldn't replace it, even though there was a better weapon for her to use.

Ashe had told her how hard William worked to forge it. The Half-Elf had spent several days without eating, drinking, sleeping, as he poured all of his heart into making a weapon that she could use to defend herself.

Chiffon would never throw away the gift that William had given her even if Plutus gave her all the artifacts inside the Vault of the Vanished Warlord.

"These gauntlets are special to me," Chiffon replied before glancing at William who had a smile on his face. "I don't want to replace them."

Plutus followed Chiffon's gaze and nodded his head in understanding. The caretaker of the treasury was able to use the highest appraisal skill. Naturally, he also knew who the creator of the Gauntlets were, so he didn't insist on his idea of giving Chiffon a better weapon than he currently has.

"Very well." Plutus nodded. "You can choose one more item from the treasury. Please, choose wisely."

From the depths of the Treasure Vault, something moved from its pedestal. It had been hundreds of years since it had last had an owner, and it was already dying of boredom.

Now that there was a chance to leave this place, it decisively made its move.. No matter what happened, it would do everything in its power to leave the Vault of the Vanished Warlord in order to see the light of day once again.

Chapter 648.2: Chiffon’s Choices [Part 2]

Chiffon thought long and hard, but couldn't think of what she wanted. In the end, she decided to let William pick an item for her to use.

While William was discussing with the System on what kind of artifact would suit Chiffon, a little golden piglet appeared out of nowhere and started to rub the side of its face on Chiffon's foot.

Chiffon, who had been accustomed to dealing with the beasts in the Thousand Beast Domain, found the piglet adorable. She was about to pick it up when something unexpected happened.

A dark-blue mace flew out of nowhere and slammed itself into the golden piglet, sending it flying away.

The little piglet uttered an adorable cry as it fell on a small hill of gold coins, which broke its fall. Chiffon cried out in alarm and was about to go to the piglet, when the dark-blue mace blocked her way.

Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared on the mace's head and a row of razor sharp teeth appeared when it opened its mouth.

"Young lady, good day to you," the staff said in a respectful manner. "I know that you are concerned about that piglet, but worry not, I held back my blow and merely sent it away so that we could talk. Do you know? That piglet is so clingy that the moment you choose it, it will not leave your side no matter what."

The dark-blue mace was about to say more, but Plutus had already appeared between it and Chiffon.

"Sharur! What are you doing here?!" Plutus roared in anger. "Why did you leave your pedestal? You know the rules, so why are you doing these things?"

The mace scoffed at the caretaker of the treasury and pointed its head on the piglet who had already crawled out from the gold pile where it had fallen.

"Then what about that piglet?" Sharur countered. "He also broke the rules, but you didn't say anything."

"Gullinbursti merely wanted to meet the guests of the treasury," Plutus replied. "Also, he is the Master's pet. He can go wherever he pleases!"

"Tsk, it has been so many years and you still haven't changed," Sharur sneered. "You still play favoritism. Double standard much?"

William gave the dark-blue mace a thumbs up in his heart. For him, anyone who was against Plutus was considered an ally.

Even so, he still didn't openly give his support to Sharur. How could he possibly do that?

He still remembered the information that was written about this Mace that earned the nickname "Smasher of Thousands". According to the information he had, the last owner of Sharur died because of a heart-attack.

Although these rumors were unfounded, he was still at the fence if he would allow Chiffon to pick such a dangerous artifact in the treasury.

While the Red Genie and Sharur were bickering, Gullinburst shakily walked towards Chiffon. It looked so cute and pitiful that Chiffon wasn't able to resist walking towards it.

Just as the pink-haired girl was about to pick the piglet again, Sharur appeared and stood between them.

"Pick me!" Sharur pleaded. "Please, pick me! I promise you that you will not regret it. I am a Mythical Weapon. I'm strong, you know? When I was still on active duty, they called me the Smasher of Thousands. With me around, no one will be able to bully you. I will smash them before they can even make you cry!"

Chiffon felt her heart waver. As someone who grew up being bullied, Sharur's words hit her right where it hurts.

The pink-haired girl glanced at the teary-eyed golden pig, and the dark-blue mace that was starting to cry as well.

Soon, the golden piglet and the dark-blue mace were having a crying battle, and did their best to outcry each other!

William, who was watching from the side, scratched his head. Even Plutus' felt awkward because this was the first time that this happened in the thousands of years that he had served as caretaker.

"Please, I've been stuck in this place for hundreds of years," Sharur pleaded as it bowed its head repeatedly while crying its eyes out. "I will do anything. Just please, take me with you!"

Chiffon and William were both wondering how a mace was able to cry as much as Sharur. The floor of the treasury now had a small puddle because of its tears.

Gullinbursti on the other hand wasn't backing off either. Its pitiful little squeals made Chiffon's heart ache. As someone who had become fond of B1, B2, and Kasogonaga, the pink-haired girl's empathy for beasts had grown stronger as well.

It could tell that Gullinbursti felt very lonely and wanted someone to care for him. However, Chiffon also couldn't ignore Sharur who was bawling its eyes out. Clearly, it too, wanted to leave the tower, and was prostrating itself to appeal to Chiffon's kind heart.

Chiffon stared at the two crying artifacts in front of her before turning her head to look at Plutus.

"I will return Svalinn to the treasury," Chiffon said. "I will be taking Sharur and Gullinbursti with me instead."

Plutus groaned internally. He was currently in a dilemma. Svalinn had already bound itself to Chiffon, so taking it back into the treasury was out of the question. The Mythical Shield had even changed its color and property to allow Chiffon to wield it at any given time.

The Caretaker of the treasury was about to tell Chiffon that her request was impossible when he suddenly fell into a daze.

"Give her both of them," a voice filled with authority and Divinity ordered. "Gullinbursti is still young, and I believe that it needs to see the outside world for a period of time, in order to fully awaken its powers. As for Sharur… that one is a troublemaker.

"If the young lady doesn't take it, I believe that it will throw a tantrum and start smashing things in the treasury. I'll let you handle the explanation. I still need to talk to my two friends and ask them to turn a blind eye to this incident. Although it will be a bit troublesome, I think that they will give me face and agree to my request."

"Understood," Plutus replied.

The Red Genie then looked at Chiffon and smiled widely.

"Congratulations! You have passed the hidden test of the Vault of the Vanished Warlord," Plutus declared with open arms. "As the caretaker of the treasury, your sincere feelings have reached my heart. Because of this, I will allow you to take care of Gullinbursti for three hundred years. Please, make sure to return him to me after three hundred years. Do you understand, Young Lady?"

"Un!" Chiffon happily nodded her head and hugged the golden little piglet and the dark-blue mace at the same time.

Naturally, Gullinbursti and Sharur were very happy about the sudden turn of events. They were well aware of the rules of the Tower, so they didn't understand why Plutus allowed them to go with Chiffon. Even so, both of them didn't have any complaints.

William, who was standing by the side, felt that something was terribly wrong, but he couldn't put his finger in it. Chiffon might have believed Plutus, but William had grown up with his Grandfather James.

His grandpa was a scammer and a con artist, so it was easy for him to see Plutus' poor attempt to trick Chiffon.

William was about to voice out his opinion when he was suddenly thrown out of the treasury. The pitiful Half-Elf rolled on the floor because he wasn't prepared for the sudden expulsion. A few seconds later, Chiffon came out while carrying Gullinburst in her arms like a doll.

Sharur, on the other hand, floated beside Chiffon like a bodyguard. Its eyes and mouth had disappeared and returned to look like the imposing weapon that it was forged to become.

The combination of Gullinbursti's cuteness, and Sharur's intimidation made William scratch his head in helplessness.

In the end, he could only sigh in his heart as he felt a fluctuation within the Floor of Asgard.

The Vault of the Vanished Warlord had disappeared, and he had no idea when he would see it again. According to the System, the treasury would only appear again when someone had cleared the 100th Floor of the Tower.

William had no intention of climbing the other floors of the Tower of Babylon, because that was not his goal of coming to the Tower. After the month-long transition period was over, he would leave Babylon with Chiffon and return to the Kraetor Empire.

He still needed to ask Aamon about the other quests he needed to complete in order to free his lovers from the curse on their bodies. Also, there was still the battle with his Ex-Fiance Rebecca.

The Half-Elf wanted to get this agreement over with because, for him, this was a big distraction. He wanted to properly end things, not only for his sake, but also for Rebecca's sake. William knew in his heart that he had no feelings for Rebecca.

He had already had a heart-to-heart talk with James about his relationship with his other lovers, and the old man only told William to do what he believed was right.

The battle on the peaks of the Misty Sect would also be William's way of declaring to everyone in the Central Continent that he was not someone that was moved by beauty, and riches alone.

Also, he wanted to set Rebecca free from the agreement that was made when both of them were still young. Whoever she married, or what she did in the future, William didn't care. For him, everyone had the right to choose their own paths in life.

He had made his choice, and he would follow it through till the end.

In the meantime, William busied himself in changing the policies for the other floors that had fallen in his hands.

Now that their previous owners were gone, he needed to ask the Guardians for help in normalizing the current situation, and allow the players to resume taking the trials, on the floors that now fully belonged to him.

Chapter 649: I Will Show You Who Your New Master Is

In the City of Babylon that was located at the base of the Tower, the patriarchs of the families that had been expelled by the Guardians were all having an emergency meeting.

The previous ruler of the 49th Floor, the Moreau Family

The previous ruler of the 45th Floor, the Valkazar Family

The previous ruler of the 41st Floor, the Amaral Family

The previous ruler of the 37th Floor, the Valatieri Family

The previous ruler of the 23rd Floor, the Hesse Family

The previous ruler of the 16th Floor, the Zaleska Family

And the previous ruler of the 2nd Floor, Agnis Family.

These Seven Families were among the families in the Tower of Babylon that everyone looked up to. But now, all of their fame and glory had been ripped apart by a Half-Elf who had just started to climb the tower not long ago.

For them who had been born and thrived in their Domains, this was an outcome they couldn't accept. If not for the fact that they had their own residences within the City of Babylon, all of these families would have been homeless by now.

All of them gathered today to talk about how they could reclaim their position. These seven families were divided into three opposing factions. One of the factions wanted to try and negotiate with William, and find a way to compensate him for whatever they had done to annoy him.

These families had no idea that the reason they were kicked out of the tower was due to their misuse of authority which William hated the most--human trafficking and slavery.

The other faction, on the other hand, wanted to eliminate William and plead with the Guardians to reinstate their rule. The Agnis Family was adamant that as long as the Half-Elf died, their authority would be returned to them.

The third faction was on the fence. Naturally they wanted to regain their former rule, but they were unsure which side to choose. In the end, they decided to abstain and see which of the two factions' plans would work against the Half-Elf who had kicked them out of their homes, without even letting them pack their belongings.

—-

"Listen, you are not familiar with the boy, so you are able to act like this," Waltier Agnis, the Patriarch of the Agnis Family said. "He is a very ruthless individual. He has already killed most of the High-Rankers in our family. If we don't unite now, we stand no chance against him."

The Patriarch of the Moreau Family, Janos Moreau, sneered at Waltier.

"That's because you had antagonized him from the very start," Janos replied. "If you didn't send your men to kill him, they wouldn't have died a dog's death. Actually, this entire scenario is due to your family's incompetence! If you didn't annoy that Half-Elf, none of this would have happened!"

Hexxat Valkazar, the Patriarch of the Valkazar Family, nodded his head in agreement, before glaring at Waltier. "That's right, because of you, the Half-Elf bore a grudge, and is now making us pay because of your stupidity! This is all your fault!"

The tension in the room rose because what the two Patriarchs said wasn't wrong. If the Agnis Family didn't antagonize William and send High-Rankers to kill him, none of this might have happened.

"We haven't even met him! Why did he punish us like this?" the Patriarch of the Amaral Family, Damon Amaral, asked in annoyance. "Do any of you know the reason why?"

After Damon asked this question, everyone inside the room quieted down.

"Him having a grudge to the Agnis Family is justified, but what of us?" Kaleo Valatieri, the Patriarch of the Valatieri Family, inquired with a serious expression. "Why us?"

Everyone inside the room were Patriarchs. They had gained their position because they had their share of blood and schemes, so it wasn't that hard for them to connect the dots to reach an answer.

"The Half-Elf might have targeted us due to our… business practices," Zorin Hesse, the Patriarch of the Hesse Family, stated. "That is the only thing all our families have in common, is it not?"

Lexi Zaleska, and the last patriarch in the room, sighed in agreement. "That brat might have been enslaved in the past and is taking his vengeance on us. Talk about bad taste."

After understanding the real reason behind why they were kicked out of the Tower, the Seven Patriarchs weren't feeling well. Now that they understood what grudge the Half-Elf bore against them, they had a feeling that getting their position back would require them to pay an exuberant price.

They knew that kneeling in front of William and promising that they wouldn't do it again was pure folly.

Bribes?

Now that the Half-Elf was the owner of the 51st Floor as well as the seven other floors, he wouldn't be lacking in money, tokens, and resources.

Women?

Although this may work for some people, everyone in the room believed that this method wouldn't work against William. Of course, if the girl was an otherworldly beauty then there was a chance that she might ensnare the Half-Elf.

The problem was that there were no young ladies in their families who were beautiful enough to bring down the downfall of a nation.

"Maybe we can use the people important to him as bargaining chips," Waltier Agnis proposed. "We need to know more about him and target his family members or friends. Perhaps we can come to a compromise once we have them in our hands."

All the Patriarchs nodded their heads in agreement. They were men who didn't mind getting their hands dirty because this was their way of life. William had pushed them into a corner and this was the only thing that they could think of in order to make the Half-Elf meet them eye to eye.

—--

A week after the news of William clearing the tower was announced to the world…

"It's been a while since we climbed the tower, I'm getting excited!" an energetic voice said. "I wonder what this William is like? Is he strong? I hope he is strong. I want to spar with him."

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Violence is not always the answer," a calm and pleasing voice replied. "The first impression is important, so we need to do this in a civilized manner."

"But a fistfight is faster!"

"And this is why you always get into trouble. Not everything can be solved with violence."

A soft sigh was heard beside the two voices.

"Stop arguing." a mellow voice stated. "Once we arrive in the city, we will immediately go to the 51st Floor. Let me do the talking. That way, no troubles will arise."

"Che~ you're no fun."

"This is the best option we have."

"Since both of you are in agreement, it's time for us to go," the beautiful Elf stared at the Tower that rose up to the sky. "I finally have a reason to meet you, William."

—--

Meanwhile, on the Floor of Asgard…

"We are gathered here today to welcome the newest members of our team, Bacon and Sharur!" Kasogonaga announced with an adorable voice. "Let them feel welcomed, everyone!"

Erchitu, Psoglav, Bastian, Scadrez, B1, B2, and Aethon, clapped, whistled, and chirped to welcome the two new recruits to their forces.

Gullinbursti, now nicknamed Bacon, by William, nodded its head and squealed cutely to acknowledge his seniors. Sharur, on the other hand, just floated in the air and laughed.

"Hah! It's your honor to be in my presence!" Sharur declared in an arrogant tone. "I have seen many battlefields and have always been on the front line. As long as all of you call me Boss, I will make sure that no one can bully you!"

No one paid attention to the arrogant Mythical Mace. Instead, they circled the golden piglet who was looking back at them with genuine curiosity.

Gullinbusti was only fourteen centimeters tall, and twenty centimeters long. Due to its size, the Beasts in William's Herd and Legion found him quite cute, and had a strong urge to protect the little guy who had become Chiffon's pet, and Third Beast Companion.

In the world of Hestia, there were very few people that could have more than one Beast Companion. For some reason, Chiffon was an exception to this rule, and had not only one, but three Beast Companions.

Beast Companions were Beasts who shared their power with their contractors. In turn, their contractors, also, shared their power with them.

This was also the reason why B1 and B2 were able to transform into a Red and Blue Phoenix during their battle against Belial. Now that Bacon was part of the picture, the little golden piglet might have also gained the ability to transform and grow bigger due to Chiffon's awakened ability.

"Oi! You bastards dare ignore this great Sharur!" The dark-blue mace was angered because of the lack of attention it was receiving from William's inner circle.

"Stop shouting you Motherf*cker! Do you think we are deaf?" Kasogonaga replied as it pointed its small paw at the floating mace. "Hmp! Call you Boss? I don't even call William, Boss. What makes you think anyone here will call you that? Stop dreaming, you cunt!"

The dark-blue mace shone bright blue. This was the first time that someone had dared to curse it openly. It opened its eyes and mouth and looked down on the rainbow-colored Anteater with disdain.

"Hmp! I will give you time to take back those words, you little creature!" Sharur shouted in anger. "If you don't recognize me as the leader of this group, I will beat you up until you submit to me."

"Hohoho, you want to make this Sir submit? You've got guts, Little Mace."

"Shut up, puny anteater. I will show you who your new Master is."

Psoglav picked up the golden piglet who had hidden himself behind Erchitu's foot. It seemed that Kasogonaga's and Sharur's argument had scared it and immediately took refuge in the safest place it could think of.

"Let's just watch from the side," Psoglav said with a devilish grin. "I, too, want to see what this so-called Smasher of Thousands is capable of."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and evacuated the place. They watched from afar as the pitiful Mythical Mace fought off against an opponent it couldn't smash to pieces.

Sharur's previous owners died of heart-attacks due to how talkative and obnoxious it was. However, it had been sleeping in the treasury for hundreds of years.

It didn't know that the moment it woke up, it would find that there were creatures that had long mastered the art of cursing.

This made even the most chatty mace in existence shut its trap in the face of Kasogonaga's adorable curses, that it had learned from the Angray Birds, and nearly knock itself silly on the unbreakable rainbow-colored scales that even the Gods of Hestia recognized long ago.

Chapter 650: Master, Please, Enjoy My Blood To Your Heart’s Content

"Close your eyes."

"Un."

William properly rinsed the bubbly shampoo off Chiffon's hair with great care. Ever since they had been married the two of them always took a bath together.

After making sure that her hair was properly rinsed, he carried Chiffon to the bathtub that was already filled with moderately warm water and gently placed her inside it. Naturally, William also joined his wife in soaking in the tub.

Chiffon leaned her back on William's chest, while the latter hugged her from behind. The two spent a few minutes in quiet intimacy before the Half-Elf broke the silence.

"Sharur bit off more than it could chew earlier." William chuckled when he remembered the scene of the mace getting rolled over by Kasogonaga during their duel.

"Sharur is good, he is just lonely." Chiffon was quick to defend the chatty mace who always kept her company whenever William was busy dealing with the affairs of the other floors that had been placed under his name.

"Are you sure he's just lonely?"

"Un. Sharur is a good boy. He is very kind to me."

William chuckled for the second time after he heard that Chiffon called Sharur a good boy. If anyone were to hear that a little girl called the Mythical Mace a good boy, all of them would laugh till their jaws got dislocated.

Chiffon turned around and faced William with a pout.

"Stop laughing," Chiffon said. "Don't bully, Sharur."

William bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, and nodded his head. Chiffon had become overprotective of Gullinbursti and Sharur after she had taken them out of the Vault of the Vanished Warlord.

Originally, Sharur was there to protect the pink-haired girl from getting bullied, but if someone bullied the mace, the one whose wrath they would face was Chiffon's. Frankly, William didn't know what was worse.

Getting smashed in the head by a mace, or getting eaten alive by Chiffon.

"Don't pout." William moved closer and kissed Chiffon's lips. "You're going to be ugly if you pout."

Chiffon kissed William back before touching his left arm. She ignored his teasing and focused on his arm, which was getting paler with each passing day. She knew why it was happening, but the Half-Elf didn't seem too perturbed with his current situation.

Ever since they had entered the 51st Floor, William hadn't had any blood to drink, which in turn made his left hand and arm appear paler, compared to the rest of his body.

Seeing her gaze, William knew that he couldn't hide anything from Chiffon.

"I've been so busy as of late, I've forgotten to drink blood," William confessed. It was true that he had been really busy since he was talking to the Guardians and re-organizing the trials in his respective territories. "I will call for Charmaine later. So, you can stop worrying about me."

Chiffon had offered William her blood, but the Half-Elf firmly rejected it. When Chiffon asked why he didn't want to drink her blood, William said that he couldn't bear the thought of sinking his fangs into her body.

Also, William's bloodthirst couldn't be quenched by Chiffon alone. He would need Charmaine, and a few of the other Elves inside the Thousand Beast Domain to quell the hunger he was feeling at the moment.

Chiffon knew that even if she forced herself on William, the latter wouldn't drink her blood. The Half-Elf could be stubborn when it came to things like this. In the end, she did one of the things that she could do.

She kissed William's lips over and over again.

Due to his wife's relentless assault, William found it very hard to control himself from making love to her then and there. Fortunately, his reasoning had won. With his current state, he couldn't possibly make love to Chiffon. There was a chance that he would lose control and drink her blood recklessly.

After a few minutes of kissing, the two came out of the bath and dressed properly. William left the room he had used when he was still an Einherjar using all the willpower he could muster.

He walked unimpeded and entered the room of one of the officers in Valhalla that had a good relationship with him in the past. There he summoned the thirteen beautiful Elves that were housed inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

With a single glance, all the Elves knew what William needed. Charmaine took the lead and loosened her clothes until they fell on the floor under her feet. She then moved towards William and wrapped her arms around his head.

"Master, please enjoy my blood to your heart's content," Charmaine whispered. Her voice was filled with expectations because it had been a while since William had feasted on her blood.

A low growl of acknowledgement escaped William's lips as he sank his fangs into Charmaine's tender…

Soon, the other Elves joined William and Charmaine on the bed. They pressed their bodies against the Half-Elf, who was now their current Master.

William became drunk with the sweet taste of Charmaine's blood in his lips, and the intoxicating heartbeats that surrounded him. Soon, he would feast on them too, and end the bloodthirst that was starting to take control of his being.

—--

A few hours later, William woke up on the bed surrounded by the beautifully naked bodies of the Elves. He couldn't remember much of what happened, but after seeing the satisfied smiles on the faces of the girls around him, William knew that he hadn't gone overboard while quenching his thirst.

The Half-Elf used his healing magic to cure the minor bruises that had appeared on their amorous bodies. As a healthy young man, it was impossible not to have a reaction when he was surrounded by so many naked beauties.

Because of this, he hurried healing them all before leaving the room as fast as he could. He went straight to his bedroom, where Chiffon was waiting for him.

To his surprise, the pink-haired girl was still awake because she was waiting for William to return.

"Chiffon, I…"

"It's fine, Big Brother. It is now my turn to take care of you."

The pink haired girl held William's hand and dragged him to their bed. True to her word, she took care of her husband's needs until both of them nestled in each other's arms, too exhausted to do anything else but sleep.

—--

"We've finally arrived! Let's go to the inn first, I'm starving!"

"Well, that certainly took longer than expected. The tower's distance is misleading as always."

"The two of you really go at your own pace," the one with the mellow voice said while shaking her head. "Fine, we will rest for now and enter the Tower when morning comes. I want to, at the very least, make myself presentable for when I meet him."

"Right! I will punch him as soon as I see him and gauge his strength!" the one with the lively and energetic voice said happily.

"How many times should I tell you that doing that will leave a bad first impression? We're not here to pick a fight," the one with the calm voice said in a helpless tone. "We came here to teach him how to wield his newfound powers."

"Right! We'll punch him then teach him. I got it!"

"... Just what part did you get, exactly?"

"Enough, you two," the one with the mellow voice said with exhaustion. "Food, a warm bath then sleep. We will just go with the flow tomorrow. Also, Chloee, no punching first."

"Tsk!" The cute little girl named Chloe, stuck out her tongue at her reply. Clearly, she wasn't too fond of not being able to have her way.

"Claire, please, don't let her mess things up," the one with the mellow voice sighed.

"Understood," Claire replied. "I will tie her up if I have to."

The three continued their lively chat until they reached one of the inns in the City of Babylon. They had traveled non-stop for the past few days, just to arrive as soon as they could. Now that they were finally here, another headache would once again land on William's plate.

A headache that he didn't expect would come from the person whom he had tossed to one of the corners of his mind since he was young.

They weren't supposed to meet this soon, but Fate willed it to happen. Just like chess pieces playing their role on the battlefield of the Gods, one couldn't help but think what consequences would happen when both of them finally met.

A meeting that would once again attract unwanted trouble, and powers that William didn't know were laying dormant inside him.

Chapter 651: What Virtue Do You Represent?

William was abruptly awoken by a fluctuation inside the 51st Floor.

Chiffon was sleeping peacefully in his arms, unaware that someone had intruded into their Domain without his permission. Right now, many people wanted to enter the 51st Floor and have an audience with William.

However, there was a one year period before the Floor of Asgard could be accessed by the general public. Once the floor was open for everyone, they could partake in William's Trial in order to gain the right to ascend to the 52nd Floor.

Since that was the case, someone appearing inside his territory meant only one thing.

'They found a loophole that has allowed them to enter this Domain,' William thought as he lightly shook Chiffon. The little glutton sleepily opened her eyes and looked at William with a confused gaze.

"Wake up," William said softly. "We have uninvited guests. I don't know if they are hostile or not."

The sleep in Chiffon's eyes disappeared as she nodded her head in understanding.

William and Chiffon dressed and headed outside the Castle of Asgard. Ever since their guests had appeared, they hadn't moved from their location. This made William feel that whoever these people were, they didn't come to antagonize him.

Out of nowhere, Gullinbursti and Sharur appeared beside Chiffon.

The golden piglet was riding on top of the mace and squealed cutely to greet his Master. Chiffon lightly patted its head before giving it a warning.

"There are some people inside the Floor of Asgard," Chiffon said. "Sharur, look after Bacon. Big Brother and I will handle this ourselves."

"Understood," Sharur replied. "But, we will be nearby. If anything unexpected happens, I'll come to your aid right away."

Chiffon nodded, and watched as the mace and the golden piglet flew a few hundred meters away from them.

Soon, William and Chiffon arrived at the Bi-Frost Bridge. When the Half-Elf saw who their guests were, a complicated expression appeared on his face.

Chiffon, on the other hand, raised her guard. Her instinct was telling her that the lady in front of her was very strong.

"I didn't expect that I would meet you here," William said as he stopped a hundred meters away from the beautiful Elf who was looking back at him with a smile.

"I, too, didn't expect that we would meet in this manner," the beautiful elf replied. "I apologize for coming unannounced. I came here in a hurry after I heard the news."

William frowned, "News? What news?"

The beautiful Elf smiled because she had expected this answer from William. "The outside world already knows of your accomplishments in the Tower of Babylon. Not only did you clear the 51st Floor, that had remained unconquered for a thousand years, you also gained ownership of a few other floors as well.

"You may not know of it, but you are now officially a big celebrity in the world of Hestia. I will be more careful when leaving the tower if I were you."

William didn't appear too surprised about this news because the little turtle, Oogwei, gave him a visit and told him that he was now a very popular person. The Half-Elf just didn't know what the little turtle meant by that time, but after his guest's statement, he managed to connect the dots together.

Chiffon, who was just standing beside William earlier, took a step forward and used her small body to stand in front of William. It was as if she was shielding him from the person in front of her, who held a power that was similar to hers.

"Oh! I like this little girl!" Chloee clapped her hands happily. "Looks like she specialized in hand to hand combat, this will be fun!"

"Behave yourself." Claire grabbed hold of her twin's hand. "It is not our place to meddle in this discussion."

William's gaze was focused on the beautiful Elf in front of him. It had only been a while since he had seen the familiar face, and missed her terribly. Unfortunately, although they looked alike, he knew that the Elf that was standing in front of him was not the one he knew and cared for.

"Celeste, what brings you here?" William asked. His heart ached a bit because looking at his Master's twin sister reminded him of the beautiful woman who had taken his first time, and left for the Demonic Continent to find her Master.

Celeste smiled. Her sister, Celine, had informed her that Wiliam already knew about her identity. Since that was the case, there was no need to make a long introduction for herself.

"I came here because you have unknowingly become one of the successors of my profession," Celeste explained. "I came here, as the Progenitor of Familiamancers, to teach you how to activate your powers."

Before William could even reply, Chiffon took a fighting stance as she voiced out a question.

"What Virtue do you represent?" Chiffon asked. "If you don't give me an honest answer, I will not let you get near Will."

Since Chiffon could easily sense the presence of the Seven Deadly Sins, she could also sense their counterparts as well.

"I mean you no harm," Celeste replied. "I'm not very comfortable in revealing my Virtue to anyone."

"Tell me, or I will not allow you to do as you please with my husband."

"Husband? You?"

Celeste shifted her gaze to William and gave him a disapproving look. She already knew that William was her twin sister's first man, but her sister never mentioned that William was already married.

Aside from the mission that was assigned to her, Celeste's motivation to come to the Tower as soon as she could was due to her curiosity about her twin sister's chosen man. She wanted to see the person whom Celine had taken a gamble with, to try to break free from the prophecy that they had been fighting against all their lives.

"You're married?" Celeste asked. "Big Sister didn't tell me anything about this."

"It's complicated," William replied as he placed his hand over Chiffon's shoulder. "But, Chiffon is indeed my wife. We got married here on the 51st Floor."

"Was it part of the reason for how you were able to conquer this floor?"

"Yes."

"Interesting." Celeste eyed the pink-haired girl who had managed to marry her twin sister's Disciple. "I will ask for more details later. You'd better not hide anything. I will report this to my sister. Whatever kind of punishment she will give you later, you better accept it without any resistance."

The corner of William's lips twitched because Celeste was acting like a mother-in-law who had found out that her son-in-law was cheating on her daughter.

While this was happening, the two fairy-like creatures that looked exactly like Celeste were looking at William like he was some sort of scum.

"You still haven't answered my question," Chiffon insisted. "What Virtue do you represent?"

William pulled his feisty wife in his arms and patted her head. "It's fine. She's not hostile to us. You can feel it too, right?"

"Will, you don't understand," Chiffon replied. "Each of the Seven Sins carry a power that can break the laws of the world. Celeste is one of the Seven Virtues, meaning, she also has that kind of power. If you deal with them in a casual manner, they might stab you in the back."

(A/N: Not if Will stabs them in the back first kekeke.)

Seeing that his wife wouldn't take no for an answer, William sighed and nodded his head.

"I'm sorry about this, but can you just tell us what Virtue you represent?" William asked. "I am your sister's Disciple. I swear on my name and hers that I will not tell a soul about it."

Celeste knew that there was no other way to fix the issue because the pink-haired girl was adamant to know what her Divinity was. Left with no choice, she decided to compromise and revealed the Virtue she wielded.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself," Celeste gave a simple curtsy as she eyed William from where she stood.

"Aside from my given name, I also go by the name Castitas." Celeste smiled. "I am the maiden that represents the Virtue of Chastity, Celeste Dy Wisteria. It is my pleasure and honor to meet the son of the Saintess of the World Tree, and the Hero of the Elves, as well as the one and only Disciple of my sister, Celine.

"I have long wanted to meet you, William Von Ainsworth. I pray that our relationship will be a good one.. Not only for your sake, but for my sister's as well."

Chapter 652: Unexpected Guests In The Floor Of Asgard

"Chastity?" William arched his eyebrow. "So you are the counterpart of Sidonie."

"If you are referring to the maiden that represents the Sin of Lust then yes, I am her counterpart." Celine eyed William with curiosity. 'Not only my sister, but he also has that little girl as his lover. Not to mention, he's also an acquaintance with the Sin of Lust. Having the three Sins on his side makes him a very likely candidate to be the Prince of Darkness.'

The Silvermoon Continent, as well as some of the factions that were aware of the Prophecy were keeping their eyes on possible candidates that matched the Elven Prophecy. Some of them wanted to control the Prince, while others wanted to eliminate him.

Right now, Celeste was in the faction that wanted to kill the Prince of Darkness, so the Prophecy wouldn't come to pass.

Her sister had used her body to test whether William was indeed the Prince, but the result was negative. Celeste even used her Divinity to sweep her twin's body, in order to look for the prophesied mark of ownership that the Prince would bestow upon his rightful bride.

Since she didn't see any mark on her sister, her suspicion about William being the Prince had decreased, but it didn't disappear completely. If the Half-Elf even showed a small inkling that he was the one in the Prophecy, Celeste wouldn't hesitate to kill him, even if her sister, Celine, would hate her forever.

While William was pondering his next move, Chloee, the blonde little fairy that looked like Celeste raised her little fist and made a demand.

"We came here from far away to teach you, and you're just standing there like a fool, are you a fool?" Chloee asked. "Aren't you at least going to serve us some tea? Some snacks? I like pancakes, do you have pancakes?"

The awkward atmosphere immediately disappeared due to Chloee's energetic demands.

William patted Chiffon's head and asked her to stand down for the time being. Regardless of whether they came here to teach him or not, Celeste was his Master's twin sister, so he had to at least be a good host and show her his hospitality.

"Where are my manners?" William smiled at his three visitors. He then spread out his hands in a welcoming manner and proclaimed the name of his domain. "As the first visitors to my Domain, I welcome you all to Asgard. Please, follow me."

William held Chiffon's hand and walked towards the castle.

Celeste looked at the rainbow bridge that was in front of her with great curiosity before taking a step forward. She had seen many amazing things during her childhood, but this was the first time she had seen this kind of scenery.

The Bifrost bridge was a wonder to behold. Even Chloee and Claire flew towards the ground and patted the bridge out of curiosity.

"These bridges are made from laws of the domain," Claire muttered. She was the scholar, and her twin sister, Chloee was the musclehead of their group. The little familiar was very curious about everything in the world that caught her interest.

"Is this safe to cross?" Chloee inquired. However, she didn't wait for an answer. Using her little fist, she punched the bridge to test whether it was strong or not. "Eyah!"

Immediately, the place where she punched was destroyed and cracks spread at a rapid pace.

Celeste, who was only a meter away from the destroyed portion of the Bi-Frost bridge, pretended that nothing happened, and continued to walk forward. However, if one were to look closely, the pace of her walk had drastically increased, overtaking the cracks that were forming behind her.

"What kind of low-budgeted construction is this?!" Chloee raised her little fist in anger. "Whoever made this bridge skimped on the materials!"

Claire flew forward and caught up with Celeste. Right now, both her and Celeste pretended that they didn't know the little troublemaker that was slapping the rainbow bridge, due to her irritation.

The corner of William's lips twitched when he saw the destruction that happened behind him. The Bifrost wasn't something that could be destroyed by a single punch. Even Loki had to work in sabotaging the bridge for years before he succeeded in splitting it in two.

'That Chloee is dangerous,' William thought. 'Perhaps she has a skill similar to the Rule Breaker that I use. A skill that ignores the laws of the world and nullifies it in her presence.'

The portion that Chloee had hit earlier was starting to crumble, and the little familiar was still shouting crap like "Cheap materials or Dumb Domain builder!".

William sighed and waved his hand. The cracks that were spreading in the bridge stopped their advance and started fixing themselves. Even the destroyed portion of the bridge was once again repaired, making the little familiar, Chloee laugh before once again hitting it with her little fist.

It was as if she was playing a fun game. She wanted to know which would be faster. The bridge's recovery rate or the destruction that she was dealing it with.

William finally reached the limit of his patience and gave Celeste a devilish smile.

"Do you mind?" William asked.

Celeste coughed lightly and called out to her familiar who had gotten carried away in destroying the Bifrost bridge like a little child that had found a fun toy to play with.

Chloee reluctantly stopped her attacks as she obediently flew towards Celeste's direction. However a few seconds later, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. Without warning, she punched the Bifrost bridge once again and continued her assault while laughing like a little witch, all the way towards Celeste.

Seeing that the bridge was starting to collapse, William, Chiffon, and Celeste ran as fast as they could so that the mad, little, familiar behind them would not accidentally kill them all due to her crazy stunts.

Fortunately, the group managed to cross the bridge before it collapsed entirely.

Chloee's mad laughter could be heard not far away, which made Celeste and Claire feel apologetic.

"Please, control your pet," William said with a frown. "This Domain is just newly built, make sure she doesn't raze it to the ground."

Celeste lightly cleared her throat before correcting William. "She's not my pet. She is my Familiar. Soon, you will have a familiar of your own, because I will mentor you in the way of the Familiamancer."

Claire flew in front of William and gave him an apologetic bow. "I will look after her and make sure she behaves for the duration of our stay. I apologize for her uncouth actions."

William stared at the familiar with short, green hair with curls in the end, and gray eyes, that was filled with wisdom. She looked exactly like a little Celeste. Both Chloee and Claire looked really cute, but their personalities were miles apart.

The Half-Elf didn't mind having the polite Claire inside his Domain, but the trigger happy Chloee concerned him very much.

"Very well, I'll trust that you can handle your twin," William replied. "Let's enter the castle."

"Thank you," Claire nodded and flew towards Celeste's right shoulder.

Chloee had already landed on Celest's left shoulder and had a satisfied look on her face.

Just as they were about to enter the castle, a flying mace appeared carrying a golden piglet on its head.

Chiffon reached out to hold Gullinbusti, and patted Sharur's head before taking the lead to enter the castle. She really disliked that one of the Seven Virtues had disturbed her one month honeymoon with William on the Floor of Asgard.

Even so, Chiffon was a sensible lady. William had already told her that Celeste was not their enemy, so the little glutton decided to not antagonize their guests for the duration of their stay.

Chiffon only hoped that their guests were really guests, and not pests. However, due to Chloee's unexpected rampage, the pink-haired girl's first impression of Celeste and her familiars had dropped to the bottom.

William had an idea about what Chiffon was thinking, but he was also very curious about the Unique Prestige Class, Familiamancer.

He had seen how powerful Chloee was. If his Familiars would be just as powerful as her then he wouldn't mind learning how this Job Class worked.

According to the System, William needed the assistance of the Familiamancer's Progenitor to unlock it. William didn't have to be a genius to know that Celeste was the Progenitor of the Familiamancer Job Class. Since she had just told him that's who she was.

According to the System's calculation, Celeste is the only Familiamancer in the World of Hestia at this point in time. This was not the first time that he had seen a Job Class that required the permission of its Progenitor in order to be unlocked.

His Incubus Job Class had been one of these. It required the user to get the permission of the Goddess of Lust before they could become an incubus or a succubi. This restriction was considered a special case, and not many Job Classes had this requirement.

William was already looking forward to the newfound powers that he would be able to unleash once his new Prestige Class was unlocked.

What he didn't know was that Celeste was also very interested in what kind of familiar William would be able to summon. The powers, shape, size, appearance, and personality of the Familiars were highly dependent on their summoner.

'Maybe he will summon a Dragon,' Celeste thought. 'A phoenix is also a possibility.'

The beautiful Elf followed William with a helpless smile on her face. Not only had William become her sister's one and only Disciple, he also became the first Familiamancer that she would guide under her wing.

Celeste felt that this was too much of a coincidence, but even so, she was glad that the Profession she had acquired finally had its first follower.

Chapter 653.1: The Juggernaut Of Hestia Academy [Part 1]

"Okay, let me get this straight… you are the very first Familiamancer in this world, correct?" William asked the beautiful Elf in front of him, who looked exactly like his Master, Celine.

Celeste nodded her head. "Yes. I came here to teach you how to become one as well."

William, Chiffon, Celeste, and her two familiars were currently in the dining room having breakfast.

William lowered his head and pondered for a bit. "I would like to learn how to become a Familiamancer, but I won't become your Disciple. Is that fine?"

The corner of Celeste's lips curled up into a smile as she eyed William with her beautiful blue eyes. Although she had an inkling why William refused to become her Disciple, she still decided to ask to confirm her hunch.

"Is your reason for declining to become my Disciple related to my sister?" Celeste inquired. Her gaze never left William, as the latter stared back at her.

"Yes," William replied. The Half-Elf could feel a little pain in his chest because Celeste looked exactly like Celine.

If not for the fact that the Elf in front of him had long, light-green hair. and blue eyes, he would have definitely pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Looking at Celeste made William remember his Master, whom he had already marked as his lover.

"You're too greedy," Celeste stated before adding honey to the pancake on her plate. "You wanted to become a Familiamancer, and yet you don't want to become my Disciple. Do you understand how unreasonable this demand is?"

Right beside Celeste, the two familiars were also busy eating pancakes. Not far from them, several Elves--wearing maid clothing--stood straight, while taking turns to replenish the food and drinks on the dining table.

Charmaine stood beside William and personally poured fruit juice into his glass. She was the Half-Elf's personal maid, and always performed her duty to the best of her abilities.

Surprisingly, Celeste seemed indifferent to this setup. Although she, herself, was an Elf, she didn't mind seeing the Elves do these chores akin to servants.

"Can you just make me a Familiamancer and leave me be? I'll just study the profession on my own."

"I'm starting to regret my decision to travel to the Tower as fast as I could." Celeste sighed. "If I only knew that you have this kind of attitude, I wouldn't have bothered coming here."

Celeste could tell that William didn't like her. This was the first time that someone had treated her this way. In the Silvermoon Continent, everyone would look at her with admiration. Even the Royal Family would greet her whenever she visited the palace.

In Hestia Academy, all the boys would look at her with infatuation, and the girls with adoration. Even the Kings and Emperors in the Central Continent would give her invitations and marriage proposals due to her beauty and identity.

However, on the Floor of Asgard, a Half-Elf was treating her like a suspicious salesman who was peddling his wares on their front door.

This feeling was very refreshing to her!

Someone actually dared to turn her away?

William didn't know that his constant rejection of Celeste only fanned her determination to make him the second Familiamancer in the world of Hestia.

'Familiamancers must have this kind of attitude,' Celeste thought. 'Unaffected by beauty, fame, and fortune. I guess my sister was right in choosing this person.'

If James was there and heard Celeste's thoughts, he would probably laugh out loud due to how wrong her assumption was.

William was unaffected by beauty?

If he was unaffected by beauty then he wouldn't have other thoughts of his beautiful Master when they spent their time together when he was young.

Unaffected by fame?

Hah! What a joke! Although William might act lowkey at times, and have a modest temperament when being praised, deep inside he was hinting for people to praise him, especially his good looks.

As for not being affected by fortune?

This was the biggest joke in the world. If William had his way, he would loot every bandit group, the treasury of every corrupt noble, and even sneak to and secretly mine the hidden resources in any Empire he visited.

Among James' bloodline, William shared his greedy character when it comes to hoarding fortune! As long as it had value, the Half-Elf would definitely snatch it without fail!

"Then how about this, let Chloee teach you how to become a Familiamancer," Claire, who had just finished eating her pancake proposed. "Regardless of what you think, you still need someone to teach you how to properly wield your newfound powers. We are Celeste's Familiar, so we know a thing or two about Familiars. What do you say?"

William glanced at the small familiar that looked like a young version of Celeste. He had a good impression of Claire because the latter had a good head on her shoulders. She also had this very calming personality that was very hard to reject.

The Half-Elf would have readily agreed to this proposal if Claire had volunteered herself to be the one teaching William the way of being a Familiamancer. However, the little familiar had delegated her all-brawn-and-no-brains twin sister, Chloee, to teach William.

He glanced at the little fairy who was busy eating her pancake. Chloee's cheeks were bulging like a hamster, that had stuffed it's cheek pouches full, from overeating, and seemed completely oblivious of the discussion.

After remembering what the maniacal Familiar did to the Bifrost Bridge, William was very apprehensive in agreeing to Claire's proposal.

"How about you teach me instead?" William inquired. "I think you would be a better teacher."

Claire smiled but firmly shook her head.

"That may be true, but I feel like both of us are going to get along really well," Claire replied. "For me, this is not a good thing. I don't want to feel attachment to people. It makes me feel… weak."

The little Familiar gazed at William with her calm, steady, gray-eyes that seemed to know all the secrets of the world. William had a feeling that only very strong emotions could make ripples in those gray-depths that seemed to hold the entire world at an arm's length.

William could feel that Claire was being sincere with him. The Familiar didn't want to form any attachment, so she decided to push the responsibility to her twin sister, who had the ability to demolish the Castle of Asgard if she were to use 70% of her true power.

Chiffon quietly fed the golden piglet, Bacon, a piece of pancake. The piglet was currently on top of the table and enjoying his Master's affection. Sharur, on the other hand, had transformed into an armguard and equipped itself into Chiffon's left arm.

Just like Svalinn, the Mythical Mace chose to stay with Chiffon and ensure that she was protected from harm.

Chiffon was still a bit angry because her quality time with William had come to a premature end, but she also respected her lover's will to become stronger. Since she was his wife, Chiffon decided to support William in whatever endeavor he chose.

After hearing Claire's proposal, she, too, glanced at the little Familiar who had just asked for another serving of pancakes from one of the Elven Maids.

Only after finishing her ninth pancake did Chloee feel that something was amiss.

She glanced at everyone present at the table and realized that all of them were looking at her.

Chloee frowned, but this only lasted for a brief moment. After that brief moment of hesitation, Celeste's Familiar once again asked for another serving of pancake, which made everyone's lips twitch at the same time.

After breakfast, William decided to compromise and accept Claire's suggestion.

Celeste, on the other hand, felt amused by this turn of events. The beautiful Elf wondered if Chloee was up to the task of teaching someone on how to become a Familiamancer.

Regardless of how it turned out, this was something that Celeste would like to see with her own eyes.

William led the group to the training field. There was something that he had to test, so he decided to see just how strong a familiar was.

Chloee's performance in the Bifrost Bridge had left a lasting impression on him. He wanted to fully understand how a small familiar like her could deal that much damage, even with her small body.

"When my Master, Celine, taught me Dark Magic, the two of us would often spar together," William said as he turned around to look at Chloee. "If you want to become my Master, you need to prove yourself first. Let's fight. Show me how strong a Familiar is."

Chloee's eyes widened in shock. She didn't expect that William would challenge her to a fight.

Celeste and Claire who were standing at the side sneered in their hearts. Among the three of them, Chloee was the one who advocated violence. The thing that she liked the most was to smash and beat up things that blocked her way.

After the initial shock ended, Chloee's eyes sparkled in delight. She then turned her head to look at her twin, Claire, with a big smile on her face.

"Hah! I told you that fighting is the best way to build relationships, but you didn't want to believe me," Chloee had a smug expression on her face, which made Claire sigh internally.

"Hold your punches, okay? We don't want you to accidentally kill him," Claire replied.

"Don't worry, I will do it in mode- modera…"

"Moderation."

"Yes! I will do it with Modedation!" Chloee shifted her gaze to William and the smile on her face widened.

Celeste and Claire lit a candle for William in their hearts.. They already knew that the word Moderation was not in Chloee's dictionary. She couldn't even spell the words right even if her life depended on it!

Chapter 654.2: The Juggernaut Of Hestia Academy [Part 2]

William summoned his wooden staff and took a fighting stance.

Chloee, on the other hand, just crossed her arms over her chest. She had a confident smile plastered on her face. For a brief moment, William felt that no matter what he threw at her, the little Familiar in front of him would be able to withstand it without fail.

"Are you ready?" William asked.

Chloee didn't answer. Instead, she raised her right index finger and made the "come and get me" gesture at William.

William took a step forward and charged at her directly. Since he wanted to test Chloee's abilities, he should be the one to initiate the attack.

With a powerful thrust, William's staff came flying towards the small familiar in a straight line.

Chloee hovered in the air with her wings flapping behind her back. She had no intention of dodging William's attack. In fact, she, too, wanted to know what the Half-Elf was capable of doing.

When the tip of the staff was only a few inches away from Chloee's body, the Familiar casually raised her hand and punched it!

Suddenly, an unexpected thing happened.

The other end of the staff slammed on William's chest, sending him flying several meters in the air. Chiffon, who was holding Bacon in her arms, gasped in shock after seeing the unbelievable scene.

Celeste, and Claire, didn't have any changes in their expression. It was as if they had already expected this to happen.

William immediately propped himself on the ground and massaged his right chest that was currently making breathing difficult for him.

Everything happened so fast, and he didn't have the opportunity to react to Chloee's counterattack. This was the first time that his attack had been turned against him in this manner, and he found it unbelievable.

'Optimus, what do you think?' William inquired. 'Did you gauge how strong she is?'

< No. However, we can see her stats if you pay 100,000 God Points >

'Do it.'

William's God Points had dwindled to a million after purchasing the legendary weapons for his battle with Belial. Fortunately, there was a hidden quest that activated after he acquired the 51st Floor, which gained him Five Million God Points as a reward.

Although 100,000 God Points to view the stats of his enemy was not a small sum, he still decided to do it.

Why?

Because he wanted to know just how strong his opponent was

—---

< Spending 100,000 God Points to use Advance Appraisal Skill. >

Remaining God Points: 6,240,042

—---

The corner of William's lips twitched after he saw the stats of the little familiar in front of him. He couldn't believe that Chloee's stats were actually stronger than his!

—--

Name: Chloee

Race: Familiar

Health Points: 30,000 / 30,000

Mana: 100 / 100

< Strength: 999 (+999 if Juggernaut Activates) >

< Agility: 100 >

< Vitality: 100 >

< Intelligence: 5 >

< Dexterity: 100 >

Skills:

Combat Mastery [EX]

Unarmed Mastery [EX]

Progenitor Instinct [EX}

Weapon Mastery [EX]

Overwhelming Strike [EX] (Can be used 3x a day)

Duel-EX

Stunning Strike

World Ending Strike

Titles:

Might Over Magic

Juggernaut

—--

< Progenitor Instinct [EX] >

– The 6th sense allows your body to move subconsciously to prevent any form of damage.

– This skill has a 30% chance of activation.

< Might Over Magic >

– Has the power to nullify any kind of law or ability using brute strength.

– Increase resistance against Magic Attacks by 50%

– The side effect of using this ability is being unable to stop cursing the one responsible for activating this ability.

< Juggernaut >

– Increases Strength by 100% if Health Points is equal or below 70%

– Strength Stat cannot be lowered by spells or other abilities.

—--

< World Ending Strike >

– The damage of this attack is equivalent to the strength stat multiplied by two.

– Your world will end if you get hit by this, along with the chances of you leaving any descendants behind.

– Deals 1000% additional damage if it hits anything below the belt.

—--

'What kind of bullsh*t character sheet is this?!' William cursed internally. 'Progenitor Instinct? World Ending Strike? Dafuk is this sh*t?!'

The Half-Elf couldn't believe that such a cheat character existed! Even he, who had a System, didn't have stats that surpassed 500 points. Also, that was not the end of it. If Chloee suffered damage and her HP fell below 70% her already cheat-like strength doubled!

The second part that made William's liver ache was Chloee's skills. All of them were designed for close combat, and she even had the skills Overwhelming Strike and Duel-Ex! These skills were William's Trump Cards and he was well aware how powerful this combination was.

—--

< Overwhelming Strike [EX]>

-- Thrice a day you can deliver one full-powered unarmed strike that contains all of your strength.

-- Damage dealt is equivalent to your Strength Stat multiplied by 20.

-- Knockback Effect

—--

Overwhelming Strike was a monk skill that multiplied the strength stat by 20. William had used it to defeat several opponents because this skill was something that they wouldn't expect.

Chloee's strength stat without the Juggernaut Ability was already 999. If she were to use this skill, her strength stats would be multiplied by twenty, and would jump to 19,980.

William had no doubt in his mind that if Chloee were to punch Drauum, the Ancient Golem of the Silvermoon Continent, the bastard would be blown to bits instantly!

The Half-Elf could only use this skill once a day, but Chloee could use it three times a day! With such a powerful skill at her arsenal, very few individuals under the realm of Demigod would be her match.

Another skill that was worth noting was Duel-Ex. This skill would force her opponent to exchange one blow against her.

William could already feel his liver itching for the second time at the thought of these skills being used on him.

Even Optimus was speechless after it saw Chloee's stats. The System had no doubt in its mind that the only way that William could win against the small Familiar was using the Prestige Class, Einherjar.

While William was sweating buckets internally, the little Familiar raised her chin arrogantly and cursed him out loud.

"Is that your best?" Chloee asked in disdain. The side-effect of her Law Breaker skill had activated. "We just clashed once and you're already in a daze. The Auntie in the canteen of Hestia Academy packs a stronger punch than you. What's wrong? Did you get scared that you can't even fight back? As expected of a Half-Elf, your face looks like a p*ssy!"

William almost spat blood then and there. He had used those very same curses at his enemies in the past, and they went livid upon hearing it. Now that the same curses were being used against him, he felt like his intestines were hurting.

The Little Familiar was still not satisfied and continued to ridicule William in a haughty manner.

"I am only using 30% of my full power!" Chloee declared in arrogance. "Hmp! If you can make me use 70% of my powers, I will recognize you as my Disciple! Now fight me!"

Chiffon who was watching on the side was half worried, and half amused with her husband's current state. She was worried because it seemed that William's opponent was stronger than him, and half amused because this was the first time that she saw William have a constipated expression on his face.

Celeste and Claire were snickering in their hearts because this was a very common scene in Hestia Academy.

Chloee had been labeled as the Juggernaut of Hestia Academy because she was the Academy's hoodlum. Even the Headmaster was powerless against her. The only way to pacify her was to shower her with praises, and give her rewards from time to time.

In time, the students, professors, and staff of the academy had learned how to deal with the notorious Familiar that flew around the academy. This was the first time that William fought Chloee, so Celeste and Claire were sure that the Half-Elf would find her to be a very hard opponent to defeat.

William closed his eyes and calmed his breathing. He knew that there were many powerful beings in Hestia, but he didn't expect that he would find someone as strong as Chloee. Of course, the little Familiar was not an omnipotent existence.

Granted, she was indeed strong. However, if she were thrown to fight against Belial's Horde of Monsters, Chloee would definitely be defeated because her forte lay on one-on-one battles.

Even if she was capable of beating a dozen opponents simultaneously, she was not like William who could fight against tens of thousands of enemies at the same time. If you look at this angle then Chloee was not that powerful.

But, the fact still remained that William wasn't fighting an army. He was fighting a single foe, and her power required him to take the battle seriously.

It was at that moment when the atmosphere around William changed. His red hair grew and turned silver.

Chloee also felt the changes in William's current state. However, instead of feeling anxious, a devilish smile appeared on her face.

Stormcaller and Soleil appeared beside William. The two sentient weapons floated in the air as their bodies were covered in lightning and fire.

—--

Name: William Von Ainsworth

Race: Half-Elf

Health Points: 365,100 / 365,100

Mana: 396,600 / 396,600

Job Class: Quick Shot Shepherd (Level 30)

Sub Class: Einherjar (Max Level)

< Strength: 258 (+972) >

< Agility: 275 (+997) >

< Vitality: 254 (+966) >

< Intelligence: 295 (+1,027)>

< Dexterity: 315 (+1,058) >

—--

William understood that he would be facing strong opponents in the future. If he didn't even have the courage to face Chloee then what was the purpose of him wanting to be stronger?

Although his opponent dominated one-on-one battles, William didn't believe that he would be defeated easily if he went all out.

"Good," Chloee said with a smile. "That's more like it. Since you decided to fight me seriously, I will use 60% of my power."

Chloee took a fighting stance and her body glowed golden.

"Familia Oversoul!" Chloee declared.

Suddenly a powerful shockwave erupted in the surroundings. The little Familiar's body grew until her height was the same as Chiffon's.

William stared at the young teenage version of Celeste, whose presence had changed drastically.

Since William had already used the Appraisal Skill on Chloee once, he could use this skill again to check her stats without paying any additional God Points. He immediately used his Appraisal Skill and checked the information of his opponent that was using 60% of her full power.

—--

Name: Chloee

Race: Familiar

Health Points: 150,000 / 150,000

Mana: 2500 / 2500

< Strength: 5,000 ( +5,000 if Juggernaut Activates) >

< Agility: 500 >

< Vitality: 500 >

< Intelligence: 50 >

< Dexterity: 500 >

—--

William didn't expect that Chloee had a second form. Also, her stats had drastically increased as well.

Although William's overall stats were stronger, Chloee's strength stat was nothing to sneeze at. If he were to get hit by her punch, he would definitely feel a world of pain.

Chloee's beautiful face beamed with delight as she took a fighting stance. It had been a while since she had taken this form, and she was more than happy to go on a rampage after being cooped up in Hestia Academy for too long.

Both of them were now in the initial stages of the Saint Rank. Celeste, Claire, and Chiffon had retreated to a safe distance to allow the two fighters to go all out. They knew that they would only get in the way of the battle if they stayed.

William looked at his opponent with a serious expression on his face. This was no longer a spar.

This was a battle that would let the Half-Elf understand his limitations, while he was using the strongest Job Class in his arsenal.

The Half-Elf didn't expect that he would be using his Prestige Class so soon, and he had to admit that his odds of winning against Chloee was fifty-fifty.

"Are you ready?" Chloee asked. This time, she was the one to take the initiative to ask William if he was ready. This was her way of showing respect to her opponent that had decided to go all out against her.

"Yes," William replied. "I am ready."

William understood that Chloee's threat was very real.

If the Familiar really intended to use Duel-Ex and Overwhelming Strike against him, he would have to put his life on the line, in order to survive the punch that was strong enough to obliterate the Castle of Asgard with a single blow.

Chapter 655.1: ]

William and Chloee were about to clash, when the System reminded William that it wouldn't be safe to fight near the castle using his full power.

"Wait." The Half-Elf immediately raised a hand to stop Chloee from charging at him. "Let's change location. I don't want the castle to be destroyed."

Chloee smirked and nodded her head. She then followed William as the latter flew towards the plains of Asgard, where the great battle of Ragnarok took place.

Seeing that both fighters were changing location, Celeste and Claire followed suit using a flight spell.

Chiffon, on the other hand, summoned B1 and B2. The two Dumb Birds merged with Chiffon and became her wings. She was still wary of Celeste and her familiars, so she didn't want them to be alone with William. If any of them made any suspicious moves on her husband, she would activate her Divinity and devour them without mercy.

When the pink-haired girl arrived at the plains of Asgard, the battle had already begun.

Lightning and flames streaked across the battlefield as William fought Chloee in ranged combat. Although William was also a melee fighter, his opponent's strength stat was a powerful deterrent that prevented him from engaging in close combat.

Chloee may not be as fast as William, but his attacks did very little damage to her because of her powerful skill set.

After firing several long range skills, William decided that he should take precautions just in case the battle went out of hand.

'Optimus, please, disable the Passive Skill, One Who Breaks The Rules,' William ordered.

< Understood. >

Although William was willing to test his limits, he didn't want to lose memories over this battle. The battle against Belial had hurt him deeply, because several important memories were lost, with no chances of returning ever again.

Although they were memories of the Past, William still treasured them in his heart.

"Cheapshot!" Chloee shouted. "If you dare, let me hit you once!"

William ignored the Familiar's taunts and maneuvered around the battlefield. He used his superior speed to stay out of Chloee's range, and just peppered her with Stormcaller's and Soleil's elemental attacks.

""Quick Shot War Arts... First Form." William aimed Stormcaller at the Familiar who was like a sitting duck waiting to get bullied from afar. "Destroy everything in your path!"

"Railgun!"

This was one of William's strongest, and fastest attacks, that was strong enough to pierce through a mountain with ease. He wanted to test how Chloee would be able to handle an attack that surpassed the speed of sound.

When William unleashed his skill, Chloee's leg also rose up. Soon a deafening sound erupted in the air as William's Railgun was completely neutralized by the Familiar's kick.

"Nice." Chloee's eyes narrowed. "That is one dangerous ability you have there."

William observed the Familiar's foot, but not even a scratch could be seen on its surface. Clearly, his attack didn't deal any damage to his opponent which made him take the battle extra seriously.

"Bloom in the battlefield!" William roared. "Fleur Du Soleil!"

Soleil that was floating high above the clouds to absorb the power of the sun descended towards Chloee with fury. Its body was covered in flames and streaked towards its target like a meteorite.

"Fist of the South Star!" Chloee shouted as she met the flaming spear head on and punched it.

Another powerful explosion took place in the air, sending William skidding a few meters from where he hovered. He stared at the beautiful flaming flower in the sky, and knew that Soleil hit its target perfectly.

However, at the center of the flaming flower, a young lady with short blonde hair with curls at the end, stared back at him with a devilish grin. Her beautiful blue eyes stared at William like a hawk targeting its prey, and it made the Half-Elf's evaluation of her rise another level.

< The Power of a Progenitor cannot be underestimated. Since they are the first of their kind, it also means that their powers are far above the norm. Be careful, Will. >

William nodded his head. He had read in some novels that Vampire Progenitors were stronger than other vampires because they were the first generation. As the first generation of Familiars, Chloee's and Claire's powers far exceeded the norm, and far exceeded William's expectations.

'Try to find her weak point,' William ordered.

< Understood >

Unlike his Railgun attack, Soleil managed to cause a bit of damage to Chloee. However, they were very insignificant. Her clothes were burned in some places, but that was it. William was paying close attention to her stats and noticed that her Juggernaut Skill still hadn't activated.

This meant that her health was still good, and Soleil's destructive attack was only akin to a small scratch.

"Tis but a scratch," Chloee said as she clenched her fist. "Since you don't plan to come to me, I'll make you come to me by force."

The girl, who was as tall as Chiffon, pointed at William with a sneer.

"Duel-Ex!"

William was about to scoff at the Familiar's bluff when suddenly, he felt his body being pulled towards her.

The Half-Elf's eyes widened in shock because he made sure to stay out of the range of the forced aggression skill "Duel-Ex". Since he had used it several times in the past, he was quite familiar with its range. He believed that as long as he stayed away, Chloee wouldn't be able to force him to fight her in close combat.

What he didn't know was that Chloee's Duel-Ex was different from his. The Familiar's Duel-Ex worked regardless of distance. As long as she could see her target, she could pull them to her location anytime she wanted!

"Sh*t!" William cursed out loud as he summoned Arondight from his storage ring.

"Cut through the firmament!" William roared. "Raze the world, Arondight!"

A reddish-black beam of light erupted at the tip of the Demonic Sword and flew towards the Familiar who was also flying towards William with a fearless grin.

Chloee pulled back her arm and her closed fist shone brightly.

"World Ending Strike!" Chloee shouted as she met William's attack with her bare fist.

The powerful beam and the small fist collided, but William's attack was soon split in half. Chloee's attack broke through its center and the Familiar flew towards William while roaring in laughter.

William braced himself as he clashed with Chloee using his full-powered strike.

A metallic sound rang in the air, sending shockwaves in every direction. William heard a resounding crack, followed by searing pain on his right hand. He knew that his right hand, and arm, had been broken, but that was the least of his worries.

After the clash ended, William decisively pulled back and gained distance from the Familiar whose eyes had turned golden.

Chloee's Juggernaut skill had activated due to the damage she received from Arondight, and now her strength stat had doubled.

She hovered in the air and looked at William with a smile.

"I'll give you an opportunity to heal yourself," Chloee said with arrogance. "I don't want others to think that I'm bullying you."

William chuckled internally because of the Familiar's condescending words. He looked at his arm that was bent in an unnatural angle and allowed the system to scan the extent of the damage he received.

Fortunately, Arondight's attack had greatly lessened the force of Chloee's attack. If the attack had hit him with its full power, his arm might have been torn off from his body due to its overwhelming raw power.

'If she used the Overwhelming Strike, I might have become a goner,' William thought as he drank a High-Quality Rejuvenation Potion.

Although he didn't want to use any healing abilities during their battle, he deemed that it was necessary to face such a cheat-like character in his peak condition.

Several cracking and popping sounds reached his ear as the damage in his arm recovered. Chloee watched this scene with fascination with her hands resting on her waist.

After William's arm had fully recovered, the Familiar once again took a fighting stance before giving her opponent an ultimatum.

"I will end this in the next attack," Chloee stated. "If you have any trump cards left, use them now. I guarantee that you will not have an opportunity to use it again… "

William knew that the Familiar wasn't joking around. He still wanted to test a few things, but he decided that it would be useless against her. He had already realized this when he used Arondight against her.

Arondight was a sword that was said to be equal and even more powerful than Excalibur. Chloee's skill, Might Over Magic, was the perfect counter to magical attacks.

William was half-tempted to ask the System to enable the skill that he asked to be locked, but decided against it. It simply was not worth it to sacrifice his memories just to beat the opponent in front of him.

The air trembled around William as the elements of Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Lighting gathered in his right hand.

Soon, these elements merged together forming a rainbow colored ball of pure energy.

Chloee yawned because she knew that this kind of attack wouldn't deal any damage to her. She thought that William had other tricks under his sleeve, but she was greatly disappointed.

"Heroes of Valhalla," William said and thirteen perfect clones appeared all around him.

Each of the clones carried the Legendary Weapons in their arsenal and their presence made Chloee narrow her eyes.

Just like William had suspected, Chloee was more of a one-on-one fighter. Her ability to deal with multiple opponents at once was not her strong point. This was especially true for opponents that had similar power levels like William's.

"Well, at least you're not stupid, I'll give you that," Chloee's expressoin finally became serious, but the smile on her lips didn't disappear.

Her entire body glowed golden and the fairy-like wings behind her back were set ablaze in golden flames.

"70%," Chloee said softly. "Not bad."

Chloee had finally used 70% of her power, which increased her strength stat by 500, and her other stats by a hundred.

Claire, who was looking at her twin from a distance, smiled. It had been so long since she had seen Chloee this happy, and it made her happy as well.

However, Celeste, who was floating beside her, had a serious expression on her face. She had prepared a spell on her hand that would automatically summon Chloee to her side in case of an emergency.

Celeste was afraid that Chloee might get carried away and use her Overwhelming Strike on William.. The beautiful Elf knew that if something happened to her sister's Disciple, Celine, would definitely not take it lying down, and might even hate her for it… forever.

Chapter 656.2: ]

Fourteen William's faced off against the beautiful Familiar, who was looking at them with a fearless smile.

"Come," Chloee said. "Or do you want me to force you to come to me?"

William raised his hand and his clones took a battle formation. This was his strongest combination attack, and if Chloee managed to beat this then William had no choice but to recognize her superiority.

"For Honor and Glory! Conquer my way to victory!" William ordered. "Charge, my Knights of the Round Table!"

The Thirteen Clones glowed and turned into rays of light. All of them flew towards Chloee as the powers of the Legendary Weapons activated in their hands.

"Go for the kill, Gaebolg!"

The Legendary Spear that was said to give its enemies a very gruesome and painful death shot towards Chloee with the intention of ending her life.

The Familiar turned her body to the side, evading the attack by a hair's breadth.

"Strike with unparalleled precision, Gungnir!"

The Spear that was said to belong to the King of the Norse Gods, Odin, flew straight and true. This spear was said to have the uncanny ability to never miss its target, regardless of the proficiency of its wielder.

"Exterminate, Khyrselakatos!"

A rain of arrows covered the skies, turning the surroundings dark. The arrowtips had an eerie green glow that was said to contain strong poison that was very effective against women.

Chloee was facing the rain of arrows, while Gungnir came flying towards her from behind. However, the Familiar was not fazed. She reached out behind her without even turning her head, and grabbed the tip of Gungnir's spear blade, stopping it in its flight.

Fiery, golden blood, seeped out of the wound on Chloee's hand, as she firmly held the spear at bay. A moment later, she grabbed the handle of the spear and twirled it around in front of her, deflecting the arrows that were falling onto her like rain.

Although Cloee specialized in unarmed combat, her passive ability, Weapon Master [EX], allowed her to effectively wield any kind of weapon she got her hands on.

As the barrage of arrows were thinning out, a powerful voice reached her ear from behind.

"Pierce through the void! Longinus!"

Chloee shifted her body to the side, and a shower of golden fiery blood exploded into the air.

Longinus had pierced through her left arm, but Chloee continued to deflect the arrows even with the spear sticking out of her shoulder.

She had deemed the arrows to be a higher threat to her compared to the spear that was now struck in her body.

"Illuminate the world! Rhongomyniad!"

"Cut through the firmament and raze the world! Arondight!"

Two beams of lights, one white, one black, descended on Chloee from opposite directions.

The wings on her back glowed brightly, as her body was enveloped by a golden shield.

The two beams hit their mark and exploded in mid-air. It created a mushroom type explosion that momentarily blinded everyone in the battlefield.

When the light receded, a young lady with tattered clothes appeared in everyone's vision. Her clothes were almost non-existent revealing a body riddled with injury. Blood flowed everywhere, and anyone who saw it would definitely feel their heart breaking, due to the violence that was done on such a young girl.

However, although she was currently in a very sorry state, Chloee's eyes were still clear and her lips still held the makings of a smile, despite her current condition.

"Duel-Ex," Chloee said as she pointed her finger at William.

The Half-Elf's body lurched forward, but he was not bothered by it. The power in his hand had reached its peak state. Even if Chloee had the ability Might Over Magic, this attack that contained all the powerful Elements in the world would devastate everything in its path.

"World End… Tempest!" William roared as he thrust his right hand forward.

Chloee pulled back her arm as a powerful aura fluctuated in the air. When all of the power in her body had been gathered in her hand, she unleashed the strongest attack in her arsenal. An attack that was strong enough to smash Drauum to pieces.

"Overwhelming Strike!" Chloee met William's attack with her own.

The moment the two attacks collided with each other. Another powerful explosion rocked the entire Floor of Asgard.

William's clones were blown away and turned into particles of light.

Chiffon, Celeste, and Claire were pushed back by the powerful shockwaves for several hundred meters before coming to a stop.

As if coming to an understanding, the three of them immediately flew towards the glowing, miniature sun that was currently floating in the place where William and Chloee clashed.

This was the first great battle that happened on the Floor of Asgard since its conception, and it left a mark in the memories of everyone that was there to witness the battle unfold.

—---

Kraetor Empire…

Ashe abruptly woke up from her slumber when she felt a searing pain on the blue gem that was embedded in her chest. She gasped for breath because the pain was too much for her to bear.

Princess Sidonie, who was sleeping beside her, also woke up. However, it wasn't the Princess that was currently in charge of the body, but her other half, Morgana.

Morgana used her powers to help stabilize Ashe's body as the latter endured the excruciating pain in her body. Several minutes later, the beautiful mermaid collapsed on the bed, completely bereft of any strength.

Morgana was alarmed and immediately took out a pill from her storage ring and force fed it to Ashe, who was currently in a semi-vegetative state.

A few minutes later, the mermaid's finger twitched, before slowly opening her eyes. The current Ashe looked very haggard as if she just fought a hundred battles non-stop.

"For now, regulate your breathing," Morgana said as she helped Ashe into a sitting position. "Don't worry, I'm here. It will be alright."

Ashe weakly leaned her back on Morgana's body, and the latter held her firmly in an embrace. After several minutes, the mermaid's breathing had returned to normal, but she was still feeling very weak.

"What happened?" Princess Sidonie had swapped with Morgana and held Ashe in her place. "Did something happen to Will?"

"Yes," Ashe replied with difficulty. "I don't know the specifics, but it seems that he fought an intense battle, while pushing himself to the limit. However, you don't need to worry. He is fine."

Because Ashe gave half of her heart to William, she was able to feel his strong emotions, as well as the overflowing influx of power that came from her lover.

When William activated the Heroes of Valhalla, and unleashed the full powered World End Tempest, the excess energy traveled through time and space to reach Ashe, who was sleeping peacefully in the Kraetor Empire.

Princess Sidonie frowned as she pieced the clues together. Suddenly a realization came to her mind.

"Will is currently staying on the Floor of Asgard," Princess Sidonie said. "If I remember correctly, no one should be able to enter that floor. If what you said is true, doesn't it mean that Will just fought with someone, and this person is very strong? For him to use all of his powers, and make you feel its effects just proves that this battle wasn't a simple one."

Ashe nodded because she didn't realize this fact right away. Although they weren't able to meet William in the Thousand Beast Domain, they were still able to communicate just fine.

William had told her about his current circumstance, so both girls knew that he couldn't leave the tower, and had to stay in the Floor of Asgard for an entire month. Not only that, he said that no one could enter the floor during this period of time.

If that was the case then who was it that their lover had fought?

"Let's go to the Thousand Beast Domain," Princess Sidonie stated. "Let's get our answers from there. I'm sure that one of Will's people will know the answers to our questions."

Ashe nodded her head.

A few seconds later, both girls disappeared from the room, and teleported to the Thousand Beast Domain.. There they would discover that a certain Elven Beauty had wandered to William's Floor of Asgard, which made them shake their heads helplessly.

Chapter 657: Collecting The Sinful Ladies Of The World

"Another one?" Ashe inquired.

B1 nodded his head in confirmation. "Another one."

"Her name?" Princess Sidonie asked.

B2 pruned his feathers before answering. "Celeste."

The two beautiful ladies glanced at each other. Although they hadn't seen her before, they were quite familiar with the name, Celeste.

William had told them a bit about his Master's twin sister, who was a well-known prodigy in the Silvermoon Continent. The only thing that confused the two ladies was how Celeste managed to appear on the Floor of Asgard when it was still closed to the public.

"Is she beautiful?" Princess Sidonie asked. She still hadn't seen Celine, but according to Ashe, she was quite a beautiful woman, and quite possibly William's first crush.

Even so, Princess Sidonie prided herself of her beauty. She believed that no matter how beautiful Celeste was, she was still more beautiful than her.

"Very beautiful," B1 answered.

"Who is more beautiful, me or her?" Princess Sidonie inquired with a serious expression on her face.

B1 and B2 glanced at each other before looking at Sidonie with an expression that matched her seriousness. For them, all of William's lovers were beautiful, but of course, the two dumb birds were biased, so they answered Princess Sidonie's inquiry with what they felt was right.

"Chiffon is more beautiful than her," B1 replied.

B2 nodded in agreement. "That's right. Our Chiffon is the most beautiful of all."

The corner of Princess Sidonie's lips twitched as she looked at the two dumb birds who had returned to grooming their feathers.

I didn't ask you if Chiffon was more beautiful than her, okay? Why aren't you giving me a straight answer?

Ashe who was looking at the side covered her lips and giggled. She had now recovered from her weakened state after drinking a recovery potion that William had left for her. The beautiful mermaid found Princess Sidonie's question very endearing.

However, she understood her concern. Celine was truly beautiful. If her twin was a perfect replica of her then there was a chance that William would also think of her as someone very attractive.

She already knew that William wasn't someone that was easily attracted to beauty. But, if that beauty looked exactly like someone that you love, it was impossible to not feel anything. This was especially true for someone like William who cared too much about his lovers, and the important people in his life.

Princess Sidonie kept pressing the two dumb birds for answers, but she wasn't satisfied with their replies. It was quite unfortunate that William couldn't drag them to the Floor of Asgard because of certain restrictions that were in place.

After getting a general understanding of what happened, they returned to the Kraetor Empire to look after another problem child, who was still in deep sleep.

Kenneth was still asleep, and hadn't woken up since his last battle with Lilith. The silver-haired Elf was currently sleeping in Princess Sidonie's guest room because she was afraid that others would take him away if he was left somewhere.

The Amazon delegation had all returned to the Ares Empire with one exception, and that was Lilith.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe had a feeling that she remained in order to meet William when he returned from the Tower of Babylon. Of course, the Amazon Empress had already sent an elite team to go to the Tower to make contact with William.

Unfortunately, the Floor of Asgard wouldn't be open to anyone until a year had passed. The delegation from various forces in the lands had gathered in the City of Babylon to wait for William to make his appearance.

They were there to do everything in their power to negotiate with William, and see if they could strike a deal for the ownership of some of the floors that were currently under his name. All the floors in the Tower of Babylon held various lands and resources that would make any empire, kingdom, or clans, rub their hands in greed.

The temptation was too much to resist, and some of them were not afraid to use any means to get the result that their sovereigns had ordered them to get.

A few hours later, Lilith appeared in Princess Sidonie's room to have a chat with her and Ian. This had become part of her regular routine, which irritated Princess Sidonie.

The beautiful princess didn't bother to hide her annoyance and showed it openly to one of her "sisters" who bore a similar sin to hers.

"Why are you so hostile?" Lilith inquired as she arched her brow. "It's not as if I'm going to steal your man. I have standards, you know?"

"My man is not good enough for you, so scram," Princess Sidonie replied with a glare.

"Tsk! tsk! Tsk!" Lilith wagged her finger at the beautiful Princess, who was so close to slapping her with her feathered fan.

"It is not up to you to decide whether your man is good enough or not," Lilith replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I will be the judge of that. Believe me, I'm a very good judge when it comes to good men."

Ian eyed the champion of the tournament from behind Princess Sidonie. Since William was away, Ian had become one of the retainers under Princess Sidonie's employ.

In the past, this kind of set-up might have been frowned upon by the Royal Family. However, after William's outstanding achievement was announced to the world, Emperor Leonidas had a change of heart and allowed William's follower to work under his granddaughter.

This was the "what belongs to you, also belongs to me" mentality, and Emperor Leonidas was similar to James in this regard. If a profit could be made, he would gladly compromise to make both parties happy.

For some reason, Ian didn't find Lilith repulsive in the slightest. She had been around Princess Sidonie, Morgana, and Chiffon, who all bore the Divinity of the Seven Deadly Sins, and the mermaid had developed a certain level of curiosity, towards these ladies who had been marked by the Gods since that day they were born into the world.

In truth, Ian found them pitiful.

Princess Sidonie would suffer several strong urges of Lust when her divinity was starting to get out of her control. William and her had to be by the Princess' side in order to control the power that was close to a breaking point.

Chiffon was another pitiful girl, whom Ian had a soft spot for. Unlike Princess Sidonie who had a strong and bold personality, the pink-haired girl was like a little angel who would quietly eat in the corner of the room, in order to not get in anyone's way.

Deep inside, she was very happy that Chiffon had married William. Ian knew that her lover would care for his young bride, and ensure that she would never go hungry again.

If not for the fact that she had also married William back in the Southern Continent, along with Wendy, she might have thrown a tantrum like Princess Sidonie did, after she learned that the little girl had married William before her.

'Will, I hope that you don't develop the hobby of collecting the sinful ladies of this world,' Ashe mused. 'One of them might bring about your downfall.'

Ian didn't know why, but she had a feeling that there was a possibility that those who would share her lover, would all be members of the Seven Deadly Sins.

If that was the case then the future would definitely be filled with uncertainty because each and everyone of them was a bomb… that was waiting to explode at a moment's notice.

Chapter 658: Lesson About Familiars

"Now, let's talk about Familiars."

Inside the conference room of Asgard, Chloee stood on top of the table with a smile on her face.

William was seated in front of her and listened to her speech. On his right side, a pink-haired girl's head rested on his chest with her eyes closed.

She had decided to stick beside William and learn a little bit about this unique profession.

Chloee was in a very good mood, so she didn't mind that William brought an extra to her class. Although she would teach at the academy as a substitute to Celeste from time to time, this was not her forte.

Claire was the one who was more proficient in teaching, but since the latter didn't want to feel attached to William, the duty of teaching him fell on Chloee's shoulder.

"Familiars are different from Beast Companions," Chloee explained. "When you plan to have a Beast Companion, all you need to do is form an agreement, a pact, or a contract with them. Of course, you can also force them to submission by beating them up!"

As if to make her point, the little Familiar raised her little fist and shook it in the air. She was someone that liked to beat up things, so she would always promote violence over a peaceful negotiation.

"However, Familiars are different," Chloee continued her explanation. "There are two kinds of Familiars. Those that you can summon from the world, or different planes, and the ones that you give life using a part of your existence.

"I will explain more about this in a while. Frankly, it is too troublesome to do this, but since you are now my Disciple, I will make sure that you understand how summoning a Familiar works!"

William gave his 6th Master a brief nod to tell her that he was paying attention to her.

"Claire, if you please," Chloee called out to her twin sister who was seated not far from her.

Claire nodded her head and green flames erupted from her fingertips. The flames formed into words and hovered above Chloee's head like the writings seen on a whiteboard.

"The two types of Familiars have their advantages and disadvantages," Chloee stated. "Those that you can summon from planes of existence vary in power. Some are incredibly weak, while some are incredibly strong. These Familiars would bind themselves to you with an agreement or contract.

"Some will ask for a few years of your life, while some would require you to do things… like killing all the citizens of a city in a day. The stronger the Familiar, the stronger its requirements."

Chloee paused to let William digest the meaning of her words. The little Familiar then glanced at Celeste who was seated at the corner of the conference room. As Chloee's owner, she was there to support Chloee as she taught her very first Disciple.

Although the current arrangement was a bit complicated, Celeste didn't mind as long as William received proper education about the path of a Familiamancer.

Celeste smiled and nodded her head at Chloee to tell her that she was doing well with her explanation.

After getting her Master's encouragement, Chloee resumed her lesson.

"The second type is purely creation," Chloee said. "The power of the Familiar depends on the kind of ritual you choose. In this ritual, you can choose to summon a Familiar using an artifact, your blood, or your soul. Claire, I can't explain this part well. Take over for me!"

A groan answered Chloee's statement. Clearly, Claire wasn't in the mood to explain things. However, before she could reject, her twin had already grabbed onto her and dragged her onto the top of the table.

Claire sighed before looking at Chloee with a disgruntled face. The latter only smiled and encouraged her twin sister to take charge of the troublesome explanation.

"Like my sister mentioned, there are two types of Familiars," Claire said lazily. "My sister and I are born through creation.

"If you choose to summon a familiar using this method, the Familiar will forever be loyal to you. Although those that are summoned from other Planes of Existence could do the same, some of them may leave you if they feel that their lives are threatened. This is the difference between a summoned Familiar and a Familiar born from creation.

"If I were you, I'd just choose the Creation method so we can all go home and call it a day," Claire stated, completely devoid of motivation.

William's liver itched due to Claire's complete lack of interest in teaching him things about Familiars. Although Chloee was quite troublesome, her approach to teaching was a hundred times better than Claire's.

"Claire, explain this properly, or else he might just randomly summon a Familiar without fully understanding their difference."

"It's too troublesome. Just let him summon one so we can go back to the Academy. I missed reading books in the library."

"Okay! If you don't teach him properly, I will wreck the library when we return to the academy!"

Claire blinked once then twice while looking at her twin who had a big smile on her face. Chloee was not someone who made threats lightly. Whenever she declared something, she would do it without fail, which made Claire feel annoyed.

"... How many times do I need to tell you that violence is not the answer?" Claire stared daggers at William.

The corner of the Half-Elf's lips twitched when he received Claire's hostile glare.

Um? It was your sister that said that she would destroy your academy's library. Why are you looking at me like that?

William always had a good impression of Claire because of her calming effect. However, right now, the small Familiar was not in the mood to cooperate and explain. For some reason, after his battle with Chloee, William felt that Claire had become a little hostile to him.

What he didn't know was that his hunch was spot on. As Chloee's twin sister, she got angry at William after seeing Chloee's severely injured state at the end of their battle. Of course, Claire knew that getting hurt was only natural in a duel, but she was the type that got mad at those that hurt Chloee and Celeste.

Although she, herself, understood that what she was doing was childish, there was nothing she could do about it. If William's family and lovers were his reverse scale, then Chloee and Celeste were Claire's.

After a sigh, she faced William and decided to explain properly.

"... I'll only say this once so listen up." Claire finally compromised. "Familiamancers and their Familiars grow hand in hand. Like I said earlier, Creating a Familiar is much better than summoning one.

"Since I don't want to bother explaining the summoning method, I'll teach you the creation method. There are three types of creation methods. The first method is called the Micah Class."

Claire waved her hand and green flames hovered above her head forming rows of words that gave the information about the Micah Class.

—--

< Micah Class - A miracle was born >

Summons a Familiar using an emblem, artifact, or an item, obtained from a dungeon, temple, kingdom, holy lands, and other places that have a high concentration of magic.

The shape, size, form, race, age, gender, and other characteristics of the Familiar are completely random.

Familiars can be commanded to do your bidding, but they are intelligent creatures and can think for themselves.

—--

"As you can see, this method is the easiest way because all you need is a catalyst," Claire stated. "Once the creation is completed, the catalyst will be destroyed. If you have the horns of a dragon, or any parts of legendary beasts, there is a 10% chance that you will be able to create the same creature using this method.

"Take note that you can only summon a Familiar once. If ever you want to summon a different Familiar, the Familiar you summoned first using this method will cease to exist…"

Claire's tone suddenly became very serious. For her, summoning another Familiar just because you didn't like what you got was akin to murder.

William somewhat understood what Claire was trying to say, so he nodded his head, and waited for her to continue her explanation.

Claire eyed him for a few seconds before resuming her explanation.

The words above her head changed, and she introduced the second way to create a Familiar.

—--

< Argonaut Class - Heroes are Made, Not Born >

This method summons a Familiar using the Master's bloodline.

The shape, size, form, race, age, gender, and other characteristics of the Familiar are completely random.

Familiars can be commanded to do your bidding, but they are intelligent creatures and can think for themselves.

—--

"This is almost the same as the Micah Class, but instead of a catalyst, you will use your blood to summon your Familiar." Claire smiled. "This method is ideal if you have a unique ability that is exclusive in your bloodline.

"The Influential Families in this world have powerful bloodlines that have allowed them to become local warlords in their own territories. If your family belongs to this category, choosing this is quite ideal."

Claire once again waved her hand and the words above her head rearranged themselves for the last time.

—--

< Lazarus Class - God Has Helped >

Summons a Familiar using the Master's bloodline and a piece of their soul.

The shape, size, form, race, age, gender, and other characteristics of the Familiar are completely random.

Familiars can be commanded to do your bidding, but they are intelligent creatures and can think for themselves.

—--

"The last class is the Lazarus Class," Claire pointed a finger to her chest, before shifting it to her sister, Chloee. "Chloee and I were born using this method. This requires you to use your blood, and a piece of your soul to give birth to a Familiar."

"Take note that if you use this method, the piece of your soul that you used to summon a Familiar will never again return to you. Also, don't use Chloee and I as standards. We are Familiars born from the Progenitor of this Profession. Naturally, we are stronger than the average Familiar."

"Summoning a Familiar also requires luck. Regardless of what method you use, the result may not be as you expected. A Familiar summoned using the Lazarus Method might be weaker than a Micah Class summon. So, don't complain to us if the Familiar you summon turns out to be weak."

Claire didn't wait for William's reply and left the room by flying through the window. She had already done her part, and hurriedly left before her sister could drag her back to do something else.

Right now, she didn't want to be around William because she was afraid.

Afraid that she might not be able to control her emotions, and burn the handsome Half-Elf, until only his ashes remained.

Chapter 659: This Is A Good Day To Be Born In This World

William looked at the countless stars in the sky. These were the stars that could be seen in the world of Asgard. A world that had now ceased to exist.

He was currently lying in the grasslands of Asgard and deep in thought. After their morning lesson ended, Chloee had given him some time to think about what kind of method he would use to summon a familiar of his own.

He had already consulted Optimus about the best choice available to them, but even his dependable System was unsure about what course to take. Some Magicians in the world of Hestia had their own Familiars as well.

However, an exclusive profession meant to boost the power of these Familiars was something that no one had heard before. After fighting Chloee, William tasted first hand how formidable these beings were.

If he were to have his own Familiar, wouldn't that drastically raise his battle prowess as well?

As William pondered about these things, a soft rustling sound was heard beside him.

Without saying anything, Chiffon laid down on the grass beside William and held his hand. She, too, looked at the vast starry sky that shone on them from the heavens.

This was not the first time that Chiffon had seen the stars in the sky. But, being around William made this already amazing sight extra special.

The Half-Elf gently squeezed his wife's hand before turning halfway to kiss her cheeks. Chiffon returned William's kiss and they stared at each other with gazes filled with tenderness and love.

The two were about to kiss again, when a little, golden, piglet appeared between their faces and planted its snout on William's lips.

Chiffon's eyes widened in shock, but this only lasted for a moment. Soon, a giggle escaped her lips because Bacon kept on kissing William, and the latter didn't know whether he should shove the piglet away, or fry him in a frying pan.

After a few healthy giggles, Chiffon grabbed bacon and held it to her chest. William summoned a handkerchief from his storage ring and wiped his lips in a meticulous manner.

"Bacon, the next time you do that, I will cook you," William threatened.

"Oink?"

The little piglet looked at Wiliam with innocent eyes. Chiffon wasn't able to hold back another giggle at the funny exchange between her little pet and her husband, who was poking Bacon's snout with his finger.

Chiffon pulled the golden piglet away from William, and gently patted its head. Bacon closed its eyes because being petted made it feel good.

"Have you decided?" Chiffon asked.

William shook his head and sighed. "I'll sleep on it tonight. I'll make my decision tomorrow."

Chiffon nodded her head in understanding. She once again gazed at the heavens, and looked up at the stars in the sky. The stars on the Floor of Asgard were very different from the stars outside the Tower of Babylon.

They looked familiar, yet unfamiliar, to the pink-haired girl, whose heart was filled with love and happiness.

William didn't hide anything and told Chiffon that both of them had been lovers in the past. Although a Giantess and a Human falling in love sounded absurd, the pink-haired girl readily believed William's story.

She hadn't regained her memories about her past life, but her dreams allowed her to see the silver-haired Einherjar, and the great battle that took place, in a world that looked very similar to the Floor of Asgard.

William also took the form of that person, and her instinct told her that they were one and the same.

For Chiffon, she didn't care about the past because it had already happened. What mattered to her was the present.

And right now, she was very happy because she had found the one that would love her and not toss her away, like her father did to her mother.

The two stayed in the grassland for one more hour, before returning to their quarters to rest.

William tossed Bacon to the Thousand Beast Domain to prevent it from getting in the way of his intimate time with his wife. He already knew that Chiffon wanted to keep him for as long as she could while they were still trapped inside the Tower of Babylon, and he was more than happy to oblige his wife's request.

—--

The next morning, everyone gathered at the training ground to prepare for Wiliam's summoning ceremony.

He had already decided on what method he was going to use, and prayed that he wouldn't be disappointed with the choice he made.

Chloee hovered in front of William with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Are you sure?" Chloee asked. "Once we do this, there is no turning back. I will ask you one last time, are you serious about using this method?"

William nodded his head. "Yes. I thought about it and decided that I will choose this method."

Chloee nodded her head. She was the type that didn't want to complicate things. Since her Disciple had already chosen this path, she would just guide him until he had mastered how to become a full-fledged Familiamancer.

William walked towards Celeste who was wearing a ceremonial garb. Unlike Celine who chose clothes that wrapped her entire body, Celeste's attire was quite revealing.

The Half-Elf was finding it hard not to stare, because the twin sisters had the same body type. The memories of when he had his way with Celine's beautiful body flashed inside his mind.

In a last attempt to regain his composure, he avoided looking at those revealing curves that were making him remember fond memories of when he tumbled in the sheets with Celine.

Celeste was unaware of William's thoughts and held a golden goblet in her hands. William had chosen the last method, to summon a Familiar of the Lazarus Class.

Using this method, he would offer his blood, and a piece of his soul, in order to create a Familiar that would be with him for the rest of his life.

A ceremonial dagger floated in the air, and its razor sharp teeth were pointed at William's chest. William had already taken off his upper clothes, and nodded to Celeste, telling her that he was ready.

"Blood that flows within the body, give us your warmth in our time of need," Celeste said and the dagger stabbed William's chest, before disappearing completely.

A fountain of blood sprayed out, and yet, this blood didn't fall to the ground. It flowed like a small river and headed towards the golden goblet in Celeste's hand. After the golden goblet was half full, the wound on William's chest disappeared.

"Beauty attracts the heart, but character attracts the soul," Celeste waved her hand and William felt his inner world tremble.

Suddenly, a searing pain erupted within his being, which made him scream out loud.

It had been a while since he had felt this kind of pain. This was the pain he had felt when he had fought inside his Spiritual Domain against the Astral Worm who wanted to devour his soul.

It was at this moment when the two orbs of light and darkness that had remained dormant inside William's consciousness finally woke up. They were the two Dungeon Cores that he had saved long ago, and had been sleeping inside his body for a long period of time.

Right now, they were incomplete, but Celeste's ceremony had woken them from their slumber. Originally, only a piece of William's soul was needed, but when the two Dungeon Cores appeared, the tear on William's soul widened, until half of his soul was split from his body.

That Half of William's soul was divided into two once again, and the two Dungeon Cores merged with them.

Soon, two glowing orbs of light. One light, the other black, shot out from the gem in William's chest, and flew towards the golden goblet filled with his blood.

William collapsed on the ground because of the pain he was suffering.

Chiffon hurriedly ran to his side and made him drink a rejuvenation potion. William's pain decreased to a level that he could endure, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

He then stared at the golden goblet that was shining with great intensity.

Celeste grit her teeth as she focused all of her power to stabilize the rampaging powers within the goblet.

Chloee and Claire positioned themselves beside Celeste and allowed their power to flow to their host, which decreased her burden by a good margin.

After five-full minutes that felt like eternity, a powerful beam of light erupted from the golden goblet and shot towards the heavens.

Everyone waited with bated breath to check whether the summoning was successful.

It was also at that moment when particles of golden light fell from the heavens. When these golden particles fell on William's body, he felt the pain in his soul slowly fading away.

As William looked up at the sky, he noticed two small dots that were slowly descending towards his location.

Celeste had also noticed this as well, but all she could see was one white orb, and one black orb.

It didn't take long before the two orbs hovered a meter away from William's face. They didn't move from their position and stayed in a stationary state. After a minute of staring at each other, the two orbs glowed before dissipating into particles of light.

"The air smells so fresh," one of the Familiars, who looked exactly like William, said with a smile. "This is a good day to be born in this world."

The one who spoke was wearing a white outfit, and a pair of angelic wings flapped softly behind its back. On top of its head, a golden halo could be seen, which reminded William of angels in his past life.

"Kekeke! Indeed, today is a good day to be born," another creature, who looked exactly like William, commented.

The creature had two horns on its head, a devil's tail, and batlike wings behind its back. Both of them stared at William with an angelic and devilish smile on their faces.

They were William's two Familiars that were born from his blood and soul, and, right now, they were looking at their Master with great expectations. With just a glance, the Half-Elf could tell that these were no ordinary Familiars.

Celeste who was looking at the two newly born familiar couldn't believe what she was seeing. She didn't expect that William would be able to summon not one, but two familiars at the same time.

This was something that was exclusive to the Progenitor of the Familiamancer Class. Even she couldn't determine whether this was a good or bad thing.

She only hoped that when these two Familiars reached their full potential, they would not use their powers to bring the world to ruin.

Chapter 660.1: ]

The two Familiars grinned at William.

One an angel, the other, a devil.

The Angel Familiar had short blonde hair and green eyes. The Devil Familiar, on the other hand, had short black hair, and green eyes. They looked exactly like William, just like how Chloee and Claire looked exactly like Celeste.

Of course, there were minor differences such as hairstyles, but their identical eye colors, and faces couldn't be denied.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the Angel said with an angelic smile. "My name is… Oh! I forgot. I still don't have a name!"

The angel pressed its palm on its forehead and looked at the heavens.

"To think that someone as handsome and dashing as me has no name, this is the greatest sin that can be committed in this world," The angel said with such elegance, charisma, and exaggeration that William's liver was starting to itch.

Yep, the Familiar did indeed belong to him.

"My Dear Comrade," the Devil landed on William's shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest. "Come up with a good name for us. I want something that is domineering."

The corner of William's lips twitched as he looked at the smug-faced devil on his shoulder. Clearly, he didn't expect his Familiars to be this shameless!

"A name…," William thought as he looked at the Angel who had started flirting with his Sixth Master, Chloee.

"You are the most beautiful Familiar that I have seen in my lifetime," the Angel said as he kissed the back of Chloee's hand. "May I know your name, Miss Beautiful?"

Chloee didn't know how to react because this was the first time that someone called her beautiful. Also, the Familiar's angelic smile made Celeste's Familiar, who liked to beat people into a pulp, blush until her entire face turned beet red.

"A-Am I really beautiful?" Chloee stuttered.

The Angel held Chloee's hand firmly, and placed it on his chest. "Truly beautiful. You look like the sun that shines brightly in the sky, the stars that guide people during the night, and the moon that watches over the lonely people in the world. In fact, I think the word beautiful is made so that the mortals of this world would have a means to describe your amazing grace."

William, and the Devil clicked their tongues at the same time. Not only that, they also voiced their thoughts out loud at the same time.

""What a player.""

The perfect synchronicity made Chiffon, who was standing beside William, giggle. Clearly, she found William's two Familiars quite interesting.

While the Angel was busy flirting with Chloee, her twin, Claire was looking at the Devil who was currently seated on William's shoulder.

The Devil noticed her gaze and felt unnerved. He then flew behind William's head and peeked at the green-haired Familiar.

Right now, Claire was looking at the Devil as if she wanted to dissect him and see what makes him tick!

William didn't notice these changes because he was busy thinking of names for these two Familiars.

"Okay, both of you come here," William ordered.

The Angel winked at Chloee one last time before flying towards William. The Devil that was hiding behind his head flew in front of him, and hovered beside the Angel who was its twin.

William gazed at the angel who was giving him a confident look. For some reason, William could tell that this Familiar of his would bring him a lot of trouble in the future.

"Your name will be Elliot," William said to the Angel.

The Angel crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. It was as if he was pondering whether the name given to him matched his angelic image.

"You chose a suitable name for me," Elliot gave William's a thumbs up. "I like!"

< DIng! >

< You bestowed a name on your Familiar!>

< Familiar Information now loading! >

Immediately several rows of words appeared on William's Status Page.

—-

Name: Elliot

Race: Familiar

Health Points: 200 / 200

Mana: 1,500 / 1,500

< Strength: 10

< Agility: 10 >

< Vitality: 10 >

< Intelligence: 50 >

< Dexterity: 10 >

Skills:

Lightning Bolt

Overflowing Charisma (Passive)

Pokerface (Passive)

Titles:

Lightning Adept

Natural Playboy

Wingman

—--

< Lightning Bolt >

– Fires bolts of lightning from your fingertips.

– Damage dealt is equivalent to Intelligence x 2

– Has a small chance to stun and paralyze enemies.

< Overflowing Charisma >

– Has a very high charisma and allows the Familiar to get along with everyone.

< Pokerface >

– Able to hide the Familiar's true feelings with an angelic smile.

—--

< Lightning Adept >

– The Familiar is able to use the power of Lightning to smite his enemies.

– All lightning attacks deal 20% more damage.

< Naturally Playboy >

– With good looks and overflowing Charisma, the Familiar has a very high percentage in getting along with the ladies. Has a moderate chance that the Familiar will be able to get under their skirts as well.

< Wingman >

– When partnered with another Familiar, all stats and the effects of abilities increases by 50%

—---

William massaged his temple because his worries had finally come to life. In the beginning he was only thinking that it was a coincidence, but after seeing Elliot's stats, he now fully understood that this Familiar was definitely a skirt chaser!

'Goddammit!' William cursed silently. 'You better behave yourself and not get yourself into trouble!'

It was at that moment when Elliot chuckled and smirked at him.

'Don't worry, Will. I will use protection,' Eliott replied through telepathy. 'You can count on me!'

Williams almost choked on his saliva because he didn't expect that Elliot was able to read his thoughts. Before he could give a reply, another person joined their conversation.

'Hello, hello, mic test,' the Devil Familiar said. 'How about me? What about my name?'

William gave Elliot the "You and I will need to have a long talk later" before shifting his attention to the Devil Familiar who was looking back at him with great expectations. Clearly, it was also very excited to receive its name from William.

"Your name will be Conan," William answered. "The name means Little Wolf."

"Little Wolf?" the Devil rubbed its chin before nodding its head. "I like this name. Very well, from now on, I am Conan."

< DIng! >

< You bestowed a name on your Familiar!>

< Familiar Information now loading! >

William received another batch of notifications, which held Conan's information.

—--

Name: Conan

Race: Familiar

Health Points: 2,500 / 2,500

Mana: 300 / 300

< Strength: 10

< Agility: 10 >

< Vitality: 50 >

< Intelligence: 10 >

< Dexterity: 10 >

Ability:

Iron Wall

Rotating Elemental Shields

Title:

Fortress Disciple

Calculus

Wingman

< Iron Wall >

– Summons an Iron Wall to serve as a defensive structure.

– The Iron Wall will be able to absorb damage equivalent to the Familiar's maximum Health Points. The higher the Familiar's health, the more durable the wall is.

– The Iron Wall will break once the damage surpasses its limit.

< Rotating Elemental Shields >

– Creates three shields that revolve around the target.

– The Rotating Elemental Shields will be able to absorb damage equivalent to the Familiar's maximum Health Points. The higher the Familiar's health, the more damage the shields can absorb.

– The Rotating Elemental Shields will break once the damage surpasses its limit.

—--

< Fortress Disciple >

– Increase all Defensive Abilities by 20%

< Calculus >

– Very good in calculation. This ability also works during battle.

< Wingman >

– When partnered with another Familiar, all stats and the effects of abilities increases by 50%

—--

William sighed in relief because Conan's information wasn't as exaggerated as Elliot's. After looking at his information, the Half-Elf realized that the two Familiars complimented each other really well.

One was made for offense, the other for defense. Right now, the two Familiars were very weak because William still hadn't upgraded their abilities using the skills of the Familiamancer. Just as he was about to check his new Prestige Class another set of notifications appeared on his Status Page.

—--

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! >

< Unique Prestige Class, Familiamancer has now been unlocked! >

< Familiamancer >

"Life is too short to be living somebody else's dream."

– The Familiamancer Job Class is a new Profession that was recently born in the World of Hestia. Few know its true powers, and the changes it will bring to the world.

You have learned the skill "Summon Familiar".

You have learned the skill "Familiar's Eye View".

You have learned the skill "Familiar's Might".

You have learned the skill "Dance of the Fireflies".

You have learned the skill "Battle Tactics EX".

You have learned the skill "Detect Invisibility EX"

You have learned the skill "Spell Resistance EX".

You have learned the skill "Soul Fusion".

You have learned the skill "Tactician".

You have acquired the title "Teamwork is Dreamwork".

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! Host's Second Subclass has successfully been unlocked! >

< Familiamancer is permanently locked on the Second Subclass. >

< No other Job Classes may be equipped in the slot of the Second Subclass. >

William's eyes widened in shock because of the last message that he saw on his status page. Originally, he had one Main Class, and one Subclass. Having these two options already gave him plenty of Flexibility.

Now that a second Subclass had been unlocked, it gave William a new set of powers that he could use, without the need to switch the Familiamancer Job Class with other professions.

Chapter 661.2: ]

'This is amazing,' William thought. As he looked at the various skills that came along with the Familiamancer Job Class. All of these skills boosted the power of his two Familiars, so he was very keen on upgrading all of them by using the Beastcores in his possession.

< There's something that I need to tell you, Will. >

'Yes?'

< Perhaps you didn't notice, but when you were creating your familiars, the two dungeon cores that had remained dormant inside your body merged with your soul, which gave birth to Elliot and Conan. >

'What?!'

William was genuinely shocked by the information that the System had shared with him. Due to the pain that he suffered after half of his soul was torn off from his body, he didn't notice that the two Dungeon Cores that he had saved long ago had now been reborn as his Familiars.

< Will, how are you feeling right now? Do you still feel any pain? >

'Of course I still feel pa– wait.' William closed his eyes and expanded his senses to every part of his body. Earlier, he was in such intense pain that he felt like dying. Now, that painful sensation had completely disappeared as if it had never happened.

< I see. Now I understand why the second subclass has been unlocked. Basically, since you lost half of your soul, you should feel very unstable right now. However, that is not the case. It seems that the CPU Core has decided to add this new feature, to compensate for the loss you received.

As long as Elliot and Conan are with you, the imbalance in your Sea of Consciousness will maintain its stability.

'Are there any side-effects of having half of my soul taken from me?' William inquired.

< I already ran a diagnostic scan on your Physical and Spiritual Body. So far, I don't see any problems. But, I will continue to monitor your Spiritual World just in case there is a side-effect that we are not aware of.

For now, you should ask Celeste for more information about your condition. If I'm not mistaken, she also used her soul to give birth to Chloee and Claire. >

William nodded his head in understanding. Soul injuries were a serious business. He knew because he had personally faced this problem a few years ago. He thought that there was no problem sacrificing a part of his soul to create his Familiars, because it was one of the methods that was available to him.

"So, your name is Chloee, such a beautiful name indeed," Elliot's flowery words reached William's ears. "Why don't the two of us take a stroll and see… what you and I have in common."

"T-This. I-I still need to teach my Disciple about being a Familiamancer," Chloee stuttered. Elliot's persistent, yet charming attacks were slowly corroding her defenses. She wasn't used to being approached by others and talked to in this manner.

Usually, everyone that met her either ran away, or collapsed on the floor in tears. Because of this, she wasn't sure how to react to Elliot's advances, and the latter's angelic smile was making her feel weird.

Conan, on the other hand, was standing stiffly as Claire circled his body with a serious expression. Chloee's twin would sometimes touch, and pat Conan's body as if she was taking notes of an endangered animal.

"Y-You, why are you being so touchy?" Conan shuddered as Claire caressed his stomach. "Don't you know about giving others personal space? Why are you touching me without my permission?"

"Shut up and don't move," Claire ordered. "I'm busy taking mental notes. Move and I'll burn you alive."

"H-Hiiiie!" Conan's body shuddered, but he didn't dare to move away. For some reason, Claire was able to suppress him to a degree where he couldn't resist. He then turned to his Master and decided to use his Trump Card. "W-Will, help me!"

William massaged his face with his hands as he looked at the pitiful little Devil who was under Claire's complete mercy.

'Bruh, you're making us look bad,' William said through telepathy. 'Go grit your teeth and show her who's boss! Aren't you a man? Why are you letting yourself get henpecked?'

'T-That's right! Why am I letting myself get bullied? I am the great Conan! I don't bow down to anyone!"

'That's the spirit! Knock her silly!'

'Okay! I will knock her silly!'

Emboldened by William's words, Conan grabbed Claire's hand who was busy caressing his face.

"You, who do you think you're touching?" Conan asked with a glare. "I am the mighty Conan. Do you think that I am so easy to bully?"

Claire looked at the hand that was holding her own in place before looking at Conan who was glaring at her.

Suddenly, a resounding crack was heard followed by a scream.

Claire had gripped Conan's hand tightly until the bones in his hand broke.

"W-Why are you being so barbaric?" Conan asked while tears and snot ran down his face. "Can't we discuss this like proper, civilized familiars?"

Claire smiled sweetly, and yet, her smile made Conan and William shudder uncontrollably.

"I learned from my sister that violence solves most problems," Claire replied. "It seems that she is right. Sometimes, we have to hurt people in order to ensure that they don't get out of line."

Her hand glowed and the injury that Conan received was healed completely.

"Are you going to stay still and let me examine you, or are we going to do this the hard way?"

"Ma'am, please do whatever you like. I will not resist."

"Good. I like good boys," Claire said as she caressed the side of Conan's face. "I'll treat you to a meal later."

William covered his face with his hand as he averted his gaze. His Familiar that specialized in defense was now acting like a henpecked husband, unable to defy the orders of his wife.

The Half-Elf then glanced at Elliot who was currently having a lively conversation with Chloee. William's SIxth Master's face was still as red as an apple. Clearly, the Playboy Familiar was on his A-Game and managed to subdue the monstrous little girl that had defeated William even after using all of his powers.

William then glanced at Celeste and the latter nodded her head. The two of them left the scene, and allowed their familiars to interact with each other.

Chiffon followed William while carrying Bacon in her hands. She was still not comfortable letting one of the Seven Virtues talk with her husband alone. Although Celeste wasn't being hostile to them, her natural instinct prevented her from trusting the beautiful Elf completely.

—---

"Half of your soul was taken away from you?" Celeste frowned after hearing William's explanation.

William nodded his head. "Yes."

"This is strange. It shouldn't have taken that much to create your Familiars." Celeste shook her head. "I had to pay that kind of price because I am the Progenitor of this Profession. However, for you to do the same is unnatural. Did you feel or see anything strange while you were in the midst of creating your Familiar?"

William didn't know how to answer Celeste's question. He hid the fact that there were two dungeon core spirits that were resting in his body. He thought that if he divulged this information, the beautiful Elf would press him for answers, and he was not comfortable answering these kinds of questions.

Especially from someone that he had just met for a day, even if she was the twin sister of his Master, Celine.

< Will, I think it will be best if you spill the beans. Since she is the progenitor of the Familiamancer Class, she might be able to answer the doubts we have. Perhaps there is a hidden danger that we cannot see at this point in time. It is best to be safe than sorry. >

'You're right.' William sighed. 'I'll trust her just this once.'

After resolving himself, the Half-Elf told Celeste the truth. He didn't tell her how he was able to acquire the spirits of two dungeon cores, because he thought that this was not important.

Celeste listened to William's explanation and made a mental review of what happened during the creation process.

"This is unprecedented," Celeste said after a few minutes of silence. "William, you already know that dungeon cores hold almost infinite energy, right?"

William nodded. "Yes."

Celeste paced around the room with her hands behind her back. "Your soul merged with two dungeon cores spirits that were residing in your body. Right now, it is safe to say that your soul was divided in half in order to accommodate the great powers that they possess.

"Right now, both of your familiars are still in the Infancy Stage. Meaning, they still couldn't bring out their full potential. However, as you advance the power of this Job Class, you will understand what they are capable of."

Celeste paused and stared at William with a serious expression.

"If my calculation is right, your Familiars will be just as strong as mine when they reach their full potential," Celeste stated. "Meaning, Elliot and Connan will have the strength of Progenitors, which means that you will also become a Progenitor."

Celeste walked towards William and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I thought that I would be the only one that could bestow this class to other people, but it seems that is not the case," Celeste said. "Do your best, William. Let us spread the profession of Familiamancers together!

"Ah! But before that happens, you need to reach the highest rank of Familiamancer, which is called the Familiar Sovereign. I look forward to what you can do in the future!"

A refreshing smile appeared on Celeste's face which made William's heart race.

'She really looks like Master, especially when she smiles,' William thought as he did his best to control his beating heart.

Although he didn't fully understand how he was able to become a Progenitor of the Familiamancer Class, he had previous experience with bestowing Job Classes to his subordinates.

Back then, he had given the members of the Angorian War Sovereign, Cavalier Classes, with the help of his spear, Rhongomyniad. For William, reaching the highest rank of the Familiamancer Class was not a problem.

As long as he was willing to use all of the Best Cores in his possession, or grind in the Dungeon of Atlantis for experience, he believed that it was only a matter of time before Elliot and Conan reached the same heights as Chloee and Claire.

When that happened, William would truly be equal to the Powerhouses of the World, but until then, he would explore the full potential of this Job Class that he had acquired through touching the Divine Artifact, Enuma Elish.

From on top of the Tower of Babylon, an old man looked at William and Celeste with a smile on his face. He himself didn't expect that William would be able to summon two Lazarus Class Familiars with so much potential.

'We need all the help that we can get,' the old man thought.

He then looked in the distance.

His gaze landed on a beautiful world that was similar to Earth.

On its surface, flames were starting to spread across the land.

A great battle was being waged, but the old man was sure that the ending had already been set in stone. The end had already come for that beautiful world, and only a miracle could save it from destruction.

Inside the Temple of the Gods…

In the place of the Cycle of Reincarnation…

A red portal glowed brightly. However, if one were to look closely, several cracks had started to appear on its surface. This portal led to the world that the old man saw.

It was only a matter of time before that beautiful world, and the red portal, would cease to exist. Such was the fate of a world that was nearing its end.

An end that was brought about by the Gods of Destruction, whose sole purpose was to usher an eternal rest to Gods and mortals alike.

Chapter 662.1: ]

A week passed after William had summoned his two Familiars, Elliot, and Conan.

Chloee had taught him everything she knew about Familiars, while Celeste answered most of his questions. After a week, the beautiful Elf had decided to return to Hestia Academy and continue her duties as a professor.

"Will, I will be waiting for you at Hestia Academy this year," Chloee said as she placed her hands on her waist. "Finish everything that you need to do and enroll there. As my Disciple, you needed to become strong so you wouldn't make me look bad, do you understand?"

William wanted to roll his eyes at the audacious statement of his Sixth Master. Even so, he had to admit that he learned a lot from their visit and nodded his head in agreement.

"I will come as soon as I can, Sixth Master," William replied. "However, my visit will have to wait until the Founding Ceremony of the Misty Sect. I still have some business to finish there."

Chloee nodded her head in understanding. William had already told her that he had an agreement with his Ex-Fiance that would take place at one of the most influential Sects in the Central Continent.

Because of this, she didn't say anything anymore and simply reminded him to tie up all his loose ends and head to the academy as soon as he could.

"I will miss you. Wait for me in the Academy, okay?" Elliot said softly as he held Chloee's hand. "Promise to think of me always, yes?"

"O-Okay," Chloee stuttered. She really didn't really know how to handle Elliot's eloquent skills and found herself lost for words whenever he was around.

Not far from the two familiars, Claire was holding Conan's hand, and the latter was sweating buckets, due to how close she was to him.

"Don't think too much of me while I am away, okay?" Claire smiled.

"Why would I think of you?" Conan replied casually. "In fact, I am quite happy that you'll be going away soon."

Conan had replied without thinking things through, and Claire's reply made him regret the words that escaped his lips.

Two resounding cracking sounds reached William's ears, followed by Conan's scream. Claire had broken both of Conan's hands, and was smiling sweetly at him.

"Um? Did you just say that you'll be happy with me going away?" Claire asked.

"Of course not! Wuwuwuwu! I'm crying at the thought of you leaving me," Conan replied as he cried like a little girl. "I will miss you. There, I said it. Can you please heal my hand now? Wuwuwuwu!"

He wanted to escape, but Claire's firm hold on his hands prevented him from flying towards William and using him as a shield against her.

William looked at this scene with a disgusted face. Clearly, he didn't like Conan being submissive to the little Familiar in front of him.

'I guess I'll have to ask Elliot to teach Conan how to deal with the girls,' William thought. He refused to acknowledge that Conan's henpecked attitude belonged to him.

Celeste had told him that the Familiar's attitude, and character, depended on their Master when they were created. Since Conan had this submissive trait, it meant that William also had it. A trait which the Half-Elf dismissed completely.

"We will now be taking our leave," Celeste said as she approached William. "Be wary of the Families that have been stripped of their rights. They will not take this lying down and they will definitely do something to regain what they have lost.

They might even go to the Southern Continent and find trouble with the people important to you. Although they are no longer part of the Ruling Families. The treasures and military might that they had accumulated through the years are nothing to scoff at."

William nodded his head. "I understand."

He already knew that these Families wouldn't be backing down anytime soon. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough manpower to deal with them at the moment. For now, he decided to just retain the previous floors just as they were and let the trials proceed as they were meant to be.

There were plenty of resources to be mined from each of the floors under his wing, but he had no time to do that. He was still in the middle of thinking of a solution on how to maximize the profits he had gained in the tower.

There was also the issue with the tokens he had accumulated from finishing the trials and clearing the 51st Floor.

"If things really get out of hand, just come to Hestia Academy," Celeste commented. "I will put you under my protection. Those Families will not dare reach their scrubby hands inside the academy or else they will suffer the wrath of our Guardian Deity."

William's interest was piqued by the mention of the Guardian Deity of Hestia Academy. He wondered what kind of God watched over this institution that was named after the world of Hestia.

A few minutes later, Celeste, Chloee, and Claire, disappeared from the Floor of Asgard and returned to the base of the tower. They couldn't stay away from the Academy for a long time because Celeste was a professor, and she had already been gone for a long period of time.

After their guests had left, William took out a few Beast Cores from his storage ring and immediately upgraded the Familiamancer Job Class.

While the Half-Elf was busy leveling the skills in the Familiamancer Skill Tree, James had finally arrived at the Central Continent along with Ezio.

"It has been many years since we've been here, Vlad," James said with nostalgia. "The last time we came here, we made a killing. Such happy times."

The Giant Dread Lord snorted. James had repeatedly ransacked the treasury of the Kingdoms in the Central Continent, which made several kingdoms very angry. All of them united under one banner and pooled their military might to hunt the old bastard until he had no choice but to run away with his tail behind his legs.

If not for the fact that Vlad was there, the old coot might have already been beaten to death by the angry members of the Royal Family, whose wealth was still with him even to this day.

"Are we going to head straight to the Tower?" Vlad asked. "If I use my full speed, we can arrive there in three days."

James rubbed his chin and nodded his head in affirmation. "We need to hurry. I'm sure that my grandson is having a hard time holding down the fort. I can't let those ruling families regain what they have lost. Just thinking of those countless Tower Tokens is already making my hands itchy."

Vlad shook his head helplessly. Sometimes he wondered if being James' close friend was a good thing or not. Everytime they were together, they would often get into trouble. Although he was a Demigod, he was not the only Demigod in the Central Continent.

Vlad alone could handle two of them at once, but if a third and fourth Demigod joined the fray, he would have no choice but to flee, dragging the old coot, who loved riches, along with him.

Chapter 663: James Arrival At The Central Continent [Part 2]

Another week passed, and James finally arrived on the outskirts of the Tower of Babylon. They were supposed to arrive a few days ago, but they got delayed because James decided to gather some information along the way.

Just as he expected, everyone now knew the name "William Von Ainsworth" and it made the old man very happy.

For James, having his family name recognized gave him bragging rights, which his old friends hated the most. Whenever James would start to brag at them, they would immediately ignore him like he didn't exist.

Naturally, the old coot knew this too, but he didn't care. The more he heard people praise William, the more he felt that his grandson inherited his awesome genes, which had led to the conquest of the Tower of Babylon.

After arriving at the City of Babylon, the first thing James did was to go to the main square where countless merchants gathered to sell their wares. He thought that this was the perfect place to put his plan into action, which would allow him to get a better understanding of the current situation.

Vlad who was walking beside him had a bad feeling because James was smiling. It was the smile that James usually wore when he was about to start scamming people of their hard earned money.

The moment the old coot stepped at the center of the Plaza, he immediately raised his head in arrogance and shouted like a madman.

"I am William Von Ainsworth's Grandfather!" James shouted. "Can someone tell me where I can find my grandson?"

The people in the plaza immediately locked their eyes on James. Some of them were wondering if he was just playing a prank, or was he telling the truth.

Right now, William was a hot commodity. Everyone wanted to gather information about him, but only the top dogs of the Central Continent know his true background.

James shouted four more times before sitting on the edge of the fountain at the center of the Plaza. He crossed his arms over his chest and had a smug expression on his face.

Vlad who saw this sighed internally. As James' close friend, he already understood what the old man was planning to do. Since that was the case, the Demigod of the Southern Continent just stood his ground and waited for the show to start.

—--

News spread fast in the City of Babylon, especially if the news was very important. An hour after James had made his announcement, the various Ex-Ruling Families of the Tower of Babylon immediately conducted a high-level meeting.

For them, this was a good chance to once again regain their former glory and use the current situation to their advantage.

"Are you sure that this news is confirmed?" Waltier, the Patriarch of the Agnis Family, inquired.

The patriarch of the Valkazar Family, Hexxat, nodded his head. "It is confirmed. The one who declared that he was William's grandfather is still at the Plaza as we speak. My men are keeping watch over him and will alert us right away if he makes a move."

The patriarch's glanced at each other and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Let's capture him first and ask questions later," Janos, Patriarch of the Moreau Family, proposed. "We should hurry before he escapes our grasp."

Damon, of the Amaral Family, smiled evilly as he eyed his compatriots. "I have already sent my people to invite the old man to our residence. I am planning to host a feast in his honor. You guys should come later."

"A feast is it? Sounds good. Count me in!"

"I'm going too. I would like to see just what kind of man this grandfather is."

"Yes. Perhaps we can talk some sense into him and use him as a middle-man to negotiate with his grandson, what do you guys think?"

"It will be better if we just use him as a hostage. With all of us banding together, I am sure that bastard William will have no choice but to listen to our demands."

"I agree with this plan."

"I, too, support this plan."

The Patriarch's voted unanimously and left the meeting with smiles on their faces. For them, as long as James' identity was true, William would have no choice but to cooperate with them. Of course, they were also willing to compromise with the Half-Elf. For them, as long as they could regain control of their respective floors, apologizing and paying compensation could be negotiated.

Back at the Plaza, James was approached by several men and women with friendly smiles on their faces.

"We are here to formally invite you, esteemed Sir, to the residence of my Master," the right hand man of one of the Patriarch's said. "We planned to host a feast to honor you and your grandson's accomplishment in the Tower of Babylon.

"My Master is looking forward to having a good relationship with you, and will cater to your every need while you stay here in the City of Babylon."

James laughed in a friendly manner and patted the man's shoulder.

"Since you have invited me on bended knees, it will be impolite of me to reject," James replied. "I will allow you to guide my esteemed self to your residence. Also, I am very picky with food. Do you have seafood? It has been a while since I've eaten any of it."

The corner of the subordinate's lips twitched when he heard James reply.

Invited on bended knees? Dafuk? Since when did I bend my knees to you? Are you getting senile old man?

The subordinate had no choice but to smile and allow the old man to say whatever he wanted to say. His duty was to bring James to his Master's residence, and he didn't care what method he used to do that.

James and Vlad followed behind the group of people in silence. They would glance here and there, with veiled excitement on their faces. This earned them the contempt of the people that were guiding them. All these people had labeled James and Vlad as country bumpkins who were seeing the big city for the first time.

They knew from experience that country bumpkins were gullible people. These were the people who would even help their sellers count the money that was used to buy them, due to their lack of common sense.

Deep inside, James was chuckling evilly. His plan was very simple. He would first weed out those who had bad intentions against his grandson before climbing the tower to find him.

The only thing on their minds was the method of coercing William to return what had belonged to them. This was the confidence of the ignorant, who had long been used to having their way, and bossing people around.

If the Ex-Ruling Families only knew that they were inviting a rascal into their den, all of them would definitely not approve of their plan to invite James to their residence.

They would rather keep what little wealth they had saved up in the tower than have it personally delivered to the old scammer's hands, who coveted any form of treasure.

Sadly they didn't know, which marked the complete and utter downfall of the once powerful families, who had conquered the floors of the tower of Babylon thousands of years ago.

Chapter 664: Glories Of Gods Long Forgotten

Albert Antstein, William's Fifth Master and renowned Alchemist in the Kraetor Empire, drank a bottle of wine as he looked up at the beautiful moons in the sky. Sometimes, he would do these things to remember the past that he kept hidden inside his heart.

Just like everyone else, he had been surprised when he heard the world-wide announcement that had brought William to the forefront of the young generation. No one had expected such a feat, not even Albert who already held William in high esteem.

Although the one that won the Tournament of Champions was Lilith, her fame was short-lived and overshadowed by William's brilliance. How can the Champion of a Tournament compare to the one that conquered the Floor which had stopped mankind's advance in the Tower of Babylon?

The two achievements were like Heaven and Earth.

The Championship could be won by anyone, but clearing the 51st Floor was something that even the most powerful beings in the World of Hestia didn't dare to challenge. Everyone had already accepted that the 51st Floor was unconquerable.

But, on the last day of the Tournament of Champions, all of them were proven wrong. The Tower of Babylon was once again open for conquest, and all the heroes of the world are now headed there to mark their names in the pages of history.

"As expected of your son, Maxwell," Albert said as he lifted the bottle of wine in the direction of the Silvermoon Continent. "Cheers to having one hell of a son."

After praising his old companion, Albert drank the wine and relished its taste.

"I wonder, if Arwen chose me instead of you, would my son be as good as yours?" Albert muttered. He was one of Arwen's many admirers, but due to him being a Half-Elf, he didn't dare to cross that line and simply watched from the side.

Maxwell was different from him. He was strong, bold, and confident. Not even the most beautiful Saintess of the World Tree was able to resist his charms.

"I'm still more handsome than you." Albert chuckled as he drank the rest of the wine in the bottle. "You're just more confident than me."

The memories of accompanying Maxwell in the Central Continent passed through his eyes. He had suffered many difficulties because his close friend liked to use violence to get what he wanted. Well, he had that ability to do that because he was the one and only Dungeon Conqueror in the world.

A Profession that was akin to a God of Death that no one dared to face head-on.

"One year from now my friend, I will fulfill my promise to you," Albert said softly. "Your son will definitely need this power. A power that you had decided to pass unto him, before he was even born."

The great Alchemist glanced at the moon one last time before walking towards the Red Light District of the Empire. He was growing sentimental again, and he needed the warmth of others in order to appease the coldness he was feeling inside his heart.

—---

"Elliot, use Lightning Bolt!" William ordered.

Elliot pointed his fingertip at B1 and B2 who were watching their training exercise from the sky. A streak of lightning shot out from the Familiar's fingertips, and flew towards the two dumb birds at incredible speeds.

Unfortunately, B1 and B2 had died countless times in the past and had accumulated plenty of experience. They had been active during William's different campaigns and could be considered part of the Elite Circle under his wing.

The two birds moved their bodies to the side and dodged Elliot's bombardment from the ground.

William, who was observing his Familiar's battle capabilities nodded his head in appreciation at the improvement of the Rainbow Birds who originally only knew how to use suicide attacks.

"I'm Rolling!"

Kasogonaga's adorable voice sounded across the training field as he sparred against Conan.

The Iron Wall that the Familiar had erected was pierced through by the rolling calamity that had already reached the pinnacle of the Centennial Rank.

Kasogonaga was nearing its breakthrough, so it decided to visit William on the Floor of Asgard to play. This was when he saw the Half-Elf training his familiars and decided to join in the fun.

Conan, whose shield was destroyed, didn't flinch and summoned his Deathscythe. He met Kasogonaga's rolling attack head on, which sent the little familiar flying several meters in the air due to the rainbow-colored Anteater's powerful rolling attack

"Iron Fortress!" Conan shouted and a magic circle appeared under his feet.

A miniature Fortress the size of a small hill rose from the ground surrounded him. Kasogonaga collided with this fortress and kept on rolling, with the intention of breaking past its defenses.

Conan gritted its teeth as he focused all of his powers to block the Anteater's powerful attack. A few seconds later, Kasogonaga was repelled by the Iron Fortress, which sent it tumbling towards the ground.

"Not bad," Kasogonaga nodded its head in approval. "You directed all of your defensive abilities on the single point where I attacked, which nullified the force behind my attack. You have a good battle sense, I like it!"

"Kekeke, you're not bad yourself," Conan said with a grin. However if one looked closely, his forehead was covered in sweat. Clearly, blocking Kasogonaga's single attack wasn't as simple as it seemed.

Right now, Elliot and Conan were equivalent to Class B Monsters. They were as strong as Psoglav when William had first met him.

The Familiamancer Job Class had already been maxed out, so he would need to visit Celeste in Hestia Academy, and pray in the Temple that she had established in order to advance the Prestige Class to a higher level, which was the Familiamancer Overlord.

William was quite satisfied with Elliot's Firepower, and Conan's defense. Although they weren't as strong as Chloee at the moment, they were still good additions to his team, and could play their roles as support.

Right now, William no longer needed to hide that he could wield the power of Lightning. He had already become one of the powerhouses in the Central Continent, and he was not afraid to have a confrontation with the Demons in the Demonic Continent.

In fact, after seeing how the bastards treated his wife, Chiffon, he was itching to pay a visit to her Father, and unleash a Thunderstorm that would devastate Luciel's Domain.

Right after dinner, William and Chiffon once again lay in the open fields of Asgard to look at the stars in the sky. After what happened a week ago, Bacon no longer came in between William and Chiffon for fear that William would once again toss it inside his Thousand Beast Domain as punishment for being the third wheel.

This time, the golden piglet obediently rested at Chiffon's left side, and closed its eyes to sleep.

"Big Brother, we will be able to leave after a week," Chiffon said with a tinge of regret. In truth, she wanted to stay in the Floor of Asgard for a little while longer because she was still in the Honeymoon Phase of their relationship.

"Yes," William replied and gently squeezed her hand. "After that, I need to prepare for my battle with Rebecca. This agreement is already long overdue."

Chiffon hummed softly. For her, it was Rebecca's loss that she decided to break her engagement with William. Her Big Brother was such an amazing person, and a very rare find.

The pink-haired girl couldn't understand why the so-called genius of the Hellan Kingdom didn't put William in her eyes when both of them were still young.

"Big Brother, do you like her?" Chiffon asked. This was the first time she had asked this question to William, and she was very curious whether the Half-Elf had feelings for his Ex-Fiance or not.

"I don't like or dislike her," William answered. "She was just a baby when our grandparents decided to tie us together in marriage. Of course, sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if the two of us got along, but that is all in the past.

"Right now, I don't have any intention of making her my fiance. Also… there is a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I am forgetting something important."

"Are you talking about Belle?"

Chiffon already knew of Belle's existence because William had asked her to help him remember his loved one that he had left back on Earth.

"No." William shook his head firmly. "I still remember… Belle. I still have memories of her. What I am talking about are other things."

Chiffon shifted her attention from the stars to William and saw the Half-Elf looking back at her. Their eyes met and their affectionate gazes made each other feel loved.

"Chiffon, no matter what happens in the future, will you continue to remain by my side?" William asked.

The pink-haired girl nodded and gave William a hug.

"No matter what happens, in the future, I will continue to be with Big Brother," Chiffon said. "Even if my body were to turn into ashes, I will always be by your side. I promise."

William closed his eyes and gently patted her head.

Ever since he had cleared the 51st Floor and obtained Enuma Elish, he started to recognize a vague sense of awareness regarding certain things.

Of worlds being destroyed one after the other, and Champions fighting with their lives on the line to protect everything that was dear to them.

Enuma Elish…

The Tablet of Creation…

A testament of a world that once existed.

A world that had now ceased to exist.

Only the faint memories of the wills that resided within its tablets, allowed William to take a peek into the past glories of Gods long forgotten.

As William pushed away the uneasiness that was rising in his heart. The soft sleeper breaths of Chiffon reached his ears.

He held her firmly in his embrace, as he uttered a silent prayer in his heart.

A prayer where he wished for the safety of the people important to him. After saying his prayer, he then fell asleep, holding his lover in his arms and fell into a familiar dream.

A dream of a world covered in blazing flames, and a God laughing at the destruction that was taking place. Soon, these blazing flames were engulfed in darkness, and the cry of a Phoenix resonated within the sky.

Within the darkness, a soft and silky voice reached William's ears.

"Pendragon, I don't need you to light up my world. All I want is for you to just sit with me in the Darkness."

That was the last thing that William heard before he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.. Unaware that somewhere far away, beyond the world of Hestia, and the stars in the sky, the Harbinger of Destruction was inching its way closer with each passing day.

Chapter 665: We Will Lose Face When That Happens

High above the Savadeen Mountains, lay the Misty Sect's Main Stronghold. They were one of the powerful Factions in the Central Continent and held considerable prestige and influence.

Right now, the Sect Master and Sect Elders were having a high-level meeting. They had gathered to discuss the upcoming celebrations for their founding ceremony. Naturally, one of their topics was William's and Rebecca's upcoming battle that would be held in less than two months' time.

Rebecca's Master, Eleanor, and the Elder, Lady Miriam, who had attended William's knighting ceremony in the Hellan Kingdom, were telling the Sect Master and the Elders of their Sect all the information that they had about William.

After their report, the Sect Master pressed her hands together and rested her chin on top of it.

"So, you're saying that this William was just a normal shepherd a few years ago, correct?" Thea, the Sect Master of the Misty Sect, asked.

"Yes," Eleanor answered. "He is just a country bumpkin that tends goats and sheeps."

Thea nodded her head. "Then a few years later, he rose up in the ranks and became the youngest Knight Commander of the Angorian War Sovereign. After that, the War in the Southern Continent happened and he was one of the commanders that opposed the Elven invasion."

Thea had read most of the documents about William an hour before the meeting took place. More or less, she already knew the Half-Elf's achievements and felt that things didn't add up.

"I had only met the boy once, and he left a lasting impression on me," Lady Miriam commented. She still hadn't forgotten how William made her kneel in front of the nobility of the Hellan Kingdom. For her, it was the greatest humiliation that she had suffered in her life.

"Back then, I supported Eleanor's move to break up ties with the boy because I deemed that he wouldn't amount to much." Lady Miriam sighed. "We sent invitations months ago to the other factions in the Central Continent and invited them to participate in our festivities.

"We even advertised Rebecca's and William's battle as the main highlight of our Sect's celebration. Now that news of the boy's accomplishment is announced in the entire world, we can expect that more guests will arrive due to him."

The Elders of the Misty Sect frowned. In the past, they wanted to use William as a stepping stone for Rebecca, and use this event to show everyone the prowess of their Sect. However, right now, they felt that they were sitting on hot coals.

Rebecca might be a genius, but if you compared her to the Half-Elf that had conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon, her prestige fell far too short.

The only saving grace was that Rebecca had undergone closed cultivation for a year inside their Ice Glazed Domain, and was unaware of the events that were happening in the world. If she knew about William's recent achievements, it might affect her progress and would prevent her from breaking through the next step in her advancement.

"There's nothing that we can do right now," Thea said. "We also cannot cancel our Founding Ceremony because that will make us look weak in the eyes of the world."

"But, Sect Master, if we let Rebecca fight William, her chances of winning are almost non-existent," Eleanor replied. "We will lose face if that happens."

The other Elders nodded their heads in agreement, but Thea remained calm. She shared Eleanor's opinion, but she had already thought of a plan in order to raise Rebecca's chances of winning.

"Three days before our founding ceremony, bring Rebecca out of the Ice Glazed Domain," Thea ordered. "I will plead with her Excellency, Meredith, to become Rebecca's contractor for a day. With her Excellency's help, we will achieve victory over the boy, and raise our Sect's prestige to the world."

The Elders looked at Thea in shock because they never expected that she would resort to such drastic means. Meredith was the Demigod that resided in the Savadeen Mountains and was the Protector of their Sect.

This was why the Misty Sect had managed to survive over the years because they had the backing of a Demigod.

Everyone had mixed feelings about the Sect Master's decision. Although they thought that Rebecca's chances of winning were slim, using this method to win against the Half-Elf left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Thea knew what the others were feeling, but her decision was final.

"Right now, Her Excellency, Meredith still hasn't fully recovered her strength," Thea explained. "She has recently undergone Rebirth, so her overall strength is only at the Pseudo-Demigod level. I don't think that making a temporary contract with a creature that is at the peak of the Myriad Beast category is an issue.

"Also, I believe that the boy is the same. Perhaps William has also made a contract with a powerful beast. This is the only explanation that I can think of to explain his unprecedented rise in power and prestige.

"We are just making the fight fair and square. There is no shame in using our Trump Card against the person that has cleared the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon."

The Elders pondered about Thea's reasoning and felt that there was some logic behind her statement. William was only an ordinary Shepherd, but he suddenly managed to stop the Elven Invasion as well as clear the Tower of Babylon.

If one were to ask what a miracle was then this was a miracle!

It was simply unbelievable.

"I support the Sect Master's decision." Lady Miriam nodded her head in agreement. "This whole William incident is indeed very fishy. We must protect our sect's prestige and show the world that he isn't that much of a deal.

"So what if he cleared the 51st Floor? That will not mean anything once Rebecca has trampled on his dignity. This is also a very good opportunity for our sect to take advantage of William's popularity. Everyone wanted to know more about him, so if he gets defeated in front of countless people, his previous achievements will become obsolete."

Lady Miriam clenched her fist. She had long wanted for the shameless Half-Elf to be brought down a peg or two. The grudge she had since she left the Hellan Kingdom weighed heavily on her heart.

If there was a way to humiliate William in front of everyone then she would do everything in her power to make it happen.

Chapter 666: Surrender Peacefully And You Will Not Be Hurt

"Cheers for the Ainsworth's Family's good fortune!"

""Cheers!""

James drank the wine in his glass with a happy expression.

Right now, he was in one of the residences of the Ex-Ruling Families and they were having a feast in his honor.

The Patriarchs of the different families all looked at James with smiles on their faces. Right now, they were sneering in their hearts because William's grandfather was a gullible person. As long as they sang his grandson praises, the old man would grin like he was on top of the world.

What the Patriarchs' didn't know was that James was also sneering inside his heart. While he was keeping the idiots company, Ezio was already busy emptying the coffers of their treasuries.

James' faithful subordinate had completed his investigation a day before the old coot had made his announcement at the Plaza. Their plan was to bring out those who had evil intentions towards William by using James as bait.

"Lord James, once you are reunited with your grandson, your prestige will definitely soar towards the sky like a dragon in flight," Waltier, the Patriarch of the Agnis Family, said with a smile.

"Well, my boy, William has always been filial," James replied with a smug expression on his face. "I'm sure that he'll allow me to manage a floor or two if I ask him nicely."

"Such a filial grandson, you're very lucky to have him, Lord James."

"Indeed. I wish I also have a grandson like William. He will bring good luck to the family."

"With Sir James' majestic presence, I'm sure that his grandson is definitely a good looking person. I can tell with just a glance that you were a lady killer, Lord James, when you were still in your young years."

James laughed and nodded his head in agreement. Right now, he found the Patriarchs' very cute, and decided to humor them a bit.

"Hahaha! Indeed. I was a lady's man back then." James nodded his head. "My grandson managed to inherit my genes, I feel sorry for him because he will be a lady magnet just like me."

The Patriarchs looked at James with fawning gazes. However, deep inside, they wanted to drown him in spit. If not for the fact that they needed him to use against William, they wouldn't waste their time in buttering him up like a VIP guest.

The feast lasted for three hours, and James had his fill of eating and drinking. It was also at that moment when he received a telepathic message from Ezio.

"Sir, everything has been settled," Ezio said.

"Did you take everything?" James inquired.

"Yes. the only thing I didn't take were their clothes."

"Excellent!"

James grinned like a wolf as he stared at the Patriarchs who were fawning at him. He didn't plan to show any mercy to those that had evil intentions towards his family. Regardless of who they are, as long as they targeted his family, they would all meet a miserable end in his hands.

—-

The next day…

Several men holding weapons barged inside James' room.

After the feast ended, James returned to the inn where he and Vlad were staying. Although the Patriarchs had invited him to stay with them for the night, he politely declined their offer with the excuse that he would be climbing the tower the next day to meet with William.

"Who are you people?" James asked as he stifled a yawn. "Don't you know that it's rude to barge into someone else's room while they are sleeping?"

"Shut up, Old Man! You're coming with us!" the leader of the men answered.

James scratched his head as he stared at the leader.

"Why are you shouting? I'm not deaf. I can hear you perfectly."

"Come with us and do not resist if you know what is good for you. Of course, if you want to get hurt, we are more than willing to oblige."

James laughed because it had been a while since someone had dared to threaten him. No one in the Southern Continent had the guts to do it, but as soon as he entered the Central Continent, someone actually dared to bully him.

"What will you guys do if I refuse?" James asked. He was looking at the armed warriors with an amused expression on his face.

The leader snorted as he raised his hand. "Since you refuse to cooperate then we won't hold back and make you understand what it's like to cross the ruling families of the Tower of Babylon!"

Two minutes later…

Cries of pain could be heard on the streets in front of the inn. The men who had threatened James earlier were now writhing in pain because their arms and legs were broken. The leader of the group had it worse because James had broken all of his limbs.

Ever since James had made his announcement in the Plaza, it was not only the Ex-Ruling Families that had been keeping an eye on his movements.

Adventurers, bounty hunters, mercenaries, and several other elite warriors that had been hired by influential people were keeping tabs in everything he did. The envoys of the different Empires of the Central Continent that had been dispatched towards the Tower had also caught wind of James' name.

Since these people wanted to curry favor with William, they intended to form good relationships with any member of his immediate family.

They had already known that a group of armed men, who belonged to the former ruling families, were planning to capture James. Their plan was to come to his rescue at the right moment, in order to gain his good graces and gratitude.

Unfortunately, they were not aware of James' true identity. They thought that he was only an old man that was lured by his grandson's success, and intended to profit from William's accomplishments.

The scene in front of the inn made them re-evaluate James and their impression of him changed completely.

"We should have known that you were not an ordinary old man," Janos, the Patriarch of the Moreau Family, said with his arms crossed over his chest. "However, your futile attempt ends here."

James glanced in the direction of the Patriarchs, who had prepared a feast for him several hours ago. All of them looked back at James with angry expressions on their faces. If not for the fact that one of the sons of the Agnis Family visited their treasury to get some gold, they would have never discovered that their coffers had been emptied.

Waltier immediately felt that something was fishy, so he immediately contacted his compatriots. It didn't take long for all of them to discover that they had been robbed clean.

Their first suspect was James. But, since the old man had been with them for the entirety of the night this suspicion didn't last long. They had sent men to monitor him, and none of them reported that the old man had left the inn since he returned last night.

Without any leads on the thief that had ransacked their treasuries, the Patriarchs' decided to push through with their plan earlier than previously discussed. They unanimously agreed to kidnap James and send a messenger to the Tower to tell William that they were holding his grandpa hostage.

James placed his hands behind his back as he stared at the encirclement that was slowly forming around him.

The Ruling Families had called up their big guns, which were High-Rankers that were equivalent to a Saint Class Warrior in their initial stages.

Vlad stood beside James with his arms crossed over his chest. Deep inside he was sighing because his companion had once again poked the hornet's nest and was using him to clean up the old man's mess.

"Surrender peacefully and you will not be hurt," Waltier said with an arrogant tone. "This is your last warning."

James started picking his nose with his finger as he scanned the High-Rankers that surrounded him.

"Forty Pseudo-Saints, not bad." James said as he rubbed his right index finger and thumb together.

Without warning, he flicked the small ball of mucus towards one of the High-Rankers which hit the latter directly on his forehead, sending him flying a few meters from where he originally stood.

"One down," James announced before laughing out loud.

The expression of the Patriarchs' as well as the spectators watching the scene immediately changed. However, it didn't end there.

Vlad finally unleashed a terrorizing aura that announced his identity as a Demigod.

It was at that exact moment, when the Patriarchs' of the once glorious families in the Tower of Babylon, knew that they F*cked up.

Chapter 667.1: ]

Back in the Floor of Asgard, William was unaware that his grandfather, James, was already in the City of Babylon and raising a ruckus to the forces that were hostile against him.

Only a week was left before he would be leaving the Tower, and he was currently in the process of collecting the spoils that he had gained from the tower.

"5,929,841 Tokens," William muttered as he browsed the Babylon Shop to use the tokens that he had accumulated.

Chiffon was seated behind him and leaning her back on William's body. She was also looking at the Babylon shop for items that might catch her interest.

Unlike Wiliam, Chiffon only had a little over a million Tokens under her name. The majority of these tokens came from clearing the 51st Floor with William. As for why her husband had more tokens than her, this was due to the ownership of the other floors in the Tower.

Since the Ruling Families had been exiled, all the earnings that their respective floors got would automatically be transferred to William's account.

William had already taught Chiffon how to navigate the Babylon Shop, and the pink-haired girl was extremely curious about the items that were currently on sale. After getting William's recommendation, Chiffon went to the consumable category where items for Beasts were currently on sale.

B1, B2, and Bacon peeked at the projection in front of the pink-haired girl and would comment from time to time.

"How about this Beast Awakening Pill?" Chiffon asked B1. "Is it useful to you?"

B1 and B2 checked the information that was written on the projector and nodded their heads in approval.

"Divine Grade Pill," B1 read the information aloud. "Helps Beasts awaken their hidden talents and has a small chance of mutating to a higher form."

"Yes." B2 nodded. "There is a chance for us to become stronger if we ate this Beast Awakening Pill."

Bacon nodded its head in agreement. "Oink."

"Really?" Chiffon smiled. "Then I'll buy three. They're only 200,000 Token each. Very cheap!"

If the other challengers of the Tower could hear Chiffon right now, all of them would be vomiting blood due to her choice of words. The challenges in the tower would, at most, give 5,000 tokens if they were to clear it with a high-rating, and 1,000 tokens if they cleared it with a low rating.

Even if they managed to get a high rating until they reached the 50th Floor, the tokens at their disposal would be more or less around 250,000.

A single Beast Awakening Pill was already worth 200,000 and Chiffon bought three. She even said that they were cheap!

Fortunately, none of the challengers heard her words, or else they would be questioning themselves about the meaning of life.

William smiled and continued browsing the shop of the tower. He wanted to train Chiffon to be more confident when making her own choices, so he didn't prevent her from buying anything she wanted from the Babylon Shop.

Now that she was now his wife, he wanted her to be a bit more confident about herself, and the decisions that she would make in the future.

After getting the three Beast Awakening Pills, she fed one each to B1, B2, and Bacon. The effect of the pills would activate after twenty four hours, so its effects wouldn't be immediately felt or seen.

Since that was the case, Chiffon returned to browsing the items on the Shop while humming a happy tune.

William's two familiars, Elliot and Conan, sat on his shoulder and were browsing the Shop as well. The Half-Elf was feeling generous and gave his two familiars 500,000 Token each, so that they could buy their own things from the God Shop.

After the Familiamancer was registered as William's third permanent Subclass, Elliot and Conan were able to permanently materialize in the mortal plane, just like Chloee and Claire.

William treated these two little guys who looked exactly like him as his partners in crime.

Elliot read the information about an item called the "Heart of the Crystal Phoenix". Contrary to what its name implied, this wasn't an actual Phoenix's heart. It was in fact, a crystal that was formed from the tear of a Crystal Phoenix when it reached its thousand year life.

The only reason why it wasn't called the Tear of the Crystal Phoenix was due to its shape when the tear took a solid form. The tear would transform into a light-blue crystal heart after being exposed to the air for a few seconds, which gave birth to its name.

—--

< Heart of the Crystal Phoenix >

– This teardrop that came from a Crystal Phoenix during its thousandth year of life and has very miraculous properties. If this was absorbed by an ordinary mortal, their body's constitution, and strength, would take a qualitative leap and rise immediately to the Adamantium Rank (equivalent to that of a Centennial Beast).

– Aside from strengthening the body, the Heart of the Crystal Phoenix will also strengthen that person's Spiritual and Magical Powers. Even if a person didn't have any magical affinity, the changes in their body would allow them to use one of these two powers, depending on what was more compatible with them.

– Lastly, absorbing this item would give you the ability to form Contracts with Phoenixes, and merge with them for a short period of time without encountering any side effects.

Price: 500,000 Tokens

—---

Elliot's eyes glowed as a scene played out inside his head. Among William's two familiars, Elliot had the passive ability, Clairvoyance. This ability appeared after William maximized all the skills in the Familiamancer Skill Tree, which unlocked Elliot's and Conan's latent abilities.

Elliot was able to see brief images of the future at any given time. These images came and went without warning, and this was Elliot's first time seeing one.

'Oh? This is quite an interesting development,' Elliot mused as he decisively bought the Heart of the Crystal Phoenix. 'Well, I look forward to how it will unfold.'

Elliot glanced at William with a smile. He decided to keep what he saw as a secret because he thought that it would be more interesting that way. Although the Angelic Familiar had no doubt that what he saw would come to pass, he still deemed that it would be wise not to tell William about it.

William was so focused on his task that he didn't notice the mischievous smirk that Elliot directed at him.

The Half-Elf was currently in a dilemma. Just like the God Shop, the Shop of Babylon had many interesting things for sale. However, there was something that had caught his attention.

On the very first page of the Shop of Babylon, a promotional was displayed. It was called Babylon Gacha.

If he spent Four Million Tokens, there was a 100% chance to get one random Divine Item from the Gacha. William was very moved by this offer because of what happened with Enuma Elish.

The Divine Artifact allowed him to Summon the Avatars of Various Gods similar to Final Funtazee summons. Not only that, he also unlocked the Unique Prestige Class, Familiamancer.

If he were to get another Divine Artifact, like Enuma Elish, wouldn't his cheat-like abilities be over the top?

William glanced at his remaining Tokens and made his decision.

—--

4,929,841 Tokens

—--

"Let's do this," William thought. "Let's go for one time big time!"

William decisively clicked the Gacha button.

Immediately a dazzling rainbow colored ball appeared on the projection screen and exploded into a shower of sparks.

William had a wide grin on his face as he looked at the Divine Item that now belonged to him. However, after reading the name of the item, the smile on his face immediately became stiff.

—-

< Chamberpot of Serenity >

Rarity: Divine

– Ender of Misery

"When you see it, you'll sh*t bricks"

Chapter 668.2: ]

(Disclaimer: Do not eat, or drink anything when you read this chapter. If you haven't eaten or drank anything yet. It will be best if you eat and drink first. You already saw the name of the item in the . If you are uncomfortable reading anything related to that, feel free to skip this chapter.

Although I don't want to post any spoilers, this item will play an important part in the story in the later chapters, so I apologize for the cringe beforehand. This is what happens when you have a flu and write things with limited brain capacity. Kekeke.)

After reading the information of the "Divine" item that he just recently got from the Shop of Babylon, William closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose.

'I might be a bit tired due to the things I've been doing for the past few days,' WIlliam thought. 'I'm just seeing things.'

A minute later, William summoned the Chamberpot of Serenity and held it firmly. He then read its information with a mind overflowing with positivity. He believed that the Divine Artifact was just named that way in order to prank those who would accidentally own it.

As a Divine Artifact, it couldn't possibly be bad, right?

—--

< Chamberpot of Serenity >

Rarity: Divine

– Ender of Misery

"When you see it, you'll sh*t bricks"

– When the Gods created the world, they realized that they overlooked one very important factor, and that was… sh*t.

– Every living thing that they created in the world is duty bound to take a dump. The Gods thought that this isn't a big deal, until the humans, and other races that they created, started to pollute the land and water with their sh*t.

– There is sh*t here, sh*t there, sh*t everywhere. It was truly a disgusting sight to behold. The Gods endured because they believed that Humanity's evolution would allow them to become more intelligent and pull their sh*t together.

All of this changed when their believers started to use their altars to take a dump, which horrified and disgusted the Gods to an unbelievable degree. Because of this, they tasked the God of Crafts to solve this issue and thus, the Chamberpot of Serenity was born.

– The Gods' first gift to humankind was fire. Their next gift was a chamberpot. However, this event was not written in the history books because mankind found it quite embarrassing to add this episode to their written record of their path to evolution.

– This Artifact could store unlimited amount of sh*t.

– This Artifact is indestructible.

– This Artifact comes with a handle. This is very important when it comes to Chamber Pots.

– This Artifact has a special passcode for its activation. The Passcode is "Eat Sh*t Motherf*cker!"

– This Artifact has an automatic cleaning spell embedded in it. Its exterior surface is always clean. It is very hygienic!

– P.S

As a special promotion, the Babylon Shop decided to put 1 Quadrillion Tons of sh*t in this artifact as a freebie to its new owner. Don't worry! It's high quality sh*t and it's free! You don't need to thank us. Our customer's satisfaction is our satisfaction.

Thank you for using Babylon Gacha!

May you have a not-so-sh*tty day!

—-

"What in the flying f*ck is this sh*t?!" William roared in anger as he slammed the chamberpot on the ground, creating a small crater. Since the pot was indestructible, it didn't even have a dent even though William's current strength was enough to smash a boulder with a punch.

His outburst alarmed Chiffon, Elliot, Connan, B1, B2, and Bacon who were minding their own business by his side.

"B-Big Brother?" Chiffon held Bacon in her arms and was looking at William with an anxious gaze.

William had completely forgotten that he wasn't alone and immediately restrained the anger that was bubbling inside his chest.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" William asked, awkwardly.

Chiffon shook her head. "Not scared. I was just surprised. Did something bad happen, Big Brother?"

"Yes," William replied with a sigh. "I got scammed by the Tower."

William glanced at the chamberpot on the ground and felt like crying. He spent Four Million Tokens just to get a random Divine Item and he got the short end of the stick.

Elliot flew towards the chamberpot and landed on its handle. Suddenly, his body shuddered as he received another vision from the future.

"Oh my goodness! What a nasty vision!" Elliot covered his mouth in disgust. The passive ability of his Clairvoyance had shown him a scene that was not far in the future and it was truly a spectacle to behold.

William noticed Elliot's expression and immediately held the Familiar who was looking back at him with disbelief.

"What did you see?" William asked. Since he could see the stats and abilities of his familiars, it was very easy for him to guess that Elliot had seen a vision concerning the chamberpot.

"One moment," Elliot replied as he raised his right hand, while his left hand covered his lips.

A few minutes later, Elliot finally calmed down and looked at William with a complicated expression.

"Um, this chamberport will save your life in the future," Elliot said carefully. "For now, Just store it in your storage ring."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Trust me on this one, Will."

While the two were discussing, Chiffon and her entourage moved towards the chamberpot to take a closer look.

B1 and B2 poked it with their foot and chuckled.

"What a sh*tty item," B1 said.

"Indeed." B2 commented. "Chiffon, don't get too close. This thing is dangerous."

"Oink." Bacon agreed.

Seeing that her three companions were telling her not to come closer, Chiffon decided to heed their advice and simply eyed the chamberpot from a distance.

William's body uncontrollably shuddered when he saw B1 and B2 playing with the chamberpot. Among everyone in the scene, the two dumb birds had the highest possibility of triggering the secret passcode of the Divine Artifact that could lead to unimaginable consequences.

Without waiting for the worst case scenario to happen, William immediately summoned the Chamber Pot to his hands and hurriedly stored it inside his storage ring.

Elliot stared at William in a meaningful manner because the two visions he had received earlier were connected to each other. After giving it some thought, the Angelic Familiar devised a scheme in his head and smirked.

Conan looked at his twin with curiosity. Although he didn't know what Elliot was thinking, he had a hundred percent certainty that he was up to no good!

Chapter 669: She's Legal, You Know?

Several days had passed and William's stay on the Floor of Asgard was about to come to an end.

However, a day before his month-long stay at the 51st Floor Ended, a guest had once again appeared in his Domain.

"I've been getting plenty of uninvited guests as of late," William said as he shook his head helplessly.

He took a step forward and immediately appeared at the base of the Bifrost Gate. On the other side of the bridge, a floating jellyfish, a turtle, and a goblin waved at him from afar.

"Good day to you, Lord William," Jellybelle, the Guardian of the 50th Floor, greeted.

"Will, it has been a while," Oogwei said with a smile.

Xod didn't say anything and just gave William a brief nod.

William was familiar with all of them, so he decided to invite them to the castle of Asgard. He was curious about the purpose of their visit since most Guardians just stayed on their respective floors, and didn't mind other people's business.

"When we guardians agreed to send you to the 51st Floor, we didn't expect you to really clear it," Jellybelle stated. "Now, we are experiencing a steady increase of challengers that are climbing the tower. This is all thanks to you, Lord William."

Unlike the other Guardians, Jellybelle treated William in a respectful manner. It was the only one that had seen the Primordial Goddess that was watching over the Half-Elf, and it was more than enough for it to humble itself in front of him.

Oogwei and Xod noticed Jellybelle's polite behavior, and wondered why it was acting this way. The Jellyfish was one of the most haughty Guardians in the Tower.

Since Jellybelle was in charge of the 50th Floor, it also held the highest authority among the Guardians of the lower floors. Simply put, the Jellyfish was their Big Boss, and their Big Boss was currently giving William the VIP treatment.

"Maybe Jellybelle is afraid of being eaten by William," Xod thought as he eyed the floating jelly who was making casual talk with the red-headed teenager.

Oogwei was also thinking of the same thing. Since all of them had witnessed how William devoured Belial in their battle, none of the Guardians in the Tower wanted to offend the Half-Elf.

"Um, is there something that you need from me?" William asked.

He didn't believe that the three Guardians personally came to visit him just to make some small talk.

"Actually, we came here to tell you some news," Oogwei answered. "Since you're stuck up here, you are not aware of what is currently happening outside the Tower of Babylon. A few days ago, an old man that goes by the name, James, suddenly appeared in the City of Babylon and made a scene."

Oogwei told William how his Grandpa single handedly dealt with the Ex-Ruling Families.

At first, William was surprised when he heard that James had arrived at the City of Babylon. However, it didn't take long for his surprise to subside and be replaced with genuine amusement with how his Grandpa had beaten the crap out of the former ruling families of the tower that had tried to use him as a bargaining chip in order to negotiate with William.

The Half-Elf almost felt sorry for the Patriarchs of the Ruling Families for falling into James' hand. He knew how merciless his grandpa was when it came to those who threatened their family, and Oogwei's explanation didn't disappoint him.

According to the little turtle, after James and Vlad demolished all opposition, no one no longer dared to target William because of his background. Also, the emissaries of Empires, Kingdoms, and other Powerful Factions, tried to ingratiate themselves to James by personally dealing with the remnants of the exiled families from the tower.

When William heard this, he rubbed his chin in contemplation as he thought of an idea that would definitely work in his favor.

"Your grandpa is currently on the First Floor of the Tower," Xod said. "He asked me to send you a message."

Xod cleared his throat and passed James' message to William.

"I'm here. Where's the treasure?"

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard his Grandpa's message. He helplessly shook his head because his old man really knew how to mooch off the hard work of others.

Originally, Xod would have been the only one going to meet with William. However, he was afraid of facing the Half-Elf alone. Because of this, he asked Oogwei to accompany him. The little turtle readily agreed to Xod's request. The two Guardians then went to see Jellybelle to ask for permission to enter the 51st Floor.

Jellybelle thought that this was a good idea to smoothen things out with William, so it decided to accompany Xod and Oogwei to the 51st Floor. He also wanted to know what William's intentions were.

Would he continue to climb the tower? Or, would he stay true to his words and leave the tower?

"Please, send my Grandpa to the 51st Floor directly," William said. "There is something important that I want to discuss with him."

Ten minutes later...

James, Vlad, and Ezio appeared on the Floor of Asgard.

William's grandpa nodded his head in appreciation when he saw the Bifrost Bridge, as well as the majestic castle in the distance.

Vlad and Ezio had similar reactions. The world that William had created on the 51st Floor was a scenery that they had never seen before, and they would be lying if they said that they weren't interested in exploring this new Domain.

Without even waiting for anyone to meet them, James was already walking towards the Bifrost Bridge with the intention to cross it. It was as if he was the owner of the place and even had a smug expression as he walked in a carefree manner

Vlad and Ezio exchanged a glance at each other before following behind him. Since this floor belonged to William, James had already labeled the 51st Floor as the property of the Ainsworth Family.

Since this floor belongs to my grandson, naturally, it also belonged to me!

After crossing the bridge, the three continued their journey towards the castle in the distance. Because the Floor was still not open to the public, the entire place was completely deserted.

It didn't take long before they arrived at the castle where they saw a red-headed teenager with a devilish smile plastered on his face.

They also noticed the adorable pink-haired girl beside William. James thought that if the girl was given a few more years, she would grow up to be an outstanding beauty. As someone who was aiming to expand his family's bloodline, James had always told William to have as many wives as he could. That way, he would have many great grandchildren that would help secure their lineage in the world.

"Gramps, did you come here to the Tower of Babylon after hearing how awesome I was?" William asked with a smug expression on his face.

"Of course," James replied. "Boy, you really made me proud. I knew that you inherited my awesomeness, but I didn't expect you to be just as awesome as I was when I was your age. Well done."

James laughed heartily as he patted William's shoulder. He then glanced at Chiffon with a smile and asked William to introduce him to the little beauty standing beside him.

"Chiffon, this is my grandfather, James Von Ainsworth," William said with a smile. He then turned to James and introduced Chiffon to him. "Gramps, this is my wife, Chiffon."

James held Chiffon's hand and shook it gently. He was only half listening to William's introduction because he only cared about making a good impression on the adorable girl whom he thought he believed would be a stunning beauty if given a few more years.

"Nice to meet you," James held Chiffon's hand like a kind Grandpa. "I'm very happy to meet William's frien-- what?!"

The old man glanced at William. "Boy, what did you just say? I think I heard it wrongly."

"Chiffon is my wife."

"Your wife?"

William smiled and pulled the pink-haired girl in his embrace. "We got married a month ago. Gramps, how many grandkids do you want to have?"

Chiffon's face immediately flushed when she heard William's words. She immediately started thumping his chest with her closed fist out of embarrassment.

This adorable display made James, Vlad, and Ezio's lips twitch at the same time. They thought that William was just joking. However, after seeing that Chiffon wasn't denying the Half-Elf's claims, they realized that he was telling the truth.

James' expression immediately turned serious before placing his hand on William's shoulder.

"Will, we need to talk," James said.

Deep inside, he wanted to pick William up and slap his bum silly. If others were to hear that his grandson had casually married a kid, wouldn't that bring shame to his name? Wouldn't all of his friends, and acquaintances tease and ridicule him if they heard about it?

James wouldn't allow such a thing to happen! He would definitely beat the crap out of William until he came to his senses.

William didn't have mind reading powers, but he could already guess what James was thinking. He gave a nervous chuckle because the old man's grip on his shoulder was like a vice-grip that wouldn't allow him to escape no matter what.

"Gramps, I think you're making a misunderstanding," William said after realizing the danger he was in.. "Chiffon is legal. She's legal, you know?"

Chapter 670: This Place Brings Back Memories

"Here Chiffon, you need to eat more," James said in a doting manner. "You should eat nutritious food so you will grow taller and more beautiful."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Chiffon replied with a smile. She then happily ate the dishes that James had given her.

William stood at the side with a cramped expression on his face. After finding out Chiffon was Half-Dwarf and Half-Demon, James happily accepted her as William's wife and began to pamper her. Clearly, the old man was very happy that his Grandson was finally married.

This had been his goal since William was a baby. The old coot had even pulled strings behind the scenes and engaged him to Rebecca in order for him to have a wife when he grew up.

For James, he didn't care how many wives William had. What he was afraid of was his grandson not having enough wives!

After finding out that everything was a misunderstanding, the shameless old man had ditched William to the side and focused on his daughter-in-law.

"I see, so you bear the Sin of Gluttony." James nodded his head in understanding. "You have it rough, Chiffon. However, since we are now family, I will guarantee that you will never go hungry again. Also, I will not allow anyone to bully you again. If I ever get my hands on them, I'll break all the bones on their bodies and feed him to that little pig beside you."

Bacon, who was quietly eating on top of the table, beside Chiffon, raised its head and looked at the old man. Its innocent gaze was telling James that it didn't eat trash, which made the old man chuckle in delight.

"What is this piglet?" James inquired. "Is he your emergency food?"

"Oink!" Bacon lightly stomped its foot in protest as it glared at James.

Chiffon giggled as she lightly patted Bacon's head. "Grandpa, Bacon is my friend. He is not my emergency food."

James laughed and nodded his head. He was just teasing Bacon as a test to see if it was intelligent enough to understand his words. This was the first time that he had seen a golden piglet, and he was very curious to know if it was edible.

William, who had been cast to the side by his grandfather, was busy chatting with his Fourth master, Ezio. The Half-Elf had been away from the Southern Continent for a while and he was curious about the latest events that had happened in the Hellan Kingdom.

"Before we left, Leah announced that she was pregnant," Ezio said. "If not for the fact that the Commander was worried about you, he might have stayed in Lont and waited for his great-grandchildren to be born."

William was quite happy to hear the news that their family was going to have a new member. Due to the war that erupted in the Southern Continent, Matthew and Leah had decided not to have any children until the crisis was fully averted.

Now that peace had settled within the Southern Continent, the married couple finally decided that it was time for them to have a child. William silently prayed for the baby to be born healthy and Leah to have a safe delivery.

Like his Grandpa had said, the lineage of the Ainsworth Family was very thin. Even if Leah's unborn baby was added to the count, their family's bloodline would only amount to seven people.

This number was too few, and he could somehow understand his Grandpa's worries.

In truth, William was not opposed to having a child of his own, but he still felt that it was still too early for him. Aside from Chiffon, he was married to Wendy and Ashe as well. There was also Est, and Princess Sidonie, whom he had already recognized as his lovers.

As for Celine, their relationship was complicated. Even so, William had decided to have a serious talk with her the next time they met. Deep down, William was afraid that Celine would reject him.

Although the time they had spent within Eternity made William feel that the beautiful Elf was not opposed to the idea of becoming his lover, she still didn't say anything to him, which made him feel helpless.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," William thought. "For now, I still need to lift the curse on Est, Ashe, and Isaac. Right now, this is my top priority. Since grandpa is already here, I'll just let him take care of the matters of the Floor of Asgards and the other floors under my name."

William was a very lazy person. Since his grandpa was already in the Tower, he might as well throw all responsibilities at him! James had already told him about the emissaries from the other kingdoms that were waiting for the Floor of Asgard to open.

This discovery gave William a headache, so he decided to just let the old coot scam-- errr negotiate with those people.

William was very confident that by the time the emissaries left the Floor of Asgard, all of them would be puking blood.

Hahaha! You want ownership of a Floor? Sure, but you need to pay up!

What? The price is too much? Sorry, we don't deal with peasants!

The next day...

"Are you sure you're fine with this?" James asked.

"Of course, Gramps," William replied. "You know that I'm a very busy person. I have no time to spare in developing our family business. I'll just leave the Floor of Asgard, and the other floors in your very capable hands. If you want to form partnerships with the factions in the Central Continent, that's fine with me as well. However, this floor belongs to the Ainsworth Family. No matter what happens, this is off limits."

James nodded his head in understanding. He wasn't surprised that William had delegated this troublesome work to his shoulders, but the old man didn't have any complaints. In fact, he was already itching to start counting gold coins as soon as his grandson left the tower.

Both of them were currently at the throne room of Asgard. William had asked James to come with him, and the latter followed out of curiosity.

"Okay Gramps, you'll be sitting here from now on," William said as he made a gesture to the Silver Throne that used to belong to the Father of Asgard, Odin.

James sat on the throne like an Emperor and his presence was truly a sight to behold. If not for the fact that his family, friends, and acquaintances knew that he was a scammer, a money-grubber, and a bandit, they would definitely think that he was truly an Emperor of a powerful empire.

"Something is missing," William mused as he rubbed his chin. "Ah! I know."

William opened the Babylon Shop and bought one of the items in their inventory.

"Wear this, Gramps," William said with a smile.

"Um? What is this? An eyepatch?" James asked as William passed the eyepatch to him.

"Just wear it, Gramps. It will make you look cooler."

"Fine. I'll let you trick me just this once."

James wore the eyepatch, and he immediately felt a change in his line of sight.

He turned his head to the right side and his vision went past the castle walls and into the plains of Asgard. He then looked at the North, and saw the Bifrost Bridge in the distance.

"Not bad." James nodded his head. "Too bad it can't see past through people's clothes."

The regret in James' voice made the corner of William's lips twitch.

'Well, he looks more imposing this way,' William thought as he looked at his Grandpa's intimidating presence. 'Now for the finishing touches.'

William summoned a spear in his hand and handed it over to James as well.

"Gramps, the name of this spear is Gungnir," William explained. "Even if you can't use spears, when you throw this spear, it will always hit its target."

James eyed the silver spear with a critical gaze. He could feel that the spear was the perfect weight in his hands. It was not too heavy nor too light, achieving the perfect balance.

"This is nice. Thank you, Will," James said as he rested the spear to the side.

"No problem, Gramps," William nodded. "Chiffon and I will be leaving tomorrow. I'll leave Asgard in your care."

"Understood," James replied. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, everything will be settled."

After getting his grandfather's promise, William left the throne room with nostalgia. Seeing James wearing the eyepatch, and holding Gungnir in his hand, made William recall the God that had fallen long ago.

A God that had fought valiantly even though he was fated to be eaten whole by the World Wolf, Fenrir, who was one of Loki's children. William knew that Asgard was long gone, and yet, he was still unwilling in his heart.

This was also the reason why he made the 51st Floor an exact copy of Asgard in his memories.

James watched his grandson go, while sitting on the throne of Asgard.

The smile that was plastered on his lips was now gone, replaced by a solemnity that William hadn't seen before.

"I never thought that I would be seeing it again," James muttered. "This place brings back memories."

James then held Gungnir firmly in his hand and caressed its handle. "Will you accompany me again, old friend?"

Gungnir vibrated as if to answer James' inquiry. Its body also gave off a faint light, which made the old man chuckle.

Out of nowhere, two crows materialized and landed on the left, and right armrest of James' throne. These two crows gazed in the distance, as if waiting for something.

Waiting for the day where they would once again spread their wings and travel the world.. A world that they were now duty bound to protect.

Chapter 671: Time Waits For No One

The day where William and Chiffon would leave the tower had come.

Since the Floor of Asgard had no Guardian, William had given James that role. The Tower of Babylon had recognized the Half-Elf's decision and gave James administrative powers.

Right now, James had the same authority as the other Guardians of the Tower, and had absolute control within the 51st Floor.

William had also brought James inside his Thousand Beast Domain and introduced his Herd and Legion to his Grandpa.

James didn't expect that his grandson had a mobile army at his disposal, which made him look at William in a new light.

However, the surprise didn't end there. William had also revealed that he had formally taken the mantle of his father as the Dungeon Conqueror, which made James almost choke on his saliva.

"Although I already had my suspicions, hearing it from you still makes a difference." James sighed as he looked at his grandson in awe. "Will, make sure to limit this knowledge to the people you trust. If other people were to hear this, they would definitely make trouble for you."

"Gramps, even if I don't tell anyone that I'm the new Dungeon Conqueror, they would still target me because of my accomplishments," William replied. "I'm just that awesome."

James laughed because that was indeed the case. William had done things high-handedly and everyone now knew his name. Even without the title of the Dungeon Conqueror, he was a hot potato in everyone's eyes. It was too late to act low key when everyone was paying attention to his every move.

"Are there any other things that you are hiding from me?" James asked.

William grinned as he nodded his head. "They will be arriving soon. Just wait a little bit more, Gramps."

As soon as the words left William's mouth, two beauties materialized out of thin air.

James smiled and opened his arms wide.

To William's surprise, Princess Sidonie happily jumped into James' arms, while calling him Grandfather.

Unknown to William, James and Princess Sidonie had a good relationship. After finding out that the Princess from the Kingdom of Freesia had hoodwinked his grandson to become her fiance, James' impression of Princess Sidonie rose significantly.

After the Princess secretly went to meet him to bridge their relationship closer, the old man's impression became higher. Clearly, the beautiful Princess was after their family's good genes, and James was more than happy to tie William up and let the Princess marry him with his blessing.

Fortunately, William was a sensible person. He gave the beautiful Princess a chance to become his lover. Because of this, James and Princess Sidonie temporarily shelved their Shotgun Wedding plan and allowed the Half-Elf and the Princess' relationship to develop naturally.

"It's good to see that you are healthy," James said. "How long must I wait to hold my great grandkids?"

Princess Sidonie glanced briefly at William before giving her answer. "Don't worry, Grandfather. I am working on it. I promise that I will give you healthy grandchildren in the future."

"I will look forward to it. Just tell me if you need me to tie William up."

"There's no need for that Grandfather. Darling loves me very much."

Ashe watched this scene with a dumbfounded expression. She then approached William and gave him a hug. It had been a while since they had last seen each other. Even if the mermaid didn't want to admit it, her feelings for William had grown stronger while they were unable to see each other.

William shared half of Ashe's heart, so he could understand her feelings. Because of this, he gave her soft pecks on the lips, and promised her using telepathy that he would make it up to her as soon as he kicked James out of the Thousand Beast Domain.

James chuckled when he saw William's attempt to pacify his lover.

Just like Princess Sidonie, James had already known about Ashe's relationship with William. He was very touched when he discovered that the mermaid had given half of her heart to his grandson in order to save his life. Because of this, he had a very good impression of Ashe.

James' only concern was the curse that forced her to be trapped in a boy's body. The only good news was that William assured him that there was a way to break the curse, and for that to happen, he needed to travel to the Kraetor Empire in the Central Continent.

The old coot didn't try to persuade William out of his decision because he believed that his grandson had what it took to go to where all the powers of the world were congregated. The old man knew that regardless of the reason, William was destined to go to the Central Continent in order to reach a higher stage.

The world-wide announcement proved that his decision was right, so he was very happy to help his grandson manage the territories that he had recently acquired, while he traveled the Central Continent to do the things he needed to do.

Princess Sidonie lightly cleared her throat, and William and Ashe stopped their public display of affection.

Chiffon, who was standing at the side, only smiled as she watched this scene. Although there were a few mishaps, she was still able to monopolize William for a month, so her heart was at ease.

Also, she was now William's wife. There was no need to compete for his affection, because she could feel how much he loved her. The Half-Elf had made sure that Chiffon's unending hunger for food and love were sated completely.

"Interesting," James crossed his arms over his chest. "How about Wendy? Can she come here?"

William shook his head. "I will make it up to her once I return to the Southern Continent."

James nodded his head in understanding. He was also aware that Wendy had become William's first wife, and this made him very happy. He had a fondness for the blonde beauty, who didn't bother to hide her feelings for William when she visited Lont.

"Gramps, since I am the Floor Master, as long as I am in the Central Continent, I have a way to instantly travel to the Floor of Asgard," William explained. "If you need me, just ask Fourth Master to send me a message. If I am not busy with anything, I will come immediately."

James nodded his head. "Don't worry. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I won't ask for your help. Ah, before I forget. I will go to the Misty Sect on the promised date. Lawrence and I talked and we will be settling things during your battle with Rebecca."

William knew that although James and Lawrence were sometimes at odds with each other, they were still good friends. Although he didn't plan to hold anything back when fighting Rebecca, he would ensure that she wouldn't be humiliated.

This was the least he could do for Lawrence, as well as the girl, who used him as a shield to ward off potential suitors.

William summoned Soleil and handed it to Ashe. The latter nodded her head in understanding and left with Princess Sidonie to return to the Kraetor Empire.

Chiffon remained in the Thousand Beast Domain because William didn't want to leave her in Asgard. He could only travel by himself using his connection with Soleil, so this was the only way for the pink-haired girl to travel with him.

"Gramps, I'll see you in the Misty Sect," William said with a smile.

James patted his grandson's shoulder and gave him some words of wisdom.

"Although your victory is mostly assured, don't underestimate the old hags of Misty Sect." James warned. "I'm sure that they'll cook up something before your battle with Rebecca. Stay alert and keep your eyes peeled."

William agreed with James. "Understood, Grandfather."

With a determined gaze, William disappeared from the floor of Asgard. Now that he had accomplished Aamon's mission, it was now time to go to the Temple for the next set of tasks that Aamon had prepared for him.

High above the Tower of Babylon, an old man with a long beard looked in the direction of the Kraetor Empire with a calm expression.

He had long known that William's priorities didn't involve clearing the rest of the floors of the tower, but that was fine with him. Each person was fated to fight on different battlefields, but all rivers lead to the sea.

"Do your best, Little One," the old man muttered.. "Time waits for no one."

Chapter 672: It Is At The Moment Of Death When Life Shines Its Brightest

"You've done well," Aamon said with a benevolent smile on his face. "To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect you to finish that quest. In fact, I was hoping that you'd be stuck there for eternity."

William nodded his head in agreement. He had been through many difficulties, none of them were easy, but the 51st Floor was truly one of the hardest battles he had faced in his life.

"I would like to thank you for sending me to the Tower of Babylon, Your Excellency," William replied. "Because of you, I was able to marry a beautiful wife, as well as remember a lot of things."

Aamon rested the side of his face over his closed fist and eyed William with great interest. Although he was annoyed with William, that didn't mean that he wasn't able to appreciate the achievement that he had made.

What Aamon didn't know was that although William had gained a lot of things by clearing the 51st Floor of the Tower, the red-headed teenager had also lost many important things to him.

"Now, it's time for you to do your second quest," Aamon stated. "You have an upcoming battle with your childhood Fiance, right?"

The corner of William's lips twitched because he could feel the sarcasm that was oozing out of Aamon's voice. However, he decided that he should just play along for the time being and humor the God in front of him.

That way, Aamon might make his quest a little bit easier.

"Yes, Your Excellency," William replied. "I will be fighting with her in less than two months' time."

Aamon nodded his head. "Since that is the case, your next quest will be defeating her in your match. However, there is a condition."

The Grand Marquis of Hell raised a finger as he regarded William cooly. He understood that Rebecca didn't stand a chance at winning against William in her current state, so he decided to make things a little bit more interesting.

William placed his hands behind his back as he waited for Aamon to mention his condition.

"You are not allowed to jump to the Saint Rank when fighting against her," Aamon said with a smile. "The moment your strength exceeds that threshold, your quest will immediately fail. That means that I will not lift the curses on Est, Ian, and Isaac."

William frowned. He originally wanted to finish the battle right away, but with this restriction, he would not be able to activate his Trump Cards.

The Half-Elf wasn't worried about fighting against Rebecca, even without using Heroic Avatar and his Einherjar Job Class. However, he was worried that the Misty Sect would pull a trick on him during the battle, which would make things extremely difficult for him to win.

If he were able to use his trump cards, William was confident that he would be able to face whatever they threw at him. Now that he had this restriction, he needed to make plans in order to guarantee his victory.

This was an important battle for him.

He couldn't afford to lose.

"I understand, Your Excellency," William replied. "It will be as you say."

"Good. Now, run along now. There are still a few weeks to go before your fated battle. Be sure to do your best to win."

"I will do my best."

—---

Aamon watched as William disappeared from the Temple. The Half-Elf had used Soleil to instantly teleport to the Silverwind Academy after his meeting with the Patron God of the Kraetor Empire.

The Marquise of Hell lingered for a bit longer before he disappeared from the Temple. A few minutes later, he reappeared in Astrid's castle and found his twin drinking tea in the garden.

"I was a bit surprised, Brother," Astrid said as she placed her cup on the table. "I thought you were going to make things very hard for him, but you surprisingly held back on his next mission. Tell me, what made you change your mind?"

Aamon took the seat opposite his sister and casually picked up the teacup that was meant for him to drink. After taking a few sips of Astrid's special tea, he placed it back on the table before answering his twin.

"I didn't make things hard for him, this much is true," Aamon nodded. "This time, I made it fair. Lily came to visit me earlier, and threatened to whack me with a candy cane if I made the next test extremely difficult."

Lilith was Aamon's friend so he didn't want to burn bridges with her. Also, William had just come back from a difficult quest, so he decided to appease the Loli Goddess before ramping up the difficulty of the next quest.

Astrid frowned but she didn't say anything else. The fact that William had managed to clear the 51st Floor also made her raise her impression of the boy. In her mind, she reluctantly admitted that William had what it took to become her disciple's lover.

The two Gods drank their teas in silence. A minute later, both of them looked at the place where the Cycle of Reincarnation was located.

Both Gods frowned because they had heard it clearly.

The shattering of a world, and the destruction of one of the red portals that hung in the sky of the Cycle of Reincarnation.

"That's the Ninth one this Year," Aamon said as he placed his teacup back on the table. "Do those guys never take a vacation?"

Astrid sighed and continued to drink her tea.

"This is the cycle of Death and Rebirth," Astrid said softly. "Even Gods are not exempt from this rule."

Aamon reluctantly nodded his head. This was indeed a part of the cycle. But for some reason, he felt that there was more to this than met the eye.

The Gods of Destruction had been becoming very active as of late. Although they had faced staunch opposition in every world that they visited, they were still able to perform their duties without fail.

In this regard, Aamon only had admiration for them. But, deep inside, he also feared them.

He glanced at his sister, who was drinking her tea in a calm manner. If not for the fact that she was his twin, he wouldn't be able to notice the subtle changes in her mannerism and expression.

Aamon was about to say something, but held back at the last second. He knew that it was futile, so he decided to just keep his feelings to himself.

After finishing his drink, he bid his sister goodbye and returned to his palace in Hell, leaving Astrid alone in her thoughts.

"You can't fight the inevitable," Astrid said softly as she poured herself more tea, "but, the final struggle is still worth watching.. It is at the moment of death when life shines its brightest."

Chapter 673: I Have A Proposal To Make

As soon as William arrived in his room after his visit from Aamon's Temple, he found himself seized by three beautiful girls and kidnapped to the Thousand Beast Domain.

Princess Sidonie had been holding back because she knew that William had urgent things to attend to, but she had reached her limit. Because of this, she decided to take action and invited Ashe and Chiffon to cooperate with him.

Although she was jealous that the pink-haired girl had married William before her, there was nothing she could do about it. The rice had already been cooked, so the only thing she could do was to ensure that the next person that William would marry was her.

For that to happen, she had urged her grandfather, Emperor Leonidas, to publicly announce their wedding and ensure that the Half-Elf wouldn't be able to run away, even if he grew wings!

"Calm down, girls," William said after he was tossed to the bed like a tied up dumpling. "I'm not going anywhere. Let's do this properly, okay?"

Princess Sidonie didn't listen to him and pounced on him after transforming into a succubus. It had been more than a month since her Divinity was suppressed, and she was really at her limit.

Ashe and Chiffon didn't want to be left out, so they joined forces with Sidonie and attacked William, leaving him, and little Will, unable to form any kind of resistance.

A few hours later, the soft sleeping breaths of three beautiful girls permeated inside the room.

Princess Sidonie laid on William's left side and held his arm as she slept. Ashe laid on his right, and was holding his arm as well.

As for Chiffon? She laid on top of William with her head resting on his chest. The little glutton's drool pooled on William's chest as she slept with a satisfied expression on her face.

The Half-Elf was also sound asleep because his girls had squeezed him dry until Little Will fainted due to exhaustion.

He didn't resist his lovers' advances because he, too, wanted to spend time together with them. There were only a few weeks left before he needed to travel to the Savadeen Mountains, where the Headquarters of the Misty Sect was located.

Since Aamon had given him a condition, he needed to raise the levels of his Job Classes in the time he had left in order to prepare for any situation.

He was not aware of how strong Rebecca was, but he was sure that his opponent still hadn't reached the Saint Rank. As long as he wasn't fighting a Saint, William had the confidence to beat anyone in a one-on-one battle… with the exception of his sixth Master, Chloee.

—--

"Relax, with our Sect's treasured artifact, Rebecca will be able to boost her strength up to the Saint Rank in one go," the Sect Master assured the Elders of the sect. "Not only that, Her Excellency, Meredith, has agreed to our request. With her help, Rebecca's chances of winning have drastically increased."

All of the Elders of the Misty Sect nodded their heads. Some of them sighed in relief in their hearts because William's achievements gave them an invisible pressure that made them feel uncomfortable.

How could they possibly not feel pressured? Their Core Disciple was going to fight against the strongest prodigy of the young generation. All the powerful and influential factions in the continent were now preparing to visit their sect for their Founding Day.

Those that came from far away had started their journey a few weeks ago. This was to ensure that they wouldn't be late to the "entertainment" that they were expecting to see.

More than anything else, the Misty Sect didn't want to be the laughing stock of everyone in the Central Continent. This was something that they had to avoid no matter what!

"What is Rebecca's current rank?" Thea, the Sect Master of the Misty Sect, asked Eleanor.

Rebecca's Master had been paying close attention to Rebecca's progress and she was quite satisfied with her current rank.

"Right now, Rebecca has just broken through the 7th Circle," Eleanor replied. "She's currently stabilizing her rank in preparation for her duel with William."

(A/N: 7th Circle Magician is equivalent to the Adamantium / Centennial Rank. Take note that a mage is stronger than an ordinary warrior. If magicians were to fight with people with the same rank, their chances of winning were extremely high.)

Thea nodded her head. Although it didn't show on her face, she was also satisfied with Rebecca's development.

There were only a handful of individuals that could reach that rank in her age group, which proved that her magic prowess was truly outstanding.

"After she has stabilized her rank, hand her the Sect's artifact," Thea ordered. "Teach her how to use it properly, so she will be competent when she uses it in her duel."

Eleanor nodded her head. "Leave this task to me, Sect Master. I will not fail you!"

"As you should," Thea replied crispily. "Failure is not an option. Also, make sure to tell the Wardens to bring thirty High-Grade Snow Crystals, and spread them around the arena. That will strengthen the power of Ice Magic and ensure that Rebecca will have the upper hand."

"It will be done as you command," the Head Warden pledged. "Sect Master, I have a proposal to make."

Thea nodded. "Speak."

The Head Warden smiled as she gave her suggestion. "Since the battle is inevitable, how about we raise the stakes and coerce William to have a bet with us?"

Thea frowned but she still waited for the Head Warden to finish her explanation.

Seeing that everyone's attention was on her, the Head Warden was feeling ecstatic. She had only thought of this idea a few minutes ago, but the more she thought about it, the more appealing it was.

Because of this, she decided to make the proposal to Thea and see whether she would also consider this idea for the Sect's benefit.

"Let's ask him to make a bet with us," The Head Warden said. "If he wins then he can ask our Sect to do three things for him. Regardless of what it is, as long as it doesn't break our morals, we will agree to it.

"In return, if he loses then he would give us ownership of one of the Floors of Babylon that are currently under his command. Since we are doing our best to ensure Rebecca's victory, why not profit from it as well. What do you think, Sect Master?"

The Elders of the Misty sect were surprised by the Head Warden's boldness. Some of them gasped in shock, while others remained silent, contemplating the pros and cons of her proposal.

Thea was also moved by the Head Warden's words. Having a floor in the Tower of Babylon was akin to having an ownership of an entire Kingdom. If their Misty Sect could gain ownership of one then their prestige and status would rise among their peers.

"Let me think about this for a few days," Thea replied. "For now, let us end our meeting and resume our duties. I ask the Elders to supervise the preparations so that we won't be embarrassed in front of our guests.

"Head Warden, please, make sure that our security is enough to handle the influx of people and prevent anyone from committing any crimes during their stay. I authorize you to deal with criminals as you please."

The Elders and the Head Wardens nodded their heads before leaving the room. Thea remained behind as she pondered the possibility of owning one of the Floors of Babylon.

She didn't know how strong William was, but she was confident that the preparations they had in mind would be enough to deal with him.

Somewhere in the Aberdeen Mountains, a Majestic Creature briefly opened its eyes.

It was the Guardian of the Misty Sect, and a being that had been in the Central Continent for thousands of years.

After scanning its domain, it once again closed its eyes to sleep.

A powerful blizzard appeared out of nowhere and covered the mountains in a veil of white. For the members of the Misty Sect, the blizzard was a delightful sight.

To others, this scene was enough to make them tremble in fright. For the one that slept on top of the Aberdeen Mountains was a being of old.. No matter how fierce the blizzard blew, it was not afraid of the cold.

Chapter 674: The Amazons Are After Your Genes

When Gilbert discovered that William had suddenly appeared in the academy, he immediately notified Emperor Leonidas and Evexius of his arrival.

The two didn't waste any time and immediately went to the Silverwind Academy, but when they arrived, no traces of William, Ashe, Chiffon, or Princess Sidonie could be seen.

"Where is he?" Emperor Leonidas asked Gilbert who was waiting for their arrival.

Gilbert sighed and shook his head. "I don't know where he went. He met up with Princess Sidonie, and his retainer, Ian. I thought that they were just going to do some catching up, so I decided to give them some space. After a few hours, I went to look for him, but I couldn't find the three of them anywhere."

Emperor Leonidas frowned, but he felt like William would appear sooner or later, so he told Gilbert to keep his eye open, and wait for the boy to return to the academy.

Kenneth and Lilith also heard about the news and immediately went to the academy to look for him as well. However, they came out empty handed.

They were not aware that the Half-Elf was courageously fighting a battle with his girls in the Thousand Beast Domain, and was currently being peppered with attacks that would make all the young men in the Kraetor Empire green with envy.

Although Emperor Leonidas and Evexius left the academy, Kenneth and Lilith decided to stay. Since they were now official guests of the Kraetor Empire, Gilbert treated them well and assigned accommodations to the two of them while waiting for William.

The next day, William finally appeared in the academy.

Because of the world-wide announcements, all the students were aware of the feats that he had performed. The Professors of the academy had a meeting a day after the announcement, and decided to tell their students about the Tower of Babylon.

Originally, they thought that William's achievements were no big deal. However, after learning the history of the Tower and the 51st Floor, the red-headed teenager suddenly became their idol.

Gilbert was also very proud. Regardless of what anyone said, William was a student of his academy on paper.

What did this mean? This meant that the strongest young prodigy in the world was enrolled in his academy!

Hehehe! All of the other academies can fight for second place!

Because of this, he had applied for a raise in his salary, which made Emperor Leonidas roll his eyes. Still, the additional salary was approved which made the Half-Elf extra pleasing in Gilbert's eyes.

"You did well, William," Gilbert praised the boy who was seated in front of him. "You made the academy proud."

William smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you, Headmaster. The advice you gave me helped me a lot."

"I know," Gilbert replied with a smug expression on his face. "Without my help, you wouldn't have been able to achieve what you did."

William stared at the shameless old man with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He was merely acting humble, but the Headmaster had decided to toot his own horn, and praise himself for doing a good job.

I was just being polite, okay?

Why are you acting so smug? Are you the one that fought Belial?

William was very tempted to spit on the old man to bring him down a peg, but decided that it wasn't worth it.

Gilbert was still the Headmaster of the Academy, so he decided to let the old man be shameless for the time being.

"Where did you go yesterday?" Gilbert inquired. "His Majesty and his Excellency came here personally to see you, but you were nowhere to be found. I checked the monitoring devices of the Academy, but I didn't see you leave the academy. How did you do it?"

William cleared his throat because he remembered the embarrassing scene of him being pinned down by his three lovers. He was supposed to meet with Gilbert after visiting Aamon's Temple and thank him for his help, but he was kidnapped by Princess Sidonie.

"I had some pressing matters to attend to, so I decided to sneak out of the academy," William replied. "Did his Majesty say anything before he left?"

"Yes. He said that the two of you needed to talk, so don't leave the academy for the time being."

"Understood."

Gilbert was very curious, so he pestered William to tell him what the trial of the 51st Floor was like. The Half-Elf felt that it wouldn't hurt to tell Gilbert a few things about the Devil's Floor, so he narrated a tale of half truth and lies to the Headmaster of the Academy.

William didn't mention anything about him and Chiffon getting married. The little glutton said that they should keep it a secret for now. The only ones who knew were his lovers, his grandpa, Ezio, Vlad, and Celeste.

Chiffon didn't want the news to make its way to the Demonic Continent because she remembered that her father hated the surname Ainsworth. She only recalled this information after staying on the Floor of Asgard for a few weeks.

Of course, she also told William about this matter, but the latter only nodded his head. The Half-Elf didn't think that it was a big deal because he thought that his grandfather and Chiffon's dad had crossed each other's path in the past.

After having a near-death encounter with Cernunnos, the Half-Elf had a firm belief that his Grandpa had made a lot of enemies when he was young and still actively traveling the world of Hestia.

Also, William wasn't afraid of Chiffon's father. He already knew the bastard's name, and face, due to Chiffon's Heart Devil. The Half-Elf had added Luciel to the list of people that he would give a beating to in the future.

"You got lucky," Gilbert said as he eyed William with a serious expression. "If Chiffon wasn't there, your chance of winning would have been very slim."

William nodded his head in agreement. After experiencing first hand the power of Chiffon's Devour Divinity, the red-headed teenager realized that she was the bane of all Domain type territories.

As long as Chiffon opened her mouth, an entire floor would be swallowed whole. There was simply no way to block and run away from this attack. The only choice one had was to leave the floor as soon as possible, before they got sucked inside her mouth, never to appear again.

Gilbert then remembered something and chuckled. "Boy, be careful of the Amazon race. Their princess is here at the academy and is waiting for your appearance."

"Amazon Race?" William frowned. "Why should I be careful around them?"

He didn't remember having any conflict with the Amazon Race. He hadn't even met any of them during his travels, so Gilbert's warning made him tilt his head in confusion.

"You really don't know?" Gilbert asked before slapping his forehead. "I forgot you came from the Southern Continent. Very well, let me tell you something about the Amazons. This is a warrior race dominated by women. They are always in the lookout for strong individuals to invite to their Empire to mate with them.

"Right now, all the Amazons are after your genes. For them, you are the ideal candidate to sire the next generation of Amazon Warriors. One of their princesses is here at the academy. Her name is Lilith, and she is also the Champion of the tournament that ended a month ago."

William rubbed his chin as he pondered.

There was no doubt that this was a tricky subject.. Although he didn't want to have any conflicts with the Amazons, Gilbert's tone made him feel that the warrior race was hell bent on catching him, no matter what.

Chapter 675: Another Troublesome Character Has Appeared

After leaving Gilbert's office, William walked towards the boys dormitory. All the students that saw him looked at him with admiration, respect, envy, and jealousy.

William couldn't stop the corner of his lips from rising due to the attention he was receiving. However, since he was a refined, elegant, and charismatic person, he decided to act humble and pretend that he was not aware of their stares.

As he neared the boy's dormitory, he saw a familiar person blocking his path. Although it had been years since they last saw each other, William could easily identify the delicate looking boy who had once been his roommate when he was still in the Hellan Royal Academy.

William grinned as he walked towards Kenneth and gave him a hug.

Originally, Kenneth wanted to dodge, but realized that there was no reason for him to do that. In the end, he didn't resist William's friendly gesture, and allowed himself to be hugged.

William's hug lasted only for a few seconds before he pulled back, and looked at Kenneth's pointy ears.

"So, you are an Elf," William said softly.

Kenneth nodded and gave William an apologetic gaze. "Sorry for hiding my identity. I had my reasons for not telling you."

"Let's go to my room to talk. There are too many people paying attention to us."

"Okay."

William led the way and Kenneth followed behind him.

As they walked, Kenneth was paying close attention to William's movements. The Elf could feel a strength emanating from the Half-Elf's body, and his back seemed wider compared to the last time he saw him.

'He looks more dependable now,' Kenneth thought with a smile. 'I'm sure Master will be happy to hear what I have to say when I give her my report.'

After returning to the Silvermoon Continent, Kenneth's Family had ordered him to pay close attention to William. Among the candidates for the Prince of Darkness, William's name was currently at the top.

The Rayleigh Family ordered Kenneth to meet up with William and monitor him at all times. Since William and the Elves had a complicated relationship, only Kenneth was suitable for the job.

Kenneth naturally didn't reject this offer because William's mother, Lady Arwen, had also tasked him with passing on a letter to William. After the Elves' defeat at the Southern Continent, no one dared to provoke the Half-Elf any longer.

Even the King of the Elves had personally visited Arwen and had a private meeting with her. No one knew what they discussed, but after their talk had ended, the Saintess of the World Tree summoned Kenneth and asked him to personally deliver a message to William.

Also, Arwen insisted that Kenneth should stay by William's side for a year or two. Since this was a request from his Master, the silver-haired Elf had no objection and promised to do as he was told.

After entering the room, Kenneth noticed Ian and a pink-haired girl seated on the couch, holding a golden piglet in her hands.

The moment William entered the room, Chiffon stood up and walked towards him. William reached out and patted her head before walking towards the couch.

Once he was seated, Chiffon sat on his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. This intimate act made Kenneth frown, but he didn't say anything.

He had seen the tenderness in William's eyes when he looked at Chiffon and Kenneth assumed that the girl was someone important to his friend.

"Sit," William said as he made a gesture for Kenneth to sit on the couch across from him.

Kenneth sat obediently and stared at Chiffon with curiosity.

Seeing that his ex-roommate was paying close attention to the young lady in his arms, William decided to make an introduction.

"Chiffon, this is Kenneth. He was one of the officers in my Knight Order back in the Hellan Kingdom," William said. "Kenneth, this is my wife, Chiffon."

Ian, who was seated beside William, was tempted to say that she was his wife too, but decided to keep her silence.

Unlike William, she didn't trust Kenneth completely, so she had no intention of saying anything unnecessary to the race that tried to invade their kingdom.

Before Kenneth could even say something, a loud knock was heard on the door, which made everyone in the room stop what they were doing.

As William's retainer, Ian stood up and went to the door to see who it was.

A beautiful lady with sun-kissed skin gave Ian a refreshing smile, which made the latter close the door and lock it completely.

A few seconds later, a series of loud knocks ensued and Lilith's voice could be heard from outside the door.

"Open up! I just want to have a talk with him. Why are you treating me this way?" Lilith asked.

Ian didn't answer and pretended not to hear anything. She then returned to sit beside William as if nothing had happened.

"Who is it?" William asked. He was very curious about the identity of the person that was banging the door repeatedly.

"Just a greedy Amazon," Ian replied. "She's not important."

William only managed to say an "Oh" before shifting his gaze back to Kenneth. Although the red-headed teenager was curious, Gilbert had already warned him about the Amazons, so he decided to put Lilith aside for the time being.

Kenneth had an approving look on his face with how Ian treated Lilith. However, this approving look didn't last long before his gaze shifted once again to the pink-haired girl in William's embrace.

"She's your wife?" Kenneth decided to confirm whether William was just joking with him or not.

William nodded. "Yes, we got married in the Tower of Babylon."

The reason why William was telling this to Kenneth was because Ashe and Princess Sidonie had already told him that Kenneth was his mother's messenger. Since that was the case, he decided to not hide the fact that Chiffon was his wife.

This way, Kenneth could pass this information on to his mother. William didn't know how his mother would react to the news, but he was confident that once she met Chiffon, Arwen would definitely get along with her.

Kenneth was about to ask another question when the door of the room suddenly fell flat on the floor with a resounding thud.

"Did you honestly think that a simple door would be able to stop me?" Lilith entered the room with a confident smile plastered on her face. Her gaze landed on William and the smile on her face widened.

"You must be William," Lilith said while appraising the Half-Elf from head to foot. "Okay you pass. Come with me back to the Ares Empire. I will personally give birth to your babies."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the Amazon Princess' arrogant words. This was not the first time that someone had asked for his babies. Princess Sidonie had done the same, but Lilith's words held no room for rejection.

'Another troublesome character has appeared.' William sighed in his heart.

With the appearance of Kenneth and Lilith, William could already feel that he would once again find himself in a troublesome situation.

He already had many things on his plate, including his battle with Rebecca. He just didn't have the energy to deal with the smug-looking Amazon Princess who thought that she could drag him back to their Empire just because she felt like it.

Chapter 676: I Don’t Love You, But I Need You

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lilith," Lilith said. "I am the Fourth Princess of the Amazon Race. nice to meet you."

Lilith reached out her hand for a handshake, which William accepted.

"William," William replied as he shook Lilith's hand twice before letting go.

Lilith arched her eyebrows as she looked at the pink-haired girl beside William. Since she was one of the Seven Sins, it was quite easy for her to know that Chiffon was one of her "sisters".

This discovery caught her interest as she re-evaluated William. With a single glance, she could tell that the Half-Elf and the girl who was looking at her with curiosity had a close relationship.

"Sister, this is the first time we've met," Lilith stated. "May I know your name?"

Chiffon nodded as she introduced herself. "Chiffon Val Gremory."

Lilith smiled. She already knew that Princess Sidonie was William's fiance, and she held the Sin of Lust. What piqued the Amazon's interest was that aside from the lusty Princess, the Sin of Sloth was also an acquaintance of William.

According to Princess Sidonie, Kenneth was a messenger sent by William's mother, Arwen, to pass a message to him. Having two sins around a single person could still be considered a coincidence, but if you add the Sin of Gluttony to the equation it became obvious that William and the Seven Deadly Sins had some sort of invisible link between them.

After her initial statement, Lilith decided to probe further. Right now, William was her ideal candidate. The Half-Elf had good looks, he had good lineage, and the achievements he had were most satisfactory.

Also, for some reason, when she looked at William, she had a strong feeling that she was looking at a very greedy and shameless person. If he also had a domineering personality then he was the Prince Charming she was waiting for!

Lilith held back the strong urge to kidnap William and drag him back to the Amazonian Empire. For now, she decided to know more about him by asking a few questions. Looking at Chiffon, she could tell that the girl looked obedient, unlike Princess Sidonie who was hellbent to kick her out of the Kraetor Empire.

"May I ask what your relationship with William is?" Lilith asked Chiffon with a smile.

Chiffon didn't even blink when she gave her answer. "I am his wife."

"Congratulations, sister! You found yourself a good man."

"Thank you."

"Can I share him with you?" Lilith asked. "Don't worry. I will not challenge your position as main wife. I just want his genes…"

Chiffon's body stiffened. She then buried her face in William's chest because Lilith's gaze made her feel uncomfortable. The Amazon's eyes were similar to a gold digger who had found her sugar daddy. The moment she locked on someone, she wouldn't ever let go!

William's overprotectiveness kicked in as he hugged his wife. He then glanced at Lilith, and the latter gave him a flirtatious smile and a wink.

"Princess Lilith, sorry but I can't accompany you to the Amazon Empire," William replied. "I have many things that I need to do, and I just don't have any time to agree to your request."

Lilith chuckled. She was already expecting William's rejection, but she wasn't bothered by it. There had been many people who had proposed to her, and even tried to bring her to their own Empires by force, so she could understand where the Half-Elf was coming from.

"Don't worry, it doesn't have to be now." Lilith smiled sweetly. "I know you still have to go to the Misty Sect. I am free right now, so I will accompany you, and watch your battle with your childhood sweetheart."

"She's not my childhood sweetheart."

"Is that so? That's better. The less the love rivals around, the more chances I have to woo your heart."

The corner of William's lips twitched. The Half-Elf always thought that it would always be the guys who chased after beautiful girls. At least, that is what he had read in the stories back on Earth.

However, here in Hestia, it was the opposite. Princess Sidonie and Lilith were chasing after him.

"Do you like me?" William asked.

Lilith covered her lips and giggled. "Do you want an honest answer?"

"Of course."

"Okay."

Lilith sat properly and placed her hands over her lap. She then looked at William with a serious expression, her eyes looking straight at him.

"This is the first time we've met, so If you are going to ask me if I like you then the answer is no," Lilith stated. "However, that doesn't change the fact that right now, you are the most ideal candidate to become my partner.

"You have the looks, the talent, the background, and the prestige. Let's not talk about whether you are wealthy or not. Just the fact that you are the owner of several floors of the tower makes you richer than any Prince in the Central Continent."

Lilith leaned back on the couch and crossed one leg over the other.

"The Amazons are a warrior race. Naturally, we have feelings too," Lilith stated. "However, the majority of us set aside these feelings in order to pave the path for the next generation. Strength and power are the most important things to us, love and other reasons can fight for second place.

"To cut it short, no, I don't love you, but I need you. You are the most ideal partner for me. I don't care if you are married, or how many wives you have. What I need from you is your seed, so I can give birth to the strongest Amazon that will carry my race to a better and brighter future."

William could feel Lilith's sincerity and his impression of her grew by a notch. Even Ian, Chiffon, and Kenneth, couldn't keep themselves from admiring her boldness. While the four people were looking at her in a new light, the seriousness in Lilith's face disappeared and was replaced by a carefree expression.

"Although I said all that, that doesn't mean that I am not immune to love." Lilith eyed William with sparkling eyes. "I am the Sin of Greed. Just looking at you is enough for me to see gold coins jumping up and down. If you and I get married, wouldn't that mean that I'll be swimming in riches? I don't even have to work. I can even retire at the age of twenty!"

William's good impression of Lilith immediately disappeared. He was the type to leech and scam others, but the Sin of Greed was the professional in this regard.

The atmosphere inside the room became awkward, as Lilith stared at William as if he was a sack of gold coins waving at her, practically begging her to take him away.

Before anyone could even say anything to break the stalemate, another person entered the room. She glared at Lilith as if she was a thieving cat who planned to steal her lollipop.

"You've already talked to William, now scram!" Princess Sidonie declared as she stood between William and Lilith.

Clearly, she had no intention of sharing William with another sinner.. Especially if the sin that they carried was Greed.

Chapter 677: Darling, She Bullied Us

Lilith stared at Princess Sidonie with a smirk. Ever since she had decided to stay at the Kraetor Empire, the Princess of Freesia had been aloof and avoided her like a plague.

However, now that William had returned, Princess Sidonie was like a mother hen protecting her egg from getting snatched by a greedy snake.

The two stared at each other. One was shooting daggers, the other, calm as a lake. After some time, a mischievous smile appeared on Lilith's face as she raised her hand and made a snatching move in the air.

"This is quite beautiful," Lilith said as she admired the item on her hand. "A collar made of Mithril? Such an intricate design. I wonder how much I could sell it for?"

Princess Sidonie's hand immediately moved to her neck. After sensing that the collar was no longer there, she immediately tried to snatch the collar on Lilith's hand, but the latter was quite agile and moved out of the way.

"Give that back to me!" Princess Sidonie shouted.

For her, the collar was her connection to William. It was her wedding ring, and an artifact that signified that she belonged to William. For her, it was the most important treasure in her possession and having it snatched away from her made her panic.

"I don't wanna." Lilith stuck her tongue out before sprinting out of the room. Since the door was already destroyed, there was no barring her way from running away.

"Give that back to me!" Princess Sidonie roared as she ran after Lilith.

The Amazon turned her head and laughed out loud as she ran like the wind. As a warrior, her physical prowess surpassed the Princess', who specialized in schemes and deceit. It didn't take long for her to leave her pursuer in the dust and leave the boy's dormitory.

Suddenly, Lilith's sixth sense warned her that something deadly was coming at her from behind.

The Amazon immediately jumped to the side, just in time to see a purple fireball decimate the place she had been running a moment ago.

Lilith frowned when she saw a beautiful lady whose hair fluttered in the breeze. Two batlike wings flapped behind her back, and two small horns protruded on her head.

A serpentine tail could be seen dangling behind her back, and her golden eyes were looking at the Amazon Princess with a murderous intent.

'I guess I really angered her this time,' Lilith thought as she looked at the Princess that had unleashed her power without caring about the consequences. 'Still, this is a good opportunity to see how strong she is.'

Lilith's expression became serious as several crystal swords appeared around her. She had also activated her Divinity and was planning to battle Sidonie when a hand pressed on her shoulder from behind.

"That's enough," a firm, yet unyielding voice said. The owner of the voice clearly implied that there was no room for negotiation. It even had a subtle killing intent that made Lilith's heart skip a beat.

Lilith frowned and turned her head. It had been a long time since someone had ordered her around. She wanted to see just who the idiot was who dared to touch her so casually. Those who had tried to do the same to her in the past had already turned into crystal statues.

A pair of clear, light-green eyes met hers. They were calm on the surface, but Lilith saw a glimpse of a storm hidden in their depths.

A storm that would devastate her if she did something funny.

"The collar," William stated. "Give it to me. That belongs to my lover."

Lilith's first reaction was to brush his hand away, but her battle sense was screaming at her to not do anything rash. William was not releasing an aura or activating any kind of power, but there was an invisible suppression that weighed on her like a mountain.

The Amazon didn't like this feeling. She didn't like being suppressed by others, because she had a rebellious heart. Even her mother, Empress Andraste, had trouble controlling her. However, right now, her intuition was telling her that if she didn't give this handsome Half-Elf the collar in her hands, she would regret it for life.

"… Here," Lilith replied as she obediently passed the collar to William.

William took the collar from her hand and smiled.

"Thank you," William removed the hand that was resting on Lilith's shoulder.

Immediately, the pressure that had been holding her in place disappeared without a trace. It was as if she was just imagining things.

William walked towards the succubus who was still glaring at Lilith from the sky.

"Come down, Morgana," William said. "It's over. There's no need to escalate the situation."

The beautiful succubus glared at Lilith one last time before descending towards the ground.

"Darling, she bullied us," Morgana complained.

"It's okay," William coaxed the disgruntled succubus as he gently placed the collar back on her neck. "I love you."

William then kissed Morgana's lips catching her by surprise. The succubus froze for a brief moment before returning William's kiss.

Several students, who had been alarmed due to the explosion, watched the Half-Elf and the beautiful Princess kiss without a care in the world.

The girls' felt their cheeks redden because for them, William was the most popular teenager in the continent right now.

The boys, on the other hand, wanted to curse out loud and swap places with William.

Bruh, if you want to kiss then go find a room and kiss. Can't you give us single people any mercy? We want that kind of action, too!

Sensing that more people were gathering around the surroundings, William was the first to back off. He then lightly pinched Morgana's cheek before whispering something in her ear. The latter had already undone her transformation, so no one was able to see her succubus form.

She then gave Lilith the grin of a victor before dragging William away with a big smile on her face.

Lilith watched this scene with a calm expression on her face, but deep inside her heart, a storm was raging.

She placed a hand over her chest in order to help calm her wildly beating heart. Several complicated emotions stirred in her being. There was surprise, anger, and jealousy, but what confused her was the feeling of being dominated.

Lilith had long joked with her mother that she wanted to have a dominating man that could conquer her heart, body, and soul. However, these were just mere words because she didn't believe that such a man would appear in her life.

For some reason, Lilith felt scared. She was afraid because, in that brief moment when William's hand was on her shoulder, she felt powerless. It was as if her power had abandoned her, and it made her feel weak, alone, and exposed to the world.

It was a very unnerving feeling and it made her feel insecure.

After calming her emotions, she left the scene with hurried steps and headed towards the residence where she had been staying in the academy.

William's voice and gaze still lingered in her mind. A part of her wanted to scream and repel the fear and weakness in her heart. The other half wanted to explore these new feelings that were making her feel unstable.

She believed that once she understood what these feelings meant, she would be able to break free from her current realm, and soar to greater heights.

"William Von Ainsworth," Lilith muttered.. "You jerk."

Chapter 678: The Amazon Princess’ Pride And Dignity

Lilith tossed and turned from the bed. She was unable to sleep.

The incident that happened a few hours ago was still fresh from her mind.

"The collar. Give it to me. That belongs to my lover."

Everytime she closed her eyes to sleep, she would hear William's voice.

She would see William's face.

She would see that smile, that made her heart skip a beat.

Lilith knew that she wasn't in love with William. She was as certain of that as the fact that the sun would rise up from the East when she woke up in the morning.

"There is something wrong with him," Lilith thought as she hugged her pillow. "I am a strong warrior. However, just a few words from him were enough to make me feel fearful. This is unheard of."

Lilith thought long and hard about why she had that reaction to William during that time. She could still remember his eyes. Those clear eyes that stared at her was something she wouldn't forget.

There was power within their depths, and although they were clear and bright, the Amazon could have sworn that she had caught a glimpse of darkness inside them.

After tossing and turning for another hour, she sat upright on the bed, closed her eyes, and meditated.

Several minutes later, she found herself in a place surrounded with glittering treasures. It was a treasure house that held immeasurable wealth that seemed to have no end.

In the center of it all was a golden throne. There sat an ethereal beauty with long blonde hair, and golden eyes that looked back at Lilith in a teasing manner.

"Come, My Daughter," the Goddess raised her hand in a welcoming gesture. "What troubles you, My Dear?"

Lilith didn't give the lady any reply. Instead, she ran towards her and buried her head in the Goddess' bountiful chest.

The blonde beauty chuckled as she patted Lilith's head. She didn't say anything else and simply allowed her daughter to regain her calm.

"Godmother, what do I do?" Lilith asked as she looked up at the Goddess with uncertainty. "I think I made a blunder."

"It's about that boy, William, right?"

"Yes."

Mammon, the Goddess of Wealth, smiled as she lovingly pinched Lilith's cheeks.

"You don't have to worry about him," Mammon said with a smile. "He's a shameless bastard whose greed knows no bounds. If he was born a girl, there is a high chance that he might have been born with the Sin of Greed, and not you."

Lilith pouted. She knew that Mammon was just teasing her, but she still felt an ache in her heart because there was really a high possibility that William might have taken her place if the Half-Elf had been born a girl.

Mammon giggled as she looked at the pouting Amazon in front of her.

"What's wrong? He's just a Half-Elf," Mammon commented. "Don't tell me that my daughter can't even beat him black and blue before dragging him to your bed. You're losing your touch, Lilith."

Lilith frowned. "For some reason, I have a feeling that I can't use force when dealing with him."

"Haven't you always used force to get your way? Why change your tactics now?"

"Because he is different. He's not like the other boys I've met before."

After regaining her calm, Lilith finally understood why she held complicated feelings towards William. It was because the Half-Elf's achievements were so high.

Lilith was the tournament Champion. She should have held the title of the strongest prodigy in the world, but just one Divine Announcement was enough to make all of her efforts become lackluster.

Deep inside, Lilith was unresigned to this kind of treatment. She wanted to be the one who was in control, especially in a relationship. In the past, Lilith had vowed that she would only mate with a person that was stronger than her. Someone who could beat her in a direct confrontation in order to gain her recognition.

However, after experiencing the tournament, her arrogance grew. Although she had met several strong opponents, of them were her match. This feeling of incompleteness made her think that there wasn't a single person who could match her prowess.

That was, until she had met William.

Even so, she didn't love him.

Sure, she had a good impression of him, and could even say that she was attracted to him to a certain extent, but that was all. He was the most ideal partner among the young generation. It was this belief that made Lilith wait for him in the Kraetor Empire.

However, after discovering that several members of the Seven Deadly Sins had a connection with William, she felt that something was extremely unusual. In the history of the continent, there had never been someone that was able to gather more than two members of the Seven Sins to their side.

Among the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed was the most sensitive of all. Lilith had felt the mark of Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, and even one more sin on William's body, which caught her completely by surprise. If she added herself in the equation, there would be Five Sins that were already in William's faction.

"He's a dangerous person," Lilith said while looking up at her Patron God. "He's collecting the Sins of the World."

"You're right. He's a greedy little bastard." Mammon nodded her head in agreement. "This is why I like him. So, what do you plan to do? Are you still going to choose him as your mate? Or will you look for another?"

Lilith sighed. "I think I'm overthinking things. Sloth is just a friend of his. Also, I still don't know if that silver-haired Elf is really a boy or a girl. He's a weirdo, that's for sure."

Mammon giggled. There was a tacit agreement between the Gods of the Deadly Sins. Since all of them were in the same faction, there were times when they could work together to achieve a certain goal.

However, there was still the rule of privacy, and they were not allowed to share the private life of their daughters to others.

Mammon was well aware of Kenneth's circumstance. Even if she loved her own daughter, there were some secrets that she couldn't share with her.

"Lilith, I have a suggestion," Mammon said while patting Lilith's head. "For now, settle your dispute with the Maiden of Lust."

"But, she's annoying," Lilith stated. "She's nothing more than a b*tch in heat, so I decided to teach her a lesson. I just didn't expect that Lord William would interfere."

The corner of Mammon's lips curled up. "Lord William? You're already calling him your Lord?"

"Everyone is calling him Sir or Lord." Lilith shrugged. "I just decided to follow the trend. That way, I will leave a good first impression."

Mammon arched an eyebrow. "And, did you succeed? Did you give him a good impression?"

Lilith quieted down. She wanted to say yes, but the earlier incident made her unsure. Deep inside, she was regretting giving into her impulse and stealing Princess Sidonie's collar. She wasn't expecting that it was very important to the Succubus Princess, to the point that she would attack her like a rabid dog.

Lilith always thought that Princess Sidonie was merely using the collar on her neck as an accessory. Like a trinket that she could toss aside on a whim. While she was aware of the tradition of the Kraetor Royal Family, she thought that it was simply a farce.

Who would want to wear a slave collar? Only fools would do that. Losing your freedom, and having someone have control over your life was a scary thing. Lilith didn't want to be shackled. She didn't want to be tamed, or domesticated.

Her pride and dignity wouldn't allow it.

She wouldn't allow it.

The Amazon Princess closed her eyes to recall the Succubus' expression when William returned the collar to her neck.

As someone who was sensitive to the emotions of other people, she was able to feel Princess Sidonie's relief, happiness and, to a certain extent, her love for William.

For a brief moment, Lilith imagined what it would be like to have Sidonie's collar on her neck. Would she have the same expression on her face?

Lilith didn't know the answer, and she was not interested in becoming William's slave to know the answer. She was an Amazon Warrior.

If she wanted something, there was only one way to get it, and that was to fight for it.

Chapter 679: I Am Not The Prince Of Darkness

William's return to the Kraetor Empire had spread far and wide. Several high-ranking nobles had decided to visit the academy to form connections with him.

Emperor Leonidas and Evexius had ordered Gilbert to ban these nobles from entering the academy in order to not create a commotion. They had already talked to William and the latter agreed to hold a conference at a later date to discuss his experiences in the Tower of Babylon.

Of course, The Emperor, and the Grand Archmage had pestered William to tell them the full account of what happened in the 51st Floor. When the two men heard the Half-Elf's story, both of them looked at him in admiration.

However, there was one big problem and that was his marriage with Chiffon. In truth, Emperor Leonidas had no problem with it. In fact, he was even happy for the pink-haired girl.

Chiffon's mother, April, was once Emperor Leonidas' close friend. If not for the fact that his family had firmly warned him not to take her as his lover, things might have taken a different turn. Unfortunately, there were no If's, and the news of April's death had saddened him greatly.

His concern was mostly due to Chiffon's background. Her father held a very high position in the Demon Continent, and he might not take the news of her marriage lightly.

'Well, it doesn't matter,' Emperor Leonidas thought. 'Chiffon's happiness is more important than Luciel's anger.'

Emperor Leonidas was not afraid of Luciel's retaliation. If that darned demon really wanted to settle his accounts with him then the latter needed to leave the Demon Continent first. Knowing Luciel's attitude, he wouldn't dare leave his territory anytime in the future.

The politics in the Demon Continent were complicated. Some were even thinking of staging a civil war to overthrow his reign. Because of this, Luciel didn't have the time nor support to recruit sufficient manpower to threaten the Kraetor Empire.

'Still, I need to marry Sidonie to him as soon as possible,' Emperor Leonidas thought. 'A month after his battle at the Misty Sect should give us enough time to prepare. I just pray that the Amazon Princess will not get in the way…'

Since Lilith was Empress Andraste's daughter, and a guest in their Empire. He needed to give her some face.

'I just hope she won't do anything stupid like kidnapping William and dragging him back to the Amazon Empire,' Emperor Leonidas mused. Although this possibility was slim, the possibility still existed.

After having a lengthy talk with William, Emperor Leonidas and Evexius returned to the Royal Palace to make the necessary preparations.

—–

"This is a bit troublesome," William muttered after he finished reading the handwritten letter from his mother, Arwen. "I'm one of the possible candidates to become the Prince of Darkness?"

After the defeat of the Elven Army, all the families that had been involved in the attack suffered severe repercussions from the Elven Council.

The Elders that belonged to these families were kicked out from the Council, and were banned from entering for the next five hundred years. Elves may have a long lifespan, but the loss of political power was a heavy blow to these families.

Also, it would take tens of thousands of years before these Elven Clans would be able to regain their peak strength. The reproduction of Elves wasn't as fast as the human race, and they had lost a lot of people in this war.

This made William the mortal enemy of these families, but of them dared to seek revenge. They had already seen what William was capable of. If not for the fact that he had spared the Elven Women, the number of survivors might have only numbered in the hundreds.

Still, that didn't mean that the Elves would not keep an eye on him. As someone that was a candidate to become the Prince of Darkness, William was a lethal threat to their continued existence.

"Are you the Prince of Darkness?" Kenneth asked with a serious expression.

William snorted as he carefully stored Arwen's letter. "Prince of Darkness? As if."

"Big Brother, Prince of Darkness sounds cool," Chiffon said with a smile.

"Then, would you be my Princess of Darkness?"

"Un!"

Kenneth sighed as he shook his head helplessly. He could tell that William wasn't taking things seriously. Even so, he sincerely wished that William wasn't the Prince in the prophecy. Even though the Elves were currently afraid of antagonizing him, at the first sign of him turning into the prophesied Prince, they would throw all caution into the wind and unite to kill him.

William had a carefree expression on his face, but deep inside he had his doubts. When he was young, he had once fought side by side with Est, Ian, and Isaac at the Test of Courage.

Back then, he had been forced to activate the power of the collar of Wisteria. This allowed him to use the Prestige Class, Prince of Darkness, for a short period of time. William would be lying if he said that the possibility didn't exist, but he wasn't too worried about it.

His mother was the Saintess of the Elven Race. Even though he didn't get along with the Elves, that didn't mean that he would wish for their demise.

"Don't worry, I am not the Prince of Darkness," William said firmly. "I mean, do I look like an edgy character?"

"Yes." Kenneth nodded. "Very edgy."

The corner of William's lips twitched as he looked at his old roommate.

Bruh, there are some things that you shouldn't say.

Did you forget the time that I poked your face while you were sleeping in our dormitory room?

William sighed and sat down on his desk. He ignored Kenneth for the time being and started to write a letter to reply to his mother. Aside from Arwen's warning, she also told him that the King of the Elves would send a delegation headed by the Elven Princess, Princess Eowyn, to find him in the future.

The purpose of their visit was to mediate, and fix the rift between William and the Elven Race. This was the King's own way to atone for his inability to stop the war in the Southern Continent.

After writing his letter, he sealed it up properly and handed it to Kenneth.

"Send this message back to my mother," William said. "Also, send her my regards when you go back to the Silvermoon Continent."

Kenneth accepted the letter and frowned. "I will send this letter back to Master, but who told you I was going back to the Silvermoon Continent?"

"You're not?"

"No."

This time, it was William's turn to frown. He thought that Kenneth was only here as a messenger, and would return to the Silvermoon Continent after he received his reply. Looking at the expression on Kenneth's face, he could tell that the latter wasn't lying.

"Then, what are your future plans?" William asked.

Kenneth smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Master told me to watch over you and ensure that you don't get into trouble. The Amazon Princess had already set her eyes on you, so she is bound to make her move soon. Don't worry. As long as I'm around, you'll be safe from her clutches."

William scratched his cheek as he stared at the delicate looking elf in front of him. He was very tempted to tell Kenneth that he had lost the battle against Lilith, so his words didn't sound too convincing.

Of course, for the sake of world peace, the Half-Elf didn't say his thoughts out loud.. He could only sigh in his heart because of his unusual relationship with the members of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Chapter 680: Look For Someone Smart, And Trustworthy

William was busy adjusting the power of his Flame of Purification, while tossing things inside the Yin Yang Cauldron.

Today was the day that the Grand Conference would be held inside the academy. This Conference would be attended by Emperor Leonidas, as well as the high-ranking members of the nobility of the Kraetor Empire.

Of course, there were some special guests like the Ambassadors of the different Empires, Kingdoms, who wanted to see the Legendary Half-Elf who had accomplished the impossible.

In truth, William had no intention of meeting them face to face. Because of this, he decided to craft a special potion called the Phony Juice Potion.

After seeing that the concoction is almost finished, William summoned a small dagger in order to take a drop of his blood to add to the potion. This was the first time that he made this potion, so he was looking forward to its effects.

A few minutes later, the potion was finally done. He scooped it inside a vial and shook it properly.

"Looks good," William said with appreciation.

—-

< Phony Juice Potion >

"What were you expecting, Pumpkin Juice?"

– Anyone who drinks this potion will transform into a perfect replica of the person whose blood is added to the potion.

– The effect of the transformation will last for an hour.

—–

"WIth this, I won't have to personally go to that conference." William chuckled evilly. "I'm a genius!"

Because of Kenneth's and Lilith's presence in the academy, William decided to lie low and hide in the Thousand Beast Domain. Right now, he wanted to challenge the Dungeon of Atlantis, and raise the level of his Job Classes.

The Half-Elf didn't want to use his Einherjar Job Class as much as possible because of the risk of losing his memories. Although his past life was tragic, it was filled with wonderful memories, so he didn't want to lose them.

"Do they really think that just because they wanted to see me, any Dick, Tom, and Harry can just come to the academy and demand my presence?" William snorted. "This Sir is busy. I have no time for socializing!"

The three Phony Juice Potions in his hand glowed in a golden light. Clearly, they were high-quality potions, and William was very proud of himself for succeeding on his first try.

"Now I just need to find some test subjects, I mean helpers, and I'll be free." William smirked before leaving the alchemy room.

Albert, William's no-good Fifth Master, was sleeping on the couch. Just a single glance was enough to tell William that his Alchemist Master had a colorful night because of the strong scent of womanly perfume on his body.

After discovering that Wiliam had already arrived at the academy, Albert had tried to drag him to the red-light district a day ago to have some fun. It was his way of celebrating William's coming of age, and even declared that he would shoulder all of the expenses.

It was quite unfortunate that Chiffon, Ian, Princess Sidonie, and Kenneth were with him when Albert showed up. Because of the deathly stares that were directed at Albert's body, the Alchemist decided to make a strategic retreat and went to the Red Light District without William.

William left Albert's residence and hurried back to his dormitory room. The Conference would be happening in two hours, and he wanted to escape as soon as possible.

Currently, Princess Sidonie and Ian were doing something together. Kenneth and Lilith had been given VIP seats in the conference room, so they weren't around for the time being.

After Lilith's and Princess Sidonie's incident, the Amazon Princess didn't show herself in front of William again. He didn't know if Lilith was only lying low for the time being, or the latter had completely given up on him.

In any case, William preferred to stay as far away from the greedy Amazon as possible. One look at Lilith and William could tell that she, him, and James, were the same type of people. If James were to see Lilith, the old coot would definitely ask her the question.

"Are you perhaps one of my long lost granddaughters? I can tell that the blood of bandits runs deep in your veins."

William chuckled at this thought. He had thrown all responsibilities to James and left the Tower of Babylon. He didn't feel guilty doing so because he knew that James had come to the tower for the sole purpose of guarding their family's possessions.

As long as the old bandit took the helm, no other bandits would be able to even touch a single gold coin from their family's purse. In fact, these bandits would even lose their own money if they dared to come within his reach!

"Welcome back, Big Brother," Chiffon greeted William as soon as he entered the room.

William planted a kiss on her cheeks before handing her one of the potions in his hand.

"Chiffon, I need a favor," William said. "Look for someone smart, and trustworthy in the Thousand Beast Domain and let them drink this. This potion is called the Phony Juice Potion. Anyone who drinks it will transform into me for an hour.

"Take the 'fake' me to the conference room, and let him answer the questions of the nobility. I will go to the Dungeon of Atlantis to play a bit. After the conference is over, you can come and join me."

Chiffon obediently nodded her head.

"Look for someone smart, and trustworthy. Bring them to the conference room to answer questions," Chiffon repeated William's words. "Leave this to me, Big Brother. I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't." William patted her head lovingly before disappearing. He didn't want to take any chances, so he decided to leave while he still could. If Emperor Leonidas or Evexius suddenly came knocking on his door, it would be too late to escape then.

Chiffon looked at the potion for a while and pondered for a bit.

"Someone smart, and trustworthy…," Chiffon muttered.

A few seconds later, she made up her mind and called for one of the smartest, and trustworthy friends she currently had.

"B1, come!" Chiffon said.

Immediately, a portal appeared and a red bird flew out of it. After encircling the room once, B1 landed in front of Chiffon and looked at her with curiosity.

"B1, I need your help." Chiffon started to explain William's errand to him and the bird nodded its head in understanding.

"You looked for the right person, i mean, right bird." B1 used its right wing to pat its chest with confidence. "This is a piece of cake to me."

Chiffon smiled and nodded her head. She praised herself for choosing the right bird for the job.

—-

Two hours later…

The conference room was already crowded with people. Nobles, students, professors, and other influential figures had gathered to witness William's interview.

Emperor Leonidas and Evexius were also there to show their presence, and give their support to William.

Gilbert scanned the crowd, and decided to start the interview session. He rose from his seat and stood on the platform to address everyone in the room.

"We are gathered here today to witness the birth of a Legend," Gilbert said. "A student of our academy had done the impossible, and he had agreed to come here today to answer everyone's questions. Without further delay, allow me to present to you, William Von Ainsworth!"

A thunderous applause followed his announcement, and cheers erupted from the crowd.

It was also at that moment when a handsome Half-Elf walked from the backdoor of the conference room. William waved and smiled at the crowd, which made the cheering louder.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, Kenneth, and Lilith were seated at the front row seats and eyed the red-headed teenager who had a smug expression on his face.

"William" didn't pay any attention to them and headed to the raised platform. He was wearing a princely black uniform, and it highlighted the color of his hair and eyes. Some of the girls squealed when William entered the room.

The Half-Elf glanced at the girls and gave them a playful wink which made them giggle in their seats. These exchanges didn't escape the high-ranking nobles of the Kraetor Empire and their plan of honey-trapping William was reignited in their minds.

After a while, the applause ended, and the Half-Elf nodded his head in acknowledgement

"Good day everyone," William said with a devilish smile on his face. "Nice to meet all of you…

"You filthy Motherf*ckers."

Chapter 681: What Are You Looking At B*tch?

"Nice to meet all of you… You filthy Motherf*ckers."

The once lively conference room immediately quieted down after hearing William's words.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, Kenneth, and Lilith looked at William in confusion. The same could be said for Emperor Leonidas, Evexius, and Gilbert. They never expected the Half-Elf to give such a "strong" opening greeting to the people who had come to see him.

Only Chiffon, who was seated beside Princess Sidonie, looked calm. She even had a smile on her face as she softly patted Bacon's head, who was resting on her lap.

"Shall we start the interview?" William asked. "I'm a busy person. I will appreciate it if you F*ckers don't waste my time."

The corner of Gilbert's lips twitched. As the Headmaster of the Academy, he felt embarrassed because he had spread the news that William was the most talented student under his wing.

He even said that the Half-Elf was very polite and respectful to other people. Now that the bastard was spouting profanity left and right, he felt that he was about to have a migraine.

Gilbert had no choice but to diffuse the situation and stood beside William.

"William is still a little tired from his journey," Gilbert said. "Forgive him for being cranky. I forced him to have an interview."

William snorted as he gave Gilbert a sidelong glance.

"At least you know that you were the one in the wrong," William replied. "Next time, don't bother me with this nonsense."

Gilbert smiled as he placed his hands behind his back. He was afraid that if he didn't clasp them together, he might slap the red-headed teenager silly for being a stupid wingman.

Boy, what the f*ck?

How could you do this to me, bro?

I'm doing this for you, you ungrateful bastard!

The Headmaster of Silverwind Academy was starting to regret hosting the conference. If he only knew that William would be this snarky, he would have just stayed in his office and done paperwork.

"Any questions?" William asked.

In the second row of the conference room, a pretty lady in her early twenties raised her hand.

William nodded his head and made a gesture for her to ask her question.

"According to what I heard, the 51st Floor has been known to be unconquerable. Sir William, how did you manage to clear it?" the pretty lady asked.

This was the question that had been on everyone's mind, and they were dying to know how the handsome Half-Elf had been able to overcome the impossible.

"The 51st Floor is indeed a very difficult floor to clear," William answered. "The Guardian of this Floor had broken the taboo and actively tampered with the trial. Anyone that had stepped on this floor would be besieged by countless bloodsucking creatures.

"Once they were reduced to a weakened state, the Guardian would then use his authority to forcefully take their consciousness into a dreamworld. In that illusionary world, the person's greatest fears, sadness, loneliness, and other negative emotions will be magnified until they were overcome by their Heart Devil."

William paused for a moment to help the listeners digest the information he had given them. When he felt that the time was right to continue, he finished the rest of his explanation.

"Once the heart devil reached its maturity, that person became a lifeless puppet and his heart would be eaten by the Guardian.," William explained. "The stronger the person, the more power the Guardian was able to absorb. Belial, the Guardian of the 51st Floor, intended to break the shackle that bound him to the floor.

Although I am not a hundred percent certain, I believe that he wanted to escape the tower and become an Overlord in the Central Continent. Fortunately, I arrived and prevented his plan from succeeding."

The listeners were shocked by William's narration of the events that had happened in the Tower. Because of this, their impression of William rose to a higher level, and they had already forgotten the profanities he had hurled at them earlier.

"Thank you for answering," the pretty lady smiled sweetly. Suddenly an idea came to her head. She knew that her chances were slim, but she still decided to give it a try. "Sir William, you are my idol! Can I have your babies?"

William flipped his hair before raising his chin arrogantly.

"B*tch, fall in line like everyone else." William snorted. "The number of girls that want to have my babies are as numerous as the stars in the sky. Wait for your turn."

Instead of being intimidated, the pretty lady even winked back at William. She didn't mind his arrogant behavior. In fact, she loved it! Several beautiful ladies inside the conference room even used this opportunity to give William some flirtatious glances.

Clearly, they didn't take William's words to heart. Strong individuals had the right to become arrogant, and for them, the handsome Half-Elf had the qualifications to be arrogant.

"Next question," William scanned the crowd. "I don't have all day."

Another person raised his hand, but this time, it was a First Year Student of the academy.

"Those who manage to clear the unconquered floors of the tower become the owner of that floor, am I right?" the First Year Student asked.

William nodded. "That's right."

"Then, how come you became the owner of the other floors as well? The world-wide announcement even said that the previous families were exiled from the Tower. What exactly happened? Is this a special privilege that you got from conquering the 51st Floor?"

While the First Year Student was asking his question, William was busy combing his hair and looking at the mirror. This act made the corner of Princess Sidonie's, Ian's, and Kenneth's lips twitch.

They knew that William was narcissistic, but they didn't expect him to be this carefree during an interview, where there are countless eyes looking at him.

Lilith raised an eyebrow as she eyed the red-headed teenager in front of her.

Perhaps it was only a coincidence, but William seemed to have sensed Lilith's gaze and glanced at her direction. Although he didn't say anything, his expression was saying. "What are you looking at, B*tch?"

Before Lilith could even react to William's contemptuous stare, the Half-Elf shifted his attention to the First Year who had asked him a question.

"There is no special privilege," William answered. "Those ruling families were kicked out of the tower because I didn't like how they treated the challengers of the Tower. It was one thing for the challengers to fail, but those who did were captured and turned into slaves.

"I don't tolerate slavery and human traficking. Since that is the case, I blackmaile–, negotiated with the Guardians and had them expelled from the Tower. Those Motherf*ckers had it coming to them the moment I conquered the 51st Floor."

"I see, thank you for the answer," the First Year said with a look of admiration. "Sir William, you're my Idol as well. Once I graduate from the academy, I wish to be as amazing as you."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to dream." William nodded. "Although you can't be as handsome and as amazing as me, you can still fight for second place. Don't be like Prince Jason, that b*tch is a no-good bastard that only knows how to covet the wife of others. Don't be like him. He is a disgrace to the Kraetor Empire."

Fortunately, Prince Jason wasn't in the conference room and was saved from William's slander.

Unfortunately, the rest of the members of the Royal Family were there, including Princess Vanessa, who was glaring daggers at William for throwing dirt on her beloved's name.

Even the smile on Emperor Leonidas' face stiffened because of William's disregard for the member of the Royal Family. In the end, he just sighed in his heart and turned a blind eye to the Half-Elf's words.

The Emperor knew full well that Prince Jason was indeed in love with Princess Sidonie. However, he couldn't allow his feelings to come to fruition.

Now that William's fame had traveled far across the land, the Emperor had also become firm in his decision to marry Princess Sidonie to the Half-Elf whose prestige couldn't be ignored.

Several more questions were asked, and William answered them with eloquence. Of course, he would insert a few profanities here and there, but after a few rounds of snarky replies, everyone had already gotten used to it.

The reason why B1 was able to answer all the questions properly was due to the fact that he was Chiffon's Beast Companion.

They shared a connection and were able to talk to each other via telepathy. Chiffon provided the answers, and B1 twisted it to his own language.

If only William was there to see the dumb bird ruin his reputation, he would have definitely summoned a lightning bolt and ended the blabbermouth for spouting profanities left and right.

Chapter 682: Elliot’s And Conan’s Teamwork

A deafening screech echoed in the enclosed battlefield on the 70th Floor of the Atlantis Dungeon, announcing the arrival of the Boss Monster, Scylla.

This monster was a ten-meter-tall giant, with six heads, and twelve dangling tentacles like those of an octopus. Five of its heads were made up of water serpents, and the middle body was made up of a beautiful woman with dark-blue hair.

Her bloodshot eyes gazed down on William as she uttered another deafening screech that created a shockwave in the surroundings.

"My goodness! This girl has anger issues," Elliot said as tendrils of lightning snaked around his hands.

The angelic skirt chaser was an offensive type familiar. He specialized in long range attacks using lightning bolts, while his counterpart, Conan specialized in defense.

Conan had already summoned his deathscythe and floated in front of William. His role was the "tank" of the group, and a fearless smile was plastered on his face.

"Kekeke." Conan chuckled. "Come, our battle will be legendary."

Both of William's Familiars were now at the Centennial Rank. William had almost maxed out the Familiamancer Job Class. He was confident that after this boss battle was over, he would reach the Max level of his newest Prestige Class.

Erchitu, Kasogonaga, Psoglav, Mohawk (leader of the Cercopes Monkeys), Jareth (the Goblin Paladin), Xerxes (Hobgoblin Arcane Witch Doctor) and Dazz (Goblin Warmonger) took their positions around William.

The Half-Elf was in the middle of the battle formation and had his arms crossed over his chest. He was busy appraising Scylla, and checking the information of the Boss Monster that was surrounded by the dozen Millennial Sea Serpents that served as her guards.

—–

< Scylla >

— Boss Monster

— Cursed Sea Nymph

— Threat Level: SSR (Low)

— Myriad Beast

— Cannot be added to the herd

– There was once a beautiful sea nymph who captured the heart of the God of the Seas. However, a jealous witch turned her into a monster that preyed on sailors crossing her territory.

– Her powerful tentacles could easily crush a ship and bring it into the murky depths of the sea. When angered, she releases an ear piercing shriek that paralyzes her opponents with the Fear Status, and weakens their mental resistance against mind affecting spells.

– This monster's attack deals an additional 30% damage if its opponent is a male.

—

"What a pitiful monster," William said before putting a chocolate lollipop inside his mouth.

The effect of the chocolate lollipop was Willpower [EX]. This was the perfect counter to Scylla's abilities because it gave them immunity against Fear, and high resistances against spells that affect the mind.

Due to William's skill, Herd Immunity, all the buffs and resistances he had would automatically be acquired by his Herd and King's Legion.

Except for Elliot and Conan, all of William's party members were already at the Millennial Rank. They looked at the Bodyguards of the boss fearlessly, while leaving the main dish to the Half-Elf who was leader of this dungeon raid.

"Let's go," William ordered as he charged towards the Boss Monster with Elliot and Conan flying on his left and right side.

Erchitu, Kasogonaga, Psoglav, Mohawk, Jareth, and Dazz ran behind him and all of them were looking forward to a great battle.

Scylla raised her trident and several magic circles appeared around her. A few seconds later, contracted water blasts shot out towards William and the rest of his party. The power of the attack was equivalent to the impact of a bullet train.

"Kekeke! Leave this to me– hey!"

William hurriedly grabbed Conan's body and dodged to the side. Although the familiar specialized in defense, the Half-Elf knew that he wouldn't be able to take a full-powered magic spell fired by a Myriad Beast.

"Conan, don't face her magical attacks head-on," William ordered as he freed the familiar whose face was suffering from injustice. "You've already died once when you tried to block the water spear of the Water Dragon on the 60th Floor. Don't take your chances when fighting a Myriad Beast."

Conan patted his chest with confidence as he flew beside William. "Don't worry. I learned my lesson earlier. My plan is to just deflect the attacks and not face it head-on!"

William glanced at the confident looking familiar and decided to give him a chance. His purpose of fighting in the Dungeon of Atlantis was to raise the level of his Familiamancer Job Class, and build his teamwork with Elliot and Conan.

Since the Familiamancer Job Class was now a permanent Job Class that was placed in his second subclass slot, he would be able to summon Elliot and Conan without switching classes.

The battle became heated as both sides clashed.

William waved his hand and several ice spikes jutted out of the ground, moving towards Scylla. The Myriad Beast was unperturbed and easily dealt with the threat by a single wave of her trident.

William pressed his palms together and activated the skill Icycle Realm, covering the entire battlefield with shards of ice, which briefly slowed the movement of the Boss Monster and her minions.

William wanted to get close to the monster, but the six serpentine heads of Scylla were not just for show. They continuously sprayed William with water attacks that were strong enough to instantly kill a Class A Monster.

The Half-Elf was currently using his Ice Wizard Job Class. He hadn't given this Job Class much attention after acquiring the Elemental Lord Prestige Class. Currently, the Ice Wizard was stuck at Level 30, and there were still twenty levels before the Job Class was maxed out.

He intended to upgrade this Job Class to the next level in order to fight Rebecca in the duel that would be happening soon. Although Aamon had restricted him from jumping to the Saint Rank, he didn't think much about it.

As long as his Job Classes had reached their max levels, William was confident that he could take whatever Rebecca threw at him.

William and Scylla had exchanged several long range attacks, and were currently at a stalemate. Even though Elliot was firing lightning bolts left and right, the Boss Monster was a tough cookie to crack.

Even though the angelic familiar was dealing continuous damage, alongside William, the boss' tankiness was able to endure their attacks without problems.

"Here it comes!" Conan saw dozens of magic circles appearing around Scylla and prepared to deflect the attack that William wouldn't be able to dodge.

Conan had the skill Calculus and Tactician, which allowed him to do quick computations inside his head. This was a very crucial ability for the Defender Job Class because it would allow them to take the optimal position to block, or deflect attacks in the battlefield.

Just as he expected, William was able to dodge most of the attacks, but was still susceptible to getting hit.

"Hah!" Conan shouted as he summoned several shields that deflected the attack to the side.

Seeing that he had successfully accomplished his mission, the Devil Familiar laughed, but it was short-lived.

"F*ck! Who was the bastard that attacked me from behind!" Kasogonaga roared in anger. "Come and fight me, you coward!"

If not for the fact that its battle instincts had kicked in, warning it from the danger coming from behind him, Kasogonaga might have been hit by the water ball that Conan had deflected earlier.

Conan lightly coughed as he pretended not to hear his teammates' complaint. It was an honest mistake, and they were in the middle of the battle, so he decided to apologize to the rainbow-colored anteater after the battle was over.

The battle continued, and William's party members were able to reduce the number of Millennial Sea Snakes that were guarding Scylla. The Boss Monster had also lost one of her heads after Wiliam unleashed several Glacial Lance, when Elliot and Conan gave him the perfect opportunity to unleash this deadly barrage at close range.

"I had forgotten how tough it is to fight against a Myriad Beast when I'm not using Heroic Avatar and the Einherjar Job Class," William muttered as he panted for breath.

He had long gotten used to fighting with the power of a Saint, so it was hard when his attacks didn't have enough power to deal heavy injuries to an opponent that was several ranks higher than him.

The Heroic Avatar allowed him to jump to the Peak of the Saint Rank. This was the very first Trump Card he had obtained after his second visit to the Temple of the Gods.

Sun Wukong's strength had paved the way for his victory on the battlefield during the Elven Invasion. If not for its short duration, William would have been able to fight unhindered in the battlefield. Currently, this was the strongest Trump Card available to him at this point in time.

The Einherjar Job Class, on the other hand, allowed him to fight at the initial stages of the Saint Rank. The only advantage of this class was its ability to create perfect replicas of himself, which gave all of them the power of a Saint in its initial stages.

During his battle against Bellial and Chloee, William had used his skill, Heroes of Valhalla, to create thirteen copies of him. That was equivalent to thirteen saints that wielded Legendary Weapons, which allowed him to gain the upperhand against stronger enemies.

"Well, I guess this is fine as well," William said with a smile. "This is the perfect training for my upcoming battle at the Misty Sect."

The Half-Elf skated around the battlefield by freezing the floor under his feet. He knew that Rebecca specialized in Ice Magic, so he was familiarizing himself with different tactics that he could use to use her specialty to his advantage.

'I wonder how the conference went,' William thought as he dodged another long range spell from the Boss Monster. Although he felt a little guilty about pushing the responsibility to others, he really didn't want to be tied up socializing with other people at this point in time.

For the time being, he had decided to dedicate his time to training in the Dungeon of Atlantis for his upcoming battle. He was confident that his dependable wife, Chiffon, would choose the right candidate to attend the conference for him.

Setting thoughts of the conference aside, William focused on fighting the boss monster in front of him, while observing Elliot's and Conan's teamwork.

He was quite surprised that both of them were able to perform coordinated attacks, alongside his own, giving him opportunities to land a devastating blow on his opponent at the right moment.

William was confident that, given enough time, his two Familiars would also step into the Millennial Rank, which would make them more powerful.

Although they were still a far cry from his Sixth Master, Chloee, William was still happy because he had gained two dependable partners that would make his life more colorful.

Chapter 683: Go For The Kill! Gaebolg!

< Ding! >

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

< Congratulations! You have slain a Millennial Beast! >

< You have acquired Millennial-Grade Beast Core! >

—–

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

< Congratulations! You have slain a Millennial Beast! >

< You have acquired Millennial-Grade Beast Core! >

—–

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

——-

< Ding!

< Ice Wizard has increased a Level! >

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

< Familiamancerhas increased a Level! >

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

< Gained Exp: 1,200,000 >

——

William heard several notification sounds inside his head, but he ignored all of them. He was currently unleashing a barrage of attacks on the Boss Monster alongside Elliot, and Conan.

Erchitu, Kasogonaga, Psoglav, and the rest of William's party members fought against the Millennial Sea Serpents and killed them using their impeccable teamwork. These three were already buddies for a long time, so their teamwork had also taken form.

As long as Kasogonaga didn't go out of line, their combined strength could make anyone below the rank of Demigod feel constipated.

William's role was to deal with the Scylla and prevent her from reinforcing its subordinates. Although he was able to keep it at bay, the Boss Monster wouldn't be going down anytime soon.

The Boss of the 70th Floor had a strong regenerative ability like a Hydra. Even the damage that William had dealt to one of its heads had recovered in less than a minute.

"Mine and Elliot's damage are not enough to beat this Boss," William thought as he created an icicle bridge in the air to evade Scylla's AOE attacks. "I'll just wait for the others to finish fighting against the mobs. It will not be too late to gang bang this boss later."

Even though William couldn't kill the boss with his current strength, the Scylla was not able to hurt him either.

As someone who had fought against Myriad Beasts, and Pseudo Demigods, the Half-Elf was no longer an amateur when it came to fighting against strong opponents. Since Aamon had told him that he couldn't jump ranks in his battle with Rebecca, he decided to take his training seriously.

"Gaah!"

Conan slammed on the wall after blocking an attack that was meant for William.

Elliot immediately took the front and unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts that were aimed at the Scylla's eyes, which made the Boss Monster take a step back, and prevented her from continuing her follow up attack.

"Conan, are you hurt?" William asked using telepathy.

The Devil Familiar flew out of the wall and smiled. "I'm not hurt! That attack wasn't even enough to scratch me!"

"… Right," William replied as the corner of his lips twitched.

Conan's nose was bleeding, and blood was seeping at the corner of his lips. Clearly, he was not alright, and was merely acting tough in front of William. The Half-Elf could see his Familiar's stats so it was very easy for him to tell that Conan was at his limit.

—-

< Conan >

Health Points: 2,185 / 20,000

Mana: 120 / 200

—–

"Heal!" William pointed his finger at Conan, and the latter's body shone.

As a Familiamancer, he had the ability to heal his Familiars during battle. This allowed them to battle continuously even if they took continuous damage from the enemy.

—–

< Conan >

Health Points: 8,185 / 20,000

Mana: 120 / 200

—

William used two more healing spells on Conan before the latter's health was filled up. After it had regained his vigor, the Devil Familiar charged into battle with a fearless laugh and helped Elliot deal with the Boss Monster, whose subordinates had now been completely wiped out.

"I'm Rolling!"

Kasogonaga's adorable shout spread across the room. The two-meter tall wrecking ball slammed on the side of Scylla's body, pushing it a few meters from where it stood.

"Together!" William ordered and his team encircled the Boss Monster on all sides.

Scylla's tentacles lashed out in every direction, sending Erchitu and Jareth slamming towards the wall of the dungeon.

William was very agile, so it was very easy for him to dodge the Boss Monster's attack, but Erchitu and Jareth were not agile enough to evade the powerful tentacles at close range. Scylla screeched in anger, because she was now being besieged in all directions.

Xerxes fired several debuff spells at the screeching monster in order to weaken it. After its evolution, the Hobgoblin Arcane Witch Doctor had learned Multicast, which allowed it to fire multiple spells at the same time.

This made Xerxes a powerful magical turret that could both damage and curse its enemies using the spells on his arsenal. Similar to Psoglav, it could now create a doppelganger of itself, making it a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Eight floating Spectral Hands, unleashed Void Arrows, Contagions, Deadly Venoms, and Confuse Rays, simultaneously. It didn't take long before Scylla was drowned out by this unholy barrage that made her continue to lose her edge, while being besieged by William's party.

Dazz uttered a warcry as it cleaved one of the tentacles that was holding Psoglav in a crushing embrace. The Demonic Dog fell on the ground with a thud.

"Thanks Dazz, I owe you one," Psoglav said as it wiped away the blood that had seeped out at the corner of its lips.

Dazz only grunted and resumed hacking away at the Scylla's body. Although the time that it had spent with the other monsters in the Thousand Beast Domain was short, it didn't shy away from interacting with them.

The Demonic Dog summoned two black swords and hurled them at one of the Serpentine Heads that was about to unleash another water blast, preventing it from unleashing its deadly attack.

Slowly, but surely, William's team hacked away the Boss Monster's health. Half an hour later, five of the Serpentine Heads were destroyed, and Scylla's main body was bleeding all over.

Seeing an opportunity, William created an icicle bridge, propelling himself towards the Boss Monster's head. He was holding a crimson spear in his hand and its tip glowed bloody red. Scylla uttered a scream of defiance, but her reaction time was too slow to block William's finishing blow.

"Go for the kill!" William roared. "Gaebolg!"

William threw the spear with all of its might, embedding it on Scylla's forehead. A pained shriek echoed inside the dungeon as several red lines, similar to a spiderweb, spread across the Boss Monster's body, with the spear at its center.

A few moments later, the Boss Monster's body erupted in a fountain of blood and collapsed with eyes filled with unwillingness.

William and the others didn't lower their guard and continued to attack the fallen monster, until a series of notifications appeared in his status page, confirming that the boss had finally died.

——

< Gained Exp: 25,900,000 >

< Congratulations! You have slain a Myriad Beast! >

< You have acquired Myriad-Grade Beast Core! >

< Special Monster First Kill Bonus Exp: 10,500,000 >

< Ding! >

< Ice Wizard Job Class has reached its Max Level! >

< Would you like to advance to the next Job Class? >

< Yes / No >

< Ding! >

< Familiamancer Job Class has reached its Max Level! >

< This Job Class needs to undergo the Progenitor Ceremony before advancing to the next class. Until then, the Job Class Advancement will be put on hold. >

—–

William panted as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead. Although Scylla was only at the initial stages of the Myriad Beast Rank, it was still a very tough opponent to beat.

"With this, I can now upgrade the Ice Wizard to Ice Sovereign," William thought. "The advancement of the Familiamancer Job Class will have to wait until I visit Celeste at the Hestia Academy. For now, I will focus on the Ice Sovereign and upgrade it to its max level."

While William was checking his status page, Psoglav, and Kasogona hurried to the Scylla's body and started to look for its Beast Core.

The Demonic Dog stabbed Scylla's head and pried it open, while Kasogonaga dug into Scylla's chest to try its luck.

Usually, the core of monsters appear in its head or chest. Since the scavenger duo wanted to reach a higher rank, they shamelessly took the initiative to look for the Myriad Core in order to consume it as soon as possible.

"Haha! The core is mine!" Kasogonaga's adorable and triumphant voice could be heard from the Boss Monster's chest which made Psoglav's expression turn pale.

"Dammit!" Psoglav cursed. "What rotten luck!"

Kasogonaga happily bit on the core and ate as fast as it could. The rainbow-colored anteater knew that the Demonic Dog was petty, so it didn't dare to show it off because there was a high chance that Psoglav would steal it.

In order to reach its former rank, the Deity of the Sky ate like a hamster until its cheeks were all puffed out.

William could only shake his head helplessly at this development. Fortunately, the system's reward was automatically sent inside his storage, so he didn't have to worry about the two beasts fighting for the Myriad Core.

"Let's go back," William ordered. "Tell the Angray Birds to scout the 71st Floor first before you let anyone explore it. It is better to be safe than sorry."

Erchitu and Jareth nodded their heads. They were William's Commanding officers and were in charge of the deployment of beasts in the Dungeon of Atlantis.

Unlike the Angray Birds that could respawn after getting killed, the other monsters didn't have this ability. This was why, everytime a new floor was unlocked, they would send the Rainbow Birds to scout, and record the strength of the monsters on the floor, before allowing the exploration teams to enter.

This prevented senseless deaths from happening, and kept William's herd, and legion, at its top fighting condition.

"With this, I am only thirty floors away from conquering this Dungeon," William mused. "I need to step up my game, while waiting for my father's acquaintance to unlock the full power of the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class. Once this Job Class is unlocked… I will be able to raise an army that will not fall short from Malacai's Undying Legion."

His agreement with Malacai was nearing its end. Soon, the Dracolich would be able to shatter the shackles that bound him.

William wasn't sure what changes would happen once the Lord of the Undead was free to roam the world of Hestia, but he wasn't too worried about it. He had already made a deal with the Dracolich, and the latter had made an oath to uphold it.

Deep inside, William felt that Malacai wasn't a bad person. He didn't know why he felt this way. The only thing he knew was that although Malacai and the undead army looked imposing, they were still the army that protected the last bastion of humanity, Avalon.

Due to this, William was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Chapter 684: It’s A Win-Win For Everyone

After his boss battle, William returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, just in time to see Chiffon chatting with B1, B2, Bacon, and Sharur.

The moment B1 saw William, the dumb bird made an excuse to leave and flew away like there was no tomorrow.

The Half-Elf didn't find this odd as he approached the pink-haired girl who had a sweet smile on her face.

"How did the conference go?" William asked as he gave Chiffon a hug.

Chiffon hugged William back and rested her head on his chest.

"The conference went well," Chiffon replied.

William smiled and patted her head. "That's great. Who did you choose to take my place?"

"B1!" Chiffon replied in a heartbeat.

The smile on William's face stiffened as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He didn't expect that Chiffon would choose B1 as his replacement.

'System, I believe I told Chiffon to look for someone smart, and trustworthy, right?'

< Yes. >

William used all of his willpower to prevent his face from twitching as he continued to brush Chiffon's long-and silky hair with his hands. He liked how smooth it was, but the feeling of dread overcame his feelings of appreciation.

"Um, did B1 say anything out of place?" William inquired. Chiffon's answer would determine whether or not he would eat roasted bird tonight.

Chiffon shook her head. "No. B1 did an amazing Job."

"Is that so?"

"Un!"

William glanced at Sharur, but the mace started whistling on the side. A few seconds later, it transformed into an arm guard and flew towards Chiffon's wrist. Clearly, it didn't want to meddle in the troubled waters.

Left with no choice, William decided to seek the answer from a trusted source.

'Ashe, how did the conference go?' William asked through telepathy. This was the only way to confirm the suspicion he had in mind.

'How did the conference go? It was perfect,' Ashe replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

'How perfect is perfect?'

'You cursed everyone inside the conference room, including the Royal Family. I know you were brave, but I didn't know you were THAT brave.'

The beads of sweat that were forming on William's head was now a river flowing freely. Having a dumb bird barbecue was a very good choice!

Ashe's giggle could be heard on the other side of William's consciousness. After the conference, Princess Sidonie had asked Chiffon if the one speaking on the platform was really William.

Naturally, Chiffon didn't lie and told them that it was B1. Princess Sidonie and Ashe were not surprised by this answer because, aside from the Rainbow Birds, there was no other creature in William's forces that had the audacity to curse everyone until their fifth generation.

'For now, don't show your face in the academy,' Ashe advised. 'Emperor Leonidas, Evexius, and Headmaster Gilbert are out for your blood. It will be best to let their anger simmer down for the time being. Seriously, why did you choose B1 to become your representative? There were so many other candidates.'

William felt an upcoming headache. He bid Ashe goodbye and asked her to keep her eyes, and ears, open for any rumors that would spread in the next few days.

THe Half-Elf knew that he couldn't blame Chiffon because for her, B1 was smart and trustworthy. Although the dumb bird was truly trustworthy, its habit of badmouthing and cooking up trouble for William was top tier.

William pulled Chiffon close to him and gave her a kiss on the lips. The moment the pink-haired girl closed her eyes. William immediately summoned Stormcaller and Gaebolg and instructed them to skewer the bastard bird that made life difficult for him.

The two sentient weapons flew towards the dumb bird's location and, after a minute, a loud explosion was heard inside the Thousand Beast Domain. It was the sign that B1 had detonated which made the itch in William's heart lessen by a bit.

He planned to skewer the dumb bird everyday, after it respawned, for an entire week until it learned its lesson!

—–

Back in the Tower of Babylon…

Several envoys appeared on the 51st Floor bearing gifts for William. Since the Half-Elf wasn't there, it was James who shamelessly accepted the gifts on behalf of his grandson.

The old scammer allowed the representatives of the different factions in the Central Continent to enter the Floor of Asgard because this was also what William wanted. The old and the young bandits wanted to add more valuables to their family's treasury, so they decided to accept the bribes, and whatever the guests wanted to give them.

Since the powerful factions were giving these treasures for free, who were they to reject them?

Accepting gifts was fine, there was nothing wrong with it, but if they wanted to get their hands on their family's property, all of them could just keep dreaming!

"Your Excellency, James, the Ares Empire is willing to negotiate for the rights of ownership of one of the floors of the tower," one of the Elders of the Amazon Race said with a smile. "If possible, we would also like to invite his Excellency, William, to visit our territory for a few days.

"This year, we have many warriors that have reached adulthood. Our race would be very honored to give birth to Lord William's daughters."

James rubbed his chin in contemplation. "William only gave me the authority to govern over this floor, so I can't help you in acquiring rights for the other floors. As for my grandson visiting your territory, I will do my best to convince him. I always encourage him to give me more great grandchildren to hold."

Almost everyone that stood at the peak of the mortal realm had heard about the Amazon Race. There were even powerful warriors who would often visit the Ares Empire, in order to sow their seeds without needing to worry about taking responsibility.

The Amazons didn't care whether their children had a father or not. All of their daughters were raised with love by the entire tribe, so they didn't lack in love and affection. For them, a man's only role was to give them their seeds. Whatever happened to them afterwards was of their business!

Of course, there were also Amazons who decided to only have one partner for life and have a family together. Empress Andraste wasn't so shortsighted to prevent these kinds of relationships. The only thing that wouldn't change was the hierarchy of their empire.

Only women were allowed to hold positions in the government. Even Empress Andraste's current partner, didn't dabble his hands in politics and spent his life at home like a proper house husband.

"It's good that we can reach an agreement, Your Excellency," the Elder of the Amazon race commented with a happy expression. "Don't worry. I swear upon our Goddess Astarte that we will take good care of His Excellency William's daughters. This is a win-win for everyone."

James nodded. "Indeed. It is a win-win for everyone."

The old coot was even thinking of ways to tie up William and toss him to the Amazon Empire to play around for a few days. As long as their lineage prosper, he wouldn't mind helping the Amazons squeeze William dry!

The delegations of the other Empires, and Kingdoms in the Central Continent cursed under their breath. They were also thinking of using Honey Traps in order to lure the walking bag of riches (William) to their homeland.

After James had accepted their gifts, the old man only pretended to listen to their proposals and set them aside. No matter what kind of offers they made, James would always say the same excuse "I have no authority over the other floors. If you want to negotiate, go find my grandson."

This answer made everyone's liver itch.

If we could find your grandson, do you think we would be humbling ourselves before you?

Know your place, you old fart!

The business minded people that came with the envoys had a different thought in mind. They approached James and gave their proposals to him.

"Your Excellency, we are willing to open our business on the Floor of Asgard," a good looking merchant said with confidence. "In less than a year, several challengers will enter this floor to start the trial to ascend to the 52nd Floor. Our Blackstone Trading Group is willing to invest heavily in your domain."

"Us, too! We would like to invest and set up shops on the Floor of Asgard."

"Your Excellency, if possible, we would also like to secure a piece of land for our merchant shop."

All of the merchants knew that the 51st Floor would become the most visited place a year from now. This would be the floor where the challengers would congregate, and it was the perfect place to set up a business.

Only fools would let this opportunity pass.

So what if we can't take over the other floors? As long as we can rent the best places to set up a shop, we are the winners of this trip!

James listened to their proposals and nodded his head. As a statesman, he understood how important trade was.

'Having more merchants means more taxes.' James smiled evilly. 'More taxes means more money. William has already told me to accept all proposals and let them bid for the prime locations on the Floor of Asgard. We will definitely make a killing before the 52nd Floor even opens.'

James laughed in his heart. He knew that it was a good idea to come to the Central Continent to help William, and allow the resources of their family to grow.

He was confident that with his scamming skills, he would be able to make all the parties bleed until holes started appearing in their pockets.

'I wish I'd brought Eve with me,' James sighed as he thought about his cute granddaughter who was currently undergoing Oracle training in Lont.

Aside from William, and the wandering Morgan, there were only three Ainsworths currently in the Central Continent.

Suddenly an idea came to his head and he sent a mental message to Ezio in order to give his trusted subordinate an order.

'Find my son, Morgan and bring him here,' James ordered. 'He has been wandering outside for many years. It's time for him to share the burden of our Family as we make our presence known here in the Tower.'

'As you wish, My Liege,' Ezio replied and disappeared from the Tower of Babylon.

Morgan had always liked his freedom, so James allowed him to travel to his heart content. However, William's battle with Rebecca was less than two months away.

James planned to let Morgan guard the Floor of Asgard, while he traveled to the Misty Sect to support his grandson.

Also, his old acquaintances would be there, and it would be a good opportunity to have a reunion. It was the perfect place to brag about his grandson's achievements and make the old foxes spit blood out of jealousy.

More than anything else, James wouldn't let an opportunity like this pass.. As long as he could make his old friends suffer, he would be about to laugh without any guilt in his mind.

Chapter 685: Make Me Feel What It’s Like To Be Loved, Even If It’s Fake

(Disclaimer: This Chapter contains mild R-18 scenes. If you are not comfortable reading this kind of setting, feel free to skip this chapter.)

Princess Vanessa arrived at the Whispering Wind Tavern and found Prince Jason drinking alone in one of the rooms that were reserved for the Royal Family.

She happily went to his side, and offered to pour drinks for him. Prince Jason sighed and agreed to her request, which made the Princess very happy.

The conference had ended a few days ago and she was still feeling the aftereffects of "William's" cursing. She had already had a bad impression of the red-headed teenager from long ago. Now, her impression of him had hit rock bottom.

She was also secretly happy that her grandfather, Emperor Leonidas, Evexius, and Gilbert were angry at William. The princess was hoping that the three great men of the Kraetor Empire would teach the Half-Elf a lesson and bring him down a peg.

"How did he clear the 51st Floor?" Prince Jason asked. He didn't go to the conference because he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from feeling envious and jealous of the Half-Elf's achievement.

Ever since he had lost against Lilith in the Tournament of Champions, Prince Jason had felt inferior to William and didn't want to see him face to face. He thought that with the help of Aamon's Artifact, he would emerge as the Champion and finally be able to show the world that he was way better than the Half-Elf who had become Princess Sidonie's fiance.

Princess Vanessa placed the bottle of wine back on the table as she narrated everything that William had said about the 51st Floor.

The more Prince Jason heard about the trial of the Devil's Floor, the more he felt that the distance between him and William was growing.

While the Prince was deep in his thoughts, Princess Vanessa went to get another bottle of wine for her beloved because the previous one was already empty. Since Prince Jason was not focused on her, she secretly slid a fast acting pill into the wine and gave the bottle a brief shake before returning to the table.

She then poured the wine on her cousin's mug, and the latter drank it without much thought.

An hour later, she noticed that her beloved's cheeks were already flushed and his breathing had started to turn ragged.

"I, think it's… time… for me to go back," Prince Jason said with difficulty. His thoughts were in disarray and he was starting to feel hot and bothered. It was at this point that he realized that his cousin had spiked his drink, and his reasoning was starting to fade away.

Knowing that she had succeeded, Princess Vanessa pressed her body against her cousin's body, allowing her fragrance to further confuse his senses.

"Big Brother, forget about that country bumpkin Princess. I will give you my heart, body, and soul, so take me, and enjoy me to your heart's content," Vanessa whispered. Her voice was filled with temptation and seduction.

She was secretly thanking William for leaving her cousin in his current depressed state. If Prince Jason was at his peak state, even she had to think thrice before trying to spike his drink. Since she had already succeeded, Princess Vanessa decided to take the initiative and claim her cousin as her own.

Princess Vanessa firmly held Prince Jason's hand and took him to the bedroom.

(A/N: The rooms that were reserved for the Royal Family in the Whispering Tavern have their own bedroom where they can rest after drinking until they get wasted.)

Soon, the sounds of ragged breathing and rustling of clothes echoed inside the room. Prince Jason did his best to hold on to the little bit of sanity inside him, because he knew that once he crossed the line, it would be difficult for him to get out of the current situation.

Unfortunately, Princess Vanessa came prepared. Aside from the pill that he had added to the wine bottle, the fragrance and the lipstick she wore were specially made to befuddle someone's senses.

This three pronged attack made Prince Jason's struggle futile. Princess Vanessa kissed him passionately over and over, until Prince Jason's final shred of resistance snapped.

The proud Prince of the Kraetor Empire had finally fallen and was completely at the Princess' mercy.

Even though it was her first time, there was no hesitation in her mind. She was the one that straddled Prince Jason and offered her maidenhood to him. Just like a priestess offering a sacrifice to her god, blood was spilt and it dyed the bed sheets with the color of her innocence.

"You're finally mine," Princess Vanessa whispered in Prince Jason's ears. She didn't care if her cousin was not in his normal state of mind. This had been her goal for a very long time, and the feeling of conquest made her feel that she had everything under her control.

She surrendered herself to the pleasure and moved her hips without pause. It was as if she was yearning for something. Something that would bind her beloved to her and prevent him from slipping from her grasp.

Soon, she heard a low grunt, and something hot and powerful spurted inside her. For a brief moment, her mind went blank due to the feeling of euphoria that grasped her body.

As she panted for breath, she looked into Prince Jason's eyes which seemed to have recovered a bit of their sanity.

"I love you," Princess Vanessa said as she looked straight into his eyes. "I have loved you for a very long time. I know you don't love me, but I don't care about that. Even if you don't want to take responsibility, I will not say a word. However, tonight, make me yours. Make me feel what it's like to be loved, even if it's fake."

Princess Vanessa's almost pleading tone reached Prince Jason's ears, and a complicated emotion flickered inside the depths of his heart.

After pouring out her feelings, Princess Vanessa hugged Prince Jason's neck and once again moved her hips.

Once was not enough.

She wanted to feel him more.

She wanted to take his everything.

It was at that moment when a sigh escaped Prince Jason's lips.

Suddenly, Princess Vanessa felt a hand draw her head to rest against his chest, while Prince Jason's other arm wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

Soon, a powerful thrust made her cry out loud. Her body shuddered as Prince Jason started to take the initiative and explore her depths.

Princess Vanessa didn't resist and allowed the storm to wash over her. Their roles were reversed, and now, she was the one that was completely at his mercy. The princess' young, and lithe body was pressed over Prince Jason's strong and powerful chest, accepting everything that he was willing to give her.

A few minutes later, both of them reached the peak and Princess Vanessa's body shuddered uncontrollably. She felt like fainting, but she held on using her willpower and bit Prince's Jason shoulder, drawing blood.

As the two of them panted for breath they once again stared at each other's eyes.

Several heartbeats later, the sound of kissing spread inside the room.

This time, Princess Vanessa tasted its sweetness. It was no longer a one-sided kiss, but a kiss that both of them shared.

As a tear slid down the side of her face, the Princess of the Kraetor Empire finally felt at peace.

Although it was only a fleeting happiness, her heart, and body, was satisfied. Not long after, she fell asleep. Prince Jason looked at the sleeping princess' face for half a minute, before he, too, closed his eyes to sleep.

—–

Prince Maximilian sipped the wine in his glass and looked at the moon outside the balcony. His room was right beside Prince Jason's. A few hours ago, he ordered the manager to close the tavern and chase out the remaining guests.

Simply put, he had reserved the entire tavern for the night in the name of the Royal Family. The manager didn't dare to reject his order and reluctantly closed his business to accommodate the Royal Family.

"Congratulations, Vanessa," Prince Maximilian said softly. "Although it was only for a night, you were able to realize the dream that you have chased for so many years."

A complicated sigh escaped Prince Maximilian's lips. This was the only thing he could do for his family. Although he and Prince Jason were always at each other's throats, the Crown Prince was someone that could see the bigger picture.

Prince Maximilian didn't want to admit it, but he felt very jealous of Prince Jason. He had seen how devoted Princess Vanessa was, and sometimes Prince Maximilian wondered what it would be like to have a beautiful lady pine after him, the way Princess Vanessa did for Prince Jason.

"I have given you another chance, Jason," Prince Maximilian muttered. "If you still throw this opportunity away, don't blame me for making my move."

The Crown Prince drank everything in his wine glass and went back inside to sleep. He had guarded the two of them while they were busy calling the birds and the bees. Now that their lovemaking was over, it was time for him to leave.

Whatever happened when morning came, he didn't give a hoot. He had already played his part, and he had played it well. However, he still needed to report this to his grandfather to prepare for any contingencies.

Although the adults already knew Princess Vanessa's feelings for Prince Jason, the aftereffects of their union would still require the power of the Royal Family to keep it under wraps.

"It's hard to be a good person," Prince Maximilian shook his head as he left the Whispering Wind Tavern. "I wonder how William is able to keep his relationships with his lovers in order."

Chapter 686: Having Three Job Classes Sure Comes In Handy

A week after William's conference in the academy had ended…

Inside the thousand Beast Domain, a red egg started to crack. The bird inside it didn't come out right away. Instead, it took a peek at its surroundings to ensure that the coast was clear.

After seeing that nothing seems out of the ordinary, it broke the egg shell completely and spread its wings wide ready to fly.

At this exact moment, a whistling sound reached its ears, and B1 could only utter a single word before William's spear, Gaebolg, descended on him.

"… F*ck."

An explosion sounded in the thousand Beast Domain, but no one paid too much attention to it. Even the other Angray birds, that were currently taking a nap at their nest, didn't react at the explosion of one of their kind.

For the past few days, everytime B1 would respawn, one of William's weapons would stab it to oblivion. This was William's revenge for B1 slandering his good name.

—-

72th Floor, Dungeon of Atlantis…

< Ice Sovereign has increased a Level! >

A three meter frozen crab shattered to pieces in front of William. He had been fighting inside the dungeon for the past nineteen days in order to raise the level of his Ice Sovereign as fast as possible.

Three days inside the Dungeon of Atlantis was equivalent to a day in the outside world. Since he decided to lie low for a week due to B1's escapade, the level of his Job Class had increased drastically.

"Level 31…," William said softly as he looked at his status page. "69 more to go before I max out this Job Class."

Ice Sovereign was the last Transcendance Job of the Ice Mage class. It was one of the most powerful Job Classes wielding the Ice Element, which was perfect for his battle with Rebecca. Although William had the Prestige Class, Elemental Lord, it was a job that offered flexibility, instead of dealing massive elemental damage.

The only powerful attack that he could use using the Elemental Lord Job Class, was the World End Tempest, but this ability only worked when he was in his Einherjar Form.

If he wanted to beat Rebecca on her home turf, upgrading the Ice Sovereign to its max level would definitely give William the opportunity to use the territorial advantage on his side.

While he was deep in thought, Chiffon tugged his shirt.

"Will, I haven't seen B1 for the past few days," Chiffon said. "What kind of mission did you give him?"

After a lot of coaxing from William, he was finally able to convince Chiffon to call him Will, instead of Big Brother. Although he didn't mind being called Big Brother by his adorable wife, he believed that it wouldn't be good in the long term.

Chiffon also understood this, so she did her best to change the way she addressed William. Now that she was already married to him, she no longer felt the feeling of insecurity that came when she thought that she was going to be left alone to fend for herself again.

"Don't worry, that dumb bird will be back in a few days," William replied with a smile. "I'm sure that B1 will also be happy to see you."

William patted Chiffon's head while sneering in his heart. Since he was connected to his Sentient Weapons, he knew that the slanderous bird had once again turned to an egg.

Ashe, who was standing beside them was doing her best to keep the smile on her face from twitching. She wasn't as gullible as Chiffon and knew that William was mercilessly punishing the vulgar bird for what it did at the conference.

"I never thought that the 72nd Floor would be this difficult," Ashe commented after looking at the frozen Centennial Crabs around them.

A dozen Centennial crabs attacking at the same time was more than enough to wipe out a party of Adamantium Ranked Fighters. Even though she had experience in fighting against opponents that were beyond her current strength, she still found it strenuous to be ambushed when she least expected it.

"Indeed." William agreed.

His current strength was now at the Adamantium Rank, but the monsters' synchronized attacks was truly a very challenging matter to face head on.

Not only were their shells very tough, their claws were as hard as steel as well. However, that was not the only issue. The Ravaging Crimson Crabs could fire an endless barrage of powerful Hydro Canons that were enough to annihilate anyone below the Adamantium Rank.

If not for the fact that William had strong helpers, he might have been overcome by their long-range attacks, while limiting himself below the threshold of the Saint's Rank.

Right now only Chiffon, Ashe, Elliot, Conan, Kasogonaga, and Jareth (Goblin Paladin) accompanied William on his dungeon expedition.

Erchitu, Psoglav, Xerxes, Dazz, and Mohawk were currently undergoing a breakthrough in their ranks. They were currently in the Magic Crystal Cavern of the Thousand Beast Domain, and were waiting patiently to be promoted to a higher rank.

This group of Beasts that had followed William to the upper floors of the Dungeon of Atlantis had an all you can eat Beast Core buffet, which greatly increased the speed of their evolution.

It was only a matter of time before William would have a team of Beasts that were at the Peak of the Millennial Rank.

Kasogonaga was only half a step away from becoming a Myriad Beast, but that small step would still take him a while to cross. Thanks to Scylla's Myriad Beast Core, the Deity of the Sky was slowly regaining its strength.

William hoped that after a year or two, Kasogonaga would regain his power as a Demigod.

The Half-Elf chuckled internally at the thought of ferocious monsters running away whenever they heard the rainbow-colored Anteater's adorable catchphrase "I'm Rolling!".

William glanced at the frozen crabs and raised his hand. He then snapped his finger, and all the crabs shattered into hundreds of pieces.

At that exact moment, Kasogonaga happily rummaged through the frozen chunks of ice to look for the Centennial Cores. Since its competitor, Psoglav, wasn't around. The rainbow-colored Anteater took its time to dig out its precious cores, while humming a tune.

——

Name: William Von Ainsworth

Race: Half-Elf

Job Class: Quick Shot Shepherd (Level 30)

Sub Class: Ice Sovereign (Level 31)

Second Sub Class: Familiamancer (Max)

—–

'Having three Job Classes sure comes in handy,' William thought as he led the way to the path that would lead them to the next floor.

Elliot and Conan flew several meters in front of him and acted as scouts. The two Familiars had finally gotten used to fighting together with William, and the three of them had a silent agreement about the roles that they would play on the battlefield.

William had also equipped Chiffon and Ashe with new Job Classes, namely the Zen Master, and Morpher Job Class.

Chiffon was a Brawler, and the Zen Master was the Monk Job Class' second form. With this great boost in close combat abilities, the pink-haired girl's lethality in fighting against Centennial Beast showed her amazing battle prowess.

Morpher, on the other hand, was the combination of the Elemental Lord and Runemaster Job Class. This Class could allow its user to Morph into a Greater Elemental and deal devastating damage to the target.

William was pleasantly surprised when this Job Class was unlocked after his Elemental Lord reached its Max Level.

Wendy did a good job in raising the level of the Runemaster Job Class when William was still in the Southern Continent. Because of this, William decided to let Ashe use the power of this never before seen Job Class and see its power first hand.

When Ashe took the form of a four-meter-tall Greater Elemental, the composition of her body would turn into the element of her choosing. The results of real battle tests were quite impressive, and even William was tempted to use this as a Trump Card in the future.

After fighting for several more hours, William decided to stop their advance and return to the real world. He had been away for a week and felt that now was the right time to re-emerge in the academy.

Although fighting non-stop made him stronger, it was also very tiring. Because of this, he decided to take a few days off from the Dungeon, and gather information about what was currently happening in the Central Continent.

Also, Princess Sidonie had told him that Kenneth, and Lilith, had been pestering her, looking for William's whereabouts. In order to prevent his beautiful fiance from throwing fireballs at them, the Half-Elf decided to confront these two people.

Although he didn't know what the two were thinking in their heads, he believed that all three of them could come to a compromise and not make things difficult for everyone involved.

Chapter 687: Reaching A Compromise

"Prince Jason and Princess Vanessa left the academy?" William frowned as he held the beautiful princess of Freesia in his embrace.

"Yes," Princess Sidonie replied. "They left two days ago. According to Grandfather, he sent the two of them to inspect the different outposts of the Kraetor Empire. But, I feel that there is something more to this news than meets the eye."

Princess Sidonie hadn't seen Prince Jason and Princess Vanessa since the day the conference was held. The two had disappeared from the eyes of the public, and even their close friends were not notified by their departure.

William closed his eyes and pondered, while patting Princess Sidonie's, long, reddish-brown hair. The Prince of the Kraetor Empire and him had never been on good terms with each other since he had placed the Collar of Wisteria on Princess Sidonie's neck.

The Prince had also provoked him several times, which almost led to a brawl between the two of them. The Half-Elf knew that Princess Vanessa was dead set on Prince Jason. As someone who was also on the receiving end of such intense love, William admired the feisty Princess of the Kraetor Empire.

Deep inside, he wished that Princess Vanessa would succeed in putting a collar on Prince Jason's neck, so that the latter would leave him alone. Now that both of them were gone, William didn't have to put any extra effort in dealing with Prince Jason's schemes, which had started to become annoying.

"I guess I should visit the Temple and pray for Princess Vanessa's success," William said with a smile. "It never hurts to have the Gods on your side."

Princess Sidonie smirked, but didn't say anything else. She already knew what William was thinking, and she, too, wished for her cousin's success.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you don't treat us like air," Lilith commented with annoyance. "You asked us to come here, and all you've done is publicly show your affection to each other. Are you that bored with your life?"

Kenneth, who was seated a meter away from Lilith, could only smile wryly. Although he didn't mind William being touchy with his lovers, he felt that it wasn't appropriate for the Half-Elf to rub it in their faces.

William lightly tapped Princess Sidonie's back to tell the latter to get off his lap so he could talk business with his guests.

Princess Sidonie sighed and reluctantly rose from her special seat. She then sat beside William and glanced at the Silver-haired elf and Amazon Princess with a scrutinizing gaze.

"I asked both of you to come here today to ask about your plans for the future," William stated. "Kenneth, you've already delivered my mother's message. Aren't you going back to the Silvermoon Continent?"

Kenneth shook his head firmly. "Master told me to keep an eye on you. Don't worry. I won't get in your way, or your lovers'. I'm just following your Mother's orders."

Kenneth stressed the word Mother to William to prevent the Half-Elf from having a comeback. He knew that if he used this approach to his Ex-Roommate, the latter would be unable to turn him away.

Just as he expected, William only sighed before shifting his attention to the Amazon Princess.

"What about you?" William asked. "I already said that I'm not interested in going with you to the Ares Empire to become your tribe's stallion. I still have to prepare for my match with Rebecca."

"I know." Lilith nodded calmly. "My mother received an invitation to the Misty Sect, so I'll be going there as well. We can talk about the details of your visit to the Ares Empire after you've dealt with your Ex-Fiance."

The corner of William's lips twitched. He had clearly stated that he refused to go with her to the Ares Empire to become their Stud Horse, but Lilith just brushed it off as if it was not set in stone.

Her stance on the matter gave William a headache. According to the books he had read in his world, Amazons were a race of warriors. They recognized strength more than anything else, and would actively seek strong partners to have offspring with.

Back then, he was still half in doubt about the authenticity of the claims in the book he read, but now, he was sure that most of what was written there was true.

'I don't want to experience death by snusnu,' William thought as he stared at Lilith who had a nonchalant look on her face.

"I know what you're thinking, but it isn't as bad as you think," Lilith said. "I'll just share you with a dozen of my sisters. I won't let the entire tribe have their way with you."

William pinched the bridge of his nose because there seemed to be some sort of miscommunication between him and the Amazon Princess in front of him. It was as if they weren't talking in the same language, and the latter kept on insisting on her ideals without a care about his input.

"She reminds me of you back then," William commented as he glanced at Princess Sidonie.

"We're not the same." Princess Sidonie firmly shook her head. "I did it out of love and lust, but she's doing it out of need. Frankly, I find this approach very despicable. She's not giving you any room to maneuver and is forcing her wants on you."

'You did the same.'

William, and Kenneth, said in their heads. Princess Sidonie had schemed her way into William's heart, while Lilith was taking the straightforward approach to pin him down on the bed. Although the reasoning of both girls were different, their end goal was the same.

William sighed as he stared at Lilith with a fed up expression. "Your Mother, Empress Andraste, will be going to the Misty Sect as well?"

Lilith nodded. "She wanted to wait for you here in the Kraetor Empire, but there were things that she needed to do in the Empire so I stayed here in her place. Both of us would like to talk to you in private after your battle at the Misty Sect."

"Fine." William nodded his head. He decided to give up and just handle this issue at a later date. "Just promise me that you won't bother Sidonie again. I am also busy training in seclusion, so you won't see me in the academy much.

"The same can be said for you, Kenneth. Although my mother had asked you to watch over me, there are some things that I can't share with you. I hope that you understand."

There was no use talking to Lilith because her view wouldn't change. However, talking to Empress Andraste was different. As someone who held the responsibilities of an entire empire on her shoulders, William believed that the Amazon Empress wasn't as shortsighted as her daughter.

As for Kenneth, he didn't have any problems with his ex-roommate because the silver-haired Elf had a good head on his shoulders. Although he was sent to spy on William, he didn't divulge any of his secrets, and simply reported stuff that wasn't too important.

Because of this, William still had a good impression of him, so he didn't want to sour their relationship.

Lilith and Kenneth nodded their heads. They also didn't want to push William too much because they knew that it could backfire on them. The only thing they wanted from him was a promise that he wouldn't avoid them intentionally, and the Half-Elf agreed to fulfill this promise.

After their meeting, Kenneth and Lilith left William's room with satisfied expressions.

Princess Sidonie watched them go and sighed in relief. Now that William had spoken, she could rest easy that they would not be bothered by their non-stop pestering again.

"Darling, I know you're busy, so I won't trouble you much, but there is still something that I have to tell you," Morgana said after he swapped with Princess Sidonie. "There is one more annoying Elf that is looking for you. Her name is Pearl and she claims to be Charmaine's elder sister."

William frowned when he heard this piece of information. All of the Elves under his command had been stripped of their memories by the Arcane Lich, and been 'programmed' to be loyal to him. After their brainwashing was finished, the Lich had returned their memories, but their personalities were no longer the same.

Even with their memories, they thought that they were in the wrong and very stupid to stand against William during the war. Because of this, they had remained loyal to him and were doing their best to atone for their sins, by offering their servitude.

In truth, William didn't care much about this back then. They were the invaders, so whatever happened to them, he didn't give a damn.

Unfortunately, William's heart wasn't made of stone. After his lovers had convinced him to free the Elves after a few years of servitude, the Half-Elf's treatment of the Elves became more lenient. He wasn't feeling guilty about the brainwashing part.

The thing he was worried about was how the Elves would once again integrate with the Elven Society after their personalities had completely changed. William had long thought about this, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The brainwashing was done, and the Arcane Lich had said that it was permanent. No one could reverse the outcome, so Charmaine and the rest of the elves would have to slowly adapt to whatever circumstances they faced in the future.

Although he felt hesitant, William agreed for Pearl to meet with Charmaine.. He was also curious to see how his personal maid would treat her older sister, who hadn't participated in the war of the Southern Continent.

Chapter 688: You’re Just A Side Character

Pearl paced back and forth on the outskirts of Silverwind City.

Princess Sidonie had met with her three days ago, and told her that her sister, Charmaine, would meet her in this location. After the tournament, Pearl had waited patiently for William to arrive.

In fact, she was prepared to wait for him for two months. When she heard that William had suddenly appeared in Silver Wind Academy, she was both shocked and thankful at the same time.

Shocked because she didn't expect to see him this soon, and happy because she would be able to see her sister sooner. She had also been at the academy when the conference was held because she wanted to find out just what kind of person William was.

The "William" that she saw made her speechless. Not only was that Half-Elf a vulgar person, he was also a bastard that didn't even give the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire face, and called him a Motherf*cker in front of the High-Ranking nobles of the kingdom.

Because of this, Pearl despaired. If her sister was in the custody of such a man, Charmaine would definitely suffer a cruel end!

'I must save my sister no matter what,' Pearl thought as she calmed her anxiousness. 'No matter what price I have to pay, I will buy her freedom from that scum!'

While Pearl was busy thinking of ways to convince William to release her sister, her sharp senses detected footsteps headed in her direction.

"Sister?" a familiar voice called out to Pearl with uncertainty.

Pearl's body moved automatically, and ran towards the pretty Elf whom she hadn't seen for years.

The two sisters hugged each other with tears streaming down their faces.

William watched this scene from afar. He decided not to go with Charmaine when she met her sister to prevent tensions from rising. Truth be told, if his personal maid wanted to leave with Pearl then he wouldn't stop her from leaving.

This was the decision he had made after thinking for a whole day. When he told Charmaine about Pearl's request, the latter's expression became very happy. Although her memories were stripped away from her at the beginning, the strong emotions in her heart in regards to her family had remained.

William told Charmaine that if she wanted to leave with her sister, he would give her his blessing, and not stop her from leaving. The pretty Elf looked straight into his eyes back then. She didn't agree or reject William's words and simply thanked him for letting her meet her sister.

"How have you been?" Pearl asked. "Did that Half-Elf mistreat you? Don't worry. I will take you away from here and deal with him at a later time."

Charmaine shook her head as she stared at sister. "Lord William didn't mistreat me. Although my freedom was restricted, he didn't do anything to treat me like a plaything, like those other noble humans do when they capture our race."

Pearl nodded her head in acknowledgement of her words. Her goal was to take her sister back, so she didn't want to have a disagreement with her before they were safely back in the Silvermoon Continent.

"It seems that I misunderstood him," Pearl replied. "Don't worry, I will compensate him properly and buy your freedom. Charmaine, let's go back to the Silverwind Continent. I promise that this time, I will not leave you alone."

Charmaine smiled, but she shook her head. "I can't leave him right now, sister. I still have to atone for my sins of invading his kingdom. He is the son of our Saintess, Lady Arwen, and our savior, Lord Maxwell. We were the ones in the wrong when we tried to conquer the Hellan Kingdom. We made a grave mistake, and our race has paid for it with countless lives."

Pearl bit her lip. She grew up with Charmaine and knew what kind of person she was. Her sister was arrogant and looked down on Humans. Even though Maxwell had saved them from the Demonic Invasion, Charmaine didn't think much of him.

However, right now, that same arrogant sister of hers was saying that she would atone for the sins that she had made in invading the Southern Continent. For a brief moment, Pearl felt like she was talking to a stranger that she had never met before.

"Charmaine, didn't you hate Humans?" Pearl asked. "You also find Half-Elves disgusting. Why the sudden change?"

Charmaine closed her eyes as she placed a hand over her chest. "Back then, I was still young and stupid. I had been raised in the Silvermoon Continent and didn't know about the outside world. Sister, you didn't see the cruelty the Elves performed while in the Southern Continent.

"We were no different from savage beasts. My eyes have been opened to the truth, and because of this, I will remain by Lord William's side until my sins are finally forgiven. Sister, I can't go with you right now, but I promise, after a few years, I will return to the Silvermoon Continent and find you. Until then, please, let me stay by Lord William's side."

Pearl clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. The more she listened to her sister, the more she felt that she was talking to a different person. This was when she realized that something was very wrong with her behavior.

"What did he do to you?" Pearl asked as she grabbed Charmaine's shoulder and held her in place. "What did that bastard do to you?!"

Charmaine gave Pearl a pained expression. Her sister's fingernails were digging on her shoulder and it was very close to drawing her blood.

"S-Sister, it hurts," Charmained said as she endured the pain.

Pearl saw her sister's face filled with suffering so she immediately let her go and back away.

"I-I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"It's fine. I know that you are having a hard time understanding my words, but this is what I really feel at the moment. I can't go with you, I'm sorry, sister."

Pearl closed her eyes and controlled her raging emotions. A few minutes later, she looked at Charmaine and her face was filled with determination.

Without warning, she threw a jab, aiming at Charmaine's chin. Due to how sudden her attack was, Charmaine was caught unprepared and was hit perfectly, which made her stagger backwards.

William's personal maid felt dizzy and she was unable to raise any form of resistance.

Seeing that her sister was still conscious, Pearl gave a follow up jab and hit Charmaine's jaw, shocking her brain, and forcing her to lose consciousness.

"I'm sorry, sister," Pearl said as she carried the unconscious girl like a sack of rice. "I will bring you back to the Silvermoon Continent and have the elders cure you. Whatever that bastard William did to you, I'll make sure that he will pay dearly for his transgressions."

Charmaine was unaware that her sister had already decided to take her back to their hometown by force if necessary, regardless of her opinion. Although Pearl made sure to control the strength of her attack, it was still enough to cause stress to her brain, which made her faint.

Pearl had only been able to run for a few steps when the lady she was carrying suddenly disappeared without a trace.

She hurriedly scanned her surroundings, only to see someone walking in her direction.

Pearl squinted her eyes and used Hawk's Eye and Improved Concentration to see who the person was.

It didn't take long for her to recognize the familiar red hair and light-green eyes that were looking back at her with a disapproving gaze.

"It's you," Pearl said. Her tone was laced with anger as she glared at the Half-Elf that had caused the downfall of the Elven Invasion. "William Von Ainsworth."

William continued to walk with a steady pace. His eyes never left Pearl's face as if he was scrutinizing every expression that she made.

"I agreed to your request and allowed you to meet your sister," William stated. "However, I don't remember agreeing to a kidnapping. You have overstepped your bounds."

"Overstepped my bounds? You did something to my sister and you have the nerve to say that I overstepped my bounds?" Pearl sneered. "The one who overstepped their bounds was you! What did you do to my sister? If you don't give me a proper answer, I will…"

"You will what?" William interjected. He had enough of Pearl's nonsense and wasn't in the mood to argue with her. "You're going to kill me?"

"Yes! I will kill you!"

"B*tch please. I am the protagonist of this story. You're just a side character so know your place!"

William's outburst made Pearl unconsciously take a step back. She had faced many strong members of the young generation during the tournament, but William's countenance made her feel that she was up against a strong opponent.

"I already gave you a chance to meet your sister," William said with indifference. "You also heard her answer. She didn't want to come with you. Since that is the case, I will not allow you to take her away."

Pearl gritted her teeth and summoned her bow. 'If I can kill him, my sister will be freed from his clutches.'

William sighed when he saw the Elf was preparing to fight him.

"You want to fight? Fine," William sneered. "I'll gladly play with you."

Several portals appeared above William and several Pegasus flew out of it, with riders mounted on their back.

Pearl's eyes widened when she saw that the mounted warriors of the Pegasus were Elves!

"Surprised already?" William chuckled. "There's more where that came from."

An overwhelming presence descended upon Pearl as another portal appeared right above her. Before she could even draw her bow, she saw a rainbow-colored wrecking ball charging in her direction.

"I'm Rolling!"

That was the last thing Charmaine heard before she was knocked off from where she stood, and her world descended into darkness.

Chapter 689: When The Red Plague Ascends, Calamity Descends

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

"Boss, someone is looking for you," a skinny man reported as he walked towards the main hall of their base.

A handsome man who seemed to be in his late thirties opened his eyes and glanced at his subordinate with an even gaze.

"Name?" the man asked. He ran his hand over his short red-hair, as he shook the last vestige of sleep from his system.

The skinny man could sense that his boss was feeling grumpy, so he decided to cut to the chase and stop talking nonsense.

"H-He said his name is Ezio," the skinny man replied.

The handsome man's body stifferend before standing up from where he sat. He hurriedly left the main hall, leaving his subordinate behind with a shocked expression.

Their boss had always had a calm expression on his face, but after hearing the familiar name, a trace of shock and happiness appeared on his handsome face.

A few minutes later, the handsome man appeared outside of his camp. Currently, several of his subordinates crowded around a man, who was wearing a black robe, with their weapons drawn.

The black-robed man's face couldn't be seen, but his current posture was quite relaxed as if the hundreds of weapons aimed at him weren't a big deal.

"Ezio, is it really you?" the handsome man asked with a smile. His subordinates made a path for him to pass. Just like the skinny man that had delivered the news, all of them also had shocked expressions on their faces.

Their grumpy boss who didn't bat an eye when killing people was actually smiling!

"It is I, Young Master," Ezio replied. "It's good to see that you are hale and hearty. The Commander will be proud."

Morgan happily gave Ezio a hug and patted his back. He knew for a fact that his Father's Shadow Guard wouldn't travel far from where his grandfather was. Since Ezio was around, that could only mean one thing. James was also in the Central Continent!

"Did father send you to find me?" Morgan already knew the answer to this question, but he still decided to ask for clarification. "Let me guess. This is about William's achievements in the Tower of Babylon."

Ezio nodded. "The Commander has sent me to find you. He said that you should pack up and go to the Tower of Babylon. He still needed to go to the Misty Sect and someone has to watch over the family's properties while he is away."

The corner of Morgan's lips curled up into a smile. Truthfully, when he heard the world-wide announcement, he had been very tempted to go to the tower and find William. However, there were still some loose ends that he had to tie up at that time.

He had just finished dealing with an internal struggle a few days ago, so he wasn't in the mood to go to the Tower of Babylon to look for William, whom he hadn't seen since he was a baby.

"It has been eighteen years." Morgan sighed. "To think that the baby I brought back to Lont would shock the entire world. I never saw this coming."

"Neither did I, Young Master. Little Will is such a handful. Even now, I still can't believe that he has conquered the 51st Floor," Ezio commented.

Morgan chuckled and patted Ezio's shoulder. "You rarely speak more than three words. It seems that my nephew made a deep impression on you, old friend."

Ezio didn't deny or agree to Morgan's words. Deep inside, he was feeling proud because he was one of William's Masters, who had taught him on how to make his mark on the World of Hestia.

Morgan didn't mind Ezio's silence. He knew that the man wasn't an expert when it came to socializing, so he raised his hand to catch the attention of his subordinates.

"Tonight we feast!" Morgan ordered. "And tomorrow, we head towards the Tower of Babylon!"

The men surrounding the two raised their weapons to the air and cheered. They didn't know what they were going to do in the Tower of Babylon, but the members of the Red Plague had quickly learned that asking questions was futile.

All they needed to do was follow Morgan, and move unhindered across the Central Continent. They were the famous mercenary group that was feared by many. Once the Red Plague made its move, the lands would be dyed with the blood of their targets.

The next day, the Red Plague marched towards the Tower of Babylon. Countless flags were raised, and the red hornet, which was the symbol of their mercenary group, fluttered in the breeze, like a plague that was about to descend to the land and make those who dared to oppose it die a very gruesome and horrible death.

This great movement alarmed several Empires who were paying close attention to Morgan's movements. It had been a few months since this group carried out an expedition, and the outcome had wiped out an entire Clan that was considered to be one of the Overlords in the Central Continent.

There was a popular saying among those who knew of the Red Plague.

"When the Red Plague ascends, Calamity descends."

This was why even the mighty empires of the Central Continent turn a blind eye whenever the Red Plague crossed their borders. They knew that as long as they didn't do anything to stop them from completing their mission, their sting wouldn't be pointed in their Empire's direction.

—-

"That Morgan has finally made his move again," the Emperor who ruled the Empire where the Red Plague was currently stationed had a grim expression on his face. "Where are they headed this time?"

The Commander of the army had personally flown using his flying mount to check the direction the Red Plague was headed. After confirming with the head of their Logistics Department, they had come to the conclusion that Morgan's band of mercenaries were headed towards the Tower of Babylon.

"The Tower?" The Emperor frowned. He had just returned from the Kraetor Empire where the Tournament of Champions was held. Half a minute later, the Emperor slammed his fist at the armchair of his throne as a shocking realization appeared inside his mind.

"Ainsworth!" The Emperor gasped. "Morgan's surname is Ainsworth!"

Everyone in the conference room looked at their king in surprise. They had almost always referred to Morgan as the Red Plague and they had completely forgotten that his surname was Ainsworth.

It didn't take long for them to connect the dots and the Emperor immediately issued a decree.

"Commander, tell all the towns and cities that the Red Plague will pass through to open their doors and not bar them from entering," the Emperor ordered. "Also, if they need supplies, like food and water, give it to them with a 50% discount! If they have any additional requests, I give you my permission to carry it out to the best of your abilities! Go and do not fail me!"

"Yes! Your Majesty!" The commander saluted and left the conference room.

The Emperor had already sent an envoy to the Tower of Babylon in order to negotiate with William for a collaboration. However, the other party was not present, and only an old man was holding down the fort.

The leader of the envoy had reported that James was very hard to deal with and the negotiation wasn't producing any results. Now that Morgan was going to the Tower of Babylon, he decided to try and cozy up with the Red Plague in order to smooth out the process of their proposal.

The Tower of Babylon had rich resources that couldn't be found anywhere in Hestia. Rare metals that came from higher worlds could be mined on these floors, and were sold for high prices across the continent.

If their Empire could have a partnership with the Ainsworth Family then trying to be on their good side would definitely be worth it. Right now, everyone was like wolves trying to get their share of the fat herd that was waiting to be eaten.

The only problem was that instead of a young man, they were up against an Old Fox who was determined to suck their wallets and blood dry. Because of this, the envoys of the different factions were having a headache.

No matter what they did, James wouldn't budge. He was like a dam that was blocking the water source. Even though everyone was thirsty and wanted to drink their fill, he refused to release the water and kept it for himself!

This made all the factions feel miserable. More than anything else, they wanted the old man to disappear and be replaced by a fox that was not as old and as stingy as him!

If Morgan were to take his place, there was a chance for their Empire to enter negotiations. This was what the Emperor was hoping for.

"All of you, draft a new proposal for the Floors on the Tower of Babylon," The Emperor ordered his ministers. "It's fine if we bleed a little. Once we manage to make Morgan agree, we will be able to regain our losses after a few years.

"Give him an offer he can't refuse! I'll be preparing for my departure to the Misty Sect. When I return, I only want to hear good news. Do I make myself clear?!"

""Yes, Your Majesty!""

The officials of the Kora Empire started to brainstorm how to create a proposal that Morgan wouldn't be able to refuse. The Emperor looked at this scene with a satisfied look on his face before leaving the rest to his Prime Minister.

"I shouldn't put all the eggs in a single basket," Shamus, the Emperor of the Kora Empire thought as he walked towards his chambers. "The owner of the floors is that boy William. I need to make him understand that working with the Kora Empire is a win-win situation."

The Emperor narrowed his gaze as he looked in the direction of the Savadeen Mountains.

"Misty Sect." Shamus sneered.. "Let's see if your arrogance will be able to overcome this hurdle that is going to knock on your doorstep."

Chapter 690: The Eyes Are Useless When The Mind Is Blind

Kenneth was busy writing a letter to his Master inside the residence provided to him inside the academy.

He wrote how he met William in the Kraetor Empire, and everything that happened since then. Kenneth respected Arwen with all of his heart. Without her, his life would have been a very boring one.

Just as he was about to finish the letter, he heard a knock on his door. Kenneth frowned because he wasn't expecting any guests at the moment.

"Who could it possibly be?" Kenneti muttered as he walked toward the door with curiosity.

Kenneth opened the door to see who it was. The first thing he saw was a smiling William, carrying a beautiful Elf in a princess carry.

Naturally, Kenneth recognized the Elf in William's arms. It was other than Pearl, who had also joined the tournament alongside him.

"Can I come in?" William asked.

The silver-haired Elf frowned, but he still opened the door wider and moved aside. A single glance was enough to tell him that Pearl had just fought a battle, because of the tears in her clothes.

"What happened?" Kenneth asked after William laid Pearl to the bed. Since it was a fellow Elf, he was alarmed at her current condition.

"The two of us fought," William replied. "Don't worry. I didn't hurt her much. We just had a disagreement. She'll be awake in a day or two."

Kenneth walked towards the bed and ran a diagnostic spell on Pearl's body. Aside from the two small puncture wounds on her neck, her body didn't have any kind of damage. Clearly, someone had used a healing spell to remove Pearl's injuries, with the exception of the two marks on her neck.

Kenneth had an idea on what William was trying to tell him, because of this, the latter decided to just turn a blind eye on Pearl's current condition.

"I apologize on behalf for her recklessness," Kenenth said with a calm expression. "Thank you for looking after her."

William nodded in appreciation. "You're still perceptive as always."

Kenneth sighed as he sat on the bed. His gaze looked at the red-headed teenager who was looking back at him with a smile.

"You're leaving?" Kenneth asked.

"Yes."

"When?"

William crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed his Ex-Roommate with an appraising look. "Tomorrow. Don't try to find me, because you won't."

The silver-haired Elf smiled bitterly because he could feel the firmness in William's tone. He knew that if he tried to force himself to accompany him, the Half-Elf would definitely find a way to lose him along the way.

"I guess I will be seeing you at the Misty Sect," Kenneth said.

William nodded his head. "I will be undergoing extensive training until the promised time. Let's meet again in the Aberdeen Mountains."

Kenneth's gaze softened because he could feel that William still treated him as a friend. Since that was the case, he would not be too demanding and allow him to do the things he needed. The Founding Day of the Misty Sect was only several weeks away.

It wouldn't be long before he and William would meet once again.

"Will, don't lose."

"That's the plan."

William left the room and headed to the alchemist Division to say goodbye to his Fifth Master, Albert. Although his Alchemist Master was a carefree individual, he still took time to teach William a lot of things when he first arrived at the academy.

While all of this was happening, Princess Sidonie was in her room drafting the plans for the delegation that would go to the Mist Sect.

Ashe and Chiffon would be leaving with William, leaving her alone in the Empire. This was the plan that they had agreed to beforehand. Princess Sidonie was an important member of the Royal Family of Freesia and the Kraetor Empire.

Because of this, she couldn't accompany William when he journeyed towards the Misty sect. However, since she could easily visit the Thousand Beast Domain anytime, this problem was not a big deal for her.

She, along with her grandfather, and a few of her cousins would go to the Misty Sect. Everyone had high expectations of William. For them, the battle against his Ex-Fiance was already a done deal.

The Half-Elf was someone that had cleared the 51st Floor of the Tower. Compared to him, Rebecca was nothing.

Unfortunately, they were not aware that he was going to fight his fiance with increased difficulty due to Aamon's quest. This was also why William was dead-set on upgrading all the Job Classes that he could, in order to prepare for any kind of situation.

—–

Meanwhile in the Glazed Domain of the Misty Sect…

Rebecca exhaled, and a cloud of icy air escaped her sensuous lips.

"I finally broke through the 7th Circle," Rebecca muttered as a powerful aura enveloped her body.

Due to the unlimited resources, training, special privileges, and her Perfect Grade Talent, she had stepped on the ranks of an Archmage four years earlier than usual.

The elder that was assigned to watch over her nodded her head in approval.

"Consolidate your new found strength," the elder advised. "Clear your mind, and allow your element to wash over your body."

"Yes, Elder," Rebecca replied before closing her eyes to meditate.

Deep inside, Rebecca was happy. She had finally achieved the height that she had dreamed of when she was young. She and William understood that what they were going to do was merely a formality. Regardless of who won between the two of them, their marriage agreement would be void after their promised battle.

—–

On a ship bound to the Central Continent…

Lawrence, the Old Fox of the Griffith Duchy, looked at the ship's window with a depressed expression on his face. They had left the Hellan Kingdom a few weeks ago in order to arrive at the Misty Sect, and participate in the festivities that were waiting for them.

The Old Fox played with the communication crystal in his hand, before putting it on top of the table with a sigh.

No matter how many times he tried to use the communication crystal to talk to James, the old coot would pretend that he didn't see it. This made Lawrence very annoyed.

Rebecca's mother and father had firmly opposed his decision to make his granddaughter William's fiance, but that was already in the past. Now, the two idiots were feeling fearful that William would come and find them to settle the scores between them.

Because of this, Lawrence decided to bring them with him to the Central Continent, in order to mediate and compensate William for the grievances he received in the past.

"The eyes are useless when the mind is blind." Lawrence shook his head as he poured himself a glass of wine. "I should have been more firm back then. Now, it's too late."

Lawrence drank the wine and felt the sourness spreading inside his mouth. The journey towards the Central Continent would be a long and tiring one.. He just hoped that when they reached their final destination, the ache he was feeling in his heart would disappear like the passing clouds in the sky.

Chapter 691: When Man Has A Virtuous Thought, Heaven Will Grant Him Support

Nestled at the base of the Savadeen Mountains was the city of Eirwen. This prosperous city was under the direct jurisdiction of the Misty Sect.

The Misty Sect had been around for close to three thousand years, and its roots ran deep in the Central Continent. It had several branches across the land, and even across the other continents.

Eleanor and the Elder, Lady Miriam, were the people assigned to handle the Misty Sect Branch in the Southern Continent. They had discovered Rebecca's talents early on, and decided to bring her under their wing to be raised as one of the pillars of their sect.

Their plan would have been perfect if not for the thorn that had the name "William" written on it.

Now that the honor and dignity of their sect was about to be challenged, these two elders weren't able to sleep well at night, due to the anxiety and fear in their hearts.

The citizens of Eirwen didn't share their worries and were in a festive mood. Every establishment, and house, had hung snowflake lanterns, which was an old tradition when the founding day of the Misty Sect drew near.

Although the celebration was still a week away, several flying carriages, and other special flying artifacts could be seen soaring towards the Savadeen Mountains, where the Sect was located.

They were the delegations from the different powerful factions on the Central Continent, and emissaries from the other continents who had also received an invitation.

Within the bustling streets of the city, a chubby young man with above average features, who seemed to be in his late teens walked proudly. He was wearing very expensive clothes, and anyone that saw him would definitely label him as a member of the nobility, or a wealthy merchant.

By his side, a scholarly young man who was also in his late teens, walked steadily. The young man admired the surroundings around him with a calm gaze. Unlike his chubby friend, who wore expensive clothes, the scholar's clothes were rather plain. However, they were very clean, and gave the scholar a refined presence.

As the two passed through the marketplace, a little girl carrying a basket of snow apples approached the chubby young man.

"Sir, would you like to buy some apples?" the little girl asked with a smile. "They are freshly picked and very delicious."

"Oink, how much for a piece?" the chubby man asked.

"Three apples for one silver coin," the little girl replied with eyes filled with expectations. She had been trying to sell the apples for the past three hours, but she hadn't found any buyers.

"These apples do look fresh and delicious," the scholarly man said with a smile. "Okay, we will buy six apples. Here you go."

The little girl was about to happily receive the coin when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled it back.

"I-It hurts!" the little girl cried out in pain and dropped the basket she was holding.

The apples rolled on the streets, and everyone glared at the burly man who was holding the girl's arm in a vice grip. He was over two-meters tall and was surrounded by a dozen men who were wearing red robes.

"Little girl, who gave you the right to sell apples on our turf?" the burly man asked with a sinister smile. He then strengthened his grip on the girl's arm, making her cry out loud in pain. "Do you think that just because you are a child, the Red Devils will turn a blind eye to your ignorance?!"

The vendors on the marketplace gnashed their teeth in anger. All of them wanted to help the little girl, but they were afraid that the Red Devils would come and mess up their business. The Red Devil was the biggest and most notorious gang in the city, and the locals were afraid to face their wrath.

"Wuwuwuwu! Mama!" The little girl's tears fell like a flood as she called out to her mother.

This was the first time that she had visited the main street to sell the apples that she, and her mother, had picked in their backyard.

Usually, she would just sell the apples near their home, but due to the influx of visitors that had arrived at their city, she decided to go to the main street in order to quickly sell everything, and return home to have lunch with her mother.

The passersby steered clear from the scene and looked at the crying girl with pity. Most of them were foreigners, so they didn't want to offend the local tyrants of Eirwen City.

The name of the burly man is Butch, and he was one of the captains of the Red Devils. He had managed to get his position by underhanded means, and was someone who liked to torture people.

He didn't care about their age, or gender. As long as he could hear their screams, he was more than happy to sate his sick hobby.

"Since you didn't pay us protection money then we have no choice but to collect it from you," Butch said in a teasing tone. "The protection fee for our services is a thousand gold a month. Pay up, and we will allow you to sell your apples anywhere in the city."

Butch's subordinates laughed because they had seen this scene many times in the past. All of them were already used to it, and of them cared if their captain's latest target was a little girl who was only under the age of ten.

"Wuwuwuwu! Mama! Help me!" the little girl's cry became louder. There was nothing that she could do but cry and call for her mother to rescue her.

"Awww, you poor child." Butch chuckled. "Go on. Call your mommy. Maybe she can pay us by spreading her legs."

Butch's subordinates laughed in agreement. The little girl was somewhat pretty, so they believed that her mother was pretty as well. All of them were lowlives. For them, a mature woman was way better than a little brat who was still wet behind the ears.

The burly man increased the strength of his grip further and a soft crack was heard, followed by the young girl's soul stirring scream. Butch and his subordinates had smiles on their faces as they teased the crying girl who'se tears, and snot, had already stained her adorable face.

The chubby young man clicked his tongue and walked towards them. He and his friends had just arrived at the city and they already saw this disgusting scene. It made his blood boil, so he decided to make his move.

"Oi, if you don't want to lose that arm, it will be best if you release the girl. Oink," the chubby young man said. "How dare you get in the way of my lunch? Did this Sir give you permission?"

Butch and his men stared at the chubby teenager before laughing out loud. This was also not the first time when they saw a "Knight in Shining Armor" trying to save the damsel in distress. Most of these knights were already buried six feet under, and Butch had tortured them until they breathed their last breath.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here." Butch grinned. He appraised the chubby teen's clothes and knew that he came from a rich family. "Are you talking to me, Pig?"

As one of the captains of the Red Devils, Butch's strength was of the Adamantium Rank. He could fight head to head with a Centennial Beast, and crush them with his superior strength. Because of this, even the Leader of the Red Devils favored him, and gave him the task of collecting the protection fees in the most profitable place in the city.

The chubby young man sighed and shook his head. "I do not wish for Dominion, but I cannot let the innocent suffer. Since you crossed my path, I can't turn a blind eye to your ignorance."

Butch's smile widened as a sinister glint passed through his eyes. "So you want to play the hero? I'd like to see how you can save this brat from my han— gaah!"

The captain of the Red Devil wasn't able to finish his words because he felt something hard hit the side of his face, sending him flying towards a nearby fruit stall.

The little girl cried out loud as she lost her balance. She was about to fall on the ground when a strong pair of hands held her in place.

The scholarly man chanted as he cast a healing spell on the girl's arm, who was already starting to turn into a darker shade of blue.

"Make sure to collect medical fees for this child's broken arm," the scholar stated as he focused on healing the girl. "Additional compensation is also needed for emotional trauma."

"Oink, got it," the chubby teenager said as he picked one of the apples that had fallen on the ground. He then took a bite without caring that it had already been dirtied. The crisp and delectable reverberated in the air, as the chubby teenager ate with gusto.

Butch roared in anger as he charged towards the chubby young man with bloodshot eyes. He had already summoned a bastard sword in his hands, and was hell-bent to cleave the "Pig" in two.

The scholar gently carried the little girl in his arms and walked towards a safe location. He was not concerned about his friend, because he knew that the burly man wasn't his friend's match.

"When man has a virtuous thought, Heaven will grant him support," the chubby young man stated as he held the handle of his rake firmly in his hand. "Fool who doesn't know your place, I Zhu will slap your face!"

Chapter 692: Well Then, Are You Guys Ready To Rumble?

"Die!" Butch roared as he swung his sword with all of his strength.

He was one of the Big Shots of the Underworld in the Savadeen Mountains, and this was the first time he had been embarrassed this badly.

Zhu didn't even glance in Butch's direction, and merely thrust the rake behind him. A resounding clanging sound was heard as the two weapons clashed against each other.

Everyone was expecting the chubby teenager to be cut in half, but the scene in front of them made their eyes widen in surprise.

Butch's bastard sword found itself trapped within the gap of the nine-tooth rake, unable to advance forward.

Zhu clicked his tongue as he twisted the handle of his rake, snapping the bastard sword in two. He then thrust the rake backwards once again, sending Butch flying a few meters behind him. The Captain of the Red Devils once again landed on the same stall he had crashed into earlier.

The merchant who owned the store was nearly in tears because all his wares were destroyed. Although he appreciated Zhu saving the little girl, he was still heartbroken due to the loss of his profits.

A powerful shockwave erupted from the stall as Butch released his battle aura. Blood flowed out of his nose, as his face contorted in anger. This was the second time that he had been sent flying by his opponent and his anger had reached its peak.

"I'll kill you!" Butch shouted as he once again lunged at Zhu while holding two short swords in his hands.

Zhu sneered as he gave Butch a side-long glance. "Can you?"

Suddenly, Zhu's body grew until he reached a height of five-meters. He then punched forward, and his meaty, right hand, smashed the incoming Butch into the ground, creating a small crater.

The members of the Red Devils' felt their legs turning soft when they saw their captain lying unconscious on the ground, with blood seeping out of all of his orifices.

Zhu towered over the unconscious man and raised his right foot. He then stepped on Butch's right arm, turning it into meat paste.

The sudden pain made Butch regain his consciousness. A blood curdling scream followed suit as the pain of his injuries crashed down on him like a giant wave, making him cry out in pain. A few of his ribs had been broken earlier, making his breathing painful and difficult.

Zhu gazed down on him with a smile as he poked the burly man's body with the end of his rake.

"Awww, you poor child." Zhu chuckled. "Does it hurt? Don't worry, this is only the beginning."

"S-Stop!" Butch pleaded. "F-Forgive me! Have mercy!"

Zhu nodded. "Okay, but you have to pay. One million gold coins will do."

"I-I don't have that much. I only have over two thousand gold coins on me."

"Okay, give it to me."

Butch moved his still intact left hand and summoned a leather pouch from his storage ring. Although he was hurting all over, the fear of dying made him regret his earlier decision of bullying the little girl.

He thought that it would be just like one of those times when he had succeeded in torturing others and spreading fear to the merchants, to prevent them from resisting his control over the marketplace.

Zhu had already returned to his original size and grabbed the leather pouch filled with gold coins. "I have received over two thousand gold coins. Now, give me the rest. You still owe me over nine hundred thousand gold coins."

Butch coughed a mouthful of blood due to anger and shame. Now he understood what his victims felt like after he had tortured them to death.

"What's going on here?!"

A loud shout spread across the marketplace, as more than thirty men, wearing blue uniforms, stormed the scene.

Cassidy, one of the captains of the City Guards, appeared after receiving a report of a battle that was currently happening in the marketplace. The Mayor had given them explicit orders to stop any potential problem that might arise during this crucial time.

The representatives of the powerful factions in the continent were currently congregating in their domain and he didn't want them to have a bad impression of his territory.

Naturally, he was also afraid that he would be kicked out of his position by the Elders of the Misty Sect if he didn't do his job right. Because of this, he had mobilized several guards to patrol the city in regular intervals.

Cassidy glanced at Butch who was lying in a pool of blood. A frown appeared on his face because he was one of the captains that was bribed by the Red Devils to turn a blind eye to their criminal activities.

However, with so many witnesses, he knew that he had to play his cards right in order to take control of the conflict.

"As the Captain of the City Guards, I order that all of you must come with me to the station for questioning," Cassidy replied. "Do not resist, and you will not be hurt. Men seize them!"

The men encircled Zhu and his scholar friend, but they completely ignored Butch and the members of the Red Devil. Clearly, they were in cahoots with the criminal organization, just like their captain.

Zhu chuckled when he saw this scene and glanced at his friend, who was currently standing beside the little girl.

"Sha, back me up," Zhu said with a smile. "It's time to sweep away the trash, Oink."

"Okay." Sha sighed as he shook his head. "To think that we would get into trouble as soon as we entered the city. I guess you still carry your bad luck with you."

Although Sha's tone carried a trace of resignation, the contempt and disappointment in his eyes towards the City Guards was very evident.

"Get behind me," Sha said as he patted the little girl's head. "This might get a bit messy."

The little girl nodded her head and obediently hid behind Sha. For her, the chubby teenager and the scholar were good people because they saved her. Her body had already been cured, and she was no longer feeling any pain in her body.

However, she was still sad because the apples that she and her mother had worked hard to pick, had been trampled by the bad guys.

"Hmm? The two of you plan to resist?" Cassidy sneered. "You think you can do whatever you want in Eirwen City?!"

The City Guards had all unsheathed their weapons and aimed them at Sha and Zhu. It was also at that time, when several men wearing red robes appeared in the marketplace.

"Captain Cassidy, it seems that there are some troublemakers roaming around the city today," a middle-aged man with a scar on his face greeted with a smile.

Cassidy was shocked because he recognized the middle-aged man. He was other than Devin, the leader of the Red Devils.

He had stepped into the Saint Rank two years ago, and had been the King of the Underworld in Eirwen City. The Mayor as well as the City Guards were also on his payroll, which allowed them to grow and become the biggest gang in the Savadeen Mountains.

"Sir Devin, everything is under control," Cassidy replied. "We are now in the process of arresting these criminals. They will be taken to the station and interrogated for the crimes that they have committed."

"Is that so?" Devin asked back and eyed Sha and Zhu with great interest. He glanced at Butch who was seriously injured on the ground before shifting his attention back to the chubby teenager who was looking at him with indifference.

"Captain Cassidy, these people injured my men," Devin stated. "Since that is the case, can you leave them to me?"

Cassidy frowned. There were many eye witnesses, and it would be difficult if the Misty Sect got wind of this incident. The only way to handle this matter was to resolve it as fast as possible.

The Captain of the City Guards scanned the surroundings and found that more men wearing red robes had arrived at the marketplace. According to his estimate, there were now over three hundred members of the Red Devils, and it would be very difficult to say no to Devin's request.

"Very well, but make sure that it doesn't go out of hand." Cassidy compromised. "You already know that now is a very difficult time for us and if the Misty Sect becomes displeased, it will be bad for your people as well."

Devin nodded his head in understanding. He also knew that if they wanted to wrap this incident up properly, their reaction must be swift and not leave any traces behind.

The leader of the Red Devils raised his hand, ordering his men to capture Zhu and Sha.

The CIty Guards backed away hurriedly because they didn't want to be involved in the Red Devils' revenge against those who dared to challenge their authority.

Zhu was about to transform into a five-meter tall giant when a carefree voice broke the tense atmosphere.

"I just left the two of you to buy a drink and you're already creating trouble?" a lazy voice said. Perfect! I love trouble. Why didn't you call for me?"

"Senior brother." Zhu chuckled as he waved at the person that was walking towards them holding a jug of wine. "Don't worry, you came at the right time. We were just about to start."

Sha smiled and nodded his head. Now that their Senior Brother has arrived, he could just focus on protecting the little girl that was hiding behind his back.

The new arrival drank the jug of wine as he walked over in a carefree manner. He had short brown hair, and his light-brown eyes were filled with mischief.

The brown-haired young man looked like someone in his early twenties. He walked unsteadily, but each step was like a flowing river that flowed freely across the land, unhindered by the affairs of the mortal realm.

After giving a loud burp, the newcomer threw the jug to the side, hitting Butch, and knocking him unconscious.

The corner of Devin's and Cassidy's lips twitched when they saw the burly man's pitiful state, but didn't say anything. For some reason, the newcomer made them feel a sense of dread that they couldn't explain.

It was as if they were being stared at by a wild animal who could go berserk at any moment.

"Well then, are you guys ready to rumble?" the brown-haired young man said as he pulled something out of his right ear.

Everyone looked in disbelief when they saw the golden, metallic, staff that had come out from the brown-haired man's ear.

Devin's expression became serious because his sixth sense was screaming at him.. It was telling him that this was someone that he couldn't afford to offend no matter what.

Chapter 693: I Still Want To Live Dammit!

"Who are you?" Cassidy asked. "You'd better not make trouble here in the city or we will not be lenient with your punishment!"

The brown-haired young man chuckled when he heard Cassidy's words. He had heard this question for millennia's, and his answer to this question had always been the same.

"Who am I?" the brown haired young man smirked as his eyes started to turn golden. "Great men need no introductions, but since you want to know that badly, I will allow you to know my exalted name. Remember it well, because it might be the last thing you remember in this world."

The brown haired man slammed the golden staff on the ground, creating a metallic ringing sound that reverberated in the entire city of Eirwen. He then raised his head arrogantly as he pointed his thumb at his face.

"I am…," the brown haired man said before turning his head to look at Sha. "Sha, introduce me to them. I'm too lazy."

The corner of Sha's lips twitched, but he still decided to play along. After all, it was this "Senior Brother" who had smuggled them into the World of Hestia to look for William. Introducing him to people was the least that he could do.

"He is other than the Handsome Monkey King!" Sha shouted.

Zhu decided to play along and also raised his voice. "A Great Warrior who will fight for good, truth, peace, and honesty!"

"Hero alone is he who vies with powers supreme!"

"The world revolves in the palm of his hands!"

"Good and Evil can't stand in his way, for he is the force that defies it everyday!"

"Look at his manliness, that makes all the maidens blush. Don't you know that he is everyone's crush?"

"Lo and behold, mortals of the realm. His presence alone, don't you feel overwhelmed?"

"He is other than the Great Sage that equals Heaven!"

"The warrior that fought against Heaven's might!"

"He is other than, the epitome of greatness, Sun Wukong!"

Sun Wukong may have the thickest skin in the multiverse, but Zhu's and Sha's praises were enough to make even the invincible monkey king feel that they were praising the wrong person.

"Aww shucks guys, you're making me blush," Sun Wukong said as he scratched his cheeks in embarrassment. "But, the two of you forgot to say that I'm the most awesome being in creation. The Legendary Legend that defies the balance of the world. The most powerful, supreme expert that…"

Zhu and Sha were doing their best to prevent their expression from spasming. They had already praised Sun Wukong to the high heavens, but it seemed that their method had only spurred on the Monkey King's narcissistic tendencies.

We already praised you, okay?

You still want to be praised?

Don't you know the meaning of moderation?

Bruh…

"I just realized that the words of this world are not enough to describe how amazing I really am," Sun Wukong rubbed his chin. "Welp, I guess I'll deal with all of you first before I write down all of my awesome qualities."

Without another word, Sun Wukong somersaulted in the air and transformed into his Monkey King Form.

"Enough talk, let's fight!" Sun Wukong roared. "Sweep away all adversaries!

"Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

A powerful explosion erupted in the middle of the city making the land tremble. However, the surprising thing was that no damage could be seen anywhere.

What happened next was truly outstanding because several people wearing red and blue robes were tossed in the air, similar to how fried rice was tossed in a wok.

Sun Wukong understood that he couldn't hurt innocent people in the mortal world, so he used the power of righteousness to separate the bad guys from the good.

"Let's go nuts!" Sun Wukong roared as he swung the golden staff in his hands like a baseball bat. "Reject Humanity! Return to Monke!"

Ruyi Jingu Bang grew until it was over hundreds meters long, and several meters wide. All that got hit cried out in pain, and flew towards the Savadeen Mountains.

The Sect Master and the Elders of the Misty Sect immediately felt the strong fluctuations in their surroundings and were immediately alarmed.

They felt the overbearing presence descend on them like a mountain. All of them saw the giant golden staff that could potentially erase the entire city of Eirwen, and it made them shudder.

"Demigod!" Thea, the Sect Master of the Misty Sect, gasped in shock after witnessing the incredible scene in front of her.

The Guardian of the Misty Sect opened its eyes and looked at the Monkey King hovering in the air.

Sun Wukong glanced in the Guardian's direction and winked. The Monkey King even made a gesture to the Guardian to come down and join the fun, but the latter pretended that it didn't see it and closed its eyes to sleep.

"You don't want to join?" Sun Wukong asked the Guardian using telepathy. "Let's go play a hundred rounds! Relax, I'll give you a handicap. I'll only use one hand and my staff!"

The Guardian shuddered and pretended that it was deep asleep. No matter how much Sun Wukong coaxed it, the Sacred Beast refused to budge.

It doesn't matter if you give me a handicap or not. That staff alone is enough to kill me!

I still want to live dammit!

Seeing that the Guardian didn't want to play, Sun Wukong scratched his head helplessly. As he was thinking about what to do next, several Elders of the Misty Sect flew towards him.

"Your Excellency, I am the leader of the Misty Sect, Thea," Thea said respectfully. "A few days from now, we are going to celebrate the founding of our Sect. I respectfully invite you, Your Excellency, to join us in this joyous event."

Sun Wukong started to pick his nose with indifference.

"Well, I have some free time, so I guess I can honor your Sect with my exalted presence."

"We will be most grateful to host you, Your Excellency!"

"But, I am feeling rather irritated right now," Sun Wukong stated. "You see, my boys and I came here to sightsee, but we were harassed by those Red Devil guys and members of the City Guards. You know, when I get grumpy, I have the habit of demolishing mountains…"

The expression of Thea and the Elder's of the MIsty Sect became pale. The dissatisfaction in Sun Wukong's tone clearly hid a threat that meant "If you don't fix this, I'll smash your mountain."

This was something that they couldn't allow to happen no matter what!

"Rest assured, Your Excellency," Thea said, as she tried to hide the anxiousness in her heart, "We will immediately punish those who dared to make things difficult for you."

"Eleanor, Miriam, send the Executors to round up all the members of the Red Devils!" Thea ordered. "Also, bring in the Mayor and the Commander of the City Guards for questioning! I will not allow an evil organization, including corrupt officials, to stay in my Domain!"

""Yes, Sect Master!""

All the Elders moved at once. They had long turned a blind eye on the actions of the Red Devils, and the corruption of the city's officials, because they also received benefits on their end. If not for the fact that a Demigod was threatening to demolish their home turf, they would have continued to let the matters slide.

However, they couldn't do that anymore.

On that same day, every member of the Red Devil was caught and apprehended by the Executors of the Misty Sect. The City's Mayor, as well as the other corrupt officials, were kicked out of their positions and imprisoned inside the Sect.

A thorough Purge had been enacted and even the small-time gangs, and criminals, were apprehended.

The Misty Sect had used all the manpower in their disposal to show the Monkey King their sincerity to correct their wrongs.

Sun Wukong didn't make things difficult for Thea and promised the Sect Master that they would visit the Misty Sect on their Founding Day.

They were there to meet with William, so getting free accommodations was something they would not reject.

The Envoys from the different factions, who had witnessed the amazing scene, sent people to investigate Sun Wukong's origins. Most of them already knew the identity of all the Demigods in the World of Hestia.

They had never heard of a character like Sun Wukong, and they wanted to know which faction he belonged to.

As these undercover investigations were being done, the Monkey King drank wine as he laid on top of the roof of the inn that they were staying in. A chuckle escaped his lips as he thought about what William's reaction would be when he saw them at the Misty Sect.

"I just hope that the Jade Emperor won't lose his head when he finds out that I smuggled Zhu and Sha from the temple." Sun Wukong scratched his head. "I guess I'd better lie low when I return."

Ever since Zhu and Sha had been granted amnesty, they had been thinking of ways that they could repay William for their freedom. However, no matter how much they thought, the only way for them to repay the Half-Elf was to go to his world.

Because of this, they went to find Sun Wukong and asked him to smuggle them to the World of Hestia. To their surprise the Monkey King readily agreed and their great smuggling plan began.

High above the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, the Jade Emperor massaged his temple.

"Bastards, the lot of you," the Jade Emperor cursed under his breath. He was planning to send Zhu and Sha into one of the golden portals that connected to a higher world.

The plan was already made so the two faithful subordinates would be able to live wonderful lives in order to compensate them for the hardships that they had experienced these past thousand years.

However, all of that planning had now gone to waste because the ungrateful fools had decided to go to William's world and return the favor that the Half-Elf had given them.

In the end, the Jade Emperor could only sigh and allow things to take its course. He understood that some things were Fated to happen, so he decided to toss Zhu's and Sha's matter to the back of his mind for the time being.

The Primordial Goddess only chuckled at this unexpected outcome, but she didn't mind it too much.

Just as the Jade Emperor understood that some things were Fated to happen, the Primordial Goddess knew of this as well.. It would take a strong will to fight against Fate, and only a select few could break away from this Law that governed the Multiverse.

Chapter 694: I Can’t Fall In Love With That Guy

Three days before the Founding Day of the Misty Sect…

More and more delegations arrived at the Savadeen Mountains. Due to Sun Wukong's earlier escapade, the Misty Sect had reinforced the security of their sect, as well as the City of Eirwen.

No one dared to cause any more trouble after the Red Devils and the corrupt officials were all dealt with.

Several Flying carriages pulled by Giant Eagles flew past the city and headed towards the mountaintop. Each of these carriages carried the banner of the Kraetor Empire.

After a few weeks of travel, Emperor Leonidas, Prince Maximilian, Princess Sidonie, Kenneth, Lilith, Pearl, and other high-ranking nobles had finally arrived at the main branch of the Misty Sect.

As soon as their carriages landed, several inner disciples of the sect respectfully greeted them, and brought them to their temporary residences. The Misty Sect had prepared for this event for a very long time, and all the influential people were given the VIP treatment.

Emperor Leonidas and Prince Maximilian went to see the Sect Master to personally give their greetings. Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, led their entourage to their respective quarters, in order to rest. Although their journey was uneventful, traveling for long distances was still exhausting.

Kenneth and Pearl shared a room, while Lilith went towards the quarters prepared for the Amazons. Empress Andraste had arrived a day earlier, and was waiting for Lilith to tell her about her experiences with William.

"The boy has a big appetite. Not only is Princess Sidonie his fiance, he also married the Sin of Gluttony?" Empress Andraste asked with great interest.

Lilith nodded. "Yes, Mother. Also, from what I can tell, he is also close to the Sin of Sloth."

Empress Andraste chuckled as she eyed Lilith with a smile. "So, are you interested in him, daughter?"

Lilith frowned. After the incident with Princess Sidonie, her impression of William had greatly changed. Also, during the conference, she had seen "William's" unrestrained attitude. This change in personality confused her, so she couldn't come up with an immediate answer.

"What's wrong? Is he not what you were expecting him to be?" Empress Andrasted pressed on for answers. "Is he not qualified?"

"… He is qualified," Lilith answered after arranging her thoughts. She didn't want to admit that a chill ran down her spine when Wililam had snuck up behind her, and asked for the collar that she had stolen from the Lusty Princess.

For a brief moment, she felt like submitting to his will, and this scared her a lot. Lilith was an unrestrained individual, and didn't want to be tied up, but, in that brief moment, she felt like several invisible shackles had locked her in place, leaving her no room to escape his clutches.

"Do you like him?" Empress Andraste arched an eyebrow because she could tell that her daughter was acting differently from her usual self. She still hadn't met William, but a glance was enough to tell her that he was no ordinary young man.

No ordinary man could make her daughter act with uncertainty, and this made her interest towards the Half-Elf rise to a higher level.

Lilith firmly shook her head. "Mother, giving birth to strong warriors is the duty of the Amazons. Whether we love our partners or not, we will always look at the bigger picture."

Empress Andraste stood up and walked towards Lilith to give her a hug.

"Silly girl," Empress Andraste teased. "Who said that you can't give birth to the child of the one you love? Although we do pride ourselves for choosing a strong partner, there is no law that prohibits us from falling in love."

"Mother, I can't fall in love with that guy. He's so…"

"So?"

"Dumb looking and stupid."

Empress Andraste's shoulders started to shake as she stifled her laughter. "He really made an impression on you. You wouldn't call him dumb looking and stupid otherwise. Well, you don't need to do anything. I look forward to meeting this teenage boy who has recently become the talk of the entire continent."

—–

Inside Sun Wukong's residence inside the MIsty Sect…

"This girl has a lot of potential. I rarely see such a talented girl in my wanderings of the world. It will be a shame if she doesn't get proper guidance from your sect," Sun Wukong said as he patted the head of the little girl who sold apples to Zhu and Sha a few days ago. "Don't you agree?"

Thea forced herself to smile as she nodded her head. She had already subtly checked the body of the little girl a while ago to see if she had any special talent inside her body. Unfortunately, the apple seller was only a normal human, and her body was not suitable for cultivating magic.

"Your Excellency, I don't think she has what it takes to study in our Main Sect," Thea replied respectfully. "However, I can send her to a good learning institution to study. There are plenty of academies in the Central Continent, and I'm sure that she would fit into one of them perfectly."

Sun Wukong chuckled before staring eyeing Thea with contempt.

"Are you saying that my vision is lacking?" Sun Wukong inquired. "Do you think I am blind? Are you implying that I am not capable of seeing how amazing this child is?"

"N-No. That is not what I meant, Your Excellency," Thea stuttered. "I mean, this child is indeed worthy to study at our sect. I will be more than happy to take her in."

Sun Wukong ignored Thea's reply and took out a peach out of thin air. The little girl's name was Amy. A few days ago, she had found herself at the mercy of the Red Devils, but now, she had become the tour guide of Sun Wukong, Zhu, and Sha.

They had given ten percent of the total savings of the Red Devils to her family, so they were not lacking any money. The three decided to take her to the Misty Sect so she could be nurtured properly, and never suffer again.

However, just as Thea surmised, Amy was just an ordinary girl. She didn't have any talents in regards to magic, but this was just a minor matter for the Great Sage that Equaled Heaven.

"Eat this peach," Sun Wukong coaxed the little girl, who was looking at the peach with curiosity. "Although apples are good, I guarantee that this peach will taste better."

"Thank you, Uncle Wukong," Amy replied as she happily took the peach and bit it.

Sun Wukong nodded and patted her head. "Good girl."

What he had given Amy was one of the peaches that grew on the Orchard of Longevity back in the Celestial Palace. Those who consumed the fruit would have their bodies strengthened and allow the power of Heaven and Earth to be attracted to their body.

As Amy ate the peach, Wukong once again shifted his attention to Thea who was doing her best to retain her dignity as a Sect Master.

"I want her to have the best education, so make sure to make her one of your inner disciples," Sun Wukong said in a carefree manner. "I will visit her from time to time to check her progress. If I see her getting neglected… hehehe."

Wukong made a slicing gesture on his neck while looking at Thea.

As the Sect Master, she already knew that she couldn't afford to antagonize such a strong being. Even their Guardian refused to fight Sun Wukong, which proved that the latter was stronger than the protector of their Sect.

"We will do our best, Your Excellency," Thea bowed respectfully. "However, learning magic depends on the talent of the individual. Even if we give her all the best resources, if her ability falls short there is nothing that we can do."

There had been no precedence for a normal human to cultivate the secret arts of the Misty Sect. only those that were able to wield Ice Magic could benefit from it. Thea didn't want to antagonize Sun Wukong, but she didn't really have any way to create a miracle.

No matter how much you beat a dead horse, it will no longer move no matter how hard you try!

Sun Wukong snorted and waved his hands to dismiss Thea's words.

"Just do as I say," Sun Wukong ordered. "I am not asking for our opinion. The only thing that I want to hear from you is Yes and Yes. So, are you going to train Amy or not?"

"Yes," Thea answered in resignation. "We will train her to the best of our abilities."

Sun Wukong nodded. "That's more like it."

The Elders of the Misty Sect that had accompanied Thea to welcome Sun Wukong and his entourage had complicated expressions on their faces. Even so, at the face of absolute strength, they had no choice but to hold back their complaints in their hearts.

—–

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the City of Eirwen…

"Oh my goodness! We finally arrived."

"Kekeke. I'm hungry, can we find something to eat first?"

"Okay, the promised date is still a few days away so we can still do some sightseeing," the young man wearing a bamboo hat said with a smile. "Let's enjoy the local delicacies first. Maybe we won't have time to eat anything during the feast."

A little devil landed on William's right shoulder as he eyed the mountain whose peaks were covered by dense clouds. A devilish grin was plastered on his face. Clearly, he was looking forward to the things that he would see at the peak of the Misty Sect.

A little angel landed on Wiliam's left shoulder. He placed his hands behind his back as he, too, looked at the towering mountain in the distance.

The angel's eyes glowed faintly before returning to their normal color. Soon, an angelic smile appeared on his face as a plan formed in his mind.

The young man wearing a bamboo hat wasn't conscious of what his two companions were thinking.. The only thing on his mind was to enter the city and wait for the promised date to arrive.

Chapter 695: I Came Here To Help You Beat William

Rebecca came out from the Glazed Domain and was told to take a rest inside her room for the time being.

She had been inside the Domain for nearly two years, in preparation for the battle against William. For her, this battle was just tying up the loose ends of her past.

The genius of the Hellan Kingdom stared at the blizzard that was raging outside her window. This was a very common occurrence in the Savadeen Mountains and she was already used to it.

Rebecca sighed as she sat cross legged on the carpeted floor. She was planning to meditate to clear her mind from mundane thoughts, and circulate the magic power inside her body. Just as she was about to fall into that meditative state, she heard a light cough that came from her window.

Rebecca's eyes fluttered open as she gazed at the direction where the sound came from. There she saw a little person that was only as tall as an adult's hand, and looking back at her with an angelic smile on his face.

He had short blonde hair, light-green eyes, and a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asked. She narrowed her eyes and and several icicles floated around her body, pointing at the visitor that had come to her room uninvited.

"My name is Elliot, and I am William's Familiar," Elliot replied. He didn't seem bothered in the slightest about the icicles that were pointing in his direction.

Rebecca's brows furrowed when she heard Elliot's reply. Now that she had taken a good look at her visitor, she noticed that he did look like the Half-Elf that she was to fight a few days from now.

"Did he send you a message to pass to me?" Rebecca inquired.

This was not the first time that she had seen a familiar. A few of the Elders in the Misty Sect also had familiars, but she had never seen a familiar like Elliot.

"No." Elliot shook his head. "I came here on my own volition. This has nothing to do with William."

A frown appeared on Rebecca's face, but she still decided to ask what Elliot's purpose was for coming.

"Why did you come to find me?"

"I came here to help you beat William."

Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise, but this only lasted for a brief moment. She suddenly became vigilant and thought that this was a scheme made by William, in order to deal with her before their promised battle.

"You have trust issues," Elliot chuckled, "but, this is also a good trait. This is the first time we have met, so being vigilant is the right course of action. Now where was I? Ah yes. I came here to help you beat William."

"I don't need your help."

"Oh, but you do. Even if you are a 7th Circle Magician, your chances of beating him are zero percent."

Rebecca's eyes glowed with power and the number of icicles increased exponentially. With just a thought, all of these icicles would fly and skewer the annoying familiar and make him shut his pretentious mouth.

Elliot was unfazed by Rebecca's open hostility. Instead, he raised his hand and a white glowing crystal appeared.

"This is the heart of a Crystal Phoenix," Elliot stated. "Tomorrow, you will be taken to meet the Guardian of this Sect, and you will form a temporary contract with it. However, your body is not strong enough to accommodate its power. This is why it will refuse to become your temporary Beast Companion.

"However, if you absorb this Heart Crystal, your body will become its perfect vessel, and you will be able to successfully form a contract with it."

Rebecca stared at the floating crystal in a daze. She could feel very strong magical powers inside of it. A power that was strong enough to make her jump to the 8th Circle, as long as she was able to obtain it.

"I don't believe that you came here to help me," Rebecca forcefully tore her gaze from the crystal and shifted her attention to Elliot. "A familiar betraying its master? I'm not born yesterday. What is your real purpose for coming to me?"

Elliot nodded his head. "You're right. I didn't come here to 'help you' out of the goodness of my heart. There's no free lunch in this world. This Heart Crystal is very precious, so naturally I won't be giving it for free. Would you like to have a bet with me?"

"A bet?"

"Yes."

The angel familiar pushed his hand forward and the crystal floated towards Rebecca, stopping a meter away from her face.

"If you win against William then this Heart Crystal will belong to you," Elliot stated. "That way it will continue to give you a great boost in raising your magical power. Perhaps, a few years from now, you will enter the 10th Circle, and you will be able to look down on this world in disdain."

"And if I lose?" Rebecca asked. She was confident about winning against William. What she was afraid of was that the crystal had been tampered with and it would cause her to lose her match against her Ex-Fiance.

"You will become my subordinate for two years," Elliot replied. "I will be your boss, and you are not allowed to refuse my orders, no matter how unreasonable they might seem to you."

Rebecca wanted to reject the Familiar's offer, but the temptation of reaching the 10th Circle made her heart beat wildly inside her chest. For the past thousand years, no one had been able to step into the 10th Circle.

For magicians, this was their ultimate goal. It was the highest honor, and her name would be written in the history books, joining the other masters that had also attained the pinnacle of magic.

No magician could possibly reject such an offer. Even though the rank of Rebecca's talent was Perfect Grade, it was not an absolute guarantee that she would be able to reach the 10th Circle in her lifetime.

"Very well, I accept this bet," Rebecca stated.

"Are you sure?" Elliot crossed his arms over his chest. "If you lose, you will become my subordinate for two years. Are you fine with that?"

"I will not lose."

"I like that confidence of yours."

Elliot waved his hand and a contract appeared beside the floating crystal. "Read the contract and sign it with your blood. Sorry, but verbal agreements don't carry any weight. I only trust contracts."

Rebecca eyed Elliot before glancing at the contract. She had read the details written on it, and there was nothing wrong with it.

It was exactly as Elliot said. If she won then the Heart Crystal was hers to keep. If she lost then she would become his subordinate for two years. Nothing more, nothing less.

An icicle dagger appeared in Rebecca's hand and she pierced her fingertip with it. She then smudged the contract with her blood, agreeing to the conditions that were written on it.

The contract glowed and two beams of light shot out from it. One flew straight into Elliot's chest, the other flew towards Rebecca's.

"Jolly cooperation," Elliot grinned before flying towards the window. "I'll see you in a few days."

The angelic familiar didn't wait for Rebecca's reply and left the room through the window. The ice-cold wind entered the room and blew across her face, but she wasn't bothered by it.

Rebecca waved her hand and the window closed on its own. She then stared at the Heart Crystal with a complicated expression on her face.

"Just what did you do, WIlliam, to have your own familiar betray you?" Rebecca asked softly.

She continued to stare at the floating crystal for a few minutes before finally making up her mind. Rebecca pressed the heart crystal against her chest and channeled her magical power to accept it.

High above the Savadeen Mountains, a powerful magical fluctuation was felt by everyone who had a very strong magical power. The Guardian that was sleeping on top of the mountain's peak, opened its eyes because it had felt the power of its kind for a brief moment.

Its ancient eyes narrowed and focused on a young lady, who was seated cross legged inside her room. It didn't know who Rebecca was, and this was the first time it was seeing her.. Nevertheless, its curiosity was piqued because a mortal was able to release a presence that was beyond her league.

Chapter 696: The Forever Alone

William and Conan were happily eating the barbecue they had ordered inside their room.

After arriving at Eirwen City, they didn't immediately go to the Misty Sect because the founding day was still two days away. Of course, this was not the main reason they decided to spend a few days in the city.

The main reason was because the red-headed teenager didn't want to mingle with the different factions of the Central Continent. Princess Sidonie had warned him that everyone wanted a piece of him. It was also her idea for William to stay low-profile until the celebration formally began.

"I wonder where Elliot went this time," Conan said after he finished eating.

William smirked as he placed his fruit juice on the table. "Knowing him, he's probably trying to get under a lady's skirt."

"Kekeke. I can already see that happening."

"Right?"

William and Conan chuckled at the same time. They had already seen how proficient Elliot was at wooing the ladies, that they often get discounts when they bought items from shops that were manned by female clerks.

"My goodness! I'm only gone for a few hours, and the two of you are already slandering my good name?"

Elliot entered the room through the window while shaking his head in disappointment. He then landed beside the plate of barbecue that had been reserved just for him.

"Are we wrong in our assumption?" William asked.

Elliot chuckled as he pulled a chunk of meat from the barbecue skewer, "You're only half right."

"You said you are going to sightsee alone, but your true aim was to find girls to hit on, right?" Conan crossed his arms in disapproval.

Elliot ate the meat he'd pulled off the barbecue skewer and chewed happily. He completely ignored Conan's words and just focused on eating for the time being.

"Sometimes, I wonder if your roles are reversed," William said as he rested his chin on the palm of his right hand. "Elliot should be the devil, and Conan should be the angel."

""No thanks.""

The two familiars replied at the same time. Clearly they disagree with William's words. For them, they were born perfect, so there was no need to swap places with each other.

Suddenly, the door of the room opened. Ian and Chiffon entered the room with smiles on their faces. Both of them had gone to the marketplace to buy a few souvenirs that could only be found in the Savadeen Mountains.

William wasn't too worried about their safety because Chiffon had Sharur accompanying her. If anyone dared to harm his adorable wife, the smasher of thousands would break their skulls with one strike.

As for Ian, he wasn't too worried about her. Unlike Chiffon who had a gentle side, Ian was someone that doesn't show mercy to people that tried to hurt her, or the people important to her.

After unlocking the Morpher Job Class, the beautiful mermaid could transform into an Elder Elemental that was over ten meters tall. When she took on this form, Ian's battle prowess rose to the Millennial Rank.

Unless a Saint were to deal with her personally, very few people would be able to defeat her in combat.

"Looks like you girls enjoyed your shopping," William greeted the two who were in a good mood.

"Un! You should have accompanied us, Will," Chiffon replied. She then sat on William's right side, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "There will be a great bazaar that will open on the day of the Founding Ceremony. We should go and see if there are good items for sale."

William nodded and patted her head. "Okay. we will go there early before going to the Misty Sect."

"Un!" Chiffon snuggled close to William and closed her eyes in contentment.

She had always wanted to visit new places, and staying around William allowed her to do that. If possible, she didn't want to return to the Demon Continent or see her father again.

Ian sat on William's left side and brought out various pastries that she had bought in the marketplace. The mermaid was a foodie, and she liked to eat delicious food. Her twin sister, Isaac, had always handled the cooking, and she was an excellent cook.

Because of this, Ian's standard for food had become high. For her, only food that was equal to, or better than, Isaac's cooking was worth eating.

"You're going to get fat if you always eat cakes and pies," William commented.

Ian completely ignored him as she bit into the freshly baked apple pie that had come from a famous shop in the city. A smile appeared on her face because of how delicious the pie was.

"Chiffon, have some," Ian said as she gave the little glutton a slice of pie.

"Thank you, Big Sister," Chiffon replied as she held the warm pie in her hands.

Just like William, Ian spoiled Chiffon a lot. Now that the pink-haired girl had married William, she treated her as a little sister, which made Chiffon very happy.

"Well then, how confident are you in fighting against Rebecca?" Ian asked. "Can you win?"

"I will win," William answered firmly. "I promised you, your sister, and Est that I will lift the curses on your bodies. No matter what happens, I will win."

Ian smiled and nodded. She already knew that William was doing this for their sake, so she knew that the Half-Elf would do his best to win. The only thing she could in return was to stay by his side, and shower him with her love.

—–

At the base of the Savadeen Mountains…

"We're finally here." James looked at the towering mountain with a grin plastered on his face. "I hope those old bastards have arrived already. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Vlad snorted as he glanced at his old friend. "You mean you have a lot more bragging to do. I pity your acquaintances. They might have done some bad things in their past lives to have become your friend in this lifetime."

"Hahaha! Sucks to be them." James roared in laughter as he and Vlad traversed up the mountain. After Morgan had arrived at the Tower of Babylon, James had left him in charge.

Many people had not heard of James, but everyone in the Central Continent had heard of Morgan.

As the leader of the notorious Red Plague, he held a considerable deterrence effect that made people behave in the Floors that belonged to the Ainsworth Family. Morgan wasn't known to be a merciful person, and all those who annoyed him would have their bodies melt in a pool of blood.

To James' surprise, the envoys of the Amazons were also very interested in Morgan. They had long heard of him, and his name was placed in the Top Ten of ideal partners of the Amazon Race.

Right now, William's name was on top, while Morgan's was in the Top 5. Unfortunately, Morgan wasn't interested in letting the Amazons have their way with him, which greatly disappointed James.

The old coot sighed as he remembered that he had deemed his son to be a candidate for the "Forever Alone Club".

Morgan and Maxwell were twins, and both of them were handsome men. However, unlike Maxwell who liked socializing with people, especially with the ladies, Morgan was the complete opposite.

Although many women had made advances on him, he rejected them all and remained aloof. James hoped that the Amazons would be able to sneak into his bed and give him a surprise when he returned to the Tower of Babylon.

For the time being, James pushed this concern to the back of his mind and stared at the peak of the mountains.

"There are only two days left before William's and Rebecca's fight," James said softly. "I hope that the Misty Sect doesn't pull any underhanded tricks, for their own good."

Vlad's expression remained calm as he walked beside James. The Demigod of the Southern Continent didn't like to interfere in the affairs of mortals, but since he was dragged around to accompany James, he had no choice but to clean up his mess.

Vlad, too, hoped that nothing underhanded would happen during William's fight with Rebecca. He had secretly observed the war that had happened in the Southern Continent and admired how William resolved the conflict.

If possible, he didn't want to see this ancient mountain, that was as white as snow, be covered with blood.

Chapter 697: Looking Forward To An Entertaining Scene

Rebecca walked behind Thea as they climbed up the secret passageway that led to the peak of the Savadeen Mountains.

This place was a forbidden ground, and no unauthorized members of the Misty Sect were allowed to trek these stairs.

After several high-level meetings over the past few weeks, Thea and the Elders had decided to seek the aid of their Guardian and have it form a temporary contract with Rebecca. This would greatly increase her magical powers, which might allow her to break through the 8th Circle instantly.

With so much pressure hanging over their shoulders, they felt that this was the only way for them to gain an advantage over William. All of them had no idea of how strong the Half-Elf was. The only thing they knew was that he was the new owner of the 51st Floor, and they couldn't take him lightly.

Soon, Thea and Rebecca arrived at a clearing.

The young genius of the Hellan Kingdom unconsciously shuddered when she saw the magnificent creature that was looking at her with great interest.

"Your Excellency, Meredith, I have brought Rebecca here to seek your aid," Thea said. She had talked to their Guardian a week ago, and the latter had decided to approve their request.

Meredith's only concern was whether Rebecca's vessel was strong enough to accommodate her powers. However, with the help of the Heart of the Crystal Phoenix, this was no longer an issue.

"Good," Meredith replied as her gaze never left the young lady that it had set its eyes on. "Your name is Rebecca, yes?"

"Yes, Your Excellency," Rebecca answered.

"Do you wish to attain my power?"

"I do."

Meredith narrowed its eyes and a powerful gust of icy wind descended upon Rebecca. A powerful pressure pushed down on the young girl that almost made her kneel.

Channeling all of the magic powers inside her body, Rebecca gritted her teeth as she held her ground. She knew that this was the Guardian's test, and she had every intention of passing it.

Several minutes passed, and Rebecca felt her body warming up. This was pretty unusual, especially for someone who lived in a cold place like the Savadeen Mountains. A flash of surprise flashed past Rebecca's eyes because she never expected to encounter the signs of a second stage frostbite.

The young genius had thought that she was already immune to the cold, due to the special body refinement that she had practiced since she entered the Sect.

Breathing deeply, she once again circulated her magic powers inside her body. A few seconds later, her heart turned into an ice crystal. It pulsed with power and washed away the cold that had seeped deep inside her body.

This was the power of the Heart of the Crystal Phoenix that she had absorbed a day ago. It would allow her to strengthen her resistance not only against the element of ice, but the other elements as well.

'I thought it was just my imagination, but it seems that this girl had a really fruitful encounter,' Meredith thought.

Soon, the powerful pressure decreased, before vanishing completely. Meredith's test was over, and Rebecca was able to gain its approval.

"You are qualified to form a temporary contract with me," Meredith stated. "However, I will only allow you to use a quarter of my powers. More than that and your body might really turn into an ice statue. Is this arrangement fine with you?"

Rebecca nodded. "Yes, Your Excellency."

Meredith spread her wings wide before glancing at Thea.

"Leave, and make sure that no one disturbs us," Meredith ordered. "Come pick her up in the morning. I will need to impart my knowledge to her, so that she knows how best to wield my powers."

Thea respectfully bowed before leaving the clearing. As the Sect Master of the Misty Sect trekked down the mountains, she could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest. She was feeling excited, and even looking forward to the celebration that was soon to happen.

Thea had complete confidence that no matter how strong William was, Rebecca had the home court advantage. With the Savadeen Mountains serving as an inexhaustible source of Ice Magic, Rebecca would have no problem burying William in a heap of snow.

—–

Chiffon was humming as she looked at her fishing line with great expectations.

William had taken them to the frozen lake that was a mile away from the city in order to spend some quality time with his lovers.

The Half-Elf had created a few holes in the ice that covered the lake's surface, and encouraged the two girls to try ice fishing.

Fishing had become Chiffon's favorite hobby after climbing the Tower of Babylon. As a mermaid, Ian was also good at fishing. But, she wasn't that good at traditional fishing. She preferred to go into the water and capture her prey in their natural habitats.

Of course, right now, all three of them weren't allowed to use any cheats in order to catch fish.

The smell of barbecued fish reached their noses, and the golden piglet that was seated beside Chiffon's left foot salivated.

Elliot and Conan were in charge of the barbecue, and the two of them diligently cooked the fish that William, Ian, and Chiffon had caught.

So far, all three of them had caught several fish, which proved that the lake held bountiful resources under its frozen surface.

Just as William was about to grab a skewered fish, he felt several presences that were observing him from afar. He ignored them and bit on the barbecued fish in his hand.

'The watchers from the Misty Sect are like the paparazzi in my previous world,' William thought as he pretended that he didn't notice them. 'Well, it doesn't matter. As long as they don't do something stupid, I won't do anything to them.'

He had already expected the Misty Sect to keep an eye out for anyone that matched his features. There were very few people that had the same hair color and good looks as him, so he wasn't too surprised that they had started monitoring him right after he arrived in the city.

They had been given strict orders by the Sect Master to just observe William and not make contact with him. Some of them were even using artifacts to secretly measure his strength and magical powers in the distance. However, the results made them think that their measuring devices were broken.

Optimus had ways of shielding William from these prying artifacts. Everytime that someone tried to gauge the Half-Elf's powers, the result that they would get was that of a normal human.

"Leader, are our artifacts broken?" one of the inner disciples, who was tasked to monitor William, whispered.

"No." the leader replied. "Notify the elders and tell them that we can't gauge his current power level. Also, tell them that the target has already discovered us."

"What?" the inner disciple's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible. How can he discover us from this distance? We are also using the stealth technique of our sect. Leader, I think you're just being paranoid."

The leader glanced at his subordinate with a calm expression on his face. He couldn't be bothered to explain, and just ordered everyone to return to the city.

The leader of the Inner Disciples glanced at William one last time before running away. He had a highly developed sixth sense, and this had saved his life countless times in the past.

Although the Half-Elf wasn't doing anything peculiar, his small angelic familiar had been looking in their direction, while barbecuing. The latter had even winked at him when he was observing William's group through the lens of a telescope.

Although the familiar had a dazzling smile on his face, the leader felt that if he didn't leave soon, he would definitely regret it.

Elliot watched the disciples of the Misty Sect back away as he handed Bacon a fish skewer. His eyes glowed briefly, and a peal of thunder echoed in the distance, followed by a lightning strike that landed a few meters away from the retreating disciples.

If the disciples had thought that their captain was only being paranoid earlier, they realized their folly as all of them ran away in earnest.

"Good job, Elliot," William said as he gave his Angelic Familiar a thumbs up.

"Hahaha, this is but a small thing," Elliot replied as he gave William a mischievous smile. 'This is the least that I can do to compensate for the hardship you will encounter in two days' time.'

Elliot chuckled internally as he gave Bacon another fish skewer.. He was looking forward to actually watching the entertaining scene that he had seen in his vision several weeks ago.

Chapter 698: Don’t Worry You Little B*tch

In a wide open space, just outside the Sect Building, thousands of tables all filled with delicious foods were laid out for the guests of the Misty Sect.

Today was their Founding Day, and Thea, along with the Elders were busy talking to the important people of the realm and the mood was quite lively.

Of course, the majority of them were there to witness the battle between William and Rebecca. This was not a secret, and those that had done their research about the Half-Elf's history would know the significance of this battle between the two of them.

James, William's grandfather, was given a VIP seat, and the old coot was happily eating and drinking alongside several old foxes of the Hellan Kingdom.

"You old bastard. If you sought me and not Lawrence for matchmaking, I would have definitely agreed to your request," a chubby old man said. "You see, my granddaughter has grown to be a beauty. She's just a year younger than William, but I believe that the two of them are a match made in heaven. Why don't we have the two of them meet, and see if they get along?"

"Hah! That granddaughter of yours is indeed a little pretty, but my granddaughter is a little angel. She just turned twelve this year. Give her a few more years and she will become the ideal wife…"

"Hold it right there, old man! Have you no shame? Your granddaughter is practically a child! James, we've known each other for a long time. My granddaughter is twenty three this year. Although she's a bit older, young men these days prefer someone with a more mature charm…"

Lawrence glared at the senile old men that were doing their best to ingratiate themselves to James. If these were normal times, the old fools would have ignored William's grandfather and even forcefully kicked him out of their territories.

Jevan, Wendy's grandfather, had a contented smile on his face as he drank his wine. William and his granddaughter were already married, so the Ainsworths' were practically his in-laws. He didn't have to ingratiate himself to James, because they already had William in the bag.

Although the rice was still not cooked, the pot was already on the burner. Wendy's position as William's first wife was firm and secure. No matter how many wives William had in the future, his granddaughter would be the main wife.

'My granddaughter is good,' Jevan thought. 'It's quite unfortunate that Ainsworths didn't have any daughters. James would kill me if I propose that his granddaughter Eve be engaged to Spencer.'

Jevan glanced at this grandson, who had come with him to the Central Continent. Wendy was currently inheriting the Secret Arts of their family, so she was unable to accompany them to see her husband.

James, who was the center of attention, laughed out loud and enjoyed being in the spotlight. He even started to brag that he was the one that taught William everything he knew since he was a baby.

Not far from James, another VIP table was set. However, in this table, there were only four people. Sun Wukong, Zhu, Sha, and the little girl, Amy.

Amy had been officially accepted as a disciple of the Misty Sect and was even registered as one of their inner disciples. Naturally, this special treatment was due to Sun Wukong's presence, because no one would dare to offend a Demigod.

Sun Wukong eyed James with great interest. He only found out that the old braggart was William's grandfather an hour ago, and with a glance, he could tell that both of them were two peas in a pod.

After sipping his wine, the Monkey King's gaze landed on Vlad who was seated beside James. Vlad sensed Sun Wukong's gaze and gave him a brief nod.

Sun Wukong briefly nodded as well in greeting. Both of them were Demigods, so it was quite easy for them to sense each other's strength.

'This person is stronger than me,' Vlad mused as he eyed the brown-haired man who was coaxing the little girl seated by his side to drink some fruit juice.

Vlad was confident that he was among the strongest Demigods in the World of Hestia. However, after seeing Sun Wukong, he realized that there was someone who managed to reach the level that blurred the distance between a Demigod and a God.

Sun Wukong might not be a God, but he was the next best thing, and very few were his match under the ranks of Gods.

Princess Sidonie was seated beside the Royal Family of the Kraetor Empire. She was feeling very bored because she was waiting for William to appear. Although she was able to be together with the Half-Elf inside the Thousand Beast Domain, she felt envious of Ashe and Chiffon who were always by his side.

'Such is the responsibility of the Royal Bloodline.' Princess Sidonie sighed.

As one of the most beautiful young ladies of the realm, several young men weren't able to take their eyes off her. Some of them were Princes', while others were prodigies whose name reached far and wide.

Princess Sidonie politely rejected their invitations and advances to talk to her. She was not in the mood to socialize with other men. Her beloved was more than enough for her.

'Still, there are a few annoying people here as well,' Princess Sidonie thought as she felt the presence of the members of the Seven Virtues.

Ephemera, the maiden that represented Justice, was chatting with two young ladies whose Divinities made Princess Sidonie's skin crawl.

After she arrived at the Central Continent, he went to the Royal Library in search for the identities of the counterparts of the Seven Deadly Sins. Although the Seven Sins and Seven Virtues were not openly hostile to each other, conflicts between them were as natural as the sun rising from the East.

'Temperance and Fortitude.' Princess Sidonie eyed the Ephemera's acquaintances. 'Could they also be here for William?'

As if sensing her gaze, Ephemera glanced at her direction. The two ladies beside her did the same thing. Soon, a mocking smile appeared on Ephemera's face as she mouthed a word to Princess Sidonie.

Right after that, she chuckled. The two ladies beside her only smiled and gave Princess Sidonie a brief nod.

Princess Sidonie returned their greeting with a nod of her own.

Slut.

That was the word that Ephemera had said in order to mock her. The beautiful princess wasn't offended by her words. The past bearers of the Divinity of Lust were well known for their passionate hobbies of making love to men and women alike.

If Princess Sidonie hadn't met William in his life, she might have also suffered the same fate as them.

Lilith saw this exchange but didn't do anything. Although she and Princess Sidonie were both carriers of the Seven Sins, the two of them weren't close. She didn't feel the need to help her against their counterparts, and was even looking forward to a confrontation.

Unfortunately, Princess Sidonie wasn't someone who could be taunted by such petty schemes. She just waited for her beloved to arrive. Because she knew that no matter what anyone said behind her back, her future husband was the reason why everyone had come to the Misty Sect.

'Don't worry, you little b*tch.' A smile appeared on Princess Sidonie's face as she lightly twirled the fruit juice in her cup.. 'After I'm done with you, we'll see who will have the last laugh.'

Chapter 699: Prepare For Trouble! And Make It Double!

While everyone was having a lively chat with each other, a young lady with long, light-brown, hair and green eyes, walked towards the arena that was a hundred meters away from the banquet.

At first, no one noticed her because she was wearing the same light-blue robes of the inner disciples of the misty Sect.

Rebecca stood at the center of the arena with her hands behind her back. Her hair fluttered in the breeze as she waited for William to arrive.

She was like a fairy that came out of a fairy tale. The little girl whom the Half-Elf had seen back in Lont, had grown up to be a beauty that many would want to covet.

Soon, almost everyone in the banquet was looking in her direction. Everyone appraised her bearing from head to toe, trying to know more about this young lady whose fate had been tied with William's since they were babies.

"So, that's Rebecca," Princess Sidonie muttered as she arched an eyebrow. "Well, she's not half bad."

Several young ladies had the same opinion as Princess Sidonie as they looked at the girl who was said to be William's very first fiance. Even though they were all girls, they had to admit that Rebecca was someone who was worthy to be paired up with the red-headed teenager, who managed to surprise the entire world.

Lawrence looked at his granddaughter and sighed in his heart. No matter what happened, he was on her side. Although he felt that her chances of winning were slim, he would still cheer for her because blood was thicker than water.

"The heroine is already here, but the protagonist is still not around," Empress Andraste said with a smile. "Who do you think will win, Lilith?"

Lilith lazily leaned on her chair as she eyed Rebecca from afar. Now that she had seen William's childhood friend, her interest in her had already waned. "No one here is expecting her to win. The only thing I care about is how she will lose, that's all."

Although Lilith didn't raise her voice, it was still loud enough for those who were near their table to hear.

The Elders of the MIsty Sect had calm expressions on their faces, while their disciples looked at Rebecca with a complicated gaze.

All of them belong to the same camp, but the disciples weren't too optimistic of her chances of winning. Only the Elders of the Sect were aware of the Trump Cards that they had prepared for this match.

They were very confident that Rebecca would win, and her victory would spread their sect's fame across the world.

While everyone was wondering when William would appear, a peal of thunder rumbled across the heavens. A few seconds later, a lightning bolt descended upon the arena and bathed the venue with light.

When the light receded, everyone saw a golden spear that was stuck in the ground. Floating beside it were two small people who were only as big as an adult's hand.

One of them was wearing a white robe, with white wings flapping behind his back. The other wore black, and had bat-like wings that were spread out wide.

"Prepare for Trouble!" Elliot said as he made a dabbing pose.

"And make it Double!" Conan said as he also made a similar pose.

"To protect the world from Monster Infestation."

"To unite all Awesome men within our nation."

"To denounce the evil of handsomeness and love."

"To extend our reach to the Gods and Goddesses above."

"Elliot!"

"Conan!"

"Team William blasting off with all our might."

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

The golden spear glowed and a handsome Half-Elf with red hair, and light green eyes appeared in front of everyone.

"That's right." William flipped his hair before taking an arrogant pose.

A giant explosion appeared behind the three, which would put the Power Rangers' fighting pose to shame.

Everyone in the banquet quieted down due to the unexpected entrance of the young man whom they had traveled a great distance to see.

Suddenly, a loud laughter broke the silence as James stood up from his seat and clapped his hands with great joy.

"Bravo! That's my boy!" James shouted. "Damn, you were almost as awesome as me when I was your age."

The people who sat beside James looked at the old man in contempt. When he was William's age, the only thing he did was get beaten to a pulp by Erza (James' wife), whom he was trying to woo.

Rebecca, who was standing in front of William, was doing her best to keep the grimace that pressed for release from showing on her face.

The three fools were still basking in their "awesome" entrance, and had no time to care about what Rebecca, or everyone else, was feeling.

"I should have worn glasses and raised my chin one more centimeter," William muttered as he tried to fix his pose. "In doing so, my coolness factor would have increased another twenty five percent."

"Indeed. We also should have worn matching clothes," Elliot nodded his head in agreement. "That would have given our group more appeal."

"Kekeke, we should have added some confetti after the explosion." Conan joined in the discussion. "Flower petals would also do. It will give us that extra OOMF!, which would make our entrance have more impact."

"Right." William nodded his head. "Elliot, I'll leave you to handle the preparations. The next time we do this, we're gonna do this right."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Elliot saluted. "Leave this task to me. Consider it done."

William and Conan nodded their heads. They knew that if they left these tasks to Elliot, it would be handled with perfection.

Princess Sidonie covered her face due to second hand embarrassment. For a brief moment, she wanted to pretend that she had no relationship with William. Only Morgana, who was inside their shared Mindscape was laughing out loud, and even clapping her hands in enjoyment.

Suddenly, a Black Qilin landed in the arena. Sitting on its back was Ian and Chiffon who had accompanied William to the Misty Sect.

Chiffon was looking at William with sparkling eyes, while Ian had a similar expression to Princess Sidonie. If possible, they wanted to pretend that the handsome Half-Elf was a stranger and had no relation with them.

"Join Sidonie and wait for me to finish this, Chiffon," William said as he patted the pink-haired girl's head. "Look after her for me, Ian."

"Un!"

"Okay."

The two left the arena walking hand in hand and headed towards the beautiful Princess who was already waving in their direction.

After looking at his lovers for a few seconds, William then shifted his attention to Rebecca who had already managed to compose herself.

"Long time no see," William said with a smile. "You've become prettier."

Rebecca smiled. "Indeed. It has been a while. You've become rather handsome."

"Shall we start?"

"Okay."

William and Rebecca unleashed their magical powers at the same time, sending a gust of air blasting in every direction.

Both of them had waited many years for this day and, now, all of their grievances would finally be settled on the peak of the Misty Sect.

Chapter 700: If You Don’t Want Me To Smash Your Face, You Better Keep Your Hands In The Right Place

"I didn't think you had the ability to wield magic," Rebecca said as her powerful magic power clashed against William's.

William smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There are many things you don't know about me."

"Well, you're not wrong."

"Right?"

The two once again increased the strength of their magical powers. A sound that was similar to something cracking spread across the arena as both of their magical powers tried to overwhelm each other.

Suddenly, both of them took a step forward and disappeared from where they stood. The sound of crystals breaking reverberated in the air as both of them fought each other, using weapons made from ice.

With each clash, their weapons would shatter.

With each exchange another explosion would take place.

Eleanor's eyes widened in shock because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Shepherd was actually using ice magic, and from the looks of it, he was an expert in wielding its power.

Back then, when she was still in the Hellan Kingdom, William didn't show any signs that he was able to use Ice Magic. Even when he fought against Kingsley and won, he never showcased this kind of mastery over magic.

Lady Miriam, the one who had suffered humiliation under William's hands, was equally shocked at the scene in front of her. She had thought that the red-headed teenager had managed to clear the 51st Floor as a warrior, and not as a magician. She even thought that someone was impersonating William to battle in his place.

Thea, who was paying close attention to the battle, frowned. According to the information that she had gathered from Eleanor and Lady Miriam, William didn't have any affinity with magic. Since that was the case, she could only think that the Half-Elf had a fortuitous encounter.

However, the one who was most shocked of all was Lawrence.

The Old Fox of Griffith had used his magic to appraise William during his visit to Lont. As an Archmage, his sensitivity to magic was higher than most. During that time, he didn't sense any kind of Magical Power inside William's body. Even if the boy had hidden this talent, Lawrence would have been able to unearth it due to his uncanny ability.

"You. Explain this to me," Lawrence glared at James. "How did your grandson manage to be able to use Magic?"

James glanced at the Old Fox whose veins were at the verge of popping out of his head.

"What's there to explain?" James asked back. "William is my grandson. Naturally, he is as talented as me. Wielding magic is as easy as breathing to him. When he was ten years old, he killed a Millennial Beast using Ice Magic."

Everyone that was seated near James wanted to drown him in spit. They completely ignored the old man's claim about William being as awesome as him, because bragging was James' natural disposition.

However, even if you beat them silly, they would never believe that a ten-year-old had been able to slay a Millennial Beast using Ice Magic.

They were not little kids that could be tricked so easily!

"Impossible! Do you think I'm a gullible child?" Lawrence wanted to slap James out of anger because he thought that the old coot was joking with him.

James shrugged as he shifted his attention back to the battle that was currently happening in the arena.

"I answered your question," James answered. "Whether you believe it or not is completely up to you. I wouldn't lose sleep over something so trivial. He is my grandson, so him being awesome is only natural."

William and Rebecca both took a step back and distanced themselves from each other. After fighting in close range, the Half-Elf was pleasantly surprised that his opponent was also proficient in close combat.

Not all mages could do this. This only meant that Rebecca had undergone extensive training in both her magical and close quarter abilities.

Rebecca waved her hands simultaneously and hundreds of Icicle shards flew in William's direction.

The Half-Elf didn't make a move to dodge Rebecca's strike and simply stomped his right foot.

Suddenly, several pillars of ice that formed a triangle appeared in front of him, deflecting the ice shards and making them bounce off his improved Ice Wall.

Elliot and Conan had flown outside of the arena and acted as spectators. William had said that this would be a one-on-one battle, so they were not allowed to interfere.

After Rebecca's icicle barrage lost its power, William stomped his left foot on the ground and several ice shards protruded on the ground, charging in his opponent's direction.

These shards were over two meters tall, and looked incredibly sharp and deadly.

Rebecca jumped upwards and spun in the air, creating an ice tornado. It absorbed the ice shards and flung it in different directions.

Naturally, the protective barriers of the Arena activated, preventing their attacks from harming the people who were watching the battle as they ate, and drank. For most of the guests, this was the reason why they visited the Misty Sect. It was all just entertainment, and a way to gauge William's overall strength.

They wanted to see the power that allowed him to conquer the Devil's Floor and open a new era to mankind.

Empress Andraste's eyes never left William. She was dissecting his every move, his usage of magical power, and even his breathing.

As the battle progressed, she was liking the Half-Elf more and more because the way he fought was outstanding for his age. There were very few individuals who could achieve such mastery, but she knew that both fighters were still not using their trump cards.

"I'm sure this warmup will end soon," Empress Andraste muttered as she glanced at her daughter, Lilith, who was also paying close attention to William. She hadn't even looked at Rebecca once when the fight started.

Ephemera and her two companions were chatting casually as the battle waged on. For them, this wasn't a big deal, especially for Ephemera.

As one of the Virtues that specialized in combat, her only concern was whether both fighters would fight with the intention to kill. It was very easy for her to tell that neither of the two combatants showed any killing intent towards each other.

In her eyes, the two were just playing house, and it was not the least bit exciting.

Suddenly, an idea came to her head. She gathered a bit of her magical energy in her hand, as she looked at the ongoing battle in the distance.

Just as she was about to subtly interfere with the battle, she felt a stinging pain in her hand, which almost made her cry out loud.

"Just watch," a little girl with fairy-like wings hovered in front of her face with her arms crossed over her chest. "My disciple is fighting. If you don't want me to smash your face, you better keep your hands in the right place."

William's sixth Master, Chloee, eyed Ephemera like an annoying pest. She had just arrived at the banquet, and was just in time to see the battle. However, when she felt the subtle fluctuation that was gathering in Ephemera's hand, she knew that the girl with long purple hair was planning to play a dirty trick towards her disciple.

This was something that she couldn't allow to happen, so she immediately went to slap her hand, which made Ephemera cry out in pain.

"Y-You!" Ephemera said through gritted teeth.

She had met Chloee in the past, and knew how scary this little familiar was.. Even someone as arrogant as her would not dare to antagonize this little juggernaut who liked to smash furniture, and people's faces.

Chapter 701: One Chance At Redemption

Sun Wukong smirked as he sipped the wine on his cup. He had already sensed Ephemera's naugthy scheme, but he didn't do anything about it.

The reason? He saw the little familiar fly straight towards the girl with long, purple hair, and light-red eyes with an expression that screamed "No, B*tch! Not on my watch!".

'Little Will is well loved,' Sun Wukong mused as he once again looked at the Half-Elf who was exchanging ice spells with Rebecca. For him, William's appearance at the Heavenly Domain was still fresh in his mind.

He was also curious about what the red-headed teenager was doing back in his world, so when Zhu and Sha asked him to smuggle them to Hestia, the Monkey King thought that it was the perfect opportunity to go and give William a visit.

Sun Wukong didn't expect that the moment they arrived, they would hear about William's exploits, which surprised the three who hailed from the Celestial Domain.

This prompted them to travel to the Savadeen Mountains where William would be appearing next. It was better to wait for him than to arrive than randomly scour the land in search of the person that they were looking for.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion resounded in the arena which made both fighters skid a few meters away from each other. Rebecca glanced at her opponent and decided to use her trump card.

"I'm going to get serious now,' Rebecca announced.

William's expression became dignified as he stood straight as a sword. Everyone that was watching the battle knew that the real battle was at hand, so all of their gazes focused on the two fighters.

"Sacred Guardian, brightest light in the skies, I come to you in my times of need," Rebecca chanted as her body glowed in bluish hue. "Grant me your power, so I can vanquish my foes who stand before me. Oh eternal flame that covers the land in pristine white, grant me your illustrious grace!"

"Meredith!"

The air trembled, and an overbearing presence descended upon the venue. Behind Rebecca, the image of an Ice Phoenix materialized. A powerful blizzard started to rage in the surroundings and ice, and snow, turned the surroundings into a frozen wonderland.

Everyone that was watching the battle could feel the power of a Pseudo-Demigod emanating from the Ice Phoenix that materialized behind Rebecca. They knew that the Savadeen Mountains housed a powerful being, but very few were able to see its true form.

At that exact moment, the beautiful lady's magical power exploded and increased at an alarming pace. Those who were proficient in magic frowned because they didn't expect that a teenager was able to release a power of this magnitude.

"Saint Rank," Lilith snorted. "What a joke. A Pseudo-Demigod and a Saint teaming up against someone in a one-on-one battle? Ridiculous."

Some of the guests chuckled evilly in their hearts because they now understood what the Misty Sect was trying to show them.

"They're desperate to win, and gain fame by beating William," Princess Sidonie said softly as a frown appeared on her face. "Shameless."

Some of the guests that heard her nodded their heads in agreement, but the elders of the MIsty Sect didn't care about what they thought. All of their gazes landed on the red-headed teenager to see his reaction on the powerful foes that had appeared in front of him.

Earlier, William's face looked dignified, but now it was slightly pale.

Those who had seen this change of expression on the Half-Elf's face, assumed that he must be panicking at the moment. They even thought that if they were in William's place, they wouldn't fare any better either.

Everyone was half right. William was indeed fighting one of the greatest battles in his life, and he was on the losing end of it.

'I shouldn't have eaten so much for breakfast,' William thought as beads of sweat started to appear on his forehead. 'If this goes on, I may not be able to last long.'

Meredith, the Guardian of the Misty Sect, shrieked and flapped her wings, creating powerful gusts of winds that were hurtling in William's direction.

The Half-Elf stood his ground as he did his best to withstand the attack that was headed in his direction. The gusts of wind was merely a greeting and not a formal attack. This was why William didn't defend himself and let the wind collide with his body. As everyone expected, no damage was done.

However, if one were to look closely, William's expression turned even more pale after being on the receiving end of Meredith's greeting.

'Optimus, help me,' William pleaded.

< What can I do for you, Will?>

'I need to take a dump.'

<... Excuse me? >

William was doing his best not to make any unnecessary movements because he was afraid that the dam would burst if he wasn't careful.

'I need to take a dump,' William repeated.

< Then find a place and get it over with. >

'I can't,' William answered through gritted teeth. 'If I move now, it will come out.'

Optimus quieted down as he calculated the possible solution to this problem. He didn't expect that William would suffer such an unexpected setback during a crucial time.

< Will, I finally found a solution! >

'Really?! What is it. Please hurry. I can't last any longer!"

< Just do it while standing up. >

'... Dafuk?'

Rebecca looked at her opponent's face and noticed that William's face was pale. A smile appeared on her face because she had already expected this scene from happening. She had been sheltered in the Misty Sect ever since she had left the Southern Continent. For her, a Saint and a Pseudo-Demigod was on the top of the food chain, and anyone below that rank were merely ants.

"Surrender," Rebecca said. "There's no shame in backing out of a battle that you can't win."

Meredith eyed William in contempt. It had long wanted to see the Half-Elf who had conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon. It thought that William was someone powerful, but looking at the boy's constipated expression, it could tell that the Half-Elf had been overwhelmed by its presence.

William ignored Rebecca's words because he was having a serious discussion with Optimus on how to deal with their current circumstance. The Half-Elf was not afraid of the Saint-like pressure Rebecca was giving off nor of the presence of the Pseudo-Demigod in front of him.

What he was afraid of was that he would be unable to hold back the force of nature that was threatening to burst forth from the depths of his being.

< Will, I have an idea. The only question is, are you brave enough to do it? >

'Bring it on, Bro!'

Optimus immediately shared what it had in mind because it knew that William was reaching his limit. According to his estimation, William had less than three minutes left before he released the Kraken!

The beads on William's forehead increased as he listened to Optimus' daring plan. Since he had no other choice, he decided to bite the bullet and put his plan into action.

"You are not qualified to fight me," William said as he raised his chin in arrogance. "Do you think a little Saint like you is enough to beat me? I refuse to lower myself to your level. If I have to fight, I will fight that little bird behind you. It is barely qualified to fight against the awesome me!"

William's disdainful words made everyone look at him in a new light. It was not everyday that someone would openly challenge a Pseudo-Demigod, and he'd even done it in an overbearing way.

"Darling is so awesome!" Morgana, who had switched with Princess Sidonie, cheered.

Chiffon smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Will can easily win this battle. This battle is nothing compared to what we experienced on the Devil's Floor."

"Just a Saint and a Pseudo-Demigod?" Ian snorted. "We saw a lot of them during the Southern Invasion. Only those that haven't been baptized with war would falter in their presence.

William's lovers fully supported their man and cheered for him. In their eyes, William could easily swat Meredith and Rebecca away with ease if he used his Heroic Avatar. They were not aware that he had been given a restriction in this match against Rebecca.

James, on the other hand, looked at William with a frown. He wasn't roaring in laughter, or clapping his hands in glee. Although his grandson looked very valiant right now, and was similar to a hero that was about to slay the Demon Lord, James felt that something was definitely wrong.

'Why does Will look like he is about to take a dump?' James thought as he looked at William's fearless expression. 'Am I just overthinking things?'

The temperature in the arena became colder as Meredith unleashed its divine powers. In its long lifetime, no one had dared to call it a "little bird" and William's words that were filled with disdain and ridicule struck its nerve.

"You want to fight me?" Meredith asked.

"You can refuse if you're scared," William snorted. "In my eyes, you're just a weakling. Do you really think that you're that great? Come. Fight me if you dare. I'll only use a hand to slap you silly."

William's raised his right hand in a slapping gesture, while his left hand unconsciously pressed against his bum. He didn't have much time, and every word he spoke moved the payload ever closer towards the exit.

He only had one chance at redemption. If he had to do it, he had to do it right!

Chapter 702: Mwahahahaha! Time For You To Suffer [Part 1]

(Disclaimer: It is best if you don't drink or eat anything while reading this chapter. Some scenes are not for the faint of heart. You have been warned.)

Meredith narrowed its eyes as it looked at the Half-Elf who seemed to have a deathwish.

It was once a Demigod, but due to certain circumstances, its rank had regressed, similar to what happened to Kasogonaga.

As a Beast that had reached the apex of the Mortal Realm, it could see no fear in William's eyes. No one could lie in front of a Demigod, and although Meredith's rank had decreased, its senses were keen enough to pick up the Half-Elf's utter disregard for its presence.

"What's wrong?" William asked. He looked at the fifty-meter tall Ice Phoenix with a sneer. "Are you afraid? Haha– Mmh!"

William forcefully closed his mouth to stop himself from laughing because he felt the danger in his colon start to move.

Meredith was still on the fence about whether to fight against William or not. For some reason, its sixth sense was warning it that it would face great danger if it faced the red-headed teenager whose face was turning paler with each passing second.

Just when Meredith was about to refuse, a mocking voice reverberated in the air.

"My goodness! A Pseudo-Demigod is afraid to fight a one-on-one battle?" Elliot asked in disdain. "If that's the case, what was the point of you showing yourself right now? Are you perhaps here to fight William in a two versus one battle? Utterly preposterous. Are you really a Crowned Ice Phoenix?"

Conan chuckled when he heard his twin's mocking tone. "More like an Ice Chicken!! Did you see us enter the arena to fight that girl, Rebecca, in a three versus one battle? If you don't have the guts then scram, weakling!"

Meredith frowned and fired two Ice Blade at the two annoying familiars that were outside the arena. More than anything else, it disliked being ridiculed by anyone.

Just as the two Ice Blades were about to hit Elliot and Conan, a golden staff appeared in front of them and smashed the Ice Blades into pieces.

"Do you feel proud of bullying the weak?" Sun Wukong asked. His voice was filled with contempt. "How about you pick on someone your own size?"

Sun Wukong stood up from his seat and raised his hand. The golden staff that blocked Meredith's attack returned to his hand and a metallic sound echoed spread across the venue.

Meredith didn't dare to answer Sun Wukong's challenge and pretended that it didn't hear it. In its current state, there was simply no chance of winning against Sun Wukong, who was a Demigod that was at its peak.

"Fine. I will fight you in a one-on-one battle," Meredith said as it looked at William. "I will not hold back. So I apologize in advance if I accidentally kill you."

William smiled and switched his Job Class to Elemental Overlord. This was the second Job Class advancement of the Elemental Lord Job Class, and he had almost maxed it out during his training in the Atlantis Dungeon.

He flew over a thousand meters in the air with a serious expression on his face. If one were to look closely, his legs were already shaking because he was nearing his limit.

Meredith screeched and faced William. Rebecca remained on the ground and watched the battle with a complicated expression on her face.

"Mortal, I will show you the stupidity of your actions," Meredith stated as its body glowed. "I will turn you into a crystal statue and add you to my collection!"

William summoned Soleil and threw it down onto the arena, where it embedded itself.

He then summoned Stormcaller and pointed it in Meredith's direction.

"Enough talk, let's fight!" William said.

Meredith flapped its wings and opened its beak. A blue orb of light appeared in front of its beak. It was planning to use a powerful breath attack to freeze the arrogant mortal in front of it.

William, on the other hand, merely pointed his spear at his opponent. His lips moved ever so softly as if muttering something.

"Quickshot War Art, Fusion Form…"

Suddenly, William disappeared and the blue breath attack of the Phoenix exploded in a shower of sparks.

A confused expression appeared on Meredith's face as it subconsciously swallowed something that had entered its mouth.

The other guests might have not noticed what had transpired, but the experts among the guests saw everything clearly. The people around James looked at each other in shock, because they didn't expect William to do such a daring thing!

'Don't tell me…' the corner of James' lips twitched as he thought of a possibility. He had already noticed William's strangeness, but he wasn't sure if his hunch was right. After all, if he was right then his grandson's last resort was totally understandable.

—--

William stabbed Stormcaller at the Ice Phoenix's throat in order to stop his descent in his opponent's esophagus. The Half-Elf hung in place with a smile.

"Yes! Success!" William thought as he summoned several icicles, and embedded them on the Ice Phoenix's throat, in order to create a firm foothold. After everything was done, William pulled down his pants and released the Kraken!

—--

Meredith was feeling smug. Although there was a slight mishap in the order of things, it didn't change the fact that it had already eaten the pesky Half-Elf who dared to tarnish its reputation.

It could sense the stares of everyone in the Misty Sect, and its eyes glowed in triumph.

'You can only blame your stupidity,' Meredith thought. 'So what if you are the one that conquered the 51st Floor of Babylon? In my eyes, you're nothing!"

The Ice Phoenix spread its wings wide and was about to utter a mighty screech to announce its victory. However, instead of a powerful cry of triumph, what escaped its mouth was…

"Purururururuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!"

The spectators all blink in disbelief of what they heard. For some reason, they felt that the sound was oddly familiar.

Meredith immediately clamped its mouth shut tight. It also didn't know why such a thing happened. After half a minute, it once again opened its mouth to announce its victory when it smelt something unusual.

Its nose sniffed the air and contemplated on the nature of the scent that had suddenly assaulted its senses

'Smells like sh*t,' Meredith thought as it once again closed its mouth. A few seconds later, it could taste something else as well.

'Taste like sh*t.' It was at that moment when the Ice Phoenix's eyes widened in surprise. Its face then suddenly turned red, then green after coming into a realization.

"I'll kill you!" Meredith roared in anger. Its voice descended from the sky like a hammer and the entirety of the MIsty Sect trembled due to its might.

It couldn't believe that someone was unscrupulous enough to do something so shameless inside its body.

"William Von Ainsworth! I'll kill you!" Meredith's hate-filled cry resounded in the heavens. It had never hated a mortal as much as it hated William at this point in time. If curses could kill, the Half-Elf would have died a thousand times already.

Unfortunately, it couldn't, so the red-headed teenager continued to finish his business, which made the Guardian of the Savadeen Mountains almost crazy with anger.

Chapter 703: Mwahahahaha! Time For You To Suffer [Part 2]

The Ice Phoenix started to fly erratically in the air as if it was suffering from an epilepsy attack.

The members of the Misty Sect could tell that something terrible was happening to their Guardian, but they had no idea what it was. Thea and the Elders looked anxiously at their guardian who seemed to be suffering from a stomachache.

Their guests had the same thought as them. Although they weren't a hundred percent certain, they believed that the one that was responsible for Meredith's current circumstance was none other than William.

"Maybe Will is harming the Ice Phoenix from inside," Ian said before glancing at the beautiful Princess seated by her side. "What do you think, Princess?"

Morgana was currently the one in control of Princess Sidonie's body, and she nodded her head in agreement."That is the only thing that I can think of at the moment. I think Darling knew that he had no chance in fighting Meredith in a head on collision, so he decided to infiltrate its body and destroy it from within.'

Chiffon looked at the Ice Phoenix that was struggling to fly in the sky with amusement. "Will is really amazing. Even an Ice Phoenix is no match for him."

Sun Wukong spat the wine he was drinking at Zhu who was seated in front of him. The chubby young man looked at Sun Wukong with a face filled with injustice, as he wiped the wine off his face, and expensive clothes.

"Senior Brother, you should at least conform with the basic etiquette when you are in a social gathering," Zhu said in a helpless voice.

"Sorry," Sun Wukong waved his hand. "I'll go wash up. I'll be back later."

The powerful monkey king hurriedly stood up and headed straight towards the washroom. As a being of its caliber, Sun Wukong was able to see through things using the power of his Fiery Golden Eyes.

His eyes could allow him to identify evil no matter what form it takes. Right now, William was doing a very evil thing and he regretted his decision because the scene he witnessed was the uncensored version.

"%$@%^^$&^!" Sun Wukong cursed when he reached his destination. There were things that you couldn't unsee once you saw them. This was one of those times when the Monkey King wished that he hadn't allowed his curiosity to get the best of him.

Rebecca, who was in the arena, frowned. She had formed a contract with Meredith and they shared their senses to each other. Although the young genius couldn't fully grasp what was happening to the Ice Phoenix, she was feeling a terrible sense of dread that wouldn't go away no matter how hard she tried to calm herself.

Meanwhile inside Meredith's body…

"Whoa!" William who was still in the middle of his business summoned more Ice Spears and embedded it on the Ice Phoenix's throat, in order to stabilize his position.

"Time out!" William shouted. "I'm still not done!"

'I'll kill you!' Meredith's powerful telepathic voice reached William's mind and the Half-Elf could feel its strong murderous intent.

"Just calm your tits. After I'm done, I'll fight you for two hundred rounds!"

'Die!'

Meredith's movements became more erratic and it could feel its face burn in shame and humiliation due to William's immoral actions.

"F*ck! This birdbrain has lost it!" William felt anxious because everything around him was shaking like crazy.

A few minutes later, William finished his business, and immediately used cleansing spells to clean himself. The Half-Elf knew the importance of proper hygiene, so he didn't skimp in using the power of the elements to purify his body after conducting his business.

"Since you want to play rough, I'll show you how I play rough!" William shouted in anger.

He didn't even feel any guilt in using the Ice Phoenix's throat as his personal cubicle. He was even angered because Meredith was making things difficult for him as he took a dump.

William summoned the Chamberpot of Serenity with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Optimus, remove my sense of smell!" William ordered as he summoned the Chamberpot of Serenity. "It's payback time!"

< ...Done. >

William sniffed around to confirm that he couldn't smell anything. After confirming that his sense of smell had been disabled, he aimed the opening of the chamberpot downwards.

"Mwahahahaha! Time for you to suffer!" William roared in laughter. "Eat Sh*t Motherf*cker!"

The chamberpot glowed briefly before its seal was opened. Just like a dam that had been broken, a wave of night soil descended down like a torrential river, straight towards the Ice Phoenix's stomach.

Meredith felt the changes that were happening in its body and its face grew pale. If in the past, it was just flying erratically, now it was like an earthworm that had been sprinkled with salt.

Rebecca's face also grew pale as she finally realized what was happening inside the Guardian's body. Her body unconsciously shuddered as she forcefully severed the connection between her and the Ice Phoenix who was wreaking havoc on the entirety of the Savadeen Mountains.

After an internal struggle, the Ice Phoenix flew towards the heavens in a fury. Its body glowed brightly as it ascended several thousands of meters in the sky.

"You disgusting Halfbreed. I will send you to the afterlife even if it's the last thing I do!"

It's rage-filled voice reverberated, allowing everyone around the Savadeen Mountains to hear it.

Something inside of Meredith had snapped, and it stopped caring anymore. There was only one thing on its mind and that was to kill Wiliam by self detonation.

< Warning! Strong magical energy overload detected! >

'What's going on, Optimus?' William asked. He could feel the strong magical fluctuations around him, and his senses were telling him that it wasn't anything good.

< According to my calculations, Meredith has decided to self destruct in order to kill you. There are only thirty seconds left before this Ice Phoenix's body detonates. >

William hurriedly sealed the lid of the Chamberpot of Serenity and stored it away. He didn't expect that Meredith would be decisive enough to use this method in order to send him to the afterlife.

'F*ck! I guess I went too far. Maybe I should have asked it politely if I could take a dump inside its throat.'

< … >

Optimus was at a loss of words due to William's logic. Although it was the one that had proposed this idea, it was Will's decision to summon the Chamberpot of Serenity, and unleash a torrent of unworldly filth inside the body of the pitiful Pseudo-Demigod.

The System even thought that if the same were to happen to it, it might have chosen the same outcome as Meredith, and opted to self-destruct in order to kill William.

< 15 seconds before Self-Destruction…>

< 9 seconds…>

< 5 seconds… >

—--

A powerful explosion erupted in the atmosphere. A blinding light illuminated the heavens and it was seen for many miles around the Savadeen Mountains.

Thea, the Sect Master of the Misty Sect, heard a cracking sound come from the necklace that hung on her neck. The crystal on her necklace was something that was passed to all the Sect Masters of the Misty Sect.

It was Meredith's life crystal, and the crack on its surface made her face turn grim. The blue crystal slowly turned black, which was the indication that Meredith had died. This made her body subconsciously tremble because she didn't expect that something like this would happen to their Guardian.

Meredith was a Phoenix, so she wouldn't really die. She would respawn in the underground sanctuary of the Misty Sect, but her rank would fall to that of a Centennial Ranked Beast.

Also, it wouldn't be able to move for a few weeks in order to recuperate from its forced rebirth that had destroyed its main body.

Suddenly a fluctuation was felt in the arena. In the place where the golden spear was embedded, a handsome Half-Elf appeared with a refreshed smile on his face.

—--

< Gained Exp: 30,000,000 >

< Congratulations! You have slain a Myriad Beast! >

< You have acquired Myriad-Grade Beast Core! >

< Special Monster First Kill Bonus Exp: 15,000,000 >

< Ding! >

< Elemental Overlord Job Class has reached its Max Level! >

< Would you like to advance to the next Job Class? >

< Yes / No >

—--

William's smile widened when he read the information on his status page. His Elemental Overlord Job Class had reached its max level, and now it could be upgraded to its final form, Elemental Archon.

'Sweet!' William wanted to laugh out loud, but he was currently being watched by many people, so he decided to play it cool and just smile evilly. His fight against Rebecca was still not over. Now was not the time to laugh like his grandfather when he wanted to brag to his friends.

When Rebecca saw William's smile, she felt her entire body shudder. However, it didn't end there.

When she saw the item in William's hand, she unconsciously took a step back. It was the item that had made Meredith suffer, and seeing it first hand made Rebecca relieve the sensations that the Ice Phoenix had suffered.

"Well then," William said as he raised the chamberport, pointing in Rebecca's direction. "It's your turn. Are you ready for this?"

Rebecca's stomach lurched as she stared at the damnable item in William's hand.. In her eyes, it was the most ominous thing in the world, and no one, alive or dead, would want to be on the receiving end of that dastardly weapon, which would give someone a trauma that would last for the rest of their lives.

Chapter 704: Bros For Life

William took a step forward, and Rebecca took three steps back.

Several images flashed through her mind and she hurriedly covered her mouth with both of her hands, in order to prevent herself from throwing up. Her expression became extremely pale, which was unbecoming of the label of a young genius born every few hundred years.

Seeing his opponent's pretty face dyed with panic, William came to a realization. A devilish smile appeared on his lips as he lowered the chamberpot in his hands.

"Do you still want to fight?" William asked.

Rebecca firmly shook her head. She would rather concede than face a fate that was worse than death.

"So you concede?" William inquired as the smile on his face widened.

Rebecca nodded like a hen pecking rice. Her hands were still blocking her mouth, so she wasn't able to utter any words. Even so, her action was more than enough to tell everyone that she had lost the will to fight.

"Very well," William stored the chamberpot away and casually used water magic to wash the hands that he had used to hold it. "Since I won this match, I get to give you one order. This is the deal that we had back then, right?"

After Wiliam had stored the chamberpot away, Rebecca was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and removed the hands covering her lips. Although her expression was still a bit pale, it was starting to recover its color.

The proud inner disciple of the Misty Sect reluctantly nodded her head. They indeed had that agreement, and Rebecca had already resigned herself to her fate.

"From now on our marriage agreement is officially null and void," William stated. "You are free to do whatever you want to do with your life. Who you want to marry in the future is none of my business. I order you to live your life to the fullest, and live it without regrets. That is all. Our grudges end here."

William didn't even bother to wait for Rebecca's reply and walked out of the arena. He headed towards the banquet in order to get some free grub. He had just emptied his stomach, and now he was feeling very hungry.

Rebecca watched him go with a complicated expression on her face. A few seconds later, her gaze shifted to the angelic familiar who was looking back at her with a meaningful smile.

She bit her lip because she remembered the agreement she had with Elliot, and it made her feel depressed. One of the shackles that bound her was removed, but another rose up to take its place. According to their agreement, she would become the familiar's subordinate for two years, since she had lost her battle with William.

Elliot smirked before flying towards William. They would be staying in the Savadeen Mountains for a few more days, so he had plenty of time to get acquainted with his new subordinate.

As William walked towards his lovers, everyone was paying close attention to him. The old men looked at him with great interest. The teenage men looked at him in envy and jealousy, while the girls looked at him with a passionate gaze.

William ignored them all and continued walking. However, before he reached Princess Sidonie's table, he felt some familiar presence not far from where he stood. Shifting his gaze to the VIP seats of the Misty Sect, he saw a brown haired young man that was looking at him with a smirk. There was a little girl seated beside him, but the latter was busy eating the peach in her hand.

The Half-Elf frowned because although this was the first time he had seen the young man, he was sure that he knew him. A few seconds later, his gaze landed on the chubby young man, and the scholarly man that was looking back at him with a smile.

"Long time no see, Oink," the chubby young man said.

William's eyes widened in shock before a happy expression appeared on his face. He only knew of one person that added Oink to their speech, and it was none other than the Demonic Pig who had fought by his side within the Heavenly Domain.

"Zhu!" William happily walked towards his old companion's direction and gave the chubby young man a hug. "What are you doing here? I thought the Jade Empero–mmh!"

Sha hurriedly covered William's mouth with his hand and whispered something in the Half-Elf's ears. It was not advisable to discuss anything related to the Gods of the Temple in public.

After hearing Sha's statement, William nodded his head to inform the scholar that he understood.

The Half-Elf laughed and also gave Sha a hug. He was very happy to see them. William thought that his two friends decided to pay him a visit before passing through the cycle of reincarnation. What he didn't know was that the two demons were smuggled to the world of Hestia by Sun Wukong because of their request.

"Your Excellency, it is a great surprise to see you here," William bowed respectfully to Sun Wukong. Everytime he used his Heroic Avatar, he could feel the Monkey King's enormous strength, which had helped him greatly in the war of the Southern Continent.

"I just came here to sightsee," Sun Wukong replied as he patted William's shoulder. "It's good to see that you are doing well."

The Half-Elf, Sun Wukong, Zhu, and Sha chatted happily to the surprise of the members of the Misty Sect.

The other representatives of the different factions who had seen Sun Wukong's might a few days ago were also shocked. William's lively chat with the three mysterious personages was enough to tell them that the red-headed teenager and the Demigod knew each other, and seemed to be very close.

"You guys, are you sure about this?" William asked. After hearing Zhu's purpose for coming to his homeworld, the Half-Elf felt very touched. He couldn't believe that they threw their golden ticket to reincarnate in a higher world, just to repay the kindness that he had given them.

"Bros for life, Oink," Zhu said with a smile. "I won't feel comfortable until my debt to you is settled. For the time being, I'll stick with you until I repay you in full."

"That goes the same for me as well," Sha commented from the side. "We owe you our freedom, Will. It is only normal that we reciprocate your kindness."

Sun Wukong nodded his head. He couldn't stay long in Hestia, so he couldn't join the three in their adventures. The most he could do was watch their escapades from the Celestial Realm, while drinking wine.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, and Chiffon, had joined them after being invited over by William. Zhu told the three ladies about William's battle against the Celestial Army in the Heavenly Domain.

Sun Wukong had already used his powers to prevent others from spying on their discussion, so Zhu was able to talk without holding back any information. Princess Sidonie and Chiffon were the maidens of the Seven Deadly Sins, which allowed them to converse with their Patron Gods.

William had already met Eros and Adephagia, so he deemed that it was not a problem for them to know what had transpired in the Celestial Realm. The same could be said for Ian, who had already met Issei. The beautiful mermaid was made aware of the training William was doing while he was in a coma

When the girls found out about Sun Wukong's identity, all of them bowed to him in respect. They bowed to him, not because he was a Demigod, but because of the help he had given William during his time of need.

While William and his group were talking merrily, the elders of the Misty Sect were feeling depressed. Now that their Guardian had regressed once again, they felt wary of the stares that were given to them by the factions of the Central Continent.

Without the protection of their Guardian, their Sect was like a lamb that was surrounded by wolves on all sides. Unless they received some strong help on their side, their thousand year dominion was in danger of being trampled on by the other powerful factions that held grudges against them.

Those that had long disliked the Misty Sect due to their arrogance were laughing in their hearts. They were like the vultures and hyenas that were waiting for the lion to finish killing their prey.. Once the animal had bled enough, they would charge forth in order to take a bite of the animal that didn't have the power to resist their advances.

Chapter 705: Cry A River Of Blood And Tears

After the banquet, Thea, alongside the Elders of the Misty Sect, conducted a high-level meeting. None of them had expected their guardian to choose to self-destruct during its battle with William, and it caught them completely by surprise.

Because of this, all of them were facing a great headache. Without a powerful deterrence, the Misty Sect was just like an average sect that could be stepped on by forces that were much more powerful than them.

The reason they were afraid was because they had also done this in the past. Meredith was once a Demigod, so very few people wanted to mess with them. This allowed the Misty Sect to develop for a thousand years, which allowed them to become one of the powerful forces in the Central Continent.

They had stepped upon countless small forces during their rise, and they'd purposefully stepped on each of them due to their strong backing. Without Meredith to hold the fort, the prestige that they had built was just like a castle made of sand.

A castle that would easily be destroyed once a powerful wave washed over the shore.

"What should we do?" Lady Miriam asked anxiously.

The Elders looked at her, but none of them could give her the answer. All of them were feeling anxious as well, and they hoped that there was someone that could find a way to solve the difficulty that they were facing.

Thea had already asked Rebecca if she knew why Meredith had decided to self-destruct during its battle with William. The young genius only said that William had touched Meredith's reverse scale, which prompted it to self detonate in an attempt to kill William while he was inside its body.

Unfortunately, William survived, and Meredith's rank had dropped to the Centennial Rank.

Thea scanned the depressed faces of everyone in the room. She had already thought of what to do, but she was afraid that none of the Elders would support her decision. Seeing that all of them were clutching at straws, she decided to speak up and tell them about her plan.

"I have a proposal," Thea said with eyes filled with determination. "We need to ally ourselves with a powerful faction in order to preserve our heritage."

The Elders's expression turned grim, but they also understood that this was the only course that they could take. The only question was, which faction would they join?

They were surrounded on all sides, and their borders contended with two Empires, a Kingdom, and the Glory Sect.

All of them were incredibly strong, and had been eyeing the resources of the Savadeen Mountains for hundreds of years.

They were the forces that the Misty Sect was very wary about. Any among these four factions could become their new Master, after the celebrations in their Sect ended. For now, no forces would attack them because they were currently their guests.

However, after a month or two, these people would definitely send their representatives to negotiate with Thea, and kick them while they were down.

"Which faction should we join?" Eleanor asked. "Will it be the Glory Sect to the West? The Kingdom of Rinoa to the North? Or perhaps the Elun and Aiur Empire that lies to our East and South?"

Eleanor gritted her teeth in frustration. She didn't think that she would see the downfall of her sect during her lifetime.

"None of them," Thea answered. "We will ask for external support."

"Who are you going to ask?" one of the Elders asked. "Looking for external support is difficult. Their power must be strong enough to deter our neighbors. Also, if their base is far away from us, having them as our allies will be useless."

The other Elders nodded in agreement. They didn't mind getting a strong ally, but they also had to consider that seeking help from factions that were too far away from them would be useless.

Thea understood what they were thinking, but she didn't care. As the Sect Master, the preservation of their Sect was her topmost priority. She was prepared to bleed and be extorted by the other party. As long as their territory wasn't conquered before their Guardian had regained its full strength, there was still a way to make their comeback.

"I'm talking about the Ainsworth Family," Thea said in a firm manner. "We will ally with them in order to prevent our Sect from being conquered by others."

"The Ainsworths?"

"What can they do?"

"This is not a good idea, Sect Master. While William had shown his prowess, he is but a single person. He couldn't possibly protect us from these powerful factions on our behalf, right?"

The Elders looked at Thea in disappointment. They didn't expect that their Sect Master would choose to ally themselves with the same person that had caused this problem in the first place!

"Think about it. William is the owner of the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon," Thea said. "No one wants to be on his bad side because he can blacklist anyone from entering the 51st Floor. Also, he is the owner of a few other floors in the tower. Simply put, no one can advance through the floors that belong to him without his approval."

After pondering about this logic, most of the Elders realized that this was indeed an effective deterrent to a faction that wanted to expand.

Right now. The era of great wars had ended. No one could expand their territory unless they went to war with their neighbors. With several chips in his hand, William could freely designate ownership of the various floors under his command.

To the powerful factions of the continent, this was a temptation that none of them could resist.

—-

The next day…

"You want me to make an announcement that the Misty Sect and I are allies?" William asked. "Sure, I don't mind! That is the answer you want to hear, right?"

His tone was laced with sarcasm, but no one dared to offend him at this point in time. They were holding onto him as a lifeline. If William didn't agree, the name Misty Sect might cease to exist a year or two from now.

"Yes," Thea answered. "We are willing to heavily compensate you for accepting our alliance."

"So in short, you want me to become your meatshield," William said as he rubbed his chin. "Do you think I'm a goon that you can hire by giving protection money? I'm not that cheap!"

"Lord William, anything can be discussed."

"Yes. We are willing to accommodate any request you have."

"Your Excellency, you are our only hope."

William had a carefree look on his face. For him, the Misty Sect was a band of scoundrels who only relied on their backing to bully others. Now that they had lost their Guardian, they were like wild ducks that would fly away once they heard a gunshot.

"Oh the irony." William chuckled. "A few years ago, I was being ridiculed by your sect. Now, you are practically begging me to save you guys. Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

William then shifted his attention to Eleanor and Lady Miriam who had their heads bowed in shame.

"I bet both of you didn't see this day coming, right?" William sneered. Although he was the root cause of the Misty Sect's possible downfall, he didn't give a hoot about their low-quality acting.

"I failed to see your greatness because of your upbringing," Eleanor replied. "It was a terrible mistake on my part. I am willing to do anything so I can have your forgiveness."

Rebecca's Master had no choice but to eat her pride and lower her standing in front of William. If this was the only way on how their sect could be saved, she was willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good.

She was an orphan that was picked up by the previous Sect Master and raised with love and care. For her, the Misty Sect was not only a sect, but her home. Eleanor would do anything in her power to prevent its downfall.

Elliot and Conan stood on William's shoulders with their arms crossed over their chest. They had no intention of intervening in the discussion. Even so, a mischievous glint flashed on Elliot's eye.

Unlike the straightforward and innocent Conan, Elliot was just as much of a scammer as William and James.. Even if he didn't say anything to William, the angelic familiar knew that the Half-Elf was already formulating a plan on how to make the Misty Sect cough up their resources until they cried a river of blood and tears.

Chapter 706: I’m More Suited To Be The Devil Than Him

Seeing that the Misty Sect was dead set on using him as a meat shield, William decided to call for some back up. When it comes to scamming people, James was the true professional.

With him calling the shots, the red-headed teenager was sure that Thea and the Elders of the sect would have to think thrice if they thought that they could take advantage of the Ainsworth Family.

"Isn't this problem easy to solve?" James said with a smile that would make all the toothpaste models quit the commercial industry.

"Lord Ainsworth, please tell us the solution to our problem," Thea said with a hopeful expression. She could tell that William wasn't interested in their proposal, so they decided to do whatever they could to satisfy his grandfather so the alliance could be formed.

Since both of them were Ainsworths, it didn't matter who they talked to. In fact, James was better because William would obey him. As long as they could convince the old man to agree to the alliance, all their problems would disappear!

"The answer is really simple," James replied with confidence. "All you need to do is make me the Sect Master. If the Sect belongs to me then I will be able to get all of its treasur–, I mean, I will be able to prevent any losses from happening."

The old coot smiled and patted his chest as if he was someone with good moral character. Thea and the Elders of the Misty Sect looked at him in disbelief. For a brief moment they thought that James was joking. However, seeing his "leave it to me" expression, they realized that he was serious about taking the entire Sect as his own.

William, who was standing at the side, looked at his Grandpa and realized that compared to James, he was just a small-time scammer. His original plan was to split the resources of the Misty sect by fifty-fifty. He never thought that James would shamelessly want to take everything!

"Lord Ainsworth, isn't this inappropriate?" Thea asked. "At most, we can agree to a seventy-thirty split. You will have thirty percent, and we will get seventy…"

"Okay, bye." James didn't even allow Thea to finish her sentence, and walked away taking William with him. As he was about to open the door of the room, he glanced back at Thea with a smile. "Goodluck to all of you. I'm sure that in three months time, there will be no more Misty Sect in the Central Continent. At least, if I become the Sect Master, your sect would still be standing."

After saying those parting words, James and William left the room, leaving Thea and the Elders of the sect with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

"Gramps, do you think they will agree to your request?" William asked as he walked beside James down the hallway.

"I don't really care if they agree or not," James replied. "I won't lose sleep over something like this. The only ones that won't be able to sleep tonight are those fools who thought that they could take advantage of our family's name."

William nodded his head in understanding. Although the Misty Sect was a powerhouse in the Central Continent, it was nothing compared to their family's property inside the Tower of Babylon.

Just as James predicted, none of the top brass of the sect was able to sleep that night. The founding celebration would last for three days, but they no longer felt any reason to celebrate. Even so, they couldn't possibly cancel the event because this would further their ridicule as the other factions laughed at their current circumstance.

The next day, the representatives of the Aiur Empire, Elun Empire, Kingdom of Rinoa, and Glory Sect, met with Thea privately. All of them promised great benefits to the Misty Sect for as long as they became their subsidiary force.

These four powerhouses had also had a high-level meeting a day ago and decided to split the territory of the Misty Sect among themselves. As for the sect itself, they would become their armed forces whom they could order to do the dirty things for them.

Thea had to use all of her willpower to keep the calm expression on her face, as she listened to the representatives of the four powers, who boldly told her that they wouldn't take no for an answer.

Either the Misty Sect submitted to them, or they would use military force to make Thea and the Elders of her Sect submit to their rule.

The representatives left with smug expressions on their face because for them, the Misty Sect was already in the bag. No external forces would dare to participate in this conflict, and suffer the wrath of their combined forces!

"Let's make a vote," Thea said as she scanned the faces of the depressed Elders around her. "They only gave us until tomorrow to decide. After that, there will be no turning back."

Faced with the threat of being conquered on all sides, Thea clenched her fists as she counted the votes of the core members of the sect. She knew that when morning came, things would never be the same again.

The disciples of the Misty Sect were unaware of the threat that hung above their heads. Only the inner disciples like Rebecca were told about the Sect's current plight.

—--

"I shouldn't have agreed to your proposal," Rebecca said through gritted teeth as she stared daggers at the angelic familiar who was looking back at her with an angelic smile. "If I hadn't accepted the Heart Crystal, I would not have been able to form a contact with Excellency Meredith. Even if I lost the match, the sect would still be safe from being invaded on all fronts."

Elliot chuckled as he landed on top of the table.

"Well, what's the point of saying these things now?" Elliot asked in a teasing tone. "All of us must face the consequences of our actions. Even if you regret your decision, know that I didn't force you to do anything. You were the one that made the choice. I only gave you an option."

Rebecca lowered her head as she tried to control her raging emotions. Elliot was right. Now that everything was over, even if she regretted her decision, there was nothing she could do but accept the outcome.

"What will happen to our sect?" Rebecca asked.

Elliot shrugged. Just like William, he didn't care about the Misty Sect. The only reason he visited Rebecca was to finalize their agreement.

"These things are outside your control," Elliot replied as he flapped his wings. He then flew towards Rebecca and hovered a few inches away from her face. "Let your Sect Master and Elders handle this problem. You're just a disciple, there's nothing you can do to influence the outcome."

Rebecca raised her head and looked at the familiar who looked exactly like William. If she reached out her hand to grab him, she could easily crush him in her grip. However, she couldn't do that because she was now the familiar's subordinate for two years.

Even if she planned to cause Elliot harm, the power of the contract would prevent her from doing so.

"Just close your eyes and accept your fate," Elliot said as he moved closer. He then caressed the side of Rebecca's face and marveled at its smoothness. "Don't worry. I am not a bad employer, I will make sure to give you benefits as well."

Rebecca sighed and accepted her fate. She closed her eyes and waited for Elliot to brand her with the symbol of ownership.

"You will not regret your choice," Elliot's silky voice reached her ears. "From now on, you belong to me."

Rebecca felt something soft press over her lips. A few seconds later, she felt a surge of electricity travel all over her body.

Elliot backed away as he looked at the symbol that appeared on Rebecca's chest. A golden lightning bolt, with two wings spread out on both of its sides glowed brightly. This was the proof of ownership that only became possible due to the power of the contract that was supervised by the God of Contract, Sancus.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Elliot said as he flew towards the window. "Don't worry about your Sect. If your Sect Master and your Elders are not stupid, they will definitely definitely choose the lesser evil."

Elliot chuckled internally as he flew towards William's residence. Now that the matter with Rebecca was settled, it was now time to conquer another maiden. However, the lady he had in mind was a cut above the rest.

It was none other than William's Sixth Master, Chloee.

"Sometimes, I really wonder if Conan and I ended up with switched roles," Elliot muttered softly.. "I'm more suited to be the devil than he is."

Chapter 707: You Dare To Steal What Belongs To Me?

"Everyone, thank you for being part of the celebration of our Misty Sect," Thea said while standing on a platform.

Today was the last day of the feast that they had prepared for their Founding Day Celebrations and then, after this, their guests would leave the next day to return to their respective territories.

The four representatives of the factions that bordered the domain of the Misty Sect had smiles on their faces. They had already sent a report of the battle and its conclusion to their respective leaders. It was only a matter of time before the once prosperous Sect of the Savadeen Mountains fell into their hands.

"It has been a pleasure hosting all of you here, and I pray that there will be more occasions where we can all gather and enjoy each other's company," Thea stated. She had already prepared herself to make the announcement, but deep inside, she was feeling very bitter.

However, she also knew that this was the only way she could preserve the legacy that their sect had built for over a thousand years.

"Today, I will step down from my position as Sect Master," Thea announced. "A new era is at hand, so it is only fair that the management of the Sect change hands."

Several of the guests were surprised by Thea's announcement, but their surprise didn't last long. They understood that the Misty Sect was on its last legs, so they thought that Thea was planning to run away and leave her subordinates to fend for themselves.

"Well said, Sect Master," the representative of the Glory sect clapped his hands in approval. "A new era is indeed at hand. I sincerely hope that you enjoy your early retirement."

"Retirement is good." The representative of the Rinoa Kingdom nodded his head in agreement. "Although you're still young, retiring early is not a bad thing. At least, you won't have to suffer again."

The representatives of the Two Empires didn't say anything and simply smiled. Whether Thea retired or not was not important. They knew that the end would still be the same, and there was nothing Thea could do to stop it.

Thea glanced at her rivals, as she used her willpower to finish the rest of her announcement.

"Without further delay, let me introduce our new Sect Master to everyone," Thea declared as she made a gesture. "All Hail his Excellency, James Von Ainsworth!"

""All Hail!""

A handsome old man walked towards Thea with confidence. A confident smile hung on his face, as he faced the various powers of the world.

All the Elders, as well as the inner disciples of the sect bowed their heads respectfully. They had been briefed a few hours ago about their Sect Master's decision to step down from her position.

Even though the regular disciples didn't know why it happened, they decided to trust their Elders, and pay tribute to their new Sect Master.

"Good day, everyone." James greeted the people who were looking back at him in disbelief. "From this day onwards, I will be the new Sect Master of the Misty Sect, and Lady Thea will be the Vice-Sect Master."

James chuckled internally because he had already anticipated this outcome. Even Lawrence, as well as his old friends from the Hellan Kingdom, looked at him with dumbfounded expressions.

Even Wendy's grandfather, Jevan, thought that this was just a prank. However, Thea and the Elders all had serious expressions on their faces, which meant that the old scammer had indeed become the New Sect Master of one of the most powerful Sects in the Central Continent.

"I am not someone who likes to give long speeches, so I'll just keep it short," James said. "The Misty Sect now belongs to me, so hands off. If any of you think that you can steal what is mine then feel free to do it. I am looking forward to playing with all of you."

Two men walked towards James and stood by his side. One was Vlad, the other was Sun Wukong. Some already knew who Sun Wukong was, but they didn't know who Vlad was. All of them were very curious about the identity of this man who followed James around.

Vlad and Sun Wukong glanced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.

Immediately, the powerful aura of two Demigods burst forth from their bodies.

The expressions of everyone present changed drastically, especially those belonging to the Misty Sect's four neighbors. They thought that the Savadeen Mountains were already in the bag, but this development made them feel that they may have unknowingly kicked the hornet's nest.

When Vlad and Sun Wukong stopped releasing their auras, James cleared his throat and continued his speech.

"I am William's grandfather," James stated. "I have met several of your envoys in the Tower of Babylon. My grandson has given me full authority over his property in Babylon. This also means that the task of looking for potential partners for collaborations is in my hands.

"Any faction who dares to annoy me will be blacklisted from the Tower of Babylon. Their accomplices will also not be allowed to advance on the upper floors, especially the floors that fall under our Family's jurisdiction."

James paused as he allowed his words to be digested by everyone around him. A minute later, he continued his speech and dropped another bomb.

"I forgot to add that I am also the former Commander of the Red Plague," James said in a teasing tone. "I will be more than happy to ravage– I mean, visit the people who touch what is mine. That is all, I bid you all a good day and please, enjoy the feast that My Sect has prepared for each and everyone of you."

James walked away from the platform with a smug expression on his face. He felt very good because it had been a while since he had pulled off a heist as big as this.

Just as he expected, Thea had come to meet with him late last night in order to talk about the future of the Misty Sect.

James wasn't someone who shied away from an opportunity to earn big. Since the entire Sect had now been given to him, he could only happily accept the gift with both hands.

Now that he was the Sect Master, it was only natural to protect his family's property.

After James walked down the platform, he didn't leave the venue. He closed in on the four representatives of his new neighbors, with a smile that made the bodies of the four men shudder.

"Thea told me that you four bastards planned to take what is mine yesterday." James chuckled as he patted the shoulder of the representative that belonged to the Glory Sect. "You've got guts. You dare to steal what belongs to me?"

"I-I didn't know that the Misty Sect belonged to you, Lord James," the Elder of the Glory Sect stuttered. "If I knew, I wouldn't have done what I did."

James grinned as he nodded his head in agreement. "Of course, I understand. This is why we need to talk about how you are going to compensate me for emotional distress."

The old scammer also glanced at the three other representatives that belonged to the Rinoa Kingdom, Elun Empire, and the Aiur Empire. Only a fool would pass up this great opportunity to add more gold coins to their family's treasury.

"You guys are in cahoots with each other, so you're not off the hook," James said in a teasing tone. "Don't worry, I won't ask for much, but the compensation must satisfy me. If not, I will take my two Demigod Friends, as well as the Red Plague to conquer– I mean, to visit your territories and have afternoon tea with your bosses."

Thea and the Elders of the Misty Sect, who overheard the discussion, felt very happy. Seeing the people who had once threatened them with an ultimatum, being threatened in return by James made them gloat in their hearts.

It was also at this moment when they realized that they had made the right decision in handing the Misty Sect over to James' hand. Not only was the old coot decisive enough to take the entire sect as his own, he even found an excuse to extort other people!

William who was subtly paying attention to Thea's and the Elders' expressions laughed in his heart. He knew that this was James' plan to make the top brass of the Misty Sect feel indebted to, and give their respect to, him.

'With this, the reluctance in their hearts will decrease by a good margin,' William thought as he watched his grandpa in action. 'All that is left to do is tie up some loose ends, then go to Hestia Academy to have the next tier of the Familiamancer Class unlocked.

"After that, I will wait for my father's acquaintance to find me. Once the true power of the Dungeon Conqueror has been unlocked, I can go to the Silvermoon Continent to visit my mother."

William sighed in his heart. He thought that it would still take him a few years before he could be reunited with his mother in the Silvermoon Continent. Now that he had the power to protect himself, he didn't have to worry about the Elven Clans who had made him their mortal enemy.

Once the full power of the Dungeon Conqueror was unlocked, it was only a matter of time before he would be in command of countless armies, just like his father, Maxwell, had been when he was still at the peak of his powers.

Chapter 708: The Twilight Of The World Is At Hand

"Um, Sixth Master, aren't you going back to Hestia Academy?" William asked the fairy-like familiar who was sitting on his right shoulder with Elliot.

"Celeste told me that I should accompany you when you go to Hestia Academy," Chloee replied as she licked a chocolate lollipop. "Why? Are you not happy that I'm here?"

"Of course I am happy!"

"Then, why do you have that constipated look on your face? It's not good to hold it in, you know?"

The smile on William's face stiffened as he walked towards the flying carriage that would take him back to the Kraetor Empire. In truth, he was very afraid of Chloee because she had the tendency to go ballistic and smash things around her.

If not for Elliot being there to distract her, William would have definitely had a hard time keeping his cool with a little, ticking, time bomb on his shoulder.

James and Vlad would be staying in the Misty Sect for a week before returning to the Tower of Babylon. His Grandpa had already informed him that his uncle, Morgan, was the one in charge of the Floor of Asgard while James was away.

William didn't have any recollection of this elusive uncle of his. After he was delivered in Lont, he had never had the chance to meet his uncle since he'd opened his eyes in the World of Hestia.

'They say that uncle Morgan is my father's twin and they looked exactly like each other,' William thought. 'Since I saw my father when I inherited his profession, I will also be able to recognize Uncle Morgan when I see him.'

William then glanced at Zhu and Sha that was walking by his sides. Their purpose for coming to Hestia was to repay his kindness, so they intended to stick with him for the time being. The Half-Elf had no complaints with this arrangement.

In fact, William was very happy because, for him, Zhu and Sha were like his sworn brothers whom he could count on with his life.

Sun Wukong, on the other hand, bid him goodbye because he had to return to the Celestial World. The Monkey King had already broken several rules when he forcefully broke through Hestia and smuggled Zhu and Sha through with him.

In order to not bring more trouble to himself, he decided to return and lie low for a while, so that the Jade Emperor, and the stuck-up law enforcers, wouldn't make things too difficult for him.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, Chiffon, Kenneth, and Pearl were all standing in front of the flying carriage and waiting for him to arrive.

Charmaine's sister looked at William with a serious expression on her face. After she lost consciousness during their battle, she had been in bed for three days and was bereft of strength.

Pearl felt that her lethargic state was caused by William. The only evidence she had that the Half-Elf had done something to her when she was out of commission were the two puncture marks on her neck.

"Are you guys ready to go?" William asked.

Everyone nodded. They had already prepared everything for their departure, and all that they were waiting for was Emperor Leonidas' signal to return to the Kraetor Empire.

As William was about to board the flying carriage, he felt something move inside his consciousness.

His expression immediately became serious, as he looked at his lovers with a complicated expression on his face.

"Hold this to me for safe keeping," William said as he passed Soleil to Ian. "There is something urgent that I need to attend to. I will all see you in the Kraetor Empire."

William didn't even wait for Princess Sidonie's reply before he flew towards the sky. Zhu and Sha flew behind him, while riding a cloud made up of sand. They had noticed the look of concern on William's face, so they decided to follow him and see what was troubling him.

The Half-Elf didn't ask them to leave him alone, because he didn't plan on keeping any secrets from the two of them. When they arrived at a location without any people, William took his two friends inside the Thousand Beast Domain, and headed straight towards the Undying Lands.

—--

The sounds of chains breaking echoed within the hidden sanctuary of Avalon.

Malacai could feel his strength growing by the minute, as he waited for the shackles that bound him to shatter.

He had been trapped inside Avalon for thousands of years, and the seal had finally lost its power.

"Finally. I am free!" Malacai rejoiced after his last shackle was destroyed.

Powerful magical fluctuations surrounded Malacai, and his body started to shrink. In his Dracolich form, he was over twenty meters tall, but now, his height was only a little over two meters.

Nuckelavee, as well as the other five generals of the undead army, stood in anticipation. They had stayed inside Avalon for thousands of years in order to wait for this day to arrive.

This was the scene that William saw when he arrived in the Undying Lands. Millions of Undead were kneeling as they showed their obedience to the being that floated over Avalon.

"You're here, William," Malacai said. "I was about to ask you to come, but it is good that you came here voluntarily. There is something that I need to tell you."

William looked at the Dracolich who had mostly regained his powers. Although he was still not at his peak condition, the power that William felt was no joke. This was a power that transcended a Demigod and, for a brief moment, the Half-Elf thought that he was looking at a God.

"What can I do for you, Your Excellency?" William asked.

Malacai and him had already come into an agreement. Even though the Dracolich seemed scary and formidable, he had a feeling that Malacai would abide by the oath he had made to William, several years ago.

"I will take the Undying Lands with me," Malacai replied. His words were firm and would not take no for an answer. "I will be leaving your domain today."

William nodded in understanding. However, he was still curious about one thing, so he decided to ask the question that had been in his mind ever since he had met Malacai.

"Your Excellency, can I ask you a question?"

"Okay. But, I'll only answer one question."

Zhu and Sha listened at the side and didn't dare to interject in the conversation. They had already seen many powerful beings, including Gods, but meeting Malacai made them feel weak. They had no doubt in their minds that if the Dracolich decided to end their lives, all that Malacai needed to do was stare at them.

"Avalon is the last Bastion of Humanity, and you have been trapped inside it for thousands of years," William said. "Your Excellency, are you on the side of humanity, or against it?"

Malacai chuckled because this question was indeed laughable. Almost everyone that knew him had long ceased to exist. Some of them had died on the battlefield, while others died of old age. Even so, he still remained because he still had some unfinished business to attend to.

"My allegiance belongs to Hestia," Malacai said. "As long as she needs me, I will remain for her sake."

William frowned because Malacai's answer was vague. He didn't state if he was on the side of Humans or not. The Dracolich's answer hinted that his allegiance belonged to the World in its entirety.

He was not bound by any race, law, and other restrictions built by those who lived in the world.

'It's fortunate that the two of us are not enemies,' William sighed in his heart. 'Even if I held the power of the Dungeon Conqueror, I don't have the confidence to emerge victorious against him.'

On that same day, an island that was thousands of meters long, appeared in the sky near the Savadeen Mountains. Those who saw it felt their bodies shiver because of the Unholy Presence that it radiated.

However, this feeling didn't last long because just as fast as the island appeared, it disappeared just as quickly.

No one knew if what they saw was only an illusion or not. However, one thing was certain. All the guests that still hadn't departed from the Misty Sect saw it.

They felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end when they saw the island.

Among the guests, only one was able to recognize it and a grim expression appeared on his face.

"So, the time has finally come," Vlad muttered. "Malacai is finally free and, with his appearance, this world will face an unprecedented calamity."

Vlad felt his blood turn cold because he knew that no one would be safe from what was about to transpire.

'I need to visit a few of my acquaintances,' Vlad thought.. 'They have to know that the twilight of this world is at hand.'

Chapter 709: Not All Treasures Are Silver And Gold

William watched the Undying Lands until it vanished from his sight.

Malacai had activated its stealth ability, and no one knew where the giant floating island would appear next.

Although William didn't know what Malacai's goal was, one thing was certain, the Dracolich was not his enemy. Malacai had made this perfectly clear to him, and the Half-Elf could tell his sincerity.

Before Malacai left, he said some parting words to William. He told the Half-Elf that if they ever meet in the future, William should pretend that they didn't know each other.

The red-headed teenager didn't say anything, because there was no need for words. He believed that those who had participated in the war of the Southern Continent would be able to recognize the powerful Undead Army that had made a deep impression in their hearts.

There were many smart people in the world, and it would be fairly easy for them to connect the dots.

Afterall, there was only one Nuckelavee in the world. Once they saw the Devil of the Sea rampage in the battlefield, they would associate it with William. Even if he denied it, no one would believe him.

"I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there," William muttered. "Till we meet again, Malacai."

—--

Malacai hovered above the floating island as he navigated Avalon through the skies of the Central Continent.

He had been trapped inside the Undying lands for thousands of years, and the geography of the world had changed with the passing of time. He planned to travel across the Central Continent to map its regions, and familiarize himself with it.

William had given him the general layout of the world, and the various factions that resided in it. Of course, Malacai planned to verify the information with his own eyes in order to plan for the future.

Among the various empires in the list that William had given him, there was one particular name that caught his attention.

"The Ares Empire…," Malacai said softly. "Fortunately, Astarte has left her descendants behind. They will be of great help in what is to come."

Avalon flew steadily in the sky above the clouds. Its first destination was the Amazon Empire. Malacai wanted to know if the blood of the Warrior Goddess was just as powerful as it was in the past.

He was going to pay a visit to the descendants of his acquaintances who had fought with him during the darkest era of the world. Time was of the essence, and the Dracolich had no intention of wasting it.

—-

Two weeks passed, and the flying carriage of Emperor Leonidas finally reached the border of the Kraetor Empire.

A one way teleportation gate had already been established, so it didn't take long before the Emperor, along with his entourage, arrived at the capital city of the Kraetor Empire, Azmar.

"Sidonie, have you already told William that the two of you will be married two weeks from now?" Emperor Leonidas asked.

Princess Sidonie nodded her head. "He already knows, Your Majesty. He will be there on the promised date."

"Good. The arrangements have already been made. The two of you only need to appear and everything will fall into place."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Leonidas nodded his head and went back to the castle to rest. Everyone did the same and returned to their temporary residences in the capital city.

Kenneth, Lilith, and Pearl were Princess Sidonie's guests, so they were given VIP treatment. Empress Andraste still needed to do things in the Ares Empire, so she tasked Lilith to be her representative at Princess Sidonie's wedding.

Lilith had no complaints because she wanted to know more about William. The Half-Elf intrigued her. No one knew what happened during his battle with Meredith. Everyone had their own speculations, but none were able to confirm it.

Everyone agreed that William had infiltrated Meredith's body and attacked it from inside. That was the only explanation that they could think of. Even William's lovers believed that this was the case.

Two weeks later, the wedding was held as planned.

Princess Sidonie wore a beautiful wedding dress that made her look divine. The hearts of all young men were broken when they saw the lady of their dreams. They had seen many beautiful women in the past, but none were as beautiful as the Princess who was about to marry the handsome Half-Elf whose popularity was at its peak.

"If I could marry her, I would die without regrets."

"To be able to spend the night with such a beauty is every man's dream. I'm so envious!"

"That William boy is so lucky. He will be able to have his way with the Princess! If only she had met me first."

"Hello? Have you looked in the mirror? Why would the Princess marry someone who looks like a sardine? It's about time that you faced reality."

All the guys could only sigh as they thought about the lucky Half-Elf, who would be marrying the granddaughter of Emperor Leonidas. The heirs of the High-Ranking Nobles were disappointed as well. They had all tried to ask for the princess' hand in marriage, but she firmly rejected their advances.

Now, they could only look at her from afar, and curse the Half-Elf who was lucky enough to be able to take her maidenhood on their wedding night.

What they didn't know was that the pure maiden in their minds, had lost her purity long ago. Of course, no one knew this except for William, Ian, and Chiffon. Even Emperor Leonidas was not aware that her granddaughter had already been stamped by William's seal of approval!

William was wearing a black suit that highlighted his red-hair and light-green eyes. The ladies of the realm giggled when they saw him. There were also two little familiars floating by his side who were wearing similar clothes.

One wore white, the other black. Just like William, both of them were very handsome. If not for the fact that they were only as tall as an adult's hand, both of them would definitely be the target of the noble ladies who were looking for an eligible candidate to marry.

Elliot threw flying kisses to the beautiful ladies that Willliam passed as he walked towards the altar.

Conan, on the other hand, had a serious expression on his face, as if he was the one that was about to get married.

The moment the Half-Elf stood side by side with Princess Sidonie, everyone thought that they were a match made in heaven. Both of them complimented each other and everyone was certain that their children would be just as good looking as they were.

The ceremony proceeded without any mishaps. Both of them exchanged rings and kissed in front of everyone.

Somewhere in the venue, Prince Jason looked at the woman of his dreams with a calm expression on his face. In the past, he did everything he could so that he would be the one to marry Princess Sidonie. However, after the world-wide announcement, he knew that his chance had flown away.

This was why he had resorted to drinking. It was the only way he knew of that could help him forget about his heartbreak.

"Does it still hurt?" Princess Vanessa asked as she placed her soft hand over her beloved's chest.

"Yes," Prince Jason replied. "It hurts."

Princess Vanessa nodded her head in understanding and hugged her Prince tightly. She knew that time would heal everything. "Don't worry. I will make you forget her soon enough."

Prince Jason lowered his head. He then looked at the collar that was on Princess Vanessa's neck, and caressed her face gently.

"Let's go," Prince Jason said. "I've seen enough."

"Okay," Princess Vanessa nodded and allowed herself to be led away by the one she had loved for many years.

William glanced in their direction before wishing for their happiness in his heart. He had asked the System to look for Prince Jason in the crowd, because he thought that the latter would do something to mess up his wedding with Sidonie.

Fortunately, the Prince simply watched from afar, and left with Princess Vanessa to find their own happiness in life.

'I pray that the next time we meet, we will be friends and not enemies,' William prayed in his heart as he watched them disappear in the distance.

The Half-Elf was not the only one who was looking in Prince Jason's and Princess Vanessa's direction. Emperor Leonidas and Prince Maximilian were doing the same. They gave the two of them their silent blessing and wished for their happiness.

William and Princess Sidonie left the venue while being showered by cheers and applause from everyone in the kingdom.

Lilith stared at the two of them with an indifferent gaze. However, deep inside she was already making plans of her own.

The Amazon Princess was aware that William was keeping his distance from her, but she wasn't too bothered by it.

Her Divinity was Greed after all.

There was nothing in the world that she couldn't take, for that was the power of her Divinity.

'If I can't have it then I'll just steal it,' Lilith mused.

High above the heavens, inside the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, a certain Greedy Goddess chuckled. She was well aware of how stubborn her daughter was, but she believed that she had found her match in William.

"You can steal as much as you want, daughter of mine," Mammon said with a smile. "However, that also goes both ways. Since you decided to steal, you should also be prepared to have something stolen from you. I pray that the boy, William, will teach you this lesson, Lilith.. For not all treasures are silver and gold."

Chapter 710: Aamon’s Last Trial

After spending a few days with Princess Sidonie, William once again returned to Aamon's Temple to report his completion of the Quest that was given to him.

"Tell me, did you wash your hands before you came here?" Aamon asked with suspicion.

The corner of William's lips twitched because this was the first sentence that came out of Aamon's lips as soon as he appeared in front of him.

"Of course I did," William replied. "I'm a very hygienic person, you know?"

Aamon arched an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he went straight to business and informed William about his next trial.

"Listen well, Half-Elf. Due to the manner of how you cleared the other trials, I decided to give you one last trial," Aamon said. "If you clear this trial, I will honor my words and lift the curse on Est's, Ian's, and Isaac's bodies."

At first, William thought that he just misheard Aamon's words. But, after asking for confirmation, Astrid's twin brother had indeed said that this would be his final trial, and it made William very happy.

"No matter what it is, I will definitely accomplish it without fail!" William patted his chest with confidence. "Come at me, Bro!"

Aamon snorted. "I sincerely hope that you will be able to pass this trial as well. I look forward to your performance."

William quieted down and waited for Aamon to finish his explanation. He was very curious about what the final trial would be. Naturally, he expected that this trial would be more difficult than the two trials that he had finished not long ago.

"There is a young lady who is staying in Hestia Academy that goes by the name Shannon," Aamon said. "What I want you to do is help her with her problem."

William nodded his head, "What is her problem?"

"Well, you can go and ask her yourself. After you finish this last trial, you don't have to report to me. I will honor my word, and carry my end of our agreement."

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Aamon waved his hand in a casual manner. "No need to thank me. Like I said, this is our agreement. You may now go."

William gave Aamon a brief bow before leaving the Temple. The Grand Marquis of Hell watched the Half-Elf's retreating back with a mischievous smile on his lips.

'Good luck, William,' Aamon mused. 'You will need all the luck in the world in order to clear this quest.'

After his short chat with William, Aamon went to the Temple of the Gods to see his sister. Astrid had taken a hands off policy in regards to the red-headed teenager's trials, so Aamon thought it would be a good idea to inform her about William's last quest.

"You really asked him that?" Astrid inquired as she looked at her twin in disbelief. "You tasked him to meet Shannon and help her solve her problems?"

"Yes," Aamon answered. "I was supposed to give him a few more trials, but I'm afraid that he will be able to breeze through them in no time at all. Since that is the case, I should just let him face the Last Boss. Who knows? Maybe he will surprise me."

Astrid stared long and hard at Aamon, "Are you sure about this? Although I think that his chances for succeeding are slim, that boy is indeed capable. I thought he would not be able to clear the 51st Floor of Babylon, but to our surprise, he really managed to do it.

"Are you sure you thought this through? Are you prepared for the possible result of this endeavor?"

Aamon chuckled, "If he passes then great. I will even be thankful to him if he manages to solve Shannon's problem."

Astrid sighed as she drank her tea. Her twin had taken a gamble, and he was betting his chips on William's success.

'I guess this is his way of showing that he cares for her,' Astrid thought. 'I just hope that my brother will not regret the decision he made today.'

—-

After leaving the Temple, William hurriedly went to find Chloee. She was Celeste's familiar, and knew a lot about Hestia Academy. The Half-Elf was hoping that he would be able to gain some information regarding the girl named Shannon, who seemed to be studying inside Hestia Academy.

"How do you know about Shannon?" Chloee frowned. Not many knew about Shannon's existence. For William to know about this secret meant that he had been told the news by someone else.

Chloee crossed her arms on her chest and eyed William with a critical gaze.

She didn't understand how a closely guarded secret was known to someone who was not even enrolled at the academy.

"A God told me," William replied with a smile.

"...Then listen, and listen well," Chloee said after thinking things through. She decided to tell William all the information she knew about Shannon, to prevent William from investigating on his own.

If he was caught by one of the guards that were tasked to protect the white-haired girl from the academy, he might be subjected to a severe punishment that might also find its way to her, because she was William's sixth master.

"Shannon is a year older than you, and she has a very peculiar ability," Chloee whispered. "Almost everyone who has laid their eyes on her has commited suicide. So, if you don't want to die, don't even try to find Shannon in the academy. This is for your own good, do you understand?"

William could only nod his head because Chloee was starting to get agitated. This was the first time that he had seen her act this way. Although he was confident in his strength, he wasn't omnipotent.

The way Chloee was acting made him realize that there was more to Shannon than met the eye.. For now, he just nodded his head in order to calm the little familiar, who was looking back at him with an anxious expression written on her face.

Chapter 711: My Offer Is Always Available

Two days had passed since William had talked to Aamon in his temple.

The Half-Elf had a meeting with Emperor Leonidas, and told him about his decision to leave the Kraetor Empire to go to Hestia Academy.

Surprisingly, the Emperor didn't forbid him from doing so, and even insisted that he take Princess Sidonie and Chiffon along with him on his journey. William was quite happy with this development, because his two wives would be coming with him to the academy.

"Hestia Academy is the biggest learning institution in the Central Continent," Emperor Leonidas said. "This is where the elites of the younger generation gather. My sons have all studied there at one point in time. Unfortunately, my grandchildren weren't able to do the same due to… conflicts in familial interest."

William knew better than to ask what this conflict was. Emperor Leonidas would soon step down from his throne, and his sons were all gunning to take his position. Because of the political struggle amongst the members of the Royal Family, the Princes and Princesses decided to stay in the capital to help their parents win the Emperor's affection.

"Since you are already part of our family, you better do your best to stand out in Hestia Academy," Emperor Leonidas patted William's shoulder. "You are very famous right now, but that won't stop a lot of people from wanting to know your true strength.

"Also, your wives are very beautiful. I'm sure that many young men will feel jealous of you, and this will cause them to make your life difficult in the academy."

William smiled and didn't say anything else. He was more than happy to dump a ton of night soil on the faces of anyone who wished to cause harm to him and his wives. The Half-Elf was sure that after they saw him in action, they would be too disgusted to even look at his face!

Emperor Leonidas had given him two flying carriages pulled by Gryphons to make the journey towards the testing area of the academy easier. Those who didn't want to, or didn't have the means take the backdoor, had to take an entrance exam.

Just like the Hellan Royal Academy, any student could enroll in it. However, they would need to pass a trial before the gates of the academy would open to them.

The fun part about the trial was that it was open year-round. Anyone who wished to take the test could visit the Island of Antilia. This island was managed by Jophiel, who was tasked with supervising all promising students who planned to enroll in Hestia Academy.

"You are not allowed to fail the entrance exam," Chloee said with a serious expression on her face. "You are my Disciple, so failing is not an option. If you fail, my reputation in the academy will take a hit."

"Sixth Master, is there an easier way to enroll in the academy without going through the trial?" William inquired. Although he was confident that he would pass the test, he felt that it was too troublesome to start from scratch.

Chloee nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Of course there is. Do you think that some of those spoiled and arrogant nobles have what it takes to pass the trials? Naturally, there is an easy way to enter the academy and that is by paying two million gold coins per person."

"That's it!" William clapped his hands together. "Wait here, I'll go ask Emperor Leonidas to give me a few million gold coins."

William was about to go and see Emperor Leonidas to get the VIP ticket to the academy when a teasing voice reached his ears from behind. Clearly, the Emperor didn't plan mention this to him when they had their talk.

"There's no need to go and see grandfather," Princess Sidonie said with a smile. "He has already given me six million gold coins, so Ian, Chiffon, and I, can enter Hestia Academy through the backdoor."

"Um? Why only six million? What about me?"

"Grandfather said that you are already rich. He added that you should pay for your own education. You are already the owner of many floors in Babylon. Paying two million gold coins is something you can easily afford."

William scratched his head because he couldn't refute her words. The only problem was that he didn't have any cash on hand. All of his money was handled by his grandfather. Knowing the old coot, the latter would fight him to the bitter end if William asked him to give him a few million for enrollment.

There was also the issue with Zhu and Sha, since both of them had just arrived in the world of Hestia. Although they had raided a bandit headquarters, along with Sun Wukong to gain some funds, it was still lacking and didn't even amount to half a million gold coins.

Lilith, who had "accidentally" walked in on their discussion, offered William an alternative.

"I can pay your enrollment fee," Lilith commented. "I can even pay the enrollment fees of your two friends. All you need to do is come with me to the Ares Empire, so I can withdraw some of your seed– I mean, withdraw some gold coins from our treasury."

William snorted and ignored Lilith's proposal. He was not a fool. The Half-Elf was aware that the moment he entered the Amazon Empire, he would only be able to come out after he was milked dry, and his hips dislocated from too much snu snu!

"No thanks," William replied. "I can handle this myself."

"Okay, but if you change your mind, my offer is always available," Lilith leaned on the wall and gave William a teasing smile.

William went to find Kenneth and told him what he was planning to do. The delicate-looking Elf replied that this issue was already taken care of in their end.

"Princess Eowyn is scheduled to enroll at Hestia Academy in order to learn more about the world," Kenneth explained. "The expedition in the Southern Continent opened up her eyes and it made her realize how big the world was. The Royal Family supports her decision because they believe that they can't stay cooped up in the Silvermoon Continent forever.

"All of those that participated in the tournament, excluding me, were to become the Princess' guardians during her stay in the academy. Their enrollment has already been paid for."

William eyed his ex-roommate with a confused look on his face. "Then how about you? Why didn't they pay for your enrollment?"

"There's no need to do that. I will take the test with you," Kenneth replied.

He didn't want to tell William that his relationship with his family was very bad. They would not bother spending anything, let alone two million gold coins, just to let him study in the Human world.

"I see. Well, I think the trial won't be an issue. Although I don't know how strong you are, Sidonie told me that you came second place in the Tournament of Champions."

"Compared to your achievement, being a runner up isn't something to be proud of."

While the two of them were talking, Kenneth suddenly felt dizzy and unconsciously grabbed on to William to steady himself.

The Half-Elf supported his body in concern because Kenneth's face had become extremely pale all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" William asked. His tone was laced with concern which secretly made Kenneth happy.

In truth, Kenneth didn't know if William still thought of him as a real friend, and was merely being civil with him because he was Lady Arwen's disciple.

"I'm fine," Kenneth replied as he took a step back from William. "This is a normal occurrence, so there's no need for concern. When are we going to leave?"

William didn't pry any further because he could see that the silver-haired Elf's face had regained its color. He told him that they would leave in two days and head towards the island of Antilia in order to take the test of Hestia Academy.

After making sure that Kenneth was really fine, William set out in order to prepare for their journey. He was only one trial away from fulfilling his promise to Est, Ian, and Isaac, so he was looking forward to meeting Shannon in the academy.

'I just hope that her problem isn't too hard to solve,' William thought as he walked along the hallway of the palace. 'Est, wait for me.. I miss you.'

Chapter 712: A Battle Of Unprecedented Proportions Was About To Begin

Hellan Kingdom…

"Young Master, what's wrong?" Isaac asked as he looked at Est with concern.

Est shook his head as he picked up the book that had fallen on the floor. "Nothing. I just thought I heard William's voice."

Elizabeth, Est's mother, smiled as she looked at her daughter with a knowing glance. This was not the first time that her daughter's thoughts had wandered when she was alone and had nothing to do.

She knew that Est had wanted to travel with William to the Kraetor Empire, but King Noah had prevented her from doing so. After Prince Lionel had been executed, and Prince Rufus exiled from the kingdom, only Prince Ernest was left.

King Noah had decided to raise him as the next ruler, and Est became his study partner. Since she was unable to accompany William to the Central Continent, Est tasked Ian to take her place and keep the Half-Elf safe.

Although she knew that William had a legion of Beasts to protect him, she was still worried about his safety.

"Young Master, My Lady, we should be leaving for Lont soon," Isaac reminded Est and Elizabeth.

They had been invited to celebrate Eve's seventh birthday. The nobles of the Kingdom were doing their best to form a good relationship with the Ainsworth Family, but James was aloof and ignored their advances.

Only a select few, like Est, had managed to keep close ties with William's family, and this was largely due to the Half-Elf's influence.

"Is everything prepared?" Elizabeth asked.

Isaac nodded. "Yes, My Lady. Sir Herman and Lady Nana have just finished preparing the carriage. We can leave anytime."

"Let's go," Elizabeth replied. "Arriving early is also a good thing."

This was not the first time that Elizabeth had visited Lont. Due to William's invitation, she would go there at least once a month to breathe some fresh air, and play with the adorable Eve, who was growing into a fine young lady.

Elizabeth's health gradually became better thanks to her short vacations to the countryside. Usually, the trip from the Capital to Lont would take four days, but after the war, James had built a teleportation gate in the center of his three territories, which were managed by his son, Mordred.

Since then, the trade in the countryside had increased and several merchants had made the place more lively.

Once they passed through the teleportation gate, it would only take half an hour to reach Lont when using a flying carriage. This was why Elizabeth could enjoy her short vacations in Lont, and not worry about the exhausting travel from the capital to the countryside.

When they arrived, they saw several familiar faces as well.

William's two knights, Dave and Conrad, were already there and having a lively conversation with Matthew, who had recently become a father to a beautiful baby girl.

Leah was in the kitchen helping Helen with the celebration dishes that they were going to serve for Eve's birthday party.

"Grandma!" A lively voice greeted Elizabeth as soon as she strolled towards the garden.

Suddenly, a seven-year old girl with long red hair ran towards her with a big smile on her face.

"Eve!" Elizabeth hugged the treasure of the Ainsworth family and kissed both of her cheeks. "Did you behave like a good girl while I was away?"

"Un!"

"Good girl."

Ariadne, Eve's mentor, walked towards the two, followed by seven ducks and a white goose, who served as Eve's protectors.

Just like always, no one could remember what she looked like. Only Eve was able to see through her ability, and not forget her appearance.

"Good day to you, Lady Elizabeth," Ariadne greeted.

Est's mother looked up at the approaching oracle, and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Miss Ariadne, I pray that you have been well since our last meeting."

"Well enough to be able to catch that mischievous girl whenever she plays truant and does not attend my classes."

Elizabeth giggled because she had already expected this answer. Eve was a free spirit and she would always do things depending on her mood. She had been raised with love and care, and although she was not really a spoiled child, everyone was willing to pamper her since she was loved by all.

"Everyone, lunch is ready," Helen said as she stepped into the garden to fetch Elizabeth, Eve, and Ariadne. "Eve, come with me for a bit. I made a dress for this occasion."

"Un!" Eve bid Elizabeth and Ariadne goodbye as she followed Helen back to the house.

Her dress was dirty because she had been out in the fields, playing with the ducks. If not for the fact that today was her birthday, she might have gone on an adventure, bringing the ducks and goose with her.

Elizabeth sighed after Eve entered the house.

"Are you really going to take Eve to the Central Continent half a year from now?" Elizabeth asked Ariadne who was standing beside her.

The Oracle of the Herd nodded her head. "She has learned almost everything that she can learn here in Lont. We need to go on a pilgrimage to the Central Continent, so she can officially receive the blessing in the Main Temple of the Gods.

"All the Oracles that have come before her have done the same. It is only a matter of time before her powers are fully awakened."

"But, isn't it still too early?" Elizabeth asked. "She had just turned seven. Can't that pilgrimage wait until she's a bit older?"

Ariadne shook her head. "The prophecy of the Elves is reaching maturity, and soon, the Dark Prince will reveal himself. Eve needs to receive the blessing of her Patron God, so she will be protected from the threat that will cover the entire world in darkness. If she misses this chance, it may never come again. So, although she is still young, it is imperative that we go to the Central Continent."

Ariadne's tone was firm. She had seen things in her vision that she couldn't share with anyone. The reason she would wait half a year before journeying to the Central Continent was because King Minos would be sending his sons, Icarus and Daedalus, to accompany them on their journey.

The two Beasts were about to have a breakthrough in their strength and, according to King Minos, it would take them half a year to consolidate their powers.

Although the white goose was strong, it was only at the peak of the Millennial Rank. Only a few could match it in the Southern Continent, but its strength would only be average in the Central Continent.

In the place where the major powers of the world congregated, there were many crouching tigers and hidden dragons that lurked within its vast landscape.

Only the power of Myriad Beasts would ensure Eve's safety, so Ariadne was willing to wait for the two minotaurs to upgrade their strength, so they could serve as Eve's bodyguards.

"I will miss her terribly," Elizabeth sighed for the second time. "Lont will never be the same without her."

Ariadne shared Elizabeth's opinion, but she was someone who could see the bigger picture. Eve's fate wasn't tied to the Southern Continent because this stage was too small for her.

Ariadne knew that the fleeting peace that they were experiencing right now would soon come to an end, and a battle of unprecedented proportions was about to begin.

Chapter 713: Let’s Keep A Lookout On The People Who Are Going To Die

After a week of travel, three flying carriages arrived at the island of Antilia.

Lilith had a carriage all for herself, while Kenneth and Pearl shared another.

As for William, he shared his flying carriage with his lovers, alongside his sixth Master Chloe. Zhu and Sha, who had stayed inside the Thousand Beast Domain, were being given VIP treatment by Charmaine, and the rest of the Elves in William's Villa.

The two Demons had been very curious about the Dungeon of Atlantis, so they decided to explore it together.

Chloee had told William everything she knew about the administrator of the island, Jophiel. As for the Entrance Exams, Chloee didn't know much about them because all of them were random.

"Although he doesn't get along with the majority of the Professors in the academy, he is still the ideal person to manage the entrance exam because he is the fairest of all," Chloee said. "He will not fail anyone as long as he sees their potential. This is also why he is called the Gatekeeper of Hestia Academy. It is not bad to form a good relationship with him."

William nodded his head in understanding. "Don't worry, Sixth Master, this exam is a walk in the park for me."

"That's the spirit!" Chloee placed her hands on her waist and eyed William with appreciation.

Elliot and Conan were relaxing on the couch. They, too, thought that the exam would not pose any problems for them. After all that they had been through in the Dungeon of Atlantis, the two familiars had already perfected their teamwork with William. They were more than ready to face any kind of difficulty that the examiner would throw at them.

"For some reason, this exam takes me back to when I first enrolled at Hellan Royal Academy," William said softly as he patted Chiffon's head. "It has been many years since then, and to this day, I still haven't experienced the happy academy life I envisioned."

"Kekeke, indeed, you still haven't experienced a fulfilling academy life," Conan agreed. "So many things have happened, and your youth passed by so quickly."

The corner of William's lips twitched as he eyed the devil familiar who was eating some butter cookies. His words implied that William was no longer young, but in reality he was only eighteen years old. The years he had lived on Earth didn't count!

"Well, we should do our best to enjoy this opportunity," Elliot said as he lazily leaned on the cushy pillow like a king. "After all, this is the last academy arc of this series."

Before William could ask Elliot what he meant that this was going to be their last academy arc, a knock was heard on the door of the carriage.

"Will, the administrator is starting to gather the examinees. We should head over as well."

Kenneth's voice was not too loud, but it was more than enough for William to hear his voice. After telling Kenneth that he would be there shortly, the Half-Elf talked to Zhu and Sha via telepathy, and told them that it was now time to leave the Thousand Beast Domain.

Five minutes later, William, Zhu, Sha, and Kenneth, walked towards the open area where the introduction would be held.

Only the examinees were allowed to enter the area, so Princess Sidonie, Ian, Chiffon, and Chloee could only wish him luck on the exam. The little fairy also told William that they would be waiting on the final island, where those who passed the exam would appear.

Soon, a middle-aged man with short blonde hair and blue eyes stepped on a raised platform to address everyone that had come to take the Hestia Academy Entrance Exam.

"Good day to all of you. My name is Jophiel, and I will be your supervisor in the upcoming exam," Jophiel announced. "There are more than two thousand of you gathered here today, but only a few will be able to enter the academy grounds.

"Those who want to back out now, can still back out. After you sign the death waiver, there is no turning back. You only have one life. Do not throw it away just because you've dreamed about entering Hestia Academy."

Jophiel scanned the surroundings, but all he saw were determined faces. The people that had gathered at Antilia Island knew that there was a chance of death during the trials.

Although the Academy had stepped up to prevent any casualties, there were still many young men and women who had died taking the exam, which had raised Jophiel's notoriety among the populace of the Central Continent.

"It's your funeral," Jophiel stated. However, he didn't try to dissuade them again. All he did was ask everyone to sign the Death Waiver before the start of the exam.

"Conan, you don't have to sign that Death Waiver," Elliot said as he scratched his head. "As long as we don't use 100% of our power, we won't die even if we are killed."

"Kekeke, you don't understand Elliot," Conan replied as he signed a Death Waiver. "Although we can't die, that doesn't mean that we can't follow the standard operating procedure of mortals. Isn't it more fun this way? Um? The words of this dotted line are suspicious… it said that all items that we possess would be confiscated by the academy on the condition that we die during the trial."

"Really?" Elliot read the spot where Conan was pointing at and chuckled. "Doesn't this mean that we can also confiscate the items of those who died?"

"Oh… when you put it that way, it is indeed possible."

"Great. Let's keep a lookout on the people who are going to die. Let's split the items fifty-fifty."

"Kekeke. Sounds like a plan. Let's do it!"

Conan flapped its wings and waved the waver in his hand. He then raised his voice so that he would be heard by everyone who were currently signing their Death Waivers.

"Everyone. Do not worry. I, Conan, hereby swear that I will take responsibility for your possessions when you die," Conan declared. "I won't allow the academy to profit from your deaths. So, please, rest in peace!"

Elliot smacked his forehead when he heard his twin's declaration. "My Goodness, you shouldn't tell this to them face to face. Can't we just quietly steal– I mean, safeguard their possessions once they kick the bucket? Um… you sir over there, I just saw how you will die. Do you mind if I accompany you later during the trial?"

Everyone drew in deep breaths as they stared hatefully at the two Familiars who were already eyeing their possessions even when they were still alive. The man that Elliot had called out earlier, immediately tore his Death Waiver and left the premises.

For some reason, he felt that the Angelic Familiar's cryptic announcement had unnerved him, so he decided to try again next year!

William, Kenneth, Zhu, and Sha, walked away and pretended that they didn't know the two suicidal familiars who had earned the ire of everyone. Although William was confident in his strength, he didn't want to antagonize thousands of people.

"Miss beautiful, it would be best if you don't take the exam," Elliot said as he flew over a pretty lady who seemed to be in her late teens. "The thought of a monster eating you whole breaks my heart."

"Will I really die?" the pretty girl asked with an anxious expression on his face.

Elliot nodded. "Yes, but if you want to survive, I am selling lucky charms. They can help you survive this calamity. They are very cheap, just one gold and a kiss on the lips, and your chances of dying will decrease drastically. Take note that the only refund I will give back is the kiss, the gold coin is non refundable."

Elliot's sweet talking and suaveness was quite effective and the pretty lady bought one lucky charm and gave him a gold coin, and a kiss on the lips.

After getting the lucky charm, the lady went away with a sense of security. Some of the participants felt that the familiar was just scamming them, but the thought of dying was something that they couldn't push away in their mind.

A gold coin and a kiss was cheap compared to their lives, so more and more people were starting to get tempted by Elliot's proposal.

"Give me one Lucky Charm," a teenage boy who had freckles on his face approached Elliot.

Elliot looked at him with a serious expression and shook his head. "I only sell my lucky charm to girls. All of you guys can just roll over and die for all I care. Ah! Miss beautiful with the pink dress, can I interest you in some lucky charms?"

Elliot flew in the direction of the girl wearing a pink dress and left the boy with an awkward look on his face.

The young men who saw this scene cursed Elliot in their hearts, and vowed to target him during the exam.

The angelic familiar didn't give a hoot about what they thought. He was not easy to kill, and even if they succeeded in doing so, William could summon him again after twenty four hours.

"... Your familiar sure is something," Kenneth said with a complicated expression. "According to Lady Celeste, Familiars were born with traits belonging to their master. So, you have this kind of side to you that I didn't know about."

"You might have misheard her," William replied with a face filled with righteousness. "Do I look like a womanizing skirt chaser to you? I am like Conan. Straightforward and honest. I don't have a hobby of picking up girls and asking for a kiss. Isn't that right, Conan?"

"Yes. William isn't like that," Conan patted his chest like a trustworthy person. "He just kisses women in his dreams, and makes love to them every night. He had been doing it for yea– mpph!"

William hurriedly grabbed the whistle blower and covered the devil's mouth tight. Conan kept on struggling in his grip, but William held him in a vice-grip, preventing him from spilling his secrets.

Kenneth looked at him weirdly, but didn't comment more about the matter. He just closed his eyes and waited for Jophiel to start the entrance exam. What William did with his lovers was none of his business.

Half an hour later, all the waivers had been gathered. Jophiel gave William a long, hard, stare after he received the Half-Elf's waiver and seeing the red-headed teenager's name on it. A minute later, he turned around and made an announcement.

"Everyone, follow me. We are going to the exam's location," Jophiel declared. No one could see his face, but a glint of something ominous passed his eyes for a brief moment. 'Looks like this year's exam is going to be interesting.. I look forward to your performance, William Von Ainsworth.'

Chapter 714: Meeting An Old Friend

The forest floor seemed to be trembling as thousands of people ran at the same time.

Jophiel, the lead examiner, ran in a carefree manner followed by the aspiring students of Hestia Academy. In the beginning, there were several people who wanted to show off their prowess and ran ahead of him.

Jophiel didn't mind because he had already told everyone their destination. He said that those who were able to reach the northern tip of the island, would be able to pass the first stage of the exam.

The only condition was that they had to run towards it. Anyone who flew, used spells, artifacts, or rode beasts would automatically be disqualified.

Those who ran ahead of Jophiel, and the rest of the examinees, felt very smug. They were confident in their physical prowess, and wanted to leave a good impression on the lead examiner. Unfortunately, they underestimated this simple marathon, and were soon panting for breath when they reached the quarter mark of their journey.

Their running course was 1,181 miles long. Every quartermark of their journey, their body weight would increase by a hundred percent (only the original 100% will increase and not the increment).

This in itself was not a big deal, but there were wild beasts that would occasionally attack the runners using ranged attacks, especially if they were running solo. Although these beasts were not that powerful, the constant harassment made the already difficult run more difficult.

In the end, these runners waited for the main group to arrive and ran alongside them. There was safety in numbers and they had learned it the hard way.

William and his group were not normal individuals. They were all quite strong, so they paced themselves properly. They just followed behind Jophiel and kept the examiner in their sights.

When the main group reached the half-way mark, the lead examiner increased his pace, which surprised the majority of the runners who were following behind him.

There were several repeaters in the group, so they already knew that this was bound to happen. They had even given this course a name and they called it the "Beginner Killing Course".

Most of the first timers would drop at this stage, and all of them would start training for a few months, before going back to Antilia Island to take the examination again.

These veterans ran at the rear of the group and allowed the "first timers" to run ahead of them.

In cycling, there is a trick called "Drafting". The lead cyclist would be the one pushing against the wind pressure and create a pocket of air behind him. The cyclist following him would suffer less air resistance, and match the lead cyclist speed using less effort.

If you use this technique, you will save a lot of energy. This was why a team of cyclists took turns in taking the lead position, so that others could rest behind them, allowing the group to have enough stamina to send their ace to reach the finish line in one mad sprint for victory.

"I guess that time we spent running in hell is finally paying off," Zhu said as he controlled his breathing.

Sha nodded his head as he saw another examinee fall behind the group. More and more people were falling behind, and some of them couldn't even run anymore due to exhaustion.

They had been running for four hours, and they estimated that it would take them at least ten to fifteen more hours to reach their destination.

"Are you okay?" William asked Kenneth who was starting to lag behind. He could tell that something was wrong with the Elf because there were instances when he would suddenly falter as he ran beside him.

"I'm fine," Kenneth replied as he rubbed his temple. He was doing his best to stay awake, but the drowsiness he felt was getting stronger with every hour that passed.

William frowned and he asked Zhu and Sha to look after Kenneth for a while as he sped up to the lead to talk to Jophiel. There was a question he was meaning to ask, and he wondered if the lead examiner would allow such a thing.

"Sir, excuse me," William said as he ran side by side with Jophiel. "There are several restrictions placed on this trial. However, there is no rule that states that you can't carry a person to the finish line."

Jophiel glanced at William and nodded his head. "There is indeed no rule that forbids anyone from carrying someone to the finish line."

"So, is it allowed?"

"It is allowed. However, very few do it. The weight increase will still affect the person that is being carried. Meaning, the burden of the one carrying that person would also increase drastically as we near the finish line."

"Thank you for answering my question," William gave Jophiel a brief nod before going back to his group.

Jophiel gave William a side-long glance before once again looking in front of him. He had witnessed many people do the same thing in the past. Among them, those that succeeded didn't surpass the number of fingers on his left hand.

Whether William would be able to accomplish that feat, he would only know once the Half-Elf crossed the finish line.

"I'll carry you," William said. "Don't worry. I'm confident that I can carry you all the way."

After a brief internal struggle, Kenneth accepted William's offer. He was really at his limit, and the power of his Divinity couldn't be denied. The Half-Elf carried Kenneth in a princess carry, and marveled on how light he was.

Half a minute later, Kenneth closed his eyes to sleep. Those who held the power of Sloth weren't really built for long marathons. The silver-haired Elf had already gone above and beyond his capability. He was even surprised that he managed to last this long in an event that required constant physical activity.

The hours passed, and only a few hundred were still following behind Jophiel. The sun had already set, and the surroundings were quite dark. If not for the fact that Elliot used his powers to create several balls of light to illuminate the way, some of the survivors might have already tripped on the ground due to how dark it was.

William had no problem seeing in the dark because he was a Half-Elf, and was blessed with Dark Vision.

William estimated that they were almost at the last quarter of their journey. However, something unexpected happened.

Just as they made a turn in the path, Jophiel suddenly disappeared. He literally vanished in front of everyone, and even William didn't know how the Lead Examiner accomplished such a thing, right under his nose.

Suddenly, a loud howling sound was heard in the distance. William assumed that it came from a wolf, because the howl was quite distinct. As if to answer the call, hundreds of howls erupted out of nowhere, and it made the survivors frown.

All of them were quite proficient in fighting, so they weren't afraid of a battle against wolves. However, their confidence collapsed when they heard an earth shaking howl that held considerable power behind it.

Only William, Elliot, Conan, Zhu, and Sha were not fazed by this powerful presence who seemed to be the Alpha of the wolf pack.

Optimus had already identified the source of the howl, and had shown the information to William in his status page.

When the Half-Elf saw the name of the Millennial Beast, a smile appeared on his face, as if he was meeting an old friend.

It was none other than a Thunder Horned Wolf. A Millennial Beast that was at its peak stage, and the same beast that William had killed back in Lont, alongside Ella when the Wolf Tide descended upon the Hellan Kingdom.

For the examinees, this was a creature that was out of their league.

Jophiel looked with indifference at the thousands of Dire Wolves that were charging towards the examinees' direction.

This was not included in the Trial, but the Wolf Pack suddenly appeared out of nowhere. If William wasn't in the group, Jophiel would have faced this wolf army alone to protect everyone.

However, since William was already there, he decided to just watch as the battle unfolded. He wanted to know the abilities of the person that had gained so much fame after his achievement in the Tower of Babylon.

This was also in alignment with the order of the Headmaster of Hestia Academy. As the person that was in charge of the entrance exams, Jophiel was given full authorization to gauge William's current strength.

Just like everyone else, he was very curious about William's combat ability. If he managed to pass this trial with flying colors, the academy would definitely welcome him with open arms. They were always in the lookout for promising individuals that would help safeguard the world of Hestia, in its entirety.

Chapter 715: My Words Are Law [Part 1]

Screams erupted in the forest as the examinees found themselves face to face with thousands of Dire Wolves, and their leader, the Thunder Horned Wolf.

None of the teenagers were weak. Even though they were completely outnumbered, they had the ability to overcome the ferocious Dire Wolves that were eyeing them with greed. The only problem was that none of them were strong enough to fight against a Millennial Beast at its peak stage.

If it was only a Centennial Beast, they could probably beat it. But, a Millennial Beast was too much for these examinees, and the mere sight of it unnerved them.

"You can put me down now," Kenneth said as he opened his eyes.

He awoke because he felt something that could potentially threaten his life. After looking at the Beast Army in front of him, Kenneth knew that William was enough to easily defeat all of the Direwolves, including their leader, even if he fought alone.

"Okay." William nodded his head.

Just as soon as Kenneth's feet touched the ground, the Thunder Horned Wolf roared and the thousands of Dire Wolves attacked en masse.

William didn't care too much about the Dire Wolves because he believed that the examinees were strong enough to handle them. However, he still gave an order to Elliot and Conan to keep the teenagers from getting killed by the Wolf Army.

"Do you need help?" Zhu asked.

William shook his head. "I am more than enough to play with this thing."

"Okay. We'll just look after the others," Zhu commented. Just like William, he wasn't worried about a mere Millennial Beast. He was not aware that the Thunder Horned Wolf's last resort was strong enough to wipe out an entire capital of a kingdom when push came to shove.

The Thunder Horned Wolf's final attack, Storm Annihilation, was as powerful as a full-powered attack by a Myriad Beast.

Among all the Millennial Beasts, only this particular wolf was capable of doing that. Only those with complete confidence in their abilities would actively provoke this sinister beast, who was notorious for mass destruction.

William flew towards the Thunder Horned Wolf to prevent it from joining the fray and hurting everyone.

The two forces clashed and the battlefield became extremely chaotic.

Howls, grunts, shouts, roars, and screams reverberated in the air as the examinees fought with everything they had.

"Ahh!" The pretty girl who bought Elliot's charm was hit by an Air Blast from an Alpha Wolf, and her body slammed to a tree.

She had been seriously injured. Her face became instantly pale when she saw the two-meter wolf charging in her direction. The examinees who were fighting near her were too busy, fending off other Dire Wolves, so no one was able to give her any support.

Just as the wolf lunged at the girl to bite her head off, a lightning bolt hit its face, and sent it flying a few meters back.

"Miss Beautiful, worry not, for I, Elliot, am here to save you," Elliot said as he floated between the wolf and the pretty girl.

Lightning sparked around his body and a powerful wave of energy erupted from his fingertip.

"Chain Lightning!"

A lightning bolt that was as thick as an electric pole, obliterated the Alpha Wolf, turning its body into a piece of charcoal. However, it didn't end there. Just as the name suggested, the lightning passed through the other wolves that were near its location.

The pretty girl's mouth hung open as she looked at the unbelievable scene in front of her. She never expected the little familiar, whom she bought her lucky charm from, to easily kill the Alpha Wolf that almost ended her life.

"All those who bought lucky charms from me are under my protection," Elliot said as he flicked his hair in arrogance. "Girls, stand behind me. I'll deal with these small fries. As long as I, Elliot, am around, I will not let them touch even a strand of your precious hairs."

Elliot fired a barrage of lightning bolts at the Dire Wolves that had panicked after one of their leaders had died.

The Alpha Wolf was a Rank C Beast, and the other Dire Wolves were Rank D.

For Elliot and Conan who had faced stronger opponents in the Dungeon of Atlantis, this battle was a walk in the park and carried no suspense.

"Shield Bash!" Conan summoned a shield and slammed it into a Dire Wolf who had escaped Elliot's powerful attacks. Just as he was about to look for another target, he heard a call of help coming from a teenage boy who was being assaulted by six Dire Wolves.

"Help!" the teenage boy screamed in desperation as the wolves tried to attack him in every direction. He could handle two wolves at a time, but six wolves was something way beyond his abilities.

Just as he was about to be attacked from his blindspot, a round shield flew in the air and smashed the head of the wolf who used a sneak attack on the boy. It then flew towards the other wolves, hitting them all in the head, and giving them serious concussions.

"Shield Boomerang!" Conan summoned more shields and hurled them in different directions. Although he specialized in defense, the Devil Familiar had learned two offensive skills after William had reached the max level of the Familiamancer Class.

Although its damage was not as powerful as Elliot's lightning bolts, Conan's attack skills were strong enough to deal with weaker beasts that were Rank C and below.

Zhu casually swiped his nine-toothed rake at the Dire Wolves that had targeted him, and ended their lives in a heartbeat.

Sha, on the other hand, was already holding a gourd in his hand. Sand flowed from it and became deadly weapons that ended the life of all the Dire Wolves that were unlucky enough to be within twenty meters around him.

Jophiel nodded his head in appreciation because he wasn't expecting William's group to be very strong. As one of the Adamantium Ranked Warriors in the academy, he could tell that the Dire Wolves posed no threat to them whatsoever.

Kenneth stood still and held a short sword in his hand. He didn't actively participate in the battle, and only attacked the wolves that had chosen to attack him. As the runner up of the Tournament of Champions, mere Dire Wolves were not enough to phase him.

If William wasn't busy dealing with the Millennial Wolf, he would definitely say that Kenneth was currently in "Energy Saving Mode".

The moment Sha, and Zhu, joined Elliot and Conan in protecting the examinees, the Dire Wolves ferocious charge was put to a complete stop.

If they didn't die from Elliot's lightning bolts, they would find themselves coming face to face with a shield that would knock them unconscious.

If they survived those two attacks, they would have their bodies torn apart by Zhu's nine-toothed rake.

If ever they were truly lucky, and survived this three layered attack that protected the students, they would find themselves encased in sand and have their bodies squeezed until they burst apart.

The examinees looked at their four saviors with respect and admiration. They believed that if Elliot, Conan, Zhu, and Sha, were not present, all of them would have died in the first stage of the Entrance Exam.

The five-meter wolf crashed on the ground with a bloody nose, after receiving a powerful kick from William.

William had equipped his Zen Master Job Class, and pummeled the Thunder Horned Wolf's face with punches and kicks that made it realize that the red-headed boy was way stronger than it expected.

After being beaten black and blue without having the ability to fight back, the Leader of the Wolf Pack gave a loud howl before running away in defeat.

The remaining Dire Wolves also turned tail and ran after their leader. They thought that they were dealing with easy prey, so the Thunder Horned Wolf ordered the attack. They didn't expect that they were about to kick a steel plate, and would suffer terribly from it.

"That's it?" William blinked in disbelief as he watched the Thunder Horned Wolf and its lackeys run for their lives.

The Half-Elf scratched his head in disappointment.. He was waiting for the Big Boss to launch the Storm of Annihilation so that he could deliver the coup de grace on its bum, and make it regret it was ever born.

Chapter 716: My Words Are Law [Part 2]

The Thunder Horned Wolf was still in the prime of its life and didn't have the intention of using its ultimate move. Even if it survived its suicidal attack, it would be greatly weakened and would become the prey of the other strong Beasts on the Island of Antilia.

It would not allow itself to become the prey of others, so it decided to retreat instead of continuing a losing battle against the Half-Elf, whose evil smile made it clench its chrysanthemum subconsciously.

After the battle ended, everyone tended to their injuries.

Elliot was holding a rejuvenating balm in his hand, and busied himself in administering first aid to the ladies. Instead of asking for gold coins, he only asked for kisses, which made the boys draw deep breaths in jealousy.

A few minutes later, Jophiel re-appeared and clapped his hands to give applause to the survivors. There had been no casualties, due to everyone's efforts and this was enough to gain his approval.

"With the power vested upon me by the academy, I hereby declare that all of you who stayed to fight, passed the first stage of the exam," Jophiel said. He then used a magic spell to magnify the power of voice and shouted to those that had chosen to escape and save their own lives during the battle.

"Those who rqn away will be disqualified from taking the exam. The academy has no need for people who would abandon others in the face of danger. Teaching them would just be a waste of time and resources."

When the deserters heard this, they immediately regretted their decision. They then returned to the group and argued with Jophiel that they had no obligation to fight a losing battle. Also, they pointed out that they didn't have strong ties with the others who were also participating in the exam.

Since they were strangers, they had no reason to endanger their lives for the sake of others.

"All of your reasons are justified," Jophiel replied to the group of deserters. "But, since I am the Chief Examiner, my words are law. If I say you failed then you failed. Of course, if you feel that I am in the wrong, feel free to fight me. Those who win will no longer have to participate in the next set of exams, and will be directly enrolled in the academy."

Jophiel crossed his arms. "I am giving you deserters a one-way ticket into the academy. All you need to do is beat me. So, who wants to try first? No scratch that. All of you come to fight me at the same time. If I can't even win against a bunch of cowards, I will immediately resign from my position."

"You are abusing your authority! Don't think that we are afraid to fight you!" one of the deserters said in anger.

"That's right! If you want to fight then let's fight! We're not afraid of you!"

"Who's scared of who? Just don't whine that we bullied you, Mr. Examiner."

"Everyone let us all fight together! We are being treated unfairly. Let us prove that we are not cowards!"

More than seventy people encircled Jophiel and summoned their weapons. They believed that with their numbers, they would be able to defeat a single individual. Jophiel was not a Saint. Although he was strong, the group of deserters believed that they had a chance of winning against him.

Jophiel just smiled and made the "Come and get me" gesture to the aggrieved examinees. William's earlier battle made his blood boil, and this was the perfect opportunity to vent out his pent up adrenaline.

The Examiner had long accepted that he couldn't do anything about the rich and influential people from using the backdoor by buying their way into the academy. This was why he had high standards for people that were trying to enroll normally.

What he hated the most were cowards, so he would not bat an eye when it came to disqualifying those whom he deemed unworthy to enter the academy gates.

Fifteen minutes later, all the deserters were lying on the ground and groaning in pain.

"Send the rescue team," Jophiel said through a communication crystal. "The first stage is over. Out of almost three thousand examinees, only one-hundred-twenty-three remain."

"Understood," a woman's voice replied. "Where will you take those who passed the first test?"

Jophiel didn't reply right away and seemed to be making a big decision on the spot. A minute later, he opened his mouth and told his superior about his decision.

"I intend to divide them into two groups," Jophiel reported. "The power levels of the one named William and his group, far exceed those of his peers. It would be unfair to bring them onto the same stage, so I decided to ask my subordinate to watch over the first group, while I personally monitor William's group."

The tapping sound of a finger hitting a table could be heard on the other end of the communication crystal. Clearly, Jophiel's superior was weighing the pros and cons of this sudden change of plans.

"Very well, I approve of your decision," the woman said. "Report to me if anything out of the ordinary happens. Celeste is already aware that William is taking the entrance exam. She is now heading towards your location. At most, it will take her a day or two to arrive."

"Understood. Thank you for the clearance."

"You're welcome. I look forward to your next report."

Jophiel closed the connection and wrote something in the small notebook in his hand.

"Excels in hand to hand combat," Jophiel said softly as he wrote in his notebook. "Able to easily fight against a Thunder Horned Wolf without using any magic power. Based on the technique he used, he is either a brawler, a monk or, a martial artist that had designed his own fighting style.

"He has two familiars. One specializes in pure offense, and wields the power of lighting. The other familiar, on the other hand, specializes in defense, but is also able to use offensive attacks using shields. Although the offensive damage of these attacks isn't lethal, it is strong enough to deal medium damage to Rank C Beasts and below."

After writing his initial thoughts about William and his two familiars, Jophiel returned the small notebook inside his storage ring. He then crossed his arms to wait for the support team to arrive. It is part of their procedure to pick up the stragglers, and take those that had been disqualified back to their main camp, before proceeding to the next stage of the Entrance Exam.

The Entrance Exam only had two stages. The first one was the trial of endurance, and the next one is the trial of strength.

William had already shown Jophiel that he was able to contend against Millennial Beasts, so he had prepared a special test just for him and his group.

The island next to the Antilia Island was home to a troublesome race that was starting to pose a serious threat to the local population.. Jophiel was planning to send William and his group to this location and order them to help the locals deal with the threat that was looming over their heads.

Chapter 717: When Lust And Chastity Collide

A day after the First Trial had ended, William and the rest of the examinees were taken to a sea port for their next exam.

"These two ships will take you to the examination grounds," Jophiel explained. "The Red Ship on my left will take you to the Normal Exam area. Once you pass this exam, you will gain the opportunity to become a student of Hestia Academy.

"The Black Ship on my right, is a ship that will take you the Special Exam. The difficulty of the exam in that area is very hard. Take note that there is no special reward for passing this trial. Just like the normal trial, those who will pass this exam will have the opportunity to become a student of the academy."

The examinees began to murmur among themselves. They didn't understand why there had to be two ships instead of one. Some of them had taken the test several times, and this was the first time that they saw the Black Ship in the sea port.

Naturally, Jophiel could understand their confusion, so he decided to stop beating around the bush and start his plan.

"You, the young man with red hair and a stupid expression on his face. Step forward," Jophiel said as he pointed in William's direction.

William looked behind. He was very curious who the red-haired person was, and wanted to see the stupid expression on his face. After checking the hair color of everyone, William realized that there wasn't anyone with red-hair among them.

The corner of Kenneth's lips raised slightly as he eyed the confused Half-Elf who was still looking for the person that Jophiel was pointing at.

"No need to look behind you," Jophiel said after clearing his throat. "Your name is William, right? If yes, step forward."

William glanced at Jophiel in disbelief. "Are you referring to me?"

"Of course." Jophiel nodded. "Do you see any other person among your peers who has red hair and a stupid expression on his face? Clearly, I was talking to you."

William crossed his arms over his chest and refused to budge. He refused to acknowledge that he had a stupid expression on his face.

"WIth all due respect, Sir. How can someone as handsome as me look stupid in your eyes?" William questioned. "I think it is about time that you visit an eye specialist. It is best to handle this kind of problem during its early stages then let it become worse over the passing of time. Also, I planned to take the Red Ship instead of the black one."

"Step forward or I will fail you. If you question my orders again, you will be banned from entering the academy and will not be allowed to step through its gates, even if you resort to paying the two million gold fee."

William snorted and reluctantly stepped forward. Although he was unwilling, he knew that having a falling out with Jophiel at this point in time was not a good thing.

"You will take a separate test from the others," Jophiel declared. "Of course, if any of you want to join him, feel free to do so. Just know that the chances of you losing your life are higher compared to the normal exam."

Kenneth stepped forward and stood beside William. Zhu and Sha did the same.

They were there to accompany William, so they would naturally stick with him as he took the special trial that Jophiel had prepared for him.

None of the other examinees stepped forward. They recognized William's group, and somehow understood what the Head Examiner was trying to do. Even though they didn't want to admit it, they understood that William and his companions were way above their league.

The battle against the Thunder Horned Wolf and the Dire Wolves was the best proof of their outstanding battle prowess.

After waiting for a few minutes, Jophiel deemed that no one else was bold enough to join William's group. He then raised his hand and asked the remaining examinees to board the Red Ship, so that they could sail towards their destination.

After all the examinees had boarded the ship, he then looked at William's group with an indifferent expression.

"All of you are coming with me," Jophiel ordered. "Let's board the Black Ship."

He didn't wait for anyone's reply and walked towards the ship. William sighed as he followed behind Jophiel.

The Half-Elf had a feeling that this Special Exam of his would be a pain in the bum.

After the two ships departed, Celeste finally arrived on the island of Antilia. As a Professor, she had the privilege of monitoring the examinees who planned to enroll at the academy.

The beautiful Elf met Chloee, Princess Sidonie, Ian, and Chiffon on the final island. This was the place where those who passed the two exams would gather. There were other professors on the island as well.

Their purpose was to look for promising individuals to join their faction. Princess Sidonie, Ian, and Chiffon had been scouted by these professors beforehand.

The beautiful Princess of Freesia had warned Ian and Chiffon that they shouldn't outright reject the offers of the professors, so that they wouldn't take offense. The excuse that they had given to those who invited them into their factions was that they wanted to see what the academy had to offer before they made a decision.

The professors accepted this reason, and didn't try to push the issue. They only said that the girls could approach them once they had settled in the academy. Also, Chloee's presence was more than enough to intimidate these recruiters.

The little fairy was infamous for its notoriety inside the academy. Only those that hid under a rock, inside Hestia Academy, wouldn't know who Chloee was. You either liked her, or hated her. There was no middle ground when it came to the little fairy, who liked to speak to others by using her fists!

"It's good to see you again, Chiffon," Celeste said with a smile.

Chiffon briefly nodded her head, but didn't say anything else. The pink-haired girl had kept her distance from the beautiful Elf. Although she didn't dislike Celeste anymore, that didn't mean that she planned to have a close relationship with her.

While Chiffon kept Celeste at arm's length, her relationship with Chloee was good. The little Glutton and the little familiar often ate pancakes together for breakfast. Due to Chloee's straightforward personality, it was very easy for Chiffon to get along with her.

Princess Sidonie on the other hand, looked at Celeste with great interest. Both women were very beautiful. The Princess was the epitome of youthful beauty, while the Elf's beauty had a sense of maturity in it.

She noticed that Celine and Celeste looked like they were in their early twenties, and were blessed with the good looks of the Elven Race.

One represented Lust, the other Chastity.

However, her Divinity reacted at the presence of her counterpart's Divinity and soon a subtle clash of power ensued between the two. One actively sought out otherworldly pleasures, the other kept her innocence intact.

There had been many cases in history when the maidens of these two divinities would often clash against each other. This was a common occurrence when Lust and Chastity collided.

Princess Sidonie and Celeste kept a tight leash on their Divinities, and prevented them from causing chaos in their surroundings. Although the Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Virtues were the opposite of each other, that didn't mean that they were enemies.

Conflicts may arise every now and then, but this was only natural among those who held such great powers. However, unlike the Seven Sins who sometimes went out of their way to antagonize each other, the Seven Virtues were always united.

They would never harm each other, and would even offer their support, if one of their members needed assistance. This was also why the Holy Order of Light was founded.

This was the main difference among the Chosen Maidens that carried the power of Sins and Virtues.

"I've heard many things about you, Celeste," Princess Sidonie said as she extended her hand for a handshake. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh."

"Likewise. I have long wanted to meet you, Princess Sidone. It seems that your beauty matches the power of your Divinity," Celeste took Princess Sidonie's hand and shook it twice before letting go.

"Are you here for my husband?"

"Husband?"

Princess Sidonie smiled sweetly as she placed her hand behind her back. "Yes. William and I got married a few weeks ago. Feel free to write a letter to your sister and inform her about this matter."

"... I will do that," Celeste replied. She did her best to retain the calm expression on her face, while deep inside, she was cursing William for being a womanizer. As the virtue of Chastity, she was not a fan of a man who took more than one wife.

Celeste was still on the fence about William, but her sister had already given her maidenhood to the Half-Elf, to test whether he was the Prince of Darkness or not. So far, the results were negative, and because of this, Celine was willing to give William the benefit of the doubt.

The Maiden of Chastity just found it hard to stomach that the Half-Elf had married two of the Seven Sins, while her sister was in the Demonic Continent looking for her Master.

'Sister, the man you chose is scum,' Celeste sighed inside her heart. 'The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if he continued his streak and married more women. I better correct this attitude of his when he is in the academy. I will not allow my sister to be tied up with a womanizer!"

For the sake of her sister's happiness, she would do her best to teach William that being a skirt-chaser was a very deplorable profession.

Chapter 718: Stonescream Stronghold’s Class S Mission

The Black Ship traveled for a full day before docking into a port.

During the journey, William just slept because he hadn't gotten a good rest since he left the Kraetor Empire.

After Malacai had parted ways with him, the Half-Elf busied himself in upgrading his Job Classes to their maximum level limit.

So far, the only Job Class that had met the full requirement of the Jack of All Trades was the Ice Sovereign. This was William's first Job Class that had reached its Max Level, and right now, he was focusing on the Elemental Lord's final class, which was the Elemental Archon.

Although his Einherjar Job Class was powerful, William wasn't too keen on using it unless he had to. He was afraid that after he had lost all of the memories of his life on Earth, the next memories he would lose would be his memories of Asgard.

When those, too, were gone, would he lose the memories that he currently had in this world?

William didn't even want to think of such a thing.

He wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

As William walked behind Jophiel, he eyed the people that lived in the outpost. The adults seemed to be on edge, but when they saw Jophiel, they all greeted him with respect. The Half-Elf also noticed that there was also relief in their faces.

It was as if Jophiel's presence was enough to make them feel safe and secure.

Chloee had told William many things about the Hestia Academy, and this information had greatly piqued William's curiosity.

According to his Sixth Master, Hestia Academy was no ordinary academy. It was a territory that encompassed vast swaths of lands and, when you combine all of these lands together, it was more than enough to found a kingdom.

For such an academy to flourish it only meant one thing. It had a very powerful backing.

None of the Empires, Kingdoms, or other influential Factions, dared to set their eyes on the academy's territory. It was a neutral power that everyone wanted to be on good terms with.

This was why most of the Royal heirs, and high ranking nobles in the Central Continent, enrolled in the academy to form powerful connections with people in high places. Such connections would definitely prove to be helpful in the future when they graduated and succeeded their parents' positions.

Jophiel took them to the outpost town known as Stonescream Stronghold. This was the town that had been built on this island, which was under the government of the Academy of Hestia.

This outpost had less than ten-thousand people, and most of them were refugees who belonged to the various ethnicities of the Central Continent. With no place to go, these people traveled all the way to the Free City of Rhea, where most outcasts and refugees gathered.

"Sir Jophiel, our hunters had reported increased activity coming from the direction of the colony," the Commander of the outpost reported.

Although he was the commander of Stonescream Stronghold, he was very polite and respectful when talking to Jophiel, which showed how important the Head Examiner was in Hestia Academy.

"Did they attack any of the hunters?" Jophiel inquired. "Did they try to come near the outpost?"

The Commander nodded his head and his face became very serious. "Our Hunters have experienced harassment. Although no one on our side received any lethal injuries from these conflicts, they did suffer minor injuries.

"There are also sightings of their scouts observing our outpost from the edges of the forest. Perhaps, they are observing our defenses, and looking for any kind of weakness that they may exploit."

Jophiel nodded his head in understanding. "Don't worry. These people behind me have come to help. Send all the information you have about our 'neighbors' to our quarters. We will discuss how to best solve the current problem, without resorting to full-blown hostilities."

"That is for the best," the Outpost Commander replied with a strained smile. "We are completely outnumbered, and war is the last thing we want to happen."

Jophiel asked some casual questions about the Outpost's current condition, before taking William and the rest to the quarters that were meant for the envoys of Hestia Academy.

As soon as they arrived at their destination, Jophiel gave them a brief summary of the problem that was currently plaguing Stronescream Stronghold, inside a conference room.

"Our Academy helps to relocate people that have nowhere to go," Jophiel explained. "This island is one of the locations where we planned to build a flourishing city that would cater to the refugees, outcasts, and other wandering nomads that have no place to settle. Unfortunately, this island has… unique inhabitants that makes our expansion very slow."

William crossed his arms over his chest, as he listened to Jophiel's explanation. Although the Head Examiner used the word expansion, the Half-Elf immediately understood the gist of the problem.

"Sir, are you planning to colonize this island?" William inquired after Jophiel finished his vague explanation.

Jophiel eyed the red-headed teenager before shaking his head. "You got it wrong. There are no people on this island. When the explorer team of the academy visited these lands. They had confirmed that there were no humanoid creatures, in any form that inhabited this land. And this information held true until recently."

The Head Examiner placed a crystal in the middle of the table and a projection appeared in front of everyone.

"A foreign race had become stranded in this land, and their numbers have increased drastically as the years have passed," Jophiel stated as the projection showed the appearance of the problem that they had to face. "At first, these foreign guests posed no threat to the outpost. You could even say that we were not aware of their existence until something unexpected happened."

Jophiel tapped the crystal twice and a new image appeared in front of everyone.

"These creatures have a terrifying ability that allows them to evolve and, if not solved immediately, could pose a threat, not only to the people in the outpost, but to the entire world as well. We are afraid that if they were to find a means to leave this island then a calamity might befall upon the entire world.

"Gentlemen, the Academy considers this incident a Class S Mission. If you are able to find a way to help solve this problem, you will not only pass this exam, but you will also be greatly rewarded by the academy. Do any of you have any questions?"

William had a complicated look on his face as he looked at the creatures that were in the projection. He didn't know if he should laugh or cry at the Class S Mission that the academy had presented to him.

If it had been other people who were sent to the island, he believed that they would have a problem dealing with the evolving creatures. But, for William, this wasn't a big deal. Since that was the case, he asked Jophiel the only question that he had in mind.

"What are they called?" William asked.

Jophiel cleared his throat before answering William's question.

"They are called… Requiem Antz.. A race that is said to have come from one of the forbidden lands of the Central Continent, The Eternal Evergarden."

Chapter 719: It’s Time To Say Hello To Our Future Friends

William read the information about the Requiem Antz and scratched his head. He was currently inside his own room with Elliot and Conan, and reading the data that was given to them by the Commander of the outpost.

According to the data, the antz had slowly evolved over the years.

After bringing back the bodies of small dead animals to their nest, their queen had given birth to Antz that possessed similar abilities to the creatures that it had consumed. Every generation of the Antz not only became bigger, but stronger as well.

According to the report, the Antz had managed to salvage the body of a Rank E Beast that had died of old age, near their nest. That was the trigger that had allowed the next generation of Antz to evolve into beasts that could destroy the ecosystem of the island.

Although Rank E Beasts were in the lowest Power Ranking, this power classification could be ignored if there were enough of them to overcome a strong enemy through numbers. According to the data that William received, a Rank E Beast would give the Requiem Antz Queen the ability to produce three Rank E Antz, with that beast's characteristics.

These three Rank E's hunted other Rank E's until their numbers increased. Then, when they numbered in the hundreds, they started hunting Rank D Beasts.

They evolved at an alarming rate, and none of the Human Hunters dared to hunt alone. A month ago, the Hunters spotted a handful of Requiem Antz who had the strength of Rank B Beasts, hunting other Rank B Beasts in the island. They believed that there could be more that were hunting on the parts of the island that they hadn't explored yet.

This discovery prompted the Top Brass of the academy to start putting together an evacuation plan that would take the villagers off of the island. This was also why they had sent Jophiel, and a few other Adamantium Ranks to Stonescream Stronghold to prevent any kind of invasion from the race that was starting to flip the balance of power on the island.

"Kasogonaga will have a field day if you set him loose on the island," Elliot said as he read one of the documents that had been spread out on William's table.

"Right now, the strongest fighting force they have are Rank B Beasts that could possibly number in the hundreds," Conan commented as he sat on William's shoulder. "Will this be enough to prompt our Rainbow-Colored Deity to make a move? Maybe Kasogonaga will think that it is far beneath it to dine on low-class creatures."

William rested his chin on the back of his clasped hands and stared into space.

"Elliot, Conan, don't you think that this whole Requiem Antz business is fishy?" William asked.

Elliot tilted his head in confusion. "Fishy? What do you mean fishy?"

Conan, who was seated on William's shoulder, chuckled as he realized what William was thinking.

"I see, there is this angle as well," Conan nodded in approval. "They really know how to take advantage of the situation."

Elliot looked at William and Conan with a frown. He didn't understand what was strange about the current situation.

Seeing that his twin was still clueless about the situation, Conan decided to speak out, and explain the strangeness of the circumstances that surround the threat Requiem Antz.

"If the Academy really wanted to exterminate the Antz, they could easily do it by sending Adamantium Ranked Warriors, headed by a Saint or two," Conan said with a smirk. "Hestia Academy is a powerhouse in the Central Continent.

"Do you really think that it will be hard for them to nip this threat in the bud? Since they didn't do it, it could only mean one thing. They have other plans regarding the further evolution of these Antz. Tsk tsk, their appetite is quite big."

William nodded his head in agreement. "Perhaps, the academy wanted to evacuate the people in the outpost in order to turn this island into a breeding ground for the Requiem Antz.

"Frankly, I would not be surprised if the academy started feeding them Millennial Beasts in order to produce Millennial Antz that could become their Super Soldiers, which would then serve as troops for the academy."

Conan snorted. "The only thing they needed to do is to make a soul contract with the Ant Queen, and make her brood obey their every command. With such a convenient pawn at their disposal, they could easily build a military power that wouldn't lose to the Empires in the Central Continent."

William sighed. His lover, Princess Sidonie had made a contract with the Myriad Ant Queen, and was in command of millions of ants. The Myriad Queen had the ability to give birth to Millennial Ants, but she couldn't do it willy-nilly. At most, the Queen could give birth to one Millennial Ant a month, but that was already a fearsome ability.

If the Requiem Antz Queen could give birth to dozens of Millennial Antz in a week, wouldn't that simply become overkill?

Elliot finally realized the crux of the matter and frowned. He then rubbed his chin as he pondered the reason why Jophiel had sent William to the Outpost.

"So, this S Class Mission is fake?" Elliot asked after organizing his thoughts. He couldn't come up with a proper explanation to what Jophiel was thinking.

William and Conan exchanged a glance before shaking their heads.

"This S Class Mission is real," William sneered. "They just think that an ordinary examinee will not be able to handle this situation. I think Jophiel just wanted us to hunt some of these Rank B Antz in order to cull their numbers. This will be enough for us to pass the exam."

Conan laughed because he already understood what William was thinking. The Devil Familiar felt sorry for the Hestia Academy because they were not aware of his Master's capabilities. Sending him to the Island was something that they never should have done.

Elliot's eyes widened in surprise when he also realized what William and Conan had in mind. If his hunch was correct then this whole incident would bring them an unexpected opportunity!

"My Goodness! Don't tell me!" Elliot's body shuddered in excitement. "You're planning to do THAT?!"

William gave Elliot an angelic smile. A smile that looked so innocent on the surface, but was as black as James' heart underneath.

"Let's go," William said as he stood up to leave the room in a good mood.. "It's time to take a look at these Antz and see what they are capable of."

Chapter 720: I Promise I Won’t Eat More… Maybe

"The evacuation will start in two days' time," a middle-aged man whose hair was all white said as he looked at Jophiel's projection. "We have already sent the ships and they will be arriving at the designated time. I expect that you will be able to flawlessly handle this matter, Jophiel."

"You can count on me, Headmaster," Jophiel replied. "It will be done as you envisioned."

The Headmaster of Hestia Academy nodded his head. "How is that boy, William? According to your report, you, him, and his companions arrived on Antilia island four hours ago. Did you already mention the S Class Mission to him?"

Jophiel nodded. "I think that he will start moving when morning comes. For now, he and his companions are resting in their quarters."

"Pass him after he had eliminated a few of the Antz," the Headmaster ordered. "He has already proven himself worthy after clearing the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon. What we are doing is simply formalities."

"As you command, Headmaster," Jophiel bowed.

"Report to me if anything happens. Make sure to keep an eye out on the boy. We don't want him to accidentally die on the island."

"Him dying on this piece of land would be a great loss for humanity. Worry not, I will ensure that he arrives at the academy safely."

—--

While Jophiel and the Headmaster of the Academy were chatting with each other, William, and his companions had snuck out of the Outpost and infiltrated the forest, headed towards the nest of the Requiem Antz.

"I've heard about these Antz before," Kenneth said as he ran beside William. "The Elders had captured a queen from the Everlasting Evergarden and decided to raise it in one of their territories. However, they had underestimated the Antz capacity to evolve, and a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions broke out in their clan's ancestral grounds.

"Their plan was to make the Antz Queen a Beast Companion of one of the Elders, but she refused and resisted any kind of spiritual binding. After suffering hardships, the Queen retaliated and ordered her army to raze everything in their path.

"Tens of thousands of Centennial and Millennial Antz started to attack the Elven Clans. It was similar to a Beast Tide, but each Antz was a powerhouse with the weakest at the level of a Centennial Rank. It was simply too much for anyone to resist.

"Fortunately, the Guardians and Lord Sepheron Intervened. The Antz had all been wiped out, and the King decreed that such experiments shouldn't be done ever again. I'm sure that the same thing will happen here if the Humans think that they can control the Antz who hail from one of the Forbidden Grounds of the Central Continent."

William was dumbfounded by Kenneth's explanation.

Tens of thousands of Centennial and Millennial Antz was an obscene number. Without Pseudo-Demigods, and Demigods to guard against an invasion, these Antz could easily wipe out entire cities in the span of an hour or two.

"We should eliminate this threat as soon as possible," Kenneth urged. "They may be weak right now, with their strongest warriors at Rank B, but once they slay a higher tier beast, things will start to get ugly."

"Don't worry. I already have a plan in mind." William chuckled.

William wasn't worried even if it was true that the Requiem Antz couldn't be tamed. Unlike the Elves, and the Humans, William was confident that he could negotiate with the Requiem Antz Queen, with the help of a certain rainbow-colored Anteater.

With such a handy deterrent by his side, no Antz would dare to disobey his orders!

An hour later, the group finally arrived at the Antz Nest. They had masked their presence from the Antz by controlling their aura. However, it would be impossible to do that now because each entrance was guarded by Rank B Requiem Antz.

"What should we do now?" Zhu asked. "Should we just barge right in and make our presence known? If we do that, we might get swarmed by millions of Ants."

Sha nodded his head. "Although they are just small fries, if the commotion gets big enough, Jophiel will surely be alerted. There's no doubt that he will head in our direction at full speed and investigate. That will complicate the plan you have in mind, Will."

William nodded in agreement. He had already formulated several approaches to this problem and none of them was feasible, in the end he decided to use his Trump Card and get it over with.

"Kasogonaga, I choose you!" William said and he summoned the rainbow-colored Anteater from the Thousand Beast Domain.

"Oh? Are we already in the nest?" Kasogonaga looked around in curiosity.

William had informed it beforehand about his plan, and the anteater readily agreed. In fact, Kasogonaga informed William that it had even raised a Requiem Ant Queen in the past.

When William asked what happened to the Antz Queen, Kasogonaga only smirked as if saying "Don't ask questions you already know".

The moment the Requiem Antz Guards saw Kasogonaga, all of them ran towards the entrance of their nest like little crabs on the beach. Kasogonaga walked towards the entrance with an evil smile on its face.

Clearly, it was looking forward to the harvest that it was about to reap.

Unfortunately, William was there to stop it from its gluttonous appetite.

"You're forgetting our purpose for coming here," William said as he grabbed the drooling Anteater, who was very keen on entering the nest.

"Relax, I got this!" Kasogonaga replied as it patted its chest. "Do you think I will be tempted by these low-ranked Antz? I will raise the Ant Queen and feed it Centennial Beasts then Millennial Beasts then Myriad Beasts then… hehehehe…"

More drool escaped its mouth which made William shake his head helplessly. He carried the Anteater inside the nest like a repellant charm for insects who might try to ambush them underneath the earth.

What the Half-Elf didn't know was that the Superior Antz had already run for the Queen's location, in fear of the Anteater who was their natural enemy.

Using the System to scan the underground domain, William headed straight to the Queen's room in order to see whether she was open to negotiation or not. The only Ant Queen that he had seen was the Myriad Ant Queen that had become Princess Sidonie's Beast Companion.

Kasogonaga had told him along the way that Requiem Antz were very primitive creatures. Only when the Queen had evolved into a Millennial Beast, would she start to have human-like features.

After upgrading his Shepherd Job Class, William gained the ability to communicate with any beasts, including Ancient and Mythical Beasts.

"Is it true that you can't tame the Requiem Antz Queen?" William asked the Anteater he was carrying in his arms.

"The answer is Yesn't," Kasogonaga replied. "They can be tamed, but very few are capable of doing that. Fear is one of the most effective means to make someone submit to you. However, these Antz have a very strong tolerance to fear, so not everyone can make them bow their heads in submission."

William smiled. "That is where you come in, right?"

"You are indeed smart." Kasogonaga raised its head in arrogance. "Without me, you have zero chance in making them follow your orders. You should be grateful that you have me on your side."

"Yes. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing companion by my side."

"Um, can I have one of the Queen's legs? I promise I won't eat more… maybe."

William completely ignored the gluttonous Anteater's request.. He had even silently ordered Elliot and Conan to stop Kasogonaga at all costs, if it tried to eat the Antz Queen whom he was planning to add to his King's Legion.

Chapter 721: My Precious!

Panicked shrieks erupted underground as William made his way towards the Queen's room.

No Antz dared to block their way in fear that they would become the Anteater's midnight snack.

Kasogonaga looked at the running critters with bloodshot eyes. Its paw would subconsciously raise from time to time in a gesture that was akin to saying "Don't run. We are your friends!"

Soon, William arrived at their destination and all the Rank B Antz gathered around their Queen. They were two-meters tall, and their features didn't make them look like Antz. They were like mutated creatures with six legs, and their appearance was largely affected by the Beast Genes that they were born with.

Some had wolf heads, boar heads, monkey heads, and other creatures that were native in the forest.

Regardless of what they looked like, all of their legs were shaking in fear at the presence of the rainbow-colored Anteater whose drool was starting to fall down like a waterfall.

"Finally, I see you," Kasogonaga stared fixedly at the spot where the Antz made a protective defensive perimeter. It unconsciously wiped the saliva that was pooling on the side of its mouth as an infatuated expression appeared on its adorable face. "My… Precious!"

"Kreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The Antz Queen screeched in fear as her instincts told her that she was facing her natural predator. The Warrior Antz stood in front of her in an attempt to block William and his group, but it was to no avail.

William stepped forward, and the sea of Antz parted to make a path for him and his group. He also activated his appraisal skill to get additional information of the unique race that had the ability to evolve by eating the flesh of other creatures.

—--

< Requiem Antz Queen >

– Queen of the Colony

– Threat Level: B (Low)

– Cannot be added to the herd.

– Requiem Antz are a unique race that flourished in the Eternal Evergarden. They are originally an inch tall, and three inches long. These Antz are called the first generation Antz. In time, they ceased to exist and were replaced by stronger variants that the Queen had given birth to a few years later.

– Among the beasts that have the ability to evolve, the Requiem Antz was considered to be one of the most terrifying Antz Species in existence.

– The unique feature of this Antz Species is that no matter what form they take, the Antz will still have six legs. This is the most notable feature of the Requiem Antz.

– There was a point in time, during the Era of the Gods, where the Requiem Antz Queen had reached the rank of a Pseudo-Demigod. She had birthed hundreds of Millennial Antz during the War and threatened all lives in the world of Hestia.

– According to the rumors, this Queen Antz was personally raised by the Deity of the Sky in order to provide it with a constant supply of food. Whether this rumor was true or not, one thing was certain.

Before the Era of the Gods ended, this powerful Myriad Army disappeared from the face of the world, never to be seen again.

—--

The Requiem Antz Queen backed away until she reached the corner of the room. She screeched in fear and cried out for mercy from the Anteater that kept on calling her "My Precious."

"Don't worry, I will properly raise you… hehehe," Kasogonaga tried to coax the terrified Queen Antz as she desperately called for her soldiers to protect her.

However, the soldier Antz stood rooted in their place like trees that were shaking their bodies as if they were having an epileptic seizure.

"Can you understand me?" William asked the Queen Antz directly with a smile.

The Antz Queen replied to William's question, and her reply made the Half-Elf secretly give Kasogonaga a thumbs up in his heart.

"Skreee! Skreeeee!" ( Don't eat! Don't taste good! )

"Don't worry. I won't let him eat you. I just want to ask you a few things."

"Skreee? Skreee?" ( Don't Eat? What Ask? )

William asked the Queen if she planned to invade the Human Outpost, and the latter admitted that she had indeed planned an invasion. William asked several more questions, and the Queen answered them honestly, in fear that if she lied, the Anteater in William's arms would jump at her and eat her without fail.

The Half-Elf rubbed his chin. He was quite impressed by the Queen's dedication to evolve her race to a higher specie. Right now, the Antz Queen was a B Rank Creature. Several years ago, this was a creature that would pose a great threat to William.

Now, he could easily end her life whenever he wanted to. But, that was not his purpose for coming to the Antz Nest. Just like the Elves, he understood the potential of the Requiem Antz.

This was why he wanted to integrate them to his King's Legion because their upgrade was very easy to accommodate. The Dungeon of Atlantis was filled with high-level creatures that could serve as the Requiem Antz Queen's food.

On the floor that William frequently explored, Centennial and Millennial Beasts were everywhere. If he could feed the flesh of these Beasts to the Queen, he would have a powerful army that numbered in the millions.

It was not only Kasogonaga who was starting to drool, William was drooling as well as he looked at the Queen whose mouth was starting to froth.

"MY precious…"

"Yes. She is our precious…"

The Queen Ant looked at the two drooling devils in despair. She had been feeling very happy as of late because the evolution of her kind was going at a very rapid pace. However, right now, she felt that her ambition was about to end.

She could only surrender her fate to the whims of the two creatures, whose presence made the entire nest, that had the potential to move unhindered in the world, tremble in fear.

"I will give you two choices," William said as he wiped the drool on his lips. "Swear your loyalty to me, and you will be spared.. Or, refuse and become this Anteater's food. So, My Precious, which one will you choose?"

Chapter 722: Don’t Believe This Anteater. He’s Just Joking!

The night on Antilia Island was usually filled with the sound of nightlife creatures. However, on this particular night, it was eerily quiet.

Jophiel frowned while sitting on his balcony. He was sharpening his sword, and preparing for the possible conflicts that would arise before the ships from the academy arrived on the island. Right now, the Antz didn't pose any immediate threats because their strength was still below the power of the people in the outpost.

After a high-level meeting in the academy, the Headmaster had finally decided to evacuate all the people in the outpost, and relocate them to a new island that had been prepared for their arrival. All he needed to do was to ensure that no unforeseen events would happen, and the outpost remained safe from a possible Antz invasion.

Jophiel assumed that William and the rest were already asleep in their rooms, because he could not see any lights coming through their windows. He didn't find it strange because they had just arrived on the island, and the information about the Class S Mission had been delivered late in the afternoon.

The Head Examiner believed that William would not be stupid enough to venture inside the forest in the middle of the night to try to finish the mission that was given to him, in order to pass the exam.

'I'll accompany them on stroll around the island tomorrow,' Jophiel thought. 'Seriously, what can that boy do in a short amount of time?'

—--

"All of you are doing great. That's how you do it," William praised the Antz that were entering the portal to the Thousand Beast Domain in an orderly manner.

The bodies of the Antz were shivering, not from the cold, but from the hungry-filled gaze that was being shot in their direction by a certain rainbow-colored Anteater. In order to prevent any mishaps, William held Kasogonaga in a vice-grip and was ready to stop it from having a late-night snack.

Due to the Queen Antz imperial order, all the Antz in the island returned to the nest. The Queen had chosen to submit to William, and the latter immediately gave her the order to start a migration to his Thousand Beast Domain.

Three hours later, Millions of Requiem Antz had safely entered the Thousand Beast Domain. In order to accommodate the new members of his legion, William spent a million God Points in order to increase the size of his domain, and allow the Antz to build their Ant Nest.

He made sure that the territory of the Antz were far away from the local beasts that had long treated the domain as their own. Although they were now all on the same side, William believed that it would still take some time before he could educate the Antz and curb their mindset of treating any race, aside from their own, as enemies and food.

"Do you want me to give you a name?" William asked the Antz Queen that had successfully relocated to her new home.

The Queen eyed William as if pondering this question seriously. She had never thought of acquiring a name in the past, because she had no need for one.

While the Queen was pondering whether or not she should accept William's proposal, the Anteater nestled in William's arms decided to voice out its opinion.

"I named the Queen I raised in the past as Queenie," Kasogonaga commented. "How about we name her Queenie II? Then we will name the Queen after her, Queenie III."

The Antz Queen then started to wail after hearing Kasogonaga's words. The Anteater had already decided to raise another Queen after her, which made her despair.

Clearly, Kasogonaga only intended to fatten her up before going in for the kill.

"Don't believe this Anteater," William said as he lightly tapped Kasogonaga's head. "He is just joking!"

"But, I'm not?"

"Zip it!"

The Queen cried bitterly as William and Kasogonaga had a verbal agreement in front of her. Out of consideration for his new ally, William decided to leave the nest after giving the Queen some strict orders.

The first order was that they were not allowed to hunt any of the Beasts that were inside the Thousand Beast Domain. The Antz had just arrived, so the other creatures inside the Thousand Beast Domain was still food in their eyes.

The Second Order was that they would not attack, or provoke, any of William's Herd or Legion inside the Dungeon of Atlantis.

After giving those two orders, William left to create a gateway, half a kilometer away from the nest, which was connected to the Dungeon of Atlantis. He already told the Queen that she could send her warriors to scout the area, and hunt the creatures that were appropriate for their current rank.

When everything was settled, William returned to his room using Soleil and summoned Zhu, Sha, and Kenneth.

He had already made Zhu and Sha part of his King's Legion because this was what they wanted.

Kenneth, on the other hand, promised to not tell anyone of William's secret. He was even thankful that William was able to trust him enough, to show one of his Trump Cards that only a selected few were aware of.

When William asked the silver-haired Elf if he wanted to become a temporary member of his King's Legion, Kenneth agreed. This allowed William to summon him just like Zhu and Sha, and the rest of his King's Legion.

"Return to your rooms," William said with a smirk. "I'm sure that when morning comes, Jophiel will definitely lose his composure."

Zhu, Sha, and Kenneth nodded their heads in agreement. They were also looking forward to how the Head Examiner would react, after he found out that the Class S Threat on the island was nowhere to be found.

—--

A few hours later…

"Did all of you get a good night's sleep?" Jophiel asked in an amicable manner as he greeted everyone in the dining area. "The island doesn't have much to offer, but I hope that your accommodations were comfortable enough."

William smiled as he sat on the chair beside Jophiel. "I slept well last night. Thank you for the hospitality, Sir Jophiel."

Zhu, Sha, and Kenneth, also said similar statements as they, too, sat to have breakfast.

"Are you ready to tackle the issue at hand?" Jophiel asked. "Don't worry. I will be your tour guide today and ensure your safety. Not that you need it, knowing how capable you are, William."

William didn't answer and simply nodded his head. He then started to eat in order to hide the smirk that was threatening to spread on his face.

Jophiel didn't see anything out of place and ate in peace. There would be plenty of time to ask William about his experiences in the Tower of Babylon, after they toured around the island.

An hour later, their group finally set out.

Aside from Jophiel, there were six more men that accompanied William and his group. All of them were Adamantium Ranked fighters, which were strong enough to fight against most of the threats present in the island.

As the group ventured deeper into the forest, a sense of uneasiness spread across Jophiel's face. The forest was quite lively, and the roars and cries of beasts could be heard everywhere. However, the target of their patrol was nowhere to be found.

The Hunters that Jophiel had brought with him were also looking around in confusion. They were already in the middle area of the forest, but not a single Requiem Antz could be seen.

Only the regular Flora and Fauna was around, which made them feel that something wasn't right.

William, and his group, on the other hand, acted like tourists on a Field Trip. They looked at the Beasts that were present in the forest with great curiosity. Some of them were quite foreign to the Half-Elf.

He was even tempted to bring a few of them to his domain, so that they could breed and reproduce.

After walking for several hours, Jophiel finally realized that something was terribly wrong and raised his hand in a stopping gesture.

"Wait," Jophiel ordered. "I will scout ahead first, and see if there are any dangerous creatures in front of us. All of you stay here and wait for my return."

William nodded. "Understood."

Jophiel's subordinates also nodded their heads. They had been briefed beforehand to keep their eyes on William and his entourage.

The Half-Elf and his companions were VIP guests, so they were their top priority.

William watched Jophiel's back disappear in the distance. A smug smile appeared on his face when he noticed that the Head Examiner was headed straight to the location of the Requiem Antz nest.

'Sorry, Sir Jophiel and thank you,' William mused. 'Because of you, I have acquired a replacement for the Undead Legion that left with Malacai. Don't worry. I promise that I will properly raise them in your place.'

When Malacai took the Undying Lands with him, William's army had dwindled considerably. Although he had acquired over a million Goblins from the Floor of Genesis, the number of Beasts under his command was almost two million.

In the past, William might have been very happy with what he currently had.

However, after taking part in the battle of the Southern Continent, he realized that numbers also played an important role in wars.

The appearance of the Requiem Antz not only brought him quantity, they made up for quality as well.. As soon as they succeeded in their "Queen Raising Plan", William would soon have a million strong army, whose weakest member was that of the Centennial Rank.

Chapter 723: Mysterious Disappearance

Jophiel's frown deepened as he neared the Requiem Antz Nest.

This was the headquarters of the Antz Colony, and he was expecting to see thousands of them scurrying around their territory hunting for food.

The only thing he saw were the footprints left by the Antz on the ground. Jophiel was also an experienced Hunter, so he was able to tell that the tracks were just several hours old. This made him sigh in relief because this meant that the Antz were still around, at least, according to his assumption.

'The tracks all lead towards their nest,' Jophiel thought. 'Did something happen to the Queen?'

Jophiel shook his head and dispelled the idea. Right now, the Requiem Antz were in a stable path of development. Even if something happened to the Queen, another Queen would take its place, so there was nothing to worry about.

'I should take a look at their nest first,' Jophiel mused. 'There is no way that Millions of Antz could possibly disappear overnight.'

This was what Jophiel told himself in order to calm his senses. He wasted no time and followed the trail that the Antz had left behind. The Head Examiner was certain that once he arrived at the Antz Colony, all of his worries would disappear completely.

However, after he arrived at the entrance of the nest, his worries once again resurfaced. The closely guarded entrance of the Colony was deserted.

There were no guard Antz.

No worker Antz.

There was nothing!

Jophiel gritted his teeth as he decided to enter the entrance of the Colony. He activated his powerful senses to seek any form of life, as he traversed the underground maze.

'How can this be?!' Jophiel was alarmed after discovering that he couldn't' detect any signs of life. It was as if the entire Antz Colony had disappeared into thin air!

'This is impossible!' Jophiel frantically sped up his descent in order to look for the Queen's Room. Although they had no information about where it was located, his exceptional Hunting Skills allowed him to follow the Worker Antz trails, which would eventually lead him to the Antz Nursery.

This was where the Queen spent most of her time, birthing the eggs for the Colony.

Half an hour later, he finally arrived at his location. Freshly opened eggs could be seen everywhere, which meant that the Queen had still been active a few hours ago.

The only problem was that all the trails led to the Queen's area, but none of them could be seen going out.

What did this mean? It meant that all the Antz went to see their Queen, and were never seen again.

'Could this be a rare case of cannibalism?' Jophiel frowned. He held this idea for half a minute before rejecting it completely. 'No. Cannibalism cannot explain this turn of events. Even if this was true, the Queen can't possibly eat Millions of Antz in a span of a few hours. This is simply unheard of. Something must have happened here, but what?!'

After a brief internal struggle, Jophiel took out his communication crystal and immediately informed the Headmaster of Hestia Academy about his discovery and theories as to what might have happened. The Requiem Antz was a dangerous species. If they had suddenly disappeared, it could only mean one thing.

They went someplace else!

The Headmaster was alarmed when he heard Jophiel's report. He immediately ordered the Head Examiner to take all the hunters and scour the entire island. They must find the Antz no matter what because they posed a serious threat to the world if left to their own devices.

One of the Hunters, who was tasked to watch over William's group, received an emergency order from Jophiel. He had tasked them to escort the Half-Elf and his group back to the outpost, before returning to the forest to meet up with him.

The Hunter found this order strange, but he still decided to carry it out since Jophiel was his superior.

"The Head Examiner told us to escort you back to the outpost," The Hunter said to William. "I hope that you and the rest will cooperate with us and not cause us unneeded trouble."

William nodded his head, but still decided to ask a question.

"Did something happen?" William asked. He knew from the call that Jophiel had discovered that the Requiem Antz had disappeared, but he still decided to play his part and act like he was unaware of what was happening in the forest.

"Nothing of importance," the Hunter replied. "Please cooperate with us. Let's go back."

William nodded and decided to not make a scene. He had already done his part, so making things difficult for the Hunters would only make them have a bad impression of him.

The Half-Elf knew that the Head Examiner would suspect him, but he was confident that the disappearance of the Antz would not be traced back to him. After all, how could a single person hide over a Million Antz inside his pocket?

They were also living creatures, so it was impossible to store them inside storage rings.

After arriving back at the outpost, William and the others obediently returned to their quarters. Two of the Hunters remained to watch over them, while the rest headed out to the forest to meet with Jophiel.

—--

William sipped his tea in a leisurely manner as he calmly waited for Jophiel's investigation to end.

Zhu, Sha, and Kenneth, joined him for an afternoon snack, but none of them discussed anything related to the Requiem Antz.

William had already discreetly informed them that they might be being monitored, so they just chatted about random things that had no importance whatsoever.

Meanwhile inside the Forest…

"This is absurd!" one of the Hunters exclaimed. "They were still here when I returned to the outpost yesterday. Everything was normal and they showed no sign of a migration or anything!"

"Calm down. Maybe they are still somewhere on the island," another hunter commented. "Requiem Antz don't grow wings. Even if they did, we would have heard the rustling of wings last night, since there are millions of them."

The Hunters calmed down a bit after this discussion. It was a known fact that the Requiem Antz couldn't evolve into flying creatures. Unlike normal Ant Species that grew wings in order to mate and start their own colonies, Requiem Antz were land dwellers.

There could only exist one Queen at a time in a colony and, until she died, no Queen would emerge from her brood.

Jophiel half-listened to their discussion because he was reading the information that the academy had gathered about the Requiem Antz.

He had read the document twice, but none matched the circumstances that they had right now. In the end, he decided to scout the island and search for any signs of the Antz. He was still hoping that the Antz had just migrated somewhere else on the island.

"Let's split into three groups," Jophiel ordered. "Marlo, your group will go to the West. Carl, your group will go to the East. I will head to the North. If any of you find the Antz, notify me at once. Even a single member of the colony is fine. Do I make myself clear?"

""Yes Sir!""

The Head Examiner and the Hunters looked for the Antz until morning, but their search brought no results.

After receiving the least news from Jophiel, the Headmaster of the Academy finally decided to go to Antilia Island personally to investigate.. This matter was of great importance to the academy, and he would do his best to get into the bottom of things, even if he had to turn the island upside down.

Chapter 724: Confrontation With The Headmaster Of Hestia Academy

William and his group had already been on the island for three days.

Jophiel had no time to look for him because he had been busy dealing with the disappearance of the Requiem Antz.

They had already searched the entire island, but their efforts bore no fruit. In the end, they all decided to wait for the Headmaster of the Academy to arrive. They had already done their best, and there was no use sending more people out on a wild goose chase.

Finally, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy arrived, riding a Red Dragon that was over ten meters long.

His white, short, hair hung awkwardly over a furrowed, solemn face. His gentle hazel eyes were set seductively within their sockets.

Although he was old, his skin was still fair, and handsomely complimented his eyes and cheekbones.

This was Byron Massingale, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy.

William's eyes widened in shock when his gaze landed on the man that sat at the helm of the most prestigious academy of the world. William had seen many powerful men before, but Byron was different.

The Headmaster was practically brimming with power. It was so strong that it made the air fluctuate as he walked towards Jophiel's and William's direction.

William was very tempted to use his God Points to appraise the Headmaster's stats. However, he immediately changed his mind after Optimus informed him that it would cost him a million God Points just to check the Headmaster's information.

< For some reason, that person seems to be protected by some kind of Law. This is another reason as to why it will take that many God Points to appraise his information. If I were to make a hypothesis, this person is in a contract with a God, and it is not an ordinary God, but a very powerful one. >

William's eyes narrowed. Even without the appraising skill, he could tell that the person in front of him wasn't a pure-blooded Human.

'His power fluctuations are similar to Vlad,' William thought. 'Could this person possibly be a Demigod?'

The Half-Elf felt that his guess was on the mark, but without spending his God Points, he would not be able to confirm anything. After a brief internal struggle, William decided not to use his God Points.

He would rather use them to enhance his Thousand Beast Domain, and make the lives of the creatures under his command able to live more comfortable lives.

"So, you are William," Byron said. "I've heard many things about you."

William smiled, "And, I have not heard many things about you."

Byron chuckled and placed his hand on William's shoulder.

"Tell me, young man, are you the one who took the Requiem Antz away from this island?" Byron asked. His gaze locked on William's light-green eyes as if he was looking straight into the Half-Elf's soul.

William shook his head, "No. I haven't even seen them."

"Is that so?"

"Is that the reason why I'm stuck on this island? I've been inside the Outpost ever since I arrived on the island. If you don't believe me, you can ask Sir Jophiel."

Jophiel, who was standing beside William, nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"William did not step out of the outpost on the night the Antz disappeared from their nest," Jophiel stated. "He has been well behaved and obediently followed the protocols we set inside the Outpost since the incident."

William stayed silent and acted as an innocent bystander. He had known long ago that Demigods could tell if a person was lying. Because of this, he, and Optimus had already set up a countermeasure that would prevent anyone from seeing through William's poker face.

Byron stared at Jophiel for half a minute before shifting his gaze back to William.

"How tall were the Antz?" Byron inquired. "Did you see their Queen?"

As Byron asked his questions, William felt himself falling into a daze. Some kind of energy was passing through the Headmaster's hand that was resting on the Half-Elf's shoulder, making him feel muddled.

—--

< Detecting Befuddlement Spell >

< Initiating countermeasures… >

< Countermeasures success! >

< Befuddlement resisted! >

—-

'This old bastard!' William cursed internally as his jumbled thoughts finally merged together.

He unconsciously unleashed the Power of his Einherjar Job Class and pushed Byron away with a hateful gaze.

William's hair turned silver as Stormcaller and Soleil materialized in front of him. Although he didn't want to use the power of his Job Class because there was a chance of losing the memories of his past life, he would not allow anyone to have their way with him without his permission!

"Quite a hot-blooded young man. I'm just asking questions," Byron said with a calm expression on his face. "Why are you resorting to violence?"

William sneered, "You should already know the answer to that question, you Old F*cker!"

Jophiel and the Hunters looked at Wiliam with a dumbfounded expression. Byron was admired and respected by all the rulers and patriarchs on the Central Continent. They would do their best to form a good relationship with him and treat him politely.

This was the first time that they had seen someone who dared to curse the Headmaster to his face, and it made them feel like William was being suicidal.

Byron sighed as he summoned his magic staff. "You know, only Chloee can talk to me like you did in the academy. I'm only asking questions about the Requiem Antz. Why are you being defensive? Do you have something to hide?"

"Yes, I have something to hide," William replied. "I have many secrets, and some of them are enough to make an old bastard like you regret that you ever dared to use a befuddlement spell on me!"

Zhu's, Sha's, and Kenneth's expressions became serious. They knew that William was not someone who would openly become hostile with someone, unless the other party did something to him.

Now that they heard that Byron used a befuddlement spell on him, all of them summoned their weapons and stood beside William. They would definitely support him in his fight against the Headmaster of Hestia Academy who was bullying a child.

Even Jophiel who was standing on the side felt awkward. A befuddlement spell was something that made its target lose their train of thought and scattered their reasoning. This was a spell that breached a person's privacy, and was only used during interrogations.

Although the Requiem Antz issue was important to the academy, he also felt that Byron's action was out of line.

If word got out that Byron attempted to use a spell to interrogate one of the examinees who was taking the Entrance Exam, the reputation of their academy would take a hit.

This in turn might have a negative effect on the future applicants who might become disillusioned by the Headmaster's way of doing things.

Some of the people that had come to see the Headmaster started whispering to each other. They were all refugees and outcasts that had sought the aid of the Academy in order to find a safe place to live.

They fled from their homeland because of abuse and suppression. The last thing they wanted to see was the Headmaster of the Academy doing this kind of thing to a teenager.

If he could do it to William, didn't that mean that Byron could do the same to them as well?

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Jophiel decided to step in.. The last thing he wanted to see was people losing faith in the academy, where he had served for almost half of his lifetime.

Chapter 725: What Are You Two Fools Doing?

Chapter 722

"Sir, I can attest that the boy is innocent," Jophiel said as he stood between William and Byron. "He couldn't possibly be behind this incident, right, William?"

William snorted. He felt guilty because Jophiel was standing up for him because the Head Examiner thought that he was innocent, when in truth he was not.

In order to hide his guilt, he decided to act tough and show his displeasure instead.

"This is what I like about you, Jophiel." Byron nodded in appreciation. "You are not afraid to protect those whom you think are innocent, but in this case, you are standing on the wrong side, my friend. This boy isn't as guilt-free as you think he is. Isn't that right, William?"

"Don't act chummy with me," William replied with contempt. "Are we close? If you want to fight, let's fight!"

"I wonder where that confidence of yours is coming from."

"Well, you are very close to finding that out. However, are you prepared for the consequences?"

The Half-Elf and the Headmaster of the academy stared at each other, completely ignoring Jophiel who was standing between them.

The Head Examiner felt awkward because the two were treating him like air. He didn't know what to do, and the spectators felt sorry for him.

The Half-Elf looked at the Headmaster with fearless eyes. Byron might be strong, but William wasn't afraid of him.

He could summon Sun Wukong and let the Monkey King descend from the Celestial Realm and whack Byron to oblivion.

There was only one person whom William feared fighting one-on-one in the World of Hestia, and that was his one and only Sixth Master, Chloee.

After experiencing her might, the red-headed teenager was certain that even a Demigod would eat a tremendous loss.

No matter how strong Byron was, his threat would not amount to the threat Chloee could unleash with a full-powered Overwhelming Strike.

"Hah! What are you two fools doing?"

A familiar voice called out from above, which made William, and Byron, shift their attention away from the other. There, they saw a little fairy who was looking at them with sparkling eyes.

"Are you two planning to fight?" Chloee asked with a big grin on her face. "Why didn't you call for me? I like fighting the most! Um, Old Man, you are fighting against my Disciple. Although two against one is against the rules, I will stand on my Disciples side. Come on. Let's fight!"

Chloee hovered between William and Byron with a very eager expression on her face. She couldn't wait to start the battle and start smashing things with her fist.

Byron coughed awkwardly after seeing the little familiar who was looking at him with undisguised expectations.

Just like William, Byron was quite afraid of Chloee because her strength was off the charts. There had been a time when he had received the violent girl's powerful punch, and it almost made him cross over into the afterlife.

If not for the life-saving artifact that he possessed, someone else would be managing Hestia Academy instead of him.

"This is just a misunderstanding, Chloee," Byron cleared his throat as he un-summoned his magic staff. "We are just chatting casually, right William?"

William ignored the Headmaster's words and shamelessly complained to his Sixth Master.

"Sixth Master, the Headmaster is bullying me," William said with a face filled with injustice. "I don't mind answering his questions, but he used a Befuddlement Spell on me. Sixth Master, your Disciple is being treated unjustly. Please, seek Justice on my behalf."

Chloee glared at Byron and raised her little fist in anger.

"You Old Coot, you dare to bully my Disciple?! Wait till I return to the academy, I will smash all of your collections!" Chloee shouted hatefully, while William fanned the flames from the side.

"Chloee, this is a misunderstanding. Do you remember that super deluxe, ice cream that is sold in a limited number in the cafeteria? I will reserve two pieces for you everyday for a week if we can forget about this matter."

Byron wouldn't want to fight Chloee again in his lifetime because the pro-violent familiar was a cheat. Aside from her ability to break the laws of the world, her punch could literally blow up a mountain.

Faced with these two combinations, Byron knew that his chances of surviving a battle with Chloee were non-existent.

Only William, who had the same law-breaking skill, could match her in a head-on confrontation.

The little fairy wavered because she could only get one serving of the limited, super deluxe, ice cream every month. This was one of the most popular desserts in the academy, and only ten people could eat it everyday.

"I see, so this is just a misunderstanding," Chloee chuckled. "Since that is the case, there's no need to fight. Violence is not the answer. Can we all get along as friends and walk hand in hand for the greater good?"

The corner of William's lips twitched when he realized that his Sixth Master had been bribed by a mere ice cream. However, he didn't force the issue.

Right now, he needed to be listed on the rolls of Hestia Academy to finish Aamon's last trial. The last thing he wanted to do was to have a falling out with the Headmaster, who was the head of the very academy that he was planning to enter.

Still, he made a mental note about Chloee's weakness. He didn't know how delicious the ice cream of the Academy's Cafeteria was, but he doubted that it could beat the desserts that he could buy in the God Shop.

In the future, he planned to let his Sixth Master taste the sweets in his arsenal. That way, he could bribe her to help him do things inside the academy that he would not be able to do as a student.

Byron glanced at William one last time before making a gesture for Jophiel to follow behind him. They still had things to talk about and do a final sweep on the island, to ensure that not a single Antz was left.

Although Byron didn't detect any lies from William when he answered his question, his instinct told him that the Half-Elf was lying. That was also why he decided to use the Befuddlement Spell to get past William's defenses.

Unfortunately, the red-headed teenager was able to resist his spell and even decided to confront him openly. This made Byron more suspicious, so he deemed it would be best to fight the boy and ask him again after William was defeated.

Chloee's appearance put all of his plans into a complete halt. With this, he could no longer target the boy, unless he wanted to risk facing the little Familiar's wrath.

For the time being, Byron decided to put this issue aside. With the Requiem Antz' disappearance from the island, there was no need to evacuate the people living there.

Two days later, the ship carrying William and his entourage sailed towards the Island where his lovers, and Celeste, were waiting for him.

This was how William's entrance exam ended, having finally received Jophiel's, and the Headmaster's, approval to enter Hestia Academy.

Chapter 726: The Start Of Your New Journey Begins Today

"Sixth Master, I was wondering, how did you arrive on Antilia Island?" William asked. He could already see the island where they would dock shortly, so he decided to ask this question while the others were busy doing their own business.

"How? I flew of course," Chloee answered matter of factly. "Don't you know? I mostly deliver stuff from the academy to Antilia Island. I can fly to it with my eyes closed! This is one of the easiest tasks there is to gain Merit Points in the academy."

The little fairy patted her chest with confidence.

William looked at her with a doubtful expression, but the fact still remained that the little fairy had appeared at a good time.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about these things," Chloee waved her hand as if what she did wasn't a big deal. "Since you've passed the exam, you are now an official student of the academy. Congratulations! As expected of my disciple, Yay! High Five!"

William subconsciously raised his hand and high-fived Chloee, only to regret it later. A loud clapping sound, followed by a pained cry reverberated on the ship.

The Half-Elf had completely forgotten how strong Chloee was, and the latter was in an excited state of mind. Fortunately, none of his bones were broken, but his hand and arm hurt like hell.

Using his Life Mage Job Class, William used a healing spell on his hand and arm.

"Sixth Master, can't you do things in moderation?"

"Modedetion?"

William sighed in his heart. He had completely forgotten that the word moderation didn't apply to the little Fairy who was looking at him with an awkward look on her face.

"R-Relax. Isn't it just a little sprain?" Chloee patted William's shoulder softly.

This time, she only used a light tap because she was afraid that she would break William's bones if she did it too strongly.

"You know what they say. What doesn't kill you, will kill you another day!" Chloee imparted these words of wisdom before flying to the main mast of the ship. She had always liked being in high places, so she could feel the breeze brush past her small body.

More than anything else, Chloee liked freedom. Perhaps, this was a trait that Celeste had wanted to achieve, but was unable to do so.

This strong desire of freedom manifested in Chloee, which made the little Juggernaut open to traveling long distances when given the opportunity.

She didn't tell William that she went to Antilia Island because she was worried about him. This was the first time she had a Disciple, so she planned to take this role seriously. When she saw that William and Byron was about to start a fight, she readily joined the fray and even chose William's side.

"Being a Master isn't easy," Chloee muttered as she stared at the island that was getting closer and closer. "Maybe I can ask Claire for tips later. She's smarter than me when it comes to these things."

After finding a solution to her predicament, the little fairy sat on the mast and hummed a song. She believed that as long as Claire gave her the answers, she would be able to become a good Master and treat her disciple well in Hestia Academy.

—-

Half an hour later, the ship finally docked at the Port of Dream Isle.

The First Founder of Hestia Academy gave this name to the island, because this was the place where the dreams of those who aspired to enroll at the academy would take shape.

Only those that had passed their Entrance Exam would be able to set foot on this island, and for most, this was a dream come true.

William saw Princess Sidonie, Ian, and Chiffon, waving at him from the shore. The Half-Elf grinned and flew from the ship to where they were waiting for him.

"Eyah!"

A shout filled with happiness reached William's ears, and he felt something land on his head. A few seconds later, he heard Chloee's giggle, as she sat on the Half-Elf's head, using him as a mount to reach the island.

William could only sigh in his heart as he flew towards his destination.

Celeste covered her lips when she saw the funny scene of her familiar waving at her from William's head. With a glance, the beautiful Elf could tell that Chloee was in a good mood.

She just hoped that the little familiar didn't break anything on Antilia Island, or else it would be deducted from her pay at the academy.

"I'm back," William said as he landed in front of his three wives. "Miss me?"

Instead of answering his question, the three ladies gave him a hug and kissed his cheeks.

Seeing this public display of affection made Celeste frown because she suddenly remembered that she had branded the Half-Elf as a womanizer.

"Don't they look good together?" Claire, who was seated on her shoulder, asked casually. "It seems that he is well-loved by his women."

Celeste didn't say anything, but she had reaffirmed her goal to educate William on the importance of loyalty to a relationship. While doing so, she would also tell him about her sister's strong points.

The beautiful Elf would ensure to showcase all of Celine's good qualities, so that William wouldn't forget about her.

"Congratulations, William," Celeste said as he walked towards the Half-Elf who was having an intimate moment with the three beauties around him.

"Thank you, Professor," William replied. "When are we going to leave for the academy?"

"You're quite excited, aren't you?"

"Well, it is my last academy arc after all."

"Y-Your what?"

William chuckled when he saw the confused look on Celeste's face. This was one of the differences between Celeste and her sister. Unlike Celeste that got flustered easily, Celine was more confident in what she did.

Even if William teased his Master, Celine, the latter would just ignore his nonsense, and beat the crap out of him when they were training. Seeing Celeste's reaction, while having his Master's face, made William feel weird.

'Maybe I can try making Master act flustered as well when we meet,' William mused. 'I'm sure that she would look incredibly cute, just like Celeste.'

"Tell me, what kind of Exam did Sir Jophiel make you take?" Celeste asked in order to hide her earlier blunder. Even though she was a professor, she wasn't aware of the details when it came to the types of challenges that the examinees took during the Entrance Exam.

"It had something to do with Antz," William replied and briefly explained what happened to Celeste.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, and Chiffon listened from the side and exchanged glances at each other. Before going to the Dream Isle, William had already notified Ashe, through their connection, about the things that he did in Antilia Island.

He told her that he should notify Princess Sidonie about it, because he was curious about how the Ant Queens could interact with one another. Also, he wanted to know if Princess Sidonie's Beast Companion was aware of the Requiem Antz existence.

The Half-Elf was wondering if either of the Queens would act hostile when they met each other with their subordinates behind them. Although some Ant Colonies would immediately resort to war upon contact, there were others Ant species who merged their forces together to create a super Ant colony.

Princess Sidonie had received the Answer from her Beast Companion, and the answer was that it was possible to form a cooperation between the two Queens, on the condition that the Requiem Antz Queen would also form a contract with a person.

Only when the two Queens were bound would a non-aggression treaty be possible.

This news made William quite happy. However, one problem appeared. He didn't have any candidates that could form a contract with the Antz Queen that he and Kasogonaga were planning to raise together.

In the end, William decided to think about this problem more after he had entered the academy and started his formal education.

"I see." Celeste nodded. She was aware of the existence of the Requiem Antz, but she didn't think too much about it.

Those who had passed the exam earlier, were getting a bit impatient because they had already been waiting on Dream Isle for days. The staff members that were assigned to look after them had stated that they would remain on the island until the Head Examiner, Jophiel, had arrived.

Fortunately, the Head Examiner accompanied William to Dream Isle as well. Although there were many mishaps involved, it was now time to go to the academy.

William thought that they would be traveling to the academy by ship, but Jophiel surprised him and the rest of the examinees, when he took everyone to a secluded grove where a Teleportation Gate was located.

"This teleportation gate is a one way teleportation gate," Jophiel explained. "This will send you to the capital city of Orion, where Hestia Academy is located. Once again, Congratulations on passing the exam. I pray that all of you will become outstanding students, and contribute to the well-being of society."

The Head Examiner then looked at Celeste and gave her a brief nod. "Professor, I will let you guide the students to the academy. I'm sure that they are dying to get there. They've already waited long enough."

Celine smiled and nodded her head. "Understood."

The beautiful Elf then walked towards the base of the teleportation gate and faced the examinees who had dwindled down to twenty-three people, including William.

"Passing the entrance exam is only the beginning," Celeste declared with a serious expression as she scanned the crowd, whose eyes were filled with determination.

The Teleportation Gate behind the beautiful Elf came to life and a dazzling portal appeared at its center.

"Come," Celeste said in a challenging tone.. "The start of your new journey begins today."

Chapter 727: Arrival At Hestia Academy

Back on Antilia Island…

Byron stood at the center of the nursery area where the Requiem Antz Queen used to lay her eggs. He had decided to get into the bottom of things, and use his powers to unearth what had truly happened a few hours before the Requiem Antz disappeared from the island.

The Headmaster of the academy chanted a litany of words as the staff in his hands glowed with power. The air fluctuated as runic words embedded themselves at the walls of the cavern.

After finishing his incantation, he tapped the ground with his staff and several images appeared around him.

He used Time Magic and recreated the scenes that had transpired inside the nest several hours ago.

"I knew it." Byron snorted when he saw the Half-Elf and his companions talking to the Queen of the Colony.

He watched the scene as they unfolded, and although the recreated scenes couldn't produce any sounds, he was still able to read the Half-Elf's lips and get a gist of what was happening.

A frown appeared on Byron's face when he realized that the Queen, and the other Antz were deathly afraid of the Beast that was nestled in William's arms.

"A Pangolin?" Byron muttered as he observed the creature up close. He had seen several of these Scaly Anteaters, but he had never seen one with scales that had the colors of the rainbow.

Byron's frown deepened when he saw William open a portal and ordered the Queen to send her subordinates inside it.

The Headmaster of the Academy watched for a little while longer, before he waved his hand to dispel the power of the spell.

"I knew it," Byron shook his head helplessly. "He's just like his grandfather. Both of them are bandits pretending to be saints."

Byron closed his eyes and pondered. He was thinking of a way to resolve this issue as peacefully as possible.

"Jophiel shouldn't have brought him to the island." Byron sighed. "I was also stupid for agreeing to his decision. We invited a fox inside our chicken coop."

The lighting on the cave disappeared, and Byron was engulfed in darkness. He decided to return to the academy, and discuss the matters with his Patron. Perhaps, the Goddess of the World would give him some advice on how to deal with the presumptuous Half-Elf, who was giving him a bad headache.

—--

"So, this is Hestia Academy," William eyed the gigantic castle in the distance.

William had seen many amazing things in the world, just like the Fortress of Avalon, but Hestia Academy even trumped the last bastion of humanity.

Built on top of a floating island, it was a floating fortress that was several miles long. Perhaps, the most imposing landmark of the castle was the Giant Sword that was embedded at its center. Even from afar, one could see its mighty visage.

From afar, the sword looked like it was made of white marble. However, after asking Celeste about it, the beautiful Elf only smiled and said that even she, who had been in the academy for many years, didn't know what kind of material was used to build the sword.

The only thing she knew was that, before the academy was even built, the giant sword had always been there, standing tall and proud for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years.

"Isn't it beautiful!" Chloee floated in front of William and puffed her chest proudly. She was acting like she was the one that made the sword, which made William shake his head helplessly.

Celeste made a gesture for everyone to follow behind her.

They had just arrived at the capital city of Orion, and it would still take half an hour to arrive at the academy gates using a special flying ship that was exclusively used by the professors and students of the academy.

"Professor Celeste, welcome back to the academy," a pretty lady wearing light-armor greeted Celeste with a smile. "Are these the lucky ones who passed the Entrance Exams that were held a few days ago?"

Celeste nodded her head and smiled. "Please, send us all to the academy."

"Understood." the pretty lady saluted and activated the crystal on her hand.

Immediately, a silver ship materialized out of thin air. It reminded William of those viking ships that he had seen in documentaries back on Earth.

"All aboard," Celeste ordered as she took the lead and boarded the ship that was floating a meter above the ground.

All the examinees followed behind Celeste with their eyes filled with excitement. The deck of the flying ship was quite spacious, and it could easily accommodate over a hundred people.

After everyone had boarded safely, Celeste waved her hand and the ship rose in the air. It flew straight towards the academy, and William felt a bit regretful that he didn't have a camera to take a commemorative photo of this magnificent view.

Several minutes later, the ship landed near the gate of the academy. Several students were looking at the ship with eager faces. However, after William took a good look at them, the students weren't looking at the academy's newest students, but at the beautiful Elf, who had a resigned expression on her face.

"Welcome back, Professor Celeste," a dashing young man shouted.

It was the spark that made the rest of the students cheer and call out to Celeste. Clearly, she was quite popular in the academy and her fans were not limited to boys. Even girls were looking at her with infatuated gazes.

Princess Sidonie smiled and stepped forward. She was feeling very competitive with Celeste because their Divinities were the complete opposite of each other. She wanted to show the beautiful Elf that she could easily turn her admirers into "her" admirers in the span of heartbeat.

However, before she could even enact her plan, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist and hold her in place.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Princess Sidonie asked.

"I should be the one asking you that question, Morgana," William replied as he pulled the seductive girl to his chest. "What are you planning to do?"

"Just going to say hi to the students?"

"Uh-huh. Then why are you brimming with fighting spirit?"

Morgana smiled as she leaned her body on William's chest. "Why not? You already know that first impressions last. Don't tell me you are feeling jealous?"

"Yes, I am feeling jealous, so behave yourself. The only one that needs to look at you is me."

"... Fine."

Morgana could feel her heart melting because William had whispered these loving words in her ear. She had completely forgotten her plan to compete with Celeste for the affection of the students in the academy.

The seductress even felt ashamed of her pettiness. She was already married to William, so there was no need to compete with anyone. After thinking things through, Morgana decided to no longer antagonize Celeste.

After all, the beautiful Elf was destined to be forever alone because of her Divinity!

"Alright, show's over, now scram!" Chloee flew towards the students and raised her fist. "Anyone who is still here when I count to ten will receive a spanking. One… two… three."

The students scattered and ran away like wild ducks that had heard gunfire. All of them admired Celeste, so they were also very familiar with Chloee.

Aside from being called the Juggernaut, the students also called her the all-brawn-and-no-brains fairy. None wanted to be on the receiving end of her slaps, spanks, and punches.

The little familiar crossed her arms over her chest and snorted. Several students were infatuated with Celeste, and her role was to be the bodyguard that scared them away. Claire also stepped into this role when Chloee was doing expedition missions for the academy, but Claire wasn't as intimidating as her twin, so most of the students ignored her presence.

Just as William entered the academy gates, he heard a ringing sound in his ears. It was not a notification from the System, but the sound of a hand-held bell that seemed to be ringing right next to him.

William looked around, and even asked Optimus if it could hear the sound of bells ringing. But, the System said that it couldn't detect any sound that matches William's description.

The Half-Elf also asked his lovers, but all of them said that they were not hearing the sound of ringing bells.

Half a minute later, the ringing sound ended and everything returned back to normal.

William thought that he was just tired, and started to hear things, so he decided to put the weird incident at the back of his mind. He just followed behind Celeste towards the main hall where all of them would be briefed about the rules of the academy.

—--

On top of the hilt of the sword that was embedded at the center of the academy, a lady with otherworldly beauty stood. She was wearing white celestial clothes that fluttered in the breeze, and a handbell could be seen in her right hand.

She gazed at William with a calm expression on her face for two-full minutes before vanishing into particles of light.

—-

Located to the East, at the farthest corner of the academy, stood a shrine. No students were allowed to enter, and even the professors, with the exception of Celeste, and two others, were banned from entering its premises.

A sigh filled with helplessness echoed from the depths of the shrine.

It carried a sadness that would make anyone who heard it feel as if their hearts were about to break.

—---

Chapter 728: Class Introductions

It had been two days since William's group had arrived at the academy. They had no complaints in the accommodations that had been given to them. In fact, they were given the best rooms in the boy's and girl's dormitories for some unknown reason.

Usually, these high-quality rooms were only given to the Head Prefects of the different school years, but the higher-ups of the academy decided to bestow these privileges to William and his entourage, without batting an eye.

However, the Half-Elf had one important concern, and he voiced it when Celeste invited them to an afternoon tea in her residence.

"Professor, there must be something wrong with these arrangements. How come are we not all in the same class?" William asked Celeste who was elegantly sipping the tea made by Claire.

The beautiful Elf lowered her cup and glanced at William with a smile.

"This is the decision of the higher-ups. There is nothing I can do about it even if you complain to me," Celeste replied.

"Who decides these things?"

"The Headmaster, of course."

William facepalmed because he finally understood why this was happening to him. Byron and him parted on bad terms, and this might be the Headmaster's payback to the Half-Elf's reaction when he was questioned back in Antilia Island.

Instead of becoming Freshmen, everyone in William's group became Third Year Students in the academy.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, and Chiffon, were placed in Class A.

Zhu and Sha were placed in Class B, while William, Kenneth, and Lilith were placed in Class C.

William thought that he and his lovers would be in the same class, but it seems that the arrangement had been carefully planned by Byron, to prevent William's group from standing out.

In order to vent out his frustration, William drank his tea and ate the cookies that were being hand fed to him by Chiffon.

Princess Sidonie, Ian, Zhu, and Sha were also not happy with the arrangements either because they wanted to be in the same class with William. Also, Princess Sidonie and Ian knew that Lilith was gunning for their lover, so they wanted to be in the same room in order to protect him.

Lilith had no complaints about being in the same class as William. In fact, for her, this was the most ideal scenario because she could observe the Half-Elf during class. Looking at William's lovers, the Amazon Princess decided to fan the flames in order to make the situation more chaotic.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with the arrangements," Lilith said. "We came here to Hestia Academy to study. Since that is the case, we should just enjoy our academy life to the fullest."

Princess Sidonie glared at the shameless Amazon who had openly asked for William to give her his babies. Although she, and Morgana, did the same thing in the past, she hated Lilith because she was not doing it out of love, or lust, but out of necessity.

The Princess and her twin, Morgana, didn't want others to treat their husband as a tool.

Especially a baby making tool!

"Why don't we swap places?" Princess Sidonie offered as she smiled sweetly at Lilith. "I'm sure the higher classes will give more attention to their students. Since you are here to study, going to Class A will be more beneficial for you."

"No thanks," Lilith replied in a heartbeat. "I'm fine with Class C. I'm not some kind of privileged Princess who constantly whines if she doesn't get her way."

The two Princesses glared at each other in disdain. Both of them were members of the Seven Deadly Sins. However, they didn't get along with each other, similar to oil and water.

"Will, don't cheat on us while you're in a different class, okay?" Chiffon said as he looked up at William with eyes filled with trust.

"Of course not," William replied as he patted the pink-haired girl's forehead. "How can I possibly cheat when I have such a beautiful and caring wife like you. No matter how beautiful the girls in my class are, they couldn't possibly match your beauty."

Chiffon's smile widened as she was pulled into William's embrace. After experiencing the trials in the tower and getting married to William, the little glutton was slowly, yet surely, gaining confidence in herself.

She was starting to open up to people and socialize with others. B1, B2, Sharur, and Bacon, also played their part in making Chiffon speak more, and let her feelings be known to the world.

Even Celeste, who was unhappy about William having many wives, had nothing to say when she looked at the Half-Elf, and pink-haired girl, who were hugging each other.

However, she would surely be displeased if the one that took the little girl's place was Princess Sidonie, whose very presence made her Divinity pulse from time to time.

—--

The next day…

"Please, introduce yourselves to everyone," a middle-aged man wearing glasses said as he made a gesture for William, Kenneth, and Lilith, to come to the podium.

The class became excited because all three of them were good looking.

The girls looked at William and Kenneth with starry eyes because both of them were very handsome.

Lilith, on the other hand, may not be exceptionally beautiful, but she was radiating a youthful beauty that made the men look at her with earnest gazes. The Amazon Princess was already used to being stared at by men, so she wasn't the least bothered by them as she made her introductions.

"Lilith Lynn. nice to meet all of you," Lilith said. "Just call me Lilith."

The men clapped their hands together, and some of them even whistled to show their support to their new classmate.

"Kenneth Xin Ashleigh," Kenneth introduced himself after the applause came to an end. "Feel free to call me Kenneth."

Another round of applause was heard. But, this time, the girls also joined and made the delicate looking Elf feel welcomed.

William then came forward and scanned the faces of his new classmates before introducing himself.

"William Von Ainsworth," William stated. "It's a pleasure to be in this class."

The classroom came to a standstill when William introduced himself. Soon, heavy breathing could be heard from some of the students as they stared at William in disbelief.

"Are you That William?" One of the girls asked in disbelief. "The one who conquered the 51st Floor of Babylon and whose name was announced world-wide?"

Everyone in the room was dying to ask the same question. Fortunately, someone did ask, so they focused their attention on the Half-Elf who had a calm expression on his face.

"Yes," William answered.

A pin drop silence ensued that lasted for exactly ten seconds, before the classroom erupted into chaos.

They were all wondering what the conqueror of the 51st Floor looked like, and they couldn't believe that the same person was in their class, and looking at them with a smug expression on his face.

"Class, behave yourselves," the middle-aged professor stepped in to calm the boys and girls who were starting to cause a ruckus. Most of them wanted to walk towards William and touch him to see if he was real or not.

The middle-aged man was also the homeroom teacher of Class C, so it was quite easy for him to calm the students who were looking at William like he was their idol.

Chapter 729: Tales Of The Deity Of The Sky

William's face started to twitch as he found himself sitting between Kenneth and Lilith.

When his homeroom teacher, Professor Garen, asked him to choose a place to sit, the Half-Elf immediately chose the rightmost corner of the room.

Unlike the classes at the Hellan Kingdom and Silverwind Academy that had a separate desk for each student, the sitting arrangement in Hestia Academy followed the Herringbone Arrangement, where all the seats were facing the podium at the center of the class.

Each section was meant for three people, so William had no choice, but to share his spot with others.

Since the three of them enrolled at the same time, they could only be grouped together.

William was fine sitting beside Kenneth, but Lilith gave him the chills. Although the Amazon wasn't even looking at him and paying attention to the class lecture, the Half-Elf felt that his little brother was in danger, so he decided to swap places with Kenneth to remedy the situation.

A flash of displeasure momentarily passed through the depths of Lilith's eyes, but no one was able to notice these changes.

Kenneth didn't mind changing places with William because his only purpose was to keep a close eye on him. Of course, he also knew why the Half-Elf wanted to swap places with him, but he didn't care.

Part of him even wanted to protect his Ex-Roommate from the Amazon who intended to drag him back to her Empire.

Professor Garen's lesson was about History.

This was the subject that had made countless students fall asleep in their seats when he was still back on Earth. However, the professor's approach in teaching his class was quite interesting, that even William, who had angered his History teacher in the past, was listening sincerely to the lecture.

"They said that during the Era of the Gods, all the races were fighting for supremacy," Gareth said with an impassioned voice. "Humans, Elves, Beastkins, Dwarves, Demons, Fairies, Giants, Dragons, Gnomes, Half-lings, and several other races waged war against each other. During this era, Humanity as a whole was the weakest race in the world.

"The battle was fierce because the Gods themselves had sent their avatars, to fight alongside the race that worshiped them. Alliances were formed and alliances were broken. However, the most notable event of all was that only one God sided with the Humans, and that was none other than Hestia. The Goddess that created the world."

Garen paused as he allowed the students to digest the words he had said before continuing. The class was composed of different races, so this was a touchy subject for most professors, but Garen wasn't an ordinary professor.

He was a true academic that pursued truth, so even if he was dealing with a touchy subject, he was unfazed as he continued his lecture.

"When Humanity was on its last legs, and total annihilation was only days away from happening, several heroes stepped up to turn the tide of battle," Garen said. "The amazing thing was that these heroes who stepped up to defend Humanity were not Humans. One of them was the Deity of the Sky, Kasogonaga. They said that this Deity would descend from the sky bringing powerful storm winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. Those who saw its mighty visage would tremble in fear."

Suddenly, a chuckle was heard inside the room, and all the students turned to look at William who was a second late in covering his mouth.

"I'm glad that you find my lecture very amusing, Mr. Ainsworth," Garen commented with a smile. "Can you please tell the entire class what is so funny?"

William knew he was the one in the wrong, so he stood up and bowed his head in apology.

"I'm sorry, Professor," William replied. "I was just surprised that a powerful Deity fought alongside Humans during the Era of the Gods."

"You still haven't answered my question, Mr. Ainsworth. I'm dying to know what you found funny in my lecture."

"Um…"

William was thinking very hard to come up with an excuse to answer Garen's question. The reason why he laughed was because of the Professor's passionate speech glorifying the rainbow-colored Anteater, who was currently doing its best to drag the corpses of Centennial Beasts to the Requiem Antz Colony, in order to raise their Antz Queen.

He just couldn't stop himself from chuckling as he envisioned Kasogonaga, fighting in a war against Demigods, and Gods, while shouting "I'm Rolling!" in its adorable voice.

Everyone was looking at William with pitiful gazes because Garen was notorious for punishing any student who made fun of his class.

After thinking of many scenarios in his head, William decided to use the safest method in order to get out of his predicament.

"When I was still in the Southern Continent, I had the opportunity to meet the Sky Deity," William explained. "Kasogonaga had been trapped inside a block of ice, frozen in time, and I was the one who set him free."

The students, as well as Garen, looked at William with the "Nice try" expression on their faces.

Met the Sky Deity?

Freed him from a block of ice?

Hah! Do you really think we are gullible kids that you can trick with your sorry excuse for a story?

Pitui!

William felt helpless because he couldn't possibly summon Kasogonaga just to prove his point. So, he just stood there and allowed his classmates to snigger, and look at him in a teasing manner.

"That is a very good tale, Mr. Ainsworth." Professor Garen smiled. "If what you said is true then Humanity owes you a great favor for freeing one of our saviors."

William scratched his cheeks in embarrassment.

"Um, instead of thanking me using words, I prefer to be compensated with gold coins, precious gems, and artifacts," William said after clearing his throat. "Don't worry, I'm not too picky. Even though I saved one of the heroes of Humanity, I am not asking for much. Anything of value will do!"

Professor Garen's face twitched after hearing William's reply. He was being sarcastic earlier about thanking William for his claim of freeing the Sky Deity.

I was just joking and you were actually shameless enough to ask for compensation?

You said you were not picky but all the things you listed were all things of value.

You sure have guts!

No one knew who it was, but a chuckle was heard inside the classroom. It was the spark that ignited the flames, and the other students weren't able to stop themselves from following suit.

The men chuckled, and some even openly laughed. The girls on the other hand covered their lips and giggled.

Even Lilith's body was shaking as she did her best to stop the bubbling laughter inside her chest from escaping her lips.

In the end, Garen shook his head and decided to let William off the hook just this once. He understood that the latter had just arrived at the academy and was still adapting to his surroundings.

"Mr. Ainsworth, I'll let this incident pass this time," Garen said in a resigned manner, "but next time, you'd better come up with a better story. Although meeting the Deity of the Sky and freeing him was an interesting tale, the great historians of Hestia would frown upon such claims without solid evidence. I hope that you will not make the same mistake again in the future, Mr. Ainsworth."

William nodded his head and sat down. He applauded himself for having dealt with the situation in an amicable manner, leaving no hard feelings for him and Professor Garen.

There was only one person in the class that didn't laugh, and that was none other than Kenneth. Deep inside, the silver-haired elf was shocked because of William's earlier tale.

He didn't know that the rainbow-colored Anteater whom he had seen nearly a week ago, was the same Sky Deity that Professor Garen was lecturing about.

'Just how many secrets do you have that I am not aware of?' Kenneth thought as he glanced at the red-headed teenager with a complicated expression.

William, who felt Kenneth's gaze, glanced back at him with a smile.

"Is there something wrong with my handsome face?" William inquired.

Kenneth rolled his eyes at the shameless Half-Elf, and once again shifted his attention to the professor's lecture.

He was not in a hurry to know more of William's secrets. They had just mended their friendship not long ago, and he didn't want to cause any misunderstandings between them.

Lilith, who was seated beside Kenneth, frowned.

Her divinity was that of Greed, and this allowed her to sense any kind of power, treasure, or anything of importance to a person. It also gave her the power to "snatch them" if certain conditions were met.

The Amazon Princess could sense a very powerful artifact that fluctuated from time to time within Kenneth's body. But, for some reason, her Divinity couldn't find out what it was, which perplexed her.

'Well, everyone has their secrets,' Lilith pushed Kenneth's matter to the side because she didn't want to have any direct conflicts with one of her sisters, with the exception of Princess Sidonie.

There were no more mishaps, and Professor Garen was able to end his lesson's smoothly. Right after the professor left, several of the students in the class rose from their seats and went to greet William, Kenneth, and Lilith.

The three didn't shy away from their classmates and interacted with them in a friendly manner.

William vowed that this time, he would enjoy his academy life and make lasting memories in Hestia Academy.

However, somewhere on the horizon, far away from the eyes of mortal men, enlightened creatures, and Demigods, an important event was about to take place.

An event that would make the skies of the world tremble, as a battle of great importance would be fought, in the heavens.

Chapter 730: William, You Traitor!

Creation and Destruction go hand in hand.

When a life is born, another ends.

Such was the cycle of life, and even Gods were not exempt from this rule.

It was the Law that bound everyone in the Multiverse.

Within the void, a place where space and time worked together in harmony, lay the passage of worlds.

Just like how the ancient Humans on earth used land bridges to cross the continents, this was a primitive method to traverse the cosmos and arrive at a predetermined location, according to the rules that were set in place.

Right now, a raiding group, that numbered three thousand strong, traversed these ancient pathways, headed to a world that was bound for destruction.

The number of worlds that had life in the Multiverse were countless, and these raiding groups only numbered in the tens of thousands. Even so, one thing was certain. When one of these groups reached their destination, a great battle would ensue.

Once they had determined that there was a strong resistance in that world, they would send a signal to their main force, and the latter would immediately send an army that numbered in the millions.

An Army with one sole goal and that was to end the existence of all life on that planet.

The three-thousand strong raiding party finally saw their destination beyond the countless worlds within the void.

It was a beautiful blue world. A world that was filled with life, and yet, the laws of the Multiverse had deemed that it was time to snuff it out, to give way to the birth of another world.

Among those three thousand harbingers of destruction, three of them had the rank of Demigods.

A hundred of them were Pseudo-Demigods.

The remainder were all Millennial Rank at their peak. Just a step away from stepping into the Myriad Realm.

Seeing that blue planet on the horizon, the Giants of Jotunheim and Muspelheim increased their pace. They were looking at their destination with excitement and anticipation, because they were races that were bred for war.

They were the army that had been given the task to destroy the worlds that were connected to a certain red portal in the cycle of reincarnation.

Right now, that Army of Destruction was headed to Hestia. If they continued their journey at their current pace, they would arrive at their destination within a week's time.

The countdown for the world's destruction had begun, and no more than five individuals were aware of the upcoming disaster that was going to befall the world that they were living in.

—---

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

"Ruby! I'm here!"

A rainbow-colored Anteater ran through the tunnels of the Antz Colony in haste. All the Antz that were going along the same path as Kasogonaga moved to the side in fear of offending the Anteater who, on several occasions, almost ate the Antz that it had come across on the tunnels.

Fortunately, Kasogonaga would only visit the nest after it had its fill of eating Beast Cores. However, that didn't change the fact that there was still a possibility of being eaten. In order to eliminate such risks, all the Antz would stick to the walls as close as possible, and give the rainbow-colored calamity a wide berth whenever it passed through their domain.

The Requiem Antz Queen almost choked as she ate her food when she heard the adorable, yet nightmare inducing, voice.

Half a minute later, Kasogonaga appeared in the Queen's Cavern in a good mood.

"Here! I brought you some Class A Beasts!" Kasogonaga happily emptied all the contents of its storage bracelet, which it had received from William.

Over a hundred dead beasts were piled up like a hill in front of the Antz Queen and the latter could only shiver at the scene.

Ruby found it hard to be happy, knowing that it was being fattened up for the slaughter. If not for the fact that Wiliam had promised to prevent Kasogonaga from eating her, the Queen might have lost all hope and committed suicide.

Due to Kasogonaga's diligent effort to feed her everyday, the Queen's body started to have a crimson luster. This was also why William decided to give her the name, Ruby.

"Eat as much as you can, so you can grow big and strong," Kasogonaga said as it rested its little paw on Ruby's foot. "That way, I can hehehe…"

Kasogonaga was finding it hard to stop the drool from pooling at the corner of its lips as it stared at the Crimson Requiem Antz Queen, who was starting to shudder in fright.

The worker Antz that were tending the Queen were all Class A creatures. They ignored the Anteater that was making their Queen cry, and set about their work. Their job was to carefully dissect the creatures that Kasogonaga had brought to their nest, and prepare them for the Queen's consumption.

Naturally, they were also given a share of their own to eat, which had hastened their own evolutions.

As an expert in raising Ant Queens, Kasogonaga was very patient with Ruby. It knew that it could not rush things, by force feeding Ruby monsters that were above her class. Since her Rank was only Class A, she should eat Class A Beasts until she evolved into a Centennial Beast.

Only after she had become a Centennial Beast, would Kasogonaga start feeding her Centennial Beasts as well.

According to its estimate, it would take two weeks before Ruby reached the limit of her Rank, and undergo evolution. The Crimson Requiem Antz Queen would then wrap herself in a cocoon and hibernate.

The shortest evolution time could last a month, and the longest was half a year. Kasogonaga didn't know how long Ruby would take to finish her evolution, but it was not worried. With so many high-level creatures inside the Dungeon of Atlantis, it was only a matter of time before Ruby stepped into the Millennial and Myriad Ranks under Kasogonaga's guidance.

"I'm going back to the Dungeon," Kasogonaga patted Ruby's legs in a friendly manner. "Don't miss me too much, okay?"

Ruby's body once again shuddered after Kasogonaga's parting words. If possible, it didn't want to see the rainbow-colored Anteater for the rest of her life. Sadly, there was nowhere that she could run.

She only hoped that William would keep his promise to keep her safe from the gluttonous Anteater's, and honor the contract that they both had signed for a subordinate and Master relationship.

—----

William sighed in happiness as he rested his head on Princess Sidonie's leg. He was currently in the garden with the beautiful princess, and the latter had agreed to give him her lap as a pillow.

It had been three days since William had become an official student of Hestia Academy, and one could say that he was living the ideal academy life.

He enjoyed the classes very much, and had become friends with his classmates. Aside from the fact that he wasn't in the same room as his lovers, everything was smooth sailing and he didn't have any complaints.

Of course, he still hadn't forgotten one of his goals for entering the academy, and that was to accomplish the goal that Aamon had given him. The only problem was that the girl named Shannon, was under house arrest in a shrine that was heavily guarded by the academy.

William had subtly attempted to bypass the area, but a powerful barrier prevented him from going further.

According to Celeste, William would only be able to enter the Shrine if he got the approval from the Headmaster of the Academy, Byron.

"Sidonie, do you have any solutions to my problem?" William asked. "I don't really want to see the Headmaster. That guy is bad news."

Princess Sidonie smiled as she gently brushed William's hair, and rubbed his chest with her smooth, and delicate hands.

"Have you tried to ask Celeste?" Princess Sidonie replied. "If it's her, the possibility of getting the clearance is high."

William sighed. "She's being uncooperative. It seems that the Headmaster has told her not to assist me in any way."

Princess Sidonie was about to say something when they heard a familiar voice asking for help.

"Save me!" Conan shouted as he flew towards William's direction.

Right behind him was a little fairy with short green hair with curls at the end, and gray eyes that were as calm as a lake. The fairy was none other than Celeste's familiar, Claire. Ever since William had appeared in the academy, the little fairy would often drag Conan away for an "examination".

Elliot, on the other hand, would wander around the academy in search of Chloee, and other beautiful girls that caught his fancy. Compared to the Angelic Familiar, William's little Devil was like a protagonist that was running away from a Yandere.

Conan immediately dove inside William's uniform with the intention of using the Half-Elf as a sanctuary, to prevent himself from being harassed by the moody little fairy that liked to touch him all over.

"Claire, can you give Conan a break?" William inquired as he eyed Celeste's indifferent looking fairy who was looking at the bulge in William's uniform.

"Break? I give him plenty of breaks," Claire answered. "I just want to see how he is different from us. This is important research when it comes to Familiars. As you may already know, Elliot and Conan are the only two other Familiars under the Familiamancer Profession.

"Also, I am aware of your difficulties in trying to enter the shrine. If you give me Conan, I promise that you will be given permission to enter it, in two to three days' time."

William grabbed the hiding Devil Familiar inside his uniform and presented him to Claire.

"Please, take him with you," William said earnestly. "Just remember our deal."

Claire held Conan's arm in a vice grip before nodding her head to William. "I will keep my promise. Expect to get clearance before this week is over. Come, Conan. We still haven't finished your Physical Examination."

"William, you traitor!" Conan shouted in tears as he was dragged away by Claire. "No! I don't want to go! I refuse to take part in your examination! William! Save meeeeeeeeeee!"

"I'll make it up to you later, Conan. I'm sorry," William replied as he said a silent prayer in his heart.

Although he felt bad about Conan being dragged away by Claire, he knew that the little fairy had no intention of hurting Conan. He believed that the little fairy was just really curious about Conan since he was one of the first Familiars that had been born aside from her and her twin sister, Chloee.

'Claire couldn't possibly be in love with Conan, right?' William mused. 'Nah. It's impossible. Unlike Elliot, Conan was the innocent type. How can someone like that be appealing to girls?'

William chuckled internally before closing his eyes to take a nap. Now that Claire had promised him that she would secure a meeting with Shannon, the Half-Elf's heart was finally put at ease.. He only hoped that when he finally met her, the problem she currently had was something that he could easily solve.

Chapter 731: Shed Tears When Others Won’t, And Fight When Others Don’t

Malacai walked inside the Temple of the Gods that was located at the heart of the Ares Empire.

Behind him, several guards, and priestesses, lay on the ground, asleep. The Dracolich didn't harm them in any way, and merely put all of them to sleep.

When he reached the depths of the shrine, he waved his hand and the water around the statue of the Goddess rose to the air, and took on a crimson hue.

Soon, the statue glowed, and a sigh escaped its lips.

"Malacai, old friend, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Astarte, the Goddess of the Amazon Race, asked with a smile.

"Pleasure? I didn't visit you for pleasure," Malacai answered as he approached the Goddess who was looking at him with a playful gaze. "I came here to ask you if your warriors are prepared for what is about to happen."

Astarte chuckled as she walked in circles around Malacai. "For thousands of years, my warriors' strength has grown stronger with every generation. They've adhered to the laws that I have given them, with the exception of a few who chose to fall in love, instead of mating with the strongest of men.

"Still, the children that were born out of love were still Amazons. Their bodies were forged by the strength of their ancestors. So, if you are asking me if they are prepared for war then the answer is yes. Now, old friend, it is my turn to ask you a question…

"Are you prepared for what is about to come?"

Astarte lightly caressed the side of Malacai's bony face with the back of her hand. The Dracolich didn't pull away and allowed her to have her way.

"Do you even need to ask?" Malacai answered with a snort.

Astarte smiled, but this time, the smile contained a sadness that only Malacai and her understood.

Malacai gazed one last time at Astarte's beautiful face, before turning around to leave the temple.

"When the time comes, I will come for you again," Malacai said without looking back.

Astarte watched his retreating back, with the same sad smile plastered on her face. Only when she could no longer see him, did she open her lips and spoke, ever so softly…

"Malacai, you see things others can't.

Hear things others don't

Shed tears when others won't

And Fight when others don't."

The Goddess sighed one more time before she walked back to her original place.

"After thousands of years, you will once again stand on the frontlines of the battlefield," Astarte said firmly as the crimson waters parted for her to cross over. "You've lived a very hard, and painful life, old friend."

Soon, the waters fell down on the pool and returned to its original color.

Astarte's statue stood tall and proud.

Waiting for the day when the Ancient Guardian of the World would come to visit her, one last time.

—--

Two ravens cawed in the sky before landing on a branch of a tree. They looked at the old man who was peacefully taking a nap on the branch opposite theirs. The two ravens glanced at each other before once more cawing, in order to wake up the old coot who was still enjoying his afternoon siesta.

James opened his eyes and gazed at the two ravens who were looking back at him with fed up expressions on their faces. The old man yawned and scratched his head before winking at the two ravens that had been away for several days.

"Do the two of you have any news for me?" James asked.

The two ravens cawed once again and flapped their wings to fly towards him. Both of them landed on James' shoulder and closed their eyes. James, too, closed his eyes, as he felt the familiar connection between his two companions.

Images started to appear inside his head as the two ravens shared their memories with him.

After seeing all of their memories, James sighed and nodded his head in understanding.

"Continue to monitor them and keep me updated," James ordered as he jumped off the tree. "I'm going back to the Tower of Babylon."

The two ravens nodded their heads before flying towards the sky. James watched them go until they had disappeared from the horizon.

He didn't have much time left, and he needed to arrive at the Tower as soon as possible. Vlad and him had parted ways because the Demigod said that he needed to meet some of his old acquaintances.

James didn't mind because both of their goals were the same. Since that was the case, it was best for them to travel separately, in order to accomplish their individual tasks with ease.

The old bandit placed his fingers over his lips and whistled. He whistled many times, and each note was different.

After two minutes, James stopped and stood at ease.

Suddenly, a neigh sounded behind him. James smiled as he watched an eight-legged horse gallop in his direction from the sky.

The horse's coat was white as snow, and its eyes were as black as coal. Clearly, this was not the same horse that he had ridden long ago, but James still felt the undeniable connection between him and the magnificent steed.

It didn't take long before the eight-legged horse landed a few meters away from him. It neighed and approached James with an eagerness that had been rooted in its bloodline.

James lovingly stroked its head and caressed its neck.

"You must be his great, great, great, great, grandson," James said softly as he played with the horse's ears. "Will you accompany me in this lifetime?"

The horse neighed and nodded its head in acknowledgement.

"Then, I should give you a proper name," James stated as he eyed the horse, but the latter shook its head and neighed in disapproval.

James' eyes widened for a brief moment before it was replaced with an understanding gaze.

"So, you wish for that as well." James patted the horse's head with a smile. "Very well, I will honor your wish."

The horse neighed softly and rested its head on James shoulder. The old man wrapped his arms around the horse and rubbed its neck, just like he did long ago.

"Sleipnir, your name will be Sleipnir," James whispered in the horse's ears.

The horse's ears twitched, and uttered a satisfied neigh before nudging James head with the side of its cheeks.

It then took a few steps back and made a gesture with its head.

James chuckled and nodded. He then mounted the back of the horse. Even without a saddle, he sat comfortably on its back. Sleipnir was confident that no matter how fast it ran, the rider on its back would not fall off.

Since that was the case, he pawed the ground with its hooves before dashing forward.

Soon the eight-legged horse galloped into the sky, headed towards the Tower of Babylon.

As the wind brushed past James face, a few bittersweet memories resurfaced inside his head. They were the memories of a time long forgotten, memories of the path he had trodden.

"Make it in time, Sleipnir," James ordered. "For Asgard, and the Nine Realms!"

Chapter 732: A War Where The Entire World Is At Stake

"Vlad, it has been a long time since you last visited me, what kind of bad news brought you here?"

A giant creature with a lion's head and a body protected by a turtle-like carapace looked down on Vlad with surprise etched on its monstrous face.

The giant creature had six feet, with bear-like claws and a scaly tail like that of a serpent's.

Its name was Tarasque.

It was recognized by all as the strongest land dwelling Demigod in the World of Hestia.

"You make it sound like I only visit you when I bring bad news," Vlad replied in a helpless tone.

"So, you're saying that I'm wrong?"

"... No. You are right. I do bring bad news, but it annoys me that you thought of me that way."

Tarasque chuckled as it laid on the ground. Since the Demigods lived long lives, they didn't usually seek each other out unless something of great importance was transpiring in the world.

Of course, not all Demigods got along. Some of them hated each other, and would often get into fights whenever their paths crossed. Each had their own territory, so it was quite easy to locate them.

Vlad decided to visit the strongest in their circle first, before going to the nearest Demigod in the area.

Vlad and Tarasque stared at each other. Although Vlad had many things to say, he instinctively felt that the twenty-meter-tall Demigod was already aware of the things that were happening to the world.

Still, Vlad knew that if he didn't break the ice, nothing would happen and their staring game would continue.

"I came here to talk about Malacai," Vlad said after organizing his thoughts. "He has regained his freedom."

Tarasque nodded its head.

"All the Chimaeras are duty-bound to study the ancient glyphs inside the Strathmore Forest," Tarasque commented. "Just like your ancestors before you, everyone has been paying close attention to any information that relates to Malacai. Now that he is free, it can only mean one thing, and one thing only…"

Vlad clenched his first. Tarasque had been around since the Era of the Gods, so it knew more about the history of the world. During the war, this powerful Demigod chose the side of the Dwarves.

He had taught them how to build their kingdoms under the Earth, and forge powerful armor and weapons in order to protect their race and civilization.

Because of this, the Dwarves were one of the races that had survived that warring era, and had flourished since then.

"War…," Vlad stated. "A war that no one had seen before."

"Not just an ordinary war, Vlad, but a war that will surpass the Era of the Gods. A war where the entire world is at stake."

"Then we…"

"No." Tarasque firmly shook his head. "The stage has been set, but we are not part of the performing actors who will play the initial act. Our part will come near the end. Yes… near the end, when the pillars that hold the very foundation of this world will be shaken."

Tarasque said solemnly as he looked at the clear blue sky.

"Even now, I can feel that a great danger is approaching us, and yet… i cannot see past the skies of this world," Tarasque commented. "Right now, our homeland is like a sand castle on the beach, hoping that the waves won't reach us. But, sooner or later, the tides will rise. The waves will come, and when they do, they will wash away everything that has been built since time immemorial."

The strongest Demigod of Hestia sighed.

"I will be honest with you, Vlad," Tarasque said with a serious expression on its face. "I am scared. Very scared."

Vlad could feel the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end after hearing Tarasque's helpless voice. He knew that a great war was about to begin, but he didn't know what kind of war was about to transpire.

If even the strongest among them was feeling faint just thinking about the inevitable battle that was about to come then what could he do?

What could anyone do?

As if noticing the changes that were happening in Vlad's expression, Tarasque shook his head to dispel the worries inside his head.

"Rest assured, when the skies of this world fall down upon our heads, I will be there to catch it," Tarasque said. "But, I will not be able to hold it up alone."

The strongest Demigod of Hestia stood up from the ground and gazed at Vlad with a determined expression.

"Go, Vlad," Tarasque ordered. "Inform the others. When the sky turns red, and the fires of destruction descend upon the world, the final battle of this world will be fought."

Vlad unconsciously gulped because Tarasque's words were like a prophecy. Even though he had no evidence, his instincts were telling him with certainty that the words of the Monstrous Beast in front of him would come to pass.

"How long do we have?" Vlad inquired. He wanted to know how much time he had left to prepare for what was about to come.

Tarasque didn't answer right away as it once again stared at the sky.

"I don't know," Tarasque replied. "Perhaps, only Malacai knows."

Tarasque started to walk away, and Vlad simply stood there looking at the Behemoth that had promised to be there when the sky was about to fall. The Demigod's back that once looked strong and invincible, was now hunched as if carrying a heavy burden.

'What kind of war could possibly surpass the war that happened during the Era of the Gods?' Vlad thought long and hard, but he couldn't think of an answer to his question.

He had not been born during that dark and tumultuous time of the world, so he had no idea how big the scale of the upcoming war was going to be.

If even the combined strength of the Demigods of the world couldn't stop what was coming then was there any hope for them at all?

Vlad didn't have the answer to these questions. Although he was one of the few that stood at the peak of the world, he was not omnipotent.

'There's no use of thinking about this now,' Vlad gritted his teeth as he transformed into his true form. He still had a few places to visit, and pass along the words that Tarasque had told him. No matter what happened in the future, one thing was certain.

The Demigods could no longer be aloof and stay away from the affairs of the mortal realm.

—--

High above the Kyrintor Mountains…

Takam looked at the starry skies with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes glowed with power as a magic circle formed under his feet.

He was gathering the power of the Kyrintor Mountains to perform a Tenth Circle Spell.

That night, all the members of the tribes knelt down as they transferred the power of their faith to their Sovereign.

The entirety of the Southern Continent was unaware that something beyond their understanding was happening in the distant mountains, located on the Northern tip of the Hellan Kingdom.

In this dark, and quiet night, when the moon was nowhere in sight…

The vanguards of Humanity were making preparations to fight.

Chapter 733: What Makes You Think That I Will Cooperate With You?

"These are dark and difficult times," the old hag, who was also Celine's Master, sighed as she gazed at the sky.

As one of the Demigods of the World, her sensitivity to sense something that could threaten her existence was very high.

Among her peers, the only one that could threaten her was Tarasque, but she knew that the Pacifist Demigod would not openly attack anyone unless they attacked it first.

"Master? Is there something wrong?" Celine, who had just returned after foraging in the forest asked as she placed the basket filled with herbs on the table.

"Yes," The old hag said as she sat on her favorite chair, "but you don't have to worry about this, Celine. At least, not yet."

Celine stared at her Master in confusion. Her Master was one of the most powerful beings in the world of Hestia, and it was very rare for her to see the old woman feeling depressed.

This old woman was notorious for her witchcraft, and no one in the Demon Continent would dare to annoy her. Although many treated her as an evil being, Celine treated her with love and care.

Aside from her sister, Celeste, Celine treated the old hag as her mother. Even though they weren't related by blood, the old witch and Celine treated each other as family.

The name of Celine's Master was Baba Yaga. A very powerful demon that had terrorized the world, more than a thousand years ago. Now, she lived in seclusion and enjoyed a peaceful life in the depths of the forest. Away from the affairs of the world, and away from the politics of the realm.

'This unsettling feeling… Just where is this coming from?,' Baba Yaga thought as she held a crystal ball in her hand. 'All I know is that it is coming from somewhere beyond my reach.'

The ball in her hand glowed, but the only thing the witch saw was a blaze that threatened to consume everything. No matter how hard she scried, she couldn't find the source of these flames that made her heart tremble.

"Celine, stay here for the time being," Baba Yaga ordered. "Don't leave the Demon Continent for the next few days."

Celine nodded her head. She didn't have any plans at the moment, aside from spending time with her Master until the prophecy came to pass.

"Don't worry, Master," Celine replied. "I'll stay with you for the time being."

A smile appeared on Baba Yaga's wrinkly face. "Good."

As Celine's Master, she didn't want her Disciple to come to any harm, especially when it was something that she couldn't foresee no matter how hard she tried.

—---

"Where are we going, Elliot?" Chloee asked.

"Don't worry, we won't go very far. Just the outskirts of the City of Orion," Elliot replied. "Where just going to meet a few friends."

Chloee frowned, but she still decided to follow Elliot. She noticed that although the Angelic Familiar was smiling, his body language was telling her that he was feeling anxious.

The two familiars left the academy and headed to the City of Orion. Elliot said that he would be meeting his friends, and asked Chloee to accompany him. The little fairy thought that since Elliot had just arrived in the academy, he needed someone to act as a tour guide to the city.

Since she wasn't doing anything important, she decided to accompany him and take him to the best places to eat in the City of Orion.

However, after arriving at the city, Elliot flew towards the west. Chloee found this strange, but she didn't say anything and continued to follow the Angelic Familiar whose smile had already disappeared from his face.

"Are we going to the Wild Squirrel Forest?" Chloee asked after seeing that they were headed into the direction of the forest, outside the outskirts of the forest. "Elliot, do you plan to catch a squirrel?"

Elliot allowed a chuckle to escape his lips before answering Chloee's question. "I'd rather hunt squirrels than face the things that we are about to face."

The Angelic Familiar didn't say anything else and continued to fly. Half an hour later, they arrived at a clearing inside the depths of the forest.

There, a robed figure stood at the center. A blue bird was perched on the person's shoulder. The moment the bird saw Elliot, it immediately uttered a shriek and glared hatefully at the two approaching familiars.

"Did the two of you wait long?" Elliot asked as he hovered in front of the robed figure.

"Just two days," the robed figure replied in an irritated manner. "First you ask me to come here as soon as possible, but the moment I arrive, you ask me to wait until you come to find me. Tell me, did you ask me to come just to humiliate me?"

Elliot wagged his finger at the robed figure while clicking his tongue.

"I'm not that bored," Elliot replied. "Since I ask you to come, naturally it is something of importance. But before that, remove your hood. Talking to you like this is getting awkward, don't you agree?"

The robed figure snorted, but still removed the hood from their head.

A familiar pretty face appeared in front of the two familiars. It was none other than William's ex-fiance, Rebecca.

Chloee glanced at Elliot and was about to ask for an explanation when the Angelic Familiar raised his hand to stop her from talking.

"Listen, right now, we don't have much time," Elliot said as he looked at the two girls, and the blue bird that was perched on Rebecca's shoulder.

The bird was none other than Meredith whose rank had dropped to the Centennial Rank after its battle with William. Even now, the Blue Bird hated the Half-Elf with a vengeance. If not for Rebecca's urging, it wouldn't have accompanied her on her journey to the City of Orion, where the Hestia Academy was located.

"We need to create a high-level magic circle that will amplify your magic power, Rebecca," Elliot said. "We must do this within two days. Have you brought the items I asked you to bring?"

Rebecca nodded, "I brought them all. But, what kind of high-level magic circle are you planning to make? I don't know much about them."

"Don't worry, Meredith will teach you how it is done."

"And what makes you think that I will cooperate with you?" The Blue Bird spoke in contempt as it eyed Elliot as if he was its mortal enemy.

Aside from the Angelic Familiar's hair color, hair style, and bearing, Elliot's face was an exact copy of William, which made Meredith's blood boil.

The Blue Bird had regretted the fact that it hadn't been able to kill the Half-Elf when it had chosen to self-destruct in order to end William's life. To this day, it held its grudge deep inside its heart, and it would do anything if it meant being able to end the life of the hateful Half-Elf who had killed her through disgust.

"Don't you feel it?" Elliot asked Meredith whose magical power was slowly increasing. "Or are you pretending not to feel it? Your rank may have degraded, but you were once a Demigod. Surely, your instinct was as still sharp as it was back then, no?"

He wasn't afraid of the Blue Bird because its rank was only that of a Centennial Beast. This was one of the reasons why he had asked Chloee to accompany him in order to deter the spiteful Phoenix, who was out for vengeance.

"So, what of it?" Meredith replied. Its voice was laced with hate, but Elliot's words had caught it off guard. "Are you saying that you know where this feeling is coming from?"

Elliot nodded. "Like I said, we don't have much time. You can feel it too, right? With every hour that passes, that powerful pressure is coming closer and closer. If you don't cooperate with us, that malevolent feeling you are experiencing will come to find you."

Meredith narrowed its eyes. It was still half in doubt of Elliot's words, but there was no denying that the Familiar had aptly described what she was feeling. Its instinct was screaming at it that something beyond the scope of its powers was coming beyond the horizon.

For the time being, it decided to push aside its grudge and find out the reason for its anxiety.

"What do you want me to do?" Meredith asked.

Elliot sighed internally because the first hurdle had been overcome. As long as he was able to get Meredith's cooperation, the next stage of his plan would proceed smoothly.

"I want you to make a high-tier magic circle that will bend space," Elliot explained. "We will use the items that Rebecca has brought to empower it."

Meredith frowned before shaking its head. "It will not be enough. I saw the items she brought, and it will not be enough for whatever you planned to do."

"You don't have to worry about this," Elliot casually waved his hand. "The only thing you need to do is to create the magic circle, and reinforce it with the items that Rebecca had brought. I will handle the rest."

Meredith snorted due to the Familiar's disregard for its opinion. However, it was still curious about what Elliot was planning to do, so it decided to cooperate for the time being.

"Remember, you must finish the magic circle within two days," Elliot said with a serious expression. "I don't care if you hate me and William, but for your sake, you better not try something funny. I swear that if the magic circle isn't complete within two days, I will personally bury you in night soil."

Meredith shuddered as the traumatic memories once again flashed inside its head. The Ice Phoenix looked at Elliot's face and felt its heart tremble. The incident that happened in the Savadeen Mountains had left a deep scar in its heart.

If that were to happen another time, the Ice Phoenix, who had guarded its domain for hundreds of years, would never be able to lift its head high ever again.

Chapter 734: A World That Is Far From My Reach

A day passed after Elliot and Chloee had left the academy.

Elliot had already told William that he was planning to tour the city with Chloee, so the Half-Elf didn't think much about it.

The Angelic Familiar was almost always wandering around the academy, and William had already gotten used to it.

As for Conan, the pitiful Devil would do its best to run away from Claire. However, for some uncanny reason, the little moody fairy was always able to find Conan's hiding place. It was as if she had placed some kind of tracker to him, making him unable to escape her grasp.

Because of this, the Little Devil had returned inside William's body and refused to come out. This was the only way that he could think of that would allow him to escape the Physical Examination that Claire had been performing on him these past few days.

In the end, Claire had no choice but to set aside her plans for an extensive examination and accompany William to the shrine located on the East side of the academy. The moody little fairy had somehow gotten the Headmaster's approval, which surprised the Half-Elf.

Because of this, his impression of Claire rose. However, that impression hit rock bottom when he found out the real reason why Byron agreed to let William see Shannon.

Claire simply said that if Byron didn't agree to allow William to go to the shrine, she would ask her sister to break Byron's prized collections. Because of this threat, Byron reluctantly agreed to accommodate Claire's request and gave his approval.

After hearing that Byron had compromised, Celeste decided to accompany William to see Shannon. It was not only her that chose to accompany the red-headed teenager. Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, Kenneth, and Lilith chose to accompany him as well.

Ian also wanted to go, but Celeste told her that Shannon's power might overwhelm her spiritual resistance, and force her to commit suicide. Even William wasn't an exception, but Celeste believed that as long as she and the rest of the sins were around, they could prevent the worst case scenario from happening to the Half-Elf.

As the group walked towards the shrine, Celeste decided to ask the question that had been on her mind since William opened up the subject of how he became aware of Shannon's existence.

"Who told you about Shannon?" Celeste asked. "As far as I know, less than ten people in the world know where she is currently staying. I know all of those people, so it is impossible for you to get any information from them. How did you find out about her existence?"

William pondered on how to best answer this question, but every excuse that appeared in his mind was not feasible. In the end, he decided to use the safest method to answer Celeste's inquiry.

"A God told me about her," William replied. "That God also told me that I needed to solve her problem. By doing so, I will be rewarded with riches that would make me a happy man."

Celeste eyed William with a doubtful expression, but she also couldn't rule out the Half-Elf's words. Since the people that knew about Shannon's plight were trustworthy people, only those outside of their circle could have told William where she could be found.

"Listen. I know you have a strong willpower, but the person you will face is beyond comprehension," Celeste warned. "If I deem that you are unable to hold on to your reasoning, I will immediately evict you from the shrine. Do I make myself clear?"

William nodded. He had heard about Shannon's notoriety, and because of this, the shrine had become a restricted area and was heavily guarded.

Several layers of protection had also been added in place creating multiple barriers that prevented others from going in, and coming out of, the shrine.

The Guards allowed William's group to pass because they had already been informed of their coming. Celeste was also one of the handful of people that could enter the place, so seeing her with William put the guards at ease.

"This layer of security is even tighter than the one that guarded the treasury of our kingdom," Princess Sidonie said after they had passed the last checkpoint, leading to the shrine.

"Over a hundred people have died coming here," Celeste commented. "Some of them were high-ranking nobles of the Empires of the Central Continent. Unfortunately, their curiosity had gotten the better of them and their lives ended before they could even do great things to benefit the world."

Celeste then gave William a side-long glance before shifting her attention back to the entrance of the Shrine.

"I just hope that you don't end up like them, William," Celeste said. "You are one of the pillars of the young generation. If you die here, it will be a great loss for Humanity."

Celeste didn't add that if William died, her sister, Celine, would also be very sad. The beautiful Elf swore that she would do her best to prevent William from taking his own life the moment he saw the person that had been staying in the shrine since she was five years old.

"Remember, if he does something funny, all of you will restrain him as soon as possible," Celeste said to the members of the Deadly Sins that had come with William. "Knock him unconscious if you have to. Just don't let him end his life."

Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, Kenneth, and Lilith nodded their heads. Their faces became serious as Celeste opened the door that led to the innermost area of the shrine.

The sound of a chime reverberated in the surroundings as the door was opened. The bells were placed there to alert Shannon that someone had entered the Shrine.

William's gaze froze when he saw the person that was sitting in the center of the room.

She held a paintbrush in her left hand and her eyes were focused on the canvas.

William felt something grip his heart, as his thoughts started to grow hazy. Even so, he focused his willpower on his sight, as he took in the visage of the girl whose sadness was etched on her beautiful face.

"I see that you have brought me some guest, Professor Celeste," a soul stirring voice escaped the young lady's lips. She then turned her head to appraise the guests that had come to visit her.

"My heart tells me that the three of you are my sisters," the young lady said and a trace of surprise could be detected in her soul stirring voice.

After a while, her gaze landed on William, and a smile of ridicule appeared on her beautiful face.

"Tell me, stranger. What kind of crime did you commit for these girls to bring you here to die?" the young lady asked. Her sad gaze, and voice, carried a power that made William's legs weaken, and almost made the Half-Elf collapse on the ground.

Fortunately, the others were paying close attention to him. Princess Sidonie and Chiffon hurriedly supported his body, so that he could remain standing.

This act made the young lady that was seated on the chair arch an eyebrow in surprise. With a glance, she could tell that the red-headed teenager was someone that her "sisters" cared for. This piqued her interest, and she once again gazed at the man whose breathing was starting to get heavy.

"I…," William tried to force a word to clear his thoughts that were starting to scatter.

This feeling was far stronger than the Befuddlement Spell that Byron had cast on him when he was being interrogated back in Antilia Island.

That was the last word that William uttered before he felt a pain at the back of his head.

As his eyes slowly closed, and his senses started to abandon him, the sigh of the beautiful girl, who made his soul tremble, reached his ears.

It was such a sad sigh, filled with loneliness and helplessness. That was the last thing that William heard before he fainted in his lovers' embrace.

"Sisters, come visit me when you have time," the young lady commented as she looked at William who was being supported by Princess Sidonie and Chiffon. "If you care about his well being, it will be best if you keep him away from this place."

The young lady then lifted her brush and started to draw on the blank canvas. "I will wait for all of you to tell me stories of the outside world.. A world that is far away from my reach."

Chapter 735: Tomorrow, I Will Paint Again Tomorrow

When William opened his eyes, he found himself back inside his room in the dormitory room.

The windows were open, and yet, the room was dark. The Half-Elf tried to recall what happened before he lost consciousness. Slowly, but surely, the images gradually resurfaced in his memories, giving him a clearer picture of what Shannon looked like.

Inside the room, there was a young lady sitting on a chair and holding a brush in her left hand. She had long white hair, and her eyes were purple in color. The thing that stood out the most about her appearance were the ears that were on top of her head.

Shannon's ears didn't resemble those of any humanoid species. They looked like fluffy Beastkin ears that he had seen in some comics and T.V shows back on Earth.

William couldn't recall if they were cat ears, or fox ears because her smooth, and soul-stirring voice, made him unable to form any coherent thoughts.

All he could tell was that the girl was similar to him. A Half-breed of shorts.

Half human, half Beastkin.

The Half-Elf rubbed the back of his head. It was there where someone had hit him, but the pain was long dissipated. Clearly, he had already been healed from his injury and only remained unconscious due to the power of Shannon's strong divinity.

While he was deep in his thoughts, the door of his room opened. Ian came in pushing a trolley of food that she had taken from the dining hall of the Dormitory.

"It's good to see you are awake," Ian said as she walked towards him with a smile.

William frowned as he gazed back at his lover. "How many days did I sleep?"

"Only a few hours," Ian replied as she looked at him with a worried look on her face. "Do you feel hurt anywhere?"

William shook his head. "I'm fine. I don't feel pain anywhere."

He wasn't lying. William had already asked Optimus to run a diagnostic scan to check his condition, and the results showed him that he was perfectly fine.

"Good. I was surprised when you were carried back to the dormitory by Kenneth. I didn't expect you to return in that manner."

"I also didn't expect that I would be brought to that state. It seems that I need to change my strategy when interacting with Shannon."

William sighed. Just a mere glance, and a few words from Shannon was enough to make him unable to hold on to his rationality, and it unnerved him.

Ian transformed into her mermaid form and cupped his face. She then planted a kiss on his forehead before patting his head.

William closed his eyes and allowed himself to be embraced by the lady who had given half of her heart to him.

"You don't need to rush things," Ashe said as she pulled William closer until his head rested on her chest. "You can take it slow. Shannon is not going anywhere. Sidonie and Chiffon told me everything already."

"Mmm," William replied as he felt Ashe's softness and warmth.

The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes before the beautiful mermaid reluctantly took a step back.

"Eat first," Ashe said as she walked towards the food trolley. "It is now eight in the evening and you've been sleeping for ten hours."

Ashe didn't wait for William's reply and arranged the food on the table in his room. The smell of delicious food reached his senses, and it was then when he realized that he was very hungry.

After eating everything that Ashe had brought for him, William walked towards the balcony of his room. Ashe followed suit, and the two of them sat there while looking at the stars in the sky.

"Ashe, Aamon's last test is a little difficult," William said after a few minutes passed. "However, worry not. I will find a way and lift the curses placed on you, Est, and Isaac. I promise."

Ashe nodded her head. "I believe you."

The two stared at each other for a little while before they shared a short, yet love-filled, kiss on the lips. After the kiss ended, Ashe pulled back. Although she wanted to remain, she had an appointment with Princess Sidonie, and Chiffon.

William's three lovers decided to have a meeting about how to help William accomplish his last mission. They planned to keep this as a secret for the time being until they found a way to overcome Shannon's powerful divinity.

"I'll be going now," Ashe said as she caressed William's cheeks. "Just call for me if you need anything."

"Mmm." William nodded his head in understanding.

Ashe undid her transformation before leaving the room. William watched her go with a sigh.

The Half-Elf once again looked at the stars. It had been a while since he had done this after leaving the Tower of Babylon.

"The stars of Hestia are really different from the ones on Earth and Asgard," William said softly.

He had been in Hestia for more than eighteen years of his life. Since the day he was born, he had encountered several hardships, and faced challenges that someone of his age shouldn't have had to face.

Ten minutes later, William returned to his bed to sleep. Even though he had already slept for many hours, he was still feeling exhausted. Perhaps it was the side effect of being in Shannon's presence, or perhaps it was due to the sneak attack he received back then.

"Tomorrow." William yawned as he closed his eyes. "I will try again tomorrow."

The Half-Elf hoped that when morning came, he would be able to find some clues about how to help Shannon solve her problem.

—--

Inside the Shrine located on the East side of the Academy…

A brush danced across the canvas giving color to Shannon's creation.

Her eyes were focused on the canvas as the brush started to move in a blur. With each stroke, her masterpiece came closer to completion.

The colors she used were purple, red, orange, and gold. These combinations of colors breathed life to the scene that she was currently painting.

In a world dyed in purple, red giants walked in an orderly manner. Their hands and feet were swathed with a tinge of orange and gold, showing the color of flames.

Thousands of these red giants appeared on Shannon's canvas, and all of their expressions were fierce. After making the last stroke, Shannon paused.

The painting was only halfway finished, because she couldn't paint more than this.

"Tomorrow. I will paint again tomorrow," Shannon said softly as she stared at her incomplete work. "Your Excellency, what do you think? Is it good?"

A lady wearing a celestial robe walked towards Shannon and peered at the painting. She then patted Shannon's head, as if telling her that she did a good job.

Shannon allowed herself to be pampered because it was only in these moments when her desolate heart would feel a tinge of fleeting happiness.

"Rest, my dearest," the otherworldly beauty said as she kissed Shannon's cheeks. "Tomorrow, you will be having guests."

Shannon nodded her head as she allowed herself to be half-carried towards her bedroom. It had been a long day, and she was indeed tired.

She hoped that when morning came, her sisters would come to visit her.

Although her existence had broken the rules of the world, it was something that couldn't be helped.

After all, she was someone that was not supposed to be born.

Chapter 736: I Am Not A Suspicious Person

"This should be the place that the Lady of the Lake told me about," William Pendragon stared at the Big Oak Tree in front of him.

He closed his eyes and tried to recall everything that the Lady of the Lake had told him. William had a good memory, so it didn't take long before the memories of his meeting with the lady resurfaced inside his head.

—--

"Located in the East, deep within the Bridgefell Grove, lies an Old Oak Tree. It is the biggest and tallest tree in the forest, so you will identify it right away.

"On the ninth hour, of the ninth day, of the ninth month, a portal between Midgard and Alfheim will appear at the base of the Old Oak Tree.

"You May enter Alfheim through this passage. However, know that this passage only opens once a year. If you want to return to Midgard, you have to return on the ninth hour, of the ninth day, of the ninth month, and cross the bridge between the worlds once again."

—--

William once again opened his eyes as the memory subsided.

"I need to find Acedia and bring her to the Violet Ever Garden," William said softly. "There she will remain for the rest of her life."

The image of the sleeping Elf with golden hair flashed across his mind. In his memory, the young lady was sleeping on a bed of roses.

While William was still lost in his thoughts, a soft whistle was heard around him.

Suddenly, the air's movement picked up and it made William's hair, and clothes flutter.

Right before his eyes, a golden portal materialized out of thin air at the base of the Oak Tree. William hurriedly walked towards it because the Lady of the Lake didn't tell him how long the portal would last. It would be best to enter it as soon as possible to prevent any further delays.

If he missed the opportunity, he would have to wait for another year before he could repeat the quest that was given to him. For William, who was carrying a great burden on his shoulders, time was of the utmost importance. He couldn't allow himself to fail this quest and be delayed for another year.

As soon as he stepped into the portal, he found himself falling in what seemed to be an endless tunnel. He kept falling, and falling, and falling, until he lost count of how many minutes had passed since his descent had begun.

As the teenage boy thought that he would be falling for the rest of his life, his descent came to an abrupt end. William's feet had landed on solid ground, and due to the unexpected outcome, he lost balance and fell on his bum.

With a pained expression on his face, the silver-haired Pendragon looked at his surroundings. The place where he appeared looked very ancient, and the flow of magic was thick in the air. Although William wasn't sure if he had really arrived at Alfheim, this was the only explanation that he could think of at this moment.

After standing up and dusting the dirt from his clothes, William once again scanned his surroundings. The Old Oak Tree didn't look any different from the one he saw. However, the trees surrounding the clearing where it was at were different from the ones he had seen in Midgard.

As William was thinking about where to go, he noticed some kind of structure that was not far from the Oak Tree.

Since he didn't know where to go, William decided to investigate the place first.

'Is this some kind of ruin?' William thought as he entered the dilapidated stone structure that reminded him of a small coliseum.

The first thing he saw when he entered was a small altar. William's eyes widened in shock when he saw what seemed to be a person lying on top of it.

The silver-haired teenager immediately walked towards the altar to check if his guess was right.

When he was only several meters away from the person who was lying on the altar, he noticed that he was stepping on something golden. Upon closer inspection, he realized that he was stepping on hair.

William knelt down and held a handful of it. The smooth, and silky golden hair felt good to the touch. His gaze then moved towards the person lying on the altar.

'Could it be?' William mused as he let go of the hair and stood up. He then walked towards the altar to confirm his suspicion.

When he was only a meter away, he finally saw the identity of the lady that was lying on top of it.

A beautiful Elf who seemed to be in her late teens was sleeping peacefully on a bed of roses. She looked exactly like the projection that the Lady of the Lake had shown him a few months ago.

"Excuse me. Are you perhaps Acedia?" William asked.

The sleeping lady didn't answer, so William once again asked his question.

After asking for the third time, the young lady seemed unresponsive, so William decided to move closer and try to wake her up by force.

However, just as he was about to lightly shake her body, something grabbed his feet and hoisted him up in the air.

William panicked and tried to break free, but it was to no avail. He hung in the air, upside down, unable to free himself no matter what he did.

It was also at that moment when the sleeping beauty opened her eyes and gazed lazily at him.

"Who?" the golden haired beauty asked sleepily.

"M-My name is William," William replied. "I am not a suspicious person. I am on a quest to help someone named Acedia. Do you happen to know who she is?"

After careful consideration, William decided to play it safe by telling the young lady in front of him half-truths. Although he already knew that the lady with golden hair was Acedia, he understood that he shouldn't call her by name because it would mark him as a suspicious person.

By being vague that he wasn't aware of who she was, William would be able to diffuse the current situation.

Unfortunately, the golden-haired lady didn't care whether she knew of him or not. She simply closed her eyes and once again went back to sleep, leaving William dangling in the air, held only by the hair around his feet and ankles.

—--

William abruptly sat up from the bed as he woke up from his dream. The faint rays of the sun landed on his face through the window, making him realize that morning had come.

"What an unreasonable dream," William thought as he scratched his hair.

The girl in his dream, Acedia, had not only captured him, but also treated him like a toy by shaking him like a pair of maracas, while being held by her hair.

It was akin to torture, and William had woken up when he had finally reached his limit.

The Half-Elf shook his head as he walked towards the bowl of water on the table. He used it to wash his face, and drive the remnants of sleep that still stuck on his face.

William was already used to having dreams about his past memories in Midgard, but instead of feeling happy, he felt worried instead.

"Who is that girl?" William thought as he scratched his head. "She doesn't look like Master, so I can cross her out for the time being."

Although William wished that the golden haired beauty that he saw was Celine, Their faces were quite different from each other. His other lovers, namely Ashe, and Chiffon, looked exactly like their counterparts in his previous dreams, but the Rapunzel in his dreams was someone he hadn't met before.

After wracking his head, William knew with certainty that he hadn't seen the girl before. The only thing that bothered him was that she looked oddly familiar. The Half-Elf couldn't explain it, but he was sure that he had met that lady before.

As he was starting to doubt his memory, a sudden knock on the door of his room brought him out of his daze.

"Who is it?" William asked. Only a handful of people would knock on his door so early in the morning, so he asked just in case that he was wrong in his assumption.

"It's me, Kenneth." the silver-haired elf replied. "Breakfast is now being served in the Dining Hall. Do you want to come and eat with me?"

William opened the door, and his ex-roommate's delicate looking face appeared in front of him.

"Good morning, Will-huh?!"

Kenneth wasn't able to finish his words, because William had reached out to grab a few strands of his hair and gave it a light tug.

"It feels different," William muttered. He then started to rub Kenneth's head to feel if the latter's hair was similar to the hair in his dreams. "Completely different."

Kenneth stared at William with a dumbfounded expression as he grabbed the hand that patted and stroked his hair so early in the morning.

"Just, what do you think you are doing?" Kenneth asked while giving William a glare.

Although he and William were close, the Half-Elf had never been this touchy, and it made Kenneth feel uncomfortable.

Realizing that he had subconsciously made a mistake, William hastily pulled his hand back and apologized to Kenneth.

The feel of Kenneth's hair was different in his memories, so the Half-Elf was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately it was a miss," William muttered absentmindedly.

"Miss? What miss?" Kenneth frowned. He had just forgiven William for touching his hair, but the red-headed teenager's sudden rambling piqued his curiosity.

"Nothing." William cleared his throat in embarrassment. The two then made their way towards the Dining Hall to have their breakfast.

Although the memories of his past lives were credible, William was still not certain if the golden-haired Rapunzel in his dream was also present within his current reality.

Chapter 737: The Unsung Heroes Of The World

It was the weekend so William and the rest didn't have any classes.

After having a hearty breakfast to wash away the abuse he received in his dreams, William, accompanied by Ian and Kenneth, went to meet with Princess Sidonie and Chiffon.

Princess Sidonie and Chiffon shared a room together, so it wasn't hard to meet them. At least, that was how it was supposed to be normally, but there was one problem. The girl's dormitory was completely off limits to male students.

Although William didn't have any complaints about this rule, he could only shake his head helplessly because the same didn't apply to the girls. The female students of the academy could freely visit the boy's dormitories anytime they wanted.

The only limit was the nightly curfew, which prevented them from staying longer than seven in the evening.

Half an hour later, William, his lovers, and Kenneth, walked in the direction of the shrine.

William walked hand in hand with Chiffon, while Princess Sidonie explained to him the plan that they had formulated to allow William the ability to resist the power of Shannon's divinity.

"I was really surprised when I saw Shannon yesterday," Princess Sidonie said as she held onto William's arm. "There has been no precedent in the past, but I can't believe that someone like her exists."

Princess Sidonie wanted to explain more, but it seemed that a powerful restriction was preventing her from telling William about Shannon's true identity. In fact, it was not only her. Chiffon, Kenneth, Lilith, and Celeste weren't able to say anymore either.

There seemed to be an invisible law that prevented anyone from sharing the information they had about Shannon. Because of this, Princess Sidonie just told William the plan they had in mind.

"Although I'm not a hundred percent sure that this plan will work, it has at least a seventy percent chance of success," Princess Sidonie said. "You need to merge with one of us when meeting with Shannon. The power of our Divinity will help you resist her Divinity to a certain extent."

William nodded in understanding. Unlike the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Virtues, the Half-Elf wasn't able to hold his wits around Shannon for even half a minute. This degree of suppression was something he had never felt before.

It was different from the overbearing suppression that came from a Demigod. It was simply a force that ignored the laws of the world, and made anyone who set their eyes on her feel that their world had lost all of its colors.

"Why didn't I think of this?" William felt like slapping his forehead for not thinking of this simple method to deal with Shannon's Divinity.

Princess Sidonie giggled as she held unto her beloved. "Now, one question remains. Who will you merge with? Chiffon or I? Or… would you rather merge with Kenneth?"

Kenneth who was walking behind William frowned. He didn't understand what Princess Sidonie meant by merging. However, he was willing to extend his help to William if that would help the Half-Elf accomplish his goals.

William paused for a moment and turned back to look at the silver-haired Elf.

The details of his most recent dream, and remembering what Princess Sidonie and Ian had told him about Kenneth's battle in the tournament, came to mind as he observed the face that was familiar, yet not.

William shook these thoughts out of his head and chalked it up to Sidonie teasing Kenneth because his hair had grown longer then. Turning his focus back to pondering which of his two wives he would pick to conduct his experiment, he happened to glance down at the adorable girl who was pulling on the side of his robe in order to catch his attention.

Chiffon looked up at him with a tender gaze. The red-headed teenager's heart melted after seeing her expression. Because of this, he said that he would choose his pink-haired wife to merge with him when they faced Shannon a second time.

Princess Sidonie giggled, and Kenneth shook his head helplessly at the Half-Elf's behavior.

—--

As William's group neared the Eastern Shrine, something else was happening in a place that was far beyond their reach.

The three thousand Harbingers of Destruction continued their march as the beautiful blue planet drew closer. They estimated that it would only take them a day or two to arrive at their destination.

Suddenly, one of the three Demigods that were marching in front of the army raised its hand, which made everyone come to a halt.

The thirty-meter tall Giant with long red hair, tied up in braids, looked at the distortion that was slowly materializing in front of their army. The distortion was at least a mile away from where they stood, but the Giant Demigod decided to stop their advance, and observe this phenomenon that he was seeing for the first time in its long lifetime.

Half a minute later, a floating island appeared in the void. In the middle of the island was a Giant Fortress whose presence made the Demigod frown.

The floating fortress was none other than the last bastion of humanity, Avalon.

The gates of the Fortress opened and seven individuals walked out of it. They then jumped down from the floating island.

With the exception of the Arcane Spectral Lich, Diabolical Hell Knight, Grim Nightmare Revenant—who had all summoned their bone dragons—the others landed on the Passage of the Worlds, facing the three-thousand strong Giant Army that was more than capable of annihilating several empires in the Central Continent.

Nuckelavee held the spear in its hand firmly as it stared at the enemies that were in front of it.

The Devil of the Sea was a Pseudo-Demigod, and could fight head on with Demigods, However, the three, thirty-meter tall Giants gave it some pressure.

Clearly, these were no ordinary Demigods. The three Giants were Peak Demigods who specialized in war and destruction. They were similar to Nuckleavee, only bigger and more powerful.

The Monstrous Skeleton Sovereign and Giant Slaying Draugr, was only as tall as the smaller giants, and even they felt that fighting head-on with three Demigods, a hundred Pseudo-Demigods, and thousands of Peak Millennial Giants was too high of a hurdle.

However, none of them would be backing down from this fight. Behind them was their homeworld, and they would not allow these foreign threats to set their home world ablaze.

Malacai stepped forward and stood in front of his subordinates. He was as strong as the strongest Demigod among their enemy's ranks, and his face, which was made completely out of bones, showed no change of expression.

He summoned his staff, which he had lent to William during the battle in the Southern Continent and held it high.

The Fortress of Avalon lit up as the Elven Undead, manned their posts. They activated the Fortress' long distance weaponry in order to support their champions.

Malacai slammed his staff on the ground as the embers on his eye sockets blazed brightly.

"You shall not Pass!" The Ancient Guardian of Hestia roared and the Passage of the World trembled.

Out of sight from the billions of inhabitants of the world, these Unsung Heroes took a fighting stance, as they prepared to make their stand, to fight against the invaders who wished to destroy the world, and everything they held dear in their undead hearts.

Chapter 738: Battle Through The Heavens [Part 1]

Tremohr, the strongest Demigod among the Giant Army, looked down at the undead who dared to block their path.

His brothers, Araznir and Sirion, snorted as they gazed at Malacai with contempt.

As the Harbingers of Destruction, they possessed the unique ability to understand the language of the world that had been assigned to them to destroy.

Tremohr raised his hand and gestured for the Giants to prepare to fight. Although he sensed that Malacai possessed strength equivalent to his, the Dracolich's companions posed no threat in his eyes.

"Kill!" Tremohr ordered. He then ran forward with his Giant War Axe held high, ready to strike and destroy anything that blocked his way.

The other giants roared and charged forward, brandishing their weapons of destruction.

Malacai was unfazed and pointed his staff forward. "Fire!"

Avalon lit up and a powerful magical barrage descended upon the Giants who were rushing towards him in droves.

Due to the size of their targets, the Elven undead didn't even need to aim because they would hit their targets no matter what.

The magical attacks came from powerful artifacts that had been stored inside Avalon for thousands of years. Some of these Artifacts were of the Legendary Ranks, so they posed significant threats, even to the Demigods who were leading the charge of the Giant Army.

This was why Malacai told William that he was not allowed to steal any of the treasures that were kept in Avalon, when the Half-Elf came to ask for his help.

The Giants' advance slowed down as the magical bombardment pelted their bodies. The ancient artifacts, that had survived the Era of the Gods, were not something that they could just shrug off completely.

However, Malacai knew that even with Avalon's powerful bombardement, they were still at a disadvantage in this head-on confrontation. They were not fighting mindless beasts. They were fighting an army that had already taken part in destroying worlds.

As the Giants neared their location, the magical barrage intensified as well. The three Demigods, as well as the hundreds of Pseudo-Demigods were taking the brunt of the bombardment.

Injuries appeared on their bodies, and blood flowed like a river, but their advance never stopped. Sirion, one of the three Demigods, held a scepter in his hand and he enveloped the Giant Army in a magical barrier, which weakened the damage of the spells that were raining down on them.

The other Demigod, Araznir, blew a giant cone shell and the injuries that the Giants received slowly regenerated. Although it was not an instant regeneration, the damage that they had received was slowly recovering with each passing second.

'They're not an ordinary raiding party,' Malacai thought. He then chanted a spell and the tip of his staff glowed eerily.

"Shadow Shackles!" Malacai shouted. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to stop the giant's advance, he decided to cast a 9th Circle Spell that would bind the weaker giants, while he, and his subordinates dealt with the stronger ones.

The ground under his feet was dyed black, and it spread out towards the Giant Army. several black chains sprang out from the ground and bound the giants' bodies.

This was a powerful restraining spell cast by a Demigod, so the majority of the Giant Army came to a complete stop.

Only the three Demigods, as well as the Pseudo-Demigods were able to break free from their bindings and continued their charge.

Malacai knew that this was the best that he could do in this situation and motioned for his subordinates to prepare to fight in close combat.

Although hundred three opponents pitted against seven was still a staggering number, it was much better than seven against three thousand.

Avalon focused on firing its magical barrage at the Giants that had been bound by Malacai, to prevent friendly fire.

Nuckelavee laughed as it charged forward, brandishing its spear. It didn't need to communicate with Malacai because it already knew who its target would be. The Devil of the Sea charged at Araznir who was holding the Giant Cone Shell that was slowly regenerating the injuries of the giants.

As long as the Cone Shell was there, any damage they dealt would be useless!

Malacai flew towards Tremohr because the latter was the strongest among the Giants.

The Arcane Spectral Lich, Diabolical Hell Knight, and Grim Nightmare Revenant focused on Sirion, who held the scepter that mitigated the power of their magical attacks.

The Monstrous Skeleton Sovereign and Giant Slaying Draugr was forced to face the hundreds of Pseudo-Demigods on the ground.

With a powerful cry, the Giant Slaying Draugr met the giants head on. He was able to send three of them flying with his weapon, but the rest ganged up on him and tore off his body parts.

The same could be said for the Monstrous Skeleton Sovereign. It was only able to cut off a Giant's head before its bones were smashed to bits.

The power difference between the two parties was too great that it was impossible to change the situation with just determination alone.

The staff on Malacai's hand glowed, and the two fallen Undead Giants that had been torn to shreds were restored to their original state. The two immediately worked together to sneak attack the giants that had trampled on their bodies and gave their enemies serious injuries.

"Foul tricks!" Tremohr roared as he brandished his weapon towards Malacai.

The Dracolich was forced to dodge the attack, and was unable to support the two Undead Giants who had once again been hacked to pieces. This time, the Giants learned from their mistake and threw their body parts in separate directions.

Even if they re-assembled themselves again, it would take a longer time to do so.

Seeing that their first line of defense had crumbled, the Undead that manned the Fortress of Avalon set their sights on the Pseudo-Demigods on the ground.

They fired a powerful barrage at their enemies, but the Giants endured these attacks.

When the giants neared the floating island, they all jumped into the air.

Their giant bodies landed on the floating island making it tremble.

"Die!" One of the Giants approached the fortress and hacked its walls with a giant hammer. A soft hum reverberated in the air as the magical defenses of Avalon activated.

Avalon was the strongest fortress of mankind. It would take more than an attack from a Giant to break its walls. Even so, it was not invincible.

As more Giants reached the fortress, their relentless attacks weakened the magical barrier that protected it. Several cracks started to appear on the barrier's surface, which meant that the damage was slowly, but surely, breaking through its defenses.

Malacai wanted to return to defend the Fortress, but Tremohr had effectively blocked all of his attempts to retreat.

"The dead should just remain dead," Tremohr sneered in contempt. "Allow me to ensure that you will not rise a second time."

Tremohr swung his mighty axe while using an ability that froze Malacai in place. The Dracolich was forced to summon a black blade to block Tremohr's attack, and the two weapons clashed against each other, a powerful shockwave forced the two of them apart, as they stared hatefully at each other.

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound reached Malacai's ears and his already grim face turned grimmer.

The magical barrier that protected Avalon was starting to break, and it was only a matter of time before it shattered into pieces.

At that exact moment, a powerful voice reverberated across the battlefield.

"I Dance Across the Frozen Heavens, All Hail!"

Out of nowhere, a powerful blizzard enveloped the entirety of the floating island. Hovering above Avalon, a young lady with light-blue hair danced and waved her hands, sending giant icicles into the Giants that were hacking at the walls of Avalon.

The lady who had an otherworldly beauty continued to dance and a confident smile could be seen on her beautiful face

Light blue pillars of light descended on the ramparts of Avalon. When the light receded, several young men, and women, who seemed to be in their late teens, appeared with determined looks on their faces.

All of them were holding weapons in their hands and with her orders, they all spread out to attack the Giants who had started to back away from the walls of Avalon.

"Go," Ella ordered. "Show them the power of the newly evolved Angorian War Sovereigns!"

Chapter 739: Battle Through The Heavens [Part 2]

The giants felt that the power of the icicles could threaten their lives so they immediately retreated in haste.

It was at that moment when a young man with light blue hair charged at one of the retreating giants with a speed that overtook the latter in a span of a few seconds.

Due to his size, the giant didn't notice the approaching threat behind its back.

The young man was holding a blade in each hand as he concentrated a great amount of magical power underneath his feet. When he felt that enough power had been gathered, he stomped on the ground and jumped towards the giant.

Knowing that this would not be enough to reach his target, the young man stepped on the air, creating an icy foothold that only lasted for a few seconds, before shattering.

Even so, that was enough to continue his advance forward.

The Giant who had the Rank of a Pseudo Demigod finally felt something threatening approaching him from behind. He hastily turned around to attack whoever was planning to backstab him, but he didn't see anyone.

Levi, one of Wiliam's goats, had evolved into a demi-human with the help of Ella's blood. The goat, who had stood with William during his youth, had finally reached the peak of the Millennial Rank.

A Millennial Beast fighting a Pseudo-Demigod was a laughable concept. Their powers were worlds apart. Levi could easily lose his life with just a single, full-powered, slap from the Giant in front of him. However, he was not afraid.

Among his brothers and sisters, he was the one that was least afraid of Giants, even if they were of the Pseudo-Demigod Level.

Levi's body spun in the air and the blades in his hand emitted a bloody hue. With a powerful strike, he slashed down at the nape of the neck of the giant, almost severing it in half.

The young man then landed on the head of the Giant and simply stood as straight as a sword. A few seconds later, the Giant collapsed on the ground, making the ground tremble.

It was barely holding on to life, and only the regeneration ability that was constantly flooding its body was keeping its life intact.

Levi didn't move from the Giant's head and simply stared at the other retreating giants.

"You're not going to finish it off?" a young man, who had similar hair color as Levi asked as he watched the nape of the Giant's neck slowly regenerate.

"I was waiting for you to finish him off," Levi replied as if it was the most normal thing to say.

The young man with curly light-blue hair smirked as he placed his foot on the giant's wounded neck.

Keith, the goat whose name was ridiculed by many in the past raised his hand with a sinister smile on his face.

A blue seed appeared in his hand, which he nonchalantly tossed into the Giant's wound that was continuing it's slow regeneration.

A few seconds later, the body of the giant started to shake uncontrollably. Levi and Keith had already retreated at a safe distance as they watched the fate of a Pseudo-Demigod who was at the last vestige of its life.

A green vine laced with thorns, and oozing with blood, slithered out of the Giant's mouth. A moment later, two more vines erupted from the Giant's eye sockets, destroying it completely.

The giant's body twisted and several more vines erupted from the insides of its body, sending blood flying like a fountain. Soon, the Giant stopped moving. Only the vines who were happily sucking its blood continued to move, making the scene similar to what one would see in a horror movie.

"Fun time's over," a confident voice commented from behind the two young men.

"Don't go overboard, okay?" a carefree voice said. "Remember, one mistake and we're goners."

Levi and Keith looked at the two new arrivals and nodded their heads. They were none other than Chronos and Jed.

"Where are the others?" Levi asked as he flicked the blades in his hand, sending the blood that stuck to them to the ground.

"Just like you guys, killing off stragglers," Jed commented before whistling at the giant that Keith had killed. "Aslan and his team are fighting over there, I think."

Jed pointed in the distance where several spells were flying in the air. Two more newcomers joined their group. One young man, and a young woman. They were none other than the other members of Chronos' team, Myr, and Io.

"Let's go," Chronos ordered. "The battle has just started."

The group of six ran towards where their companions were fighting in order to act as reinforcements.

Ella, who was hovering above Avalon had already canceled the Blizzard that she had created. Her eyes glowed with power as she observed the battlefield.

Malacai, who had noticed her arrival, gave her a brief nod before continuing his battle with Tremohr.

Avalon's magical barrier would automatically regenerate, but it required some time to do so. Although he didn't know the identity of the people that had come to help him, one thing was certain.

All of them were on the same side.

The magical bombardment of Avalon had stopped because all of the magical artifacts required a cool down period in order to regain their magical power. Even though the Undead could still use them a few times, the Greater Undead that was giving orders to the Undead Defenders deemed it would be best to let the artifacts recharge, while they still had the leeway to do so.

Below the floating fortress, Nuckelavee's body flew over a hundred meters after it was hit by Araznir's War Mace.

Its body was bleeding all over, but its fighting spirit was still burning brightly. Unfortunately, it would need a few minutes to fully regenerate its injuries, so it could continue to fight against the Demigod that had completely outclassed it in terms of battle prowess.

Araznir was no fool, so he decided to end Nuckelavee's life while the latter was down. The Devil of the Sea tried to forcefully raise its spear in order to block the oncoming attack, but it knew that it could only block the Demigod's attack one last time.

After that, it would be incapacitated, unable to defend itself for the next blow.

The Giant roared as he sent his mace slamming towards Nuckelavee with all its might, with the intention of smashing its body apart.

Nuckleavee gritted its teeth as it prepared itself to the block the attack.

However, right before the giant mace met Nuckelavee's spear, the mace stopped mid-air.

Araznir turned his head to the side, as his body subconsciously moved against his will.

There, floating a few hundreds of meters away from him, was a young girl with short blonde hair, with curls at the end, and a pair of blue eyes that was looking at Araznir as if she had found a new toy to play with. Behind her back was a pair of fairy-like wings that were flapping excitedly.

She had used Duel-Ex earlier in order to prevent the Demigod from delivering a crippling blow to Nuckelavee, forcing Araznir to exchange blows with her.

"Pick someone your own size," Chloee said as she wound up her arm to unleash the strongest blow she was capable of unleashing.

Even as a Demigod, Araznir could feel a dangerous feeling coming from the young lady who was nothing more than a bug in his eyes.

Chapter 740: Battle Through The Heavens [Part 3]

Elliot, who was hovering a good distance away from Chloee, couldn't stop his lips from twitching. If not for the current circumstances, he might have teased Chloee that she was a small bug compared to the giant, so telling Araznir to pick someone his own size was laughable.

But, he held his words back and scanned his surroundings.

Right now, the Angelic Familiar had the form of a twelve-year old William. His blonde hair was standing up as lightning crackled all over his body. A blue bird was perched on his shoulder, and constantly scanning the battlefield, just like him.

Both of them were looking for something, and it was something of the utmost importance.

Elliot had brought Chloee, and Meredith to the Void, in order to prevent a certain incident from happening.

Chloee's role was to help even out the playing field in the fight against Demigods, while Elliot and Meredith focused on finding their target. The Angelic Familiar's and the Blue Bird's strength was only at the Centennial Rank.

Their role was very limited in this battlefield, where their opponents could easily crush their bodies with a single step. Elliot and Meredith understood this, but this was a gamble that they had to take.

—--

As the war was being raged at the void, several individuals in the world of Hestia were starting to notice.

The Demigods, with the exception of Takam, raised their heads towards the sky. They could feel the powerful fluctuations that were radiating from a place they couldn't see.

Soon, rumbling sounds spread across the entire world. They were like peals of thunder, but only more powerful. Emperors, Kings, nobles, commoners, and Beasts, all raised their heads and looked up at the sky in confusion.

William's body uncontrollably shuddered as he, too, looked up at the sky. He was sensing a familiar feeling.

A feeling that he had felt thousands of years ago, and it made his blood boil regardless of his will.

At that exact moment, almost everyone in the world was staring at the sky. Those who sat at the peak of the mortal realm could see brief flashes of light beyond the heavens. It didn't take long for them to realize that some kind of battle was being waged in a place they couldn't see.

As if by instinct, they felt something stir in their hearts. A feeling of wanting to lend their support to whoever was fighting for their sake.

This power of Faith was unconsciously released from their bodies and traveled towards the center of the world.

This was where a certain tower, that reached high into the heavens, could be found.

Three old people—two men and one woman—stood at the top of the Tower. They were the true owners of the Tower of Babylon, and the tower was created to raise individuals who would be able to protect the world.

Unfortunately, Belial's actions had delayed the progress of Humanity. The Guardian had even taken the lives of talented individuals that should have ushered in a new era for mankind. Although Wiliam had already ended his menace, the lost time couldn't be regained in the span of a year or two.

Now, they could only put their faith in those who wanted to protect the world, and lend them the power of Faith, which was currently being gathered and concentrated at the Tower of Babylon.

—--

Tarasque sighed when it heard the rumbling sounds in the heavens. It understood that this was just a prelude to what was to come. Even so, it still hoped that the forces fighting for their side would win this first clash in the battle against the Harbingers of Destruction.

The other Demigods of Hestia may not be as knowledgeable as Tarasque, but they were not stupid. They may quarrel and have conflicts against each other, but when faced with an outside threat, all of them would stand united as one.

The battle in the sky waged on, and no one knew about the current situation, except those who were present in the battlefield, and doing their best to defend their homeworld with all of their might.

—---

Araznir easily crossed the distance and brandished his weapon angrily at the little girl who was giving him a dangerous feeling. For him, eliminating those that posed a threat to their army was of utmost importance.

The Giant brandished his mace, and placed all of his strength into it for one powerful strike that would obliterate any foe it hit.

Chloee smirked as she disappeared from where she stood. A few seconds later, she reappeared right in front of Araznir's chest, with her right fist glowing brightly.

"Overwhelming Strike!" Chloee shouted as her fist hit Araznir squarely on the chest.

The Giant sneered because he was sure that the girl's attack wouldn't even faze him. Aside from his strong, and sturdy body, Araznir was also wearing an armor that boasts a very high defense.

The Giant was about to swat the little fairy on his chest when his whole body suddenly bent over like a cooked shrimp. A painful groan escaped his lips, before his body flew backwards for over a thousand meters due to Chloee's powerful punch.

Before they arrived at the Void. Elliot had used his lightning to deal some damage to Chloee in order to lower her health. He did this in order to trigger Chloee's passive Juggernaut skills that increased her strength by a hundred percent.

This punch could easily obliterate Drauum, but Araznir was a Demigod at its peak strength. Even though his body didn't shatter to pieces, Chloee's punch had broken his armor, and gave him a very serious injury.

Nuckelavee and Meredith, who watched the entire scene unfold, were dumbfounded by Chloee's great strength.

Even the two other Demigods, Tremohr and Sirion couldn't help but gape at their companion who was blown away by a single punch.

Malacai, and Ella glanced at Chloee and nodded their heads in appreciation. With such a powerful helper by their side, they would be able to cope better with the Giant Army who earlier had the upper hand.

Just like Malacai, Ella was curious on how the three newcomers had appeared in the void. This place was protected by Time and Space, and very few knew of the method of traversing this dimension.

The reason why Ella managed to appear in the Void was due to the power of Takam's artifact in the Kyrintor Mountains. The power of Faith that belonged to the tribes allowed him to open the fabric that connected the world of Hestia to the passage of the worlds.

Ella and the newly evolved Angorian War Sovereigns used this method to arrive at their destination, and help Malacai deal with the invaders who only sought the destruction of their world.

Chloee was someone who didn't follow etiquette during battles. After hitting her opponent, she flew towards the fallen giant with the intention of dealing as much damage as possible.

"World Ending Strike!" Chloee roared as she did a roundhouse kick and smashed her foot on Araznir's family jewels.

A soundless scream erupted from Araznir's lips as he curled up in pain. Due to the giant's current position, Chloee decided to pummel the giant's head with a barrage of punches and kicks, which almost dislocated the giant's jaw.

The little girl was about to activate another Overwhelming Strike when she felt a threat coming from her right side. Trusting her instincts, she hastily backed away, just in time to see a giant fiery whip that brushed past her body.

Tremohr wouldn't allow Araznir to die, so he immediately came to his companion's rescue. Seeing that she wouldn't be able to continue her rampage, Chloee decided to do the next best thing, and smashed the Giant Cone Shell that lay beside Araznir.

She punched and kicked it until it was smashed to pieces.

Immediately, the regeneration ability that the giants had obtained as a buff disappeared. It was a small compensation for the lost opportunity of ending one of the Demigod's life using her full powered attack that she could only use three times a day.

A series of battlecry spread across the void as the remainder of the Giants finally broke free from Malacai's spell.

After seeing what was happening to their leaders, the Giant Army ran with their weapons held firmly in their hands.

The Giant that ran in the lead of the formation was one of the captains assigned in the army. With his orders, the giants crossed the distance with great strides in order to counter-attack the hateful creatures who were delaying their righteous mission.

Suddenly, a whistling sound reverberated in the surroundings and the Giant Captan screamed in pain.

A silver spear had struck its eye, blinding it completely.

Tremohr glanced at the direction where the spear had come from with an annoyed expression on his savage face. There had been so many pests appearing left and right, and it was starting to get on its nerves.

However, when he saw the person who had thrown the spear that had struck his subordinate, the anger on his face disappeared and was replaced by shock.

"Y-You!" Tremohr pointed at the newcover in disbelief. "Why are you here?!"

Malacai, Ella, Chloee, and the others glanced in the direction where the giant was pointing at.

It was then when they saw an old man, seated on top of an eight-legged horse.

Ella immediately recognized who the old bandit was, and the corner of her lips rose by a good margin.

"Took you long enough," Ella said. If one were to listen closely, they would be able to find a trace of complaint in her voice.

The old man gave an awkward chuckle, but he didn't reply to Ella's words. Instead, his eyes locked on the bodies of the Giants in the distance.

The Giants, with the exception of the Demigods, unconsciously took a step back when they saw the face of the old man that was excluding a powerful presence.

Although the face was different, they knew for certain that the old man before them was the person who was hailed as one of the Strongest War Gods in existence.

The heavily injured Demigod Araznir, as well as his companion Sirion, hurriedly regrouped with Tremohr, because they felt a threat that far surpassed the combined forces of the people that they were fighting with just now.

"Are you scared?" James asked in a teasing tone. "Good. Because there is a good reason for you to be scared."

The old bandit of Lont narrowed his eyes as a powerful killing intent exploded from his body.

"According to the stars, now is a good day for Giants to die," James said with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll send all of you to hell, free of charge. No need to thank me."

Although he was cracking a joke, none of the Giants laughed.. They only held onto the weapons in their hands firmly, as if their very lives depended on it.

Chapter 741: For Asgard!

Morgan stood on a platform holding a ceremonial sword in his hand.

His father, James, had tasked him to embed the sword in the pedestal in order to activate the Bifrost Bridge, which would connect the Floor of Asgard to the Passage of the Worlds.

James didn't ask Morgan to accompany him because he had a more important task for his son. Morgan's role was to transfer the power of Faith from the Tower of Babylon towards James, and maintain the connection of the Bifrost Bridge.

Morgan trusted his father very much, so he didn't ask any questions and simply did as he was told. Although he was curious about what was happening, he was certain that once his father came back from who-knows-where, all the questions he had at the moment would be answered.

The Power of Faith that had gathered at the highest peak of the Tower of Babylon had transformed into a golden orb of light, similar to a small sun.

Three beings stood around it and slowly channeled the power towards the 51st Floor. This battle was very important to them, so they didn't hold back in supporting the Heroes that were facing the vanguards of Destruction that had arrived on their doorstep.

The platform where Morgan stood glowed a golden color as the power of Faith was absorbed by the sword in his hand. A few moments later, hundreds of beams of light shot out from the Tower of Babylon, and traveled to all corners of the world of Hestia.

For a brief moment, the entire world was bathed in a golden light, before returning to its normal state.

—--

Back in the Void…

"Impossible! You're already dead!" Tremohr shouted. He refused to believe that the adversary they had feared in the past was once again standing in front of them. Although the face wasn't familiar to them, the spiritual power that he could feel from the old man couldn't be wrong.

James didn't answer right away and merely urged his mighty steed to move forward.

"You're right. I've died once already," James answered, "but I am back, and I am back with a vengeance. This time around, there will be no prophecies to save you from me."

"So what if you're back?" Sirion sneered. "Asgard had already been burned to the ground and your world destroyed for eternity. Right now, you're just a homeless dog with no owner. Oh, how the mighty All Father has fallen!"

James brushed away the strands of hairs that were covering his face. After that, he raised his head ever so slightly, before answering the Giant's taunting.

"Asgard is not a place. Never was," James answered firmly. "It's a people. For as long as the fires of Asgard burn in their hearts, it will continue to exist."

James raised the silver spear Gungnir in the air and it glowed like a beacon warding off darkness. "Asgard is where our people stand… and now, allow me to introduce you to my people."

Hundreds of beams of light landed on top of the Bifrost Bridge, behind James.

"Hah… you're such a slave driver, commander," Owen said with an exaggerated sigh as he walked towards James. "I was just about to make love to my beautiful wife and you chose this time to summon us? If you summoned me a minute later, I might have appeared in my birthday suit."

"It must be hard being a henpecked husband," Dwayne chuckled as he stood beside Owen. He eyed the Giant Army and cracked his knuckles. Obviously, he was preparing himself to punch them to oblivion.

Ezio, Helen, Barbatos, Mr. Bond, Gordon, John, Shawn, and the other warriors of Lont stood proudly around their commander.

Throughout his early days, James had traveled the world of Hestia, searching for the Asgardians who had also reincarnated in this world. Some of them lived in the remote corners of Hestia, and although they chose not to follow James back to Lont, their loyalty remained true to him.

This was why, when James had called for them, they answered the call and were brought to the void by the power of Faith.

The Giants glanced at the newcomers and snorted. Although their opponents had increased by a few hundreds, their strength didn't pose a threat to them. Only James, Malacai, Ella, and Chloee were strong enough to threaten the Demigods and the Pseudo Demigods in the Army of Destruction.

When James saw the contemptuous expressions of the Giants, he laughed at them in his heart.

"I'm called Father of Men, The Ancient Gautr, and All Father. I am Blaze-Eyed. I am also called Eagle Head, and Shield-Shaker," James declared with arrogance. "I am The Wanderer, and I am the Chooser of the Slain. I am Gray-Beard, Masked One, and The Evil Doer. I have as many names as there are winds, as many titles as there are ways to die.

"By my power and authority, I hereby grant you the right to unseal all of your powers! Brave Heroes of Valhalla, I once again call upon you to make your stand! Break away from the shackles that bind you and unleash your true power! Show them the power of the Einherjars!"

Gungnir shone once again and the rays of light landed on the hundreds of men that answered their Master's call.

Owen, who was standing next to James, started to glow.

When the light receded, a handsome man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties appeared in front of everyone. He had platinum blonde hair, and eyes that were as blue as the clear sky. He emanated the strength of a magician that had broken through the limit of the 10th Circle.

He was none other than Owen, the Grand Archon of Life, and his face would make all the ladies in the world swoon due to how good looking he was. The handsome man had an impatient look on his face as he faced the Giant's Army.

Clearly, he was more interested in fighting thirty rounds with his wife, than dealing with the stinking giants, who had come uninvited in their new domain.

If William was there, he would definitely refuse to believe that the old perverted man, who had taught him all the techniques he knew about how to pleasure a woman, was the same person who was now oozing with a very strong life force and charisma.

Dwayne, the bald monk, who had taught William unarmed combat, now stood wearing the armor that he once wore when he was still an Einherjar that fought under Odin's direct command.

Helen, whom William had always called Aunt Helen, had transformed into a beautiful young lady who seemed to be in her early twenties. White wings sprouted behind her back and in her hand, she carried a flag where two ravens had their wings spread wide, as if they were just about to fly towards the sky.

This was the flag of Odin's personal army that followed him into battles. Helen was the Valkyrie who was under his direct command. She was also their legion's flag bearer. Her role was to ensure that Odin's flag would be seen on the battlefield, giving strength to the warriors who were fighting for the sake of the Nine Realms.

The hundreds of warriors also transformed into their forms when they were at their peak. A powerful force swept across the battlefield at that moment, and the Giants finally realized that they had underestimated how strong the warriors of the world they were planning to destroy were.

Each member of Odin's Legion had the Rank of a Saint at its peak. They were just as strong as William when he entered his Heroic Avatar form, and all of them were veterans in battle. If this kind of force appeared in any place in the Central Continent, it would certainly be a force that no one would openly dare to oppose.

James body was bathed in light, and when it receded, the old man, who always wore a robe, was covered in a golden armor. He also wore a golden horned helmet, which high-lighted the black eyepatch on his face.

The All Father then pointed Gungnir at his enemies, and Sleipneir raised its front legs while neighing out loud. The time of talking was over, it was now the time to fight.

"For Asgard!" James roared with all his might. It was the same warcry that he had shouted when the end of the world stared at him in the face.

It was the same warcry he shouted as he stared at the prophesied adversary that was meant to claim his life.

The All Father of Asgard and the God of all Aesirs once again donned his armor and weapon of war, like he did thousands of years ago. James led the charge at the frontlines of the battlefield, for honor, and for the the things he had lost!

""For Asgard!""

The hundreds of warriors shouted in unison. Their blood boiled inside their bodies as they stared hatefully at the invaders that had trampled over their dignity and honor in the past.

"Kill!" James shouted as Sleipnir charged forward. The magnificent steed neighed as its legs carried it forward.

Helen waved Odin's Flag as she hovered above the battlefield. A sneer appeared on her face as she held the banner in her hands tightly. This time, they would not falter. This time they would win!

""Kill!""

Hundreds of warriors charged alongside James without fear. Their rampage was long overdue.

It was now time for them to unleash the fury that they had kept in their hearts for thousands of years, on the same Giants who thought that they could once again destroy their world, like they had with Asgard thousands of years ago.

Chapter 742: I Will Laugh At Your Pitiful Death From Hell [Part 1]

"Gramps sure is feisty," Elliot muttered as he gave James a side-long glance. "That's my gramps."

William's angelic familiar couldn't stop the silly grin that appeared on his face as he marveled at James' prowess.

"Focus," Meredith reminded him. "We still haven't seen our target."

Meredith's reminder calmed Elliots excitement down as he once again narrowed his eyes to scan his surroundings. In this battle, he was forced to use 70% of his power, just like Chloee, and had taken the form of a young boy.

Lightning snaked around his body as he continued to gather his powers in his right hand. Ever since he and Chloee had appeared on the battlefield, the angelic familiar had been channeling his powers for one full powered strike.

He could only unleash this powerful attack once, and he would be greatly weakened afterward. Even so, it was necessary for this was the only attack that could pierce through their target's defenses.

Malacai backed off because he could tell that James had set his eyes on Tremohr. Since that was the case, he swapped places with his subordinates, and fought Sirion.

The Arcane Spectral Lich, Diabolical Hell Knight, and Grim Nightmare Revenant, joined the Angorian War Sovereigns in fighting off against the Pseudo-Demigods who had once again started to attack Avalon.

"Owen, take Dwayne, Barbatos, Shawn, Gordon, John, Marcus and half of our forces to reinforce Avalon," James ordered. "Helen…"

"I will stay with you, Commander," Helen interjected before James could give her any orders.

The beautiful Valkyrie had the "I'm staying with you and there's nothing you can do about it" expression on her face that forced James to hold back the order he was about to give.

"Fine, Just make sure that you don't get in my way," James replied. "You know how I fight, right?"

"Of course, Commander."

"Good."

Sleipnir rose to the sky as James charged straight towards Tremohr with a fearless grin.

The Strongest Demigod among the Giants didn't step back and faced him head on as well. He swung his Giant Axe and it descended with the weight of several mountains. Tremohr knew that he couldn't afford holding back against such a powerful opponent, so he decided to go all out from the very start.

Odin didn't dodge the attack, instead, he used his hand to grab the blade of the Axe that was only a meter away from his body.

Tremohr stared in disbelief at the scene that was in front of his eyes. He had only seen Odin fight briefly during Ragnarok, but he wasn't among the giants that faced the All Father in that great battle.

He heard that Odin was strong, but he didn't know how strong he was.

"Is this all you've got?" James sneered as he pushed the Giant Axe back. The blunt edge of the War Axe hit Tremohr's head, sending him staggering back a few steps.

James jumped off Sleipnir's back, and punched the Giant's nose, breaking it completely.

Although he wasn't as powerful as he was when he still held the title as the Strongest God of Asgard, his unsealed form was still strong enough to make Tremohr lose all of his confidence in a fight against him.

Right now, James' strength was akin to the strength of a Demigod at its peak. He couldn't always use this power because there was a restriction that bound him from using it. The old bandit of Lont could only unseal his power when he was facing the Army of Destruction.

Outclassed by his opponent, Tremohr knew that it was only a matter of time before their army would be wiped out. The moment he was defeated, James could easily start a massacre and annihilate all the Giants that were under the realm of Demigods.

"Activate the Beacon now!" Tremohr roared.

This was a special means of calling for reinforcements from the main army that all Raiding Teams possessed. There were several worlds that had powerful warriors on them that could resist the Vanguards of Destruction.

When this happened, the leader of the Raiding Team would then send a signal to their Main Army, which in turn would mobilize a stronger force to head to the world where the beacon was lit.

Once the beacon was lit, it would only take a week or two before a massive army, that numbered in the millions, would arrive. This was the main force of the Harbingers of Destruction.

This Army was headed by a God, and under him were thousands of Demigods and Pseudo-Demigods. The main bulk of the army was composed of Millennial and Myriad Ranked Trolls and Giants that had grown in great numbers over the passage of time.

When Tremohr shouted his order, a giant, who was located at the rear of the army, grabbed something from the satchel on his waist.

It was a golden crystal, the size of a bus, and it was the beacon that would call their reinforcements from the far reaches of the void.

The Giant Raised his hand and was about to activate the golden crystal when it was momentarily blinded by a brief flash of light. What followed next was a loud cracking sound of a crystal shattering into pieces.

When the Giant recovered his vision, he saw a blonde-haired boy, with his fist embedded in the golden crystal in his hand.

The Giant roared in anger because he could tell that the beacon had been destroyed in that brief span of time that he got distracted.

The remains of the golden crystal turned into glittering crystal powder, as Elliot felt his entire body became heavy as lead.

Out of anger, the Giant grabbed Elliot and crushed his body in a firm grip.

Elliot bit his lips as he prevented himself from crying out in pain. He had used all of his strength in that single attack, and he no longer had the strength to escape.

"I'll kill you!" The Giant increased his strength and crushed Elliot's body.

Enduring the crushing pain that was threatening to end his life, Elliot sneered at the Giant who had failed to carry out his mission.

"Jokes on you," Elliot said through pained breaths. "I'm too awesome to die."

The Giant roared in anger as he tightened his grip, crushing Elliot's body completely. The Angelic Familiar muttered a few words before his body shattered into a shower of light.

His killer didn't manage to hear his words, nor did anyone for that matter.

Only the wind, that blew softly across the battlefield, carried his words to the one that was meant to hear them. Those words were.

"I will leave the rest to you, Chloee."

Chloee was busy fighting off against Araznir, but she still sensed Elliot's death from afar.

There had been no changes in her emotions as she cornered the Giant Demigod with her cheat-like abilities.

Elliot had already told her that there was a high-chance of dying in this battle, so they had all come prepared to die when things got out of hand. As familiars, their Masters would be able to summon them again after 24 hours had passed.

As long as they didn't use 100% of their powers in battle, they could be summoned again once the duration of their death had expired.

"Duel-Ex!" Chloee shouted when Araznir tried to regroup with Tremohr. She was aware that the three Demigods were the main force of the Giant Army. As long as they were killed, the remnants of their forces would be easy prey.

Araznir cried out in fear as he once again faced the little girl whose fist was glowing in a bright, golden light.

"Noooo!" Araznir could only scream in fear as Chloee moved in for the kill.

This was her third and final chance to use her strongest attack, and she planned to end Araznir's life with it.

The battle against the Demigod wasn't easy. If not for the fact that she could break the laws that the Giants had used against her, the one who would be dying would be her.

Also, Araznir wasn't much of a fighter. His role was support, and he specialized in healing.

After the giant cone shell was destroyed, the Giant had lost his edge in his battle against Chloee.

If the one who fought against her was Tremohr or Sirion, the little fairy would have definitely died long before Elliot unleashed his suicidal attack to destroy the Beacon of the Giants.

Chloee flew like an arrow and gave Araznir an uppercut. Her small body pierced through his jaw, and went straight to destroy the giant's brain, ending his life.

One of the three Demigods had fallen, and their Beacon had been destroyed. The Morale of the Giants plummeted and some of them even started to retreat.

James' subordinates, Malacai's undead, and the Angorian War Sovereigns, didn't stop their relentless assault and hunted the giants who had decided to run for their lives.

The tides of the battle had shifted, and their roles had completely reversed.

—--

Standing on top of the Giant Sword Embedded in the middle of Hestia Academy, the beautiful lady wearing celestial clothes observed the battle from afar.

Her hands were clenched into fists, and a smile could be seen on her face. Clearly, she was happy with the outcome of the battle.

Unfortunately, she knew that this was only the beginning. Even so, the defenders had bought them precious time.

Time they could use to raise a few more heroes, who would take up arms to defend their world, from the inevitable battle that would decide the Fate of her World.

Chapter 743: I Will Laugh At Your Pitiful Death From Hell [Part 2]

Several chains wrapped around the foot of a giant preventing it from running away. The giant did its best to pull out of the chain that bound it. Some of the chains broke, but more took their place. Soon, the entire body of the giant was rendered immobile.

A black mist flew from the ground and reformed itself on the back of the giant's neck.

"Requiescat in Pace," Ezio said as he swiftly slashed on the nape of the Giant's neck with a sword that was surrounded in black mist.

Black flames erupted from the wound. Soon, the flames spread across the entire giant's body.

Not long after, a blood curdling scream of suffering erupted from the giant's lips as fear, pain, and unwillingness consumed everything, even its bones.

Hundreds of meters away from him, a giant was doing its best to escape, while blood soaked its wound riddled its body.

John, who was mounted on top of a Giant Hawk, unleashed a deadly shower of arrows that turned the giant into a pincushion.

After receiving several injuries, the Giant's speed had slowed down. It was also at that moment when a loud squeal spread across the battlefield.

A five-meter tall wild boar rammed the Giant's calf, breaking its bones, and sending it collapsing onto the ground.

Mounted on top of the Wild Boar was none other than Theo's father, Marcus. Together with his Boar Companion, Thunder, they smashed the giant's head before running after their next kill.

(A/N: Theo was William's best friend in Lont.)

Owen, on the other hand, was smoking a pipe as he observed the battlefield. As a Life Grand Archon, his role was to ensure that they would not have any casualties on their side during the battle.

He would casually point his staff at varying points in the distance and cast barriers around, and healing spells and other support spells on the Asgardians who were consumed by blood lust. These frenzied attacks were quite powerful, but due to the overflowing emotions of revenge, some of the Asgardians disregarded their safety and attacked like there was no tomorrow.

Owen didn't prevent them from doing what they wanted because he knew that they were just venting out the suppressed feelings that they had held inside their hearts for a very long time.

Also, Owen was confident enough that none of them would die under his watch. Even if they did, as a Life Grand Archon, he would be able to bring them back to life, as long as their time of death didn't surpass five minutes.

"Knock yourself out, fools," Owen muttered as he once again pointed his staff in a direction, enclosing one of his comrades in a powerful protective shield to prevent one of the giants from crushing them with its foot.

"The people of Lont are stealing our kills," Jed complained as he summoned an ethereal Sparrowhawk, with a wingspan of five-meters, to attack one of the Giants they had immobilized.

The Sparrowhawk screeched and clawed the giant's eyes, blinding it completely. It then circled the sky once, before swooping down to scratch the giant's face.

"Stop complaining," Keith, who had summoned a giant vine to immobilize the giant, commented. "If you don't pay attention to the enemy in front of you, you might get your cheeks clapped hard."

Io, who had accompanied the two to subdue the giants, summoned several Earth Spears and hurled them at the giant's chest. She was someone that didn't like to talk too much, and was the steadiest among the Angorian War Sovereigns that were under Chronos' leadership.

After delivering the final blow that ended the Giant's life, Io looked in the distance where her companions were battling two more giant's together.

"Let's go," Keith said. "Big Sister said that none of the giants must survive."

Jed raised his hand and increased the size of the ethereal Sparrowhawk, so that the three of them could mount its back.

Half a minute later, the group of three flew in the air and sought out the Giant's that had run the furthest ahead.

They had no intention of letting any of the Giant's go because this was part of the mission that Ella had given to all of them.

—-

Avalon soared across the void and unleashed a barrage of magical attacks on the fleeing giants. Since they were only of the Millennial Rank, and no longer under the protection of Sirion's and Araznir's powerful artifacts, these giants were blasted to bits by the magical attacks that fell on their bodies like rain.

Chloee panted as she climbed out of Araznir's bloody head. Her whole body had been drenched with blood and brain fluids, but she didn't pay it too much attention.

Just as she was about to fully extract herself, a fireball descended upon her and turned her body into particles of light.

One of the Captains of the Giant Army had come to support Araznir, but it was already too late when he arrived. Even so, he still decided to end the life of the little girl who had killed his superior.

The Captain knew that they had already lost, and he had made it his mission to eliminate as many warriors on the enemy's side as possible.

However, before he could realize his goal, the Giant Slaying Draugr, who had finally managed to reattach its body parts, sliced the Giant's Head off from its body.

It was filled with anger and annoyance because the Giants had not only torn its body apart, they had also thrown it in different directions. This had made the Giant Slaying Draugr very angry, so it hacked and slashed at any Giant that was near its vicinity.

The Monstrous Skeleton Sovereign was of the same opinion as his comrade, and was currently on a killing spree amongst the weaker Millennial Giants that had started to run from the battlefield.

"You are only delaying the inevitable," Tremohr said as he knelt on the ground, while blocking the gaping hole on his chest with his hand. "You might have won today, but you cannot stop us. You and the Aesir Gods failed back then. Do you really think your pitiful resistance is enough to stop the mainforce from setting this world ablaze? Naive!"

Tremohr knew that his life was nearing its end, so it decided to use its remaining life force to ridicule James' and his pitiful effort at resistance.

James didn't affirm nor reject Tremohr's words because it held some truth in it. He was not as strong as he used to be in the past, and he was well aware of how powerful the Army of Destruction was.

Indeed, in the face of the Main Army, headed by the God of Destruction himself, their resistance was indeed pitiful. However, James wasn't pessimistic about their chances.

"Don't worry," James said as he stared at the dying Giant in front of him. "If, and when, your main army arrives, I will personally send your comrades to hell to accompany you."

"Delusional mortal. I will laugh at your pitiful death from hell."

"Laugh as much as you want, but I'm not going to hell."

James sneered at the Giant whose eyes were glaring at him with hate.

"I'm too awesome to share that filthy place with you, and your stinking companions," James said as he threw Gungnir at the Giant's forehead, finally ending the Demigods' life.

Sleipnir neighed as it nudged James using the side of its face.

"I know," James replied as he patted the horse's head. "We won't allow any of them to escape."

Sleipnir neighed as James mounted its back. The two then galloped across the void to hunt down the Giants that were running for their lives.

Malacai had also ended Sirion's life, and his undead army was currently clearing the battlefield alongside James' forces.

On top of Avalon's ramparts, Ella's long, light-blue, hair fluttered in the breeze.

'We bought ourselves a bit of time,' Ella thought as she hurled a giant icycle at a fleeing giant.

The Icycle pierced through the giant's back, instantly turning it into a giant block of ice.

Ella then snapped her fingers and the ice shattered into pieces.

The numbers of the Giants were dwindling by the minute. It was only a matter of time before all of them had been completely rooted out, but Ella was not taking any chances and was paying close attention to the surroundings.

The incident with the Giant's Beacon had taught them a very important lesson. They might win the battle, but they would definitely lose the war if the Beacon had been activated successfully.

Fortunately, Elliot had smashed it at the cost of his life, preventing the Giant's from calling for reinforcements from their main force.

James wasn't being idle either. Gungnir reaped the lives of every giant that the All Father had set his sights on.

With its supernatural precision, and James incredible strength, it was similar to a Railgun that pierced the giant's heads like a bullet going through a watermelon with ease.

Some of the giants died not knowing how they died. That was how deadly Gungnir was in the hands of James, whose strength had reached the peak of a Demigod.

When the last Giant died at Malacai's hand, James, along with the warriors of Asgard, went to Avalon to have a discussion with the Dracolich.

Ella, on the other hand, returned to the Kyrintor Mountains along with her wards. Her existence was a sensitive issue, and she didn't want others to find out who she was.

James was probably the only one who had an inkling of who she was, but even he was not a hundred percent certain about it.

In order to prevent the old coot from confirming his guess, Ella decided that it was better to leave as soon as possible.

She had already done her part to give William, and his herd, a bit more time to grow.

The Half-Elf's adoptive mother was confident that James would be able to handle things even if she wasn't around.

'I think it's about time I go to the Central Continent,' Ella mused.. 'I miss Will terribly.'

Chapter 744: To Be Played With By Destiny… You Will Laugh At It In Scorn

In a clearing inside a forest near the Capital City of Orion…

Rebecca's clothes were soaked with sweat as she knelt in the center of a magic circle.

She had been maintaining that flow of energy so that the portal that connected to the void wouldn't close. This required an extensive amount of concentration and magical power, which Rebecca possessed.

Suddenly, a blue bird materialized in front of her.

It was none other than Meredith, that had returned from the battlefield. After the Giants had been defeated, it had slipped out of the battle undetected, and returned to where Rebecca was.

"Where are Elliot and Chloee?" Rebecca asked as she looked at the Guardian of the Savadeen Mountains with exhaustion.

"Dead," Meredith replied. "You can close the portal now."

As if she was given a royal pardon, Rebecca sighed in relief as she stopped channeling her magical energy into the formation that was etched around the clearing.

As soon as she stopped feeding the magical array with her mana, Rebecca felt light-headed and almost collapsed on the ground. Fortunately, Meredith was there to support her and prevented her from losing consciousness.

After giving her a few minutes to catch her breath, Meredith explained everything that happened in the Void, which made Rebecca gasp in disbelief.

She couldn't believe that the Angelic Familiar had dragged her and Meredith along to participate in a war that had the Fate of the world at stake.

"What should we do next?" Rebecca asked. Since the battle had ended, and Elliot had died, she was unsure about how to proceed.

Meredith glanced in the direction of Hestia Academy before shifting her gaze back to Rebecca.

"Let's go back to the Misty Sect," Meredith replied. "I will inform them of what happened here, so they can also make the necessary preparations."

Rebecca frowned, "Preparations for what? Isn't it already over?"

Meredith chuckled before shaking its head.

"Over?" Meredith sighed. After seeing the battle in the Void, it knew that the future would be filled with hardships."No Rebecca. It's not over yet. Come, let us go back. Is it time for the Misty Sect to prepare for war."

—--

William clutched his chest with his right hand as he sensed Elliot's demise. This was not the first time he had felt this sensation, because his Angelic Familiar had died several times when he had taken them to the Dungeon of Atlantis to train.

Even so, it was a very painful feeling.

Elliot was not an ordinary familiar. He was part of William's soul. Everytime Elliot and Conan died, William felt that his soul was being torn apart.

Fortunately, this painful feeling would go away after an hour or two.

Seeing his pained expression, Princess Sidonie and Chiffon hurriedly supported his body. They didn't know what happened to William because the latter had his eyes closed, and beads of sweat had started to form on his forehead.

"Will, are you alright?" Chiffon asked.

Princess Sidonie eyed William's expression and rubbed his back with her hand. "What happened?"

William took in a few deep breaths before he answered his wives' questions.

"Elliot died," William answered. "I don't know how he died. I just know that he did."

Before Elliot left the academy, he had told William that he might be gone for a few days to accompany Chloee on her excursion. William didn't think much of it back then and allowed his Angelic Familiar to have his way.

Chloee was strong, so he wasn't worried about Elliot's safety. He was more worried that his skirt-chasing familiar would offend his Sixth Master and get punched to oblivion.

Suddenly, a green blur appeared in front of William.

A beautiful Elf, with fairy-like wings spread wide behind her back, looked at William with a serious expression on her face.

"Did Elliot die?" Celeste asked. There was a hint of anxiousness in her voice as she waited for William to answer her question.

William nodded. "Yes. He went with Chloee on an excursion…"

Celeste didn't give William a chance to finish his sentence, and told him about Chloee's death.

"Both Chloee and Elliot are dead, but looking at our expressions, it seems that Elliot died before Chloee did," Celeste said after making a rational statement. "Chloee did mention that she would go sight-seeing for a few days, but she didn't tell me where she was going."

WIlliam frowned. "There are very few beings that can kill Chloee. Whoever killed both of them must be someone very strong."

Celeste nodded in agreement. Since Chloee was born, she had only died once. This was why the beautiful Elf knew that her familiar had died because it was the same sensation she had felt back then.

However, just like William had said, there were very few beings that could threaten the life of her familiar. The only time that Chloee had died was when she challenged Tarasque in a duel a few years ago.

"We'll know the answer we want after twenty four hours," William commented. "I just hope that they didn't offend someone who bears grudges."

Chloee's twin, Claire, had canceled her fusion with Celeste and landed on the beautiful Elf's shoulder.

"Whoever killed my sister will pay with their life," Claire said in a voice laced with killing intent. The moody familiar only cared for two people in the world, and they were Celeste and her twin sister, Chloee.

"Don't worry," Celeste coaxed the little fairy whose body was shivering from anger. "We will get to the bottom of this tomorrow. For now, all we can do is wait."

William's and Celeste's gaze met and a sudden realization appeared on their faces.

Both of them looked up at the sky at the same time, and extended their senses.

The rumbling sounds, and the flashes of light in the heavens were not as pronounced as they once had been. Just like a rain that was about to end, only a faint drizzle remained.

Clearly, the battle that was being waged through the Heavens was nearing a conclusion, and yet, no one knew which side had won.

William's reason for leaving his room was to visit Shannon in the Shrine. But now, he was no longer in the mood to do so.

He focused his gaze on the heavens as if trying to peer through the fabric of time and space. Unfortunately, he didn't have that ability to do that, so he could only sigh in his heart as he watched the flickering lights in the sky, whose brightness was getting dimmer with each minute that passed.

—--

Inside the Shrine located at the East of Hestia Academy…

Shannon's brush danced across the canvas.

Although her gaze was locked on the canvass in front of her, she wasn't looking at her creation, but at something else entirely.

Her eyes glowed with power as she watched the event that was happening in the Passage of the Worlds.

She watched Malacai's selflessness, Ella's elegance, James' act of vengeance, as well as Elliot's and Chloee's participation in the war.

Shannon had caught all of these events on the three canvases that surrounded her. The first canvas was the beginning of the war, the second was the climax, and the third was the ending.

Right now, she was painting the end of the war. Her brush was moving automatically like it had a life of its own.

Shannon sighed, as she made the final stroke on her masterpiece.

She panted for breath as the excitement and rush of adrenaline dissipated in her body. Her face was flushed as she bathed in the afterglow of the battle that had just ended.

"Beautiful," Shannon said as she caught her breath. "Simply beautiful."

Her finger lightly caressed Malacai's, Ella's, James', Elliot's, and Chloee's images in the canvas as if she was trying to touch her favorite idols.

"It is quite unfortunate that the world will not end today," Shannon muttered. "I wish it had. That way, all of my suffering would also come to an end."

The young lady who was wearing the clothes of a shrine maiden glanced at her three paintings one last time. After embedding their images in her memory, she waved her hand and all three paintings were bathed in purple flames.

The stench of burning paint spread inside the room, but Shannon was indifferent to it. Clearly, this wasn't the first time that this had happened and she was already used to it.

Suddenly, the window of her room opened, and a refreshing breeze passed through her body. Half a minute later, the smell of burning was gone, and was replaced by a fragrance that could calm the mind of those who smell it.

The lady wearing a celestial robe appeared behind Shannon and patted her head. Shannon sighed in pleasure, and she even leaned her back against the lady behind her, like a spoiled child wanting to be pampered.

"Will my visitors still come today?" Shannon asked sleepily. "I don't want to meet anyone today. I'm tired and want to sleep."

"Okay, I will tell the guards to not let anyone in today," the lady replied as she helped Shannon to stand.

Shannon didn't reply because she was already fast asleep. It was very taxing for her to use her powers, but she still did it because she wanted to see the outcome of the battle.

She was like one of those people who scrimped and saved so they could barely afford to buy a movie ticket for a movie that they knew they would only ever get the opportunity to see once in their lifetime.

The beautiful lady who was holding the young shrine maiden in her arms sighed. She then carried the sleeping Shannon back to her room, and laid her in bed so she could get a proper rest.

"Today is a day that will be remembered by many as the day where a battle was fought in the Heavens," the beautiful lady said softly. "The outside threat has been dealt with for now, but the internal struggles are just about to begin."

The lady sighed as she walked out of Shannon's bedroom with a sad expression on her face. She gave the sleeping lady one last look before she erased all traces of what had transpired inside her room.

After that was done, she gazed somewhere in the distance. After finding her target, she stared at that person for a minute, or two, before shaking her head in helplessness.

"Pitiful Prince who did nothing wrong, your Fate has been set since the day you were born," the beautiful lady muttered as her body slowly turned into particles of light. "Through the whims of the universe, you were once again reborn, to be played with by Destiny… you will laugh at it in scorn."

A playful chuckle was carried by the wind, as if to agree to the lady's muttering.

"It might take a year. It might take a day," a voice filled with certainty said from a place that was shrouded in darkness, "but what's meant to be… will always find its way."

—-

End of Volume 5: Battle Through The Heavens

Chapter 745: You Were Amazing Last Night

A day had passed since the Heavenly Phenomenon had shocked the entire world.

When the cooldown of the Familiar summoning ended, William immediately summoned Elliot to ask him how he died. Celeste was also there because there was still half an hour before Chloee could be summoned as well.

Just like William, she also wanted to get to the bottom of things, and find out the reason behind why the two familiars died during their excursion.

Elliot scratched the back of his head as William and Celeste stared at him with serious expressions.

"This might be a bit embarrassing to say, but Chloee and I died when we ate a strange mushroom during our journey," Elliot replied in an awkward tone. "When we found out that it was poisonous, it was already too late. Since I am weaker than Chloee, I died first. She probably died some time later."

William and Celeste looked at Elliot with doubtful expressions on their faces. They couldn't believe that the two Familiars died just because they ate a mushroom.

"What does the mushroom look like?" William asked.

"A pure white mushroom," Elliot replied in a heartbeat. "It is as big as a man's head and looks very delicious. Chloee and I grilled a few and ate them. At first, we didn't feel anything. However, once we resumed our journey, we experienced extreme chest, and abdominal pains."

Celeste, who was listening in Elliot's description, frowned.

"You said it was pure white mushrooms, right?" Celeste inquired. "Do they have other noticeable features?"

Elliot shook his head. "They are just pure white mushrooms. They're just like those mushrooms being sold at the marketplace in the City of Orion. The only difference is that this one is bigger. Just as big as an adult human's head."

Celeste nodded her head.

"I guess they must have accidentally eaten the White Death Cap Mushroom," Celeste said as she glanced at William. "They share a lot of similarities with edible mushrooms. The only difference is that they are bigger. Although I know that Chloee would often pick up random things to eat during her travels, I didn't expect her to die eating a mushroom."

William crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the embarrassed looking familiar in front of him. Elliot had always had that confident look on his face, but now, the Familiar was blushing in shame and embarrassment.

"Kekeke! To think that you would die because of a mushroom. How funny!" Conan laughed out loud as he patted Elliot's shoulder.

Elliot scratched his head, "Yes. It was a very embarrassing way to die. It will not happen again."

After asking Elliot a few more questions, Celeste left and returned to her quarters. She wanted to interrogate Chloee and see if her statement would match Elliot's. That was the only way to confirm whether the Angelic Familiar was saying the truth or not.

Half an hour later, Chloee was summoned, and she said similar things to what Elliot had said. After this, William and Celeste warned both Familiars to not eat random things again when they go out on an excursion.

—--

A few hours later…

Elliot, and Chloee secretly met up in the City of Orion.

The Angelic Familiar asked about everything that happened after he died. Unfortunately, Chloee had been too busy fighting with Araznir that she didn't pay attention to the other battles around her.

"I guess since nothing has happened, they successfully eliminated all of the Giants," Elliot said while rubbing his chin.

"Will they be back?" Chloee asked. Although she liked fighting, this was one of the rare occasions when she hoped that she wouldn't have to fight a Giant Demigod again.

Elliot nodded his head with certainty, but he also told her that he didn't know when they would be back. All he could tell Chloee was that they would at least have a year or two of peace.

"I think we should tell Celeste about this," Chloee commented after a while. "She can warn the Headmaster about it, and that old Byron can make preparations for the giants' return."

Elliot smiled, "There's no need for you to do that. I'm sure that the Headmaster is also aware of the threat of invaders coming to our world. If he has the means to travel to the void, I'm sure that he might have also been there during the battle."

"Ah! That reminds me. How did you know about this? Also, why were we able to go to the void?"

"I have the power of clairvoyance. Also, not everyone can travel to the void. It requires a very powerful artifact or magical power to enter the Passage of the Worlds. The reason why You, I, and Meredith, were able to go there is because our bodies are made up of Magical Energies.

"With the right frequency, we can appear in the Void as long as we have an anchor supporting us in this world."

Elliot knew that Chloee needed an explanation, so he answered her to the best of his abilities.

"So, that girl, Rebecca, became our anchor point, correct?" Chloee inquired.

Elliot nodded his head. "She needed to keep the connection open so that, even if we died, our essences would return back here to Hestia. If there was no connection between this world and the void, our magical energies might have been stuck there and our Masters wouldn't be able to summon us again."

"I see! So, that's why. Now I understand!"

"Do you really understand?"

"No! But, it's fine!" Chloee replied with a smile. "Didn't we win? As long as we won, nothing else matters! Ah! I almost forgot! What was Will's grandfather doing there as well? I saw him back at the Misty Sect…"

Elliot scratched his head as he started to explain how James appeared in the Passage of the Worlds.

"Do you remember that rainbow-glowing bridge that you smashed in Asgard?" Elliot inquired.

Chloee tilted her head in confusion. "Um? Are you talking about that low-budgeted bridge that crumbled from a single punch?"

Elliot's face twitched because Chloee was the only one that would say that the Bifrost Bridge was a low-budgeted bridge. However, in order to not complicate things, he decided to ride along and nodded his head.

"The Bifrost Bridge can allow someone to travel anywhere, as long as Grandpa James wills it," Elliot explained. "Just think of it as a teleportation Gate that he can use to travel the world, anytime, anywhere."

"What? That bridge is that good? I should have brought it back to the academy with me!"

"Remind me later to tell William to ban you from the Floor of Asgard. You should really curb that hobby of yours to smash things that catch your fancy."

While the two Familiars were having a casual talk, an Elven Ship docked at the port of the City of Orion.

"So, that is Hestia Academy," Princess Eowyn said as she gazed at the massive floating academy in the distance.

Pearl was already at the dock and had been waiting for an hour for the Princess to arrive. Her task was to become the Elven Princess' bodyguard while she studied in the academy to learn more about Human nature.

The last surviving Blademaster and several of the Princess' attendants, who protected her in the Southern Continent, had reported everything that had happened to their King.

After hearing their stories, the Elven King decided to let his daughter study at the prestigious Hestia Academy, in order to cure her naivety about how the Human world works. He hoped that after spending more time in the Human world, the Princess would be able to better understand the complex world of Humans.

—--

In an inn inside the City of Orion…

"Dear, you were amazing last night," a beautiful lady, with blonde hair and green eyes, said before she kissed Owen's cheek.

"I know," Owen replied as he returned his wife's kiss. "Aila must be in the academy by now. Should we return to Lont, or should we go to the Tower of Babylon?"

"Yes, Aila successfully enrolled at the academy yesterday. She has also moved into the girls' dormitory," the blonde beauty said as she looked at her husband with an affectionate gaze. "As for whether we should go back in Lont or go to the Tower of Babylon, any place is good, as long as you are there."

She had been captivated by Owen many years ago when he had saved her from bandits.

Her family had a special bloodline that was able to see past the appearances of people, so even though Owen looked old on the outside, she was able to see the handsome young man for who he truly was.

She had fallen in love at first sight with him, and decided to become his wife, which surprised all the old people of Lont, including James who was Owen's liege at that time.

The handsome young man with platinum blonde hair held his wife, Sarah, and pulled her close to him. Right after the battle ended, he returned to the Bifrost Bridge alone, in order to spend some time with his wife.

Every year, they would go on a honeymoon by traveling away from Lont for a month or two. This time, Owen decided to take his Disciple, Princess Aila—the Third Princess of the Zelan Dynasty—to the Central Continent with them to gain some experience.

Their first stop was the Tower of Babylon where William and James had journeyed earlier.

When Princess Aila's brother, Crown Prince Alaric, heard that his sister was going to the Central Continent, he immediately gave her a mission and that was to become one of William's lovers!

The angelic looking Princess almost died from embarrassment after reading her Big Brother's letter. However, Alaric had pointed out that William was their Dynasty's Savior and Benefactor, so it was only natural for one of the members of the Royal Family to form stronger ties through marriage.

Just like the Kraetor Empire, the Zelan Dynasty also had its own culture and traditions. The Princesses had been taught at an early age that their existence was to protect the interest of the Royal Family, so they were all prepared to be used as tools for marriage in order to expand the Zelan Dynasty's influence.

This was why Princess Aila had no choice when she was taken to the Kyrintor Mountains to be married off to the Tribe Chieftain's second son, Connal.

Although Princess Aila felt embarrassed by the mission given to her, she had a very good impression of William.

William had saved her once in the Kyrintor Mountains, and had also been there to help fight against the Elves during the war in the Southern Continent.

In Princess Aila's life, William was a hero. The red-headed teenager might not be a Prince, but he was the most sought after candidate by all the Princesses in the world of Hestia.

She would be lying if she said that she didn't have any feelings for the Half-Elf who had been a regular visitor to her sweetest dreams.

Princess Aila didn't hide anything from Owen and told him about the plans of the Zelan Royal Family.

Owen wasn't too surprised about the Royal Family's move because he was once a citizen of the Zelan Dynasty.

Although he didn't know if his shy disciple had a chance to worm her way to William's heart, as her Master, Owen decided to support her decision.

'I don't know if you are lucky or unlucky, Will,' Owen thought as he hugged his beloved wife. 'Being loved by many women is good, but I don't think your stamina will last. Fortunately, my Disciple is a powerful healer. Marrying her will certainly help you, and Little Will, reach your peak performance every night.'

Owen sighed as he held his wife in a protective embrace. 'I guess I should write a letter to Will and tell him to take good care of Aila. As for their matchmaking… I'll just go to the Tower of Babylon and let James handle the rest. Knowing him, I'm sure that he will be more than happy to accept another beautiful lady as his grandson's future wife in order to expand his lineage.'

He had no qualms about William's character. In fact, Owen would be hard pressed to find someone more worthy of his Disciple than William.. His only gripe was that the old coot, James, would certainly be roaring with laughter after he found out that Owen's precious Disciple had fallen into the Half-Elf's hands.

Chapter 746: Master Isn’t A Pervert

William stared in disbelief at the three beauties that were standing at the front of their classroom.

He knew all three of them and, with the exception of Pearl, William was surprised by the two other ladies that were present inside his classroom.

'What a small world,' William thought as his eyes wandered to the three beauties in front of him.

He was acquainted with all three, but only Princess Aila and him were on good terms.

The Half-Elf had also admired how the Princess had fought alongside her Big Brother, Crown Prince Alaric, during the battle in the Southern Continent.

There were very few healers on the battlefield, and the Princess' face was a common sight at the places where the injured people were gathered.

Because of this, William had a very good impression of her.

As for Princess Eowyn and Pearl, the Half-Elf wasn't too interested in the two of them. For him, the Elves were trouble. The only good Elves in his opinion were his mother, Arwen, and his ex-roommate, Kenneth.

Everyone else was a stranger, and William didn't give a hoot about what they did with their lives.

"Today is your lucky day everyone, especially the boys," Professor Garen said with a smile.

His comment was greeted with cheers and applause by the boys who were looking at the three beauties with infatuated gazes.

"Two Elven beauties! It's very rare to see them here in the academy."

"I think I'm in love!"

"Me, too!"

"Me, three!"

"Bruh, you fall in love with every beautiful girl you see. Have you forgotten that you still have the face of sardine?"

The class became very excited, but Professor Garen managed to calm them down before they got out of hand.

"Okay, can you girls introduce yourselves to the class," Professor Garen smiled as he made a gesture. "I'm sure that all of them are dying to know your names."

Princess Eowyn stepped forward and made a curtsy, "Eowyn Elbereth Nienna. Please, just call me Eowyn. It is my pleasure to meet all of you."

The beautiful Elf didn't want the others to know that she was an Elven Princess. Although she didn't mind introducing herself as such, she deemed that it would be best if the others didn't treat her as royalty.

That way, she would be able to get to know them better and talk to them as equals.

After introducing herself, she took a step back and allowed Pearl to introduce herself as well.

"Pearl McLean," Pearl said. "Call me, Pearl."

She took a step back without another word and stood beside the Princess that she was tasked to guard with her life.

Princess Aila took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"My name is Aila Sol Zelan," Princess Aila said. "I would be very happy if all of you called me Aila."

The boys clapped their hands, and some of them even whistled after the three girls had introduced themselves.

People liked to look at good looking girls, even the ladies of the class weren't an exception. Elves were an excotic race and known for their beauty. However, Princess Aila's angelic face looked so pure and innocent that the boys couldn't stop themselves from looking at her like she was someone they needed to protect no matter what.

When William arrived in the classroom, he was surprised to see that a few more desks and chairs had been placed behind their own desk and chairs.

Now, he understood their purpose.

The three new students sat behind William's group, which didn't come as a surprise to the Half-Elf. He even thought that this arrangement was pretty uncanny and believed that the Academy's Headmaster, Byron, had a role to play in this.

Still, there was nothing he could do about it.

He could only sigh in his heart because he felt that the Headmaster was targeting him specifically, after they had their confrontation on Antilia Island.

He turned his head, just in time to catch Princess Aila staring at him. Their two gazes met and the angelic princess immediately averted her eyes in embarrassment.

A second later, a reddish hue crawled up from the base of her neck, up to the tip of her ears. The boys that saw this immediately glared at William and made him their public enemy number one.

Bruh, you already have two beautiful wives, give us a chance dammit!

William didn't hide the fact that he was already married to his classmates in order to deter the ladies who were giving him bashful gazes on his first day of class. After seeing Princess Sidonie and Chiffon, most of the ladies backed out because they felt that they couldn't compare to William's wives.

The boys also felt at ease because they had one less rival when it came to wooing the beautiful ladies in their class.

The Elves were indeed beautiful, but the students knew that they preferred to have a relationship with their own race. In their eyes, Princess Eoywn and Pearl were just eye candies that they could look at, but never touch.

Princess Aila, on the other hand, was a different matter. Although she didn't introduce herself as a Princess, her angelic features were more than enough to win the boys' hearts.

"How is that old pervert, Owen?" William asked in a teasing tone. For some reason, he felt like bullying the blushing girl who was doing her best to pretend that the staring incident didn't happen.

"Master isn't a pervert," Princess Aila raised her head to defend her Master. Although her face was still beet-red from embarrassment, she would not allow anyone to slander the kind old man that had taught her how to become a Life Magician.

William chuckled and nodded. "Sorry, It has been so long since I've seen you and I suddenly got the urge to tease you."

"Sir William, you're such a bully."

"Sorry. I'll do my best so that it won't happen again."

Princess Eowyn kept her gaze in front of the class, but her ears were focusing on William's conversation with the girl seated beside her.

She was already aware that William and Princess Aila knew of each other. She even hoped that Princess Aila could help her get close to William, so that she could apologize for what happened back in the Southern Continent.

Although she was a Princess, her authority in the expedition was not enough to overturn the general situation. She was merely a supervisor, and the Elves only gave her face because of her lineage.

Princess Eowyn had already expected that William wouldn't treat her kindly, but she still felt bitter at the cold treatment that the Half-Elf was giving her. Even so, she endured it.

She knew that the two of them couldn't instantly become friends, after what had transpired in the Southern Continent.

The best she could do was close the gap little by little, and try to win the forgiveness of her Master's son.

Lady Arwen had assured her Second Disciple that, although William was the type to hold grudges, he was also capable of forgiving others.

Princess Eowyn didn't expect to see William at the academy, but she deemed that this was the workings of Fate in order for her to atone for the sins that she had done in the past.

Pearl, on the other hand, was giving side-glances to the Half-Elf who had abducted her little sister.

She still hadn't forgotten that William had summoned his subordinates to attack her. Since then, Pearl knew that there was no way that she could beat William in a head-on confrontation.

For now, she was willing to wait.

Waiting for the perfect opportunity to arise when she could negotiate with the Half-Elf, and set her sister free from his control, once and for all.

Chapter 747: I Am Not A Toy, You Know?

Two days passed since Princess Eowyn, Pearl, and Princess Aila joined William's Class in Hestia Academy.

The three girls had easily become good friends with their new classmates, especially the boys who were simping so hard for them.

As William was about to leave the classroom, he made sure to look at these boys in disdain, while the boys looked back at him in contempt.

The Half-Elf gave his classmates the "Please, I'm already married. I'm not like you single boys who are desperate for women" gaze, while the boys in his class gave him the "You're already married and you're still fighting us for the beautiful girls' affection? Go home and hug your wives and leave us singles alone dammit!" glare.

William could only shake his head at these desperate creatures, and left the class in order to handle important business.

Kenneth wanted to follow William, but he had also been given the duty of looking after Princess Eowyn during her stay in the academy. For the time being, the silver-haired Elf decided to accompany the Princess until she got used to the academy life.

William wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, so Kenneth decided to ensure that no incidents happened to the Elven Princess, who was studying in the Human lands for the first time in her life.

"Sir William!" a voice called out from behind the Half-Elf and the latter turned his head to look at who it was.

"Aila." William smiled when he saw the familiar figure running after him. The latter had told him to keep her identity a secret. Since this was the case, the red-headed teenager decided to call her by her first name. She was Owen's disciple, and the perverted old man had treated him well in Lont.

Even if the latter didn't send him the letter telling him to take care of Aila, the Half-Elf was more than happy to look after a comrade that had fought with him during the war in the Southern Continent.

"What's wrong? Did any of the boys in class bully you? Tell me their names, and I'll make sure to hang them upside down in front of the girl's dormitory without their clothes on."

Princess Aila's face reddened when she heard William's words. She immediately shook her head, to tell the Half-Elf that he was mistaken.

"Our classmates treat me very well," Princess Aila said. "It's just that, I still don't know much about the Academy. Can you give me a tour?"

Princess Aila had asked Owen's wife, Sarah, about how she could form a close relationship with William in the academy.

Sarah was also a very talented young lady, and even though she wasn't considered a genius, she was still one of the best in her class when she was still studying in the Zelan Royal Academy. Because of this, she was aware of how the noble ladies of the kingdom tried to bridge the gap between the boys whom they were attracted to.

Sarah had given Princess Aila several tips, and the princess decided to use one of them to break the ice between her and William.

"I'd love to give you a tour," William replied, "but, I have business to handle today. How about I refer you to someone trustworthy?"

William raised his hand and a magic circle formed in the air.

"Conan, I choose you!"

The Devil Familiar materialized and hastily looked around him. Clearly, he was in the lookout of a certain little fairy who was hell bent to perform physical examinations on him.

"Did Claire already leave the academy to do a mission?" Conan asked.

William shook his head. "Don't worry. She's with Professor Celeste right now. I am just about to meet with her in order to unlock the last stage of the Familiamancer Job Class."

Conan hit the palm of his hand with his fist as if coming to a realization.

"Kekeke. It's about time," Conan commented. He looked very happy at the prospect of becoming more powerful. "Hurry up, Will. I want to be stronger. I don't want to get bullied by Claire anymore."

William sighed as he lightly flicked Conan's head. The latter immediately cried out in pain as he held his forehead.

"You're a man so you mustn't let yourself get bullied by girls," William stated.

Conan rubbed his forehead and stared at William with an expression suffering from injustice.

"That's easy for you to say," Conan replied. "If you're so confident about yourself, why don't you have another sparring match with Chloee?"

William lightly coughed as he averted his gaze.

Spar with Chloee? Why would I have a spar with that cheater?

Not happening!

The Half-Elf didn't even want to provoke his Sixth Master because he was truly afraid that the little violent girl would ask him to fight him for a round.

Chloee was someone who didn't understand moderation. William knew for certainty that he might die if his Sixth Master got carried away during their sparring match.

Seeing that William didn't have the guts to prove his strength, Conan snorted at him in contempt.

"Well, why did you summon me then?" Conan asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's about this…," William explained the situation, and Conan nodded his head in understanding.

Since he was born from William's soul, he also shared his memories. He knew who Aila was, and just like William, the Devil Familiar had a good impression of her.

"Okay, I'll give her a tour of the academy," Conan replied as he patted his chest with confidence. "You can count on me, but you have to keep Claire away from me, okay? I swear she's more violent than Chloee when it comes to me."

William agreed. "Okay."

The Half-Elf then turned to Aila and introduced Conan to her. The princess of the Zelan Dynasty looked at the little familiar with great curiosity.

"So cute," Aila said as her hand unconsciously reached out to hold Conan.

Conan didn't feel any threat coming from Aila, so he allowed himself to be grabbed by her. The Princess then happily patted Devil Familiar's head like some kind of a pet, which made William smirk.

"I will be going now. Conan, make sure that nothing bad happens to Aila, okay?" William looked at his Familiar with a serious expression on his face. "If any bastard tries to do something bad to her, I give you permission to beat them silly."

"Kekeke, this is only natural," Conan replied before looking at Aila with an expression of discomfort. "Um, Aila, can you not squeeze my body? I am not a toy, you know?"

"I'm sorry, Sir Conan," Aila replied as she looked at the little guy in her hands. "For some reason, holding you feels so nice."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't know why, but holding you makes me feel at ease."

Conan tilted his head in confusion. 'Is this the reason why Claire likes to touch me all over?'

The Devil Familiar didn't know if he really did have this kind of effect on other people or not. William's interest was piqued by Aila's comment, but he really had things to do, so he left the two behind and headed towards Celeste's office located on the North Side of the Academy.

It was now time for his Familiamancer Job Class to upgrade to the Familiamancer Sovereign, which would allow him to unlock new features for his two Familiars, who would soon be able to step into the Millennial Rank.

Chapter 748: A Sad Smile That Lingered In His Memories

"So, you've finally found some time to see me," Celeste said as she glanced at William. She was reading a book when the Half-Elf came to visit her, and judging from her voice, she wasn't very pleased.

William lightly coughed as he sat on a chair. He then looked at Celeste with an innocent expression on his face. "Sorry, Professor, I completely forgot about it because of the Phenomenon in the sky and Elliot's death"

Celeste snorted as she closed the book in her hand. She gave William a contemptuous look before setting her book to the side. The beautiful elf didn't want to admit it, but she had been waiting for William to find her and ask how to advance his profession for quite some time now.

"Since you're already here, let's not waste each other's time and discuss the details of your ascension." Celeste waved her hand and a golden beam of light shot towards the center of William's forehead.

Soon, a projection appeared between the two of them.

In it was a tablet where several runes were written in an ancient language. Celeste read the information with great interest.

William, who had no idea what the words written in the tablet were, asked the System to translate it for him. Optimus had already researched all the languages in Hestia. This was why it was not a problem for William to understand the meaning behind written words, even those that came from Ancient Texts.

—--

< Ascension Requirements >

< Dungeon Core Essence >

< The Dungeon must have Sixty Floors and Above. Anything below Sixty Floors will not activate the Ascension Requirement. >

—--

'Dungeon Core Essence?' William tilted his head. 'Optimus, what is a Dungeon Core Essence?'

< The Dungeon Core Essence is a type of energy that can only be extracted from Dungeon Cores. You can think of it as the Dungeon Core's Mana. Extracting all of it will cause the dungeon to stop spawning monsters.

Although the Dungeon will not die, it will need a few years before it starts to function like a proper Dungeon again. >

William nodded his head in understanding. He then realized that this requirement must be due to Elliot and Conan being born from the two dungeon cores that he had absorbed in the past, as well as fragments of his soul.

'Since they were originally dungeon cores, they needed Dungeon Core Essence to become stronger,' William rubbed his chin.

Celeste, who had also finished reading the information, translated it for William. She didn't know that the Half-Elf was already aware of the requirements, and was merely thinking of ways to find a Dungeon that had Sixty Floors and above, in order to boost the power of his two Familiars.

William nodded his head after Celeste finished her explanation. This was his way of telling her that he was listening to what she was saying.

"Professor, I'm fairly new here in the Central Continent," William said. "Can you tell me where I can find Dungeons that have Sixty Floors or more?"

"You look very confident," Celeste commented after seeing that William didn't have any traces of worry on his face after hearing the requirements that were needed to raise the rank of his profession.

"As long as I'm not dealing with a Dungeon with a hundred floors, I believe I can manage. It's just sixty floors. No big deal."

"Well, I'm sure that compared to the Tower of Babylon, a Dungeon with Sixty Floors is just a walk in the park for you."

William only smiled at Celeste's comment and didn't say anything else. His thoughts then wandered to the two dungeons that he was familiar with.

'I won't be able to clear the Dungeon of Atlantis anytime soon,' William thought. 'The Mirage Caverns on the other hand is only fifty floors. This doesn't match the requirements needed to upgrade my profession.'

Before he left the Silverwind Academy, William had already cleared the Dungeon located at the City of Silverwind. The only problem was that the Mirage Caverns only had fifty floors. If the requirement was only a bit lower, he could easily travel towards the Kraetor Empire using his Prince of Thunder Job Class, and return to Hestia Academy using Soleil.

"Professor, do you know of any dungeons that meet the requirements needed to advance my profession?" William asked. "It doesn't matter if it's a bit far from the academy."

Even if William hadn't asked this question, Celeste would definitely give him the information he needed. For her, the Half-Elf was someone that had the ability to spread the Familiamancer Job Class to other people.

Although William wasn't her direct Disciple, the boy was the Disciple of her Familiar. Celeste wouldn't be petty enough to make things difficult for the red-headed teenager, especially now that the latter was serious in becoming a Familiamancer Sovereign.

"A week from now, the Academy will start giving out missions to its students," Celine replied after organizing her thoughts. "Some of these missions require rare items that can only be found in Dungeons. Since you are already a Third Year, you will be allowed to take on Class A Missions, which also include going to Dungeons that have Seventy Floors to gather materials."

Celine took out a scroll from her storage ring and passed it to William.

"This scroll consists of a list of Dungeons that are accessible using the teleportation gates of the academy," Celeste explained. "Just pick one of them and return to me once you have completed your mission."

William grinned as he browsed the list of dungeons on the scroll. The information was quite detailed and it informed him of everything he needed to know about a particular dungeon.

"Thank you, Professor," William said. "But, do I really have to wait a week before I go to one of these dungeons?"

Celeste nodded. "The academy is very strict when it comes to expeditions. I'm not entirely certain, but I feel that the Headmaster holds a grudge against you. I'm sure that if you tried to go to one of these dungeons right now, he would use that as an excuse to punish you for breaking the rules of the academy.

"It will be best for you to just wait for a week, so that we can dodge this issue. For now, you can make your preparations for your dungeon expedition. Feel free to bring some of your classmates with you, so that they can earn Merit Points as well. A maximum of six members per party is allowed. It will be best to use this opportunity to form strong connections. You never know when you'll be able to use it."

William planned to dive in the Dungeon Solo in order to hasten up his journey. However, after hearing Celeste's words, he thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea if he brought those that were familiar to him on his expedition—like his Wives, Zhu, and Sha.

As long as they cleared the mission together, they would all get merit points, which they could exchange in the academy for items.

After thanking Celeste, William went to look for his wives. He wanted to visit Shannon a few more times, before he left the academy to do his ascension quest.

It didn't take long before William saw Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Ian in the garden of the academy. Ian had informed him that they were having a meeting in one of the Gazebos in the garden.

William followed Ian's direction and found his three wives waiting for him. There were a few baskets, filled with cookies and cakes on the table. Clearly, the three were enjoying an afternoon snack, and the Half-Elf happily joined them.

"Will, there is something that we need to tell you," Princess Sidonie said. "Even now, we still haven't figured out the Sin that Shannon bears."

"Really?" William was quite surprised because he thought that it would be very easy for the Seven Sins to know what Shannon's Divinity was.

"I also consulted with Kenneth and Lilith, but the two of them share the same opinion," Princess Sidonie explained. "They can't identify Shannon's Divinity."

William rubbed his chin as he contemplated. For him, knowing Shannon's sin was crucial because it would allow him to find ways to counter her powers.

Their brief encounter had left a deep impression on William.. If possible, he didn't want to faint every time he laid his eyes on the young lady, whose sad smile lingered in his memories.

Chapter 749: Wielding All The Power Of The Seven Deadly Sins

Right after they finished their afternoon snack, Princess Sidonie and Chiffon accompanied William to the Eastern Shrine.

They were about to do the experiment they had delayed a few days ago. William was hoping that merging with his wives would counter Shannon's Divinity and allow him to talk to her.

He finally understood why Aamon made Shannon his last trial. The difficulty rating had spiked drastically, and one could tell that she was Final Boss Material.

The Guards allowed them to pass as if they were told of their coming beforehand. When the three arrived in front of Shannon's room, William kissed Chiffon and the little glutton transformed into particles of light, flying straight into the gem, embedded in William's chest.

Soon, a golden flame appeared on his forehead.

He glanced at Princess Sidonie and nodded his head.

"Shannon, can we enter?" Princess Sidonie asked.

A rustling sound was heard inside the room before a soul-stirring voice reached their ears.

"Come in," Shannon replied. "The door is open."

William frowned a bit because Shannon's voice had momentarily put him into a daze. Although it wasn't as bad as their first meeting, beads of sweat started to appear on the Half-Elf's forehead.

Princess Sidonie opened the door and stepped in first. William followed behind her with his head lowered.

Due to his strong senses, he was able to determine Shannon's location inside the room. He slowly raised his head, but he made sure that he only looked at her clothes, and not her face.

William decided that it would be best if he didn't rush things, and simply do his best to adapt to Shannon's presence.

They made two plans for this visit.

The first plan was for William to actively talk to Shannon, and see if he could find out more about her.

The Second plan was for Princess Sidonie to do the talking, and he would just listen from the side, while trying to increase his resistance to Shannon's Divinity.

Although he didn't dare to see her face, he could see that the young lady was dressed as a shrine maiden. She was sitting on a chair and holding a brush in her left hand, just like he had seen during his last visit.

"Oh? This is quite interesting." Shannon's voice broke William's thoughts. "You've merged with one of my sisters? How did you do it? Can you tell me how you did it?"

William felt his world spin around him as he gritted his teeth. As if sensing that he needed help, Chiffon increased the output of her power, and the flame on William's forehead grew bigger

The Half-Elf swayed where he stood, but Princess Sidonie was there to support him. His surroundings were no longer spinning, and yet, he was feeling light-headed and nauseous.

'Optimus, did you manage to record everything?'

< Yes. According to my calculations, Chiffon's Divinity has indeed increased your resistance against Shannon's Divinity. However, it is not enough to withstand the pressure from Shannon's power.

If I were to put it in simpler terms, right now, Chiffon is like an umbrella above your head that protects you from the rain. However, you're not dealing with a mere drizzle. You are dealing with a high-pressure water pump that is aimed directly at your body. >

William unconsciously wiped away the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead as he listened to the System's explanation.

'Do you have any suggestions?' WIlliam inquired. It was very important for him to find a way to increase his resistance, or else, he would suffer the same fate every time he visited Shannon.

< Increase your Synchronization Rate with Chiffon, or Princess Sidonie. Right now, your Synchronization rate with Chiffon is at 40%. As for Princess Sidonie, your Synchronization rate with her is at 50%.

If I were to make a bold guess, you will need at least a 70% Synchronization Rate with either of them in order to face Shannon without feeling like you want to puke your heart out. >

'I see, thank you.' William glanced at Princess Sidonie and shook his head.

This was their signal that he wasn't in the right state to continue being around Shannon.

Princess Sidonie nodded and asked to be excused. Although they came to talk to the young lady dressed as a shrine maiden, her husband's safety was her top priority. She gave Shannon an apologetic gaze before leaving the room with William.

Shannon just smiled in understanding and nodded her head. She was still curious about how William was able to merge with one of her sisters, but looking at the Half-Elf's very pale expression, she knew that her guests would have to prematurely end their visit.

"Visit me anytime," Shannon said as she returned her attention to the canvas in front of her. "I will be looking forward to our next meeting."

—--

William leaned weakly against a tree. He had just vomited everything that he had eaten in the past few hours, and he was feeling marginally better.

Chiffon lightly rubbed his back in order to help him feel better. She felt a little sad that she wasn't able to help William resist Shannon's Divinity.

However, William assured her that it wasn't her fault.

"Don't worry, I finally figured out a way to cope with her powers," William said as he held Chiffon's hand. "After a month or two, I will be able to face her without any problems."

Chiffon looked at William with a hopeful expression. She had an unwavering trust in William. So she believed that her husband wasn't lying to her.

"How?" Princess Sidonie asked.

William made a gesture for Princess Sidonie to come closer. He then whispered, in a volume that both girls would be able to hear, how the two of them could help him increase his synchronization rate with them at a steady pace.

Chiffon's face turned beet red, while Princess Sidonie had an expression that said "why didn't I think of that?".

"Will, I will do my best to help you," Chiffon said with a serious expression on her face. "I like it when you're gentle with me. However, you can be rough as well."

William chuckled as he patted Chiffon's head. Actually, his method works well with Princess Sidonie because it was in line with her Divinity.

As for Chiffon, while the Half-Elf could also increase their synchronization rate by making love with each other, it would be more effective if William just fed her something to eat.

Chiffon's Divinity was Gluttony. In order to increase her synchronization with William, he needed to feed her something with a high concentration of Magical or Spiritual Power.

"Let's go, Darling," Morgana swapped with Princess Sidonie and held William's hand. She then half-dragged the Half-Elf towards the boy's dormitory room. "Time waits for no one. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can lift the curse from Est's, Ian's, and Isaac's bodies."

"I meant what I said, Will," Chiffon said as she held onto William's hand. "While I like it when you are being gentle to me, if it is really needed, you can be as rough as you want." Her face flushed to a red that was as red as a tomato, but her voice was very firm. "D-Don't worry. I can take it."

The corner of William's lips twitched because Morgana, and even Chiffon, seemed very enthusiastic about the prospect of increasing their synchronization rate with him.

Even though he was happy that his wives were very eager to help him to the best of their abilities, he also felt helpless because he had to resort to this method in order to accomplish his mission.

However, William had long wondered what would happen if he achieved perfect synchronization rate with any one of his wives. According to Optimus, some abilities would be unlocked. William didn't know how strong those abilities were, but if they were as powerful as Princess Sidonie's charm ability at full power…

'Wouldn't that mean that I'd become a Pseudo-Deadly Sin as well?' William didn't know the answer to this question. Even someone like him, felt that the balance of the world would be broken, if he was able to wield the power of the Seven Deadly Sins, and unleash their full power without paying any kind of price.

With that line of thought, William pondered what he would need to do if he was going to raise his synchronization with the other sins like Sloth, Greed, Wrath, Pride, and Envy.

'I'd better not get ahead of myself,' William thought as he tossed the diabolical idea to the back of his mind. 'My hands are already full.'

William smiled as he looked at the two beauties that were firmly holding each of his hands.

He wished, with all of his heart, that he and his lovers would be able to stay together for many more years to come.

Chapter 750: Zhu’s And Sha’s Life In Hestia Academy

Three days after his second meeting with Shannon, William went to find Zhu and Sha.

The two of them were two of his most trusted companions, and he planned to invite them to go with him to the Orc Dungeon when the Academy started their Quarterly Assessment Test for the students.

This was quite similar to what Silverwind Academy did when William was still studying under them.

As students of Hestia Academy, all of the students were required to undertake missions that would benefit the lives of the people living in the Central Continent.

Some of these missions were Bandit Subjugation, Merchant Escorting Services, Exploration Quests, Investigations, Archeological Digging, Dungeon Expeditions, Harvesting rare materials, and many more.

The Founders of Hestia Academy didn't want to raise flowers inside greenhouses. They wanted to raise individuals that could, and would, contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.

No one was exempt from this rule. Even the professors would usually take this opportunity to gain some Merit Points in the Academy in exchange for money or resources.

Also, this Quarterly Event had no restrictions when it came to forming groups.

Those in the upper years could even help the Freshmen in their missions.

It was a good way to form strong connections, and this was greatly encouraged by the Academy.

The first person that William found was Zhu. However, the Half-Elf almost did a double take because he thought that he was just seeing things. Right now, the chubby young man had an impatient expression on his face, while being surrounded by beautiful women

"Ladies, can you please let me pass," Zhu said while frowning. "I need to find Sha. There is something I need to discuss with him."

"Lord Zhu, please stay with us for a bit," a cute girl held onto Zhu's right arm and looked up at him with a bashful expression. "We baked some cookies. Why don't you join us for an afternoon snack?"

"That's right, Lord Zhu," a pretty young lady who obviously came from a noble family held Zhu's left arm and hugged it tightly. "Please, join us for an afternoon snack. I promise that you will not regret it."

Her ample bosom pressed down on the chubby young man's arm. Clearly, she was doing her best to use her natural endowments to make Zhu accompany them.

Three more girls latched onto Zhu's body, giving him no chance to escape their grasps.

The frown on Zhu's face deepend. It was quite obvious that he had no interest in the beautiful young ladies that surrounded him.

Just as he was about to push them away, he noticed William who was looking at him with a big grin on his face.

"Will, don't just stand there, help me!" Zhu said as he called out to the Half-Elf who was leaning against a pillar.

The girls turned their heads to look at William. Their gazes were saying "Don't take Lord Zhu from us or else…"

William scratched the back of his head because he didn't know what to do in this situation. He never expected that Zhu was quite popular with the ladies, and this took him completely by surprise.

"Um, do you know where Sha is?" William asked. "There's something that I need to ask him."

"Sha? He might be in the library," Zhu replied. "He likes to know more about this worl– I mean, the Central Continent and the other Continents surrounding it. There is a high chance that you will find him there."

"Thanks!"

"O-Oi! Don't leave me here!"

William ignored Zhu's calls for help and hurriedly left towards the library. He might be strong enough to fight Saints now, but he would never attack a group of girls, who were looking at Zhu with hearts in their eyes.

He simply offered a prayer for Zhu's well being in his heart.

Several minutes later, William arrived at the Library.

This was a very huge building where books that hailed from all over the world were gathered in order to help educate the young men and women of the next generation.

It didn't take long for William to find Sha because Optimus was able to detect all of his allies on the map.

The scholarly young man was seated on a table, surrounded by many books. There were also maps that were laid out on the table, and he glanced at them from time to time as if using them as reference.

Right next to him was a cold beauty with long black hair. She was leaning on Sha's back and saying a few things, while pointing at the map in front of them.

William couldn't help but think that his two friends were experiencing the Academy life that many single people would practically kill for.

Just as William was thinking whether he should disturb the atmosphere of the two, Sha raised his head and glanced at William's direction.

"Will, do you need me for something?" Sha asked with a smile.

The beautiful lady then glanced at William before whispering something in Sha's ear.

Not long after, she took out a pair of glasses from her pocket and wore them. She then gave Wiliam a brief nod before walking towards the desk that was reserved for the assistant librarians who managed the entire Library.

The girl's friend giggled as the black-haired beauty sat back on her chair. The beautiful librarian was still on duty, but she would almost always be with Sha whenever he appeared in the library.

Her friends didn't mind taking over her spot for a little while, because she was still doing her job to help people in the library.

"You and Zhu are good," William commented as he sat beside Sha. "Who is that lady? Is she your girlfriend?"

Sha shook his head. "Her name is Hazel and she is an assistant librarian. She often helps me find books about the Empires in the Central Continent. She's quite knowledgeable and I am grateful for her help."

"Is that all?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Don't tell me you're not one of those dense protagonists that have no idea when a girl likes them?"

Sha shook his head for the second time before giving William the "you know what my true form is like" stare, which made the Half-Elf chuckle.

"You're so outdated, Sha," William commented. "Even Demons can form relationships with humans. Just look at my wife, Chiffon. Her mother is a dwarf, and her father is a bastard that I will punch to oblivion once I visit the Demonic Continent."

Sha didn't want to talk about Hazel, so he pressed William for his reason in looking for him.

"I wanted to talk to you and Zhu about the Quarterly Event that is going to happen in a few days," William said. "Zhu was surrounded by beautiful ladies earlier, so I didn't have the opportunity to talk to him. However, do the two of you have any plans for the Quarterly Assessment?"

Sha shook his head "Actually, I was also about to look for you in order to discuss this Academy-wide event. We came here to repay you for our freedom. You only need to say the word and we will be there to help you with anything."

William felt touched because he could feel Sha's sincerity. When he paid for their freedom, he didn't even think of anything in return. This was why he was pleasantly surprised when he saw his two friends in the Misty Sect, along with Sun Wukong, for their Founding Day celebrations.

"Sha, I don't want you and Zhu to feel indebted to me," William said. "Friends don't need debts between them. I did what I did because I was the one that was indebted to the two of you. If you didn't help me back in the Heavenly Domain, I would have never been able to pass through the Gate."

Sha remained silent because he knew that William truly felt that way about them. Since that was the case, there was no need to force the issue.

"Where do you plan to go for the Quarterly Assessment?" Sha inquired. "Zhu and I have also been invited by our classmates to go with them on missions, but we politely turned them down. We said that we are planning to form a party with you, so most of them backed out. With the exception of the girls who are infatuated with Zhu.

"You better be careful with those girls. They are serious in their attempts to court Zhu, and he is also feeling helpless about it. There was a time when he had been tempted to take on his Demonic Form just to scare them, but I managed to stop him in time."

William nodded his head in agreement. He had already seen the glares that the girls had thrown in his direction when he was talking to Zhu, and he could feel a sense of jealousy from them due to the closeness with which Zhu and him could treat each other.

"Okay, so this is my plan for the Assessment Test…," William told Sha his plan, and the latter promised to relay the message to Zhu.

With this, William had secured two helpers to help him clear the Orc Dungeon. Although it would be easy for him to solo it, he still wanted to help Zhu and Sha gain some Merit Points. He also planned to bring Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Ian with him to maximize the limit of the party members that was allowed by the Academy.

After finalizing a date for their departure, William left Sha alone. However, just as he was about to leave the library, he noticed that the beautiful librarian had once again left her post, and headed towards the handsome scholar that had returned to reading the books on his table.

"Do your best, Sha," William said with a smirk as he left the library in good spirits.

He hoped more than anything else that his two friends, Zhu, and Sha, would find happiness in Hestia.

A happiness that would last them a lifetime.

Chapter 751: Bringing An End To The Rule Of Light

"Sir William, about the assessment test, can I also join your team?" Princess Aila asked in a hopeful tone.

Although she already knew the names of her classmates by heart, she wasn't that close to them. Some of them had also invited the angelic looking princess after they had found out that she was a Life Magician.

Healers were highly sought out in any mission, or Dungeon Expedition, because their ability to support a party during dire situations was priceless.

"About this, my party members are already complete," William replied with an awkward expression on his face.

It was not because he had forgotten about Princess Aila. in fact, the thought of inviting her to his party crossed his mind. However, with the member restriction, he only had enough slots for Zhu, Sha, and his wives.

"... Is that so?" Princess Aila lowered her head. Although she had already expected that William would reject him, she still felt at a loss when the rejection finally came.

"Don't worry, I already thought of this issue," William said as he glanced at Conan who was sitting by the window, and looking at the clouds in the sky.

"Conan, come. I need a favor."

"Oh! You need the help of this amazing Conan. You made the right choice, Will."

The Devil Familiar happily flew towards William and landed on his shoulder. He had been feeling relaxed as of late because Claire was always busy and had no time to look for him.

With his newfound freedom, he would often accompany Princess Aila to explore more of the Academy after their classes ended in the afternoon. The princess and the little Devil shared similar traits. In a way, both of them were pure of heart, so it was very easy for the two of them to get along with each other.

"You see, Aila needs someone to accompany her on a mission," William said. "She needs someone strong and dependable to ensure her safety. With that said, I can't think of anyone more suited to the job than you. Will you accept this mission?"

"Kekeke. This is a piece of cake," Conan patted his chest. "Don't worry, Aila. As long as I'm around, no harm will come to you."

A very sweet smile appeared on Princess Aila's face as she looked at Conan. The smile was so dazzling that the boys in the class started to curse William and Conan in their hearts.

Damn, we couldn't even win against a Familiar?!

Why is life unfair?!

Everyone gave the little Devil a hateful glare, but the latter only tilted his head in confusion. Conan didn't know that he had become "Public Enemy Number Two", in the hearts of the boys of Class C.

"Kenneth, do you and Eowyn have any plans for the upcoming Assessment Test?" William inquired. "Aila is a healer. She will be an indispensable member in your team."

Kenneth nodded his head in understanding. "Prin– I mean, Lady Eowyn, we still have a few slots in our party. Can we add Aila to our team?"

Princess Eowyn glanced at William's direction and nodded her head. In fact, she had already invited Princess Aila a day ago, but the latter politely said that she would think about it first.

Now that the Half-Elf had rejected Princess Aila, the Elven Princess would definitely not allow a dedicated healer to slip out of her grasp.

"I would love to have Aila in our team," Princess Eowyn said with a smile. "Lilith, if you still haven't joined any parties. Feel free to join us as well."

The Amazon Princess had been lowkey as of late. She would often wander around the Academy as if looking for someone or something.

William even jokingly teased her one time that Lilith might be looking for precious items in the Academy to steal.

Lilith's reply was just a mischievous smile, but that smile was enough to tell William that his guess was spot on!

The Amazon Princess was indeed strolling around the Academy in search of priceless treasures to grab, without anyone noticing.

"Sounds like a plan," Lilith replied. "I'm in."

"Great!" Princess Eowyn clapped her hands together.

Kenneth, Pearl, and Lilith were strong fighters. Princess Eowyn knew support and offensive magic, so her role was quite flexible.

Princess Aila on the other hand was a pure healer, and Conan was a defensive player. With such a balanced party, they could easily clear any dungeon that had less than sixty floors without any problems.

—--

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

The Supreme Pontifex of The Organization, Deus, held a scroll in her hand.

This scroll held the complete prophecy of the Prince of Darkness. It had been written personally by the Patriarch of the Rayleigh Family after he had received the vision.

With the help of the now deceased Alessio, who was once the Branch Leader of Deus in the Silvermoon Continent, the original copy of the Prophecy landed in the Supreme Pontifex's hands.

Just like the Elves, she had also sent several of her subordinates to monitor potential candidates that had the possibility of becoming the prophesied Prince.

She also shared the same opinion as the Elders of the Elves about William being the most likely candidate.

"Born from the union of the Saintess of the World Tree and the Dungeon Conqueror," the Supreme Pontifex said as she caressed the scroll in her hand. "Personally taken as a disciple by Celine, and taught Dark Magic at an early age. Now, he resides inside Hestia Academy and has a close relationship with Celeste.

"Anyone would think that he is indeed the Princes in the Prophecy, but is he truly the chosen one? The Prince that will trample on the Silvermoon Continent, and bring an end to the rule of the Light?"

The Supreme Pontifex sat on her black throne, and took out an Obsidian Crystal Ball from her storage ring.

The images of the candidates appeared one by one within its depths.

Three of them were from the Demonic Continent.

Another one was the youngest prodigy of an Ancient Elven Clan that had been exiled from the Silvermoon Continent.

There was also a Prince that hailed from the Gunnar Federation.

More images of young men in their late teens appeared. The majority of them came from influential families, while others were mere commoners, who had some fortuitous encounters early in their life.

All of them had the possibility of being the Dark Prince.

Soon, William's face appeared on the Obsidian Crystal Ball as well.

"I've waited over a hundred years already," the Supreme Pontifex said as she gazed at the crystal ball in her hand. "Waiting a year or two more is not a problem."

The Supreme Pontifex giggled as she thought about the future that she had been waiting for for many years.

"For hundreds of years, we have been cursed never to walk on the surface during the day," the Supreme Pontifex said in a tone filled with hate. "But, that too, will soon come to pass…"

The Supreme Pontifex sighed as she caressed her Obsidian Crystal Ball as if it was the face of her lover.

"That's why, our Beloved Prince, please, wake up soon.. Your faithful, and loyal subjects are dying to feed you with a silver spoon."

Chapter 752: Spirited Away [Part 1]

"Here you go, Conan. Say ahh…," Princess Aila handfed a cookie to the familiar who was currently sitting on her shoulder.

Conan and her had become good friends ever since William had asked the familiar to guide the Princess around the academy.

After experiencing the war in the Southern Continent, Princess Aila had lost her innocence. Nor was she the only one the War forced this loss upon. They had to learn quickly that they either had to kill or be killed by others.

Owen had not only taught her the arts of being a Life Mage, he also taught her how to defend herself during combat. The Princess had become a Battle Mage under Owen's teaching, but this was something very few people knew.

Princess Aila's innocent appearance would make anyone think that she was no more than a harmless girl, but if force came to shove, she would be just like Owen. A Life Mage who would not blink her eyes when needing to kill people, using the secret arts passed directly to her, by the Grand Life Archon.

"A-Aila, I can feed myself," Conan stuttered. "Someone as great as me doesn't need to be hand fed. My hands are not for decoration."

Princess Aila smiled as she handed the cookie to the Familiar who insisted on eating by himself.

"I know that you're great, Conan," Princess Aila replied. "This is why I am assured that we will complete this mission."

"Right! As long as I am around, this mission is a walk in the park. Don't worry. I will carry you."

"Thank you in advance, Conan."

Princess Eowyn looked at this scene while sipping her tea. Right now, they were inside a flying carriage that they had rented from the academy. They were on an expedition to solve mysterious disappearances that were happening in a small town, located a day's ride away from the academy using a flying carriage.

Hestia Academy is not just an ordinary academy. One could think of it as a Mercenary Organization that sent people to solve various problems plaguing the entirety of the Central Continent.

Lilith lay on the couch as she lazily bit into a cookie. She was also observing William's Familiar because she was curious about what the little Devil could do.

As someone who was a good judge of character, Lilith knew that Conan wasn't like his twin brother, Elliot, whom she couldn't' read no matter how hard she tried. T

The Angelic Familiar even gave her a dangerous feeling everytime their gazes met. It was as if Elliot could see through her schemes, and this made her feel uncomfortable.

'Compared to him, Conan is like a gullible child,' Lilith thought.

Kenneth, who was seated beside Princess Eowyn sighed internally. Since his main task was to watch over his Junior sister, on behalf of the Elven King, and his Master, he wasn't able to accompany William in his dungeon expedition.

In the end, he decided to study the information they had about the mission in order to pass the time.

'Something is very fishy about this mission,' Kenneth thought as he read the documents. 'Regardless whether it is night or day, someone from the village disappears every three days. There is no pattern in the disappearances.

'It doesn't matter if it is young or old, men or women. One will disappear without fail after three days, but whenever someone investigates the matter, the disappearances are delayed two days. Very strange.'

They were not the only ones that had chosen this mission from the academy. Aside from them, there were ten other teams that were currently headed to the town of Willowdale.

The rewards for this mission were quite high, which included Ten Thousand Merit Points for each team member, and a thousand gold coins.

The town was not that big, and the villagers were not that well-off so the compensation money was not much. In order to entice the students to take on this mission, the academy decided to increase the merit points as well.

"Still, I don't think this mission is going to be easy," Conan said after eating his cookie. "The Academy has also dispatched professors to deal with the disappearances, but all of them came back empty handed. The only good news is that none of those who went there to investigate disappeared."

Princess Aila who was about to give Conan another cookie also found this strange. "I think that whoever is responsible for the disappearances didn't want to provoke the Academy. They probably know that once a student or a professor disappears, the Academy will send enough manpower to flip the entire town upside down."

Princess Eowyn nodded her head in agreement. "The Academy is taking this mission seriously. They already dispatched two professors to accompany the students. It seems that they want to solve this mystery once and for all."

Lilith only smiled as she listened to the conversation. As someone that was the embodiment of greed, stealing things was her specialty. This also included kidnapping people.

Under Andraste's command, she would travel alongside Elite Amazon Warriors in order to kidnap talented young men to be brought back to their Empire in order for them to spend a few days with her sister.

Naturally, after a few days, the young men would be safely returned to their homes, loaded with gold coins, and other treasures, given to them by the women whom they had embraced in the Amazon Empire.

For Lilith, this was a walk in the park. As long as she activated her Divinity, she would be able to catch the culprit without fail!

A few hours later, the flying carriages finally arrived at their destination.

The Town Mayor had already prepared accommodations for all of them. Although they weren't comparable to the comforts that they were used to in the Academy, the rooms given to them were clean and comfortable enough to stay in.

Professor Garen, William's homeroom teacher, was one of the Professors that had been tasked to supervise the mission.

Since the three Princesses in his class had taken the mission, the Headmaster of the Academy ordered him to accompany them to ensure their safety. Although the Academy usually didn't give the members of the Royal Family special treatment, the current mission was sensitive.

If one of the Princesses were suddenly spirited away, Byron would have a hard time pacifying the members of their Royal Families.

Since they had just arrived at the town, the professors as well as the students, who had taken the mission, decided to rest for the time being.

They thought that since they had arrived at the town, whoever was responsible for the disappearances would stay their hands.

But, their expectations were broken the next day.

As if to mock their arrival in Willowdale, the daughter of the Town's Mayor disappeared, from under the same roof where the Professors of Hestia Academy were staying.

"Please, Professors, find my daughter!" the Town Mayor pleaded. "She is about to get married next month. Please, save her!"

Professor Garen did his best to assure the Mayor that they would do their best to find her daughter.

This was why, right after eating breakfast, the ten teams alongside their Professors, immediately started their investigations, in the hope that they would find the culprit before the day was over.

Chapter 753: Spirited Away [Part 2]

Lilith stood inside the bedroom of the Mayor's daughter and used her Divinity.

She frowned when she sensed the remnants of spiritual magic inside the room. If not for her strong Divinity, no one would be able to find these faint traces, which could help them find the culprit.

"No one entered the room," Lilith said as the frown on her head deepened. "The victim walked out of her own accord. If I have to make a guess, she might have been under a hypnosis spell, or something similar to it."

Lilith followed the traces and left the house along with her Party Members. Since this was a mission, she didn't plan to share her discovery with the other groups.

Professor Garen followed behind the group, and didn't interfere with their investigation. However, he was shocked that the Amazon Princess had this trick up her sleeve.

'It seems that the Headmaster's words are right,' Professor Garen thought. 'We might be able to solve this mysterious case with Lilith's help."

The traces led them a mile outside of the town into a nearby forest. What puzzled Lilith was that even though the Mayor's Daughter had snuck out of the house in the middle of the night, she had definitely exited the town through the main gate.

Due to the disappearances that had been happening, the mayor had organized people to patrol the town in shifts to intimidate whoever was causing the disappearances. The Main Gate was also sufficiently manned, so it was impossible for anyone to exit the town without being discovered.

If the Mayor's daughter, Elena, really left through the Main Gate, wouldn't that make the guards that were stationed there either blind or completely incompetent?

"The traces stop here," Lilith announced.

Everyone looked around their surroundings, but aside from trees, they didn't see anything unusual.

The trees were covered in vines, but there was nothing unusual about them. They were regular vines that could be seen anywhere in a forest.

All of the girls activated their unique skills meant for detection, but none of them found anything unusual, except for Princess Aila.

As a Life Mage, she was able to detect life force. However what she saw almost took her breath away.

"Oh? So I've been found out?"

A playful almost teasing voice reached their ears.

Immediately, the forest around them became lively as the vines on the trees suddenly sprang to life.

Kenneth, Lilith, Pearl, and Professor Garen immediately took a defensive formation with Princess Eowyn and Aila at the center.

Conan hovered above Aila's head, holding his deathscythe and looking at his surroundings vigilantly.

"It's no use," Princess Aila said. Her voice contained traces of disbelief, fear, and despair in them. "We need to run!

"Run? Perish the thought, my dear. All of you will become great additions to my collection."

Several vines sprouted out of the ground and coiled themselves on everyone's legs and feet, preventing them from moving.

Flowers bloomed on the vines above the trees, unleashing a pink spray.

"Don't breathe it!" Princess Eowyn shouted as she used a powerful gust of wind to blow away the smog that had almost covered their bodies.

A chuckle erupted around them. Clearly, the one who was responsible for all of this was finding this scene quite entertaining.

A second later, Everyone felt a prickling pain in their legs.

The vine that had wrapped around their legs suddenly grew thorns, and injected some sort of substance in their bodies.

Everyone knew that this was not a good sign, so they hurriedly unleashed their strongest attacks in order to break free.

Lilith had used the artifact that she had taken from the Kraetor Empire and covered her body in red armor. Her battle prowess also jumped to the Saint Rank and she immediately turned the vines around them into crystals, which shattered into fine dust.

"Run! Our opponent is a Myriad Beast!" Princess Aila shouted. "We can't win!"

She had already detected the powerful life force hiding under the ground due to her ability, but it was already too late, and there was nothing she could do about it.

When they heard the Princess' words, everyone's expressions turned grim as they hurried towards the exit of the forest.

"Surely, you don't expect to leave this forest under my watch, right?"

A giant flower sprouted in front of them, and standing in its center was a beautiful lady with green hair and eyes.

"A Dryad!" Professor Garen exclaimed.

The Elves were no stranger to Dryads because they coexisted with these tree spirits in harmony. Since that was the case, Princess Eowyn decided to negotiate with her in order to get the beast to let them go.

"Your Excellency, My name is Eowyn, and I am a Princess of the Elves living in the Southern Continent," Princess Eowyn said with the dignified voice of the Royal Family. "I think there is a misunderstanding. We are here to–"

"I know why you're here," The Dryad interrupted Eowyn's words and smiled seductively. "An Elven Princess? Truly, this is a lucky day. I do not have an Elven Princess in my collection. The Gods must be giving me their blessings since they brought you to me."

The Dryad then glanced at Princess Aila with great interest. "I am very confident in my ability to hide. This is the first time that someone has seen through my hiding place. It seems that you're no ordinary girl. I'm feeling a very pleasant magical power coming from you. I'm guessing that you're highly attuned to spirits, or are blessed with a nature type ability. I will definitely not let you go."

Seeing that the Dryad had no intention of letting them go, Princess Aila finally found the courage to voice out her opinions.

"Why?" Princess Aila asked. "Why are you kidnapping people from the town? Aren't dryads supposed to be noble spirits? Why are you doing this?"

The Dryad giggled as if what she heard was the biggest joke she had heard in her lifetime.

"Noble spirits? Sweetheart, it seems that you know nothing about dryads," the Dryad replied. "It's in our nature to kidnap people. The men serve as fertilizer, and the women serve as seed beds. Don't worry. I will personally take care of you and love you for a long time."

Lilith was about to unleash her power in order to turn the Myriad Beast into an ice crystal when she suddenly collapsed on the ground.

Princess Eowyn, Princess Aila, Kenneth, and Garen followed suit as they also collapsed due to the toxin that had invaded their bodies. The Dryad smiled seductively because she knew that she had already won.

As she was about to wrap the ladies and take them underground, several shields materialized in the air and stopped the vines' advance.

"Oh, I missed a flying bug." The Dryad smiled sweetly. "You don't look tasty, so just die for me, okay?"

Conan ignored the Dryad's taunting and stood in front of everyone.

"Iron Fortress!" Conan shouted.

He knew that he couldn't possibly defeat the Myriad Beast, so he did the only thing that he could do and that was to defend!

Kenneth, Princess Aila, Princess Eowyn, Lilith, Kenneth, and Garen, were enclosed in a steel dome. After everyone had been safely stored inside his Iron Fortress, Conan flew towards the fortress and became one with it.

'This is the first time I'm going to do this,' Conan thought. 'I hope it works.'

The Dryad frowned and lashed at the Steel ball with a thorned whip, with the intention of breaking it apart, but the attacks only caused a deep dent to appear on its surface.

Suddenly, the steel dome shook and started to grow metallic spikes on its surface.

"I'm Rolling!"

Conan's mighty shout reverberated in the forest as the three-meter tall spiked ball started to roll away, destroying the trees in its path. The war cry was none other than Kasogonaga's signature battle cry before it wreaked destruction.

The Devil Familiar knew that he wasn't good when it comes to offensive attacks, so it decided to imitate the rainbow-colored Anteater's move, in order to compensate for his lack of offensive prowess.

The Dryad sneered as she followed the speeding wreckingball that was spreading destruction in its wake.

As a Myriad Beast that had roamed the Central Continent for many years, it was confident that this pitiful attempt to escape her would be in vain.

Chapter 754: Playtime’s Over

Conan's desperate struggle amused the Dryad, but she knew that she must end the battle soon. Although she wasn't afraid of the students of Hestia Academy, it was indeed troublesome if they discovered her presence now.

'I'll capture them first before I leave this forest,' the Dryad thought. 'Those girls are of a much higher quality compared to the townspeople. I'm sure that they will become the perfect seed beds for my children.'

—--

Elliot, who was seated on William's shoulder, suddenly looked to the South.

Because of certain things, their departure had been delayed by a day.

As they were about to leave the academy, Elliot felt that Conan was in some sort of predicament. Although it was just a passing feeling, the Angelic Familiar trusted his sixth sense because of the nature of his powers.

"Will, I feel like Conan might be in trouble," Elliot said with a serious expression. "Since he is out of our communication range, he can't send us any messages. Can you talk to him telepathically and see if there's something wrong?"

What Elliot didn't know was that William also felt that something was amiss. He didn't know what it was, but the feeling of uneasiness was starting to make him uncomfortable.

His two familiars were born with a part of his soul, so he could vaguely sense their location, even if they were far away. This also allowed him to communicate with them anytime he wanted.

William closed his eyes and used one of the skills of his Familiamancer Job Class, to talk to Conan telepathically.

"Conan, is everything fin–"

As soon as the connection connected, Conan's voice immediately reached William's ears.

"Will! Save us! A Myriad Beast is chasing us! Everyone is paralyzed, I am–ahh!"

William's face immediately turned grim as he focused on Conan's location.

A second later, a streak of lightning flew towards the south. William had used the power of his Prince of Thunder Job Class in order to travel to Conan's exact location at the speed of lighting. He could only use this skill twice a day, so he only used it in extreme instances.

Elliot watched William go as he stood on top of a golden spear. The red-headed teenager had left Soleil in the academy, and tasked the Angelic familiar to look after it.

—-

Back in the forest…

Conan felt nauseous as he maneuvered the dented steel wrecking ball along the forest floor. Due to the Dryad's powerful attack, Conan's defensive dome was like a disfigured aluminum can that had been crushed.

Finally, the steel dome broke apart after getting hit by the Dryad's thorn whip.

The girls, Kenneth, as well as Professor Garen, rolled helplessly on the ground because they couldn't move their bodies. They hadn't lost consciousness, but they wished they had, because just like Conan, all that rolling made them want to puke.

"Play time's over," the Dryad said with a smile. "Although I enjoyed this little game of tag, it would be bad if others discovered us, no?"

Conan gritted his teeth as he held his Deathscyhe. He faced the Dryad with a glare as his body glowed briefly.

A second later, a boy, with black hair, stood on the place where Conan hovered earlier.

Aside from the hair style and hair color, the boy looked exactly like William when he was twelve years old.

Conan had unlocked seventy percent of his power, which allowed him to jump to the peak of the Centennial Rank.

A Centennial Ranked Creature fighting against a Myriad Beast was a fruitless endeavor. Even so, Conan stood his ground.

He was a defender, and it was his job to protect everyone. Regardless of how strong his opponent was, he couldn't back down.

He wouldn't back down!

"I, the great Conan, will not allow you to harm my friends," Conan shouted. "If you wish to get them, you will have to get past me first."

A giggle escaped the Dryad's lips as several vines sprouted from the ground.

"Sounds simple enough," The Dryad smirked and hundreds of vines lashed towards the black-haired boy, whose eyes had started to glow red. "Too bad, you're not human. If you were, I would definitely use your body as fertilizer for my children."

Hundreds of shields materialized in the air, but all of them were torn apart by the vines as if they were merely pieces of paper.

Conan slashed his deathscythe left and right to block the vines that had made it past his defenses. The Dryad only curled her lips on this futile endeavor.

As Conan defended from the front, several vines burst out of the ground and wrapped around the girl's bodies, taking the Devil Familiar by surprise.

"Naive child," Dryad said with a teasing tone. "Do you honestly believe that I will play with you all day? Didn't I tell you that playtime is… over?!"

A dozen vines lashed out at Conan who had his concentration broken due to the attack that the Dryad had made on Kenneth and the girls. The Myriad Beast didn't hold back her attacks and the young boy's body was almost ripped to shreds.

The Devil Familiar flew several meters away and fell on the ground with a loud thud. He had been seriously injured, and blood flowed out of the injuries in his body.

His left arm was severed, and deep gashes could be seen on his body. Blood also flowed out of his mouth, ears, and nose.

"C-Conan…," Princess Aila said with hardship as she tried to reach out to the Familiar who was several meters away from her.

Conan's vision was slowly turning dark, but Princess Aila's voice had woken him up from his stupor.

"D-Don't worry. I.. am just taking… a short rest," Conan replied as he forcefully rolled his body to the side. He used his remaining arm to try to prop himself up, as blood spilled from his wounds.

The Dryad shook her head helplessly as she lashed her whip out to pin the boy back to the ground.

Conan coughed up blood due to the new injuries he received. He felt faint, and every part of his body was aching.

He once again tried to prop himself up, but the whip lashed at him again. This time, it slammed against his body with more force, creating a four-meter wide crater.

"Stop!" Aila cried out as the Dryad pummeled Conan's little body while giggling.

The Dryad shot her a side-long glance as the corner of her lips curled up into a smile. She then wrapped the boy's body in her vines and held him in the air.

Conan's body was bathed in blood. His legs, and arm, were bent in different angles, which showed that they had been broken.

"Okay, let's tear this off first," The Dryad said as she used the vines to tug on Conan's remaining arm.

Conan cried out in pain as his arm was torn off from his body.

"Stop it!" Princess Aila pleaded.

The Dryad paid no attention to her, and continued to toy with the Familiar who was under her complete mercy.

"Now the left leg." The Dryad chuckled. "Off you go."

Conan bit his lip until it bled. Tears streamed down his eyes as the pain wracked his body. With a chuckle, the Dryad pulled off his remaining leg, making Aila tear up.

She had seen worse things in the past, and yet, seeing it happen to a close friend of hers broke her heart.

"In order to honor your… futile efforts of protecting these people, I will remember your name,'' Dryad said as she pulled Conan's body close to her. "Conan, is it? Well, you can die knowing that you failed miserably to protect these people. Don't worry. I will take good care of the–"

The Dryad hastily backed away as the vines that held Conan in place were hit by lightning bolts.

The familiar's bloody body fell down, but a pair of strong arms caught him mid-air.

"What… took you… so long?" Conan said softly. He could no longer see as the strength in his body slowly faded.

William patted Conan's head as he held back the anger that was burning in his chest.

"You did well. You protected everyone," William replied as he gazed at his familiar's body that was slowly turning into particles of light. "Great job, Conan."

"Keke… I am… the great… Conan. A Myriad… Beast… is… nothing…"

A sigh of relief passed through Conan's lips as his entire body shattered in a shower of sparks. He had given everything he had, and he died knowing that everything was going to be fine.

William looked at his empty hands before shifting his attention at the Dryad who was looking back at him with contempt and ridicule.

"Another wannabe hero?" The Dryad smiled sweetly. "A Half-elf? I still don't have a Half-Elf in my collection. You will do quite nicely. Don't worry, I will give you lots of love."

William didn't say anything and simply pulled something out of his ear. His eyes never left the Dryad's pretty face as the anger in his chest slowly rose to the surface.

Not long after, a golden metallic staff that shone brightly in the sunlight appeared in his hand.

"Are those your last words?" William asked as he looked at the Dryad in front of him. The golden staff in his hand gave a metallic hum as if to answer to the Half-Elf's raging heart.

Right now, there was only one thing in William's mind, and that was to smash the Dryad's pretty face, until it turned into meat paste.

Chapter 755: The Next Time You Reincarnate, Make Sure To Live A Better Life

The smile on the Dryad's face immediately stiffened after the Half-Elf in front of her released a terrifying aura.

Earlier, she sensed that the newcomer's strength posed no threat to her. Very few individuals could threaten her because she was a very intelligent creature. If there was someone that far surpassed her level of strength, she would immediately migrate to another territory, and lie-low for a short time before resuming her activities.

This was how she managed to reach the Myriad Rank, in the span of just a hundred years. Now, there was a creature in front of her that posed a threat to her existence, and the teasing expression on her face disappeared completely.

"Take them away," William ordered.

After giving out his order, a portal appeared behind him. Psoglav, the Demonic Dog that had accompanied William for a long time, had finally entered the Millennial Rank.

The Demonic Dog wasted no time and summoned dark whips to grab the paralyzed people on the ground. It made sure to knock them unconscious first, before taking them back to the Thousand Beast Domain.

William was planning to go all out, so he couldn't guarantee their safety. It would be best for them to sleep inside his Domain until the battle was over. This would also prevent the Dryad from using them as hostages against him.

"Sweep away all adversaries!" William roared. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

The golden staff grew until it was over a dozen meters long and slammed towards the Dryad without showing any mercy.

The Dryad stood in place, motionless even after the staff had smashed her body to pieces. The attack also created a big crater where the Dryad once stood.

A kilometer away from the battlefield, a giant flower sprouted from the ground. The Dryad had used a substitute in order to fool her opponent into thinking that they had slain her.

She was not a battle junkie, and always prioritized her safety above others. Over the years, she had created various substitutes inside the forest and the nearby surrounding areas. In times of danger, she would swap locations with these substitutes in order to escape from her stronger opponents.

'I guess it is time for me to migrate to another territory,' the Dryad thought. 'Too bad. I was starting to like this place.'

Just as she was about to quietly leave, her instinct told her that death was right behind her back.

A second later, a gigantic golden staff descended from the heavens and turned her body to meat paste.

—-

Deep inside a mountain not far from the forest…

A giant flower appeared inside a cavern. The moment the flower bloomed the Dryad collapsed on the ground, and spat a mouthful of green blood.

This was the hiding place that she had painstakingly prepared as a last resort. The moment she felt that danger was approaching her, she didn't hesitate and swapped with another substitute.

However this time, she wasn't able to leave unscathed and suffered internal injuries.

"That brat! How dare he!" The Dryad cursed out loud as she wiped the green blood on her lips. "Just you wait, when I break through another realm, I'll come to find you and tear you to pieces!"

The Dryad was very irritated by the sudden turn of events. Earlier, she thought that it was her lucky day because several high-quality seed beds had entered her domain. It was very rare for her to find ladies with powerful magical and spiritual energies that could be used as nurseries.

The Dryad had grown stronger after absorbing the seeds that had matured inside their bodies. She would repeat the process over, and over, until the ladies' magical and spiritual powers ran out.

When the Dryad saw Princess Aila, she felt a very strong life energy inside her body. If she were able to capture her, the Dryad would be able to acquire a vessel that could serve as a rechargeable battery.

Unfortunately, a hindrance appeared and her initially good day had been completely ruined.

"Fortunately, I placed my mark on that girl's body," the Dryad muttered as she tried to calm herself. "If an opportunity arises, I can just kidnap her and flee to a far away place."

The Dryad was about to leave the cavern when her body unconsciously shuddered. Right in front of her was a young man, with red hair, and a pair of glowing golden eyes that shone brightly in the darkness.

"Sorry, but that won't be happening under my watch." William said.

"How?!" The Dryad couldn't believe that the person that had almost killed her twice, was now standing in front of her.

William sneered as he pointed the staff in her direction.

Immediately, a burst of light emitted from the tip of the staff.

"Grand Bazooka!" William roared and a powerful explosion shook the entire mountain.

William had ordered Optimus to place a tracker on the Dryad's body as soon as he arrived at his destination. The System had warned him that Dryads were experts in running away, so it was best to place a tracker on them to ensure that they couldn't escape their pursuit.

"She sure is good at escaping." William sneered as he fused with the golden staff in his hand.

Not long after, the golden staff pierced through the mountain and headed towards the direction of the Forest, where the Dryad originally stayed.

As he neared his next destination, A giant Flower that was over thirty meters tall shone brightly in the center of the forest.

William canceled his weapon fusion, and stared at the Giant Flower. The energy levels that were being radiated by it were slowly climbing up to the middle stages of the Myriad Rank. Soon after the flower had appeared, it opened and revealed the monster within it.

"Tired of running away?" William taunted the Dryad whose face was no longer pretty.

"I'll kill you!" the Dryad shouted. Her body was now over twenty-meters tall, and her face was laced with thorns, just like a cactus.

Several flowers grew out of her body. Inside each of them was one of the young women that she had captured ever since she had arrived in the territory.

She knew that she was no match for William at her current level, so she decided to go all out and burn some of her life essence, which would temporarily boost her strength to the peak of the Myriad Rank.

Although she would be greatly weakened afterwards, she still decided to take this risk. The Dryad knew that William wouldn't stop until one of them was dead, so she decided to go all out against him.

For the first time, a grim expression appeared on William's face. He was confident that he would be able to kill the Dryad, but she was currently using hostages against him.

If he disregarded the life of others, this battle would end in his victory. However, he still hesitated about whether he should sacrifice the townspeople to kill the Dryad in front of him or not.

There was also the issue of the duration of his Heroic Avatar. If possible, he wanted to end the battle before it ran out.

Seeing that her plan had worked, the Dryad immediately launched a series of long range attacks at the Half-Elf who was hovering in the sky.

Several flower vines released acid sprays in Willliam's direction, forcing William to put more distance between himself and the Dryad.

The entire forest was like a sea of green snakes that wiggled non-stop. The Beasts that resided in it had started to flee, but the Dryad had other plans for them. The countless vines in the forest captured these beasts and devoured them, sending nourishment to the Dryad whose powers were still constantly rising.

Firming his resolve, William once again pointed his staff towards the forest and unleashed another Grand Bazooka.

The Dryad shrieked in pain as the entirety of the forest erupted in a sea of flames.

William fired several more Grand Bazooka's, with the intention of burning the entire forest. He knew that fighting a Dryad inside her home turf would pose difficulties to him. Also, he was still frantically figuring out ways he could save the girls from the Dryad's body.

The Dryad forcefully used her magical power to extinguish the flames around her. It didn't take long before the raging flames died out, but the entire area was surrounded by thick smoke, reducing the visibility of the surroundings.

This was not a problem for William because he could use the ability of the Monkey King, Fiery Golden Eyes, that could see evil in any form.

Just as soon as William activated this ability, he saw tens of thousands of vines headed in his direction, from the center of the smoke-filled battlefield.

Instead of backing away, William charged at the countless thorny vines that were out to shred his body to pieces. He then activated one of the skills of his Elemental Archon Job Class, which was Blaze Wing Tempest.

William's body momentarily transformed into a Phoenix and burned everything in his path. The System had given him advice on how to deal with the Dryad. However, even Optimus conceded that it was not certain whether this idea would work or not.

Still, William decided to do it. He understood that the Dryad had no intention of letting her victims go, so he decided to take a gamble.

The Myriad Beast unleashed a barrage of acid sprays, poison sprays, vines, and energy blasts towards the Phoenix that was headed in its direction.

When William charged as the Phoenix, he also merged with Ruyi Jingu Bang as a way to ignore most of the attacks that were headed in his direction. As William dodged the relentless assault against him, the flames of the Phoenix started to change color.

Earlier, his entire body was blazing in fiery red, now, streaks of white flames were slowly spreading on his body. William had coated the Phoenix's body with the Flames of Purification with the intention of burning the Dryad's body with it.

Although he, and Optimus didn't know if this plan would work, they had no choice but to do it. The duration of the Heroic Avatar was nearing its end, so they could only try this method once.

"Blaze Wing Tempest!" William once again activated the skill and the flames on the Phoenix's body burned with more intensity.

The acid sprays, vines, and poison sprays, burned in a fiery blaze as they neared the purifying flames. However, the energy attacks were unaffected by it.

Fortunately, William's body had merged with a Legendary Weapon so the damage he received was minimal.

"Nooooo!" the Dryad cried out loud as she used the flowers that housed the women as a shield, with the hope that William would cancel his terrifying attack.

Wiliam hardened his heart as he broke past the Dryad's last attempt to save her life.

A powerful explosion erupted and it blew away the smoke that lingered over the forest. Before her entire body was engulfed by purifying flames, the Dryad glared at William who had appeared a few meters in front of her face.

"Curse you Half-Elf!"

Her gaze contained fury, unwillingness, and regret. If only the Half-Elf hadn't appeared, her dreams of stepping into the Demigod Realm might have become a reality after a few years.

Unfortunately, there was no If.

"The next time you reincarnate, make sure to live a better life. Also, do not make me your enemy. Otherwise, you will suffer the same fate."

That was the last thing that the Dryad heard before her anger, her body, and dreams burned to ashes.

—--

Several miles away from the battlefield, a small flower bloomed at the base of a tree. Its petals had a pinkish flower, and it looked very beautiful.

After burning the Dryad's entire body, William's mark had also disappeared alongside it. With that said, he thought that the Dryad had finally died, and her threat had ended.

He was only half right.

Currently, the beautiful flower was just an ordinary flower. It would take several years before it once again evolved and transformed into a plant type creature, whose rank would be the lowest on the food chain.

Even so, it would retain the memories that it had in its past life. Because of this advantage, it would rapidly grow in strength and reach its former glory after several decades.

"At least, that is what you thought would happen, right?" Elliot said as he hovered above the beautiful flower. His usual carefree attitude, and the permanent smile that was always plastered on his face could not be seen at this time.

Instead, a chilling gaze filled with killing intent landed on the beautiful flower. Perhaps it was due to Eliot's gaze, or maybe a breeze passed by it, but the flower's body started to shake.

"You messed with the wrong person." Elliot sneered as he pointed at the flower. "You shouldn't have done that to Conan."

A crisp, sizzling sound erupted from Elliot's fingertip as he blasted the flower with a lightning bolt.

The flower was burnt to a crisp, and its ashes flew in the wind, never to be seen, or heard from, ever again.

Chapter 756: Conan’s Gamble [Part 1]

"Yes. everyone is safe," William said via telepathy. The gem on his chest glowed softly as he communicated with Ashe, who was still at the Academy, waiting for him. "Take everyone to the location of the dungeon, and bring Soleil with you. I will be there after I finish my business here."

"Understood. We'll wait for you at the Dungeon of the Horde," Ashe replied.

After a few more words of assurances, William ended the long distance communication and looked around him.

The entire forest was gone, replaced by a giant crater and scorched Earth that extended for over a mile.

'In the future, this area will become a lake, and give birth to new life,' William thought. 'I better return these girls back to their villages, but first I need to ask Charmaine and the others to give them some clothes.'

When William used the Flames of Purification to burn the Dryad, he hoped that the flames wouldn't hurt the townspeople. Fortunately, his fears didn't come to pass and all the girls had been saved.

It was quite unfortunate that the men had all been killed by the Dryad to use as fertilizer, so there was nothing that William could do about it.

He just hoped that after this incident, the town of Willowdale still had the strength to be able to move on.

"You there! You're a student from the academy, right?" a woman who seemed to be in her early thirties asked from a distance.

William recognized her because she was one of his teachers in the Academy. The pretty woman with long brown hair was one of the combat instructors in Hestia Academy, Professor Megan. She was tasked to supervise the students on this mission, alongside Professor Garen, and ensure their safety.

Since a Professor had already accompanied Princess Eowyn's group, Professor Megan accompanied the others in search of the clues for the latest disappearance.

The moment she felt a powerful fluctuation in the distance, she immediately ordered the students to return to the town, while she went to investigate.

When she arrived at the scene, she was immediately shocked at the battle that unfolded. Professor Megan saw William fight against a Myriad Beast until the battle was concluded, and she still couldn't believe what she saw.

If not for the fact that she recognized William's robe, that marked him as a student in Hestia Academy, she might have thought that he was one of the hidden Saints that was under their Headmaster's personal command.

"Professor Megan." William nodded his head in greeting. "Can you please send some people to help these ladies? They are very weak and unable to stand on their own. They are in dire need of rejuvenation potions to help their recovery."

"U-Undertood!" Professor Megan replied. "I'll go back to the town and ask our students, and the townspeople that we have located the missing people. Please, watch over them until I return!"

Professor Megan didn't even wait for William's reply as she left the scene in haste. Since she was a martial master, it wouldn't take her a long time to reach the town and get some help.

'Optimus, are you sure that she wasn't able to escape during our last clash?' William asked.

< The marker that I placed on her body disappeared completely after the explosion. Although I am not a hundred percent certain, the probability of the Dryad surviving that attack is very low. >

William sighed in relief because the Dryad was a very troublesome enemy. Her ability to escape by swapping her main body with a substitute was quite annoying.

Without the System's help, their target might have escaped somewhere else, and continued to terrorize innocents after lying low for a while.

'Now, I just have to deal with the unconscious people in my Domain,' William thought. 'I'll just wait for Professor Megan to arrive before I deal with them.'

—---

When Princess Aila opened her eyes, she found herself lying on a bed in the room that she had slept in the day before.

Magic crystals illuminated the room, and the darkness outside her window told her that it was night time.

She was still half asleep, and the gears in her head had just started to turn. The Myriad Beast's poison had a very strong paralyzing effect and a weakening effect on its victims. This deadly combination prevented the Dryad's prey from ever mounting a resistance against her, as she slowly absorbed her victims inside her body.

A minute later, the images of what transpired flashed in her memories. All the drowsiness in her head disappeared when she remembered the bloody scene that broke her heart.

"Conan!" Princess Aila immediately tried to get out of bed, but her legs collapsed under her.

Just as her body was about to hit the floor, a powerful breeze swept under her, catching her in place.

"It's good to see that you are awake already," William said as he stood on the doorway, carrying a tray of food. "Sorry for not knocking, but I heard you shout Conan's name when I was about to knock on the door. I thought that something had happened so I opened it without permission. Are you alright, Aila?"

William moved his hand and Aila floated back on the bed.

"Sir William, what happened to Conan?" Princess Aila inquired. William could sense the anxiousness in her voice, so he decided to tell her the truth.

"Conan died," William answered. However, after seeing Aila's broken hearted expression he hurriedly continued his explanation. "But, you don't have to worry. He just needs to rest for a bit then I can summon him again before noon tomorrow."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes. So, wipe those tears on your face. Conan will be sad if he heard that you spent the night crying because of him."

William was truly surprised by Princess Aila's concern for Conan. He never thought that he would see someone react that way to the Little Devil's death.

'You've found a good friend, Conan,' William thought as he placed the tray of food on the table.

He then grabbed a chair and placed it beside Aila's bed in order to check her condition.

"Have you run a diagnostic spell on your body?" William inquired. "I did it while you were sleeping, but I didn't find anything wrong. I think it is best that you check your body first, and tell me if something seems amiss."

After William's reminder, Princess Aila closed her eyes and her body glowed briefly. Several minutes passed before a sigh escaped her lips.

"Aside from feeling a bit lethargic, everything is fine," Princess Aila replied. "This must be the after effects of the Dryad's poison."

William nodded. Optimus and him had come to the same conclusion. Princess Eowyn, Lilith, Kenneth, Pearl, and Professor Garen were in the same boat, but all they needed was rest to completely recover.

After finishing her diagnostic scan of her own body, Princess Aila stared at William with a confused expression on her face.

"Sir William, why are you here?" Princess Aila asked. "Aren't you supposed to head to the Dungeon of the Horde? Did you change your mind and choose the same mission we did?"

Princess Aila was aware of the mission that William had chosen for the Academy's Quarterly Exam. The dungeon he was planning to challenge was three days away from the academy by flying carriage, and was in the opposite direction of their mission.

She found it strange that the Half-Elf had suddenly appeared in Willowdale, just in time to save all of them from harm.

"I-I'm not saying that I am not grateful that you appeared to save us." Princess Aila panicked when she realized that she was interrogating their savior. "I am really thankful, but, could you have arrived earlier? If so, Conan might not have suffered so much."

The corner of William's lips twitched because he could sense the traces of complaint in Princess Aila's tone.

Even so, he also wished that he could have arrived earlier. If he did then his Little Devil wouldn't have had to suffer like he did.

"Eat first," William said as he took the tray from the table and placed it on her lap. "You will need to regain your strength before I summon Conan tomorrow."

Princess Aila nodded her head. Deep inside she was feeling guilty and ashamed. She didn't know what came over her, and said those things to William.

She was about to apologize, but William shook his head as he pointed at the food on the tray.

"Eat. if you don't, I'll tell Conan that you are not taking care of yourself."

"... Sir William, you're a bully, aren't you?"

William rolled his eyes at the Princess who was slandering his good name.

After the Princess finished eating, William left the room and sighed. He remembered what Optimus' had said about Conan's state when they arrived, and he hoped that the System had just made a mistake.

'I'll know when morning comes,' William once again sighed internally. 'Conan. You really did your best. I just hope that you will not take a gamble like this again in the future.'

Even if Familiars died, they could easily be summoned again after a twenty four hour cooldown. Just like the Angray Birds, they could resurrect over and over again.

However, there was an exemption. If the Familiar used 100% of its true power, they would gain great strength, but after that power faded, they would die permanently.

Even Chloee would only use 70% of her powers during battles, and would not exceed that mark.

Unfortunately, Conan had crossed that line. Although he didn't use a hundred percent of his powers, according to the System, he had used 80%. This was the thing that worried William.

He hoped that his honest and straightforward familiar would not suffer any kind of extreme backlash from going past his limit when he summoned him the next day.

Chapter 757: Conan’s Gamble [Part 2]

"What did you say? A Myriad Beast appeared in Willowdale?!" The Headmaster of Hestia Academy, Byron, couldn't believe the report he had received from Professor Garen and Professor Megan.

The two were talking to him using communication crystals that exclusively belonged to the Professors of the academy.

"Tell me everything that you know,' Byron ordered. "Make sure not to miss anything!"

He almost had a heart attack after hearing the Professors' emergency communication in the middle of the night.

A Myriad Beast appearing in one of their students' missions was a disastrous thing. Byron immediately became worried because several high-profiled students had been involved in the incident.

Fortunately, William had arrived and prevented the incident from escalating. After hearing this piece of good news, Byron felt that the great pressure on his shoulders had suddenly disappeared. He was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after knowing that the members of the Academy hadn't suffered any casualties during their expedition.

'Fine. I will no longer trouble you with what you did on Antilia Island," Byron thought as he listened to the rest of the two Professors' report.

After a few minutes, Byron ordered them to all remain in the town while he sent the Academy's Special Forces to check the current situation. These elites would also serve as the students' escort when they returned to the academy.

—--

The next day…

"Sir William, please," Princess Aila looked at William with a pleading gaze.

The Half-Elf nodded his head as he summoned Conan.

A magic circle appeared in the air and the Little Devil appeared in front of them.

A smile appeared on Princess Aila's face, but it didn't last long because she noticed that something was wrong.

As soon as Conan was summoned, the familiar fell down from the Magic Circle.

William had already prepared himself for something like this to happen, so he was able to catch Conan before he fell on the floor.

"Conan?" William asked as he took a closer look at the Devil Familiar, who had his eyes closed.

Conan's eyes fluttered before slowly opening.

"Oh… good morning, Will, and Aila," Conan said weakly. His face was very pale, and it was obvious that it took him great effort to speak. "Um, I'm still a bit tired from yesterday. Can I sleep a little more?"

William frowned as he used a diagnostic spell on Conan who was resting on the palms of his hands. The Devil Familiar could barely keep his eyes open and soon lost consciousness.

It was not only William who was checking Conan's current condition. Princess Aila's eyes glowed in a purplish hue as she examined her friend's condition.

< Will, Conan's parameters are dangerously low. His life hangs in the balance, so I highly recommend that you give him a powerful Rejuvenation Potion. After that, sprinkle a bottle of lesser restoration on his body to help stabilize his condition. >

'Get me the best Rejuvenation Potion from the God Shop,' William ordered. His heart shuddered when he saw Conan's current condition. Conan's life force was like the flame of a candle, swaying in the wind. A flame that could disappear at any time.

This realization had made him very anxious, so he hurriedly asked Optimus to give him the best rejuvenation that was available.

Princess Aila also noticed how dire Conan's condition was. If not for William giving her a stern glare, she might have already grabbed Conan from his hand and used her Life Magic to forcefully help him recover.

"Calm down," William said with a serious expression on his face. He tried to keep his voice from shaking because he knew that the Princess in front of her was starting to panic, just like him.

At that moment, a small bottle of Rejuvenation Potion materialized in front of Princess Aila.

"Let him drink it," William ordered. "Do it slowly."

Princess Aila nodded and gently poured the contents of the small bottle on Conan's lips. She did it in intervals, so that Conan would not choke. Finally, after a few minutes, the bottle had been emptied.

Next, a vial of Lesser Restoration materialized over Conan's body. Princess Aila grabbed it and gently poured its contents over Conan's body.

The Familiar's body glowed faintly as the two potions did their work. However, William was still not feeling secured so he switched his Job Class to Life Mage and used Healing Wind to help speed up Conan's recovery.

Princess Aila also did the same as she cast a healing spell on Conan. The two of them did this several times until the paleness in Conan's expression disappeared.

They spent half an hour trying to stabilize Conan's condition. Only when Optimus could inform William that Conan's life was no longer in danger did William stop Aila from continuing to use healing magic on the unconscious Little Devil in his hand.

"He's no longer in danger," William said with a sigh of relief. "Can you look after him for a while, Aila? I still have things to do."

Princess Aila nodded her head as William used a gentle breeze to lift Conan's body and place him in the princess' palms.

According to Optimus, Conan would recover faster if he stayed with Princess Aila. Her body was rich in life energy, and it would greatly speed up the Familiar's recovery.

Just as Wiliam was about to leave the room, a knock was heard on the door.

He then exchanged a glance with Princess Aila before opening it.

"Professor Garen told me to inform you that we will be returning to the academy in an hour," Kenneth said. "If you are finished with your preparations, please go to the flying carriage parked outside the Mayor's Residence."

"Okay," William nodded before turning around to look at Princess Aila. "Can you look after him for me? Conan only needs a few days of rest. After that, he should be fully recovered."

Princess Aila nodded. "You can count on me, Sir William. I'll make sure that no harm comes to Conan."

"Good. I still need to finish my mission so I'll be taking my leave," William stated before leaving the room. "Kenneth, tell the Professors that I'll be going to finish my own mission. I will not be returning with you guys to the academy."

"Okay." Kenneth gave Wiliam a brief nod before stepping aside to let him pass.

William walked into the hallway with a serious expression on his face. After making a right turn, he vanished, leaving no traces of his departure.

—--

A few seconds later, William reappeared inside a room holding Soleil in his right hand.

"How is he?" a voice filled with concern asked William from his left side.

"His life is no longer in danger," William replied as he turned to look at Elliot who was hovering beside him. "Aila is currently taking care of him. He will recover faster by her side."

The Angelic Familiar patted his chest as he breathed a sigh of relief. He was really worried about his twin, and he had been awake throughout the night, trying to discern his condition.

However, Elliot's clairvoyance was an ability that he couldn't control. It could let him see glimpses of the future at random times, but he couldn't use it to target specific persons.

William gently patted Elliot's shoulder with his finger as he faced his wives who were looking at him with concern.

"Let's go," William said softly. "Let's clear this dungeon."

In order to strengthen his Familiars and get to that next stage, William would need to acquire the Dungeon Core Essence needed to upgrade his Familiamancer Job Class and further strengthen his Familiars.

William hoped that once he had reached the highest level limit of his Prestige Class, his Familiars would not have the need to gamble with their lives ever again.

Chapter 758: Are You Ready For Round Two?

Dungeon of the Horde, this was a Dungeon that was on the outskirts of the Empire that was ruled by the Amazons, Ares Empire.

This was why William had kept his destination a secret from a certain Amazon Princess.

He knew that once Lilith became aware of his Dungeon expedition, she would immediately inform her mother to send some people to try and capture William as he dove into the dungeon.

William wasn't afraid of a bunch of Amazon Warriors who were planning to kidnap him. However, in order to prevent variables from getting in his way, he decided to keep his destination a secret.

The Dungeon of the Horde was the stronghold of the Orcs.

They were a savage, humanoid race that possessed strength that far surpassed ordinary Humans.

This race in particular liked battles. They specialized in group warfare, and their brutish attacks against all the other races had earned them the moniker Warmongers.

Because of this, no one dared to build any towns, cities, or any kinds of settlement within a ten-mile radius of their territory.

However, these same Savage Orcs were now running for their lives, as a horde of monsters invaded their domain.

"Don't run! We are your friends!" B1 shouted as the lollipops in its claws shot multiple magic missles at the retreating orcs.

Although one magic missile was not enough to kill them, it was strong enough to blast them away, and give them serious injuries.

"B1 sure is enjoying himself," Chiffon said as she jogged while holding bacon in her hands.

"Right," Ian agreed as she jogged beside William. "B1 seems to be venting out his frustration on the Orcs. I wonder why?"

Ian then glanced at William who was running beside them, while carrying Princess Sidonie in his arms.

The Princess wasn't a warrior, so her stamina when it came to running wasn't the best. Because of this, William decided to carry her as they did a speedrun inside the dungeon. Their goal was not to kill every monster they saw, but to get to the 70th Floor as soon as possible.

With Elliot, Zhu, Sha, B1, and B2, leading the charge to scare the monsters, their progress had increased significantly.

Right now, they were on the 30th Floor of the Dungeon.

The adventurers, mercenaries, and even students of Hestia Academy who had seen William's group were dumbfounded by the strategy that they were using.

William and the rest would only fight when they arrived at Boss Floors. On regular floors they would just fight when a battle was unavoidable, but due to their current strength, the battles ended right away.

Compared to the Dungeon of Atlantis, the Dungeon of the Horde was nothing.

It didn't take long before their group arrived at the 50th Floor.

William only stood off to the side as his party faced the Orc Chieftain and its minions.

The Orc Chieftain was a Millennial Ranked Beast, and it was guarded by four Centennial Ranked Orc Warriors.

In the past, William would certainly choose to run away from such powerful monsters. Now, he could easily defeat them with the current power he possessed.

Right now, he wanted his wives to get used to fighting against strong monsters, in preparation for the future. Chiffon and Ian had already experienced fighting against strong enemies, but Princess Sidonie was not as proficient as them in battle.

Because of this, William decided to let her fight alongside the others, so that she wouldn't overly rely on Morgana, when her life was in danger.

The beautiful Succubus floated in the air as she hurled purple fireballs at the Orc Warriors. Although her attacks were a bit clumsy, she was slowly getting used to fighting while using her Succubus powers.

"Are you sure that they don't need any help?," Zhu inquired as he rubbed his chin. "Chiffon and Ian are able to fight the Orc Warriors, but Sidonie is having a hard time controlling her powers."

"No need," William replied. "She will get the hang of it in time."

Sha, who had his arms crossed over his chest, nodded his head. "Great things start from small beginnings. Even so, this brings me back when we were still in the Celestial Army. Usually, when monsters would wreak havoc on mankind, the Jade Emperor would send us on expeditions to clear them out.

"The majority of the Beasts we encountered were led by Centennial and Millennial Ranked Creatures. They were quite troublesome since they numbered in the thousands."

While the three were discussing the Expeditions of the Celestial Army, Chiffon and Ian had just defeated their opponents. Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, was still fighting against the Orc Warrior assigned to her.

"You can do it, Sidonie!" Chiffon cheered.

"Beat that Orc Warrior!" Ian supported her friend as well.

Princess Sidonie redoubled her efforts as she channeled her energy and fired a barrage of fireballs at the Orc, giving it no chance to evade.

Half a minute later, the charred body of the Orc Warrior finally fell.

Princess Sidonie landed on the ground and panted. She had long been used to giving orders to others, so her physical prowess was not her strong point.

The only time her physical prowess shone through was during her night battles with William!

"Good Job to the three of you," William said as he approached his wives. "Do you girls still have the strength to fight against that Millennial Beast over there?"

William pointed at the Orc Chieftain who was roaring in anger at the annoying creatures that were toying around with it.

"Yes!" Chiffon said as she unequipped her Devourer's Gauntlets. This time a brilliant flash of light appeared and the "Smasher of Thousands" appeared in her hands.

"Let's go, Sharur!" Chiffon stated as she ran towards the Orc Chieftain.

"Leave it to me," Sharur replied. "I'll smash that Orc to oblivion."

Ian summoned her sword whip and ran after Chiffon. She also wanted to challenge the Orc Chieftain and see how she fared against Millennial Beasts."

William chuckled as he patted Princess Sidonie's shoulder. "How about you? Are you ready for Round Two?"

Princess Sidonie rolled her eyes before flapping her batlike wings to join the fray.

She had heard about what happened to Princess Eowyn, Lilith, Princess Aila, Kenneth, and Pearl. If possible, she didn't want to become a helpless damsel in distress and be saved every time she was in danger.

Just like the others, the Princess of Freesia also wanted to fight alongside William. Because of this, she decided to participate in the Dungeon Expedition in order to get used to fighting against strong monsters.

Although she didn't mind always being saved by William, she didn't want to become a burden to him, especially when it came to critical moments.

A few minutes later, the dying shriek of the Orc Chieftain resounded inside the Boss Room. After getting the treasure chests, and beast cores, the group once again continued their descent to the lower floors of the dungeon.

Their target was the 70th Floor, and according to William's estimates, it would still take them a day before they fully conquered the Dungeon that held great importance to the Familiamancer's Job Advancement.

Chapter 759: You Call THAT A Perfect Being?

Muspelheim was the land of the Fire Demons, Giants, and other sinister monsters, whose fiery temperament had led to the destruction of many worlds in the multiverse.

They were the World Destroyers that were led by one of the Gods of Destruction, Surtr. Currently this frightening being was bathing in lava, inside the giant volcano that was located in the center of the planet.

"Your Excellency, the battle that is being waged on the World of Fuma, is about to come to an end," A Fire Demon who was four meters tall said in a respectful tone. "Our warriors are victorious and have successfully destroyed the World Core. The planet has started to collapse on itself, and it is only a matter of time before all life inside it will be given eternal rest."

"Good," Surtr replied. "Any news about the expedition teams that we dispatched to the other worlds?"

"To answer Excellency's question, All three thousand exploration groups have long departed Muspelheim and Jotunheim. The majority of them have already arrived at the worlds that were assigned to them and are currently battling against the denizens of those worlds."

The Fire Demon lowered its head. "Some of them had activated their Destroyer Beacons to ask for assistance."

"How many?"

"Around three hundred and thirty, Your Excellency."

Surtr stood up from the lava and walked out of the crater of the Volcano. He then grabbed his helmet, and donned his armor. Raising his hand, a giant flaming sword appeared, immolating Surtr's body in a cloak of flames.

"Tell my Destroyer Legion to prepare for an invasion," Surtr ordered.

The Fire Demon bowed his head before leaving the scene.

Surtr took giant strides as he headed towards the direction of the Void Gate. As the God of Destruction, his sole purpose was to destroy worlds.

"I just hope that these resisting worlds will entertain me," Surtr muttered as he looked at the Giant Gate that would lead him to the worlds that were resisting their invasion.

Soon, the sounds of battlehorns reached his ears.

Surtr allowed a chuckle to escape his lips as he turned around to see his mighty army.

Billions of Giants, Fire Demons, Trolls, and other Monsters roared in unison. With just a glance, Surtr could see the excitement on their faces.

"To war!" Surtr roared.

""To War!""

With a domineering laugh filled with confidence, the God of Destruction stepped into the Void Gate. Not long after, the Army of World Destroyers followed suit.

Within the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, the Jade Emperor shook his head.

"Another world is about to be destroyed," the Jade Emperor said as he sighed in his heart. "I pity those who will come face to face with this army. With Surtr personally leading them, all hope is lost. What do you think?"

The Emperor of the Celestial Realm glanced at the Monkey King who was busy picking his nose.

"I think they should take a vacation," Sun Wukong said after flicking the filth in his hand away, which landed on the Jade Emperor's Wine Cup.

The corner of the Jade Emperor's lips twitched when he saw what had transpired. He then raised his hand and ordered his steward to replace the cup that had been soiled by the Monkey King's lack of manners.

"Okay, let's set aside those World Destroyers for the time being," the Jade Emperor stated. "Tell me. What is your excuse for taking Zhu and Sha to that boy's world?"

"Excuse? What are you talking about?"

"Are you playing dumb with me? I am asking you why you agreed to help Zhu and Sha? You already know that I planned to let them reincarnate in a better world, and not a world that is about to be destroyed!"

The Jade Emperor slammed his fist on the armrest of his throne. Thunder rumbled in the heavens, and lightning flashed in the sky. Clearly, he was very displeased by Sun Wukong's meddlesome actions, which had ruined his plan for his two loyal subordinates.

Sun Wukong was unfazed by the Jade Emperor's actions. He didn't fear anyone, even if that person was one of the Strongest Gods in existence.

"Have you heard of that famous saying 'Man proposes, God disposes?'" Sun Wukong asked back in a teasing tone. "This saying means that Mortals can make any plans they want, but it's God that decides their success or failure."

The Monkey King lazily laid on his back as he took out one of the peaches that were in his pocket. He then rubbed it on his robe before blowing at it.

"If Mortals knew that the Gods whom they prayed to were not omnipotent, I wonder what they would think?" Sun Wukong eyed the Jade Emperor before taking a bite at the peach in his hand.

"We. Are. Omnipotent."

"Yeah? Then if you are omnipotent, why can't you prevent me from smuggling two demons to a world that is about to be destroyed? Doesn't this contradict your statement?"

The Jade Emperor snorted. "You took advantage of the fact that I was handling important business when you smuggled the two of them to that world."

"Which proved my case. You are not omnipotent."

"Sophism!"

The Monkey King chuckled as he took another bite on the peach in his hand.

"Sophism? I call this incompetence. Do you really think of Gods as perfect beings?"

"Yes."

The Monkey King Snorted and pointed at the God of Lolicons who was currently running away from the FBI God.

"You call THAT a Perfect Being?" Sun Wukong sneered.

The Jade Emperor lightly cleared his throat. "New Generation Gods are not included in this discussion. They're a bunch of…"

"A bunch of?"

"A bunch of, you know!"

"I don't." Sun Wukong shook his head. He then stood up and started to walk away from the Jade Palace. "I guess it is about time for you to re-evaluate yourself, and make your stance on this matter. Don't think you can fool anyone with what you are trying to do in the background."

Sun Wukong somersaulted in the air and disappeared. However, the mocking words that followed echoed across the sky, reaching the Jade Emperor who was seated on his heavenly throne.

"Most of the things worth doing in the world have been declared IMPOSSIBLE, before they were done. People who say it cannot be done should just roll over to the side, and not interrupt those who are doing it."

The Jade Emperor shook his head as if to ignore the Monkey King's words.

"Stupid monkey," the Jade Emperor muttered.. There was a hint of sadness on his face as he gazed in the world that was about to meet its end. "Who said that I didn't try?"

Chapter 760: I See. So, You Are Just His Friend.

Several days passed, and the students of Hestia Academy were busy doing quest after quest, in order to raise their evaluation before the Assessment Test was over.

Of course, there were a few exceptions to this rule.

Princess Eowyn, Princess Aila, Lilith, Kenneth, and Pearl, were put under house arrest. The Headmaster had told them that there was no need for them to do any missions because the Myriad Beast incident was already enough for all of them to pass the evaluation.

Although Princess Eowyn didn't mind accepting the Headmaster's decision, Lilith argued that she didn't do anything of merit when the Myriad Beast exposed itself.

In fact, the Amazon Princess insisted that they were saved by William, so their mission didn't count. However, her attitude did a 180 degree turn when the Headmaster gave her a hundred thousand Merit Points as compensation.

She even praised the Headmaster for being wise before going to the Academy's Exchange Department to cash out her merit points and purchase some of the Unique Equipment and artifacts that were stored in the Academy's treasury.

Inside the Girl's Dormitory…

Claire was looking at Conan who was sleeping on a cushy pillow inside Princess Aila's room.

The Little Devil had been sleeping for several days already, but Claire knew that his life wasn't in danger. Princess Aila had made sure to inject his body with Life Magic on a regular basis, to hasten his recovery.

When Claire heard the news about Conan's incident, she immediately went to see the Devil Familiar to confirm for herself if the news were true or not.

As a Progenitor Familiar, Claire was able to detect the abnormalities that had happened in Conan's body. She had seen this before once, when Chloee stupidly went past her 70% limit, during her fight against the strongest Demigod of Hestia, Tarasque.

As Claire watched over the sleeping Conan, the door of the room opened and Princess Aila appeared, carrying a small bottle in her hand. It was a rejuvenation potion that she had exchanged some of the Merit Points she had received from their mission for.

"His condition is already stable," Claire said. "You don't have to use that rejuvenation potion on him. Even if you did, he would still remain unconscious for a few more days."

Princess Aila frowned, but she still opened the cork of the rejuvenation potion, and gently placed it over Conan's lips.

Claire sighed, but she didn't keep the angelic looking lady from taking action on her desire to help Conan recover faster.

Only when the bottle was emptied did Claire move towards Conan, and placed her hand over his chest. She was checking to see if there were any changes. Princess Aila did the same, and for a few minutes, silence descended inside the room.

Suddenly, Claire looked up at Princess Aila. Their gazes met and the corner of Claire's lips curled up into a smile.

"What is your relationship with him?" Claire asked.

"Conan is my Best Friend," Princess Aila replied. "How about you? What is your relationship with him?"

"I am his…," Claire pondered for a brief moment before finishing her sentence. "I am his Good Friend."

The two ladies eyed each other before coming to an understanding.

"I see. So, you are just his Friend."

"Right. A Friend. Just like you."

Suddenly, a soft sigh escaped Conan's lips. One of the fingers in his hand twitched, and this movement caught Princess Aila and Claire's attention.

The Little Devil's eyes started to flutter, but it soon returned to its normal state. Soon, the breathing of a deep sleeper reached the two ladies' ears. A trace of disappointment appeared on their faces because they thought that Conan was about to wake up.

Sadly, the Familiar was still in deep sleep, and seemed to be dreaming about something. This was the conclusion the two ladies had because Conan would mutter things from time to time, but his words were either too low, or too jumbled to be understood.

They had already done what they could.

Now, the only thing that they had to do was wait.

—--

High above the Kyrintor Mountains…

"Your Excellency, are you leaving already?" Takam asked.

Ella nodded her head. "Yes. The threat has been dealt with, and our world is safe for the time being. I plan to go to the Central Continent to reunite with William."

"Then, is there something else that I can do for you?"

"No, but, please, prepare for what is to come in the future. We need all the help we can get."

Takam nodded his head in understanding. "Understood. I will do my best."

Ella smiled and walked down the Kyrintor Mountains along with the members of the Angorian War Sovereign.

Although she said that she planned to go to the Central Continent to see William, she still needed to meet up with a few people before going on her journey to reunite with William.

Her first stop would be to visit Lont. After that, she would go and see Wendy and Est.

She had long recognized them as William's lovers, so she thought that it was necessary to tell them a few things about what would happen in the future.

'I haven't been keeping track of how many lovers William has at the moment,' Ella thought. 'So, there is Wendy, Est, Ashe, and that Princess from Freesia. That makes it four out of nine. It has been several months since I've seen him. Is it possible that the number of his wife candidates has increased?'

A rare pouting expression appeared on Ella's face as she thought of the red-headed teenager who was far away from her reach.

'Well, I'll find out soon enough,' Ella thought as she led the way down the Kyrintor Mountains. The pout on her face disappeared and was replaced by a mischievous smile.

'I wonder how he will react when he sees me?' Ella mused. 'Maybe it's still too early. I guess I'll stay in my former form when I meet him. It will not be too late to let him see my true form after I assess the situation.'

The goats following behind her were also thinking of the same thing. They had been with William since they were born, and they were also excited to show him their evolved forms.

Takam watched them go from on top of his castle and sighed internally.

'Uncertainty is the most stressful thing,' Takam thought. 'Still, the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain. Perhaps a miracle will happen.'

The Demigod of the Kyrintor Mountains shook his head as he returned inside his castle.. He knew that thinking of the future was useless, for it would come soon enough.

Chapter 761: The Thorns Of The Crimson Rose [Part 1]

63rd floor Dungeon of the Horde…

"Everyone rest for a while," a tall lady with tanned skin said with a smile. "We will resume our dungeon exploration in three hours and head to the 64th Floor."

The tall lady's name was Millis. She was the leader of the adventurer party known as Crimson Rose. She was one of the best warriors of the Ares Empire that was ruled by the Amazons.

Since the Dungeon of the Horde was within their borders, several hunting parties from the Ares Empire would frequently visit this dungeon, to collect materials, treasure chests, and beast cores.

"Leader, how far will we go this time?" an Amazon with short hair, that made her look like a pretty boy, asked.

Millis pondered for a bit before giving her answer. They had been challenging this particular dungeon for the past few months and this was the farthest floor that they had stepped on. Usually, their base of operation was only around the 59th Floor, but due to her group's improvement they had decided to challenge the boss on the 60th Floor.

The battle on their current floor had been intense, but due to their amazing teamwork, they had been able to beat the three Millennial Bosses, and their Six Centennial minions.

Millis was a Black Ranked Warrior. Her strength was just a rank away from becoming a Saint. This was why Empress Andraste held her in high regard.

"We will just check to see how strong the monsters on the 64th Floor are," Millis replied. "If we can't handle them, we will end our expedition and return to the Empire."

"Finally! I'm sick and tired of looking at these orcs."

"I know, right? Aren't there any beautiful ladies around?"

"It's quite unfortunate that we only see our fellow Amazons among these parts. I really want to hug a delicate looking beauty and shower her with kisses."

"I miss Lilith. Last time, she promised that she would give me a kiss if we could clear the 60th Floor. Hahaha! Now that we've done it, I can cash in on our promise!"

"What? No fair! I should have also asked her!"

Millis shook her head helplessly. She also wanted to end their expedition and visit the nearby city in order to play around with the beauties that were waiting for her return. She, too, was tired of looking at orcs all day long.

Among the high-ranking adventurer parties, the Crimson Rose was well-known for their strength and their desire for beautiful women.

This unique taste of theirs gave Empress Andrate a headache, because instead of looking for strong men, the Crimson Rose would rather seduce women and tumble in the sheets with them.

"Leader, I can sense some people coming," an Amazon with long brown hair reported as she reached for her weapon. She was the scout of their party and her senses were the most sensitive among the group.

"How many are they?" Millis asked as she held her two swords, one in each hand.

"I can hear five pairs of footsteps," the scout reported. She had pressed her ear on the ground, in order to know how many enemies they were dealing with.

"Get ready for battle," Millis ordered. "Anyone who is able to reach this far are no amateurs."

The members of the Crimson Rose nodded their heads in agreement. All of them held their weapons firmly in their hands, ready to attack at Millis' command.

Her party was composed of seven people, and all of them were seasoned fighters. Getting attacked inside the dungeon by people was very common. Crimson Rose had done the same things several times. This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and this was a law that all Amazons adhered to.

If their opponent was strong, they would just run. If their opponents were weak then they would see whether their party could take advantage of the people who had arrived on the same floor as them.

It didn't take long before they saw the people that their scout had sensed earlier. Although there was still some distance between them, they were able to appraise their opponents from afar.

"Three men, and two ladies," the short haired tomboy's eyes widened in surprise. Soon, a smile appeared on her lips as her gaze landed on Princess Sidonie's seductive face and body.

"Leader, I guess today is our lucky day," the long-haired scout smiled as she took out arrows whose tips were dipped with a strong poison that was meant to paralyze her victims.

Millis took a deep breath when she saw Princess Sidonie.

She had seen many beautiful women before, but the young lady in front of her had far surpassed those that she had seen so far.

'She's even more beautiful than Lilith,' Millis thought. She couldn't take her eyes off the girl that had long, reddish-brown hair, and eyes that fanned the desires that were starting to surface in her chest.

"Leader, look at the little girl beside her," one of her members said. "She's so adorable! Can I take her home?"

Due to her subordinate's words, Millis forcefully tore her gaze away from the seductive beauty and focused her attention on the pink-haired girl who was radiating an innocence that made her heart melt.

For her, both ladies had unique temperaments which highlighted their charms. One was a seductive beauty that could bring the downfall of a nation, the other a small fairy whom they couldn't help but want to hug and protect.

Both girls were irresistible, and Millis and her group had already made up their minds to take them back to the Ares Empire with them.

William's group stopped their advance and looked at the pretty girls with tanned skin, who were all looking at Princess Sidonie and Chiffon. The desire in their eyes was pretty evident, which made William raise an eyebrow.

"Sidonie, did you use your charm on them?" William inquired.

Princess Sidonie shook her head. "No. You know that I stopped doing that long ago. The only one I want to charm is you. Still, these girls are not normal. The stares that they're giving me are the same as those lustful men who want to eat me up."

"Will, why are they looking at me like that?" Chiffon asked. She was someone that had suffered many hardships in the past, so she was quite sensitive to people staring at her.

"Maybe they want to eat you up as well just like Sidonie," William chuckled as he patted Chiffon's head. "Don't worry. I'll handle them.

William stepped forward and blocked the gazes of the Amazons who were staring at his wives.

"Friends, we are just passing by," William said with a smile. "Can you please, step aside and let us pass?"

Millis frowned as she gazed at the red-headed teenager who seemed to be the leader of this group of people. She appraised him from head to foot before giving her answer.

"You want to pass? Sure. But, leave the two ladies behind," Millis said. "Don't worry. As long as you do that, I promise that my sisters and I will not cause any trouble for you. We're very good at dealing with ladies. They will be treated with great love and care. Aren't I right, sisters?"

The Amazons giggled as they nodded their heads. Although they didn't mind taking the initiative to fight against William's group and take the ladies by force, they still decided to talk things out in a civil manner.

"Some people just don't know when to back down unless they get beaten to a pulp," William replied as he shook his head. "Can't we all just mind our own businesses and get along? Why must we make things difficult for each other? I really don't have time to deal with third-rate villains."

Millis chuckled as she unleashed her aura. "Third-rate villains? Good. I'll show you what these third rate villains could do. Sisters, let's go!"

Zhu, who was standing behind the group, walked past William. Since he was standing behind Sha, none of the girls had been able to see him.

Among all of them, his temper was the shortest, so when the Amazons refused to talk like civilized people, he decided to take care of them himself.

Summoning his nine-toothed rake, Zhu stood in front of William's party like an immovable mountain, ready to smash the Amazons who were planning to make trouble for them.

However, the moment he appeared, the Amazon Party stopped in their tracks and looked at Zhu with shock.

"L-Leader!"

"C-Calm down. Don't do anything stupid!"

Millis raised his hand to stop her party's advance. All of their eyes were locked on Zhu's chubby body, which made their hearts skip a beat.

"S-Sir, may I know your esteemed name?" Millis asked as she tried to calm her wildly beating heart.

She had never felt this way before, but the moment she laid her eyes on Zhu, she felt that the world had suddenly become more colorful.

Chapter 762: The Thorns Of The Crimson Rose [Part 2]

Zhu looked at the Amazons in front of him with contempt.

"You want to know this Sir's name? Fine. I will tell you," Zhu rested the nine-toothed rake on his shoulder before raising his chin in arrogance. "I am Zhu. Remember it and remember it well."

"Zhu? His name is so manly!"

"Hah… such a well rounded belly. It makes me want to rest my head on it while I sleep."

"Those meaty arms… how good it must feel to be embraced by them?"

"Those chubby legs… his thighs must be thicc. I like!"

"Sisters, remember the tradition. We're going to draw lots who gets to do it with him first. Same old rule, okay?"

""Okay!""

William looked at the crazy girls whose pupils had turned to hearts while looking at Zhu.

Dafuk? Are these girls monkeys in heat?

Sensing that something was amiss, William stepped forward and stood between Zhu and the Amazons, blocking their views.

This immediately put a scowl on the Amazons' faces and all of them glared at William.

"Ladies, we're in a bit of a hurry, so can you all step aside and let us pass?" William asked.

Millis looked at William in contempt as she pointed straight at his face. "Shut up ugly. We're not interested in you. If you want to go then go."

"That's right! No one is asking you to stay. If you want to go then scram!"

"Still here? We already said that you can go. What is this? You want us to notice you so badly? Sorry, we have high standards. A snot-nosed Half-Elf like you can just roll over to the side!"

A series of curses followed suit which made B1, who was perched on Chiffon's shoulder, look at the girls with appreciation. If the dumb bird had fingers, it would had already given the Amazons a thumbs up.

"U-Ugly? Me? You're calling me ugly?" William couldn't believe that someone dared to call him ugly. He looked at the crazy Amazons and wondered if they had some eye problems.

Millis spat on the ground. "What? Not convinced? What's so good about you? Just look at your hair? Do you think having red hair makes you look good? Compared to that red bird over there, you are nothing!"

William glanced at B1, and the dumb bird glanced back at him. The Half-Elf was surprised to see the disdainful gaze that B1 was giving him.

B1 then shifted his attention to the girls and began to nag at them. He felt insulted to be compared to William.

"Excuse me? Don't lump me up with him. Only his head is red, while I'm red all over!" B1 said with contempt.

"Sorry Mr. Bird. I was in the wrong. I apologize for comparing him to someone as magnificent as you."

"As long as you understand then I forgive you. Just make sure not to do it again in the future."

Millis then stared back at William with a haughty expression on your face.

"Compared to Sir Zhu, you're too skinny. Do you think that girls will like someone like you?" Millis chuckled. She then moved her gaze to William's lower half to appraise it.

The other Amazons did the same. Although they liked beautiful women, that didn't mean that they didn't have any standards when it came to men. They knew that someday they would have to birth strong warriors to continue the bloodline of the Amazon Race.

Because of this, their standards when it came to men were more unique, compared to their other sisters.

Half a minute later, all the Amazons chuckled. Some of them covered their lips and giggled, while Millis roared in laughter. They would look at William's lower half from time to time only to laugh again.

"What's that? A little snake? Can he even satisfy the ladies with that?"

"Sister, the snakes will be insulted if you compare them to that thing. At most, it's just a worm."

"That's not just an ordinary worm. It's a little worm. Seriously, no woman will appreciate that kind of thing!"

"Ewww! No thanks!"

Millis stopped laughing and looked at William with a pitiful gaze.

"It's quite unfortunate that you were born with such a little thing," Millis commented before shifting her attention to Zhu's lower half. The Amazons did the same and all of their eyes sparkled in delight.

"As expected of Sir Zhu. He is a Dragon amongst men!"

"Such a strong, and sturdy… I can't wait to…. Hehehe."

"Sis, can you let me give it a try first?"

"If I can ride that thing, I can die happy."

William's face twitched as he heard the Amazon's non-stop praises of Zhu. He was about to argue with them when he felt someone tugging on her clothes.

The Half-Elf glanced at the adorable pink-haired girl who was looking up at him with a smile.

"Will, don't worry. I love your little worm." Chiffon said with an innocent tone.

The moment the Amazons heard it, all of them laughed out loud, which made William almost spit a mouthful of blood. They even praised Chiffon for being honest, the Amazons' jeers were like sharp arrows that pierced William's heart.

The damage he received from this short exchange of words was stronger than the attack of a Myriad Beast.

Princess Sidonie's and Ian's bodies shook as they desperately covered their lips to prevent themselves from laughing out loud. They had never seen William so distraught before and it tickled their hearts.

Although they knew that the Amazons were just exaggerating things, they couldn't stop themselves from chuckling due to how confused and wronged William's expression was.

It was very rare to see her husband with that kind of look on her face, which made the two beautiful ladies feel more attached to him.

< Darling is so cute! I want to make love to him tonight! >

'Yes. Let's do that.' Princess Sidonie agreed. 'Let's heal his heart, and make him fall in love with us all over again.'

'So, William has this cute side to him as well,' Ian thought. 'It's a shame that Est isn't able to see it right now.'

Zhu felt that something was wrong with William, so he asked Sha to take William to the side. He was not aware that the mental damage that the Half-Elf had received had made William question the meaning of life.

"Let my comrades pass and I'll fight with all of you for two hundred rounds!" Zhu declared. "Don't worry. I promise that I will show you girls mercy."

Millis and the Amazons looked at Zhu with sparkling eyes when they heard his declaration.

"T-Two hundred rounds! Did he just say two hundred rounds?!"

"I think my hips will be dislocated with that number, but it sounds exciting!"

"I knew that he is a man among men, a dragon amongst dragons, but to think that he wants all of us to have two hundred rounds with him, he sure has guts!"

Millis had an impatient look on her face as she glanced in William's direction.

"Oi! All of you can pass," Millis stated. She was afraid that Zhu would take back his words if she didn't allow William and his groups to go past them. "Can't you all hurry up? Stop wasting our time!"

The Amazons even approached William's group and hurriedly pulled the Half-Elf, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, Ian, and Sha along.

Clearly, they were raring to go and fight Zhu for two hundred rounds. None of them thought that they would feel this much attraction to a guy and they planned to wring him dry.

However, for that to happen, William's group must leave so that no one would interrupt the great battle that was about to unfold.

After William's group had disappeared from their line of sight, the Amazons hurriedly attacked Zhu.

The mighty Demonic General of the Celestial Realm sneered as he prepared himself to fight one against seven. He was confident that no matter what tricks the girls used on him, he wouldn't lose no matter what.

"Oi! Why are you taking my belt?!"

"Woman! Stop pulling my pants!"

"Why are you girls stripping?! Fight me seriously!"

"Dammit! Woman, just where do you think you're touching?!"

Zhu's angry roars reverberated inside the Dungeon Floor, but the Amazons didn't care one bit about his plight.. They even became more excited as they fought the mighty warrior 'seriously' with all of their might.

Chapter 763: Will You Reward Me As Well?

"Big Brother, will Zhu really be fine?" Chiffon asked.

She was walking hand in hand with William, and was still unaware that her innocent words earlier had almost made her husband spit a mouthful of blood.

"His sacrifice will not be in vain," William replied. "He will not be forgotten."

"Big Brother… Zhu is still alive."

"Well, after two hundred rounds, he might just re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."

Princess Sidonie who was holding onto William's arm giggled as she covered her seductive lips with her right hand.

"You've been giggling non-stop ever since we left Zhu behind," William commented. "Do you want me to call you Gigglypuff?"

"Don't be like that, Darling." Morgana playfully batted her eyes on him. "Don't worry. Those Amazons don't know how well-endowed you are. I am the Sin of Lust, I guarantee that Little Will is a dragon amongst dragons."

William snorted, but his wife's words calmed his heart. Although he knew that the words of the Amazons were not true, it was still difficult to not be affected after being ridiculed to that extent.

"After we clear this dungeon, I'll reward you for your honesty," William said as he kissed Morgana's forehead.

Morgana smiled and nodded her head. "I can't wait."

"Will, how about me?" Chiffon asked. "Will you reward me as well?"

"Okay." William lightly squeezed Chiffon's hand. He had already planned to 'reward' Chiffon for what she had said earlier. He will make sure that his adorable wife would never call Little Will, a little worm ever again.

Suddenly several Centennial Ranked Monster, and Millennial Ranked Beast blocked their path.

The monsters on the 63rd Floor were composed of Orc Parties. Most of them were Centennial Ranked Beasts, led by a Millennial Beast. For most adventurer parties, this might have been a difficult battle, but for William, it was just a walk in the park.

"Erchitu, Psoglav, Jareth, Sharx, Xerxes, Dazz, clear the way," William ordered. "We are heading straight to the 70th Floor. Obliterate anyone who blocks our way!"

The Beasts of William's King's Legion charged with fervor. All of them were of the Centennial Rank, with Jareth (Goblin Paladin) being at the peak of the Millennial Rank.

These monsters were nothing to them, so they bulldozed their way through and sent the orcs flying.

Elliot sat on Sha's shoulder quietly, and seemed to be deep in thought. Conan and him were twins, so the two of them had a means of communicating with each other. However, no matter how hard Elliot called out to his other half, no reply came back to him.

—-

Meanwhile, on the Floor of Valhalla in the Tower of Babylon…

"Father, are you really going to go?" Morgan asked.

James, who was seated on top of Sleipnir nodded his head.

"I have to go," James replied. "We don't have much time."

The old bandit stared at the vast expanse of space with a smile on his face. His subordinates that had fought with him in the Void had all been sent back to their homes, with the exception of a few who decided to stay at the Floor of Asgard, to wait for James' return.

"Commander, I want to go with you," Helen said. "I promise that I will not get in your way."

James sighed and shook his head. "Stay here. I don't know when I'll be back, and someone needs to watch over the Bifrost Bridge and wait for my return."

"Understood. I will patiently wait for the Commander's arrival."

"Sorry for troubling you, Helen. Make sure that William doesn't get out of line when I'm not around."

Helen smiled and nodded her head. "Compared to the commander, William is a Saint. I'm sure that he will do his best to stay out of trouble."

James chuckled because he knew that doing one's best would not guarantee that they would not attract trouble. This was especially true for their bloodline.

"Morgan, watch over the Floor of Asgard," James reminded. "I don't want William to pester me when he finds out that I'm not around."

Morgan nodded. "Father, what about the Elven Prophecy?"

"What about it?"

"What do we do if he…"

James smirked as he patted Morgan's shoulder.

"You worry too much," James said. "We all have our roles to play. You, me, Will, and the rest of the Ainsworths. However, no matter what happens, all of us are family. Anyone who harms our family will be beaten up to a pulp. There will be no exceptions.

"However, if something really terrible happens, use the crystal I left you. No matter where I am, I will return, running at full speed. Well then, I'm off."

James straightened himself and summoned Gungnir. He then raised it high in the air and the Bifrost Bridge shot out towards the vast expanse that led to the unknown.

Not long after, the old man was bathed in a radiant light.

"For Asgard!"

Sleipnir neighed and galloped on top of the Bifrost Bridge. Soon, James, and the magnificent steed, disappeared in a beam of light that pierced the fabric of time and space.

Morgan, Helen, and the rest of the veterans of Lont, stared at the distance for a few minutes before returning to the castle of Asgard.

"Ezio, what will you do for the time being?" Helen asked as he walked side by side with the man who had always been around James.

Just like Helen, Ezio also wanted to accompany James, but Sleipnir would only allow one person to travel on his back, and that was none other than James.

Also, Ezio didn't have the means to cross between worlds. He would only hinder James from his goal if he insisted on accompanying the old coot on his journey.

"I'll go and see William for the time being," Ezio replied. "I'm sure that the Commander is also worried about him."

Helen nodded. "Be careful. There are many old monsters in Hestia Academy. The Headmaster and our Commander had conflicts in the past as well."

"Okay. You be careful as well," Ezio stated before turning into a black mist.

Now that James was not around, Ezio decided to roam around the Central Continent for the time being. The old man had asked him to dig for more information about the hidden Organization, Deus.

James believed that there was more to this particular Organization than met the eye. If possible, he wanted Ezio to find their headquarters and infiltrate it.

That way, he would have a better picture on what their goals really were. If their organization's goal was to destroy the world of Hestia then Ezio would report this to Malacai.

After the battle at the Passage of the Worlds, the old bandit and the Dracolich had a nice long chat with each other. Since both of their goals were the same, they decided to cooperate and form an alliance.

Since James was not around, he would let the Dracolich handle this menace that had long hidden within the world.

They were now allies, so it was only natural for him to share information with Malacai, who was also busy exploring the world, in search for the hidden treasures that the Gods had left behind after the Era of the Gods.

Chapter 764: Conquering The Orc Dungeon [Part 1]

"Are you girls crazy?!" Zhu shouted as he pried away the naughty hand who was touching his ding ding dong. "Fight me seriously!"

Right now, the chubby young man had almost been stripped of all of his clothes and was now down to his pants. The Amazons warriors didn't even bother to take it off properly and simply ripped every kind of clothing that they could grab on Zhu's body.

Zhu didn't dare to use his weapon because the girls weren't using any. He was once a general in the Heavenly Domain, and he would never strike an unarmed opponent. The chubby young man also knew that the girls had no intention of harming him, but the crazed look in their eyes made his body fat unconsciously shudder.

They were just like a pack of hyenas that were drooling as they stared at his body, hungry for his juicy meat.

"Chance!"

Millis took the opportunity to charge at Zhu when the latter was besieged from all sides. With one mighty pull, he managed to snatch Zhu's remaining clothing, which made the latter cover his lower half with his hand.

"This is your last warning!" Zhu said with a beet-red face. "Don't make me angry. I'm warning you! Even if you are women, I will show you no mercy!"

"Awwww… don't be like that Sir Zhu."

"Right! We just want to have a good time. We won't hurt you."

"Surrender yourself to your fate. We promise that we will all have a good time."

Millis grinned evilly as she made a gesture for the Amazons to encircle Zhu. Their prey was already cornered. All that they needed to do was go in for the kill!

"Sisters, attack him!" Millis ordered. "I call first dibs!"

"No fair!"

"I want to be first!"

"Stop arguing. Let's incapacitate him first. We can just draw lots later!"

""Okay!""

Seeing that the crazy women were out to get him. Zhu gritted his teeth as his eyes turned bloodshot.

"You forced me to do this!" Zhu roared. He had enough of the Amazons' craziness so he decided to unleash his true powers.

The chubby young man transformed into a demonic pig that was over four meters tall. He glared hatefully at the women who were currently looking at him with their mouths hanging wide open.

"W-Wow! So big!"

"I-I don't think that will fit in me."

"T-That is surely a mouthful."

"S-Sh*t!"

Millis' eyes gazed at the towering giant and his mighty dong. She unconsciously gulped because she knew that Zhu's 'hyperweapon' would definitely break them if they faced it head on.

While the Amazons were still in a daze, Zhu used his movement technique and knocked all of them unconscious. As someone whose strength was at the peak of the Millennial Rank, he was stronger than all the Amazons combined.

"Bunch of crazies," Zhu muttered. He was about to walk away when he noticed a group of Orcs headed in his direction.

He gave the unconscious Amazons a sidelong glance before looking at the approaching monsters.

"So annoying." Zhu clicked his tongue as he charged towards the Orcs to eliminate them.

He could have just walked away and allowed the Orcs to attack the defenseless women, but if he did that, Zhu knew that it would leave a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

Several minutes later, a chubby young man ran through the dungeon, following the monster trail that William's group had left behind.

After dealing with the Orcs, he carried the Amazons and tossed them into the Safe Zone where no monsters dared to go. Only after he was finished with his business did he go to catch up to William's group, which was now on the 64th Floor.

—-

Several hours later…

"We've finally arrived," William said as he stared at the five meter golden gate that barred their way.

This was the entrance to the Boss Room of the 70th Floor. Once he made it past this last hurdle, he would be able to get the Dungeon Core Essence, which would help him upgrade his Familiamancer Job Class.

William pressed his hands over the gate and pushed it open. Just like all Boss Rooms, the interior was dark. Only when all the combatants had entered its Domain would the monsters appear to start the battle.

When everyone had entered the room, torch lights appeared around them.

It didn't take long before their gazes landed on the throne at the far end of the room. Sitting on it was a giant orc.

It was none other than the final boss of the dungeon, the Black-Eyed Orc King.

William glanced at the final boss and used his appraisal skill on it.

—--

< Black-Eyed Orc King >

– Boss Monster

– Tyrant of the Horde

– Threat Level: Pseudo-Myriad Beast

– Cannot be added to the herd.

– The Black-Eyed Orc King is known for its brutality against all races. Among the Orc Kings, this particular Monster will actively attack any kind of settlement near its domain, including the settlement of other Orcs.

– It is just a step away from the Myriad Rank, which makes this beast a very dangerous opponent, especially for unsuspecting adventurer parties.

– It's battle cry will easily paralyze those with weak willpower. Fighting against this Monster requires great caution.

—-

When the five-meter-tall, Black-Eyed Orc King stood up from its throne, several monsters appeared around it.

William appraised the monsters as an Orc Shaman, an Orc Chieftain, an Orc Marauder, an Orc Hunter, an Orc Berserkers, and an Orc Spear Master.

'All of them are Millennial Beast in the middle stages,' William thought as he eyed the final obstacles blocking his way.

"Chiffon, you will fight against the Orc Chieftain alongside Sha. Make sure to summon B1 and B2 to accompany you in battle as well," William ordered. "Ashe, Sidonie, the two of you take care of the Orc Spear Master.

"Jareth and Dazz (Goblin Warmonger), I want you to pin down the Orc King. Psoglav you deal with the Orc Shaman, Erchitu you handle the Orc Berserker. Sharx (Goblin Marauder), you, Xerxes and Sparky (Sharx's Mount) handle the Marauder. Elliot and Zhu, assist any side that needs assistance. Be mindful of your surroundings. Now, attack!"

Everyone took their positions and attacked their respective targets. William crossed his arms over his chest as he observed the battle. His King's Legion was already many times stronger than they had been in the War in the Southern Continent.

The only people he was worried about were his wives. Unlike the Millennial Beasts under his command, the girls had just stepped into the Adamantium Rank. William wanted them to familiarize themselves with group battles, so that they would be able to work hand in hand in the future to fight against stronger opponents.

Jareth, the Goblin Paladin, was the strongest monster under William's command. It had already stepped into the peak of the Millennial Rank, and was only a notch weaker than the Goblin King. Dazz, the Goblin Warmonger was a tier weaker than Jareth, but it was still a monster at the middle stages of the Millennial Rank.

Both of them were strong enough to hold the Orc King at bay, and prevent it from supporting its minions.

Chiffon was currently fighting while holding Sharur in her hands. Since the Smasher of Thousands was a Mythic Weapon, William felt that the pink-haired girl needed to familiarize herself with wielding it.

He had already equipped Chiffon with the Weapon Master Job Class, which allowed her to wield any kind of weapon. This allowed her to get a deeper understanding on how to fully maximize Sharur's strength in battle.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe were using their magical abilities to suppress their opponent. One, wielded the power of purple flames, the other, the cold and merciless waters. Their combination attacks of Fire and Water made their opponent scream in pain.

Elliot and Zhu would intercept some of the attacks of the monsters in order to lessen the pressure that everyone was experiencing.

As William observed the battle, he noticed a few notifications on his Status Page that surprised him greatly.

< System Completion Rate: 16% >

< System Completion Rate: 17% >

William's eyes widened at the unexpected surprise. He didn't know why the System Completion Rate had started to move, so he hurriedly asked Optimus for confirmation.

The System once said that once his System Completion Rate reached 100%, William would be able to fully unlock Optimus' full power.

The Half-Elf wanted to know how this was happening, so that he would be able to further increase the completion rate that had been very hard to upgrade.

Chapter 765: Conquering The Orc Dungeon [Part 2]

'Optimus, what is happening?' William asked. 'I'm not doing anything, but the completion rate is increasing. Can you explain this to me?'

When William had unlocked the System Synchronization Completion Rate in the Tower of Babylon, he had tried all means to upgrade it. There was one problem. Increasing the completion rate wasn't as simple as he thought it would be.

Since then, his completion rate reached 15%. However, after it did, it showed no signs of improving. The Half-Elf had tried fighting the Monsters in Atlantis to raise it higher, but the rating just wouldn't budge.

This was why he was surprised when the stagnant meter was finally moving, even when he was simply standing and spectating the battle. If he could crack the code on how to increase the rating, he would be able to unlock the powers of his system at a rapid pace.

< Will, the system completion rate doesn't only rely on your breakthroughs. It is also connected to the quality of the forces under your command, and the relationship you have with your wives. Right now, your wives' fighting prowess is slowly having an upgrade. This results in overcoming a milestone, which prompted the rating to move. >

William rubbed his chin in understanding, 'So you're saying that if my wives get stronger, my completion rate will also become higher?'

< Yes. However, do not expect a dramatic increase. Even so, I think you will be able to reach 20% completion after this battle is over. At least, that is according to my calculations. >

'Good!' William clenched his fist in excitement. 'So this is also an option. This is good news!'

According to the information he had of the system completion rate, whenever he reaches 20% completion rate, all of his stats would increase by 50 points.

If he reached 50%, he would be able to unlock one of the abilities of the System that he could use in battle. This would give William another Trump Card that he could use during critical situations.

When he asked Optimus what kind of ability he would be able to unlock, the system only said that he would gain the ability to one-shot any Myriad Beast without any problem.

William hissed after hearing this information. A Myriad Beast was not an easy opponent, and he would only be able to fight them when he used his Heroic Avatar, or Einherjar Job Class. One had a very long cooldown, the other required him to pay with his memories when it was used.

Having this new Trump Card in hand would benefit him greatly.

'Is that ability awesome?' William inquired.

< It is awesome. >

'How awesome?'

< It is super flashy! >

William was very curious to know what it was, but Optimus kept mum about it. In the end, he could only give up and return his attention to the battle that was happening in front of him.

The Orc Chief swatted Chiffon with his mace, and the latter was forced to summon her mythical shield, Svalinn, to block it. The ground under Chiffon's feet crumbled due to the powerful collision. The pink-haired girl was forced to kneel while holding up the shield in her right hand.

Sha immediately clenched his hand, and the sand around him transformed into a giant fist, which he sent to punch the Orc Chieftain's face, sending it skidding for several meters. Chiffon finally got a breather and unsummoned Svalinn.

"Chiffon, activate your giantess form," Sharur proposed. "Let's smash this monster to kingdom come."

"Un!" Chiffon readily agreed as she took a deep breath.

Moments later, she grew in size until she was five-meters tall. Sharur also grew alongside Chiffon, and its dark-blue body glowed brightly.

The Orc Chieftain roared in anger as it once again charged at Chiffon, wielding its Iron Club with fury.

The giantess didn't back away and faced the Orc Chieftain head-on. A powerful shockwave spread across the battleground as their weapons clashed.

This time, the Orc Chieftain's weapon was overwhelmed by Chiffon and Sharur's might, which sent the second strongest monster in the Boss room flying.

Chiffon was surprised by the complete reversal and stared at the weapon in her hand.

"Did you see that?" Sharur asked. Clearly, it was very satisfied with its performance. "Now do you understand how powerful I am?"

Chiffon nodded her head before running towards the Orc Chieftain. Now that she had the upper hand, she wouldn't allow the monster to recover.

William smiled as he watched his usual obedient, and adorable, wife brandish the mace in her hand with fury. The pained cries of the Orc Chieftain, that was being pummeled repeatedly, made the other Orcs' hearts tremble.

In the distance, Dark and Fire Magic collided and repelled each other.

Psoglav had finally stepped into the Centennial Rank and was employing its abilities to its fullest. In the past, the Demonic Dog was a being that bullied the weak and feared the strong.

However, after becoming part of William's King's Legion, it had faced many life threatening situations, which had changed its outlook on life. The thing that changed it the most was Erchitu's death in the Southern Continent.

It was at that moment when Psoglav realized that there would be situations where running was not an option. In the past, it would not dare to sacrifice its life in order to save its friends, but after getting along with the beasts in the Thousand Beast Domain like Kasogonaga, and Erchitu, it no longer lived the lone wolf lifestyle.

It strived in order to get stronger, even to the point of always arguing with Kasogonaga over Beast Cores.

The Orc Shaman that it was fighting against specialized in Fire Magic. Right now, Psoglav was a tier lower than it, so the battle was not moving in its favor.

"Will! I need help here!" Psoglav shouted as he was blown away by a massive fireball, which it blocked using a shield made of Dark Energy.

William pointed at the Demonic Dog and used his authority to grant it additional power.

"Kinship Evolution!" William declared and the Demonic Dog glowed brightly.

A pair of batlike wings appeared on its back, and instead of a single eye, it now had three eyes on its head, which looked at the Orc Shaman with a devilish gaze.

Kinship Evolution was an ability that William and his lovers had acquired after he had upgraded his Job Class to Quick-Shot Shepherd.

It allowed him to raise the power of any member of his Legion. The only downside was that he could only upgrade one of them at a time. As long as the skill was active, he couldn't choose any other beast to upgrade aside from the one that he had forcefully evolved..

"Death Ray!" Psoglav shouted and the third eye on its forehead shot an eerie red beam of light that struck the Orc Shaman in the center of its chest.

The latter shrieked in pain as it clutched its chest, while hurling a fireball at the Demonic Dog who dodged it in a casual manner.

"Hahaha! Now you're no match for me!" Psoglav laughed as he flew towards the weakened Orc Shaman. "It's payback time!"

What followed next was a one-sided trashing. Psoglav unleashed dozens of Dark Whips that wrapped around the Shaman's body holding it in place.

"Shadow Ball Barrage!" Psoglav fired a volley of shadow balls, the size of a basketball at the immobile Orc Shaman, making it scream with fear and resentment. Unfortunately, it could not move its body, or do anything to block the Demonic Dog's attack, so it had no choice but to endure the powerful barrage that made it feel helpless.

Seeing that the Demonic Dog now had the upper hand, William shifted his attention to Jareth, and Dazz, who were fighting against the Orc King.

Although the Orc King was stronger, the Goblin Paladin, and the Goblin Warmonger had more battle experience. They evaded, parried, and blocked its attacks without fail. Sometimes, the two of them would work together in order to deliver blows at the Orc King's blindspots, causing it to howl in fury.

William asked Jareth and Dazz to pin the Orc King, so that it wouldn't be able to help its allies. Once William's team had effectively dealt with their targets, they would fight the Orc King together and end its futile struggle.

One by one, the Orc King's subordinates fell.

After that, everyone, with the exception of William, attacked the Orc King from all sides. In the end, the Orc King fell, and a series of notifications appeared on William's status page.

Aside from the Experience and Beast Core rewards, William's Prestige Class, Prince of Thunder had finally reached its max level.

—--

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! Prince of Thunder Job Class has reached its Max Level! >

< In order to upgrade this Prestige Class, you must first go to the Hall of Thunder located at the Forbidden Ground of Seventh Sanctum. >

—--

'Finally,' William thought as he stared at the Job Class that had been with him for a very long time. In the past, he was warned not to show the power of lightning to anyone, but during the battle in the Southern Continent, he had used this repeatedly due to its useful abilities.

However, the thing that caught his attention the most was none other than the System's completion rate, which had stopped on the 20% mark.

With this achievement, William was finally able to gain 50 additional stats.. He was also a step closer to finally unlocking the true power of the Strongest System.

Chapter 766: Which One Would You Choose?

After beating the Boss of the 70th Floor, William found himself staring at the Dungeon Core of the Orc Dungeon.

Elliot was also inside the room with him and stared at the glowing orb of light that powered the entire dungeon.

"Will, the bottle," Elliot reminded. "I will help you gather the Dungeon Core Essence."

William nodded and took out a vial that was made from a special material that Celeste had given him.

Elliot then placed his palm over the Dungeon Core and closed his eyes. He, and Conan, were born as dungeon cores in the past. Due to the actions of Deus, both of them had been corrupted, and only their inner cores were able to survive.

If William hadn't arrived on time, the Twin Cores might have been destroyed, and Elliot and Conan might not have been born as the Half-Elf's familiars.

Dungeon Cores could be considered as powerful batteries. Their powers were limitless. However, if one were to take their essence, they would weaken for a week or two, which would slow down the spawn rate of the monsters that appeared inside the Dungeon.

"Thank you," Elliot said softly after he finished communicating with the Dungeon Core.

Suddenly, two wisps of light emerged from the surface of the core and flew towards the vial in William's hand.

After that, the bright glow of the Dungeon Core dimmed a bit. This signified that the transfer had been completed.

"Will, place your mark on the Dungeon Core," Elliot said. "I talked to him about your 'Secret Class' and he is very interested in joining you when the seal on your powers has been unlocked."

"Okay," William replied.

Even if Elliot didn't remind him, he was already planning on adding the Dungeon of the Horde to the Dungeons that would be under his command, once his Dungeon Conqueror Job Class had been fully awakened.

Once a dungeon had been added to his legion, the Dungeon would be transferred inside his Ring of Conquest, allowing William to modify it on his whim.

Of course, once this happened, the Dungeon of the Horde would disappear from the Central Continent. All that would remain is an empty husk, that would slowly deteriorate over time.

No monsters would respawn inside it, and the number of floors would decrease day by day until nothing was left. By that time, the Ares Empire would conduct its own investigation, but it would already be too late to do anything.

"It's done," William said after placing the mark of the conqueror on the Dungeon Core.

The Dungeon Core glowed once as if acknowledging that it had been claimed by him.

A few seconds later, the Dungeon Core sent William back to the Boss Room where his party members were waiting for him.

"Is it over?" Princess Sidonie asked.

"Yes." William smiled. "Let's go back to the Academy."

A magic circle appeared under their feet, and all of them were sent back to the entrance of the Dungeon. Their mission had been completed, and it was now time to return to the academy.

Elliot had already told William about Conan's condition. According to the Angelic Familiar, Conan would only wake up once the Familiamancer Job Class has been successfully upgraded.

Because of this, William wasted no more time and went to a secluded place to transfer everyone back inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

Afterwards, he activated the skill of the Prince of Thunder Job Class to turn into a lightning bolt that streaked towards Hestia Academy.

—--

Several hours later…

After arriving at the academy, William parted with everyone as he went to look for Celeste.

He was worried about Conan's condition, so he decided to upgrade his Job Class as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Celeste had already made preparations.

The beautiful elf led William to the north side of the Academy where a Temple of the Gods was built.

When they reached the inner temple, a statue of a beautiful woman, wearing celestial clothes greeted William's vision.

William had already met many Gods, and he wondered who this God was.

Celeste, who was paying close attention to William, smiled as she told him a little about the Goddess Statue that was enshrined inside the temple.

"She is her Excellency, Hestia," Celeste stated. "She is the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family. Among the Goddesses of this world, she is known as a pacifist and dislikes conflicts.

"Some say that she appears in front of heroes who will save this world, one way or another. Those who are able to see her Excellency can consider themselves lucky, for very few people catch her interest."

William gazed at the beautiful statue that had a gentle smile on her face. He had already met several Gods, but he hadn't had the opportunity to see Hestia in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

"Have you seen her, Professor?" William inquired.

"Me?" Celeste shook her head. "No. How about you?"

"Not yet. But, maybe I'll see her in the future?"

"Keep dreaming. Do you really think you're a protagonist or something?"

William wanted to tell her that he was indeed a protagonist. However, he knew that Celeste wouldn't believe him, so he decided to just put the matter aside for now and focus on his advancement ceremony.

The Half-Elf looked down at the cushion he was holding in his hands. Lying on top of it was none other than Conan, who was sleeping peacefully. He hoped that after the ceremony, the little Devil would once again open his eyes and accompany him like usual.

"Let's start," Celeste said.

Chloee and Claire floated beside her as they, too, prepared for the ceremony.

"I call upon you, esteemed King of all Familiars." Celeste pressed her hands together in a prayer. "Your loyal followers humbly ask you for your guidance. Please, honor us with your presence."

A moment later, a bright light appeared inside the inner temple.

William hastily closed his eyes because the light was too bright for him. Only when he felt that everything returned to normal did he open his eyes.

This time, he didn't see Celeste, Chloee, and Claire.

He stood in a completely white world, devoid of any other color.

"We finally meet. I've been waiting for a long time"

A calm, yet firm voice said from behind William.

The Half-Elf slowly turned his body to look behind him, and there he saw an old man, wearing a white robe with many symbols, similar to hieroglyphs.

The old man had a friendly expression on his face, and his presence made William feel calm.

"My name is Zenon," Zenon said softly. "I am the God of Familiars, and I am here to help you ascend to become a Familiamancer Sovereign. Nice to meet you, William."

"It's my honor to meet you, Your Excellency, Zenon," William replied. "Can we start the ascension ceremony?"

Zenon nodded his head. "Of course, but before that, let me ask you a serious question first. Is that fine with you?"

William nodded and waited patiently for Zenon's next words. This was the first time he was meeting the God of Familiars and he was very curious about what he had to say.

"Tell me, William. If you were given a choice between saving this world, or saving the person you love, which one would you choose?"

Chapter 767: William’s Choice

William lowered his head when he heard Zenon's question.

The God of Familiars gave the Half-Elf a knowing smile because he knew that the answer to this question wouldn't be an easy one. In order to not make things difficult for William, he decided to throw in a lifeline to make his choice easier.

"There is no right or wrong answer to this question," Zenon said. "Just tell me what you think, and also, please, give me the reason why you chose that answer."

Actually, the reason why William frowned was not because he couldn't choose from the two. He just remembered a few things that made him sad, so he decided to lower his head to hide the expression on his face.

"Your Excellency, I know what it feels like to lose someone dear to you," William replied as he raised his head. "I also experienced the hopelessness of seeing my homeland be destroyed even after giving it everything that I had to protect it."

The Half-Elf paused as he stared straight at the God of Familiars. He wanted Zenon to understand that when it came to these two things, he would choose neither of them.

"Your Excellency, I am a greedy person," William stated. "Regardless of the cost, regardless of what happens, I will hold both my loved one and the world in the palms of my hands. I will save them both."

"In order to save both, you need strength. The way you are now, I'm afraid that you don't have the qualifications to be greedy."

"Even so, my answer will still be the same. I will save both."

Zenon narrowed his eyes as he met William's gaze. The standoff lasted for half a minute before the God of Familiars chuckled.

"Well, since that is your answer then so be it," Zenon said. "Now, time for you to take that step and become a Progenitor of the Familiamancer Profession.

Zenon raised his hand and the vial that contained the Dungeon Core Essence floated in the air. Elliot's and Conan's body glowed as the essence stored inside the vial merged with their bodies.

The Angelic Familiar and the Devil Familiar were wrapped in golden cocoons that glowed brightly.

Suddenly, a beam of light from both Familiars shot towards the gem in William's chest. The Half-Elf felt an overwhelming surge of magical energy that flowed through his entire body.

< Ding! >

< Requirements for Ascension have been met! >

< Upgrading Job Class… >

< 5%... >

< 25%… >

—-

William waited patiently until the upgrade of the Job Class was completed. When the completion rate had reached 100%

The Half-Elf heard a cracking sound from the two golden cocoons inside of him. The golden cocoons shattered like a broken glass, revealing the two familiars within.

An angel, the size of an adult's hands floated with his eyes closed. He was still wearing the same clothes that he had before, and nothing changed much on Elliot's appearance. The only noticeable change was his wings.

Instead of two pairs of wings, now he had four.

Conan was the same. In the past, he had a pair of batlike wings, but now he had four of them. A few seconds later, both familiars opened their eyes and the power of Millennial Beasts surged from within their bodies.

"Congratulations," Zenon said with a smile. "You are now a Progenitor of the Familiamancer Profession, just like Celeste. I hope that you will do your best to spread the wonders of the Familiamancers to the entire world of Hestia."

Just as soon as Zenon finished his congratulations, a series of notifications appeared on William's status page.

—--

< Familiamancer Sovereign >

"Courage is the Power to let go of the Familiar."

– As one of the chosen ones of the God of Familiars, you are given the special privilege of bestowing the power of the Familiamancer to anyone.

– As a Familiamancer Progenitor, your Familiars are stronger than ordinary Familiars.

– You have learned the skill "Familiamancer Bestowal Skill".

– You have learned the skill "Familiamancer Perfect Fusion".

– You have acquired the special title "Familiamancer Sovereign".

—--

< Familiamancer Bestowal >

– Bestow the power of Familiamancer to a person.

– Familiamancer Bestowal Opportunities can be used 3x.

– More Bestowal Opportunities will be added once the Familiamancers you have chosen have ascended to the next stage.

– Current Familiamancers under your wing (0/3)

—--

< Familiamancer Perfect Fusion >

(First Form)

– The Familiamancer can fuse with his familiars and use their abilities.

– Under Fusion Form, all abilities of the Familiars are increased by 200%

– You may cancel Fusion Form anytime.

(Second Form)

– Your Familiars can fuse with you and use your body as a vessel.

– Your permission is needed before this form can be activated.

– You and the Familiar can choose a set duration for this skill to remain active.

– Familiars can cancel Fusion Form anytime.

– Under this Fusion Form, the familiars will have complete control of the body and all of their abilities will be increased by 500%

—--

Special Title

< Familiamancer Sovereign >

– Grants a +200 enhancement bonus to all stats.

– Increases your attack and defense by 10%

– Familiars gain 100% increase in their attack and defense.

—--

William was quite happy with the additional bonus in stats. He had clearly felt an overall increase in his strength after equipping the Familiamancer Sovereign Job Class.

The one thing that piqued his curiosity was the Familiamancer Perfect Fusion. He had experienced what it was like to fuse with his wives, but he had never tried fusing with his familiars.

He was curious on how powerful his Familiars would be if they fused with him.

While he was deep in thought, Zenon's words reached his ears.

"It's time for you to go back," Zenon said. "Make sure to take care of Celeste in the future."

The corners of Zenon's lips rose as he waved his hand to send William back to the Temple.

The Half-Elf and the two familiars were enveloped in a golden light before disappearing from his Domain.

"You want to save both?" Zenon placed his hands behind his back as he looked down from the top of the Tower of Babylon. "That will be difficult, William. But, it's not impossible.. I look forward to seeing you try."

Chapter 768: With Great Danger Comes Great Opportunity

"Did you succeed?" Celeste asked when she saw William reappear in front of her.

The Half-Elf nodded with a smile. He then glanced at his two Familiars who floated beside him.

"Chloee, do I look more handsome than before?" Elliot asked as he approached the little fairy who was looking back at him with a curious gaze. "I swear that after I ascended, I became 50% cooler."

"Eh? I don't see any difference," Chloee replied as she circled Elliot. "The only thing that changed is the number of your wings. Are you supposed to look cooler because of it?"

"My goodness! I am sincerely troubled by your lack of aesthetic criticism."

"Aesthetic criticism? Is that edible?"

While Elliot and Chloee were having a heated discussion.

Claire flew towards Conan, and the latter immediately hid behind William.

"Don't worry, I will not hurt you," Claire said. "I just want to look at the changes to your body."

"Y-You can look, but don't touch," Conan replied.

"Look. I'm not going to eat you, okay? I know that you just recovered, so I just want to check your condition."

"Just check my condition? You're not going to do anything else?"

Claire nodded. For some reason, after seeing how worried Princess Aila was to Conan, she felt an indescribable feeling of irritation in her heart. She didn't understand why she felt that way, but it made her feel very uncomfortable.

Because of this, she decided to take a different approach in regards to the Devil Familiar, who seemed to have developed a trauma from her incessant physical examinations.

Seeing that the four familiars were getting along just fine, William bid Celeste goodbye as he went towards the Library of Hestia Academy.

Right now, he intended to seriously upgrade all of his Job Classes and unlock the true power of the Jack of All Trades.

Since the Prince of Thunder Job Class had reached its maximum level, William decided to ascend it to its next form.

The only problem was that he needed to travel to the Forbidden Land of the Seventh Sanctum and find the Hall of Thunder.

He had already asked Optimus about the Forbidden Ground, but the latter said that it didn't have much data about it. The only thing that the System knew about the Seventh Sanctum was that it was close to the Western Edge of the Central Continent.

The nearest city to the Forbidden Ground was the Port City of Alabaster. This Port City was a Neutral Ground, where Humans, Beastkin, Dwarves, Half-Elves, and Elves live in harmony.

Slave Trading was banned from this city, and any slave trader that was caught loitering around its borders was given the Death Penalty.

Just like the name suggested, this City of Alabaster was a major trading ground due to its access to naval trade. Several Merchant Ships that hailed from the Silvermoon Continent would often dock here to bring rare commodities that could only be found on the homeland of the Elves.

Since he wanted to know more about his destination, he decided to check the Library to read the relevant references that would aid him in his quest.

Although he said reading, the only thing he needed to do was open the pages and have Optimus record the information in its database. The System would then compile the information and give William the summary of the things he needed to know about the Seventh Sanctum.

"Should I bring the others with me?" William muttered.

The Forbidden Grounds was a dangerous place and very few people had the courage to venture inside it. Very powerful monsters that couldn't be seen anywhere else in the continent usually thrived inside this perilous domain.

Of course, there were also rare ingredients, herbs, and metals that were used for cooking, alchemy, and forging.

Only those that had confidence in their strength and ability would visit this forbidden ground. The riches that could be found inside it was enough for anyone to be set for life.

As the saying goes, with great danger, comes great opportunity.

'I guess I'll just ask them later,' William mused as he walked towards the library. If his wives decided to follow him then he would not turn them away. The Quarterly assessment lasted for a month, so he still had plenty of time to go to the Seventh Sanctum and discover the secrets that could be found within this mysterious domain.

—--

"Lilith, how can you be so careless?" Empress Andraste asked in a helpless tone. "You should have escaped immediately when the Myriad Beast appeared. Why didn't you prioritize your safety?"

"Mother, I couldn't possibly leave the others behind," Lilith replied. "If I left them to fend for themselves, wouldn't that tarnish our reputation? What would others think of me?"

"Silly girl. You are not fighting against a Millennial Beast. That is a Myriad Beast! If William hadn't arrived, you might have become that Dryad's nursery by now. So what if your reputation is tarnished? You could have escaped and asked for help.

"Hestia Academy would have definitely sent its experts, even Byron would personally lead the expedition in order to capture that Dryad. You didn't need to put yourself in unneccessary danger because of strangers!"

Lilith frowned as she looked at the projection of her mother. Right now, she was inside her room in the Girl's Dormitory. She had just finished taking a bath when the communication crystal that Andraste had given her started to glow.

She didn't expect that the moment she answered it, she would receive a nagging from her mother who was currently in the Ares Empire.

"Sorry, Mother. It won't happen again." Lilith sighed."I will be more careful next time."

After hearing her daughter's apology, Empress Andraste finally stopped her nagging.

When she had received Byron's report about what happened to her daughter, she immediately hurled profanities at the Headmaster of Hestia Academy, which made the latter almost throw the communication crystal away.

Byron opted to inform the Amazon Empress about what happened because he was afraid that Empress Andraste would misunderstand, once she received a report from her daughter, Lilith.

Right after their talk ended, she immediately called Lilith which led to the current situation.

"Okay, just don't let this happen again," Empress Andraste said softly. "How is the progress with William? Did you manage to invite him to the Ares Empire?"

Lilith shook her head. "He is a tough nut to crack. It seems that he is satisfied with his wives, and has no intention of visiting our empire."

Empress Andraste smirked when she heard her daughter's words.

"Since that is the case, it's time for you to make your move," Empress Andraste. "You already know what to do, right?"

"Yes, Mother," Lilith replied. "Whether he wants to do it or not, he will not have a choice after I'm done with him."

"Good girl. The Crimson Festival is almost here. Do your best to invite him to attend the festivities. Wait… it will be better to invite your entire class. You can even invite your homeroom teacher to come.

"That way he will not be too guarded when visiting our empire. As long as he steps inside our domain, he is as good as ours."

Lilith smiled sweetly and nodded her head.

"Leave this to me, Mother." Lilith smirked. "I will definitely make it happen."

Empress Andraste smiled evilly as well. "Good. As expected of my daughter. Don't worry. I will make the necessary preparations on my end."

The mother and daughter pair giggled as they gave each other knowing glances.. They look forward to the unexpected gains that they would acquire on the day of the Crimson Festival in the Ares Empire.

Chapter 769: Time For Round Twenty-Three. Are You Game?

(Disclaimer: Some R-18 scenes are not suitable for children. Parental guidance is advised.)

—--

Inside the Villa in the Thousand Beast Domain…

"Big Brother… hah… I'm sorry… mmh! Chiffon… Chiffon, won't… ha… do it… again… mmmh!"

The pink-haired girl panted as William used both gentle, and rough attacks in order to bring her to the heights of pleasure.

"Why are you asking for forgiveness? Did you do anything bad to me?" William whispered.

He was currently seated on a couch, with Chiffon sitting on top of him, with her hands wrapped around his head.

The little glutton was like a small boat, in the middle of a storm. No matter how hard she tried to resist, the mighty waves would wash over her body, making her shudder. William continued his attacks, while whispering words of love in her ears.

"Big Brother… please… hah… have mercy… mmh!"

William sealed Chiffon's lips with a kiss and held her body tightly.

After their lips parted, the pink-haired girl panted for breath. William allowed her to regain her breathing and ceased all movements. When his wife had finally calmed down, he pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Chiffon. I hope what happened inside the dungeon will not happen again."

"... Un. I'm sorry, Will."

The two kissed once more. This time, it was a very sweet kiss, when it ended. William made love to her, and Chiffon held on to him tightly.

Suddenly, the pink-haired girl's body trembled as she and William reached their peak. She felt the raging warmth of her husband's love erupt inside her, which brought waves, upon waves of euphoria, turning her world completely white.

A few moments later, Chiffon's delicate body lost its strength, and collapsed weakly on top of William.

"It seems that Chiffon is still not used to the throes of pleasure," a teasing voice said from on top of the bed. "Poor girl, she fainted."

Morgana, who had been lying on the bed for a while, walked towards William in all her naked glory.

Several kiss marks could be seen on her seductive body, indicating that William had adequately 'punished' her as well.

Similar to Chiffon, Ashe was lying on the bed, and was deep asleep. William had made love to her many times, until the beautiful mermaid begged him to stop. Now, she was sleeping peacefully, like the pink-haired girl in William's arms.

Among William's wives, only the Succubus Princess could match his prowess when it came to love making.

William kissed Chiffon's head and wrapped his arms around her body, securing her in place.

Princess Sidonie sat beside William and kissed Chiffon's cheeks, before shifting her attention to her beloved husband, who was punishing them for their transgression in the Dungeon of the Horde.

"Darling, are you sure you don't want to take us to the Forbidden Grounds?" Morgana asked. "I'm sure that Ashe and Chiffon won't allow you to go alone. You should at least take one of them with you, to give me and them some peace of mind.

William pondered for a brief moment before reluctantly nodding his head.

"Knowing Chiffon, she will indeed tag along with me no matter what," William replied helplessly as he softly patted the sleeping girl's head. "I'll ask Ashe to stay with you and make sure you don't get into trouble."

Morgana giggled when she felt William's naugthy hand start to caress her snowy-white peaks.

"You can play with them as much as you want later," Morgana said as she stopped William's hand from continuing its teasing of her white rabbit. "Let's have a serious discussion first."

Seeing that Morgana wanted to talk seriously, William ceased all actions and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"According to the information in the library, the time inside the Forbidden Ground flows slower than in the outside world," William explained. "But, the difference isn't that much. A day in the outside world is equivalent to two days inside the Forbidden Ground. If nothing untowards happens, I'll be back in less than a month."

Morgana nodded her head. She knew that William was doing this because it was important. As his wife, she intended to support his decision and patiently wait for his return.

"Can we help you in any way?" Princess Sidonie asked. She had just woken up from her slumber, and immediately swapped with Morgana in order to talk to William about important matters.

"Actually, there is something you can help me with," William replied. "Visit Shannon more often. Know more about her."

"You want me to understand what Sin she carries, right?"

"Yes. It will help me tremendously if you find that out."

Princess Sidonie moved closer and kissed William's left cheek. "I will do my best. You should be careful inside the Forbidden Ground. Leave Soleil with me so you can return anytime."

William kissed her back before nodding his head. "I will do that."

"Ah. I almost forgot, make sure to bring Lilith with you as well."

"Lilith? Why?"

William couldn't understand why he had to bring the Greedy Amazon with him on his journey. Besides, the Half-Elf was wary of her because the latter was serious in getting his genes.

Princess Sidonie smiled. "Because her power is very useful. She's like a compass in finding treasures. If you bring her with you, the chances of finding something of great value is high. No. it is guaranteed that you will find something good if you bring her with you.

"Afterall, the Forbidden Ground is known for its wealth. Those who are able to come back alive will definitely earn a fortune."

The beautiful princess wasn't worried about William's safety because he had many trump cards in his disposal. He could travel anywhere at the speed of lightning, and also had instant teleportation with the power of Soleil.

Escaping was not an issue for her beloved Half-Elf, so she was confident that William would come back to her in one piece.

If push came to shove, he could use his Heroic Avatar or his Einherjar Job Class. Not to mention, he had a mighty legion at his disposal.

Suddenly a thought flashed inside Princess Sidonie's mind. The image of William ransacking the entire Forbidden Domain, and dumping it inside his own Thousand Beast Domain, almost made her giggle.

Knowing how shameless her husband was, the chances of that happening was extremely high.

After giving Princess Sidonie's idea some consideration, William thought that it was indeed a very good plan to gather resources.

With Lilith by his side, he would have a walking Treasure Radar that could pick up the locations of treasures instantly.

Optimus had this function as well, but the System warned him that the Laws of the Forbidden Ground might prevent it from using its special scanner to look for treasures in the surroundings.

After agreeing with Princess Sidonie's proposal, William gently carried Chiffon towards the bed and laid her down.

Once he completed this task, the beautiful princess wrapped her arms around William's body and stared at his beautiful eyes that reflected her own.

"Time for round twenty-three. Are you game?" Princess Sidonie asked in a teasing tone.

William smirked as his naughty hands lightly squeezed the bum of the beautiful princess.

"Always," William replied as he pulled her lover towards the couch.

Soon, the sound of spring permeated inside the room.. William showed his Succubus Princess that his stamina, and tenacity, matched hers perfectly.

Chapter 770: Don’t Let Him Cheat On Us, Okay?

"You are going to the Forbidden Ground, Seventh Sanctum, and you want me to go with you?" Lilith asked as she looked at the Half-Elf with a curious gaze.

The Amazon Princess was quite surprised when William approached her. Lilith thought that the Half-Elf had a grudge against her after she had stolen the Collar of Wisteria from Princess Sidonie's neck.

Since then, Lilith had stopped pestering William because she didn't want the latter to hate her more. In order to bring him to the Ares Empire, she needed to be on his good side, and make the red-headed teenager drop his guard around her.

William nodded, "Yes. Are you free or do you have any other plans?"

"I'm free," Lilith replied in a heartbeat. She was afraid that William would change his mind after inviting her. However, there was still one thing that bothered her, so she decided to ask the Half-Elf the question that had been in her mind.

"Why me?" Lilith inquired.

William scratched his head in embarrassment before giving his answer. "Because you are the best partner when it comes to looking for treasures. The Forbidden Ground might be a dangerous place, but it is also ripe with resources. I was hoping that you could help me get some of them during my trip to the Seventh Sanctum."

Lilith smiled. "I see! You came to find the right person. With me around, finding treasures is as easy as breathing."

"Great!" William nodded. "I still need to prepare things for our journey. How about we meet at the Academy's teleportation gate at noon tomorrow?"

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Alright."

Lilith watched William's retreating back with a smile on her face.

When their group had faced the Myriad Beast, Conan did his best to stall for time until William arrived. Lilith had long heard that William was powerful, but she still hadn't seen the extent of his powers.

Although she was present during the Founding Celebration of the Misty Sect, William's battle with Meredith ended without anyone seeing the Half-Elf's capabilities.

When the Dryad attacked them, Lilith was paralyzed, but she was still aware of her surroundings. This was why she had immediately noticed William's arrival.

Unfortunately, before she could even see the Half-Elf in action, she was knocked unconscious by the Demonic Dog, Psoglav, and taken away. Because of this, she was not able to see how William fought the Myriad Beast.

Even so, she was confident that with William around, exploring the Forbidden Grounds would not be too dangerous.

This would also help her know more about the red-headed teenager, which the entire Amazon Empire had set their eyes on.

—--

"The Seventh Sanctum," Empress Andraste frowned as she looked at her daughter. "That is a very dangerous place, Lilith. Are you confident that you will be able to leave that place in one piece?"

"Yes," Lilith replied. "I have 70% assurance that I will be able to leave it without fail. Also, I have a feeling that William wouldn't do something as stupid as going to the Forbidden Grounds without sufficient strength.

If he can fend off against a Myriad Beast then the chances of safely leaving the Seventh Sanctum is very high.

"Okay, you may go," Empress Andraste reluctantly agreed. "You can also use this opportunity to save William during tough situations, making him indebted to you."

"That will be a bit hard to do, since he is stronger than me."

"Silly girl. William may be strong, but he is not invincible. Just do your best to get close to him during this journey."

"Understood." Lilith smiled. "Mother, about our plan, I think it will be best if you talk to the Headmaster about it. You can invite the entire 3rd Grade, as well as the professors of the academy, and treat it as a cultural exchange. This way, we don't even need to invite William to the Ares Empire. The academy will do it for us."

Empress Andraste smirked as she looked at her daughter with appreciation.

"As expected of my daughter, you are a genius," Empress Andraste praised. "Very well. Just leave this matter to me. You go and accompany our stud horse on a little field trip to the Forbidden Ground and come back as soon as possible."

Lilith nodded. "Understood. I will do my best, Mother."

—--

The next day…

Lilith stood beside the teleportation gate of Hestia Academy, while she waited for William.

Because she had informed her mother about her journey, the Amazon Empress repeatedly told her to be careful and to do her best to make the Half-Elf owe her a favor. While Lilith was deep in her thoughts, a familiar voice called out to her from a distance.

"Sorry if we made you wait. Are you ready to go?"

Lilith raised her head and saw William and Chiffon walking hand in hand. Princess Sidonie and Ian were also there to send them off and they gave Lilith a brief nod as a greeting.

"Don't worry. I just got here as well," Lilith replied as she nodded back. "I'm ready to go anytime."

William nodded before turning his head to look at Princess Sidonie and Ian. "We will be going now. Ian, make sure that Sidonie behaves."

Ian smiled in acknowledgement. "I'll look after her. As for the three of you, make sure to return safely. We will be waiting."

Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest, highlighting the curves that would make any guy lose their composure.

"Chiffon, make sure to look after our husband," Princess Sidonie stressed the word 'husband' before glancing in Lilith's direction. "Don't let him cheat on us, okay?"

Chiffon patted her modest chest before replying. "Leave it to me. I will not let him cheat on us."

Sidonie felt like her warning wasn't enough, so she decided to walk towards William, and gave him a long passionate kiss on the lips. She was well aware that there are many beautiful ladies in the academy who were giving the Half-Elf meaningful glances.

Fortunately, WIlliam didn't care about them, but it still irked Princess Sidonie to have her beloved man stared at by hungry, thieving cats.

This was why she decided to give a public display of affection to deter the girls who were targeting her husband.

Everyone who was there at the Teleportation Gate saw this passionate scene and gritted their teeth in envy. The boys couldn't help but wish that instead of William, the one that was being kissed by the Princess was them.

"D-Damn! That bastard is so lucky. I wish I was him!"

"Maybe he accumulated a lot of karma by saving a universe in his past life. This is the only thing I can think of for him to get Princess Sidonie as his wife."

"Just imagining how he can have his way with the beautiful Princess' perfect body is enough to give me a nosebleed."

"O-Oi! You're really having a nosebleed. Wipe it off before anyone sees it!"

After the kiss ended, William gave Princess Sidonie the "you sure know how to make a scene" stare before giving her a light hug.

"Don't forget to visit Shannon on a regular basis," William whispered. "I have a feeling that she's eager to have a conversation partner."

"Okay," Princess Sidonie replied. "Leave her to me."

Lilith looked at this scene with an indifferent gaze, but deep inside, she felt a little envious of Princess Sidonie.

As the Amazon Princess, she also had many suitors that hailed from the different kingdoms, and empires in the Central Continent. The Royal Families of these nations would often send their princes to the Ares Empire for a possible marriage agreement, but the Empress had turned all of them down.

The Amazons didn't care for a person's background. All they cared about was strength. Lilith had promised herself that she would only get the best, so she had been keeping an eye out for potential partners whenever she traveled around the continent.

Her purpose for this trip was to get a better understanding of William's strength. Only after seeing it would she finally make her decision.

After the hug ended, William bid his wives one last goodbye before walking towards the Teleportation Gate with Chiffon and Lilith.

The three disappeared under the envious stares of the students of the Academy.

It would take them a week to reach the Port City of Alabaster, and two more days before they reached the Forbidden Ground.

William was actually looking forward to this journey. This was the first time that he would be entering a Forbidden Ground.. The Half-Elf was quite eager to uncover the secrets that hid within that mysterious domain.

Chapter 771: I’m Just Following The Rules [Part 1]

"Boss, we got a good haul today!" A skinny man said with excitement. "Loitering around the borders of the City of Alabaster really yields great profits for us. We managed to get two Half-Elves, two Dwarves, an Elf, and three Beastkins. They will sell a lot on the black market."

A scar-faced man smirked after hearing his subordinate's reply. The Port City of Alabaster is a gathering place for the various humanoid races, so it was very easy to capture some of them as long as they traveled beyond its borders.

There were many slave traders, bandits, and mercenary groups that hunted these other races, for profits in the Black Market, along the borders of the city in secret.

Even though the punishment for kidnapping was the Death Penalty, none of them gave a hoot. For them, as long as there was quick cash to be made, all they needed was to move swiftly and retreat just as fast.

"The auction will be held in two days," the scar-faced man said. "Let's bring them to the underground headquarters. Make sure to erase our traces. I don't want the border patrols to get wind of our operation.

"Yes, boss!"

The scar-faced man was the leader of a bandit group named Wild Hounds.

They don't have a permanent place of residence, because they believed that no place was safe. The Wild Hounds would only visit cities where the Dark Traders were located because these cities were under the Black Market's control.

It was the safe haven for criminals, and most wanted people who had bounties on their heads would take permanent residence in these cities.

The group traveled for three days until they arrived at one of these hidden cities that had been dug inside a mountain.

This city was called Truedawn. It was the underground city that held the biggest auction house located near the city of Alabaster. Due to its close proximity to the city of Alabaster, only certified members of the Dark Guilds knew of its existence.

These members had powerful restrictions carved into their bodies to prevented them from leaking the city's location to anyone. The price of breaking this restriction was a very slow, and painful death.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Truedawn was the strongest stronghold of the Dark Traders in the Western Sphere of the Central Continent. This was a very important city to the Dark Guilds and its defenses were second to none, resembling a formidable fortress, which used the geography to its maximum advantage.

Even if an army were to siege it, the Dark Guilds could easily defend it due to the powerful magical arrays that they had placed around the mountain.

"All of you get out!" the scar-faced man ordered. "Make sure to bring them to the underground containment area first. Skipper, I'll leave everything to you, do you understand?"

"Don't worry, Boss," Skipper replied. "I know what to do."

The scar-faced man snorted before taking his leave. He still had other things to do in the city, and would visit the Auction house after a few hours, so he left the captured "merchandise" in the hands of his subordinates.

A few minutes later, the scar-faced man arrived at a magnificent structure that was located at the center of the city.

"Brock, you're finally back," a middle-aged man wearing glasses greeted. "How was your haul? Did you manage to snag us a few elven beauties? They are quite high in demand right now."

Brock smiled before nodding his head. "I got one, and she's quite the looker. We also have two dwarves in their early twenties, but they are pretty at best. Nothing special."

The middle-aged man made a gesture, and Brock sat on the couch opposite him.

"We have noble ladies looking for good looking men," the middle-aged man commented. "Did you manage to get a few?"

"We caught two Half-Elves," Brock replied. "I'm quite confident that the ladies will love them."

"How about labor work?

"We captured a few Beastkins. They will do just fine."

The middle-aged man chuckled as he extended his hand. "It's always a pleasure working with you, Brock. With your merchandise, we will have over a fifty slaves in this auction."

Brock held the middle-aged man's hand firmly and shook it twice before letting go. "It's always a pleasure working with you, Sir. I just hope that the remuneration I will get from the Auction will satisfy me."

"How about Sixty Percent?"

"Sixty-five."

"Fine. You have a deal."

The middle-aged man chuckled as he adjusted his glasses. "The border patrols are getting more active as of late. Lie low for a while and don't come out of the city. You'll have plenty of cash to spend when the auction is over, so you don't need to hurry to get back to work."

Brock pondered for a while before giving the man a brief nod.

"Okay," Brock replied. "I'll stay and enjoy your hospitality, Lord Grayson. If possible, I'd also like to sightsee in the Aiur Empire for a few days."

Grayson smiled after he heard Brock's reply. "Of course. I will make the necessary arrangements for you and your men.

Grayson was a Marquis in the Aiur Empire, and one of the major backers of the slave trading in the west. Arranging for Brock's accommodation in his Domain was a very simple thing for him.

—--

Meanwhile at the underground area…

"Hurry up and start moving!" Skipper shouted as he used a wooden stick to strike the Half-Elf's back whose good looks made him feel insecure.

"He's at it again, that Skipper," one of the bandits said in disdain.

"Aren't you used to it by now?" a burly man asked. "He's always like that when he faces off against any good looking man. If not for his fear of the boss' wrath, he might have ruined the faces of all of the Elven Men that we've captured over this long while."

"Still, that Half-Elf is quite a catch. I'm sure that our lady customers will be pleased."

"Indeed. He will sell for a few thousands when the bidding starts."

The ragtag group of Elves, Half-Elf, Beastmen, and Dwarves, were tied up in special metal chains that prevented them from using magic.

This was the standard equipment that slave traders use in order to neutralize their captives. As long as they were wearing these shackles, they were no different from commoners who couldn't use magic.

When they arrived at their destination, all the demihumans were locked up. They would be appraised by the elders of the Auction House and, depending on the result of the appraisal, their initial bidding prices would be set.

"Get in!" Skipper kicked the back of the Half-Elf, sending him falling face first inside a prison cell.

"Skipper, don't step out of line! If that Half-Elf's face is injured his price will decrease," the burly man shouted. "I'm sure you don't want to make our boss angry, right?"

"So what?" Skipper sneered. "At most he will just have minor bruises. Do you think the Auction House doesn't have the ability to cast a healing spell on his face?"

The burly man snorted. "We'll see what the boss says later. If the Auctioneers complain to him later, you'd better prepare yourself for a beating."

Skipper shrugged as he gave the Half-Elf one last glance before leaving the underground room. Although his Boss might nag at him later, he just couldn't stop the urges to beat up the Half-Elf that made him feel inferior.

As soon as the bandits had left the scene, the Half-Elf slowly propped himself up from the ground and dusted off his clothes.

'Optimus, start to map this area. Make sure to give me as detailed a report as soon as possible.''

< I'm on it. >

Chapter 772: I’m Just Following The Rules [Part 2]

"Will he really be okay?" Lilith asked as she eyed the mountain in the distance. "That place is filled with hidden experts. No matter how strong he is, he couldn't possibly fight them all, right?"

Chiffon unwrapped a chocolate lollipop before placing it inside her mouth. She licked it for a few seconds before turning her head to the side to look at the Amazon who had a frown on her face.

"He will be okay," Chiffon answered with confidence. "I trust him."

Lilith frowned. When Willam told them that he found a group of slave traders hiding beside the borders of the City of Alabaster, the first thing she wanted to do was to beat them up and hand them over to the authorities of the City of Alabaster.

However, William said that he had a better idea. After telling the two women about his plan, their group split, and the Half-Elf went off on his own.

"You sure trust him a lot," Lilith said.

Chiffon nodded. "I do. He is my husband after all."

"Hey, can you tell me how the two of you met? I'm very curious about how you became Wiliam's wife."

"It's a long story. Do you still want to listen?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. it's the perfect way to pass time."

She was really curious on how one of her sisters managed to marry the Half-Elf that had shaken the entire world due to his achievements in the Tower of Babylon.

Lilith thought that it would be a good idea to know more about William. That way, she would understand his character, which would greatly help her plan to bridge the gap between them.

'I need to know his likes and dislikes,' Lilith thought. 'That way, I can help my mother prepare the girls that match his preferences.'

The Amazon Princess was not ignorant and knew that men had varied tastes when it came to women. Some prefered mature ladies, some like shy types, there were others who prefered tomboys like Lilith, and some liked innocent looking girls.

Since the Amazons was a race of women, they could easily handpick the ladies in order to tempt the men who visited their empire.

This privilege was only given to the strong men that they had recognized as someone who possessed prized seed. Even though Prince Maximilian and Prince Jason were considered geniuses in the Kraetor Empire, the Amazons didn't give them much consideration.

For them, members of the Royal Families had a huge advantage when it came to cultivating experts. Amazons preferred those that had become strong through hardships, and didn't rely on their family's influences.

Only truly strong individuals would gain the right to have the Amazon women fawn on them and seduce them to become their partners.

Suddenly, a red bird descended from the sky and landed on Chiffon's outstretched arm.

"Will has safely entered their base," B1 reported. "He will start the operation in a few hours."

"Okay," Chiffon nodded. "Thank you, B1. Continue to monitor the surroundings, but do not alert them."

"Understood." B1 opened its wings and flew back towards the mountain to watch the enemy's movements.

—-

After sunset, Truedawn City started to become lively as the guests they had invited arrived at the Auction House.

Most of them were nobles from the different Kingdoms and Empires in the Central Continent. There were also members of the influential families that could be considered Overlords in their own Domains.

Although there were a few Kingdoms and Empires that banned slave trading, the majority didn't mind it too much. This was why the slave trading business was the most profitable business in the Central Continent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, It's my pleasure to be your host in today's auction," a handsome middle-aged man who was in his early thirties said with a smile. "I'm sure that all of you are very eager to buy your new slaves, so without further delay, let the auction begin!"

The curtains behind the man rose and a beautiful Elf, wearing red clothes that highlighted her curves, was escorted to the stage.

Both of her hands were bound by manacles, so she couldn't use her magical powers to free herself from her captors. The men in the audience were captivated by her beauty and boldness.

"Our special artifact has appraised her as a twenty-two year old Elf," the auctioneer said with a smile. "Her chastity is still intact, which is good news for everyone. I wonder, who among you will be the lucky person to make her a woman?"

The handsome middle-aged man lightly pushed the Elf's back to make her step forward, so that everyone could take a closer look at her.

The Elf glared hatefully at the masked people who were looking at her like vultures that were about to descend to the sky and tear off her flesh.

"I like her eyes. I wonder how long she will have that defiant look on her face after I am done with her."

"I've decided. She will be my next conquest! Elven girls are the best."

"Breaking her will surely prove to be a challenge. Even so, it will be worth it."

Seeing that everyone was itching to cast their bids, the host of the auction raised his hand to get the show going.

"Bidding starts at five thousand gold," the handsome middle-aged man said. "Increment will be a hundred gold. Start the bidding!"

"Six thousand!"

"Seven thousand!"

"Seven thousand six hundred!

"Eight thousand two hundred!"

"Ten Thousand gold coins!"

In the end, the elven beauty was sold for thirty-thousand gold coins. After that intense bidding war, the next batch of slaves was presented one by one.

Humans, Dwarves, Beastkins, all of them were sold to high prices which made the owner of the auction house very happy.

Meanwhile, backstage…

A Half-Elf with red hair and green eyes hummed as he brushed his hair.

His hands were tied with manacles, and a black, slave collar hung on his neck. However, he didn't seem to mind it too much as he combed his hair properly.

His caretakers were looking at him in a weird manner because he looked so carefree. This was the first time they had seen a slave act this way and it was making them doubt their common sense.

"It's your turn," a lady in her late twenties said as she approached William. She then caressed the side of his face and her eyes were filled with greed. "Too bad, I can't join the bidding for you. I'm sure that you will be a good slave."

The Half-Elf didn't say anything and simply handed his comb to the lady.

"Take this as a souvenir," The Half-Elf replied.

He then allowed himself to be taken by the men to the stage, while humming a tune. The woman looked at his back in confusion. For some reason, she felt like the Half-Elf was making fun of her.

"Let's see how long you can keep that attitude of yours," the woman sneered as she followed behind the group. She didn't believe that the Half-Elf would still act pretentious after he was sold to his new master.

When the Half-Elf appeared on stage, the women's gazes locked on him instantly.

"The next slave to be auctioned is a Half-Elf. According to our special artifact, he is eighteen years old," the middle-aged man said. "He is quite healthy, and would definitely be a good addition to your collections, my ladies."

The middle-aged man chuckled as he started the bidding for the Half-Elf.

"Bidding starts at five thousand gold coins with an increment of a hundred. Let's start."

"Eight thousand!"

"Ten thousand!"

"Twelve thousand!"

Everytime a lady bid for him, the Half-Elf would look in their direction and give them a wink. His playful antics made the ladies go gaga over him and the bidding war blazed into an inferno.

"Eighteen thousand gold coins!" a lady wearing a cat mask shouted. "The Half-Elf is mine!"

The Half-Elf glanced at her direction and smiled. "I'm not yet yours. You have to win the bidding first."

"Nineteen thousand!" a lady wearing a bird mask shouted. "Hands off b*tch he's mine!"

Another lady wearing a panther mask joined the fray. "Twenty thousand!"

"Twenty one thousand!"

"Twenty-two thousand."

In the end, a three-way battle was fought over the Half-Elf as the bid rose to twenty five thousand.

The three ladies were seated on VIP seats, which meant that they were high-ranking nobles.

'Interesting, a cat, a bird, and a panther,' the Half-Elf thought with a smile. '

While the three ladies wearing masks glared at each other, an adorable voice spoke up and placed her bid.

"Twenty-two thousand one hundred."

The three girls simultaneously glared in the direction where the voice came from.

Seated on a couch were two girls. The taller one wore an owl mask, while the smaller one wore a tiger mask.

The lady wearing the tiger mask had long, pink hair, and even though they couldn't see her face, they assumed that she was no older than fourteen years old.

After a brief pause, the lady wearing a cat raised the bid once more.

"Twenty-five thousand!"

"Twenty-five thousand one hundred."

"Twenty-six thousand!"

"Twenty-six thousand one hundred."

"Twenty-eight thousand!"

"Twenty-eight thousand one hundred."

"Are you messing with me?!" the lady wearing a cat mask asked in irritation.

The young lady wearing a tiger mask looked in her direction and tilted her head in confusion. "No?"

"Then why are you only adding one hundred gold coins to all our bids?" the lady wearing a bird mask inquired.

"Didn't the auctioneer say that the increment should be a hundred gold coins?" the tiger-masked young lady answered. "I'm just following the rules."

The lady wearing a mask choked on her saliva because she didn't expect to hear the answer given to her by the young lady that was making things difficult for her.

"Girl, you're not breaking any rules, but can't you fight us properly?" the lady wearing the cat mask asked in irritation. "Just adding a hundred coins to our bid each time is disrespectful, you know?"

The young lady wearing the tiger mask nodded her head before placing another bid.

"Twenty-eight thousand one-hundred and one," the tiger-masked lady said. "There. I added one more coin. It's fine now, right? I exceeded the hundred increment rule."

Three girls who were duking it out a while ago almost spat out blood after hearing the young girl's reply. They didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the young lady's common sense.

Even the auctioneer could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He had hosted many auctions in the past, but this was the first time that he had encountered a customer like the tiger-masked girl.

Suddenly, a heartfelt laughter erupted from the stage of the auction room.

William held his stomach as he laughed out loud.. He didn't expect his adorable wife to be capable of making people want to kill themselves just by saying a few innocent words.

Chapter 773: Say Hello To My Little Friends

"Y-You! Who invited you to this auction?!" the bird-masked lady shouted. "Are you making fun of us?"

The tiger-masked lady shook her head. "No. Don't worry. I have money. Do you want me to add two coins instead of one? Okay. Twenty-eight thousand one-hundred and two. There!"

The cat-masked lady was about to throw a fireball at the irritating little tiger, but the people serving her immediately stopped her from doing so.

The auctioneer knew that if this continued, their auction house would become a big joke to the people of the underworld, so he decided to step forward and handle the situation.

"Young Miss, if possible, can you take this bidding seriously?" the handsome middle-aged man asked. "You are making things difficult for everyone. I'm sorry, but if you don't bid properly, we will have no choice but to ask you to leave the auction house."

The tiger-masked lady pouted behind her mask as she shifted her gaze to the auctioneer who was looking at her with an unfriendly gaze.

"Didn't you say that the increment for each bid should be a hundred coins?" the tiger-masked lady asked back.

"Yes. I did."

"Then you're the one at fault. I'm just bidding according to your words."

"But, Young Miss, there is this thing called 'reading the mood'. Surely, you know about this thing, right?"

The tiger-masked lady shook her head. "No. You were the one who was in the wrong. If you said that the increment should be a thousand gold coins each time then I would have done that. However, you said the increment should be done in the hundreds. I'm just doing what you told us."

"But…"

"I am a paying customer. Customer is always right."

"But…"

"Just because you are older than me you think you can bully me? What kind of auction is this? Is this the way you treat your customers? Big Sister, that old man is bullying me."

"There there. Don't mind him. We should be more understanding of plebeians. Maybe he doesn't have enough money to buy clothes. Don't worry, I will give him a few coins later."

The auctioneer became speechless because he didn't know how to proceed. Not only was the young girl calling him out for the words he said, but the older one actually called him a plebeian in front of everyone in the auction room.

An awkward silence descended in the room. In a special VIP room overlooking the entire auction house, Marquis Grayson looked at this scene with a dumbfounded expression.

Even Brock, who had brought William to the auction house, couldn't keep the corner of his lips from twitching.

After recovering his composure, Grayson communicated with the members of the Dark Guild to politely escort the two ladies out of the auction house. He was sure that none of his guests would mind him sending the two girls away.

"You sure invited some interesting nobles, Lord Grayson," Brock commented after Grayson finished giving his subordinates his orders.

"Well, we get some weirdos from time to time," Grayson replied as he cleared his throat. Although there had indeed been a few incidents in the past auctions, there was nothing that could compare to what he had seen today.

Grayson then communicated with the auctioneer and gave him the order to continue the auction. All of the guests he invited were influential people and he hoped that all of them could turn a blind eye to this unexpected turn of events.

William shook his head helplessly when he saw the masked Lilith and Chiffon being escorted out of the VIP seats.

"I apologize for this small mishap," the auctioneer said after wiping the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. "Let's continue the bidding."

Just as the ladies were about to throw their bids, the Half-Elf stepped forward.

"No," William stated. "This farce ends here."

Before anyone could understand the meaning behind his words, the Half-Elf casually broke the shackles that bound him.

William then turned towards the auctioneer and reached out his hand to grab him.

"Stop! I order you to kneel on the floor!" the auctioneer ordered.

The slave collar on William's neck glowed once, and the latter ceased all actions.

The auctioneer breathed in a sigh of relief as his face contorted in anger.

"Kneel! I order you to kneel!" The auctioneer pointed at William. In order to prevent any mishaps, he was given some authority to order the slaves that were wearing the slave collars inside the auction house.

"Okay." William smirked. "Since you want to kneel that badly, I will let you kneel."

Before the auctioneer could do anything, William appeared behind his back and pressed his hand on the middle-aged man's shoulder.

"Go ahead and kneel," William ordered as he pushed his hands down.

Immediately, a strong pressure descended upon the auctioneer which made his body collapse. The Half-Elf held him in place, forcing him to kneel on the ground.

William then glanced at the surroundings and gave everyone a devilish smile. He then raised his hand and tore the slave collar off his neck, as if it was just a piece of paper.

"I came here to do one thing, and one thing only," William stated. "And that is… to make all of you regret your decision for coming here today."

Several portals appeared all around the auction house and the smile on William's face grew wider.

"Say hello to my little friends," William sneered as dozens of monsters flooded out of the portals. The bodies of the guards that were present in the auction house shuddered because they clearly felt the strength of the monsters that were coming out of the portals around them.

Brock's and Lord Grayson's faces paled when they, too, realized that the auction house had been invaded by Centennial and Millennial Ranked Beasts.

Only one thought appeared on everyone's head and that was to…

"Run!"

No one knew who said that word, but it was more than enough to snap everyone out of their daze. The auction house immediately descended into chaos, as everyone ran for their lives.

William's loud laughter echoed behind them as the monsters in his King's Legion tore the entire place apart.

Chapter 774: Wait! Don’t You Know How To Count?!

"Just where did these monsters come from?!"

"Stop talking and just run to the exit!"

"Where are the Elders that protect this place?! Why aren't they doing anything?!"

"Doesn't this place have any defenses? Why is it being overrun by monsters?!"

"Truedawn City focused its defense on an outside invasion, not an invasion from within. If you value your life, stop talking and just run!"

Complete pandemonium had erupted inside the auction house as hundreds of monsters flowed out of the portals in droves.

"Dammit!" Lord Grayson hurriedly opened the secret passage in his personal VIP Room. Although Truedawn City had experts protecting it, most of them were Adamantium and Black Ranked Warriors.

There were only two Saint-Ranked warriors in the whole city, however they were only at the initial stages of the Saint Rank, so they were only as strong as Millennial Beasts in their middle stages.

Brock followed behind Lord Grayson and escaped through the secret passage, along with the Marsquiss' bodyguards. Since the monsters were rampaging inside the city, his safest option was to follow Lord Grayson till they reached the base of the mountain.

"Remember, only incapacitate the members of the Dark Guilds and members of the Underworld," William ordered his legion via telepathy. "As for the rest of the people, herd them towards the exit. There will be a surprise waiting for them outside."

The Monsters gave William an affirmative reply as they wreaked havoc around them. They were not mindless beasts that wantonly killed people.

As William was about to pursue the Big Bosses of Truedawn City, he heard a call from behind him.

"Will!" Chiffon called out as she ran towards him.

Lilith was not far behind with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Although she had heard that William could control a monster army, this was the first time that she had seen it in action.

The powerful aura of the monsters made her realize that all of them were high-ranking beasts. Although they were only of the Centennial and Millennial Rank, thousands of them appearing all at once would give any major force in the Central Continent a big headache.

"It's going to get a bit messy in here, Chiffon," William said as he patted her head. "Do you want to fight alongside me?"

Chiffon nodded. "Un!"

William kissed her and the pink-haired girl turned into particles of light, which flew towards the gem on his chest.

Soon, a golden flame appeared on William's forehead and his aura became more powerful.

Lilith, who watched this scene, became slack-jawed because she could feel Chiffon's power emanating from William's body.

'H-How can this be?!' Lilith gasped in shock. 'He can merge with the Deadly Sins?!'

As a member of the Seven Deadly Sins, Lilith was quite knowledgeable about their circumstances. There had never been any written record of someone who could use the Divinity of the Seven Deadly Sins by merging with them.

It was completely unheard of!

William gave the dumbfounded Amazon Princess a side-long glance before flying out of the action house's broken roof. Optimus had already placed markers on Lord Grayson, Byron, and Skipper.

The Half-Elf had no intention of letting any of them go, so he left the scene after giving his Kings Legion some reminders.

"Hello, little girl," Psoglav said as it appeared beside Lilith and grinned at her. "William said that you specialize in finding treasures. He asked me to raid the treasury of this underground city. Do you want to cooperate with us?"

Lilith was quite familiar with Psoglav because she had seen the Demonic Dog knock them out one by one during the fight against the Dryad.

"Sure, but I want a seventy-thirty split," Lilith replied. "I get 70, you guys get 30."

"Sixty-forty, or no deal." Psoglav replied. "We get sixty, you get forty. William said that if you refuse, he will not take you to the Forbidden Ground to play."

Lilith was about to reject the offer, but after pondering for a bit, she realized that going to the forbidden ground would yield greater treasures compared to the underground city.

"Fine," Lilith said through gritted teeth. The Amazon knew that she needed to work together with William in order to earn some brownie points. As long as she got her share, getting the smaller piece of the pie was acceptable.

—--

At the Lord's Mansion located on the north end of the City…

"Damn! How could you do this to me, Brock?" Grayson complained as he collected the valuable items in his treasury. "Why did you bring that menace to the underground city?!"

Brock's face had already turned ashen. It never crossed his mind that the Half-Elf that he had caught not long ago was a wolf in sheep's clothing. When he had captured William wandering the borders of the City of Alabaster, he thought that he had struck the jackpot.

Elves and Half-Elves had always been in demand in the Black Market, so getting those races would definitely give him a good sum, once they were sold in the auctions. Not once did he think that instead of bringing in a sheep for the slaughter, he had actually invited a calamity inside their stronghold.

Now, all the ringleaders of Truedawn City were trying to escape like wild ducks that had heard the sound of gunshot.

They knew that even if they mobilized their forces to defend the city, it would be all for naught. Everyone was busy trying to escape with their lives, and had already thought of abandoning the city.

"We should leave, My Lord," one of Lord Grayson's bodyguards said. "The Monster Army is almost here. Right now, their numbers have already increased to tens of thousands. This is the end of Truedawn City."

Lord Grayson clenched his fist in anger, but there was nothing he could do but flee. However, just as he was about to lead everyone to the secret passage that would take them to the base of the mountain, the roof above their heads crumbled.

When the dust settled, everyone in the room stared at the newcomer that had appeared and was looking at them with a teasing smile.

"Who are you?!" Lord Grayson. "Why are you doing this?!"

William ignored the Marquis as he waved his hand.

Several energy balls, the size of bowling balls, slammed into the bodyguards that were standing beside Lord Grayson.

The guards were caught by surprise. The next thing they knew, all of them had slammed against the wall and their vision was turning dark.

"Only the two of you are left," William said. "Ah! Don't even think about bribing me with money, lands, position, or women, like third rate villains. That won't work on me."

Lord Grayson almost choked because that was exactly what he was planning to do. He could tell that the red-headed teenager was strong. All of his guards were of the Black-Rank and all of them were sent flying before they could even do anything.

This just showed that the Half-Elf was stronger than them, so he had no choice but to try his luck and do his best to negotiate.

"Young man, everyone has a price," Lord Grayson replied. "I can give you anything you want. I am a Marquis of the Aiur Empire. Regardless of what it is, I will give it to you!"

"Really? Will you give me anything I want?"

"Yes!"

William smirked. "Then give me all your storage rings and storage bags. I will only count to ten. If those items are not in my possession, I will be taking them by force."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Five…"

"Eight!"

"Wait! Don't you know how to count?!" Lord Grayson cursed out loud. He then hastily threw his storage rings and storage bags at the floor in order to appease the Half-Elf that was emitting killing intent towards them.

Lord Grayson was trying to buy time so that he could activate the long-distance artifact in his possession. But, he would need at least four seconds to activate it.

Time that the Half-Elf didn't plan to give him.

William snapped his fingers and an icicle spear jutted out of the ground, hitting the artifact that was hidden in Lord Grayson's left chest pocket.

The artifact was destroyed instantly, and the Marquis cried out in pain after getting stabbed in the chest.

Lord Grayson took a few steps back while pressing his hand over the wound on his chest. He looked fearfully at William who was walking in his direction.

"N-No! Don't kill me!" Lord Grayson pleaded. "Have mercy!"

"You don't deserve mercy," William said with contempt. "What you deserve is death."

William stomped on the ground and several ice spears pierced Lord Grayson's, and Brock's body, seriously injuring them.

Suddenly, ice spread outward from their wounds, slowly covering their entirety in ice.

In the end, only their heads were left untouched. They looked at William in horror because no matter what they did, they couldn't break free from the icy prison that had trapped them.

"Don't worry. I will not be the one to end your lives," William smiled evilly. "I will let the slaves that you captured deal with both of you. I'm sure that they will give both of you the VIP treatment that you deserve."

Brock stared at William with unwillingness and regret. If only he hadn't captured the Half-Elf in front of him due to greed, his lifestyle might have remained unchanged. Now, it was too late.

He knew that if the slaves get their hands on them, He and the Marquis would suffer a very long and painful death.

Chapter 775: I Don’t Care Who You Are, Who You Know, Or Where You’re From

Several members of the Dark Guilds lay on the grounds moaning in pain. They were the warriors that the Underworld had dispatched in order to deal with the monsters that had suddenly appeared inside the Auction House.

What they didn't know was that they weren't only dealing with a few monsters. When they realized that they were up against thousands, it was already too late to run away.

Although William had ordered his Kings Legion to incapacitate the members of the Dark Guilds, he didn't tell them to simply knock them unconscious.

The order that the Half-Elf had given them was this.

"You can do whatever you want, as long as they're still breathing. Don't touch the buyers in the auction house, just chase them towards the exit of the city. Everyone else is fair game."

Because of this, the Monsters didn't hold back. Some of them broke the warrior's arms and legs, others tore them off their bodies.

Psoglav thrashed his Dark Whip around his surroundings, while gnawing on a dismembered arm that belonged to an Adamantium Ranked Warrior who had attacked him earlier.

"Hah, so troublesome," Kasogonaga said as he walked beside Psoglav. The rainbow-colored anteater didn't join the fight and simply observed the carnage around him. "Turning this place upside down doesn't pose any kind of challenge. All the enemies are weak."

Psoglav chuckled as it brandished its whip to grab a warrior who was about to run away. It then slammed the warrior to the ground repeatedly until the latter fainted.

"It's not that the enemies are weak." Psoglav corrected. "We just became stronger."

Psoglav then stomped on the warrior's legs, and hands, breaking them completely. If it didn't accompany William in his journey, it might have never climbed the rank that it had now.

Any of the warriors that the Dark Guilds had dispatched was strong enough to kill his former self. Now, he could trample all of them with ease.

"True," Kasogonaga agreed.

After it had escaped its icy prison, its rank had degraded. If not for William, clearing out the magic crystals in the Kyrintor Mountains, the rainbow-colored Anteater would have definitely remained trapped in time, unable to awaken from its slumber.

"Almost all the residents have evacuated," Psoglav glanced at its surroundings. "Time for the next phase of the plan."

"Can we really trust that Amazon?"

"Relax. Aethon, B1, and B2 are raiding the treasury alongside her. Those birds have a good memory and that girl will not be able to play any dirty tricks while they are around."

"I hope you're right," Kasogonaga replied.

—---

"Do I look good?"

"Chirp!"

"How about me?"

"Chirp!"

The two dumb birds were wearing golden necklaces on their bodies like gangsters.

"Oh this ring looks good on my claw," B1 said in appreciation. "How about you Aethon? Do you want some?"

The little Wren shook its head as it chirped at the two dumb birds who had decked their bodies out with various accessories.

Lilith who was busy removing the various traps in the treasury could feel her face twitching. This was the first time she had seen birds act in this manner.

'They're like William,' Lilith thought. 'A bunch of posers!'

The four of them had fought their way towards the treasury and knocked out all of the guards that blocked their way.

Lilith had gotten a bit of understanding as to what the two birds were capable of, and it unnerved her.

When facing opponents, the birds would fire magic missiles that came from those so-called "Lollipops" that she was seeing for the first time in her life.

When the charges of the lollipops run out, they would hurl bottles of acids at their enemies that were strong enough to melt steel.

If given the choice, Lilith didn't want to face these birds in battle. Not only did they hurl all kinds of dangerous items at their enemies, they also insulted and cursed them with vulgarities.

She became speechless when the red bird, B1, even cursed one of the Black-Ranked Warriors up their thirteenth generation. The man had gone insane and attacked B1 with the intention of perishing together.

Unfortunately, the Dumb Bird was now a Pseudo-Centennial Beast, and was strong enough to slap the assailant away with its wing.

"Oi! Keep those hands moving!" B1 glanced at Lilith who would stare at their direction from time to time. "We still have a dozen more locations to visit. Put your back into it!"

"That's right," B2 commented from the side.

"Oh, this tiara will look good on our Chiffon. Let's give this to her later."

"Indeed. Our Chiffon is the best."

"Chirp!"

Lilith was very tempted to hurl the treasure chest she was trying to unlock at the two dumb birds and bury them with its weight.

Fortunately, she was able to stop herself in time.

'Just you wait,' Lilith thought as the lock in her hands broke apart. 'I'll make William pay for this.'

—-

"Achooo!"

William rubbed his nose while watching Chiffon smash the treasure chests using Sharur. Unlike Lilith, who had the ability to unlock any kind of traps and chests, the pink-haired girl opted to use the Smasher of Thousands to forcefully bash the treasure chests that were stored in the warehouse of one of the Big Shots of the City.

Most of the members of the Dark Guilds had been dealt with. After their rampage ended, the members of William's King's Legion started to pillage the entire city.

The Requiem Antz that had transformed into lobsters and crabs diligently took everything of value back to the Thousand Beast Domain. Even the tables and chairs didn't escape their grasp!

< Will, the nobles and other non combatants that escaped have all been captured by the border patrols that encircled the mountains. >

"Good," William replied. The Half-Elf then sent his legion an order to double their pace in clearing out the items inside the city. He planned to ransack it to the ground and leave nothing for the army of Alabaster who had arrived to assist them in their operation.

A few hours ago, Chiffon and Lilith had gone to the City of Alabaster to make their report. The Amazon Princess went straight to the embassy of the Ares Empire and asked them to help her communicate with the various forces in the city.

At first, the Army of the City was skeptical about her claims. However, after knowing that she was the Princess of the Ares Empire, they thought that listening to her report was the least that they could do.

However, when she told them that there was a slave trading city near them, everyone went bonkers and pressed her for more information.

Since the city was a gathering place of the different races, they hated slave traders to the core. Once Lilith had told them that there was an underground city that sold slaves near their territory, they decided to mobilize their troops to surround the mountain, in order to purge the bastards from their Domain once and for all.

"Don't you know who I am?!" a captured noble screamed at the top of his lungs. "I am a good friend of the Prince of Rinoa! You can't touch me!"

"I am the daughter of a count! Get your filthy hands off me!"

"Release me! You mongrel, release me!"

A burly Tigerkin who was over two-meters tall had his arms crossed over his chest as he watched his men tie up the nobles that had escaped from the mountain.

Due to the commotion that had happened inside the city. All the defenders that were keeping a lookout for outside forces, hastily entered the city to check what was happening.

The Army of Alabaster used this opportunity to storm the front door and lay an ambush, capturing everyone that was headed to the exit.

They couldn't believe that an underground city was built so close to their city. If not for the Angray Birds that led them to the hidden entrance, they would have overlooked it completely.

"Commander, we managed to capture over five hundred nobles, as well as a thousand slave workers," a Half-Elf reported.

The anger in her eyes was evident. If not for the strict discipline that had been imposed on them by their Commander, she might have already started killing the people who dared to break the taboo of their Domain.

"Take two hundred men and scout the interior," the Tiger-kin ordered. He then grabbed Skipper, who had also been captured by his subordinates, by the neck and stared into his eyes hatefully. "You will guide my men to free the slaves that you have imprisoned. Do you understand?"

Skipper gasped for breath as the Tiger-kin strangled his neck. Only when he was about to lose consciousness did the Tiger-kin throw him to the ground.

"Go," the Tiger-kin ordered. "Save our brothers and sisters from this hell."

"Yes, Sir!" the Half-Elf saluted before dragging Skipper towards the underground city.

The Tiger-kin watched until their backs disappeared in the distance. He then eyed the people that they had captured with a feral gaze.

"I don't care who you are, who you know, or where you're from," the TIger-kin said in a voice that was laced with killing intent. "There is only one thing that all of you should know. Everyone here will be punished according to our laws. There will be no exceptions!"

The faces of the nobles paled after hearing the Tiger-kin's words. They knew that the punishment for the slave traders was death, and many years of imprisonment for the slave buyers.

Their only hope was for their family members to come and bail them out. But, even then, the price they had to pay as compensation would amount to no less than a million gold coins. If their families couldn't pay this amount, they would be imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time.

The Tiger-kin snorted as he ordered his men to be on high alert. He didn't know what caused these people to flee from the underground city.. All he knew was that whoever was responsible for dealing this deadly blow to the slave traders, would be the friend of the Port City of Alabaster for life.

Chapter 776: Dream An Impossible Dream

Barracks located inside the Port City of Alabaster…

"It's my honor to meet you, William Von Ainsworth," the Tiger-kin Commander, Whitefang, said with a smile. "I didn't think that the most famous member of the young generation would not only enter our Domain, but help us rid ourselves of a thorn that was growing right under our nose. We are truly grateful for your help."

"The pleasure is mine, Commander," William replied. "I couldn't possibly turn a blind eye to these bastards who are harming the lives of our people. My only regret is that I can't wipe them all off from the face of the Central Continent."

White Fang looked at William with admiration. There had been some merchants from the City of Alabaster that regularly visited the Tower of Babylon.

When they heard that William had kicked the ruling families that promoted slave trading from the tower, the Half-Elf's name had been the talk of the town for the past few weeks.

Most of them wanted to get the chance to meet the red-headed teenager, but due to their duties, they couldn't leave their posts.

Fortunately, he visited their Domain and even helped them with the slave traders who were active near their borders.

White Fang's Vice Commander, Haleth, the beautiful Half-Elf with blonde hair and green eyes, looked at William with a beet-red face.

"Sir William, are you planning to stay in the city?" Haleth said in a voice that was laced with adoration. "If you don't mind, I can be your tour guide during your stay. Commander, can I ask for a vacation leave? I would like to guide Sir William around our territory."

White Fang glanced at his subordinate's pleading gaze and chuckled internally.

"I never thought I'd see the day when our pretty Haleth would act like a lady," White Fang teased. "You've always acted like a tomboy when you're with us, but as soon as Sir William arrives in our city, you become all lady-like again. What kind of sorcery is this?"

"Commander!" Haleth glared at the burly Tiger-kin who was grinning at her.

White Fang then patted his chest and gave Haleth the "Leave this to me" wink, which made the Half-Elf's already red face even redder.

"Commander, we came here to the city to re-supply our food rations," William said with a smile. "At most, we can only stay here for two days before we resume our travels."

Disappointment flashed across Haleth's face when she heard that her idol was planning to leave the city in two days. However, this expression only lasted for a brief moment before she returned to her normal state.

"Two days? What's the rush?" White Fang asked. For him, Haleth was like a little sister. He thought that since William was also a Half-Elf, Haleth and him had a lot in common, since both of them were Half-Elves.

"There is a place that I need to visit, and I want to go there as soon as possible," William replied. "However, since this is a rare opportunity, I can stay for another day or two to see the attractions of the City of Alabaster."

White Fang nodded in understanding. He then thought of a way to use this short period of time to pull some strings in the background. Although it might be a longshot, it was quite possible that sparks would fly between the two Half-Elves if he gave both of them a little push.

'I didn't think that I would play matchmaker in this manner,' White Fang mused as he glanced at the two Half-Elves that were smiling at each other.

After thinking things through, he decided to give Haleth a chance and decided to give her a few days off.

"Haleth, from today onwards, you will be Sir William's tour guide," White Fang ordered. "This will be your mission, so make sure that you accomplish this mission at all cost!"

"Y-Yes, Sir!" Haleth stuttered as she gave White Fang a salute.

Chiffon and Lilith looked at the overly excited blonde Half-Elf whose face had reddened once again.

"Sir William, since you will be staying here for a few days, please, allow me to take you to the best inn in the city," Haleth proposed. "I promise that you will not be disappointed."

William smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you. I'll be in your care. Please, lead the way."

"Understood!" Haleth unconsciously saluted William out of habit which made White Fang burst in laughter.

After that brief episode in the Barracks, Haleth led William, and the two ladies accompanying him, to the inn called Shaking Nut Tavern. The medium-sized inn was located not far from the city center, which made it the ideal place to stay if you were a traveler.

"How many rooms do you plan to have, Sir William?" Haleth asked as she gave Chiffon and Lilith a side-long glance.

Both girls were exceptional beauties in their own right.

Lilith had a valiant appeal, and her sun-kissed skin was radiating with youth and energy. Since she was a warrior, her body was fit and no excess fat could be seen anywhere. She also had curves in the right places, which made the men they met along the way turn their heads to look at her in appreciation.

Chiffon, on the other hand, stood out because of her cuteness. Her small height, and her overall appeal makes people want to give her a hug. Even Haleth found it hard to resist the little girl's innocent charms.

As part of the army that managed the safety of the City of Alabaster, Haleth's observation skills were second to none. She could tell if one was an evil-doer with a glance, and this ability of hers had allowed the patrolling army to capture suspicious individuals before they could even manage to do their nefarious deeds.

"Two rooms," William replied. "One room with an extra large bed."

"I see…," Haleth nodded her head in understanding. "We'll do that then."

After observing Chiffon and Lilith for a while, she found out that there seemed to be a distance between Lilith and William. This made Haleth a little happy because for her, the one with the highest threat among the two girls was Lilith.

With that said, Haleth couldn't help but feel envious at the special treatment that Chiffon received from William.

The way the red-headed teenager held the young lady's hand, as well as the way he looked at Chiffon, made her jealous. It was very obvious that William truly cared for her, and Haleth wished that she could take the young lady's place.

Of course, this was only in her mind. For her, William was the idol of all Half-Elves. A man that wouldn't turn a blind eye to the evil of the world and would use force to mete out justice to those who deserved it.

William was like the moon in the sky during night time. He seemed so close that one could reach out to hold him, and yet, those same hands wouldn't be able to hold anything.

'Hah, who am I kidding? This is impossible,' Haleth side as she tried to curb the fantasy that was starting to play in her head. 'Get a grip, Haleth. You should face reality. Don't dream an impossible dream.'

Using all of her willpower, she did her best to push down the budding feelings in her heart. For now, she would treasure these precious feelings. Haleth knew that after William left the City of Alabaster, the chances of meeting him again would be very slim.

Since that was the case, she would just do her job and guide him properly.. That way, these beautiful memories of seeing her idol would remain in her heart, till the end of time.

Chapter 777: There Is Nothing I Can’t Steal

The first rays of sunlight peered through the window and hit Lilith's face. The Amazon Princess opened her eyes and slowly propped herself up from the bed.

She then walked towards the window and opened it to admire the City of Alabaster, which was hailed as the biggest trade city in the western part of the continent.

"I wonder if he's still asleep," Lilith thought as she extended her senses to the room next to her.

Although it was barely audible, she heard the sound of a sleeper's breathing in William's room. Clearly, the Half-Elf was still asleep, and it made Lilith shake her head helplessly.

"The two of them only stopped at dawn," Lilith muttered. "It is understandable why they are still both asleep. I guess they will wake up around noon."

Lilith then washed her face before leaving her room to eat at the inn's tavern. She had visited the City of Alabaster once in the past, but it had been a few years since then. That time, her Mother assigned her to go in her place to supervise the building of the Amazon embassy in the port city.

Although it was called an Embassy, it was more of a warehouse used by the Amazons to store the products that they had bought from the merchant ships that frequented the city. Also, the City of Alabaster was a place where the different races mingled together.

It was a good place to find strong individuals that they could invite to the Ares Empire in order to strengthen their bloodline.

The Amazons were granted by a special blessing of their Goddess, Astarte, that allowed them to give birth to children with the special bloodline characteristics of their father. Naturally, Amazons that were born with this strong bloodline, could also pass their ability to their daughters.

This was why the Amazons liked to invite the talented prodigies of the influential Clans who had special bloodline talents, exclusive to their families.

Lilith and her two sisters were born from such a union.

She was the middle child, and held far more freedom compared to her sisters. This allowed her to travel the land whenever she wanted, and only return home when she missed her family.

The Amazon Princess was about to order her breakfast, when she saw a pretty Half-Elf with blonde hair and green eyes enter the tavern.

The moment Haleth entered, she immediately saw Lilith and approached her with a smile.

"Good morning," Haleth greeted.

Lilith smiled and gave her a brief nod. "Good morning. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No. I came here early because I thought that all of you would already be awake… is Sir William still sleeping?"

"He is."

A look of disappointment flashed in Haleth's eyes, but it only lasted for a brief moment.

"Why don't you join me for breakfast?" Lilith proposed.

"I'll take you up on your offer then," Haleth replied with a smile.

After ordering their food, the two ladies chose a table in the corner of the tavern. Since it would take a while before their food was served, Lilith decided to ask the army officer a few personal questions about herself.

It was quite easy for her to tell that the Half-Elf was very interested in William, so she decided to tease her a bit.

"Do you like William?" Lilith asked as she propped her chin over her open palm.

"W-Was it that obvious?" Haleth stuttered. "Oh, no! Did Sir William notice it as well?!"

Haleth covered her face in embarrassment. She thought that she did a good job hiding her feelings, but looking at the confident smile on Lilith's face, she knew that her cover was blown.

"I think he did," Lilith replied. "Between you and me, I think he has the mindset that all girls will fall in love with him because of his good looks."

Haleth blinked once then twice before the meaning of Lilith's words dawned upon her.

"Sir William is like that?" Haleth inquired in a hushed tone. "Is he some kind of narcissist or something?"

Lilith smirked. "A bit. Fortunately, he's not the type that would look in the mirror and say 'I'm so good looking. I guess I'll just marry myself!'"

The two girls stared at each other for a few seconds before chuckling at the same time. A minute later, both of them managed to reign in their laughter and continue their chat, while they waited for their food.

"I didn't know that Sir William has this side to him," Haleth said. "For me, he's someone unreachable. But, after hearing your words today, it made me realize that despite his legendary status, he's still Human."

"Half-Elf," Lilith corrected. "He's only half Human. Just like you."

Haleth smiled as she eyed Lilith. "You're an Amazon, right?"

"Yes," Lilith replied.

"Then, are you interested in Sir William?"

"I'm only interested in his seed. We prefer to give birth to the children of strong men."

Haleth's expression was tinged with curiosity as she pressed on with more questions.

"Do Amazons know the meaning of love?" Haleth inquired. "I mean, you are a matriarchal society, so men didn't have much power in your domain. I've heard stories that Amazons treat the men like slaves. Is this true?"

"Nonsense. Although women hold the power in our Empire, we don't mistreat men," Lilith answered. "They are treated with respect because Amazons only give birth to the child of the strong. This has been our tradition since ancient times, and will remain the same in the future.

"As for love… There are Amazons who also fall in love. We're not that strict when it comes to these things, but they are a small minority. "

Haleth smiled. "Have you ever fallen in love, Lilith?"

"No."

"Not even once?"

Lilith shook her head. "I've seen many men, but for some reason, I don't feel any strong attraction to them."

Haleth nodded. "Then what about Sir William? Do you not feel attracted to him?"

Lilith was about to say no, but suddenly remembered the time when William confronted her because she stole the Collar of Wister from Princess Sidonie.

Back then, William's eyes looked so cold and the pressure that he had given her made her unable to breathe. Because of this, she returned the collar to him, without putting up a fight.

She could still remember that incident like it was only yesterday. William's light-green eyes, which looked so warm and tender whenever he looked at his wives, had been as cold as a blade that was sharp enough to pierce her soul.

That was the first time someone looked at her in that way, and it left a lasting impression on the Amazon Princess.

"I guess he's not half bad," Lilith answered. "Still, don't get the wrong idea. I'm only after his seed, and have no intention of falling in love with him. I'm just doing my duty as an Amazon."

Haleth sighed after hearing Lilith's words. She knew that this was part of Lilith's heritage, and the culture had been ingrained deeply in her bones. Even so, she felt that it was such a shame for someone as strong-willed as Lilith to not experience what love was.

"I wish with all my heart that you experience what love is like, Lilith," Haleth said.

"What are you? Some kind of hopeless romantic?" Lilith smirked. She had seen many girls like Haleth. Girls who dreamed that they would find their prince charming and live happily ever after.

Unlike the Half-Elf, Lilith didn't believe in happy endings. Although she was a Princess, she wasn't looking for a Prince.

'Love only makes people weak.' Lilith thought.

"Then, what if you fall in love?"

"Like I said, that's not happening."

Haleth shook her head as she lightly tapped the table using her fingertip.

"Just humor me," Haleth stated.

She was very curious about what kind of answer Lilith would give her after she had asked the Amazon a question.

"What if you fall in love, and the man you love already has a lover?" Haleth inquired. "What will you do if that happens?"

The Amazon Princess gave Haleth a mischievous smile before answering her question.

"If I really fall in love with someone, and they are already taken, then there's only one thing that I can do and that is to steal them." Lilith replied. "Silly girl. There is nothing in this world that I can't take."

The Amazon glanced in the direction of the staircase and saw William walking down the stairs, while holding Chiffons' hand. The two chatted with each other, and the tender gaze that he gave the pink-haired girl was vastly different from that cold, and indifferent look that he had given her back then.

The smile on Lilith's face widened as she looked at the two lovers, who were still unaware that she was looking at them from the corner of the tavern.

'Yes. There is nothing I can't steal,' Lilith mused as she looked at the Half-Elf who only had eyes for his wives.. 'Not even your heart is safe from me.'

Chapter 778: Do I Look Amazing Enough For You To Surrender Your Seed?

Chapter 778 - Do I Look Amazing Enough For You To Surrender Your Seed?

After breakfast, Haleth took William, Chiffon, and Lilith for a tour around the city.

As the trade capital of the West, it had many shops and boutiques that catered to people of all ages.

There were also many specialty dishes that came from all over the world, which made Chiffon very happy. The little glutton sampled as many as she could, including snacks and desserts, which made Haleth wonder where all the food that she had eaten had gone.

"Chiffon, you've been eating since we've left," Health said anxiously. "Are you sure you're going to be fine? Sir William said that you'll be staying here for two days, so you don't have to force yourself to taste everything."

"Big Sister, I'll be fine," Chiffon replied before taking a bite of a croquette that William had just bought for her. "No matter how much I eat, I won't gain any weight."

"H-How envious. I can't eat as much as you, or else my figure will be destroyed," Haleth said enviously. "In the future, you should eat moderately, Chiffon. What will you do if you suddenly become fat and Sir William won't like you anymore."

Chiffon almost dropped the croquette in her hands in panic. She then looked at William with an anxious look, which made the red-headed teenager chuckle.

"Don't worry, even if you become a little chubby, I won't mind." William patted the pink-haired girl's head. "So, eat as much as you want."

"Will it really be okay if I become as fat as Mama Adephagia?"

"... Y-Yes."

Chiffon smiled as she happily bit into the croquette in her hands. Ever since she had lost her mother, the Goddess of Gluttony had treated her like a real daughter. Because of this, Chiffon and Adephagia were really close, and was also why the Goddess of Gluttony went out of her way to make her daughter happy.

William watched his little wife eat one croquette after the other with a smile. But, deep inside, he vowed that he would not allow Chiffon to become as fat as the Goddess of Gluttony, who even threatened to sit on his head if he ever made Chiffon cry.

Lilith watched this scene with a calm expression as she strolled the city with her three companions. What the three didn't know was that she was also talking to her Patron Goddess, Mammon, as they explored the sights and sounds of the City of Alabaster.

"Lilith, the Forbidden Ground is a dangerous place, but it also holds great opportunities," Mammon said. "When you venture inside it, pay attention to your surroundings. The Dryad that you faced is nothing compared to the Monsters that reside inside it."

"Are there Myriad Beasts inside the Seventh Sanctum?" Lilith inquired. She had heard that the Forbidden Ground were dangerous places, but she didn't know how truly dangerous they were.

"Myriad Beasts are the least of your worries," Mammon answered. "Although I can't tell you exactly what you can encounter inside the Seventh Sanctum, know that utmost caution is required. I know that you and William plan to look for treasures, but do you really think that it is going to be that easy? If both of you think that way then I can only say that the two of you are naive."

Lilith nodded. "I will do my best to be careful. Thank you for the reminders, Your Excellency."

"Good. also, tell that Half-Elf that he shouldn't be too overconfident when he enters the Forbidden Ground. There are places where brute strength will not be enough to save him."

"Understood."

—--

Four hours later…

William rented a medium-sized boat, and all of them went on a boat cruise. They even visited a small island two miles away from the port, and stayed there for lunch.

"What is that dress that Chiffon is wearing?" Haleth asked while pointing at Chiffon who was wearing a one-piece pink swimsuit with a frilly skirt. The pink-haired girl was letting the waves wash over her feet. Clearly, she was enjoying this weird sensation of the sand slipping past her feet.

"That's called a swimsuit," William said.

"One-piece swimsuit?"

"Yes. A swimsuit. Do you want to wear one?"

"I think I'll pass." Haleth shook her head. She was a conservative type, and someone that didn't want to show a lot of skin to people. This was why she preferred wearing her uniform even though she acted as the tour guide for William's group.

"That swimsuit looks interesting. Can I try wearing one?" Lilith asked.

"Are you sure?" William asked back.

Lilith nodded. "Yes. Since we're the only people on this island, I don't mind giving it a shot."

William observed the Amazon from head to foot. As an Amazon, Lilith's clothes showed a lot of skin, which made the red-headed teenager nod his head in approval.

"Okay, give me a second," William replied. He then pretended to look at the contents of his storage ring while Optimus bought a two piece bikini from the God Shop.

After a minute, William passed the two pieces of clothing to Lilith which made Haleth blush like there was no tomorrow.

"W-Wait, isn't that just underwear? Haleth asked. "Sir William, please, don't tease Lilith."

William wagged his finger at the beet-red faced young lady. "That is not underwear. That is a two-piece swimsuit."

Lilith glanced at the swimsuit in her hands before glancing back at William. She then went to the boat in order to change her clothes, leaving the slack-jawed Haleth behind.

"Will, let's play," Chiffon said as she pulled William towards the water.

Haleth watched as the two started to frolic and splash water at each other. Chiffon's childish giggles reverberated in the air, which made the pretty Half-Elf sigh in envy.

She wished that she could do the same with William, but unfortunately, she didn't have the courage to wear skimpy clothing.

Suddenly, something appeared at the corner of her vision, and the pretty Half-Elf turned her head to the side.

She couldn't help but gasp at the Amazon whose lean and toned body made her jealous.

'H-How can she show herself like that in front of a man?' Haleth couldn't believe what she was seeing.

William also noticed Lilith's approach and the latter gave the Amazon an appraising gaze before giving her two thumbs up in his heart.

'Indeed, a beautiful girl will look good in anything they wear,' William thought as he eyed the Amazon who was walking towards him with a confident smile.

Lilith's skin was lightly tanned, and the red swimsuit highlighted her body perfectly.

William had long gained some kind of immunity when it came to beautiful women because all of his wives were beautiful. Not only that, he had also seen them in their birthday suits.

Although Lilith wasn't as beautiful as Princess Sidonie, and Celine, her appeal was more than enough to make any man wish that she was their girlfriend.

Also, the regal warrior aura that she radiated and the confident smile on her face made her a bonafide headturner. Even William had to admit that Lilith was an exotic beauty that was different from his wives.

"Well, how do I look?" Lilith inquired.

"You look amazing," William replied honestly.

"Do I look amazing enough for you to surrender your seed?"

"On second thought…"

Lilith chuckled when she heard the Half-Elf taking back his words. She clearly saw the appreciation on William's face, and for some reason, it made her happy.

The Amazon Princess wasn't someone who actively sought the recognition of others, but William's reply was enough for her to feel confident about herself.

'So, he finds me attractive as well,' Lilith thought. 'Too bad the two of us are not alone on this island.'

Lilith glanced at Chiffon who was also staring at her body. The Amazon thought that the little girl would feel inferior because Lilith was more sexy than her.

However, no trace of jealousy or envy could be seen in Chiffon's innocent gaze. For a brief moment, Lilith even felt a sense of peace in the pink-haired girl's eyes as she appraised her from a distance.

Lilith was not aware that Chiffon had been able to throw away all of her insecurities after she had become William's wife. The little glutton knew that William loved her for who she was, so she stopped worrying about competing with his other wives.

Although her chest wasn't as big as Celine's, and her face wasn't as beautiful as Princess Sidonie's, Chiffon no longer cared.

After William and Chiffon were satisfied with looking at the eye candy before them, the two decided to head back out to the sea to swim.

Lilith felt competitive and joined the two, and the three of them swam far from the shore… leaving a pitiful Half-Elf to stand alone at the beach, all by herself.

Chapter 779: Entering The Forbidden Ground

Chapter 779 - Entering The Forbidden Ground

Two days passed, and it was now time for William's group to resume their journey.

Haleth and a few of her subordinates escorted the three of them until they arrived at the border of their Domain.

"Sir William, please visit us again," Haleth said as she gave the Half-Elf a salute. "That goes for Chiffon and Lilith as well. I'd be happy to become your tour guide once again.

William smiled and nodded his head. "I'll take you up on that offer, Miss Haleth. We will be passing by the City of Alabaster on our return trip, so I look forward to seeing you again. Once again, thank you for your hospitality. Our short break here in the city washed away the fatigue of our journey."

After saying a few more parting words, William summoned Raiden, his Dark Qilin, which surprised Haleth and her subordinates. Bidding their final farewells, the Qilin rose up to the sky and flew southwards.

As the scenery sped past them, William, Chiffon, and Lilith noticed the subtle changes in the terrain.

They noticed that, as they neared their destination, the Flora and Fauna on the ground was getting sparse.

An hour later, William and the girls saw a giant purple dome in the distance. Tendrils of lightning snaked across its surface, and a purple mist covered its interior.

As they drew closer, all of them felt like a weight was pressing down on them. Even Raiden's speed slowed, and their altitude slowly decreased with each passing second.

"Lilith, if you still want to back out, feel free to speak your mind," William said. "Once we enter that thing, I can't guarantee your safety."

"I already made up my mind," Lilith replied. "I'm going with you."

Since the Amazon had already decided, William didn't try to dissuade her. He only ordered Raiden to land near the border of the purple dome, because they planned to enter it on foot.

Flying inside the Forbidden Ground was a disaster in the making. Not only would they not know what lay ahead, the Dark Qilin's presence might also attract the Overlords of the Domain. This would only make things difficult for William and his group, so he decided against it.

The Half-Elf firmly held Chiffon's hand as they passed through the purple dome. Lilith followed behind the two as she raised her guard to the fullest.

When they entered the domain, the purple mist was so dense that they could only see a meter in front of them.

Suddenly, William reached out to hold Lilith's hand, which caught the Amazon completely by surprise.

"Visibility is close to zero," William said with a serious expression on his face. "We need to stick together. If we get separated in this mist, we might have a hard time finding each other."

Lilith nodded in understanding. She knew that what William said was right, so she didn't reject his offer. As the three of them walked side-by-side, all of them expanded their senses outwards.

They didn't know how long they walked, but after William looked at his status page, he found out that they had already been walking for two hours.

Optimus had activated the system's compass, so the Half-Elf was sure that they were walking in a straight line.

Finally, after almost three hours of wading inside the purple mist, they finally broke out of it, and found themselves in what seemed to be a forest, whose trees extended several meters towards the sky.

Various roars, howls, shrieks, and other sounds permeated the forest, which made William, Chiffon, and Lilith tread lightly as they explored its depths.

The Half-Elf had asked Optimus to do an extensive scan of their surroundings, but just as they had anticipated, it didn't work. The map only showed the places that they had walked, leaving a vast expanse of black on William's status page.

< There is a powerful law that permeates this Domain. Be careful, Will. >

'Understood.'

Suddenly, something caught William's attention and his first action he did was to summon Stormcaller and throw it behind him.

The sound of metal hitting metal spread throughout the surrounding area as William and the two girls by his side wore a grim expression on their faces.

A four-meter tall green Mantis, eyed the three of them with its viscous eyes. The Half-Elf raised his hand, and Stormcaller freed itself from the Mantis' claws.

"Sh*t," William cursed when he saw that the Mantis in front of them was not an ordinary beast, but a Myriad Beast in its initial stages.

Even Chiffon and Lilith couldn't believe that the first creature that they ran into inside the Forbidden Ground would be a Myriad Beast that had been stalking the three of them. If not for William's heightened senses, they might have fallen to a sneak attack from this silent killer who had reaped the lives of those that had dared to enter the Seventh Sanctum in search for treasures.

The three immediately took out their weapons in preparation to fight, but something unexpected happened.

Just as they were about to duke it out with the Mantis, William's face paled when he sensed a few more presences behind them.

Sure enough, when William turned his head to look behind him, three more Green Mantises appeared in his vision. The four mantises then sprang towards them, leaving William no choice but to grab Chiffon's and Lilith's waists and activate the skill Lightning Strider.

This skill allowed William instantaneous travel at the speed of lightning, completely evading the four Mantises that had planned to slice the three of them in half.

Having lost their targets, the Green Mantises looked in the direction William had escaped, but none of them pursued him. They only glanced at each other and clicked their mandibles in frustration.

Soon, the four mantises leapt up into the trees and hid themselves once again. They would patiently wait for their next prey to come and ensure that none of them would be able to escape their grasps.

Such was the life inside the Forbidden Ground.

Only the strong would survive and the rest would end up as prey.. Although the Domain hid untold treasures within its vast lands, one must have sufficient strength in order to take those treasures and make it out of the Seventh Sanctum with their lives.

Chapter 780: Meeting An Old Acquaintance Inside The Forbidden Ground

Chapter 780 - Meeting An Old Acquaintance Inside The Forbidden Ground

A streak of lightning flew through the trees as William looked for a safe place to land.

Soon, his gaze landed on an area that he deemed to have no wild beasts laying in wait in order to ambush them. Although he wasn't sure if his hunch was correct, he could only try it for now. Flying randomly around the Forbidden Ground was not the best choice that they could make right now.

William sighed as the effect of the Lightning Strider skill faded. This was one of the trump cards that he could use to escape, and travel across the land with the speed of lightning.

Although it wasn't as convenient as Soleil for instant transmission, it was more than enough to escape the pursuit of five Myriad Beasts who intended to kill them without mercy.

"Are the two of you alright?" William asked as he looked at the two ladies, whose complexion had turned pale.

"I feel dizzy, Will," Chiffon said as she held her head with both hands.

William pulled the pink-haired girl against him and gently patted her head. "Sorry, I didn't have the time to warn the two of you about my plan."

Lilith, on the other hand, weakly leaned on a tree and puked. Unlike William who was already used to instantaneous movement, the Amazon Princess felt nauseous, and was unable to stop herself from emptying her stomach, due to the discomfort that she was feeling.

Fortunately, as the sin of gluttony, puking was not an option for Chiffon. Even so, Chiffon still leaned weakly against William's body as she allowed the dizzy sensation to pass.

While the two girls tried to get-over their discomfort, William extended his senses throughout their surroundings. The ambush of the Green Mantises made him realize how dangerous the Forbidden Ground really was.

Although he could have used his Heroic Avatar to deal with their enemies, it had a very long cooldown. William didn't plan to use it unless it was a last resort.

After a quarter of an hour, the two girls were able to recover enough to continue their exploration of the Seventh Sanctum with William.

As they walked, the Half-Elf asked the Amazon Princess if she could feel any treasure near their surroundings.

"Actually, I've been sensing a very rare treasure in that direction," Lilith said as she pointed towards the Northwest. "Although I don't know what kind of treasure it is, I'm pretty sure that it is extraordinary. My only concern is that there is a possibility that this treasure might be guarded by a powerful beast.

"At the very least, the Beast protecting it should be at the peak of the Millennial Rank. there is also a possibility that the one guarding it is a Myriad Beast."

William weighed his options, whether they should go in the direction of the treasure or continue to wander around their location.

'With Optimus' mapping system weakened, we will have a hard time finding the Hall of Thunder,' William thought. 'The only thing we can rely on is Lilith's ability to find treasures. If the Hall of Thunder has treasures inside it, there is a high chance that we will stumble upon it as we go treasure hunting.'

After weighing the pros and cons of his decision, WIlliam decided to give it a try.

'Optimus, place trackers on Chiffon and Lilith,' William ordered. He was afraid that they would get separated if something unexpected happened as they journeyed towards their destination.

< Understood. Trackers have been placed. >

After the trackers had been successfully placed on the two girls, William asked Lilith to lead the way. However, as an extra precaution, William decided to summon B1, and B2, to scout ahead.

When the two dumb bird appeared, both of them instinctively felt that they were in a very dangerous place. Because of this, they decided to be extra cautious and kept each other within eyesight.

With Lilith leading the way, and the two birds telling William about the dangers in their path, they were able to detour around the powerful Beasts that lived in groups.

After two hours of walking, William, Chiffon, and Lilith came upon a small clearing.

At its center was a blood-red tree that was three meters tall. A single golden fruit could be seen hanging from one of its branches. Even from his hiding place, WIlliam could sense the powerful life force that was coming from the fruit.

He had a feeling that if ordinary beasts were to eat it, their ranks would immediately sky rocket to the Peak of the Millennial Rank.

William would have definitely taken the fruit if not for the four beasts that were sleeping beside the tree.

The Half-Elf cursed internally after he saw the information of the Beasts after using his Appraisal Skill.

—-

< Black-Striped Terror Rat >

– Vengeful Rat Beast

– Threat Level: SSR (Low)

– Myriad Beast

– Cannot be added to the herd

– The Black-Striped Terror Rat is known for its vengeful attitude. If anyone were to offend it, this beast would not rest until it had killed those who antagonized it.

– This Beast usually form groups with other Black-Striped Terror Rats. When more than five individuals form a group, they will be able to trigger their Racial Ability, Primal Rend, which is strong enough to severely injure a Myriad Beast of a higher tier.

– This race also had the special ability called "Trace". Once they have planted this skill on their target's body, they would be able to find their location without fail for the duration of a month. Unless you don't want to be hunted down by these savage, and vengeful creatures, stay as far as you can from them.

—--

William could feel a headache about to descend on him after he realized that all four of the giant rats in front of him were Myriad Beasts.

Even Lilith who liked treasures had a grim expression on her face as she watched the rats from afar.

Chiffon, on the other hand, had a more simplistic attitude when it came to the golden fruit on the tree. The little glutton was thinking about what the fruit would taste like when it was eaten.

The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to the fruit and used his appraisal skill. He was very curious about what kind of fruit would entice four Myriad Beasts to guard it.

—

< Golden Blood Fruit >

(95% Ripe)

– This fruit will automatically detach itself from the tree once it has reached maturity.

– When this fruit is eaten by a creature when it is 100% Ripe, it will allow that creature to undergo a special transformation.

– If this is eaten by a Beast, it would gain a massive upgrade in its overall strength, and undergo Beast Evolution. If that Beast has a special bloodline then their bloodline powers will be fully unlocked after their evolution.

– if this fruit is eaten by a Human, it will allow that person to break through one tier in their ranking. Meaning, if this was eaten by a Saint in his or her initial stages, he or she would have the strength of a Myriad Beast in its Middle Stages.

Those with special bloodlines will get their bloodline abilities enhanced by 100%

– If this fruit is eaten by a creature when it is still not fully mature, it will only give them a strong boost in their physique, but they will not undergo evolution. They will also not be able to unlock the hidden bloodlines in their bodies due to the fruit's immaturity.

—-

'I see, that explains it,' William thought. 'These Giant Rats are aware that the fruit is not yet fully ripe, so they decided to guard it in turns to prevent others from snatching it.'

With Optimus' help, William was able to detect at least a dozen more beasts that were lurking around the clearing.

The Half-Elf was sure that when the fruit dropped off from its branch, a bloodbath would occur.

"Should we snatch it?" Lilith inquired. "I am confident that I will be able to take the fruit if I am at least ten meters away from the tree. The problem is that I'll probably be torn to shreds once those rats discover me."

William shook his head. "The fruit is still not ripe. It will detach itself from the tree when it reaches maturity. Also, there are some opportunists like us that are aiming for the fruit as well. Aside from those four rats, there are other beasts that are lurking around it. If we do something funny, all of those beasts will become our enemy.

"Also, those rats will be able to trace you if you try to steal the fruit from them. If you don't mind being chased by four crazed and vengeful Myriad Beasts then feel free to give it a try."

Lilith sighed as she looked at the fruit with regret. Treasures were good, but what good would they be once you're dead?

William was about to tell the two girls to leave the beasts to fight against each other, when he felt a familiar presence headed in his direction.

The Half-Elf became confused because it had been a very long time since he had met this creature. Also, from the looks of things, this creature had finally crossed that threshold and stepped into the Myriad Rank.

William stood in front of the two girls and made a gesture for them to not do anything.

Before they could even ask what was going on, they heard a pair of footsteps walking in their direction. A minute later, a young man, who seemed to be in mid-twenties appeared in front of William's group.

"Fancy meeting you here," the young man with brown hair and eyes said with a smile. "This is truly unexpected, don't you think?"

William was still unsure of the young man's identity so he decided to test the waters to confirm if his hunch was right.

"Are you His Excellency, the Diabolical Hell Ape?" William inquired.

The young man smiled and nodded his head.

When the Half-Elf last saw the Diabolical Hell Ape, it was still in the Southern Continent. Also, back then, the powerful beast didn't have the capability to take human form. Seeing this old acquaintance of his inside the Seventh Sanctum made William both happy and worried at the same time.

"Are you now human, Your Excellency?" William asked another question. The Half-Elf could still remember that when he asked the Diabolical Hell Ape for help, it said that it would only help him if he helped it become human.

This time, the young man shook his head.

"Not yet," the Diabolical Hell Ape replied.. "However, if I get that fruit, I will be one step closer to reaching my goal. Will you help me, William?"

Chapter 781: The Diabolical Hell Ape’s Request

Chapter 781 - The Diabolical Hell Ape’s Request

William frowned when he heard the Diabolical Hell Ape's request. If he was only going to deal with one or two Myriad Beasts, he would definitely lend a hand to his old acquaintance. Afterall, the Guardian of the Forest had helped him in the past.

Unfortunately, more than a Dozen Myriad Beasts were aiming for the fruit. William was sure that all of them wanted to acquire it in order to evolve into a Pseudo-Demigod with a powerful bloodline.

"Your Excellency, it isn't that I don't want to help you, but it is extremely difficult for me to do so," William replied. "The Black-Striped Terror Rats, as well as the lurking Myriad Beasts in the shadows could easily kill us with a single slap. The battle for the golden fruit is way beyond our league."

The Diabolical Hell Ape sighed. He understood that his request was too hard for Humans that still hadn't stepped into the Saint Rank to accomplish. If he was in William's shoes, he might have already ignored the idiot who was asking them to risk their lives for his sake.

Even so, he was hoping that William could help him snatch the fruit in this free-for-all battle, so that he could make his dream a reality.

The young man eyed the Half-Elf whom he hadn't seen for a few years. When he first saw William, he was but a fragile child that would die if he were to accidentally step on him.

Now, the red-headed teenager was famous all over the world for the accomplishment that he had achieved in the Tower of Babylon. Because of this, the Diabolical Hell Ape thought that the Half-Elf would be able to help him achieve his lifetime wish to become human.

"Understood," the Diabolical Hell Ape said. "Sorry for asking for too much."

William scratched his head helplessly when he saw the disappointment on the young man's face. However, he wouldn't risk Chiffon's and Lilith's lives in a struggle where they were at a great disadvantage.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency. If I can assist you in any other way without endangering our lives, I will be more than happy to help you." William stated.

After pondering for a while, the Diabolical Hell Ape then thought of something.

"Do you have any means that can temporarily restrain these beasts?" the young man asked. "Even if it will only last for a few seconds, that will be more than enough for me to grab the fruit and flee. Whether I succeed or not, I will owe you a favor. How about it?"

William rubbed his chin as he eyed the fruit from a distance.

"Delaying them for a few seconds is not impossible," William answered after a minute of observation.

"Really? That's great! I've been here for two months, and during that time, I have been paying close attention to the fruit. According to my estimate, it will reach maturity sometime tomorrow."

"Good. That will give me enough time to prepare. By the way, Your Excellency, is there some place where we can rest? We just entered the Forbidden Ground and we're still a bit tired from our journey. I was wondering if you can help us with this problem."

The Diabolical Hell Ape nodded his head in understanding. "I have made a temporary residence near this area. I guarantee that it's safe. All of you can rest there for the time being."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

"No. It is I who should be thanking you. With your help, my chances of getting that fruit will increase by a good margin."

The Diabolical Hell Ape glanced at the fruit in order to ensure that he hadn't miscalculated the time when it would ripen. After two minutes of observation, he decided that the time that he had estimated needed some adjustments.

After ensuring that everything was in order, he made a gesture for William and his group to follow him.

Ten minutes passed and they arrived at a tree that didn't stand out from those beside it.

The young man then knocked on its trunk thrice then stopped for five seconds before knocking twice.

Suddenly, a two-meter tall door appeared in front of them, which the young man opened with ease.

"Come in," the young man invited. "I apologize if it's messy inside. I didn't anticipate that I would have guests."

William nodded and entered the door while holding Chiffon's hand. Contrary to what he expected, the interior of the tree was very spacious. This reminded him of "Eternity", the artifact that Celine possessed and used during their training.

"There are three floors in this house," the young man said. "The bedrooms can be found on the third floor. Please, follow me."

The three glanced at each other before following behind the young man. Soon they arrived at the third floor where several doors could be seen.

"There are a total of nine bedrooms here," the young man explained. "All of them are the same, so it doesn't matter what room you choose. Feel free to take any room you like. If you need me, I'll be on the first floor."

After the Diabolical Hell Ape left, William approached the nearest door and opened it. The room was quite spacious as well. If he would give a rough estimate on how big it was, it was at least twice the size of his dormitory room back in Hestia Academy.

The bed was big enough to fit six people, and Chiffon happily jumped into it to check how comfortable it was.

Seeing the pink-haired girl roll over the bed, William could tell that she was very satisfied with it.

"We will be taking this room," William said as he looked at Lilith. "How about you?"

Lilith pondered for a bit before making a decision.

"I'll be staying with the two of you," Lilith replied. "Just in case something unexpected happens, it will be best if the three of us are together."

William didn't find anything wrong with Lilith's words, so he nodded his head in agreement. He then took out a few baskets from his storage ring and placed them on the table.

"Are you hungry?" William asked. "Let's have an early dinner before we rest. Although we won't be actively participating in the battle for the golden fruit, we still need the strength to escape if the circumstances turn for the worse."

Lilith glanced at the food on the table and nodded her head. Since she had emptied her stomach a while ago, truth be told, she was very hungry.

At the mention of food, Chiffon stopped playing on the bed and approached the table to eat.

While the three were eating, the Diabolical Hell Ape sat cross-legged on the first floor with his eyes closed. He had left a magical ward near the tree which allowed him to observe the Golden Fruit, as well as the Beasts that were slowly gathering around it.

He felt a bit anxious because the number of monsters that were gathering at the blood-red tree had increased. A Fifth Black-Striped Terror Rat even joined its comrades in order to increase their chances of securing the fruit.

"I only have one chance…," the young man muttered.. "I just hope that William's restraining plan will work."

Chapter 782: May The Gods Shower You With Their Blessings

Chapter 782 - May The Gods Shower You With Their Blessings

An hour before sunrise, William heard a knock on the door of their room.

"It's time." The young man's voice could be heard from the other side of the door. "Meet me on the first floor as soon as possible."

The Diabolical Hell Ape didn't even wait for William's reply and left them to make some last minute preparations.

William and Lilith had both woken up when they heard the knock on the door. Only Chiffon was still asleep, and slathering William's chest with her drool. This was not the first time that this had happened, so the Half-Elf was already used to the pink-haired girl's sleeping habits.

"Chiffon, wake up," William lightly nudged the sleeping glutton. "Breakfast is ready."

The pink-haired girl's eyes abruptly opened as she sleepily looked around her.

William chuckled as he lightly pinched Chiffon's cheek, which made the latter break out of her daze.

Ten minutes later, all of them gathered on the first floor. William explained the strategy that they would be using, and the Diabolical Hell Ape nodded his head in understanding.

"After you've done your part, run away as far as you can," the young man said. "I will head towards the East, so you guys run to the West."

The Diabolical Hell Ape then gave William a blue gem with an intricate design.

"This will allow me to sense your location," the young man explained. "After I escape from their pursuit, I will come to find you guys. Until our reunion, do your best to survive."

William, Chiffon, and Lilith nodded their heads.

Since this was the last time that the Diabolical Hell Ape would be using the tree as his base, he took the special artifact that he had embedded in the tree and stored it inside the golden bracelet on his right wrist.

This was the same bracelet that allowed him to temporarily take human form. The Diabolical Hell Ape didn't want to pretend to be human. He really yearend to be one, so even though he could take human form, he still wanted to realize his dream of actually becoming one.

As they neared the clearing, William, Chiffon, and Lilith, could sense a heavy pressure that was steadily increasing with every step that they took.

"This is more dangerous than I thought," William muttered as he broke out in cold sweat after Optimus gave him the number of Beast that were vying for the Golden Fruit.

Thirty Myriad Beasts.

That was the total number of Beasts that had gathered in the clearing to snatch the fruit that had started to release a very fragrant aroma. After giving it a quick glance, William noticed that it had reached 99% maturity.

Basically, the fruit could fall any moment from now and, once that happened, a Royal Rumble of epic proportions would definitely unfold.

If Thirty Myriad Beasts were to suddenly appear in the Central Continent, the Patriarchs of influential families, the Kings and Emperors of their respective domains, would all be praying to their respective Gods and Goddesses for salvation.

Fortunately, the Myriad Beasts born in a Forbidden Ground would be unable to leave it due to the powerful restriction that the Domain possessed.

William felt a shiver run down his spine because he understood that the Myriad Beasts in the clearing was just a small number compared to the overall population of Beasts within the Seventh Sanctum.

As an Independent World, the Seventh Sanctum was just as big as the Central Continent, and many more powerful Beasts hid within its vast expanse of land.

"Remember, after you distract them, run away without looking back," the young man reminded. "If you have an instantaneous movement technique, use it right away."

Chiffon's and Lilith's expressions paled when they heard the young man's reminder. If possible, they didn't want to experience that again.

If not for the current tense situation, William would have teased the two pale-faced girls because of the impending hardship that they were about to face.

"Don't worry, I will not make the two of you suffer," William said. "Chiffon, I'll leave Lilith in your hands."

Chiffon looked up at William and nodded her head in understanding. "I understand. Be careful, Will."

The pink-haired girl then grabbed Lilith's hand as she walked forward.

Lilith was caught by surprise by Chiffon's actions, but before she could even ask for an explanation, a portal appeared in front of her.

A few seconds later, both girls had successfully entered the Thousand Beast Domain.

Although William knew that sharing this secret with Lilith might hold complications later on, this operation was too dangerous for them to participate in. The Half-Elf was confident that he could run away if he was alone. However, if he were to drag Chiffon and Lilith along during his escape, it might cause consequences that he was not willing to bear.

"You made the right choice," the young man said as he patted William's shoulder. "I'm going."

"Goodluck," William replied. "May the Gods shower you with their blessings."

The Diabolical Hell Ape smiled as he walked towards the tree, which was now surrounded by many formidable beasts that were not weaker than himself.

The five Black-Striped Terror Rats hissed at the Beasts that were trying to get close to the tree. Clearly, they were hell bent to stand their ground to defend and acquire the golden fruit at all cost.

The young man took a deep breath before he transformed to the ferocious Diabolical Hell Ape who was born from the pits of hell. Dark-purple flames enveloped its body as it prepared itself to fight with everything it had.

As if waiting for that moment, a loud cracking sound reverberated in the air.

Several cracks appeared on the surface of the Golden Fruit, as the fragrant smell in the air intensified. The various beasts then started to bare their fangs as they, too, prepared to snatch the fruit that was on the verge of falling.

Suddenly, the entire Golden Fruit shattered and a golden ball, no larger than a basketball fell along with the broken shards of the fruit's shell that protected it until it reached maturity.

"Now!" The Diabolical Hell Ape shouted to William via telepathy as it charged towards the falling fruit.

William threw the lollipops in his hand and activated Lightning Strider, flying towards the East.

Since everyone's attention was on the falling fruit, they didn't notice the lollipops that William had thrown by using the power of his Quick Shot War Art First Form, Railgun.

These lollipops arrived in front of the falling golden fruit and a blinding light erupted in an instant.

The various Myriad Beasts were caught by surprise and all of them shrieked in pain by the sudden brightness that turned their world completely white.

The Diabolical Hell Ape then snatched the falling fruit and ran towards the East with all its might. It knew that after the Beasts had regained their bearings, all of them would run after it and tear the Diabolical Hell Ape apart.

William didn't even bother to glance behind him, and simply left the scene at the speed of lightning.. He sincerely hoped that the next time he met the Diabolical Hell Ape, the latter would have already taken the final step to realizing its long cherished wish.

Chapter 783: The Path Of Atonement

Chapter 783 - The Path Of Atonement

"W-Where are we?" Lilith looked at her surroundings in a dumbfounded manner.

"We are in the Thousand Beast Domain," Chiffon answered. "Come with me."

Chiffon pulled Lilith along as they walked towards the Villa in the distance.

Along the way, Lilith saw several Beasts looking in their direction. The weakest among these beasts were Rank B, and Lilith could tell that all of them were looking at her with curiosity.

Soon two birds flew down from the sky. Lilith knew who these birds were because they had seen them not long ago. They were none other than Chiffon's Beast Companions, B1 and B2.

The two dumb birds reduced their size until both of them were the sizes of sparrows. They then landed on Chiffon's left and right shoulders, and started to chat with her about random things.

A moment later, a little golden piglet came running from the Villa and stopped beside Chiffon's feet.

Chiffon happily picked up the little piglet and patted its head. The latter gave a soft grunt as it closed its eyes. Clearly, it was enjoying the pink-haired girl's attention.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the Villa, where Charmaine, and a few Elves greeted them with a smile.

"Lady Chiffon, would you like to have some snacks?" Charmaine asked. "We just cooked a few pancakes and they are still warm."

Chiffon felt conflicted after hearing Charmaine's words. As someone who bore the Sin of Gluttony, eating was second nature to her. However, William had told her through telepathy that they should hide in the Thousand Beast Domain, while he helped the Diabolical Hell Ape secure the golden fruit from its competitors.

William added that he would call out to them after the threat had passed, so Chiffon didn't know whether she should accept Charmaine's offer, or wait for William's news.

"Thank you, Charmaine," Chiffon replied. "I'm just waiting for Will to summon us back outside."

Lilith, on the other hand, eyed Charmaine and the other Elves with curiosity. She was quite curious about the type of clothes that they were wearing because she had never seen clothes like that before.

Charmaine and the Elves were wearing frilly made costumes, which highlighted their natural beauty. Although she didn't understand the current situation, the Elves' servile attitude made her feel that they were working under William.

'Are they perhaps the Elves he captured during the war in the Central Continent?' Lilith thought. This was the only explanation that she could think of. She was also surprised that William had this many ladies serving under him.

Suddenly, a question popped up inside Lilith's head. She then approached Charmaine and decided to ask her a question, in order to confirm her guess.

"Are all of you William's concubines?" Lilith asked. 'Is this the reason why he's not interested in visiting our Empire?'

When the elves heard Lilith's question, all of them blushed and looked at the Amazon with "I wish that were true" expressions on their faces.

Charmaine gave Lilith a bitter smile as she shook her head. "We're not Sir William's concubines. However, I'm sure that if he asked any of us if we wanted to warm his bed, all of us would definitely say yes. It's quite unfortunate that our Lord deeply cherishes Lady Chiffon and his other wives, so we are not given the opportunity to serve him to our fullest."

Lilith frowned when she heard this. She then gave Chiffon a side-long glance before shifting her attention back to Charmaine.

"Your name is Charmaine right? Do you know someone named Pearl?" Lilith asked. After becoming part of Princess Eowyn's group, she managed to befriend Pearl. Charmaine's older sister had mentioned in passing that William had taken her sister custody, and her goal was to set her free.

Lilith didn't understand what Pearl meant when she told her that William had taken her sister in custody. But, after seeing the beautiful Elf in front of her, she finally understood what "taken in custody" meant.

After hearing her sister's name, Charmaine showed a sad expression on her face. Because of the sudden change in her mood, Lilith thought that the Elves were being forced to stay in the Thousand Beast Domain regardless of their will.

This discovery made her look at William in a new light, but the Elf's next words made her feel that her assumptions were wrong.

"We did terrible things during the war in the Southern Continent," Charmaine replied. "I, and the others, wanted to atone for our sins by serving Lord William for a few years. Even if we served Sir William for a lifetime, it will not be enough to repay the mercy that he has given us.

"My sister doesn't understand this and is making things difficult for our Lord. In fact, Sir William intends to set us free after a few years. It is quite unfortunate that my sister wanted to resort to violence in order to drag me back to the Silvermoon Continent."

Lilith frowned because Pearl had also mentioned that her sister's character was very different from the one she knew. She even suspected that William had brainwashed her, and the rest of the Elves.

After hearing Charmaine's answer, Lilith came to the same conclusion. Elves were a proud and arrogant race. They would not act servile to someone, especially if that person was a Half-Elf.

For them, Half-Elves were a disgrace. Whenever they saw one, most Elves would ridicule them for tainting their pure bloodline. This was why most Half-Elves don't mingle themselves with Elves because the latter would do their best to make the Half-Elves feel inferior.

Lilith knew that it was not her place to say who was right or wrong. She didn't have a friendly relationship with the Elves, so she didn't really care about their circumstances. However, since she was able to meet Charmaine, she thought that Pearl would owe her a favor if she played her cards right.

"Do you want me to pass a message to your sister?" Lilith inquired. "Of course, that will have to wait until we arrive at the Academy. But, if you ever want to say something to your sister, I can help you out and pass your message to her."

Charmaine thought for a moment before looking at Lilith with a serious expression on her face.

"Please, tell her to wait for a few more years," Charmaine replied. "I promise to return with her to the Silvermoon Continent after my atonement period is over."

Lilith nodded. Whether Charmaine had been brainwashed or not, it was none of her concern. The victors in a war had the right to treat the defeated as slaves. This was the rule of conquest in the Central Continent, so she didn't find any of this uncommon.

The Amazon Princess then walked towards Charmaine and whispered something in her ears.

"Have there been any instances where he's shown signs that he wanted to do it with you?" Lilith whispered. She was dying to know if William was a lustful person. If the answer was yes, this would allow her to formulate a plan on how to entice the Half-Elf into bedding her sisters.

Lilith's whisper made Charmaine's face turned beet red.

"No," Charmaine answered. There was even a trace of disappointment in her voice, which made Lilith widen her eyes in shock.

'So, he's not a lustful person,' Lilith mused. 'At least he's not like those men who only think with their lower half.'

For some reason, Lilith felt both sad, and relieved at the same time after hearing Charmaine's answer. A part of her wanted William to be the man she hoped him to be. The other half wanted the Half-Elf to be different from the rest. A man who had principles and would not treat women as a tool to sate his lust.

Now she finally understood why William would politely reject the subtle advances that the girls in their class would give him from time to time.

This also explained why the Half-Elf wasn't interested in her offer to give birth to his babies.

Of course, Lilith wasn't aware that Princess Sidonie had already done this in the past.. If the Amazon Princess only knew that the lustful beauty had already taken the initiative to ask for William's babies, Lilith's would definitely have asked the beautiful Princess for advice on how to secure the Half-Elf's seed for the betterment of the Amazon Empire.

Chapter 784: As Long As I Am Alive, There Will Come Another Opportunity

Chapter 784 - As Long As I Am Alive, There Will Come Another Opportunity

William was not aware that Lilith had already started to get a better picture about his character from the beautiful Elves that served under him.

He was busy in finding a safe place to land, after parting ways with the Diabolical Hell Ape.

The Half-Elf had ordered Optimus to place a tracker on his acquaintance, and based on the System's monitoring, the Diabolical Hell Ape had secured the golden fruit, and was now being pursued by the beasts that wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

True to his word, the Diabolical Hell Ape traveled westwards, pulling the Beasts away from William.

After half an hour of looking for a safe place to hide, William broke out of the forest, and found himself in a valley, surrounded by mountains.

The Half-Elf then landed on an inconspicuous area, and scanned his surroundings. Until he had determined that the place was indeed safe, he wouldn't allow Chiffon and Lilith to come out from the Thousand Beast Domain.

After observing his surroundings for a few minutes, he summoned the Rainbow Birds and had them explore the valley.

"Fly in different directions, and prioritize your safety," William ordered. "Never engage with any monster you may encounter along the way. Our goal is to explore this part of the Forbidden Ground."

The Rainbow Birds all voiced out their agreement and scattered in different directions. Even B1 and B2 had once again been mobilized to explore the surrounding area.

Optimus would monitor the Rainbow Birds and map the areas that they had traveled through. The System would then check for any potential threats that might endanger William and his companions.

Aside from that, Optimus could also use this opportunity to scan the land for treasures. Although there was a powerful law that prevented it from scanning treasures buried underground, scanning for precious resources that could be found above ground was still something within its capabilities.

While this was happening, the Diabolical Hell Ape was having a difficult time escaping his pursuers.

Among those that were aiming for the golden fruit were two flying beasts. One of them was an owl-like creature, the other a Wyvern. These two Beasts locked onto him from the sky, while the rats, and other beasts, chased him on the ground.

The Diabolical Hell Ape couldn't consume the fruit at the moment because it would render him immobile. If that happened, the creatures would definitely catch up to him and take the golden fruit from his corpse.

He had also suffered several injuries because some of the beasts had long range attacks that grazed his body. Although he tried to fight back by shooting fireballs, and spraying a cloud of acid behind him, the Myriad Beasts that were chasing him were not pushovers.

What made it worse was that the Beasts that were along his path also sensed the treasure he was carrying. This rapidly increased the number of pursuers, which made the Diabolical Hell Ape helpless.

More hours passed and the Diabolical Hell Ape found himself on the precipice of a cliff. In front of him was a horde of monsters. Behind him, was a long drop, where a purple river was waiting at the bottom.

The Diabolical Hell Ape would rather face the horde of monsters in front of him, than jump into the river. He might have only been inside the Seventh Sanctum for a little more than two months, but he understood that there were some things that he should avoid at all cost.

The purple river that flows all over the Seventh Sanctum was the River of Samsara. Anyone who fell on this river would experience a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth. Of course, that didn't mean that all hope was lost.

According to the information from the handful of survivors who had escaped the Seventh Sanctum, those who fell on the river had a chance of salvation. However, the chances of breaking free from the hold of Samsara was very slim

Even the Diabolical Hell Ape who was at the end of his rope didn't think of jumping in the river to save his life.

'I guess, I can only use this method,' the Diabolical Hell Ape thought, while gritting its teeth. If possible, he didn't want to do this, but he had no other choice but to do so.

The Diabolical Hell Ape undid his transformation and turned into a young man. He held the golden fruit in his hand and raised it high in the air.

"You want this? Then come and get it!" the young man roared as he threw the golden fruit towards the horde of monsters.

A Blazed-Wing Wyvern dove down from the sky and stretched out its claw to grab the golden fruit that was thrown at the center of the densely packed group of monsters.

Before the Wyvern could even grab the golden fruit with its claws, several attacks flew in its direction, which instantly gave it grievous injuries.

With an unwilling shriek of pain, it fell down on the ground and was smashed to bits by the monsters who saw it as an eyesore.

After ending the Wyvern's life, all of them stared at the golden fruit that glowed on the ground.

None dared to approach it casually because the number of Monsters aiming for it had exceeded five hundred. The Blazed-Wing Wyvern was the perfect example of what would happen to anyone who recklessly tried to grab it.

Because of this, a ten-meter wide clearing with the golden fruit at its heart appeared in the center of the group of monsters. None dared to make the first move, as they eyed the golden fruit with greed.

The Diabolical Hell Ape sighed as he glanced at the fruit one last time before leaving the area. Although he was unwilling to part with it, his life was more important.

'As long as I am alive, there will come another opportunity..' the young man consoled himself as he ran towards the East, leaving the precious golden fruit and the horde of monsters behind him.

Chapter 785: I Decided To Trust You Once

Chapter 785 - I Decided To Trust You Once

Several of the Rainbow Birds died a minute after they started to explore the valley.

Millennial Beasts at their peak stages, Pseudo-Myriad Beasts, and Myriad Beasts could be found all over the valley.

Beads of sweat formed on William's forehead as he checked the map on his status page. Orange, red, and purple blinking dots littered the entirety of the map. A single glance was more than enough to tell William that he was surrounded by monsters in every direction.

The orange dots represented the monster at the Peak of the Millennial Rank. The red dots represented monsters that were only half a step away from becoming Myriad Beasts. The Purple dots, on the other hand were bonafide Myriad Beasts, and William would be stupid if he were to carelessly traverse their territories.

According to Optimus' scan, most of the Myriad Beasts were located in places that held resources, similar to the Golden Fruit that the Diabolical Hell Ape sought out.

Even now, William couldn't believe that so many Myriad Beasts could be found inside the Forbidden Ground, and it filled him with dread.

The reason for William's anxiousness was very simple.

If so many Myriad Beasts could be found inside the Seventh Sanctum, it could only mean one thing.

There should be a Demigod, or Demigods, who stood at the top of the food chain. With such a high concentration of powerful beasts, it would be next to impossible if there weren't any Demigods that stood at the Apex of this Domain.

'Vlad is the Demigod who ruled over the Strathmore Forest,' William thought. 'Since that is the case, I should prepare myself for the worst case scenario.'

After getting a general understanding of his surroundings, William began to make his move. He treaded lightly through the territories of the powerful beasts in the valley, and stayed clear from the Myriad Beasts' Domains.

He made his way Northwards, because one of the Angray birds noticed lightning strikes in that direction. Although he wasn't too sure about his hunch, he believed that the Hall of Thunder should be located in a place where there was lightning.

William gave the surviving Rainbow Birds a new order and all of them flew towards the North.

B1 alone took the lead because B2 had already died, after it had unknowingly trespassed into the territory of a Flying Myriad Beast.

With every minute, more of the Rainbow Birds died. Two hours later, even B1 died after being hit by a fireball from the ground.

When all of the Rainbow Birds had fallen, William also stopped his advance. He made a small cave at the base of a mountain. He then engraved several runes that would hide his presence, and scent, from the Beasts that roamed his surroundings.

After making sure that his new hiding place was safe, William then opened a portal that led to the Thousand Beast Domain in order to rest.

The journey had stretched his nerves to its limit because he had to be wary of his surroundings at all times.

He was only able to breathe a sigh of relief after he had entered his Domain. The moment he appeared outside the Villa, Chiffon immediately sensed his presence and came running.

"Will, are you alright?" Chiffon asked as she looked up at him. "I sensed B1's and B2's deaths and became worried about your safety. Also, your face looks pale. Did something happen outside?"

William sighed as he gave Chiffon a light hug and patted her head.

"For the time being, you and Lilith will be staying here," William replied. "It is too dangerous to go outside."

Chiffon nodded and pulled William towards the Villa.

"Is it that bad outside?" Lilith inquired. She had followed Chiffon when the latter sensed William's presence, so she was able to hear their discussion.

"Yes," William answered.

Lilith then looked at William with a serious expression on her face as she asked him a question.

"Is it really okay for me to know about this place?" Lilith asked. "Or are you planning to brainwash me like you did to those Elves?"

Lilith wasn't a fool. Although she had only been inside the Thousand Beast Domain for a few hours, she knew that she had stumbled upon William's core secret. The Amazon was afraid that in order to protect his secret, William would resort to foul means in order to prevent her from divulging his secret to other people.

William smiled evilly as he looked at Lilith. "Now that you know my secret, you will not be able to leave this place alive… is what I'd like to say, but you can rest easy. I'm not going to brainwash you or do anything to you."

The Half-Elf smiled as he approached Lilith. "All I ask is that you keep everything you see here a secret."

"That's it?" Lilith asked. "Only a verbal promise that I won't say anything about this Domain of yours?"

The Amazon Princess snorted.

"I don't know if you're bold or stupid. Aren't you afraid that I will betray your trust?"

"Although it is risky, I've decided to trust you this once."

William looked at Lilith with a serious expression. "If you share this secret with anyone, especially your mother, I will never trust you again for the rest of my life."

"Are you a kid?" Lilith teased. "So what if you don't trust me for the rest of your life? Do you think I will not be able to sleep at night knowing that you are disappointed in me?"

William didn't say anything to Lilith's provocation. He just smiled and pulled Chiffon towards the Villa.

He was very tired and wanted to rest as soon as possible. Although there was a possibility that Lilith would betray him, he decided to believe in her for the time being.

Actually, he was relieved when the latter took the initiative to tell him that there was a possibility that she would betray him. William could tell from Lilith's words, and actions, that she was a very smart person.

If the Amazon Princess hadn't voiced out her thoughts out loud and remained silent, William would feel more anxious because that meant that there was a higher chance of Lilith betraying him.

Lilith watched his retreating back with a look of appraisal. She could tell that William was truly exhausted and didn't have the strength to argue with her.

Also, when William said that he was willing to trust her once, the Amazon Princess felt that a pressure had disappeared from her shoulders.

Unlike her calm expression on the surface, she had been quite anxious at the possibility of being brainwashed by William. If that were to happen, would she still be herself? Or would she be servile like Charmaine and the others?

This thought scared her.

Fortunately, William had washed away her fears with a few words.

After making up her mind, Lilith walked towards the Villa with determination. She decided to get to know more about William.

Lilith wanted to know more about the boy who had cleared the Devil's Floor.

She wanted to know more about the boy who had been chosen by her sisters that belonged to the Seven Deadly Sins. It was very difficult for someone to accept them because they were the abnormalities that broke the rules of the world.

Even so, two of her sisters had married William. Not many people could accept them for who they were, and their predecessors' love stories almost always ended in tragedy.

The Amazon Princess wanted to know why Princess Sidonie and Chiffon had chosen William to become their partner for life.

Lastly, she wanted to know more about the boy that said that he was willing to trust her.

Lilith never trusted anyone aside from her mother and the Goddess Mammon. For her, the word Trust had a symbolic meaning, and shouldn't be used casually.

"Fine," Lilith muttered as she walked with steady steps towards the Villa. "I will also trust you once. If you break your promise, I swear that I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."

High above the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, the Goddess Mammon, smiled ever so lightly.

"Daughter of mine, trusting people is hard. Knowing who to trust is harder," Mammon chuckled. "Don't worry.. If that Half-Elf dares to harm you in any way, I will steal everything from him… until not even his sanity is left."

Chapter 786: A Treasure That Belonged Only To Her

Chapter 786 - A Treasure That Belonged Only To Her

"What are the two of you doing here?" Lilith asked.

"I should be the one asking you that question. What are you doing here?" Princess Sidonie asked back.

Ian, who stood beside the beautiful Princess, looked at Lilith in surprise because she didn't expect to see the Amazon inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

Princess Sidonie and Ian knew how important this secret was to William. If the Half-Elf was forced to bring Lilith here, it meant only one thing, and that was that the Forbidden Ground was a truly dangerous place to be.

Lilith ignored Princess Sidonie's question and asked another question in return. "Aren't both of you supposed to be in the Academy? How did the two of you end up here?"

Princess Sidonie ignored Lilith's question and walked towards Charmaine who had just finished preparing dinner. She then dragged the Elf to the corner of the room, and asked her questions in hushed whispers.

Ian, on the other hand, asked Lilith what the Forbidden Ground was like.

Lilith wasn't in the mood to answer any questions, because none of her questions were being answered. In the end, she, too, ignored Ian and went to the dinner table to eat.

It was at that moment when Chiffon appeared in the living area. Ian took that opportunity to ask the pink-haired girl how they were faring inside the Forbidden Ground.

Lilith paid close attention to Ian and Chiffon's discussion. From what she observed, Chiffon and Charmaine didn't have surprised expressions when Princess Sidonie and Ian appeared.

That just proved that this was not the first time that this had happened, and Chiffon and Charmaine were already used to seeing Princess Sidonie and Ian suddenly appear inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

'If you think about it, this is nothing unusual,' Lilith thought. Since William was capable of bringing her to his personal Domain, it would just be as easy to bring anyone else inside it as well.

After Princess Sidonie and Ian got the general gist of things, they no longer asked Lilith anything and simply waited for William to arrive at the dining table.

Ten minutes later, the Half-Elf approached the dining table while stifling a yawn. Clearly, he was still exhausted and only came to the dining table because his wives had come to visit.

All of them ate in silence, and the only things that made sounds were the cutlery they used to eat.

After dinner, William talked to Lilith and told her that the outside world was still dangerous, and she had to stay inside the Villa for the time being.

Lilith nodded her head in understanding because she had personally experienced how dangerous the Forbidden Ground was. Also, she wanted to explore and investigate the Thousand Beast Domain in order to get a better understanding of it.

"You can go anywhere, except for the wide plains in the East," William said. "There is a colony of Antz there and they are still undergoing rehabilitation. If you venture into their territory, they might attack you even though I gave them explicit orders not to attack the residents of this Domain. For your own safety, just don't go there. Do you understand?"

"Okay," Lilith replied. "Still, I'm surprised you're not putting me under house arrest."

William smiled. "I already said that I am willing to trust you."

He then placed his hand on Lilith's shoulder and looked at her eyes.

"Am I wrong to trust you?" William inquired.

Lilith met William's gaze. His light-green eyes, and her own amber-colored-eyes stared at each other, unblinking.

"No," Lilith replied. "I will not break your trust."

At first, the Amazon wanted to tease William, but she felt that this was not the appropriate moment to do that. Since that was the case, she decided to answer with her honest feelings, and put this matter to rest.

"Thank you."

"C-Can I also call you, Will?"

The moment her words left her lips, Lilith immediately realized that she had spoken out of line. For a brief moment, she wanted to take back her words and tell William that she was just joking.

The Half-Elf, on the other hand, blinked once then twice before giving the flustered Amazon a smile.

"Of course," William replied. "I hope that the two of us can be good friends, Lilith."

William extended his hand for a handshake.

Lilith accepted the handshake and held William's hand firmly. After shaking it twice, both of them let go at the same time.

"Goodnight," William said. "See you tomorrow."

Lilith gave him a brief nod in return before lowering her head.

"Goodnight," Lilith replied before turning around to head back to the room that had been assigned for her use.

Princess Sidonie and Ian glanced at each other with a knowing gaze.

"What do you think?" Princess Sidonie asked.

Ian only gave a shrug. She trusted William, so whatever he decided in the future, she would definitely give him her full support.

Seeing her friend's attitude, Princess Sidonie rubbed her temple. Back then, she and Morgana had asked William to give them his babies. Seeing other women do the same made her realize how embarrassing it was.

< It's fine. You're too much of a worrywart, Sidonie. I can tell that Darling doesn't hold any special feelings for Lilith. >

'No. My worry isn't about Lilith becoming friends with William. I am just worried that her Divinity will suddenly go out of control. She carries the Sin of Greed. What if in the future, she would want William all to herself? When that time comes, you and I better be ready to put her in her place.'

< Don't worry. When that time comes, I'll be sure to go all out and make her understand the consequences of stealing our most important treasure. >

'As long as you understand.'

Princess Sidonie also didn't want to have any conflicts with Lilith. After meeting William, she had thrown away her desire for conquest and stopped making everyone submit to her will.

If she hadn't met the Half-Elf who had shown her what love was like, she might have ended up as the most vile creature in the world, who lorded above others through the power of her charm.

After sighing in her heart, she glanced at the pink-haired girl, who was looking back at her with a smile on her face.

"What's wrong, Chiffon?" Princess Sidonie asked.

Chiffon shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just glad that I met you and William."

"What is this all of a sudden?"

"I just feel blessed being with everyone that I love."

After saying those words, Chiffon walked towards William and held his left hand. The Half-Elf smiled and patted her head before looking back at Princess Sidonie and Ian.

Seeing her husband's love-filled gaze, Princess Sidonie understood what Chiffon meant when she said that she felt blessed being with everyone that she loved.

The beautiful Princess felt something warm spread inside her chest, as she too, moved towards William to hold his right hand.

"I love you, Will," Princess Sidonie whispered and kissed William's cheeks. "Let's go to our room. I think my Divinity is getting out of hand. You're going to help me treat it, right?"

"Of course," William replied as he gently squeezed Princess Sidonie's hand.

That night, inside William's room. The Half-Elf showered his three wives with his love.

Although he didn't know why Princess Sidonie and Ashe suddenly became assertive, he was more than happy to satisfy the overflowing love that they had for him.

While all this was happening, Lilith lay on her bed hugging a pillow as if her life depended on it. When she had set her sights on a treasure, an invisible mark that couldn't be detected would appear on their bodies.

It didn't matter if it was an object or a living person. As long as Lilith considered them to be a treasure, she would be able to know where they were no matter what.

This ability of hers also had some added bonus. Lilith would be able to see, hear, and feel anything around her marked object, as if she was the object herself.

Because of this ability, she had also accidentally discovered Ian's secret, which surprised her greatly.

However, that was the least of her concern. Lilith didn't know that marking William would let her feel things she had never felt before.

She didn't know that she would experience things she had never known before.

The Amazon Princess' face was already as red as a tomato, and her breathing had turned completely ragged. Although this wasn't her original intention, she was able to witness, and experience how William made love to his wives.

The incredible sense of pleasure was transferred to every fiber of her being. With every moan, Lilith felt her heart trembling. With every thrust, her body shuddered in ecstasy. Waves, upon waves of euphoric sensations assaulted her senses, making her unable to think properly.

'This is bad,' Lilith thought as her hands tried to quench the fire that had engulfed her entire body. 'I want this… I need this…'

Lilith's Divinity slowly awakened and a great yearning to obtain the Half-Elf bloomed inside her heart. In the past, she was just curious about William, but now… she was being consumed by the greed that took hold of her senses.

'Calm down,' Lilith said as she temporarily cut off her connection with William. She then used her willpower to resist the power of her Divinity that had suddenly erupted, catching her by surprise.

'Calm down. I must calm down…' Lilith closed her eyes as she panted for breath. 'I don't want him to hate me, so I must calm down.''

Lilith's amber eyes glowed as the Divinity inside her body surged. In the end, the Amazon Princess took out a vial from her storage ring.

She hastily drank its contents and closed her eyes.

'It is going to be okay,' Lilith thought. 'I am going to be okay.'

Lilith repeated these words inside her head over and over until the effects of the potion started to kick in.

The drug was a very potent sleeping potion that would knock anyone unconscious for a few hours upon consumption. This was a medicine she had planned to use on William in order to drag him back to the Ares Empire when an opportunity presented itself.

Now, she was forced to consume this same potion in order to prevent her Divinity from getting out of control.

Soon, the Amazon Princess collapsed on the bed with tears streaming down her eyes. The potion had taken its effect, and the danger had been suppressed for the time being.

She hoped that when morning came, her craving would subside.. That way, she would be able to act normally in front of William, who was still unaware that the Amazon Princess had marked him as a treasure that belonged only to her.

Chapter 787: Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 787 - Unexpected Reunion

"Good morning," William greeted Lilith as soon as he saw her in the living room of his Villa.

"Good morning," Lilith replied as she looked at William's face.

She could feel her cheeks heating up as the sights, sounds, and sensations that she had felt yesterday once again resurfaced.

William frowned when he saw the flushed expression on Lilith's face. He immediately walked towards her, and pressed his palm over her forehead, to check if she was sick or having a fever.

The Half-Elf thought that the Amazon Princess had been infected by a disease that was exclusive to the Forbidden Ground, due to how red her face was.

"I-I'm fine," Lilith said as she pried away William's hand from her forehead. However, instead of releasing the Half-Elf's hand, she held it firmly in her grasp as she faced William with a beet-red face. "Thank you for your concern. I just didn't get much sleep last night so I might not be at my peak performance."

"I see," William replied. "That's good to know."

Since Lilith was holding William's hand, the red-headed teenager asked Optimus to use a Diagnostic Spell on Lilith's body to ensure that she was as fit as a fiddle.

< There is nothing wrong with Lilith. All her vital signs are good, and I don't see any abnormalities aside from a slightly higher heart rate, which I think is normal for girls her age. >

'That's good to hear,' William replied.

The Half-Elf smiled at the Amazon who was looking at his face with a serious expression. Her gaze was so intense that it made William feel uncomfortable. Although he didn't mind being stared at by a beautiful girl, Lilith's stare was different.

Her gaze was like those of a thief that was looking for ways to steal a treasure that was housed inside a crystal casing. William didn't feel safe under Lilith's gaze, and he had a feeling that the latter would tie him up and carry him back home with her.

"Is there something on my face?" William asked as he tried to keep the calm expression on his face. "Or do you perhaps find me so handsome that you can't keep your eyes off me?"

William's words broke Lilith out of her daze, and the latter reluctantly let go of his hand, before briskly walking towards the dining area.

The Half-Elf scratched his head because he didn't understand what had just transpired between him and the Amazon Princess.

Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Chiffon, were still sleeping inside William's room. The three had fought William until dawn, and all of them were quite exhausted. This was not the first time that this had happened, so the Half-Elf was confident that his three wives would be waking up around noon.

For the time being, he decided to have breakfast before he continued to explore the Seventh Sanctum alone.

His goal was to go to the place where the lightning bolts were active. Although there was no evidence, William thought that the Hall of Thunder was more likely to appear in a place where lightning storms rampaged unhindered.

After eating breakfast and leaving a message with Lilith to pass to Chiffon, William left the Villa and headed back to the real world.

As soon as William appeared inside the make-shift cave that he had made the night before, he came face to face with a robed figure that almost made him jump up in fright.

"Relax, it's just me."

The person standing in front of him said and removed the robe that was covering his body. Even though the interior of the cave was dark, William's Dark Vision allowed him to see the familiar face of the young man he had seen the day before.

"Your Excellency, please, don't scare me like that," William said as he pressed his hand over his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

The young man gave William a bitter smile as he made a gesture for the Half-Elf to take a seat.

William obeyed and observed the young man in front of him. He was quite certain that the latter had taken the golden fruit from the tree, but after a good look, he didn't see any particular changes in the Diabolical Hell Ape's looks and aura.

The young man understood William's appraising look and sighed deeply.

"I was able to get the fruit thanks to your help, but I wasn't able to keep it," the young man said with a trace of sadness. "In the end, I was forced to give it up in order to survive. I greatly underestimated the golden fruit's attraction to the creatures inside the Seventh Sanctum."

William felt sorry for the young man in front of him, but he also knew that the Diabolical Hell Ape made the right choice in letting the golden fruit go in exchange for his life.

"Do you have any future plans, Your Excellency?" William inquired.

"No," the young man replied dejectedly. "Also, stop calling me 'Your Excellency'. From now on, you can call me Aldric."

"Understood, Lord Aldric."

"Good."

William stared at the young man in front of him and answered the question that he was dying to ask.

"Lord Aldric, how did you find me?" William inquired. He was very curious on how the Diabolical Hell Ape was able to pinpoint his location.

"Good question. I was able to find you because I can trace your aura," Aldric replied. "This is an ability I acquired after spending a month inside the Seventh Sanctum. My senses made a breakthrough and I can lock on the auras of any individual of my choosing. I already said that whether I succeeded or not, I would owe you a favor.

"I memorized your aura so that I could find you, and repay you for the help that you have given me. Now, tell me, what is it that you search for in this Forbidden Ground? Don't tell me that you're just out for a stroll in this dangerous place?"

After pondering for a short moment, William decided to tell the Diabolical Hell Ape that he was looking for the Hall of Thunder. He was hoping that Aldric had come across this place during his two-month stay inside the Seventh Sanctum.

"The Hall of Thunder?" Aldric frowned. "You're also looking for it?"

"Also?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I am also looking for it. I was supposed to head there after acquiring the Golden Fruit. My plan was to consume the fruit, while undergoing the trial of the Heavenly Thunder.

"According to that person, my chances of achieving my goal would be higher if I had the golden fruit in my possession. She was also the one that gave me this bracelet that allowed me to temporarily take human form. If I remember correctly, her name should be Ariadne."

William's body stiffened after hearing the familiar name. He hadn't seen the Oracle since he left the Southern Continent, and he found this whole situation baffling.

"Aldric, do you remember her face?" William inquired. He wanted to know if the Diabolical Hell Ape was referring to the Oracle that served under the God of Shepherd, or a lady that only shared the same name.

Aldric shook his head. "This is also the reason why she gave me a lasting impression. Aside from her name, I can't remember her face. During our entire conversation, I felt like my focus would lapse from time to time whenever I observed her face. It was quite a mysterious encounter.

"Ah! I almost forgot. When she met me, she wasn't alone. There was this young girl, with red hair beside her. Actually, the little girl was also holding a wooden staff, similar to the one you own.. If memory serves me right, her name is Eve."

Chapter 788: What A Small World

Chapter 788 - What A Small World

William didn't expect to hear about Aldric's encounter with Ariadne.

As an Oracle, Ariadne was blessed with the power to glimpse the future. Unlike Elliot's clairvoyance, the mysterious lady could activate her ability whenever she wished for it.

'My meeting with Aldric should be a coincidence, right?' William thought.

However, he couldn't stop the nagging feeling inside his head that the Oracle might have set things up for William to meet the Diabolical Hell Ape inside the Seventh Sanctum.

For the time being, William decided to ask subtle questions in order to verify his hunch.

"How did you meet her?" William inquired.

The Half-Elf knew that the Guardian of the Forest preferred to stay inside his Domain and not meddle with the outside world. Even when William came to ask for his help, the latter only said that he would help William if he could help him become a human.

"She came to my forest to look for me," Aldric replied. "She said that if I wanted to become Human, I should stop wasting my time in the Southern Continent and go to the Central Continent. I didn't know how she found out about my wish, but since a path has been opened up for me, I decided to take a leap of faith and come to the Central Continent with them."

"Wait!" William couldn't stop himself from stopping Aldric from continuing his explanation. "Ariadne and Eve are also here in the Central Continent?"

"Do you know them?" Aldric raised an eyebrow. "Yes. The three of us traveled together, but, we parted ways after she led me to this place. I've been here for two months, so that means that we arrived here in the Central Continent a month ago."

William sighed because of the missed opportunity. If only he had known that his little cousin, Eve, and Ariadne had arrived in the Central Continent, he might have gone to look for them.

After reigning in his emotions, William inquired if Aldric knew where Ariadne and Eve were headed. Unfortunately, the Diabolical Hell Ape didn't know, so the Half-Elf's lead ended then and there.

'No matter,' William thought. 'After I leave this place, I will inform gramps that Eve is also in the Central Continent.'

"What a small world," Aldric said with a smile. "I didn't know that Eve was your cousin. She's quite an adorable girl."

"That she is. I'm worried about her safety." William scratched his head. "Did she bring her ducklings and that white goose with her?"

"Yes," Aldric replied. "They are an interesting bunch. Always following her around like she was their mother or something."

William only smiled at Aldric's reply. Eve had raised the ducklings since they were chicks, so all of them treated her as their mom. As for the White Goose, it was her bodyguard.

Although a Millennial Beast was a powerful deterrent in the Southern Continent, the same couldn't be said in the Central Continent where countless Myriad Beasts could wander freely.

The Half-Elf could only hope that Ariadne would be strong enough to protect her cousin from Humans, as well as these dangerous vagabonds that would appear when one least expected them.

"Well then, I guess it's time to go," Aldric stood up. "You said that there is a chance that the Hall of Thunder is located in the north, right? Let's head there first."

William nodded as he followed the Diabolical Hell Ape outside the cave. With a powerful Beast to accompany him in his journey, the Half-Elf would have a higher chance in reaching his destination without falling prey to the Territorial Myriad Beasts that stood in their way.

—--

Two days after William and Aldric traveled to the north, a certain group of monsters were making their journey to the west.

Just like Aldric, these three monsters had failed in the all-out-war for the golden fruit. Two of their members had died in the free-for-all battle for supremacy.

In the end, the one who managed to snatch the fruit from their grasp was the Alpha Crimson Flame Wolf, who brought its entire pack to the battlefield.

The Alpha Wolf had been ruthless, not caring if the members of its pack sacrificed their lives in the process. The battle for the golden fruit lasted for an entire day, and the ground was littered with bodies of Myriad Beasts that died during this intense struggle.

After acquiring the Golden Fruit, the Alpha Crimson Flame Wolf returned with its pack to their den. No monster dared to pursue them because they held the absolute advantage in numbers.

All the monsters knew that after a few days, a new powerful overlord would be born inside the Seventh Sanctum. The Terror Rats knew that it would be futile to snatch the fruit back from the Ruthless Alpha Wolf.

Because of this, the Black-Striped Terror Rats decided to hunt down the culprit that was responsible for snatching the fruit, and attracting so many additional monsters along the way.

If only the battlefield had remained in the small clearing, the Terror Rats were confident that they would have won the skirmish against the dozens of Myriad Beasts that decided to try their luck.

They held a vendetta against the Diabolical Hell Ape for foiling their plans to obtain the Golden Fruit, and decided to hunt him down.

During the chase for the golden fruit, they had used their ability "Trace" on the Diabolical Hell Ape, to prevent him from escaping their grasp. For an entire month, they would be able to follow Aldric's tracks, even if the latter were to fly in the sky.

Several squeaks reverberated in the air as the three monsters communicated with the other Terror Rats in the vicinity. Soon, dozens of giant rats ran across the forest, forming an unstoppable force.

Because of this, no Myriad Beasts dared to block their path as they made their way towards the West.

"Squeak!" the leader of the Black-Striped Terror Rats raised its head as it continued to run to the West.

""Squeak!""

The other Terror Rats voiced out their support as they ran behind their leader.. They were out for vengeance, and they would not stop until the target of their hatred was ripped to shreds by their very own hands.

Chapter 789: I Will Stop Him Even If This Body Of Mine Breaks Into Pieces

Chapter 789 - I Will Stop Him Even If This Body Of Mine Breaks Into Pieces

Inside Hestia Academy…

"Ever since we returned, the academy forbade us from accepting any missions," Princess Eowyn said as she glanced at the beautiful flowers that swayed in the distance.

She, along with Kenneth, and Pearl were having afternoon tea inside a gazebo located in the academy's garden.

"The Headmaster is just worried about your safety, Your Highness," Pearl replied. "The incident with the Dryad had alarmed his Majesty, and he personally requested that we be exempt from the Quarterly Test of the academy.

"I know, and I understand why father acted the way he did," Princess Eowyn commented. "If not for Conan delaying for time, and Sir William's arrival, all of us might have suffered a fate worse than death. Even so, I just feel that nothing has changed. I'm still a flower inside a greenhouse, that is not allowed to go outside in fear that I might wither away."

Pearl sighed as she listened to Princess Eowyn's complaints. She then glanced at her comrade, Kenneth, who was sitting perfectly still with his eyes closed.

"Kenneth, are you asleep?" Pearl asked as she lightly tapped the silver-haired Elf's shoulder. After spending some time with William's Ex-Roommate, Pearl noticed that he would automatically fall asleep whenever they were not going to do anything.

'This person sure likes to sleep,' Pearl mused as she eyed the silver-haired Elf who was not giving any kind of reaction to her slight nudging.

Princess Eowyn also shifted her attention to the elf who was sleeping peacefully while sitting on a chair.

She didn't know much about Kenneth. The only thing she knew about him was that he came from the Rayleigh Family, who were well-known for their accurate prophecies.

Right now, the Elders of the Elven Council, as well as the Elf King were starting to feel anxious. According to the Patriarch of the Rayleigh Family, the time of the prophecy was near. Although he couldn't give an accurate time when it would happen, he affirmed that the Prince would be born in less than two years.

This had sent the Silvermoon Continent into a frenzy and various defenses were being set up around the Elven Kingdom in preparation for the Prince's arrival.

Princess Eowyn had also been given a special task by the Elven King, and that was to pay close attention to William.

As someone who had met the twins of destiny, and learned Dark Magic, he was the prime candidate for becoming the Dark Prince.

It was not only her who had been keeping an eye on William. The Headmaster of the Academy, in addition to the various rulers of the land, were doing the same.

With William's conquest of the Devil's Floor, their conviction that the Half-Elf was the Dark Prince was at an all time high.

Even so, there were still people that doubted whether William was truly the prophesied Prince or not. Kenneth was one of them.

"Sir Kenneth, do you still think that Sir William is not the Prince that will cover this world in darkness?" Princess Eowyn asked the silver-haired elf who still had his eyes closed.

Half a minute passed before Kenneth opened his eyes to look at the Elven Princess, who was looking at him with a serious expression on her face.

"I want to believe that William isn't the Prince of Darkness," Kenneth replied. "I don't want him to fall into darkness. If that were to really come to pass, I would personally go and stop him."

Kenneth's voice was firm, and his eyes held conviction. The Princess could tell that William's Ex-Roommate was serious in his declaration.

"And if you can't stop him?" Pearl asked. She had a very bad impression of William due to her sister's brainwashing. If only she was a match to the Half-Elf, she would have already beaten him up and demanded that her sister be returned to her former state of mind.

"There is no can't," Kenneth answered. He eyed Pearl as he firmly made his declaration. "I will stop him. Even if this body of mine breaks into pieces."

—--

"You can't find him?" Byron, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy, asked his agent who was tasked to follow William's movements after he set out of the academy.

The agent, who was in his late thirties, shook his head firmly.

"I was able to follow him up to the Port City of Alabaster, but after that, I lost his traces," the agent replied. "I made subtle inquiries to the Army Vice Captain named Haleth, but she didn't know where William was planning to go.

The Half-Elf only told her that he would go sight-seeing with the two ladies that accompanied him.

Byron snorted. "Sightseeing my foot."

Byron raised his hand and a giant scroll materialized in front of him. He then unfurled the scroll and gazed at the map of the Central Continent with a critical gaze.

"He went to the Port City of Alabaster…," Byron muttered. "There are many places that he could go from there, so finding his trail will be hard."

After eyeing the map, a hint of realization appeared on Byron's old face.

'Could it be? No. He's not stupid enough to go there…,' Byron thought as eyed a purple vortex that spun at the Southwest corner of the Central Continent.

"The Seventh Sanctum…," Byron said softly. "Could he have really gone there?"

The face of the agent, who was listening to Byron's muttering, started to become pale after hearing the words Seventh Sanctum.

'I hope that he won't order me to go to the Forbidden Ground.' the agent prayed inside his heart. 'I still haven't lived enough. I don't want to die.'

After a few minutes, Byron sighed and made a gesture for the agent to leave. The agent respectfully bowed his head before leaving the Headmaster's office.

After stepping out of the office, the agent was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Even if his commission was increased, he would not dare to enter the Forbidden Ground for the sake of finding a Half-Elf.

Back inside the office, Byron tapped the map with his finger, while deep in thought.

'Did he really go there?' Byron mused as he stared at the purple vortex on the map that was spread on his desk. 'That boy sure has guts. Does he not care for his life?'

The Headmaster of the Academy sighed as he rolled up the scroll and returned it inside his storage ring. Even with his current powers, he would have to think twice before venturing into this mysterious domain that had claimed many lives.

He knew that if William really had entered the Seventh Sanctum, it was already too late to do anything. All he could do now was wait in the Academy for the Half-Elf's return.

As the Headmaster was about to deal with other urgent matters that required his attention, the door of his room broke apart, and a little fairy entered the room with a big smile on her face.

"Headmaster! I'm here!" Chloee announced as she landed on the Headmaster's desk. "I have already finished my mission. The item you requested has been delivered properly!"

The corner of Byron's lips twitched as he looked at the destroyed door of his office. He had just repaired it a week ago, and it was once again destroyed by the little fairy who liked to smash things that blocked her way.

"Chloee, didn't I tell you to knock on the door properly before you enter my office?" Byron asked.

"Didn't I just do what you told me to?" Chloee replied while tilting her head. "I knocked down your door properly! Hehehe, now, pay me for my mission! I plan to go shopping!"

The little fairy stretched out her little hand and demanded her payment.

Byron was about to argue with her when an idea came to his mind.

"Say, Chloee, I have another mission for you ,and I plan to give you double, no, triple the rewards," Byron asked with a benevolent smile. "Are you interested?"

"Triple the rewards?" Chloee looked at the Headmaster suspiciously. "Since when did you become generous? Are you an impostor? Tell me, where did you hide that senile and stingy old man that doesn't take a bath? If you don't tell me the truth, I'm gonna clobber you!"

It took a while for Byron to coax and convince the violent little fairy that he was not an impostor. Also, after hearing the contents of the mission, Chloee readily agreed and set out to look for Celeste in order to inform her and ask for permission for her next expedition.

The Headmaster of Hestia Academy looked out of the window of his office with a smile.. Since the Forbidden Ground was a dangerous place, he would send out an equally dangerous little fairy to look for the Half-Elf who had disappeared without a trace.

Chapter 790: The Vengeful Terror Rats

Chapter 790 - The Vengeful Terror Rats

"You're going to the Seventh Sanctum to look for William?" Celeste frowned after hearing Chloee's report.

"Um, the Headmaster isn't sure if Will is inside the Seventh Sanctum," Chloee replied. "However, he gave me an artifact that could detect if students of the Academy have entered the Forbidden Ground. If the artifact does find traces of William's group, I am tasked to find them and bring them out safely."

Celeste rubbed her temple. She didn't expect that the Half-Elf would do something as dangerous as enter the Seventh Sanctum without notifying the Academy. If she knew beforehand, she would definitely send Chloee to accompany him on his journey.

"Very well, you may go," Celeste stated. "If William really went inside that dangerous place, make sure to bring him back alive, no matter what. Do you understand, Chloee?"

"Yes." Chloee nodded.

Claire, who was listening quietly to the side, frowned, but she didn't have any opinion whatsoever about Chloee's mission. Instead, she patted her twin's shoulder and told her to be careful.

"I'm off!" Chloee said as she flew out through the window of Celeste's room.

Celeste and Claire watched her small figure disappear from their sights with complicated emotions.

As a Familiar, even if Chloee died inside the Forbidden Ground, Celeste could summon her once again. However, that didn't mean that she didn't feel sad or hurt whenever one of her Familiars died.

Chloee and Claire were born from Celeste's soul. When they died, the beautiful Elf would feel a stinging pain in the core of her being.

William felt the same when Elliot and Conan died. Although the pain would subside given time, it was still a painful reminder to Celeste and William that a part of them had died alongside their Familiars.

—--

Two weeks had passed since William and Aldric had started to make their way towards the North Western Regions of the Forbidden Ground.

They had encountered several mishaps along the way, but with the help of the Diabolical Hell Ape, they were able to arrive at their destination.

William, Chiffon, Lilith, and Aldric stared at a vast expanse of land where several purple rivers met.

Lightning streaked towards the ground en-masse, and thunder roared endlessly.

Aldric's expression became grim because not only were the lightning bolts truly dangerous, the rivers that surrounded the area were branches of the River of Samsara.

One mistake and they would find themselves in an endless cycle of birth and rebirth, that would only stop after their thirteenth lifetime.

"William, Chiffon, Lilith, no matter what happens, don't fall on the river," Aldric said with a serious expression. "That is the River of Samsara. If you fall on that river, your obsessions and memories will be taken from you, and you will undergo a series of lifetimes through the cycle of death and rebirth. I advise all of you to tread lightly."

William frowned when he heard Aldric's explanation. Looking at the raging rivers that were similar to purple snakes that covered the entirety of his vision, he wanted to curse out loud.

With such difficult terrain to maneuver, and the constant bombardment of lightning from above, the Half-Elf felt that finding the Hall of Thunder within this hell-like place would prove to be extremely dangerous.

Just as William was about to ask Optimus if it had a better idea about how to traverse through the region, a series of notifications rang inside his head.

The map on his status page enlarged and hundreds of purple dots appeared and seemed to be headed in their direction.

< Will, according to my calculations, these Black-Striped Terror Rats seemed to have locked onto our location. >

'What?! Why?!"

William's mind raced as he thought of several possibilities as to why these rats had run all the way from their forest to look for them.

'I clearly escaped the moment I threw the lollipops, so they are not after me,' William then gazed at the Diabolical Hell Ape who seemed to have also sensed that something was amiss. 'Don't tell me…'

< That is the only possibility. The Black-Striped Terror Rats are after the Diabolical Hell Ape. >

'F*ck!'

Soon, the ground trembled as the Horde of Terror Rats appeared in their vision. Shrill shrieks that spoke of death spread throughout their surroundings as the monster horde eyed William's group with murderous eyes.

"Chiffon! Go!" William ordered as he tried to open a portal that led to the Thousand Beast Domain.

The pink-haired girl didn't waste any time and instantly teleported into William's domain using the wedding ring on her finger.

Just like Princess Sidonie's Collar of Wisteria, William had added a special feature on Chiffon's wedding ring, to allow her to travel to the Thousand Beast Domain, anytime, anywhere.

Once Chiffon was safe, William started to open a portal so Lilith and Aldric could also enter his Domain. However, as the portal slowly formed in front of William's group, a Heavenly Lightning Bolt struck it, dispersing the portal instantly.

William, Lilith, and Aldric were blown away by the explosion, sending them skidding a few meters away from where they once stood.

"Run!" William hastily stood up from the ground and activated his heroic avatar.

Lilith and Aldric glanced in his direction before running towards the hell-like land that was right in front of them.

William held the golden staff in his hand and aimed its tip at the approaching monster horde.

"Quick Shot War Art, Fourth Form!" William roared. "Grand Bazooka!"

A powerful explosion exploded from the golden staff's tip and flew towards the hundreds of Terror Rats.

The bodies of the rats glowed crimson as they unleashed their racial ability, a horrendous sound that was similar to fingernails scraping a chalkboard, reached William's ears.

Hundreds of giant Crimson Blades, that had the power to rend space, met William's attack creating a powerful explosion that blew him, and several of the rats away from where they stood.

After regaining his footing, William hastily dodged to the side, to evade the Primal Rends that were raining down on him.

The attacks that he had evaded created craters that were over ten meters wide, forcing William to use the golden staff as a pole vault to gain distance.

He had discovered a while ago that he couldn't fly in this hell-like region, which made escape very difficult.

Turning his head to look at his companions, he saw Lilith summon a crystal bridge to cross to the other side safely.

Aldric, on the other hand, summoned fireballs to attack the Crimson Blades that were headed in their direction.

William gritted his teeth as he shot several Railguns to repel the Crimson Blades that Aldric wasn't able to hit.

Thanks to the power of his golden staff that could lengthen itself, the Half-Elf jumped over the Rivers of Samsara without worries.

He was about to give the Terror Rats the middle finger when he noticed something unexpected.

Instead of stopping their pursuit, the Giant Rats stepped over each other's bodies, using them as a stepping stone to jump over the river.

If William was alone, he would have no trouble escaping the monster horde. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave Lilith and Aldric behind, so he was forced to engage the Terror Rats in order to delay their mad pursuit.

Ruyi Jingu Bang lengthened as William prepared to swat the Terror Rats, and send them to the torrential rivers that surrounded the land like a spiderweb.

Just as William was about to unleash his devastating attack, several Heavenly Lightning Bolts fell on his body.

He had already anticipated that this would happen, so he had swapped his Job Class to Prince of Thunder. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Lightning Bolts were not ordinary lightning bolts. They contained a piece of Heaven's Will that tested the limits of humanity.

Even if William was immune to lightning, he still felt a stinging pain as he was pushed away by the lightning bolts, breaking his stance mid-air.

A mighty roar erupted in the distance, followed by ear-piercing shrieks.

Aldric had transformed into his original form and entered a slugfest with four Myriad Black-Striped Terror Rats.

Lilith, on the other hand, was about to cross her crystal bridge when a Crimson Blade split it in two.

Showing her no mercy, the Terror Rats unleashed dozens of Crimson Blades in her direction.

With the raging purple river in front of her, and dozens of Primal Rends behind her, Lilith was left with no room to maneuver as the Primal Rends tore through space and headed in her direction.

Just as the Crimson Blades were about to land on her body, William appeared in front of her.

Using Ruyi Jingu Bang as a shield, he prepared himself to endure the powerful barrage that was strong enough to obliterate them.

With each blade that landed on the golden staff's body, William's feet skid on the crystal bridge. Blood started to flow at the corner of his lips because each attack that fell on him hit like a truck.

Suddenly, just as he thought that the worst was over, a gigantic crimson blade fell upon his body, sending him, and Lilith hurtling towards the River of Samsara.

William hurriedly reached out to the Amazon Princess and used his body to break their fall on the river's surface.

The Black-Striped Terror Rats angrily ran along the river bank as they searched for their prey. They were Myriad Beasts so it was very easy for them to detect any signs of life, even if it was beneath the waters.

Five minutes later, the Black-Striped Terror Rats shrieked and ran towards the Diabolical Hell Ape who was being attacked from all sides.

Now that the pests were gone, it was time for them to take their revenge.. They charged at the Giant Ape with their fangs bared in fury, no longer caring for the two people that had fallen into the raging River of Samsara.

Chapter 791: Stranded In A Strange World

Chapter 791 - Stranded In A Strange World

"Will, do you think that life is unfair?" a beautiful lady with black hair asked as she caressed the side of William's face.

"Yes," William replied as he looked at the lady's light-brown eyes with love. "Still, I am thankful that life allowed me to hold you in my arms like this. Are we really boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"You don't want to be?"

"I want to be!"

The black-haired beauty smiled as she closed her eyes and raised her chin.

William looked at the love of his life, and lowered his head to kiss her soft lips, which made his heart shudder.

Since it was his first time kissing someone, William merely pressed his lips over hers for a few seconds before pulling back.

"They said that the first kiss would taste like honey," the black-haired beauty said as she opened her eyes. "They were lying."

William blinked as he looked at the lady in front of her. He was so nervous that he had forgotten what his first kiss tasted like. The only thing he remembered was how soft her lips were.

"What did it taste like then?" William asked in curiosity. He was dying to know the answer to his question as he stared at her face lovingly.

"It tastes like happiness," the young lady answered as he wrapped her arms around William's neck. "Can you make me happier than I am now?"

"Gladly." William kissed her forehead as he cupped her face.

"I love you, Belle."

"I love you too, Will."

Once again their lips met, and this time, William also tasted the happiness of kissing his beloved under the receding rays of the sunset.

—--

"Will!"

"Will! Wake up!"

"Open your eyes!"

"Will!"

William's eyes abruptly opened, and the first thing he saw was Lilith's worried face that was looking down at him.

The Half-Elf winced in pain as he held his head with his right hand. However, it was not only his head that was aching, he also felt a slight ache in his heart, as a hazy feeling escaped his senses.

William was very familiar with this feeling. It was the same sensation that he felt when parts of his past life vanished from his memories.

The Half-Elf sighed because he once again felt this discomforting sense of nothingness. It was as if there was a gaping hole inside his heart, making him have trouble breathing.

"Are you alright?" Lilith asked as she looked at William's pale face.

William nodded. "I'm fine. I just need a bit of time to recover."

The Half-Elf then looked at their surroundings in confusion. They seemed to be in a ruined city. But, what baffled him were the various tall structures in the distance that reminded William of skyscrapers from Earth.

"Where are we?" William asked.

Lilith shook her head. "I don't know. The last thing I remembered was falling on the river with you. When I woke up, we were already here."

The Amazon Princess shuddered when she remembered the scene of her falling towards the river.

She also remembered a pair of strong hands grabbing her body. After that, she found herself in William's embrace.

The moment they fell on the water, the two of them were enveloped in some kind of bubble, as they descended into the river's depths.

That was the last memory that Lilith remembered before waking up in this strange world that she was seeing for the first time.

William and Lilith were currently at a river bank, and right across them was a city in ruins.

The Half-Elf tried to stand up, but he couldn't put enough strength on his legs to support his body. Feeling helpless, William decided to use his Wind Magic to allow him to hover above the ground for the time being.

However, nothing happened.

William frowned as he once again activated his powers, but no response came from his body.

'Optimus, what's happening?' William asked.

No reply came which made the frown on William's face deepen. The Half-Elf then closed his eyes to look at his status page, but the only thing that greeted him was darkness.

The next thing he did was to access his Sea of Consciousness, but it also didn't bear any fruit.

William then raised his hand to open a portal to the Thousand Beast Domain, but just like his earlier attempts, that too yielded no result.

Lilith noticed what Wiliam was doing, so she immediately tried to use her power to summon crystals.

This time, it was Lilith's turn to frown as she tried to use her ability over and over again.

She then tried to open the storage rings, and storage bags in her possession but it was to no avail.

Finally, Lilith used her last resort and activated her Divinity. This time, she received a response but it was very faint. The only thing that she was able to do was vaguely detect treasures in their surroundings.

Aside from that, no other abilities seemed to work.

"We can't use our powers?" William muttered. It was not a question, but more of a realization of their current circumstance.

Lilith bit her lip because she, too, realized that her own Divinity was suppressed by the world they were in.

Before the two could get a better grip of their situation, they heard shouting in the distance.

William and Lilith exchanged glances and the Amazon Princess hurriedly supported William's body, to help him walk.

As they struggled to make their way to the place where the shouts were getting stronger, they saw several people fighting against decaying bodies that greatly resemble zombies.

Curses and shouts permeated the surroundings as the people tried to hack the zombies with their bladed weapons. The two sides fought, but a glance was enough to tell them that the people were inexperienced in close combat.

They merely hacked like crazy lunatics who didn't want to become zombie food.

"Noooo! Ahhhh!" A man screamed as two zombies lunged on him and began biting into his flesh.

The other people screamed in fright as they were slowly being overwhelmed by the zombies that had locked all of them in an encirclement.

"Go and help them," William pleaded. "Leave me here for the time being. I can defend myself. In order to kill the zombies, you need to sever their heads from their bodies.

"Also, don't get too close to those who were bitten by the zombies. There's a chance that they might have been infected by the zombie virus and will soon turn into zombies as well."

"Okay," Lilith replied. Although she didn't understand what a Zombie Virus was, she still decided to listen to William's advice.

After letting the Half-Elf lean on a wall, Lilith took out the two short swords on her waist and ran to help the people who were screaming in fear.

With practiced movements, zombie heads started to roll on the ground as the Amazon Princess unleashed her deadly martial arts.

In this strange world where she couldn't use her powers, Lilith knew that only William, her strong body, and her martial prowess, were the only things she could depend on.

Five minutes later, the survivors looked at the young lady in disbelief and admiration.. Standing over a pile of corpses, with two short swords in her hands, she looked like a Goddess of War that had descended on the land to save them from the horrors that plagued their everyday lives.

Chapter 792: Welcome To Glory Shelter

Chapter 792 - Welcome To Glory Shelter

Lilith stared at the man that had been bitten by the zombie earlier. William had told her not to get too close to the person because he might have been infected by the Zombie Virus.

The man's comrades stood at a distance while they looked at him with sadness, because they understood that his fate was already sealed.

"K-Kill me," the man pleaded. He knew that in less than an hour, he would turn into a zombie as well. "Just make it quick. I don't want to suffer much."

Lilith nodded. She moved behind the man and prepared to stab his heart with one quick thrust.

"Wait!"

The Amazon's short sword stopped only an inch away from the man's back. She then looked in William's direction and saw the Half-Elf walking towards her, using a steel bar as support.

"Let me try something first," William said as he struggled to walk towards the man. He still felt weak, and his legs weren't strong enough to support his body.

Lilith didn't move to support William because she was paying close attention to the man's current condition. If the man turned into a zombie, she would immediately sever his head and end his misery.

"Give me your hand," William stated as he reached out towards the man. "I will end your suffering."

The man looked at William's outstretched hand before shifting his attention to the red-headed teenager's face. After a brief internal struggle, the man reached out to hold William's hand.

"I might turn into a zombie any moment now," the man said. "Whatever you plan to do, make it quick."

The blood vessels of the man started to bulge in his skin. Clearly, the Zombie Virus had started to invade his body, and it wouldn't be long before his sanity disappeared completely.

"Understood," William replied. "I pray that you live a more peaceful life in your next reincarnation."

White flames surged from William's hand and passed through the man's body. Soon, the man was engulfed with white flames, but the latter didn't feel any pain. Instead, he found relief. It was as if all his worries had turned to ashes.

"Thank you," the man said as tears streamed down the side of his face," the man said. "Michelle… I will see you… soon."

The man's companions teared up when they saw his body turn into particles of light. It was also at that moment when a white orb of light appeared amidst the particles and slowly traveled towards the sky.

William watched this scene with a relieved expression because he knew that the man had now started his new journey towards the cycle of reincarnation.

The Flames of Purification came from the tears of a Goddess that fell during the Era of the Gods.

When William was thinking on how to save the man from afar, a small flame blazed at the tip of his finger. With this realization, the Half-Elf felt that he could safely send the man's soul to the afterlife, painlessly.

"Thank you for giving him relief," a lady who seemed to be in her early thirties said as she approached William. She then shifted her attention to Lilith and bowed her head. "Also, thank you for saving our lives. If you didn't help us, we might have all turned into zombies as well."

William looked at the fallen zombies around them. He then tried an experiment and flicked a small white fireball at one of them.

The moment the small fireball hit the zombie, white flames covered its entirety and turned it into particles of light.

Suddenly, a white orb of light flew towards William and circled around him.

"Thank you."

A soft, yet relief-filled voice reached everyone's ears. They then watched the white orb of light fly towards the sky.

"Good job," Lilith said with a smile as she approached William.

However, her smile immediately disappeared when she saw the Half-Elf spat out a mouthful of blood. Lilith hurriedly went to support William to prevent him from collapsing.

"Are you alright?" Lilith asked in a worried tone.

"Yes," William replied as he wiped away the traces of blood at the corner of his lips. "I'm fine. This is just the side effect of using the Flames of Purification."

The Half-Elf sighed in his heart as he glanced around at the bodies of the zombies around him. When he was able to purify one of the zombies, he thought that he could send them all to the afterlife.

However, he didn't expect that using the Flames of Purification would take a great toll on his body.

Back in Hestia, he could easily purify millions of undead without breaking a sweat. However, in this world, the power he could bring out was limited. This was why he decided to set aside his plan on purifying the bodies of the other zombies.

'Instead of mana, the flames require a bit of my life force to activate,' William thought as he pondered the side-effects of using the Flames of Purification. 'Unless it is absolutely necessary, I can't use this ability recklessly.'

"My name is Cathy. For now, we should return to the shelter." the lady who had approached William said with a worried expression. "The sun will set in a few hours, and if we're not careful, we might meet Higher-Undead on our return trip. They are much stronger than the zombies that you have fought. It will be best to avoid them as much as possible."

William and Lilith exchanged glances before shifting their attention back to Cathy.

"Okay. We will come with you," Lilith said. "Is your shelter far from here?"

"A bit," Cathy replied apologetically. "However, we have a truck parked ten minutes away from here. With that, we can reach the shelter in half an hour."

Lilith frowned. "Truck?"

"You can think of it as a horseless carriage," William commented before shifting his gaze to the boxes of canned goods that had fallen on the street. "Are you perhaps scavenging for supplies?"

Cathy nodded her head. "Yes. Our food reserves are getting low. This is why we are forced to travel far from the shelter in order to look for something to eat."

William had read many post-apocalypse novels and understood how hard it was to gather resources in a world where danger lurked around every corner.

A single glance was enough to tell him that among the ten people who were scavenging for food, only three were somewhat capable of fighting against the zombies.

The rest were just normal people, and clearly no match for the monsters that they had just faced.

"I will thank you in advance for your hospitality," William said with a smile. "I hope that we don't trouble you too much."

"Nonsense, you saved our lives. It will be our honor to welcome both of you into our humble shelter."

"That's right. The two of you are our saviors. Don't be shy. Come with us."

The other members of the group voiced their agreement, so William and Lilith joined them on their return trip back to their shelter.

After half an hour of maneuvering in deserted streets, they arrived at what seemed to be a stadium.

Cathy smiled as she opened the doors for William and Lilith to enter.

"Welcome to Glory Shelter," Cathy said. "Although we don't have much, it is more comfortable resting here, than sleeping on the streets."

Just as Cathy was about to say more, a series of running footsteps echoed on the hallway of the stadium. Since the entire stadium was silent, these sets of footsteps easily reached their ears unhindered.

William's eyes, who were accustomed to dark places, saw her first.

A teenage lady with long red hair, similar to a flame, ran in their direction.

When he was only a few meters away from Cathy's group, the lady stopped running and walked briskly towards them.

Cathy was surprised because she didn't expect their leader to personally come to welcome them on their return trip.

Her amber eyes locked on William and Lilith with restrained happiness, and the corner of her lips rose up into a charming smile.

"Welcome to Glory Shelter," the red-haired young lady greeted. "My name is Raizel. I'd like to personally invite our honored guests to stay in my residence to rest."

William and Lilith eyed at the teenage lady in front of them with a serious expression. For some reason, they felt quite attracted to her. It was as if Raizel was someone very important to them.

Raizel didn't shy away from their gazes. In fact, she even puffed up her chest and placed both of her hands on her waist.. After that she gave her two guests a wide grin, which unexpectedly made William's and Lilith's hearts… skip a beat.

Chapter 793: Lilith’s Confusion

Chapter 793 - Lilith’s Confusion

William laid down on the couch sideways, as he eyed the young lady who was humming a tune while preparing coffee in her makeshift kitchen.

Raizel was wearing sports wear that showed her amazing figure. Sensing that William was looking at her, she turned her head and gave William a wink, which made the Half-Elf feel awkward.

In the end, William decided to close his eyes to rest. When he and Lilith fell into the River of Samsara, he immediately switched his Job Class to Einherjar and prayed that his skill "One Who Breaks The Rules" would activate.

Fortunately, it did.

William and Lilith didn't enter the cycle of life and rebirth, but they had appeared in a post-apocalyptic world that was in ruins.

The Half-Elf had lost a very important memory to him in exchange for their safety. However, after shielding Lilith from the purplish waters, it also drained William's strength.

He also used the Flames of Purification which further weakened his already weaker body. The only way for William to regain his strength was to take a rest, and that was what he decided to do.

Lilith, who was sitting on a chair, glanced at William before shifting her attention back to the teenage lady who was carrying a tray in her hands.

She placed the tray on the small table, and personally handed a cup to Lilith.

After doing that, she approached Willam's couch and sat on the carpet. She then started to poke William's cheeks, nose, chin, and lips with her delicate finger.

William had already fallen into a deep sleep, so he wasn't bothered by the young lady who was poking his face to satisfy her curiosity.

Lilith sipped her coffee and watched this scene unfold. Half a minute later, she lowered the coffee cup on the table after she realized something important.

'Why am I not stopping her from taking advantage of Will's condition?' Lilith was inwardly shocked about this development.

She was very sure that if other women were to poke William's face in such a manner, she would probably break their finger without batting an eye.

However, not only did she not stop Raizel from poking William to oblivion, she also thought that this was a very "normal" occurrence.

'Did she use charm on me?' Lilith thought, but she immediately rejected this idea. She was the embodiment of Greed and the power of the Seven Deadly Sins didn't work on her.

Even Princess Sidonie, and Morgana, at their full power wouldn't be able to charm him even if they worked together.

Lilith took a deep breath to calm herself down before calling out to the red-haired young lady, who had sneakily kissed William's cheeks.

"Raizel, it is inappropriate for a teenage lady like you to kiss a sleeping man." Lilith scolded. "Let him rest. He is very tired."

Raizel turned around and crawled towards Lilith with a smile. She then placed her hands on the armchair and pulled herself up.

Before Lilith could even react to the girl's action, the young lady had already planted a kiss on her cheeks, which caught her by surprise.

"I feel so happy," Raizel said as she rested her head on Lilith's lap. "This is a very lonely place. Although I read the diary, I still can't believe that everything that was written there is true."

The young lady sighed as she hugged Lilith's legs like a pillow. Soon, her soft sleeper breaths reached Lilith's ears which made the latter's body stiffen.

She looked at the girl sleeping on her lap, before shifting her gaze at the sleeping Half-Elf on the couch. For some reason, she had the sudden urge to throw something at William in order to wake him up.

She wanted the Half-Elf to help her deal with the young lady who was treating her as a hug pillow.

In the end, she resolved herself to push Raizel away. However, the moment her hand touched the young lady's head, Lilith felt that she couldn't bear to push her away.

A few seconds later, Lilith let out a long depressing sigh. She then started to gently brush the young lady's hair with her hand, which made the latter's expression soften as she slept.

'Just what is going on?' Lilith thought helplessly as she continued to brush Raizel's smooth hair. 'I guess I'll ask for an explanation after she wakes up."

A few minutes later, Lilith leaned on her chair and closed her eyes to rest. Although her exhaustion wasn't as severe as William's the battle against the Black-Striped Terror Rats had taken a toll on her body as well.

Soon, the sound of three people sleeping spread across the room. Among them, the young lady with long red hair, snored without a care in the world.

—---

Port City of Alabaster…

White Fang scratched his head as he looked at the little fairy-like creature in front of him.

Chloee sat on top of the table and happily ate several pancakes without pause.

The little fairy had arrived carrying the crest of Hestia Academy, demanding their cooperation. Because of this, they had decided to treat her as a VIP Guest and seriously help her with her mission.

However, they didn't expect that the first order she would give them was to give her pancakes to eat.

Even Haleth, who was the calmest of them all, found this entire situation headache inducing. Chloee just focused on eating and would only talk to them when the pancakes on her plate were almost gone.

From the short pauses between eating, White Fang and Haleth managed to understand her reason for visiting their port city.

'Why is everyone looking for Sir William?' Haleth bit her lip in frustration. It was not long ago when one of the agents of Hestia Academy also asked them for information about the Half-Elf.

Since William didn't tell them where he was going, they decided not to pry into his personal matters. This had made the agents from Hestia Academy very upset, because they had failed to complete the mission that was given to them.

White Fang and Haleth thought that no more inquiries would arrive, but Chloee's arrival had made them realize the seriousness of the situation.

After prying a bit of information from the little fairy, they found out that there was a possibility that William had entered the Forbidden Ground.

This information made Haleth very anxious because several strong warriors and adventurers had failed to return after venturing into the Seventh Sanctum.

They knew that these treasure-seeking individuals used the City of Alabaster as a place to restock before challenging the Forbidden Ground in the hopes that they would strike it big when they returned.

Unfortunately, none of them had been seen since then and knowing that her idol might have ventured to that place, made Haleth curse William and his ancestors up to the fifth generation.

"Okay, I'm full," Chloee patted her belly and burped out loud. "You guys are good. Those pancakes were delicious."

White Fang and Haleth could only smile stiffly at their little guest.. They just hoped that while she was here, the little fairy would not turn the Port City of Alabaster upside down in search of the Half-Elf who had disappeared without a trace.

Chapter 794: Swiper’s Ambition [Part 1]

Chapter 794 - Swiper’s Ambition [Part 1]

"No one knows what this place is really called, but due to the countless number of undeads that roam the land, the locals decided to just call this place 'The Deadlands'".

Raizel explained as she eyed her two guests with a smile.

They had just finished eating dinner, and were lazing around inside her room, so she decided to answer William's and Lilith's questions.

"The Deadlands? Well, I guess it's a good name to call this place," William said as he leaned on the couch. "Do you have any idea how big this place is?"

Raizel shook her head. "When I first arrived here, I thought of exploring the surroundings, but the number of undead around the outskirts of the city is staggering. I didn't want to take any chances, so I decided to look for a safe place to stay as I conducted my investigation.

"The previous owner of the Glory Shelter was a good person, and she allowed me to stay here. Unfortunately, during one of our scavenging operations, the 'Haunting' commenced and we found ourselves, surrounded on all sides by Death Knights and other Higher-Undead."

A sad expression appeared on Raizel's face as she told William and Lilith how the previous Guardian of the Glory Shelter sacrificed her life in order to buy time and allow them to break through the encirclement.

"That was three months ago." Raizel lowered her head. "The number of people in the Glory Shelter has also decreased since then. Right now, there are only thirty-eight survivors in this shelter. Forty, if I add the two of you."

Lilith, who had maintained her silence while listening to Raizel's explanation, crossed her arms over her chest.

"Does this Haunting happen on a regular basis?" Lilith inquired.

Raizel nodded. "It happens every three to five days. Usually, we only scavenge for food a day after the Haunting ends. Fortunately, the two of you arrived today. If you had appeared in this world yesterday, you might have found yourselves trapped amidst a vast army of Undead."

William frowned. He and Lilith weren't able to use their powers, so fighting against an army of Undead is akin to suicide. Even though he could use the Flames of Purification, he could only use it sparingly because it took a toll on his body, everytime he used it.

"Are there any other shelters aside from the Glory Shelter?" William asked.

"Of course," Raizel replied in a heartbeat. "Although I don't know about other places, this city has at least twenty shelters. Aside from humans, there are other races that appear here from time to time like Orcs, Demons, Devils, Elves, Beastkins, Dwarves, Gnomes, etc. Our shelter mostly has Humans, but the others have mixed races in them."

"Are these shelters all in good terms with each other?" Lilith inquired. If so many ethnicities were gathered in one place, there were bound to be disputes. She was very curious if, aside from the Undead, they also had to be wary of the people that were also doing their best to survive within this land ruled by the Undead."

Raizel sighed. She was about to answer the question when a ringing sound rang out inside the building.

"Speaking of the Devil," Raizel muttered in annoyance. She then grabbed the sword that was hanging on the wall before glancing back at the two clueless people inside her room. "Please, come with me. I might need your help in dealing with these bastards who don't know how to coexist in peace."

William and Lilith glanced at each other before following Raizel who had already started running down the hallway.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the stadium where a dozen Demons were gathered.

"What do you want this time, Swiper?" Raizel asked as she glared at the two-meter tall boarkin that reminded William of Zhu. "Do you really think that we are people that you can bully?"

The Boarkin laughed out loud as he eyed the beautiful young lady in front of him. "Raizel, my boys told me that your people managed to salvage plenty of resources earlier. Don't worry, we didn't come here to trouble you. We just came to ask you to share some of those provisions with us."

Raizel sneered at Boarkin whose face was as thick as an electric pole. "Share our provisions? Do you really think I am a gullible child? Why don't you just say that you intend to steal the provisions we worked hard to acquire?"

Swiper shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Steal? Don't slander me, my dear. I don't have a habit of bullying the weak. Tell you what, why don't you and your people join our Demonic Shelter?

"I will guarantee your safety and the safety of those under you. All you need to do is help us gather provisions from time to time. What do you say? It's a win-win proposal, right?"

Raizel gritted her teeth and unsheathed the sword that she had brought with her.

"Since you want provisions so much, how about I use your body to cook a barbecue for your people?" Raizel took a fighting stance and glared hatefully at the Demons in front of her.

Swiper chuckled as he eyed the young beauty whose eyes had locked onto his body.

"Do you really want to go down this route?" Swiper raised his hand and the Demons took out their weapons. "I admit that you are a strong fighter, but you're only one person."

The Boarkin eyed the people behind Raizel who unconsciously took a step back from the Demon's intimidation.

While some of the members of the Glory Shelter could deal with normal zombies, they couldn't possibly fight off Demons who are well versed in combat.

Raizel frowned because she knew that none of the people behind her were the Demons' match.

"Raizel, I admire your strength," Swiper commented. "Become my subordinate and I promise that your people will no longer have anything to fear in the Deadlands. This is your last chance. You're a smart person, so make the right decision!"

Raizel gritted her teeth as she firmly held the weapon in her hand. She now understood that Swiper's true reason for coming to their shelter was to Annex them and bring them under his wing.

Sharing the supplies was just an excuse to force them to submit to his will. While she was pondering on what to do next, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

Turning her head to the side, she saw William looking at the Demons with a calm expression on his face.

"I'll handle this," William said as he took a step forward. In his hands was a long steel pipe that he had picked up from the ground.

The Half-Elf walked towards the Demons while resting the steel pipe on his shoulders. He was like a hoodlum that was about to ask people for protection money.

"Your name is Swiper, right?" William asked.

"And you are?" Swiper frowned as he looked at the handsome Half-Elf. This was the first time he was seeing William, so he didn't know if he was a capable fighter or not.

Only Raizel held a significant threat against him because he had crossed swords with her a month ago and experienced her fighting prowess first hand.

Because of this, he desired to make her his subordinate so that their Demonic Shelter could have the power to annex the other shelters in order to become the sole ruler of the survivors in the Deadlands.

"Me?" William smiled as he stopped a meter away from the Boarkin who made a gesture to his subordinates to surround the Half-Elf. "I am… Your Daddy!"

Without another word, William swung the steel pipe on his shoulder, hitting the side of Swiper's right face, sending him tumbling to the side.

This scene made the Demons, and the Humans, who were paying close attention to William's and Swiper's chat, look at the Half-Elf with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

All of them only had one thought in their minds and that was…

'This guy is dead!'

Swiper hastily stood up from the ground and touched his right cheek. He didn't expect that William would have the guts to take the initiative to attack him. Because of this, he felt that he had been shamed in front of his subordinates and it made his eyes become bloodshot.

"What are you waiting for?!" Swiper roared. "Kill him!"

Chapter 795: Swiper’s Ambition [Part 2]

Chapter 795 - Swiper’s Ambition [Part 2]

Swiper's roar broke the Demons out of their daze and they immediately closed the distance to attack William.

The red-headed teenager only smirked at their advance and held the make-shift weapon in his hand firmly.

Since he was surrounded, William decided to deal with the nearest enemy and break the Demon's momentum.

William thrust his steel pipe backwards to hit the Demon who tried to stab him from behind. This sent the demon tumbling backwards as the pipe hit his chest perfectly. If not for the piece of armor he was wearing, he might have already been seriously injured by William's backhanded attack.

After knocking back his attacker from behind, William lowered his body and spun around, using the steel pipe to hit the legs of the Demons that had ventured within his strike range.

A burly demon roared as he used his hands to grab the steel pipe in a firm grip.

"I got his weapon!" the burly demon shouted. "Kill him!"

Six demons hurriedly closed the distance and engaged William in close combat. The Half-Elf smirked as he let go of the steel pipe, and started to punch, kick, and elbow the Demons that thought they could easily kill him without his weapon.

Even though William couldn't use his powers, that didn't mean that his body had weakened significantly when they appeared inside the Deadlands.

Although he couldn't see his stats, he could tell that his strength was still the same. As someone who had been taught hand to hand combat by Dwayne, the Half-Elf was just as deadly as he was in close quarters even if he didn't have a weapon in hand.

One of the Demons that had suffered from William's punches took out a throwing knife and threw it while the Half-Elf wasn't looking.

However, before the knife could even approach the Half-Elf it was knocked aside by Raizel. She then stomped on the ground and disappeared from where she stood.

A few seconds later, she reappeared in front of the Demon and slashed her blade with fury.

The demon's head rolled off from its body and fell on the ground with a thud. Blood sprayed like a fountain from its severed neck before falling to the ground, twitching.

Swiper, seeing that his men were at a great disadvantage roared in anger and joined the fray.

Raizel braced herself to engage the leader of the Demonic Shelter, but before she could do that, a blur appeared in front of her and clashed with the Demon who wielded a sword that was almost as long as his body.

Lilith unleashed a barrage of attacks, forcing the Demon to step into a defensive stance. After receiving the Amazon's deadly attacks, Swiper realized that the lady with long, light-brown hair was not only skilled, but was also slightly stronger than him.

Raizel, who was the strongest fighter in the Glory Shelter, was at par with his fighting ability. This was why he wanted her to become his subordinate. He believed that if he attacked the people of the shelter, Raizel would have no choice but to submit to his rule in order to save her people.

This was the plan he had in mind, and he was sure that he could pull it off.

However, after the appearance of the red-headed teenager, as well as the lady that was currently fighting against him, he knew that his plan was doomed to fail.

After briefly scanning his surroundings, the Demonic Boar disengaged himself with Lilith. He then took several steps back in order to gain distance from the strong warrior that made him feel that his life was in danger.

"Retreat!" Swiper ordered. He didn't care whether his men heard his orders or not. He simply ran away and jumped into his truck. A moment later, the truck came to life and left the premises, leaving behind his subordinates that had been struggling to their feet.

Seeing that his opponents had lost the will to fight, William stopped his attacks and allowed them to run away.

At first, he planned to kill all of them, but Raizel held onto his arm and shook her head firmly. Although he was reluctant to leave the source of trouble alone, he decided to give her face and stopped his attacks on the fleeing Demons.

Among the dozens of demons that Swiper had brought with him, one had died under Raizel's blade.

William glanced at the dead body, just in time to see it turn into particles of light. He also saw a small orb of light, that he believed to be the Demon's soul. The orb of light slowly turned dark as it flew towards a black tower in the distance.

As someone who had experience in purifying souls, William knew that the soul had been corrupted by an unholy energy.

"Although his body had disappeared, his soul will now be trapped in that tower until a new undead vessel is born," Raizel said with a depressed sigh. "Aside from turning into zombies, there are other ways that the Undead Legion replenishes their ranks here in the Deadlands.

"This is why there was an unwritten rule that the survivors shouldn't fight against each other. Of course, this rule doesn't apply to those who are ambitious. Even in this God-Forsaken world, they still think of ruling above others. They're all a bunch of bastards."

William looked in the direction where Swiper's Group had run away. He still didn't understand much about this world, so he decided to do some investigation first.

"Is there any way to leave this place?" William asked as he shifted his attention to the black tower in the distance.

"There is," Raizel answered. "However… we need to wait for an opportunity to arrive."

William frowned as he shifted his attention towards Raizel. "Wait for an opportunity?"

Raizel nodded. "According to the Diary I read, the way to leave this place will open once the moon turns red. At that moment, the Undead Legion would raze this city to the ground and kill all the remaining survivors. That is when the exit to this world will appear."

"I don't know if I should be glad, or be worried about this revelation," Lilith commented as she walked towards Raizel. "Where is this Diary that you speak of, and how do you know that the information written there is correct?"

Raizel suddenly revealed an awkward expression on her face. She seemed to be fighting an internal struggle inside her heart, but in the end, she decided to answer Lilith's question to the best of her ability.

"I can't show you where the diary is because I don't have it with me," Raizel replied. "However, I can guarantee that the information I shared with you is true. The person who wrote it is someone I trust with my life. Please, believe me."

Raizel's amber-colored-eyes stared at Lilith unblinking. The Amazon Princess held the young lady's gaze and realized that there was no falsehood in the depths of her eyes.

"Fine. I will believe you, for now." Lilith relented. "But, did that Diary tell you when this Red Moon will appear? I don't want to stay in this place for years. There are people waiting for me back home. The same can be said for him."

Lilith used her chin to point in William's direction.

The Half-Elf could only smile bitterly because he shared Lilith's opinion. He, too, didn't plan to stay in this world for a long time. William still had many things to do, and his wives would surely be worried if he disappeared for years.

"You don't have to worry about this," Raizel said with a smile. "The time in this world is different from the outside world. Although I don't know the exact conversion, I'm guessing a year here will not be longer than a month in our own worlds and timelines."

"Worlds and timelines?" William tilted his head to the side. Suddenly a realization dawned on him and his eyes widened in shock.

Raizel smirked because she could tell what William was thinking. However, she didn't say anything and simply waited for the Half-Elf to ask the question that had come to his mind.

"You mean, you, and the other races here, didn't come from Hestia?" William asked. "Also, are they from different timelines as well? Do you mean, some of them came from the past, and the future?"

"Yes." Raizel nodded her head. "Cathy came from a world named Mourncat, and Swiper came from a world called Nethervine. As for the different timelines… there were cases when two people that came from the same world lived in different time periods."

The young lady with long red hair, and amber eyes grinned at William. "Who knows? Maybe you will meet some of them sometime in the future."

Raizel didn't say anything else aside from that and ordered her people to return inside the stadium.. Now that Swiper and his gang had suffered defeat by their hands, they would not be making trouble with the Glory Shelter anytime soon.

Chapter 796: The Haunting [Part 1]

Chapter 796 - The Haunting [Part 1]

Four days passed after William and Lilith arrived in the Deadlands…

"The Haunting has begun," Raizel said with a serious expression as she looked at the black tower in the distance.

Red mist started to extend from the tower, and it slowly made its way to the city.

William felt a familiar sensation spread across his left hand, as it reacted to the power of the Undead that the tower was radiating.

A few moments later, William heard a distinct ringing sound that came from the tower. The sound was similar to the peeling of a bell, and it made the hair on WIlliam's neck stand on end.

"Do either of you hear that ringing sound?" William asked the two girls by his side.

The three of them were on the roof of the stadium to observe the Haunting from their vantage point.

"Ringing sound?" Lilith frowned. "What ringing sound?"

"I don't hear anything unusual," Raizel answered. "Will, do you hear something ringing?"

After spending a few days together, the three of them had become close to each other and comfortably called each other's names without any problem.

William nodded. "Yes. It is coming from that tow–"

Suddenly, William's eyes glowed and turned golden. He then held his shoulders with his hands as his body shuddered uncontrollably. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he held back the blood thirst that he had been keeping at bay for the past few days.

Ever since he had entered the Seventh Sanctum, he hadn't been able to drink any blood from Charmaine and the other Elves. This was a problem that had been plaguing him ever since he had entered the Deadlands, and he was using his willpower to keep it at bay.

However, the ringing sound of the Black Tower seemed to have bypassed the emotional barrier that he had set in place and broke it to pieces.

William took ragged breaths as his fangs slowly extended.

"Don't come near me," William said hoarsely as he used all of his willpower to resist the urge to pin down one of the girls beside him and drink their blood. "Go back inside. Hurry!"

"What is happening to you?" Lilith asked worriedly. She was about to touch William's shoulder, but Raizel caught her hand and prevented her from touching the Half-Elf.

"Let's go," Raizel said as she glanced at William with a complicated expression. "We will only make things worse if we stay here. Let's go hide in the basement with the others."

The young lady didn't wait for Lilith to say anything and forcefully drag her away, leaving William behind.

The Half-Elf kneeled on the roof of the stadium as the nails on his left hand turned black.

'This is bad,' William thought as nerves started to bulge in his left hand. He had never allowed his bloodthirst to get out of control because he had a steady supply of blood to drink from.

Now that his connection with the Thousand Beast Domain was cut off, he had no means of quenching his blood thirst, aside from drinking from the people in the shelter.

This was something William didn't want to do, so he had tried to hold himself back for as long as he could. He just didn't expect that the Haunting would cause his Vampiric Powers to rise to the surface.

Due to William's heightened senses, he was able to see countless eerie-looking, glowing, orbs of various colors coming out from the base of the tower.

Minutes passed and this procession of glowing lights entered the city.

William took in a deep breath when he realized that those glowing lights were actually the eyes of the undead legion that Raizel had spoken of.

"This is indeed troublesome," William muttered.

He was not a stranger to the Undead, so he was able to get a rough estimate on how powerful this Unholy Army was.

Deathknights, Wraiths, Zombies, Zombie Lords, Skeleton Soldiers, Skeleton Mages, Skeleton Archers, and Dullahan littered William's vision.

What made him feel cold were the four Bone Dragons that flew above the Black Tower. Although he had a feeling that these dragons wouldn't be joining the Undead Army, he still felt threatened because a single one of those dragons could obliterate the stadium with a single Dragon Breath.

The Unholy Army then dispersed in the city. Among these undead, a group that William estimated to number over a thousand headed towards the Glory Shelter.

William knew that even if the Bone Dragons didn't help, this small army was enough to massacre everyone inside the Stadium.

The Half-Elf didn't know how the people in the various shelters were able to survive the Haunting on a regular basis.

In William's opinion, this was simply overkill. Even if Raizel was as strong as Lilith, she wouldn't be able to handle this many undead, especially since they weren't able to use their powers.

While the Half-Elf was busy holding back his blood thirst, and observing the Undead Army, a set of footsteps reached his ears.

"You're probably wondering why we were able to survive this long everytime the Haunting commences, right?"

The familiar voice reached William's ears, and it almost broke his concentration in suppressing his vampiring urges.

"Don't worry, they will not be able to enter the Stadium," Raizel said as she glanced at William, who was kneeling beside her. "I will not let them enter this shelter."

Raizel took a step forward and a golden lasso appeared in her hand.

"Their numbers have exceeded my expectations, but it is still within the acceptable range," Raizel said. "But, I will not be able to beat them alone. I'll need your help, Will."

The golden rope in her hands wrapped itself around William's body and held him in place. She then knelt in front of the Half-Elf and held the back of his head.

"This is my first time," Raizel said. Her voice carried a trace of anxiousness and excitement at the same time. "I still need to fight later, so, please, don't take too much of my blood, okay?"

"You…" William wasn't able to continue his words because Raizel pulled him close and rested his head on her shoulder.

"It's fine," Raizel whispered in William's ear. Her voice carried a temptation that was too hard to resist. "We need to survive and escape the Deadlands together. That is the only way for the three of us to be reunited in the future."

William didn't have time to digest Raizel's words because the latter had already pulled his head closer to her neck, forcing his lips to press against the throbbing blood vessels in her neck.

The ringing of the bell that had rang ceaselessly atop the Black Tower took the opportunity of William's short lapse in judgment to break past his defenses.

With a sigh of acceptance, William opened his lips and sank his fangs into the offering that had voluntarily presented herself to him.

Raizel's rich and powerful blood tasted so sweet that William found it hard to control himself. When the first drop of blood landed on his tongue, the Half-Elf regained a bit of his senses.

Because of this, he didn't drink too deeply, and only took in a mouthful of blood, before licking the wounds on the young lady's neck, healing it completely.

"Thank you," William said as he gained a firm hold on his bloodthirst.

Although he wasn't able to drink his fill, it was more than enough to control his body.

Raizel, on the other hand, sighed as she basked in the afterglow of the unbelievable pleasure of having her blood drank from her neck.

"Are you sure you had enough?" Raizel asked. Her face was flushed, and it seemed that the euphoria she felt still lingered within her mind.

"Yes," William replied. "Um. Can you remove this binding? The Undead are almost here. We need to deal with them now."

Raizel stared at the golden rope that bound William's body in a daze. It took a moment for her to remember where they were and the current predicament that they were facing.

In order to hide her embarrassment, she hastily removed the binding on William's body and looked at the Undead Army to hide the blush on her face.

"Now that you've drunk my blood, do you feel anything different?" Raizel asked.

William nodded. He didn't know the reason why, but he felt very powerful right now. Perhaps it was due to the combined effects of the Black Tower and Raizel's blood. But, right now, William felt that even if a few thousand more Undead were added to the Unholy Army in front of him, he would still come out victorious.

"Let's go," Raizel said as she jumped off the roof of the stadium. She then waved her hand and the golden lasso descended upon the undead that were now only a few meters away from the entrance of the stadium.

"Bind the world in your embrace and hold it in place," Raizel shouted. "Hold the Firmament, Gleipnir!"

Chapter 797: The Haunting [Part 2]

Chapter 797 - The Haunting [Part 2]

The golden rope extended and descended upon the undead army like a raging storm. The undead who were unlucky to cross its path were instantly torn to pieces.

William jumped down from the roof of the stadium and smashed down on a Dullahan that was about to charge in Raizel's direction. Right now, he felt very powerful.

Usually when he drank the blood of others, his strength would get a significant boost that would last for a few hours.

However, because of the effect of the Black Tower, and red mist that seemed to heighten the powers of the undead, William's strength had increased drastically.

Even though he couldn't see his status page right now, he had a feeling that his Prestige Class, Vampiric Necromancer, had been forcefully equipped, giving him the strength of a Vampiric Prince.

The Dullahan weren't even able to form any kind of resistance as William smashed it to the ground, obliterating it completely.

The Deathknight that was close to the Dullahan brandished its sword at William, but the latter caught it with his left hand.

"Mind if I borrow your sword?" William asked with a devilish smile.

Without waiting for the Deathknight's answer, the Half-Elf pulled the undead close to him and used his fist to break its hands, freeing the sword in its grip.

With a weapon in hand, William twisted his body to the side and swung the sword heavily.

The Deathknight's head flew in the air as William severed it from its body.

As someone who had dealings with the undead, he knew that Higher-Undead were capable of reattaching their bodies together even if they were cut down. Because of this, William didn't give the Deathknight any opportunity, and stomped on its head, shattering it to pieces.

'Two down.' William smirked as he scanned the Undead Army, looking for the strong undeads that lead the army.

He gave Raizel a side-long glance before running towards his new target. The beautiful warrior was busy fighting against the normal zombies and skeleton soldiers.

It was quite obvious that Raizel had no trouble dealing with the small fries, so William left her with peace of mind. He just focused on the leaders of the Undead Army, and ground them to dust under his feet.

Lilith, who became worried about William's and Raizel's continued absence, appeared on the roof of the stadium. She thought that Raizel would bring William back with her to hide in the make-shift basement that they use as a bunker whenever the Haunting commenced.

Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the golden lasso in Raizel's hand.

"Gleipnir?!" Lilith gasped in shock at the weapon that was considered as the national treasure of the Amazon Empire. 'Impossible! How come she has it?!'

The Amazon Princess was quite familiar with Gleipnir's abilities because only the members of the Royal Family could wield it.

Empress Andraste had allowed her to use this weapon on several occasions when she was dealing with dangerous missions for the sake of their empire.

'There's no doubt about it, that's Gleipnir.' Lilith's expression became serious as she watched the red-haired lady use the Mythical Artifact as if it was part of her body. 'Just who is she?!'

As she continued to watch Raizel's battle, Lilith could tell that the young lady had mastered how to wield its powers. In fact, the way she used Gleipnir far surpassed Lilith's understanding of the weapon.

In the end, the Amazon Princess decided to just observe for the time being, and ask questions after the battle ended.

Lilith then shifted her attention to William who was performing a one-sided massacre in the distance. Anything that came within his range would immediately be destroyed by punches and kicks that held the force of a wrecking ball.

After an hour, all the undead, and their reinforcements had been dealt with. Every undead that William and Raizel killed had turned into black orbs of light that flew towards the Black Tower.

The weapons that were scattered on the ground had also turned into particles of black light, with the exception of the sword that William had snatched earlier.

The blade glowed with an eerie green light that made William look like a Death Knight without a helmet.

When the battle ended, William and Raizel made their way to the roof of the Stadium. There they saw Lilith with her arms crossed over her chest.

Before William and Lilith could even say anything, Raizel hugged Lilith and gave her a kiss on her right cheek.

"Lilith, I have a favor to ask," Raizel said with a serious expression. "Will's condition is still unstable. He needs to drink blood. Can you give him some of yours?"

"Drink blood?" Lilith blinked in confusion. "Why does he need to drink blood?"

"Um? He didn't tell you about his condition?" Raizel frowned as she shifted her attention to the Half-Elf who was looking at the Black Tower in the distance.

Feeling Raizel's gaze, William turned around and gazed at the two ladies with a complicated look on his face.

To be honest, he was still shocked by the fact that Raizel knew that he was suffering from blood thirst. He didn't remember saying anything to the young lady about his condition, and yet, she had volunteered to let him drink her blood, in order to help her fight against the undead.

"How did you know?" William asked. Although he didn't elaborate, he knew that Raizel understood what he was trying to ask her.

"I have a relative that is also part vampire," Raizel answered without batting an eye. "It was easy for me to diagnose your symptoms."

William was still half in doubt of Raizel's answer, but for the time being he decided to accept it. He then shifted his gaze to Lilith who was looking at the two of them, weirdly.

"She's right," William said with a sigh. "I have refrained from drinking blood during our journey and ended up pushing myself to the limit. That Black Tower has the power to influence the Undead Powers inside my body, which in turn forced my blood thirst to come to the surface.

"If I don't deal with this issue, I might go out of control and start randomly attacking people. Although it is a bit embarrassing to say this to you, Lilith, can I have some of your blood?"

Lilith stared at William before shifting her attention to Raizel.

"I will give him some of my blood on one condition," Lilith said as she eyed the girl who had a knowing smile on her face. "You will answer my questions honestly. You're not allowed to lie, understood?"

Raizel crossed her arms over her chest as she gazed at the Black Tower in the distance. The Haunting usually lasts for three hours each time, and there was no certainty that no more undead would come their way.

Although she wasn't worried about their numbers, she was very concerned about the quality of the undead that might march towards the Glory Shelter.

Right now, only she, William, and Lilith had the power to fight. She needed to make sure that all three of them would be ready for whatever was thrown their way.

"Understood. However, I also have a condition," Raizel said without looking at Lilith. "You can only ask me two questions. I will not answer more than that."

"That's fine."

"Good. Let Will drink some blood first. The Haunting isn't over yet. Those flying wraiths may pose trouble if they were to head in our direction."

William and Lilith stared at the thousands of white wraiths that flew around the outer perimeter of the tower, alongside the Bone Dragons.. They knew that those wraiths were bad news, so Lilith didn't argue and nodded her head in agreement.

Chapter 798: Only To The People I Love

Chapter 798 - Only To The People I Love

"What should I do?" Lilith asked. Although she had heard stories of Vampires, this was the first time that she had encountered one.

"Just stand there," William said as he stood in front of the Amazon Princess. "I will handle the rest. It might hurt at first, but the pain will only last for a short while."

Raizel looked at the two with an eager smile on her lips. For some reason, she was quite interested to see Lilith's reaction after William drank her blood for the first time. After experiencing it once, she knew that the Amazon would definitely lose her composure once the waves of pleasure assaulted her senses.

"Um, is it okay to hold you?" William asked. "I'm afraid you might not be able to support your body later."

"Okay," Lilith replied. She had also noticed Raizel's curious stare aimed in her direction, and for some reason, she could feel a sense of anticipation in the young lady's gaze, which she could not understand.

William moved Lilith's long, light-brown hair to the side as he stared at the nape of her neck. A few seconds later, he lowered his head and sank his fangs into her flesh, drawing blood.

Lilith's body shuddered when she felt the stinging pain. However, just like William said earlier, the pain disappeared like a fleeting dream and what followed next made her head swoon.

A soft moan escaped Lilith's lips as William held her body tight. She could feel that she was losing her strength, but she didn't mind it one bit. In fact, the pleasure that she was experiencing made her want to stay in that moment forever.

Unfortunately, William had set his own limitations when drinking the blood of others. He would not drink more than a mouthful, and stop after he reached his quota.

What others didn't know was that, it was not only those whom he drank blood from that felt the incredible sense of Euphoria. The Half-Elf also felt something similar when he drank people's blood.

However, he had long gotten used to controlling his urges. At the beginning, William had been addicted to these blood sucking urges. But, thanks to Charmaine, and the other Elves that were serving him, he had long known how to show restraint.

He was no longer addicted to drinking blood, but would still allow himself to get lost in those euphoric feelings once in a while.

'They have similar tastes,' William thought as he kissed the wounds on Lilith's neck, healing them completely. Since he had drank Raizel's blood not long ago, the taste of her blood still lingered in William's memory.

Savoring the same taste in Lilith's blood made him realize that the young lady with long-red hair, and amber eyes, may share some connection with the Amazon Princess, whose lean and strong body was being supported by his arms.

Raizel then moved close to Lilith and whispered in her ears.

"Does it feel good?" Raizel asked.

"Yes," Lilith replied subconsciously.

"As long as we are here in the Deadlands, Will would need to drink blood on a regular basis. There will be plenty of opportunities to bask in the pleasurable feeling that you felt earlier."

"..."

Raizel's words were like the temptation of a devil. Lilith was still basking in the afterglow of having her blood taken from her, and her thoughts were still muddled.

Even so, she gave a slight nod to Raizel's suggestion, which made the latter kiss her cheek and hug her in a tight embrace.

"I noticed that you like kissing people," Lilith said softly.

"Not all people," Raizel replied before giving William a quick kiss on the cheek. "I only kiss the people that I love."

William felt awkward after getting kissed, and hearing the two girls talking about him, while he was still holding Lilith in his arms.

Seeing his discomfort, Raizel giggled and spread her arms to hug them both. She had never felt so happy since she had been trapped inside the Deadlands for more than two months.

Having William and Lilith with her made her worries, and fears, seem like the distant and non-existent stars in the sky of this god-forsaken-land.

"You're clingy, too," Lilith complained after Raizel hugged her and William together.

Raizel smiled sweetly, "Only to the people I love."

—--

Three hours later, the red mist receded, and the undead marched back towards the Black Tower. In their wake, several flames could be seen blazing in the distance, and Raizel looked at them with a grim expression on her face.

After staying inside the Deadlands for two months, she had gained a general understanding of the locations of the different strongholds that served as the shelters of the people who suddenly found themselves in this strange world.

"I think three of the twenty shelters have fallen to the undead army," Raizel said softly. "The number of undead this time around was greater than usual. They also have more Higher-Undead in their ranks. Although all shelters have strong fighters in them, I'm afraid that they weren't able to block the Undead's advance."

As Raizel gazed at William and Lilith, who were standing on the roof beside her, she felt blessed because the timing of their appearance in the Deadlands was impeccable.

If it was only her defending the Glory Shelter, she believed that she wouldn't be able to hold the Undead Army all by herself, which would have lead to the deaths of her comrades, who were powerless to resist such a mighty army.

"Let's go back and rest," William proposed. "It has been a long night, and we still need to look for resources when morning comes."

Lilith nodded her head in agreement as she glanced at Raizel.

"I'll ask you my questions tomorrow," Lilith said. "Remember to answer me honestly."

"I know," Raizel replied as she held Lilith's hand. "Let's go take a bath together. I feel sweaty right now."

The young beauty then glanced in William's direction and gave him a wink.

"Feel free to join us, okay?" Raizel teased.

William rolled his eyes at the young lady who had easily wormed her way in their hearts. The Half-Elf decided to rest in a different room tonight.

He had some things to think about, and among them was Raizel's identity. Although he had a guess about her identity, he didn't know if he should confirm it with her or not.

A part of him was scared to know the answer, and the other half was not ready to embrace it. Since that is the case, he would keep his suspicion to himself, and let nature take its course.

However, if given the opportunity, he would like to have a nice, long talk, with the beautiful red-haired-girl who liked to kiss his and Lilith's cheeks, and hug them without permission.

Chapter 799: A Beautiful And Loveable Cupid

Chapter 799 - A Beautiful And Loveable Cupid

"Girl, watch what you are touching," Lilith pried away the naugty hands that were fondling her chest. "You told me that you're going to wash my back, but your hands are wandering to different places."

"I just slipped," Raizel replied with a giggle. She then hummed and scrubbed Lilith's back properly.

Lilith shook her head helplessly because the young lady was just too unreasonable. However, even though Raizel was being unreasonable, she was surprised that she couldn't find it in her heart to be truly angry at the girl, whose eye color resembled her own.

"Okay, all done," Raizel said as she turned on the shower. The water fell on their bodies like rain, washing away the sweat, and grime that they had accumulated during the day.

A few minutes passed in silence before Lilith turned the water off. She then turned around to look at the beautiful young lady in front of her, who was admiring her body from behind.

"Why do you have Gleipnir?" Lilith asked. "Did you steal it from the Amazon Empire?"

Raizel smiled, "Aren't we going to discuss this tomorrow?"

"I changed my mind."

"I see."

Raizel turned around and picked up the two bath towels and gave one to Lilith.

"Let's dry ourselves first," Raizel proposed. "I will answer your questions back in my room."

Lilith nodded her head in understanding and started to wipe her body dry.

Raizel had prepared a set of sportswear for Lilith to use, while the latter's clothes were left to dry. She had already volunteered to wash it earlier, and Lilith wasn't able to stop her. In the end, the Amazon relented and allowed her to do as she wished.

A few minutes later, two beautiful ladies walked in the hallway of the stadium wearing fit sportswear that highlighted the curves on their bodies. No sane man would be able to resist their charms, but these two ladies were no ordinary women.

Anyone stupid enough to take advantage of them would find themselves having their arms and legs broken. The worst case scenario was that the men would be missing a limb, or two, after the two girls were done with them.

When they entered Raizel's room, they immediately noticed that William wasn't around. Lilith felt that this was a good thing because she didn't want the Half-Elf to hear the discussion between Raizel and her.

She wanted to get into the bottom of things, and she had already braced herself for the answers that the red-haired beauty was about to tell her.

"Sit," Raizel said as she sat on the couch. She then patted the side next to hers and looked at Lilith expectantly.

The Amazon sighed and sat next to her, as per her wish.

This time, Raizel didn't attempt to hug or hold her. She just leaned her head on Lilith's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"You asked earlier why I have Gleipnir, and the answer is really simple…," Raizel answered with her eyes closed. "It was passed on to me by my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Yes. My mother."

Lilith took a deep breath as she spoke out her mind. "Gleipnir is the treasure of the Amazon Empire. Naturally, only the members of the Royal Family can use it. Are you a member of the Royal Family?"

"Is this your second question?" Raizel asked back, still with her eyes closed.

"No, this is just a continuation of the first question," Lilith argued. Although she knew that the girl had already answered her question, she only had two chances to ask her. With that said, she tried to force the issue that Gleipnir belonged to the Amazon Empire, and as the Amazon Princess, she had the right to know the answer.

Raizel giggled, and just listened to Lilith's "excuse", so that she would answer a question for free.

"Alright, I'll make this exception once," Raizel relented. "I am indeed a member of the Royal Family."

"Who is your mother?"

"Is that your second question?"

"Yes," Lilith stated. "Tell me the truth."

Raizel didn't answer right away. Minutes passed by in silence, but Lilith didn't mind. Since she had made the girl promise to answer her honestly, she would give her the time to answer her question.

"My mother is… a very… greedy person," Raizel said with a smile. "Surprisingly, my father is also a very greedy person. You could even say that they are a match made in heaven. One holds material treasures, the other holds priceless ones. Treasures that all the money in the world couldn't buy.

"When the two of them met, they started off on the wrong foot. My mother was at fault back then because she stole something she shouldn't have. Fortunately, Papa was a benevolent person, and forgave her easily."

Lilith didn't say anything and simply listened to Raizel's story. She found her words very soothing, and the Amazon Princess liked hearing her voice.

"Then one day, the two of them went on an adventure," Raizel continued her tale. "Along the way, they encountered a dangerous situation, and both of them barely managed to escape with their lives.

Perhaps it was fate, but the two of them met a very beautiful cupid, who helped them get closer to each other. Papa wasn't a dense person, so he understood that Mama had her sights on him. However, the problem was that Mama was too afraid to take the initiative during this time period."

"Mama thought that she needed time to get on Papa's good side, so she decided to just go with the flow. I think this is Mama's shortcoming. As an Amazon, we should always take the initiative when it comes to looking for our life partners. Being passive isn't our style."

Raizel's voice took on a pouty tone, which made Lilith subconsciously pinch her cheek.

"What happened next?" Lilith asked. Clearly, she wanted to know more about Raizel's Papa and Mama.

"Due to Mama's inaction, and Papa dealing with his own circumstances at that time, their distance remained," Raizel explained. "Fortunately, a beautiful, and loveable cupid had seen the problem, so she decided to take matters into her own hands."

"And what did that cupid do?"

"She gave Mama some advice."

"And that advice was?" Lilith asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Raizel opened her eyes and smirked.

"I already answered your two questions, so I'm not telling," Raizel giggled as she ran away.

Lilith smirked as she ran after the girl.

Soon, the sound of two girls giggling echoed on the walls of Raizel's room, not knowing that a certain Half-Elf could hear the two of them from the room next to theirs, where he had chosen to rest for the night.

Chapter 800: Nice Tush

Chapter 800 - Nice Tush

When William opened his eyes, it was still dark outside.

It had been a few hours since the Haunting, and he had only slept lightly through the night. This was to ensure that if they were to get attacked again, he would be able to respond accordingly.

Fortunately, after the undead had returned to the Black Tower, no further attacks happened.

The Half-Elf took a deep breath as he stood up from his make-shift bed.

After doing some simple stretches, William left the room to get some fresh air outside.

Just as he was passing by Raizel's room, the Half-Elf remembered the words that the young lady had spoken yesterday. Although he didn't mean to eavesdrop, what was done was done, and there was nothing that he could do about it.

William paused as he used his heightened hearing abilities to check if the two girls were awake. Unfortunately, the only thing he heard was the peaceful breaths of two people who were in a deep sleep.

'I'll come back to talk to Raizel later,' William thought as he continued to walk in the hallway.

—--

Inside Raizel's room…

The beautiful young lady hugged Lilith's arm as she slept without a care in the world.

This side of her was something that no ordinary people could see. As someone that was born into the Amazon Royal Family, there were many responsibilities that she carried on her shoulders. The outside world would only see her as a confident and domineering warrior princess who didn't shy away from any kind of challenge.

This was what led her to explore one of the Forbidden Grounds of their Domain, and ended up in the Deadlands after falling on the River of Samsara. If not for her quickwits to using Gleipnir to wrap her body up like a mummy before falling to the river, she might have already undergone a series of lifetimes, as per the Laws of Samsara.

Actually, falling in the river wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Those who did fall in the river, and managed to survive their thirteen lifetimes would receive enlightenment, and break through the restraints of mortality, which would turn them into Demigods.

Unfortunately, not many were able to accomplish such a feat. Most of them remained trapped within the river, carried by the currents until their souls became pure, and ready to once again enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.

The same could be said for the other people who had ended up in the Deadlands. One way or another, they had accidentally crossed to a place between the boundaries of life and death. Due to their strong will to live, and rejection to cross over to the next life, they ended up in the Deadlands.

A place where neither the living or the dead could find peace.

When Lilith opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a lump of long-red hair. What followed next was the sound of Raizel's steady breaths, which allowed Lilith to remember the things that they had discussed.

A few hours ago, Lilith asked Raizel who her mother was, but the young lady didn't give her a name.

Instead, Raizel talked about her Mama, her Papa, and the rest of her family. She told Lilith how she grew up being showered with love and care by her parents, and siblings. According to Raizel, she had many brothers and sisters.

The reason for this was due to her father having many wives. The young lady said that each of her father's wives treated all of the children in their family like their own kids.

When Lilith asked Raizel if her Papa's wives were also Amazons, the latter shook her head. The young lady insisted that the only Amazons in their family were her, her little sister, and their mother.

Lilith then asked Raizel specific questions like what did his Papa's wives look like.

To this question, the young lady only gave Lilith a mysterious smile and refused to comment further.

The two of them talked about many things, until they fell asleep together.

The Amazon Princess gazed at the young lady beside her with a complicated expression on her face.

Raizel's long red hair, that reminded her of William, covered the side of her beautiful face. Lilith lightly brushed it off, and tucked it behind the girl's ear, so she could get a better look at her.

The young lady's eyes were closed right now, but she had stared at those beautiful amber eyes, that were the same color as her own, last night.

Although Lilith wasn't a hundred percent sure of her hunch, she didn't reject the idea either. As she gently caressed the side of Raizel's face, a big part of her heart wished that it were true.

'Is this Fate playing with me?' Lilith thought as she stared at the young lady with a tender gaze.

She didn't have the answer to this question. However, right now, her heart felt warm and ready to accept this possibility.

A minute later, Raizel's eyelids fluttered.

Lilith watched as the young lady opened her eyes and gazed at her sleepily. This lasted for a few seconds before Raizel burrowed her head into the Amazon Princess' chest.

Clearly, Raizel still wanted to sleep, and Lilith felt helpless about it.

'You're such a big girl, and yet you still act like a baby,' Lilith mused as she wrapped her arms around the young lady and hugged her. 'I guess I can let you sleep for fifteen more minutes.'

Lilith also closed her eyes as she listened to Raizel's breathing.

Unknowingly, she also fell asleep and would wake up with Raizel an hour later.

—-

"They're still asleep?" William scratched his head. He was having an internal struggle whether to eat breakfast without them, or wait for the two girls to wake up.

After a few minutes, he decided to go to the shower room to take a bath. He hadn't taken a bath yesterday due to the circumstances they had to deal with.

As the water fell on his head like rain, he closed his eyes and tried to sense anything from inside his body and sea of consciousness.

William spent a few minutes trying to activate all his abilities, but only the Flame of Purification appeared in his vision.

'I guess the Flames of Purification and my Prestige Class, Vampiric Necromancer, are the only things I can use in this place,' William mused.

Just as he was about to turn off the water, the door of the shower room opened and two beautiful ladies appeared in his vision.

The three people stared at each other for half a minute. Suddenly, Lilith lowered her head and stared at Little Will, who had sensed that enemies had appeared to fight him.

"Nice tush," Lilith said before covering her lips and giggled.

Raizel, on the other hand, covered her eyes with her hand. However, the small gaps in between her fingers, and the giggle that escaped her lips made William turn around and reach for his bath towel in haste.

He had been too occupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the arrival of the two girls.

"You don't have to go, you know?" Lilith asked as she moved towards William. "Why don't I help you scrub your back?"

William backed away, and wrapped the bath towel on his waist. He then hurriedly left the shower room without turning back or saying a word.

To be honest, he didn't mind being seen by Lilith, but since Raizel was also with her, he decided to make a strategic retreat.

Although he still hadn't confirmed his suspicions, he wouldn't allow the red-haired beauty to see him in his birthday suit.

Chapter 801: Uniting Under One Banner [Part 1]

Chapter 801 - Uniting Under One Banner [Part 1]

Two hours after the bathroom incident, the three people finally finished eating breakfast together.

Since the Haunting had just ended Raizel proposed that they scavenge for food, water, and other resources that they could find from the ruined city.

William and Lilith didn't have any objections, and decided to accompany Raizel on her expedition.

However, just as they were about to head out from the shelter, two trucks stopped at the main entrance of the stadium, blocking their way.

Raizel raised her hand to stop William and Lilith from doing anything reckless because she saw a few familiar faces that disembarked from the trucks.

"Lindir, Eldon, Wade, Avril, and… Swiper." Raizel raised an eyebrow when she saw the leaders of the five out of twenty shelters in the Deadlands. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

An Elven beauty stepped forward and smiled at Raizel. She had long green hair, and eyes as red as rubies. Just like all Elves, she was beautiful and radiated a sort of elegance that was second nature to their race.

"It's good to see that the Glory Shelter has survived the Haunting," Avril said with a hint of appreciation.

"Hmp! They're just lucky." Swiper snorted. "Maybe only a few undead were sent to this place due to their low population. I think that is the main reason that they survived."

"Don't be like that swiper," a burly dwarf said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Luck is also part of strength. Since Raizel got lucky this time, it just means that Fate was standing on her side last night."

"I didn't know that you believe in luck, Eldon," Raizel commented as she stared at the dwarf who led the shelter that was exclusive to their race. "You always struck me as someone that only believes in the strength of his hammer."

"Aye, girl," Eldon nodded his head in agreement. "Without my Hammer, our shelter might not have lasted through the night."

A Lizardfolk who stood two-meters away clicked its tongue in annoyance. His name was Lindir, the leader of the Swamptide Shelter.

"Raizel, we just came here to inform you of two things," Linder stated. "The first one is that Mythos, Spirit, and Hidden Grove were over-run last night.

"A few of their members managed to escape and informed us of what happened last night. Among those three shelters, less than thirty people combined survived."

Raizel frowned. Compared to those three shelters, the Glory Shelter was nothing. All of them had over two hundred members each, and there were many fighters among their ranks. It just showed how dire the situation was for less than thirty people to survive the Haunting that had plagued the city last night.

"And your second reason for coming?" Raizel crossed her arms over her chest.

She knew that the leaders of the five shelters wouldn't come to see her just to inform her about the three shelters' demise.

"The Haunting is getting more troublesome with each cycle," Wade, the leader of one of the strongest Human Shelters replied. "Judging by what happened last night, we believe that the next wave will be more deadly. There is a very high possibility that more than three shelters will fall this time.

"Maybe after the next Haunting comes to pass, only half of the Shelters will remain standing. This is why we decided to have a meeting with all the leaders of the surviving shelters. All of us will go to the Plaza to discuss possible collaboration between all of us. We are here to invite you to that gathering."

Raizel nodded. "Understood. When will it be held?"

Swiper snorted as he glared at Raizel. "Now."

The Boarkin still hadn't forgotten his defeat after trying to annex the Glory Shelter. When the other leaders had arrived at the Beastkins' shelter, he didn't want to go and see her. However, due to the importance of this meeting, he had no choice but to accompany the other leaders to show that he agreed to participate in the discussion.

"Very well," Raizel replied. "However, I will be taking them with me."

The young lady pointed at William and Lilith who were standing beside her. The two were like overprotective parents that wouldn't allow their daughter to party with strangers.

"No problem," Avril commented with a smile. "Each leader is allowed to bring at least four members. The two of them coming will not be an issue."

After finalizing their talks, Raizel drove her own truck, alongside the others.

Inside the Deadlands, trucks were the ideal mode of transport because they could carry many people, as well as resources that they could find within the city.

Surprisingly, some resource stations replenished their stock on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, the top shelters had already claimed these places, and the only way to snatch it from their hands was to have a war between shelters.

This was something that they tried to avoid at all cost. Only during desperate times would a war of that scale come to pass.

When the three trucks arrived at the plaza, they saw that all the other leaders were already there.

This was the first time that all the leaders of the shelters had gathered to discuss something. At most, only groups of three or four would talk about collaborating with each other. This just showed how serious they were in this meeting that would decide the fate of everyone living inside the Deadlands.

After everyone had gathered, Avril decided to lead the discussion. As an Elf, and the leader of one of the strongest factions in the Deadlands, no one made a comment about her taking the initiative.

In fact, they were even thankful for it. As people who had lived in the Deadlands, conflicts were unavoidable. They would often fight for resources on a day to day basis.

Although there was an unwritten rule that killing was prohibited, some of them ignored it and would resort to murder to get what they wanted.

"The Haunting last night was very different from the previous ones we've encountered," Avril said. "Not only were the undead numerous, their quality has also increased. Over fifty High-Level Undead attacked our shelter yesterday, and we suffered many losses while resisting them.

"I believe that the same thing happened to all of you as well. This is why we decided to hold this meeting in order to find a way to have a united front, against a possible undead outbreak that we will not be able to resist if we remain divided."

Swiper stood up and voiced out his agreement.

"Indeed. After living in this sh*thole for many months, I believe that right now we are going to face the greatest challenge of our lives," Swiper stated. "Those who think that they can survive the next Haunting alone are delusional."

The Boarkin made sure to glance in Raizel's direction before scanning the faces of everyone in the plaza.

"I vote that we all unite under one banner and create a Super Shelter that can resist any further undead invasion," Swiper declared. "Anyone who has a better idea, step forward and make your voice heard."

The leaders glanced at each other, but no one stepped up to say anything.

Wade stood up and gave Swiper a brief nod of appreciation.

"Since no one has an objection in making a super shelter, there is only one question I have in mind," Wade said. "Who will lead us? Do we select a leader who will call the shots, or should we continue to command our shelters and just defend an area that the alliance had tasked us to do?

"We need to come up with an agreement today. Delaying this matter will only be counterproductive, so I suggest we take a ten minute break so we can discuss with our comrades what the best course of action to take is."

Everyone voiced their agreement to Wade's words.

None of them wanted to relinquish the power they had over their subordinates. If they were to choose only one leader, that person would have absolute control over everything, including their manpower and resources.

Raizel was in favor of having a united front, but she wasn't too keen in following the orders of any of the leaders present in the plaza.. The only time she would agree to such a condition was if William or Lilith was named Commander of the alliance.

Chapter 802: Uniting Under One Banner [Part 2]

Chapter 802 - Uniting Under One Banner [Part 2]

Several minutes passed as the leaders discussed the details of their united front.

All of them agreed that working together is the way to survive their impending doom. However, all of them had conflicting opinions about having a single leader to command their united front.

After repeated discussions, all of them decided to compromise on two things. The first one was that they would choose a single shelter to gather at during the Haunting. This would allow them to bolster their forces and resist the undead army together.

The second one was to allocate two to three shelters to defend a single location during the undead siege.

All leaders would have command of their own forces, and they were expected to work together in order to defend the side they were assigned to.

No one voiced any objection, so they proceeded to the next phase of the discussion.

"Now that the basic foundation of the alliance is finalized, there is only one last thing left to do, and that is to choose which shelter we will use as the stronghold to resist the next Haunting," Avril said. "I propose that we all vote on which shelter we will defend this time around."

The leaders glanced at each other. They knew that this was the lynchpin to their predicament so all of them took this seriously.

"Among all the shelters, I believe that the Mimameidr Shelter, led by Avril, is the most secure and easily defensible shelter in the Deadlands," Wade commented from the side. "I believe that it is the ideal stronghold that we should use for the next Haunting."

The other leaders glanced at the beautiful Elf, who had the highest number of members among the Shelters.

Also, Wade didn't lie when he said that the Mimameidr Shelter was the most ideal place for their united front because of its location.

Standing on an Artificial Island was a theme park. Avril had chosen this location because there was only one bridge that connected it to the mainland.

As long as this bridge was secure, the Undead Army would not be able to step inside the shelter.

Of course, there was also the threat of the flying undead, but since the Elves were excellent marksmen, they were able to shoot them down from the sky before they could do sufficient damage to the Shelter and its inhabitants.

These were the reasons why most of the people in the other shelters chose to migrate to the Mimameidr Shelter after their previous shelters were destroyed.

Even Raizel had no objection to this arrangement. For her, as long as the people under her wings were safe, she didn't mind lending her hand to protect their safety.

William and Lilith offered no opinion on this matter. Both of them had just arrived at the Deadlands, so they stayed out of the discussion and simply listened at the side.

"Since everyone is in agreement, I will give everyone two days to visit my humble abode," Avril said with a smile. "For now, gather as many resources as you can. During this period, no one is allowed to attack each other. I know that all of you have old grievances with each other, but anyone who breaks this rule will be left to fend for themselves. Do I make myself clear?"

All the leaders nodded. They knew what was at stake, so they decided to set aside the grudges in their heart for the time being.

The discussion ended at around three in the afternoon, and all the leaders returned to their shelters to relay the news to their people.

The people in the Glory Shelter became emotional after hearing Raizel's explanation. Although they hadn't participated in the battle, they knew how dangerous the Haunting was. In fact, they were very ashamed of themselves because they couldn't offer any help and could only depend on Raizel to protect their shelter from the undead army each and every time.

"Cathy, we are to gather as many resources as possible in two days," Raizel ordered. "Will, can you go with Cathy on their scavenging operation? Even without the Haunting, danger lurks in this ruined city. Zombies, Skeletons, and other lesser undeads can wipe out a team if they are not careful. Please, can you ensure their safety?"

William nodded. "Okay."

Raizel felt relieved after hearing William's reply. With him around, the safety of Cathy's team was assured.

"Lilith, you will come with my team," Raizel said. She then looked at everyone in the shelter with a sweet smile. "It's already late, so let's wait until tomorrow before we start our operation. We will split our groups into two. We are to secure as many resources as we can. Fighting against the other survivors is not allowed. If they provoke you, just ignore them, understood?"

""Yes!""

"Okay, everyone is dismissed."

After the people dispersed, Raizel returned to her room with William and Lilith. She needed to inform them a few things about the city, and the things that they should watch out for whenever she was not with them.

"Our location is here," Raizel pointed at the stadium located on the city map that was placed on top of the table. "Mimameidr Shelter is here. The Demonic Shelter is in this location…"

Lilith pointed out the location of all the shelters to William and Lilith. She told them about the strengths and hierarchy of each group.

"Avril is the strongest warrior here in the Deadlands… I mean, was the strongest warrior. But, now that you're here, Will, she has no choice but to step down to second place. However, you should not let anyone know that you're part vampire.

"The undead is a sensitive issue and if they see you drinking the blood of others, none of them will take such news lying down. Even if I back you up, they will not listen to me. What I'm saying is that, you should try to be as low-key as possible. Don't stand out and just fight normally, okay?"

William nodded. "Understood."

"Also, just to be on the safe side, you should drink blood every two days, and you should do it in secret," Raizel warned. "The Beastkins have sensitive noses, especially that swine Swiper. Once he finds dirt on you, he will definitely not let it go."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Remember, you and Lilith are our secret weapons. Although Swiper had experienced how strong both of you are, he still had no idea as to the extent of your powers when the two of you decide to get serious."

Lilith, who was only listening at the side, cleared her throat to catch the two's attention.

"There is something that I need to tell the two of you," Lilith said with a serious expression on her face. "On our way to the plaza, I felt the presence of a very powerful treasure."

Lilith then pointed to the location on the map. "This is the rough location where I sensed the treasure," Lilith said. "I don't know what kind of treasure it is, but it might be something good since I am able to detect it."

Raizel frowned when she looked at the place where Lilith pointed.

"That is very close to the Demonic Shelter," Raizel commented. "This territory falls under the jurisdiction of Swiper. Are you sure that it is in this location?"

"Definitely," Lilith affirmed. "When it comes to treasures, I am never wrong."

Raizel rubbed her chin as she pondered about what to do.

"How about this? Lilith and I will go there tonight," William proposed. "That way, even if we are discovered, we can just pretend that both of us were just taking a night stroll together. We just arrived at the Deadlands and we can get away with saying that we got lost. How does that sound?"

Raizel and Lilith stared at William with surprise.. Both of them had the "I didn't know that you were this smart" expression on their faces, which gave William the urge to pinch the two of them to oblivion.

Chapter 803: Infiltrating The Demonic Shelter [Part 1]

Chapter 803 - Infiltrating The Demonic Shelter [Part 1]

Demonic Shelter…

"Boss, are we really going to that Elf's shelter in two day's time?" one of Swiper's subordinates asked. "I don't think we need to rely on them for anything. We can protect our shelter on our own. Isn't that right, everyone?"

"Yes!"

"We demons are strong! We don't need any help from the other races!"

"It's just a bunch of undead. Last time, we only had less than a dozen casualties. I'm sure that if we make enough preparations, we will be able to survive the next Haunting as well."

"We don't need to hide under that Elf's skirt, we can survive on our own!"

""Yeah!""

The Demons voiced their opinions while Swiper sat on his chair and smoked a cigar.

"You fools. Do you really think that I am scared of the Haunting?" Swiper snorted.

"Then, why did you agree to that alliance, Boss?" a Wolfkin asked.

Swiper took a deep drag of the cigar in his hand before puffing the smoke in a casual manner.

"This is the perfect opportunity to teach that high-strung Elf a lesson," Swiper replied. "Don't you guys think that this time's Haunting is a good occasion to weaken the forces of Mimameidr Shelter? If all of the survivors gather in one place, naturally the Undead Army will concentrate their forces on that shelter as well."

The Demons glanced at each other as realization dawned on them. They then looked at their leader in admiration.

"Once Mimameidr Shelter falls, the Elves will lose control over the Resource Station and it will be ripe for the picking," Swiper said with a smug expression on his face. "All that you need to do is act that you are fighting with everything you have, when in truth you will allow the undead to infiltrate the area we are guarding.

"Once that happens, the undead will be able to destroy the shelter, and force Avril to send some of his members to stop their advance. Once their number has decreased, they will no longer be the top shelter in the Deadlands. It will then be our turn to rule this place!"

"As expected of the Boss! You truly are a Demon! You're so evil!"

"Hahaha! Once those Humans and Elves realize what is happening, it will be too late for them to do anything. We will be the new rulers of the Deadlands! Everyone will have to listen to us!"

""Yeah!""

Swiper smirked as he gazed at his subordinates who were already thinking of lording over the other survivors once his plan came to fruition.

He laughed in his heart at the thought of making everyone kneel and submit to his will. It was also at that moment when the faces of leaders of the different shelters flashed inside his head.

"You stupid fools," Swiper muttered. "I will make all of you understand who the true Overlord of this place is."

—--

"What is this artifact?" Lilith asked.

"It's not an artifact," William replied. "It's called a bike. Now, just hold tightly or you will fall."

Lilith frowned as she stood on top of the bike peg. She placed her hands over William's shoulder, while the latter placed his foot on the pedal. He had thought of using a motorbike to travel to the territory of the Demonic Shelter, but they were too noisy and would definitely catch the attention of the demons.

This was why William decided to use a bicycle as their means to transport.

"Ready? William asked.

"Yes," Lilith replied.

After hearing her confirmation, William pedaled and the bike moved forward. Slowly, but surely, it gained speed until they had traveled a good distance from the Glory Shelter.

Raizel watched them go from on top of the roof of the stadium with a smile on her face.

She had wanted to go with them, but this was a sensitive time. This was why she decided to agree to William's plan and just stay in the shelter to defend it.

The cold night breeze passed through William's and Lilith's body, making the Amazon Princess' long hair flutter in the wind.

This was the first time she had experienced something like this, and its novelty made her feel good.

'I guess doing this from time to time isn't a bad thing," Lilith mused as she looked at the Half-Elf who was busy navigating the abandoned streets under the cover of darkness.

The two didn't talk and simply focused on the task on hand.

Due to William's Dark Vision, he was able to spot some of the Demons that served as lookouts before they could even see them. He made sure to avoid these places as much as possible.

Suddenly, Lilith leaned on William's body, and pointed in a direction.

William used his willpower to ignore the softness that rested on his back, as he nodded his head to tell Lilith that he understood.

The Half-Elf then navigated the bike to the area where Lilith had felt that the treasure was located.

As someone that was born with the Divinity of Greed, it was very easy for her to sense the direction of a treasure. Even though most of her powers had been suppressed by the Deadlands, she was still able to vaguely feel the presence of treasures that exceeded a certain threshold.

Lilith lightly tapped William's shoulder, telling him to stop.

The Half-Elf nodded and parked the bike on the side of the road.

Although they couldn't see any Demons in the immediate surroundings, they decided not to talk to each other and only used gestures to increase their chances of not getting discovered.

Lilith led the way, but since she didn't possess William's Dark Vision, their progress was quite slow as she tried to pinpoint the treasure's location.

In the end, the two arrived at an abandoned carpenter's shop. Lilith walked slowly, using the dim light of the moonlight that passed through the windows of the shop.

Usually these places would have many tools lying around, but after looking at his surroundings, WIlliam noticed that only a few items remained.

Clearly, this shop had been raided in the past, and most of the tools here that could be used as weapons had already been taken away by the people of the Deadlands.

While William was casually looking around, Lilith made a beeline for the corner of the room where a workbench was located.

She then rummaged through the hollow holes on the sides of the workbench, to look for the item that she was sensing.

After a few minutes, she retrieved a small wooden mallet from one of the hollow storage areas of the work bench and showed it to William.

"This is it," Lilith replied as she handed the small wooden mallet to William.

The Half-Elf was about to take a good look at the item in his hand, when he heard several pairs of footsteps coming in their direction.

He immediately held Lilith's hand and pulled her toward the wooden cabinet beside them. As soon as the door of the cabinet was closed, the door of the Carpenter Shop opened.

A moment later, four Demons entered the shop carrying flashlights in their hands.

"Are you sure they're here?" a one-horned Demon asked.

"I'm sure," a chubby demon that looked like a frog replied.. "They're at that cabinet over there."

Chapter 804: Infiltrating The Demonic Shelter [Part 2]

Chapter 804 - Infiltrating The Demonic Shelter [Part 2]

As soon as William pulled Lilith inside the cabinet, he immediately covered her lips with his right hand before closing the door.

He didn't have time to warn the Amazon, so he had to resort to drastic measures in order to deal with the problem at hand.

He was afraid that Lilith would say something and alert the Demons, so he covered her lips with his right hand, and his left holding her in place, so she wouldn't be able to move.

Just as Lilith was about to complain, she heard the sound of a door opening, followed by voices. Her body immediately tensed, as she braced herself to fight.

"Don't do anything reckless," William whispered using the lowest volume that he could.

Lilith nodded her head in understanding.

After getting her acknowledgement, William removed his hand from Lilith's lips. Both of them were warriors, so there was no need to say anything. The moment they were discovered, they would immediately knock the Demons unconscious before making their escape.

The footsteps became louder as the Demons walked towards their direction.

"How many?" the one horned demon asked.

"Two," the frog-like demon replied. "Don't worry. They are enough for us to all have a round."

The Demons chuckled as they reached out to touch the door of the cabinet.

William clenched his fist, and Lilith held the handle of her short sword. Both of them were now poised to strike as soon as the door of the cabinet was opened.

The creaking sound of a wooden cabinet door being opened echoed inside the carpenter's shop.

"Hello, my sweeties," the frog-like demon said. "Did you miss me?"

The other three Demons chuckled as they humored the frog-like Demon in his antics.

The frog-like Demon took out two big bottles of high-class wine from the cabinet and presented them to his companions.

He then rummaged for the wooden bowls inside the cabinet to be used for this occasion. A few minutes later, the four Demons chatted as they drank the wine and ate the food that they had brought with them.

"It's too bad that we can't invite our other brothers for a drink," the frog-like Demon sighed as he poured drinks for everyone. "All the good stuff goes to the Boss. Fortunately, we found this without anyone knowing about it."

"Indeed," a Demon with white hair replied. "Us on the bottom only get the scraps. Experiencing this kind of luxury is very rare."

"Still, the Boss sure is planning something big," the one-horned demon said after drinking his wine. "Not only does he plan to weaken those Elves, he also wants to cause enough casualties so that the other shelters will also be weakened."

"Right! He's so evil!" the frog-like demon agreed. "Damn. I bet that Avril would fill our Boss' body with holes if she found out about his plan. This kind of betrayal will surely make her wish that she could chop our Boss to pieces."

The other Demon's laughed in agreement. They knew how strong the beautiful Elf was, and even their Boss, Swiper, was no match for her if the two of them fought to the death.

"But, are you sure this is the right thing to do?" a purple-haired Demon said. "I mean, if we let the undead through, doesn't that mean that we are also in danger? It's not like they will ignore us if we let them in, right?"

The other three Demons quieted down as they pondered the purple-haired Demon's words.

"W-Well, I'm sure that the Boss has already thought of this as well," the frog-like Demon replied. "I'm sure that if we obey his orders, none of us will be truly in danger."

"I guess you are right," the purple-haired Demon nodded. "I guess I'm just overthinking things. The Boss would not do something without a backup plan, right?"

Another round of silence descended inside the carpenter shop. Swiper wasn't necessarily the smartest Demon in their shelter, but he was one of the strongest.

The other strong Demons accepted his rule because Swiper promised them high positions if they agreed to make him the leader of the Shelter.

Since then the Boarkin had ruled the Demonic Shelter and constantly waged war on the other Shelters in an attempt to weaken them.

It was only recently that Swiper decided to annex the weaker Shelters, but his plan collapsed when he failed to make Raizel and the Glory Shelter submit.

"Yes, our Boss is smart." the white-haired Demon agreed. "As long as we follow him, all of us will become the new rulers of the Deadlands."

"Cheers!"

""Cheers!""

William and Lilith exchanged a glance at each other. Both of them were shocked to discover that the Demonic Boarkin was planning to backstab everyone in the Alliance during this crucial period.

Swiper had been very supportive during the meeting, and they thought that the latter had already given up his grudge against them. However, this new information made them realize that even if you painted a black boar white, its true color would still be black no matter what.

The Demons continued to chat about random things until the wine and food had gone to their stomachs.

"Let's go back brothers," the frog-like Demon said as he stood up wobbling. "That wine sure packs a punch."

"You just have a low tolerance," the one-horned Demon chuckled. "Just that tiny bit of wine and you're already like this? You need to grow a pair."

"Hahaha! Don't worry, we can try to explore near the outskirts tomorrow," the white-haired Demon said. "Maybe we get lucky and find another stash of goodies."

The purple-haired Demon nodded as he helped the frog-like Demon on his feet. However, Just as they were about to walk towards the door, the frog-like Demon sneezed and a glob of green goo escaped its nose.

This goo then hit the cabinet in front of him, creating the sizzling sound of acid burning through wood.

The Demons laughed at their comrades' antics. However, a few seconds later, the sound of a sneeze reached their ears.

Lilith looked at William apologetically after she made the blunder. The smell of melting wood and acid irritated her nose, so she wasn't able to stop herself from sneezing.

William sighed internally, but still nodded his head in understanding. Since their cover was blown, they had to prepare to fight their way out of this mess.

The Demons all looked at the cabinet, which now had a hole on its door.

The one-horned Demon sniffed the air and his expression became serious when two unfamiliar scents reached his nose.

The purple-haired Demon made a gesture and all of them held their weapons firmly in their hands.

Even the frog-like Demon that had been feeling light-headed earlier instantly sobered up as it glared at the wooden cabinet. It then took a deep breath and was about to spit an acid spray at the cabinet when the wooden doors opened.

Two blurs charged in their direction, and two of the four demons slammed into the walls of the workshop.

"You guys are from the Glory Shelter!" the purple-haired Demon shouted as he recognized William and Lilith.

He was one of the Demons that had come with Swiper to annex the Glory Shelter. He had a lasting impression of these two people because Wiliam had punched his face, and knocked a few of his teeth out.

Lilith on the other hand, was able to stand her ground against their Boss, so the purple-haired Demon also remembered her.

"What? From the Glory Shelter?!" The white-haired Demon gritted his teeth as he prepared to fight against William and Lilith.

Suddenly, a loud croaking sound pierced the quiet of the night, which alerted the other Demons in the area.

William clicked his tongue as he pulled Lilith's hand and ran toward the door to make their escape.

Due to his heightened senses, he had already heard the sound of motorbikes headed in their direction. Although he was confident that he and Lilith could fight their way through an encirclement, he tossed this idea to the side because they were still inside the Demonic Territory.

He didn't know how many Demons were in the area, so escaping was their best option. He had thought of killing the Demons, but this was a risky move and might have serious repercussions.

Also, they didn't want the Demons to have an excuse to target Raizel and the people of Glory Shelter.

For their sake, William and Lilith refused to kill the Demons and simply decided to escape.

The frog-like Demon used its long tongue to swing on top of a building. He then croaked out loud to inform everyone in the Demonic Shelter of what was happening.

"Don't let them get away!" the frog-like Demon roared as he pointed at the two fleeting figures in the distance. "Kill them!"

Chapter 805: Just Look At That Face. I Bet His Own Mother Doesn’t Trust Him

Chapter 805 - Just Look At That Face. I Bet His Own Mother Doesn’t Trust Him

The sound of motorbikes could be heard around the Demonic Shelter as they scoured their territory in search of William and Lilith that had disappeared without a trace.

The two had holed themselves up inside a building, while erasing the traces that they had left behind. For the time being, they decided to lie-low until the Demons had given up their search.

'Fortunately, we made a Plan B,' William thought. 'Raizel will handle the rest.'

Lilith slept lightly on the couch. She was currently in a half-awake, half asleep state, and ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Although their bodies were strong and could last several days without rest, William told her that she should take a rest while she could.

The Half-Elf had volunteered to become the nightwatch since he was more proficient in surveying their surroundings, especially when it was dark.

Lilith had no rebuttal to this reasoning, so she agreed to the Half-Elf's suggestion and rested for the time being. She was quite confident that William would wake her up if something that was beyond his control suddenly came to pass.

Three hours later, the sound of motorbikes searching the area stopped. They once again returned to their headquarters to report that they weren't able to find the two people that had heard something that they shouldn't have.

Swiper smashed his fist on a table after hearing his subordinates' report. He then glared at the four Demons who had unknowingly informed others about his plans, which made them shudder in fear.

"Are you sure that they are those two people that recently arrived in the Deadlands?" Swiper asked as he lifted the chin of the purple-haired Demon that had recognized William and Lilith.

"Yes, Boss!" the purple-haired demon answered in a heartbeat. "I can't possibly forget the face of that Half-Elf who knocked out my teeth yesterday. Also, that woman who fought you was with him. There is no mistake about it."

Swiper snorted as he pushed the Demon away. He then walked around in circles as he tried to think of a solution about how to handle this mess.

William and Lilith were newcomers, so they were tricker to handle than those that had been in the Deadlands for a long time. Also, both of them were expert fighters. Swiper knew that if they really went all out and fought against them, the other Shelters might get suspicious, giving the true intruders a good reason to back up their claims for his planned betrayal.

"Listen to me," Swiper said as he looked at the four Demons who were kneeling at the floor. "All of you will testify that you were attacked by those two Humans inside our territory. Also, you will deny any allegations firmly and tell the leaders of the Shelters that the two of them are lying. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, Sir!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Swiper nodded his head. "The four of you, and a dozen others will follow me to see Avril. We will strike while the iron is still hot, and leave no room for those two newcomers to worm their way out of this mess."

—--

As the night deepened, William's eyes, that could see almost anything in the dark night, saw over two trucks and a dozen motorbikes head in the direction of the Mimameidr Shelter.

The Half-Elf had memorized the location of all Shelters in the city, and he could make a guess about what Swiper was planning to do.

After making sure that this wasn't a trap to lower their guard, William shook Lilith awake and told her that they would make their escape while their pursuers were meeting with the Elven Leader.

The journey back to the Glory Shelter was smooth, but it still took them two hours to return because Willliam and Lilith decided to play it safe and only travel along the outskirts of the Demonic Territory.

The first thing they did when they arrived at the Shelter was to tell Raizel everything that they had heard, which made the young beauty frown.

"There's no doubt about it," Raizel said after hearing William's and Lilith's explanation. "They're trying to frame the two of you. That swine, Swiper, will definitely deny everything that you have heard, and make sure that the two of you pay for breaking the rules of the Alliance."

William and Lilith exchanged glances and nodded their heads at the same time.

"The best way to deal with this is for Lilith and I to leave the Glory Shelter," William said. "By doing so, you will not be involved in this matter. You can also claim that you had just picked us up the other day, and were merely giving us a place to stay for the time being."

Lilith nodded. "Or, we can still tell the leaders about Swiper's planned betrayal. Even if he denies it, the other leaders will be wary of him. This will also ensure that the Demons will be under heavy surveillance, which would definitely affect their performance."

"The second option is better." Raizel agreed. "Avril is not stupid. She'd rather be suspicious of the Demons than turn a blind eye to the possibility of getting stabbed in the back. Believe me when I say that no one here has any love for the Demonic Shelter. All of them are scum."

Before they could continue their discussion, the sound of vehicles approaching the stadium reached their ears.

The Deadlands were very quiet at night, so it was not hard to know that they had uninvited guests arriving at their front door.

"We will come with you," William said. His voice was firm and would not take no for an answer.

Lilith smiled because she was planning to say the same. There was no way she would allow Raizel to be intimidated by anyone.

Raizel sighed as she looked at the two people in front of her.

"Very well, but do not resort to violence," Raizel replied.

"Okay."

"Sure."

—--

Avril, Swiper, and the other leaders of the Shelters stood in front of the Stadium's entrance.

They had made their arrival known, so they knew that Raizel would come out and meet them even though it was still the middle of the night.

When Raizel, William, and Lilith appeared, the expressions of the leaders hardened because they had heard only Swiper's side of the story. The Demonic Boarkin made sure that all of them had become aware of the serious offense that William and Lilith had committed.

Now that Raizel appeared with both of them, Swiper's plan on including the Glory Shelter into the mess crossed his mind. However, for the time being, he decided to let the matter unfold, and wait for the right opportunity to drag Raizel into the mud along with her two new friends.

"Raizel, I'm sure that you are already aware of why we are here," Avril said. "We've come for the two people beside you."

Several warriors behind the leaders unsheathed their weapons in preparation to attack. However, none of them made a move because their leaders had still yet to give them the order to apprehend William and Lilith.

"I'm sure that all of you had heard this Swine's lies, so it's time for you to hear my friends' side of the story,'' Raizel said. "You will allow that right, Avril?"

"Of course," Avril replied. "Communication is the key to any successful negotiation. Let me hear your side of the story, and depending on their testimony, their sentences could be lessened."

"Lessened? Meaning, you already plan to punish them?" Raizel raised an eyebrow.

"Regardless of the reason, the two of them still broke the rules that we just set a few hours ago," Wade replied with barely restrained anger. "Do you understand? Just a few hours have passed and these newcomers have already trampled on our dignity. Tell me, why should we not punish them?"

Raizel didn't bother to answer Wade's accusation and made a gesture for William to tell everything that they had heard to the rest of the leaders.

Just as she expected, the leaders' expression changed after hearing of Swiper's planned betrayal. They all gave him side-long glances, but the Boarkin was unperturbed. It was as if he was even enjoying the slander that was being tossed in his direction, and kept a smug grin on his face the whole time.

"These allegations are serious," Avril said after hearing William's explanation. "What do you have to say for yourself, Swiper?"

Swiper snorted as he sneered at William and Lilith, "And here I thought that the two of you could make a better excuse for your transgression, but it seems that this is as far as your imagination can take you.

"Me? Betray the alliance? For your information, I was the one who initiated this talk between the different shelters. Why would I want to destroy something that I have worked so hard to make? Do you think we're playing house here in the Deadlands?"

Swiper spat on the ground as he glared hatefully at William and Lilith for trying to ruin his reputation.

"Both of you are newcomers, so you don't understand how hard it is to survive on a daily basis!" Swiper roared. "How dare you slander me with this bunch of bullsh*t? Can't you think of a better excuse?"

After hearing Swiper's hateful reply, some of the leaders also glared at William. It was indeed Swiper who had initiated that the Alliance be formed in order to resist the Haunting. Although his character wasn't the best, he had been in the deadlands for a very long time.

William and Lilith, on the other hand, were just newcomers, so they felt that neither of them fully understood the circumstances they faced everyday. Even so, after hearing the Half-Elf's reply, a seed of doubt had been planted in their hearts, which was William's and Lilith's true goal.

In reply to Swiper's words, William just chuckled.

"Wow, bravo." Willam clapped his hands together. "What a passionate speech. Unfortunately for you, do you really think that these leaders are three-year old gullible children that will nod their heads because you tell them too? What are you, their homeroom teacher?"

The Half-Elf then scanned the faces of the leaders who were looking at him with frowns on their faces.

"All of you are the leaders of the various shelters here in the Deadlands. This swine has been around for a long time. Do you still not know his character?" WIlliam inquired. "Just look at that face. I bet his own Mother doesn't trust him."

Swiper choked when he heard William's jab at his character. Unfortunately, he couldn't refute the Half-Elf's words. His mother really didn't trust him.

Raizel giggled as she listened to William's snarky reply. Even Lilith was smiling as the Half-Elf slapped the Demonic Boarkin's face without even lifting his hand.

"You've already heard both of our stories, so it is up to you to decide. However, let me just give you one piece of advice," William said with a smile. "Although having a united front is good, you still need to choose who you can trust your back with."

William crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Avril with a fearless gaze.

"I've already told you our side of the story," William stated. "Now, it's time for all of you to decide who you will believe between the two of us."

William had already prepared himself for the worst. If the Alliance really took Swiper's side in this matter then he and Lilith would also act accordingly.

Raizel stared at the Half-Elf's back with a calm expression on her face. Just like William, she had already made plans in her head.

Regardless of what the Alliance said, she would take William's and Lilith's side no matter what.

She didn't care if the entire Deadlands fell to ruins.

All she cared about was to stay by their side, and spend their remaining days together in the best way possible.

Chapter 806: Staying With Me Is Akin To Suicide

Chapter 806 - Staying With Me Is Akin To Suicide

William, Lilith, and Raizel, waited for half an hour because the leaders of the different Shelters, excluding Swiper, had an impromptu meeting on the spot.

After a heated discussion, Avril stepped up to inform them of the Alliance's decision.

"Your accusation of Swiper for his planned betrayal of the Alliance is truly an eye-opener," Avril said with a smile. "However, you have no proof to back your claim, right?"

"There's no need to look for the proof," William replied indifferently. "Once your Shelter falls, you will know whether I'm telling the truth or not."

The Half-Elf then glanced at the Boarkin who was glaring at him from the side.

"You better work on your acting skills during the Haunting," William sneered. "Now that everyone has their eyes on you, I can already see that you will be giving them an award winning performance to wash away the doubts in their minds, right?"

"Filthy Half-Elf, shut your trap," Swiper shouted. "If you can't shut it, I will be more than happy to do it for you!"

William didn't reply and simply made a "come and get me'' gesture, which infuriated the Boarkin. However, after forcefully controlling his emotions, Swiper didn't move to attack William.

Deep inside, the Demonic Boar was afraid of William's strength. He had a feeling that if the two of them fought seriously, the one who would end up dying was him.

Seeing that the Boarkin didn't plan to accept his challenge, William simply shrugged and returned his attention to Avril.

"So, what did you guys decide?" William asked. He was very curious about what the leaders of the different shelters had come up with after their impromptu meeting.

Avril narrowed her eyes as she looked at William from head to foot.

"Very few people can make Swiper shut up, it seems that you're one of them," Avril replied. "However, whether what you said is true or not, you still broke the rules of the council and hurt the members of the Demonic Tribe.

"Because of this, we have all agreed that you, and the lady accompanying you, will not be allowed to participate in the United Front during the Haunting. You will not be welcome in our Shelter, and will have to fend for yourselves."

Avril then glanced in Raizel's direction.

"According to the information we received, you didn't accompany them during their infiltration to the Demonic Shelter, so the Glory Shelter will not be sanctioned," Avril stated. "All of you can still participate in the plan and are welcome in the Mimameidr Shelter."

Raizel's expression remained calm as if she was already expecting that the leaders' would give this kind of punishment to William and Lilith.

Cathy, and the other members of the Glory Shelter that had gathered behind Raizel, looked at their young leader with complicated expressions on their faces.

"Cathy, and all of you, do you want to join Wade's shelter?" Raizel asked as she turned around to face her subordinates.

"Raizel?" Cathy looked at the young beauty with confusion. "What do you mean join Wade's shelter? Are you planning to disband the Glory Shelter?"

Raizel nodded. "Yes."

"Is it because of them?"

"Right."

"But, why?" Cathy asked. "They just arrived at the shelter. Why are you siding with them?"

The other members of Raizel's shelter also voiced their thoughts on the matter. They couldn't believe that their leader would decide to choose William and Lilith over the Alliance. For them this decision was complete suicide.

"Because, I trust these two with my life," Raizel answered. "If the Alliance doesn't want them, I don't need to join such an Alliance."

Avril and the other leaders frowned when they heard Raizel's reply. The leaders that ruled over the Shelters were strong people. Each of them was a highly-prized fighter that could reverse the situation due to their strength.

Without Raizel, the alliance would lose a strong fighter.

"Don't be like this, Raizel," Wade, the leader of the Shelter whose members were mostly Humans, commented from the side. "Do you really need to go this far?"

Raizel ignored Wade's question and looked at her subordinates.

"Wade is a good leader. I'm sure that he will take care of all of you," Raizel said softly. "I know that some of you have complaints about me, so this is a perfect opportunity for you to join a stronger shelter.

"Let's face it. At the end of the day, we are the weakest shelter here in the Deadlands. Wouldn't you feel more secure if you sided with Wade? His faction has many strong fighters and you will not have to worry about getting bullied when you scavenge for resources. Also, I'm not really fit to be a leader."

Raizel looked at her members with a sad expression. She had been doing her best to keep everyone safe, but she was only one person, and her strength was limited. The young beauty knew that there would come a time when she wouldn't be able to protect them from the Haunting, so it was best for them to join a bigger Shelter to increase their survival.

The members of the Glory Shelter glanced at each other, they then looked at Wade with a hopeful expression, which made the latter sigh internally.

"Wade, will you take my members in?" Raizel asked.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Wade asked.

In the past, he had tried to recruit Raizel and her people to join his Shelter because their factions' members were mostly Human. However, Raizel rejected his offer due to sentimental reasons.

The previous leader of the Glory Shelter had been good to her, so she did her best to keep the Shelter running all by herself.

"Yes," Raizel nodded. "Can my people join your shelter?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

After seeing this exchange between the two leaders, some of the members of Glory Shelter walked towards Wade to officially join his faction.

In the end, only a dozen people stayed behind, including Cathy.

"Why?" Raizel asked Cathy and the rest of the people that decided to remain. "Staying with me is akin to suicide."

Cathy stared at Raizel with a serious expression. "Although I don't speak for everyone, I believe in you, Raizel. Also, I am one of the founding members of the Glory Shelter. I don't want its Legacy to disappear from the Deadlands."

"For such a trivial thing?" Raizel replied. "You decided to throw away your life for something so trivial?"

"Trivial?" Cathy shook her head. "Didn't you do the same? For the sake of something trivial, you rejected Wade's offer in the past. You are not the only one that has an attachment to this place. Isn't that right, everyone?"

""Yes.""

Raizel sighed deeply as she looked at Cathy and the others. "I just hope that you guys won't regret this."

"Don't worry, Leader. If I die and become a zombie, I'll make sure to bite as many Demons as I can."

"That's right. They've been bullying us since long ago, even in death. I'm not going to let go."

"Let's show these other Shelters that the Glory Shelter isn't weak! We will survive!"

""Yeah!""

William and Lilith watched this scene with smiles on their faces. They could tell that Raizel managed to win the trust and respect of these few people, so they decided to remain despite that impending doom that they were bound to face.

"Avril, sorry, but the Glory Shelter will not participate in the Alliance," Raizel declared as she looked at the beautiful Elf with determination. "I pray that you will succeed in your endeavors. Also, pay close attention to Swiper. His heart is as filthy as a cesspool."

Avril nodded, but she wasn't able to keep her disappointment from showing on her face.

"Raizel, if you changed your mind, you're more than welcome to join us," Avril replied. "Our doors will remain open for the Glory Shelter."

"Thank you." Raizel smiled. "Can I ask a favor from everyone here?"

"A favor?" Wade asked back. "What is it?"

"It's nothing much. I just hope that you won't harass the members of the Glory Shelter when we are scavenging for resources," Raizel answered. "Or is that too much to ask?"

"Don't worry. We have no grudges against the members of Glory Shelter," Lindir, the Lizardfolk who ruled over the Swamptide Shelter replied. His shelter and the Glory Shelter had been neighbors for a long time, and the two had collaborated several times to get resources located at the outskirts of the city.

These two shelters had been allied for a long time even before Raizel appeared in the Deadlands.

"Our Steel Axe Shelter isn't so petty either," Eldon, the ruler of the Dwarven Shelter commented. "We won't hurt you and your people, lass."

"The same can be said for us," Avril replied. "The Elves will not harm your people."

The other leaders also said the same thing. Finally, all their gazes landed on Swiper who hadn't spoken.

"Fine," Swiper growled. "The Demons will not find trouble for you. However, if you find trouble with us, we will definitely not take it lying down."

After saying their farewells, the leaders of the different Shelters, as well as their subordinates left the Glory Shelter.

"Let's all go back inside," Raizel ordered. "There's still a few hours before sunrise, so all of you better rest up. We still need to look for resources tomorrow in preparation for the next Haunting."

"Yes, leader," Cathy replied with a smile. For some reason, she felt that the burden in her heart had disappeared after seeing Raizel's relieved expression. "We will do our best to stock up in preparation for the great battle we will face in a few days."

"Good." Raizel nodded. "Everyone, thank you for trusting me."

—-

Back at the Demonic Shelter…

"Boss, are we really going to let them go like this?" the frog-like demon asked.

"It's fine," the purple-haired demon replied. "They won't be surviving the next Haunting anyway."

The other demons nodded their heads in agreement.

Swiper, who was seated on his chair, snorted. He, too, thought that Raizel's group had no hope of surviving the next Haunting. He was only a little disappointed because he didn't manage to annex the Glory Shelter in order to have them work for him in the future.

"Listen everyone," Swiper said as he scanned his subordinates. "Now that the other leaders in the Alliance are suspecting us of a betrayal, we need to give our best performance to erase the doubts in their hearts. Fight to your fullest, and don't give them an excuse to kick us out of the Alliance. We just need to be patient."

Swiper lit his cigarette and took a long drag from it. He then blew the smoke softly as his eyes looked at the Black Tower in the distance.

'Yes. All I need is the right opportunity to turn things around,' Swiper mused.. 'When that time comes, even if all the Shelters unite against me, their resistance is futile. Isn't that right, Lord Morax?'

Chapter 807: Will You Make Me Your Lover?

Chapter 807 - Will You Make Me Your Lover?

A sigh of pleasure escaped Lilith's lips as William slowly drank her blood.

The Half-Elf was like a thirsty man traveling alone in a desert, drinking his supply of water sparingly.

The atmosphere in the Deadlands had a way of strengthening the power of the Undead, but for William, it was a boon that he would rather live without.

His Bloodthirst was something that he was able to keep in check because of the Elves inside his Thousand Beast Domain, as well as the help he received from his wives.

Unfortunately, he couldn't access his Thousand Beast Domain, so his blood supply was limited. This was the second time that he had drunk Lilith's blood, but he was only drinking it in sips, trying to savor the taste, and prolong its effects for as long as he could.

The Amazon noticed that William wasn't drinking her blood as quickly as last time. However, she didn't plan to complain. Just like William, Lilith also wanted the pleasure that she was feeling to last as long as he could.

A few minutes later, William lightly kissed the wound on Lilith's neck, healing it completely.

"Thank you," William said as he supported Lilith's body that had turned to jelly.

"Mmm," Lilith sighed as she leaned her body against William's chest.

Two days had passed since the incident in the Demonic Shelter, and an uneasy peace had settled over the Deadlands. Tonight was the night when the Haunting was supposed to strike, so William had asked Lilith if he could drink her blood, so his blood thirst would be at an acceptable level.

Truth be told, William was still deprived of blood, but there was not much he could do about it. Lilith was the only one he could ask on a personal level. As for Raizel, after drinking her blood once, William had refrained from doing so again.

For some reason, he would rather drink Lilith's blood, than drink the young lady's blood, whose hair was as red as his.

"Are you sure you drank enough?" Lilith asked after she managed to take full control of her senses. "You drank less than you did last time."

"Really?" William asked.

"Amazons are warriors, we have been trained to pay close attention to our physical abilities," Lilith replied as she made herself comfortable by leaning on William's chest. "Are you sure you're going to be fine? If you need more blood, you can ask Raizel for some, you know?"

William sighed. "I… I just can't. It feels wrong to drink her blood."

Lilith hummed, but didn't comment any further. She just closed her eyes as she continued to lean on William.

"Two hours before sunset," William said. "I think I'll be okay for one rough night."

"And after that night is over?"

"I don't know."

Lilith giggled. "Do you like Demon Blood? Since we're on bad terms with them, taking a bite out of them is good, right?"

"Ewww!" William replied. "I have standards, okay? I'll only drink Chiffon's blood."

"She's a Demon? I thought she was just… short."

"She's not short. Chiffon is Half-Dwarf, Half-Demon. It's a race thing."

Lilith giggled. "Okay. I'll believe you for now."

"What do you mean, for now?" William snorted. "It's the truth."

"So, how did you meet her? After hooking up with Lust, you cradle snatched Gluttony. Who's the next Sinful Lady you plan to add to your harem?" Lilith inquired. "Wait. you're probably tired of the Sins now, maybe you want to spice it up and aim for the Virtues? Is that why you're trying to be chummy with Professor Celeste's familiar?"

William snorted. "Is that what you think of me? A guy who makes every beautiful lady I see my wife?"

"You're not?"

"Of course not."

Lilith turned around and stared at William's face. "Prove it to me."

"Prove?" William shook his head. "I don't need to prove anything to you."

"Hey."

"Hey what?"

Lilith rested both of her hands on William's shoulders and stared straight into his eyes.

"Will you make me your lover?"

"..."

Seeing William's complicated expression, Lilith giggled before standing up and walking away. Just as she was about to leave the door, she glanced at William and smirked.

"If I asked you this question a few days ago, you would have definitely said No," Lilith said in a teasing tone. "Don't be so stuck-up. You can also rely on Raizel. I'm sure that she's just waiting for you to approach her. We need you, so you'd better be sane at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

"... Yes," William answered.

Lilith winked at him before leaving the room.

After the Amazon Princess left, a helpless sigh escaped William's lips. He then laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time.

William knew that Lilith was right.

If she had asked him this question a few days ago, he would have outright rejected her. But, right now, he felt conflicted.

He asked Raizel to talk with him privately a day ago. The young beauty agreed to his request, and William asked her a couple of questions about where she came from, and anything related to her family.

Raizel answered all of his questions, but they were quite vague. She even had a big smile on her face the whole time, as if she found William's questions amusing.

Simply put, the young lady was smart enough to not step on any landmines that William had set for her. This made William curse her internally because no matter how eloquent he was, the red-haired beauty had beaten him at his own game, hands down, which frustrated him.

"Why are you making this complicated, Raizel," William muttered softly as he covered his eyes with his hand. "All I ask is for you to answer Yes or No. Is that too much to ask?"

As the Half-Elf was thinking on what to do next, the alarm in the stadium suddenly rang.

It was also at that moment when the Half-Elf felt some stir inside his body and knew for certain that the Haunting was about to begin.

Chapter 808: Army Of One

Chapter 808 - Army Of One

Mimameidr Shelter…

Avril stared at the countless Undead that had started to make their way towards her stronghold. It was an attack from both land and air, and for the first time in her life she was quite thankful that her shelter was not going to face this calamity alone.

After William's warning, all the leaders decided to place Swiper and his subordinates on the front lines of the battlefield. Of course, they were not being used as cannon fodders. Five other shelters stood beside them, but it was clear that they were paying close attention to the Demons, who had been accused of betraying them.

Swiper knew that he couldn't afford to take this battle lightly, so he ordered his men to fight to the death. With so many eyes paying attention to him, any act of betrayal would lead to dire consequences.

'With this many undead, the Glory Shelter is finished,' Swiper thought. 'Good riddance!'

The Demonic Boarkin was still annoyed that his plan to decrease the overall power of the Shelters would have to be set aside for the time being. For now, he decided to play his part, so they wouldn't be able to say anything about his performance.

Wade sighed after seeing the Undead army that was making their way towards them. Just like Swiper, he already considered Raizel and the remaining members of the Glory Shelter to be dead people.

Even with the combined might of their shelters, he knew that this battle would be an uphill battle. He didn't dare estimate how many casualties they would have when this night was over.

'Raizel, it truly is a pity,' Wade thought as he remembered the young beauty who had cared for the Glory Shelter after its previous leader had died. 'Xenovia, your subordinate will be joining you soon.'

Lindir raised his spear as he commanded his members to stand their ground. The Lizardfolk and the other Reptilian Races took a fighting stance, as they, too, prepared to clash against the Undead who were already halfway across the bridge.

Eldon, the leader of the Dwarven Shelter, firmly held the war mace in his hands. He stood beside Avril and gazed at the Undead Gargoyles who were flying in their direction. His Shelter's role was to attack using their crossbows, as well as defend the Elven archers, once the Gargoyles opted for close-range combat.

The battle-hardened Dwarf glanced at the beautiful Elf beside him and sighed.

"That lass, Raizel, is done for," Eldon said. "If only she was not as stubborn as her former leader."

Avril knocked an arrow on her bow as she gazed at the distance. "It is the choice she made. There is nothing we can do about it. We have our own battle to fight. Let's survive this fight first before we worry about others."

Eldon nodded. "Aye. This is going to be a very long night."

—--

"... there's so many of them," Lilith's expression became grim as she looked at the hordes of Undead that were headed in their way. "Is that an Undead Wyvern? Such a troublesome fellow."

Flying in the center of the Undead Gargoyle Army was an Undead Wyvern. This was the first time that Lilith had seen a war of this magnitude, and it unnerved her. Even with her powers, she would find this army very hard to deal with.

Without her powers, she felt that she was facing a mission that was impossible to clear.

Although Raizel had a calm expression on her face, deep inside she was feeling very anxious. Just like Lilith, this was her first time seeing a large-scale war, and she felt that she was out of her league.

Judging by the number of Undead that were headed in their direction, she could tell that they numbered in the tens of thousands.

There was only one word to describe their current situation and that was "Overkill".

Unlike the two ladies beside him, William gazed at the Undead Army with calmness. He had participated in wars of bigger magnitude, so he was not fazed with the current undead Army in front of him.

In fact, he was even feeling excited.

As a Vampiric Necromancer, he also had the power to raise the dead. He had done this during the battle in the Southern Continent, so he was well aware of the capabilities of each undead unit that was headed their way.

The Black Tower had not only made his Vampiric Power's surface, it also strengthened his fighting abilities. Although he couldn't destroy the entire Undead Army instantly, he was confident that he could decimate them if he was given a few hours.

Also, he planned to do a bit of an experiment.

If he succeeded then their chances of surviving this clash would drastically increase.

"Lilith and Raizel, stay here in the Stadium and prioritize the flying Undead," William ordered. "Raizel, do you think you can bring down that Undead Wyvern from the sky?"

"Only if it comes within range," Raizel replied. "But, the most I can do is bring it to the ground. I don't think I will be able to fight it, while dealing with the Undead Gargoyles at the same time."

"That's fine. What I want you to do is throw that thing in my direction, understood?"

"That's it?"

William nodded. "Yes. You don't have to do anything else. Just throw it at me."

"Understood." Raizel acknowledged William's order. "Will,… goodluck!"

William smiled as he gave Raizel and Lilith a brief nod before turning around to face the Undead Army.

"Don't let yourselves get bitten or wounded by their weapons." William reminded them. "There is a high chance that you will turn into an undead if your wounds are not treated right away."

"I will do my best."

"Got it."

"I'm off," William declared as he jumped off the roof. He then charged at the Undead Army as the muscles in his left arm bulged.

Sensing his presence, the zombies and skeleton warriors that acted as vanguard, charged in his direction with their weapons held high.

A devilish smile appeared on William's face as he swung his arms to obliterate everything in his path. For him, dealing with the small fries was an easy matter. If an ordinary warrior were to do this, they would need to pay attention to their stamina.

Fortunately, William didn't have to worry about that.

After drinking Lilith's blood, as well as gaining the effects of the Black Tower in the distance, William was currently at his peak performance. He didn't have to worry about a lack of stamina, because the red mist that had spread across the city was like an inexhaustible supply of rejuvenation potion to him.

After killing more than a dozen Undead, the Half-Elf raised his hand and activated his Necromantic skills. He was itching to know whether his hunch was right or not.

Soon, the undead that he had slain once again reanimated themselves and attacked their former companions.

William laughed as he fought alongside his new comrades. He then eyed the leaders of the Undead Army, which were the Death Knights, and Dullahans. If he could make them his minions, then he would be able to turn the tide of battle by focusing on the High-Tier Undead that were currently commanding the army.

Lilith and Raizel, who were watching William's battle from the roof of the stadium, gasped in shock at the scene in front of them.

"Unbelievable," Lilith muttered. "If this goes on, we can win if he can turn that Undead Army into his own!!"

"No," Raizel shook her head firmly. "Will can only reanimate a few hundred Undead at most. I think he is just testing out whether he can pry the control of the tower over them in order to replace it with his own authority.

"Since he can only control a few hundred, he would definitely settle for quality over quantity. Now I understand why he asked me to bring the Undead Wyvern down. This was his plan."

Since Raizel finally understood what William wanted to do, she raised her head to look at the Undead Wyvern who had decided to personally lead the Undead Gargoyles to attack the stadium.

The golden rope in her hands glowed with power as she patiently waited for the Wyvern to come within her range.. That is the only way that she could accomplish the task that was left to her by the man who was given the title Army of One.

Chapter 809: I Think It’s Worth Taking A Gamble

Chapter 809 - I Think It’s Worth Taking A Gamble

William was practically bulldozing his way through the Undead Army. Although they had the numbers, no single Undead among them could fight him head-on.

Although he suffered from several stab wounds, and other grievous injuries, all of them regenerated at a rapid rate thanks to the red mist.

The Vampiric Necromancer was a Prestige Class that was equivalent to a Vampire Prince. Meaning, it was one of the Higher Forms of the Undead class that was only lower than the Vampire King, which was equivalent to an Elder Bone Dragon.

The Death Knights and Dullahan were a tier lower than him, so they didn't pose any kind of threat to him whatsoever.

The only thing that could really threaten William on the battlefield were the Undead Dragons that were flying through the skies of the Black Tower. As long as those Dragons stayed where they were, William was like an adult fighting against tens of thousands of three-year old babies.

Although they could swarm him, bite, hack,and stab him, the injuries he sustained regenerated within seconds. In short, the red mist that was supposed to make the Undead Army formidable, backfired on them.

If Malacai was there, he would be scratching his head because of the absurdity of the entire affair.

Even Lilith, who had been feeling anxious earlier, felt that she had been worried over nothing. Because of William's dominating performance, the pressure on her and Raizel had decreased drastically.

"This Wyvern is annoying," Raizel said as she wrapped an Undead Wyvern and used it as a wrecking ball to hit the Gargoyles who were descending on them like rain.

Because of Gleipnir's ability to extend itself, the young beauty was able to both attack and defend at the same time.

Lilith stood beside Raizel and attacked the Undead Gargoyles that were able to get past Gleipnir's defenses.

The national treasure of the Amazons was blessed with a Divine Property. This meant that anything evil or unholy would be weakened in its presence. This was why Raizel was able to fight against Undead opponents that were stronger than her.

Gleipnir was the natural bane of the Undead. They weren't able to use their full capabilities as long as the golden rope was present on the battlefield.

After almost an hour of fighting, the Undead Wyvern finally lost its patience and uttered a deafening shriek. It then dove towards the two ladies on top of the roof with fury.

'Finally, you made your move,' Raizel thought as she focused her sights on the Undead Wyvern. She had already stopped attacking randomly and prepared to engage the Wyvern that was coming their way.

Because of this, the pressure on the Undead Gargoyles lessened as they bared their fangs at the young beauty who was giving them a hard time.

"Just focus on the Wyvern," Lilith said as she stood in front of Raizel. She held the two short swords in her hands and activated their special properties. The weapons of the Amazon Royal Family were no ordinary weapons.

Although they were not Mythical or Legendary Weapons, like Gleipnir, all of them were Unique Weapons that had special abilities.

Lilith's short swords were a pair, called Hysteria.

Its ability was quite special, even among Unique and Mythical weapons because it had the power to control gravity.

"Fools who defy the laws of the world, accept your fate and be damned by all!" Lilith roared. "Crush them all, Hysteria!"

Anything within a twenty-meter radius of Lilith felt an unprecedented oppression weighing down on them.

For the Undead Flying Army, Gleipnir's suppression and Hysteria's gravity control made all of them mad with anger. They were like sitting ducks, unable to advance no matter what they did.

"Let's go," Lilith said as she held Raizel's waist and jumped towards the sky.

After deactivating the Laws of Gravity around her, the two soared to the sky as if they were flying.

Any Undead Gargoyle that blocked their way fell down towards the ground as if they had lost the ability to fly.

"Bind the world in your embrace and hold it in place," Raizel shouted. The Golden rope danced across the sky like a living being as it headed towards the Undead Wyvern whose eyes glowed like embers.

"Hold the Firmament, Gleipnir!"

When the golden rope had wrapped around the Wyvern's body, the Overlord of the Sky immediately felt that something was terribly wrong.

No matter what it did, it couldn't break away from the golden rope that had tied its body up in a firm knot.

Raizel didn't know, but Gleipnir was a divine artifact that Astarte had acquired through trade from another God in the Ten Thousand Domain.

This artifact had bound the World Wolf, Fenrir, thousands of years ago, so it was nigh impossible for any creature under the Rank of Demigod to break free from its shackles.

After securing her target, Raizel glanced at the battle on the ground and shouted with all of her might.

"Will!"

The red-headed teenager looked up and saw the tied up Wyvern in the sky. He then waved at Raizel to tell her to tell her that he was ready to accept her gift.

Just like a wound-up, spinning top, the young beauty hurled the shrieking Wyvern towards the Half-Elf who was looking at it like it was a toy that he had wanted all of his life.

The Wyvern crashed on the ground, sending rubble flying everywhere.

William ran towards its location, ignoring the Undead who were hacking away at the Death Knights, and Dullahans, that he had converted to his side a few minutes ago.

As soon as the Wyvern saw William, it immediately opened its jaws to bite him.

Unfortunately, the Half-Elf was a step faster and slammed a roundhouse kick on the Wyvern's nose, smashing its head towards the ground.

Before the Wyvern could even utter a cry of pain. William raised his left hand and smashed it on the Wyvern's head, smashing its bones apart.

"Rise!" William ordered as he placed his left hand over the Wyvern's Head "I, your new Master, call for you to serve me in battle!"

The Undead Wyvern's body glowed with a green light. William jumped off its head and stood in front of it, waiting patiently to see if his hijacking attempt to take control of the Wyvern succeeded.

Soon, the Wyvern propped up its body from the ground and uttered a mighty screech. Not long after, it bowed its head in front of William, which signified that it had changed its allegiance to him.

"Good." William said as he jumped on the back of the Undead Wyvern.

The Wyvern flapped its wings and soared towards Raizel and Lilith who were slowly descending to the ground like a feather.

William caught both of them on the Wyvern's back, and flew towards the Undead Gargoyles that were flying towards the sky.

"Raizel, grab those large Gargoyles over there," William ordered. "They are the captains of the gargoyles and I plan to convert them to our side."

"Understood," Raizel replied with a sweet smile on her face. She was about to follow William's orders when her eyes caught something on the ground.

Standing at the center of the Undead Formation was a Death Lord wearing red armor. It held a Giant War Axe in its hand as it made its way towards the Death Knights and Dullahan that William had converted.

"B-Big Sister Xenovia?" Raizel's eyes widened in shock when she saw the familiar figure who had treated her like a family when she came across the Deadlands.

The Ex-Leader of the Glory Shelter had sacrificed herself to allow Raizel, Cathy, and her other subordinates escape when the Haunting suddenly happened during their scavenging expedition.

They were far away from their Shelter back then and had no choice but to fight their way through the encirclement.

Raizel knew that there was a high possibility that she would see Xenovia again, but this time, they would be fighting on opposite sides of the battlefield.

The young beauty had wished that this day wouldn't come, but it still happened.

"Is that her?" William asked as he eyed the Death Lord who was nearly as strong as him.

"Yes," Raizel replied. "That's Big Sister Xenovia. The previous leader of the Glory Shelter."

William nodded. "What do you want to do? Do you want to fight her and end her misery?"

"Even if we destroy her body, her soul will still return to the Black Tower," Raizel replied. "She will face us again in the next Haunting, and there's a chance that she may be even stronger next time."

William frowned as he shifted his attention to the Red Death Lord that had already killed half of his Converted Undead Army.

"Alright, I've decided. Let's get her," William said.

"Can you?" Raizel gave William a hopeful look.

William nodded. "Although the chances aren't high, as long as you bind her with Gleipnir, and she still has memories of you, there is a chance to convert her. Also, you didn't want to fight her, right? Since that is the case, we can only try.

"Besides, having her around would definitely bolster our shelter's manpower. I think it's worth taking a gamble."

Raizel eyed the Red Death Lord on the ground before nodding her head.

"Will, please save Big Sister Xenovia," Raizel said. "I owe her my life."

William smiled. "Understood. Even if we don't succeed, you can just tie her up and use her as a wrecking ball. That way, we don't need to fight her, and she can help us that way as well. It's a win-win for everyone."

The corner of Raizel's lips twitched as she stared at the grinning Half-Elf in front of her. If William wasn't someone she loved dearly, she would have no doubt pushed him off the Wyvern's back.

Xenovia was the one person she truly cared about in the Deadlands, and she would never stoop low enough to use her as a wrecking ball to fight off the Undead Army, whose numbers seemed unending.

Chapter 810: The One That Is Pulling The Strings From The Shadows

Chapter 810 - The One That Is Pulling The Strings From The Shadows

A mighty screech spread across the battlefield as the Undead Wyvern descended from the sky.

William focused his attention at the Death Lord that was wielding a great axe because its fighting prowess was similar to that of a Saint in its initial stages.

'She's strong,' William thought. 'She was probably stronger when she was still alive.'

Usually when a living being transforms into an Undead, their strength decreased by a tier.

According to Raizel, Xenovia's strength was half a step away from being a Saint. Right now, the Death Lord in front of them was already at the Saint Rank. Although it was still in its initial stages, a Saint was still a powerhouse that was not easily defeated.

Due to William's Prestige Class—Vampiric Necromancer—the boosts that he was receiving from the Black Tower, and the red mist, his strength had been boosted to the middle stages of the Saint Rank.

This was why he was able to fight against the Undead Army, even if he was alone. His only concern was that their numbers were truly too much. Even if he had converted dozens of them, it was nothing compared to the bulk of the army that was still being led by the Red Death Lord, who was once the leader of the Glory Shelter.

"I'll try to weaken her first," William said. "The two of you stay in the sky and deal with the Undead Gargoyles. Raizel, when I give the signal, use Gleipnir to bind her."

Raizel nodded. "Be careful, Will."

"Don't worry," William replied as he jumped off the Wyvern's back. "This is not the first time I've fought on this kind of battlefield."

William descended into the midst of the Undead Army like a meteor, smashing everything around him.

As soon as the dust cleared, he charged towards the Red Death Lord to stop her from decimating his converted undead.

Sensing his approach, the Death Lord swung her axe backwards to meet his sneak attack from behind.

William hurriedly lowered his body to evade the attack, allowing the axe to pass over him safely.

'Her reaction time is good,' William thought. The Half-Elf then smashed the Skeleton Warriors around him and snatched two swords from their destroyed bodies.

Soon, the sounds of metal clashing against each other reverberated throughout the battlefield. Usually, William wouldn't meet a War Axe head on using a sword, but his current strength gave him the leeway to do that.

The two exchanged blows sending shockwaves around them. The members of the Undead Army that decided to come close were blown away by the powerful gusts of winds that the two created with every clash of their weapons.

After exchanging blows for the umpteenth time, William managed to get past Xenovia's defenses, and push her back.

It was at that moment when a Dullahan swung its blade on Xenovia's back, forcing the latter to use her axe to block the attack from behind.

William didn't let this opportunity go to waste and closed the distance in a heartbeat. With one powerful palm strike, the Death Lord flew several meters away from her main army.

"Raizel!" William shouted as he blocked the attacks of the Undead that had encircled him on all sides.

Because he was surrounded on all sides, the only thing he could do was to break through using brute force. Fortunately, his enemies weren't like the Death Lord that could fight him on even ground while being supported by her undead companions.

A golden rope descended from the sky and wrapped around Xenovia's body. Although the Death Lord tried her best to free herself from her binding, it was all for naught.

With one mighty roar, William bulldozed his way through the encirclement, sending bones, and rotting flesh in all directions.

"Will" Lilith shouted. "Get out of the way!"

The Undead Wyvern opened its mouth and prepared to unleash a Dragon Breath that would decimate everything in its path.

Seeing that the Wyvern's attack was nearing completion, William hurriedly ran towards his right side, just in time for the Wyvern to unleash its most powerful attack.

Rows, upon rows, of undead were incinerated by the green flames that made the surroundings look like a horror movie.

After creating a wall of flame that separated William and the Undead Army, the Half-Elf was able to escape safely, and use his remaining Converted Undead to attack his pursuers.

William jumped up, catching the Wyvern's claws in a firm grasp.

After securing William, Lilith maneuvered the Undead Wyvern towards the roof of the stadium.

Raizel's hands were tied because of Xenovia, so the Undead Gargoyles swooped down from the air in an attempt to bite them all.

"Not on my watch!" Lilith roared as she raised her twin swords high in the air. "Hysteria!"

An invisible pulse spread out around the surroundings, with Lilith at its center. Soon, any Gargoyles that came within the range of the Amazon's attack fell from the sky like hail.

This lessened the pressure around them, but this ability was taking its toll on Lilith, so she couldnt use it often.

Panting for breath, the Amazon guided the Undead Wyvern to land on top of the stadium, while the Gargoyles were still hesitating to attack them out of fear.

The battle on the ground was getting messier as William's Converted Undead were being hacked to pieces. At most, they could only hold the line for ten more minutes before all of them were wiped out.

"Can you do it?" Raizel asked as she looked at the wrapped up Death Lord. The longer the Undead was detained by Gleipnir, the less resistance it would have when William tried to convert it.

"I'll do my best," William replied as he placed his hand on the struggling Death Lord's Head. "Guard my body. I will force my way inside her Sea of Consciousness."

Lilith and Raizel nodded their heads. They knew that now was the crucial moment, so they would do their best to guard William to the best of their abilities.

After making contact with Xenovia, William closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to invade the Death Lord's Sea of Consciousness.

A moment later, he found himself on a hell-like plain, with fires burning all around him.

William scanned his surroundings because he knew that he didn't have much time. He needed to find Xenovia's consciousness and suppress it in order to convert her to his side.

'There!' William ran towards a glowing red orb in the distance that was the size of a volleyball ball.

When his hands touched the glowing orb, a projection of a four-meter tall Demon appeared in front of him.

"Who are you?!" the demon asked. "How dare you invade my slave's consciousness?!"

William stared at the towering monster in front of him.

The Humanoid Demon had four pairs of batlike wings on its back, and two protruding red horns on his head. His purple eyes filled with malice glared at the Half-Elf with fury.

"A Dread Lord," William muttered as his countenance changed. Dread Lords were powerful Undead-like demons, who specialize in Dark Magic and also had the ability to infiltrate dimensions.

This information appeared inside William's mind when he touched the glowing orb that comprised Xenovia's consciousness.

It was as if the Ex-Leader of the Glory Shelter had passed this information to him, so he would be aware of what was currently happening inside the Deadlands.

'I see, so that's it,' William's face paled after discovering the identity of the Dread Lord that was pulling the strings from the shadows.

He didn't expect that the Deadlands was hiding such a dark secret, and this information made William realize that the current situation they found themselves in was more sinister than he had initially anticipated.

Chapter 811: You’re So Noisy, Shut Your Trap

Chapter 811 - You’re So Noisy, Shut Your Trap

"Are you deaf?!" The Dread Lord roared. "Answer me!"

The Dreadlord's roar broke William out of his daze. He then focused his attention on the glowing orb, and completely ignored the projection that was demanding answers from him.

"You! What do you think you are doing?!" the Dreadlord's face contorted in anger as he somehow guessed what William was planning to do.

"You're so noisy," William answered. "Shut your trap."

"Y-You! Do you know who I am?! If you don't stop what you are doing, I'm going to make you regret being born!"

"You're annoying. Do you really think I am afraid of a mere projection? If you have the guts then come and find me."

William then raised his left hand and made a clenching gesture. Several cracks appeared in the projection's image, followed by the Dread Lord's shouts filled with anger.

"I'll kill you!" the Dreadlord roared in anger. "I'll kill all of you!"

William gritted his teeth as he swung his fist towards the projection, shattering it into pieces. The projection was merely a projection. Aside from threatening, and glaring at William, there was nothing that the Dread Lord could do.

After that, he bit on his finger and poured a few drops of his blood on the glowing orb of light. The hold on Xenovia's soul was quite strong, so normal means wouldn't allow him to break it.

The Dread Lord had placed a small part of his will into the exceptional warriors that he had corrupted and turned into High-Tier Undead.

As long as the Dread Lord's will remained, these Greater Undead would remain loyal to him for all eternity. Because of this, William had gained a greater understanding about his hidden foe.

It also allowed him to think of various countermeasures on how to contend with the Dread Lord over the control of these powerful Undead that was working under him.

"Fortunately, he only left a small fragment of his will in your soul," William muttered as he started to convert Xenovia's soul to his side. "If he placed more importance on you then the price I would need to pay would be higher."

—--

Inside the Black Tower…

An angry roar spread across the dark hall that led to the center of the Tower.

"You filthy half-blood!" the Dread Lord smashed his fist on the arm support of his throne made of dragon bones.

Several pipes were embedded in his body, which were connected to a giant crystal ball, where countless souls were wailing and begging for mercy.

The Dread Lord roared for the second time before raising his right hand.

"N-Noooooo!" one of the souls inside the giant crystal ball screamed in fright as it was pulled towards the Dread Lord whose mood had turned for the worse.

After half a minute of futile struggle, the soul landed in the Dread Lord's hand.

"You lowly mortals dare to defy me?!" the Dread Lord screamed at the cowering soul in his hand. "No one can defy me!"

With an angry snarl, the Dread Lord ate the soul in his hand, consuming its spiritual essence.

"None of you can defy me!" the Dread Lord raised his hand and more souls flew out of the giant crystal ball, which flew straight to his mouth. He then chewed the souls angrily as the power in his body increased.

"I'll make you pay for this, you lowly mortal!" the Dread Lord vowed and the Black Tower gave an ear piercing screech, which made the Bone Dragons flying above it roar in fury.

One of them broke away from the group and flew in the direction of the Glory Shelter. It only had one purpose and that was to raze it to the ground, and kill the Half-Elf that dared to defy its master.

—-

William coughed a mouthful of blood as his link with Xenovia was forcefully terminated.

'I knew it,' William thought as he wiped away the blood from his lips using the back of his hand. 'Wrestling for the control of a contracted Higher-Tier Undead from its Master is not an easy task. Fortunately, I got lucky this time.'

The Death Lord had stopped struggling completely. The green orbs of light that glowed in its eyes had diminished, and were replaced by a golden fiery blaze.

"Will, are you alright?" Lilith asked anxiously. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The Amazon didn't know why William had spat a mouthful of blood. Currently, William was suffering from lack of blood.

Every drop that was lost would cause him to be one step closer to losing control of his senses.

"I'm fine," William reassured her.

William was about to say more when he heard the mighty roar of the Bone Dragon from the tower.

He knew that things were about to get very dangerous, so he forced himself to stand and face the new threat that was headed their way.

"Lilith and Raizel, you stay here with Xenovia," William ordered. "She has been converted, so she won't hurt the two of you."

William then mounted the Undead Wyvern's back and glanced at the Bone Dragon that was only minutes away from the stadium.

"Xenovia has a certain amount of control over the Undead," William stated. "With her around, the army will hesitate to invade the stadium. I'll deal with the Bone Dragon. All of you just do your best to protect yourselves."

The red-headed teenager didn't wait for their reply and immediately ordered the Wyvern to fly towards the sky.

He had just converted Xenovia, and the loss of blood was giving him a stinging pain in his head.

William knew that he had to finish the battle as soon as possible, or else he would risk his blood thirst going out of control.

When that happened, there was a high chance that William would lose all reason and attack any living creature within his vicinity and drink their blood, with or without their permission.

From on top of the tower, Xenovia stirred.

She first looked at her hands then her body before shifting her gaze to Raizel, who was looking back at her with tears streaming down her eyes.

"Big Sister?"

"It's me."

Xenovia reached out to briefly hug Raizel, whose tears had already stained her beautiful face.

"We can talk again later," Xenovia stood as she helped Raizel stand up. "For now, we should focus on protecting the shelter. Also, can you tell me who that person is?"

Raizel smiled as she glanced at William who was guiding the Undead Wyvern to clash against the Bone Dragon that was two times bigger than it.

"His name is William," Raizel said. "You can call him Will for short."

Xenovia nodded. Although her consciousness had been seized by a Dread Lord, she was still aware of what she was doing.

She remembered the people that she killed under the Dread Lord's orders, the short battle he had with William, and the faceoff that happened inside her Sea of Consciousness.

Xenovia had long lost hope of being able to break free from the Dread Lord's control.. If not for William's assistance, she would have still been trapped inside her Sea of Consciousness, and been part of the great calamity that was about to descend on the Deadlands.

Chapter 812: I’m Not That Fragile

Chapter 812 - I’m Not That Fragile

William urged the Undead Wyvern to make a beeline towards the Bone Dragon that was twice its size.

The Half-Elf knew that he couldn't allow the Dragon to get near the Stadium. Once it decided to go on a rampage and unleash its Dragon Breath, everything they worked hard to protect would be all for naught.

He was still reeling from the discovery that he had made a few minutes ago, and the stinging pain inside his head was making things worse.

'Too bad I can't convert this dragon in my current state.' William felt regretful as he neared the Bone Dragon whose glowing eyes had already locked onto his body.

Instead of backing away, the Half-Elf urged his flying mount to go faster.

The Undead Wyvern heeded William's orders and flapped its mighty wings. The dragon didn't expect William to ram its body using his mount, so it was too late to do anything when the two collided in mid-air.

The Dragon screamed as it clawed the Wyvern's head, holding it in place. It then opened its mouth to unleash a Dragon Breath at point blank range, but it stopped after seeing that its main target had disappeared from the Wyvern's back.

It was at that moment when a teasing tone spoke from on top of its head.

"Looking for me?" William sneered as he raised his fist. "You're lucky I'm low on blood. I would have loved to make you my mount if I hadn't used too much of it to convert Xenovia."

After saying those words, William smashed his fist on the Bone Dragon's head, cracking its skull.

The Dragon screamed as it let go of the Undead Wyvern in its grasp. It squirmed in the air as it tried to dismount William from on top of its head, but the Half-Elf was like a leech that refused to let go.

"What? Do you have a complaint?" William laughed as he once again raised his arm. "Tell it to my fist!"

The skull of the Bone Dragon almost shattered in half after William delivered his second blow. However, due to the effects of the black tower and the red mist, the damage he dealt was quickly regenerating.

Even so, that didn't stop the Dragon from screeching hatefully at the Half-Elf who was dead set on smashing its head to bits.

"Screeching helps?" William asked in a teasing tone as he continued to smash his closed fists on the Bone Dragon's head. "Not at all."

William was grinning like a madman as his blood thirst gave his eyes a golden hue. This was the sign that he was nearing his limit, and was about to lose control.

The thing was, as Wiliam gave into his primal urges, his strength also rose exponentially. With a resounding crack, the Bone Dragon's skull collapsed completely, and it fell from the sky, headed straight for the Undead Army.

A loud crashing sound echoed across the battlefield as the Dragon and the Undead around it were smashed to pieces.

When the dust cleared, the Half-Elf—whose eyes had completely taken on the golden hue—snarled at his surroundings.

Without warning, he dove into the densely packed Undead Army and started a rampage.

Wiliam had finally lost his senses and was only acting on instinct.

The Undead didn't back down and swarmed him like a colony of ants.

Lilith, Raizel, and Xenovia, watched from afar as hundreds of scattered bones flew in the air. Willliam duked it out with the enemies in front of him. His nails had grown and all of them were like sharp blades that cut everything in half.

No matter how many skeletons and zombies swarmed on top of him, all of them were slashed and blasted to pieces without fail.

It was a very gruesome sight and, for the first time, Lilith felt genuine fear as she looked at the crazed Vampire Prince who had lost his reason.

"We need to help him," Lilith said as he glanced at Raizel and Xenovia. "We can't allow this to go on. The longer he remains in that state, the more danger we would find ourselves in later."

Raizel firmly shook her head after hearing Lilith's words. "I know that it is dangerous, but right now, we can't afford to incapacitate him. The Undead Army is still there, and if we tried to hold them back, they would be able to overpower us in strength and numbers."

"Are you telling me to wait until the Haunting is over?" Lilith asked. She understood what Raizel was saying. However, for some reason, she didn't like to see William in this crazed state.

She would rather see the Half-Elf be arrogant and narcissistic than be a blood thirsty Vampire that could no longer distinguish friend from foe.

"We have no choice," Raizel sighed. "We just have to wait until the Haunting Ends. It would be more dangerous if we tried to interfere right now."

Xenovia nodded her head in agreement. "I am now connected to him, so I can generally tell what his condition is. It seems that he has allowed his Blood Thirst to get the better of him, while saving up his remaining willpower to resist it at a later time. We will do more harm than good if we try to stop him by force."

Lilith could only reluctantly nod her head after hearing Raizel's and Xenovia's explanations.

The only thing she could do was to pray for the Haunting to end. That way, they could go to the Half-Elf's rescue and let him drink their blood, until he returned to normal.

After two agonizing hours of waiting, the Undead Army started to recede and return to the black tower.

Xenovia hurriedly called the Undead Wyvern that had just finished it's regeneration after its collision with the Bone Dragon.

Lilith and Raizel accompanied Xenovia as they followed the Half-Elf who was still dead-set on attacking the retreating Undead.

When they were directly above the Half-Elf, Raizel used her golden lasso to bind William.

However, the Vampire Prince had sensed the danger that Gleipnir possessed and grabbed it with his hand.

Suddenly, he gave it a pull, which caught Raizel completely by surprise.

The young beauty was pulled off the Wyvern's back, and fell towards the ground, much to Lilith's and Xenovia's horror.

Before the two could even save her, a swarm of bats enveloped Raizel's body before flying towards the ground.

When the swarm of bats disappeared, William stood with Raizel in his arms.

"Don't!" Lilith shouted in panic when she saw William lower his head.

The Vampiric Prince ignored Lilith's shout and sank his fangs into Raizel's neck, drawing blood.

William was about to feast on his prey when a pair of delicate arms wrapped around his head.

"It's fine," Raizel whispered. "Drink as much as you want. I'm not going anywhere."

William's eyes trembled as his fangs stopped penetrating deeper into her neck in order to draw out more blood.

"It's okay," Raizel's words once again reached his ears. "I'm not that fragile. Losing some blood isn't a big deal."

William pulled his fangs back and licked away the blood that was flowing out of Raizel's neck. He licked the wound clean as well as the bloodstains that had traveled down her neck.

Soon, the wound on the young beauty's neck disappeared completely.

The red-headed teenager sighed as he closed his eyes. He managed to regain control of his sanity before it was too late, and was able to prevent doing something that he would regret for the rest of his life.

He knew that if he had continued to sink his fangs deeper into Raizel's neck, he might have sucked her dry, or worse, turned her into a full-fledged Vampire whose humanity would have been lost forever.

Chapter 813: Stop Dilly Dallying And Start Sucking! [Part 1]

Chapter 813 - Stop Dilly Dallying And Start Sucking! [Part 1]

Inside the Glory Shelter…

"Go on."

"No. It's better that we don't do this."

"There you go again, Will," Raizel berated. "Because you kept refusing to drink blood, you went completely berserk. If not for the fact that you stopped at the last minute, I might have become a dried husk."

"She's right, you know," Xenovia, who had her arms crossed over her chest and was leaning on the wall, commented. "Also, now that the Haunting is over, we might find some guests arriving in a few hours who will check the Shelter's condition. I bet they will be surprised to see it still standing."

Lilith who was seated at the couch across William nodded her head. "After you drink Raizel's blood, you can have a bit of mine. Xenovia had already talked to Cathy in secret, and she also agreed to give some of her blood to you. So, stop dilly dallying and start sucking!"

"...."

William knew that arguing with the three ladies inside the room was useless. Although he didn't want to admit it, he understood how dire his current circumstances were. He believed that if he was not able to drink any blood in the next few hours, he would once again fall into a berserked state.

"Very well," William relented. "But, I'll only drink blood from your fingertip, Raizel."

Raizel shook her head firmly. "My fingertip doesn't have much blood. At most you can only get a few drops."

The young beauty wrapped her arms around William's head and pulled it close.

"Just do it, Will," Raizel said. "Not for yourself, but for us who you need to protect. With someone working behind the scenes, we need you more than ever."

Raizel pressed William's lips on her neck and closed her eyes. She had locked William's head in a firm grip. Clearly, she didn't plan to let him go until he had drunk her blood properly.

The young beauty wasn't aware that William was already finding it hard to resist the temptation that she was offering him. With the last push she gave him, the red-headed teenager finally relented and sank his fangs into Raizel's tender neck.

Just like he did last time, he drank her blood sparingly. Although his body needed it, his psychological state was full of guilt and shame of needing to do this with her.

He didn't mind drinking Lilith's blood, or the blood of any other woman. However, Raizel was different.

William held complicated feelings in regards to her. This was why he had some aversion to taking blood from her body.

A few minutes later, William finally pulled back.

"Thank you," William said.

Raizel smiled and nodded her head. "You're welcome. Lilith, it's your turn next. I'll go find Cathy and bring her here as well. Big Sister, would you like to accompany me?"

"Why not?" Xenovia replied with a knowing smile.

Raizel smiled back. She even playfully winked at Lilith before leaving the room with Xenovia.

When the door closed, William and Lilith stared at each other in silence.

After a few minutes, William sighed and stood up from the couch. He then sat beside Lilith and gazed at her beautiful amber eyes, which were very similar to Raizel's.

"What did she tell you?" William asked. "Did she confirm anything?"

Lilith shook her head. "The only thing she shared with me is the story about her family. She even admitted that she was a Daddy's Girl."

The Amazon Princess smiled after saying this, which made William cough lightly.

"How about you?" Lilith inquired. "Did you learn anything from her?"

This time, it was William's turn to shake his head. "No matter how much I tried to trap her using words, she slid through my questions like a slippery eel. Ah, but there is one thing she did mention that I found interesting."

"Oh? Care to share what it is?"

"Yes. She said that her mother was her father's favorite when it came to love making. She added that among his father's wives, only her mother had a bubble butt, which he finds irresistible. I don't know if she was making fun of me or not."

The corner of Lilith's lips twitched after hearing William's words. She even saw the Half-Elf sneakily glancing downwards, as if trying to confirm something.

"If you want to see it, I can show it to you," Lilith smiled sweetly. "The question is, do you dare?"

William lightly cleared his throat as he shifted his attention back to her face.

Lilith was surprised because there was a mild flush that appeared on William's cheeks. This was the first time that she saw the Half-Elf blush after knowing him for a long time. Clearly, her innuendo had an effect on his usually calm demeanor.

"I know that I'm asking for too much, but, can I drink some of your blood again?" William inquired.

He was doing his best to change the subject, and the Amazon Princess was more than happy to set the issue aside for the time being.

"Of course," Lilith replied. "Just like Raizel told you earlier, we need you now more than ever. You're not allowed to go out of control again. Do I make myself clear?"

William nodded. "I can't make any promises, but I will do my best to prevent it from reaching that point. I will no longer be stubborn when it comes to drinking yours, Raizel's, and Cathy's blood."

"Good. It is troublesome when you don't cooperate. Right, you've been drinking Charmaine's blood and the blood of the Elven beauties in your Thousand Beast Domain, right? Why don't you take some of Avril's blood as well."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there. Also, I doubt that the leaders of the different shelters will find my blood sucking tendencies to their liking."

"They don't have to like it. I'm sure that if they had to choose between turning into an Undead or losing some of their blood, they would no doubt choose the latter hands down."

William could only smile bitterly at Lilith's words. Although her tone carried a trace of ridicule, the possibility of it happening existed. While the Half-Elf pondered over the Amazonn's words, Lilith took this opportunity to take off her upper clothes, which made William almost choke on his saliva.

"Why are you removing your clothes?" William inquired as he moved backwards.

"I don't want to get it stained with blood," Lilith answered in a casual manner. "Do you know how hard it is to remove the bloodstain from clothes? Washing it doesn't really work, and we can't use our powers in this place. Don't worry, I won't bite. The only one that will be doing the biting is you."

William did his best to keep a straight face as he looked at Lilith's smiling face.

The Amazon didn't know, but he had heard the line "I don't want my clothes to be stained by blood" countless times already.

Charmaine and the Elves had said the same things before. Even his lovers, Wendy, Ashe, and Est, had done the same when he was still in the Southern Continent. Although he didn't do anything untowards to Charmaine and the other Elves, it won't change the fact that it was impossible not to feel any kind of appreciation in seeing the naked upper body of a lady.

Especially if that lady was someone as beautiful as Lilith.

Chapter 814: Stop Dilly Dallying And Start Sucking! [Part 2]

Chapter 814 - Stop Dilly Dallying And Start Sucking! [Part 2]

William tried to ignore the soft peaks that were pressing against his chest as he drank Lilith's blood.

He was no longer an inexperienced man, and had already had his share of holding beautiful women in his embrace. All of William's wives, and lovers could easily make any man go crazy, so his resistance to seduction and carnal temptations was very high.

If this scene had happened before William had entered the Deadlands, he wouldn't be too affected even if Lilith had gone full commando.

However, because of a Raizel's mysterious identity, the red-headed teenager was finding it hard to not be conscious of Lilith's womanly charms.

Since a certain possibility existed, William wasn't too adverse to having skin-to-skin contact with the Amazon Princess, whose soft moans were starting to make him feel hot and bothered.

It came to the point where William momentarily stopped sucking her blood, and asked her if she could cover her mouth, to prevent her sensual voice from escaping her lips.

Lilith agreed to William's request, and did her best to prevent her voice from distracting the Half-Elf. However, a new problem emerged.

In an attempt to prevent herself from sighing in pleasure, the Amazon Princess lightly nibbled on William's ears, which made the Half-Elf's body uncontrollably shudder. It was like a current of electricity had passed through his spine, making his entire body tingly and sensitive.

"Stop nibbling my ears," William said.

"Okay," Lilith agreed.

She had thought of teasing the Half-Elf by nibbling on his ears. However, she didn't expect that she would find this action of hers to his liking.

In the end, Lilith decided to lightly bite on William's shoulder, to prevent herself from making sensual sounds.

William didn't find anything wrong with Lilith's action, and continued to sparingly drink her blood. His body was strong enough to endure a bit of pain, and the Amazon wasn't purposely hurting him, so it didn't pose a problem.

After a quarter of an hour, William pulled back and patted Lilith's head. The Amazon had been too engrossed in what she was doing, and didn't notice that the Half-Elf had finished drinking her blood.

When she regained her senses, Lilith pulled back and stared at William's face.

She didn't know if William had drunk enough blood, or was just embarrassed, but the Half-Elf's expression was quite rosy.

William was looking at his right side, clearly telling Lilith that he didn't want to look at her naked upper body.

Instead of feeling offended, Lilith found William's reaction cute. If not for the fact that both of them were still in the denial stage, she might have already planted a kiss on his cheeks, just like Raizel always did to the two of them.

Lilith didn't want to ruin the chemistry that was starting to form between them, so she decided to back down for now and wear her clothes.

William sighed internally with relief when he felt that Lilith had no immediate desire to cross that line that they had set for each other.

As if waiting for them to finish, a knock was heard on the door.

William and Lilith exchanged a glance before nodding at each other at the same time.

"Come in," Lilith said after opening the door.

Cathy, who served as Raizel's second in command, walked inside the room with an anxious look on her face.

Raizel and Xenovia followed behind her. Both of them knew that Cathy would run away if the two of them weren't present. They were there to offer their support to her, and ensure that everything was going to be fine.

"Are you really a Vampire?" Cathy asked as she stared at Wiliam, half in awe, and half in fear.

"Part Vampire," William answered. "But, not a full-fledged one."

"Will I become a Vampire if you suck my blood? Those who were bitten by the Undead turn into one in less than an hour. Will the same thing happen to me?"

"No. Rest assured, you will stay a Human."

Cathay breathed in a sigh of relief. Although she trusted Raizel and Xenovia with her life, it was still impossible not to be anxious after being stuck in the Deadlands for nearly half a year.

For the residents of the Deadlands, anyone that was bitten by the Undead was a goner, and no one could save them, even if they tried.

Now that her greatest fear had disappeared, she didn't have much reluctance in offering her blood to William.

Cathy knew that William had fought alongside Raizel, and Lilith, for their sake. She was not a fighter, and had often thought that she was merely baggage. Her only redeeming feature was a pretty face. However, compared to Lilith and Raizel, she was like the stars, surrounding the moon.

She was just a backdrop that highlighted the beauty of others. Nothing more, nothing less.

Now that she had been given an active role in ensuring that their Shelter would remain standing, she decided to agree to Raizel's, and Xenovia's, proposal to offer her blood to William in order to keep his sanity in check.

Ten minutes later, Cathy stared at William in a daze after having her blood taken from her. She had prepared herself to endure pain during the process, but the pain she experienced only lasted for a brief moment before she found herself lost in euphoria.

"I-If you need blood in the future, don't hesitate to look for me," Cathy said as she held William's hand firmly. "I promise that I will keep this as a secret from everyone. So, please, don't hold back and call for me when you need it!"

"O-Okay. I will." William was overwhelmed by Cathy's over-enthusiastic words. For a brief moment, the Half-Elf could have sworn that he saw hearts in the pretty-lady's eyes, which only lasted for a few seconds.

"Another one has fallen." Raizel shook her head because she had already expected this scenario in her head.

Lilith could only nod to the side in agreement.

Unlike her and Lilith, Cathy wasn't a fighter. Her willpower wasn't that strong, so It was very easy for her to become Charmed and be affected by the otherworldly pleasure that followed the brief pain of having William bite her in order to drink her blood.

In fact, Xenovia had to drag the pretty girl out of the room because Cathy refused to let go of William's hand.

The Death Lord didn't know if she should laugh or cry at this outcome. The only thing she did know was that if she didn't take Cathy away from William, Lilith would use force and knock the starry-eyed lady unconscious.

After Xenovia and Cathy left the room, Lilith and Raizel gave Willam teasing gazes, but the two girls didn't say anything. They knew that if they were to make fun of the red-headed teenager, the latter might return to being stubborn, and refuse to drink blood again in the future.

"Let's talk about serious matters first," William said in order to change the awkward atmosphere inside the room.

Lilith and Raizel nodded their heads and sat properly facing William.

"There is a Dread Lord that is trying to forcefully gain authority over the Deadlands, and that creature is extremely powerful," William stated. "Fortunately, due to various circumstances, he is stuck inside the Black Tower. The bad news is that the longer he stays there, the more powerful he becomes, and the more influence he has on this world.

"With every Haunting, the casualties in the Deadlands will rise. Their souls are unable to leave this place, and because of that, the tower would forcefully draw them in. the Dread Lord will then have the option to feed on these souls, or turn them into an Undead. The stronger the soul, the more powerful the Undead Warrior will be.

"A good example of this is Xenovia. The only way to prevent this from happening is by using the Flames of Purification. If I were to use the Flames of Purification, the soul will be cleansed from the influence of the Deadlands and will be able to return to the Cycle of Reincarnation."

"However, I can't use the flames repeatedly. If I use it, my strength will diminish, which will lead to my blood thirst getting out of control again. Because of this, I only plan to use the Flames of Purification as a last resort."

Lilith and Raizel nodded their heads in understanding.

William was about to say more, but the sound of vehicles approaching the Glory Shelter reached his ears.

"Our guests have arrived," William said. "Raizel, I will leave the decision up to you whether or not we should tell the others about this. However, just like our accusation of Swiper, we have no proof to back our claim. Even if we present Xenovia, they will just think that she is no longer the person that she was before, and merely an Undead that is here to help us spread lies, and shake their beliefs about the Deadlands."

Raizel sighed, "Even if that is the case, we still need to tell them. I don't care what they think. They can choose to believe it or not, none of it is my business. As long as my conscience is clear, that is enough."

Lilith looked at the young beauty in admiration. If it was her, she would decide to keep this information a secret until she had solid proof to present to the leaders of the various shelters.

"Since you have already decided then we will share this information with the others," William replied with a smile. "I just wonder what their reaction will be."

Raizel smiled as she looked at William and Lilith. "I guess we'll just have to find that out ourselves. Let's go and meet them. Perhaps our success in defending the Shelter will bring credibility to our words."

"And if it doesn't?" Lilith inquired.

The corner of Raizel's lips curled up as she glanced at the Amazon Princess beside her. "If it doesn't work then we can consider secretly abducting Avril and using William's good looks and charisma to seduce her. If that doesn't work then we can have him suck her blood. Perhaps, the negotiations will go smoother if she becomes addicted to the pleasure."

"You're joking, right?" William asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. Although he was confident in his good looks and his overflowing charisma, he didn't want to resort to such an underhanded scheme, just to have the leader of the Mimameidr Shelter side with them.

Also, he was a married person. Seducing others was not his cup of tea.

Raizel didn't answer, but only gave William a mischievous smile.

That smile was more than enough to tell the red-headed teenager, as well as the Amazon Princess, that the young beauty would really carry out this plan if they were left with no other alternative.

Chapter 815: You’ve Created A Miracle

Chapter 815 - You’ve Created A Miracle

"I can't believe it," Wade said in disbelief. "How did they survive?"

The leaders of the different shelters had seen the traces of destruction as they made towards the Glory Shelter. Several buildings were destroyed, and the remains of a Bone Dragon that laid in a crater, shocked them silly.

However, this was not the thing that surprised them the most. The most surprising part about all of this was that the Glory Shelter was still standing, and looking at it from a distance, it received little to no damage from the Haunting that had passed several hours ago.

"Just what is going on?" Even Swiper couldn't believe his eyes.

During the battle in the Mimameidr Shelter, all of them saw the Bone Dragon fly towards the Glory Shelter.

Swiper was inwardly shocked when this happened, but he also celebrated the unexpected development. With such a powerful creature joining the assault, he already assumed that the Glory Shelter, as well as the annoying Half-Elf, would be burned to ashes, leaving nothing behind.

When Avril proposed that they visit Raizel's Glory Shelter to rescue survivors, Swiper and the other leaders all agreed to accompany her.

For them, this was just a way to pay their respects to Raizel and the people that had stayed behind. All of them thought that they would just be seeing charred ruins when they arrived at their destination.

This was why none of them were able to believe the scene right in front of their eyes.

"Let's go," Avril said after taking control of her emotions. "Let's go and see Raizel."

The other leaders subconsciously nodded their heads as they restarted the engines of their vehicles. They were curious about how Raizel had done it.

They wanted to know how the Glory Shelter survived the attack of countless undead, as well as the fury of a Bone Dragon, which they knew was something they didn't dare to face head-on.

As they neared the Shelter, they saw Raizel standing at the entrance with her arms crossed over her chest.

William and Lilith stood behind her like two bodyguards with indifferent expressions on their faces.

Neither of them cared about the Leaders of the Shelters, the only one they cared about in this God forsaken world was Raizel.

"Raizel, I'm very glad to see that you're safe," Avril said as soon as she jumped off her truck.

Raizel gave Avril a brief nod before replying, "I'm glad to see you, too, Avril."

"How did you do it?" Swiper asked as he walked towards Raizel. "How did you survive?"

The young beauty ignored Swiper and treated him like air. She even didn't bother to look at him and only focused on Avril who was looking at her with complicated emotions.

"Lass, do you know what you've done?" Eldon, the Dwarven leader, asked while playing with his beard. "You've created a miracle."

This time, Raizel shifted her gaze to Eldon. She smiled at the Dwarf who had treated her and her shelter like allies in the past.

"I wasn't the one who made this happen." Raizel shook her head. "It was none other than William and Lilith. Without their help, the Glory Shelter would have long been turned into ruins by now."

All the leaders shifted their attention to the red-headed teenager and the Amazon behind Raizel.

They were well aware of Raizel's fighting prowess. This was why they believed that she alone was not enough to protect the Glory Shelter from annihilation.

"It seems that we need to re-evaluate these two newcomers," Wade commented from the side.

In the Deadlands, the only thing they respected was strength. Only the strong would be able to survive in this harsh environment where death could claim them at any moment.

"Indeed," Lindir, the leader of the Lizardfolk nodded his head. 'Befriending them isn't a bad option.'

Avril smiled and approached Raizel and gave her a light hug. She then approached William and extended her hand for a handshake.

"I know that we parted on bad terms, but I believe that the bridges haven't been burned yet," Avril said. "Let me introduce myself again, My name is Avril Zaleria."

The beautiful elf's long, green hair fluttered in the breeze, and her eyes—that were the color of rubies—looked at William with admiration.

William was about to brush her off, but he saw Raizel's stare, which made him remember that he needed to leave a good impression on Avril in order to help smooth out their relationship.

"William Von Ainsworth," William replied with an award winning smile that would put his Grandpa, James, to shame. "Just call me, Will."

"You're a Half-Elf, right?" Avril asked.

"Yes." William nodded. "I am Half Handsome, Half Elf, so Half-Elf."

Avril chuckled as she playfully batted her eyes to William. "You're not only strong, but you also have a sense of humor. Men like you are rare here in the Deadlands."

"You praise me too much," William replied. "I'm sure that if Miss Avril went all out, fighting against a Bone Dragon would be just as easy as taking a stroll in the park."

"Surely you jest, Will."

"Not at all."

Contrary to his playful demeanor, William was inwardly shocked because he didn't expect Avril to be very strong. He had been around strong individuals all his life, so even if people tried to suppress their aura, he would know right away if they were hiding their strength or not.

Because of this discovery, William decided to be serious in befriending Avril. He had a feeling that the beautiful elf would play an important role in the inevitable faceoff against the Dread Lord in the future.

"Enough flirting!" Swiper shouted. "I smell something fishy going on. How could a small shelter like yours survive the Haunting? What method did you use in order to live another day? Spill it!"

William glanced at the irritating Boarkin that was always trying to find ways to put them in a bad light.

"You smell something fishy?" A smile filled with ridicule appeared on William's face. "When was the last time you took a bath? Have you been drinking your own piss this whole time? Well, considering that you're still alive, you must have put your betrayal plan on hold."

Swiper was about to retort, but he managed to catch himself in time after seeing that Avril's glare was clearly telling him to shut his trap.

Although he was filled with indignation, he chose to take a step back in order to look at the bigger picture. All the leaders wanted to know how Glory Shelter was able to survive, including him, so he had no choice but to swallow his anger and allow Avril to take charge of the situation.

Seeing that this was the right moment to hold an important talk, Raizel invited all the leaders inside her Shelter to have breakfast with them.

William's discovery was something that needed to be known by the public.

The young beauty hoped that they could set aside their differences for the time being in order to tackle this problem together.

After all, this information was something that she couldn't keep to herself. Everyone needed to work together in order to face the Mastermind that was orchestrating everything from the shadows.

A Mastermind, who was making all of them dance on the palms of his hands.

Chapter 816: I’m Sure That Our Suffering Has Just Begun

Chapter 816 - I’m Sure That Our Suffering Has Just Begun

All the leaders, as well as their subordinates, patiently waited for Raizel to start the meeting that she had proposed after breakfast.

All of them were dying to know how the Glory Shelter was able to survive the Haunting, and how they were able to beat the Bone Dragon whose might was at the Pseudo-Myriad rank.

A few minutes later, Raizel appeared in front of them with William and Lilith by her side. The three of them had discussed how they were going to explain what happened during the Haunting, and the route they would take in informing everyone about the existence of the Dread Lord that William had accidentally discovered, while trying to convert Xenovia to fight for his side.

"Before I discuss what happened last night, I want to know first, how everyone fared in fending off the Undead that attacked Mimameidr Shelter," Raizel said. "I'm curious to know how the Undead Army divided themselves in order to deal with all of us. Can someone do me the honors?"

Since Raizel asked how the defense of her Shelter transpired, Avril stood up and gave her a short version of the battle.

Contrary to what they expected, the Undead didn't only march on the bridge, leading to the Mimameidr Shelter, but also traveled underwater.

This had never happened in the past, and Avril and the other leaders were caught off guard by the sudden development.

Fortunately, the Shelter had high walls protecting it on all sides. Although the Undead had launched a sneak attack using the sea, the defenders were seasoned warriors, so they were able to react accordingly.

Additionally, the siege machines that the Mimameidr Shelter possessed decimated the Undead who came within their range. This played a major role in keeping the number of deaths as low as possible.

However, since the numbers of the Undead Legion by land, air, and sea were too numerous, the Shelter still suffered over two hundred casualties. Although two hundred casualties in a span of four hours may seem like a small number, that was precious manpower in the Deadlands where the number of people didn't surpass two thousand.

Thirty of them were from the Demonic Shelter, who fought off the invaders that charged through the main entrance of the Mimameidr Shelter.

Swiper fought alongside his men and made sure that the Undead wouldn't be able to breach through their defenses, leaving the other defenders to deal with the sneak attacks that came from the air and sea.

Skeleton warriors, and zombies, were only low-Tier Undeads that fluctuated between Rank E and D. They weren't very hard to deal with. As for the Higher Undead, most of them were Rank C up to A.

Naturally, there were a few Centennial Ranked Undead among the mix, but the Leaders were strong enough to keep them at bay. Especially Avril, who was like an arrow turret that released countless arrows with every minute that passed.

After hearing the beautiful Elf's explanation, William and Lilith frowned. Although the number of Undead that attacked the Glory Shelter was less than Mimameidr Shelter, the quality of the Unholy Army that they fought was greater.

Although Xenovia and the Bone Dragon weren't enough to make the combined forces of the Alliance lose the battle, they were more than capable of increasing the number of casualties up to a thousand if they had gone to the Elven Shelter.

"That is the hardest battle I have fought here in the Deadlands," Avril stated. "If possible, I don't want to experience it again, but I'm sure that our suffering has just begun."

The other leaders nodded their heads in agreement. They were already dreading the day when the next Haunting would knock on their Shelters' gates. If they could replicate the Glory Shelter's achievement in the previous war then it would greatly benefit the survival of everyone in the Deadlands.

Raizel sighed when she heard Avril's story. She had already expected that many would die, but knowing that some of them were her acquaintances made her sad.

It took her a while to regain her composure before shifting the topic back to how their Shelter survived the Haunting. This was the explanation that everyone inside the room was waiting for, and they paid extra attention to the young beauty that was standing in front of them.

"Just like you guys, we were also attacked by countless Undead. There were several Death Skeleton Warriors, DeathKnights, Dullahan, Greater Zombies, Undead Gargoyles, an Undead Wyvern, as well as a Bone Dragon."

Raizel paused as she observed everyone inside the room who were all looking at her with great interest.

"I only played a small role in that war," Raizel stated. "The one that really took the brunt of the Undead Army was William. He fought on the front lines and kept the Undead's attention on him. This was why the Glory Shelter remained intact.

"Of course, the Undead Gargoyle, and Undead Wyvern posed a threat, but we were able to handle them and keep them at bay. If not for William's valiant efforts, the Glory Shelter would not be standing here today."

Swiper, who was listening to Lilith, immediately stood up and sneered at William.

"Do you really think that we will believe your words? Swiper asked with ridicule. "How can that filthy Half-Elf face off against an entire army alone? Do you think we are gullible kids that you can hoodwink?"

"I'm not forcing you to believe me," Raizel replied. "This is simply the truth. Whether you accept or not is irrelevant, so, shut the f*ck up."

Lilith looked at Raizel disapprovingly. For some reason, she didn't like the young beauty cursing at others. Although she hated Swiper and wanted to curse his entire lineage up to his 10th Generation, she refused to stoop down to his level.

William, on the other hand, gave Raizel two thumbs up in his heart. If B1 and B2 were there, they would have definitely done the same and gazed at the young beauty as if they had found a long lost friend.

The Half-Elf didn't like Swiper, so seeing the young beauty nag at the Demonic Boar, made the red-headed teenager extremely happy.

It was at this moment when William took a step forward and presented himself to everyone. Since the ball had been passed to his side of the court, he would definitely show Lilith and Raizel a good performance.

After all, James had taught him that one should never appear weak during negotiations.. That way, people would have a better impression on you, and take your words far more seriously.

Chapter 817: Only A Fool Will Believe Such Nonsense

Chapter 817 - Only A Fool Will Believe Such Nonsense

The other leaders looked at William with an appraising gaze. They knew that Raizel wouldn't joke around about something of this magnitude, but they simply couldn't accept her explanation at the drop of the hat.

Seeing that all of them were doubting Raizel's words, William simply smiled and patted Raizel's shoulder, telling her that he would handle the rest.

"I have something important to tell everyone in this room," William said as he scanned the faces of the leaders who were looking at him with varying expressions. "There is a mastermind behind the scenes, and he's the one responsible for the Hauntings."

"What?!"

"Someone is manipulating the Haunting? So, it's not a natural phenomenon?!"

"Lad, is what you say true?"

The leaders voiced their opinions one by one. They were all shocked at this revelation because they had all accepted that the Haunting was a part of this world's cycle.

Ever since they appeared in the Deadlands, the Hauntings were already there, this was why they never considered any other explanation as to why it occurred on a regular basis.

"There you again, spouting a bunch of bullsh*t." Swiper laughed. "Proof! We need proof! You can't just randomly tell us something and expect us to believe your claims!"

Several of the Leaders nodded their heads in agreement. Although it was not hard for them to accept the possibility of someone manipulating the Haunting from the shadows, evidence would make things more credible.

"I have evidence, but can you people handle it?" William asked.

He looked at everyone inside the room with an indifferent look. After careful consideration, he still decided to take a chance and present some evidence to back up his claims.

"Sir William, please, show us your evidence."

Avril took a step forward. As the representative of the Alliance, she decided to see William's evidence first, before making her decision as to whether she would believe him or not.

William nodded his head and looked at the door at the side of the room.

"You may enter now," William said. "It's time to say hi to your old friends."

As soon as William finished his words, the door of the room opened.

A Death Lord wearing red armor, and helmet stepped in. Only its golden glowing eyes could be seen beneath its visor, and it made everyone in the room gasp in shock.

"Death Lord!" Swiper roared as he hurriedly raised his weapon. "You foul Half-Elf! You're in league with the Undead!"

The other Leaders in the room also grabbed their weapons, with the exception of Avril. Although she had the strong urge to take out her bow and attack, she endured it using her will power. She then shifted her attention to William who had the "I was expecting this" expression on his face, which made the frown on her face ease up a bit.

"Swiper, it's been a long time and you still haven't changed," the Death Lord said in a teasing tone. "I'm surprised that your Shelter managed to survive this long with you in the lead."

Swiper, who was about to attack, halted his steps. The Death Lord's voice sounded awfully familiar that it was more than enough to stop him in his tracks.

The Death Lord took off its red helmet, and showed its face to everyone in the room.

Gasps of disbelief, fear, and excitement spread across the room, as Xenovia, the former leader of the Glory Shelter, appeared in front of them once again.

Everyone looked at her pale face, that was deprived of life, and yet, they could feel the powerful life force emanating from inside her body. Xenovia gave everyone a sweeping glance before briefly nodding her head in greeting.

It was then when everyone realized that the person that was in front of them was indeed the woman who had sacrificed her life to save the members of her Shelter from the Undead Army that had claimed her life.

"X-Xenovia?" Avril asked in an uncertain tone. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, Avril," Xenovia replied. "It's me."

Xenovia then stared at the leaders and called out to those familiar to her with a casual greeting.

"Eldon, you're just like Swiper," Xenovia grinned. "Nothing has changed since I last saw you. You're still short."

"Damn woman!" Eldon huffed. "How many times should I tell you not to look down on me because I'm short!"

Xenovia chuckled before shifting her attention to another target.

"Lindir, you and your lizardfolk are still alive?" Xenovia eyed the Lizardman from head to foot. "It seems that your tail has finally grown back. Can I slice it off again? The last time I had a barbecue with your tail was more than half a year ago. I still remember how delicious it was."

"F*ck you!" Lindir shouted in anger.

"... you're not handsome enough to ask me such a thing."

"Die!"

"I'm already dead, you know?" Xenovia roared in laughter after teasing the Lizard who was holding his spear in an attacking stance.

"Okay, that's enough, Xenovia," William tapped the Death Lord's shoulder. "We still have important things to talk about."

"Tsk, and I was only getting to the good part." Xenovia sighed.

William shook his head and faced the Leaders, and their subordinates with a calm expression on his face.

"I fought against Xenovia during the battle, and managed to break the connection of the Dread Lord on her soul," William explained. "During the process, the Dread Lord and I fought inside Xenovia's Sea of Consciousness. It was there that I realized that the Haunting was not a natural phenomenon, but an orchestrated attack in order to wipe out every living being in the Deadlands."

"Wait!" Swiper interjected. "I know a bit of Dread Lords, and I know how powerful they are. If what you say is true then none of us would be alive here and now. Although the Undead Army are numerous, they are not that strong. But, if that Undead Army, the Bone Dragons, and the Dread Lord, attack all of us at the same time, none of us will survive."

William looked at the Demonic Boar as if he was an idiot, which made the latter have the strong urge to bash in the Half-Elf's handsome face until it turned to meat paste.

"I was about to get to that part, but you interrupted me," William said with mild contempt. "Seriously, someone put a leash on this pig. He's always interrupting important talks. If you don't want to listen, get out of this room. You're just a nuisance."

William crossed his arms over his chest and used his chin to point at the door. "Anyone else who doesn't want to take part in the discussion, the door is over there. I will not escort you out."

"Madness," Swiper walked towards the door without even giving William a second glance. "Only a fool will believe such nonsense. It is very obvious that you are colluding with the enemy. That is the only explanation there is as to why this shelter survived, while others didn't."

The door closed with a heavy slam, shattering it to bits. Clearly, the Demonic Boar did it on purpose in order to make a statement. His action and words moved the hearts of the other Leaders in the room, and some of them were on the verge of following in his footsteps.

However, before these Leaders could even make their opinions known, William cleared his throat and glanced at Xenovia.

"Beat that pig to a pulp and hang him somewhere where I can see him later," William ordered as he pointed at the door. "How dare he destroy private property? Does he think that he's some kind of big shot or something?

"What if we did the same to the other Shelters, and broke all of their doors because we felt like it? Will that make us cool as well? Go and teach that swine a lesson. Also, make sure to have him compensate us for our damaged door. Do the same to those who will side with him. Make sure to give them all a good beating, understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Xenovia replied with a smirk. She had long wanted to beat Swiper up since the day she arrived in the Deadlands. However, as the leader of a Shelter, she needed to hold back to ensure that no conflicts would arise.

Things were different now. Not only was she stronger than she was in the past, she also had William who was far stronger than her. With the two of them working together, she believed that the Leaders would think twice before messing with them.

A minute after Xenovia left the room, Swiper's screams echoed in the hallway. The Demonic Boar's pained screams made those who planned to leave the room change their minds completely.

They had known how strong Xenovia was when she was alive, so they were able to tell that her current form was much stronger. This gave them a sense of invisible pressure that prevented them from leaving the room.

"Now, where was I?" William scratched his head as he gave everyone a teasing smile. "Ah… about the Dread Lord, are you people now interested in hearing what I have to say?"

The Leaders exchanged glances with each other, and reluctantly nodded their heads. Now that they had seen Xenovia appear in front of them, they were more willing to listen to William's explanation.

They knew that if what he said was true then they were truly facing an uphill battle.

A battle where their chances of winning were close to none.

Chapter 818: With This The First Step Has Been Completed

Chapter 818 - With This The First Step Has Been Completed

"The truth is, I don't know much about the Dread Lord," William said. "I only know he exists. As to what he plans to do here in the Deadlands, I have no idea what it is."

All the leaders frowned after hearing William's explanation. They thought that the Half-Elf would tell them more about the Dread Lord, but the information he had was limited.

"So, aside from his existence, you don't know anything else?" Wade inquired.

William nodded.

"Then what is the use of this information?" Lindir clicked his tongue in irritation."So what if a Dread Lord is pulling the strings from behind. What can we do about it? Are you telling us that we should raid the Black Tower?"

"Actually, that is an excellent idea." William smiled. "Why shouldn't we?"

"Hah? Are you nuts?!" Wade glared at the Half-Elf who had a carefree smile on his face. "You want us to raid the stronghold of the Undead Army? That's just suicide!"

William shook his head. "Regardless of whether you want to raid it or not, the fact remains that the Hauntings will still continue whether you like it or not. With each cycle, more of your subordinates will die. A time will come when the Shelters will no longer have the strength to attack the Black Tower. By then, all of you will just be waiting for your death."

William stopped to allow his words to sink into everyone's heads. All of them were smart people, and they also understood that the Half-Elf's words were right. Unfortunately, after being in the Deadlands for a very long time, they had experienced the might of the Undead Army.

They were afraid that if they attacked the Black Tower, they would just be poking a hornet's nest and it would spell everyone's doom.

While everyone was deep in thought, a gruff voice broke the silence.

"How about we negotiate with the Dread Lord?" Eldon asked. "Maybe we can come to a compromise."

All the leaders stirred after hearing Eldon words. They had never thought of this angle, and some of them thought that this idea might indeed be possible.

"How about it, William?" Eldon stared at the Half-Elf who had his arms crossed over his chest. "This is not a bad idea, right?"

William smiled. "Might as well."

"Oh. You think that compromising with the Dread Lord is possible, too?"

"At the very least, I want to see the face of the person that wants us all killed."

Eldon laughed after hearing Williiam's reply. "Not bad. You sure have guts. I like it! Unfortunately, my daughter is back in my homeworld. If it's you, I don't mind you becoming my son-in-law."

The smile on William's face stiffened. He had no idea on how to reply to Eldon casual statement, so he just gave the Dwarf a brief nod before continuing the meeting.

"When do we go to the Black Tower?" William inquired. "The Haunting just ended, so I think we should do it before the next cycle begins."

Avril nodded in agreement. "I don't know about the others, but I plan to go to the Black Tower tomorrow at first light. The battle has just ended, and we need to repair our weapons, equipment, and the defenses that were destroyed during the Haunting. It will also give us more time to prepare ourselves for what is to come."

Lindir, Eldon, Wade, and the other Leaders thought that Avril's words were on point, so they decided to accompany her to the Black Tower tomorrow.

Naturally, Raizel also voiced her agreement.

After finalizing the time and place where they would all meet, the leaders left the Glory Shelter and returned to the Mimameidr Shelter, dragging Swiper, who had been beaten black and blue by Xenovia who had a grudge with him, out with them.

Raizel watched them all leave from the entrance of the Stadium and sighed in relief.

'With this the first step has been completed,' Raizel thought. She then stared at William and Lilith, who were discussing something a few meters away from her.

A mischievous smile appeared on the young beauty's leaps as she formulated a plan in her head.

'It will take some effort, but this is the only way,' Raizel's eyes became determined as she looked at the two people who held the key to victory. 'I just hope that things will turn out well.'

—-

"I hate that Half-Elf!" Swiper smashed a table after returning to the Demonic Shelter. His injuries had been partially cured by one of the Elves that specialized in Life Magic. Given his strong body and innate regeneration, it would only take him two days to have a full recovery.

Even so, he still hated the fact that the other Leaders had seen his shameful appearance after the meeting ended.

"That b*tch Xenovia!" Swiper roared. "Even in death she still defies me!"

Swiper picked up the nearby chair and smashed it on the floor until it broke into pieces.

The Boarkin panted for breath as he forcefully controlled his anger. He had been informed of the Alliance's plan to go to the Black Tower the next day in order to negotiate with the Dread Lord that was responsible for the Hauntings.

'I need to inform Lord Morax about their plan,' Swiper thought. Deep down he was feeling anxious as well.

More than a year ago, he had been surrounded by several High-Tier Undead, while scavenging for food along the outskirts of the city.

Left with no choice, Swiper went down on his knees and begged for mercy. Surprisingly, the Undead had spared him. However, they took him back to the Black Tower. It was there that he met Morax.

The Dread Lord that had crossed space and time in order to bring the Deadlands under his control.

Although the Dread Lord was powerful, his forceful entry to the Deadlands had repercussions. One of which was that he was bound to the Black Tower. Most of his powers were also sealed, so he had no choice but to slowly, but surely, hijack the Tower and bring it under his control.

After several years, the Dread Lord managed to take 30% control of the Black Tower's functions. The Haunting was indeed one of the roles that the Black Tower had played in the Deadlands.

It was a way to take the souls of the living into the Black Tower in order to be purified. This way, they would be able to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation as a soul without any baggage.

The Dread Lord managed to influence this function and take over the scale of each Haunting. At first, he merely familiarized himself with how to increase the number and quality of the Undead.

After getting the hang of everything, Morax then started to consume the souls of the people that were trapped inside the tower. This allowed him to weaken the restraints that bound him over time, and gain more control of the Tower's functions.

Unfortunately, after reaching the 30% threshold, his progress stopped.

The Black Tower was important to Morax, and it was the main reason why he crossed the worlds in order to enter the Deadlands.

If he could take the Black Tower back into his own world, then his plan to reach Godhood was assured.

This was why he decided to look for collaborators in the Deadlands. Swiper had served him for a long time, and the Dread Lord had promised the Boarkin great rewards, once his conquest of the Deadlands became a reality.

What Swiper was afraid of was that Morax would toss him aside. Once the leaders and the Dread Lord found a compromise then he would no longer be of use.

Swiper didn't want this to happen, but there was nothing he could do. If he tried to create friction at this point in time, the Leaders would become annoyed with him. Also, he was sure that the Half-Elf would beat the crap out of him again if he interfered.

Since he was left with no other choice, he decided to just be the good dog that he was and notify his Master about their recent plans. Perhaps, out of his loyalty to Morax's cause, the latter would keep him within hand's reach, and keep the promise that Morax had given him back then.

"You bastard Half-Elf.." Swiper gnashed his teeth in frustration. 'If you hadn't appeared in this place, I would have already been the King of the Deadlands! Damn you! I'll kill you even if it's the last thing I do!'

Chapter 819: The Master Is Expecting All Of You

Chapter 819 - The Master Is Expecting All Of You

Inside the Black Tower…

"Interesting." A two-meter tall demon with batlike wings, and obsidian eyes, smiled in amusement. "Swiper said that they want to compromise with me?"

The Death Lord nodded.

"Hmm…" the Dread Lord tapped the arm support of his throne made of Dragon Bones. "Well… this development sure came out of the blue. But, it might not be a bad idea to compromise with these lowly creatures."

The Dread Lord was already planning to increase the number of High-Tier Undeads in the next Haunting, including adding all the Bone Dragons to ensure that the Shelters would finally fall. However, he would have to pay a price to do so.

This was not a price that he was willing to pay unless it was a last resort.

William's interference had put a dent in his plan, and he wanted him dead at all cost. But, now that there was a possibility of reaching a middle-ground, he would not be too close minded and hear them out for the time being.

For him, the Black Tower was more important than the lives of those who were struggling to survive in the Deadlands. Once he reached Godhood, the fools who belonged to the Ars Goetia, would no longer be able to touch him!

"Beleth, Purson, Asmodeus, Belial, and you… Aamon," the Dread Lord said with a sneer. "I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when the very legions that you command… turn their blades against you. That would be a very lovely sight to behold…"

The Dread Lord chuckled after drinking the liquified soul of one of the powerful warriors that he had captured in the Deadlands like wine.

He had been grievously injured during his escape from Hell, and had been recuperating ever since.

He knew that none of the Gods could set foot inside the Deadlands, so he planned to use this Domain as his base of operation until he had gained sufficient strength to return to Hell. Now that a possible compromise was in the works, he could focus all his attention on taking full control of the tower and seize the initiative against the Gods that lorded over Hell.

"Have all the Undead cease hostilities to the mortals in this domain," Morax ordered. "Also, when they visit the Tower tomorrow, make sure that your subordinates behave. Do I make myself clear?"

The Death Lord bowed his head, "By your will, Your Excellency."

—--

The next day, all the leaders, as well as a handful of their trusted subordinates, gathered in the plaza at the center of the city.

Everyone was present, including the grumpy Swiper who didn't hide his hostility towards William.

The Half-Elf didn't mind the Demonic Boar's hateful gaze. He just treated Swiper like Air and observed the expressions of the Leaders, who decided to brave the dangers of going to the Black Tower to seek a compromise with the Dread Lord.

"Let's go," Avril said.

She was now the official spokesperson of the Alliance, and they hoped that her negotiating skills would be enough to solve the immediate dangers that they were facing.

The procession of trucks headed in the direction of the Black Tower, without being hindered by the Undead. In fact, they didn't see any Undead along the way, which greatly surprised Avril and the others.

When they were only a few hundred meters away from the tower, the trucks came to a halt. This was the first time that they had been this close to the Black Tower because of the almost innumerous Undead Army that guarded its premises.

William didn't bring Xenovia on this journey because he was afraid that the Dread Lord would break the mark that the Half-Elf had placed in her Sea of Consciousness. This mark's purpose was to help Xenovia resist the orders that were coming from the Black Tower, and retain her free will.

"What's wrong?" Swiper asked in a teasing tone. "All of you got cold feet?"

This simple comment earned the Boarkin hateful glares. Swiper just ignored all of them and kept the smug expression on his face. He then gave William a side-long glance to see his reaction, but the Half-Elf wasn't even paying attention to him.

As a Vampiric Prince, William could sense the overwhelming power that the Black Tower was radiating. It was so strong that he could feel the hairs on his body standing on end, giving him goosebumps.

'This is a Divine Structure,' William thought.

Although he couldn't use his appraisal skill at the moment, he was confident that the Black Tower was something that belonged to the Gods.

'Too bad I can't access the System. I would love to drag this thing back to the Thousand Beast Domain to study.' William sighed internally.

Suddenly, a single rider emerged from the Black Tower and headed in their direction.

William, Avril, and those with keen eyesight could tell that this was no ordinary Undead. Due to its exotic armor, the Half-Elf assumed that it was a Death Lord similar to Xenovia.

When the Death Lord and his mount were only a dozen meters away from the trucks, they stopped and an unearthly voice reached their ears.

"The Master is expecting all of you," the Death Lord said. "I came here to escort all of you into the Black Tower."

"He is expecting us?" Avril asked with a frown. "How did he know that we were coming?"

The Death Lord glanced at the Elf and answered her question. "My Master knows everything that is happening in the Deadlands. Worry not. None of you will be harmed during your stay. Now, follow me. Let's not keep my Master waiting."

The Death Lord didn't say another word and turned his mount around to face the tower. He then urged his steed to gallop away, not caring whether the mortals followed him or not.

After the Leaders exchanged anxious glances, the trucks' engines roared to life and followed behind the Death Lord.

William was deep in thought as he stared at the Black Tower as they moved closer. He felt that something was off when the Death Lord said that his Master knew everything that was happening in the Deadlands.

Even so, he decided to put this aside for now.

He had faced many dangerous scenarios, and met many powerful individuals like the Dracolich and certain Gods that made life difficult for him.

A part of him was even looking forward to meeting the Dread Lord.

William hoped that by meeting this being, he would gain a better understanding of the Deadlands, and find a way to return back home where his family, lovers, and the people important to him, were waiting for his return.

Chapter 820: I’m Going To Ask You One Last Time

Chapter 820 - I’m Going To Ask You One Last Time

"Welcome to the Black Tower. You may call me Lord Morax," a two-meter tall demon with bat-like wings, and obsidian eyes, declared. "It is my understanding that all of you came here to compromise with me, correct?"

Avril stepped forward and nodded her head. "My name is Avril Zaleria, and I am the temporary representative of the Alliance. Lord Morax, it is in our sincerest wishes, to have a non-aggression pact between our two parties."

"Mmm… a non-aggression pact? Certainly, that can be arranged," Morax replied with a smile. "But, what can you offer me in return? Since you've come here to ask for a compromise, surely, you've prepared something of value, right?"

Avril took a deep breath as she stared at the Dread Lord who now had taken a seat on his Dragonbone Throne.

"We have discussed this matter for several hours, but we have come up with nothing," Avril answered. "Aside from the resources that can be scavenged here in the Deadlands, there is nothing of value that we can offer you, Lord Morax."

"Exactly." Morax nodded in admiration. "I'm not interested in the resources you scavenge in these lands in order to survive, and this world isn't the best place to find any treasures. In short, whatever little trinkets you have, I'm not interested in them."

The Dread Lord sneered as he eyed the anxious faces of the leaders in front of him.

"So, tell me, Avril," Morax said in a teasing tone. "Since you have nothing to offer, what makes you think that I will agree to this non-aggression pact you speak of?"

"The reason why we came here today is to ask Lord Morax, what do you desire?" Avril asked. "If it is within our capabilities, we will spare no effort to help you achieve it."

"Hoh?" Morax rested the side of his face on the palm of his right hand. "Good question. What do I desire? I desire many things. Revenge is on top of my list, but all of you can't help me get revenge. In the face of my enemies, all of you are mere insects that they can easily crush without even lifting a finger.

"But, even insects have a role to play in the world. Very well, if you can help me find and activate the nine keys of the Deadlands then I don't mind sparing all of your lives."

Morax snapped his fingers and a projection appeared in front of everyone. In it were nine mirrors of varying sizes and designs.

"These mirrors are scattered all over the Deadlands," Morax stated. "If you can find them all, I will cease all hostilities with all of you. In fact, I can even help all of you leave this place, on the condition that all the mirrors will be handed to me."

"T-There is a way to leave this place?" Eldon stuttered. "Is this the truth?"

Morax scoffed. "Why would I waste my time lying to insects? Of course there is a way out of this place, but all the mirrors are needed to open that gateway. If one of them is missing then the ritual will not work. It has to be nine mirrors or none at all."

The Leaders glanced at each other with excitement. They had always searched for a way out of the Deadlands, but their hard work remained unrewarded.

Because of this, most of them had given up and just focused on trying to survive one day after the other, in hope that a miracle would happen and all of them would find themselves free from this prison, where the dead were their judges and jurors.

"We agree to this condition, Lord Morax," Avril said in a serious tone. "However, the Deadlands is big, so it might take us a while to find the mirrors that you are looking for."

"Time, my dear, is what we all have," Morax replied, "but I can't wait forever, so how about this? I will cease all hostilities with all of you for a week. In that one week, you must hand one mirror to me. Every time you hand me a mirror, I will extend the ceasefire agreement to another week.

"When all the mirrors are collected, all of us can work together to perform the ritual that will open the exit of this world. It's a win-win scenario for everyone, don't you think so?"

Avril nodded her head in agreement. "We will do our best to find the mirrors. However, we need to have sketches of them so we will know what they look like. Although I have a good memory, I can't possibly remember them all."

"Worry not." Morax raised his left hand and several golden orbs materialized in the air.. "I will not make things difficult for all of you. All the leaders get to take one."

The orbs flew towards the Leaders of the different Shelters and landed in their hands.

"That is a recording and communication crystal," Morax explained. "The images of the mirrors can be found there. Also, you can communicate to me directly using that item. However, only contact me if the Mirrors are found. Any fool who tries to waste my time will be punished severely, do I make myself clear?"

The Leaders nodded their heads. They could tell that Morax was a very powerful being, so messing with him was out of the question.

Seeing their expressions, Morax smiled as he thought of a good idea about how to motivate his new helpers and make them do their best to find the mirrors.

"I don't want any of you to think that you will not benefit from this exchange," Morax said. "Anyone who is able to give me the mirror will be allowed to make a request to me. As long as it is within my capabilities to do so, I will make it happen."

"Can we trust your words, Lord Morax?" Lindir inquired.

"You're doubting me?"

"N-Not at all, Your Excellency."

The Dread Lord's carefree attitude disappeared and a powerful pressure descended upon everyone in the throne room.

"I will stand by my word," Morax stated icily. "Bring me the mirrors, and I will grant your desire. As long as it is not unreasonable, I will grant it without fail. Remember, you only have one week. After a week, if I still don't have any of the mirrors I have asked you to find, I will send my army to crush all of you. There will be no second chances, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Avril replied as she did her best to remain standing.

All the other Leaders also nodded their heads in agreement. It was very hard to object to someone who was more powerful than them. In the face of absolute strength, all tricks were meaningless.

Seeing that all of his guests had understood the gravity of the situation, Morax smiled and the pressure that everyone was feeling disappeared without a trace.

"Ah! Before I forget, was it you who forcefully converted one of my Death Lords without my approval?" Morax's gaze landed on the Half-Elf who was standing behind Lilith and Raizel on the rightmost part of the throne room.

"No," William replied. The red-headed teenager had the "I don't know what you're talking about" expression on his face, which made the smile on Morax's face widen.

"Hahaha, so it wasn't you?" Morax sneered. "So you insist that you were not the person who destroyed my bone dragon?"

"What Bone Dragon?"

"Good… you're good. Very good."

Morax raised his hand and several Death Lords surrounded William, Lilith, and Raizel.

Although he couldn't exert his full divine powers due to his injuries, it was more than enough for him to know when a person was lying. Morax couldn't help but sneer inside his heart as he looked at the Half-Elf who was pretending to be oblivious to his question.

"I'm going to ask you one last time…," Morax said icily. "Are you the one that converted my Death Lord and destroyed my Bone Dragon?"

The Dread Lord eyed the Half-Elf with contempt. He disdained William for not knowing who he was dealing with.. If the red-headed teenager dared to still deny his allegations, he would immediately order his Death Lords to cut him to pieces, in order to serve as an example to the leaders of the Shelters, who had come to compromise with him.

Chapter 821: Goddamit! Bro, Are You Mad?!

Chapter 821 - Goddamit! Bro, Are You Mad?!

"What's this?" William asked. "Didn't you say earlier that you would not harm those who entered the Tower? Our talks have just ended and you're already breaking your word? I guess your words aren't as credible as you made us believe."

Avril and the other Leaders frowned at this development. They remembered that the Death Lord had said that no harm would come to them during their stay. If Morax were to really attack William then that was tantamount to going back on his words.

Someone who could break their promise easily, was someone not worth trusting. The leaders were not stupid people. They couldn't possibly trust someone who could easily take back their words depending on their mood.

If they really turned a blind eye to this injustice then they would never be able to fully trust the Dread Lord ever again.

Morax's obsidian eyes locked on William before an amused expression spread across the Dread Lord's face.

"Harm you? Perish the thought," Morax said. "I am merely asking you a question. So, what is your answer?"

"Like I said, what Death Lord?" William replied. "Bone Dragon? Is that edible?"

Avril, and the other Leaders, suddenly had the strong urge to beat the Half-Elf into oblivion. They had just sealed a deal with Morax, and he was already stirring up trouble.

Swiper, on the other hand, was very happy with this development. He was both awestruck and embarrassed at how shameful William could be.

Just admit it, dammit!

This was the collective thoughts of all the Leaders who were glaring at William from their positions.

The Half-Elf pretended that he wasn't aware of their eye signals, and continued to look at Morax with confusion.

"You have guts, I'll give you that," Morax said with a trace of admiration.

"You don't?" William replied. "Ah! Sorry, you're an Undead. Dead people don't have guts."

Goddamit! Bro, are you mad?!

If earlier the Leaders only wanted to beat Wiliam to oblivion, now, they wanted to hack him to pieces.

Lindir had already taken out his spear and was about to stab William's bum, but Eldon and Wade held back the Lizard with everything they had.

"Dammit, just let me stab him once!" Lindor roared in anger. He had never seen someone as dense and stupid as William.

None of them dared to provoke the Dread Lord in front of them because they wanted to resolve the conflict peacefully, but the Half-Elf was keen on going to hell, and all of them thought that he planned to bring them all with him.

Suddenly, Morax roared in laughter. No one could tell if his laughter was due to anger, or irritation, or maybe both. However, whatever his current feelings were, the Dread Lord made sure that it didn't show in his face.

Morax raised his hand and all the Death Lords sheathed their weapons and backed away.

"It's been a while since I met someone who has the audacity to lie to my face," Morax said. "Fine. Since we just finished our talks, I will turn a blind eye on this incident. However, if this happens again, I will no longer show any mercy. All of you may go."

"Thank you for your mercy, Lord Morax." Avril bowed. "We will do our best to find the mirrors for you."

"At least there is someone sensible among your group," Morax shifted his gaze on Avril, who had shown exceptional statesmanship in front of him. Very few people could have her composure when faced with such a situation.

Because of this Morax genuinely appreciated Avril's character.

"Your name is Avril, right?"

"Yes, Lord Morax."

The Dread Lord gave her a brief nod. "If you have any difficulties, feel free to talk to me using the crystal. I'll try to help fix those problems for you."

Avril had a vague understanding of what Morax was trying to say, but it was more than enough for her to give the Dread Lord another bow filled with respect.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Avril replied. "We will now take our leave."

Avril turned around and walked towards the exit without looking back.

William held Lilith's and Raizel's hand and hurriedly followed behind Avril. It was as if he didn't want to be the last to leave the throne room, and suffer from an unexpected sneak attack from the Dread Lord that he had offended earlier.

Several minutes later, the group were safely back in their trucks.

It was at this moment when all the leaders glared and confronted William at the same time.

"Lad, you should have held back there," Elron said as he played with his beard. "That guy is a monster, we ain't gonna beat him even if we all attacked at the same time."

"What were you thinking?!" Lindir hissed in anger. "We worked so hard to come to an agreement, and you just decided to one-sidedly annoy Lord Morax! Are you seeking death, boy?!"

"William, there are times when men must compromise," Wade said through gritted teeth. "Fortunately, the Dread Lord decided to be merciful. Next time, don't bother to come with us when we meet with Lord Morax. If you want to die, you can die alone. Don't bring us to hell with you!"

The other Leaders said similar things, but William remained indifferent. When all of them had finished venting their anger at him, it was at that moment when the Half-Elf decided to break his silence.

"I only did what all of you were afraid to do," William replied. "This is only the first time we've met Morax, and you guys are already treating him like a trustworthy person. Remember that you are dealing with a Dread Lord. They specialize in lies and deceit. Are all of you so gullible that you'll trust his words at face value?"

It was at that moment when Avril suddenly had a realization and she looked at William with genuine surprise.

"So, you're saying that you tried to anger Lord Morax on purpose to know if he would go back on his words?" Avril asked.

"Of course," William replied. "I'm not you guys, who readily believe the words of a stranger. If his words cannot be trusted then what is the point of coming to an agreement with him? Someone had to play the villain. I did it for all of you, and this is how you repay me?"

William snorted at the Leaders who suddenly had awkward expressions on their faces. They didn't realize that the Half-Elf was purposely testing the Dread Lord to see if he would attack after saying that no harm would come to them after entering the tower.

Seeing the faces of the Leaders who berated him, William heaved a long sigh of disappointment, which made those who heard it avert their gazes in shame.

"It's fine," William said. "At least with this, we can say that we can trust Morax to a certain extent. However, don't be deceived. A being of that caliber should not be taken lightly. Let's go, Raizel. Let's return to the shelter."

Raizel nodded her head and started the engine of the truck. Soon, William's group left the others behind.

Avril stared at the leaving truck before looking at the golden crystal in her hand with complex emotions in her heart. She didn't know if she could believe Morax's words, but if the Dread Lord could grant her wish then she was willing to trust him once.

"I can't believe that you had this plan in mind," Lilith said after they were a mile away from Avril's group. "You were quite impressive back there."

William chuckled as he gave the Amazon Princess a side-long glance. "What I said back there was a lie."

"Hah? What do you mean, a lie?" Lilith asked in confusion. "What part of it was a lie?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

William smirked. "This place is not safe. I'll tell you the rest after we return to the Shelter."

Lilith was still in a state of confusion, while Raizel, on the other hand, drove the truck without a word.

However, If one were to look closely, they would notice that the corner of the young beauty's lips were curled up into a smile.. It was as if she already knew that the meeting with Morax would end this way, and she simply went there to be a spectator.

Chapter 822: A Distant Future That Held Infinite Possibilities

Chapter 822 - A Distant Future That Held Infinite Possibilities

Inside the Glory Shelter…

"So, you're saying that you didn't do that to test whether the Dread Lord would go back on his word, right?" Lilith asked.

"Yes," William replied. "I was testing whether he would really attack me or not."

"But why? Why do something stupid?"

"It's because I could tell that he was injured."

William leaned on the couch as he looked at the ceiling. "Morax is undeniably injured, and I have a feeling that he can't leave that Dragonbone Throne even if he wanted to. The reason I provoked him was to test whether my hunch was true or not."

"And if you were wrong?" Lilith countered. "What if he could leave his throne and attack you."

"Then I would have smashed his face and sent him flying towards the wall," William replied like it wasn't a big deal.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lilith tilted her head in confusion. "What gave you the confidence that you can send a Dread Lord flying with a punch?"

Raizel, who had been quietly listening from the side, raised her head and gazed at William. "It's because of the Tower, right?"

William raised an eyebrow as he looked at the young beauty in front of him. Raizel stuck her tongue out like a little girl, but refused to comment any further.

"Am I the only one that is clueless about this whole thing?" Lilith asked with a frown. Seeing that Wiliam and Raizel seemed to have come to some sort of understanding, she suddenly felt that she had been left out of the hoop.

This made her feel very uncomfortable.

Suddenly, a pair of delicate hands wrapped around her body, and the young beauty with long red hair, rested her head on Lilith's shoulder.

The discomfort she felt earlier disappeared as her left arm subconsciously wrapped around Raize's waist.

William looked at this scene with a calm expression. However, he couldn't deny that the two beauties holding each other was like a beautiful painting that was meant only for him to see.

A minute later, William cleared his throat and explained why he did what he did.

"When I was inside the Tower, I felt that a part of my soul resonated with it," William said. "You could even say that I was forcefully fed information without my permission. There, I saw images of events, people, and other important things that were related to the Black Tower. It was also at that time that I gained some understanding of Morax."

When William mentioned the Dread Lord's name, his expression suddenly became very serious. "If the information I received from the Tower is correct, Morax was a God that came from Hell.

"However, Gods can't enter this place. The only reason why he was able to cross time and space was because he had been seriously injured, and a large part of his Divinity was sealed in his body.

"If he forcefully activates his Divine Powers, the Deadlands will eject him in a heartbeat, and I'm sure that this is something that he can't afford to do. This is also why I tried to provoke him earlier. Once he is kicked out of this place, the people here will no longer have to worry about the Haunting."

Lilith was still half in doubt, but she decided to believe William for the time being. "Then what about those Death Lords? Although Morax can't attack you, they certainly can."

"Oh, I'm not worried about the Death Lords," William smirked. "If they attacked me then I would have converted all of them to my side. Of course, I can't do this alone. You and Raizel would have definitely had to help me, but the chances of us winning were quite high."

Lilith eyed William with a serious expression. "And the Dread Lord?"

William shrugged "If he stays seated on his Dragon Throne then he is simply untouchable. He can swat me as easily as swatting a fly as long as he is within the confines of the throne. That throne is the heart of the Tower. As long as he sits on it, the Tower is under his control.

"He acted all high and mighty earlier to try and intimidate us, but compared to my Gramps, he's just a second rate con-actor. He might be able to fool people, but he will not be able to fool me."

"Just what kind of grandpa do you have?" Lilith snorted. She had already seen James in the Misty Sect, and she found the Old Man to be a very greedy person, just like her and Wiliam.

Lilith was not aware of how the old man managed to succeed in becoming the new Sect Master of the Misty Sect, which not only surprised her, but everyone that had been invited to the celebration.

"My grandpa is the best," William replied. "He's just being lowkey, but he is one badass Gangsta."

Raizel, who was resting her head on Lilith's shoulder, giggled. It was as if she remembered her own Great Grandpa, who would readily spoil all of his grandchildren rotten, even if he had to steal the heirlooms of the Royal Families on the Continent.

"Then, about the mirror, is he lying about that as well?" Lilith inquired.

"No," William answered firmly. "That part was true. In order for us to get out of this place, we need to find the mirrors. This is where your power will come in handy, Lilith."

"Let's say we find the mirrors… what are we going to do about it?"

"We will hide one of them. That way, we can buy some time before Morax completes the ritual."

"And that ritual is?" Lilith inquired. She was also very curious about what kind of ritual the Dread Lord was planning to do.

William sighed as he looked at the ceiling of the room. "To gain full control of the Black Tower… and gain the power to bind the souls of the departed, preventing them from entering the Cycle of Reincarnation.

"This will allow him to raise an army without equal. Just imagine this, an Undying Army that can easily threaten the cycle of life and death, which will, in turn, bring ruin to any world he visits."

The Half-Elf shook his head in order to clear out his depressing thoughts.

The discovery of the Black Tower's ability made him feel truly fearful. If, for some reason, the Black Tower fell into the wrong hands then all life on any given world would cease to exist.

"No matter what happens, we must prevent this from happening," William said as he shifted his attention to the two beautiful girls whose eyes were locked onto his face. "We need to seize the Tower from Morax's control. Raizel, if you have any way to do this, please, lend us your help."

The young beauty glanced at Lilith before shifting her gaze back to William. She held the Half-Elf's tender gaze for a full minute before giving her answer.

"I have a plan, but for it to happen, both of you need to trust me," Raizel replied. "So, are both of you willing to trust me with your lives?"

William and Lilith nodded at the same time. Ever since they met Raizel, they already felt that she was someone very important to them.

Raizel smiled and held William's and Lilith's hand firmly.

"Then to celebrate our cooperation, why don't the three of us take a bath together?" Raizel proposed.

Immediately, William pried his hand away from the little imp who was trying to make things difficult for him.

The Half-Elf hurriedly left the room in order to get away from Raizel's mischievous attempts to test his willpower.

However, just as soon as he was about to close the door. Raizel's heartfelt laughter reached his ears. Clearly, the young beauty was very amused by William's reaction, which made the Half-Elf shake his head helplessly.

'I swear, this girl will be the death of me,' William thought as he walked the abandoned hallway alone. Even so, he still couldn't keep himself from smiling because his heart felt at peace.

Raizel's laughter was like a tonic that made all his worries disappear.

Deep in his heart, William had started to entertain the possibility that he had been trying to deny these past few days.

If that possibility were to truly become a reality then the soft and delicate hand that held his own a while ago, was something that he would surely cherish in the distant future that held infinite possibilities.

Chapter 823: A Good Deed Must Be Rewarded

Chapter 823 - A Good Deed Must Be Rewarded

'... Just how did it end up like this?' William thought as he stared at the ceiling.

Currently, two beauties were hugging him from his left and right sides.

Earlier, William asked Raizel if she had a way of dealing with Morax's plan to make the Black Tower fall under his control.

The young beauty said that there was a way, but in order for that to happen, William and Lilith had to trust her with their lives.

The two readily agreed to Raizel's condition because they felt that they could trust her. However, the first thing that Raizel said after that was for the three of them to take a bath together.

Naturally, William escaped the room because he felt that Raizel was just teasing him. He thought that everything would be over by then, but an hour before he was about to go to sleep, Raizel dragged him to her room in order to strengthen their trust with each other.

William didn't expect that the girl would insist that the three of them sleep together every night, with the excuse of raising each other's trust.

The red-headed boy was going to reject it initially, but Raizel gave him the "If you leave through that door the deal's off" gaze.

Left with no choice, William found himself, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep because two beautiful ladies were using him as a hug pillow.

Eventually, William fell into a dreamless sleep.

—--

Three days had passed since their meeting with Morax, and the entire alliance busied themselves in the search for the mirrors that the Dread Lord was looking for.

So far, no one had succeeded in finding one, but the search continued day in and day out.

The Glory Shelter had been divided into two groups.

The first one was the resources gathering group led by Xenovia and Cathy.

The second one was the treasure finding group, which was composed of William, Lilith, and Raizel.

Although the Undead no longer attacked anyone in the Deadlands, Raizel was still worried that conflicts would arise between their Shelter and Swiper's Demonic Shelter. In order to prevent this from happening, she assigned Xenovia to become the group's protector, in order to prevent the Demons from doing something stupid.

Also, having only three people in the treasure gathering group was more ideal because the things they needed to do were highly confidential. If possible, Raizel didn't want to share it with the others, including Xenovia.

William agreed with Raizel's decision. Although he had freed Xenovia from Morax's control, ther was a high possibility that the Dread Lord would be able to spy on them through the Death Lord's eyes.

The golden crystal that Morax had given them was also left in the Shelter. What they were going to do was a sensitive matter, so they didn't dare take any chances with anything that belonged to Morax.

"I'm getting a strong presence in that direction," Lilith said after using her Divinity.

Raizel glanced at the direction where the Amazon Princess was looking and a frown appeared on her face.

"That is where the Glittering Bay is located," Raizel muttered. "Is it possible that the mirror is under the sea?"

"Let's check it out first," William proposed. "We can just look for other locations if it is really under the water."

Raizel nodded and drove the truck towards the Glittering Bay. There were nine mirrors in total, so they didn't have to force themselves to retrieve the mirror themselves. If push came to shove, Raizel could suggest to the Lizardfolk to check the sea surrounding the area, in order to look for the mirror.

As long as they got one of the mirrors, they would be able to delay the Dread Lord's plan without fail.

After arriving at their destination, Lilith once again closed her eyes to concentrate. Several minutes later, she nodded her head, confirming Raizel's conclusion that the mirror was indeed under the sea.

"Okay, since we have a rough idea where one of them is located, let's try to look in other locations," Raizel stated.

"Good plan," William replied.

Lilith nodded as she closed her eyes once again.

Raizel started the engine and drove southwards.

While William, Lilith, and Raizel were looking for the location of another mirror, a commotion broke out on the Eastern outskirts of the city.

"Lady Avril, is this it?" an Elf with short, blonde, hair asked as he presented to her a mirror that they'd found in a ruined mansion.

Avril held the mirror with one hand, and activated the golden crystal with the other. A projection materialized and the images of the nine mirrors appeared in front of them.

The beautiful Elf then touched one of the images to enlarge it. After doing so, she looked at the image, and the mirror in her hand, to check for similarities.

"This looks like one of the mirrors we are looking for," Avril stated. "But, I am unsure whether it is the real thing. For the time being, let me contact Lord Morax first. Your reward will be given to you once we confirm that this is one of the mirrors that we are looking for."

The blonde Elf nodded in understanding. All of them had been promised great rewards if they were to find the mirrors that the Dread Lord was looking for. Naturally, Avril wouldn't deny these rewards to them because she knew that she needed to motivate them to work harder.

A few seconds later, a projection of Morax appeared in front of them.

"Your Excellency, we found this mirror and wondered if it is the same as one of the ones that you are looking for," Avril said in a respectful tone.

"You've done well, Avril," Morax praised as he gazed at the mirror in her hand. "That is indeed one of the mirrors that I am looking for."

The Dread Lord smiled in happiness because he was now one step closer to achieving his goal.

"You may bring the mirror to the Black Tower, so I can personally give your team the reward they deserve," Morax said. "A good deed must be rewarded, so don't be shy and come. I'll wait in anticipation for your group's arrival."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Avril replied with a smile.

Morax gave her one brief nod before closing the connection. The Elf who found the mirror was overjoyed, while his companions were filled with envy.

Avril was not worried that she wouldn't receive any rewards from Morax. After all, the Dread Lord had assured them that even if their subordinates were the ones that found the mirrors, they could still ask him for a reward.

The beautiful Elf stared in the direction of the Glory Shelter with determination before ordering her subordinates to pack up and head towards the Black Tower.

Soon, the news of their discovery was relayed to everyone in the Deadlands, which made the Leaders sigh in relief. With one mirror in hand, they had bought themselves another week of peace.

Although they felt a bit envious about Avril's accomplishment, they didn't worry too much about it.. There were still eight mirrors waiting to be found, and all they needed to do was mobilize more manpower, as they swept every inch of the city, in search of the mirrors that would lead them back home.

Chapter 824: Spoken Like A Real Third Rate Villain

Chapter 824 - Spoken Like A Real Third Rate Villain

"Avril got lucky," Raizel said after hearing the news from one of the Dwarves that they had met along the way.

William nodded. He had no problems with Avril finding the mirror first because even if his group found one, they would never hand it over to the Dread Lord who was planning to take the Black Tower for himself.

"Any news?" William asked Lilith who still had her eyes closed.

Lilith shook her head, but she didn't open her eyes.

Right now, she served as a treasure hunting radar. However, since her Divinity was suppressed inside the Deadlands, she needed to fully concentrate in order to get a general direction as to where the treasures could be found.

After driving for five hours, Lilith finally opened her eyes and asked Raizel to stop the truck.

The Amazon Princess then tried to pinpoint the location where the strong presence was coming from. After five-full-minutes of total concentration, Lilith pointed towards a coffee shop, whose windows had all been broken.

"It's over there," Lilith declared with confidence.

Raizel nodded and drove the truck in front of the coffee shop.

'Star Box,' William mused as he read the name of the shop with a nostalgic smile. 'This name sure takes me way back.'

When he was still relatively healthy, he would pass by a coffee shop, bearing the same name, on his way to school. Although he wasn't able to enter one, because he didn't have much money, he could still remember that it was a popular place back on earth.

"Lilith, lead the way," Raizel said.

Lilith nodded as she disembarked from the truck.

William and Raizel walked behind her and gave the Amazon Princess ample space to maneuver.

A few minutes later, they arrived in the staff room where the mirror was located.

Raizel had a photographic memory, so she was able to remember the images of the mirrors that were recorded in the golden crystal.

"This is it," Raizel said as she took the mirror from the wall and showed it to William and Lilith.

William tried to extend his senses towards the mirror, but felt nothing. If not for the fact that Lilith's Divinity and Raizel's memory worked hand in hand, the Half-Elf would not think that the plain looking mirror in the young beauty's hands was the mirror that the Dread Lord was looking for.

"Fortunately, the mirror is only a foot long," William commented. "We can easily carry this. But, if we return to the shelter with the mirror, several people will definitely discover it."

Raizel nodded her head in agreement. "If we were to carry this back then it would certainly be discovered. However, Lilith can hide this without problems. Isn't that right, Lilith?"

"Yes," Lilith answered. "Although my power is greatly suppressed in this place, taking this mirror is not a big deal."

Raizel passed the mirror to Lillith and the latter pressed it over her chest. Soon, the mirror turned into particles of light and disappeared without a trace.

Just as the group was about to leave the coffee shop, William raised his hand to tell them to stop.

"What's wrong?" Lilith asked.

"Something is coming," William replied. "It sounds like four trucks."

Raizel frowned. The main reason she had chosen to search this area was due to the fact that it was away from the Shelters.

They wouldn't be antagonizing anyone if they searched here, so Raizel thought that their group wouldn't be seeing anyone for the next few days.

Since their truck was outside the coffee shop, it was bound to be discovered. Fortunately, the conflicts between Shelters had more or less been resolved, so she didn't have to worry about their truck being stolen by anyone.

Even so, she still decided to play it safe and made a gesture to William and Lilith to follow her outside.

As soon as the three left the Coffee Shop, they came face to face with the last person they wanted to see in the Deadlands.

"What are you doing here, Pig?" William asked as he looked at Swiper who was sitting on top of their truck. "Also, get off our truck before I give your face a good smacking."

"You again?" Swiper snorted. "Why are you here? This isn't the territory of the Glory Shelter."

"And this is not the Demonic Shelter's territory either. What are you doing here?": William asked back.

"I asked first."

"No one cares about your question. Now answer me, or I'll smack you for real!"

William and Swiper glared at each other for half a minute before the Demonic Boar reluctantly jumped off the truck.

"Talk about dog-sh*t luck. Of all the bastards I have to meet in the Deadlands, why does it have to be this filthy Half Breed." Swiper spat on the ground as if the mere sight of William was enough to give him an aneurysm.

William rolled his eyes at the Demonic Boar's underhanded taunt to provoke him.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Swiper asked as he shifted his gaze to Raizel. "Don't tell me you came here to drink coffee?"

"Yes." Raizel smiled sweetly. "We came here to drink some coffee, but since the coffee machine is damaged, we just took the coffee beans."

Raizel showed him the two bags of coffee beans that she had picked up before leaving the store.

Swiper nodded. "Did you know that Avril has already found a mirror?"

"Yes," Raizel answered honestly. "We met some Dwarves on our way here, and they told us about the news. Avril got really lucky."

"That she is. Now, she can ask Lord Morax for a request. I wonder what she will ask for."

"Knowing Avril, it will not be something simple."

Swiper agreed with Raizel's reply. Among all of them, Avril had never shown any greed towards material things. She also refrained from resorting to violence when her group had conflicts with another Shelter in regards to acquisition of resources.

The beautiful Elf liked to resolve things in a civil manner. This was also why all the Leaders voted unanimously that she become their temporary Leader in the Alliance.

Swiper sighed internally because he was afraid that his position was in danger. If Avril made it into Morax's good graces then his advantage of being the Dread Lord's first lackey would no longer hold any value.

This was why the Demonic Boar was desperate to find a mirror for himself. This way, his usefulness would not be questioned ever again.

"How about you? What are you doing here?" Raizel asked in a teasing tone. "Don't tell me you also came here to get some coffee?"

"Of course not," Swiper replied. "I'm here to look for one of the mirrors like everyone else."

Raizel nodded. "Well then, goodluck to you. We will also be searching in the vicinity, so how about we come to an agreement?"

"What agreement?"

"You search on the left side of this area, while we go to the right. Finders keepers."

Swiper smirked. "Little girl, my group and I planned to explore this place by ourselves. We don't have any intention of letting anyone get in our way. So, why don't you take those coffee bags of yours and go back to your Shelter. There's no need for us to have conflicts, right?"

The Demons laughed as they took out their weapons.

This time, Swiper had brought forty of his men to look for the mirror in this area that was far from their Shelter.

His plan was to explore the outer areas, while the rest of his men back at the Demonic Shetler would search their territory for the mirrors.

This was Swiper's divide and conquer plan, to get an edge over the others when it came to searching for the mirrors.

"You really think you can scare us with this small mob?" William commented from the side. "We fought off hordes of undead, Death knights, Dullahans, a Death Lord, and a Bone Dragon with only the three of us. If you're in a hurry to become a dead Pig, feel free to test my patience."

Swiper's body stiffened when he heard William's reply to his threat. He had completely forgotten about the Haunting and tried to intimidate Raizel, who always did her best to compromise because she was protecting Cathy and the other members of the Glory Shelter from the harassment of the Demons.

Now that William and Lilith had become the young beauty's helpers, they could no longer use their bullying tactics on her.

"Still here?" William took a step forward. The ground under his foot shattered, sending rocks, and debris flying everywhere.

"Stop!" Swiper roared. "The Alliance forbade fighting against its members!"

William sneered at the Boarkin whose intimidating aura had long disappeared.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt any of you," William replied as he took another step forward with a casual smile on his face. "I will just destroy your trucks. That way, you can walk back to your Demonic Shelter while contemplating the meaning of life."

"Bastard! I'll remember this!" Swiper jumped on one of the trucks and made a gesture. "Let's go!"

The trucks sped away leaving a trail of dust behind. Swiper had a feeling that even if he and his goons worked together, they would not be able to beat William even if they fought with their lives on the line.

William waved his hand to blow the dust away, preventing it from touching Lilith and Raizel.

"Spoken like a real third rate villain," Raizel said giggling as she looked at the trucks that were speeding away. "Let's go back to the Shelter for now. We're done for the day."

William and Lilith agreed to Raizel's proposal. They had already secured one of the mirrors, so their objective had been achieved.. As for the other mirrors, they would just let the other Leaders have them, in order to make the Dread Lord feel complacent that everything was moving according to his will.

Chapter 825: You Can’t Have A Rainbow Without A Little Rain

Chapter 825 - You Can’t Have A Rainbow Without A Little Rain

Inside the Black Tower…

"Thank you Lord Morax, thank you very much!" the blonde Elf bowed his head respectfully after receiving his rewards from the Dread Lord.

"It is only natural to reward those who worked hard," Morax said with a benevolent smile. "You may go. I have something to talk about with your leader."

"Yes! Your Excellency!" The Elf bowed and left the throne room with a big smile on his face.

Morax had awarded him with a unique weapon that greatly increased his fighting abilities. Now that he had this weapon in hand, he was certain that he would be able to play a bigger role in helping his Leader, Avril, reach her goal.

After making sure that the Elf would no longer be able to hear their discussion, Morax made a gesture for Avril to come closer.

The beautiful Elf obediently walked towards the throne without any hint of anxiety on her face.

"Tell me, My Dear, Avril, what is it that you desire?" Morax asked. "As long as it is within my capabilities, I will give it to you without fail."

He was very impressed by the beautiful Elf's performance, and decided to bring her to his inner circle. The Dread Lord needed capable henchmen to take care of some miscellaneous things for him, and Avril fit the bill perfectly.

In order to gain her loyalty, he would need to give her some benefits first. This was a very common thing in Hell where everyone had a price. Morax was dying to know what it would take to make the Leader of the Alliance become his most loyal supporter in the Deadlands.

"Your Excellency, what I desire is…"

Morax listened to Avril's request with great amusement. He didn't expect that the beautiful Elf would ask him for something sinister, but it made him feel confident that he would be able to make her his loyal subordinate.

"What you want can be done," Morax replied with a smile. "However, I will need time to create it. Let's see… I will need at least four days to make this tool to help you realize your wish. Are you fine with this arrangement?"

Avril nodded. "I'm not in a hurry, Your Excellency."

Morax grinned. "Very well. Return to me after four days. Also, I promise that you, and your subordinates, will no longer have to fear the Undead Army again. This is my promise to you."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Avril bowed respectfully.

Deep inside she felt relieved that she and her people would no longer have to worry about the Undead Army that had been the cause of many sleepless nights.

However, what Avril was looking forward to was the tool that she would receive from Morax after four days. Ever since she arrived in the Deadlands, she hadn't wanted something so bad in her life.

Now that it was within her grasp, she would definitely hold on to it with all her might, preventing it from slipping away from her fingers.

"You may go," Morax said as he leaned on his throne. "I expect more good things from you, Avril. Keep doing a good job, and I will ensure that you will not regret working for me."

"Yes, Your Excellency," Avril gave Morax one last bow before leaving the throne room with a sweet smile on her face.

—-

Meanwhile inside the Glory Shelter…

Lilith and Raizel went to the shower room together, leaving William behind.

The young beauty had tried to invite William to accompany them, but the Half-Elf firmly rejected her offer.

He even flicked Raizel's forehead and told her to not attempt to invite him again in the future.

Lilith could only watch this scene with a smile because she had more or less accepted the possibility about Raizel's identity.

Her only concern was that even though the young beauty was trying to bridge the gap between her and William, the red-headed teenager was still on the fence in regards to the matter.

Although he no longer resisted the idea of the three of them sleeping together, and would often sneak glances at her when she was looking away, she could tell that the Half-Elf still had reservations when it came to taking the last step, that would bridge the distance between the two of them.

As the cold water fell on her lean and toned body, Lilith once again felt a pair of mischievous hands, fondle her breasts from behind.

She had lost count of how many times she had told Raizel to stop doing this kind of thing, but the latter seemed unperturbed about this.

It was as if the young beauty was taking the opportunity to do things that she would no longer be able to do in the future, and Lilith was very helpless against it.

In the end, she still pried the naughty hands away from her chest, and pinched the young beauty's waist as a counter attack.

After a bit of frolicking, they finished washing their bodies and soaked their body's in a bathtub.

"Lilith, I think Will is almost there," Raizel said as she leaned on Lilith's body. "Why don't you test the waters tomorrow night when he drinks your blood? I promise that I will leave the two of you alone, and keep the others away. Use this opportunity to know his thoughts, and see if you can pin him down."

Lilith wrapped her arms around the young beauty's body and held her in place. The Amazon Princess ignored Raizel's words and instead, asked her about her parents. "Tell me more about your Papa. What is he like?"

"I've already told you everything about him," Raizel replied as she placed her hand over Lilith's. She then closed her eyes as she enjoyed Lilith's warmth from behind.

"You did? Is that all you can tell me about your father?" Lilith inquired. "You only told me about his good points. You didn't tell me about his bad points."

"Ah… so you want to know his bad points." Raizel giggled. "Well, Papa has many bad points as well."

"For example?"

"He is overprotective of his daughters."

"I don't think that is a bad thing."

Raizel chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea, Lilith. No man dared to become our suitors because if they didn't die in our great grandpa's hands, they would definitely die in our Papa's hands. There was once this Prince who shook my hand during his visit to our residence.

"That night, someone snuck into his room and broke his arm. The person responsible for doing so even left a note that said… "The next time you annoy me, I will break your third leg.""

Raizel sighed after recalling the memory of that incident. "Too bad, that Prince was one of the experts of the young generation. My grandma wanted him to become my partner, but after the incident, the Prince returned to his empire and never showed his face in front of me again."

The corner of Lilith's lips twitched after hearing Raizel's story.

"You're an Amazon, right? What are your thoughts about getting a partner?" Lilith inquired. "We Amazons only look for strong men to become our mate. Do you feel too restricted from having such an overprotective Papa? What did your Mama say?"

Raizel didn't answer right away. Instead, she lightly squeezed Lilith's hand that was holding her in place.

"She said… she said that I should follow my heart, instead of following the tradition of the Amazons," Raizel answered. "She said that falling in love is a wonderful thing. Mama assured me that if I really found someone I love, she would definitely hold Papa back and let us be together."

Lilith felt something warm spread inside her chest, because she understood that feeling. In the past, she hadn't cared about love, and simply thought of finding a strong warrior to become her mate, in order to do her duty as an Amazon.

After meeting Raizel, things changed. She no longer wanted a casual relationship. What she wanted was something that would last forever.

"You should follow your mother's words," Lilith commented after calming the emotions in her heart.

"Mmm," Raizel hummed. "I want to fall in love like Mama. However, I wanted my partner to be as strong as Papa. I'm a greedy person, so I want to have both. Since Mama was able to do it, why can't I do the same?"

Lilith lightly kissed Raizel's head. "Indeed. We should not settle for anything less. After all, we are greedy people."

The corner of Raizel's lips curled up into a smile. The young beauty wished that someday, she, too, would also have that fairy tale ending like her mother.

Everyone wants happiness.

Nobody wants pain.

But, one can't have a rainbow…

Without a little rain.

Chapter 826: There’s No Need To Think Of The Future. It Will Come Soon Enough

Chapter 826 - There’s No Need To Think Of The Future. It Will Come Soon Enough

Five days after Avril surrendered the mirror to Morax, Elandor, the leader of the Dwarven Shelter, unearthed a mirror in his territory.

This discovery made the other Shelters double up their efforts to search for the other mirrors that the Dread Lord needed.

Meanwhile, back in the Glory Shelter, Raizel was inscribing runes on the mirror that they had found using her blood as the medium.

William looked at this scene with great interest because he had the Job Class Runemaster. From what he could tell, the young beauty was using advanced runes that not even he had seen before.

However, although William couldn't recognize the runes, he had a general idea about what Raizel was trying to do.

After the young lady finished inscribing the last rune, all the bloody runes on the surface of the mirror merged with its body.

"Did you succeed?" William asked.

Raizel smiled and nodded her head. "I managed to make this mirror my possession. Even if Morax gets it, I will be able to manipulate it from the shadows."

"You're amazing." William sighed. "How did you learn Rune Arts?"

"I was taught by the best."

"Who was it?"

Raizel smirked as she passed the mirror to Lilith. "Of course, my Mama."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard Raizel's reply. He then looked at Lilith who had a confused expression on her face because she didn't understand what Raizel was talking about.

"Girl, you really know how to mess around," William shook his head in defeat.

He could tell that Raizel was only teasing him. William had already expected that the young beauty was going to say that she learned it from her Papa, but in order to deny his smugness, she answered that it was her Mama that had taught her instead.

Raizel stuck her tongue out playfully as she gave Lilith a hug after the latter had properly stored the mirror inside her Divine Storage.

As the one who bore the Sin of Greed, Lilith could store many treasures in her Divine Storage, similar to how Chiffon could store a lot of food inside her stomach.

"What is our next plan?" Lilith asked as she patted the young beauty's head.

She had long gotten used to Raizel's clinginess when it was only the three of them, so she didn't push her away.

"We will wait for tonight to make our move," Raizel answered as she closed her eyes in contentment. "We need to bring the mirror to an area that hasn't been searched yet. Since we can't move out in the open as a group, Will must be the one to take the mirror to that location.

"If he is discovered, he can simply say that he found the mirror during his night exploration. This will be the safest option right now."

Raizel reluctantly pulled back and moved towards the table at the center of the room where a map of the city was displayed.

"Right now, everyone is busy searching in their own territories for the mirrors," Raizel said. "The North Eastern outskirts are still left out in the open because it is far from the other shelters. Will, it will be best if you hide the mirror in this area."

William nodded and understood the gist of Raizel's plan. However, he still had something he had to ask.

"Why don't we find more mirrors and allow you to take possession of them?" William proposed. "Wouldn't this be the most ideal move we can make to ensure that we will have an advantage during the ritual?"

Raizel shook her head. "Technically, you are right. However, I can't use my full powers in this place. If I transcribed runes on another mirror, the control that I have over the first would be cut in half.

"The more mirrors we take, the less control I will have over them. It will be best if we just focus on one, instead of biting off more than we can chew."

William eyed the young beauty with admiration because he hadn't thought that Raizel had already considered this possibility.

"Aside from this, is there anything else that we can do to ensure our side will have a chance to win against Morax?" Lilith inquired.

Raizel nodded. "Do you remember when I said that in order for us to win, both of you need to trust me with your lives? The second half of our operation relates to this. I will be making unreasonable demands, especially to you, Will."

The young beauty looked at William with a serious expression on her face.

"No matter how unreasonable my request will be, you will have to do it without any hesitation," Raizel explained. "If you hesitate, all the lives here in the Deadlands, as well as our own souls, will be damned for eternity. A lot is at stake here. Whatever happens, please, trust me with your life. Can you do that?"

Raizel's gaze met William's. The Half-Elf could see how serious she was, so he decided to nod his head in agreement.

"Very well, I will trust you," William said with a determined expression. "No matter how unreasonable it is. I will do it."

"Great!" Raizel clapped her hands together. "Then, time to put your words to the test. It's already late, so why don't you take a bath with Lilith? You can also drink her blood while you're at it. You drank Cathy's blood yesterday, so today it is Lilith's turn. Now, go. I will make sure that no one enters the bath area."

Raizel left the room with a smile, not even bothering to look at the reactions of the two that were left behind.

'Is she playing cupid again?' Lilith thought as she stared at William's face. She was trying to discern how the Half-Elf was faring with the idea of taking a bath with her.

The Amazon Princess could clearly see the hesitation in William's eyes, which made her heart ache a bit. Unable to continue observing him, she lowered her head and looked down on her feet.

It was at that moment when a rough hand firmly held her own.

Caught by surprise, Lilith raised her head only to see William's eyes staring at her face. The Half-Elf's face was flushed, and she could even see that the tips of his ears were red.

"Don't be mistaken," William said. "I am not hesitating because I don't like the idea of bathing with you. It's just that, I don't know if you are fine with this arrangement. Raizel can be mischievous at times and goes at her own pace. I know that you are only after me because of my genes, and this is why I shy away from you.

"However, many things have happened as of late. Even though I still don't know what will happen in the future, I've decided to believe that by taking that first step, I will be able to understand my true feelings."

After saying those words, William averted his gaze because he didn't want the Amazon Princess to see his embarrassment.

After half a minute, Lilith cleared her throat and gave a teasing reply. "Well, that is a unique way of inviting me to take a bath with you."

William smiled bitterly as he shifted his attention to the Amazon Princess' beautiful face. "You don't want to?"

Instead of answering, Lilith firmly held William's hand and walked towards the door. She was afraid that if she didn't act now, this opportunity would not come again.

As the two walked towards the Shower Area of the stadium, a young beauty peeked around the corner of the hallway with a devilish grin on her face.

'I thought Will was going to hesitate, so I was a bit worried,' Raizel mused. 'Fortunately, I'm here to push things around. Lilith, it's all on you now. Don't waste this opportunity. This is the first step to happiness!'

As the young beauty giggled, watching the two disappear down the hallway, the Death Lord by her side scratched her head in confusion.

'Will this really be alright?' Xenovia thought. 'Kids these days really have it tough.'

It was very easy for her to see that Raizel was doing her best to get William and Lilith to have a closer relationship.

She didn't mind playing along and acting as a bodyguard, to ensure that no one would disturb the possible couple. Her only concern was that their Shelter had still not found any mirrors to present to Morax, and she was getting worried that the other Leaders would find the other mirrors before them.

What she didn't know was that In order to play it safe, William, Lilith, and Raizel, didn't tell her that they had already found a mirror.

The Half-Elf wasn't confident that Morax didn't have the ability to spy on them using Xenovia. During the day, she was assigned to accompany Cathy and the others to look for resources, as well as the mirrors.

This was Raizel's plan to hoodwink the Dread Lord into thinking that they were being serious when it came to looking for the artifacts that would allow him to take full control of the Tower.

As the Death Lord was deep in her thoughts, the young beauty had already left the scene and returned to her room.

There, she picked up the small wooden mallet that William and Lilith had unearthed when they went treasure hunting.

The young beauty playfully smacked the mallet on the palm of her hands, while thinking of the future.

"You're right, Papa," Raizel said softly as she reminisced on some of the happy moments she had spent with her family. "There's no need to think of the future.. It will come soon enough."

Chapter 827: I Want You As My Life Partner. Your Answer?

Chapter 827 - I Want You As My Life Partner. Your Answer?

The sound of falling water spread across the shower room.

William was finding it hard to avert his gaze as he snuck glances at Lilith's backside.

Both of them were showering on opposite sides of the room, but since there were no dividers in place, it was just a wide open area with no place to hide their bodies.

'That's one fine tush,' William thought. 'Raizel didn't lie. It is indeed very attractive.'

Whenever William and Raizel were alone, especially when the Half-Elf needed some blood, the young beauty would often praise Lilith's good traits.

Out of everything that Raizel said about Lilith, one thing stuck out to him and that was the Amazon Princess' irresistible backside, which William was now seeing for the first time.

Using all of his willpower, William reluctantly averted his gaze and focused on scrubbing his body. He didn't know if Raizel was playing a prank on them or not, but since he had already promised to trust her, the Half-Elf decided to just go with the flow.

Lilith, on the other hand, didn't share William's worries. As a warrior, it was very easy for her to feel the stares of other people on her body.

If William could see her face right now, he would notice that Lilith's face was as red as a beet. Although she had already marked William as her treasure, Raizel's appearance in her life had solidified her determination to make the Half-Elf her life partner.

The red-headed teenager wasn't aware that many things had already changed in Lilith's plans since their appearance in the Deadlands.

She no longer planned to kidnap William and drag him to the Amazon Empire, in order to share him with her sisters. The Amazon Princess suddenly felt selfish in regards to the Half-Elf. She wanted to keep him to herself, and not let other girls take him.

Of course, she knew that this was not possible because William was already married to several girls. However, the feeling of wanting to keep him to herself was becoming stronger.

She could also feel that her Divinity was slowly, but surely, awakening from its deep slumber.

'Maybe, this is what it means to be greedy,' Lilith thought. 'I thought that by obtaining material treasures, I would be happy. But now, I want more… I want…'

The image of the young beauty with long red hair, and amber eyes that matched her own, appeared in her vision.

'I want that future,' Lilith slowly raised her hand to reach out towards the falling water droplets above her head. 'I want her in my life.'

A new goal blossomed in Lilith's heart, and her determination soared. After finally understanding what she wanted, she turned around to look at the Half-Elf who was busy scrubbing his body.

Lilith took a step forward then another… towards the person that would make her wish a reality.

As William was about to scrub his back, a pair of hands pressed down on his shoulders.

"Don't move," Lilith whispered. "I'll wash your back for you."

Before Wiliam could even reply, a pair of rough hands, similar to his, started to scrub his back. Lilith was a warrior, so her hands weren't as soft and delicate as the noble ladies that had never held a weapon in their lives.

"Your back is quite broad," Lilith commented. "It feels nice."

William didn't know how to reply to Lilith's comment, so he just kept his silence and allowed the Amazon to wash him properly.

Suddenly, the Half-Elf's body stiffened when he felt Lilith's hand lightly squeeze his bum.

"It's softer than I expected," Lilith said as if she was a connoisseur who was appraising an exotic dish that she had never tried before. "Might as well clean it properly."

William's body shuddered when he felt Lilith's hands knead his bum like a baker on steroids. He had a feeling that the Amazon was just playing around out of curiosity and waiting for him to react to her actions.

However, when he thought about admonishing her, the hands stopped and an arm stretched out to open the shower, sending a steady stream of water to fall upon their two bodies.

Half a minute later, William felt two soft peaks press against his back and a pair of arms wrap around his waist.

"Hey, do you find me attractive?" Lilith asked.

"Very," William replied honestly.

"I want you as my life partner. Your answer?"

"... I don't think I'm ready yet."

Lilith sighed before lightly biting William's shoulder. "When will you be ready?"

"... Must it be today?" William asked softly.

"It doesn't have to be today, but I want an answer soon."

"How soon?"

Lilith pondered for a brief moment before voicing out her thoughts. "Four days from now. When it is time for you to drink my blood again."

"Okay," William replied. "I will give you an answer four days from now."

"You won't try to run away?"

"I won't."

"You won't try to avoid me?"

"I won't."

"Good, now turn around," Lilith said as she took a step back and let go of William's body.

William did as he was told, and both of them stared at each other.

A pair of light-green eyes, that were like emeralds, stared into Lilith's amber eyes without blinking.

Lilith pressed her hands over William's shoulders, as she lightly rose to her tiptoes and brushed her lips over William's.

The action was fleeting, but the Half-Elf felt how serious the Amazon Princess was. Because of this, he had also resolved to sort out his feelings seriously, and give her a proper answer on their promised day.

"Let's go," Lilith said as she held William's hand. "We don't want to catch a cold, right?"

"Mmm," William replied as he allowed Lilith to drag him to the bathtub.

That night, William felt his body burning, as Lilith's warmth washed over his body from inside and out.

Lilith's body pressed against him as he drank her blood sparingly. They were both naked and facing each other, but due to their promise, neither of them did anything inappropriate.

William could hear Lilith's strong heartbeat resonate in his ears along with the sinful sighs that escaped her seductive lips.

The Half-Elf hadn't paid too much attention to these sensations in the past, but due to what happened earlier, he had become more aware of her.

Lilith's heartbeat, the sweet and intoxicating taste of her blood, her voice that was tinged with pleasure, and her warmth that fanned the fires of desire in his own heart.

After William finished drinking her blood, the Amazon Princess wrapped her arms around his head, and gave him a long, lingering kiss on the lips.

William subconsciously wrapped his hands around Lilith's waist, to hold her in place.

When the kiss ended, Lilith kissed William's forehead, before reluctantly backing away.

She left the bathtub without saying another word, and took one of the bath towels to cover her body. She gave William one last glance before leaving the room.

William watched her go in a daze. Only after a few minutes passed did he return to his senses.

The Half-Elf felt hot and bothered, and knew that he would not be able to sleep easily that night.

He knew with certainty that after he had finished the mission Raizel gave him, and returned to her room, the three of them would sleep together, like they had been these past few days.

Imagining how the Amazon would be sleeping right next to him, made the fires in his chest burn brighter.

In order to extinguish the burning desire that was plaguing his body, William stayed inside the shower room for another half an hour.

This was the only way that he could think of, in order to survive the next four days, without thinking of the Amazon Princess' passionate, soft, lips that had claimed his own.

Chapter 828: A World Where Hope Was Merely A Fleeting Illusion

Chapter 828 - A World Where Hope Was Merely A Fleeting Illusion

Wiliam left the Glory Shelter an hour after his steamy talk with Lilith.

He was headed to the North-Eastern outskirts of the Deadlands in order to put the mirror in a place that was likely to be discovered.

According to Raizel, it was highly possible that in a span of two weeks, all the mirrors in the Deadlands, with the exception of the one on the seabed would be found by the Alliance.

Because of this same reason, Raizel was decisive and asked William to take the mirror to the place they talked about as soon as possible.

As a Half-Elf, and a Vampire, William traveled through the city in the middle of the night with absolute confidence.

He had paid close attention to his surroundings and ensured that he wasn't being tracked by anyone. In order to hasten his journey, he rode a bike, which allowed him to arrive at his destination in an hour.

'Now to find a place to hide the mirror,' William thought as he gazed at his surroundings from on top of a building. After considering his choices, the Half-Elf decided to place the mirror inside an antique shop.

This shop would be a very suitable place to look for the mirror, because of the nature of its business.

After completing his mission, William didn't dawdle and returned to the Glory Shelter as fast as he could. Although being discovered in this area wouldn't arouse any suspicions whatsoever, he knew that staying under everyone's radar was still the best option available for him.

As soon as William exited the North-Eastern parts of the Deadlands, his powerful eyesight detected some light sources a mile away from his location.

The Half-Elf immediately entered an abandoned shop near him, which was a pet shop. He moved towards its second floor and positioned himself near the window, overlooking the street.

William was very curious about who would be visiting this area at this time of night.

A few minutes later, he saw a convoy of trucks pass the place he was hiding in.

The corner of William's lips curled into a smirk when he saw the identity of the late-night explorers.

'Swiper,' William mused. 'Are you my tail or something? Why are you always appearing wherever I go?'

The Half-Elf had no love for the Demonic Boar who always did his best to antagonize him, Lilith, and Raizel.

If possible, he would love to smash the Demon's head to meat paste so that all of his troubles would be gone. Unfortunately, the chances of Swiper returning as an undead was very high. It would also create many unforeseen consequences that he didn't want to deal with right now, so the effort was not worth it.

William didn't immediately leave after Swiper's group had left his area. He waited five more minutes before leaving the Pet Shop to return to the Glory Shelter.

Fortunately, his return trip was smooth and he didn't encounter any more mishaps along the way.

The moment he entered Raizel's room, he was surprised to find that the two girls were still awake. It was quite obvious that they were waiting for him to return, which made William feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"What happened?" Raizel asked. "Did you encounter some problems when you delivered the mirror?"

William shook his head. "I saw Swiper's entourage on my return trip, but don't worry, they didn't see me."

The Half-Elf then explained everything that happened on his mission towards the North-Eastern part of the Deadlands without leaving anything behind. After his narration, he excused himself to take a quick shower to remove the dust that had accumulated in his journey outside of the shelter.

However, before he left the room, Raizel handed him a set of pajamas that she had prepared especially for him.

William thanked her and left the room, leaving the two ladies to discuss his latest brush with the inhabitants of the Demonic Shelter.

"If Swiper plans to explore every nook and cranny of the North-Easter regions, he will definitely find the mirror sooner or later," Lilith said with a frown. "At most, we will get the news tomorrow. The only thing I am worried about is his request to Morax. He had a grudge against us, and if he has decided to get back at us using Morax's help, it would definitely be troublesome."

Raizel nodded her head in agreement. "Indeed. If he really has decided to make a move on us, we might not see it coming even with all our eyes open."

"Then, what do we do?"

"The only thing we can do. Just continue to be vigilant, while we 'look' for the other mirrors."

Lilith sighed. "We will be on the passive side when that happens. Maybe we should get one mirror ourselves and give it to Morax. After that, we request something to ensure our safety."

"Well, that is certainly an option, but what will you ask of him?" Raizel asked with a curious gaze. "I doubt that he will agree if we request that Swiper be killed, imprisoned, or kicked out of the Deadlands."

"True." Lilith admitted. "But, some kind of deterrence is better than nothing, right?"

Raizel covered her lips and giggled. "Frankly, I think having Will around is already a deterrence. You might not know of it, but everyday that passes here in the Deadlands, Will becomes stronger. I don't know if Morax realized this yet, but Will's body is automatically siphoning the Undead energy from the Deadlands.

"Perhaps, Will is not aware of this as well. However, I'm sure that he can feel his body getting stronger with every day that passes, most especially during the night when the Tower activates its powers."

"Will he be as strong as Morax?" Lilith inquired. If the Half-Elf really became as strong as the Dread Lord then they would no longer fear anything in the Deadlands.

Raizel shook her head. "Not at the moment. But, if everything goes according to plan, he will become the Dread Lord's equal, perhaps even stronger."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Lilith glanced at the young beauty that was looking back at her with a smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Lilith inquired.

"It's because I am happy," Raizel answered.

"Happy about what?"

"Happy because you already took the first step, Lilith."

Raizel moved closer and gave the Amazon Princess a light hug.

"Please, do your best," Raizel encouraged. "Just one more push, and Will is in the bag."

The Amazon Princess blushed at Raizel's egging.

Lilith was quite helpless when it came to Raizel's advances. However, what she said was also true. The Amazon Princess recalled the scene back in the shower room, and the memory made her cheeks feel like burning.

Although it only lasted for a brief moment, she felt that Wiliam had returned her kiss when she kissed him in the bathtub.

It meant that the Half-Elf no longer resisted her advances towards him, which made her heart skip a beat.

The two girls chatted for half an hour about different ways to ensnare William.

What they were not aware of was that the Half-Elf was already standing outside the room's door, with an awkward expression on his face.

He arrived a few minutes ago and was about to knock on the door when he overheard what the two girls were talking about.

The corner of his lips twitched when Raizel proposed that Lilith and her should go to one of the abandoned shops near their shelter to look for sexy lingerie that could seduce William.

In the end, William waited for five more minutes before knocking on the door to make his presence known.

When he entered, the two girls were already lying on the bed with beet-red faces, as if they were a pair of thieving cats that had been caught red-handed by the police.

Half an hour later, the Half-Elf slept peacefully on the bed, while being hugged by a beautiful girl on each side.

Lilith and Raizel gave each other a knowing gaze before simultaneously giving William a soft peck on the cheeks on each side.

After sneakily taking advantage of the handsome Half-Elf, both girls closed their eyes to sleep.

Both hoped that when morning came, a new day, filled with happiness and love, would grace the three of them in a world where hope was merely a fleeting illusion that dreamers loved to dream.

Chapter 829: Please, Take Off Your Shirt

Chapter 829 - Please, Take Off Your Shirt

Just as Raizel and Lilith predicted, the news of Swiper finding the mirror spread throughout the Deadlands around noon.

The funny thing was that the reason why they knew of this news was because Swiper, himself, had gone to the Glory Shelter to brag about his latest achievement.

He even roared in laughter as he showed the mirror in his hands to William, Lilith, and Raizel, who were doing their best to prevent themselves from spitting on his Demonic Pig's face.

"You see, this is what happens when I become serious," Swiper said as he patted William's shoulder in a friendly manner. "This proves that I'm better than you, right?"

William wanted to roll his eyes at the bragging Demon who was only a few inches from getting his snout smashed to a pulp.

"Well then, since I'm a busy man, I guess I'll be going to the Black Tower now," Swiper declared with a smug expression on his face. "See you later, losers! Hahahaha!"

Swiper's lackeys all laughed in unison as they looked at William's group with disdain. They had searched all night until the sun had started to rise before they found the mirror that Morax was looking for.

As the Demonic Entourage left in the direction of the Black Tower, William shook his head helplessly. If possible, he hadn't wanted Swiper to be the one to find the mirror he hid, but Fate was a fickle lady, who had the hobby of breaking people's expectations.

"Will, I think we need to move to the next stage of our plans," Raizel said after careful consideration. "Time is not on our side."

William turned around to look at the young beauty that was looking at him with a serious expression on her face.

"What are we going to do next?" William asked.

"Follow me," Raizel replied as she turned to go back inside the Glory Shelter.

Just like usual, she had ordered Cathy and Xenovia to look for resources and a mirror within their territory.

This served as a smokescreen to the observers of the Dread Lord, who were regularly patrolling the areas of the Shelters.

This time, Raizel didn't bring William to her room, but in the room next to hers, where William had stayed the night a few days ago.

"Sorry, Lilith, but it will be only William and I who will be talking," Raizel said with an apologetic gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Silly girl, what are you being sorry about?" Lilith replied as she held her hand. "If it is something that I shouldn't listen to then that's fine with me."

"Thank you."

"I'll just go to your room for the time being and wait for the two of you to finish your business."

Lilith didn't say another word and went to Raizel's room, closing the door behind her.

Raizel took a deep breath as if she was preparing herself for something before she entered the room.

William, who still had no idea what the young beauty had planned, entered the room behind her.

"Please, lock the door," Raizel said. "This is to ensure that we won't be interrupted during our… exercise."

The Half-Elf nodded and locked the door as he was told. He then moved towards Raizel who was sitting on top of the bed with a determined expression on her face.

"I told you before that in order to have a chance of winning, you must trust me with your life," Raizel stated. "No matter how unreasonable my request will be, you will have to do it without any hesitation. I ask you now, will you trust me?"

"Yes," William answered. "I trust you."

"Good." Raizel sighed in relief. "Then let's begin. Please, take off your shirt."

The rustling of clothes echoed within the walls of the room, heralding the start of the second phase of Raizel's plan.

While this was happening, Swiper had finally arrived in the vicinity of the Black Tower where Morax's Death Lords were already waiting for his arrival.

The Dread Lord received Swiper in his throne room with a big smile on his face that made the Demonic Boar feel less anxious.

"I knew that you would not let me down, Swiper," Morax said. "Fortunately, I didn't make a mistake when I chose you to become my spy among the Shelters."

Swiper respectfully bowed his head as he presented the mirror to Morax.

"Your Excellency, I am but your humble, and loyal, supporter," Swiper declared. "As long as I am able to help, I will not hesitate to go above my capabilities to meet your expectations."

Morax nodded his head in appreciation before accepting the mirror in Swiper's hands. "You are truly a subordinate that I can be proud of. Now, tell me, what is it that you wish for?"

The image of William's arrogant face briefly appeared in Swiper's mind, as he raised his head to look at the Dread Lord who was waiting for his reply. For a very long time, Swiper had wished that he could trample on the Half-Elf's face and regain his pride.

Now that an opportunity was right in front of him, wouldn't it be a shame not to use it to his advantage?

"Your Excellency, I wish to deal with the Half-Elf who has recently appeared in the Glory Shelter," Swiper stated."He is also the same person that dealt with your Death Lord and Bone Dragon during the Haunting. The same person who has shown you disrespect in this very throne room."

"Ah, that person." Morax nodded. "Well, he truly is an eyesore. But, he is also actively searching for the mirror on my behalf. Even so, since you want to deal with him then I can make it happen… the question is, how do you want to deal with him?"

Swiper gritted his teeth as he voiced out his inner thoughts."Your Excellency, I wish to…"

Morax listened to Swiper's request with a calm expression on his face. After hearing what the Demonic Boarkin had to say, the Dread Lord pondered for a bit before giving his reply.

"Your request is not impossible to realize," Morax replied after careful consideration. "But, the timing is important. If I were to make a move right now, the other leaders of the Shelters will be wary, and there is a chance that they will refuse to cooperate. Although I can use force to quell their resistance, I have more important matters that come before any desire to wipe them off from the face of the Deadlands.

Also, you will instantly become a suspect and will be alienated by the rest of the Alliance. Like I said, it is not impossible for your request to be realized, but the timing must be done right.

"How about this? We will wait until all the mirrors are gathered before we make our move. I promise you that when that time comes, I will let you personally deal with that Half-Elf after I'm done with him. With this, we can accomplish both of our goals with minimal to zero risk. It's a win-win situation for both of us, what do you think?"

Swiper pondered for a bit before firmly nodding his head. "I will do my best to endure, Your Excellency. I just hope that the wait will be worth it."

"Trust me. I will make sure that you will be satisfied with the results."

"Thank you, Your Excellency. I look forward to the day where both of our wishes will be realized."

After a bit of chit chat, Swiper left the Black Tower with his subordinates and returned to the Demonic Shelter to rest. The Dread Lord watched them leave with an indifferent expression on his face before gazing in the direction of the Glory Shelter.

"Mortals are truly interesting creatures," Morax muttered. The corner of his lips curled up into a smile as he thought of the wishes of those that had presented mirrors to him.

"For pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth, they are willing to step on any number of corpses just to satisfy their desires… and people say that I'm the evil one? How laughable."

Morax shook his head before closing his eyes. He could gradually feel that the time he was waiting for was at hand.

All he needed to do was wait for all the mirrors… to fall into his hands.

Chapter 830: Parallel Wishes

Chapter 830 - Parallel Wishes

Two days had passed since Swiper had given the mirror to Morax, and the Demonic Shelter's prestige was at an all time high.

With three out of the nine mirrors found, everyone was putting in double the effort in finding the six remaining mirrors.

Even William, Lilith, and Raizel had no choice but to "act" like they were desperate to find the remaining mirrors in order to let Morax, and the other Leaders think that they were doing their best to find it.

Lilith was now familiar with the aura of the mirrors, so she was able to tell William and Raizel about their locations. However, they didn't make any moves to obtain them. They simply wandered around the Deadlands, looking for other treasures.

It didn't come as a surprise when Lilith managed to find one more treasure as they traveled around the city.

Lilith guided William and Raizel to the location where she sensed the treasure. After nearly an hour of travel, they arrived at a small abandoned temple at the Western side of the Deadlands.

As they explored its interior, Lilith opened a small wooden box and found a pair of golden earrings. One of the earrings had a blue gem in its center, while the other one had a red gem.

When Raizel saw these earrings, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

'So, this is where they found them,' Raizel thought as she held the two earrings in her hands as if they were priceless treasures.

She eyed them closely to ensure that they were the same earrings in her memory. After a minute of close observation, she affirmed that these were the same ones she knew of.

"Are you familiar with these earrings?" William asked after seeing Raizel's surprised expression.

"I-I've seen it in an ancient text in the past," Raizel stuttered. "They say that when two people who are in love wear these rings, they will be able to see the path to Nirvana."

"Really?" Lilith asked as she eyed the earring with a red gem embedded in it.

Raizel suddenly had a flash of inspiration as a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "How about we give it a try? Will, can you lower your head for a bit?"

"Hmm? Okay." William obeyed and lowered his head. He already had an idea of what Raizel was trying to do, but he couldn't find it in his heart to reject the young lady's request.

Holding the golden earring with the blue gem at its center, Raizel attached it to William's right ear.

The instant the earring was firmly clasped on his ear, William felt a tingling sensation wash over his body for a brief moment, before disappearing completely.

"How is it?" Raizel inquired. "Has something changed with your vision?"

William blinked once then twice before focusing his eyes on his surroundings. William already had a 20/20 vision in the past, so he could see things very clearly. However, after being conscious of Raizel's words, he noticed that he could see other, more subtle, things in his surroundings that he had never seen before.

He could see a few faintly glowing particles in the air surrounding them. He didn't know what they were, but something was telling him that these small particles were something important.

"I can see some sort of light particles around us," William replied as he tried to examine the particles by lightly touching them. However his fingers just passed through them as if they were something that couldn't be grasped by anyone.

"What are these things?" William inquired.

"Laws," Raizel answered. "Well, part of the laws that bind this world together."

After finding out that the earring was working properly, Raizel approached Lilith with a smile and attached the earring to her left ear.

Just like William, Lilith didn't resist Raizel's action. She knew that Raizel wouldn't harm her in any way.

Also, seeing that the Half-Elf was wearing the other earring, the Amazon Princess felt the young beauty was back to playing her role as a cupid in order to bring them closer together.

"Now then, let's test whether your earring works or not," Raizel clapped her hands happily as she shifted her devilish smile at the red-headed teenager who suddenly felt goosebumps on his body.

One glance was enough to tell William that the young beauty was up to no good!

"Will, do you love me?" Raizel asked with a bashful expression.

The corner of William's lips twitched because he felt that this was a tricky question. He understood that this was one of Raizel's pranks, so he decided to put the young lady in her place.

"No," William replied, which made Raizel pout.

"... You're lying," Lilith commented. It was at that moment when she realized that she suddenly gained the ability to tell whether a person was lying or not.

"Hmp! So, you lied to me," Raizel complained as she lightly hit William's chest with her closed fist.

Naturally, this playful action didn't hurt anyone. After taking her revenge, Raizel winked at Lilith and mouthed a few words without being seen by William.

The Amazon Princess froze because she knew lip reading and understood what Raizel was trying to tell her.

However, Lilith just shook her head and smiled. "I will know the answer soon. There's no need to put him on a spot right now."

"Then ask him other questions."

"Like what?"

"Like, what is his favorite food? Hobbies, etc?"

Lilith nodded "That sounds like a good idea. I'll do that after we return to the Shelter. But, you need to answer my question first."

Raizel smirked. "That will depend on what question you are going to ask me. If it's something I can't answer, I won't answer no matter what."

"What are the names of these earrings?"

"Parallel Wishes," Raizel answered. "The earrings that were said to show the path to Nirvana to two people who truly love each other. Isn't it romantic?"

The young beauty winked at Lilith before turning around to look at William, who was pretending to read the ancient scripts that were left inside the temple.

Seeing that the Half-Elf had no intention of cooperating with her, Raizel shook her head before looking out of the window of the temple.

"It's almost sunset. Let's go back to the Shelter," Raizel said. She then looked at Lilith with a serious expression as she spoke out her mind. "Also, Lilith after dinner, it will be your turn to help me."

Lilith was surprised at first before nodding her head. For two nights, William and Raizel had holed themselves up in the room right next to hers.

Out of respect for their privacy, Lilith didn't bother to eavesdrop by using the mark that she had placed on William.

Although she was very curious to know what they were doing inside the room together, she decided to trust Raizel, and just waited for her to return.

William, who heard Raizel's words, didn't respond. Raizel had already informed him a day ago that it will be Lilith's turn today, so he was already expecting this to happen.

He couldn't possibly tell anyone what the young beauty and he was doing during those two days that they were together.

Even if he did mention it to someone, he was very confident that no one would believe him. Since that was the case, it was better to keep his lips shut tight.

Deep inside, he was very curious about what Raizel planned to do with Lilith.. He just hoped that whatever the young beauty had planned for the Amazon Princess, it wouldn't be the same as the exercise that they were doing together.

Chapter 831: Dreaming Of Happy Dreams

Chapter 831 - Dreaming Of Happy Dreams

'It hurts…,' Lilith panted as her hands clenched the bed sheets.

She had never felt this kind of pain before and it almost drove her crazy. It was as if she was being split in half, and the searing pain made her unconsciously bite her lip.

Lilith didn't know how long it lasted, for every second felt like days, and minutes like years.

Blood stains dyed the white sheets as Lilith lay on the bed, bereaved of strength. She had already lost consciousness at that point, and tears streamed down at the corner of her eyes.

"That was more intense than I thought," Raizel said as she, too, panted for breath. "It's so hot."

A minute later, the young beauty collapsed over Lilith's body, bereft of consciousness.

—--

William had been told to go somewhere far away from Raizel's room for the time being, because Raizel knew how sensitive his ears were.

Of course, the Half-Elf didn't have any objections in regards to the young beauty's request. William decided to rest on the rooftop of the stadium, while waiting for the two girls to finish whatever they were doing.

As the night deepened, William kept his vigil on the rooftop while sorting out his thoughts.

He was thinking about his feelings for Lilith and how he wanted to proceed going forward.

'I wonder how Ashe, Sidonie, and Chiffon will react when we get out of this place,' William thought. He then sighed deeply because he missed them dearly. It was not only them that the Half-Elf was thinking of.

Wendy's, Est's, and Celine's images appeared inside his head as well. They were among the women who held a significant part of William's heart.

Wendy, who opened up his heart to love, was someone he treasured greatly. Without her, the Half-Elf would have not thought of the possibility of loving someone else aside from Belle.

Her straightforward innocence had wormed her way inside his heart, and claimed her place as his First Wife.

'I miss you, Wendy,' William thought as the feelings of tenderness rose up from his heart.

Soon, Wendy's face disappeared and was replaced with a silver-haired beauty with crimson eyes. She was none other than Est's original form, which had been sealed due to the curse of the Gods.

William could still remember how he tried to teach her things like kissing, which made Est blush until the tip of her ears were red.

William's best friend, and lover, was like a white rose that knew nothing of the world. The mere act of teaching her the things that couples did made William feel as if he was corrupting someone very pure.

Est was someone who wanted to learn on how to make him happy. Although she was a bit clumsy in doing so, her efforts had melted William's heart, which made him feel blessed because someone like her had chosen him as her lover.

She could only retain her original form inside William's Sea of Consciousness, so whenever the two of them were alone together, they would meet in the Half-Elf's spiritual world, and reinforce the feelings they had for each other, in both words, and actions.

"After I finish Aamon's quest, I will return to the Southern Continent to marry her," William said softly. "Maybe I can convince her to hold the wedding in Lont. Yes. That would be the best."

Although William didn't mind a Grand Wedding like he'd had with Princess Sidonie, he still preferred something simple. For him, a wedding was a union of hearts between two people. Even if the whole world wasn't looking at them, as long as they were together, that was more than enough.

Soon, the image of William's First Master appeared in front of him.

Without a doubt, Celine was William's first love in Lont. When he first saw her, he was immediately captivated by her beauty.

Celine was a very beautiful lady. Among his wives, only Princess Sidonie could match her in the aesthetic department.

Their last meeting was filled with pent up emotions that had been held back for many years. William had unleashed his pain, and anger, at her during that time. He told her how he felt betrayed after she enslaved him, he told her how much her Dark Curses hurt him.

He told her everything, and Celine accepted his feelings as he cried in her embrace.

She didn't apologize to William, and the Half-Elf had no need for her apology. After those pent up emotions had been brought out to the surface, a storm descended, and the beautiful Elf found herself being battered by the waves of passion that William had unleashed upon her beautiful body, that had not been touched by any man.

He made sure to place his mark on her body, inside and out. Celine had accepted them all, and surprisingly, she even subtly asked for more.

They spent several days together, and although they hadn't talked about their current relationship, both knew that they couldn't return to what they were in the past.

Even so, on the last night that they were together, William had whispered in her ears that she was his woman, and he was her man.

Celine didn't answer him, but after William had said those words to her, she kissed him on the lips and held him tight. Shortly thereafter, they made love with each other once more as the fires of passion consumed their hearts and bodies.

'Master, please, return soon,' William sighed as he thought of his Master, Celine, who was currently in the Demonic Lands looking for her own Master. 'We need to have a proper talk, and sort out this relationship we have.'

A few more hours passed as William stared at the full moon that illuminated the surroundings. He had already felt the major changes that had happened in his body, and although he didn't have the System to confirm his suspicions, he believed that his Prestige Class, Vampiric Necromancer, had made a breakthrough.

William was a hundred percent certain that he had now become a Vampire Prince, which was the next stage of the Vampiric Necromancer.

Suddenly, the earring on his right ear gave a faint ringing sound.

Soon, Lilith's exhausted voice reached his ears, telling him that he could now return to the room.

A few minutes later, William opened the door to Raizel's room.

Raizel was sleeping peacefully in Lilith's embrace, exhaustion written on her face.

The Amazon Princess, on the other hand, looked so sleepy that she could barely open her eyes.

Her pitiful state moved William so he sat on the bed and brushed away the hair that blocked her face with his fingers.

"Just sleep," William said. "I'll keep you girls safe."

"... Mmm." Lilith hummed as she closed her eyes.

A few seconds later, she also fell asleep hugging Raizel in a protective embrace.

William moved to the other side of the bed and gave Raizel a hug. Right now, the young beauty was sandwiched between him and Lilith, which was a first for them. Usually, it was William who was always in the middle, so this change of pace felt refreshing.

After being hugged from behind, the exhausted expression on Raizel's face eased up a bit. Being enveloped by the warmth of the two people beside her, the young beauty slept deeply, and dreamed of happy dreams.

Dreams of all the times she had spent together with her loving family.

Chapter 832: Don’t You Think A Reward Is In Order?

Chapter 832 - Don’t You Think A Reward Is In Order?

"The two of you, just stay put for today," William said as he looked at the two ladies who had fevers.

This was the first thing that he noticed when he woke up in the morning. Lilith's and Raizel's bodies were unusually hot, so the Half-Elf immediately looked for a clinical thermometer to check their temperature.

When the results came out, his hunch was confirmed, so he ordered the two ladies to stay in bed, while he brought them something to eat.

"I thought I was going to die last night," Lilith said as she held her aching head. "What you did was very dangerous. I'm surprised you managed to survive it."

"I thought I was gonna die as well." Raizel had a pained expression on her face because she, too, was suffering from migraine. "I didn't know that it would be that intense."

"Don't tell me that we are going to do that again?"

"We have to. It will raise our chances of winning."

Lilith massaged her temple in order to lessen the pain she was feeling. Although she wanted to get in the way of Morax's plans, inflicting self harm was something she wasn't fond of.

"There has to be a better way." Lilith sighed. "Both of us might suffer from a harsh backlash if we use this method again."

Raizel nodded in agreement. "I'll think of a new alternative after we recover. Thinking right now really hurts, so I'll pass for the time being."

Despite the pain she was feeling, Lilith wasn't able to stop a chuckle from escaping her lips. The usually fearless young beauty was showing signs of backing out after their nearly failed experiment last night.

Twenty minutes later, the door of their room opened and William came in pushing a trolley of food.

"I made some oat porridge," William said. "They're still hot, so let them cool off a bit."

The Half-Elf took two breakfast trays and placed them on the two ladies' laps. He then took a chair and sat beside the bed, eyeing the two girls who were holding their heads in pain.

"I know I shouldn't ask, but what did the two of you do last night for both of you to end up like this?" William inquired.

"You already know that you shouldn't ask, but you still asked," Lilith replied with a glare. "How about you tell me what you and Raizel were doing for the past few days?"

William coughed lightly as he averted his gaze. How could he possibly tell her what he was doing with Raizel? If Lilith got wind of it, she would definitely raise a ruckus.

Raizel who was watching the two's banter wanted to laugh, but the sudden pain that wracked her head made her wince in pain instead.

William sighed as he picked up the food tray on Raizel's lap. He then took a spoonful of the porridge and blew on it.

"Say ah…"

"Ah…"

The Half-Elf spoonfed the young beauty, which made Raizel quite happy. She had only gotten sick once in her life, and back then, her Papa and Mama took very good care of her.

Seeing William care for her like this made her want to act like a spoiled child in order to make him pamper her.

'Just this once,' Raizel thought as she opened her mouth to eat. 'There might not be another opportunity like this again in the future.'

As Wiliam fed Raizel, Lilith could only endure her headache and eat her own food. For her, it was perfectly fine that the Half-Elf was ensuring that the young beauty was eating properly. She didn't feel jealous or anything.

The Amazon Princess even thought that this was only the natural order of things, and it was William's duty to take care of Raizel.

As for her, she could take care of herself just fine, even with her current condition.

As the two girls ate, the other Shelters were hard at work scouring the Deadlands to find the mirrors, including Cathy's group.

Just like always, the remaining members of the Glory Shelter were also hard at work.

"Incredible, I didn't think that Raizel and Lilith would get sick here in the Deadlands," Cathy said. "I hope it's not a serious sickness."

Xenovia scratched her head as she looked in the direction of the Glory Shelter. "Will said that it's just a mild fever. They explored somewhere damp yesterday, so it might have caused them to feel some discomfort after they returned to shelter."

"Good." Cathy nodded. "I don't want her to get sick for a long time."

Suddenly, one of the men in their team shouted because he found something unusual.

"Leader, there is a mirror over here," the man said. "It looks just like the ones that were in the gold crystal!"

Cathy and Xenovia glanced at each other before scampering towards the location of the man who had said that they found a mirror similar to what the Dread Lord was looking for.

"T-This… this is one of the mirrors, right?" Cathy asked as she looked at Xenovia who was standing beside her.

The Death Lord had already activated the golden crystal and a match had been made.

"Without a doubt, this is indeed one of the mirrors that Morax is looking for," Xenovia replied. "Let's take it back to the Shelter, and have William deal with it."

Everyone in the group agreed that this was the best thing to do. Truth be told, they were afraid of dealing with the Dread Lord.

Since William had been one of the experts protecting their shelter, they deemed that it was best that he handled this mirror as well.

—-

The corner of William's lips twitched as he looked at the mirror that was presented to him by an over-eager Cathy.

"Will, this is one of those mirrors that you are looking for, right?" Cathy said with an expression that screamed 'Please, praise me for doing a good job!'.

"Y-Yes," William replied. "Good job, Cathy. You too, Xenovia."

Xenovia nodded her head and Cathy looked at William with eyes filled with expectation.

"Will, don't you think a reward is in order?" Cathy asked with a smile.

William subconsciously took a step back because the pretty girl's gaze was starting to scare him.

"O-Of course," William answered with a stiff smile. "What do you want as a reward?"

"How about tonight we… do the usual?" Cathy proposed. "Don't worry. I'm a very healthy person. My blood regenerates quickly as well. You're already aware of this, right?"

William couldn't refute Cathy's words because she was right. The Half-Elf had discovered her peculiarity when he first drank her blood.

Although William only drank a mouthful, he realized right away that Cathy had already recovered the amount of blood that was taken from her.

At first, the Half-Elf thought that he was just overthinking things, but after he drank her blood for the second time, he realized that what he suspected was true.

That was also that same day that Cathy realized she had this unique trait. She also seemed a bit surprised that she hadn't discovered it in the past.

Simply put, she was like a rechargeable battery that was always at full charge.

Even with this ability, William didn't want to take advantage of her and simply took what he needed. He didn't know if this ability had a side-effect, so he decided to not abuse it for Cathy's safety.

"Understood, tonight then." William relented. Now that another mirror was within his hands, he had no choice but to give it to Morax as soon as possible, so he wouldn't be suspected of anything.

The only problem was that when he handed the mirror to Morax, he would be able to ask the Dread Lord for a favor. Frankly, William didn't know how to handle this situation, so he decided to ask Xenovia to call one of Morax's Undead to deliver the mirror to the Dread Lord for the time being.

Half an hour later, a Death Lord riding a Bone Dragon landed near their shelter. William gave the mirror to it and asked it to pass a message to Morax.

"Tell your Master that I will visit him one of these days," William said. "I am busy right now, so I can't hand the mirror over personally."

"Understood," the Death Lord replied. "Is that all you wanted to say to my Master?"

William smiled. "I am taking care of two sick people right now, so I can't leave them alone. I will also use this opportunity to think of what request I will ask when I go to the Black Tower to visit His Excellency. "

The Death Lord nodded before mounting the Bone Dragon to return to the Black Tower.

William watched it go with a complicated expression on his face. Although the leaders of the shelters might raise an eyebrow due to his lack of interest in meeting Morax, to claim his reward, he had a valid excuse on hand.

Although the Glory Shelter was most likely safe for the time being, he didn't feel comfortable leaving the two sick girls behind. He would rather wait for the two of them to recover before meeting with Morax.

'Should I ask him to kill Swiper?' William thought. The Half-Elf only entertained this thought for a few seconds before tossing it aside. He was sure that even if he asked this of Morax, the latter would not do it because it would complicate his plans.

The Half-Elf sighed before returning to take care of the two ladies who were resting in their room.. For him, their safety was far more important than any favors that he could get from the Dread Lord, whose charismatic smile couldn't be trusted.

Chapter 833: It’s Not My Fault For Being Born Handsome, You Know?

Chapter 833 - It’s Not My Fault For Being Born Handsome, You Know?

"Really, he said that?" Morax asked the Death Lord that he had ordered to pick up the mirror at the Glory Shelter.

"Yes, Your Excellency," the Death Lord replied as he bowed in a respectful manner.

Morax snorted as he waved his hand to dismiss the Death Lord from his throne room. When his subordinate was no longer in sight, the Dread Lord inspected the mirror in his hand before nodding his head.

"It is indeed one of the mirrors that I was looking for," Morax muttered. He then raised the mirror above his head, where it floated towards a pedestal that matched its design.

Four out of the nine mirrors had been found and Morax was quite happy about the performance of the people in the Dead Lands.

"When everyone else is trying to gain my favor, he alone doesn't think too highly of me," Morax muttered as he sat on his chair. "This Half-Elf is either trying to anger me, playing hard to get, or simply doesn't care.

"If he is trying to anger me then his plan is working. If he is playing hard to get then he is a fool. But, if he simply doesn't care then this is where the problem lies…"

Morax would rather believe that William chose to go with the first two options instead of the third. The two choices were still within his scope of understanding, but the third made the Dread Lord feel wary.

When William had arrived in his throne room along with the members of the Alliance, he didn't show any expressions of reverence or fear towards him.

The other Leaders of the Shelters, including Avril, Eldon, Swiper, Lindir, and Wade, all showed signs of wanting to form a closer relationship with him, but William only had a calm expression on his face, as if he didn't care for riches, honor, or any other kind of favor that he could gain by forming a good relationship with him.

'Does he really think that converting my subordinates to his side will save him from my wrath?' Morax mused as he lightly tapped the arm rest with his finger. 'Or perhaps he discovered something? Impossible!

'A lowly mortal couldn't possibly know anything about me. Still, I should probably dispatch a few observers to watch his every move, just to be on the safe side. I must not do anything until all the mirrors are collected. As long as I have them in my hands, I won't have to fear or run away from anyone again.'

Morax clenched his fist as he looked at the mirrors that were on display above him.

"Soon," Morax said softly. "I will have my revenge soon."

—---

Inside the Glory Shelter…

"I hope you get well soon," Avril said. "Here. take these berries. They have healing and restorative properties. I'm sure that when morning comes, your fever will be long gone as well."

"Thank you, Avril," Raizel replied as she accepted the beautiful Elf's "get well" presents to her. "You're a Godsend."

"You're exaggerating."

"Hehehe."

Raizel ate one of the berries, and handed one to Lilith as well. The moment the berry entered her mouth, she felt a soothing sensation pass through her head and down to her spine. The migraine she had been feeling disappeared, and her expression became rosier.

Seeing the great changes that were happening in Raizel, the Amazon Princess also ate one of the berries and immediately felt its wonderful properties wash away the pain she was feeling.

"Looks like the medicinal effects are working," Avril smiled as she nodded her head in satisfaction. "With this, both of you are on your way to a full recovery."

"Thank you very much, Avril," Raizel said with sincerity. "I will repay this favor in the future."

"Oh? In that case, I will look forward to your repayment," Avril replied in a teasing tone.

"Thank you as well, Avril," Lilith commented.

Avril nodded with a smile. "You're welcome. It is only natural that we help each other in our time of need, especially here in the Deadlands."

The beautiful Elf then shifted her gaze to William who was leaning on the wall across the bed. The Half-Elf had his eyes closed and seemed to be dozing, but Avril was sure that he was very much awake and paying close attention to their conversation.

"Aren't you afraid that Morax will take offense to you, for not personally handing the mirror over?" Avril inquired.

"I wanted to meet him, but I couldn't leave these two sick girls at the moment," William replied without opening his eyes. "They're helpless without me, so I can only stay here and ensure that they don't bite others."

Lilith and Raizel rolled their eyes at the slanderous accusations that were being thrown their way. Avril only covered her lips and giggled because the two ladies' reactions, and William's words, were quite funny.

Several minutes later, Avril bid Raizel and Lilith goodbye, and left the room accompanied by William. As they walked in the quiet hallway, the beautiful Elf glanced at William and asked a question.

"Hey, do you think that Morax will stay true to his word and let us all leave this place alive?" Avril inquired.

"Maybe," William replied. "I haven't known him long enough to know whether he is a man… rather a Dread Lord of his word or not."

Avril reluctantly nodded her head in agreement to William's answer. For her, this answer was acceptable, so she didn't decide to ask more about his opinion in regards to Morax. Instead, Avril shifted her question to his relationships.

"Tell me, between Raizel and Lilith, who do you prefer the most?" Avril asked. "Or perhaps, you have set your sights on both of them? I can tell by the way they look at you that their relationship with you is very close."

William smiled as he answered Avril's question without looking at her.

"Raizel is like a little sister to me," William replied. "We are close because we treat each other like family. As for Lilith, well, that girl wants me to be her mate. Right now, I am thinking about whether I should accept her advances or not."

"Hoh~ I guess this is the problem when you're popular with the ladies."

"Well, It's not my fault for being born handsome, you know?"

Avril rolled her eyes at him as they finally arrived at the entrance of the Glory Shelter.

"I can take it from here," Avril said. "I know that you are a gentleman, but there's no need to escort me all the way back to my Shelter. I don't want the fever of two sick ladies to worsen because of jealousy."

William only chuckled to Avril's words as he escorted her up to her truck.

"Listen, William." Avril stared at him with a serious expression on her face. "Beware of Swiper. I'm sure that he's planning to do something bad to you. It is also possible that Morax might be helping him. So, for your safety, try to patch things up when you meet with him to claim your reward."

"Understood," William replied. "Thank you for your concern."

The beautiful Elf gave William one final goodbye before returning to her shelter. Her reason for coming was to check on Raizel's condition, as well as to know William's thoughts about the Dread Lord.

Right now, the Alliance was in a cooperative relationship with Morax, and if possible, Avril didn't want any problems to occur anytime soon.

Also, the request she had asked of Morax still needed fine tuning. Because of this, she would do her best to prevent conflicts from arising, especially when the very thing she had wished for was still not in her hands.

William watched Avril's entourage go with a solemn expression on his face. Right now, he didn't know who among the Leaders he could trust, not even the beautiful Elf who seemed to be keen on forming a good relationship with the Glory Shelter.

'Right now, the only people I can trust are Lilith and Raizel,' William thought. 'As for the other Leaders… involving them in our plan is too risky. It will be best if we keep the information we have to ourselves.'

The Half-Elf sighed before returning back to Raizel's room. He had made a promise to Cathy tonight, and the pretty lady was very eager to share her blood with William.

Also, tomorrow was the deadline of the agreement he had with Lilith. He promised her that he would not run away or evade the issue.

Truth be told, William had already made his decision.. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to give his answer to the Amazon Princess, who was feeling under the weather.

Chapter 834: Quality Over Quantity

Chapter 834 - Quality Over Quantity

"Sir William, don't hesitate to call me again if you ever need more blood," Cathy said with a blush as she stood up from the bed. "I will always be available for you."

"Thank you, Cathy," William replied. "I will keep that in mind."

William had just finished drinking her blood, and this time, he drank until he was full. He wanted to know how powerful Cathy's blood regeneration was, and his discovery left him speechless.

At first he drank her blood sparingly, but after sensing that Cathy's blood was regenerating at a rapid rate, he decided to take it to the next level and drank deeply.

Cathy didn't voice out any complaints, and only sighs of pleasure escaped her lips. After making sure that the pretty lady was still in good health, William continued to drink her blood until he was full.

For the first time since William had entered the Deadlands, his blood thirst had been properly sated. He was confident that even if he didn't drink blood for four to five days, his blood thirst—which had been amplified by the Black Tower—would be kept at bay.

This made William quite happy because he was truly not comfortable with drinking Raizel's blood in order to ease up his blood cravings. As for Lilith, she alone would not be able to keep up with his needs, so having Cathy around was a godsend.

Also, Lilith, and Raizel were the combat experts of their shelter. Drinking their blood would leave them in a weakened state, which Wiliam didn't want to have happen.

'For now, I'll just drink Cathy's blood,' William thought as he waved goodnight to the over enthusiastic girl, who was still looking at him with an infatuated look.

When Cathy finally returned to her room, William went to check on Lilith and Raizel, whose fevers had gone down thanks to the berries that Avril gave them.

"You look quite satisfied," Lilith said in a teasing tone. "Is Cathy's blood that tasty?"

"Right, is her blood tastier than ours?" Raizel decided to join Lilith's interrogation and asked William with a mischievous gaze. "Just so you know, depending on your answer, the place where you will be sleeping tonight might change."

The corner of William's lips twitched as he looked at the two beautiful girls who were eyeing him with a suspicious look.

He could tell at a glance that Raizel was serious. If he really gave them an answer they didn't like, he might be sleeping on the floor tonight.

"Both of your blood is tastier than hers," William replied. "It's like comparing quality over quantity. The masses will choose quantity, while true professionals will prefer quality."

Even if someone were to point a gun on William's head at that moment, he would not dare to tell the two girls that Cathy's blood was better than theirs.

In fact, William found the pretty girl's blood to be quite tasty. Not only that, it was unlimited as well. However, he would not admit this while under the scrutinizing gaze of the two girls who were both holding pillows in their hands.

"Well, at least you know what quality is," Lilith replied as she moved a bit to the right side of the bed.

"That's right," Raizel commented as she moved a little to the left, leaving some space in the middle for William to comfortably sleep between the two of them.

As soon as William laid on the bed, the two girls hugged him. A minute passed as the three enjoyed this feeling of comfort. However, William had some matters to discuss with the two of them, so he decided to take the initiative before the two girls fell asleep.

"The two of you already know that we need to meet Morax soon," William said. "Help me think of a request that wouldn't sound unusual coming from me."

Raizel, who was hugging William from his left side, giggled. "The answer to this is simple. Just ask him to kill Swiper. I'm sure that Morax will not find this request suspicious."

Lilith nodded. "That's right. In fact, this is the safest request you can make."

"I already thought about this request, but we all know that Morax will not accept it. What we need to think about is a back up request," William stated. "Help me think of a good idea."

"How about you ask him to preside over your marriage with Lilith?" Raizel proposed. "My idea is good, right?"

William shook his head. "Be serious, Raizel. You can't possib–"

"So, you're saying that you don't want to marry me?" Lilith asked in a calm manner.

William suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as Lilith's hold on his body tightened slightly.

"It's not that! How can I possibly allow a Dread Lord to supervise over my wedding?"

"Oh! So, you're not against marrying Lilith?"

William wanted to pinch the young beauty beside him so badly. It was too late for him to realize that he had been played by Raizel by throwing out the idea about marrying Lilith.

"... So, this is what you were aiming for, Raizel," William said as he stared at the young beauty who was grinning at him. He then lightly squeezed Lilith's hand as he turned his head to the right side of the bed. "I promised you that I would not run and avoid the topic. Let's talk about it tomorrow. Just the two of us."

Seeing how serious William was, Lilith sighed and nodded her head. She then moved closer and allowed herself to rest in William's warm embrace.

"Is this favoritism?" Raizel complained with a pout. She then did the same thing that Lilith did and enjoyed the look of awkwardness on William's face.

"Let's return to the topic at hand," William stated in order to change the topic. "We need to come up with an answer tomorrow. I plan to meet Morax two days from now."

"Why do you have to wait for two days?" Lilith asked.

William smiled. "Because our talk tomorrow is more important than Morax."

"What kind of talk is this?" Raizel asked with great curiosity. "Come on, tell me. Let me know as well."

William glanced at the young beauty before shifting his gaze to Lilith. The Amazon Princes was giving him the "don't even think about telling her" stare, which made the Half-Elf hold back the words that he was about to say.

After a few minutes of fooling around. The three finally came to a consensus about what to tell Morax during their next meeting.. With that problem out of the way, the three slept peacefully in each other's embrace.

Chapter 835: Teach Me How To Make You Feel Good - R18 [Part 1]

(Disclaimer: This chapter contains R-18 Scenes. You already know what this is about, so I don't need to tell you what is going to happen. However, for the sake of formalities, those who are not comfortable with reading these sensuous scenes should just skip this chapter.)

By the next day, Lilith and Raizel had made a full recovery.

After thinking about the mishap that happened the day before, Raizel realized that she would need a different method in order to acquire what she needed from Lilith.

She originally thought that her body was strong enough to help her succeed in her plan, but she had greatly underestimated the Amazon Princess' full potential, which led to the two of them to experience a world of pain.

Raizel would never want to experience that kind of pain again, so she was taking this matter seriously.

"Today, let's do an experiment with the two of you," Raizel said. "Maybe it will work if William is the one to do it."

Lilith unconsciously shuddered when she remembered the otherworldly pain that she had suffered when Raizel attempted to borrow something from her. She then glanced at the young beauty in front of her with troubled look.

"Be honest, you just don't want to experience the backlash if it ends in failure, right?"

... YES.

The young beauty immediately folded under Lilith's unforgiving gaze. Seeing that Raizel didn't plan on getting hurt the second time, the Amazon Princess could only sigh as she gazed at William with a doubtful expression.

The Half-Elf, who had no idea what the two girls had been through, could only tilt his head in confusion.

"This is an important part of our plan, and we need to find a way to make it happen.” Raizel decided to strike while the iron was still hot. "Just give it a try once. I think that the probability of it succeeding with the two of you together is very high.

"Don't worry, I will explain the method to William. All you need to do is open yourself up to him, Lilith, like you did with me."

Lilith could only reluctantly nod her head in agreement before looking at William with a determined expression on her face.

There were only the three of them in the shelter because Cathy and Xenovia had once again taken the rest of the Glory Shelter survivors out to gather resources.

For Raizel, this was the best opportunity for them to perform their experiment, without worrying about others accidentally discovering what they were up to.

"Okay, this is what you need to do, Will." The young beauty explained the step by step process on how to succeed in the task that he needed to do.

At first, William was flabbergasted by Raizel's daring approach. Even he didn't think that such a possibility existed. With a face filled with doubts, he faced Lilith and asked her a question.

"Is this really going to work?"

"We will never know until we try."

"Don't worry, you two, there's a first time for everything! They say that the third time's the charm!"

Lilith lightly pinched the young beauty's cheeks as she voiced her complaint. "This is only the second try. Are you telling me that we still need a third try in order to succeed?"

"I-1 Misspoke! The second time's the charm!"

"You'd better have."

Rubbing her pained cheeks, Raizel looked at William with a face filled with injustice. "You better succeed, okay? My happiness is counting on you."

William shook his head helplessly as he held Lilith's hand. "Let's do it. I don't know if it will succeed, but it won't hurt to try."

"Oh, trust me, it will hurt," Lilith replied but she held William's hand firmly. "I hope you're ready for this."

Half a day later...

William leaned weakly on the couch, while Lilith was slumped on the bed.

The Amazon Princess was bereft of strength, while the Half-Elf was overflowing with it.

"Y-You finally succeeded,"” Raizel said as she placed her hand on William's chest. She could feel the power radiating from the gem on William's chest and confirmed that the experiment worked. "You really did it."

"After six attempts, yves," William replied as he tried to stabilize the power in his body.

"How long do you think you can hold it in?"

"The shortest is half a day. The longest will be a day, but no more than that."

Raizel nodded her head. "Half a day is more than enough. At most, we will only need a few hours."

The young beauty helped William stand up and supported his body. The two of them walked towards the bed, where the Amazon Princess was still panting for breath.

"I'm giving it back,"” WIlliam stated as he and Raizel helped Lilith into a seating position. This power was not something he could hold onto for a long time, and the sooner he returned it to its owner, the sooner both of them would recover from their abnormal conditions.

Two hours later...

Lilith leaned on William's chest as they soaked in the bathtub.

After the experiment had ended, the Half-Elf and the Amazon Princess were able to recover quickly. In fact, both of them were able to recover to their peak condition with just an hour's rest.

After eating dinner, Raizel decided to stay inside her room to rest, while the two went to the shower room to wash the sweat off their bodies.

They had washed their bodies in silence, before tacitly stepping into the bathtub together.

The two didn't say anything and simply held each other in an embrace that spoke volumes.

A few minutes passed, before Lilith raised her head and looked up at William with an affectionate gaze.

The Half-Elf then lowered his head and kissed her soft lips.

The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but it was more than enough to convey his feelings to her.

"Thank you for not running away," Lilith said as a tear streamed down the side of her face. "I didn't know that I would feel this way towards any man. In the past, I looked down on the Amazons who chose love over strength. Now, I know better."

The Amazon Princess pressed her hand over the gem embedded on William's chest, as she gazed at a pair of light-green eyes that were looking at her with tenderness.

"Do you promise to love me as well?" she asked.

"I promise,"” Will replied.

Lilith smiled. "I think, if not for the workings of a little cupid, the two of us being together like this would not be possible, don't you think?"

William nodded. "I will not deny it. I never saw you as a love interest. All I saw was an Amazon who was after my drop dead gorgeous genes."

"You're being too honest. Can't you hold back a bit?"

"I think honesty is important in the relationship we have now. I believe that both of us will be able to walk forward hand in hand, if we are not afraid to speak what is in our hearts to each other."

Lilith smiled because she also thought the same way. Right now, her heart felt warm and fuzzy.

Looking at the handsome man looking down at her with tenderness was enough for her to know that her decision to take that final step was the right choice to make.

The Amazon Princess lightly caressed the side of William's face before rising up to kiss his lips.

This time, the kiss was long and passionate, and both of them returned each other's feelings in full.

A minute later, their lips parted. Lilith then cupped William's face and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Love me, Will," Lilith said softly. "Mark me as your lover."

She then wrapped her arms around William's head as she raised her body until William's face was at her chest level.

William pulled the plug to drain the water as he opened his lips to kiss the pink tips that were presented to him. He kissed, licked, sucked, and rolled the tips around with his tongue, marking them as his own.

It was not only William's lips that were sending shivers down her spine.

His left hand caressed her backside, while his right, teased her forbidden fruit.

Lilith tried to endure the Half-Elf's relentless assault on her beautiful body, that had known no man, but it was futile.

This was the first time she was experiencing something pleasurable like this. Clearly, she was no match for the Half-Elf, who had fought fierce night battles with his wives on a weekly basis.

Lilith's body uncontrollably shuddered as she reached her first climax. The waves of pleasure that washed over her body were so powerful, that she almost fell out of the bathtub.

Fortunately, William was supporting her body, so she didn't fall.

After she regained her composure, she looked at William with a face filled with yearning.

"Teach me," Lilith said. "Teach me how to make you feel good."

"Okay." William smiled and kissed her lips before telling her to kneel in front of him.

William told her what she needed to do, and the Amazon Princess performed her task to the best of her abilities.

Although she had already seen William's little brother on several occasions, this was the first time she was seeing it up close.

Her sensuous lips parted as she planted a kiss on its tip. Soon Lilith found herself falling into a daze.

She licked, kissed, and at times, put William's... inside her mouth.

It was at that moment when William realized that Lilith was seriously doing her best to learn how to make him feel good, which made him very happy.

Although she was a bit clumsy, and at times accidentally brushed her teeth against his...

William knew that the beautiful lady in front of him would surpass even Sidonie's sexual expertise the more he trained her.

The Half-Elf felt that he was about to reach his limit, so he lightly patted Lilith's head to tell her to stop. This was the first time that they would do it together, so he wanted to do it properly, and release it inside her womb, rather than have her drink it through her soft, and sensuous lips..

Chapter 836: Teach Me How To Make You Feel Good - R18 [Part 2]

William dried Lilith's body and carried her out of the shower room in a princess carry. They didn't head back to Raizel's room. Instead, they went to the room that was near the shower area.

The Half-Elf had prepared this room in advance because he knew that Lilith was a bold and aggressive lady. If the Amazon Princess were to really want to do intimate things with him, William knew that he must not reject her feelings.

William laid Lilith on the bed, whose body was only covered with a bath towel. Her face was still flushed due to the things they did earlier, and her gaze was telling him that she wanted more of his affection.

This time, it was William who took the initiative to kiss Lilith. He pried her soft lips open with his tongue, and gave her a long, and passionate kiss that took her breath away.

His right hand entered the bath towel and playfully teased the tip of Lilith's left breast. He flicked, pinched, and pressed down on it, which made the Amazon Princess pull back on William's deep kiss as she panted for breath.

Looking at her dazed expression, William unfurled the bath towel that covered her seductive body.

As a warrior, Lilith's body was very fit, and her muscles revealed how much she had trained in her life. William unconsciously swallowed as he appraised the Amazon Princess' body. He could feel the strength it radiated, and yet, her womanly curves weren't compromised by it.

Instead, it even enhanced them, which was a stark contrast to the bodies of his wives who were fair, and delicate. The only one that came close to Lilith's physical charms was the adult Wendy's body, who was a captain of the Valkyries in her past life.

The Amazon Princess looked up at Wiliam with eyes filled with desire. Her sensuous lips moved to form words, asking the Half-Elf if he liked what he saw.

"You're beautiful, Lilith," William replied as he kissed her forehead. "Very beautiful.”

William gave her lips a brief kiss, before moving his head downwards. Lilith's lightly tanned body shuddered as William's lips left a trail of kisses on it.

"You love my breasts," Lilith commented as William sucked on her left breast, while playing with the other with his right hand. "Are they better than Sidonie's?"

The Half-Elf momentarily released the pink tip that was standing firm inside his mouth and answered her question.

"Sidonie is Sidonie, you are you," William replied as his right hand lightly pinched Lilith's.. "Why are you always trying to compete with her?"

"... I don't know," Lilith replied as she held William's head and guided it back to her left breast. "I just feel that among your wives, she is the greatest threat that stands in my way."

"Usually, you should be the one to tell me to not think of other women while we make love," William smiled. "But, don't worry. After I'm through with you, you will realize that you don't need to compete with her. After all, both of you are my women."

William opened his lips and sucked on the firm tip that he had neglected earlier. He wanted to let Lilith know that she shouldn't feel insecure about Princess Sidonie's seductive body, because her own body was quite attractive as well.

In time, William's head traveled downwards. He kissed the outlines of Lilith's abs, as his hands grabbed hold of her legs and parted them.

William kissed her lower abdomen repeatedly, as if marking it as his own. The Amazon Princess wasn't aware that she had stroked William's inner desire for conquest.

Usually, it was the Amazons who felt this way. For them, conquering men and dominating them were the true traits of an Amazon Warrior. However, right now, the roles were reversed.

It was William who wanted to conquer Lilith, and the latter offered herself to him in sweet surrender.

Suddenly, a gasp escaped the warrior princess' lips when Wiliam's tongue licked her entrance.

The Half-Elf was doing his best to hold himself back, as he prepared his lover for their first union.

The new wave of pleasure made Lilith subconsciously hold William's head, allowing his ministrations to reach deeper inside her.

The fire burning inside her chest was growing stronger, while her entire being shivered under William's sensual attacks.

A few minutes later, her body shuddered and her world turned white as the Half-Elf brought her to the peak of pleasure.

When William looked up to check her condition, he was surprised to see that Lilith had actually fainted after reaching her climax.

'She's so sensitive,’ Williamm mused as he lightly tapped Lilith's cheeks to wake her up. "It's too early for you to sleep. We're just getting started.”

Since Lilith was a Warrior, she was able to regain her consciousness in half a minute. However, she couldn't move her body because she felt like jelly.

"Did it feel good?" William asked as he lightly caressed her face.

"Yes," Lilith replied in a daze. "It is the best thing I ever experienced in my life."

"Well, there is a first time for everything. I will also be taking another one of your firsts. Are you ready?"

.. Mmm.

Lilith nodded as she looked up at the handsome Half-Elf whom she had chosen to become her life partner. She knew that when this night was over, she would no longer wish to share him with her sisters back in the Amazon Empire.

"Make me yours, Will," Lilith said in a voice filled with love and affection. "Give me your baby."

As if a string had snapped inside William's consciousness, the Half-Elf rubbed his manhood on Lilith's entrance, which was now soaked with her desire.

When William pushed his hips forward, Lilith clenched the bed sheets with her hands, as both of them became one.

She was told that the first time would be painful, but the pain she felt was only fleeting. It was similar to how it felt when William drank her blood. After the brief pain, pleasure followed, and Lilith found herself sighing as the Half-Elf pushed deeper to reach her deepest part.

With every thrust, Lilith could feel that her body was slowly learning William's shape and size. The Amazon could feel her insides melting due to how hard and hot the Half-Elf's manhood was inside her.

Soon, William's movement became rougher, and she could instinctively tell that he was nearing his limit. Her breast swayed with every thrust, and her moans echoed inside the room, fueling the Half-Elf's desire to release everything inside her.

Lilith wasn't aware that her legs had subconsciously wrapped themselves around William's waist, and her hands were holding unto his arms.

Her lower half wasn't touching the bed, and was raised to meet his every thrust, as if to ensure that it would be able to take all of his essence without spilling a drop.

It was at that moment when she heard William's gasp, followed by something hot seeping directly inside her womb.

Lilith held William's manhood in a gentle, and comfortable tightness that encouraged him to release more of his essence inside her, making the Half-Elf feel as if his very soul had accompanied his seed into Lilith's womb.

After panting for a full minute, William pulled back slowly as he finally regained the ability to speak. This was the first time he had experienced a release this strong, and it scared the heck out of him.

Meanwhile, he noticed that the Amazon Princess had fainted once again.

William could not bear to continue while his lover was unconscious, so he decided to stop here for the time being.

He scooped Lilith up in a princess carry and brought her back to the shower room to clean her up. Even with the water falling on her beautiful body, the Amazon remained unconscious.

William made sure to clean her up properly, before bringing her back to the room. He laid her on the nearby couch while he quickly changed the bed sheets that were stained by their love making and put them off to the side.

Picking Lilith up in his arms once more, he lay on the bed beside the Amazon Princess and held her securely in his protective, and loving, embrace. As he listened to his lover's sleeping breaths, he could not stop his thoughts wandering over to the young beauty whose hair color resembled his, and whose eye color resembled Lilith's.

He knew that if they hadn't met her, neither of them would have crossed the final line and taken their relationship to the next level because the Amazon Princess had only been after him for his seed, while he had been solely focused on lifting the curses on Est's, Ian's, and Isaac's bodies.

Their priorities were different. And yet, after being trapped inside the Deadlands, and meeting Raizel, the two found themselves questioning whether they should take their relationship seriously or not.

In the end, both of them made a choice, and this choice led to their current situation.

William subconsciously caressed Lilith's lower abdomen, where her womb was located, and wondered if he had gotten her pregnant.

It was not like he hadn't thought of the possibility of having kids when he made love to his lovers, but this occasion was different.

With the possibility of Raizel being their future daughter, William had been more conscious when it came to making love with Lilith.

He didn't know when his lover would conceive, but a part of him was looking forward to holding their precious baby in his arms. The Half-Elf made a vow then and there that he would be a good father, and make sure to kill any boy, who dared to even touch his daughters' hands.

With these tender thoughts inside his head, William fell asleep holding Lilith in his arms.

Neither of them were aware that somewhere within the Glory Shelter, a young beauty was praising herself for a job well done..

Chapter 837: Teach Me How To Make You Feel Good - R18 [Part 3]

When Lilith opened her eyes, she found herself wrapped up in Wiliam's embrace.

She was still half asleep, so she was confused when she woke up to such a scene, but a few seconds later, the images of what they did last night flashed inside her head.

All the remnants of sleep vanished without a trace as her face turned beet red from the scenes that she remembered.

'I know that I am bold, but never thought I was that bold,’ Lilith wanted to cover her face with her hands out of embarrassment, but her current situation prevented her from doing so.

She could still remember when she took the initiative to ask William how she could please him better.

She remembered how she kissed and licked his manhood, and even put it inside her mouth to get a better taste of it.

Lilith never thought that she would go that far for a man, even offering herself up completely to him without any resistance.

'l failed as an Amazon,' Lilith thought as she buried her head on William's chest. 'Even so, I don't regret it.’

The Amazon Princess felt safe and warm in William's embrace, and the beating of his heart calmed her senses.

After regaining her calm, she tried to remember everything that happened that night. Her memories were quite vague because she had been lost in the waves of pleasure that took control of her senses.

The last thing she remembered was the hot and powerful essence that was shot deep inside her, which made her lose consciousness.

Lilith's hand touched her abdomen as she closed her eyes. Amazons had a special ability that allowed them to know if they had conceived a child through lovemaking.

Usually, they would be able to sense if they had been successful in getting pregnant after twenty four hours. Right now, only several hours had passed, so Lilith couldn't tell if she was indeed pregnant or not.

While she was deep in her thoughts, she noticed that something hard was poking her belly.

Lilith's body immediately stiffened when she realized what it was.

'Wait, this could work in my favor,' Lilith thought as she gently broke away from William's hold on her.

She then lightly pushed the Half-Elf until he was lying on his back. After checking if he was still asleep or not, Lilith decided to put what she had learned into practice.

A few minutes later, William opened his eyes.

He could feel a familiar sensation and his hand moved subconsciously to lightly pat the head of the girl that was servicing him so early in the morning.

"Sidonie... you're up so ear-." William blinked when he realized that it was not the lustful Princess who was taking care of his little brother. A pair of amber eyes looked back at him, and the Half-Elf knew that he had made a terrible mistake.

The Amazon Princess took out William's... from her mouth and stared at the Half-Elf with a wronged expression.

"I-I'm sorry, Lilith," William said as he tried to do some damage control. "I was still half asleep so.."

"I don't need your excuses. Sidonie does this to you every morning?"

"Well, not every morning, but every time we sleep together."

Surprisingly, Lilith only nodded her head in understanding as she pinned William back to the bed.

"Don't worry. You don't have to say anything," Lilith said as she sat on top of William. "I am now one of your women, correct?"

"Yes."

"You will marry me, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Then it's fine."

Lilith smiled as she guided William's eager little brother to her entrance. Soon, William felt the tightness that he had experienced last night as the Amazon Princess took his entirety inside her.

"I'm sorry about last night,” Lilith said. "I fainted after doing it once. I will make it up to you today."

"Y-You don't have to force yourself," William answered. "It is only natural because it was your first time."

Lilith shook her head firmly as she lowered her head to kiss him.

"I am an Amazon, I need to recover some of my dignity," Lilith replied. "Just lie there and tell me how to make you feel good."

Soon, the sound of spring echoed inside the room.

It would be another two hours before William and Lilith met up with Raizel to have their late breakfast together.

The young beauty didn't say anything as they ate together, but the sweet smile that was plastered on her face made William and Lilith unable to taste the food they were eating.

After who knows how long, the breakfast finally ended, and Lilith found herself being dragged by Raizel towards the shower room, leaving William behind.

The Half-Elf knew that the two girls would be having some girl talk by themselves, and decided to go and see Xenovia for the time being.

There were things that he needed to ask the Death Lord in regards to the current situation in the Deadlands.

Fortunately, he didn't need to look for long and saw the Death Lord alongside Cathy as the two of them checked the inventory of their food supply in the warehouse they made inside the stadium.

"Well, only five mirrors remained out of the nine, so you can understand that the Leaders who still haven't found any of the mirrors are starting to feel restless," Xenovia said. "Because of this, we decided to take a break today and not go out to gather resources.

"Although there is a non-aggression treaty between the Shelters, human nature is a very difficult thing to overcome. It is better to lie low for the time being and allow the other Leaders to cool down."

William nodded his head in agreement to Xenovia's words. According to Morax's promise, they would get one week of reprieve with every mirror they obtained. Since they had gathered four mirrors, they had earned themselves a month of peace.

"Okay. Cathy, please, tell everyone not to move outside of the Shelter for a few days," William stated. "This will allow the other Leaders to understand that we are not going to compete with them in regards to finding the mirrors."

"Understood," Cathy replied. "We have enough resources to last for a month. Even if we don't scavenge for a week, we will still be fine."

"A week?" Xenovia muttered as she passed a canned drink to William. "Well, I guess that is enough time for honeymoon. Don't you think so as well, Will?"

The Half-Elf almost dropped the canned drink in his hand after Xenovia threw a bombshell at him at point blank range. He didn't know how to answer her inquiry, so he decided to just keep his silence and drink the canned juice that was offered to him.

Cathy who was standing beside the Death Lord blushed and gave William side-long glances.

On their way to the shower room last night, Cathy and Xenovia passed by the room William and Lilith were in to consummate their love.

Since the shelter was mostly quiet during the night, any kind of noise could be easily heard in the quiet hallways.

Naturally, since they were unable to use magic to seal the sounds coming from their room, Cathy, Xenovia, and another lady from the shelter heard their passionate love-making.

They were aware that William had come to this world alongside Lilith, so they had already thought that the two of them were a couple. However, the two newcomers had hit it off with their leader, Raizel, which led them to make the conclusion that love triangle had been born.

Cathy was even tempted to tell William that if he needed one more lady to add to his harem, she would volunteer herself as one.

However, her skin wasn't thick enough to do such a thing, so she just kept her silence and watched things unfold from the side.

"Well, they say that great men have great women supporting them from behind," Xenovia commented. "Will. Now that you and Lilith are an item, are you perhaps aiming to add Raizel to your harem?"

This time, William spat out the juice that he was drinking and coughed a few times to clear his throat.

"That's not going to happen,” William replied after he regained his composure. "Raizel is like a daugh-little sister to me. I do not see her as a love interest. You girls better remember that!"

Xenovia raised an eyebrow, while Cathy gave the Half-Elf a doubtful gaze. Everyone in the shelter knew that William, Lilith, and Raizel slept together every night. Even if the Half-Elf told them that there was nothing going on with him and Raizel, they were not fools who would believe his words so easily.

Seeing that their discussion might lead to something unexpected, William decided to leave the warehouse in a hurry to get some fresh air. He had more important things to think of, and had no time to bother with the fantasy of the two ladies, who were currently looking at his retreating back with mischievous smiles on their faces..

Chapter 838: When The Past, Present, And Future Intersect

While William and Lilith were trapped inside the Deadlands, a certain little fairy was making her way towards the Seventh Sanctum.

After resting in the Port City of Alabaster for a day, Chloee once again resumed her mission to find William's whereabouts.

Holding a small blue jewel in her hand, she arrived in the vicinity of the Forbidden Ground and activated it.

Immediately, she saw several footsteps leading towards the Seventh Sanctum, which signified that William had indeed entered the Forbidden Ground.

Chloee stored the blue jewel in her storage ring, and took out a red jewel in its place. This jewel allowed her to directly communicate with the Headmaster of Hestia Academy, Byron.

A few seconds later, a projection appeared in front of the little fairy, showing Byron's troubled expression.

"It seems that your hunch was correct, stingy old man," Chloee reported. "Will entered the Seventh Sanctum. Should I follow him inside?"

Byron frowned. Now that his suspicion was confirmed, he had no choice but to send Chloee inside the Forbidden Ground to look for the Half-Elf who played an important role in the world of Hestia.

"Go and look for him," Byron ordered. "Once you go inside the Seventh Sanctum, all forms of communication will be lost. You will no longer be able to contact me or anyone in the outside world. You have one month to find William. After one month, Celeste will forcefully summon you back regardless of whether you have found him or not. Do I make myself clear?"

Chloee nodded. "Don't worry. I will find him without fail!"

After closing the connection, Chloee immediately entered the Seventh Sanctum to look for her Disciple.

Although it didn't show on her face, she was quite worried about William. This was why she agreed to Byron's request to look for his whereabouts.

After entering the Forbidden Ground, Chloee found herself surrounded by dense purple mist. She couldn't see anything in front of her, but the little fairy had encountered similar things when doing missions for the Academy.

This was why she didn't panic and just continued flying in a straight line. After an hour, Chloee broke through the purple mist. She found herself inside a forest, with trees towering all around her.

"This should be where Will, Chiffon, and Lilith appeared after entering the Seventh Sanctum," Chloee muttered as she scanned her surroundings.

As someone who had fought many powerful beings who were stronger than her, Chloee's battle sense had reached very high degree. She was capable of discerning if there was something dangerous lurking around her, so there were only a handful of beings in Hestia who could launch a surprise attack against her.

Seeing that there was no immediate danger in the vicinity, Chloee took out the blue jewel from her storage ring and activated it.

A faint line similar to a passing breeze appeared on her left side.

The blue jewel was an artifact that Byron had made to specially track William. After what happened in Antilia Island, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy knew that he would need tracking tool to find the Half-Elf's whereabouts if something similar were to happen again.

Byron just didn't expect that the first time his invention was going to be used was to look for the missing Half-Elf, who had decided to enter the Forbidden Ground without informing the Academy.

If he knew what William was up to, he would have definitely rejected his request to leave the Academy to go "sightseeing".

Several hours passed as Chloee followed the faint line that showed the general direction of where William and his group had gone.

She had encountered several Myriad Beasts along the way, but she was too small to be of interest to them. Most of them related Chloee to an insect and paid her no mind. Their only concern was to find sizable prey for them to sink their fangs into.

"Footsteps!" The faint blue line had led Chloee to the traces of William's journey inside the Seventh Sanctum.

"They went North West?" Chloee frowned as she flew following the trail of footsteps in front of her.

Suddenly, the tracks that William had left behind were buried by the footprints of other monsters. As someone who was also proficient in tracking, Chloee could tell that the number of monsters headed in the same direction as William surpassed a hundred.

The little fairy's expression became grim as she followed the footsteps, while increasing her flight speed. The traces left behind were several days old, so she knew that whatever was following William's group had definitely met up with them by now.

"Don't die, Will," Chloee said as she sped up towards the North West regions of the Forbidden Ground. "I am coming to save you!"

Shrine Inside Hestia Academy...

"I can't see anything...," Shannon tilted her head in confusion as she looked at the blank canvas in front of her.

Usually, she would see events unfolding anywhere in Hestia and she would paint them as they happened. She was like a Historian that could record the important events of history in real time.

However, right now, her canvas remained blank, which confused her greatly.

"Is there nothing interesting happening in the world today?" Shannon frowned before shaking her head. "Impossible. The world is so big, so it is impossible not to see anything. Maybe I'm just tired?"

The young lady closed her eyes and pressed her brush over the canvas. She remained in that position for several minutes, as if waiting for something to happen.

Finally, after waiting for almost half an hour, her brush started to move.

Shannon's eyes remained close as she waited for her brush strokes to stop moving. Only when her hand stopped moving completely did she open her eyes to look at the message that was written on her canvas.

"When the past, present, and future intersect, the lives of mortals, and Gods will start to connect,” Shannon said softly. "When Heroes are stranded in a world between life and death, the fate of several worlds will hang by a thread.."

Chapter 839: Swiper's Fears

839 Swiper's Fears

William casually rode a bicycle as he headed towards the Black Tower alone.

Now that Lilith and Raizel were feeling better, he decided that it was time for him to meet with Morax.

According to Raizel, Morax's true goal was to take full control of the Black Tower, and use it to manipulate the souls of the dead in any world that the Black Tower would appear in.

This meant that if someone were to die in that world, their soul would head to the Black Tower, instead of the Cycle of Reincarnation.

Morax would then gain an unprecedented power that could turn the inhabitants of an entire world into his Undead Army.

Only William, Lilith, and Raizel, were aware of this truth. They didn't dare trust anyone aside from the three of them, so they could only make plans on their own.

Right now, Morax believed that no one was aware of his plans. This was why he was being "generous and merciful" to the Leaders who had handed the mirrors over to his hands.

As the Half-Elf traveled through the ruined city, he wondered whether or not they could actually beat Morax in a head-on confrontation.

William believed that if Morax left the Black Tower, he would be able to fight him on equal terms. However, as long as the Dread Lord remained inside the throne room, the chances of winning were close to zero.

Suddenly, an entourage of trucks appeared on the left side of the road.

William glanced to the side and immediately frowned after spotting the Demonic Boar.

"Oh, what's this? Are you taking a stroll by yourself?," Swiper asked.

"By myself? No. I was waiting for your group to appear," William replied with a smile.

This time it was Swiper's turn to frown.

"Waiting for us?" Swiper inquired. "What do you mean waiting for us to appear?"

William chuckled as he continued to pedal the bike, maintaining his current speed.

"Because you are my tail," William replied. "Wherever I go, you're always there. Tell me, are you perhaps one of my fans? Do you want my autograph? How many would you like?"

"Bullsh*t!" Swiper spat on William who easily dodged his petty attack with a smug expression on his face.

"What? You're not convinced? Then tell me, why do you always appear wherever I go? Obviously, it is you who was following me and not the other way around."

"Hmp! Don't think too highly of yourself. It just so happens that this is the only path that leads to the other side of the city. This is just a coincidence."

William rolled his eyes at the Demonic Boar that had just happened to meet with him by coincidence.

"Well? What do you want?" William asked. "As you can see, I'm headed to the Black Tower. If you have something to say, just say it now."

"Something to say to you?" Swiper snorted. "Well, since I'm in a good mood today then I will give you a little advice."

The Demonic Boarkin sneered at the Half-Elf who was not even looking in his direction.

"Be careful of the Leaders of the Alliance," Swiper stated. "They are planning something behind your back in order to dispose of you."

"That's it?" William inquired. "That's all you have to say?"

"Yes. That's all I have to say. So, you'd better watch your back. You filthy half-blood."

"Thanks for the reminder. In return I will also give you a piece of advice."

"And that is?" Swiper raised an eyebrow.

William smiled mysteriously before telling Swiper what he thought deep inside.

"Usually, the head of an evil organization always chooses beautiful ladies to be his right hand men… I mean women, instead of an ugly Demonic Boarkin like you," William answered. "Right now, you might think that you are important to him, but if you were to take Morax's place, would you rather have a demon by your side, or a beautiful Elf to act as your secretary?

"You know, there is a saying in our world. When the boss has many things to do, it is the secretary who DOES it. When the boss has nothing to do, he DOES the secretary. Do you catch my drift?"

William smirked as he increased his speed and headed to a different street, letting Swiper's entourage continue heading down the street they were on.

The Demonic Boar's face contorted in anger. Although he didn't want to believe William's words, the seed of doubt had already been planted in his mind, and right after he had handed the mirror he had found over to Morax, too.

Although Morax had been very courteous and welcoming, Swiper was very sensitive when it came to matters pertaining to his position as one of the Dread Lord's loyal subordinates.

He wasn't fooled by Morax's sugary words. Instead, he felt alarmed because he could tell that Morax no longer cared about him. Now that he had the other Leaders of the Alliance at his beck and call, Swiper's usefulness to him had long reached its expiry date.

"Bastard!" Swiper angrily slammed his fist on the interior of the truck, denting its surface.

The Demonic Boar seethed in anger as his bloodshot eyes stared at the Black Tower in the distance. He had been doing his best to suppress the dreadful thought that had haunted him, even in his dreams.

'If I am going down, I will bring you down with me!' Swiper vowed. "Just you wait. I will make you regret crossing me!'

William wasn't aware that his load of crap had triggered the fears that the Demon had been denying were at the back of his mind. His purpose for telling the Demonic Boar those words was to make Swiper feel threatened in his position.

He didn't know that the Demon had already been on edge as of late, and his words were the last nail that held the coffin in place.

William's only thought at the moment was his meeting with Morax, and how to get back early, so he could continue his training sessions with Raizel and Lilith.

After getting past his embarrassment, William was able to quickly realize how ingenious Raizel's plan was.

Of course, neither of them expected things would go smoothly, but since the basic foundations were already laid out, all William needed to do was to adapt to it and increase his compatibility with Lilith.

A few minutes later, he finally arrived at this destination.

He stopped in front of the two Death Lords that were guarding the entrance with a smile.

"I'm here to speak to His Excellency, Lord Morax," William said. "Can the two of you tell him of my arrival?"

Chapter 840: A Question Worthy Of Debate

840 A Question Worthy Of Debate

While William went to see the Dread Lord in the Black Tower, Lilith and Raizel were currently inside the young beauty's room, waiting for his arrival.

"How do you think their talks will go?" Lilith inquired. Although she tried to hide it, the faint trace of anxiousness in her voice didn't escape Raizel's ears.

"Don't worry. He will be fine," Raizel replied. "I'm more interested in that juicy story that you're not telling me."

"Will you give it a break already?

"You've been asking me that all morning."

Raizel pouted as she clung to Lilith like a spoiled child. "But, I'm interested. I want to know!"

"Silly girl. Sooner or later you will experience it as well," Lilith stated. Clearly, she had no intention of telling the young beauty the details of her first night with William.

"Ehhh… knowing my Great Grandpa, and Papa, me and my sisters are probably going to be single until our hairs become white! Well, with the exception of my other sisters whose hair was naturally white when they were born." Raizel protested. "No one dares to bring up the notion of marriage in front of them. It's like a death sentence. Anyone who dares to approach us gets beaten half to death the next day!"

Lilith couldn't help but giggle at Raizel's non-stop complaints about her unreasonable Great Grandpa, and Papa.

"Ask a different question," Lilith insisted. "I can't possibly tell you what you want."

"Stingy!"

"Say whatever you want. I'm sure even William will nag at you if he learns about this."

Raizel pouted as she lay her head on Lilith's lap.

"Hmp! Fine, I will no longer tell you stories about my family," Raizel said firmly.

Lilith nodded. "Then tell me about your Mama."

"Ah. My Mama is stingy, and has a big butt," Raizel giggled. "Papa even said once that if Mama tried, she could probably train herself to walk using just her butt for the rest of her life."

Lilith lightly pinched the young beauty's waist, which made the latter choke on her laughter.

—-

Meanwhile, in Mimameidr Shelter…

Avril glanced at the beautiful blue blade in her hand. It was a sword, made purely out of a special crystal that could only be found in Hell.

"Beautiful, simply beautiful," Avril sighed as her hand lightly touched the blade's surface, making it glow brightly. "Morax really knows how to please people. I guess it is not a bad idea to accept his invitation."

Avril's ruby-colored eyes glowed faintly as she looked at the blade's surface that almost looked transparent.

"Still, the wait is a bit long…," Avril said softly. "Five more mirrors to go before I get to claim my prize. Soon, I will be rid of this ugly world."

The beautiful Elf walked towards the window of her room which was located in the highest place in the Mimameidr Shelter.

She gazed at the ruined city in the distance with a mocking smile on her face.

"Three years," Avril muttered. "I've been in this place for three years, and I'm already sick and tired of it."

Elves had a very long lifespan. For them, a year passes so swiftly that they could take a nap and let it pass them by. Unfortunately, Avril didn't have that liberty. Ever since she had arrived in the Deadlands, she had risked her life time and time again, to attain her current position and to live another day.

For her, Morax's offer was very tempting, but she was sure that she would be delusional to think that she was the only one that the Dread Lord was trying to bring into his inner circle.

'Eldon and Wade are ambitious, perhaps too ambitious even,' Avril sneered. 'Lindir is too straightforward and stubborn. He just won't do. As for Swiper… I hate ugly things. Demons are the most disgusting creature in the world, second only to… that person.'

Several images appeared in Avril's head and a frown appeared on her face. 'No matter. Once the mirrors are gathered, I don't have to worry about him again. I will be able to stand above tens of thousand, and be subservient to only one. At the end of the day, it's not a bad deal… at least on the surface.'

Avril knew that she was just trying to convince herself in order to make a decision.

'I guess I'll just wait until all the mirrors are gathered…,' Avril mused. 'Let's see if, His Excellency, is not all talk and actually has substance.'

Avril once again gazed at the blue crystal blade in her hand.

She could see her beautiful reflection on it, and yet, her face wasn't smiling. Only a cold, and indifferent expression, that treated everyone around her like stepping stones, was reflected on the blade's surface.

"Only you make my stay in this world worthwhile," Avril said softly. "I will be taking you with me wherever I go."

Avril looked at the blade as if she was looking at her beloved. "My love, I will make you spend eternity with me… whether you like it or not."

It was at that moment when a sweet smile filled with love appeared on Avril's beautiful face. This was a genuine smile that came from her heart, which she no longer showed to anyone in the Deadlands.

In this land that was governed by the Undead, and the law of the jungle was the only rule, Avril had learned to close her heart to everyone. This is especially true even for her trusted subordinates.

A flash of lightning, snaked around the Black Tower, blocking the light coming from the sun.

Avril's ruby-like eyes crossed the distance, and yet, she couldn't penetrate the tower walls and see what was happening inside.

The beautiful Elf sighed because she could tell that the end of this endless cycle was now at hand.

Only one question remained unanswered.

'Which side has the highest chance of tempting Fate?' Avril mused. 'Now, that is a question that is worthy of debate.'

Chapter 841: Let's See Who Deceives Who In The End

"So, you've finally come," Morax said as he looked down on William from his dragonbone throne. "Well, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Of course, I've come for my reward," William answered. "You're going to give me my reward, right?"

"Well, technically, you were not the one who found the mirror," Morax grinned. "It was one of the members of the Glory Shelter. Also, only the Leaders of the Shelters may ask me for a request… last time I checked, you were not one of them."

William arched an eyebrow as he eyed Morax. The two stared at each other for half a minute before the Half-Elf snorted and turned his back to leave.

Morax watched him go with a smile. 'Fool, you think you can take advantage of me? Dream on.'

William didn't even glance back at Morax and left the Black Tower without saying a word.

"You're done already?" the Death Lord that was looking after William's bike asked in confusion. Usually those who met with his Master would spend some time inside the Black Tower in order to have their request granted.

He could have sworn that it hadn't even been ten minutes since William had stepped into the throne room and now he was leaving?

William didn't reply to the Death Lord and simply rode his bike away from the Black Tower. After traveling for half an hour at full speed, the Half-Elf arrived at the Glory Shelter and hurried towards Raizel's room.

After closing the door behind him, the Half-Elf scratched his head in irritation.

"What happened?" Lilith asked as she handed Wiliam a cup of tea. "Did Morax agree to your request?"

William shook his head. "Even better. He didn't even bother to hear it. I'm irritated right now because we've gone to all that trouble to brainstorm a request, and he didn't even bother to listen to it."

Raizel giggled after seeing William's irritated expression. This was the first time that she had seen him react this way and she found it very funny.

"Well, at least that's one problem over with," Lilith stood up and gave William a light shoulder massage. "Good job, Will."

The Amazon Princess then lowered her head and planted a kiss on William's cheek, which surprised both the Half-Elf and the young beauty inside the room.

"What?" Lilith asked in confusion after seeing that the two were staring at her.

"Nothing." William coughed lightly. "I didn't know that you were someone who would openly show your affection to me."

Lilith smiled as she sat on William's lap. "Trust me, I won't do this kind of thing in public. I'm not like Sidonie, or Chiffon, who will cling to you for the whole world to see. I'm not that kind of lady."

"But, you just did it in front of Raizel?"

"That's right. I'm right here."

"Raizel doesn't count," Lilith replied with a smile.

She then traced William's lips with her finger and whispered something in his ear.

"Do your best, Papa," Lilith whispered in a seductive tone that wouldn't lose to Princess Sidonie. "I am looking forward to holding my daughter soon."

William could tell that Lilith was very serious, and he couldn't help himself from glancing at the young beauty that was sitting across him.

"What?" Raizel asked. "Is there something on my face?"

"No. Your face is just fine," William replied as he wrapped his arms firmly around Lilith's waist who was still sitting on his lap.

Raizel felt conflicted. A part of her didn't want to see William and Lilith showing PDA in front of her because it left her feeling hot and bothered.

The other part of her, on the other hand, was giving them a thumbs up in her heart.

Fortunately, William and Lilith behaved and simply stayed in their current position.

"As I was going to the Black Tower, I took a detour and observed the movements of the other Shelters," William explained. "Except for Avril, all the other Leaders, including Swiper, were still hard at work in trying to find the mirrors. Also, the Demonic Boar told me something interesting."

Raizel frowned. "Something interesting? That Demon just spouts absolute nonsense."

William chuckled because he wanted to agree to Raizel's words. But, he knew that there was something behind Swiper's words that deserved merit.

"You're right, but I think he spoke out because he was starting to get worried," William said. "I think the Alliance is falling apart. That is why he told me to be careful of the Leaders of the Alliance because they are planning something behind our backs to dispose of us."

William then made some hand gestures, which Lilith and Raizel instantly understood.

"So, you're telling me that someone, or some people, in the Alliance wants to eliminate us?"

"Absolutely. I think this idea isn't far-fetched, don't you think?"

Lilith who was seated on William's lap hummed in agreement.

"So, who do you think is targeting us?" Raizel asked.

William smiled as he leaned lazily on the couch.

"I think it's either Eldon or Wade," William answered. "Perhaps both of them."

"That's some serious accusations you have there," Lilith commented. "As far as our relationship with them goes, we don't have any quarrel with either of them."

William nodded. "And this is why it makes them the best suspects. Usually, those whom you think are harmless are the ones who will stab you in the back. Well, anyways, enough with this talk. We will deal with them once they make their move. Now, let's have lunch."

"Okay."

"Sounds like a good idea."

William smiled as he eyed Raizel who was eyeing the door the whole time.

When the young beauty held up her hand in a peace sign, William and Lilith both nodded their heads. They had prepared the necessary bait, and if the latter still didn't take the bite then they would probably start to doubt Morax's intelligence.

—--

Back in the Black Tower…

"Hmm… so, such a thing is going on? How intriguing," Morax muttered as he opened his eyes. "So much for the so-called Alliance."

The Dread Lord sneered as he cut his connection with his spy inside the Glory Shelter.

"Eldon and Wade, is it?" Morax rubbed his chin. "Why not? It will be more interesting that way. I'll play along with this little game of yours, Half-Elf. Let's see who deceives who in the end."

Morax laughed in amusement. "I'd like to see the look on your face when everything you hold dear in this world… disappears, right in front of your hateful eyes."

Chapter 842: I Didn't Know You Swing That Way

Three days had passed after William met with Morax, and an unsettling atmosphere settled in the Deadlands.

Swiper, who had been actively looking for the mirrors, had just ordered his men to gather resources as their primary objective, placing the finding of another mirror as a secondary objective.

Avril and the Elves had also been very low-key. Similar to what the Glory Shelter was doing, they didn't leave Mimameidr Shelter, and allowed the others to freely explore the Deadlands uncontested.

After the last Haunting, the other leaders had returned to their own Shelters to manage their territories as they had in the past.

Eldon and Wade had been invited by Morax to visit the Black Tower together. Whatever the three men had talked about, nobody knew, but after the two leaders returned to their respective domains, they had temporarily transferred the day-to-day management of their shelters to their trusted subordinates.

Both of them had then holed themselves up in their rooms, as if contemplating something very important.

Two days later, the Fifth Mirror had been found by one of Wade's subordinates, leaving only four mirrors up for grabs.

While this was happening, William and Raizel continued their experiments, leaving Lilith to keep watch on the spy that was doing their best to be as low-key as possible.

"Raizel, although it's a bit late to say this, this ability of yours is quite something," William said as he eyed the young beauty who was lying on the couch, who didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.

"Don't worry, Will," Raizel replied. "I'm only showing you this because I trust you."

Although she couldn't move her body, talking was not an issue for her.

"I know," William replied as he carried Raizel to the bed to let her rest properly. "But, it is easy to abuse this kind of power. I just hope that you don't use this to play pranks on people."

"..."

The corner of William's lips twitched because he could tell that the mischievous girl had indeed used her powers to prank people in the past.

After settling the girl down, William went to open the door and looked down the empty hallways.

A minute later, Lilith appeared and entered the room without saying another word. It was her turn to look after Raizel, while William went to find something to eat for the three of them.

When he arrived at the kitchen, William found Cathy humming a song as she busied herself with cooking their lunch.

The meals in the Deadlands were pretty random, and most of them were just canned goods and biscuits that they found in abandoned convenience stores.

This time around, the pretty lady, who seemed to be in her early twenties, was just reheating canned soup for everyone in the shelter.

"I didn't know you were a good cook," William teased as he approached the pretty lady, who had an appointment with him later in the evening for their regular blood drinking session.

Cathy smirked as she eyed the Half-Elf whom she would be meeting tonight.

"This is nothing," Cathy replied. She then wagged her finger at William with a mischievous smile. "If I only had proper ingredients to work with, then I would be able to let you taste something that would make you fall in love with me all over again."

"... But, I'm not in love with you?"

"I'm just giving an example! Why are you taking it seriously?!"

The two stared at each other before chuckling. Clearly, the two of them had a good relationship, so they were able to joke with each other so casually.

"Any news about the other Shelters?" William asked.

Cathy tasted the soup to see if it was still edible before answering William's question.

"Aside from Wade getting the mirror, nothing else of importance floats in the Deadlands," Cathy answered. "Ah! I almost forgot. We will be resuming our resources gathering tomorrow. Although we still have plenty of food, it is always best to have more here in the Deadlands."

William nodded in understanding. "All of you, be careful when you go out there. Try not to go to the outskirts. Just stay as close to the shelter as possible."

"Are you finally worried about me?"

"Of course I am worried about you. Can you add two more scoops to my bowl? I'm pretty hungry."

Cathay clicked her tongue and lightly punched William's arm with her closed fist. "I knew it! You only think of me as your food supplier!"

"... well, you're not wrong," William replied, chuckling as he defended himself from Cathy's ladle strikes.

It was at this time when Xenovia entered the kitchen and gave the two a weird look.

"... Am I interrupting something?" Xenovia asked as she looked at Cathy who had pinned William down on the table in a suggestive pose.

Cathy hurriedly backed away like a frightened squirrel, while giving William the "I'll deal with you later" glare.

William just scratched his head before he picked up the three bowls of soup to be brought back to the room where Lilith and Raizel were waiting for him.

Just as he was passing Xenovia, he whispered something in her ear, and the Death Lord nodded her head in understanding.

"I didn't know you swung that way," Xenovia said in a teasing tone. "What's this? You're already tired of making love with live girls and now you want to experience necrophilia? You sure are something, boy."

Cathy, who was busy transferring the canned soup to different bowls, froze when she heard Xenovia's mischievous words. She then looked at Wiliam weirdly as if trying to determine if there was something wrong in his head.

"Look what you did? You scared poor Cathy." William snorted as he eyed the Death Lord who had a wide grin on her face. "Just remember, right after the sun sets, got it?"

"Alright."

"See you later."

William left the kitchen pushing the food trolley down the empty hallway. He, Lilith, and Raizel, had holed themselves up in the training room, only leaving for short breaks at a time.

Although it doesn't show on their faces, they were feeling a bit anxious because the mirrors were being gathered faster than their initial estimate.

'Fortunately we managed to alter the mirror in time,' William thought. 'Now that everyone is paying attention to the last four remaining mirrors, it will be harder to do anything without arousing suspicion from Morax. The Bastard had been sending his scouts to monitor the Shelter these past few days and it is getting annoying.'

The Half-Elf was very sensitive to the Undead, so it was very easy for him to tell if they had infiltrated the Glory Shelter day or night.

In the past three days alone, there had been a total of twelve attempts to spy on them, which William thwarted successfully.

'I'm sure that his surveillance will increase as more of the mirrors fall in his hands.' William sighed. 'We don't have much time left.'

The red-headed teenager walked the empty hallways, while thinking of the inevitable final showdown that was about to come.

According to Raizel's estimate, the most optimistic outcome was that the mirrors would all be gathered in a month.

However, all three of them agreed that it was quite possible that Morax would have all of them in less than two weeks.

Not only that, the Alliance was already crumbling and although there were no signs of infighting between the Shelters, the three of them were already preparing for the worst case scenario.

A scenario that none of them wanted to see.

Chapter 843: I Don't Mind Being A Jester Sporting A Crown

Inside the Dwarven Shelter…

Eldon and Wade sat opposite each other as they played a game of chess.

"So, are you going to accept Morax's proposal?" Wade asked as he moved his pawn forward.

"What about you?" Eldon asked back as he moved his knight sideways.

"It's impolite to ask to answer a question with another question."

"It's fine. You're taller than me, so you should be more generous."

Wade rolled his eyes at the Dwarf who always used his height to avoid answering important questions.

"The problem with you is that you always play safe," Wade said as he used his bishop to take one of Eldon's pawns. "You don't take the initiative and always wait for others to make their move. Didn't it cross your mind that they will also do the same? When are you going to grow a pair?"

Eldon brushed off Wade's taunts like a passing breeze. He didn't take anything the Human said to heart because he and Wade were born from different races and viewpoints.

Dwarves cared about stability. Although they wouldn't hesitate to go to war to protect their homelands, their actions would always be a reaction to an external force.

Humans were different. They actively sought to expand their domains and attack their weakest neighbor in order to gain as much advantage as possible. This was why Humans were the most dominant race in the world.

Not only did they reproduce quickly, but they were very greedy as well. For Humans, they would not settle for anything less when they could have the best. They would not settle for an inch, if they could get a mile.

The same thing was happening in the Deadlands.

Wade was the most recognized leader of the Human Faction. For them, Raizel was just a little girl playing house. Although she had the strength to protect the Glory Shelter, she didn't have any ambition.

Wade, on the other hand, had a surplus of it.

"You met with Morax earlier. What did you ask of him?" Eldon asked in order to shift the topic of conversation.

Wade snorted because he knew what the Dwarf was trying to do, but he didn't voice his dissatisfaction at the Dwarf's timid approach to the current structure of power in the Deadlands.

"Nothing much, just things I'd like to have," Wade replied with a devilish smirk.

"You like a lot of things," Eldon replied. "Which one are you referring to?"

"Why don't you make a wild guess?"

"No need to make a guess. You're just after what is under Avril's skirt."

The smirk on Wade's face stiffened after the Dwarf revealed one of his secret fantasies.

"Close, but no cigar," Wade replied as he took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

After taking a long drag, he exhaled the smoke towards the Dwarf who immediately glared back at him.

"Both of us know that Avril doesn't wear skirts," Wade commented as he pointed his cigarette in Eldon's direction. "Also, that is not what I asked Morax."

"Of course she doesn't," Eldon answered as he waved his hand away to dispel the smell of cigarette that lingered in the air around him. "You and Swiper would be howling like dogs if she did wear one. So? What did you ask him?"

"Something you will never wish for."

"Ah… world peace. Wishing for it is just a pipedream."

Wade shook his head because both of them were now just talking in circles. He had personally gone to visit Eldon because he wanted to know what his stance would be after Morax had gathered all the mirrors.

Every Leader of the various Shelters were not stupid. They knew that once Morax collected the mirrors, their role in the Deadlands would also come to an end.

There were only three outcomes for them.

One was to leave and return to their worlds as per agreement with Morax.

The second was to join his side and start a conquest that they could only see in their wildest dreams.

Or third, get in his way and be crushed like a bug.

There was no fourth option, and everyone was either hoping that they would have a smooth transition back to their homeworlds, or become Morax's lackeys and follow him for life.

As for the third option, only fools would do that.

Wade was not a fool. He knew that he would not stand a chance if he fought against the Dread Lord, so his only choice was either one of the first two choices.

Naturally, Morax had extended an invitation to the two of them. He wanted them to become his subordinates, and promised them rewards that they would never have back in their respective home worlds.

"So, what is your final answer?" Wade asked as he moved his queen. He only needed two moves in order to end the game as he eyed the Dwarf who still had an indifferent expression on his face.

"My final answer is this," Eldon moved his own Queen and placed it right next to Wade's King. "Checkmate."

The Human leader frowned because he didn't notice the bishop that was hiding at the corner of the board, which supported Eldon's Queen to checkmate Wade's king.

"Thank you for the game, friend," Eldon said as he stood up from his seat. "I still have matters I need to discuss with my subordinates. I will not see you out. May you have a good day."

The Dwarven Leader left the room with steady steps.

Although he was shorter than the average Human, Wade noticed how broad Eldon's back was. It was a back that had seen many hardships in the world, and no longer wanted to participate in the game of intrigue that was now becoming apparent in the Deadlands.

'What a fool,' Wade thought. 'When the time comes, there will be no neutral ground to stand on Morax will not allow people to sit in the fence and watch this show unfold. Only he has the qualifications to do that.'

Wade stood up from his seat and flicked Eldon's King, making it fly off the chessboard.

He then watched as the chess piece shattered into pieces as it hit the wall of the room.

"There is only one King on this chessboard, and that person is the one sitting on that dragon bone throne in the Black Tower," Wade muttered. "Everyone else is just a jester sporting a crown on their head. They are there for comedic relief, and once he no longer finds them amusing… they no longer need to exist."

Wade left the room behind with a sneer. He had discovered the answer to his question, so he no longer needed to visit the Dwarven Shelter in the future.

Eldon watched Wade's truck disappear in the distance as he stood on the roof of his Shelter.

"This is the problem with you Humans," Eldon said softly. "You all forget something important. When the King is on his Deathbed, who do you suppose will take his place? Will it be another king? Of course not."

The Dwarven Leader looked in the direction of the Glory Shelter as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You always stare at the person wearing the crown, but in the struggle for the throne, it is always the Prince who has the last laugh," Eldon stated. "I don't mind being a jester sporting a crown. If that is the only way to survive, I don't mind dancing the courtship dance that won me the love of my life."

Eldon closed his eyes as he thought of his significant other who was waiting for him back home. No matter what happened, he would find a way to escape this hell-hole without selling his soul to the devil.

Chapter 844: I'll Just Ask For Compensation In The Future

"How is it?" Xenovia asked after William finished his regular check up on her Sea of Consciousness.

"Everything is fine," William answered. "I don't see any signs of collapse or corruption."

"That's good to know. I still feel anxious knowing that Morax could possibly take control over my mind and body again."

"Relax. With me around, he won't be able to do anything to you."

Xenovia smiled as she looked at the Half-Elf that was looking at her with a smug expression on his face.

"Well then, I'll take my leave," Xenovia stated as she walked towards the door. "By the way, should I call Cathy for you?"

William glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was just half past six. The sky outside the window was starting to darken, which affected the Half-Elf's vampiric powers.

"Tell Cathy to have her dinner first," William replied.

"Alright. I will tell her that you plan to have her for dessert. You're such a sinful man, you know that?"

"Well, you are not the first, nor the last lady to tell me that," William replied as he flicked his hair. "What can I say? I'm simply irresistible."

Xenovia snorted as she closed the door without saying another word. The smugness on William's face disappeared as soon as he deemed that the Death Lord had gone away.

'I knew it, Xenovia was not the spy,' William thought as he gazed outside the window of his room. 'I've made a full sweep of her Sea of Consciousness several times already, and I can say with confidence that Morax no longer has his hold on her. That could only mean one thing…'

William, Lilith, and Raizel had already thought of the possibility that several members of the Glory Shelter had fallen under the Dread Lord's control. Their only problem was that they were still unable to pinpoint who they were.

'Should I bite all of them?' William mused. This was his last resort in order to ensure that their plan wouldn't be compromised. If he couldn't find the spy or spies before Morax gathered all the mirrors then there was a high risk of the Dread Lord discovering their plan.

While William was deep in thought, the door of the room opened and a pretty lady walked in with a smile.

It didn't take long before she stood beside the Half-Elf who was looking outside the window, while thinking of ways to solve his problem.

"I thought I told Xenovia to tell you that you should have dinner first," William said in a teasing tone. He then glanced at the pretty girl beside him and poked her nose with his finger. "Are you that excited to be eaten by me?"

Cathy giggled as she batted her eyes on William. She then walked towards the bed and sat on top of it, crossing one leg over the other.

"Well, I'm always ready to be your main dish," Cathy said as she lazily gazed at William who was still standing in front of the window. "But, you and I know that I'm just a 'Convenient Woman' at your beck and call, isn't that right, Will?"

William walked towards Cathy and sat beside her.

"I'm sorry," William apologized in a serious tone. "I didn't know that I made you feel that way. I will no longer drink your blood from today onwards."

"Now that you're tired of me, you're just going to throw me away? Boo hoo, what a pitiful lady I have become. Um, I knew I should have taken my eyedrops with me. Without tears, my acting skills aren't as effective. Hey, do you have eye drops on you? Let me borrow it for a while."

"..."

William wasn't able to react to Cathy's silly solo performance because he suddenly felt drowsy. He tried to force his eyes open, but it was no use. The urge to sleep was so strong that even if he used his willpower to fight it, he was unable to form any kind of resistance.

"What's this? Now you find me so boring that you fall asleep in front of me?" Cathy complained as she pinched William's left cheek. "Um? Are you really going to sleep on me?"

"T-That's not it… Cathy," William struggled to hold on to his consciousness, but he was slowly losing the battle.

As an act of desperation, the Half-Elf bit the tip of his tongue, letting blood spurt from it. However, something unexpected happened.

The pretty lady seated beside him suddenly kissed his lips and drew in the blood that had spurted out from between his lips.

The Half-Elf suddenly felt weak as Cathy absorbed his strength, rendering him unable to move.

As the thoughts of shock and disbelief flashed across his mind, he felt himself falling downwards into a bottomless pit. Cathy managed to pry his lips open wider and take his tongue into her mouth. She sucked hard on his tongue and William finally lost consciousness, his last thoughts worried about what was to come as the pretty lady continued to hold onto his body and drink his blood.

—--

"Rise and shine! How long are you planning to sleep?

"Oi, sleepyhead, wakey wakey!

"You still don't plan to wake up? I guess I have no choice but to do this seriously.

"Mister, I am giving you ten seconds to wake up. If you don't, I'll cut off your ding ding dong and stew it!"

William opened his eyes, and saw Cathy's pretty face looking down on him. His thoughts were still in shambles, so he couldn't understand what had just happened.

The last thing he remembered was…

What was it again?

William blinked once then twice and blinked again. He couldn't form a coherent thought no matter what he did.

"I guess she did a number on you on a subconscious level," Cathy muttered as she poked William's nose repeatedly. "Oi. Can you hear me? Can you understand me?"

William wanted to reply, but the mere thought of replying even slipped from his mind like sand falling in an hourglass.

Cathy sighed as she pulled William into a sitting position.

The scene that appeared in front of him was a blue sea that reflected an equally blue sky. The scenery was quite familiar and the words "Sea of Consciousness" passed through his mind for a brief moment before disappearing completely.

"Even sitting you up does nothing?" Cathy pouted as she let go of William's hands, letting his body fall until he was facing upwards.

"You've been very careless, Will," Cathy sighed as she caressed the side of William's face. "Morax used the powers of the mirrors to set a trap in Xenovia's Sea of Consciousness. He knows that you are a hindrance to his plans, so he decided to incapacitate you until all the mirrors were gathered."

Cathy pinched the unresponsive Half-Elf who was still looking at the sky above him, unable to reply to her complaints.

"I guess I have no choice," Cathy mused. "I can't let Morax succeed in his plans."

Cathy's clothes fell off her body as she gave William a complicated look.

She knew what she needed to do, but she was still annoyed that the Half-Elf wasn't in the right state of mind to appreciate what she was about to do for him.

"I'll just ask for compensation in the future," Cathy sighed. "He won't be able to pay me back if there is no future anyways."

Chapter 845: She Is Waiting For You

William dreamed.

A dream that he had never had before.

Haleth, Amelia, Pearl, Priscilla, a pretty lady with a single horn on her forehead, a green-haired beauty with a tail that resembled that of a lizard, and a Half-ling who looked like a doll that was only a little more than three feet tall held on to his body.

All of them caressed him in different places, and murmured something in his ears, but he was not in a condition to understand what they were saying.

All he knew was that the places they touched made him feel warm, and at peace.

It made him feel that everything was going to be alright.

William didn't know how long he spent in that world, in the company of these ladies. But, with each day that passed, he was starting to grasp his fleeting thoughts. Day by day, he felt strength returning to his body.

In time, he was able to understand what they were saying. They were words of encouragement, telling him that he must stay strong and not give up hope.

They all looked at him with affectionate gazes, as if they had known him for a very long time.

They would kiss his forehead, his ears, nose, cheeks, neck, hands, fingers, feet, and every other part of his body, except for his lips.

"It's time to go, Will," Haleth said lovingly as she kissed his cheeks one last time. "They are waiting for you… she is waiting for you."

Each of the ladies gave William a hug, and kissed him one last time before turning into particles of light.

The Half-Elf unconsciously reached out to hold onto them, but they had already disappeared completely.

"You're finally awake!" Lilith cried out as she hugged William's body.

The Half-Elf was still in the gesture of reaching out to something when he realized that he was no longer inside his Sea of Consciousness.

Raizel joined Lilith in hugging William, with tears streaming down her face.

"We thought that you were not going to wake up," Lilith said as she lightly pounded William's chest with her fist. "We were scared. Very scared. What happened to you?!"

"I'm sorry," William said as he held the heads of the two girls who were bawling their eyes out because of him. "I got careless."

A few minutes passed before Lilith and Raizel were able to regain their composure. Willliam asked them to tell him everything that happened, while he was sleeping, and the two girls complied without leaving out any details.

"You've been sleeping for two weeks," Raizel explained. "During that time, Cathy would come to see you every three days to feed you some of her blood. Seven of the mirrors have already been found, and only a small part of the Deadlands has been left untouched. It's possible that they would discover the eighth mirror any day now."

Lilith, who was holding William's hand also joined in explaining the current situation. "Conflicts have broken out between the Shelters due to the intense competition that is happening. The Demonic Shelter suffered a joint attack from three of the Shelters that still haven't found any of the mirrors because Swiper keeps getting in their way.

"If not for Eldon, mediating between the four parties, the Demonic Shelter might have already ceased to exist."

William's expression became grim as he listened to Raizel's, and Lilith's narration of the events that had transpired while he was out of commission. "How about Xenovia? Where is she?"

"Xenovia had locked herself up in her room, refusing to come out," Raizel sighed. "She discovered that her thoughts were being manipulated a day after you fell asleep. Because of this, she decided to lock herself in and forbade us from interacting with her."

William tried to stand up from the bed, but his body had become very stiff and he was finding it hard to move.

In the end, he had to ask the two girls by his side to help him sit in a more comfortable position.

"It's possible that the mirror will be found today or tomorrow," William stated. "We have to prepare for the worst. Fortunately, our preparations are almost complete."

William looked at Raizel, and the latter nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"We've done everything we can," Raizel replied. "There's nothing we can do now except to make last minute preparations."

William clenched his fist as he thought of Morax who had successfully trapped him in his own Sea of Consciousness. If not for the seven ladies who did their best to wake him up, he might have remained unconscious until Morax's plan had come to fruition.

The Half-Elf didn't even want to think of what Fate would have befallen Lilith and Raizel, who had no way of protecting themselves, once the Dread Lord had taken full control of the Black Tower.

'Fortunately, I woke up at the last minute.' William shuddered at the thought of losing the two ladies by his side, who played an important role in his life. 'We can still do this.'

"Okay, for now, listen to me," William said as she held Lilith's and Raizel's hands. "We will continue to make Morax think that I'm still asleep. Don't let anyone visit this room, especially the people from other Shelters. By the way, has anyone visited me during those two weeks?"

"All the Leaders came to visit a day ago," Raizel replied. "Even Swiper came, but we didn't allow him to step foot inside the stadium. We know that he has a grudge against you, so we didn't dare take any chances."

William nodded. "For now, don't let anyone visit. If someone asks, tell them that I'm still unconscious and haven't shown any signs of waking up."

The two girls nodded. They are in agreement that William's condition must be kept secret no matter what.

"I will try to regain my body's functions as soon as possible, so when the operation starts, we will be ready," William added. "Don't let anyone inside the room."

"How about Cathy?" Raizel asked. "You are scheduled to drink her blood today."

"... You can let her in." William had already spoken before he even realized it. However, he didn't feel that there was anything wrong with what he said, so he decided to put it aside for the time being because he was thinking of other ways to pay back the Dread Lord for what he had done to him.

Lilith and Raizel also had no complaints about letting Cathy enter the room. The pretty lady was the one that informed them of William's condition, and was also the one who had zealously supplied him with blood, while he was unconscious.

Chapter 846: I Can Only Cheer For You In Places Where You Couldn’t See

"Cathy, can you tell me everything that happened back then?" William asked as the pretty lady arrived in his room.

Lilith and Raizel decided to leave them alone because the Half-Elf had said that he needed to have a private conversation with Cathy. Both of the girls trusted William enough to know that this might be something that he couldn't tell them, so they decided to give way and respect his request.

"You suddenly felt drowsy and lost consciousness," Cathy answered. "After that I panicked and called for help."

William eyed the pretty girl who had sat beside him on the bed.

"I've indeed heard from Lilith and Raizel that you were the one that informed them that I had lost consciousness," William stated. "But, before I lost consciousness, I can still remember what you did. But, why did you do that?"

"Are you referring to the time that I kissed you and sucked the blood that was gushing out of the tip of your tongue?"

"Yes. I admit that I might have still fallen unconscious even then, but I still didn't understand why you did that."

Cathy smiled as she gazed straight into William's eyes. "I just thought that since you were the one always drinking my blood, it would be interesting to know what would happen if I drank yours as well. By the way, your blood doesn't taste too good."

The trace of complaint in Cathy's voice made the corner of William's lips twitch.

Girl, you were the one that drank my blood without my permission. Now you have the gall to complain to me?

William was about to voice his counter complaint, but Cathy's delicate finger pressed on his lips, preventing him from speaking.

"Listen, Will, and listen well," Cathy said softly. "When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness. But, no matter how frail Hope is, it can never be killed."

Cathy then cupped William's face, as her eyes teared up a bit. "Will, you are very pitiful. I pity you so much that my heart aches for you. Even now, you have forgotten many important things. Things that you can no longer take back."

"Cathy, just what are you talking about?" William asked.

He wanted to take the pretty lady's hands away from his face, but for some reason, he couldn't muster enough strength in his body to even move his hands, which were clenching the bed sheets firmly.

"Sorry, I got carried away," Cathy removed her hands from William's face as she returned back to her usual self. "I pity you so much that I have a strong urge to give you a good beating just for the sake of venting my frustrations."

"... How unreasonable can you get?" William rubbed his face with both of his hands. "Can you answer my question seriously."

For some reason, he was starting to feel drowsy again, but it wasn't as strong as the one he felt before he lost consciousness.

"But, I already did?"

"That's not the answer I am looking for."

Cathy giggled because she felt that William was being unreasonable. Even so, she noticed that the Half-Elf was starting to feel drowsy again. Because of this, she decided to finish the important issue first.

"I'll answer your question next time," Cathy said. "Also, in the future, I will ask you to repay your debt to me."

"What debt?"

"You'll know in the future."

"Hello? Can you speak Human?" William sighed. "Why are you being vague? If I owe you something, tell me what I owe you, so I can pay it back."

Cathy giggled as she presented her neck on William. The pretty lady wrapped her arms around William's head holding him in place.

"Don't worry," Cathy whispered. "You will pay me back in full all in good time. For now, just drink and sleep. You still haven't fully recovered, and you need to rest properly. When morning comes, the eighth mirror will be found, and this theatrical performance will soon come to an end."

William stopped caring and finally bit into the pretty lady's neck to draw blood.

The drowsiness he was feeling instantly disappeared as soon as Cathy's sweet, and delicious blood, passed through his lips.

"Take your time to drink," Cathy whispered. "I'm not going anywhere, so drink until you are full. This might be the last time you will be able to drink my blood, so savor it completely."

'Last time?' William thought as he steadily drank the rich blood that was vibrant with life. He had to admit that Cathy's blood was the best that he had tasted so far, and thought that it would be a waste if he were unable to drink it again.

In the past, it didn't strike him that Cathy was someone special.

He only found out that she was a very lively and optimistic person after interacting with her during his stay in the Glory Shelter.

If not for the scarcity of blood, Raizel wouldn't have resorted to asking Cathy to become one of William's helpers when he needed to drink blood.

A few minutes later, William finally finished drinking, and the pretty lady kissed his cheeks before tucking him to bed.

"Cathy, just who are you?" William asked. "Please answer me honestly."

"Even if I tell you who I am, you will not believe me," Cathy answered as she sat beside the bed.

"Try me."

"Your future wife."

"Lies."

"See?"

Cathy covered her lips and chuckled. "I told you so."

"Be serious, Cathy," William replied as he eyed the pretty lady suspiciously.

Cathy shook her head. "I can't be serious, Will. If I do, I will take you away from this world, and keep you for myself. Both of us know that it's not going to work out that way. Since that is the case, I'll just go with the flow… at least for now."

The room descended into silence as William and Cathy stared at each other's eyes. Both looking for the answers to their questions, that could only be found at the deepest recesses of each other's minds.

"Cathy, are you my enemy?" William inquired.

"No," Cathy answered as she planted a kiss on William's forehead. "I am forever by your side, because you represent me, Will."

The pretty lady stood up and walked towards the door. However, right before she was about to leave the room, she glanced back at William and smiled.

"I will lend my help, but the help I can give you in this world is limited," Cathy stated. "The two people you can rely on the most at the darkest hour are none other than Raizel and Lilith. Truth be told, I envy them. At least, they will be able to fight side by side with you.

"My role is to forever be on the sidelines. That is why, I can only cheer for you in places where you cannot see. Goodnight, Will. I pray that when tomorrow comes, you will have fully recovered your strength."

Cathy waved her hand before closing the door.

When Lilith and Raizel returned to the room, they saw William sleeping snugly in bed. The Half-Elf was sleeping so peacefully that both girls couldn't find it in their hearts to wake him up.

Cathy, who was walking through the empty hallways, finally stopped in front of a room where the sound of someone pounding the wall could be heard.

"Time to solve the issue with this problem child as well," Cathy muttered as she opened the room to Xenovia's room. "Will is already having a hard enough time as it is. He will need all the help he can get."

Chapter 847: A Gamble Worth Taking

"This is what you get for getting in my way," Morax sneered as he used the power of the seven mirrors to scry on William's current condition.

The image of the Half-Elf sleeping on the bed appeared in front of him, and it made the Dread Lord extremely satisfied. Although he had received the report from Wade, and the other Leaders, that the red-headed teenager was still in a coma a day ago, he was still not convinced, so he decided to confirm it himself.

After seeing that the Half-Elf was indeed still in a comatose condition, he felt as if a thorn had been dislodged from his chest.

He no longer worried about any kind of resistance from the denizens of the Deadlands because more than half of them had already sworn fealty to his side.

With this matter settled, the Dread Lord felt confident that he could secure not only the Black Tower, but the entire Deadlands under his control.

The reason why he started to have ambitions to acquire the Deadlands was due to one simple matter.

No Gods could enter this world.

Morax had sacrificed most of his Divinity until he had regressed to the peak of a Demigod. Even then, the injuries he received from the pursuit of the Gods of Hell left him unable to leave the Black Tower, or else his existence would crumble to dust.

This was why he manipulated the Undead to do his bidding, and even had to stoop even lower in order to befriend the Leaders of the Shelters. He needed them to help him acquire the mirrors, which would allow him to return to his peak strength, and once again step into the ranks of the Gods.

As if he was laughing at William's current condition, one of the Death Lords under his command barged inside the throne room bearing a message that made the smile on Morax's face widen.

"Your Excellency, the Eighth Mirror has been found," The Death Lord reported.

"Excellent!" Morax laughed and ordered the Death Lord to bring the mirror to his hands as fast as possible.

The Death Lord bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room in haste.

"One more." Morax chuckled. "Just one more and I will be invincible!"

Morax rejoiced for the time he had envisioned was close at hand.

"Now, whose Domain should I visit first after I regain my powers?" Morax rubbed his chin in a good mood. "Ah… I know who to visit first."

The Dread Lord smirked as he remembered the irritating Grand Marquis of Hell that had played an important role in his downfall.

"Aamon, I will start with you," Morax smashed his fist on the armrest of his dragon throne. "I want to see your expression as you watch your precious daughter getting defiled right in front of your eyes.

"Ah, yes, that girl… that cursed girl that was born from the union of a cursed God, and a God that was about to meet her end. Such a happy union, I dare say. But, alas, you dared to offend me, so I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life."

Morax raised his hand and a golden goblet appeared out of thin air.

A moment later, a beautiful Elf with long green hair, and a pair of beautiful ruby-colored eyes, poured wine inside the goblet.

"How are the preparations going?" Morax asked.

"Everything is in order, Your Excellency," the beautiful Elf replied.

"Good. Once the last mirror is acquired, you will get everything you ever wanted," Morax promised. "Not only in this world, but in all the worlds where I will reign. So, serve me well."

"I will, Your Excellency," the beautiful Elf replied. "I look forward to seeing your glory."

—--

Lindir sighed as he sat on his make-shift throne in the Swamptide Shelter.

Even after exhausting everything, he wasn't able to find any of the mirrors in the Deadlands.

The morale of his shelter was also at an all time low because several of the Leaders in the Alliance had started to switch camp to Morax's side, which made Lindir and the other neutral Leaders feel anxious.

The only thing he could hope for now was that Morax would honor his promise to open the doorway that would allow them to leave the Deadlands.

As long as he could return to his homeworld in one piece, he would be able to start over and rebuild his tribe, which had been destroyed during an intense struggle for territorial expansion.

While the Lizardfolk were thinking on what to do next, an unexpected visitor appeared in front of him.

"Xenovia? What are you doing here?" Lindir asked in confusion. "Did something happen to the Glory Shelter? Did that boy, William, wake up?"

Even when Xenovia was still a living, breathing, human, she and Lindir never had a close relationship. Although they don't antagonize each other, the Lizardfolk had no idea why the Death Lord would come and visit him.

William's presence in the Glory Shelter gave Lindir hope that he would act as a deterrent, just in case Morax went back on his word to let the people of the Deadlands free.

However, after the red-headed boy fell into a coma, they started to suspect that it was Morax's way to eliminate all opposition.

Even Swiper, who hated William to the bone, felt alarmed when he heard of the Half-Elf's comatose state.

Although they didn't get along, the Demonic Boar had recognized William's strength. Swiper hoped that the Half-Elf would help balance the playing field to prevent the scales from tipping in Morax's favor.

Lindir eyed Xenovia with a guarded expression as he did his best to prevent his inner feelings from showing on his face.

"I'd like to talk to you in private," Xenovia replied. "This is a very sensitive issue, so I hope that you will listen to me just once."

Lindir pondered for a bit before nodding his head. Right now, he wasn't doing anything special, so he was more than willing to hear Xenovia's purpose for coming to visit him.

Half an hour later, Xenovia left the Swamptide Shelter to return to the Glory Shelter.

Lindir didn't escort her outside, but remained inside his room to digest the Death Lord's proposal.

"I guess I'll just have to take a gamble," Lindir muttered through gritted teeth. "I just hope I will get to live after everything has come to pass. If not, I will be one of Morax's undead minions, who are stripped of their freewill to serve him for all eternity."

Lindor hated gambling the most because he wasn't good at it. Now that something big was at stake, with the odds stacked up against him, he was feeling helpless.

Even so, he was willing to take a gamble. There was only one problem.

Was it a gamble worth taking?

Chapter 848: You're Not Getting Any Sleep Tonight

Standing inside his Sea of Consciousness, William looked up at the sky with his arms crossed over his chest.

He could see the image of Morax looking down on him from on top of the ceiling of the room. A sneer could be seen on the Dread Lord's face, which made William sneer back at him in return.

After a few minutes, Morax's scrying ended and William could tell that the Dread Lord was gone for good.

"Seriously, you should have just told me Cathy," William muttered.

The pretty lady had somehow managed to force the Half-Elf into deep sleep, which allowed him to trick Morax into thinking that he was still out for the count.

Suddenly, two ladies appeared inside his Sea of Consciousness, and they were none other than Lilith and Raizel.

"Will? What's wrong?" Lilith asked as she held William's hand. "I'm surprised that you called out to me using the earrings."

"Sorry, everything happened so fast that even I had no time to react." William squeezed Lilith's hand. "Morax gained the ability to scry on others when he gained the Seventh Mirror. It is also highly possible that the Eighth mirror will be found today.

"We can no longer rely on normal means, so we will do the exercise in my Sea of Consciousness. If everything works out properly, we still have a chance to turn everything around."

Raizel looked around William's inner world with great interest.

"So, this is what your consciousness looks like, Will," Raizel said. "As she gazed at the countless weapons that were embedded in the surface of the sea."

"It's nothing special," William replied. "Now, let's get back to business. Morax now thinks that I'm no longer a threat to him, so this will work in our advantage. Unfortunately, the rest will have to rely on the both of you to make the plan succeed."

Lilith and Raizel nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

"After finding the Eighth Mirror they will definitely go all out to find the last one," Raizel smirked. "Unfortunately, it will not be that simple. Unfortunately, it will take a few days for them to find it."

William shook his head. "Three days. In three days, the last mirror will be found."

"Eh?"

"How?"

William scratched his head in helplessness as he gazed at the two ladies who were looking back at him in disbelief.

"A little bird will tell Lindir where it is located," William replied. "He will make a move in three days."

Lilith's and Raizel's expressions became extremely serious. They thought that the last mirror would allow them to buy some time to make the necessary preparations, but the Half-Elf was telling them that they only had three days to get everything ready.

"Do we have enough time?" Lilith inquired as she looked at Raizel.

Raizel crossed her arms over her chest. "Theoretically we are ready to carry out our plan anytime. But, why does it have to happen in three days?"

William smiled. "It's because a bird told me that this is the day which has the highest chance of success."

"Wait, is that bird the same bird that told Lindir where the Ninth Mirror could be found?"

"No. This one is a different bird. A rather eccentric one, but she meant us no harm… maybe."

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Maybe?"

The red-headed teenager coughed lightly because the eccentric bird had forbidden him from sharing her identity. Although William had a feeling that everything would still be fine even if he told Lilith and Raizel about her, he still decided to play it safe and only said what he was allowed to say.

"Whether we are given more days or not, it doesn't really matter," William stated. "Our plans are already set, so it will be best for us to settle this sooner rather than later. Besides, I don't like pretending to be in a coma for a long time."

Raizel sighed but still nodded her head in agreement. "Very well. We will carry out our plan on the third day. Should we tell Lilith the full extent of our plan?"

William and Raizel looked at the Amazon, who looked back at the two with a confused expression on her face.

"Lilith, how good are you at acting?" William asked.

The Amazon Princess frowned because she wasn't really good at acting. Although she could exert some effort in making it work, acting had never been her forte.

"Just average," Lilith replied honestly. "Why? Do I need to act to make things more convincing?"

"Yes, but since you can't do it, let's just scratch that plan." William patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but it will be best if we keep you out of the loop for all of our sakes."

Raizel could only smile apologetically at Lilith who had a dissatisfied look on her face. Even so, the Amazon Princess still nodded in the end.

"Will, I trust you," Lilith said. "If you really think that it is best not to tell me anything then I will support your decision. But, this will be the first and last time that you will do this to me. In the future, you will not keep anything from me, and just give it to me straight. Do we have an agreement?"

William nodded and kissed her cheek. "Sorry. I promise that I will not do it again in the future."

"I'll forgive you just this once."

"Thank you."

Raizel, who was feeling left out, moved closer to the two and gave both of them a hug.

"We're all in this together," Raizel said but her voice carried a trace of anxiousness.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," William assured the anxious young beauty. "I believe in you, Raizel."

"How about me?" Lilith interjected.

The Half-Elf chuckled as she looked at the Amazon Princess who was still feeling pouty.

"Of course I believe in you as well," William stated. "As long as the three of us are together, there's nothing that we can't do."

"Um, can I tell you guys something?" Raizel asked.

William and Lilith looked at the young beauty whose face was still blushing. It was very rare for Raizel to take the initiative to open up to them, so the two were more than willing to listen to her.

"Go ahead," William replied.

Lilith nodded her head and waited for Raizel to tell them what was on her mind.

"You see, I just want to let the two of you know that my Ma and Pa conceived me in that strange world that they were trapped in during their youth," Raizel said. She was unable to look at William and Lilith whose faces had started to turn weird.

"Um, that's why we should do our best," Raizel said in a voice that was so low that it almost sounded like a mosquito buzz. "All of us, especially the two of you. Please, do your best!"

After throwing a bomb at the two people who were very dear to her, Raizel turned into particles of light and left William's Sea of Consciousness in haste.

William and Lilith stared at the empty space where the young beauty had stood a moment ago with complicated expressions on their faces.

"Lilith…"

"You don't have to say anything. You can just sleep, and I'll handle the rest. All you need to do is make sure that it stays up."

William didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Lilith's determined words. Clearly, the young beauty was just instigating something, but the Amazon Princess had taken it seriously.

"L-Let's just do it in moderation," William replied. "We still have a job to do."

"Relax," Lilith gave William the "you're not getting any sleep tonight" smile, which made the Half-Elf feel like he was about to fight a wrestling match with her.

A match that would definitely not end in his favor.

Chapter 849: The Calm Before The Storm [Part 1]

When Lilith opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the man that she had chosen to be her partner for life.

She gazed at his peaceful sleeping face, and brushed the hair that was covering his face with her hand.

The Amazon Princess hadn't believed in love before, but now she was sure that she was starting to truly fall in love with William.

Of course, she knew that the Half-Elf also hadn't expected a day like this would come. Both of them didn't really see each other as a potential love interest. That all changed after they had arrived in the Deadlands and met Raizel

Without her, neither of them would have taken that final step.

That step that allowed them to grasp a possibility that they never knew existed.

"I love you," Lilith whispered in William's ears as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Lilith then propped herself from the bed, letting the blanket fall from her sensuous naked body. Last night was a bit intense because she was the one that took the lead in everything. Even now, she felt that William was still inside her and it made her blush, despite just having woken up.

She then removed the blanket from William's lower half, and kissed the one responsible for making her feel good.

"I love you too," Lilith said as she gave the Little Will a smooch, which made the latter very lively.

Lilith stood up from the bed and did a few stretches to let the blood flow inside her body. If not for the fact that they were facing a very dangerous situation, she would have loved to continue making love to the red-headed teenager to ensure that she became pregnant with his child.

'Unfortunately, I can't do that," Lilith sighed as she took out a bath towel to wrap William up like a spring roll, before lifting him up from the bed.

She carried the "sleeping" Half-Elf towards the shower room in order to clean him up from the aftermath of their intense night battle.

Just as she was about to enter the Shower Room, she heard the voices of people talking inside the room.

Lilith was surprised, but she wasn't too concerned because she was familiar with the voices of the two ladies.

As soon as the Amazon Princess stepped inside the shower room, Raizel and Cathy glanced in her direction.

The pretty lady wasn't able to stop the chuckle that escaped her lips when she saw the wrapped up spring roll in Lilith's hands.

Raizel, on the other hand, wasn't able to stop the wide grin that spread across her face. However, if one were to look closely, her face was starting to redden.

"He's still asleep?" Cathy asked. She eyed the Half-Elf whose sleeping face made her wish that she could lock him up in her own room and suck him dry. "You're spoiling him too much, Lilith. If you continue like this, he's going to end up as a no-good person in the future."

Lilith chuckled as she chose a place that was far from the two ladies to wash him, while preventing them from seeing her lover's naked body. If this was in the past, she wouldn't have minded sharing William with her sisters in the Amazon Empire.

However, right now, she was feeling possessive, and no longer had the intention of letting others see something that belonged to her.

Seeing that Lilith had no intention of letting them see some eye candy, Cathy shook her head helplessly as she soaked inside the bathtub.

Raizel on the other hand was humming in her brown bathtub. Clearly, she was feeling very happy at the moment, and Cathy knew that it was best to not poke fun at her happiness.

A few minutes later, the two ladies left the shower room because both of them had duties that they needed to attend to.

It was also at that moment when Lilith came out of the shower, carrying William in her arms. As much as she wanted to soak with William in the bathtub, she couldn't do that right now.

Morax might use his scrying skills to check on his condition anytime, so she didn't dare to take too much time in cleaning him up.

A few minutes later, both of them returned to the room right next to Raizel's. After dressing the Half-Elf properly, Lilith laid him on the couch for the time being.

She then changed the bed sheets, as well as the blanket that they had used the night before. Only after finishing these two things did she return William to the bed and laid down beside him.

"Synchronization."

Lilith still needed to train inside William's Sea of Consciousness to check how long William would be able to use her powers. The Amazon's Divinity was the key to overturn Morax's plans.

William's body needed to learn to contain Lilith's Divinity for a period of time to ensure that their strategy would succeed.

—--

"Okay, we will resume looking for resources today," Cathy said with determination. "Everyone, please, do your best!"

""Yes!""

"Be careful," Raizel said as she gazed at the gloomy skies of the Deadlands. "It seems that a storm is coming."

Cathy also glanced at the dark-gray sky with a calm gaze before nodding her head in agreement.

"We will not be away for too long," Cathy replied. "At most, we will return after three to four hours."

Raizel looked worriedly at Xenovia who had her arms crossed over her chest and leaning on the truck.

"Don't worry, I'm fine now." Xenovia grinned at the young beauty who was looking at her with concern. "Besides, we can't let Cathy's group wander around the Deadlands with such high tension in the air, right?"

Raizel nodded. "Be careful. At the first signs of trouble, immediately return to the Shelter."

"Got it," Xenovia replied.

A few minutes later, the Glory Shelter's scavenger team moved out to look for resources.

Although no one said anything, they could feel that something was different in the Deadlands today. There was some kind of invisible suppression that was coming down from the sky.

They couldn't help but think that something bad was going to happen, and that that something was going to happen very soon.

Chapter 850: The Calm Before The Storm [Part 2]

"Such ominous clouds," Eldon said as he gazed out the window of his shelter. "It seems that the countdown to the end of the world has finally started. Do you feel that way as well?"

Lindir, who had visited the Dwarven Shelter so early in the morning, clicked his tongue in agreement and irritation.

"I hate being treated like a chess piece by people," Lindir complained. "For someone of my status to stoop this low, I think I'm going mad."

Eldon laughed as he walked towards his friend and patted his shoulder. "It's good to be mad every now and then. Only the crazy people in the world can do the crazy things that people deem impossible."

"You're crazy, too!" Lindir hissed in anger. "Why are you being stubborn? I know that Dwarves are stubborn, but you are on a whole new level. I came here so that you could convince me to side with Morax, so that I don't have to go through this madness!"

"You went to the wrong Shelter. You should have gone to Wade's or Avril's instead."

"But I hate those two-faced bastards!"

Eldon shrugged as he sat on the chair opposite the raging Lizardfolk.

Lindir sighed before drinking the cup of water on the table. After quenching his thirst, he once again glared at the Dwarf who had started to play with his beard.

"Look, I'm not asking for too much," Lindir said in a voice that reeked of anxiety. "Just, what are our chances of winning?"

"Close to zero."

"F*ck this, I'm out!"

The Lizard stood up and walked towards the door. He then opened the door and turned his head to look at the Dwarf who was still playing with his beard.

"Aren't you going to stop me?" Lindir asked in disbelief.

Eldon raised his head to look at the Lizardfolk whose green scales had started to change to red.

"Why would I stop you?" Eldon asked. "It's your life, so it's your choice. The last thing that I want to happen is to have someone scream in my ear, 'I shouldn't have believed in you!' as I am facing death. You're old enough, Lindir. You, I, everyone, need to take responsibility for their own choices. Whether it leads to defeat or victory, you should do it with the knowledge that it is the choice you made, and no one else's."

"F*ck this, I'm out," Lindir growled as he slammed the door shut.

Eldon shook his head as he picked up the beer on the table. Just as he was about to enjoy his beer, the door of the room opened and Lindir barged in once again. Only this time he was not alone.

"Tell me, Dwarf," Swiper said in a voice that reeked of anxiety. "What are your chances of winning?"

The corner of Eldon's lips twitched as he looked at the Demonic Boar Kin and the irritating Lizardfolk who looked at him as if they would die if he didn't give them a proper answer.

"Close to Zero," Eldon repeated the answer that he had given Lindir.

"F*ck this, I'm out!" Lindir said for the third time as he walked out of the room.

"Damn! I don't want to be on the losing side! I'm out of here!" Swiper declared as he, too, went out of the door and slammed it shut.

Eldon watched them go as he opened his canned beer with a pop.

The Dwarven Leader had just taken a sip of his beer when the door of his room once again opened.

Swiper and Lindir walked towards him with serious expressions on their faces.

"Hey, do we really have no chances of winning?" Lindir asked.

"Fess up, old dwarf," Swiper glared in anger. "I hate to be on the losing side. If you think that you have a chance of winning, say it now or I swear that I will haunt you if I die here in the Deadlands!"

The Demonic Boar then grabbed the beer from Eldon's hand and drank all of its contents in one go. After he was done, he crumpled the can and tossed it aside before glaring at the Dwarf who was looking at Lindir and him like they were dead people.

Eldon stood up from his chair and summoned his sledge hammer.

"You bastards!" Eldon roared as he gripped his weapon with both hands. "Stop asking me and think using your own goddamn minds!"

Eldon's mighty roar reverberated inside his Shelter. He then swung his weapon, in order to pulverize the two pests that kept on pestering him.

Unfortunately, Swiper and Lindir had expected this to happen and had already started to run away.

Although the Lizardfok and the Demonic Boar had no redeeming features, neither of them would lose in the "running away for their lives" department, which almost made Eldon suffer from aneurysm as he chased after them with his weapon held high.

—--

Inside the Black Tower…

Morax gazed at the eight mirrors hovering in the air as they projected the images of the people in the Deadlands.

He watched with amusement as the enraged Dwarf ran after Swiper and Lindir with the intention of beating the crap out of them. The Dread Lord even laughed out loud when Eldon almost smashed Swiper's face after the Demonic Boar accidentally tripped on the stairs, in his desire to run away from the dwarf whose beer he had drank without permission.

After having his fill of the trio's antics, the Dread Lord gazed at William who was currently lying in bed with a beautiful Amazon by his side. Morax had labeled the Half-Elf as a variable in his plans, so he made sure to cripple him during the most crucial moment.

Now that the Half-Elf was out of the equation, he no longer felt any threat from the inhabitants of the Deadlands, even if they all ganged up against him.

Only William, whose Vampiric power could be boosted by the Black Tower, posed the most serious threat to Morax's desire for conquest. As long as the Half-Elf remained asleep, no one in the world could stand in his way.

Morax shifted his gaze to the other mirrors, which showed him the people from the other Shelters still frantically looking for the last mirror.

The Dread Lord looked at them with appreciation because without their help, he wouldn't have been able to collect them in such a short time.

Two hours later, the Dread Lord finally grew bored of watching the goings-on in the Deadlands and raised his hand.

The mirrors flew towards their respective pedestals and remained motionless. Only their surface rippled with power as they waited for their ninth brethren to join them to fulfill the purpose for their creation.

Everything once again settled down in the Deadlands as if the eye of the storm was passing through.

Morax knew that after that brief moment of reprieve, his dreams, and aspirations would finally become a reality.

—-

Three days later…

Lindir stood on the rooftop of his Shelter with his hands behind his back. He watched as a lone figure made her way in his direction under the cover of dawn.

Today was the promised day, and Lindir had to make an important decision.

He had spent the last few days trying to convince himself that he should just join Morax's side and get it over with. But, something deep inside him was resisting and unwilling to hold hands with the Dread Lord that had tempted him with promises beyond his wildest dreams.

Lindir sighed as he gazed at Xenovia, who had landed a few meters away from him.

"I came here for your answer," Xenovia said. "What is your decision?"

Lindir clenched his fists as an internal battle waged inside his head.

Xenovia crossed her arms over her chest and waited patiently for Lindir's answer. Right now, the main actors were about to take center stage.

Whether this story would lead to a happy or sad ending, would all depend on how they played their part in the bigger picture.

Xenovia eyed Lindir with a devilish smile from where she stood. If Lindir agreed to their proposal then everything would be fine and dandy.

However, if Lindir backed out then they would go with Plan B.

Cathy had told Xenovia that if Lindir didn't agree to their proposal, she had permission to beat the Lizardfolk up until he agreed.

This was their Plan B, no matter what happened. The only answer they would accept from Lindir's lips was yes, or yes.

Chapter 851: Let It Be Known That On This Day, We Dwarves Had Kept Our Oath

Lindir dove deep into the sea in search for the last remaining mirror that would put an end to his nightmare.

After a brief internal struggle, he finally agreed to Xenovia's proposal. However, what surprised him was that the Death Lord actually had a dejected look on her face as if she was deprived of her favorite toy.

An hour later, he and the rest of his Shelter were all searching underwater for the mirror that would decide their fate.

As Lindir dove in the murky darkness, he caught a brief ripple of power, which caught him by surprise.

'It's over there!' Lindir propelled himself deeper in the water as his senses locked on to the object that had caught his attention.

Soon, his hand grasped the edges of the mirror that had been lying at the bottom of the sea, for who knows how long.

His subordinates had noticed their leader's sudden movements and followed behind him. When they saw that the famed mirror was within his grasp, all of them celebrated and circled around him in delight.

If in the past, Lindir might have felt smug about this achievement. But now, he just felt empty inside.

He even had the thought of breaking the mirror in his hands to prevent Morax from attaining his goal, but he knew that it was impossible.

Why? Because the mirrors were indestructible.

Sighing in his heart, Lindir made the long journey back to the surface with the last mirror in his hands.

—-

Back in the Glory Shelter…

Cathy opened her eyes and sighed.

'The time has finally come,' Cathy said softly as she bit on the tip of her finger and placed it on the sleeping Half-Elf's lips. 'Will, it's time for you to wake up. The time of reckoning has come.'

Lilith and Raizel were also in the room with her, but both of them were busy looking outside the window and didn't notice Cathy's gesture.

As the drop of blood entered William's lips, his eyes slowly opened.

He looked up at the pretty lady who was looking down on him with a finger pressed over his lips, as if telling him not to say anything.

Soon, Cathy withdrew her finger, which had already healed, and placed her hand to the side.

She mouthed the words good luck before leaving the room.

Just as she had told William, there was very little that she could do to help him. Her role was to be a spectator, but she wasn't able to remain indifferent after seeing that the Half-Elf had fallen into the trap that Morax had laid out inside Xenovia's Sea of Consciousness.

William watched her go with a complicated look on his face. He had many questions to ask Cathy, but now was not the time for it. He, Lilith, and Raizel had things to do, and this was not the right moment to interrogate the pretty lady who seemed to have a knack for leaving William at a loss for words.

"Lilith, can you leave the room for a bit," William said to the surprise of the two girls who didn't expect him to wake up at this moment.

Truth be told, they hadn't even sensed Cathy's departure from the room, which added to their confusion.

"Okay," Lilith replied. "I will be waiting outside. Just call for me when you need me."

William nodded and gave her a kiss on the cheeks to assure her that everything was going to be fine.

As soon as the door closed, Raizel approached the bed and looked at William with a serious gaze.

"It's now or never," Raizel said with a determined look on her face.

William just smiled and held her hand. "Don't worry. I got this."

Raizel took a deep breath to calm her senses before lowering her head. They had done everything they could leading up to this moment.

No matter what happened, they couldn't afford to fail.

A minute later, Raizel took a step back with her eyes firmly closed.

William was lying on the bed just like before as if he had been asleep the whole time.

Five minutes passed before Raizel finally opened her eyes. She then lowered her head to kiss William's left cheek and whispered that everything was going to be fine.

"It's showtime," Raizel said as she walked towards the door with steady steps.

The moment of truth has arrived, and as the main actress of the show, she needed to play her part and play it well.

Lilith who was waiting outside the door looked at the young beauty with a smile.

"Did the two of you finish whatever you were doing?" Lilith asked.

"Yes," Raizel said with a complicated gaze as she held Lilith's hand. "Come with me to the rooftop."

"What about Will?"

"Let's look for Cathy to look after him."

Lilith could only nod her head as Raizel led her towards the empty hallways. While this was happening, the sky above the Deadlands had started to darken. The faint rumbling of thunder could be heard from the heavens, as Morax's laughter reverberated across the land.

"Everyone, today is the day that you will remember for the rest of your lives," Morax declared. "It is the day that all of you will witness the birth of a New World Order! Come! I invite all of you to partake in this grand event! I will be waiting for all of you on the outskirts of the Black Tower!"

—

Swiper gazed in the direction of the Black Tower with dread. His hands started to shake with anxiety and fear.

Even so, he forcefully clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

'I hate to be on the losing side!' Swiper cursed internally in order to prevent his subordinates from losing their morale. He forcefully held back the words of anxiety in his chest as he continued to gaze at the Black Tower in the distance.

His subordinates, who were standing behind him shivered, as they gazed at the Tower that filled them with dread. It was as if they knew that if they did something stupid, all of them would end up dead.

—-

Eldon's gaze was solemn as he, and his men started to don their armor one by one. All of them were Dwarves, and they were a race that was known to stand against evil in any form.

After he finished putting on his armor, he scanned the faces of his subordinates, who had supported him up to this day.

"Today might be our last day here in this world," Eldon said. "We've had our fair share of ups and downs, but today, all of that will end. Either we return to our homeworlds, or return to the embrace of the Earth Goddess.

"Regardless of the outcome, I, Eldon Dragonfury, stand before you now as your brother, your friend, and your comrade."

Eldon raised his sledge hammer high up in the air.

"Glory to the Earth Goddess!"

""For the Earth Goddess!""

""For the Earth Goddess!""

""For the Earth Goddess!""

Eldon marched outside of his shelter followed by his trusted subordinates. All of them had prepared themselves for the worst, so they marched proudly as they faced the greatest battle of their lives.

"Hope, let it be known that, on this day, we Dwarves have kept our oath," Eldon said softly as he led his men to battle. "Just as our forefathers did in the days of old."

Chapter 852: I Don't Want To Be Cannon Fodder

On the day the Ninth Mirror was found, everyone alive… and dead in the Deadlands started to stir.

Morax stood on the tip of the Black Tower with his eyes glowing with a golden color. The air picked up and powerful gusts of wind buffeted the surroundings, but aside from his hair and clothes, the Dread Lord was unfazed and smiled with delight.

Wade, Lindir, and the other Leaders who switched to Morax's camp, stood at the base of the tower looking at this sight with fear and expectations.

All of them were aware that, right now, Morax was the most powerful person in the Deadlands and nothing could stop him from doing whatever he wanted.

'Only fools would fight against such greatness,' Wade thought as he gazed at his fellow Leaders that had switched sides long ago. He then shifted his attention to Lindir who was looking up at the Dread Lord with a calm expression on his reptilian face.

As the one who found the last mirror, he was given special privilege to join Morax's side at the last minute. No one found this surprising because, for them, this was the best choice that the Leader of the Swamptide Shelter could make at the moment.

"Greetings, friends, why don't you all come a bit closer?" Morax said in a teasing tone. "Relax, I won't bite."

The Demonic Shelter, led by Swiper, and the Dwarven Shelter led by Eldon stood on the outskirts, just outside the Domain of the Black Tower.

Swiper and Eldon didn't comment and simply made their stand. Not far from them, two beautiful ladies stood on the rooftop of a small cafe, and observed the Black Tower from afar.

"Lilith, take this," Raizel said as she handed Gleipneir to the Amazon Princess.

Lilith didn't take the golden lasso that could change into a golden rope or chain depending on the wielder's will. Instead, she looked at the young beauty in confusion.

"Why? Isn't this your weapon?" Lilith asked.

Raizel shook her head. "The way I am now, I cannot bring out Gleipnir's full power. Only you can do it, so it should be in your hands."

"Then what about you?" Lilith inquired.

Raizel smiled as she raised her clenched fist. "I may not look like it, but I'm very good at hand to hand combat. Actually, this is my specialty. I just use Gleipnir so that others will think that it is the only weapon I have in my arsenal."

As if to prove her point, Raizel punched at the building across them, without moving from her spot. Suddenly, a meter-wide crater appeared in the wall of the building, proving that she was capable of dealing serious damage with just her bare fists.

Lilith nodded her head in acknowledgement and no longer argued about Raizel's decision to lend Gleipnir to her. She could indeed use the artifact's true power, which only the members of the Amazon Royal Family could activate.

"Let's go, we will assist Eldon and Swiper," Raizel said as she jumped off the roof.

Lilith didn't have any complaints and followed behind her. Their priority was to stop Morax from taking full control of the tower, and in order to do that, they must deal with his lackeys first.

"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Morax sneered at the insignificant mortals that were trying to get in his way.

"Why resist? Don't you know how futile your resistance is?" Morax laughed. "Why don't you just join me instead. That way, you can also witness something that will be remembered for eternity."

Eldon took a step forward and pointed his sledgehammer at the Dread Lord who was looking down at them, as if they were as insignificant as ants.

"The only thing I want to see is how I will smash my hammer on your face!" Eldon declared.

Morax gave an exaggerated sigh as he opened both of his hands wide. "As expected of a dirty Dwarf. You smell like dirt. I don't need your despicable race in my new kingdom."

"What kingdom? The only thing you will see is kingdom come!"

"Wade, teach these Dwarves how to be Human. They lack class."

Wade and the other leaders summoned their weapons, with the exception of Lindir who just crossed his arms over his chest.

"What? Are you not joining?" Wade asked. "Do you perhaps hate the idea of hitting your Dwarf friend?"

Lindir snorted as he brushed off Wade's Taunt. "Don't tell me you can't handle a mere Dwarf and a few Demons? Oh, wait. Are you perhaps afraid of Eldon? Are you afraid of that trash, Swiper?"

"F*ck you, Lizard!" Swiper wasn't able to tolerate Lindir's total disregard for him. "Don't let me get my hands on you later! I'll barbecue you and eat your bones!"

Lindir shrugged. "This is what I hate about you, Swiper. You're all talk and no bite."

"Come here, you F*cker! I will destroy you!" Swiper took out his weapon and took a fighting stance.

Lindir just ignored the taunt and even gave Wade the "why are you still here?" stare.

Wade and the others looked at Lindir with contempt but none of them voiced their opinions. If they really couldn't handle Eldon's and Swiper's forces then they would lose face in front of Morax, who was watching this scene with an amused expression on his face.

Bone dragons hovered above the tower, as well as countless Undead Gargoyles and Specters.

On the ground, Skeleton Warriors, and every Undead Creature in existence propped up from the ground numbering in the thousands just like a horror movie.

"Dwarf, if I die here, I swear I will haunt you for life," Swiper said as he prepared himself to fight for his life. "Just why am I standing on your side? I want to be on the winning team dammit!"

"Then don't die, problem solved," Eldon grinned as his sledgehammer started to glow. "Also, no one asked you to stand on my side. You can still go over to their side, you know?"

"I don't want to," Swiper replied. "Anywhere where Avril and Wade are, I don't want to be on that side."

"And why is that?"

"They're just cannon fodder. I don't want to be cannon fodder."

Eldon laughed as he gazed fearlessly at the overwhelming number of enemies that were in front of him.

Soon, two ladies appeared on his right side, and the Dwarf gave them a brief nod of acknowledgement.

"Where is the boy?" Eldon asked.

"Sleeping," Raizel said. "This fight is so boring for him that he just couldn't be bothered to appear here."

"Is that so?" Eldon muttered. "It's a shame, I want to have a drink with him when this is all over."

Lilith smiled as she held Gleipnir in her hands. "Don't worry, you can have a drink with him later. For now, let's handle the small fries."

Eldon nodded. "Aye. sounds like a plan."

Morax pointed at the fools who stood before him and gave his order.

"Kill them all," Morax ordered. "If they don't want to serve me when they are alive, they will serve me in death."

With the Black Tower almost in his grasp, the Dread Lord treated this small interlude as a show for entertainment. After all, once the power of the Deadlands had been harnessed by the mirrors and the Black Tower, he would open the void and bring everyone, living and dead, back to the Celestial Realm where he would personally take his revenge.

Chapter 853: The title will be a spoiler, so I placed the real title at the bottom of this chapter.

"Glory to the Earth Goddess!"

""For the Earth Goddess!""

"Kill!" Eldon roared as he charged forward.

Lilith, Raizel, Swiper, as well as the members of the Dwarven and Demonic Shelters ran to meet their enemies in battle.

"Kill them all!" Wade ordered. "Leave no one alive!"

Although he felt pity that the two beautiful women were going to die at their hands, he just shrugged it off as if it was not important.

'If it's just women, I can have my fill after I leave this place,' Wade thought as he raised his weapon. 'The only thing I need to do is show merits in battle in order to gain Morax's good graces.'

As the two forces were about to collide, Lilith jumped high in the air with the golden lasso twirling around her.

"Bind the Firmament, Gleipnir!" Lilith shouted and the golden lasso in her hand extended like a giant golden serpent out for blood.

Lilith lashed out on the oncoming enemies and sent them all flying with one strike. Even Wade didn't expect Raizel's weapon to be used in such a manner, and he was caught completely by surprise.

Even so, he was a seasoned fighter, so he was able to block in time and used the momentum of the blow to propel himself backwards.

'This is good as well, the Undead will weaken them first before I go for the kill,' Wade sneered as he landed hundreds of meters away from the frontlines.

He then glanced at the other members of his Shelter. They had suffered serious injuries from Lilith's surprise attack, and the smugness he felt earlier disappeared completely.

Eldon sent a Death Lord flying with his sledgehammer. Although he wasn't even five feet tall, and his reach wasn't that far, his sledgehammer made up for those losses and made him a mean fighting machine on the battlefield.

Anyone that got hit by his sledgehammer either got smashed to pieces, or turned into meat paste. As the leader of the Dwarf Race, his innate strength was similar to Chloee's in her transformed form.

Swiper, whom Lindir teased as trash, slashed everything within his strike range. Although he wasn't as strong as William, Lilith, Raizel, and Eldon, he was still stronger than the other Leaders in the Deadlands with the exception of Avril.

Eldon laughed as he fought back to back with the Boarkin who was showing his tenacity.

"As long as you can keep swinging your sword until the end, you will not die."

"Shut up, Dwarf. Don't jinx it!"

Raizel delivered several punches and kicks at those surrounding her, practically obliterating the Skeleton Warriors that had come at her from all directions.

Her face was calm and her gaze was steady. It was as if being outnumbered a thousand to one was not a big deal to her.

Suddenly, a Death Lord riding a bone dragon descended from the sky and charged in her direction.

Lilith was busy dealing with the monsters around her, but she was still able to spare some attention to the young beauty that was very dear to her. When she saw the Bone Dragon attacking Raizel's blindspot, she immediately lashed Gleipnir like a whip in order to protect her from the sneak attack.

The golden lasso extended and wrapped itself on the Bone Dragon's body. With one mighty shout, Lilith pulled and smashed it to the densely packed undead like a giant wrecking ball.

Raizel glanced at Lilith's direction giving her a brief nod for helping her evade an attack from behind.

Not long after, the young beauty heard the sounds of wind whistling and immediately glanced at her right side.

Another bone dragon with a Death Lord was flying towards her location, but this time, she was prepared.

With a loud shout, Raizel stomped on the ground sending rock flying in all directions. After that, she used her foot to propel herself to the air, just in time to land on the Bone Dragon's back.

"Die!" The Death Lord shouted as it slashed its weapon at the young beauty who had hitched a ride on its mount.

Raizel stepped to the side, dodging the Death Lord's blow by a few inches.

The dragon flew high in the air as the Death Lord and the young beauty fought on its back.

The two exchanged several blows at each other before Raizel found an opportunity to kick the Death Lord of the Bone Dragon's back, sending its body crashing towards the ground.

Lilith who was paying close attention to the battle smiled when she saw Raizel get the upper hand, however, the smile instantly disappeared on her face after she saw that someone else had appeared on the back of the Black Dragon.

"Behind you!" Lilith shouted with all of her might, but it was too late.

Raizel's expression twisted in disbelief as a blue crystal blade pierced through her chest from the back.

She stared at the sword for a few seconds before the light in her eyes dimmed, and her body lost its strength.

Immediately, her attacker supported her body, preventing it from falling off the Dragon's back.

The attacker was wearing a black cape that had the ability to turn its wearer invisible. This was one of the gifts that Morax had given Avril, alongside the blue crystal blade in her hand, for swearing fealty to him.

"Nooooo!" Lilith roared as she used Gleipnir to propel herself toward the Bone Dragon that was carrying the hateful Elf who had attacked someone very dear to her.

"Get your filthy hands off my daughter!" Lilith shouted as Gleipnir transformed into a golden dragon that was out for blood.

With a mighty roar, the golden dragon flew towards the Bone Dragon in a fury.

Avril sneered as she held her prize in her loving embrace. As soon as the Golden Dragon was about to hit the Bone dragon, it was sent back by a powerful punch that came from the Dread Lord, who had remained a a spectator until a moment ago.

"Enjoy your reward," Morax said. "Let the others handle the rest."

Avril slightly bowed her head as she gazed at the Dread Lord who had honored his part of the deal.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Avril said.

"It's just a simple thing. I look forward to your performance in the future."

"I will not disappoint you, My Lord."

After saying her words of gratitude, Avril guided the Bone Dragon towards the Black Tower.

Lilith was about to follow her but Morax flicked his hand and sent a red lightning bolt towards her.

The Amazon Princess was forced to block it using Gleipnir and the impact sent her hurtling towards the air, far from her precious daughter, who had died in Avril's hands.

The Amazon smashed on the ground, creating a crater. However, she ignored her injuries and shouted with all of her might.

"Give her back to me!" Lilith shouted. "Give me back my daughter! Give Raizel back to me!"

Her anguished cry spread across the battlefield, but no one paid her any mind. Not even the Dread Lord who had prevented her from taking her daughter back from the beautiful Elf, who'd had her eyes on the young beauty ever since she had taken a leading role in the Deadlands.

—--

Title: Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Daughter!

Chapter 854: Will She Be Really Of Any Use?

Inside the Black Tower…

"Finally, you now belong to me," Avril caressed the young beauty's face lovingly. "I've waited for this day for so long… now, you're finally mine."

When Avril had given Morax the mirror, her wish was to make Raizel hers. However, she didn't plan to have a Master and Servant relationship. What the beautiful Elf wanted was Raizel's everything.

Including her soul.

Morax agreed to her request and crafted her a blue crystal blade that had the power to enslave the souls of others. As long as that person's heart was pierced by the blade, they would lose control over their entire body, and their soul would be sealed by the power of the blue crystal blade.

"I'm very sorry, Raizel," Avril said lovingly. "I didn't want to hurt you, but this was the only way we could be together. Don't worry, I promise that I will not mistreat you. I will not allow you to get hurt by anyone, you will be safe with me."

When Raizel first appeared in the Deadlands, Avril didn't pay her much attention. However, the beautiful Elf started to take notice of her when Xenovia had died.

The young beauty had done her best to protect the Glory Shelter all by herself, and Avril watched her the entire time.

Her bravery, her youth, and beauty started to pluck the heartstrings of Avril's heart, which left her obsessed with the red-haired young lady.

At first, Avril decided to get close to her by asking her to become her right hand woman. The beautiful Elf even offered to take care of the entire Glory Shelter as long as she could have Raizel by her side.

Unfortunately, the young beauty politely rejected her offer with the excuse that Xenovia wouldn't want that to happen. On the surface, Avril accepted her reason, but deep inside she lamented that a dead Human had prevented her from taking what she wanted.

Every week that passed, Avril's obsession with Raizel grew. In the end she herself found this to be abnormal because no matter how much she cared for the young beauty, she still felt that her obsession was getting out of hand.

Avril had a unique ability of being able to sense the strong power hidden in the bloodline of people. This was how she had recruited powerful warriors to serve under her when she was still in her homeworld.

When she became trapped in the Deadlands, she thought that this ability of hers was gone because she felt nothing towards the people that had found themselves stranded in this strange world like her.

Aside from being able to sense the power of hidden bloodlines on other people, Avril had another ability. That ability was to temporarily copy that person's power for a short period of time by drinking their blood.

Naturally, she didn't plan to drink Raizel's blood because she adored her. She only wanted to have the young beauty by her side and possess everything she had, including her soul.

"Raizel, my lovely Raizel, I love you," Avril said as looked into the young beauty's dimmed eyes, which contained no consciousness of their own. "Tell me, you love me too, right? Just nod your head, My Love. That is enough."

The blue blade glowed briefly in Avril's hand as if issuing an absolute command to the lady she wanted to have for herself.

Raizel nodded her head, which made Avril very happy.

"I knew it!" Avril smiled happily. "I knew that you loved me, too."

Overcome with happiness, the beautiful Elf kissed Raizel's forehead and cheeks.

Avril's hand then moved downwards, stopping on Raizel's chest as she held it fondly.

"My love, today I will take your everything," Avril said as her hand continued to move downwards and stopped at Raizel's abdomen, which she lovingly rubbed before looking at the young beauty's eyes that were devoid of consciousness. "Including your most precious possession."

She then grabbed Raizel's hand and led her towards the bed.

Avril took off her clothing first, then Raizel's before making her sit on top of the bed alongside her.

"I order you to love me," Avril said and the blue crystal blade that floated in the air once again glowed briefly. "Make love to me, my beloved. You don't have to worry about the meaningless battle that is going on outside, just focus on me, and me alone."

Raizel moved and pulled Avril's naked body close to her. Avril didn't resist, and even enjoyed the sensation of Raizel's body pressing against hers. A moment later, the young beauty's hands wrapped around the Elf's body, holding her in place.

Raizel then lowered her head to kiss Avril's neck, repeatedly, which made the beautiful Elf sigh in pleasure.

Suddenly, Avril felt a piercing pain in her neck which put her in a daze.

"Darling, is this how your race shows their love to another?" Avril asked, and glanced at the glowing crystal blade in the air. Since the power of the blade was still in effect, she thought that this was part of Raizel's culture when professing their love to their beloved.

Soon, the pain disappeared and a blissful expression spread across Avril's face.

"Y-Yes! This is it! This is what I want," Avril said as she held Raizel's head against her neck. "Give me more! Make me feel good!"

A minute later, Avril started to feel lightheaded. It was at this moment when she realized that something was amiss.

"S-Stop!" Avril ordered. "Raizel, stop now!"

The young beauty ignored her and kept on drinking the beautiful Elf's blood.

"I said stop!" Avril mustered her strength to push Raizel away, but the latter had locked her in a firm hold, preventing the beautiful elf from breaking free. "I order you to stop! STOP! STOP IT!"

The blue crystal blade glowed brightly as if reinforcing Avril's command, but the young beauty ignored her and kept on sucking the life force from her body.

Soon, Avril felt faint as her consciousness started to blur.

"Sto….Stop. Pl…. Please… St…Stop," Avril begged as she found herself about to lose consciousness. This was the moment that the beautiful elf realized that the blue crystal blade wasn't affecting the young beauty, whose soul she had thought to have been under her complete control.

Her hands were still trying to push Raizel away, but they no longer contained any strength in them. Soon, her hands fell to the side as her body slackened completely.

Only the sound of someone sucking blood echoed inside the closed room.

Ten minutes later, the young beauty finally pulled her fangs out of the neck of the no-longer beautiful Elf, who had almost turned into a dry husk.

Raizel pushed the body aside indifferently, making it fall to the ground.

"You dare covet my daughter in this manner?" Raizel's words were deep and menacing. "Unforgivable."

The young beauty then picked up her clothes from the floor and put them on as fast as she could.

William, who was possessing Raizel's body, was doing his best to calm the killing intent that was rising from his very soul.

As someone that had been enslaved by the Collar of Wisteria in the past, the Half-Elf had gained full immunity to all kinds of enslavement spells, including those that target the soul

Currently, Raizel's body was still under the enslavement spell, but William's soul had overpowered the Blue Crystal Blade's influence and had taken full control of Raizel's body.

William then grabbed the hateful sword that was floating in the air and smashed it with his bare hands. The blade shattered into countless pieces before turning into particles of light. The spell that bound Raizel's body had finally been broken, making the Half-Elf's anger subside by a small margin.

After making sure that the enslavement spell had been broken, William gave the lifeless Elf on the ground a side-long glance before leaving the room.

He still had things to do and couldn't be bothered in dealing with the Elf that had tried to make someone very precious to him, her personal plaything.

"Raizel, I'm inside," William said as she walked the abandoned hallways of the Black Tower. "Once I am in the throne room, we will proceed with the second phase of our plan. Hurry up and go to your mother. I'm sure that she's gone ballistic by now."

—-

Raizel, who was possessing William's body, jumped from roof to roof as she headed in the direction of the Black Tower.

The moment her original body was captured, she left the Glory Shelter in order to meet with Lilith.

"Pa, be careful," Raizel replied as the blue gem on William's chest glowed. "I am on my way."

"Don't worry about me." William's voice reached her ears. "I'm more worried about your mother. She's probably going all out right now in order to get your body back."

A brief silence passed between the two before Raizel asked William a question.

"Is Avril dead?" Raizel asked.

"No," William replied. "I was very tempted to kill her, but since you told me to spare her, I just transformed her into a vampire and made her my eternal slave. She won't be moving anytime soon because I ordered her to not move a muscle until I tell her to do so."

"Thank you, Pa."

"Will she really be of any use?"

Raizel smiled as she neared the battlefield. "In time. Let's deal with the Black Tower First."

Raizel's eyes locked on the Amazon Princess whose blood, and tears had merged with Gleipnir, allowing her to wield the artifact's power to its fullest.

Her heart ached knowing that her mother was going all out for her sake, but this was something that needed to happen.

Only by combining their full powers would they have a chance to stand against the Dread Lord, whose Divinity was returning and would allow him to return to the realm of the Gods.

Chapter 855: Hurry! Save Her! Save Our Daughter!

Lilith's tears fell like rain as she smashed every Undead in her path.

She was doing her best to get near to the Black Tower, in order to save Raizel, but Morax was preventing her from doing so with a devilish smile on his face.

Clearly, the Dread Lord was enjoying the Amazon Princess' anguish, and using it to entertain himself, while the nine mirrors were absorbing the power of the Deadlands.

"Get out of my way!" Lilith roared as the Golden Dragon charged towards the Dread Lord. she had done this many times, and everytime she did, the Dread Lord would simply repel it as if he was merely dealing with an insect.

This was Lilith's strongest attack. However, she was not fighting against a Demigod, but a Pseudo-God.

With a flick of his finger, the Golden Dragon shattered, sending a backlash into the Amazon Princess' body.

Blood streamed down the side off Lilith's lips as she bit her lips in frustration.

"You said she was your daughter, right?" Morax asked with a smile. "Well, if you really want to be by her side, I can make that happen."

Lilith held Gleipnir firmly as she tried to muster her remaining strength. She ignored the Dread Lord's words because she knew that Morax was just trying to break her spirit and resolve.

The last thing the Amazon Princess wanted was to give the Dread Lord the satisfaction he was looking for. Even if her body and bones broke, she would never allow Morax to break her spirit.

Lilith knew that if she broke down now, she would never see her daughter again.

'There's only one way,' Lilith gritted her teeth as she transformed Gleipnir into a golden dagger. 'I will sacrifice half of my lifespan to smash that tower to pieces and save Raizel!'

Morax raised an eyebrow because he didn't know what Lilith was planning to do. However, he wasn't too worried. His powers had far surpassed anyone in the Deadlands and no matter what they did, it would still be futile in the end.

"Shatter the Firmament," Lilith held the golden dagger with both hands and aimed it at her chest. "Gleipnir!"

Lilith brought the golden dagger down with all her might to stab it into her chest as she closed her eyes, and yet, the pain didn't come.

Unsure of what was happening, she opened her eyes and saw a hand firmly holding the blade of the dagger, preventing it from reaching its intended goal.

"W-Will?" Lilith asked as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf who was looking at her with an affectionate gaze.

"You will go this far for me…," William said softly as he took the dagger of Lilith's hands.

Morax frowned when he saw the Half-Elf appear on the battlefield. He didn't expect the single variable that stood in his way to wake up from his comatose state at the last moment.

"Will, Raizel got taken," Lilith cried as she grabbed William's arm. "Hurry! Save her! Save our daughter!"

William pulled Lilith's closer to him and whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry, Raizel is safe," William replied. "Come with me."

William didn't wait for Lilith's reply and simply carried her away from the battlefield.

When Eldon saw the Half-Elf taking Lilith away, he immediately shouted and ordered everyone to retreat. Swiper, who was fighting side by side with the Dwarf, also commanded his subordinates to run away from the battlefield.

"Hahaha!" Morax thought that the Half-Elf was going to fight him, but seeing his fleeing figure made him laugh out loud. "In the end, in the face of absolute strength, all tricks are meaningless! Go after them! Don't let them escape!"

The swarm of Undead as well as the Leaders of the Shelters all ran after the retreating Warriors who had dared to fight against them. Morax watched them go and laughed out loud. It had been a while since he had been entertained to this extent, and he wanted to savor it until the very last minute.

"What are you doing?!" Lilith shouted as she struggled within William's embrace.

The Half-Elf was carrying her in a princess carry and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, trying to gain as much distance as he could from the vicinity of the Black Tower.

"Ma, don't struggle," William said. "It's me, Raizel."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Lilith replied as she smacked William's chest with her closed fist. "This is no time for jokes!"

"I'm not joking," William landed on top of a rooftop and allowed Lilith to stand on her two feet. "It's really me. I switched bodies with Papa. The one that Avril captured was him."

"Give me proof! If you don't give me any I'll go to the Black Tower with or without you!"

"Proof? That's easy."

William lowered her head and whispered something in Lilith's ears. A moment later, the Amazon Princess' eyes widened in shock as she looked at the Half-Elf in disbelief.

She had spent a lot of time with Raizel, and she had told the young beauty many of her secrets. Right now, the red-headed teenager in front of her just told her some of the things that she asked Raizel to keep secret.

"I-It's really you, Raizel?"

"Yes. It's me, Mama."

Lilith cried as she hugged her daughter who was currently inside William's body. She had been so desperate trying to advance earlier because she was worried about her condition.

"You're worried about me, but you're not worried about Papa?" Raizel asked in a teasing tone.

"Why should I worry about that idiot?" Lilith complained. "If he had only told me about your plan, I wouldn't have been this anxious!"

"But, if we had told you, you wouldn't have acted the way you did."

"Both of you are cruel. Do you know that my heart almost broke when I saw you get stabbed? How can the two of you do this to me?"

Lilith complained as she shed bitter tears while hugging William tightly.

"I'm sorry." William patted Lilith's back in order to comfort her. "However, the battle is not yet over. Ma, I need it now."

"Are you talking about That?"

"Yes. After you and Papa became one, his body gained the ability to contain your power, Mama. Now is the time to put it to use and show that Dread Lord that the one who will have the last laugh will be us."

Lilith nodded. "Pay him back for the suffering I experienced."

"Papa will pay him tenfold," Raizel nodded with a smile. She then lifted Lilith's chin and pressed her lips over hers.

Lilith's body glowed briefly before it lost all of its strength.

Raizel supported the Amazon Princess' body and held her tight.

"Pa, I'm ready on my side," Raizel said. "How about you?"

—--

Inside the Black Tower…

Several skeleton bones littered the ground as William made his way to the empty throne room. The reason Morax always sat on the Dragonbone Throne was due to the fact that it was the main control mechanism that controlled the Black Tower.

Currently, Morax had already gained full control of the tower, so he no longer needed to sit on the throne. The Nine Mirrors were in the process of gathering all the Laws of the Deadlands, and merging it into one single law that would be absorbed by Morax, giving him power over Life and Death.

The Dread Lord was currently unaware of what was happening inside the Black Tower because it was enveloped by a barrier that prevented anyone from getting in, with the Exception of the Dread Lord himself.

After dealing with the Death Knights that were guarding the throne, the young beauty sat on it and closed her eyes.

"I'm ready," William replied. "How is your mother?"

"She's complaining to me and says that she will murder you later," Raizel replied with a giggle.

"Sounds like she's fine."

"She is, but she's currently unable to move."

William smiled. He knew that Lilith might be very angry with him right now, but there was nothing he could do about it. For now, he set aside the Amazon Princess' wrath and focused his attention on the matter at hand.

"Raizel, be careful."

"I will. Let's switch now. Papa."

"Okay."

The young beauty sitting in the throne room slowly opened her eyes. She then briefly scanned her surroundings before resting her hands on the armrest of the Dragonbone Throne.

Now that she was safely inside the Black Tower, it was time to move onto the third phase of their plan. Raizel narrowed her eyes as she started to snatch control over the Black Tower right under the Dread Lord's nose.

Chapter 856: There Is Nothing In This World That I Can't Steal!

When William opened his eyes he found himself holding the Amazon Princess in his embrace.

The Half-Elf's heart ached when he saw Lilith's tear and blood-stained face.

"I'm sorry, Lilith," William said softly. "I hurt you."

"W-Will?" Lilith gazed at him in confusion. "Where is Raizel?"

"She's inside the tower. We swapped bodies in order to proceed to the third part of the plan."

"... Will she be safe?"

William shook his head. "I don't know, but I believe in her. After all, she is our daughter, right?"

The Half-Elf used his robe to wipe away the tears and blood-stains on Lilith's face. He could tell that she was very weak right now, and his heart ached more knowing that all of this happened because they didn't tell her about their plan to infiltrate the Black Tower and wrest it away from Morax's control.

"So, the reason you gave me Gleipnir earlier was to…?"

"To protect yourself. It is a weapon that can only be used by the Amazon Royal Family, so it was best to have it on your side while we infiltrated the tower."

Lilith could only sigh after hearing William's explanation. Because of Gleipnir, she was able to wreak havoc on the battlefield. The only one that could stop her rampage was the Dread Lord who was far above her league.

"How about that b*tch, Avril? I want to kill her!"

"You don't have to worry about her. I killed her for you."

"You should have left her to me. I would have strangled that b*tch to death."

William patted her head as he held her tight. Technically, he didn't lie to her. Avril was indeed dead because the Half-Elf had sucked almost all of her blood and transformed her into a vampire.

If not for Raizel's request to spare her, William would have definitely given the Elf a gruesome death.

"Merge with me," William ordered. "I don't know if it will work, but I have a feeling that it is possible."

Although he couldn't talk to Optimus, or see his status page, William was confident that Lilith had already been registered as one of his Familia members.

Right now, the Amazon Princess was very weak and he would be worried sick if he left her all alone while he fought off the Undead.

It was better to take her along so that he could have some peace of mind as he waited for the moment when he would give Morax his just desserts for hurting the members of his family.

William kissed Lilith, and the latter kissed him back. Soon, the blue gem on his chest started to glow, and a familiar feeling washed over the Half-Elf's body.

Lilith turned into particles of light and entered the crystal in William's chest. Although he didn't receive any powerful boosts like what he did when he merged with his wives, he was fine with it.

The only thing on his mind was to ensure that Lilith would be safe from harm as he helped Eldon and Swiper resist the Undead Army.

—--

"Are you regretting it now, Eldon?" Wade asked. "If you weren't so stubborn, you wouldn't be in your current situation right now."

"Why are you only asking the Dwarf and not me?" Swiper complained as he glared at the man who had stepped forward to antagonize them.

"In my eyes, you're just cannon fodder," Wade shrugged. "No one cares about you, Swiper."

"You F*cker! I'll kill you!"

"Can you?"

Wade laughed when he heard the Demonic Boar's angry words. For him, Swiper was just a clown strutting around the Deadlands. He was not like Eldon whom Wade considered an equal.

"Look at you acting so smug," Eldon sneered. "Do you think that you've already won?"

Wade chuckled as he made a gesture around them.

There were Undead as far as the eyes could see and they had trapped the Dwarven and Demonic Warriors in an encirclement.

Wade was confident that no matter what the two did, they wouldn't be able to escape this place, so he found Eldon's words very funny.

"I don't think we've won," Wade replied. "We. Have. Won. Surrender now and Lord Morax might find it in his heart to show mercy on you all. Refuse and you will still be joining us, but as Undead. Either way, we will still be comrades in the end, so why continue to resist?"

Before Wade could continue his lengthy persuasion, a commotion broke out in the East as several skeletons were blown high into the air as they broke into pieces.

A few moments later, a lone figure broke out from the encirclement and casually strolled towards Eldon and Swiper.

"Sorry, I'm late," William said with a smile. "Well then, shall we get this party started?"

—-

Morax watched William from afar. He would love to personally smash the Half-Elf with his own hands, but he couldn't leave the Black Tower at the moment.

Eight Mirrors floated around the tip of the tower, while the ninth hovered at its center.

Morax floated a hundred meters above the Ninth Mirror.

A moment later, the Black Tower pulsed with power. The dark clouds hanging above it parted, revealing a blood-red-moon.

Morax sighed as he watched this scene because he knew what was going to happen next. The Dread Lord glanced at the Seven Glowing Mirrors and knew that the time was close at hand.

'When the Eighth Mirror finishes collecting the Law of Rebirth, all eight mirrors will then transfer the laws they collected to the Ninth Mirror merging them all into one,' Morax mused. 'Seven have been collected thus far which means that the eclipse will start right about… now.'

As if waiting for that moment, the bottom corner of the blood-red moon started to darken.

The Lunar Eclipse, that opened the pathways to the different worlds, would allow Morax to travel freely without being detected by the Gods.

'Just a little more,' Morax thought. 'Just a little more and I will be unstoppable!'

—-

'Just a little more,' Raizel thought as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She didn't try to take control of the Black Tower right away. Instead, she familiarized herself with the important functions of the Tower.

If she tried to hijack the Tower, Morax would immediately feel it and stop her from getting in the way of his plans. What Raizel wanted to do was to use a Blitzkrieg attack that would render the Death Lord momentarily helpless.

'Papa, has the lunar eclipse started?' Raizel asked as she finished analyzing the Black Tower's basic functions.

'Yes," William replied as he smashed a Death Knight to pieces. 'Right now, it's halfway finished.'

'Understood.' Raizel took a deep breath as she readied herself for the next phase of their plan. During this time, she would be vulnerable to all attacks. So, if Morax decided to attack her, she would have no means to defend herself.

As if sensing her fears from their connection, William's teasing voice echoed in Raizel's head.

'Are you scared?' William asked.

Although he couldn't see his daughter, he could guess what she was thinking at the moment. The throne room inside the Black Tower was a cold and lonely place. It was very easy for people to lose their warmth, and think of negative thoughts while sitting on the Dragonbone Throne.

William wished that he could take her place, but he also had an important role to play. The only thing he could do was give Raizel words of encouragement that everything was going to be alright.

'A little," Raizel replied.

'Don't be,' Lilith's voice suddenly interjected between their conversation. 'The three of us are in this together. You are not alone.'

Raizel felt something warm spread inside her chest as she gripped the cold armrests of the Dragonbone Throne with shaking hands.

Truth be told, she was very scared, to the point that she couldn't stop her body from trembling. Even so, Lilith's voice and love reached her, so she was starting to regain her composure.

'It's almost time, Raizel,' William said. 'The Eighth Mirror has nearly collected the Laws of Rebirth. It's now or never.'

Raizel took a deep breath as she held the armrests of the throne firmly.

Now was not the time to think of scary things.

'Ma, Pa… I will wait for both of you, in the future,' Raizel said as she fully activated the power of Lilith's Divinity of Greed. 'Just you wait Morax. There is nothing in this world that I can't steal!'

Chapter 857: Today, I Shall Be The King Of This World

Morax's gaze was focused on the eighth mirror that was slowly being filled up by the Law of Rebirth.

The Deadlands had Eight Laws, and the Laws of Death and Rebirth were the most important of them all.

Above his head, the lunar eclipse was almost complete, and it would take at most a half a minute for everything to fall in place.

William glanced at the Black Tower as he fought off against the Undead alongside Eldon and Swiper. He knew that Raizel would make her move at the last minute in order to thwart Morax's plan for complete domination.

Suddenly, the Deadlands was covered in darkness.

Only the glowing mirrors and the Black Tower, which was pulsing with power, were the only light-sources in the area.

"It's time," Morax grinned as the first mirror shot a beam of light towards the Ninth Mirror, which was floating above the tower.

One by one, all of the mirrors did the same and transferred the power of the Laws that they had collected to the Ninth Mirror in order to merge them together.

The Black Tower glowed, and pulsed like a beating heart as the Ninth Mirror completed the merger of the Laws of the Deadlands.

A concentrated golden ball appeared on its surface as it faced upwards, reflecting Morax's triumphant gaze.

"Today, I shall be the King of this World!" Morax declared as he raised his hands in elation. "Tomorrow, I will be the Conqueror of Worlds!"

Morax's laughter spread across the Deadlands as the Ninth Mirror glowed brightly. Clearly, it was about to shoot out a beam of light that would infuse the power of the Deadlands in Morax's body.

This power was more than enough to heal all of the injuries he had received from the Gods, and allow him to return to his peak. As a former God, Morax had long wished to return to the Celestial Realm, and take revenge on those that had plotted against him.

With a sound that resembled the shattering of thousand crystals, the Ninth Mirror released the powers that it had gathered into its body.

Morax closed his eyes in ecstasy as he waited for the power to surge inside his body.

It was at that moment when an explosion erupted on the battlefield where William and the rest were fighting.

Eldon and Swiper looked in awe as the red-headed teenager floated in the air, bathed in a golden light that illuminated the entire Deadlands like a sun.

"Good job, Raizel," William said softly as a devilish grin appeared on his face.

A series of notification sounds echoed inside Wiliam's head and rows upon rows of text appeared on his status page.

—--

< Ding! >

< Vampiric Necromancer has reached its maximum level! >

< Automatic Class Ascension Initiated! >

< Congratulations! >

< You have changed your Job Class to Vampiric Prince! >

< Ding! >

< Vampiric Prince has reached its maximum level! >

< Automatic Class Ascension Initiated! >

< Congratulations! >

< You have changed your Job Class to Vampire King >

< Ding! >

< Due to the power of the Deadlands, your Job Class Vampire King will be upgraded to its Ultimate Class, Vampire Progenitor. >

< Do you wish to proceed? >

< Yes / No >

—--

Although this was the first time that he had heard about an Ultimate Class, William didn't hesitate and chose Yes.

He knew what he was up against, and he needed all the power he could muster in order to stand toe to toe with a Pseudo-God.

Immediately the blood vessels in his body bulged as the power of the Ultimate Class spread across his entire body.

William was familiar with this feeling, because it was the same feeling he felt when he had merged his Job Classes together and obtained the Einherjar Job Class.

Morax, who felt that something was amiss, opened his eyes and saw the Ninth Mirror shoot a beam of golden light towards the Half-Elf who was fighting on the outskirts of the Black Tower.

"Impossible!" Morax gasped in shock at the unbelievable scene that was happening in front of him. "This is impossible! What is happening?!"

The Dread Lord looked at the Ninth Mirror in disbelief because he couldn't understand what was happening.

Everything was going according to his plans, but at the last second, the power he had gathered for himself was now being given to his mortal enemy!

"Bastard!" Morax shouted as he smashed the Ninth Mirror into pieces, but it was already too late.

The Laws of the Deadlands were now merging with Wiliam's body. Even from afar, Morax could feel the Half-Elf's power rising at an incredible rate.

A few seconds later, Morax felt his connection with the Black Tower slowly start to weaken. It was then he realized that someone had tampered with the Tower's settings and ruined the plan he had painstakingly made over the years.

"You hateful wench!" Morax roared in anger when he sensed Raizel's presence inside the throne room. "I'll kill you!"

Morax immediately descended from the sky with fury with every intention of ripping the young beauty to shreds for getting in his way.

Raizel immediately raised the defenses of the Black Tower that were under her command, but all of them were broken by the enraged Dread Lord, who had punched a hole in the tower itself in order to reach the throne room as fast as possible.

The young beauty had just managed to take over fifty percent of the Black Tower's functions, so she wasn't able to fully use its maximum capabilities.

Even so, she still managed to slow down the Dread Lord's descent, buying herself some time to acquire more of Black Tower's abilities.

"Die, Wench!" Morax hurled two black spears that pierced through the Black Tower's floors and descended upon the defenseless lady sitting in the throne room.

A pained cry escaped Raizel's lips as the two spears penetrated her chest and shoulder, pinning her to the throne. The young beauty managed to move aside at the last second, preventing the black spear from piercing her heart directly.

Raizel bit her lips, until it bled, to prevent herself from screaming. Her blood stained her clothes, and her attempt to seize full control of the Tower came to a complete halt.

Due to the injuries she received, the defenses that she had erected all shattered, allowing Morax to descend to the throne room unhindered.

"You whore! How dare you get in my way!" Morax's thrust his clawed hands towards the girl's chest with the intention of ripping her heart out from her body.

However, before the Dread Lord's hand could even touch the young beauty's body, a foot suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

Everything happened so fast that Morax didn't have time to process what happened. The only thing he knew was that he felt pain at the center of his face, before his entire body slammed into the wall of the throne room.

"You!" Morax roared as he pointed at the Half-Elf who was currently pulling out one of the black spears from the young woman's body. "I should have killed you! I should have ended your life long ago!"

The Dread Lord's hateful shouts passed through the Half-Elf's ears like a passing breeze. After pulling out the two spears that had impaled his daughter, William started to heal her injuries using the power of his blood.

A few seconds later, the gaping wounds regenerated completely, leaving no scars behind.

"Sorry, I'm late," William said as he patted Raizel's head. "Don't worry. You're safe now."

Raizel's tears streamed down on her face as William's warm hand washed away the fear and pain that had taken hold of her body a few moments ago.

"Lilith, look after Raizel," William stated as he faced the Dread Lord whose face had already contorted into that of a beast due to extreme anger.

The Amazon Princess appeared beside William. She then hurriedly went to hug Raizel and wrapped the young beauty in her protective embrace.

"Kill him!" Lilith ordered. "Make him pay for hurting my daughter!"

William nodded. "Don't worry. I planned to do that from the very start."

He had no intention of letting Morax live after what he had done to Raizel. Not only did the Dreadlord make a weapon that would enslave his daughter's soul, the hateful Avril wanted to take everything from her as well.

This had crossed William's bottom line and he had been feeling murderous long ago. Although he was still not a match against the Pseudo-God in front of him, it was only a matter of time before the power of the Deadlands finished merging with his body.

When that time came, the Half-Elf believed that he would have the power to smash Morax's body and soul to a pulp, using the Laws that governed Life and Death.

Chapter 858: Does This Look Like The Face Of Mercy To You?

The Black Tower trembled as two figures fought inside it in close combat. The powerful shockwaves buffeted the Amazon Princess and the young beauty that was seated on the throne.

William was doing his best to mitigate the damage that was being sent in their direction by using his body to deflect the shockwaves that were supposed to hit them.

The Half-Elf's powerful regeneration ability was able to heal the damages that he received from exchanging blows with Morax.

The Dread Lord knew that William was only buying time for the power of the Laws to merge with the Half-Elf's body completely. In order to slow down the merging process, Morax had unleashed several attacks at the two ladies, forcing Wiliam to go to their defense, which made him suffer serious injuries.

Raizel and Lilith were not being idle either as they worked together to take control of the Black Tower.

Currently, the Amazon Princess' Divinity was inside Raizel, so she was using her connection with the Power of Greed, to half the pressure that the young beauty was facing.

Together, they managed to make great progress as they took over 70% of the Black Tower's authority.

'Will, I'm sending you and that bastard outside of the tower,' Lilith said via telepathy. 'I know you can't fight him to the fullest because you are busy protecting us.'

'Okay,' William replied. 'Do it now. He is charging a powerful attack, and I may not be able to block it in time.'

Just as the two finished talking to each other, the Dread Lord raised his hand to unleash one of his ultimate moves.

"Infernal Flare!" Morax shouted. He planned to unleash a Hellfire and burn everything in the throne room to ashes. He no longer cared about the tower, his only desire was to kill the insects that had gotten in his way!

A powerful explosion rocked the entire Deadlands as a blazing inferno razed a quarter of the Undead Army, obliterating them completely.

Swiper, who was near the area of the explosion, was blasted away by the scorching gusts of air that made him scream in fear and pain.

"Back away!" Eldon ordered as the Dwarves under his command ran towards the opposite side of the battlefield.

The sudden attack caught him and everyone else by surprise, and the only thing they could do was to get away from the Dread Lord who no longer had an amused expression on his face.

"I knew I should have killed you earlier!" Morax gnashed his teeth in both anger and regret as he glared at the Half-Elf in front of him. "If only you hadn't arrived here in the Deadlands! If only you were not here!"

William didn't comment and simply hovered in the air, allowing the Dread Lord to shout at him. It was at that moment when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye.

A certain pretty lady casually walked towards the entrance of the Black Tower with a charming smile on her face. Upon noticing that William had noticed her, Cathy gave the Half-Elf a playful wink before disappearing in its interior.

The corner of William's lips twitched because he didn't expect Cathy to be so carefree, while all of them were fighting with their lives on the line. There were still so many things that he didn't know about her, but there was one thing that he was certain of.

The mysterious lady was on their side.

"I have had enough of this farce!" Morax declared. "If I can't take it then none of you can have it! I will destroy everything in this world! No one shall leave this place alive!"

Morax's body enlarged as he activated the power of his God Core. After staying in the Deadlands for many years, half of his injuries had recovered. Even so, it was still not enough for him to get back to his peak strength.

Even so, the Dread Lord was still a former God of Hell. He had sealed his Domain when he was driven out of Hell, so most of his forces were still intact. Now that it had come to this, he would forcefully open the door of the Deadlands to allow his minions to descend upon the world.

"I will show you the power of a God!" Morax roared.

A blazing flame engulfed his entire body, as a powerful pressure descended from the heavens. Eldon, Swiper, and their subordinates were forced to kneel on the ground because of the Divine power that was crushing their bodies like a mountain.

A few minutes later, the flame receded. A Humanoid Bull wearing red armor and wielding a Great Axe appeared in front of everyone.

It breathed fire from its nose as it locked its gaze on William, who was looking back at him with a weird expression.

"Rejoice Half-Elf! You have forced me to show you my true form!" Morax sneered. "You can die knowing that it was a God of Hell that ended your miserable life!"

Morax pointed his finger towards the eclipsed-moon that was emitting a golden halo.

Half a minute later, war cries spread across the battlefield as red portals appeared in the skies of the Deadlands.

Demonic creatures with red skin, wielding many weapons fell from these portals like rain. Morax, the Great Earl of Hell, had finally decided to go all out and take control of the Deadlands by force.

Although the mirrors had been destroyed, they would reform again after a hundred years had passed.

The Laws of the world would also return once he killed the hateful Half-Elf in front of him. If he could wait for another hundred years, his plan for vengeance was still a possibility.

—-

After making a quick detour, Cathy made her way towards the throne room, while dragging Avril's body that was almost like a dried husk.

"You know, Will has many shortcomings," Cathy said as she walked with steady steps. "He's far from being a perfect person. He can be very smart at times, and dumb on other ocassions. Just like everyone else, he has a reverse scale… rather, reverse scales."

The pretty lady chuckled as she continued to drag Avril by her hair. "Touch any members of his family and he will go on a killing spree. If not for Raizel's reminder, you would have been dead by now. I'm sure you're wondering why you're still alive, right? Don't worry, you don't need to know the answer."

Cathy's devilish smile made Avril's body shudder uncontrollably. Those were the eyes of a person that was about to kill someone.

"Although I wasn't the one that gave birth to Raizel, she is still William's daughter," Cathy stated. "Meaning, she is also one of my daughters. You b*tch, how dare you hurt a member of our family?"

She tried to open her lips to plead guilty, but a wave of Cathy's hand sealed it completely.

"Save your breath," Cathy said as she pointed at her smiling face. "Does this look like the face of mercy to you?"

Avril's eyes started to tear up because she knew, with absolute certainty, that the pretty lady that was smiling down on her, would not stop until her very soul ceased to exist.

Chapter 859: The Strongest Adversary That He Had Faced In His Lifetime

When Cathy appeared in the throne room, Lilith, who was seated beside Raizel on the dragonbone throne, looked at her in confusion.

"Cathy? What are you doing here?" Lilith was about to ask more, but she noticed the person that the pretty lady was dragging behind her.

Although Avril was almost unrecognizable in her current form, Lilith's hatred towards the Elf had allowed her to know her identity instantly.

"Okay, calm down, Lilith," Cathy said with a smile. "I know how badly you want to kill this b*tch, but she still serves a purpose, isn't that right, Raizel?"

"Yes," Raizel nodded. The young beauty stared hard at Cathy. The diary had briefly talked about her existence, but there had been no detailed reports about the things she did in the Deadlands.

Her name would also be spoken by her Mama (Lilith) from time to time, calling her a very sly person. Since she hadn't seen Cathy at all while she had lived with her family, she thought that the pretty lady was just someone his Ma and Pa had only met in the Deadlands.

Raizel didn't expect that Cathy would appear in the throne room, dragging Avril behind her.

"I think it's about time to put this b*tch to good use," Cathy said with a smile. "Things are getting quite problematic outside, and if we don't hurry, Will is going to get his a*s handed to him."

"Were you always this crass with your words?" Lilith blinked because this was the first time she saw Cathy acting like this. Her impression of the pretty lady changed as she watched her walk towards them.

"Well, there are many things you don't know about me," Cathy replied with a smirk. "But, we don't have time to talk about that now. Raizel, do the honors."

The young beauty nodded her head. She then activated one of the abilities of the Black Tower that required a sacrifice to work.

Avril's body floated in the air until it was securely placed on a floating pedestal.

"F-Forgive… me," Avril forcefully opened her lips to beg for forgiveness. "Spare… me."

Raizel gazed at the Elf who was looking at her with pleading eyes. Truth be told, she didn't know that Avril had planned to enslave her, because the only thing that was written in the diary were the words.

"Fortunately, I had swapped bodies with Raizel on that fateful day. If not, I might have lost someone very dear to me forever."

This entry in the diary had scared her when she had read it. She didn't dare ask her parents what it meant because they would become angry at her for stealing something that she shouldn't have taken.

Because of this, she had done her best to master her soul swapping abilities, until she was able to control it fully.

"I forgive you," Raizel said, "but I will not spare your life. I'm sorry."

Gritting her teeth, she activated the power of the Black Tower.

Several beams of light pierced through Avril's body making her shriek in pain.

The young beauty averted her gaze because she didn't want to look at the horrifying scene of Avril being burned alive.

Lilith and Cathy, on the other hand, watched this with undisguised satisfaction on their faces. They watched until Avril's entire body turned into ashes, leaving only a blue orb of light behind.

Avril's soul hovered above the pedestal and glowed brightly. The entire tower trembled as several runes appeared on its exterior. The blue orb of light turned into particles of light as its Soul Power was all used up.

After powering up the Black Tower, it shot a golden beam of light towards the moon in the sky.

"Petty tricks," Morax sneered at the Black Tower. He didn't know what Lilith and Raizel did, but he had full confidence that he had the power to overcome all obstacles in his current form.

In the air and on the ground, Morax's Demonic Legion had already made William's allies lose their morale. If it was only the Undead, they could still muster some form of resistance with the Half-Elf by their side.

Now that a Demonic Army that numbered in the millions had appeared in front of them, they felt as if they no longer had a chance of winning.

"Kill everyone, but leave this Half-Elf to me!" Morax ordered. "I will personally deal with you and make you wish you were never born."

"Is that so?" William sneered as he flicked his arm to the side. "It's not only you who can call for backup. I can also play that game."

After the beam of light shot towards the sky, William's connection with his Ring of Conquest had activated. Although Morax had a million strong army at his disposal, the Half-Elf didn't give a fart.

"Come forth and show these wannabes what a real army looks like!" William ordered as several golden portals appeared around him.

Soon, the denizens of the Thousand Beast Domain appeared in the Deadlands.

Lamassus flew in the sky, while countless Goblins, Revenant Minotaurs, Centaurs, and other Beasts poured out of the portals on the ground.

Erchitu, Psoglav, Bastian, Fenrir, Scadrez, Sharx, Xerxes, Dazz, Jareth, and all the other Commanders of William's Legion led their own forces in an organized manner. They were not new to the Arts of War, so it was an easy task for them to rally their troops in preparation for a large-scale battle.

Half a minute later, A Giant Red Lobster exited one of the portals. Sitting on top of its head was a rainbow-colored Anteater that was looking down on the Demonic Legion with an arrogant gaze.

"Come!" Kasogonaga shouted in its arrogant voice. "Let's show these small fries what we are made of!"

Over a million Class A Requiem Antz, that were at their peak, poured out of the portals behind the Anteater. Right now, all of the Antz listened to Kasogonaga's commands in fear that he would treat them as a snack if they performed badly.

These Requiem Antz, which had taken the form of crabs, octopuses, and lobsters, were only a step away from becoming Centennial Beasts. This made them a force to be reckoned with and not even William could gauge how destructive they would be once they had crossed into the Centennial Rank.

When that happened, even a kingdom would find it hard to resist an attack of such magnitude.

The boisterous Demonic Legion, which had been shouting their war cries a minute ago, all gazed in shock as an army that was on par with them made their presence known.

"You guys, take care of these small fries," William ordered his Thousand Beast Army before shifting his attention to Morax. "Out of all the forms you chose to take, it had to be a Bull. Do you know? You just shot yourself in the foot."

William didn't know if the suppression of the Shepherd Job Class affected Pseudo-Gods as well, however, since his other powers had temporarily returned to his body, he no longer felt helpless when it came to fighting against the strongest adversary that he was about to face in his lifetime.

Chapter 860: I Want To Know How It Will All End

Inside the Shrine in Hestia Academy…

Shannon's brush danced on the canvas and images started to form on its pristine white surface. She worked tirelessly giving life to scene that was forming right before her eyes.

Her face had a flushed expression as she immersed herself in her craft, painting the scenes in her vision and creating a record for the world to see.

A Giant Humanoid Bull with red-skin and eyes that glowed golden appeared on the right side of the canvas, in front of it was a teenage boy, with his robes flapping around behind him.

Under them, a chaotic mess of Men, Beasts, Demons, and Undead, waged war against each other.

Above them, Bone Dragons, Gargoyles, Lamassus, and Birds with different colors like the rainbow, fought for supremacy.

Shannon's breathing became ragged as the first portrait was finished. The canvas floated to the side and a blank once took its place. The young lady once again rested her brush on its surface and drew the next image that she saw.

She was so occupied with her painting that she didn't notice that she was no longer alone inside her room.

A handsome man with silver hair and blue eyes, held the first painting she made and looked at it with a grim expression on his face.

He recognized the Humanoid Bull, as well as the red-headed teenager that was facing off against it. Expressions of shock, and disbelief appeared in the depths of his eyes, but he didn't doubt the image that the young lady had drawn.

For that was the power that he had bestowed upon her, as a way to compensate the lady for her inability to walk outside and discover the world with her own two eyes.

'Morax… so you are still alive,' Aamon gripped the corner of the canvass, almost snapping it into two. Fortunately, he recovered himself at the last moment and managed to save the painting that the young lady had drawn.

It was at that moment when he noticed that Shannon was looking in his direction, a confused expression on her face.

"What's wrong, Father?" Shannon inquired.

The silver-haired man shook his head. "Nothing. This drawing of yours is pretty good. Do you know where this scene is happening right now?"

Shannon shook her head. "I don't know where it is. The only thing I do know is that I think it's not in this world."

The young lady pointed at the canvas in front of her. Amidst the chaotic images of the battle that was raging on its surface, a certain Black Tower stood up in the background.

The silver-haired man's eyes shrunk after he recognized the Black Tower in the painting.

"The Deadlands… I should have known," the silver-haired man muttered. "Don't mind me. Just continue to paint. I want to know how it will all end."

Shannon nodded with a smile. It was very rare for her father to visit her, so she didn't mind painting for him.

Once again, her brush danced on the canvas as if it was a living thing, and drew the world that was on the borders of Life and Death.

—--

Psoglav and Swiper met on the chaotic battlefield and the first thought that crossed their minds was…

'This person is just like me. We hate losing and we are afraid of dying.'

The Demonic Boar eyed the Demonic Dog before giving him a brief nod. Psoglav returned his greeting as he shared his name with the creature that shared his characteristics.

"Psoglav."

"Swiper."

"You're with that brat, William?" Swiper asked.

Psoglav nodded as he slashed a Death Knight that tried to sneak attack him from behind.

"I've known him since he was a kid," Psoglav replied. "What's wrong?"

"Can he beat that guy?" Swiper glanced at the battle that was raging in the Heavens. Currently, the Half-Elf was on the defensive side and was unable to even touch the Humanoid Bull that was swinging its axe with fury.

When the Demonic Dog looked up, William's arm was cut off from his body and fell down from the sky.

The Demonic Dog casually used a Dark Whip to grab the arm and pull it in his direction.

After gaining possession of the Half-Elf's arm. He took a bite of it and immediately spat afterwards.

"Damn, wrong arm!" Psoglav complained as he threw William's arm back to its owner. "Oi! Will! Next time you get one of your arms cut off, make sure that it's not the left one!"

The Half-Elf caught the arm and reattached it to his body before giving Psoglav the middle finger.

After doing so, the Half-Elf moved to the side, barely dodging the follow-up attack of the Great Earl from Hell.

The corner of Swiper's lips twitched after seeing this unbelievable act of "camaraderie" between the Demonic Dog and the Half-Elf. For a brief moment, he wanted to slap himself to know if he was dreaming.

"Well, see you around," Psoglav said before jumping towards a densely packed formation of low-leveled undead.

Even in war, the Demonic Dog chose to play it safe and only bullied the monsters that were weaker than it.

Swiper watched him go while clenching his fists.

"I knew I didn't choose the losing side," Swiper muttered as he rejoined his subordinates in battle. Although the Half-Elf seemed to be suffering from a one-sided beating, the Demonic Boar believed that his side wouldn't lose no matter what.

—--

'Damn, as expected this bastard is strong,' William thought as he unleashed a barrage of punches, and kicks at the Humanoid Demon that had been bullying him since the beginning of the battle.

Although his suppression worked, it merely lowered Morax's strength to that of a Demigod that was at its middle stages.

Right now, he was currently a Vampire Progenitor. The Sovereign of all Vampires, and yet, his rank was only at the peak of the Myriad Realm. Although there was only one tier between a Myriad Beast and a Demigod, the gap between the ranks was similar to Heaven and Earth.

Only William's powerful regeneration ability was helping him cope with the damage that was slowly stacking up on his body.

Morax blocked Wiliam's attacks with his weapon and prevented any blow from landing on his body.

'I need a weapon,' William thought. 'His Great Axe is a Divine weapon and although he can't unleash its power due to his current rank, it is still sharp enough to slice me in half if I'm not careful.'

The Half-Elf was unable to summon any of his weapons, so he was only using his bare hands to fight the Monster that was slowly pushing him into a corner. He knew that if this went on, Morax would definitely triumph over him, so William was busy thinking of ways to disarm him and put an end to his one-sided beating.

—--

Inside the Glory Shelter…

The small wooden mallet that William and Lilith had found in the Deadlands started to shake. Lightning snaked across its surface and a metallic hum echoed inside the room.

It was as if it was being called by someone who had fought alongside it, several thousand years ago.

Chapter 861: Calling A Friend Across Time And Space

Lilith, Raizel, and Cathy were watching the battle through a projection inside the Black Tower. They saw how William was unable to get the upper hand in his clash against Morax.

The battle on the ground and air however, was the complete opposite of what was happening in the fight between the leaders of the two sides.

William's Thousand Beast Army had the upper hand because, not only did they have quantity, they had quality as well.

The Undead Army's ranks were pretty chaotic, which ranged from Class D Monsters up to Millennial Beasts (Bone Dragons).

The weakest on the Demonic Legion's side, on the other hand, were class A Monsters with several Millennial Demonic Commanders ordering them.

If these combined forces were to attack a Kingdom then the outcome would be total annihilation.

This was also why Eldon and Swiper had almost lost all hope when the Demonic Legion arrived on the battlefield to aid Morax in this battle for dominion.

Fortunately, William's own army entered the scene and came to their rescue. What really surprised them was the teamwork of the monsters in William's Army.

The Goblins dealt with the Undead Army, while the Requiem Antz, the Undead Revenants—Erchitu and Bastian—and the beasts under William's command, dealt with the Demonic Legion.

The hundreds of Lamassus in the sky had all stepped into the Centennial Rank. Although they were weaker than the Bone Dragons, their numbers made up for the gap in ranks.

The rainbow birds, being the obnoxious birds that they were, rampaged in the heavens as they shot magic bullets, acid sprays, acid bombs, and profanities at their enemies. B1 and B2, in their Phoenix form, led the assault as they zigzagged across the skies destroying everything in their path.

What truly made things hard for Morax's aerial units was that Scadrez, the Blood Eagle, was carrying Kasogonaga on its back to help deal with the Bone Dragons. These terrors of the Undead Race were no match for the rainbow-colored Anteater's rolling attack that smashed their heads to bits.

If not for Morax constantly reviving them with his powers, the skies would have already been won by William's Aerial Army.

"Give it up, you won't win!" Morax snarled as he swung his weapon at the Half-Elf who was busy reviving the Demonic Legion under the Great Earl's command, and converting them to his own fighting force.

"Don't you bad guys have other phrases you can use?" William sneered. "Those words have been said to me countless times already by scum like you. What do you think happened to them in the end?"

"Graaah!" Morax swung his axe creating hundreds of crimson blades headed in William's direction.

The Half-Elf clicked his tongue because Morax had been trying to reduce the number of his army by attacking his forces on the ground and air.

William pressed his hands together and hundreds of Bone Shields floated in the air, blocking the blades completely.

Morax swung his weapon at full power towards Eldon's and Swiper's location, which created a gigantic Golden Wind Blade that was meant to annihilate everyone and anything in its path.

Seeing that the others were in danger, William immediately flew in their direction with the intention of blocking Morax's deadly attack.

The Humanoid Bull sneered as he flew in the direction of the Black Tower.

'This is your weakness Half-Elf,' Morax grinned. 'You have too many people to protect, which prevents you from going all out against me. If I can capture those girls in the throne room, and regain control of the Black Tower, this will still be my win.'

William roared in anger when he understood Morax's intention.

Right now, he was forced to make two choices.

The first one was to abandon Eldon and Swiper then fly after Morax and protect the Black Tower with everything he had.

Or save the Dwarf and the Demonic Boar, gambling on Raizel's and Lilith's ability to block Morax's advance using the power of the Black Tower.

"Damn you! Morax!" William hatefully smashed the upcoming Golden Energy Blade with his fist, making it explode into hundreds of pieces.

The aftermath of the collision sent William tumbling in the air for hundreds of meters, while golden fireballs descended towards the combatants on the ground. The resulting impact obliterated the Undead, and grievously injured the Demonic Legion, as well as those of William's forces who were caught up in the explosion.

The attack of a Demigod was nothing to sneeze at. William's left arm had almost been completely incinerated and his body had received serious injury as well. If he hadn't blocked Morax's attack using his full strength, Eldon, Swiper, and their subordinates would have been erased from the face of the Deadlands.

William glared hatefully at the bastard who was aiming for his family members, as he did his best to hasten the regeneration of his body. Unfortunately, his recovery was happening at a very slow rate because of the Divinity that was infused in the Demonic Earl's full-powered strike.

Although Morax's rank had been suppressed to the middle stages of the Demigod Rank, his attacks still contained the Divinity of a God.

If not for the fact that the Laws of the Deadlands were protecting William's body from total annihilation, he would have been turned into charred coal by now.

As the ladies inside the Black Tower saw this outcome, they stared daggers at the petty Humanoid Bull, who resorted to dirty tactics in order to harm their loved one.

"Strengthen the barrier now!" Lilith ordered. "We need to buy time until Will comes to save us!"

Lilith understood Morax's intention. The Demonic Earl had decided to use them as hostages in order to coerce William to surrender. This was something that she didn't approve of. Lilith knew that they had to resist no matter what.

Raizel also knew the gravity of the situation and activated the barrier of the Black Tower to its limits.

Cathy simply stood beside the throne with both arms crossed over her chest. She had a calm expression on her face because she knew that Wiliam would stop at nothing in order to save his family.

—--

William gritted his teeth as he forced his regeneration abilities to speed up its process. Undead Gargoyles descended from the sky in order to attack him, but the Angry Birds and Lamassus made sure that they didn't come close to their Master.

"I need something to be able to fight him head on," William muttered. "I need the power to contend against a God."

Morax had arrived at the Black Tower and was attacking the barrier like a berserked bull.

Although the Barrier was holding up for now, several small cracks were starting to appear on its surface. Clearly, it was only a matter of time before the barrier broke, and when that happened, Morax would be able to capture his family members.

The Half-Elf closed his eyes in order to calm himself down.

More than anything else, he knew that he needed to think clearly because this was a crucial moment.

'What should I do?' William asked his heart. 'What can I do?'

It was at that moment when the strand of darkness that had infiltrated his body long ago started to stir. It had remained dormant for years, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

However, before it could make its presence known, dark clouds covered the sky in William's Sea of Consciousness.

Thunder roared in the heavens, and lightning bolts struck the sea repeatedly in defiance. The entirety of William's being was in uproar as if trying to call something from beyond its borders.

Suddenly, the memory of the last battle in Asgard appeared in William's memories.

Odin, Thor, Loki, and Heimdall had already fallen in battle, along with his beloved wives whose lives had burned up like fireworks in the sky.

It was at that moment when he found himself standing on the battlefield surrounded by countless foes.

And the raging flames of destruction had started to creep upon Ygdrassil's body, and he could hear its woes.

In that dark moment, when no hope was no longer in sight. A hymn of time long forgotten, broke through the sanctity of the night.

William's tears streamed down his face, as he raised his hand to call a friend across time and space.

"Bring in the hammer to sanctify the bride,

On the maiden's knees let Mjollnir lie.

From the Heavens I can hear Mjolnir's Roar

And in the thunder I can feel the heart of Thor."

From somewhere far away, a metallic hum answered his call.

A distant friend had come… to smite them all.

Chapter 862: Do You Know The First Law Of The Universe?

Thunder rumbled across the skies of the Deadlands and lightning descended like rain.

The small wooden mallet in Raizel's room broke through the windows, and flew in the direction of the person that had shared the last moments of Asgard with it.

In the span of a few heartbeats, the small wooden mallet landed in William's grasp, and with it, a powerful shockwave blew away all the foes that surrounded him.

"Fight for me, one more time, Dear Friend," William said softly as he gripped the wooden mallet firmly in his hand. "This time, we're not fighting for Asgard, but for the future."

The wooden mallet hummed as if to reply to the Half-Elf's words. A second later, its body transformed into the Divine Artifact that only those it had chosen could wield.

William raised Mjolnir towards the sky, and all the lightning bolts in the world descended upon him as if to pay tribute to their Master's call for conquest.

William's charred arm immediately recovered as did the rest of the injuries his body had received. Golden lightning snaked around his body and a metallic suit of armor, that once belonged to the God of Thunder, covered him completely.

"Let's go, Old Friend," William muttered. "It's time to smash the face of a God once again."

Mjolnir hummed in agreement as William transformed into a golden lightning bolt that streaked towards the Demonic Earl who was trying to harm the people who were important to him.

Morax, who had witnessed the whole thing, roared as he swung his Divine Axe towards the golden lightning that was about to strike him down.

A sound that resembled a clap of thunder reverberated across the battlefield as a powerful shockwave blew Morax and William away from each other.

"This strength…," Morax muttered as he eyed the small hammer in William's hand. 'A Divine Weapon? Here in this god-forsaken-place? Impossible!'

William, who was not aware of the confusion that was plaguing Morax's mind, once again transformed into a lightning bolt and reappeared in front of the Giant Bull's face.

Without any warning, the Half-Elf smashed his hammer on Morax's face, but the Demonic Earl was someone that was well versed in the art of war. Although he was surprised by William's new found power, he was a God and had fought against other Gods in Hell.

Morax shrunk his body until it was only two-meters tall in order to avoid William's frontal attack at the last second.

However, before the Demonic Earl could celebrate his genius move, a hammer struck the top of his head, which sent him crashing towards the ground, screaming in pain.

After hitting its target, the hammer flew back to William's hand, and the Half-Elf once again transformed into a lightning bolt to deliver another strike at the bastard who dared to harm his family.

He didn't intend to show Morax any mercy.

There was only one thing in William's mind and that was to pound the Demonic Earl's face to oblivion.

Morax forcefully controlled his body as he landed on his feet, just in time to block William's attack that shattered the ground under the Demonic Earl's feet.

"You're still not in the ranks of the Demigods and yet you are able to fight on par with me? How can this be?!" Morax shouted. "Answer me!"

"On par with you? You must be joking," William sneered as lightning snaked around Mjolnir's body. "I fought against a God in the past using a mortal's body. Right now, you're not a God but a Demigod, and you still have the guts to say that I'm on par with you? Did that strike to your head earlier rattle your brain?"

Morax roared as he tried to push William away. However, what confused him was that, instead of getting the upper hand, he was the one being pushed down by the red-headed teenager whose strength was rising at an alarming rate.

Then a realization hit the former God which made his blood run cold.

'D-Don't tell me that he has successfully merged with the Laws of the Deadlands?!' Morax's face became grim as he thought of the possibility.

This was the only explanation that he could think of.

Even if William acquired a Divine Weapon, the Demonic Earl was also wielding a Divine Weapon. Also, his rank was above the Half-Elf by more than a full tier.

One was at the peak of the Myriad Realm, while the other was at the middle stages of a Demigod. Even with a Divine Weapon in William's hand, the gap shouldn't be that great.

This forced Morax to think of another possibility and that was that the Laws of the Deadlands had finally been absorbed by William's body, making him the "God" of this world who hovered between Life and Death.

As if proving his greatest fear, the air around the two combatants trembled as space started to contort.

"Do you know the first Law of the Universe?" William inquired as a devilish smile appeared on his face. "The first law states that the normal laws of Physics do not apply when I hold this hammer."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Morax gritted his teeth as he tried to use his strength to overpower the Half-Elf but it was of no use.

"You still don't understand? Then let me show you." William sneered as he flew upwards to distance himself from Morax.

He then raised his hammer as the entire world heeded his command.

Soon, the Undead on the ground as well as the Demonic Legion under Morax's control all floated in the air as if gravity stopped existing.

"The power I wield will obliterate one and all," William declared in a domineering voice. "Pierce through the Darkness and hear my call!"

"Thunder God's Wrath!"

The world was enveloped in a bright light that drove the darkness away like a tide.

William's Army, Eldon, Swiper, and the other people in the Deadlands shielded their eyes from the blinding light. It was also at that moment that they lost their ability to hear.

However, they were considered the lucky ones, because William had only shielded his allies from an ear-shattering pain that followed after the world was engulfed in light.

Morax, who was the only one capable of piercing through the veil, saw everything in real time.

He had once witnessed the end of a world, and the scene in front of him made him remember that awe inspiring sight.

Cries of pain and suffering reverberated across the land, as Morax's prided Demonic Legion that served him for thousands of years… bathed in a sea of lightning bolts.

Chapter 863: Let's Rumble [Part 1]

Lightning snaked in the depths of William's eyes as he swung his hammer downwards.

The world obeyed his command and countless lightning bolts fell enmasse, covering the Deadlands in a blinding white light.

Morax raised his Axe and blocked the lightning bolts that were headed his way, stopping them completely in their tracks.

Unfortunately, his Undead and Demonic Legion couldn't do the same. The low-tier monsters instantly turned to charcoal the moment the lightning bolts hit them.

As for the stronger monsters, they suffered a world of pain as their bodies received heavy injuries from the hellish scene that the Half-Elf had painted around them.

When the light receded, the smell of charred corpses reached everyone's nose.

The bodies of the surviving Undead and Demons fell to the ground. Those who didn't die from the crash, were killed by William's Army as they laid in wait. It was a one-sided massacre and Morax's eyes turned bloodshot when he saw what had happened to the armies that had served him for years.

"You're just a mortal!" Morax roared in anger. "How dare–"

"I dare," William interjected before the Demonic Earl could even finish his words. "Weren't you looking down on everyone earlier because of how strong you are?"

The Half-Elf floated down from the sky as lightning bolts coiled around his body.

"It must be nice to look down on Mortals…," William said. "Knowing that you can end their lives with just a wave of your hand, but I think you are forgetting something very important…"

A merciless glint passed through the Half-Elfs eyes as he looked down on the Demonic Earl who had lorded over the Deadlands as if it was his own backyard.

"Without mortals, you wouldn't exist in the first place." William sneered.

"You're just an insect!" Morax shouted. "You know nothing! You don't know anything about the world!"

William didn't agree or deny Morax's words because frankly, he really didn't care what the Demonic Earl thought of him.

"You can shut your trap," William replied as he pointed Mjolnir on Morax's face. "The only thing I know is that I won't stop until I smash your face."

William and Morax clashed against each other in the heavens, while pandemonium ensued on the ground.

Wade found himself being besieged from all sides, as he kept on using his allies as meat shields to prevent himself from getting seriously injured. The only reason he was still standing, was because he had activated an artifact to deflect William's lightning bolts and keep them from hitting his body.

This was also why he had been able to avoid suffering any injuries during that nightmarish event that had wiped out nearly half of his subordinates.

As he was about to make his escape, a dark whip coiled around his foot, stopping him from running away.

"Is this him?" Psoglav asked

"Yes." Swiper nodded. "Now hold him in place. I'm gonna murder this bastard."

Wade's face became grim when he saw Swiper charging at him with the intention to kill. He had always looked down on the Demonic Boar in the past because, for him, Swiper was just a clown that was only there to amuse him.

The Leader of the Human Shelter gritted his teeth and prepared to defend himself from the charging boar who wanted him dead.

However, before the two of them could even clash, a rainbow-colored wrecking ball fell from the sky and hit Wade's back taking his breath away.

His defense instantly crumbled, and a panicked expression appeared on his face. The scene of Swiper's blade slashing across his neck was the last thing he saw before his world descended into complete darkness.

—-

Morax was trying to break through William's dogged assault to help his army stage a comeback. Unfortunately, the Half-Elf was like a rabid dog that didn't allow him to help anyone.

Time and time again, they clashed.

Every blow they exchanged was strong enough to instantly kill a Millennial Beast.

A trail of golden light and streaks of lightning zig-zagged across the heavens without stopping. In the end, Morax realized that he wouldn't be able to break the stalemate unless he made some sacrifices.

Morax roared and a red aura covered his body. William felt that something was wrong, so he immediately ceased his attack and observed his enemy from a safe distance.

"It's time for you to understand why you should never anger Gods." Morax growled. "I will teach you a lesson that you will never forget in your lifetime."

William looked at the arrogant Demigod in front of him with a calm expression.

In the past, he only wished for happiness, but that wish wasn't granted.

He died in Midgard before he could even keep his promise to Ashe.

He died in Asgard while fighting alongside his wives.

All of them were just living their lives in peace, but the Gods didn't allow them that small happiness. So, why should he back down against the anger of a God? Especially a God who wished to hurt the people that were important to him.

When Surtr and his minions descended upon the Nine Realms, the only thing they cared about was destruction.

Whether someone offended them or not, they didn't care. All that was left in their wake were regret and ashes of the dead that were scattered across time and space.

Mjolnir hummed in William's hands because it understood what the Half-Elf was thinking. It had been there when its wielder died, and watched as the world was engulfed in raging flames.

When there were beings that wished for destruction, peace was a reality that only the strong could enjoy.

To those that didn't have any strength, peace was just a fantasy. A dream that they could enjoy in their sleep.

"Come! You insect!" Morax roared as he pointed his Axe at Wiliam. "I will make sure that you witness how I deal with your women after I'm done with you!"

Morax activated the power of his God Core to forcefully break through William's suppression. From the middle-stages of the Demigod, his rank climbed up to its peak, and once again stopped at the Pseudo-God Rank.

The Giant Humanoid Bull's body turned golden as the power of Divinity covered it completely. Morax couldn't stay in this form for long because he still hadn't recovered from the injuries he received in the past.

He was currently using the souls of his subordinates that had died in battle to temporarily raise his power to the Pseudo-God Rank in order to deal with William.

"Die!" Morax vanished from where he stood. A second later he appeared behind William as he swung his Axe sideways.

Just like always, Morax chose to attack on a side that was disadvantageous to William. If the Half-Elf dodged his attack, the ones that would be annihilated were the Half-Elf's allies.

"What a petty God." William said as he did a backhand blow to block the Axe that was meant to kill those who were fighting on the ground.

Hammer and Axe collided, creating a shockwave that blew both fighters away.

The Half-Elf knew what Morax intended, so he immediately decided to withdraw his army in order to prevent them from dying under the enraged Demonic Earl's hand.

"All of you, return!" William ordered.

William's army all turned into beams of light that shot towards his body. He wouldn't allow any of them to die because of Morax's dirty tactics that forced him to meet his blows head-on.

Seeing that his hostages were decreasing at a rapid rate. Morax teleported to the ground, right in front of Eldon, who was ordering his subordinates to retreat.

"I liked you, but you chose not to submit. Now perish!" Morax shouted as he swung his Axe downwards.

"You think too highly of yourself!" Eldon roared. "Don't look down on Dwarves!"

The sledgehammer in Eldon's hand shone brightly as it met the Demonic Earl's attack fearlessly.

Morax sneered at Eldon's futile attempt to resist the inevitable, but the sneer on his face froze when the impact sent him smashing towards the buildings right behind him.

Even William, who was about to help the Dwarf, paused in mid-flight after seeing the unbelievable scene in front of him.

"So what if you're taller than me?" Eldon spat on the ground. "That doesn't mean that you are stronger than me."

The weapon that Eldon was wielding was a memento their family handed down from generation to generation that was personally forged by the Dwarf God.

The Sledgehammer had a special ability inscribed on its core which allowed it to become stronger the more powerful its opponent was.

The name of Eldon's weapon was "God Breaker". It was one of the few weapons in the entire multiverse that had the power to fight against Gods.

Seeing that his attack had completely baffled Morax and William, Eldon felt smug about himself. He then pointed his finger at William and made a gesture.

"Oi, you, boy come here," Eldon said with a smile.

William pointed at himself because he was unsure if Eldon was referring to him or not.

"Aye, it's you I'm calling, boy." Eldon nodded. "Come here. There's something I need to tell you."

William landed beside the Dwarf Leader who was appraising him from head to foot.

"Although we have met a couple of times, I didn't really look at you properly," Eldon said as he nodded his head in appreciation. "So, you're the one who's going to be my future great granddaughter's husband eh? Not too shabby."

"Um? Future great granddaughter's husband?"

"Ah. you don't have to worry about this. Although we Dwarves prioritize picking our race when we are going to marry, that doesn't mean that we can't make a family with other races."

William had a weird look on his face as he shifted his attention to Morax, who had already recovered from the unexpected counter-attack that he had received from Eldon.

"Well, what I'm trying to tell you is that in the future, when the two of us meet, you better not make my great granddaughter cry," Eldon then arrogantly pointed his chin at the Demonic Earl who was looking at him with disbelief. "Or else, God or no God, your fate will be the same as that bastard."

William didn't have to be a genius in order to connect the dots together. Among his wives, only Chiffon matched Eldon's claim.

"Um, when you say great granddaughter, are you referring to my wife Chif–"

"Lad, don't say anything. Just know that if Fate wills it, we will meet in the future. Let's just deal with this bastard who looks down on mortals first. We can talk after this mess is over."

The Half-Elf nodded his head because he knew that Eldon was right.

"For now, take your men inside my Domain," William proposed. "I will deal with him myself."

"Sounds like a plan." Eldon agreed. "Although I regret not being able to whack him a few more times, we're just pulling your leg down if we remain."

William nodded and waved his hand. Using the power of the world, he forcefully sent Eldon, Swiper, and the rest of his allies inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

After making sure that no one was left behind, the Half-Elf faced Morax with a devilish smile on his handsome face.

"Now, it's just you and me," William said. "Let's rumble."

Chapter 864: Let's Rumble [Part 2]

The Deadlands was a world that hovered between the borders of Life and Death.

Those who appeared in this world had their own circumstances and goals, but there was one thing that all of them had in common.

They all wanted to live.

The same could be said for the Great Earl of Hell, who had escaped the pursuit of the other Gods who had intended to kill him.

Currently, Morax was looking at the Half-Elf who had taken part in the destruction of his plan to regain his Godlike Powers, and to take revenge on those that had made his life miserable.

"If only you hadn't appeared here," Morax said as he gritted his teeth.

He didn't know how many times he had said this out loud and in thoughts.

His hate for William had now surpassed his hatred to the Gods that had forced him to hide in this God-forsaken-place. If looks could kill, the Half-Elf would have died many times over.

"Now, it's just you and me," William said. "Let's rumble."

Morax, who had already absorbed the souls of his subordinates, didn't respond to William's words.

He simply held his Axe that had been forged in the fires of Hell. Its name was Fleshrender, Destroyer of the Night.

He couldn't unleash its full powers because it was a weapon that only Gods could activate. Right now, he had forcefully raised his rank to the Pseudo-God Realm, which allowed him to use some of its abilities.

Morax didn't even think for a moment that he would need to use his powers to deal with a mortal who only stayed in the Deadlands for a little over a month. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was something that he had to accept.

"You want to rumble?" Morax laughed out loud. His laughter was filled with anger and frustration. For a mere mortal to treat him like some second rate villain that the Half-Elf could easily beat made the Demonic Earl's blood boil like lava.

"Very well," Morax stated after he finished laughing. "Time for you to understand what it means to fight against a God."

This time he no longer cared about the consequences of his actions. The only thing in his mind was to obliterate the annoying insect that was standing in front of him.

"Devastate all opposition!" Morax raised the blood-red-axe with both of his hands. "Fleshrender!"

A shrill sound that resembled fingernails scratching a chalkboard made the entire world shudder.

Space cracks started to appear on the sky, on the ground, as Morax activated the power of his Divine Weapon.

"Die Half-Elf!" Morax hatefully roared as he swung his Axe in front of him.

William immediately turned into a lightning bolt and flew towards the sky. A second later, a powerful explosion shook the entire battlefield, which sent dust and smoke flying upwards.

The Half-Elf glanced at the gigantic crack that formed on the ground, which had split a quarter of the Deadlands into two halves. Unfortunately, Morax didn't give him time to observe the destruction he had made, before appearing in front of the Half-Elf mid-swing.

William raised Mjolnir and met Morax's attack head-on. A loud cracking sound was heard as the two weapons collided.

A few moments later, the Half-Elf crashed on the ground, with blood gushing out of his mouth.

Before William could even understand what happened, the Earl of Hell had once again reappeared in front of him with Fleshrender going down for the kill.

"Mjolnir!" William roared as the hammer exuded lightning sparks from its body.

William's body was pressed down on the ground, creating a crater over a hundred-meters wide.

Morax didn't relent his barrage and pummeled the Half-Elf with the intention to kill. Each and every time their weapons clashed, the bones in William's hand and arms broke. If not for his powerful regeneration, and the laws of the world reinforcing his arms would have definitely turned into meat paste.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to launch a counter-attack at his current situation, the Half-Elf turned into a lightning bolt and skid across the ground in order to gain some distance from his enemy and to break Morax's momentum.

However, the Demonic Earl didn't allow him to take a breather and followed after him in a beam of golden light.

Every second that passed, William was being pushed back without gaining the ability to counter-attack. Earlier, he was able to match Morax's strength because of his suppression that had forced the God's rank to plummet to the middle-stages of a Demigod.

Now that his enemy had forcefully absorbed his subordinates soul, the disparity between them became apparent.

A Pseudo-God might not be a God, but it is the closest thing to being one.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Morax sneered as he continued to deliver deadly blows that could cut a Demigod in Half.

William's body was in an endless cycle of breaking down and regeneration. He noticed that Morax was forcing him to enter one of the spatial cracks that he had created around the Deadlands.

If not for the fact that he could turn into a lightning bolt and dodge the spatial cracks, he might have already been sent somewhere in the vast multiverse, leaving his important people behind.

This one-sided pummeling continued for nearly twenty-minutes before William stopped retreating and smashed Mjolnir into Morax's chest, sending the Demonic Earl flying.

"Okay, warm up is over," William declared as blood spilled at the corner of his lips. "I gave you the chance, but you weren't even able to hurt me. Weakling!"

Cathy who was inside the Black Tower felt a strong urge to smack the Half-Elf's head at the moment.

However, since this was not the time to do that, she just stood in the center of the throne room as she passed the calculation power of the Black Tower into the red-headed teenager's head.

William had learned the second Law of the Deadlands and this allowed him to repel Morax's relentless attack with a single blow. However, this required extreme and complicated calculations that the Half-Elf wasn't able to do.

In order to utilize this law, he needed the calculation abilities of the Black Tower, which Cathy had passed to him.

Morax who had been pushed back by William glanced at the Half-Elf in confusion. However, this only lasted for a brief moment before he once again charged at the Half-Elf who was hovering above him.

"Too slow," William sneered as he vanished from his spot.

This time around, Morax saw the Half-Elf appear in front of him with Mjolnir in mid-strike.

He immediately raised his weapon to block, but Mjolnir had already smashed into the side of his face before he could even raise his Axe to defend against the attack.

Just like he did to William earlier, the Half-Elf didn't stop and unleashed a barrage of attacks that smashed every part of Morax's body.

The Second Law of the Deadlands was Vector Manipulation. This allowed William to have complete control over anything that moved in his vicinity. He could forcefully slow or increase the speed of anything that moved.

For example, if he threw a rock, that rock's speed could reach almost the speed of light, thereby making a devastating weapon in the Half-Elf's hands.

Unfortunately, this required precise calculations, which William was unable to do on his own. The Black Tower was like a super computer that managed everything in the Deadlands. With Cathy's help, these calculations were passed over to William.

All he needed to do was execute them like a program, and the effect would work instantly.

"Die!" William unleashed a full powered strike that had been imbued by the Third Law of the Deadlands.

However, before his attack could land. A crack appeared behind Morax, letting his body disappear in a tear in space.

William didn't stop his attack and fired a powerful lightning bolt at the tear of space, in the hope that it would hit the blasted Earl of Hell into pieces.

After William's attack ended, the spatial tear disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind.

William scanned his surroundings. He believed that Morax had only relocated himself somewhere in the Deadlands using the power of Space.

Because of this same power, the Demonic Earl managed to escape the pursuit of the other Gods and managed to save his life by directly appearing in the Deadlands.

"This power should have been mine," Morax's hate-filled voice spread across the surroundings. "It should have been mine! You stole it from me!"

William frowned because even with his acute senses, he wasn't able to perceive where Morax was currently at.

The only thing he noticed was that the number of spatial cracks in the Deadlands had increased.

"I didn't want to resort to this, but you forced me to," Morax reappeared in one of the spatial cracks that he had created and stared at William from afar.

The Demonic Earl held a blood-red crystal in his hand and activated it.

"I agree to your proposal, but I have one favor to ask," Morax said as an image enveloped with flames appeared within the crystal.

"And that is?" a cold voice inquired.

William's body unconsciously shuddered when he heard the voice coming out of the crystal.

The voice was very familiar to him.

The owner of the voice was someone that he wished he could strangle in his dreams.

"I need you to take the Black Tower," Morax stated. "It is important to me."

"Very well," the cold voice replied. "Give me your coordinates."

Morax obliged and a sneer appeared on his face.

A few seconds later, a gigantic spatial tear appeared on the skies of the Deadlands.

From within it, two burning eyes that spoke of destruction appeared and gazed at the world of Life and Death with contempt.

Chapter 865: You Want To Steal My Job?

"Surtr!" William roared as he unleashed the most powerful lightning attack that he could unleash with the authority that Mjolnir had given him.

Since the Half-Elf wasn't its rightful owner, he could only use half of its full power. Even so, this power was more than enough to contend against foes that were many times stronger than him.

The lightning bolt charged at the giant spatial crack in the sky, like a deadly serpent out for the kill.

A second later, a blinding light followed by a powerful explosion shook the entire world that sent Morax tumbling hundreds of meters in the air.

When the light receded, a gigantic, smoking hand appeared in the sky. The hand was so big that William estimated that it was around twenty meters long.

"Mjolnir?" The Flame Giant, Surtr, also known as the God of Destruction, that razed Asgard to the ground, said in a nostalgic voice.

The tear in the sky widened and the upper half of a Giant appeared.

"You look a little different, but I still remember who you are," Surtr said as he eyed William. "The last Einherjar whose pitiful last struggle gave us a form of entertainment. I see, so you are here in the Deadlands…"

Surtr's gaze told William that the Giant had indeed recognized him, but that was all. For the God of Destruction, the Einherjar was just one of the countless beings that had tried to resist the Army of Destruction and failed miserably.

"If you were the true owner of that Hammer then perhaps you can even give me a scratch." Surtr laughed. "Even at your full strength, you can't even tickle me."

Morax, who saw this scene, sneered at the Half-Elf that was giving him a hard time. In front of a True God, even if William had control over the Deadlands, he would still not have a chance against the God that had destroyed countless worlds.

"Secure the Black Tower first," Morax reminded Surtr. "We can proceed with the next phase of our plan after we have it."

"Right." Surtr agreed as he fixed his eyes at the Black Tower in the distance.

His hand extended towards the Black Tower with the intention to pull it out from the world, but its protective barrier stopped the Giant's hand from doing what he wanted.

"Still resisting?" Morax laughed. "It's no use. This farce is over!"

Morax didn't want to resort to asking Surtr for help because he wanted to have the Black Tower for himself. However, right now, he didn't have a choice.

William had already learned two of the Laws of the Deadlands. If given more time, he would learn them all, and by then, Morax would have no chance of defeating him.

This was why, even though he would be at a disadvantage in his agreement with Surtr, he still decided to ask his help to get the Black Tower. As long as he could wait for a hundred years or so, he would be able to regain his Godhood and be on equal terms with the God of Destruction.

"I won't let you!" William raised his fist and a gigantic hand made of Earth punched Surtr's hand away.

He was using the Third Law of the Deadlands and that was World Manipulation. Now that he was the owner of the Deadlands, he could control the entire Domain as he pleased. He could even use it as a weapon against his enemies if he wished to.

Surtr clicked his tongue because he couldn't use his full power through the spatial tear. He was very far away from the Deadlands and was merely using his strength as a God to brute force his way to crossing the boundaries of space.

This was similar to what Morax had done when he created a spatial tear to escape to the Deadlands. Their powers were reduced in this Domain because no God could rule this place.

Even so, William was using everything he had to stop a single arm from the God of Destruction from getting to the Black Tower where his girls were currently hiding.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Morax attacked William, which forced the latter to divert his attention.

"Scram!" William roared as he threw Mjolnir towards the incoming Demonic Earl that sent the latter skidding hundreds of meters away.

This brief pause in concentration was something that Surtr didn't pass up. Using his Divinity, he shattered the giant hand made of Earth and punched the barrier that protected the Black Tower, shattering it completely.

"This tower is mine!" Surtr declared as he grabbed the Black Tower and began to pull it off from the ground.

"Noooo!" William shouted as he smashed Mjolnir on the Giant's hand, but it only created a shower of sparks.

It would take some time for him to summon the Earth Hand once again.

Time that he didn't have right now.

The Black Tower creaked as the ground at its base started to crack.

With one mighty pull, Surtr managed to unearth it and started to pull it back to the Spatial Tear in the sky.

William gathered all his strength and the power of the Deadlands for an all out attack of desperation. He didn't mind if the Black Tower was taken by the God of Destruction. However, Lilith, Raizel, and Cathy were still inside it.

He would not allow them to be taken away from him by the same God who had not only destroyed the Nine Realms, but also ended the life of his wives thousands of years ago.

"Let them go, Surtr!" William charged at the spatial tear with the intention of fighting to the death.

However, before he could unleash his attack, the hand that was holding the Black Tower was cut off completely.

William used the Laws of the World to catch the Black Tower and carried it away from the spatial tear.

"You overstepped your bounds, Surtr," an arrogant voice declared. "This place is not for the likes of you."

A cloaked person wielding a scythe hovered between the God of Destruction and William who was standing in front of the Black Tower.

"You are the God of Destruction, that is the role you have to play," the cloaked person said in a chilling tone. "Are you planning to change professions now? You want to steal my job?"

Surtr looked at his hand, which was lying on the ground, and snorted. A few seconds later, the hand turned into a blazing inferno and rose towards the sky. It then reattached itself to the giant's arm as if the incident earlier hadn't happened.

"What are you talking about, Death?" Surtr asked in a teasing voice. "I just came here to admire the Black Tower. Since I've already seen it with my own eyes, I will take my leave."

Surtr's hand reached out to grab Morax who was looking at the Black Tower in regret. Now that the Master of Death had arrived, they could no longer take the tower under his watchful gaze.

This was his Domain.

In the face of Death, even the Gods of Hell and Destruction knew that there were certain boundaries that they couldn't cross.

"Einherjar, I smell the scent of a dying world in your bones," Surtr said as he glanced at the Half-Elf who was looking at him with hatred. "Sooner or later, our paths will cross again. I look forward to seeing the despair on your face when that time has come."

Morax was also looking at William with a sneer.

"This is not over." Morax laughed. "The next time we meet I will make you pay for all the losses I incurred here. I will torture your soul for all eternity! Just you wait!"

After saying his last words, the spatial tears in the Deadlands disappeared and the light of the moon slowly spilled out across the land as the darkness started to recede.

The cloaked figure then turned around to look at Wiliam.

The Half-Elf couldn't see anything except darkness where the cloaked figure's face would be, but he knew for certain that he was facing one of the most ancient Gods that had power over Death.

"Since time immemorial, the Deadlands has been a place where those who have fought to escape death have gathered," the cloaked man said in a cold voice. "There are only two ways for people to leave this place."

"The first way is to die and enter the cycle of reincarnation."

"The second way is to die by my hands and enter the cycle of reincarnation. So, what choice are you going to make, boy?"

William unconsciously gulped as his body shuddered uncontrollably.

Although the cloaked figure was standing a good distance away from him, he felt as if his very soul was being held at the palm of that person's hand.

He had no doubt in his mind that this being in front of him was stronger than Surtr.

A being that could easily end his life by simply looking a thim.

"So, boy, are you ready to enter the cycle of reincarnation?" the cloaked figure asked.

"Um, Sir, isn't there a third option?" William inquired. "I'm still too young, and too handsome to die. I still haven't had any babies with my wives yet. I can't possibly die here, right?"

The cloaked figure raised his scythe high up in the air.

"Very funny," the cloaked figure replied. "Just be glad that I will be the one to personally send you off to the afterlife."

The cloaked figure mercilessly swung his scythe to end William's life.

It was at this moment when a young lady with long red hair suddenly appeared in front of William and pushed him away.

William's eyes widened in shock as he saw Raizel smile back at him just as the death scythe slashed her body.

"I love you, Papa. Take care of Mama for me."

Those were the last words that escaped Raizel's lips before her body was sliced in half by the God of Death, who was well-known for not showing mercy to anyone.

Chapter 866: I Will Not Let Anyone Take Anything From Me. Not Even Death!

"Raizel!" William reached out to grab his daughter's body which had been cut in half.

The young beauty eyes were open as she stared lifelessly in front of her. Those beautiful amber eyes that had looked at him mischievously in the past, had lost all of their luster.

"No! Why?!" William glared at the cloaked figure in front of him. "We didn't do anything wrong! Why are you doing this to us?! Why?!"

"I never said you did anything wrong," the cloaked figure replied. "There's no right or wrong in Death. I don't care if you are a good or bad person, nor do I care if you are poor or rich. Everyone is equal in the face of Death.

"If that girl didn't die right now, she would have died still once I was done with you. The order of people dying in the Deadlands doesn matter. As long as they die then my work is done."

"I'll kill you!"

"Hah? You? Kill me? I'd like to see you try, Boy."

Lilith who saw everything from inside the throneroom screamed in anger and pain. If not for Cathy holding her down, the Amazon would have definitely exited the Black Tower and fought the cloaked figure to the death.

Using her authority as the one that hijacked the Black Tower, Raizel had instantly teleported herself in front of William to push him away.

The Amazon Princess wasn't able to do that, so all she could do was watch as her precious daughter died in front of her eyes.

"Let me go!" Lilith cried out. "I'll kill him! I'll kill him!"

"No!" Cathy shouted. "If you go out right now, Raizel's sacrifice would have been in vain!"

"I said let me go!"

"I won't!"

The two ladies wrestled inside the throne room.

Lilith was desperately trying to break free from Cathy's hold to have her revenge. Cathy, on the other hand, was doing her best to stop her from throwing her life away.

While this was happening, William's rage soared to its limit as he smashed Mjolnir into the cloaked figure's face.

The cloaked figure was about to block William's attack with a finger, but then hastily backed away to avoid it completely.

'This is…,' the cloaked figure was the God of Death, which allowed him to see the souls of every creature in existence. No one could hide in the face of Death so he was able to see the Divinities that were inside William's soul.

Frankly, the God of Death didn't care for the life of the candidates chosen by the Gods. However, there was something within William's soul that made him change his mind.

"Okay, I won't kill you," the cloaked figure said. "But, I will still kill those two ladies hiding inside the Black Tower. You can't stop me."

As soon as the cloaked figure said those words, something snapped inside William's head. The entire Deadlands trembled as if a powerful earthquake was shaking Heaven and Earth.

The strand of darkness in William's Sea of Consciousness pulsed like a beating heart as the Half-Elf's eyes turned pitched black.

"I will not let anyone take anything from me," William said in a voice that made the sky of the Deadlands crack in two. "Not even Death!"

Just as the Half-Elf was about to lunge at the cloaked figure in front of him. A delicate hand covered his eyes from behind, stopping him in his tracks.

"I don't like cheating," a sweet and silky voice stated. "I had a deal with someone, and I don't want her nagging at me and telling me that I cheated. While it is regretful, I can't turn a blind eye to this and see what is about to happen under my watch."

A second later, William fell on the ground unconscious.

The cloaked figure stared at the otherworldly beauty in front of him for a brief moment before bowing his head in respect.

"Mother, I had no intention of getting in your way," the cloaked figure said. "I already said that I wouldn't kill him, but he still attacked me."

The otherworldly beauty sighed as she caressed the face that was hiding underneath the cloak.

"I know," the Primordial Goddess replied. "But, like I said earlier, I made a deal with someone. So, give me that young lady's soul. It's not her time to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation yet."

"But, the rules…"

"Are you going to defy me?"

"N-No! Of course not, Mother," the cloaked figure hurriedly replied as he raised his hand.

Soon a dazzling red orb of light appeared on the palm of the cloaked figure's hand.

"Thank you," the Primordial Goddess said sweetly. "You are indeed my beloved son."

The otherworldly beauty held Raizel's soul in her right hand and waved her left hand to make the young beauty's body that had been split apart merge together.

"You are lucky," the Primordial Goddess said as she returned Raizel's soul to her body. "Although I don't know what the future holds, the fact that you are his future daughter allowed you to cheat death once, but this will be the first and last time it will be happening. Treasure your life, for no one knows when it is going to end."

A few seconds later, a gasp escaped Raizel's lips as she once again took a breath of air. She was still unconscious and didn't know that she had been given a second chance of life from an unexpected source.

After making sure that there was no lasting damage to her body, the Primordial Goddess placed the young beauty right beside the unconscious William, who had tears streaming down his face.

Clearly, Raizel dying in front of him triggered the darkness that had accompanied him since he had chosen to become a Dark Mage.

The Primordial Goddess sighed as he patted the cloaked figure's shoulder. "The Black Tower will no longer be safe here in the Deadlands. Morax had already memorized this Domain's coordinates and could visit anytime he wanted. It will be best if you take it back with you and create a new Domain that will serve as the new Deadlands."

The cloaked figure nodded. He then raised his hand and ejected the two ladies who had fallen unconscious inside it.

The Primordial Goddess had put the two of them asleep before she made a move to keep William from attacking her son.

"Hah, I'm a bit envious," the Primordial Goddess smiled as she dumped Lilith's and Cathy's body on top of William. 'Let's go. This place no longer serves any purpose. Ah, but before that, won't you be a dear and open the stairway for the mortals to leave this place? Since I came all this way to interfere, I should do it until the end."

"Of course, Mother," the cloaked figure said as he pointed at the moon that was shining brightly in the sky of the Deadlands.

The moon then transformed into a giant golden portal that connected to the entirety of the multiverse. Anyone who stepped on it would be teleported back to their homeworlds.

After the portal appeared, several stairs made of light extended from the portal towards the ground.

"Very good." The Primordial Goddess nodded her head in satisfaction. "Let's go. Our duty here is done."

The otherworldly beauty turned into particles of black light and flew towards the heavens.

The cloaked figure gave William a side-long glance before he, too, turned into particles of black light.

He didn't know what his Mother meant when she said that she had a deal with someone. But one thing was for sure.

The Half-Elf who currently had a face scrunched in discomfort, after having two ladies dumped on his chest, was someone that his Mother thought of highly.

Since that was the case, he was willing to bend the rules once for her sake. But, he would only do it once. The next time that he crossed paths with the red-headed teenager, he would do his duty without fail.

During that time, even if his Mother stood in front of him, he would no longer budge in his decision. After all, he was the one who lorded over Death.

Not even his Mother would be able to save the Half-Elf from his grasp when the time for him to return to the embrace of the Cycle of Reincarnation finally came.

Chapter 867: I'm Not Dreaming, Right?

In a dark world, where no light could be seen, William flew into the endless Abyss.

He was chasing after a young beauty whose red hair fluttered behind her. The Half-Elf was desperately flying towards her, but the large gap between them remained. Even so, he didn't stop.

William felt that if he really gave up on chasing after her, he would never see the young beauty ever again.

"Raizel! Don't go!" William shouted. "Come back to me!"

The girl didn't reply and continued to move farther and farther away from him. In one last ditch effort, William used all of his strength and willpower to increase his speed exponentially. It was at that moment when the distance between them shortened until he was merely three meters away from the girl he was chasing.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere!" William cried out as he reached out his hand to grab the object of his affection. "I won't let you go!"

—-

When William opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a pair of amber-colored eyes looking back at him in a tender gaze.

The Half-Elf didn't even pause to think as he hurriedly hugged the figure in front of him. He held her so tight, that the young beauty felt like her bones were going to break.

Even so, she endured. For she knew that the person who had locked her in a protective embrace was someone that would go to hell and back for her sake.

Raizel wrapped her arms around William's head and patted it gently. She could feel something wet streaming down her back as the Half-Elf held her tight.

"This isn't a dream, right?" William asked with a trace of anxiousness. "I'm not dreaming, right?"

"You're not dreaming," Raizel answered. "I am here with you right now, and I'm very much alive, but I might just kick the bucket if you hug me any tighter, Pa."

William immediately loosened his hold on the young beauty, and used a diagnostic spell to check her current condition.

After seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, he was finally able to sigh in relief as he held her hand.

"What happened?" William inquired. "I was so sure you died. That was the last thing that I remembered before I attacked the cloaked figure. I don't know what happened after that."

Raizel shook her head. "I don't know what happened as well. The last thing I remembered was pushing you away. After that, I felt a brief moment of pain before everything turned dark."

William held the young beauty's hand and gave it a light squeeze. Although he didn't know how she was revived, he was more than happy to hold and talk to Raizel again.

As if waiting for that cue, the door of the room opened and the Amazon Princess arrived carrying a tray of food.

"It's good to see that you're finally awake," Lilith said as she placed the food cart beside the bed. "You've been asleep for two days."

"T-Two days?!" William gasped in shock because he didn't expect that he had been sleeping for such a long time. "Wait! What happened to the cloaked figure?!"

Lilith shook her head as she sat down on the bed and pulled Raizel to her embrace. "When I woke up, only you, Raizel, and Cathy were around. Even the Black Tower had disappeared."

William took a deep breath as he massaged his face with his hands. There were things that he wanted to ask, but he needed to calm himself first, so that he could think properly.

After regaining his composure, he asked Lilith to explain everything that happened while he was unconscious.

"After that cloaked figure sliced Raizel in Half, you confronted it," Lilith explained. "That was the last thing I remember before I lost consciousness. I asked Cathy, but she said that she also lost consciousness just like me.

"When I came to, I and Cathy were lying on top of your body. There were no signs of the cloaked figure as well as the Black Tower. However, something unbelievable happened. A golden portal had appeared in the sky.

"Cathy believed that it could help us all leave this place. The members of the Glory Shelter had already climbed the stairs that led towards the sky and entered the golden portal. Although none of them returned, Raizel said that there was no cause for concern."

William looked at the young beauty that was currently in Lilith's embrace. Clearly, Raizel was loving the care and attention that she was receiving from the Amazon Princess.

"Don't worry. The golden portal will indeed take us all back to our homeworlds and timelines," Raizel said with confidence. "It will last for three more weeks, so Pa, you still have plenty of time."

"Plenty of time for what?" William asked.

"Plenty of time to merge with the laws of the Deadlands," Raizel answered. "Right now. The Deadlands will no longer host the wandering souls that tried to defy Life and Death. Without the Black Tower, this place is just another abandoned plane of existence with no future.

"It will be best if you properly learn the laws of this place before you integrate it with your Thousand Beast Domain."

William nodded in understanding. During his battle against Morax, he was only able to learn two of the Laws that governed the Deadlands. Although he wouldn't be able to use them to their full potential when he returned to Hestia, the abilities would still prove useful when facing difficult situations.

"Where is Cathy?" William asked.

As soon as he asked this question, Lilith and Raizel quieted down and both of them had complicated expressions on their faces.

"Cathy is currently resting," Lilith said after a minute had passed. "She said that she would need all the strength she could muster when you woke up."

"Hah? What do you mean?"

"Well… she said that you will become extremely hungry when you wake up and that if we're not careful, you might suck both Raizel and I dry."

William was about to tell the Amazon Princess that she shouldn't believe everything Raizel was saying. However, before he could even do so, he immediately covered his lips with his hand. A strong sense of bloodthirst threatened to take hold of his consciousness.

After feeling relief that Raizel hadn't died, the stone that had been weighing down his heart disappeared completely. This led to his other senses returning to their normal functions, which made the Half-Elf feel an extreme craving for blood.

He was currently a Vampire Progenitor, and his need for blood was stronger than ordinary vampires. Even after switching his Job Class to a different one, the blood thirst still remained and it made William feel very uncomfortable.

"Where is she?" William inquired as he averted his gaze to the two beautiful ladies in front of him. His bloodthirst was so strong that just looking at Lilith and Raizel was enough to give him the urge to bite them.

"She's currently in her room," Lilith replied. "Do you know where it is?"

William nodded and hurriedly left the room. He was afraid that if he stayed a second longer, he would really sink his fangs on the two beauties' tender necks and suck all of their blood.

Chapter 868: The Answer Is Yesn't

"So you're here," Cathy said as she made a gesture for William to come closer to her bed. "Come. Our battle will be Legendary!"

The corner of William's lips twitched as he looked at the carefree woman who was looking back at him with a confident smile on her face.

Girl, what kind of battle are you talking about?

Even so, he still went to her because his bloodthirst was truly getting out of hand. William believed that in his current depraved state, only Cathy would be able to quench the thirst that had taken hold of his senses.

A sigh escaped Cathy's lips as she patted William's head. The Half-Elf was doing his best to not greedily drink her blood in one go because he was afraid that he would sink his fangs too deep and cause irreparable damage to her body.

William sparingly drank the pretty lady's blood in a controlled manner, which made Cathy sigh in pleasure.

"You're treating me like those boxed fruit juices with a straw," Cathy complained. "Well, I don't really mind but I'm afraid that you will suffer a bit in the future. After we leave this place, you won't be able to drink my blood for a long time, so make sure to enjoy it to its fullest."

William had already thought of a possibility that Cathy was on a different timeline from their own. For a brief moment, he felt a little sad because he would no longer be able to drink the most delicious blood that he had tasted since a part of him had become a vampire.

As if reading his thoughts, the pretty lady giggled and continued patting his head.

"Timelines are a very funny thing," Cathy said. "In this place, you were able to meet people from the past, present, and future. Some of them came from different worlds, while others came from the same world as you."

William momentarily pulled back as he looked at the pretty lady who was looking at him with a smile.

"Are you also from Hestia?" William asked.

"We can talk later," Cathy replied. "You still have many things to take care of after you drink my blood."

"Things like what?"

"Well, for starters, you still haven't released the people that you sent inside your Thousand Beast Domain. I'm sure that Eldon and Swiper might be getting worried."

William's eyes widened because he had indeed completely forgotten about the people in the Deadlands that he had tossed inside his Thousand Beast Domain, so that Morax wouldn't be able to use them as hostages against him.

"Don't think about them for now," Cathy stated as he pulled William's lips closer to her neck. "Just finish the business you have with me first. You still haven't drunk your fill, right?"

William silently agreed to Cathy's words as he once again returned to drinking her blood. This lasted for a full five minutes before the Half-Elf pulled back after healing the wound on Cathy's neck.

"Cathy, be honest," William said as he stared at the pretty lady with a serious expression on his face. "Are you from Hestia as well? Have we already met? Are you from the future, just like Raizel?"

"What is this? An interrogation?" Cathy pouted. "After you had your fill, you toss me aside like those canned drinks that you drink at night?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like I am interrogating you."

"But, you are interrogating me."

"... Well, you're not wrong," William admitted.

Cathy snorted as she laid down on the bed with her back facing William.

An awkward silence fell in the room and it made William feel that he had done something wrong. Just as he was about to apologize to Cathy, the pretty lady sighed and cut him off.

"You asked me if I'm from Hestia, the answer is Yesn't," Cathy replied. "You asked me if we have already met, the answer to that is Yesn't as well. You also asked me if I'm from the future, the answer is also Yesn't."

After hearing the pretty lady's reply to his questions, the Half-Elf had a strong urge to pinch her waist. However, due to the fact that he had just drank her blood, he just massaged his temple as he tried to pry answers from her.

"You said that you are my future wife," William said. "Is this true?"

This time, Cathy turned around to look at him. She was still lying on the bed, but her eyes were fixed on William's who was looking back at her with a complicated expression on his face.

"Yesn't," Cathy answered with a snort.

William wasn't able to stop himself from pinching the pretty lady's cheeks because all of his questions were answered with a "Yesn't".

The pretty lady counterattacked and also pulled on WIlliam's ears. For five-whole-minutes, the two idiots fought each other over the bed, leaving them panting for breath.

"What's wrong with you?" Cathy asked as she sat on William's abs. "You asked and I answered. Now you pinch me all of a sudden because you thought I was just teasing you, right? Well sorry, the answer to all your questions is really Yesn't!"

"I don't understand," William replied as he looked up at the pretty lady who was looking down at him with contempt. "Are you telling me that we did meet and didn't meet at the same time?"

Cathy shook her head. "What I'm telling you is that we've met, but you didn't know that it was me that you've met."

William frowned as he searched for Cathy's face in his memories. He had a very strong ability to recall things. Even without the System, he could dig out things from his past by simply thinking about them.

After two minutes of trying to recall whether he had already seen Cathy in the past, William finally came to a conclusion.

"Wait… are you telling me that you're Ariadne?" William looked at Cathy in disbelief. "Among the people that William had met, it was only Ariadne whom he couldn't remember the face no matter how hard he tried.

(A/N: Just in case you guys forgot, Ariadne is the oracle of the Minotaurs, who is also Eve's current teacher).

Cathy didn't answer. She looked at William with a calm expression on her face, which neither confirmed nor denied his guess.

"You're Ariadne, right?" William asked. Although he wasn't a hundred percent sure, he had a feeling that his guess was right on the mark.

Suddenly, William remembered the first time that he had drank the blood of a living being. The first one that offered him blood was none other than Ariadne. The memory of that time when had first sunk his fangs on her tender neck resurfaced.

The Half-Elf was then filled with a realization that the taste of Cathy's blood was similar to Ariadne's. That same delicious blood that had spread warmth in his body and gave it strength, during the war in the Southern Continent.

"You're Ariadne," William said with more conviction. "Fess up and tell me the truth."

It was at that moment when a teasing smile spread across Cathy's face as she lowered her head until her head was only mere inches away from William's.

"The answer is Yesn't," Cathy replied. "Don't worry. I will appear before you when the time is right. You don't have to look for me. I will come to you on my own accord. After all, you will have to take responsibility for taking my first."

William was about to ask what "First" she was talking about when the pretty lady stood up from the bed, and left the room.

The Half-Elf tried to run after her, but when he arrived at the hallway, not even the shadow of the mysterious lady could be found.

Chapter 869: How Many Wives Do You Have?

The sound of merry-making could be heard inside the Glory Shelter as Humans, Dwarves, Lizardfolk, and the Demons ate and drank their fill.

After seeing the golden portal that would take all of them back home, everyone decided to have one last celebration party in the Deadlands, before they returned to their homeworlds.

"Hah~ the taste of victory is awesome." Swiper burped after drinking the bottle of wine in his hand. "I knew that I was born a winner. Hahahaha!"

Eldon chuckled beside the drunk Demonic Boar as he drank the wine that he had been saving for a special occasion.

Lindir ate the barbecued meat with gusto as he stared at the Demonic Boar with contempt.

The Swamptide Shelter had formed an alliance with the Dwarves and the Demons before the battle.

They only followed the plan that they had formulated beforehand, to backstab Morax's troops, when they were about to crush Eldon's and Swiper's resistance.

Lindir believed that among the Leaders, Eldon was the wisest of them all. Because of this, he had decided to side with the steadfast dwarf, and it proved that his trust wasn't misplaced.

"Now that everything is over, you can come clean, Eldon," Swiper said as he glanced at the Dwarf that was drinking beside him.

"What do you mean?" Eldon asked with a look of confusion on his face.

"You've been so stubborn when it came to rejecting Morax's invitation. This could only mean one thing and that was that you were sure that his side was going to lose, right?" Swiper smiled evilly. "Even if you deny it, I won't believe it. So just hurry up and spill the beans."

Eldon chuckled before drinking the remaining wine in his cup.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I was very close to joining Morax's bandwagon," Eldon replied. "If not for a little bird that visited me in the Dwarven Shelter, I would have definitely become the Dread Lord's subordinate. This much is true."

Swiper and Lindir, who were drinking wine while listening to Eldon's explanation, spat it out on each other.

The two Leaders were too surprised to even bother with the wine that was trickling down their faces.

"What?! Who was that little bird?!" Swiper. "Who was that person?"

Lindir narrowed his eyes as he waited for Eldon to answer the Demonic Boar's question.

"Sorry, but I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone," Eldon replied as he looked at a pretty lady that passed behind Swiper and Lindir.

Cathy winked at Eldon as she walked towards William's table, carrying several canned juice in her arms.

Swiper and Lindir clicked their tongue, but they decided not to pry further. The important thing was that they didn't join Morax's side and managed to survive the battle in the Deadlands.

The party went all through the night, and people could be seen sleeping on the floor, from being dead-drunk due to over-eating and drinking.

On the roof of the Glory Shelter, William looked at the Golden Portal that was glowing in the distance.

According to Raizel, they still had plenty of time before the portal closed, so he wasn't in a hurry to leave.

A drunk Lilith also reminded him that she was still not pregnant, and would not leave the Deadlands until William did his job properly.

Fortunately, the Amazon Princess only told this to William after he carried her back to Raizel's room in a princess carry.

Raizel, who was walking beside the Half-Elf as he carried Lilith, looked at the walls of the hallway as if she was touring a museum. Even in the dark hallway, William could see the redness in the young beauty's face, as she pretended not to hear their discussion.

Naturally, the Half-Elf didn't have any objections and promised Lilith that he would make sure that she got what she wanted, before they left the Deadlands, which made Raizel's face turn redder.

After laying his lover in the bed, and kissing his future daughter in the forehead goodnight, William went to the roof of the Glory Shelter to organize his thoughts.

Many things had happened, and he was still in a state of disbelief and denial.

While he was deep in his thoughts, he heard a set of footsteps walking towards him. William didn't even bother to turn his head in the direction where the footsteps were coming from, because he had already identified who it was through the person's aura.

Eldon, the Leader of the Dwarves, sat beside William carrying two bottles of beer in each hand.

"Would you like some?" Eldon offered.

"Yes," William replied as he turned to look at the Dwarf beside him.

With beer in hand, the two people gazed at the golden portal in the distance, enjoying the cold breeze that passed through their bodies.

"I have a four-year-old granddaughter." Eldon suddenly broke the silence as he placed the bottle of beer beside him. "I was out on a hunting trip looking for a gift to give to her on her birthday, when an earthquake suddenly struck out of nowhere. When I opened my eyes, I was here."

A minute of silence passed between the two men as the Dwarf finished the rest of his beer before continuing his story.

"What I want to say is thank you," Eldon said. "If not for you, I may not have been able to see my family again. In this dead-infested-world, it's very hard to find the kind of warmth that you can get from your loved ones. I really miss my granddaughter. She would always ask me to carry her whenever I came back from my hunting trips."

"... May I ask what your granddaughter's name is?" William inquired. Although he had a feeling that he already knew the answer to his question, he still asked it in order to clarify the vague feelings in his heart.

Eldon smiled like a proud grandfather as he said his granddaughter's name. ""April. Her name is April."

William felt as if a lump was stuck inside his throat. He had seen how Chiffon's mother had died in the Demonic Lands, and knew that he couldn't possibly tell Eldon the sad fate that befell his granddaughter under the hands of Chiffon's father.

The only thing he could do was to keep these memories inside his heart, as he continued to listen to the tale of the Dwarf who missed his wife and granddaughter.

"A little bird told me that in the future, you will become my great granddaughter's husband," Eldon said in a grumpy manner. "I don't know what will happen in the future, but I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't let anyone touch my great granddaughter without whacking their head once with my sledgehammer."

Beads of sweat started to form on William's forehead. He had seen how Eldon had sent Morax flying, and he had no doubt in his mind that he would definitely feel a world of pain if the Dwarf were to make his threat a reality.

"Tell me, is my great granddaughter as charming as her mother?" Eldon asked. "Is she a kind and loving person?"

"Yes," William gave his heartfelt answer as he thought of his wife, Chiffon. "She's all that and more."

Eldon laughed and patted William's shoulder after hearing the Half-Elf praise his great granddaughter.

"Is she… is she perhaps… that pink haired girl I saw in your Domain?" Eldon asked. When he saw Chiffon in the Thousand Beast Domain, he felt a strong attraction to her that he couldn't describe.

Although he had only stayed in that world in less than five minutes, seeing the pink-haired girl made Eldon feel as if he had seen a glimpse of the future.

"Yes," William replied. "Do you want to know her name?"

"Please."

"Chiffon. Her name is Chiffon."

Eldon let out a deep breath when he heard his great granddaughter's name. He then looked at William with a serious expression as he summoned his sledgehammer.

"You better take good care of her, got it?" Eldon said as he pointed the tip of the sledgehammer to William's nose. "If in the future I found out that you were bullying her, I'll make sure to give you a piece of my mind."

Instead of feeling threatened, William smiled because he felt Eldon's genuine love and care for his great granddaughter, whom he had met in the Thousand Beast Domain.

"I promise to love and protect her with my life," William replied. "Although I don't know what the future holds, I will do my best to make her happy."

Eldon harrumphed before unsummoning his weapon.

"How many wives do you have?" Eldon asked as he rubbed his chin.

"F-Four," William replied. He had a feeling that if he said more, Eldon would once again summon his sledgehammer and whack him for real.

"Four…," Eldon stopped rubbing his chin and glared at William. "Aren't you a bit too greedy? Lilith is also your lover, are you planning to marry her as well?"

"Yes."

"So that makes five, right? Tsk! If I really find out that you are mistreating Chiffon in the future, I will clobber you good."

William then tried to stir the topic away from his personal life and focused on asking Eldon about his family.

The Half-Elf was worried that if they continued their talk about his lovers, he would make a slip, which would lead to Eldon giving him a piece of his mind.

Fortunately, the Dwarf was more than happy to brag about his beautiful wife, daughter, and cute granddaughter.

William made a mental note of the place where Eldon lived in Hestia. If he didn't have too many things on his plate, he would go and visit him and let him meet his great granddaughter in the flesh.

He had seen how Chiffon had grown up in the Demonic Lands, deprived of the love of a family. If he could bring her to where her grandparents were, the pink-haired girl might experience what it was like to be held in a loving embrace, by the family that she hadn't had the chance to meet in her current lifetime.

Chapter 870: The Time Of Farewell

"I guess this is farewell," Eldon said as he shook William's hand. "Visit me in the future, okay? I want to see my great granddaughter."

"I will," William replied. "I promise."

The Dwarf nodded his head as he shook Raizel's hand.

"You know, I've always admired how you were able to keep the Glory Shelter the way you did after Xenovia died," Eldon stated. "You did well, lass."

"Thank you, Eldon," Raizel replied. "I know that you have been secretly helping me from the shadows. I pray that you will be happily reunited with your family."

Eldon grinned. "Aye, I wish for that as well. I'm not really good with goodbyes, so I will be taking my leave."

The Dwarf glanced at his subordinates one last time as he pressed his closed fist over his chest.

"It has been an honor leading all of you," Eldon said with his head raised high. "The time to part has come, and I pray that all of you will be able to return to your own worlds safely. I'll be taking my leave first. Let's all see each other again if Fate permits it."

After imparting his speech, Eldon started to climb the stairs that led towards the Golden Portal in the sky.

The other dwarves followed behind him, for they too would embark on their homeward journey as well.

"Not many words were shared between us, but if there is an opportunity to meet again in the future, I, Lindir, will welcome you with open arms," Lindir declared as he patted William's shoulder. "Goodbye, Half-Elf. I will remember you for the rest of my life."

"May you have a safe trip." William patted Lindir's shoulder with a smile. "Till our paths cross again."

Lindir grinned as he nodded his head. He then walked up the stairs that would lead him back to his homeworld. Just like Eldon, he still had people waiting for his return.

All the Lizardfolk gave William a bow of respect before following their Leader.

A few minutes later, Swiper and his group also climbed the stairs. He didn't bid William words of goodbye, or even talked to any of the other survivors of the Glory Shelter. The only people that he said his farewalls to were Eldon and Lindir, who had treated him as their equal.

Halfway up the stairways that led to the Golden Portal, Swiper turned around to look at William.

"There is one thing I hate the most aside from losing and that is to be treated as cannon fodder," Swiper shouted. "Rejoice because I had chosen to side with you during the darkest moments of your life. If not for me, we wouldn't have won, so make sure to remember that I had stood on the frontlines of war and fought for what I believed in."

The corner of William's lips twitched as he looked at the Demonic Boar who was spouting a load of hogwash.

"You don't need to thank me," Swiper snorted. "I did it because I am that awesome. Hahahaha!"

The Demons who were behind Swiper had the strong urge to cover their faces out of embarrassment. If possible, they wanted to pretend that they didn't know the guy, but no one in the Deadlands would believe them.

"Swiper!" William shouted at the Demonic Boar who was tooting his own horn. "I just want you to remember one thing."

"And that is?"

"No Swiping!"

"Hah?" The Demonic Boar looked at William with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "What in tarnation are you talking about?"

William didn't answer and simply crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't like Swiper that much was true, bue since the Demonic Boar had fought on their side during the war against Morax, the Half-Elf had renewed his impression of him.

Although he didn't know if he would meet Swiper again in the future, he hoped that in their next meeting, they wouldn't be fighting on different sides. Because, if that were to happen, he would definitely show no mercy.

After seeing that the Half-Elf had no intention of saying anything, Swiper snorted and continued his climb towards the golden portal. This time, he didn't look back and passed through it without another word.

After the other shelters had gone up the portal, the survivors of the Glory Shelter all thanked Raizel and Xenovia for keeping them safe during their stay in the Deadlands. Tears and hugs were shared among the group before they all went away.

In the end, only William, Lilith, Raizel, Cathy and Xenovia remained in the Deadlands.

"Are you sure you don't want me to purify your soul so you can enter the Cycle of Reincarnation?" William inquired of the Death Lord who was looking at the Golden Staircase with a sad expression on her face.

"No," Xenovia replied. "Nothing is waiting for me back home. Also, I still haven't lived long enough. Although I am now an Undead, I still want to see many different sceneries and experience new things. Since that is the case, I decided to become one of your subordinates. You don't mind, right?"

William smiled and nodded his head. "Of course I don't. However, my life is like a roller coaster ride. It has its ups and downs, are you sure you want to experience something like that?"

"Well, it's still better than becoming a crying, and pooping baby for several years." Xenovia laughed. "Also, I'm sure that you will meet Morax again. I still have a bone to pick with that guy. I won't be able to rest unless I give him a good smack on the face."

The Half-Elf sighed because he knew that Xenovia was right. There would come a time when he would cross paths with Morax, and Surtr, and when that time came, the battle that had happened in the Deadlands would pale in comparison.

"Welcome aboard," William said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Thanks for having me." Xenovia gripped William's hand and shook it. "Ah. Before I forget, I'll just remind you that I'm not a big fan of Necrophilia. If you are interested in me, you better get me a new living body, okay?"

William could only give the Death Lord a bitter smile as he felt Lilith's arm wrap around his waist.

He definitely didn't have that kind of fetish because he was more than happy to spend time with his lovers. The portal would still remain open for quite some time, and he had decided to properly learn the laws of the Deadlands before they left.

Also, he was very curious to know what would happen if he transferred the Deadlands to his Thousand Beast Domain.

Perhaps, after using the God Shop, he would be able to repair the entire city, and enjoy the luxuries of the modern world that couldn't be seen anywhere in the world of Hestia.

Chapter 871: Holding The Future In His Embrace

William held Lilith's body as he lightly patted her back.

The Amazon Princess had fallen asleep with her arms wrapped around William's head, and her body resting on his lean and toned body.

Just like always, their love making session was intense. It even surpassed the ones the Half-Elf had with his succubus wife, Princess Sidonie.

William could feel Lilith's anxiousness, and perhaps even desperation, as the promised date of their departure drew nearer.

He knew why his lover was feeling this way, and hoped that she would get what she wished for, as he accompanied her every night.

During the day, Lilith would spend her time with Raizel. The two were nearly inseparable as they toured the Deadlands with just the two of them. They would sometimes visit the Mimameidr Shelter, which had been a theme park before it was used as a shelter by the Elves.

After learning five out of the eight laws of the Deadlands, William gained the ability to power up the theme park, and allowed the ladies to enjoy the rides like the Roller Coaster, and Ferris Wheel.

At times, William would accompany them at Raizel's request. He could tell that the young beauty was also doing her best to spend as much time with them as possible.

It was as if Raizel was embedding these memories inside her very soul as she spent each and every day in their company.

One day, William asked Raizel to have a private talk with him. He asked her what the future was like, but the young beauty's lips were sealed.

No matter what he did, Raizel didn't budge, so in the end, he let her be.

Even so, he clearly felt that there was a hint of sadness when she hugged him that day. Time and time again, he felt that Raizel was about to tell him something, but she would always hold herself back at the last moment.

In the end, William only did what he could do at that moment, and that was to hold her tight and pat her head.

He held her trembling body, and wiped the tears in her eyes.

As the day where they would part neared, Raizel spent most of the time in their company.

Lilith was more than happy to spend time with her, while Cathy made herself scarce. The pretty lady would only reappear in the Glory Shelter whenever William's bloodthirst was at its peak.

After giving him her blood, she would once again disappear as if she was a ghost that only made its presence known when it was needed.

Right now, William firmly believed that Ariadne and Cathy were the same person. Of all the people that he had contact with, it was only Ariadne's face that he couldn't' remember. He made a mental note to look for the Oracle of the Minotaurs when he returned to the Southern Continent.

Perhaps by then, he would be able to uncover the secrets of the mysterious lady who seemed to know everything about him.

Only a week remained before the Golden Portal closed, and William had already learned seven out of the eight laws of the Deadlands.

The last law, the Law of Rebirth was the most powerful of all laws. It was also the hardest to learn, and William wondered if he had enough time to learn it.

Just as he was thinking these thoughts, the door of his room opened and the pretty lady whom he hadn't seen for several days appeared in front of him once again.

"Sir, your food delivery has arrived," Cathy said in a teasing tone. "According to our company, you have ordered several vials of blood without even paying a cent. What do you have to say for yourself, Mister?"

William raised both of his hands as he looked at the girl who had both of her hands on her waist.

"Guilty as charged," William replied. "How much do I owe your company? I will definitely pay in full."

Cathay smirked as she walked towards William.

"Since Mister is being cooperative, we will give you a discount," Cathy declared as she sat on William's lap. "All you need to do is pay ninety-nine trillion gold coins and your debt will be cleared."

"Isn't that too expensive? After drinking such low-quality bloo–ouch!" William cried out in pain after Cathy bit his right shoulder hard.

"Low quality? You dare say that my blood is low quality?" Cathy asked like a feral cat that had her tail stepped on. "You're courting death, Mister!"

William glanced at the teeth mark on his shoulder before shifting his attention to Cathy who was showing her pearly white teeth in full display.

"There's more where that came from, you know?"

"Are you a dog?"

"So, you've chosen death."

Just like always, the two once again rumbled like two idiots who had nothing better to do with their lives.

In the end, William waved the flag of surrender as the pretty lady sat on his chest.

For some reason, he couldn't stop himself from acting childish in front of Cathy. It was as if, whenever he was around her, he could just forget about all of his problems and just act like a kid without a care in the world.

Cathy stood up and extended her hand towards the Half-Elf that was lying on the ground.

William grabbed her hand firmly as he propped himself up before sitting back on the couch.

Once he was properly seated, the pretty lady sat on his lap and stared straight at his eyes.

"Are you really one of my future wives?" William asked.

"You will naturally know in the future," Cathy replied.

"When in the future will we meet?"

"At the right time."

William sighed as he brushed away the hair that was covering the nape of Cathy's neck.

"Won't you really tell me anything?" William asked as he lowered his head to kiss Cathy's neck. "Please?"

Cathay sighed. "You don't need to think of the future, it will come soon enough. Right now, you should enjoy the present, for it is the time that will never happen again. With every second that passes, the present you have now is becoming your past. A minute later, this time will also be part of your past.

The pretty lady pulled back as she caressed William's face. "I've told you once that you don't need to look for me, for I will be the one to come to you. As to when we will meet again, it will always be at the time when we should meet. All I can promise you is that I will never be early, or arrive late. I will come exactly on time, so all you need to do is wait. Just like now."

Cathy kissed William's forehead as she once again presented her neck to him.

"I have one last question," William asked. "Answer me this honestly, and I will no longer ask you any questions."

"And your question is?"

"I already have four wives. I don't know when I will be marrying Lilith, but she would definitely be my fifth. If you are my future wife then…"

A soft and delicate finger pressed over William's lips, preventing him from finishing his words.

"You're such a spoiled child," Cathy said. "But fine, I will answer the question you wish to ask. But after this, no more questions, okay?"

William nodded before holding Cathy's hand on his own. He then stared at her eyes that seemed to have all the colors of the rainbow, and more within their depths. He gazed at her long, silky black hair, which reflected the light inside the room.

And wondered how long he would have to wait before he could see her again when he returned to Hestia.

After admiring her features, he once again shifted his gaze on her pretty face as he waited for her answer.

Cathy batted her eyes at him in a teasing manner before moving close to whisper something in his ears.

"I am your Ninth Wife," Cathy whispered. "There will be several tribulations along the way, but if it's you, I know you will be fine. After all, you represent me."

William still had a few more questions to ask, but he promised Cathy that he would not ask anything else after his question was answered. In the end, he bit on her delicate neck, and held her tight as he drank her lifeblood that had wormed its way to his heart.

Since she had already made a promise then he would wait till their reunion in Hestia.

When that time came, he knew that no more secrets would be kept between them, and he would once again hold his so-called future wife in his embrace.

Chapter 872: Raizel's Last Goodbye

William, Lilith, Raizel, and Cathy had breakfast together inside the Glory Shelter.

It was their last day in the Deadlands and all of them would leave after they finished eating. Raizel proposed that they should have one final breakfast before they go.

Xenovia was already at the stairs, waiting for their arrival. Since she decided to come with William, she would enter the Thousand Beast Domain, instead of going through the Golden Portal.

The four of them ate in silence as if they no longer had words to say to each other. Everyone had calm expressions on their faces, but deep inside, their feelings were in turmoil.

Half an hour later, William, Lilith, and Raizel, walked hand in hand with the young beauty at the center.

It was as if they were a family of three taking a stroll through an abandoned ghost town like those in apocalyptic novels.

Cathy walked a few steps behind them and observed the three in front of her with a calm expression on her face.

Deep inside, she wanted to join the four of them, and walk hand in hand, but she knew that this would just ruin the mood, so she kept her distance.

It was not the right time for her to hold the Half-Elf's hand in public, for their timelines still hadn't intersected with each other.

Even so, she was still happy.

She had been waiting in the Deadlands for a very long time. Shedding many faces, as to not let anyone know what she really looked like.

In fact, Cathy herself had forgotten what she really looked like.

Cathy was just one of the many names she had used in countless lifetimes. However, right now, this was her name.

Cathy.

A name that she would use when the world descended into darkness, and no hope could be found.

When the four of them arrived at the base of the stairway, Lilith stopped walking, making William and Raizel look at her.

"I can't after all," Lilith said as she looked at William with a serious expression. "I can't leave just yet."

"Why?" William asked.

"Do you still need to ask?" Lilith complained with a beet-red face. "Must I spell it out to you before you understand?"

William blinked as he connected the dots in his head. Lilith had no attachments to the Deadlands. The Half-Elf was sure of this, which means that there was only one reason why she refused to leave and that was…

William and Lilith looked at Raizel who had a devilish smile on her face.

The young beauty giggled as she walked four steps up the stairway before facing the two most important people in the world to her.

"The Deadlands is a dead place," Raizel said with a smile. "It means that it's impossible to create a life in this world."

"Hah?"

"What?"

William and Lilith looked at the young beauty who had stuck out her tongue at them.

The two then glanced at each other in disbelief before their faces turned red as a tomato when they realized that the two of them had been duped.

In order to conceive the mischievous young beauty in front of them, the two had been doing it like rabbits for the past few days until their hips ached.

"Come here, you little girl!" Lilith roared as she ran after Raizel who had started to run up the stairs while laughing merrily.

Cathy chuckled as she walked beside William and held his hand. "Your future daughter is a troll. I wonder where she inherited that trait from?"

"Definitely her mother's side of the family," William answered in a heartbeat.

Xenovia whistled as she walked towards William with a scrutinizing gaze.

"What is this I see? An affair?" Xenovia laughed. "You sure have guts, I'll give you that, Will."

William smirked. "What can I say? Being handsome is a sin."

"Tsk. I'm starting to regret my decision of becoming your subordinate."

"You can still back out, you know?"

Xenovia chuckled as she shook her head. "Nah, I'll see how this Fairy Tale of yours will end. I'm a sucker for Happy Endings, so make sure to give me that."

William smiled. "No promises. The future looks very bleak."

"Right. Even so, I want to see it until the end."

"Good. I also want to see how it will end."

After their little bit of small talk, William sent Xenovia to his Thousand Beast Domain. Having her around would definitely bolster his forces, so he was very glad to have her join his army.

"Let's go," Cathy said as he pulled William up the stairs.

"Mmm." The Half-Elf hummed as he started to climb up the staircase with her.

They walked casually, as they took in the sights of the Deadlands.

"Are you bringing everything with you?" Cathy asked as he gently squeezed William's hand. It was her way of telling him that she would miss him after they parted.

The Half-Elf nodded as he also held her hand tightly. "Lilith and Raizel enjoyed the theme park. I was thinking of repairing it completely, so that we will have our own private theme park that we can use anytime."

"Sounds wonderful, you do that."

"I will."

As they neared the Mother and Daughter pair who were standing three stairways away from the Golden Portal, William let go of Cathy's hand as he turned his head to look at the entirety of the Deadlands.

This was the first time that he was looking down on it in its entirety and it filled him with awe.

He didn't know how the Deadlands were created, but he was sure of one thing. The buildings, and other establishments, definitely came from Earth.

William knew that the only one that could tell him how this world was created was the cloaked figure who had killed Raizel in front of him. If possible, he didn't want to meet him a second time.

The Half-Elf breathed in deeply as he spread his arms wide. Sweat formed on his forehead as he raised his hands at the same time.

As if to answer his summons, the entirety of the Deadlands rose up in the air, leaving only the sea behind in its wake.

"Merge." William ordered as he made a pulling gesture.

The Deadlands then transformed into particles of light and flew towards the gem on his chest. It was a beautiful and surreal scene that awed Lilith, Raizel, and Cathy.

A full five minutes passed before the entirety of the Deadlands had been absorbed by the gem in William's chest.

Closing his eyes, he used his consciousness to place the Deadlands at the West of the Thousand Beast Domain, shocking those who had made the domain their home.

He knew that his subordinates would definitely explore this new addition to their world, and was even looking forward to their reactions once he had repaired the entire city.

This would be his future project, and it would probably take a long time to have it up and running. William was not in a hurry. He still had many things to do, and knew where his priorities were.

When he opened his eyes, the Deadlands were no more. The only thing that was left were the memories they had left behind.

"Well then, it's time to take my leave," Cathy said. "See you when I see you, Will."

Cathy gave Lilith a side-long glance before tiptoeing to kiss William's lips. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, before the pretty lady pulled back.

She then walked towards the golden portal with a smile on her face.

"Let's all meet again in the future."

Cathy said those parting words before stepping inside the portal, leaving William, Lilith, and Raizel, behind.

The young beauty then took a deep breath, as she pulled William's and Lilith's hand.

William and Lilith shared a knowing glance and they both wrapped their arms around Raizel, hugging her tightly.

"I won't say goodbye," Raizel said as she felt the warmth and love of the two people by her side. "The only thing I will say is see you soon."

Lilith kissed Raizel's forehead and cheeks lovingly as she tried hard not to cry.

"Yes, we will see each other soon," Lilith replied. "Definitely."

William nodded his head, as he too kissed Raizel's forehead and cheek.

"Raizel, just tell me one thing," William said with a serious expression on his face. "Was I a good father?"

Raizel nodded her head. "Although you have many shortcomings, you are definitely the best father I could have wished for."

"How about me?" Lilith felt competitive and decided to ask the same question as William. "Was I a good mother?"

"The best mother in the world," Raizel answered with a smile.

"Who do you love more?" Lilith inquired. "Me or your father?"

William suddenly felt a sense of crisis. Something inside him was dreading the answer to Lilith's question.

"Secret." Raizel giggled. "Not telling!"

William sighed, while Lilith pouted.

One felt relieved, while the other was disappointed.

"Let's go, Ma, Pa," Raizel said softly. "I want to hold the two of you again, in the future."

William closed his eyes as he enveloped the three of them with a gentle breeze that made them float towards the golden portal while they continued to hold each other.

As they passed through the golden portal, the three of them found themselves in what seemed to be a golden tunnel. Raizel's body, which was locked in their protective embrace, slowly started to turn into particles of light.

Lilith cried out in panic, but the young beauty only shook her head as she gazed lovingly at the Amazon Princess.

"I belong in a different timeline, so it's only natural that I cannot accompany both of you to where you are right now," Raizel stated. "Ma, do not cry. Like I said earlier, this is not goodbye, but see you soon."

"Yes," Lilith replied as the tears in her eyes fell like rain. "I'll see you soon."

Raizel smiled as she turned her head to William. "Pa…"

Once again Raizel hesitated as she bit her lip.

"It's fine," William said as he held her tight. "You don't need to say anything. Whatever happens, I will face it with everything I have."

Raizel closed her eyes as tears streamed down the side of her face.

"Un…"

A sigh escaped Raizel's lips as her entire body turned into particles of light, headed towards the light that would bring her to the future.

Lilith buried her face on William's chest as she cried her heart out. The red-headed teenager hugged her tight, as their bodies slowly turned into particles of light.

Headed towards the present, that would pave the path to the future.

—-

Raizel covered her eyes with the palm of her hands as she cried bitterly.

She had once again reappeared where she had been before she appeared in the Deadlands.

A few moments later, growling and snarling sounds reached her ears as countless Myriad Beasts encircled her delicate and frail figure.

She had entered a different Forbidden Land in search of a treasure that was very important to her. However, after searching for it for a very long time, she fell into a trap and found herself surrounded on all sides by Monsters that she had no hope of defeating.

The Young Beauty brushed away the tears on her face as she summoned Gleipnir. She then turned it into a Golden Lasso that encircled her like a viper.

Although she knew that this was a futile action on her part, she would not allow herself to die without honor.

She was an Amazon Princess, and until she drew her last breath, she would never surrender till the bitter end.

"Come!" Raizel shouted. "I will take you all to hell with me!"

That was the last thing she said before the monsters lunged at her, with the intention of feasting on her body until not even her bones were left.

Chapter 873: A Place That Was Out Of His Reach

Shannon pulled the brush back from the canvas and panted heavily.

She felt very drained, and felt that she could collapse at any moment. Even so, she stared at the painting in front of her, where three people hugged each other in front of a golden portal.

Within the depths of her purple eyes, she felt a little envious of them. For a brief moment, the girl who had spent most of her life inside the shrine, wished that she was with them.

Shannon wished that she had also been there in that unbelievable world that hovered between life and death.

Seeing her condition, the silver-haired man immediately supported her body to prevent her from falling over.

"You did well," the silver-haired man praised. "Now, let's put you to bed so you can rest."

"Yes," Shannon weakly replied as she allowed herself to be carried to the bed by her father.

After lying on her bed, It didn't take long before she fell asleep because she was truly exhausted.

The silver-haired man covered her body with a blanket as he returned to the drawing room where his daughter usually stayed during the day.

He once again looked at the finished paintings that hovered in the air around the room and closed his eyes.

"Morax is alive, and now he's with Surtr," Aamon muttered. "This sure complicates things."

The silver-haired man turned into particles of light as he disappeared from the World of Hestia. He needed to return to Hell in order to discuss these recent events with his allies.

Aamon hoped that after hearing his story, all of them would be able to come up with a solution for how to deal with the traitor that had collaborated with the God of Destruction.

—--

William and Lilith reappeared in the place where they were before they appeared in the Deadlands.

In the distance they could see Aldric (Diabolical Hell Ape) being mobbed by dozens of Black-Striped Terror Rats, which were also the ones that forced William and Lilith to fall into the River of Samsara.

"Lilith!"

"Understood!"

William kissed Lilith's lips and the latter transformed into particles of light and merged with the blue gem on his chest.

Soon, a golden crown, studded with jewels, appeared on William's head, and clothes befitting an emperor covered his body.

With a wave of his hand, several crystal spikes erupted from the ground and pierced the Myriad Beasts that were pinning down the Diabolical Hell Ape's body.

The Terror Rats screamed in pain as they shifted their attention towards the person that was interfering with their revenge.

As soon as their eyes met William's, they felt the aura of a wild beast that far surpassed their ranks.

The other Terror Rats, that had formed an encirclement to ensure that their target wouldn't escape, all panicked after sensing the Half-Elf's aura.

Currently, William had equipped his Vampire Progenitor Job Class which was at its max level. Meaning, the red-headed teenager's current strength was similar to that of a beast that was at the peak of the Myriad rank.

William didn't pay any attention to them and teleported beside Aldric, whose body was littered with injuries caused by bite and claw marks.

The Half-Elf punched, and kicked the Black-Striped Terror Rats and sent them flying towards the river of Samsara, which made them shriek in pain and fear.

When the last Terror Rat that had mobbed the Diabolical Hell Ape had fallen on the purple waters, the rest of their comrades cried out in panic as they fled in fear.

After seeing the fate of their brethren, they no longer wished to exact revenge on the Diabolical Hell Ape and just focused on escaping. They were afraid that if they didn't leave the place fast enough, the Vampire Progenitor wearing a crown would send all of them into the river, where they would enter several cycles of Death and Rebirth.

William didn't bother to chase after them because this was not his priority. He glanced at the Diabolical Hell Ape and switched Job Classes in order to help heal the injuries on his body.

"Thank you," Aldric said after returning to his human form. "I really thought I was a goner."

"You're welcome," William replied. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

The Half-Elf was sure that he had already healed most of Aldric's injuries, but he asked just in case he missed something.

Aldric shook his head as he told William that all of his injuries had been tended to, and there were no more problems with his body.

"By the way, I saw both of you fall into the river. How were you able to survive that?" the Diabolical Hell Ape wasn't able to stop himself from asking this question out of curiosity.

He knew for a fact that those that had fallen in the river would undergo the Trial of Samsara where they would live lifetime after lifetime, until they were able to break free from the chains that held their Fates in place.

"It's a long story," William replied. "I'll tell you some other time."

Aldric blinked in confusion. "What long story? You were in the river for two minutes tops before you came and helped me. Did you already experience several lifetimes in that short span of time?"

The Diabolical Hell Ape unconsciously shuddered as he gazed at the River of Samsara. The Terror Rats that had fallen on it were nowhere to be found. Aldric had no idea what happened to them, but one thing was certain.

He wouldn't see any of them for a period of time.

William smiled as he undid his union with Lilith. As soon as the Amazon Princess reappeared beside the Half-Elf, the majestic crown, and the imperial clothes that he wore also disappeared.

This was the first time that he had tried Familia Fusion with Lilith, and the outcome exceeded his expectations.

However, before Aldric could ask more questions, the Amazon Princess gasped as she placed a hand over her chest.

William wasn't feeling good either because a strange feeling of dread had suddenly washed over his body.

It was as if he was about to lose something very important to him, in a place that was out of his reach.

Chapter 874: Last For A Lifetime

"That feeling just now," Lilith looked at William with an anxious expression. "Could it be that something happened to our daughter?"

William wanted to say no in order to assure his lover that they might just be overthinking things, but something was stopping him from doing so. The only thing he could do was to hold Lilith tight, and wrap her in his protective embrace, while trying to calm down his own wildly beating heart.

The image of the young beauty with long red hair, and amber eyes flashed across Lilith's mind.

A feeling of dread and suffocation gripped her entire being, as she buried her head in William's chest in order to fight off the tears that were threatening to fall.

"What's wrong?" Aldric asked as he stared at the two people who suddenly had grim expressions on their faces. "Did something happen?"

The two didn't answer Aldric's question because neither of them dared to open their mouths. They were afraid that once they did, the worries in their hearts would become real.

The Diabolical Hell Ape didn't pry any further because he felt that the two were not in the mood to answer any questions. In the end, he sat cross-legged on the ground and meditated, while waiting for William and Lilith to resolve whatever issues they currently had.

—--

Tears streamed down the side of Raizel's face as she swung Gleipnir to repel the monsters that caused serious injuries to her body.

Her left arm had been torn off by a wolf-like creature when it had attacked her from behind.

Her clothes had long been stained by blood as a feeling of light-headedness assaulted her due to blood loss.

Raizel didn't have the strength to fight off the countless monsters that encircled her. The only thing she could do was swing his only remaining right arm, to guide Gleipnir's trajectory and hold the beasts at bay for a second or two.

As the young beauty raised her arm, the jewel embedded on her bracelet caught her attention.

This was the parting gift that Lilith had given her as a memento of their meeting in the Deadlands.

The bracelet wasn't magical or anything. It was one of Lilith's first creations when she was experimenting with the Power of Greed.

The Amazon Princess could mold any precious metals into any kind of object that she desired, and this bracelet was something that she had prepared to give to her first daughter when she was born.

This bracelet was now on her wrist, proving that she was Lilith's first-born-child.

'I'm sorry, Ma,' Raizel thought as she gritted her teeth. 'I'm sorry.'

A giant lizard-like creature swiped its tail at the young beauty that was using Gleipnir as a shield.

Raizel tried to meet its attack head-on, but she could no longer raise her right hand due to loss of blood and exhaustion.

In the end, the tail broke past her defenses and sent her flying several meters away, crashing to the ground, and rolling several more meters before coming to a complete stop.

Blood spilled at the corner of her lips as her sight grew blurry.

The creatures didn't rush at her, and simply walked in her direction. It was as if they wanted to feed on her fear and desperation.

They were like sadistic spectators who enjoyed the pain and suffering of others.

Raizel tried to move her arm in order to prop up her body, but her strength had finally abandoned her.

In the end, a bitter smile appeared on her beautiful face as she closed her eyes to accept her fate.

She had done her best, and fought until she could no longer fight.

Raizel thought of William and Lilith who had held her tight until the very last moment. She could still feel their warmth lingering in her body, and it gave her comfort.

The young beauty held on to those happy and warm memories as her body started to turn cold.

Although they were far apart, she felt at peace knowing that in her last moments, she was wrapped within their loving and protective embrace.

Seeing that their prey had finally given up, the monsters finally decided to go on for the kill. Their intelligent eyes held a bit of disappointment because they thought that the young beauty would beg for them to spare her life.

They wanted to see her groveling at their feet, begging them not to kill her.

But Raizel didn't do that.

She simply fought with everything she had until the last embers of her life burned away.

With a mighty roar, a giant Golden Lion lunged towards the lying girl on the ground.

He was the King of all the Myriad Beasts in his Domain, and anyone who entered his Domain was his for the taking.

As the giant jaws of death descended upon the young lady, who could no longer move her body, a portal opened right in front of the Golden Lion's path.

Everything happened so fast that no one saw what exactly happened. The only thing that they saw was that the Golden Lion suddenly went flying in the opposite direction and slammed into the walls of the spacious coliseum.

A Half-Elf with short red hair, and eyes that glowed in a golden hue stepped out of the portal.

Following behind him was a beautiful lady with long light-brown hair and amber eyes that looked similar to Raizel's.

The pair ignored the monsters around them and went to hold the young lady whose body had turned cold.

William pressed his palm over Raizel's chest and passed his life force directly into her body.

Half a minute later, the young beauty's eyes slowly opened as she looked up at the two blurry figures that were standing in front of her.

Although she couldn't see what they looked like, her heart had already identified both of them.

"Did you find the treasure you were looking for?" Lilith asked as she lovingly tucked the hair that covered her daughter's face behind Raizel's ear.

"No," Raizel answered as she raised her right hand to show Lilith the bracelet on her arm. "But I found something better. Isn't it beautiful?"

She was still feeling weak, but she no longer cared. Even if they were surrounded by countless Myriad Beasts, the fear in her heart had long disappeared. For she knew that even if the sky fell above their heads at this moment, her parents would carry it all on their shoulders.

"Indeed," Lilith smiled as she kissed her daughter's bloodied hand. "It is very beautiful. Just like you, My Love."

William stopped transferring life force in Raizel's body because he knew that too much would cause complications in the long run. Even the young beauty's left arm, that had been torn off, had regenerated, so the Half-Elf decided to stop the life force transfer and let Raizel recover naturally.

Now that his daughter was safe, William turned his head to look at the countless monsters that bullied his daughter and cracked his fists with a devilish smile on his face.

"F*cking pieces of sh*t!" William shouted as a powerful aura exploded around his body, which made all the hearts of the monsters tremble in fear. "How dare you bully my daughter?!"

Raizel watched as a one-sided massacre took place in the Domain that had trapped her for several months. Even though blood and pieces of flesh fell like rain, the young beauty found this sight to be a marvel to behold.

Although she hadn't found the treasure that she was originally searching for, the thing she did find was so priceless, that she felt that she'd found enough love and happiness… that would last for a lifetime.

Chapter 875: Renewing Feelings Of Love

"Are you feeling better?" Chiffon asked as she looked at Lilith who was currently resting her head on William's shoulder with her eyes closed.

The Half-Elf had wrapped his arms around her body in order to support her physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Both of them had decided to enter the Thousand Beast Domain until the feeling of anxiousness disappeared.

They had also brought Aldric with them, which gave the Diabolical Hell Ape a surprise when he saw the Domain that belonged to William.

After returning to the Villa, the two of them reunited with Chiffon who were very worried about their well-being. However, the pink-haired girl didn't ask them any questions because she instinctively felt that William and Lilith were suffering from something.

In the end, she just sat across the two of them and observed them while drinking the tea that Charmaine had prepared for them.

Color started to return to William's and Lilith's faces as the dreadful feeling in their hearts disappeared. Even so, they still feel anxious deep inside because they had a feeling that their bad premonition was somehow connected to their future daughter whom they had parted with not long ago.

"Don't worry," William whispered in Lilith's ear as he held her hand. "I'm sure she's fine. Knowing the two of us, we will not allow anything to happen to her. Not now, not in the future."

Lilith nodded her head in agreement. She knew her own character better than anything else, so she was sure that she would not stand by and allow anyone to harm her daughter.

"You're right," Lilith said after calming down. "I think I just miss her."

"Me, too." William patted her head. "But, she's going to be fine. After all, she is our daughter."

Chiffon blinked in confusion as she listened to William's and Lilith's talk.

She had only been separated from the two of them for ten minutes, and yet, she felt that many things had happened in that short period of time.

Actually, Chiffon wanted to ask William about the Dwarf that she saw not long ago. She felt as if she should know him, and yet, the pink-haired girl couldn't match his features to anyone that she had encountered in the past, which greatly troubled her.

'I'll ask Will later,' Chiffon thought as she looked at her husband with a curious expression.

The pink-haired girl may not have spent a long time with William, but she was well aware of his gestures, especially gestures that were reserved for his wives and lovers.

Seeing the way the Half-Elf held Lilith in his embrace made Chiffon wonder if Lilith would become William's next wife after Princess Sidonie.

Frankly, she was happy because one of her "sisters" would be marrying her husband. However, Chiffon was feeling anxious about the custom of Amazons. Although she didn't mind sharing William with Lilith, she would definitely not agree to Lilith sharing her husband with her entire tribe!

This was something that Chiffon would not agree to. This was why she decided to have a proper talk with Lilith in order to convince her that William wasn't someone that should be passed around like a tool for baby making.

Half an hour passed, and the two felt that the anxiousness in their hearts had finally disappeared.

Even so, they decided to rest in the Thousand Beast Domain for a day before resuming their journey to find the Hall of Thunder.

That night, William, Chiffon, and Lilith took a bath together.

The Half-Elf and Amazon Princess were surprised because they didn't see the reaction that they were expecting from the pink-haired girl, who seemed to be at fine with how things were.

The three were soaking inside the bathtub, with Chiffon leaning against William's body, while the Half-Elf had his arms wrapped around his pink-haired wife.

Lilith, on the other hand, soaked while seated opposite them. She had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the luxury of the warm water, that had not been available to them while they were in the Deadlands.

"Will, are you and Lilith now lovers?" Chiffon asked. Although she had a feeling that this was the case, it was still better to get confirmation from her husband, so that no misunderstandings would happen.

"Yes," William answered. "Are you surprised?"

"Just a little."

"Only a little?"

Lilith, who kept her eyes closed, perked up her ears in order to not miss anything in the conversation. Although it didn't show on her face, she was a bit worried about how William's wives would react to her becoming their husband's lover.

The Half-Elf had already told her during one of their love-making sessions that he would marry her. Even so, the Amazon Princess was still feeling worried and inferior to William's current wives, especially Princess Sidonie.

She had treated the beautiful Princess as her true rival in being able to secure William's affections, so she was preparing herself mentally for their inevitable confrontation.

"I know that beauty alone is not enough to move your heart, Big Brother." Chiffon subconsciously reverted to calling William Big Brother as she held his hands that were holding her small and delicate body.

"Since that is the case, you and Lilith must have found something in common. I don't really know what happened, but after both of you returned, I felt that the feelings you have with each other have changed."

Chiffon closed her eyes as she leaned on William's chest.

"Since I separated from the two of you when the Terror Rats attacked, the way you look at her had changed," Chiffon stated. "I don't believe that such a drastic change could possibly happen in the span of a few minutes. Big Brother, if possible, can you tell me what happened?"

William nodded. "Okay."

That night, William told Chiffon about what happened to them when the Black-Striped Terror Rats attacked.

The Half-Elf patiently told her what happened in the Deadlands, and how Lilith had fallen head over heels over him, which earned him a snort and a kick from the Amazon Princess that was seated across them.

Chiffon gasped when William had revealed that they had met their future daughter in the Deadlands, which made the pink-haired girl pout.

The adorable little Half-Dwarf began to ask William if he saw their future daughter as well, but the Half-Elf could only shake his head, and do his best to pacify Chiffon who felt jealous after hearing about Raizel's existence.

"Will, it's not fair," Chiffon said in a face filled with jealousy that he was seeing for the first time in his life. "Why didn't you see our daughter?"

Chiffon knew that she was being unreasonable, but she couldn't help feeling left out after discovering that William had met his and Lilith's daughter in that strange world, where they had finally accepted their feelings for each other.

"Don't worry," William said as he playfully rubbed the pink-haired girl's lower abdomen. "I'll make sure to make lots of babies with you as well. So, don't pout anymore, okay?"

"Three."

"Three?"

Chiffon turned around to face William. Her small body pressed against his chest, and her pinkish eyes stared straight at him, allowing him to see his reflection in their beautiful depths.

"Stop teasing me, Will."

"Sorry."

The Half-Elf kissed the pink-haired girl's lips before whispering words of love in her ears.

That night, William renewed his feelings of love, not only to Chiffon, but to the Amazon Princess whose passion had grown by leaps and bounds.

William and Lilith both knew that they couldn't force some things to happen. Even so, they were looking forward to the day, when that young beauty that they had loved in the Deadlands, would finally come their way.

Chapter 876: Primeval Storm Wolf Randall

After spending a night inside the Thousand Beast Domain to calm their emotions, William, Chiffon, Lilith, and Aldric once again set out to find the Hall of Thunder, which was the Half-Elf's main purpose in coming to the Seventh Sanctum.

Now that the threat of the Terror Rats were over, the group of four passed over the Rivers of Samsara by creating crystal bridges using the power of Lilith's Divinity.

Right now, the Amazon Princess was merged with William and the Half-Elf was empowering her ability to make the bridges sturdier.

After traveling for two days, the group finally arrived at a cliff overlooking a gigantic crater, where countless lightning bolts fell.

The roar of the lightning and thunder were so strong that it was impossible to communicate with each other. The Half-Elf was also forced to purchase noise canceling headphones from the God Shop, and communicated with his lovers through telepathy.

Aldric, on the other hand, was a Demonic Beast, and being in close proximity to Heavenly Lightning made him feel very uncomfortable. Because of this, William decided to let him stay inside the Thousand Beast Domain, while he looked for the Hall of Thunder.

When they approached the crater, the lightning falling from the sky intensified and some of them even descended upon their location.

This forced William to equip his Prestige Class, Prince of Thunder, in order to deflect the lightning bolts that were headed their way.

Out of curiosity, Chiffon opened her mouth and absorbed one of the Heavenly Lightning bolts to taste what it was like. After eating one, the pink-haired girl burped and frowned.

"What does it taste like?" William asked in curiosity.

"It has a metallic taste to it," Chiffon answered. "It's so-so."

"Can you rate it?"

"4 out of 10."

Lilith wasn't able to stop her face from twitching, while listening to the telepathic conversation that the two were having. It was as if she was hearing the talk of two food connoisseurs that were looking for rare dishes to eat.

After William and Chiffon finished their talk, the Half-Elf deemed that it was too dangerous for the two girls to accompany him, so he asked the two of them to wait for him in the Thousand Beast Domain.

Knowing that William was only doing this for their own good, the two girls agreed, leaving the Half–Elf alone beside the lightning infested crater.

After walking for over a hundred meters, the ground suddenly trembled and a gigantic silhouette appeared in front of William.

Within the chaotic lightning storm, a ten-meter tall wolf that seemed to be composed of pure lightning eyed William from the center of the crater.

The Half-Elf stopped walking and observed the majestic creature that he believed was in the middle stages of the Demigod Rank.

—-

< Primeval Storm Wolf Randall>

– Guardian of the Hall of Thunder

– Threat Level: Calamity (Mid)

– Demigod

– Cannot be added to the Herd

– When the Seventh Sanctum was created, the Primeval Storm Wolf, Randall, was born to become its true Overlord.

– It doesn't interfere with the lives within the Forbidden Domain and only stays in the Northern Frontier where the Hall of Thunder is located.

– As the Demigod that rules over the Seventh Sanctum, it has the power to command all the beasts that reside inside it. Great care should be observed when dealing with these ancient and noble creature

—---

"What is your purpose for coming here?" the Storm Wolf, Randall, asked using telepathy. "This is not the place for mortals to explore."

William gave the Storm Wolf a brief bow as a sign of respect, before telling it his purpose for coming.

"I came here seeking for the Hall of Thunder," William replied. "I wish to enter its halls in order to seek the help of the Gods of Thunder and Lightning."

The Storm Wolf gave William a weird look before laughing out loud, creating booming claps of thunder above the heavens. This lasted for a few minutes before the Wolf started to walk in the Half-Elf's direction with a teasing smile on its feral face.

"I'm sorry to say, but you came here in vain," Randall said. "The Gods of Thunder and Lightning died thousands of years ago. The Hall of Thunder is merely a shell of what it once was."

The Storm Wolf was about to say more when it noticed something peculiar on William's body. It lowered its head and took a whiff of the Half-Elf's scent and a frown appeared on its face.

"You… could you perhaps…" Randall was about to ask a question, but immediately dismissed the idea. "It's impossible. The Hall of Thunder won't open to just anyone."

"What do you mean when you say that the Hall of Thunder won't open to just anyone?"

"I mean what I said. Go back, boy. This is not the place for you."

William didn't move an inch from where he stood and simply stared at the Demigod who was looking down on him with an impatient look.

"I came here because the Gods told me to come here," William replied with his arms crossed over his chest. "Do you think I'm bored enough to take a stroll inside the Forbidden Lands?"

Randal growled as it looked down on the Half-Elf who was starting to irritate it. "I don't know if you are bored or not. All I know is that if you remain stubborn, you will be courting death.

"It has been hundreds of years since I last saw someone come here, seeking for the Hall of Thunder, but he went back empty handed. That person was a great person, probably one of the most powerful beings that I have met in my long lifetime. Even so, that didn't change anything. The Gods of Thunder and Lightning are dead. No one can bring them back to life."

"Hmp! I don't care what you say, I'm not going anywhere until I enter the Halls of Thunder." William replied stubbornly.

"I gave you a chance, mortal." Randal sneered. "But, since you want to throw your life away then I will gladly send you to the afterlife."

William snorted. "Well, I don't see you doing that anytime soon."

Although he was facing off against a Demigod, William wasn't afraid.

The reason for this was simple. According to the System, Randall was a creature formed from the pure force of nature. Its entire being was made up of Heavenly Lightning, which meant that it could only use lightning based attacks that William wasn't afraid of.

In fact, he even looked forward to it. He wanted to know if his current Job Class, Prince of Thunder, was capable of withstanding one of the primal forces in the world, that was known to be destructive and unpredictable.

Chapter 877: You Understand How Awesome I Am

Two lightning bolts, one golden, the other blue, clashed repeatedly creating powerful shockwaves every time they collided.

After a quarter of an hour, the two figures backed away from each other.

"As expected, someone who is looking for the Hall of Thunder will never be a simple person," Randall said as streaks of lightning covered its body.

William smiled as he took a fighting stance. "I can do this all day."

Just like he expected, Randall could only use lightning bolts. Although he had to admit that the power of the Heavenly Thunder was truly powerful, the most it could do to him was tickle him.

"It's no use, Half-Elf." Randal growled. "The only way you can enter the Hall of Thunder is when you defeat me."

William smiled. "Sounds simple enough."

The Half-Elf raised his hand as a golden staff materialized in front of him. This was the first time he would be attempting to use this ability, and a part of him was feeling excited about it.

"I call upon the Great Sage," William chanted as the golden staff glowed brightly. "Heaven's Equal who looked down upon the world in disdain. Please, hear my call and descend upon the Mortal Realm. Show them the true power of the one and only handsome Monkey King!"

"Sun Wukong!"

The thunder clouds parted and a flash of golden light fell on William's body from the Heavens.

Immediately, a golden tornado erupted around the Half-Elf, blocking him from Randall's view. Golden lightning snaked around the tornado, as an overpowering presence burst forth from inside it.

When the tornado receded, a grinning Sun Wukong appeared holding Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand. The Monkey King then picked on his ears using his pinky finger as if cleaning them in preparation for battle.

'This is the first time that you've personally asked me to fight for you,' Sun Wukong said. 'You know that you can only use this ability once a month, right?'

'Yes,' William replied. 'However, having this awesome ability and not using it is a shame. The world should know the name of the Mighty Monkey King, and let your stories be heard.'

'Kakaka! This is what I like about you, Will. You understand how awesome I am.'

'Yes. The word awesome was made to describe your greatness, your Excellency.'

Sun Wukong was currently possessing William's body, which allowed the Monkey King to fully use his powers in the Mortal Realm. This was a skill that had been available to William for a very long time, but due to its long cooldown, he hadn't used it even once.

Although Randall couldn't deal significant damage to him, he also couldn't deal significant damage to the Storm Wolf. A Demigod was still something that he couldn't fight head-on.

Fighting against Morax had only been possible because he had the help of Mjolnir as well as the Laws of the Deadlands. Right now, he needed pure, brute force, in order to force the Storm Wolf into submission, and the only one that could help him do that was Sun Wukong.

Randall frowned after seeing the monkey in front of it. As a Demigod, it stood at the peak of the Mortal Realm. Even so, in front of the creature in front of it, it felt a threat that it had never felt before, which made all the fur in its body stand on end, intensifying the power of the lightning bolts that its body was releasing.

"My name is Sun Wukong."

"I didn't ask to know your name."

"I know," Sun Wukong smirked. "I just want to let you know the name of the awesome guy who will beat you into submission."

Randall growled. "For an annoying primate, you talk a lot."

"Kakaka!" The Monkey King laughed as he took a step forward. In that single step, he had crossed the distance between him and the Storm Wolf who still had no idea what it was up against.

"Reject humanity!" Sun Wukong shouted as Ruyi Jingu Bang grew in size. "Return to Monke!"

The golden staff smashed the side of Randall's face sending it hurtling towards the sky. Everything happened so fast that the Storm Wolf didn't understand what happened. As a being born from Heavenly Lightning, it was one of the fastest Demigods in Hestia, and yet, it wasn't able to see Sun Wukong's attack even if its full attention was at the monkey the whole time!

As the Storm Wolf was still reeling from the pain that it was feeling on the side of its face, a playful voice reached its ears.

"What's furry and dangerous and lives in the Celestial Realm?" Sun Wukong asked. "Time's up! The answer is… ME!"

The Storm Wolf was once again hit in the side of its face, only this time, it was hit on the other side of its face, sending it crashing towards the ground. The Monkey King then held his golden staff and aimed it at the ground with a smirk.

"Monkey King War Art, First Form," Sun Wukong said as he thrust his golden staff towards the ground. "Heaven Piercer!"

A giant golden staff, the size of a castle, smashed down on Randall's body, pinning it to the ground and creating a massive crater in its surroundings.

As the true owner of Ruyi Jingu Bang, Sun Wukong was able to unleash stronger and more devastating attacks, which would make William's usual Heroic Avatar pale in comparison.

'Randall is not dead, right?' the Half-Elf asked as he felt his liver itching, after imagining what it was like to be on the receiving end of such a destructive attack.

'Nah,' Sun Wukong replied. 'I only used a tenth of my full power. If it can't take a hit like that then it can quit being a Demigod.'

William's lips twitched as he looked at the devastated landscape through Sun Wukong's eyes. Seeing that the smug-faced Monkey King had bragged about holding back his power in order to not kill his opponent made William curse internally.

After seeing that destruction in front of him, the Half-Elf believed that if he had summoned Sun Wukong back in the Deadlands, Morax would have definitely been flattened like a pancake.

Chapter 878: I Will Watch Over You From The Stars

"Give up?"

"..."

'Is he really not dead?' William asked as he looked at the Storm Wolf whose eyes had turned completely white.

Sun Wukong poked its head using his golden staff, but Randall was out cold.

"Welp, maybe I should whack it one more time in order to wake it up?" Sun Wukong pondered while rubbing his chin. "I guess I'll just do that."

As if sensing its impending doom, the Storm Wolf suddenly regained its consciousness and stared at the Monkey King in fear, as it tried to prop its body off the ground, but the golden staff that was pressed against its head, held it in place.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sun Wukong asked in a teasing tone. "My boy, Will, wants to enter the Hall of Thunder. You're going to take us there, right?"

Randall nodded its head like a hen pecking rice. It was afraid that if it said no, the Monkey King would introduce it to a new world of pain. Even with its lightning-fast speed, it wasn't able to even dodge the incoming attacks, as if it was being held in place by an invisible force.

Knowing that escape was not possible, the Storm Wolf decided to just give up and allow William to enter the Hall of Thunder that it was protecting.

After being released from Sun Wukong's hold, the Storm Wolf raised its head toward the sky and howled.

A minute later, all the lightning in the heavens congregated together to form a silver-gate that hovered in the sky. An emblem of a lightning bolt was embedded in its center, marking it as the entrance to the Hall of Thunder that the Half-Elf was seeking.

"Go," Randall said in an almost pleading voice. "I didn't lie to you when I said that trying to go inside it is useless. You will soon understand that you have taken this trip in vain."

Sun Wukong just smiled as he somersaulted towards the gate and kicked it open. After the Monkey King entered, the gate immediately closed before returning to the storm clouds that hid it from plain sight.

—---

"This is as far as I will go," Sun Wukong said. "Just call me again when something interesting comes up, okay?"

"Thank you, your Excellency," William replied. "I will definitely ask for your help again once I encounter something that is beyond my capabilities."

Sun Wukong laughed before returning to the Celestial Realm. For now, the Monkey King would visit the peach gardens and look for something good to eat.

As William walked across the empty hallways, he noticed that the Hall of Thunder was truly a dreary place.

He could not feel anything from it. Only a sense of nothingness, as if it had been abandoned for a very long time.

As he walked past the murals, he could see images of times long forgotten. A time when the Gods of Thunder and Lightning roamed the heavens, making everyone's hearts tremble in their wake.

After walking for some time, he arrived at what seemed to be an altar.

Judging from its looks, William was sure that this had once been a very important place, where people visited to pay homage to the Gods and communicate with them to seek their counsel.

As William stared at the emptiness around him, a small chirp reached his ears.

The chirping sound continued, and the Half-Elf scratched his head in confusion because the sound was coming from his Thousand Beast Domain.

Of course, he already knew who the chirper was, so he decided to summon the little guy to see what it wanted.

"Aethon, come," William ordered and a small portal appeared.

The little Wren that had followed William in his journey chirped happily before landing on his shoulder.

"Okay, why are you being lively today?"

"Chirp!"

"Because you just felt like it?"

"Chirp!"

William chuckled because it had been a while since he had asked Aethon to do anything for him. The Wren usually spent its time inside the Thousand Beast Domain hanging out with the friends he had made along the way.

After a while, the little wren flew towards the altar and landed on top of it. It then chirped at William telling him to come closer.

Since he had nothing better to do, the Half-Elf decided to humor the little guy and stood in front of the Altar with his arms crossed.

"Well, I am here," William said with a smile. "What do you want me to do?"

"Chirp!"

"Hit the altar with lightning?"

"Chirp!"

Aethon flapped its wings and circled William twice before landing on his shoulder.

"Okay, here goes nothing." William pointed his finger at the altar and shot out a lightning bolt.

The moment the lightning bolt hit the altar, tendrils of lightning spread throughout the entire room, making the runes that were inscribed on the walls glow brightly.

Soon, William was enveloped by a blinding light, which forced him to shield his eyes.

When the light disappeared, the Half-Elf found himself in a mountainous region, surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of two people speaking, which prompted him to look behind him.

The moment his gaze landed on the beautiful lady with long, light-blue hair, and purple eyes, William felt his breath catch in his throat.

A glance was enough to tell him that the lady in front of him was not Human, due to the two purple horns on her head. Even so, William didn't find them out of place. In fact, he found them quite charming.

A ringing sound fluttered in the wind, as the silver bell on her neck shook softly. William was very familiar with that bell, for it was the same one that he had given to the one that helped raise him since he was a child.

As William stood rooted in place, the handsome man who was standing beside the beautiful lady sighed as he held her hand firmly.

"Are you sure that you won't change your mind?" the handsome man said. "I will be lonely without you by my side."

The beautiful lady chuckled as he looked up at the man who was taller than her by a head.

"You of all people will not be lonely," the beautiful lady said. "I'm sure that after I leave, you will sneak inside a nymph's abode and trick her into spending the night with you."

"... is my reputation that bad?"

"Very bad."

The man scratched his head helplessly as he gazed into her beautiful eyes that meant the world to him. "Will you really not change your mind, Amalthea? The world still needs you. I need you."

The beautiful lady shook her head as she raised her hand to caress the handsome man's face.

"Don't worry, I will watch over you from the stars." Amalthea promised. "I will also leave this with you. You can wear, or carry, it wherever you go. This will protect you in my place."

The beautiful lady presented a robe made of skin to the handsome man.

The man accepted it and held it in his arms with great care.

"Does it have a name?" the handsome man asked.

Amalthea nodded. "Its name is Aegis. Wearing it will give you a suit of armor. If you carry it, it will transform into a shield that will repel any attacks that fall on its surface. This is my last gift to you, so please, use it well."

"I will take good care of it," the handsome man promised.

The beautiful lady nodded her head as she resolutely took two steps back from the handsome man whom she cared for. "It's time for me to go."

William didn't know if it was just a coincidence or not, but the beautiful lady glanced in his direction, and gave him a loving smile that seemed to hold a promise.

A promise that she would definitely keep no matter how long it took.

Chapter 879: Let Me Show You My Hospitality

The beautiful lady, Amalthea, seemed to look in William's direction for quite some time, before she shifted her gaze back to the handsome man in front of her.

"I'm going ahead first." Amalthea patted the handsome man's shoulder with a smile.. "Don't miss me too much."

The handsome man sighed, "You're asking for the impossible."

Amalthea smiled mischievously as her body started to float.

"Remember this, Dias," Amalthea said softly. "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. As to what you wish to do in the future, know that I will always be on your side."

The beautiful lady then transformed into a golden beam of light and shot towards the Heavens.

The handsome man watched this scene with tears streaming down his face. A few moments later, several stars appeared in the sky forming the constellation that would be later known as the zodiac sign Capricorn.

William, who had watched everything unfold, felt an ache in his heart. Although this was the first time that he had seen the beautiful lady with long, light blue hair, he felt that he had seen her before.

He believed that she was someone very dear to him, someone who had been with him for a very long time.

As William stared at the bright stars that were shining in the sky, he could feel that someone was looking at him.

Shifting his gaze to the handsome man who was standing just a few meters away from him, the Half-Elf realized that the man whose name was, Dias, was looking at him intently. Tear-stains could be seen on his face, and yet, that didn't tarnish his good looks, which made him look more… Human.

"Friend who doesn't belong in this era, why are you crying?" Dias asked.

"Crying? I'm not cryi–," William wasn't able to finish his words because he had subconsciously raised his hands to touch his face.

He could feel something wet on his fingers and that was when he realized that he had cried without knowing that he cried.

Dias smiled, as he wiped the tears in his own eyes as he tried his best to look composed and dignified in front of the stranger whom he was seeing for the first time.

"Very few people are able to reach this place," Dias stated. "I can see that you are a mortal, albeit not an ordinary one. So, tell me, friend, did you come from the past, or perhaps the future?"

Dias gave William a critical gaze as he pondered why such a person had arrived in one of the most secluded places in the world.

The Half-Elf shook his head because he didn't know the answer to this question. After appearing in the Deadlands, his concept of past, present, and future, had completely changed.

The man in front of him was wearing elegant clothes that wouldn't look out of place in the world of Hestia, so he couldn't tell which timeline he was in.

Seeing his discomfort, Dias chuckled as he walked up to William with a smile.

The Handsome man was taller than William, and his body was also more refined than his own.

Dias radiated a powerful presence that William was very familiar with. The Half-Elf had no doubt in his mind that the person that was in front of him was a God, and a very powerful one at that.

"C-Can you tell me who that beautiful lady is?" William inquired. He really wanted to know the identity of the beautiful lady who had made his heart ache, just by looking at her.

Dias immediately frowned after hearing William's question. The two-meter tall handsome man grabbed the red-headed teenager by the scruff of his neck and raised him easily with one hand.

"Boy, I know that Amalthea is beautiful and no mortal is capable of taking their eyes off her," Dias said in a voice with a trace of anger, "but she's off limits. It will be best if you forget about her. Do I make myself clear?"

Lightning crackled around the man's body and thunder boomed in the heavens. Clearly, Dias didn't like people who were trying to get any information regarding Amalthea.

Knowing that he might get into trouble if he continued the discussion, William nodded, which prompted Dias to release him.

"Sorry," Dias apologized after regaining his calm. "My emotions got the better of me."

"It's fine," William replied. "I was being rude by asking for information about her out of the blue. Let me introduce myself first. My name is William Von Ainsworth. Just call me William."

Dias nodded in acknowledgement. "Just call me Dias. Tell me, friend. What is your purpose for coming here? Do you need something from me?"

William blinked once then twice before finally remembering how he had appeared in this strange place. He then told Dias the truth, in the hope that the handsome man would be able to help him unlock the final Job Class of his Prince of Thunder Job Class.

"I came here through the Hall of Thunder," William answered. "I reached a bottleneck, and I need help in order to make a breakthrough. I am hoping that you can help me."

Dias rubbed his chin as he eyed William from head to toe. "You said you came from the Hall of Thunder, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Without giving any warning, Dias pressed his palm over William's chest and shot a powerful lightning bolt at point blank range.

The Half-Elf flew several meters away until he slammed into the wall of the mountain next to the one that they were standing on.

Smoke rose up from William's chest, as he propped himself from the ground. The Half-Elf then looked at his burned robe in shock because even the Heavenly Thunder that he had faced in the Seventh Sanctum wasn't able to destroy it while his Prince of Thunder Job Class was equipped.

Unknown to William, Dias was more shocked than him because he didn't expect that his strike was only strong enough to burn the Half-Elf's clothes. Although he didn't attack with the intention to kill, the lightning bolt he unleashed was still enough to give serious injuries to someone that was hit by it.

The reason he had attacked William was because he thought the boy was lying. Only those that had the power to wield the Power of Thunder and Lightning could enter the Hall of Thunder.

Right now, the only one who could enter that sacred place in this world, was none other than himself.

Angered by Dias' sudden attack, William also fired a lightning bolt in the God's direction.

The handsome man didn't move and allowed the lightning bolt to hit him.

Although William expected it, he still felt pissed when the lightning bolt dispersed before it even hit Dias' body.

"I see, so you hold considerable power as well." Dias nodded. "I now believe your claim that you have come from the Hall of Thunder."

William wanted to slap Dias so badly. Gods were known to be able to tell if someone was lying or not. So, he didn't believe that Dias didn't know that he was telling the truth.

Seeing his face filled with injustice, the handsome man raised an eyebrow.

'Strange. I can't tell if he's lying or not,' Dias thought. 'Also, I can't read his thoughts. This is the first time that this has happened. I'm really curious about this mortal's identity now.'

After William changed his robes, he didn't dare move closer to the unpredictable God who seemed to be suffering from mood swings.

"Since this is a special occasion, why don't you come with me, William?" Dias asked. "I will take you to a place to enjoy good food, wine, and women. What do you say?"

"Sorry, but I'll pass," William answered. 'Hmp! Do you think I'm stupid? Why would I go with a crazy god like you?'

Dias appeared beside William and pressed his hand over the Half-Elf's shoulder. "But I insist. Come, let me show you my hospitality."

Before William could voice his rejection, Dias had already grabbed his waist and turned into a lightning bolt, streaking across the night sky.

The red-headed teenager was powerless because the God held him in a vice-grip, preventing him from breaking free.

In the end, he decided to give up and just go with the flow.

Perhaps after spending some time with this moody, yet handsome, man, he would find a way to break through his bottleneck and unlock the final form of his Prince of Thunder Job Class.

Chapter 880: A Very Special Existence

William had no words to describe his current feelings as he sat on a cushy chair, being hand-fed grapes by a scantily dressed pretty girl, while another girl, similarly dressed, filled his cup with wine.

He awkwardly ate the grape as he looked at Dias who seemed to be drowning his sorrow with food, wine, and women.

Right now, the handsome man was surrounded by six beautiful ladies, who were scantily dressed, and seemed hellbent on seducing him.

Dias didn't reject or accept their advances. He merely sat there, and allowed them to feed him as they pleased.

"William, your hair is very smooth." one of the four ladies who were serving William brushed his hair with her delicate hands. "How do you manage to keep it like this?"

"I wash it everyday with shampoo," William answered absentmindedly.

"Shampoo?"

"Um, it's a specialty of my hometown."

"I see. I'd love to have one. Can you give me one as a gift in the future?"

"Of course."

"No fair! I want one too!"

"I want one as well!"

William assured everyone that the next time he visited, he would give them all a bottle of shampoo.

'It's not like I'm going to come here again, so might as well just say yes to everything!' William thought as he drank the wine in his hand.

He had drank a lot of wine in the past, but the wine he was drinking right now was incredibly delicious. Actually, it didn't taste like wine. It tasted more like a sweet nectar that revitalized every fiber of his being.

"This wine is delicious," William said as he looked at the lady that had poured wine for him. However, after seeing the beauty in front of him, he realized that the one that had been pouring him wine earlier was now massaging his foot.

"I'm glad you liked it," the beautiful lady with golden hair and blue eyes replied with a smile. "This wine is something I personally brewed, so it doesn't have a name."

William could feel his apprehension being washed away by the wine's effects, making him feel at ease.

"Although the wine doesn't have a name, it is still made by you," William commented. "May I know your name?"

The golden-haired beauty smiled as she gave her name to the Half-Elf who was brought to their Domain by her father.

"My name is Hebe," Hebe answered. "Do you want some more wine?"

William nodded. "Yes, please."

As the feast dragged on, William ate, and drank freely. He didn't even notice that it was already late in the night, and Dias was no longer around.

The handsome man had retired to his chambers, bringing the ladies who were serving him earlier along.

The other servants had also disappeared, and only Hebe accompanied William as the two of them exchanged stories.

Perhaps due to the influence of the wine, William felt more bold and carefree and asked Hebe about the lady that he had seen alongside Dias.

"Are you referring to Lady Amalthea?" Hebe asked.

"Yes," William answered. "I believe that your father called her that."

Hebe smiled and glanced at her surroundings. Although no one could be seen around them, she still decided to lead William to the guest chambers, so that no one would be able to overhear their discussion.

William was feeling light-headed, and couldn't walk straight. Because of this, Hebe supported his body until they reached their destination.

After letting the Half-Elf sit on the couch, she sat beside and let the Half-Elf rest his head on her lap.

"Lady Amalthea is a very special existence to Father," Hebe said as she gently brushed William's hair. "Due to certain circumstances, father was taken away to a safe place to hide when he was newly born. It was Lady Amalthea that raised him.

"As he grew up, he treated her as his second mother. In fact, he loved her so much that she was the only one that could scold him, and get away with it!"

Hebe giggled as if remembering all the times her father had to run and hide because he had accidentally angered Amalthea one way or another.

William felt slightly better knowing that the moody Dias had found someone that could make him flee as if his life depended on it.

"Are they lovers?" William asked. He had been hesitant to ask this question. For some reason, a part of him didn't want to imagine the blue-haired beauty acting like one of the serving girls that were doing their best to offer themselves to Dias during the feast.

Hebe firmly shook her head. "No. They weren't lovers. Lady Amalthea is the only lady in this world that father doesn't dare to treat in that manner. Of course… I can tell that he wants her. However, he loves and respects her so much that he doesn't dare to touch her.

"This is only my opinion, but I think Father is afraid that if he crossed that line, he would never be the same again."

William breathed out a sigh of relief after hearing Hebe's explanation.

The golden-haired beauty noticed this as well, so she lightly pinched William's cheeks to show her displeasure.

"Well, I can't blame you," Hebe said after releasing William's cheeks from her hold. "Lady Amalthea is indeed beautiful. If not for the fact that Zeus had declared that he would fight anyone who laid their hands on her to the death, the other Gods might have tried to get into her good graces."

William offered a short hum in reply to Hebe's explanation. He then asked the question that was bothering him.

"Why did she choose to leave?" William asked. "Did something happen?"

Hebe stopped brushing William's head, as a sad expression appeared on her beautiful face. "I only heard a rumor, but I don't know if it is true. Are you interested to hear it?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Hebe sighed as she closed her eyes. She had pressed her soft, and delicate right palm over William's chest, while her left hand continued to brush his hair.

"This rumor has been going around the residence as of late that Lady Amalthea started to behave strangely after meeting with the Oracle of Delphi," Hebe stated. "She would look at the night sky every night, and mutter a word from time to time. The funny thing is… that word closely resembles your name."

"My name?"

"Yes. I even heard Lady Amalthea say it once when I went to see her in order to offer my homemade wine. She was so focused on her thoughts, that she didn't notice that I was standing right behind her. That is when I heard her say the word 'Will' over and over again."

Hebe opened her eyes and stared at William who was staring back at her.

"I don't know if she was using the word 'Will' like 'will it happen?' or 'will it come true?'," Hebe said firmly. "Then, after seeing you appear here, I thought that maybe, the word 'Will' isn't really a word, but a name."

The beautiful golden-haired beauty pursed her lips as she lowered her head until it was only a few inches away from William's.

The Half-Elf could smell her sweet, and fruity breath, which was similar to fresh apples. William was feeling light-headed and carefree due to the wine he had drunk. He even had this sudden urge to take a bite of this apple, and see what it tasted like.

Hebe wasn't aware of William's thoughts because she believed that the mortal was too intoxicated by her homemade wine. She deemed that after some light prodding, she would get the answers to the questions that she was dying to ask.

After seeing that William's gaze was starting to soften, she decided that the time was now ripe to go ahead with her plan.

"Tell me, stranger that came from another world. Are you perhaps that person that Lady Amalthea was talking about?" Hebe asked. Her clear blue eyes seemed to penetrate William's very soul as if seeking the answer to her question.

As a God, she also had the power to detect lies, and read the thoughts of mortals around her, but just like her father, she wasn't able to hear William's thoughts.

This made Hebe believe that there was only one explanation for this phenomenon.

William didn't come from their world, so he wasn't bound by their laws.

This made Hebe very interested in him, which prompted her to use her special wine to muddle his thoughts, and pry the answer she was looking for from his lips.

Chapter 881: I Don't Want To Be Called A Womanizer

"I don't know," William answered Hebe's question. "Even though today was the first time I saw her, I believe that that was not our first meeting. I feel like… I have seen her before. I just can't remember when."

William could tell that Hebe was trying to pry answers from him, but he didn't mind. He also had the same motive, so saying his sincere thoughts about Amalthea would help him gain Hebe's trust and allow him to pry more information from her lips.

"You feel like you've met her before?"

"Yes. But, I don't know where."

"How very peculiar," Hebe straightened herself as she leaned back on the couch. She continued to brush William's head with her hand, as she digested the information she'd gathered from William.

The Half-Elf, in his drunken state, closed his eyes to enjoy the comfortable feeling. The two stayed in this position for quite some time before William drifted into a dreamless sleep, unaware that a certain handsome man was watching him from the shadows.

The next day, William awoke when he felt several hands caressing his body in different places. It was then when he found himself in what seemed to be a spring, without his clothes on, and being washed by the four beauties that had accompanied him at the feast a few hours ago.

The gears in the Half-Elf's half asleep brain started to churn, while the four beauties giggled as they continued to touch and clean him everywhere.

"So, you're finally awake," A deep and masculine voice said from his right side, which made the Half-Elf turn his head to the side.

Dias, who was being cleaned up by eight naked beauties, gave William a confident smile in greeting.

As William's brain tried to process everything that was happening around him, a set of choices appeared in his head.

The first choice was to break free from the four ladies who were currently washing his body zealously, and run away.

The second choice was to act as if everything was fine and chat with Dias about the weather.

The third option was to politely ask the ladies if they could return his clothes to him, so that he could wear them.

After a brief internal struggle, William smiled as he stared at the handsome Dias whose hands were actively groping the ladies, who were more than happy to receive his affection.

"Fine weather we are having today, eh?" William said as he gazed at Dias. "I have to say, your hospitality is truly extraordinar– um, girl, please don't touch my tralala. I'm already married."

After hearing William's words, the four ladies, as well as the eight that were servicing Dias all giggled as if finding his words very funny.

Dias was also smiling, but deep inside he was very impressed because William wasn't affected by the beauty of the Nymphs.

These ladies who had driven many men crazy due to their beauty were doing their best to seduce the red-headed teenager, but it had no effect on the Half-Elf.

'Well, Hebe's beauty didn't seem to affect him as well, so it is perfectly normal for him to be able to resist the advances of the Nymphs,' Dias thought as he continued to observe the young man who had covered his… with his hands to prevent the Nymphs from groping it.

"You're already married?" Dias asked.

"Yes," William answered.

Dias gave the Half-Elf a knowing smile.

"They say that great men have many wives. I myself have seven wives," Dias said with a smug expression that was oozing of charisma. "How about you? How many wives do you have?"

"Currently, I have four legally wedded wives," William replied. For some reason, a part of him wanted to compete with Dias, so he decided to add a bit more to his answer. "But, I have six other fiances who are waiting for me to marry them."

As the Half-Elf expected, the smile on Dias' face stiffened when he heard that William had more wives than him. For him, this was unacceptable, so he decided to fight back to show that he was manlier than him.

"Actually, I have many other lovers," Dias stated. "I just didn't say it out loud because I don't want to be called a womanizer."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the reply of the handsome man who was busy groping all the ladies that were pressing their bodies against his.

For a brief moment, the Half-Elf even felt some regret on Dias face as if he was wishing that he had more hands, so that he could play with all the ladies around him at the same time.

"I see." William nodded.

The two stopped talking and only the giggles of the Nymphs who were splashing their bodies with water could be heard in the spring. Half an hour later, Dias left, followed by his beautiful entourage.

As William was pondering on what to do, Hebe strolled to the spring carrying a set of clothes for William to wear.

"The clothes you wore last night are dirty, so I decided to have them washed for the time being," Hebe said. "Please, get dressed. There is someone who wants to meet with you."

"Someone wants to meet me?"

"Yes."

"Who?" William asked. He had just arrived yesterday and there was already someone who wanted to meet him. The Half-Elf found this affair very strange.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you," Hebe answered with a complicated look on her face. Honestly, she didn't know why that person would ask to meet William. All she knew was that she had been given an order that she must fulfill no matter what.

"Can I not go?"

"You can't. You must go even if you don't want to go."

William scratched his head, but in the end, he decided to meet the person who had asked to meet him.

Hebe's complexion wasn't that good, so he believed that this was a person of great importance.

'Just who is this person that can make even a God feel anxious?' William thought as he followed Hebe into the hallway of the residence.

The two walked for ten minutes before arriving at a dead end, where a three-meter tall black obsidian mirror, that reflected nothing, stood facing the two of them.

Chapter 882: It Is Very Rare For Me To Have Guests

"Go," Hebe said as she patted William's shoulder. "She is waiting for you on the other side."

William frowned, but he still decided to take a step forward. Right now, he didn't know where he was, or how he would be able to get out of this place.

In order to break through his bottleneck, he went to find the Hall of Thunder, inside the Forbidden Ground. After successfully arriving at his destination, he was sent into this world where Gods resided.

'Maybe I'll find the answer beyond this mirror,' William thought as he took another step forward towards the mirror.

After arriving directly in front of it, he pressed his hand on its surface in order to test his theory.

Just like he expected, his hand passed through the mirror without any problems. William took a deep breath before moving forward to enter the mirror.

Only when he had disappeared from her sight did Hebe breathe out a sigh of relief. She really didn't know why that person called for William.

'I better tell my father about this.' Hebe hurriedly left to find her father in order to tell him what was going on. She hoped that Dias would be able to tell her why William had been asked to meet with the person who resided on the other side of the world.

—-

William found himself in a world that was in complete darkness. Even though he was a Half-Elf, his vision couldn't see past a meter in front of him.

Just as he was about to conjure some light to guide his way when several floating orbs of blue light shone in the distance.

"Come. Oh, traveler from the future," a silky and seductive voice of a lady reached William's ears that made him unconsciously shudder. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I just want to talk."

William took deep breaths in order to calm himself and his body. The voice had barely said a few words, but it was more than enough to make him feel faint.

The Half-Elf knew that he was being subjected to a form of suppression. Even though he had a feeling that the owner of the voice meant him no harm, her mere words contained enough power to make his very soul shudder.

Gritting his teeth, William followed the orbs of light and traveled that pitch-black world for several hours.

He didn't know how long he had walked, but each step he took took a toll on his willpower. It was as if the world of darkness was draining all the light, emotions, and life from his body.

Just as he decided to remain still to catch his breath, his eyes broke through the darkness and saw an obsidian throne in front of him.

Sitting on the throne was an otherworldly beauty that almost took William's breath away. The lady in front of him was so beautiful that no other lady that William had met in his lifetime could hold a candle to her.

Not even the beautiful lady with light-blue hair, and purple horns, that made his heart ache in sadness.

"Come," the lady said with a smile that almost made William's knees turn to jelly. "Let me take a closer look at you."

William stood his ground and didn't dare to move. He felt that if he took one more step, his legs would give way, which would cause him to collapse in this dark world that was colder than ice.

Seeing that her guest didn't want to obey her command, the beautiful lady snapped her fingers.

Immediately, several black chains coiled themselves around William's body.

The Half-Elf tried to break free but he couldn't muster any strength in his body. In fact, the more he resisted, the faster his strength waned. It came to the point when he simply hung limp in their hold, unable to move a muscle.

The moment he stopped resisting, the chains moved and pulled him closer towards the throne where the beautiful lady looked at him with great curiosity.

"It is very rare for me to have guests," the beautiful lady said as she cupped William's face. "Especially someone that came from the future."

William decided to make a last ditch effort and unleashed all of the powers he could muster.

The Half-Elf's body glowed as golden lightning bolts snaked around his body. He was planning to break free from the chains that bound him and escape by traveling at the speed of lightning.

But, before he could execute his plan, the beautiful lady kissed his lips and drained all of the power that he had gathered up.

Half a minute later, the beautiful lady pulled back, savoring the exquisite taste of William's existence.

"I see… so it's really you," the beautiful lady caressed the side of William's face. "You are the reason why Amalthea decided to give up her immortality."

The Half-Elf hadn't heard the beautiful lady's words because he had already lost consciousness after all of his strength had been drained from his body.

The corner of the beautiful lady's lips curled up into a smile as she pulled William closer to her.

The lady took off William's upper robe and kissed the blue gem that faintly glowed on William's chest.

"I can sense a strand of darkness in your very soul, which means that you are connected to me one way or the other," the Primordial Goddess said with mild surprise as if she had discovered a hidden gem among countless rocks.

"Although I can't use my powers to see your memories, your soul feels familiar and unfamiliar at the same time… just, who are you? Why did Amalthea decide to give up her Divinity for you?"

The beautiful goddess pulled William close to her and made the unconscious Half-Elf sit on her lap. She then rested his head on her chest, while her finger lightly tapped the blue gem on his chest making the light inside it grow dimmer every second.

"Sorry Amalthea," the beautiful lady said as she playfully brushed William's lips with her delicate finger. "I don't know who this child is, but I'll be sure to get to know him more from now on. For the time being, I'll indulge myself and have my fill first. It's your fault for trying to hide something so precious from me."

It was at that moment when all the light in that dark world disappeared until nothing remained, but total darkness.

Chapter 883: A Place That Only Belonged To Him

Just as soon as everything descended into darkness, several bright lights suddenly appeared in the sky of the pitch-black world, which made the beautiful goddess frown.

Soon, the lights converged forming a constellation. A dazzling golden light shone down upon William's body, who was cradled in the beautiful goddess' embrace.

A second later, the Half-Elf's body was covered by a golden barrier, which made the Goddess' frown deepen.

A moment later, Amalthea's projection appeared in front of the Primordial Goddess.

"You shouldn't treat your guest in this manner," Amalthea said with a smile as she made a welcoming gesture to William's body.

As if being pulled by an invisible force, the Half-Elf's body floated towards the blue-haired beauty.

The Primordial Goddess could have held onto the red-headed teenager's body to keep him in place, but she didn't do that. She simply stared at the Half-Elf who was now being held in a princess carry by the blue-haired beauty that she thought she would never see again.

"You just became a constellation a day ago, and yet you appear just to save this boy from me," the Primordial Goddess stated with a smile that matched Amalthea's. "Well, your timing is perfect as well. I want to ask you a few questions. Just who is this boy? Is he the reason why you decided to become one with the stars?"

Amalthea didn't answer right away. Instead, she pressed her hand on the pitch-black gem that was embedded on William's chest. All the light in William's body had been snuffed out. If she didn't tend to him soon, the boy would be consumed by darkness, and this was something that Amalthea didn't want to see.

A few seconds later, the gem on William's chest glowed brightly, and pulsed like a beating heart.

Only after the color of William's face returned did the blue-haired beauty shift her attention back to the Primordial Goddess, who watched everything unfold, while seated on her throne.

"His name is William, and he is a very special existence to me," Amalthea replied. "You're right. The reason I decided to join the stars was because of him. I will appreciate it if you don't mess with him too much."

"Too late," the Primordial Goddess said softly. "There is already a strand of darkness in his soul, and this strand came from the future. This means that I have marked him as my property, you should be the one that should back off, Amalthea."

"If I back out now, wouldn't my sacrifice be in vain? Sorry, but I'm not handing this child over to you."

"I see… so we agree to disagree. How do you want to settle this?"

Amalthea planted a kiss on William's forehead before raising him towards the sky. The constellation above her shone, and showered William's body with its radiance, pulling him upwards.

"We are not the ones who get to decide his fate," Amalthea answered. "The one who will be making the decision is him."

The Primordial Goddess rested the side of her face on the palm of her hand, as she stared at the lady in front of her. After briefly experiencing the exquisite taste of William's soul, her interest in the Half-Elf had grown by leaps and bounds.

Also, she wondered why a strand of darkness had buried itself deep in the boy's Sea of Consciousness. She was sure that she had no recollection of doing something like this, which meant that it was something that had happened in the future.

"Fair enough," the Primordial Goddess said after William's body had left her world of darkness. "I still don't know what kind of game you are playing, Amalthea, but I can somewhat understand your thoughts after spending some time with that child. He is a very special existence."

Amalthea nodded. "That's right."

"Then, just who is he?"

"If I tell you, will you keep it a secret for eternity?"

The Primordial Goddess placed her delicate hand over her chest as she made an oath.

"By my name, I swear that I will keep it a secret for eternity," the Primordial Goddess vowed. "Satisfied?"

Amalthea nodded in acknowledgement. Making an oath using their names meant that they were binding their Divinity to the promise. Breaking that promise would give them a very harsh backlash, which could cause them to fall from grace.

"That child is an existence who was denied to be born in this world," Amalthea explained.

The Primordial Goddess immediately fixed her posture as she looked at Amalthea in shock.

"You mean to tell me that he is…"

"Yes. He is him."

A minute passed in silence before it was broken by the Primordial Goddess' bell-like laughter.

"No wonder. So that's the reason," the Primordial Goddess smiled sweetly after realizing who WIlliam really was. "Well, I guess I have something to look forward to now. This will be a fun thing to watch."

Amalthea shook her head because she knew that the Primordial Goddess had always been like this.

"Promise me that you will not mess with him for the duration of his stay in this timeline."

"Don't worry. I'm not that petty. You have my word that I will no longer touch him while he is in this world. I would rather wait to enjoy a grand feast, than eat cookie crumbs."

Amalthea smiled as she floated towards the sky, leaving that dark and cold world behind her.

The Primordial Goddess lightly tapped the armrest of her throne with her finger.

"William…" the Primordial Goddess smiled. "I look forward to meeting you again in the future."

—-

William felt something softly caress the side of his face.

A minute later, he felt someone lightly pulling on his ears.

After that, his nose was poked repeatedly.

It was as if someone was toying with him while he slept.

Earlier, he felt very cold. So cold that he thought that he had turned into a block of ice, unable to move ever again.

However, right now, he felt warm and at peace.

The Half-Elf opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the face of the Goddess that made his heart ache, when he first arrived in this strange world.

"You are… Amalthea," William said as the beautiful lady poked his nose.

"Yes," Amalthea replied.

"Have we met before?"

"Maybe."

William felt a little emboldened as he raised his hand to touch the side of Amalthea's face. It was soft, and smooth, which made the Half-Elf feel that he had indeed felt this familiar sensation before.

Suddenly the memories of the world of darkness returned to him. He almost panicked, but Amalthea's gaze and touch calmed his senses.

"Don't worry," Amalthea assured him. "You're safe with me."

"Am I really?" William asked back.

"Yes," Amalthea said with a smile. "But, you can't stay here for long. There are still many people waiting for you in the future."

William felt a pang of pain in his heart because he felt that he would part ways with this beautiful lady whom he felt was very important to him.

As if seeing his discomfort, Amalthea planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that," Amalthea said as she held William in her loving embrace. "Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

William didn't understand what Amalthea was trying to tell him, but he didn't resist being hugged by her. For some reason, he instinctively felt that this was the place where he belonged.

It reminded him of the days during his childhood where he would snuggle against Ella's body to keep his body warm and safe. That was his special place, a place that only belonged to him.

Chapter 884: When Love And Hate Collides

When William opened his eyes he found himself in an open field.

After propping himself to a sitting position, he tried to recall how he arrived to where he was, but no matter what he did, he couldn't remember anything.

"The last thing I remember was eating and drinking with Hebe last night," William muttered as he subconsciously smacked his lips as if to recall the taste of the wine last night.

However, the thing he tasted was different, which made him blink in confusion.

'Milk?' William thought. 'I don't remember drinking any milk last night? Am I still drunk?'

The Half-Elf immediately rejected the idea because his mind was very clear right now. He could even observe the tiny particles that were rising up in the air because of his incredible vision.

While the Half-Elf was still wondering how he ended in the open field, a lightning bolt landed a few meters away from him.

"So this is where you are," Dias said as he walked towards William. "I was getting worried because you've been missing for two days."

"Hah?" William blinked. "Two days? Are you sure?"

Dias smirked as he extended his hand to help William stand up. The Half-Elf grabbed Dias' strong hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.

Just as William was about to ask some questions, Dias' expression suddenly turned serious. The handsome man then sniffed on William's clothes, then his face like a dog.

A trace of shock flashed across his face, which made William wonder if the handsome man had awakened a sniffing fetish.

"You… why do you have the scent of Amalthea on your body?" Dias asked. His question had a trace of anger in it, and his mood was reflected in the sky above their heads as it started to darken.

Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed. Dias' eyes glowed brightly as tendrils of lightning sparked from its depths.

"Why do you have Amalthea's scent on your body?!"

A loud clap of thunder reverberated in the heavens, and strong gusts of wind started to blow. William could tell that Dias wasn't joking or anything, and was really angry at him for some reason.

"Amalthea? Didn't she return to become one with the stars?" William asked back. "What are you talking about?"

Instead of answering his question, Dias raised his hand and a lightning spear as red as blood appeared in his hands.

"I'll ask you one last time… why do you have Amalthea's scent on your body?" Dias asked in a deep and threatening tone.

He was like a wild animal that was about to lunge at its prey to go for the kill.

"I already told you. I don't know what you're talking about," William replied. "The last time I saw Amalthea was on the mountain when she bid goodbye to you!"

"Liar!" Dias roared as he threw the lightning spear at point blank range.

William didn't bother to dodge because it was simply lightning. He was not afraid of lightning!

However, what happened next caught the Half-Elf by surprise.

The red lightning spear pierced through his body, and sent him flying towards the mountain several kilometers away.

The force of the attack was so strong that the mountain was obliterated by Dias' attack.

William spat a mouthful of blood as his body crashed on the ground creating a crater. The spear that had embedded itself in the left side of William's chest pulled itself out of his body and flew through the air to return to Dias' hand.

William momentarily shifted his Job Class to Life Wizard and healed the injury in his body. To his surprise, the wound was recovering at a very slow rate, which alarmed him.

'He managed to pierce through my body using a lightning bolt even though I have the Prince of Thunder Job Class,' William's face became pale as he forced himself to stand up.

He once again changed his Job Class to Prince of Thunder. The Half-Elf felt that if he were to get hit by the red lightning bolt a second time without his current Job Class, the injury he would receive would probably be lethal.

For now, his wound had stopped bleeding, but it would still take a while before he had a full recovery. It was at that moment when he heard a notification sound in his status page.

—-

< Ding! >

< You have unlocked Trial of Thunder>

– In order to break through your bottleneck, you must be able to surpass your current strength. Only by doing so will you be allowed to obtain the Prestige Class, Thunder Emperor.

Requirement to advance: Survive the Trial of Thunder for thirty minutes.

—--

'Sh*t!' William cursed internally. He had experienced only a single attack from Dias and he had already received serious injury. Frankly, William didn't have the confidence to survive against Dias for thirty minutes.

However, since this was the only way to become the Thunder Emperor, he had to do it no matter what!

"So, you will still refuse to answer?" Dias snorted. "Very well. I will pry the answer out of you before you take your last breath!"

William's strongest Job Classes at the moment were his Einherjar Job Class and the Vampire Progenitor. However, lightning was the bane of all Demonic and Undead creatures. Using the Vampire Progenitor Job Class at this point in time would be suicidal.

As for his Einherjar Job Class, William didn't dare to use it. He was fighting against a God, and he was afraid that before the trial's time was over, all of his memories about his past life might disappear completely because of the power of his adversary.

'There is only one thing that I can do,' William thought.

The Half-Elf raised his hand and a golden staff materialized in front of him. He held Ruyi Jingu Bang firmly in his hands as he prepared to fight against Dias seriously.

Stormcaller and Soleil also appeared beside William and both weapons were posed to strike.

Dias grinned evilly because it had been a while since he had fought someone.

Amalthea was a special existence to him. He loved and respected her so much that he didn't dare to even make her his woman. However, this red-headed teenager that had appeared out of nowhere suddenly reeked of her heavenly scent.

This information drove Dias crazy. Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was torture Wililam and make him spill why he had the scent of the first woman he loved on his body.

"Before we start let me ask you something," William said with a serious expression.

"What?" Dias hovered in the air as the power of lightning and thunder enveloped his body.

"During the feast, aside from wine, did the Nymphs serve me milk as well?" William inquired.

Dias' face contorted in anger when he heard William's question. He then raised the red lightning bolt in his hand and the world trembled due to his wrath.

"You Bastard!" Dias roared in fury. "I'll kill you!"

His shout marked the beginning of a fight between two men who had a special relationship with the woman who had now become a constellation in the sky.

Chapter 885: A Battle For Supremacy

Inside the world of darkness, a lady with otherworldly beauty watched the fight that was about to start with great interest.

"A fated battle that spanned thousands of years in the making," the beautiful Goddess said with a smile on her face. "Show it to me, child. Create a miracle, right here, right now."

—-

Hebe, and the Nymphs stood in the residence of the Gods and looked at the two combatants with anxious expressions on their faces.

The golden-haired goddess couldn't understand why her father was fighting against William.

After the Half-Elf entered the Obsidian Mirror, he wasn't heard from, or seen until today. What surprised her was that the first thing her father did upon meeting him was to strike him with his lightning bolt.

This act of violence was something that she hadn't seen for a very long time because the Gods had been at peace with each other for the past few years. What surprised her the most was that William was just a mortal, and he managed to survive a direct attack from her father.

If she were to tell these things to others, none of them would believe her. There was simply no mortal who would be able to survive the lightning bolt that had ended the Titanomachy War.

"Die!" Dias roared as he hurled the red lightning bolt toward William with all of his might.

The Half-Elf turned into a golden lightning bolt and flew upwards to evade the attack, which obliterated the land he stood on a moment later.

Hebe and the Nymphs cried out because a powerful earthquake ensued after Dias' attack missed.

William frowned, and immediately flew away, so that the girls wouldn't be involved in their battle.

Dias sneered, but he didn't attack William when the latter chose to escape. Instead, he turned into a red lightning bolt to chase the Half-Elf who had crossed his bottom line.

William flew towards the sea, in order to prevent anyone else from being affected by their battle. After making sure that they were now far away from land, he stopped retreating and charged towards Dias with the intention to smack his face to oblivion.

"Sweep away all adversaries!" William shouted. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

The golden staff in William's hand grew in size and extended towards the red lightning bolt that was hot on his heels.

Dias didn't back down and thrust his red lightning bolt to meet William's oversized weapon.

The clash of the two weapons created an ear deafening explosion that split the sea in half.

"Quick Shot War Art Fourth Form!" William roared. "Grand Bazooka!"

A powerful blast erupted from the tip of Ruyi Jingu Bang which blew Dias hundreds of meters away.

Tendrils of lightning seeped out of his body like flowing blood, but his injuries regenerated at a very fast rate. The lightning-like blood then merged with the red lightning bolt in his hand making its glow more deadly.

This was the specialty of Dias' weapon. The more he was injured, the more powerful his weapon would become.

The handsome man was about to counterattack when two glowing spears appeared in front of him. Stormcaller and Soleil unleashed a lightning storm, and a firestorm, at the same time, bathing the Dias in a lightning-infested inferno.

"Quick Shot War Art... First Form." William aimed the giant golden staff at the blazing inferno in the distance to unleash another powerful attack. "Destroy everything in your path!"

"Railgun!"

Seconds after William unleashed one of the strongest attacks of his Quick Shot Shepherd Job Class, the inferno exploded, creating a gigantic mushroom cloud that expelled the seawater from its point of impact, showing the seabed bereft of water.

Stormcaller and Soleil returned to William's side just as Ruyi Jingu Bang returned to its original form.

From the center of the chaotic inferno, a lone figure emerged.

His upper clothes had been destroyed, and his body injured, but Dias stood tall as if the injuries he received were merely scratches.

"Not bad for a person that is about to die," Dias said in disdain. "Now, it's my turn."

The handsome man only took a single step forward, but when he appeared in William's sight again, he was already in front of William with his fist raised high.

He was over two-meters tall, so he towered over William and his fist slammed down on his chest, sending him crashing towards the sea like a cannonball.

"Disappear!" Dias shouted as he threw his red lightning bolt towards the boy laying on the seabed.

A world-shaking explosion reverberated across the seas as the red lightning bolt created a two-mile crater.

Dias was about to call his weapon back when something hard hit the back of his neck, which sent him smashing towards the sea where his weapon lay buried.

Just before the red lightning bolt was about to hit him, William had teleported towards Soleil, which he had positioned behind Dias.

He had already started to swing his weapon when he initiated the teleport, giving the handsome man no time to dodge his sneak attack.

Dias landed with his feet firmly planted on the ground, preventing any further damage to his body. The handsome man stared back hatefully at the Half-Elf who was panting heavily while standing on top of a floating cloud.

After activating his Heroic Avatar, William gained the power of Sun Wukong, including the Monkey King's sturdy and powerful body.

However, even with the added boost in his strength, stamina, and resistance, fighting against a High-Ranked God like Dias took everything he had.

Dias retrieved the red lightning bolt and held it firmly in his hand. Lightning flashed in his eyes as he marked William with his Divinity.

Loud peals of thunder, which was the manifestation of Dias' anger, shook the heavens, as the red lightning bolt in Dias' hand grew. His lightning bolt was special. It was not only his injuries that made it powerful.

More than anything else, his rage increased the power of his weapon as well. The injuries that William had given him was nothing in his eyes. Although it did hurt, and he received significant damage, it only fueled his desire to kill the bastard who dared to defile something precious in his eyes.

William took a deep breath as he summoned a wooden mallet in his left hand.

The wooden mallet then transformed into a small steel hammer that made the lightning bolts in the heavens strike William's body consecutively.

Soon, William was covered in the armor of the Thunder God that had been one of his close friends in Asgard.

"Mjolnir, help me beat this bastard," William said softly. "Just this once, give me full authority of your power. Let's show this bastard the power of the God of Thunder."

Mjolnir hummed as it agreed to William's request. It had already detected that the person William was fighting against was a God of Thunder, similar to its previous master, which made it feel competitive.

Mjolnir shone brightly and the lightning in the heavens answered its call, bathing William's entire body in deadly lightning that would turn any mortal who dared to touch it into ashes.

Dias raised an eyebrow after seeing such a scene. He felt insulted that someone dared to manifest the power of thunder and lightning before him.

"Junior, you dare?!" Dias asked as the red lightning bolt in his hand became bigger.

"Tell me, have you seen a world get destroyed right before your eyes?" William asked as he wielded both Ruyi Jingu Bang and Mjolnir with both hands. "You haven't, right? I have dared many things, even dying in the process.

"So, yes, I dare. I dare to fight an unreasonable God who dares to bully mortals like me. Come, you puny god. Let's see who the real God of Thunder is. You, or the person whom I looked up to thousands of years ago."

Countless lightning bolts snaked across the skies as if fighting amongst themselves. The two combatants were both eligible to call upon their powers.

This created a rare phenomenon since one of the most primal forces of nature didn't know whom to side with.

Dias and William both took a step forward and clashed mid-air. For a short period of time, William was granted the Power of the God of Thunder by Mjolnir.

Thanks to Sun Wukong's Heavenly Body, he had been able to reduce the tremendous load of Divinity that rampaged inside his body.

Two Gods of Thunder and Lightning.

One battle for supremacy.

The Gods and Immortals of the world watched with bated breath as the two fighters clashed in a battle of epic proportions.

A battle whose record would be preserved in the library of the Gods, until the end of time.

Chapter 886: Thunder God’s Pride

The sky and land trembled as William and Dias clashed repeatedly, almost turning the sea into a boiling inferno.

Gazing at the two madlads from afar, several men and women chatted among themselves.

"Just who is that boy?" a handsome man with short dark-brown hair, holding a winecup in his hand asked. "He's giving Dias a lot of trouble."

"I don't know, but whoever he is, he's my type." A very beautiful woman with long golden hair, and blue eyes, looked at William with great interest.

A teenage boy with short blonde hair, wearing winged sandals chuckled after hearing the beautiful Goddess' words.

"All handsome men are your type," the teenage boy said.

The beautiful Goddess shook her head. "No. This one is different. He has the strength to back up his looks. Men like him are on the top of my list."

"But, he's not yet a man, though?" the teenage boy replied. "He's only a teenager."

"Even better!"

"You never change. Still a cougar, I see."

As the Gods chatted among themselves, a cold looking man with gray hair gazed at the battle from afar. He was holding an exquisite looking helmet in his hand, and he was radiating a deathly aura around his body.

"What are your thoughts about this?" the gray-haired man asked the handsome blue-haired man beside him that was holding a trident in his hand.

"My thoughts?" the blue-haired man snorted. "I wish that those two bastards would show some common etiquette and not fight in someone else's house. Just who do they think they are? They've already destroyed this area and are spreading the damage to others as well!"

"Why don't you stop them then?"

"I can't. Both of them are going all out at the moment. If I'm not careful I might get hit by their lightning bolts. I'll just ask Dias to compensate me later."

The gray-haired man smiled when he saw the frustration on the blue-haired man's face. Clearly, he didn't like what was happening in his turf, but he was powerless to stop the two madmen from their battle that was sending powerful shockwaves in every direction.

—-

Dias brandished his Red Lightning bolt and bashed William towards the sea, creating a gigantic tsunami, with him at its center.

"Perish!" Dias threw the Red Lightning bolt in his hand to obliterate his hated enemy. However, William teleported to where Solais was, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth.

"Not this time, punk!" Dias sneered as the Red Lightning-bolt veered from its trajectory and hit William squarely on the chest, sending him hurtling towards the sky.

The Red Lightning bolt didn't stop there and attacked William from every direction like a living creature out for blood.

Sparks flew from all over William's body as his armor endured all of the attacks that the lightning bolt made. Even so, the Half-Elf still felt pain because of how powerful Dias' lightning bolt had become. It was now over four meters long, and its power was strong enough to obliterate a Myriad Beast at its peak with a single strike.

If not for the fact that William had temporarily gained God-like powers, he might have turned into charcoal by now.

"Two can play that game!" William roared as he hurled Mjolnir towards Dias who had his arms crossed over his chest.

The handsome man sneered as he stretched out his hand to grab the flying hammer mid-flight. However, the moment his hand touched Mjolnir, he felt an unprecedented weight that he couldn't overcome.

The back of Dias' hand smashed into his face when he failed to stop Mjolnir's advance. It sent him tumbling several hundreds of meters in the air before coming to a stop.

Recalling his Red Lightning bolt, he swatted the hammer to the side, sending it swerving in the air back to William's outstretched hand.

As soon as William held Mjolnir in his hand, he turned into a golden lightning bolt to clash with Dias. The latter also turned into a Red Lightning bolt as they collided several times in the air.

After several exchanges, Dias backed away and threw his lightning bolt towards William.

The Half-Elf didn't back down and threw Mjolnir to meet the Red Lightning bolt mid air, creating another powerful explosion that blew both combatants away.

The Red Lightning bolt and Mjolnir seemed to possess lives of their own as they continued to zigzag across the skies as if trying to determine who was the strongest between them.

Seeing that both their weapons wouldn't be returning soon, William and Dias charged at each other, with the intention of beating the crap out of each other.

Dias threw a punch at William, but the latter dodged it. In return, the Half-Elf swung Ruyi Jingu Bang to the handsome man's chest, splitting him in half.

The severed body parts turned into two lightning bolts that attacked William in every direction.

Suddenly, the two lightning bolts merged, making Dias materialize behind William.

"Die!" Dias roared as he smashed his fist on William's back, sending him smashing towards the sea, making the waves rise up hundreds of meters in the air.

Although the attack was painful, William remained uninjured thanks to Sun Wukong's powerful body.

The Half-Elf's eyes glowed golden as he used the Monkey King's "Fiery Golden Eyes" that could see through disguises, illusions, or transformations. Aside from these uses, the eyes were also capable of seeing things from great distances without any problem.

From afar, he could see the Red Lightning bolt and Mjolnir duking it out in the heavens. The two powerful divine weapons seemed hell-bent to fight against each other until only one prevailed.

William had no intention of pulling his helper back because he could feel Mjolnir's unwavering resolve to prove that it was the most powerful thunder and lightning type Divine Weapon in existence.

Dias shared the same thoughts, so he didn't recall his weapon. It was his pride and the symbol of his power. He believed that it wouldn't lose to a puny hammer that happened to also wield the power of thunder and lightning.

The two weapons were not only fighting for themselves, but the pride of their respective owners. As the two divine weapons turned the sky upside down, William and Dias once again clashed, only this time, both of them were only using their fists to duke it out with each other.

Which made the spectating Gods look at them with serious expressions on their faces.

Chapter 887: I Will Use Any Kind Of Means To Achieve Victory

The two smashed each other's fist against their opponent's body as they rampaged across the sky.

As if agreeing to an unwritten rule, the two didn't use anything else aside from their pure physical strength.

Dias was over two-meters tall so he towered over William. Even so, the Half-Elf didn't back away and met his attacks head on.

Both of them had ignored defense and just focused on pummeling each other. The Gods who were watching from afar clicked their tongues in dismay upon seeing the barbaric method that the two were using against each other.

'Fool, do you think you can beat me in a fist fight?' Dias sneered internally. 'I am the strongest among the Gods. I will show you that you messed with the wrong person!'

William received Dias' punches and counter-attacked on his own, making the taller God's body shudder with each blow he delivered.

'Fool, you call that a punch? More like a tickle if you ask me.' William eyed Dias in disdain and contempt. 'You dare challenge Sun Wukong's nearly invincible body in a fist fight? Delusional much?'

Sun Wukong's body was not only sturdy, but his strength was also out of this world. Back in the Celestial Realm, the Monkey King could easily lift two Heavenly Mountains, while doing his morning jogs.

Dias might be strong, but his physical strength was no match for Sun Wukong who dared to defy the Heavens and fight the Celestial Army alone.

After a quarter of an hour of brawling, Dias realized that he was starting to take significant injuries from his exchange with William.

The Half-Elf however was still dishing out blows non-stop as if he was just using the handsome man as a warm up.

Dias felt his dignity being challenged by the red-headed teenager in front of him, so he increased the speed and power of his attack, but it was to no avail.

William's body was so strong that Dias felt like he was punching his shield, Aegis, which was indestructible.

After remembering his other regalia, Dias backed away and raised his hand.

Soon, a golden shield appeared in front of him, blocking William's punch and making the Half-Elf's face wince.

"Loser." William snorted before backing away.

"Loser? What nonsense are you talking about," Dias sneered. "In battles, any method can be used as long as it leads to victory. You are still too green."

"And you are a puny and petty God."

"And you are just a mongrel that I will crush with my fist."

William made a come and get me gesture at the handsome man who had lost all dignity in front of him.

"You've been trying to crush me from the beginning, but I'm still uninjured." William ridiculed. "You throw punches like a girl. Weakling!"

A smile appeared on the gray-haired and blue-eyed man's face after hearing the red-headed teenager taunt their brother.

"That phrase alone is enough for you to forgive him, right?" the gray-haired man asked.

"Well, not completely, but it is enough to lower the punishment that I will give him afterward," the blue-haired man replied.

Deep inside, the two men had always wanted to say those words to Dias, but in order to keep the peace between the Sky, Sea, and Earth, they had held their grudges in the depths of their hearts and dealt with each other in a civilized manner, befitting of their ranks.

"You really have a death wish!" Dias roared as he used the shield to bash William's body.

William had tried to punch the shield, but only felt pain on his knuckles afterwards.

The handsome man then used this opportunity to kick William and send him hurtling towards the sky, right in the peanut gallery's direction.

'This F*cking Mofo is cheating!' William cursed internally as he forced himself to stabilize his position.

Just as he was about to regain his posture, his body was caught by a soft and delicate body.

"You are amazing," a seductive voice filled with temptations and carnal promise whispered in William's ears. "How about you forget that brute and spend the night with me?"

"Sorry, but I'll pass," William replied as he pried away the naughty hands that were in the process of removing his clothes. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I still have things to settle with that weakling."

William analyzed his current situation as he charged back to the fray. After several exchanges, with him being blown away by Dias attacks, the Half-Elf finally understood what he was up against.

'My attacks can't break past Aegis' defenses, and this Mofo is using that opportunity to counter attack me,' William thought. 'I guess I have to use that method.'

Dias sneered at William who stood right in front of him.

"Have you given up?" Dias asked in a tone filled with ridicule.

"No," William replied. "Since you decided to play dirty, I will also play dirty. Let's see if your Aegis will be strong enough to block my attack. Prepare yourself, weakling!"

Dias snorted as he took a fighting stance.

"Play dirty? There's no such thing," Dias stated. "I will use any kind of means to achieve victory."

"What a coincidence," William said as he summoned his secret weapon. "I am in complete agreement with your words."

After exchanging words the two once again charged at each other.

As Dias drew closer to William, his sixth sense was telling him that he was about to face something dangerous.

The handsome man ignored this warning because he was confident that as long as Aegis was with him, he could take any attack that William could throw at him.

When Dias was only a few dozen meters away from him, a devilish smile appeared on William's face as he brandished his weapon.

"Eat Sh*t Motherf*cker!" William roared as he unleashed a devastating attack that would make anyone, even Gods, feel like dying.

Dias was still unaware what kind of sorcery his opponent was doing, but it didn't matter. He simply raised the shield to block his upper body from William's attack that made the beautiful goddess, who had caught the Half-Elf earlier, grimace in horror.

After seeing the scene in front of them, the spectating Gods all distanced themselves as far away from the battlefield as possible.

Aegis only reacted to things that could potentially deal great damage to its owner. Anything that didn't dish out physical, magical, or spiritual damage would not activate its special ability.

A mountain of "night soil" wasn't something that Aegis considered as a threat to its current owner.

How can a God be injured by excrement?

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Dias' disgusted scream echoed in the surroundings as his entire body was bathed in excrement. He didn't expect that his enemy would do something so disgusting, which made him want to puke.

"Well, that's a whole new level of playing dirty," the teenager wearing winged sandals said with a pale expression on his face. He then covered his mouth as is trying to prevent himself from throwing up the food he had enjoyed eating a while ago.

The other Gods nodded their heads in agreement. They glanced at the Half-Elf, who was holding a chamberpot in his hands, with caution.

It was at that moment when all of them decided to not mess with the madlad, who would go as far as to throw literal sh*t in other people's faces.

Chapter 888: Lightning Thief

"I will kill you!" Dias roared as he raised his hand to retrieve the Red Lightning-bolt that was still at war with Mjolnir above the heavens.

After hearing its Master's call, the Red Lightning bolt reluctantly returned to its owner. Mjolnir danced in the sky as if saying that it was the winner of their match before flying back to aid William in his battle.

After retrieving his weapon, Dias dived into the sea to clean the filth off his body. He never felt so humilated in his entire life, and this time, he was feeling murderous.

He knew that the other Gods were spectating in his battle, so the shame he felt was multiplied tenfold. Right now, the only thing he wanted to do was to kill William and feast on his blood.

"You have successfully angered me!" Dias roared as he rose towards the sky. Thunder and lightning crackled around his body which showed how truly angry he was.

William scoffed at the God who was spouting b*llsh*t.

Like bruh, dafuk? You've been angry at me from the start. Making you angrier wouldn't make a difference!

"Don't worry, there's more where that came from," William pointed his chamberpot at the arrogant God, which made the latter wince subconsciously. "Come at me Bruh, or I'll come at you!"

The Half-Elf held a chamberpot in his right hand, while Mjolnir hovered beside him. Clearly, the Divine Weapon had no intention of letting William touch it for the time being unless he properly washed his hands.

William felt Mjolnir's reluctance to be held by him, so he didn't force the issue.

Just as the two warriors were about to duke it out again, William suddenly felt his strength leaving his body. It was at that moment when he realized that his Heroic Avatar's duration had finally ended.

'S-Sh*t!' William had completely forgotten that his Heroic Avatar had a cooldown.

He could only watch helplessly as the Red Lightning-bolt pierced through his body, sending him flying for thousands of meters in the sky, with his blood trailing the heavens.

It was truly an unexpected development that even Dias, who had expected William to resist his attack, was caught by surprise.

Wiliam could feel a searing pain in his body as the red-lightning bolt dragged him about without mercy. As if leaves were falling from a tree, the Half-Elf saw his life pass before his eyes.

Images of his childhood, family, his journey, battles, his wives and lovers, appeared in front of him.

'No… this cannot end here…' William thought as he gritted his teeth. 'I will not let it end here!'

The red-headed teenager grabbed the Red Lightning bolt with both of his hands. Red lightning crackled into his entire body, tearing his flesh, but the Half-Elf endured it and held on.

"I will not fall here!" William roared. "I will not be defeated here!"

William used every fiber of his being in order to pull the Red Lightning bolt that had pierced through his body out.

Blood started to pour from his hands, dying the Red Lightning bolt with the color of his mortality. Centimeter, by painful centimeter, William roared as he pulled out the weapon that was sticking out of his chest.

His blood trailed behind him, making him feel light-headed, but he knew that he must persevere no matter what.

Just as his eye-sight was starting to turn blurry, a notification sound broke through the haze in his mind.

—-

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! Requirements for Job Advancement has been met! >

< Initializing Upgrade! >

< New Prestige Class Acquired! >

< Thunder Emperor! >

—---

William's eyes glowed with power as he forcefully absorbed the power of the red-lightning bolt inside his body.

One of the ways to level up a Job Class was to meet its requirements. For example, the Sun Knight Job Class would only increase its level if Wiliam allowed himself to be bathed in sunlight.

Right now, the red-lightning bolt was like a super-charged battery that was being greedily absorbed by William's body in order to heal the injuries that it had received from it earlier.

This time, the Half-Elf no longer tried to pull out the Red Lightning bolt, but simply held it in place. How could he possibly let something precious escape his grasp?

—---

< Congratulations! Thunder Emperor Job Class has increased a level! >

< Congratulations! Thunder Emperor Job Class has increased a level! >

< Congratulations! Thunder Emperor Job Class has increased a level! >

< Congratulations! Thunder Emperor Job Class has increased a level! >

< Congratulations! Thunder Emperor Job Class has increased a level! >

—-

Several notifications appeared nonstop in William's Status Page as the Red Lightning bolt he was holding slowly shrank. Although its power was still overwhelming, it no longer dealt any damage to William's body.

In fact, the Red Lightning bolt was doing its best to free itself from William's hold. If earlier, the Half-Elf was doing its best to pull it out, now, the Red Lightning bolt was trying to pry itself out of William's body on its own accord!

Even so, the red-headed teenager was no fool. This was a golden opportunity to reach the Max Job Level of his Thunder Emperor Job Class, so he wouldn't let his battery go until he had drained it completely.

As if sensing his weapon's distress, Dias snapped out of his daze and flew after William turning into a Red Lightning.

The Half-Elf sneered at the pursuing God, as he, too, transformed into a golden lightning bolt that flew towards the horizon.

A grand chase that spanned the entire world commenced with William and Dias traveling at the speed of lightning. They had circled the world several times over, making the spectating Gods scratch their heads in helplessness.

"Return it to me, you lightning thief!" Dias shouted in frustration. "If you do, I will forget everything that happened today."

William ignored the handsome man's shout and juiced the Red Lightning bolt, until it reverted to its original size.

Only after the final confirmation that his Thunder Emperor reached its Max Level did Wiliam stop his escape. He floated in the sky facing the God that had tried to kill him several times, over something that he couldn't remember.

The Red Lightning bolt had lost its luster, and its color was now lighter. However, it didn't stop its efforts to free itself from William's body.

It was like a wriggling snake in Wiliam's hand, that couldn't break itself free because it was being held in a vice grip.

"Return it to me, now!" Dias said in a threatening manner.

"And if I refuse?" William replied.

Dias was about to say that he would kill him, but stopped short because he had already tried and failed in doing so.

"What do you want?" Dias asked. He could tell that if the Half-Elf wished for it, he could drain the powers of his lightning bolt until it ceased to exist.

It was the handsome man's most powerful weapon, and he didn't want it to be destroyed in the hands of the red-headed teenager that was on the verge of driving him insane.

"Blood," William replied. "Lots of it."

Dias frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I want to drink the blood of others," William replied. "The Nymphs would do nicely. Don't worry, I will only drink some of their blood.

"There will be no lasting damage to their bodies. You already saw it earlier, right? I'm just a mortal and I lost so much blood. If I don't replenish it soon, I might just use this lightning bolt as an alternative to recover my strength."

Dias frown deepened. Although there were monsters that drank the blood of mortals to live, he didn't expect the Half-Elf to demand that he be given the blood of the Nymphs that served under him.

"Fine, but give me the lightning bolt first," Dias stated. "I will let you drink your fill afterwards."

William shook his head. "Make an oath first. Only after you finish making your oath will I agree to this trade."

"Don't push your luck, Mortal."

"Alright. Say goodbye to your weapon then."

William sneered as he absorbed the power of the struggling lightning bolt in his hands. Although he had already reached the Max Level of his Thunder Emperor Prestige Class, that didn't mean that he couldn't continue to absorb the Red Lightning bolt's power.

Seeing that his weapon was at its last legs, Dias was forced to make an oath using his name.

He stared at William with bloodshot eyes, while the latter returned his gaze calmly.

"Here you go," William tossed the not-so-Red Lightning bolt to its owner who held it firmly in his hands.

Dias panted heavily as he forced himself to regain his calm. He then gave William one last death-glare before flying back to his residence.

The Half-Elf trailed behind him with a smile, but deep inside he was really nearing his limit. He had lost a lot of blood during the battle, and if he didn't drink some soon, he might enter a state of bloodthirst, which would make him lose control of his senses.

That was how the battle between William and Dias ended. Although the Half-Elf got the upper hand, it was only due to the help of every ability in his arsenal.

Without the Heroic Avatar and Mjolnir, he would have definitely suffered a world of pain under Dias' fury.

With his goal of breaking through finally achieved, William would spend two days in Dias' residence to recuperate, surrounded by the Nymphs who became addicted to having their blood sucked out by the handsome Half-Elf, who would be leaving their world in a few days' time.

Chapter 889: We Meet Again, Pendragon

Three days after William's battle with Dias…

"This is the Hall of Thunder," Dias stated in an impatient tone. "Go. Just go and don't come back."

As soon as he finished saying his words he turned into a lightning bolt and left without even looking at the Half-Elf, who had made him lose face in front of the other Gods.

William watched him go before shifting his gaze to the teary-eyed nymphs who were begging him not to go with their pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," William said as he reached out to give all of them a hug. "All of you, take care of yourselves."

The Nymphs all hugged him back as they did their best to prevent the tears in their eyes from falling. They were very sad that William was going to leave and they would no longer experience that unbelievable euphoria that they felt whenever their blood was drunk by him.

Hebe watched all of this with a sad expression on her face. It had been so long since she had a guest at their residence, and knowing William was about to leave made her feel that she would never see him again.

"Thank you, Hebe." William smiled as he gave the golden-haired beauty a hug. "Your home-made wine is very delicious. It's quite unfortunate that I will not be able to drink it again."

Hebe did her best to prevent her sadness from showing on her face as she returned William's hug.

"You're welcome," Hebe replied. "If Fate wills it then our paths will cross again. Until then, may you be safe, always."

A few minutes later, William stood at the Gates of the Hall of Thunder and waved his hand one last time to the friends that he had met in this world.

Although he would have liked to tour this beautiful world for a few days, there were still many people waiting for him in his own homeworld. He couldn't afford to let them wait for a very long time.

William decisively turned around and entered the gates.

The moment he was safely inside the temple, the Hall of Thunder shot towards the heavens and disappeared.

Leaving a certain grumpy Dias behind.

—-

Inside the Hall of Thunder…

William's eyes widened in shock when he saw three beautiful ladies smiling back at him.

One of them had long golden hair, and eyes as blue as the sky.

The other had long, light-brown hair, and eyes as green as emeralds.

The third, and the youngest of the three, had long silver hair, and gray eyes that seemed to see the depths of a person's soul.

William had seen all three of them in a distant past, and his eyes teared up because he thought that they had also perished back then.

"We meet again, Pendragon," the lady with long golden hair said with a smile. "It seems that life has been hard on you, just like it was in the past."

"Yes," William said as a tear streamed down the side of his face."Life has always been hard. But, that's just how life is. Aren't I right, Urd?"

Urd gave William a bitter smile as she made a gesture for him to come closer.

The Half-Elf obeyed and as he moved forward to hug one of the Norns that had counseled him thousands of years ago.

The Half-Elf felt a flood of emotions rise up inside his chest, making his body shudder.

"Sister, I think we came to see the wrong person," the light-brown haired beauty said in a teasing tone. "Pendragon has never been a crybaby. I think we messed up the timeline a bit."

Even so, she still went forward to hug William, as the Half-Elf held onto Urd.

"Pendragon, Pendragon, didn't he already say that we should just skip formalities and call him Will?" The silver-haired girl who seemed to be just a little over twelve pouted.

Still, she also joined her sisters, on hugging the Half-Elf who was currently bawling his eyes out, not caring of what the three girls would think of him.

"You're such a big baby, Will," Urd said. "Where is that Einherjar who bravely fought till his last breath?"

"Skuld, Can you say some encouraging words to make him stop crying?" the lady with light-brown hair asked.

"You should be the one doing that, Sister Verdandi," Skuld replied. "Afterall, you are the one that represents the present."

The three Norns that had nourished Yggdrasil since time immemorial bantered with each other, as the Half-Elf wept within their embrace.

Minutes passed before William finally regained his composure. The three ladies teased him for being a crybaby, but the Half-Elf didn't care. As long as they were alive and well, they could tease him as much as they wanted.

After calming his senses, William sat on a floating chair, while Skuld sat on his lap, resting her head on his chest.

The Half-Elf didn't mind and even held the mischievous young lady in place to prevent her from falling off his chair.

Among the three Norns, Skuld was the most spoiled. She would do anything that she wanted, even if it caused Odin and the other Gods to scratch their heads in frustration.

"How did the three of you escape Ragnarok?" William asked.

"Simple. We left before it even started," Urd answered with a sad smile on her face.

Verdandi nodded her head as if to support her Big Sister's words. "Skuld told us what was going to happen, so we made preparations in advance and left before the Flames of Destruction even touched Yggdrasil."

"Are you disappointed that we left without putting up a fight?" Skuld, who was resting her head on William's chest, asked with her eyes still closed.

"No." William replied as he patted Skuld's head. "Even if the three of you were there, the ending would still be the same. I'm just glad that the three of you are safe."

"Mmm." Skuld hummed as she enjoyed William's hand that was making her feel good.

Verdandi gazed at William with a smile as she raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to ask us why we came to see you?"

William shook his head. "Even if I don't ask, you will still tell me why you came to see me."

The Norns did not particularly interfere with the affairs of the mortal realm, unless it was of absolute importance.

Urd represented the Past.

Verdandi represented the Present.

And Skuld represented the Future.

The three of them together held the strings of Fate that foretold events that had happened, were happening, and would happen in the future.

They would appear on rare occasions to give counsel to important figures that would play a bigger role in the grand scheme of things.

Chapter 890: Under The Moonlight Where No One Could See

The sound of laughter echoed inside the luxurious hall as many men and women, dressed in beautiful clothes, chatted with each other.

This was the place where the young elites of the country had gathered, and everyone was having fun… except for a young lady, who was surrounded by many good looking men. They were doing their best to invite her to socialize with them, but the lady politely rejected their advances.

Instead of getting dejected, the men didn't back down and considered it as a challenge to make the black-haired beauty's defenses crumble.

Every man who was within the inner circle of society had long wanted to make her their lover.

Even the sons of politicians had tried to pull some strings in the background to make the beautiful lady land in the palms of their hands, but it was to no avail. This only made her more precious because only a lady that couldn't be obtained easily, was a prize worth having in their eyes.

As the night deepened, the lady decided to head outside to take a breather.

Due to her close friends' pestering, she had drank some wine during the party. It was not enough to make her feel intoxicated, but it was more than enough to make her face flush, making her beauty stand out from the rest.

'This is why I hate parties,' the beautiful girl said as she looked at the moon in the sky.

The night breeze blew over her white dress, which made her skirt flutter.

Her parents had personally chosen her dress for the party, which made her the star of the night.

The beautiful girl didn't like the dress because it highlighted the curves of her body, and her back was laid bare for everyone to see.

Normally, she preferred a more conservative dress, but she had made a promise to her parents that she would obey them this once, in exchange for not going through with the arranged marriage that they had been planning for her.

The young lady's parents were worried because their daughter wasn't showing any signs of attraction towards the opposite sex. Even with countless good looking men asking for her hand in marriage, she rejected them all without even batting an eye.

This made her parents think that she was only interested in women, but after observing her for a long time, they didn't notice anything strange with her interactions with her girl friends either.

In the end, they thought that she was Asexual, so they decided to take matters in their own hands and arrange someone to marry her. Unfortunately, the girl discovered their plans and immediately confronted them about it.

After a lengthy discussion, both sides compromised that she would appear at the birthday celebration for the Mayor of the city's second son.

The birthday celebrant was one of her childhood friends, and they had a good relationship. Because of this, the beautiful lady agreed, and wore the dress that her parents had chosen for her.

Naturally, her parents were also at the party and were observing their daughter from the third floor of the most prestigious hotel in the city.

They watched as she became the highlight of the party, and even the birthday celebrant wasn't able to take his eyes off her.

In the end, when the young man asked her to be his first dance, she reluctantly agreed in order to not make him lose face in front of his guests at the party.

However, after the dance ended, the beautiful lady refused the other invitations by the other young men, who were also going to the same university as her.

Her movements didn't escape the eyes of her admirers.

One by one, they made excuses and followed her outside to the gardens, to the dismay of the other ladies in the party who were looking to form connections with the eligible young men within their circle.

Sensing their approach, the beautiful woman decided to increase her pace and headed for the Hedge Maze that the hotel was very famous for.

When the young men realized what she was planning to do, they deliberately slowed their pace to allow her to get a head start.

This particular Hedge Maze had been featured in several magazines within the city, and was even listed as the biggest in the country. It spanned over four thousand square meters, and an individual would take, at the very least, more than an hour to reach its exit.

The hotel staff had already anticipated that some people might try to challenge the maze during the party, so they placed lighting in strategic locations in order to allow that someone to see their path clearly.

After the beautiful lady had entered the maze, the young men glanced at each other with wolfish grins before entering the maze.

Each of them only had one thought in mind and that was to find the beautiful lady who had been the apple of their eyes for many years. If they were lucky, they would even have the chance to get ahead of the others, and make the most popular girl in the university their lover before the party was over.

The black-haired beauty knew that if she followed the path that led to the exit, the people following her would catch up to her sooner or later.

Because of this, she intentionally veered off path and headed to the places that her pursuers would overlook.

Half an hour later, the men who had entered the maze had all separated from each other. This was not the first time that they had entered the maze, so they wouldn't get lost inside it even if they chose to go down the wrong path.

The beautiful lady panted as she stopped at one of the small clearings in the maze that had a fountain.

She was feeling light-headed due to stress, exhaustion, and the drink she had earlier in the party.

Just as she was about to catch her breath, she heard the sound of footsteps headed in her direction.

Because of this, she immediately headed to one of the exits of the clearing in order to escape one of her pursuers. However, she had only taken a few steps when a hand wrapped around her waist, while another hand covered her lips, preventing her from screaming.

She was then pulled into the dark area of the clearing, where the light wasn't too bright.

Half a minute later, the birthday celebrant appeared in the clearing and scanned the surroundings, looking for possible traces of the young beauty that he was trying to catch.

After seeing that his target had already moved on, he chose one of the paths heading west, and disappeared not long after.

The beautiful lady tried to break away from her captor, but it was to no avail. The man was stronger than her, and no matter what she did, she couldn't escape his grasp.

It was at that moment when a teasing tone reached her ears, and it made her body unconsciously stiffen.

"A beautiful lady wearing a dress as revealing as this and walking into a maze alone in the middle of the night is just asking for trouble," a teasing voice said. "A delicious sheep like you out in the open will make any wolf go crazy."

The black-haired beauty slowly turned her head to look at the man who was holding her in place.

Suddenly, a tear fell down, followed by another as the beautiful girl gazed at the young man, with red hair and green eyes that looked back at her with a tender gaze.

The young man smiled and removed the hand that was covering her soft, and seductive lips.

The same lips that he had kissed a few years ago.

"Am I dreaming?" the black-haired beauty asked as she cupped the young man's face with her delicate hands. "Is this a dream?"

A chuckle escaped the young man's lips as he pressed his hand over the young lady's right hand that was cupping his face.

"Actually, I was about to ask you the same question," the red-headed teenager said with a smile. "Am I dreaming? If yes then I don't mind staying in this dream for a little while longer."

The tears on the beautiful lady's eyes fell like rain. The emotions that she had been holding back for the past year surged like a thunderous river that blew away all obstacles in its path.

"Me, too," the beautiful lady replied as she wrapped her arms around the head of the young man that had given his heart to her. "If this is a dream, I don't mind dreaming a little while longer."

The black-haired beauty tiptoed and pressed her soft lips on the young man's lips.

The red-headed teenager returned the kiss eagerly and wrapped his arms around the young lady's body, feeling her warmth and fragrance that he had missed dearly.

When he first saw her, he didn't recognize her right away. Such was the extent of the memories that he had lost over time.

However, even if he couldn't fully remember who she was, his heart and body did. Before he could even do anything, his body had already moved on his own and grabbed hold of the black-haired beauty, pulling her in his embrace.

Only when he had dragged her into the corner of the maze, and held her firmly in his arms, did the remaining memories of his past life allow him to identify her.

The red-headed teenager's heart ached at the thought of no longer remembering the precious person he was holding in his arms. It hurt him so much that he threw caution to the wind, and simply let his love carve these new precious memories into his soul.

Soon, the sound of kissing echoed in that small clearing. Both of them didn't care if they were discovered, and simply allowed themselves to let their emotions take over their senses.

Under the moonlight, where no one else could see, two people who had been separated by an insurmountable distance, once again held each other in a loving embrace.

Chapter 891: I'm Not Your Father!

"Are you feeling warm now?"

"Un…"

The black haired beauty wore a robe over her dress, as she sat on the red-headed teenager's lap.

After sharing several passionate kisses with each other, both of them realized that they weren't dreaming.

William had to use all of his willpower to prevent himself from eating the little sheep that was right in front of him.

He knew that this was not the right place and time for such a thing, so he reluctantly stepped down and simply held Belle, until his strong yearning subsided.

"How?" Belle asked.

It was a simple question with a single word, but this question poked at the heart of the matter, which made the Half-Elf frown.

"Actually, I don't remember how I got here," William replied. "When I opened my eyes, you were already in front of me… and I thought that I might have accidentally stepped into Heaven all of a sudden."

A sweet smile appeared on Belle's face. Williams was unable to see it because the black-haired beauty was resting her head on William's shoulder and looking down.

"You've become a sweet talker, is that what you learned while spending time with your girlfriend, Wendy?" Belle asked. Although this was an innocent question, a trace of jealousy could be felt in her words.

"She's no longer my girlfriend, but my wife," William said.

"... It has only been a year since we saw each other. And yet, several years have already passed in your world. Are you really married now?"

"Um, things happened."

"Start talking, Mister."

William chuckled nervously because Belle's hand was inching its way to his waist.

However, before he could even start talking, he sensed someone approaching their location.

Belle also heard some footsteps headed in their direction, but she didn't mind it. Now that the one she loved was here, she didn't care if she was seen by other men.

"Belle, stick this inside your mouth for a bit and don't move," William said as he gently placed a lollipop inside Belle's mouth. "No matter what happens, don't say a word."

After making sure that the lollipop was firmly in place, he also took one in his mouth. This was the black lollipop that allowed anyone who ate it to merge with the shadows.

Soon, a middle-aged man wearing a suit appeared in the clearing. He looked rather worried and seemed to be searching for something.

After seeing the man, Belle hurriedly took out the lollipop from her lips and called out.

"Papa, I'm here," Belle said as the shadows that shielded her from the outside world disappeared.

"Belle! I finally found you, I was getting worried!" Belle's father, Raymond, hugged his daughter.

He had assigned two of his bodyguards to follow her when she left the hotel. When they saw that she was headed to the maze, one of them returned to inform Raymond of what was happening, while the other followed her inside the maze.

Due to Belle's effort of making sure that she went the wrong way, the guard following her was unable to find her.

Raymond, on the other hand, immediately left the hotel after hearing what his daughter had done. More than anything else, he was her father. Although he wanted Belle to socialize with the young men of their circle, he would not allow any of them to force her to do something she didn't want to do.

Even if Raymond was an easy going man, if someone were to harm his daughter, he would snap their necks like twigs and make it look like an accident.

William watched this scene from the shadows unsure of what to do. In the end, he remained completely still and just watched the father and daughter pair reconcile.

"Father, there is someone I'd like you to meet," Belle said with a smile. "William, please come out. I want you to meet my father."

Raymond frowned because the name William held a special meaning to him. How could he possibly forget the name of the dying young man with a terminal illness that had donated his heart in order for his precious daughter to live?

However, the thing that concerned him was that his daughter was looking at an empty bench, which made Raymond shudder.

'W-Wait don't tell me that the boy has turned into a ghost and is currently haunting Belle?' Beads of sweat formed on Raymond's forehead at the thought of William's ghost having an attachment to his daughter.

After a brief internal struggle, William took out the lollipop in his mouth and appeared in front of Belle and her father.

Raymond almost jumped back in fright when a red-headed teenager suddenly materialized out of thin air.

Belle smiled as he hurriedly pulled William towards her father.

"Papa, this is William," Belle said with a smile. "He is my fiance."

Raymond reached out his hand for a handshake as he appraised the handsome young man that he was seeing for the first time. "Hello, so you are my daughter's fian– what?!"

The middle-aged man glanced at his daughter in shock before shifting his gaze to the red-headed teenager whom Belle had introduced as her fiance.

"Hello, Father," William said with a smug expression on his face. "My name is William, and I am Belle's fiance."

"I'm not your father!" Raymond snapped at the handsome red-head who was trying to get chummy with him.

"Belle, what is the meaning of this? This is the first time I'm hearing of such a thing!"

"That's because I was keeping this a secret from you and Mama. William was studying abroad, and it was very hard for us to meet. Fortunately, he was able to free up some of his time for a visit. I asked him to come here, so that I can formally introduce him to you and Mama."

William smiled as he gave Belle two thumbs up in his heart.

'As expected of my Belle, she's quick witted!' William felt very smug at the moment and it showed on his face.

Raymond glared at Wiliam. Although he wanted his daughter to form a relationship with someone, when it actually happened, he was having second thoughts. Such was the dilemma of overprotective fathers when it came to the welfare of their daughters.

The Director of the Hospital was feeling conflicted, but after seeing Belle hugging the young man in front of him, he decided to interrogate the boy at a later time, and ask how far they had advanced in their relationship.

"Papa, I want to go home now," Belle said. "The party is almost over, and I'm not feeling well. Can we leave now?"

"Of course," Raymond replied. As a doting father, how could he possibly let his daughter suffer? Since Belle wanted to go home then they would go home pronto!

—--

"I'm very impressed," William said as he walked hand in hand with Belle towards the parking area. "I never thought that you'd be this eloquent when it came to words."

"Not as much as you." Belle rolled her eyes. "When we get back home, you better tell me everything. Don't leave anything out, got it?"

"Home?"

"Yes. I'm taking you back to our house. I'm sure Mama will have no complaints. Knowing her, she will definitely start the preparations for our wedding."

Belle held onto William tightly.

During the festival, she felt helpless and lost after William had left. It was a very heartbreaking feeling. It was then when she realized how much she loved him, and if possible, she didn't want to part with him ever again.

But, she knew that this was just wishful thinking on her part.

William didn't belong in her world, she understood this very well.

However, that wouldn't be enough to stop her from making sure that these precious moments together would not be wasted.

During the festival, she had regretted her decision of running away from him. If she didn't leave him back then, the time when they had shared their feelings to each other would have been longer.

She had wanted to tell him many things.

Belle had wanted to pour out her heart to him, but she wasted that opportunity. She had tried to make William stay, even using herself as a way to bind him to be with her forever, but it didn't work.

The boy she loved had responsibilities in the other world. There he had a family, and a home.

There he had lovers, which made her jealous because she couldn't be with him due to their circumstances being different.

Every night, Belle would stare at the moon, hoping that her star crossed lover would once again appear in front of her.

Now that he was here right before her eyes, she would no longer hesitate.

No matter what happened, she would make sure that before the two of them parted again, the feelings that she had kept for the past year, would finally find their way into her beloved's heart.

Chapter 892: Where Do You Want To Sleep Tonight?

Skuld smiled as she held William's hand.

"Big Brother, I believe in you," Skuld said. "Till we meet again."

"Till we meet again," William replied as he gave Skuld one last hug.

After taking a step back he gave Urd and Verdandi a bow before taking a step towards the portal that they had opened for him.

As soon as he stepped inside it, he was covered with a bright light. He was off to the place where the Norns had asked him to go, and entrusted a mission to him that only he could complete.

"Don't have any regrets, Big Brother," Skuld shouted as William took a step inside the portal. "... because it will be too late for regrets."

—--

When the light receded from William's vision, the first thing he saw was a beautiful lady with long, silky black hair.

The lady's face was flushed, and her expression wasn't looking that well, so the Half-Elf assumed that she might be in some kind of trouble.

William didn't recognize her right away until his heart started to beat wildly inside his chest. His hazy memories started to churn, as if unearthing something that had long been forgotten.

Suddenly, William heard footsteps headed in their direction. The beautiful lady's face immediately paled when she, too, heard the sound of someone approaching her location.

The first thing she did was to head to one of the exits of the clearing, but before she could do that, William's body had unconsciously moved and pulled the black-haired beauty in his embrace.

For some reason, he didn't want the person that was coming their way to find her. He suddenly felt overprotective all of a sudden, and he couldn't understand why he was feeling this way.

As he backed into the corner of the clearing, away from the light, he made sure to cover her lips, so she wouldn't be able to make a sound.

It was then, when a name appeared in his mind, as her warmth, softness, and scent assaulted his senses.

'Belle,' William thought as a surge of emotions rose up from his heart. 'Her name is Belle… right?'

It was at that moment when a young man who seemed to be the same age as the lady in his arms, appeared in the clearing. He had a look of yearning on his face, as he scanned his surroundings.

William used his power to shield their presence from the man, preventing him from looking in their direction.

When the man finally left, William tried to compose the raging emotions that were burning inside his heart.

"A beautiful lady wearing a dress as revealing as this and walking into a maze alone in the middle of the night is just asking for trouble," William said in a teasing voice. "A delicious sheep like you out in the open will make any wolf go crazy."

He wasn't able to stop himself from saying these words, because he was one of those wolves at the moment.

He loved her so much that it hurt.

It hurt because he knew that he was starting to lose his memories of her and it made him anxious deep inside his heart.

The black-haired beauty slowly turned her head to look at the man who was holding her in place.

William watched as a tear fell down the side of her face, followed by another. His heart melted at the sight. He then removed his hand that covered her soft and seductive lips and stared into her eyes tenderly.

"Am I dreaming?" Belle asked as she cupped Wiliam's face with her delicate hands. "Is this a dream?"

William chuckled. His beloved had said the same thing that was on his mind, and he was very eager to know if he was dreaming or not.

He raised his hand to hold the hand that was cupping his face and smiled.

"Actually, I was about to ask you the same question," William said. "Am I dreaming? If yes then I don't mind staying in this dream for a little while longer."

Those were his heartfelt feelings, for he didn't know if this would be the last time that he would remember the girl whom he had given, not only his love, but his heart as well.

The tears that hovered on the edges of Belle's eyes fell like rain. The emotions that she had been holding back for the past year surged like a thunderous river that blew away all obstacles in its path.

"Me, too," Belle replied as she wrapped her arms around William's head. "If this is a dream, I don't mind dreaming a little while longer."

The black-haired beauty tiptoed and pressed her soft lips on the young man's lips.

That was then when Wiliam tasted happiness, and knew for certain that he wasn't dreaming.

—--

"Oh my! Such a handsome young man!" a beautiful lady said as she appraised William from head to foot. "So, you are my daughter's fiance?"

"Yes, Mother," William replied. "My name is William. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Good! I knew that Belle wasn't a late bloomer." Belle's mother, Adelle, clapped her hands in happiness. "Have you eaten? If not, I can ask our cook to make something for you."

"It's fine, Mother. I have already eaten."

"Awww, don't be like that. I want to pamper the boy that had captured my daughter's heart. Are you sure you don't want to eat anything?"

Before William could answer Adele's question, Raymond cleared his throat before glaring at the red-headed teenager who was getting chummy with his wife.

"Boy, don't you think it's about time to tell us more about yourself?" Raymond asked. "Also, I haven't agreed to your relationship with my daughter. Belle, just where did you meet this boy?"

Belle smiled as she held onto William's arm. "Father, I think we should move to the living room. It's not good to have a discussion while standing at the entrance of our house."

"Oh, dear me, I almost forgot!" Adele hurriedly grabbed William's free hand and pulled him inside their house. "I want to know more about you, William. So, let us talk inside."

"As you wish, Mother," William replied, which made Adele chuckle.

Although this was the first time she was meeting William, she could tell that Belle wasn't using the red-headed teenager as a prop to prevent them from finding a suitable partner for her.

Adele could see the way her daughter looked at William. It was filled with love and affection. She was a businesswoman, and had dealt with many kinds of people in her career to know when someone was just faking something or not.

Belle's feelings were genuine, and the thing that made her very happy was that William also felt the same way towards her daughter.

'I want to know more about him,' Adele mused. 'I want to know more about the young man that made my darling daughter fall in love.'

As soon as everyone arrived in the living room, Belle guided William to a couch and sat beside him.

Adele and Raymond, on the other hand, sat on the couch opposite theirs.

"Carol, please prepare tea for all of us," Adele ordered the Head Maid of their residence.

"Right away, My Lady." Carol bowed and left the living room to prepare some refreshments for everyone.

Fifteen minutes later, tea was served and several snacks were laid out on the small table in the living room.

Raymond, who had an impatient look on his face, didn't even touch his tea. He merely crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at William who was enjoying his daughter's affection.

"Brat, I'll give you ten milliion. Take it and never show your face in front of me again," Raymond said in a threatening tone. "If you think that ten million is not enough, I'll double it. But, you better sign a contract that you will stay away from my daughter. If you do this, I will turn a blind eye on this matter and we can part ways without any hard feelings. What do you say?"

Belle glanced at her father with a pout. Just a day ago, her father was doing his best to make her look very attractive in the hope that several young men would take an interest in her.

Now that she had told her father that she already had a fiance, Raymond had a change of heart and wanted to chase William away.

Seeing her daughter's pouting face, Adele stood up and pulled Raymond in the corner of the living room.

"Adele, that brat doesn't suit our daughter," Raymond said without even bothering to lower his voice. "How can I possibly accept a random stranger claiming to be Belle's fiance? I will not accept it!"

He had every intention of making sure William heard his complaint. This was to make sure that the red-headed teenager would understand that Raymond had no intention of welcoming him into his family.

"Dear, listen," Adele said with a sweet smile on her face. "I came here to tell you that you only have three choices."

"Three choices?" Raymond frowned. "What three choices?"

Adele's smile widened as she playfully rearranged her husband's necktie.

"The first choice is to sleep on the bed.

The second choice is to sleep on the floor.

The third choice is to sleep in the doghouse."

Adele tightened the necktie on Raymond's neck, which made the latter feel a chill run down his spine.

"Tell me, Dear," Adele said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Where do you want to sleep tonight?"

Chapter 893: Please, Let Me Marry Your Daughter

"When I first saw Belle, it was love at first sight," William said as he intertwined his fingers with Belle's. "But, she was like the moon in the sky that was far away from my reach. For me, she was like a fairy that had come out of a fairy tale. If I was rich back then, I would have sued her for stealing my heart."

"Oh, my!" Adele giggled when he heard William's words. She loved listening to William's voice because it was rich with emotions. Also, the red-headed teenager was very handsome. He was more handsome than the young men that she, and Raymond, had planned to introduce to Belle in the hope that a spark would happen between them.

Adele felt that she no longer had to do something troublesome because it was very clear that her daughter and William were very much in love. Belle's mother swore then and there that if someone were to make the two of the lovebirds break up, she would hack them to pieces using a cursed chainsaw that she had bought in an auction house not long ago.

Belle, on the other hand, blushed as she rested her head on William's shoulder. She felt embarrassed and proud at the same time because the Half-Elf didn't shy away from sharing his heartfelt feelings with her family.

Raymond, on the other hand, was gnashing his teeth in anger. If looks could kill, William would have died a thousand times over already. Right now, he was forced to keep his silence, or else, he would be sleeping in the doghouse tonight.

"Then, how about you, Belle?" Adele asked. "How did you and William become a couple?"

Belle smiled as she fondly recalled that bitter sweet memory that happened a year ago.

"Do you remember when I went to the villa in the countryside to recuperate?" Belle asked. "It was there that I met William."

Adele and Raymond nodded their heads. When Belle had returned from the countryside, she had become livelier and she was smiling a lot, too. Because of this, both of them felt that a thorn had been pulled out of their hearts.

Their baby daughter, who had been depressed for a very long time, finally started to open up again and this made them incredibly happy.

Although Raymond was still staring daggers at William, a bit of his resentment disappeared when he heard his daughter's words. Belle was very precious to them. If William really played a role in her recovery then he could grudgingly give the boy a chance.

"When I saw him, he was eating grass and flowers at the flowerfield," Belle giggled. "After he realized that they weren't delicious, he started to spit them out one by one."

William wanted to roll his eyes at the black-haired beauty who was obviously slandering his good name in front of her parents.

Adele chuckled, and Raymond snorted.

What William didn't know was that his beloved girl was just lowering the tension in her father, in order for him to listen to her tale properly.

Raymond had indeed found Belle's description of the boy funny enough. In his head, he had already labeled William as a country bumpkin.

"Do you see his ears?" Belle inquired as he playfully pulled on them. "You see, he is the only Half-Elf in this world, which makes him one of a kind. Look at his clothes. Have you seen this design before?"

Adele and Raymond had noticed the peculiarity of Wiliam's ears and robes, but neither of them were fazed by it. They had already seen teenagers in T.V wear colorful outfits called cosplayers, so they thought that Wiliam was one of them.

Seeing the reaction of her parents, Belle continued her tale. She told them about how she and William dressed up like pirates during the festival in the countryside, and visited all the stalls in the shrine.

The black-haired beauty's voice mellowed when she came to the part where she and William had visited a stall that sold jewelry.

Belle then raised her hand to show her parents the ring on her finger.

"The name of this ring is the Ring of Vega," Belle said as he glanced at William. The Half-Elf understood what she wanted him to do, so he raised his hand and showed Belle's parents the ring on his ring finger.

"The ring on William's hand is called the Ring of Altair," Belle narrated. "They are the two stars that represent the tale of the star-crossed lovers during the Star Festival. Right now, we are those two star-crossed lovers who can only meet on very rare occasions."

"How romantic…" Adele said while sighing. "Dear, why didn't you come up with something similar when the two of us were dating? You should learn from our daughter and William."

Raymond sighed as he grudgingly admitted that he wasn't as romantic as William when he was at the boy's age. Back then, he was busy pursuing his studies in medicine and had very little time to go out on dates with his wife, Adele.

Belle's father then held his wife's hand and held it firmly. Although it had been many years since the two of them had been married, their feelings for each other didn't die down and continued to remain strong through the test of time.

Belle smiled as she looked at her parents who had entwined their fingers together, just like her beloved Half-Elf.

"It is quite regrettable that during our visit to the temple, we had an argument, which prompted me to run away from him." Belle sighed as she remembered that sad memory. "Back then, I knew that William had very important things to do, but I was selfish and tried to force him to stay with me."

Belle looked at William apologetically, but the Half-Elf only smiled and nodded his head.

"In the end, under that firework-lit sky, we exchanged our vows of love to each other," Belle said softly. "After that, he left me with the promise that we would meet again… and today, he kept his promise."

Belle wasn't able to stop her overflowing feelings as she moved towards William and kissed his cheek in front of her parents.

Adele and Raymond watched this scene with surprise because ever since the red-headed teenager had appeared, their daughter was showing expressions that they hadn't seen before.

Belle's love-filled gaze was enough for them to know that this whole thing wasn't an act, and the two of them weren't pretending to be lovers.

Raymond knew deep inside that if he really got in the way of his daughter's love, she would hate him for life.

"Papa, Mama, the one I love is William," Belle declared. "He is the only one that I plan to marry in this lifetime. Please, give us your blessings."

William held Belle's hand firmly as he gazed at Adele and Raymond, who were looking at him with complicated gazes.

"I can't promise that I will always be there when Belle needs me," William said. "I have circumstances that prevent me from being with her all the time. However, I can promise you that whenever we are together, I will love her with all of my heart and do everything in my power to make her happy."

William stood and bowed his head. "Please, let me marry your daughter."

The Half-Elf didn't know how long he could stay on Earth. The only thing he didn't want was to have regrets.

After seeing Belle being pursued by another man in that dark and gloomy maze, he understood that time didn't wait for anyone.

If he missed this opportunity, there might be no other chance again. So, with every fiber of his being, he wanted to gain the acceptance of Belle's parents as their daughter's husband.

Adele and Raymond exchanged a glance.

"It might be a little too soon for a marriage," Adele said. "We need to think about this properly."

Even she, who supported her daughter's love, felt that marriage was too soon for her daughter. Also, although she had a good impression of William, she didn't know much about him. Her plan was to gradually know more about Belle's fiance, before giving her permission for the two to get married.

Raymond was of the same mind. Although he had already considered the possibility of William marrying her daughter, he simply didn't know anything about the red-headed teenager.

No decent father would allow his daughter to marry a complete stranger without even knowing his family's background.

"I understand," William nodded. "But, please, know that I am serious in my feelings for Belle."

Adele and Raymond nodded. For now, they had accepted that the two were in love with each other, so they would no longer get in the way in their relationship.

What they wanted now was to know more about William. This would undoubtedly take some time.

Time that the Half-Elf didn't have…

Chapter 894: Let's Create Beautiful Memories Together

William laid on the bed of the guestroom, completely exhausted from the day's events.

He looked up at the ceiling and tried to recall how he appeared back on Earth, but the haze in his head wouldn't go away.

The last thing he remembered was saying goodbye to Hebe and the Nymphs before entering the Hall of Thunder.

After that he was engulfed by a bright light, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in a clearing, looking at Belle.

'Is the Hall of Thunder connected to Earth?' William thought. 'If it is… can I bring it inside my Domain so I can visit Belle anytime?'

William had no recollection of meeting Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld inside the Hall of Thunder. He wasn't even aware of why he had appeared on Earth.

Even so, his instincts were telling him that he had arrived on Earth for a reason. A reason that he couldn't remember.

Just as William was trying to break through the haze in his mind, the door of the guest room opened.

The Half-Elf's ears had picked up the sound of someone entering his room. Even so, he wasn't afraid. There was no one on Earth that could threaten him, so he decided to close his eyes and pretended to sleep.

His senses had extended outside his body and locked in on the person that was turning the doorknob of the bedroom as quietly as possible.

When the door opened, the person quietly came in and slowly closed the door behind her.

After making sure that the man on the bed was not stirring, the person approached the bed stealthily like a thief about to steal something important.

The person then reached out to touch William's face, but before the hand could even come close, William's hand had sprang up and held it firmly in his hand.

"Ouch!" the person cried out, which made the Half-Elf immediately release the hand he was holding.

"Sorry," William replied as he applied healing magic to the bruised wrist that he had grabbed. "I thought that your father had sent someone to assassinate me."

"My father is a doctor," Belle replied with a pout. "He would not send someone to kill his daughter's fiance, especially with Mama around."

William smiled as he pulled Belle close to him.

Belle didn't resist and allowed herself to be hugged by the person whom she had always thought of since the day that they parted from each other.

"You're very bold," William whispered in her ears. "Aren't you worried that your parents will barge in here and drag you away?"

Belle shook her head. "No. Because I know that you won't let them drag me away."

The two stared at each other before Belle raised her chin and closed her eyes. William cupped her face, and kissed her soft lips until both of them panted for breath.

"Will, you promised that you would tell me everything," Belle said as she laid her head on William's chest. The two of them had lain down on the bed together, but aside from kisses, and words of love, the two didn't make a move to cross that final line.

It was as if both of them had agreed on an unwritten rule that they had set upon themselves.

"Okay," William replied as he lightly brushed her head. "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the time since we parted during the festival."

"This will be a very long story. Are you sure?"

Belle nodded. "Tomorrow is Sunday, I don't have to go to the university."

"What about your parents?" William asked. "They might not like it if they find out that their only daughter spent the night with the stranger they brought under their roof."

"Well, I guess you will just have to take responsibility and tell them that we did it."

"You're very bold. What do you think would happen if I did that?"

Belle giggled. "Papa would kill you for sure, but I'm not afraid. Even if you die, I will go to where you are without fail."

William planted a kiss on Belle's forehead. He was very touched by Belle's words. Although he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen, knowing that she had resolved herself to do such a thing made him fall in love with her all over again.

'Please, Gods in the Heavens, have mercy upon me,' William prayed as he held the love of his life in his embrace. 'Don't take my memories of her away from me. I beg you… I beg you.'

William's body shuddered in sadness as he held Belle in his arms. The memories he had of her that had been lost, could never be restored.

"Belle, I love you," William said as he lovingly cupped her face. "Always have, always will."

"I love you too, Will," Belle replied as she took the initiative to get up enough to kiss his lips for a brief moment. "Even if you forget, I will remember. Forever and ever."

As if a string had snapped inside William's heart, his fears and worries rose up to the surface, causing him and then Belle to sit up again.

He didn't tell her about the things that happened when they parted. No, he didn't tell her that.

Instead, he told her about his greatest fear.

The fear of waking up one day, not being able to remember her face, her voice, and her name.

Belle held Wiliam's trembling body, until he fell asleep in her arms.

The black-haired beauty laid her beloved on the bed and lay down beside him. She wiped away the tear stains on William's face with her soft and delicate fingers.

When he told her that he was constantly losing his memories of her, the black-haired beauty felt an ache in her chest.

Because of this, she made a decision.

"Will, no matter what happens, I will make you remember me," Belle said softly as she held William's body that had started to turn cold. "Even if you lose all of your memories, I will find a way. So, don't be afraid."

Belle closed her eyes and listened to William's heartbeat that matched her own.

"Let's create beautiful memories together," Belle whispered in the sleeping Half-Elf's ears. "Memories that even the laws of the world… cannot erase completely."

Chapter 895: Your Daughter Is In Good Hands

The soft and gentle breeze blew past the open window. Inside the guest room, William opened his eyes and saw Belle's sleeping face.

The black-haired beauty was sound asleep, and her sleeper breaths told him that it would take a while before she woke up.

William gazed at her. If possible, he wanted to touch and caress her face, but if he did that, there was a chance that she would wake up due to his meddling.

The Half-Elf didn't want that to happen. For Belle, only a year had passed since that fateful day in the countryside. The day when the two of them bid each other goodbye, without knowing when the two of them would see each other again.

The memories of what happened a few hours ago resurfaced in William's memory, and it made him slightly embarrassed.

He had never been a cry baby, but for the past year, he couldn't remember how many times he had cried due to the things that he had experienced.

Meeting Celine and stepping on the stairways of adulthood with her…

His journey with Chiffon inside the Tower of Babylon…

His marriage with Princess Sidonie…

His time with Lilith and his future daughter, Raizel, in the Deadlands…

Seeing Amalthea and fighting against Dias…

And now… meeting Belle on Earth.

"Maybe this is a reward for all of my hard work," William muttered as he stared at the girl that he had loved in his past lifetime. "... Yeah, right."

William didn't know why he had appeared on Earth, but in his heart, he knew that there must be a reason for it.

A reason that he couldn't discover through the haze in his memories.

The Half-Elf moved closer towards Belle's face, and planted a kiss on her cheek. He did his best to endure, but his heart was adamant, so there was nothing he could do.

Just as he expected, the moment his kiss had finished, the black-haired beauty's eyes fluttered open.

Belle stared sleepily at William who was only a few inches away from her face.

"Good morning," Belle said before briefly kissing William's lips. "Wake me up after five minutes."

After saying those words, Belle once again closed her eyes and slept.

William blinked as he stared at the black-haired beauty who had once again fallen asleep in the span of a heartbeat. He didn't know what to think or do in this situation because it felt surreal to him.

Just as he was about to think what to do next, the door of the guest room opened and a fuming Raymond barged inside the room.

"Y-You! What do you think you're doing to my daughter?!" Raymond shouted as he pointed his finger at William. "Do you have a death wish?!"

Adele also entered the room and looked at the two teenagers who were sharing the same bed.

One quick glance and she already knew that nothing out of place had happened because the bed was tidy, and both of them were wearing clothes.

A part of her was happy because William wasn't like those other young men who thought with their lower half. However, a part of her was also disappointed. If something really had happened between William and Belle then wouldn't that mean that they would have to have the wedding soon?

That way, she could hold her darling grandkids after a year or two.

"Father, don't worry," William said as he stared fearlessly back at Raymond. "I will take full responsibility."

"The only thing that you will take responsibility for is offering me your head!"

"Father, please calm down, Belle is still sleeping. You will wake her up."

Adele chuckled before pointing at the sleeping beauty on the bed. "I think it's already too late for that."

The black-haired beauty yawned and propped herself on a seating position. She then stared at her father in a grumpy mood as if Raymond had gotten in the way of her happiness.

"Belle, you are a proper lady," Raymond said in a righteous tone. "If other people come to know that you've slept with a man before the two of you got married, your reputation will suffer!"

Belle ignored her father's words and held William's hand.

"Let's have breakfast together," Belle stated. "What would you like to eat for breakfast?"

William pondered for a bit before remembering his pink-haired wife, and Sixth Master who loved to eat pancakes in the mornings.

"Pancakes will do," William replied with a smile.

"Okay. I'll go back to my room to change. I'll come back here after I'm done."

"Understood."

The black-haired beauty pecked William's lips before greeting Raymond and Adele good morning. After she was done, she left the room in a casual manner as if being seen in a man's room early in the morning was not a big deal.

Raymond's face had already turned beet red from anger because Belle didn't seem to care about the words he had said earlier.

Adele could only smile helplessly as she tried to coax her husband to calm down.

"Belle might be entering that so-called rebellious stage," Adele said. "If we try to control her at this time, she would probably run away and elope with William without telling us."

"Not if I kill this bastard first!" Raymond angrily glared at the Half-Elf who was looking at the items in his storage ring for something to wear.

After seeing that he didn't have any clothes that wouldn't stand out on Earth, he decided to access the God Shop and bought himself a set of shorts and shirt that were stylish enough to match the fashion on Earth.

William immediately equipped the items he bought, and in just a matter of seconds his clothes had changed completely.

It was also at that moment when the room suddenly quieted down. William's gaze then landed on Raymond and Adele and almost slapped himself silly for forgetting that he was not alone inside the room.

"Y-You. What was that just now?!" Raymond asked as he looked at William in disbelief.

"William, dear, did you just change your clothes instantly?" Adele inquired. Although her expression wasn't as exaggerated as her husband, the surprise on her face was something that she couldn't hide. "This is the first time I've seen someone do that. How did you do it?"

The gears on William's head churned at a very fast rate as he tried to bullsh*t his way out of the mess that he had just made.

"A-Actually, I am a magician," William replied. "I can do magic."

"A Magician?"

"Magic?"

Raymond and Adele looked at William with doubtful expressions on their faces. Seeing their disbelieving faces, William decided to press while the iron was hot and decided to tell them the truth.

"Actually, I am a Half-Elf that came from a magical world called Hestia," William stated. "It is a very wonderful place. I wish the two of you could see it!"

"I knew it!" Raymond smiled evilly. "So you are a nut job! I knew that there was something off about you when I saw you!"

Adele, on the other hand, sighed as she lightly patted her husband's arm.

"Dear, William is one of those cosplayers," Adele explained. "It just be the backstory of the character he is trying to portray, right, William?"

The corner of the Half-Elf's lips twitched. He had already expected this to happen, but after seeing the reaction of Belle's parents, he knew that neither of them would believe anything he said even if it was the truth.

Just as William was thinking of a way to fix the current situation, Belle once again entered William's room with a smile.

"Let's go have breakfast," Belle said as she pulled William off the bed. "I already asked the kitchen to prepare pancakes. They will be serving it soon."

"Okay," William replied as he held her hand firmly. Her simple gesture of pulling him off the bed warmed his heart because it felt so natural.

"Absolutely not!" Raymond interjected. "It's time for you to leave the house you nut job! You're lucky I'm allowing you to leave this place in one piece. How dare you kidnap my daughter into your room? If you don't leave now, I will call the police!"

Adele ignored her husband's ravings and walked towards William and Belle. She knew her husband's temperament, so she decided to take the initiative to make her daughter happy.

"The weather is good today," Adele said with a smile. "After breakfast, why don't the two of you go out on a date? Belle rarely goes out of the house, and I'm worried that she will grow up to be a recluse. What do you think, Will? Can you take her out on a date?"

William patted his chest with confidence as he gave his mother-in-law four thumbs up in his heart. With such a powerful helper working behind the scenes, it was only a matter of time before he and Belle could say I do.

"Of course, Mother," William answered with a dazzling smile that almost caused Raymond to suffer an aneurysm. "Your daughter is in good hands."

William was quite happy that Adele was very supportive of his relationship with her daughter.

The Half-Elf even had a very strong urge to let Adele meet his Grandpa, James, so that they could talk about the details of his wedding with Belle.

He knew that if the two of them were to join hands, William's and Belle's wedding would already be in the bag.

William understood that it would take a while for Raymond to accept him as Belle's fiance, but he wasn't too worried about it. After all, the one he would marry was Belle and not her father.

Chapter 896: I Will Give You The Happiest Of Endings

William looked at the full body mirror with a serious expression.

Right now he was wearing black jeans, a white shirt, and black blazer jacket.

This set of clothes highlighted his red hair and green eyes and made him look like a model that had come out of a fashion magazine.

"It's a bit embarrassing, but this might be the first time I've gone out on a date with someone," William muttered as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

He almost wanted to slap himself because he hadn't spent some quality time with his wives and lovers by taking them out on a date.

'I failed big time,' William thought as he massaged his face with his hands. 'I'll definitely find some time and take them out on a date after I return to Hestia.'

There were occasions when he had spent some quality time with them on the beach, and inside his domain, but it was more of a recreational activity rather than a date.

The closest thing to a date that he had experienced was when Haleth had toured him, Chiffon, and Lilith, in the Port City of Alabaster.

While the Half-Elf was busy reprimanding himself, the door of his room opened and a black-haired beauty wearing a black, one piece dress, with a skirt that went down to her knees entered the room.

William's breath was caught in his throat as he turned around to look at Belle who was sizing him up and down.

"You look very handsome," Belle complimented. She then walked towards William and held onto his blazer jacket and gazed at his face with a sweet smile.

"And you look breathtaking," William replied as he wrapped his hand around Belle's waist. "Maybe you should change to a more dull looking dress. I don't want other men looking at you like hungry wolves that have been starving for days."

Belle's smile widened. "Then, you should do your best to keep them at bay. The only one I will allow to take a bite off me is you."

"Don't worry. If anyone dares, I will break their bones," William stated. "The only way they can touch a strand of your hair is over my dead body."

Belle frowned. She then pinched William's nose and gave the Half-Elf a serious gaze.

"Don't raise death flags." Belle admonished. "I want a happily ever after. You can do that, can't you?"

"I can and I will."

"Promise me."

William took a step back and kneeled like a knight while holding Belle's right hand.

"I promise you that I will give you the happiest of endings." William vowed. "Regardless of the obstacles that come our way, I will break all the walls that stand before me, just so I can be with you once again."

The Half-Elf then kissed Belle's hand as if sealing his promise.

It was at that moment when the two heard a squeal of happiness come from the direction of the door.

Adele was recording William's pledge using her cellphone. Belle's mother was about to send the romantic video to all of her close friends in Feysbook, Instadrum, and Tweeter in order to brag about her daughter's fiance, when her phone was grabbed by an embarrassed Belle.

The black-haired beauty was about to delete the video, but Adele managed to snatch back the phone before she did.

A minute later, the two had started to negotiate with each other. In the end, the video wasn't deleted, but Adele wasn't allowed to post it or share it with anyone.

William watched this scene with an amused expression on his face. Frankly, he didn't mind if Adele sent the video for the whole world to see. In fact, he would even support her if she did.

That way, everyone would know that Belle was already taken. This would prevent those young master's from influential families from trying to get close to Belle, which would in turn make them suffer from William's face slapping.

Ten minutes later, Adele waved at the couple who had boarded one of their family's cars.

Although Belle came straight home after classes from the University, her girl friends would always tell her about the places their boyfriends took them out on dates.

She marked these places on her cellphone, and asked their family driver to drop them off at one of the most famous cafes in the city called Starbox.

As soon as William and Belle entered the cafe, they immediately caught the attention of everyone. Even the waitress, who had led the two to an empty seat in the shop's balcony, couldn't help but steal glances at the red-headed teenager who was oozing with pheromones.

Just as the two were about to take their orders, two pretty ladies approached their tables with excited faces.

"Belle? Is it really you?" a pretty lady with short-brown hair asked.

"Paula?" Belle's eyes widened in shock because she didn't expect to see her two besties inside the cafe. "You're here too, Hana? What are the two of you doing here?"

The girl with shoulder-length black hair, who went by the name Hana, smirked at Belle who was looking at them with a shocked expression.

"We should be the one asking you that," Hana replied. "We have tried to invite you to come here countless times already but you refused us each and every time. When we saw you enter the cafe, we almost didn't recognize you!"

Hana then shifted her gaze to William and appraised the handsome young man with a critical gaze.

"So, this is your type of man," Hana nodded. "Not bad. As expected of our University's Belle, you have good taste."

William smiled as he gazed at the two pretty girls beside Belle. He recognized the two of them because they had been friends with Belle for a very long time.

In fact, he remembered them more than he remembered Belle, which made William shake his head helplessly. The memories that were being taken from him as of late were the important ones, which had Belle in them.

Although he couldn't remember them, the fact that the black-haired beauty's two sidekicks were more familiar to him than his beloved made his liver itch.

Paula, the girl with short brown hair grabbed a nearby chair and sat casually beside Belle. Hana followed suit, and the two ladies flanked the black-haired beauty on her left and right side.

"Belle, why did you suddenly disappear during the party yesterday?" Paula pouted. "Hana and I went to look for you, but we never found you."

"That's right!" Hana nodded. "I just took my eyes off you for a minute and the next minute you're gone! Of course, I also noticed that several of the good looking guys had disappeared when you left and connected the dots. So, did you manage to escape from them?"

"Yes," Belle answered. "Sorry. Many things happened so I was unable to say my goodbyes to the two of you."

"Hohoho, many things happened eh?" Paula's gaze shifted over to William as a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "Does that something have red hair and green eyes?"

Belle's face became beet red because she couldn't possibly tell her besties that they were right.

Unfortunately for her, the two pretty ladies had known her for a very long time and could read her expression like an open book.

Paula and Hana exchanged a knowing glance before staring at the red-headed teenager that was pretending to take a serious look at the menu of the cafe.

Both girls knew that Belle wasn't someone who would come with just any man to a cafe.

It was quite obvious to them that Belle had a good impression of the handsome man in front of them, and they were dying to know more about him.

Just like Belle's parents, they thought that their best friend was asexual, and had no interest in the opposite sex. Many men had already confessed to her, but all of them were politely rejected by her. This was why William piqued their curiosity.

They were like paparazzis who had found a juicy scoop. Because of this, the two girls decided to observe the handsome young man for now.

Paula and Hana wanted to know why their best friend, who had never had a relationship with any man, would suddenly wear a pretty dress and come to a cafe with the red-headed teenager that they were seeing for the first time in their lives.

Chapter 897: Comparing The Sun And The Moon

"How did the two of you meet?" Hana asked.

"Also, who confessed first?" Paula added.

William took a sip of his coffee before answering the questions of the two pretty ladies who were looking at him like reporters who discovered the biggest scoop in their lifetime.

The Half-Elf smiled as he placed his coffee cup on the table. He was more than happy to answer their inquiry, and let them spread the news that Belle was his girlfriend.

"I met her when I visited the university to take the entrance exams," William answered. "It was love at first sight. Unfortunately the timing wasn't right. My parents suddenly had a job offer abroad, so they took me with them.

"However, before I left, I went to meet her one last time and confessed my feelings to her. She said that she would think about it, and we kept each other's contact numbers. As the years passed, our relationship became closer.

"After reaching a compromise with my parents, I decided to come back here to see her. I arrived yesterday and immediately invited her out on a date. Just between the three of us, I am also planning to propose to her, wish me luck!"

The two pretty ladies squealed after hearing William's bold words. They never thought that Belle had been talking to a boy behind their backs, and he turned out to be quite the hunk!

"You said you are studying abroad, what kind of field are you pursuing?" Paula asked.

William paused for a while before answering the pretty lady's question.

"I am taking a veterinary course."

"A veterinarian? You must really like animals. What kind of animals do you like the most? Dogs or cats? I'm a cat lover myself."

"Goats and sheep," William answered. "When I went abroad, I took up the hobby of shepherding goats and sheep in the countryside."

Belle knew that William was using this opportunity to tell her things about what he did in the world of Hestia, so she decided to let her friends interrogate him.

The Half-Elf had just taken another sip of his coffee to wet his throat when the mischievous girls decided to ask him a landmine question.

"Well, I heard that there are many pretty ladies abroad," Hana said with a mischievous smile. "I'm not saying that you are cheating on Belle, but did you ever encounter any beauties there that wanted you to become their boyfriend?"

William almost choked on the coffee that he had drunk. Fortunately, he had strong willpower and managed to return his coffee cup to the table with grace.

"Yes," William replied.

"And? Did you agree to become their boyfriend?" Paula pressed for answers. "Please be honest. Depending on your answer, we may or may not allow you to have a relationship with Belle."

William didn't want to lie, but he also knew that the standards of relationships in Hestia were different on Earth. It also took a while for him to get used to the idea of having multiple wives and lovers, so he was sure that he would face stiff opposition from the two pretty girls who were like mother hens protecting their precious egg.

After thinking for a while, William decided to answer honestly, but before he could even voice out his thoughts, Belle took the initiative to come to his rescue.

"Paula, Hana, stop interrogating my fiance," Belle said with a pout. "It took a lot of effort for William to come here, so the two of you better behave and not ruin our date."

"F-Fiance?!"

"The two of you are engaged?!"

The two pretty girls gasped in shock which made the customers in the cafe all look in their direction.

Seeing that everyone's gazes were on the two of them, Paula and Hana covered their lips with their hands as they stared at William and Belle in shock and disbelief.

"Are the two of you really engaged?" Paula asked after regaining her calm.

"Yes," Belle answered. "The two of us are planning to get married in the future. We just need to let our parents handle the wedding preparations."

"When will the two of you get married?" Hana asked. "Will both of you wait until you graduate from the University?"

William stared at Belle. He knew that marrying her right now would be impossible. Although Adele was supportive, Raymond still hadn't accepted him as Belle's fiance. If possible, William didn't want to have any conflicts with his future in-laws.

This was why he was busy thinking of ways he could patch up his relationship with Belle's father, Raymond.

After a few more questions, the two pretty ladies stopped interrogating William and decided to shift their topic to the school trip that would happen in a week.

"It's quite a shame that outsiders aren't allowed to join our school trip to K-City," Paula said. "I'm sure that all the boys will cry bitter tears once they know that you already have a fiance."

"School trip?" William asked. "When exactly will this school trip happen?"

Hana, who was still disappointed that she didn't get to hear William's answer to the question about the beauties abroad, decided to inform him about the school trip that would be happening in a week's time.

"Monday next week, the four classes that study Business Management in our University will go to K-City for a four-day trip," Hana replied. "We will mostly be visiting the city's attractions like museums, theme parks, aquariums, etc. Belle doesn't want to go, but since she is the Class President, she has no choice but to go."

"We will be staying at the Peninsula Hotel during our stay in K-City," Paula added. "All expenses are paid by the University so we intend to enjoy it to the fullest!"

William lightly tapped his finger on the table as he digested Hana's words. Right now, he had no timers that would tell him when he would leave this world.

For him, this was the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with Belle. The Half-Elf knew that although he had appeared on Earth twice and met Belle, the chances of this happening was extremely rare.

"Peninsula hotel? Got it." William nodded.

"Eh? Don't tell me you are planning to go there as well?" Paula asked.

William smiled. "Why not? Although I can't go on the same School Bus as you girls, I can definitely go to the city and meet you in the attractions that you are going to visit. Belle, make sure to give me the schedule of your field trip when it becomes available."

Belle nodded. "Okay."

Actually, she was also planning to tell William about the Field Trip that they would be having a week from now. Just like the Half-Elf, Belle also wanted to spend as much time as possible with her beloved.

The two then stared at each other with affectionate gazes, which made the two side-kicks almost vomit sugar while looking at them.

'Well, this will certainly be the most interesting trip I will have this year.' Paula chuckled internally. 'Just thinking about the commotion that will be caused when the boys and the girls of our class see William is enough to make me look forward to the trip even more.'

Hana shared the same thoughts as Paula. However, unlike her friend, she was more interested in William rather than the commotion that would happen when Belle's admirer sees him.

She had known Belle for many years, and had long understood that a handsome face was not enough to make her best friend act like a love-struck maiden who was unable to hide her feelings towards the boy who was seated across from them.

Also, something was telling her that William wasn't an ordinary person.

Hana wanted to know if she was just overthinking things, or if the red-headed teenager in front of her was someone that had an extraordinary background.

'William… His name reminds me of that sickly boy that always stole glances at Belle when she was practicing archery,' Hana thought.

The pretty lady had seen the sickly William many times in the past, and even had the opportunity to encourage the boy to confess to Belle.

Hana eyed William, unable to stop herself from comparing the two boys.

One was like the sun, radiant and lively.

The other was like the moon, pale and hidden in the darkness.

'I sure hope that this guy is seriously pursuing Belle,' Hana thought as she drank her iced coffee. 'Because if not, I will make sure that he regrets it for the rest of his life.'

Chapter 898: Redheads Cannot Be Trusted!

"... Are they still following us?" Belle asked.

William smiled as he lightly squeezed Belle's hand. "Yes. Your friends seem to really care about you."

After leaving the cafe, William and Belle strolled through the city. They had no particular destination in mind, so they just randomly checked different places as they went.

Paula and Hana followed them from a distance while staying out of their sight. However, who was William? If such amateur stalking skills were to get past his detection then his training in Hestia would have all been for naught.

"If you like, we can try to lose them," Belle proposed.

William shook his head as he walked steadily. "There's no need to lose them. If we suddenly disappear from their sights, they will certainly panic. Who knows? They might even do something reckless in their attempt to find you."

"Thank you, Will."

"You're welcome. By the way, are you tired? We can rest if you want."

The Half-Elf was paying close attention to Belle's condition because he didn't know if she had already fully recovered from her ailment.

Belle smiled as she held onto William's arm, as they walked side by side.

"I'm not as fragile as you think I am," Belle stated. "Your heart is very strong and it has kept me safe all these years. I'm fine."

William was doing his best to prevent himself from kissing the lady beside him because she had the knack for saying the things that made him happy.

The two lovebirds had also attracted the attention of the people walking on the streets with them. Some of them even discreetly took a picture of the both of them, thinking that they were celebrities taking a stroll in the city.

Several meters behind them, Paula and Hana, looked at this scene with complicated expressions on their faces.

They were happy that Belle seemed to be having fun on her date with William, but they were also worried that the red-headed teenager might just be playing with Belle's heart.

This was the first romantic relationship that their best friend had, and both girls were worried that William was just after Belle's beauty and the wealth of her family.

They were afraid that once the boy had gotten what he wanted from their best friend, he would just toss her aside like a used rag.

"Hana, what do you think?" Paula asked as she eyed William from their hiding place. "Can he really make Belle happy?"

"You saw her face in the cafe," Hana replied. "She is smitten with William. They usually say that one's first love never works out. This is Belle's first time having a boyfriend, the possibility of them breaking up is high."

"So, you mean that after he has had his way with her, he will call it quits?"

"The possibility exists."

"I knew it! Redheads cannot be trusted!" Paula gnashed her teeth. "Come on. They're getting farther away. We might lose them if we don't hurry."

Hana nodded as she followed one of her besties from a distance to ensure that William wouldn't take her somewhere unusual.

Several hours later, William and Belle sat on a bench in the park located at the center of the city.

They had visited many shops, and even had several snacks along the way as they toured the city without any destination in mind.

Now that their date was coming to an end, the two decided to just relax for the time being while looking at the flowers that bloomed in front of them.

"So, among your wives, who is your favorite?" Belle asked before drinking the canned soda in her hand. "You must have a favorite, no?"

William drank his own canned soda as he pondered Belle's question. He had never considered this matter before, because for him all of his wives and lovers were important.

"Each of them has their own unique set of traits that make them special in my heart," William replied after giving the question some thought. "For example, Wendy, she was the one that first confessed her feelings for me.

"She also showed me that it was possible for me to fall in love all over again, so she's very special in my heart. Her straightforward attitude, along with her genuine feelings made me feel that I am someone capable of loving others.

"Est is my first best friend outside of Lont. Because she has been cursed, I never thought of her as a love interest. In fact, the transition from being best friends to lovers wasn't easy. She had held her feelings for me back for so many years, because she didn't know if the curse on her body was going to be lifted.

"However, in the end, we decided to give it a try. My feelings for Est are complicated to say the least. As a boy, he was firm and steadfast. You could even say that he is the "dependable guy" you can always count on when things go south. But, as a girl, she's… way too innocent. I feel like I'm corrupting someone pure when I'm with her inside my Sea of Consciousness."

Belle frowned. She didn't understand the term Sea of Consciousness, but decided to put it aside for the time being. She waited for William to organize his thoughts to continue his descriptions of his wives and lovers.

The black-haired beauty wanted to know all of her love rival's characteristics, so she would be able to deal with them whenever Wiliam found a way to take her with him, or he brought his wives to Earth for her to meet them.

"Then we have Ashe…," William smirked after remembering his beautiful mermaid bride that was hard on the outside, but very soft on the inside. "As a boy, he always bickered with me. He was like this rabid dog that would bite if you came close to his strike range. I swear that there were many occasions that I was tempted to give him a good beating in order to show him who's boss."

Belle rolled her eyes at the red-headed teenager who was obviously bitten by the rabid dog that he was currently bad mouthing. Of course, if Belle knew that Ashe liked to bite Will's… then the black-haired beauty would definitely tease William for acquiring rabies.

"But, she still became your wife, no?" Belle raised an eyebrow as he gazed at the Half-Elf beside her.

"Yes," William answered as he held Belle's hand. He then pressed her hand over his chest, where the gem was embedded. "If it wasn't for her, you and I would have never met again in this lifetime."

Belle's jealousy of Ashe disappeared after hearing how she had saved William's life. William told her about the Demons' invasion of the academy he was studying at, and the battle he had with the Astral Worm that had made his Spiritual World collapse.

"I will properly thank her when the two of us meet," Belle said softly as she rested her head on William's shoulder.

William nodded his head in understanding before continuing his tale.

"Then we have my Master, Celine." William sighed after mentioning the name of his Master whose whereabouts he was not aware of. "After reincarnating in Hestia, she was my first crush. She was the most beautiful lady that I had seen back then, and I couldn't count the number of times when I wished that she was my girlfriend."

Belle snorted. "She must be really beautiful for you to have a crush on her. It's a shame that I am not able to see this Elf who had turned you into a slave."

"Do you want to see her?" William asked as he looked at his right side.

"Of course. Not only her, but I want to see all of your wives."

"Well, I'm not sure if it will work, but it's worth a try."

Belle blinked in confusion before looking at William's face who was looking back at her with an expectant gaze.

"You can really make that happen?" Belle asked.

William smiled. "I don't know, but we won't lose anything by trying. Let's go back. It's not safe to use that method out in the open."

Belle was still unsure about what William was planning. However, if she could really see the people who also loved the red-headed teenager with all of their hearts, it would allow her to understand these mysterious ladies who were able to always be with him, back in the world he now called home.

Chapter 899: Worries Of The Heart

Before the two left the park, Belle called Paula's cellphone to tell them that she was going home with William.

The two girls immediately felt embarrassed because their stalking plan had been discovered. After making sure that Belle and William were picked up by Belle's family chauffeur, the two pretty ladies also headed back to their own homes to rest.

When William and Belle returned to the residence, they were greeted by a smiling Adele and a fuming Raymond.

William could only sigh in his heart because his future father-in-law was a tough cookie to crack. He really wished that his Grandpa James was here to talk to Belle's parents and handle the negotiations.

The Half-Elf had full confidence that as long as James was able to step inside the residence, he would be able to fix Raymond's attitude and make Belle's father take the initiative to host the wedding as soon as possible!

After changing her clothes, Belle went to talk to her mother, Adele, and told her that she would be staying in William's room until dinner, and they shouldn't be disturbed.

Naturally, Raymond just happened to walk past the mother and daughter pair at that exact moment and heard Belle's words.

Of course, his first reaction was to drag William out of their house and toss him out onto the streets, but Adele's glare stopped him in his tracks.

Adele took the matter in her own hands and went to William's room alongside her husband and Belle.

"William, we need to talk," Adele said.

Seeing his mother-in-laws serious expression, William felt that she didn't come into his room to give him a pat on the back for taking Belle out on a date.

"What can I do for you, Mother?" William inquired.

Adele walked until he was only a meter away from William and stared straight into his eyes.

"I can tell that you love Belle and that my daughter also loves you, but my husband and I are worried that the two of you might do something inappropriate when the two of you are alone together," Adele said.

"William, can you promise me that you will not cross that line when you are together with Belle? At least, don't cross it until both of you are married. Can you promise me this?"

The Half-Elf was well aware that the standards on Earth were vastly different from Hestia. Adele was a woman who deeply cared for her daughter, so she was willing to give William a chance. However, that trust had a bottom-line.

If the red-headed teenager broke that bottom line, even if Belle would hate her, she would definitely take the initiative to break the relationship of the two apart.

William met Adele's gaze and nodded his head. "If that is your wish, Mother. I promise that I will not do anything inappropriate."

"Thank you, William. I'm glad that you understand."

"But, is kissing allowed?"

"Of course. As long as you don't go below the belt, everything else is fair game."

"Understood." William nodded his head. "I promise that I will not break your trust, Mother."

Adele patted William's shoulder. "Good. I'm glad that my trust wasn't misplaced."

Raymond felt slightly relieved because he knew how his wife operated. Adele was a businesswoman and trust was something that she prioritized above all.

Once that trust was broken, no matter what the other party did to try and fix it, she wouldn't budge and break ties with them without batting an eye.

William and Adele chatted for a little while longer before she dragged Raymond out of the room, leaving the two teenagers behind.

"Well then, let's start," William said as he locked the door of the room.

He did this just to ensure that no one would interrupt them, while he conducted his experiment.

He then held Belle's hand and led her towards the bed.

"Lie down." William smiled as he lay down on the bed. "It will be more comfortable this way."

Belle had full trust in William so she did what she was told.

The Half-Elf then pulled the black-haired beauty in his embrace and asked her to close her eyes.

"You might experience a weird sensation, but bear with it," William stated as he pressed his forehead over Belle's. "Synchronization."

—--

Belle felt light, as if she was floating in the air.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and found herself in a blue world.

Up above, she could see clear skies as far as the eyes could see stretched across the horizon.

That sky was reflected on the crystal blue waters of the sea below her.

If there was something in the scene that seemed out of place, it was the countless weapons that had embedded themselves in the sea, giving it an unusual beauty.

At the center of it all was a clearing. There she saw a red-headed teenager looking up at her with a smile.

"Welcome, Belle," William said. "This is my Sea of Consciousness. I will do my best to make sure that your stay will be an enjoyable experience."

William made a pulling gesture, and Belle's body slowly descended from the sky. He also waved his hand to put a dress on Belle's body because she was practically naked inside his Sea of Consciousness.

Although he would be more than happy to have intimate moments with her, now was not the time for that.

He brought her here, so that she would be able to see his wives, and that was what he was going to do.

After Belle was safely beside him, the Half-Elf once again waved his hand and a realistic image appeared before the two of them.

Belle stared at the blonde-haired beauty that was happily playing tag with a husky-like dog with black fur.

"She's my first wife Wendy," William said with a smile. "The dog she was playing with is named Thor. Right now, she's in the Southern Continent and learning the Secret Arts of her family."

William waved his hand once again, and a handsome boy with short, light-brown hair and green eyes.

"He is Est, my best friend, and lover." William then snapped his finger and Est transformed into a silver-haired beauty with crimson eyes that made Belle take a deep breath because of how charming she looked.

"So, this is the girl that you are trying to corrupt?" Belle asked in a tone filled with sarcasm. "Are you going to train her to become your perfect wife?"

William chuckled before shaking his head. "Est only acts like this when we are alone, but she is a very strong willed person. However, I can't deny that I feel like I'm corrupting something precious whenever we are together. Even so, I have no intention of letting her go."

Belle could tell the firm resolve in William's voice and realized that he really loved the silver-haired beauty that was looking back at him with a tender gaze.

Soon, the image of Est disappeared and was replaced by a good looking young man with brown hair and blue eyes.

"Ian, my worst enemy when I was still young." William smirked. He then snapped his finger and the boy transformed into a beautiful mermaid with blue hair that fell upon her body like a waterfall. "Ashe the person who gave me half of her heart in order for me to live. Even now, I still can't believe that the two of us are already married."

Belle appraised the mermaid in front of her and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

William had given her his heart, so that she could live.

Ashe had done the same, making her William's and Belle's benefactor.

Deep inside, Belle had a feeling of superiority over William's wives and lovers because she was the one who held his heart.

Not only figuratively, but literally as well. The strong heart that was beating in her chest that reminded her everyday that she was alive and well. A heart that remained strong even though she had suffered depression due to William's death, which had also paved the path for their miraculous reunion.

Now that she had seen the person who had done the same for her beloved, the superiority she felt vanished and was replaced by helplessness.

She understood that even if she were together with William right now, it was only a matter of time before he returned to these beautiful ladies, who had carved their place in her lover's heart.

To make matters worse, William was also losing his memories of her. This was something that Belle couldn't accept.

Not only was she not together with him in his world, the memories that bound her to him were also fading away. If all of William's memories of her disappeared then would his feelings for her also cease to exist?

Belle didn't know the answer. She also didn't want to think about such a possibility. It was at that moment when she silently prayed to whatever Gods that could hear her to allow her to stay in William's heart, even if his memories of her were to disappear completely.

"What's wrong?" William asked because she noticed that Belle had gone completely silent.

"Nothing," Belle answered as she hugged William. "Go on, you still have other wives and lovers to show me. Make sure not to miss any of them. I want to see the girls who will become my sisters when the time comes."

William smiled as he once again waved his hand.

He wasn't aware that the black-haired beauty beside him was feeling anxious due to the fear of being forgotten by the one person she wanted to spend her lifetime with.

Chapter 900: She's Legal, Right?

When Belle saw Princess Sidonie, she momentarily forgot the anxiousness and worry in her heart.

Belle had often heard of beautiful women who could topple nations, but this was the first time that she was seeing someone who perfectly fit that description.

The beautiful Princess with long, reddish-brown hair was so charming that even Belle, who was a girl, felt strongly attracted to her. She couldn't believe that such a beautiful girl existed, and it made her question her own preferences.

"Sidonie is a bit special you see," William whispered in her ear. "There are very few individuals who can resist her alluring charms."

The Half-Elf's words broke Belle out of her daze. Even so, she still wasn't able to tear her gaze from the Princess who was one of William's wives.

Only when William stepped forward to block her view did she completely regain her composure.

"She must be your favorite, right?" Belle asked as she inwardly shuddered.

Belle knew that she didn't fall short in the beauty department. Even in the face of William's other wives, she thought that she was at the same level as them.

She had been pursued by countless young men in her university, and although she didn't want to admit it, she felt very proud of the fact that William had fallen in love with her.

However, after seeing Princess Sidonie, she felt inferior.

How could any man resist such beauty? Even she, a girl, had been charmed by her. Because of this, she had labeled the Princess as her greatest rival when it came to gaining William's affection.

"No." William shook his head. "Sidonie isn't my favorite. My favorite is you."

"Lies."

"It's the truth."

Belle gazed at William's eye to look for any trace of falsehood in them, but the Half-Elf stared back at her with eyes filled with love and affection. After gazing at his eyes that only reflected her image, the black-haired beauty finally calmed down.

"I find it hard to believe that she's not your favorite," Belle replied, still half in doubt. "Maybe you're just saying this to make me feel better."

William chuckled because Belle's current attitude was almost the same as Lilith's when the two of them were strengthening their bond in the Deadlands. He had to admit that any girl would feel inferior when compared to his Succubus wife, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"No." William held Belle's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm telling the truth."

Belle sighed as she hugged William, and the latter patted her head until she felt better.

"You have to tell me how the two of you met," Belle insisted. "Don't leave out any details."

The Half-Elf smiled mischievously as he thought of Belle's reaction when he told her that Princess Sidonie's goal was to have his babies.

William nodded. "Alright. I will, but after I introduce you to everyone, okay?"

"... I'm so tempted to slap you right now." Belle pulled back as he gazed at William in frustration.

She knew that the Half-Elf had many wives, but after seeing four of them, she had the strong urge to strangle William and call him a womanizer.

Just like Adele, Belle's concept of relationships still matched the standards of Earth. Although she had already prepared herself for this, she still found it hard to stomach that she had to share her beloved with so many women.

After Princess Sidonie's image faded away, an adorable little girl with long pink hair appeared in front of Belle. The pink-haired girl was like a doll, which made the black-haired beauty's heart melt.

She even subconsciously reached out to hug the little girl, but her hands just passed through her, which made her somewhat disappointed.

"Her name is Chiffon. She is half-dwarf, half-demon, and she is my third wife," William said with a smile. "Sidonie is actually my fourth wife.

"Do you know? When she found out that I married Chiffon before her, she threw a tantrum and talked to her grandfather so he would prepare a grand marriage as soon as possible for the two of us. You should have seen her back then."

Belle hummed after listening to William's explanation. Like all girls, she liked cute things, and Chiffon was very cute. In fact, seeing her, Belle felt that she wouldn't mind sharing William with the adorable girl who made her feel fluffy inside.

"How old is she?" Belle asked as he gazed at William. "She's legal, right?"

William nodded. "Chiffon is a few months older than me. Even so, she still has the habit of calling me Big Brother from time to time."

"You must really like that, don't you?"

"..."

Seeing that William refused to answer his question, Belle pouted. Even so, she didn't make a move to pinch William's waist, just like Ashe did when she found him doing something behind her back.

When the two of them parted a year ago, she had said that William could have nine wives. It was too late to take her words back, and she couldn't really blame the Half-Elf because of the circumstances behind his wives and lovers.

Chiffon's image disappeared and was replaced by the Amazon Princess Lilith.

Belle scrutinized the Warrior Princess and found that her body was well proportioned. Not only that, she exuded a very exotic feel due to her sun-kissed skin.

The black-haired beauty could feel the strength radiating from Lilith's body even though it was just a projection. Among William's wives, she was the one that had the "warrior feel'' to her, which made Belle realize that the Half-Elf had a wide selection of beauties that each had their own charm.

"So, she's your fifth wife?" Belle asked.

"No." William shook her head. "We're not married yet. Actually, we only became lovers just recently."

"Just recently?"

"It's a bit complicated. I will tell you about it later."

Belle nodded in understanding. "Who's next? Go on. Don't hide anyone from me."

William smiled and waved his hand. He had no intention of hiding any of his wives and lovers from Belle. For him, this was a good way for her to see her future best friends, when he found a way to bring her back to Hestia with him.

Suddenly, a breathtaking beauty with long purple hair, and wearing gold rimmed glasses appeared in front of them.

"She is my First Master, Celine," William stated. "She was my first love in Hestia."

The beautiful Elf looked like someone in her early twenties. Although she was wearing a conservative dress that covered her entire body, her curves still stood out, which made Belle understand William's attraction to her.

Celine wasn't trying to make herself look attractive or anything, even her hair was tied up and hidden by a hat, to make her appear less beautiful.

However, Belle knew that if Celine were to let her long hair fall freely down her back, and remove the gold-rimmed glasses on her face, it would make all the boys howl like wolves because of her surreal beauty.

"... Tell me something. Have the two of you done it?" Belle asked without even looking at the boy beside him. She was still observing the purple-haired Elf who seemed to be lost in her thoughts while looking at the clouds in the sky.

"Yes," William replied.

"How was it?"

"Simply amazing."

"You're not holding back, aren't you?" Belle inquired with a voice filled with sarcasm.

Instead of answering, William pulled her in his embrace and hugged her tight.

"How was she with her hair down and her glasses removed?" Belle asked as she rested her chin on William's shoulder.

"Breathtaking," William answered. "I think that was the day when I truly fell head over heels for her."

"So, you love her more than you love me?"

"I love you more. How many times must I say this?"

Belle lightly nibbled William's ears to vent out her frustration. After seeing so many beauties beside her beloved, she was really tempted to tie him up in bed, so he wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

The black-haired beauty was starting to feel very jealous and she knew it. Even so, she couldn't do anything about it except nibble on the Half-Elf's ears to make him feel her helplessness.

After five minutes, Belle finally had her fill and left William's ear alone.

"That's six, is there anyone else?" Belle asked as she stared back at Celine, who was now dozing off while standing up.

William shook his head. "There's no one else."

"Good." Belle sighed in relief.

What she didn't know was that William still had one more possible candidate, which was Cathy. The mysterious pretty lady had told William that she would become his ninth wife, but without any definite proof, the Half-Elf couldn't take her words at face value.

Because of this, he decided to not mention her to Belle.

"Okay, now, tell me everything that happened after we parted," Belle said. "Don't hide anything. I want to know everything that happened to you."

William nodded.

The two stayed inside William's Sea of Consciousness as he shared the memories of everything that happened to him with his beloved.

Belle watched these scenes like a movie, while William narrated from the side. There were times when Belle would gasp in shock, there were times where she cried, and there were times when she waved her fist in anger.

Several hours later, tears were streaming down the black-haired beauty's face after William's tale ended.

She couldn't believe how much William had suffered in Hestia, while she was living her life in peace back on Earth.

"Will."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for continuing to love me. Also, thank you for doing your best to remember me."

William's lips trembled when he heard Belle's words. It really had been hard on him to keep his memories of her. Even now, he still didn't know if he would still be able to remember her in a few years.

It was at that moment when a pair of delicate hands cupped his face. William and Belle stared at each other with gazes that matched what they were feeling.

"Don't think of anything else," Belle said. "Just think of me. That is enough."

"Yes," William replied.

A second later, his lips were covered with Belle's own lips that hungered for his love.

William had tossed his worries aside and returned her overflowing love for him.

Inside that beautiful blue world, both of them held each other until the worries in their hearts subsided. They knew that when morning came, they would have to greet the new day with a smile on their faces.

This was the only way they could keep on making happy memories, while the two of them were together.

Memories that both of them wished would stay in their hearts till the end of time.

Chapter 901: Public Enemy Number One

"Jack, please pull up on the side," Belle ordered. "I will be walking to school from here with William."

"Understood, My Lady," Jack replied. "Should I take Sir William back to the residence after he drops you off at school?"

"There's no need to do that, Sir Jack," William replied. "There are some places that I am planning to visit. I will return to the residence with Belle later, so you don't need to pick her up."

"Very well." Jack nodded. "I will inform Sir and Madam about this when I return, so they won't worry about the Young Lady's safety."

Everyone in the residence had been told that William was their Young Lady's fiance, and everyone made sure to stay away from the two in order for them to have some quality time together.

After the car pulled up, William and Belle walked hand in hand towards the University where they had studied together.

Belle was wearing the university's uniform, while William was wearing black jeans, a white shirt, and a gray blazer.

"This feels nice," William said as he walked hand in hand with Belle. "Back then, I dreamed of walking hand in hand with you like this, but I was too scared to confess to you and get rejected."

"Do you regret it?" Belle asked.

"A bit," William answered. "The time we had together was simply too short."

Belle wrapped her arm around William's shoulders as they walked together.

"I pray that our time together will be a little longer than what we had a year ago," Belle said. "You'll tell me when you are about to leave, right?"

William nodded. He also didn't want to experience the heartbreaking scene that they shared last time. Back then, he wanted to stop time so badly, but he couldn't.

Even now, with his powers, he was still unable to do it. That was why he wanted to treasure every moment he could while he was here on Earth. This was to ensure that he would have no regrets later on, even if he were to once again lose his memories of this time.

Since the two were walking on the path leading to the academy, several of the students couldn't help but stare at them.

Most of them recognized Belle. She was the most beautiful lady in the University and she had a good background as well. This made her the ideal candidate for the young men to pursue as their girlfriend, especially those heirs that belonged to the upper circle of society.

"Who is that guy? Do you know him?" a good looking man wearing glasses asked his friend who was staring at the two from a distance.

"First time I've seen him with Belle," the young man with above average looks replied. "Judging by his hair color, he must be a foreigner."

The ladies were also looking at William with flushed expressions on their faces. The red-headed teenager's hair and eyes were simply eye candy to the girls, and some of them secretly took a photo of him as they walked past them.

"As expected, you are gaining a lot of attention," Belle said softly.

William smiled as he wrapped his arm around Belle and rested his hand on her waist. "It is best to let them know that I am your man."

Just as William intended, his action caused different reactions to come from the people around them.

Some looked at them in surprise, while others looked in envy. The guys were also openly glaring at William for his audacity, which the Half-Elf brushed off like a passing breeze.

This scene continued all the way to the gate of the university, where a small crowd had gathered.

Those who had seen Wiliam and Belle walking like a couple had sent picture messages to their friends who were already inside the university. These people had immediately rushed to the gate in order to see the red-headed teenager, who had made their University's Belle look like a blooming flower that was watered with love.

"So, it's true," one of Belle's classmates muttered. "Just who is that guy? Do you guys know him?"

The other boys shook their heads because they really didn't know who William was.

When the two lovebirds arrived at the gates, William wrapped his arms around Belle and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which immediately made him public enemy number one for all the boys who had a crush on Belle.

The girls on the other hand squealed in delight after seeing the handsome boy confidently kiss Belle in front of everyone.

"I will pick you up after school," William said as he stared into her eyes. "Don't miss me too much, okay?"

"I'll try," Belle replied. She knew what William was trying to do, so she decided to play along in order to make those who are pursuing her back away completely. "I love you."

Belle kissed Wiliam's cheeks, which made the girls squeal a second time.

The boys on the other hand, felt their hearts break after seeing this public display of attention, which made them very jealous and envious.

William then glanced at the spectating boys who were looking at him as if he was the one that killed their family.

The Half-Elf planned to give them the killing blow to ensure his claim on the girl who held his heart.

"My name is William and I am Belle's fiance," William declared. "Nice to meet all of you."

After making his declaration, he gave Belle one last peck on the cheek before letting go of her body.

Originally, he planned to kiss her on the lips in front of everyone, but he thought that it would be too much, so he compromised and gave her another kiss on the cheek instead.

As expected, it had the desired effect that he was looking for, which made him look at the boys with a smug expression as if telling them that "He's the chosen one and all of them could just suck an egg".

Belle blushed because she didn't expect that William would not hold back the display of his affection in public.

After that scene, Belle walked through the gate and waved at William one last time. Although she wished that she could skip school just to be with him, it was not possible.

She had responsibilities to take care of, and many were relying on her to do the things that only she could do.

The Half-Elf waved back and even blew her a flying kiss, which made all the boys want to stab him with kitchen knives.

Paula and Hana appeared and flanked the black-haired beauty on both sides as if they were her trusted bodyguards. Both girls glanced at William, who gave them a brief nod to acknowledge their presence.

After Belle and her besties disappeared from view, William left the school with a spring in his steps. Just as he mentioned earlier, he planned to visit a few places while he was still in the city.

One of those places was the orphanage where he had stayed in the past. He wanted to see if Belle's father, Raymond, had honored his word and supported the place where he had grown up, alongside with the children whom he had treated as his brothers and sisters, when he was still alive on Earth.

Chapter 902: The Smiles Orphanage

"Smiles Orphanage…," William muttered as he looked at the place where he had been raised with love and care.

Although there were times when the food wasn't that good because they didn't receive enough donations, it was still a place that William had called home.

With a glance, William could tell that the white paint that now covered the outside had been done recently. It was a stark contrast to the old orphanage that he remembered, where the paint had already turned gray with some parts of it flaking off.

His gaze then landed on the newly built steel gate, and the small guardhouse that was manned by two guards.

Back then, there had only been one rusty old gate, and there had been no guardhouse. Seeing these improvements, the Half-Elf had to admit that Raymond had kept his promise and ensured that his old home was well taken care of.

Approaching the gate, the two guards asked his reason for coming to the orphanage. William looked too young to adopt a child, so they didn't tag him as someone who would come to visit for an adoption.

"I came here to personally give a donation," William said with a smile. "Can I meet the person in charge?"

After hearing the words "give a donation" the two guards' attitude completely changed and they enthusiastically allowed William to enter the premises of the orphanage.

William sighed internally as he walked the familiar path that led to the entrance of the Orphanage.

A few years ago, the place looked so bare, but now, the path was littered with flowering plants and trees, making the surroundings look more… alive.

After arriving at the main entrance, a chubby middle-aged woman wearing glasses greeted Wiliam.

Willam noticed the two small children clinging to her legs. Though he didn't recognize the two of them, he estimated that both of the children were around five to six years old.

She was none other than the Director of the orphanage, whom William and the other kids called Mama Beth.

William wanted to hug the kind woman who had taken good care of him all these years, but he forced himself to hold back as he greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning. My name is William Von Ainsworth, and I have come to give a donation," William said.

Upon hearing the name William, a sad expression momentarily passed across Beth's face before she tried to force herself to smile.

"My name is Beth, and I am the Director of Smiles Orphanage," Beth replied. "Thank you for taking the time to come to our humble orphanage. Please, let's talk in my office."

Beth held the hands of both children as they walked beside her.

William followed a few steps behind the three as he observed the inside of the orphanage. Things were almost the same, except that the interior of the orphanage had also been repainted to look new.

The children were wearing clean and proper clothes, and their laughter could be heard in the hallway, which made William feel at ease.

It made him feel that what he did was worth it.

Before arriving at the office, Beth entrusted the two children to one of the staff, so that she could talk to William in private.

"Please, take a seat," Beth said as she sat on her chair. She eyed William with a calm expression on her face, but deep inside she wasn't feeling calm.

The boy in front of her greatly reminded her of the boy who had passed away in order to give all of them a better life. William may have been sickly, but he was a very hardworking boy. All the kids in the orphanage looked up to him. This made it very hard for Beth to break the news of his passing to them.

In the end she told everyone that William had been adopted by a good family, and had to be taken abroad as soon as possible to cure his illness.

Although the children dearly missed him, the thought of their big brother being adopted by a good family made them happy.

After reminiscing for a while, Beth pulled herself back to reality and smiled at the red-headed teenager, who was looking at her with a tender gaze. This was the first time she was meeting the handsome boy, but for some odd reason, she had a feeling that they had known each other for a very long time.

"I came here to give my donation," William stated as he handed a check to Beth with both hands. "Here, please accept this."

"Thank y—" Beth wasn't able to finish her words because of shock. After she received the check from William's hands, her eyes subconsciously locked on to the amount of money written on it, and it made her body shudder.

"T-Two Hundred Fifty Million?!" the Director of the orphanage almost dropped the check in her hand due to her surprise. "W-William. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't play a prank on this old lady. Are you planning to give me a heart attack?"

"This check is real, Miss Beth," William replied. "Of course, if you are still doubting whether this money is real or not, I can just have it directly transferred to the orphanage's bank account."

"P-Please, just transfer it directly to our account," Beth stuttered. "I'm afraid that I might lose this check on my way to the bank."

She was still half in doubt if William was telling the truth or not, so she decided to play it safe. The middle-aged lady knew that she would be heartbroken if the boy in front of her was just teasing her, and let her go on a fool's errand.

William nodded in understanding. He had considered that this scenario might happen, so he decided to just let Adele handle the bank transfer.

Raymond had already injected a good amount of money into the orphanage, so his credibility would be higher compared to William's.

Before the Half-Elf had accompanied Belle to school, William had a private talk with Adele.

He asked for some money in exchange for the gold bars in his possession. Adele almost lost her composure when William presented her with two suitcases of gold bars.

Naturally, this gold came from the resources that he had commandeered when he was still in the Southern Continent, and negotiating with Princess Sidonie during the War with the Elves.

He had acquired several mines in the process, and among them were three gold mines.

The Requiem Antz had helped him mine these resources and processed them into gold bars for him.

This gave the Half-Elf unprecedented riches, which he didn't plan to share with his Grandpa James because both of them were two peas in a pod.

The Ainsworth family seemed to have a popular saying that went along the lines of, "What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine alone".

Since that was the case, he would just hoard all the gold he could get, and hide it from the old coot, who always told him that their family was poor!

After a series of negotiations, Adele decided to give William the base price of two hundred fifty-five million for the gold bars in his possession.

The Half-Elf didn't plan to bargain because these were Belle's parents, who would also be his in-laws in the future. Naturally, if his in-laws were happy, he would be happy as well.

What William didn't know was that after he had left with Belle to school, Adele hurriedly told her husband about his exchange with the Half-Elf.

After confirming the authenticity of the gold bars, Raymond's impression of William changed. He had originally been worried that the red-headed teenager was a country bumpkin whose sole intention was to marry his daughter because of her duty and their wealth.

The thought of William mooching off on their family fortune made Raymond quite dissatisfied with the boy. But now, things had changed.

After seeing that the red-headed teenager could casually exchange two briefcases of gold bars with his wife, Raymond had to re-evaluate the person who claimed to be Belle's fiance.

After regaining her composure and giving an apology to William, Beth took her guest on a tour of the orphanage.

They visited the dining area, the playground, the bedrooms, the prayer rooms, as well as the other facilities that were recently added to the orphanage—like the badminton court.

William couldn't help but smile when he saw the children playing badminton outside the orphanage. All of them were having fun.

It was at that moment when one of the guards that was stationed at the gate came running towards Beth and whispered something in her ear.

"I didn't ask for a delivery of toys," Beth said. "Are you sure that they didn't get the wrong address?"

"No, Miss Beth," the guard replied. "The address written in their form is the address of this orphanage."

"But, I didn't make any orders for toys," Beth shook her head firmly.

While the Director of the orphanage and guard were unsure about what to do, Willliam spoke up and cleared their confusion.

"I was the one that asked for those toys to be delivered here," William stated. "Don't worry. Those toys have already been paid for."

Before William went to the orphanage, he visited the largest toy store in the city and bought toys in bulk. He then asked them to be delivered at the Smiles Orphanage to serve as a gift to his brothers and sisters.

Beth stared at William in disbelief. She was starting to wonder if she was dreaming or not.

Fortunately, after giving herself a pinch, she realized that this was not a dream but reality.

With the red-headed teenager taking the lead, the toys that he had bought were distributed to all the children in the orphanage, which made the kids extremely happy.

Beth had tears streaming down the side of her face when she saw the happiness in the children's faces.

For a brief moment, Beth thought she saw the sickly William's image overlap with the handsome, red-headed teenager who was handing a little doll to a three-year old girl with a doting smile on his face.

Chapter 903: They're Poking The Wrong Tree

"Thank you very much for your donation, William," Beth gave William a respectful bow, which the Half-Elf had no way to decline.

"You're welcome, Miss Beth," William replied. "I am glad that the Smiles Orphanage is doing its best to bring smiles to the children inside it. If Fate wills it, I will come and visit again."

"We will be waiting for you, Sir William."

"Goodbye and, please, take good care of your health, Director."

William smiled as he waved at the children who were standing behind the gate and waving at him. All of them were holding the toys in their hands, which made the Half-Elf feel that a burden had been taken off his shoulders.

After taking his leave, he wandered aimlessly as he waited for Belle's classes to end.

Adele had given him a Special Credit Card that had five million on it. With money on hand, he bought toys for the children, and still had plenty left to spare.

As he walked around the city, he came upon a bike shop and thought of buying one to use for travels. Right now, he didn't have a license, so he couldn't use motorcycles.

"Sir, I want to buy this bike with a passenger seat attached on the back," William said as he handed his card over to the salesman.

The buying process was smooth and after a few minutes, William was touring the city on his new bike.

William had lost several memories, and some of them had been his favorite places in the city. There were times when he would unknowingly get lost after going to places that he had forgotten.

While the Half-Elf was touring memory lane, or what was left of his memories, Belle was having lunch with her two best friends, Paula and Hana.

After William's bold move at the school gates, the rumor of Belle dating a handsome, red-headed foreigner spread like wildfire.

Naturally, this made all of Belle's admirers use their connections in an attempt to find out William's true identity.

However, all of their search came to a dead end, which made all of them frustrated.

"We can't let this happen," a handsome guy with glasses said as he ate lunch with his love rivals. "We need to teach that boy a lesson."

"I agree," another good looking man that seemed to be a model commented. "He should know his place."

"I have an idea. According to one of my acquaintances, that boy will be back after classes end," a guy with sharp features stated. "How about we send some people to beat him up?"

"Let's do that!"

"I'll contact the gang that our family sponsors."

"I know a martial artist for hire. I'll get him here before school ends."

More than a dozen second generation rich kids banded together in order to form a united front against the red-headed teenager who had struck their bottom line.

None of them knew how far William and Belle had gone in their relationship, and they had no intention of finding out. After their love rival had openly declared that he was Belle's fiance, everyone in the university knew that a storm was coming.

Paula and Hana didn't need to pay attention to their surroundings because they already knew that Belle and William were the current talk of the entire university.

"Belle, I think it is best that you tell William to not pick you up after school," Paula said.

Even though she was still unsure about whether William was being serious with his relationship with Belle or not, she didn't want the red-headed teenager to get hurt by the people who were madly in love with Belle.

"Paula is right," Hana commented. "It is too dangerous for him to come and pick you up when classes end."

Belle understood their worries, so she decided to video call William and tell him not to pick her up later.

After the call connected, the handsome Half-Elf appeared on the screen and gave Belle a mischievous smile in greeting.

"Missed me?" William asked.

"A little bit," Belle replied helplessly at the handsome Half-Elf who was giving her a teasing look.

"Only a little?"

"Yes. So, don't think too highly of yourself."

William chuckled, and it sounded like music in Belle's ears. If not for Hana tugging on her arm, she would have forgotten the reason why she had called her beloved in the first place.

"Will, I don't think it's a good idea for you to pick me up later," Belle said after regaining her composure. "It's dangerous."

William smirked. "Don't tell me that your admirers are planning to gang up on me after school?"

"How did you know?"

"Well, I would have done the same in their place. Anyone who dares make a move on you, I'll beat them up real good."

Belle felt something warm spread inside her chest after hearing William's declaration. She had seen how he fought against those who had tried to take his lovers away from him, and she would be lying if she said that she didn't feel envious of them.

"Just wait for me," William said with a confident smile plastered on his face. "No one in this world can prevent me from picking up my fiance from school."

"Be careful, okay?"

"You should tell that to your admirers. They're poking the wrong tree."

After the serious talk was over, Belle asked William what he did after he left the school.

The Half-Elf narrated the events that had happened at the orphanage, in addition to showing her the bike he'd bought so that he could use it to pick her up later.

Paula and Hana listened to their conversation as they ate their lunch beside their bestie who was now focused on chatting with her fiance.

"I'm going to hang up," Belle smiled. "Classes will start soon.".

"Okay." William nodded. "We will continue what we started last night. Sorry, but I'm not going to let you get any sleep tonight."

Paula, who had just taken a sip of her ice tea, almost choked after hearing William's words.

Hana, on the other hand, blushed because she didn't expect that William and Belle were already at that stage of their relationship.

Belle, who had realized William's motive, only shook her head helplessly before admonishing the Half-Elf who was doing his best not to chuckle.

"Don't say things that can be misunderstood." Belle admonished. "Paula is coughing right now because of what you said. Also, take a look at Hana. Her face is as red as a tomato."

"My bad," William replied. "Alright. I'll hang up and meet you later."

"... Don't be late, okay?"

"I won't. I'll be there like your knight in shining armor, riding on a… brand new bicycle with a two-year insurance plan."

Belle giggled after hearing William's comedic antics. She then disconnected the call and looked apologetically at her two besties that were looking at her with injustice.

"Someday, I will get your fiance back for that." Paula pouted. "I'll give him a good beating."

"Don't," Belle replied. "The one who will get beaten up is you instead."

"Hmph! Let's see if he can still keep that smile on his face later," Paula commented hatefully. "Belle, you'd better be prepared to call an ambulance later, okay? I'm afraid that your fiance's face will be used as a rag to clean the floor."

Belle looked troubled after hearing Paula's words. Her two best friends exchanged a glance at each other because they thought that Belle was really thinking about calling an ambulance for William.

What they didn't know was that Belle was really considering calling her father, Raymond, to send some ambulances to the University after school.

These ambulances would ensure that the people who tried to attack her beloved, would not accidentally kick the bucket after receiving one of William's blows, which could easily shatter a boulder to pieces.

Chapter 904: Face Slapping School of Martial Arts

"Belle, this is bad! Like really bad!" Paula sent a video call to Belle as she pointed the camera at the dozens of men wearing black suits outside their university gates.

Aside from them, there are also burly guys that screamed the "I am a gangster" vibe that made Paula feel anxious for William's safety.

"Several other men were also here," Paula reported in a shaky voice. "One of them is this year's MMA Champion. Looking at his expression, he seems to be here to deal with your fiance! Tell William to not come to the university, or he might end up getting beaten to death!"

Belle blinked as she looked at the intimidating men that numbered over a hundred, camping outside their university gates.

If she hadn't seen William's memories of his life in Hestia, she might have become worried for her beloved.

However, after seeing those wars which William had fought head-on, Belle felt that the number of people that came to try and beat her fiance to death was underwhelming.

In fact, what Belle was worried about was William getting carried away and punching a hole in their bodies.

"Okay, I'll send him a message to not accidentally kill anyone," Belle replied.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Paula became confused after hearing Belle's reply. "Are you so blinded by love that you can't understand the current situation? Belle! If you really love William, tell him not to— omg! He's already here! It's too late!"

Just as Paula was about to urge Belle to tell William to change his plans, the red-headed teenager appeared in her vision while riding a bike.

After seeing Paula in the distance, William smiled and even waved at her, which made Belle's best friend suddenly have the urge to throw her cellphone into his face!

Several students of the university had also gathered at the gate, including the masterminds that had called their subordinates to beat up William and make him understand his place.

The crowd that had gathered already expected something like this would happen, and were even looking forward to a wonderful show.

The security guards of the university were in a bind. They didn't have enough manpower to challenge the men in black suits, gangsters, MMA Champion, and other martial artists that had gathered in front of their university gate.

"Just for the sake of one person, this is overkill."

"I know, right? Belle's fiance will definitely not show his face here again after today."

"He'll be lucky if the ambulance arrives here on time after he gets beaten. There's a good chance that they'll beat him until he's half dead."

"Poor guy. He should have kept his relationship with our University's Belle a secret. Being lowkey is the best."

Several students chatted with each other as they looked pitifully at Belle's fiance, who seemed to have no idea what was happening in his surroundings.

The men didn't do anything until he reached the gate of the university. They merely formed an encirclement to prevent him from escaping their grasp, while waiting for their young master's to give the signal to attack.

"I'm here at the gate," William said while talking to Belle on his cellphone. "Let's hurry up and go home. I'm not going to let you get any sleep tonight."

A pin drop silence suddenly fell on the gate after everyone heard William's words. The Half-Elf didn't bother to lower his voice. In fact, he even raised it in fear that the students would not be able to hear him.

Belle, who was on the other side of the call, blushed and even cursed William internally for purposely making trouble. In the end, she could only shake her head as she told him that she would be at the gates in ten minutes.

Just as soon as William ended the call, a handsome guy wearing glasses walked towards him.

"So, you are Belle's fiance, correct?" the handsome guy asked as he fixed the glasses on his face using his middle finger.

"Yes," William replied. "What can I do for you?"

The handsome guy smirked as he raised his hand. "Well for starters, how about you kneel and beg for mercy?"

"And why should I do that?"

"Because if you don't, you'll be sorry."

William sighed as he got off his bicycle and leaned it on the wall beside the gate.

"And how exactly do you plan to make me sorry?" William asked as he flipped his hair.

The red-headed teenager's display of arrogance made some of the girls looking at him squeal internally. The guys, on the other hand, clicked their tongues and waited for the stupid boy to get gangbanged to oblivion.

"It's either you are very brave or very stupid," the handsome guy wearing glasses said. "I wonder which is it?"

"Oh, please, can you not be a p*ssy and just tell me what you want?" William replied.

"Didn't you hear me earlier? I said I want you to kneel and beg for mercy."

"How about you kneel and beg for mercy, while I'm still in a good mood?"

The handsome guy sneered as he pointed his hand at the red-headed teenager who didn't know who he was dealing with.

"Impudent fool! Make him kneel for me!" the handsome guy ordered.

"Yes, Young Master," a man wearing a black suit stepped forward. He was one of the bodyguards of the handsome guy, and had already been told about the current situation.

The other bodyguards only crossed their arms and sniggered. For them, ganging up on a mere teenager was beneath them, so their comrade alone would suffice.

When the man was only a meter away from William, his body suddenly stiffened before collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

Everything happened so fast and no one present knew what happened.

"That's it?" William asked as he walked towards the handsome man who still had no idea what happened to one of his bodyguards.

Sensing a threat to his young master's life, the other bodyguard grabbed the handsome guy wearing glasses and backed away before giving out his orders to his men.

"Get him! Don't hold back!" the bodyguard shouted.

Seeing their fallen comrade, the over a dozen men wearing black suits stormed William like a proper unit.

All of them were veterans in the trade and knew how to fight as a group. Although they felt it a bit shameful to attack the boy together, their superior's order was absolute.

William yawned and covered his mouth with his left hand, as the men approached him from all sides.

Each of the bodyguards then unleashed a blow aimed at different parts of the boy's body, in order to bring him to his knees.

It was at that moment when a resounding slap was heard at the gate of the university, and what followed next made everyone gasp in disbelief.

The red-headed teenager slapped the nearest man with his right hand and sent him flying a few meters away.

Several more slapping sounds spread in the surroundings as the Half-Elf slapped all the bodyguards like pesky flies, and sent them flying in different directions.

William had controlled his strength properly, and even applied a healing spell on his hand, so although the bodyguards were sent flying, their injuries were healed right away.

The handsome guy wearing glasses looked at this scene in disbelief. He was not the only one who thought the same way. All that were present at the scene, including Belle's best friend Paula, were looking at William with their mouths agape.

Just what the f*ck happened?

That was everyone's thoughts at the moment as they watched the Half-Elf in awe.

"Well, who's next?" William asked. "I'm sure you didn't come here to watch, right? Come. I only used 1% of my strength."

While everyone was still trying to digest what happened, the MMA Champion walked towards William with a serious expression on his face.

"What school of martial arts are you using?" the MMA Champion asked.

"Face Slapping school of martial arts," William answered.

"My name is Chad, and I'd like to challenge you to a duel."

"What a chad. Alright, my name is William. I'll do my best not to hurt you too much."

Everyone recognized the MMA Champion, Chad, because he had been the talk of the town after winning the championship a month ago. Every aspiring MMA fighter looked up to him, and even went to his training gym in order to receive pointers from him.

However, in front of William, Chad knew that he was fighting against another master. He couldn't afford to be careless, because he was putting his name and reputation on the line.

"Here I come!" Chad shouted as he charged towards William with the intention of giving him one of his ultimate combo moves that had paved the way for him to become a champion.

"Come at me, Bro." William smirked as he prepared to knock the guy unconscious.

However, something unexpected happened that Chad and William didn't expect.

The gangsters had also entered the fray brandishing their steel pipes at William. They were natural law breakers, so they didn't care about rules or anything.

This sudden act of violence made the girls in the crowd scream as they covered their eyes to prevent themselves from seeing a gruesome scene of William getting beaten up to a pulp.

The Half-Elf ignored the gangsters, and just focused on the man in front of him. He was wondering what Chad was going to do in this situation.

The MMA Champion immediately stopped his attack and backed away. He was tempted to help William deal with the gangsters, but he knew that these people were the unruly bunch. In order to not be targeted by their backers, he decided to just back off, while feeling sorry for William.

"Good choice," William said before reaching out to grab the steel bar that was descending on his head.

The gangster's eyes widened in shock when he saw that his attack was completely blocked by the red-headed teenager, who held his steel bar in a vice grip.

"Time to clean up the trash first," William said as he grinned evilly.

Although he felt a little guilty for bullying weaklings, it was also the perfect opportunity to show everyone who they were dealing with. As Belle's fiance, he needed to make them understand that he was not a pushover.

He also wanted everyone to know that Belle made the right choice in choosing him as her significant other.

A few moments later, several screams filled with pain reverberated in the surroundings.

Paula, gulped as she saw the bodies of the gangsters fly several meters away after receiving a palm strike from William.

It was at that moment when she realized that her best friend's fiance was not the ordinary country bumpkin she thought he would be.

Chapter 905: Do You Know Who I Am?

Unlike the bodyguards, William made sure that the gangsters would be in a world of pain after they received his palm strikes.

Although he controlled his strength, he made sure to break their arms, so they would never be able to hold a weapon again in their lives.

William had no mercy for ruthless people, especially those who attacked him with the intention of killing him.

Howls of pain permeated the surroundings as the gangsters held onto their broken arms. Even with the best medicine in the world, they would never be able to use it again because William had made sure that they would be crippled for life.

After dealing with the pests in his surroundings, William cracked his knuckles before glancing at Chad who stood several meters away from him.

"Okay, let's go for round two," William said with a devilish smile. "Come at me, Bro."

Chad waved his hand in a friendly manner. "I'll pass. No need to fight anymore."

What a joke!

I don't want to end my career just yet!

If I knew that I was being pitted against this monster, I would have never come here!

These were the thoughts that were playing in Chad's head as he looked at the red-headed teenager in front of him.

"Fine by me." William shrugged before walking towards the handsome guy with glasses who was shuddering behind the bodyguard protecting him.

"You were saying earlier that I should kneel and beg for mercy, right?" William asked as he cracked his knuckles.

"T-That was just a joke!" the handsome guy hurriedly said as his teeth chattered in fright. "I was just joking!"

"Oh? It was just a joke then?"

"Y-Yes! It was just a joke!"

William chuckled as he continued to walk towards the handsome guy with glasses.

"Stop!" the bodyguard hurriedly stood in between his employer and the red-headed teenager who had the smile of a devil on his face. "Don't come any closer! You don't know who my young master is!"

"You're in the way," William said as he casually slapped the bodyguard, sending him flying towards the side unconscious.

Seeing his last line of defense broken, the boy collapsed and fell on his bum, while looking at William with horror.

"I-I'm sorry! Please! Forgive me!" the handsome guy pleaded. "Stay away!"

As one of the sons of the richest people in the city, he prided himself for being above others. He had never encountered someone that could threaten his life because he was always surrounded by dozens of bodyguards.

However, today, his worldview changed completely as he stared at the red-headed monster who was looking down on him with eyes that were void of mercy.

William crouched down and lightly tapped the handsome guy's cheek with his hand.

"Do you know who I am?" William asked in a tone that carried an underlying killing intent that was enough to paralyze the handsome guy's body.

"M-Miss Belle's fiance!" the handsome guy answered.

"That's right. I am her fiance, so, stay away from her, okay?"

"Y-Yes! I will! I promise!"

William's killing intent was not something that an ordinary person could handle. If he wished for it, he could traumatize someone and make them go crazy for life.

William then moved his head closer to the handsome guy and whispered something in his ears.

"If I see you going near my girl, I will find you and kill you, do I make myself clear?" William whispered.

The man was overcome with panic and fear that he couldn't even answer Wiliam's simple question. Because of his current mental state, he had pissed himself out of fright, as William's words made his whole body tremble.

The Half-Elf knew that the handsome guy was near his breaking point, so he backed away, allowing the latter to take a breather.

The handsome guy's tears, and snot were freely flowing down his face and he no longer looked as cool and suave like he always did.

William then scanned the crowd of students who were looking at him with fearful eyes.

"Is there anyone else?" William asked with a dazzling smile on his face. "I am going out on a date with my fiance, so if any of you still have any complaints, please step forward."

All the students unconsciously took a step back after hearing William's words. Even those who had planned to teach him a lesson had all lost their confidence. They no longer wanted to have any connection with the red-headed teenager whom they had branded as a monster, since he didn't even bat an eye when breaking people's arms.

"Will, I'm here," Belle said when she arrived at the gates.

The people blocking her way created a path for her, and she moved towards her beloved with a sweet smile on her face.

"What took you so long?" William inquired before kissing her cheeks.

"I called my father so he can send some ambulances here. You held back, right?"

"Of course. If I didn't, all of them would have turned into meat paste already. I only used 1% of my strength."

"Good." Belle kissed William's cheek before handing her bag to him. "Shall we go?"

"Of course, My Lady," William grinned as he held her hand, and led her toward his bike.

After Belle had sat on the passenger seat, she wrapped her arms around William's waist to secure herself in place.

"Paula, Hana, see you tomorrow," Belle said as she waved at her friends, who were too shocked to react to her farewell.

"See you guys tomorrow," William commented as he gave Belle's two besties a brief nod before pedaling away.

Only when the two lovebirds had disappeared from sight did everyone manage to breathe normally. A heated discussion immediately ensued as the students talked about what had just transpired before their eyes.

The guys were in awe of William's strength. Some of them even fervently wished that they could be just like the red-headed teenager, who was like one of those martial arts experts in the movies.

"Did you see that?! That guy must be a hidden Martial Arts master!"

"Damn! Is he perhaps accepting disciples?!"

"So, this is why our University Belle has fallen for him. Now it all makes sense! How can our number one beauty just choose a random guy on the street?"

William's performance also affected the ladies who had watched everything from start to finish.

The majority of them were Belle's classmates and they envied the beautiful lady because not only was her fiance handsome, he was also strong enough to protect her!

"He's so dreamy! Why are all the good men taken?!"

"I wonder… does he have a brother? I don't mind if there is an age gap. I just want someone like him!"

"Just looking at his red hair, he must be a foreigner. Maybe we should ask Belle later if he could introduce us to guys like him."

"I want my own handsome redhead, too!"

"Me, too!"

Paula and Hana glanced at each other with complicated looks on their faces. Both of them knew that when morning came, the students of the university would not look at William and Belle the same way again.

Chapter 906: Are You Human?

Raymond frowned after seeing the video that was sent to him by the agent that he had tasked to follow William.

He was watching the scene in super slow motion, in the hope that he could understand how a red-headed teenager was able to single-handedly beat all the people that had tried to assault him in the university.

Adele was sitting beside him and paid extra attention to her future son-in-law's performance.

The first bodyguard that had tried to attack William collapsed just before he was able to touch the boy. In the slow motion video, they saw the red-headed teenager tap the man's chin using a finger to knock him unconscious.

This move couldn't be seen if you were watching the video using normal speeds, which made Belle's parents get a better understanding of the boy's fighting prowess.

The next scene where William sent the bodyguards flying in different directions with a slap made Raymond's liver itch.

For some reason, he imagined himself getting hit by one of those slaps, if he pissed the red-headed teenager by getting in the way of his relationship with his daughter.

Adele, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow because her earlier suspicions were confirmed. William wasn't someone ordinary, and he was more than capable of protecting her daughter.

"Not only does he have stacks of gold bars, his fighting ability is also amazing," Adele said. "I guess our daughter managed to get a good boyfriend. What do you think?"

Raymond snorted. "Those who resort to violence to handle situations will not have a good ending."

"Dear, he was only using self defense."

"It doesn't matter if it's self defense or not. He should have done things civilly and talked things out."

Adele shook her head. "Raymond, you and I both know that those punks didn't go there to talk civilly. They came to hurt him. William only acted to defend himself."

Raymond understood this point, but he still didn't like William. This was a natural reaction to fathers that had raised their daughters in an overprotective manner, so Adele could only sigh as she continued to watch the video.

"I think we should have a good talk with William when he gets back," Adele commented after watching everything. "I want to know his family background."

"I agree. We need to determine what kind of background this boy has. If his family has a shady background, I won't hand Belle over to him even if she resents me for life."

"Dear, do you really want to get in the way of our daughter's happiness? Do you want her to revert to that depressed state? Are you sure that is what you want to happen?"

Raymond got tongue tied and had no rebuttal to his wife's questions. He had completely forgotten that Belle had just recovered from her depression. It was a dark and difficult time for their family because the black-haired beauty seemed to have lost all will to live.

This was why they decided to let her stay in the countryside for the time being, in the hope that the fresh air and beautiful scenery would help her recover from her depressed state.

Raymond sighed deeply. He was like a deflated balloon that had lost all the anger he had for William. He would rather let Belle marry the red-headed teenager than watch her wither away like a dying flower.

It was at that moment when a warm and assuring hand held his own.

"I think it's time for us to respect our daughter's decision," Adele said softly. "I know that it's difficult, but we have to let her go. We can't let her stay trapped in a cage all her life. Doing so will be too cruel."

Raymond lowered his head as he lightly squeezed Adele's hand. "... Give me some time."

"Okay. give me your answer after Belle's school trip."

"Fine."

—--

William and Belle had an early dinner before continuing to tour the city while riding the bike.

They were not aware of the commotion that had happened at the school after they had left.

Several ambulances arrived at the scene, and brought the injured people to the hospital that Belle's father owned.

Everyone was talking about William's one-sided face slapping and the rumor of him being a martial arts master had become the talk of everyone in the university.

Aside from that rumor, several stories of how William and Belle met also started to spread like wildfire.

Some said that William had saved Belle from a group of bad guys when she went to the countryside, to take a vacation.

Others said that William and Belle met after the black-haired beauty went on a pilgrimage to visit the temple where the red-headed teenager was practicing martial arts and both of them fell in love at first sight.

There were other variations of the story, but all of them had one in common. All of them stated that William had saved Belle, and in order to reward his bravery, she decided to marry him.

These stories made the ladies hold their cheeks in embarrassment and left them wishing that someone like Wiliam would appear in their lives.

Paula and Hana weren't able to escape the countless inquiries from friends and acquaintances, asking them for any information they had about William.

Even if the two girls said that they didn't know anything about him, none of their friends and acquaintances believed them. Paula was so frustrated that she started to curse the red-headed teenager to the high heavens for making life difficult for her.

While all of this was happening, the two love birds were spending some quality time with each other.

The Half-Elf was aware that he was being followed, but he didn't try to shake the agent that was hired by Raymond to follow him. Right now, he wanted his future in-laws to trust him, so he behaved properly and allowed the agent to tail him.

Belle was not aware that there was an extra set of eyes that were following them from behind, she was too happy to worry about anything around her, and simply rested her head on William's back, while the Half-Elf toured her around the city.

"Let's go back," William said. "Mother and Father might get worried."

Belle giggled because her beloved had already started calling her parents Mother, and Father. This made her feel at peace because this proved how serious William was when it came to their relationship.

"Okay," Belle replied. "Where will we be sleeping tonight? In your room, or in mine?"

"Let's sleep in your room this time," William answered. "I will sneak in when everyone is asleep and leave before everyone wakes up."

Belle nodded her head. "Un…"

With Adele's blessing, the two would usually spend their time together in William's room. He had promised that he wouldn't do anything inappropriate to Belle, and he had stayed true to his word.

The two of them only kissed and held each other, and didn't nudge the other to go any further. Although it was frustrating for William, he knew that Belle was also not ready to take that final step that would allow the two of them to become one.

Because of this, William didn't insist and just went with the flow.

Although there wasn't a timer or anything, William knew that he couldn't stay on Earth forever.

This was why he was hoping that, before he returned to Hestia, Belle's parents would finally give him their blessings.

When the two returned to the residence, they found Adele and Raymond in the living room waiting for their arrival.

"William, come with us to the library," Adele said. "There are a few things that I want to ask you. Also, Belle, go back to your room and change. Your father and I want to have a private talk with William."

Belle nodded before heading towards the stairs. She knew that her mother was on her side, so she wasn't worried about her talk with William.

Raymond kept his silence and only followed behind his wife as they headed to the library.

William walked a few steps behind Raymond. He was quite curious about what Belle's parents wanted to talk to him about.

When all three of them arrived in the library, Raymond firmly locked the door after William had walked past him.

This was an important talk and he didn't want anyone to overhear their discussion. Just like Adele, he was dying to know the truth. He wanted to know everything about William, and the true reason why his daughter was head over heels over him.

"Please sit down, William," Adele said as she made a gesture for William to sit on the chair across from her.

William did as he was told and sat properly like an obedient boy.

Raymond sat beside his wife and crossed his arms over his chest. Adele and him had already talked about this, and he would leave the interrogation to his wife.

When the boy was properly seated, Adele decided to begin their heart to heart talk with the red-headed teenager whom they had acknowledged as Belle's boyfriend.

Personally, she had no qualms with him becoming her son-in-law, but for the sake of her husband's peace of mind, she decided to conduct this interview to put Raymond, and her, at ease.

"William, if possible, please answer us honestly. Depending on your answer, we will decide whether we would approve of you as Belle's fiance or not."

The Half-Elf was caught by surprise by Adele's opening statement, but he still nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay, so, my first question is this," Adele said with a serious expression on her face. "Are you Human?"

Chapter 907: The Boy Who Died, So That Others May Live

"Are you Human?"

After hearing Adele's first question, a smile appeared on William's face. He had already introduced himself, but it was quite obvious that Belle's parents didn't believe him.

Now, they were starting to entertain the notion that he might not really be an ordinary Human, which was very obvious from Adele's question.

"Half Human," William replied. "Half Elf. therefore I'm a Half-Elf."

William even playfully touched his ears to make his point across. It was also at that moment when Adele's and Raymond's expressions became serious.

"So, you didn't lie the first time." Adele nodded in acknowledgement.

"There's no need to lie." William commented. "After all, even if I tell the truth, both of you will not believe me."

Adele glanced at her husband, but Raymond's gaze never left William. He was trying to scrutinize the Half-Elf in front of him and looking for the faintest of changes in the boy's expression.

"A year ago, you met my daughter in the countryside," Adele stated. "However, according to the information I gathered from our servants taking care of our villa, who Belle met was a boy who was around fourteen to fifteen years old."

Adele showed a picture of William and Belle wearing pirate costumes, which they had worn during the festival.

"Yes." William nodded. "That's me."

"But, you look older now?"

"Time flows differently in my world and this world."

Adele frowned. She could tell that William wasn't lying. As a smart individual, she was able to connect the dots and came to the conclusion that William really came from another world.

"What is the name of your world?" Adele asked. "And, how did you manage to come to Earth?"

William leaned back on his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest. The moment Adele asked the first question whether he was Human or not, he knew that this was a turning point for him and Belle.

"The name of my world is Hestia," William replied. "As to how I managed to appear here on Earth… even I do not know its specifics."

"Can you freely travel from your world to this world?"

"No."

Adele's frown deepened as her gaze locked on the red-headed teenager in front of her. If William couldn't travel freely from his world, to their world, wouldn't that mean that his comings and goings would be uncertain?

"You said you want to marry my daughter, correct?" Adele asked.

William nodded. "Yes."

"I'm sorry, but I think I will not be able to agree to your request," Adele stated in a firm tone. "Don't get me wrong, William. I want my daughter to be happy, and I can see that being with you makes her happy. However, the fact that you can't freely travel from your world to ours is a big problem."

Raymond, who was only listening to Adele's one-sided questioning, glanced at his wife. He didn't expect that his wife, who was fully supportive of William's and Belle's relationship, would be decisive enough to reject the Half-Elf's proposal.

To their surprise, William nodded his head as if acknowledging Adele's words.

"It is true that I am unable to freely travel from our world to this world at this moment," William replied, "but that doesn't change the fact that I have come here twice already. This means that there is a way for me to come here, but I still haven't discovered how it is done."

Adele reluctantly nodded her head because William did have a point.

"Even so, I can't allow my daughter to keep hoping until her hair turns white," Adele countered. "Let's say the two of you get married then you suddenly disappear to return to your world. We don't know how many years it will take for you to find your way back here, or if there will be a way for you to return here.

"In that case, wouldn't that mean that my daughter will become a widow? As a mother, I don't want to see this happen. It will be very heartbreaking, not only for her, but for us as well. So, unless you can discover a surefire way to come and go between the two worlds, I cannot give the two of you my blessing."

William sighed internally. The way to travel from Hestia to Earth was something that he hadn't discovered as of yet. To be perfectly honest, it was something that he couldn't deal with at the moment.

His priority was to break the curses from Est's, Ashe's, and Isaac's bodies, so his attention had been focused on his mission. If not for the fact that his Job Upgrade in the Hall of Thunder had allowed him to come back to Earth, he wouldn't have met Belle, or her parents, at this point in time.

It was at this moment when the door of the library was forcefully opened. Belle entered the room holding a key in her hand.

She often visited the library to read, so she was given a duplicate key by her parents. This was something that Raymond and Adele had completely forgotten, so they didn't expect that their daughter would suddenly appear in the middle of their meeting with William.

The black-haired beauty didn't say a word and simply sat on William's lap.

The Half-Elf's hand wrapped around her waist to support her, holding her in place.

An awkward silence descended inside the library. Belle's sudden appearance had disrupted the flow of the conversation, and even Adele, who was adept in her social skills, didn't know how to proceed.

Suddenly, Raymond cleared his throat which caught everyone's attention.

"Tell me, William," Raymond said in a calm and even tone. "Have we met before?"

William nodded.

"Was it three years ago?"

Once again, William nodded his head. His gaze never wavered as he stared at Belle's father whose eyes never left his face.

"Unbelievable." Raymond sighed.

Adele, who didn't understand what her husband meant, lightly tapped his arm as she gave him an inquiring look.

"I think Fate is playing with us." Raymond sighed for the second time before glancing at his wife. "Do you remember the name of the boy who had donated his heart to Belle?"

"Of course," Adele answered. Suddenly her body stiffened as her eyes widened in shock. She stared at her husband in disbelief, before shifting her gaze back to the boy who was currently hugging her daughter.

Seeing her gaze, William nodded.

"Your guess is right, Mother," William said. "My name is William. The boy who died, so that others may live."

Chapter 908: Which One Do You Love More?

"No… this can't be," Adele muttered in disbelief. "It's impossible. How… just how?"

Raymond looked at William and Belle with a complicated look on his face.

"Belle, did you already know about this?" Raymond inquired.

The black-haired beauty turned around to look at her father and nodded her head.

"Yes," Belle answered. "We first met in the countryside a year ago. I didn't recognize him right away. How could I? His looks from before were completely different from his looks now. However, due to an unexpected turn of events, I was able to discover his identity and the rest was history."

Raymond now understood why his daughter had suddenly broken out of her depression and became lively after spending some time in the countryside. It was because she had met the boy who had given his heart to her, and the guilt she had been harboring disappeared completely.

While Belle's parents were digesting the information that their daughter had shared with them, William lightly nudged Belle to make the latter look at him.

"Which one did you love more?" William asked with curiosity.

The black-haired beauty smiled mischievously before answering William's question.

"The old one," Belle replied with a smile, before whispering in William's ear. "The new one is a womanizer so that is minus points for me."

William smiled after hearing Belle's answer. Although his past self was nowhere near as handsome as his current self, he wasn't too shabby looking either. As for the part of him being a womanizer… this was completely unfounded!

He wasn't the one actively hitting on girls left and right. His current circumstances were just a bit complicated, especially with the culture of Hestia, as well as his memories of Asgard.

He didn't choose the harem life, the harem life chose him!

(A/N: Yes. The author had nothing to do about why things ended up this way. I am innocent, Your Honor.)

"So, you are that boy," Adele said with a complicated expression on her face. "I know that it's a little late, but I want to thank you for what you did back then. Our family is indebted to you and your sacrifice."

William nodded. This was already in the past, so he didn't think much of it anymore. For him, as long as Belle was living a happy and healthy life.

A few years ago, she was very busy with work. It was a very crucial time for their company, so she left Belle in her husband's care and focused on their family's business.

Adele never had the opportunity to meet the person that had given her daughter a second chance at life. Seeing that the person that was supposed to be dead was right in front of her, she couldn't help but have a sudden change of perspective when it came to matters of life after death.

"Belle, do you know that he doesn't have the capability to travel between his world and ours?" Raymond asked.

This time, he took the initiative to ask the questions instead of his wife. Adele, on the other hand, was more than happy to let her husband do the talking. Although she had managed to regain her composure, she still felt embarrassed about how she had rejected William's attempt to deepen his relationship with her daughter.

"Yes," Belle replied. "Even so, I won't change my mind. I will wait for him, no matter how long it takes."

Raymond eyed William because he knew that once his daughter had made a decision, it would be extremely hard to change her mind.

"William, I no longer have any issues with you becoming Belle's fiance," Raymond stated.

"However, as a father. I have to take my stand when it comes to the variables surrounding your relationship. I know my daughter won't budge no matter what I say, so I want to have an agreement with you."

Raymond paused before continuing what he wanted t o say.

"Five years. Within five years, you must find a way to bridge the gap between your world and this world," Raymond said. "If after five years and you still haven't found a way to travel between worlds, please, free my daughter from your hold. She doesn't deserve to be lonely for the rest of her life."

William and Belle stared at each other. Both of them understood the uncertainty that they would face in the future. With no definite way of being together, their relationship would undergo the test of time.

"Belle, what do y–."

William wasn't able to finish his words because a delicate hand pressed over his lips.

"Five years," Belle said. "Within five years, find a way for the two of us to be together. If you can't find a way, I will come and find you myself and strangle you at the first opportunity I get. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," William replied with a helpless smile. "I will do my best. So, wait for me."

Belle nodded. "Make sure that you don't forge–."

This time, it was William's hand that pressed over Belle's lips to stop her from continuing her words. The word, forget, had become a taboo in William's dictionary.

Belle also realized this, so she didn't continue what she wanted to say. Instead, she gave William a kiss on the forehead and rested her head on his shoulder.

Raymond and Adele sighed in unison. They needed some time to digest everything that they had learned from their talks with William, so they decided to leave the library to return to their own room to have a private discussion.

William and Belle, on the other hand, went to the Half-Elf's room to spend time with each other.

Just as the two lovebirds were about to engage in passionate kissing, Belle's phone suddenly rang.

William lifted himself enough to move behind Belle to give her a hug, while the latter accepted the video call from her best friend Paula, who had been suffering from the onslaught of questions from her friends and acquaintances.

"I finally managed to get in touch with yo–" Paula's words stopped in her throat when she saw that her best friend, Belle, wasn't alone.

Right behind the black-haired beauty was William who was looking at the camera with a smile.

Just like the two lovebirds, Paula wasn't alone. Hana was right beside her and was staring at Belle's and William's image that was being shown in the video call.

"Do the two of you have any idea of what kind of mess the university had to deal with after the two of you left?" Paula asked in a grumpy tone.

"Don't know, Don't care," William replied. "If anyone comes to me looking for trouble, I'll make sure that they will be troubled for life."

"You idiot red-head! The members of the gang you beat up earlier are part of a big organization!" Paula stated in an anxious tone. "They are the rulers of the underworld that runs this city. Now that you've hurt their members, they will not stop until they have dealt with you.

"What I am afraid of is that they will not stop with just you. They may also target Belle's family. This is a serious problem. How do you plan to deal with this? If something happens to Belle, I swear that I will fight you to the death if I have to!"

William raised an eyebrow after hearing Paula's words.

"Do you know the name of their organization?" William inquired.

Paula nodded. "The name of their organization is called the Black Gate. I can tell you with certainty that their big shots are now having a meeting on how to deal with you at this moment."

"Black Gate? Alright. Thank you for the information," William said before kissing Belle's forehead when she turned to look at him. "I'll be out for a while."

"Will you be here before ten?"

"I will. So, make sure to wear that nightgown we bought earlier. I want to…"

Belle blushed before reluctantly nodding her head. Although they couldn't do anything inappropriate, that didn't mean that they were not allowed to spice up their relationship.

It was not only Belle that blushed after hearing William's words. Even Paula and Hana felt their cheeks burning because of the things that were playing inside their heads.

The black-haired beauty felt regretful that her intimate moment with William came to an untimely end because of the news that her best friend had shared with them.

The moment William left the room, the smile on his face disappeared and was replaced with an expression that was out for blood.

'Optimus, find every member of Black Gate and their affiliates in the city,' William ordered. 'Make sure to not leave even a single one of them behind.'

< Understood. >

That night, under the cover of darkness, the once powerful Overlords of the underworld were wiped out from the face of the city.

When morning came, stories about the eradication of the organization known as the Black Gate had spread among the other organizations and gangs in the underworld.

According to the rumors, a red-headed teenager was seen at several of the scenes where a one sided slaughter took place.

After doing an extensive investigation, they were able to uncover the incident that sparked members of the Black Gate to go to the university where Belle was studying.

They also saw the video recordings of William single-handedly beating the gangsters of Black Gate, which made the leaders of the other gangs and organizations shudder.

Because of this, they issued a decree that no matter what happened, they were not allowed to touch the red-headed teenager, the black-haired beauty, and her family.

They were afraid that if they poked the hornet's nest, the calamity that befell Black Gate, would happen to them as well.

Chapter 909: Are You Perhaps Lost, My Lady?

A week had passed since William, Adele, and Raymond had their discussion in the library.

Belle's parents had already made their stance known, that William must find a way on how to cross between worlds within five years before they would give him their blessings.

The Half-Elf accepted this agreement because he understood that Raymond and Adele were only doing this because they cared about their daughter.

Belle had already voiced her opinion about the matter also, so the talks ended there.

Today was also the day where the students of the Business Management classes would go to K-City for a four-day field trip.

Since the black-haired beauty was the president of their class, she needed to be on the same bus as her classmates. If possible, she wanted to be with William, so that both of them could travel to the city together, but she had her hands tied because of her responsibilities.

"I'll meet you in K-City later," William said with a smile. "I have reserved a room at the hotel where your class will be staying. Let's just meet up there."

"Okay." Belle nodded. "How are you planning to get to K-City? Don't tell me you are planning to bike all the way there?"

William chuckled. "Of course not. I'll be taking other means of transportation."

Actually, the Half-Elf had indeed planned on biking all the way to K-City. However, after seeing Belle's scrutinizing gaze, he decided to thrash the idea and think of an alternative to reach his destination.

"It's time to go, Belle," Paula shouted from the door of the bus. "Stop your PDA and board the bus now."

The students of the university were looking at William and Belle from the windows of the buses that the school had rented for this trip.

After the incident at the gates of the university, the red-headed teenager had become a minor celebrity, and all the students wanted to know more about him.

However, no matter what they did, they weren't able to get any information from Paula's and Hana's lips because the two were also not in the know about William's background.

In the end, they just came up with their own backstory for William, in which the latter was a martial arts student, who had descended from the mountains to find Belle, and ask for her hand in marriage.

"See you later," William said as he waved goodbye to the black-haired beauty who was dragged away by her two besties.

Belle gave William an apologetic look before boarding the bus to check if everyone in her class was present for the field trip.

While this was happening, the Half-Elf was busy formulating a plan with Optimus about how to reach their destination.

William's original plan was to follow behind the bus where Belle was at to ensure that nothing out of the ordinary was going to happen to her.

Since that was no longer possible, the red-headed teenager decided to just use Soleil to instantly teleport in K-City.

After formulating the plan in his head, William left the university to find a place without people. There, he summoned Soleil and used his Quick-Shot War Arts to turn it into a railgun, by using the System's navigation guidance.

The Half-Elf had already placed a tracker on Belle that allowed Optimus to monitor her all the time. With these steps taken, he would be able to instantly go to her location using his Lighting Strider skill if something life threatening transpired.

Several hours later, the Management Classes arrived at their destination. The travel had been smooth, which made William breathe a sigh of relief.

The university had made a reservation for the Grand Pavilion Hotel, which was also the best hotel in K-City.

As soon as the students were properly guided to their respective rooms, Belle took the elevator on her own to Room 369.

Before she could even knock on the door, the door opened by itself, showing William who was looking at her with a smile.

"Are you perhaps lost, My Lady?" William asked with a mischievous smile. "If you are looking for good company then you came to the right place. I will be your host and ensure that you will have a pleasurable stay in my accomodations."

William didn't even wait for Belle to reply to him as he gently pulled her inside the room before closing the door, and locking it properly.

"What method of transportation did you use to get here?" Belle inquired.

She was quite curious about how William reached K-City before her.

"I flew," William answered as he led Belle to sit on the couch. "So, Miss President, what is your itinerary for the day?"

Belle smiled as she snuggled into her beloved's protective embrace.

"We have no plans for today," Belle replied. "Everyone was told to just check out the facilities of the hotel, and not leave its premises. Tomorrow, we will spend the whole day at the theme park. It has been years since I've gone to one. This time, I would like to challenge myself and ride the rollercoaster."

"What a coincidence, I also plan on going to the theme park tomorrow," William said with a smile, "and, to be honest, I also haven't experienced riding the roller coaster. I would be honored to take the challenge with you, My Lady."

"Mmm." Bell hummed as she closed her eyes. When she was younger, she wished that she could go to the theme park with someone special. Now that William was here, her wish would soon be granted.

William was enjoying his intimate moment with Belle, but for some reason, something was niggling the back of his mind.

It was as if he had been in K-City before, which he found weird because this was the first time that he had come to this place in both of his lifetimes.

'Am I just overthinking things?' William thought as he poked Belle's nose with his finger. 'I guess I'll know tomorrow when I accompany Belle to the theme park. There's no rush.'

In the end, the Half-Elf decided to toss this matter aside and focused on teasing the black-haired beauty in his arms, which ended up being a passionate kiss.

Right now, the only thing that mattered to him was Belle. The Half-Elf would not allow anyone, or anything, to get in the way of their precious time together, which the duration of was still unknown to him.

Chapter 910: Stop Spouting Nonsense, You Virgin!

William stared at the entrance of the amusement park with a serious expression on his face.

"Will, is there something wrong?" Belle asked in a worried tone. "Are you perhaps not feeling well?"

William broke out from his daze as he lightly squeezed Belle's hand to tell her that he was fine. He had already felt that the city was familiar to him, but after going to the theme park, the haze that clouded his mind finally disappeared.

The Half-Elf didn't know what to think about this discovery, because it still felt surreal. After regaining his composure, he smiled at Belle as he gave her an excuse in order to ease her worries.

"This is the first time I'm coming to an amusement park," William replied. "I'm just overcome with emotions."

"What are you, a country bumpkin?" Paula commented from the side. "You've never gone to the amusement park all your life?"

William could only smile bitterly at Paula's inquiry. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't been in an amusement park. The only problem was that the amusement park he visited was already in ruins and the rides were no longer working.

Paula frowned when William didn't give an answer to her question. She and Hana had decided that they would follow Belle inside the theme park. Although they didn't plan to get in the way of the two lovebirds' date, they also had no intention of leaving the two of them alone.

After William's performance at the gates of the University, Paula had flagged him as a dangerous individual that might take advantage of her best friend's innocence.

Hana was of the same opinion, so they decided to tag along with the two and not let them out of their sights.

"Let's go," Belle said as she lightly tugged on William's hand.

The four of them showed their tickets and were allowed entry through the gate.

William didn't want to ruin the mood, so he tossed away all his worries to the back of his mind for the time being.

He didn't lie when he said that this was his first time visiting an amusement park for enjoyment. The orphanage didn't have the funds to take the children out to visit this place to play.

It was at the moment when the Half-Elf decided that when he returned to the Smiles Orphanage, he would take all the kids out to the amusement park to play.

'Maybe I should rent out the entire theme park for a day?' William thought as he walked side by side with Belle, while looking at the various rides in his pamphlet. 'At most it will just cost me ten million or so.'

Belle had no idea what her lover was thinking, but looking at how serious his expression was, she just thought that William was deciding on which ride they would take first.

"Where do you want to ride first?" Belle asked after their group stopped in front of a billboard that showed the different rides of the theme park.

"Bumper Cars," William replied. "I've always wanted to ride them when I was young, but I never had the chance to do it."

Hana looked at William with a tender gaze because he reminded her of his little brother who had also asked her to ride the bumper car when she first took him to the amusement park.

Paula, on the other hand, didn't expect that William had this childish side to him. She had expected the red-headed teenager to choose the daring rides like the roller coaster or the theme park's signature attraction "Trip to Hell".

William noticed Paula's stare, so he glanced at her with a smile.

"Is there something wrong with my face?" William inquired.

"Yes," Paula replied. "Your fly is open."

The smile on William's stiffened before he looked down on his pants. Just like Paula had said, his fly was indeed open, which made the Half-Elf feel embarrassed.

Belle and Hana giggled after seeing William's cute reaction. Paula joined her besties and giggled as well.

This made the atmosphere between the four people more amiable, which made Belle quite happy. She had known her two besties all her life, so she was aware that they still hadn't fully accepted William as her fiance.

But, seeing their reactions, she could tell that they were willing to know more about him, and support her in their relationship.

A few minutes later, William drove his bump car like a carefree child with a big smile on his face.

Belle was seated beside him and enjoying the ride together with him.

Paula and Hana were also seated together. The one driving their car was Paula and a mischievous glint could be seen in her eyes.

Without any warning, their car bumped William's and Belle's, which made the Half-Elf look at the pretty girl with a challenging gaze.

Paula smirked as if telling William to "bring it on".

Half a minute later, the two bump cars started to clash against each other. Like they were having a duel.

Belle and Hana could only shake their heads at the two kids who were going at each other's car as if their lives were at stake.

Several minutes later, their battle ended with both sides unwilling to admit defeat.

"You're such a kid," Paula scoffed.

"Hmp! I'm already an adult, unlike you who still doesn't have a boyfriend," William replied with a smirk.

This comment of his made Paula and Hana look at Belle in disbelief. Naturally, Belle shook her head telling her two besties that the rice was still uncooked.

Both girls breathed a sigh of relief as Paula glared at William for lying to them.

"Stop spouting nonsense, you virgin!" Paula stated. "Next time you lie, make sure you come up with a better story."

The Half-Elf rolled his eyes at the pretty lady who thought that he was lying. If Paula only knew how many wives and lovers Wiliam had, her face would certainly turn as red as a tomato out of embarrassment.

In the end, William didn't correct her, which made Paula think that she had won the argument.

"Where do you want to ride next?" William asked Belle who had a smile on her face the whole time.

"Rollercoaster," Belle replied. "Let's go."

This time, Paula and Hana felt like backing out. They had never ridden a roller coaster before, so a part of them was hesitant to follow William and Belle on their next ride.

However, before the two could even voice their thoughts, William gave them a teasing gaze, which made both girls hold back the words that they were going to say next.

"It's fine if both of you are scared," William said in a teasing tone. "You don't have to force yourselves."

One of the things that Paula hated was losing. She felt that if she really didn't ride the rollercoaster with them, the red-headed teenager would keep on teasing her for the remainder of the day.

This was something that she couldn't take lying down, so she had accepted William's challenge.

"Who's afraid of who?" Paula replied. "Don't go crying to me later when you get motion sickness. Isn't that right, Hana?"

Hana, who really didn't want to ride the rollercoaster, wanted to back out, but seeing the pleading gaze of her bestie made her reluctantly nod her head.

A few minutes later, the two pretty ladies regretted their decisions. Both of them felt nauseous, but refused to give up.

However, when William said that the next ride would be the theme park's main attraction, "The Trip to Hell", both girls bid their goodbyes as they went to the bathroom to excuse themselves.

William smirked as he watched Belle's best friends make their escape.

"Now, it's just the two of us." William smirked. "Do you want to visit the Haunted House with me, My Lady?"

"Sure," Belle smiled as she firmly gripped William's hand. She wanted to spend the day alone with him, but didn't want to chase her best friends away.

Now that the two had left on their own volition, the black-haired beauty smiled because this was something that she had wanted to do for a long time. Her time with William was very precious, so she didn't want to miss even a second of it.

She had learned her lesson a year ago, and had regretted it ever since. Now that a second chance had been given to her, she would do her best to fulfill the wish she had long ago.

A wish to go to an amusement park with the person she loved, and have a fun-filled day together.

Chapter 911: A New Kind Of Thrill

Several hours passed, and the group was once again reunited at lunch time.

Paula stared hatefully at William because of the discomfort she had felt after riding the rollercoaster.

Hana had mostly recovered, and was able to enjoy the food that she had ordered.

Meanwhile, Belle looked like a flower in full bloom, which made the guys in the cafe stare at her with great interest.

After her besties had left, William took her to the haunted house, and the two stayed there for a while.

The black-haired beauty felt a kind of thrill that she had never felt before as she and William kissed, while hiding from the monsters (staff) that were roaming inside the haunted house.

This was also William's first time doing such a thing, but with the powers he possessed, it was quite easy for him to hide himself and Belle in the darkness, surrounded by people and monsters alike.

Several of the students from Belle's academy were inside the amusement park, so it was hard for the two of them to do intimate things in public. Although Belle didn't mind, William did.

As much as possible, he didn't want Belle to have a bad reputation in the university. Although he had kissed her on the cheeks in front of everyone, that was only on the cheeks.

The impact of being seen, while sharing a passionate french kiss was vastly different from a mere peck on the cheeks.

Paula and Hana knew that something was off, but they didn't have the energy to make a fuss. For the time being, they just focused on eating their food, while watching Belle and William hand feed each other.

After eating lunch, the four decided to take the easy rides like the Grand Carousel, Journey to the Center of the World, Jungle Log Bang, and Jurassic Prank.

When the sun was starting to set in the horizons, William decided to take Belle to the Grand Ferris Wheel.

This particular Ferris Wheel takes exactly thirty minutes for a full rotation, and William had made certain preparations in order to make this last ride memorable for his beloved, who was looking at the Ferris Wheel with an excited gaze.

"Paula, Hana, please, take a different passenger car," William said with a serious expression.

This was the first time that William had asked the two girls for a favor, which surprised both of them.

"Okay," Paula replied.

Hana also nodded her head in understanding.

"Thank you." William smiled as he and Belle entered the capsule together.

After spending some time with William, they had gotten to know how William cared for Belle's happiness.

Although they had been together with Belle for a very long time, this was the first time they had seen her looking so happy. She was practically blooming, and it made her charm increase by many folds.

As the ferris wheel started to turn, Belle rested her head on William's shoulder.

"Did you have fun?" William asked before planting a kiss on her head.

"Yes," Belle replied. "I had loads of fun. How about you?"

"I enjoyed it too. Especially our little expedition in the Haunted House."

"Mmm."

Both of their hands intertwined with each other, as they casually chatted about the rides that they had visited during the day.

The sun had mostly set and the sky was starting to turn dark. When their capsule was about to reach the highest part of the ride, a beautiful flower illuminated the sky.

What followed next was a dazzling array of fireworks that made Belle's eyes sparkle with delight. However, the happiness inside her eyes suddenly faded when she remembered the festival in the countryside.

It was one of the saddest memories of her life because it was also the day when she parted with William for the second time.

Belle's free hand subconsciously held onto William's arm, as if to prevent him from going away.

The red-headed teenager somehow understood Belle's fears and cursed himself for being unreasonable. He didn't consider that Belle might have gotten a trauma after their parting.

He only thought of making their final ride memorable. Earlier, he left Belle and her two besties in the cafe, while he went to look for the staff that was in charge of the firework display for the theme park.

Naturally, he gave the man an offer he couldn't refuse, so the schedule of the fireworks display was changed according to William's preference. After sending a text message to the man, the fireworks display immediately started and he had timed it perfectly.

However, his plan backfired because Belle's memories of their parting resurfaced.

"Belle, I'm sorry," William said as he held his beloved. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

Belle wrapped her arms around William as she nodded her head. "I know. It's just, the thought of losing you makes my heart ache."

"Don't worry. I will find a way for us to be together. I promise." William lightly patted Belle's back to give her some assurance.

Belle just immersed herself in William's warmth, and love, until the fear in her heart subsided. She understood that William would once again return to his world sooner or later, and she couldn't do anything about it.

This was why she was also doing her best to prepare herself for their inevitable parting. Her only wish was that this time around, they would part with smiles on their faces, instead of tears in their eyes.

Fortunately, Belle had regained her composure when the ride ended, William lovingly wiped the tear stains from her face, and promised himself that he would make it up to her once they returned to the hotel they were staying at.

"Will, I love you," Belle declared as she stared straight into his eyes. "Let this be the last time we will part from each other. Please, find a way so that we can be together, forever."

"I will, you have my word," William replied. "I love you too, Belle."

The two of them smiled at each other before leaving their passenger car.

Although William's plan didn't get the result he wanted, the time they spent together was still precious.

William raised his head to look at the sky. It was very difficult to see the stars in the city, but it posed no problem to him.

High above the heavens, amongst the countless stars in the sky.

The Constellation of Capricorn shone brightly. It was as if it was observing the Half-Elf from afar, and making sure that he was safe from harm.

—--

Somewhere in the world of Hestia, an otherworldly beauty with light-blue hair sighed with her eyes closed.

She was currently riding a passenger ship headed towards the Central Continent to reunite with the Half-Elf, whom she had raised ever since he was a baby.

"Love doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be true," Ella said softly. "Just like the feelings he has for me, and for you."

The blue-haired lady then opened her eyes to look beyond the horizon. Her gaze was tender and filled with affection.

"Some naughty children managed to sneak past the walls between worlds." Ella smiled. "Oh, Will, what am I to do with you?"

Chapter 912: I Have A Bad Feeling About This

After returning to the hotel, Belle stayed in the room she shared with Paula and Hana.

She told William that she needed some time alone to think, and the Half-Elf respected her decision.

Paula and Hana didn't know what transpired inside the Ferris Wheel. All they knew was that Belle seemed to look a little sad after they returned to the hotel.

"Belle, did you and William break up?" Paula asked as she sat on the bed. "Don't worry. I will lend you a shoulder to cry on. I can also help you beat up William if you want."

Belle giggled after hearing her best friend's concerned words.

"No, we didn't break up," Belle replied. "Also, I doubt that you can even scratch him. Have you forgotten the way he slapped those men in black suits as if they were flies? Do you think you can do better than them?"

Paula stuck out her tongue at Belle's witty comeback. A part of her was relieved that her best friend and Will hadn't broken up. However, a part of her was also disappointed.

Hana, who was listening to the conversation between her two best friends, only smiled as she dried her hair. She had just come out of the shower, so her hair was still wet.

She wasn't too worried about Belle because although she looked sad, it was not the kind of sadness that came from an argument or a breakup.

"What happened then?" Paula asked. "You were all smiles when you entered the Ferris Wheel and looked sad when you left. Did William try to force you to do something you didn't want to do?"

"No." Belle shook her head. "Nothing of the sort happened. I just remembered a sad memory, that's all."

Paula still looked unconvinced, but since she felt like Belle didn't want to talk about it, she didn't force the issue and changed the topic.

"Did you see the fireworks?" Paula said dreamily. "It was so beautiful, and romantic at the same time. If only I had a boyfriend to ride the ferris wheel with me at the time, it would have been perfect!"

"Well, sorry for not being your boyfriend," Hana, who had started to use the hairdryer to dry her hair, commented from the side. "Why don't you ask William if he has a brother? Who knows? He might be the prince charming you are looking for."

Paula smirked as she stood up from Belle's bed and tickled the pretty lady who was teasing her.

Belle smiled as she watched her two friend's antics. Although she originally planned to stay in William's room tonight, she decided to stay in her own room for the time being. She still hasn't fully recovered from what had happened on the Ferris Wheel.

She was afraid that if she were to be embraced by William tonight, the last strand of reasoning in her head would break, and they would cross that line that they weren't supposed to cross. Although she knew that this was what both of them wanted, she didn't want to spend their first time together with these anxious feelings bubbling inside her heart.

—---

William left the hotel and strolled the city with his bike.

Belle said that she wanted some time alone, so he decided to give her some space. For the time being, he decided to confirm for the last time if his suspicions were right.

This was the only way he would be able to stop the nagging feeling inside his head that had made him feel uneasy ever since he stepped foot in K-City.

After a quarter of an hour, he finally reached his destination.

"Orion Grand Stadium," William read the big, bold letters that hung on the entrance of the stadium in front of him.

It was where he had experienced many unexpected things. A place where he shared wonderful memories with a red-haired beauty, an Amazon Princess, and a mysterious lady who was nowhere to be seen.

"Glory Shelter," William muttered. "Without a doubt, this is indeed Glory Shelter."

William then stared at the theme park where he and Belle had just left a few hours ago. It was none other than the Mimameidr Shelter that Avril had ruled back in the Deadlands.

'So K-City and the Deadlands were one and the same,' William thought. 'I have a bad feeling about this.'

The Half-Elf knew that he might just be overthinking things, but after his hunch had been confirmed, he started to feel a little worried.

He still didn't know why he had appeared on Earth, but he knew that there were no coincidences in the world.

After visiting a few more places, William returned to the hotel to rest. Even if K-City was indeed the Deadlands in his memories, what could he do about it?

Right now, the city was vibrant and filled with life, which was the complete opposite of the dilapidated city that was infested with skeletons and zombies.

William shuddered when a thought came to his mind. The Half-Elf then used both hands to rub his face in order to chase away the nightmarish possibility that had popped up inside his head.

'No good.' William sighed. 'I can't remove this thought inside my head.'

In order to regain his calm, the red-headed teenager returned to the hotel to rest. He would rather wish that he was just overthinking things than to entertain the possibilities of the worst case scenario happening.

That night, William tossed and turned on the bed. No matter what he did, he couldn't fall asleep.

It was only when the sun was starting to rise did sleep come to him. Two hours later, the door of his room opened and a black-haired beauty walked towards the bed to check on her beloved.

William would usually be awake by this time, but after seeing his troubled sleeping face, Belle decided to not wake him up.

"Sleep well, My Love," Belle whispered in Wiliam's ears before kissing his cheek.

She then left the room to have breakfast with her two besties. Today, they were going to the museum as part of their university's itinerary.

Although she felt a little disappointed that Wiliam wouldn't be able to accompany her, she didn't take it to heart.

Belle knew that there was still plenty of time for the two of them to be together, so she allowed the Half-Elf to get some much needed rest.

She promised herself that when she returned, she would pamper her beloved and make sure to let him know that she had managed to get over her trauma, and wanted to spend the night with him while they held each other in a firm embrace.

Chapter 913: A Looming Disaster Right Above Their Heads [Part 1]

Parker Residence…

Adele sighed as she looked at the garden of their residence. As someone who appreciated the appeal of flowers, Belle's mother made sure that their garden would be well taken off, year-round.

Right now, she was thinking about what to do next. After William's unbelievable revelation, she no longer had the heart to prevent her daughter from deepening her relationship with the red-headed teenager.

Her only concern was "What will happen once William returns to Hestia?".

The Half-Elf had admitted that he didn't know how to cross between worlds, and his meetings with Belle were always an unexpected event. This was why when her husband, Raymond, said that he was willing to give William five years, for him to find a way to travel between worlds, she didn't say anything and gave her silent approval.

'I might be too old for this,' Adele thought as she massaged her forehead.

Adele had given birth to three children, with Belle being the youngest. Her eldest son was currently abroad and studying under the guidance of a long-time friend whose company had branches all over the world.

Her second born, Belle's older sister, was currently traveling around the country, looking for places where she could build a resort to start her own business.

Belle, the youngest of the three, was everyone's treasure. No one in their family would want to see her cry, or fall into depression.

The way Adele saw it, she had no problems with William marrying Belle, on the condition that he could stay by her side on a regular basis.

However, if Belle's mother and father knew that Wiliam was already married to four wives, with a fifth just around the corner, they would probably go ballistic and strangle the Half-Elf until he croaked.

"You're still thinking about the boy?" Raymond asked as he casually walked towards his wife who was seated on her favorite bench, with a dazed look on her face.

"Yes," Adele replied. "I'm worried about the future. I'm worried about our daughter's happiness. Dear, are we really doing the right thing?"

Raymond didn't answer and simply held his wife's hand, giving her a form of assurance that everything was going to be well.

"We can reach K-City in two hours if we use our helicopter," Raymond proposed. "Didn't you say that you wanted to inspect our company branch over there? I'm free right now. Why don't we go together?"

Adele smiled before nodding her head.

She was the kind of person that felt uncomfortable if she didn't face a problem head-on. A week had already passed since their meeting with William and a heavy atmosphere had fallen inside the residence since then.

"Let's go," Adele said as she stood up from the bench while holding her husband's hand. "Let's have a short vacation with Belle in K-City."

—---

Paula kept on yawning as they visited one exhibit after the other. She was someone who didn't really have an eye for art, and preferred looking at fashionable clothes, as well as handsome models in magazines.

Belle and Hana, on the other hand, weren't that knowledgeable when it came to art, but they were able to appreciate such things, making Paula feel like she was the oddball in their group.

Naturally, they were surprised when they didn't see Wiliam in the museum. They thought that the Half-Elf would be waiting for them at the entrance, just as he had been at the amusement park yesterday.

When they asked Belle what happened, she just smiled and told them that he was still asleep.

Belle had slept in the same room with them, so they immediately ruled out the possibility that Wiliam had been exhausted due to "physical exercise".

The boys of Belle's class also noticed this, but they just thought that the red-headed teenager was just not interested in works of art.

Ever since William's amazing showcase of strength, none of the boys who had a crush on Belle made any further moves on her. They all decided to back away and forget about her completely, looking for other beautiful fishes in the open sea.

Near the end of their tour in the museum, one of Belle's professor's approached her. Her intention was to remind her about their next stop in today's itinerary.

They were scheduled to visit the Orion Grand Stadium to watch a baseball match, after they had all eaten lunch at a fancy restaurant that their school had reserved for them.

Belle's role was to ensure that no one would play truant, and go to other places, aside from what was written on their schedule.

All offenders would be punished after they returned to the university, and the black-haired beauty was there to remind them that they wouldn't be able to get off scot free if they broke the rules.

She was always the one chosen to play this role because all the students listened to her, especially the boys who liked to create trouble. It is very hard to say no when a beautiful lady was telling them to behave, especially when that lady's fiance could easily clap their cheeks, and send them flying several meters in the air.

After the tour of the museum, everyone returned to the parking lot where their buses were waiting for them.

After making sure that everyone in the Business Management Classes were all accounted for, the buses left the scene and headed to their next destination.

Belle stared outside the window thinking about her beloved who might still be sleeping inside the hotel. She hoped that when she returned, William would be there to meet her, so that they could have dinner together.

While this was happening, a black orb of darkness, the size of a basketball appeared in the clear blue sky.

It was slowly expanding, and getting bigger in size with each passing minute. Unfortunately, everyone in K-City was so busy living their day to day lives that they didn't even have time to look up at the sky, to see the looming disaster that was slowly forming above their heads.

Chapter 914: A Looming Disaster Right Above Their Heads [Part 2]

James, who was currently exploring the Void, stumbled across two little girls, who seemed no older than ten, walking hand in hand.

Both girls were looking in their surroundings teary-eyed, looking so helpless and lost.

A single glance was enough to tell James that they were twins because they looked exactly alike.

What made the old coot frown was the fact that they were in the void. A place where space and time flowed erratically. One single mistake and you would find yourself trapped in an unknown world, or sent back to the past, or to the future.

When one of the girls spotted James, she immediately pointed at him, which alerted her other twin.

""Great Grandpa!""

Both girls cried out at the same time as they ran towards James crying like… well, the little lost girls that they were.

Although James had his doubts, he still dismounted from Sleipnir and knelt down to receive the two adorable, pink-haired girls that had called him Great Grandpa.

For James, the words Great Grandpa were music to his ears. Besides, he had a hunch that he knew who these twin girls belonged to.

"Wuwuwuwu, Great Grandpa, I'm scared," one of the pink-haired girls buried her head on James' chest as she cried her heart out. "Maple is scared, Great Grandpa."

"Wuwuwuwu, Great Grandpa, I'm scared," the other pink-haired girl also buried her head on James' chest as she cried her heart out like her twin. "Cinnamon is scared, Great Grandpa."

James lovingly patted the heads of the two adorable girls.

"There there, Great Grandpa is here," James coaxed the twins so that they would stop crying. "Where are your parents? What are you doing in this place?"

"Wuwuwu, Big Sister took us out to play," Maple replied. "But we got separated after a strong wind blew us away."

"Wuwuwu, Great Grandpa, help us find our Big Sisters," Cinnamon pleaded. "They might be here somewhere."

James nodded as she lifted the two girls to ride Sleipnir.

The moment sat on top of James' eight-legged horse, the two pink-haired girls stopped crying and started patting its neck.

Sleipnir had the ability to ensure that the riders he had recognized wouldn't fall off his back no matter how fast he ran.

Since James personally made the two girls mount his back, Sleipnir had also recognized them as his riders. Even if James didn't secure them in place, they wouldn't fall off even if he ran at full speed.

The twins were already shouting things like "Giddiyap!" or "Run horsey run!", which made James smile.

The image of the pink-haired girl that always stayed beside William appeared in his mind, and it made James want to go back to Hestia, just to give his grandson a good smacking, for being an irresponsible father.

"You said you got separated from your Big Sisters," James said. "How many Big Sisters accompanied you to this place?"

Cinnamon started to count with her fingers, while Maple tugged on James' arm.

"We came with three Big Sisters with us," Maple said while showing four fingers.

"That's four." James chuckled as he put down one of Maple's fingers. "This is three."

Maple, seeing her mistake, happily raised her three fingers again and showed it to James. "Three Big Sisters!"

"Okay." James nodded. "Let's look for your three Big Sisters. Sleipnir, run around the surrounding area. If you find any traces of living people, head in their direction right away."

Sleipnir neighed as he ran at a speed that wasn't too fast, or too slow, which made the two adorable girls cheer and laugh on his back, which made the old bandit's heart melt at the heartwarming scene.

—--

Back at K-City…

The black orb of darkness had already expanded to be the size of a car.

A minute later, a mirror flew from its dark depths and flew towards the North of the city.

Two minutes later, another mirror appeared. This time, it flew towards the South.

As time passed, more and more mirrors appeared and flew in different directions. After an hour, exactly nine mirrors hovered at the skies above the borders of the city. On their surface, a bright pulsing light could be seen, which was slowly, but surely, expanding on the entire surface of the mirror.

It was at this moment when the buses of the University were headed towards Orion Grand Stadium to watch the baseball match, on which their University's Baseball Team was competing. Currently, the buses were not moving because the traffic light was still red.

It was at this moment when they heard a loud cracking sound that reverberated in the entire city.

A Black Tower suddenly appeared in the sky, and with its appearance. All the power in the city went out. Even the battery of the bus that Belle and the others were currently riding was drained of its energy, making its functions cease to exist.

"What is going on?" the professor who was seated near the driver asked in confusion.

However, before the Bus Driver could give a reply, a gigantic black foot suddenly stomped down on the road in front of them, making the ground tremble, and the bus shake uncontrollably.

"Manually open the door now!" Belle ordered as she stood from her seat. "Open the door! We are in danger!"

As someone who had seen the unbelievable scenes in William's memories, Belle understood that what was happening was not normal.

Fortunately, the Bus Driver was already a step ahead of her, and was already attempting to open the door manually.

Half a minute later, the door of the bus opened and everyone started to leave the bus in a disorderly manner.

When Belle finally made her way out, her eyes widened at the unbelievable scene in front of her.

A Golem made out of Darkness was slowly materializing right in front of her.

"Are they shooting some kind of movie?" One of the boys looked around, hoping to see a movie camera to assert his claim.

"Damn! Are they shooting the sequel for Revengers End Fame?"

"Where's Thor? I want to see Thor!"

"Spademan, where are you?!"

"I'm a big fan of Captain Murica. Do you think I can get an autograph?!"

All around Belle, people were pointing at the Giant Black Golem with shocked expressions on their faces.

Some of them were recording the scene, while others were busy taking pictures with their cellphones. In minutes, the appearance of the Black Golem had spread across several social media platforms, making K-City the focus of everyone in the country.

Instead of panicking, the people in the area found the whole thing interesting. Because the Golem wasn't moving and simply standing in place. They even thought that it was part of a movie scene, and they were lucky enough to be included in the production of such a film.

However, Belle knew that this wasn't a movie or a T.V shoot. She knew with absolute certainty that sooner or later, the Giant Black Golem would start to move, and that was when their nightmare would begin.

"Everyone, leave this place, now!" Belle ordered. "This is not some kind of movie! That's a real Golem. Everyone run!"

As if waiting for that cue, the Black Golem roared, making everyone in its surroundings unable to move their bodies.

The Black Golem looked down and stared at Belle. After looking at her for a few seconds, it extended its hands towards her, wanting to capture the strong-willed young lady, who had recognized it for what it was.

Chapter 915: Worst Fears Coming To Life

Half an hour before the Golem appeared in K-City…

William had just stepped out of the shower room, while drying his hair with a hand towel.

It was already lunch time, and he only had a few hours of sleep. Even so, he didn't have any problems with it.

His only concern was that he was unable to accompany Belle to the Museum and tour the exhibits with her.

After wearing a matching pair of pants, shirt, and blazer, the Half-Elf left his room to go to the restaurant inside the hotel to eat.

The moment he entered, he received playful winks from the staff that were tasked to assist their guests in the buffet style restaurant that William chose to eat lunch.

Feeling mischievous, the Half-Elf returned their playful winks with winks of his own, making the ladies blush in embarrassment.

After choosing a few dishes that caught his eyes, William sat on the table near a 60 inch T.V that was currently showing a noon-time K-Drama.

William had just finished taking a bite of a fried chicken when the program came to an abrupt halt and the face of an anxious news anchor suddenly appeared.

At the bottom of the screen, bold letters in red could be seen which read "Live Emergency Report".

"We interrupt your daily program to bring you this emergency broadcast," the news anchor reported with a serious expression on his face. "A large, unidentified object, which looks like a Black Tower, has appeared in the skies above the city."

Suddenly, something emerged from the Black tower and descended on the city.

It was a giant black orb that made William immediately bolt out of the restaurant as he ran towards the exit of the hotel.

Everyone was so preoccupied with what was happening, that they didn't notice that the red-headed teenager had left in haste after seeing the news on T.V.

It was at that moment when the giant black orb started to transform. A pair of legs appeared and stepped on the street with a loud crash, creating a mini shockwave that sent nearby cars flying several meters in the air.

The guests of the restaurants gasped in shock as they listened to what the news anchor had to say next.

"This just came in from the Mayor of the City," the News Anchor announced as he read the words that were appearing on the computer in front of him. "A State of Emergency has been declared in K-City. Everyone near the center of the city are advised to evacuate as quickly as possible.

The police force has already been mobilized to head to the scene in order to help people evacuate. Please, cooperate with the authorities to ensure your safety and wait for further instructions."

"Roads are expected to receive heavy congestion. Do not hesitate to travel on foot in order to reach a safe location. Everyone, please, proceed with caution!"

—--

William flew a few meters aboveground , traveling over the streets towards the center of the city.

When the people saw him fly past them, all of them looked in his direction and started snapping pictures.

"Wow! Is that Zuperman?!"

"He must be one of the Revengers! Where is the camera?! I want to join the movie!"

"Did you get a picture? Mine is blurry. I knew I should have pressed the record button instead!"

As Wiliam neared the center of the city, he could see a lot of people running away in panic, while looking behind them.

The Black Golem had mostly materialized itself, and was currently standing still, motionless. According to William's estimates, the Black Golem was around a hundred meters tall (328 ft)

Suddenly, the Black Golem roared, which made the people near it paralyzed in fear and shock.

As if seeing something interesting, the Black Golem looked down and reached out to grab something from the ground.

William's heart almost stopped beating when he saw where the hand was headed.

Immediately, his entire body was covered by lightning, as he shot towards the hand that was about to grab his Beloved.

—-

Belle could only stare helplessly at the giant hand that was about to grab her.

Just like her classmates, she was standing rooted in place, unable to move even the fingers on her hands.

Just as the hand was about to grab her, a flash of light suddenly appeared, and knocked the giant's hand away, making the giant scream in pain.

"Bastard, how dare you covet my fiance?" a red-headed teenager shouted as he stood between Belle and the Black Golem who had attempted to grab her earlier.

The Half-Elf raised his hand and snapped his finger, which caused everyone in the surroundings to regain control of their body.

"Belle, take everyone away and leave this place," William said as he turned his head to look at Belle whose face was filled with anxiety. "This is not my first time dealing with Giants. I can handle this, now go."

William flew to the air and summoned Ruyi Jingu Bang.

Right now, he needed to buy time and ensure that the Giant Black Golem wouldn't be able to hurt the civilians.

For that to happen, he needed to block all of the Giant Golem's attacks.

William's brows were furrowed because no matter how much he, and the System, tried to appraise their enemy, they couldn't tell its rank, or any information about it.

The red-headed teenager briefly glanced at the ground, just in time to see the university students, and the other people running away towards the South of the city.

His and Belle's gaze met, and the latter gave him a firm nod to tell him that she understood. He was quite thankful that Paula and Hana were there to pull Belle away because the latter kept on looking behind her.

After seeing that they had run a safe distance away from him, the Half-Elf shifted his attention to the Giant Black Golem whose eyes glowed crimson red.

'This might get messy,' William thought as the giant swung his arm to give him a punch.

The Half-Elf didn't panic and activated his Heroic Avatar. Right now, he needed to ensure that everyone would be able to evacuate safely. The giant hand, and Ruyi Jingu Bang met, creating a metallic ring that spread across the center of the city.

It marked the start of a battle that would bring William's worst fears to life.

Chapter 916: Even Heroes Have The Right To Bleed [Part 1]

"Isn't that boy Belle's fiance?" one of the teenage boys that had just snapped out of his paralyzed state pointed at William.

"Yes," his friend answered. "I can't possibly forget that red hair of his. Even now, I'm still in awe of how he slapped those gangsters. Turns out that he's not an ordinary person."

"Damn! Did you see how he knocked that giant's hand away?! That was wicked!"

"I knew our University's Belle would not choose an ordinary person as a fiance. That boy was a freaking superhero!"

"Is he perhaps one of the Revengers? Will his superhero friends make an appearance too?!"

Everyone watched as the red-headed teenager floated between Belle and the Giant Black Golem who was roaring in anger.

"Belle, take everyone away and leave this place," William said as he turned his head to look at Belle whose face was filled with anxiety. "This is not my first time dealing with Giants. I can handle this, now go."

As William flew towards the Giant Black Golem, Belle ordered for everyone to run towards the South, away from the battle.

The Professors who accompanied the students on their trip snapped out of their daze and hurriedly repeated Belle's orders. Those who didn't want to budge were reprimanded heavily. The professors even threatened that they would be suspended, and their parents called to the university.

The threat of the teachers worked, and the students obeyed. But, some of them weren't able to stop themselves from taking out their cellphones and started to take pictures of the William and the Giant Golem.

Some of them even attempted to record the scene, but stopped after getting smacked by their professors in the head, forcing them to evacuate the place with bitter expressions on their faces.

Paula and Hana ran behind Belle, but both of them were still in shock and in disbelief. They never thought that the red-headed teenager that they casually talked to was actually someone with super powers.

"Belle, is William really a superhero?" Paula asked as she ran beside her best friend.

Belle gave her best friend a side-long glance before turning her head to look at her Beloved who was busy blocking the Giant Golem's repeated attacks.

"No," Belle answered. "But right now, he has no choice to be one."

Although Belle knew that her Beloved was strong, there was an unexplainable anxiety inside her heart that she couldn't explain.

—--

The mirrors that were floating around the borders of K-City started to glow brightly.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from one of the mirrors, and flew towards the nearest mirror that was located on its right side.

When the beam of light landed on the surface of the second mirror, it bounced off and traveled to the next mirror on its right.

As the beam of light traveled around the borders of the city, a magic circle started to form in the skies.

When the beam of light hit the surface of the last mirror, a barrier appeared along the border of the city preventing anyone from coming in and going out of the city.

However, before the barrier completely covered the city, a helicopter managed to enter it at the last minute.

This was the helicopter that belonged to the Parker Corporation, which was managed by Belle's Mother, Adele.

"What in the world is going on?" Adele frowned as she looked at the Black Tower, and the Giant Black Golem that could be seen at the center of the city. "Just what is happening?!"

Raymond also didn't understand what was currently happening in K-City because they had just arrived at the scene.

"Contact Belle," Raymond said. "We will pick her up and get out of this place."

Adele nodded. The reason why they came to this place was to see Belle. Now that an unknown threat had appeared in the city, it was best to take their daughter to safety.

Fortunately, Belle picked up after her phone rang twice, which reduced the anxiety in Adele's heart.

"Belle, where are you right now? Your father and I are here in K-City and riding a helicopter" Adele asked as soon as the call connected. "Are you safe?"

"Yes," Belle answered. There was a trace of worry in her voice after hearing that her parents were also in K-City. "Ma, why are you and Papa here? The city is not safe! You should turn back now!"

"No. We will not leave without you," Adele replied in a firm voice. "Where is William? Ask him to accompany you to a safe place and we will pick both of you up. Are Paula and Hana with you? We can take them with us as well."

There was a brief moment of silence before Belle answered her mother's question.

"Paula and Hana are with me," Belle stated. "However, William is not here. He is currently fighting against the Giant Golem, in an attempt to buy time for the people in the surrounding area to evacuate."

"What?! William is fighting against that thing?!" Adele gasped in shock as she gazed at the Giant Black Golem in the distance.

The Giant Golem was currently swinging its arms to attack something, but it was too far for Adele to see who it was fighting against.

Adele was shocked enough that she was grateful to be using the helicopter's headset instead of her cell phone since she would have most definitely dropped her phone when she heard Belle's words—that the one that was fighting against the Giant Golem was the same boy who had asked for her daughter's hand in marriage.

Raymond, who had just been listening to his wife's and daughter's conversation, flipped the comm switch so he could talk to Belle.

"Where are you right now?" Raymond asked. "Let's meet up first. We can talk about what to do next when you and your friends are safe and sound."

Belle knew that time was crucial, so she immediately told her parents the nearest landmark near her location.

Raymond flipped the comm switch again so he could talk to the pilot of the helicopter.

"Sir, we can only stay airborne for one more hour," the pilot stated before pointing at the light barrier that surrounded the city. "Also, I'm not sure if we can get past that light anomaly that looks like a barrier from a movie. I suggest that after we pick up the young miss, we refuel at our company's helipad."

Raymond nodded in understanding. "Very well. Let's pick up my daughter first. We can worry about refueling and getting out of this place later."

The pilot nodded as he steered the helicopter towards the center of the city. Although he didn't want to be near the Giant Golem, his employers' daughter was currently in the danger zone, so he gritted his teeth, while praying to the Gods for their safety.

—--

William who was currently doing his best to minimize the damage in his surroundings was getting pushed back little by little.

Right now, he couldn't actively hit the Giant Golem because he was afraid that the Golem would knock down the skyscrapers around them, causing massive casualties.

Due to his heightened senses, he was able to see that there were still many people inside the buildings. Some of them were even recording the battle in real time, which almost made the Half-Elf vomit blood in anger.

"Motherf*ckers, do you think this is some kind of movie stunt!?" William shouted with all of his might. "If you don't want to die then evacuate the buildings now!"

The Half-Elf waved his hand and shot a barrage of stone bullets at the windows of the nearby skyscrapers to make the fools who were recording his battle realize that they were in great danger.

The sounds of windows shattering, and screams of people echoed in the surroundings. William made sure that only the windows of the buildings would be destroyed, and the people behind them would be unharmed.

Fortunately, the destroyed windows had the intended effect that he wanted. All the people in the buildings started to evacuate for real this time, which made the Half-Elf sigh in relief.

However, after seeing his display of concern to the surroundings, the Giant Golem suddenly changed its strategy.

Instead of attacking the red-headed teenager in front of it, the Giant Golem swung its arm towards the nearest building with the intention of destroying it completely!

Chapter 917: Even Heroes Have The Right To Bleed [Part 2]

"Sh*t!" William cursed out loud as he swung Ruyi Jingu Bang upwards. The golden staff extended, and slapped the Giant Black Golem's hand upwards, preventing it from hitting its target.

However, as if it expected that to happen, another arm grew out from the right side of its body to deliver another strike to the building that William had just prevented it from hitting.

Before the attack connected, William delivered his own punch to deflect the attack, while his entire body was clad in lightningbolt.

A resounding crack was heard, but it was not the golem's hand that broke, but William's.

The Half-Elf had a pained expression on his face, as he landed on the ground.

The knuckle of his right arm was bleeding, and the bone could be seen from his injury. He didn't expect that the Golem was incredibly hard, that his full forced attack wasn't able to destroy its intended target.

The thing that surprised him the most was that Sun Wukong's body was nearly invincible. Right now, he was in his Heroic Avatar form, so very few things could withstand his might even if William fought barehanded.

The fact that the one that got heavily injured was him, and not the golem, only meant one thing. The Golem far surpassed the threshold of the Ranks of Demigods.

William immediately changed his job class to Life Wizard and cast a powerful regeneration spell on his arm. He also drank a Rejuvenation Potion to speed up the process because he couldn't afford to wait for it to recover completely.

He and Optimus couldn't gauge the strength of their opponent, which further strengthened his guess that he was at least fighting something at the Pseudo-God rank and above.

However, there was one thing that confused William, those with that kind of power had to pay a price for descending into the mortal realm. Since the Giant Golem dared to do so, it only meant that it was not afraid of the repercussions of its actions.

'This Golem is simply a puppet,' William thought as he glanced at the Black Tower floating in the sky. 'The Mastermind must be inside the Black Tower. If I can break past its defenses, I might be able to stop this Golem's attacks.'

William's plan was good, but there was one problem. He couldn't leave the Giant Black Golem alone because if he did, it might start a rampage that could kill many innocent people.

'Dammit!' William cursed internally.

Unlike the scenario in the Deadlands, William was able to wield his powers on Earth without any repercussions.

The only problem was that he couldn't summon his King's Legion from his domain, because the laws of the world didn't allow it.

While William was staring daggers at the Giant Golem that towers above him. The giant raised its head to roar at the sky as if telling the owner of the Black Tower to give it permission to unleash its powers.

A few seconds later, several arms jutted out of its body, which made William's face turn grim.

"F*ck!" The Half-Elf wasn't able to stop the F word from escaping his lips after the Giant Golem grew six menacing arms that gleamed in the sunlight.

William then stared at his injured arm and the frown on his face deepened.

For some reason, his regeneration powers weren't working properly. Although the injury to his right hand was regenerating, it was healing at a much slower rate.

Unfortunately for him, the giant didn't intend to wait for him to fully recover. It once again attacked the building beside it with a fervor that made the hairs at the back of William's neck stand on end.

The Half-Elf knew that the Giant Golem knew that he didn't have a choice. If he didn't block its attack, the building would collapse, killing the people inside it.

William gritted his teeth as he turned into a lightning bolt. He knew that it was a futile endeavor, but he still did it. If he could only buy the people some time to evacuate, even if it was just a few seconds, perhaps some of them would be able to survive.

Raising his left hand, he blocked the first attack, and blocked the second one as well. However the third, sent him smashing towards the building, breaking the skyscraper in half.

The Half-Elf's body flew hundreds of meters away from the building before crashing on the hard stone pavement.

Blood streamed down the side of his lips, as he glared hatefully at the Giant Golem who was looking down at him with ridicule.

Although the Giant Golem didn't say anything, its eyes seemed to tell William that whatever he was doing was meaningless.

William's body was aching, but he still forced himself to stand up.

It was at that moment when he realized that the place where he crashed down was a place where people had gathered to escape the center of the city.

Once again, William changed his Job Class and used a powerful healing spell on his entire body. Although he seemed fine on the surface, the Giant Golem's attacks had caused him some internal injuries.

'Now I'm sure of it,' William thought as he grimaced in pain. 'That Golem is a Divine Creature of some sort.'

Blood was also coming out from his nose and ears, which made him look like a sorry sight.

After chugging another bottle of rejuvenation potion, William was about to fly and confront the Giant Golem once again a little girl approached him to offer the Half-Elf her handkerchief.

"Big Brother, are you a superhero?" the girl asked with an anxious expression on her face. "Can you beat that monster?"

William smiled as he accepted the handkerchief, to wipe the bloodstains on his lips and nose.

However, before he could even answer, a teenage boy stepped forward to drag the little girl away from William. The Half-Elf assumed that he was the girl's older brother, so he just continued to wipe his face with the handkerchief given to him.

"He's no superhero," the boy said as he stared at the disheveled red-headed teenager who was holding the golden staff in his hand. "How can a superhero get beaten up? Look. He's bleeding all over."

The people around the two children nodded their heads. They didn't see William fighting against the Giant Black Golem, and only thought him as a lucky person who managed to survive the golem's attack.

"You're right. I am not a superhero," William answered as he used his magic to clean the handkerchief in his hand. "But right now, I have no choice but to be one. Also, I think you have a misunderstanding about heroes ...."

William returned the little girl's handkerchief before his body hovered above the ground.

Lightning bolts snaked around his body, making the air around him tremble. Stormcaller and Soleil hovered above him as William decided to bring out his big guns to fight by his side.

"Even heroes have the right to bleed," William said softly as he flew towards the Giant Black Golem with a determined look on his face.

The people who didn't think much of William earlier all gasped in shock as they saw him transform into a lightning bolt, and streaked towards the Giant Golem that had started to destroy the buildings around it like it was having fun.

Chapter 918: Sit Down, Son!

William was feeling frustrated. His injuries were healing at a slow rate while the Giant Golem in front of him was wreaking havoc like a little child throwing a temper tantrum.

In short, the situation was very tricky, and his mind was working at full capacity in order to think of a way to deal with his current dilemma.

It was not as if he couldn't beat the crap out of the Giant Black Golem, but the problem was that the entirety of K-City was filled with people.

Fighting against the Giant Golem would require him to devastate the surrounding area, which would lead to thousands of people dying. This was something that the Half-Elf couldn't do, so his hands were tied.

The Giant Golem, on the other hand, didn't have this problem. It was a creature that was born to destroy, and take the lives of others.

It had noticed that William was only resorting to defending against its attacks, so it decided to just destroy the surroundings, and force the puny insect to meet his attacks head-on, causing the latter's injuries.

Its initial plan worked, and it successfully dealt a great blow to William. After realizing that its strategy was working, it focused on destroying everything in its path, killing thousands of people within minutes.

K-City had a population of three million people, which made it very difficult for William to go all out, especially since a barrier had erected itself along the borders of the city, preventing people from coming in or going out.

The red-headed teenager's heart ached after seeing the bodies of the people that had been crushed by the collapsed building in their surroundings.

A good number of them had been trampled by the Giant Black Golem, who seemed to think that destroying buildings and killing people were fun. This infuriated William as he smashed Ruyi Jingu Bang on top of its head making it cry out in pain.

Stormcaller, and Soleil took that opportunity to fire lightning bolts, and fireballs at its eyes, intensifying the damage it was accumulating.

William flew towards the Giant Golem's head as he summoned one of the weapons in his possession. This was the first time that he was personally going to use the weapon, but he was confident that he would be able to give the Giant Golem in front of him a very painful experience.

"You think killing people is fun, right? Since that is the case, I'll make you feel what dying feels like!" William roared as he pulled back his arm in preparation to throw the weapon in his hand.

"Lightning God War Art Thirteenth Form…," William's eyes were filled with killing intent as the weapon in his hand turned crimson red. "Go for the kill… Gae Bolg!"

The famous spear that was known to cause mortal pain and death to whoever it pierced, flew towards the Giant Golem's right eye, leaving a trail of crimson light behind it.

The Black Giant Golem wanted to swat it down, but Stormcaller and Soleil fired their long range attacks at its head, making the Giant Golem miss its target

Gae Bolg Pierced through its eyes, and firmly embedded itself inside its head, making the Giant howl in pain.

However, the deadly spear was far from finished from its onslaught. Two-meter long jagged spikes jutted out of the spear's blade in every direction, making it look like a porcupine, causing immense pain to the giant.

A minute later, several red lines appeared on the giant's head, and started to spread across its entire body like giant bulging blood vessels that were writhing out of control.

Legend had it that once Gae Bolg had pierced its target, it would make them suffer insufferable hell, making them wish they were dead.

Right now, the Giant Golem was feeling that pain and it was driving it crazy.

It no longer attacked its surroundings, but solely focused its attention on William, wanting to have its revenge on the pesky fly that dared to antagonize it.

However, William had already thought of a way to deal with the Giant without endangering the populace.

William held Ruyi Jingu Bang with both hands as he rose above the giant's head. He then swung the Golden Staff as it grew in size, becoming as long and thick as the Giant Golem In front of him.

"Fore!" William shouted as he hit the Giant Black Golem like a golf ball, sending it flying towards the sea.

Ruyi Jingu Bang was also a Divine Weapon, so it didn't have a problem when fighting against objects of the same tier.

The moment the Giant Golem landed on the sea, it made a huge splash, sending waves flying in every direction.

William immediately turned into a lightning bolt to go towards the Golem and prevent it from coming back to the city.

The Giant Black Golem was furious after receiving William's attack, so the moment it was able to, it stood up from the sea and roared towards the sky.

However, that was a mistake because the infuriated Half-Elf was a hundred meters above its head.

"Sit down, Son!" William ordered as he slammed Ruyi Jingu Bang into the Giant Golem's head.

Currently, the thickness of the golden staff was that of a castle, which forced the Golem to sink down into the sea like a nail being hit by a hammer.

The size of the Ruyi Jingu Bang further increased as the Half-Elf smashed down for the second time, pinning the bastard golem in place.

—-

"That's William?!" Adele gasped in shock as she stared at the unbelievable battle that was happening in the sea.

"Yes," Belle replied with a trace of pride in her voice. "That's him."

Belle's parents had managed to pick up their daughter at the place they had agreed upon. Since there were plenty of seats in the helicopter, they also took Paula and Hana with them.

The two girls had been Belle's best friends for several years, and Raymond and Adele were very fond of them.

Paula, who used to be at odds with William, was rendered speechless after seeing how the red-headed teenager was single-handedly fighting against a giant that was almost as tall as a skyscraper.

"A-Amazing," Paula muttered. "Belle, your fiance is amazing."

Belle nodded. After seeing the battles that William had fought in his memories, she was sure that the Half-Elf was capable of dealing against the Giant Black Golem.

However, for some reason, there was a nagging feeling at the back of her head that seemed to tell her that this was just the beginning of something more sinister.

As if waiting for that cue, the Black Tower that was floating in the sky glowed three times. Half a minute later, two Giant Black Golems descended upon the city, sending a new wave of screams and panic through the people who were caught in the two Golem's landing sites.

William, who was about to smash his golden staff to the struggling Golem that he had pinned down on the sea, froze in shock.

He was already having a hard time pinning a single Giant Golem down, and two more had just appeared.

Images of the Deadlands flashed inside his head, which made him grit his teeth in frustration.

Although the Half-Elf had faced many difficult situations in the past, he had to admit that the current situation was making him feel a sense of helplessness.

Chapter 919: A Price That He Didn't Want To Pay

It was not only William who felt helpless with the current situation that they were in.

Raymond, Adele, Belle, Paula, and Hana, who were inside the helicopter, had a birds eye view of what was currently happening in the city.

People running through the streets, screaming and crying for help.

Cars crashed against each other as they tried to get as far away from the Golems as possible.

People along the borders of the city were banging on the barrier with whatever they could smash at it, in the hopes that they would be able to create an opening and get through it.

The Policemen tried to assure the people that everything was going to be fine, but were unable to quell the fear and anxiety that was taking hold of everyone's senses.

If there were two words that could be used to describe the current circumstances of K-City they would be none other than Complete Pandemonium.

Suddenly, loud noises came from the sky as several fighter jets appeared over the horizon. All of them fired their missiles towards the barrier, while aiming at the two giant Golems.

Unfortunately, their missiles weren't able to destroy the barrier. Not even a crack appeared on its surface.

Even so, they didn't give up. They fired all of the missiles they were carrying hoping that a concentrated attack would create a miracle.

After a series of loud explosions, the hope of everyone crumbled. The barrier remained strong, and the aerial reinforcements of the country couldn't break it.

The appearance of the Fighter Jets gave William an idea. He aimed the over-sized Ruyi Jingu Bang on the barrier and fired a railgun to break it.

A deafening sound reverberated in the surroundings as William's attack collided with the barrier. Unlike what happened to the missiles, William's attack had caused a small crack on its surface.

However, before the Half-Elf could even rejoice, the crack regenerated instantly forcing William to try something daring.

"Quick Shot War Art Fusion Form…" William aimed at the barrier for the second time. "Blitzer Railgun!"

William fused with Ruyi Jingu Bang as it smashed towards the barrier with great tenacity.

Several cracks started to appear on the barrier, which gave everyone hope. But, before they could fully celebrate, the Earth under their feet shook.

Just as William finally created a hole through the barrier, something unexpected happened.

The entirety of K-City rose up a hundred meters to the air, making William's plan to allow the people to escape by breaking the barrier useless.

The hole that he had also made a while ago, regenerated in less than five seconds, preventing the Fighter Jets from entering the city's air space to provide military support.

William knew that creating another crack on the barrier was a futile idea. Even if the Jet Fighters were able to get past the barrier, so what?

Their current weapons were ineffective against the Giant Golems, and their entry might just make the entire situation take a turn for the worse.

Just as the Half-Elf was about to think that things couldn't get any worse, the Black Tower once again glowed brightly.

This time, the people that had died during the Golems' rampage, started to stir from their deathly slumber.

"Gods, please, don't do this," William muttered with dejection as the dead people propped themselves up and stood on their feet.

Their body parts that had been crushed earlier reformed and re-attached themselves to their owner's body, making them complete.

The once lively city had now taken a step to become a full blown, apocalypse movie, in real life. Just as William was thinking of what to do next, the sole helicopter flying in the sky caught his eyes.

Due to his heightened senses, he was able to tell that Belle, her parents, and her best friends were inside the helicopter.

It was that moment when William resolved himself that no matter what happens, he would do his best to allow the helicopter to leave K-City in one piece.

Although it was a bit selfish of him to prioritize saving the life of his Beloved, this was something that William had decided.

Even if many people died, as long as Belle was alive, he would be able to fight against the Giants without holding back.

After making his decision, he flew towards the helicopter in order to tell them about his plan.

But, before he could even get near it, a red beam of light shot out from the Black Tower and destroyed the helicopter's rotors, making it free-fall towards the ground.

"Noooo!" William shouted as he turned into a lightning bolt to catch the falling helicopter.

Due to his speed, he managed to catch the helicopter and dodge the Black Tower's second beam attack which was aimed at the body of the helicopter.

William carried the Helicopter near the border of the city, away from the Giant Golems and the zombies that were now starting to hunt for those who were still alive to feast on.

After finding a good place to land, the Half-Elf slowly placed the helicopter on the ground.

He then tore open the door to check if everyone was safe.

"Belle!" William glanced at his Beloved, who seemed to have lost consciousness while strapped to her seat with a safety harness.

Raymond and the pilot were the only one conscious, while all the girls had fainted when the helicopter started its freefall.

After a quick diagnostic, William breathed a sigh of relief after finding out that the ladies were fine, and had just passed out from fright.

Just to be on the safe side, he cast a healing spell on all of them, which allowed them to regain consciousness after the spell ended.

"Listen," William said as he held Belle's hand. "The city is no longer safe, and I can't take you out of this place even if I wanted to. The best thing you can do is hide. I will do my best to prevent the Golems from coming to this location, but the zombies on the ground might pose a threat. Do your best to find a hiding place where they cannot see and reach you."

The red-headed teenager wished that he could summon his King's Legion to defend Belle, but it was not possible.

Suddenly, a small chirp reached his ears as a small portal, the size of a golf ball appeared beside him.

Aethon, William's little wren, forced itself out of the small portal, but it was stuck.

The Half-Elf hurriedly tried to widen the gap in order for the little guy to pass through. A few seconds later, the wren circled William's head before landing on Belle's shoulder.

"Chirp!"

"You will protect her?" William looked at the little bird with a dumbfounded expression.

"Chirp!"

The red-headed teenager didn't know if he should laugh or cry on Aethon's confident reply. He didn't know how the little Wren was able to get past the laws that prevented his other friends from coming over to help him, but he was still thankful that at least one of them answered his call.

"Okay, take care of her," William said with a serious expression. "If you fail, I will make sure to roast you later."

"Chirp!"

Aethon patted its chest with its wings as if telling William that he had nothing to worry about. Right now, the Half-Elf could only trust that his little Wren had something up iys sleeves that gave it the confidence to tell its Master that everything was going to be fine.

"I'm going," William stated. "All of you, please be safe."

Just as William was about to fly away, a delicate hand grabbed onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks. The Half-Elf turned around to see Belle look at him with a worried look on her beautiful face.

"Be careful," Belle said before kissing William's right cheek. "That is for goodluck. Don't you dare die on me."

William smiled and nodded his head. How could he possibly die when he still hadn't kept his promise to Belle and his other wives? He had no intention of doing so. So many people were waiting for his return, and he couldn't allow himself to fall here.

"Understood," William replied. "Be safe, Belle."

The Half-Elf then flew in the direction of the nearest Giant Golem without looking back.

It was at that moment when William realized that if he wanted to turn this entire situation around, he must pay the price of it.

A price that he never wanted to pay unless he was left with no other choice.

Chapter 920: I'm Sorry, Will

"N-No! Don't come closer! Noooo!" a man screamed in fear as a group of zombies managed to encircle him.

With no place to go, the man was helplessly pinned down and bitten by the Zombies while he screamed with all of his might. A minute later, the man stood up, and joined the ranks of the Zombie hoard, in search of other people to turn into one of their kind.

This scene was happening all over the city, and William couldn't do anything about it. Right now, his priority was to deal with the two Giant Black Golems. These behemoths could kill more people than all the Zombies combined, so it was a no-brainer for William to prioritize them over the other.

Just like he did with the first Golem, William sent the next Golem flying towards the sea, hitting the other Giant Golem that was just about to reach the shore.

Before the two could even recover their footing, another Golem smashed against them. However, the Half-Elf wasn't done with them just yet.

Ruyi Jingu Bang's thickness was now the size of the Glory Shelter.

With a single thrust, William smacked the three Giant Golems and sent them smashing towards the barrier.

Although he knew that the Golems would just regenerate the damage they received in less than a minute, it was the only thing he could do. William needed to buy himself enough time to deal with the root of all problems, which was the Black Tower floating in the sky.

After sending the pesky golems to the sea, William then smashed Ruyi Jingu Bang towards the Black Tower with one full-powered-strike that was strong enough to decimate an entire mountain.

Unfortunately, his plan didn't work because an invisible barrier stopped his attack in its tracks.

William was all too familiar with this phenomenon. He already had his suspicions, but after attacking the black tower, his suspicions were confirmed, which made him sigh internally.

"A law," William muttered. "I will need to find a way to break it."

The red-headed teenager didn't know how the Deadlands ended up between the boundaries of life and death. He didn't know many things, but one thing was for sure. The Black Tower in front of him was more powerful than the one in the Deadlands.

While the Half-Elf was trying to find a way to break through the Black Tower's defenses by repeatedly smashing it with his oversized golden staff, the Black Tower glowed brightly, as if enraged by William's actions.

Twelve more Giant Black Golems appeared in the city, landing on the more populated areas, but the Black Tower wasn't finished. Thousands of cloaked figures, the size of normal humans appeared, and they were all holding a deathscythe in their hands

They were like the Grim Reaper of Death that William had seen in the deadlands, albeit smaller. Even so, William didn't dare to underestimate these cloaked figures because he couldn't tell how strong they were.

Without waiting for the Giant Golem's to start a one-sided massacre, William plucked up several of his hairs and blew on them.

These hairs turned into a dozen clones, which dealt with one giant each.

The Half-Elf knew that summoning more clones would just hasten the speed of how long he could keep his Heroic Avatar active, but there was nothing he could do about it.

There was only so much that a single person could do in the face of twelve giants, plus three more that were currently making their way towards the land from the sea.

While the red-headed teenager was busy fighting against the Golems, the cloaked figures descended on the city and started killing people.

They were the Grim Reapers that ferried souls to the afterlife. Right now, their purpose was to take as many souls as they could, which would then be taken to the Black Tower to act as its power source.

With each slash of their death scythes, people collapsed on the ground and their souls were harvested from their bodies by the cloaked figures that represented death.

People collapsed on the ground in droves, making them prime targets for the Zombies who chased anything that had a semblance of life in them.

Just as Belle, her parents, and her besties were looking for a safe place to hide, a dozen Grim Reapers descended from the sky and flew towards them.

Adele screamed as she grabbed hold of Belle in a protective embrace, she was using her body to shield her from harm, while Raymond stood in front of his wife and daughter and took a fighting stance.

Although he knew that this act was futile, the only way he would allow these Grim Reapers to get close to his family was over his dead body!

When the Grim Reapers were only dozens of meters away from their designated targets, a small Wren flew in their direction.

Without warning, Aethon's body glowed and transformed into a giant bird with a wingspan of seven meters.

The little Wren had transformed into a Roc, which was a feared monster in the World of Hestia. An adult Roc, had a wingspan of twelve meters and preyed on anything that it could carry, including elephants.

Aethon bit on one of the grim reapers, while its two claws grabbed two others. It then spun its body around, creating several wind blades that sliced off four more grim reapers, making them turn into particles of light.

In that single exchange, Aethon dealt with seven cloaked figures on its own, but it was not enough, as the remaining five flew towards Belle's group with weapons raised high.

Aethon screeched as it tried to turn its body around in order to save Belle and the others. it had made a promise to William that it would protect the black-haired beauty with everything it had, but the enemy was just far too many.

The Grim Reapers encircled the entire group because it wanted to eliminate them in one fell swoop. Paula, and Hana screamed, while Adele hid Belle behind her. Raymond, on the other hand, had resolved himself to fight to the death in order to protect his family.

"I'm sorry, Will," Belle muttered as the grim reapers swung their death scythes towards their bodies without showing any mercy.

Chapter 921: A Choice That Makes His Heart Ache

Just as the cloaked figures swung their death scythes to claim the souls of the people that they had targeted, five glowing silver arrows pierced through the grim reapers' body, turning them into particles of light.

Everyone except Raymond had closed their eyes during the moment of life and death, so they didn't see how the Grim Reapers died. Only Raymond, managed to compose himself as he glanced in the direction where the arrows came from.

At the end of the street, a young lady, who seemed to be in her early teens, walked towards them with a bow in her hand.

She was wearing a set of light-weight armor with an intricate design that glowed faintly. Her long, black, hair was tied in a ponytail and held up by a purple butterfly hair clip.

Although she was still young, her beauty was enough to mesmerize anyone who laid their eyes on her.

"Good thing I arrived in time," the young black-haired beauty muttered.

Raymond's eyes widened in shock because the young lady walking towards them had an uncanny resemblance to his daughter, who had just opened her eyes to look at the face of their savior.

Belle's heart trembled after seeing the girl's face because she knew, with absolute certainty, that she was looking at someone very precious to her.

"W-What is your name?" Belle asked as her lips trembled.

She had seen Raizel in William's memories, which made her feel envious and jealous. However, when she laid her eyes on the young lady who shared her same features, she understood then and there that one of her wishes had been granted.

"Stella," The young lady answered with a smile. "Stella Von Ainsworth."

After giving out her name, Stella drew on her bow and three silver arrows materialized in her hand. With one swift motion, that neared perfection, the young lady released the string of her bow, and the three silver arrows pierced through the heads of three more grim reapers that had wandered over to their location.

After killing her targets, she continued walking towards Belle.

Aethon on the other hand transformed back to its original form and perched itself on Belle's shoulder. It deemed that Belle was safe, so it no longer felt the need to retain its battle form.

When William went to meet Dias, and Hebe, in that strange world. Aethon was transported to the Valley of the Monsters, where it had met the Mother of All Monsters, Echidna. There, the little wren was given the opportunity to drink some of her blood, which allowed its body to mutate and take on the form of a Giant Roc.

Echidna's blood also made Aethon very smart, which allowed it to make quick decisions, just like what it did when Belle and the others were attacked by grim reapers.

For the little Wren, Stella was not a threat because it could sense William's and Belle's bloodline flowing inside her body. Because of this, it didn't make any move to attack the girl and allowed her to come close to them.

"Here, wear this," Stella said as she presented a golden bracelet to Belle. "Papa needs all the help he can get."

"Papa?" Raymond asked. "Who's your Papa?"

The corner of Stella's lips curled up into a smile as she pointed at the red-headed teenager who was busy attacking the black tower.

"I'll be going now," Stella stated before winking at Belle. "Everyone, please take care."

As soon as Stella said those words, the sandals she was wearing grew wings. She then jumped to the roof of the nearest building and disappeared from sight, leaving Belle, her parents, and her two best friends, looking in the direction where Stella had gone.

—--

As William fought against the Giants, he noticed glowing orbs of light flying in the direction of the Black Tower.

He was very familiar with this scene because this was what happened whenever someone died in the Deadlands. Their souls would be housed inside the tower and stored to be used as a battery to power its operations.

After the souls had lost their strength, the tower had two options for them. One was to use the souls as a catalyst to turn them into Undead, the other one was to send them to the cycle of reincarnation to start their lives all over again.

William was stuck in a dilemma. If K-City was indeed the Deadlands then whatever he was doing right now was pointless.

The result had already been determined from the start, and the only thing he could do was to accept that this was inevitable.

However, William didn't want to accept it.

He wouldn't accept it.

Right now, Belle was inside K-City. No matter what happens, he wouldn't allow her to turn into an Undead Creature, or have her soul be used by the Tower then discarded after she was no longer of use.

This was something that William would prevent no matter what, even if it meant sacrificing everything to ensure her safety.

Suddenly, a giant red portal that spanned for miles appeared in the sky above K-City.

William felt that something very ominous was going to happen because the number of monsters that the Tower created increased drastically.

It was also at that moment when the city trembled, as it once again rose towards the sky.

The Half-Elf's expression became grim when he realized that the city was being sucked up toward the red portal, which would spell bad news for those who were still alive within the city.

< William. When this city enters that portal, the possibility of any life remaining in the city will cease to exist. Tell me, do you wish to save everyone? >

Optimus' voice broke William out of his daze as he firmly nodded his head.

< Very well. You have two choices. The first one is to teleport all the people from the city towards the ground before this place is swallowed up by the red portal.

In order to do this, you need to use your Einherjar Job Class and create perfect clones of yourself. After doing so, you will harness the power of the mirrors and use the laws that you have already absorbed in the Deadlands to teleport everyone out of the city.

Since the laws of the Deadlands have already merged with your body, mass teleport will be possible. Unfortunately, if you choose this option, you will be rendered motionless, and will not be able to defend yourself against any attacks. >

William nodded his head in understanding. Although this move was risky, as long as he endured a little, he would be able to save everyone.

"How about the second option?" William inquired.

< Same thing. You will need to use your Einherjar Job Class to break through the black tower's defenses. However, I have a bad feeling about this. >

"A bad feeling?"

< Yes. I feel like if we break the black tower's defenses, the final boss will make an appearance. Right now, we can't gain any information on our enemies, which puts us at a disadvantage. >

The red-headed teenager narrowed his eyes as he looked at the red portal above him. The time had come and he knew that no matter what choice he made, he would lose something important to him and it made his heart ache.

Chapter 922: Finally, A Worthy Opponent!

Just as William was thinking on what choice to make, the black tower in front of him started to change form.

It shrank to a tenth of its size and formed a humanoid appearance. It had long hair, but calling it hair was not appropriate because they were like long slithering snakes that extended up to three meters, and they eyed William with contempt.

The face was similar to that of a human with a red gem on its forehead, but since it was made from the black tower, the body was completely black, like obsidian. The ten-meter tall creature eyed William with its golden eyes, and its mouth opened to a sneer revealing its fangs.

"Ok, looks like we go with Option 2," William muttered as he gripped Ruyi Jingu Bang firmly.

However, just before he was going to charge at the enemy, a voice that came from the red portal made him freeze in place.

"Ah! So, you're here!" Chloee shouted as she waved her hand at her disciple. "Hola, William!"

William looked at Chloee with a confused expression on his face. "Sixth Master? What are you doing here?"

"Obviously I'm looking for you!" Chloee replied as she flew towards William. "I met these three sisters along the way and they said that if I enter their portal, I will find you. Looks like they didn't lie to me, so here I am!"

The corner of Willam's lips twitched because of his Sixth Master's explanation. Although he understood that Chloee wasn't smart, she wasn't gullible either. For her to believe those three sisters required her to take a leap of faith. It just proved that she was dead-set on finding him which made the Half-Elf feel a little happy inside.

"Um? Do you know the name of those three sisters?" William asked.

"What three sisters?" Chloee asked back as she tilted her head in confusion.

"The three sisters that opened a portal so you can appear here."

"What are you talking about?"

The little familiar scratched her head as if trying to remember something. When she entered the portal, her memory of the "three sisters" was still fresh. However, after half a minute, she had forgotten about them completely, which was the same thing that had happened to William when he appeared on Earth.

"Nevermind, it's not important." William decided to just focus on the problem at hand for the time being. With the appearance of his Sixth Master, he had gained a reliable ally.

It was at that moment when the suction power of the red portal strengthened. Optimus immediately informed William that if nothing was done, the entire city would be swallowed by the portal in two minutes. Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to take a gamble.

"Sixth Master, can you stall that thing for me?" William asked the little fairy who was busy looking at her surroundings.

Chloee eyed the ten-mater tall alien-like creature and frowned. Just like William, she couldn't appraise its rank, which made the little fairy smile fearlessly.

"Finally, a worthy opponent!" Chloee raised her small fist. "Our battle will be legendary! Okay. I'll handle this thing or whatever it is. You do what you need to do."

"Understood." William nodded. "Goodluck, Sixth Master."

William backed away so he wouldn't be involved in the battle that was about to take place. Truthfully, among the enemies that he had faced, nothing scared him more than his Sixth Master.

The little fairy was practically a cheat-like existence that was able to ignore the laws of the world. If the one who attacked the Black Tower earlier was Chloee, instead of William, there was a higher chance that her attack would break through because of her abilities that defied all logic.

Chloee fearlessly smiled as her body was enveloped with a bright light. When the light receded,

An adorable girl, who was the same height as Chiffon, floated in the sky. Her short blonde hair with curls in the end fluttered in the breeze, and her blue eyes that were as clear as the sky locked on to her target.

For Chloee, fighting against strong opponents was something she looked forward to. She was the only opponent that William recognized who had the ability to instantly kill him with a single punch, if he were to not take her seriously.

Suddenly a loud ringing sound reverberated in the surroundings, as the bells of the different churches in K-City rang at the same time. It was as if it was a sign that told everyone to endure for as long as they could because help was coming.

William hovered in the air with his eyes closed, as his hair slowly turned white.

With Chloee fighting the Black Tower, the Half-Elf could focus on the nine mirrors that had locked the entire city in a protective barrier.

Also, he needed to bend the laws to stop K-City from entering the red portal at all costs. The moment the city was engulfed by the portal, it was game over for every living Human that was still trapped in the city.

"Heroes of Valhalla," William said firmly.

Thirteen perfect clones appeared behind William holding the Mythical Weapons that had once wreaked havoc in the battlefield

Longinus, also known as the Holy Spear of Destiny. Some say that it had the ability to pierce through almost anything.

Khryselakatos, the Bow that was dedicated to the Goddess Artemis, the God of Hunting. It was said that it could shoot many arrows at once, covering the sun like rain.

Gae Bolg, the Spear of Mortal Pain that inflicted suffering to whoever was unlucky enough to be impaled by its deadly tip.

Caliburn, a Mythical Holy Sword that was said to be responsible for choosing the One True King that would lead the world to a new era.

The Grail Sword, a Sword used by a famous Knight who had served loyally to his King and fought alongside him through the harshest of battlefields.

Galatine, every light casts a shadow. If one was light, then this Sword represented the darkness. The Sword that tried to prevent the downfall of a kingdom, but ultimately failed in the end due to the overwhelming numbers and superiority of the foes it faced.

Arondight, a Sword that could only be wielded by the strongest Knight of an era. Only the best could wield this blade, and anyone who was foolish enough to try would lose their mind in the process.

Clarent, was a Ceremonial Sword that matched the power of the legendary weapon that was wielded by one of the true kings of Midgard. Deadly, and steady, sometimes it is often called the Kingslayer by many.

These weapons were special even among the weapons in William's arsenal.

They were the weapons that had accompanied William in almost all of his lifetimes. Sometimes he wielded them, sometimes they were wielded by others. However, one thing was certain, whenever he needed them, they would appear and answer his call.

"Scatter," William ordered and his thirteen clones flew in different directions.

Nine of them went to where the mirrors were located.

One of them went to where Belle and her group was in order to protect them.

Three went to deal with the giants that were starting to wreak havoc in the city.

William, on the other hand, hovered in the air as he activated the laws of the Deadlands that he had managed to collect.

His goal was the hardest of them all, which required all of his concentration.

While everyone was dealing with the enemies, he channeled his power to connect with every living human in K-City so he could teleport them away from it.

He was doing Plan A, B, and C all at once because the situation was that dire.

Wiliam didn't know if Chloee could beat the transformed Black Tower.

He didn't know if his clones could successfully prevent the city from entering the red portal.

And he didn't know if he would be able to save everyone from that gruesome fate that awaited them if his other plans were to fail.

However, he didn't have a choice.

Right now, the only thing he could do was give it everything he got, and pray to the Gods that the woman he loved with all of his heart would be able to leave this death-infested city… alive.

Chapter 923: Ride Of The Valkyries

The death toll inside K-City was steadily rising.

As more people died due to the zombies and grim reapers, the undead army slowly grew. Now, they numbered in the tens of thousands, and there was simply no way to stop their advance.

William had his hands tied dealing with the Giant Black Golems, and trying to prevent the city from getting sucked by the red portal that was getting nearer with each passing second.

After taking a deep breath, William closed his eyes as he channeled all of his strength in gathering the still living humans in one part of the city, so that he could mass teleport them all in one go.

The red-headed teenager didn't have this ability. Fortunately, the nine mirrors did. Since he had absorbed their laws in the Deadlands, he was able to manipulate them to a certain extent. His only regret was that he couldn't take over them completely and use them to his advantage.

'Optimus, let's start,' William ordered.

< … Are you sure? There's no turning back if you go with this route. According to my calculations, the most ideal option is to just teleport Belle, her parents, and her best friends away from this place. As long as you do that, the losses you will gain are minimal. >

William took a deep breath before answering the System who only had his best interest in mind.

'True. If I just turn a blind eye to everything around me then that is certainly the best option to take,' William answered with a calm expression on his face. 'However, if I choose that option, I will feel guilty my whole life.'

Somewhere far away, a mother hid her daughter behind her as she brandished a chair towards a zombie in order to protect her.

The zombie was blown away by the impact, and the chair was destroyed, but another zombie took its place. Lunging at the woman, it was prepared to bite her neck to end her life.

Just as its nefarious teeth was about to sink its fangs on the mother's neck, the mother and daughter pair disappeared from the house and reappeared where Belle's group was.

William had teleported both of them at the nick of time, saving them from further harm.

'Optimus, I'm not trying to be a martyr or anything,' William stated as he kept on teleporting those who were currently in danger. 'However, I can't turn a blind eye when Gods play with the lives of mortals. This is something that I cannot allow no matter what. Not back then, not now, not in the future!'

Beams of light flew towards the Southern Part of K-City where Belle's group had been relocated. Beads of sweat formed on William's forehead as Optimus helped him lock on the people that were in immediate danger.

'Tell me, Optimus, am I stupid for doing something unnecessary?' William asked.

< Yes. But, I guess, that is what it means to be Human. Even if you're only Half-Human right now. Since you chose this path then I will help you carry it out till the end. >

'Good. Optimus, remember what I told you before.'

< Understood. Leave it to me, Will. >

'Thank you.'

William opened his eyes as he resolved himself to do what he couldn't do in the past. When the Giants of Destruction trampled upon Asgard, and destroyed everything he held dear in his life, he was unable to stop them.

Even when he gave everything he had, it was still all for naught. That's why, this time, he would not falter.

He would not fail.

"I'm sorry, Belle," William said softly as he pressed his fist over the shining blue gem on his chest. "In the name of the All Father, I command my body to unlock the First Seal of my Power."

The sky darkened as dark clouds covered the sun. William's body glowed in a pale silver light.

"Warriors are not always the fastest or the strongest of men," William stated as the radiance around him intensified. "Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that they love or hold sacred."

A pair of white wings protruded from behind his back, and a silver armor that the Einherjars wore to battle adorned his body.

William chanted as the powers that had been bestowed to him thousands of years ago manifested in full.

—--

Southern Continent…

Wendy raised her head to look at the sky. Her eyes glowed with power, as she held the spear in her hand firmly.

Thor, who was always by her side, also raised its head and howled towards the heavens. Its body grew in size as the streaks of lightning on its body glowed brightly.

—--

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

Charmaine and the other Elves raised their heads towards the sky. Their hearts trembled as William's voice passed through their minds.

It was an unusual sensation, as if they were being bathed in some kind of power that they had never felt before. A few seconds later, all of them gathered. They knew what they had to do, as if they had done it countless times in the past.

Their Prince had spoken, and they would answer his call.

—---

"What sort of dream is that, Odin?

I dreamed I rose up before dawn
to clear up Valhalla for slain people.

I aroused the Einheriar,
bade them get up to strew the benches,
clean the beer-cups,
the valkyries to serve wine
for the arrival of a Prince."

William smiled as he finished his chant.

Right now, he felt the power that he had wielded in a time that had been long forgotten. Although it fell short against the battle against the Army of Destruction, it was more than enough to accomplish the goal that he had set out to make.

"Caretakers of those that have fallen, come and wave the flags of battle. Today, we fight, and show the Gods our courage. To Odin and Thor we pay our homage."

"Show them the might of Asgard," William ordered. "Sing our songs of victory and make the world remember our names!"

"Ride of the Valkyries!"

William raised his hand and several portals appeared above him. A powerful hymn echoed across the city as the winged horses carrying the maidens of war appeared in the battlefield.

Suddenly a golden portal appeared, and from it came a three meter tall wolf whose body was cloaked in lightning bolts.

Seated on its back was none other than William's first wife, Wendy.

Her long blonde hair danced in the breeze, making her look like a War Goddess that had descended into the mortal realm to wage war against those who were foolish enough to oppose her.

In her left hand, she held a banner that fluttered freely, showing its unmatched majesty and glory. It was the banner of the Angorian War Sovereign that William had made when they were still in the Southern Continent.

In her right hand, she held a silver spear firmly in her hands. Its blade glowed faintly as if it was looking forward to the battle that was about to be waged.

Wendy's blue eyes turned crimson red as she circulated the power in her body. She had many questions to ask her husband, but that would have to wait until he dealt with the small fries that were now flying in their direction.

The Valkyries, headed by Charmaine, fell into formation behind Wendy, for the Elven beauties knew that the young lady in front of them was not only their Master's wife, but their Captain as well.

"Your orders, My Liege?" Wendy's gaze landed on William whose eyes looked back at her with love and affection.

"Safeguard the people and annihilate anything that dares to stand in your way," William ordered. "Go and show these fiends no mercy!"

"As you command!" Wendy shouted. "Rally to me!"

Thor roared as it ran in the sky as if it was running on land. The Valkyries followed behind her as they summoned their bows to strike.

"Kill!" Wendy ordered.

What followed next was the whistling of arrows as they rained down on their enemies. The deadly formation flew across the city and decimated the undead and grim reapers that were in their path.

Those who were on the ground were captivated by the grand sight. They all cheered and saluted the warrior maidens who had saved them from their plight.

Chapter 924: It's Boring To Punch A Punching Bag

The city, which was slowly being sucked toward the red portal in the heavens, stopped mid-way, as William's clones successfully took control of the mirrors.

As the battle between Chloee and the transformed black tower intensified, the clones started to slowly, but surefly, make the city descend towards the ground.

Although they couldn't use the mirrors to break the barrier, as long as nothing unexpected happened, the city would be safe from the red portal above their heads.

"Eyah!" Chloee shouted as he smashed her fist against the enemy's chest, that she and William decided to call Deimos, sending it crashing towards the ground.

William's Sixth Master had a devilish grin on her adorable face as she descended and smashed her fist against the enemy's chest a second time. She was a familiar born to fight. Anything that required punching, smashing, kicking, beating up, breaking, and obliterating fell under her forte.

It was not an exaggeration to say that Chloee was born to fight.

Her Master, Celeste, was the Virtue of Chastity. The beautiful Elf's combat power was close to zero, and she relied on her two powerful familiars to fight for her.

Chloee specialized in physical attacks, and Claire in magical attacks. Both of them were the Brawn and the Brains behind Celeste, and ensured that no one would be able to hurt her under their watch.

The Deimos broke free from Chloee's bombardment and roared in anger. Its powerful barrier was useless against the violent young lady whose punch could easily shatter it to pieces.

The reason why Chloee was a cheat-like existence was her ability to break any law with her physical attacks. Even the strongest barrier would crumble under her relentless assault.

"Hah! Stop roaring, you weakling" Chloee shouted. "I'm going to obliterate your **** and make sure to **** you good!"

The only drawback of her rule breaking power was that she would curse at her target, which Wiliam thought was unfair. Not only did the little fairy have the power to smack you, she would even curse you as well.

What kind of penalty was that?

After receiving several strikes from the battle junkie fairy, several cracks appeared in the Deimos' body which forced it to unleash several laser beams that forced Chloee to evade.

The Deimos hurriedly backed away and unleashed an ear-piercing scream that made all the people in K-City who heard it feel their souls trembling from their bodies. A few seconds later, all of them collapsed on the ground, and golden orbs of light left their bodies to fly towards the Deimos who intended to devour them all.

The scream also reached Belle's location, and everyone in their surroundings felt as if their souls were leaving their bodies.

It was at that moment when the golden bracelet on Belle's wrist that had been given to her by Stella shone. Immediately, a golden dome appeared around her, enveloping all the people that William had gathered in their location.,

The effects of the soul-stirring scream disappeared, and although several people collapsed on the ground, their souls didn't leave their bodies.

Unfortunately, only a small minority was protected, while the rest of the survivors in K-City fell to the ground with their souls flying towards the Deimos in the sky.

"Oh no, you don't!" Chloee shouted as she kicked the Deimos away and prevented it from devouring any of the souls that it had conjured.

However, just like iron filling attracted to a magnet, the souls also flew in the direction of the transformed black tower, which frustrated Chloee.

"Ei! Stop playing dirty you ******!" Chloee shouted as she once again kicked the Deimos farther away.

Unfortunately, there were also souls flying towards her enemy from that direction, which the Deimos happily absorbed.

After eating hundreds of souls, the Deimos body turned golden. Just as Chloee was about to deliver another punch to it, the Deimos also unleashed its own punch, meeting the familiar's attack head on.

The result was Chloee smashing towards several skyscrapers like a bullet passing through watermelons.

After devouring hundreds of souls, the power of the Deimos intensified, surpassing Chloee's current strength.

"This is bad," Chloee muttered as she propped herself up from the rubble. "Celeste just bought these clothes for me. Now they're going to be ruined."

The familiar wiped the blood that streamed down at the side of her lips as a cheeky grin appeared on her face.

"That's more like it," Chloee said as she flew towards the Deimos while laughing like a little witch. "It's boring to punch a punching bag. Now, this is what I call a fight!"

The two once again clashed, and this time, it was the golden Deimos that got blown away by Chloee's punch. William's Sixth Master had a peculiar ability. She grows incredibly strong when she gets injured.

This was another reason why the Half-Elf called the familiar a cheater. She was simply a monster hiding behind an adorable face!

Knowing that it was at a disadvantage, the Deimos was planning to devour more souls when it heard the sound of singing.

It was faint at first, but it gradually became stronger.

On top of a skyscraper, in the middle of the city, two little girls held each other's hands as they sang together.

The souls that were flying towards the Deimos stopped in mid-air before slowly turning to fly in the twin's direction.

While all of this was happening, William was busy teleporting the collapsed bodies to the South of K-City where Belle was located. Although their souls had left their bodies, their physical vessels were very much alive, so the Half-Elf decided to relocate them first.

He had a feeling that once their souls were returned to their bodies, they would once again regain consciousness, or at least, that was what he hoped would happen.

Although the Half-Elf was unsure of the identities of the two girls, he was glad that they were on his side.

He simply watched the adorable, pink-haired twins, who reminded him of his wife, Chiffon, sing their hearts out. Their bodies swayed slightly as the souls gathered around them, as if they were spectators watching a performance.

A minute later, the twins stopped singing. They glanced at each other and nodded their heads at the same time.

Suddenly, both girls opened their mouths wide… and devoured the souls that were floating around them.

William almost did a double-take when he saw this scene. He was now unsure if the twins were allies, or enemies, because the two of them were devouring the souls of people as if they were just drinking some fruit juice.

The grim reapers who were tasked to collect souls all flew towards the twin girls because the Deimos was locked with Chloee in battle.

When the two girls saw the scary looking Grim Reapers heading in their direction, both of them hugged each other and cried out loud in fear.

"D-Don't come close to Maple! If you do, Maple will cry!"

"C-Cinnamon is not tasty! Please don't eat Cinnamon!"

The Grim Reapers didn't give a hoot about what the two girls were saying. The only thing they planned to do was slice them in half, so that all the souls that Maple and Cinnamon had devoured would return to their Master, which was being beaten black and blue by the little Juggernaut, whose strength was steadily increasing.

Chapter 925: The Appearance Of The Final Boss

While the two little girls were crying out in fear while hugging each other, the Grim Reapers closed in on them with weapons held high.

William was currently immobile, and unable to move from his spot. He had no choice, but to watch helplessly as the two girls were swarmed by Grim Reapers in every direction.

It was at that moment when a shower of silver arrows descended from the sky, forming a protective tornado around the pink-haired twins. The tornado destroyed any grim reaper who dared to come close to them.

Hundreds of grim reapers died in that single exchange, while a hundred more died after the tornado expanded. The moment that a small opening was created, a golden lasso appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the two little girls, who both screamed in fright.

With a powerful tug, Maple and Cinnamon were pulled from the top of the building. Both girls were crying and calling out their Mama and Papa to come and save them.

The twins disappeared from William's view, and no matter how much he scanned the surroundings, he wasn't able to detect their presence. It was as if both girls vanished into thin air.

'System, find their location,' William ordered.

< I've already done a thorough scan on the area where they were taken away from, but nothing is appearing on the radar. They might be using some powerful artifacts to hide their presence from my detection. >

The Half-Elf frowned. The appearance of the two little girls were unexpected, as well as the shower of silver arrows that came out of nowhere.

However, the one thing that surprised him the most was the appearance of the golden lasso. It was impossible for William to not identify such a thing because he had seen it used many times in the past.

The Half-Elf didn't need to be a genius to connect the dots, but he still found it hard to explain why they had appeared in this timeline.

Wendy had also noticed the exchange from afar, but she had no time to investigate what happened. She and the Valkyries were busy eliminating every Undead and Grim Reapers that they encountered around the Southern Area of the City where William had transported the survivors.

For the most part, the Grim Reapers didn't pose any threat to them. Thor's lightning bolts, as well as the arrows of the Elves killed all the enemies before they could even come close.

The only problem was that their group was only a little more than a dozen and they were fighting against tens of thousands of enemies that were starting to swarm to their location.

Now that all the Humans were gathered in one location, the enemy forces had also congregated to form an unstoppable army that washed over the city like a tidal wave.

Wendy didn't falter as she held William's banner in her hand firmly.

"Kyrie Eleison!" Wendy shouted as a dome of light covered the Valkyries as they faced the tide of enemies head on. The Undead and Grim Reapers that clashed against the dome of light were instantly annihilated by the holy power that emanated from the banner in Wendy's hand.

The Elves didn't stand idle while this was happening and unleashed a barrage of arrows at the unending tide that was pouring towards them.

William had ordered them to become the first line of defense against the enemy and protect the people behind them, so they didn't budge one step and stood their ground.

As the enemies continued their suicide assault, the light of the barrier that Wendy had erected started to dim.

The blonde-haired beauty knew that their defensive barrier was reaching its limit and could shatter any time. Even so, she refused to give up. This was the first time that William had personally asked her help, so she had no intention of failing her mission.

The Elves were of the same mind. Even if their arms were starting to ache, and their fingers bled from pulling the strings over and over again, none of them stopped attacking.

They were William's Valkyries, his personal unit that would carry his banner in the battlefield. No matter what happened, they shouldn't fall no matter what.

"Illuminate the World! Rhongomyniad!"

A beam of holy light sliced through the battlefield, instantly turning those it hit into particles of light.

William's clone, that had been assigned to protect Belle and the others, extended his help in order to help Wendy and the Valkyries to hold the frontlines. Even so, it was not enough as more enemies advanced steadily.

"Exterminate, Khyrselakatos!"

Thousands of arrows that glowed eerily cut through the enemy ranks from the West, as another one of William's clones, that were fighting against the Giant Black Golems, lent his aid from the distance.

"Cut through the firmament!" another clone roared. "Raze the world, Arondight!"

A black laser beam passed through the enemy's ranks, annihilating everything in its path. After these combined attacks, the numbers of grim readers were drastically reduced as they scattered like wild ducks hearing the sound of gunshots.

Judging by the current state of the battlefield, William and his forces were gaining the upper hand. Although they were being overwhelmed with numbers, it was tolerable, and he couldn't foresee any immediate danger to those he was doing his best to protect.

However, just as William was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his sixth sense suddenly kicked in and warned him of a danger that was coming from above their heads.

Suddenly, a powerful pressure—that was similar to a mountain descending upon his shoulders—erupted from the red portal in the sky.

Wendy and the Valkyries were all caught by surprise, and were forced to crash to the ground due to the unbelievable power that seemed to hold the entire world in its grasp.

A loud explosion erupted as Chloee crashed into the building right next to William. The Golden Deimos she was fighting suddenly became stronger, and she lost in a contest of strength between the two of them.

Three more figures crashed on the ground at William's feet as three of his clones that were fighting against the Giant Black Golems were blown away by their powerful counter-attack.

William's expression became grim as he stared at the red portal that was hiding a powerful presence within. He knew that the Mastermind had finally decided to take the matters in his own hands, and interfere with the battle.

After spending time with the Gods, he was certain that there was a being that far surpassed the power of mortals, observing them from the Heavens.

As the Half-Elf and the other defenders tried to resist the pressure that was holding them in place, the city once again started to rise towards the red portal.

When the floating city was halfway to its destination, William saw a pair of golden pupils staring at him from the depths of the portal, which made the red-headed teenager's heart shudder.

Gritting his teeth, William forced himself to stand up as he gathered all the power in his body. He had long expected that this whole incident wasn't simple.

When he saw the Deadlands for the first time, he wondered how such a big city that closely resembled a city belonging to Earth had appeared between the boundaries of life and death.

Today, he found the answer to his question, and he didn't like it one bit. The Final Boss has arrived, and with it, the fate of the entire city had finally taken a turn for the worst.

Chapter 926: The Time Has Come To Fight Together!

William's clones who were currently standing beside the nine mirrors of the Deadlands hurriedly left their stations and returned to his side.

They lost control over the mirrors and no matter what they did, they couldn't stop the city from rising up towards the red portal. Since that was the case, they needed to regroup in order to think of a new solution on how to deal with the problem.

The Half-Elf and his allies all gathered outside of the golden barrier that was made by the golden bracelet that was currently on Belle's wrist.

The red-headed teenager didn't know how the black-haired beauty acquired the bracelet in her possession, but he didn't have time to ask that now. With the power of the golden barrier, all the Humans that were inside were unharmed by the powerful pressure that was currently descending from the Heavens.

Wendy and the rest of William's Valkyries had taken a formation with the Half-Elf at the center.

The blonde-haired beauty faced the enemies in front of her, as she firmly held William's banner in her hand.

William's clones were at the forefront of the formation, taking defensive positions. The weapons on their hands glowed and created a secondary barrier that protected them, and the people that were sheltered by the golden dome behind them.

The Half-Elf closed his eyes as memories of his little brothers and sisters at the Smiles Orphanage disappeared from his memories.

Taking a deep breath, he once again opened them as he stared at the golden eyes that were looking down upon them from the center of the red portal.

A snort filled with contempt echoed across the city as the Golden Deimos, the Giant Black Golems, the Grim Reapers, and the Undead, all made their way towards the Southern part of K-City where all the survivors had been gathered.

The Giant Golems smashed every building that they came across, just because it was blocking their path. The grim countless grim reapers hovered above the sky like a plague of locusts that was about to devour all life from the world. As for the Undead, they were the least of all the threats, but threats nonetheless.

They walked shakily towards the South without any sense of urgency. It was as if the end result wouldn't change whether they arrived sooner or not.

The Deimos opened its mouth and gave an eerie chuckle that made the people's hearts skip a beat due to fright.

Right now, everyone had only one question in their minds and that was…

"How can we leave this place alive?"

These were the words that Raymond subconsciously muttered as he stared at the helpless situation in front of him.

Earlier, he felt that they still had a chance to win against the stacked up odds that were not in their favor. Unfortunately, that dream shattered the moment a being that far surpassed the realm of mortals intervened in the battle.

"So annoying." Chloee clicked her tongue as she glared hatefully at the Deimos that she had been beating up earlier. Even if she had lost an exchange against her enemy, it didn't bother her one bit.

Her only concern was that she couldn't afford to leave William's side because the enemies might overpower their defensive formation and involve the innocent people in their battle.

"Will, is there anything we can do?" Chloee asked.

William nodded. "We can only do the thing we can do, Sixth Master, and that is to fight."

"You're right." Chloe grinned. "Times like this, sitting down to talk is useless. Let's just smack them good and smash them to pieces until they can no longer regenerate."

William smiled because he had already expected this reply from his Sixth Master. Right now, he and Optimus were busy making plans for how they would deal with the enemies that were almost at their doorstep.

< We can no longer stop K-City from being swallowed up by the red portal. This is already a done deal. I'm afraid that aside from the enemies in front of us, we also need to deal with that divine creature. >

'Yes.' William agreed. 'Still, that is one big snake. This is going to be tough.'

William's vision had passed through the void and saw the owner of the pair of golden eyes that were staring at him. It was a gigantic black serpent that was at least four hundred meters tall.

< The only good news is that its rank is currently at the Pseudo-God Realm. A step away from being a true God. I'm very sure that it will not let us leave peacefully, so a fight is inevitable. >

'I can't summon Sun Wukong, and my Heroic Avatar is already used up,' William stated. 'Also, I will need a long time to channel enough magical powers to teleport everyone.

"Our options of leaving this place are dwindling down. I don't know if our protective barrier, or Belle's golden dome will be enough to safeguard the people when we enter the red portal."

< Well, it just means that you need all the help you can get. Why don't you summon Elliot and Conan to come here and fight by your side. We still didn't have any data about the Familiar Fusion. Maybe it can help tilt the tide of battle by a small margin. >

William had almost forgotten about his two familiars that were currently in Hestia. They were a part of his soul, so he could summon them anytime and anywhere.

'Okay, sounds like a plan. Do you have other ideas?' William asked.

< Yes, but if you need to wait for the right opportunity to unleash its power. We only have one shot at this, so you will have to put everything on the line to make this work. >

William listened patiently to the plan that Optimus had formulated. According to its calculation, their chances of winning was five percent at most. Even so, five percent was better than zero, so the Half-Elf was more than willing to give it a try.

"Come forth, Elliot, Conan," William ordered. "The time has come to fight together!"

Two lightning bolts descended from the sky. One was white, the other black. They were none other than William's two familiars whom he hadn't seen since he had left Hestia Academy to search for the Hall of Thunder in the Forbidden Ground, Seventh Sanctum.

Chapter 927: Remember My Name, Boy

"My goodness, did you accidentally poke the hornet's nest, Will?" Elliot asked in a teasing tone as he landed on William's right shoulder.

"Kekeke, just a bunch of golems, and a giant snake," Conan chuckled as he landed on William's left shoulder. "This is going to be fun."

"Hoho, you say it's fun, but why are your legs shaking?"

"A-Are you stupid? This is excitement! This Great Conan is looking forward to fighting a great battle!"

William smiled because the banter of his two familiars lightened his mood up by a bit. He had fought with Elliot and Conan when they were clearing the Dungeon of Atlantis, but he had never used his Familiar Fusion skill with both of them.

"Elliot, Conan, activate seventy percent of your powers," William ordered. "We will fight them together."

"Got it."

"Kekeke."

The two familiars' bodies floated in the air and grew until they turned into fourteen-year old versions of William. They then pressed their hands against William's back as they activated the skill that would merge the three of them together.

A skill that would give William a taste of the power of a true Familiamancer.

""Familiar Fusion!""

The wings behind Wiliam's back changed color as they turned into streaks of white and black lightning.

Power surged inside Wiliam's body as he gained full access to the powers of his Familiars.

'So, this is what it's like to merge with you two,' William thought.

'How is it?' Elliot asked. 'Do you feel that you can take on the entire world right now?'

'Kekeke. Although we still can't beat that giant snake, defeating its lackeys is not a problem!' Conan voiced his assurance.

The change on William's body carried over to his clones. All of them also grew a pair of white and black wings made of lightning.

Chloee who was hovering beside William suddenly had a brilliant idea as she placed her hands behind William's back.

"Um, Sixth Master, what are you doing?" William asked.

"I plan to merge with you as well," Chloee answered with a smile.

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a try!"

Just like William, Chloee was also unsure if it would work. Her Master was Celeste, and she held a piece of her soul, just like Elliot and Conan held a piece of William's.

However, the violent familiar knew that even if she were to fight against the Golden Deimos, her power would fall short because there was a Pseudo-Demigod that was interfering with her battle.

Since that was the case, she was more than willing to merge with William so they could fight against the Big Boss that was looking at them with contempt. Chloee's fists were itching to give the Gargantuan Black Serpent a good beating in order to vent out her frustrations.

"Familiar Fusion!" Chloee shouted.

William wasn't expecting anything to happen, but suddenly Chloee's body turned into particles of light and flew towards the gem on his chest.

A few seconds later, the Half-Elf's body was assaulted by an extreme pain that he had never felt before. It was as if someone was forcefully intruding on his body, and trying to squeeze itself in.

Similar to a glass filled with water, the moment a foreign object were to be placed inside it, the water would overflow. This was what was happening to William right now, but without the spillover.

It was as if his body was forcefully integrating the foreign object inside it, without letting go of anything that belonged to it, causing William extreme pain.

William spat a mouthful of blood as the blood vessels bulged inside his body. The Half-Elf felt as if he was being split apart from within. Seeing his sorry state, Wendy and the Elves couldn't help but look at him anxiously.

However, the monsters had already arrived in front of them, so they had no choice but to face the enemies in front of them.

"Everyone, hold your ground!" Wendy ordered. "Valkyries, open fire!"

The Elves once again initiated a volley of attacks which passed through their protective barrier, covering the sky in an arrow shower.

They didn't waste their time targeting the Giant Golems, and merely focused their attacks on the grim reapers that hovered in the sky.

The Giant Black Golems opened their mouths and unleashed a breath attack that made the protective barrier tremble. Even so, William's clones, that had been boosted by the power of the Familiars, gained Elliot's defensive prowess.

They had summoned several elemental shields, creating a third layer of protection against the long range attacks of their enemies.

Meanwhile, while all of this was going on, William struggled to pacify Chloee's power that was starting to merge with his body.

In order to protect William's body from being destroyed from within, the power of his Einherjar Job Class started to burn his memories at a faster rate.

All of his memories from when he was a child until he had grown to a teenager flashed before his eyes. William subconsciously tried to hold unto these fleeting memories, but they disappeared before he could even grab hold of them.

Suddenly a very dear memory appeared in front of him.

—--

A pair of teenagers, wearing pirate costumes made their way to the festival in the countryside. The two of them visited many stalls and ate many snacks along the way.

Then, the images of an unusual stall appeared where a mysterious lady beckoned for them to check what she has to offer.

"You have good eyes, young lady," the saleslady said with an approving tone. "This silver ring is part of a pair. The name of this ring is called the 'Ring of Vega' and its counterpart the 'Ring of Altair'.

"Legend has it that if two people were to exchange and wear these rings, no matter how far away they are from each other, they would eventually be reunited. Just like the legend of the Star Crossed Lovers..."

—---

"Nooooo!" William shouted as he used all of his willpower to contain the power that was rampaging inside his body. "I won't let you take this memory away from me!"

William roared in anger as his body shone like a miniature sun. There were things that he could sacrifice, and things that he couldn't.

There was no way in hell where he would just stand by and allow something so precious be taken away from him.

When the light receded, everyone saw William half-kneeling on the ground. The armor that he had worn earlier had disintegrated, leaving him stark naked.

The only thing that covered his body was the pair of wings that sprouted on his back.

On the back of Wiliam's right hand, a tattoo that looked like the Celtic Triquetra appeared.

White smoke rose up from his body, as the Half-Elf panted for breath. He felt like dying, but this sensation only lasted for a minute before his body stabilized.

"Okay! The break's over!" Chloee's lively and vengeful voice was heard inside William's sea of consciousness. "Let's pulverize that snake and turn it into stew! Let's go!"

"My goodness, let Will catch his breath first," Elliot's carefree voice commented. "You sure did something very reckless. We almost kicked the bucket."

"I really thought that we were a goner," Conan said anxiously. "Fortunately, Will managed to pull through at the last second or else we're going to take a one-way trip to the Cycle of Reincarnation."

Conan's worried words almost made William chuckle, but he couldn't because even breathing was painful.

The sound of explosions could be heard around him, but William paid them no mind. A strand of golden lightning bolt briefly streaked within the depths of his pupils as he slowly stood up from the ground.

A suit of armor slowly covered his body once more, as the power of his Einherjar Job Class stabilized. This time, instead of silver armor, the armor he wore was golden.

It was very similar to the one Odin wore in battle a thousand years ago.

William looked at the golden eyes that were staring down on him from within the depths of the red portal.

He looked at it steadily without batting an eye as golden lightning streaked across his body.

Half a minute later, the entirety of K-City had been sucked up by the red portal. It was at that moment when the survivors finally saw the Gargantuan Beast that was waiting for them in the void.

"Who are you?" William asked the towering serpent who was looking down on them as if it was looking down on insects. .

The Gargantuan Black Serpent flicked its forked tongue as if finding Wiliam's question quite amusing.

"Apophis," the Black Serpent replied. "Remember my name, Boy. For it is the name of the God that will send all of you to the afterlife."

Chapter 928: Memories That Burned Brightly

"Apophis," William muttered. 'Do you have any idea who this guy is, Optimus?'

< Yes. He is one of the Gods of Chaos who is the mortal enemy of the Sun Gods. He was banished to the void after he was defeated, and lost a big part of his Divinity. This might be the reason why his rank had regressed to that of a Pseudo-God. >

William clicked his tongue. He had never had a good relationship with the Sun God, Lugh. The mere thought of fighting against the Sun Gods' mortal enemy irritated William to no end.

'Are you sure the plan you told me will work?' William asked.

< Yes. As long as you live long enough to execute it. >

William nodded his head in understanding. He then glanced at his clones who all gave him a brief nod of understanding.

They knew the role that they needed to play, and they would leave the rest to William.

"Wendy, please, hold the line for as long as you can," William said softly as he and his clones flew outside the protective barrier.

Right now, his clones' priority was to fight against the enemies, while Wendy's and the Valkyries' roles would be to protect the people behind them.

William felt regretful that Chloee's power didn't carry over to his clones. If that had happened then the threat of the enemies that they were facing would decrease drastically. Even so, William had no choice but to wrap this battle up quickly.

He couldn't afford to fight a protracted battle, because he would lose far too much if that happened.

"Let's go," William ordered as he and his clones turned into lightning bolts and charged through the enemy lines.

The red-headed teenager's target was none other than Apophis. As long as the God of Chaos stood, they would always be at a disadvantage.

The Gigantic Serpent didn't see any of the insects as a threat to his existence. His only goal was to collect the power of souls in order to regain the Divinity he had lost in the battle against his mortal enemy, the Sun God, Ra.

This conceited thinking was quite normal to the God whose powers could only be challenged by those of the same rank.

He didn't even consider the Half-Elf who was flying straight at him to be a worthy opponent.

William didn't care what the Giant Serpent was thinking as he shortened the distance between them. Only when he was a hundred meter away from his opponent did he activate his skill Heroism, which he had gained after gaining the Quick-Shot Shepherd Job Class.

Whenever William was fighting against an opponent who was stronger than him, he and his allies would gain a 50% boost to their overall strength.

William's current strength was at the Peak of the Demigod Rank after merging with Chloee. With the help of the skill Heroism, his power was further boosted to unprecedented heights. Although he was still far from the Pseudo-God Realm, he had gained Chloee's cheat-like abilities which would allow him to break the Laws of the void, without having his memories taken from him.

The power of the elements swirled in William's right hand making the emblem on the back of his hand shine. He planned to use the strongest attack that he could muster to deal with the Gigantic Snake that towered above him.

"Impudent insect," Apophis flicked its massive tail to swat the annoying fly that dared to challenge its divinity.

The speed of the attack was simply too fast, making it impossible to evade. The only thing that William could do was to meet the attack with an attack of his own.

"World End Tempest!" William roared as he smashed his strongest attack at the tail that reminded him of what it was like to be on the opposing end of an enlarged Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The tail was simply massive. Even the Half-Elf felt like what he was doing was futile, but he still went ahead and met the attack headon.

A powerful explosion took place as William's strongest attack collided with Apophis' tail. However, the clash only lasted for a mere second before the Half-Elf was sent crashing towards the ground destroying several buildings along the way.

The last building that he had crashed into even fell on top of the Half-Elf crushing him under its weight.

Wendy and Belle, who was paying close attention to William, felt their hearts tighten inside their chest as they witnessed their Beloved being crushed by a building. He was their only hope, and seeing how the Giant Serpent had sent him flying with a casual flick of his tail, made them very anxious.

If he, the strongest of them all, couldn't beat Apophis then the only fate that waited for them was death.

Just as the two were thinking about William's safety. A loud explosion occurred as William freed himself from the collapsed building that had fallen over him.

'Sh*t that hurt,' William cursed internally.

Chloee's power had now taken effect after he had received damage from the Black Serpent's attack. His strength was now multiplied by five, but that was not the Half-Elf's current concern.

Although he had a grim expression on his face, he and Optimus finally saw the possibility of their plan succeeding.

< Remember, Will, we only have one shot. Make it count. >

'Understood.' William gritted his teeth as he flew towards Apophis, who no longer cared about him.

It was more interested in the people that were shielded by the golden dome of light, so it slowly made its way towards them.

The God of Chaos loved suffering, so he wanted the people to feel despair in their last moments as he devoured their very lives from their bodies.

Wendy and the Valkyries tensed when they saw through the Black Serpent's intention. However, even if they knew that Apophis was planning to do, what could they do about it?

It was at this moment when William descended from the sky, making a beeline towards the Giant Serpent's head, while chanting words that came from a world that had now ceased to exist.

"When the heavens above did not exist,

And earth beneath had not come into being --

There was Apsu, the first in order, their begetter,

And demiurge Tia-mat, who gave birth to them all."

A stone tablet flew out of the gem on William's chest, followed by another, until seven tablets hovered around him, forming a circle.

"Celestial God, ruler of the skies that has long been forgotten, may you hear my desperate prayer," William chanted. "Grant me your strength, so I may slay the enemies that bring Chaos upon the world. Support me with your heavenly blessing, and grant me your sacred favor."

The tablets shone brightly, imitating the rays of the sun with William at its center.

"Marduk! Let your eternal light pierce through the darkness, and burn my foes in glorious flames!" William roared. "Obliterate all who stand before me!"

"Enuma Elish!"

The seven tablets of creation that came from a world that had ceased to exist, enveloped William's entire being in a radiant light, forming a miniature sun.

Apophis, who had sensed the dangerous attack coming from behind him, tried to evade it, but it was already too late. He had grown complacent that William couldn't do anything to him, so the God of Chaos ignored the Half-Elf completely.

A loud pain-filled shriek erupted from his jaws as the miniature sun smashed against his head with a vengeance.

Right now, he was only at the Realm of a Pseudo-God, and the attack that William used was an attack that contained the true Divinities of the Gods that had left their wills on the Seven Tablets of Creation.

A blinding light covered the entirety of the Deadlands, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. The Grim Reapers, and the Undead, all burst into flames as the light shone upon their bodies.

The bodies of the Golden Deimos as well as the Giant Black Golems started to crack as the cores in their bodies were burned to ashes.

None of them saw the image of the God whose sword had pierced through Apophis' head, pinning him on the ground.

Apophis' screams echoed across the void as he regretted his decision to turn his back on the Half-Elf, whose memories of his past life burned alongside the radiant rays that chased away the seeds of darkness, which had planted themselves inside everyone's hearts.

Chapter 929: I Will Wait For You In My Home Turf

When Belle opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a giant crater that was slowly filling up with seawater.

The wind brushed past her, ruffling the hair on her head. It was then when she realized that she was no longer in the city where a great battle was being waged. She had returned to Earth, along with the other survivors, who were now gazing at the same scene as her.

Gazing at the giant crater where K-City used to exist.

The golden dome that was protecting all of them had long disappeared. Everyone was still in a daze, but it didn't take long for all of them to comprehend that they had somehow survived the hellish nightmare they were in, and would live to tell the tale to others.

"Will?" Belle looked around to find the red-headed teenager, but he was nowhere to be found.

That was the moment when she raised her head to look up at the sky. A red portal hovered in the sky, as red lightning bolts snaked across its borders.

The black-haired beauty felt an ache in her heart as she saw flashes of light appearing from within the red portal's black depths. Sounds of explosions, similar to the rumbling of thunder spread throughout her surroundings.

Clearly, the battle was far from over. They were merely teleported out of the city and returned to Earth, so that they wouldn't be hit with the crossfire that far surpassed their realm of understanding.

Some distance away from the crowd, two pink haired girls opened their adorable mouths and blew bubbles out of them.

Although they looked like bubbles, they were actually the souls of the people that they had devoured earlier. These souls returned to their rightful bodies, and would regain consciousness not long after.

After all the souls were released, the pink-haired little girl named Cinnamon burped, while her twin sister, Maple, patted her back to make her feel better.

Standing beside them were their two older sisters, who were staring at the red portal in the sky. They had also been teleported out of the city in the aftermath of William's attack that forced everyone, except himself and his clones, to return back to Earth through the red portal.

"Big Sister, Maple wants a hug," Maple said with her arms spread wide.

Her older sister who had long, red hair picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Me, too! Big Sister, Cinnamon wants a hug as well." Cinnamon latched onto her other big sister, who had long, black hair.

The black-haired beauty picked up her litter sister and gave her a kiss as well. After doing so, all of them stared at the red portal where flashes of light could be seen here and there. As warriors, they knew that it was the sign of intense fighting that could only be witnessed in the void.

—--

"In the end, you chose to fight alone," Wendy sighed as she gazed at the red portal in the heavens.

She knew that William had teleported her away because he cared about her, but her heart still ached at the thought that her first love was risking his life in battle, while she remained safe from harm.

While she was deep in thought, Charmaine and the Elves walked up to her and gave her a respectful bow.

"Lady Wendy, what should we do now?" Charmaine asked. "Should we head back to the portal and assist Sir William?"

Wendy reluctantly shook her head. She understood that even if they returned to the city to help William, their presence would only serve more of a hindrance than help.

Just as Wendy was about to return her gaze to the sky, she noticed someone approaching her from the corner of her vision.

William's first wife turned her head to her left side and stared at the black-haired beauty, who was staring back at her with a determined gaze.

"Your name is Wendy, correct?" Belle asked. "Will told me many things about you."

Wendy nodded. "You must be Belle. Will has also told me many things about you."

Both ladies appraised each other, and Charmaine felt a subtle pressure coming from both of them. No sparks flew from their eyes, nor words of challenge were spoken.

Belle and Wendy simply stared at each other, and tried to learn more about their Beloved's First Wife / True Love.

"Thank you for loving Will," Belle said. "Because you were by his side, he was able to love again."

Wendy just smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Thank you for continuing to love him as well. I want to ask you many questions, but unfortunately, my time is up."

Wendy's and Thor's body was slowly turning into particles of light. She and Thor were forcefully taken by William from Hestia, and the time that she could remain in another world was limited.

"Don't have any regrets," Wendy said as she stared at the black-haired beauty in front of her. "Time waits for no one. He no longer belongs to this world. Sooner or later, he will return to our world. I pray that before that happens, you will be able to finally let go of him. Don't worry, I promise to take care of him in your place."

Wendy gave Belle a sweet smile that irritated the black-haired beauty. Although William's first wife hadn't explicitly said anything, she had hinted that Belle could just stay on Earth, and leave William in the care of his wives back in Hestia.

"The next time we meet, we will have a long discussion about this," Belle replied with a determined gaze. "I love William, and I will find a way for the two of us to be together."

"You do that," Wendy replied in a teasing tone. She then waved her hand to bid goodbye with a smug expression on her face. "I'll wait for you on my home turf."

After saying her final farewell Wendy returned to Hestia.

Belle sighed internally after the blonde-haired beauty disappeared. Although she didn't want to admit it, Wendy had locked onto ther with an incredible pressure. The Captain of the Valkyries looked so confident, and so at ease, knowing that she was William's first wife, and nothing could shake her position in his heart.

Because of this, Belle finally decided on one thing. As long as William returned safely to her side, regardless of what her parents think, she would definitely do everything in her power to not have any regrets.

"Will," Belle said softly. "Win and come back to me."

Chapter 930: The One Who Would Have The Last Laugh

After William unleashed the might of the Seven Tablets of Creation, Apophis received a fatal injury that would have killed any Demigod.

Unfortunately, he was a former God, so he had survived William's attack. Even so, his strength had decreased greatly in an effort to prevent his injuries from worsening.

"Damn you!" Apophis roared as he unleashed a breath attack at the Half-Elf, who was also suffering from serious injuries.

The Half-Elf raised his hand and the Seven Tablets of Creation formed a circle in front of him, creating a barrier to block the Pseudo-God's attack.

Even though the barrier had successfully prevented the breath attack from reaching William, it was not able to stop the force behind it.

A muffled groan escaped William's lips as he endured the attack that made him skid across the ruined streets for hundreds of meters, until the breath attack ended.

The cut on his right cheek was bleeding, as well as the other injuries he received during his exchange with Apophis, but he didn't have time to heal them. The enraged Black Serpent's head had a hole in it, with blood spilling out like a river.

If he wasn't a former God, he would have been dead by now.

'Optimus, how long?'

< Fifteen more minutes. >

'I might be dead by then.'

< Then don't die. Problem solved. >

William sighed internally as he moved his battered body using his willpower.

"How dare you?!" Apophis roared in anger as his body slowly shrank. "How dare you challenge the might of a God?!"

The Half-Elf raised his middle finger at the God of Chaos who had now shrank to a three-meter tall humanoid snake. This was the form of a Naga that William had encountered in the Dungeon of Atlantis when he was challenging the lower floors of the dungeon.

He wanted to tell the angry Apophis that this wasn't his first time fighting against a God. However, he chose not to say anything because even breathing posed a great challenge to him right now.

'Using an attack that belonged to a God of Creation is something that should be used as a last resort,' William thought. 'It's like firing a thousand Railguns at once. My body, and stamina will not be able to use it a second time.'

Stormcaller fired several lightning bolts at the Naga, in order to give William some breathing time. Unfortunately, all it did was make the injured Apophis more angry, which made him attack William with unrestrained fury.

"Take three steps to the right," Elliot said.

"And execute a roundhouse kick right after!" Conan commented.

Both of Williams' Familiars were helping him from his Sea of Consciousness. Right now, Elliot was using his power of Clairvoyance to see a few seconds in the future, while Conan calculated the most effective attack that would deal significant damage to their enemy.

The Half-Elf followed the advice of his Familiars and executed a roundhouse kick after taking three steps to his right side. The kick landed on the Naga's chest, sending him crashing towards a building in the distance.

Due to the heaviness of William's injuries, Chloee's ability had multiplied his strength to its limits. Because Apophis received an almost lethal injury, he was forced to use its Divinity in order to prevent it from worsening.

Because of this, William's attack was now capable of dealing significant damage to his enemy. However, he knew that even if he punched, and kicked Apophis for an entire day, he would still lose in the end. The only thing that could kill the Pseudo-God was an attack infused by a powerful divinity.

'How many minutes?'

< Twelve more minutes. >

William's legs were already shaking in an effort to support his body. After a brief struggle, he went down on one knee as breathed heavily, ignoring the stinging pain in his chest.

The building where Apophis crashed suddenly exploded as the angry Naga rose up towards the sky.

"I've had enough of you! Time to die!" Just as the God of Chaos was about to unleash an attack that would destroy a quarter of the city, he felt a disturbance at the Western outskirts of K-City.

Narrowing its eyes, its vision zoomed in on an underground subway where William's thirteen clones were hiding.

They were busy channeling powerful flames into a spear that floated at the center of their formation. The spear was none other than Soleil. Because of the absence of the sun, it couldn't unleash its strongest attack, which was one of Apophis' weaknesses.

Soleil was a spear that belonged to the Sun God, Lugh.

Since William was no longer able to unleash the power of Enuma Elish to call upon the Will of Marduk, his only hope was to charge Soleil manually, and let it deal the killing blow on the Pseudo-God, while he was still in a weakened state.

Apophis was very sensitive to the power of the sun, so the moment he discovered the power of Soleil, it immediately changed its strategy and decided to deal with the greatest threat first.

< Warning! Apophis has discovered where the clones are hiding! >

William raised his head just in time to see the Naga aiming its powerful attack at the Western part of the city.

"Where are you looking at?! Face me!" William shouted as he pointed his finger at his adversary. "Duel EX!"

Just as Apophis was about to unleash its concentrated breath attack its body unconsciously moved, which forced it to face William's direction.

A powerful blast erupted from its mouth and headed straight towards the Half-Elf who unleashed all of his defensive spells to protect himself from harm.

Conan unleashed several elemental shields, and physical shields in front of William, while the Seven Tablets of Creation formed a barrier around him.

Elliot unleashed a concentrated lightning bolt to face the Breath Attack head on, but it only lasted for a second before it was swallowed up by Apophis' hate-filled assault.

A blinding explosion erupted in Wiliam's location, which created a mushroom cloud in the sky.

When the smoke receded, the Half-Elf laid at the center of a mile-long crater, with blood seeping out of his lips, nose, ears.

The Tablets of Creation lay scattered on the ground beside him. Having used up all of their powers to defend William, they all flew towards the gem on William's chest in order to recharge their divinity.

The Half-Elf gagged as more blood rose from his throat. He was unable to hold it back, because he no longer had the strength to do so. Because of this, more blood seeped out of the corner of his lips, as he stared at the dark sky above him.

Several of his bones were broken, and the wounds on the different parts of his body bled freely. Right now, William was already feeling light-headed due to the loss of blood. However, he knew that the moment he closed his eyes, he would not be able to open them again.

Apophis snorted after seeing the aftermath of its attack. However, it would need a few more minutes before it could fire another attack that was as strong as the one that it had unleashed.

The God of Chaos wasn't faring well either. After using its breath attack, it wouldn't be able to attack William's clones due to its injured state.

The Pseudo-God eyed Soleil critically and deemed that it would be able to recover its strength before the spear could reach the point where it could threaten his existence. Right now, it was the only weapon that posed a threat to the God of Chaos, so it took its observation seriously.

'This hateful insect!' Apophis cursed internally as it shifted its gaze back to William. 'To think that a bug is able to make me suffer such a setback. I will make sure to torture his soul later!'

The Naga steadied its breathing as it slowly gathered the magical energy present in the void. As someone that had been banished by the Gods and forced to wander this endless world, Apophis had learned a few tricks during his exile.

A brief stalemate descended on the battlefield as both sides tried to buy some time to unleash their strongest attacks. All of them knew that their next clash would decide the victor and the loser, and the God of Chaos vowed that he would be the one who had the last laugh.

Chapter 931: Precious Things He Held Dear In His Heart

William breathed painfully as he tried to move his body, but it was to no avail.

No matter what he did, he could not gather any strength to even move his finger. He was like an oil lamp that had burned all of its fuel reserves, and could no longer produce light.

'Optimus…'

< Eight Minutes >

William's clones couldn't move from their position because the moment he chose to manually charge Soleil, all of them could no longer move from their position. If someone broke out of the formation, the other clones would receive a backlash and ruin everything that they had worked up until now.

Just as Wiliam was thinking of how to deal with the current situation, two adorable faces appeared in his line of sight.

William blinked as he looked up at the two pink-haired girls that were looking down on him while munching on gummy bears.

For a brief moment, the Half-Elf thought that he had unknowingly kicked the bucket, and arrived at heaven. There was simply no way for the two angelic little girls to appear in this damnable place, just to eat gummy bears in a carefree manner.

"Um? Would you like some?" one of the girls asked. "Nevermind. Maple is a good girl, so I will give you one even if you don't ask."

Maple forcefully placed a red gummy bear inside William's blood-stained lips as if it was not a big deal. She was not aware that William couldn't chew because he no longer had the strength to do so.

"C-Cinnamon is also a good girl," Cinnamon stuttered as she hurriedly took out a gummy bear from her small pouch and forefed William as well.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" Maple asked as she tilted her head.

"M-Maybe he wants more?" Cinnamon offered an answer.

"Then let's give him more!"

"Un!"

The two pink-haired girls almost dumped all of their gummy bears on William's mouth, which made the latter want to cry a river of tears. As more gummy bears entered his mouth, the Half-Elf was one step closer to dying from suffocation.

'I managed to survive a breath attack from a Pseudo-God, but I will meet my untimely death due to gummy bears,' William grieved internally. 'Girls, both of you look like angels, but are you devils in disguise? Just who did you get this trait from?'

Maple stopped giving William the gummy bears because she noticed that the Half-Elf's complexion was turning pale.

Cinnamon also noticed this change as she looked worriedly at the red-headed teenager, whose cheeks were bloated like a croaking bullfrog.

"Um? Are you having trouble breathing?" Maple asked as she turned towards her twin sister. "When people stop breathing, do they die?"

Cinnamon nodded. "Dead people don't need to breathe because they are already dead."

The two girls glanced down at William and resumed eating the remaining gummy bears on their pouches. Both of them were very carefree that they even traded gummy bear flavors, while looking at William's suffering.

Just as William was about to really die from suffocation, the words of the two girls flashed across his hazy mind.

'Dead people don't need to breathe because they are already dead…,' William thought as a realization came to his mind.

Using the last bit of control in his mind, he ordered Optimus to switch his Job Class to Vampire Progenitor.

Immediately, the feeling of suffocation disappeared, and William felt a form of energy gathering towards his body. Due to the battle against Apophis, he had forgotten many things, and he was unable to think properly because of the hazy feeling in his head.

Right now, they were in the void. And K-City had started to gather the power of the dead. With the laws that had merged with his body, William recovered his strength at an alarming rate.

After regaining the control of his body, the first thing he did was to eat the damnable gummy bears inside his mouth, which made the two angelic little devils clap their hands in amusement.

William propped himself up in a seating position as all the broken bones and wounds all over his body regenerated completely.

"Thank you," William said as he patted the two girls on the head.

The twin girls giggled before running away from him, but before they disappeared completely they waved their hands and reminded him of what he needed to do.

"Beat the bad guy!" Maple shouted as she raised her small fist to the air.

"Beat the bad guy!" Cinnamon imitated her twin sister as she too raised her small fist to the air.

After saying what they needed to say, they ran away holding each other's hand, and disappeared from William's sights not long after.

Apophis who saw everything from start to finish couldn't believe his eyes. It didn't know where the two pink-haired girls came from, but since he was unable to move from his location, he decided to ignore them.

He was paying close attention to William and knew that the Half-Elf was on the verge of dying. The Pseudo-God even laughed internally when he saw the two girls attempt to kill the red-headed teenager through suffocation.

When William's vital signs completely disappeared, he felt regretful that he wasn't the one that dealt the finishing blow to the Half-Elf. However, when his enemy, whom he thought was already dead, suddenly stood up, Apophis felt that something had gone terribly wrong.

William didn't say anything and simply stomped his foot to instantly appear in front of the Pseudo-God, who had almost recovered a bit of his strength.

The Half-Elf's fist smashed into the center of the Naga's face, which sent the humanoid-snake flying. He didn't pause his attack and followed up with a continuous barrage of punches and kicks, which made Apophis feel a world of pain.

"You Insect! How dare you?!" Apophis had enough and exchanged blows with William who accepted it without backing down.

This time, powerful shockwaves descended across the entire city as they pummeled each other to oblivion.

"It's time for you Gods to stop looking down on mortals!" William shouted as he gave the Naga an uppercut which sent the wounded Pseudo-God flying towards the sky.

"You will never win against a God!" Apophis roared as he tried to regain it forcefully righted itself mid-air. "Not now! Not ever!"

The God of Chaos gathered his Divinity on his fist and met William head on. Their fists smashed against each other, which sent the Half-Elf crashing towards the ground.

"After I kill you, I will also kill that black-haired lady with the golden bracelet!" Apophis declared. "If not for the two of you, my plans would have succeeded! I will torture both of your souls and hear your screams till the end of time! I will make you regret going against me!"

The Naga unleashed a Dragon Breath made up of black flames in order to end Wiliam's life once and for all. Since this was the Void, he could easily capture the souls of anyone who died and prevent them from entering the Cycle of Reincarnation.

Apophis' plan was fool proof, except for one thing. It shouldn't have mentioned that it would hurt Belle because she was William's reverse scale.

Another powerful explosion shook the entire city as the Pseudo-God looked at his enemy.

Both of William's arms had been vaporized when he used them to block the attack, which made Apophis very happy. However, when the two arms instantly regenerated, the smile on its face instantly disappeared.

The Half-Elf flew towards the sky and hovered a hundred meters away from Apophis. Killing intent oozed out of his eyes as he gazed at the God who threatened his Beloved.

"Time's up. It's time for you to die," William declared as he raised his right hand.

A blazing trail of fire appeared in the Western Part of the city, which headed in William's direction. When Apophis saw this, his survival instincts kicked in as he decided to flee into the Void as much as possible.

Due to his scuffle with the Half-Elf, he had completely forgotten about the spear of the Sun God that was being charged to deal with him.

"Too late." William sneered. "Do you think you can threaten my loved ones and get away with it?

"Duel EX!"

Apophis, who had almost flown outside the border of the Deadlands, felt a very powerful tug that stopped his escape.

"Damn you, Mortal!" Apophis hatefully bellowed as he transformed into his original form.

Only by using his true body would he stand a chance against the attack that could potentially end his existence.

William held the blazing spear in his hand as he pulled back his arm. He stared fearlessly at the Gigantic Black Serpent that had opened his jaws to devour him whole.

"Bloom in the battlefield!" William roared as the Triquetra tattoo on the back of his right hand shone brightly.

The flames surrounding the spear spread like wildfire as a projection of the Sun God Lugh appeared behind William, which meant that the Half-Elf had successfully activated the Divinity that had been lying dormant within the spear for hundreds of years.

"Fleur Du Soleil!"

Soleil flew towards the giant snake like an arrow, but it transformed into a Red Phoenix mid-way.

The moment the Phoenix and the Gigantic Black Serpent collided against each other. The Void trembled as an explosion that was as powerful as a supernova detonated within its desolate darkness.

The blast was so powerful that William was blown away from the borders of the city and fell into the Void.

As his body descended into the darkness of the Void, a name escaped his lips before he lost consciousness. He had given everything in that last attack of his, and was now truly and utterly spent.

Tears streamed down the side of his face, as he fell into a bottomless pit. He prayed that the next time he opened his eyes, the precious things that he held dear in his heart… would not be taken away from him.

Chapter 932: I Will Make Them Agree No Matter What

As William's body fell from the floating city into the void, two pairs of hands grabbed hold of his body and guided it towards the red portal that was slowly shrinking in size.

After the Half-Elf's body passed through the portal, two beams of light entered the gem on his chest. The red-headed teenager wasn't aware that two angelic little devils had entered his Thousand Beast Domain.

It would be a few days before he would discover what had happened, which would lead to unprecedented consequences that the Half-Elf wasn't prepared to face.

The moment he returned to Earth, his body fell like a kite that had lost its string, which was immediately noticed by Charmaine, who was paying close attention to the red portal in the sky. The pretty Elf urged her winged horse to fly towards the sky in order to catch her Master.

Belle noticed the commotion, so she also looked up to the sky to see where Charmaine was headed.

Due to the distance, she could only see a barely noticeable dot in the sky, that was descending from the red portal. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that the person that might be falling was her Beloved.

It was at this moment when Belle wished she could grow wings and fly towards the sky.

Suddenly, she heard a chirp from her shoulder and realized that William's little Wren, Aethon had perched itself on her shoulder without her notice.

Aethon chirped for a second time as it hopped off Belle's shoulder and transformed into a Giant Bird with a wingspan of seven meters, scaring the people around her.

The Giant Bird turned its head on Belle before using its beak to point at its back.

The black-haired beauty understood what Aethon was trying to say, so she immediately mounted its back without a second thought. The Giant Bird activated its ability to prevent Belle from falling off, before spreading its wings to fly towards the sky.

Due to its speed, it overtook Charmaine and her winged horse, which made the pretty Elf pout. She wanted to be the one to catch her Master, but she knew that overtaking Belle was impossible.

Since that was the case, she just continued to fly upwards to ensure that the black-haired beauty would be able to catch William. If not, she would be more than happy to catch him instead.

As Aethon neared William, it activated its wind magic to make the Half-Elf's descent slower, until he stopped falling and just floated in the air.

Belle carefully reached out to hold William in her arms. Her heart ached as she looked at his pale face, which seemed devoid of all colors.

A moment later, Charmaine arrived at the scene and eyed her Master with a worried expression on her face.

"Let's return him to the ground first, so my friends and I can heal him," Charmaine proposed.

Belle nodded and Aethon gave a screech of approval. They then descended from the sky, but chose to land a kilometer away from the location of the survivors of K-City. The other Elves rode their winged horses and went to where Belle and Charmaine had landed, to help treat their Master of his injuries.

Ten minutes later, William's complexion was slowly becoming better after being bathed in the healing magic of the Elves.

Belle looked at him anxiously, while holding his hand. In the beginning, the Half-Elf's hand felt very cold. Only after he received the treatment of the Elves did it regain its warmth, which decreased the worry in Belle's heart.

After five minutes of continuous healing, the Half-Elf slowly opened his eyes.

The first person he saw was the pretty Elf who served as his personal maid, Charmaine. William still felt very weak, but he didn't have any trouble in propping his body into a seating position.

Before he could even say anything, a black-haired beauty wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're safe," Belle said with tears streaming down her eyes. "I was very worried about you, Will."

Soon, she started sobbing, while still clinging to William's body. Belle's body shuddered uncontrollably as she vented out her frustration, and helplessness, for being unable to offer any help to her beloved.

William just sat there and allowed the young lady to cry her heart out, as he tried to understand the current situation.

When the black-haired beauty hugged him, his first reaction was to move away, but his body didn't cooperate and remained in place.

He was about to ask the girl if they knew each other, but the moment this thought appeared in his mind, Optimus' voice rang inside his head.

< Will, don't say anything. I know you are confused, but I advise you to not speak even a single word. If you don't heed my warning, I promise you that you will regret it for the rest of your life. >

The Half-Elf's words immediately got stuck in his throat. He and Optimus had been together for a very long time, and he would be foolish not to take his warning seriously.

Belle, who had felt something wrong in William's reaction, pulled her head back to look at his face.

When their gazes met, the young lady's heart skipped a beat because William's was looking at her as if he was looking at a stranger.

She wanted to ask him if he had completely forgotten about her, but she didn't dare to do it. Belle was afraid that if she asked, her greatest fear would become a reality.

The Half-Elf stared at Belle with wonder. He could feel his heartbeat beating wildly inside his chest, and his body aching to hold her in his arms. This feeling perplexed William because he could tell that every fiber of his being was longing for the young lady who was staring at him with eyes filled with fear and heartache.

Suddenly, the expression of the black-haired beauty changed as she cupped Wiliam's face. Her eyes no longer showed fear or sadness. It was replaced with a burning determination, and passion that made William's heart ache.

"Will, you are the beginning of my Letter.

The contents of my Poem,

And the ending of my Fairy Tale."

Belle said these words softly as she gazed at her Beloved with tenderness and affection. She didn't know how William had crossed the boundaries between worlds in order to meet her, but there was one thing that she was sure of.

No matter what happened, she couldn't allow the two of them to part like strangers. Even though it might be futile, she needed to try. This was the least she could do for the man who loved her with all of his heart.

From within the haze of William's mind, a bright firework illuminated the dark sky. Soon, more fireworks painted the darkness with a myriad of colors that allowed him to see a younger version of himself, with tears streaming down his eyes.

The young William looked so lonely as he stared at the sky, while standing on a flower field. A few seconds later, a young lady with long, black hair approached him, and hugged him from behind.

His eyes widened in shock, when the two of them kissed. Little by little, broken fragments of his memories merged together to allow him to see the young lady's face.

It was at this moment when a single tear streamed down the side of William's face as he watched this scene unfold.

—-

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those words to you," the young lady said. "I was being selfish."

William buried his face on her chest and listened to her heartbeat. "Belle, I love you. Always have, always will. Now and forever."

Belle hugged him and kissed his head lovingly. "So you say, but you have so many girls waiting for you back in that Fantasy world of yours. I'm sure that you will forget about me soon."

"I will not," William said firmly. "For the past fourteen years of my life, I have always kept you in my heart."

"You don't have much time left," Belle cupped William's face. "Let's not waste it."

"Mmm." William agreed with her wholeheartedly as he raised his head.

Their lips once again pressed against each other as they savored their last kiss together.

—----

More tears streamed down the side of William's face as she looked at the love of his life, whom he had almost forgotten.

It was at this moment when he wrapped his arms around Belle and hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry, Belle," William said. "I'm sorry."

Belle hugged him back and the two of them held each other while their tears fell freely. The Elves, who were watching this scene, glanced at each other before leaving the two of them behind.

After the two of them calmed down, William held Belle's hand and kissed her forehead. He then looked at her with a serious expression, as he asked her an important question.

"Belle, will you marry me?" William asked.

"Yes," Belle answered before giving William a quick kiss on the lips. "I will marry you. If my parents don't agree, let's just elope together."

"Don't worry. I will make them agree no matter what."

"Okay. I believe you."

The two star-crossed lovers held each other in a loving embrace, as several jet fighters flew past them, and dozens of helicopters arrived at the scene.

For them, they no longer cared about the aftermath of the battle. What was more important was the limited time that the two of them had together, before William returned to his world.

—-

< 95: 59: 48 >

< Do you wish to remain in this world? >

< Yes / No >

Chapter 933: Time Parajokes

While Belle and William were rekindling the love that they had for each other in the outside world, a commotion was happening inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

Chiffon stared at the two adorable little girls who were looking back at her while they ate their gummy bears. She could feel her heart beating fast in her chest as her body subconsciously moved to hug the two of them.

The two little girls didn't resist and allowed Chiffon to wrap her arms around them.

Although William's pink-haired wife didn't know how the two girls had appeared inside the Thousand Beast Domain, her not-yet-developed maternal instincts kicked in and held the two girls tightly.

Lilith, who was right beside Chiffon when the two girls appeared, stared at the three of them with a shocked expression on her face.

"No way," Lilith muttered. "Could it be?"

As someone who had already seen her future daughter, seeing the two little girls made Lilith feel something like a deja vu.

After having her fill of hugging the two girls, Chiffon excitedly held their hands and asked them a question.

"What are your names?" Chiffon asked.

"Papa said that I can't tell you my name," one of the girls answered. "He warned us that if we did, it might cause a time Para… Para… Cinnamon, what is that again?"

Cinnamon tilted her head as she looked at her twin sister. She then frowned as if thinking really hard the answer to Maple's question. After a while, a sweet smile appeared on her face as she remembered the answer to her sister's question.

"I think it's called Time Parajokes," Cinnamon replied. "Maple… I am hungry."

"I'm hungry as well. Should we go to the beehive to get some of their honey?"

"Un!"

Lilith almost facepalmed when she heard the two little girls' conversation. However, Chiffon's face bloomed like a beautiful flower after the two girls accidentally blurted out each other's names.

"Are both of you hungry?" Chiffon asked with a smile on her face. "Don't worry. I know how to cook pancakes. Do you like pancakes?"

"Maple likes pancakes!

"Cinnamon likes pancakes as well!"

"Okay, let's go to the Villa." Chiffon stated as she held both of their hands. "Help me cook it, okay?"

""Okay!""

Lilith watched the three happy pink-haired girls walk towards the Villa while chatting happily. She didn't know if this was a good thing or bad thing, but for some reason, she was worried that their sudden appearance would cause her fiance some trouble.

As if waiting for that cue, two beautiful teenage girls appeared inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

Ashe and Princess Sidonie made their appearance because they wanted to look for William. Something unexpected had happened and it caught both of them by surprise.

Just as the two girls were eating in the cafeteria of the academy, Ian suddenly transformed into a girl. Fortunately, the two of them were in a private room, so no one was able to see what was happening.

Before she transformed into a girl, an unfamiliar voice spoke inside her mind.

The voice said, "I now lift the curse that I placed on your bodies. The boy, William, has accomplished a great undertaking that gained my recognition. All of you are lucky to have someone like him in your life."

After hearing those words, Ian felt something snap inside her Sea of Consciousness. After that, she reverted back to her original form. She also noticed that the Ancient Power that had been sealed inside her body once again rose to the surface.

Ashe felt very happy at the sudden turn of events, so she immediately invited Princess Sidonie to go to the Thousand Beast Domain with her in order to look for William.

The two of them hurriedly left the cafeteria and went to Princess Sidonie's room to open their connection to William's domain.

As soon as they appeared, they saw Lilith staring in the distance. Out of curiosity, both girls looked in the direction where she was looking, and saw Chiffon walking hand in hand with two little girls who had the same hair color as hers.

"You, the Amazon standing over there," Princess Sidonie said. "Who are those girls? Don't you know that you can't randomly bring strangers inside this place?"

Lilith stared at the beautiful princess and gave her a sweet smile, which made Princess Sidonie feel like centipedes were crawling on her skin.

"No one invited those two kids to come to this place," Lilith answered. "You know that the only people that can enter the Thousand Beast Domain are those who have gained William's permission. Since they are here it means that William knows them to a certain extent."

Princess Sidonie frowned when she heard this. She knew that what Lilith said was the truth, but her smug expression was making her feel irritated. The Amazon Princess was looking at her as if the two of them were equals, which made the seductive Princess very uncomfortable.

Ashe, who was listening at the side, had a complicated expression on her face as she looked at Chiffon and the two kids that had just entered the villa together. As someone who shared half of William's heart, she was very sensitive to things that were related to William.

When she saw the two kids, she distinctly felt that a part of them belonged to the Half-Elf. This had never happened before, so she immediately walked towards the villa in order to investigate the odd sensation that she was feeling in her chest.

Princess Sidonie felt like talking to Lilith wouldn't have any results. Since that was the case, she decided to follow Ashe and personally interrogate the two children, whose appearance today was the first time she's seen them.

—--

Inside the Villa…

"We first mix flour, sugar, and salt," Chiffon said as she placed the ingredients inside a bowl. "Then we add the eggs, milk and a little bit of oil."

The two adorable girls looked at Chiffon as she cracked the eggs and placed them inside the mixing bowl. She then placed the egg shells to the side, and started to mix the ingredients together.

Maple and Cinnamon reached out to grab the egg shells and put it inside their mouths. They then chewed on it, making loud cracking sounds, which almost made Chiffon drop the bowl she was holding.

"Mama said that we shouldn't waste food," Maple said after swallowing the egg shells.

Cinnamon nodded her head in agreement. "Maple and Cinnamon are good girls. We always listen to what Mama tells us."

Chiffon's surprised expression disappeared, and was replaced by a smile that would melt the hearts of anyone who saw it.

"Good girls," Chiffon praised the two little girls who were giving her the "please praise us look" on their faces.

After hearing Chiffon's praise, the two girls also smiled, which gave Chiffon the strong urge to hug and squeeze the two of them to oblivion.

"Who do you love the most?" Chiffon asked. "Your Mama or Papa?"

"Maple loves both of them!"

"Cinnamon loves them both!"

It was this scene that Ashe and Princess Sidonie saw when they arrived at the kitchen. The gem on the beautiful mermaid's chest glowed faintly as she approached the two little girls who were now looking back at her with smiles on their faces.

"Hello, my name is Ashe," Ashe introduced herself. "May I know your names?"

"No." Maple shook her head. "Sorry, but we can't tell you because of the Time Parajokes."

Cinnamon nodded her head as if in support of her sister's words.

"Then, can I just hold your hands?" Ashe decided to compromise and just settle for holding the two girls' hands.

Maple and Cinnamon glanced at each other before nodding their heads.

"Okay!"

"Un! Let's hold hands!"

The two girls enthusiastically presented their hands to Ashe, which the latter took with a smile on her face. The two girls were simply so adorable that Ashe wanted to pinch both of their cheeks to test how soft they were.

The moment she held their hands on her own, the blue gem on her chest glowed brightly. Ashe's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the two girls, who were looking at her reaction with amused expressions on their faces.

"The two of you are…," Ashe muttered as she stared at the two girls before shifting her gaze to Chiffon who was looking back at her with a smug expression on her face.

After hearing Raizel's story from William, the pink-haired girl felt very envious of Lilith. However, after seeing Maple and Cinnamon, these feelings disappeared and were replaced with a happiness that made her feel as if she was on cloud nine.

Princess Sidonie didn't understand what was happening. Although she was a very smart lady, the concept of a time paradox was foreign to her. Although she felt the two girls closely resembled Chiffon, she only thought of them as Chiffon's cousins on their mother's side of the family.

Ashe would have thought the same if not for the fact that she shared half of her heart to William. The beautiful mermaid was also not familiar with a time paradox, so she was finding it hard to believe the current situation that was right in front of her at the moment.

"How?" Ashe asked as she looked at Chiffon in confusion.

This was the only question that she could ask because no matter how much she thought, she couldn't come up with an answer that wouldn't break the boundaries of her common sense.

"I don't know," Chiffon answered as she shook her head. "We can only ask William when he returns."

It was at that moment when Maple's and Cinnamon's stomach chose to make gurgling noises. The two adorable girls looked at Chiffon with pitiful gazes as if to tell her that they were very hungry.

"Sorry, I'll cook this right away," Chiffon said as she hurriedly mixed the ingredients inside the bowl in order to prepare the best tasting pancakes for the two adorable little girls, who made her heart feel complete.

Chapter 934: Vows That Even The Gods Could Take Away From Them

A commotion happened in Country-K, hours after K-City disappeared.

Dozens of videos showing the Giant Black Golems, and the destruction they caused to the city appeared in YuuTube, Feysbook, Instadram, Tweater, and many other social media platforms.

Everyone thought that this was just a CG animation made by famous filmmakers, and animation artists, but when the state media announced the news on a nationwide broadcast, everyone finally realized that it was all true.

When the news anchor showed the video of a red-headed teenager fighting against the Giant Black Golems that was recorded using a cellphone, everyone immediately wanted to know his identity.

Minutes after the national broadcast ended, numerous posts saying, Please Marry Me Superhero!, Give Me Your Babies Mr. Handsome!, Is that a Revenger in Real Life?, and many other similar topics were posted on all of the famous forums all over the country.

Of course, this news also reached the International Community. Various governments made their move to try and recruit the "Handsome Revenger" that was clad in lightning bolts. They sent their best ambassadors and negotiators in order to entice the red-headed teenager into becoming a part of their nation.

Because of this, the President of Country-K decided to take action, and personally left the capital to visit the Parker Residence, where William was currently staying.

He and his officials knew that they needed to strike while the iron was hot and form a strong connection with William, so he wouldn't be poached by the other countries who planned to offer him citizenship, as well as many other benefits that would entice any ordinary man.

Unfortunately, William wasn't an ordinary person. So when he got wind that people were trying to make contact with him, he did what he needed to do and that was to… run away!

This move of his placed great pressure on Raymond and Adele who were forced to take the limelight, and entertain the VIP's who came to their residence in droves.

—--

"I heard that the boy named William is your daughter's fiance. Congratulations, Mr. Parker," the President of Country-K said with a smile. "When will they be getting married? I think we should let them marry here in our country."

Beads of sweat started to form on Raymond's shoulders as he tried to keep the smile on his face from breaking.

"Belle is still too young to marry," Raymond replied. "I don't think she's ready to take that step yet."

The President nodded his head and handed a few documents to Raymond.

"All the same, I brought the marriage certificate with me. All that is needed are their signatures," the President stated. "One of my subordinates also managed to reach out to William. After a brief dialogue, he agreed to the wedding, which will be held tomorrow at noon."

Raymond's smile stiffened after hearing the President's words. In an act of defiance, he tore the marriage contract and made it look like an accident.

"I'm sorry," Raymond hurriedly apologized. "I was so shocked that I wasn't able to stop myself, Mr. President."

The President laughed and waved his hand casually.

"Don't worry, I have a thousand of those prepared," the President replied. "Losing one or two isn't a big deal. The Wedding will be held at Norse Church in the Capital. Everything has been arranged, including the guests.

"We also made sure that it will be announced on the Six O'clock news tonight, nationwide, to tell everyone that the two of them are going to get married in this country. Don't worry, we have upped the security and we will not allow any foreign guests to try to poach your son-in-law from this country."

The corner of Raymond's lips twitched because everything was happening so fast. Even he didn't know where Wililam was hiding. The only thing that he knew was that after the incident in K-City, the Half-Elf took his daughter away, and disappeared from the eyes of the public.

Even Paula and Hana, who were Belle's best friends, didn't know where they were.

The President smiled at Raymond, whose smile had completely collapsed. Adele, who was seated beside her husband, could only sigh internally because she understood that this was already a done deal.

With the President of the country giving the marching orders, only fools would dare to get in the way of her daughter's happiness.

Also, she no longer had any problem with William marrying Belle. She had witnessed how the Half-Elf risked his life in order to protect, not only her daughter, but all the people in K-City.

She could still remember the scene of William burning as brightly as a sun in order to attack the Gigantic Snake that was headed in their direction.

It was the most beautiful thing that Adele had ever seen, and with Willam's performance, she would be a fool if she let other people get their hands on her future son-in-law.

—---

Meanwhile, in a Five Star Hotel protected by the President's personal security force, William and Belle enjoyed a bath together in a big bathtub.

The Half-Elf had still not fully recovered from the battle because he had exhausted his physical, magical, emotional, and spiritual power in the fight against Apophis. His head would droop from time to time as he fought off the drowsiness that was taking hold of his senses.

Belle didn't mind and personally washed his body, and treated her beloved like a King. Some of Wiliam's injuries hadn't healed yet, especially the cut on his right cheek that was injured from the Pseudo-God's attack.

Several other wounds could also be seen on William's body. Although they were no longer bleeding, their appearance made the black-haired beauty understand just how hard the red-headed teenager had fought for all of their sakes.

Although the Half-Elf had assured her that the wounds would fully heal in time, she still felt heartbroken seeing them on his body.

The injuries dealt by the God of Chaos were not easy to heal. Even the strongest healing potions in the God Shop could only stop their bleeding. However, William didn't lie. It would only take a month of continuous treatment before all the scars on his body disappeared completely.

Belle lovingly kissed his cheeks as she used her delicate hands to scrub William's chest. If this was an ordinary situation, the Half-Elf would have definitely used his naughty-hands to return the favor.

He would help clean every nook and cranny of Belle's body, until the latter's face turned beet red. Unfortunately, he had finally succumbed to sleep after holding back his drowsiness for the past few hours.

Since her beloved could't appreciate her effort to seduce him, she decided to just focus on her task and let him get a good rest. She kissed all of his scars, and prayed that they would heal properly.

After she finished cleaning William's body, she suddenly recalled the interaction that happened a few hours ago.

As someone who had memorized all the officials of her home country, Belle wasn't able to hide the surprise on her face when the President's Spokesman arrived at their hotel in order to talk to William.

The Half-Elf didn't shy away from the man, and the two of them talked about many important things.

Yes. They talked about many important things like having a church prepared by noon tomorrow, so that she and William could marry.

To her shock, the President's Spokesperson readily agreed to Wiliam's request, which made Belle feel that something was off. She didn't mind marrying William. In fact, she wanted to marry him so badly after knowing that he only had four days left on Earth, before he needed to return to the world of Hestia.

What she was surprised about was that the President of the country had gone out of his way to get on good terms with William. Although Belle had already expected something like this to happen, she didn't expect that it would happen in the span of a few hours after the incident in K-City.

"Tomorrow, the two of us will finally get married," Belle muttered as she lightly caressed William's face. "I pray that your feelings for me will remain forever, even if your memories fade away in the future."

The black-haired beauty planted a kiss on Wiliam's forehead, as she lightly brushed his head. She hoped that when morning came, she and her beloved would stand in front of the altar and make their vows to each other.

Vows that no one, not even the Gods, could take away from them.

Chapter 935: Is There Anyone Else Who Opposes This Marriage?

The next day, William stood in front of the mirror, while he looked at his black suit, which he had bought in the God Shop for this special event.

Due to the shotgun wedding that he had requested from the President's Spokesperson, they didn't have time to pick the clothes for the bride and the groom. However, this was not a problem for William.

The God Shop had plenty of wedding dresses and suits that could be bought at a moment's notice. The good thing about these clothes was their "auto-fit" function, which changed the clothes so they would perfectly match the wearer's size.

Belle was quite concerned about her wedding dress because this was something that most ladies on Earth cared about. However, all of her worries disappeared after seeing the Wedding Dress that William had prepared for her.

This was the most expensive wedding dress that had been personally crafted by the God of Weddings, Hymenaeus.

(A/N: For more information, search God of Marriage in google. Kekeke.)

Although William wanted to see how Belle looked in the wedding dress he'd gotten her, he resisted the urge and left her with the ladies that the President had hired to assist her and her mother, Adele.

The Church was surrounded by men wearing ceremonial dresses. They also carried ceremonial firearms to act as a deterrent for anyone who planned to cause trouble at the wedding.

William walked towards the isle, under the curious gazes of thousands upon thousands of people. The media had also been invited to broadcast the event live to the masses both local and abroad. Because of this, many girls swooned after seeing the devilish smile of the handsome Half-Elf, who had become the trending topic of the entire world.

All of them wished that they could marry someone like him.

After arriving at the altar, William stood straight like a sword with a calm expression on his face. He had fought many hard battles in his lifetime, but for some reason, his heart wouldn't calm down, no matter how hard he tried.

For him, marrying Belle was a dream come true. Although it didn't show on his face, a part of him was afraid that everything that was happening right now was just a dream.

A dream that would disappear the moment he woke up.

< Calm down, Will. This is not a dream. Take deep breaths, and relax. >

Listening to the System's advice, William closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself down. A minute later, he felt more at ease even though the beating of his heart made it feel like there were a thousand galloping horses that were going to war in his chest.

Suddenly, the doors of the church opened once more, and several pretty ladies walked in, throwing flower petals as they made their way down the aisle.

Everyone's heads turned to look at this procession with great curiosity because all of them wanted to see the lucky young lady who had managed to capture the heart of the Hero that had been ranked the number one husband material in the world.

William's eyes widened in shock when the young lady of his dreams appeared in front of him.

Belle walked slowly, but steadily, holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand. Her face was covered with a veil, but her charm and elegance oozed out of her body that made William unconsciously suck in a deep breath.

Even though there was a veil covering her face, William's eyesight was able to pass through the veil and see Belle in her full splendor.

The black-haired beauty looked so beautiful in her wedding dress that William felt like he was falling in love all over again.

A sweet smile hung on her lips as she drew nearer to the altar where her groom was waiting for her.

Raymond and Adele looked at their daughter with tears in their eyes. They knew that this day would come, but they never thought that it would come so soon.

Belle's older siblings were also present inside the church. The President pulled some strings to bring Belle's older brother, Ethan, and older sister, Kate, back so they could witness their younger sister's wedding.

At first, they were angry because they thought that their sister was being forced to marry someone against her will. However, after learning the identity of her groom, Belle's older siblings tossed everything they were doing to the side and flew back home on the first available flight.

They wanted to be there to share this wonderful occasion with their little sister. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Belle was the treasure of their family. Anyone who dared to make her cry would suffer the wrath of everyone in their household.

When Belle was only a few steps away from the altar, the Half-Elf wasn't able to keep the silly grin on his face from widening. Fortunately, he was handsome enough, so no one thought that it was out of place.

Half a minute later, the priest that would perform the ceremony, walked through the door on the left side of the room behind the altar.

When the Half-Elf saw the priest, his eyes widened in shock because he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The priest ignored William's dumbfounded look as he stood in front of the Bride and Groom with a smile on his face. He then raised his hand as he started to preside over the wedding.

"To all present I say, We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is!" the Priest declared.

"We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with William Von Ainsworth and Belle Von Ainsworth the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today."

The Priest then scanned everyone in the church as he continued to proceed with the wedding.

"Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest said.

Everyone remained in their seats, and calmly looked at the altar. None of them had any intention of stopping the wedding, or at least, that was what Belle's parents, and the President of Country-K believed.

"I do not agree with this wedding!" a young man barged inside the church doors with an aggrieved expression on his face. "I have loved Belle for many years. I will not hand her over to any–argh!"

The young man wasn't able to finish his words because a wooden mallet smashed into his face, sending him sprawling on the ground.

The mallet then flew back towards the altar and ended up in the Priest's hand, which the latter lightly thumped on his open palm, while eyeing everyone in the room.

"Is there anyone else who opposes this marriage?" the priest asked in a challenging tone.

Noone inside the church was able to stop their face from twitching after seeing what had just transpired.

There were several people who planned to cause trouble for the young bride and groom, but after seeing the fate of the young man who was being dragged away by the subordinates of the President of the Country, all of them remained in their seats and kept their lips shut tight.

Who would willingly desire to get smacked in the face by a wooden mallet?

Only masochists would do that!

After seeing that there were no more fools who wanted to get whacked by his wooden mallet, the Priest nodded his head in satisfaction and returned his attention to the bride and groom.

Breaking his dignified expression, the Priest smiled and winked at the Half-Elf, who was finding it hard to hold back the laughter that was bubbling inside his chest.

James, William's grandfather, cleared his throat as he hid the wooden mallet inside his robe. As someone who had been pushing his grandson to give him as many great grandkids as possible, how could he possibly allow anyone to get in the way of his, and William's happiness?

With the Almighty All Father presiding over the wedding, no one, not even all the Big Shots on Earth combined, could prevent him from marrying the two star-crossed lovers, who had continued to love each other, even though they were separated by space and time.

Chapter 936: Boyfriend That Was Superhero Material

After the short incident, the wedding proceeded smoothly.

Adele teared up after witnessing William and Belle share their vows of love to each other. Raymond was feeling conflicted, but this was something that almost all fathers felt when they saw their daughters on their wedding day.

Belle's older brother and sister were genuinely happy for her, and they wished their little sister all the happiness the world had to offer

James smiled as he wrapped up the wedding with the words that everyone was waiting to hear.

"With the blessing of everyone who is present here today, I now pronounce both of you husband and wife," James said before giving William a wink. "You may now kiss the bride."

William didn't stand on ceremony and lifted the veil blocking his wife's face. Under the gazes of thousands of people inside the church, and millions of peoples around the world, the Half-Elf kissed his beloved passionately.

A moment later, a thundering applause followed by countless whistling broke out inside the church, as everyone gave their blessing to the newlyweds who had officially become the most popular couple in the world.

When the kiss ended, William held Belle's hand firmly as they walked down the aisle. The paparazzi flashed their cameras in order to record this glorious moment that would be seen in the headlines of all the newspapers the next day.

After exiting the church, a devilish smile appeared on William's face as he suddenly lifted Belle in a princess carry.

This act made the ladies squeal in delight because they found the Half-Elf's bad boy image very attractive.

"What do you think you're doing?" Belle asked with a smile. She could tell that William was feeling playful at the moment, so she decided to play along with her husband's wishes.

"I plan to take you flying," William replied before turning towards Raymond and Adele who were right behind them.

"Father, Mother, Belle and I will just take a short detour before going to the hotel for the celebration feast," William said. "Don't worry, I will not make things difficult for the two of you this time around."

Without waiting for their reply, William slowly floated in the air before flying Northwards. He planned to take Belle on a short sight-seeing flight of the entire city before going to the Five-Star Hotel that the President of Country-K had rented for them.

"Kids sure know how to have fun," the President said with a chuckle. "Well then, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, shall we go?"

"Of course, Mr. President," Raymond replied. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

Adele smiled as she nodded her head. Right now, it was their role to entertain the thousands of guests that had come to form connections with their family. This was a perfect opportunity for her to step up into the international scene, and let their company spread its wings and open branches all over the world.

Paula and Hana looked at the Half-Elf who was flying Northwards, while carrying their best friend in his arms.

Even now, they still couldn't believe all the things that they had witnessed, and experienced. If not for William, the two had no doubt that they would have also been part of the casualties that had been forever lost, alongside the city that had disappeared completely from the face of the Earth.

"Hana, did William say if he had any older or younger brothers?" Paula asked as she looked at where Wiliam and Belle had flown off too. "I want some of that action as well."

The corner of Hana's lips twitched as she stared at her best friend with a dumbfounded expression. She would be lying if she said that what Paula was saying hadn't crossed her mind as well. However, she found it quite embarrassing to discuss this topic out in the open.

"... Let's ask William tomorrow," Hana answered. In the end, she also wanted to know if she could have a boyfriend that was superhero material.

Paula nodded absentmindedly. "Mmm… let's do that."

—--

"Aren't the two of you going to give them your well wishes?" James asked as he turned to the two beautiful young ladies who were looking at the flying couple in the distance.

The two beautiful young ladies shook their heads.

"If he sees me, it will just make things complicated," the young beauty with long red hair and amber eyes answered with a smile.

"As for me, I don't want Papa to see me," the black-haired young lady replied. "He still doesn't know of my existence, so if I suddenly appear in front of him… it might cause unexpected consequences."

James chuckled, but didn't force the issue. The fact that he was able to see his future great granddaughters was enough to make his trip through the void worth his while.

"Ah, Great Grandpa, I have a favor to ask," the young beauty with long red hair said. "Maple and Cinnamon have snuck inside Papa's Domain. A day has already passed since then, and I'm afraid that they have been causing all sorts of difficulties for those poor Elves inside it.

"We will be leaving on the same day that Papa returns to Hestia. If possible, we want our two naugthy sisters out of the Thousand Beast Domain by then."

The young lady with long black hair then handed a silver bracelet to James.

"Great Grandpa, let Papa wear this bracelet. It will help him break the laws of Earth and allow him to enter the Thousand Beast Domain. The effect of the bracelet will wear off in two days. I hope that Maple and Cinnamon will be taken out of the Domain by then."

James nodded as he accepted the silver bracelet. It would be easy to pass this bracelet to William. Also, he wanted to spend a little more time with his twin great granddaughters before they returned to their own timeline.

"I'll pass this to Wiliam at the party later," James replied. "However, I think he will only be able to take Maple and Cinnamon out tomorrow morning. After all, today is a special day for him and Belle."

Stella smiled and nodded her head in understanding. Naturally, she wouldn't want to ruin William's special day. Although she felt bad for the denizens of the Thousand Beast Domain, she was willing to wait for one more day, before the two little angelic devils were returned to their side.

Chapter 937: Papa Is Marrying His First Love

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

Due to the time difference between Earth and Hestia, Maple and Cinnamon had been inside the Thousand Beast Domain for more than a week.

During their stay, the two angelic devils had visited all there was to visit, while being accompanied by Chiffon. The pink-haired girl didn't allow the two children to enter the Dungeon of Atlantis because she was very worried about them.

When Ashe asked Chiffon about Maple and Cinnamon, the pink-haired girl only told her that the one with a better grasp of the current situation was Lilith.

Finding this as an opportunity to one-up Princess Sidonie, Lilith was more than happy to tell Ashe and the Succubus Princess about what had happened in the Deadlands. After listening to her tale, Princess Sidonie's expression became serious.

As someone who had wanted William's babies from the start, this was a blow that she couldn't take lying down.

Because of this discovery, Princess Sidonie tried to befriend the two little girls by bribing them with food. To her surprise, Maple and Cinnamon didn't shy away from her, and occasionally called her Mama Sidonie from time to time.

This left Princess Sidonie and Morgana smitten with the two adorable children. She was often found carrying one of the twins whenever she took a stroll inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

Ashe was very amused by this scene, while Chiffon felt conflicted. A part of her wanted to monopolize her future babies, but since Princess Sidonie was one of her sisters, she reluctantly allowed either Maple or Cinnamon to accompany her when she appeared in the Thousand Beast Domain.

Princess Sidonie would ask the two girls questions from time to time, but both of them would only shake their heads to questions pertaining to the future.

In the end, the Succubus Princess gave up, but her relationship with the two girls didn't change. For her, William's babies are her babies. This was why she would pamper, feed, kiss, and squeeze Maple and Cinnamon everyday after her classes in Hestia ended.

One day, while Chiffon and Princess Sidonie were feeding Maple and Cinnamon pancakes, Ashe asked an innocent question, which completely changed the atmosphere inside the Villa.

"I wonder what Will is doing right now?"

This was the innocent question that Ashe absentmindedly muttered, after sipping her tea. She didn't know that a certain little girl, who had just finished eating one of her pancakes, would answer her question.

"He's getting married right now. Isn't that right, Cinnamon?" Maple asked.

"Un!" Cinnamon replied.

All the ladies in the room froze, including Charmaine who was pouring tea for everyone.

"Maple, sweetheart, did you just say that Will is getting married?" Princess Sidonie asked.

"Yes," Maple replied before eating the pancake on her plate. "They should be in the middle of the marriage ceremony right now."

Ashe and Chiffon frowned, while Lilith was dumbstruck. The Amazon Princess had thought that she would be William's fifth wife, but the order had changed and she was being pushed out of the spot that she had claimed as her own.

"Maple, did Will perhaps save or pick up a girl in a dungeon?" This time it was Ashe who asked the question.

She knew that William wasn't that loose when it came to relationships. There was no way he would just suddenly marry a girl out of the blue without a good reason.

Cinnamon, who was being hand fed by Chiffon, tilted her head to the side as she looked innocently at Princess Sidonie.

Maple shook her head. There was no dungeon on Earth, so how could her Papa pick up a girl in a dungeon? It was just not possible, you know?

"Do you know the identity of that girl?" Princess Sidonie asked. "I'll give you twenty pancakes if you answer me."

Maple frowned. For a brief moment she was moved by the bribe that the beautiful Princess was going to give her. But, in the end, she persevered and shook her head firmly.

"Sorry, I can't tell you that Papa is marrying his first love," Maple answered in an innocent tone. "Papa told me that I shouldn't tell you no matter what."

"Excuse me?" Princess Sidonie blinked in confusion after hearing Maple's answer. She had no idea who William's first love was, because she had never bothered to ask him about other women.

When she became William's fiance, she had said that she didn't care how many wives William had as long as he would love her just as much as they would love him. Although she didn't want to admit it, she felt that with her good looks, wits, seductive body, and prowess in bed, she would easily become the red-headed teenager's favorite.

However, after spending time with him, Princess Sidonie and Morgana realized that William was someone who truly loved her and his other lovers. They both felt that competing with Wendy, Ashe, Est, and Chiffon, was a useless endeavor.

Although she understood that William didn't love all of them equally, he still loved them and treated them as if they were the most precious things in his world. Princess Sidonie and Morgana had learned to accept this setting, but after hearing that William was marrying his first love, something inside her snapped.

'First love? Is she talking about Celine?' Princess Sidonie shook her head.

'Celine is in Hestia, and William is currently not in Hestia, so this is impossible. If that's the case, could it be Est? No. The two of them were best friends before they turned lovers, so it's not her either. If that is the case then there is only one answer… it is someone William met before Celine.'

The Succubus Princess frowned because this was the only possible explanation she could think of at this point in time.

Lilith was in the same boat as her love rival. She had just recently become WIlliam's fiance, and was not aware of how many lovers the Half-Elf had. Although she didn't want to admit it, she felt an ache in her chest after knowing that her fiance was marrying his first love.

Ashe and Chiffon on the other hand, glanced at each other with a knowing look. Both of them had talked to William about many things, and the Half-Elf didn't hide anything from them, especially the name of his first love.

However, what confused both of them was that they thought that Belle lived in Hestia. They were not aware that the person the Half-Elf was talking about was his first love from his past life.

Chapter 938: Please, Make As Many Babies As You Can With My Grandson

The celebration feast at the hotel where the President of Country-K was well on its way when William and Belle arrived at the venue.

Countless VIP's from all over the world had tossed their important matters aside just to be able to attend their wedding.

Of course, this was the perfect place to form connections with the most influential people in the world, so even when the groom and his bride were not around, the people made sure to mingle with their peers, as well as potential business partners for future collaboration.

Raymond and Adele, who had been forced to entertain them while William and Belle were away, were naturally the center of attention. Everyone wanted to talk to them, and if possible, collaborate in whatever way possible in order to strengthen their connections.

Adele was the one managing the family business, while Raymond was managing their hospital. Although both of them work in separate fields, that didn't stop them from shaking hands with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, and even Oligarchs, from all over the world.

Belle's parents knew that from this moment onwards, their family could forget about being lowkey ever again.

The moment William landed carrying his wife in his arms, the people at the scene immediately perked up and were all smiles. The Half-Elf knew that he couldn't escape this fate. Fortunately, he saw someone happily taking a few dishes from the buffet table, and decided to dump all the responsibilities on the old scammer's shoulders.

The red-headed teenager helped Belle to stand up before addressing everyone who was looking at him like a golden goose that they didn't plan on letting go.

"Friends, who came from all over the world, I am very happy that all of you have come to give us your blessings," William said with a smile. "As you may already know. Today is a special day, so I don't wish to talk about politics and business related topics. However, that doesn't mean that my Ainsworth Family is not interested in your proposals."

William paused as he walked towards the buffet table while holding Belle's hands. Everyone's gazes followed him until he stopped in front of an old man who was putting several fried chicken legs on his plate.

"Everyone, let me introduce to you the head of our family," William announced as he rested his hand on the old bandit's shoulder. "Here is my grandfather, James Von Ainsworth. Every decision in our family goes through him first. That's why, I would appreciate it if you discuss political and business related matters with him."

James gnawed on a chicken leg as he looked at the crowd of people around them. Naturally, Belle's parents, as well as those who were seated near the front of the altar recognized the old man who presided over William's and Belle's wedding.

James didn't mind being used as a scapegoat this once because he understood that Wiliam had a more important duty to attend to, and that was to save his strength in order to increase the number of their family members.

Since that was the case, the old man was more than happy to take one for the team and deal with the hawks and vultures who planned to give him gifts and bribes. Since they are offering things for free, it would be a shame for him not to take them, right?

"Everyone, just call me James," James stated with a smile. "You've already seen how awesome my grandson is, but did you know that I am more awesome than him?"

The corner of William's lips twitched after hearing his Grandpa's words. He planned to use the old coot as a scapegoat, and yet, the old scammer managed to toot his own horn, and tell everyone that he was more awesome than him? Ridiculous!

However, before Wiliam could even say anything James handed a silver bracelet to him and whispered something to his ear.

"This bracelet will allow you to temporarily visit your Domain," James whispered. "There are two little pink haired girls that snuck inside it while you were unconscious. However, you don't have to deal with them today. Both of them are harmless, so it's fine if you wait until tomorrow to pick them up. For now, prioritize the honeymoon with your wife, do I make myself clear?"

William blinked once then twice after hearing James' revelation. He didn't expect that the two gummy-bear eating girls had trespassed into his Thousand Beast Domain without his permission.

He was very tempted to take a quick look at the two of them, but James' meaningful gaze told him that he should just wait until tomorrow before bringing them out of his Domain.

'Those little girls should have met Chiffon by now,' William thought as he nodded his head to his grandpa to tell him that he understood his intentions.

Although he was very curious about what was currently happening inside his Domain, he also understood that now was not the time to visit it.

James smiled and turned his attention to Belle, who was looking at James with a surprised expression on her face.

"I'm very happy to have you in our family, Belle," James said. "Please, make as many babies as you can with my grandson. The more the merrier!"

The black-haired beauty blushed because she didn't expect Wiliam's grandfather to say something like that in front of everyone.

William on the other hand just chuckled because he knew that James wanted to expand their family lineage as much as possible.

To be perfectly honest, the Half-Elf was looking forward to leaving the party as soon as they could, so he and Belle could have some time alone together. Now that they were married, there was nothing more that could stop him from embracing Belle and consummating their marriage.

James then took on his role and talked with the VIP guests' that had come from all over the world. Although he and William couldn't stay long on Earth, that didn't mean that James couldn't scam them dry before leaving!

As for future collaboration? That could wait until the connection between Hestia and Earth had stabilized. He would just make promises for now, and tell them that he and William still needed to save other worlds aside from Earth from the threat of the Giant Black Golems that had appeared yesterday.

He added that if they didn't do that, the Giant Golems would appear in a random location on Earth and wreak havoc, just as they did in K-City.

For the dignitaries of the different countries, this was a very important issue. All of them were very supportive of James and even asked them if there was anything that they could do to help.

They even went as far as to say that they were willing to provide state of the art equipment in order to deal with the Giant Black Golems, whose power they had witnessed firsthand.

The talks went smoothly and James was able to scam a lot of people. It was a very productive day, and he was very happy with the results.

—--

Two hours later, William and Belle had already snuck out of the party and retired to their room.

For the two of them, every minute was precious, so they didn't want to waste any of them if they could help it.

"I love you, Belle," William said as he stared at his wife who was still wearing her wedding dress.

Belle wrapped her arms around William's neck and kissed his lips. "I love you, too."

After their first kiss ended, a second one followed. This time, it was more intense and more passionate.

Soon, Belle's wedding dress slid off her beautiful and delicate body. Making the Half-Elf's breathing a little ragged.

The black-haired beauty smiled as she started to remove William's clothes. When all of their clothes were lying on the floor, Belle held William's hand and led him towards the bathroom.

The sun still hadn't set, so they still had plenty of time to freshen themselves up before she would serve William the main course.

Unfortunately for her, the Half-Elf had other plans in mind.

A mischievous smile appeared on William's face as the black-haired beauty filled the bathtub with water.

As someone who had already fought numerous night battles with his wives, the Half-Elf had more than enough experience on how to stroke the flames of passion that were starting to blaze inside Belle's beautiful and irresistible body.

Chapter 939: Filling Her Up With His Love [R-18]

(Disclaimer: You and I both know what is going to happen here. If you're not comfortable reading this kind of action, feel free to skip this chapter.)

"What are you doing?" Belle asked when she felt Wiliam's naughty hand caressing her backside.

"Just double checking to see if there are any unseen injuries that I might have missed yesterday," William replied as his hand lightly squeezed the soft bun in front of him.

Belle didn't make any efforts to pry William's naughty hand away. She could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment because she could feel the warmth that was coming from her beloved's touch, which was making her body start to heat up.

Seeing that the black-haired beauty wasn't resisting his advances, the Half-Elf decided to be a little bolder as he pulled Belle towards him until her back was leaning against his body.

The black-haired beauty's blush turned a shade redder when she felt something hot, and hard pressing against her back. Although she already saw a glimpse of it earlier, she didn't look at it for long because she was afraid that William would tease her about it.

She turned her head to look at her husband with a face filled with injustice, but before she could voice her complaint, her lips were sealed with a kiss. It was also at that moment when William's hands moved in to fondle her breasts, which made Belle forget what she was about to say next.

Soon, the sound of kissing echoed inside the bathroom. William's three pronged attack left the black-haired beauty helpless as his lips, his hands, and Little Will worked together to make Belle's legs turn to jelly.

William's tongue had already invaded Belle's lips and pried it open. This was not the first time that the red-headed teenager had kissed Belle this way, so she was already used to this kind of intense kissing.

When their lips parted, a sigh escaped her lips as her knees almost gave in due to lack of strength. Fortunately, William was long prepared for this to happen, so he carried his wife and lovingly placed her inside the bathtub, where a second round of kissing, groping, and nibbling ensued.

The innocent girl's body lay limp in William's arms as he carried her out of the bathtub. The Half-Elf used wind magic to dry themselves in a matter of seconds because he had reached his limit.

Belle's pleasure-filled sighs inside the bathtub almost made him want to eat her up then and there, but he endured because he wanted to make their first time memorable. The moment he laid Belle on the bed, her naked beauty was on full display for William to look at and behold.

Seeing the Half-Elf's heated gaze that wandered all over her body, the black-haired beauty felt so exposed. Even so, she didn't cover her assets, and allowed William to look as much as he wanted.

"You're very beautiful, Belle," William said as he lowered his head to kiss her forehead.

Belle felt very happy hearing William's heart-felt praise. She had already seen William's wives, and all of them were beautiful in their own right.

"Will, please…," Belle pleaded. "I can't take it anymore."

After William's relentless fondling and teasing, the black-haired beauty's body was burning up with passion. The Half-Elf had made sure to properly fan the flames of desire in her heart, and mind, which made the chaste maiden plead for her beloved to give her relief.

Hearing the words of permission from her lips, William once again indulged himself in kissing her soft lips. His hands moved downwards until they slid past her lower abdomen, reaching the entrance of her maidenhood.

Soon, William's fingers caressed that place, making Belle's body shudder. She was really very sensitive right now, so any kind of stimulation was enough to make her reach her climax.

William then kissed Belle's neck, going down her collarbone. His left hand once again groped his wife's left breast, and lightly pinched the pink tips that were slowly starting to become firm from his sensual touch.

The Half-Elf then kissed Belles' right breast, before sucking, and lightly nibbling the pink tip that was waiting for his love and affection.

Unknown to Belle, William was using all of his willpower to control his urges. He was patiently, loosening her up, so that their union wouldn't hurt her as much. After enjoying her perfectly-sized breast that fit his hands, the Half-Elf started to kiss her downwards.

The moment William's tongue pried open her lower lips, and tasted her forbidden fruit, Belle's body shuddered as she reached another climax.

The Half-Elf paused for a bit and checked her condition. Although he wanted to make Belle's first time as pleasurable as possible, he was still worried about her health. A quick diagnostic scan told him that she was fine, and merely basking on the afterglow of her orgasm.

William wanted to engrave Belle's entirety to his memories. Her soft sighs of pleasure, her smooth and delicate body, and her disheveled expression that was very different from the composed and calm look that she always wore when she was at the University.

He wanted them all, and more. William wanted her everything to be engraved in his soul, so that he wouldn't be able to forget her no matter what.

When Belle reached her third orgasm, the Half-Elf knew that she was more than ready for their union.

"Are you ready, Belle?" William asked.

"Yes," Belle replied with a flushed face. She had never experienced this kind of pleasure in her life, and a part of her was looking forward to giving her chastity to the man she loved with all of her heart.

William knew that Belle was already at her limit, so he no longer tarried and spread her legs apart.

When William lowered his hips, a gasp escaped Belle's lips as her beloved became one with her. Although she felt a bit of pain, it was not as painful as she imagined it would be. Soon, Belle felt what it was like to be on the receiving end of William's hot and passionate love.

He no longer teased her, which she was thankful for. But, each time William lowered his hips, she could feel him going deeper inside her body. She could feel how hard he was, and hot she was, and it made her insides melt, knowing that the Half-Elf wanted her.

Belle could feel William's desire to mark her as his woman, as both of them became lost in the storm of passion that had taken over their senses. Just as she was about to reach the peak of pleasure, William grunted as he lowered his hips one last time, and shot his essence inside her.

The black-haired beauty's body trembled as a wave of pleasure, she had never felt before descended on her like a tide, making her lose consciousness due to how powerful her orgasm was.

Although she had momentarily fainted, William's manhood was firmly pressed against the entrance of her womb, pouring his seeds inside her.

The Half-Elf panted because this was probably the most intense love-making session he had experienced in his current lifetime. His release was so strong that he felt a bit drained afterwards.

Running a diagnostic spell on Belle, he was relieved to know that she had just fainted from the pleasure that she had experienced. After a few light taps on her cheeks, the black-haired beauty regained her consciousness.

"Are you alright?" William asked as he caressed the side of her face.

Belle nodded. Right now, she was too drained to even talk, and merely gave William a brief nod to tell him that she was fine.

William's… was still buried deep inside her, and from the looks of it, it won't come out anytime soon. The Half-Elf was paying close attention to Belle's expression and condition. If the latter didn't want to continue, he wouldn't force her, and let her rest.

"Does it still hurt?" William inquired as he kissed her forehead.

"No," Belle replied. "It only hurt at first, but after a while, the pain disappeared completely."

"Do you want to continue?"

"... Yes, but do it gently this time."

"Okay," William replied as he once again moved his hips, but this time in a slow manner.

Among his wives, Chiffon liked to make love this way, so William already knew what to do. Less than five minutes later, Belle once again attained orgasm because the Half-Elf was simply too good in the arts of lovemaking.

Her second time was just as intense as the first. Fortunately, she didn't lose consciousness, but lay panting on the bed as William's seed flowed inside her womb, filling her up with his love.

Chapter 940: Hiding Something That Shouldnâ€™t Be Seen

William was surprised at Belle's tenacity. Although she wasn't as physically strong as his wives from Hestia, the black-haired beauty managed to last five rounds with breaks in between.

The Half-Elf carried her back to the bathroom and cleaned her up properly. He also used a regeneration spell to help her recover faster, and heal any invisible injuries that she might have suffered after their love making.

William then carried Belle back to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. He had already removed the bed sheets earlier, and replaced them with new ones, so his exhausted wife could rest properly.

The red headed teenager covered her with a blanket, and observed her sleeping face. The black-haired beauty looked so defenseless that it gave William the strong urge to lightly pinch her cheeks because of how cute she was.

Of course, he only thought of this, and didn't have the heart to actually do it.

"I'm sure that all the guys who love you at the University are cursing me right now," William muttered with a smug expression on his face. The Half-Elf was sure of it because if he were in their place, he would be doing the same.

He would have probably cursed the guy that Belle married to the high heavens, while wishing that his manhood would never stand again.

William smiled as he kissed Belle's forehead before hugging her body to sleep. It had been so long since he felt his heart at ease. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep, not from exhaustion, but from the happiness of having Belle as one of his wives.

—--

Hestia Academy…

Shannon's face reddened as she lowered the brush in her hand to her side.

In front of her, an image of a handsome Half-Elf making love to a black-haired beauty could be seen. The sensual brush strokes, and the vivid colors portrayed the scene very clearly.

It was so clear that even Shannon, who had been locked up inside the Shrine for many years, understood what the two people in her drawing were doing.

"I should hide this somewhere where mother and father can't see," Shannon muttered as she hurriedly grabbed the canvas, which was still a little wet.

She then looked around the room to find a suitable place to hide her drawing. After finding an appropriate place, the young lady took a step forward with a flushed expression on her face. One of her powers allowed her to see events that were happening in the present.

The images that appeared in her head were completely random. However, for the past few weeks, the only scenes that were coming to her were related to William's family.

She had drawn the battle against the Giants that James and his subordinates had participated in.

She had drawn William's uncle, Morgan, who was now in charge of the Floor of Asgard in the Tower of Babylon.

She had drawn a mysterious woman, who was accompanying Eve in the Central continent, while being guarded by two powerful Minotaurs.

And lastly, she had drawn William's battle in the Deadlands, his battle on Earth, as well as William's battle in bed with his new wife, Belle.

Due to the images that she had seen with her powers, Shannon had unconsciously become William's fan. She looked forward to every new day for the possibility of drawing more of his adventures, both in Hestia and in the worlds outside of it.

Just as Shannon was about to properly hide the canvas in his hand, a beautiful lady appeared in the center of the room and called out to her.

"Dearest, have you drawn another painting?" the beautiful lady asked as she walked towards Shannon with a smile. "Come, let me see it. I'm very curious about what you have drawn this time."

"M-Mother, this drawing is still not complete," Shannon stuttered as she hid the drawing behind her back. "I will let you see it when it's done, but for now, I would like to rest first."

The beautiful lady nodded her head in understanding. She knew that her daughter would feel very sleepy whenever she used her powers to look for images to draw.

Because of this, she no longer insisted on seeing her daughter's drawing. Seeing that her mother didn't intend to forcefully look at her drawing, Shannon placed the canvass on one of the shelves that had been built in the living room.

She had placed it in the middle of her other drawings, no longer caring that the paint was still a little wet. The most important thing was that she couldn't let anyone see it, or she would definitely die of embarrassment.

After making sure that the canvass was properly stored, Shannon went to hug her mother, who returned her hug with a smile.

"Did your father come to visit you?" the beautiful lady asked. "I can sense his Divinity inside the living room."

Shannon nodded her head. "A few days ago he came here for a visit. However, I was busy drawing things, so we didn't have the opportunity to talk."

The beautiful lady nodded her head in understanding. Although she and her husband didn't always spend time together because both of them were busy, they would always find time to visit their daughter to check on her condition on a regular basis.

"Shannon, do you have a fever?" the beautiful lady asked as she pressed her palm over Shannon's forehead. "You're a bit hot, and your face is flushed. You are not staying up late to draw things again, are you? Are you not resting properly then?"

Shannon had a conflicted expression on her face as she tried to think on what to say to her mother. She knew that she couldn't possibly tell her that she was feeling hot and bothered after witnessing William making love to his wife.

The young lady would rather bury herself in a hole due to embarrassment, than have her mother know the truth.

"I'm sorry," Shannon replied. "I saw an interesting scene, and I wasn't able to keep myself from drawing it."

Shannon knew that Gods could easily tell when people are lying, so she decided to tell her mother half-truths in order to stop her from worrying. She had indeed seen an interesting scene, and she wasn't able to stop herself from drawing it on canvas.

Since this was the truth, the beautiful lady could only reluctantly accept her daughter's answer before she led her daughter to the bed where she could have a proper rest.

"Rest, my dearest," the beautiful lady said as she sat beside the bed, holding her daughter's hand. "I'll stay with you for a bit, so you can sleep without any worries."

Shannon nodded her head and closed her eyes. Only a minute had passed before her soft sleeper breaths reached the beautiful lady's ears, which made her feel better.

However, what she didn't know was that even though Shannon was sleeping, her mind was very much active. The young lady's connection with William had remained, and she had seen everything that was happening in real time.

If only the beautiful lady and Aamon knew that William was indirectly teaching their daughter indecent things, both of them would definitely be dragging William to their Domains so they could strangle him until he begged for mercy.

Chapter 941: Father, I Have Important News To Tell You

When Belle opened her eyes the first thing she saw was a handsome Half-Elf looking back at her with a smile.

"Good morning, Belle," William said.

"Good morning," Belle replied as she snuggled closer to him.

William chuckled because he didn't expect that this was the first thing that his wife would do the moment she opened her eyes.

"Are you hungry?" William asked. "Want me to order room service?"

Belle nodded, but didn't move from her spot. What William didn't know was that the black-haired beauty was trying to assess if everything that happened was a dream or not. After feeling her husband's warmth, and the naughty hand that was lightly squeezing her backside, she understood that everything was real.

"I'm glad," Belle muttered as she hugged William tighter.

"Mmm? What are you glad about?"

"I'm glad that you and I are now married."

William chuckled as he kissed Belle's forehead. Just like her, he was also feeling very happy that the two of them were finally married after experiencing many hardships.

"This is bad," William whispered in her ears. "If you continue to say cute things like this, I might eat you before I eat breakfast."

"... Okay," Belle replied in a low volume that almost escaped William's strong hearing.

He was just teasing her, and didn't expect that she would give him her tacit approval. Because of this, the Half-Elf and his new wife stayed in their room for two more hours before leaving their room to eat.

—--

Raymond, Adele, Belle's older brother, and older sister sat at a table with the newlyweds after meeting up with them in one of the hotel's hallways.

William happily greeted his in-laws with a dazzling smile that gave Raymond the strong urge to smack him. Seeing Belle's flushed expression, Adele knew that her daughter had finally climbed onto the stairs to adulthood with the man she loved.

All of them ate a sumptuous brunch together. Belle's family was quite happy to see the interaction between William and Belle.

The Half-Elf was spoon feeding his wife, and the latter graciously accepted his care and ate happily. It was as if they were in a world of her own, which made Belle's family almost vomit sugar at their public display of affection.

Even so, Raymond's heart was finally at ease knowing that his daughter had finally found the happiness she deserved. Although William still hadn't found a way to cross the worlds to stay by her side, Belle's father was willing to take care of his daughter until the two of them were reunited once again.

"Father, I have important news to tell you," William said with a serious expression on his face. "Belle is pregnant."

Raymond, who had just taken a drink from his coffee, spat it in the Half-Elf's face out of sheer shock.

"What did you say?!" Raymond asked as he stood up from his seat.

Because of his shock, he wasn't able to keep his voice low, which made the other guests in the restaurant look at him with concern.

Seeing the scene he created, Raymond immediately sat down and glared daggers at the Half-Elf who had protected himself with wind magic.

William flicked the coffee droplets and made it fly back on Raymond's cup which made Belle's father want to strangle him then and there.

"Isn't this a little too fast?" Raymond asked in a hushed voice. "How did you know that she's already pregnant? You won't know that until a few days later!"

"I don't know," William replied. "I just wanted to try saying it once in order to see your reaction."

Raymond wanted to curse out loud, but managed to stop himself in time. He understood that the Half-Elf was just messing with him for the sake of messing with him!

Belle lightly thumped William's chest as a way to tell him to not bully her father. The red-headed teenager nodded his head, and apologized to Raymond and Adele, as well as Belle's sister for his rudeness.

"Don't be like that, William," Adele commented from the side. "I really thought that I was about to have a grandchild. You gave me false hope."

"Don't worry, Mother." William patted his chest with a confident smile on his face. "I will do my best to not fail your expectations."

There were no longer any fiascos after that and everyone enjoyed their brunch. Adele invited Belle to go to their room to talk. Now that her daughter was married, she needed to impart some knowledge to her to ensure that her child bearing would not encounter any problems.

William, on the other hand, remembered what he had talked with James about a day ago and decided to visit his Thousand Beast Domain to retrieve the two girls that had snuck inside his Domain, while he was still unconscious.

—---

When William appeared in the Thousand Beast Domain, he immediately noticed a few things that were out of place. For one thing, he couldn't see any Beasts loitering near their residence, which was a first for him.

In fact, he couldn't sense any beast near the villa within a mile-wide radius. It was as if the Villa had become a no-entry zone, which his legion dared not approach.

Thinking that something wasn't right, William entered the Villa in order to ask Charmaine what was going on. However, just as soon as he entered the residence, he immediately saw two-pink haired girls seated on the couch in the living room and being fed with cake slices by Chiffon and Princess Sidonie, as if they were their bosses.

"Chiffon? Sidonie? What's going on?" William asked.

The moment he made his presence known, Chiffon and Princess Sidonie looked back at him in surprise.

Chiffon placed the empty plate on the table and stood up from her seat. She then grabbed Maple's and Cinnamon's hands and led them towards William.

This was the first time that William had seen Chiffon look at him with pleading eyes, and it made him wonder what she was going to tell him. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait for long before his adorable wife stood in front of him, while hugging the two pink-haired girls in her arms, and asked.

"Will, can we keep them?"

Chapter 942: I'm Afraid That I Might Die For Real

William looked at his adorable wife, who was looking at him with pleading eyes. Meanwhile, the two angelic devils in her arms were busy chewing gummy bears as they looked at William with hopeful gazes.

"T-This." William scratched his head. "Chiffon, we can't. If the two of them don't return to their timeline, many people will be sad."

Chiffon lips trembled. She had completely forgotten that it was not only her that loved and cared for the two little girls. Even so, she still felt reluctant to let them go after hearing about the time that William and Lilith were able to spend with Raizel in the Deadlands.

The Half-Elf crouched down and looked at the two little girls who had pouting expressions on their faces. Clearly, they weren't happy that they weren't allowed to stay and play with the beasts in the Thousand Beasts Domain.

Ever since the two little girls had "accidentally" devoured a few beasts because they were curious about what they tasted like, they had become the public enemies Number One and Two to the members of William's King's Legion.

Even Erchitu wasn't spared when Cinnamon devoured him out of curiosity.

Of course, the two girls spat the beasts back out and their lives weren't in danger. Even so, the horrifying experience made everyone go to the Dungeon of Atlantis in order to hide from the two terrifying little girls whose hunger knew no bounds.

"How long have the two of you stayed here?" William asked.

Maple and Cinnamon glanced at each other before raising three of their fingers to show William.

""Nearly two weeks,"" Maple and Cinnamon replied in unison.

Chiffon giggled after seeing that the two little girls didn't know how to count properly. "Maple, Cinnamon, you're holding up three fingers. Remove one, and that will be two."

The two little girls were very obedient and followed Chiffon's words. They put down one of their fingers, and proudly showed William their two fingers.

William smiled and kissed both of their cheeks. He would be lying if he said that he didn't want to spend time with Chiffon's future daughters, but he also understood that they needed to return to their own timeline.

After looking at the three girls' pleading gazes (including Chiffon), William sighed internally and compromised.

"The flow of time on Earth is slower than Hestia," William said. "They can stay for a few more days, but when I come to pick them up again, they will have to come with me. Even if you beg, I won't change my mind, got it?"

The three girls cheered and hugged William to thank him. Chiffon, Maple, and Cinnamon, pecked William's lips repeatedly before going out of the Villa to play. Now that they only had a few more days to stay in the Thousand Beast Domain, they intend to visit the Ant's Nest next, and see if they could find something delicious to eat there.

After the three girls left, Princess Sidonie stood up and walked towards William with a seductive smile on her beautiful face.

"Darling, you have seen Chiffon's daughters, have you see mine?" Princess Sidonie asked as she wrapped her arms around William's waist.

William shook his head. "No. I haven't seen anyone that has resembled you."

"I see. Well then, come with me." Princess Sidonie didn't even wait for William's reply as she dragged him away. "Ashe is currently at the Academy and handling a few matters. She should arrive here in three to four hours. That should be more than enough time."

"Enough time for what?" William asked as beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. For some reason, the seductive Princess was making him feel anxious.

Princess Sidonie turned her head and smiled at William. "I'll tell you when we arrive in your room. It's a very important matter that needs your immediate attention."

William was still not sure what his wife was planning to tell him. However, since he knew that the Princess wouldn't harm him, he didn't resist as she led him to his room, with a devilish smile on her face.

—--

Three hours later…

The door of William's room opened, and the Half-Elf walked out into the hallway with shaky legs. After they entered the room, Princess Sidonie and Morgana pinned him down and milked him dry, until Little William was knocked out.

It was the first time the little guy was defeated in a wrestling match, and it made William question whether his stamina was high enough to satisfy all of his wives.

As the Half-Elf walked in the hallway while using the wall as support, he came across Charmaine and Ashe who had just finished her tasks back in Hestia.

After seeing William, the mermaid looked at him with concern because she could feel that the Half-Elf was a spent candle, whose fire was about to be snuffed out.

"What happened?" Ashe asked as she supported William's body.

She had wanted to see William so badly in order to thank him for lifting the curse that was placed on her. However, after seeing his current state, she remembered Charmaine's tale of William's fight against a Pseudo-God, which made her frown.

'Has he still not recovered from that battle?' Ashe thought as she lovingly hugged the red-headed teenager. 'No good. I must help him recover.'

Charmaine who obviously knew what happened was feeling conflicted whether she should tell Ashe that William had spent three hours inside his room with Princess Sidonie, which might have led to his current weakened state.

"Don't worry, Will," Ashe whispered as she carried William back to his room. "I'll help you no matter what."

"Y-You don't have to," William stuttered when he understood that Ashe planned to bring him back to his room. "Don't worry. I'll be fine in a while. Just let me rest for a few hours."

"Sounds like a good plan. What better place to rest than in your own room."

"Ashe, my love, if you really care for me, you will not bring me back to my room. If you do so, I'm afraid I might die for real."

Ashe giggled because she felt that the Half-Elf was just teasing her. She wasn't aware that the red-headed teenager had barely survived a battle against two Succubus Princesses', who were just resting a bit before they started the hundredth round of their battle with William.

Fortunately, William could access the God Shop. He immediately bought two large bottles of Super Stamina Potion, and two High Rejuvenation Potions.

Without these stamina boosting, and vitality replenishing, potions the Half-Elf might have gone to the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, and entered the Cycle of Reincarnation with Issei's blessings.

Chapter 943: A Path That Is Meant For Only Me And You

"What happened to you?" Belle asked the Half-Elf, who looked like a dried up husk where he lay on their bed.

"Belle, have you heard the saying, too much love can kill someone?" Belle replied. "I think I finally understand what that saying means."

An amused smile appeared on the face of the black-haired beauty as he sat on the bed beside William. However, that smile immediately disappeared after he saw several red marks on the Half-Elf's neck, which she was sure didn't belong to her.

"Will…"

"I'm sorry, but I was taken by surprise. I didn't expect Sidonie and Ashe to appear in the Thousand Beast Domain."

After barely surviving Princess Sidonie's, Morgana's, and Ashe's three pronged attack, William hastily teleported out of the Thousand Beast Domain and reappeared inside the bedroom in the hotel back on Earth.

He didn't even have time to use healing magic to remove the kiss marks that the three ladies had planted all over his body. This was their way of sending a message to Belle that the red-headed teenager was also their husband, and they were her equals in William's heart.

Belle could only sigh because she had felt the sincerity in William's voice. Clearly, her husband didn't have a choice in the matter, and simply performed his duty to the other girls who also loved him.

"I forgive you," Belle said as she caressed the side of William's pale face. "But, for the remainder of our time together, you are forbidden from doing this again, do you understand?"

"Yes," William replied. "Belle, can I ask for a favor? Can you feed me these six bottles?"

As soon as Half-Elf finished saying his words, six bottles with three different colors appeared on top of the bed.

The black-haired beauty didn't bother to ask what they were and simply supported Wiliam's head, so he could drink them all.

After finishing all six bottles, William's pale expression became ruddier. However, Belle still felt sorry for him, so she decided to let him rest for a night. Although it was regrettable, she couldn't possibly force her beloved, when he clearly no longer had any juice to give her.

As soon as William finished drinking all six bottles, he fell asleep, while being held in Belle's protective embrace.

According to her husband, he could only stay with her for two more days before he needed to once again return to Hestia. Truth be told, she wished that they could spend more time together, but she also understood that it was not possible at this time.

Because of this, she decided to believe that William would find a way to meet her. If not, she would find a way to meet him instead.

When the two of them parted in the countryside, the lady that had given them the rings met with Belle one last time and promised her one thing.

Although she was still half in doubt whether the promise that the mysterious lady made was possible, she still held onto the faint hope that it would someday become a reality.

"You know, when you told my father that I was pregnant, I was shocked," Belle said softly. "However, the shock didn't last long before it was replaced with happiness. I thought that as long as a part of you was with me, I will be able to carry on even if I have to wait many years before the two of us can be reunited."

The image of the young lady with long black hair, tied up in a ponytail by a butterfly hair pin appeared inside Belle's mind.

"I wish you could have seen her," Belle muttered before kissing William's forehead. "I hope that I will be able to hold her in my arms, a year or two from now."

The black-haired beauty smiled as she closed her eyes and rubbed Wiliam's chest.

"Please, do your best, Papa," Belle whispered before she closed her eyes to sleep.

That night, she dreamed a happy dream.

A dream where their family of three went stargazing together, under the gazes of countless stars in the sky.

—--

James hovered above the place where K-City once existed.

Right now, only a giant crater—that was slowly being filled up by seawater—remained of the once lively city. A city that was considered to be one of the best cities to live in Country-K.

The old scammer made a few hand seals before pointing it at the crater under him, and the sky above him. Suddenly a magic circle appeared under his feet and above his head. When the two magic circles overlapped with each other, a pretty lady holding a sword in her hand appeared before James.

"We meet again, All Father," the pretty lady said with a smile. "Or, should I call you Old Bandit James this time?"

James chuckled as he eyed the lady in front of him. This was the first time he was seeing her with this appearance, but that was to be expected of a being that had many faces.

"What name are you using right now?" James asked.

The pretty lady smiled. "This time around, I go by the name Cathy."

James nodded in understanding. "Cathy, I need your help. Is a connection between Earth and Hestia possible?"

Cathy covered her lips as she chuckled. "All Father, don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

"I know the answer," James sighed, "but I no longer have my Divinity. It is impossible for me to connect this realm to the Bifrost Bridge on my own."

The pretty girl giggled because it was very rare for the Mighty Odin to have a helpless expression on his face.

"Very well, I will help you this once," Cathy said with a mischievous smile on her face. "But, the only thing I can do is to help you create a relay point. At most, it will take some time for it to become fully functional and allow the Bifrost bridge to connect to this plane of existence."

"That's fine. I'm not in a hurry."

"Very well."

Cathy turned her attention to something in the distance as her vision zoomed in on the sleeping Half-Elf who was being held by the black-haired beauty whom he'd just married.

'This is the least I can do for you, Will,' Cathy thought. 'More than anything else, I wish for your happiness.'

The pretty lady then raised her sword and channeled her authority into it. A moment later, orbs of light came from the bodies of all the people in the world. No one could see this, for only powerful beings would be able to sense its presence.

They all flew towards the sword in Cathy's hands like golden comets that came from all over the world. Once all the energy was absorbed, the sword pulsed, telling Cathy that her authority over it was now active.

Cathy pointed the tip of the sword towards the North and chanted.

"To the North I ask for blessings, so that my voice will be heard."

A pillar of red light shot out towards the heavens, which signaled that the first phase of the ceremony was complete.

She then turned around and made the same gesture, this time, the sword tip pointing to the South.

"To the South, I ask for guidance, so that the legacy will be told."

A blue pillar of light rose towards the sky to answer Cathy's call.

Cathy faced the West and repeated the same gesture.

"To the West, I ask for leniency, may mercy fall upon me."

A green light shone brightly in the Western skies, which made the golden light coming from Cathy's sword grow brighter.

She turned around and faced East. Raising her sword one last time.

"To the East, I ask for a miracle, so my dreams will become reality."

This time, a purple light shot towards the heavens. When all the pillars of the world were ignited, each of them covered the planet with their radiant light, which was equivalent to a spell of the 11th Circle.

A spell that had the power to affect the entire world.

Placing her hand over her chest, right on top of her beating heart. Cathy activated the spell that would allow the Bifrost Bridge to connect to Earth from Hestia.

"A bridge that connects me to you," Cathy said as if making a pledge. "A path that is meant for only me and you."

—--

The Floor of Asgard in Hestia…

The Bifrost Bridge shot out toward the void, which alarmed the residents that were currently living in the floor who belonged to the Ainsworth Family.

Morgan looked at the rainbow bridge with his arms crossed over his chest. Although he didn't know what was happening, he was quite certain that the one behind it was none other than his father, James.

The Commander of the Red Plague wasn't sure how the bridge operated. The only thing he did know was that only members of the Ainsworth Family could activate it.

Since that was the case, he ordered everyone to remain calm and not approach the Bifrost Bridge for the time being.

This was the only thing he could do to prevent the others from doing anything reckless.

—--

Back on Earth…

A bridge that shone with the colors of the rainbow descended from the sky and landed on the ground overlooking the giant crater.

Although the connection had been properly established, it would still take a long time before those who held Odin's bloodline could travel between the two worlds, like they did thousands of years ago.

Chapter 944: You Will See Your Mama Soon

"It's time to go," William said as he smiled at the two angelic little devils that were clinging onto Chiffon's arms.

"Will…" Chiffon had a reluctant look on her face as she looked up at William with an unwilling gaze.

William sighed internally, but he steeled himself and patted Chiffon's head. He can understand his wife's feelings, however he needed to be firm, so he could bring Maple and Cinnamon out of the Thousand Beast Domain and hand them over to his grandpa.

"Chiffon, you don't have to worry." William lightly patted her head. "There will come a time when you will be able to hug, kiss, and talk to them everyday. For now, they need to return, so that their Mama will not be too worried about them."

William then gazed at the two girls as he crouched down in front of them.

"Your mama is definitely worried about the two of you," William said in a gentle tone. "She must be feeling very sad right now because she can't hug, and talk to the two of you. Are you sure you want to leave her alone like that?"

Maple and Cinnamon suddenly became teary-eyed at the thought of seeing their Mama cry. They knew what their Mama was like and she would definitely be heartbroken if she didn't see them for a long time.

"Maple will go back," Maple replied. "I love mama!"

"C-Cinammon also loves Mama," Cinnamon stated. "I will go back as well!"

William smiled and patted the heads of the two little girls. He could feel his heart melting as he looked at the two angelic little devils that he would surely cherish in the not so distant future.

Maple and Cinnamon went into tiptoes and kissed Chiffon's left and right cheek at the same time. They then whispered something in Chiffon's ears, which made the latter's lips tremble as she hugged both of them tightly.

"Both of you be careful okay," Chiffon said. "Make sure to eat on time, and always listen to your Mama's words."

The two little girls nodded their heads obediently. In the end, Chiffon kissed them both on the cheeks before handing them over to William.

As soon as Wiliam held Maple's and Cinnamon's hands, Chiffon turned around. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to stop the tears from falling down her face the moment the two adorable girls disappeared from her sight.

The pink-haired girl didn't want the two little girls to see her cry because she was sure that both of them would cry as well. Her time with Maple and Cinnamon were one of the happiest times of her life. These were precious memories that she would keep in her heart forever.

William understood what Chiffon wanted to do, so he decided to leave while she was still able to keep her composure, but, before doing so, he gave Princess Sidonie and Ashe a brief nod.

The two nodded back in order to assure him that they understood.

A few seconds later, William disappeared along with the two angelic devils who were already getting teary-eyed as they stared at Chiffon's small and lonely back. The moment they disappeared, the pink-haired girl collapsed on the ground and broke into tears.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe immediately rushed to her side and gave her a hug. Enveloping Chiffon in a supportive embrace.

Lilith, who was standing a few meters away, sighed in her heart. She understood the sadness of parting, because she had also experienced it when she and Raizel went their separate ways. Although she wanted to also give Chiffon some comforting words, she deemed that Princess Sidonie's and Ashe's support would be enough to calm the grieving girl's heart.

—--

"Wuwuwuwu. Maple is sad."

"Wuwuwuwu. Cinnamon is also sad."

The two little girls latched onto William's leg as he reappeared inside his room. Belle, who was seated on the couch, looked at the two adorable girls, who were bawling their hearts out, with a curious gaze.

Although she wasn't a hundred percent certain, she could guess that the two girls were William's children because their eyes were similar to his.

"It's okay," William coaxed to the two girls whose tears fell like rain. "You will see your Mama soon, so both of you don't have to be sad."

It took William a full five minutes to get the two little girls to calm down with promises of food. Belle found this scene to be funny because both girls only stopped after the Half-Elf promised them a feast fit for an emperor.

Although there was an all-you-can-eat buffet inside the hotel, William knew that the owner, as well as the staff, would puke blood if the two little gluttons ate there. In order to compromise, he would just ask the hotel to cook a lot of food and serve it to them at lunch time.

After the promise had been made, William was finally able to breathe in a sigh of relief, and introduced the two girls to Belle. The black-haired beauty wasn't able to resist Maple's and Cinnamon's cuteness, and chatted with them about random things.

Belle didn't ask them about their parents, but instead, asked them about the world they lived in. Maple was the one who liked to socialize with other people, while Cinnamon was more reserved. She just sat down and listened to her sister talk about their hometown, and gave comments from time to time.

Seeing that the three girls were getting along, William decided to look,for James and tell him that the two angelic little devils were finally in his custody.

He only had a day and a half remaining on Earth, and he wished to spend it with Belle. The Half-Elf was feeling sad about their inevitable parting, but he was also hopeful. Since he had already appeared on Earth twice, it meant that he would be able to return to it a third time as well.

What he didn't know was that James had already dealt with this problem. Although it would take a long time before the path between Hestia and Earth became stable, the foundations had already been built.

This was James' and, to a certain extent, Cathy's gift to William for doing his best to protect Earth, and the lady he loved, from the whims of the God of Chaos.

Chapter 945: Love Will Find A Way [R-18]

(Disclaimer: Mild R-18 Scenes are in this chapter. If you're not comfortable with it, feel free to skip it.)

A sweet sigh escaped Belle's lips as her hands held onto the back of the sofa.

She was currently seated on William's lap as she enjoyed the euphoric sensation of his seed staining her insides with its warmth.

Belle knew that the two of them didn't have much time together, so she took the initiative to seduce him once dinner had ended. The red-headed teenager was more than happy to comply because he felt the same way.

Right now, the Half-Elf was busy sucking on Belle's left breast like a baby, waiting for his orgasm to subside. He loved the fact that the black-haired beauty took the initiative and the lead to make love to him.

Belle moved her hips according to her own rhythm, which made William feel really good. The Half-Elf, on the other hand, used his healing magic to ensure that Belle wouldn't dislocate her hips as she did her best to make both of them feel good.

"Here drink this," William said as she gave Belle a bottle of Super Stamina Potion to replenish her strength. The night was still young, so they had more than enough time for their attempt to have Belle conceive his child before he left her again for a time.

The Half-Elf didn't know if they would succeed, because right now, Belle was a normal human being. The red-headed teenager could be considered as a superhuman, so having her give birth to his child would not be an easy feat.

William's essence was so strong, that it would require an equally strong vessel to contain it. However, he wasn't too worried about it. The moment they had made love with each other, his essence had started to strengthen Belle's body, so even if she didn't get pregnant now, she would definitely get pregnant in the future.

As Belle drank the Super Stamina Potion, she could feel her strength returning to her body. In order to be safe, William also gave her a Super Rejuvenation Potion to replenish the other things that the Super Stamina Potion didn't cover.

After a short break, the two were at it again, with Belle moving her hips in any matter she pleased. The black-haired beauty had taken a liking to taking the lead in their lovemaking. Seeing William's flushed face, as she did her best to make him feel good, felt liberating.

She had seen how strong her husband was, but seeing his helpless expression as he reached his limit made her feel extremely good. It was as if she was conquering the Half-Elf, and his fate lay in her merciful hands.

'I might get addicted to this,' Belle thought as she momentarily stopped moving her hips to cup William's face and give him a passionate kiss.

A few minutes later, William's body shuddered as he once again reached his limit. Belle was not far behind, and together they reached the peak of pleasure together.

The numbing pleasure of his manhood pressing against her womb, and releasing his essence, made Belle feel intoxicated.

William and Belle panted for breath as they enjoyed the afterglow of this blissful feeling that made them want to stop time, so the two of them could stay in each other's arms for as long as possible.

—--

"Tomorrow at noon, you will be returning to Hestia," Belle stated as she rested her head on William's chest.

"Yes," William replied.

Both of them laid on the bed after taking a bath to clean off the remnants from their intense love making session. Although they were both tired, they didn't want to sleep because this was a very precious time for both of them.

"Will, please, don't forget about me," Belle said softly as she kissed the blue gem on his chest.

William didn't say anything. Instead, he held her more firmly as if not wanting to let her go. Belle knew that William couldn't make this promise, but she couldn't stop herself from saying these words to him.

When William fell from the red portal after fighting against the God of Chaos, Belle felt that her heart was being squeezed inside her chest. However, something more heartbreaking followed when she saw her beloved look at her as if he was looking at a stranger.

This was a memory that Belle wouldn't be able to forget anytime soon. The mere thought of William completely forgetting about her completely made her anxious. She wished with all of her heart that the next time they met again, the Half-Elf would still be able to recognize her.

Because if he didn't…

Belle forcefully tossed this line of thought to the back of her head. She didn't want to feel pessimistic, especially during this time when the two of them were together.

As if sensing her fears, William kissed her head and spoke the thoughts inside his mind.

"Belle, if and when that time comes, do not be afraid," William said. "Love will find a way."

"Un," Belle replied. "Our love will find a way."

As the black-haierd beauty nestled deeper into William's arms, a sudden question popped inside her head.

"Will, say, for example, that I do end up getting pregnant before you return to Hestia. What would you like to name our daughter if that happens?" Belle asked.

"Daughter?" William chuckled. "What if we had a son instead?"

Belle smiled as she lightly rubbed William's chest. Although she wasn't completely certain that Stella was her daughter, she believed that it was so. However, she also couldn't rule out the possibility that she also had a son with Will.

Since that was the case, she decided to cover all bases so she wouldn't have to worry about their names in the future.

"Then, think of a name for our son as well," Belle answered. "That way, regardless of whether I give birth to a boy or a girl, their names are already ready for them. So, Papa, make sure to think of good names for them."

William quieted down as he seriously pondered on what to name his son and daughter. Several minutes passed in silence, but Belle didn't say anything and simply waited for her beloved to come up with the names for their children.

After a few more minutes, William finally broke the silence as he gave two names for his son and daughter.

"If it is a boy, call him Alex," William stated. "If it is a girl, call her Stella."

Belle's heart skipped a beat after hearing Will mention the name of the girl that had saved her and given her the golden bracelet that she was currently wearing.

"Why Stella?" Belle asked with genuine curiosity. "Why did you pick that name for our daughter?"

William smiled as he waved his hand to the ceiling. Soon, the ceiling was replaced by a beautiful starry sky that made Belle gasp in surprise.

"The name Stella means star," William replied. "You see, there is a certain constellation that watches over me from the heavens. I wish to honor that constellation and give my daughter the name Stella."

"I see…," Belle muttered as she looked up at the beautiful starry sky that was impossible to see on Earth. Two moons hang on the heavens, surrounded by countless stars that shone brightly in the night sky.

"Stella is a good name. Very well, let's pick that name for our daughter."

"Good. I look forward to seeing her in the future."

—---

Somewhere in the city where William and Belle were currently staying, a beautiful young lady stared up at the cloudy sky that kept all of the stars out of sight.

"It's a pity that you can't see the stars here in the city," the young lady with long black hair, tied in a ponytail that was held in place by a butterfly hair pin, said softly.

She then summoned her bow and pulled the strings before aiming at the sky. A magical arrow appeared on the bow and it shone in a silvery light.

The moment the young lady released the string, the arrow shot towards the sky, creating a trail of light behind it.

The moment the arrow flew in the heavens, the clouds hovering above the city all parted to make way for their brilliance.

That night, a miracle happened. The stars that were impossible to see in one of the liveliest cities in the world, appeared in front of everyone.

Its surreal beauty made this night unforgettable for those that never had the opportunity to see what a starry sky looked like.

The young lady smiled as she stared at the constellation that watched over her father from the heavens.

"The darkest nights produce the brightest stars," the young lady muttered as she raised her hand towards the sky. "With that said, the sky is not the limit when you're reaching for the stars."

Chapter 946: Who Are The Last Two People You Plan To Marry? [Part 1]

"Well then, we'll be going now," James said as he patted William's shoulder. "I'm sure that you have a lot of questions, but we can talk about them when we're back in Hestia."

William nodded his head. He did indeed have many questions to ask his grandpa like "How did he manage to go to Earth?", and "How and Where did he meet Maple and Chiffon?". Even so, he agreed that now was not the best time to talk about it.

"Be careful, Gramps," William replied. "I'll see you in Hestia."

"Alright. Stay safe until then."

"You, too."

James then turned to look at his grand-daughter-in-law with a smile. He mostly talked about Belle's parents and tried to know more about her through them.

After knowing the bitter-sweet memory of how they fell in love and parted with each other, James felt that his secret gift to William would make the Half-Elf cry out and jump with joy. For now, he planned to keep the connection of the Bifrost Bridge a secret from his grandson because it wasn't stable yet.

Only when the connection had been fully formed would he tell him, so that he could travel back to Earth and spend some time with his star-crossed lover.

"Belle, I look forward to seeing you in Hestia," James said. "Our family will welcome you with open arms."

Belle nodded her head and smiled. "I also look forward to visiting your hometown, Grandfather. William told me that it is a wonderful palace."

"It is," James replied. "I will ensure that you and your family will enjoy your stay once you visit."

After making a few more small talk and bidding their final farewells, James left with Maple and Cinnamon. He still needed to hand the two little girls to their older sisters to ensure that they would stay out of trouble.

"Well then, we should go as well," William said with a mischievous smirk.

"Go where?" Belle blinked in confusion. The Half-Elf and her didn't talk about any plans for their last day together, but it seems that William had planned something special for her.

"You will know soon enough," William replied as he lifted his wife into a princess carry before flying towards the sky.

He had already informed Raymond where he planned to take Belle for their last day together, and the latter had already assigned several security personnel, who were handpicked by the President of Country-K, to watch over his daughter.

—---

Ten minutes later…

William landed in the archery range inside Belle's University.

It was the place where William would often sneak into in order to take a good look at the black-haired beauty while she participated in her daily club activities.

"You know, when I first saw you, I knew that you would fall in love with me at first sight," William said as he supported his wife back into a standing position. "It seems that I was right."

Belle rolled her eyes at the Half-Elf's shameless statement. Both of them knew who fell in love at first sight first, and it was none other than the red-headed teenager who was currently rummaging through the archery supplies for bows and arrows.

He handed one bow to Belle, and made a quiver of arrows float beside her.

"One of my wishes back then, was to stand beside you in this shooting range and practice archery with you." William explained.

"Is that really the case?" Belle replied. "Or are you just making things up?"

"Um, I can't really remember, but knowing myself, I think this thought would have surely crossed my mind."

"So, you're not sure?"

William coughed awkwardly. In truth, he had completely forgotten most of his past life. His only memories of Belle that remained were of his first visit when they met and enjoyed the festival together in the countryside.

Simply put, he asked Raymond a lot of questions about what he knew about him, and Belle's father gave him bits and pieces, which the Half-Elf merged together in order to have an understanding of what he was like in other people's eyes.

"Fine." Belle relented. "Since we are already here. How about we have a match? Ten arrows. The one that hits the bullseye the most wins."

William smirked. He knew that Belle was confident in her archery, but for her to challenge him to an archery competition in his current state was simply asking for a beatdown.

"Very well, but what are the stakes?" William asked. "If you win, what do you want?"

Belle lightly pulled the string of her bow to test it a bit before answering the Half-Elf's question.

"If I win, you will pass a message to Wendy for me," Belle answered.

William's first wife had issued a challenge to her, and it made her feel competitive. It was quite unfortunate that the Valkyrie Captain had disappeared before Belle could tell her what she wanted to say.

"That's it? You want me to pass a message to Wendy?"

"Yes."

The red-headed teenager found this quite amusing, so he decided to agree to Belle's request.

"How about you?" Belle asked. "What do you want as a prize if you win?"

William pondered for a bit and tried to think of a good prize if he won. However, no matter how much he thought, he couldn't think of an appropriate reward that Belle could give her. In the end, he settled for something that would put his mind at ease.

"If I win, you will not do anything reckless like looking for ways to come to Hestia," William stated. "Can you promise me that?"

Belle nodded. However, she voiced a condition. It was not in her nature to simply sit by and wait until a miracle happened.

"If you still haven't come to find me after two years, this agreement will become null and void."

"Wasn't that five years before?"

"Things changed," Belle said firmly. "I can't trust you to keep your pants on your body. I'm sure that the moment you return to Hestia, you will resume your skirt chasing activities."

For a brief moment, William thought that an arrow had pierced his chest after hearing Belle's words. The imaginary pain made him wince, and it made him feel bitter.

"Belle, I don't actively look for girls to marry, you know?" William replied with a hurt expression. "I'm already married to five women and–"

"And, you will be marrying a few more," Belle interjected, preventing William from finishing his sentence. "Did you forget? You still haven't married Lilith."

Another invisible arrow pierced William's chest because he couldn't refute Belle's words. After what had happened in the Deadlands, it was impossible for him to not marry the Amazon Princess.

"Then you have your First Master, Celine," Belle scoffed. "So that's two more wives on your list."

Several more arrows pierced William's chest, which made him feel helpless. It was as if he was a criminal being tried in the court and the jury was hurtling facts about his crime, which forced him to plead guilty.

"All in all, you already have seven wives," Belle continued her explanation. "Back then, I told you that you can marry nine. If you think about it, the order was messed up a bit when you married me. I was supposed to be your tenth wife."

Belle then knocked an arrow on her bow and aimed at the target that was several meters away from her. As someone that had practiced archery for most of her life, her aim was steadier than most, and had already reached the national level.

"I almost forgot, you still have Est waiting for you back in the Southern Continent," Belle added as she released the arrow, which flew straight and true hitting the bullseye. "I believe her name is Estelle, right? So, all in all you already have eight wives. This only leaves you two more before our agreement comes to fruition."

The black-haired beauty then turned to the side to look at the Half-Elf who was already sweating buckets, while looking at Belle's arrow that struck the target dead center.

He had a feeling that if he tried to bullsh*t his way out of this predicament, Belle might shoot an arrow at him, targeting his butt, which would make him feel pain he had never felt before.

"Tell me, Will," Belle said as she took another arrow from the quiver and knocked it on her bow. "Who are the last two people you plan to marry?"

Chapter 947: Who Are The Last Two People You Plan To Marry? [Part 2]

The whistling sound of an arrow hitting its target was easily heard by the Half-Elf who pondered whether to tell Belle about his supposedly ninth wife, Cathy.

He didn't even need to look at the archery target to know that Belle had struck another bullseye after firing her second arrow.

William then took an arrow from the quiver, and nocked it on his bow.

"Actually, I met a mysterious girl in the Deadlands," William said as he looked at Belle. "She told me that she's my ninth wife."

William shot the arrow without even looking at its target. Belle glanced in the direction of the arrow, and found it firmly planted on the bullseye of her husband's archery target.

The black-haired beauty shifted her attention to William and raised an eyebrow.

"She told you that she's your ninth wife?" Belle asked. "Isn't that a bit too convenient?"

William shrugged. "I only met her in the deadlands. I don't even know if I'll meet her ever again."

Belle frowned. The term Deadlands was a sensitive topic to her after what had happened in K-City. According to William, the city would wander across the void and become a place where those who refused to cross over would find themselves.

"What is she like?"

"Well, she's a happy-go-lucky girl. Her blood is also deliciou– I mean, it has a unique taste."

Belle picked up another arrow from the quiver and fired a third arrow, which also hit the bullseye.

"Okay, let's say that she is your ninth wife," Belle stated as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, as she eyed William with a smile. "Then who is the eighth one?"

The Half-Elf took an arrow out of the floating quiver beside him and aimed at his target. A few seconds later, an arrow once again hit the bullseye, giving him two points out of ten.

"You know, I don't really think about these things, Belle," William answered. "Although I have many wives, and I love all of them, I don't actively search for more."

"What are you? Some kind of harem protagonist?"

"Mayhaps. I didn't bother to check the tags on this novel."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking out in smiles. Belle then fired two consecutive arrows at her target in quick succession, making her points five out of ten.

"When that lady from the stall told me that you were bound to have nine wives, I didn't believe her at first," Belle said, "but after everything that has happened, I have no choice but to believe it."

William sighed internally as a name escaped his lips. "Freya…"

Back when he was in the countryside with Belle, he didn't think much of the name because it was not an uncommon name on Earth. However, now that everything had been said and done, he realized that the mysterious Stall Owner might have been the only God that had survived the destruction of Asgard.

'I never had an opportunity to interact with her back then, so I'm not really sure,' William thought. 'Still… this coincidence is too much to ignore.'

Silence descended between Belle and William as they focused on firing their arrows at the target. Surprisingly, when William was about to fire his tenth arrow, a scent in the air made his nose itchy.

At the exact moment that he was about to release the arrow, he sneezed and its trajectory shifted, so it struck the very edge of the archery target, which made his final score nine out of ten.

"Well then, since I won the bet, I want you to pass this message to Wendy," Belle said with a smile. "Tell her 'You might be the first wife, but I have his heart.' Make sure to pass this message to her, okay?"

William didn't know that his first wife, and his first love in his past life was having some kind of rivalry that was very similar to Princess Sidonie's and Lilith's.

After hearing the message that Belle wanted to pass to Wendy, the Half-Elf felt a headache because Belle's message was bound to trigger Wendy, which would lead to unexpected consequences.

However, Belle's gaze screamed 'You'd better tell her or else', so the Half-Elf could only reluctantly nod his head.

"Let's pinky promise," Belle proposed. "That way, you won't break it."

"Are you a child?" William chuckled. "I have a better idea."

"And that is?"

"This."

William raised Belle's chin with his finger and kissed her lips for a few seconds before pulling back.

"There," William stated. "A promise that is sealed with a kiss. Much better than a pinky promise, right?"

Belle rolled her eyes at the Half-Elf, but didn't refute his words. She also found her earlier suggestion a bit childish, so William's method was fine as well.

"Okay, shall we change places now?" William asked.

Belle frowned, "But, we just got here? Aren't you going to visit your old classroom to try and recall memories?"

William shook his head. "The only memories that matter here in the university are yours. As for the rest, they are not important."

The Half-Elf then returned the bows, arrows, and quivers to their respective location before lifting Belle into a princess carry. He had limited time on Earth, so he planned to visit the most important places before he returned to Hestia.

Five minutes later, the two landed in front of the gate of the Smiles Orphanage, which made the two guards look at William and Belle as if they were looking at two celebrities.

Both of their faces had been shown on television, posted in social media platforms, as well as uploaded in streaming websites.

In simpler terms, almost everyone in Country-K knew what they looked like, so the moment they appeared in the Smiles Orphanage, the staff, as well as the children, scrambled to get their autographs.

William smiled and allowed them to take pictures with him and Belle together, to serve as bragging rights for those who would visit the orphanage.

In fact, William even called a professional photographer, so he could take a group picture with all the children in the Orphanage with him and Belle at the center.

The photographer would then have his studio print it and put it into a big frame, which would be hung inside the Smiles Orphanage as a memento for the memories that he had lost.

Although William couldn't remember the faces of the children who were once his little brothers and sisters, he prayed that all of them would find good families who would adopt them and give them a second chance at life.

Beth was very happy and honored to see William and Belle visit their orphanage together. When she first saw the red-headed teenager, she felt that he wasn't someone ordinary. However, she didn't expect that the young man that had donated millions to their orphanage, was also the hero that had protected the denizens of K-City to the best of his abilities.

William and Belle stayed inside the orphanage for an hour. The Half-Elf wished that he could stay longer, but he was short on time.

After bidding farewell to everyone, Williams and Belle once again took off to the skies to go to their last destination.

A place where William realized that he had missed many beautiful opportunities.

Chapter 948: The Greatest Gift

Belle became silent as they drew closer to their final destination.

It was a place that was very familiar to her. Perhaps, it was even more familiar to her than it was to William. When she was young, she would often go there to accompany her father because her mother was too busy handling their business to take care of her.

Although she had a hunch that William would come to this place, she still felt melancholic as they descended from the sky and landed on the rooftop of the hospital that belonged to her family.

"It's quite unfortunate that it's not sunset at the moment," William said as he looked up at the clear blue sky that extended in all directions. "Still, it's not so bad."

William's body was constantly emitting a refreshing breeze, which warded away the heat of the sun. Just to be on the safe side, he also cast a protective barrier around Belle to prevent her from getting sunburn and heatstroke.

"Your father told me that I would often come here to think when I was still in this hospital," William explained. "I don't know if he is just messing with me, but since I don't have my past memories of this place, I decided to believe him for now.

"Ah. He was also the one that told me about the orphanage. It was his idea that I should visit these places before I returned to Hestia."

William chuckled as he gazed at the city where he had lived for most of his past life.

"Although I can't remember anything about this place, I think I have a vague idea why I visit this place from time to time when I was still confined in the hospital." William sighed. "I don't know if your father told you about me, but according to him, I suffered from a very rare lung disease. It was a terminal illness, and back then, I only had a few months to live.

"I'm sure that I might have felt really sad during those times. Perhaps, thoughts of jumping off this roof might have also crossed my mind back then."

Belle hugged William and rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't say anything and simply showed her support to her beloved as he voiced the thoughts in his mind.

"Your father… told me that I made a deal with him to donate my heart, and other healthy organs to children who were suffering from diseases," William said softly. "I'm sure that 'the me' back then decided to go all out in order to repay the people that had played an important part in my life. Of course, one of those beneficiaries was the Smiles Orphanage where I had been raised."

The Half-Elf closed his eyes as if trying to unearth the memories he had of this place, but nothing came to mind. It seemed as though all of his memories, except for the memory of their time in the countryside, had vanished completely.

"Belle, I am happy that, even now, my heart beats for you." William could hear, and feel, the beating of his heart that had been transplanted inside his wife's body.

It made him happy, knowing that he had been with her even after he had crossed over to the afterlife.

"It is the greatest gift that I received from someone," Belle replied as she looked up at William. "Thank you for giving me a second chance at life."

The two kissed once again and held each other in a loving embrace.

After a while, Belle lightly caressed Wiliam's chest before asking a question.

"How long do we have?" Belle asked.

The Half-Elf glanced at the timer that was ticking away on his status page and told her the answer to her question.

—--

< 00:49:35 >

< Do you wish to remain in this world? >

< Yes / No >

—--

"Forty-nine minutes," William answered. "Is there a place where you want to go? We still have time."

"Let's go back home," Belle stated. "And spend the remaining time inside my room."

William smiled as he nodded his head. "Understood."

—--

"Great Grandpa, it's time for us to go," Stella said while holding Maple's and Cinnamon's hands. "You don't need to escort us in the void."

"Don't worry about me." James chuckled. "I'm just sightseeing in the void. Making sure that my great grandkids return home safely is not a big deal."

Stella smiled because she had already expected that something like this would happen. Since James had already made up his mind, there was nothing that they could do to stop him from doing what he wanted.

"Let's go," Raizel said as she summoned Gleipnir to create a protective bubble that encompassed her, Stella, Maple, and Cinnamon. "Maple, Cinnamon, open the passage to the void."

"Maple understands!" Maple raised her hand.

"Cinnamon, too!" Cinnamon also raised her hand to imitate her sister.

James looked with great curiosity at what his great grandkids were about to do. When he saw Maple and Cinnamon wandering in the void. He already knew that the twins were not ordinary children.

No one could take a stroll in the void as if they were just walking in their own backyard. Even James had to rely on Sleipnir to cross through the void safely.

The two pink-haired girls started to sing. A moment later, the air trembled as a small portal, the size of a basketball ball appeared in front of them. With every second that passed, the portal grew bigger and bigger.

When Maple and Cinnamon finished singing, a portal that was three meters tall, and wide, appeared in front of them.

With a wave of Raizel's hand, the bubble she and her sisters were standing in flew towards the portal. Gleipnir would protect them from unexpected mishaps that could happen while they journeyed through the void.

The earlier incident that had separated Maple and Cinnamon from them was a painful lesson that Stella and Raizel learned the hard way. They had spent considerable time looking for their little sisters in the void.

Fortunately, James was passing by and found Maple and Cinnamon along the way. With Sleipnir's ability, it was able to locate Raizel and Stella in the void as well, and the sisters had a tearful reunion after James had arrived with the twins in tow.

This was also why James decided to escort his great grandchildren. If anything unexpected happened, he would be there to offer his support and allow them to return to their timeline safely.

James lightly tapped Sleipnir's neck, and his mount followed the girls as they passed through the portal. Just as soon as the old man appeared in the void, he glanced back at the portal that was slowly becoming smaller and smaller.

The time for his short vacation on Earth was over, and it was now time to resume his mission. However, before doing that, he would ensure that his great grandkids safely returned to their timeline.

As for William, James wasn't too worried about his grandson. He knew that his grandson wanted to spend his remaining time with his wife, so he didn't bother to bid goodbye to him.

As he escorted his great grandkids through the void, the Half-Elf and the black-haired beauty returned to the Parker Residence to spend the time they had left inside Belle's room.

The two of them had learned a lot from their last parting, and were using what remaining time they had to create more wonderful memories, before William would be forced to return to Hestia and bid his beloved wife goodbye.

Chapter 949: Williamâ€™s Return

After the light receded, William found himself standing at the entrance of the Seventh Sanctum.

He didn't know how he appeared here, but he had no complaints. After bidding his final farewell to Belle, William was forcefully ejected from Earth and reappeared in Hestia.

Their final moments together had been bittersweet, but still better than the first time they parted from each other.

After making sure that the coast was clear, he summoned the people that had been stuck inside his Thousand Beast Domain during his stay on Earth.

Chiffon, Lilith, Aldric (Diabolical Hell Ape), Chloee, Elliot, and Connan, appeared beside him.

"Aldric, sorry but I can no longer accompany you inside the Seventh Sanctum to look for the method that will help you turn into a human," William said. "I need to return to the academy and deal with important matters."

Aldric nodded his head in understanding. "It's fine. I have long heard about Hestia Academy. Perhaps, the Headmaster there can help me with my problem. Do you mind if I accompany you back to the academy?"

"I don't mind," William replied. "How about you, Sixth Master?"

Chloee, who had stayed inside the Thousand Beast Domain to explore the Dungeon of Atlantis along with Elliot and Conan, crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll accompany you," Chloee said. "The Headmaster might not give me my pay if I return to the academy alone."

William smiled because he was touched when he found out that Chloee had come to the Forbidden Grounds just to find him. Because of this, he made sure to tell Charmaine to give the little fairy any food that she wanted to eat.

"Are we heading straight to the academy?" Chiffon asked as she held William's hand.

William shook his head. "There's no rush. We promised Haleth to visit her after we leave the Forbidden Grounds. Let's take a short break in the Port City of Alabaster first."

—--

Port City of Alabaster…

"This is the second time Hestia Academy has sent someone to ask if William appeared in the city." Haleth sighed as she gave a report to his commander, White Fang. "I asked some of our men to send them to one of the popular inns in the city. They will stay there and wait for any news regarding William."

White Fang pressed his hands together as he eyed his Vice Commander with a serious expression on his face.

"Between the two of us, what are the chances of William leaving the Forbidden Ground alive?" White Fang asked.

"I believe in him," Haleth replied. "He will definitely return safely."

White Fang nodded his head. Just like Haleth, he had a feeling that Wiliam could safely return from the Forbidden Ground that had claimed the countless lives of the people who had dared to venture inside its depths.

Just as the two of them were about to talk about other topics, a soldier burst inside the room with an excited expression on his face.

"Sir! He's returned!" the soldier shouted.

"Calm down," White Fang ordered. "Didn't I tell all of you to properly knock on the door first before entering? So, who returned?"

"Him!" the soldier replied.

"Who?" Haleth frowned.

"He returned!"

"If you don't start talking about things that make sense I'm gonna clobber you."

The soldier finally realized his mistake and hurriedly corrected his manner of speaking. "Sir William Von Ainsworth has been spotted at the gates of the city. I think he heading straight to our headquar–"

The soldier hadn't even finished with what he had to say when Haleth dashed out of the room and ran down the hallway.

White Fang, who saw this scene, chuckled because he knew that his Vice-Commander had a huge crush on the Half-Elf who had become the idol of all the Half-Elves in the world.

As the highest commanding Half-Elf in the City of Alabaster, Haleth had long wished for a safe haven where their race wouldn't be prosecuted. She believed that only William had the ability to make this wish of hers a reality, so she was very worried when the Half-Elf entered the Forbidden Ground after leaving the City of Alabaster.

The moment she exited the Headquarters of the Army, she saw Williams' entourage enter the barracks.

Haleth hurriedly ran in William's direction and gave him a big hug, which surprised not only the soldiers who were present at the scene, but also Chiffon and Lilith who had interacted with the blonde-haired Half-Elf in the past.

"Thank the Gods you're safe!" Haleth said as she hugged William tightly. "I was so worried about you!"

The red-headed teenager lightly patted Haleth's back in order to assure her that he was fine. As a Half-Elf, William had a good impression of the Vice Commander of the Port City because both of them were of the same race.

"Sorry for making you worry," William replied. "Actually, the reason why we returned here is to take a break for a few days before we journey back to Hestia Academy. I didn't know that I caused you and Commander White Fang a lot of trouble."

Haleth was finally able to regain her composure after hearing William's words. She then took a step back and eyed him with a flushed expression on her face.

"How long will all of you be staying here?" Haleth asked. "There are several people from the academy here in the city who are waiting for news about you. Sorry, but according to protocol, we need to inform them about your arrival."

"I don't mind. Please, put their minds at ease by telling them that I am safe and sound."

"Understood. Thank you for your cooperation."

After sending one of the guards to inform the envoys from Hestia Academy, Haleth escorted William inside their headquarters so he could talk with their Commander, White Fang, about the things he saw inside the Forbidden Ground.

White Fang and Haleth listened to William's story with grim expressions on their faces. They had known that going to the Forbidden Ground and getting out alive was difficult, but after hearing that it was infested with Myriad Beasts, both the Beastkin and the blonde Half-Elf found themselves at a loss for words.

On that day, the two High-Ranking Officers of the City of Alabaster finally understood that the word "difficult" was not an appropriate word to describe William's story. Of course, the red-headed teenager didn't mention anything about the Deadlands, or any other information that wasn't part of the Forbidden Grounds.

Even so, White Fang and Haleth coined a new term for those who planned to go to the Seventh Sanctum and that word was none other than "suicidal".

Chapter 950: It's Fine To Be Greedy, For I Am Greedy As Well

"How is he?" Lilith asked as she sipped the high-quality coffee that William had bought in bulk back on Earth.

"Still sleeping," Chiffon answered. "He must be very tired."

After arriving at the Port City of Alabaster, William, Chiffon, Lilith, Aldric, and the others were given the VIP Treatment in the inn that they were staying at.

Perhaps due to the festivities, or the fact that he felt sad after parting with Belle, the red-headed teenager drank a lot of wine until he fell asleep.

Chloee, who was seated on top of the table, just listened to the discussion while happily eating a Toblerome Chocolate Bar, which had become one of her favorites among William's stash of foods from Earth.

The Half-Elf had imported many things that were very popular on Earth like chocolates, coffees, tea leaves, junk foods, instant noodles, and many other items that were considered a rarity in Hestia.

Adele handled the transaction and found William's hoarding of food quite amusing. Even so, she understood that Hestia didn't have these things, so she added a few more items that she thought that William and his friends back in his world would like.

"The heart moves where the heart wills," Elliot said as he sipped a cup of warm chocolate. He currently held the form of a twelve-year old Wiliam as a way to get used to his grown up form.

"Indeed," Conan commented as he bit into a pretzel. "Although he didn't show it on the surface, he was very sad when they parted.

Elliot and Conan were each born with a quarter of William's soul. They were the Half-Elf's other halves, which made him complete. Whenever William used his Einherjar form, the two of them were not spared and the memories they held were also erased from their heads.

This was why they couldn't help William remember his past memories, and suffered the same fate as him.

"Is she that special to him?" Lilith asked. After becoming one of WIlliam's lovers, she had gotten to know the Half-Elf a little more and knew that he deeply cared about relationships.

After knowing Belle's existence, and the fact that the Half-Elf still loved her, the Amazon Princess couldn't help but get curious and envious of the girl that William still held dear in his heart.

Elliot and Conan glanced at each other before shifting their gaze to Lilith.

"It is best if you ask William about this," Elliot replied.

"That's right," Conan answered. "Although we can answer your question, this is something that you should hear from him, and not us."

William's familiars knew that what Lilith really wanted was the truth about Belle. Since that was the case, it was best for the red-headed teenager to handle this thing on his own.

Lilith sighed, but she no longer pestered the two familiars, who were serious in keeping their silence.

Chiffon also stayed silent. William had once asked her to remember who Belle was, just in case he forgot about her. Unlike her husband's other wives, Chiffon didn't think too much about these things.

The only thing that mattered was that William loved her, and that was enough to make her happy. Also, she was looking forward to holding her two adorable babies who had miraculously appeared in her life.

Her only regret was that her mother, April, wasn't able to see her daughters because she had passed away when Chiffon was still young.

A few hours later, the Half-Elf finally woke up and was suffering from a hangover from all the wine that he had drunk. The wines were something he had bought in the God Shop, so their effect was stronger than regular wine.

In order to ease the pain, the Half-Elf placed a pink lollipop inside his mouth, and his headache instantly disappeared.

"What time is it?" William asked as he entered the living room. He sat beside Chiffon on the couch, who happily snuggled up to his side.

"Just past noon," Lilith replied as she eyed the Half-Elf with concern. "Haleth came here an hour ago to check on your condition, but after telling her that you were still asleep she decided to come back later."

William nodded in understanding as he produced another lollipop and placed it inside Chiffon's mouth.

"Sorry," William apologized. "I got carried away last night and drank too much. By the way, where are the others?"

After arriving at the living room, he didn't see anyone else aside from Chiffon and Lilith, so he assumed that they went out to explore the city. His suspicions were confirmed when the Amazon Princess said that Haleth volunteered to take them on a sight-seeing trip, while they waited for Wiliam to wake up.

After trying to hold it in for a few minutes, Lilith finally reached her limit and stood up from her seat. She then walked towards William and sat on his right side, resting her head on his shoulders.

The Half-Elf smiled and intertwined his fingers with Lilith's, who was still discovering ways to act naturally in front of William's other wives.

For Lilith, it was easy to do as she pleased when only Chiffon was around. However, the difficulty of sharing an intimate moment with William increased when his other wives, Princess Sidonie and Ashe, were around.

"I'm still not used to this," Lilith said softly. "I should be fine with sharing you with others because this is also the culture of Amazons. However, there are times when I just want to monopolize you for myself. Am I selfish?"

Before William could answer Lilith's question, the pink-haired girl who was snuggling beside William raised her head and looked at her.

"I think feeling that way is normal," Chiffon replied. "Even I sometimes want to monopolize Will, especially when it's just the two of us. I want him to pamper me a lot, and make me feel that I'm the most special girl in the world. So, I think it's fine if you feel that way too. After all, it is very rare for us to spend time alone with him, especially since our sisters love him just as much as we do."

William smiled and lightly patted Chiffon's head, which made the latter close her eyes and rest her head on her husband's chest in contentment.

"Lilith, there will be times when I won't be always with you," William said as she looked at the Amazon Princess with a gentle gaze. "Even so, whenever we have the opportunity to spend some time together with only the two of us, I promise that I will do my best to make those brief moments memorable for the both of us."

Lilith lowered her head because William's gaze was melting her heart. As an Amazon Warrior, she prided herself for being strong, so this feeling of weakness made her helpless.

It was at this moment when the power of her Divinity flared up. Lilith's divinity was Greed. The sin, which every human possessed. The overwhelming desire to acquire something, whether it be an object, a place, or a person, fueled this Divinity.

Just as she was unsure on what to do, she felt Wiliam's fingertips raise her chin. The next thing she saw was William's eyes that were looking at her with affection.

"It's fine," William said as he lowered his head. "I belong to you, just as much as you belong to me. So, it's fine to be greedy, for I am greedy as well."

William pressed his lips over Lilith's and kissed her passionately. Chiffon just watched from the side because she understood that her sister needed William's help right now.

Just like Princess Sidonie and Lilith, Chiffon also suffered from outbreaks of her Divinity. Whenever this happened, William would be by her side, while he happily fed her delicious food that he had acquired from who knows where.

As Lilith allowed her Divinity to rise to the surface, her wish to acquire William grew more and more. In a sense, the Amazon Princess' Greed was similar to Princess Sidonie's Lust. Both of them wanted William, so the way to deal with it was the same.

Chiffon stepped out of the room to temporarily guard the door, just in case the others came back. Right now, Lilith needed William, so the pink-haired girl decided to give them some privacy, and let the Amazon Princess' burning desire be extinguished by the Half-Elf's love, which would not lose to the Sin she carried.

Chapter 951: A Prince That Would Plunge The World Into Darkness

When Haleth and the others arrived, they found Chiffon standing by the door. Just as the blonde Half-Elf was about to ask why the pink-haired girl was standing outside the room, she heard a moan, which made her body stiffen.

As a Half-Elf she was blessed with superior eyesight and hearing. Even though they were still standing in the hallway, she could hear the pleasure-filled sounds that escaped Lilith's lips from beyond the door.

"William is busy right now," Chiffon said with a smile. "How about all of you have an afternoon snack downstairs? We'll go out later, after Will finishes his business."

"O-Okay," Haleth stuttered as she walked away leaving the others behind.

Aldric followed behind Haleth. Because with his rank, it was fairly easy for him to know what was happening inside the room. Chloee, on the other hand, frowned because there was something she wanted to ask William.

As someone who likes to bash things, and break down doors, Chloee didn't see any problem with her barging inside the room in order to ask William her question.

However, before she could even smash the door apart, Elliot and Conan both grabbed his arms and tried to pull her away.

"Ei! What are you doing?!" Chloee asked as she struggled. "Let me go. There's something I need to ask my Disciple!"

"Now is not a good time, Chloee," Conan said while sweating buckets. "Will is really busy right now. He has no time to answer your question."

"Hmp! I am his Master," Chloee stated. "He will always have time to answer my questions!"

"My goodness, there's no need to rush," Elliot who was struggling to hold the little fairy said with difficulty. "The people downstairs were saying that the House Specialty is extremely delicious. Why don't we try it first before we come back to talk to Will? I heard that it is a limited edition thing, so we need to try it before it goes out of stock."

Chloee stopped struggling because anything related to food and fighting piqued her interest. Although her favorite food was pancakes, and desserts, eating something that has the word "special" in it would always make her want to try it out.

"Very well!" Chloee declared. "We will try this House Specialty first before I return to ask Will my question."

Elliot and Conan both sighed in relief because a crisis was averted. They then flanked the little fairy on both sides as they flew downstairs to order the House Specialty, which the two familiar hoped was good enough to help them buy enough time for William to finish his business.

—--

An hour later…

A satisfied looking Lilith calmly drank a cup of tea that William had prepared for her.

The Amazon Princess felt refreshed after the outbreak of her Sin had died out. She never thought that her Divinity could be calmed in such a manner, which made her feel sorry for her younger self, who had been locked up inside the Temple of the Gods, whenever her Divinity flared out of control.

William, on the other hand, had gained a better understanding of his fiance after her fiery outburst. Unlike Princess Sidonie's craving for his body, the Amazon's Princess' Sin encompassed his entire being.

Lilith didn't want the Half-Elf's body, she wanted his everything.

The good news was that her sin was more controllable than Princess Sidonie's. During their love making, Lilith focused on making William feel good, while greedily taking him inside her.

Although William didn't want to admit it, he found Lilith's desire to acquire him very hot and sexy, which made it so she did not lose to Succubus Princess' advances, whose Sin represented Lust.

Haleth couldn't look at William steadily because each time she would look at his face, she could feel her cheeks burning.

The red-headed teenager wasn't aware that Haleth had heard their lovemaking through the door because his attention was focused on Lilith. Only when Chiffon had returned did the Half-Elf know that his Sixth Master, Chloee, had almost barged inside the room while they were in the middle of a strenuous exercise.

'Good job the two of you,' William thanked his two familiars via telepathy because if it weren't for them, the little fairy might have barged inside the room, and discovered something she had never seen before.

'This was just the natural thing to do,' Elliot replied.

'Kekeke. I'm not going to lie, Will, that was close,' Conan commented. 'Chloee is really strong. It took everything I had just to hold her down.'

Chloee, who didn't know that the boys were talking about her, hovered in front of William with her arms crossed over her chest.

She was looking at the Half-Elf with a serious expression, but after a minute had passed, she still didn't say anything. This prompted William to take the initiative to ask her if there was something she needed from him.

"Sixth Master, Elliot and Conan said that you wanted to ask me a question," William said. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Chloee hummed before landing on William's right shoulder.

"You know, I wanted to ask you about that world that I appeared in," Chloee said. "That world is called Earth, right?"

William nodded his head. "Yes."

"How did I appear there?" Chloee asked. "The last thing I remember is that I was following your footsteps when suddenly, I was falling in the sky and saw you fighting against those Giant Black Golems."

The little fairy lightly poked William's cheek as she pressed him for an answer.

"I may not be as smart as my sister, Claire, but according to Celeste, I have an Eidetic Memory," Chloee explained. "It is impossible for me to forget things. However, no matter how hard I think, I can't recall how I ended up on Earth. This is something that greatly bothers me. So, Will, how did you appear in that world?"

(A/N: Eidetic Memory is also called Photographic Memory).

William shook his head because he also didn't know how he appeared on Earth. The only thing he could remember was a vague image of three shadowy figures.

"Sorry, Sixth Master, I really don't know," William replied. "I also can't remember how I ended up in that place."

"Is that so?"

"Mmm."

The little fairy stopped poking William because she could tell that he was telling the truth. Since he didn't know the answer to her question, she decided to just let it go for the time being, and decided to tell him the news that Celeste wanted to pass onto him.

"Will, when we get back to the academy, you need to look for Celeste right away," Chloee said. "According to her, certain things are happening in the Demonic Continent, which greatly concerns the safety of the Central Continent. I am also here to pass you an order from the Headmaster to investigate what the Demons are doing."

William frowned. "Can't the Headmaster assign someone else to do this job? I have some important matters to take care of after I return to the academy."

Since he had already lifted the curse from Est, Ashe, and Isaac, he planned to visit the Southern Continent to see Wendy, and Est because he missed them terribly.

"No," Chloee answered as she shook her head. "Because this matter also concerns Celeste's twin sister."

William's body stiffened and his expression became serious after hearing Chloee's words. Celeste had only one twin, and it was none other than his First Master, Celine.

"What do you mean?" William inquired. "What does the situation in the Demonic Continent have to do with my First Master?"

Chloee sighed as she lowered her head. She wasn't supposed to tell this information to William right now, but she had a feeling that the Half-Elf would keep on pestering her until she spilled the beans.

"You know about the Prophecy of the Elves, right?" Chloee asked.

"The Prince of Darkness?" William asked back.

The little fairy nodded her head. A letter had arrived at the academy on the day that she was about to leave to look for William. The letter came from the Silverwind Continent, and its sender was the Patriarch of the Rayleigh Family.

It was the same family that produced the Oracles of the Elven Race, and the ones responsible for making the prophecy of the Dark Prince known.

"According to the letter, the prophecy is about to be fulfilled, and it will begin in the Demonic Continent," Chloee stated. Celeste had told her that there was a possibility that William was the Prince in the prophecy.

If it was indeed the case, Chloee would be forced to fight against him if the prophesied bride became her Master. This was something that the little fairy didn't want to have happen. Deep inside, she wished that it would be someone else that would take on that role because she wasn't confident that she could raise her first to harm her Disciple, whom she had become fond of.

"Once the Prince has been born, this entire world will be covered in darkness," Chloee continued her explanation. "Your Master, Celine, is currently in the Demonic Continent. If the so-called Prince will appear in that place then the first people that he would look for will be one of the brides in the prophecy.

"Although there is only a fifty-fifty chance of her becoming the prince's bride, the possibility still exists. If possible, Celeste wants Celine brought to Hestia Academy where she can be protected from the fiend, who would force this world to submit to his rule."

William clenched his fist as he nodded his head. He had already heard this prophecy from his Second Master, Oliver, but the verse that the Parrot Monkey had told him wasn't complete.

In the past, he didn't care much about this prophecy because it felt very alien to him. However, things had changed.

Celine was someone important to him, and he would not allow anyone to harm her in any way possible. Not even the prophesied prince that would plunge the world into darkness.

Chapter 952: It's That Dream Again

A gust of wind blew from high above the altar of the Vanir, located in the world of Vanaheim.

A silver-haired teenager was tied up in chains, and guarded by two champions that prevented him from breaking free from his bindings.

In front of him was an angelic beauty, with long purple hair and eyes that looked at him with a very sad expression on her face.

"Aila, you don't have to listen to them," the silver-haired teenager said with labored breaths as he looked at the maiden who had sacrificed many things for his sake.

She had saved him when he fell from a cliff during a great battle against the Fomorians. They were a race of monstrous beings whose ultimate goal was to lay waste to every land they set their sights on.

"Aila, it is better to put an end to his suffering," a seductive beauty with long blonde hair, and purple eyes said with a smile. "Your relationship with him will never be recognized by anyone. If you resist, the elders will just continue to torture him until you agree to end this farce."

Aila lowered her head as a single tear streamed down the side of her face. She knew that her friend, Hnoss, was right. If she continued to be stubborn, the only one who would suffer would be the silver-haired teenager whose entire body was now covered with wounds.

"Will, I'm sorry," Aila said as she pressed her hand over her lover's forehead. "Even if you forget about me, I promise that I won't forget about you. Not now, not until the end of time."

Her hand glowed with power as she activated her unique ability that could erase people's memories.

"Aila, please don't do thi-" the silver-haired teenager tried to resist, but he still lost consciousness after Aila used her ability on him.

William collapsed on the floor, as the purple-haired beauty covered her face with both of her hands and sobbed because she knew that she had lost someone very important to her today.

"It's not that hard, right?" Hnoss wrapped her arms around Aila's body and whispered in her ears. "Because of what you did, he doesn't have to suffer anymore. You made the right choice."

It was at this moment when the neighing of a horse was heard from the heavens.

Clad in lightweight armor, and carrying the flag of Asgard, a valkyrie landed on the altar. She glared hatefully at the Vanir who had tortured her Beloved, after what he had done for them.

Using her supernatural strength, Wendy broke the chains that bound William. She then supported his body until he was firmly mounted on her winged horse before mounting it herself.

Wendy's left arm supported William's waist and held him in place, while the Half-Elf's head rested on her chest.

She had traveled a great distance in order to arrive at Vanaheim to rescue her beloved from the stuck-up Vanirs who thought highly of themselves.

"Wendy, I'm sorry," Aila said as she looked at the Valkyrie Captain who was supporting William's body.

"You don't have to apologize." Wendy sneered. "From now on, never show yourself in front of him again. He doesn't need you in his life."

After having the final say Wendy lightly kicked the side of her winged-horse. The steed that carried the Valkyrie to battle, raised its wings and flew towards the sky.

Aila watched them go as the tears in her eyes blurred her vision. As someone who had lived for hundreds of years, this was the first time she felt as if a hole had opened up inside her heart.

And she knew, for certainty, that she would never-ever love again in her lifetime.

—---

Hestia Academy…

"It's that dream again," Aila muttered as she wiped away the tears that had fallen while she was sleeping.

This was a recurring dream that she had been having, ever since William had left Hestia Academy to go to the Forbidden Grounds. The angelic beauty didn't understand why she was having this dream, over and over again.

The only thing she did know was that each time it happened, she felt like her heart was breaking.

A part of her wanted to ask Conan, and Elliot why this was happening, but a part of her opposed this notion. She was afraid that if she told William's two familiars about her dreams, the two of them would think that she was just making things up.

Aila sighed as she lightly patted her chest. Although the ache in her heart would fade away in time, it was still a very uncomfortable feeling.

Standing up from the bed, she opened the curtains and looked outside of the window. It was still dark, and sunrise was still a few hours away, but she no longer felt like sleeping.

Just as she was thinking on what to do next, she saw a flash of light in the distance. A second later, a streak of lightning descended on the open space, just outside of the Girl's Dormitory.

The angelic beauty subconsciously took a deep breath when she saw a red-headed teenager appear in the place where the lightning bolt descended. Tendrils of lightning snaked around his body, and his eyes glowed with power.

As if sensing that someone was looking in his direction, William raised his head and discovered Princess Aila looking at him from the window of her room.

The Half-Elf then smiled and raised his hand to wave at her in greeting. The angelic beauty waved back before her mind could register what she had just witnessed.

After greeting the Princess whom he thought he had woken up, William walked away and headed towards Celeste's personal quarters, which had been built beside the Girl's Dormitory.

He had some very pressing questions to ask his Master's twin sister, and had no time to chat with the purple-haired beauty, who was looking at him, while pressing her hand against her chest in an attempt to calm her wildly beating heart.

Chapter 953: Infiltrating The Demonic Continent

"You do know that it's rude to barge in a lady's room, while she's getting her beauty sleep, right?" Celeste asked as she glared at William who was calmly sipping a cup of coffee in front of her.

The Elven beauty wasn't really angry at William for barging inside her room, while it was still dark outside. She just wanted to vent out her frustrations for not being able to sleep for the past few days due to the contents of the letters she had received from the Silvermoon Continent.

Due to William's sudden appearance, the beautiful Elf was still in her nightgown and didn't have the time to change it. Even so, William didn't even spare a glance at her body, and just sipped his coffee in silence.

Right now, the Half-Elf was not in the mood to appreciate the beauty that was seated across him.

"Tell me about the situation in the Demonic Continent," William didn't even bother to answer Celeste's question and jumped straight to the point. "Also, give me the letters that you received. I need to read them as well."

Celeste grumpily took a stack of letters out of her storage ring and placed it on the table in front of her. William put his cup down and reached to take the letters that had been responsible for canceling his planned, albeit short, vacation in the Port City of Alabaster.

A few minutes passed in silence as William read the contents of the letter. He was supposed to arrive earlier, but Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Lilith managed to convince him that he should take a few hours of rest first, before going to Hestia Academy.

Since he could travel using the power of his Lightning Strider Skill, arriving in the academy in a short amount of time was not a problem for him.

Celeste sipped the coffee that Chloee had prepared for her and found it to her liking. This was a novelty for her, who preferred to drink tea most of the time.

Several minutes passed before William finished reading all the letters that had come from the Silvermoon Continent.

The Half-Elf frowned as he put the stack of letters on the table before looking at Celeste who had just finished drinking her cup of coffee.

"So, basically, the Oracle of the Rayleigh Family foretold that the Prince of Darkness will awaken soon, and it will take place in the Demonic Continent," William stated. "It doesn't state who the Prince was, or where exactly in the Demonic Land he will make his appearance. There is also no time frame and only the word 'soon' indicates that it will be happening in the near future."

The frown on William's face deepened as he looked at Celeste, who was looking back at him with a serious expression on her face. The two looked at each other for a full minute before the Half-Elf voiced the question he had in his mind.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" William asked.

Celeste took out a map from her storage ring and laid it on the table for William to see.

"This map was given to me by my sister before she went to the Demonic Lands," Celeste explained. "You don't have to worry about the accuracy of this map because it was made by a Demigod who likes to travel. Also, that Demigod is my sister's Master, which makes her your Grandmaster."

William nodded his head to acknowledge Celeste's words. There was a time when Celine had briefly explained to him about the old, and ugly hag, who had raised her with love and care during her stay in the Demonic Continent.

It was for this reason that Celine went to the Demonic Continent to find her Master, in order to talk to her one last time, and say her final farewell before the prophecy of the Dark Prince came to pass.

"What I want you to do is go to the Wicked Thorn Forest where my sister has gone to look for her Master," Celeste stated. "Her Master is a Demigod, so for now, her safety is assured. However, things will change once the prophesied Prince is born. You already know that one of us is meant to become that bastard's bride, and no matter what we do, we will not be able to fight our Fates.

"However, all hope is not lost. As long as you can bring her here to Hestia Academy, before that bastard appears, the protection of this place will keep him at bay. This is also why I am staying in the academy. While I am here, no harm will come to me."

William eyed the map where the Wicked Thorn Forest was located. It was a very dangerous place to go to, and it was located in the Northwestern Region of the Demonic Lands. The only reason why Celine was able to go there instantly was due to the special artifact that her Master, the Old Hag, Baba Yaga, had given her as a gift.

Without it, it would have taken her at least two months to reach her destination because of its distance from the Central Continent.

The Half-Elf scratched his head as he tried to conceive a plan on how to reach his destination. It was at that moment when a beam of light shot out from William's chest and reappeared beside him.

Chiffon glanced at the map on the table with an anxious expression on her face. Before meeting William, she had spent the majority of her life within the Demonic Realm. If possible, she didn't want to return, but since her husband was planning to go there, she would help him to the best of her abilities.

"As long as we don't wander into the Central plains of the Demon Realm, we will mostly be fine," Chiffon commented as she looked at the map. "The Demonic Continent has four Demigods in it. One resides in the Central Plains, one in the West, one in the South, and the last in the Northeastern Regions."

Chiffon pointed the location of the Demigods on the map based on her memory. During her stay in the Demonic Lands, she would often go to the library to read books in order to escape her brothers and sisters.

Just like Chloee, Chiffon had a photographic memory, and she could easily recall things that she had seen, heard, read, or experienced. Using the knowledge she possessed, she immediately drafted a route, while using a marker that William had handed to her.

"The Demonic General's forces are focused on the South," Chiffon continued her explanation. "This is in preparation for any possible invasion by the Humans into the Demonic Continent, as well as their stronghold for a preemptive strike on the Human Lands."

"Wait," William interjected his wife's explanation because he had a question to ask. "Did the Humans try to invade the Demonic Lands?"

""Yes,"" Chiffon and Celeste replied in unison.

"After your father dealt with the Demonic Invasion, the Empires of Humanity used that opportunity to try to conquer the Demonic Lands," Celeste explained like the professor she was. "The Humans succeeded, and would have probably taken more lands, but their plans were single-handedly ruined by the strongest Demigod in the Demonic Continent, which is none other than my sister's Master, Baba Yaga."

Celeste took a short break and took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee that Claire had given her. After wetting her throat, she resumed her explanation, which allowed William to understand the history of the place he was about to visit.

"After a series of negotiations, the seriously injured Demon Lord was forced to pay a vast amount of resources, in order to ransom the lands that the Humans had taken from them," Celeste narrated. "However, this only happened because Baba Yaga had intervened. Due to her presence, the Humans were forced to give up their lands in return for resources exclusive to the Demonic Continent.

After regaining their lands, the Demon Lord, along with his remaining Generals, had turned the entire Southern Region into a shield, as well as a sword that is always aimed outward."

"In short, your greatest obstacle is infiltrating their lands from the South. As long as you are able to bypass their blockade, you will be able to explore the Demonic lands with relative ease, as long as you stick to the Eastern Regions of the continent."

Chiffon, who listened to the side, held William's hand and pointed at the Southern Part of the map.

"A Demigod guards the Southern Regions," Chiffon said. "Although it isn't as strong as Baba Yaga, it is the second strongest Demigod in the Demonic Continent. It will be hard to bypass him unless you can hoodwink his senses."

William rubbed his chin as he looked at the map in front of him. Although he had two Job Classes that could make his rank jump to the Demigod level, he was not too keen on having a direct confrontation with the Demonic Race.

It was also at that moment when the Half-Elf realized that he was overthinking things. Although he couldn't use the Einherjar Job Class, he could use his Vampire Progenitor Job Class to blend in with the Demons without arousing suspicions.

He just needed to change the color of his hair, and adjust his facial features a bit, which could easily be solved with a few potions from the God Shop.

Having thought of the perfect way to infiltrate the Demigod's surveillance, William and Chiffon decided on the route they would take, just in case his cover was blown. Although the Half-Elf was confident in his acting skills, he was not conceited enough to think that his plan was foolproof.

Chapter 954: Gaze At The Sunrise Together Once Again

After leaving Celeste's room, William went to the Academy's Garden to think.

The sun was about to rise, and the garden was one of the few places in Hestia Academy where you could see it rise from the East.

Standing beside him was Chiffon, Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Lilith. Each of them were beautiful in their own right, and anyone that saw them standing beside William would definitely curse the Half-Elf and his seven generations for having such beauties by his side.

"Will, as much as I would like to go with you to the Demonic Continent, I can't," Lilith said as she glanced to her right side. "I need to go back to the Amazon Empire and talk to my mother about our relationship."

The Amazon Princess then walked towards the Half-Elf and wrapped her arms around his waist. She then kissed his lips for a few seconds before pulling back.

"Please be careful," Lilith gazed at William with a loving gaze.

After spending time with William in the Deadlands, the Amazon Princess no longer wished to share the red-headed teenager with her sisters back in the Amazon Empire.

Truth be told, Empress Andraste wanted her other daughters, aside from Lilith, to procreate with William also. If Lilith wasn't able to seduce the Half-Elf then Empress Andraste would resort to other means to drag the red-headed teenager to her Empire whether he liked it or not.

The Amazon Princess understood how her mother thinks because she had done this multiple times in the past. All the promising prodigies all over the Central Continent would find themselves kidnapped by an elite group, whose sole purpose was to take them back to the Ares Empire.

Of course, Empress Andraste wouldn't keep these prodigies in her territory for long. After she made sure that her warriors were pregnant, she would send these prodigies back to their homes loaded with treasures, and other precious artifacts for their troubles.

Because of this, the rulers of the various Kingdoms and Empires turned a blind eye to the Amazons' way of doing things. For them, as long as their geniuses were returned safely, a short vacation to the lands of the Amazons was considered as a good thing. This also allowed them to gain favors from Empress Andraste, which she would honor as a way to keep everyone happy.

This was one of the reasons why Lilith wanted to return home. She was afraid that, because she had been gone for a long time, her mother might have decided that she had failed, and would soon send an elite unit to hunt William down.

Truth be told, she wasn't worried about her Beloved. What she was worried about was that the Amazon Warriors who would be sent to abduct him would suffer a tragic end!

William kissed Lilith's forehead before nodding his head. He knew that Lilith had responsibilities as the Princess of the Amazons, so he wouldn't force her to accompany him. Also, he didn't know how dangerous this journey to the Demonic Continent would be. For him, it was best for Lilith to not involve herself in this dangerous mission.

"Tell your mother that when everything is over, I will have a private talk with her," William stated as he looked at Lilith with a serious expression. "Please remind her not to do anything underhanded. I don't want to hurt your people. Also, feel free to visit the Thousand Beast Domain anytime."

Lilith lightly touched her earring before nodding her head. "I know. I will visit the Thousand Beast Domain, so that you won't miss me too much."

"Good." William smiled. "I'll be waiting for you."

Lilith was about to say more, but she was interrupted when Princess Sidonie cleared her throat. The succubus Princess pried Lilith's hands off William and pulled him away.

"Will, do you want me to accompany you?" Princess Sidonie asked. "Although I haven't been to the Demonic Continent, I've read many things about it. Perhaps my knowledge could be put to good use if I go with you.

William firmly shook his head after hearing Princess Sidonie's proposal.

"Just stay here in the academy, Sidonie," William replied. "You're too beautiful and that will surely attract a lot of attention. If you go with me, wouldn't that make me the enemy of all the demons that we meet along the way?

"Did you also forget what happened in the Southern Continent? They tried to abduct as many teenagers as possible to be used as broodmares to increase their numbers. I'm sure that they would try to kidnap you the first opportunity they got."

William still hadn't forgotten what had happened many years ago when the Demons attacked the Hellan Royal Academy. If not for the fact that his Gramps, and the other veterans of Lont, had intervened, the Demons might have succeeded in their nefarious plans.

Fortunately they didn't and because of that, they were forced to acquire the broodmares they needed through the slave traders and the black market.

"Being beautiful is a sin," Princess Sidonie flipped her hair in order to imitate William when he was being narcissistic. "It's not my fault I was born beautiful."

The corner of William's lips twitched after the succubus Princess imitated one of his trademark lines. Even so, he forgave her because Princess Sidonie didn't lie. She was really beautiful to the point that any man or woman would be captivated by her, if she wished for it.

"I'll stay with Sidonie," Ashe commented from the side. "I know that you'll be worried if I leave her to her own devices. Also, someone needs to look after her when her Sin suddenly flares up."

"Thank you, Ashe," William smiled. "You really understand me."

"Of course I do. You and I share the same heart."

"Mmm."

Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Lilith then turned to look at the pink-haired girl who was staring at the mountains in the East. Right now, the only one that could accompany William to the Demonic Lands was none other than Chiffon, so the three ladies wanted to entrust the Half-Elf to her.

Sensing her "sister's" stares, Chiffon turned around and nodded her head in understanding.

"Leave him to me," Chiffon declared. "I will not let him cheat on us during this trip."

The three girls nodded their heads in satisfaction, while the Half-Elf scratched his head in helplessness. He wanted to protest that he wasn't a womanizer, but after realizing that he already had five wives, and several fiances, the red-headed teenager was forced to swallow his words, and kept it to himself.

It was at that moment when the sun rose from the East, and bathed the world with its first rays of light.

Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Lilith all moved to hold onto William as they stared at the beautiful scene in front of them. This was the last time that the five of them would look at the sunrise together before the red-headed teenager left for the Demonic Continent.

Although none of them voiced it out loud, they hoped with every fiber of their being that they may be reunited with their beloved in this place, and gaze at the sunrise together once again.

Chapter 955: Reunion At The Gates Of Hestia Academy

After watching the sunrise with his wives and fiance, William went to find Zhu and Sha because he thought that bringing them along was a good idea.

Both of them were Demons, so if he needed some backup in the Demonic Continent, the two of them would be perfect for the job and wouldn't arouse any suspicions from the locals.

Soon, the time of parting came and Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Lilith, and Celeste stood at the gates of the academy to bid him goodbye. However, for some reason, Princess Aila, Princess Eowyn, Kenneth, and Pearl were also there.

The three other ladies, and gentleman, didn't know where William was planning to go because it was confidential. They just noticed that the Half-Elf's group was headed towards the gate, so they followed behind them.

Naturally, William's group stayed mum about the mission and simply bid their goodbyes to the red-headed teenager. Princess Aila, on the other hand, had a complicated look on her face as she looked at William. She had wanted to ask him a question, but the latter was leaving before she could have a proper talk with him.

In the end, she decided not to say anything and just wait for him to return. She believed that talking about her dreams right now would just make things complicated, and she didn't want the other party to think that she was making a big thing out of nothing.

Elliot and Conan wouldn't be accompanying William this time around, they would stay in the academy and keep him informed about the events that were happening.

"Take care, Will," Elliott said. "If you need our help again, don't hesitate to call us."

"Kekeke, no matter where you are, no matter where you go, our bonds will connect us together," Conan declared as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Even if you are going to fight against the Demon Lord, we will stand with you without fail. So, don't hesitate to summon us anytime."

William grinned as he shared a fist bump with his two familiars. He had experienced what it was like to be a true Familiamancer when Elliot and Conan merged with him. Without the two of them, fighting against the Gigantic Pseudo-God Apophis might have been more difficult if the red-headed teenager had fought him alone.

As William was about to leave, Kenneth walked towards him with a determined expression on his face.

"I'm going with you," Kenneth said.

"Hah?" William eyed the delicate-looking Elf with a surprised expression on his face.

Kenneth moved closer and handed William a piece of paper. The Half-Elf was curious about what his ex-roommate planned to do, so he took the paper and read its contents.

"I know that you are headed to the Demonic Continent to look for your Master, Celine. The Saintess wanted me to accompany you on your journey, and ensure that you are safe. Please, bring me along. I promise I won't get in your way."

William glanced at Kenneth then back at the paper in his hands. After pondering things for a bit, he then nodded his head. Elves were quite common in the Demonic Continent because most of them were captured slaves.

Having Kenneth around might help with his disguise, so having him around would also be a good thing. Also, Kenneth's ability was quite useful. Although he still hadn't experienced it, Princess Sidonie and Ashe acknowledged that it was a very troublesome ability that could turn the tides of battles if used properly.

"You can come with me, but on one condition," William said as he took out an item from his storage ring that he had secretly bought from the God Shop a few seconds ago. "You are going to wear this collar."

Princess Eowyn's and Pearl's bodies stiffened when they saw the silver collar in William's hand. On their way to the gate, Kenneth had told them that he would accompany the Half-Elf on his journey because it was a mission given to him by the Saintess.

As the Princess of the Elven Race, Princess Eowyn had no right to prevent Kenneth from doing his mission, especially a mission that came from the Saintess, whose rank was second only to the King of the Elves.

Pearl was also tempted to go, but Kenneth dissuaded her. Princess Eowyn couldn't be left alone without a guard to protect her, so Charmaine's older sister got the short end of the stick and could only do what she was told.

Contrary to what everyone expected, Kenneth only nodded his head, and didn't reject William's condition.

"Okay," Kenneth replied without batting an eye. "Put it on my neck."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I trust you."

William smiled because he didn't expect Kenneth to have complete faith in him. The collar in his hands was indeed a slave collar, but its effect was similar to the Collar of Wisteria. Anyone who wore it for a period of time would gain immunity from enslavement spells, and would no longer be able to be enslaved in the future.

After securely placing the collar on Kenneth's neck, William smudged a drop of his blood on its surface. The collar glowed faintly as it registered the Half-Elf as Kenneth's new master, which made the Elven Princess look at him with a serious expression on her face.

For Elves, being enslaved was a very tragic thing. No sane Elf would allow anyone to enslave them, so she wondered why Kenneth agreed to such a thing. Even though she knew that the son of the Saintess wasn't a bad person, it still left a bad aftertaste in her mouth.

"Good." William nodded. "Now you can accompany me. Let's go."

William then glanced at his wives and lovers one last time before waving his hand. Just as he was about to leave, he saw some movement at the corner of his eye, which made him pause.

A flying ship that was used to ferry people from the city to the academy appeared in his vision. This was a very common occurrence in Hestia Academy because most of the students used this mode of transportation to leave and return to the academy.

For some reason, William felt that this was no ordinary ship, so the Half-Elf narrowed his eyes to take a better look at it.

Standing on the ship's deck, an otherworldly beauty with long, light-blue hair stood with a smile on her face. Beside her, several Angorian Goats gathered and were looking at the gates of the academy with excited expressions on their faces.

They had already sensed that the red-headed teenager was close by, so they all gathered beside the beautiful lady with two horns protruding on her head because she was the leader of their herd.

William stood rooted in shock when his gaze landed on the beautiful lady who was looking back at him with a smile. He had already seen her once, and that encounter was something that he couldn't possibly forget in a short period of time.

"... Amalthea?" William muttered as the ship drew near. He didn't know if he was dreaming or not, because the lady in front of him was someone who had already turned into a constellation.

The change in the Half-Elf's expression was noticed by everyone, so they also looked in the direction he was looking in.

When Ashe saw the familiar looking lady on the ship's deck, her eyes widened in surprise because she never expected that William's foster mother would come to Hestia Academy to look for him.

Chapter 956: Perhaps You Wanted To Drink Some Milk First?

William looked at Amalthea with a dumbfounded expression on his face because he didn't expect to see her in this place and time.

There was never an instance where he dreamed that he would meet that beautiful lady again, but lo and behold, she was now standing right in front of him, with a gentle smile on her face that made William's heart skip a beat.

'Optimus, I'm not dreaming, right?' William asked the System just to make sure that he was not seeing things.

< You're not dreaming. >

'Then, is she who I think she is?' William inquired. His gaze then landed on the goats that were standing beside her and a confused look appeared on his face. 'Also, are those my goats? Why are they with her? Where is Ella?'

< It would be best if you ask that lady your questions. I'm sure that she will definitely give you the answer you are looking for. >

Optimus didn't want to confirm or deny any of William's suspicions. The System had been in the know that Ella was special, but it didn't know her exact origin. Only when William had met Dias, in that alternate world did Optimus realize who the red-headed teenager's foster mother really was.

Ashe glanced at Ella then back at William with a complicated look on her face. Seeing William's confusion, she was confident that he was also not aware about her true appearance. This made her believe that Ella had finally chosen this time to show William who she really was because he had already reached an age where he would be able to cope with this shocking revelation.

Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Lilith, who still hadn't met Ella in the past, frowned. The way the Half-Elf was looking at the light-blue haired lady, whose beauty slightly surpassed that of Princess Sidonie, raised alarm bells in their heads.

As soon as the flying ship docked at the port, the blue-haired lady stepped out on the makeshift bridge with steady steps, but deep inside, she wanted to run towards William and give him a tight hug.

Naturally, the Angorian Goats followed behind her which caused a scene in the entrance of the academy.

The boys who saw Ella were mesmerized by her beauty, which made them forget the fact that several fluffy, white, goats were following behind her, like little ducklings following their mother.

The girls on the other hand, ignored Ella and focused their attention on the goats, which gave them the strong urge to hug and cuddle them.

Ella stopped a few meters away from William, and gazed at him with tenderness. It had been a while since she had last seen him, and the adorable little baby she had raised with love and care was now a handsome teenager who had made many achievements that took the world by storm.

"It's been a long time, Will," Ella said with a smile. "Won't you give me a hug?"

William didn't respond right away. Instead, he looked at the light-blue haired lady in front of him with a serious expression on his face.

"You are… Amalthea, right?" William inquired.

"Yes," Ella replied.

An amused expression appeared on her face. Originally, she planned to reveal her identity to William right off the bat, but seeing the look on his face gave her the strong urge to tease him for a bit.

"Didn't you turn into a constellation?" William asked again. "Also, what are you doing here? Why are you with my goats? Where is Ella?"

The Half-Elf had long scanned the group of goats and didn't see his foster mother among them. This made him a bit anxious, but watching the reactions of Chronos and the others, it made William feel that something wasn't right.

"The answer to your first question is yes. I did turn into a constellation," Ella replied with a mischievous smile that made everyone who saw it feel their hearts skip a beat. "As to why I am here, I came here to meet you. Chronos, and the others traveled with me from the Southern Continent because they missed you as well. As to where Ella is…"

Ella paused as she gave William a pouting look that made his heart tremble.

"Don't you recognize me, Will?" Ella asked.

It was only a simple question, and yet the aftershock it caused was profound.

Princess Sidonie was a smart person, and even though the beautiful lady in front of her didn't say anything explicit, it was very easy for her to connect the dots. As someone who had interacted with William in the Southern Continent after the war, she had seen him tending to the goats from time to time.

When Ella glanced in her direction, the Succubus Princess' mouth opened wide in disbelief. The lady's action confirmed her suspicion and it made him question whether or not she was going crazy.

William's reaction was more profound than Princess Sidonie's. As someone who had spent a lot of time with his foster mother, he already understood many things about her. Although he didn't notice it right away due to the lady's overwhelming presence, it was only a matter of time before he realized who she really was.

"M-Mama?" William asked. Although he was still half in doubt, his gut instinct was telling him that he was right.

Ella didn't answer right away. Instead, she remained silent as if digesting the endearment that William had used to call her when he was still young. It had been several years since the Half-Elf had called her in this manner, and she was half tempted to spoil him, like she did back then.

"Yes," Ella replied. "However, you're already old. You no longer need to call me in that manner. Just call me Ella from now on."

William's pupils shrank after hearing the confirmation of the lady that was in front of him. His mind froze for several moments as he tried to digest the big revelation that shook his entire being.

'Optimus, am I dreaming?'

< No. That is really Ella. The goat that fed you milk and raised you until your early teenage years. >

William was still in a state of shock that he didn't notice that Ella had already walked up to him. Only when the beautiful lady had hugged him did he finally understand that everything he had seen and heard was real.

"What's wrong?" Ella whispered in William's ears. "Are you so happy to see me that you forgot how to speak, or perhaps you want to drink some milk first? If it's the latter then I'm afraid that we'll have to postpone that until it's just the two of us. I don't want to be attacked by these beautiful ladies, who have already made their vows to follow you for life."

Her tone was laced with mischief as she eyed William's lovers who were looking at her as if they had seen their ultimate love rival.

They didn't know if she was joking or not. However, one thing was clear. There was no way that they would just sit by and watch as the otherworldly beauty… give their husband a taste of her precious milk.

Chapter 957: A Third Uninvited Party

William didn't know what to do, or what to think. He didn't even hear Ella teasing him about drinking her milk again.

Right now, his mind was in a mess. It was not easy for him to accept that his foster mother was actually the Goddess that he had seen in Dias' world.

"Back then, Dias threw a feast to honor my arrival," William muttered as he stood rooted on the ground. "All I drank was wine, which was served by Hebe. However, when I woke up, I tasted milk on my lips. Was that your doing?"

Ella pulled back a little to gaze at William's eyes. She didn't have any intention of hiding that part from him, so she nodded her head and admitted that it was her doing.

"Have you been hiding your true form since I was a baby?" William asked.

This time, Ella shook her head.

"When we first met, I have no recollection of who I was," Ella answered, meeting William's gaze head on. This was her way of showing his foster son that she wasn't lying as she continued her explanation. "I only remembered a bit when you gave me this."

Ella lightly tapped the silver bell on her neck. It was the gift that the God of Shepherd, David, had given him many years ago, and the Half-Elf had given it to Ella as a gift.

"I know you have a lot of questions, and I am willing to answer them all," Ella said softly. "But, this is not the place for such a discussion. Should we go someplace more private?"

It was at this moment when William remembered where they were. Several students had already gathered just inside the gate and watched the otherworldly beauty with dazed expressions, while inwardly cursing at William for gaining another beauty to add to his harem.

If looks could kill, the Half-Elf would have already died a million times over.

William scratched his head as he thought of a way to solve this problem. He was supposed to go to the Demonic Continent, but with Ella's appearance, his plan suddenly halted mid-way.

Sensing his internal struggle, Ella decided to take the initiative and held William's hand.

"Come with me," Ella said as he pulled Wiliam towards the flying ship. "This ship belongs to me, so we can talk inside without worrying about others hearing our conversation."

William nodded and allowed himself to be led to the flying ship by the beautiful lady whose delicate hands made him feel warm and content.

Chiffon hurriedly followed behind him because she had no intention of letting her husband go anywhere with a lady whom she hadn't met before. Kenneth followed behind her. Although it didn't show on his face, he was equally shocked at the revelation that he had seen and heard.

He knew who Ella was and also understood how deeply William cared for her. Back then, when they were still in the Hellan Royal Academy, the Half-Elf had fought for the right to have her stay in the same room as him, which had shocked many students from the Martial Division.

He was very curious about how things would turn out now that Ella had finally reunited with William. The silver-haired Elf could sense that things weren't going to be peaceful now that the Half-Elf's foster mother had arrived on the scene.

Zhu and Sha on the other hand didn't know about Ella. For them, as long as the beautiful lady didn't show any malice, or threaten William, they would not do anything to harm her. Of course, as individuals who had spent over a thousand years in the Celestial Realm, they could feel the Divinity that radiated from Ella's body.

They knew that if they were to really fight her, the chances of them winning were close to zero.

More than anything else, they were very curious about how such an individual became William's foster mother. Both of them knew that the red-headed teenager was different from the rest, but they didn't expect that his foster Mama was a former high-ranking Goddess.

Although much of her powers were gone, someone like her was an existence that could never be provoked by any mortal living under the heavens.

When the ship finally left the port, the crowd that had gathered at the entrance finally dispersed. Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Lilith looked at the flying ship with worry, while Princess Eowyn, Princess Aila, and Pearl looked at it with curious gazes.

The three had only heard bits and pieces of William's and Ella's conversation, but what they heard was enough to shock them to the core, especially Princess Aila and Princess Eowyn who had seen the "goat Ella" back in the Southern Continent.

—--

"Is this one of your wives?" Ella asked as she eyed Chiffon. "She looks adorable."

The pink-haired girl didn't reply and simply latched onto William, while looking at Ella with suspicion. She was like a mother hen protecting her chick, and would not allow a random stranger, especially someone more beautiful, endowed with well shaped breasts and a curvaceous figure, who made her feel inferior, take him from her.

"Yes," William replied. "Her name is Chiffon. She is my third wife, Ma–, I mean Ella."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Third wife? How many wives do you have now?"

She knew that William was being chased by many girls, and she didn't mind him having many wives. But, as someone who had raised him, she didn't want the Half-Elf to end up like Dias, who was an expert skirt chaser.

"Right now, I have five wives," William replied, "and three fiances. You already know who Est is, so I won't say anything more about her. There is also the Amazon Princess, Lilith, whom I have recognized as my fiance. The last one is my Master, Celine. Although we didn't talk much about our relationship, as her first man, I have to take responsibility for my actions."

"So five wives, and three fiances," Ella nodded. "I met with Est before I left the Southern Continent. She misses you terribly, so you should go and visit her as soon as possible. As for Celine… I had a feeling that you will definitely make her yours once you grow up."

"Ma– I mean, Ella, actually I plan to go to the Demonic Continent to look for Celine," William stated. "There is this Elven Prophecy, which talks about this Prince of Darkness. My goal is to find Celine and bring her to Hestia Academy, so she can hide behind its walls until the prophecy's duration comes to an end."

When Ella heard about the Elven Prophecy, she didn't say anything and simply nodded her head. She was aware of this prophecy when William was still young. Right now, the prophecy was about to become a reality.

Ella knew that once that "being" made her move, the laws of the world would be flipped, and no one under the heavens would be able to stop her from doing what she wanted.

"I will go with you to the Demonic Continent," Ella said with a firmness that wouldn't take no for an answer. "Let's find Celine and get her out of there. The sooner you are behind the walls of Hestia Academy, the safer you will be."

"Okay." William nodded.

The Half-Elf thought that Ella was talking about Celine's safety. However, he failed to realize that Ella wasn't talking about the beautiful Elf who had taught William Dark Magic.

No. She was talking about his safety.

As the flying ship changed course and headed towards the Demonic Continent, a certain Primordial Goddess chuckled from high above the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods. Although a single move from her could make her wishes a reality, she deemed that it would be too boring to do that.

Since that was the case, she decided to just watch from the sidelines and see how the events would unfold.

From her Obsidian Throne, the Goddess gazed into the void. A small frown appeared on her beautiful face as someone caught her attention.

"Looks like we will have some gatecrashers this time around," the Primordial Goddess said softly. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it. I just have to see whether or not you are willing to take that step, so that the gamble between the two of us can finally see the light of day."

As someone who had lived since time immemorial, she understood more than anything else that even the most well-thought out plans could easily be shattered when a third, uninvited party, arrived at the scene and messed everything up.

Chapter 958: It Is Also Time For Us To Make Our Move

"Did he leave?" Byron, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy asked Celeste who was standing in front of him.

"Yes," Celeste answered. "He's now headed towards the Demonic Continent."

Byron sighed as he stood up from his seat and looked outside of his window. He gazed in the direction of the Demonic Continent as a frown appeared on his face. Inside Hestia Academy, his words were law, and anyone who dared oppose him would find themselves in big trouble.

However, right now, that same man who stood above the continent felt weariness deep in his bones. An unprecedented event was about to happen, and even now, he still wondered if he made the right decision in sending William to the Demon Lands to retrieve Celine, and bring her back to the academy so that she could be protected.

"Celeste, you know, I considered sealing William inside this academy," Byron stated. "However, I also know that it will be an unfair thing to do to him. Right now, he is just one among the many candidates that is suspected of becoming the prophesied prince. If I really lock him up, he might come to hate me and the academy.

"As the son of the Dungeon Conqueror, and the ruler of the Floor of Asgard, many expectations and responsibilities are placed on his shoulders. Locking him up will just breed resentment and, if I angered him, I'm afraid that even if he is not the prophesied prince, I will be creating an enemy that will not lose to that prophecy."

Celeste quieted down. As someone who was more deeply involved in the prophecy than most, she also shared the same thoughts as the Headmaster. When she first came to see William, her intention was to gauge whether he was indeed the prophesied Prince. However, after interacting with him, she wished more than anything else that she was wrong.

While she represented the Virtue of Chastity, Celeste didn't mind getting her hands dirty in order to protect herself and her sister from the person that was said to claim one of them as his bride. There was a time when she was tempted to end William's life, as well as the lives of the other candidates in order to prevent the prophecy from coming true.

However, she just couldn't take it upon herself in killing innocent people just to protect herself. Deep inside, she was afraid that doing so was a mistake. If she really killed them, and they turned out to be innocent, Celeste knew that the guilt she would feel would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Headmaster, what are the chances of William being the one in the prophecy?" Celeste asked. This was the question that she wanted to know the answer to more than anyone else in the world.

If the boy, whom her sister had chosen to be her only Disciple, and the person who had also gained the Familiamancer Job Class just like her, turned out to be their enemy then it would just be too ironic, to say the least.

"His chances of being the one in the prophecy?" Byron snorted. "The same as everyone else, fifty-fifty. Right now, there are two hundred possible candidates that the agents of our academy have found. Perhaps, there are more in some reclusive regions that even our eyes cannot see.

Celeste, I'm saying this now. Don't leave the academy anytime soon. As long as you are here, you will be safe. But beyond these walls… you're just as defenseless as a newborn babe. No matter how strong Chloee is, or how smart Claire is, they won't be enough to save you."

""Perhaps, the only saving grace for you is that fifty percent chance that the chosen bride will be your sister and not you. Although it is a bit hard to swallow, this is the only protection that can be afforded to you, if and when that prophesied time comes."

Byron sighed for the second time as he returned to his chair. If he could be high-handed, he would forcefully abduct everyone on the list and have them all sealed in the deepest prison under the academy.

"What are the Elves up to?" Byron inquired. "They must be making preparations on their end as well, no?"

Celeste nodded. "I received a letter from my grandfather saying that the Elves are fortifying the defenses on the outer perimeter of the Silverwind Continent. They are also building large-scale magic barriers that will cover the land and sky of the ancestral lands.

"Although I don't know how much help these will be in the future, it is still better than doing nothing. Aside from that, they are also gathering the prodigies of the young generation, so that they can send them to a safe place, just in case the worst case scenario happens.

"They are also ramping up the training of the army, so that they will be able to respond to any kind of threats that will come to the Elven Lands. The Guardians have also finished recuperating from the injuries they had sustained in the battle on the Silvermoon Continent.

"With them taking the lead, the Elves are feeling more hopeful about the supposed tragedy that will befall them."

Byron nodded his head in appreciation when he heard what preparations were being made in the Silvermoon Continent. Although the Elves had suffered a setback in their conquest of the Southern Continent, they still remained one of the strongest races in the world. Even the Humans would have to think twice if they planned to launch an invasion on the Elven Lands.

It was simply unbelievable to think that a single Prince would be able to turn the tables on the Elves despite their race's strength and superiority.

"It's also time for us to make our move," Byron stated. "We cannot just sit on the sidelines and watch as things unfold. Tell the Watchers that they are ordered to mobilize the moment something unexpected happens in the Demonic Continent. Although we cannot openly oppose this new enemy, that doesn't mean that we can't support our allies from the shadows."

Celine nodded her head. The time had come to let the strongest warriors of Hestia Academy mobilize. They were the strongest warriors of Humanity, and none of them could be taken lightly.

The peace and security that Hestia Academy had enjoyed for the past hundreds of years was all due to their relentless effort in weeding out the threats and nipping them in the bud, before they could even grow strong enough to cause harm to the world that they called home.

Chapter 959: Telltale Signs of Invasion

Chapter 959 - Telltale Signs of Invasion

"And so it begins," the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire, Emperor Leonidas, muttered as he read the report given to him by the Grand Archmage, Evexius.

He had ordered everyone to leave the throne room because the things that they needed to discuss were of the utmost importance. Within the Kraetor Empire, only the throne room of the Royal Palace was the safest place to discuss such matters because of the quintuplet layers of protection that had been embedded within its walls.

"All the Kingdoms and Empires in the Central Continent are prioritizing the defense of their respective territories," Evexius stated. "It's really funny how a prophecy, that is not even related to us, can cause such things to escalate in this manner. It is as if everyone is preparing for an invasion that will raze the continent to the ground."

Emperor Leonidas shook his head. "Although you laugh at them for doing such a thing, I can't do the same, old friend. As a ruler, it is my noble obligation to ensure that my kingdom will be safe from harm. After you leave this room, make sure to summon the generals that watch over our borders. We also need to increase the number of men manning the walls of our fortresses, just in case our worst fears come to light."

Evexius nodded his head. "Should we also ask an elite force to escort Princess Sidonie back here to the Kreator Empire?"

"That won't be necessary. There is no safer place on the continent than Hestia Academy. I'm even tempted to send all of my grandchildren there to take shelter for the time being."

"Your Majesty, this is a prophecy that targeted the Elves. Surely, we don't need to make these kinds of preparations on our end?"

Emperor Leonidas leaned back on his throne as he lightly tapped its armrest.

"Old friend, as much as I want to agree with you, there is this nagging feeling at the back of my head that I can't ignore," Emperor Leonidas explained. "I might just be overthinking things, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

"The Demonic Continent has also been quite active as of late. Need I remind you that we are the second closest Empire to its borders? If that bastard Demon Lord suddenly feels the need to invade the Human Continent, our Empire will be the second one to clash with him."

Evexius frowned. "But, aren't you and the current Demon Lord friends?"

"Friends?" Emperor Leonidas scoffed. "I'd rather dine with murderers and criminals than to call that person a friend. I'm sure that all these years, he has wanted to stab me in the back repeatedly. If not for the fact that I am constantly on my guard against him, that bastard might have already succeeded in what he planned to do."

"Is this because of April?" Evexius inquired. He already knew about the feud between Emperor Leonidas and the Demon Lord. Chiffon coming to the Kraetor Empire to study was mostly because of Emperor Leonidas' concern for the last living proof of his strong feelings for Chiffon's mother, April.

"This has nothing to do with April," Emperor Leonidas answered. "Old friend, just believe me and make the necessary preparations. After several years of peace, I'm afraid that the order of the continent is about to shatter once again."

—--

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

The Angorian Goats grazed happily on the grass that William had procured from the God Shop. He had planted these grasses on the plains of his domain in huge numbers because there were several members of his herd that were herbivores.

The trip went pretty smooth at first, but they encountered a few problems along the way.

According to Ella, she had noticed several presences paying close attention to their journey, so Wiliam had personally dealt with these observers and knocked them unconscious.

In order to be lowkey, William ordered Soleil to fly high above the heavens and head to the borders of the Demonic Continent, while William, Ella, Chiffon, Zhu, Sha, and the goats, waited inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

This was the only way that he could think of to evade the eyes of those who were paying close attention to their movements.

Right now, William was currently lying on Ella's lap as he told her everything he had done whle the two of them were away from each other. Back when he was little, he would often take a nap while lying on her soft and fluffy coat.

Now, he was lying on her long, smooth legs, which were surprisingly comfortable.

After coming to know that Ella was William's foster mother, all the hostilities that Chiffon and Lilith felt earlier disappeared completely. In fact, the two were even doing their best to stay on good terms with their mother-in-law, even though Ella only served as William's foster mother when he was young.

Princess Sidonie had also come to accept this shocking revelation. However, seeing that Ella was a level more beautiful than her, she was paying close attention to the interaction between the mother and son pair.

Although everything looked amiable on the surface, the Succubus Princess noticed the loving gazes that the two shared with each other. This gaze was very different from the one William gave his wives and lovers, and it made her feel a bit jealous to see how special Ella was in her husband's heart.

< This can't be helped. How can we possibly measure up against someone who raised him since he was a baby? The way I see it, it's just familiar love, Sidonie. Don't think too much on how they interact with each other. >

'I know, I'm just feeling a bit insecure,' Princess Sidonie admitted her feelings to her other half. 'Times like this make me realize that, even though I've studied many things about Darling, there are still parts that I have missed.'

< This is one of your bad habits. You over analyze things. Just be yourself and interact with our mother-in-law. The way I see it, she's perfectly fine with William having many wives. When William told her about his meeting with his future daughters, Ella was genuinely surprised and happy for him. She couldn't be that bad, right? >

'That's true.' Princess Sidonie nodded.

Although she and the other girls, besides Chiffon, couldn't accompany William on his journey, they could still meet him in the Thousand Beast Domain anytime they wanted. Deep inside, everyone was very happy with this arrangement.

'But, the latest report we got from our spy is a bit concerning,' Princess Sidonie stated. 'The Demon Race is building up their forces along their borders. Although it is still too early to tell, these are the telltale signs that they had plans to invade. Should we warn the Kraetor Empire about what is happening? Do you think Grandfather already knows about this?'

< Although I think he already knows, it will be best if we still send him a report just to be on the safe side. Over a million strong Demon Army is now gathering at the borders. I'm very sure that their numbers are going to increase still. >

Although she had refrained from charming people en masse, Princess Sidonie had still some people planted in the different factions in the world that provided her with regular updates on what was happening in their respective territories.

As someone who always prioritized information battles, this was something that she took upon herself as William's wife. Her husband was a very capable individual, and the only thing she could do to match his brawn was her brains.

After receiving a report about what is happening all over the world, Princess Sidonie had come up with one conclusion.

Something big was happening in the Demonic Continent.

Whatever that thing was, she was sure that her husband would find out about it soon enough.

Chapter 960: The Grudge Of The Demon Lord

Chapter 960 - The Grudge Of The Demon Lord

Seated in the throne room of the palace, the Demon Lord, as well as Chiffon's father, Luciel, eyed his eldest son, Felix, with a serious expression on his face.

"Is it true that the ancient ruins have been found?" Luciel asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Felix answered. "I swear upon my life that what I said is true."

Luciel snorted as he slammed his fist on the armrest of his throne. "Your life is worthless, what I need are results. Tell me, how far have your subordinates explored the ruins?"

Felix gritted his teeth as he answered his father's questions. "Not far. The entrance has a very powerful array that only allows those who wield Dark Magic to enter."

"Then send all the demons who can wield dark magic to investigate," Luciel stated.

"We already did, Your Majesty," Felix replied. "However, none of them have come out yet. We are still waiting for the results of their investigation."

Luciel raised an eyebrow as he listened to his son's report. "None of them have come out? How long have they been inside the ruins?"

"Two weeks. We haven't heard from them since."

"Two weeks?"

The Demon Lord rubbed his chin as he pondered on what this meant for the Demon Kingdom. There were only two possibilities that he could think of.

The first one was that the Demons who entered the ruins had all died. The second one was that they had found something incredible inside and were unable to come out due to certain circumstances.

For Luciel, the second option was the best option because not only did it bode well for his kingdom, it also meant that they were one step closer to having their revenge.

"How is the search for the candidates in our domain going?" Luciel asked. "How many have you gathered?"

"All thirty three candidates have been gathered and are currently waiting outside of the Ancient Ruins," Felix answered. "As soon as our explorers have returned, we will continue with phase two of our plans."

"Very good, at least you can do something decent if you try hard enough."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Luciel made a gesture for Felix to leave, and the latter was more than happy to leave the throne room as fast as he could. When the Prince of the Demon kingdom passed through the doors, one of the ministers that had stayed silent voiced their opinion.

"Your Majesty, after we discovered the Ancient Ruins, the level of magic power in our Domain has increased by two hundred percent. This is the perfect opportunity to cultivate the young talents that will play a major role in our glorious conquest of the Central Continent."

Another minister stepped forward and bowed in front of Luciel before voicing his opinion as well.

"Your Majesty, the Humans, Elves, and the other races have noticed the movements of our armies," the minister said. "I think mobilizing our forces to increase the defenses of our strongholds in the south of our Domain was a premature move on our part.

"Not only did it alert the forces in the Central Continent, they also doubled the number of soldiers manning their fortresses, which are on the borders of our kingdom."

Luciel scoffed at the minister, which made the latter subconsciously take a step back.

"You call my decision premature?" Luciel asked in a tone that reeked of killing intent. "You dare question my order?"

"N-No, Your Majesty! I only think that we should hav—ahhh!"

The minister wasn't able to finish his words because a bastard sword had embedded itself in his chest. Right behind him, a demon with red-skin snarled as it pushed the minister's body away, making him fall face first on the floor.

"Our Lord never makes a mistake," the demon with red skin stated. "You're just too pathetic to understand the reasoning behind it. This Kingdom doesn't need pathetic people like you."

The Minister coughed out a mouthful of blood before he drew his last breath. In his dying moments, he deeply regretted voicing his thoughts for everyone to hear.

"The reason why I increased the forces on our borders was to put the Humans on alert in order to prevent them from spying on what we are currently doing," Luciel explained to everyone in the throne room.

Although he didn't like doing this, the different heads of each Demonic Clan were present, and he needed to make sure that all of them were with him in this grand undertaking that would make, not only the Elves, but all the races in the world to tremble in fear when their forces crossed their borders and invaded the rich and fertile lands of the Central Continent.

"Your Majesty is wise," the red-skinned demon praised Luciel with a tone of reverence. "As long as they think that we are going to invade them, they will use all of their manpower to monitor the forces on our border. They won't have enough men to send to try to find out what we are really doing behind the scenes. This is truly a brilliant masterplan to use their overly suspicious nature to our advantage."

Luciel nodded. Although he didn't like excessive bootlicking, this was part of the politics in the Demonic Continent. Only those with power had the final say in everything.

After losing his arm in the Silvermoon Continent fighting against William's father, Maxwell, the Demon Lord had almost lost his seat of power due to uprisings in the Demon Lands after his failure to conquer the Silvermoon Continent.

Many thought of this as a weakness and tried to usurp him, but all of them failed in the end. Even without his left arm, Luciel's position as Demon Lord wasn't just for show. He also had the skills to back it up, which made all of his adversaries lose their lives under his blade.

Since then, those who dared to challenge his position had been biding their time in the shadows. They were just waiting for Luciel to make another mistake, before all of them swooped in for the kill.

Right now, What Luciel needed was an overwhelming victory in order to solidify his position as the Lord of all Demons. If he can show the Demonic Clans that he was still capable of leading them then his position would remain unchallenged.

The good news was that the Prophecy of the Elves had said that the Prince would be born in the Demonic Continent. This meant that he would have the upper hand once this prophecy came to pass.

Luciel intended to use the Prince Candidate to do his bidding and to conquer the Silvermoon Continent in his name. Once he had fulfilled his revenge, he would then set his eyes on the Human lands, which were ripe for the picking.

"It's quite unfortunate that you're no longer alive, Maxwell." Luciel sneered. "I have long dreamed of paying you back for what you did to me."

For Luciel, getting his arms cut off by Maxwell was the greatest humiliation of his life. If an opportunity presented itself, he would definitely pay the dungeon conqueror tenfold for making his life a living hell ever since that fateful day, more than nineteen years ago.

Chapter 961: Rightfully His By Birth

Chapter 961 - Rightfully His By Birth

"Your Highness, how did the meeting with His Majesty go?" a middle-aged demon, that had a single horn on his head, asked.

"Same as always," Felix replied. "Have you made the necessary preparations, Sebas?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Sebas replied. "They are all waiting for you at the ruins."

Felix nodded as he rode the flying carriage that was especially prepared for him. Right now, the Demonic Clans had gathered in the capital because of the great undertaking that his father, Luciel, wanted to accomplish.

For that to happen, he needed the support of the Patriarchs of the various clans in order to raise an army. As to what that army was supposed to do, only Luciel knew.

That had always been the case. The Demon Lord didn't trust anyone, even his children, when it came to important matters of the realm. Luciel was a selfish, self-centered, individual who only cared about things that would benefit him greatly.

Felix sneered inside his heart as he thought of his crippled father who desperately clung to his throne. Although Luciel still had the support of the majority of the Demonic Clans, his rule was growing more and more unstable with each passing year.

"Your Highness, we will now be entering the Teleportation Gate," Sebas announced.

Felix nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. As Luciel's eldest son, Felix was busy building his own factions that would support him when the time came for him to take over his father's mantle.

'Still, getting the support of these candidates is not going to be easy,' Felix thought as his flying carriage passed through the teleportation gate that would bring him to the recently discovered ancient ruins.

All of the candidates that he was going to meet were all prodigies. Proud geniuses who were a cut above the rest. Between him and his father, he was sure that the candidates would choose the latter to support, but Felix wasn't someone who gave up easily.

If he was able to convince a few of them to join his faction, he would already consider it a victory.

—-

Ancient Ruins of Atrum…

Felix walked proudly, while Sebas followed a few steps behind him.

The guards stationed at the temporary stronghold, that was built on the outskirts of the ruins, pressed their hands to their chests in order to salute him.

Felix gave them a brief nod, as he passed through the gates. There, he was escorted to the lodgings of the candidates who wielded the power of darkness.

The moment he entered the spacious training room, thirty three pairs of eyes locked onto his body. This wasn't the first time he'd met the candidates. Some of them respected him because he was the son of the Demon Lord, while others ignored him because he was merely a son and not the Demon Lord.

Felix was already used to this kind of treatment since it was something he had frequently encountered when he was young, so he didn't mind it one bit.

The first thing he did was approach the strongest, and youngest, among the candidates present in the training room. Felix knew that if he wanted to gather as many elites as possible, he should first take the leader of the pack under his wing.

Once he succeeded, it was only a matter of time before a few more joined as his subordinates.

"Adam, how's your training coming along? Are you satisfied with the arrangements I made for you?" Felix asked with a smile.

A demon who was in his late teens smiled and nodded his head. Adam was a few years younger than Felix, but his purple eyes seemed to have seen many battles in life, which made him look more mature than he actually was.

"This place is wonderful, Your Highness," Adam replied. "However, I'm very curious about the ruins. I feel like there's something inside it that is calling to me. No. To be more exact, there is something inside it that is calling to all of us. Am I right, everyone?"

The other candidates that were older than Adam and Felix by a few years nodded their heads in agreement.

As wielders of the Dark Arts, the ancient ruins were like an oasis to them, who thirsted for water. There was a feeling deep inside their hearts, that what they sought could be found within its depths, which was protected by layers upon layers of deadly arrays.

This was the reason why Feilx had sent every other Demon with lesser potential to explore the ruins. He hoped that once they found a way to reach its depths, they would be able to proceed with the second phase of their plan.

"Rest assured," Felix said as he patted Adam's shoulder. "Once the explorers return, I will let all of you enter the ancient ruins. I just hope that after you manage to learn its secrets, you will share them with me."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Good."

Felix nodded in satisfaction. Adam had already secretly pledged his allegiance to him, so it wasn't bad to give the young prodigy some benefits to solidify his trust.

The eldest son of the Demon Lord then turned his head to the side to look at the other candidates, who were also looking in his direction.

"To those who will excel in this endeavor, you may ask me of one wish," Felix stated. "If I have the power to grant it, I will give it to you without fail. So, do your best to train your Dark Arts until the explorers return. We no longer need to stay here in the Demonic Continent. The world is ours for the taking!"

""Yes!""

The other candidates raised their fists high in the air as if to proclaim that they would be the new conquerors of the world. Felix smiled as he looked at this scene. He was already looking forward to seeing how many of these candidates would become his followers.

Since he was too preoccupied with his thoughts of one-upping his father, he didn't notice the sneer that had briefly appeared on Adam's lips.

A sneer that showed his disdain for the Demon Lord, as well as those who carried his bloodline. For Adam, only one thing mattered and that was power.

As long as he had it, he was willing to bow his head and bide his time until he reached a height that could no longer be reached by others.

Adam was a patient person. As a wielder of Dark Magic, he knew better than anyone else how to act low-key until the perfect opportunity arrived, to claim what was rightfully his by birth.

Chapter 962: Buy One Take Three For Free

Chapter 962 - Buy One Take Three For Free

William stared at the Black Sea in front of him as he rubbed his chin in contemplation.

This was the edge of the Central Continent, and beyond it was the Black Sea that led to the Demonic Continent. If he were to travel it using normal means, the journey would be perilous, and filled with uncertainty.

However, Optimus had told him that there was one interesting island in between the Central Continent and the Demonic Continent, where a dungeon was located. This was the only dungeon that could be found in the Black Sea, so it had sparked William's curiosity.

This Island went by the name Serifos. It was an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere that housed a dungeon called the Dungeon of Gorgons.

There was a time when the Demons tried to build a settlement on the island, but after a year, they were forced to leave due to the unpredictable weather, in addition to the Dungeon Outbreaks that happened once a year.

It was simply a difficult place to relocate to and when the casualties continued to pile up, they no longer wanted to do anything with the island.

The Dungeon of Gorgons had ninety floors. It was ranked as a Class S Dungeon by the System. Optimus thought that it would be very useful to William once he had unlocked his Dungeon Conqueror Job Class' full potential.

The Half-Elf was also very interested in the island, so even though it set them on a long detour in terms of reaching their destination, he still decided to give it a visit.

The Demons no longer traveled to the Black Sea in order to reach the Central Continent. They had built many teleportation gates that they had kept hidden in places where Humans, and the other races, didn't dare to go.

If William wanted to reach the Demonic Continent right away, he would have used these hidden gates as a means to travel, but the allure of establishing a teleportation point on the island using the Ring of Conquest held a temptation that the red-headed teenager couldn't pass up.

"In any case, Soleil is already in the location where one of the teleportation gates is located," William said as if to assure himself. "A little side trip will not hurt too much."

The Half-Elf summoned Raiden and jumped on its back. They flew over the Black Sea as dark clouds hung above their heads.

Flashes of lightning, and the rumble of thunder greeted their arrival as if welcoming their Lord, who had graced their subjects with his presence. As someone who possessed the Thunder Emperor Job Class, William and the Black Qilin, Raiden, were the least scared of the thunder and lightning.

Three days passed before William arrived at the Island of Sefiros.

But, unlike what Optimus had said, the island was not uninhabited. There were literally hundreds of monsters living on the island, and all of them looked like walking abominations. Some looked like a giant sea slug, while others looked like demihumans with grotesque features.

However, no matter what they looked like, they all had one thing in common and that was their snake-like hair that slithered, and hissed at William who was looking down on them from the sky.

< These monsters are capable of spraying deadly venom at their enemies. Although I'm sure that they wouldn't do much damage to you, it would be best to summon only members of your Herd and King's Legion who are Millennial Rank and above. >

William nodded his head in understanding. Truth be told, he didn't have any intention of fighting the monsters in the dungeon. His goal here was to set up a waypoint, so that the dungeon would be connected to the Ring of Conquest.

However, if he wanted to do that, he must clear half of the floors of the dungeon first. This was a condition that had been set by the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class.

As William was about to psyche himself up to enter the dungeon, one of the monsters on the island flew up towards him.

The Half-Elf was about to attack, but stopped midway when he noticed that the monster flying towards him bore no killing intent. In fact, the monster even made a gesture of pressing her open palms over her chest, which some people in the Central Continent use to express that they meant no harm.

The flying monster stopped several meters away from William and spoke in the language of the Gorgons which were composed of hissing sounds that would not make sense to ordinary people.

However, William had Optimus who could translate almost any language in the world, so understanding what the Gorgon was trying to say was not a problem for him. The Half-Elf had to admit that he was quite curious about what the flying monster wanted to say to him.

"I welcome you, Dungeon Conqueror." The flying monster bowed its head in greeting. "We have been waiting for many years for your arrival. Please, proceed to the lowest floors of the Dungeon. Not one of our brethren will block your path."

William blinked once then twice before the flying monster's words registered inside his head. This was the first time he had experienced something like this, and he didn't know how to react to the sudden pie that fell from the sky.

'Optimus, did we just get a free Class S Dungeon?'

< It seems like it. >

The Half-Elf was still half in doubt about what the flying monster was saying. However, after entering the Dungeon, the red-headed teenager found himself not in the first floor, but in the Final Boss Room where three beautiful women smiled at him as if they had found something very tasty to eat.

William gulped as he looked at the three beauties in front of him. Right now, there was only one thought in his mind and that was…

'I guess this is what you call "Buy one take three for free",' William thought as he smiled back at the three beauties in front of him, whose charming eyes almost turned him to stone.

Chapter 963: Either We All Go, Or We Don't Go At All

Chapter 963 - Either We All Go, Or We Don't Go At All

"So, what are your favorite foods?" William asked the three Gorgons who were

"Humans."

"Demons."

"Half-Elves."

"Okay. From this day onwards, Half-Elves are no longer part of the menu," William replied as the corner of his lips twitched. The youngest of the Gorgon Sisters, Medusa, who reminded him of the purple-haired young lady in Faith Gran Order, smiled sweetly at him.

The three Gorgon sisters chatted with William as if they had been his long time friends, who just happened to reunite with him after many years.

The red-headed teenager found the three ladies quite lovely, and easy to talk to. The Gorgons told him about the time when the Humans, and Demons, tried to establish a city on the island, and why they failed in securing a foothold, despite having many strong individuals in their ranks.

"This island is a very special kind of island," the oldest of the three Gorgon Sisters, Stheno, explained. "Twice a year, this island will submerge itself under the sea and stay in its depths for a week.

"During that time, no one is able to enter the dungeon, so those caught by the sudden change of events would either find themselves trapped inside the dungeon, or floating in the sea in the middle of nowhere."

Euryale, who was listening at the side, giggled as she also added another possibility.

"Those who can't swim find themselves sinking along with the island, only to be buried at the bottom of the sea for all eternity," Euryale added.

Stehno nodded as if to affirm her sister's claim.

"Because of this phenomenon, this island was given the nickname Sinking Island, and everyone stopped visiting us," Stheno complained. "It's been several years since I've eaten Humans and Demons. I hope that our new Master, You, will allow us to dine as we please!"

The Half-Elf could only smile on the surface as beads of sweat start to form on his forehead. Stheno's words were quite sincere and had no falsehoods whatsoever. Meaning, she really planned to eat Humans and Demons, and her pleading gaze made William feel like taking them in was a bad idea.

"Don't worry, Master," Euryale commented from the side. "Without your orders, we won't eat Humans and Demons, even if they walked right in front of us…"

Euryale wasn't able to finish her words because William had summoned Zhu and presented him in front of the three sisters.

Immediately, the three gorgon sisters salivated as they gazed at the chubby Demonic Pig, who suddenly felt like his chastity was in danger.

"Oink! What are you girls looking at?" Zhu asked as he slowly backed away. "Will, bro, my friend, my nakama, where am I? Who are they?"

Stheno and Euryale tried to reach out at Zhu, but the latter was one step ahead of them and hid behind Wiliam's back.

The Half-Elf scratched his head as he introduced the three Gorgon sisters, who were looking at Zhu as if he was lunch.

"Zhu, these are our future comrades," William answered. "Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Girls, this is my friend Zhu."

"Nice to meet you, piggy."

"Today's lunch will be porkchop."

"Roasted pork is nice as well…"

Zhu felt all the fat in his body tremble in unison as he stared at the three beautiful ladies whose saliva flowed out from the corners of their lips like a river.

"Will…"

"Okay."

The Half-Elf returned the trembling Zhu back to the Thousand Beast Domain, which made the three ladies have a disappointed look on their faces. Just from that short experiment, the Half-Elf knew that the girls were still not ready to mingle with other races aside from their kind.

The only reason why they didn't consider William as food was because he was the successor of the Dungeon Conqueror. For the Gorgon Sisters, he was their ticket out of this miserable place, so they had no intention to harm him.

"I need to tell you girls the truth," William said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Although I am indeed the successor of the Dungeon Conqueror, most of my abilities are sealed. Meaning, I can't register your dungeon as part of my army."

William's words made the three gorgons look at him in confusion.

"Explain the details," Stheno stated. "Why are your abilities sealed?"

The Half-Elf nodded his head and told the three ladies that he still hadn't met his father's friend, who held the key to unlock all the abilities of the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class. He also told them that his purpose for visiting the island was to put his mark on it, so he could teleport to it instantly once his abilities were unlocked.

Stheno and Euryale glanced at each other as they contemplated William's words. Only Medusa looked at William with a sad expression, as if she was denied something good to eat.

"How long do you think it will take before you meet your father's… friend?" Stheno asked. "A year? Two years? Three years?"

William shook his head. "I do not know when, but I have a feeling that it will not take long for that day to arrive. If I had to give an estimate, it would be in a year, or less than a year before my Dungeon Conqueror's Job Class is unlocked."

What Wiliam didn't tell the Gorgon Sisters was that, even without his father's friend, he would be able to unlock the power of his Dungeon Conquer Job Class in less than a year. His recent adventures in the Forbidden Ground, had brought him a lot of benefits, including the laws that he had acquired from the Deadlands.

These laws had merged with William's body, and they had mostly unsealed the restrictions placed on the Prestige Class that was passed to him by his father.

The smile on Stheno's and Euryale's faces returned after hearing William's reply.

"Then, we have a favor to ask," Stheno said as she patted William's right shoulder. "Take our little sister, Medusa, with you. She's not bound to the Dungeon, so she can move freely anywhere."

Euryale nodded her head in agreement. "Her rank is also at the peak stage of the Millennial Beast. She will definitely be helpful to you in the future."

Medusa, who was just listening to the side, suddenly became alarmed when she heard that her two sisters were planning to send her away. Ever since she had been born, she had been with Stheno and Euryale. The mere thought of being separated from the two of them made her panic.

"No! I won't leave!" Medusa clung to her big sisters as she pleaded. "Either we all go, or we don't go at all. I'm not leaving without the two of you!"

"Hah~ You're so silly, Medusa," Stheno said as she patted her little sister's head. "Just think of it as going away on a short vacation. It's not as if we are parting forever."

"That's right," Euryale commented. "You know where this island is, so you can return here at any given time. So, why don't you explore the world for a bit? You have been cooped inside this island for so long, that the only thing that you have seen of the outside world is the black sea, and that gloomy sky above our heads."

William was touched by the two sisters' encouragement to Medusa. However, those feelings instantly disappeared when he heard the next set of words that Stheno told her.

"The world is a beautiful place," Stheno added. "As you know, we can't leave this island. But, nothing can stop you from doing so. This is a perfect opportunity to gather as many Demons and Humans as possible for us to eat!"

"Yes!" Euryale nodded like a hen pecking rice. "It's an all you can eat buffet! Just imagine eating as many Humans and Demons as you can, without worrying that they will be gone the next day. Isn't it simply fantastic?"

Medusa drooled at the images that her sisters were painting inside her head. As if waiting for that moment, Stheno and Euryale delivered the killing blow which made Medusa's will falter.

"You love us, right?" Stheno asked. "Since that is the case, you should bring as many Humans and Demons as you can back to this island. That way, we can eat them too!"

"I want Elves as well," Euryale declared. "Since Half-Elves are no longer part of the menu, get me some of those long-eared delicacies. Their bodies are overflowing with magical and spiritual power. Just thinking about them makes me drool."

Medusa nodded her head with a determined expression as if she was a brave general who was going to order takeout at McBonalds, which she would bring back home to her sisters.

William, who was watching this scene from the side, felt his liver itch. He was wondering if it really was a good idea to bring the young lady out to the world, who was determined to catch Humans, Demons, and Elves, so she could bring them back to the island of Serifos and eat with her sisters.

—---

Chapter 964: Not If I Eat You First

Chapter 964 - Not If I Eat You First

"W-Wow," Medusa exclaimed as she looked at the creatures that lived in the Thousand Beast Domain.

This was the first time she had seen so many different types of creatures in one place, and she couldn't stop herself from salivating as she gazed at all of them.

It was at this moment when a certain rainbow-colored Anteater walked towards William. Kasogonaga had been busy helping the Requiem Antz increase their ranks by letting them explore the Dungeon of Atlantis and bring back the corpses of the creatures inside it, so that their Queen could eat them.

Right now, the majority of the Antz, numbering in the tens of thousands, were at the peak of Class B Monsters. It would just be a matter of time before all of them broke through Class A, which would make William the owner of one of the strongest armies in the continent.

"Will, why did you call for me? Don't you know that I am busy?" Kasogonaga asked as it neared William.

The anteater wasn't aware that a certain Gorgon had locked it into her sights. When Kasogonaga was only two meters away from the Half-Elf, Medusa immediately lunged at it and grabbed it in her arms.

William laughed internally as he watched the entire thing unfold. He knew that Medusa wouldn't be able to control her urge to attack the beasts in his domain, so he planned to teach her a lesson.

He called Kasogonaga to meet him without telling the Anteater the reason why he called for it. Just as he expected, the little gorgon lunged at the first beast that came within her strike range.

Soon, a resounding cracking sound, followed by a panicked cry, reverberated inside the Thousand Beast Domain.

Medusa hurriedly backed away as she dropped the curled up rainbow-colored Anteater in her hands. She then covered her lips as tears streamed down her eyes.

William glanced at the several cracked teeth that lay on the ground after the little gorgon bit the Sky Deity, who was known for having one of the strongest scales in the multiverse.

Kasogonaga rolled towards William before uncurling itself, and glared at the crying purple-haired girl who had lost several of her teeth.

"What's that? Chiffon's long lost cousin?" Kasogonaga inquired as it narrowed its eyes at the now wailing little girl, who got her just desserts for biting something that she couldn't chew.

William chuckled when he heard Kasogonaga's question. Comparing Medusa to his glutton wife was like comparing heaven and earth. If Chiffon really wanted to eat Kasogonaga, the rainbow-colored Anteater would be hard pressed to escape once Chiffon activated her Divinity of Gluttony.

"She is Medusa," William explained after he finished laughing. "From now on, she will be staying here with us until I can fully unlock the power of my Dungeon Conqueror Job Class."

Kasogonaga clicked its tongue because it could tell that the purple-haired little girl was trouble. If it hadn't reacted fast enough to stop itself, it might have unleashed its sharp spikes, which would have pierced Medusa's throat, when she tried to take a chunk of flesh earlier.

"Medusa, you should really curb your instinct to try and eat any beast that you see," William stated as he pressed his hand over the little gorgon's head. He then activated his Life Wizard lesser restoration magic, to help the crying girl recover the teeth that she had lost.

When the pain went away, Medusa touched her newly grown teeth to test if they had really regenerated. After making sure that they were fine, she hugged William's leg and thanked him for restoring her teeth.

'She's like a little pet,' William thought as he patted her head. Just as the Half-Elf was about to introduce Medusa to the other inhabitants of his domain, a pink-haired girl walked towards him with a smile.

"Will, have you already arrived on the island of Serifos?" Chiffon asked. She then looked at the purple-haired girl who was hugging her husband's leg with an amused expression on her face.

Before William could even introduce the two to each other, Medusa lunged at Chiffon with her mouth wide open.

When she was only a few meters away from the pink-haired girl, the latter raised her hand summoning her mace, Sharur. The mace instantly enlarged itself to up to four meters in thickness, in accordance to Chiffon's will.

The pink-haired girl then smashed the mace, that earned the nickname "Smasher of Thousands", into the gluttonous Gorgon without a shred of mercy.

A powerful shockwave spread across the surroundings, as Sharur pinned Medusa on the ground, like a nail that had been hit by a hammer.

William, and Kasogonaga winced at the same time because they knew for certain that anything hit by that attack would definitely be in a world of pain.

Chiffon raised the mace to inspect the condition of the girl that had tried to attack her. Medusa was at the peak of the Millennial Stage, so she had survived the attack. However, she wasn't feeling too good as she reached out to the pink-haired girl in front of her.

"I-I will eat you!" Medusa declared.

The corner of Chiffon's lips curled up into a smirk because she found the words of the little-girl, who was the same height as her, very funny.

"You are going to eat me?" Chiffon asked with an amused expression on her face.

"Yes!" Medusa replied angrily. "I will eat you!"

Chiffon smiled evilly as she looked down at the struggling little girl in front of her.

"Not if I eat you first," Chiffon stated. As soon as those words left her lips, the Number One Glutton under the heavens opened her mouth wide.

Just like a powerful vacuum cleaner, Chiffon swallowed up the little gorgon until she disappeared under William's and Kasogonaga's horrified gazes.

"Chiffon! Spit her out!" William immediately grabbed his wife's shoulders. "Medusa is still ignorant of the world. She thinks that everything that moves is food!"

Chiffon hugged William and patted his back.

"Don't worry. I just stored her in my 99th stomach," Chiffon replied as if to assure William that Medusa was safe. "My stomach acid over there is only strong enough to make her skin feel itchy. The most it can do is melt her clothes. Relax, she will be fine."

William and Kasogonaga both sighed in relief because they thought that Chiffon had really eaten Medusa.

"Can you let her out now?" William inquired.

Although Chiffon had already told him that Medusa was fine, he was still worried because the little Gorgon was now his responsibility. If anything happened to her, it might sour the relationship he had with Stheno and Euryale, and he didn't want that to happen.

Chiffon shook her head firmly before giving her husband a teasing smile. "It will be best if I teach her a little lesson first. That way, she will not accidentally die once she comes face to face with someone whose appetite is greater than hers."

Chiffon smiled sweetly which made William and Kasogonaga feel their liver itch. Clearly, the pink-haired girl really wanted to punish Medusa for even thinking of eating, the sole person who could devour almost anything in the world, just by opening her cute, and adorable, mouth.

Chapter 965: Do You Believe In Dark Magic?

Chapter 965 – Do You Believe In Dark Magic?

“Adam, did you really align yourself with the Prince?” one of the prodigies that were also in the stronghold asked.

“Yes,” Adam replied. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s just a puppy compared to his father. Why didn’t you swear allegiance to the Demon Lord instead?”

“In my eyes, there’s not much difference between them.”

“Hahaha! Do you mean to tell me that in your eyes, the Demon Lord is just another puppy?”

Adam smiled as he lightly patted the young prodigy’s shoulder.

“The one who said that was you, and not me,” Adam replied before leaving the prodigy behind.

The youngest and strongest among the Dark Magicians in the Demon Continent returned to his room and shut the door firmly. He then activated his powers to ensure that no kind of scrying, or spying magic had been placed inside his room.

After making sure that everything was in order, he activated a sound proofing spell to prevent anyone from hearing anything that he did inside his room.

‘Fools, you still don’t understand the situation you are in,’ Adam thought. ‘Once we get hold of the power inside the Ancient Ruins, no prince, or emperor, will be able to stop us from usurping their position. All of you are just frogs in the well who don’t know anything about the opportunity that is right in front of you.’

As someone who held the purest, and strongest form of Dark Magic in the group, Adam was able to feel the limitless magic power inside the Ancient Ruin. if he was able to absorb it, the Demon Lord would just be another “puppy” in his eyes.

Several hours later, under the cover of darkness, Adam left his room and snuck towards the ancient ruins. He had covered his body in Dark Magic and applied stealth to himself, so that he wouldn’t be discovered by anyone.

The main entrance had several guards stationed in it, so any unauthorized persons wouldn’t be able to slip through. However, Adam didn’t need to enter the front door to enter the ancient ruins.

He had already sensed another place, that was far away from the prying eyes of others, where he could enter. He had accidentally discovered it while on his morning jog around the Ancient Ruins, which was just an excuse to observe it from a distance.

He still hadn’t tried to enter that backdoor, since the security at that time was quite tight. Fortunately, all of the guards were now stationed at the main entrance, so it was easier to slip past their area of detection.

Adam leaned on the wall of the ancient ruins, and looked at his left and right side. The night was silent, so any kind of sound would easily reach his ears. After making sure that there was nothing unusual in his surroundings, he placed his right arm over a runic design on the wall’s surface.

A few seconds later, a black portal appeared, and Adam didn’t waste any time and entered it without fear. He knew that within great danger, lay great opportunities as well.

—–

“Adam, are you awake?” Felix asked as he knocked on the door of Adam’s room. “Can we talk??”

Felix waited outside of Adam’s room, but no reply came to him. He continued to call for the young genius for ten more minutes before finally deciding to give up.

‘He might be tired from his daily training,’ Felix thought as he decided to take a stroll around the stronghold. He had been assigned by his father to be the supervisor of the stronghold, so no one stopped him from doing anything he wanted.

After an hour of patrolling the area, looking for opportunities to have a chat with the various prodigies living inside the stronghold, the Prince of the Demon Lands stared at the Ancient Ruins from the elevated viewing platform that allowed anyone to observe it from a safe distance.

‘Just what kind of secrets are you hiding, and will I be able to put any of them to good use?’ Felix frowned. Although he was the eldest son of the Demon Lord, he could feel the contempt in the eyes of the prodigies that he had encountered inside the stronghold.

Felix knew that these prodigies thought too highly of themselves, especially since their existence was being given top priority by the Demon Lord himself. Aside from Adam, he was only able to bring two more candidates under his wing, but after looking at the rest of the candidates, he knew that no one would be joining his faction anytime soon.

‘Well, I still have time,’ Felix thought. ‘As soon as the explorers return, I will be able to devise a way to let my chosen candidates advance inside the Ancient Ruins first, leaving the others behind.

“This way, they will understand that, as long as I am the supervisor of this place, they will have to curry favors from me, or they will be left alone to rot inside this stronghold while my candidates explore the secrets of the Ancient Ruins.”

Felix knew that if words of this reached his father, the latter would be displeased. However, he could always make the excuse of sending a few people to test the ruins first, to ensure that it was safe enough to send all the candidates in.

Although Luciel would still find this excuse troublesome, the Demon Lord would also see the reasoning behind it, which gave Felix the opportunity to have his way inside the Stronghold

The Demon Prince didn’t know that “one” of his chosen candidates was already inside the ruins and investigating it without his permission.

—–

Inside the Ancient Ruins…

“So, this is the reason why none of the explorers returned,” Adam muttered as he narrowed his eyes.

He had come across two demons sealed in what seemed to be giant blocks of Obsidian. Their horrified expressions told him that something might have happened to them before they met their tragic fates.

Adam carefully traversed the maze-like structure in search for more clues about the missing explorers. His purpose in going find them was not to save them, but to understand the dangers that were lurking inside the Ancient Ruins.

Although he was confident in his Dark Magic, Adam understood that he was far from invincible. As the young prodigy traveled within the ruins, he found three more explorers, embedded in the walls, pierced by several steel spears that pinned them in place.

The young genius frowned when he saw this because ordinary spears couldn’t possibly kill these demons. Although the explorers knew Dark Magic, their knowledge was not as profound as Adam’s. Because of this they were used as guinea pigs by Felix to scout the Ancient Ruins in order to pave the path for the other prodigies.

Felix had prepared himself to see that some of the explorers had died during their mission, but he didn’t expect that not even one of them would be able to return alive to report about the things that they had found inside it.

As Adam was inspecting the dead bodies pinned on the wall, he heard a muffled laugh coming from the other side of the hallway.

His body immediately tensed as he chose between investigating the source of the sound, to fleeing the place before anything untoward happened to him.

Adam was an ambitious person, so he would always prioritize his safety above all else. As soon as he made up his mind, he hurriedly retraced the path he had taken that would lead him back to the exit.

However, after making a turn, he came face to face with what seemed like a Dark Wraith blocking the passage that led to the exit.

“Tell me… child,” the Dark Wraith said in a hoarse voice that made Adam’s heart tremble.

“Do you… believe… in… Dark Magic?”

Chapter 966: Exploit Me In Any Way You Wish

Chapter 966 – Exploit Me In Any Way You Wish

Adam made his way back to the Stronghold with his heart caught up in his throat. The things he saw, and the entity he met along the way, made him realize how dangerous the Ancient Ruins truly were.

‘If I answered wrongly back there, would I have suffered the same fate as those people?’ Adam’s body unconsciously trembled as he remembered the scene that had happened not too long ago.

When the Dark Wraith asked him if he believed in Dark Magic, he had answered with a Yes. He thought that it would be over after that question, but he was greatly disappointed when the Dark Wraith asked him a second question, then a third question.

All in all, the Dark Wraith asked him five questions. After answering all of them, the Dark Wraith gave him a bone-chilling laugh before disappearing like a wisp of smoke.

Adam didn’t know if he answered all of the questions correctly or not. All he knew was that if the Dark Wraith wanted to end his life then and there, it could have easily done it without breaking a sweat.

Just as he was about to arrive near the Stronghold, he noticed a figure standing on top of the elevated platform, looking straight at him.

Adam momentarily stopped to see who it was. After identifying the person as the Eldest Prince of the Demon Lord, he gave Felix a brief bow before entering the Stronghold.

He had no intention of telling anyone what he saw, not even the Prince who believed that he had Adam in the palm of his hands.

—–

Meanwhile back in the Central Continent…

William had used Soleil to instantly travel to one of the locations where the teleportation gates of the Demonic Continent were found.

This place was strictly regulated by Demons, so any other race—aside from them—wouldn’t be able to pass through the gates without being attacked by the guards that were stationed to protect it.

After careful consideration, William knew that the best approach was to enter the place as Demons, so he, Zhu, and Sha discussed their plans for infiltration within the Thousand Beast Domain.

“First, we will proclaim ourselves as slave traders,” William said. “Even if we manage to pass through the teleportation gates, we will still be questioned at the fortress that guards the Demon Continent’s borders. Posing as slave traders will allow us to easily infiltrate the stronghold.”

“This is a good plan, Oink, but, how can we be slave traders if we don’t have slaves?” Zhu asked as he scratched his head.

“Who said we don’t?” William smiled as his gaze landed on Charmaine, and the other elves who were serving them tea. “Will you be fine with this arrangement, Charmaine?”

“I am fine with being Sir William’s personal slave,” Charmaine answered in a heartbeat. “Feel free to exploit me in any way you wish.”

“Me, too, Sir William,” a pretty Elf commented. “I will carry out this mission without fail. Also, feel free to exploit me as well during the duration of this mission to make it look convincing.”

“That’s right, Sir William,” another Elf commented. “Elves are usually used as sex slaves by the Demons. As slave traders, you need to show them your lecherous side as well.”

William nodded as he patted Zhu’s shoulders. “I’ll leave the lecherous side to you.”

“Sorry, but I’ll pass,” Zhu replied without batting an eye. “It will be more convincing if you were the one that does it. After all, me and Sha are still inexperienced when it comes to women.”

He knew that if he really did anything lecherous to the Elven beauties, all of them would unite to castrate him.

Hearing Zhu’s answer, the Elves nodded their heads and returned their sharp daggers to where they hid under the skirts of their maid uniforms. If the Demonic Pig had said yes, all of those daggers would have pierced his body, turning him into a pin cushion.

Sha on the other hand, averted his gaze. A red hue was creeping up his neck and cheeks as he pretended that he didn’t hear Zhu’s words. The Demonic Pig chuckled as he placed his arms over Sha’s shoulders because he thought that his friend was being shy about being called inexperienced.

What Zhu didn’t know was that Sha was already in a steady relationship with the black-haired librarian back in Hestia Academy. Both of them had done the deed several times, and he was no longer as “inexperienced” as Zhu thought he was.

“It can’t be helped then.” William sighed as he glanced apologetically at Charmaine and the other elves. “If the circumstances call for it, I may do inappropriate things to you girls. I apologize in advance for my rudeness.”

“Not at all, Sir William,” Charmaine replied with a smile. “We are willing to play our part well in order to make this mission a success.”

William smiled and nodded his head. Although he felt bad about taking advantage of his maids, there was simply no other choice but to do it.

“Very well, I will make the preparations now,” William closed his eyes as his body glowed briefly.

When the light receded, a black-haired young man, who may be considered good looking, but fell short when compared to the Half-Elf, appeared in front of everyone.

“How do I look?” William asked.

“You look nice,” Charmaine replied as a blush crept on her pretty face.

Although the current William was not as good looking as his former self, the appearance he had right now had a more innocent appeal, which made Charmaine, and the other Elves attracted to him.

“Darling, is that you?” Princess Sidonie asked as she entered the Villa, followed closely by Ashe.

William nodded. “It is me.”

“I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“That’s the plan. My face is too well-known, so I can’t use it to infiltrate the Demonic Lands. It will be best if I use this appearance for the time being, so that our plan will be successful.”

At first, William was surprised when Optimus told him that another ability had been added to his Quick-Shot Shepherd Job Class when he returned to Hestia. This new ability was the ability to change his appearance to what he looked like back on Earth when he was still living.

Although the Half-Elf didn’t know how he acquired this ability, he was more than happy to use it. This way, no one would be able to recognize him, even if he were to strut around under the eyes of the people who were familiar to him.

However, William was not finished yet. He then equipped his Vampire Progenitor Job Class which gave him a noble presence. Although it made him look paler, it also added a bad guy sharpness to his look, which made the Succubus Princess have the strong urge to have a taste of this brand new William whom she had never seen before.

Seeing Princess Sidonie’s gaze, the Half-Elf hurriedly cleared his throat and told everyone that the operation would start in eight hours.

William knew that if he didn’t sate Princess Sidonie’s cravings, her Divinity might flare up while he was doing his mission.

This was something that he couldn’t afford to have happen, so he had no choice but to spend quality time with her, Ashe, and Chiffon, so that his wives would be watered adequately, and not left to dry, while he looked for Celine’s whereabouts in the Demonic Continent.

Chapter 967: I Dare You To Make Love To Me Right Here, Right Now

Chapter 967 – I Dare You To Make Love To Me Right Here, Right Now

The Guard Captain that protected the Teleportation Gate perked up when he saw several carriages approaching their location.

Guarding the teleportation gate was a boring task, they were assigned to stay there for two months before their commander would send a new batch of people to take their place.

It had only been three weeks since he, Ozul, had been assigned to guard this barren place, with over three demons from the Demonic Continent. So far, everything was going smoothly, with the occasional slave trader, bounty hunter, and mercenary passing through the gates once or twice a week.

As the group neared, he noticed that the carriage leading the group was pulling a large cage. Several Elven ladies were tied up inside it with specially designed chains that prevented them from using their magic.

This was a very common procedure when handling races with powerful magic, and Ozul had seen his fair share of such things. However, this was the first time that he had seen Elf slaves and it made him think of indecent things.

Five minutes later, two carriages stopped at the bronze gate, which barred anyone from entering the Demon Encampment.

“Halt!” Ozul shouted. “What business do you have here?”

After making his declaration, the carriage door opened and a teenager with short black hair, and brown eyes emerged from it. He had a teasing smile on his face as he dragged a pretty Elf behind him as he walked towards the bronze gate.

“My name is William, and I have come here to use the teleportation gates to return to the Demonic Continent,” William lazily stated. “There is business to be had, and I will definitely sell these beauties to the highest bidder in the capital city. Aren’t I right, sweetheart?”

William wrapped her right arm to the Elven beauty beside him whose proud face was filled with disgust.

The Demons who were manning the ramparts whistled when they saw Charmaine’s pretty face, who was being held by the black-haired teenager.

“So, you came to do business,” Ozul smiled as his eyes appraised Charmaine’s body. The pretty Elf was wearing nothing but rags that showed some juicy parts, which made the Guard Captain’s inner desires flare up. “I like doing business as well. Men, open the gates!”

The bronze gate slowly opened wide to allow William’s group to pass through. The black-haired teenager walked lazily, while half dragging the pretty Elf beside him, who was powerless against his whims.

“Hurry up, girl,” William ordered. “Or would you like me to screw you in front of these gentlemen for their entertainment?”

“You evil fiend!” Charmaine replied. “You can do whatever you want with my body, but you will never have my heart!”

William chuckled as he pulled the Elf towards him, and locked her body in a firm hold with his right hand.

“Sorry, gentlemen, this lass is quite stubborn and arrogant,” William said as he winked at the Demons who watched this scene with amused expressions on their faces. “Breaking her will give me incredible pleasure and satisfaction.”

“Who’s afraid of who?” Charmaine stated as she struggled in William’s hold. “You’re just all talk. I dare you to make love to me right here, right now.”

William raised his hand and held Charmaine’s chin in a firm grip. “Are you sure? You want me to humiliate you right in front of these gentlemen? You have guts, I’ll give you that.”

“Shut up and do me! We’ll see who has guts between the two of us, or are you scared?”

“Girl, don’t push my patience.”

“You’re all talk and no action,” Charmaine sneered. “You want to make me submit? You have to man up first!”

The Demons cheered, and whistled as they saw the arrogant Elf badmouth her captor fearlessly. William, on the other hand, felt that Charmaine’s acting was over the top. She was even pressing her body against his, as if daring him to do her in front of the Demons, whose eyes glinted with greed.

Even Ozul was quite impressed about the Elf’s tenacity, which made him more interested in her.

Since that was the case, he took the initiative to introduce himself to the black-haired teenager whose pale skin made everyone identify him as a member of the Vampire race.

“I am Ozul, the Guard Captain of this encampment,” Ozul declared. “William, since you want to do business, how about you sell that Elf girl to me? Name your price.”

William glanced at the Demon who had light-brown skin and a scorpion tail hanging behind his back. One quick glance and he knew that this particular demon was of the Adamantium Rank, which was equivalent to that of a Centennial Beast.

“Sorry, but I decided to make this b*tch my personal toy,” William replied. “As for the others, I plan to auction them, and sell a few directly to the Demon Princes.”

Ozul frowned when he heard William’s reply. He knew that Elves fetched a high price due to their beauty and rarity. They just couldn’t be compared to Human slaves that could be captured in the dozens.

“Well, I won’t let you pass unless you sell me one of your wares,” Ozul stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I am the one that calls the shots here. If you don’t like to sell, I can also take them by force, right, boys?”

The Demons shouted in agreement at their captain’s words. Having a few Elven beauties to enjoy for the duration of their stay was not a bad idea.

After checking that the black-haired teenager only had a chubby Demonic Pig, and a skinny Demon with blue skin as bodyguards, the Demons guarding the gate felt that stealing the slave trader’s slaves was a very profitable idea.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” William said in a teasing tone. “Do you want Prince Felix to personally chop your heads off?”

The Demons who had started to encircle William’s group immediately froze, and looked at the black-haired teenager with suspicious gazes.

“His Highness personally ordered me to capture these Elves at the risk of my life,” William stated. “I already informed him that I would be returning soon, and even told him that I would be using this encampment as the gateway into the Demonic Continent. If something happens to me, or my wares, all of you are dead.”

The Demons glanced at each other. Their eyes showed unwillingness, as well as fear as they felt unsure about what to do next. In the end, they all stared at their Captain, who was eyeing William with a serious expression on his face.

“Very well, I will let you pass here under one condition,” Ozul said with a devilish look on his face. “I want to see how you will break that Elf, and make her submit to you. If you can’t do it, you will not pass this place. Aren’t I right, boys?”

The Demons once again cheered in agreement. Although they weren’t able to touch the merchandise, they were more than happy to watch an entertaining show, and see how the pretty Elf would be humiliated in front of them.

What these Demons didn’t know was that Charmaine was giving Ozul two thumbs up in her heart. She then gazed at William with a contemptuous look, as she waited for him to humiliate her in front of the Ozul’s lecherous gaze.

Chapter 968: I Will Treasure This Fleeting Happiness

Chapter 968 – I Will Treasure This Fleeting Happiness

(Disclaimer: there are some minor R-18 scenes in this chapter.)

‘Isn’t your acting a bit too good?’ William asked Charmaine via telepathy.

The pretty Elf smiled as she replied to her Master’s question. She didn’t mind being humiliated in front of everyone, as long as the one that was humiliating her was the person standing next to her.

‘Sir William, doing it like this will make it more convincing,’ Charmaine answered. ‘Demons are known for their lecherous tendencies, if you don’t do anything, they might suspect that you are fake.’

‘You’re really making things difficult for me. Are you prepared for this?’

‘No matter what happens, I will carry out this mission without fail. Come at me, Master!’

William was touched by Charmaine’s sacrifice, so he decided to get a little bit serious as well.

“Those eyes of yours, ever since I saw them for the first time, I have long wanted to make you kneel before me,” William stated as he looked down at the pretty Elf, whom he had forced to kneel on the ground. “Before this day is over, you will know who your real Master is.”

Charmaine looked up with a defiant gaze as she gritted her teeth. “I’d like to see how you will make me submit to you.”

The Demons laughed as they taunted William that he should just switch with them, so that they could teach him how to break the pretty Elf, who was showing her arrogant nature.

Ozul crossed his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes. A part of him was disappointed that he wasn’t the one who would personally break Charmaine, but the other half was looking forward to an entertaining show that was rarely seen inside the Demon Encampment.

“Fine.” William sneered. “Since you want it rough, I’ll make your wish come true.”

William pulled Charmaine up by grabbing onto her hair, which made the Elf grimace, but no words escaped her lips. The Half-Elf then used his left arm to wrap around her waist, while his right hand groped her right breast from underneath her ragged clothes, in front of the demons, which made them howl in excitement.

Suddenly, without any warning, William bit into her neck, which shocked Charmaine, Ozul, and the rest of the Demons who were watching the scene.

Immediately, the pain Charmaine was feeling disappeared, and what followed next was the familiar, sublime pleasure that she hadn’t felt in a while. She felt herself floating, as William’s hands and lips made her lose her sense of reason.

Blood flowed down her neck, and into the rags she wore for her clothes. She looked like an innocent young lady that was being corrupted by an evil vampire, who happened to find her while she was all alone.

The smell of blood made the Demons excited. They were a bloodthirsty race that liked violence, and torture. The scent of the pretty Elf’s blood intoxicated them, as their nostrils flared, and lust boiled up in their loins.

William didn’t pay any attention to them, and simply continued drinking Charmaine’s blood. He drank sparingly, because his bloodthirst had grown stronger when he became a Vampire Progenitor.

When he made love with Belle back on Earth, he told her about his current condition, and the black-haired beauty volunteered to let William have a taste of her blood.

This was a bad move on her part because the two of them had been resting after they had made love with each other. Because of this, William wasn’t able to stop himself from sinking his fangs on her soft, and tender, breasts.

The memories of that memorable night, surfaced in William’s head, as he too had become intoxicated with Charmaine’s blood. Ever since the Elves had become his personal slave, Charmaine was the one who was always there to give him blood whenever, and wherever, he needed it.

When William pulled back, the wounds on her neck had healed, but it still looked tender. The black-haired teenager then licked the bloodstains that had trailed down her neck to where it had mingled with Charmaine’s clothes.

The pretty Elf, on the other hand, was still lost in her euphoric state, and moved subconsciously to hold William’s face. Without any warning, she kissed her Master, and intertwined her tongue with his, realizing the wish that she had since she had started serving him.

They kissed for a full-minute before William backed away, making Charmaine reach out to hold his body.

“Who is your Master?” William asked in a domineering voice that was filled with charisma, and power, that even made the lady Demons within the encampment feel their heart stir. Demonic ladies loved bad boys, and the black-haired teenager right now was making them want to join in on the fun.

“You,” Charmaine replied in an enchanting voice, that made Ozul feel a great urge to reach out to the pretty Elf, and pin her down under his body.

“How about your body?” William inquired as his hand trailed down her lips, down her neck, and into her ragged clothes, brushing over the firm tip that lay hidden under that thin piece of clothing.

“Yours,” Charmaine replied as she pressed her body unto him. “Forever, and ever.”

William smiled as he kissed her soft lips for a few seconds before whispering in her ear.

“Kneel, and make an oath of subservience,” William whispered. “By doing so, you will belong to me, for eternity.”

Charmaine nodded as she kneeled on one knee in front of Wiliam and looked up at him with moist eyes.

“I swear upon my name, and the Gods above, that I will be forever loyal to you, My Lord,” Charmaine said in a voice filled with passion. “My heart, body, and soul, will be yours, and yours alone.”

“Good,” William replied as he lovingly caressed her face. “Rise, and become my slave for eternity.”

“Yes…,” Charmaine said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around WIlliam’s body, burying her head on his shoulder. “My Lord.”

William smiled evilly as he winked at Ozul.

“That is how you break these stubborn girls,” William declared. “Pretty easy right? All I need to do is sink my fangs on their necks, and they will be driven to ecstasy. If you have anyone who needs to be broken, just look for me. I will be more than happy to break them for you.”

Seeing the arrogant and pretty Elf submit her entire being to William made Ozul, and the Demons, look at him with jealousy and envy. They were a race that recognized strength, whether it was underhanded or not.

Although they had heard that Vampires had the power to charm women, this was the first time that they had seen it in action.

Charmaine’s sighs of pleasure escaped her lips, as the black-haired teenager’s hand groped her breast, over her clothes.

William kissed her lips one last time before glancing at Ozul with a triumphant gaze.

“Well then, Mr. Guard Captain, can we pass through the gates now?” William inquired. “This slave still hadn’t had enough. I want to enjoy corrupting her slowly. I apologize, but I don’t intend to show how I will break this girl completely. It’s one of my trade secrets.”

The black-haireed teenager wnked, which made Ozul snort at him. However, he had indeed enjoyed a good show, albeit briefly.

“Go,” Ozul said as he stepped aside to let William’s entourage pass.

William nodded as he walked towards the teleportation gate, while holding Charmaine’s waist, who seemed to still be in a state of Euphoria.

Just as the black-haired teenager was about to step inside the teleportation gate, Ozul shouted and called out to him.

“Sir William, I have a request,” Ozul stated as he walked towards the Vampire, who had made his day interesting.

“A request? Well, if it is within my power then why not?” William replied with a smile.

“The next time you hunt for Elves, reserve one for me,” Ozul replied. “I will pay you handsomely for your trouble.”

The Demon then glanced at Charmaine, who had turned completely docile under William’s sensual touch.

“If you can find someone like her, I will double the price,” Ozul added. “Just like you, I like to break arrogant girls until they beg me to have mercy on them.”

William nodded. “Very well. The next time I hunt for Elves, I will reserve the best one for you as a sign of friendship. Till we meet again, Sir Ozul.”

“May your trip to the Demonic Continent be profitable, Sir William.”

“Thank you.”

Ozul raised his hand and signaled the Demonic Mages to activate the teleportation gate. As soon as the light receded, William and his entourage were nowhere to be seen.

Demonic Continent near the Southern Fortress…

“Charmaine, I’m sorry. I got carried away,” William said as he lightly patted Charmaine’s back, who was currently leaning weakly over his body.

The two were currently inside the carriage, as they made their way towards the Southern Fortress, which served as the first line of defense for the Demons against any kind of invasion from the Central Continent.

This was the side effect of having her blood taken from her. Once the euphoric state fades, she would be in a lethargic state for a few hours before returning to normal.

“You don’t need to apologize, Sir William,” Charmaine replied. “I’m glad that our mission succeeded. So, please, let me stay like this for a while. Treat it as my reward for doing my best.”

“Okay,” William nodded as he allowed the pretty Elf to wrap her arms around his body, allowing Charmaine to enjoy this rare occasion where she was alone with him.

‘I will treasure this fleeting happiness,’ Charmaine thought as she hugged William’s cold body, which was slowly becoming warm due to her blood.

She knew that what she wanted was not meant to be, but she still enjoyed the feeling of tenderness that had bloomed in her heart, when she had declared her everything to the Half-Elf, whom she had hated in the past.

Chapter 969: Stop Raising Flags

Chapter 969 – Stop Raising Flags

“Well, that was easier than I expected,” William muttered as his group passed through the gates of the Fortress City that guarded the Demonic Continent’s borders.

He had underestimated the special privileges that slave traders had in the Demon Lands. As long as they brought in slaves of other races, the doors of the fortress would always open for them.

Although this was a very ridiculous notion, he somehow understood that they had nothing to fear. After all, the one overseeing the fortress was a Demigod that guarded the Demon Realm.

‘Stronger than Takam, but weaker than Vlad,’ William thought as he and Optimus felt the energy that was coming out from the tall tower that stood at the center of the fortress.

In the past, the Half-Elf would have cowered to such existences, but times had changed. He had plenty of things in his arsenal that could fight them on even terms—his Heroic Avatar, summoning Sun Wukong, his Vampire Progenitor at full power, and of course, his Einherjar Job Class.

Out of all of these options, William didn’t want to use his Einherjar Job Class because his memories of Belle were only few. He was afraid that if he used it one more time, he would forever forget his wife, whom he had left back on Earth.

This was why, if possible, William didn’t want to have a confrontation at this moment. His priorities were to find Celine, and take her back to the Central Continent. He couldn’t afford to fight against such an existence before he could find his first Master, who was somewhere in the Northeastern regions of the Demon Continent.

“Where is the best inn in this stronghold?” William asked one of the Demon guards that were patrolling the area.

The black-haired teenager didn’t forget to sneakily give the guard a few gold coins, which made the latter smile in satisfaction.

“Near the plaza, you will see a three-story tavern with a black horse sign hanging above its doors,” the guard replied. “That is the Nightmare Tavern. It is the second best inn and tavern in this stronghold.”

“Why not tell us where the first best tavern is?” William inquired with curiosity.

The patrol guard moved closer and told him the reason why he didn’t tell him where the best inn was located.

“Right now, the Grand General has reserved the best inn in this city,” the guard replied. “If you want to keep that head of yours on your shoulders, it is best to just settle for the second best. Our Grand General is known for having a short temper.”

The Demon Guard then glanced at the slaves that had been locked up in the cage and smirked.

“If he saw your merchandise, you would definitely suffer a loss,” the guard added. “He is known to seize any men, women, or slaves that he comes to fancy. You’re pretty good looking yourself, make sure to stay out of his sight.”

“Thank you, Friend,” William replied as he handed five more gold coins to the Demon guard as an added bonus. “You’ve been a great help.”

The Demon chuckled as he took the gold coins offered to him. He then gave William a brief nod before walking away in good spirits. A few gold coins was enough for him to enjoy some good wine and food after his shift, which gave him a good impression of the black-haired vampire, whom he had met for the first time today.

“Zhu, Sha, sorry, but stay with the Elves tonight and guard them properly,” William stated.

Zhu and Sha nodded in understanding. All of them were on the same team. The least they could do was offer protection to their comrades as they completed their mission.

William then took out a black blanket from his storage ring and used it to cover the cage, so the Elves would be hidden from plain sight. The Elves were his maids, and he would not allow any scum General to have his way with them.

As they traveled towards the center of the city, they eventually arrived at the Nightmare Tavern. Zhu and Sha led the carriages to the stable, while William entered the tavern alone. At first he wanted to travel with Charmaine walking alongside him, but the guard’s advice had reminded him that showing his merchandise out in the open might not be the best of ideas while inside the Fortress City named Amberfang.

William sat on the stool in front of the barkeeper and placed a few gold coins in front of him.

“Send your best food, and wine to my two guards in the stables,” WIlliam said. “Also, I’d like you to give me one of your best rooms available.”

The barkeeper nodded as he took the gold coins from the counter. He then presented a mug of mead to William as he relayed his orders to the kitchen.

The Half-Elf took a sip of the sweet and spicy mead that was surprisingly delicious, as he scanned the Demons that were present in the tavern.

After meeting Zhu, Sha, and his wife Chiffon, he no longer had any bias for this race. For him, they were just like ordinary people, with just different appearances. Some Demons could easily take Human form, which almost made them impossible to identify when they mingled themselves in Human Lands.

Chiffon was Half-Dwarf, and Half-Demon, but she looked like just an ordinary Human girl, if you looked past the part that she could swallow an entire city if her Divinity surged out of control.

Several of the Demons inside of the tavern were observing William, just as much as he was observing them. Most of them were regulars in the Nightmare Tavern, and new faces were certainly something that they paid extra attention to.

After several minutes, the Barkeeper told William that he had already sent his men to bring the food he ordered to the stables, and handed the black-haired teenager a key to his room.

William thanked the Barkeeper as he made his way upstairs. It didn’t take long before he found his room, so he entered it without a second thought.

“Not bad,” William muttered as he scanned the spacious room. This was the first time he was spending the night in a Demonic City and noticed that their standards for good accommodations were similar to Humans, but without the luxurious decorations.

Even so, the Half-Elf found his room to be comfortable enough to stay in. It also had a balcony that allowed him to have a good view of the plaza.

William observed the Demons that were walking the streets, minding their own business.

It was at that moment when he saw a green-haired beauty walking in the plaza with steady steps. She had a long tail that resembled that of a lizard that swayed as she walked. As if sensing someone was staring at her, the young lady glanced in William’s direction and arched an eyebrow.

Although they were dozens of meters apart, both of their eyes met, and William felt a sudden surge of electricity run down his spine.

The green-haired beauty smiled, and even winked at William, before continuing to walk in the direction she was headed. Only after her figure disappeared in the distance did the Half-Elf move away from the balcony and return inside his room.

The reason why he felt a tingling sensation on his body was because the lady that he saw somehow felt familiar.

It was at that moment when William suddenly remembered the memory he had in the Deadlands while he was in a comatose state. He had seen the green-haired beauty alongside Haleth, Amelia, Pearl, Priscilla, a beauty with a single horn on her head, and a Half-Ling that looked like a doll.

Back then, the Half-Elf had no idea who the lady was. But now, things had changed. For some reason, he felt that this brief meeting of theirs would somehow lead to things that were not part of his plan.

‘Will, stop raising flags,’ William thought as he lightly tapped his forehead. The guard earlier had already raised a flag about the Elves, and him, so adding more to that queue would definitely not be a good idea.

Just as William was trying to regain his composure, he heard a soft rustle coming from the balcony. He thought that it was just his imagination, but when he turned his head to look in its direction, his body stiffened when he saw the same green-haired lady, who he had seen not long ago, sitting on the railing, and looking at him with an amused smile on her face.

Chapter 970: F*ck Your Daddy!

Chapter 970 – F*ck Your Daddy!

“Um, Hello?” William said as he looked at the young lady who was looking at him with amusement.

“Good evening,” the green-haired lady greeted as she appraised William from head to foot. “Your face and hair color are different, but are you perhaps William Von Ainsworth?”

William’s body immediately froze when he heard the young lady’s inquiry. He didn’t know how the lady knew of his identity, but he would be damn stupid if he admitted that he was indeed the one she had mentioned.

The name Ainsworth was a taboo to the Demon Race. This was the family name that had prevented them from conquering the Silvermoon Continent, and made them suffer for a decade due to Demon Lord’s defeat in the hands of the Dungeon Conqueror, Maxwell, who was also William’s father.

“You are mistaken, My Lady,” William replied. “Although my name is William, my surname isn’t Ainsworth but Stark. My Full name is William Stark. Nice to meet you.”

The green-haired lady smiled as she nodded her head. She gave William the “don’t worry, I understand gaze”, which made the Half-Elf’s liver itch.

“So, Mr. Stark, what brings you here in Amberfang City?” the green-haired beauty asked.

William smiled as he gave the lady a brief nod. “My Lady, I already told you my name, but you still haven’t told me yours?”

“Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Where are my manners?” The young lady jumped off the railing and walked towards William.

When she was only a few meters away, she made a curtsy as she introduced herself.

“My name is Vesta Cy Agni,” Vesta said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir William.”

“The pleasure is mine, My Lady,” William replied as she returned her smile.

Deep inside his head, alarm bells were constantly ringing. Every fiber of his being was telling him that the girl was bad news.

The two stared at each other for a while before Vesta walked towards him. She once again appraised him up and down and circled him three times to observe every angle of his body.

“Although your current form isn’t bad, I still prefer your Half-Elf form,” Vesta muttered as she continued to circle around William. “Well, I guess you will show that form in good time, so I don’t need to hurry.”

“Um, excuse me, Ms. Vesta? What are you doing here in my room?” William asked.

He was starting to have goosebumps because the girl that had entered his room clearly knew who he was. Even so, he still tried to keep the smile on his face as he addressed this seemingly bold girl whose eyes were focused on his body.

“Me? I came here because our eyes crossed earlier,” Vesta replied. “Isn’t that a good enough reason to visit you?”

The corner of William’s lips twitched. He knew that the green-haired was just making an excuse. What he wanted to know was the real reason she was inside his room.

“Just relax Sir William, I mean you no harm… at least, for now,” Vesta said as she faced William with a sweet smile that was enough to rot a person’s teeth.

William finally frowned. He didn’t intend to do anything unusual while he was inside the Fortress City because it would cause complications to his plans if he did that.

Vesta chuckled after seeing William’s expression. She was like a rich young lady who had found something very interesting while window shopping, and decided to have a closer look at the thing that caught her fancy.

“Just, what do you want from me, Lady Vesta?” William asked. He knew that the young lady was toying with him, so he decided to just ask her what she wanted, in an attempt to get her leave him alone.

“Well, that will depend on how our talks will end tonight, Sir William,” Vesta answered. “If we part in good graces then things will be good. If we don’t…”

Vesta grinned before she mouthed the words “I will leave the rest to your imagination”.

The frown on William’s face deepened. Right now, Vesta had complete control of the conversation, which left him in a passive state. Clearly, she knew William’s difficulties and she was exploiting it to the fullest.

“Talk? You want to talk?” William inquired. “Then how about the two of us have a seat first? It’s not good to talk while standing up, right?”

“Seven points,” Vesta commented. “I’ll give you that much for trying to regain your initiative in this negotiation.”

Vesta giggled before walking towards a chair. She then gestured for William to sit on the chair opposite hers, so that they could have a serious discussion.

William sat and faced the young lady who seemed to be oozing with confidence. Just as he was about to ask her again what she really wanted, the green-haired beauty placed a finger on her lips, which made the Half-Elf hold back the words he wanted to say.

“First, let me tell you who I am, and who my father is,” Vesta declared. “I am the daughter of Joash Cy Agni.”

William nodded. “I understand.”

“No, Sir William, you don’t understand.” Vesta giggled. “I just told you my name, and who my father is, but you don’t have any idea who we are. Well then, since this is your first time coming to the Demonic Continent, allow me to educate you a bit.”

Vesta leaned on her chair and crossed her long legs over the other as she gave William a confident gaze.

“My father, Joash Cy Agni, is a very well known figure here in the Demon Continent,” Vesta explained. “He is also looking at you, right here, right now from up there…”

Vera pointed at the tower that overlooked the entire city. It was at that moment when a realization hit William and he finally understood the alarm bells that were going on inside his head.

Seeing his expression, Vesta grinned mischievously because the intended effect that she was looking for had appeared on the Half-Elf’s face.

“Yes, Sir William,” Vesta smiled evilly. “My father, Joash, is the Demigod that is stationed to watch over this Domain. Would you like to say hi to my daddy?”

William cursed internally as he met Vesta’s evil smile head on. Right now, there were only three words that he wanted to say to her, and they were.

F*ck your daddy!

Chapter 971: The Place Where My Two Feet Stand Is My Territory

Chapter 971 – The Place Where My Two Feet Stand Is My Territory

‘So, this is the famous son of the Dungeon Conqueror, as well as the only person who has managed to overcome the trial of the Tower of Babylon,’ Vesta thought as she observed William with her eyes that were of the same color as his.

As the daughter of one of the Demigods in the Demon Continent, her reputation was enough to make even the Demon Lord treat her as an equal. Although she was born with a golden spoon in her hand, Vesta wasn’t someone who relied on her father’s influence.

She trained hard in order to become powerful, and as someone who had the blood of the Legendary Black Dragon in her veins, her physical and magical prowess had exceeded the realm of mortals.

Simply put, she was a true elite warrior who had achieved the Black Rank, which was equivalent to that of a Millennial Beast. This was also why she felt very interested in William because no matter how hard she tried to gauge how strong he was, she couldn’t estimate his rank.

There were only two reasons for this to happen. The first one was that the Half-Elf was carrying an artifact that prevented others from gauging his rank.

The second one was that the person standing in front of her was leagues above her own rank, which—of true—was the main reason why Vesta was very interested in him.

‘As expected of the one that conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon,’ Vesta mused. ‘He’s not that simple.’

Truth be told, when William appeared in the Fortress City, the Demigod who watched over this territory sensed the blood that flowed in his veins. There was a time when Vesta’s father, Joash, had fought against the Dungeon Conqueror and lost.

Because of this, the Demigod made sure to remember the smell as well as the unique qualities of Maxwell’s bloodline, which allowed the Black Dragon to sense William when the Half-Elf entered his Domain.

As someone who had fought against the Dungeon Conqueror, Joash was interested in knowing the reason for William’s visit to the Demonic Continent. Because of this, he had tasked his daughter, Vesta, to check for herself what the son of the man that defeated him was like.

Vesta was more than happy to take this mission because she had grown up hearing the tales of the Dungeon Conqueror who had single-handedly defeated the Demonic Army, and also cut off the Demon Lord’s arm during their one-on-one battle within the grove of the World Tree.

“Yes, Sir William,” Vesta smiled evilly. “My father, Joash, is the Demigod that is stationed to watch over this Domain. Would you like to say hi to my daddy?”

The green-haired lady’s eyes sparkled in anticipation for what the Half-Elf was going to do next. She wanted to know how William would react to her subtle threat.

Half a minute passed after she asked her question when suddenly the black-haired teenager chuckled.

“And why should I say hi to your daddy?” William asked in disdain. “Shouldn’t he be the one who should say hi to me?”

Vesta’s smile stiffened because she clearly heard the disdain in William’s voice. No one in the Demonic Continent, not even the Demon Lord, would dare to say these words towards her father, which made the green-haired lady irritated.

“Oh my~ I think Sir William should choose his words wisely,” Vesta replied icily. “I think you are forgetting that you’re not in the Central Continent, but in the Demon Lands. Aren’t you worried that you will be besieged by all the warriors that are stationed in this Fortress City?”

“Besieged? By whom? By your father, and the people inside this tiny little fortress?” William scoffed. “Girl, I think you are making a very big misunderstanding here. No matter where I am, no matter where I go, the place where my two feet stand is my territory.”

The Half-Elf wagged his finger at the dumbfounded green-haired lady as the corner of his lips curled up into a sneer.

“If I wanted it, I could easily destroy this fortress with a wave of my hand,” William said in a teasing tone.

“I didn’t know that the son of the Dungeon Conqueror was delusional,” Vesta replied with sarcasm. “You’re still a boy with milk on your lips, and you think that you can conquer the world, you sure have guts.”

Vesta sneered at the Half-Elf because she found William’s words truly ridiculous. If their fortress city was so easily destroyed then the Human armies would have already advanced deep into their lands. The fact that the Fortress of Amberfang had remained standing for two decades proved that no force in the Central Continent could conquer their lands.

William chuckled. He wouldn’t deny that he still had milk in his lips because he had just drank it a few days ago when Ella visited his room to have a chat. One thing led to another and before he knew it, he had already drunk a mouthful, directly from the source.

“I have waged battles the likes of which you have never seen before,” William stated. “I fought against the might of the Elven Army, as well as their Guardians. I’ve also dealt with their Demigod, Sephiron, so what makes you think that I’m scared of your father?”

For the first time since she had met William, a frown appeared on Vesta’s face. She had indeed heard the news of the invasion of the Elves in the Southern Continent, which ended in failure. Also, there were rumors that William had defeated not only the Guardians, but a bonafide Demigod that had guarded the Silvermoon Continent for a millennia as well.

Even so, Vesta’s love for her father wouldn’t allow her to back down. He was the only one that she respected, aside from her mother, and she wouldn’t allow anyone to look down on her father’s legacy.

“Sephiron? Although I admit that he is indeed a strong Demigod, I don’t believe that you defeated him on your own,” Vesta replied. “You must have used some kind of trick to deal with him, or borrowed the powers of another Demigod. Someone like you, can’t possibly defeat a Demigod on your own.”

William looked at the young lady whose face had become flushed out of anger, and chuckled once more.

“True.” William nodded. “Back then, Sephiron would have turned me into ashes with a single flap of his wings. But, now? It’s different. I have fought against Demigods and Pseudo-Gods, and lived to tell the tale. Your father doesn’t scare me one bit. Even if there are two Demigods here in this fortress, the end result will still be the same and that is…”

William paused as he gave the green-haired beauty who was now staring daggers at him with a devilish smile on his face.

“A one-sided massacre,” William finished his explanation. “That is what awaits this fortress if your father is stupid enough to provoke me.”

“You’re lying.”

“Your father is a Demigod. He can tell if I’m lying or not. So, what do you think, Your Excellency?” William turned his head towards the balcony and asked. “Am I lying or not?”

Vesta looked in the direction of the balcony and saw a man wearing a majestic black robe that covered his entire body.

He had short black hair, and his face had sharp features, like a hawk that could go for the kill at any moment.

Joash gazed at William with an indifferent expression on his face. As the Guardian of the Fortress City, and the first line of defense of the Demon Continent, his authority was the highest inside his Domain.

The Demigod stared at William, and the latter stared back at him with a calm expression on his face. Both men appraised each other as if trying to understand who was stronger between the two of them.

William had seen many powerful beings in his current lifetime, and he no longer felt fear, or cowered, when facing a Demigod. Right now, he was in his Vampire Progenitor Job Class, which was equivalent to a Demigod in its initial stages.

If Joash really wanted to exchange blows with him, the Half-Elf was more than happy to oblige. William didn’t mind using one of his trump cards to show the Demigod the consequences of provoking him.

Vesta could feel the atmosphere inside the room change subtly, as the gaze of the two men met. She had a feeling that whatever was going to happen next, was something that she would remember for the rest of her life.

Chapter 972: Can't You See How Red My Hair Is?

Chapter 972 – Can’t You See How Red My Hair Is?

“Arrogant, just like your father,” Joash stated after staring at William for some time. “But, I can see that you have the strength to back it up. Have you really fought against a Pseudo-God?”

William nodded. “I did.”

“And, who won?”

“I think it turned out to be a draw.”

The Half-Elf had definitely dealt Apophis with a killing blow, but after the explosion, he wasn’t able to see whether he succeeded in slaying the Pseudo-God or not.

When he asked Optimus this question, the System stated that the possibility of Apophis surviving the attack was high. However, the Pseudo-God definitely suffered grievous injuries and would not dare to show his face in front of William for a very long time.

Optimus added that if Apophis really died, William would have definitely gained a title that proved that he had slain a God, and that title was none other than “God Slayer”.

“A draw? Against a Pseudo-God?” Joash frowned. If others were to brag about having survived a battle against a Pseudo-God, he would have definitely spat on them, turning them into ashes.

But, since he could tell if William was lying or not, he knew that his words were without any falsehood. Although he was still half in doubt, he had no no choice but to recognize that the Half-Elf was telling the truth.

Vesta looked at her father then at William in disbelief. Her father didn’t refute William’s amazing achievement, which meant that the Half-Elf had indeed fought against a Pseudo-God and lived. This concept was something she couldn’t fathom because the strongest beings that she had seen were Demigods.

If there was still another class above it then…

The green-haired lady shivered subconsciously as she entertained the possibility of that higher realm of existence. A being that was between a Demigod and a God. an existence that could make the entire world of Hestia tremble under their feet.

“Tell me, what are you doing here in my territory?” Joash asked. “My method in dealing with you will depend on your answer.”

Although Joash had recognized William’s strength, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t his enemy. This was the first line of defense of the Demon Realm and his duty was to ensure that no harm would fall upon their lands.

Even if what Wiliam said was the truth then so what?

The fact still remained that they were not friends, and he still bore a grudge against the Half-Elf’s father, who had torn off his tail during the battle in the Silvermoon Continent. If not for Baba Yaga’s powerful restoration magic, it would have taken him a century to fully recover from his injuries.

“I didn’t come to this land with the intention of harming anyone,” William answered. “I only came here to look for a person.”

Joash snorted as he waved his hand. Suddenly a chair appeared behind his back, and he sat beside his daughter, while eyeing the Half-Elf in suspicion.

“You came all the way to these lands just to look for a person?” Joash arched an eyebrow. “This person must be very important, for you to brave the dangers alone.”

“I’m not exactly alone,” William replied. “I brought some friends to sightsee with me.”

The corner of Vesta’s lips twitched. The mortal enemy of all the Demons had just casually strolled into their fortress city, met his father, and had the audacity to tell him that he had brought his friends for sight-seeing.

The green-haired lady was very tempted to lift the chair she was sitting on, and smack the Half-Elf’s head for his impudence!

If any other person were standing before her, she would have done it already, but since her father was here, she needed to act with class, and not disgrace their family’s reputation. Just as she was cursing the Half-Elf inside her heart, she saw something that made her mouth hang wide open.

Joash was smiling. Vesta couldn’t believe it, but her father was really smiling, and he was smiling at the son of their mortal enemy. If news of this spread, then the demons might call her father a traitor for showing goodwill to their enemy!

“Who?” Joash asked. It was a single word, but it was more than enough to convey his interest to the person that William was looking for.

“My First Master, Celine,” William replied. “I came here to find her and take her back to the Central Continent.”

Joash tapped his finger over the table as he mulled William’s words.

“Baba Yaga’s disciple,” Joash stated. “So, she’s your master. You wield dark magic as well?”

William nodded. The guardian of the Fortress City seemed to be a reasonable fellow, so he decided to be civil and talk things out, instead of using his fists to settle this matter.

“Do you know about the Elven Prophecy?” Joash inquired. His eyes never left William’s face. It was as if he was looking for a sign to confirm the suspicions he had in his head.

“I’m not the Dark Prince,” William answered. “Can’t you see how red my hair is?”

Vesta’s body stiffened as her eyes widened in shock. The Prophecy of the Elves had been the talk within the Demonic Continent for the past month, so even those who were not aware of it in the past, were now fully informed on what it entailed.

There had been several candidates that had been scouted by the Demon Lord and brought to the Demonic Capital to train. It was said that the Dark Prince would be born in their lands, and he would avenge their loss against the Elves, and make all of them kneel before him.

The only thing that Vera knew was that the prophesied Prince must be proficient in Dark Magic. Only someone of that caliber would have the right to cover the entire world in darkness.

“Baba Yaga’s disciple, Celine, is one of the Dark Prince’s bride candidates, right?” Joash asked.

William shrugged. He didn’t want t o talk about this matter, since it had something to do with his First Master, who he already considered to be his woman.

Seeing that William was not in the mood to talk about his Master’s connection with the Dark Prince, Joash decided to steer their conversation to another topic.

“How about we make a deal?” Joash stated.

“A deal?” William narrowed his eyes. “What deal?”

Joash smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s really simple. On the small chance that you become the Prince of Darkness, I want you to promise me two things.”

William smirked as he crossed one of his leg over the other, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“And that is?” William asked with a calm expression on his face.

“The first one is that you will owe me a favor,” Joash answered. “The second one is that you will allow the Demons to live in the Central Continent without being prosecuted. If you are able to promise me these two things, I will turn a blind eye and allow you to pass safely within these walls unharmed.”

“Okay,” William answered in a heartbeat.

He didn’t really care about these things, but since this would allow them to part without escalating their talks into a full-blown conflict, he was more than happy to agree to Joash’s two conditions.

“You really think that you’re not that Prince in question, do you?”

“Of course not.”

Joash chuckled as he stood up from his chair and stared at the Half-Elf who was just chilling in his chair. Deep inside, he admired William because he was still young and had already attained the power that was beyond the reach of normal men.

The Demigod knew that it was not easy to reach their realm, and since the Half-Elf had done it, he definitely sacrificed many things to get to where he was currently at.

As someone who recognized the strong, Joash had no choice but to treat William as his equal. The Fortress City was under his protection, so he would definitely fight anyone or anything that posed a threat to it.

After chatting with William, he understood that the son of his enemy really only wanted to search for the person that was important to him. Since that was the case, Joash would let him go unharmed.

Also, he entertained the possibility of William becoming the Dark Prince. Although it was highly unlikely, it was good to cover all of his bases. This iss why he decided to add another insurance that would let the two of them part on good terms.

“Two days,” Joash stated. “Stay here in the fortress for two days. On the third day my daughter will accompany you on your journey to Baba Yaga’s place. She is well-known in the Demon Continent. Having her with you will prevent any conflicts between you and the denizens of this realm.”

William was about to refuse the offer, but after thinking about it, he realized that it was actually a good idea. If Vesta accompanied him then it would prevent unnecessary discord with the locals, and he would be able to focus his attention in searching for Celine.

“Thank you,” William replied. “I will gladly accept your hospitality.”

Joash nodded as he lightly tapped his daughter’s shoulder to tell her that it was about time to leave. He had already said what he wanted to say, so there was no need to extend his stay.

Vesta gave William one last glance before following her father towards the balcony. She didn’t understand why her father suggested that she accompany him in search of a woman. However, since it was very rare for her to leave the Fortress City, she thought that going out for a while would not necessarily be a bad thing.

William watched the father and daughter pair go with a calm expression on his face. Only when the two of them had left his room did he finally sighed in relief.

“Fortunately the worst case scenario didn’t happen,” William muttered as he raised his right hand.

Inside it was a small golden staff that was the size of a ballpen. If Joash had attacked him during their talks, he would have called for his Heroic Avatar, and fought against the Demigod with all of his might.

Chapter 973: Our Master Is Invincible!

Chapter 973 – Our Master Is Invincible!

“Dad, why didn’t you deal with him earlier?” Vesta asked when she and her father had arrived in the Tower that served as their home.

“Because if we really fought then this Fortress City might have been razed to ashes,” Joash replied as he walked ahead of his daughter, who was looking at his back with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

“Is he that strong?” Vesta inquired. This time, her voice was filled with curiosity which made Joash chuckle.

Ever since she was born, Vesta had always been someone who searched for the answers to her questions. If Joash didn’t give her an answer, she would ask other people for the answer. She was just that kind of person, and sometimes, Joash felt that he should have been more strict in educating her, while she was growing up.

“Strong? No. He is rather weak,” Joash answered. “But, in that weakness, he also becomes the most dangerous. During our talk earlier, both of us were measuring each other up. I’m sure that if I made a single move that could threaten his life, he would definitely retaliate.”

“Even if he retaliates, so what?” Vesta snorted. “Aside from Baba Yaga, there is no Demigod that is as strong as you in the Demonic Continent. I’m very sure that you can pinch that boy to oblivion if you wish.”

Joash smiled. He didn’t affirm or deny his daughter’s words. As a father, he needed to become a pillar that would make her feel safe. However, as a Demigod, his instinct was sharper than ordinary mortals.

He had a feeling that if he really attacked William back then, the one who was going to lose was him. This was what his sixth sense was telling him, and it was also why he didn’t make any moves to provoke the boy, whose hair reminded him of Maxwell—the man responsible for cutting off his tail during their fight in the Silvermoon Continent.

“In two days, you will accompany them on their journey to the Northeast Region of our Domain. That is where Baba Yaga lives,” Joash stated.

Vesta nodded, but there was something on her mind that was bugging her, so she decided to ask her father about it.

“The only way that Celine could have entered the Demonic Lands is through this gate,” Vesta said. “How did she pass here undetected? Although I haven’t seen her, she is an Elf. Any Demon would have definitely made a move against her if they discovered her identity.”

Joash stopped walking before turning around to look at his daughter. This was also why he wanted Vesta to accompany William in his journey. The green-haired beauty had grown up under his radiance, so she still hadn’t seen the world and discovered what lay on the other side of a coin.

In the Demon Lands, no matter where she went, no one would dare cause trouble for her unless they were stupid. He had also given her special protective artifacts, and one of them allowed her to summon one of his avatars to protect her.

Because he had given her so many layers of protection, Vesta wasn’t able to understand what hardships and true danger were. Although she had done her best to train herself, and strived to succeed without his help, the fact still remained that she was his daughter.

Even if she didn’t ask for it, she was born with that layer of protection, and this was something that Joash wanted her to understand as she journeyed together with the son of the man that could have conquered the entire world if he wished for it.

“Celine entered the Demon Lands and passed through this fortress,” Joash replied. “I personally escorted her out of the city to ensure that no fools would dare to block her path.”

“Eh? You did?”

“Yes.”

“When did this happen?” Vesta inquired. She felt a little disappointed that her father didn’t let her meet one of the two bride candidates that would become the Dark Prince’s woman.

“A few months ago,” Joash replied before turning around to continue walking towards his chambers.

“Make the necessary preparations. Also, don’t provoke that boy, William,” Joash added. “What you should do is observe him carefully. Perhaps, by doing so, you will understand why he managed to clear the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon, which remained unconquered for the past hundred years. Do I make myself clear?”

Vesta nodded. Although she still had misgivings about traveling with William, her father had given her a mission, and she would complete it without fail.

“And, that’s what happened,” William explained to Zhu, Sha, and the Elves that were in the cage, about the discussion he had with the Demigod of the Fortress City.

All of them looked at William in disbelief and wondered if he was lucky or unlucky to have Joash pay extra attention to him.

“I think he doesn’t want to have conflicts with you,” Sha said after pondering William’s story. “If he really meant us harm, he would have definitely attacked us first and used us as hostages in order for you to listen to his demands.”

Zhu had his arms crossed over his chest as he agreed with Sha’s conclusion.

However, Charmaine, and the other Elves thought otherwise. As maids who had given their loyalty and devotion to their new Master, their opinion was very different from the one that the Sand Demon had come up with.

“Even if he used us as hostages, it still won’t work,” Charmaine replied. “Master would definitely not allow such a thing to happen. If I were in his place, I would have taken this entire fortress city as a hostage. Just one whack of Ruyi Jingu Bang will be enough to show them that they’re messing with the wrong person!”

“That’s right! Our Master is invincible!”

“Sir William is formidable!”

“That Demigod doesn’t know who he is dealing with!”

The Elves heaped praises one after the other, which made William scratch his cheek out of embarrassment.

He had also thought of this scenario where Joash would use his friends as hostage, but he already had this covered. All of them had been registered under his King’s Legion, so with a single word, the Half-Elf could forcefully return them to his Thousand Beast Domain.

This was why the thought of them being used as a hostage wouldn’t work on him.

“Since the other party didn’t want any conflicts then we should also behave ourselves for the time being,” William stated as he raised his hand to stop the Elves from their praises, that seemed to have no ending. “But, stay vigilant. We are currently deep inside enemy lines. Carelessness is something that we should avoid at this point in time.”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. After talking for a bit and making several contingency plans, the Half-Elf once again returned to his room at the inn.

This was the first night that he would spend in the Demon Lands, and he wanted nothing more than to let it pass peacefully.

‘That Joash is not so simple,’ William thought as he stared at the Tower that overlooked the entire Fortress. Although he couldn’t sense if the Demigod was watching his every move or not, he understood that he shouldn’t show any signs of weakness, that could be exploited by someone who had fought his father many years ago.

Chapter 974: A Broken Vow

Chapter 974 – A Broken Vow

Inside William’s Thousand Beast Domain…

“Joash, I don’t know much about him,” Chiffon said as she patted Medusa’s head, who was sleeping on her lap.

After she had devoured her on their first meeting, the Little Gorgon had recognized the pink-haired girl as someone stronger than her, and willingly submitted to her.

This was a very normal occurrence for Monsters because they were someone who worshiped the strong. Chiffon didn’t think much of Medusa’s choice, because this was a common mindset in the Demonic Continent.

The Demon Clans followed the strongest demon, which was the Demon Lord. what Medusa did was nothing different in Chiffon’s eyes, so she was even flattered that the purple-haired girl treated her as her Master.

Simply put, Medusa was similar to a little pet that followed Chiffon around. Also, for some unknown reason, Gullinbursti (the golden piglet), and Medusa had suddenly become rivals for the pink-haired girl’s affection which made William chuckle when he noticed it.

“The Black Dragon of the Demon Continent, Joash Cy Agni… he is indeed someone that you shouldn’t take lightly.”

Chiffon and Wiliam glanced at the delicate-looking Elf who was seated on a chair and sipping his tea calmly.

“Among the Demigods of this domain, he is only second to Baba Yaga, who rules the Northeast,” Kenneth explained. “It is because of this reason that he chose to become the defender of the Demonic Continent after their loss in the Silvermoon Continent. My Grandpa once mentioned that Joash had both brain and brawn, which made him a very formidable enemy.”

After persuading William to allow him to accompany him, the Half-Elf gave up and brought Kenneth inside the Thousand Beast Domain. He knew that the silver-haired Elf had been sent by his mother to check up on him, so he decided to just bring him along to honor her wish.

To his surprise, Kenneth seemed calm, and collected when he entered the Thousand Beast Domain. Although he had been surprised, his surprise was different from the surprise that his wives, and the other people he brought inside his domain, had expressed when they had entered it for the first time.

When William asked him about this, Kenneth only said that he had already suspected that the Half-Elf was in possession of a portable domain. That is the only explanation that Kenneth could think of on how William was able to summon so many Beasts to fight for his side during the war in the Southern Continent.

“Well, since he has already shown goodwill to you, it will be best to not stir up any kind of trouble inside his Domain,” Kenneth commented. “Demigods are prideful beings. Going back on their words was something that they rarely do. More than anything else, they don’t want the other Demigods to look down on them because of something petty.”

William smiled as he looked at his ex-roommate who was making himself at home in his Domain.

“Kenneth, let me ask you something,” William said. “Have you ever dreamed of a young lady whose long hair seemed to know no bounds? She could extend it indefinitely, and her favorite pastime is to sleep. Does that ring a bell to you?”

“No,” Kenneth answered in a heartbeat. He then looked at William with a curious gaze as he asked him a question of his own.

“Where did you see this lady you’re talking about?” Kenneth asked.

“In my dreams?”

“What kind of dreams are you having then?”

William chuckled as he dropped the subject. This was something that he didn’t want to talk about at this moment. For the past few months, he would often dream of a lazy young lady who did nothing but sleep under the shade of an Ancient Oak Tree.

In his dreams, the young lady would use her very long hair to entangle William, and hang him upside down in the tree as a way to prevent him from poking her face while she was sleeping.

For the most part, these dreams were quite comedic, and they gave William a sense of peace whenever this kind of dream visited him at night.

Chiffon arched an eyebrow as she gazed at Kenneth. For her, the silver-haired Elf was an enigma. All the Sins were born as girls, and there had been no exception in the past.

They were not like the Seven Virtues who were graced by a man as a member every now and then. The Seven Deadly Sins had a strict requirement, and all of them had been born girls. Even now, She, Princess Sidonie, and Lilith, didn’t know what to think about the delicate-looking Elf who no doubt held the Sin of Sloth.

“Well then, I guess I’ll go back to my room in the inn.” William stood up and kissed Chiffon’s right cheek. “I’m pretty sure that I’m currently not being monitored, but I don’t want to take chances. Joash would become suspicious if he didn’t see me in the inn if he checked up on me.”

Chiffon nodded her head in understanding and kissed William back. Although she wanted to spend some quality time with her husband, she understood that his mission was very important as well.

“Take care,” Chiffon said. “At the first sign of trouble, it will be best if you teleport to where Soleil is. You have already sent it flying towards the North, right?”

William nodded. The Half-Elf had always used Soleil to instantly teleport to a location of his choosing. This method had saved his life countless times in the past, and he would definitely use it if the circumstances called for it.

“Ah, Will, before you go, I need to tell you something first,” Kenneth said as he placed the empty tea cup on the table. “It’s not a good hobby to poke girls in the face when they are sleeping. Girls need their beauty sleep, so you shouldn’t disturb them just because you find them very beautiful.”

William rubbed his chin as he eyed the silver-haired elf who was looking at him with a calm expression on his face.

“Did I ever mention that she was beautiful?” William asked.

“No, but…” Kenneth smiled. “I’m sure that the girl in your dreams is a beauty, no?”

William shook his head to deny Kenneth’s words. “No. She was very ugly. Her face was stained with drool and her body was covered with dried leaves. If I had a flint, I would have gathered all the dried leaves and ignited it. Maybe, by doing so, that troublesome girl would have no choice but to move, or let those golden curls of her get turned into ashes.”

The Half-Elf smirked before teleporting out of this Thousand Beast Domain. He didn’t bother to wait for Kenneth’s reply because he wanted to have the last words in their conversation.

In the end, the silver-haired elf looked at the place where William disappeared before closing his eyes. His lips moved as he said barely audible words that even Chiffon wasn’t able to hear.

“You broke your promise,” Kenneth muttered before his body relaxed.

Soon, he fell asleep while seated on the chair, no longer caring what was happening around him. His goal was to accompany William on his journey and keep him safe. Since the Half-Elf was fine for the time being, Kenneth decided to sleep to conserve his strength.

He had a feeling that some time in the future, he would need to use everything he had to ensure that the red-headed teenager who smiled at him back then, would not fall into the hands of darkness.

Chapter 975: Journey To The North

Chapter 975 – Journey To The North

Two days passed and it was time for William to leave the fortress city. Perhaps due to Joash’s influence, the barkeeper treated him like a VIP guest, and no one dared to cause trouble for him during his stay.

Half an hour later, three carriages left the Northern Gate of the Fortress. Two of them belonged to William, while the last one belonged to Vesta.

The green-haired lady’s carriage was simple looking, but it was at least twice the size of William’s carriage. Also, the one pulling it was so high profile that the Half-Elf couldn’t help but scratch his head.

In the end, he said nothing, because there was no use in saying anything. Even the Elves who were riding on the cage behind the carriage couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows at the majestic beast that was calmly walking side by side with the horses that pulled their carriage.

A Black Gryphon, that was bigger than a normal one, pulled Vesta’s carriage. It was clearly an Alpha Monster, and they were very prideful creatures. William didn’t know if the one that tamed it was Vesta or her father.

Regardless of who they were, he could only sigh internally because the Gryphon was like a big sign that said, “I am pulling a VIP Passenger. Get out of the way, Peasants!”.

“Sir William, you looked troubled,” Charmaine, who was seated beside William inside the carriage said with a smile.

“How can I not be troubled?” William replied in a helpless tone. “A group of slave traders, being accompanied by the daughter of a Demigod is something you don’t see everyday. Anyone who sees this will find it suspicious. This in turn will prompt them to investigate. I don’t know if Joash is playing a prank on me, but if he is, he got me really good.”

Charmaine giggled because it was very rare for her to see William’s troubled expression. Clearly, the daughter of a Demigod wasn’t part of his plans to act low profile, while searching for Celine.

“Sir William, just look at the bright side,” Charmaine stated. “With her by our side, no one will dare cause trouble for us.”

William shook his head because Charmaine’s thinking was quite simple.

“You’re only half right.” William nodded his head. “As one of the most popular beauties of the young generation, I’m sure that Vesta has a lot of admirers in the city.

“Seeing her accompanying us will make those one-sided admirers of hers stalk us on our journey, in the hopes that they will be able to use the opportunity of her being away from her father to become close to her. Not to mention, I am slave trader carrying Elves as merchandise. They can always use the excuse of checking our wares as a reason to approach us.”

“Sir William, you think too much,” Charmaine commented. “Even if that is the case, you just need to intimidate them and they will divert their attention from you to Vesta. Let her deal with her admirers.”

Before William could even reply to the pretty Elf beside him, who for some reason had started to massage his arm, two flying carriages landed on his carriage’s right side.

“Speaking of the Devils.” William snorted.

“Sir William, they are Demons, not Devils,” Charmaine commented in a teasing tone.

William rolled his eyes to ignore the pretty Elf who was now massaging his shoulders. He didn’t pry her hands off his shoulders, because Charmaine was quite good at giving massages, which he had only discovered a few days ago.

“Halt!” a loud voice shouted. “The Young Master of the Desert Clan orders you slave traders to stop so that he can check the slaves in your possession. My Young Master is willing to pay a good price for them, so pull to the side and let him take a look at what you have for sale!”

“Stop at once!” another Demon shouted. “The Young Master of the Sky Clan wishes to conduct business with you. If he is satisfied with what he sees, he is willing to pay you a high price for your slaves.”

Vesta, whose carriage was located on William’s left side, smirked after seeing the two that had come to cause trouble for the Half-Elf.

Truth be told, she had already met the Young Masters of the Desert and Sky Clans, as well as the other members of the young generation, two months ago during her birthday. All of them wanted to become her life partner, so they could have her father’s backing to ensure their clan’s prosperity.

Vesta hated these gatherings because she felt like she was an item that was being auctioned to the highest bidder. Although her father allowed her to do as she pleased, she still couldn’t shake the possibility of being set up in an arranged marriage, which was very common in the Demon Realm.

“Pull to the side, Zhu,” William said with a sigh. “Let’s just get this over with. Sha, shift the carriage to the side as well.”

Zhu and Sha nodded and guided the carriages off the road in order to deal with the numbskulls who were using him as an excuse to strike up a conversation with the green-haired beauty, who loathed both of them.

“Young Masters, my apologies but this slaves are already reserved for the Demon Lord,” William stated with a smile. “If you have any concerns, feel free to look for him. I’m sure that he will be more than happy to settle this matter with the two of you.”

The two Young Masters, who were planning to buy the slaves at a high price in order to make a good impression on Vesta, immediately held back the words that they were about to say. If they were to really buy the slaves that were meant for the Demon Lord, their Patriarch’s would definitely roast them in an open fire for their stupidity.

Seeing that the two Young Masters didn’t dare to make things difficult for him, an idea popped up inside William’s head, which he executed right away.

“Dear Sirs, I really apologize for disappointing the both of you, so allow me to make it up to you,” William said with a smile that he and James used when they were about to scam people. “You see, Lady Vesta is traveling with me, and I admit that I am not very good at socializing with someone of her status. Would the both of you like to travel with us in order to keep her company?”

The two Young Masters looked at William as if he was their long lost bro, who understood their suffering.

The Young Master of the Sky Clan, walked up to William and shook his hand.

“Bro, my name is Kira,” Kira said. “I am the third son of the Head of the Desert Clan. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” William replied. “Feel free to call me William.”

Kira looked like a normal human teenager with tanned skin. If not for the fact that he had a short horn at the middle of his forehead, and red-eyes that were as red as rubies, no one would think that he was a demon.

His looks were above average, and even more handsome than William’s current form, which was his face back on Earth.

It was at that moment when the Young Master of the Sky Clan approached the black-haired teenager in order to introduce himself.

“Elder Brother, my name is Athrun, the fourth son of the current Patriarch of the Sky Clan.” Athrun smiled. “It is an honor to meet you.”

“Likewise,” William replied as he happily shook Athrun’s hand. “Just call me William.”

Unlike Kira, Athrun was more of a scholarly type and his skin was creamy white, similar to that of a girl’s. He was also quite handsome, which gave William the impression that, if the two young Master’s were to woo others girls aside from Vesta, their chances of success would be very high.

“Bro, where are you planning to go?” Kira asked. “Are you headed for the capital? If Yes, why don’t we stay at our residence there. It is very spacious and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.”

Athrun just stayed silent at the side and didn’t volunteer to invite William to the lodging of their clan in the capital city. As the Fourth Son of his father, his position was the lowest, and he wasn’t treated with much respect in their clan.

Fortunately, Athrun was very good when it came to business. He was able to become a successful merchant without the help of his family, and had long gained the confidence to stand on his own.

Still, his business was only medium-sized at the moment, so he didn’t dare to brag or anything. He knew more than anyone else that there was no one he could rely on, but himself. The reason why he was enamored with Vesta was not because of her status, but because she was a hard worker.

As someone who also understood the hardships of making a name for herself, without relying on family connections, Athrun believed that she was the perfect match for him.

“I am planning to go to the North first before going to the capital city,” William replied. “I am looking for a friend, and according to those who saw her last, she was traveling towards the North in search of someone.”

“That is a long detour, Elder Brother.” Athrun rubbed his chin after hearing William’s explanation. He then glanced at Vesta who was looking at them from the window of her carriage and smiled. “Elder Brother, will Lady Vesta accompany you until you reach your destination?”

William nodded. “Lady Vesta said that it had been a long time since she had left the Fortress City, so she decided to accompany me on my long journey.”

Vesta who was looking at them from her carriage window suddenly had the strong urge to breathe fire at them. She was waiting for a good show, and to see how the two Young Masters would cause trouble for William. Unfortunately, things didn’t play out the way she thought it would.

Instead of a confrontation, the two Young Masters started to call William Bro and Elder Brother, which made the green-haired beauty wonder if she had misheard things.

However, after seeing how the three teenage boys were all smiles as they talked about the details of their journey, Vesta felt like she had swallowed a fly.

When she heard that William even invited Kira and Athrun to accompany them, the green-haired beauty almost jumped out of her carriage to deliver a strong kick to the black-haired teenager’s bum.

The Half-Elf laughed internally because he was finally able to return the favor to the father and daughter pair. He wasn’t too worried about Kira and Athrun accompanying him, because their presence was just a means to an end.

In the end, Vesta was forced to swallow a bitter pill as their small group suddenly gained two more members, who were more than eager to accompany them on their journey to the North.

Chapter 976: A Thousand Year Promise [Part 1]

Chapter 976 – A Thousand Year Promise [Part 1]

As an Elf, I lived a very long life.

The lifespan of an ordinary mortal was no different from the life of an insect that only lasted for a few days. And yet, someone with that fleeting lifetime touched the core of my being, and made me experience things I have never experienced before.

—–

“Hey, are you alright?”

“Why are you sleeping on the ground?”

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

These were the questions that he asked me back then when he first appeared in my life. I, who had been exiled because of the curse I carry, had prepared myself to live alone without any interaction from the outside world.

And yet, he still came… and melted the resolve I had built with merely four words.

—–

“I love you, Acedia”.

—–

In a secluded place, far away from the lands of the Elves, I slept on the roots of an Ancient Oak Tree. Once every year, on the Ninth hour, of the Ninth Day, of the Ninth Month, a portal between Midgard and Alfheim opened.

That is when this annoying person named William Pendragon appeared in my life.

The silver-haired teenager said that he traveled between the two worlds to take me to the Violet Ever Garden, where I would stay for the remainder of my life.

He was so cheeky back then, proclaiming that no matter what, he would bring me there without fail. There was just one big problem.

The numbskull didn’t even know where it was!

‘This is why humans are stupid.’

This was what I thought back then. Just like the other Elves, I took pride in my race’s superiority and looked down on other races as if they were not worthy of my time. Well, I do admit that Pendragon was quite good looking. Among humans, he could be considered decent to say the least.

His long silver-hair that reflected the sunlight was something I’d like to see from time to time, and his eyes, that were as blue as the sky, would look at me with different emotions, that made my heart skip a beat.

Of course, at first, I didn’t trust him. No Elf in their right mind would trust someone from another race on their first meeting. This was why, when he tried to ask me questions, I didn’t even bother to open my eyes, and ignored him completely.

The last straw was when he started to press his ear to my chest. I kind of understood that he was checking whether I was alive or not, but wasn’t that a bit rude? I might have only been nineteen-years old at that time, but I was still a maiden who hadn’t even touched the hand of a man.

For a stranger to even press his filthy ear… well, not so filthy ear to my chest, deserved a punishment that was equal to the crime he commited.

That was the moment when I wrapped my hair around him, and hung him upside down from the branch of the Ancient Oak Tree, until he begged me to put him down.

A month passed before I decided to trust Pendragon and decided to believe his story that he would indeed take me to the Violet Ever Garden. In order to help me trust him, he did menial chores everyday—like feeding me berries, letting me drink water, sing me a lullaby, and make sure that no bugs landed on my body.

While he did those things, he would often tell me about himself, even if I didn’t ask him. Perhaps it was because I slept most of the time, and he was feeling that he would go crazy if he didn’t talk to someone, but talk he did.

As for me, I played my part and listened.

His tale wasn’t exciting. It was even lackluster to say the least. According to him, he was a bastard son of the ruling Chieftain in his country. Aside from giving him the surname Pendragon, his father had mostly ignored him and allowed one of his subordinates to raise him.

His name, William, was given to him by his mother before she passed away after childbirth. That was the only keepsake that she had given him, and he carried it to this day.

‘What a pitiful Human.’

I thought back then that he was indeed pitiful, but when I remembered my current circumstance, I retracted my feelings of pity for him and gave it to myself instead. I, who had been abandoned to live alone, was more pitiful than him, and yet, I didn’t rub it in his face because he was indeed pitiful, but only second to me.

When he met me, he was only sixteen at that time. No longer a boy, but not yet a man. I could tell that he was doing his best in trying to make a name for himself. He was doing his best to get his father to recognize him as a son.

Since he wanted to make a name for himself, I decided to make him my pillow. This was the highest honor that someone as exalted as me could give him.

When I told him that I will give him the honor of becoming my pillow, he gave me a look of disdain, while telling me, “Are you out of your mind?”.

Welp, what happened next was like usual. He spent the night hanging on a tree branch upside down. The next day, he was more obedient. He did exactly what I told him to and he became my pillow.

‘If you had obeyed me in the first place then you wouldn’t have had to suffer.’

This was what I told him, as I reluctantly lay my head on his stomach. I was greatly disappointed because it wasn’t soft. William had a lean and toned body. Unlike mine that was delicate and soft, his was hard, and chiseled.

Even though it was not the most comfortable pillow around, I didn’t voice any of my complaints because it was warm.

For the first time since I was exiled from the Elven Clan, I once again felt the warmth of a living being. I really thought that I would never get to experience such a luxury again.

On the third month of our journey, William fell ill with a fever after eating a roasted mushroom that he had foraged in the wild. If I remember correctly, this type of mushroom was part of the Magic Mushroom family that was known to have random effects on those that ate them.

The only saving grace was that it wasn’t a poisonous mushroom, so he recovered after three days. During those three days, the one that took care of him was me. It was a laborious task. I had to actually exert effort in order to throw him into the river in order to wash his body because I don’t like using stinky humans as my pillow.

During those three days, William started to call me names like lazy bum, no-good-Elf, sluggard, long-haired demon, ugly monkey, and sloth.

Dear me, it seemed that the mushroom had really damaged his brain, so I had no choice but to tie him up to a tree, and used my hair to whip his back until he lost consciousness.

Perhaps I went overboard because the next day, his fever actually worsened. What a useless pillow, he couldn’t even do his job properly.

Chapter 977: A Thousand Year Promise [Part 2]

Chapter 977 – A Thousand Year Promise [Part 2]

On the third day, William’s body was burning up with fever. Even someone as slothful as me felt a bit concerned about his well being.

Having no other alternative, I was forced to use my power to cure him. As an Elf, I knew how to wield Life Magic. I am just too lazy to use it most of the time.

But, something unexpected happened. The Magic I was so proud of, didn’t work on him. It was at that moment when I realized that things were starting to get a bit out of hand.

I was put into a tight spot where I was forced to make a difficult choice. Allow this Human, who I had only known for only a short while, to die and return to normality, or cure him by sacrificing a bit of my energy.

‘This is so troublesome. I don’t want to do it, so I guess he should just die then.’

That’s right. He should just die. Although I would have no one to talk to, and I would spend the days alone again, that was fine with me. After all, I had been alone for most of my life. I was only going to revert back to my everyday routine before meeting the Human stranger that suddenly appeared in my life.

‘Yes. This is how it should be.’

That was the thought in my head when I made my decision to turn my back on him. As I gazed at the man that was dying beside me with half-opened eyes, I once again marveled at his silver hair, which had now been covered in dust.

His blue eyes, that were as clear as the blue skies back then, were dazed and had lost their luster. It was at that moment when I felt pain in my chest, which made me subconsciously reach out to him.

That was when I realized that my resolve to live alone for the rest of my life had crumbled to pieces.

Some Elves had a special ability that allowed them to pass their lifeforce to someone. This was stronger than any kind of healing magic because we would burn up our very own life essence to transfer it to someone else.

As one of the Elves that had this ability, I never thought that a day would come when I would need to use it.

As I wrapped my hair around William’s body that was burning up, I carried him, as I walked to the river. This was something I would never do on normal days because I hated walking, I hated talking, and I hated moving my body for any reason.

I made sure to clean his body properly and removed all of his clothes. If I was going to pass a bit of my lifeforce to him, I wanted to do it when he was clean, not stinking, and covered in dirt.

“You better become a good pillow after this. I swear that I will not do this again.”

Indeed. I would never do this kind of thing again. Once was enough, and only because it was an emergency. However, before I could start the ceremony, the annoying Human opened his lips and said something irritating to me.

“Ugly Monkey.”

Out of reflex I tossed him towards the river in order to punish him. Fortunately, I remembered that he was being delirious due to the fever, so I hurriedly caught him with my hair, before he even fell into the water.

When I pulled him back to me, I saw that the bastard had lost consciousness. Good. I didn’t like the idea of letting him see how I would save his pitiful life.

After speaking the ancient words of magic that activated the spell, I cupped his face and kissed his chapped lips. During that kiss, I felt a portion of my life force transfer to his body, forcefully repairing the damages that he had accumulated over his entire lifetime.

The scars on his back, the calluses on his hand, and the other hidden wounds and bruises in his body all started to heal at a rapid pace. The chapped lips that I had kissed suddenly became soft, and rosy pink, which surprised me.

After I pulled back, the power of the spell also faded. I only shared the equivalent of ten years of my lifespan to heal and cure his body, so I wasn’t too affected.

Looking at his lean and toned body which looked healthier and more radiant, I found myself becoming somewhat attracted to him. This was the first time that I was looking at a naked teenage Human, and my curiosity got the better of me.

My hands moved subconsciously to probe his body. Touching his soft, silver-hair that I loved to gaze upon, his ears, which weren’t pointy like an Elf’s, and his handsome face, which I found more attractive than before.

‘I guess this is the effect of the spell that I used to save his life. It is truly miraculous.’

My hands then wandered to other places. The me back then was very curious about this Human in front of me, so I let my hands investigate everything about him.

I poked his nose, ran my fingers across his soft lips, caressed his neck, pressed on his shoulders, and ever-so-slowly moved my hands towards his chest.

‘Just as I expected, it’s different from mine. Mine is soft, while his is hard. Is this really the chest of a man?’

Those were my sincere thoughts back then as I compared our chests with each other. Soon, my curiosity went downwards. My hands lightly rubbed the stomach where I lay each night, and his six pack abs left me wondering if I could have them as well.

When I lowered my eyes, I came face to face with his genitals, which made me unconsciously swallow. For some absurd reason, I felt my cheeks burning. This was something that I had never felt before, so I decided to investigate it thoroughly, to better understand why I was feeling that way.

I touched, flicked, pinched, and pulled on it. I almost cried out in panic when it suddenly grew and reared its head at me. Such a scary thing, I almost thought I got pregnant after touching it once!

It was at that moment when I heard a groan come from the Human that I was holding. When I raised my head, I saw William looking down at me with a “what do you think you’re doing?” expression on his face.

I met his gaze head on and felt something snap inside me. My gaze didn’t leave him, but my hand moved on its own, and flicked the little monster that had suddenly grown big without my permission, making William wince in pain.

“What do you think you’re doing, woman?!” William shouted as he struggled to free himself from my hair that was holding his arms, waist, and legs in place.

Although I didn’t want to brag, my hair is very firm and hard. Very few creatures were able to break from it once I had my hold on their bodies.

“I am just punishing this little thing!” I angrily replied as I grabbed the little beast and squeezed it with my hand. “This thing almost got me pregnant just by existing!”

William’s pained expression, as I pulled on his manhood, made me realize that he had just recovered from his sickness, so I decided to let it go and threw him into the river to cool himself down.

‘Oh, no! I touched that filthy thing. I am going to get pregnant at this rate!’

If my future self could only return to that point in time to talk to my past life, I would have definitely dug a hole, and buried both of us out of embarrassment. How can someone be so ignorant of the world?

Well, as someone who had been abandoned, I couldn’t really blame the me of that time. I simply didn’t have the knowledge for how to deal with the opposite gender, as well as the wisdom that every Elf my age should have.

After that small episode, our journey continued, which would later make me understand that the silver-haired teenager who was traveling alongside me, would become the focal point of my life, as someone who was meant to live alone for all eternity.

Chapter 978: A Thousand Year Promise [Part 3]

Chapter 978 – A Thousand Year Promise [Part 3]

Several months passed since that fateful day, and we finally arrived at our destination. The fabled land, where one could live the rest of their lives in happiness.

The Violet Ever Garden, a legendary place that we had found out of sheer luck after we met a traveling priestess who pointed us in the right direction.

I hated to admit it, but during those months of travel, William and I had gotten close to each other. Although he was still my pillow, I no longer treated him harshly, and he in turn, treated me well.

We became the best of friends who relied on each other as we faced the many obstacles that blocked our path. Now that I had arrived at my destination, I felt like the moment of parting was nearing.

“Do you really have to leave?”

I asked because I felt that if he really left me, I would never see him again.

“I don’t want to, but I have to. There are people waiting for my return, and I still haven’t tied up the loose ends on my part.”

This was the answer he had given me back then, and for the first time, in my life, I felt so heartbroken that I felt like I was dying.

I knew that he didn’t belong to my world, and sooner or later he would have to leave. I understood that and tried to treat him indifferently, and yet, he had bridged that gap, and found his place inside my heart.

Seeing my pained expression, William made a very difficult decision. He decided to stay for one more year so he could spend it with me. This small consolation made me very happy back then. I, who had resolved myself to live a lonely life, felt the sweetness of happiness and it made me feel like I was the happiest Elf in the world.

I was so happy that I felt so sleepy and told him that I would just take a short nap. This was the biggest regret of my life.

When I opened my eyes, and saw William, he looked back at me with tenderness and affection. Nothing seemed different, but there was a sadness on his face that couldn’t be hidden by the smile on his face.

When I asked him what was wrong, he replied that I had slept for eight months, and his time to return to Midgard was nearing. The journey back to the Ancient Oak Tree, according to William’s calculation, was three months.

This only left us a month to spend with each other, which made me feel remorse. That day, I cried. I blamed myself for taking things for granted, and had forgotten that the lifetime of Humans was different from my race.

William hugged me back then, and whispered words of assurance that we still had a month to spend together. Although it was a bit short, I decided to make the most of it, and used all of my willpower to prevent myself from falling asleep during that one month.

I was afraid that if I closed my eyes again, William would no longer be by my side when I woke up.

That month was the happiest month of my life. We toured the Violet Ever Garden, and saw many amazing scenes that were simply breathtaking.

When we only had two weeks left, I was starting to feel so anxious, that I no longer enjoyed our travels and simply held onto him, unwilling to let go. Perhaps, William noticed my fears as well, so we decided to make a return trip to the small house that he had built while I was sleeping.

One night, when the moon was full, and the stars littered the sky, I followed William to the river where he took his nightly bath.

He knew that I preferred that he cleaned his body before I used it as my pillow, so this had become his daily routine. Even when I was sleeping, he would lay my head on his belly just like he always did since he agreed to become my pillow.

I observed him from afar and was captivated with the sight that I saw. His wet, silver hair glowed faintly as it reflected the moonlight. Water droplets streamed down his strong and lithe body, which put me in a daze.

I had prided myself as someone very beautiful, but at that time, I sincerely felt that the silver-haired teenager who was bathing at the river, had surpassed my beauty.

I didn’t know what possessed me back then, but I came out of my hiding place and went to him. The rustling of clothes echoed silently in the night, but it was more than enough for the young man in front of me to turn his head and look in my direction.

By then, I was no longer wearing anything, but I no longer cared. I didn’t feel any embarrassment, only a longing that could be felt from the depths of my being.

When my feet entered the water, I felt that it was quite cold, and yet, there was a flame that burned inside my heart.

It burned for him.

It longed for him.

I could no longer hide the feelings that I had kept hidden in my heart. The moment I wrapped my arms around his naked body, I knew then and there that I was about to do something sacred. An act of love where I would pour my heart, body, and soul to him.

“Love me and make me feel complete.”

Those were the words that I had said as my body shuddered in sweet surrender. Perhaps, he had also been holding back for a very long time, because he didn’t resist my advances.

Under the moonlight, on that riverbank, we made love to each other. My hair served as our bedding, and the coldness of the night wasn’t enough to soothe the blaze that burned brightly in our hearts.

We made love. Over and over again, until we could no longer move. As we lay in each other’s arms, he spoke the words I had wanted to hear. The words that I was born to hear.

“I love you, Acedia.”

“I love you too, Will.”

—–

That night, we talked about many things. William promised me that he would return the next time that portal between the two worlds opened, and when that time came, he would take me back to Midgard, so that the two of us could live, and build a family, together.

I agreed, and only asked for a lock of his hair, that I could keep with me, while I waited for his return.

Several days passed since that night, and we spent everyday making love to each other. It was as if we were animals in heat, that longed to mark each other and make each their own.

Finally, the time had come for him to leave. After kissing me one last time, and renewing his promise, he set off and traveled towards the Ancient Oak Tree, where he would return to Midgard.

Just a few minutes after he left, I collapsed on the bed, and slept. I had tried to stay awake far longer than I should have.

I had reached my limit and my body had automatically entered a state of hibernation in order to return the natural balance of my body to its former state. The lock of hair that William had given me was placed on a small pouch, and hung on my neck like a protective charm.

I wished that when I opened my eyes again, the one whom I had shared my heart with, would once again be by my side.

During that long sleep, I dreamed.

I dreamed of William’s journey back to the Ancient Oak Tree and his return to Midgard. I saw him go to the place where the Lady of the Lake dwelt, and realized then and there that the b*tch was also in love with MY William.

Fortunately, her charm didn’t affect him because he was no longer a boy, but a man who had entered the steps of adulthood with her.

I sneered when I saw the smile of the Lady of the Lake crumble as William told her about his journey with me. However, my celebration didn’t last long because I clearly saw that the fire of determination had appeared on the beautiful lady’s face. I could only hope that MY William would be able to resist her charms for a year.

Unfortunately, two months later, when William was dead drunk, due to a celebration in his father’s residence, he wandered towards the lake to have a chat with the Spirit that resided in it.

He was in his most vulnerable state, and the Lady of the Lake used an aphrodisiac that she claimed to be a cure for his drunken state to ensnare him.

I cursed, howled, and cursed some more as the b*tch had her way with the silver-haired young man who had promised to marry me.

William had no recollection of what happened when he woke the next day because that was one of the effects of the aphrodisiac that was given to him. After that incident, life continued as if nothing had happened.

Finally, the time for him to return to the Ancient Oak Tree had come. However, on the day he was about to leave, several invaders, who came from foreign countries, had set foot on their lands. William had been forced to fight alongside his father’s men in order to repel them from their homeland.

This was his first battle… and to a certain extent his last. I saw him fight valiantly as he faced the enemy fearlessly.

My heart bled for him, and my tears fell like a river when I saw someone stab him in the back with a sword after saving one of his companions. That blow wasn’t enough to kill him, and he beheaded the person that attacked him from behind.

The battle had been intense, and it only ended when William killed the last invader who hadn’t fled from the battle.

I wept bitter tears, when I saw him look up at the sky to call out my name. He said he loved me one last time, as he took his final breath, standing up, like a true warrior. A warrior that his father only recognized after he had died.

As I watched the love of my life stand tall amidst the dead people that lay on the ground, a group of Valkyries arrived at the battlefield.

I witnessed the Valkyrie Captain called Wendy pull William’s soul from his body, and take him to Asgard.

My sadness disappeared because I felt that there was still hope for the both of us. I noticed that William clearly remembered me, and he had tried many times to escape Asgard to return to Midgard to come and find me.

However, as the days passed, his memories started to disappear. After several months of trying to keep me in his mind, the last vestige of our time together finally vanished without a trace.

When Ragnarok arrived, I saw how valiantly he fought on the frontlines, and watched how he struggled until the end. As he lay down on the ground, unable to move, I appeared before him and hugged him tight.

“Who?” William asked as he looked up to me.

“Acedia,” I answered.

William was only a step away from death, and his breathing had also become laborious, but he still looked at me as if trying hard to recall something.

Perhaps, it was a miracle, or perhaps it was Lady Fate pitying both of us, but William finally remembered who I was.

“I’m sorry,” William said as he raised his hand to touch my face. “I broke my promise. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, you did,” I replied as I held the hand that was caressing my face. Although it was still warm, it had slowly started to feel cold, and knew that our time together was not long.

Surtr, the God of Destruction, raised his sword and gathered the flames that would destroy the entire world, and bring an end to an era. He then swung his sword towards the Einherjar and the Elf whose tears streamed down their faces.

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.”

“… Then promise me this. Next time, you will not break your promise to me.”

William took a labored breath as he gazed at the person whom he had loved many years ago. “If there is a next time then yes. I promise.”

I smiled before shaking my head.

“I don’t believe you,” I said. “You will break your promise again, so I decided I’ll be the one to look for you next time. I don’t know how long it will take, but when that time comes, I will wrap you in my hair and never let you go again.”

William smiled as he used the last embers of his life to tell me his heartfelt feelings.

“I love you, Acedia. Promise me that you will find me in our next life.”

“Don’t worry. No matter where you go, no matter where you hide, I will find you.”

I lifted William’s head, and gave him one last kiss as the flames of destruction fell on our bodies. It wasn’t the ending I had envisioned for our love, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Thousand Beast Domain…

When I opened my eyes, it was already morning.

I wiped the tears from my eyes as I got off from my bed, and headed towards the window. To my surprise, I saw a red-headed teenager walk towards the Villa with a smile on his face.

It seemed that something good had happened in the outside world because that was the only reason I could think of for him to have that smug expression on his face.

Opening my window, I gave him a smile, which he returned with a wave of his hand.

“Good morning, Kenneth.” William greeted.

“Good morning, Will,” I greeted him back.

“Have you had breakfast yet? Why don’t we eat together?”

“Sure. I’d love that. But, there is a question that I’d like to ask you, Will.”

William tilted his head in confusion as he stared back at me. “A question? What question?”

“Do you remember your promise?” I asked with a smile.

“What promise?” William blinked. “Did I promise you something?”

I chuckled and shook my head. Just as I expected, this numbskull had once again forgotten the promise that he made to me.

Fortunately, I remembered, and because I remembered, I would make sure that, this time around, he would fulfill the thousand-year-promise that he had made to me.

Chapter 979: William’s New Mounts

Chapter 979 – William’s New Mounts

“I hate this. Why do I have to travel with these fools?” Vesta whined at her two Shield Maidens who had accompanied her on her journey.

“Young Lady, it is what His Excellency has decreed. Regardless of our will, we must carry it through without fail,” the Shield Maiden that went by the name Ali replied. “Isn’t that right, Ari?”

“We cannot disobey His Excellency’s orders, My Lady.” the remaining shield maiden, Ari, nodded her head in agreement. “If we return, we might get punished by him for disobeying orders.”

Vesta sighed as she grumpily lay on the couch inside her carriage. She knew that this was partly her fault because she didn’t voice her protests when her father, Joash, asked her to accompany William on his journey to the North.

In truth, she didn’t have any problems traveling with him. What annoyed her was the fact that the Half-Elf had allowed Kira and Athrun to join them in their travels.

“What are those three idiots doing right now?” Vesta asked.

Ali parted the partition that was covering the carriage window and gazed outside. There, she found William, along with Kira and Athrun, roasting the fish that they had caught over an open fire, acting as if they were just camping in the wild for fun.

The Elf ladies roam around the camp, doing various chores here and there. They still wore the slave collars on their necks, which labeled them as William’s property. The only thing that bothered Ali, and Ari, was the fact that the Elves didn’t seem to be disgusted with what they were doing, and their movements even showed that they were quite experienced at their jobs.

Ali then shifted her attention back to William, who was being hand fed by the pretty Elf that went by the name Charmaine. She had learned early on that she was William’s personal slave, and served him wholeheartedly.

“Sir William, Kira, and Athrun are currently roasting fish outside,” Ali replied after a minute had passed. “Are you interested in eating fish, My Lady? If you wish, I can catch some for you.”

“Fish?” Vesta pondered for a bit before nodding her head. “Get enough for the three of us. I’ll take a nap first. Wake me up later once it is cooked.”

“As you wish, My Lady.” Ali bowed as she left the carriage, leaving Ari to guard Vesta while she slept.

—-

“Bro, I’m feeling jealous of you,” Kira confessed after seeing Charmaine feed William bite-sized portions of the fish that they were roasting. “Although I have slaves of my own, none of them can compare to Charmaine.”

Athrun just smiled from the side, and didn’t make any comments. As a merchant, he had also bought slaves of his own. One of them was an Elf, who was currently managing his firm, while he was away conducting business in the Fortress City of Amberfang.

It was also where he met Vesta during a special gathering, and had been enamored with her ever since.

“Bro, tell me. How did you manage to catch this many Elves?” Kira asked with genuine curiosity. “Although Elf Slaves are quite rare. Most of them are sold for very high prices, so most slave traders go out of their way to catch them. Can you tell me your trade secrets?”

William chuckled. After spending a few days with Kira and Athrun, he understood that the young man who hailed from the Desert Clan was a straightforward person.

“You already said that it was my trade secret,” William replied. “Since that is the case, how can I possibly share it with you?”

The Half-Elf then opened his mouth as he accepted another bite-sized portion of the roasted fish from Charmaine, making Kira feel envious.

“Elder Brother, you mentioned that you are traveling to the North, but if we continue to travel at this pace, it will take us months to get there,” Athrun commented from the side. “How about we procure a flying carriage for you in the next city? That will increase the speed of our travel exponentially.”

Kira also nodded his head in agreement. As wealthy people, their flying carriages were being pulled by Gryphons. Although they weren’t as majestic as Vesta’s Gryphon, they served their roles well and were only a tier lower than hers.

William’s carriages, on the other hand, were being pulled by ordinary horses, which forced everyone to travel on land. Although Gryphons didn’t mind land travel, they still preferred to soar through the skies, making them an efficient method of traveling.

The Half-Elf rubbed his chin and nodded his head in agreement. Now that he was far away from the Fortress City, it was time to speed up their traveling speed. However, he couldn’t possibly just summon one of his Beasts from his Thousand Beast Domain because it might make his companions suspicious about his abilities.

Fortunately, he had already solved this problem. Last night, when everyone was sleeping, he manipulated Soleil to sweep the land in order to look for flying creatures that he could capture to be used as mounts.

“You don’t have to worry about this,” William replied. “I sent my men to capture some flying mounts when we made camp two hours ago. They should be back just about… now.”

The black-haired teenager glanced at the West and saw two people riding on horses headed in their direction. Following behind them were two giant orbs made of sand that Sha had used to imprison the Beasts that they had found earlier.

Seeing the two domes of sand, Kira and Athrun arched their eyebrows because they were quite curious about what kind of creature William captured to serve as the mounts for his carriages.

“Is it a Gryphon?” Kira asked.

Athrun smiled as he made his own guess. “This area is a few days of travel away from the Stronghold, so the possibility of them being Wyverns is high.”

William smirked and didn’t bother to confirm or deny the two demon’s guesses. Originally, he just planned to capture a Gryphon or a Wyvern to serve as his mount. But, after seeing these two beasts wandering around the area, the Half-Elf decided that they would be his newest additions to his King’s Legion.

Vesta, who had been woken up by Ari because of the commotion, exited her carriage to look at the sand domes with curiosity.

“Will, I have to hand it to you, these two are very stubborn,” Zhu said as she dismounted from his horse. “Are you sure you can tame them?”

“Of course,” William replied. He was brimming with confidence. When it came to taming Beasts, he was an expert. “Sha, you can free one of them, but make sure that they are still bound by your sand.”

Sha nodded and one of the Earth Domes collapsed, revealing a monster that William had not yet encountered in Hestia.

“N-No way!” Kira stuttered as he gazed at the Beast that appeared in front of his eyes.

Athrun, who always had a composed look on his face, gawked in surprise when he saw the stubborn creature that William was about to tame.

“A Flying Armored Elephant!” Vesta’s eyes widened in shock. “He is going to use THAT as a mount?!”

Flying Armored Elephants, as the name suggests, were Flying Elephants with an armor-like exterior. An adult Elephant was a Pseudo-Myriad Beasts that was capable of destroying a town or a city on its own, if there were no powerhouses guarding it.

The ones that Zhu and Sha had caught were juvenile Elephants whose rank was at the peak of Millennial Beasts. After undergoing their baptism in the Heavenly Palace ruled by the Jade Emperor, the two Demons’ power had returned to their peak stage, which was only a step away from Myriad Beasts.

Capturing two peak Millennial Beasts was something that they could carry out without too many problems.

Chapter 980: Do Your Worst, You Fiend!

Chapter 980 – Do Your Worst, You Fiend!

“Bro, you are going to tame that?” Kira asked with a doubtful expression on his face. “These Elephants are known to be very fierce. Even Warlords don’t dare to tame them because if the other members of their herd sense that they were captured, they would immediately come to their rescue.”

Athrun who had recovered from his shock walked towards William with a serious expression on his face.

“There was once a rich merchant who captured one of those elephants and brought it to the city he ruled just to brag to his friends,” Athrun said. “A week later, a herd of Flying Armored Elephants descended from the sky and annihilated the entire town out of anger. They are a tight-knit group, so no one in their right mind would try to capture them.”

“That’s right,” Vesta, who had also walked up to William, stated. “Even the Demon Lord thinks that they pose too much of a danger to be tamed. Besides, these beasts will not yield even in the face of Death. You’re just wasting your time.”

William’s eyes sparkled after hearing that these beasts could attract their comrades to help rescue them. If that was the case, wouldn’t that mean that he would gain more Flying Armored Elephants without the need to actively look for them?

“I hit the jackpot,” William muttered as he gazed at the struggling six-meter tall elephant, which was being kept in a tight hold by Sha.

The elephant raised its long nose and trumpeted loudly as it tried to break free from the sands that bound its body. Kira’s heart trembled as he scanned his surroundings. He was afraid that the Elephant’s herd would hear its calls and come to annihilate all of them.

The Half-Elf walked towards the Elephant with a devilish smirk on his face as he took out the new, and improved, tool that he would use to tame the Beast that was in front of him.

“Behold! Butt Destroyer Version 2!” William declared as he summoned a four meter long spiked spear that looked so sinister that Kira and Athrun felt a sense of dread that made their bodies subconsciously shudder.

The Elephant glared at William in disdain as it looked at the weapon in his hand. As one of the toughest creatures in the Demonic Continent, it was not afraid to charge into an army that was armed to the teeth.

“Do your worst, you fiend!” the Elephant shouted using telepathy. “I will not yield even in death! My brethren will avenge me! You can run, but you can’t hide from their wrath!”

The Half-Elf ignored the Elephant’s words and asked Sha to uncover the other elephant who was still trapped inside the dome of sand.

After the other Elephant saw its comrade, it trumpeted in anger and struggled as much as the other did.

“I have encountered many beasts,” William stated as he walked towards the rear of the Elephant. “All of them were prideful creatures. But, in the end, they still yielded and submitted to me. You will not be an exception.”

“Keep dreaming!” the Elephant roared. “I am the proud son of the Blood War Clan. I will not submit! Do your worst!”

“We’ll see about that,” William sneered as he aimed his Butt Destroyer Version 2 at his target. “Make the world tremble, as you show them your unrivaled might, Butt Destroyer Version 2!”

“Requiescat in Pace!”

With a precision that would put even Gungnir, the Spear of Heaven, to shame, William thrust the diabolical spear towards the one place that would make any creature weep bitter tears.

Suddenly, the Elephant trumpeted so loudly that a powerful shockwave pushed everyone away from where they stood, with the exception of William who had borrowed Sharur from his wife, Chiffon.

The Smasher of Thousands roared in laughter when he saw the scene in front of him. However, his laughter came to an abrupt halt when he realized what William was planning to do with him.

“W-Will, don’t do this man,” Sharur’s body shook as he realized that the Half-Elf had planned to use him to hammer the spear and embed it deeper in the Elephant’s body. “Can’t we just all get along well and settle this in a peaceful manner?”

“I am settling this in a peaceful manner,” William replied as he lightly tapped the spear that was firmly stuck on the Elephant’s bum using Sharur. “Oi, I am going to start. Tell me when you are ready to submit, okay?”

Vesta, Kira, and Athrun, all looked at this scene in disbelief. They all simultaneously covered their backside as they walked away from the Half-Elf who was preparing to smash his mace to the butt of the spear to embed it deeper into the Elephant’s body.

“Ah, just so you know, I know healing magic,” William said. “I will remove this spear from your body and heal your internal injuries. Then I will repeat it again. We will do this over and over until you give up. Don’t worry, I am a vampire, I can do this all day and all night.”

The Elephant who was watching his comrade get pegged shuddered at the thought of experiencing the same fate. It looked at William with fearful eyes as it subconsciously clenched its butthole in the fear that the black-haired teenager would shift his attention to him.

Just as Wiliam was about to smash the mace to let the Elephant experience a world of pain, a trembling voice reached his mind.

“S-Stop! I concede,” the Elephant pleaded. “I will submit to you.”

“Eh? But I still want to smash your bum.”

“Please. Have mercy. I’ve already surrendered. Can’t we talk this out like proper civilized creatures?”

Zhu and Sha, who had personally gone to capture the two Elephants, suddenly felt a strong urge to apologize to them for letting them suffer under William’s hands. They believed that no creature, no matter how evil, should be subjected to such torture.

“Fine,” William sighed as he pulled the bloody butt plug from the Elephant’s rear. He then turned his attention to the second Elephant, which made the latter’s entire body tremble uncontrollably. In the end, the second Elephant didn’t put up a fight and immediately submitted to William.

Vesta, Kira, and Athrun glanced at each other in fear when they saw how William made the two Elephants submit using a method that no one in the Demon Realm had dared to use in the past.

To be perfectly honest, William only needed to use his taming skill to forcefully make the two Flying Armored Elephants submit. However, his hands were feeling itchy and wanted to use the tried and true taming method that he had invented in the past.

After using his ability to formally add the two Elephants to his herd, the bindings on their bodies disappeared completely.

“Do you have names?” William asked as the two Elephants kneeled in front of him.

“My name is Gluteus,” the second elephant who had instantly surrendered to William replied.

The first elephant who had still gotten over the trauma it had experienced replied half a minute after his comrade did.

“My name is Maximus,” Maximus answered.

William smiled as he rubbed his chin. “Gluteus and Maximus. These are good names. Very well, from now on, you are my subordinates. Relax, I won’t mistreat the two of you. As long as you stay loyal to me, I’ll ensure that both of you will reach heights that you have never reached before.”

The two Flying Armored Elephants glanced at each other before sighing inside their hearts. For the first time in their lives, they wished that none of their brethren would come to find them.

They were afraid that if they were to really appear to rescue them, the devilish teenager in front of them would be laughing in joy because he would acquire more elephants to test the effectiveness of his Butt Destroyer Version 2 once again.

Chapter 981: Can I Be Part Of Your World As Well?

Chapter 981 – Can I Be Part Of Your World As Well?

Shannon shuddered as she hastily put down her brush. The scene that she had seen just now was something that she didn’t want to see ever again.

“I didn’t know you were this evil,” Shannon cursed as she gazed at the canvas in front of her. “I misjudged you!”

The drawing of a teenager, who was caught in the act of thrusting the diabolical tool in his hands into the backside of the Flying Armored Elephant, was revealed on Shannon’s canvass. The scene was so vivid that anyone who saw it would feel a sense of dread at the barbaric practice that would make anyone have the strong urge to cover their backside.

Shannon had seen more gruesome things, but she was sure that the vivid scene she saw would forever be retained in her memories.

“I need to burn this,” Shannon muttered as she conjured blue flames in her hand. “I need to burn this fast.”

As soon as the last word left her delicate lips, the entire canvas blazed in blue flames. The flames didn’t burn the canvas into ashes. Instead, it slowly erased the image that had been painted on it.

A few minutes later, the entire scene disappeared and only a blank, white, surface remained. Traces of the barbaric and vile act were nowhere to be found, but Shannon was no longer in the mood to draw.

She had been following William’s progress ever since he had returned to Hestia. Shannon would paint him everyday, and see his adventures unfold. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she could only see the world through the Half-Elf’s eyes now.

Even so, she was fine with that. After witnessing his battle against the Pseudo-God, Apophis, the young lady who was sealed inside the shrine in Hesia Academy, her interest in William grew by leaps and bounds.

Although she had many other favorite subjects to paint, the red-headed teenager was now on the top of his list. She would go into a trance every day in trying to connect to him, so that she could become part of his journey and record these scenes on her beloved canvas.

Unfortunately, there were times when she connected with him at the wrong time, which allowed her to see things she didn’t expect to see.

Like the time when William made love to Belle. It was a happy accident and Shannon felt the emotions that they shared pass through her heart.

Shannon drew that scene while her cheeks burned in embarrassment. As someone who couldn’t leave her shrine, seeing these kinds of things made her realize that she knew very little of the world, and how lovers interacted with each other in private.

The young lady sighed as she stared at her paint-stained hands. Everytime she painted, she would be so immersed in her creation that she wouldn’t notice that the paint had gotten on her hands.

Hands that created many wonderful things, and yet, those creations were not of her own. They were simply the lives of the people who were living in the world.

“It’s not fair…,” Shannon muttered as a purple smoke started to rise from her body. “Why me? Why me?! Other people can walk outside and play with their friends. They can sing songs, and dance to entertain people.

“They can swim in the rivers and seas, travel in the ocean, and fly in the sky. And yet, I am not able to do any of those. Why? Why must it be me? Why must I suffer such a fate?”

The purple smoke expanded and covered the entire room, as it continuously escaped her body like the smoke on a bonfire that was blazing brightly.

“Maybe, if I didn’t bear this sin… I would also be out there… with him,” Shannon said softly as she reached out towards the canvas. “It’s not fair. I didn’t ask for this… I didn’t want to be born like this…”

The moment his hand touched the white canvass in front of her, a small purple wormhole started to spin at its center. Slowly, but surely it expanded until the image of William’s camp appeared in her vision.

The Half-Elf was currently taking a nap inside his carriage, while lying on Charmaine’s lap, who was also asleep. William was sleeping peacefully, as if the scene where he had impaled the Elephant’s backside without mercy earlier hadn’t happened.

Shannon reached out towards the purple vortex until her right hand passed through it.

“If I didn’t bear this sin, would you have accepted me like the others?” Shannon asked as her hand crossed time and space to softly pat William’s head, who remained asleep.

A sad smile appeared on her lips as she caressed William’s face. “I wish you had talked to me more. I wish that you had visited me more.”

She then reluctantly pulled her hand back because she felt that the Half-Elf was about to wake up. Shannon didn’t want anyone to discover this special ability of hers, which could transcend great distances, and travel through time and space.

“Tomorrow. I will once again accompany you tomorrow,” Shannon said sleepily as she stood from her chair and walked towards her bed. “I hope that when that time comes, you will show me something wonderful. Something that will make me happy, sad, angry, and excited.”

As Shannon lay on her bed, the black smoke continued to rise out from her body. Her sin was flaring up, and she had no choice but to endure its effects on her own.

“Someday, I hope that there will be someone like you to help me when my Sin goes out of control,” Shannon muttered as she closed her eyes. “Just like what you do with my sisters when they suffer from the Sin that they carry.”

Tears fell from her eyes, as pain wracked her entire body.

Shannon had long been used to the pain, because she had been enduring this all of her life. Even so, she still hated it. The feelings of helplessness and loneliness were real, and she was longing for something real.

A memory that belonged to her.

A scene that belonged to her.

She, who spent her days watching other people live their lives, longed for the moment when she could live her own life.

She longed for the moment when she could walk and run under the sun. For the time when she could sing and dance to make the people important to her happy. More than anything else, she also wanted to feel loved.

Just like her sisters, who had chosen the Half-Elf to become their significant other, had. A person, whose existence could make her heart skip a beat, and make her forget that she was someone who was trapped inside a small shrine, unable to step outside of its boundaries.

‘Will…. Can I be part of your world as well?’ Shannon wondered as the pain in her body intensified. She didn’t know the answer to her question. All she knew was that the day she stepped outside the shrine that bound her in place, the world that she saw through her canvass…

Would finally be hers for the taking.

Chapter 982: Flying Armored Elephants Perform Tricks?

Chapter 982 – Flying Armored Elephants Perform Tricks?

“Will I see Big Brother soon?” a little girl with long red-hair tied up in a ponytail asked.

As she walked in a carefree manner, several ducks walked behind her like a small train. At the very end, a white goose had a resigned look on its face as he ensured that none of the ducklings strayed from the little girl.

“Perhaps,” a lady wearing the dress of a priestess replied as she walked beside her. “Your brother is busy as a bee. We’ll be lucky if we manage to bump into him along the way.

Not far from them, two men who were a little over six feet tall, followed in silence.

“Grandpa is also here, right? I miss him, too,” the little girl said as she continued to walk, holding her little staff in her hand. “Why did everyone leave Lont? Don’t they like it there anymore?”

“Of course they liked Lont. It is the place that they have protected for many years. Also, you’re supposed to call William, Uncle, and not Big Brother.”

“He doesn’t want to be called Uncle,” the little girl smiled when she remembered how hard William tried to tell her that she should just refer to him as Big Brother, instead of Uncle.

However, the smile disappeared after some time, as she asked her Master more questions.

“Then why did they leave?” the little girl asked. “They left me alone. It felt so lonely without them.”

The little girl pouted as she continued to trek the mountain alongside her Master. Back then, she was very happy because her Grandpa and Big Brother spoiled her rotten. Now that they were gone, she missed them terribly.

“Because… Fate has started to move,” the priestess replied. “All the powers in the world are now congregating in the Central Continent. This is also why we are here.”

“Fate?”

“You don’t have to worry about this, Eve. This is an adult matter. For now, let’s just focus on visiting the thirteen temples. After that, we can go and find your Big Brother and Grandpa.”

“Un!” Eve nodded as she gazed at the beautiful scenery in front of her.

Ariadne had taken her to the Central Continent to finish a pilgrimage that would make Eve one of the official priestesses of the God of Shepherds within the world of Hestia.

—–

After William successfully tamed Gluteus and Maximus, their journey became a lot faster. The Half-Elf’s entourage traveled in the air as they headed to the Northern end of the Demon Continent.

Fortunately, Athrun was quite knowledgeable and charted a course that would allow them to reach their destination as soon as possible. Even so, according to the handsome merchant, their journey traveling time should be around a month at best.

Athrun’s guess coincided with Optimus’ calculations. Both of them stated that it would indeed take them a month to reach their destination if they followed the merchant’s route.

Although a month wasn’t long, it wasn’t too short either. The Demonic Continent was three times bigger than the Southern Continent, and traversing its lands was very perilous. William’s group would have to use the teleportation gates of connecting cities to increase the pace of their travels.

The plan was sound, and didn’t have any loopholes in it. Unfortunately, even the best of plans could be thrown into disarray by unexpected variables that were out of their control.

“Sorry, but you can’t enter the city,” the captain of the guard stated as he glared at William’s group who had lined up to enter their territory.

“Eh? Why?” William asked. “We have travel permits here that were issued by His Excellency, Joash, himself. What’s the problem?”

The guard snorted and pointed at the two Flying Armored Elephants who made everyone in the vicinity back away completely.

“Don’t you know that it is illegal to use those elephants as mounts?” the guard captain asked. “The fact that I am even talking to you is giving His Highness, Joash, the respect he deserves. Let me make it clear to you. Not only will you not gain passage to this city, but you won’t stand a chance getting into the other cities as well.

“Those elephants are walking disasters. What will you do if their herd suddenly appears in this Domain and tramples our city to the ground?! You should just return them to the wild and save yourself the trouble of being barred entry to every city you come across!”

William frowned as he turned his head to gaze at the two elephants. He shot them the “both of you are no-good troublemakers” glare, which made the two beasts have the strong urge to step on him.

They still felt that it was unfair that they were forced to become mounts when they were simply taking a detour to where they were to meet up with their herd. They thought they would be safe, because they were part of the Flying Armored Elephants race and no one in their right mind would look for trouble with them. Only idiots, and people who courted death, would dare to capture them as mounts.

Unfortunately, they came across someone who didn’t only court death, he even intended to capture their entire herd when they appeared to save them!

What was Madlad?

This was Madlad!

“You don’t have to worry about this,” William replied as he turned around to look at the guard. “Both of them are harmless. They can even perform tricks.”

“Tricks? Flying Armored Elephants perform tricks?”

“Of course! Gluteus come here.”

Gluteus’ body shuddered when he saw William’s devilish smile. He felt that he was about to be butchered, and had no choice but to be obedient and even thank the butcher for butchering him.

Maximus looked at him with eyes filled with pity. Both of them now belonged to William’s herd, and their fate would depend upon their new Master’s mood.

Gluteus stopped walking when it was only three meters away from William. The elephant who was once proud of his lineage looked at his Master with fearful eyes as he waited for his orders.

“Gluteus, use Giga Stomp and smash this gate to pieces!” William ordered. “If the guards stop you, or even attempt to do something to stop you, I order you to call your herd right away and tell them that the mayor of this city tried to make you his mount!”

The guard captain as well as the other guards who heard William’s orders, all gasped in shock as they looked at the black-haired teenager who had the “since you want to die so badly, let’s just all die together” smirk on his face.

They had never seen someone use this kind of tactic in order to brute force his way to gain entry to the city. However, everyone present, including the people that were waiting to enter the city, all felt a chill run down their spine.

If William were to really make his threat a reality then having the gates smashed would be the least of their worries.

No sane person in the Demonic Continent would take the threat of a herd of Flying Armored Elephants lightly.

In the end, William passed through the gates of the City of Ajento with a smug expression on his face. He was flanked on his left and right side by the guards, who escorted them towards the teleportation gate that would take them away from the city.

After an internal struggle, the Guard Captain knew that antagonizing William wasn’t worth it. This was why he ordered his men to ensure that the black-haired teenager and his entourage left his city as soon as possible, so that the two walking hot potatoes would no longer be a threat to his, and the entire city’s, mental health.

Chapter 983: Did Any Of You Ask For My Permission

Chapter 983 – Did Any Of You Ask For My Permission

“I’ve never seen a slave trader threaten an entire city all by himself,” Kira said with a serious expression on his face. “Bro, you sure have guts.”

“Of course I have them, you don’t?” William replied with a smirk.

After the incident with the City of Ajento, William’s infamy grew. News had started to spread throughout the different cities about a certain slave trader who owned two Flying Armored Elephants, and used them to get his way when the guards, as well as the mayors, refused him entry.

The status of the cities he had traveled through, especially those he had needed to use the Elephants as a threat to get his way, spread like wildfire and had been the talk for the past few days.

Currently, William’s group was traveling through a mountainous area. This part of the Demon Realm didn’t have any teleportation gates around, so they had no choice but to travel the normal way.

Suddenly, the flying carriages started to descend because something unexpected had happened in front of them.

They seemed to have been caught between what seemed to be a territorial war between two clans, and Athrun’s coachman decided to signal the others to tell them that they needed to make an emergency landing in order to prevent a misunderstanding that could have them attacked by both sides.

This chapter is updated by

William and the rest disembarked as they gazed in the distance where thousands of warriors from both clans faced off against each other. In the air, harpies and gargoyles formed their ranks. This was a standard battle formation that most demons employed when they were going to war because of territorial disputes.

“Any idea which clans are fighting?” William asked as he rubbed his chin. This was the first time that he had seen a war between demons, and his curiosity got the best of him.

“One-horned Clan and the Greenskins,” Vesta replied. “They have been at odds with each other and have been fighting over each other’s territories for the past few years. This will just be like any other war here in the Demon Realm. Nothing much has changed since then.”

“Since when?” William asked as he glanced at the green-haired beauty beside him.

“Since we lost the war in the Silvermoon Continent,” Vesta replied as she gave William a side-long glance. “A war that we lost to your father.”

The Half-Elf shifted his gaze back to the fight that was about to start. Although he had participated in war in the Southern Continent, he didn’t find it to his liking.

The tears that fell on the day when the curse had turned all the adults into crystals was enough to drown a kingdom.

ᰍaꪧda ᱅o᱇ꫀl. The death toll among the children and teenagers who had died in that war was staggering enough that even the number of Elves that died during that final battle was nothing compared to what the Southern Lands had lost.

What the Southern Lands had lost that day still lingered in William’s heart.

Although the ones fighting each other now were Demons, and not Humans, or Elves, the effect would be the same. Some of those Demons had wives, sons, and daughters, who would weep when they died in battle.

Suddenly, the sound of blow horns spread across the battlefield as both sides shouted their war cries. Soon, they all charged at each other. A battle on land and in the air was about to be waged and blood was bound to be spilled and dye the battlefield in the colors of war.

Vesta, Kira, Athrun, and the rest of their retainers watched from the side as spectators. Their blood boiled because they were a race that didn’t shy away from war. They didn’t care who won or lost because this was part of everyday life in the Demon Realm.

In some corners of the continent, similar wars were being waged. The current war between the One-Horned Tribe and the Greenskins was just a drop in the bucket, and no one would care even if both sides wiped each other out.

At least, that was how the battle should have played out.

As the two sides were about to formally clash with each other, something incredible happened, which made Vesta, Kira, and Athrun, as well as their retainers, look at the battlefield with widened eyes.

An individual appeared in the center of the battlefield and summoned a gigantic golden staff that swept away both sides in a domineering manner.

The Demons that were caught by the surprise attack were sent flying in the air like dried leaves being swept by a broomstick. The elders and experts of both clans were by no means weak. However, in the face of such overwhelming strength, there was nothing that they could do.

None of the people that William had sent flying were hurt. He had imbued Ruyi Jingu Bang with healing magic, so at the moment of impact, an instant regeneration spell would take effect.

The golden staff hit them like a truck, and it hurt like one, but this pain didn’t last long as the injuries in their bodies started to heal.

In just a minute, the war that had just started, was brought to an untimely end.

Everyone gazed at the domineering figure that sat on top of the gigantic golden staff and felt their heart shudder.

“Tell me, you bastards… who asked you to start a war with each other while I am passing through?” William asked in a tone filled with arrogance. “Did any of you ask for my permission?”

His question was like thunder that rang in everyone’s ears. The two warring clans had no idea who he was, so they were unable to form a coherent reply to his question. This was the first time that they had seen a Demigod who wielded a gigantic golden staff that could obliterate all of them with a single sweep.

“F-F*ck, are you for real?!” Kira stuttered as he asked the question that had appeared in his head.

Athrun took a deep breath as he stared at the black-haired teenager whose cape fluttered in the breeze, while standing on the tip of his golden staff. He didn’t expect that the person he kept calling Big Brother was this formidable and it made his blood boil in excitement and respect.

In the Demon Continent, everyone revered strength. Those with the bigger fists dictated the rules. It was the law of the jungle, and everyone had accepted this iron-fist rule since time immemorial.

This was why the Demon Lord could only be a Demon Lord if he was the strongest of the Demons. The Demon Clans wouldn’t recognize a weakling as their leader, and this was why the title of Demon Lord was not hereditary.

Although Felix was called a Prince, that title would only be his while his father held the throne. The moment Lucien, the current Demon Lord, stepped down, his title would be revoked and he would lose the influence he currently possessed.

Vesta, who had long wondered why her father didn’t try to apprehend William back at the Fortress City, gazed at the Half-Elf with appraising eyes. As someone who had reached the Millennial Rank at an early age, she now finally understood why her father, Joash, decided to talk to William in a civil manner.

Right now, she felt that William’s image in her mind had suddenly grown so big that it even surpassed the image of her father, whom she had worshiped ever since she had started to understand the rules of the world she had lived in.

Chapter 984: Looking At Things In Black And White

Chapter 984 – Looking At Things In Black And White

Hestia Academy…

After William had left Hestia Academy, Aila had been feeling uneasy. She had wanted to ask the Half-Elf a few things, but she just couldn’t summon the courage to talk to him face to face.

Because of this, she decided to ask the person who was close to William, whom she trusted very much.

“Eh? You’re having dreams about a silver-haired William?” Conan blinked one then twice after hearing Aila’s story. Both of them had gotten along really well ever since William had introduced her to him.

Aila nodded. “I’ve been having these dreams. Seeing places I’ve never seen before. Also, I’ve interacted with the Silver-haired William many times.”

Suddenly a blush crept along her face as she covered her cheeks with her hands. “We even kissed.”

Her voice was so low that Conan wasn’t able to hear her words properly. In the end William’s familiar decided to ask Aila several questions in order to better understand the dreams she was having.

“Okay, so how old is this silver-haired WIlliam in your dreams?” Conan asked.

“He looked young. Perhaps not more than twenty?” Aila replied in a tone that was filled with uncertainty.”

Conan nodded. “Can you tell me about names and places? Names of people will also work.”

“Vanaheim, Asgard, oh… I also saw Wendy in my dreams,” Princess Aila replied. “She had these wings. I think she was called Captain Wendy, and that silver-haired William belonged to her squadron.”

Conan was about to bite on the potato chip in his hands when he suddenly dropped it after hearing Princess Aila’s words.

“C-Come again?” Conan stuttered. “I think I didn’t hear you properly the first time.”

“Oh. I said that the name of the place where I stayed was Vanaheim, and we had these allies that came from Asgard. William was one of those so-called Einherjars and he belonged to Wendy’s squad, who was called a Valkyrie Captain.”

“Hold that thought. I’ll be right back!”

Conan hurriedly left Princess Aila’s room as he flew off to find Elliot. He felt that he wouldn’t be able to handle this revelation alone, so he decided to call for backup.

Twenty minutes later, Elliot and Conan arrived in Princess Aila’s room and the angelic familiar pressed the Princess with questions in regards to the dreams she was having.

“Is there anything else that you want to add?” Elliot asked with a serious expression on his face. After hearing Conan’s explanation, he decided to accompany him right away to return to Princess Aila’s room.

If what his twin said was right then Aila might be one of the people that William had interacted with when he was still an Einherjar back in Asgard.

Princess Aila shook her head because she had already told the two familiars everything. Elliot and Conan exchanged a glance and both of them had the same expression on their face.

“Okay, let me get this straight,” Elliot crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the Princess in front of him. “You and the silver-haired William had a romantic relationship, but your parents and the elders of the Vanir didn’t approve of it. Because of this, you were forced to erase all of his memories of you, or your race would torture him until he gave up, correct?”

“Yes,” Princess Aila replied. “I know it sounds crazy, but I also don’t understand what is going on. Am I sick or something?”

“Well, I don’t think you are suffering from a sickness,” Conan replied. “At least, not the sickness that you are thinking of.”

Elliot remained silent as he pondered the next words he was going to say. As someone who fully understood William’s current situation, the angelic familiar was a hundred percent sure that what the Princess was dreaming about was her past life before the time of Ragnarok.

After a few minutes of silence, Elliot finally voiced his thoughts.

“Let’s say that what you saw in your dreams was real,” Elliot stated. “That they are memories you have of your past life that are surfacing in your subconscious mind when you are asleep. The question is, what do you plan to do with it?

“Do you plan to pretend and let things continue the way they are, or do you plan to talk to William about it?”

Princess Aila lowered her head and bit her lip. She was currently unsure of what she wanted to do because, even she, didn’t understand her current feelings towards William.

Her Big Brother, Crown Prince Alaric, of the Zelan Dynasty, asked her to form a good relationship with William, and if an opportunity appeared, she would seduce him so that the two of them could be tied in marriage.

This would strengthen their kingdom as well as open new opportunities for them to expand in the Central Continent through her marriage with William.

Princess Aila was conflicted because she wasn’t a very courageous person. Even if someone gave her a push, she would abruptly stop her feet and not dare to take another step. The Half-Elf was an existence that she had respected during the war in the Southern Continent.

ᰍaꪧda ᱅o᱇ꫀl. A person that had turned the tide of battle and avenged the heartache of all the citizens which had been caused by the Elves. Now, William was surrounded by many beautiful women, and all of them were either his wives or lovers.

Princess Aila felt insecure because the hurdle that she had to jump over was very high.

“To be honest, I don’t know what to do,” Princess Aila answered after organizing her thoughts. “I was hoping that the two of you could give me some advice on how to approach this matter.”

Elliot chuckled. “Advice? If I tell you to jump on top of the Bell Tower of this academy, would you do it?”

The angelic familiar shook his head. “Princess, what you need isn’t advice, but understanding of what you really want.”

Elliot pointed to his chest, where the heart was located. “What does this want? If you give yourself some time to understand what you really feel, without caring about responsibilities, or how other people would perceive you, that is when the answer will come to you.”

This chapter is updated by

Conan nodded his head in agreement with Elliot’s words.

“In the end, the one who has to make the decision will not be us, but you, Aila,” Conan stated. “Just know that whatever you decide, I will give you one hundred percent of my support. However… you need to hurry a bit. Am I right, Elliot?”

“Right,” Elliot replied with a smirk. “You see, William had limited slots in his heart. According to the current status quo, there is only one spot remaining.”

Princess Aila tilted her head in confusion. She didn’t understand what the two familiars were talking about.

Seeing the confused expression on her face, Elliot explained William’s current circumstances. After hearing everything, the Princess became quiet because she didn’t know that she was already running out of time.

—–

Inside Celeste’s room…

“Chloee, let me ask you something,” Celeste said as she looked at her familiar who was busy eating a chocolate bar, right after she had finished eating dinner.

“Whaz izz eatt?” Chloee asked in between a mouthful of chocolate.

Celeste placed her palms in her lap as she eyed Chloee with a serious expression on her face.

“If William really is the Prince of Darkness, do you have the resolve to kill him?” Celeste asked.

As one of the bride candidates of the prophesied Prince, she had already considered the possibility of the Half-Elf becoming the Prince that everyone had been dreading to arrive.

Chloee swallowed the chocolate inside her mouth and put the chocolate bar down as she stared back at Celeste whose current mood was unreadable.

“I can’t kill the person I like,” Chloee replied. She was Celeste’s familiar, so it was impossible for her to lie to Celeste even if she tried.

“This ‘like’ of yours, what kind of like is it?” Celeste asked. “Like between a Master and her student? Or that you like him as a friend?”

Chloee smiled. Instead of answering Celeste’s question, the little familiar asked her Master a question of her own.

“If William really is the Dark Prince, can you find it in your heart to kill him?” Chloee asked.

“Yes. If it is necessary then I will kill him.”

“Good answer, but you’re thinking too much. William is not the Prince, your sister has already confirmed it.”

Celeste couldn’t refute Chloee’s words because she was the one that personally inspected Celine’s body for the Prince’s markings that were said to appear on their bodies.

“Maybe I made a mistake back then.” Celeste insisted. “Let’s just say that William is still suspected to become the Prince. If I were to fight him, which side would you be on?”

Chloee pondered for a bit before answering Celeste’s question. She believed that they had reached a crossroad, and indecision wasn’t an option.

“Celeste, I am not very smart. However, when I make a decision, I will follow my heart,” Chloee answered. “If the time comes where William and you are about to fight to the Death, I will choose what my heart tells me.”

“So, you will side with him?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So, will you side with me?”

“I didn’t say that either.”

Celeste pouted because Chloee was being stubborn. Her violent familiar had a straightforward personality, so she wanted to have a concrete answer from her.

“Then, what is it?” Celeste asked. “What choice will you make when that time comes?”

“Celeste, you are looking at this in black and white,” Chloee answered as she picked up the chocolate bar that she had put to the side. “There is always a gray area. Who said that the Dark Prince is an evil being? Granted, if it were anyone aside from Will, I would not hesitate to go for the kill.

“However, Celeste, you haven’t seen the things I have seen. You haven’t seen the battles that we fought together. If that person were to really turn into an evil being as everyone is assuming, then I can only use these small hands of mine to break the chains that binds him.”

Celeste shook her head helplessly after hearing Chloee’s answer.

“Is that the answer of a familiar that is in love?” Celeste asked.

Chloee ignored Celeste’s question and bit into the chocolate bar in her hands. Seeing that the little fairy didn’t plan on answering her question, Celeste sighed and left her alone.

As she walked into the hallway, Chloee’s sincere and heartfelt words echoed inside her head.

“I’m looking at things in Black and White?” Celeste muttered. “Perhaps, I am. But, that doesn’t change anything. I will do everything to protect my sister and me from our fate. If William is really the Prince in the prophecy, I will not hesitate… and go for the kill. I just hope that when that time comes, we won’t clash with each other, Chloee.”

Chapter 985: In Pursuit Of Happiness

Chapter 985 – In Pursuit Of Happiness

Chloee sat on top of the giant sword of Hestia Academy as she ate the snacks that William had given her before he left for the Demonic Continent.

After her short talk with Celeste, the little fairy’s mood suddenly took a nosedive, so she resorted to the one thing that could make her feel better, and that was to eat!

As she was munching on potato chips, chocolate bars, and cheese curls, her sister, Claire landed beside her.

“You know, Celeste only said what she did because she wanted to know your stance in regards to William,” Claire said as she sat beside her sister, whose cheeks were bulged outwards like a hamster whose cheek pouches were full.

After chewing and swallowing everything inside her mouth, Chloee glanced at Claire and offered her a chocolate bar, which the latter politely refused.

“You know, back then, this Prince thingy was more simple,” Chloee said as she tore off a portion of the chocolate bar and ate it. “If he appears, we just need to beat the crap out of him until all of his insides turn to mush. But, after these past few months, I’ve placed more thought on the matter and thought about it carefully.”

“Oh my~ my sister actually used her brain for once and thought about something important?” Claire said in an exaggerated tone as she placed a hand over her forehead. “Is the sun going to rise in the West tomorrow?”

Chloee only smirked at her sister’s blatant teasing. Just like Celeste, Claire understood her better than anyone else.

“I hate it,” Chloee stated as she waved her chocolate bar as if it was a weapon for war. “This whole prophecy mumbo jumbo thing.”

“You only hate it because William is one of the candidates right?”

“Yes.”

Chloee had no reason to lie. After making William her Disciple, and spending some time with him, she started to understand him better. The little fairy had known what was sacred to the red-headed teenager, and the things that would make him go ballistic.

Because of this, she found him very “human-like”. Back then, Chloee thought that the Prince would be an arrogant and merciless individual who would just use force if he didn’t get his way.

Whenever she thought about William being one of these Prince candidates, she became very irritated. She wanted to shout to the world that her Disciple wasn’t a psychotic person, and shouldn’t be lumped up with the rest of those hooligans that the academy had listed as candidates for the Prince.

“I think this all started when the two of you fought for the first time,” Claire said as she stared in the direction of the Demonic Continent. “Did you fall in love after he fought you fearlessly knowing that he was still going to lose in the end?

“I think he is the only one aside from the Demigod, Tarasque, who has met your full-powered attack head-on. Did his performance move your heart? Isn’t this also the reason why you made him your Disciple even after he had lost to you?”

Chloee continued to eat her chocolate bar in silence. She could still remember the first battle she had with William as if it was only yesterday. Back then, the red-headed teenager had used his Einherjar form in order to compensate for the disparity between the two of them.

For their last exchange, William used his World End Tempest to meet Chloee’s Overwhelming Strike without backing down, resulting in a powerful explosion that gave both of them serious injuries.

Even so, Chloee’s ability to recover was stronger than William’s, which made her the winner of the match.

“He was so beautiful back then,” Chloee said softly as she looked at the moon. “Like someone who was burning his life in order to win an unwinnable battle. Although he didn’t shed any tears, I felt his heart crying. It was as if he was losing many important things just by existing.

“The attack he gave was very heavy. It was as if he was carrying the burdens of all the people in the world in that one strike. At that moment in time, I sincerely felt that I was fighting against the strongest being in the world, even though he was far… far weaker than me.”

This chapter is updated by

The little fairy sighed as she drank a mouthful of the hot chocolate drink that she had prepared earlier.

“When I went to look for him in the Forbidden Grounds, I found myself in a world that is different from our own,” Chloee continued her explanation. “It was a world deprived of magic, with many tall structures that are even taller than this sword we are sitting on. There were metal birds, that they called airplanes, flying in the sky, and metal carriages on the ground that didn’t require any mounts to pull them called cars.

“According to Elliot, the name of that world is Earth. That was where William lived in his past life, before being born in our world.”

Claire listened in fascination as her sister described the world called Earth to her. She was quite surprised when Chloee mentioned that William had once lived there as a sickly person before being born again in Hestia. For her, the concept of Reincarnation was a tricky thing. Although she was still doubtful about her sister’s words, she decided to believe in her for the time being.

“In that world, there is this person named Belle,” Chloee continued. “She was a very ordinary girl. She’s pretty, but not as beautiful as Celeste or Princess Sidonie. In fact, I am more beautiful than her.”

Chloee’s tone was filled with confidence, which made Claire giggle. Since her sister had said that Celeste was more beautiful than the girl named Belle, it was only natural that Chloee was more beautiful than her because she was an exact copy of Celeste, the only differences being her hair and eye color.

“That girl is so frail, that a normal monster here in our world could kill her without fail.” Chloee sighed. “But, she was still someone that William had loved in his past lifetime. Even now, he still loves her. Did you know? When William married her, these snot-nosed people called politicians came to attend their wedding?

“In my understanding, those prime ministers, kings, and presidents were the rules of their respective countries. Yet, they still went out of their way to personally attend a marriage between William and that ordinary girl, Belle. It was a sight to see. Ah, the food I had during the wedding party was very good. It’s quite unfortunate that I can no longer eat them in this world.”

Claire shook her head helplessly because her sister had suddenly drifted away from the topic because of her memory of the food she ate. Fortunately, it didn’t take long before the little fairy once again talked about William.

“When I found out that William loses his memories whenever he uses that Einherjar form, I felt very sad. Although the memories he loses are all about that girl, Belle, I still felt a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, you know?

“If I was in his place, and I started to forget about you and Celeste, I wouldn’t know what to do. If using that kind of power would make me forget about the Headmaster then I wouldn’t mind it one bit. But, you and Celeste are two of the most precious people to me. Fortunately, when I use my abilities, the backlash isn’t that severe. As long as I don’t use more than seventy percent of our powers, I will definitely not die.”

Claire sighed. Both her and Chloee could only use up to 70% of their abilities. Going above that and their bodies wouldn’t be able to accept the load and break into pieces. In truth, Chloee and her had already resolved themselves that, if they were to face the Dark Prince in battle, they would sacrifice themselves and use 100% of their powers in order to bring him down with them.

If that was the only way to keep their Master, Celeste, safe then they didn’t mind ceasing to exist. They had been born for that sole purpose, and no one would be able to stop them from doing what they needed to do in order to get the job done.

“I can’t do it, Claire,” Chloee said after a few minutes of silence. “I can’t fight against William. I just can’t do it.”

“Then, I will fight in your place,” Claire replied. “If I die then you should take Celeste and escape. Can you do that for me?”

Chloee shook her head. “You also know that I can’t do that. Although I can’t fight him, I can hold him in place so that you can deliver the final blow. I just want you to promise me one thing, Claire.”

“And that is?”

“Kill us together. I don’t want to live in a world without him. Maybe, I can be his lover in his next reincarnation. When that happens, I will probably be happy.”

Claire patted her sister’s back who had returned to eating her snacks. Both of them were familiars, so she understood that it was impossible for Chloee to be together with William. Even so, if her sister wanted to die with the person she loved then she would respect her decision and wouldn’t hold back.

For the first time in her life, Claire prayed to the heavens. She prayed that her sister, Chloee, who only knew how to beat people up, would one day find the happiness that she rightfully deserved.

Chapter 986: I Don’t Mind This Petty Move Of Yours

Chapter 986 – I Don’t Mind This Petty Move Of Yours

Adam was currently in the midst of training as he tried to push the memories of his encounter with the Dark Wraith to the corner of his mind.

Ever since he had returned from the Ancient Ruins, he had never ventured inside it again. The things he witnessed inside it was more than enough to chip the confidence he had when he first arrived at the stronghold.

Back then, he thought that the world revolved around him, and he was the one that was said to become the Heir of Darkness. It wasn’t only the Elves who had a prophecy in regards to the Dark Prince, the Demons had one as well.

Surprisingly, the Oracles of the Elves and the Demons received the prophecies on the same day. While most of the contents were similar, there was also differences as well.

In the Elven Prophecy, they called the chosen one the Dark Prince.

In the Demon’s Prophecy, they called the chosen one the Heir of Darkness.

Adam didn’t care whether he was hailed a Prince or an Heir. The only thing that mattered to him was power. A power that would make everyone submit to his will. Unfortunately, his arrogance had been taken down a peg after his brief encounter with the Dark Wraith that could have easily ended his life if it wanted to.

For now, he just focused everything he had into training the Dark Arts while Felix waited for the report of the explorers he had sent inside the Ancient Ruins.

Adam didn’t bother to report to Felix that the explorers wouldn’t be coming back, because it would reveal that he had taken a little excursion inside the Ancient Ruins. This was something that Adam didn’t want to happen because he didn’t want to become the center of attention.

He was already being eyed critically by Felix, as well as the nobles of the different factions. As one of the candidates, and most talented user of the Dark Arts among the prodigies that were gathered all over the realm, they assumed that his chances of being the one in the prophecy were higher than everyone else’s.

Several days later, Felix finally gathered all the candidates inside the Stronghold in order to relay the decree of the Demon Lord, who had become very impatient with the slow development of the exploration of the Ancient Ruins.

“Three days from now, the Great Demon Lord has decreed that I send several elite warriors, as well as some of you to explore the Ancient ruins,” Felix stated. “It has been more than a week since the explorers entered the ruins, and none of them had returned. I am assuming that all of them are now dead, so waiting for them will just be counterproductive.

“Of course, your safety is my utmost priority. This is why I decided to send a few of my elite bodyguards to accompany the team that will enter the ruins in three days time to ensure that none of you will be harmed.

“All of you are the prized geniuses of our realm. I expect that each and everyone of you will cooperate with the people that will explore alongside you, and bring glory to our race. Do any of you have questions that you would like to address?”

Felix scanned the surroundings, and saw a hand shoot up in the air.

The Demon Prince nodded his head and made a gesture for the Demon who raised his hand to speak his mind.

“If ever we made important discoveries inside the ruins, will we gain rewards for our troubles?” the Demon asked.

He was not the only one that had thought about this. Several of the other prodigies had been thinking about this as well. They were quite glad that one of them took the initiative to ask this question, so they didn’t need to bother to ask it themselves.

Felix smiled and nodded his head. “Of course. Those who make significant merits in the exploration will be given rewards befitting of their contribution to our cause. I promise that the rewards will satisfy all of you, so do your best and try to bring back as much information about the ruins as possible.”

The Demon nodded in satisfaction. Although they didn’t show it on the surface, all of them were competitors, so it was only normal for them to look for benefits when doing something very dangerous.

Just like Adam, all of them could hear a voice calling out to them inside the Ancient Ruins. Unfortunately, they weren’t aware of the secret entrance that Adam had used to enter it. If they knew, then they would have snuck out of the stronghold in the middle of the night and explored it on their own, just like Adam did several days ago.

“If there are no more questions then I advise all of you to make the necessary preparations for your exploration,” Felix stated. “Everyone, dismissed!”

After the Demons had returned to their dorms, Felix returned to the Commander’s Office and activated a long distance communication crystal to talk to his father. He reported that he had passed his decree to everyone in the stronghold, which made Lucien nod his head in satisfaction.

“I have heard about your little antics in the stronghold,” Lucien said. “It is not a bad strategy to pull the Demon candidates into your faction. As expected of my son, you sure know how to take advantage of the situation.”

Felix felt a chill run down his spine as he saw his father’s deathly gaze locked onto his body.

“Relax, I don’t mind this petty move of yours,” Lucien stated. “As long as you are able to produce good results, I am willing to turn a blind eye on this small transgression. You will produce good results, right, Felix?”

“O-Of course, Father,” Felix stuttered. “I will not disappoint you.”

“You’d better not, because if you do…” Lucien smiled and left the words hanging in the air. He was the one that raised Felix, so he already knew that his son understood what he was trying to say.

Just as he expected, Felix affirmed once more that he would do his best to meet his expectations. Lucien then ended the call because he still had other matters to address.

“Joash, just what are you doing behind my back?” Lucien muttered as he read the report of the subordinate that he had placed in the Fortress City to spy on the Demigod’s movements. Although he and the Black Dragon were allies, he understood that Joash was quite displeased with how the war in the Silvermoon Continent had ended.

Although the friction between the two of them wasn’t enough to burn their bridges, it still made their relationship a little shaky. A shakiness that had continued to be present ever since.

There was a time when the Demon Lord had proposed that Felix marry Joash’s daughter, Vesta, but the Demigod politely declined his offer. Lucien didn’t make any further moves because he understood that the Demigod wasn’t interested in deepening ties with him.

Since that was the case, he made sure to send several spies into the Fortress City to regularly check his movements.

When his subordinates reported that Vesta had left the city alongside a slave trader who was carrying Elf Slaves, Lucien’s interest was piqued.

Anyone who was able to bring Elves into the Demonic Continent was not a simple character, so he sent men to secretly monitor where the slave trader was headed.

Fortunately, Vesta’s entourage didn’t do a good job in keeping a low profile. Several complaints had arrived in the Capital City, which all pointed to a black-haired slave trader, who managed to tame Flying Armored Elephants.

According to the reports, the slave trader was using the beasts to threaten their cities if they rejected his request for safe passage.

Lucien found this overbearing slave trader to his liking, so he sent several of his best agents to look for his whereabouts, with the intention of offering him an opportunity to work exclusively for him.

For the Demon Lord, risk takers were worth befriending, especially those with the guts to make Flying Armored Elephants mounts.

Each of these monstrous beasts were led by a Myriad Elephant that served as their Alpha. They were existences that would give anyone a hard time because of their overwhelming strength and abilities.

Whenever a Myriad Beast went on a rampage, the assistance of a Demigod was vital in ending the conflict. This was why not many people dared to tame an Elephant and use it as a mount.

Only those who were prepared to face off against a Myriad Beast, which was considered to be at the peak of the food chain, would dare to make one of the Elephants their own.

“A Vampire named William?” Lucien read the documents that his subordinates had gathered about the slave trader with an amused expression on his face. “It might just be a coincidence, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”

Lucien made a gesture and several shadows materialized in the air in front of him.

“Find this person and investigate him,” Lucien ordered. “If he is really the son of that man, I want all of you to bring him to me alive. Do I make myself clear?”

The shadows nodded before disappearing.

Lucien allowed himself to smile as he set the documents down on the table. Deep inside, he hoped that his suspicions were true.

That way, he could personally torture the boy whose father had made him face the greatest humiliation in his life, after he had lost his battle against him in the Silvermoon Continent, many years ago.

Chapter 987: Tell Me, Who Is Stronger, Your Demon Lord Or Me?

Chapter 987 – Tell Me, Who Is Stronger, Your Demon Lord Or Me?

(Disclaimer: I changed the Redskin Clan to Greenskin Clan. The reason? I don’t want to have any misunderstandings, so I did it this way. Enjoy your chapters Kekeke.)

“Your Excellency, may we know who you are?” a middle-aged man with a single horn on his head asked. He was the Patriarch of the One-horned Clan. In truth, he was quite relieved when William had appeared and stopped the war.

His Clan was the one being attacked by the Greenskin Clan, and was only forced to fight against them because they had been backed into a corner. If possible, he didn’t want the war to continue because he knew that the ones who would lose in the end would be them.

Opposite him was another Demon, who was the current Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan. They were the aggressor in this conflict, and declared war on the One-horned Tribe for the sake of expanding their own territory, and making the opposing Clan their vassal.

“Your Excellency, my name is Dozedar, the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan,” Dozedar said politely. “I would like to invite you to our residence after this war is over. I promise upon our Clan’s name that you will be treated as an exalted guest and will be given everything that you wish for. If possible, I humbly ask, His Excellency, to let us handle our differences and settle this within the laws of the Demon Realm.”

William glanced at Dozedar who was looking at him with an amiable smile. He had jumped in to stop the war out of instinct, without knowing the reason behind why the two Clans were having a conflict. Even so, since he had already made his move, he would be damned if he allowed the fighting to continue.

“Dozedar, was it?” William smiled as he gazed at the two-meter tall red-skinned Demon, whose bulky body wouldn’t lose to a body builder. “Who gave you permission to start this war?”

“Your Excellency, this war was started based on the laws of the Demon Realm. We are merely doing what our ancestors did long ago,” Dozedar replied. “Wars in the Demon Realm don’t need anyone’s permission. Only the Demon Lord can intervene in conflicts against Clans.”

“I see,” William smiled. He then smashed Ruyi Jingu Bang into the face of the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan and sent him flying hundreds of meters in the air.

Soleil, that was floating in the air, smashed Dozedar back to the ground, making him crash in front of William. The Half-Elf then grabbed the demon’s hair and pulled his head up, so that he could stare at Dozedar’s bloody face.

“You just said that wars in the Demon Realm didn’t need anyone’s permission, right?” William asked with a devilish smile on his face. “Since that is the case, how about I declare war on your Clan? How does that sound?”

He was still in his Heroic Avatar Form. An existence that transcended the limit of mortality, and had stepped into the Demigod Rank. In the Demon Continent, there were only four Demigods.

Each of them was capable of destroying entire kingdoms if they wished for it, so William’s words were like the roar of thunder that passed through everyone’s ears. The Greenskin Clan stared at William in horror because there was no way that their Clan could resist such an existence.

If he really wanted to wipe out their entire Clan, they would all be wiped out without having the strength to resist.

“M-Mercy, Your Excellency,” Dozedar said through bloodied lips. “I didn’t mean it that way. We are only…”

“You are only, what?” William asked back. “Be careful what you say next. I am itching to cause a genocide. Your Clan will be a good place to start.”

Dozedar gulped down the words he was planning to say. He couldn’t possibly say that they started this war just to annex their neighbor and hold a bigger territory. With nothing good to say, he was forced to keep his silence.

William tossed Dozedar to the ground and glanced at the Patriarch of the One-Horned Clan who had kept his silence through the entire ordeal.

“Tell me the real reason why this war started,” William ordered. “If you lie, I will kill you and wipe out your entire Clan.”

The patriarch bowed as he introduced himself. “Your Excellency, my name is Polox and I am the Patriarch of the One-horned Clan. This war was declared upon us by the Greenskin Clan in the hope that they can annex our territory and make us their vassals.”

William arched an eyebrow as he gave Dozedar, who was lying on the ground, a side-long glance before shifting his attention back to Polox.

‘Optimus, what do you think?’

< He isn’t lying. >

The synchronization level of the system had been upgraded after William’s adventures in the Deadlands and on Earth, right now, its synchronization rate was at 62%, which allowed the system to unlock more of its capabilities.

Right now, Optimus was a portable lie detector that William could use to interrogate anyone, similar to how the Demigods knew if the person they were speaking to was lying.

“I see.” William rubbed his chin in understanding.

Suddenly, an absurd idea popped inside William’s head as he scanned the faces of the One-horned Clan, as well as the Greenskin Clan. He didn’t know if it would work, but there was no harm in trying.

“You see, I am planning to build my own influence in the Demon Realm,” William stated. “Would you guys like to become my vassals?”

Kira, Athrun, and Vesta who were observing the discussion from a distance almost couldn’t believe what they heard. They all exchanged glances before looking back at the black-haired teenager who had a devilish smile on his face.

“Your Excellency, are you asking if we want to become your vassals?” Polox inquired in a respectful tone.

“Yes.” William nodded. “Your enemies will be my enemies. Any Clan who dares to create conflict with you must go through me first. How about it? Are you interested?”

Polox stared at William as if he was a Messiah that had descended from the heavens to save them. Only a fool would reject being a vassal of a Demigod.

The Patriarch of the One-horned Clan was no fool. The moment William offered to become their Lord, he thought he was just mishearing things, so he decided to ask for confirmation. Now that William had made his intentions clear, Polox was more than happy to hug his thigh and never let go!

“The One-horned Clan pays respects to our Lord!” Plox knelt to pay homage to William.

“”The One-horned Clan pays respects to our Lord!””

Just like Polox, every member of the One-horned Clan was very happy to have a sturdy umbrella that would protect them from the wind and the rain. They gazed at William as if he was a God, and offered their sincerest gratitude to him.

“Well, now that all of you have recognized me as your Lord, it is time for me to do my role and protect you from these Demons that want to take your lands,” William stated as he turned his head to look at the Greenskin Clan, who all had panicked expressions on their faces.

“Y-Your Excellency, please, have mercy,” an old man from the Greenskin Clan walked forward and bowed to William in a respectful manner. “We do not wish to have any conflicts with you. Our Clan will pull back from this war and compensate the One-horned Clan for the transgressions we have made.”

The old man was one of the Elders of the Greenskin Clan, and his words carried a lot of weight. Right now, they didn’t dare to offend William because it would mark the end of their tribe.

Challenging a Demigod was akin to suicide. They would rather lose face, and compensate the One-horned Clan than face total annihilation.

“I refuse,” William said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You only have two options. Become my vassals or be exterminated. Also, your position would be second to the One-horned Clan. If you don’t accept my condition then all of you can go pack up and go back home to wash your neck. I will be visiting you shortly, so be sure to prepare your coffins.”

William then released the overwhelming presence of a Demigod to give the Greenskin Clan a fright. Some of them even fainted because this was not a force that ordinary mortals could face headon.

“T-This, Your Excellency, I’m afraid that the Demon Lord will not agree to this,” the Elder of the Greenskin Clan commented. “We are one of the many vassals of the Gremory Clan. If we change our allegiance, the Demon Lord will surely come to wipe us out.”

The Half-Elf chuckled after hearing the old man’s attempt to save his Clan by using the name of the Demon Lord in order to make him backoff.

Truth be told, William had long wished to whack Lucien’s and Felix’s heads for what they had done to Chiffon. With the power and army he had at his disposal, the Half-Elf was not afraid even if he had to face the Demon Lord whose current rank was at the peak of a Saint.

A Saint could barely contend with a Myriad Beast at its peak, let alone a Demigod who could slap a Myriad Beast to death.

“Tell me, who is stronger, your Demon Lord or me?” William asked with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Tell me, if you have to choose between your whole Clan being exterminated right now, or being exterminated later by the Demon Lord, what will you choose?”

The old man gulped because this question reminded him who he was dealing with. Between the Demon Lord and a Demigod, who would he choose? Both had the power to wipe their entire Clan off the face of Hestia. Both were beings that they dared not offend.

However, if he was really forced to choose between the black-haired teenager and the Demon Lord, he would definitely pick the former. After all, even the Demon Lord had to tread carefully when dealing with a Demigod.

“O-On behalf of the Greenskin Tribe, and our vassals, I hereby pay respect to our new Lord,” the old man declared as he shakily knelt in front of William.

The other members of his Clan glanced at each other before kneeling on the ground to pay tribute to him as well.

“”The Greenskin Clan pays respect to our Lord!””

Dozedar grit his teeth as he glared at William. However, he too knelt in front of him because in the face of absolute strength, all tricks were meaningless.

William knew that the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan was still reluctant to submit to him.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ William thought as he gazed at Dozedar. ‘I’ll just feed one of his arms to Medusa later.’

The Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan shuddered after William gazed at him. He instinctively felt that if he made the wrong move, his life would come to a horrifying end.

Chapter 988: Did You Forget Who I Am?

Chapter 988 – Did You Forget Who I Am?

The sound of merry-making spread in the darkness of the night as William sat in the seat of honor at the table of the One-horned Clan.

Vesta, Kira, and Athrun were seated at a table not far from him, and they were also treated as VIP guests.

As the Patriarch of the One-horned Clan, Polox had recognized Vesta instantly. There had been a gathering of the different Clan Lords within the Demon Continent, and three of the Demigods, excluding Baba Yaga, had attended the festivities.

This was where Polox had seen Vesta, and discovered that she was the daughter of the fearsome Black Dragon Demigod, who guarded their Southern Fortress.

Although he knew that meeting the green-haired beauty would be a rare occasion, Polox still made sure to remember her features, and tell his Clan members to never offend her, if they ever crossed paths with her in their territory.

Right now, he didn’t know what kind of relationship William had with Joash, but after seeing Vesta in his entourage, he thought that the two Demigods had a good relationship with each other.

“Lord William, if there is anything that you want, just tell me,” Polox said in a respectful tone. “As long as it is within the ability of our Clan, we will do it without fail.”

William nodded his head. “For now, I have no need for anything. This feast is already good enough. I thank you, and your Clan, for your hospitality.”

Polox smiled, and it was a smile that came from the heart. William was very different from the domineering person that he had encountered on the battlefield, which surprised him. He thought that after becoming one of William’s vassals, the black-haired teenager would start to demand things of them.

As the Patriarch of the One-horned Clan, he was prepared to make the necessary sacrifices, but William didn’t ask him for anything. This was why he decided to hold a feast in his honor, to better understand their new Lord, and see if he had any hidden agendas in regards to their Clan.

It was at this moment when a One-horned young lady, with light-brown hair and green eyes walked inside the gathering hall.

Every member of the One-horned Clan bowed respectfully at her as she made her way towards Polox, who was currently chatting with William.

“I greet His Excellency, Lord William.” the young lady bowed respectfully. “May your grace fall upon our Clan, and your courageous stories be spread far and wide within the Demon Realm.”

The young lady then bowed to Polox before going to the table right next to him. This was the respect that the Patriarch of the One-horned Clan deserved, and she would not forget to do this, even in front of a Demigod.

William’s gaze followed the familiar young lady whom he had seen alongside Vesta when he was still in the Deadlands.

Polox, who noticed William’s gaze, gave his granddaughter two thumbs up in his heart for doing a job well done. He had told her earlier that she should make a good impression on their new Lord in order to strengthen the ties between their Clan and him.

Seeing that Wiliam seemed to be interested in his granddaughter, Polox thought that the possibility of forming ties with him was already in the bag.

“Lord William, forgive my granddaughter Anh for not introducing herself earlier. She’s not used to socializing with people outside of our Clan, and I spoiled her too much,” Polox stated. “I hope she didn’t offend you.”

William smiled and shook her head. “No. I wasn’t offended. I just thought she looked familiar.”

“Is that so? Perhaps both of you were fated to meet. They said that the Gods allow people to find their soulmates in their dreams.”

“Hahaha. Isn’t that a bit too convenient?”

William didn’t know how to react to this sudden meeting between him and Anh. Just like Vesta, she was one of the young ladies that he had seen in the Deadlands. He still didn’t understand why he saw them there, but one thing was certain.

‘There are no coincidences in this world,’ William thought. ‘Maybe we really were fated to meet.’

Just as the Half-Elf was entertaining this thought, Vesta walked to his table and dragged him to where Kira and Athrun were seated. William didn’t resist and followed the green-haired beauty to know what she wanted with him.

“Bro, that was the best thing ever!” Kira said as he looked at William with sparkling eyes. “Can we become sworn brothers? Please? If my parents hear about this, they might push me to become the next patriarch of the Sand Clan.”

“Do you want to be Patriarch?” William asked. He had spent a good amount of time with the handsome Demon, who always called him bro, and didn’t mind extending his hand to help him rise in the ranks if he really wished for it.

“Actually, I don’t,” Kira answered before drinking a glass of fruit juice. “Knowing myself, I don’t have what it takes to become a Patriarch. I’m a free spirit. I prefer traveling the world to being stuck at home handling the family’s affairs.”

Athrun nodded in agreement. Unlike Kira, who wanted to have complete freedom, what he wanted was to make a name for himself. He wanted to build a merchant group that every other merchant would look up to.

However, he knew that this was a long-term project, and couldn’t be rushed at this point in time. Even so, he also understood that if he formed connections with a Demigod, no one would dare cause trouble for him as he slowly built staircases towards the sky.

William sensed Athrun’s passionate gaze and gave him a brief nod. He knew that this scholarly fellow was similar to Sha, and wouldn’t really talk unless it was necessary. Since that was the case, the Half-Elf decided to take the initiative to offer an olive branch to him.

After all, aside from bandits, the Ainsworth Family’s second best friends were rich merchants whom they could extort when needed. Making Athrun one of his future golden geese was not a bad idea.

“If you ever need help, just say a word,” William said to Athrun with a smile. “I don’t mind calling the wind and the rain to pave the path to greatness.”

Athrun bowed his head respectfully as a reply to William’s words. His promise was more than enough to give him courage to be more daring in his approach when it came to building his merchant empire.

Vesta stared at the three boys with an impatient look before tapping William’s shoulder to get his attention.

“I don’t know your reason for doing this, but I think you went overboard when you forced the Greenskin Clan to become one of your vassals,” Vesta said with a serious expression on her face. “They are indeed one of the vassals of the Gremory Clan, which belong to the Demon Lord’s family. Are you trying to make the Demon Lord your enemy?”

William blinked once then twice before raising his hand. Without warning, he flicked Vesta’s forehead which made the latter cry out in pain. The Half-Elf didn’t put much force into it, but it was still enough to inflict pain to Vesta.

Just like always, this attack was imbued with regeneration magic, which instantly healed any injuries that she received.

“What did you do that for?!” Vesta asked angrily as she held her forehead.

“Because you asked a silly question,” William replied. “Did you forget who I am?”

This time, it was Vesta’s turn to blink. A few seconds later, a dawn of realization fell upon her as she covered her lips.

William was Maxwell’s son, who had thwarted the Demon Lord’s ambition to conquer the Silvermoon Continent. Not only that, the Dungeon Conqueror had also cut off his arm, which the Demon Lord had taken as the greatest humiliation of his life.

The Half-Elf being the Demon Lord’s enemy was an understatement. The moment that the Demon Lord knew of William’s existence, he would send his army to kill him!

As if reading her thoughts, William just chuckled and whispered something in her ear.

“Don’t worry, when I meet face to face with the Demon Lord, I’ll tell him that me and your father are in cahoots with each other,” William whispered. “No need to thank me.”

Vesta hurled profanities at William inside her heart, while holding back the strong urge to give him a slap.

Not only did he offended the Demon Lord, the Half-Elf also wanted to drag her father into the quagmire that he created. If William wasn’t stronger than her, she would have already summoned her whip and lashed out at him repeatedly for thinking such a thing.

Unfortunately, William was stronger than her, so the only thing she could do was glare at him, which made the Half-Elf feel very smug about himself.

Just as he was about to ask Vesta the real reason she’d dragged him away, one of the members of the One-horned Clan entered the room.

Polox had a surprised expression on his face after hearing his subordinate’s words, and immediately ordered his subordinate to do something.

After the one-horned man left the room, Polox walked towards William with a big smile on his face.

“Lord William, I bring you good news,” Polox said with a face filled with excitement. “The Clans within the neighboring territories have come to swear their allegiance to you. They also want to become your vassals!”

Kira dropped the chicken leg that he was about to take a bite of, while Athrun almost choked on the fruit juice that he had just drank.

Vesta covered her face with her hands while mumbling “We’re dead! We’re dead!”. Clearly, she didn’t find Polox’s good news, well, good news. Instead, she knew that William had caused an unprecedented event, whose consequences she didn’t dare to imagine.

If the One-horned Clan, Greenskin Clan, and the other clans who planned to become William’s vassals, came to know his true identity, they would definitely dig a hole in the ground, and bury themselves inside it.

Not only had they knelt in front of their hated enemy, they even swore allegiance to him. If their ancestors were to know what they did, they would have risen up from their graves and slapped all of their descendants for being silly.

Not only did they allow themselves to become slaves, they even helped the slave trader count the money to ensure that he was not being cheated upon!

Vesta knew that things were getting out of hand, but she was helpless to stop it. The only thing she could do was to tell William the consequences of his actions, and hope that the Half-Elf would have enough common sense to understand that what he was doing was simply throwing these ignorant clans into the Lion’s Den.

Chapter 989: From This Moment Onwards, All Of You Will No Longer Be Alone [Part 1]

Chapter 989 – From This Moment Onwards, All Of You Will No Longer Be Alone [Part 1]

Vesta dragged William to a vacant room in order to have a serious discussion with him. Because of this, the delegations of the other clans had no choice but to enjoy the feast and have a chat while waiting for William’s return.

Inside the vacant room…

“Listen, do you know what you are doing?” Vesta asked as she pressed her hands on the wall as she stared directly at William’s eyes, whom she had pinned on the wall, so that he wouldn’t be able to escape her grasp.

“Um? Adding more vassals under my name?” William replied as he blinked innocently at the green-haired beauty.

“No, you numbskull!” Vesta snapped. “What you are doing is akin to poaching clans from under the Demon Lord’s nose! Are you planning to start a civil war?!”

The Half-Elf’s eyes widened in surprise as he finally understood what Vesta was trying to tell him. Frankly, he never thought about starting a civil war in the Demon Continent, But, after hearing Vesta’s words he started to have the strong urge to do it!

“Sounds like a good idea!” William answered with great enthusiasm. “Why didn’t I think of that?! Listen, how many clans are here in this territory? I want them all!”

“Bastard! What happened to being lowkey?!” Vesta gnashed her teeth in anger. “Isn’t the reason why we are traveling the Northeastern edge of the continent to prevent your identity from being exposed?!

“Have you forgotten that my father only allowed you to pass safely from the fortress, so you could fetch Baba Yaga’s disciple and take her back to the Central Continent with you?! Why are you creating problems as you go?!”

The black-haired teenager lowered his head, before answering her questions.

“You got meat stuck between your teeth,” William replied.

Vesta almost lost it as she kneed the Half-Elf and aimed at his lower half. She’d had enough of William’s bullsh*t and decided to teach him a lesson.

Fortunately, William was stronger than her, so he managed to block her knee with his right hand.

“You idiot!” Vesta shouted as she backed away in exasperation. “Are you trying to get my father involved in this? If your identity is known, he would be labeled a traitor by the Demon Race!?”

William then pressed his closed fist on the palm of his hand as if getting a good idea.

“Vesta, you are a genius!” William exclaimed. “Let’s do that. I’ll tell the Demon Lord that your father and I are in cahoots with each other if my identity is discovered.”

“F*ck you!” Vesta summoned her whip and lashed at William in anger. This time, she was really enraged when she heard his moronic words that would destroy everything her father had built all these years.

This was the real reason she was trying to stop William from integrating more vassals under his command. If the Half-Elf really declared that her father was on his side then the reputation that Joash had built over the past hundreds of years would have been in vain.

William smiled as he grabbed Vesta’s whip and held it firmly in his hand. Although Vesta’s whip was a powerful magical weapon, his current strength could overcome it easily.

“I was just joking,” William stated. “Calm down.”

“You’d better give me a proper explanation about what you are planning to do, or else!” Vesta glared at William as the latter let go of her weapon.

“Fine,” William replied as he raised both of his hands in surrender. “Although he said that he was just joking, the truth was that he was not. Even so, he still had to give Joash some face because the latter did help him pass through the Southern Fortress without harm.

The two stared at each other for a full minute before Vesta unsummoned the weapon in her hand.

“What are you really planning to do?” Vesta asked. “Do you have another agenda in coming to the Demon Realm?”

William shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest while leaning on the wall.

“My only purpose is to get my Master back to the Central Continent,” William answered. “What happened today was something I didn’t plan to happen. I just went by the flow, okay?”

“And… that’s the problem!” Vesta scoffed. “Maybe this is why my father asked me to accompany you. He probably wants me to do damage control while traveling towards the Northeastern Regions with you!”

William chuckled because he didn’t believe that Joash was that bored to send his own daughter to do some “damage control” for him. He was sure that what was happening right now, was being relayed directly to the Demigod.

Although he wasn’t sure about it, his gut instinct was telling him that he was right on the mark. Since that was the case, he decided to sound out what Joash had in mind in regards to William having vassals of his own in the Demon Realm.

“Okay, calm down. Breathe slowly,” William said with a smile. “Tell me, Ms. Vesta, how do you propose I handle the current situation?”

The green-haired beauty forcefully tried to calm herself after hearing William’s words. Now that the Half-Elf had taken the One-horned Clan, as well as the Greenskin Clan, under his wings, he couldn’t possibly toss them aside.

Vesta knew this, and she had no intention of letting him do something so careless. Even so, other clans becoming his vassals was something out of her expectations.

The Gremory Clan, who was the previous Lord of the Greenskin Clan, was one thing. However, if William assimilated more clans under his banner, the other Major Clans would lose their retainers, and thus, weaken their authority over their dominion.

This would create an unprecedented upheaval in the lands, which would make all the clans who had deserted their former Lords face the wrath of a united union of clans under the Demon Lord’s banner.

“Just reject them,” Vesta stated. “Right now, the only conflict is with the Gremory Clan. The Greenskin Clan is just a minor clan among their vassals, so losing them would not deal a big blow to their authority.

“Although it might cause some grievances, the Gremory Clan isn’t stupid enough to provoke an unknown person whose strength is equivalent to a Demigod. As long as you do not create more troubles in the future, we can put this incident under the rug and be done with it.”

William rubbed his chin because Vesta’s argument was very sound. His main purpose was to find Celine and not raise a faction of his own in the Demon Realm. Also, standing out like a sore thumb would make things difficult for him in the future.

As long as he stopped accepting the allegiance of the different demonic clans, the problem would not escalate to the point of no return. This was the best choice at this point in time, and the Half-Elf understood that Vesta was right.

“Understood. Let’s go back,” William said as he walked towards the door. “We will follow your plan. No more accepting vassals for the time being.”

Vesta sighed in relief as she placed her right hand over her chest. She was quite proud of herself for taking the initiative to talk Wiliam out of his plan of accepting the Patriarchs who wished to serve under him.

‘Father, I did it,’ Vesta thought. ‘I prevented the worst case scenario from happening.’

Joash, who was seated on his throne, looked at a mirror that was floating in front of him. The mirror was over three-meters tall, and the image of the Half-Elf was reflected on its surface.

He didn’t tell his daughter, Vesta that he had placed a powerful spell on her body, which allowed him to see, and hear, what was going on around her. Because of this, he was well aware of the events that were happening around the Half-Elf.

Joash didn’t mutter a word, and simply observed. He wanted to see with his own eyes how William was going to settle this matter. Truth be told, he found the Half-Elf’s decision quite bold and daring.

For a brief moment, he even saw the arrogance that had appeared on Maxwell’s face, on William’s when he had stopped the war between the One-Horned Clan and the Greenskin Clan. It made him wonder if the Half-Elf would follow in his father’s footsteps, as he tread upon the lands of the Demons, whose sense of unity was starting to erode.

Chapter 990: From This Moment Onwards, All Of You Will No Longer Be Alone [Part 2]

Chapter 990 – From This Moment Onwards, All Of You Will No Longer Be Alone [Part 2]

Five minutes later inside the main hall of the One-horned Clan…

“Everyone, I am very happy that you have traveled many miles just to see me,” William said as he sat on his seat of honor. “Unfortunately, I have no intention of expanding my faction at this point in time. There are places I need to go, and I will not stay in this Domain for long. It is best if you seek protection elsewhere.”

The other clans who had come to offer their allegiance to William lowered their heads in disappointment. Just as Vesta, Kira, and Athrun had done during the battle, some of the elite warriors of the different Clans had gathered to spectate in the battle between the One-horned Clan and the Greenskin Clan.

When they saw William’s overwhelming might, they knew that this was a golden opportunity to break free from their previous Masters, who treated them as cannon fodders whenever they declared war on their rival Clans.

This was a very common occurrence in the Demon Realm, and only the Major Clans, as well as those powerful and influential families, had this privilege.

Polox sighed internally when he saw the grief on his acquaintance’s faces. He understood their suffering because their own clan had desperately fought against this fate when the Greenskin Clan decided to declare war on their domain.

“Lord William, I beg of you, please, we will do anything, just please, take us under your wing!” a demon whose arms were encased in metal bowed his head and pleaded. “We won’t ask much of you. You can go anywhere you like. We will not ask anything of you, so please, just accept us. This is the only way that our clan will survive from oppression. Have mercy on us, Your Excellency!”

“Lord William, please, we beg of you.”

“We are willing to pledge our lives, just please, have mercy on us.”

“Lord William… Please, make us your vassals.”

“Give us a way to survive in this world, Your Excellency!”

The pleas of over a dozen patriarchs, who were begging for William’s mercy, reverberated inside the room. The previous festive atmosphere disappeared, and was replaced by a heavy presence that reeked of desperation, and agony.

William closed his eyes, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Before he appeared in the hall, he had asked Polox to have a private talk with him, so that he could become aware of the different clans’ circumstances.

Although he had promised Vesta that he wouldn’t accept them as his vassals, he found their situation quite dire. The clans who had begged for him to take them under his influence were former Nomad Clans.

These were the Clans that would travel the Demon Continent in search of a place that was not under anyone’s rule. Unfortunately, during their travels, some of the patrols of the Major Clans discovered them and forced them to choose between submission or Clan extermination.

Since then, they were treated like dogs. Their young women were taken by force, their sons drafted as conscripts, and their unborn childrens’ fates were sealed before they were even born.

This was not a life that anyone wanted, and yet, they endure it with each passing day.

As William was deep in thought, Optimus, who had been keeping his silence proposed a bold idea.

< Why don’t you just take them inside your Domain? >

‘Are you mad?’ William replied. ‘Why would I bring them inside my domain?’

< The Deadlands is uninhabited at the moment, and it could easily fit twenty million people. These Nomad Clans wouldn’t even number half a million even if they combined their Clans together. Also, they would become free manpower.

Right now, you have over thirty million God Points as a reward for clearing the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon, stopping Morax’s plans in the Deadlands, and dealing with Apophis. You can easily buy several hectares of land that they could use to cultivate and plant crops. This would allow your domain to become more self-sustainable. >

William smiled because he understood that Optimus was just trying to find a way to make the Half-Elf agree with him, in order to prevent him from feeling guilty for abandoning the Demon Clans who were on their last legs.

< Chiffon might be a glutton, but she is a Demon Princess. Who knows? Maybe she can become a future Demon Empress if she gains enough vassals under her command. >

‘You’re like a merchant doing some hard selling right now, Optimus,’ William chuckled internally.

However, he didn’t dislike the idea of having his pink-haired wife, who was almost always stuck in the Thousand Beast domain, supervise the demons who were suffering under her father’s rule.

Minutes passed before William opened his eyes. The patriarchs were still kneeling on the ground and pleading for his help. Even Vesta was now feeling sorry for them because of their current predicament.

“Very well,” William said with a serious expression on his face. “However, I have a condition.”

“We will accept any condition!”

“Lord William, just say the word, and it shall be done!”

“We will go above and beyond to satisfy your wishes, Your Excellency!”

The Patriarchs raised their voices one after another, and made promises to fulfill whatever condition he had in mind. It was as if they were afraid that the black-haired teenager would change his mind, so they did their best to appeal to his good grace.

Vesta looked at William with the “Don’t you even think about it, Mister” glare that made the lips of the Half-Elf curl up into a smile.

“You wish for salvation? I cannot give all of you what you want,” William stated with a devilish smile on his face as he looked at the kneeling patriarchs of the clans in front of me. “There was a time when my back was facing the wall, and there was no other option but to grit my teeth and fight for my survival.

“Tell me, Demons of the Demonic Continent. When the time comes, when I no longer have the power to shield you from the wind and the rain, will you find other Masters to pledge your allegiance to and break all the vows you have made to me?

“Remember this, I have the powers of a Demigod. Lies won’t work on me. So, save your flattery. I am no different from your current masters. I will also treat you as dogs, playthings, as well as cannon fodders to fight my wars for me. Are you sure you want that kind of life? If not then you may leave this place unharmed.

“I swear on my name that I will not find any trouble with you and your Clan. All of you will be able to live your lives as if we didn’t have this conversation. So, who among you wants to become my dog? Who among you wants to bark for me?”

William was not a fool. If these Demonic Clans could turn their backs on their previous masters, they could easily do the same to him. He wasn’t running a charity, and he had faced so many things in life, that he wouldn’t just take things at face value.

Perhaps, they saw him as someone so powerful that he could intimidate their oppressors with a single glare, and make them run away with tails tucked in between their legs. The current Half-Elf was indeed capable of doing such things, but he would not do it for everybody.

Only those that had earned his acceptance, would gain this privilege.

One by one, several of the patriarchs left the hall, while shaking their heads. They came so that they would no longer become lackeys, and yet, what waited for them was a similar fate. If that was the case then they would rather be chained to their current masters, and let their lives continue the way they were.

Although it was a very difficult life, they had more or less gotten used to it over the passing of many years.

In the end, out of more than a dozen Patriarchs who had come to plead for William’s help, only five remained.

William looked at the remaining patriarchs with an indifferent expression on his face.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” William inquired. “You can still change your mind.”

One of the Patriarchs sighed and shook his head. “Our clan has nowhere to go. The Demon Continent might be vast, but we are merely sheep waiting for the wolves to sink their fangs into our flesh. Since that is the case, we would rather serve someone who had decided to personally step in to stop a battle between two rival clans who were hell bent to fight each other to the death.”

The other Patriarchs nodded their heads in agreement.

“Although I do not sense the power of a Demigod in your body right now, I believe that if it’s you, I can bark like a dog in contentment,’ a middle-aged looking Patriarch said with a serious expression on his face.

“You did not have any reason to stop the war between the One-horned Clan and the Greenskin Clan, and yet you still did it. Even going so far as to resolve the conflict by forcefully absorbing both clans as your vassals.

“I can tell that it was a decision made on a whim. A decision that was made because of the current circumstances, and yet, I feel that it was done in good faith, and sincerity. I, the patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, hereby pledge my allegiance to you, Lord William.”

“I also pledge…”

“By my Clan’s name…”

“We are honored to become your retainers…”

One by one, the five Patriarchs, and the subordinates who had accompanied them, made their pledge.

Polox became teary-eyed as he saw this scene, because although William’s words were crude, and indifferent, he sensed humility in it. It was at this moment when he really got a better understanding of his new Lord, and rejoiced for being the first clan to be able to pledge their loyalty to him.

Vesta sighed, when she saw this scene as she drank the cup of wine in front of her. She no longer cared about what was going to happen to the future. This was all William’s responsibility, and she had nothing to do with it.

Kira and Athrun both had solemn expressions on their faces. It was as if they were having an internal battle inside their minds as they watched the patriarchs pledge their loyalties to William.

In the end, William stood up from his seat and walked towards the Demons who had decided to become his vassals.

He then rested his right hand on the shoulder of the Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, who had taken the initiative to pledge his clan’s future to him, which made the middle-aged man raise his head to look at his new Lord and Master.

“Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words that were spoken to me by my father several years ago,,” William stated with a devilish smile on his face. The memory of Maxwell’s domineering smile when he said these words to him had been etched in his very soul.

“I. AM. NEVER. ALONE. And from this moment onwards, all of you will no longer be alone.”

Chapter 991: The Greatest Adventure Of His Life

Chapter 991 – The Greatest Adventure Of His Life

Three days after the feast that was hosted by the One-horned Clan…

Vesta stared at the stars in the sky as she sat on the balcony of her room. The One-horned Clan had treated them as VIP guests, and they were given the best accommodations inside the Patriarch’s residence.

Polox and his Clan only had one city under their control, and it was only home to around a hundred and fifty thousand demons. They were a Clan that could be found at the bottom of the hierarchy, whose only hope of survival was to pledge themselves to someone that had a strong backing.

In the Demon Realm, those who manage to stand on their own without being attacked by the other Clans were a minority. Only influential families, and Clans whose roots had been around for thousands of years, were capable of weathering the wind and storm.

For Polox, William’s appearance was a Godsend.

Vesta also felt this way. Although she had only met the Half-Elf for a short period of time, she could feel that William was someone who carried many burdens on his shoulder. Adding a few more Clans in the mix wouldn’t change much, so he didn’t hesitate to acknowledge them after getting Optimus’ assurance.

“Is this the confidence of the strong?” Vesta muttered as she stared at the star-filled sky that extended for miles. “I wonder what he is doing right now?”

Right after Wiliam had accepted the allegiances of the five clans that had traveled to see him, he asked them to go back to their respective territories and tell their people to prepare to migrate in three days’ time.

At first, the Patriarchs were dumbfounded by William’s declaration. However, since they were previous nomadic clans, traveling was a way of life. Since that was the case, they thought that they wouldn’t lose anything if they listened to their Lord’s order.

Earlier in the day, William had set off to visit the territories of the five clans, and asked Vesta to remain in the city of Wimborne, to serve as deterrence just in case the Greenskin Clan tried something funny, while he was away.

Although the Greenskin Clan had submitted to the black-haired teenager, he didn’t trust them, so he excluded their clan in the move that he was planning to make.

Kira and Athrun were having a drink on the balcony of Athrun’s room, as they discussed the things that had happened in the past few days. They thought that their journey to the North would be a boring one, but lo and behold, they found themselves witnessing something that they had never expected to happen.

“Back when I first met Will, I just intend to buy a few slaves to make a good impresssion on Lady Vesta.” Kira shuddered. “I even had the thought of being domineering in order to get more brownie points. Fortunately, I didn’t, or else I might have been on the receiving end of that giant golden staff. Just thinking about it makes my cheeks burn.”

Athrun chuckled as he nodded in understanding.

While not as extreme as Kira, he also thought of doing the same. Now that he had seen what the black-haired teenager was capable of, he felt like his eyes had been opened and realized that he was just a frog in the well. A frog that could easily be crushed if one of the major powers in the world were to step on his face.

“So, what do you have in mind?” Athrun asked. “As you know, I have already separated myself from my family. I have no attachments to them, unlike you who are still bound by your family’s laws.”

Kira sighed as he drank the wine in his hand. When he saw William taking the five Clans under his wing, he was very tempted to return to his own clan and ask his family to do the same. Unfortunately, their Clan was firmly rooted at the Fortaare Desert, and already content with their way of life, under the rule of another Clan.

The Desert Clan, which Kira belonged to, was considered one of the lucky ones. They had become vassals of a wise Lord, who didn’t promote war, and took good care of his people. This was also why the Desert Clan prospered, and had become a medium-sized Clan in the Demon Realm with three cities, whose combined population numbered a little more than a million.

“Well, I’m sure my grandfather would not agree,” Kira commented after a few minutes had passed. “I guess, I’ll just have to hug William’s legs for now, so that my Clan can have a second option in the future.”

Athrun smiled and nodded his head. “Having a backup plan is good as well. Still, we don’t really know much about Will. Perhaps Lady Vesta knows more about him, but I don’t know if she’s willing to share this information with other people. What do you think?”

“I think that she will not tell us anything even if we ask,” Kira replied. “For now, let’s just observe and see how this incident will play out. Five clans breaking away from their previous Lords, as well as making the Greenskin Clan forcefully break their ties with the Gremory Clan, will definitely have consequences in the future.

“I know that Will is strong, but can he really fight against the Demon Lord and the Clans that support his back? What do you think, Athrun?”

The scholarly Demon placed the winecup on top of the table before leaning back in his chair.

“What do I think?” Athrun asked back with a smile. “I think a storm is coming and, for good or worse, we’ll find ourselves in the eye of that storm.”

Kira chuckled nervously because Athrun was right. They were indeed caught up in this mess, and it would be easier to go their separate ways with William in order to minimize the losses that they might suffer in the future.

Even so, Kira didn’t want to do that.

He felt that if he stayed beside the black-haired teenager, he would be at the front seat of the greatest adventure of his life.

Chapter 992: The Start Of An Unforgettable Night

Chapter 992 – The Start Of An Unforgettable Night

Merton, the Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, welcomed William into his Clan’s domain. As nomads, most of them lived in tents made from beast skins. The insignia of a black fist, fluttered on the flags of their homes, showing that they all belong to the Steel Fist Clan, who once ruled vast areas of land in the Demonic Continent.

However, that was a past long forgotten. The war many years ago had forced them to leave their ancestral lands and journey to the East, in the hope that they would find a place that they could call their own.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go their way. A migration of tens of thousands of people was impossible to hide, and the Major Power of the land they had traversed thought that this was a good opportunity to make them a part of his dominion.

“Lord William, welcome to our humble abode. Welcome to Venzor,” Merton, as well as his aides, bowed to William.

William smiled and nodded his head. “Are all of you ready to migrate?”

“Yes,” Merton replied. “However, I have received dire news that the Lords of the other clans that had sworn their allegiance to you, Lord William, are now being surrounded by their previous Masters. It seems that the news spread right after the feast, and all of them have been placed under house arrest.”

William frowned when he heard this news.

“Thank you for telling me this news,” William stated. “How about your previous Master? Did they not receive this news as well.”

Merton sighed as he nodded his head. “Actually, they did. I’m afraid that their forces are marching in our direction as we speak.”

The Half-Elf snorted as if to assure Merton that he didn’t have anything to fear.

“Let’s worry about that later,” William said. “For now, tell all of your people to enter these portals. I will take you to a place that will become your new home.”

William waved his left hand and dozens of portals appeared behind him. He had already talked to Chiffon, Princess Sidonie, and Ashe about his plan to migrate the Demons to the Thousand Beast Domain.

Surprisingly, his three wives had all voiced their approval, and were even looking forward to seeing the new residents that would make the Thousand Beast Domain more lively.

William’s plan was to let everyone travel under the cover of darkness, so that no one would see them go. However, since the news had already spread, the plan didn’t get its desired effect. Even so, the Half-Elf wasn’t too bothered.

After he had successfully placed all the members of the Steel Fist Clan inside his Domain, he would give the Major Clans, who had put his vassals into house arrest, a piece of his mind.

As a nomadic Clan, the Steel Fist Clan was a very orderly group. They allowed the old people, women, and children to enter first, while the rest of the men stayed behind in order to serve as guards, just in case their previous Master chose to strike them when they least expected it.

In just a span of a few minutes, thousands of Steel Fist Clan Members had stepped into the Thousand Beast Domain, and were surprised by what they saw inside it.

William had decided to let Ella, his wives, and the Elves, to guide the others to their new home. Several of the Beasts were also there to assist, including the Angray Birds, Kasogonaga, and the Centaurs.

The scary beasts that belonged to his King’s Legion were nowhere to be seen. He didn’t want to scare the Steel Fist Clan at the get go, so he decided to let the “decent looking” monsters welcome them to their new home.

The Half-Elf had a feeling that if he allowed the Goblins, as well as the carnivorous beasts, stand near the portals, the members of the Steel Fist Clan would panic and some of them might even suffer heart attacks due to the scare that they saw right after they entered their new home.

“Are all of these foods?” Medusa asked with sparkling eyes as she stood beside Chiffon.

“They’re not food, Medusa,” Chiffon replied with a serious expression on her face. “You’re not allowed to eat any of them. If you do, I’ll eat you.”

The little Gorgon’s entire body shuddered as she collapsed where she stood. She then weakly held onto Chiffon’s waist as if to apologize for her words that were spoken from her heart.

“It’s fine, Medusa,” Chiffon patted her head. “There will be plenty of opportunities to eat in the future.”

Seeing that her Master had forgiven her. The little Gorgon nodded her head happily as she once again looked at the Demons who were coming in droves.

The Half-Elf had kept her inside the Thousand Beast Domain ever since she left the island, and this was the first time that she had seen so many Demons in one place.

The Migration lasted in less than an hour, with Merton being the last to enter the portal. Till the last minute, he had stayed behind in order to protect his people from the army of their previous Master.

Fortunately, they didn’t appear, so he entered the portal with a peace of mind.

When the Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan entered the Thousand Beast Domain, he found himself in a lush place that William had personally chosen for their clan to stay for the time being.

It was right outside the borders of the Deadlands, which would become their future home, once they had gotten used to their new surroundings.

“Do you like it?” William asked as he appeared behind Merton.

“It is beautiful,” Merton answered in a heartbeat. “I can feel that the land under my feet is very rich, so farming will not be a problem.”

The patriarch then pointed at the river that was flowing freely not far from where they were standing.

“That river is also situated in a good location,” Merton stated. “We will not have any problems settling in this place, Lord William.”

William smiled as he nodded his head. “I’m glad you liked it. Now, allow me to introduce you to my wives.”

The Half-Elf made a gesture and three beautiful ladies walked beside William.

“This is my wife, Chiffon. She is half-dwarf and half-demon,” William said. “These are my other wives, Princess Sidonie of the Kingdom of Freesia in the Southern Continent, and Ashe, my confidant. Their words are my words. Treat them the way you treat me, for they are the precious ladies of my life.”

Merton and the rest of the members of the Steel Fist Clan all bowed their heads respectfully to their Master’s wives.

“Tell your Clan to settle down for the time being,” William stated. “Merton, you will come with me. I am not familiar with the layout of this part of the continent, so you will guide me to where the other Clans are located. It’s time to bring our friends here as well.”

Merton nodded and his expression became serious. He felt sorry for his acquaintances who were now being monitored by their previous Masters and prevented from leaving their Domains.

William on the other hand, had a devilish smile on his face. He had a feeling that the ones that spread the news were the Patriarchs who had decided to leave the feast and return to their Domains.

Perhaps, in order to gratify themselves to their Masters, they decided to tell them about their acquaintances’ plans, so that they would be rewarded for their loyalty. The Half-Elf had a feeling that this would happen, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Unfortunately, they made the wrong move. They had no idea of who William was, and what he was capable of.

This was the Demon Realm, and the Half-Elf was just starting to understand the rules that were set in place—a world where the lives of others were treated as disposable pawns, and hope was just a faint whisper that reached nobody’s ears.

As the countless stars twinkled in the night sky, a Half-Elf riding a Flying Armored Elephant drew closer to the place where his vassals were being kept. Lightning snaked in the depths of his eyes, and the faint rumblings of thunder spread across the heavens.

This was going to be a long night.

A night that the Merton, and the Patriarchs who swore allegiance to William, would never forget.

Chapter 993: A Smile That Held The Promise Of Vengeance

Chapter 993 – A Smile That Held The Promise Of Vengeance

“I treated your clan well, Karath, and this is how you repay me?” a Demon with the facial features of a tiger asked.

“Treated us well?” Karath, who had been bound in chains with blood oozing out of the wounds on his body, asked in sarcasm as he gazed at the right-hand man of the Patriarch of the Rajah Clan, Javan.

“You treated us as slaves!” Karath, who was the Patriarch of the Nightshade Clan, shouted. “For many years we endured. Today, we will endure it no longer!”

Karath’s and his Clan’s features were similar to Humans, except for their very pale skin, red eyes, and tattoos that covered their arms and legs. They were born like this, and were a unique race that could only be found in the Demon Continent.

One of their abilities was to create very fine silk threads, using their bloodline ability when they were under the light of the full moon. These silk threads were highly prized by merchants because the artisans and tailors, who were employed by the nobles, preferred to use these threads when weaving clothes for the nobility.

Since they fetched a very high price on the market, the Rajah Clan had kept them in their iron grip, placing sentries to always watch over their movements.

Karath had managed to leave because he made an excuse that he would visit the Patriarch of the One-horned tribe in order to trade for food and supplies. These two Clans had been doing this for the past few years, so the sentries allowed Karath to leave.

They knew that he wouldn’t escape and leave his people behind, so they were quite lax with his treatment.

This was why when they received news that Karath and his clan planned to rebel and submit to a new Master, the Patriarch of the Rajah Clan, Caspian, immediately sent Javan with his elite men to prevent them from leaving.

Caspian thought that he needed to show this new force that he was someone that he shouldn’t provoke, so he decided to gather the rest of his troops before marching to the place where the Nightshade Clan was stationed.

Javan kicked Karath’s chest, making the latter fall on his back with a loud thud.

“Our Patriarch is on his way with his army to ensure that this newcomer understands that there are people that he shouldn’t provoke.” Javan said as he spat on Karath’s body. “Just because you saw someone with the strength of a Myriad Beast at its peak, you immediately knelt and begged him to save all of you? What a joke!”

Karath felt a stinging pain in his chest whenever he breathed. He assumed that some of his ribs must have been broken, but the words Javan said made him momentarily forget the pain he was suffering.

‘Strength of a Myriad Beast?’ Karath thought, while laughing in his heart. ‘Those bastards. They wanted to play both sides. They didn’t reveal Lord William’s true strength, and only said that he was only as strong as a Myriad Beast.’

Karath didn’t know whether he should curse or applaud the Patriarchs that had betrayed them. Clearly, they didn’t tell their Lords about William’s true strength. This could only mean one thing.

‘They want the two sides to have a faceoff,’ Karath mused. ‘Once their Masters have lost their warriors, their clans would greatly weaken. They will then use this opportunity to flee without anyone to stop them. Well played you cunning bastards!’

The Patriarch of the Nightshade clan endured the pain he was feeling as he prayed for his new Master to come to their aid. William had promised them that they would no longer be alone, and he trusted his heartfelt words. Karath knew that as long as he endured, his new Master would come and show these oppressors who the real person who shouldn’t be provoked was no matter what.

Soon, loud horns could be heard in the distance, and a sneer appeared on Javan’s face. That was the signal that his Lord Caspian had arrived, bringing the troops that belonged to the Rajah Clan.

“Do you hear that?” Javan asked as he pressed his foot on Karath’s chest. “That is the sound of the mighty. Remember this, whenever you hear that sound, you will remember that you and your clan are the dogs of the Rajah Clan!”

Suddenly, a loud trumpeting sound that came from a Flying Armored Elephant spread across the surroundings.

Karath laughed hoarsely after hearing that wonderful sound that heralded the coming of his new Lord.

“Do you hear that?” Karath asked. “That is the sound that spells your reckoning. Whenever you hear that sound, you will remember that you and your Rajah Clan are just mere insects in my Master’s eyes that he can crush anytime!”

Javan snorted as he angrily kicked Karath for the second time, sending him smashing towards the wall of the room.

“Guard him,” Javan ordered before giving Karath a side-long glance. “I’d like to see how this Lord of yours will crush a Major Clan that is a loyal supporter of the Demon Lord.”

Karath could no longer hear Javan’s words because he had already lost consciousness. Even so, if one looked closely at his face, they would notice that the corner of his lips was curled up into a smile.

A smile that held the promise of vengeance.

—–

A fifty-thousand strong army had arrived at the city where the Nightshade Clan was being held under house arrest.

Caspian looked imposing as he sat on the back of his Giant White Tiger. He governed a vast swath of lands in the Southeastern Region of the Demon Continent, and was recognized as one of the Overlords of the domain.

Someone blatantly challenging his rule made Caspian feel like tearing that person apart, and use their skull as his winecup.

The Rajah Clan was a clan of Tiger Demons that had faithfully served all the Demon Lords that had sat on the high-throne at the capital city of Mor’azeth. Because of this, they enjoyed a very high status in society, and were very confident in their position as one of the Demon Clans that had stood for more than a millennium.

With such a solid background, there were no other Clans that would openly defy them within the territories that were under their control.

It was at that moment when he heard the trumpeting of an Elephant in the distance.

As one of the demonic races that had very good eyesight, even during the night, Caspian was able to see the person whom the Nightshade Clan had sworn allegiance to. For a brief moment, his gaze and the newcomer’s met.

“I am Caspian, the Patriarch of the Rajah Clan!” Caspian declared. “State your name, you fool who dares to steal what belongs to me! I swear that before this night is over, you will regret that you were ever born in this world!”

William chuckled as he looked down on the Tiger Demon whose eyes were burning in fury. He didn’t bother to reply and merely snapped his fingers, creating several portals behind his back.

A loud screech, that came from Scadrez, William’s Blood Eagle, spread across the night. Sitting on top of him was a rainbow-colored Anteater whose eyes sparkled in excitement.

Soon, thousands of Rainbow-colored Birds, who shouted profanities at the Demons, exited the portals in the sky. Lamassus, Undead Gargoyles, Undead Wyverns, three Bone Dragons, and thousands of Flying Scorpion Antz, hovered in the sky.

William pointed at the demonic army on the ground with a sneer on his face.

“Go and show them who’s boss!” William ordered.

As if opening the floodgates, Scadrez screeched as it descended from the sky, which was followed closely by Wiliam’s Aerial Legion.

Caspian hurriedly ordered his men to form ranks as they braced themselves to clash with the unknown army who didn’t even bother to announce their faction. Just as he was about to order his men to use their ranged attacks to blast their enemies out the sky, he heard a shrill, yet adorable voice that made him feel a chill run down his spine.

The Patriarch of the Rajah Clan raised his head just in time to see a rainbow-colored Anteater, jump off the back of one of the flying creatures and curled itself into a ball. Its body then grew in size as several sharp spikes protruded from its body.

“I’M ROLLING!”

Many years later, the Nightshade Clan would always remember this scene fondly, when the rainbow-colored Deity of the Sky, descended from the heavens, and freed them from the chains that bound them to slavery.

Chapter 994: YOU HATING? I’M ROLLING!

Chapter 994 – YOU HATING? I’M ROLLING!

“Shoot that thing from the sky!” Caspian ordered as he pointed at the rainbow-colored wrecking ball that was descending on the front lines of his army.

He had brought an army that numbered over fifty thousand. He had sent five thousand of his elite men to accompany Javan to prevent the Nightshade Clan from escaping their control.

Right now, he had almost sixty-thousand Demon Warriors under his command, so he wasn’t too worried about the forces that William had summoned.

Even if he added all the monsters the black-haired teenager had summoned, it would not even come close to fifteen thousand. Although the Bone Dragons were imposing, they were only at the peak of the Millennium Rank. He had dozens of beasts who had the same rank as them, so he wasn’t intimidated by their presence on the battlefield.

Caspian glanced at the teenager who was seated on top of the Flying Armored Elephant with a serious expression on his face. According to the information that had been passed to him, the black-haired teenager was a Vampire whose strength was at the peak of the Myriad Rank.

The Patriarch of the Rajah Clan commanded three of such beasts, and he could summon them anytime he wanted.

“Is this all that you’ve got?” Caspian shouted in contempt. “Although your army can threaten small clans, it is nothing in my eyes. I’ll make you understand why our Clan is one of the Major Clans in the Demonic Continent! Go and kill those beasts! Leave none alive!”

The Demons shouted their war cries as they hurled their long range attacks at a rainbow-colored wrecking ball that was only dozens of meters away from them.

Powerful explosions reverberated in the air as the spells collided with Kasogonaga. However, what happened next made the Demons gasp in shock.

A three-meter tall, rainbow-colored, spiky wrecking ball, pushed through the smoke and crashed on the front lines, sending blood and flesh flying in every direction.

“YOU HATING? I’M ROLLING!”

Kasogonaga was like an unstoppable bulldozer that mowed down everything in his path. The sight of body parts flying in the air as he made his way through the outer perimeter of the army made Caspian’s skin crawl.

“Subdue it!” Caspian ordered.

Several of his Elite men transformed into Black Saber Tooth Tigers and clashed with the unknown monster, who was cutting through their defenses like hot knife through butter.

To everyone’s horror, the Black Tigers were like pieces of chopped pork that were dropped into a meat grinder. Just like what happened to the front lines, the elite soldiers under Caspians’ command were mutilated the moment they crossed paths with Kasogonaga.

Slamming his right fist on the armrest of his make-shift throne, a loud roar spread across the battlefield as a ten-meter tall Rock Troll appeared in front of Kasogonaga.

The newly summoned monster kicked Kasogonaga away, and sent him flying hundreds of meters away like a soccer ball headed towards the goal post.

Caspian was forced to bring out one of the Myriad Beasts under his command in order to prevent his subordinates from dying.

Kasogonaga undid his transformation and landed on the ground on his four limbs. He then stared at the Rock Troll with an arrogant expression on its face as if its appearance was just a joke in front of him.

“Scadrez! Come!” Kasogonaga ordered.

A screech answered his call from the sky, and the Blood Eagle descended toward the ground with its wings tucked into its body.

The rainbow-colored Anteater jumped on its back as Scadrez circled the battlefield.

“Will, I’ll let you handle that Rock Troll,” Kasogonaga shouted with an adorable voice. “I’ll kill the small fries first. Let’s go, Scadrez!”

The Blood Eagle screeched in agreement as it flew towards the right side of Caspian’s formation. Kasogonaga had entered the Myriad Realm not long ago, and he still hadn’t consolidated its strength.

It was too early for him to face the Rock Golem, whose rank was at the Peak of the Myriad Realm.

William just chuckled after hearing Kasogonaga’s strategic retreat. Right now, the rainbow-colored Anteater was the strongest among the members of his King’s Legion. Since he could not beat the Rock Troll in his current state, none of William’s other beasts would stand a chance against it.

“It’s your time to shine, Soleil,” William said as he summoned the spear that was smoldering red. Earlier in the day, he had allowed it to soar above the clouds in the sky to soak in the sun to charge up its power.

Soleil was one of William’s most devastating weapons that was meant for wide area destruction. Although he had many weapons in his arsenal, Soleil was simply the optimal choice when the Half-Elf planned to burn an entire army to the ground.

“Bloom in the battlefield!” William shouted as he pulled his arm in preparation to throw the spear in his hand. “Fleur du Soleil!”

Soleil flew towards the center of the army’s formation leaving a trail of flames that burned brightly in the night.

Caspian’s sixth sense sent warning signals to his brain, so he hastily summoned another one of his Myriad Beasts, in order to deal with the new threat that was coming their way.

A powerful explosion shook the battlefield as Soleil collided with a flaming hand that mitigated the full brunt of its attack. The flames that raged out from the spear’s body were quickly absorbed by the new Beast that Caspian had called out to counter William’s deadly attack.

“Ancient Fire Elemental,” William arched an eyebrow when he saw the six-meter tall beast that materialized in the air to block Soleil’s destructive power. “Not bad.”

William made a gesture and called Soleil back to his side.

Now that his army was facing two Myriad Beasts, he knew that it was about time for him to get serious. The Half-Elf raised his hand and the family heirloom of the Ainsworth Family appeared in his hand.

Stormcaller, the weapon that had accompanied William in his early childhood, sent out a thundering roar as storm clouds covered the starry sky.

Lightning snaked in the sky above the battlefield, and thunderous roars followed their wake. William’s body shone brightly as numerous lightning sparks exploded around him.

The bodies of the Demons that were present in the battlefield subconsciously shuddered, including Karath and the members of the Nightshade Clan.

Even the members of the Steelfist Clan, who were watching the battle from within William’s Thousand Beast Domain couldn’t stop their hearts from trembling as the once starry skies above their heads, transformed into a lightning storm that spanned for miles.

Demons were quite weak against the lightning element, and it was one of the reasons why Humans and other races that were born with this power were hunted down by the Demon Race. They were afraid that if that person grew into adulthood, they would become a mighty weapon that the Humans, and other races, would use to threaten their existence.

“Lightning ever weaving, Thunder ever seeking, I call upon you now,” William stated as he raised Stormcaller, and pointed its tip towards the sky.

The lightning bolts within the storm clouds merged together, transforming into a gigantic lightning dragon. It then opened its mouth to utter a mighty and thunderous roar that bathed the heaven in glorious lights that chased away the darkness of the night.

“The Power I wield would obliterate one and all,” WIlliam roared. “Pierce through the darkness and hear my call!”

He then pointed his spear towards the Demon Army, making the lightning dragon look down on them from the heavens.

“Thunder God’s Wrath!”

Chapter 995: You Have Earned The Right To Know My Exalted Name

Chapter 995 – You Have Earned The Right To Know My Exalted Name

Caspian’s desperate roar fell on deaf ears as his third Myriad Beast made its appearance. This was the trump card that he had kept hidden for decades, and he hated the black-haired teenager for forcing him to summon it in front of his entire army.

A dark-purplish mist manifested above the Demon army, and a screech of a giant bird with a wingspan of ten meters, faced the lightning dragon in defiance.

The two collided and a blinding light, followed by an ear-piercing explosion, spread across the battlefield.

Blood flowed from the ears of the Demons, as well as the beasts that were under William’s command. The aftermath of the attack was so strong that a powerful shockwave sent the members of the Demon army, that were hundreds of meters from the point of impact, flying for dozens of meters from where they stood.

The Angray Birds had all been knocked unconscious by the shockwave, and became airborn bombs that fell from the sky and exploded upon impact.

Several demons died in this manner because they were still struggling from the loss of sight and hearing that had followed the explosion.

Merton, who was flying beside William, along with Karath and the Nightshade Clan, who were merely spectating the battle, also suffered from the backlash. Blood flowed out from their ears as their eardrums ruptured due to the overwhelming force that had surpassed their tolerance levels.

A defiant screech of triumph resonated in the sky, but only a handful of people were able to hear it.

William and Caspian stared at the Giant Black Bird with dark-purplish streaks at the edge of its wings. Lightning snaked around its body, highlighting its features, which were similar to those of a Black Peacock.

As a Vampire Progenitor, as well as the Emperor of Thunder, William felt a strong resonance to the giant bird in front of him.

Perhaps, the bird also felt the same because it stared at William with curiosity as it flapped its mighty wings to hover in the sky.

The Half-Elf used his appraisal skill to determine what kind of creature it was. Very few beasts below the Demigod Realm were able to take his full-powered, lightning attack head on with minimal to no damage.

This made William very curious about the identity of the bird, so he gazed at the information on his status page, while applying a regeneration spell to Merton, as well as his aides, who were all mounted on the backs of Lamassus’ beside him.

—–

< Impundulu >

– Vampiric Lightning Bird

– Threat Level: Myriad (High)

– Peak Myriad Beast

– Cannot be added to the Herd

– The Impundulu is a vampiric creature that was said to feed on the blood of women. Legend has it that it was born from a lightning bolt, and could transform into a Human in order to seduce women and drink their blood, while making love to them.

– This creature was also known to become the servant of witches, or anyone who practiced witchcraft. They are immortal, and were often transferred from mother to daughter, and kept as a family beast companion through the ages.

– It is also said that this creature was a bringer of good and bad luck, depending on the situation when you meet it.

– Once this creature loses its master and becomes ownerless, it would become an unstoppable force of nature that would leave blood and destruction in its wake. Its appetite for blood is second to none and it would even settle for the blood of beasts, if there weren’t any women around to be hunted.

– It is impervious to any attack in the world with one exception, and that is fire. But, no ordinary fire could kill this beast once it reached the Myriad Rank. Only flames that hold the whiff of Divinity would be able to damage its immortal body and end its life.

“A vampiric lightning bird?” William muttered as he gazed at the Giant Black Bird who was still observing him from afar. “What are you? Some kind of Legendary Pookemoan?”

The Giant Bird didn’t understand what a Pookemoan was, but it clearly heard the sarcasm in William’s words, which made it screech at him in irritation.

The three Myriad Beasts stepped forward in place of the disheveled demon army on the ground who were suffering from momentary blindness and loss of hearing.

“Surrender, and I will allow you to become my subordinate,” Caspian declared. “You will be treated well, and your rank will be only second to mine. Whatever you want, I will give you, so, why don’t you join me in my faction?”

After seeing the black-haired teenager’s abilities, Caspian would be lying if he said that he wasn’t tempted to make him a part of his inner circle. If the Vampire wanted the Nightshade Clan in exchange for his servitude, he would gladly bestow them to him.

Although he would lose a good source of monetary funds, a powerful General’s worth far exceeded the Nightshade Clan’s value in coins.

“No thank you,” William replied with an amused expression on his face. “Tell me, are you a man or a woman? How are you able to command the Impundulu if you’re not a witch? Don’t tell me, you’re a woman pretending to be a man?”

Caspian’s face became flushed as he stared at the teenager who was looking down on him with a curious look on his face.

He didn’t know how the Half-Elf knew of the giant bird’s identity, or what it represented. Within the Demonic Continent, only the witches knew about its heritage. Baba Yaga, the old hag, as many call her, was the first witch in the world of Hestia.

She was the one that taught witchcraft and dark magic to women, which allowed them to rise in the ranks of society and force the hierarchical Demon race to recognize them as equals.

“Are you sure you don’t want to become my subordinate?” Caspian asked back. He didn’t even bother to answer William’s question and decided to ask his own. “I almost forgot. I still don’t know your name. Who are you?”

The corner of William’s lips curled up into a smile as he eyed the Patriarch of the Rajah Clan who side-stepped his question.

“Very well, you have earned the right to know my exalted name,” William declared. “Listen to me, and listen carefully because I will only say it once.”

Caspian stared at the black-haired teenager as he waited for the latter to state his name.

William raised his chin in arrogance as he pressed his right thumb over his chest before declaring his name.

“My name is Raymond Parker!” William declared. “Remember it, and remember it well, Caspian of the Rajah Clan.”

“Raymond… Parker,” Caspian muttered the foreign name and dug into his memories. As the Patriarch of a Major Clan, he was privy to the different clan names that were scattered in the entire Demon Continent.

Somewhere on Earth….

“Achoo!”

Raymond, Belle’s father, sneezed while reading his morning newspaper.

“Dear, are you feeling unwell?” Adele, his wife, asked with a worried gaze. “The weather has been changing frequently these past few days, maybe it would be best if you take a day off from the hospital.”

Raymond shook his head as he held his wife’s hand.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Raymond replied. “However, I think that bastard, William, is cursing me from whatever world he is currently in.”

“Dear, the name of William’s world is Hestia.”

“I don’t care if it’s Hestia or Bestia. I’m sure that no-good Half-Elf is making fun of me right now!”

Adele chuckled as he tried to pacify her husband, who was still grumpy because Belle was now married to the red-headed teenager who had returned to his world. Deep inside, she felt sorry for her daughter, but she was optimistic that both of them would meet again.

Belle had become the center of attention after William left, which forced the President of K-Country to surround her with Special Agents that would keep her fans, as well as those who bore her ill will, away.

“Well, how is she?” Raymond asked in a worried tone. “You said that her monthly period is delayed. Could it be that she’s pregnant?”

Adele gave her husband a playful smirk as she pressed her hands over his chest.

“You’re the doctor,” Adele replied. “Shouldn’t you be the one more knowledgeable about this thing?”

“You are her mother, and also a woman,” Raymond countered. “Although I am a doctor, a woman knows her body more. What do you think? Will we be holding our granddaughter soon?”

Adele chuckled as she stared in the direction of the garden. “It is best to wait for a few more weeks. It is still too early, but I am hoping for the best.”

Raymond sighed, but deep inside he had to admit that he was feeling a bit anxious as well. The image of the young lady with long black hair, tied in a ponytail flashed across his mind. Ever since he had seen her, he knew that she had the bloodline of their family running through her veins.

The head of the Parker family had a premonition that day, and he believed that his gut instinct was right. If the girl that he saw was really his future granddaughter then he was willing to forgive William a bit for taking his daughter away from him.

However, until the news was confirmed, it would be best not to get their hopes up, so the disappointment wouldn’t hurt them too much if they discovered that it was only a false alarm.

Chapter 996: Don't Play Favorites, Kiss Me Too!

Chapter 996 – Don’t Play Favorites, Kiss Me Too!

“I will ask you one last time, Raymond Parker,” Caspian declared as he stood from his makeshift throne. “Will you become my subordinate?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” William answered. “There is only one outcome for this battle today. Either you go back to your Domain and leave the Nightshade Clan alone, or I make you go back home by force.”

“It seems that we both agree to disagree.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

William stood up from the back of the Flying Armored Elephant and opened a portal behind him.

“Give me a minute, I will be back,” William said before entering the portal, leaving Merton, his aides, Karath, and the members of the Nightshade Clan behind.

Merton and his aides felt a tremendous pressure fall upon their bodies as the three Myriad Beasts, as well as Caspian, gazed in their direction.

The Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan felt his heart thundering inside his chest, as he grew anxious. He didn’t know why William returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, but he was sure that their new Lord would not leave them alone in the face of such scary beings, who could end their lives with a single sneeze.

Just as Merton was about to faint from anxiety, William reappeared on the back of the Flying Armored Elephant.

As everyone gazed at the black-haired teenager, they noticed something very different about him.

Two horns had grown on his head, and a stubby spiked tail could be seen behind his back.

A few seconds later, Merton felt something incredibly alarming as he forcefully tore his gaze away from William. In just a span of a few minutes, the black-haired teenager looked incredibly attractive, that even someone as old as him felt his heart, skipping a beat.

“Caspian, are you sure you don’t want to surrender?” William asked in a teasing tone. His voice that was overflowing with charisma was like a seductive whisper that fell on the ears of those who were still capable of hearing.

Caspian, who was looking at William, felt his heart tremble inside his chest. Right now, he was feeling a very strong attraction towards the black-haired teenager in front of him, and it was raising alarm bells inside his head.

‘Incubus Progenitor!’ Caspian hurriedly averted his gaze from the person who was looking down on him with eyes that seemed to see through his very soul. It made him feel helpless, and tempted to stare into those depths that held promises of pleasure and happiness.

“Retreat!” Caspian ordered! “Everyone retreat!”

Although most of the demons were still unable to hear, the gestures made by their Lord allowed them to understand his orders. One by one, they hastily backed away, as fast as they could.

William made no move to hinder them, and allowed them to leave as they pleased. The three Myriad Beasts, with the exception of the Impundulu, glared at William before covering the rear of the retreating army.

The Half-Elf stared at the Giant Black Bird and even motioned for it to come closer to him.

Unfortunately, the Impundulu was unfazed and even gave William a “better luck next time” wink before flying away.

The only ones that were left behind were the Demons who had died due to the attack of William’s King’s Legion.

All in all, over two thousand members of the Rajah Clan died. This was only a small number because the battle had ended quickly due to the appearance of the three Myriad Beasts that had prevented the increase of their forces’ casualties.

William waved his hand. Suddenly, the Demons, as well as the Flying Scorpion Antz, that had died in battle with intact bodies, rose from the ground and were reborn as undead creatures.

‘Thank you, Sidonie and Morgana, for lending me your strength,’ William said to his two wives who were hugging him inside his Sea of Consciousness.

‘You’re welcome, Darling,’ Morgana replied. ‘But, I am quite curious. Why didn’t you use the full power of your charm? Although it would have taken a while, you could have charmed that entire army and made them your subordinates.’

Princess Sidonie, who had her arms wrapped around William, shook her head.

‘Will just doesn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble,’ Princess Sidonie explained. ‘Although fighting against the Rajah Clan was inevitable, it would be a bad idea to take full control of their minds.’

‘Eh? Why?’

‘If the other Major Clans were to know that a Major Clan had become the subordinate of an unknown force, all of them would band together and hunt him down. This conflict with the Nightshade Clan is just a minor thing. Since that is the case, not escalating this matter is the best course of action, isn’t that right, Will?’

William nodded before kissing Princess Sidonie’s lips.

“You’re right, Sidonie,” William answered. ‘Dealing with one or two major clans isn’t a problem. The real problem is when all of them band together to deal with us.’

‘Darling, don’t play favorites, kiss me too,’ Morgana said as she tiptoed to offer her soft, and sensuous lips to the man she wanted to have babies with.

William was more than happy to kiss Morgana and even allowed her to insert her tongue inside his mouth. After half a minute of intense kissing, the lustful lady pulled back before giving William one last peck on his left cheek before letting go of him.

Morgana was still unconvinced, because she was confident in the power of her Divinity. She believed that no matter how many armies came, all they needed to do was merge with William and charm everyone.

That way, her husband would have tens of thousands of Demons under his command, which would make the other clans fear him.

William could read what was going through her mind, but he simply shook his head. He had already raised a commotion in the Demon realm and taking it up a notch would be highly detrimental to him.

He once again opened a portal to the Thousand Beast Domain and returned his two wives to the Villa before heading back out. Now that the threat of the Rajah Clan had been neutralized, it was time for him to heal the Nightshade Clan’s injuries.

That way, they could all start to migrate to his Thousand Beast Domain. There were still several places that he needed to visit in order to rescue his new vassals, who had sworn allegiance to him.

Those newly raised Undead members of the Rajah Clan would be perfect for that job. He was sure that some of the Clans had been paying close attention to the battle from far away, and had already sent their reports to their Masters.

Since that was the case, William believed that he would have a much easier time in rescuing his retainers.

As someone who had made a Major Clan retreat, his enemies would know that it would be a bad idea to antagonize him.

The migration of the Nightshade Clan took a bit longer than expected because all of them had been injured due to the battle that had just ended.

After healing the heavily injured Karath, the Nightshade Clan all felt a strong sense of belonging to William’s faction. Some of them were even excited to migrate to the Thousand Beast Domain after seeing how he managed to make the Rajah Clan retreat in haste.

The Demons worship powerful figures, and William’s elegant and charismatic gaze made them feel strongly attracted to him.

Although Princess Sidonie and Morgana had now left William’s body, the aftereffects of their Divinity were still in effect. For at least half a day, as long as William equipped his Incubus Job Class, he would be able to charm anyone.

He could also make anyone submit to his will, if he wished for it, but this was not what he wished for. After the migration of the Nightshade Clan ended, William once again took to the skies and headed East.

The Half-Elf still had a few places to visit, and he had given enough time for the messengers to pass their reports to their respective Patriarchs.

He hoped that when he arrived to take his people with him, their previous masters wouldn’t get in his way or else, he didn’t mind charming them a bit in order to make them dance without any clothes on their bodies.

That way, the others would be intimidated and no longer prevent him from doing what he wanted.

Merton, and Karath, flew beside him as they flew under the countless stars in the heavens. The two Patriarchs gazed at their new Master, with a conviction that they would follow the black-haired teenager until they drew their last breath.

Chapter 997: Just What Is That Old Lizard Thinking?

Chapter 997 – Just What Is That Old Lizard Thinking?

“What did you say? Caspian retreated?” an old man, with long white hair, and two small horns protruding on his head, asked the Demon whose image appeared on the surface of a round mirror.

“Yes, My Lord,” the Demon replied. “We saw everything from a good vantage point. Although I didn’t know why he retreated, it is certain that he had ordered his men to retreat.”

“Tell me everything that you saw.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

The Demon who had watched the battle from a great distance using a telescope explained in detail how the war turned out.

The Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, Alvah, listened to his subordinates’ report. As the Patriarch of the biggest Demon Clan in the continent, he had placed several of his people in each Clan that had sworn subservience to them.

When Dozedar, the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan, returned to his Domain with a missing left arm, he immediately reported everything that had happened to Alvah’s men, who were stationed in his city.

They in turn reported this back to their Lord, who then ordered them to pay extra attention to William’s movements.

For Alvah, the Greenskin Clan was just a minor clan. Even so, it was still a Clan that belonged under its influence. Having other people take his pawns away from him made him feel slightly irritated, so he immediately ordered a full investigation about William’s identity.

Sadly, they couldn’t find anything about the black-haired young man except for the fact that he was being accompanied by Vesta, the daughter of a Demigod, and two other demons whose identities were unknown.

Their identities were currently being dug up by his agents that were scattered across the lands, but it would take some time before this information arrived in his hands.

For the time being, Alvah didn’t order his men to do anything except to monitor William’s movements and report any significant changes that were happening in the Southeastern Region of the Continent.

“Interesting,” Alvah muttered after hearing his subordinate’s full report. “It seems that a new powerhouse has appeared in the Demon Realm, and is actively growing his faction by absorbing minor Clans into his fold.”

Alvah assumed that the black-haired young man was one of those Demons that had recently gained an incredible power, and wished to become an Overlord of a territory. These events were quite common in the Demonic Continent. The Gremory Clan had started in the same manner over a thousand years ago.

“Still, I underestimated Caspian’s military strength,” Alvah mused. “Three Myriad Beasts… the waters of the Rajah Clan sure run deep.”

As the Patriarch of a Major Clan, the Gremory Clan also had Myriad Beasts under their command. Just like the Rajah Clan, his clan had three of these peak monsters. However, Alvah wasn’t happy with the news he received.

All of the Demon Clans were competitors, and knowing that one of them had a similar number of beasts under their command made him frown. But, what made him more disturbed was that Caspian, who had that much fighting force under his command, was forced to retreat.

What did this mean?

It meant that the young patriarch had determined that his opponent was stronger than him. Since that was the case, he chose to retreat and save his men. Usually, the heads of each Demon Clan wouldn’t wage war unless they were sure that they were going to win.

If they lost, the chances of their territory being taken over by their neighbors was very high. This was why only minor up to medium-sized Clans waged war against each other.

For Major Clans, they simply use their numerical advantage to make their opponents surrender. This would prevent unnecessary bloodshed, and allow them to capture new territories with their original residents intact.

The Gremory Clan’s Main Territory was in the Northern Regions of the Demon Realm. However, they had initiated a “Divide and Conquer” strategy in order to occupy most of the continent, and unify it under their rule.

With one of their members sitting on the throne of the Demon Lord, the local Overlords tolerated their ambitious expansions. They allowed the Gremory Clan to take control of the Nomadic Clans, who wandered around the continent. As long as their own interest wasn’t compromised, they were willing to turn a blind eye to these shameless expansions.

“Where is the young man now?” Alvah asked.

“He headed towards the west, My Lord,’ the demon reported. “I assume that he is going to rescue the other Clans that have submitted to his rule.”

Alvah tapped the armrest of his chair as he pondered on what to do next. Their main force was quite far from the Southeastern Regions, and it would take them at least a month in order to reach the Greenskin Clan’s location.

By then, it would be too late.

“Did Dozedar tell you anything else aside from his grievances?” Alvah asked.

The Demon shook his head. “Aside from warning us about the vampire’s existence, and his plea to teach the young man a lesson, he didn’t say anything else.”

The Demon paused because he was hesitating to ask his patriarch a question. Seeing the expression on his face, Alvah managed to guess what he was thinking.

“When that young man arrives at the city of the Greenskin Clan, tell him that I want to exchange some words with him,” Alvah stated. “I will convince him to leave the Greenskin Clan alone. I don’t believe that he will openly defy the family of the Demon Lord who is currently ruling over these lands.”

“I hear and obey, My Lord.” The Demon bowed respectfully before cutting off the connection.

The surface of the mirror turned black, leaving Alvah to ponder this interesting person that was being accompanied by the daughter of their Southern Commander, Joash.

“Just what is that old lizard thinking?” Alvah muttered as he rubbed his chin. “Is he planning to marry his daughter off if that young man offered her a good-sized dowry?”

The old man sighed before activating the mirror once again. There were a few people he had to talk to.

People that the Half-Elf was causing trouble with, just like him.

—–

William stared at the Demons who were lining up to enter the portals that he had opened for all of them.

After the battle with the Rajah Clan, the other Clans that were watching the battle immediately reported back to their Patriarchs. The Lords were just as surprised as Alvah when they heard the news. They thought that they were just dealing with an upstart demon that was trying to make his name known and gain fame.

After the Half-Elf had made the Rajah Clan retreat, the Patriarchs decided to call back the men that they had ordered to keep the Minor Clans under house arrest. Now that a Major Clan had been defeated, they knew that they didn’t stand a chance against the enemy because they were only medium-sized Clans.

In the end, they immediately abandoned their plans to enter a head-to-head confrontation with William to keep the Minor Clans under their command. It was better to cut off a tail in order to survive, than to fight a battle that they had no chances of winning.

Because of this, the Half-Elf was able to migrate all the Clans who swore their loyalty to him under his wing, with the exception of the Greenskin Clan, whom William didn’t trust.

“Let’s go back to the One-horned Clan,” William patted Maximus’ head as they flew back towards the south.

Flying beside him were the grateful Patriarchs of the different clans that he had saved. Now that there were only two Clans remaining, the Half-Elf decided to call it a day and return to the city of Wimborne to rest.

He still hadn’t decided on what he would do with the Greenskin Clan that was under the Gremory Family’s control. Although he was confident that he could make them submit to his will, he was still reluctant to take them inside his Domain.

What he needed were Demons that he could trust, and he didn’t trust the Greenskin Clan one bit. Also, he wasn’t sure if he had the leisure to provoke the Gremory Clan at this point in time. Although he wasn’t afraid of them, or the Demon Lord, his priority was to find Celine and bring her back to Hestia Academy.

‘I think I’ll consult Sidonie about this,’ William thought. ‘She may have a better solution to this problem.’

Chapter 998: Whatever Will Decides, I Will Support With Everything I Have

Chapter 998 – Whatever Will Decides, I Will Support With Everything I Have

Polox couldn’t stop grinning as he talked to the other Patriarchs whose Clans William had rescued from their former Masters.

They were currently having an important meeting, while William slept inside his room. The Half-Elf had also given him an order to prepare for the migration of the One-horned tribe, which would immediately begin after he woke up in the morning.

The reason why he didn’t let them migrate right away was because he was waiting for a few Demons to visit the city in the hopes of having a dialogue with William.

Just as he predicted, the Patriarchs that had left during the feast had all returned, and wished to talk to him. Unfortunately, Polox told them that William was sleeping, and they would have to wait until he woke up.

The Patriarchs didn’t insist on disturbing the Half-Elf’s sleep because they knew that this second negotiation with him wouldn’t be easy.

Right now, these Patriarchs were resting in the guestrooms of Polox’s residence, while the Patriarchs who had already sworn allegiance to William were discussing how they would repay the Half-Elf for what he had done for them.

“When he told us to prepare for migration, I thought that he was going to drag us all over the Demon Realm, while looking for a place to settle.” Merton, the Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, chuckled before drinking his wine. “Who would have thought that our new Lord has a portable Domain that he carries everywhere? This is simply incredible.”

“You’re right.” The Patriarch of the Nightshade Clan, Karath, nodded his head in agreement. “The Thousand Beast Domain holds a lot of potential. I can’t believe we get to live in such a place.”

The other Patriarchs also nodded their heads. They were quite satisfied with the arrangements that William had made for them.

All of them were Nomadic Clans who had been on good terms with the One-horned Clan. they had no grievances with each other, and even helped each other out in times of need. However, right now, they had one concern and that was the Greenskin Clan.

Although the Greenskin Clan was not exactly a medium-sized clan, it was close to being one. They were afraid that if William took the Clan inside the Thousand Beast Domain, they would make things difficult for the other Clans that had sworn to become William’s vassals.

Unlike the One-horned tribe and the five other Clans that had taken the initiative to jump onto William’s ship, the Greenskin Clan was forced under circumstances to bow their heads and submit to him.

Their loyalty still lay with the Gremory Clan, who was also the main family of the current reigning Demon Lord, Luciel. They were afraid that if the Half-Elf poked this hornet nest, he would stir up unneeded trouble and the consequences would be dire.

“I have faith in him,” Polox said as he looked at his new comrades with a smile. “I’m sure that our new Lord is aware of this matter. Let us just leave the decision making to him. Also, we don’t have to be afraid of the Greenskin Clan.

“Before, we were fighting them alone. But now? Things are different. If all six of us banded together, the Greenskin Clan wouldn’t be able to stir up trouble. Do they really think that we are afraid of them?”

Karath, Merton and the other Patriarchs smiled. Indeed. Back then they were fighting alone, but now? They were no longer alone. They had friends, and a new Master whose background was still a mystery to them.

“Our new Master is a Vampire,” Karath said with a serious expression. “Would he require us to send young maidens to him, so that he could drink their blood on a regular basis?”

“Perhaps, but what about it?” Merton shrugged. “It is a small price to pay for a safe place to live in. By the way, Polox, did he ask you to send some girls to him, so that he could drink their blood, after you had sworn loyalty to him?”

Polox shook his head. “Not yet. In fact, my granddaughter approached me earlier and told me that if ever our new Lord needed to sate his bloodthirst, she would volunteer to do it in place of the other ladies of our clan.

“I don’t know much about Vampires, and I don’t know if they drink blood everyday. But, even if we send him two to three girls a day to donate their blood, that would only be around ninety Demons a month. With our six clans, I’m sure that we won’t have any problem in satisfying his demands.”

The other Demons nodded their heads in agreement. The number of their clans combined would total up to more than a million people, with third of them being women. Even if William needed to drink the blood of three women a day, that would only be a little over a thousand women a year.

They had more than enough to go around, and they were sure to satisfy the demands of their new Lord. Donating some blood was but a small thing when compared to the hardships that they had suffered for their previous Masters.

William had assigned Polox to be the supervisor of the six clans, with the exception of the Greenskin Clan whose fate was still unknown to them. Because of this, the other Patriarchs recognized his authority and asked him to propose this plan as a tribute to their new Master.

Polox nodded his head in agreement. He also felt that this was a good way to show William their loyalty as his vassals. After talking about a few more issues in order to better improve each Clan’s relationship with each other, they all retired to their separate rooms to rest.

Tomorrow would be a busy day for all of them because it would also be when William would tell them the plans he had for them going forward.

—–

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

William sat on the bed naked, while Princess Sidonie and Ashe massaged his shoulders. Chiffon was busy kissing little Will, while listening to the conversation that the other three were having.

“I don’t think that bringing the Greenskin Clan here is a good idea,” Ashe said as she lightly massaged William’s left shoulder.

“I agree with Ashe,” Princess Sidonie commented before lightly nibbling William’s ear. After play-biting his ear for a few seconds, she gave her advice to her husband, who was enjoying the three-pronged attack that was being given to him by his wives.

“My advice is to simply charm their Patriarch as well as their Elders, and let them manage the Clan for us. The Gremory Clan isn’t a simple Clan. We can make the Greenskin Clan our spies, so that we can carry on with your mission to take Celine back to the Central Continent.”

Princess Sidonie giggled as she lightly patted Chiffon’s head, who had Little Will firmly secured in her adorable lips.

“What do you think, Chiffon?” Princess Sidonie asked. “Do you want Darling to take revenge for what your father did to you?”

A light popping sound was heard as Chiffon released the ever-enthusiastic Little Will from her lips.

“I no longer consider that man as my father,” Chiffon replied. “Whatever Will decides, I will support with everything I have.”

After saying her opinion, she resumed servicing her husband, whom she loved very much. After the battle in the Tower of Babylon, Chiffon realized that her father, or her siblings, didn’t treat her as family.

For them, she was just a nuisance that they tormented, and bullied when she was young. After meeting William, she found the courage to break free from her sad and pitiful past. The pink-haired girl was sure that if she ever came face-to-face with her demon family, she would definitely summon Sharur and smack their faces until their own parents wouldn’t be able to recognize them again.

William had told her that he would personally deal with Luciel and Felix when he encountered them in the Demonic Continent. Since that was the case, Chiffon was more than happy to let her husband serve her father and brother the just desserts that were long overdue.

Chiffon was quite happy with her life as William’s wife. She no longer needed to eat trash, or fear that she would lose control of her Divinity. However, the most important of them all was that she was no longer alone in the world.

The pink-haired girl had long considered William, his family, as well as his other wives, who had become her sisters, to be her own family. Also, the memories of the two adorable twins that she had held dearly in her arms made her look forward to the future.

She wished that she could hold both of them as soon as possible, so she had been more active when it came to making love to William as of late.

Princess Sidonei and Ashe noticed this as well, so they didn’t mind letting Chiffon do as she pleased, while William embraced her.

The four of them spent a steamy night together, allowing William to momentarily forget about the problems that he had to face when morning came.

After having a good talk with Princess Sidonie, he decided to follow her plan and let the Greenskin Clan become his spies in the Demon Realm. That way, he would not need to actively antagonize the Gremory Clan, and could return his focus to his real mission in coming to the Demon Continent.

Chapter 999: “So, Are You In, Or Out?”

Chapter 999 – So, Are You In, Or Out?”

William sat in the seat of honor at the table, with Polox, Merton, Karath, as well as the other Patriarchs.

The Patriarchs who had chosen to leave a few days ago didn’t have the appetite to eat the delicious food that was served on their table.

They all looked at William with anxious expressions on their faces, as they waited for the verdict regarding their request of becoming his vassals once again.

After breakfast ended, the other Patriarchs still hadn’t touched the food on their table, which made William chuckle inwardly.

He knew that these Demons were all feeling regretful and guilty. Regretful because they didn’t grab onto his leg when they had the chance, and guilty because some of them had betrayed their comrades and told their Masters that the other Clans planned to break free from their control.

This led the Lords to send their troops in an attempt to keep the Clans under them from leaving, just like Caspian had done for the members of the Nightshade Clan.

Unfortunately, they didn’t expect that William would be able to make the Rajah Clan retreat, which then deterred the other Patriarchs from continuing their attempt to tie down the Clans that wished to leave their control.

“I know why you have come to see me, so let me ask you this question,” William said with an indifferent expression on his face. “Who among you spread the news about the other Clans’ plan to become my vassals?”

A deafening silence descended upon the room, as William, and the Patriarchs who had become his vassals, looked at the people seated across them with serious expressions on their faces.

Karath and the others had suffered greatly because of this, and William wanted to know who was responsible for making things difficult for them.

Suddenly, a sigh of resignation was heard in the room as a Demon whose appearance resembled a demihuman Weasel stood and bowed his head in apology.

“I apologize for my shortsightedness, and stupidity,” the weasel-like Demon stated before kneeling on the ground. “I, Mahlon, of the Lowdane Clan, am willing to accept any punishment for my betrayal. I just hope that Lord William would find it in his heart to take mercy on my people. What I did was unforgivable, but I did it on my own volition. My Clan is innocent.”

After seeing that one of them had already taken the initiative to confess and ask for mercy, three more Patriarchs apologized and knelt, asking for William’s forgiveness and mercy.

The Half-Elf remained indifferent as he glanced at the remaining Patriarchs who remained seated.

“Anyone else?” William asked.

Optimus was helping him monitor all the vital signs of each Patriarch, allowing him to know their heart rate, blood pressure, as well as their brain waves.

Out of the eight Patriarchs that had visited the One-horned Clan, four knelt on the floor, while the other four glanced at each other with suspicion.

“I’ll ask one last time,” William stated. “Is there anyone else who ratted the other Patriarchs out to their former Masters?”

Two minutes passed in silence, and the four that remained seated remained where they were. Seeing that none of them were planning to budge, William raised his hand and pointed at two of the four demons who refused to budge.

“The two of you get out of my sight,” William ordered. “The next time I see you, I will kill you on sight.”

William’s declaration was like the sound of thunder that made the hearts of the two Patriarchs, who he had pointed at, to tremble. They immediately fell down on their knees and apologized for what they did.

However, it was already too late. With a snap of his fingers, the two demons were knocked unconscious by Zhu and Sha who were standing behind them. They then dragged the two Patriarchs out the door, where they would no longer be included in the negotiation between William and the remaining Patriarchs.

“Before we start, let me ask the two of you first. Why did you decide to not submit to me a few days ago?” William asked the two seated Demons while he rested the side of his right cheek on the palm of his right hand. “Also, why are you here now?”

Although the two Patriarchs didn’t betray the other Clans, the black-haired teenager wanted them to know that they were not going to board his ship that easily. This was his way of making them know that the cruise ship had sailed, and they needed to convince him to allow them and their Clans to join the big league.

“Back then, I didn’t think that Lord William would be able to protect us,” the Demon with a reptilian appearance replied. “Back then, when you asked us if we were going to find other Masters to pledge our loyalty to when you no longer have the power to shield us from the wind and the rain, I hesitated.

“Our Clan has suffered many hardships, and I felt that, even though I am its Patriarch, I should ask my people what they thought. I will be honest. Most of them are scared to take a gamble, and don’t want to change the status quo. Although we are suffering, we consider life a very precious thing. This is why we decided that we would just wait and see how things would unfold.”

Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Chiffon, watched everything that was happening inside the villa through a projection. This was Princess Sidonie’s idea, so that she could give William her opinion in real time.

As William’s strategist, she was more familiar with the hearts of the people. She understood when to add pressure, and when to ease things up, in order to get the best outcome out of any situation.

Since the Princess didn’t make any comment in regards to the reptilian Demon’s words, it meant that the one who would decide his fate was none other than William. The Half-Elf then glanced in the direction of the remaining Demon, and the latter’s reason was mostly the same.

After hearing their excuses, William shifted his attention to the four kneeling Demons, who were feeling very anxious.

“Let me ask all of you, who are kneeling on the floor right now, what makes you think that I will allow betrayers like you into my inner circle?” William asked. “I don’t care if what you did was something that you did on your own volition. Betrayal is still betrayal. Since you can betray others once, you can betray them again. So, tell me, why should I forgive all of you?”

A few minutes passed in silence before the Weasel Demon took a sharp dagger out from its sheath, and pressed it over his chest.

“I, Mahlon, will pay for this betrayal with my life,” Mahlon said with a determined voice. “All I ask is that you allow my people to be saved. They are innocent. I beg this of you, Lord William.”

Mahlon didn’t even wait for William’s reply as he stabbed himself. He then raised his head to look at the black-haired young man with a pleading gaze before collapsing on the floor. Everyone in the room watched as Mahlon breathed his last, and died with his eyes open.

William’s face remained indifferent, as he shifted his gaze at the other Patriarchs who were kneeling in front of him.

“How about you guys?” William asked. “Why should I forgive any of you?”

The three Demons glanced at each other before bowing their heads repeatedly to William. After that, they left the room one by one, leaving only the two Demons who didn’t take part in their act of betrayal.

William snorted before he once again snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the dead Mahlon rose up from the floor. The Half-Elf was moved by his willingness to end his life in order to save his people.

William then understood that, even though he was a schemer, Mahlon was a very decisive person as well. When he decided to do something, he wouldn’t hesitate to do it, regardless of the consequences.

Mahlon looked at William then at his chest in confusion. He clearly remembered that he had stabbed himself to death, and should have died. When the Demon saw that the dagger was still embedded in his chest, his suspicion was confirmed that he had indeed died and wasn’t dreaming.

“I don’t like being betrayed, so I made sure that you don’t betray me a second time,” William said with an amused expression on his face. “This is the price you need to pay for your betrayal, and you will repay me until I no longer need your services. Go back to your people, and tell them to prepare for a migration. I will be coming for them tomorrow.”

Mahlon bowed his head and left the room in haste. Although his new Master had turned him into an Undead, he didn’t resent him for it. As the Patriarch of the Lowdane Clan, he had a duty to ensure that all of them would be able to live happy lives. If his death would allow them to do that, he would not hesitate to do it again for their sake.

William had turned him into one of his Draugrs, whose loyalty to him was absolute. This was why he no longer worried about Mahlon’s betrayal and allowed him to lead his people inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

As to how his people would react to their Undead Patriarch, well, that was a matter for Mahlon to worry about himself.

William then glanced evilly at the two remaining Patriarchs who were staring back at him in horror. The two Demons felt their hearts tremble inside their chest because they thought that the black-haired teenager would ask them to die to show their loyalty to him.

“Don’t worry, I will not ask you guys to kill yourselves,” William said in a teasing tone, “but you will need to do things for me. As long as you do that, I don’t mind taking your people in. So, are you in, or out?”

The two Demons exchanged a glance with each other before nodding their heads like hens pecking rice.

William nodded his satisfaction because the issue with the other Clans was finally over. All he needed to do was pay a visit to the Greenskin Clan and tie up some loose ends before he continued his journey.

With the meeting over, William’s new vassals returned to the Thousand Beast Domain in order to settle the issues within their Clans as they adjusted to their new settlement.

There were still many things to do, and it would take them a few days to adapt to their new home. Nevertheless, all of them were quite optimistic about the future.

They could feel that as long as they remained by William’s side, not only would their clan be free from oppression, but they would also thrive and grow to new heights that they never thought possible in the past.

Chapter 1000: I Don' Want To Get The Two Of You In Trouble

Chapter 1000 – I Don’ Want To Get The Two Of You In Trouble

Princess Sidonie oversaw the placement of the different Demon Clans after knowing each of their specialties.

The lands that William had given them surrounded the Deadlands, which William had taken from the Void when he returned to Hestia. His general plan was to let the nine Clans that had sworn allegiance to him slowly rebuild the city, with the techniques that he would teach them after they had settled down.

The Half-Elf knew that rebuilding the Deadlands from scratch would be a time consuming process. He could use his God Points to fix it completely, but the cost would be astronomical. Because of this, Optimus gave a suggestion that William only use the God Points for an electrical grid and plumbing, so there could be light and a clean source of water that would allow the city to regain its basic functions.

William decided to follow Optimus’ advice, but there was one part of the city that the red-headed teenager fixed properly using God Points, and that was none other than the theme park.

He decided to let the children of the demon races have fun and enjoy the rides that were available inside it.

When his wives learned about his plan, they got very curious about it, so they decided to follow William to the theme park to become its first customers. When Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Chiffon tried the Bump Cars, the three got addicted pretty quickly and fought William in a three versus one battle by ramming him with their cars.

The Half-Elf had enlarged the Bump Car area to thrice its original size, so it was pretty spacious. Since the theme park was closed to the general public for the time being, the four enjoyed the rides as they waited for the three other Clans that William had accepted under his wing to finish their preparation for migration.

The red-headed teenager had a satisfied smile on his face as he watched his wives enjoy all the rides in the theme park. This was a first for them, so they really enjoyed the experience.

After several hours, the four of them sat on the Giant Ferris Wheel overlooking the sunset.

Optimus had fixed the settings of William’s Domain long ago, so that it would have night and day. Since they needed a fixed point to use as an anchor, they had used the town of Lont in the Southern Continent as the base, so the positions of the stars in the sky, as well as the sun wouldn’t change even if William went to the different places in the world.

After a fun-filled time with his wives, William returned to the Demon Realm just in time to hear Polox’s report about the Greenskin Clan.

“As expected, they refused to follow you, Lord William,” Polox stated.

William smiled as he patted Polox’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. They’re not important.”

After talking to the Patriarchs of the different Clans, as well as getting Princess Sidonie’s thoughts about the matter, William decided to not take the Greenskin Clan under his wing. There was no need for him to expand his forces in the Demon Continent because that wasn’t his main goal for coming.

“Still, I will still go and see them,” William said as he ordered Polox to call for Vesta, Kira, and Athrun. Because of the things he had done with the Demon Clans, he hadn’t talked to his new friends for a while.

William had asked all three of them to stay in the city of the One-horned Clan in order to prevent them from getting involved in the struggle for territories. The three of them had nothing to do with this, and he didn’t want any rumors flying around that they were supporting him from the shadows.

Although it didn’t show on his face, William really liked Kira and Athrun. Knowing that they were having difficulties with their families, he knew that getting them involved would only complicate things.

As for Vesta, she was a special case. As the daughter of a Demigod, she couldn’t side with anyone because doing so would involve her father. When a Demigod became involved in the affairs of mortals, things usually got pretty dicey, so William made sure the three of them remained inside the city to wait until he finished everything on his end.

Fifteen minutes later…

“You finally have time to see us?” Vesta asked with irritation. “We’re not your lackeys, who are at your beck and call.”

“Calm down, Vesta,” William replied as he made a gesture for the green-haired beauty to sit down. “I called the three of you here to discuss how all of us will proceed from here.”

William paused to ensure that the three Demons were properly seated and that he had their full attention.

“As you already know, nine Demon Clans have become my vassals,” William stated. “I don’t have any plans to add more for the time being. However, since this matter has already spread among the Major Clans around this area, we can expect that our movements will be monitored from this moment onwards.

“Because of this, I ask that you stop referring to me as William. My new name is Raymond, and my surname is Parker.”

Kira and Athrun had complicated expressions on their faces as they looked at William. The two of them didn’t know if they should be relieved or sad that Wiliam wasn’t planning on adding more Demon Clans under his influence.

The two of them had made plans together, and were planning to talk to William about it. However, after hearing his words, they decided to postpone it for the time being.

Vesta, on the other hand, looked at the black-haired teenager with a frown on her face. Although he had already stopped adding more vassals under him, the fact still remained that he had antagonized several Clans in the process.

“Where are the Clans now?” Vesta asked. “Are you planning to create a grand exodus from here up to the North? That move will only slow us down. The reason why we are traveling by flying carriage is to get to our destination as fast as we can. If we carry baggage with us, our journey will take several more months than we initially intended.

“Also, caring for them won’t be easy. We will need a lot of resources like food, water, and many other things. Not to mention, we will be treading through the territories of different Clans, whose Patriarchs might think that you are planning to invade them. Are you sure you are going to take them all with you?”

William smiled because Vesta thought that he would be traveling alongside the other Clans like merchant caravans do. If he didn’t have the Thousand Beast Domain, he would have never done such a thing as accept Demon Clans to become his vassals.

Fortunately, he had his own portable Domain, so taking several clans wasn’t an issue for him.

“You don’t have to worry about them,” William replied. “Aside from the One-horned Clan and three other Clans, the nine Clans serving under me have already migrated. You don’t have to worry about them.”

Vesta looked at William in confusion because she couldn’t understand what he was saying. The Half-Elf didn’t bother to explain and simply waved his hand to push the issue aside.

“You will understand tomorrow when the One-horned Tribe migrates in full,” William explained. “I called the three of you here to inform you that we will be leaving this place tomorrow night so we can resume our journey.

“Also, Kira, and Athrun, I apologize to both of you because I got you indirectly involved in this conflict. If you wish to clear your names, it would be best if we part ways here. I don’t want to get the two of you in trouble.”

Kira and Athrun glanced at each other because this was one of the other things that they had talked about a day ago. Unlike Vesta, who had the backing of her father, the two teenagers didn’t have a strong backing.

Kira was the third son of the Patriarch of the Sand Clan, while Athrun was the fourth son of the Patriarch of the Sky Clan. Both were medium-sized clans and held considerable influence in their respective territories.

The Half-Elf was afraid that if the two boys continued to travel with him, they would be excommunicated from their families and have to live a life of exile.

“Bro, don’t worry. I’ve already decided to go with you all the way to your destination.” Kira patted his chest with confidence. “I am only the third son of my Clan’s Leader. I am not that important.”

“The same goes with me,” Athrun replied a few seconds after Kira finished his statement. “I have already broken away from my family and, aside from my trading business, I don’t have any familial attachments. I won’t be missed by my Clan.”

William had a calm expression on his face, as he handed the two Demons a contract.

“Sign this first,” William said. “This contract states that anything I tell you will not leave this room. Otherwise, both of you will lose the memories of the time we’ve had together.”

The Half-Elf had been in cahoots with the God of Contracts ever since he agreed to let Donger stay in his mailbox. Right now, all the contracts that William made were backed by his Divinity.

Since that was the case, the Half-Elf decided to get some form of insurance so that the two Demons wouldn’t be caught up in the storm that he might stir up in the Demon Continent. He had long felt that Kira’s and Athrun’s perception of him had changed after he had shown them one of his trump cards.

William was afraid that they would misunderstand things and think that he was planning to create a new rising force in the Demonic Continent. In order to prevent misunderstandings in the future, he planned to make the two understand just who the person that they were referring to as brother really was.

Chapter 1001: Already Riding The Tiger's Back

Chapter 1001 – Already Riding The Tiger’s Back

The next day…

Vesta’s eyes widened in shock when she saw the dozens of portals that William had summoned in order to help the One-horned Clan migrate inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

Polox had gotten the opportunity to enter it a few days ago, when he had become William’s vassal. This was why he was very excited to have his entire clan migrate.

Unlike Vesta, Kira and Athrun looked at this scene with calm expressions on their faces. After signing the contract with William, the Half-Elf came clean and told him his real identity which shocked them to the bone.

Even after half a day had passed, their shock had still not waned, so when they saw the massive portals that allowed the One-horned Clan to migrate, they weren’t in the right state of mind to be impressed by it.

As Demons, they had been told stories since they were young about the Dungeon Conqueror who was their mortal enemy. Even after several years had passed, this message was passed on to every generation to ensure that they would grow up knowing who their greatest enemy was.

When the Half-Elf removed his disguise and showed them his true form, both Kira’s and Athrun’s first reaction was to scramble away from him.

This move of theirs made Vesta roar in laughter because of how comedic they looked. The red-headed teenager didn’t make any moves and simply looked at the two of them with a calm expression on his face.

After letting them know his true identity, the Half-Elf told them that he would give both of them until noon the next day to think about whether they would continue to accompany him or not. If they decided to part ways with him, all of their memories about him would disappear, returning them to a clean state.

That way, even if they were interrogated they would not be able to say anything. This was Wiliam’s way of protecting them and himself from the repercussions that would come if his identity were to be exposed to the public.

“Have you two thought about what you are going to do?” Vesta asked after she had regained her composure. “We will be leaving soon, so it is best that you make your decision now.”

Kira, who had a stubborn and straightforward personality, looked at her with a complicated expression on his face.

“You knew about his identity beforehand?” Kira asked.

Vesta nodded. “Of course. Do you think my father is blind? He knew who he was the moment he entered our Fortress City.”

“If your father already knew then why didn’t he do anything about it?” Athrun asked. “He is the son of his mortal enemy. Why didn’t he arrest him back in Amberfang?”

Vesta crossed her arms over her chest as she eyed the two Demons in front of her.

“Back then, my father thought that it would be best to let him pass unhindered out of the Fortress,” Vesta replied. “Wi… Raymond’s purpose here is to see his Master, and take her back to the Central Continent. Because of this reason, my father didn’t think it was worth it to apprehend him.”

“Are you mad that you’ve continued to let the son of the Dungeon Conqueror roam free through our lands?” Kira asked in disbelief. “You already saw what he was capable of. Do you think that letting him continue to travel through our domain is a good idea?”

Athrun remained silent on the side because, unlike Kira, he believed that the Demigod of the South had his reasons for letting William enter their lands.

Vesta smiled. “Yes. I had the same reaction as you, Kira. I thought my father was mad when he allowed him to leave our fortress unharmed. However, after seeing what happened between the One-horned Clan and the Greenskin Clan, I think that it would be best to observe him and truly understand what his goals are.”

Kira clenched his fist. Although he wasn’t as smart as Athrun, he also understood that William took a great risk in telling them his true identity. This was an unprecedented sign of trust, that the Half-Elf had risked in order to give them a chance to leave his side.

When he parted ways with William the night before, he had contemplated what he would have done if he was in the Half-Elf’s position and felt ashamed.

Just the thought of Athrun and William calling him Bro and Big Brother, made him want to smack both of them silly. For a brief moment, he understood what the red-headed teenager was trying to tell them.

The Half-Elf didn’t want the two of them to follow him blindly, only to be betrayed at the last moment. Kira was certain that if his respect and admiration for William grew to a higher level, the backlash of the betrayal would leave him damaged beyond repair.

It was then that Kira understood why William made them sign the contract to have their memories erased if they chose to part ways with him. This way, they wouldn’t be burdened by the revelation they had been given.

In the end, Kira only breathed out a loud, and deep sigh as he scratched his head furiously, while trying to understand his real feelings.

Athrun had a wry smile on his face as he shifted his attention back to the migration that was taking place. He assumed that it would take a little more than fifteen minutes before all the members of the One-Horned Clan were safely inside WIlliam’s domain.

That is also the amount of time left before the two of them needed to tell the Half-Elf their decision—if they would continue to follow him, or part ways with him forever.

Vesta no longer bothered the two Demons who were deep in thought. Right now, she was very tempted to sneak inside one of the portals to see what the black-haired teenager’s Domain was like.

She had heard about portable Domains from her father in the past, but Joash said that they were very rare and very hard to maintain. Even a Demigod like her father didn’t own one, so that proved that not everyone could have a Domain of their own that they could take anywhere they went.

A few minutes later, the migration ended and all the portals disappeared completely. Vesta had managed to convince William to allow her to enter his Domain because of various reasons, which made the Half-Elf chuckle with amusement.

Vesta pointed out that this was the least that William could do for dragging her into this territorial dispute, so the Half-Elf decided to let her have her wish.

Actually, this was also part of William’s plan in order to get Vesta to take his side completely. He had arranged a powerful line up of Earth snacks, and desserts that would get the green-haired beauty addicted.

As a final push, he also asked Chiffon to take Vesta to the theme park and let her try out the different rides. William was sure that at the end of the day, the daughter of the Demigod would be unable to leave his side due to the luxuries that only he could provide her.

‘Hmp, you thought that you could one-up me, Joash?’ William chuckled internally. ‘I now have a hostage in my hands. If you do something funny, I’ll let your precious daughter understand what it means to go against me!’

Those were William’s thoughts as he watched the curious Vesta enter one of the portals that led to his Domain. Optimus was monitoring her vital signs and making sure that she wouldn’t do anything funny while she explored the world that she had never seen before.

After making sure that no one was left behind, William flew towards Kira and Athrun who were standing on the balcony of the Patriarch’s main residence.

The Half-Elf didn’t bother to take the crude city inside his Thousand Beast Domain because the Deadlands would be more amazing after it was properly rebuilt. This was one of the reasons why he asked the Clans to migrate.

With that amount of free manpower to help him fix the dilapidated city, it would only be a matter of time before he could enjoy Earth’s specialities within the comforts of his own Domain.

“Have the two of you decided?” William asked as he landed a few meters away from the two Demons who were looking at him with complicated expressions.

“Before I answer, can I ask a question first?” Kira asked.

William smiled before nodding his head. “Sure. I don’t mind.”

“Tell me, do you plan to conquer the Demon Lands in the future?” Kira asked. This was something that had been troubling him ever since he saw William’s display of absolute power a few days ago.

He hadn’t seen how Demigods fight, so he had no idea how strong they were. However, when he saw William on that day, a brand new world had opened up to him. The young geniuses and prodigies he had known in the past couldn’t even compare to the black-haired teenager that was standing in front of them.

It was then that Kira realized that he was still a frog in the well who didn’t understand how the world worked. With such a powerful being wielding that gigantic golden staff in his hand, he wondered if there was any creature in existence that could beat William in a one-on-one battle.

“I don’t think he is that interested in building a faction here in the Demon Realm,” Athrun who had remained silent beside Kira spoke out his mind. “Also, he was the one that conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon not long ago. He has his own territory to manage, as well as this Domain that he carries with him. I don’t think that he would have any interest in dabbling in Demon Politics.”

William smiled before nodding his head. “You’re right. I don’t have any intention to dabble in Demon Politics. It is not my style to settle down in the Demon Continent and expand my territory. Make no mistake, I only came here for my Master. After my duty here is done, I will take my leave. Perhaps, we won’t even see each other again once I’ve returned to the Central Continent.”

After hearing William’s answer, Kira gulped before he asked his second question, which had been nagging his mind since he became aware of the Half-Elf’s identity.

“I know your father is the Dungeon Conqueror, and I understand that there can only be one person to have this profession at a time.” Kira stared at William long and hard as he gathered up his courage to ask him the question that mattered the most to him. “Are you perhaps his successor? Are you… the new Dungeon Conqueror?”

William gave an amused look before nodding his head.

“Yes. I am the Dungeon Conqueror of this generation,” William replied. “So, have the two of you made your decision?”

Kira and Athrun exchanged a glance before nodding their heads.

Both of them thought that since they were already riding the tiger’s back, they might as well ride it all the way.

Chapter 1002: Talking To The Big Boss

Chapter 1002 – Talking To The Big Boss

Caspian, who had retreated all the way back to his Domain, had locked himself up in his room, leaving his steward to manage the daily affairs of the Clan for the time being.

His confrontation with Raymond Parker (A.K.A William) had left a lasting impression on him. He didn’t regret ordering a retreat because he knew that if he and his Clan had stayed even a minute longer, all of them would have definitely been charmed by the Incubus Progenitor that had appeared in front of them.

Looking at the mirror on the wall, Caspian forced himself to stand up from the bed and gaze at his own reflection. He could still hear the teasing voice of the black-haired young man, and it made him wonder if his subordinates had heard him.

“Tell me, are you a man or a woman? How are you able to command the Impundulu if you’re not a Witch? Don’t tell me, you’re a woman pretending to be a man?”

Caspian clenched his fist when this memory surfaced inside his head. The Impundulu was his greatest trump card, and for someone to recognize its true name only meant one thing. That person either studied Witchcraft or Dark Magic.

“Is he a Vampire or an Incubus?” Caspian muttered as he continued to stare at his reflection in the mirror. In the end, he shook his head to clear the thoughts that were starting to consume him.

“Vampires and Incubus can both practice the Dark Arts, so it is not impossible for him to know about Impundulu’s identity,” Caspian stated as if trying to reassure himself. “That’s not the real issue. He knows that I practice Witchcraft. There is also a possibility that he knows Impundulu’s weakness.”

Caspian sighed as he pressed his hand over the mirror’s surface. “I only have two options. One is to kill him, the other is to silence him…”

Caspian knew that the first option would be hard since his opponent could charm his army if given the chance. Even if he commanded three Myriad Beasts, he had a feeling that it would still not be enough to defeat the black-haired teenager who had pushed him into a corner.

“Silencing him might be the best option,” Caspian muttered. “I need to keep this secret and not let anyone discover it.”

After making up his mind, he decided to wash up and leave his territory under the cover of the night. He didn’t bring any of his men with him because doing that would be suicidal. He was confident that he could resist the Incubus Charm to a certain extent, but his subordinates were unable to do that.

“It is better to be safe than sorry,” Caspian said as he flew in the sky, while riding on the back of a winged tiger. Right now, the agents of the Demon Lord were scouring the lands in search for anyone who had an ounce of Dark Magic in them.

As one of the Patriarchs of the Major Clans in the Demon Realm, he was able to hide his ability well. If news reached the ears of the Demon Lord that he had evaded the selection for the candidates of the Dark Prince, things would become difficult for his Clan and he didn’t want that to happen.

Right now, the Rajah Clan was stable under his rule. However, if he was forced to go to the Ancient Ruins where the other wielders of Dark Magic were gathered, he would have to hand his authority over to one of his relatives, which would definitely be a bad idea.

Internal struggles in Clan Politics were quite common, and if those who had evil intentions managed to sniff out this piece of information, they would be able to use that excuse to send him away, and usurp his position while he was being detained in the stronghold where the chosen candidates were gathered.

He had no intention of becoming part of the prophecy. All he wanted was to secure the position of Patriarch that his mother had sacrificed her life for. Even if he had to plead he would do it. During the battle, one of the Patriarchs, as well as his aides, who now served under William was present during the battle.

He was afraid that William would conspire with these Patriarchs to send news about his ability, which would immediately make the sleeping vultures in his own Clan wake up from their slumber and swoop down from the sky to grab this juicy opportunity.

“I need to find him,” Caspian said with determination. “And I need to find him fast.”

Meanwhile inside the residence of the Greenskin Clan’s Patriarch…

“Oh? The Patriarch of the Gremory Clan wants to talk to me?” William arched an eyebrow when he heard Dozedar’s words, who was missing his left arm after Medusa had eaten it.

“Yes,” Dozedar replied hatefully. “His messenger is here, and waiting for you in the conference room.”

Dozedar then pointed at his three subordinates and ordered them to take William to see the messenger of the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan. After his arm was bitten off by the purple-haired girl who had appeared out of nowhere, his hatred for the black-haired young man grew to unprecedented heights.

However, since the gap in strength was so wide, he had no choice but to smolder the anger in his heart, and try his best to not provoke the Vampire who had barged inside his residence.

Unfortunately, the hatred in his heart could not be controlled so easily, so he wasn’t able to stop himself from glaring at the man who could end his life with a single slap. He knew that this was complete suicide, but he wasn’t able to stop himself, even though he tried to hide it.

He had never suffered such grievances in his life before, and he was finding it hard to adjust to his new circumstances. As one of the satellite branches of the Gremory Clan, he had received plenty of benefits from them.

This was why they were able to subdue two Minor Clans in a short period of time. The One-horned Clan was supposed to be his third conquest, but all of it came to an abrupt halt when the young Vampire appeared in his life.

He had become Dozedar’s nightmare and, if possible, he didn’t want to see him ever again.

William ignored the hate-filled gaze that was directed at him. If this was any other occasion, he might have slapped the Demon and sent him flying towards the wall. But right now, he wasn’t in the mood for that.

After entering the conference room, a handsome demon with two small horns protruding on his head gave William a respectful bow before stating his name.

“I apologize that I am unable to give my name to you, Lord Raymond Parker,” the handsome demon said with respect. “My Patriarch sent me a message that he wants to talk with you in private.”

The handsome Demon then placed a round mirror on top of the conference table and bowed his head to William before leaving the room.

The Half-Elf glanced at the mirror and shrugged. Although he knew that there was going to be some kind of negotiation, he didn’t expect that he would be talking to the Big Boss of the Gremory Clan.

Deep inside, William was quite curious to know the identity of the current Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, who had ensured that one of his own was seated firmly on the throne of the Demon Lord.

Depending on the outcome of their conversation, William might have to change his plans in order to reach the results he was aiming for.

Chapter 1003: There Will Be No Next Time

Chapter 1003 – There Will Be No Next Time

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Raymond Parker,” Alvah, the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, said with a smile. “I’ve heard of your grand exploits, and I am quite honored to talk to you face to face.”

William gave Alvah a brief nod. He had expected that the Patriarch of one of the Major Clans, who the reigning Demon Lord’s family belonged to, would use threats or intimidation to deal with him.

He didn’t expect that the latter would treat him in an amicable manner, which made the Half-Elf click his tongue internally.

‘This person is a schemer,’ William thought. ‘As expected of one of the Big Shots of the Demon Realm.’

Alvah observed the black-haired young man in front of him. He had been to several gatherings between prominent clans and families, and he was doing his best to try to remember the person in front of him, but no appropriate match came to his mind.

Seeing that the young man didn’t plan on saying anything, Alvah decided to continue the discussion, and settle the matter with the Greenskin Clan as peacefully as possible.

“I’ve heard that the One-horned Clan had become one of your vassals,” Alvah stated. “The only reason why the Greenskin Clan tried to make them submit to their rule was because they weren’t affiliated with any Demon Clan.

“Now that they had their own Lord to serve, I don’t see any more reason for the Greenskin Clan to provoke them. Don’t worry, Mr. Parker. From this moment onwards, the Gremory Clan, as well as our Vassal Clans will no longer look trouble for them. All I ask is that you leave the Greenskin Clan alone. That way, we can continue to be good friends. What do you say?”

William smiled in his heart because Alvah still used a subtle threat to tell him that if he touched the Greenskin Clan, the Gremory Clan, as well as their Vassal Clans would not like it.

‘In the end, he wasn’t able to stop himself from using his position to threaten me,’ William mused.

Dozedar, who was standing at the corner of the room, clenched his fist as he stared at the young man’s face to see any kind of change in his expression. Unfortunately, William’s calm expression didn’t give him the answers he was looking for.

A few minutes passed in silence as William stared at Alvah without blinking. The latter stared back at him with a confident expression on his face. Alvah had dealt with all the Patriarchs of the Major Clans in their realm, so he knew that person in front of him was testing his resolve.

After who knows how long, William chuckled as the corner of his lips curled up into a smile.

“You blinked first,” William stated.

“Excuse me?” Alvah replied.

The Half-Elf crossed his right leg over his left, as he gave Alvah a winning smile, which made the latter arch his eyebrow.

“I only deal with smart people,” William declared. “Those who play dumb are people I despise the most. Being sour must be a trait of the Gremory Clan.”

Alvah smiled after hearing William’s words. He then briefly nodded his head as he eyed the young man in front of him.

“You’re right. It is unbecoming of someone of my status to play dumb,” Alvah replied. “I apologize, Mr. Parker. I did indeed blink first.”

“A man who admits his wrongdoing is an admirable person. It seems that there is still a possibility for negotiations.”

“If you have any conditions, I am willing to hear them, Mr. Parker.”

William was quite impressed by how eloquent the old man in front of him was. Instead of saying he was willing to hear his demands, Alvah said conditions, which had a softer tone, indicating that he would listen to conditions and not demands.

‘This is the type of person that my Grandpa likes to bully.’ William’s smile widened as he thought fondly of James, who disappeared after taking the two little pink-haired girls, Maple and Cinnamon, with him.

William lightly tapped his armrest before stating his conditions to Alvah, who reminded him of a traitorous snake that would sneak attack him if given the opportunity.

“First things first, I’d like to inform you that I no longer have an interest in the Greenskin Clan,” William declared.

“Oh? That is quite reassuring,” Alvah replied as his mood became a bit better after hearing William’s words. “But, allow me to sate my curiosity. What made you change your mind?”

“Because they are weak.”

“Weak? I don’t understand what you mean, Mr. Parker. Can you elaborate?”

Dozedar, who was standing at the corner of the room, gritted his teeth in anger after hearing William’s words. His clan was a rising force in the Southeastern Region of the Demon Realm. Although his Clan wasn’t at the level of a Medium-Sized Clan at the moment, he believed that he would reach that status in two to three years time.

“I smacked him once with my staff and he was sent flying,” William replied with a shrug. “I have no need for weaklings.”

Dozedar’s face turned beet-red after hearing William’s explanation. He cursed the black-haired young man inside his heart up to his tenth generation for being shameless.

‘Anyone who got hit by a staff that was as big as a castle would be sent flying! Even Polox suffered the same fate as me back then! You shameless bastard!’

Those were the words that Dozedar wanted to shout so badly, but didn’t have the courage to do so. In the end, he almost suffered an aneurysm for holding his anger in, making the muscles on his head bulge under his skin.

“I only came here to inform you guys that I don’t plan to take this second rate Clan as one of my vassal,” William stated before standing up. “Well then, I am a busy person, I will be taking my leave.”

William didn’t even bother to hear Alvah’s reply as he left the room, leaving the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan deep in thought.

‘Raymond Parker… this person is not simple,’ Alvah thought as he watched William’s retreating back. The happiness he felt earlier had long disappeared because it was replaced with uncertainty.

He had tried to probe William’s goal in the Demon Continent, but the latter ended the talks on his own accord without even giving Alvah time to gauge his character.

“Dozedar.”

“Yes. My Lord.”

“Don’t provoke this person again,” Alvah ordered. “There will be no next time. Do I make myself clear?”

Dozedar felt cold sweat stream down his face because Alvah’s expression was menacing. He bowed his head in fear, and was only able to breathe in relief after the connection was cut.

William boarded his carriage, and a few seconds later, it soared in the air while being pulled by Maximus.

Flying beside him were Vesta’s, Kira’s, and Athrun’s carriages.

The two Demons had decided to continue their journey with William because they wanted to know more about him. The Half-Elf didn’t mind their company because he could tell that the two were sincere in their decision.

With this small incident finally over with, their group once again returned to their journey to the North. They were not aware that the rumors of William’s deeds had already traveled far and wide. This made the Major Clans weary, while the Minor Clans felt hope.

In the end, this small interlude had caused the Major Clans to treat their vassals better, so they wouldn’t choose to rebel against them. Although it was a small change in the policy of these Major Clans, it still made the lives of the Minor Clans more bearable.

The weak and oppressed Clans then started to worship William, and prayed fervently that he would one day cross their paths. That way, they would be able to ask him for his help, and allow them to live better lives, that were free from the daily suffering that they were forced to endure.

Chapter 1004: Making Vesta Fall

Chapter 1004 – Making Vesta Fall

“What is this?!”

“What is that?!”

“How is this possible?!”

“How can this possibly exist?!”

“This tastes so good!”

Vesta had been asking questions left and right after she was taken to the theme park by Princess Sidonie, according to William’s orders.

After experiencing the things that the theme park had to offer, as well as the delicious food that was unique to Earth, the green-haired beauty suffered a case of culture shock, which blew her common sense away.

“Fufufu, just a little more, and she will fall,” William grinned evilly as he held Princess Sidonie’s hand. “Good job, Sidonie. This little girl will soon be in our hands.”

They glanced at Vesta who was currently eating a cake with Chiffon, which was baked by the Elves using a recipe book he had given them with devilish looks on their faces.

“Fufufu, I’m very happy that you think that way, Will,” Princess Sidonie replied. “How do you want me to train this girl? Do you want her as a pet? A slave? Or a bed warmer? As long as you wish for it, I will make it happen.”

“Hahaha… I think I’ll pass,” William replied because he could feel Ashe’s and Princess Sidonie’s fingers resting on his waist. He was sure that if he said the wrong answer, his succubus and mermaid wives would pinch and twist the skin on his waist, making him feel a world of pain.

“Seriously, are you planning to make her your wife as well?” Ashe asked. “She’s the daughter of a Demigod from the Demon Continent. You might be biting off more than you can chew this time, Will.”

“I agree with Ashe,” Princess Sidonie replied. “I’ll be fine if you treat her as a pet, a slave, or a bedwarmer, but a wife’s position musn’t be taken lightly.”

“Don’t worry,” William said as he kissed both of their cheeks in order to pacify them. “Even if she begged to become my wife, I won’t even consider it.”

“Awww, I love you, Darling!”

“As expected of my husband. You understand me.”

Vesta, who was eating her cake, almost choked because the three were talking about her, while sitting right across from her. They didn’t even bother to lower their voices, and let her hear everything, which pissed her off.

Chiffon giggled as she offered Vesta a cup of water, which the latter gratefully accepted.

“Don’t mind them, Vesta,” Chiffon said with a smile. “They are just joking.”

“R-Really? It felt as if they weren’t joking, especially the part about me becoming a pet, a slave, or a bedwarmer.”

“Haha, don’t worry. I promise you that I will eat you before that happens. So, rest assured.”

Vesta looked at the smiling, adorable pink-haired girl that had accompanied her since she entered William’s Thousand Beast Domain.

After introducing herself as one of William’s wives, she took Vesta on a tour of the theme park, which was still closed to the general public. There, the green-haired beauty enjoyed the rides, and ate the unique foods delivered to them by the Elves like chocolates, potato chips, crepes, and milk tea.

“Eat me?” Vesta blinked. “How?”

Chiffon covered her lips and giggled. “You will only need to worry about that if you fall in love with my husband. So, don’t fall in love with him, okay?”

“Fall in love with him? How is that even possible? I have high standards, you know?”

“I’ll believe you for now. However, if you ever feel that you are starting to develop feelings for him, come and see me. I’ll eat them for you, okay?”

“Um, I don’t really understand what you’re saying, but okay?”

Vesta asked for another slice of chocolate cake, which she found quite delicious. She had eaten many desserts in the past, but this was something that she had never tried before. As someone that had been born with a golden spoon in her mouth, she enjoyed the best of everything in the Demon Continent.

This was why seeing and eating things that she had never tried before was a luxury that made her happy.

“Vesta, after you finish eating that cake, you need to return to the outside world,” William replied. “Your two servants were pestering me earlier to let them see you, but I refused. You have to come out and deal with them yourself.”

The green-haired beauty sighed as she nodded her head. She had asked earlier if she could bring her two shield maidens, Ali and Ari, with her to the Thousand Beast Domain, but William refused.

The Half-Elf only allowed Vesta to enter because she was a potential ally that he could work with while he was in the Demon Realm. Although he didn’t mind letting her shield maidens enter the Thousand Beast Domain as well, he needed to make an impression that only “his” people could enter it.

Since that was the case, the two shield maidens were forced to remain in the outside world and look after the flying carriage, while their Master was away.

Half an hour later, Vesta finally left the Thousand Beast Domain, in order to pacify her two retainers, who had been worried sick about her because she had been gone for almost a day.

After the Greenhaired beauty left, another presence appeared inside the Villa, which made William smile.

“Lilith,” William stood up as he walked towards the Amazon Princess, and gave her a hug before kissing her.

Lilith returned his gesture because she was quite happy with the reception she was getting.

She was currently in the Amazon Empire taking care of her duties as one of its Princesses. She had also talked to her mother about the good news, and asked her to not send any more Amazons to William, with the goal of taking his seed, so that they could give birth to strong children.

Empress Andraste was quite happy that her daughter was able to snag William and make him her fiance. Although she was a little disappointed that she couldn’t let her warriors enjoy the Half-Elf’s affection, she still respected Lilith’s wishes, and promised that she would no longer insist on having her warriors sleep with her daughter’s fiance.

“Is everything settled in your end?” William asked.

Lilith nodded. “Yes, but I have to stay in our empire for the time being. The recent movements of the Demons have also alerted my mother. Our warriors are preparing for any unexpected moves from the Demon Continent. The Elven prophecy isn’t helping either, and the Aiur Empire, which is closest to the borders of the Demon Lands, is currently on high alert.”

William nodded his head in understanding. Lilith then took this opportunity to whisper something in his ear, which made the Half-Elf grin mischievously.

Lilith blushed before burying her head on William’s chest. She had told her beloved that she missed him terribly, and asked if he would be staying in the Villa later in the evening, so that they could spend some quality time together.

William was more than happy to shower his Amazon Princess with his love and make sure that she is watered properly. Lilith still hadn’t given up on her desire to give birth to her daughter, Raizel, as soon as possible.

While the two were whispering words of love in each other’s ears, Princess Sidonie cleared her throat, which made Lilith glare at her.

The two of them still hadn’t fully worked out their rivalry with each other. In fact, it had even intensified after Lilith became William’s fiance. Only Ashe and Chiffon treated Lilith as one of their sisters who loved William just as much as they did.

“Oh, before I forget, Mother asked me to pass a message to you,” Lilith said with a serious expression on his face. “In the North of the Demon Realm, an ancient ruin was unearthed recently.

“According to my mother’s informant, all those who wield Dark Magic have been brought to that place. It seems that it was some kind of Holy Land for users of Dark Magic in the past. She added that you should stay away from that place as much as possible.”

William nodded as he kissed Lilith’s forehead, and thanked her for the news.

He then bid his wives, and lovers goodbye before returning to the real world. Truth be told, the moment he stepped into the Demon Continent’s borders, there had been a faint, but steady, feeling of attraction coming from the North.

After hearing Lilith’s news, he finally understood the reason for the weird sensation that he was feeling out of late.

‘Holy Land for Dark Magic users?’ William thought. ‘Sounds like a pain in the butt.’

Although he was curious, he had no intention of visiting that place, which was now heavily guarded by the forces of the Demon Lord.

As for the movements of the Demons? He didn’t care much about these things either. William didn’t think of himself as a hero, or a policeman, that was responsible for keeping the peace of the world.

He had his hands full with his wives and the people important to him. Worrying about the affairs of the Central and the Silvermoon Continents was not his problem. That was the responsibility of those who wore crowns on their heads.

For others, they would jump at any opportunity to gain riches, influence, and power. William was not one of those people. If possible, he wanted to live a simple and happy life free from the struggles of war with his wives.

This was the wish he had wanted long ago, but the circumstances had forced him to fight again, and again, for the sake of those he held dear in his heart.

William sighed as he stepped outside of his carriage. Their journey to the North would be a long one. He just hoped that when he arrived at his destination, he would easily find his first crush, after reincarnating in the world of Hestia.

Chapter 1005: Welcome To The Isle Of Desolation

Chapter 1005 – Welcome To The Isle Of Desolation

“Is everyone here?” Felix asked as he stood on the platform overlooking all the Demons that were lined up in front of him.

All in all, they had gathered over eight hundred users of Dark Magic, and had brought them all to the stronghold that was built at the outskirts of the Ancient Ruins.

More than half of them were the young geniuses and prodigies of the Demon Realm, while the remaining were the people who had taught them Dark Magic.

It was not only the members of the young generation that were drawn to the Ancient Ruins. Even those that had studied the Dark Arts for a very long time were being called by the Ancient Ruins, so that they could take a pilgrimage and visit the Holy Lands that were made for them.

Some of these geniuses and prodigies had Masters of their own, who had taken them to the ruins, to better understand the sensation that was urging them to head North.

Of course, there were exceptions to this rule like Adam.

Contrary to what people believed. Some wielders of Dark Magic weren’t taught by Masters of the Dark Arts. There were several individuals who were born with this attribute, and being able to wield this power was as simple as breathing to them.

Adam was one of these people, and this was why he believed that he was superior to the rest. Unlike those that were forced to learn it the hard way, he had been able to use Dark Magic ever since he was a child.

As luck would have it, his Grandfather was also a wielder of Dark Magic, so the latter took it upon himself to raise, and train, Adam until there was nothing more he could teach him.

This led Adam to believe that he was the lucky one. A person that was born to be great because life had been smooth sailing for him.

The only time where he felt a danger to his life was when he entered the Ancient Ruins using the backdoor and met the Dark Wraith. Since then, Adam had become more cautious and hadn’t gone into the Ancient Ruins again.

Instead, he had intensified his training, which made Prince Felix, as well as the other users of Dark Magic, admire him.

“Everyone is here, Your Highness,” one of Felix’s subordinates replied.

Felix nodded as he continued his speech. “I’m sure that you already know that none of the people that have been sent to explore the Ruins have returned. The Demon Lord and I both agree that they might have died inside while doing their duties.

“Because of this, we have no choice but to send teams in greater numbers to explore the Ruins. This way, you will be able to help each other if something unexpected happens. I believe that if all of us work together, we will be able to unravel the mystery of this Holy Land.”

Felix paused as he let his words sinked in for a minute before continuing his speech.

“All of you will be divided into twenty teams with around forty members each. The Masters will move alongside their disciples, so make sure that both of you are in the same team. In order to make things easier for you, the members of the young generation will count one to twenty.

Those of the same number will form a team together. The Masters will go with the team their disciples are in. Now, please start counting, so that we can start our exploration.”

Right after Felix finished his speech, the forming of groups began. An hour later, all twenty teams had been formed.

Felix made sure to choose the team Adam was in to enter the ruins. Adam felt both excited and afraid at the prospect of returning to the Ancient Ruins. Last time, he went alone with no one to help him.

However, this time, he wouldn’t be alone. There would be plenty of people that he could use as shields, and cannon fodder, if something that would endanger his life arose.

“To the teams that have been chosen to enter first, go to the warehouse and accept the rations that have been prepared for all of you,” Felix ordered. “To those that have not been chosen, all of you are on standby until I deem it appropriate to send you in. For the time being, you may return to the stronghold and do whatever you want.”

“Everyone, dismissed!” Felix added as he made a gesture for the teams that were not included in the selection to return inside the Fortress, where they would wait for his next orders.

A few minutes later, Felix found Adam and gave him a communication crystal.

“If something happens, tell me right away,” Felix said. “I will send someone to rescue you as soon as I can.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Adam replied as he took the communication crystal and placed it inside his pocket.

Felix smiled as he patted Adam’s shoulder. “I wish you the best of luck. May you have a fortuitous encounter inside the ruins.”

Adam nodded. This time, his words were sincere when he replied to Felix. “I wish for that as well.”

“Good. Keep me updated.” Felix winked before walking away. In his mind, Adam was one of his subordinates, so he needed to ensure that he would be safe during the exploration.

After the three teams had finished their preparations, they all moved to the main entrance of the Ancient Ruins, which could only be opened with Dark Magic.

Those who didn’t possess this affinity would immediately be sent flying away by the rune inscriptions at the entrance.

Felix had learned this the hard way, when he tried to send some of his elite warriors to explore the Ruins when they were first discovered.

After the last member of the three teams entered the Ruins, a black barrier covered it, in its entirety.

“What is going on?” Felix asked his subordinate who was looking at the Ruins with a surprised look on his face.

“I don’t know, Your Highness,” the subordinate replied. “This has never happened before.”

Felix knew that his subordinate was telling the truth because he had spent most of his time inside the stronghold since the ruins had been discovered. This was the first time he was seeing this phenomenon, and it made him feel restless because he didn’t know what was happening.

“I’m going to check the Ancient Scrolls that pertain to these ruins, and see if I can find the reason for this incident,” Felix declared. “If you see anything strange, you are to report to me at once. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness!” the subordinate replied.

Felix glanced at the dark dome that had encapsulated the Ancient Ruins, one last time before hurrying towards the stronghold. He hoped that after reading the Ancient Texts that had been taken from the Royal Library, he would understand why the dark dome had appeared.

Meanwhile, inside the Ancient Ruins, the three teams found themselves in a wide open plain that extended for miles. All of them had no idea what was happening, or if they were still inside the ruins.

Adam, who was scanning his surroundings, felt a chill run down his spine as he hurriedly looked to the East where the dreadful feeling was coming from.

He was not the only one that was looking towards the East. Those who had a very high affinity to Dark Magic also felt that something ominous was headed in their direction.

Adam narrowed his eyes, as he used the power of his Dark Magic to see farther than what was humanly possible. Soon, his gaze fell upon the Dark Wraith that he had met when he entered the Ancient Ruins for the first time.

As if sensing that someone was spying on him, the Dark Wraith shifted its head to look straight at Adam before laughing.

It had been hundreds of years since he had opened the Isle of Desolation to those who wielded the power of Darkness, and there was a menacing excitement that could be seen in its glowing green eyes that looked at Adam as if he was a delicious delicacy.

“Welcome… to the… Isle of Desolation… young man,” the Dark Wraith said in the same hoarse voice that made Adam’s skin crawl. “I hope… that this time around…, you will… enjoy your stay.”

Before Adam knew it, he was already running.

His instincts were telling him to run as far away from the Dark Wraith as possible. He had a feeling that if the Dark Wraith were to catch him a second time, something very bad was going to happen to him.

Chapter 1006: Wait For Me. I Am Coming For You

Chapter 1006 – Wait For Me. I Am Coming For You

Not many noticed that Adam had run away, but those who did, followed him immediately. Those that had been blessed with a higher mastery of the Dark Arts knew that whatever was headed in their direction wasn’t something that they could handle with their current strength.

Even the Masters, who had accompanied their Disciples in exploring the Ancient Ruins, hurriedly ordered them to run and follow the people who were running in the opposite direction of where the fearful presence was coming from.

“Hey? Where are you guys going?” one of the prodigies shouted as he looked at those who were running away without any explanation.

A third of the overall number of Demons that had entered the ruins had fled, moments after they had passed through the gate, which confused those who were left behind.

Just as they were about to ask each other what was going on, they found themselves unable to move from where they stood.

It was at that moment when they heard a hoarse, yet powerful voice that made their hearts tremble.

“Tell me… children,” the Dark Wraith said as it hovered above the immobilized group of Demons who were looking at it in horror. “Do you… believe… in… Dark Magic?”

The Dark Wraith made a gesture and several dark whips wrapped themselves around the waists of the Demons who could not muster any kind of resistance against it.

Tugging one of the whips, a Demon who was in his early twenties was pulled towards the Dark Wraith, whose glowing eyes had traces of amusement in them. It was as if it was a child that had found a new toy to play with.

“Your… answer?” The Dark Wraith asked as it raised the face of the Demon by placing its finger under his chin.

“Forgive me! Have mercy! Please!” the Demon pleaded. “I will do anything! Just don’t kill me!”

Right now, he finally understood why the others had run away. He regretted that he didn’t react fast enough and followed behind them. Unfortunately, it was now all too late, and all he could do was ask the Dark Wraith to spare him.

“Wrong… Answer,” the Dark Wraith replied as it pulled the Demon close to it.

Everyone watched in fright, as the Dark Wraith started to suck the Dark Magic out of the young Demon’s body, making the latter convulse as if he suffered from epilepsy.

The entire process only took fifteen seconds, but after the Dark Wraith had completely drained the Demon of his dark powers, he was tossed aside, and fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Everyone’s eyes fell on the Demon who was lying motionless on the ground. Those who were near him immediately noticed that he was no longer breathing, which meant that the latter had died after the Dark Wraith had sucked his Dark Magic out.

“Nooo! I don’t want to die!”

One of the Demons cried out in fear, which broke everyone out of their daze. Just like a domino effect, everyone started to scream alongside him and begged for forgiveness.

“Wrong… answer!”

The Dark Wraith shouted as he pulled the Demons to him one by one. He then started to drain them of their Dark Magic, as well as their life force, to make itself stronger.

Soon the screams of fear, despair, and unwillingness spread throughout its surroundings, which made the Dark Wraith laugh because it had never felt so full and powerful these past thousand years.

“Weak… all of you… are weak!” The Dark Wraith words were like a death sentence as it harvested the lives of the immobilized demons one after the other. It didn’t stop devouring their powers, until only one Demon remained.

The Dark Wraith chuckled as he moved towards the Demon whose tears, and urine, had already stained his clothes out of helplessness.

“Tell me… child,” the Dark Wraith pulled the last demon to it, until their faces were mere centimeters apart. “Do you… believe… in… Dark Magic?”

“Yes! I do! I believe!” the Demon answered like his life depended on it. “I believe in Dark Magic!”

The Dark Wraith nodded as a noticeable smile appeared on its face. “Good… now… prove it.”

Without saying another word, the Dark Wraith’s right hand pressed over the chest of the young man, infusing him with the Dark Magic that it had collected earlier.

Soon, the Demon’s face contorted as he struggled with all of his might. Unfortunately, it was useless because the Dark Wraith was stronger than him.

After a minute passed, the Demon stopped moving.

The Dark Wraith chuckled evilly before tossing the Demon to the ground. Soon, the Demon’s skin started to change to a black color at a very fast rate. It only took half a minute before his entire body ahd turned as black as charcoal, and black mists oozed out of his eyes and mouth.

“Go… hunt them… all down,” the Dark Wraith ordered. “You… have… one hour.”

The black-skinned demon nodded its head before giving a frightful war cry. Surprisingly the Demons who were running away heard him, and even redoubled their efforts to gain as much distance as they could, from the threat that endangered all of their lives.

William’s eyes abruptly opened as he propped himself up into a sitting position. His breathing was ragged, as he tried hard to regain his composure from the sudden dread that he had felt deep inside his entire being.

‘What was that?’ William thought as he subconsciously looked towards the North, where the Ancient Ruins were located.

“Sir William?” Charmaine asked with a concerned expression on her face. “What’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?”

The Half-Elf had been resting his head on her lap for nearly an hour, as he took his afternoon nap inside the flying carriage. Charmaine was quite happy to give William a lap pillow, while humming a lullaby, and lightly petting his head while he slept.

William’s sudden action alarmed her, because she initially thought that she had done something wrong to disturb his rest.

“It’s fine, Charmaine,” William said after regaining his calm. “I just had a bad premonition.”

“A bad premonition?”

“Yes.”

William couldn’t explain it well, but the Dark Power that was inside his body was getting restless. The hairs on the back of his neck were also standing on end, which alarmed him greatly because having this kind of reaction was never a good thing.

Fortunately, the ominous feeling vanished after five minutes had passed. However, William was no longer in the mood to enjoy Charmaine’s hospitality.

He was currently in his Vampire Progenitor Job Class, which meant that his current strength was at the peak of the Myriad Rank. Very few things could make him react in this manner. Even Apophis didn’t give him this feeling of dread that could be felt deep inside his bones.

‘Lilith said that the Demons had discovered Ancient Ruins to the North, which seemed to be the Holy Land for those who practice Dark Magic.’ William inwardly shuddered as he recalled the warning that Lilith had given her a few hours ago.

‘I should stay away from that place,’ William pressed his hand over his chest, and took deep breaths in order to calm his wildly beating heart.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, whatever was happening in the North was making him feel restless.

‘Master, I hope you are safe,’ William thought as he clenched his fist in frustration. ‘Wait for me. I am coming for you.’

Chapter 1007: This Is Why You Are A Late Bloomer

Chapter 1007 – This Is Why You Are A Late Bloomer

Celine’s delicate hand, that was about to drop a red crystal to the cauldron, stiffened as she glanced in the direction of the North.

The Dark Magic inside her body started to stir, and it made her feel slightly uneasy. A few seconds later, an ugly hag with a wrinkled nose, and skin barged into her room without even knocking on the door.

“Did you feel that, Celine?” Baba Yaga asked with an anxious expression on her face. When she saw Celine’s shaking hand, hovering her cauldron, she waved her hand extinguishing the flames to stop the alchemical process that her Disciple was performing.

She then pulled Celine to her arms and gave her a hug.

“Are you alright?” Baba Yaga asked as she patted Celine’s back. “Don’t worry. I am here. I will not allow anything to harm you.”

Celine’s shaking hand dropped the crystal as she hugged her Master’s back. Her whole body started to shudder, as she tried to calm the powers inside her, which were starting to run amok.

Baba Yaga hummed as she unleashed her own Dark Powers, creating a protective dome, shielding both of them from the influence of the Ancient Ruins, which was several miles away from their location.

A minute later, Celine was finally able to regain full control of her powers as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Baba Yaga who had extended her senses on the outside world, removed the dome of darkness after the ominous feeling had subsided. As the strongest Dark Magic user in the entirety of Hestia, she had discovered the Ancient Ruins many years ago.

However, she didn’t do anything about them, and simply allowed them to remain buried under the ground.

However, a year ago, a strong earthquake shook the entire land, allowing the Ancient Ruins to rise to the surface. It created a bizarre phenomenon in the sky, which alerted the nearby Demon Clans, forcing them to investigate the area.

When they found the Ancient Ruins, their first reaction was to explore it on their own. But, their plans were thwarted after they read the runes of the entrance, which said that only users of Dark Magic were allowed entry.

Of course, they attempted to break in by force, but it was futile. In the end, they were forced to report the incident to the Demon Lord, who had sent his son, Felix, to investigate the ruins under his name.

Felix was immediately fascinated by the ruins and decided to build a stronghold on its outskirts to better study it. After understanding how the Ruins worked, the first son of the Demon Lord asked his father to issue a decree, calling those who could wield Dark Magic to come to the North and cooperate with the great undertaking of exploring the Ruins.

Of course, Felix also went to Baba Yaga’s place to respectfully ask for her help, but the Great Witch refused him.

Baba Yaga even warned Felix that he and his father shouldn’t mess with something that was beyond their control. However, both turned a deaf ear to her warnings, and left her alone when they deemed that she didn’t want to cooperate with them.

Baba Yaga then placed a protective barrier around her Domain, to prevent anyone from entering without her permission, with the exception of her one and only disciple, Celine.

Baba Yaga had received her message that she was planning to visit her, so the strongest Demigod of the Demon Realm left her home, and went to fetch her, after Celine had passed through the stronghold of the South.

Since then, Celine had been living with her.

Seeing that her Disciple was finally feeling better, the old hag made the beautiful Elf stop whatever she was doing. She then prepared tea for the two of them before sharing the news that one of her subordinates, who were scattered about the Demon Continent, had reported to her earlier that day.

“There is some news going around in the South,” Baba Yaga said with a smile on her face. “A Vampire who goes by the name Raymond Parker has just poached a few Minor Clans, and it is causing a stir among the Major Clans in the area.”

Celine listened with half an ear as she drank her tea. Frankly, she didn’t care about the affairs of the Demon Realm. Baba Yaga also knew this, but the smile on her face didn’t disappear as she told her beautiful disciple about the things that had left her quite interested in this troublemaker who had appeared out of nowhere.

“According to my subordinates, the daughter of Joash is accompanying this person,” Baba Yaga said like an old Auntie who was on the lookout for juicy gossip. “Out of curiosity, I used a long distance call to talk to that black lizard and heard some veeeeeeeeeeeeery interesting things about this Vampire.”

Celine continued to sip her tea because she knew that her Master really liked gossip. When she was still training with her when she was younger, the Old Hag would often tell her what was happening in the Demon Continent.

This was how Celine had become knowledgeable about the Major Clans that ruled it, as well as the geo-politics that were shared when it came to each Clan’s borders. It was one of the things they did to pass the time while they took breaks from training.

“This Vampire has black hair and light-brown eyes, and is very young too,” Baba Yaga stated while looking at Celine’s indifferent expression. “What do you think? Do you want me to catch him and pair you up with him?”

“Master, don’t be silly,” Celine replied. “Don’t make things difficult for other people.”

The Old Lady knew that her Disciple was not really interested in what she was saying, but the old hag was sure that her current expression would change after she finished relaying the news to the Elf who was about to finish drinking her tea.

“Don’t be so quick to turn him down, Celine,” Baba Yaga said while shaking her head. “This is why you are a late bloomer. Now, where was I? Oh yeah… you see, this young man originally didn’t have black hair and light-brown eyes. His name is also not Raymond Parker, but William…”

Celine’s hand that was holding the tea cup shook briefly as she gazed at her Master in disbelief.

Baba Yaga chuckled as she clapped her hands happily

“Well then, my little Princess, it seems that your Prince has come to get you,” Baba Yaga said in a teasing manner. “Are you going to wait for him, or should I kidnap him and bring him back here? Your call.”

“Master, are you sure that you’re talking about my Disciple?” Celine asked. “Could there have been any mistake?”

“Well, I don’t really trust that lizard, so I might as well see this troublemaker for myself,” Baba Yaga replied with a smile. “Also, I’ve heard that he is traveling with Vesta, Joash’s beloved daughter. It seems that the black dragon is trying to fish in troubled waters, using his daughter as bait. What do you think we should do about her, Celine?”

Celine had a complicated expression on her face the moment she heard that Wiliam had appeared in the Demon Continent. Half of her was happy that William had come to the continent that treated his father as their mortal enemy to find her.

The rest of her was very worried because once his identity became known, he would be besieged on all sides, with no place to escape to. Baba Yaga knew how deep the hatred of the Demon Lord was to the enemy that had stood in his way.

Although William wasn’t even born when the great war between Lucien and Maxwell was fought, his fate was sealed the moment he became the Dungeon Conqueror’s son.

“Master, I have a favor to ask,” Celine said with a serious look on her face.

“Well, I’m all ears,” Baba Yaga grinned as she eyed her Disciple with a mischievous gaze.

More than anything else, the Old Hag wanted to see the son of the Dungeon Conqueror, as well as the man that had conquered her Disciple’s heart and body.

Celine wore a cold and indifferent persona in the outside world, but deep inside, she was a warm and loving person. As someone who had raised her, and treated her like her own daughter, Baba Yaga swore to protect her from those who wanted to take advantage of Celine.

Since that was the case, it was only natural for her to see this possible son-in-law that had come from distant lands to find Celine.

Baba Yaga had heard many things about the Half-Elf from Celine, and she could tell that her Disciple was very fond of the red-headed teenager who had become the talk of the land, ever since he conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

Baba Yaga wanted to know if William really had the ability to protect her Disciple, as well as daughter, from the Prophecy that bound her mind, body, and soul. If the Half-Elf didn’t meet her standards, she would then take Celine and leave the Demon Continent with her.

Everyday that passed, the darkness inside her body was getting stronger, and the Old Hag knew that these happy days of theirs were numbered. In truth, she wished that the Bride of Darkness was Celine’s twin sister, Celeste, and not her Disciple.

That way, the beautiful Elf who had lived with her during her younger years, would not be involved in the struggle that was brewing within the Demonic Lands.

A struggle that would make their happy, and peaceful lives… come to an untimely end.

Chapter 1008: The Secret Of The Holy Land

Chapter 1008 – The Secret Of The Holy Land

The sound of explosions reverberated in the surroundings as spell after spell landed on the Dark Abomination that had been hunting them for the past three days.

Forced into a corner, they all ganged up on the Demon, who had somehow transformed into a berserked beast whose sole purpose was to kill any Demon that it saw in its sights.

In the end, those who had managed to survive from its onslaught numbered fifteen. It was at that moment when they realized that no matter where they ran, the dark abomination would just hunt them down, until none of them were left.

Out of necessity, they all banded together to make one last stand against their enemy, whose power exceeded theris by an incredible margin.

“Don’t stop and keep on bombarding it with ranged attacks!!” Adam ordered. “If any of you run, it will just hunt you down again and, by that time, you will be fighting it alone! Now is the only opportunity we have to kill it! If you want to live then fight!”

Adam summoned two Dark Whips in order to lash at the Abomination who had charged in his direction. The fiend also summoned its own Dark Dhip and clashed with Adam’s, but at the moment of impact, the Abomination’s Dark Whip sliced through Adam’s Dark Whips, just as easily as a hot knife cut through butter.

All the Demon candidates noticed that the monster they were fighting against also wielded Dark Magic, but its Dark Magic was different from theirs. For some reason, they felt that the fiend’s Dark Arts were purer, and higher in quality, making their own Dark Arts no match against it.

“Is this the true power of Dark Magic?” one of the candidates trembled as he summoned Dark Clones in order to grab hold of the fiend who was nearing their location.

Adam, and the other candidates, imitated his move because they understood that it would help delay the monster that was aiming to take their lives.

Each of them were able to summon two or three dark clones of themselves. These clones were only half as strong as their Masters, but in this kind of warfare, it was more than enough to gain a decent number advantage… or so they thought.

Adam, who was able to summon three clones of his own, bombarded the Dark Fiend with several Dark Bullets. These attacks managed to push back the Fiend, preventing it from advancing forward.

The other candidates also did the same. They were like a bunch of armed soldiers firing at a single target with a gatling gun. The Fiend was forced to use its hands to defend its body as the powerful bombardement rained on its body.

The ground under its feet was obliterated, creating a cloud of smoke that blocked their view. Even so, they didn’t stop firing spell after spell because they felt that if they stopped, the Dark Abomination would continue its deadly offensive.

Suddenly, three dark spears shout out of the smokescreen, hitting two of the candidates in the chest, making them collapse on the ground in disbelief. Not long after, they died with their eyes open.

The third spear almost took another life. Fortunately, the Demon that had been targeted by the fiend had higher awareness. At the last moment, he was able to turn his body to the side, making the dark spear graze his shoulder, leaving a minor injury.

One by one, the Demons stopped attacking as they panted for breath. They had used almost all of their mana, and were on the verge of mana deficiency.

They stared anxiously and waited for the smoke to clear up, to see if they managed to subdue the beast that had plagued them for the past three days.

When the cloud of smoke disappeared, the abomination lay on the ground with a dark spear embedded on its chest. This was the spear that Adam had thrown with all of its might, which had miraculously pierced through the fiend’s chest.

“I-Is it over?” a young lady whose clothes were in tatters asked. If this was an ordinary situation, she would definitely feel embarrassed about her current attire, because her clothes could no longer be called one.

However, due to the life and death battle they were waging against their enemy, she had no time to worry about embarrassment, and fought hard like everyone else.

No one dared to answer her question, because they were afraid that if they said yes, the fiend laying on the ground might stand up, cutting apart their last shred of hope.

Adam gritted his teeth as he moved closer to the creature that lay unmoving on the ground. When he was only a few meters away from their enemy, he summoned another dark spear, as he braced himself for the worst case scenario.

Meter by painful meter, Adam closed the distance, while the other Demons watched him with anxious expressions. When he was only three meters away from the fiend, Adam threw the dark spear in his hand, which pierced the Abomination’s lower half.

Everyone waited with bated breath to see if the monster was going to react to Adam’s attack, but it remained unmoving on the ground.

Adam didn’t want to take any chances and summoned another spear, which he used to cut off the enemy’s head.

Suddenly, the head that was cut off turned into ashes. Not long after, its body slowly turned to ashes, until the fiend that had become their nightmare disappeared in front of their eyes.

“We did it!” one of the Demons shouted as he raised his hand! “We beat it!”

Some of the Demons sat on the ground in relief after their legs gave way under them. They had fought tooth and nail with the Dark Abomination, pushing themselves to the limit.

Even Adam sighed in relief as he glanced at his comrades who had fought alongside him. He had fought many life and death battles before, but he had to admit that this particular battle was the closest he came to actually dying.

While everyone was celebrating their victory, the Dark Wraith suddenly materialized above them. Their earlier shouts of victory, turned into cries of fear and despair.

‘This is it,’ Adam thought as he stared helplessly at the Dark Wraith, which had used its powerful presence to immobilize all of them. ‘I am gonna die now.’

It was not only Adam who felt this way. All of the Demons shared his thoughts, as tears streamed down the sides of their faces. They no longer had the will to fight, and even if they did, the end result would be the same.

The Dark Wraith was an existence that they couldn’t beat because its strength was at the Pseudo-Demigod Rank.

“All… of you… passed… the first test,” the Dark Wraith announced in a hoarse voice.

A few seconds later, all the survivors felt a burning sensation on their arms. Adam endured the pain and looked at his left arm, which was giving off a black smoke.

When the smoke disappeared, he saw a small, black, inverted, five-pointed star that looked like a tattoo on his shoulders. Adam was not the only one who received the mark. All of the survivors were branded with the black inverted star.

“I’ll… wait for your… return… in three days,” the Dark Wraith laughed. “Only those… who manage… to pass seven trials… will become… the heir… of darkness.

“Farewell… challengers. If… you are not… here… in four days… you… will… die.”

The Dark Wraith laughed once more before waving its hand. That was the last scene that Adam saw before his world was covered in darkness.

—–

Felix, who was inside his office, read the documents of the Ancient Ruins with a serious expression on his face. It had been three days since the first batch of candidates had entered the ruins.

He believed that with so many people taking part in the expedition, their chances of discovering the secrets of the Holy Land were quite high. Just as he was about to take a short break, a loud knock was heard on the door.

Felix frowned because he had given explicit orders that he didn’t want to be disturbed. Even so, he still decided to see what was happening just in case and called out to his subordinate who was waiting for his reply.

“Come in,” Felix ordered.

Just as soon as the door opened, Felix’s subordinate knelt on the ground and gave his report.

“Your Highness! The exploration party has returned! They are at the entrance of the Ruins, and are currently being tended to by the soldiers we stationed there,” the subordinate replied.

“Wonderful!” Felix replied as he stood up. “How many returned?”

“Thirteen.”

“Excuse me?”

The Demon raised his head and repeated his answer to his superior. “Thirteen, Your Highness, and they seemed to have suffered minor to serious injuries. All of them are unconscious right now, and are being carried to the infirmary.”

Felix frowned before nodding his head. He then left the room and headed straight to the infirmary.

He couldn’t believe that after sending over a hundred people inside the ruins, only thirteen managed to return alive.

‘Just what did they see inside the Holy Land?’ Felix thought. ‘No matter. I’ll find out as soon as one of them regains consciousness.’

This was a very important matter, and he needed to know the answers to his questions as soon as possible.

‘I hope that Adam is one of the survivors,’ Felix thought as he increased his pace. ‘After painstakingly making him my subordinate, the least he can do is survive and tell me everything that he saw inside the Holy Land.’

A smile appeared on Felix’s lips as he thought of a way to keep the treasures within the ruins to himself. Just like his father, he was also very ambitious. He didn’t care about the process. What he cared about were the results.

Even at the cost of many lives, Felix wouldn’t bat an eye as long as he benefited from it. Such were the ways of the Demon Realm.

Always had been, Always would be.

Chapter 1009: Promises Of The Past, Present, And Future

Chapter 1009 – Promises Of The Past, Present, And Future

After three days of traveling, William and his entourage arrived at the outskirts of a city that belonged to one of the Major Clans in the Demon Continent.

The Half-Elf gathered, Zhu, Sha, Kira, Athrun, Vesta, and her two shieldmaidens, to discuss their next course of action.

“I plan to rest for a day and resume our traveling tomorrow at noon,” William said. “If you guys want to explore that city then you may do so. I will stay in the Thousand Beast Domain for the time being.”

Vesta immediately crossed her arms over her chest, as she looked at William with a serious expression. “I don’t want to enter the city. I plan to visit the Thousand Beast Domain as well.”

William arched an eyebrow at the green-haired beauty, but he didn’t reject her. He then glanced at Kira and Athrun, and both of them nodded their heads in agreement with Vesta’s words.

In truth, both of them were dying to enter William’s Thousand Beast Domain. When the two of them were allowed to enter it for the first time, the Half-Elf only took them to his villa, and didn’t allow the two Demons to wander around.

This left them feeling quite helpless because they were hoping to do some exploration, to better understand the portable Domain that belonged to the black-haired teenager, who still remained a mystery to them.

“Um, Bro, I want to go there as well,” Kira said with a smile. “Can I?”

“Big Brother, I also want to visit your Domain,” Athrun stated. “Can you accommodate this request of mine?”

William rubbed his chin as he pondered if he should allow the two Demons to enter his Domain a second time. He didn’t mind taking Vesta in because he planned to make the green-haired Demon an ally in the future.

After making her two shieldmaidens sign a contract with blood, they were allowed to follow Vesta inside the Domain. Only Kira’s and Athrun’s retainers were barred entry, because William had no intention of letting too many people wander around the Thousand Beast Domain, because they might accidentally stumble upon things that they weren’t supposed to see.

“Fine,” William answered after a few minutes. “Kira, Athrun, tell your retainers to rest inside the city. We will meet with them at the North Gate tomorrow to continue our journey.”

“Understood.”

“Very well.”

Kira and Athrun went to their men and issued their orders. Right now, William was a wanted person, and several Clans had their eyes on him. Going inside the city wasn’t exactly the smartest thing to do because it might cause tension with the local warlord.

After the battle against Caspian, and the Rajah Clan, he deemed that it wasn’t worth it to show his face in public.

He also didn’t plan on absorbing any more Clans. There were already nine Minor Clans inside the Thousand Beast Domain that were starting to orient themselves with their new environment.

William did his best to provide them with good living conditions by spending God Points to add lakes, rivers, as well as fertile lands that they could farm, and a forest that had many fruit bearing trees.

The Half-Elf had also created white sand beaches, where people could take a swim, and enjoy the sunset.

In fact, the Minor Clans fell in love with the Thousand Beast Domain, and never wanted to leave it. Although they were surprised at first when they saw several beasts loitering around the Domain, they all understood that all of them belonged to William.

The Clans were also forbidden to hunt any of them, and the consequences of killing one of them would be expulsion from his Domain.

Everyone took this seriously because they didn’t want to give up this wonderful place where they could live in peace. Besides, there were plenty of places to fish, forage, and plant vegetables that they could eat.

William’s ultimate goal was to make the Thousand Beast Domain self-sustainable, so that it would truly become a miniature world where people and beasts could live in peace.

The first thing that Vesta did after entering the Thousand Beast Domain was to go to William’s Villa and invite Chiffon to go with her to the theme park.

She had become addicted to the gaming arcade that William had expanded during his free time. The green-haired beauty was particularly invested in mastering the songs in the Let’s Dance Revolution, in order to set the highest record for all of the songs on it.

Chiffon and Medusa were more than happy to accompany her. The three had become something short of rivals, and often challenged each other in arcade fighting games like Takken, and King of Faiters.

They also enjoyed the multiplayer shooting games like House of the Dedz, and Taym Crisis.

There were times when William regretted taking the girls to the arcade because all of them had become gaming addicts.

While everyone went their own ways, the Half-Elf returned to the Villa. There he found Kenneth sleeping in the hammock that he had built recently outside the residence.

Ever since the silver-haired Elf had accompanied him in his journey, all he did was sleep. This was why William tossed him inside the Thousand Beast Domain, so he could rest as much as he wanted.

“All you know how to do is to sleep,” William said as he approached the sleeping Elf.

After looking at his peaceful sleeping face, the Half-Elf noticed a small book that was lying on Kenneth’s chest.

Out of curiosity, William picked it up and opened its pages. He was quite curious about what kind of book Kenneth liked to read, so he decided to take a peek.

—–

Third Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

The stupid Human tried to pull on my hair, so I decided to teach him a lesson. Hehehe… he looked like a stupid monkey hanging from a branch after I tied him up.

—–

Fifth Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

It’s raining… I hate rain. Sleeping on muddy ground is the worst.

Eight Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

Why is this Human so annoying? Since I’m too tired to walk, he decided to pull my hair and drag me along, so that we could continue our journey. This is why Humans have no class, they are barbarians.

Hehehe, I’ll just tie him up in a tree again. This will teach him not to mess with me.

Fifteenth Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

Not bad. He decided to carry me this time. I don’t think I’ll mind if we travel as long as he carries me like this.

—–

Twenty-secondth Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

The Human is burning up with a fever. This is not good. All he does is sleep on the ground. Is he trying to compete with me? If yes, I won’t lose. Sleeping is my specialty!

Twenty-third Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

This is bad… I think this Human is actually dying. Should I do something? But I’m too lazy to move. Okay, I guess I’ll just let him die then.

Twenty-fourth Day of the Month of the High Priestess…

So scary! After pinching, flicking, and pulling on that scary worm, I think I got pregnant! I’m starting to regret helping him recover. This is why Humans are so detestable… but, having a baby doesn’t sound bad. At least, I won’t be alone, right?

William closed the diary, which he thought had been a book at first, before placing it back on Kenneth’s chest. The other entries that were written in the book were simply someone cursing the stupid Human, which seemed to be up to no good.

The Half-Elf scratched his head as he gazed at the sleeping Elf before walking away with a smile. In truth, William was feeling restless the past few days, so he decided to take a day of rest from traveling because there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that wouldn’t go away, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

The diary he had read a while ago amused him enough to momentarily forget the thoughts that were inside his head.

Once William entered the villa, he closed the door behind him. The silver-haired Elf who was sleeping on the hammock opened his eyes.

He then summoned the silver-ballpoint pen that William had given to him as a gift, and opened the diary. He turned several of its pages.

Kenneth then started to write his latest entry in the diary.

—–

Fourteenth Day of the Month of The Lovers…

The stupid monkey read my diary without my permission. I was forced to fight the urge to wrap my hair around his waist and hang him up in a tree because of his crassness. Doesn’t he know the meaning of privacy?

Well, I guess it is my fault for sleeping here with my diary out in the open. Next time, I will make sure that I put it in my storage ring before I sleep.

After admiring his work for a minute, he returned the diary and ballpoint pen inside his storage ring, and closed his eyes to sleep.

A smile hung on his delicate-looking face, as he once again entered his dreamworld, where a silver-haired man, with blue eyes, stood while carrying an Elf in a princess carry.

Both of them looked at the picturesque scenery in front of them, that made his heart skip a beat. He had seen this scene a few times already, but he didn’t get tired of it. In fact, he even anticipated it.

“You see that, Acedia?” the silver-haired man asked the beautiful Elf with long-blonde hair, that he held firmly in his arms. “That’s our destination. The Violet Ever Garden.”

“Beautiful,” the long-haired Elf replied. This was one of the very rare occasions when she didn’t feel sleepy. Because of this, her memory of the view was quite vivid.

The silver-haired man chuckled. “Well, it’s not as beautiful as you, Acedia.”

“Mmm,” Acedia hummed. “Will, are you going to leave me once you bring me there?”

The smile on William’s face stiffened, and the happy expression he had was replaced with a sadness that made Acedia’s heart ache.

“If I told you that I don’t want to leave you, would you believe me?”

“I believe you, but you will still leave me, right?”

William sighed as he forcefully tore his gaze from Acedia’s tear-filled gaze that made his knees weak. Acedia wiped the tears from her eyes with her hands, before shifting her gaze to the promised land where she would spend her eternity by herself.

“I wish we didn’t go here,” Acedia said softly. “That way… this journey of ours, would never come to an end.”

William closed his eyes, as he held the lady in his arms tighter. For a brief moment, he also wished that their journey would never end.

But, all journeys had an end. Both of them understood this, and yet, the thought of parting made them feel uneasy.

Acedia pressed her hand over the silver-haired man’s chest, as she listened to his beating heart.

The beautiful scenery, which both of them loved, faded away. But, before that happened, William had made a promise to her, and she made a promise back.

Kenneth’s lips moved, as he muttered something in his sleep. It was also at that moment when a tear streamed down his eyes. The memories of the two people slowly faded away, turning into a storm of flowers.

“This time… things will be different,” Kenneth muttered softly with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, he felt something pressing lightly on his face, near the corner of his eyes.

Kenneth opened his eyes, and saw William using a handkerchief to wipe the tears that streamed down from his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” William asked in a teasing tone as he continued to wipe Kenneth’s tears away. “Did you get pregnant in your dream and cried due to the pain of childbirth?”

Kenneth blinked once then twice, before his hair extended and wrapped itself around William’s body, turning him into a Half-Elf spring roll. The silver-haired Elf then hung William on a tree branch upside down, with an annoyed expression on his face.

“Stupid monkey,” Kenneth said before closing his eyes to sleep again. He completely ignored William’s pleas to let him down, and just left the Half-Elf dangling there without a care in the world.

On top of the roof of the villa, a giggle escaped Ella’s lips. It was very rare for her to see William in such a state and it was pure eye-candy in her eyes.

“Oh Will… I wish these days could last forever,” Ella said softly with a smile on her face. ”That little baby of long ago, is now a very handsome and dependable young man.”

Ella looked fondly at William. Although she didn’t know what choice her adopted son would choose in the future, she would give him her full support regardless of what it was. That was her duty, and the reason why she transformed into a constellation.

To give the helpless, and dangling, teenager, who was wrapped up like a spring roll, a chance to make a choice that would affect the unfulfilled promises of the past, present, and future.

Chapter 1010: The Price For Freedom

Chapter 1010 – The Price For Freedom

Hestia Academy…

Princess Aila was walking back and forth inside her room while contemplating many things.

The first one was her duty, as the princess of the Zelan Dynasty.

The other was her feelings towards someone who was making her feel restless. Although she already had feelings for him in the past, those feelings only became stronger after she started having dreams about her past life.

Night after night, she would dream. Dreams of days long forgotten, in a world that had long ceased to exist. After talking to Conan and Elliot, she found out that William only planned to have nine wives (10 including Belle).

Right now, only one spot was missing, and Conan told her that if she didn’t hurry, that last spot would be taken by another.

‘What should I do then?’ Princess Aila wondered as she pressed her head against the wall of her room. ‘I’m not a strong warrior. The only thing I can use is Life Magic. If I go to the Demon Continent, I’ll only get in his way.”

Princess Aila knew this. She had told herselves these words for the upteenth time already. The angelic beauty had forced herself to accept that it was impossible, and there was no way she could cross that gap between her and William, who only treated her as a fellow Disciple of Owen’s.

Although the Half-Elf didn’t call Owen one of his Masters, he treated him as one in his heart. Without the old cow “who liked to eat young and tender grass” to train his stamina, and teach him “da wae” to fight and win battles in the bedroom, he might have not been able to satisfy his wives and lovers.

Although it might sound ridiculous, William was very thankful that Owen and the Goddess Eros, taught him how to be peerless in the arts of love making.

Princess Aila didn’t know these details because when Owen taught her, he was a wise, and dedicated, teacher who could do no wrong.

‘Master, I wish you were here,’ Princess Aila thought as she remembered the hen-pecked-old-man, who couldn’t say no to his beautiful, and young wife, who was fifty years younger than him.

It was at this moment when she heard a soft knocking sound on the window. Princess Aila smiled when she saw Conan waving at her from the window.

“Is there any news?” Princess Aila asked after opening the window to let the devil familiar in.

Conan smiled as he landed on Princess Aila’s shoulder. Due to her request, Conan and Elliot decided to help her better understand her feelings, while there was still time for her to secure the final seat in William’s heart.

“Well, Elliot managed to convince Chloee to come with us to the Demon Continent,” Conan explained. “The only hurdle is trying to convince Celeste to agree to let her go there.”

“I see. Thank you,” Princess Aila replied. “If she comes with us, we will be able to overcome most obstacles.”

Conan chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. If they had Chloee by their side, even if a Myriad Beast, or a Pseudo-Demigod appeared, they would be able to stand their ground, and beat it to a pulp.

“Are you sure about this Aila?” Conan asked. “The Demon Continent is a dangerous place. Once we step on it, there will be no turning back for us.”

“Yes. I am sure,” Princess Aila answered. “I’m sorry for making things difficult for you and Elliot.”

“Kekeke. Indeed, it is a very difficult thing to do.” Conan chuckled. “But, if you don’t do it, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”

The little devil then sighed. As a being born from William’s soul, he knew the regrets, and unfulfilled promises that William carried from his two previous lifetimes. This was why he didn’t want Princess Aila to suffer with the same.

Sometimes, one must take a leap of faith, and push ahead regardless of the outcome. By doing so, they would not remain in the same place for eternity. A life of stagnation was a life worse than death.

“But, there is still one more problem,” Conan stated. “Even if Chloee comes with us, going to the Demon Continent will not be easy. We have two options. One of them is to travel the Black Sea, and the other is to use one of the teleportation gates that leads to the Demon Continent.

“If we don’t want to get detected, traveling by sea is ideal, but the journey is longer. If we use the teleportation gates, we will be able to arrive faster, but getting past the stronghold that protects its borders is quite hard. Not to mention, you are very beautiful, Aila. If those Demons see you, they will definitely do their best to capture you. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Princess Aila nodded. Just like Conan said, she didn’t want to have any regrets in her life. Even if she failed in the end, at least, she did her best. She would be able to accept this kind of outcome, unlike the one where she did nothing and simply waited for a miracle to arrive.

“You want to go to the Demon Continent? I can help you, you know?”

Princess Aila and Conan almost jumped in fright after hearing a soft, and silky voice behind them. The princess immediately turned her head to look at what was behind her, but she saw nothing.

Conan immediately summoned his deathscythe and stood in front of his best friend in order to protect her. However, both of them saw nothing.

“Where are you two looking at?”

The voice once again came from their back, so the two immediately faced that direction with grim expressions on their faces. But, just like the first time, they saw nothing behind them.

“We can do this all day, and the result will be the same,” the voice said in a mischievous tone. “Worry not. I meant neither of you any harm. I just overheard your discussion and thought that I should lend a hand.”

Conan hovered above Princess Aila’s head as he scanned his surroundings.

“Who are you?” Conan demanded. “Show yourself!”

A giggle sounded inside the room, which made Princess Aila feel like the person talking to them was doing this on purpose in order to make them feel anxious.

“I am willing to show myself, but you will not be able to handle it,” the voice replied. “So, for your sake, how about we just chat instead?”

Conan frowned, but he no longer said anything. Instead he whispered to Princess Aila that she would be the one to talk to the voice, while he guarded her from any possible sneak attacks.

“Will you really help us get to the Demon Continent?” Princess Aila asked. “What do you want in return?”

The voice didn’t reply right away. It was as if its owner was pondering on what it really wanted. A few minutes passed in silence as both Conan and Princess Aila kept their guard up. Although they had not been given any reply, the two of them were sure that the person talking to them was still inside the room with them.

“Well, I guess you can say that what I want is freedom,” the voice said after a long sigh. “Although I can go anywhere I want to, my hands, and feet are tied. That’s why, you will take me with you when you go to the Demon Continent.”

“And if we refuse?” Conan asked as his eyes, and ears scanned the room for any signs of the elusive person that was talking to them.

“You can refuse if you want to,” the voice replied calmly. “But, your chances of catching up to him are slim. With my help, I can bring you to exactly where he is without fail. This offer isn’t too bad, right? All I ask… is for you to help me gain my freedom. Is it too much to ask?”

Princess Aila and Conan glanced at each other. They could hear the traces of sorrow, and loneliness in the voice that was talking to them.

After pondering for a moment, Princess Aila gave her answer, which made the owner of the voice smile.

“Thank you, Princess Aila of the Zelan Dynasty,” the voice said. “I will forever remember this favor.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Princess Aila replied. “So, tell me. Where can I find you?”

Chapter 1011: Elliot's Disciple

Chapter 1011 – Elliot’s Disciple

“This might be a bad idea,” Conan said while seated on Princess Aila’s shoulder.

“I agree, this is a very bad idea,” Chloee commented as she bit into a chocolate bar. “Taking her out is like taking a weapon of mass destruction. I can’t do this with good conscience. I don’t want to dirty my hands with the deaths of the innocent.”

Princess Aila remained silent as she sat quietly on her chair. After finding out who the owner of the voice was, she felt as if she was making a deal with the devil.

Elliot, who was seated beside Chloee on the table, had his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed as if he was in deep meditation. I

An awkward silence descended inside the room as the four of them stopped talking. Only the chewing sounds coming from Chloee could be heard from time to time.

“All of you are thinking too much. It is going to be just fine~”

Chloee snorted as she raised her chocolate bar towards the ceiling of the room.

“Shut up, Shannon!” Chloee shouted. “Only fools will set you free. We’re not gullible children, you know!”

Suddenly, a small purple cloud appeared in the place where Chloee had pointed her chocolate bar. This was Shannon’s way of communicating with people outside of her room, but she rarely used it.

Only when she saw things that could potentially harm the academy’s interest, would she use this ability to talk to the Headmaster of the Academy, Byron, to inform him of the things that were happening in the world.

“Chloee, it’s not what you think,” Shannon replied. “I have Divine Artifacts that can keep my Divinity from leaking out. If I wear them, I would be able to step into the outside world for a month without endangering anyone.”

Chloee snorted unconvinced. “Let’s say that I believed you. What happens after a month? Would you return to the academy and allow yourself to be bound by chains once again? I think not. Don’t try to sweet talk us into this, missy!”

“… You know, I’m starting to dislike you,” Shannon replied. “I promise that I will return to the academy before the power of the artifacts wears off. I swear it upon my true name.”

Chloee ignored her words and returned to eating her chocolate bar. The little fairy knew that the outside world was a very tempting place to explore, especially for someone who had been stuck inside a shrine since the day she was born.

Many people had already died trying to find ways to help Shannon control the power of her divinity, but all of them failed in the end. Even William wasn’t able to last long when facing her, even after Chiffon merged with his body.

Aamon wanted his daughter to experience happiness as well. If she could live her life like a normal girl, he would be extremely happy. This was why he had asked William to set Shannon free as his final request.

Not as a God, but a father who dearly loved his daughter.

While everyone was pondering their next course of action, Elliot opened his eyes as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“It can work,” Elliot declared. “We can take Shannon with us.”

Chloee, who was eating the chocolate bar, almost choked after hearing Elliot’s words, who was seated beside her.

“Are you nuts?!” Chloee shouted as she pointed her little finger at Elliot’s face. “Do you plan to commit mass murder? Wait. forget about a mass murder. What you want to happen is a mass genocide, right?”

Elliot chuckled nervously because Chloee had raised the chocolate bar in her hand. From her posture, it was very obvious that she was planning to swat Elliot with the snack in her hand.

“Relax, Chloee,” Elliot said with both of his hands raised in surrender. “Believe me when I say that Shannon would be able to help us. Also, she would indeed be harmless for a month, if she keeps the artifacts she has in her possession on.”

“No means no!” Chloee stated before shifting her gaze to Princess Aila. “If you persist with this folly, I will tell Celeste and the Headmaster about your plans. Let’s see if you can leave the academy then!”

Princess Aila’s face became grim because she could tell that Chloee’s threat was genuine. Because of this, she shifted her gaze towards Elliot, who was wearing a serious expression on his face.

This was the first time that Princess Aila saw Elliot with this appearance because Conan’s twin brother always had an angelic smile on his face.

“William’s life is in danger,” Elliot stated. “I don’t care if you agree or not. You can stay here in the academy if you like, but I will go. We will all go!”

Chloee raised the chocolate bar and swatted Elliot without holding back. However, the angelic familiar had turned into a small lightning bolt and easily escaped her attack.

“Chloee, I will say this again. William’s life is in danger,” Elliot declared. “You know about my ability. I don’t care whether you believe it or not, but we are going. With, or without you.”

“Hmp! Let’s see if you can do it then!” Chloee shouted before flying towards the window.

None of them stopped her, because none of them could.

“Oh, no! What should we do if she tells Ms. Celeste or Sir Byron about this matter?” Princess Aila asked in a worried tone.

Elliot turned his head to look at Princess Aila with a smile. “Don’t worry. She won’t tell anyone. However, we need to make preparations.”

The little angel then looked up at the purple cloud that was hovering on the ceiling before voicing his plan.

“We will leave at this time three days from now,” Elliot announced. “Make the necessary preparations on your end, Shannon. Make sure to bring your brush and canvas with you.”

“I don’t plan on leaving them behind,” Shannon replied. “But why should we leave in three days? Leaving tonight is better, no?”

Elliot shook his head. Although leaving now would indeed be a good decision in Shannon’s eyes, it would in fact have the opposite effect.

Although he knew that Chloee wouldn’t tell anyone about what they talked inside the room, that could change if they really tried to free Shannon tonight.

Elliot knew that Chloee was still feeling angry, and angry people couldn’t think properly in their current state. If they did anything that might provoke her, she would definitely head straight to Celeste and Byron in order to get the two of them to stop Alia and company from freeing the one person that could cause mass genocide by simply existing.

Elliot understood that Chloee was only thinking of their safety, which was why she was against the plan to work with Shannon. Also, he still had loose ends that needed tying up, and he wouldn’t leave until they were done.

“For now, don’t go anywhere near the shrine,” Elliot ordered. “Heck, it would be best if you don’t leave this room for two days. Let Conan bring your meals to you, Aila. We mustn’t do anything to provoke Chloee right now.”

“Understood.” Princess Aila nodded her head in acknowledgement. Right now, she was depending on everyone to help her go to the Demonic Continent. If this was the only way that she could see William and understand her true feelings, then she was willing to risk it all.

—-

“What?! You’re leaving, Master?!” a chubby boy with blonde hair and blue eyes looked tearfully at Elliot who was standing in front of him.

“Yes.” Elliot nodded. “I leave in three days time. Thorfinn, you should continue your training while I’m not around. Do you understand?”

“B-But Master, without you around, how will I be able to practice lightning magic?”

“Silly boy. Even without me, welding lightning for you is the same as breathing. Believe me when I say that you are far stronger than me, once you unleash your full potential.”

The chubby boy wailed as he hugged the twelve-year-old boy, who had saved him from being bullied by his classmates in Hestia Academy. As one of Wiliam’s familiar, Elliot enjoyed the prestige that the Half-Elf had achieved after conquering the Tower of Babylon.

Because of this, many people didn’t want to be on his bad side. Contrary to his angelic looks, the little familiar carried grudges, and these grudges were paid in full when it was least expected.

When Elliot declared that Thorfinn would become his right hand man, all the bullies stopped pestering the chubby boy, and made peace with him. This event made Thorfinn indebted to Elliot.

After discovering that the person he had saved on a whim had an innate talent for learning lightning magic, Elliot didn’t spare any expense and started to train him.

Lightning magic was a very rare magic, and anyone who possessed it was treated with great respect by the other races, and hated by the Demon Race.

The only problem with Thorfinn was that the magic veins in his body were not functioning properly. Because of this, the only thing that Thorfinn could do was make some small sparks, with his hands, which was only good for parlor tricks.

Fortunately, Elliot was a wielder of lightning magic, and the first thing he did was revitalize Thorfinn’s innate talent by electrocuting his body everyday.

After a month of electrotherapy, the lightning veins inside Thorfinn’s body healed at a rapid rate, which allowed him to shoot lightning from his fingertips, which made him incredibly happy.

However, before he could even rejoice, Elliot told him that he should keep his ability as a secret, or the Demons would come and kill him.

Thorfinn treated Elliot’s words like the words of a Messiah, and didn’t show his ability in public. The two of them would often go to secluded places together in order to train Thorfinn’s ability until he had complete mastery over it.

“Thorfinn, listen to me, and listen well,” Elliot said as he reached out to pat the crying teenager’s shoulder. “I have nothing more to teach you. However, in the two days that I am here, I will give you one final test.”

“No, Master, don’t leave me!” Thorfinn pleaded as he hugged Elliot tighter. “I still have many things to learn. You still haven’t taught me on how to peek into the girl’s changing room without being seen.

“You still haven’t told me how to take a girl out on a date, and ensure that she will give me a kiss before we go our separate ways. Master, there are still many things that you need to teach me.”

Elliot sighed. He had indeed not taught his disciple on how to snag a beautiful lady and sweep her off her feet, but he didn’t have the time to do that.

“Thorfinn, listen to me,” Elliot said as he patted the head of the crying teenager. “While it is true that I still haven’t taught you how to make girls fall in love with you, that is not important. What is important is that you never waver in the face of adversities. Life is full of challenges. You know that famous saying, right?”

“What famous saying, Master?”

“What doesn’t kill you…”

“Will kill me another time?”

Elliot nodded. “So, in order to prevent that from happening, I will give you the magic words to make all your dreams come true. Listen well, because I will not repeat it a second time.”

Thorfinn pulled back and wiped the tears from his eyes. He then looked at his Master with a serious expression, as he listened to the words he was going to say to him.

Elliot smiled as he said the magic words that would make his Disciple’s dreams come true. However, he added that he should only say these words as a last resort, or risk Divine Punishment from the heavens.

Chapter 1012: Through Damnation And Beyond

Chapter 1012 – Through Damnation And Beyond

Two days after Princess Aila, Conan, Elliot, Chloee, and Shannon had their meeting…

“Why have you called me to this secluded place, Elliot?” Chloee asked with her arms crossed over her chest. “If you plan to convince me, don’t bother. My answer will not change.”

Elliot smiled bitterly after hearing Chloee’s words. Although his purpose for bringing her here wasn’t for the sake of convincing her to collaborate with them, her outright rejection still gave him a headache.

“I didn’t call you here for that,” Elliot answered. “The reason why I ask you to come here is to fight.”

“What? You plan to fight?”

“Yes. Fight.”

Chloee grinned evilly as she transformed into a twelve-year-old girl, making the ground under her feet crumble due to the force she was releasing.

“Good,” Chloee stated. “I’ve always wanted to punch that face of yours. Have I told you before? I hate looking at your smile. It looks so fake.”

“My goodness, such a barbaric lady.” Elliot wiped the smile from his face, because he knew that the young lady in front of him wasn’t joking. “I said that I asked you to come here to fight, but I didn’t say that I would be the one to fight against you.”

“Hah? What kind of b*ll crap are you spouting all of a sudden?!” Chloee shouted. “If you want to fight then fight! Who dares to challenge me?!”

Elliot struck a pose as he pointed his finger at Chloee. “Come out, Thorfinn.”

A lightning bolt descended in front of Elliot, and from it, a chubby boy stepped forward.

“I am the one who will fight you,” Thorfinn said. “You ugly little piece of sh*t!”

“Hoh… you sure have some guts, Porkchop,” Chloee said as took a fighting stance. “Do you know who I am?”

Thorfinn nodded. “The Juggernaut of Hestia Academy. I’ve long known who you are, you pathetic little twerp. Remember my name, and remember it well. My name is…”

The chubby boy wasn’t able to finish his words because Chloee had vanished from where she stood. Immediately, she reappeared right in front of him, and delivered a blow that was enough to turn a Millennial Beast into meat paste.

Fortunately, Thorfinn had expected this to happen, so he immediately turned into a lightning bolt and evaded Chloee’s deadly attack.

“Is that your best?” Thorfinn taunted. “My grandma moves faster than you, little b*tch!”

“You f*cking pig, I’ll murder you!” Chloee shouted as she once again charged at Thorfinn, this time using her ability to break the laws of the world in order to double her speed.

For a brief second, the world slowed down in front of Thorfinn’s eyes. He could clearly see Chloee’s hate-filled expression as well as her fist that was only inches away from his face. In that moment of life and death, Thorfinn once again turned into a lightning bolt, barely evading Chloee’s attack by a fraction of a second.

‘That was close!’ Thorfinn thought anxiously as he appeared several meters above the ground. ‘I almost died in that clas—’

The chubby boy wasn’t able to finish his words because he once again turned into a lightning bolt, barely evading Chloee’s attack for the second time.

Soon, Thorfinn found himself backing away as he tried to keep himself alive from Chloee’s relentless attack. He didn’t have any time to counter-attack and was doing his best to evade the juggernaut whose bloodshot eyes spelled his doom.

Every second that passed, had made him realize that death was only a mistake away from happening.

Every minute that passed, felt like he was living years of his life.

This one-sided dog-fight in the air continued for a quarter of an hour. All Thorfinn did was evade, and all Chloee did was attack.

Even though she was indeed very powerful, she couldn’t close that gap. The chubby boy was faster than her by a heartbeat.

Soon, the two challengers reappeared in the air, facing each other.

“My name is Thorfinn El Hazzard,” Thorfinn declared. “Remember the name of the man who will teach you that you can’t kill, what you can’t hit. Remember that, Chloee Dy Wisteria!”

The smile on Chloee’s face widened as she increased the power output of her body.

“I admit that I underestimated you, Porkchop,” Chloee replied with a devilish smile on her face. “But you see, I was only using thirty percent of my power right now. I thought that it was enough to crush a bug like you. But, I guess I was wrong.”

Golden lightning snaked around Chloee’s body, as her long blonde hair fluttered in the breeze, making her look like a War Goddess.

“It’s not only you who can use Lightning Magic,” Chloee said. “I can use it too.”

Chloee turned into a golden lightning bolt as she shot towards Thorfinn without any warning.

“Now die!” Chloee shouted as she punched without holding back.

Thorfinn had already turned into a lightning bolt, but Chloee’s speed has surpassed his. Just as her punch was about to smash his face, it was met with a punch that contained as much destructive powers as hers.

A powerful shockwave spread across their surroundings, and Thorfinn was blown away by the impact.

“Hmp! I knew that you would not stand by and let that Porkchop die in my hands,” Chloee snorted as she tried to push Elliot, who had faced her attack head-on, back.

“Thorfinn is my only disciple, so I can’t possibly let him die under my watch,” Elliot stated.

“Good. Then I guess I’ll just have to kill you first, Mr. Fake Smile. That way, I can finally rid you of that mask you always wear.”

“My goodness. Fine. Bring it on, Pancake Girl. Let’s see if your puny fist can reach me. Don’t think that using William’s remnant powers, that you absorbed after we merged last time, will do you any good.”

As soon as Elliot finished talking, two golden lightning bolts zigzagged across the sky. Each time they clashed, a blinding flash of light would spread across the heavens, followed by a thunderous roar.

Thorfinn watched the battle from afar with a serious expression on his face. Every move the two made, he remembered. Every exchange of blows, he embedded them in his soul.

As the two familiars fought for what they believed in their hearts. A certain girl, who was trapped inside the shrine that had served as her prison for nineteen years, drew on her canvas.

“Beautiful,” Shannon said softly as she painted the two familiars that were making a commotion in the skies near Hestia Academy.

She had seen many battles before.

Battles that were fought amongst the truly powerful in this world. Although Chloee’s and Elliot’s battle wasn’t at the level where it could demolish entire cities, their battle was simply too beautiful in her eyes.

Two familiars, fighting for what they believed in, and staking their lives on the line to overpower each other, made her heart skip a beat. In their original forms, they were quite small, only as big as a hand.

But right now, in her eyes, they were like two massive stars, whose light illuminated the entire world.

“More,” Shannon muttered. “I want more. I want to see things I’ve never seen before. I want to feel things I’ve never felt before. This world is my canvas, and I want to paint the greatest masterpiece that would be idolized for eternity! Bring me to that brand new world… make me a part of that world!”

The young lady’s hair color, and fox ears turned black as her eyes turned golden. Her brush danced in front of her canvas, never missing even the smallest detail of the battle that was currently being waged in the heavens.

On the ground, Conan who sat on Princess Aila’s shoulder stared at his twin brother who was giving his everything to fight for what he believed was right.

“Kekeke,” Conan chuckled softly. “Beautiful isn’t it, Aila?”

“Yes,” Princess Aila replied. “Sometimes I wonder if love is worth fighting for, but then I remember his face and I’m ready for war.”

“Good. Because that is where we are headed… we are going to war.”

“Take me there, Conan. Bring me to his side.”

The little devil grinned as he nodded his head. Princess Aila’s heart-felt request made the fire in his little heart burn brightly, like it did a thousand years ago.

“I will take you there, Aila,” Conan vowed. “Even if I have to go through damnation, and beyond.”

Chapter 1013: I Won't Be Killing Anyone Unless They Deserve To Die

Chapter 1013 – I Won’t Be Killing Anyone Unless They Deserve To Die

“What was that about, Chloee?” Celeste asked the little fairy who was currently seated on top of the table while eating a plate of pancakes. “Why did you and Elliot come to blows with each other?”

“Difference in perspective,” Chloee replied before biting into a new pancake.

“That’s it? Just a difference in perspective?” Celeste frowned. “Both of you demolished an entire mountain just because of a difference in perspective?”

Chloee no longer answered Celeste’s question and just continued to eat her pancakes. After leaving Elliot half-dead, she returned to the academy to binge eat, but was found by Celeste.

Claire just hovered behind the beautiful Elf with her arms crossed over her chest. Just like Celeste, she didn’t understand why Chloee went ballistic and duked it out with Elliot, who was currently being nursed by Princess Aila back to health.

“What really happened?” Celeste inquired. “Elliot isn’t the type to start conflicts. Did you do something again?”

Chloee still kept her silence as she stuffed her small mouth with pancakes. In the end, Celeste gave up and left the room. Only Claire remained and landed on the table where her twin was eating without a care in the world.

“Tell me what really happened,” Claire said. “If you do, I promise to think of a way to help you out.”

Chloee shook her head firmly. She trusted her twin sister with her life, but the matter with Shannon was truly too important. Elliot had firmly told her that even if she told anyone about their plans, it would still come to pass one way or the other.

“This is inevitable.”

Those were the words that Elliot told her while both of them were fighting each other seriously.

Right now, Chloee was very conflicted. She was only left with two choices. The first one was to tell Celeste and Byron about Shannon’s plan. As for the second one, she assisted them in freeing Shannon and accompanied them to the Demon Continent.

Seeing that Chloee wasn’t budging, Claire sighed and left the room to follow Celeste. Deep inside, Claire felt that her sister was hiding something from her, but she trusted her enough to support her in whatever she did.

If only she knew that Chloee was at the crossroads of her life, she might have stayed with her and waited until she had opened up to talk to her.

—–

Hestia Academy, half an hour before midnight…

Conan and Elliot flew towards the shrine under the cover of darkness. Their plan was to free Shannon from the shackles that bound her, by destroying the pillars that kept her in place.

According to the young fox lady, a protective barrier prevented her from leaving the shrine. In order to disable it, Conan and Elliot must destroy four out of the eight statues that were scattered inside the academy.

Princess Aila was already positioned at one of them, while Elliot and Conan would break another two. As for the last statue, Elliot planned to turn into a lightning bolt and break it, as soon as he broke one of the two statues present outside the shrine.

The angelic Familiar had already planned everything, even the place where they would meet after they had completed their mission. Usually, Shannon’s place was guarded by the Elite Soldiers of the academy.

However, the two Familiars had the element of surprise, so they were confident that they would be able to neutralize them without alarming anyone else.

Just as they were about to enter the shrine premises, Conan and Elliot stopped. They stared at the little fairy that was blocking their path with her arms crossed over her chest.

Chloee looked at the two of them with a serious expression on her face.

“Are you sure that you’re really going to do this?” Chloee asked.

“Of course,” Elliot replied.

“Many people might die, you know?”

“I won’t refute your words, but if people are going to die, they would be people that deserve to die.”

Chloee snorted. “You always have a way with words. Not even William is as eloquent as you.”

The corner of Elliot’s lip rose up into a smirk. “Thank you for the compliment. So, tell me, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me that you were just taking a stroll and happened to see us?”

Chloee didn’t answer right away. It was as if she was fighting an internal struggle inside her heart, which placed the entire situation in a stalemate. After a few minutes passed, the little fairy voiced her condition to allow them to do what they wanted.

“I will go with the two of you to the Demon Continent,” Chloee stated. “I can’t allow Shannon to run amok and hurt the innocent.”

“Fair enough,” Elliot replied before looking at his twin brother. “You and Chloee destroy the two statues outside the shrine. I will head to the last shrine. After you have secured Shannon, meet us at the place we agreed on.”

Conan nodded as he patted his chest. “Leave this to me.”

Elliot glanced at Chloee one last time before flying away. Right now, time was of the essence and they would need to destroy all the statues at almost the same time for it to work. Because of this, they decided to do it at the sixth tolling of the bell, after the clock struck midnight.

Conan and Chloee flew side by side without exchanging words with each other. Both of them had things going on inside their minds, and had no time to do small talk, while doing their mission.

Inside the shrine, Shannon was busy putting several black-beaded- bracelets on her left and right wrists. These were powerful artifacts that helped reduce the effect of her powers, but their effectiveness would only last for a month.

“Finally, this day has come,” Shannon muttered softly as she held a fox mask in her hand. “I will finally leave this place.”

She was confident that as long as the statues were destroyed, she would be able to go anywhere she pleased using her special abilities.

“Wait for me, my Prince,” Shannon said as she put the fox mask on her face. “I am coming to see you.”

Right after she finished her preparation, the giant bell inside the academy started to make a clanging noise.

“One,” Princess Aila said softly. Although she understood that what she was about to do was wrong, this was the only way they could leave for the Demon Continent without being detected by anyone.

“Two,” Elliot muttered as he sat on the head of a Dragon Statue.

“Kekeke,” Conan chuckled as he and Chloee stood in their respective places. “Three.”

“Four,” Chloee muttered as she transformed into her battle form.

After two more seconds, the sixth bell finally rang.

Everyone immediately destroyed the statue that was assigned to them with as little noise as they could muster.

Soon the sounds of glass breaking echoed inside the shrine. Shannon immediately felt the power that was surging inside her body, as soon as the statues were destroyed.

The door of the gate opened and Shannon came out with hurried steps. In truth, she wanted to take her time to observe her surroundings, but the circumstances were not in her favor.

“Let’s go,” Conan said. “Everyone is waiting.”

Shannon nodded, but before she could even take another step, she felt something wrap around her leg, preventing her from moving. Looking closely, she saw that it was a silver chain that held her leg in a firm grip.

“What do you think you’re doing, Shannon?” Byron, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy asked as he stepped out from behind a tree. “I believe I didn’t give you permission to leave the shrine, am I right?”

Byron then glanced at Conan and Chloee who had flown by Shannon’s side.

“Do the two of you have any idea of the consequences of your actions?” Byron asked in a threatening manner. “Especially you, Chloee. I expected more from you.”

Chloee snorted as she ignored Byron’s words. Without any hesitation she swung her arm and cut off the silver chain that held Shannon in place.

Without another word, Shannon waved her brush, transforming herself, as well as Conan and Chloee into a purple smoke that flew towards the North.

Byron immediately gave chase as he flew after them with great speed. The gap between him and Shannon was gone in the blink of an eye. He then reached out his hand to grab her hand, but the only thing he caught was a wisp of purple smoke.

“That girl got me good!” Byron’s face became serious as he hastily turned around to return to the shrine. Shannon had the power of creation. She could give life to anything she drew, which allowed her to trick Byron, giving them enough time to flee.

It was not only Elliot that had made preparations for their escape. Shannon knew that she wouldn’t be able to leave the academy that easily, so she prepared some backup decoys, whose sole purpose was to make Byron think that he had won.

“Bye,” Shannon grinned as she entered the purple portal that she had created. “Don’t worry, Headmaster. I promise that I will be a good girl. I won’t be killing anyone unless they deserve to die. See you in a month.”

“Stupid girl!” Byron shouted as he used his fastest speed to reach her. Unfortunately, he was a few seconds late. He could only shout in anger as the girl entered the portal. “Come back here!”

Shannon didn’t bother to look at the Headmaster who had taken good care of her ever since she was a child. Unfortunately, her craving for freedom had made her heart firm, so she wasn’t swayed with Byron’s words.

When the portal closed right in front of his face, Byron knew that it was too late.

“The fools!” Byron gritted his teeth as he slammed his staff on the ground. He knew that Shannon could travel to the places that she had seen before, so he understood that going after her was futile.

Although the young lady with fox ears hadn’t stepped outside the shrine at all throughout her life, her ability to see the world through the eyes of others was enough to allow her to cross great distances using the power of space.

Byron regretted that he had been too overconfident. When the statues broke, he instantly knew that the shrine had lost its power to keep Shannon locked up. Because of this, he immediately teleported to the shrine, just in time to see Shannon stepping out of the gate that had barred her from leaving all these years.

“This is no time to hesitate,” Byron said before crushing a gem in his hand. “Her Excellency must be informed about this!”

Byron knew that a calamity had been set free on the world, and the mere thought of thousands of people dying in her wake made him shudder. He had been too conceited to believe that the defenses he had set in place were enough to keep Shannon inside the shrine.

Little did he know that the young lady with fox ears had long made her plan to escape her prison. All she needed were a few helpers from the outside, to help break the shackles that bound her in place.

High above the pommel of the sword that was embedded at the center of the academy, a beautiful lady wearing a white dress, looked at her daughter who had escaped from her prison. She had heard Byron’s call of distress, but she ignored it for the time being.

“So, there really was no stopping this Prophecy from coming to pass,” the lady muttered as she closed her eyes. “Shannon, my dearest, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not being able to give you the freedom you deserved.”

Only when Shannon took Princess Aila and Eliot with her to leave the academy did the beautiful lady answer Byron’s call for help.

‘Travel safely, my dearest,’ the lady thought as she gazed at the purple portal that was slowly shrinking under her watchful gaze. ‘I pray that the next time we meet, the freedom that you desperately craved for, will finally set you free.’

Chapter 1014: To A Long And Lasting Partnership

Chapter 1014 – To A Long And Lasting Partnership

“You again? What do you want?” William asked as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Don’t worry. This time, I came to see you just to talk,” Caspian replied.

After traveling for two days, William’s group had made good progress on their journey. They didn’t encounter any problems along the way, and everything was smooth sailing. All of that ended when they neared the borders of the desert, where several warring Clans lived.

However, before they could even enter their territory, Caspian appeared and blocked their way.

“Just to talk?” William asked back. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about?”

“Actually there is,” Caspian answered with a smile. He then made a gesture for them to land on the ground, in order to continue their discussion.

William frowned, but still decided to hear what the Patriarch of the Rajah Clan wanted to discuss for the time being. He had never liked politics, but the overall situation of the Demon Continent was quite volatile when compared to the peace that everyone enjoyed in the Southern and Central Continents.

Also, he didn’t like to be constantly hounded by one of the most powerful Patriarchs in the Demon Realm. Even though Wiliam could smack Caspian and his summons silly with his Heroic Avatar Form, he also understood that sitting down to discuss things in a civilized manner would avoid any unnecessary conflicts.

William, Vesta, and Caspian, sat as Charmaine and the other Elves served them some snacks and coffee.

The three enjoyed some small talk as they drank and ate. The Half-Elf as well as the green-haired beauty were quite curious why Caspian traveled so far in search of them. Usually, Patriarchs didn’t travel far from their territory, especially without their elite guards, because it was dangerous.

“Originally, I came to find you in order to negotiate certain things,,” Caspian said. “However, after hearing the news that you declined to make the Greenskin Clan one of your vassals, I realized that this was a good opportunity to form a collaboration with you.”

William arched an eyebrow as he made a gesture for Caspian to continue speaking.

“Be honest with me, do you know Witchcraft and Dark Magic?” Caspian inquired.

“Yes,” William answered. “Is this about you being able to summon Impundulu?”

According to the System, only those that practiced witchcraft or specialize in dark magic would be able to make this extremely malevolent creature their subordinate. The Vampiric Lightning bird, Ipundulu, was nearly immortal. Even the strongest Demigod, Tarasque, wouldn’t be able to kill it because it had only one weakness, and that was flames that held a strong Divinity.

“Yes.” Caspian admitted. “I thought that you are going to expose to everyone that I know witchcraft, so I hurriedly came to find you in order to negotiate.”

Vesta who was only listening to the side raised her head to voice her opinion.

“Isn’t witchcraft only available to women?” Vesta asked. “How come you can use it?”

“That is because she is a woman,” William answered before sipping his coffee. “Right, Caspian?”

Caspian eyed William for a few seconds before waving a hand over his face. The face of the strong demonic tiger that led the Rajah Clan to battle was replaced by a sensual lady who seemed to be in her early twenties.

Her long orange hair, green eyes, and fluffy tiger ears was a very stark contrast from the domineering image that she had shown on the battlefield.

“I never thought that one of the Overlords of South was actually a woman,” Vesta muttered. “I see… so that’s why you have to hide your identity. The rules of the Rajah Clan don’t allow women to become Patriarch.”

Caspian nodded. “When I am in this form, feel free to call me Cassey. This was the name my mother gave me before she died. As you can see, I’m a Half-breed. In order to gain the seat of patriarch, I had to rely on witchcraft to change my appearance.”

William and Vesta nodded in understanding. This rule that only men could inherit the head of the family was very common in Hestia. The Amazon Empire, which was purely ruled by women, was a rare exception to the established rules of the world.

“If you are afraid of your identity being exposed by me then you can rest easy,” William stated. “I have no intention of divulging your secret. Now, since that is out of the way, what is this collaboration that you are talking about?”

Cassey smiled because she understood that William didn’t have any intention of bringing up past events to make things difficult for her.

“Tell me, Raymond Parker, what do you think of the Gremory Clan?” Cassey asked.

“William,” William replied. “You can call me that when it is just us.”

The smile on Cassey’s face widened because she understood what William was trying to say. In order to gain his trust, she was willing to show him her true form. The black-haired young man’s gesture of good will made her feel that her effort to find him was not in vain.

“Very well, William,” Cassey said. “What do you think of the Gremory Clan?”

“I don’t know much about the Gremory Clan,” William answered. “However, I have a grudge against the Demon Lord. So, tell me, Cassey, are you perhaps aiming for the seat of Demon Lord?”

Cassey firmly shook her head. “A very tempting offer. But, I am someone that looks at reality. What I want to do is simply change the rules a bit.”

“Oh? I see.” William nodded in understanding. “So you want to make it so that women can also have the right to sit as the head of the clan? But, I don’t understand. What does the Gremory Clan have to do with what you plan to do?”

Cassey’s expression became serious as she looked at William. During her journey to find him, she had thought about many things along the way. One of those was to reshuffle the Major Clans in the Demon Continent.

She wanted to kick the strongest Clan out of their seat and make hers, the Rajah Clan, the new Head of the Major Demon Clans in the continent.

“My Domain is in the South, while the Gremory Clan’s territory is in the North,” Cassey explained. In normal conditions, it is impossible for me to travel to the North and wage war with him. However, from what I’ve heard, you and your entourage are headed North.”

William nodded. “I see. So your plan is to use us as your army to clap their buttcheeks, while letting your Clan remain in the South. You won’t even send any of your men to fight, leaving us to be used as cannon fodder to fight your battle for you.”

Cassey chuckled. “Cannon Fodder? I think not. I have four Myriad Beasts under my command. They are more than enough to trample my adversaries. Also, the Impundulu’s one and only weakness, which is fire, can easily be countered by the Ancient Fire Elemental under my command. With the two of them fighting side by side, I am invincible.”

“True,” William nodded his head in agreement. “But, this logic only holds true until a Demigod comes along and wrecks your plan.”

Cassey gave William a knowing smile, which made the latter’s liver itch.

“And, that is where you come in,” Cassey stated. “Alone, I am more than enough to bring the Gremory Clan to their knees. But, if a Demigod intervenes, I hope that you can hold them off for me.”

William lightly tapped his fingers on the table as he pondered Cassey’s proposal. Anything that would make the Demon Lord feel constipated was a worthwhile endeavor to do. Weakening his backing was very important because his influence over the other Clans would also fade.

Even though he was the strongest Demon in the continent, his rank was only at the Peak of a Saint. He had weakened considerably after fighting against William’s father, Maxwell, and losing his arm in the process.

“My priority is to find someone in the North,” William said after careful consideration. “I would not make trouble with the Gremory Clan until I found her first. Once she is in my custody, I don’t mind going with you to pay a visit to the Gremory Clan.”

Cassey raised the coffee cup on the table and took a sip. She then stared at William with a curious gaze as she voiced the question in her mind.

“In the rare chance that the Demon Lord is there when we declare war on them, what will you do?” Cassey asked. Although she knew that William was strong, she needed to know if he had the resolve to face the one who held the greatest influence in the entirety of the Demon Realm.

William smiled evilly after hearing Cassey’s words.

“Believe me when I say that I would love to see the Demon Lord in that place,” William said. “That will save me the trouble of finding him, and giving him a beating that is long overdue.”

Cassey smirked as she extended her hand towards William. They said that the enemy of an enemy is a friend. Right now, William was an ally that could tip the balance of power in the Demonic Continent.

If they really succeeded in what they planned to do, she would not only be able to legitimately sit in the position of Clan Head, but also take her revenge on the scheming Demon, who was responsible for the assasination of her mother when she was only ten years old.

“To a long and lasting partnership,” Cassey said as she shook William’s hand.

“Likewise,” William replied as he shook Cassey’s hand.

He had to admit that Cassey’s plan was in line with what he had wanted to do in the past. Since there was an opportunity for a collaboration, he was more than happy to join her and make the lives of those who supported the Demon Lord, and those of his family, a living hell.

Chapter 1015: Our Daughter Might Have Developed A Crush On Him

Chapter 1015 – Our Daughter Might Have Developed A Crush On Him

Aamon sighed as he massaged his face with both hands. He had heard from his significant other that their daughter had escaped from Hestia Academy, and was headed to the Demon Continent.

After regaining his calm, he closed his eyes as he pondered on the things that he could do for her daughter, which was very limited. He was the patron God of the Kraetor Empire, and yet, there was no one that he could ask to go look for his daughter in the Demon Realm.

Although he was a God, there were certain restrictions that were placed over him that prevented him from directly interfering with the affairs of the mortal realm. Because of this, Aamon’s hands were tied.

“Is there really no other way?” Aamon muttered as he tapped the arm rest of his throne with his hand. After pondering for ten minutes, he realized that there was nothing that he could do for his daughter at this point in time.

He then looked at the image of the beautiful woman in front of him, who had a sad expression on her face.

“Don’t worry, no one can harm our daughter,” Aamon said with a serious expression on his face.

The beautiful woman shook her head. “I am more worried about the people that will be unlucky enough to cross her path. We both knew that this would happen sooner or later, so we prepared the artifacts for her. For the time being, the worst case scenario is not going to happen… probably.”

Aamon nodded his head in understanding. Fate worked in mysterious ways and even they, as Gods, were subject to its whims. What more could ordinary mortals do against it?

“You said that she was headed to the Demon Continent,” Aamon stated. “Do you know why exactly?”

The beautiful woman was about to shake her head, but stopped mid-way.

“I only have a hunch, but I guess she plans to meet with William.”

“Him? Why him?”

The beautiful woman sighed as she closed her eyes.

“Her recent drawings are all about him,” the beautiful woman answered. “Although I am not a hundred percent certain, I think our daughter is interested in him.”

“Only interest?” Aamon arched an eyebrow. “Nothing more than pure interest?”

The beautiful woman shrugged because she also didn’t know the answer to his question. Her daughter had no chances to interact with the Half-Elf on an extended basis, aside from her paintings.

William had tried, but her daughter’s Divinity was too much for the Half-Elf to handle, even if he merged with one of his wives.

“Wait, let me call someone who is more knowledgeable in this thing,” Aamon said as he sent a message to a friend of his through telepathy.

A few seconds later, Sancus, the God of Contracts, appeared in Aamon’s throne room.

“What’s wrong? Do you need me to prepare a special contract for you?” Sancus asked.

“No, my friend,” Aamon replied. “I called you here to ask for your help. I know that you are very knowledgeable, so you are my best bet in this matter.”

“Fumu, indeed. I am one of the wisest Gods around.”

“You forgot to add the word scheming in your introduction.”

Sancus chuckled as he made a gesture for Aamon to continue what he was planning to tell him.

“You see, my daughter has gone to the Demon Continent,” Aamon stated. “And, we highly suspect that she has gone there to see William.”

“Are you talking about Gavin’s follower? That William?” Sancus asked as he played with his beard.

“Yes. I don’t want to say this, but our daughter might have developed a crush on him.”

“Mmm, that’s fairly normal for girls her age, no?”

Aamon and the beautiful woman nodded. However, the thing that bothered them was how William would react to their daughter’s feelings.

The beautiful woman told Sancus of the possible reason why her daughter found William interesting, and the God of Contracts smiled when she finished her story.

“Isn’t this just a common fangirl scenario?” Sancus asked. “I think in your daughter’s eyes, William is one of her favorite actors. You see, in William’s previous world called Earth, there are these famous young actors, and boy bands that girls go gaga about.

“Whenever they see them, they can’t help but feel excited and want their autograph. I think your daughter’s feelings are similar to this. She decided to sneak outside of the house to meet her favorite actor and get to know him better.”

Aamon and the beautiful woman were finally enlightened about their daughter’s actions after hearing Sancus’ words. Just like the God of Contracts said, for Shannon, William was her favorite actor and she was dying to meet him in real life.

“But our daughter carries a powerful ability in her body,” the beautiful woman stated and proceeded to tell Sancus about Shannon’s peculiarity.

“Interesting, but there is no need for concern,” Sancus replied. “After all, William had Donger with him. Actually, I am more scared about your daughter meeting with William. Who knows? The next time you see her, she might be carrying a little William in her belly.”

Aamon, who was seated on his throne, immediately stood up and grabbed hold of Sancus’ collar, almost choking him.

“What did you say just now?!” Aamon asked with a serious expression on his face.

“The next time you see your daughter, she might be carrying a little William in her belly?” Sancus answered with a confused look on his face.

“No! Before that!”

“William had Donger with him?”

Aamon’s and the beautiful woman’s faces turned pale when they heard Sancus’ words. All the Gods knew what Donger was, and its reputation was something that all the Goddesses abhorred.

Because of this, Sancus was forced to seal Donger and prevent it from appearing in the Multiverse again. However, the seal wasn’t omnipotent and the chances of Donger breaking through it were getting higher with each passing year.

“Take Donger back now!” Aamon said. “If that filthy thing touches my daughter, I’ll fight you to the death!”

“Now, calm down,” Sancus replied as he patted Aamon’s shoulder. “Although William has Donger, the boy has refused to use it. Because of this, he stored it in a place where it doesn’t pose any threat to anyone. Your daughter will be just fine.”

“Are you sure about this? Are you sure that William will not use it?”

“Sure I’m sure. Donger has been with him for several years, and it is still safe and sound. Your daughter will be fine.”

Aamon and the beautiful woman breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Sancus’ confident answer. Although they wanted their daughter to be happy, they didn’t want her to suffer any harm. Donger was an existence that all Goddesses loathed. Even the Goddess of Lust, Eros hated it with a vengeance. This was how dangerous Donger’s existence was to the world.

After having a bit of small talk, Sancus finally left Hell and returned to the Temple of the Gods.

‘Oh! I forgot to tell them that Donger has one unusual ability and that is to immediately come to its owner’s rescue during unusual circumstances,’ Sancus thought. ‘Well, I guess it’s going to be fine. As long as that girl Shanon doesn’t do anything reckless, Donger will continue to be locked up inside William’s mailbox.’

The God of Contracts hummed as he returned to his stall, which was managed by a few of his followers. As the God that presided over contracts, he had a duty to uphold all the terms that were written in them.

Just like the contract that Donger made with him, Sancus would do everything in his power to ensure that the promise he had made with Donger hundreds of years ago would finally become a reality.

Chapter 1016: Second Son Of The Rhanes Clan

Chapter 1016 – Second Son Of The Rhanes Clan

After a successful negotiation, Cassey decided to join William’s journey to find the person he was looking for. Although she didn’t know who she was, the patriarch of the Rajah Clan was certain that this person was very important to William.

They had just entered the desert area, and this place had several warring clans inside it. The desert had very limited resources, especially water, so most clans built their cities around oases, and guarded them with all of their might.

“Bro, if we follow our flight path, we will arrive at my Clan’s territory in three days’ time,” Kira said while talking to William from his carriage window. “It has been months since I’ve seen my family. If it isn’t too much of a bother, can we drop by and stay for a day or two. I want to assure my parents that I’m doing fine. Also, I want to introduce them to you.”

William pondered for a bit before nodding his head.

“Sure,” William replied. “Spending time with family is important. I don’t mind if it’s only for two days.”

William had taken a liking to Kira and Athrun, and both of them had become his friends. They had also signed a contract to not divulge his secrets, which gave the Half-Elf some peace of mind. The travel towards the Northeastern Regions was long, and he didn’t mind making a few stopovers along the way, as long as it didn’t take too much time.

Athrun’s family lived near the capital of the Demon Realm, which was not within the route that they had chosen. When William asked if Athrun wanted to visit his clan, the handsome scholar only shook his head and said that he had no attachments to his family.

Since the Half-Elf wasn’t willing to pry in Athrun’s past, the latter didn’t mention anything about his circumstances with his family.

Truth be told, this was the first time that William was traveling over a desert. As far as the eye could see, there were only desert sands. He had seen them several times in T.V, but seeing them in reality made him understand how vast the world really was.

It was quite hot during the day, and very cold at night. This was why he, and Vesta, stayed inside the Thousand Beast Domain most of the time, leaving Kira and Athrun to deal with Cassey, whom William didn’t fully trust.

On the third day, after entering the desert, they landed on the outskirts of a medium-sized city that was brimming with life.

Out of respect for Kira’s family, William placed Gluteus and Maximus inside his Thousand Beast Domain. He was certain that if the Sand Clan patriarch saw the two dangerous Flying Armored Elephants enter the city, he would surely die from a heart attack.

Cassey had decided to use her true form, while she journeyed with William so that no one would recognize her. She also wore a style of clothes that was quite different to what the Rajah Clan wore on a regular basis.

After her discussion with William, both of them decided to make her William’s adviser. As someone who was familiar with the customs of the Demon Realm, Cassey’s new identity was fool proof.

Even if the Demon Lord or the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan were to sit at the table with her, neither of them would be able to tell that she was, in fact, the reigning patriarch of one of the Major Clans in the continent.

“Open the gates,” Kira ordered as he disembarked from his carriage. “I have returned.”

The Guard Captain immediately recognized Kira, but didn’t make a move to open the gates for him.

“Young Master, I apologize but I cannot open the gates even for you,” the Guard Captain said. “Your father is currently in a high-level meeting with someone, and because of this, the entire city is under martial law. No one is allowed to enter, and no one is allowed to exit. I apologize, but I cannot allow the Young Master to enter the city at this point in time.”

Kira frowned because this had never happened in the past. The city of Altan had never been put into martial law ever since his grandfather had become the Patriarch.

“Who is the person that Grandfather is meeting with?” Kira asked. “Surely, you can tell me this much, right?”

The Guard Captain didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pondered if he really could tell his Young Master who their VIP guest was. However, before he could even decide, a loud, and confident voice spoke out from his side.

“Oh, so you’re here, Kira,” a man dressed in a white robe, and holding a fan in his hand, said with a smile. “Have you gotten tired of pursuing that Vesta girl?”

“Orryn…,” Kira muttered as he gazed at the second oldest son of the Rhanes Clan.

The Rhanes Clan was the Lord of the Sand Clan. The reason why Kira had left his family was not because of his wish to pursue Vesta. It was because he didn’t want to participate in the upcoming struggle for the seat of Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan.

Their Clan had always been neutral, and didn’t dabble in politics. However, the four heirs of the Rhanes Clan were busy trying to gather as many factions under them before the selection ceremony.

Even the Sand Clan’s neutrality was being put to the test due to the insistence of the candidates for the position of Patriarch.

“Yes, it is me, Kira,” Orryn smiled. “Welcome back… is what I’d like to say. Unfortunately, this city is currently under my older brother’s jurisdiction. No one is allowed in, or out, unless the Sand Clan agrees to join our faction.”

Kira’s expression immediately became gloomy after hearing Orryn’s words. He had expected that they would be forced to choose a side, but he never expected that Orryn and the brother he was supporting were going to use such a high-handed method to deal with them.

As Kira clenched his fist in anger, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, which made him turn his head to his right side.

“Who is this guy, Kira?” William asked. “Is he the one responsible for preventing us from entering the city?”

“His name is Orryn,” Kira answered. “He is one of the sons of the Rhanes Clan, which is our Lord in this part of the desert.”

William rubbed his chin. If he wanted to, he could easily smash the gates and enter the town if he wished. However, since this was Kira’s hometown, he definitely wouldn’t use such a barbaric method.

‘Vesta, come out for a while,’ William said to Vesta, who was currently playing Let’s Dance Revolution with Chiffon and Medusa in his Thousand Beast Domain. ‘I need your help with something.’

Orryn looked at Kira and the person standing next to him in disdain. As one of the sons of the Rhanes Clan, his word was law among the vassals who served their family. He had long wanted to put Kira into his place, and he thought that this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Kira looked up at the arrogant son of the Rhanes Clan with contempt in his heart. If he was alone, he would definitely not be able to put up any resistance. However, he was no longer alone.

The person standing next to him was no ordinary man. Kira wondered what would happen if William revealed his identity to the pompous young master, who was looking at them as if they were dogs wandering in the streets.

‘No good,’ Kira thought as he suppressed the sneer that was about to appear on his face. ‘I am very tempted to ask Bro to let Gluteus and Maximus make an appearance. I’m sure that if this bastard saw them, he would be running like his life depended on it.’

A few years ago, a herd of Flying Armored Elephants destroyed half of the city where the Main Residence of the Rhanes Family was located. Ever since then, Orryn’s family had long dreaded these Beasts who were known to cause mass destruction wherever they went.

He was sure that if the two behemoths were to suddenly appear at the gates of the city, not only would Orryn panic, but the entirety of the Sand Clan would be engulfed in complete and utter pandemonium.

Chapter 1017: Special Aromatherapy

Chapter 1017 – Special Aromatherapy

(Disclaimer: Don’t eat, or drink when reading this chapter. You have been warned.)

William returned to his carriage and summoned a grumpy Vesta out of the Thousand Beast Domain.

The green-haired beauty had completely become a game-addict, and she was not pleased to have her gaming time disturbed.

“Sorry, but we have a situation,” William said as he explained the details to the green-haired beauty who had a frown on her face.

“The Rhanes Clan? They are one of the Clans that had a pacifist mentality,” Vesta stated. “It’s quite unfortunate that the apples that were born from a fine tree turned sour. Fine, I’ll handle this.”

Vesta disembarked from the carriage with an arrogant look on her face. As the proud daughter of one of the Demigods in the continent, her persuasive ability was the real deal. Very few would deny her what she wanted, and those who did found themselves face to face with an angry Black Dragon, who spoiled his daughter very much.

“I am Vesta Cy Agni,” Vesta declared as she stood beside Kira. “Who dares block my path?”

Orryn, who had a haughty attitude earlier, immediately narrowed his eyes as he looked at the young lady whose beauty and fame reached far and wide.

“I am Orryn Di Rhanes,” Orryn bowed as he introduced himself. “It’s a pleasure to meet the gem of the South. If Lady Vesta wished to enter the city, I would gladly open the gates for you and become your host. However, only you may enter. The rest are not allowed to step foot inside the city.”

“I am not asking you to let me enter the city, I am ordering you to let me enter the city along with my entourage,” Vesta replied crispily. “You have no qualifications to block my way. If you really insist on making things difficult for me, I will be more than happy to tell my father to visit your Clan’s Main Residence and have you punished with your Family’s Laws.”

Orryn kept the smile on his face as if Vesta’s threat wasn’t a big deal. He even chuckled as he fanned himself with the fan in his hand, as he looked down on the green-haired beauty who was glaring at him in irritation.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Lady Vesta,” Orryn replied. “The Gremory Clan and our Rhanes Clan have formed a partnership. This partnership has the blessings of the Demon Lord, and I would greatly appreciate it if you don’t intervene in these political affairs.”

“So, you mean to say that you won’t let us enter the city?” Vesta asked.

“Lady Vesta, like I said earlier, you are more than welcome to enter the city,” Orryn answered with a smile. “But, only you alone are welcome. The rest should just stay here at the gates and wait for your return.”

“Okay.” Vesta nodded as she walked towards William. “I did my best. Now let me go back.”

The corner of William’s lips twitched before nodding his head. The green-haired beauty then hurriedly climbed the carriage to enter the portal that William had created inside it.

In truth, she didn’t really want to intervene in the geopolitical situation of the continent because her father had told her not to stick her hands in politics. Since that was the case, she didn’t put much effort in trying to convince Orryn to let them enter the city.

“Okay, time for Plan B,” William muttered with a smile.

Without warning, William turned into a lightning bolt and appeared behind Orryn who was standing proudly on the top of the city gates.

The Half-Elf kicked the arrogant young man, and sent him flying off of the gates and out of the city, where he landed face first on the desert sand.

“You bastard! How dare you hurt me?!” Orryn shouted in anger and shame. “Do you know who I am?!”

William appeared in front of the young man and clapped his hands together.

“Spoken like a true third rate villain,” William replied. “I don’t care who you are, or who your daddy, mommy, grandpa, or grandma is. Since you refuse to let us enter, I will make you pay the price of your arrogance. Sha, will you do the honors? Just tie up his hands and feet, so he can’t move.”

Sha nodded and waved his hand. As a Demon that specialized in manipulating sand, the desert was like his home turf. Even Myriad Beasts would have a headache fighting him if they fought in a desert.

“Stop! What do you think you’re doing?!” Orryn shouted at Wiliam before turning his head towards the guards who were watching the commotion from on top of the city gates. “Oi! You bastards! Come here and help me!”

William chuckled as he summoned the most horrifying weapon in his arsenal. He was certain that after he was done with Orryn, the latter would flee if he caught sight of the Half-Elf.

“You know, I am a very kind person,” William said as he walked towards Orryn while holding a chamberpot in his right hand. “But, there are times when I can be evil beyond comparison. This is one of those times. Your name is Orryn, right? Well, congratulations! You will be the third person to experience this out of this world experience.”

“W-Wait! Why are you holding that thing?!” Orryn felt the scalp of his head turn cold as he looked at the chamberpot in the black-haired teenager’s hands. “What are you planning to do?”

“The time for talk is over,” William grinned evilly as the chamberpot’s lid opened. “It’s time for you… to eat sh*t, motherf*cker!”

The guards who were about to help Orryn all froze from where they stood, when they saw the small hill of night soil that buried the second oldest son of the Rhanes Clan.

“So vile!”

“How evil!”

“S-Sh*t!”

None of the guards dared to help Orryn because William had glanced in their direction.

The Half-Elf’s eyes were smiling as if he was inviting them to join Orryn in his special “aromatherapy” treatment that made everyone who saw it uncontrollably shudder due to how horrifying William’s method was.

Chapter 1018: Desert Battle [Part 1]

Chapter 1018 -Desert Battle [Part 1]

“Sir, please hurry,” one of Orryn’s aides said pleadingly to the sharp-eyed young man, who seemed to be in his mid-twenties. “That person is so disrespectful. His actions alone make it seem like the Rhanes Clan is nothing in his eyes.”

“Nothing in his eyes?” the sharp-eyed young man snorted. “He must be a foreigner. In the Fortaare Desert, there is no one that doesn’t know who the Rhanes Clan is.”

“It is as you said, Young Master. He is simply a barbarian who knows nothing of the world.”

“Let’s hurry along then. I want to see this person who dares to disrespect my clan’s name.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

As the sharp-eyed young man headed towards the gate, an old man with a long-white-beard watched him from afar.

The corners of the old man’s lips were raised with a smile. Although he was old, his features were still prominent, which showed that he was once a handsome man who made all the girls swoon over him.

‘Kira, you’ve brought some interesting people,’ the Patriarch of the Sand Clan, and Kira’s grandfather, Zeph Al Wrynn, mused. ‘It seems that Walric and his brother Orryn are going to suffer some losses today.’

Zeph narrowed his eyes as he made a beckoning gesture. A few seconds later, a middle-aged man appeared beside him.

“Father, is it fine to leave things the way they are now?” Kira’s father, Favian, inquired in a respectful tone. “The Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan is currently very ill. If Walric and Orryn suffer some grievances in our territory, they might get even with us after they become the next Patriarch of their Clan.”

Zeph hummed as he played with his beard. “The first and the second son are allies. The third and the fourth son have also recently formed an alliance to fight against them. In this two-way struggle for the seat of Patriarch, I am leaning more towards the third child, but our family has remained neutral all this time. It is in our best interest to keep it that way.”

Favian nodded his head with a bitter expression on his face. They had already told the two brothers that they didn’t plan to choose any faction in this power struggle, and yet, they were powerless against them. Walric had somehow managed to get the token of the Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan, and used it to declare martial law in their city. The oldest son of the bed-ridden Patriarch, was a very bull-headed person. He was someone that wouldn’t take no for an answer, and had already considered himself to be the new heir of the Rhanes Clan.

Anyone who defied his orders would be punished. This was why the Sand Clan was forced to go into lock-down with no one coming in or going out of the city. Walric vowed that the lock-down would be in effect as long as the Sand Clan refused to become part of his faction.

He had also mentioned that any uprising would be quelled by execution, so the Sand Clan had issued a decree to their citizens to remain in their houses for the time being, until their current, yet dire, predicament passed.

“Father, are we going to the city gate as well?” Favian asked. “I’m afraid that Kira might get into trouble if we don’t go to mediate things.”

“It’s fine. Let’s stay here,” Zeph answered with a smile. “Kira will be safe. Also, I am not confident that I will not be able to hold back my laughter if I see Orryn’s sorry state up close. Even now, I am doing my best to prevent myself from laughing.”

Favian sighed before nodding his head. Just like his father, he could also see what was happening outside the city gates. It was one of the special abilities of the Wrynn Family. They were able to see great distances, as long as they used their bloodline power alongside their vision.

‘I wonder how this little farce will end?’ Zeph smirked as he placed his hands behind his back. Although he was a carefree person, the two brothers had made things difficult for him and his Clan. Even though he kept a respectful stance on the surface, deep inside, he was giving the two annoying brats the middle finger in his heart.

—–

“S-Stop! Please! I beg you!” Orryn pleaded as his head poked out of the small hill of night soil. “I apologize for what I said earlier. I give you permission to enter the city!”

William smirked as he stood over a dozen meters away from the arrogant young man, who was having the time of his life.

“Nah, I’m good,” William replied as he waved his hand. “I don’t mind staying here for a few hours. It has been a while since I smelled some fresh air.”

The Half-Elf took a deep breath and smiled, which made the city guards, as well as Zhu, Sha, Kira, and Athrun have the strong urge to spit at him.

What fresh air?

You call that fresh air?

Bruh, do you live in the sewers or something?

The Half-Elf had disabled his sense of smell with the help of Optimus, so he wasn’t too bothered about the smell around him.

His friends on the other hand had moved a hundred meters away from him, and Athrun even used the power of the wind to blow the annoying smell towards the city gates, as per William’s orders.

The guards’ faces were already turning green due to the diabolical fragrance that was lingering around them. Some of them were even holding their breaths, for long periods of time, in order to endure the “aromatherapy” that they were being subjected to.

Suddenly, a cold and demanding voice spoke from the Ramparts, which made Orryn’s expression change drastically. It was as if he had seen his savior who would save him from the situation he was in.

“Stop this at once!” Walric shouted. “In the name of the Rhanes Clan, I order you to stop!”

William turned his head to look at the sharp-eyed young man, who was quite charming in his own right. The Half-Elf’s first impression of the oldest son of the Rhanes Clan was a true militant, who would declare war on his neighbors if he had the opportunity to do so.

“Are you this guy’s brother?” William asked as he used his thumb to point backwards at Orryn who was currently shouting to his brother for help.

“I am,” Walric answered. “My name is Walric and I’m the oldest son of the Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan. State your name and affiliation!”

“Sorry, but you don’t have the qualifications to know,” William replied. “Are you also the one responsible for declaring Martial Law in this city?”

Walric sneered. “You don’t have the qualifications to ask me that, Mongrel. I order you to release my brother and surrender yourself to receive your punishment.”

William smirked as he turned into a lightning bolt and appeared behind Walric.

“Since you are also responsible for this mess, go and join your brother,” William said as he kicked Walric’s back that sent the latter flying towards the hill of night soil. “Eat sh*t, motherf*cker!”

Everything happened so fast that Walric didn’t have to react. The next thing he knew was that his head was only a few inches away from the hill his brother was buried in. A few seconds later, a squelching sound was heard as Walric smashed onto the night soil, face first.”

Kira’s jaw almost dropped to the ground when he saw the unbelievable scene in front of him. To him and the Sand Clan, the Rhanes Clan were people they couldn’t afford to offend. However, his Bro, William, didn’t give a f*ck and treated them like trash.

‘Damn! I wish I could do that as well!’ Kira could feel his blood boiling inside his body, as he looked at the two arrogant brothers who were currently buried in a hill of the most smelly sh*t in the multiverse.

Somewhere in the city, a loud roar of laughter reverberated in the air. It sounded so amusing, that William couldn’t help but laugh alongside it. The laughter that came from the heart, reminded him of his Grandpa, James, who would often laugh like this when he was in a good mood.

Suddenly, the hill of sh*t exploded, sending the filth flying everywhere.

Sha raised his hand and a wall made of sand blocked the approaching projectiles, keeping them at bay.

William raised his hand and a small tornado appeared, sucking up the filth and sending it in a different direction. He then gazed at the two brothers, whose entire bodies were covered in sh*t and smiled.

“So, sons of the Rhanes Clan, are you going to scram, or do you want to get buried a second time?” William asked as he showed them the chamberpot in his hand. “There’s more where that came from, you know?”

Walric glared at William, while Orryn’s body shuddered uncontrollably.

As a proud member of the Rhanes Clan, he had never been humiliated like this. However, for some reason, Orryn had developed some kind of fear toward the smiling black-haired teenager, who was holding the cursed chamber port in his hand.

Walric, on the other hand, was raging in anger. As the oldest son of one of the three Major Clans that ruled the desert, he would not allow anyone to treat him in this manner.

“You’re dead!” Walric shouted as he raised the token of the patriarch of the Rhanes Clan in his hand. “Come forth and kill this ignorant fool in front of me. Tear him to pieces, Fortaare Death Worm!”

Chapter 1019: Desert Battle [Part 2]

Chapter 1019 – Desert Battle [Part 2]

A thousand-meter-long giant desert worm materialized behind Walric, whose anger had reached its peak.

The Fortaare Death Worm couldn’t see, but it was able to use its powerful sense of hearing, as well as its uncanny ability to detect every living creature in its environment.

Anyone who held the token of the Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan, would be able to order it around, and since Walric had designated William as its target, the Death Worm opened its gigantic mouth to utter a deafening shriek towards the Half-Elf.

“This reminds me of my battle with Apophis,” William muttered as he rubbed his chin. “Peak Myriad Beast. Not bad.”

Walric and Orryn expected that William would panic and beg for forgiveness after seeing their clan’s powerful summon. However, William was unfazed. In fact, he even looked amused as he looked at the Desert Worm, whose entire body could easily crush the city that belonged to the Sand Clan.

—–

< Fortaare Death Worm >

– Devourer Beast of the Desert

– Threat Level: Myriad (High)

– Peak Myriad Beast

– Cannot be added to the Herd

– The Fortaare Death Worm is the largest and most powerful monster in the Fortaare Desert. According to legend, It is said that this monstrous beast, who moves in the desert like a fish in water, is as old as the very desert itself.

– Do not be fooled by its massive size, because it can move very fast in the sand. It is the Apex predator of the desert, and no other beast within the desert is able to challenge its sovereignty. Even flying wyverns are no match for this creature, and are treated as its snacks. Dragons, on the other hand, steer clear of its territory in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

– It is highly resistant to physical, and magical attacks, which makes fighting against it a hurdle even for Myriad Beasts of the same rank.

– When angered, this monster can cause earthquakes, destroying entire cities in a span of a minute.

—–

“Not bad,” William muttered as he continued to rub his chin. “I still have one pocket cube with me. This beast will suit me nicely.”

The Half-Elf turned into a lightning bolt and headed towards the giant monster with a wide grin on his face. Although the Death Worm was a peak Myriad Beast, he had nothing to fear, because his Vampire Progenitor Prestige Class was of the same rank.

Cassey watched William with her arms crossed over her chest. She had seen how William fought in the past, but she wasn’t able to truly gauge how strong he was.

‘This is a good opportunity to see what you are made of,’ Cassey thought as a smile appeared on her pretty face. ‘The Death Worm is not an easy opponent. I wonder what tricks you will pull from your sleeve?’

Zeph, the Patriarch of the Sand Clan, had a frown on his face as he looked at the Death Worm in the distance.

‘This could be a problem,” Zeph thought as held his own token in his hand. He was no longer laughing, and his expression was grim.

The Giant Desert Worm was how the Rhanes Clan had become one of the three overlords of the desert. If the current Patriarch wasn’t a pacifist, he would have already united the desert Clans under the banner of his family.

This was why Walric wanted to become the Patriarch of his Clan so badly. He knew that once he had unleashed this monster from its long rest, he would become the one true master of the desert.

Suddenly, a resounding clap echoed in the desert as Wiliam’s fist connected with the scaled head of the Death Worm which made the Half-Elf wince.

‘This is harder than I thought,’ William thought as he followed up with a kick that sent the head of the Death Worm swaying to its right side.

William didn’t hold back in his attack, but the Death Worm was a pure physical beast. Its defenses, as well as its physical prowess, were at the peak of the Myriad Realm. The Vampire Progenitor was a balanced type that was good in both physical and magical attacks.

However, because of the Giant Worm’s near immunity to magic, and strong defenses that could withstand his physical attacks, the Half-Elf knew that he had to be resourceful if he wanted to beat his opponent.

‘Optimus, can you modify THAT thing?’ William asked.

< I can, but it won’t be enough to make your plan work. You need to weaken it a lot first. >

‘I know, just modify it for now. I will think of a way to deal with this thing.’

< Understood. >

William swapped his Job Class to his prestige class, Champion of the Sun, which was the second form of the Sun Knight Job Class. Although this Job Class was weaker than the Vampire Progenitor, William was confident that he would be able to use its ability to the fullest, given his current circumstances.

Stepping on Soleil’s body, William zigzagged across the desert to avoid the Death Worm’s furious attacks. He was luring it away from the city in order to prevent Kira’s Clan from getting entangled with the battle he was about to wage against the most powerful creature of the desert.

The jewel on his chest glowed brightly, and several tablets came flying out of it. They then encircled William’s body as he continued to dodge the attacks of the giant monster, who had resorted to spitting some kind of acid, because it was unable to land a decisive blow on the slippery Half-Elf, who was using Soleil as a surfboard in the air.

“When the heavens above did not exist,

And earth beneath had not come into being —

There was Apsu, the first in order, their begetter,

And demiurge Tiamat, who gave birth to them all.”

William chanted and the tablets around him started to shine brightly.

“Mother of Creation, ruler of every creature in the world, I call upon your mercy,” William said with determination. “Come to my aid, so my enemies will get a taste of your overwhelming might. Support me with your heavenly blessing, and grant me your sacred favor.”

The tablets flew towards the sky to create a seven-pointed star that encompassed the clear blue sky of the desert with its radiance.

“Let the world tremble at your greatness!” William roared as he raised his hand towards the heavens, while looking down on the Giant Death Worm on the ground.

“Enuma Elish!”

An overpowering presence descended upon the battlefield, as a creature of Myths and Legends made its appearance.

A gigantic beautiful lady with two, long, curved horns on her head, emerged from the magic circle that appeared in the sky. Her figure was quite seductive, with eight pairs of wings on her back. The lower half of her body ended in a serpent’s body, and its length was at least two kilometers long.

She was more than twice the size of the Giant Death Worm whose aggressiveness suddenly disappeared when she made her appearance.

Tiamat, the Primordial Goddess of Chaos, opened her mouth and screeched, which made the Giant Death Worm cease all hostilities.

Although the Goddess in front of him wasn’t the true Tia-mat, her will had been embedded among the seven tablets of creation, allowing William to summon her avatar for a short period of time.

The Primordial Goddess stared down at the Great Death Worm whose body had started to shudder. It didn’t need eyes to see because its bestial instincts recognized Tiamat as someone that it couldn’t defeat no matter what.

Tiamat made a humming sound, and the Giant Worm bowed its head in submission. It had surrendered completely to the being in front of it, and didn’t dare resist whatever the Primordial Goddess planned for it.

< Modification is complete. You can now use it, Will. >

‘Thank you, Optimus,’ William replied with a smile as he took out the modified pocket cube from his storage ring.

The Half-Elf then tossed it towards the Death Worm whose body shuddered from time to time. When the pocket cube hit its body, the giant monster was sucked up inside the cube, which also grew to the size of a small house.

When the entirety of the Death Worm had been captured, the pocket cube glowed faintly as if waiting for the beast to resist the overwriting of the contract that had been placed on it by the Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan.

The pocket cube had the ability to terminate contracts. However, it would take time for it to do that. The Great Death Worm was a Myriad Beast, and not a Centennial Beast, so it wasn’t supposed to be captured by the pocket cube.

However, since Tiamat was there and made the Giant Worm submit, it didn’t resist the process of the contract being overwritten, which would have easily destroyed the pocket cube if it had tried.

After twenty grueling seconds, the pocket cube shrank and flew towards William.

The Half-Elf held the cube firmly in his hand as he turned around to bow deeply towards the Primordial Goddess, Tiamat.

The beautiful lady snorted before turning into particles of light. Just like its owner, the will that resided within the tablets still retained the Primordial Goddess’ personality, even after her death.

The seven tablets once again flew towards the gem on William’s chest in order to recharge their Divinity. The Half-Elf couldn’t help but be grateful for his luck at that time, when he saw the black box in the Treasure Vault of the Vanquished Warlord.

‘If I hadn’t taken it back then, I might not have defeated Apophis,’ William thought in hindsight.

According to Optimus, there were seven wills embedded in each tablet. This also meant that William would be able to summon seven different kinds of Gods, to come to his aid at the right moment.

“Let’s see how fast the two of you can run, sons of the Rhanes Clan,” William said with a devilish smile on his face. “It’s time for payback.”

Chapter 1020: The New Overlord Of The Desert

Chapter 1020 – The New Overlord Of The Desert

Due to Tiamat’s appearance, a powerful pressure descended on the desert, which made everyone within five miles away from her suffer from an effect that was similar to Dragon’s Fear.

Cassey, and Zeph, who were observing the battle from afar, felt that if they continued prying, their eyes would be gouged out of their sockets. Because of this, they immediately lowered their heads, and refrained from looking at the battlefield.

Only when the overwhelming pressure disappeared were the two of them able to muster their courage enough to raise their heads and look at the result of the battle, which they were unable to see until the very end.

However, what they saw made them think that there was something wrong with their eyes.

William stood on top of the Giant Death Worm’s head with his hands behind his back, and his robes fluttering in the wind. It was a very surreal sight, which made Cassy and Zeph doubt their eyes for a second.

However, what they were seeing was the reality, so they had no choice but to accept it, no matter how unbelievable it was.

A minute later, the Giant Worm arrived at the city gates, with a smug-faced Half-Elf riding on its back.

“I have returned,” William declared as he looked down on the two brothers who were still covered in filth from head to toe. “So, tell me, how do you want this worm to eat the two of you?”

Orryn, who was the weaker-willed between the two brothers collapsed on the ground as he looked up at William who was smiling at them like a devil. He was so scared that he wasn’t able to control his bodily functions, and peed himself on the spot.

Walric, on the other hand, looked up at William with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He never expected that their clan’s most powerful protector was now at the beck and call of the black-haired teenager whom he had met for the very first time today.

“Y-You, just who are you?!” Walric stuttered in anger as he glared hatefully at William. “Return our family’s protector! Return it to me!”

William took out the fan that he had stolen from Orryn, before covering him in filth, and fanned his face like an aristocraft.

“It seems that you still don’t understand your current situation,” William said with a sneer. “Right now, this beast belongs to me. Originally, I did not wish to interfere in the affairs of the desert Clans, but since you sent this monster after me, I am more than happy to accept your gift!”

The Giant Desert Worm screeched blowing, the two brothers off the ground and sending them crashing towards the city gates, where they slid down like puppets whose strings had been cut.

William then glared at the guards manning the gate as he pointed his fan in their direction.

“Your Young Master, Kira, has arrived home,” William stated. “Are you going to open the gates, or must I open them for you?”

The Giant Death Worm moved its enormous head near the gate, which made the city guards jump back in fright.

“What are you fools doing?! Open the gate and let His Excellency in!”

The Guard Captain hurriedly ordered his men to open the gates, lest they annoy the black-haired teenager, who was now in control with the Lord of the Fortaare Desert. Right now, no one in their right mind would disobey William.

Having the Fortaare Death Worm as his subordinate was akin to owning the entire desert. No one, not even the three Major Clans would dare to close their doors on him.

“Ah, before I forget, take these two pieces of trash away and send them back to where they came from. Also, send a messenger to the Rhanes Family. Tell them that the new Boss of the Desert will give them a visit in a few days. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-Yes!” The Guard Captain bowed respectfully as he ordered his men to carry the two unconscious troublemakers away.

William smiled as he turned around to give Kira a brief nod.

“Little Bro, let’s go,” William said. “I am looking forward to your Clan’s hospitality.”

“O-Okay,” Kira stuttered but managed to catch himself just in time. “I will give you the grandest welcome! Food, wine, and women! I will prepare them all for you!”

Charmaine, who happened to be standing beside Kira, stomped her foot on his, which made the young Demon cry out in pain.

“My Master is already married,” Charmain stated in a voice that carried a trace of killing intent. “If you value your life, make sure that you remove the women from your plan, got it?”

“Y-Yes! I’m sorry.”

“Hmp!”

Charmaine took a step back and lowered her head. She didn’t dare to look Wiliam in the eyes because her cheeks were currently burning in shame.

William didn’t notice the blush that was creeping on his personal maid’s face. He was still in a very good mood because he now had a peak Myriad Beast under his control. Truth be told, Optimus and he had also arrived at the same guess that the Fortaare Death Worm was the strongest Beast under the Demigod Rank in Hestia.

There could be no other beast stronger, or more ferocious than it. Even Dragons wouldn’t stand a chance against it even if they worked together. This was why William didn’t bat an eye when he decided to capture it for his own.

With the addition of this mighty beast in his King’s Legion, William now had the entire Fortaare Desert in the palms of his hands.

Although this wasn’t his original intention, the reach of the Gremory Clan was starting to get on his nerves. As the family that was behind his adorable wife’s suffering, how could he possibly let them do as they pleased?

This was why William thought of a plan to bring the entire desert region under his command. That way, even if the Gremory Clan decided to stick their hands in their affairs, the Patriarchs of the three Major Clans, as well as their Vassals, would not listen to their commands.

After all, the Gremory Clan’s main base was in the North, and they were in the South East. With such a great distance between them, they would be hard-pressed to ignore William’s presence, even if they lowered their heads and closed their eyes.

Due to Walric’s and Orryn’s high-handed methods, the prestige of the Rhanes Clan, that had been kept for nearly a thousand years, had finally come to an end.

Chapter 1021: Will Of The Desert People [Part 1]

Chapter 1021 – Will Of The Desert People [Part 1]

“Welcome to our humble residence, Lord Raymond.” Kira’s grandfather, and the Patriarch of the Sand Clan, bowed his head respectfully. “I have heard many good things about you.”

“Really? What have you heard of me?” William asked back out of curiosity.

They were currently inside the guest hall of the Sand Clan, and several servants were busy placing dishes on the table for their VIP Guests.

“Although we are people in the desert, I have many friends all over the Demon Continent,” Zeph replied. “One of them is Polox, who has become your vassal. We talked at great length how you suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and saved their Clan from being annexed by the Greenskin Clan.

“Truth be told, I am very impressed by how valiant you were for choosing to take the Minor Clans under your wing, and protect them from the slave-like treatment that they were enduring from their former Lords and Masters.”

“Hahaha. I just did the right thing,” William replied as he flipped his hair, “but feel free to praise me more. I like getting flattered.”

“Your battle against the Rajah Clan has also earned you quite a bit of renown around these parts.” Zeph was more than happy to stroke William’s ego in order to form a good relationship with him. ” At first, I thought that you were just some random newcomer, who was trying to make himself known, but after hearing of your achievements, I realized that you are indeed very formidable.

“Even the most formidable Myriad Beast in this territory is now your contracted monster, a feat that even the Demon Lord wouldn’t be able to accomplish. You are truly an exception among exceptions, Lord Raymond.”

William smiled in satisfaction after hearing Zeph’s flattery. Although the name being praised was his father-in-law’s, he didn’t think much of it. After all, right now, he was Raymond Parker. The new Overlord of the Fortaare Desert.

“That gaze of yours Lord Raymond is like the sun shining upon the world with its radiance.

“Your presence is quite calming. Just sitting beside you makes me feel as if I have reached enlightenment.

“If only my grandson had half of your looks, I might already have several great grandchildren. Such a useless fellow.”

The corner of Kira’s lips twitched as he listened to his grandpa’s flattering words towards William. Right now, Kira was more handsome than William when it came to the aesthetics department because the Half-Elf was using his previous appearance from when he lived back on Earth.

Even so, Zeph still said that if he only had half of William’s looks, he would be surrounded by ladies. Kira didn’t know if he should laugh or cry about his grandpa’s antics, so he decided to consult his father who was beside him.

“Dad, is Grandpa unwell?” Kira whispered to his father, Favian. “The old man is really going above and beyond in his flattery. He is putting our family name to shame.”

Favian sighed as he poured some wine into his son’s cup, before raising his own cup to give him a toast.

“Flattery is a skill that not many can accomplish,” Favian said in a volume that only Kira could hear. “You’re still young and do not understand the hidden meaning behind his words. The moment your friend entered the residence, a subtle battle of negotiation had already begun between him and your grandfather.”

“Really?”

“Yes. how do you think we were able to keep our neutrality till now? That’s because the old man is willing to bend his back to make sure that our VIP guests feel good about themselves. That is how he’s kept our clan safe all these years.”

Favian drank from his cup before adding a few more words that made Kira realize how much his grandpa had sacrificed over the years.

“You have no idea how much he is ridiculed behind closed doors because of his attitude,” Favian sighed for the second time. “But, even so, the fact still remains that we are able to enjoy our current standing because of his efforts. Remember this well, Kira, not all battles are fought with weapons.”

Kira nodded his head in understanding. He then glanced at his grandpa, who was still praising Wiliam’s good points. For a brief moment, he felt that even if Zeph spent an entire day praising the black-haired teenager, the old man wouldn’t break a sweat at all.

William placed his wine cup on the table as he smiled at the old man beside him. He was sure that if his Grandpa James and Zeph met, the two of them would hit it off right away and become best buds.

“I want to ask a serious question to you, Lord Zeph,” William said with a calm expression on his face. “If I unified the Clans in the desert, will I receive stiff resistance?”

“Are you planning to have all the Clans migrate, like what you did with the One-horned Clan and the others?” Zeph asked back. “If the answer is yes, I’m afraid that many will not take this in a good way, Lord Raymond.”

William shook his head. “I don’t have any intention of having the Desert Clans migrate. I know that all of you are rooted in this territory, and have long accepted your way of life. The desert is an unforgiving place.

“Those who wish to leave will leave, and those who want to stay will stay. Since the Clans decided to stay, this means that they are already satisfied with their current way of life. I have no intention of changing their culture. All I want is their loyalty.”

Zeph played his beard as he digested the black-haired teenager’s words.

“First, tell me why you wish to put all the Clans that live in the desert under your banner,” Zeph stated. “Do you wish to create a civil war against the reigning Demon Lord?”

“Civil war? Not really,” William answered. “I don’t need the Demon Clans to fight my wars for me. What I want from you guys is to stay out of the hands of the Gremory Clan, as well as those of their allies.”

“Ah… so, it’s about that. I understand,” Zeph crossed his arms over his chest as he pondered. “The Gremory Clan has indeed been quite active as of late to spread their influence beyond their borders. Since the Demon Lord is backing them, not many Clans have dared to resist the olive leaf that they were giving away. Only the Major Clans had the power to put a stop to their growing greed for dominion.

“I’m sure if you used the Fortaare Death Worm as a deterrent, the Clans will begrudgingly lower their heads in submission, but if a stronger faction appears, these clans will immediately jump ships to save their lives.”

William arched an eyebrow. “Including you?”

“Yes,” Zeph answered in a heartbeat. “Including us.”

The Half-Elf nodded his head in understanding. He couldn’t stay long in the Fortaare Desert because he still had to go to the North. Just like Zeph said, once he left the desert, the other Clans would change their allegiance if someone powerful were to appear in William’s absence.

This was how they had preserved their culture all these years, and nothing would change that for as long as the Demons lived in the desert.

“What do you propose I do in order to keep the other Clans from aligning themselves with the Gremory Clan?” William asked.

His battle with the Demon Lord was inevitable because this was something that he had decided to do after watching how Chiffon had suffered while they were in the Tower of Babylon.

The Demon Lord was like the head of the spider, and William wanted to cut off his legs in order to weaken his forces. For this to happen, he would need to keep the other Clans from supporting the Gremory Clan, which was the Demon Lord’s backer.

As long as he was able to do that, the title of Demon Lord would be stripped from Lucien, and another one would take his place. Such was life in the Demon Realm.

Only the strong were able to sit on the throne that lorded over all the Demon Clans, and turn them into a sword blade that could unite all of them under one banner.

A blade that was pointed at the Central Continent, where the majority of the people lived in peace and harmony.

Chapter 1022: Will Of The Desert People [Part 2]

Chapter 1022 – Will Of The Desert People [Part 2]

“Actually, the age-old way of making your neighbors your allies, is through marriage alliances,” Zeph answered. “If the use of force is left out in the equation, this is the most ideal method to use. So, how about it, Lord Raymond?”

William shook his head firmly. “No. Marriage is not an option. I don’t take relationships lightly. Do you have any other suggestions, Lord Zeph?”

Zeph pondered for a bit before voicing his thoughts.

“It is best to gather all the Patriarchs, and their heirs, in a conference,” Zeph suggested. “It would be better if Lord Raymond were to visit all of them, while riding on the Fortaare Death Worm. Once all the Patriarchs and their heirs have gathered, you are going to declare yourself the Head of the Alliance that would set corresponding rules that the people of the desert would follow.

“Although you are in a position of power, you do not resort to seizing their lands, or stripping their families of power. If you do this, they will be more than willing to listen to your conditions, as long as they retain their positions. This is the most ideal approach that I can think of.”

William smiled because he didn’t expect that Zeph would give him this kind of suggestion. “It’s that simple?”

Zeph nodded his head. “Majority of the Desert Clans don’t want conflicts with each other. Most of the time, there is an internal struggle for the seat of the next Patriarch, but that’s it. We have an unwritten rule here.

“The Major Clans can only deal with their vassals. If they wish to attack the Clans outside their domain, the other Clans will gang up on them and bury the offenders’ dead bodies in the desert sands. Lord Raymond, this is ‘The Will of the Desert’.”

“Now, what you need to do is revise that ‘Will’, and make it so that no outside interference is allowed. Of course, if you are proficient in making binding contracts, this issue will be wrapped up in a very straightforward manner.”

“Understood,” William nodded his head. “I guess I’ll be leaving your residence for a bit, Lord Zeph. Let’s continue our talk after I’ve visited the Major Clans. Will it be fine to hold the conference here in your city?”

“Of course,” Zeph answered. “It would be our honor to host this historical moment. Please, allow the Sand Clan to handle everything. We will not disappoint you.”

Zeph then turned at Kira who was happily chatting with his father and called out to him.

“Kira, accompany Lord Raymond to visit the Major Clans,” Zeph ordered. “Make sure that all three of them are notified. If you don’t do this properly, I swear that I will make you marry a Desert Iguana upon your return.”

William had to stop himself from chuckling after seeing Kira’s face, which resembled someone who had just eaten a fly.

Cassey watched this from the side and stood up from her chair. She was quite curious about the geopolitical state of the desert, so she planned to accompany William on his visit to the three Major Clans that ruled over the barren sands.

—–

“Brother, what are we going to do?” Orryn asked. “If we return to the residence, father will have us flogged to death for losing our family’s protector beast.”

“Regardless, we must return as soon as possible,” Walric said through gritted teeth. “I’d rather received the family’s punishment, than let our family be caught by surprise by that bastard!”

After washing themselves clean of filth, they immediately left the Sand Clan’s City in order to return to the Stronghold of the Rhanes Clan. They needed to tell their father what had happened, so they would be able to create some contingency measures for how to handle the black-haired teenager whom they offended.

They were currently riding two Desert Wyverns to hasten their return back to their Domain. Both of them had taken the exclusive teleport gate that was reserved for their family, within the City of Altan, to shorten their journey.

However, it would still take them another hour to reach their family’s residence.

Suddenly, they heard a powerful roar coming from behind them. Both brothers turned their heads to look behind them, and immediately froze when they saw where the roar had come from.

“Dammit! He’s already here!” Orryn shouted in anger and frustration. “What do we do, Brother?!”

Walric was at a loss for words. Although he had anticipated that the black-haired teenager would visit their Clan’s residence, he thought that he would do so the next day.

He could only watch helplessly as the Great Death Worm closed the gap between them in the span of a few seconds.

Contrary to its gigantic size, the Fortaare Death Worm moved very fast, especially in the desert. It was like a sailfish in the open seas, as it glided on the sand, headed towards the residence of the Rhanes Clan.

Half a minute later, it had already passed the two brothers who were desperately urging their Wyverns to fly faster. However, neither of their mounts dared to get near the monstrous beast because it was one of their natural predators in the desert.

“Bye bye,” William said as he casually waved at the two brothers with a smug expression on his face.

Walric and Orryn glared at him hatefully. This was the only thing they could do as the Giant Death Worm widened the gap between them. They had no choice but to eat the dust that was being sprayed at them from behind the monstrous beast.

“Brother, what should we do?” Orryn asked worriedly. “We can’t catch up to them no matter what we do.”

Walric’s expression remained the same as he stared at their protector beast, whose image was slowly getting smaller. Looking at it from behind, he felt like his hope to become the next Patriarch was also getting farther and farther away.

He regretted the fact that he had used such a high-handed method to show the power of their family through forceful means.

Even so, he still decided to return to their Clan’s residence. He believed that as long as the delegations of the Gremory Clan, who were currently resting in their residence, said the word, then this nightmare that he had woken up to would disappear completely.

Chapter 1023: Times like this, I Wish You Were Here, Grandpa

Chapter 1023 – Times like this, I Wish You Were Here, Grandpa

“Is what you say true, Old Man Zeph?” a sickly old man asked as he leaned on his chair. “My sons did that?”

Zeph sighed before nodding his head. “It is true, My Lord. Young Master Walri and Young Master Orry offended someone that they shouldn’t offend no matter what.”

Kira’s grandfather had a serious expression on his face as he gazed at his Liege, whom he had sworn loyalty to for the past few decades.

As soon as William left the City of Altan, Zeph immediately contacted his Lord through a communication crystal to tell him of William’s impending arrival, as well as what had happened in his territory.

“My Lord, I’m afraid that the balance of power in the desert has tilted,” Zeph said with a sigh. “The best we can do is support Lord Raymond, and ensure that the two other Major Clans will not use this opportunity to divide the Fortaare Desert between the two of them.”

Lorcan Di Rhanes, the patriarch of the Rhanes Clan, sighed as he closed his eyes. All these years, he did his best to keep the status quo among the three Major Clans, by using the Fortaare Death Worm as a deterence.

Now that it was no longer under his control, the two clans would certainly use this golden opportunity to shake the delicate balance that he had maintained all these years.

“I’ve grown old, my friend,” Lorcan replied. “If I hadn’t fallen ill, the Gremory Clan might not have been able to entice my grandsons to join their ambitious plan to reign in the other Clans in the continent.”

“My Lord, while it is presumptuous of me to say these words, I am afraid that the Demon Lord is preparing for war,” Zeph said with a serious expression on his face. “For this to happen, he needs to get the approval of the Major Clans. Ever since we lost the previous wars, our race has licked the wounds of failure, and decided to just remain in our respective territories.

“Our numbers have also decreased, and continue to decrease due to the infighting. Only the Gremory Clan had retained their strength because they have kidnapped talented individuals from the other continents, and used them as stud and breeding horses, to keep their bloodline strong and their population in check.”

Lorcan opened his eyes as he gazed at the old man that had refused to become his right-hand man on the surface, but agreed to become his trusted agent in the shadows. In the past, both of them just wanted a place to call their own home.

Because of this, they had endured the hardship of living in the desert because very few Clans would dare to live in such a harsh environment.

If he wanted to become its Supreme Overlord, he would have done it long ago, but he didn’t. Doing so would only make him a nail that stuck out too much, and the Gremory Clan would stop at nothing to make them bow their heads in submission.

“I think this is Fate as well,” Lorcan commented. “Tell me, Old Friend, Is this person’s name really Raymond?”

Zeph shook his head. “My Lord, this person, who will soon come knocking on your door, is a very special individual. If we play our cards right, we may be able to benefit from this misfortune.”

“Who is he, Old Friend? Why do you think so highly of him?” Lorcan inquired.

Zeph smiled bitterly as he faced his Lord and told him the truth.

“He is none other than the son of the mortal enemy of the Demon Lord,” Zeph answered.

Lorcan’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at his sworn brother in disbelief.

“You mean he is that man’s son? Old Friend, please, don’t tease this frail old man.”

“How can I possibly do that, My Lord? Even now, this young man is riding on top of the strongest Myriad Beast in the desert and headed to your residence. The Dungeon Conqueror’s and the Saint of the Worldtree’s one and only son.

“The one who conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon, as well as one of the candidates for becoming the Prince of Darkness. He is none other than… William Von Ainsworth.”

—–

“So, this is the city of the Rhanes Clan.” William arched an eyebrow when he saw the gates wide open and several men, wearing the Rhanes Clan clothing, lining up along the sides of the gate, as if they were waiting for his arrival.

The banner of the Rhanes Clan fluttered high on the walls of the ramparts, as all the officials, as well as the Walric’s and Orryn’s two remaining brothers, stood just within the gate with their heads bowed in respect.

“Welcome Lord Raymond to the Rhanes Clan,” a young man who seemed to be in his late teens greeted. “My name is Hector Di Rhanes, and the Patriarch has asked me to welcome you to our humble city.”

Cassey who was standing beside William giggled. “It seems that they were waiting for your arrival. The Patriarch of the Rhanes Clan is truly formidable.”

Kira gulped as he nodded his head in agreement. He thought that the scene he would see when they arrived was the entire city panicking, but looking at the current situation, it seemed that everyone had been briefed of their arrival.

“Yes. Truly a formidable man,” William commented with a smile. ‘For him to be able to gain the loyalty of Zeph already proved that he has at least some backbone. It seems that I am about to meet someone very formidable.’

William understood that he was the dragon that was riling up the local snakes. However, the fact still remained that this was their Domain. He was just a passerby, who decided to play politics on a whim.

Compared to the old foxes who had spent their entire lives in politics, he knew that his abilities were not on par.

‘Times like this, I wish you were here, Grandpa,’ William thought. ‘I wonder what he is doing right now?’

Deep within the void…

James chewed on a gummy bear as he traveled the vastness of the void. He had parted ways with his great granddaughters a few days ago, and resumed his journey.

As he was passing through one of the countless pathways of different worlds, he saw a hundred giants marching together along a path that was several layers below his own.

James frowned as he hid his presence. He waited until all of the giants had passed before removing his camouflage.

“Just where are these giants headed next?” James muttered. “Also, that robed man standing on the shoulder of that giant… he is at the Pseudo-God level. I have a bad feeling about this.”

James pondered for a bit before making his decision.

“Sleipnir, follow them, but make sure we are outside of their detection range,” James ordered.

Sleipnir nodded its head as it descended towards the lower layers in order to stalk the giants from a distance. James had always been blessed with unnatural instincts, and his gut instinct was telling him that the giants he had seen passing just a moment ago might be headed to a place that was very dear to him.

Chapter 1024: William’s Unexpected Proposal

Chapter 1024 – William’s Unexpected Proposal

“Are we on the Demon Continent?” Princess Aila asked as she stared at the vast expanse of land that looked no different from the Southern Continent, where she had grown up.

“Yes,” Shannon replied. “I can’t be wrong. I drew this very place not long ago.”

The place where they were currently standing was the location where the One-Horned Tribe and the Greenskin Clan almost fought due to the latter’s declaration of war.

“Hmm… we are indeed in the Demon Continent,” Elliot said as he gazed towards the North. “I can sense William’s whereabouts in that direction. However, the distance between here and there is great.”

“We forgot to bring a carriage,” Conan commented from the side. “We can’t possibly let Aila and Shannon travel by foot, right?”

Shannon smiled as she summoned her paintbrush. “There’s no need to worry. I have us covered.”

The young lady with silver hair and fox ears, started to draw something in the air. A minute later, an image of a carriage appeared, and it was being pulled by a Gryphon with its wings spread wide.

“Veni ad vitam!” Shannon made a final brushstroke and the image she had painted came to life.

An ink-like carriage, and Gryphon, appeared in front of everyone. Elliot couldn’t stop himself from whistling because he didn’t expect Shannon to have this kind of ability.

“Everyone get in,” Shannon said as she opened the carriage door. “Let’s try to catch up to Sir William soon.”

Princess Aila nodded her head as she boarded the carriage. Conan, Elliot, and Chloee followed after her. Shannon was the last to board, and the carriage started to move as soon as all of them had taken their seats.

The Gryphon flapped its wings as it ran across the ground in order to gain momentum. Soon it started to rise, carrying the carriage behind it.

“Aila, it will be best if you wear a robe at all times to cover your face,” Shannon said as she glanced at the angelic beauty in front of her. “You possess strong life magic, and are also very beautiful. If the Demons see you, they won’t think twice about capturing you and making you their plaything. Be very careful.”

Princess Aila nodded. “Thank you for the advice. I will do my best to not stand out.”

Conan crossed his arms over his chest, and simply sat on Princess Aila’s shoulder. He would do his best to ensure that the Princess would get the opportunity to meet William, and tell him about the dreams she was having.

Deep inside, Conan understood that Princess Aila already had feelings for William. She was just not bold enough to take that final step to make her feelings known.

Elliot sat on the ink-like couch in a carefree manner. Chloee had done the same. But, unlike the angelic familiar who had a relaxed expression on his face, she busied herself with eating a chocolate bar.

Shannon watched this group with a sweet smile behind the mask that she wore. These were her benefactors, and she would do her best to ensure that they were safe during their journey. She just hoped that they would be able to catch up to William as soon as possible.

She no longer wanted to be a spectator who drew his adventures from a distance. Shannon wanted to become part of that scenery, and experience what it was like, to live in a world that she had only seen through the eyes of others.

“I apologize for not being able to stand and show you my respects, Lord Raymond,” Lorcan, the patriarch of the Rhanes Clan said apologetically.

“It’s fine,” William replied as he gave Lorcan a brief nod. “There’s no need for formalities. I already knew of your circumstance before I came here.”

Hector, and his young brother, Horace, sat beside their grandfather with their heads lowered. Although they had been warned beforehand, they still felt vexed when they saw their Protector Beast being commanded by others.

Because of this, they didn’t dare to raise their heads and look at the black-haired teenager in front of them for a very long time. Both of them were afraid that they might not be able to control their emotions, and get in the way of the discussion between their guest and their grandfather.

“May I know your purpose for coming, Lord Raymond?” Lorcan asked.

“Hasn’t Zeph told you everything already?” William asked back.

Lorcan smiled, but still made a gesture for William to speak his purpose for coming.

“Although I have already been informed, the others have not been,” Lorcan replied. “It would be best to let my sons, grandsons, as well as my aides, hear what you have to say personally.”

Lorcan didn’t even try to deny William’s allegations because playing dumb in this critical moments would just invite unneeded trouble. As someone that had kept the balance of power in the desert for decades, he knew that what he should prioritize right now was gaining William’s trust.

Only by gaining his trust, would they be able to reach a result without the need for shedding blood.

William nodded his head in understanding. Just as he was about to say his purpose for coming, two men burst into the hall with determined expressions on their faces.

“Grandfather, please, punish me for my stupidity,” Walric lowered his head and knelt on the ground. “I have done a great sin to you and our family. I will take full responsibility for my actions.”

“Grandfather, punish me as well! We have committed a grave mistake!” Orryn kneeled as well. But, unlike his brother, he didn’t lower his head and met his grandfather’s gaze. After that, he pointed his finger at William, who didn’t even bother to turn his head to look at the two newcomers.

“Grandfather, I ask that you punish this person as well!” Orryn shouted. “Not only did he not show respect to our Clan, he even dared to oppose us openly. Someone like him should not be shown any mercy!”

Right after he finished his words, he felt a hand on the back of his head. Not long after, Walric pushed his brother’s head down, until it was only a few inches away from the ground.

“Shut up!” Walric said with a serious expression on his face. “This is the Great Hall of our Ancestors. Do not further disgrace our family’s name!”

“But, Brother!”

“I said, shut up!”

Orryn felt wronged as his forehead was forcefully pressed against the ground by the brother that he trusted and loved the most. However, he no longer uttered a word and simply gritted his teeth in frustration.

Lorcan stared at his two grandsons and sighed. He then looked at William apologetically, and the latter simply shrugged to let the old man know that it wasn’t a big deal to him.

“Lord Raymond, I apologize for the sudden disturbance,” Lorcan said. “Please, let us know your reason for coming to our Domain.”

William rubbed his chin for a brief moment before asking Lorcan the question that he had thought on the spot. This was not his original purpose for coming, but for some reason, he felt that he was in the mood to ask this question.

“Tell me, Lord Lorcan, what do I need to do in order to become the Demon Lord of this realm?”

Gasps of shock speared throughout the hall as William finished asking his question. Even Cassey and Kira, who was seated by his side, looked back at the black-haired teenager as if he was someone crazy.

William, on the other hand, remained calm as he stared at Lorcan who was looking back at him in disbelief.

Although he only thought of it on a whim, he realized that this was the most effective method to make the Gremory Clan, as well as the current Demon Lord, Luciel, suffer a setback that they didn’t see coming.

Chapter 1025: How Can I Become The Demon Lord?

Chapter 1025 – How Can I Become The Demon Lord?

After that brief moment of surprise, a pin-drop silence descended into the entire hall.

No one dared to speak.

No one dared to shift their attention away from William.

For they knew that anyone who dared to entertain the black-haired teenager’s words was akin to treason.

Two minutes passed before the rustling of robes broke the tense silence inside the room. Lorcan, who had been seated in the seat of honor, stood up, and walked towards William. He had a pale expression on his face, and yet his steps were steady and firm.

When he was only half a meter away from William, he lowered his head until his face was mere inches away from the black-haired teenager.

“You wish… to become the Demon Lord?” Lorcan asked.

“I am considering it,” William replied. “Well, is it possible?”

Lorcan stared long and hard at William before walking back towards his seat. A long sigh escaped his lips the moment he had sat back down.

With just a glance, one could tell that he seemed to have grown several years older, as if William’s words had caused this sudden change in his physical, emotional, and mental state of mind.

“If you are asking if it is possible for you to become the Demon Lord then the answer is yes,” Lorcan replied. “However, this is easier said than done. In order to become the Demon Lord, you need to have the support of seventy, out of the one hundred major clans. Then and only then would you be able to challenge the current Demon Lord in a duel. If you win then you will take his place and sit upon the throne as the strongest amongst us.”

William crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed at Lorcan with a smile.

“Sounds like a tedious thing to do,” William commented. “Perhaps after I complete my purpose for coming here, I’ll consider this massive undertaking. But, tell me, Lord Lorcan, what is the fastest way to make the other Major Clans support my cause?”

‘Well, the first thing you need to do is to hide your true identity from the rest of us,’ Lorcan replied to Wiliam via telepathy. ‘Do you really think that the Major Clans would agree to support the son of the man that made all of us return to this continent in defeat? You’ve got guts boy.’

William chuckled. “How did Old Zeph know?”

He couldn’t talk back to Lorcan using telepathy, so he decided to just ask in a casual manner.

‘He has a lot of connections, and has forged friendships with many people… including the Demigod that guards the South,’ Lorcan replied. ‘Joash and him go way back, and both have a mutual understanding of each other.’

“I see. So, that is how he knew,” William muttered. He had placed Kira under a powerful contract, so he was sure that his “Bro” hadn’t betrayed him. The only other explanation was Kira’s grandfather, Zeph, who had flattered William non-stop with his spittle flying in every direction.

‘Do not mention this matter again in a casual manner,’ Lorcan stated. ‘The eyes and ears of the Demon Lord are everywhere. I’m sure that the moment everyone leaves this room, the news will travel to the delegates that are currently staying in this residence.’

“I see.” William nodded. “Well that’s fine, too. I have no time to look for him, so it would be better if he looked for me instead.”

Everyone in the room could hear the beating of their heart as they listened to William’s solo monologue. Although they assumed that their Patriarch, Lord Lorcan, was communicating with Wiliam in some manner, unless it was proven, no one would be able to use it as evidence against him.

This gave Lorcan’s sons, and grandsons, some peace of mind because this might cause problems for their families in the long run. The people of the Gremory Family were currently inside the Rhanes’ Clan Residence. If they were to get wind of what was being discussed inside the hall, heads would start to roll.

‘Did you find them, Optimus?’

< They are on the second floor of this residence, and currently on their way here. It seems that they have heard the news of your arrival. >

William laughed internally because he was quite curious about what these delegates had to say. Right now, everyone inside the hall was under Optimus’ observation. Even their heart rates and their blood pressure were constantly being monitored.

An awkward silence descended inside the hall as William stopped talking on his own. The minutes passed, and yet, no one dared to move from their spot. It had been a rule of the Rhanes Clan that without the Patriarch’s explicit orders, no one would be able to leave the Ancestral Hall once a meeting had started.

Two minutes later, six people entered the hall in an arrogant manner. The two in front announced their arrival as they walked towards Lorcan, who gave them a brief nod.

“Lord Lorcan, I apologize for barging into your discussion, but I am quite curious about this guest that has arrived in your residence,” a middle-aged man with tattoos of skeletons on his bald head stated crisply. “I hope that I am not disturbing anything?”

“Well, I don’t particularly mind,” Lord Lorcan replied. “But, I can’t say the same for my guest.”

The bald man turned around and looked at William with a smile. His Patriarch, Lord Alvah of the Gremory Clan, had already told him about the black-haired teenager’s current route. Since he was already in the territory of the Rhanes Clan, Lord Alvah had asked him to meet this person personally.

“You must be Lord Raymond,” the bald man said with a smile. “My Patriarch, Lord Alvah, had many good things to say about you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jasper, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Jasper extended his hand for a handshake, but William arched an eyebrow as he voiced his opinion.

“I am currently having an important discussion with Lord Lorcan,” William stated. “Do you mind sitting on the side and just listening to our discussion in silence?”

“Of course,” Jasper replied as he returned his hand to the side as if he hadn’t tried to initiate a handshake. He then made a gesture for his subordinates to move to the side of the room, where they sat on the seat cushions that were provided for them.

“Now, let’s go back to business, Lord Lorcan,” William said after giving Jasper and his cronies a side-long glance. “How can I become the Demon Lord?”

The hearts of the members of the Rhanes Clan almost jumped out of their throats, as the black-haired teenager purposely asked a question that could condemn their entire clan for treason.

Lorcan’s hands shivered as he grabbed the walking stick beside him with the intention to smack the good-for-nothing Half-Elf who currently had a devilish smile on his face.

Lorcan’s sons immediately grabbed hold of their father in an attempt to stop him from whacking their guest. However, deep inside, they wanted to steal their father’s walking stick and smack the black-haired bastard with all of their might!

Kira and Cassey moved their bums to the side, in order to distance themselves from the troublemaker, who was trying to bring them down with him.

Walric, Orryn, Hector, and Horace—the four candidates to become the heirs of the Rhanes Clan—looked at William with horrified expressions on their faces.

They thought that William getting their Protector Beast was already a big blow to their family, but they were wrong.

The only thing they could do now was glare at the smiling Half-Elf, whose eyes were telling them that if they didn’t want to jump into the frying pan, he was more than willing to cook them in an open fire.

Chapter 1026: Days Of Bitterness And Suffering [Part 1]

Chapter 1026 – Days Of Bitterness And Suffering [Part 1]

Jasper frowned after hearing the black-haired teenager’s words. At first, he thought that he had just misheard things, but after seeing the reaction of the Rhanes Clan Patriarch, as well as his family, he knew that something was amiss.

“Sir, I think he just asked the Patriarch how to become a Demon Lord,” one of Jasper’s trusted subordinates whispered in his ear.

Jasper nodded and looked at William with narrowed eyes. He was currently a guest inside the Rhanes Clan, and had already forced his way inside the Ancestral Hall, where an important discussion was being held.

However, he didn’t expect that the discussion involved something similar to an uprising. Truth be told, he knew that some of the Major Clans were very disappointed with their current Demon Lord, Luciel.

They had sent many of their elite warriors, only to have them die on the battlefield, and no form of compensation was granted to their Clans or their families. This had given Luciel incredible pressure in the past, so he was forced to not do anything too reckless, that would give the Major Clans cause to look for the other faults that he had made.

As the years passed these hidden grudges started to simmer, which worried the Gremory Clan. This was why they had sent several of their ambassadors to each Major Clan in the continent in order to negotiate, and reach a compromise.

To those that didn’t want to budge, they would then issue mild threats, using Luciel as deterrence. Although he had lost an arm in the battle against the Dungeon Conqueror, the fact still remained that he was one of the strongest demons in the continent. This was enough to make the other major clans think twice about rebelling against his orders.

As if sensing his gaze, William glanced at Jasper and gave him a mischievous smile filled with killing intent. It was at that moment when Jasper realized that he and the delegations of the Gremory Clan were in danger.

Without missing a heartbeat, Jasper took out a round mirror and activated it. This created a dome of protection around him and subordinates.

“What’s wrong, Jasper? Why did you call for me?” The Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, Alvah, asked as his image appeared on the mirror’s surface. “Did something happen to the Rhanes Clan?”

“Lord Patriarch, the Rhanes Clan is planning to rebel!” Jasper said anxiously, while looking at the black-haired teenager, whose smile widened after hearing his words.

“Properstrous! Who dares to rebel against the Demon Lord?!” Alvah asked.

“Raymond Parker,” Jasper replied. “He is here in this room, My Lord!”

Jasper turned the mirror around to make it face William, which made everyone inside the hall feel their heart tremble inside their chest.

Lorcan could only curse William and his ancestors for putting his entire family in this mess, but he didn’t dare to voice his frustrations out loud. While the Demon Lord was indeed powerful, he was very far away from their location.

Right now, William controlled the Fortaare Death Worm and he was sure that even before the forces of the Demon Lord could arrive in the desert, their family would have long been wiped out, if they annoyed the black-haired teenager whose smile was giving him an aneurysm.

Alvah’s expression became serious as he stared at the pale-faced vampire whom he had met not long ago.

“Lord Raymond, what is the meaning of this?” Alvah asked. “Are you planning a rebellion?”

“A Rebellion? Nonsense,” William replied. “This is the law of the Demon Realm. Are you saying that you don’t conform to the laws set up by our ancestors?”

Lorcan held back the strong urge to spit at William. He didn’t expect the son of the Dungeon Conqueror to be this shameless!

Ancestors? What ancestor? You’re not even a Demon, damn you! Pitui!

“Lord Raymond, this is a serious matter,” Alvah’s tone became cold and chilly. “If what you say is true then I have no choice but to report this to the Demon Lord. He will be the one to make you understand that there are some things that you shouldn’t joke about.”

“Wow, I’m scared,” William sneered. “Do you think I’m afraid of that crippled loser? If I see his face, I’ll clap his cheeks so hard he will start seeing stars.”

“Just because you managed to acquire some Minor Clans, you already think you’re a Big Shot?” Alvah sneered back. “You have no idea who you are dealing with, mongrel!”

William chuckled. “Well then, I guess we’ll just have to see who among us doesn’t have any idea of who he is dealing with.”

William stood up and walked towards Jasper and his subordinates who were currently protected by a barrier. He then raised his hand and punched it, causing cracks to appear on its surface.

“Lord Alvah! Save us! Please save us!” Jasper pleaded as he looked at William in horror.

The Half-Elf laughed like an evil villain as he punched the barrier for the second time.

“That’s right, Alvah, save your subordinates,” William mocked. “Show me how powerful you are.”

“Raymond Parker, I can still turn a blind eye to your actions if you leave my subordinates alone,” Alvah said with a serious expression on his face. “Do you really want to wage war against the Gremory Clan?”

“Yes,” William replied as he smashed the barrier, making it shatter like crystal glass. “Let’s rumble!”

Without another word, William smashed the mirror in Jasper’s hand, making the members of the Gremory Clan scream in fear. They had long enjoyed their status as members of the family that was backed by the Demon Lord, and had abused their power wherever they went.

Now that someone dared to rise up against them, they were caught by surprise and didn’t know how to respond.

William easily knocked all of them unconscious and threw them one by one inside his Thousand Beast Domain. Medusa had long pestered him for Demons to eat, so he didn’t mind letting the little Gorgon have her fill with the members of the Gremory Clan.

Chapter 1027: Days Of Bitterness And Suffering [Part 2]

Chapter 1027 – Days Of Bitterness And Suffering [Part 2]

“You were too reckless, Lord Raymond,” Lorcan was finally able to regain his composure and voiced his thoughts out loud. “By declaring war against the Demon Lord, you will turn this land into a battlefield. Tell me, do you hate us Demons this much?”

William shook his head before sitting back on his cushion. “No. I just intend to put a new person in charge of this continent. Don’t worry. None of your family members need to fight. All you need to do is sign a contract.”

The Half-Elf smiled as he took out a contract from his storage ring and made it fly over towards Lorcan.

The patriarch of the Rhanes Clan grabbed it and read its contents. A few minutes later, he looked at William in disbelief before shifting his gaze back to the contract and read it a second time.

A quarter of an hour passed before Lorcan placed the contract on his lap and stared at William with a serious expression on his face.

“If you do this, there will be no turning back,” Lorcan said. “Also, by doing so, you are forcing the Demon Clans to make a hard choice.”

William shrugged as he rested his right cheek over the palm of his hand.

“We both know that the Demon Lord is already preparing to launch an attack on the Central Continent,” William replied. “Sooner or later, your people will also be conscripted into the war, whether you like it or not. I don’t know when Luciel will attack, but I’m sure of one thing. It will certainly happen, and it will happen soon.”

The frown on Lorcan’s face deepened because he couldn’t refute his words.

“Did Zeph tell you that?” Lorcan asked.

William nodded. “He had no choice after I told him that if he didn’t confess everything he knew about the Demon Lord, I would bury him in night soil, just like I did to your two grandsons.”

The corner of Lorcan’s lips twitched as he glanced at his two grandsons, who had lowered their heads, not willing to meet his gaze.

“Then, let me ask you this. According to the contract, we don’t have to help you fight against the Demon Lord,” Lorcan stated. “All we need to do is continue to remain neutral and not meddle in politics.”

“That’s right.”

“Also, those who have signed this contract are not allowed to fight against those who have signed it as well? Including their vassals?”

“Yes,” William replied. “There will be a permanent non-aggression pact between those who have signed this contract of mine. He may be a Demon Lord, but if he didn’t have the support of more than seventy Major Clans of this continent, he can’t start his selfish war against anyone.”

“True, but even if I sign this, you will just have one Major Clan supporting your cause,” Lorcan argued. “That will not be enough.”

“That’s fine. Just leave the rest to me,” William said as he patted his chest. Originally, he only planned to take Celine and leave the Demon Continent. However, after hearing Zeph’s confession, he knew that this was something that he couldn’t turn a blind-eye to.

Wars were never a good thing. As someone who had taken part in one, he knew the devastation and loss that war could bring to the people. He didn’t want that to happen again, so circumstances had forced him to take a stand.

When he visited the Rhanes Clan, he already planned to make them the first Major Clan to join his cause. In truth, William didn’t know if he was playing right into Zeph’s plan, but he didn’t mind it one bit.

The main reason why he declared his intention, while the envoy of the Gremory Clan was there, was to bait Luciel to come to him. He was very confident that he could fight the Demon Lord in a head-on confrontation.

The spider may have many legs, but if you cut off its head, all the legs would shrivel up and die. With so many trump cards in his disposal, William was confident that he could take Luciel down.

The sooner he dealt with him, the better. Also, he knew about Cassey’s ambition as well. Although she tried hard to hide it, her hatred for the Gremory Clan was obvious.

Since she was already powerful, and had enough Myriad Beasts to create problems for them, he decided to push his plan to deal with the Gremory Clan forward, while also enacting his plans for the Demon Lord.

“Can I refuse to sign this?” Lorcan asked with a serious expression on his face.

WIlliam nodded. “You can, but do you really think that the Gremory Clan, as well as the Demon Lord, will believe that you are not part of this scheme to bring them down?”

“I can make them believe if I try hard enough.”

“Well then, suit yourself.”

William stood up and walked towards the exit of the hall. However before he left, he glanced back at Lorcan with a smile.

“If things go south, don’t come running to me for help,” William stated. “I can also guarantee that if your Clan joins the Demon Army in their attack on the Central and Silvermoon Continents, I will show you no mercy when we meet on the battlefield.”

After saying what he had to say, WIlliam finally left with Kira and Cassey in tow.

Only after one of the family members confirmed that they had left the residence did Lorcan sigh deeply.

“I’m too old for this,” Lorcan said as he gazed at the contract in his hand with a bitter expression. “Regardless of the choice I make, the Rhanes Clan will have no choice but to take part in this battle for supremacy.”

Lorcan glanced at the desert sky, which was now covered in storm clouds. Rain was very rare in the desert, especially raging storms.

Whenever the parched land received a sudden burst of rain, a flood would happen and sweep away everything in its path. More than anything else, Lorcan didn’t want to be swept away by this sudden change which was outside of his control.

The only thing he wanted was to live a calm and peaceful life, free from politics. Unfortunately, the one sitting on the top didn’t want to live a peaceful life.

Yes. The Demon Lord, Luciel, had stopped licking his wounds, and once again decided to restart a war that would allow him to regain his honor and prestige.

However, this was not a simple war, but a war that had been prophesied by the Oracle of the Demon Race. The Heir of Darkness would be born and would make the entire world his kingdom.

None would be able to stand against his might, and those who dared would only suffer a devastating defeat at his hands. Luciel was waiting for the promised day to arrive, as he started to rally the Major Clans under his banner.

Unfortunately, very few answered his call, and the majority of the Major Clans didn’t want this war to start. This was why the Gremory Clan had tasked their subordinates to go to the territories of these Major Clans in order to reach a compromise.

—-

Back in the City of Atlan…

Zeph leisurely sipped a cup of tea as he glanced at the round mirror by his side.

“Your Excellency, should I inform the rest?” Zeph asked as he stared at the person who had told him that Raymond Parker was just an alias that Wiliam Von Ainsworth used to fool the people of the Demon Continent.

“Yes,” the man answered. “The time is near. The prophecy is about to be fulfilled. We’d better make our own preparations.”

“Your Excellency, are you sure that he is the one?”

“No, but I’d rather think that he is the one.”

Zeph sighed as he shook his head. “And, if he really does end up not being the one in the prophecy?”

The man on the surface of the mirror quieted down before crossing his arms over his chest.

“If he isn’t the one in the prophecy then we will go with Plan B,” the man replied. “However, without my signal, none of you are allowed to make your move. Do I make myself clear?”

Zeph nodded before finishing up the tea in his cup. The man in the mirror also gave Zeph a brief nod before cutting off the connection.

Kira’s grandfather walked towards the window of his room and stared at the storm clouds that had covered the entirety of his city.

“I sure hope that you are right, Your Excellency,” Zeph muttered. “If he is not the one then I’m afraid that our days will only be filled with bitterness and suffering.”

Zeph sighed deeply. He couldn’t count how many times he had sighed after meeting William. For him, his appearance in the Demon Realm was both a blessing and a disaster. A blessing because with him around, they had a chance to make a difference.

A disaster because he also brought trouble wherever he went. The son of the Dungeon Conqueror and the Saintess of the World Tree was no ordinary young man. It was also because of this fact that his life had never been easy.

“I don’t know what is happening at the Rhanes Clan right now, but I’m sure that My Lord is suffering from a headache at this very moment.” Zeph allowed a bitter smile to appear on his face as he thought of his currently ill Sovereign. “May the Gods have mercy on us all. Or else, all of us will take the fall.”

Chapter 1028: So, What Do You Think About My Proposal?

Chapter 1028 – So, What Do You Think About My Proposal?

Two days after William visited the territory of the Rhanes CLan…

William gazed at the Demons who were currently partaking of the feast that the Sand Clan had prepared for them.

The Patriarchs, of the three Major Clans, as well as the Patriarch’s of their Vassal Clans all gathered today to talk about an important matter.

After visiting the Rhanes Clan, the Half-Elf swaggered towards the territories of the remaining two Clans and gave them an invitation to attend an important meeting in the City of Altan. When the Patriarchs of the two Major Clans saw the giant Fortaare Death Worm, they immediately accepted William’s invitation, and agreed to meet him on the promised date.

The spies of the two Major Clans inside the Rhanes Clan had reported that the giant Death Worm was no longer in Lorcan’s hands. The two even communicated with each other and proposed a plan to collaborate and annex the territory of the currently ill Patriarch, who had lost the protection of his Guardian Beast.

Unfortunately, before they could even execute their plans, William came knocking on their doors. Because of this, they were forced to put their agenda on hold and go to the City of Altan to hear what he had to say.

William casually sipped his tea as Charmaine fanned his body with a feathered fan. He was wearing a black-suit, which gave his slightly above average appearance more depth and sophistication. This was a suit that he had brought back from Earth, and many Demons wondered where he had procured such clothes.

When he had deemed that everyone’s gaze was now locked onto his body, he placed the teacup on the table and addressed the Demons that had traveled far to meet him.

“Before we start, all of you have to sign this contract,” William said as he waved his hand. “Don’t worry. This contract only states that whatever you hear, and see, in this meeting will not leave this room. Whoever breaks this rule will be killed instantly, so if you don’t want to die, make sure to zip your lips when you return to your respective Domains.”

The Demons grabbed the contract that had appeared in front of them and read its contents. Just like William told them, it only stated that whatever was going to be discussed during their meeting would be kept a secret from those who were not involved in the discussion.

Seeing that there was no harm in the contract, everyone signed it using a drop of their blood, which was quite common for contracts made in the Demon Realm.

After the contracts had been signed, it merged with the Demons’ bodies, which proved that the contract had started to take effect.

William nodded in satisfaction before starting the meeting.

“I’m sure that all of you are wondering why I have gathered all of you here today, the reason is really simple,” William said with a smile. “I am here to propose two things. The first is a non-aggression pact between all the clans living in the Fortaare Desert. This means that after this meeting is over, none of you are allowed to fight amongst yourselves.

“The second proposal is that none of you will take part in the Demon Lord’s call for mobilization against the Central and Silvermoon Continents. As long as the two of you can agree to this condition, all of us will get along well. Are there any questions?”

As soon as William gave permission, an old man stood up on the right side of the room and eyed the black-haired teenager with a serious expression on his face.

“I don’t want to sound rude, but we who live in the desert abide by our own rules. I don’t think it is appropriate for an outsider to order us around,” the old man said.

William smirked. “If I remember correctly, you are the Patriarch of the Ryder Clan, Fergus. Since you spoke in this manner, I assume that you don’t agree with my proposal?”

Fergus shook his head. “I agree with the part on where we don’t have to answer the Demon Lord’s call to rally to his aid in declaring war on the Central and Silvermoon Continents. However, the distribution of territories in the desert is an internal thing. I hope that Lord Raymond understands what I’m trying to say…”

“Yes. I understand,” William replied. “Is there anyone else who thinks this way?”

A middle-aged man stood up and gave William a brief nod.

“I agree with Patriarch Fergus,” the middle-aged man stated. “This is an internal affair, so I hope that Lord Raymond respects our laws.”

“Renon of the Blythe Clan.” William nodded in understanding. “Is there anyone else?”

As if waiting for that moment, all the vassals of the two Major Clans stood up to show their support to their Masters.

Lorcan, and his vassals remained seated as they looked at the two Clan leaders who had smug expressions on their faces.

‘Idiots,’ Zeph thought as he sneered internally at the fools who thought that they could run their mouths in William’s presence.

William scanned the crowd of Demons that had decided to go against his proposal. He had already expected that this would happen, so he had made plans beforehand.

“Understood,” William said. “Then, I’ll give you all a few minutes to change your mind.”

Fergus snorted. “I’m afraid that even if you give us an hour, our answers will remain the same. Please, let’s not waste each other’s time and end this meeting. We still have important matters to attend to.”

“My friend Fergus is right, Lord Raymond,” Renon commented. “It is in our best interest if we stop wasting each other’s time.”

William smiled and nodded his head. “Both of you are right. It is best if we don’t waste each other’s time.”

The Half-Elf then snapped his hand. Immediately, all the Demons who were standing disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Lorcan and Zeph glanced at William at the same time and looked at him with suspicion. Both of them didn’t know what just transpired and wondered if the Half-Elf could give them an explanation.

William didn’t say a word, save to ask Charmaine to refill his cup, which the pretty Elf was more than happy to oblige. Several minutes passed as William drank leisurely, while waiting for his Succubus Wife’s signal.

Ten minutes after the Demons had disappeared in the room, William finally received the answer he was waiting for. With a wave of his hand, the Demons reappeared inside the room, under everyone’s gazes.

“So, what do you think about my proposal?” William asked. A confident smile was plastered on his face, as he waited for everyone’s answers.

“It is a wonderful proposal!” Fergus answered and gave William a respectful bow. “The Ryder Clan will follow and obey Lord Raymond’s orders from this day onwards!”

The Ryder Clan’s vassals also bowed their heads respectfully as they pledged their loyalty to William’s cause.

“”We will obey Lord Raymond’s orders from this day onwards!””

Renon took a step forward and also proclaimed his allegiance to William’s cause, along with his vassals. To the eyes of the outsiders, he seemed to have a complete change of heart as he promised to support William in whatever he wanted to do.

Lorcan’s and Zeph’s expressions became serious when they noticed the sudden changes that had come over their rivals. They had known them for many years, and they had never seen them act this servile to anyone, even the Demon Lord wasn’t given this kind of treatment when he visited the Fortaare Desert to ask for their help.

“Well then, I guess that settles it,” William said as he waved his hand and a new set of contracts appeared in front of everyone in the room. “Please sign it, so that all of us can return to our happy everyday lives.”

“As you wish, My Lord,” Fergus replied.

“By your will, My Liege!” Renon declared.

Lorcan and Zeph glanced at each other with bitter smiles on their faces. Clearly, William did something to the Demons, which made them submit to his will. They secretly rejoiced because they hadn’t rejected his proposal for a united front in the Fortaare Desert.

If they had, they, and their vessels, might have also suffered the same fate as the other two Clans, who now seemed to be under some kind of spell, making them William’s loyal followers and unable to say no to any of his demands.

Chapter 1029: The Call Of Darkness [Part 1]

Chapter 1029 – The Call Of Darkness [Part 1]

“While things are proceeding according to your prediction, the methods he has used have surpassed my expectations,” Zeph said to the round mirror in front of him. “To be perfectly honest, I’m a bit scared of him. He is young, foolish, and maybe reckless as well. Are you sure we can proceed with our plans in this manner?”

“He is just bait,” the man in the mirror replied. “All he needs to do is lure Luciel away from the capital. I will handle the rest.”

“The question is, will he take the bait?”

“Perhaps.”

The man in the mirror smiled as he looked at Zeph, who had a worried look on his face.

“You have to remember that he is still the Demon Lord,” the man stated. “He is the strongest fighter, and schemer. He would not be easily swayed to leave the capital unless it was an emergency.”

Zeph sighed. “So, we need William to cause more trouble along the way to rile him up? I’m sure that as long as he continues his path towards the North, he will stop at the locations of the Major Clans and make them submit to his will, using force and spells if he has to.”

The man in the mirror nodded. “For him to be able to make Fergus and Renon submit so easily might be due to some kind of charm spell.”

“But, that is what confuses me,” Zeph replied. “The Patriarchs undergo a blessing from the Temple of the Gods after they had been assigned to their position. This blessing gives them a very strong resistance against Charm, as well as similar spells that affect the mind. How did he manage to do it?”

The man chuckled as he gave Zeph a teasing smile. “Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?”

“I have a hunch,” Zeph answered. “But, I don’t know if my hunch is right.”

“Alright. I know that you are just waiting for me to confirm your suspicion, so I’ll tell it to you straight since we are allies,” the man stated. “The blessing of the Oracle might be strong, but it is simply no match against something that contains the power of a strong Divinity.”

Zeph pinched the bridge of his nose because his guess had been confirmed. Rumors had been flying around the Demon Continent, but for him, rumors were just rumors. Unless he got confirmation from a trusted source, he would not even bother to entertain such a possibility.

“So, the Sin of Lust is with him,” Zeph muttered. “Are there others?”

“Yes.” The man nodded. “The boy is surprisingly a very capable individual. The Sin of Greed, as well as Luciel’s own daughter, Chiffon, who hold the Sin of Gluttony are his women. If they could unleash the full power of their abilities then very few individuals would be their match… especially, the lady who holds the Sin of Lust.”

“I’m starting to pity the Clans that he will meet along the way.”

“Don’t pity them. We need him to cause as big a disturbance as possible. Then and only then will Luciel leave the capital and when that happens… I will make sure that he doesn’t return alive.”

Five flying carriages flew in a formation with William’s carriage at its center. After dealing with the affairs in the Fortaare Desert, the Half-Elf resumed his journey with the intention of making the other Demonic Clans along their route, submit to his will.

Right now, he had a hostile relationship with the Gremory Clan. He intended to let the other Clans deal with the forces that they had spread out across the continent in order to weaken the Gremory Clan’s power and prestige.

As they continued their journey, William realized that the teleportation gates in the Demon Realm were very rare. In fact, even the city ruled by the Patriarchs didn’t have them.

When the Half-Elf consulted Zeph about this matter, the old man told him that Demons didn’t trust each other. For them, building a teleportation gate inside their city, or near their city, was a very risky thing to do.

As a race that liked to actively expand their domains, each Patriarch was afraid that these teleportation gates would be used by their rivals to invade their lands. So, as a precaution, they didn’t allow any teleportation gates to be built within their cities or anywhere near their cities.

If one wanted to travel the Demonic Continent, they would have to use the normal means of transport—such as by land and flying carriages.

‘I’m taking too many detours, but I need to do this if I want to ensure that the Demon Lord’s plans for invasion will be foiled,’ William thought as he stared outside his carriage window.

Charmaine was peacefully resting her head on his lap with a smile on her face. William had just finished drinking her blood, and he told his personal maid to take a nap for the time being. The pretty Elf was more than happy to obey William’s command and slept like a baby without a care in the world.

It was at this moment when he once again felt a strong attraction coming from the North. Something was calling out to him from beyond the horizon, and it was giving William a headache.

Sometimes, the call was like that of a lover, gentle, and kind. However, there were also moments when it was domineering, as if forcing him to submit to its will. The Dark Magic inside his body would more often than not go into a chaotic state whenever these sudden outbursts happened, and William couldn’t do anything aside from endure it with everything he had.

The feeling finally subsided after a quarter of an hour had passed, and by this time, William’s forehead was already covered with sweat. It took a lot of willpower for him to resist that powerful call that seemed to be hellbent to make him travel towards the North.

‘This is the third time that I have experienced such strong attraction,’ William thought. ‘Am I the only one feeling this way, or is everyone who has Dark Magic in the same boat?’

William didn’t know the answer to his questions. He just hoped that as long as he resisted the powerful beckoning call from the Ancient Ruins, nothing unusual would happen to him.

Chapter 1030: The Call Of Darkness [Part 2]

Chapter 1030 – The Call Of Darkness [Part 2]

Inside the Wicked Thorn Forest…

Celine gritted her teeth as she crumpled the bedsheet with her hands. She felt very faint as if her consciousness was about to fade at any moment, but her willpower was strong, so she endured the call that was coming from the North.

A quarter of an hour passed, and her suffering finally ended. She lay limply on top of the bed, gasping for breath. Ten minutes later, Baba Yaga entered the room with a pale expression on her wrinkled face.

As the very embodiment of Dark Magic in the Demon Realm, she was also affected by the power of the ancient ruins. However, she was a Demigod. Her resistance was stronger than Celine’s so, aside from looking exhausted, she was mostly fine.

“I’ve decided,” Baba Yaga said with a determined look on her face. “Pack your things. We will travel to the South. Maybe we can meet up with that William boy along the way. According to Joash, the boy will take two to three weeks to arrive here, but we can’t wait that long. The attraction is getting stronger each time, and I’m afraid that you will not be able to withstand it before long.”

Celine weakly nodded as she forced herself to stand up. Although everything she owned was inside her storage artifacts, there was some stuff that she had procured inside the Wicked Thorn Forest that she planned to bring with her as well.

Suddenly, Oliver, the Parrott Monkey, entered the room through the window with a tired look on his face.

“The dark magic candidates entered the Ancient Ruins a third time not long ago,” Oliver reported. “The best case scenario is that less than twenty of them will be able to return alive. The worse case scenario, on the other hand, is a complete wipeout, leaving no survivors behind.”

Baba Yaga nodded her head in understanding. “The first time there were less than fifteen survivors from the first group, and eight survivors from the second group. All of them are taking turns to challenge the ancient ruins, and get its guardian’s approval.”

“I’m afraid that those with weaker willpower wouldn’t be able to run even if they wanted to,” Oliver added. “It seems that the Holy Land is seriously taking its time to pick its heir. Mistress, we need to leave this place. We are too close to the Ancient Ruins.”

Celine nodded. “Master already planned to leave with me. Oliver, do not wander off. The three of us will leave this place together.”

“Understood.” Oliver closed his eyes to rest. He had been spying on the movements of the Demon candidates for the past three days. The Parrot Monkey didn’t even bother to sleep because he was afraid that he would miss something important if he closed his eyes.

Because of this, he was dead tired, and decided to take a short nap, while waiting for Celine to finish her preparations.

An hour later, a giant wooden house, propped up by two giant bird legs, started to traverse the Wicked Thorn Forest. This was Baba Yaga’s personal artifact, which she called Domus Mactabilis.

It was a mobile house that could go anywhere, as long as Baba Yaga willed it. Although the old hag usually traveled using a giant flying mortar, the giant wooden house was her home, and she didn’t want to leave it behind.

As they broke away from the vast forest where she had stayed for more than a century, Baba Yaga felt a weariness deep inside her bones. As a Demigod, this was not a good sign because it meant that something bad might happen to her in an unforeseeable future.

“Oliver, that boy, William, can you find him?” Baba Yaga asked the Parrot Monkey who was currently perched on the nest that Celine had made for him, after arriving at her Master’s house.

Oliver nodded. “I can.”

The Parrot Monkey had supported the Half-Elf when he was still young and inexperienced, because of this, he had left a mark on the boy’s shadow that allowed him to sense William’s general direction.

“Good,” Baba Yaga replied. “Tomorrow, at first light, go and find him. I will put a tracker on you, so that I will be able to know where you are. Once you find him, notify me right away. We will head to his direction as soon as you find his location.”

“Sounds like a plan. Consider it done,” Oliver nodded before shifting his attention to Celine who was still feeling under the weather. “Mistress, your Prince has come for you. Are you ready to meet with him?”

“He is not my Prince,” Celine replied. “Even if he is, I will not recognize him as such.”

“This is why you are a late bloomer, why must you play hard to get?” Baba Yaga chuckled. “You and the boy have already rolled in the sheets. He’s already your man, and you his woman. Why make things difficult?”

“I agree, Your Excellency,” Oliver commented. “I can vouch for my boy, Will. I was the one that taught him his moves.”

Celine and Baba Yaga looked at the smug faced Parrot Monkey with amused expressions on their faces. Both of them knew that Oliver was just exaggerating, but they didn’t call him out on his bold antics.

“It’s quite unfortunate that my scrying doesn’t work on the boy,” Baba Yaga said as she sat down on her chair. “Whenever I try, all I see is a gray mist that can’t be penetrated by my keen eyes. This can only mean one thing.

“The boy has a very strong protective charm that prevents anyone from spying on him, or someone else is spying on him and preventing others from doing the same. Truth be told, I am leaning on the latter. However, if that is true, this is a very concerning matter.”

“Why is it a concerning matter, Master?” Celine inquired as she gazed at her Master’s wise and wrinkled face with worry.

“Celine, I am a Demigod. The strongest Demigod in the Demon Realm,” Baba Yaga replied in a confident tone. “I can see anyone if they are in the Demon Continent. For me to not be able to pierce that misty veil means that the one who is blocking my sight is someone stronger than me.”

Oliver and Celine exchanged a glance and their faces turned grim because they finally realized what Baba Yaga meant.

“Someone stronger than Master is…” Celine’s hands trembled as they rested on her lap.

“A God.” Baba Yaga smiled wryly as she finished her disciple’s words. “I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing, but for him to attract someone of that rank is simply amazing. Celine, I advise you to always be on your guard once the two of you reunited. You don’t know who is looking, so make sure that when you pin him down… you do it inside the artifact Eternity, okay?”

Celine lowered her head, which made Baba Yaga chuckle like the witch she was. Even Oliver had a happy expression on his face when he saw Celine’s flustered expression.

The beautiful Elf sighed internally as she thought of the red-headed teenager that had taken her first time. She had done it on a whim because she wanted to confirm if William was the Prince in the Prophecy.

She knew that her sister, Celeste, planned to kill the Prince once his identity had been discovered. This was why Celine needed to know and sacrificed her chastity to confirm her suspicion.

If, at that time, a mark had appeared on her body then her worst fears would have become a reality.

She had steeled herself to take William to a faraway place where no one would be able to locate him. Celine would do this to protect him from Celeste, as well as the other forces that planned to use him to fulfill the prophecy.

Fortunately, William wasn’t the one that would cover the world in darkness. Because of this, her worst fears disappeared. However, another worry started to grow in her heart. If William really wasn’t that person then that only meant one thing.

‘Whoever it is, it doesn’t matter,’ Celine thought as her purple eyes glowed briefly with power. ‘I will be the one to kill him, and end this hateful destiny that made me and my sister suffer during our childhood years.’

Baba Yaga stared at her disciple and sighed internally. Although she couldn’t see Celine’s face right now, her clenched fist that was filled with hate was enough to tell her all that she needed to know.

‘Don’t worry, child. As long as I am around, I will not let anything harm you,’ Baba Yaga vowed.

This was the promise that she had made long ago after learning about her Disciple’s ill-fated fate. As someone who had treated Celine as her own daughter, she would stop at nothing to ensure that she would be able to live a peaceful life, out of harm’s way.

Chapter 1031: Dozedar's Nightmare [Part 1]

Chapter 1031 – Dozedar’s Nightmare [Part 1]

“Halt! State your names, and the reason why you are here in the territory of the Greenskin Clan!” a Demon with green skin shouted as he walked towards the two hooded figures who were currently buying some fruits and other food supplies from the food stalls in the plaza.

One of the hooded figures, who was wearing a fox mask, turned around to look at the Demon who was looking at them in a suspicious manner.

“My name is Shane, and this is my companion Zelan,” Shannon said. “We just came here to buy some supplies for our journey. Is there something wrong, mister?”

Hearing the smooth, and silky voice that was coming from the hooded figure, the Demon from the Greenskin Clan glanced at his men, and gave them a brief nod.

Immediately, over a dozen members of the Greenskin Clan surrounded the two hooded figures, in a tight encirclement.

“The city is currently being monitored for potential spies that have come from our rival Clans,” the Demon, who seemed to be the Captain of this patrol group, replied. “Both of you are to come with us, so that we can inspect your belongings and make sure that you are not spies sent by our enemies.”

The Captain had very keen senses and after hearing that the voice belonged to a young lady, he immediately thought of a sinister plan to capture them, before the other groups found them.

After William had left their territory, their Patriarch, Dozedar, issued an order that all foreigners must be interrogated at all cost when they are found inside their Domain. Since very few individuals visited their city on a regular basis, the two robed figures stood out.

At first, the Demons only wanted to steal their belongings, but after hearing that the voice belonged to a young lady, their goals changed. The Demon Captain immediately planned to capture both of them, so that they could enjoy a good time.

Just as the Demons were about to capture the two robed figures, three little familiars appeared and stood in front of the two girls.

“Kekeke, I’ll protect them,” Conan said. “The two of you can teach these idiots a lesson.”

Elliot flipped his hair as he raised his chin arrogantly. “My goodness. Can’t people shop quietly nowadays? Why must there always be morons who think with their lower heads, instead of their main one?”

The sound of knuckles being cracked reached the ears of the Demons who were just a few meters away from Shannon and Princess Aila. Chloee grinned evilly at the green-skinned demons who were unlucky enough to meet her.

“It’s been a while since I punched someone,” Chloee stated. “I’ll make this count.”

The Demon Captain took out his sword and gave his order.

“Take care of these annoying flies, but don’t hurt the goods!” the Captain shouted. “We will enjoy them later.”

“”Yes!””

The Demons charged with faces filled with high expectations. It had been a while since they had played with a young lass, and they wouldn’t waste this opportunity to fully enjoy the offerings that were in front of them.

Half a minute later, the sound of pained screams and cries for help reverberated in the plaza. Chloee smashed the Demon’s faces, and sent them flying in every direction.

Elliot, on the other hand, electrocuted those who tried to come close to their group. The smell of charred flesh permeated the plaza as the little angel shot lightning bolt after lightning bolt from his small fingers, toasting those who dared to come in their direction.

After a minute had passed, all the Demons had been dealt with. Elliot and Chloee had held back, so none of them had died. However, the injuries they received from the two familiars was enough to cripple them for half a year without proper treatment.

The Captain of the Demon Patrol stared at this scene in horror as he tried to run away to escape the two little monsters that he had unknowingly antagonized.

“Too late, punk.” Elliot sneered as he aimed his finger at the running demon. A few seconds later, a lightning bolt that was bigger from the previous ones that he had shot earlier shot out of his fingertips and sailed across the street in a heartbeat.

The Demon Captain cried out in pain before falling face first on the ground, losing consciousness.

Princess Aila, who had ignored the entire scene from start to finish, was busy counting the coins in her magic bag.

“Here you go, thirty-two gold coins for everything in your stall,” Princess Aila said as she handed the coins towards the owner, who accepted it with shaking hands.

“T-Thank you, My Lady for your generosity,” the stall owner replied. In truth, he just wanted to get the trade over with in fear that the little familiars would beat him up, if he refused to sell his goods to the robed lady in front of him.

“Glad to do business with you,” Princess Aila nodded as she stored the food supplies inside her storage ring. “Shane, should we just buy everything we see? That way we don’t have to make a lot of stops along the way.”

“That’s a good idea,” Shannon replied. “Let’s just buy everything.”

The stall owners shuddered when they saw the robed figures split up, so that they could buy things faster.

Conan and Elliot went with Princess Aila, while Chloee accompanied Shannon. The two young ladies busied themselves with stocking up on food supplies and clothes that would help them blend in with the inhabitants of the Demon Realm.

While this was happening, word of their deeds arrived at the main residence of the Greenskin Clan, which made Dozedar red with anger.

“Who dares to hurt my people in my own turf?!” Dozedar shouted as he slammed his left fist on the armrest of his chair.

His mood had been very bad ever since his right arm had been bitten off by the Gorgon Willam had unleashed on him. Because of this, he had long wanted to get his revenge, but he also understood that his target could easily crush him like a bug.

Because of this, he vented his frustrations on the foreigners that visited his city, and made things difficult for them. Now that there was someone who decided to openly defy him, Dozedar felt that this was a good opportunity to vent out his frustrations once and for all.

“So, the suspects are two women and three strange creatures?” Dozedar asked his aid who hurriedly reported the incident that had just happened in the plaza.

“Yes, My Lord!” The aid bowed his head. “They are still buying things in the plaza. If you hurry now, we can still catch them.”

Dozedar nodded and issued a command to close off the entire city. Although he was certain that he could easily capture the two troublemakers, he decided to close off the exits just in case they decided to leave before he could get to their location.

“Do they really think that the Greenskin Clan is just a Minor Clan that they can anger as they please?” Dozedar sneered. “I’ll make those two women understand that they are messing with the wrong Clan!”

The Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan stormed out of his residence, while being followed by a hundred elite guards. He wanted to send a strong message to everyone that no one could look down upon them, because they had finally succeeded in being recognized as a medium-sized Clan by the Gremory Clan.

With the help of their backing, Dozedar was sure that it wouldn’t be long till he annexed his neighbors, and made his Clan a full-fledged Major Clan that had several vassals under his command.

For now, he would deal with the two troublemakers that had come to his domain with suspicious motives. After that, he would coordinate with the Gremory Clan to take his revenge on the black-haired teenager, whose devilish smile always appeared in his dreams.

Chapter 1032: Dozedar's Nightmare [Part 2]

Chapter 1032 – Dozedar’s Nightmare [Part 2]

Dozedar had been traumatized by his encounter with William, and everytime he slept, he would see the young teenager’s disdainful smile in his dreams. He knew that there was only one way to overcome his fear and that was to get even with William, no matter what.

To his surprise, the patriarch of the Gremory Clan, Alvah, told him in great detail that William planned to start a rebellion in the Demon Realm. Because of this, the Alvah had issued a command that the black-haired teenager would become their enemy, and ordered his vassals to ambush William on his journey.

This was the good news that Dozedar was waiting for, so he immediately pledged the participation of the Greenskin Clan, and vowed to help in the subjugation of his mortal enemy.

While these thoughts played inside Dozedar’s head, he and his men finally arrived at the plaza. Most of the stalls had closed because the two ladies had bought everything they had in stock, which made the stall owners very happy.

However, after seeing the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan, as well as his entourage, they all bowed their heads and anxiously prayed that none of them would be involved in this tricky incident.

“Where are they?” one of Dozedar’s men approached one of the stall owners and asked. “Don’t even think about lying. If you do, you will be punished for treason!”

“T-They are in the Pay to Win store,” the stall owner replied. “It seems that they are going to buy several sets of clothes, as well as consumable items for their journey. They just entered the store five minutes ago, and I’m sure that all of them are still inside.”

Dozedar’s man snorted as he tossed a gold coin in the man’s direction before turning back to his lord.

“Let’s go,” Dozedar ordered. “I want to see these two b*tches who think they can hurt my people in my Domain.”

—–

“Look at this Zelan,” Shannon said as she showed Princess Aila a cute two piece dress that she thought would look good on her newfound friend. “I’m sure that this will look great on you.”

Princess Aila looked at the flowery dress that Shannon had presented to her. She had to agree that it was indeed quite cute, and even imagined how William would react after seeing it.

“You have good eyes, dear customer!” one of the shop assistants commented with a smile. “These clothes were made by one of the Clans in the West. they are known for producing high-quality clothes, and our boss needed to travel great distances in order to procure some of them.,”

“This is indeed a good choice,” Conan, who was seated on Princes Aila’s shoulder, nodded his head in approval. “Let’s buy it, Aila.”

“Very well,” Princess Aila said as she held the clothes in her hands. “Thank you, Shane.”

Shannon smiled sweetly. “You’re welcome.”

This was her first time shopping with a person who was the same age as her. She had long treated Princess Aila as her friend, and the two hit it off right away after they escaped Hestia Academy. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to stock up on a lot of food for their journey, so they decided to stop by the nearest city that they could find to buy some supplies.

Both of them thought that it would be a simple process, but the incident in the plaza made them realize that the Demons were very similar to Humans as well.

There were good Demons, as well as rotten ones. Originally, they thought that every Demon was bad and had their guard up the whole time, but after buying a few things in the plaza before the incident happened, they had a better grasp of the Demon’s society, which was almost the same as Human society.

Just as the two were about to purchase more clothes, several Demons stormed inside the shop and looked in their direction.

“Is that them?” Dozedar asked one of his aides.

“Yes, My Lord,” the aid replied. “That lady wearing a fox mask, as well as those three little things beside them are the ones that were seen in the plaza. The hooded figure next to them is part of their group as well.”

“Good.” Dozedar nodded as he walked towards the two young ladies, while releasing his blood lust.

Shannon frowned inside her mask, as she stared at the bulky Demon that was almost two-meters-tall, who was walking in their direction. A single glance was enough to tell the fox-eared lady that he was trouble, so she took a step forward and stood in front of Princess Aila, in order to protect her from any sudden forms of aggression on the Demon’s part.

“Are you the ones responsible for hurting my Clan members in the plaza?” Dozedar asked.

“They were the ones who started to harass us,” Shannon replied. “We were merely protecting ourselves.”

The staff member who was assisting the two ladies with their purchase, hurriedly took several steps back as she distanced herself away from her two patrons. Although she wanted to help them, she was no match against the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan who was known to be brutal to his enemies.

“I don’t care who harassed who first.” Dozedar grunted. “All I care about is that you hurt my people, inside my own city.”

Elliot and Chloee had already flown in front of Shannon as they prepared to attack. However, Princess Aila’s voice stopped them in their tracks.

“Let’s talk about this calmly,” Princess Aila said. “Everything can be solved if we just talk things out. We are willing to compensate for the damages we caused, as well as pay for the healing expenses for the men we injured.”

Dozedar, glanced at the robed figure who had spoken and his sharp senses made him frown.

“Take off that hood,” Dozedar ordered. “I am the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan and talking to me without revealing your identity is disrespectful.”

Princess Aila pondered for a bit before lifting her hood, just enough to show her angelic face to the Demon in front of her. She didn’t take it off completely because she didn’t have any horns, or any other distinct feature that would mark her as a Demon.

Dozedar took a whiff of her fragrance from where he stood, which made his eyes widen.

“You’re a Human?” Dozedar’s expression changed as he looked at the angelic beauty in front of him with an intimidating smile. “It’s been a while since I have seen a Human without a slave collar on their necks, or bound by chains. Looks like I got lucky today. You’re one high-quality beauty, I’ll give you that, young lady.”

Shannon adjusted where she stood to make sure she still stood between Princess Aila and Dozedar before glaring at the Demon.

“You better not touch a single strand of her hair or else you’ll be sorry.” Shannon declared.

Dozedar snorted as he looked down at the lady in front of him who was wearing a fox mask.

“Sorry? This word is not in my vocabulary,” Dozedar replied. “It would be in the best interest of both of you to just surrender yourself peacefully. That way, neither of you will get hurt. It will be a great loss for me if your delicate bodies are injured. How can I have fun if the dolls that I plan to play with are broken?”

Shannon sighed as she raised up her right hand to hold the side of her mask.

“I’m sorry Aila, it seems that talking in a civil manner doesn’t work on these brutes,” Shannon said. “I’ll deal with them myself. Just close your eyes, okay?”

Princess Aila took a step back and turned around. Shannon had told Alia about her ability, and cautioned her to never look at her directly if she wasn’t wearing her fox mask.

Elliot and Chloee also backed away, leaving Shannon to face Dozedar as well as his hundred elite warriors, who always accompanied him wherever he went.

“Just what kind of nonsense are you planning here, missy?” Dozedar asked with a lecherous grin. “Stop resisting and I promise that I will send both of you girls to heaven.”

Shannon slowly moved her mask to the side, showing half of her beautiful face.

“What a coincidence,” Shannon replied as the corner of her lips curled up into a smile. “I also planned to send you and your men somewhere, but I’m sorry to say that you won’t be going to heaven.”

Dozedar’s body stiffened when he saw Shannon’s face. It was not only him, but all the men that the patriarch of the Greenskin Clan had brought with him.

Dozedar gritted his teeth as he slowly raised his hand. Without any warning, he started to claw at his throat, as if he was trying to tear all of the flesh off his neck.

The shopkeeper and his staff watched in horror as the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan mutilated himself without any rhyme or reason. Suddenly, the Demons that had accompanied Dozedar did the same thing and clawed their own throats, tearing their flesh in the process.

Two minutes later, Dozedar collapsed on the floor with his eyes staring straight at the fox-eared lady who was looking down on him.

“Be sure to become a better person in your next life,” Shannon said as she slipped her mask fully over her face once again.

Those were the last words that Dozedar, and his men heard before they took their last breath. All of them died with their eyes open, while looking at Shannon with horrified expressions on their faces.

Several hours later, news of Dozedar’s death spread within the Greenskin Clan. Shannon and Princess Aila visited their Clan’s Main residence and told Dozedar’s Clan members that the two of them were part of Raymond Parker’s entourage.

They even gave the Greenskin Clan an ultimatum that if they opposed Lord Raymond then the two of them would return and finish off their entire clan without mercy.

As someone who observed William on a regular basis, Shannon was quite aware of his current situation. She knew that the Gremory Clan and the Half-Elf were at odds with each other, so she decided to lend him a hand in eliminating a possible threat to his life.

Because of this, the elders of the Greenskin Clan broke off all ties they had made with the Gremory Clan, which made Alvah smash his fist on top of his table after hearing the news. He never expected William to have some reinforcements that he didn’t know of, and immediately sent his men to investigate what had truly transpired within the city of the Greenskin Clan.

Unfortunately, the men he had sent to investigate also died at Shannon’s hands, leaving Alvah unaware of what was happening in places where his eyes, and influence, could no longer reach.

Chapter 1033: Did You Really Miss Me?

Chapter 1033 – Did You Really Miss Me?

Ten days had passed since William had left the desert in order to continue his travel towards the North. Along the way, he subjugated two Major Clans, who were also cohorts of the Gremory Clan in the Southeastern Regions of the Demon Realm.

Kira’s grandfather, Zeph, had provided him with a list of Clans, and individuals who were under Alvah’s control along the route that they were taking. In order to prevent news from spreading, William decided to use a low-key method to start his conquest.

The Half-Elf’s subjugation plan was very simple. All he needed to do was ask Optimus to tell him where the Patriarch of the Major Clan was located. After that, he would toss the said Patriarch to his Thousand Beast Domain, where Princess Sidonie was waiting to charm him.

After the Patriarch had been charmed, he would immediately call for a family conference in order to gather all of the important members of his family.

Once everyone was gathered, Princess Sidonie would make her appearance and charm everyone, making all of them William’s pawns.

These people had now become the Half-Elf’s double agents, which he used to gather information about the movements of the Gremory Clan. This in turn gave William a better understanding of the scope of Alvah’s plans, which made him realize how domineering the Demon Lord’s family was.

‘I should have done this sooner,’ William thought as he gazed out the window of his flying carriage. ‘This way, Alvah wouldn’t know what hit him until it was too late.’

The scary part about Princess Sidonie’s Charm Spell was that her subordinates would act normally as if nothing had happened. Even if someone with strong mental powers were to scan their minds to check if they were under a mind-affecting spell, they would find nothing.

This made Princess Sidonie’s method the optimal choice when it came to slowly turning Alvah’s allies into William’s pawns.

A few hours later, William’s entourage landed beside a river in a valley to take a break. Unlike Vesta who had holed herself up inside the Thousand Beast Domain, Kira, Athrun, as well as their retainers remained in the outside world.

Since the journey was exhausting, they would take breaks from time to time in order to rest their mounts as well as to stretch their bodies.

Ali, and Ari, Vesta’s two shield maidens busied themselves with fishing in the river in order to serve as lunch for their Young Lady. Much to William’s surprise, Vesta would always dine with her two maidservants, which made the Half-Elf realize that the green-haired beauty treated the two girls kindly.

Charmaine felt competitive as well and hunted fish for William to eat. Half an hour later, the three girls were catching one fish after the other, while Kira and Athrun, observed from the side.

“How many have you caught, Kira?” Athrun asked as he sat with a fishing pole in his hand.

“Just one,” Kira sighed. “Those girls are scaring all the fish away.”

Athrun chuckled as he looked at his still empty bowl. Unlike Kira who managed to catch one, the scholarly demon hadn’t caught anything.

William, on the other hand, was busy reading the book in his hands. This was one of the novels that he had brought back from Earth. The only reason why this particular novel caught his eye was because the Main Character was also a Half-Elf with red hair, and green eyes just like him.

Just as he was about to turn to the next page, his sharp senses heard the sound of several disgruntled birds who seemed to have been disturbed from their peaceful rest on the outskirts of the valley.

Suddenly, a notification appeared on William’s status page which made him pause whatever he was doing.

“No way…,” William muttered as he flew towards the sky. ‘Optimus, are you sure that you didn’t make a mistake?’

< Well, you will see soon enough if I made a mistake or not. >

Optimus’ reply had a teasing tone to it, which made the Half-Elf’s heart beat wildly inside his chest.

Soon, a black dot appeared on the horizon, and headed straight for his location. Although it was still far away, William’s eyesight was very good, so he was able to identify who it was from the get go.

“Well, you look quite perky, Will,” Oliver said as he circled the Half-Elf twice before landing on his shoulder. “It seems that life has been good to you as of late.”

“Second Master, I missed you,” William said as he rubbed Oliver’s chin.

“Hmp! Did you really miss me?” Oliver asked. “Or are you missing someone else?”

“Of course, I missed you, Second Master,” William replied. “How can I possibly not?”

Oliver chuckled as he gazed in the distance. “I guess I’ll just have to tell My Lady that you didn’t miss her.”

“What are you talking about, Second Master? Of course I missed Master as well.”

“What did you miss about her?”

“Everything!” William replied in a heartbeat. “From the top of her head up to the tip of her toes. I missed everything about her.”

Oliver nodded his head in satisfaction. “Good answer. My Lady also missed you.”

William’s eyes held a hint of happiness inside them as he tried to pry answers from Oliver’s lips, but the Parrot Monkey ignored his attempts.

“Listen to me, Will, there is something that I need to tell you,” Oliver said with a serious expression on his face. “Actually, my Master didn’t come alone. She brought her Master with her. Tell me, how much do you know about Baba Yaga?”

William blinked once then twice before giving Oliver an honest answer.

“I only know that she is the strongest Demigod of the Demon Continent,” William replied. “She is also a master of the Dark Arts and prefers to stay in seclusion.”

Oliver nodded because this was the common knowledge that people had of Baba Yaga. The Parrot Monkey wanted William to act properly when Baba Yaga arrived because she was the Mother that Celine never had.

Although the ugly old hag seemed like a carefree individual, she was a very vengeful Demigod. This was also why no one dared to offend her, unless they wanted to have their entire bloodline eradicated from the face of the world.

“Will, Baba Yaga is Celine’s Master, and mother,” Oliver explained. “You’d better be on your best behavior when talking to her. Master also respects her very much, and she would be angry at you if you acted discourteously in front of her second mother.”

William nodded his head seriously after hearing Oliver’s explanation. It was also at that moment when an idea popped inside his head.

“Second Master, since you said that Master considers Baba Yaga as her second mother, does that mean that I can ask her for Master’s hand in marriage?”

“Marriage? Um… I guess you can. But, it will be difficult at this point in time.”

William arched an eyebrow as he looked at Oliver with a questioning gaze. The Parrot Monkey sighed before giving the Half-Elf a vague answer.

“Just wait until she arrives,” Oliver stated. “Don’t have any high expectations. Celine has a lot on her plate right now, and marriage is the least of her concern.”

William reluctantly nodded his head as he looked in the distance where Oliver was looking.

Somehow, he was feeling anxious about his unexpected reunion with the beautiful Elf that had taught him many things in life. He thought that he would have to travel for a few more weeks in order to see her, but Fate was a fickle lady and decided to let the two of them meet sooner.

As to what the outcome of their meeting would be, William could only hope that it would be on a positive note. After all, now that he had an opportunity to talk to Celine once again, he believed that he could talk about their relationship, and how both of them would proceed from this day onwards.

Chapter 1034: Master, I Missed You

Chapter 1034 – Master, I Missed You

William watched the sun slowly set on the horizon with Oliver on his shoulder.

Originally, he had planned to travel to the Wicked Thorn Forest, located in the Northeast Region of the Demon Continent, to meet his Master, Celine. However, he didn’t expect that Celine and her Master, Baba Yaga, would take the initiative to look for him on their own accord, which made the Half-Elf very happy.

When the sun was nearly out of sight, William’s ears picked up a sound that was coming from the North, and was nearing his location.

Slowly, but surely, the silhouette of a wooden house, nestled on top of what seemed to be two giant bird-like legs, traversed the valley in a steady manner.

William could feel his emotions stirring up inside his chest, as he stood rooted on the spot, waiting for Baba Yaga’s house to reach its destination.

“She’s finally here…,” William muttered softly as his eyes focused on the wooden house in the distance, hoping to see a glimpse of the beautiful Elf who had played an important role in his life.

Sha, Zhu, Kira, Athrun, as well as their retainers looked at the approaching behemoth with serious expressions on their faces. Although William had already warned them of Baba Yaga’s arrival, they were still unable to hide the nervousness, as well as a bit of fear, from their faces.

Baba Yaga’s reputation preceded her. She was well-known in the Demonic Continent, and many parents used her name to scare the children who misbehaved all the time.

They would mention things like “If you are a naugthy boy, Baba Yaga will come to get you and eat you!”

This alone was enough to make those mischievous children cry a river of tears in fear that the old hag from the North would really capture them and feast on their bodies.

A quarter of an hour later, the giant walking treehouse stopped a hundred meters away from William’s encampment.

The door of the tree house opened, and a wrinkly old lady stepped outside to look at the people who had gathered around to meet them.

“You must be the infamous Raymond Parker who is wreaking havoc in the South of the Demon Realm,” Baba Yaga chuckled like a witch after seeing the black-haired teenager, who was eyeing her with a curious gaze. “Well met, child.”

William smiled and gave Baba Yaga a respectful bow. This was the bow that he gave to his Masters whenever he would meet them to show his gratitude for their teachings.

“Disciple William meets Grandmaster Baba Yaga,” William replied courteously. “It is my greatest honor to meet you, Your Excellency.”

“Oh my~ you get eight points,” Baba Yaga smiled as she nodded her head in satisfaction. She then glanced behind her and beckoned her hand. “Celine, you chose your partner well. His manners are good”

“Master, he is not my partner,” Celine said as she walked out of the door. “At least, not yet.”

“Not yet?” Baba Yaga chuckled. “Well then, Will my boy, it seems that my Disciple doesn’t recognize you as her significant other. At least, not yet.”

William felt slightly hurt due to Celine’s response, which he wasn’t able to stop from appearing on his face. Although it only lasted for a brief moment, Baba Yaga, and Celine saw it, but they pretended that they saw nothing.

“Master, I missed you,” William said.

“Well, I missed you a bit,” Celine replied as she looked at William with a disapproving expression. “You’re still the same as ever. Always causing trouble wherever you go. Can’t you be more lowkey? The way things are going, it is not impossible for the Demon Lord to leave the capital city in order to hunt you down.”

William raised his chin in arrogance before replying. “I’m not scared of him. If he comes, I’ll whack him silly and have it recorded in a recording crystal to be kept as a family heirloom.”

“Oh my~ he is very brave, and very stupid,” Baba Yaga commented as she rubbed her wrinkled chin. “Child, don’t think that the battle you experienced in the Southern Continent is a good standard to measure the might of the Demon Army.

“You were still not born when that great battle took place two decades ago, so you don’t understand the sheer magnitude of the forces, and powers involved. Do not wish for something like that to happen, because battles of that level are enough to wipe the forces of the entire Southern Continent from the face of the world.”

William didn’t refute Baba Yaga’s words because he had seen that great battle briefly when he gained the power of the Dungeon Conqueror.

“You are right, Grandmaster,” William replied as he pressed both of his palms together and gave a respectful bow. “I also do not wish for that kind of war to happen. The one I experienced in the Southern Continent was enough to tell me that wars don’t prove who is right or wrong, it only shows whose left.”

Baba Yaga nodded and her impression of William went up by another notch.

‘This boy is good. He knows when to advance, and knows when to retreat,’ Baba Yaga thought. ‘Or maybe, he is just buttering me up since I am his Grandmaster. Either way, he is quite eloquent in the usage of his words. Not bad.’

William shifted his attention to Celine, and his gaze became affectionate as he gazed at the woman who had made him a man.

“Master, can we have a serious discussion?” William said. “There are some things that I want to clarify. I hope that you can provide me with the answers that I am looking for.”

Celine didn’t reply right away to William’s proposal. Instead, she stared at him for a full-minute before nodding her head.

“A serious discussion? Very well,” Celine made a gesture for William to fly towards the treehouse. “Master, I will be in Eternity for a bit.”

“Okay,” Baba Yaga replied. “Take your time to have your serious discussion with him. After that, it will be my turn to ask him some questions.”

Celine nodded. “Understood.”

William, who had gained Celine, and Baba Yaga’s permission to enter the wooden house, flew towards it with a smile on his face.

He had long wanted to have a talk with Celine about their relationship and although she was giving him the cold shoulder, he believed that everything could be solved if the two of them could sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk.

Chapter 1035: A Kiss Filled With A Silent Promise [R-18]

Chapter 1035: A Kiss Filled With A Silent Promise [R-18]

(Disclaimer: This chapter is Rated-18. You guys already know the drill).

Clothes littered the floor, as the sound of kisses spread inside the artifact, Eternity.

This was where Celine had trained William when he was still young, and still learning on how to effectively control the power of Dark Magic.

A sigh escaped Celine’s lips as William buried his head in her chest. The Half-Elf lovingly kissed, and nibbled on her right breast, while his other hand, kneaded her left breast, and lightly played with its pink tip that had perked up, and started to become firm under his touch.

The beautiful Elf was currently straddling William, and his strong, and hard manhood was pressing at the entrance of her womb.

Celine didn’t move, and simply allowed her Disciple, who had returned to his original form, to have his way with her.

After a while, William’s right hand rested on the back of her head, and pulled her towards him. There, both of them shared a passionate kiss as their tongues intertwined with one another.

Only after a minute did Ceilne pull back, as she panted for breath. William stared at her beautiful eyes, and said the words that had wanted to tell her for a very long time.

“Master, I love you,” William said. “I love you.”

Celine wrapped her arms around William’s head as she planted a kiss on his head. She didn’t reply to the red-headed teenager’s words of love, but still surrendered her body to his whims.

The beautiful Elf’s silence made William’s heart skip a beat. Just as Oliver had said, Celine seemed determined to not respond to him verbally, or make a promise that she couldn’t keep.

“Master, even if you say nothing, I know that you also care for me,” William said as he once again buried his face on her chest, kissing the crevice between her two breasts. “Still, your silence hurts me. Can you at least say something? A yes, or a no is enough.”

Celine lightly patted Wiliam’s head, as she guided his lips to her left breast, where her pink nipple was waiting for his affection.

William complied as he sucked, and lightly bit that firm tip, with the intention of marking it as his property. After giving it his love and affection, William raised his head and kissed Celine’s neck, making her body shudder subconsciously.

“Go on,” Celine whispered. “Drink my blood.”

William lightly bit and sucked on Celine’s neck, living a mark on it. However, he didn’t extend his fangs to draw her blood.

Instead, William’s hands supported Celine’s buttocks, and raised her up a bit, until his mouth, and her breast touched each other.

Suddenly, Celine felt a prickling pain, as William bit her right breast, drawing blood. It didn’t take long before a euphoric feeling washed over her body, making her body shudder for the second time.

After the tingling sensation became bearable Celine, held unto William’s head as she voiced out her complaint.

“Why do you always suck my blood from that place?” Celine said in a voice that carried a trace of helplessness. “Have you developed some kind of fetish?”

William didn’t reply and just continued to drink her blood happily. Although Celine’s blood wasn’t as delicious as Cathy’s, it was still the blood of his first love in the world of Hestia.

It was the blood of the woman, whom he wanted to become his wife. Unfortunately, Celine refused to budge, and simply kept her silence, allowing him to indulge his wildest fantasies with her seductive body that had tasted no other man, but him.

After William had his fill, he kissed the wounds on Celine’s breast, healing them in the process. Once it was fully healed, William lowered her body until his manhood slid inside her maidenhood.

Although she didn’t say anything, Celine enjoyed the feeling of William’s member opening her up inside, and pressing against the entrance of her womb. It was a very intimate feeling, and it allowed her to feel William’s warmth, and love, as it was being conveyed by their union.

The two basked in that feeling of intimacy that no words could describe. This time, Celine took the initiative to cup William’s face, and raised it up. She then kissed his lips, using her tongue to invade his mouth. The red-headed teenager had just drank her blood, so she was able to taste some of it.

Even so, she didn’t stop because doing so would be lying to herself. Just as William had said earlier, even if she didn’t say anything, he knew that she deeply cared for him. Her body had already been marked by him their first night together, as he shot his essence deep inside her womb, marking her as his woman.

But, even if that was the case, she still held back and didn’t deny or affirm his words. She was one of the two candidates who would become the Bride of Darkness. A part of her wanted William to become the Prince, and the other didn’t want him to be the one in the prophecy.

According to the Prophecy, the Prince would be born after much hardship and suffering. Celine would never want William to experience something like that, so she kept her lips shut tightly. She was afraid that if he said that she belonged to her, the thing she dreaded the most would become a reality.

Celine had resolved within herself that, if William wasn’t the one in the prophecy, she would burn her life to kill the so-called Heir of Darkness in order to protect herself, and her sister, from becoming his so-called Bride.

Even then, Celine still didn’t reject the possibility of William becoming the Prince in the Prophecy. If he really became the chosen one, then the beautiful Elf would stand by his side and offer her everything to him to soothe his heart that had been completely corrupted by darkness.

As these thoughts passed acrossed Celine’s mind, William lightly pushed her back, and stared straight into her eyes.

“Master, since you won’t answer then I have no other choice but to make sure that you conceive my child,,” William said with a serious expression on his face. “That way, you will belong only to me. I don’t care who the Prince will be. I will not allow him to steal you from me.”

Celine stared into William’s clear, and beautiful eyes, only to see her reflection on their surface. She understood that he wasn’t bluffing, and he was really planning to make love to her until she was pregnant with his child.

“Do your best,” Celine said as she wrapped her arms around William’s neck and pressed her entire body against his lean and strong body. “I dare you to make me pregnant.”

This was the first time that Celine allowed a trace of her desire to reach William’s heart, making the Half-Elf smile as if a weight had been lifted off from his shoulders.

“As you wish, My Love,” William said tenderly as he started to move his hips. He held the beautiful Elf firmly in his embrace.

The Half-Elf took his time and used soft, and strong thrusts, to make Celine sigh in pleasure. This in turn, fanned the burning passion, love, and lust in his heart, making their lovemaking reach greater heights.

A few minutes later, both their bodies shuddered at the same time, as Celine felt William’s hot essence shoot into her womb. The feeling of ecstacy was so great, the beautiful Elf’s vision momentarily turned white, due to how powerful her climax was.

William continued to press his still hard manhood against the entrance of her womb, preventing any of his seed from leaking out of it.

As the afterglow of their first lovemaking started to wane, both of them stared at each other passionately. They had done this several times before, but this time, their eyes revealed what they really felt for each other.

“Master, are you ready?” William asked as he stared into Celine’s purple eyes that glowed faintly with power.

Celine didn’t answer but she gave William a sweet smile before kissing his lips.

It was a kiss filled with a silent promise that only both of them could understand. Perhaps due to her acceptance of William’s idea to have her give birth to his child, the kiss they shared tasted very sweet.

An hour in the outside world was a day inside the artifact Eternity. The Half-Elf was willing to spend many days inside of it in order to make sure that the beautiful Elf conceived his child.

Celine had also given him her silent approval, and allowed him to do as he pleased. Deep inside, she still wanted to fight against Fate. If having William’s child would allow her to escape it then she would gladly accept it.

William no longer said anything and carried Celine to the bed. He wouldn’t mind missing an entire day in the outside world, as long as he could spend twenty-four days with Celine inside Eternity.

Soon, only sweet sighs, and grunts of pleasure, permeated in a world where two people’s hearts only beat for each other.

Free from the troubles of the outside world, and the attraction of the Holy Land of Darkness, William held Celine in a loving embrace. For a brief period of time, he no longer worried about the Demon Lord, or the schemes of the Gremory Clan.

All he cared about was the time that he spent with one of the beautiful Brides of Darkness, whose heart and body were slowly being conquered by him.

Chapter 1036: A Relationship Of Benefits And Gains

Chapter 1036: A Relationship Of Benefits And Gains

(Disclaimer: This chapter contains Rated-18 scenes. You already know the drill).

Celine knelt in the bathtub as she used her seductive lips and tongue to service William to the best of her ability.

Although she was older than him by a few years, her appearance was similar to a young woman in her early twenties. Celine’s body was fully developed, which would make any man, and some women, look at her with infatuated gazes.

Her bodily curves could be considered perfect, and many would fight for the opportunity to make her their lover.

Unfortunately for them, this beautiful and mesmerizing Elf was currently using her hands, lips, and tongue, to clean the manhood that had brought her to the peak of ecstasy for the past few days.

William could be considered peerless in the arts of lovemaking because his stamina, and skills in bed was second to none. Even so, after making love to Celine everyday, his desire for her never waned.

Naturally, they took plenty of breaks in between. They dined, and talked to each other, sharing stories of the things that they had encountered while they were apart.

Celine was captivated by William’s tale, especially the events that had happened in the Seventh Sanctum, the Deadlands, as well as his time on Earth. The Half-Elf didn’t hide anything from her, including the memories of his past lives.

The beautiful Elf was able to control her emotions really well. She had been holding herself back, so that she wouldn’t fall for William completely, in fear that what would happen in the future would break both of their hearts.

Their constant lovemaking as well as William’s honest words of love were slowly, but surely, loosening the knots that she had placed in her heart. There was even a time during their lovemaking when she almost said she loved him too, in reply to the words of love that the Half-Elf had whispered in her ears.

Fortunately, she had caught herself in time, and masked the incoherent words that escaped her lips as a sigh, not of pleasure, but of relief.

The two of them had just finished making love to each other, and went to take a bath to clean each other up. However, Celine told William that she intended to lick him clean, as a thank you for making her feel loved.

Celine had teased William’s manhood with her seductive lips, tongue and hands for half an hour, always stopping just as he was about to reach his climax. This torture was Celine’s payback for almost blurting out the words that she had long suppressed inside her heart.

William’s face filled with helplessness, each time he was denied release, stroked her sadistic tendencies.

‘You think you can conquer me that easily?’ Celine thought as she planted a kiss on the throbbing gland in her hand. ‘This is payback for what you did earlier.’

It was at that moment when Celine felt William’s hand rest on the top of her head. She looked up at him with a questioning gaze as she released his manhood from her sensuous lips, causing an audible popping sound.

“Master, please,” William said with a flushed expression. “Give me release.”

“Fine,” Celine relented. She knew that William was already at his limit, so she decided to end his sensuous torture, so that they could finally clean themselves up and have lunch.

Within a minute, a grunt escaped William’s lips as Celine held his member firmly inside her mouth. Soon, William came, and the beautiful Elf took it all in, not letting a single drop spill from her mouth.

Celine made sure to use her hands to properly squeeze William until the last of his essence had been taken in by her. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she had grown very fond of William’s strong, and manly member, that filled her up to the brim, with the intention of making her conceive.

A few minutes later, Celine washed William’s body, scrubbing every nook and cranny. William did the same, and both of them went to the dining room to have their lunch.

While the two immersed themselves inside Eternity, certain things were happening in the Demon Continent.

The Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, Alvah, was listening to the reports of the spies and agents whom he planted in the Southeast Regions, but none of them had seen any trace of the black-haired teenager who went by the name Raymond Parker.

This was something that perplexed Alvah because he thought that William would bulldoze his way towards every Major Clan he passed through, and force them to submit to his will, but it never happened.

Everything was so peaceful that it was making Alvah feel paranoid. For him, he would rather have William take bold actions that would allow the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan to know his whereabouts and where he might strike next.

That way, he could plan properly and set up an ambush in the future, which would deal a devastating blow to the newcomer, who dared to challenge the might of his Clan.

“Are you sure that you haven’t seen him?” Alvah asked the Patriarch of the Senka Clan, which he assumed would be one of the first Major Clans that William would visit after leaving the Fortaare Desert. “He should have entered your territory by now.”

“No. We haven’t seen him yet,” the patriarch of the Senka Clan replied. “I even placed my scouts along our borders to ensure that we would be warned as soon as he and his entourage appeared, but none of my scouts have seen hints of their shadows. Maybe he changed his mind?”

Alvah shook his head. “Impossible. He’s an arrogant person. I’m sure that he will take this opportunity to make his name known to the world.”

“Still, the fact remains that he’s not here. Maybe he changed his route?”

“It is a possibility. However, continue to stay on your guard.”

The patriarch of the Senka Clan nodded. “Understood.”

Alvah cut the connection and immediately looked at the map of the Demon Continent in front of him.

He narrowed his eyes and he scanned the map for possible routes that the black-haired teenager might have taken after leaving the desert.

“Did I calculate incorrectly?” Alvah thought as he eyed the map. “Could he have gone to the West? But he has been traveling towards the North all this time…”

As the old man made his speculations, he heard a knock on the door which made him stop his pondering for the time being.

“Enter!” Alvah commanded.

The door opened, and one of his trusted subordinates entered the room. The subordinate walked towards Alvah and only stopped two-meters away from him before kneeling on the floor.

“My Liege, the Demon Lord has sent a message to you,” the subordinate reported.

“Where is it?” Alvah asked.

Alvah’s trusted subordinate took out a communication crystal from his pocket and presented it to him. In truth, Alvah and Luciel didn’t have a close relationship. Both of them were just using the other for benefits, but they were fine with this arrangement.

In truth, Alvah had used Luciel’s influence many times in the past to allow the Gremory Clan to reach unprecedented heights under his management. This in turn strengthened the Demon Lord’s faction, so Luciel turned a blind eye to Alvah’s machinations.

Both of them understood that they needed each other, so they tolerated each other to a certain extent.

Alvah channeled his magic power to the communication crystal, and Luciel’s image appeared in front of him. This was only a recorded message, so the only thing he could do was listen to the Demon Lord’s reply to his concern about the black-haired teeanger, who was causing a ruckus in the Southern Regions of the continent.

“I have already sent people to investigate his identity and whereabouts,” Luciel’s cold and domineering voice spread inside Alvah’s office. “Once I get a better grasp of his intention, I will send one of my generals to assist you in dealing with him.

“This is a crucial time, and I can’t leave the Capital. I will leave the matters concerning this newcomer to you. I don’t care how you deal with him, but make sure not to ruin the bigger picture. The clans who support me are becoming fewer in number, and it is mostly due to your greed.

“It will be best if you control your expansion for the time being. I don’t want the Major Clans to turn their back to me, especially since I have received credible information that someone is plotting to overthrow me. If you don’t have any other important matters to tell me, it is best that you just communicate directly to my general. I don’t like getting letters signed by you.”

Alvah controlled his urge to spit on his carpeted floor because he also didn’t want to interact with Luciel as much as possible. Their relationship was purely about benefits and gains, so they didn’t feel the need to flatter each other.

‘Fine, I’ll handle this on my own,’ Alvah grumbled as he once again stared at the map of the Demon Continent in front of him.

Just like Luciel had said, he couldn’t risk the bigger picture. This was something that both of them had wanted these past two decades. Even if they hated each other, he would still send every able-bodied member of the Gremory Clan to rally under Luciel’s banner.

That was the only way for their clan to regain their honor and dignity, which had been torn apart by the Dungeon Conqueror, who had blocked their way to victory.

Chapter 1037: Bold Words. But, Can You Really Do It?

Chapter 1037: Bold Words. But, Can You Really Do It?

A day passed after William had gone inside Baba Yaga’s house to have a serious talk with Celine.

Just as Baba Yaga started to chat with Zhu, Sha, Kira, and Athrun, beside the campfire, the door of the wooden house opened, revealing a smug-faced Half-Elf.

Even in the darkness, they were able to see that William’s skin was glossy. It was as if he had just had a Swedish Massage, and the presence he radiated was filled with confidence.

A minute later, a beautiful Elf with long purple hair, wearing gold-rimmed glasses appeared behind him. Kira and Athrun weren’t able to keep their eyes off of her because of how stunning she looked.

Baba Yaga chuckled like a witch when she saw the two of them. She then gave Celine the “did you manage to squeeze him dry?” gaze, which made the latter avert her gaze in embarrassment.

William smiled because he noticed this subtle exchange between Baba Yaga and Celine. In order to help his woman deal with her embarrassment, the Half-Elf cupped her cheeks and kissed her in front of everyone.

Kira and Athrun who saw this gave William the middle finger in their hearts, while Zhu, Sha, and Baba Yaga only chuckled and gave the Half-Elf a thumbs up for his boldness.

When the kiss ended, Celine pinched William’s waist, and whispered that he shouldn’t act lovey-dovey with her in public.

The Half-Elf was feeling good at the moment, so he endured Celine’s pinching. When the beautiful Elf noticed that her attack wasn’t working, she sighed internally and removed her hand from his waist.

She then floated in the air, and flew towards her Master, who seemed to have formed a good relationship with William’s travel companions.

William smiled as he looked at his proud Master in the distance. The two of them had spent twenty four days inside Eternity, which was equivalent to twenty four hours. During that time, both of them had talked about many things, and yet, Celine would always change the topic, or just go silent, whenever he asked her to marry him.

The Half-Elf understood that his Master liked him also, but something was preventing her from nodding her head, and saying yes to his proposal. Of course, William knew the reason, and because of it, he no longer insisted on the matter.

He only did what he could do and that was to let her know how much he loved her. There were times when Celine would reciprocate his feelings with simple gestures, like a kiss, a hug, or taking the initiative to invite him to drink her blood.

No words were spoken about her feelings for him, but her gestures were enough to tell him what he needed to know. Now that they were together, they would face this prophecy head on. If that was the only way to free her from her fate then William would be more than willing to fight an uphill battle for her.

‘It seems that I am always fighting against Fate regardless of what lifetime I am living,’ William thought as he jumped off the wooden house, and flew towards the campfire to join the others. ‘I lost in my two previous lifetimes, but the third time’s the charm. This time, I will not lose. I will definitely win.’

William was only a few meters away from the campfire when his surroundings were suddenly covered in darkness.

He scanned his surroundings, but he couldn’t see anything in front of him. There was no campfire, no stars in the sky, and no companions waiting for him. It was only him and the absolute darkness, which seemed to have trapped him completely.

Suddenly, he saw two golden balls of light in the distance. Slowly but surely, they moved towards him.

“Looks like you had a lot of fun with my Disciple, boy,” Baba Yaga’s witchy voice reached William’s ears. “But, are you planning to take responsibility for her?”

The two golden balls stopped a meter away from William and turned into a pair of eyes before the wrinkled face of the strongest Demigod in the Demon Continent appeared in his vision.

“Master is my woman,” William replied. “I will take full responsibility and ensure that I make her happy.”

“Bold words, but can you really do it?”

“I will.”

Baba Yaga’s witchy chuckle reached William’s ears as she stared down at him.

“I will, doesn’t mean that you can back it up,” Baba Yaga. “Words are merely words, after all. When the sky truly falls, and this world is shrouded in darkness, the words ‘I will’, may not be enough to ensure her safety.”

William faced Baba Yaga’s stare head-on. “I will do everything in my power to keep her away from harm. I have the ability to do that.”

“Do you?” A contemptuous chuckle escaped Baba Yaga’s lips. “Believe me boy, fighting against a Demigod will be the least of your worries. You will be fighting against a prophecy that is already set in stone. Even with all of your trump cards combined, I’m afraid that it won’t be enough, once the Heir of Darkness is born.”

William frowned because he didn’t believe Baba Yaga’s words. He had already fought against Demigods, Pseudo-Gods and, to a certain extent, against a God. With the experience, and the powers he had gained along the way, he was sure that he would be able to overcome whatever the future could throw at him using the powers he possessed.

“I can see that you do not believe my words,” Baba Yaga said softly. “That’s fine. I will not force you to believe me. However, if and when that time comes, you will understand that even with everything you have, there are some things that you can’t overcome with just feelings alone.”

William shook his head. “I fully understand that feeling of helplessness that comes even if you’ve given it everything you’ve got. I know that feeling of despair when you watch everything you love die in front of you, and the world you were trying to protect is engulfed in a fiery blaze.

“I know of promises that were broken due to unforeseen circumstances, and the tears that followed behind them. This is why, I understand, more than anyone else, what it is like to fight against Fate.

“But, what of it? Even if this prophecy is already set in stone, what of it? As long as I draw breath, I will protect the people that are important to me even if…”

“Even if you sacrifice things that are very important to you?” Baba Yaga interjected and finished William’s statement. “How noble of you, but what if it’s still not enough? What if after you have sacrificed everything? Your memories, your love, and those who loved you. What if after sacrificing them all, you still fail to protect those that are important to you? What then?”

William lowered his head as he seriously pondered the answer to Baba Yaga’s question. The Old Hag didn’t disturb him and simply waited for him to organize his thoughts.

Several minutes passed, and the pin-drop silence rang within the world of darkness, where no light could be seen, no hope could be found, and no warmth could soothe a heart that was slowly turning cold with each passing second.

“If… if after sacrificing everything, and I still fail to protect those that are important to me then I will struggle until the bitter end,” William said with his eyes closed. Memories of his life in Asgard flashed across his mind.

In his dying moments, in a world that was surrounded by a blazing inferno, he had felt the warmth of someone holding him dearly. It was the only consolation he got before he drew his last breath in that world whose fate had been set in stone.

Perhaps, Baba Yaga saw the pain in William’s expression, so she no longer forced the issue and rested her wrinkled hand on his shoulder.

“I walk in the darkness, so that others may see the light,” Baba Yaga said softly. “You choose your own path, Will. Just make sure that when you have made your choice, you will not regret it no matter what.”

Baba Yaga patted his shoulder twice before waving her hand, chasing all the darkness away. She had wanted to know how far William was willing to go in order to protect the ones he loved. Although what she did was quite high-handed, the answer that the boy gave her made her feel that all hope was not lost.

“Time will tell, Young Will,” Baba Yaga sighed as she watched the Half-Elf fly towards the campfire where her Disciple Celine was waiting for him. “It might take a year, it might take a day. But, what’s meant to be will always find its way.”

Chapter 1038: Hit The Demon Lord Where It Would Hurt The Most

Chapter 1038: Hit The Demon Lord Where It Would Hurt The Most

Princess Sidonie and Lilith stared at Celine as if she was their mortal enemy. For the first time, the two ladies agreed on something, and that was to be wary of the purple-haired woman, who was calmly drinking tea in front of them.

William had invited Celine inside his Thousand Beast Domain, so they could have breakfast together, and the latter accepted his invitation. When the seductive Succubus, and the Amazon Princess saw the beautiful Elf beside their lover, both of them felt threatened, as if their position in William’s heart was about to be kicked away by the intruder that had come to their Villa.

Ashe and Chiffon sat on William’s left and right sides, and hand fed him with biscuits, even though they had just finished eating breakfast.

Unlike Princess Sidonie and Lilith, Chiffon was quite happy that another one of her sisters seemed to be interested in William. As for Ashe, she had long known that the Half-Elf had feelings for Celine, so she wasn’t surprised about this outcome.

Vesta, on the other hand, observed the subtle tension in the air with a smile on her face. For some reason, her inner Demon wanted to see a confrontation between the three ladies, who were calmly drinking tea, as they eyed each other.

“Will, who is she?” Lilith, who still hadn’t met Celine, asked. “At first I thought that she was Professor Celeste. But, after careful observation, I realized that her aura is different from hers.”

William smiled as he looked at the Amazon Princess who rarely appeared inside his Domain due to her responsibilities as Princess in the Ares Empire.

“She is my Master, Celine Dy Wisteria,” William replied as she introduced Celine to his fiance. “Master, this is Princess Lilith of the Amazon Empire. She is my fiance.”

Celine looked at Lilith and gave her a brief nod. “I have heard that the Amazon Warriors are always looking for eligible men to bring back to their Empire, so that they can give birth to strong warriors. So, you chose my Disciple as your partner?”

“That’s right,” Lilith answered.

“You have a weird taste in men.”

“… I can’t refute that.”

The smile on William’s face stiffened when he heard Celine’s casual jab, as well as Lilith’s agreement. For some reason, he had the strong urge to throw the two ladies into the artifact Eternity, and fight them there with two hundred rounds in bed.

“What do you like about him?” Celine asked. “I’m very curious about how the Amazons grade their seed donors.”

“Actually, I didn’t like him at the start,” Lilith replied as she gave William a side-long glance. “I just wanted his seed, but after a series of events, I discovered that I have a thing for redheads, so I decided to make him my life partner.”

“That’s quite unfortunate. You got the short end of the stick.”

“Yes. Truly unfortunate.”

The corner of William’s lips started to twitch because he didn’t know if the two girls were praising him, or making fun of him.

Chiffon, who was listening on the side, giggled as she placed a biscuit against William’s pouty lips. The Half-Elf took a bite and chewed it angrily.

‘Just you wait, both of you,’ William thought. ‘I’ll make sure to stick it in until the two of you beg for forgiveness.’

Celine and Lilith chatted for a while longer before the Amazon Princess reluctantly left the Thousand Beast Domain to return to her duties. However, before she left, she made sure to give William a passionate kiss and whispered an “I’m sorry” to him, which made William hold back his plan to let Lilith experience the full course of the Kama Sutra in a single night.

After Lilith left, William’s expression became serious as he discussed his next plan of action with the ladies in the living room.

“My main goal for coming to the Demon Continent was to find my Master, Celine, and bring her to Hestia Academy. However, I have a feeling that if we let the Demon Lord, and the Gremory Clan continue with their schemes, another war is going to break out. I’m sure that none of us want to see this happen, so I’ve decided to put our return trip on hold, and throw a wedge in their plans.”

Princess Sidonie who played a key role in William’s plan nodded her head in agreement. “Although the forces of the Central Continent may seem united on the surface, in truth, they are all waiting for the right opportunity to cut each other’s throats.

“An attack by the Demons would allow them to break the delicate balance among them, and use this time to expand their Domains. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these Empires and Kingdoms have already had dealings with the Demons. To be perfectly honest, I am afraid that the Kraetor Empire might have dealings with them as well.”

Princess Sidonie sighed as she glanced at Chiffon. The pink-haired girl met her gaze and nodded her head. The fact that she was able to study in the academy for a few months meant that her father, Luciel, and Emperor Leonidas, of the Kraetor Empire had some sort of connection.

Even so, Chiffon didn’t regret coming to the human empire to study. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have met William, and might have fallen into the corruption of her Divinity.

William lightly patted Chiffon’s head as if to reassure her that she was currently safe beside him. The pink-haired girl rested her head on William’s chest and wrapped her arms around him. She had no intention of being separated from her husband, even if the entire world were to become her enemy.

“I’m sure that the Gremory Clan are on the lookout for any information regarding me, but I already thought of a fool-proof way to hide my whereabouts from them,” William explained. “The only problem is that the Demon Continent is vast. I’m afraid that we won’t have enough time to Charm every Major Clan, and make them our double agents before the war starts.”

Princess Sidonie nodded because this was also one of her concerns. Traveling the continent took days because there were very few teleportation gates within the continent. All Demons were wary of each other, and they would never build a teleportation gate that could be used by their enemies to amass their troops and attack their territories.

According to one of the Patriarchs that they had charmed, the preparations for the war were underway. He added that the mobilization could start in a month at the soonest, and three months at the latest.

The Gremory Clan had already laid down the groundwork with the backing of the Demon Lord. All they needed was the approval from over seventy of the Major Clans’ Patriarchs and this war would commence as soon as possible.

“I asked for Grandmaster’s input about the war, but the only thing she told me was that she hated politics,” William said with a bitter smile. “However, she did promise that she wouldn’t assist the Demon Clans if they crossed their borders to wage war on the Human and Elven lands.”

Kenneth, who was listening to their talk with his eyes closed, lightly tapped his fingertip on his armrest.

In truth, William’s Mother, Lady Arwen, was also worried about the happenings in the Demon Realm. This was why she asked Kenneth to send her reports about the movements of the Demon Army.

“So, what are you planning to do now?” Vesta asked as she placed her tea cup on the table. “One month is not enough time to cover the entire Demon Realm. If you really want to keep the Demon Army from crossing our borders, you need to come up with a plan to make them reconsider their decision.”

William nodded his head in agreement.

“You’re right,” William replied. “This is why I’ve decided to attack a place that will leave an impression on all the Major Clans in the Demon Continent.”

Vesta narrowed her eyes as she waited for William to continue his statement. She was very curious about what the Half-Elf could possibly do with the limited time that he had.

“Everyone, we are going to the North,” William declared. “We will bring down the Gremory Clan, and remove the Demon Lord’s one-true-backer. Doing this will be like hitting two birds with one stone. Both of them are inseparable, so this is the best option that we have right now.”

Princess Sidonie smirked because she liked William’s bold plan to hit the Demon Lord where it would hurt the most. As long as they could take down the Gremory Clan, the other Major Clans would think twice before sending their men to the battlefield.

Chapter 1039: I Am Not The Type That Puts All My Eggs In A Single Basket

Chapter 1039: I Am Not The Type That Puts All My Eggs In A Single Basket

Joash twirled the winecup in his hand as he sat on his throne.

“A bold plan, but it won’t be that easy to bring down that old snake,” Joash muttered. “But, it will suffice as good bait.”

The Black Dragon who commanded the strongest fortress in the Demon Continent summoned a round mirror and activated it.

Soon, the image of a wrinkled, grumpy, old hag, appeared on its surface.

“Ah, it’s you,” Baba Yaga said with a trace of irritation. “What do you want, you black lizard?”

“I only want to know one thing,” Joash said with a smile. “Are you going to play as a spectator, or will you join the stage and play your part?”

Baba Yaga snorted as if the mere thought of her dabbling in these muddy waters was enough to disgust her.

“All of you can hack each other to pieces, and I will not give a damn,” Baba Yaga answered, “but if any of you plan to use my Disciple as a tool for your foolishness, I will be more than happy to snap all of your necks!”

“Understood.” Joash nodded. “So, as long as your Disciple is safe, you will remain outside the fence, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Very well. You have my word. I will not include your precious Disciple in our plans.”

Baba Yaga scoffed before cutting the connection. She really didn’t want to involve herself in the struggle of power in the Demon Realm because this act was beneath her. The Old Hag was a free spirit that came and went as she pleased. There was no one who would dare to annoy her because her Pestle alone was more than enough to annihilate an entire city with a single strike.

Joash was well aware of Baba Yaga’s character, so he was pleased that one of the obstacles in his way decided to watch from the sidelines. As long as she doesn’t interfere, he was certain that he could cope with any kind of situation.

“One down, two to go,” Joash muttered. “If only one of them joins then I can manage. But, if there’s two of them…”

The Demon Continent had four Demigods that stood at the peak in the power rankings. Baba Yaga of the North, Joash of the South, Mapinguari of the West, and the wandering Demigod of the East, El Silbon.

Baba Yaga was the strongest of them, and Joash was the second. However, Mapinguari, and El Silbon were just a notch weaker than Joash. The Black Dragon wasn’t sure if he would come on top if he fought either one of them in a life and death battle.

‘No matter,’ Joash tossed the idea aside for the time being as he reactivated the round mirror in front of him. ‘Soon, the image of a young man in his late teens appeared in front of him.’

“Adam, how many black stars have you gained?” Joash asked.

“Your Excellency, I only managed to get my third star two days ago after much hardship,” Adam reported. “The number of candidates has also dwindled to a third of what it used to be. I estimate that it will take me roughly a month to get the 7th Star, if I am able to survive that long.”

“Understood.” Joash nodded. “Have you been able to pry some information out of Felix about his father’s plans?”

Adam shook his head. “Aside from watching over the progress of the exploration of the Holy Land, he spends most of his time in the company of two ladies. I tried to subtly gauge the strength of these two girls, but what I found out far exceeded my expectations.”

“Oh?” Joash arched an eyebrow. He knew what kind of person Adam was, and understood that he wasn’t someone who liked to exaggerate things. “Are they that strong?”

Adam nodded. “If I were to make a guess, the two of them might be Sins. It seems that they have a close relationship with Felix. I don’t know if they are his acquaintances, or his lovers, but one thing is for sure, both of them are dangerous. I don’t dare to investigate them further.”

Joash smiled. “As expected of my Disciple. You have done well. For now, don’t mind those two ladies. Just focus on collecting those stars, and unlock the secrets in the Holy Land. Remember, you are the key to our plan. Do not disappoint me.”

“Yes, Master!” Adam pressed his hands together and bowed respectfully.

After giving a few more reminders to his Disciple, Joash cut the connection to ensure that their communication wouldn’t be discovered. He had gone to great lengths in order to allow Adam to stay below the Demon Lord’s radar, so he wouldn’t be too suspicious of the young man’s identity.

“I am not the type that puts all my eggs in a single basket,” Joash muttered as he activated the mirror for the third time. “A new era will open, and those of the old would have no choice but to acknowledge the change of times. This is merely the opening gambit to bring an end to all struggles.”

The surface of the mirror rippled as an old man with white hair appeared in front of Joash.

“Joash, how are things in the Demon Realm?” Byron, the Headmaster of Hestia Academy asked with a smile. His old face held a trace of amusement, as if he was looking at a wonderful toy that he had just discovered.

“So-so,” Joash replied. “Have you prepared things on your end?”

Byron nodded. “We have prepared to the best we can. All that we need to do is wait for the prophecy to come to pass.”

Joash smirked. “Don’t we all?”

Both men chuckled. They were people who held great power and influence in their respective factions, so working together was something that both of them benefitted from.

“Adam just told me that the trials in the Holy Land might only last for just over a month,” Joah stated. “It’s only a matter of time before Luciel makes his move also.”

“Is William not a good enough bait?” Byron asked. “I could have sworn that Luciel would immediately go and find him as soon as he made waves in his home turf. This is why I personally delegated him to go to the Demon Realm to find Celine. As long as the two of them are together, Luciel will have no choice but to pay attention to them.”

The Black Dragon nodded in understanding.

“Luciel is not as bold as he used to be after losing his arm,” Joash replied. “However, as long as William and Celine are together, he will have no choice but to pay attention to them.”

The Black Dragon knew that fighting against Fate was a very difficult thing to do.

This was why he decided to take control of it instead. As long as he played his cards right, he believed that he would be able to guide the events that would soon happen to his desired outcome.

An outcome that would have a higher chance of letting the world of Hestia survive the disaster that would soon come knocking on its doors.

Chapter 1040: The Forces Under Alvahs Command

Chapter 1040: The Forces Under Alvah's Command

"Okay, let's start our strategy meeting," William said as he scanned the faces of everyone that would be participating in the attack against the capital city of the Gremory Clan, Lexicon. "Cassey, tell us everything you know about our opponents."

The Patriarch of the Rajah Clan nodded her head as she explained all the information that she had gathered over the years.

"The Gremory Clan is recognized as the strongest demon clan in the continent. They have a total of seven cities, and have twenty Vassal Clans," Cassey explained. "Five of those twenty are medium-sized Clans, which all have their own Vassal Clans under them.

"There are no Major Clans in the northern regions of the Demon Continent who dare to challenge their authority. This has allowed them to set their sights on other places, and expand their territories from there."

Cassey paused as she took a crystal out from her storage ring and activated it. Immediately, the image of Alvah, as well as the forces under his command appeared on the list.

"Aside from his personal army, Alvah also has three Myriad Beast under him," Cassey said as she waved her hand, showing the three monsters that served as Alvah's trump cards.

The image of a six-meter tall monster with thick white fur, and sharp fangs appeared in front of everyone.

"The Great Yeti, Banffa, is the Protector Beast of the frozen north, and is said to call upon the power of blizzards when battling against its opponents," Cassey stated. "Please note that aside from the names of the Beasts, and their ranks, everything else is just rumors that I've gathered over the years. Meaning, whether this monster is capable of summoning blizzards or not, is something that is not confirmed."

Cassey waved her hand again and the image of the Great Yeti disappeared, this time, a five-hundred-meter long Snake with nine heads appeared in the projection.

"This monster is called a Xiangliu. It is a very venomous monster whose regeneration abilities wouldn't lose to that of a Hydra. It participated in the great battle against the Silvermoon Continent, but it was grievously injured when it fought against the Ancient Golem Drauum."

William crossed his arms over his chest when he heard the name of the Ancient Golem who had become a nightmare to him during the war in the Southern Continent.

Since it was an ancient golem, it was immune to poison, so it is quite understandable that the Xiangliu wasn't a match against it.

"Lastly, Argus Panoptes," Cassey frowned as the image of a Giant, with over a hundred eyes on its head, was projected in front of them. "This Giant is often referred to as All-Seeing because it can see through disguises, as well as invisible things, for miles. It is also the one that guards the Capital City of Lexicon.

"With it standing guard, any plans to attack the capital city will be thwarted long before the attackers reach the walls of the city. You could even say that it is the greatest hurdle that we must overcome if we plan to take Gremory Clan's stronghold by storm."

William stared at the giant monster, but he wasn't too concerned about it. With the plan he had in mind, it wouldn't matter whether the hundred-eyed monster saw them or not.

"How about the defenses of the City of Lexicon?" William asked. "How large is the army that protects it?"

Cassey pondered before giving an answer.

"According to the spy I planted in that city many years ago, they have at least three-hundred thousand troops guarding the capital city," Cassey answered. "The weakest among them are in the Mithril Rank (Grade A Monster). They were personally handpicked among the strongest warriors that were born among the vassals of the Gremory Clan.

"The rest of the Gremory Clan's army is stationed along the borders of their territory. If given time, the number of their forces could triple if the reinforcements from the different clans arrive to help defend the city."

Cassey snapped her fingers and a map of the city appeared in front of everyone.

"Lexicon City is also the second biggest city in the Demon Continent, its size is roughly a hundred square miles, and home to at least two to four million demons.

William nodded in understanding. He was quite impressed by Cassey's knowledge about the Gremory Clan, which meant that she had been paying close attention to them ever since she became Patriarch of her Clan.

"So, where is the residence of the Gremory Clan located?" William asked.

Cassey sighed as she looked at the projection of the city.

"The residence of the Gremory Clan can't be found in the city," Cassey explained. "The first Patriarch of the Gremory Clan was a cautious individual, so he decided to keep the main residence of their Clan hidden and use a fake residence in the city to meet the dignitaries and other officials of the different Clans that visit Lexicon City."

William arched an eyebrow because he didn't expect that even Cassey didn't know where the residence of the Gremory Clan was located.

He understood that as long as they were not aware of its location, they wouldn't be able to deal a devastating blow to the strongest clan in the Demon Continent. This was the only way that they could think of in order to make the other Major Clans reconsider their decision to join the large-scale war that the Demon Lord was planning to execute.

"Are there other things that you liked to add?" William inquired just in case Cassey had forgotten to say any important information that she currently had.

Cassey nodded. "There's one more thing that I think you should know. The Ancient Ruins that have been recently discovered are just fifty miles away from Lexicon City. I have no idea how many troops are stationed in that place, but I heard that all those who possess Dark Magic in the Demon Realm are now gathered in that location."

William and Celine exchanged a glance at each other before shifting their attention back to Cassey. When they were still inside Eternity, the two of them had talked about the strong attraction that the Ancient Ruins had over the two of them.

The Half-Elf would be lying if he said that he wasn't tempted to visit the place. However, his gut instinct was telling him to never set foot in that place. Celine also didn't want to go to that place because she felt that going there would endanger her life.

This was why the Master and Disciple pair decided to never go to that destination, where the pull of darkness was strong enough to make them lose control of their senses for a brief period of time.

Chapter 1041: The Night Before The Storm

Chapter 1041: The Night Before The Storm

A week had passed since they had their strategy meeting.

William and his entourage traveled steadily towards the North using a route that Baba Yaga had planned for them.

As a Demigod who had traveled the entire continent, she was well aware of the lesser beaten paths where no Demon dared to tread.

She had stored her mobile house inside her own domain, and spent most of her day riding in her giant mortar as she led William's entourage along the hidden paths that she had used previously on her journeys.

Celine, on the other hand, stayed in her laboratory in the Thousand Beast Domain, and secluded herself for the time being to do some experiments.

Although she didn't say it explicitly, it seemed as though she was planning to fight alongside William, and was currently preparing some items that she would use in their upcoming battle.

William had asked Kira and Athrun to not join the battle because he didn't want to involve them, or their Clans, in this unprecedented attack on the Gremory Clan's capital city.

Finally on the tenth day, Baba Yaga told them that they would rest during the day, and only travel at night. Although the North was very cold, it was surprisingly a very populated region in the Demon Continent.

Most Demons are highly resistant to certain temperatures, especially from the heat and the cold. They would often travel in groups to hunt, and forage in their snow-covered forests, which were teeming with life.

This was why Baba Yaga told them that they would only travel during the night because the temperature would be too frigid for even the cold-resistant Demons to wander outside of their homes.

The days passed as everyone started to adapt to their nightly routine. When Baba Yaga said that the night was frigid, she wasn't joking. Fortunately, William had reached the final stage of his Elemental Sovereign Job Class, which allowed him to create a dome of warmth for each flying carriage in his entourage.

Looking outside the window of William's flying carriage, Chiffon looked at the world of snow and ice with an indifferent expression on her face. The City of Lexicon had been one of the many prisons that her father, Luciel, had used to lock her up after her mother's death.

She didn't have very fond memories of the place. Just like her brothers and sisters did to her, the other members of the Gremory Clan shunned her as well. They would ridicule her, and make her beg before she was given scraps for food.

Back then, she couldn't stand up to them because, for her, they were stronger than her. This was why she was bullied. However, things were no longer the same. She was no longer the naive, little girl that begged them for food.

Chiffon was confident that if she ever saw the faces of those who had made her life miserable in the past, she would smash their faces with Sharur, and feed their bodies to Medusa, who had somehow ended up becoming her adorable pet.

"You don't have to force yourself to join me in this fight," William said as he wrapped his arms around Chiffon from behind. "I can handle them myself."

The pink-haired girl reested her hands over William's hands, before shaking her head.

"You are my husband, so it is normal for me to help you," Chiffon replied. "Also, I believe that I need to overcome this hurdle as well. I need to get revenge for my mother as well. I will not forgive them."

William sighed internally, but he no longer tried to dissuade Chiffon from fighting alongside him. He had felt her strong need to vent out her childhood frustrations on the people that had made her childhood miserable.

Kenneth, who had decided to accompany Chiffon to the outside world, was seated across them with his eyes closed. He had been cooped up in the Thousand Beast Domain for most of the journey, so he decided to come out for a change of pace.

What many people didn't know was that even if Kenneth closed his eyes, he was able to see everything around him using his Mind's Eye. This was one of the abilities he had, so he could see clearly the Half-Elf's concern for his wife.

Charmaine was seated beside Kenneth and was looking at the husband and wife pair with an envious gaze.

'Sir William only holds me like that when he drinks my blood,' Charmaine thought as she replayed the last time the Half-Elf had embraced her in her memories. 'Tonight is supposed to be the night that he will drink my blood. It's a shame that it will be put on hold until it's only the two of us.'

While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the flying carriages started to descend from the sky.

William frowned because he thought that it would still take them at least a day more before they reached their destination.

Just as he was about to check what was going on, Baba Yaga's voice reached everyone's ears.

"If we move any closer, Argus Panoptes will be able to see us," Baba Yaga said in a firm voice. "All of you should rest for the rest of the night and finalize your strategy. Once you cross the next two miles, there will be no turning back. This is as far as I will take you. I don't want to involve myself in the war between you and the Demon race."

William nodded in understanding. Baba Yaga had already made it known that she wouldn't participate in the battles that the Half-Elf was planning to fight. The only reason she had helped him thus far was due to her adopted daughter Celine's request.

As the flying carriages landed in a hidden place at the foot of a mountain, William and his entourage gathered for their last strategy meeting. This would be the night that they would finalize their plans.

The Half-Elf made it known to them that when the sun set the next day, and the first stars appeared on the horizon, their attack on the city of Lexicon would finally take place.

Chapter 1042: Clash Of Clans [Part 1]

Chapter 1042: Clash Of Clans [Part 1]

Alvah stared at the map in front of him with a determined gaze, as if gazing at it was enough to let him know exactly where William was currently.

It had been almost two weeks since he had last heard of his exploits and, since then, not even his shadow had been seen.

Alvah had used all of the manpower and connections at his disposal to find the black-haired teenager who dared to challenge his authority.

However, it had not yielded any results. The Patriarchs of the Major Clans who were close to him even told him that he was being paranoid about an Upstart that just wanted his name to be known to the world.

This was a very common occurrence in the Demon Realm, so the Patriarchs of the Major Clans didn't think much of it. Some even assured Alvah that the one who went by the name Raymond Parker had already gone into hiding because he was afraid of the Gremory Clan's, as well as the Demon Lord's, wrath.

If this incident had happened half a year ago, Alvah would definitely not think much of it as well. However, the mocking gaze that Raymond Parker gave him not long ago was etched in his memories.

'Those were not the eyes of an Upstart,' Alvah thought. 'Those were the eyes of someone that is not afraid of me, or the Demon Lord. I'm sure that he is planning something and I'm sure that, whatever it is, it will not be simple.'

Just as Alvah was thinking of calling his spies, in order to check if they had heard any news about Raymond Parker, he received a message from his Myriad Beast that continually kept a lookout in his territory.

"Something very bright is shining in the sky over the city?" Alvah asked with a frown. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," the Myriad Beast, Argus, replied. "It is at least a dozen miles up in the sky. I can't see it clearly because it is shining brightly."

"Could it be a meteor?"

"I don't think so. Whatever it is, it's not moving."

Argus had been the protector of Lexicon City for many years. During its watch, it had seen several meteors fall down from the sky, but most of them burned up and disintegrated before they ever touched the ground. This was why it was confident that whatever it was looking at right now, was not a meteor.

"At least a dozen miles in the sky?" Alvah's frown deepened. "I don't know of any beasts that can fly that high. Even Dragons don't go to such lengths when they fly in the sky."

Suddenly he received another message from Argus. This time, the Myriad Beast declared that whatever was in the sky was now falling towards the city.

"Activate the city's barrier!" Alvah ordered.

The defenses of the city were being controlled by Argus, so he wasted no time ordering his Myriad Beast to protect the city with the barrier that had been placed long ago.

A dome of blue light enveloped the entirety of Lexicon City, as the unidentified object descended from the heavens at a very fast rate.

Argus followed its trajectory and when it had confirmed where it would land, it immediately left its post and fled. To his surprise, the angle of the falling object shifted and it was once again locked into its location.

'Impossible!' Argus thought as he ran away again.

Since it was a giant, its strides allowed it to traverse great distances in a matter of seconds. But, no matter where he went, the trajectory of the falling object remained locked onto its body.

In desperation, Argus summoned its giant Spiked Mace and braced itself for impact. Although the city was enveloped in a very powerful barrier, it felt that it wouldn't be enough to stop whatever it was that was targeting it.

Using all of its concentration, Argus focused its hundred eyes on the meteor-like object that was about to fall into the city that he had protected for many years.

"A stick? No… a spear?" Argus muttered as he firmly planted his feet on the ground, and raised his weapon high.

It was at that moment when a powerful shout echoed throughout the entire city of Lexicon.

"Bloom in the battlefield!"

"Fleur Du Soleil!"

The spear of the Sun God shone radiantly like it never had in the past. William had allowed it to soak up the power of the sun in the stratosphere for three-full days, raising its might to unprecedented levels.

The moment its tip descended upon the barrier, a powerful explosion, similar to that of a nuclear warhead, thundered in the surroundings. For a few seconds, the world turned very bright. It was so bright that everyone was forced to cover their eyes, so that they wouldn't go blind.

Unfortunately, for the Hundred-eyed Giant, it only had a single hand to cover its eyes because the other hand was holding a weapon in a tight grip.

Argust screamed as his eyes went blind due to the brightness that burned them to the core, but his scream was muffled by the thunderous explosion that shook the entire city.

Moments later, the barrier shattered and Soleil descended towards the giant, who was struggling in pain.

Due to its searing hotness, the spear pierced through Argus' spiked mace, and went straight into its head, burying itself deep inside it before unleashing its fiery might.

Suddenly, Argus' head exploded like a watermelon. Its body then collapsed on the ground deader than dead.

That was how the Hundred-Eyed Guardian of Lexicon City died, which made Alvah, who felt the backlash of its death, hold his head in pain.

William hovered above the city as he watched the barrier crumble underneath his feet.

"Go!" William said as a portal appeared behind his back.

The two Flying Armored Elephants, Gluteus and Maximus, trumpeted their arrival. Riding on top of Maximus was none other than Cassey, who still had a dumbfounded expression on her face.

She thought that they would have a hard time breaking through the city's defenses. However, all it took was one attack from William and the barrier, as well as one of the Myriad Beasts under Alvah's control, was demolished under his overpowering might.

Chapter 1043: Clash Of Clans [Part 2]

Chapter 1043: Clash Of Clans [Part 2]

William held Soleil in his hand as he gazed at his surroundings.

He had ordered Gluteus and Maximus to trample the Gremory Clan's fake residence, in order to make Alvah, and his subordinates show themselves to him. He didn't like senseless killing, so he prohibited the two Flying Armored Elephants, as well as Cassey, from attacking the civilians.

Soon, the sound of horns reverberated in the air as the army of the Gremory Clan mobilized to fight off the invaders.

William then threw Soleil back towards the sky to let it absorb more sunlight. It had depleted its firepower after breaking through the barrier and killing the Hundred-Eyed Giant. The Half-Elf had often wondered what Soleil would be able to do if it was allowed to absorb sunlight for a very long time.

The destruction that it had caused earlier made him realize that the longer the spear soaked in the sunlight, the more devastating its attack.

Since that was the case, he needed to let it charge in as much sunlight as it could, before he used it again for another lethal strike.

Cassey, who was currently mounted on top of Maximus, gave William a side-long glance before shifting her gaze back to the army that was in front of her.

In truth, she was quite happy that she and William were on the same side. Her most powerful Summon, Impundulu, had only one weakness and that was Divine Flames. As far as she knew, Alvah didn't have any of that in his arsenal, which made her resolve stronger.

"Slaughter them, Impundulu!" Cassey ordered.

A powerful shriek answered her call and a giant black bird with dark-purplish streaks on the tips of its wings appeared above her. Tendrils of lightning snaked around its body, as it charged towards the approaching army with the intention of drinking all of their blood.

Just as the giant vampiric bird was about to start its slaughter, a giant nine-headed snake materialized in front of it, and spat poisonous fumes in its direction.

Impundulu didn't even bat an eye at the deadly attack and charged forward. It then unleashed a powerful lightning AOE skill that made the giant nine-headed snake, as well as the army behind it, scream in pain.

Suddenly, gray clouds covered the sky, and a strong gust of wind blew over the city. Soon, it started to snow heavily, reducing the visibility.

The Great Yeti, Banffa, gave a resounding roar as it unleashed the power of a blizzard to wreak havoc on its foes.

William sneered as he changed his job class to Ice Sovereign and manipulated the blizzard to his advantage.

Soon, hail as big as bowling balls crashed down on the Gremory Clan's army. The soldiers didn't expect the Blizzard that their Protector Beast had summoned to be used against them. This had caught them completely by surprise and, in less than a minute, most of them had suffered injuries due to the powerful barrage that seemed unending.

Banffa roared in anger because it had never faced anyone who was able to manipulate its elemental storm to such an extent. After realizing that his opponent also held the ability to wield the power of ice, the Great Yeti once again took control of the Blizzard and used it to attack William and his allies.

William pressed his palms together as he tried to wrest control of the Blizzard from the Myriad Beast, but Banffa's hold on it was secure. Since that was the case, William did the next best thing and that was to create a blizzard of his own!

The already heavy snowfall became heavier, and visibility had been reduced to zero. No one could see anything, except the vast whiteness that was in front of them.

Aside from the whistling sound of snow and wind, only the screech of Impundulu, as well as the shriek of the nine-headed snake, Xiangliu, could be heard.

Perhaps, only William was able to see the current status of the battlefield thanks to Optimus, who was monitoring the battle and the city in real time.

< If you keep this up, the Gremory Clan's army will be buried in snow in five minutes tops. >

'How about Alvah? Have you found him?' William inquired as he continued his battle with Banffa, who was also strengthening its Blizzard to unprecedented levels.

Although no one could see it, William and the Myriad Beast were attacking each other with Glacial Spears, Icycle Shards, and several other ice elemental attacks in order to prove which of them was superior over the other.

Their battle has become so intense that Gluteus and Maximus had no choice but to take shelter from the icy torture that they were experiencing. Although they had very sturdy bodies, both of them were still beasts at the peak of the Millennial Rank.

A battle between powerhouses could easily turn them into ice statues. Fortunately, William had encased them in a protective barrier that prevented them from freezing over.

Cassey's lips had already started to turn blue due to the sheer cold that she was experiencing.

Even so, she didn't retreat and summoned her Ancient Fire Elemental to keep her, and the two Flying Armored Elephants warm.

As powerful as it may be, the Ancient Fire Elemental was also having a very difficult time. It if was fighting against Banffa then it could definitely fight it to a tie. However, with William summoning a powerful blizzard to contend with the Myriad Beast, the only thing the Ancient Elemental could do was to keep itself, and the three creatures beside it warm and toasty.

—---

Alvah smashed his fist on the table as he gazed at the grayish world in front of him. Even if his consciousness was connected with the Great Yeti, he was still unable to overpower the black-haired teenager that had come uninvited into his domain.

Originally, he mocked William for trying to fight his Myriad Beast using the power of ice. He didn't expect that not only did his opponent resist his attack, the invader even summoned his own Blizzard to make the situation much worse.

'My soldiers will be buried in snow at this rate,' Alvah gritted his teeth as he ordered his Great Yeti to cancel the Blizzard that it had conjured. This was the only thing that he could do in order to preserve his army's fighting strength.

William noticed that the force that had been pushing against him had disappeared completely, and only the Blizzard he summoned continued to rain hail and snow everywhere he pleased.

"Heh, do you think I'll stop because you stopped?" William sneered. "Not a chance!"

The snow and hail had almost buried the army in front of him. He would be a fool to stop now and give them some time to recover from his devastating attack.

As William was about to strengthen the power of the blizzard to the next level, a whistling sound reached his ears, and it was not a whistle that came from the wind.

It was at that moment when Wiliam's sixth sense kicked in, so he hurriedly jumped to his right side.

At the corner of William's vision, he saw something red flash amidst the white world that he had created. Suddenly, the place where he had just been earlier exploded, sending snow flying in every direction.

The attack was so powerful that it seemed to have cut the blizzard in half, making it dissipate as if it was just a dream.

William gazed at the red, whip-like weapon that had broken his spell so easily before shifting his gaze to the still-whistling creature that was at least four meters tall.

It was carrying a sack behind it, and from the bones sticking out of its holes, William knew that this opponent was not something he could brush aside completely.

Chapter 1044: The Mortal Enemy of Womanizers

Chapter 1044: The Mortal Enemy of Womanizers

"N-No way!" Cassey gasped in shock as she looked at the creature that was whistling in the distance. "Why is he here?!"

The patriarch of the Rajah Clan had only seen the whistling man once in her lifetime, but that was more than enough to cement his notoriety inside her heart.

"William! Let's retreat!" Cassey shouted. "We can't win against him! That being is El Sibon!"

William frowned because even before Cassey had told him the creature's name, Optimus had already given him the information that he needed.

—--

< El Sibon >

– The Whistling Demon

– Bone Collector

– Threat Level: Calamity (High)

– Demigod

– Cannot be added to the Herd.

– The Whistling Demon, El Sibon, had no permanent place to call his home. He would wander around the Demon Realm in search of prey that was worthy to be added to his collection.

– It is said that when the whistling sounds close, there's no danger, and the whistler is far away, but when the whistling sounds distant, it means it is nearby. It is also said that hearing the whistling foretells one's own death, and one may hear it anywhere at any time.

– El Sibon hates womanizers with a vengeance. He likes to torture them to death before adding them to his collection. If you are a womanizer then you must beware, El Sibon will give you a scare. The strength of womanizers will be halved when fighting against him. He is every ladies' man's worst enemy.

—-

"Womanizing Half-Elf…," El Sibon said in a hoarse voice as he gazed at William with his glowing red eyes. "I'll kill you."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the Demigod's threatening words. He wanted to argue that he wasn't a womanizer, but the Demigod's red whip came lashing in his direction at the speed of sound, giving him no time to voice his thoughts out loud.

William raised his hand and forcefully returned Gluteus, Maximus, and Cassey inside his Thousand Beast Domain. Fighting against a Demigod was not part of their plan, and he had no intention of using his Heroic Avatar at this moment.

He planned to use it after finding Alvah's location, but even though Optimus had done a full sweep of the city, the patriarch of the Gremory Clan was not found. Also, even though he didn't want to admit it. There was a powerful suppression that made him unable to fight the Demigod with his full power.

William had a feeling that even if he used his Heroic Avatar, it would still end in failure, so fighting against El Sibon was something that he wouldn't do unless he could be certain of his victory.

"Die… Womanizer!" El Sibon once again lashed at William, but the latter had already changed his Job Class to Thunder Emperor, allowing him to escape with his Lightning Strider Skill.

The Demigod could only watch him go, as the bones inside his sack rattled. It was as if they were feeling sorry that one of their compatriots had managed to escape instead of joining them inside the sack for eternity.

Alvah, who saw this scene, sighed in relief. He didn't expect that the wandering demigod, El Sibon, would end up in the Northern Regions of the Demon Realm. Because of his appearance, William was forced to retreat, allowing him and his army to survive this calamity.

However, just before Alvah could fully celebrate his unexpected victory against his opponent, El Sibon started to whistle once again. He then turned his head to the side, and looked at one of the demons in Alvah's army.

"Die!" El Sibon declared as his whip pierced through the demon's chest.

However, that was not the end. Under the horrified gazes of everyone, the demon's body began to convulse before his skeleton was pulled out of his body, leaving the flesh behind. It was a grotesque scene and everyone could only look helplessly as the Demigod gave its red whip a tug.

The demon's skeleton flew in El Sibon's direction, landing in the sack on his back. Soon the rattling of bones spread throughout the surroundings.

The Demigod started to whistle again as he set his eyes on another demon whose legs had already collapsed under his feet.

"N-No! I am not a womanizer! I am not aarghhh!" The demon cried out in pain and fear as El Sibon's red whip pierced his body, and latched itself on his bones.

"Die," El Sibon laughed evilly as he once again pulled the demon's skeleton, adding it to his collection.

On that day, thousands of demons died in the City of Lexicon as the Whistling Demon reaped the lives of those whom it deemed guilty of being unfaithful.

Although the number of Demons the Demigod killed had exceeded his expectations, Alvah didn't bat an eye and just kept his silence. Even he, as the Patriarch of the strongest Clan in the Demon Realm had no choice but to turn a blind eye to El Sibon's rampage.

Demigods were existences that could come and go unhindered in any place in the world of Hestia. No sane mortal would dare to challenge them unless they also had the backing of a Demigod.

Even though he felt regretful for the loss of his soldiers, Alvah had no choice but to grit his teeth, and wait for the calamity to move to another location.

"Raymond Parker… I'll make you pay for this offense that you have committed against me this day," Alvah swore as he clenched his fist tightly. He had lost one of his Myriad Beasts, which had greatly weakened the strength of his capital's defenses.

Right now, he was sure that the spies of the other Major Clans in his territory would send news of what had just transpired to their Masters.

Alvah knew that his prestige and influence would weaken after this setback, but there was nothing he could do about it. Making excuses would just make him look weak in front of everyone, so he decided to just accept it, and make preparations to counter William's next attempt to attack his capital city.

—--

Somewhere in the Fortaare Desert…

'Such a shame…,' Zeph thought as one of his agents in the city of Lexicon finished his report. 'If only El Sibon hadn't appeared, Alvah might have already suffered from an aneurysm by now.'

After pondering for a few minutes, he told his spy to report to him as soon as anything out of the ordinary happened in the territory of the Gremory Clan.

The spy bowed his head respectfully before cutting the connection with his Master.

Zeph walked towards the window, as he gazed at the clear blue sky of the desert. Its appearance was the stark contrast of the chaotic atmosphere that was currently happening in the North.

Now that William's location was known to Alvah, the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan would definitely have countermeasures prepared for the black-haired teenager's next attempt to attack his Domain.

Zeph was not the only one who thought that it was a shame that William didn't succeed in his plan to exterminate the Gremory Clan. Several of the other Patriarchs, who had a bad relationship with the family that backed the Demon Lord, shook their heads helplessly at the stroke of luck that had come to the capital city to help the Clan they hated deep in their bones.

Chapter 1045: Enjoy Your Victory While It Lasts

Chapter 1045: Enjoy Your Victory While It Lasts

"It's truly a shame that El Sibon appeared, isn't that right, William my boy?" Zeph asked with a smile on his face.

"As expected, you already knew about it," William replied. "You've got good connections, old man."

Before Wiliam left the Fortaare Desert, Zeph had given him a round mirror the size of a baseball ball. This was the means they used so they could communicate with each other over long distances. He had received a call from Kira's Grandfather half an hour after he had left the city of Lexicon.

Zeph chuckled as he waved his hand in order to appear humble in front of the black-haired boy, who was feeling a bit down because his attack didn't go according to his plan.

"Don't be so down, Will," Zeph said. "Although you didn't manage to raze the Gremory Clan to the ground, what you did still had an effect on the geopolitics of the Demon Realm. In fact, the effect might be better than you imagine. However, in order to take advantage of the situation, you need to capitalize on your momentum."

"Capitalize on my momentum? What scheme are you cooking up, old man? I'm all ears."

"It's nothing much, I just need you to…"

After listening to Zeph's proposal, William realized that he still had lots to learn when compared to the old schemer who was looking back at him with a look of anticipation.

"Fine, let's do it your way," William replied with a smile. "You're good, old man."

"Hahaha! Of course I am," Zeph replied with a smug expression on his face. "I have been lying in the shadows and scheming behind everyone's backs before you were even born. How can you possibly match my brilliance?"

William smirked because the old man did indeed have the qualifications to brag about himself. The plan Zeph offered was quite great, and it would definitely impact the Gremory Clan's plan to expand its Domain. Since this was a move that would make his enemy suffer, William was more than happy to kick Alvah and his Clan while they were down.

Two hours after the event that had transpired in Lexicon City, the Patriarchs of the different Major Clans in the Demon Realm received a call from their acquaintances, showing how the person that went by the name Raymond Parker had destroyed the barrier of the Gremory Clan's capital city, as well as kill one of Alvah's Myriad Beasts.

It also showed the appearance of El Sibon, and how it had started a killing spree after William had escaped its clutches. Many of the Patriarchs that hated the Gremory Clan gloated when they saw the recording. The Gremory Clan's supporters, on the other hand, felt threatened at first because at the end of the video, the black-haired teenager had made a declaration.

"Any Clans who continue to offer their support to the Gremory Clan in their ambition for war will answer to me," William declared. "Alvah and his family only survived because El Sibon interfered. However, do not think that you will be as lucky as them. I have a list of the Clans that support the Gremory Clan, and I will visit you one by one."

William showed everyone a devilish smile that made the hearts of Alvah's cronies shudder.

"If you don't want to be annihilated, it will be best to break all ties with the Gremory Clan," William stated. "Do not think that I will be fooled with fake pretenses. I am giving all of you exactly two hours to cut every single connection you have with them."

The black-haired teenager then took out a scroll from his storage ring and recited the names of the Clans that were currently supporting the Demon Lord and his goal to wage war in the Silvermoon and the Central Continents.

"Astaseul Clan of the Sleeping Valley…"

"Brichazac Clan of the Stoned Steps…"

"Castemont Clan of the Infested Plains…"

William mentioned the Clans who had been confirmed to have formed a partnership with the Gremory Clan, as well as the Demon Lord.

Zeph had done a lot of digging throughout the past week, in order to know which Clans were currently working with the Demon Lord. he needed this list so that the people who were on his side would be aware of which clans they needed to target before Luciel's and Alvah's plan was executed.

After saying the names of over twenty clans, William stopped and sneered.

"I know where all of you are located. Do not think for a moment that a Demigod will always appear to save you," William said in a teasing tone. "I have an artifact that allows me to travel long distances in minutes. None of you are safe from me. I will be visiting all of you soon."

After saying those words, the connection was cut, leaving the Clans that had been called out by him feeling very anxious. The Gremory Clan was the strongest of the Major Clans in the demon realm. If even they were not able to resist William's sneak attacks, then how could they possibly cope with the black-haired teenager whose feats were now known to many?

Joash smiled as he watched the projection disappear in front of him. This was the perfect opportunity that he was waiting for. Although Luciel was a cautious and scheming individual, he was someone who didn't like to be ridiculed.

Now that his plan was being challenged by William, he would no doubt leave the capital city and hunt the black-haired teenager down.

This was precisely the moment that Joash was waiting for. As long as Luciel left the powerful runic formation of the capital city, he was confident that he would be able to defeat him in no time at all.

"Now, what are you going to do, Luciel?" Joash muttered. "Are you still going to remain cooped up inside that castle of yours, or are you going to show everyone why you hold the title of Demon Lord?"

Joash didn't know the answer to these questions. All that he wanted was for Luciel to leave his Stronghold, so that he could enact the plans that he had painstakingly prepared for over a decade.

The Black Dragon gazed towards the North, where his enemies were currently at.

"The time is almost at hand," Jash muttered. "To think that I will be collaborating with your son… Fate sure is full of surprises."

—--

Inside the Capital City of the Demon Realm, Astryae…

Luciel had a frown on his face as he read the reports of his subordinates. His agents were doing their best to dig up any information regarding Raymond Parker, but they had no leads as to where to start.

All that they knew was that the black-haired teenager passed through the Southern Stronghold, and was being accompanied by Joash's daughter, Vesta.

This made all of them conclude that the person that attacked the Gremory Clan had a connection with the Black Dragon that guarded their Southern Borders. The revelation had unnerved most of the officials in the capital city.

Joash was one of the four Demigods of their Realm. If he really planned to stage a rebellion, that would mean that they would be fighting against a Demigod.

No one in their right minds would fight against a Demigod because this was akin to suicide. This had lowered the morale of the officers in the Demon Lord's army because the Southern Stronghold housed a great number of soldiers that were under Joash's command.

"Just what are you planning to do, you overgrown Lizard?" Luciel said in a cold and deadly voice that reeked of killing intent. "Did you lose your courage on the day that you lost your tail?"

The Demon Lord scoffed as he thought of a way to overcome the current dilemma that he was facing. He had greatly underestimated William's capabilities, and only thought of him as one of the many Upstarts that appeared in the Demon Realm from time to time.

Now that the black-haired teeanger dared to attack the family that backed his throne, Luciel felt that if he didn't do something soon, none of the Clans would support his idea to conquer the lands outside their Domain in order to expand their territories after the Heir of Darkness was born.

Felix had assured him that it would be less than three weeks before the Ancient Ruins found its successor. Because of this, Luciel decided to remain in the capital city and not venture anywhere until the Prince of Prophecy was born.

"Fine. Enjoy your victory while it lasts," Luciel muttered as he pressed his palms over the armrest of his throne. He knew that this was not the time to hesitate. As long as he followed his original plan, he would still be the one who would win in the end.

'Let's see who will have the last laugh.'

Luciel had long wanted to wash away the shame and humiliation that he had felt the day he lost his arm while he fought against William's father, Maxwell. For that to happen, he needed a stronger power. Fortunately, the timing of the Prophecy had synchronized with his plan.

Although he didn't believe in such things in the past, he was willing to believe it now. It was the only way for him to retain his seat of power, and bring all the Demon Clans under his will.

"Just a little more…," Luciel closed his eyes as he leaned on his throne. "Maxwell, I don't care if you have turned into a tree or not. I will have my revenge! I will personally cut you down with my own two hands, but not before I kill your wife and son in front of you!"

Luciel clenched his fist, as he imagined that glorious scene that had been denied him. The power that he needed was well within his reach. However, it was not yet mature, and needed more time to grow.

After a full five minutes, the Demon Lord finally made his decision. He no longer cared if the Demon Clans ceased to support him.

"As long as the power of Darkness becomes mine, this entire world will be under my mercy," Luciel said with confidence. "Isn't that right, My Lady?"

A woman wearing a black veil that covered her face nodded her head. Although she didn't say anything, her gesture was more than enough to assure Luciel that his decision was right.

Underneath her black veil, a devilish smile that could captivate thousands of demons was hidden from plain sight. She had already played her role, and was merely waiting for everything to come to fruition.

'Deus has waited many years for this moment,' the veiled woman mused. 'Just wait a little longer, My Prince. Your faithful servant is waiting to offer her everything to you.'

Chapter 1046: If Only I Was Born Human

Chapter 1046: If Only I Was Born Human

"Argh! Stupid disciple! Why must you always change locations without telling me!" Chloee shouted angrily, while holding a chocolate bar in her hands.

With Conan and Elliot being able to pinpoint William's current location in the Demon Continent, regrouping with him should have been easy… at least, that was what was supposed to happen.

Unfortunately, reality was different.

The Half-Elf had veered away from his original destination and went to the Gremory Clan's territory in the north to give them a good beating. Unfortunately, his plan ended mid-way when the Demigod, El Sibon, got in his way and forced him to retreat.

Simply put, Princess Aila, Shannon, Conan, Elliot, and Chloee, didn't know what they should do at the moment.

The Demon Continent was a very vast place, and randomly following William around was not a good idea, because he could travel instantly from place to place using his Lightning Strider Skill, as well as his ability to instantly teleport to Soleil's location.

Although Shannon could create a portal to traverse great distances, it had a limitation. She could only use it once a month, especially when the distance that she planned to travel was very far.

Princess Aila also felt depressed because she had traveled far just to see William, and finally sort out her feelings for him. Conan and Elliot had assured her that the dreams that she was having really happened in her past life.

However, whether William would accept her or not was something that both of them were unsure of. Based on what she had told them in her dreams, William and her did spend a lot of time with each other.

They had once been lovers, but due to the restriction placed on her by the Vanirs, she was forced to choose between erasing William's memories, or having him tortured until she agreed to erase his memories.

William didn't agree to it back then, and endured countless hardships for her. If not for the fact that he was an Einherjar, and a Captain that served under Freya's Main Legion, they would have killed him without batting an eye.

Since both choices lead to the same result, Princess Aila made a hard decision and erased William's memories, so that her clan would stop in torturing him. She wasn't as strong as the silver-haired teenager who was willing to suffer for her sake.

Every Time she saw his injured body, her heart ached. In the end, she decided to free him and spare him from the daily torture that he endured under the heartless wardens of her family.

When Wendy took William away in her dreams, Princess Aila felt relief, as well as guilt. Relief because the silver-haired teenager no longer had to suffer, and guilt because she was the one that gave up first.

This weighed heavily on her heart, so she decided to look for William, and see if she could right her wrongs in her current lifetime.

While Princess Aila was deep in thought, Elliot sighed and opened his eyes.

Using the power of Clairvoyance, he tried to predict where William was going to go next. However, what he saw made him depressed.

Hearing Chloe's hateful shout from on top of the flying carriage, Elliot decided to join her in order to get some fresh air.

A minute later, he sat in front of the little fairy, who was angrily eating the chocolate bar in her hands, while cursing William repeatedly.

"Chloee, there is something I want to tell you," Elliot said.

"Speak!" Chloee replied in an irritated tone. She was still feeling angry about William. Seeing Elliot, whose face resembled her disciple, with the exception of the color of his hair and eyes, made her want to slap him so badly.

"I love you."

"Huh?"

"I said I love you," Elliot said as he looked at Chloee with a serious expression on his face.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Chloee used her chocolate bar and swatted the annoying angel in front of her, but Elliot dodged her attack easily, making her more irritated.

"I'm not spouting nonsense, it is true," Elliot answered. "It was love at first sight… Um, maybe not at first sight, but definitely love at third sight."

"I see. So, you choose death."

"Hahaha."

Elliot laughed happily, while Chloee's expression turned grumpy. After the two of them had fought seriously against each other, the little fairy understood that she would have a very hard time hitting Elliot with her fist, if the angelic familiar focused on dodging.

After laughing for quite some time, Elliot's expression became serious once again as he gazed at the little fairy who had just taken out another chocolate bar, since she had finished her first.

"I said I love you, what is your answer?"

"Scram!"

"Che~"

Elliot gave a long and depressed sigh as he gazed towards the North.

"You like William, right?" Elliot asked without looking at the little fairy, who had just taken out her third chocolate bar.

"What is it to you? Are you going to say things like 'I don't have the right to love others'?" Chloee glared hatefully at the annoying Elliot who was not paying attention to her.

"Of course not," Elliot replied as he continued to gaze at the North. "I just want to tell you one thing. William loves you, too."

"Hah? Stop spouting nonsense!"

"Why should I lie?"

"Just to make fun of me like you always do! Do you think I'm stupid?"

Elliot uttered another sigh as he turned his head to look at Chloee who was now chewing on gummy bears.

"I was born from William's soul," Elliot said. "Naturally, I know things about him that even he doesn't know about. Although he will not admit it, when the two of you fought, he fell in love with you."

Chloee snorted as she continued to chew on her gummy bears. She didn't believe Elliot one beat, and wouldn't believe him no matter what he said.

Judging from her expression, Elliot understood that Chloee had decided to ignore him, but he didn't care about that and continued to talk.

"The you back then that was covered in wounds, wearing a fearless grin, and eyes as clear as the sky was truly captivating that William's heart skipped a beat. It was also why he decided to face you head-on despite knowing the fact that the punch you would give him would hurt just as much as getting hit by Truck-kun."

"... Who is Truck-kun?"

"Let's not talk about that bastard."

"Okay, continue."

Elliot chuckled because although Chloee was glaring at him, she was no longer ignoring him.

"Although he doesn't look like it, William is a greedy person," Elliot stated. "Even though he wouldn't admit it, he has developed feelings for you, and just hides it in the corner of his heart, because you are a familiar, and he is a Half-Elf, both of you were not meant to be together."

"I'm getting a very strong urge to punch you right now," Chloee said as she threw a gummy bear at Elliot which bounced off his head.

The angelic familiar waved his hand and a whip made of lightning bolt caught the gummy bear and sent it flying back to him.

Elliot caught it with his hand and bit into it, as he continued to gaze towards the North.

"So, unless you tell him what you feel, he will just keep those feelings hidden inside his heart and just treat you as his Master," Elliot commented. "A part of him loves you, and I was born with that half. This is why I'm telling you that Will does love you. So, you still have a chance."

Chloee frowned. She didn't know if Elliot was lying or not, but since she was born holding a piece of Celeste's Soul, her personality was something that the beautiful Elf had wanted to have. A domineering, and straightforward personality that used violence to get her way.

She was Celeste's inner wish, that she had tucked away into the corner of her heart. Chloee was the person Celeste always wanted to be, but didn't have the courage to become.

"Hmp. What's the point? You and Conan said that he could only love one more. Also, according to you, there are already three candidates vying for that last spot. Why would I even bother with such troublesome things?"

"You're right," Elliot admitted. "I know that you won't bother with such things and I know that, even if you tell William that you love him, he will just treat it as though you are just teasing him. This is why I am telling you that he loves you. That way, even if the two of you don't become a couple, you know that he feels the same way about you."

Elliot then stood up and did some stretches.

"Life is a matter of choice," Elliot stated. "There are times when you have to say the things you want to say before it is too late. After that, the only thing that is left for you is regret."

After saying those words, Elliot flew back inside the carriage, leaving the little fairy alone on the rooftop of the carriage.

"You told me how he fell in love with me, but if I told you that I fell in love with him because of that same moment and in the same manner, would anyone believe me?" Chloee muttered as she gazed towards the North.

When the two of them fought against each other in the Tower of Babylon, Chloee felt an excitement that she had never felt in her life. It was as if she had met her match, and that was why she didn't hold back in her last attack.

When she saw William's confident smirk as he used his World End Tempest to fight against her Overwhelming Strike, she knew that the person in front of her was similar to her as well.

A stubborn person that would not yield when pushed into a corner. That was why Chloee fell in love with him.

"Stupid Disciple," Chloee muttered as she bit into the gummy bear in her hands. "If only I was born Human, could things have worked out between us then?"

When Chloee was born, she thought that she was a very special existence. She was strong, she was small, and she could beat the crap out of anyone that annoyed her.

Never in her life did she feel as helpless as she did right now.

Chapter 1047: Please, Make Sure That She Doesnt Start Killing People

Chapter 1047: Please, Make Sure That She Doesn't Start Killing People

The next day, the flying carriage that Princes Aila, Shannon, Conan, Elliot, and Chloee were riding in arrived at the Fortaare Desert.

After much debate, they decided to visit Kira's Grandpa. This idea came from Shannon who used her ability to check on William from time to time.

Through the scenes that played in her mind's eye, she discovered that Zeph was quite a capable individual. Because of this, she convinced everyone that they should head to the Fortaare Desert and ask the old coot to let them talk to William using his communication artifact.

"Are you sure this old man will be able to help us?" Chloee asked as she looked at the gates of the city that towered above her.

Shannon nodded. "Of course. However, if he refuses to cooperate, we can always use violence to make him listen to our demands."

"Oh! I approve of this plan. I like beating up old people!"

"... You shouldn't beat up old people, Chloee," Princess Aila commented from the side because she remembered her Master, Owen, who sometimes complained that his hips were aching due to old age.

Conan and Elliot glanced at each other and smirked.

They didn't have the heart to tell the angelic beauty that the reason why Owen's hips ached was because of his nightly activities with his beautiful wife.

As they neared the gates of the city, the Guard Captain shouted and asked them to state their name and business in their city.

"I am William's Master!" Chloee shouted. "If you don't let me in, I will break this gate with my bare hands!"

"William?" the guard captain frowned. "Who is William? I don't know anyone that goes by that name. Do you guys know?"

The guards standing beside him shook their heads. This was the first time that they had heard the name William, and none of them knew who the little fairy was talking about.

"We are friends of Raymond Parker!" Shannon shouted. "We need to talk with your Patriarch. Let us in!"

She had completely forgotten to tell everyone that William was going by the name Raymond Parker at the moment, to prevent his identity from being known by everyone.

Just as she expected, the Guard Captain's expression changed after hearing Shannon's words. He immediately asked one of the guards to inform their Patriarch about what was happening at the gate because he didn't know if he should believe these people or not.

"I just sent word to our Patriarch," the Guard Captain replied. "Please wait until he arrives."

"Hmph! I should just smash this gate and get it over with," Chloee muttered.

"My Goodness!" Elliot exclaimed. "Let's just talk things out first like civilized people. If they don't let us in, we'll break ourselves in!"

"Okay. Talk first, bash later."

Conan, who was seated on Princess Aila's shoulder chuckled as he gazed at his two comrades. They had been traveling for quite some time, and they badly needed a place to stay, especially the two ladies, who had decided to look for William without much preparation at hand.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, the gates of the city opened.

An old man, along with his subordinates, walked out of the city and gazed at the unusual group that had come knocking on their door. All of them were armed and ready to fight against possible impostors who claimed to be William's friends, just to enter their city and spy on their activities.

"You said that you are Raymond Parker's friends?" Zeph asked. "Do you have any proof?"

Elliot flew towards Zeph and hovered a meter away from him.

"Old man, let's talk over there," Elliot said as he flew towards the side of the gate.

Zeph frowned, but he still followed the little creature that he was seeing for the first time in his life. After making sure that they were out of earshot from the others, Elliot whispered something in the old man's ears, which made the latter's eyes wide in shock.

Shannon had briefed them that Zeph knew about William's true identity, so Elliot merely told him things about the Half-Elf in order to convince the old man that they were really William's friends.

"If you still don't believe us, you can contact him right now," Elliot stated. "You have the means, right? Just tell him that Elliot is here. That is more than enough to confirm our identity."

"No need," Zeph replied. "I will believe you for now. Enter the city with me."

Zeph waved to his subordinates to make way for Elliot and his friends, and allow them to enter the city with him.

The old Patriarch of the Sand Clan took them to his office, and closed the door behind them. He then took out a round mirror from his storage ring and activated it. Immediately, the image of a black-haired teenager appeared on its surface.

"Is something wrong, Zeph?" William asked. "I'm kinda busy right now."

The sound of screams, and explosions could be heard in the background. Clearly, William was in the middle of attacking one of the Major Clans that supported the Gremory Clan to make the other Clans change their decision to form an alliance with them.

According to their agreement, Zeph would only contact him if it was something important. This was why the Half-Elf answered his call, even though he was in the middle of a one-sided massacre.

"Sorry to interrupt you at this crucial moment, but there are some people who have arrived here in Sand City and they are claiming to be your friends," Zeph replied.

"My friends?"

"Take a look."

Zeph turned the mirror and let it face the grumpy Chloee who had her arms crossed over her chest. Although he was skeptical that they were indeed William's friends, letting them see each other would put his worries to rest.

"Stupid Disciple! This old man is making things difficult for us!" Chloee shouted. "Chop his head off for me!"

"Um? Fifth Master? What are you doing there?"

"We came to look for you!"

"Eh? Why?" William scratched his head because he could tell that Chloee was feeling irritated at the moment.

"Let's talk after you come here to pick us up!"

"Okay, but it might take me four days to return to the Sand Clan, is that fine with you?"

Chloee's grumpy expression became grumpier, which made William unconsciously shudder. He knew for a fact that the little fairy didn't like to talk, and preferred to use her fists to make her point.

He was afraid that if he didn't try to pacify her, she would start destroying the Sand Clan's residence, which would cause complications at a later date.

"Fifth Master, I am completing a very important mission at the moment," William explained. "As much as I want to meet you. Time is not on my side. I have to deal with some important matters before I return to the Fortaare Desert."

Before Chloee could reply, Elliot dragged her away and let Conan talk to William for the time being. When William saw Conan, his confusion grew because he didn't expect that his familiars to also be in the Demon Continent.

"Conan? What happened? Why are you in the Demon Continent?" William asked.

"It's a long story, Will," Conan replied. "It is not only Chloee, Elliot and I that are here. Princess Aila, and Shannon are also here."

"W-Wait a minute! D-Did you just say Shannon?! Are you there to annihilate the entire Sand Clan? Did the Headmaster order you to do this? Don't do it! We are on the same side!"

"Yes. She is here with us, but don't worry. She's wearing protective artifacts to prevent others from killing themselves. We're not here to kill people. Everything is going to be fine… maybe."

Zeph, who was holding the round mirror in his hands, almost dropped it after hearing something ominous. He never thought that even the son of the Dungeon Conqueror would feel anxious after hearing the name of the girl who was currently sitting on the couch of his office and wearing a fox mask to cover her face.

"I understand," William said with a serious expression on her face. "Please, make sure that she doesn't start killing people. I will be there in three days!"

"Okay." Conan gave William the thumbs up. "Come here as soon as you can."

William then told Zeph a few things before the connection was cut. As soon as the image of the black-haired teenager disappeared on the surface of the mirror, the old man wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead.

There was some news that he had received a while ago that the Patriarch of the Greenskin Clan, as well as his elite warriors, had died after they confronted a lady wearing a fox mask.

When he saw Shannon, he didn't think much of it because masks were quite common in the Demon Continent. However, when William told him that the fox lady who was casually sitting inside his office had the ability to wipe out his entire clan, he almost cursed out loud.

Fortunately, he managed to hold it back and just gave William the middle finger in his heart.

'F*ck, what did I do to deserve this?' Zeph thought. 'Is this bastard trying to use this as a threat to ensure that I won't stab him in the back? I'd better handle this properly or else.'

On that day, a feast was held inside the ancestral hall of the Sand Clan. This was the only way that Zeph could think of, in order to pacify his VIP guests, and ensure that his entire clan would continue to exist for many more years to come.

Chapter 1048: Betraying His Race For Love [Part 1]

Chapter 1048: Betraying His Race For Love [Part 1]

Word spread quickly within the Demon Continent after William and his forces decimated the Orkish Clan, which was considered as the Gremory Clan's right hand Clan.

If one were to ask all the Clans in the Demon Realm if there was a Clan that they hated the most, more than half of them would say that the Orkish Clan would win the 'Most Hated Clan' Award in their entire Continent.

They were a savage Clan that could no longer be called Demons, because they were literally Monsters that had mutated due to their bloodline ability to consume the flesh and blood of their victims.

William didn't bat an eye and demolished their entire city, killing as many as he could. When the Orkish Clan saw William's declaration to attack any Clan that had close ties with the Gremory Clan, they just laughed at him.

They thought that his bold words were just a big joke that ignorant fools said to make themselves look good. However, it didn't take long before they realized that the black-haired teenager was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

The Clans that had sworn their allegiance to William, also joined the battle. They rode on the backs of the Requiem Antz that had evolved into Flying Scorpions, and shouted their war cries filled with vengeance.

Looking at this scene, William understood that the Clans that he had taken under his wing had a lot of pent up frustrations that they were unable to vent out due to their fear of being persecuted by the Major Clans.

Now that they had a powerful backer who cared for them, these Nomadic Clans banded together like warmongers who lusted for the blood of their enemies.

"Although I don't like war, this battle has a certain beauty in it," Vesta asked as she stood beside William with her arms crossed over her chest, and a smile plastered on her face. "When the oppressed fight back against their oppressors, I bet the Orkish Clan never saw this coming."

William remained silent. He never liked wars, but understood that this was the only way he could prevent a bigger one from happening. As long as the Demon Clans thought that he was all talk and no bite, his earlier feat against the Gremory Clan would soon be forgotten.

This was why he decided to strike while the iron was still hot and annihilate the Gremory Clan's strongest supporter, and make everyone know how serious he was about keeping his promises.

"What's your next plan?" Vesta asked. "Will you continue to cut off the Gremory Clan's limbs?"

"No." William shook his head. "I will return to the Fortaare Desert and pick up my acquaintances. If that band of troublemakers is not reigned in, the destruction they could cause will not be any less than what I am doing right now. In fact, they might even become more notorious than I am."

"Surely you jest. How can they possibly surpass you?"

"Oh, believe me when I say that they are more than capable of fighting the Gremory Clan by themselves. They are that troublesome."

Vesta glanced at William in disbelief. After seeing the things that he had accomplished so far, she couldn't think of anyone that could do the same things in their current generation.

What Vesta didn't know was that William was quite worried right now. He had first hand experience with what Shannon could do, and even thinking back on those days made him shudder inwardly.

If Shannon were to remove her restraints, and allow her Divinity to surface, a one-sided genocide would occur and she wouldn't even need to lift a single weapon to do it. All she needed to do was remove her fox mask, and everyone who saw her would without a doubt take their own lives whether they liked it or not.

William was unable to understand how Shannon had managed to escape Hestia Academy, and come to the Demon Realm with Princess Aila, Conan, Elliot, and Chloee.

While he was deep in thought, his army had finished their mission. They raised their hands high up in the air and shouted their cries of victory.

The red-headed teenager nodded his head in satisfaction before glancing in the direction of the Demons that had decided to flee their city.

The Half-Elf had explicitly ordered his army to not attack those who decided to escape. This was not him being merciful, but to let the other Clans understand that after he was through with them, their fate would be the same as the Orkish Clan, whose former glory would be forever buried in the ground that was soaked with their Clan's own blood.

——

Alvah smashed his fist on the table, breaking it completely. Although he already expected this to happen, seeing it truly happen made him very bitter. After asking for the Demon Lord's help repeatedly, all he got was a scroll that said "You started this, deal with it yourself."

This made Alvah so infuriated that all the servants that were serving him made themselves scarce for fear that he would vent his anger and frustrations at them.

"Ungrateful bastard!" Alvah gnashed his teeth as he clenched his fist tightly, drawing blood from the palm of his hand. "After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?! Damn you, Luciel!"

The Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, who once looked at the other Clans in the Demon Continent with disdain, was now on the brink of losing his mind due to pressure that had suddenly assaulted him from all sides.

The Clans that he had suppressed in the past had now found a perfect opportunity to strike back at him.

After William defeated the Orkish Clan, the morale of the Clans that had allied themselves with the Gremory Clan had hit rock bottom. Some of them even declared their intention to break free from their control in an attempt to stop the black-haired teenager from setting his sights on them.

However, these petty acts of saving their own hides were drowned out by the war cries of those that had been waiting for an opportunity to strike back at the Gremory Clan.

Using William's momentum, various uprisings happened within the Northern Regions, causing Alvah's allies to fall one by one. Alvah knew that there was something very fishy about these recent events, because it was too orderly.

It was as if this was a battle of chess, in which he was slowly, and surely, being pushed back. The attacks were coming in his blindspots, causing him to lose terribly with each passing moment.

"Someone is pulling the strings from behind," Alvah thought.

As one of the best schemers in the Continent, he knew that someone was orchestrating these events from the shadows. William might be strong, but strength alone wasn't enough to make him lose his foundations in a span of several days, similar to dominoes toppling against each other once the first piece fell down.

Suddenly, an image appeared inside Alvah's mind. His body subconsciously trembled when the dots were finally connecting together.

"Did he find out about it?" Alvah muttered as he sat on his chair, while attempting to take control of his trembling body. "No. I made sure that no evidence was left. He can't possibly know what I did!"

Alvah repeated these words over and over again inside his head, but the more he did this, the greater the fear in his heart grew.

"No. It's impossible… the people I sent all died and no trace remained," Alvah took deep breaths in order to calm himself. "Without any evidence, how can he know what I did?"

Alvah tried over and over again to reassure himself, but it didn't work. Now that he had an idea about who was behind everything that was happening to him, he realized that everything he had built up over the past few decades was about to come crumbling under his feet.

Chapter 1049: Betraying His Race For Love [Part 2]

Chapter 1049: Betraying His Race For Love [Part 2]

Joash twirled the wine cup in his hand as he gazed at the carnage that William's army had unleashed on the Orkish Clan through the eyes of his daughter, Vesta.

"Alvah, I will never forgive you," Joash stated as his gaze fell on the wine cup in his hand. "Everything that you've built through the years, I will destroy. Everyone that you cared for, I will kill. Everything that is precious to you, I will take. Only when you are at the edge of despair, will I appear and make you regret killing my wife, while I was away for the war on the Silvermoon Continent.

"Do you really think that I didn't know that you were behind everything? The only reason you are still alive is because I want you to suffer until your dying breath. That is the only way that I can quell the anger in my heart. Don't worry, you won't be going to hell alone. I will send your entire Clan, as well as your precious Demon Lord, to the afterlife to keep you company."

Joash had planned everything for many years. He chose collaborators that would not betray him and help him enact his revenge. The patriarch of the Sand Clan, Zeph, and the Headmaster of Hestia Academy, Byron, were just some of the people he had forged strong ties with.

All for the sake of his revenge.

"Astraea, just a little more and the filthy Clan that killed you will be no more," Joash said softly.

People thought that Demigods were too indifferent for love. However, they could never be more wrong.

As one of those that stood at the Apex of the world, those whom they cared for didn't surpass the number of fingers on one of their hands. This was why those individuals were very precious. So precious that they would not bat an eye to start a genocide for their sake.

Baba Yaga would do that for Celine, and Vlad would do that for James.

Joash was the same. As long as someone tried to poke their reverse scale, they would find themselves at the receiving end of a mad dragon, whose heart had hardened itself against betraying his own race, just for the sake of revenge.

As William and his entourage traveled towards the Fortaare Desert to meet up with the others. A powerful fluctuation rocked his body, making him gasp for breath.

Seated beside him, Celine clutched her chest as tendrils of dark energy snaked around her body.

The same thing was happening to William as well, but this was not the first time that this had happened to them. The black-haired teenager, as well as the beautiful Elf, closed their eyes as they endured the power that was going berserk inside their bodies.

The minutes passed slowly, but their conditions were not getting better. In fact, they were getting worse. Knowing that they were going to endanger the others, Celine grabbed William's hand and activated her artifact, Eternity.

As the two stood in that vast, and empty world, their hold of their senses gradually weakened, until they could no longer control their bodies. Just like two wild animals, the two of them used their bodies in an attempt to ease the torment that they were experiencing.

Blood, sweat, tears, and other fluids flowed freely as the hours passed by. Both of them were no longer conscious at this point, but their bodies still moved, like puppets being controlled by a puppeteer.

When William opened his eyes, he found his head resting on Celine's voluptuous chest. A trail of dried up blood could be seen on its side, which made William realize that he had bittern her again on that place, out of instinct.

Fortunately, the wound had already healed, and Celine's powerfully beating heart assured him that she was fine.

As the Half-Elf propped himself up, he saw the aftermath of what both of them had done in their berserked state. Scratch marks, bite marks, as well as bruises could be seen all over Celine's beautiful body.

William didn't fare any better because every part of him was in pain. Even his hips were aching, and the Half-Elf didn't like it one bit.

Using his Wind Magic, William gently lifted Celine's body, and cleaned her up with Water Magic. After making sure that every part of her had been scrubbed clean, William used his Healing Magic to mend all of her injuries.

Even after everything that William had done, Celine didn't stir from her slumber. This showed how exhausted she was. William sighed as he took clothes out from his storage ring and gently dressed her.

"We can't continue like this," William muttered as he used his Wind Magic to move Celine to the bed, so that she could have a proper rest. "Should we stop fighting it, and just give in to our instincts?"

As William used his magic to clean his own body, these thoughts came to his mind. Celine and him had talked about many things, and one of them was going to the Ancient Ruins, in order to stop themselves from being overwhelmed by the influence of the Dark Powers that were calling out to them.

Although they still couldn't prove it, both of them had a feeling that, even if they were to escape at the edge of the world, they would still be forced to turn back and accept their fate.

William didn't want to admit it, but the possibility of the two of them losing their minds if they kept resisting the call of Darkness was something that had been gnawing at the back of his mind. What happened earlier was proof that the longer they stayed away from the source, the more danger they posed to themselves and those around them.

"After reuniting with the others, Master and I will go North," William muttered softly as he used healing magic on himself. "Maybe it's about time we stopped running away, and faced this problem once and for all."

The Half-Elf didn't know if this was really the right decision, but right now, he had no other choice. Fate had started to make her move, and those who resisted it would find themselves fighting against a mighty current, unable to push forward even if they used all of their might.

——-

Somewhere in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods…

An enchanting lady, who would eventually ruin the entire multiverse, smiled as she gazed at the Half-Elf who was deep in thought. She knew that William wouldn't be able to run away from the trial that he needed to face, but for some reason, she also felt saddened about it.

"Everything is coming full circle," the Primordial Goddess said with certainty. "The past, present, and future have already converged to make this a reality. Nothing can stop it now. Not even I will be able to do anything but watch as you make your choices and act on them.

"Still, I can't help but be tempted to break the rules that Amalthea and I agreed upon. Hah~ Why must things be complicated?"

The primordial Goddess shook her head in order to brush away the mundane thoughts that were starting to appear in her consciousness. Now that William had finally made his choice, the curtain would soon close.

As the promises of the past, present, and future intertwined, the end of the world was going to taste so sublime.

Chapter 1050: I Am Looking For My Prince [Part 1]

Chapter 1050: I Am Looking For My Prince [Part 1]

Two days later, a lightning bolt descended from the sky and landed at the residence of the Patriarch of the Sand Clan.

William lightly stretched his arms, body, and neck waving at the old man, who had dark circles under his eyes.

"Yo! Old Zeph. I'm glad to see you're still alive," William said with a smile.

"You imp! How dare you do this to me?" Zeph asked as spittle flew in every direction. "Do you think it's funny to let someone that could potentially annihilate my entire Clan inside our main residence? You bastard! How dare you do this to me?"

"Calm down. I didn't even know that they decided to go sightseeing in the Demon Continent. This is not my fault."

"Well, they could have chosen to sightsee somewhere else! I don't want my Clan to suffer the same fate as the Greenskin Clan!"

William chuckled, but deep inside he was feeling sorry for the old man. After experiencing what Shannon was capable of, he understood where he was coming from. Even so, the Half-ELf thought that since the old coot and him were on the same side, it was fine to share his burdens with him, right?

"It's fine, aren't you still alive?" William commented as he tried to pacify the old Demon whose veins were bulging at the corner of his head. "Besides, both of them are good girls. Did they make things hard for you? Of course not. That is how confident I am in their character."

"Well, I guess you're right." Zeph wasn't able to refute William's words because Princess Aila and Shannon had been very cooperative with them. They didn't even leave their room and just waited for the Half-Elf to arrive, which took a load off of the old man's shoulders.

The two talked as they walked together. William mostly asked about the recent news that was happening around the Demon Continent.

After dealing a devastating blow to the Orkish Clan, William also visited another Clan, which also had strong ties with the Gremory Clan, and demolished their city to the ground. This was part of the strategy that Old Zeph had come up with, so it was crucial for William to ensure that the attack would be a success.

After doing these two things, the Half-Elf immediately returned to the Fortaare Desert to know why Princess Aila, Shannon, Conan, Elliot, and Chloee, decided to come to the Demon Realm in order to find him.

As soon as William arrived at the temporary residence where his friends were staying, a little fairy came flying in his direction with a mighty shout.

"Stupid Disciple! What took you so long?!"

"It's nice to see you again Sixth Mast-argh!"

Chloee didn't bat an eye and gave William's chest a powerful kick, which sent him smashing towards the wall of the residence, breaking it completely.

Zeph, who was standing right beside the Half-Elf half a few moments ago, made a fist pump and gave Chloee two thumbs up in his heart. He had long wanted to slap the black-haired teeanger silly, but only held back because he was afraid of retaliation.

Seeing William suffer from the little fairy's kick made Zeph feel that the VIP Treatment that he had given Chloee's group wasn't wasted.

'This feeling is good,' Zeph mused as he pretended to look concerned at what had just transpired in front of him. He didn't even pay attention to the damaged wall in his residence. If possible, he even wanted to urge Chloee to continue beating William up, even if the entire place goes down.

Losing a small residence as a price to see Wiliam getting beaten up was something that he would pay to see.

"You're still the same, Sixth Master," William said with a face filled with injustice as he stood up from the rubble, while clutching his chest. He had just finished using a healing spell to cure his injury, so he did not feel any pain from the blow he had just received.

"Hmp! This is what you get for making me wait!" Chloee crossed her arms over her chest and glared at William. "If you want to compensate me. Give me more of those chocolate bars. I know that you stocked up on a lot of them."

Seeing the little fairy's attempt at extortion made the corner of William's lips twitch. Even so, he still agreed to his request. A happy Chloee was a Chloee that doesn't randomly attack people with a flying kick.

Right after giving the little fairy over a dozen chocolate bars, the Half-Elf noticed two figures standing on the balcony of the residence.

One of them was an angelic beauty. One that would make any guy want to protect her smile.

The other was another beauty, whose gaze was enough to literally send you to the afterlife.

"It has been a while, Aila, Shannon," William said in greeting. "Sorry for making the two of you wait."

"I'm glad to see you again, Sir William," Princess Aila replied with a smile.

Shannon, on the other hand, only nodded her head in greeting. No one knew that underneath her fox mask, the young lady could feel her cheeks burning, as she gazed at the black-haired-teenager, whose exploits had made her heart skip a beat.

Five minutes later…

William sat on a chair and casually sipped on his tea. On his right shoulder, Chloee, who was holding a chocolate bar in her hands, sat and ate without a care in the world.

Conan sat on Princess Aila's shoulder, while Elliot took this opportunity to get some fresh air. For the past three days, the angelic familiar had been keeping a close eye on Shannon to ensure that she wouldn't cause any trouble for the Sand Clan.

It was a very taxing duty because Shannon liked her newfound freedom. She would often try to sneak out of the residence, just to go sightseeing, but Elliot couldn't let this happen. If Shannon was attacked by a foolish Demon from the Sand Clan, and she accidentally killed them in the process, the harmonious relationship between Zeph and William might become strained.

In order to prevent this from happening, he took it upon himself to guard Shannon 24/7 and thwart her attempts to escape from the residence in order to satisfy her curiosity.

When William arrived, Elliot was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief because he was sure that the Half-Elf could reign her in. Since that was the case, he left the residence to wander around the city, in search of something interesting to help him pass time.

"Okay. I think it's about time that the two of you tell me why you are here in the Demon Continent," William said as he placed his tea cup on the table. "Let's start with you, Shannon. How did you manage to escape, and why did you escape?"

The fox lady turned her head to look at William. Although she was still wearing a mask, the Half-Elf could feel a pair of determined eyes looking back in his direction.

"I came here in the Demon Continent to find my Prince," Shannon said.

"You're looking for your what?" William asked. "A Prince? Here in the Demon Continent? Are you out of your mind?"

Shannon smiled underneath her mask as she eyed William with an amused expression on her face.

"Yes. I am looking for my Prince," Shannon answered. "In fact, I am looking at him right now."

Chapter 1051: I Am Looking For My Prince [Part 2]

Chapter 1051: I Am Looking For My Prince [Part 2]

"I am looking for my Prince.

"In fact, I am looking at him right now."

Princess Aila who was seated beside Shannon, glanced at the young lady beside her in surprise. Although the angelic Princess had interacted with the fox girl while they were together, Shannon had never said anything about the fact that she liked William too.

It was at this moment when she felt an ache in her chest. Her purpose for coming to the Demon Continent was to look for William and convey to him the dreams that she was having. Although those memories had happened in her past life, those memories were very precious to her.

If possible, she wanted to apologize to him for being weak back then, and unable to stand up for the feelings she had for him. She also wanted to use this lifetime to compensate for the time they had lost in the past, but Shannon's words made her heart feel like someone was squeezing it.

While Princess Aila was enduring in silence, William looked at Shannon as if he had heard something incredulous.

Shannon was like a walking death incarnate. Now that his quest in lifting the curse on Est's, Ashe's, and Isaac's bodies was finished, he no longer had any reason to form a close connection with her.

Form a connection with someone that could potentially kill you with a stare?

Sorry, no thank you.

"I hope you find your Prince," William replied with a smile and pretended that he didn't hear the second part of Shannon's statement. He then looked at Princess Aila whose face was flushed, and who seemed to be having a hard time breathing.

"Aila, are you alright?" William asked with a trace of concern in his voice. "Are you perhaps not feeling well? You don't look so good right now."

Princess Aila lowered her head because she didn't want William to see her expression right now.

"I-I'm fine. I just didn't get enough sleep last night," Princess Aila answered.

"I see. Do take good care of yourself. Owen may not be my Master, but he has taught me many things. I can also be considered your senior brother, you know?"

"I'm older than you by a year, shouldn't you call me senior sister?"

"Age has no connection with Seniority. I was taught by old Owen first, so I'm like his pseudo-disciple. Feel free to call me Senior Brother from now on."

Princess Aila slowly raised her head as she looked at William with a face that was as red as a tomato.

"S-Senior Bwadah," Princess Aila stuttered which made her misspeak the words she wanted to say.

William chuckled after seeing the flustered Princess try to recover her bearings. Although he hadn't interacted with the angelic Princess much, he already considered her to be one of his people from Lont.

Shannon, who had been ignored by William, glanced at the two with a curious gaze. She knew that the Princess wanted to go to the Demon Continent to meet the Half-Elf, and she used this as an opportunity to ask for their help to escape, and accompany them on their journey.

The Fox Lady already knew that Princess Aila still didn't understand her feelings for William. This was why she decided to test her reaction, and see how she would respond to her confession to the person she liked.

Seeing her expression, Shannon understood that she might have inadvertently hurt Princess Aila's feelings. This was something that she didn't expect to happen because she knew that William could have up to nine wives (not including Belle).

Because of this, she wanted to give Princess Aila a push, and also give herself a push to get a piece of the Half-Elf's heart, which was slowly, but surely, being filled up by the women around him.

Unfortunately, Shannon didn't know about Est's, or Cathy's existence. Because of this, she had miscalculated the number of wives and fiances that William currently had.

"Sir William, please don't ignore me," Shannon stated. "I like you very much, and Princess Aila feels the same way. We want to become your wives as well, is this possible?"

William and Princess Aila who had resumed drinking their tea in order to regain their composure choked at the same time after hearing Shannon's straightforward request.

Chloee, who was sitting on William's shoulder, frowned after hearing Shannon's words. For the past few days, she had been thinking about how to handle the complicated feelings inside her heart. After having a talk with Elliot, Chloee felt that her wish was an impossible one.

She was born a Familiar, not a Human. William's circumstances and her circumstances were like heaven and earth, so she had resolved herself to give up and lock these feelings inside her heart, but after seeing Shannon's casual way of declaring her love, and asking William to make her and Princess Aila his wives, something snapped inside the violent Familiar, which resulted in the chocolate bar in her hands to snap in half.

"Will, are you going to make these two your wives?" Chloee asked in a teasing manner.

William, who had just recovered from a coughing fit, patted his chest before drinking a mouthful of tea.

"Shannon, please stop with the jokes," William stated after regaining his composure. "It's not funny."

"Who says I'm joking?" Shannon replied. "I am being serious here."

Shannon had lived a life of seclusion all her life. Because of this, a feeling of rebelliousness had sprouted in her heart long ago. Now that she was free from the prison that she had called home, she wanted to face life boldly, without caring whether she succeeded or not.

She had already lost her childhood.

She would be damned if she allowed herself to continue living a life while suppressing the things she really wanted to do in her heart. Shannon had no experience when it came to love. All her life, she had lived inside her shrine. Her understanding of love was only to the extent of the love that she had seen through the eyes of other people.

In a way, Shannon fell in love of William's love for his wives and lovers. The way he was willing to do anything for them, fight anyone for them, and make love with them until her entire face had turned red like a tomato.

Shannon wanted to be like them. She wanted to be cared for, she wanted to be embraced, she wanted to be loved.

Although her approach when it came to love was straightforward, the beautiful lady hiding behind her fox mask was very serious about it. Hearing William call her effort a joke made her heart ache.

William was unable to see Shannon's expression because she was wearing a mask. If he only knew that the young lady was already teary-eyed at the moment then he would have chosen his words more carefully.

The Half-Elf glanced at Shannon then at Princess Aila whose face had turned a deeper shade of red. It was at this moment when he realized that she was indeed serious about it, which gave him a headache.

"Hey Disciple, are you ignoring me?" Chloee started to poke William using the chocolate bar in her hand. "Are you going to marry these two girls? How about you marry me instead?"

William ignored Chloee's words because he thought that she was just teasing him as always. Right now, he was thinking of a way to deal with the two ladies in front of him, and make sure that Shannon wouldn't start a genocide after getting rejected by him.

Chapter 1052: I Want To Sleep With You Tonight

Chapter 1052: I Want To Sleep With You Tonight

William stared towards the North with his arms crossed over his chest, while Conan sat on top of his shoulder.

He had told Princess Aila and Shannon that he would seriously think about his answer to their confessions after he finished dealing with the things he needed to do in the Demon Continent.

Originally, he planned to politely reject both of them, but before he could do that, Conan told him via telepathy that the two of them should have a talk in private first, before he gave the two ladies his answer.

As a familiar born from a quarter of the Half-Elf's soul, Conan understood William the best. He knew that William had no time to entertain any other women aside from the ones he currently had, but he still wanted to let William know about Princess Aila's dreams.

Because if he didn't do this, it would just be a tragic thing for both William and Princess Aila.

"Conan, what do you want to talk about?" William asked via telepathy. "You know that my decision has already been made. There is no use trying to talk me out of it."

"I know," Conan answered, "but like I told you earlier, there is something that I need to tell you before you give your answer to Aila and Shannon."

"Is it that important?"

"To the present you, no. However, to the past you, it is fairly important."

William's eyes widened in shock as he glanced at the little devil on his shoulders. He didn't have to be a genius to understand what Conan was trying to say.

"Are you telling me that Aila and I shared a connection in my life in Asgard?" William inquired.

"Maybe," Conan answered. "I'm not entirely sure, but she kept having these dreams about a silver-haired Einherjar. It will be best if you use your Dreamwalker skill, and see for yourself whether you really have a connection with her or not."

"But, I don't have any memories of her?"

"You also didn't know of Acedia's existence until you entered Ashe's dreams for the first time, right? Why don't you give it a try first. This will also bring closure to a part of our past."

William remained silent for a full minute before reluctantly nodding his head. Conan managed to convince him, and he was also very curious about the dreams that Princess Aila had. Perhaps, by entering her dream, some unanswered questions that he had of the past, would finally open up to him.

—--

On the rooftop of their temporary residence…

"So? How did it go?"

"He ignored me."

Elliot chuckled as he gazed at the grumpy Chloee who was currently munching on pancakes.

"Of course it's not going to be easy," Elliot answered. "If I was in his place, I would have said the same thing."

"But you told me that he loves me," Chloee stated while glaring at him. "Was that a lie?"

Elliot sighed as he glanced at the North. "It was the truth. However, just like you, William is burying that feeling in the corner of his heart. He understands that the two of you are not meant to be together because he is a Half-Elf and you are a familiar."

Chloee snorted as she resumed her savage eating of her pancakes. She thought that by taking advantage of Shannon's confession, she would also be able to express her feelings as well, but it just backfired on her.

William treated her words as a joke. Just as he had thought Shannon's words to be before the Fox Lady told him how serious she was.

"Then, what should I do?" Chloee asked. "Is there really no other way?"

"Um? I'm not a love advisor. Why are you asking me?" Elliot asked back.

Chloee looked at the angelic familiar with a dumbfounded expression on her face before nodding her head.

"You're right. Sorry, I made a mistake," Chloee said. "How can you be a love advisor after I rejected your confession?"

"Ouch," Elliot pressed his hands over his chest as a pained expression appeared on his face. "You don't hold back, do you?."

Chloee ignored him and returned to eating. Since the no-good-Elliot was of no help to her, she decided that talking with him was just a waste of time.

The angelic familiar sighed as he once again shifted his gaze to the North.

In truth, he wanted to tell Chloee that she had a chance, but after seeing how that chance appeared, he would rather not say anything about it.

'Sometimes being able to see the future is a curse,' Elliot thought. 'I've never felt so helpless in my life.'

—---

Shannon visited Princess Aila and apologized for the outburst she had made earlier. She said that she didn't mean to hurt the Princess feelings, and only wanted to let her feelings known, so that she wouldn't have any regrets in life.

Princess Aila said that there was nothing to apologize for because Shannon and her were in the same boat. After talking for a while, the two girls decided to have a heart-to-heart talk about what they would do while they waited for William's answer.

The Half-Elf had told them that there were many things that he needed to do in the Demon Continent, and he couldn't give them an answer right away. Princess Aila and Shannon knew that they couldn't press William for an answer,

When Shannon asked Princess Aila how William and she met, the angelic Princess didn't hold back and told her everything.

"Back then, when I was about to be married off in the Kyrintor Mountains, I thought that this was something that I should do as a Princess of my Dynasty," Princess Aila said as the memories of the past flashed through her mind. "However, just as I had resigned myself to my Fate, he came along and pulled me out of that helpless situation."

Shannon listened intently because this was something that she had not witnessed in the past. There was a very powerful barrier that shielded everyone's eyes from what was happening on the Southern Continent, and even Shannon's vision was obscured back then.

Not being able to draw that war was one of the regrets in her life, so she pressed Shannon to continue her story, so that she could paint it inside her mind instead.

The hours passed by without their knowledge. Only when Princess Aila's stomach grumbled in protest did the two realize how late it had become.

As the two walked towards the dining hall, they came across William who seemed to have just finished eating his dinner. The moment the Half-Elf saw the pair of beautiful girls, he walked towards them and whispered something in Princess Aila's ears.

After saying what he needed to say, he left in a casual manner without even turning back.

Shannon glanced in William's direction before shifting her attention back to Alia. Even though the hallway was not that brightly lit, the Fox Lady could see a tinge of red that was slowly creeping up the angelic Princess' face.

Princess Aila then lightly rubbed her face as she tried to regain her composure. She didn't know if she just misheard William or not, but the words that he had told her resonated inside her mind, over and over again.

"I want to sleep with you tonight."

Those were the words that made the angelic beauty's heart skip a beat. She didn't know why the Half-Elf she liked said those words to her, but one thing was certain.

She wouldn't be sleeping alone in her bed tonight.

Chapter 1053: Ailaâ€™s Dream [Part 1]

Chapter 1053: Ailaâ€™s Dream [Part 1]

Princess Aila sighed as she cupped a handful of water in her bathtub. Floating over it were dozens of fragrant flowers that she had requested from the maidservant that was assigned to look after her for the duration of her stay in the territory of the Sand Clan.

She had just returned from eating dinner, and yet, she didn't even remember what the food tasted like. Her mind was in chaos as William's words echoed over and over again inside her mind.

"I want to sleep with you tonight."

A red tinge started to creep up her neck, up her angelic face, all the way to the tip of her ears.

William's words were quite vague, and she didn't understand it much. Even so, she decided to prepare herself just in case the Half-Elf wanted to embrace her.

She could still remember how she was supposed to become the sacrificial bride many years ago in order to strengthen the alliance between the Northern Tribes and her Kingdom. However, all of that came to an abrupt end when the handsome red-headed teenager stepped in to foil her father's plan.

Truth be told, Princess Aila had always thought of William as her benefactor. Although it wasn't to the point of falling madly in love with him, she held him in high regard. When her brother, the current Crown Prince of the Zelan Dynasty, told her to do everything in her power to become William's wife, she didn't reject the idea.

Princess Aila knew that, if it was him, she wouldn't mind becoming his wife.

Unfortunately, Aila wasn't a very courageous person. Although she had become a bit more confident in interacting with the people in her class, she wasn't like Shannon who could speak her mind without holding back.

Also, she wasn't very good at seduction. The mere thought of trying to seduce William was enough to make her head spin and her cheeks burn in embarrassment.

What the angelic beauty didn't know was that she didn't need to seduce anyone to have them attack her like wolves. Her beauty, and her innocence, was more than enough to make the boys in her class howl like wolves.

Unfortunately, William wasn't someone who lacked beauties in his life. All of his wives and fiances were beautiful in their own right. Each having their own charm and strong points that made him immune to any kinds of seduction.

Princess Aila understood this, but still, her heart still skipped a beat at the thought of joining their ranks and standing by his side.

"I hope he is gentle with me," Princess Aila said as she looked at the flower petal that had remained in her hands. "This is after all… my first time."

The angelic beauty soaked her body for two more minutes, before leaving the bathtub to prepare for William's arrival.

Whatever was going to happen on this peaceful night, she would face it with everything she had.

—---

William gazed at the two moons in the distance, while his two familiars, Conan and Elliot sat on his left and right shoulders.

The three of them talked about many things, and William explained to them his plans going forward.

"Hmm, so you plan to go to the North where the Holy Land is located," Conan rubbed his chin. "This will certainly be dangerous, but no worries. I am here, so all is well. Kekeke!"

"Right," William nodded. "As long as the three of us are together, we can overcome anything!"

"Oh!" Conan raised his right fist in agreement to Wiliam's words.

Elliot on the other hand remained silent. He had his arms crossed over his chest with his eyes closed.

"What's wrong, Elliot?" William asked. "Something on your mind?"

Elliot nodded. "I just want you to know that Chloee loves you as well."

"... Really?"

"Mmm."

William sighed as he shifted his attention to the stars in the sky. Back then, he only had enough love for one woman. But now, things were different.

"What do you want me to do, Elliot?" William inquired. "You already know about my promise to Belle."

"I know." Elliot nodded. "I just told you this so that you don't treat her love to you as a joke."

William closed his eyes. "Did you confess to her?"

"Yes," Elliot replied. "I got the part of your soul that fell in love with her, so what can I do about it?"

Conan chuckled after hearing their exchange. "Kekeke! You got dumped!"

"Right." Elliot sighed. "Still, being able to confess takes a load off my chest. I have no regrets."

William nodded his head. He could understand what Elliot meant about having no regrets. He had regretted many things in his past lives, and had broken several promises. If possible, he didn't want to repeat the same mistake he made back then.

"Well then, It's time for me to go," William said. "I'll leave the rest to the two of you."

"You can count on us!"

"Mmm."

—---

Ten minutes later…

Aila had just finished wearing her night dress when she heard a knock on her door. Knowing that the time had come, she walked towards the door with her heart beating wildly inside her chest.

"Who is it?" Princess Aila asked.

"It's me, William."

The angelic Princess took a deep breath in order to compose herself before opening the door. Her knees almost turned to jelly when she saw the handsome Half-Elf in front of her. Although she had seen William many times in the past, this night was different and her nervousness was at an all time high.

"P-Please, come in, Sir William," Princess Aila stuttered as she made a gesture to invite the Half-Elf inside her room.

William said his thanks and walked inside. After closing the door, an awkward silence fell between the two of them because the angelic Princess didn't know how to proceed from there.

Whenever the thought of inviting William to her bedroom crossed her mind, her words became stuck up in her throat. Also, she lacked the courage to take the initiative to invite a boy into her bed.

Seeing her pitiful expression, the red-headed teenager lightly coughed as he looked at the blushing girl in front of him.

"Can you take me to your bedroom?" William asked.

"O-Okay," Princess Aila replied as she hastily moved toward her room without looking back.

William could only smile at this cute behavior of hers as he followed behind her. Although he was still half in doubt, he needed to see the Princess' dreams before he could make a decision.

After entering the angelic beauty's room, William knew that he needed to take the initiative, or the two of them would once again return to that awkward state.

The Half-Elf told the Princess that he would be casting a sleeping spell on her, so that he could directly enter her dream without too much resistance. Princess Aila agreed and lay on the bed to allow the Half-Elf to put her to sleep.

A minute later, the angelic beauty was already fast asleep, allowing William to relax a little.

He had already changed his Job Class to the Incubus Class and used his powers to enter Princess Aila's dream.

"Time to see if she's telling the truth," William said softly as he pressed his forehead over Princess Aila's.

"Synchronize."

Chapter 1054: Aila's Dream [Part 2]

Chapter 1054: Aila's Dream [Part 2]

The first thing that William heard was the sound of a river flowing freely in the distance.

Slowly but surely, the white world in front of him disappeared, and was replaced by beautiful scenery.

These scenes were not new to him because he had seen similar things in Midgard, Asgard, and Alfheim.

As he scanned his surroundings, he noticed a silver-haired teenager lying unconscious beside the river. A single glance was enough to tell him that it was the Einherjar William that he was seeing.

'So, it's true?' William thought as he looked at the self who seemed to have received serious injuries from a battle.

As one of the Einherjars, he would often be sent into the battlefield, alongside his comrades, to keep the forces of Jotunheim and Muspelheim at bay. William was no stranger to these battles, and he had almost died in several of them.

Fortunately, he could be considered lucky, as well as unlucky, for being able to see the end of the world and be the last one standing, out of all those who stood up against the forces of destruction.

As these memories played inside his head, he saw several giant, flying manta rays in the distance. The Half-Elf thought that they would just pass by his location, but one of the manta rays broke out from their formation and headed in his direction.

It was then when he saw her. A young lady with long purple hair that fluttered in the breeze. Her eyes, that were of the same color as her hair, had a worried look in them as she urged her flying mount to descend from the sky.

William watched as the angelic beauty jumped off her mount, and went to check the condition of the fallen warrior who was seriously injured.

After checking his condition, she immediately cast a healing spell to heal his injuries. Only when the last wound on his body closed up did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"Is that person still alive?" a seductive beauty with long blonde hair and purple eyes asked in a lazy manner. "It's probably one of those Einherjars fighting at the borders. He might have fallen in the river and drowned. What a pitiful way to die."

"He's not dead," the angelic beauty replied. "You shouldn't talk like that about the warriors that are keeping our realm safe, Hnoss."

The seductive beauty simply shrugged as she stared at the unconscious teenager in the purple-haired lady's arms.

"So, what are you planning to do with him?" Hnoss asked. "Although you have healed his wounds, it is only on the surface. Judging from his life energy, he will probably be in a coma for a month or two.

"Why don't you just leave him here, Aila? His body would allow the wild beasts to have their fill. Also, the Aesirs are a rowdy bunch. I'm sure they won't notice if one of their Einherjars is missing, right?."

Aila frowned as she made her decision. Using her wind magic, she lifted the silver-haired teenager towards her flying mount and laid him gently on top of it.

"I'm taking him back," Aila said with a determined expression on her face. "You take their sacrifice too lightly, Hnoss."

Hnoss shrugged as if Aila's words didn't mean anything to her. "Well, I guess he is good looking enough. He would make a good pet. Just make sure that you don't let your parents know that you're keeping him. You know that they look down on the Aesir's cannon fodder."

William glanced at the seductive lady whose name was Hnoss. For some reason, he had the strong urge to spank her bum until she cried for her mama and papa.

Suddenly, the world in front of Wiliam's eyes faded.

He found himself standing on a small hill overlooking a field of flowers. At the center of it, two figures were laying on the ground with their hands intertwined with each other.

"Are you really going back?" Aila asked. "Can't you just stay here, with me?"

"I'm sorry, but I need to go soon. My men as well as my wife might become worried if I don't appear on the battlefield," William replied. "But, I promise that I will come back after the fight at the borders ends."

"Do you think that Wendy will like me?"

"I don't know. But, I'm sure that she will not treat you harshly. After all, you were the one that saved my life."

The angelic beauty sighed as she rolled towards William, until she was on top of him.

"Don't go dying on me, okay?" Aila said as she caressed William's face.

"I won't," William replied. "If I died, you and Wendy would probably cry rivers for my sake."

"At least you know."

"Mmm."

The angelic beauty then lowered her head to peck on William's lips once before raising her head again.

"I gave you my first kiss, so you better come back to me," Aila said softly.

"You call that a kiss?" William asked in a teasing tone.

"It's not?"

"Well, technically it is. But, I know a better one."

"Show me."

"Okay."

In that field of flowers, the silver-haired teenager taught the innocent young lady how to kiss. When their kiss ended, both of them were out of breath.

—--

After dinner, William started to pack his belongings as he prepared for his trip back to the border, where the war was still being fought. No matter how much Aila tried to convince him to forget about the war and stay with her, his resolve was firm.

This was his last night in Aila's Villa, and he was also feeling sad about it. After being saved by her, she nursed him back to health and kept him company until he recuperated.

Because of this, the two became close. They went from strangers, to friends, to lovers in the span of two months, and William knew that he would miss her dearly after he left.

Just as he was about to sleep on his bed, he heard a knock on his door.

William didn't need to ask who it was because he was very familiar with Aila's presence. After opening the door, the angelic beauty threw herself into William's arms with tears in her eyes.

"I won't stop you from leaving, but please, just for tonight, let me stay here with you," Aila pleaded.

"Okay," William replied as he wrapped his arms around Aila and kissed her forehead. "But, are you sure you want to stay with me tonight?"

"Yes."

"I won't be able to hold back and embrace you. Are you really fine with that?"

"... Un."

William knew that Aila had resolved herself to take their relationship to the next level. Although he was happy because of this development, he was also sad because circumstances had forced her to act this way.

Seeing his hesitation, the angelic beauty wrapped her arms around William's neck and tiptoed to kiss his lips.

That kiss broke the last restraint that was holding the silver-haired teenager back. He no longer hesitated and led Aila to his bed.

Soon, the rustling of clothes was heard, as Aila's celestial dress, as well as William's robe, fell to the floor.

Both of them knew that this was going to be a long night, and they would do everything they could, to ensure that it would be a memorable one.

Chapter 1055: Aila's Dream [Part 3] - R-18

Chapter 1055: Aila's Dream [Part 3] - R-18

(Disclaimer: This chapter contains R-18 scenes. If you're not comfortable reading them, feel free to skip this chapter.)

"You're beautiful, Aila."

"T-Thank you."

As their clothes fell down from their bodies, William and Aila stared at each other for a half a minute, before sharing a passionate kiss.

She was no longer ignorant to what a real kiss was because they had already kissed each other countless times over the past few weeks. That was all they did, and nothing else. Aila knew that William had been holding back because he thought that she wasn't ready.

However, since he was about to leave her, Aila gathered all of her courage to visit him, so they could share a memorable night together.

It was then when she felt the silver-haired teenager's right hand that was resting on her waist, slowly moved upwards. This sensual action sent shivers down her spine, fueling something inside her that she had never felt before.

William's hand then cupped Aila's well-shaped breast that perfectly fit his hand. Slowly, but surely, he started to knead it, while lightly pinching its pink tip, making it firm under his touch.

Aila was surprised by the numbing sensation that suddenly washed over her body, but she didn't find it repulsive. Although she was feeling nervous and her heart was beating wildly inside her chest, she continued to kiss William, and allowed him to do as he pleased with her body.

After their kiss ended, William sat on top of the bed, and pulled Aila close to him.

"Wrap your arms around my neck," William said as his hands rested on Aila's backside, pulling her close to him.

Doing as she was ordered, the angelic beauty wrapped her arms around William's neck, and waited for her beloved's next move.

William started to kiss, and nibble Aila's firm and pink tips that were eager for his love. Whenever he sucked on them, Aila would bite her lips subconsciously as she felt William's tongue play with it inside his mouth.

Still, that was the least of her worries. William's hands weren't being idle either. They kneaded and squeezed Aila's backside, making her gasp. Soon, she was finding it difficult to maintain her legs' firm hold on his waist as William's two-pronged attack, from the front and behind, made her legs weaken.

If not for the fact that she was leaning against his body for support, she might have long collapsed on the floor.

Her body, that had not been touched by any man, was starting to feel sensations that she had never felt before. After several minutes passed, William finally stopped, allowing her some room to breathe.

Soon, Aila found herself lying on the bed, and staring up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes that looked at her with love and affection.

She knew what he wanted, because it was also the thing that she wanted.

"Please, be gentle."

"I will."

William kissed her forehead before raining kisses on her body. The moment William's tongue tasted her forbidden fruit, Aila's body uncontrollably shuddered.

"You're quite sensitive, Aila," William commented as he continued to prepare her for their long awaited union.

When he felt that she was ready, William kissed her one last time before claiming her maidenhood, dying the sheets with the proof of her purity.

Her cries of pain didn't last long and soon turned to sighs of pleasure. William could feel his breathing getting rough as he listened to her innocent moans that fanned the fire in his loins. He wanted her so badly that holding back pained him.

Her purple eyes looked at him with love.

Her soft lips tasted like heaven.

Her beautiful body was now under his own.

And her maidenhood had been surrendered to him.

He was more than happy to claim them all.

Soon, a grunt escaped his lips, as he released his essence inside her innocent womb, marking it as his own. Aila's body shuddered for the umpteenth time as something hot seeped inside her body, making her feel faint.

Her first time had been too intense, and it was more than she could handle. Even so, Aila remained conscious as the waves of pleasure washed over her body.

"I love you, Aila."

"I love you too, Will."

The night was still young, and William had to leave when morning came. Because of this, the two made love again and again, until they could no longer move their bodies.

—--

William looked at the two sleeping people on the bed with a complicated look on his face. He was merely an observer in this dream, and yet, he could sense the feelings both had for each other.

Soon, this scene disappeared and was replaced by another then another. This continued until William was dragged onto an altar with his arms and legs bound in chains.

"Aila, you don't have to listen to them," the silver-haired teenager said with labored breaths as he looked at the maiden who had sacrificed many things for his sake.

"Aila, it is better to put an end to his suffering," Hnoss, the seductive beauty with long blonde hair and purple eyes, said with a smile. "Your relationship with him will never be recognized by anyone. If you resist, the elders will just continue to torture him until you agree to end this farce."

Aila lowered her head as a single tear streamed down the side of her face. She knew that her friend, Hnoss, was right. If she continued to be stubborn, the only one who would suffer would be the silver-haired teenager whose entire body was now covered with wounds.

"Will, I'm sorry," Aila said as she pressed her hand over her lover's forehead. "Even if you forget about me, I promise that I won't forget about you. Not now, not until the end of time."

Her hand glowed with power as she activated her unique ability that could erase people's memories.

"Aila, please don't do thi-" the silver-haired teenager tried to resist, but he still lost consciousness after Aila used her ability on him.

William collapsed on the floor, as the angelic beauty covered her face with both of her hands and sobbed because she knew that she had lost someone very important to her today.

"It's not that hard, right?" Hnoss wrapped her arms around Aila's body and whispered in her ears. "Because of what you did, he doesn't have to suffer anymore. You made the right choice."

It was at this moment when the neighing of a horse was heard from the heavens.

Clad in lightweight armor, and carrying the flag of Asgard, a valkyrie landed on the altar. She glared hatefully at the Vanir who had tortured her Beloved, after what he had done for them.

Using her supernatural strength, Wendy broke the chains that bound William. She then supported his body until he was firmly mounted on her winged horse before mounting it herself.

Wendy's left arm supported William's waist and held him in place, while the Half-Elf's head rested on her chest.

She had traveled a great distance in order to arrive at Vanaheim to rescue her beloved from the stuck-up Vanirs who thought highly of themselves.

"Wendy, I'm sorry," Aila said as she looked at the Valkyrie Captain who was supporting William's body.

"You don't have to apologize." Wendy sneered. "From now on, never show yourself in front of him again. He doesn't need you in his life."

The dream ended after that.

When William opened his eyes, he found himself lying beside Princess Aila who was still sleeping. As he gazed at her angelic face, he noticed that the Princess was crying.

The Half-Elf didn't know that this wasn't the first time that Aila had cried whenever she saw that parting scene in her dreams. It was as if her entire soul was crying out for the relationship that she and William had lost on that day.

"What am I going to do with you?" William muttered softly as he used his fingers to wipe away the tears from her eyes.

Only when Aila stopped crying did the Half-Elf sigh in relief. He didn't want to admit it, but seeing her cry like that made his heart ache. After making sure that all her tears had been wiped dry, William covered her with a blanket, and lightly patted her head before leaving the bed.

He had many things to think about, and he was afraid that staying in the same room as her would make things difficult for him.

"Goodnight, Aila," William said before closing the door. Little did he know that a minute after he left, The tears that he thought were no more, were shed once again.

Chapter 1056: A Dark Future That Awaited All Of Them

Chapter 1056: A Dark Future That Awaited All Of Them

A tear fell from Shannon's eyes as she finished the last brush stroke of her painting.

"I'm sorry," Shannon said as she covered her face with her paint-stained hands.

Due to Princess Aila's weird behavior after William whispered something in her ear. Shannon thought that something was amiss. After asking the angelic Princess what was wrong with her, she subconsciously muttered that William was planning to sleep with her tonight.

This revelation made Shannon blush because she didn't expect that William would immediately take things to the next stage after receiving their confessions.

Because of this, she decided to spy on the two of them, thinking that she would be able to better understand how couples share their nights together.

However, what she saw was completely unexpected. Although she had seen what she was looking for when the silver-haired William and Aila embraced each other, what followed next was heartbreaking.

It was like watching a very wholesome show that suddenly became a tragedy. This caught Shannon completely by surprise, and she didn't expect that her curiosity would leave her feeling so bitter and sad at the same time.

Although she didn't fully understand it, she had a hunch that what she saw was William's and Princess Aila's past life. This concept was not new to her because she had seen how William traveled back to Earth and met Belle, who had been his love in his previous lifetime.

Truth be told, Shannon felt a little envious because she didn't have this kind of connection with William.

Even so, she still felt that he was the Prince in the books that she had read in the past.

No.

Shannon wanted William to become her Prince.

When she heard about the prophecy of the Prince of Darkness, she wished that the prophesied Prince would come to save her, and pledge his undying love to her.

Sadly, fairy tales were different from reality.

Any Prince, no matter who they were, would commit suicide after seeing her face. This was something that she couldn't control even if she wanted to. This was why, when William first visited her in the shrine, she was very eager to know if he would be able to resist the power of her Divinity.

Sadly, he couldn't even after trying twice.

Back then, Shannon no longer thought of William as the prophesied Prince for one single reason.

How can the Prince be affected by her Divinity? Since he was the Prince of Darkness, he must be able to overcome anything in order to bring the entire world to its knees. That was Shannon's belief, and she had thought that Celeste and Celine weren't the true Brides of Darkness, but her.

"What should I do?" Shannon muttered after regaining control of her senses. "Should I apologize to Aila? No. if I do that, she will know that I spied on her last night."

Shannon was at a loss about what to do and her feelings were in disarray. Because of this, she didn't notice a little fairy looking at the paintings that she had drawn from behind her back.

It was only after a few minutes that Shannon realized that she wasn't alone and immediately turned around to look at Chloee who was looking at her paintings with her arms crossed over her chest and a serious expression on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Shannon asked. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Knock? I came through the window," Chloee replied. "Why should I knock on windows?"

"That's not the point! I didn't give you permission to enter my room!"

"Oh? Don't sweat the small details. You're like that old man, Byron, who always complains whenever I break down the door of his office."

Shannon didn't know how to respond to Chloee's nonchalant attitude. Clearly, she was used to barging into other people's private space. Because of this, Shannon completely ignored the little familiar as she stood up to drink a glass of water.

Silence descended inside Shannon's room as the two girls did their own thing. Both of them had things on their mind, and were in no mood to talk to each other.

—--

William sighed for the umpteenth time as he held a canned soda in his hand. Conan and Elliot were right beside him and munching on sunflower seeds.

"So, how did it go?" Conan asked. "Is Aila really one of your past lovers?"

"Mmm." William nodded before emptying the can in his hand.

Elliot peeled his sunflower seed in a leisure manner as he listened to the conversation. He already had a hunch that Princess Aila was telling the truth, which was why he agreed to help her meet William in the Demon Continent.

However, the biggest question was, what would William do about it?

Seeing that William still couldn't decide on what to do, Elliot decided to give him a hand.

"How about you postpone your decision until you deal with the problem of the Ancient Ruins in the North?" Elliot asked. "I know that giving Princess Aila and Shannon your answer is important, but that could wait until you come back from the North. This will also give them enough time to prepare their hearts for whatever answer you need to give them."

"Are you sure that is a good idea?" William asked. "Wouldn't it be better if I just get it over with now?"

Elliot shook his head. "There are things that you cannot rush. Also, I had a premonition last night. You need to settle the issue with the Ancient Ruins first before tackling other matters."

William arched an eyebrow as he looked at his angelic familiar that was busy peeling his sunflower seeds. He knew that Elliot had the power of clairvoyance, so he didn't mind listening to his suggestion.

"Are you sure that there will be no issues?" William inquired.

"Relax, Shannon won't start a genocide just yet," Elliot replied before taking a bite of the seed in his hand. "That will happen after you return."

William rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. "This doesn't make me feel relieved at all."

"Will, you and I both know that you don't need to wait for the future," Elliot said as he gave Wiliam a sidelong glance. "It comes soon enough. And for your sake, I pray that it comes soon enough."

Elliot muttered the last part of his statement in a voice that was so low that not even William's strong hearing could pick up.

Although it didn't show on his face, Elliot had been feeling restless lately after seeing what the future held for William. He had already used his powers to formulate several possibilities, but all of them led to the same ending.

The only difference was the order in which things were going to unfold and their severity. Since that was the case, Elliot had resolved himself to push events that would give William a higher chance to reach the goals that he had set for himself.

This was the only thing he could think of in order to ward off that dark future that awaited all of them.

"Will, just remember one thing," Elliot said as he stared at William with a serious expression. "No matter what happens, you always have a choice."

William stared at Elliot long and hard before giving him a brief nod. For some reason, Elliot's words resonated inside his core, and it made him feel that something inside him had been cleared up. Although he still didn't know what that thing was, he was sure that he would find it after he traveled to the Holy Land of Darkness.

Chapter 1057: There Is No Turning Back

Chapter 1057: There Is No Turning Back

"Zeph, please take care of them while I'm away," William said with a smile as he looked at the old man's face that was slowly turning green from anger.

"Hahaha, of course," Zeph replied as he patted William's shoulder. "I'll make sure that the young misses are well taken care of."

William knew that although Zeph was smiling, deep inside the old man was cursing him and his ancestors from the bottom of his heart. If possible, he didn't want to babysit Princess Aila and Shannon, while the Half-Elf went to the North to handle his business.

But, since William was the contractor of the Fortaare Death Worm, the old coot had no choice but to send him off with a smile and assure him that everything was going to be alright.

William nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face before turning his attention to Princess Aila and Shannon.

"Wait for my return," William said. "I promise that I will give you my answer by then."

Princess Aila nodded her head in understanding. Ever since William had entered her dream, she felt as if a burden had been taken off her shoulders.

Shannon, on the other hand, reluctantly nodded her head because she understood that she couldn't force her way inside William's heart were she to insist on following him on his journey.

Besides, her ability to travel long distances could be used once again, so she wasn't worried about not being able to go to where William was, in case he needed her.

"Conan, Elliot, look after them for me," William ordered his two familiars who patted their chest with confidence."

"Kekeke. Leave it to me."

"Consider it done."

Just as William was about to leave, Chloee landed on his head and sat on top of it.

"I'm going with you," Chloee declared. "I'm sure that what you are about to do is dangerous. I'll make sure to keep you safe."

William was about to urge Chloee to stay and protect Princess Aila and Shannon, when Elliot's telepathic message reached his consciousness.

"Take Chloee with you." Elliot insisted. "She will be of great help to you."

William paused for a bit before nodding his head. He had decided to heed Elliot's advice and take the little fairy with him on his journey.

"Okay, Sixth Master, make sure to keep me safe."

"Of course! This is my duty as your Master."

The little fairy that sat on top of William's head, grinned in happiness as she waved her goodbyes to Princess Aila, Shannon, Conan, and Elliot.

She was determined to go with William, even if she had to beat him black and blue in front of everyone. In order to keep the Half-Elf from suffering such torture, Elliot decided to step in and advised William to take her with him.

Besides, he didn't lie when he said that Chloee would be of great help to him on his journey to the North.

"I'll be going then," William said as he waved his goodbyes to everyone. "I'll see you all as soon as I can."

After bidding his farewell, he turned into a lightning bolt and shot through the skies, heading towards the North.

Elliot looked at William's departing figure and the smile on his face disappeared. It was replaced with a solemness that he rarely showed to anyone. He knew that no one could stop what was about to come, and the only thing he could do was to prepare himself for the inevitable.

—--

A streak of lightning landed in a valley that was several miles away from the Ancient Ruins that were being heavily guarded by the Demon Army.

"Welcome back," Celine nodded her head in greeting as she looked at William from the balcony of Baba Yaga's wooden house. "Have you finished your business?"

"It is still unfinished business, but that will have to wait until our return," William replied. "Where are the others?"

William scanned his surroundings but he couldn't find Vesta's, Kira's, and Athrun's flying carriages anywhere. This was supposed to be their meeting place after he had left for the Fortaare Desert to meet with Princess Aila, Shannon, Conan, Elliot, and Chloee.

"Vesta received a message from her father, telling her to go to a city not far from here," Celine replied. "According to her, that is where she will wait for the two of us to return. Kira and Athrun decided to stay with her because they knew that they couldn't accompany us to our destination."

William nodded his head in understanding. It was true that only he and Celine needed to go to the Ancient Ruins in order to deal with their current circumstances. Bringing others along would just put them in needless danger.

"Why is my sister's Familiar with you?" Celine frowned as she looked at Chloee, who was seated on top of William's head.

"Sixth Master decided to come with me as my bodyguard," William replied. "Don't worry. She can take care of herself."

Chloee eyed Celine but kept her mouth shut. She knew that Celeste and Celine had a good relationship, so she didn't want to start any conflicts with her. Also, William traveled all the way to the Demon Continent in order to look for his Master. She was not stupid enough to make things difficult for either party.

After hearing William's reply, Celine pondered for a while before nodding her head. She had seen what Chloee was capable of in the past and knew that even if she fought against her sister's familiar, the chances of her getting seriously injured was quite high.

"Will, I know that we already talked about this, but I'll ask you one last time," Celine said with a serious expression on her face. "Are you sure about this? Once we do this, there is no turning back."

"Master, running away doesn't solve anything," William replied. "It will just prolong our suffering. It will be better if we just go there and find out why our Dark Powers keep getting out of hand."

Celine closed the book in her hand and floated towards William's location.

"I'm ready when you are," Celine declared.

William nodded as he held her hand firmly. "Let's go. Whatever is waiting for us, we will face it together."

Chapter 1058: A Choice Between What Was Easy, And What Was Right

Chapter 1058: A Choice Between What Was Easy, And What Was Right

It didn't take long for William and Celine to arrive at the temporary stronghold that the Demons had built near the entrance of the Ancient Ruins.

"It's bigger than I thought," Celine said as she glanced at the ruins in front of her. "To think that something like this has been buried for countless years and was only unearthed recently, it makes me wonder if it's just coincidence."

"No." William shook his head. "This is no coincidence. It might be due to that Prophecy."

"Prophecy, is that edible?" Chloee asked before chewing the gummy bear in her hand.

William, and Celine exchanged a glance before giving each other a helpless smile.

To be perfectly honest, William didn't believe in Prophecies. However, he could no longer deny that there seemed to be some kind of mysterious power that was pushing things in motion. He didn't know if this was really what the Prophecy was like, all he knew was that he wouldn't allow Celine to become the bride of whoever that Prince was.

"Is there a way for us to sneak in?" William inquired as he gazed at the well-guarded entrance in the distance. If possible, he didn't want to force himself in because he was afraid that it might trigger the Ancient Ruins' defense mechanism and make the Dark Powers inside his body lose control.

During that state, he was practically helpless. In order to prevent both of them from being incapacitated, he opted for the most optimal way to enter the Holy Land of Dark Magic.

"I can feel some very faint signals coming from various locations around the ruins," Celine replied, "but I am not sure if they are the entrances that we are looking for."

Chloee who had been sitting on top of William's head voiced out her thoughts.

"I still think that using bruteforce is the best way to handle this situation," Chloee stated. "How about I do it for you g uys instead?"

"No."

"Let's not do that."

"Tsk."

While the three were pondering about what course of action they should take, something unexpected happened. At the center of the ruins, a dark orb slowly expanded and shot in the direction where Celine, William, and Chloee were hiding.

William and Celine were planning to dodge this dark beam, but to their surprise, they were unable to move their bodies. They could only watch helplessly as the Darkness engulfed both of them.

Chloee, on the other hand could move, but seeing that the Half-Elf and her Master's twin sister couldn't move, she just held tightly on William's hair as she allowed herself to also be hit by the beam of darkness as well.

It was at that moment when a hoarse laughter echoed within the Ancient Ruins that filled those who heard it with dread.

"The time… has come," the Dark Wraith appeared in the sky above the ruins and spread its arms wide. "Let this world… descend into Darkness!"

The dark orb once again expanded above the center of the Ruins and shot a dark beam of light towards the sky. A moment later, the clear blue sky became darker than black. No stars, no moons, no light, could pierce through the veil of darkness that extended for miles.

Felix immediately stepped out of the stronghold to try to understand what was happening around him. Although the Demon Army that had built the temporary stronghold was made up of elite warriors, he could sense the anxiousness in his surroundings, and he understood that if this continued, things might slip out of his control.

However, before he could even do anything, the dark orb once again expanded and shot a beam of darkness around the Ruins in a circular manner, hitting every living thing within a ten mile radius of the Ancient Ruins.

A few seconds later, not a single soul could be seen in the Stronghold,or in the surrounding regions.

The Dark Wraith laughed once again before disappearing from sight.

—---

Every Demon Clan near the Ancient Ruins was startled when they saw the unbelievable phenomenon that just transpired near their borders. None of them wasted any time and sent their fastest scouts to investigate what was happening.

A few hours later, the scouts returned with grim expressions on their faces. According to their observation, the field of darkness was slowly expanding outwards. They insisted that It was only a matter of time before it reached their territories.

"DId you cross the boundary of darkness?" one Patriarch asked one of the scouts that he had sent to investigate.

"Yes," the scout replied. "Aside from being under a dark sky, I didn't notice any noticeable changes in my body."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, My Lord. there is nothing wrong with arghh!"

The scout held onto his head in pain, while everyone in the room backed away. Tendrils of dark mists oozed out of his body as he rolled around on the ground.

A few minutes later, he stopped moving completely.

The Patriarch grit his teeth as he willed himself to walk towards his fallen subordinate to check his condition.

When he was only a few meters away from him, the subordinate's eyes opened. The patriarch was shocked to see that his pupils had turned completely black, instead of the orange color that was the trademark of their clan.

The scout slowly stood up as he gazed indifferently to the Demons around him.

"The Heir of Darkness… will be born soon," the scout said. "All who submit to him… will live, all who oppose him… will perish."

The scout walked towards the patriarch, while the latter backed away in fear.

Seeing his reaction the scout laughed hoarsely, which made everyone inside the room shudder uncontrollably.

"Spread the word…," the scout said as the mist that was oozing out of his body slowly dissipated. "He is coming. Darkness… will soon… reign supreme!"

After laughing one last time, the scout collapsed on the ground, dead, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

This scene was happening in many places at almost the same time. The Messengers of Darkness had heralded the coming of their Lord.

Just as they said, the dark sky was slowly expanding outwards, covering the land in eternal Darkness. Forced to make a decision, the Patriarchs immediately held an emergency meeting.

They were only left with two choices, cease all resistance and submit to the soon to be born Heir of Darkness, or flee their territories and head South to escape him.

As those whose territories bordered the northern regions were on their way to making a hard decision, the other Demon Clans weren't being idle either. Although they were quite far from the North, they didn't feel secure.

Even they felt that it was only a matter of time before their own territories would be under the dark sky, and fall under the rule of whoever would be chosen to become their new Master.

—--

The Southern Regions of the Demon Continent…

"So, it has finally started." Joash gazed at his artifact that was monitoring the Ancient Ruins.

Dark lightning streaked across the sky as thunderous roars boomed in the heavens. The lightning bolts would hit the Ancient Ruins from time to time, but they didn't do any damage to it. It seemed that the lightning itself was being attracted to it.

"Zeph, what are your plans?" Joash asked as he gazed at another round mirror that was hovering beside him.

"We will wait for the time being," Zeph answered with a solemn expression on his face. "According to my calculation, it will take at least two to three months before the Dark Domain reaches the Fortaare Desert. We have plenty of time to evacuate. I have already ordered my subordinates to prepare the logistics for if and when we are going to leave our homeland.

"For now, the majority of our people still don't know what is happening in the North. I'd like to keep it that way for a month, so there wouldn't be any cause for panic. My Liege Lord, Lorcan, also thinks the same way."

Joash nodded his head in understanding.

"I will tell my daughter and her entourage to join your clan for the time being," Joash said. "Watch over them for me. If you decide to flee, take her with you."

"Understood."

"Okay."

The image of Zeph faded from the round mirror. Joash once again contacted all of his allies and asked them on what course of action they were planning to take.

The main reason why Joash had volunteered to become the Gatekeeper of the South was due to the discovery of the Ancient Ruins. From the very start, he had a feeling that, sometime in the future, a great calamity would happen in the Northern Territory.

This was why he decided to create a stronghold in the South, in preparation for what was about to come. His fortress was not made to only keep the invaders of their land away from their Domain, it could also be used as the last line of defense to contain whatever evil might be born from the Ancient Ruins that had made him feel inexplicable danger back then.

"I just hope that Adam can become the chosen one," Joash muttered as he thought about his disciple. "But, that Half-Elf is also a good second choice. Regardless of who remains in the end, I just hope that they will be on my side. If not…"

The Black Dragon closed his eyes, as he clenched his fist. He didn't dare voice out the rest of the words he wanted to say for fear that they would come true.

Dark times were upon them, and soon they would be given a choice between what was easy, and what was right.

Chapter 1059: Let The Killing Begin!

Chpater 1059: Let The Killing Begin!

"Where are we?" William asked as he scanned his surroundings.

"How should I know?" Chloee replied with a frown. "Wherever this is, I sense a dark presence in our surroundings."

"We're probably inside the Ancient Ruins," Celine answered. "Do you feel something?"

"No. How about you?" William answered.

Celine pointed in the distance where a black pyramid-like structure could be seen. "I feel something calling out to me in that direction."

William frowned as he gazed in the direction she was pointing in. Try as he might, he couldn't feel anything in his surroundings, or feel any particular attraction to the pyramid in the distance.

'Optimus, can you scan that pyramid for me?' William asked.

The Half-Elf waited for the System's answer, but no answer came to him. This was not the first time that this had happened to William, so he understood that he was in a place where Optimus was blocked by some kind of powerful law, just like had happened in the Deadlands.

"What kind of feeling do you get from that pyramid?" William inquired of the beautiful Elf that was standing beside him.

Celine narrowed her eyes as she tried to understand the faint feeling that was calling out to her.

"It's not hostile, or threatening," Celine answered after a while. "I feel… I feel that if I go there, I will be playing an important role. A role that was given to me by birth."

The frown on William's face deepened. Alarm bells were ringing inside his head, telling him that going in that direction was a very, very, very bad idea.

Making up his mind, he held Celine's firmly and looked her in the eye.

"Let's not," William said as he shook his head. "Don't go there, Celine."

Celine immediately understood what William was trying to say. She glanced at the pyramid in the distance one last time before shifting her gaze towards the red-headed teenager who was looking at her with a worried expression on his face.

"Okay, I won't go there," Celine replied.

Just as the two of them were about to discuss what they were going to do next, a hoarse laughter was heard behind them.

William immediately stood in front of Celine as he faced the Dark Wraith who was hovering several meters away from them.

"Welcome…" the Dark Wraith bowed towards Celine in a respectful manner. "I have been waiting for you… Sacrificial Bride of Darkness."

After gazing at Celine for a few seconds, it then shifted its attention to the black-haired teenager who was now holding a golden staff in his hand.

"Tell me… boy," the Dark Wraith said in a teasing voice. "Do you… believe… in Dark Magic?"

Chloee flew in front of William and transformed into a fourteen-year old girl. She no longer had a playful expression on her face, as she took a guarded stance against the creature that was in front of them.

"Yes," William replied. He had a feeling that if he said no, something terrible would happen to him.

Beads of sweat had formed in his forehead as he gazed at the apparition in front of him. Although he didn't have the system to help him gauge the level of the Dark Wraith whose golden eyes were looking straight at him, he knew, with utmost certainty, that he was looking at a Pseudo-God.

An existence that was just as strong as Apophis.

Chloee also understood this. Although she was violent and stubborn by nature, she knew when to speak up, and when to shut up.

William had a feeling that if the Dark Wraith were to really attack them, even his Heroic Avatar would not stand a chance against it. The only thing he could do was summon Sun Wukong, so the Monkey King could fight in his place.

Right now, Enuma Elish, the Seven Tablets of Creation, was only charged halfway. Its divinity was not enough to deal with the being in front of him, so he had no choice but to call upon his trump card if things went south.

Fortunately, the Dark Wraith didn't seem to have any intention of attacking him. It just laughed hoarsely as a devilish grin appeared on its horrific face.

"We will know… soon enough… if you truly believe," the Dark Wraith stated. "You may do as you please… but know this… the chosen one… will have his bride. Since you are also a candidate… it will not be fun… if you don't participate in the selection."

The Dark Wraith snapped his fingers, and William disappeared from where he stood.

Celine glared at the Dark Wraith as she channeled the Dark Powers in her body.

"Where did you take them?" Celine asked with a trace of killing intent.

"To a game," the Dark Wraith replied. "A wonderful game… of life and death. The Winner takes all… and the Losers, lose everything. Worry not… Destiny's Bride. You will soon… meet… your Destined One."

—---

William found himself in what seemed to be an open plain.

Several Demons were also standing near him, as they, too, looked around them in confusion.

On a raised platform overlooking them all, over a dozen young individuals stood. They were looking down on the newcomers with complicated looks on their faces, as the dark stars on their shoulders glowed faintly.

Recognizing one of the people on the platform, Felix stepped forward and voiced his question.

"Adam, what is going on here?" Felix answered. "Where is this place?"

This was the question that was on everyone's mind at the moment. Together with Felix, all the Demons that were stationed outside the ancient ruins stood with their weapons at the ready. Although they didn't know where they were, their sense of danger was telling them that things were about to get messy soon.

"This is a Slaughter Domain," Adam answered. "Today, the Heir of Darkness will be chosen from among all of us."

Adam then raised his weapon and pointed at the glowing red dot on the horizon.

"Whoever gets there first, will be the Heir of Darkness," Adam said with a serious expression on his face.

Felix glanced at the direction Adam was pointing and nodded his head.

"So, all we need to do is get there, right? Easy enough," Felix answered. "If we all work together, we can overcome this obstacle."

Adam snorted as he gazed down at the firstborn of the Demon Lord.

"Only those that have the qualifications can reach that place," Adam stated. "Right now, all of you gathered here are not qualified to be the Chosen One."

Felix frowned as he looked up at the Demon whom he thought he had made his loyal subordinate.

"What do we need to do to become qualified?" Felix asked.

Adam, as well as the Demons standing by his side smiled as the Power of Darkness inside their bodies burst forth.

"Simple," Adam replied. "All you need to do is believe in Dark Magic."

A few seconds later, a scream of pain came from one of the Demons that was standing at the very back of Felix's group.

A dark blade could be seen sticking out of his chest. A few seconds later, the Demon's body collapsed on the ground. He was no longer breathing, but his body quickly turned completely black.

Everyone gazed at the killer who resembled a Dark Knight, who was wearing black armor and wielding a dark sword.

Soon, more Dark Knights emerged from behind them, until they numbered a hundred.

Although there were almost ten thousand Demons present in the scene, they had a feeling that even if they all worked together, they would still fall prey to the Dark Knights who were pointing their swords at them.

"Go," Adam ordered. "Let the killing begin!"

Chapter 1060: Finally, All The Chess Pieces Are In Place

Chapter 1060: Finally, All The Chess Pieces Are In Place

The Black Knights charged at the thousands of elite Demons that made up the bulk of the army that had been stationed near the Ancient Ruins.

At first, William thought that the Black Knights would overwhelm the Demons with their strength, but to his surprise, the Demons easily subdued them with their teamwork and battle formation.

The Half-Elf then glanced at Adam who was standing on top of the raised platform to see his reaction. When he noticed the sneer on the young Demon's face, he knew that something wasn't right.

'I have a bad feeling about this,' William thought as he whispered in fourtee-year-old Chloee's ear, "Sixth Master, don't engage the enemies. We will just observe for the time being."

Chloee frowned, but didn't argue with William. She too felt that something was wrong, so she decided to stay put and observe for the time being.

Naturally, it was not only the Half-Elf who were thinking of the same thing. Felix, as well as the two ladies who were standing near him, also felt that something was amiss.

"Adam, I'm giving you exactly twenty seconds to explain everything to me," Felix stated. "If you don't give me the answer I am looking for, I'll make you regret making a fool out of me!"

Adam ignored Felix as he looked down on the defeated Black Knights who had been dismembered, their bodies scattered across the ground. He and those that had entered the ancient ruins had fought these knights for many days, and had witnessed how terrifying they could be when the right conditions were met.

"If I were you, I'd pay more attention to what's behind you," Adam replied. "Turning your back on your enemy is a foolish thing to do on the battlefield."

"What are you talki–" Felix wasn't able to finish his words because he felt something ominous behind him.

After turning around, he noticed that the dismembered Black Knights had put themselves back together and doubled their height. If in the beginning they were only two meters tall, now they were four meters tall.

Without waiting for Felix's orders, the Demons once again attacked the Black Knights, but this time, they had a harder time subduing them.

The Black Knights were now twice as strong as they were originally, and even though the Demons had a numerical advantage. The hundred Black Knights were able to kill over two hundred of them before collapsing on the ground.

However, before the Demons could even take a breather, the Black Knights once again reformed themselves. This time, their bodies were oozing a black mist.

"Damn you!" One of the Demons, alongside his squad, attacked one of the black knights. However, something unexpected happened.

With just a single slash of the Black Knight's dark sword, the members of the six-men team were cut in half, as if they were nothing more than bamboo trees that were standing idly in the forest.

The Demons who died turned into black mists that were absorbed by the Black Knight that killed them.

"Do not falter!" the Vice-Commander of the Stronghold shouted. "Magicians, bombard them with magic spells!"

The Demons that specialized in magic unleashed their most powerful spell with the hope that they could decimate the Black Knights that numbered in the hundred. Powerful explosions made the ground tremble, as the destruction created dust clouds in front of them.

"Fools," Adam mocked the army that didn't have any idea what they were facing. "No matter what you do, it's all futile."

Just as soon as his words left his lips, clanging sounds that resembled the movement of armored warriors reverberated in the surroundings.

Several Black Knights emerged from the dust clouds. Thick, dark mists covered their bodies.

"Didn't I tell you earlier?" Adam said in a teasing voice. "All you need to do is believe in Dark Magic."

Felix frowned as he looked up at the Demon who had an amused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Felix, are you really stupid or pretending to be stupid?" Adam answered in a teasing tone. "Must I repeat myself? All you need to do is believe in Dark Magic."

"You mean… these creatures can only die from Dark Magic attacks?"

"Exactly."

"But, none of us have Dark Magic," Felix stated. However, right after he said his words, a realization hit him. "No! Don't tell me!"

Adam smirked. "I guess you're not stupid afterall."

"Sh*t!" Felix cursed out loud as he gave out an order to his men. "Only Dark Magic can kill them! Do any of you know how to wield it?!"

Truth be told, Felix already knew the answer. Everyone who practiced the Dark Arts had already been sent to the Ancient Ruins. The army he had with him was composed of the Elite Army of the Demon Race.

None of them practiced Dark Magic, so the outcome of this battle had been set in stone before the fight had even started.

"As the firstborn of the Demon Lord, I order you, Adam, as well as your compatriots, to deal with the Black knights!" Felix ordered. "I promise on my name that all of you will be rewarded handsomely for your services. If you choose to reject this order, you will be punished with the crime of treason and my army will stop at nothing to kill all of you!"

Adam chuckled after hearing Felix's high-handed order. For him, this was the funniest thing he had heard in a long while.

"I think you still don't understand your situation, Felix," Adam said after he had his fill of laughter. "You have no power here. Just patiently wait for your death, and sacrifice your life to the God of Darkness."

"Bastard!" Felix summoned his sword and pointed it in the direction of the raised platform. "Everyone, kill that ungrateful mongrel as well as his cohorts!"

""Kill!""

The Demon Army charged at the raised platforms with their weapons held high. Their bloodshot eyes locked on the smug expressions of the candidates who were looking down on them as if they were bugs that they could stomp on anytime.

Powerful spells were fired in the direction of Adam and the others, but none of the practitioners of the Dark Arts even bothered to bat an eye. It was as if they couldn't even be bothered to raise a hand to defend themselves from the barrage of spells that was about to rain on them.

As if passing through an invisible veil, the spells that targeted them disappeared without a trace.

The Demons who had charged towards the raised platform, found themselves colliding with an invisible barrier that prevented them from moving forward.

"Didn't I say it earlier? It's not good to turn your back on your enemies," Adam said with a smile. "But since all of you are going to die anyway, I guess my remainder is unnecessary."

"Curse you!" Felix shouted as he gazed at the Black Knights that had now started to charge in their direction. "Form your ranks! We have the advantage in numbers. Destroy them!"

The Demons shouted their battle cries as they heeded their Commander's orders. As soon as the two forces collided, several Demons were instantly dismembered by the Black Knights, whose strength was growing with each minute that passed.

William, who was observing the battle from the side, didn't move. His hand was resting on Chloee's shoulder, as if preventing her from joining the battle.

He didn't care if the Demon Lord's entire Army was annihilated. For him, this was a good thing. Since the Demon Lord had the intention of invading the Central Continent, reducing the strength of their Army was something that he had already planned to do in the beginning.

After observing the brutal battle that was unfolding in front of him, the Half-Elf shifted his attention towards the teenager named Adam who was standing at the raised platform.

Surprisingly, Adam was also looking at him.

As their gazes met, a smirk of ridicule appeared on the young Demon's face.

'So, you are the son of the Dungeon Conqueror,' Adam thought as he looked down on the black-haired teenager with contempt. 'Since he is here, it means that the Bride of Destiny is also here. Finally, all the chess pieces are in place. Lord Joash, I will prove to you that I am superior to him. I will be the one to inherit the power of darkness, and make this world submit under my rule.'

Chapter 1061: Who's Your Daddy Now?

Chapter 1061: Who's Your Daddy Now?

Shouts of anger and despair reverberated in the surroundings as a one-sided slaughter ensued.

The Black Knights had all stepped into the ranks of peak Millennial Beasts, making them a menace to anyone that faced them. What made things worse was that they were immune to any kind of magic.

Even if physical attacks work on them, they would just rise up from the ground after a few seconds and resume their rampage. It was truly a helpless scene, and Felix gritted his teeth in anger as he watched his army slowly, but surely, get pushed back and massacred helplessly.

"Adam, stop this!" Felix shouted after he could no longer take the helpless situation. "We are on the same side! You don't need to do this. We can talk things out!"

Adam arched an eyebrow after hearing Felix's words. He rubbed his chin as he pondered whether he should listen to the Demon Lord's Crown Prince or not.

"Very well" Adam raised his hand and the Black Knights immediately stopped their assault and stood where they were. "Since you want to negotiate, I'll give you a chance to do it. However, before we have our discussion, I have a condition first."

"State your condition," Felix replied. He knew that he was the one at a disadvantage, but he really couldn't do anything except accept whatever condition Adam was planning to ask of him.

"Do you see those two people over there?" Adam asked as he pointed at William and Chloee who had separated themselves from the Demon Army.

Felix glanced in their direction and frowned. He had noticed the two individuals just as the Black Knights attacked, but since they weren't hostile, he completely ignored them.

"What about them?" Felix asked back.

"I want you to kill them. If you succeed, I promise that I will leave you guys alone. Do we have a deal?"

"That's it? If I kill them, will you spare all of us?"

Adam nodded. "Of course. You have my word."

Felix wasn't a fool. He knew that the two individuals that Adam wanted to kill were not pushovers. However, if he were to choose between the Black Knights, or the two people in the distance, he would definitely choose the latter because he believed that he had a higher chance of killing them.

The Demon Army felt the same, so they shifted their gaze towards William and Chloee as if they were their last lifeline to leave this place alive.

"Oh? They want to kill us?" Chloee smiled sweetly. "This will be fun."

"Sixth Master, they are looking down on the two of us," William said softly. "I think it's about time we make them realize who really is the hunter, and who is the hunted."

"Sounds like a plan. Shall we?"

"Sure. Let's rumble."

Chloee and William stomped their right foot forward at the same time before disappearing from where they stood.

A second later, both of them reappeared in front of Adam who was still looking in the direction that they had been a mere moment earlier.

Chloee gave a powerful shout as she smashed her fist towards the young man's face. However, a barrier appeared to block her punch.

As soon as Chloee's fist collided with the barrier, a resounding cracking sound filled their surroundings. The barrier shattered like a crystal glass, taking Adam by surprise.

Just as he was about to use his Dark Magic to protect himself, William's foot stomped on his face, sending his whole body flying off the raised platform.

Everything happened so fast, that nobody was able to react in time. The only thing they heard was the shattering of the barrier, and Adam's pained scream as his body flew several meters away from the platform before crashing into the ground, creating a crater around his body.

"Y-You!" Adam hatefully glared at William as he spat out a mouthful of dark blood.

"Me, what?" William asked back with a sneer. "You've been looking down on us from the very beginning. How does it feel to eat the dirt under my feet?"

Chloee crossed her arms over her chest as she raised her chin in arrogance. "Who's your daddy now, huh?"

Adam could feel his cheeks burning due to anger and humiliation. He was confident that nothing could break past the barrier that protected the platform, and kept all the candidates of the Dark Arts safe from the final phase of the selection.

He didn't expect the young girl's punch to be strong enough to shatter it completely, which made him unable to react in time.

"I'll kill you!" Adam shouted. "I'll kill you, William Von Ainsworth!"

Adam's hateful shout was like the sound of thunder that reached everyone's ears. All of them gazed at the black-haired teenager who had stomped on Adam's face and was now standing on top of the platform.

"I guess there's no need for me to hold back then," William replied as the color of his hair and eyes changed.

"I-It's really him," Felix said with a solemn expression on his face. "The son of the Dungeon Conqueror and the Saintess of the World Tree."

As someone that belonged to the current ruling clan of the Demon Realm, there was a family name that they hated the most. There is no Demon Clan in the Demonic Continent who hadn't heard of them, especially since it was the name of the family that was responsible for denying them of their ultimate goal of world conquest.

"Ainsworth," Felix muttered. "William Von Ainsworth."

All the Demons looked at William with bloodshot eyes. If earlier, their hatred had directed at Adam, now it was all locked onto the red-headed teenager who was arrogantly looking down on all of them.

"To those who want my autograph, please line up," William said in a teasing tone. "There's no need to be shy, I won't be going anywhere."

"Kill him!" Adam ordered and the Black Knights who had remained stationary in the distance all flew towards the raised platform like wraiths, with a black mist trailing behind them.

"Kill him!" Felix ordered.

The Mages in the Demon Army hatefully fired their spells at the Half-Elf who had now gathered the aggro of everyone on the battlefield. Even the candidates of the Dark Arts unleashed their Dark Spells in order to end his life.

"You sure are popular," Chloee said as she flashed William a mischievous grin.

"They're just jealous of my good looks, Sixth Master," William replied as he grabbed her waist. "Being handsome is a sin."

As soon as he finished his words, he immediately disappeared from where he stood as he transformed into a lightning bolt that streaked across the sky, flying in the direction of the red dot in the distance that Adam had pointed out earlier.

Although he didn't know what he would find in that place, he still went because he still needed to look for Celine.

Unknown to him, the Dark Wraith watched his every move from a corner of the Holy Land.

"Things are… getting interesting…," the Dark Wraith said. "Still… no matter where everyone runs… no matter where everyone hides… their fate was already sealed… the moment they entered our Holy Land."

The Dark Wraith then glanced at the beautiful Elf, who was now standing on top of the altar waiting for her destined partner to arrive.

Dark mists oozed out of Celine's body as she stared into the distance. After Wiliam and Chloee had disappeared, she found herself standing on top of what seemed to be an altar.

There were no chains that bound her, and yet, she couldn't move her body. All she could do was stare at the battle that was happening in the distance, like a spectator that was watching a stage play.

"Will…," Celine said softly as she felt the power of Darkness inside her body start to go out of control. "Please, leave this place. They are out to get you."

Chapter 1062: The Demon of Demons

Chapter 1062: The Demon of Demons

"Why are we running away?" Chloee asked. "If we work together, we can beat the crap out of them!"

"I know, Sixth Master," William replied. "However, something doesn't feel right."

"Something doesn't feel right?"

"Mmm. It's like, someone is purposely trying to reduce the number of people inside this Domain. I noticed that every time a Demon died, the power of Darkness in the surroundings became more profound."

As someone who had attained a high level of proficiency in the Dark Arts, William was able to notice the subtle changes in the surroundings during the battle.

Chloee frowned because she didn't understand such things. She was confident that no matter how powerful their enemies became, she was confident that she could send them all to kingdom come.

Even so, she trusted William, so she no longer argued about his intention to escape.

"We're almost there," William said as he saw the red portal that was hovering above a black pyramid.

According to Adam, this was the place that they needed to go. However, he didn't specify whether they should enter the portal or not.

"What do you think, Sixth Master?" William inquired. "Should we enter the red portal or not?"

"Let's enter," Chloee answered. "Don't worry. Whatever is inside it, I promise that I'll protect you."

William smiled. Chloee's words were quite reassuring, so he no longer hesitated and flew into the red portal.

—--

Adam clenched his fist as he tried to reign in his anger. After overcoming so many trials inside the Holy Land, the Dark Wraith had finally recognized the eighteen survivors and deemed them worthy of challenging the final trial.

However, for the final trial to open, they needed to sacrifice as many lives as possible as a tribute to the God of Darkness. The souls of the previous candidates, who had died during the trials, had all been absorbed by the artifact that was inside the red portal.

But, it was still not enough for it to awaken the power inside it. More lives needed to be sacrificed in order to activate its powers. Because of this, the Dark Wraith had activated the Seal of the Holy Land and allowed the power of darkness to manifest in the outside world.

'Dammit!' Adam cursed internally when he saw William enter the red portal before them. The only reason why he was still able to hold back his frustration at the moment was due to the artifact not having enough power to activate.

"I'm going," one of the candidates declared as he flew towards the sky and headed towards the red portal.

Although the remaining candidates understood that entering the portal right now would not yield the desired results, the mere thought of someone getting ahead of them made them anxious.

One by one, the candidates flew towards the portal, leaving Adam behind.

The young Demon looked at them with a calm expression on his face, as he quickly thought of a way to take advantage of the situation he was in right now.

After staying inside the Holy Land of Darkness for a long time, all the candidates' hair had turned completely black. They also grew two, short, crimson horns on their heads. These changes had made them more powerful, and their Dark Arts more pure.

Even so, they still underestimated the Half-Elf, as well as the young lady that was accompanying him. They thought that as long as they stayed on the platform, they would not be harmed in any way. But, their belief was shattered when William stomped his foot on Adam's face, trampling on his pride and dignity.

"Felix, do you want to live?" Adam asked as he stared at the first born of the Demon Lord.

"Yes," Felix replied.

Adam nodded "Very well. Your goal will remain the same. Kill that Half-Elf, and I will allow you and your army to leave this place alive."

Felix knew that he had no choice in the matter, so he simply nodded his head. However, deep inside, he was already thinking of ways to make Adam pay for treating him in this manner after he had given him his trust.

—---

"What in the world?" William muttered as he gazed at a gigantic black throne that was right in front of him.

Seated on it was a giant Demon with long black hair, and two crimson horns protruding on the top of its head. On its back was a pair of red-wings that were lightly spread out, showing his magnificence.

The giant demon had his eyes closed, but even then, the overwhelming power that was radiating on his body was enough for William to understand that he was in the presence of a very powerful God.

"Will… is that thing alive or not?" Chloee asked as he stared at the giant Demon in front of her with a guarded expression. As someone that pursued strength, she had fought many adversaries, as well as helped William fight against Apophis in the Void.

However, compared to the Giant Serpent, who had regressed its rank to a Pseudo-God, the being in front of them was a bonafide God. Apophis was nothing more than a little worm, compared to the being in front of them.

"I don't know," William said in a volume that was only loud enough for Chloee to hear. It was as if he was afraid that his voice would awaken the God in front of them and make it pinch them to oblivion.

"Don't worry, he is currently in a very deep sleep. He won't wake up no matter what you do to him."

A voice spoke behind William, which almost made the Half-Elf as well as Chloee jump up in fright.

They hastily looked behind them only to see two beautiful ladies, who were looking at the giant demon in front of them with reverence.

"Who are the two of you?" William asked. For some reason, he could sense a similar power coming from the two ladies that resembled the divinity of his wives.

"It's an honor to meet you, Son of the Dungeon Conqueror and Saintess of the World Tree," one of the ladies with long dark-green hair and eyes, replied. "I've heard that my sisters have become your wives. Ah. Before I forget, you may refer to me as Invidia for now."

The young beauty with dark-green hair appraised William from head to foot as a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Well, I can tell why they are smitten with you," Invidia said with a smile. "Your face is not half bad."

Suddenly, Invidia spun around. When she once again met William's gaze, the Half-Elf was surprised because Invidia had taken on his appearance.

"I wonder if my sisters will be able to tell the difference when I stand next to you," Invidia chuckled using William's voice, which made Chloee frown.

"Oi. Ugly. It will be best if you return to your original appearance before I smack your face," Chloee declared as she raised her fist.

"How barbaric," Invidia shook her head. However, she still spun around and returned to her original appearance. After doing so, she winked at William which made the Half-Elf arch his eyebrows.

William then shifted his attention to the other beauty that was standing next to Invidia who was standing as straight as a sword. She had long purple hair, which was similar to Princess Aila. however, her eyes were golden in color, which made anyone that looked at her feel her overpowering presence.

"You must be Superbia," William commented after taking a good look at the purple-haired beauty, whose prideful demeanor didn't escape his eyes.

The purple-haired beauty didn't affirm or deny William's words. She continued to stare at the Giant Demon, who seemed to be fast asleep. A minute later, she opened her lips and a confident voice who seemed to ridicule the entire world reached William's ears.

"His name is Ahriman," Superbia stated. "He is the Demon of Demons, and dwells in an abyss of endless darkness in the North, the traditional home of those who wield Dark Magic. Ignorance, harmfulness, and disorder are the characteristics of Ahriman.

He can change his outward form and appear as a lizard, a snake, or a youth. His aim has always been to cover the world in Darkness, and make all of creation submit to his will."

"Ahriman creates death; for health, he produces disease; for beauty, ugliness. All man's ills are due entirely to Ahriman. He is also the reason why the Era of Darkness began, as the Gods fought against each other in order to decide which race would sit on the top of this world, and rule everyone."

Superbia then pointed at Ahriman's right hand that was resting on his lap. Hovering above the palm of his hand was a Crimson Crown. William felt the dark magic inside his body fluctuate the moment his eyes laid on the Divine Artifact that belonged to one of the strongest Gods in creation.

"According to the prophecy of the Demon Race, he who wears the Crown of Darkness will become Ahriman's heir," Invidia commented. "Go on. Take it. If you wear that on your head, you will gain his power. Isn't that why you came to this place?"

"No," William replied as he shook his head. "I have no intention of putting that Crown on my head."

"Is that so?" Invidia smirked. "Well, if you don't wear it then I guess that you will just have to die."

William frowned as he turned his head to look at the green-haired lady who was looking at him with a teasing smile.

"What do you mean by that?" William inquired.

"Do you really don't know? Or are you pretending not to know?" Invidia answered with a gaze of ridicule. "Since you don't want to wear it then one of the Demons here will do. When that happens they would definitely kill you. Did you forget? All Demons hate your father. Well, I suppose not all Demons. I for one don't hate your father. How about you, Superbia?"

Superbia gave William a side-long glance before turning her attention back to the Giant Demon in front of her.

"Although Demons hate his father, it will not change the fact that they also respect and fear him," Superbia replied. "As a race that worships the strong, I have no ill will towards the person that defeated the Demon Lord. Also, I was not even born back then. I am not concerned about what happened in the past. All I care about is the present."

Invidia nodded her head. "Well then. We're just here to watch the show. Whether you wear that Crown or not, I'm sure that we will see something interesting once everyone gets here."

As if waiting for that cue, several Demons appeared in the sky after passing through the red portal.

They were the Candidates of Darkness who were vying for the Crown who would make them Ahriman's successor.

All of them glanced in William's direction and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that the Crown was still there. If the Half-Elf really took the Crown before them, they would do everything in their power to take it back for it was the legacy that belonged to them.

"He's here," Superbia said as she shifted his attention to the sky. "The one that has the highest chance of becoming Ahriman's successor."

Adam appeared in the crimson world, with the Demon Army behind him. His gaze locked on William's body as he gritted his teeth in hatred.

"I swear that you will not leave this place alive, William Von Ainsworth," Adam declared. "I will make you regret that you were ever born in this world."

William shook his head after hearing Adam's word as he shifted his gaze back at Superbia.

"Is there really no other way aside from taking that Crown?" William asked. "Does the prophecy mention anything else?"

"No," Superbia replied. "You should decide while you still can. Once the conditions are met, it will be too late for regrets."

William glanced at the floating Crown in the distance. He could feel a subtle attraction coming from it, and the Dark Powers in his body were urging him to wear it.

Although he was left with a difficult choice, the Half-Elf had no intention of wearing the Crown of Darkness. Something was telling him that the moment he wore that Crown, he would lose something very important to him.

Chapter 1063: Desperate Struggle [Part 1]

Chapter 1063: Desperate Struggle [Part 1]

"Sh*t," William muttered.

In front of him, a God which held the crown that could potentially bring the entire world to its knees slumbered.

Behind him, the disciples of the Dark Arts, as well as the Demon Army stood at the ready. William had faced many dangerous situations before, but right now, he had to admit, he was in a pinch.

"Sixth Master, no matter what happens, don't leave my side," William said as he gazed at the Giant Demon in front of him.

Chloee nodded, but she had already raised up her guard, ready to react to whatever was going to happen next. Celeste's Familiar also understood that they were in a very tricky situation. However, if she were to pick between the two evils, she would rather attack the Demon Army behind her, than face the wrath of the sleeping God in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, William narrowed his gaze as he resolved himself to execute the plan he had in mind.

"Let's go, Sixth Master!" William stated as he charged towards the sleeping Demon, while wielding Ruyi Jingu Bang.

After pondering for quite a bit, William realized that the Demon Army wasn't his true enemy but the Crown in front of him. As long as he could destroy it, the so-called prophecy would cease to exist.

"Break all the walls that stand before me!" William gritted his teeth as he swung the staff in his hand with the intention to obliterate the Crimson Crown who was the source of everyone's struggle. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!'

The red-headed teenager had activated his Heroic Avatar and decisively swung his weapon towards the sleeping Demon's hand. However, just before the golden staff smashed unto the Crimson Crown, a word of ridicule reached his ears.

"Fool."

That was the last thing that William heard before he found himself crashing towards the ground, and spitting blood.

"Hyaaah!" Chloee's shout that was filled with anger reverberated in the surroundings as she appeared right in front of the Crown, and punched it with everything she had.

However, just like what happened to William, she found herself slamming towards the ground as if she had been swatted away like a fly.

"Sh*t." William wiped the blood from his lips as he stared at the Giant Demon, whose eyes remained close. However, on its forehead, a third eye slowly opened up and focused its attention on the Half-Elf who was gritting his teeth on the ground.

"Thousands of years have passed since I saw a mortal dare to raise their weapons against me," a voice filled with ridicule and contempt was heard inside everyone's head. "It seems that everyone has forgotten about me."

"My Lord, Ahriman, we have not forgotten!" Adam shouted as he knelt to show his reverence to the God that had sired the Demon Race into existence. "We still take to heart the sacrifices you have made for the Demon Race!"

Ahriman's third eye, that was looking at William, shifted its gaze to Adam, who had prostrated himself in front of him.

"I see. You are one of my people," Ahriman said via telepathy. "Good. The power of your Darkness is very pure. You are worthy to become one of the candidates whom I will choose as my heir."

Adam bowed his head in reverence. "I thank you, My Lord, for your benevolence!"

"As for you…" the Giant Eye once again focused on William who was gathering his power for one full-powered attack. "Well, you also have the qualifications. If you kneel and worship me as your Lord, I will turn a blind eye to your transgression and allow you to compete fairly to become my heir."

William ignored Ahriman's words as he thrust his golden staff forward for the second time.

"Sweep away all adversaries!" William roared. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

The staff extended, and increased its size becoming as big as a castle. For some reason, William had a nagging feeling that Ahriman wasn't in the capacity to fully use his powers, due to the chains that bound his body to the throne.

At first, William didn't notice it, but after activating his Heroic Avatar, the invisible chains that held the Giant Demon in place became visible. They were unable to escape his fiery-golden-eyes, which could see through all falsehoods.

"Insolent mongrel!" Ahriman's disdainful voice was like a thunderclap that descended on everyone's head. "Know your place!"

Ahriman's third eye glowed, and a barrier enveloped the Crown that was resting on his hand. He had waited thousands of years for this Fated Day, and he would not allow anyone to disrupt his plans no matter what.

A metallic ring spread across the domain as Ruyi Jingu Bang collided with the barrier that Ahriman had summoned to protect the Crown in his hand. A few seconds later, cracks started to appear on the barrier as William willed his staff to shatter the barrier.

Just as William was about to succeed, he felt something dangerous coming from behind him. At first, he thought of stopping his attack to dodge, but decided against it.

He had complete faith in his partner, so he continued to push the golden staff forward to destroy the Crown, and end all the madness.

A powerful shockwave erupted behind him, as Chloee clashed against the Dark Wraith who had tried to sneak attack William from behind.

Both held their ground as the barrier shattered into a hundred pieces.

"Break!" William shouted as his weapon headed towards the Crimson Crown that was on Ahriman's upturned palm.

Just as the red-headed teenager was about to succeed, the Crimson Crown glowed and disappeared from the Giant Demon's hand. A few seconds later, it reappeared in front of Adam who stared at it in shock, and disbelief.

The Half-Elf knew that things had gone South, so the next thing he did was turn around in order to help Chloee deal with the Dark Wraith that she was facing. However, just as he was about to do that, he felt the Fairy's body slam against his back, sending both of them flying several meters away from where they originally stood.

"Hah…" Chloee propped herself after rolling on the ground for a few seconds and stared hatefully at the Dark Wraith that had overpowered her in their clash.

'A Pseudo-God,' Chloee thought as she fully realized that she and William were in a hopeless situation. 'Celeste, I might not see you again after this.'

Chloee knew that If she really wanted to escape this place with William, she had no choice but to use 100% of her powers. However, if she did that, she would only be able to live for a day, before her body crumbled into pieces.

Chapter 1064: Desperate Struggle [Part 2]

Chapter 1064: Desperate Struggle [Part 2]

"Will, I have a plan," Chloee said as she clenched her fist tighter. "But, I don't know if it will work."

"No." William shook his head as he rested her hand on Chloee's shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, Sixth Master. However, even if you unseal your powers it will be useless if we don't find the method of leaving this place.

"Also, don't worry. We're not out of options just yet. We can still overcome this obstacle as long as we work together."

Chloee didn't agree or disagree with William's words. Deep inside, she understood that as long as they didn't find the exit of this Domain, everything they tried to do would be for naught.

Fighting against a Demon Army, a Pseudo-God, as well as a chained God, was too much for the two of them to handle.

'What do you suggest that we do?" Chloee asked.

"Our objective still hadn't changed," William replied. "No matter what, we need to destroy that Crown."

William's gaze was locked on the Crown that was currently in Adam's hands. The young Demon sneered at the Half-Elf whose dire circumstances almost made him laugh out loud.

"Felix, order your army to kill him," Adam ordered. "That is the only way for you to survive this place alive."

Felix nodded as he raised his hand to command the Demon Army.

"Everyone, it is time for us to end the grievances that we've felt all these years," Felix shouted as he pointed at William. "Kill him, so that we can display his corpse for all of Demonkind to see! Kill the son of the man that denied us victory!"

""Kill!""

The Demon Army charged en masse towards the Half-Elf who was doing his best to think of his next move.

The Dark Wraith chuckled before reappearing beside Adam, who was currently holding the Crown of Darkness. It was born to protect the crown and help Ahriman filter through which candidates would be worthy to wear it upon their heads.

Since the crown was now safe, It no longer needed to attack the Half-Elf and the young lady beside him. Although things might have not gone according to plan, the fact still remained that the trial was still ongoing. Amongst the thousands of Demons within this Domain, one of them would be wearing the Crown of Darkness before the day was over.

"Sixth Master, please, conserve your strength as much as possible," William said as he twirled the staff in his hand. "This battle might take a while."

Chloee nodded. She could feel a powerful suppression descending upon her and William that was coming from the Giant Demon whose eyes were locked unto their bodies.

"I will handle them for now," William stated. "When the duration of my Heroic Avatar is over, it's all on you, Sixth Master."

"Understood," Chloee replied. "Be careful."

William briefly nodded his head before stomping his feet on the ground. He then flew high up in the air as he aimed his golden staff at the Demon Army whose spells were now flying in his direction.

"Quick Shot War Art Fourth Form!" William increased the size of his staff to several meters as he braced himself for the recoil of his attack. "Grand Bazooka!"

A powerful explosion shook the Domain as William's attack descended upon the Demon Army. Before any of them could react, a raging inferno engulfed their bodies, instantly incinerating those who stepped into the point of impact.

The other Demons didn't fare either because the fire quickly spread out, immolating everything in its path. Blood curdling screams and cries of desperation resounded across the battlefield, as William bombarded all of them without mercy.

Adam, and the Dark Wraith smiled when they saw this scene because it was the goal that they were trying to achieve.

The souls of the Demons that died turned into dark mists that flew towards the crown in Adam's hands. It was an artifact that could only be activated by devouring the souls of thousands.

Originally, their plan was to have the Black Knights decimate the Demon Army in order to activate the Crown of Darkness. However, since William got in the way of their plans, the fastest way to achieve their goal was to have the Half-Elf and her comrade, Chloee, kill the demons so that their souls would be sucked up by the Crown, so they could activate its powers.

Ahriman's eyes never left William's body as the Half-Elf unleashed a one-sided slaughter against the Demon Army. As a God that started the Era of Darkness, he had seen his fair share of battles that surpassed the standards of mortals.

For him, William's performance was solely for entertainment. If he really wanted to, he could have easily ended the Half-Elf's life by using the Divinity that he had stored over the years, but he had no intention of doing that.

In order to hasten his recovery, he needed someone to inherit the power of Darkness, and make all of creation submit to him. Only when the Power of Faith was tilted in his favor would he be able to break free from the shackles that bound his body.

'This is bad,' William thought when he noticed the hundreds of dark mists that were congregating inside the Crown in Adam's hands.

"Quick Shot War Art First Form!" William roared as he pointed his staff in Adam's direction. "Destroy everything in your path!"

"Railgun!"

The Dark Wraith who was hovering beside Adam felt the threat of William's attack, so he immediately teleported Adam away from where he stood.

A second later, a powerful shockwave blasted everything away within a hundred meters from where Adam once stood, which sent the other Dark Practitioners flying in different directions.

William's strong senses scanned the entire battlefield. After feeling a disturbance in the surroundings, he decisively aimed his golden staff in the direction of the Giant Demon's body.

"Railgun!"

Adam, who reappeared on the Giant Demon's palm, didn't know that William had already predicted his location.

William sneered because he knew that he had succeeded, however, the sneer in his face disappeared when he saw a beautiful Elf appear in front of the young Demon who he had targeted.

"Disperse!" William ordered and the railgun that he shot disappeared mere inches away from Celine's chest.

The Dark Wraith chuckled when it saw that its plan had worked. It knew that William cared for the Bride of Destiny, and would never hurt her no matter what. Since that was the case, it was more than happy to use her as a shield to achieve his means.

"You bastard!" William cursed loudly at the Dark Wraith, which made him almost kill his lover.

Celine, who couldn't move her body, shouted at William with all of her might.

"Don't mind me, Will!" Celine shouted. "Destroy the Crown! Otherwise, you will not be able to leave this place alive!"

Adam, who stood behind the beautiful Elf, panted for breath. If the Dark Wraith hadn't used Celine as a shield to stop Wiliam's attack, he might be dead already. Anger burned in his chest as he glared at the Half-Elf who was looking at him with killing intent.

Feeling that he needed to return the favor, Adam planned to molest Celine in front of William in order to get back at him. Reaching out towards Celine's chest, the young Demon wanted to see the despair on William's face.

However, before he could even do that, his hand was repelled by a barrier that sent a sharp pain in his body.

"Only my chosen heir can touch the Bride of Darkness," Ahriman's voice echoed in Adam's consciousness which made his body uncontrollably shudder. "You still don't have the qualifications to have your way with her."

"I-I'm sorry, My Lord, I was wrong," Adam stuttered as he kneeled and looked up at the Giant Demon's face. "Please, forgive my transgressions!"

"Just this once," Ahriman replied. "Never again."

"Thank you for your mercy!" Adam bowed his head fervently. He knew that he narrowly dodged a death sentence for his attempt to rile up the Half-Elf who almost took his life.

With Celine being used as a shield to prevent William from attacking the crown in Adam's hand, the Half-Elf was running out of ideas.

His Heroic Avatar wouldn't hold out for long and when it disappeared, he would lose an edge against the powerful enemies that he was facing against.

Chloee, who was watching him from the ground, was clenching and unclenching her fists in frustration. Right now, they were at a great disadvantage, and she had no idea how they could turn the situation around.

Chapter 1065: Desperate Struggle [Part 3]

Chapter 1065 Desperate Struggle [Part 3]

'If only Celeste were here, then maybe we'd stand a chance against him,' Chloee thought with a grim expression on her face.

She could feel William's frustration as he stared at Celine who was now being used as a hostage against him.

To make matters worse, the Demon Army was still bombarding him with spells, forcing him to dodge their attacks while thinking of a way to overcome his current situation. The practitioners of Dark Magic also started to move, and unleashed their Dark Art attacks in William's direction.

'What do I do?' William thought as he desperately evaded all the attacks that were aimed in his direction. 'What can I do?!'

Although William hated to admit it, fighting against a Pseudo-God, and a God at the same time was pure suicide. Although both seemed to not wish to take his life, their presence was enough of a deterrent force to force the Half-Elf to rethink his strategy.

The red-headed teenager felt that attacking the Demon Army would only hasten the activation of the Crown of Darkness, which would make things extremely difficult for him when the requirements for its activation were met.

'I need to do something, and I need to do it fast!' William firmly held the golden staff in his hand as he eyed Adam, who stood behind Celine.

Right now, he was in desperate need for a solution to his problem. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he thought, no answers came to him.

Standing on Ahrimans' palm, Celine felt her heart ache as he saw the helplessness in William's eyes. If she could end her life to make him go all out to destroy the Crown of Darkness, she would have done it already.

Unfortunately, her life was no longer in her hands. Ahriman had made sure that she wouldn't be able to do anything that would harm herself. This made Celine very anxious because slowly, but surely, she could feel a mark appearing on her chest.

The more the crown absorbed the souls of the demons in the surroundings, the clearer the emblem on Celine's chest became. It was the mark of Darkness, which proved that she was the destined Bride of Ahriman's successor.

'Let her wear the crown,' Ahriman ordered Adam. 'Do it now!'

Wanting to please the God of Darkness, Adam immediately placed the Golden Crown on top of Celine's head.

The moment the crown touched her head, Celine's thoughts scattered like dried leaves blown away by a gust of wind.

Her eyes lost their luster as she stood in a daze. A second later, four pairs of black angel wings sprouted from behind her back.

She then flew towards the sky and stared at the Demon Army under her feet with an indifferent expression on her face.

Celine then raised her hand and a giant Black Fireball appeared above her head.

"Die," Celine said in a cold and unfeeling voice before hurtling the Fireball towards the ground.

The Demons immediately scattered to evade Celine's attack, but to their surprise, the Black Fireball split into dozens of smaller Fireballs, which incinerated those who were unlucky enough to get hit by her unholy attack.

"Master! Stop it!" William said as he flew towards Celine with the intention of taking the Crown off her head.

Unfortunately, the beautiful Elf paid no heed to his words. In fact, she just casually took a step forward and reappeared hundreds of meters from where she originally stood.

"Die." Celine stated as she unleashed several devastating Dark Art attacks that killed the Demons in the dozens.

Dark mists flew towards the Crown on her head, which made one of the three jewels embedded on it glow crimson red.

"The first seal… has been unlocked." The Dark Wraith nodded its head in satisfaction after seeing the gem on the crown light up. "Two more… to go."

Fading away from its location, the Dark Wraith reappeared in front of William and used its Deathscythe to stop the Half-Elf from interfering with Celine's one-sided massacre.

"You are… one of the candidates… why are you… getting in our way?" the Dark Wraith asked as it blocked William's desperate attempts to stop Celine's onslaught.

"Damn you! What did you do to my Master?!" William shouted in anger as he smashed Ruyi Jingu Bang on the Dark Wraith's head, but the latter easily parried it with the weapon on its hand.

"She is merely… fulfilling her role," the Dark Wraith answered. "If you become… the chosen one… she will belong… to you."

"She already belongs to me!"

"Hahaha… in your dreams."

William and the Dark Wraith zigzagged across the sky as they fought for what they believed in.

Suddenly, a scream of pain reached William's ears, and his blood turned cold when he realized who the owner of the voice was.

In order to sneak up behind Celine, Chloee reverted to her small fairy form and flew high in the sky. Due to the chaos that was happening around them, everyone had completely forgotten about her, so she was free to do what she wanted.

Her plan worked perfectly. No one was able to see her descend from the sky and grab hold of the Crown on Celine's head.

However, something unexpected happened after the little fairy took the Crown off Celeste's head.

The Crown of Darkness disappeared from Chloee's grip, and reappeared on top of her head.

Celine's body fell from the sky, but the Dark Wraith waved its hand and made her reappear on Ahriman's palm.

"Sixth Master!" William cried out in alarm after seeing the little Fairy squirm in the sky.

A few seconds later, Chloee floated completely still. Her body then glowed briefly before transforming into her fourteen-year old form.

"Die." Chloee said indifferently as she descended towards the Demon Army like a meteor.

Fountains of blood rose up in the air as she cut through the Demon Army like a railgun, annihilating everyone in her path.

William stared in horror when he saw his happy go lucky Master kill the Demons in front of her with a coldness that didn't match her usual personality.

"Dammit!" William cursed as he flew in her direction.

The Dark Wraith didn't bother to stop him because it was also interested in how things would turn out. Although this was something unexpected, it didn't care as long as the end result remained the same.

—--

Hestia Academy…

Celeste clutched her chest, as a pained expression appeared on her face. It was a pain that came through her very soul, and it made her nearly faint due to how intense it was.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked as she looked at her Master with concern.

"It's Chloee," Celeste replied as she took deep breaths as she tried to endure the painful feeling in her chest. "Something happened to Chloee."

Claire's eyes widened in shock before a resolute expression appeared on her face.

"I think it's time," Claire said in a serious tone. "We need to make our move."

Celeste closed her eyes before resolutely nodding her head. Now that it had come to this, there was only one thing they could do, and that was to play their part in order to give their side a small chance at victory.

Chapter 1066: I Am The Chosen OneÂ

Chapter 1066 I Am The Chosen One

"Sixth Master, snap out of it!" William shouted as he flew towards Chloee, who was currently under the influence of the Crown of Darkness.

Although she was strong, the demons weren't push overs either. They fought her with everything they had, which injured the young lady, who didn't have full control of her senses.

Her clothes were now stained with her own, as well as her enemies', blood as she fought like a robot that was devoid of feelings. Two glowing gems shone in the Crimson Crown on her head, signifying that its second seal was now unlocked.

"Sixth Master, stop it!" William appeared in front of Chloee and attempted to swat the crown off her head, but the young lady blocked the golden staff with her hand, before unleashing a quick kick in William's direction.

The Half-Elf managed to use the staff to block her attack, but it still sent him flying several meters away away from her, but towards the demons.

'I forgot that the more injury she sustains, the stronger she becomes,' William thought as he tried to regain his footing by skidding on the ground.

However, before he could try again to stop Chloee from her one-sided slaughter, the Demons around William shifted their attention to him and attacked him without a care for their lives.

Seeing this scene, Adam wasn't able to stop himself from laughing. It was quite ironic to see William desperately try to stop Chloee from killing the Demon Army, but the Demon Army wished to kill him as well.

The Half-Elf gritted his teeth as he blocked and dodged Chloee's attacks, as well as the spells that the Demon Army fired at him.

It was truly a helpless situation and William was being attacked on all sides.

"Sixth Master! Please stop this!" William pleaded. "Don't you recognize me?! It's me, William! Your Disciple."

Chloee's fist, that had managed to get past through William's defenses after he dodged a sneak attack from one of the Demons behind him, stopped mere inches away from his face.

"Why?," Chloee asked. "Is it because I am not Human that you don't think much of me?"

"Sixth Master?" William was shocked to see tears streaming down the side of Chloee's face as she looked at him with dazed eyes.

"Is it because I am not Human that you don't look at me the way that you look at your lovers?" Chloee asked once more as the two gems embedded on the golden crown on her head glowed brightly. "Unforgivable. I won't forgive you for not treating my love seriously!"

William instinctively felt that his life was in danger, so he immediately somersaulted upwards as he tried to create as much distance between himself and Chloee as possible. However, just as he was about to leave her attack range, a cold and chilling voice reached his ears.

"Duel [EX]!" Chloee declared as she took a pose to unleash her ultimate combo.

'Sh*t!' William cursed internally as his body was pulled back in Chloee's direction by an invisible force.

He watched as Chloee's right fist shone radiantly as she prepared to unleash one of her most powerful moves, which was the Overwhelming Strike. This was an attack that William was quite familiar with and, to be perfectly honest, he was very afraid to face it head-on, even if he was in his Heroic Avatar form.

"Sweep away all adversaries!" William roared as he steeled himself to meet Chloee's strongest attack with everything he had.

"Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

"Overwhelming Strike!"

A loud explosion made the entire domain tremble as the golden staff collided with Chloee's fist. William shot backwards like a cannonball due to the incredible power that Chloee's punch possessed.

He flew for hundreds of meters before crashing on the ground and rolling for dozens of meters before he came to a complete stop.

Chloee didn't fare any better since she also was pushed back by the destructive power of their collision.

The young lady's arm was bent in a weird angle as she rolled on the ground for dozens of meters.

Her clothes were already in tatters, due to the demon's attacks, but due to the explosion, her clothes could no longer be called clothes, but a rag that was torn to pieces.

The Crimson Crown that was on her head, lay harmlessly a few meters away from her. Clearly, it had been forced off her head after her powerful clash with William.

A few seconds later, a dark whip coiled itself around the Crown, and held it in a firm grip. One of the candidates to become the Heir of Darkness took this opportunity to steal the Crown, to the surprise of everyone.

"I will be the Lord Ahriman's Heir!" the candidate who was in his mid-twenties shouted as he flew towards the sky holding the golden crown in his hand. "All of you will submit to me!"

As everyone's gazes locked unto his body, the candidate placed the crown on his head without batting an eye. Although he had seen how the golden crown had controlled Celine and Chloee earlier, he thought that since he was once of the Chosen Ones, he wouldn't be affected by the corruption of Darkness.

A minute passed then two, but the candidate wearing the crown didn't lose his senses.

"I did it!" the candidate shouted. "I am the Chosen One!'

Adam clenched his fist in frustration as he gazed up at one of his acquaintances whom he didn't think of much in the past.

"Impossible!" Adam couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This is impossible!"

The candidate gazed down on Adam who was currently standing on the palm of Ahriman's hand with a sneer. Truth be told, he had long wanted to put Adam in his place because he acted as their leader, even though all of them were candidates to become Ahriman's Heir.

"Impossible?" the candidate said with disdain. "The only thing that is impossible is your delusion. Did you really think that you alone can become the Heir of Darkness? I'm sure that you already thought that you got this in the bag, but jokes on you! Time for you to die!"

The candidate decisively flew towards Adam with the intention of taking his life.

The Dark Wraith chuckled as he watched this scene with great interest. Anyone with the power of Darkness inside their body could wear the golden crown without being corrupted. This meant that everyone had a fair chance to become Ahriman's Heir, as long as the right conditions were met.

While all of this was happening, William had forced himself to go to Chloee's location. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he did receive significant damage from the little fairy's "Law Breaker" ability, which passed through his defenses.

"Sixth Master," William said as he gazed at Chloee's disheveled form. He immediately took out several advance potions from his storage ring and poured it over her body. For some reason, he couldn't use his Job Class, Life Wizard, to help cure her injuries.

As the potions started to take effect, Chloee slowly opened her eyes and looked at William in a daze. The Half-Elf then took out a blanket from her storage ring and used it to cover Chloee's body, whose clothes were already in tatters.

Chloee couldn't muster any strength on her body, because the crown had drained most of her power when it took control of her. Even so, she still gazed at William as she felt her cheeks burn due to shame and embarrassment.

"About what I said earlier…," Chloee said softly. "You can for–"

William pressed his finger over Chloee's lips before shaking his head.

"Let's talk about that later, Sixth Master," William replied. "For the time being, wear these clothes first, and drink these rejuvenation potions. Our situation is not too optimistic at the moment."

Chloee knew that William didn't want to talk about her earlier outburst, so she decided to drop the topic for the time being. After drinking the potions that the Half-Elf had given her, she then wore the tight training clothes that Wililam had bought from the God Shop a long time ago.

They were the clothes he wore whenever he sparred with Celine, and since they had the auto-fit function, Chloee was able to wear them without any problems.

"I'm sorry," Chloee stated. "Even though I drank the potions, I can feel that it will take some time before my strength returns. I'm sorry for being a useless Master."

"You're not useless, Sixth Master," William replied as he gazed at the battle that was currently happening around him. "My Heroic Avatar is also about to end. For the time being, let us leave this place until you fully recover your strength. Since they are hell-bent on killing each other, let them kill each other as much as they want."

William carried Chloee like a princess and flew in the opposite direction of the battle. Right now, he still wasn't sure about what action he should take. All he knew was that whoever wore the crown in the end, would definitely massacre everyone else inside the Domain.

'Celine, wait for me.' William gritted his teeth as he glanced at the direction of his lover. 'I will come back for you.'

Now that the Dark Wraith had confirmed that Celine was indeed the Bride of Darkness, William would do everything in his power to take her away from this place.

What William didn't know was that there were four individuals that were paying extra close attention to his actions.

Invidia, Superbia, the Dark Wraith, as well as Ahriman were paying attention to every action he made. Although none of them made any move when William escaped carrying Chloee in his arms, all four of them knew that he wasn't the type to leave someone important to him behind.

'Do you think he will return?' Invidia asked Superbia through telepathy.

'I don't know,' Superbia answered. 'In front of overwhelming odds, my Pride won't allow me to back down and lower my head. Such is the Sin I carry. How about you?'

'Me? The moment things don't go in my favor, I will immediately leave. What's the point in dying a martyr's death when you can live to fight another day? At least, I am not delusional enough to think that I can win against a God.'

Superbia lightly nodded her head in acknowledgement of Invidia's words. She could understand that if anyone were in William's position, they would have done the same thing he did.

After all, how could they possibly fight against a God, a Pseudo-God, and an Army of Demons all alone?

'Still, if he really doesn't save Celine, I will look down on him for the rest of my life,' Superbia declared. 'I will never acknowledge such a man.'

'Mmm, I guess you have a point. I also feel the same.'

The two beautiful ladies who bore two of the Seven Deadly Sins of the world, shifted their gaze to the Demon Candidate who was currently fighting against Adam with everything he had.

The two of them were merely spectators in this battle that would decide the fate of the world. They just wanted to see who among the younger generation would become the Heir of Darkness, and make their wishes a reality.

Chapter 1067: I Will Struggle Until The End

Chapter 1067 I Will Struggle Until The End

When William felt that they were no longer in danger, he landed on the ground while carrying Chloee in her arms.

"Sixth Master, can you stand?"

"Un. But, I still need to lean on you for the time being."

"Okay."

Chloee sighed as she weakly rested her head on William's chest, while the latter held her waist to help support her body, so that she could lean on him properly.

Both of them stared in the distance where Ahriman's Giant Body was located. Although they were quite far away, they could still feel the fluctuations of magical energy as the battle between the candidates intensified.

"I hope that they kill each other," Chloee said as she narrowed her eyes. "Wouldn't that be wonderful if it really happened?"

"Well, we can dream," William replied with a wry smile on his face. He knew that even if Adam and the crown bearer were both to die in battle, there were many other possible candidates that could take their place.

Right now, the battle had become a free-for-all, with the Demon Army, as well as the Demon Candidates fighting each other for the possession of the Crown.

The Demon Army wasn't stupid. They knew that they were being used as living sacrifices in order to unlock the seals that were placed on the Crown of Darkness. Since that was the case, they would join the battle for the possession of the Crown, and kill everyone that stopped them from doing so.

A three-way battle for the Crown of Darkness started.

One faction supported the crown bearer, while the second supported Adam. The last one was the Demon Army being commanded by Felix.

All of them knew that if a good opportunity presented itself, they would not hesitate to grab the Crown that would decide their destiny with their own two hands.

From a good distance away, the Half-Elf and the Fairy who was weakly leaning on his body looked at the battle with solemn expressions on their faces.

'Is there really nothing that I can do?' William sighed internally as the power of the Heroic Avatar slowly left his body. Right now, his strength was at the peak of the Myriad Rank with his Vampire Progenitor Job Class.

However, having that kind of strength was not enough to win the battle that was right in front of him.

'Should I use my last resort?' William frowned as he weighed the pros and cons of what he was about to do. In the end, he knew that this was the only way in order to turn the tide of battle in his favor. However, for that to happen, he would need to wait for the right opportunity to strike.

'I only have one shot at this, I better make it count,' William thought as he clenched his right fist tightly.

Since Celine was part of his Familia, he could tell that she was currently safe. He already tried to recall her using the power of their bond, but something was preventing her from appearing by his side.

'It must be some kind of law, similar to the chains that bind Ahriman to this place.' William's frown deepened as he once again activated his Familia Fusion with Celine, who was currently on the palm of the Giant Demon's hand.

It was at this moment when he remembered the conversation he had with Baba Yaga several days ago.

—--

"Master is my woman," William replied. "I will take full responsibility and ensure that I make her happy."

"Bold words, but can you really do it?"

"I will."

Baba Yaga's witchy chuckle reached William's ears as she stared down at him.

"I will, doesn't mean that you can back it up," Baba Yaga stated. "Words are merely words, after all. When the sky truly falls, and this world is shrouded in Darkness, the words 'I will', may not be enough to ensure her safety."

William faced Baba Yaga's stare head-on. "I will do everything in my power to keep her away from harm. I have the ability to do that."

"Do you?" A contemptuous chuckle escaped Baba Yaga's lips. "Believe me boy, fighting against a Demigod will be the least of your worries. You will be fighting against a Prophecy that is already set in stone. Even with all of your trump cards combined, I'm afraid that it won't be enough, once the Heir of Darkness is born."

—--

The Half-Elf bit his lip in frustration. Back then, he was confident that he could overcome whatever obstacles came his way.

He didn't fear the Demon Lord, or his army. He believed that even if two Demigods of the Demon Realm banded together, he would still be able to do something about it.

Unfortunately, he wasn't facing Demigods, but a Pseudo-God, as well as a bonafide God of Darkness, who had created the Demon Race.

The more he thought about it, the more Baba Yaga's words hit him, and the more he understood that he really was being delusional when he thought that he could single-handedly protect the person that was important to him.

"Even if this Prophecy is already set in stone, what of it? As long as I draw breath, I will protect the people that are important to me even if…"

William felt his cheeks burn as he remembered the words that he said in order to reassure Celine's Master that he will be able to protect her. The reply that the old witch gave him then resonated inside his head.

—--

"How noble of you, but what if it's still not enough?" Baba Yaga asked. "What if after you have sacrificed everything? Your memories, your love, and those who loved you. What if after sacrificing them all, you still fail to protect those that are important to you? What then?"

"If… if after sacrificing everything, and I still fail to protect those that are important to me then I will struggle until the bitter end," William said with his eyes closed.

—----

That was the promise he had made back then, and it was now time to prove that he wasn't all talk.

'Yes. I will struggle until the end.' William took a deep breath as he calmed his senses. 'There's no use worrying about these things. I can only do what I need to do and that is to save Master and escape this place.'

William then gazed down on Chloee, who to his surprise was also gazing up at him.

"Sixth Master, lend me your power," William said as he looked at her with a serious expression on his face.

Chloee nodded her head in understanding. Even though William didn't specifically say what she needed to do, she had once lent her power to him when facing off against Apophis in the Deadlands.

—---

Fortaare Desert…

"Well, I guess it's time for us to go," Elliot said as he patted Conan's shoulder. "William needs us."

"Kekeke." Conan chuckled as he gazed at Princess Aila who had a worried look on her face. "Don't worry. We will be back before dinner time. Make sure to leave some food to us."

Princess Aila nodded her head. "Be careful, both of you."

Shannon gave the two familiars a side-long glance before nodding her head at the two of them. She was currently in the middle of painting William's struggles in the Holy Land of Darkness, which allowed everyone in the room to see what the Half-Elf was currently going through.

Elliot and Conan exchanged a glance before firmly nodding their heads in unison.

"Familiar Fusion!"

Chapter 1068: Dawn Of A New Era

Chapter 1068 Dawn Of A New Era

"You don't deserve that crown!" Adam roared as he shot several Dark Lances at the candidate who was currently wearing the Crown of Darkness on his head.

"Futile." The Crowned Demon waved his hand and a barrier of Darkness blocked the Dark Lances, making them dissipate instantly. "You should have worn the crown when you had the chance, but you didn't. Since you tossed the opportunity away, don't regret your stupidity!"

The Crowned Demon lashed out at Adam using a Dark Whip that extended hundreds of meters. It was like a black snake that relentlessly destroyed everything in its path, before heading towards Adam who dodged it by blinking away.

"You're only good at running away!" The Crowned Demon spat before a devilish grin appeared on his face. "Since you're so scared to fight me then I will no longer play with you."

The Crowned Demon knew that he needed to unlock the final seal on the Crown in order to become the true Heir of Darkness. Because of this, he shifted his attention to the Demon Army that was desperately trying to break through the Dark Barrier that protected his body.

"Your souls are mine!" The Crowned Demon then lashed his gigantic whip at the Demon Army, reaping lives in the hundreds.

Adam, who saw this, felt his blood turn cold because he noticed a small radiance in the center of the last gem that was embedded in the Crown.

"Everyone, let's work together and stop him from taking any more lives!" Adam shouted. "The last gem is slowly being filled up with Dark Energy. If he succeeds, all of us will die!"

"Hahaha! Your cries of desperation are music to my ears, Adam," the Crowned Demon crooned with a sneer. "Do not worry. Those who wish to become my subordinates will be spared, and will all become part of the new empire that I will build. Everything you've ever wanted, be it power, women, or riches, I will give it to you without fail. So, stand by me and witness the dawn of a new era. My Era!"

The Demon Candidates who had already sided with the Crowned Demon, encircled him in a protective formation.

In the beginning, they thought that they could steal the Crown from him, but as the battle progressed, they understood that doing that was almost impossible.

A powerful barrier was protecting the crown bearer, and any form of magic, be it Dark Magic or other Elemental Magic, were unable to shatter its defenses.

Although they were not willing to admit it, they realized that if they didn't side with the Crowned Demon now, they would face his reckoning once the third and final seal on the Crown was unlocked.

"Die for my empire!" the Crowned Demon shouted as he raised his right hand.

A giant ball of Darkness slowly expanded over his right hand, which made everyone who saw it feel the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

"Judgment of Darkness!"

The Crowned Demon hurled the giant ball of Darkness towards the ground with a look of contempt on his face.

Ever since the second seal had been unlocked, he could feel a limitless amount of Dark Magic in his body. The Crown also directly implanted information about all the powerful spells that it was capable of doing inside the Demon's Head, allowing him to wield them as he pleased.

Invidia and Superbia immediately turned into green and purple beams of light as they shot towards the sky to evade the incoming attack.

The two of them were merely spectators in this struggle, so they had no intention of becoming part of the sacrifices that were needed to restore the Crown of Darkness to its former glory.

The moment the giant ball of Darkness hit the ground, no explosions were heard. A pin-drop silence descended unto the battlefield as the entire domain was covered in darkness.

"Commander! Where are you?!" one of Felix's subordinates shouted in fright as he looked around him. He could see nothing but pitch-black darkness, and it filled him with dread. He couldn't even see his hands, or any part of his body.

The only thing that remained persistent was the silence in the maddening world that was bereft of light.

Soon, the sound of laughter reached his ears. At first it was only a slow chuckle, but as the seconds passed by, it grew into crazy laughter which drove the Demon into a panic attack. Soon, he felt hands touching his body, but he couldn't see any of them.

Soon, the number of hands that were grabbing hold of his body multiplied. No matter what he did, he couldn't budge from their grip, and the maddening laughter that was getting stronger and stronger broke whatever resolve he had left.

"Nooooooooooooooo! Don't kill me!" the demon shouted. "I don't want to die! Save me, Commander! Save me!"

The crazy laughter that was laughing at his suffering once again intensified, which made him feel as if his head was going to burst from its intensity. After struggling for an unknown period of time, the demon went limp as his entire body slowly turned into a dark mist.

The same thing was happening to the rest of the Demon Army, and slowly, but surely, the last gem embedded in the Crimson Crown was slowly gaining its radiance.

The Crowned Demon who was at the center of the World of Darkness couldn't contain the excitement that he was feeling. He could feel his power getting stronger with each minute that passed.

"Just a little more," the Crowned Demon muttered. "Just a little more and I will be the King of this World! Hahaha--ahh!"

The Crowned Demon felt a sharp object pierce through his back, all the way to the front of his chest.

"N-No!" the crowned demon gasped in pain and shock. "T-This can't be happening. I am the Chosen One. I will be the one to rule this world!"

The Crowned Demon turned around to see the face of his killer. As if wishing to grant his dying wish, his killer pulled back the blade that pierced the Demon's chest, to allow him to see the one responsible for his death.

"Y-You…" the Crowned Demon spat a mouthful of blood as he gazed at the Demon who killed him. "I can't die… I am the Chosen One. This is not happening."

"Thank you for your effort," a cold and indifferent voice said as its owner took the Crown off the Demon's head. "You can die in peace knowing that you paved the way for my ascension."

The Demon looked at his killer with an unwilling gaze as he took his last breath. His eyes remained open even after he died as if trying to understand why his grand destiny was snatched away from his grasp.

A teenage demon with green hair and red eyes placed the Crown on his head as the final seal of the Crown of Darkness was unlocked.

He immediately felt the overwhelming Power of Darkness wash over his body, which made him sigh in absolute pleasure.

"Yes. This is the power that I've wanted all my life," the green-haired demon said as he bathed in the afterglow of the euphoric sensation that was filling every pore of his body.

—--

Celine, who had just regained consciousness a few minutes ago, struggled to stand up on the palm of the Giant Demon's hand. In front of her, a pitch-black Dome of Darkness enveloped the Domain.

Suddenly, she felt a stinging pain on her chest, as the Mark of Darkness finished forming. It was also at that moment when she felt a very strong connection from somewhere inside the Dome of Darkness.

"No," Celine muttered as her hand subconsciously pressed over the mark on her right breast.

She knew with every fiber of her being, that the Heir of Darkness had finally appeared. Tears streamed down the side of her face, as the person who was destined to become her Master, beckoned for her to come to him.

"Will…," Celine muttered as she did everything in her power to stop herself from answering the Call of Darkness, but it was of no use. Her body took a step forward, regardless of her will, towards the black dome in the distance.

As the tears streamed down the side of her beautiful face, Celine felt that all hope was lost. She was like a marionette that was moving according to the puppeteer's wishes.

A puppet that no longer had any control over the Destiny that she could call her own.

Chapter 1069: Over My Dead Body

Chapter 1069 Over My Dead Body

"How?!" Adam roared in anger. "You are not one of the candidates! Why are you able to wear that crown without going crazy?!"

The green-haired boy with red eyes smirked as he looked at the black-haired Demon who was looking at him with shock and disbelief.

"Why? The answer is really simple," the green-haired boy replied in a teasing tone. "It's because I also wield Dark Magic."

"Impossible! If you really practice the Dark Arts then you should have entered the Ancient Ruins long ago!"

"And who told you that I didn't?"

The green-haired boy wagged his finger at Adam who was looking at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Did you forget? The ones that first managed the ruins when it was discovered was me," the green-haired boy stated. "Naturally, the first to enter was also me. You guys were summoned after I finished my exploration."

Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing.

No.

He decided to not believe what he was hearing. After all, if that was really the case then all of them were fooled from the very beginning.

"Are you saying that everything that happened was according to your plan?" Adam clenched his fist as he glared at the person in front of him. "Did you orchestrate everything from the very beginning?"

"You think too highly of me," the green-haired boy replied. "When I first entered the ruins, I barely escaped with my life. Because of that, I used an artifact to seal the Dark Magic inside my body, so I wouldn't be affected by the call of the ruins. It just so happened that an opportunity was presented to me to seize the crown. Everything else was just a series of coincidences. No… There's no coincidence. This was the act of Destiny."

Felix, the crown prince of the Demon Race sneered at Adam. The Crimson Crown was firmly planted on his head, and the Power of Darkness radiated from his body. Clearly, he wasn't lying when he said that he also wielded Dark Magic, for only those who had it could wear the crown without losing their sense of reason.

"What a shame, Adam," Felix said as he lightly rubbed his chin. "I was serious when I asked you to become my subordinate. Unfortunately, your ego was too big and you thought that you were the one and only one who was destined to wear this Crown on your head."

Felix words that were filled with ridicule made Adam wince. He couldn't refute that he had thought of it that way. For him, he was the one and sole Heir of Darkness, and everyone else was just a stepping stone that would take him to greatness.

"I'll give you one last opportunity, Adam," Felix stated as he gazed at the Demon that had betrayed him. "Submit to me, and I will turn a blind eye to your transgressions."

"Never!"

"Fine. Don't regret it."

Felix raised his hand as a devilish smile appeared on his face. A moment later, Adam's body trembled uncontrollably as black mists oozed out of his body.

"W-What are you doing?!" Adam asked as he endured the excruciating pain inside his body. "What are you doing to me?!"

Felix sneered as he looked at Adam with contempt. "I am just taking your power away. Since you wish to defy me then I will take your Dark Arts and make it mine. Don't worry, I will not take your life. I want you to see and regret the choices you made as I conquer this world and build my empire!"

Adam cried out in pain because he felt as if his very soul was being stripped from his body. A few minutes later, he collapsed on the ground, panting for breath as blood flowed out of every orifices of his body.

Felix chuckled as he gazed at his surroundings. The other candidates were also looking at him from inside the pitch-black world. Only those who wielded the Power of Darkness could navigate in this world bereft of light.

They had all witnessed what had transpired between the two, and the aftermath made them shudder internally.

"So, what will it be?" Felix asked as he arched an eyebrow. "Are all of you with me, or against me? Make your choice now."

The Candidates exchanged a glance at each other, before kneeling one by one in front of Felix.

"I hereby pledge my undying loyalty to you, Your Highness!"

"Command me as you will, My Prince!"

"My allegiance is yours, Your Highness!"

One by one, the candidates pledged their undying loyalty to Felix, which made the latter nod his head in satisfaction.

After receiving everyone's pledge, he then shifted his attention to look at the beautiful Elf, who was slowly, but surely, making her way towards him.

"You're finally here, My Bride," Felix said as he gazed at Celine with the eyes of a conqueror.

His gaze landed on her beautiful face, her womanly curves, as well as the black mark that was shining over her right breast, proving that she belonged only to him. Immediately, he could feel his body heat up, as he lustily looked at her body.

"As expected of my destined woman," Felix muttered. "You're perfect."

Felix really felt that Celine was perfect. He had already seen many beauties in the Demon Continent, but the Elf's beauty, which had been baptized with the Power of Darkness had become more profound, surpassing all the ladies that he had seen and bedded in the past.

"You will be my Queen, and I will be your King," Felix declared as he walked towards the beautiful Elf, whom he would force to bear his children.

Celine bit her lips, as she fought the command that was given to her. However, just like her earlier attempt, it was futile.

Slowly but surely, she knelt down on the ground to obey her new Master. However, before her knees could even touch the ground, a pair of strong arms wrapped itself around her body and pulled her up, preventing her from kneeling.

"My woman will not kneel to anyone."

William said with a cold expression on his face as he glared at Felix, who had stopped his advance.

"She is my Queen," William declared. "Always will be. Isn't that right, Celine?"

"Yes," Celien replied, as she endured the stinging pain on her chest. "I am yours, Will."

Felix chuckled as he looked at the beautiful Elf and the handsome Half-Elf in front of him.

"So, you like each other?" Felix asked with a mischievous expression on his face. "This is good. I will let you witness how I conquer your woman in front of you. I'm sure that it will be a very memorable experience for you, Ainsworth."

"Over my dead body," William replied.

"That can easily be arranged, but where is the fun in that?" Felix shook his head. "I will make you feel despair and helplessness for being weak and powerless. Consider this my family's revenge for what your father did to our entire race. Do you really think that I'll let you die easily? Perish the thought. Now, give her to me."

Felix made a beckoning gesture, and the mark on Celine's body glowed crimson red. The beautiful Elf bit her lips in order to prevent her pained cries from leaking out, but the tears in her eyes showed how much he was suffering.

"The only thing you'll get, is a smack on your head," William declared as he threw the golden staff in his hand towards the heavens."

A moment later, a powerful and fearless voice reverberated in the heavens, as the dome of darkness dispersed under his brilliant aura.

"Reject Humanity!" Sun Wukong roared. "Return to Monke!"

Chapter 1070: Who Do You Think Will Win?

Chapter 1070 Who Do You Think Will Win?

A dazzling light descended from the heavens and dispersed the darkness that blocked his way.

A moment later, a proud, and arrogant Monkey King stood between Felix, and William with a smile on his face.

"Will, I'll leave this boy to you," Sun Wukong said as he shifted his attention to the Dark Wraith, who was the biggest threat inside the domain. "You can handle him, right?"

"Of course," William replied with confidence. "I'll deal with him."

"Good. I don't really want to fight children. I'll just smash this Pseudo-God first."

"Understood."

Without another word, Sun Wukong somersaulted in the air. His powerful presence was strong enough to deter any opposition because, in his eyes, the only opponent was the Dark Wraith that was manipulating things from behind the scenes.

Now that he was here, Will no longer needed to worry about someone sneak attacking him from behind as he dealt with the so-called Heir of Darkness, who thought that he had already won the battle.

"Master, I'll handle him," William said as he handed Celine over to Chloee, who had appeared beside him. "Chloee, take her to a safe place. Leave the rest to me."

"Okay." Chloee nodded her head as she flew away, carrying Celine with her. Although she still hadn't fully recovered her strength, her strength was enough to deal with anyone who tried to take Celine from her.

This was the only thing that she could do so William could fight with everything he had, without worrying about their safety.

Felix crossed his arms over his chest, as he allowed Celine to be taken away from him. Right now, they were inside the Ancient Ruins. No matter where she ran off to, she couldn't escape his grasp.

Also, he was very curious to see what the red-headed teenager was capable of. His father had lost to William's father in the past, and now, he felt that it was time to reverse their roles, so that a new page of history would be written.

A history with his name on it, and how he triumphed over everything that stood in his way.

"Your father won against mine," Felix said. "This time, I will correct that mistake."

"No. It will be the same," William replied. "History will repeat itself, with you losing just like your father did."

"I see. You still don't understand who you are dealing with."

"No. it is you who does not understand who you are dealing with."

The moment William finished his words, both combatants disappeared from where they stood and clashed head-on.

William was wielding Soleil in his hands, while Felix held a Dark Spear in his. Although the green-haired Demon was proficient in using a sword, he was more of a threat when using a spear.

The two clashed several times as they both gauged each other's strength. Right now, William's strength was at the peak of the Myriad Rank, while Felix was the same. After gaining the acknowledgement of the Crown of Darkness, his powers had steadily increased until he had reached the peak of the Myriad Realm.

The only difference was that Felix's strength was still growing. Once the Crown of Darkness bestowed all of its power to its current owner, Felix's strength would reach the peak of the Demigod Realm.

This process would take a few days at the very least, but for now, letting its owner have the strength of someone at the peak of the Mortal Realm was enough.

"Well, I guess you're not all talk," Felix said after he distanced himself from William after finally realizing his current rank.

"You're all talk," William replied as shifted his Job Class to Champion of the Sun.

"Solar Flare!"

A miniature sun appeared above William before he smashed it towards Felix who had also summoned a giant orb of Darkness.

"Dark Void!"

The two powers clashed, creating a powerful shockwave in the air. Everyone within a thousand meter radius of both fighters were blown away helplessly due to the overwhelming power of their attacks.

William and Felix roared as they tried to push their attack against each other. After half a minute of struggle, a powerful explosion made the Domain tremble as both fighters were blown away from the aftermath.

Felix was able to recover right away as he hovered arrogantly in the air. A defiant smile was on his face as he clenched his fist tightly.

"Yes. This is it," Felix said with excitement. "This is how things are supposed to be. It will be boring if I beat you too easily!"

William, who was on his opposite side, took a fighting stance as he absorbed the power of the Solar Flare that remained in the surroundings.

Soleil turned dark red, as the power of the sun powered it up, but Wiliam knew that the spear was only half-way charged.

The Half-Elf changed his Job Class to Thunder Emperor. Although the Prestige Class' strength was only at the early stages of the Myriad Rank, lightning was a Demon's worst adversary.

"Stormcaller, let's go," William stated as the Ainsworth Family's heirloom floated by his side.

Tendrils of lightning snaked around its body as the crisp sounds of electrical currents reached William's ears. It was as if the weapon was assuring him that it would perform to the best of its abilities in the Half-Elf's fight against his enemy.

Dark clouds covered the sky as the rumbling of thunder resonated in the heavens. The pupils in William's eyes glowed brightly as streaks of lightning streaked in its depths.

Felix frowned because he didn't expect Wiliam to be able to wield the power of lightning. Although he now had the Power of Darkness protecting his body, he had to admit that his race's inherent weakness was something etched deep in their bones.

"Armor of Darkness!" Feflix declared and his body was immediately coated with Dark Armor. This was the only defensive move he could think of in order to ensure that he wouldn't be caught by surprise by William's unearthly display of power.

Felix was like a Dark Knight, but with a Crimson Crown on his head. The Dark Spear in his hand blazed with unholy flames as he prepared to launch an attack at William.

However, before he could even make his move, William appeared in front of him without warning and thrust Soleil to his chest. The blow forced Felix's body to bend over as he was propelled backwards.

But William's attack didn't end there. As if waiting for its Master's attack to connect, Stormcaller unleashed a giant bolt of lightning, which sent Felix crashing towards the ground, creating a crater where he fell.

This extraordinary display of power didn't escape the two ladies who were watching the battle from a safe distance.

"If he wasn't wearing that crown, Felix might have died from that attack," Invidia said with a smile on her face.

"But, he is wearing the Crown of Darkness, so he should be fine," Superbia replied.

"Who do you think will win?"

"The stronger one."

The corner of Invidia's lips curled up with a smile. Her friend was right. Only the strong would be the last one standing between the two teenage warriors. Initially, she thought that it would be a one-sided beating, with Felix overpowering William from the get go.

However, she didn't expect the Half-Elf to not be as simple as he seemed, which surprised her greatly.

"It's hard to not be envious of her right now," Invidia said as she gazed in Celine's direction. "I mean, two handsome boys are fighting for her right now. If I was in her place, I would be thrilled. How about you, Superbia?"

"I don't feel envy or jealousy towards her," Superbia replied. "Only pity. Our sister is quite pitiful, isn't she?"

Invidia nodded her head in agreement. "Yes. but, she's still Our sister. I'm sure that when she is pushed into a corner, she will throw all caution to the wind, and fight back."

Superbia smiled. Unlike her sisters, she prided herself for being one of the chosen ladies that bore a Sin in her body. She believed that no matter what circumstances they found themselves in, they would always fight tooth and nail against the fate that was presented to them.

For that was also the sin that they carried. The Sins that were always present in everyone's heart.

Chapter 1071: It's Time For You To Know Your Place

Chapter 1071 It's Time For You To Know Your Place

As an existence that had guarded the Holy Grounds for thousands of years, the Dark Wraith had never felt a single threat to its existence.

That was, until today.

For the first time in its long, and decrepit, life, the Dark Wraith found itself hard pressed against the intruder that had suddenly descended into the Dark Domain that it guarded.

"Is that all you've got?" Sun Wukong asked as he lightly slapped the face of the Dark Wraith that was lying on the ground. "I guess you can only bully little children. What a weakling."

"Kuh… Arrogant Ape," the Dark Wraith replied as it unleashed the Power of Darkness in its body. "I'll… kill… you!"

"Yeah, maybe after a hundred thousand years," Sun Wukong smirked as he swatted the Dark Wraith with a powerful slap, uncaring about the Dark Energy that assaulted his body. "You see, parlor tricks like this don't work on me."

As soon as he finished his declaration, the miasma that the Dark Wraith had unleashed at point-blank range disappeared completely.

"Why are you interfering in this matter?" Ahriman asked through telepathy. "Are you that bored?"

"Yes," Sun Wukong replied. "You see, my boy, William, over there is fighting you guys even though the odds are stacked up against him. I just figured that I'd join in the fun and balance things out a bit."

Ahriman snorted in contempt. "Balance things out? Very funny. Do you really think that your appearance will change anything? You only hastened the inevitable."

"Oh?" Sun Wukong cleaned his ears as he stepped on the Dark Wraith's head and pushed it towards the ground. The Monkey King had coated the Dark Wraith with his Divinity, and prevented it from morphing away like that ghost-like entity it was.

"I'd like to see what you're talking about." Sun Wukong stated in a casual manner.

Ahriman chuckled. "Very well. It's time for you to know your place, Monkey."

Sun Wukong was about to yawn, but he stopped midway after he felt thirteen powerful presences that were coming from the heavens.

Six of them were almost as strong as him which made the Monkey King frown, the rest were beings who were at the initial stages of the Demigod Rank, which made the frown on his face deepen.

Although the other seven Demigods weren't a threat to him, they were a big threat to William who was fighting all alone.

"It looks like you are having fun, Wukong," a Bull Demon laughed as he looked at his mortal enemy with a gloating expression on his face. "Do you mind if we join?"

"Dear, stop teasing him," a beautiful Demon with a fan in hand commented. "Since we're already here, wouldn't it be boring if we didn't teach this Monkey a lesson or two."

"Bull Demon King, and Iron Fan B*tch," Sun Wukong snorted. "Looks like you are both here to get beaten up."

"That's Princess Iron Fan to you, Monkey!" Princess Iron Fan shouted as she pointed her fan at the Monkey King. "Today will be the day we finally settle the score. Prepare yourself!"

"Shut up, B*tch," Sun Wukong replied. "You and that Bull is a match made in heaven. Both of you are merely dogs that wag your tail in front of your Master."

The Bull Demon King laughed as he rested his war axe over his shoulder. "We are a part of Ahriman's Faction. It is about time that the Demons finally show the world whose boss. You are a Demon yourself. Why not just join our side and drink wine with me like old times?"

Sun Wukong ignored the Bull Demon King as he gazed at the four other enemies that had encircled him.

"Da Peng, Kinkaku, Koriki, and you… I didn't know that you are also part of their faction," Sun Wukong spat on the ground as he glared at the Demon whose appearance resembled his.

"Why not? You already know that I hate you with a vengeance," the Fake Sun Wukong smirked before passing his right hand over his face. His transformation was undone, and he appeared using his original face in order to spite the Monkey King who had thwarted his plans in the past.

"Six-Eared Macaque, at your service," the Six-Eared Macaque made a curtsy filled with sarcasm before laughing out loud.

The six powerful Demons who had fought against Sun Wukong over the past hundreds of years looked at him with eyes devoid of mercy.

The Bull Demon King, a Demon whose strength almost equaled Sun Wukong's. The irony of it all was that although they were enemies, the two of them were sworn brothers as well.

Princess Iron Fan, a beautiful Demoness who was neither evil nor good. She cared deeply for her family, so when the Bull Demon King accepted Ahriman's offer to descend to the mortal realm and make him one of his commanders, Princess Iron Fan decided to come with him to ensure that he wouldn't cheat on her.

Da Peng, most commonly known as the Golden-Winged Peng—which was similar to a giant golden Eagle—was an ancient being and had immense powers. Even so, Sun Wukong had gotten in his way a few times in the past, which made Da Peng hold a grudge against him.

Koriki was a Demon that Sun Wukong had encountered in the past, and was also a troublesome one. He had almost been beheaded after losing to Sun Wukong, but he had somehow escaped in order to seek revenge against him.

As for the last, Sun Wukong had mixed feelings about the Six-Eared Macaque. This particular Demon liked to use the Monkey King's appearance to create havoc in the land, and make people think that Sun Wukong had finally gone crazy and turned against those who had believed in him.

Only the Buddha was able to tell who he really was, and prove to everyone that Sun Wukong was being conspired against.

Although he was not as brave or as confident as the Monkey King, the Six-Eared Macaque was definitely someone that even Sun Wukong had trouble fighting against.

Now, these six powerful enemies surrounded him, and ensured that he wouldn't be able to do as he pleased. The Monkey King sighed in his heart as he gazed at the seven other Demigods who were watching William's battle against Felix.

'This is a little troublesome,' Sun Wukong thought as he firmly gripped his weapon in his hand. Although he was confident that he wouldn't lose against the six demons surrounding him, he couldn't say the same about William's current circumstances.

The Monkey King had a feeling that if he tried to help the red-headed teenager fend off the seven Demigods that were eyeing the Half-Elf at the moment, the other six enemies would target the boy as well, which was something that Sun Wukong didn't want to happen.

"I told you, didn't I?" Ahriman's voice, filled with ridicule, reached Sun Wukong's ears. "You can't stop the inevitable. Just watch from the side like the good Monkey you are, and watch the defeat of your favored mortal."

Even the Dark Wraith who was under Sun Wukong's feet, laughed mockingly at the Monkey King's helplessness. This in turn, angered Sun Wukong causing him to repeatedly stomped his foot to torture the Dark Wraith, who was getting on his nerves.

The six demons that encircled the Monkey King didn't move, and allowed Sun Wukong to vent his frustration on the Dark Wraith who didn't know how to keep its mouth shut.

They knew that the Monkey King had already accepted his fate, and would not do anything reckless, or else they would no longer hold back and target the red-headed teenager, whose current circumstance had turned for the worse.

Chapter 1072: I Will Wait For You At The Roots Of The World Tree

Chapter 1072 I Will Wait For You At The Roots Of The World Tree

Why?'

'Why can't I beat him?'

These were the thoughts that passed through Felix's head as he clashed with Wiliam over and over again. Each and every time, the Half-Elf gained the upper hand and gave him a good thrashing. If not for the Dark Armor he was wearing, he might have already sustained grievous injuries due to their intense battle.

"Impossible," Felix muttered as he gazed at the opponent who was looking down on him from the sky. "Why are you so strong?!"

William ignored Felix's words as he threw Stormcaller towards the Demonic Prince, who was currently lying on the ground.

A thunderous roar spread across the heavens as hundreds of lightning bolts descended towards Stormcaller, painting their surroundings with their brightness.

What followed next was a powerful explosion that sent a dust cloud rising towards the sky.

Stormcaller returned to William's side as it crackled with power after delivering a powerful attack to its target.

'It's still not enough.' William clicked his tongue as his vision swept through the dust cloud, and locked onto the body of the green-haired Demon, who was encased in a pitch-black armor.

"No matter what you do, it's useless!" Felix shouted as he propped himself from the ground. "I am invincible! You can't defeat me!"

The green-haired Demon wanted to say more, but he could feel blood rising up his throat, so he decisively clamped his mouth shut, in order to prevent showing any kind of weakness.

After forcefully swallowing back the blood that had nearly escaped his lips, Felix raised his dark spear and pointed it at the red-headed teenager who had made him suffer so much.

"Kill him!" Felix ordered. "What are you all looking at?! Kill him!"

The Demon Prince couldn't accept that he was at a great disadvantage against the son of the Dungeon Conqueror that defeated his father. He thought that since he was already the chosen Prince, he would be able to trample anyone who stood in his way.

However, his current situation made him realize that he still didn't have enough power to overcome the person whom he had deemed as his rival.

Felix was considered to be a prodigy of the Demon Race. He had fought inside dangerous dungeons in order to gain battle experience. However, he had never experienced a fight where his life was on the line.

Even when he was challenging dungeons, there would always be elite Demons to guard him. These Demons would always step in when Felix was in a pinch, so he had never really suffered any hardships.

He was very different from William, who had risked his life several times in the past by fighting against strong opponents. What Felix lacked was true battle experience. He wasn't like William who had fought wars, Demigods, and Pseudo-Gods, and lived to tell the tale.

"What a disappointment." Invidia shook her head when she heard Felix's shout.

Superbia also nodded her head in agreement. Although she didn't say anything, the coldness in her gaze was enough to tell how disappointed she was due to Felix's incompetence.

The two beautiful girls watched as two of the Demigods that had encircled William made their move to attack the Half-Elf.

Aside from the two Demigods, tens of thousands of shadowy figures materialized on the ground. They were the Demons that had been corrupted by the Power of Darkness since time immemorial who had become Shadow Demons that answered the call of the Heir of Darkness.

The red-headed teenager immediately found himself assaulted on all sides, as he desperately evaded all the attacks that were headed in his direction.

William could have run away, but he chose not to. He knew that the moment he did, Celine and Chloee would be targeted by the Demons, so he decided to endure and look for an opportunity to land a decisive blow on Felix, who was laughing on the ground, while being guarded by the five remaining Demigods.

"Is that the person you chose to ally yourself to?" Sun Wukong spat on the ground as he gazed hatefully at Felix from where he stood. "Pathetic."

The Bull Demon King, as well as his wife, Princess Iron Fan, frowned. As beings that were almost as strong as Sun Wukong, they also felt disappointed at Ahriman's Chosen Heir. However, since they were on the same side, they merely kept their silence as they stood their ground and prevented the Monkey King from aiding the Half-Elf.

"Yes, quite disappointing, but so what?" the Six-Eared Macaque said with contempt. "It's not his fault that he is on the winning side. Since we already have the advantage, why not use it to the fullest? Do you really think that we will take pity on someone who opposes us? Wukong, I didn't expect you to still hope for a miracle to happen."

The Monkey King ignored the Six-Eared Macaque as he gazed at William's desperate struggle. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he was cornered due to the sheer disparity in numbers.

Celine and Chloee, who was observing the battle in the distance, felt an ache in their hearts as they gritted their teeth in frustration. The beautiful Elf knew that if William wished it, he could probably escape this place if he left her behind.

However, she also knew that Wiliam wouldn't do that. This was why she was hurting so much. Chloee, on the other hand, blamed herself for not being strong enough to help due to her weakened state.

They could only watch helplessly as William fought tooth and nail against his enemies. He was like a lone lightning bolt streaking across the dark sky. Although he was still shining brightly, it was only a matter of time before his brilliance faded.

Then it happened.

The two Demigods decided to become serious and collaborated with each other in order to trap William in place. Their plan worked, and the Half-Elf was bound with Dark Chains that held his arms, legs, and waist, preventing him from moving.

"Die!" Felix shouted as he threw his Dark Spear towards his adversary, who was unable to dodge his attack.

It was at that moment when time suddenly stopped. The dark spear, the shadow demons, as well as the Demigods had come to a complete stop.

The gem on William's chest glowed brightly and a silver-haired Elf materialized in front of him. Kenneth's long silver hair fluttered in the breeze, as he turned around to face William.

"Smile. The World is not ending just yet," Kenneth said as he looked at William with a smile on his face. "I will wait for you at the roots of the World Tree."

Before William could even understand what was happening, Kenneth's body slowly dispersed like ashes being thrown in the wind. Only an oval red gem that shone brightly remained behind.

"I will wait for you at the roots of the World Tree."

Kenneth's words reverberated for the second time, before William heard a dull cracking sound. The red gem shattered and ripple-like fluctuation spread across the surroundings.

Soon, time once again started to turn, as the Dark Spear, the Shadow Demons, as well as the two Demigods, charged towards William as if nothing had happened.

Suddenly, a pink haired girl carrying a mace in her hand, deflected the spear that was aimed at her husband's heart.

An Old Witch with a crooked nose, materialized behind WIlliam as she used her mortar and pestle to block one of the two Demigods who had intended to crush William's body.

"Bind the world in your embrace and hold it in place!" Lilith shouted as he lashed her treasured weapon at the second Demigod who thought that it could hurt the man she loved. "Devastate, Gleipnir!"

"Let's go, everyone!" Princess Sidonie ordered as she flew in the air throwing fireballs at the Shadow Demons with a hateful glare.

Several shards of ice pierced the body of the Demigod that Lilith was facing. The otherworldly beauty looked at the enemies around her with a chilling gaze as her long, light-blue hair fluttered in the breeze.

It was also at this moment when Hundreds of portals appeared just above the land, and in the sky as William's Herd and King's Legion came to protect him.

"Die Motherf*ckers!" B1 shouted as it unleashed a barrage of magic missiles towards the tens of thousands of Shadow Demons as soon as he appeared in the sky.

"F*cking pieces of sh*ts!" B2 unleashed several alchemist fire bottles that Celine had provided them when she was still doing her experiments in the Thousand Beast Domain.

"I'M ROLLING!" Kasogonaga steamrolled the Shadow Demons on the ground, as Erchitu, Psoglav, as well as the Antz Army descended from the sky to join him.

They had long wanted to help William, but the restriction in the Holy Land of Darkness prevented them from leaving the Thousand Beast Domain to come to his aid.

Surprise had flashed across Felix's face when his sister, Chiffon, materialized out of thin air and blocked the attack that was meant to take William's life. However, his surprise didn't last long as a look of disbelief appeared on his face when Baba Yaga, several beautiful ladies, as well as hordes of monsters appeared to protect the red-headed teenager whom he thought was a goner.

Sun Wukong's loud laughter reverberated inside the domain when he saw the sudden change come to the battlefield. He knew that this was no longer a one-sided battle.

The Monkey King was quite aware of the forces that served under William's command, and with this, he no longer needed to worry about the red-headed teenager, who had been freed from the chains that bound him, by the people who loved him.

Chapter 1073: Please Remember My Name. My Name Is Acedia

Chapter 1073 Please Remember My Name. My Name Is Acedia

Thousand Beast Domain, twenty minutes before William's King's Legion appeared to help him…

Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Lilith looked helplessly at the sky. They were able to witness William's battle, but they could not go and help him.

Even the Beasts inside the Domain were getting restless as they watched him get encircled on all sides by his enemies.

"Is there really nothing we can do?!" Kasogonaga angrily stomped its little paw on the ground as it shouted in its adorable voice. "We need to help Will!"

Erchitu and Psoglav, whom he considered as his two best friends, also had grim expressions on their faces. All three of them wanted to aid William in his fight, but no matter what they did, an invisible barrier was preventing them from leaving the Thousand Beast Domain.

Even Ella, who rarely showed an expression of anger, looked at the sky with a frustrated look on her face. She kept on clenching and unclenching her fists, as she thought of a way to help Will overcome his current predicament.

When everyone was feeling depressed, Kenneth stepped forward as his silver hair started to extend until it reached the ground.

"I have a way for everyone to leave this place and help Will," Kenneth declared. "However, the chances of all of you dying if you come out of this place is very high."

Kenneth turned around to look at the people, and beasts, who cared about William with a calm expression on his face.

"Are you sure that you are willing to take this risk?" Kenneth asked. "Once we do this, there's no going back."

Ashe stepped forward as he looked at Kenneth with determination.

"If you have a way to break the barrier that prevents us from helping him, please, do it," Ashe stated. "I would rather fight by his side than watch him suffer all alone."

"I feel the same," Chiffon declared as she also stepped forward. "I would not be here if not for William. He is my husband. No matter where he is, that is my place."

"He still hasn't given me his babies," Princess Sidonie said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I will not let him die on my watch."

"Although we are still not married, he is already my life partner," Lilith summoned Gleipnir and held it firmly in her grasp. "Also, Amazons don't shy away from battles. His fight is my fight."

Kenneth nodded his head. "Keep him safe for me. The moment I dispel the barrier, this body will immediately disappear."

"Disappear?" Princess Sidonie asked. "What do you mean, disappear?"

Kenneth glanced at her before removing his upper robe. Everyone looked at his delicate body, and noticed an oval shaped red gem in the center of his chest.

"I am a homunculus," Kenneth replied. "This is not my real body. I can only control it remotely with the power of the Philosopher's Stone in my chest. In order to break the barrier, I need to detonate it in order to cause a ripple in space and time. That is the only way to allow all of you to leave this place."

Kenneth once again dressed himself properly before scanning the faces of everyone in his surroundings.

"Are all of you ready?" Kenneth asked. "If the answer is yes then I will detonate the Philosopher's Stone after I leave this place."

"Wait."

A calm voice that was filled with authority called out to Kenneth.

Everyone turned their heads to look at Ella, who was currently walking in their direction with several goats following behind her.

"You said that you are a homunculus," Ella said. "Since that is the case, this also means that Kenneth is not your real name. As William's adoptive mother, I would like to know the name of the person who plans to sacrifice the precious Philosopher's Stone to allow us to come to his aid. Tell me, what is your name?"

Kenneth looked at the otherworldly beauty in front of him. To this day, he never expected that the goat whom William had called Mama, was actually someone whose powers even Kenneth could not fathom.

"Acedia," Kenneth said with pride. "Please remember my name. My name is Acedia. Please, save Will in my place."

—----

Silvermoon Continent…

Arwen sensed a fluctuation from the spring of life that was hidden within the roots of the World Tree.

William's mother hurriedly made her way towards the spring's location with a frown on her face. There was only one person that had made that place her home, and she was supposed to be in the Central Continent with William.

When Arwen arrived at the spring, her gaze immediately landed on the beautiful Elf, whose entire body was submerged under the water. Her long blonde hair, that was as long as the roots of the World Tree, glowed faintly from under the water.

She had been sleeping peacefully in the spring of life for many years, and it was very rare for Arwen to see her awake.

Suddenly, the young lady's naked body slowly rose to the surface of the spring. Arwen didn't hesitate as she waded into the waist-deep waters, in order to go to her Disciple's side.

The young lady's eyelids fluttered, before they slowly opened. She lazily gazed around at her surroundings, until her sight landed on Arwen, who had arrived beside her.

"Acedia, what happened?" Arwen asked. "I felt the destruction of the Philosopher's Stone that I gave you. Did something happen to Will?"

Acedia looked at William's mother for a brief moment before closing her eyes.

"Yes," Acedia replied. "Tell the Council that he has been born. William, his wives, as well as his King's Legion are now fighting against the forces of Darkness. The prophecy has come to pass."

Arwen's lips trembled when she heard Acedia's report. She knew that her Disciple would only use the Philosopher's Stone as a last resort to help William. Since Acedia had done it, Arwen knew that her son's condition was very dire, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Please, save him…," Acedia said in a drowsy voice. "I can't… stay awake… any longer."

As soon as her words left her lips, Acedia's body became completely still before it was once again submerged in the spring of life.

Arwen looked at her Disciple one last time before hurrying towards the Elven Council to tell them the news. Deep inside, she was very worried about her son, but since she was thousands of miles away from him, the only thing she could do was pray.

Pray to the Gods that her beloved son would be able to survive the calamity that he found himself in.

Chapter 1074: The Two Of Us Will Always Be Together, Whether You Like It Or Not

Chapter 1074 The Two Of Us Will Always Be Together, Whether You Like It Or Not

"My dear sister, fancy meeting you here," Felix said as he looked at the pink-haired girl whom he had bullied for years. "What are you doing here? Have you come here to become my obedient doll who will follow my every wish?"

Chiffon looked at her older brother while holding Sharur firmly in her grip. If she said that she hadn't received any trauma during her childhood, she would be lying. Even so, she was surprised to find herself not shaking in fear when facing the brother that had made her life difficult when she was still in the Demon Continent.

"No," Chiffon replied. "I came here to pay you back for the suffering that I experienced during my childhood."

"Chiffon, my sweet little sister. Don't be too attached to the past. Your big brother is now a changed man," Felix stated with a smile. "I will no longer mistreat you. In fact, I am willing to make up for the years of suffering that you experienced. If you want to blame someone, you should blame our father instead. You already know that I also suffered in his hands, no?"

Chiffon looked at Felix with a calm expression on her face. She was no longer the gullible little girl that would do everything for pieces of scraps that she could eat when her hunger reached its peak.

"Just like you, I'm also a changed person," Chiffon replied. "I am no longer that little girl you bullied long ago. I will no longer listen to your lies."

Felix arched an eyebrow as she gazed at his little sister who was now looking back at him with a defiant gaze. The old Chiffon would always cower whenever their eyes met. However, the pink-haired girl who was staring at him right now, didn't have any fear in her eyes. Instead, what he saw in her eyes was a defiance that she had never shown to him in the past.

"What is he to you?" Felix asked as he pointed at William. "He's the reason you're no longer listening to me, right?"

"He is my husband."

"Husband? Him? Are you joking?"

Felix laughed as he looked at Chiffon and William with contempt. However, after seeing that the Half-Elf didn't deny his sister's words, the Crowned Prince stopped laughing.

"I guess Half-breeds tend to like each other." Felix rubbed his chin with interest. "How about this, Chiffon. You come to my side, and I'll let your husband live after I strip him of his powers. As long as you obey my every word, I will ensure that the two of you can be together. How about it?"

Chiffon pointed Sharur towards Felix as her expression became cold.

"I don't need your permission to be with him," Chiffon replied. "The two of us will always be together, whether you like it or not."

"Hah! We'll see about that." Felix sneered. "I no longer need your protection. Bring that rebellious sister of mine to her knees. Make sure not to kill her. I will re-educate her that going against me is a bad idea."

Three of the Demigods nodded their heads, as they flew towards the sky. Two Demigods remained by Felix's side because Ahriman ordered them to do so.

The battle was getting intense as Baba Yaga and Lilith fought against the first two Demigods, while Ella shifted her attention to the two Demigods that were approaching their location.

"I unlock your seals," Ella declared. "Deal with the other Demigod, I will handle this one."

Aslan, Chronos, and the rest of the goats transformed into their Demi-Human forms. Although they were weaker than the Demigods, the twelve of them had a unique synchronized ability that allowed them to fight against one, as long as all of them were together.

It didn't take long for Felix to realize that even with four Demigods on his side, the battle was still at a stalemate.

William's King's Legion fought against the Shadow Demons using battle formations that they had used from their previous battles.

Although the Shadow Demons were strong, they were just fighting as individuals, so they were nothing compared to William's organized army that was outclassing them, even though they were fewer in numbers.

None of the Demon Clans that had joined William's ranks were present in the battle because Princess Sidonie had forbidden them from joining. She knew how dangerous the upcoming battle was going to be, so she ordered them to stay put and wait for their return.

While the others fought against the Demigods, Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, Charmaine and the rest of the Elves joined the fight against the Shadow Demons.

At the present moment, no one had a clear advantage over the others. William's forces had quality, but Felix's forces had quantity. The Shadow Demons were no ordinary creatures. They were the souls that had been trapped inside the Ancient Ruins, and had been soaked in the Power of Darkness for hundreds of years.

They were not cannon fodders that could easily be defeated. William's forces had already suffered hundreds of casualties in the first few minutes of the battle, due to how strong they were.

Seeing that time was not on their side, William once again locked his attention on Felix, who was standing between the two Demigods that guarded him.

The red-headed teenager knew that, in order for them to win, they must defeat Felix first no matter what.

"Lightning Strider!" William charged towards the Crowned Demon like a lightning bolt.

The two Demigods guarding Felix immediately went to defend him, but just before the two of them could block William's path, both of them were blown away by an attack that they didn't see coming.

A beautiful Elf, wearing a white celestial armor, threw a green fireball at the head of one of the Demigods, forcing it to evade to the side.

A teenage boy with short black hair that had golden stripes in it that resembled lightning bolts, smashed Mjolnir at the chest of one of the Demigods, sending it flying in the opposite direction.

"Have no fear, Elliot and Conan are here," the teenage boy, who looked like William, declared as lightning crackled across the hammer in his hand.

The two of them had merged, and used William as a medium to teleport to his location.

The beautiful Elf, who was wearing white celestial clothes, glanced at her twin sister, who was currently being guarded by Chloee, with a relieved expression on her face.

"Looks like we made it in time," Celeste said as she gazed at the green-haired Demon who was now being pushed back by William's relentless attack.

She then threw a jewel on the ground, where a golden portal appeared.

Byron, walked out of it, as well as thousands of elite warriors that had been raised by Hestia Academy in secret.

They had been trained for this very day, and now they would fulfill their role to the best of their abilities.

"Push them back," Byron ordered. "Show them the might of Hestia Academy!"

""Yes!""

The warriors of the academy shouted a deafening roar as they joined the ranks of William's King's Legion to fight against the Shadow Demons that numbered in the tens of thousands.

Ahriman's third eye narrowed its gaze as it looked at those who had invaded his Domain. Although he was confident that he still had the upper hand in the battle, he still felt annoyed that several insects kept on getting in the way of his revival.

"Da Peng, Kinkaku, deal with these bugs," Ahriman ordered. "Show no mercy and don't let them leave this place alive!"

The Giant Golden Eagle, as well as the One-Horned Golden Demon nodded their heads as they left Sun Wukong's encirclement.

The Demon Bull King, Princess Iron Fan, Korkiki, as well as the Six-Eared Macaque took out their weapons and eyed Sun Wukong with determined faces.

They had one task, and one task only. To prevent the Monkey King from breaking out of their encirclement.

Sun Wukong sneered at them, but he understood that breaking free from the encirclement would only bring more harm than good in the current situation.

'William my boy, the rest is up to you,' Sun Wukong gazed at the red-headed teenager, who was currently attacking Felix without holding back.

The Half-Elf was like a mad bull on steroids, and his roar reverberated in the surroundings, as he tried to break the Armor of Darkness that protected Felix from his deadly blows that were meant to take the arrogant Demon's life.

Chapter 1075: Time To End This Farce [Part 1]

Chapter 1075 Time To End This Farce [Part 1]

Due to Acedia's sacrifice, the laws that protected Ahriman's Domain from outside interference were broken.

This allowed William's Herd and King's Legion to leave the Thousand Beast Domain to come to his aid, as well as allow Conan, Elliot, and Celeste to lock on to William's and Chloee's location. Using the time that the Domain was still in an unstable state, Celeste opened the portal that allowed the Elite Warriors of Hestia Academy to join the battle.

Although Ahriman and the Dark Wraith didn't want to admit it, the advantage they had earlier had decreased by a good margin.

Ahriman's third eye locked on William's body as he gazed at him hatefully. It was all because of the Half-Elf that things were getting out of hand.

'I guess I could risk it even though my revival would be pushed back once again,' Ahriman thought as he fought an internal struggle inside his head. Even as a God, he still needed to make difficult choices in the current situation that he was in.

What he wasn't aware of was that high above the Temple of the Gods, a Primordial Goddess was watching the battle with an amused expression on her face. Standing beside her was the cloaked figure that William had met in the Deadlands. He was none other than her son, the God of Death.

"Looks like Ahriman is getting impatient." The Primordial Goddess smirked before glancing at her son. "You already know what to do, right?"

"Yes," the God of Death bowed his head in respect.

"Go. Ensure that Ahriman won't get his way. If he really plans to break the Code of the Temple of the Gods then we'd better take advantage of the situation."

"Understood."

The God of Death disappeared, leaving the Primordial Goddess to continue looking at the battle with a sweet smile on her face.

"I guess I'll have to thank you in advance, Ahriman," the Primordial Goddess said softly. "Because of you, my wish will be finally realized."

—--

Ahriman slowly opened his lips and several glowing orbs of light came out of the bodies of those that had died in the battle. He was planning to consume their souls in order to give himself enough Divinity so he could use some of his powers.

Everyone that was on William's side could only grit their teeth helplessly as they saw the souls of their allies fly in the direction of the God of Demons.

—---

William couldn't count the number of times he had tried to pierce Felix's armor using Soleil and Stormcaller.

The Black Armor was like an impenetrable shield. After attacking it several times, not even a crack could be seen on its surface.

"It's no use, Will," Celeste's voice reached out to the Half-Elf via telepathy. "That armor he is wearing is one of the Divine Regalia's of the God of Demons. Only attacks that are backed with the Power of Divinity will be able to damage it."

William smashed Soleil unto Felix's headgear, sending him crashing towards the horde of Shadow Demons that were trying to protect their Crowned Prince.

He then panted for breath as he wiped blood from the corner of his lips. Although Felix wasn't as experienced in fighting as William, the green-haired demon took advantage of his armor's invincibility to counterattack the Half-Elf and deal injuries to his body.

"Understood," William replied as he firmly gripped Soleil in his hand. 'I don't know if it will be enough, but I have no other choice.'

After absorbing the remnants of the Sun Flare earlier, Soleil's divinity had been charged by half. William knew that it was not enough to pierce through Felix's armor, and using the Divinity to charge it the rest of the way seemed like a waste.

However, in the end, he decided to take a gamble and use the last trump card he could use in order to channel Divinity into the spear of the Sun God.

"When the heavens above did not exist,

And earth beneath had not come into being --

There was Apsu, the first in order, their begetter,

And demiurge Tia-mat, who gave birth to them all."

Several stone tablets flew out of the gem on William's chest, and hovered around him, forming a circle.

"Celestial God, ruler of the skies that has long been forgotten, may you hear my desperate prayer," William chanted. "Grant me your strength, so I may slay the enemies that bring Chaos upon the world. Support me with your Heavenly Blessing, and grant me your sacred favor."

The tablets shone brightly, imitating the rays of the sun with William at its center.

The Half-Elf then charged towards the horde of Shadow Demons who were instantly obliterated by the radiance that was being emitted by the tablets around William's body.

"Let your eternal light pierce through the darkness, and burn my foes in glorious flames!" William roared. "Obliterate all who stand before me!"

Felix's face immediately became pale when he sensed the Divine Powers that were being channeled through William's spear, which was now burning brightly.

"Spear of Lazarus!" Feflix shouted as he summoned the second Divine Regalia of Ahriman, which the Crimson Crown had bestowed upon him. The spear in his hand blazed with Hellfire as he charged forward and thrust his sword towards his enemy.

When the two teenagers were only dozens of meters away from each other, their powerful shouts resonated within the minds of those who heard them.

"Bloom in the Battlefield," William pulled back his spear as he prepared to unleash the attack to kill the Demon that threatened those who were important to him. "Fleur Du Soleil!"

The green-haired demon knew that if he didn't stop William's attack, his life was going to end, even though he was wearing the Armor of Darkness. Because of this, he also activated the strongest skill of the Spear of Lazarus and clashed with William's attack head-on.

"Ravager of the King!" Felix roared as he thrusted the spear on William's chest. "Bring an end to the living! Lazarus!"

Suddenly, several dark chains appeared out of nowhere and grabbed hold of William's left arm that was holding Soleil, preventing him from thrusting it towards his opponent.

Blood flew in the air as the Spear of Lazarus pierced through William's chest, surprising everyone who was paying close attention to the duel of the two teenagers.

"Noooooooooooo!" Ashe shouted as she ran towards William. The moment the spear hit Wiliam's chest, she clearly felt that her other half was slowly losing its vitality, which meant that her beloved was slowly dying.

A hate-filled cry spread across the surroundings as Chiffon suddenly turned into a giant, and smashed Sharur on Felix's body with all of her might, sending her brother flying in the opposite direction.

Princess Sidonie, and Lilith also ignored their opponents and went to their beloved's side, hoping to save him.

It was then when it happened.

"Time to end this farce."

Ahriman's chilling voice echoed across his Domain.

The first one to fall was Ashe, who was just a meter away from William's body when a spear pierced through her chest, pinning her to the ground.

"W-Will…," Ashe said as she tried to reach out to the red-headed teenager whom she had loved for a very long time. Soon, her hand fell down on the ground, as her blood pooled under her body.

The next one to fall was Princess Sidonie, who was pierced by two spears while flying towards William's direction. She fell from the sky and landed dozens of meters away from William. Her body lay motionless, for everyone to see.

"Damn you!" Chiffon shouted as she tried to block the rain of spears that was flying towards the three people that were important to her.

She was too preoccupied with protecting everyone from the spears that she didn't notice the One-Horned Golden Demon that had snuck up behind her.

"I do not like this, but it has to be done," Kinkaku thrusted his golden sword forward behind Chiffon's back, piercing through her chest. "Forgive me, little one."

The pink-haired girl's giant body slowly shrank in size before collapsing on the ground. A bloody hole could be seen in her chest, where her heart used to be. A single tear fell from the corner of her eyes, before they completely lost their luster, as they stared blankly at the dark sky above her head.

Lilith cried out in sadness as she deflected the dark spears that had tried to take her life as well. Fortunately, Gleipnir was powerful enough to keep her life safe as she headed in the direction of her fallen sisters who had tried to protect the man they loved.

A moment later, several dazzling orbs of light flew out of Ashe's, Princess Sidonie's, and Chiffon's bodies. All of them flew in the direction of the God of Demons who was eyeing their souls with greed.

Chapter 1076: Time To End This Farce [Part 2]

Chapter 1076 Time To End This Farce [Part 2]

'Divine Souls!' Ahriman rejoiced internally when he saw the souls that were giving off a radiance that couldn't be compared to ordinary souls.

They were the souls that held powerful Divinities inside them, or souls that had been chosen by the Gods to become their followers.

Although he had expended most of the souls he had absorbed to meddle in the fight between William and Felix, the payoff was worth it, for every Divine Soul was equivalent to tens of thousands of souls.

Although some Gods had many followers, they also had Core Followers to whom they gave special care, as if they were their own children. Princess Sidonie, and Chiffon, carried the Sins of the world, so their souls held a powerful Divinity.

Ashe, on the other hand, was one of Astrid's core followers, alongside Est and Isaac. Although the Power of Divinity inside her body wasn't as strong as the souls of the Seven Deadly Sins, it didn't change the fact that it still contained a part of Astrid's power, leaving her soul with a trace of Divinity inside it.

"No!" Celine shouted as she flew towards the sky.

Black flames erupted from her back and formed six pairs of black angelic wings. She flew towards the three souls and forcefully contained them using the Power of her Divinity.

"I won't let you have them you bastard!" Celine roared in anger as she allowed her sealed Divinity to burst forth from her body.

Dark flames raged for hundreds of meters around her as Celine's wrath intensified.

"Kneel before me you wench!" Felix ordered as he gazed at Celine hatefully from a distance. "Obey me!"

The dark mark on Celine's right breast shone crimson red, but the beautiful Elf was unmoved. She then stared at Felix marking him as her target as she descended from the sky.

"I'll kill you!" Celine shouted with hate.

Her Wrath had overcome the power of the Mark of Darkness that forced her to obey Felix's orders. The only thing she wanted to do right now was to rip the Demon to pieces, in order to avenge her sisters who had died in battle.

The two Demigods that were guarding Felix moved in to block her path. However, Celine didn't stop her advance. Instead, she even increased her speed as the fingernails on her right hand extended and began to blaze with Dark Flames.

"Scram!" Celine roared in anger as she clawed the one of the Demigods that blocked her path.

The Demigod calmly used his weapon to block Celine's attack, creating sparks after they clashed.

To his surprise, the beautiful Elf overpowered him and was even able to cut off the arm that was holding the weapon. Celine didn't follow up with another attack and instead used that opportunity to close the distance between her and Felix.

Celine swiped her hand through the air and five wind blades, that blazed with Dark Flames, flew in Felix's direction.

Naturally her attack was blocked by the other Demigod, but the impact still sent it flying away, leaving Felix undefended.

"Die!" Celine's hand turned into a claw as she hatefully swiped down at the Demon that dared to control her Destiny.

A scream of pain spread across the Domain as Felix's blood gushed out of his body. His right arm, which was still protected by the Armor of Darkness, fell on the ground before Felix disappeared completely.

Celine's attack created five deep fissures in the ground that extended for hundreds of meters.

Growling like an animal, she turned her head to look in the direction of the God of Demons and saw Felix's body lying on the palm of his hand. Blood was still flowing from the shoulder she had sliced his arm from with her last attack.

"B*tch! How dare you?!" Felix shouted as he propped himself up with his remaining arm. "You dare hurt your Master?! You dare hurt your Lord?!"

"You are not my Master!" Celine shouted. "I will kill you!"

However, just as Celine was about to attack again, several dark chains bound her arms, and legs.

"Give them to me," Ahriman ordered. "Give the souls in your possession to me and I will overlook your transgression!"

Three dazzling souls with different colors were encased in an orb of dark flames that held them in place. No matter what Ahriman did, he couldn't absorb the souls because Celine had used her own Divinity to block his actions.

"Never!" Celine shouted as she gathered the Dark Flames around her to form a giant fireball. She had infused the fireball with the power of her Wrath, which made even the Demigods that were on Ahriman's side frown.

None of them dared to block this attack which contained a powerful Divinity.

"Die for me!" Celine threw the giant fireball towards Felix who was in the midst of trying to reattach the arm that had been cut off from his body.

The third eye on Ahriman's forehead shot a red beam of light that pierced through the giant fireball and through Celine's chest.

The beautiful Elf's body was then set ablaze with Dark Flames, making her scream in pain.

"Fool," Ahriman said in a voice filled with disdain. "You dare challenge a God with this feeble power? Know your place. You are merely a pawn. MY Pawn! You just have to do what you were born to do, and submit to your destiny!"

Celine's body collapsed on the ground as the power that encased the three souls in her left hand dispersed.

The three Divine souls that Ahriman coveted once again flew in his direction. Celine gazed at them as her vision blurred due to tears. Although she could activate the power of her Divinity to overcome the Mark of Darkness, she still fell short when fighting against the will of one of the strongest Gods in the world of Hestia.

Ahriman's lips opened as the three souls neared him.

However, just when the souls were a dozen meters away from his mouth, they changed direction and headed towards the sky.

Ahriman's third eye widened in shock because he didn't understand what was happening. However, his shock turned into disbelief when he saw a cloaked figure hovering in the middle of the sky.

"These souls are mine," the cloaked figure said as he gazed at Ahriman in contempt. "You broke the Code of the Gods. You were not allowed to personally interfere with the mortal realm and you have done so repeatedly. Taking the lives of these three mortals was something that you shouldn't have done, but what is done is done."

The cloaked figure then glanced at Celine who was lying on the ground. He then casually made a gesture and Celine's body floated in the air then flew in his direction.

'I was planning to kill her to end her suffering, but I can't,' the cloaked figure thought as his gaze locked on Celine's body, particularly her womb. 'If it was only her, I would have killed her right away, but I can't take the life of an innocent.'

The God of Death then held Celine's body before entering a dark portal. However, before he passed through it, he gave the Half-Elf on the ground a side-long glance. This only lasted for a brief moment before he disappeared from Ahriman's domain.

A hate-filled roar escaped Ahriman's lips after he had been denied his prize. If he had absorbed the power of the three Divine Souls, at least two of the chains that bound his body would have easily been undone.

'How dare you interfere?!' Ahriman's mental shout made the entire Domain tremble as all living and non-living beings held onto their heads due to the pain that they were suffering. 'Just who are you?!'

The God of Demons didn't know the identity of the cloaked person that had intruded on his Domain. The only thing that he knew was that only those who had similar powers to him, when he was at his peak, were capable of breaking through the laws of his world.

"Everyone leave this place now!" Elliott shouted as he raised Mjolnir to the sky creating thunderclouds. "Hurry!"

He had already seen what was going to happen next, and the only thing he could do was buy everyone time before the God of Demons threw caution to the wind, and annihilated everyone that was inside his Domain due to his anger and frustration.

Chapter 1077: Not Bad For A Half-Baked Goddess, Right?

Chapter 1077 Not Bad For A Half-Baked Goddess, Right?

Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as Chloee stared at William's body that was pierced through by the Spear of Lazarus.

As someone who was experienced in battle, she knew that there was no way William was going to lose in that clash, but at the last moment, several dark chains grabbed hold of his arm, preventing him from unleashing his attack.

The little fairy knew that the one that summoned the chains wasn't Felix. The Crowned Demon didn't have the leisure to do something like that in the midst of battle. It was then that Chloee glanced at the Giant Demon God that was seated on the throne.

Even though she was quite far from him, she clearly saw that the corner of the Demon's lips was slightly raised.

"You!" Chloee shouted as time reverted to its normal speed.

The first thing that she thought to do in that moment was to use 100% of her true power and smash the Giant God's head in with her full-powered punch. However, that thought didn't last long before she once again shifted her attention to William in the distance.

'I need to save him!' Chloee tried to gather what little strength remained inside her body in order to fly in William's direction. However, just as she was about to run forward, her legs gave out, and she found herself crashing towards the ground, facefirst.

Just as soon as she raised her head, what she saw next made her heart tremble.

William's wives, died in front of her, while attempting to go to his side. This scene made her heart turn cold, as she was momentarily frozen in disbelief that what she was seeing was real.

Beside her, Celine released a blood-curdling scream before unleashing the power of her Divinity.

The beautiful Elf's divinity was Wrath. One of the most powerful Sins in existence because everything that blocked its way would be burned to ashes.

Chloee's heart beat faster inside her chest when she saw that Celine seemed to be winning against Felix. The moment when the green-haired demon's arm was cut off, she thought that the next blow would definitely take Felix's life.

Unfortunately, the God of Demons didn't allow that to happen, and immediately saved Felix from the brink of death by teleporting him to his side.

'Dammit!' Chloee gritted her teeth as she forcefully propped herself to the ground. Although she was still feeling weak, the fire burning inside her chest was forcing her to move her body.

When the souls of William's wives, as well as Celine, were taken by the cloaked figure, the world suddenly trembled.

It was as if an earthquake was taking place, which forced Chloee to change back into her fairy form. She then flew towards William with the intention to keep him safe. Chloee knew that, at this point in time, the red-headed teenager's life was hanging on by a thread.

'No! I won't let that happen!' Chloee desperately flew towards William with tears blurring her vision. 'I won't let that happen!'

—--

"Everyone leave this place now!" Elliott shouted as he raised Mjolnir to the sky creating thunderclouds. "Hurry!"

Conan, who had separated from Elliot, immediately flew towards the ground in order to take William away and flee.

"Kill everyone!" Ahriman shouted as his bloodshot third eye locked on William's body on the ground. "Bring him to me! I will personally torture his soul for eternity!"

The Seven Demigods, as well as the two other Celestial Spirits, Da Peng, and Kinkaku, all nodded their heads simultaneously and headed towards William's location. The Shadow Demons also stopped attacking their opponents, and charged towards the fallen Half-Elf like a black tide that was planning to drown him completely.

"Scram you bastards!" A mighty roar filled with anger reverberated in the battlefield.

Suddenly, a giant golden cudgel sweeped all the Demigods and sent them flying in the distance.

Sun Wukong's entire body had turned golden, while blood seeped from the corner of his lips. His eyes burned with fury after witnessing everything that had transpired.

"Ahriman, you f*cking bastard!" Sun Wukong shouted hatefully as he swatted Da Peng and Kinkaku like little flies.

"Careful! He is burning his life force to boost his strength!" Bull Demon King warned his comrades as he prevented his wife, Princess Iron Fan from joining the battle.

"He has gone crazy!" the Six-Eared Macaque exclaimed. "This might get a little bit dangerous."

Ruyi Jingu Bang was set ablaze as Sun Wukong smashed one of the Demigods with his gigantic golden cudgel, turning it into meat paste.

The Monkey King's anger had gone off the roof that he no longer cared if he would suffer greatly once the effect of his blood sacrifice ended. All he wanted to do was to kill as many enemies as he could in order to avenge William's wives, as well as vent the hatred in his heart.

"Die!" Sun Wukong swept countless Shadow Demons away, making them explode into a shower of sparks before they disappeared completely.

Da Peng and Kinkaku wisely backed off because they knew that if they tried to fight Sun Wukong while he was in this state, their chances of dying were very high.

"Kuuh!" Sun Wukong was doing his best to hold back when it came to smashing Ahriman's face with his weapon. Since Ruyi Jingu Bang was a weapon that held Divine Power, it had the ability to injure, and even potentially kill Gods.

However, since Ahriman was an ancient God, the Monkey King knew that he couldn't take any chances. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was afraid that his attack on the God of Demons would break the chains that bound his body, freeing him from the seal that held him in place.

"Sh*t!" Sun Wukong shouted as he transferred his hatred to another Demigod and pierced its chest with his weapon, killing another one of Ahriman's minions.

Because of this, all the Demigods, as well as the Shadow Demons retreated in haste. The Monkey King wasn't moving from his place, and his intent to defend William could be seen in his face.

If Sun Wukong wanted, he could probably kill a few more Demigods, as well as his hateful enemies if he tried. However, he didn't do that. He was afraid that if he left William's side, the God of Demons would try to sneak attack the fallen boy again and end his life once and for all.

Ahriman grunted as he gave a new order to his forces. This time, the ones they attacked where Wiliam's King's Legion as well as the elite warriors of Hestia Academy.

Celeste and Byron faced the incoming threat together with William's King's Legion but they were no match for the quantity and quality of Ahriman's forces.

"Celeste, we need to retreat!" Byron shouted. "If we stay, our forces will be annihilated!"

Celeste nodded before glancing in William's direction. She could see Chloee desperately flying towards him, which made her hesitate.

"Headmaster, retreat with our forces," Celeste said. "I will rescue William first."

Byron glanced in William's direction and nodded his head.

"You still have the Group Teleport Scroll that I gave you, right?" Byron asked.

"Yes." Celeste nodded. "I know what to do, Headmaster."

The two once again nodded at each other before flying in opposite directions.

"Retreat everyone!" Byron ordered as he threw five crystal beads on the ground. "Return to Hestia Academy!"

The Warriors of the academy immediately entered the portals, while some of their comrades guarded the rear.

Ella pushed the Demigods back, alongside Baba Yaga and William's King's Legion. Although she wanted to go to the Half-Elf's side so badly, she couldn't leave the others behind. She and Baba Yaga were the only two beings that were preventing her adopted son's forces from being massacred by the Demigods who surpassed them in power and rank.

Ella had already sent Chronos, Aslan, and the rest of William's herd to rush to his side and protect him. In truth, she couldn't fight in her current vessel for long because it was not capable of handing her divinity.

With every passing second, she knew that she was a second closer to her body disintegrating.

'You can hear me, right?' Ella asked as he summoned several giant ice spears to repel the Demigods that had advanced in their direction.

'Yes,' the Primordial Goddess seated on the throne replied.

'That being that took the souls of William's wives, as well as Celline, he works for you, right?'

'You could say that.'

'Can you promise me one thing?'

Ella frowned as her left arm hung limply at her side. She could no longer move it because it had already reached its limit.

'What promise do you want me to make?' the Primordial Goddess replied. Although she was Ella's rival, she knew that both of them only wanted what was best for him.

'Don't let him die,' Ella replied as she summoned a dome of ice to allow the warriors of Hestia Academy to retreat safely.

'So, it's my win, right?'

'Yes.'

'Very well. Die in peace.'

Ella smiled bitterly as she ordered William's Legion to head in his direction. The Warriors of Hestia had now safely returned to their academy.

The Goddess of the World, Hestia, asked her to help them in return for a favor. Ella readily agreed to her request. Even though the Goddess Hestia wasn't as powerful as she was in the past, a promise made by her would be fulfilled without fail.

After the Warriors from the academy had safely retreated, the attention of Ahriman's forces was now focused on William's army.

"Kasogonaga, lead them to William!" Ella ordered as she activated the power of her Divinity. She then pulled the bell that hung from her neck and threw it in William's direction.

The bell left a trail of silver light behind it as it flew towards William. Soon, it landed on the gem embedded in William's chest, which had turned completely black.

"I'm sorry," Ella said softly. "This is the only thing I can do for you."

The silver bell merged with the gem in William's chest, creating a faint ripple within its darkness. A moment later, a small glow started to pulsate at the center of the black gem.

She also waved her hand and encased the bodies of Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Chiffon in a thick layer of ice, stopping the deterioration, and corruption of their bodies.

Ella sighed after seeing this before facing the monsters in front of her. Both of her hands hung limply at the sides of her body now, but she didn't pay them any mind.

"Even if it's only for half a minute, I will make you understand that you shouldn't have made me angry," Ella said in a cold indifferent tone as her body glowed brightly.

Ahriman's eyes widened in shock as he shifted his attention from William to the otherworldly beauty who was looking at him with killing intent. He hadn't paid much attention to Ella earlier because he thought that she was just using an ability to temporarily boost her rank to the Demigod Level.

"I didn't know you were a Goddess," Ahriman's cold voice spread across the Domain. "Well, a half-baked Goddess. It seems that your vessel is not capable of holding your Divinity."

Ella smiled as the power she released intensified, making the entire world shudder under her majestic form.

"It's time for you to feel the power of this half-baked Goddess," Ella declared as the Domain's temperature dropped to freezing levels. Only William and his forces were not affected by this sudden change in temperature.

"Absolute Zero."

Everything in front of Ella turned into ice sculptures. The Shadow Demons, the five Demigods, as well as Kinkaku, were caught within the range of her Coup De Grace.

Only Felix, the Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, Da Peng, Six-Eared Macaque, and the Dark Wraith were saved because Ahriman had used his own Divinity to shield them from Ella's attack.

"Not bad for a half-baked Goddess, right?" Ella sneered before her body started to disperse like ashes in the wind. "Wash your neck. William will come for it soon. I will laugh at your demise from the heavens."

Ella's parting words echoed through the heavens, making those who heard it feel their hearts tremble.

A prophecy that the Goddess of Tenderness believed would come to pass, regardless of how long it would take.

Chapter 1078: You Are Never Alone

Chapter 1078 You Are Never Alone

Before she disappeared completely, Ella encased her allies in a protective dome of ice that contained the power of her Divinity.

She had done this to give William's forces ample time to regroup, as well as think about how they were going to get out of their predicament.

Although she had greatly reduced the threat that they would have to face, they were still not out of danger just yet.

Lilith held unto William's body as tears streamed down the side of her face. Chloee was also beside him, and looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

"His heart is no longer beating," Celeste said as she crouched down to examine William's body. "I'm afraid that he's…"

"He's still alive," Elliot said with a sad expression on his face. "Barely alive. Ashe transferred what little bit of life force remained in her to him just before she died. Ella… Ella also transferred her remaining lifespan and Divinity to him, to ensure that he would live for one more day."

"Only a day?" Chloee asked. "What good will a day do?"

Elliot shook his head. "Not much, but it's better than nothing."

Chronos and the others had solemn expressions on their faces as they looked at their Master whose pale expression looked paler than when he equipped his Vampire Progenitor class. Ella had tasked them to protect him at all cost, and that was what they were planning to do.

"Don't worry, I have a teleport scroll in my possession. It can teleport a hundred people back to Hestia Academy…"

Celeste wasn't able to finish her words because she had completely forgotten that William's forces numbered in the thousands. She bit her lip and didn't utter another word as she looked at the pale-faced Half-Elf who was still unconscious.

"It's fine," Elliot said. "I will take everyone back to the Thousand Beast Domain."

He then turned to look at his twin Conan and patted his shoulder.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Elliot said in a serious manner.

"Understood," Conan replied as he lowered his head. "I'll do my best'"

Elliott nodded "I know you will."

Elliot then pressed his forehead on William's own and uttered a single word.

"Synchronize."

—----

"Where?"

William muttered as he gazed at his surroundings. He felt so light, as if he was floating. He felt sluggish and drowsy, and all he wanted was to close his eyes and return to sleep.

However, just before he did that, a small glowing ball of light suddenly appeared in front of him.

"So, this is where you are," Elliot said in a teasing tone. "You look beat up, champ."

"... Elliot?" William asked as he looked at the Angelic Familiar in front of him with eyes half open.

The feeling of drowsiness was too strong, that he felt himself being held in a soothing embrace. All he needed to do was close his eyes, and allow the comfortable feeling to wash over his body.

"Oi! Don't sleep!" Elliot shouted as he slapped William's cheeks repeatedly.

"That hurts."

"Good. it means that you're still alive."

The Angelic Familiar sighed as he pressed his hand over his forehead.

"Listen, Will. I don't have much time left," Elliot said. "There are many things that I want to say, but it is better that I just show it to you instead."

Elliot waved his hand and a projection appeared in front of William, who was doing his best to keep his eyes open.

He saw how Felix managed to pierce his chest with the Spear of Lazarus, but he remained unmoved by it. Only when he saw how his wives died while trying to reach out to him did the drowsiness disappear from his body.

A rage that he had never felt before started to overcome him. However, the scenes didn't end there. He shouted in anger when he saw that the souls of his wives fly towards Ahriman.

He had seen how the Demonic God absorbed the souls of those that had died on the battlefield. The scene of the souls of his wives about to be absorbed by the hateful God made the Half-Elf cry out loud.

Then, the image of Celine forcefully saving their souls followed. William felt his heart tightening when he saw how his Master had activated her Divinity and went all out to kill Felix using the power of Wrath.

Unfortunately, Felix didn't die. Ahriman saved the bastard and tortured Celine using the flames of darkness. The Half-Elf felt helpless when he saw her fate, as well as the fate of the souls of his wives who once again flew in Ahriman's direction.

"I'll kill you," William clenched his fist as he looked at the Demonic God with hatred. "I swear I will kill you!"

However, just as before the souls were about to be eaten, they flew towards the sky. William's gaze locked on the cloaked figure in the sky because he had recognized him.

"The God of Death," William said in a chilling tone that made Elliot flinch.

He then saw how the cloaked figure kidnapped Celine while Ahriman could only watch helplessly from where he sat. However, just before the God of Death entered the portal behind his back, he gazed in his direction.

For a brief moment, their gazes met, and somehow, William could feel the God's arrogance as if taunting him for his weakness.

William thought that everything was over, but when he saw Ella's death. Something inside of him broke.

He stared at the image in a daze as tears streamed down the side of his face. Elliot sighed as he patted William's head.

"Will, not everything is over yet," Elliot said. "The people who care for you are still in danger. Conan, Chloee, Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, Chronos, Aslan, and the rest. They are still outside and are just a few minutes away from dying."

William bit his lip as he forced himself to stand. Earlier, he felt as if he was floating. Now, he felt as if he was carrying an entire mountain on his back.

"Just tell me what I have to do, Elliot," William said as he gazed at his Angelic Familiar.

Elliot gave him a sad smile as he pressed his hand over his forehead. "Do your best to Live. As long as you are alive. There is hope."

Elliot's body turned golden and slowly turned into particles of light. He had expanded most of his power to look for William within the boundaries of life and death. This was the only way he knew of to be able to bring him back to the land of the living.

"Will, I will not lie to you. Dark and difficult times are up ahead," Elliot declared. "Perhaps, the only way for you to reunite with those important to you is to find Hope."

William's gaze blurred as he stared at the Angelic Familiar that was slowly disappearing in front of him. Elliot was part of his soul, so he understood what he was trying to do. In exchange for his life, his familiar was burning his own soul to bring William back to the lands of the living.

"Well, you might experience extreme pain when you wake up," Elliot chuckled. "After all, losing a quarter of your soul will definitely result in a backlash. Still, pain is a good thing. It reminds you that you are still alive."

William gritted his teeth as he burned Elliot's smile on his very soul. He knew that his angelic familiar was trying to comfort him, even in his last moments, which made it harder for him to accept what was happening.

"Remember, okay? Make sure to find Hope," Elliot said. "Perhaps, she is the only one who can turn this entire situation around."

"Hope? Hoping does nothing!" William angrily shouted. "Where was Hope when I needed it the most?! It doesn't exist, Elliot. Hope doesn't exist!"

Elliot wagged his finger as if he was trying to tell William that he was wrong. He was like a wise old man that held the knowledge of the entire world in the palm of his hands.

"I'm not talking about the word Hope," Elliot replied. "I'm talking about The Hope. The Eighth, and last member of the Virtues. Find her, Will… Wait, knowing her, she will find you first. Well, I guess it will probably work out… maybe."

Elliot chuckled as he scratched his head. When only half of his body remained, Elliot once again looked at William with a serious expression on his face.

"Goodbye, Will," Elliot said. "Make sure to take care of Chloee. She dumped me to be with you. Also, if you don't do anything, she might die today as well."

Wiliam stared at his familiar that was slowly disappearing in front of him. "Elliot, is there really no other way?"

Elliot smirked before his entire body turned into particles of light and flew towards the sky of the pitch-black world. Till the very end, a peaceful smile was on his face as if he knew what was going to happen in the future.

"Will, remember this. You are never alone."

Suddenly, a small spark appeared in the heavens and banished the darkness. A clear blue sky appeared above William's head, which was reflected by the clear blue sea under his feet. The Half-Elf found himself in a familiar place. A place where he had many fond memories of his wives, when they were helping him recover the power and stability of his spiritual world.

His Sea of Consciousness, that had died, was once again rejuvenated by Elliot's sacrifice. Ripples appeared in the clear waters under William's feet as his tears fell freely like raindrops.

Part of his soul had died in order to bring him back to life. He knew that from this day onwards, he would never see his Angelic Familiar ever again.

Chapter 1079: Don't Even Think About Escaping!

Chapter 1079 Don't Even Think About Escaping!

Hestia Academy…

Thorfinn was busy training the technique that Elliot had taught him when he suddenly felt a very bad foreboding that came out of nowhere.

He couldn't explain what was happening. All he knew was that he was feeling an ache in his chest that he couldn't describe.

"... Did something bad perhaps happen to Master?" Thorfinn muttered before shaking his head. "Impossible. How can Master possibly get into trouble? I might just be feeling tired. Yes, I'm just feeling tired."

Thorfinn tried to shake off the feeling of anxiousness that was starting to rise in his heart. However, no matter what he did, he felt as if someone very important to him had disappeared from his life.

—--

William slowly opened his eyes, and found himself wrapped up in a tight embrace, by the Amazon Princess whose tears were trickling down his face.

Just before William could say anything to comfort Lilith, a stinging pain erupted inside his head. It was as if someone was pushing a knife to his skull, and peeling back the pieces of his scalp as slowly and as painfully as possible.

"Khhhh!" William hissed in pain as he endured the painful sensation that he had never experienced in his life before. The soul-stirring pain made him unable to speak, as well as unable to breathe properly, making him shudder uncontrollably.

"Will! What's going on?!" Lilith held William tighter in an effort to stop his body from shaking.

Conan pressed a palm over his chest because he was also feeling great pain, but his pain was nothing compared to what the red-headed teenager was experiencing at the moment.

"He is suffering from a Soul Backlash," Conan said through gritted teeth. "Just give him a bit of time. He will recover in a few minutes."

Sun Wukong's fiery eyes gazed at William and saw the great damage to his soul. Immediately, he took out one of the peaches in his possession and crushed it in his hands. He had already grabbed William's jaw and held it in place, as he allowed the fruit juice to enter his mouth.

A few seconds later, the Half-Elf's body stopped shaking, but he still had a pained expression on his face.

Conan flew towards him and whispered something in his ear.

"I know that you're in a lot of pain right now, but we don't have much time," Conan whispered as the dome of ice that Ella had erected trembled. "For now, take your King's Legion back inside the Thousand Beast Domain. If you don't, they will die a meaningless death."

William gritted his teeth as he recalled his army back into his Thousand Beast Domain. Due to the scenes that he saw earlier, he already had a general idea of what was happening around them.

The gem on William's chest that had been completely black earlier, now turned dark gray. His army turned into particles of light and flew towards it, leaving Ahriman's Domain behind.

However, some resisted his orders and decided to remain by his side. Among them were Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, Jareth (Goblin Paladin), Scadrez (Blood Eagle), Chronos, Aslan, and the others in their demihuman forms, as well as Charmaine, and the rest of the Elves alongside their Winged Horses.

"We're not going back," Kasogonaga declared as it stomped its adorable foot on the ground. "We will make sure that you safely leave this place."

The others also nodded their heads in agreement, and all of them had the expression of not taking No for an answer.

William forcefully opened his eyes to look at his dear friends. However, his breath almost stopped when he saw the three frozen figures that had been placed, not far from him.

A sob escaped William's lips as tears streamed down his eyes. Although he was in great pain, the heartache he felt was greater than the one he was experiencing right now. Biting his lips until they drew blood, he reached out his right hand and forcefully teleported his frozen wives back to his Thousand Beast Domain.

"You can grieve later," Conan patted William's cheeks. "If we don't leave this place, more people are going to die."

Sun Wukong sighed as he nodded his head. "He's right, Will. I will soon disappear also. I used a bit of my life force, and I am unable to remain in this place for long. At most, I can only stay for ten minutes. After that… all of you are on your own."

William's Heroic Summoning had ended the moment he died. But, Sun Wukong burned his life force in order to remain, and protect everyone to the best of his abilities. He was barely maintaining his form, and doing his best to minimize the consumption of his powers.

"Rai…den," William said through gritted teeth.

Immediately, a black beam of light shot out from his gem and materialized as the Black Qilin, Raiden.

"Let's… leave," Wiliam forced himself to utter the words as his face contorted in pain. "Let's enter the red portal that led to this place."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Lilith carried William and mounted the Black Qilin, while Celeste merged with Claire, allowing her to grow a pair of green, flaming wings, behind her back.

Kasogonaga mounted Scadrez's back. Sun Wukong summoned three flying clouds to allow Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth, to accompany them on their journey.

"Okay, listen to me," Sun Wukong said. "The moment the dome breaks, all of you will make a run for it. I will hold them back for as long as I can, but remember that I will probably be able to hold them for five minutes at best."

"We will leave this place together!" Kasogonaga shouted. Before looking at his two best friends, Erchitu and Psoglav. "The two of you better not die, okay? I'm going to murder both of you if you do!"

"I'm already dead," Erchitu replied.

"I don't plan on dying," Psoglav answered as his single eye glowed faintly. "Not until I eat that green-haired bastard Prince."

Many of his acquaintances had died in the battle. He could only watch helplessly as their souls were absorbed by the God of Demons, and his hatred for Felix burned brightly inside his chest.

The Demonic Dog knew that it couldn't possibly fight against the God of Demons. Since that was the case, he then chose to vent his frustrations on the only one that he could attack and that was none other than Felix.

It was at that moment when the dome of ice shattered and dispersed into a cloud of white mist.

Immediately, the Black Qilin pierced through the white haze, alongside several others, flying in the opposite direction of the God of Demons. They only had one destination and that was none other than the red portal in the distance, that would take them to the first level of the Ancient Ruins.

"Don't even think about escaping!" Ahriman's thunderous voice boomed like thunder. "Get them!"

The Dark Wraith, the Demon Bull King, and the rest of the forces that Ahriman had invited from the Celestial Realm followed behind William's entourage.

However, they still kept a safe distance from Sun Wukong. They knew that the Monkey King had thrown caution to the wind and was prepared to fight them to the death. If only they knew that Sun Wukong was on borrowed time, perhaps they would have been more aggressive in their approach to capture the red-headed teenager and his entourage.

Chapter 1080: Just Try Dying Once

Chapter 1080 Just Try Dying Once

Sun Wukong trailed behind the group and acted as a rearguard.

His mere presence was enough to deter Ahrimans' remaining forces, who could potentially eliminate William's group if they all worked together.

Baba Yaga was flying beside him. She was grieving what happened to Celine, and wanted to avenge her. However, she understood that even if she was strong, she couldn't possibly face the other beings—whose strength was similar to the golden Monkey King beside her.

The Old Witch was the second strongest in William's group. Sun Wukong had already told her that he wouldn't be able to stay for a long time, so he entrusted William's safety to her.

Halfway along their journey, a sigh escaped Sun Wukong's lips as he looked at William with regret.

"I'm sorry, this is as far as I can go," Sun Wukong said before stopping mid-air. "They're all yours, Baba Yaga."

The old witch nodded her head and hastened towards William's group. The Monkey King stood straight as a sword as he held Ruyi Jingu Bang firmly in his hands.

He only had a minute left before he disappeared completely, and he planned to use that remaining time for One Last Hurrah in an attempt to seriously injure or kill any of their pursuers.

Bull Demon King frowned when he saw Sun Wukong suddenly stop escaping and felt that something was wrong. He hurriedly grabbed hold of his wife's, Princess Iron Fan, body and flew backwards, retreating as far away as he could from the Golden Monkey who was giving him the feeling of impending death.

The Six-Eared Macaque was a cowardly being. The moment he saw the Bull Demon King backing away, he immediately followed suit.

A moment later, Sun Wukong's arrogant voice filled with killing intent resonated across the heavens.

"Annihilate all those who stand before me," Sun Wukong's fiery eyes blazed fiercely as his muscles bulged. "Slay the heavens!"

"Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

The giant golden cudgel in his hand blazed brightly like a burning sun, momentarily blinding his pursuers.

Da Peng and the Dark Wraith already had an idea of what Sun Wukong was planning, so they had already prepared their strongest defensive abilities to block his attack.

Da Peng covered his entire body with his wings, as he hovered mid-air like a giant golden ball. The Dark Wraith on the other hand, enclosed itself into a shield of darkness, preparing to resist Sun Wukong's attack.

The sky was split apart as Sun Wukong unleashed his strongest attack, catching Da Peng and the Dark Wraith by surprise.

The giant golden cudgel smashed both of them into the ground, destroying the geography completely, and creating a powerful earthquake, which was strong enough to make Ahriman's giant throne shake.

"Crazy Monkey!" Princess Iron Fan gasped as she looked at the destruction that Sun Wukong had unleashed. Almost half of Ahrimans' Domain was destroyed in that single attack, which proved that the Monkey King wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

She was quite thankful that her husband had noticed Sun Wukong's peculiarity and retreated as fast as he could.

The Six-Eared Macaque was also thanking his lucky stars for being able to escape such a terrifying onslaught. Although he was strong, he didn't have the confidence that he could take Sun Wukong's final attack head-on.

"Just you wait. I'll pay all of you back once you return to the Celestial Realm."

Wukong's threat reached their ears before his entire body dissipated.

The Bull Demon King flew towards Da Peng and the Dark Wraith to see if they were still alive or not. All of them were Pseudo-Gods, so, although they weren't Gods, their strength had surpassed the Demigod Rank.

Sun Wukong's weapon was one of the extremely few weapons that could harm Gods. Although the Bull Demon King felt that the Monkey King's wasn't able to use his full strength on that final blow due to his current circumstance, it was nevertheless a very deadly blow that could potentially deal serious injuries to beings of their rank.

Da Peng's golden wings had been completely crushed, and his body was bleeding all over. Although his life wasn't in any danger, he would take at least a month or two for him to make a full recovery.

The Dark Wraith didn't fair any better. Its entire being was flickering as if it could fade at any moment. As an Undead, it was weak against flames, especially flames that held the power of Divinities.

It was at that moment when a dark beam of light landed on its body, helping it recover at a very fast rate.

"Don't let any of them escape. Bring them back to me. Dead or alive."

Ahriman's bone-chilling order reached their ears, which made them remember the task he had set out for them.

The Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, the Six-Eared Macaque, as well as the newly recovered Dark Wraith once again pursued their targets, leaving Da Peng behind.

At that exact moment, William's entourage had just passed through the red portal, leaving Ahriman's personal Domain behind.

"Where is the exit?" Celeste asked, as she scanned her surroundings.

Baba Yaga frowned as she channeled her senses to look for a possible exit within the Domain. Suddenly, she felt a very subtle fluctuation towards the South, which she determined to be the exit of the Ancient Ruins.

"To the South!" Baba Yaga stated. "Follow me!"

Everyone flew alongside Baba Yaga as they sped up in the direction she had pointed. They had just flown for a minute when they felt several strong presences behind them.

Baba Yaga turned her head to look at their pursuers and clicked her tongue. Even if her strength was at the Peak of the Demigod Rank, her opponents were Pseudo-Gods. It was impossible for her to defeat one of them, let alone four.

"Just keep on flying!" Conan shouted as he urged everyone. "Don't worry. We will be able to make it!"

It was at this moment when Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, and Jareth exchanged glances at each other.

"Keep going!" Kasogonaga shouted. "We'll buy you some time!"

"Fools!" Baba Yaga rebuked the rainbow-colored Anteater who was riding on top of the Blood Eagle's back. "You can't block them even for a second!"

"It's fine, Granny," Psoglav's voice, filled with determination, reached Baba Yaga's ears. "We don't plan on dying."

Without another word, Kasogonaga, alongside his friends, flew towards the approaching Pseudo-Gods, fearlessly.

"Are you sure that we won't die?" Psoglav's determined expression suddenly collapsed as soon as he saw the Bull Demon King, as well as his cohorts in the horizon. "We won't die, right?"

"Don't worry," Kasogonaga replied. "Even if you die, William can bring you back as an Undead as long as I bring you back with me."

"*$&#*&$*#$&!" Psoglav cursed out loud as he tried to maneuver his flying cloud to turn around and regroup with William's group. "F*ck this I'm out!"

However, before he could even get away, Erchitu's hand grabbed his body and held him firmly in his grip.

"It's fine," Erchitu said as he gazed at his friend with his burning blue eyes that marked him as a revenant. "Just try dying once."

"F*ck you!" Psoglav shouted. "Our friendship ends here!"

Jareth glanced at his comrades with a complicated look on his face.

'I shouldn't have joined these three crazies on their suicide mission,' Jareth thought as he held the artifact that Elliot had given him earlier in his hands. 'Elliot, I hope you didn't f*ck us up.'

Chapter 1081: I'll leave Will, In Your Very Capable Hands

Chapter 1081 I'll leave Will, In Your Very Capable Hands

"Are you sure they are going to be alright?" Charmaine asked in a worried tone as she looked behind her. "They are clearly no match for those guys."

Everyone in the Thousand Beast Domain had become her dear comrades, especially Kasogonaga and his group.

"They'll be fine," Conan replied. "Maybe."

William's face was still twisted in pain as he fought hard to contain the backlash of Elliot's death. Losing a quarter of his soul had almost paralyzed his body, and he was barely hanging on to his consciousness.

"We're almost there. Just hang on for a little while longer," Baba Yaga said. "Do you see those two statues over there? We just need to pass through between them and we are out of this place."

"And… you think that… I will allow you… to do as… you please?"

The Dark Wraith materialized in front of them and swung its Deathscythe towards the Black Qilin that was carrying William.

A metallic sound rang in the surroundings as the Dark Wraith's Deathscythe clashed with the Deathscythe of a black-haired teenager, whose crimson eyes glowed faintly.

"We don't need your permission to cross over," Conan replied firmly. "I will deal with you personally."

"Delusional… insect.," the Dark Wraith said with contempt.

A fearless smile appeared on Conan's face as his hair stood up, revealing golden stripes in it that crackled with lightning.

"Rulebreaker Full-Attack Mode On," Conan stated.

Particles of golden light started to radiate from his body, making the weapon in his hand turn crimson.

"N-No!" Claire shouted from within Celeste's sea of consciousness. "He activated his full powers! He is going to die at this rate!"

Before anyone could react, a burning fist smashed into the Dark Wraith's cheek, sending it tumbling hundreds of meters away.

A beautiful blonde fairy who seemed to be in her late teens hovered beside Conan. Her body was also radiating golden particles of light, proving that she had also used a hundred percent of her power.

"Chloee… why?" Celeste asked as she looked at her familiar with a shocked expression on her face. "Why?"

Chloee gave Celeste a side-long glance before shifting her gaze back at her opponent. "It's because I'm too weak. Go. Conan and I will handle this bastard."

"Sixth Master…" William said with a pained expression. "You shouldn't have."

"Just go." Chloee replied without even looking at him. "Don't let our sacrifice be in vain."

Lilith glanced at Celeste then back at William. In the end, it was Celeste who flew away first with tears in her eyes. She knew that Chloee had already resolved herself in fighting to the death with their enemies in order to keep them safe.

The Amazon Princess gritted her teeth as he urged Raiden to fly towards the two statues in the distance.

"You're not… getting away!" the Dark Wraith shouted as it phased out from its location in order to teleport towards William's location.

"You're the one that is not getting away," Chloee sneered as she kicked the space in front of her.

Immediately, a pained scream was heard as the Dark Wraith was blown away by the force of her kick.

"H-How?" the Dark Wraith wondered as it looked at Chloee in disbelief.

It had clearly entered the Ethereal Realm, which allowed it to pass through anything. It simply couldn't understand how the beautiful fairy's attack managed to pierce it from a different dimension.

"Rulebreaker Burst Mode Activated," Chloee stated. "All the laws of this world will shatter under my fists!"

"... You kicked me!" the Dark Wraith complained.

"Yes." Chloee nodded. "And there's more where that came from!"

As if waiting for that cue, Chloee and Conan simultaneously attacked the Dark Wraith giving it no room for a counterattack.

Both Familiars were burning their life force, which allowed them to reach the peak of the Demigod Rank. Although their opponent was a Pseudo-God, both of them had activated their Rule Breaker skills.

This allowed them to bend reality to their will, preventing the DarkWraith from having its way.

Three trails of light, zigzagged across the sky as they fought with everything they had.

Conan and Chloee were determined to bring the Dark Wraith to the afterlife with them, while the latter was doing its best to endure their repeated blows at high speeds.

"Insignificant… insects!" the Dark Wraith roared.

"Fool, we are not insects," Conan replied as he slashed at the Dark Wraith's arm, cutting it off completely.

"We are Familiars!" Chloee's shouted as she smashed her fist into the Dark Wraith's face, making all of its teeth shatter.

Conan's Deathscythe burned brightly as he prepared to unleash his ultimate attack. "Slice reality, Ataraxia!"

The Devil Familiar slashed at the Dark Wraith's body with all of his might. A moment later, its entire body was engulfed in crimson flames that made the Pseudo-God cry out in pain.

Chloee then smashed her fists together, coating them in brilliant golden flames.

"Requiem, Fists of Eternal Damnation!" Chloee unleashed a flurry of punches that smashed every part of the Dark Wraith's body, making its existence crumble.

"Save… me! My Lord… Save me!" the Dark Wraith's hoarse pleading echoed within the ancient ruins.

However, instead of being saved, only words of disappointment answered his desperate calls for help.

"Useless thing!" Ahriman's voice thundered in the heavens.

A dark beam of light shot through the red portal at a very fast rate, headed for the Dark Wraith's location.

Seeing that Ahriman still chose to save it, the Dark Wraith was relieved. However, when he noticed the sneer on Conan's face, it felt that something was out of place.

Conan used his Deathscythe to block the black beam of light. To Ahriman's and the Dark Wraith's surprise, the beam was absorbed by the Deathscythe in Conan's hands, preventing it from reaching its intended target.

"Die!" Conan swiped his Deathscythe at the Dark Wraith that was on its last legs, dispersing its existence from the world.

Immediately, a hateful roar thundered in the heaven's as Ahriman's fury made the ancient ruins tremble. "You Dare!"

Conan faced the direction of the red portal and raised his middle finger. "I dare, B*tch. What can you do about it?"

The sky rumbled as a booming thunderclap resonated within the heavens. Conan only chuckled after seeing this scene. He knew that Ahriman's power was sealed, so he couldn't do much but vent his frustration somewhere else.

"You really are something," Chloee said as she looked at Conan's face.

Crack marks had already started to spread on his body, but the handsome devil only gave her a refreshing smile.

"I guess, I'll be accompanying Elliot soon," Conan replied. "Although he doesn't show it, he gets lonely quite easily."

"Sounds fun. I guess I'll be coming with you as well," Chloee smiled as cracks also started to appear on her hands before they traveled all the way to her main body.

"Um, about that, can you wait a few more days?" Conan asked as he approached Chloee. "William will suffer one hell of a backlash after losing Elliot and I. I don't think he will be able to take care of himself. You should do it in our place."

"Hah? What are you talking about?" Chloee asked as the cracks started to spread across her face.

Conan smirked as he rested his Deathscythe across Chloee's shoulders. "Destiny Bind."

Conan's Deathsctyhe turned into particles of light and merged with Chloee's body. The cracks on her face started to disappear at a rapid rate.

"Y-You…" Chloee looked at Conan with a complicated expression on her face.

"At most, you will be able to live for four more days," Conan said as the cracks covered his entire body. "Use that time to the fullest. Do not regret anything. I'll leave Will, in your very capable hands."

Conan closed his eyes as his body slowly dispersed like ashes blown by the wind.

"I kept my promise, Aila," Conan said softly. "The rest is up to you."

Chloee's vision blurred as she tried to grasp the ashes that were slipping through her fingertips.

Her pained sobs were drowned out by the thunderous roars in the sky. But, even then, the beautiful fairy's sadness made her feel numb to everything. She didn't care about Ahrimans' furious roars, nor did she care about his disappointment.

There were only four familiars that had been born in the world of Hestia. Now, there were only two of them left. Soon, only one of the four will remain.

In the beginning, she, Claire, and Celeste, dreamed of spreading the Familiamancer Profession to the world. Although it was fleeting, the happiness they felt, knowing that they were no longer alone, made even the most stubborn fairy look forward to a brighter tomorrow.

However, right now, that tomorrow was so far out of her reach.

"Thank you, Conan," Chloee said as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "These four days that you gave me, I will not use them in vain."

Chloee flew towards the two statues in the distance with a heart that ached painfully. Now that William had lost half of his soul, she knew that he would suffer terribly.

If her life would lessen the pain he was feeling, Chloee would not hesitate to give her soul to him. If that was the only way that the two of them could be together, she would gladly offer her existence to the person that made her little heart understand how it felt to fall in love with someone.

Even if that someone was a person that couldn't love her back.

Chapter 1082: I Will Make All Of Them Pay

Chapter 1082 I Will Make All Of Them Pay

Shannon slowly placed the brush to the side as a depressed sigh escaped her lips.

The image of a black-haired teenager, whose body was slowly dispersing into nothingness could be seen on her canvas.

Although there were quite a few people inside the room, almost no sound could be heard, except Princess Aila's sobbing. The angelic Princess had already collapsed on the floor and was crying her eyes out the moment Conan died.

"I kept my promise, Aila. The rest is up to you."

Conan's last words were still fresh in her mind as the sadness she was feeling intensified. The Devil Familiar was her first real friend, and they had been together ever since William had asked Conan to take her on a tour of the academy.

Perhaps it was due to Conan being part of William's soul, or the Devil Familiar's kind nature, but Princess Aila found him to be true and genuine. Because of this, his death had left a heavy burden in her heart and mind, making her unable to stop the tears that were flowing due to heartache.

Zeph who was also inside the room sighed deeply in his heart. He and Joash had a hunch that William could become the Heir of Darkness. However, never in their wildest dreams did they think that the first son of the Demon Lord, Felix, was the one that was written in the prophecy.

'This is bad,' Zeph thought as a deep frown appeared on his face. 'This is very bad.'

Now that the identity of the Heir was known, they had to revise the plan they had made.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Vesta asked through gritted teeth. She was clenching her hand so hard that blood was already spilling from her palms.

Chiffon had been her close playmate whenever she visited the Thousand Beast Domain. The pink-haired girl would often accompany her to the theme park, alongside Medusa, in order to ride the attractions and play games in the arcade.

Vesta had very few friends, so she held them very dear in her heart. No thanks to the Demon Lord, people always thought of her as nothing more than a tool they could use in order to further their ambitions and create a strong connection with her Demigod Father, Joash.

Now that her close friend had died, she wanted to avenge her. However, the opponents were simply far too strong for her to fight head-on. Perhaps, even her father would have a hard time facing them.

Afterall, the one that they were going to fight against were Pseudo-Gods. Existences that were between Demigods and Gods.

"You can't do anything," Shannon answered softly. "But, I can. However, I will need to make necessary preparations. Everyone in the room, please leave, except for Princess Aila. She can stay."

Kira and Athrun glanced at each other before decisively leaving the room together. Vesta gave Princess Aila a side-long glance before following the two of them. Zeph was the last one to leave the room.

The old Patriarch kept on shaking his head from side to side as if all hope was lost.

Once everyone had left the room, except for Princess Aila, who was still sobbing on the floor. Shannon pressed her hands together, as if in a prayer.

"Mother, please, lend me strength," Shannon said with her eyes closed. A few seconds later, Conan's painting flew off the canvas, and it was instantly replaced by a white canvas that was in a blank state.

"Wait for me, My Prince," Shannon said with determination as she pressed her palms on the blank canvas in front of her. "I'm coming for you."

—---

A blood curdling scream escaped William's lips as he held his head with both hands. Lilith, who was supporting his body from behind, almost panicked because the Half-Elf had almost fallen off the Black Qilin's back, due to his thrashing.

Half a minute later, William's body went limp as he lost consciousness. Blood seeped out from the corner of his lips, and tears once again fell from the corners of his eyes.

Celeste, who was flying alongside the Black Qilin also had a pained expression on her face. She had clearly felt Chloee's existence about to disappear. But, for some miraculous reason, her little fairy had survived. However, she could still feel a stinging pain deep inside her Sea of Consciousness, due to having her familiar's existence almost snuffed out.

'Conan has probably disappeared,' Claire's melancholic voice echoed from inside Celeste's head. 'This is the only explanation I can think of why we both felt that Chloee's life force almost disappeared completely.'

'I think you're right,' Celeste gave William a worried glance before shifting her attention back to what was ahead of them.

They had just passed through the two statues, and were now outside the Ancient Ruins. However, the corruption of the land was also affecting them. This was why their group continued to travel southwards, in order to break past the dark sky that was hovering above their heads, with the hope of finally leaving Ahriman and his forces behind.

'I'm worried,' Claire's anxious voice once again sounded inside her head. 'I have a feeling that Chloee's death was only delayed. It is possible that she might also disappear at any moment.'

Celeste didn't say anything because she also thought the same. However, she couldn't worry about her right now. Chloee had already made up her mind, and the only thing she could do was respect it.

'Let's get out of here first,' Celeste lightly clenched her fist. 'Let's worry about her condition later.'

Claire no longer said anything. However, Celeste could feel the sadness that was emanating from Chloee's twin, who had always been by her side through thick and thin.

'I will make them pay,' Claire made an oath in her heart. Although it didn't show on her face, she deeply cared about Chloee, and would stop at nothing to make her twin happy. 'I will make all of them pay.'

Chapter 1083: I Am The Protector Of The Human Race! I Will Not Let Any Of You Pass!

Chapter 1083 I Am The Protector Of The Human Race! I Will Not Let Any Of You Pass!

"You! What did you do to us?!" the Bull Demon King shouted in anger. "Answer me you… weird looking Anteater!"

"Weird looking?!" Kasogonaga stomped its little foot angrily on the Blood Eagle's back as he looked down on the Bull Demon King and his comrades, who were locked in place by a powerful seal.

"Side characters like you have no right to call me weird looking!" Kasogonaga raised its chin arrogantly as its adorable voice resonated in the surroundings. "If all my fans spit on you at the same time, you'll be drowning in a sea of spit. I spit on you, weird looking bull!"

Psoglav chuckled as he watched this scene from the side. He was holding a pearl-like artifact in his hand that kept the Pseudo-Gods in a transparent diamond cage that prevented them from attacking any of them.

Erchitu and Jareth were holding similar artifacts, and they were outstanded by its capabilities to seal their pursuers.

Originally, they thought that this was a suicide mission planned by Kasogonaga. Although they didn't mind dying to help William escape, they believed that at most, they would only be able to stop their pursuers' advance for only a few seconds.

"Let us out of here, you weird looking Anteater!" Princess Iron Fan shouted as she tried to break the cage by mashing her fan against it. However, just like their earlier attempts, nothing happened.

The Pseudo-Gods thought that the barrier would easily shatter if all of them attacked together. To their surprise, no matter how much they attacked it, not even a scratch could be seen on its surface.

"Hah! Is that all you can do, you ugly b*tch?" Psoglav sneered. "You thought that you could overpower us because your rank is higher than ours? Well, surprise you ugly duckling. You f*ckers ain't going anywhere."

"Shut up you demonic mutt!" Princess Iron Fan lashed out in anger. "The moment I break free from this thing, I will skin you alive and make you regret that you were ever born!"

"Do it ugly. I dare you."

"Khh! You insignificant Demon. I'll tear you piece by piece later!"

Psoglav felt so smug at the moment because he never thought that he could curse Pseudo-Gods without fearing their counterattack. He then continued to irritate Princess Iron Fan with his contemptuous words, which made the beautiful Demon's face turn beet-red from anger.

Kasogonaga also had a triumphant look on its face before glancing at its friends. "You guys go back. I can take it from here."

"Huh?" Psoglav blinked his eyes as he looked at the arrogant looking Anteater who had the "Leave them to me" expression on its adorable face.

"Go back?" Erchitu asked. "Why should we go back?"

"Because you have already played your roles," Kasogonaga replied. "The moment the barrier was formed, there was no longer any need for the three of you to stay. I am more than enough to hold them all here."

Psoglav scoffed as he flew towards Kasogonaga. He was still mounted on the flying cloud that Sun Wukong had left them earlier, and he was quite surprised that they had stayed even though their Master had gone back to the Heavens.

"Oi, what kind of joke are you playing here?" Psoglav asked in irritation. "Are you trying to play the hero?"

"You can stay if you want to," Kasogonaga shrugged. "However, they will be free in ten minutes. You've irritated that lady from the very start. I'm sure that she will be more than happy to skin you alive once the barrier breaks."

"O-Oi! You're joking right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?"

"F*ck!"

Psoglav wasn't able to stop himself from cursing out loud as he glanced at the Demoness who was surprised at the revelation that they would be free in a few minutes.

"Hahaha! Did you hear that you d*mn mutt?!" Princess Iron Fan shouted. "Just sit there and wash your neck. I will torture your soul for eternity!"

Psoglav gulped subconsciously as his single eye trembled due to Princess Iron Fan's threat.

"Okay, goodluck," Psoglav patted Kasogonaga's head before flying away in haste. "I'm out of this place!"

Erchitu and Jareth looked at Kasogonaga with a serious expression on their faces, but the rainbow-colored Anteater only nodded its head, telling them to leave everything to him.

"Don't worry. I have survived the Era of Gods," Kasogonaga said with confidence. "I can survive a few Pseudo-Gods easy peasy."

"Understood," Erchitu nodded. "Be careful. Let's reunite later in the Thousand Beast Domain."

"Got it," Kasogonaga nodded. "You too, Jareth. Make sure to keep a close eye on Psoglav. That fool can get carried away at times."

"I'll do my best," Jareth replied before flying away. "We'll wait for you."

"Mmm." Kasogonaga hummed as its gaze locked in on the Pseudo Gods that were currently eyeing him with contempt.

Erchitu was the last one to leave. Although he was reluctant, he felt that Kasogonaga had already made up his mind to face their opponents alone.

Scadrez, the Blood Eagle, also uttered a soft cry before leaving the Anteater on the ground.

"Don't worry," Kasogonaga patted the Blood Eagle's head after jumping off its back. "We will meet sooner than you think."

Scadrez nudged its head against the Anteater's face for a few seconds before taking off towards the sky. Although it didn't want to leave Kasogonaga behind, the rainbow-colored Anteater was adamant that he could handle things on his own.

The Pseudo-Gods watch them leave with renewed confidence on their faces. Now that they knew that they would be freed after a few more minutes, they prepared themselves to take vengeance on the insects that dared to block their way.

"Hahaha! Where did that smugness from earlier go?" Princess Iron Fan asked in ridicule as she looked down at the rainbow-colored Anteater who was currently snacking on a few gummy bears. "Are you ready to die, weird-looking anteater?"

Kasogonaga ignored Princess Iron Fan's words, as he continued to savor the gummy bears that William had given him long ago.

"I never thought I'd be fighting for the sake of a Half-Elf," Kasogonaga muttered as it glanced in the direction where his friends had gone. "It has been many years since I was freed from that block of ice, and, at first, the only thing I felt for you was resentment.

"Now, I can't think of a day passing without having fun with Psoglav, Erchitu, and my other friends in the Thousand Beast Domain. Fun times. Truly fun times. Will, I enjoyed the several artbooks that you gave me."

The sound of something cracking could be heard coming from behind him, but Kasogonaga didn't even turn his head to look at where the sound was coming from. It continued to look towards the South where it could feel William's existence.

"I believe that you called the story in that picture book a fairy tale, right?" Kasogonaga continued to mutter as he gazed in the distance. "It's quite unfortunate, but I wasn't able to finish the last story, Little Mermaid. I wonder, did that story have a happy ending or not?"

The sound of several crystal cups shattering at the same time reverberated behind the Anteater, making the latter smile sadly. It ate the last gummy bear in its paws and chewed it properly.

'I'll ask William to give me more when I see him again,' Kasogonaga thought as it enjoyed the unusual flavor inside its mouth.

Kasogonaga then turned around to face the angry Pseudo-Gods who wanted to skin him alive with a calm expression on its face.

"Pseudo-Gods who came to a world that is not your own, remember this and remember it well," Kasogonaga raised its head and faced them fearlessly. "I am the Deity of the Sky! I am the protector of the Human Race! I will not let any of you pass!"

Kasogonaga jumped towards the sky as it curled up its body transforming into a ten-foot tall spiked wrecking ball. Although it understood what fate awaited it, it didn't back down for the sake of those that were important to it.

The Deity of the Sky, Kasogonaga, charged fearlessly at the beings that invaded not only its world, but the happiness that it had experienced over the years. For them, the rainbow-colored Anteater was willing to do anything.

"I'M ROLLING!"

Chapter 1084: Give Him To Me, And Iâ€™ll Let All Of You Live

Chapter 1084 Give Him To Me, And Iâ€™ll Let All Of You Live

"No…. How can this be?" Celeste uttered in disbelief as she looked in front of her.

A Demon with long, platinum blonde hair and red eyes looked at her with an indifferent expression from where he stood.

Behind him, an army that numbered in the tens of thousands stood, with their flags fluttering in the wind.

"Took you brats long enough," the Demon Lord, Luciel, said in a cold and indifferent voice filled with confidence.

Just as soon as William's entourage broke past the dome of darkness, the first thing that they saw was the Demon Lord holding a giant greatsword in his hands.

Standing beside him were two Demigods.

On his left, was El Sibon, who had attacked William in the North when the Half-Elf tried to exterminate the Gremory Clan's stronghold. The Demon eyed the unconscious William, as the corner of its mouth curled up into a smirk.

Very few individuals were able to escape his grasp, but, in the end, El Sibon was still able to kill them all. The Demigod had no doubt in his mind that, today, he would add another skeleton to his collection.

On Luciel's right side, a giant ape–like creature with a single eye on its head looked down on them. On its chest was a gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. It was none other than the Demigod that ruled over the West side of the Demon Realm. The Monster, Mapinguari.

"Baba Yaga, I think you're standing on the wrong side," Luciel said with a sneer. "Shouldn't you be on our side?"

"Boy, I've been around since before you sucked your mother's tits," Baba Yaga scoffed the Demon Lord's disrespectful words towards her. "So what if you have those two dumb dumbs beside you? Do you really think that I can't smash your face when I feel like it?"

"True," Luciel admitted. "But, I'm fairly confident that you will not be able to smash my face to death. How about this, I will allow you to switch sides while I'm still in the mood. What do you think?"

The old witch raised the pestle in her hand and pointed it in Luciel's direction. "I think, I have heard enough of your bullsh*t! If you want to fight then a fight you shall get!"

Baba Yaga had long been enduring the hatred in her heart after her Disciple had been taken away from her. She was unable to fight against the Bull Demon King and his cohorts because she wasn't their match, but looking at the smugness on the Demon Lord's face rekindled the anger that she had been silently enduring in her heart.

It was at that moment when Chloee passed through the barrier. She then flew towards her people's side, and stood beside Celeste, facing the Demon Army. Just like everyone else, she had also been shocked at the scene that she saw as soon as she had escaped the dome of darkness.

Right now, she was unable to use her full powers because she was on borrowed time. At most, she could only exert 30% of her strength, which was only equivalent to that of a Millenial Beast.

Even so, the blonde-haired fairy didn't back down. Her body radiated with killing intent as she took a fighting stance, ready to attack at any given moment.

Not long after, three more creatures passed through the dome of darkness and they were none other than Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth. All of them landed in front of the Black Qilin, protecting their Master from Luciel's determined gaze.

"Where is Kasogonaga?" Lilith asked as she looked at the trio in front of her.

"He stayed behind to hold off our pursuers," Erchitu replied. "He will rejoin us shortly."

"I see…" Lilith didn't ask any more questions. She understood what Erchitu was trying to say, and it made her bite her lip in frustration.

A low growl escaped Psoglav's jaws as he stared hatefully at the Demon Army in front of him. Right now, the Demonic Dog wished for nothing more than to tear the Demons' bodies apart so he could drink their blood, and eat their flesh.

"Give him to me, and I'll let all of you live," Luciel declared. "At most, the rest of you will become slaves, but your lives will be spared. That is still a better fate than dying, no?"

Luciel eyed Celeste's beautiful figure, as well as the Elves that were currently glaring at him from on top of their winged horses. He could feel the hate that was emanating from their bodies, but the Demon Lord simply didn't care about their feelings.

For him. Women were just tools to be used in order to breed children.

Exceptional women would give birth to exceptional children. This was why he had tasked his men to kidnap the genius ladies of the different races in order to bring them back to the Demon Realm, where they would live their new lives as broodmares.

Even the Demons that were standing behind their Lord, eyed the beauties in front of them. All of them could tell that they were exceptional women, and worthy of being taken captive for their race's future.

Luciel once again shifted his attention towards the unconscious Half-Elf who was currently in the embrace of the Amazon Princess.

"I will ask you one last time. Give that boy to me," Luciel said without a trace of mercy. "My patience has its limit."

Lilith glared at the Demon Lord as she firmly gripped Gleipnir in her right hand.

"The only way you can take him from me is over my dead body," Lilith declared. "I will not let you have him."

"Such a pity," Luciel shrugged. "Don't worry. I have no intention of killing you. You still have your uses, Princess. I'm sure that your mother will be more than willing to negotiate as long as you are my hostage."

"In your dreams!"

"Foolish girl. I prefer reality over dreams. After all, only in the real world can I crush my opponents and feel their warm blood staining my hands. That Half-Elf will pay for the crimes of his father. Don't worry, I will let you personally witness how I deal with him."

"Don't let him rile you up, girl," Baba Yaga's voice reached her ears. "That bastard still hasn't changed his sick hobby of playing mind games with his enemies. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I won't let him touch any of you."

Luciel smirked after hearing Baba Yaga's words. He was about to order an attack when he sensed several fluctuations in the air.

"Finally, we caught up with these hateful insects!" Princess Iron Fan shouted as she eyed Psoglav from where she hovered in the sky. "That mutt is mine. The rest of you can find your own playthings."

Psoglav ignored Princess Iron Fan's words because his single eye was locked on the Bull Demon King's hand. A choked sob escaped his lips as the Demonic Dog's gaze landed on the bloody creature that the Demonic Bull was holding in his hand.

Even from a distance, he could tell that the rainbow-colored Anteater was no longer breathing. Several of its scales were missing from its back, and blood covered its entire body. Blood still dripped from Kasogonaga's mouth as its body hung limply in the Bull Demon King's hand.

Psoglav growled with anger and resentment. He no longer cared if he would live to see the next sunrise. All he cared about was fighting tooth and nail against the Bull Demon King, as well as his wife, Princess Iron Fan, for what they did to his friend.

Erchitu and Jareth both summoned their weapons and held them firmly in their hands. Although they didn't say anything, they were feeling the same way as Psoglav.

If they were going to die today, they would rather die fighting with everything they had, than bow down and grovel at their enemies' feet. They would never do that. They would rather die than submit!

That was the least they could do for their friend who had fought for their sake, in order to give them time to escape.

"Come at me, you ugly b*tch!" Psoglav roared in defiance. "I am right here! Come and get me!"

For the first time in his life, Psoglav didn't feel fearful of fighting an opponent that was leagues above his rank. His anger burned brightly inside his chest as his single eye remained locked on his friend's bloody body as it continued to dangle in the Bull Demon King's hand.

'Wait for me, Kasogonaga,' Psoglav vowed. 'I know that you get lonely easily. Don't worry. I will be joining you in the afterlife soon.'

The Demonic Dog summoned a giant sword of darkness in his hand as he faced his hated enemies. Psoglav knew that before this day was over, this battle would come to an end.

He only hoped that when he crossed the afterlife, the friends that he had shared many memorable moments with, would be waiting for him at the crossroads between life and death.

Chapter 1085: It Looks Like Your Fate Has Been Sealed

Chapter 1085 It Looks Like Your Fate Has Been Sealed

High above the Kyrintor Mountains, a sigh escaped Takam's lips. He had been closely observing the battle that was happening in the Northern part of the Demon Realm, through the power of his artifact.

"Sometimes I wonder," Takam muttered. "The events of the world are often guided by those who wish for destruction. And yet, they unknowingly create someone who will destroy them in turn. I guess, this is part of the never ending cycle of destruction and rebirth."

Takam gazed at the unconscious William and sadly shook his head.

"Ahriman, I don't know if I should thank you or hate you," Takam said as he stood up from his throne. He then disappeared from it and reappeared at the very top of his castle, high up in the frigid region of the Kyrintor Mountains.

"Ella, is there really no other choice?"

The first Demigod that William had met didn't know the answer to this question. However, one thing was clear.

"The Era of Darkness has begun," Takam stated. "Woe to those who choose to stand on the wrong side in this struggle."

The only thing that Takam was thankful for was that the Southern Continent was far from the struggles of the Demon and Central Continent. Even so, he still decided to pick a side. That was the only way to ensure that the chaos would not spread to his home turf, and in turn would keep any unforeseen events from happening.

—--

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

"Supreme Pontifex, the crystal!"

One of the elders of Deus pointed at the golden crystal that was floating in the middle of their conference room. Its radiance was slowly being consumed by darkness, and this was the sign that they had been waiting for, ever since their Organization was founded.

The Supreme Pontifex watched this with a calm expression on her face. She was wearing a mask, so no one knew what she really looked like.

All they knew was that she was the one that had built Deus from the ground up, and made it an Organization that could meddle with the affairs of the entire world.

"Look! There is an image over there!" another elder gasped as he pointed at the golden crystal.

A green-haired Demon wearing a golden crown on his head was shown in the projection that the crystal had made.

"Is that the rumored Prince?" one of the elders asked. "If so then we must immediately profess our loyalty to him."

"That's right! He must be the one!"

"So, he has appeared in the Demon Continent. We should immediately send word to our counterparts over there in order to seek an audience with him."

"We should strike while the iron is hot! Now is the time to make ourselves known to the world."

"Silence!"

All it took was a single word from the Supreme Pontifex to stop the discussion of everyone in the room. All of the elders, as well as the other high-ranking members of The Organization looked at her with reverence.

"Inform our men from the Demon Continent of this matter," the Supreme Pontifex ordered. "However, prevent them from making contact with that green-haired Demon."

"With all due respect, Your Excellency, but I believe that we shouldn't wait," one of the highest ranking Elders said. "The earlier we form a connection with the Prophesied Prince, the sooner we will be able to rule the world alongside him. Isn't this why our Organization exists in the first place?"

The Supreme Pontifex nodded at first, only to shake her head after a few seconds.

"While it is true that our purpose is to lead our Prince for dominion, that doesn't necessarily mean that we have to beg on our knees and ask him to take us under his wing," the Supreme Pontifex replied. "First, we will wait. We first need to confirm whether this… Prince aligns with our goal. If not then we can just negotiate at a later time."

"But, Your Excellency!" the Elder tried to persuade her, but before he could even continue what he wanted to say, the Supreme Pontifex raised her hand to silence him.

"Calm down. Do you think that he alone will be enough to bring down the entire world?" the Supreme Pontifex asked in a chilling tone. "The heroes of this world aren't that weak. If he wants to overcome such a hurdle, it will be necessary for him to work with us."

After hearing her explanation, the Elders of Deus nodded in agreement. They had completely forgotten that they shouldn't underestimate the heroes of the world, because there would always be someone who would raise up arms to fight when they were oppressed.

"Also, I have a feeling that there is another surprise waiting for us," the Supreme Pontifex said softly. "For now, inform our agents in the Demonic Continent to observe, but to not interfere. It won't be too late to seek an audience with this so-called Prince, once we understand what he plans to do with his newfound power."

""As you command!""

—--

Joash looked at the battle from afar with his arms crossed over his chest.

After getting confirmation that William had gone inside the Ancient Ruins, the Black Dragon secretly left his fortress and traveled towards the North. Along the way, Zeph had told him about the latest developments, and none of them sounded good to him.

Even so, he still wanted to see with his own eyes how the new era of the world would start.

Joash didn't even glance in Luciel's direction even once. He knew that if he did that, he would be unable to control his killing intent, and the Demon Lord would know about his whereabouts.

Right now, he appeared as an observer. He would decide his next course of action once he determined the strength of the opposing forces.

The Black Dragon had made plans over many years for the sake of revenge. Although he was very tempted to attack the Demon Lord right now, he understood that now was not the time to do that. Also, Luciel had El Sibon, and Mapinguari guarding him.

"It is more dire than I thought," Joash muttered when he saw the appearance of the Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, as well as the Six-Eared Macaque. They were beings that far surpassed his current strength.

But, Joash wasn't afraid of them. What he was afraid of was missing the perfect chance to make his move, and ensure that the goal he had set out to accomplish would succeed.

'I guess you get to live for another day, Luciel,' Joash thought as he glanced at the battlefield in front of him.

His gaze once again landed on the unconscious Half-Elf who was coveted by Ahriman, as well as the Demon Lord.

'I wonder, who will be able to get him first?' Joash mused.

The Black Dragon didn't care for William's well-being because they had never been allies. The two of them were merely acquaintances, who happened to have a few things in common.

One of them was of course to make things difficult for the reigning Demon Lord, as well as to deal as much damage to their forces as possible.

Joash had no reason to interfere in the battle, or save William.

"Tough luck, kid," Joash said with a trace of pity as soon as he saw the Bull Demon King make its move to provoke William's companions. Which led a few of them to rush forward in the direction of the Demon Lord's Army. "It looks like your fate has been sealed."

Chapter 1086: I Only Stand With The Winning Side

Chapter 1086 I Only Stand With The Winning Side

Psoglav's growl made its single eye turn bloodshot as he stared at his dead friend in the hands of the Bull Demon King.

Kasogonaga could be considered his very first friend, and seeing him in that state almost drove the Demonic Dog crazy.

"What? You want this?" the Bull Demon King asked in a teasing tone. "Fine. Since you are a dog, let's play catch."

The Bull Demon King wound up his arm as he threw Kasogonaga towards the Demon Lord's Army.

"Go catch your dead friend, little doggy," the Bull Demon King sneered. "This is what you get for angering my wife."

Princess Iron Fan smiled as she looked at her husband lovingly.

"Darling, I'll personally skin that dog alive later, okay?" Princess Iron Fan said. "Don't get in my way."

"Of course. He is all yours later."

"Mmm."

Just like the Bull Demon King, and Princess Iron Fan expected, Psoglav charged towards the Demon Army with the intention of acquiring Kasogonaga's body.

Luciel looked at this scene with a sneer on his face. He then raised his hand to order his Army to attack the Demonic Dog without batting an eye. The Demon Lord had already determined that Psoglav was on William's side.

Since that was the case, it was only natural to not give the Demonic Dog a single shred of mercy!

Several spells locked onto Psoglav's body, but he didn't care. His single eye was locked onto his friend's body, as it fell from the sky.

When the first batch of spells arrived in front of him, a mighty shield appeared to block the attacks.

Jareth, the Goblin Paladin, was pushed back as the first wave of attacks was negated.

The second wave was blocked by Erchitu, using his Adamantium Axe and body. The Revenant Bull's left arm was torn off due to the barrage of spells, but it endured in order to allow Psoglav the opportunity to achieve his goal.

Luciel was a sneaky bastard. He didn't only give the order to attack Psoglav, he also ordered his Army to attack the dead creature that the Bull Demon King had thrown.

The two of them were currently not allies, so the Demon Lord thought that the Bull Demon King had cast some kind of spell on the anteater's body that might cause harm to his Army, the moment it landed near their location.

To be on the safe side, he decided to destroy it once and for all, to stop any underhanded schemes that might have been thrown in their way.

A shriek pierced the heavens as Scadrez, the Blood Eagle, grabbed hold of Kasogonaga's body, and deftly dodged the spells that were headed in its direction. However, the concentration of the spells was thick enough that the Blood Eagle suffered from the attacks.

After one last desperate cry, Scadrez hurled Kasogonaga's body towards Psoglav, before it was blown from the sky.

Fortunately, it didn't become unconscious when it fell from the sky. Although it was difficult, the Blood Eagle managed to flap its mighty wings just in time to prevent it from crashing on the ground. It then flew towards Psoglav's group as they retreated from the barrage of spells that were being hurled in their direction.

Princess Iron Fan's loud laughter, that was filled with ridicule, reverberated across the skies. The Demonic Dog had taunted her too much, so seeing him suffer made her very happy.

"Keep running, Little Doggy!" Princess Iron Fan shouted after she finished laughing. "Come to me, so I can personally end your life!"

Princess Iron Fan waved the fan in her hand, and it sent several wind blades flying in Psoglav's direction.

With spells, and arrows coming from the Demon Army behind their back, and an attack of a Pseudo-God coming from their front, Psoglav's group could only grit their teeth as they tried to evade the attacks that were aimed at them.

"Such poor taste!" Baba Yaga conjured a black barrier to block Princess Iron Fan's attack.

Although she didn't want to become enemies with the Pseudo-God, she just couldn't stand idly by and watch her side's desperate attempt to keep the remaining shred of dignity that their dead friend had.

"Stand firm everyone!" Charmaine shouted as she, and the other Elves activated their Elven Magic to create a barrier to block the Demon Army's attack to the best of their abilities.

All of them had taken to the skies while riding their winged horses to ensure that they would be able to escort their companions back to safety.

Naturally, the Magic Shield didn't last long, and several of the Elves were injured during the exchange. Even Charmaine was hit in the chest by a ray-type spell, which forced her to be blown off of her mount.

Charmaine's winged horse neighed in anger as it hurriedly maneuvered in the air to save its rider. It was the Alpha of its herd, and William had personally entrusted Charmaine's safety to it. Although he didn't like how the Half-Elf managed to subdue it in the past, it had already forgiven the Half-Elf after spending time with the denizens of the Thousand Beast Domain.

Using its inherent magic, the Pegasus summoned a gust of wind that held the pretty Elf in place, which allowed it to bite her clothes to hold her in place as it flew in the direction of its unconscious Master, William.

"A life's last struggle is truly beautiful," the Six-Eared Macaque commented as he looked at the battered group that was working together in order to survive the onslaught from both sides.

"If you like it so much then why don't you join their side?" Princess Iron Fan sneered. "I have long wanted to slap you with my fan. This is a good opportunity to do so."

"No thanks," the Six-Eared Macaque waved its hand as it transformed to take on Sun Wukong's appearance. "I only stand with the winning side."

"Tsk!"

"Heh."

The Bull Demon King smirked when he saw that the Demonic Dog's group finally returned to their previous location. The reason he had thrown Kasogonaga away from its group and made Psoglav suffer was not because of the way he had taunted his wife earlier, it was because of the fact that killing them was too easy for him, and he wouldn't get any satisfaction from doing it.

So, in order to get some satisfaction out of their inevitable demise, he decided to make them suffer a bit, push them bit by bit until they fell into desperation. That way, everything they had suffered would be worth it when he dragged the unconscious Half-Elf, as well as the Dark Bride's twin sister, Celeste, back to Ahriman's domain.

Chapter 1087: Let’s All Go Together

Chapter 1087 Let’s All Go Together

"Darling, can you deal with that annoying old hag over there?" Princess Iron Fan asked. "I can't wait any longer. I need to deal with that arrogant mutt once and for all."

"Very well," the Bull Demon King replied. "Six-Eared Macaque, you deal with those who are going to interfere with my wife's vengeance, okay? Just make sure to not hurt the Half-Elf or the Bride's twin."

The Six-Eared Macaque, who had taken on Sun Wukong's appearance, raised a thumb as he summoned a golden cudgel. This was the fake Ruyi Jingu Bang that he had asked a Master Smith from the Heavens to forge, just to spite Sun Wukong who had made its life difficult for hundreds of years.

Although it wasn't as powerful as Ruyi Jingu Bang, it was still a strong weapon that had the ability to increase its length depending on his will. Unfortunately, it didn't have the ability to increase its size like Ruyi Jingu Bang did, or else it might have made the Monkey King so mad that Sun Wukong would have hunted him down, even if he escaped to the Mortal Realm.

As if sensing that his final moments had come, Psoglav placed Kasogonaga beside William.

"Please, look after him for me," Psoglav said to Lilith with a serious expression on his face.

"I'll do my best," Lilith replied.

She had wanted to make a promise that she would keep Kasogonaga's body safe, but she was unable to do so because of the strength of their opponents. This was why she could only say that she would do her best.

Even so, for Psoglav, this was enough.

"Thank you." Psoglav nodded before shifting his attention to Princess Iron Fan who was showing him a very sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Have you said your prayers, Little Mutt? Princess Iron Fan asked.

"Yes," Psoglav answered. "I asked the Gods to give you a better looking face. The current one is so ugly that I can't even look at it without it making me want to puke."

The smile on Princess Iron Fan's face disappeared and was replaced with a cold expression filled with killing intent.

"Don't worry, I won't give you an easy death," Princess Iron Fan vowed. "Not untilI I've skinned you alive."

Psoglav didn't reply and summoned a black bastard sword in his hand. It was the same weapon he used when he fought William the first time. That incident had led to a series of circumstances that led to Psoglav becoming a part of the Half-Elf's King's Legion.

"Don't get in the way, witch," the Bull Demon King said as his gaze landed on Baba Yaga's body, forcing the wrinkled old hag to frown.

After a brief internal struggle, Baba Yaga sighed as she remained where she was. She didn't want to die because she still needed to find and save Celine from her captor.

"We will fight with you," Erchitu, who had lost its left arm, stood beside its friend while glaring at the demonic lady in front of it.

Jareth summoned its blade as it stood on Psoglav's other side. No words were spoken between them, but the Demonic Dog understood that they would fight with him till the bitter end.

'I guess this is not a bad way to go to the afterlife,' Psoglav thought as he gripped the weapon in his hands. 'As long as we are together, Hell would probably be a fun place to stay for the next hundred years or so.'

The Six-Eared Macaque scratched his cheeks as he walked casually towards Psoglav's group. However, a fan blocked his way, making him look at the Demonic Lady that had appeared in front of him.

"I changed my mind," Princess Iron Fan stated. "I'll deal with the three of them. It's more fun this way."

"Fine," the Six-Eared Macaque replied as he somersaulted towards the sky. He floated in the heavens as he gazed down at the ground with his arms crossed over his chest. "Although I'm one of the bad guys, this battle leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth."

The Six-Eared Macaque was a cowardly being, and disliked fighting. He was just like Psoglav, who only fought as long as he was at an advantage. However, seeing the great disparity between each side, he lost interest in playing villain. He would rather watch how things unfolded, instead of needing to dirty his hands in this affair.

"Come at me with the intention to die," Princess Iron Fan said in a taunting manner. "I promise before this day is over, all three of you will be going to the afterlife."

"You talk too much," Psoglav sneered. "I don't know who the true dog is between us. Me or you, ugly little b*tch!"

Without another word, Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth, stomped the ground simultaneously as they charged towards the Demonic Lady whose face had contorted due to her anger.

As a Pseudo-God, Princess Iron Fan was confident that even if the three Millennial Beasts worked together, the three of them could do little to truly harm her.

Erchitu roared as it smashed its Adamantium Axe towards Princess Iron Fan's face with all of its strength. Although it knew that it was weaker than her, its desire to defeat her burned brightly in its chest.

Princess Iron Fan yawned before lightly tapping the edge of Erchitu's Axe to the side, forcing its trajectory to change. A loud explosion took place as Erchitu's attack created a fissure in the ground that extended for dozens of meters.

Princess Iron Fan teleported on Erchitu's back and whispered in his ear, "Nice try, but, you're just… too… weak!"

The Demonic Lady lightly tapped her iron fan on Erchitu's head, making him crash to the ground facefirst.

Princess Iron Fan giggled as she covered her lips with her fan, while standing on Erchitu's back.

Jareth appeared beside her and slashed his sword at her waist, with the intention of cutting her in half.

"A Goblin that is acting as a Crusader? How revolting!" Princess Iron Fan sneered as she blocked the sword with the fan in her hand. She then teleported and stepped on the flat of Jareth's sword, before slapping his face with her fan.

"Now, it's your… turn?" Princess Iron Fan scanned the surroundings, but she wasn't able to see the Demonic Dog, who was her true target.

After checking her surroundings for a full two minutes, the corner of Princess Iron Fan's lips curled up into a smirk.

"Oh? Are we now playing a game of hide and seek?" Princess Iron Fan asked as she casually fanned her face. "Very well, I'll make this little game more interesting."

The demonic lady then walked towards Erchitu who had just propped itself off the ground with its last remaining hand. However, just as it was about to stand up, it found itself falling back to the ground face first.

Although it was already an Undead Revenant, Erchitu felt pain coming from its legs. When it glanced over it to see what was wrong, it found that its two legs had been cleanly cut off from its body.

"Undead Beings usually don't feel pain, but I guess revenants are a different breed," Princess Iron Fan said as she lightly tapped her fan on the palm of her left hand. "Well then, Little Doggy, are you still not going to come out? If you don't then I will just have to cut your friend's body apart, piece by piece."

The Demonic Lady looked around and waited for Psoglav's reply, but the latter didn't answer her threatening words.

"I guess he doesn't think much of you." Princess Iron Fan chuckled. "I guess you chose the wrong type of friend."

Princess Iron Fan stopped chuckling and waved her fan in a slicing manner, chopping Erchitu's head from its body.

"I wanted to torture you more, but seeing that you and my husband shared the same ancestry, I gave you a quick death," Princess Iron Fan stated. "Oh. I forgot. You were already dead from the start. Well, no matter, dead is dead and what not."

Erchitu's entire body, as well as its severed head, suddenly blazed with a blue flame. A moment later, it disappeared completely, which is what happened to Revenants when they died a second time.

"Doggy, you're still not coming out?" Princess Iron Fan asked out loud as she walked towards Jareth whose roar of anger spread across the battlefield.

"Although I want to torture you, Goblins simply disgust me," Princess Iron Fan said as she covered her lips with her fan. She wasn't lying when she said that Goblins disgusted her because she believed that they were the ugliest existence in the world.

"Die!" Jareth howled as its entire body turned golden. It then charged towards Princess Iron Fan holding its shield in front of it, as if planning to use it to bash her body.

"Don't come near me, you disgusting Creature!" Princess Iron Fan made another slicing motion, which cut Jareth's shield, as well as its body, in half.

Green blood spilled on the ground, which made Princess Iron Fan back off due to disgust.

Jareth gazed at its killer with hatred as it forcefully pointed a finger at her head.

"Light…" Jareth said before its life left its body.

Immediately, a bright light shone behind Princess Iron Fan's Head, which made the surroundings bright.

"Huh?" Princess Iron Fan frowned as she lightly turned her head to look at the orb of light that was shining behind her. "What is this nonsense?"

Just as she was about to look back at the dead Goblin Paladin in front of her, a black sword materialized out of thin air and stabbed her eye.

"Ahhh!" Princess Iron Fan cried out in pain due to the sneak attack that Psoglav had patiently waited for when her guard was at her weakest. Although the sword trip was only embedded half an inch from her eye socket, it still caused her great pain due to how unexpected it was.

Erchitu, Jareth, and Psoglav all knew that they stood no chance against the demonic lady and had resolved themselves to die fighting her.

However, just dying didn't sit well with them. They wanted to make her understand that even insects like them could bite really hard, and leave her in a world of pain.

Erchitu used himself to draw everyone's attention away from the Demonic Dog, allowing him to slip inside Jareth's shadow.

This was similar to what Oliver (the Parrot Monkey) had done with William's shadow when it was guarding him in the past.

Waiting for the right opportunity, Psoglav weeped silently at the death of his friends. Although he was angry, he didn't want to waste the chance that they had given to him, so he waited, and waited, until he could travel to Princess Iron Fan's shadow, and launch a sneak attack, catching the Demonic Lady off guard.

"This is for my friends! Die, Bitch!" Psoglav shouted as tears blurred his vision. "Dark Flames!"

A dark flame erupted from the tip of Psoglav's sword that burned brightly, setting Princess Iron Fan's face ablaze.

The Demonic Lady shrieked as she desperately pushed the sword away from her eye.

"You lowly dog!" Princess Iron Fan used her sharp nails to pierce through Psoglav's chest, crushing his heart. She had completely forgotten her plan of torturing the Demonic Dog slowly due to her anger.

When Psoglav fell on the ground, his single eye looked up at the dark sky that was above his head. He could feel his body slowly turning cold, and knew that he was dying.

'I guess this is it,' Psoglav thought. 'I don't want to die, but it can't be helped, right?'

It was at that moment when it heard an adorable voice that seemed to brush away all the coldness he was feeling.

"I told you not to die, didn't I?" Kasogonaga asked with a pout on its adorable face. "But, um, knowing how weak you are, I guess this is an expected result."

The rainbow-colored Anteater chuckled before raising its paw as if giving Kasogonaga a thumbs up.

"Nicely done," Kasogonaga said with a smile. "You took one for the team and made us proud."

Erchitu and Jareth suddenly appeared behind Kasogonaga with smiles on their faces. Even if they didn't say anything, Psoglav knew that they were very proud of him.

Even though tears were blurring his vision, for some reason, Psoglav could see them clearly with his single eye that was slowly losing its luster.

"Come, Psoglav," Kasogonaga reached out its paw towards the Demonic Dog who was afraid of dying. "A new journey awaits. Let us all go together. I'm sure that we will have loads of fun."

"Yes," Psoglav replied as it weakly raised its arm to grab hold of its friend's hand. No matter what happens, even if his entire body turned to ashes, he would definitely go with them no matter what.

"Let's all go together."

A few moments later, Psoglav's lifeless hand fell to his side. His single eye closed forever.

The Demonic Dog, who had feared death the most, lay peacefully on the ground.

If one were to look closely, beyond its scary exterior, a tranquil smile could be seen on his demonic face.

He was no longer afraid because he was off on another journey with his dear friends.

A journey where all four of them would be together…

Forever.

Chapter 1088: You Have No Power Here

Chapter 1088 You Have No Power Here

Princess Iron Fan looked at the Demonic Dog's body and raised her fan. She wanted to turn the Demonic Dog into meat paste for what it had done to her face. However, before she could even vent out her frustration, a golden staff blocked her fan.

"What's wrong?" Princess Iron Fan asked. "Are you getting in my way?"

"It's already dead," the Six-Eared Macaque said. "Do not desecrate the dead."

"Since when did you start to have pity on lowly beings?"

"Just let this one go. It will be best if you treat your injury first."

"Shut up!" Princess Iron Fan glared at the Six-Eared Macaque. "I will do what I want. You can't stop me!"

Princess Iron Fan was about to wave her fan again to give her finishing blow when her fan was swatted away.

"I. SAID. STOP," The Six-Eared Macaque who was currently in Sun Wukong's form glared at Princess Iron Fan with his fangs bared open. His Fiery-Golden Eyes burned brightly, making Princess Iron Fan flinch.

For a brief moment, she had forgotten his identity and thought that she was facing the real Sun Wukong, due to how realistic the Six-Eared Macaque's transformation was. His voice, his temperament, as well as the boundless killing intent that was now aimed in her direction, felt so real that she was finding it hard to breathe.

"Enough!" the Bull Demon King's shout broke Princess Iron Fan from her daze as she hurriedly ran towards her husband.

"Darling, that Monkey is getting in my way," Princess Iron Fan whined. "Just look at my face, it was burned badly. I want to vent my anger on that Demonic Mutt!"

"It's already dead, what's the point?" The Bull Demon King's reply surprised his wife who turned her head to look at him in shock.

"D-Darling?"

"I said enough. This matter ends here. You need to take care of your face first."

The Bull Demon King lightly caressed his wife's burned face as he channeled his life force to help her recover from her injuries. Although it was just a minor injury, the gesture still made Princess Iron Fan feel that it was not a good idea to make her husband angry. She gave Psoglav's body one last glance before clicking her tongue.

The Bull Demon King then glanced at the Six-Eared Macaque who had already turned his back on them. The reason why he stopped his wife from continuing with her revenge was due to his gut feeling. He felt like if Princess Iron Fan really went ahead and turned the dead Demonic Dog's body into meat paste, the Six-Eared Macaque would turn on them both.

It was an impossible idea, but the idea felt real enough for the Bull Demon King to compromise and call his wife back to his side.

Charmaine and the Elves couldn't keep their tears from falling. After spending years inside the Thousand Beast Domain, they had treated everyone there as their close friends, especially Kasogonaga, Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth.

There were times when they all challenged the Dungeon of Atlantis together, and fought the bosses in life and death battles. It was very hard for them to watch from the side. They had been tempted to help them many times, but they knew that their friends would never want them to sacrifice their lives in vain.

For a moment, only their sobbing could be heard on the battlefield, as the Demon Lord's side and the Bull Demon King's side sized each other up.

The Bull Demon King knew that the opposing forces were not a match for them, so he wasn't too worried.

Luciel also knew that he was outclassed, so he didn't say anything and simply looked at William's group with a smirk on his face. After seeing what had happened to the red-headed teenager's companions, the Demon Lord was more than happy to become a spectator and see everyone on William's side killed without mercy.

Suddenly, a ripple spread across the black dome. A moment later, the giant golden eagle, Da Peng, appeared. Standing on top of his head was a Black Knight wearing a Crimson Crown on his head.

"Good. I came before the good part started," Felix said with a smile. His gaze then landed on his father in the distance. He looked at Luciel for a few seconds before shifting his attention back to William who was still in Lilith's embrace.

"Take them all," Felix ordered. "I want all of them alive, especially the women."

His greedy eyes landed on Celeste, who was the twin of his supposed Bride who was kidnapped right in front of his eyes. Since he didn't know where Celine was taken, he decided to just take her twin sister, who looked exactly like her.

Naturally, his gaze also fell on Lilith's lean and strong body. He had heard of Amazons before, but the Demon Race didn't dare capture anyone from their empire. Regardless of who they mated with, Amazons would always give birth to Human girls.

This was the blessing that they received from their Goddess, Astarte. Even the seed of the Demonkind wasn't strong enough to overwrite this blessing. Also, the Amazon Empress wasn't a push over either.

The Demon Lord knew that when she became angry, her entire race would launch a crusade against them, and this was something that Luciel didn't want to see.

'Snatching his lover from him will definitely be a fun thing to do,' Felix mused as he looked at the beautiful Amazon Princess who was looking at him with hate-filled eyes.

While Felix was appraising his soon-to-be-women, he heard Luciel's shout, all the way from where the Demon Army was located.

"Felix, is that you?" Luciel asked.

"Yes," Felix replied.

"I want the boy. You can have the women if you like."

"Sorry, but Lord Ahriman called dibs on him. If you want to negotiate, come and visit him yourself."

Luciel narrowed his eyes because he didn't like Felix's sudden change of attitude towards him. Back then, his son would happily grovel at his feet just to gain his favor, but now, he felt that Felix was being disrespectful to him on purpose.

"Are you now the Heir of Darkness?" Luciel asked.

Felix pointed at the Crimson Crown on his head. "Have your eyes turned bad old man? Can't you even see this thing on my head?"

"You sure have grown balls after putting that Crown on your head," Luciel sneered. "Do you think that having that Crown is enough for you to call the wind and the storm?"

Felix paused for a brief moment before laughing out loud. His laugh was filled with ridicule, which grated on Luciel's ears.

"As a matter of fact, I can now call upon the wind and storm," Felix said as he made a gesture of his hand.

Da Peng flapped its mighty wings and conjured powerful gusts of wind that swept across the Demon Lord's Army.

As a Pseudo-God, Da Peng could change the topography with one powerful attack. Just by simply flapping his wings, he had created several hurricanes which all headed towards the Demon Lord's Army, threatening to annihilate them all.

El Sibon whistled as he lashed his whip towards the hurricanes that were headed in their direction. Mapinguari also howled in anger as its single eye fired a beam of golden light at the hurricanes, dispersing them completely.

Da Peng and Felix weren't too bothered by it because they weren't doing things seriously. Luciel understood this as well, but he still felt very angry now that Felix had gained a power that was supposed to belong to his faction.

"Felix, my son, let us return to the Capital City," Luciel said. "I have almost finished gathering the army loyal to our family, and soon, we will march towards the Central Continent. With you as our banner, I'm sure the Demon Clans who decided to ignore our call will beg us to have them in our army. It is finally time to settle the score with the Silvermoon Continent. We should let the Prophecy's fulfillment come in full swing!"

Felix sneered when he heard Luciel's dramatic speech. The green-haired demon knew that he alone could rally all the Demon Clans to his side without his father's influence. For him, Luciel was someone that he didn't dare to disobey in the past. But now… now things were different.

He was now someone that no Demon, not even his father, could disobey.

"Shut up," Felix coldly said. "I will be the one to decide these things. Who gave you permission to tell me what to do?"

He then pointed his finger at the Demon Army in the distance as he unleashed the power of darkness from the Crimson Crown on his head.

"Those who wish to fight under my banner, step forward! Those who do not wish to serve me can stay where you are. I will make sure to personally deal with you all and sacrifice your souls to the Demon God! Now, make your choice!"

Luciel gritted his teeth because Felix was openly declaring that he wished to poach the factions that had sworn loyalty to him.

Just as Felix and Luciel suspected, the Demons all decided to take march in Felix's direction, not because they liked to do it, but out of fear due to his current status in the Demon Realm

Everyone knew the Prophecy of the Heir of Darkness. He was the one that would lead the Demon Race to conquer the world, and those who defied him would find themselves dead, not knowing how they died.

"Felix, don't go too far!" Luciel roared in anger. "Have you forgotten who I am?! I am the Demon Lord!"

"Too far?" Felix sneered. "I think you still don't understand your current circumstance, Father."

Felix spread his arms wide as if to encompass the entire Demon Realm. Under the sky of darkness, he could feel that the entire world was his for the taking.

"You have no power here," Felix stated. "You are an old man who is part of the past. You no longer serve any purpose. Demon Lord? In front of the Heir of Darkness… YOU. ARE. NOTHING!"

Felixl summoned the Spear of Lazarus and pointed it in Luciel's direction.

"This is the dawn of My Era!" Felix declared. "So, what will it be, Father? Will you kneel and submit to me? Or must I force you to kneel and submit to me? Your choice."

The green-haired demon had dreamed of this moment for many years. Now that he had the power to make the world tremble under his feet, his first goal was to see the Mighty Demon Lord kneel in front of him.

He would be the first, and definitely would not be the last ruler in the world that would submit to his will.

Chapter 1089: I Will Have My Vengeance

Chapter 1089 I Will Have My Vengeance

Luciel gritted his teeth and clenched his fist so hard that crunching sounds were heard.

"Don't go too…"

"Kneel! I order you to kneel before me, Luciel!"

Half a minute passed and Luciel still stood glaring at his son, whom he could no longer control.

"Hah. So be it." Felix sighed as he glanced in the Bull Demon King's direction. "Make him kneel. You can be as rough as you want."

The Bull Demon King snorted. He didn't want to be ordered around by a mere mortal, but since Felix was now Ahriman's heir, he had no choice but to obey his petty wish to make his father kneel in front of him.

The Demonic Bull flew towards the blonde-haired demon, whose red-eyes were looking at his son with killing intent.

Half a minute passed and the Bull Demon King landed right in front of Luciel with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Are you going to kneel on your own, or should I make you kneel by force?" the Bull Demon King asked. "Your choice."

"I will never kneel!" Luciel shouted as he swung his sword towards the Bull Demon King after unleashing all of his might, using the artifact in his possession which temporarily raised his rank to the Demigod Rank.

Unfortunately for him, the Bull Demon King was not like Princess Iron Fan who underestimated her opponents. He deftly blocked Luciel's sword strike, and struck the Demon Lord's chest with his fist. Sending him skidding on the ground for hundreds of meters.

The Bull Demon King then appeared in front of Luciel and kicked him towards Felix's direction.

The Demon Lord, who had ruled the Demonic Continent for five decades, found himself eating dirt, under the gaze of his son, who looked at him with ridicule.

"I bet you didn't see this coming, did you, Father?" Felix asked in a teasing tone. "You thought that whoever became the Heir of Darkness would bow their head and serve as your lackey? Pfft! How delusional can you be? Did sitting on that ugly throne of yours dull your mind over the years? Take a good look, even El Sibon and Mapinguari know which side to choose."

The two Demigods didn't move from their position and simply observed from afar. Although they didn't deny Felix's words, everyone present knew that El Sibon and Mapinguari didn't want to stand against the Heir of Darkness.

"Just kill me!" Luciel shouted. "I will never submit to you!"

"Kill? Oh, no. I would never do that, dear Father of mine," Felix chuckled as he pointed his spear at his father's disheled body. "I will make you my dog, and show the entire world that even the Great Demon Lord had no choice but to become my pet."

A dark ray erupted from the tip of Felix's spear and hit Luciel's body, who was unable to protect himself. Soon, his body was covered with a dark miasma, which made the Demon Lord scream in pain.

His scream reverberated in the surroundings making the Demon Army, that once served under him, shudder in fear.

Luciel's pained cries lasted for a full five minutes, which was like music to Felix's ears. He had suffered so many years in his father's shadow, and seeing him in this helpless state felt so good that he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Yes! That's it! Scream!" Felix's almost crazed words reached everyone's ears as he laughed at his father's pain and suffering. "All these years, you made me suffer like this. Now, it's your turn. Don't worry, your suffering has just begun. I will make sure to pay you back tenfold every humiliation, degradation, as well as pain, that you inflicted on me the last several years of my life!"

Felix watched until Luciel lost consciousness under his ministrations. The Dark Magic that he had aimed at his father would slowly corrupt his body and soul, making him an obedient slave that would only listen to his orders.

"Now, it's your turn," Felix pointed the tip of his spear towards Celeste. "Do you want the soft approach, or the rough one? Either way is fine with me."

Instead of answering, Celeste unleashed the power of her Divinity, which shone brightly amidst the darkness.

"If I'm not mistaken, your divinity is Chastity, right?" Felix asked with great interest. "Well, it won't be long before I take that away from you, and have you shaking your hips on the bed while lovingly calling out my name. I will make sure to train you properly while your sister is away."

Felix then glanced at Lilith before shifting his gaze to Charmaine and the other Elves.

"Turning all of you into my lovely pets one by one takes time," Felix said as the Darkness glowing at the tip of his spear intensified. "I'd rather… have all of you turned at the same time!"

Several dark beams of light erupted from the tip of the spear and rained upon the ladies who had taken a defensive stance. They had already erected a barrier, but it shattered, mere seconds before the dark beams were about to collide with them.

Just as the beams were about to fall on their bodies, a dark tornado suddenly appeared and enveloped all of them, blocking Felix's attack.

The green-haired Demon arched an eyebrow as he gazed upon the black tornado with surprise.

"Da Peng, disperse it," Felix ordered.

The Giant Golden Eagle screeched as it flapped its wings to blow the black tornado away.

Under his might, the black tornado dispersed, revealing the women he had targeted earlier. However, Felix wasn't looking at the beautiful ladies whom he had wanted to subdue.

No.

His gaze was now locked on the unconscious Half-Elf, whose body was floating several meters above the ground.

Dark lightning crawled all over William's body, as his clothes fluttered in the wind. The wind then started to pick up as a powerful gust of wind blew around him.

As if under a spell, William's body moved into a standing position. Dark mists oozed out of his body as the crackling of thunder reached everyone's ears.

It was at this moment when Felix heard alarm bells ringing inside his head.

"Kill him!" Felix roared. "Kill him before he awakens!"

Ahriman, who was sealed inside his domain, looked at William in shock. He could feel a great Divinity coming from the Half-Elf's body, and it was a Divinity that matched his own, which was absurd.

He was a Primordial God that had been born when the universe had just formed. It was simply unbelievable that a Divinity that matched, or perhaps even exceeded, his own would be present in the world of Hestia.

"Kill him!" Ahriman ordered. "Kill him now!"

Felix and Ahriman gave their order at the exact same time, which made the Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, Da Peng, as well as the Six-Eared Macaque to all attack William together.

Suddenly, an ear piercing screech was heard and a giant Black Phoenix descended from the sky.

The Black Phoenix was twice as big as Da Peng, and didn't hesitate to unleash a cone of dark flame at those who tried to attack William.

The Bull Demon King and his comrades surrounded their bodies with a powerful aura to shield themselves from the dark flames that had descended on their bodies. Although the flames were powerful, they were able to endure its heat, and continue their charge towards the red-headed teenager, whose hair color was slowly turning black.

The Black Phoenix screeched once again as it used its body to wrap William's body in its fiery wings.

The Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, Da Peng, and the Six Eared Macaque, all unleashed their strongest attack, making the Black Phoenix scream in pain. Its feathers scattered in the wind, but it continued to shield William from the powerful attacks that were aimed in his direction.

The Bull Demon King managed to punch a hole into one of the Phoenix's wings, but the mythical bird only rolled its body to the side, to prevent them from reaching the Half-Elf who was under his protection.

Princess Iron Fan and the Six-Eared Macaque simultaneously attacked the Phoenix's head, making it utter a pained shriek. But, no matter how much damage it received, the Black Phoenix held on.

Half a minute later, its whole wing was torn off by the Bull Demon King, making it fall towards the ground. However, even then, the Black Phoenix used its other wing to wrap William in its embrace, with the intention of using its life to protect him.

"Die!" Felix shouted as he threw the Spear of Lazarus towards the Black Phoenix's head, piercing its eye.

The Black Phoenix made one last shriek of defiance before its body collapsed on the ground. Its wings unfurled, showing William.

Seeing their target, the Pseudo-Gods charged in to deliver the killing blow.

It was also at that moment when William opened his eyes.

Time seemed to slow down as he saw his attackers' fists, fan, and staff about to land on his body.

This moment only lasted for a brief period of time before things started to move normally.

A powerful explosion was heard as the Black Phoenix's remaining wing was obliterated, creating a hundred-meter-wide crater from their point of impact.

When the dust cloud receded, the Pseudo-Gods looked at the crater in surprise when they noticed that the Half-Elf, who they had just hit, was nowhere to be found.

"Over there!" The Six-Eared Macaque was the first one to see where William went.

The Half-Elf had reappeared beside Kasogonaga and was looking down on it with a calm expression on his face.

"You've worked hard," William said softly as he picked up the body of the Deity of the Sky as if it was something precious. He then lightly patted the Anteater's head before shifting his attention to Psoglav's body.

A second later, the Demonic Dog's body turned into particles of light and shot towards the obsidian gem on William's chest.

Jareth's body also turned into particles of light and flew towards William, where it rightfully belonged.

"Master, I'm sorry," Charmaine said as tears fell down from her eyes. "I was powerless and could only watch them die from the side."

"It's fine," William replied without bothering to look in her direction. "There was nothing you could do in that situation."

Suddenly, a hazy, five-meter-tall purple portal appeared behind William.

A young lady, wearing a fox mask emerged from it and hugged William from behind.

"My Prince, I've been waiting for your arrival," Shannon said with a voice filled with reverence. "I am willing to swear my allegiance and loyalty to you."

William didn't reply, and didn't made any move to pry away the hands that were hugging him from behind.

"Charmaine, and the rest of you, return to the Thousand Beast Domain," William ordered.

The Elves nodded their heads as they turned into beams of light and flew towards the black gem in William's chest.

"Will, are you okay?" Lilith moved towards William as she looked into his eyes.

"No," William replied as he gazed at Lilith with a cold gaze. "Return to the Thousand Beast Domain. I will meet with you later."

Lilith felt her heart shudder, because the clear-green eyes that were filled with warmth and tenderness that she loved so much were nowhere to be seen.

Only a cold, and indifferent gaze now looked upon her, making her feel afraid.

"I'm sorry." William apologized when he saw the horrified look on Lilith's face. "I'm not in the best mood right now. Please, wait for me in the Thousand Beast Domain."

William's words, although no longer as cold and unfeeling as they had been, would not take no for an answer. The Amazon Princess knew that talking to him in his current state would be unproductive, so she just nodded her head and planted a kiss on his cheek before turning into particles of light, and merging with the gem on his chest.

Shannon giggled after seeing the scene because she found it very funny.

"My Prince, should I deal with them for you?" Shannon asked as she moved in front of William while holding her mask. "Don't worry, you don't have to do anything. I'll handle them myself."

Just as Shannon was about to remove the mask on her face, she felt a hand rest on her own and held it in place.

"No," William answered. "I will handle them myself, but not now."

"If that is your wish then I will gladly follow your will," Shannon clasped on William's hand as if it was the most precious thing in the world to her.

Celeste, who was standing not far away from William, could only look at him with a complicated look on her face, while her right hand was pressed over her abdomen.

As the one who held the Virtue of Chastity, she was well aware of the changes in her body. As soon as William opened his eyes, she felt a mark suddenly appear on her abdomen, making her body unconsciously shudder.

Even now, she still couldn't believe it. She thought that the prophecy had already been fulfilled, and her sister was the one chosen as the Bride of Darkness. However, it seemed that they had misunderstood the Demon and the Elven Prophecies.

The Demon's prophecy was about the Heir of Darkness, and the Elven Prophecy was about…

"The Prince of Darkness," Celeste muttered as she felt the strong connection she shared with William at the moment. "My Sister is the Bride of the Heir, while I was the Bride of the Prince…"

It felt as if all the answers to the questions she had about the two Prophecies finally fell in place.

"Go through the Portal," William ordered.

Although he didn't mention any names, Celeste felt her body moving on its own as it walked straight to the portal without another word.

Chloee, on the other hand, stood rooted in place, not knowing what to do. Her gaze shifted from Celeste to William and back again. In the end, she decided to follow Celeste because she felt that she would only be a hindrance to William right now.

Baba Yaga followed silently behind her because she also felt that her role had ended. Although she didn't know how powerful William was right now, she could feel the pure power of Dark Energy swirling inside his body.

When only Shannon and William remained on the battlefield, the Half-Elf stroked Kasogonaga's head one last time before teleporting it inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

He then shifted his attention to Felix, and ignored the Pseudo-Gods who had returned to his side.

His bone-chilling gaze made Felix unconsciously take a step back, despite being surrounded by the strongest Demons that currently resided in the Demon Realm.

"Remember this, and remember it well," William said with a bone-chilling coldness filled with killing intent.

"I will have My Vengeance."

—--

End Of Volume 6: The Eighth Deadly Sin and the Advent of a Prince

Chapter 1090: Show Me Your Darkness

Chapter 1090 Show Me Your Darkness

A few minutes before Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth faced off against Princess Iron Fan…

Tears of blood fell into the red sea that reflected the sky of his Sea of Consciousness.

William, who had just recovered his consciousness within his spiritual world, saw Kasogonaga's lifeless body in the hand of the Bull Demon King, through the reflection on the water's surface.

The rainbow-colored Anteater and him had a rough start. But, in the end, Kasogonaga helped him overcome some of the obstacles that faced his way. It fought alongside the Half-Elf during the battle in the Southern Continent.

Whenever he needed the adorable Anteater, although it would complain to him, Kasogonaga was always there to lend a hand.

The Half-Elf was kneeling on the ground as he looked at the water's surface. He was clenching his fist so tightly, that blood was starting to spill from his hands.

After losing half of his soul due to Elliot's and Conan's deaths, William was in a very unstable state. He was feeling excruciating pain in his head, but his heartache was greater than the pain he was feeling.

The moment Erchitu died for the second time, William wept because he knew that he wouldn't be able to resurrect him a second time. Revenants had already died once, so dying a second time would be an eternal death for them.

The next one that died was Jareth.

He was the Goblin Paladin that William had chosen to become the leader of his Goblin Army. Jareth was a very loyal and brave individual who led the others to conquer the Dungeon of Atlantis, while he was busy dealing with the events in the world of Hestia.

When Psoglav died, a pained sob escaped his lips.

When he met the Demonic Dog for the first time, the two of them had been enemies. Later, Psoglav became his contracted partner, who helped him in times of difficulty. Even when he had surpassed the Demonic Dog's rank, the latter had remained with him through thick and thin, becoming one of his trusted subordinates.

"I'm sorry," William gritted his fists as tears of blood fell from his eyes. "I wasn't there when all of you needed me the most."

He wasn't there when his wives died as they rushed to his side in his defense.

He wasn't there to prevent their souls and Celine from being whisked away by the God of Death.

Elliot had to sacrifice his life in order to bring him back from the borders of life and death.

He wasn't there when Ella used up her life to wipe out as many enemies as she could.

He wasn't there when Conan died in order to buy time for him and the others to escape.

He wasn't there when his trusted subordinates were fighting with their lives on the line.

He wasn't there.

HE WASN'T THERE!

William cried out in sorrow as the sky above him turned pitch black.

Suddenly, an otherworldly beauty appeared behind William. She then hugged him from behind before whispering in his ears.

"If you don't do anything, more of them are going to die," the otherworldly beauty whispered. "That Amazon Princess, the twin of your beloved, as well as those Elves that have served you for many years. Are you just going to continue to cry and do nothing about it?"

Due to the damage his soul had taken, William wasn't able to think properly. The only thing that mattered to him right now was to save the others and prevent them from dying in front of him.

"What can I do to save them?" William replied as the otherworldly beauty held him more firmly in her embrace. "I don't have the means to save them."

"You don't, but I do," the otherworldly beauty said with confidence. "I can give you the power to save them, and perhaps, allow you to seek vengeance upon those that had taken the important people in your life away from you. But, it will not be free. Everything should have a price, and the power you seek requires a price."

The otherworldly beauty's silky voice sounded so pleasant, so alluring, and seductive that William's thoughts seemed to scatter away with every word that she said.

"What price?" William asked as he fought off the pain in his head that was driving him crazy.

"I want this," the otherworldly beauty pressed her right hand over the gem on William's chest, which also served as his heart. "And also this."

A golden ball of light appeared in front of William showing a face that was very dear to him. Scenes of his memories on earth appeared in front of him. The festival he shared with Belle when he was younger. Their wedding, and several other memories where Belle was with him. They all flashed before his eyes, reminding him of the love that was waiting for him back on Earth.

"I want these things," the otherworldly beauty whispered seductively in William's ears. "Your heart, and your memories of her. I want them all."

"What if I…"

"You can't refuse. If you do, those before you may not die, but they will all become slaves. They will live a life which is worse than death. They will become mere playthings to be discarded when they no longer have any value."

The otherworldly beauty said these words softly, and yet William knew that she was telling him the truth. However, she was not finished yet.

"Your mother in the Silvermoon Continent, your family in the Southern Continent, none of them will be spared," the otherworldly beauty said with confidence. "Ahriman will not stop until everything you hold sacred in your life has been trampled under his feet. Is that what you want?"

William didn't reply as he stared at his memories with Belle with dazed eyes.

"You don't have much time left. The Heir of Darkness has finished dealing with his father. It will be your people's turn next. So, what will it be?"

After waiting for a minute, the otherworldly beauty frowned before holding the side of William's face and forcing him to face her.

"Has your soul been damaged to this extent, or did your grief overcome you?" the otherworldly beauty muttered as she looked at the unconscious Half-Elf who still had his eyes opened, yet no longer unable to see anything.

"Perhaps it's both."

After caressing William's face and wiping his bloody tear stains away, the otherworldly beauty smiled sweetly.

"Since you can't make the decision in your current state, I will make the decision for you," the otherworldly beauty said before kissing William's lips.

Slowly, but surely, the color of the Half-Elf's hair became black, and the gray gem on his chest turned the color of obsidian.

The kiss wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. The half of William's soul that had been lost was slowly being filled up with darkness.

"Now then, it's time for you to become mine." the otherworldly beauty smiled as she reached out for the golden orb that represented William's memories of Belle.

However, just as her hand was about to touch it, it was repelled by a snowflake that prevented her from corrupting William's important memory.

Suddenly, a silver bell shot out from William's chest and hovered between William's memories, and the otherworldly beauty.

"I should have known," the Primordial Goddess clicked her tongue when she saw the familiar silver bell getting in her way. "Even in death, you still oppose me, Amalthea."

The silver belle shook and the crisp sound of a peeling of thousands of bells reverberated within William's darkened sea of consciousness.

The golden orb that contained all of his memories of Belle was absorbed by the silver bell. After completing its mission, it flew back into the gem on William's chest, preventing the otherworldly beauty from taking it away.

A light snort echoed within the black world, as the otherworldly beauty caressed the gem on William's chest.

"It doesn't matter," the Primordial Goddess said. "Everytime he uses his powers, those memories will become mine anyway. So, hold on to them for now, because you will not be able to keep them for long."

The otherworldly beauty once again pressed her seductive lips over William's as she hastened the process of filling the rest of his soul with the Power of Darkness.

When the remaining part of William's soul had been filled completely, the Primordial Goddess reluctantly pulled away before cupping the face of her Dark Prince.

"Remember, it will take some time before your power fully awakens, " the Primordial Goddess reminded. "Now is not the time to fight. For now, it will be best to gather… willing sacrifices so you can feast on their blood, and their life force. This will hasten the power of your awakening.

"Also, gather the powers of those that hold Divinities inside their bodies. Ahriman is a Primordial God of this world, and you are not his current match. In order to fight him, you must have an army.

"An army that will surpass that of the previous Dungeon Conqueror. An army that will fight for your side, and give you the vengeance that you desire. Then and only then will you be able to sit on the throne that is rightfully yours by birth."

The Primordial Goddess caressed William's face one last time before pressing her index finger on his head. "Go, My Prince."

William disappeared from the spiritual world, and awakened a few seconds later in the real world.

The Primordial Goddess watched her Prince as he escaped the combined assault of the Pseudo-Gods and reappeared beside the fallen Deity of the Sky.

She watched as he picked Kasogonaga up and lightly patted its head.

"Light is easy to love," the Primordial Goddess said softly. "I want you to show me your Darkness."

Chapter 1091: Things Would Never Be The Same Again

Chapter 1091 Things Would Never Be The Same Again

"I will have My Vengeance," William said in a voice filled with killing intent.

If looks could kill, Felix would have died a thousand times over already. William's gaze that contained his desire for revenge never left Ahriman's Heir, who had subconsciously taken a step back due to the intensity of his gaze.

After saying his parting words, William turned around to enter the purple portal behind him. He didn't look back as he resolutely left the battlefield. Right now, his newly obtained powers were unstable.

His patched up soul still needed some time to adapt to its new form. Forcing himself to fight would only damage his soul, and allow the corruption of the Darkness to take over it completely.

Also, he knew the price he had to pay in order for him to use his powers. Right now, he didn't want to lose any more precious things. He had already lost enough.

Shannon watched his back with reverence as she too stepped towards the portal. However, before taking the last step, she turned her head around as she gazed at the green-haired demon who was wearing a Crimson Crown on his head.

"I thought that having a crown on someone's head made them look like royalty," Shannon said as the corner of her lips curled up into a smirk behind her fox mask. "But when I look at you, all I see is a pig that is about to be slaughtered."

Shannon giggled before entering the portal, leaving Felix gnashing his teeth in anger.

The Black Phoenix turned into a beam of light and shot towards the purple portal before it disappeared completely. The Primordial Goddess had tasked it to remain by William's side and ensure his safety until his powers had awakened fully.

As a Phoenix, it was immortal. So, even if its body was destroyed, it would only take a little while before it recovered and could once again spread its wings to fly through the sky.

Felix stared at the portal with a grim expression on his face. Although he didn't want to admit it, William's words had left a very deep impression in his heart.

—--

'Interesting development,' Joash thought as he stealthily left the battlefield to head towards the Fortaare Desert. He knew that William would be there, so he increased his speed to get there as fast as possible.

He wanted to personally talk to the prophesied Prince of the Elves, and ask him about the details of his revenge. Joash was confident that the two of them could work together in order to reach each other's goals.

The Black Dragon's target was Luciel, and William's target was Felix. Since they were on the same side, he was sure that they would be able to come to an agreement in order to take revenge upon those who had wronged them.

'This is way better than I imagined,' Joash mused as he smiled evilly. 'The Prince of Darkness versus the Heir of Darkness. This is simply too good to be true.'

The Black Dragon wasn't too worried about Luciel becoming completely corrupted by the Power of Darkness. Every Demon Lord received Ahriman's blessing, so the Power of Darkness flowed in their body.

This was why Felix was born with the Power of Darkness, which allowed him to become Ahriman's heir.

Because of this, Joash's revenge would only be delayed until William decided that the right time had come to fight against the green-haired demon, who played a part in the death of the Half-Elf's wives and lover, as well as the deaths of his friends.

—--

Fortaare Desert…

Celeste, Princess Aila, Shannon, and the others all sat in the living room of the temporary residence that was provided to them by Zeph.

As soon as William arrived at the Sand Clan's residence, the first thing he did was to return to the Thousand Beast Domain to take care of the bodies of Kasogonaga, Psoglav, and Jareth who had fought for his sake.

William pieced Jareth's body back together using Life Magic before sealing it in a block of ice. He did the same for Kasogonaga and Psoglav because he had no intention of resurrecting them as Undead or Revenants.

For now, he placed them inside the cave filled with magic crystals, where the lifeless bodies of his wives were enshrined.

William looked at the ice that enclosed Ashe, and pressed his hand over the gem in her chest that had turned dark gray. He then pressed his lips over the ice to kiss her lips for a few seconds before backing away.

He did the same for Princess Sidonie and Chiffon.

Lilith watched this scene while biting her lip. The William she knew had changed completely, and yet, his love for his wives remained the same. Although his eyes looked cold and unfeeling, his actions proved that he still treasured those who held him dear.

After backing away, William moved towards the exit of the cavern. However, just as he passed Lilith, he reached out to hold her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

The Amazon Princess flinched because William's hand was cold. Although it wasn't ice cold, it was still enough to make her look up to him with concern.

"I'm fine," William replied as he led Lilith out of the cave. "I just need some blood."

As he pulled Lilith alongside him, the Half-Elf said something unusual that made Lilith wonder if she had misheard him.

"Times like this, I wish Cathy was here," William said. "She had an inexhaustible supply of blood. With her around, I can drink to my fill."

Lilith didn't know if William was joking or not, but she had a feeling that the Half-Elf was saying these things in order for her to not be too worried about him.

Although she still hadn't married him, she was already one of his lovers, and it was her duty to help him with his needs.

"Will, if you need my blood, you can take it," Lilith said as she increased her pace to match William's stride. "Take as much as you want."

"Okay," William replied. His words was still cold, but Lilith was able to detect a trace of affection in them.

After exiting the cave, the first thing William did was to summon the Elves, so he could heal their injuries. Charmaine and the others were in a very sorry state after their battle against those whose rank surpassed theirs by a huge margin.

"All of you drink these potions and rest for now," William ordered. "Tomorrow, I will drink your blood, so make sure to rest properly and recover your strength."

"Yes, Master," Charmaine replied as she drank the potion until none of it was left. She then went straight towards her room to rest. In truth, she was already using all of her willpower to stay awake.

The other Elves were in the same boat, so they took their leave after bidding their goodbye to William.

The Half-Elf then faced Lilith as he looked her straight in the eye. His golden eyes made Lilith think that he was looking straight into her soul, which made her shudder.

"Am I that scary?" William asked. If one were to look closely, the corner of his lips was raised slightly as if he found Lilith's reaction quite funny.

"Yes," Lilith replied honestly. "Your eyes scare me. Your touch makes me feel cold, and your voice makes me feel weak."

Lilith then cupped William's face as she stared back at him with a steady gaze.

"Your gaze has lost its tenderness," Lilith added. "Your touch has lost its warmth, and your voice is no longer affectionate. Tell me, Will, must you stay like this forever?"

The Half-Elf didn't answer right away, for he did not know the answer to Lilith's question.

"Perhaps," William replied after a minute of pondering. "I don't think I will be able to go back to the person you once loved, Lilith. Not until I hold Felix's severed head in my left hand, and Ahriman's on my right.

"Not until my hands regain those that I have lost, and can hold my wives in my embrace once more. Perhaps, only then, will I be able to feel the same thing I felt back then. But, Lilith, right now, I only want revenge."

William's golden pupil glowed briefly as he looked at Lilith's amber eyes that were filled with sadness.

"If you can't bear to see me like this, you can go," William said softly. "Return to the Amazon Empire until I settle my business with Ahriman and his puppet. For I will not rest until only one of us remains."

"I understand," Lilith replied as she moved closer to rest her head on William's shoulder. "I feel the same way as you do. I also want revenge, but I'm too weak to do it."

The Amazon Princess' body shuddered as the tears that she had been holding back fell freely.

It was at this moment when she felt a cold hand hold the back of her head and pull her closer to him.

That gentle motion was enough for Lilith to throw caution to the wind and wrap her arms around William before sobbing uncontrollably. Deep inside, she felt very ashamed of her actions.

First and foremost, she was a Princess and a Warrior. As a member of the Amazon Race, they would not openly show weakness to others. However, right now, she knew that her lover was suffering more than she was.

Unfortunately, William refused to cry. He no longer had tears to shed, which made Lilith feel that she needed to cry for both of them.

"Will, promise me that you will not give Felix and Ahriman a quick death," Lilith said through her sobs and tears.

"I promise," William replied as he wrapped his left arm around Lilith's waist.

Lilith then looked up at William before pulling on the back of his head to kiss his lips.

Just as she expected, William's lips were cold. However, she had no intention of backing away. Right now, what her beloved needed was her warmth, and she would give it to him.

It was Lilith who took the initiative to offer the nape of her neck, for William to drink her blood. The Half-Elf obliged and, for the first time in a long time, the sweet and euphoric sensation washed over Lilith's senses.

However, she found no joy in it. For she knew that things would never be the same again.

After pulling his fangs out of her lovely neck, William carried Lilith's exhausted body towards their bedroom.

He then covered her with a blanket before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep for now," William said. "I still have business to take care of."

Lilith nodded before closing her eyes. She could feel her consciousness falling into sleep's embrace, and she could no longer fight it.

William closed the door behind him before opening a portal to return to the Sand Clan's residence.

He still had important matters to take care of, and sleep could wait until he finished tying up the loose ends. Just as the Primordial Goddess had said, now was not the time to fight Ahriman and his forces.

William had an idea about what he needed to do. But, for that to happen, he would need to sink his fangs into those who wished to tie their destiny with his own first.

Chapter 1092: Don't You Trust Me?

Chapter 1092 Don't You Trust Me?

William sat on the couch as he eyed the people that had waited for his return.

Princess Aila, Shannon, Celeste, Chloee, Claire, Vesta, Kira, Athrun, and Zeph.

All of them wanted to know what William's next plans of actions were, especially Zeph, who was currently feeling anxious about what to do with the approaching calamity that was going to sweep the Demon Realm from the North.

"I plan to return to the Central Continent and visit the Tower of Babylon," William said with indifference. "Ahriman is greatly weakened currently and it will take some time for him to gather enough living sacrifices for him to build his Shadow Army. Naturally, he will use mostly demons for this undertaking… preferably those who will oppose the wishes of his heir."

William gave Zeph a side-long glance before shifting his attention to Celeste.

"First and foremost, I will tell you straight, I'm not interested in you," William stated. "The one I love is your sister, so you can rest assured that I will not ask you to do anything against your will. I will not humiliate, nor degrade you. You can return to Hestia Academy where you can be safe… at least, for the time being."

Celeste returned William's gaze with a calm expression on her face. However, deep inside she was feeling relieved, and disappointed at the same time. Relieved because she would not be forced to do anything against her will, and disappointed because… she felt as if she was being tossed aside like a useless tool that had no value whatsoever.

William then glanced at Kira and Athrun, making the two of them subconsciously flinch because of his cold gaze.

"No Demon Clans will be safe from Ahriman. You are either with him, or against him," William explained. "Those against him will be turned into Shadow Demons that will fight for him, regardless of whether they want to or not. If you side with him, your clan will be safe. However, know that once we meet on the battlefield, I will not show any mercy."

"But, we don't want to participate in this mess," Kira replied. "I'm sure that this is what everyone in our Clan feels."

Zeph, who was standing not far from Kira, was very tempted to ask William if he had forgotten that he was the Patriarch of the Sand Clan. Kira was only his grandson, so William should be discussing this matter with him. But, out of fear, he kept his mouth shut and just listened on the side.

"Then flee." William shrugged. "Take your Clan with you and go to the Southern Fortress. Perhaps, Joash will give you passage to flee to the Central Continent."

Vesta who was just listening on the side could hear the trace of sarcasm in William's voice. Even so, she chose not to say anything because the current William was not the same red-headed teenager that she had traveled with not too long ago.

She was afraid that if she said something that might anger him, he might punish her without caring that her father was one of the Demigods of the Demon Realm.

"C-Can't we just go to your Thousand Beast Domain and wait things out?" Kira inquired.

The corner of the Half-Elf's lip raised slightly after hearing Kira's question.

"Wait things out?" William shook his head. "You only have three options here. Side with Felix, side with me, or flee."

"If we flee, where should we go?" Kira asked in desperation. He didn't want to side with Felix, but siding with William would just put the lives of their clan members in danger. Since that was the case, he wanted to know what place was going to be safest for their clan to go to.

William snorted as he shifted his gaze to Zeph who had his arms crossed over his chest and had his brows knit together.

"What do you plan to do?" William asked.

Zeph, who finally realized that the black-haired teenager was addressing him immediately sprang into action.

"Your Excellency, as you said earlier, we only have three choices," Zeph replied. "The Sand Clan will never side with the Heir of Darkness, so our only choice is to side with you or flee. As the patriarch of the Sand Clan, I've decided to side with you instead of running away."

William raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Old Fox of the Sand Clan.

"The reason?" William asked.

"It's because I believe that you will triumph over the Heir of Darkness. Of this I am sure," Zeph answered in a confident tone. "If possible, we would like to join the other Clans that have sworn allegiance to you. We are willing to enter your Domain and fight for you when the moment of truth has arrived."

"What about your true Lord, Lorcan? Now that my wife, Sidonie, is dead, the charm on the two other patriarchs who rule the Fortaare Desert will have lost its power and they might side with the Demon Lord. What is he planning to do?"

"I have already talked with Lord Lorcan, and he said that he also plans to join your side, Your Excellency."

William then closed his eyes as if pondering his next course of action. A minute later, he gave Zeph an order.

"Tell your clan as well as Lorcan that I am only giving you three days to prepare for a migration," William ordered. "Exactly three days from now, I'll be leaving the Demon Realm and going back to the Central Continent."

"Yes, Your Excellency," Zeph bowed down and left the room. A migration was not an easy thing to do, and three days was barely enough time for his people to prepare themselves physically and mentally for relocate to a new home.

"Do any of you still have questions?" William asked.

Shannon immediately raised her hand and looked at William with anticipation.

William briefly nodded in her direction to acknowledge her presence.

"Lord William, do you plan to ask for the help of Hestia Academy when the time comes to fight against Felix?" Shannon asked. "If yes, I can help you negotiate with them."

Celeste's ears perked up after hearing Shannon's question. Due to the loss of her twin sister, and William's current state, she had completely forgotten that Hestia Academy was also planning to fight against the Heir of Darkness.

"Will, I think we should return to the academy and have a conversation with the Headmaster," Celeste said. "I'm sure that he will be more than happy to work with you to fight against the forces of Darkness."

William's gaze landed on the beautiful Elf where it was met with Celeste's steady gaze.

"I think you are forgetting something, Professor," William stated. "I am one of the forces of Darkness. Since Hestia Academy is going to fight against it, why should I ally with them?"

"N-No. That's not what I meant. I mean, we will fight against Ahriman and Felix together!" Celeste tried to correct her earlier words, but all it did was make William shrug.

"I have no intention of working with the academy," William replied. "I do not trust Byron enough for that."

Celeste tried to make a final appeal in order to make the black-haired teenager reconsider his decision.

"How about me?" Celeste asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you," William replied.

His reply shocked Celeste because she thought that William would say that she can't be trusted.

"Then why?"

"Because I don't trust Byron."

William's tone was firm, and even if Celeste wanted to tell him that the Headmaster of the academy could be trusted, she understood that the Half-Elf would not change his stance no matter what.

"What makes you sure that he can't be trusted?" Celeste asked. After her initial surprise, curiosity took over her, and she was serious about finding the answer to her question.

"Instinct," William answered. "You're too naive, Professor. Do you think just because someone fights against evil makes them good?"

"Celeste. Call me Celeste."

"Understood, Professor."

Although William had already declared it earlier, it really seemed that he was hell-bent on distancing himself from her.

A complicated feeling flashed through her heart as William stood up from the couch and walked towards the door.

However, just before he left the room, he said a few words of parting, which made a certain Princess stiffen after hearing his words.

"Aila, I will meet with you tomorrow night. Wait for me in your room."

Those were the last words that William said before he closed the door behind him, making everyone in the room look at the angelic Princess, whose face had already turned beet red.

Chapter 1093: Thank You For Not Leaving Me Behind

Chapter 1093 Thank You For Not Leaving Me Behind

Night time…

Chloee sighed as she looked at the two full moons in the distance.

It was a few hours after William had ended his talks with them and disappeared without a trace. Chloee assumed that the Half-Elf went back to the Thousand Beast Domain in order to prepare for the mass migration that would be happening in three days.

Also, she kept thinking about the words that William had said before he left the room.

'He will meet with Aila tomorrow night?' Chloee mused. 'I wonder what they will talk about.'

Chloee was currently in her nineteen-year-old form, and stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately, she had a melancholic look on her face as she stared at the beautiful starry sky, which would make any stargazers on Earth squeal in happiness.

She was no longer able to return to her fairy form, and her days were numbered. The beautiful blonde Elf thought that if she saw William again, she would be able to talk to him and encourage him so he knew that everything would turn out well.

However, she didn't do that.

Chloee may be stubborn and often thought of as an idiot at times, by some of the students in the academy, but she wasn't stupid.

She knew that no words of encouragement would work on William right now, because his heart had turned cold, like the obsidian gem that was embedded in his chest.

"Four days…," Chloee softly muttered. "I can only stay in this world for four more days. Conan, maybe you shouldn't have extended my stay. Maybe it would have been better if I disappeared alongside you."

"Are you saying that what he did was useless?"

"No. I'm thankful for what he did. It's just tha–"

Chloee blinked before turning her head to the side. There, standing not far from her was William who was also staring at the two moons in the sky.

An awkward silence passed through them because Chloee didn't know what to say, and William was not in the mood to continue the conversation.

Minutes passed in silence as Chloee lowered her head and hugged her knees. She was not expecting William to appear while she was stargazing, and it made her feel nervous.

"Sixth Master, please, stand up," William's voice that suddenly came from behind her almost made her jump up in fright.

Fortunately, she was hugging her knees at that moment, or else, she might have fallen off the roof of the residence.

"S-Stand up, you say?" Chloee stuttered.

"Yes," William replied as he walked in her direction and offered his hand to support her to stand up.

Chloee looked at the pale hand that was offered to her, and hesitated for a while before placing her hand over it.

With a little tug, Chloee found herself staring back at William's golden eyes that glowed faintly in the moonlight.

"Your golden eyes looked majestic right now, but I still prefer your green eyes," Chloee said subconsciously.

"I see," William replied as his hands moved in front of Chloee's dress.

Before Chloee could even understand what was happening, her clothes had already fallen beside her feet, and her beautiful and delicate body was revealed in front of the person she loved.

At least, that was what was supposed to happen.

However, instead of seeing a beautiful body that would make all the single boys in Hestia Academy turn red as a tomato, what William saw was a body covered with cracks. It was just like a vase that had fissures all over it.

"Don't look," Chloee said as she tried to cover her body with her hands. "It looks ugly. Please, don't look."

William was unperturbed as he appraised Chloee's body that was in danger of shattering at any moment.

Chloee was about to run away due to her embarrassment, but for some reason, she was unable to move her body. It was as if she was frozen in place. She could only helplessly endure the shame and embarrassment as William's gaze wandered over every inch of her being.

After several minutes had passed, the black-haired teenager shifted his attention to Chloee's flushed face and asked her a question.

"Sixth Master, do you wish to live?" William asked.

"Stupid disciple! Are you planning to kill me with embarrassment?!" Chloee answered in anger. "Of course I want to live! Who wants to die? I don't want to die!"

Chloee's shout was so loud that it would have been enough to gather the attention of everyone in the residence. Fortunately, William had placed a sound proofing barrier around them earlier to prevent anyone from hearing the commotion that was currently happening on the rooftop of the residence.

Chloee had completely forgotten her previous nervousness towards William because of her embarrassment and angrily replied to his question.

William stared at her glaring eyes with indifference before continuing to say the things he wanted to say.

"I can save you, but after that, you will never be the same again," William stated. "You will become stained with darkness, and your soul corrupted by me. Are you sure you wish to take this path?"

"W-Will Celeste be affected by this?" Chloee asked. She knew that if something happened to her soul, Celeste would receive a backlash, just like what happened to William when Elliot and Conan died.

She couldn't bear to watch as her Master suffered pain due to the consequences of her decision.

"She will be," William replied, "but it is still better than the backlash she will receive after you die."

"Will it hurt me?"

"Perhaps. This is the first time that I am going to do it, so I can't answer your question."

Chloee closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. A minute later, she opened them and faced William's golden gaze with determination.

"I want to live," Chloee stated. "I also want to stay by your side. You can treat me as a tool if you like, but please, don't toss me aside like you are doing to Celeste."

"Very well," William replied as he held her chin and raised it up. "Just don't regret your decision later."

"I won't," Chloee said softly.

William could see how serious she was, so he no longer hesitated. In truth, even if Chloee refused his offer, he would still force her to make a pact with him.

He no longer wanted to lose those that were important to him. Especially those who had fought for his sake. Fortunately, Chloee agreed, so William lowered his head and kissed Chloee's lips, making her shudder due to how cold his lips were.

However, the coldness only lasted for a moment before she closed her eyes and accepted the kiss that William had given her.

It was at that moment when she felt something invade the core of her soul. At first she was going to resist it, but she remembered that William was trying to save her. Although she still felt afraid, she surrendered her body, and soul, to the person that she trusted the most, second only to her Master, Celeste.

Slowly, but surely, the cracks all over her body started to disappear.

Chloee felt her body, and soul being remodeled into something else, but for some reason, she didn't dislike it.

It was as if William was marking her as his own, which made her heart feel warm inside. Also, the connection between her and Celeste was still there. She could tell that her Master was feeling a slight discomfort at the moment, but she wasn't in pain, which made Chloee feel thankful to William.

Her long and beautiful blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail slowly turned black, and a pair of short horns grew out of the top of her head.

Suddenly a pair of black angelic wings sprouted behind her back, and a tail with a spade-like end, extended from behind her backside.

Chloee didn't know how long it was before William took a step back, stopping the kiss that filled her entire being with warmth.

Just like a newborn foal, trying to take its first steps on the world, Chloee walked towards William with shaky steps.

She no longer cared that she was practically naked, as she walked towards her new Master with a longing gaze.

"You did well, Chloee," William said as soon as the beautiful succubus wrapped her arms around him. "You did well."

William raised his right hand to lightly pat the top of her head, while his left hand held her waist to support her. The beautiful Succubus tried to bury her head deeper into William's chest, as if wanting to become a part of him.

Chloee sighed in pleasure after being held by the man she loved. Not long after, she lost her consciousness while leaning against William's body. Her transformation might have gone smoothly, but her soul was still adapting to the changes made in her body.

The Half-Elf held her firmly, and allowed Chloee's head to rest on his chest. After making sure that the beautiful lady in his arms wouldn't slip from his embrace, he glanced at the two full moons that illuminated the night sky for a brief moment before shifting his attention to his Sixth Master, who had decided to bind her destiny to his.

"Thank you," William said softly as he kissed Chloee's head. "Thank you for not leaving me behind, Chloee."

William then held her in a princess carry, before turning into a black mist. He returned to the room that was given to him by Zeph, instead of returning to the Thousand Beast Domain.

Right now, he was still on high alert, just in case Ahriman made his move. Although he knew that it would take a while for Felix, and his army, to know where he was, he decided to play it safe and remain in the Fortaare Desert, to ensure that he would be prepared for any situation.

—-

Celeste's room…

Celeste had her hands placed over her chest as she panted for breath.

She had felt the sudden change that came over Chloee's soul, but aside from a slight discomfort, she didn't feel anything too serious.

Deep inside, she knew that William might have done something to her Familiar, but for some reason, she felt that the Half-Elf would never harm Chloee, so she endured the anxiousness that she felt as she endured the coldness that washed over her body.

This lasted for several minutes before coming to a complete stop.

Claire, who was also clutching her chest, was lying beside her on the bed. Just like Celeste, what she only felt was a discomfort that she couldn't explain. After it receded, she finally found time to breathe and to stabilize her condition.

Celeste and Claire knew that Chloee's soul was no longer in any danger of dispersing. Both of them could feel the strong power that was coming from her connection to them. This gave the two of them some peace of mind because they were also at a loss about how to save Chloee from dying.

"Are you fine with this, Celeste?" Claire asked. "Although I can still feel Chloee's connection to us, I also sense something else from it."

"I'm fine with it," Celeste replied after she regained her composure. "William will not do anything to harm Chloee. So regardless of what he did to her, I can only thank him for saving her life."

Claire nodded her head in agreement. More than anything else, she didn't want her twin to die.

Truth be told, after Elliot and Conan died, she finally realized how much she took life for granted. Claire and Chloee had died several times in the past, but Celeste was able to summon them back because they hadn't used their full powers in battle.

Now that she had seen what true death was like, Claire finally understood how precious life truly was. The only thing that she hoped for right now was that William would take good care of her sister.

This was her honest wish for her twin, who finally had her wish granted by the person whom she treasured the most.

Chapter 1094: Â Will, I Love You

Chapter 1094 Â Will, I Love You

(Disclaimer: R-18 Scenes. But, sorry, it's not who you think :P )

"I've waited for this moment, and yet, it was snatched away from me!" Princess Sidonie said with a pout as she pinched William's cheeks. "Why didn't you protect your first time from that Elf? I don't care if she is your Master, I already called dibs on your first night!"

William wasn't able to look at the beautiful Princess straight in the face because he was feeling very guilty. Truth be told, he had already agreed to make love with Ashe and Princess Sidonie on his eighteenth birthday in order to lose his V-Card in real life.

Unfortunately, the early bird got the early worm, and Celine managed to bite Little Will, before the others did.

"Calm down, Sidonie," Ashe tried to pacify the pouting Princess as she lightly pulled on William's ear. "I'm sure William didn't plan to break his promise with us, right Will?"

"Of course!" William replied in a heartbeat. "I swear I didn't expect that Master would make love to me. She said that we will just do training, and before I knew it…"

"You could have resisted," Princess Sidonie pinched both of William's cheeks before rubbing his face with both of her hands. "Admit it, you wanted her as well, right?"

"Y-Yes," William admitted.

The red-headed teenager didn't want to lie in front of the two girls that loved him, and admitted that he also wanted it to happen. Celine had been his very first crush in the World of Hestia. He would be lying if he said that he didn't dream of doing this and that with her.

"Kuh! I should have become suspicious when she appeared here." Princess Sidonie lightly hit WIlliam's chest with her first. "That thieving cat! I will not forgive her."

William sighed as he placed his hand at the back of Princess Sidonie's head and pulled her close to him.

"I'm sorry," William said as he kissed her forehead. "I know that I should have resisted, but I still went ahead and did it with her. How can I make it up to you?"

"... Make love to me with everything you have."

"Okay."

"How about me?" Ashe asked as he lightly patted William's head. "Am I not included in this?"

"Of course, you're in it too," William replied as he pulled Ashe close to him and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Tonight, I will make up for all the wrongs that I have done to both of you."

"Hmp! You're not sleeping tonight, Darling."

"Celine might have taken your first in real life, but I was your first in your Dreamworld, right?"

Beads of sweat formed on William's forehead as he looked back at his beautiful mermaid lover who had a tender look on her face.

"A-Actually, my first time was with Wendy in my dreams," William stuttered. "We even did thirty roun–ahhhh!"

After several minutes of trying to pacify his two lovers, Princess Sidonie's and Ashe's sighs echoed within the walls of William's bedroom.

Both ladies were clinging on to William, as he kissed, and sucked their proud peaks that they had offered to him.

His hands were busy kneading the soft, and willing jade rabbits that his lips weren't servicing, making the two beautiful ladies cling to him tighter.

The red-headed teenager pinched, rubbed, flicked, and played with their firm tips making both ladies sigh. He was currently using his Incubus Job Class and used his powers to increase their sensitivity. Because of this, they were feeling every kiss, every caress, and every playful bite in a heightened state, which was not possible normally.

William allowed both ladies to catch their breaths, for a brief moment as his hands trailed down from their breasts, down to their bellies, all the way to their lower abdomen.

Ashe and Princess Sidonie were both maidens, so William made sure to prepare them properly for their union. Minutes passed as the two ladies shuddered together after reaching their climax.

Their breaths along with William's was ragged, especially the Half-Elf who was doing his best to control his urges.

Soon, Princess Sidonie, the one who was said to be the most beautiful in the world, laid on all fours on the bed. She raised her hips as she waited for William to plunge into her depths, and make her his woman.

Her wish came true not long after as William lowered his hips and pushed past her maidenhood. A gasp escaped the beautiful princess' lips as the power of her Divinity activated at the same time her chastity was taken from her.

Instead of pain, she only felt pleasure.

Genuine pleasure from the man whom she had chosen as her significant other. A pair of horns grew out of her head, a black pair of wings unfurled behind her back, and a tail with a spade-like tip at its end extended from her backside.

"Finally." Princess Sidonie sobbed, not in pain, but in happiness after William had made her his woman. "I've waited for this for so long."

William felt a fire burning in his chest as Princess Sidonie's Lust passed through their joined bodies. Soon, the sound of skin slapping skin echoed in the room as William tried to fight the nearly overwhelming feeling for conquest from taking hold of his senses.

Princess Sidonie was sinfully beautiful, and now that her power had awakened, her beauty became more profound. It filled William with the urgency to fill her up with his seed, to mark her womb as his.

Ashe was also affected by Princess Sidonie's Divinity and moved towards William to offer her breast to him as he continued to make love to the beautiful Princess, whose power was slowly and slowly dispersing throughout the room.

Soon, Princess Sidonie felt something hot shooting inside her. Her body subconsciously trembled as William's lifeforce washed over her senses. For a brief moment, she blanked out, savoring the afterglow of her first time.

"My turn next," Ashe said softly, and yet, her voice held an urgency that couldn't be denied.

She pushed William, making the Half-Elf fall down on the bed, looking up at her.

Princess Sidonie felt a sense of loneliness the moment William pulled out of her. Her Succubus senses craved for more, but she held herself back. She knew that she was not the only one that loved Will, so she decided to be patient as she waited for her turn again.

Ashe's beautiful body, whom William had held several times in the past, was just as smooth and as captivating as he remembered.

Perhaps due to the effect of Princess Sidonie's Divinity, Ashe took the initiative to hold William's manhood and guided it to her entrance that desperately wanted to have him.

In one swift motion, Ashe moved her hips down, feeling both pain and pleasure after the deed was done. The color of her purity dyed the white sheets with red as her hips moved up and down to satisfy the craving that had taken hold of her body.

Ashe was bold, but she was never that bold. The sudden change in her character, due to Princess Sidonie's Divinity, was such a contrast that William was greatly turned on by her current behavior.

The Half-Elf didn't become passive for long as he raised his hips to meet Ashe's rhythm, allowing him to reach the depths of her womanhood, and making her tingle all over.

His hands reached out to fondle her breast as she moved with more intensity. She could sense that William was about to reach his limit, so she lowered her hips, and shook her waist in a circular motion that made William grunt, releasing his essence deep inside her.

William felt a heartfelt pleasure when Ashe moved her hips in order to encourage him to release his seed at the entrance of her womb. It was as if she was begging for him to get her pregnant, and it made his climax so strong, that he wondered if he really did succeed in making her conceive his child.

"Darling, I hope you didn't think that this would be over after two rounds."

Morgana, who had suddenly materialized after Princess Sidonie lost her consciousness due to the pleasure, said with a smile.

"Sidonie is just resting, she will be up after you finish making me feel good." The lusty Succubus who had the exact same face as Princess Sidonie kissed Little Will before putting him inside her mouth to clean him up.

"That's right, Will," Ashe said lovingly as she placed her right hand over her abdomen. "The night is still young. You went thirty rounds with Wendy, right? I want to experience that as well."

William sighed as she reached out to lightly pat Morgana's head, who was currently in the middle of rejuvenating Little Will to make him fight for another thirty rounds. His other hand then held into Ashe's arm as he pulled her close to him to give her a loving kiss.

"Very well," William said after his kiss with Ashe ended. "I hope you girls are ready. All three of you will not be getting any sleep tonight."

"Darling, that is my line," Morgana replied after giving Little Will one last kiss. "You don't have to move. All you need to do is keep it up for me."

"Will, I love you," Ashe said as she lowered her head to initiate a kiss on William's lips.

That night, all four of them didn't stop until dawn. Only when the sun started rising from the East, did they fall asleep, while holding each other in a loving embrace.

Chapter 1095: Forced To Embrace The Darkness, So That Others May See The Light

Chapter 1095 Forced To Embrace The Darkness, So That Others May See The Light

William abruptly opened his eyes and saw a black-haired beauty lying next to him.

She had a peaceful look on her face as she slept soundly without a care of the world. The Half-Elf frowned as he propped himself up the bed. He had no intention of sleeping, but for some reason, he fell asleep beside Chloee.

After she finished her transformation into a Succubus, William watched over her to ensure that he would be able to deal with any possible side-effects that might arise in the first few hours of her new life.

Fortunately, nothing happened. Perhaps it was that feeling of relief that had prompted him to relax his guard and fall asleep beside her.

'Times like this, I wish I could have kept dreaming,' William thought as he looked outside the window of his room. Although the sky on the east was starting to lighten, the sun was still not up.

He had dreamt of his first night with his wives, Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Morgana. It was a memory that held significance in his heart because it had happened on the night of his eighteenth birthday.

William closed his eyes briefly to savor these memories before he walked towards the bed. He covered Chloee's beautiful naked body with a blanket. Although most men would lose control over such sights, the black-haired teenager wasn't even affected by it.

The Half-Elf didn't cover her the night before because he was paying close attention to any changes that were happening to her body. Also, Chloee was now a creature of the night, her resistance to cold was higher compared to most mortals. William wasn't worried about her getting sick and catching a cold.

After checking her condition one last time, William flew out of the window. He flew higher, and higher, until he was several miles off the ground.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he gazed towards the North where he had lost many important things to him. William wanted nothing more than to grind Ahriman's flesh and bones until there was nothing left of him. But, he knew that this was an impossible endeavor. At least, at this point in time.

It was at that moment when William saw a black speck over the horizon that was flying in his direction.

The black-haired teenager arched an eyebrow because he recognized the identity of the creature that had locked onto his location.

William didn't move, and simply waited for the unexpected guest to arrive. Although he had no idea why the Black Dragon was looking for him, he knew that the latter was currently in a rough spot due to the changes that were happening in the North.

"It's been a while, William," Joash said as he stopped a few meters away from the Half-Elf who had an indifferent look on his face.

"Has it?" William asked. "Did you grow bored spectating from a safe distance?"

"I did," Joash replied. The Black Dragon didn't even bat an eye and admitted that he had observed the events as they had transpired in front of him. "This is why I came to find you. I don't want to be a spectator any longer."

William eyed Vesta's father. He didn't find fault in Joash's decision to be a bystander because he didn't owe the Half-Elf anything. They were not allies, or collaborators. The two of them were just doing what benefitted them.

That was the extent of the relationship they had.

"What do you want?" William inquired.

"An alliance," Joash answered.

William nodded. "Tell me the specifics of this alliance. I will decide once you give me the clearcut details of how you plan to cooperate with me."

Joash remained calm as he observed the black-haired teenager whose presence had completely changed. If in the past, he could still gauge William's combat strength, now, he couldn't.

Although he had a feeling that the Half-Elf was still weaker than him, the Black Dragon dared not take his chances and offend him.

"The Southern Stronghold was not only built to keep the forces of the Central and Silvermoon Continents away," Joash explained. "It was also made with the intention of mounting an offensive towards the Demon Capital, and ensuring that there was a stable fortress that could block most armies.

"Can it block Pseudo-Gods?" William asked with sarcasm.

"Perhaps," Joash answered with a smile. "There hasn't been an opportunity to activate the Stronghold's defenses, but I am confident that it could block Tarasque even if it used its full strength against it."

"Oh?" William's interest was piqued by Joash's confident words.

Tarasque was the strongest Demigod of the World. It could be considered a Pseudo-God because no Demigods could beat it in battle, even if they all worked together against it.

It was the ultimate protector of the World of Hestia, which allowed it to go anywhere it wanted, as long as it wished. None of the Demigods feared it, for it didn't actively seek them out.

In short, Tarasque was a pacifist. Even the mortals of the world would come to look for it to ask it to share its vast knowledge with them.

"Since there was no opportunity to activate the Stronghold's defenses, how did you know that Tarasque couldn't break through it?" William wasn't too convinced by Joash's explanation, but because of how confident the Black Dragon looked, he still gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"It's because I asked it personally," Joash replied. "After asking Tarasque if it could breach the Stronghold's defenses within a day, it said no."

"Okay. let's say that it couldn't breach it for a day, how long would it take Tarasque to tear your fortress to the ground?"

"Two months. Tarasque knows that the Fortress stands on one of the leylines in the Demon Continent. Only when the leyline dries up will its defenses shatter. Even the strongest amongst us knows that it is a daunting task to drain a leyline completely."

"Two months," William muttered before shaking his head. "It's not enough. Sooner or later, the forces of Darkness will break through your Stronghold's defenses."

Joash nodded his head to acknowledge William's words. "I know that it will not be enough to stop their advance. Its purpose is only to stall them for time."

"Then, what do you plan to do in those two months?"

"Wait for you to become stronger. I will only use the full might of my forces once I am sure that there is a chance at victory."

William scoffed at the Black Dragon who was relying on him to turn the tables around. Even so, he didn't dislike the plan. What he needed the most was time. He couldn't use his full powers because it would completely wipe out the remaining memories he had of Belle from his head.

He had a feeling that once he lost them as well, he would never be the same again.

"Tell me, William Von Ainsworth. How much time do you need?" Joash asked with a serious expression on his face. Right now, he was relying on the power of one prophecy to beat another prophecy.

Although it sounded ridiculous, this was the only way for him to have his revenge against Luciel, his evil spawn, Felix, as well as the Gremory Clan, who had all played a role in the death of his wife.

"I don't know," William replied. "All I know is that before I fight against Felix, I need to awaken my full powers. Also, I will need an army to fight him."

"You can use my army," Joash volunteered.

William shook his head. "It's not enough."

"Hestia Academy will also come to our aid. Not only them, but I'm sure that the Human Kingdoms and Empires will not stand by and allow their lands to be conquered by the Demon Race. if we pool our forces together then we can push them back."

"Perhaps."

William didn't deny or confirm Joash's words. He didn't know how powerful the army of each Kingdom was, but he was certain that together, they still posed a threat to the Demon Army's expansion.

"Do what you must," William said as he glanced at the rising sun in the East. "I will be returning to the Central Continent two days from now."

"May I know where exactly in the Central Continent you are going? I can tell that you don't plan to go back to Hestia Academy."

"I'm going to the Tower of Babylon. I need to talk with someone there."

Joash nodded in understanding.

"William, I will leave my daughter in your care," Joash said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Sure, I will keep her around so you can watch my movements. I also hope you don't mind if I have my way with her when I get bored."

"I don't mind. I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind that either."

William snorted before flying back towards the Sand Clan's residence. The Sun had finally risen in the East, spreading its light to the world.

Even so, the black-haired teenager knew that the light would soon disappear from the face of the world. A New Era of Darkness was upon the world, and no light would be able to pierce through the veil of darkness that would soon descend upon the land.

Joash watched William's retreating back with a solemn gaze. The Black Dragon knew full well that if any of them had a chance to turn things around, it would start with the Half-Elf who was forced to embrace the Darkness, so that others may see the Light.

Chapter 1096: The Most Chaste Woman In The World

Chapter 1096 The Most Chaste Woman In The World

"Do you understand, Vesta?" Joash asked. "I will be busy doing many important things, and I have no time to look after you. It will be safer for you to stay with William."

"Safer?" Vesta asked back. "I don't think being with him is safer. Father, let me stay by your side. I can help you with any–"

"No. You'll just be a hindrance." Joash looked at his daughter coldly. "I don't have time to babysit you. Now is a very crucial time and I don't have the time to spare to make sure that you are behaving properly. William has no intention of fighting against Felix right now, so being with him is the safer option."

Vesta felt her heart tremble inside her chest because this was the first time that she had seen her father look at her so coldly. It was as if he was looking at a complete stranger, and not his own daughter whom he had loved and raised for the past nineteen years.

"I… understand," Vesta replied as she lowered her head. "I will do as you say, Father."

"Good." Joash moved closer and gave his daughter a tight hug that lasted only for a brief moment before pulling back.

Without another word, he turned his back to her and walked away.

Vesta could only watch her father's back until it disappeared from her view. She didn't dare call out to him because she knew that she would only be disappointed. The only thing she could do was lower her head and bite her lower lip.

"You liar," Vesta muttered softly as a drop of tear fell from her eyes.

With the current state of the Demon Realm, it was hard to say who was friend or foe. She knew that her father truly wanted to protect her, so he decided to let her stay with William. That way, Joash would be able to focus more on the things he needed to do without worrying for her safety.

—--

"Look after her for me," Joash said as he walked past William on his way out of the Sand Clan's main residence.

"Okay," William replied. "She'll be my emergency food when I run out of things to eat."

Joash didn't bother to reply to William's words as he flew towards the sky. The Black Dragon headed towards the South where his fortress was waiting for him.

"Two months…," William muttered as he put his hands behind his back. "That is far from enough."

The Half-Elf shook his head before returning to his room. Along the way, he met Princess Aila, and Shannon who were headed to the dining area.

"Are you not going to eat, Lord William?" Shannon asked.

"I'm not hungry," William replied.

Princess Aila didn't say anything and simply stood to the side with her head lowered. She couldn't look at William, especially since tonight was the night that he would visit her in her room.

This was the second time that they would be sharing some private time together, and the angelic Princess couldn't help but worry about what the black-haired teenager planned to do with her.

Suddenly, Princess Aila felt a finger press upward on the bottom of her chin, raising her head so she would look at the black-haired teenager, whose golden eyes made her heart skip a beat.

"Am I so scary that you won't even look at me?" William asked as he stared into Aila's clear, purple eyes, that showed her true emotions.

"N-No," Princess Aila replied. "I-I am just nervous."

"And why are you nervous?"

"B-Because tonight…"

A light cough stopped Princess Aila from continuing her words. Shannon immediately moved in to hold her body and make her take a step away from the Half-Elf who made her feel very nervous.

"Lord William, please don't bully Aila," Shannon said as she hugged the angelic Princess from behind. "Can't you see that she's scared stiff of you right now?"

"Is that so?" William asked back.

"N-No! That's not it," Princess Aila stuttered. "I just… I just don't know what to wear tonight. Yes. that's it."

William nodded before walking past the two girls without another word.

Princess Aila and Shannon watched him go with complicated expressions on their faces. One of them wanted to reach out to him and help heal his sadness, while the other wanted to find ways that she could be useful to him.

Right now, William was like an iceberg. What they could see was merely its tip, while the rest of it was hidden under the freezing surface.

Both ladies knew that William was still grieving for his loss. Even so, a part of them wanted to be part of that cold world in order to help thaw some of the ice that covered his obsidian heart.

—--

Inside Celeste's Room…

"Yes, he doesn't plan to return to the academy, Headmaster," Celeste said as she stared at Byron's projection.

All the professors in Hestia Academy carried communication artifacts that allowed them to talk directly to Byron in case of an emergency.

"Is that so?" Byron asked. "A pity, but there's nothing we can do about it. Professor, when will you be returning to Hestia Academy? Now that the Heir of Darkness, as well as the Prince of Darkness have arrived, it will be time to gather the members of the Holy Order of Light.

"The Pope contacted me earlier and said that she had already sent notices to all the Virtues to gather at the Palace of Light. She expects you will go there as well."

Celeste shook her head. "I can't go, Professor. I am tied to William right now, and without his orders, I can't leave his side."

"Can't you convince him to let you go?"

"I tried, but he said that he needs me by his side."

Actually, Celeste was lying. William had already told her that she could return to Hestia Academy anytime she wanted. She was the one who didn't want to leave the black-haired teenager for reasons known only to her.

"Just do your best." Byron pinched the bridge of his nose before shifting his gaze back to the beautiful Elf, who was currently beside the prophesied Prince of Darkness. "Head straight to the Palace of Light when you get the chance."

"Understood, Headmaster," Celeste replied.

The connection ended a minute later after Byron told Celeste about the current movement of their forces. Byron had already informed all the kingdoms and empires in the Central Continent about the recent developments in the Demon Realm.

Although he didn't say anything more than that, she understood that this news would definitely cause a ripple effect, and shatter the peace that everyone had enjoyed over the past two decades.

"Are you sure about this, Celeste?" Claire asked as she landed on Celeste's shoulder. "You went as far as to lie about your current situation to the Headmaster. Are you perhaps worried about Chloee?"

Celeste nodded. "Of course I am. How can I not be worried about her? But, that is only half the reason."

"The other reason is William, yes?"

"Mmm."

Celeste sighed as she poured herself a cup of tea. After taking a few sips she returned the cup on top of the table and sighed a second time.

"I want to be with him right now because I'm afraid that if I keep my eyes off him for a few seconds, he might do something reckless. I will not be able to sleep at night knowing that my negligence caused him to take the wrong path."

"Celeste, don't you think it's already too late for that? He has already chosen to become the Prince of Darkness. Sooner or later, he will stand on the opposite side of the Holy Order of Light. Also, I'm sure that Chloee would be fine. Even though William looks like that right now, he will not allow my sister to come to any harm."

Celeste also shared Claire's opinion. She had seen how William cared for the people around him, so he would definitely take care of Chloee and not allow her to endanger herself.

"Celeste, I think you are forgetting something important," Claire said with a serious expression on her face. "Being near William is the most dangerous thing you can do right now. Not only does he have control over you through the mark on your body, your Virtue is also in danger."

Celeste chuckled as he covered her eyes with a hand.

"Yes, my Virtue. The always pure maiden," Celeste commented with sarcasm. "The untainted, the chaste, and similar other titles. Throughout my life, I've seen the looks of the men who have coveted this Chastity of mine. All of them wanted me to become their greatest conquest. They wanted to know what it will be like to make me their woman, and take my Virtue away from me.

"I've known this all my life, and yet, I didn't dislike it. In fact, I've long wanted to know what would happen once my pureness was sullied. Would I lose my powers? Would I become an ordinary woman? I don't know the answer to these questions. All the Virtues before me stayed chaste throughout their lifetimes. All of them lived sad and bitter lives, just because this… Virtue was given to them the moment they were born."

This time, it was Claire's turn to sigh as she gazed at the beautiful Elf's face.

"And yet, the most chaste, and most sought after woman in the world… is being neglected by the man who was prophesied to become her Prince," Claire said, imitating the sarcasm in Celeste's voice. "Celeste, I think you're playing with fire. William is very unstable right now. One wrong move… and he will eat you up, drink your blood, and make you unable to live without him."

"If only he would do that, Claire," Celeste replied, "But he won't. Even if I offered myself to him on a silver platter, he wouldn't even bother to touch me. Chloee has a higher chance to end up in the same bed with him than I do."

"It's because the two of you don't love each other."

"Yes. We don't love each other, and that is the reason why I'll be safer with him than anywhere else in the world."

Claire frowned, but she no longer tried to persuade Celeste to change her mind. If being in the most dangerous place allowed her to be safe then she would accompany her Master even if it meant being in the eye of the storm.

"Just, don't regret your decision later, okay?" Claire said as she lightly caressed Celeste's beautiful face.

"I will keep that in mind," Celeste replied. "Thank you, Claire."

"You're welcome." the green-haired fairy smiled sadly before closing her eyes. "I've already lost Chloee, I don't want to lose you as well."

Chapter 1097: Weeping In Beauty's Embrace

Chapter 1097 Weeping In Beauty's Embrace

Princess Aila soaked in the scented bath filled with flower petals.

This was the second time she had done this, and both times were in preparation to meet William at night.

The first time William stayed with her, she fell asleep, and had no recollection of what happened afterwards. Even so, she knew that William didn't do anything inappropriate to her. Back then, she felt both relieved and disappointed at the outcome of their "first night" together.

Relieved because nothing happened while she was sleeping. Disappointed because a part of her longed for William's warm embrace.

In the dreams she had, it had always been like that. The silver-haired William would make love to her, and hold her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

That feeling of love, and intimacy, that had crossed over space and time had reached her heart. The angelic Princess would be lying if she said that she didn't long for William's touch. Just like the one that held her, whenever she closed her eyes to sleep.

Perhaps it was due to her wish to see that silver-haired William, or perhaps it was due to her anxiety throughout the entire day, Princess Aila fell asleep due to how comfortable the bathwater felt.

An hour later, a dark mist appeared beside the bathtub, and transformed into the black-haired teenager who had asked to meet with her tonight.

William looked at the angelic beauty that was sleeping peacefully inside the bathtub. Her face rested over the back of her hands, as she dreamed of the brave Einherjar in her memories.

The Half-Elf arched an eyebrow as he used his ability to look into her dreams. A moment later, the black-haired teenager raised his hand, lifting Princess Aila's body with his magic so it floated above the bathtub.

He then summoned a bath towel and covered her body snugly with it. Using a bit of wind and fire magic, William dried off her body as she carried her towards the bed. Princess Aila was in the middle of her passionate dream when her mind caught hold of the fact that something was touching her face.

At first, she tried to swat it with her hand, but it didn't change anything. Instead, the touching even increased, and it no longer focused on her face, but her body.

Feeling alarmed, Princess Aila opened her eyes, only to find herself lying on her bed, staring at a handsome, yet cold-looking, young man who was holding a bath towel in his hand.

"Are you finally awake?" William asked as he casually wiped Princess Aila's chest using the towel in his hand. "You shouldn't sleep in the bathtub, you know."

"W-W-W-What?!" Princess Aila felt as if her brain had lost the ability to form coherent words at the moment. The only thing she could do was stare at William, who was still drying her body with the towel as if it wasn't a big deal.

"What's wrong?" William asked. The corner of his lips were slightly raised, and there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Oh, do you mind lifting your leg a bit? I need to wipe that place. It's still wet."

Because she was still in a daze, she obediently lifted her right leg and allowed William to wipe her thigh. Only when he was finished did she finally come to her senses, which made her entire face turn beet red.

"I-I can wipe myself!" Princess Aila grabbed the bath towel in William's hand and used it to cover her body. "You don't have to do this, Lord William. I'm no longer a child."

"Of course I know that you are no longer a child," William replied. "You've grown in the right places. If only Brianna's older brother, Connal, could see you right now, he would definitely regret not being able to marry you."

Princess Aila's cheeks turned a shade redder when she remembered her almost husband to be back in the Kyrintor Mountains. If not for the fact that William had intervened back then, she might still be there right now, and perhaps a mother of two, perhaps three, children already.

The angelic Princess' body subconsciously shuddered after thinking about such a possibility. Although it had been many years since that fateful day, she still wondered what her fate would have been if not for William's timely interference.

"Do you regret it?" William asked as he stared down at the angelic beauty on the bed. "Do you regret not being married to Connal?"

"I don't regret it," Princess Aila answered firmly. "I didn't want to marry him in the first place."

"Then, who do you want to marry?"

"T-That."

Princess Aila had recovered enough wits to stop herself from blurting out "I want to marry you" in front of the black-haired teenager that was making her heart beat wildly inside her chest.

Before she could even think of anything else to say, William abruptly stood up and walked away from the bed.

He then crossed her arms and turned his back on the Princess, who had a confused expression on her face.

"Playtime's over," William said. "Please, put something on, so that we can talk about a serious matter. Of course, I don't mind if you plan to stay in your birthday suit. Either way is fine with me."

It took the angelic Princess a few more seconds to register the words that William had just said. When she realized that she was practically butt naked, she immediately took a nightgown out of her storage ring and wore it properly.

She was in such a hurry that she had completely forgotten about her undergarments, but she no longer cared about them. Princess Aila knew that if William really wanted to do anything to her, there was no way she could resist his advances.

"I'm done," Princess Aila stated after she had calmed the beating of her raging heart inside her chest. "What do you wish to talk about, Sir William?"

William turned around to look at the beautiful lady in front of him. He once again walked towards the bed and sat on top of it.

His gaze landed on Princess Aila's still blushing face as he told her why he asked to meet with her.

"Do you still have the power to erase memories?" William asked.

"E-Erase memories?" Princess Aila stuttered. "Yes. I can still erase memories, but there is a condition."

"Condition?"

"Yes. The one whose memories I will erase must agree to have their memories erased. Then and only then can I erase their memories. I could no longer do it one-sidedly like I did to you… in the past."

"Oh?" William found this condition quite interesting. Back then, the Aila who was also a Vanir, had one-sidedly erased all of his memories of their time together. For this very reason, the Half-Elf couldn't remember her, even after he had seen the dreams that the Princess was having.

For him, the time that he shared with the Aila of the past no longer existed. Although he felt pity for his previous lifetime, the one who chose to end things was Aila and not him.

"I think this new condition is good," William said after looking at the Princess who was looking back at him with a sad expression on her face. "Consent is important."

Princess Aila nodded. "I agree."

William then moved closer to the princess until their faces were only a few inches away from each other.

"When you erase people's memories, do you store them somewhere or are they completely erased?

"I can do both, but the methods that are used are different from each other."

"Explain it to me."

Princess Aila nodded. "When I need to erase someone's memories, I will need their consent. When consent is given, I only need to press my palm over their forehead and the memories they want to be erased will instantly disappear without a trace. These memories can no longer be recovered.

The second method is taking their memories from them, and storing it in my own memory. In order for this to happen, I will need the person's consent then I will have to…"

"Have to?" William asked because Princess Aila's entire face had turned beet-red once again and was unable to continue her explanation.

"I-I will only be able to take their memories from them and store it in my own memory if I kiss them."

"Only a kiss? With how deeply you are blushing, I thought that it was something more serious."

Princess Aila pouted after seeing that William was making fun of her.

"I haven't kissed anyone before," Princess Aila said. "So this is a first for me. The memory transfer is quite complicated. Depending on how many memories that you want me to erase, we might need to do it a couple of times until all traces of it disappear completely.

"Is there something specific that I must do in order for you to take specific memories?"

"Yes. You need to think of that particular memory. It will be easier if the memory you wish to erase is about a person. All you need to do is think of that person, and I will do the rest."

"I see," William closed his eyes as if fighting an internal struggle inside his head.

Five minutes later, the black-haired teenager looked at Princess Aila with a determined gaze.

"Let's do it," William stated. "Take my memories and store them in your own. There will come a time when I will ask you to return them to me. Can you do that?"

"I can."

"Promise me."

Princess Aila placed her right hand over her heart and made a heart-felt pledge to return WIlliam's memories, if ever he wished for them back.

"There's one more thing that I'd like to add," William said. "No matter what happens, don't remind me of the memories that you've taken from me."

"May I know why?" Princess Aila inquired out of curiosity.

"If you do, I don't know what will happen. It is possible that I might try to kill you because of it."

"Seriously?"

William nodded with a serious expression on his face. Because of this, Princess Aila felt that she was about to carry a great burden. A burden that William had carried for a very long time.

A minute later, after sorting out her feelings and preparing herself for the task she was about to do, Princess Aila cupped William's face. She was still blushing because instead of William kissing her, she would be the one to kiss him instead. Also, it was her first kiss. The mental hurdle was simply too high.

Even so, seeing the sadness in William's eyes, her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what kind of memory the Half-Elf wanted to be erased so badly that he specifically asked for her help.

The moment her soft lips pressed over William's, she saw fireworks illuminating the dark sky.

A scene of two teenagers kissing within a field of flowers appeared in her head. While the Angelic Princess was immersed in the feeling of love and warmth that emanated from William's memory, she didn't notice the single tear that streamed down the side of William's face.

Not long after that, more tears followed as William lost one of the most precious memories in his heart. Unfortunately, it would not be the first, nor the last one that he would lose tonight.

As if she had tasted something very sweet and delicious, Princess Aila sought William's lips and took those wonderful memories from him. Soon, only the sound of kisses could be heard in Princess Aila's room.

She had lost herself in the sensations that accompanied William's memories and pressed her body against his, forgetting the fact that she had been too embarrassed to even look at him a few minutes ago.

There, in the arms of the angelic beauty, William wept silently.

He wept for the memories that he had lost, and the love that he had tried so hard to protect. William knew that when morning came, he would no longer remember Belle. This was the price he had to pay, in order to truly awaken the Power of Darkness that had already taken over half of his soul.

Chapter 1098: Once You Make Your Decision, There Will Be No Turning Back

Chapter 1098 Once You Make Your Decision, There Will Be No Turning Back

Princess Aila had lost control of her senses.

The only thing she could think of was to take all of William's memories that belonged to the black-haired beauty that the Half-Elf wanted to entrust to him.

After absorbing William's first memory, the angelic beauty was bathed in warmth, love, and happiness that she hadn't felt in her current lifetime. It was so sweet, and so intoxicating that she couldn't stop herself from wanting more.

With every memory she took from him, her addiction grew.

With every kiss, she felt herself falling helplessly in love with him.

It was as if his memories of Belle were affecting her emotions, making her feel that the feelings of love were being directed to her, instead of the beautiful wife that William had left back on Earth.

Several minutes later, William was lying on the bed, with Princess Aila pinning him down. Their roles had been reversed, and the Princess was now like the groom who was planning to make love to his newlywed wife on their honeymoon.

The Half-Elf could no longer resist because he had fallen unconscious at this point in time. Only Princess Aila's kisses could be heard in the room as she took everything that the black-haired teenager held sacred.

Half an hour later, a pleasure-filled sigh escaped Princess Aila's lips as she basked at the afterglow of the warmth that William had given her.

Only after looking down did she realize how forceful she had been, while she was absorbing William's memories.

The Half-Elf had only been wearing a loose sleeveless black shirt, and pants when he went to Princess Aila's room. Now, that shirt had already been ripped apart, showing William's lean and toned body that made the angelic princess blush until the tips of her ears were red.

"I-I…," Princess Aila muttered as she looked at the aftermath of her passionate pursuit of the sweet feeling that had taken hold of her senses.

Soon, the angelic beauty's gaze landed on the black obsidian gem that was embedded in William's chest. Her hand subconsciously moved towards it and caressed its surface.

"It's cold," Princess Aila said softly as she touched the black gem that she believed served as William's heart. "It's so cold."

The Princess couldn't help but be surprised at the coldness she was feeling. It was as if she was touching a block of ice that would never melt.

For some reason, the angelic Princess felt sadness wash over her body. The warmth that she felt earlier instantly disappeared, and was replaced by a discomfort that made her shudder.

"D-Don't tell me, I took the last shred of warmth he had left in his heart?" Princess Aila's eyes widened in shock when this realization hit her.

For a brief moment, she almost returned the memories she had taken from William. The only reason why she was barely able to stop herself from doing so was because the memories were something that the Half-Elf had entrusted to her. If not for that then she wouldn't hesitate to return the precious memories that she had taken from him.

While the angelic Princess was still thinking of what to do next, William's eyes slowly opened. Since the Princess was paying close attention to him, she immediately noticed that he had awoken.

"How are you feeling?" Princess Aila asked.

"Hungry," William replied as she looked at the beautiful lady in front of him. "What am I doing here again, and why are you pinning me down?"

Princess Aila blinked once then twice before she understood the meaning behind William's question. The Half-Elf not only lost his memories of Belle, but also the reason why he met with her in the first place.

The angelic beauty's thoughts went blank for a brief moment because she didn't know how to explain the current situation to William.

"Well, it doesn't matter," William said as he held Princess Aila's arm. "Aila, your body is overflowing with Life Magic. Can you share some with me? I'm feeling really hungry right now. If I don't sate this hunger, I might lose control of myself and do something crazy."

Princess Aila nodded her head as she looked at William's face who was no longer indifferent and cold. In fact, there was nothing different from one of the usual expressions he always had before he became the Princes of Darkness.

It was as if… the damn finally broke, and he was able to act normally without restraining himself.

"Thank you," William smiled as she pulled the princess close to him.

For some reason, Princess Aila felt that she was being drawn into his smile. A moment later, she felt William's lips press over her own.

A few seconds later, the Half-Elf pulled back as he smacked his lips together.

"So delicious," William said as he caressed the side of Princess Aila's face. "I'm afraid that if I continue to do this, I might eat you until only your bones remain."

Princess Aila was about to ask if William had taken enough life force from her, when her world suddenly spun around her.

"Careful now." William held the angelic beauty who was now feeling weak. "Don't worry, I only took a quarter of your Life Magic. It will restore itself when you wake up tomorrow."

He then lay the princess on the bed and covered her with a blanket. After that, he planted a kiss on her forehead before moving away from the bed.

"Aila, let's talk about us tomorrow," William said. "I will give you the answer that you are looking for. But, before I give you my answer, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes." Princess Aila had circulated her Life Magic around her body in order to remove the discomfort that she was feeling.

"Are you sure you want to be with me in my current state?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Do you really want to become my woman?"

"I-I don't know," Princess Aila replied. "To be honest, I am afraid of you right now."

William chuckled as he nodded his head.

"Good answer." William nodded his head. "You can come and find me when you decide to become mine. However, I will tell you this. Once you make your decision, there will be no turning back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow after the migration of the Sand Clan and the Rhanes Clan is finished."

William didn't wait for Princess Aila's reply before turning into a black mist and exiting through the window. The window closed by itself after the Half-Elf left, leaving the angelic Princess alone inside the room.

Her heart was still beating wildly inside her chest because the current William's charisma was so strong, that she felt that she could only say yes to whatever demand he asked of her.

Fortunately, the Half-Elf seems to have noticed this and held back his charm to allow Princess Aila to retain her willpower.

"Shannon might be pleased with the new changes in William's personality," Princess Aila muttered. "I'm sure that if he asked her if she wanted to become his woman, Shannon would definitely jump at the opportunity."

Princess Aila patted her chest as she tried to understand her current feelings for William. In truth, she really liked him, and she was willing to be with him, but she was afraid.

Very afraid that William's seductive words of love would make her fall in his embrace, and bring her to the heights of pleasure, until she wouldn't be able to live without him again.

—--

After leaving Princess Aila's room, William was still feeling hungry. However, he felt a sense of freedom that he had never felt before. It was as if a great burden had been lifted off of his body, and he was now free to do whatever he wanted, without worrying about the consequences.

William rubbed his chin as he pondered this incredible sense of liberation that he was feeling at the moment. For some reason, he felt as if he had forgotten something important.

"Well, if I can't remember it, it mustn't be anything important," William shrugged as he walked down the hallways without his shirt on.

He was only wearing black pants, and walked barefoot. Right now, he was craving blood and life, but had no urge to randomly attack people just to satisfy his cravings.

After making a turn, he came face to face with Celeste, and Claire who was seated on her shoulder.

"You're still here?" William asked with a smile. "I thought you returned to the academy."

The Half-Elf walked towards Celeste in a casual manner that confused not only the beautiful elf, but also the little fairy on her shoulder.

"I'm worried about Chloee, so I'll be staying with her for the time being," Celeste replied as she eyed the black-haired teenager closely. "You seem… different."

"I also feel the same," William nodded. The smile never left his face as he continued to look at the beautiful elf in front of him. "Actually, I feel very hungry right now, but aside from that, I feel giddy for some reason. Also… I didn't notice this before but you look incredibly delicious right now."

William grinned showing his fangs. This scene made Celeste's body shudder as her hand subconsciously moved to touch the tattoo that had appeared on her lower abdomen.

The Half-Elf noticed this subtle gesture, but he only smiled and walked towards Celeste. However, before he went past her, he whispered something in her ear.

"Don't worry. I won't touch you," William whispered. "I have many willing women who would surrender themselves to me with just a single word. Also, I now have Chloee with me. She would happily take your place as my bride, so you can rest assured that your precious Chastity will remain intact. I have no interest in it."

William walked away from Celeste while humming. He really didn't feel anything for the beautiful Elf who looked exactly like his Master, except for the fact that the color of her hair was different.

Celeste looked at William's retreating back, and felt a dull ache in her chest, and in her womb. His casual words seemed to have affected her to a certain extent, making her breathe heavily.

Claire, who was seated on Celeste's shoulder patted her chest. During the Half-Elf's exchange with her Master, the little fairy felt a very strong attraction towards William. It came to the point where she almost flew towards him and knelt in submission.

This feeling scared her, because she never felt something like this before. Fortunately, William was already gone. If he had remained a minute longer…

The little fairy shuddered.

'I'd better stay as far away from him as I can get,' Claire thought. 'Celeste should do the same as well. If not, I'm afraid that the two of us will fall for his charms. The current William is like a walking poison that intoxicates those around him. If we are not careful, we might turn into his slaves, willing to do anything for him.'

Claire thought of her twin sister, Chloee, who had decided to stay by William's side. The Half-Elf had already said that he would substitute Chloee for Celeste and make her his bride. Although she was very happy for her twin, the same couldn't be said for Celeste.

'I think I should try my best to convince her to go to the Palace of Light,' Claire thought. 'That way, we will be far from Wiliam's influence.'

Claire didn't know if she was saying these things in her head for Celeste's sake, or for hers. The only thing she knew was that they should leave William's side while they could before they fell completely under the power of his charms.

Chapter 1099: That Girl Is Trouble

Chapter 1099 That Girl Is Trouble

After leaving Celeste behind, William came face to face with Shannon on his way back to his room.

The young lady, who was still wearing her mask, was standing in front of William's room and seemed to be waiting for him to return.

The moment their gazes met, Shannon looked closely at William's bare upper half, and for some reason, it awakened the artistic side of her.

"Lord William, what a coincidence. I was just taking a casual stroll and found you here," Shannon said. "This must be Fate at work."

William rolled his eyes at Shannon's nonsense excuse.

"Yes, it must be Fate," William replied with a smile, turning a blind eye to Shannon's sorry excuse for trying to meet him. "What can I do for you, Miss Shannon?"

"Miss Shannon sounds so distant. Just call me Shannon."

"Sorry, but I don't stick it in crazies."

"Huh?" Shannon tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean, Lord William?"

William walked towards Shannon until he was only a meter away from her. He then lightly poked the mask on her face in a teasing manner.

"Girl, don't make me use Donger on you," William stated. "You might find him to be a mouthful."

"... Lord William, I don't understand?"

"Don't worry. I'm just talking nonsense. So, what do you want from me again?"

William crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed the Eighth Sin who was quite smitten with him. After finally awakening the Power of Darkness, now that his memories of Belle had been taken from him, the Half-Elf was able to identify things with a single glance.

This was how he was finally able to know the power that resided inside Shannon's body and why it had made things difficult for him when they met for the first time.

"I just wanted to ask if I could become one of your lovers, Lord William."

"... I'm very tempted to take Donger out right now, so I can test it on you."

"E-Excuse me?"

William chuckled. Right now, he was really in a good mood, which made him want to tease the young lady in front of him.

"You want to become my lover, right?" William asked.

Shannon nodded.

"Alright, I'll think about it," William stated. "Let's talk after we return to the Central Continent. For now, make sure to keep that mask on in order to prevent people from dying, okay?"

"Understood," Shannon replied with a serious expression on her face. Now that her Prince had promised to think about her proposal, she no longer felt anxious about being around him.

"Goodnight, Lord William," Shannon walked up to William and gave him a hug and breathed in his manly scent.

Shannon looked like every other human girl, with the exception of the two fox ears on the top of her head. As a Fox Lady, she was quite familiar with the power of charms. Right now, WIlliam's body was oozing with it. However, she was not affected by it.

William, on the other hand, felt a bit helpless about how he should treat the young lady who was hugging him at the moment.

Just like how he found out what Divinity Shannon had, he also found out who her mother, and father were. If not for the fact that Aamon had not made things harder for him and unsealed the curse on his Est's, Isaac's, and Ashe's bodies after his battle with Morax in the Deadlands, he might have used Shannon to blackmail the God in order to make him lift the curse on their bodies.

However, since his issue with Aamon was now over, he no longer felt the need to flatter the God who was also Shannon's father.

The only problem was Shannon's mother. William didn't want to antagonize the Goddess, not because he was afraid of her, but because they were on the same side.

Doing so would only sour their relationship, and he didn't want that to happen. This was also why he was keeping Shannon at bay in order to prevent misunderstandings between them. Although William was fond of women, that didn't mean that he would just take any beautiful women he saw, and throw them on his bed.

"Um, are you done?" William asked. He had kept his arms on his waist to not give the young lady any reason to continue hugging him. "I still have things to do."

"I'm almost done," Shannon replied as her hands moved all over William's upper half, as if she was an artist inspecting an artwork by hand.

William endured the young lady's sexual harassment, for half a minute, before holding her shoulders and gently pushing her away from him.

"Goodnight, Shannon," William said as he moved towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He didn't even bother to wait for Shannon's reply before firmly closing the door behind him.

As soon as he entered the room, a giggle reached his ears.

William glanced at the beautiful lady with long black hair that was leaning against the wall near the entrance of his bedroom.

"That girl is trouble," Chloee said as she looked at William with a grin. "Much more trouble than I will ever be."

"You're not trouble," William replied as he walked towards the beautiful succubus. "You're mine."

William kissed Chloee's lips, which made the latter's body stiffen.

"I'm still not used to this," Chloee said softly after William's kiss ended, "but I don't dislike it."

William smiled as he wrapped his arms around the beautiful succubus who had risked her life for him.

"Don't worry, I will teach you everything you need to know," Wiliam replied. "But first, I need to go back to the Thousand Beast Domain. I need Charmaine and the others. I am really hungry."

"Okay." Chloee nodded in understanding. "I am going with you."

"Mmm." William held Chloee's hand as he opened a portal in front of him.

Soon, William found himself being kissed all over by the Elves that had taken good care of him for the past few years. The Half-Elf accepted their advances, and returned their gestures in turn.

Although he refrained from making love to them, especially to Charmaine, who had already surrendered her heart and body to him, his affectionate touch had left her a promise.

"Soon," William whispered in Charmaine's ears, before lowering his head to kiss her right breast.

"I understand," Charmaine replied as William sank his fangs into her tender breast, drawing blood from it.

That night, Charmaine and the other Elves fell helplessly under William's soft kisses, and pleasurable touch. Not only did they feel the euphoria of having their blood taken from them, the unexpected intimacy left them craving for more.

William satisfied their desires until they lost consciousness one by one. In the end, only Charmaine remained.

She leaned her head on William's chest and kissed the obsidian gem in his chest with love, over and over again. The black gem that once was ice cold, now felt warm to the touch.

William hugged his personal maid that had served him faithfully for many years before closing his eyes to sleep. Now that his hunger had been sated, he was finally able to relax and allow himself to fall into sleep's embrace.

As the Half-Elf dreamed a dreamless sleep, the laughter of the Primordial Goddess echoed in the darkness. Although things didn't turn out the way she wanted with Belle's memories, she found William's compromise a step towards the path that she had paved specifically for him.

Chapter 1100: May The Light Shine Upon You

Chapter 1100 May The Light Shine Upon You

William stood before the shrine that he had made for his wives and friends in the center of the Magic Crystal Cave.

He had been gazing at them for almost half an hour, while Lilith and Chloee stood a few meters behind him.

Suddenly, a sigh escaped William's lips as he rested his hand on Princess Sidonie's face, who was protected by a thick layer of ice.

"Looking at all of this, I finally realize that something is very wrong with me," William said softly as he reluctantly took his hand back from caressing Princess Sidonie's beautiful face. "I should be feeling sad, and heartbroken. And yet, right now, I don't feel anything. I guess I have really turned into a monster."

William then turned around to look at Lilith and Chloee, who both had sad expressions on their faces.

"Are both of you disappointed in me?" William asked. "It's fine, just tell me what you think."

Lilith shook his head. "I think you misunderstand the situation, Will."

Chloee nodded in agreement to Lilith's words.

"I think the real you has just retreated to the deepest part of your heart," Chloee replied. "If you are really as indifferent and unfeeling as you claimed to be then you wouldn't be crying right now."

"Crying?" William asked in confusion. He then wiped the side of his face with his right hand and felt something wet. The Half-Elf then summoned a mirror to have a better look on his face.

In the reflection on the mirror, he saw a black-haired teenager with tears streaming down the sides of his face. Although he didn't look particularly sad, the tears continued to fall without any signs of stopping.

"... What a sorry sight," William said as he wiped away the tears in his eyes. "But, this is also a good thing. At least I know that I am still able to feel sadness, even though it doesn't show on the surface."

"Then, how do you feel about Felix and Ahriman?" Lilith asked.

"Oh, them?" William's overall atmosphere immediately changed after hearing Felix's and Ahriman's names.

Black lightning crackled around him, as a powerful pressure excluded from his body. However, it only lasted for a brief moment before everything disappeared like a dream.

"That was close," William said as he patted his chest. "I am still not stable right now. I almost destroyed this place because of my overflowing emotions."

William hurriedly walked towards the exit of the cave without looking back. He was afraid that if he continued to stay inside the cave, his power might slip out of his control and destroy it completely. The bodies of his wives were currently preserved in a thick layer of ice, and seemed to only be sleeping.

Deep inside William knew that if he accidentally destroyed their icy prisons, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Only when he was at a safe distance from the cave did he finally stop and place both of his hands behind his back.

Truth be told, he liked nothing more than to step on Felix's body, and grind all of his bones into mush. As for Ahriman, he wanted to drink all of his blood until none of it was left. After that, he would burn his body in holy flames, so that he could suffer for eternity.

It was at that moment when a great and murderous anger surged up from the very detphs of his heart. The Half-Elf closed his eyes as he embraced the heart-breaking hatred that was rising from his body.

"Don't worry, I promise that I will avenge them," William said softly as he coaxed the half of himself that was grieving in the deepest part of his heart.

After all of his memories of Belle were taken away from him, the dam that was preventing the Darkness from corrupting the other half of his soul had broken. Free from its prison, the Darkness started to corrupt the other half of his soul in order to become whole again.

It was at that moment when the Half-Elf's instinct kicked in and he summoned the silver bell that resided in his heart, to prevent his soul from being corrupted completely.

William was only able to safeguard a quarter of his soul from the corruption, due to the power of Bell of Anthanasia, that Ella had left him before she disappeared. Ella knew that the Primordial Goddess wanted to corrupt William's entire soul, and make him fall completely into Darkness.

Although a part of his soul was bound to be taken over, she still strived to save a part of it to retain William's essence. That was the only thing she could think to do to prevent the Primordial Goddess from having her way with her adopted son.

William, was a special existence.

Because of this reason, she decided to become a constellation and wait for the right moment to guide him down the right path. Unfortunately, the Primordial Goddess discovered his true identity as well, which made her covet him completely.

After the anger in his heart subsided, the overpowering pressure that William was releasing also disappeared. His sharp eyes gazed in the distance as the power inside him circulated to every part of his body.

"Lilith, Chloee, I am returning to the Sand Clan," William said without turning around to look at his two lovers. "What are your plans?"

"I'll go with you."

"Me, too."

"Okay."

William opened a portal in front of him and walked through it. Lilith and Chloee glanced at each other before following behind him. Today was the day when the Sand Clan, as well as the Rhanes Clan, would migrate to his Thousand Beast Domain.

The black-haired teenager had prepared everything beforehand, and positioned the two clans on the opposite side of the Domain, away from the other clans that served under him.

Cassey had returned to the Rahjah Clan to prepare her people for an evacuation. She had already told William that she planned to join him in the fight against Felix and Ahriman, so the Half-Elf agreed to have her entire clan migrate to the Thousand Beast Domain as well.

Athrun's Clan had strong connections with the Demon Lord, so he knew that they wouldn't budge no matter what he told them. However, he asked William to allow the members of his merchant guild to seek refuge inside his Domain to escape the conflict that was about to sweep the entire Demon Realm.

William accepted Athrun's request because he considered the Demon who had accompanied him on his journey a friend. This was the least he could do for him. He also didn't mind having connections with a merchant that had a good head on his shoulders.

Even though the world was about to descend into chaos, thinking about what the future would hold when everything was over was important as well.

—--

Somewhere in Hestia…

"Celeste said that?" a middle-aged woman, who was wearing a papal robe asked. "Are you sure that the Prince of Darkness is preventing her from leaving?"

"Yes," Byron replied. "She said that William had ordered her to stay by his side. I guess this is only natural because she had somehow become his Bride, and her sister, the Bride of the Heir of Darkness.

"Such pitiful sisters." the middle-aged woman frowned. "However, this is truly a problem. Celeste's Virtue is in danger of being tainted by that foul man's touch. She needs to be returned here to the Palace of Light. Only when all the Virtues are present will we be able to give our warriors the highest blessing that will enable them to better fight against the forces of Darkness."

"Will the blessing work even if she's not there?"

"It will work, but it will not be as powerful as when all the Virtues are gathered together. Having her here is a must. Do your best to bring her back before that man takes her Chastity away from her."

Byron sighed as he nodded his head in understanding. "I'll do everything on my end, so make sure to finish the preparations on your end."

The middle-aged woman nodded. "May the light shine upon you."

After the connection ended, the middle-aged woman stood from her throne, and teleported to the highest vantage point of the Palace of Light.

"Filthy creatures," the middle-aged woman muttered as she gazed in the direction of the Demon Continent where the power of Darkness was gathering. "I'll make sure to erase each and everyone of you and rid this world of your evils even if it's the last thing I do!"

The middle-aged woman then looked at the giant statue that stood behind their palace, which had weathered the storm of Hestia for thousands of years.

"Your Excellency, the time is nigh," the middle-aged woman said. "Twilight falls and the enemies await."

The giant statue briefly glowed in a radiant splendor as if acknowledging the middle-aged woman's words. The time had come for the forces of light to gather and stand on the opposite side of Darkness.

Like they had done once before, during the Era of the Gods, when the entire world was covered in Darkness.

Chapter 1101: If Only You Had Come A Little Sooner

Chapter 1101 If Only You Had Come A Little Sooner

Inside William's Villa, the different Patriarchs of the Clans that had decided to side with him had gathered in his conference room.

"So, are there any problems with your new homes?" William asked with a smile. "If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to tell me, or Charmaine when I'm not around. I will try to accommodate your requests if it is possible."

"In regard to that, Lord William, the One-Horned Clan has no complaints whatsoever," Polox the Patriarch of the One-Horned Clan replied. "We are very satisfied with the accommodations that you have given us."

Karath, the Patriarch of the NIghtshade Clan, nodded his head in agreement. "We were prepared to endure any harsh living conditions, but compared to what we imagined, this place is simply paradise."

"I agree with Karath," Merton, the Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, commented. "Our living conditions are really great, also the Dungeon of Atlantis gives us the opportunity to train our warriors, so that they don't lose their battle instincts. In fact, some of them even improved after challenging the lower floors."

Cassey, who had reverted to her male form, Caspian, also voiced out his satisfaction to the accommodations that he received from William.

"I wish I had a portable Domain just like this," Caspian said as he rubbed his chin with a smile. "This makes living very convenient for everyone."

Zeph and Lorcan also nodded their heads in agreement. They had been used to the harsh conditions of living in the desert, William's Thousand Beast Domain was paradise compared to that dry and unforgiving place.

"That's good to hear," William stated. "However, as you know, I am currently at war with Felix and the God of Demons. There will come a time when I will need your assistance to fight against him. Of course, I won't force any of you to do battle.

If any of you didn't want to be dragged into this conflict. They may stay on the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon. The Floor of Asgard will safeguard all of you."

All the Patriarchs thanked Wiliam for his grace and benevolence. After making small talk for a while, Polox lightly cleared his throat as he looked at the black-haired teenager with a serious expression on his face.

"Lord William, we have held meetings these past few days and thought of ways we can help you fight against the Heir of Darkness," Polox stated. "Aside from sending our warriors to battle, we also thought that we could do more for you by helping you deal with your bloodthirst.

"My granddaughter, Ahn, had told me that she would be willing to let you drink her blood whenever you wished for it. I hope that you won't turn down her offer, Lord William. Several of the young ladies in our clan also know of your condition, and asked me to tell you that all you need to do is ask, and they will willingly offer their blood to you."

"My Clan is also willing to serve you in this manner, Lord William."

"As is our Clan."

"Even if it is only a small matter, we wish that you rely on us more, Lord William."

The Patriarchs all voiced their concern to help William with his need to drink blood on a regular basis. Even Cassey teased him that she would be more than willing to spend the night with him if he wished.

William chuckled because he didn't mind accepting this kind of proposal. In truth, his need for blood was just a part of what his body needed right now. Aside from the rich blood of others, he also needed to absorb Life Magic and Life Essence.

While he could take the blood and Life Essence of others at the same time, it would weaken them terribly and it might cause them to get sick if he took both of them from their bodies.

This was why having a steady supply of ladies who were willing to give him blood and Life Essence would certainly help him stabilize his soul, which still needed some time to adapt.

As for Life Magic…

'I promised to have a talk with Aila later,' William thought. 'I hope she agrees to help me replenish my Life Magic by allowing me to absorb some of hers everyday.'

William's musings were broken when he once again heard Polox's voice, who was seated in front of him.

"Lord William, what do you think of our proposal?" Polox asked.

"I will gladly accept your proposals," William replied. "Truth be told, I really need all the help I can get. So, allow me to be shameless and ask the young ladies of your clans to help me reach my peak strength as soon as possible."

""As you wish, Our Lord.""

—---

When the meeting ended, William went to Princess Aila's room, where the latter was waiting for him. He didn't knock and simply opened the door, and saw the angelic princess looking outside the window as if lost in thought.

The Half-Elf felt that it would be bad if he snuck up behind her, so he decided to knock on the opened door to catch her attention.

"I'm sorry," Princess Aila said as she snapped out of her daze. "I was just thinking of a few things."

"It's fine," William replied as he closed the door and walked towards her.

When William was only a meter away from the angelic beauty, he stopped walking and placed his hands behind his back.

"I came here to talk about what you wanted from me," William replied. "After careful consideration, I decided that what happened in our past lives shouldn't bind us in our current lives. Of course, I will admit that one of the reasons I decided to do this was due to the fact that you… gave up on me."

"T-That…" Princess Aila wanted to reply, but she couldn't think of anything good to say about what happened in the past.

In the end, she lowered her head and bit her lip because she understood what William was trying to tell her.

"You're too kind," Princess Aila said after a minute had passed. "Instead of saying I betrayed you, you only used the phrase 'gave up on you'. You're right. Someone like me who betrays others doesn't deserve to be taken seriously."

"You think too much, Aila," William said as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Raise your head, and look at me."

"I can't look at you right now."

"If you don't look at me, I will kiss you."

"Huh?!" Princess Aila abruptly raised her head because she didn't expect William to tell her of such a thing.

That is when she came face to face with William's smiling face, which made her heart skip a beat. Her gaze landed on his lips, which had been cold when she first kissed him, but later grew warm the more she pressed her lips over them, as she took his memories away from him.

His golden eyes that looked at her were free of lust, but there was a trace of mischievousness in them that made Aila feel that William was about to really kiss her if she didn't take him seriously.

"First, I think you're making a very big misunderstanding," William said as he looked straight into her eyes. "It's not that I don't like you, Aila. In fact, I like you very much. Because of this, if ever the two of us really do become lovers, I don't want to use the reason that we were lovers in the past, so we should become lovers again in this lifetime.

"If we are going to do this, let's do it right. Let's start as friends, and slowly build our relationship to that level. What do you say?"

Princess Aila's gaze never left William's eyes and from what she could tell, the Half-Elf didn't have any falsehood in his words.

"Are you not mad that I betrayed your trust in our past lifetime?" Princess Aila asked.

"I would be lying if I said no. But, remember this, Aila…" William lightly caressed the side of the angelic Princess' face, that would make any man want to lay down their lives in order to protect her smile. "I will not forgive you a second time. If you betray me in this lifetime, I will make sure that you regret it."

Although William's words were soft, gentle even, Princess Aila felt a chill run down her spine as she stared at his golden eyes that seemed to see through her soul.

"I will not betray you, I promise," Princess Aila said as she held William's gaze.

"I hope you don't," William said as he placed his hands on the Princess' waist. "Aila, in truth, there is something that I need from you, and I need it badly."

"It's my Life Magic and Life Essence, right?"

"Um? How did you know?"

Princess Aila bitterly smiled because it seemed that William had forgotten that he had kissed her to gain some of her Life Magic. In the end, she nodded her head, and pulled William towards the couch.

"Don't take too much, okay?" Princess Aila said as the two of them sat down on the couch. "Although I have abundant Life Essence and Life Magic, I might fall into a coma if you take too much of it."

"I know." William nodded his head in understanding. "I will do things in modedation."

"Do you mean, moderation?"

"Yes. Modedation."

Princess Aila giggled because of William's silliness. She didn't know if the Half-Elf was doing it on purpose to make her less nervous, or not. However, it still worked and she was now feeling more at ease as he stared at the man whose face plagued her sweetest dreams.

William lowered her head and kissed the angelic beauty's lips. The kiss was sweet, and made him want to ravage her, but he held back. He knew that the Princess would suffer a lot if he took more than he needed, so he took his time to give her tender kisses.

Aila, on the other hand, was feeling a little light-headed due to Wiliam's continuous absorption of her powers. Even so, she didn't back down and allowed him to take as much as he needed.

When their kissing session ended, the Princess weakly leaned on William's body as she panted for breath.

The Half-Elf had taken less than she anticipated, which proved that he was holding back.

"Take a nap for now, Aila," William whispered as he cast a dream magic on the Princess who had accepted his one-sided request.

Soon, Princess Aila breathed softly as William carried her towards her bedroom. In her dreams, she once again found herself in her villa where the silver-haired William was waiting for her.

There, they made love under the starry sky as they held each other in a passionate embrace.

William tucked her in her bed, and wiped the single tear that fell at the corner of her eye.

"I wish you a wonderful dream," William said softly. "Thank you, Aila."

The Half-Elf left the room and closed the door behind him. He didn't know if he and Aila would really become lovers in this lifetime, but he still decided to give it a chance. Although he didn't want to admit it, Aila's memories of him made him long for that memory that he had lost long ago.

Although he couldn't see it in his dreams, the proof that she still dreamed of him meant that her feelings, which had lain dormant for thousands of years, were still as strong as the first time they fell in love.

For that reason, William was willing to give her a chance. However, even he didn't know if his current state was capable of loving her.

In fact, he didn't know if he was capable of loving anyone, aside from Chloee and Charmaine, who truly made him feel loved, before he became the Prince of Darkness.

Chapter 1102: I Will Do Things In Modedation

Chapter 1102 I Will Do Things In Modedation

A Black Qilin soared through the sky and headed towards the main city of the Rahjah Clan.

After the Sand Clan and the Rhanes Clan finished their migration, William left the Fortaare Desert without turning back.

Naturally, he took the Fortaare Death Worm with him, and let the Monstrous Myriad Beast feast on the monsters that were located on the 61st Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis. As a creature that now belonged to William's King's Legion, it had gained the skill Underwater Breathing.

Because of this, it was able to terrorize the ocean floor, and hunt down the underwater monsters that inhibited the floor that was made up entirely of water.

If not for the fact that William could bestow the Underwater Breathing skill to his subordinates, clearing the 61st Floor would have been a very time consuming endeavor.

—---

'Optimus, how far has the exploration of the Dungeon of Atlantis progressed?' William asked.

After leaving Ahriman's Domain, his connection with The System was once again established. The Half-Elf had tasked Optimus with the expansion of the Thousand Beast Domain to make room for the forces that had decided to serve under his banner.

For some reason, William found himself with a surplus of God Points that he had received out of nowhere. All in all, he had a hundred million God Points that were sent to him by the Primordial Goddess, who he now served.

There was even a playful note in the mail that said.

"Feel free to spend all the God Points at your leisure. I'll be sure to replenish them again once they are gone. Also, my avatar will be meeting you soon. Let's talk more when that time comes."

William couldn't help but think that he had somehow gained a Sugar Mama with enough God Points to drown him completely. The image of the otherworldly beauty with long black hair, and golden eyes appeared in his mind.

For some reason, he wanted nothing more than to lay down in her embrace, and feel the warmth of her body over his.

The Half-Elf's musings were suddenly broken when he heard Optimus' report on their current status in the Dungeon of Atlantis.

< We are stuck at the 78th Floor, right now. There is simply no way for our forces to proceed because every creature there is at the peak of the Millennial Rank. We lack manpower strong enough to be able to challenge them in group battles. >

'I see.' William nodded his head in understanding.

William's main vanguard in the Dungeon exploration was Kasogonaga's team which comprised of Erchitu, Psoglav, and Jareth. Now that the four of them are dead, all further progress in the Dungeon had come to a complete standstill.

The Half-Elf then glanced at the mark on the back of his right hand. There, a black phoenix tattoo could be seen, allowing William to summon the Pseudo-God to aid him in his battle. Unfortunately, the Black Phoenix had sustained serious injuries during the battle in Ahriman's Domain.

According to Optimus' calculation, it would take a month for the Pseudo-God to completely recover from its injuries.

Although he didn't know if the Black Phoenix would be able to fight properly in underwater battles, it was currently the strongest creature in William's arsenal, aside from the Fortaare Desert Worm, that could bulldoze through the obstacles that stood in his way.

As the Black Qilin flew towards their destination, William noticed something strange ahead of him.

Someone was leisurely sitting on top of what seemed to be a flying kettle, while holding a mug of mead in his hand.

The corner of William's lips twitched because he had recognized the Half-Elf, who was known to chase the skirts of women when he was not doing his job as an Alchemist in the Kraetor Empire.

"Yo, Will, been a while," the handsome Half-Elf said as he casually waved to the black-haired teenager who had decided to pay his respects to him.

"It has indeed been a while, Fifth Master." William gave the Half-Elf, who was known as the Full Kettle Alchemist, a respectful bow. "What brings you to the Demon Realm?"

"I came here to see my dear Disciple of course," Albert Antstein said as he eyed the Half-Elf from head to foot before taking a sip of the mead in his mug. "Seems like a lot of things have happened to you."

"A lot is an understatement, Fifth Master."

"Indeed. My bad. I'm sorry for your loss."

William arched an eyebrow. "What loss are you talking about, Fifth Master?"

Albert took another sip from his mug before giving William a sad gaze. His beautiful gray eyes, that could instantly captivate a chaste maiden into spreading her legs for him, were filled with pity, which gave William a strong urge to slap him in the face.

Of course, he didn't do that. Although Albert may be like a loose man chasing after skirts every single day, he taught William a lot of things when he decided to take him in as his Alchemy Disciple when he was still in the Kraetor Empire.

"Gavin told me," Albert replied.

Those three words made William's casual expression change drastically as a serious expression appeared on his face.

"You mean to say that you are my…"

"I am your Senior Brother. I was Gavin's only follower before you arrived here in Hestia."

William blinked once and twice before looking at Albert from head to foot, and back again. He didn't know that his Senior Brother, who was said to also be in Hestia, would end up being his Fifth Master, who had taught him Alchemy.

"What a small world," William said with a complicated look on his face.

"Indeed, but there is one more thing that I need to tell you," Albert replied before drinking everything in his mug.

After giving out a loud belch, the blonde-haired Half-Elf took a red gem out of his storage ring, and casually tossed it to William. The black-haired teenager caught the gem and appraised it before looking back at Albert in shock.

"I know it's a little late, but I am also your father's best friend," Albert stated. "I am here to help you unlock the full power of the Dungeon Conqueror and allow you to follow your father's footsteps."

"... Hah. If only you had come a little sooner, Fifth Master," William sighed as he held the gem in his hand firmly. "Things might have ended differently."

"I know." Albert nodded his head in agreement. "I thought that you were still too young to hold such a responsibility, so I decided to wait a year before I passed your father's memento to you. Looking back, it was me being petty for not being able to woo your mother like your father did."

"Um? Excuse me? You also had a thing for my mother?"

"Yes. I am more handsome than your father, but he's just more bold than I am. I mean, even I didn't have the guts to sneak to where the World Tree was and confess my love to your mother, after she found him peeking at her while she bathed in one of the hot springs around the World Tree. I mean… Bruh, what the f*ck?"

William rubbed his temple because the info dump was too much for him to handle. Aside from the projection, he hadn't been able to ever meet Max in his lifetime, so he didn't know what kind of man he was.

"So, did my mother beat him up after she caught him peeking at her?" William asked out of curiosity.

"Hah! I wish she did. But no. Arwen was too kind for that," Albert said with great regret and disappointment. "Anyway, let's not talk about your father. I'm here to help you break the restrictions on the Dungeon Conqueror class. I'm sure that you need this more than anything right now, no?"

William nodded his head firmly. Indeed. What he needed right now was a power that would shake the world to its very roots. Unlocking the powers of the Dungeon Conqueror would help him take the next step in his revenge, so he definitely wanted to use the inheritance that his father, Maxwell, had passed to him.

"Understood, but we need to return to the Central Continent and find a safe place for your breakthrough," Albert commented before looking at the Darkness that was expanding from the North end of the Demon Realm. "This is not a good place to do that."

"Okay, but there are still some places that I need to go, Fifth Master," William replied. "How about we meet up on the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon? I will wait for you there."

Albert shook his head. "No. I'm going with you. Although I don't like conflicts very much, I can't sit idly while my junior brother is getting bullied by a God."

William smirked. "Very well. Let's go, Fifth Master. Both of us are going to be busy."

"I knew you'd say that," Albert sighed before nodding his head.

With William in the lead, the two traveled Southwards towards the territory of the Rahjah Clan. This was William's last stop in the Demon Realm before he went back to the Central Continent to unlock the powers of the Dungeon Conqueror Prestige Class.

News of Ahriman's appearance, as well as the birth of the Heir and Prince of Darkness, had already spread all over the Central Continent.

The powers of the world were now moving behind the scenes. Those who didn't wish to be swept away by the waves had no choice but to escape, or be drowned by the approaching conflict that would shake the foundations of the world, and shatter the peace that they had taken for granted.

Chapter 1103: After Everything Is Over, I Will Come To Find You

Chapter 1103 After Everything Is Over, I Will Come To Find You

After leaving the Villa, William headed straight to the Magic Crystal Cavern where he had enshrined his wives.

When he arrived at his destination, he found Medusa, Gullinbursti, and Sharur leaning against Chiffon's ice block and crying their hearts out.

This was the first time that he had seen the trio together since the battle in the North.

William observed them from afar, and wished that he could cry the way they did. The little Gorgon had spent many days with Chiffon, and the pink-haired girl had taken good care of her. She never allowed Medusa to go hungry, and would always take her to the theme park to have fun.

Chiffon confided to him once, after one of their lovemaking sessions, that she had grown very attached to Medusa. At first, she treated the little Gorgon as a pet, but soon, their relationship became more close. In the end, although Medusa was older than her, Chiffon treated her as a little sister that she needed to take care of.

Perhaps, Medusa also felt this change in her relationship with the pink-haired girl, and also treated her like her family, aside from her two older gorgon sisters that she had left behind on the Island of Serifos.

"It's fine."

Medusa felt a hand lightly pat her head as she hugged Chiffon's icy prison. Although the hand patting her head was a little cold, a warm feeling started to spread inside her chest.

"Will, promise me that you'll let me smash that bastard!" Sharur wailed as it pressed itself against its Master's body. "I was supposed to protect her, but I failed. I failed her!"

"Okay, I promise you," William replied as he also patted the crying mace who always kept his wife company whenever he was away. "I'll let you smash his face a thousand times."

"Yes…*hic* I will… *hic* smash him good!" Sharur replied in between sobs.

The little golden piglet also squealed as it rubbed its little head against William's foot. It greatly missed its Master who always carried it around and treated it well.

William picked up Gullinbursti and patted its head, while the latter buried itself in William's chest, bawling its eyes out.

'I'm sorry, Chiffon,' William said in his heart as he looked at his wife who had died for his sake. 'For the time being, these three will cry in my place. However, I will promise you, I will avenge you. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow… but it will happen.'

William then reached out to caress the side of his adorable wife's face with as much love as he could muster in his current state.

"After everything is over, I will come to find you," William said softly. "Sidonie, Ashe, and Celine, I will come to find all of you. So until then, please, wait for me."

Medusa turned around to hug William as she buried her face in his chest next to Gullinbursti. Sharur also leaned its body on William, and bawled like there was no tomorrow.

William closed his eyes as he allowed his wife's loyal companions vent out the sadness in their hearts. For he knew that when all of their tears had dried up, it would be their enemies' turn to cry for forgiveness.

—---

Albert drank his mead as he lay on one of the branches of the tree that belonged to the Angray Birds.

The rainbow-colored birds, of course, didn't like what this uninvited guest was doing, but due to his relationship with William they didn't attack him.

They simply looked at the Half-Elf and cursed him, which the latter listened to with great interest.

"Wannabee Playboy!"

"D*ckface!"

"Small D*ck Bastard!"

"F*cking Simp!"

Albert laughed as he looked at the colorful birds who didn't hold back their curses for him.

"Go on, little birdies, give me your best shot," Albert teased the birds as he saluted them with his mug. "I can do this all day."

B1 and B2 exchanged a glance at each other before having a go at the arrogant Half-Elf who thought that he was immune to insults.

"There was a time when I read one of the letters that Lady Arwen had sent to William," B1 said as he talked to B2 who was looking at him with great interest.

"What did the letter say?" B2 asked.

Albert, who was drinking the mead from his mug, perked up his pointy ears because anything related to Arwen was important to him.

"She mentioned her husband's best friend, the Half-Elf one," B1 continued. "However, she said something that left an impression on me."

"Oh? What did he say about that Half-Elf?" B2 inquired.

"Come here, this is something that I can't say in public."

"Really? How curious!"

B2 moved closer to B1 as the latter whispered something in its ear.

Even though Albert was a Half-Elf and had very good hearing, he wasn't able to decipher the gibberish words that the two dumb birds were whispering to each other.

"She said what?!" B2 exclaimed before laughing out loud.

"I know, right?" B1 said as it too laughed and joined his friend.

"How can that be possible? Even MY… is bigger than his? Pfffft!"

"Hahaha! Not only that, she even said that *whisper whisper*."

"Holy Crap! So that's why Lady Arwen didn't choose that Half-Elf, it seems that he was *whisper whisper*".

Albert knew that the two dumb birds was just making things up, however, deep inside, he still held a tiny suspicion that what they were talking about was true.

However, before he could press the two birds for answers, he sensed William's presence headed to his direction.

A minute later, the Half-Elf landed on one of the branches with a smile on his face.

"Fifth Master, what are you doing here?" William asked with curiosity.

"Well, I just wanted some company," Albert replied.

"You could have visited the other Clans and talked to them if you wanted company."

"Well, I don't like 'that' kind of company."

William nodded in understanding because his Master had times when he just wanted to be alone to drink while reminiscing of old times.

"Fifth Master, we will be arriving at the Tower of Babylon in two days. Do I need to prepare anything for the unsealing of my powers?"

"No. I've already prepared the things you need. All you need to do is go through the motions."

William smiled as he sat on the branch. The Angray Birds decided to quiet down to let their Master have some peaceful moments because they knew that he had been through a lot over the past few days.

Albert glanced at his junior brother as he drank the mead from his mug. Truth be told, when Gavin told him that he now had a junior brother in Hestia, he was quite surprised. However, his shock knew no bounds when he discovered that his junior brother was also the son of his best friend and his unrequited love.

At first, he thought that Gavin was just joking, but after seeing William in the Kraetor Empire, Albert knew that his Patron God had told him the truth.

In truth, the Alchemist was feeling very guilty about what happened to William and his wives. On his way to the Demonic Continent, he blamed himself for not taking care of the task that was given to him by his best friend—to pass his legacy to his son.

Perhaps, it was also due to his jealousy of Maxwell that made Albert delay the unsealing of the black-haired teenager's Dungeon Conqueror Class, preventing him from finding an alternative to the dire situation that he had experienced.

Because of this, Albert was doing his best to make up for his shortcomings. For the time being, he decided to stick with William until he fought against the Heir of Darkness and the God of Demons who was prophesied to cover the world with darkness.

However, Albert believed that the black-haired teenager who was lying peacefully on the branch opposite his, was the one who posed the greatest danger to the world.

Even so, he liked to believe.

Believe in the boy who had become his Disciple, as well as Gavin's follower.

Because if his worst fears came to light…

Forget about Felix.

Forget about Ahriman.

William could single-handedly make all the nations of the world kneel before him in submission.

"Say, William, do you wish for Dominion?" Albert asked in a casual manner. He wanted to know the answer to his question.

"Dominion?" William chuckled. "I never cared about it in the past. Even now, I don't care about it."

"I see." Albert sighed in relief as he drank the rest of the mead in his mug.

The corner of William's lips curled up into a smile because he found Albert's question quite funny.

He never wished for Dominion because from the moment his soul was torn in half, and corrupted by the power of darkness, the world was already his for the taking.

Chapter 1104: You Have No Idea Of The Folly You Have Done Today

Chapter 1104 You Have No Idea Of The Folly You Have Done Today

Medusa's soft sleeper breaths echoed in the bedroom.

After her last episode inside the Magical Cavern, she usually visited William's bedroom to take an afternoon nap.

William lightly patted Medusa's head, while the latter held his shirt, as she slept peacefully with tears in her eyes. Gullinbursti, was sleeping on William's belly, because it now accompanied the purple-haired girl wherever she went.

Medusa and Chiffon were like sisters, because their height and build were the same. This was why Gullinbursti was always with her because she reminded it of its Master, Chiffon.

Sharur had decided to stay inside the Magical Cavern to protect Chiffon's body from any harm. The Half-Elf knew that the mace was feeling guilt ridden over what happened to his pink-haired wife, so he didn't try to convince it to stop its vigil.

"You're still as kind as you were back then," Chloee said as she walked inside the room with a teasing smile on her face. "Can't let the young ones cry themselves to sleep?"

"Young ones?" William shook his head. "Both of them are older than me. I'm supposed to be the young one here."

Chloee giggled because she couldn't refute William's words. "Still, it relieves me that you care for them."

William smiled. "This is only natural. Afterall, it is a Master's duty to take care of his pets."

The Half-Elf patted the sleeping Gorgon and the golden piglet as they slept soundly. Both of them were in deep sleep, so they didn't hear William refer to them as his pets. But, Chloee's gut instinct was telling her that Medusa, as well as Gullinbursti wouldn't mind being referred to as pets by William.

"Did something happen?" William asked. "You wouldn't find me at this time if nothing out of place happened."

Chloee nodded her head to acknowledge William's words. She then gave a report of what was happening in the outside world, after she did a bit of investigation.

"I don't know if this report is credible, but according to what Zeph and the rest have gathered so far, Felix had moved back into the Demon Capital to prepare for the crowning of the next High Priestess of the Demon Realm."

"Oh?" William arched an eyebrow. "That sounds interesting, but what does that have to do with us?"

"According to Zeph's spies in the Demon Capital, the next High Priestess is a little girl, not more than ten years old."

"Is Felix that desperate? Why can't he find a proper woman to become their High Priestess? I'm sure that there are plenty of candidates in the Demon Realm for that. Is that his new fetish after becoming Ahriman's heir?"

William had a mocking look on his face as he looked at Chloee, whose expression had turned serious.

"If the report that reached us is true, the little girl is said to have very high spiritual powers, and has been blessed by the heavens themselves," Chloee said. "She has long red hair that goes down to her waist. Her clear blue eyes are said to make even the Demons, who hate humans, unable to bear the thought of hurting her."

The hand that was lightly patting Medusa's head stopped. William's countenance changed as his expression became cold and deadly.

"Her name?" William asked.

"Eve," Chloee answered with a complicated look on her face. "Eve Von Ainsworth."

—--

A week before Chloee received the news from Zeph's spies who were stationed in the Demon Capital…

Ariadne, panted for breath as she attempted to heal her injuries.

Icarus and Daedalus lay not far from her and both were seriously injured. If not for David's—the God of Shepherds—intervention, all of them might have died, when they tried to protect Eve from the green-haired demon, and the Pseudo-Gods that ambushed them out of nowhere.

They had just finished visiting the last temple of their pilgrimage in the Demon Continent, and were about to return to the Southern Continent, when the powerful individuals came out of nowhere.

Although they did everything in their power, they were simply no match against Pseudo-Gods, whose powers far exceeded even that of Demigods.

"Your Excellency," Ariadne said as she endured the pain in her chest. "Please, protect Eve."

Ariadne prayed with all of her might to the God whom she served. When they were bathed in radiant light, and teleported away from the battlefield, she knew that David had descended upon the land to save them from harm.

Although she didn't know what happened after they were forcefully spirited away from death's door, she was confident that Eve would be safe since David had come to protect his young High Priestess from harm.

"Will, I'm sorry," Ariadne said softly. "I wasn't able to protect your cousin."

—----

"David, you have good eyes," Ahriman said as he looked at the unconscious little girl that was lying on the palm of his hands. "She's a good seed."

"Enough rubbish," David stated. "Give me back my Priestess or I will kill this Heir of yours."

The God of Shepherd's foot was currently pressed over Felix's head. The green-haired Demon didn't dare to voice out the pain that he was feeling because he was afraid that the being that was stepping on his head would smash it like a watermelon.

"That is indeed troublesome," Ahriman replied as he eyed his Heir who was at the God of Shepherd's mercy. He knew that David would do as he said and crush his hope of getting unsealed if he didn't return the girl that had caught his fancy.

The Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, as well as the Six-Eared Macaque were lying on the ground with grievous injuries after facing David's wrath. If they knew that the girl that they had kidnapped was already promised to a God, they wouldn't have kidnapped her against her will.

"Give her to me, NOW!" David demanded and a crisp, cracking sound resounded underneath his foot.

Felix cried out in pain as part of his skull cracked due to the increased weight on the old man's foot that was stepping on his head. Even the Crimson Crown of Darkness had started to chip, and was on the verge of breaking.

The frown on Ahriman's face deepened, as he looked at his Heir who was at death's door.

In truth, the only reason why he became aware of Eve's presence was due to the phenomenon that appeared in the Demon Realm, after the young girl received the blessing of the Temple of the Gods that was residing inside his territory.

The Temples of the Gods that had no exclusive patrons, could be used to channel the power of different Deities, so their followers could communicate with them. Since those who lived in Hestia worship several different gods, these temples were scattered all over the land to allow their believers to worship them, despite being of a different race or culture.

Ahriman coveted Eve's spiritual powers because the power of Faith allowed the Gods to gain tremendous powers. If he chose the right Priestess to serve under him and gather the worship of the Demons, his power would recover at a faster rate.

When David descended in Hestia to save Eve, Ahriman used his authority in the Demon Continent to instantly teleport the little girl to his location. Although he knew that this would be a troublesome matter, Eve's Spiritual Power was simply too good to ignore.

"David, I think the two of us should compromise," Ahriman said with a calm expression on his face. "As you already know, I have already placed the Necklace of Darkness on her neck, making her one of my followers. You know that if I forcefully took it off, she would suffer terribly, right?"

David didn't reply. Instead, he increased the pressure his foot was giving to Felix's head making the later scream like a pig about to be slaughtered.

"It seems that you really want to stay in your prison for eternity," David stated. "I am part of the Neutral Faction, and never interfere with the petty squabbles of the Dark and Light Factions, but since you want to include me in this conflict I will make you pay."

"Half ownership," Ahriman stated. "This is my last compromise. She is already wearing the necklace, and you already know that even if I take it off, she will lose her sanity. Even with your Divine Powers, you will not be able to restore her to what she once was."

Ahriman hadn't hesitated to bestow the Necklace of Darkness on Eve, even though it weakened him terribly because he knew that the tradeoff would be worth it. Right now, he had the little girl as his hostage, and knowing David's personality, he wouldn't be able to endure harming the girl he had chosen as his Priestess.

"Half ownership?" David laughed out of anger. "Do you know who she is? She is an Ainsworth, and William's cousin. Do you really think that things will be that simple?!"

Ahriman's third eye widened in shock after knowing the little girl's true identity. Even so, this surprise only lasted for a brief moment before Ahriman's calm voice echoed inside his domain.

"Fate sure knows how to play with people and Gods," Ahriman commented. "But, regardless of what her background is, the fact still remains that she is still wearing the Necklace of Darkness. I've already told you my terms, if you wish to kill my Heir then go ahead.

"Although you control half of this girl's spiritual powers, the other half now belongs to me. If you really want to play tough with me then let's see who breaks first."

"Bastard!" David was really tempted to smash Felix's head then and there.

He was already angered about what had happened to William, and would gladly kill the person that was responsible for the Half-Elf's suffering. David couldn't bear to let another important person in William's life suffer because of his stubbornness.

After a great internal struggle, David kicked Felix's body, sending him straight towards Ahriman's face in anger.

Ahriman didn't do anything and allowed the green-haired Demon's body to hit his face, as a way to pacify David's anger.

"Make an Oath that you will never harm her in any which way, whether it be directly or indirectly," David demanded. "Bind your oath with your true name, and I'll agree to her being both our High Priestess."

"Fine," Ahriman replied.

He didn't dare to push David's patience to its limit, and made the oath. Ahriman knew that if the God of Shepherds really decided to fight him, he could kiss his last chance to regain his powers goodbye.

After the effect of the Oath bound Eve and Ahriman, David waved his hand and the little girl's body flew in his direction.

He then checked Eve's condition to make sure that she wasn't hurt. After healing the minor bruises in her body, David pressed his finger over her forehead, leaving his mark on it.

"You better take care of her, Ahriman," David said as he covered Eve's body with a Celestial Robe that was to be her raiment as his Priestess. "I don't mind using my last chance to descend into this world to go to war with you."

"Of course, I will," Ahriman replied. "She is also my priestess now. How can I bear to let her suffer? Believe me. She will be treated like a Princess. Not even my Heir will dare to lay his hands on her, less he wants them to be cut off from his body."

David scoffed. "We'll see if you can back your words, Demon."

"My mercy only applies to her, David," Ahriman's disdainful voice spread inside his domain. "But, the rest of the Ainsworths are fair game. I will kill all of them, with the exception of Eve, after my revival."

"Feel free to dream." David sneered. "You have no idea of the folly you have made today. The Ainsworth Family is not as simple as you think. Your day of reckoning will be the day you understand what it means to touch other people's reverse scale."

Then David snorted before turning into particles of light to return to the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods.

Ahriman watched him go, unperturbed by the God of Shepherd's threats. He didn't believe that anyone in the world could threaten him, especially a family of nobodies. Although William might pose a threat to his Heir, the God of Demons believed that the Half-Elf would soon be outclassed by the powers in his disposal.

Ahriman's third eye looked at the little girl floating before him as she shone like a beacon amidst the darkness and showed a rare expression of satisfaction within its Demonic depths.

'I'm not a child that you can scare with your petty threats, David,' Ahriman laughed internally. "What could a bunch of mortals possibly do to me?"

Chapter 1105: The Ainsworth’s Family’s Reverse Scale

Chapter 1105 The Ainsworth’s Family’s Reverse Scale

William's expression became incredibly cold after he had received confirmation that it was indeed his cousin, Eve, that was about to be crowned the High Priestess of the Demon Realm.

He was very tempted to barge into the capital city of the Demon Realm, Astryae, to rescue her. But, he knew that if he did that, he would just be doing Ahriman a favor by allowing himself to be captured.

William had locked himself up inside his room, and no one dared to disturb him. They were afraid that if they tried to talk to him in his current state, he might accidentally lash out at them, and this was something that neither side wanted to happen.

When the Half-Elf asked the spy that was stationed in the Demon Capital if they saw a veiled woman accompanying his cousin, they only shook their heads and reported that no such woman was seen alongside the soon to be High Priestess.

William knew that Ariadne wouldn't allow anyone to take Eve from her without a fight, so the veiled lady not being around his cousin only meant two things. Either she was killed, or was imprisoned somewhere.

While the Half-Elf was pondering his next move, he heard the sound of a notification inside his head.

'What happened, Optimus?' William asked.

< You have received mail from the God Shop. The sender is from the God of Shepherds, David. >

William didn't think twice and immediately read the mail from the God Shop.

Several minutes later, a frown appeared on the black-haired teenager's face as he clenched his fist tightly. He then created a portal in front of him and walked through it.

David had given him a brief explanation about what happened and told him Ariadne's current location. The God of Shepherd also assured him that Eve was safe for the time being, so there was no need for him to do anything reckless.

William knew that David was not someone who would lie to him, so he decided to reign in his anger and head to Ariadne's location. According to David, she was badly injured and although she was blessed with a strong constitution, she still received a powerful blow from Princess Iron Fan.

If not for the life saving artifact that she had in her possession, she might have died after taking a direct hit from the all out attack from the Pseudo-God.

After using his Lighting Strider skill, William arrived at the location that David had mentioned in the mail. There, he found an unconscious Ariadne lying on the ground. Her priestess robes were covered in blood, and her face was very pale.

Clearly, she was still not out of danger after her clash with Felix and his cronies.

Icarus' and Daedalus' bodies were not far from her. Both were barely clinging to life and, if not for William's arrival, the two of them might have passed away in a few hours.

William scanned the surroundings, but he didn't find the White Goose, nor the ducks that followed his cousin around. Knowing David, the Half-Elf was sure that Eve's small flock was saved from the jaws of death and might even be by her side at this moment.

After taking the unconscious Priestess, as well as the two Minotaurs inside his Thousand Beast Domain, William immediately called for Princess Aila to help him heal the three injured individuals.

William had given the three rejuvenation potions in order to hasten their recovery, and get a detailed account of what happened from their perspective. Although David had already told him what had transpired, he still wanted to know their version of the story.

The first one to recover was Ariadne, whose face was no longer covered by a veil. After becoming the Prince of Darkness, William could now see Ariadne's true face, without worry about forgetting it again.

However, for others like Chloee and Princess Aila, the mysterious lady's power was still in full effect, making them forget her appearance every time they took their eyes off her.

"Will, I'm sorry," Ariadne said through tear-filled eyes as she looked at William who was holding her hand, and looking at her with concern. "I wasn't able to protect Eve. They were simply too strong."

"It's fine," William replied. "David has already told me that she's safe, so you don't have to worry about her. Tell me what happened."

Ariadne wiped the tears in her eyes with her free hand as she narrated the things that happened during their pilgrimage. The Half-Elf listened until her story was over before he heaved a deep sigh.

"Rest assured, I will take her back." William promised. "However, now is not the time to do that. I am still far too weak to fight against Felix, and his cronies."

"Thank you," Ariadne replied. "If His Excellency has said that Eve is safe then there is indeed nothing to worry about."

William patted her hand to give her some form of assurance. "For now, you should rest. We can talk about your next course of action after you have fully recovered. Aila, look after her for me, okay?"

Princess Aila nodded. "Leave it to me. I am also indebted to Sister Ariadne for the help she gave me during my stay in Lont."

William smiled before leaving the room. However, as soon as the door was closed behind him, the smile disappeared behind an expression oozing with killing intent.

He then closed his eyes and forcefully reigned in his anger by taking deep breaths. The next time he opened them, a resolute expression appeared on his face.

'In an hour or two, Soleil will arrive in the Tower of Babylon,' William thought. 'After settling in, Fifth Master will help me unlock the power of the Dungeon Conqueror. After gaining its power, there are a few places I need to visit before I go to the Silvermoon Continent.'

The black-haired teenager had used his time in the Thousand Beast Domain to map out his course of action after returning to the Central Continent. He was in a race against time before the entire world was embroiled in a war against Ahriman's forces.

Eve's kidnapping almost threw a wrench in his plan, but due to David's assurance, he decided to continue along the path that he had decided to take.

William knew that if his doting grandfather found out that his granddaughter had been kidnapped by the God of Demons, the old coot would not hesitate to charge into the Demon Capital headfirst and start a bloodbath in order to save her.

'Gramps, times like this, I wish you were here,' William rubbed his face with his hands as he thought of his grandfather, who had disappeared to who knows where after he presided over his marriage back on Earth.

He was sure that not only his grandfather, but his uncles, Mordred and Morgan would do the same, and neither of them would stop until they had rescued their family member from those who were foolish enough to touch their reverse scale.

'Optimus, once we arrive in the Central Continent, make a detailed search for all the locations of Class S Dungeons and above,' William ordered.

< Understood. >

William looked at his synchronization rate with Optimus that had stopped at 70%. This setting had turned gray, which meant that he couldn't continue to upgrade this feature at this point in time, due to his soul being corrupted.

Optimus was not the one that had sealed this function, but his Patron God, Gavin. The God of All Trades may not have fully recovered, but he was aware of the things that were happening to William.

Gavin was afraid that if William unlocked the System's full power, while under the influence of Darkness, a calamity might befall in the world. He also knew that William's current state of mind wasn't stable.

William had a hunch about what Gavin was doing, so he no longer worried about it. Right now, what he needed to do was build an army that would march for his cause, and one that would never betray him.

The Primordial Goddess had also told him that if he wanted the bodies of his wives to recover their peak condition, he needed to go to the Spring of Life that was found underground, where the roots of the World Tree gain their sustenance.

The Goddess also told him that her avatar would wait for him on the Floor of Asgard, and meet with him after he had unlocked the power of the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class.

For some reason, William was looking forward to this meeting because his heart ached to be with his Goddess.

Although Gavin was still his Patron God, half of his soul now belonged to her. It was only natural for him to feel love and affection for the otherworldly beauty who would sometimes visit his dreams at night, and speak soothing words to him as she held him firmly in her loving embrace.

Chapter 1106: I Just hope I Chose The Right Side To Join

Chapter 1106 I Just hope I Chose The Right Side To Join

Eve sat cross-legged on top of the bed with her eyes closed. Several ducks lay down around her with their eyes closed as well.

A white goose lay on top of a chair and looked at Eve with concern. After its Master was abducted, he along with the ducklings were sent to the little girl's personal Domain, where they had been spared the attack of the enemies.

As David's chosen one, the God of Shepherds had also given Eve a portable Domain that she used to house her ducks, as well as the white goose, who was also one of her guardians, whenever she needed to perform rights in the Temple of Gods.

The White Goose thought that its Master was currently worried about her current state, and it had every right to think that. Not only were they captured by powerful beings, Its Master was also forced to become the High Priestess of Darkness, and her coronation would be held when morning came.

'This is too terrible,' the White Goose thought. 'Unfortunately, escape is impossible.'

Although the White Goose had no complaints about the Princess-like treatment that Eve was receiving from the Demon Race, it still couldn't come to terms with the current situation.

Felix, the green-haired Demon, who had been so arrogant in front of her in the past, had gone above and beyond to make sure that the two of them didn't meet each other. After being traumatized by David's one-sided beating, the Heir of Darkness knew that there were certain existences that mustn't be crossed, even with Ahriman backing him.

Because of this, Felix stayed in the West Wing of the Demon Palace, while Eve was in the East Wing. He had also sent people to watch her every move to make sure that their paths didn't cross no matter what.

Although he was very tempted to make William's cousin suffer, his near-death experience taught him that the girl was off-limits. Even Ahriman had made him understand that Eve's position in his eyes was equal to Felix, which solidified her position as an "untouchable".

Not only that, the Six-Eared Macaque had volunteered to become her personal bodyguard. Ahriman didn't see anything wrong with this proposal, so he agreed to it without batting an eye.

Truth be told, the Six Eared Macaque was a very cowardly Pseudo-God. Since his original home was the Celestial Realm, making a God his enemy was out of the question. This was why he intended to score some brownie points with David, so the latter would turn a blind eye to his transgressions when the time came for him to return to Heaven.

Even the Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, and Da Peng had become very courteous of Eve, in the hope that David would also spare them once they returned to the Celestial Realm.

In short, no one in the Demon Realm dared to even touch a strand of Eve's hair, out of fear of facing the wrath of two Gods.

Although this was a very wonderful position, the White Goose couldn't find it in itself to be happy with their current situation.

"Don't worry so much, Zander," Eve said as she opened her eyes to look at her Guardian Beast, who was only at the peak of the Millennial Rank. "I'm fine. Also, His Excellency, David, talked to me just now. Big Brother has saved Big Sister Ariadne, along with Icarus and Daedalus. They are now recovering well."

"I see," Zander replied after breathing a sigh of relief.

Icarus and Daedalus had broken through the Myriad Rank, after getting the blessings from the Temple of the Gods, for protecting Eve and making sure that she completed her pilgrimage.

Back then, the White Goose was so smug because it felt that they were invincible. Although it knew of the existence of Demigods, the chances of meeting one were so little, that having two Myriad Beasts as bodyguards ensured that they could go anywhere unhindered.

In a way, Zander was spot on. No Demigods came to look for trouble for them.

Unfortunately, Pseudo-Gods did!

Zander still couldn't believe that its adorable Master would be coveted by existences never before seen in the World of Hestia.

Eve smiled as she lightly patted one of the ducks by her side. "Don't worry about me. Everything is fine."

"If you say so, Mistress," Zander replied as it closed its eyes to rest.

Judging by Eve's current expression, she had meant every word that she said. If she was saying that she was fine then it must be the case.

Eve disliked lying. In fact, whenever she lied, she felt that she had committed a terrible sin, which Zander found funny. For him, lying was as easy as breathing, so doing it didn't require too much effort.

In the end, the White Goose thought that Eve was still too young and innocent. She was still not aware of the Darkness of the Human Race, the Ruthlessness of the Demon Race, the Arrogance of the Elves, the Stubbornness of the Dwarves, as well as the different shortcomings of all the other races in the world.

For the most part, Zander was indeed correct. Eve was still young enough to not fully understand the complex world that she lived in.

However, Eve was certain of one thing. If anything bad happened to her, her family would part the seas, and move mountains in order to save her. This was something that she believed to be true.

A belief that was embedded in the very core of her being. This was also why she wasn't afraid. Even though she had parted from her caring, and doting, Big Sister Ariadne, due to circumstances outside of their control, she was still hopeful that they would be reunited again in the future.

The Six-Eared Macaque who was guarding outside her door, scratched one of his ears.

"If other girls were in her place, I'm sure that they would be crying, and panicking right now," the Six-Eared Macaque said softly. "It seems that their bloodline is quite formidable to produce a talent like this that is coveted by the Gods."

The Six-Eared Macaque had never seen such a child like Eve, and wondered if there was another one like her in the World of Hestia. If there was, the Pseudo-God was sure that they would also be treated as a special existence by the beings that stood above the Heavens.

"Still, I wonder, if that boy William will really be able to stand against Felix," the Six-Eared Macaque rubbed his chin as he pondered the future clash between the two.

One one side, Felix was now the Supreme Ruler of the Demon Realm. Behind him was a Primordial God that had made the world tremble when he was still at his peak.

On the other side, the black-haired teenager, who was now the Prince of Darkness, had no one to rely on. He found this match-up simply too one-sided and wondered if there really was a need to be too wary of such existence.

"I guess, I'll know this when the two of them meet again," the Six-Eared Macaque stated before scratching his ears. "I just hope I chose the right side to join. If not, well… I can always seek asylum as Eve's current protector. This would give me something to lean on when things go South. I'm such a genius!"

The Six-Eared Macaque flipped his hair like a gangster who was filled with confidence before it was caught by the cops. Even so, he believed that as long as he stuck with Eve, no matter which side won, he would still be safe from any repercussions.

This was the mentality it had developed long ago. As long as the possibility of survival existed, all bases must be covered to live that life peacefully. This was to ensure that even if the sky were to fall down when morning came, the Six-Eared Macaque would be able to stand tall, and laugh towards all adversaries, knowing that it had prepared for the worst.

Chapter 1107: A Sublime Experience

Chapter 1107 A Sublime Experience

"It's time," William said as he opened his eyes and lightly kissed Lilith's forehead that was resting on his shoulder.

The two were sharing a rare moment of intimacy after William had calmed down after learning about Eve's kidnapping.

"Soleil has arrived in the tower of Babylon?" Lilith asked as she looked at the black-haired teenager's haandsome face.

"Mmm. It just arrived."

"Understood."

The Amazon Princess stood up from William's lap and allowed him to stand. She knew that Wiliam needed to leave the Thousand Beast Domain, so that he could instantly teleport to the Tower of Babylon, bringing all of them with him.

In truth, Lilith was very curious about the floor that Wiliam had conquered. Back then, she thought that she was the strongest prodigy of the youngest generation after winning the Tournament of Champions.

Unfortunately, on that very same day, William's achievement gave her a slap on the face, overshadowing her victory, and making the entire tournament a lackluster event.

Back then, she didn't feel any resentment towards William. Instead, great curiosity welled up in her heart. The thought of giving birth to the strongest prodigy, as well as sharing him with her Amazonian sisters was the goal that she had set for herself when she went to find William.

Unfortunately, after encountering their future daughter in the Deadlands, Lilith scrapped her initial plans, and decided to monopolize William, no longer willing t o share him with the friends she had left back in her home country.

Lilith watched him go with a calm expression on her face. Although Wiliam had changed a lot after losing half of his soul, and becoming the Prince of Darkness, the love she felt for him remained the same.

For the Amazon Princess, that was all that mattered to her.

When William returned to the real world, he didn't waste a single second and instantly teleported to where Soleil was.

The spear hovered hundreds of meters beside the Tower, allowing William to see the sprawling city below it.

The Half-Elf was currently standing on top of Soleil's body, using it as some kind of floating platform. He looked down at the mortals that were happily living their lives, free from the knowledge that a powerful, and unstoppable wave—called war—would soon be sweepping over the land, making their happiness disappear like a fleeting dream.

"Ignorance is bliss," William muttered as he observed the people under his feet. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

Using his authority as one of the people who had conquered a floor of the tower, William instantly reappeared on the Floor of Asgard.

There, he found himself staring at the Bifrost Bridge, which led to the marvelous city that he had created from his memories.

"I'm home, Asgard," William said softly as he stepped on the Bifrost Bridge.

Instead of flying, or hurrying towards the castle, he took his time and walked on the shimmering bridge that had allowed him to meet Wendy, Chiffon, and Princess Aila in his past life. Although two out of the three women had become his wives, and the last one was still undecided, the Half-Elf was quite thankful that he was able to be with them in his current life as well.

"Me in my past life, believed in happy endings," William muttered as he walked steadily over the rainbow bridge. "Where did that lead me? A front row seat to the end of the world. Thinking back, I don't know if I was lucky or unlucky. Being the last one to see the world burn until nothing was left, was certainly a privilege that not many could witness."

The black-haired teenager chuckled after remembering that particular scene. He was dying in the arms of a beautiful blonde Elf, whom he promised to reunite with, but failed to do so because he died an early death.

"Acedia." William sighed. "That is certainly one regret that I should correct in this lifetime. So, you are waiting for me at the roots of the World Tree? What a coincidence, I plan to go there as well."

The Primordial Goddess had told him that the Spring of Life was located at the roots of the World Tree. There, he could place the bodies of his wives, and allow them to become revitalized. Although she didn't say anything else, the unspoken promise between them made William believe that all was not lost, and he could reunite with his beloved wives once again.

"But, for that to happen, I need to kill Felix first," William said in a cold and indifferent tone. "Ahriman will not be spared either. I wonder, what the blood of a God tastes like? It must be very nutritious to say the least."

It was at that moment when a teasing tone reached William's ears.

"It seems that your appetite has grown a lot. Now, you're thinking of drinking the blood of a God. Are you not afraid that all of your teeth will break if you attempt to do that?"

William smiled as he caressed the Obsidian Gem on his chest.

"Regardless of the outcome, it is still a worthwhile thought. Don't you think so as well, Your Excellency?" William asked as he continued to walk towards his destination.

"Perhaps," the Primordial Goddess replied, not agreeing to nor denying William's words. "Well, I don't know about the part of allowing you to drink my blood, but, my Avatar will be more than willing to offer you her blood.

"She is already in the city, but she will wait until you finish your awakening. Business before pleasure, my Prince. You can have all the pleasure you want once your business is finished."

The smile on William's face grew wider as he took the last step on the bridge, reaching land.

"Then, I look forward to drinking the blood of your Avatar, Your Excellency," William replied. "I'm sure that it will be a sublime experience. I am already looking forward to it."

"As am I, My Prince… As am I."

William's smile widened after seeing his Uncle Morgan waiting for him at the gates of Asgard. It seemed that the current Commander of the Red Plague had sensed his arrival, and immediately came to meet him.

Morgan's eyes observed his nephew from head to toe before nodding his head in greeting.

He was not aware of what happened in the North, and didn't know why William's hair color had changed. All he knew was that his nephew had returned to the Floor of Asgard, and his responsibility as its steward would now be over.

Chapter 1108: The Path Of Conquest

Chapter 1108 The Path Of Conquest

Morgan's face was filled with fury after finding out what had happened to William in the North.

However, the killing intent that oozed out of his body after he heard that Eve had been captured, and was now about to be crowned as the High Priestess of Darkness was like the final tug that broke the limit of Morgan's patience.

"I understand what you're feeling right now, Uncle, but in our current state, we are not a match for them," William said as he looked at his Uncle Morgan whose eyes screamed of murder. "Don't inform Uncle Mordred for now because I am sure that he will do something reckless if he knew of what happened to Eve.

"For now, we should wait for Gramps to return. Eve is currently safe and is being treated as a Princess in the Demon Capital. Rest assured that her life isn't in any danger."

Morgan clenched and unclenched his fist before taking a deep breath, in order to calm himself. A minute later, calm had returned to his face, but the killing intent that was being radiated by his body didn't diminish even a single bit.

"What are your plans?" Morgan asked.

"Inherit father's legacy, and build my own army," William replied. "An army that this world had never seen before."

Morgan nodded his head in understanding. He had seen his brother at his peak and understood how domineering he was as he commanded his army of Dungeon Monsters that numbered in the millions.

"How about you, Uncle?" William asked. "Do you have any plans?"

Morgan stared at his nephew before crossing his arms over his chest. "I will need to leave the Tower of Babylon. If what you said was right then I also need to replenish my army."

"Good." William smiled. The next time we strike at Felix and his army, he will be in for a very nasty surprise."

Morgan only briefly nodded his head before standing up. "I'll leave the Floor of Asgard in your hands, Will. When the time comes, make sure to inform me when you plan to strike."

Morgan threw a golden crystal at William, and the latter caught it without fail.

"Understood, Uncle," William replied. "It might take a while, but please, bear with it."

Morgan turned his back on his nephew and casually waved his hand as if telling him that he had nothing to worry about.

The black-haired teenager watched his uncle go with a smirk on his face. The reason why Morgan was exiled from the Southern Continent was due to how powerful, and destructive he was.

The Red Plague, or the Ainsworth Family's private army, was composed of thousands of men. However, the real reason why their names became notorious was because of the four individuals that held its foundation.

James the Overlord.

Maxwell the Conqueror.

Morgan the Plague

And Mordred the Dragonborn.

James and Mordred were the tamest of the four, but the twins, Maxwell and Morgan were very bold and aggressive people.

Maxwell used his Dungeon Conqueror Job Class to strike terror into his enemies' hearts by using brute force to trampble them under his feet.

Morgan used plague and pestilence-bearing insects to strike his enemies with diseases until not even the land itself could grow any crops that were needed to sustain life.

Whenever these four people moved, the lands were dyed with the blood of their enemies. This was why they were called the Red Plague. A plague that no kingdom, nor empire, wanted to see knocking on their doorsteps.

After Morgan left, William went to the throne room.

The spacious hall was immaculately designed, and very spacious. There, standing proudly at the end of the hall was a magnificent throne, where the mighty All Father, Odin, sat during the council of the Gods.

There was not a time when William dared to sit on that throne, out of respect for the All Father that ruled to protect the peace of the Nine Realms. Even now, the Half-Elf still didn't dare to sit on it.

"Yep, Gramps should be the one to sit over there," William chuckled as he remembered dressing up his Grandfather, James, with an eyepatch as he sat on the throne like some kind of esteemed ruler.

William had a good laugh back then because of James' awkward appearance as he sat on the throne of Asgard.

"Gramps, hurry back home," William said softly. "Crushing Felix won't be the same without you here by our side."

While William was thinking of his grandfather, a light cough came from behind him and broke him out of his daze.

Albert, William's Fifth Master, and Senior Brother, stood with his hands behind his back.

"I've finished my preparations," Albert stated. "We can perform the ceremony to unlock your powers anytime."

"Can we start now?" WIlliam asked.

"Of course."

"Good. Let's do this."

William faced Albert with a mischievous smile on his face. "I am already looking forward to seeing the day where I will have an army that will surpass the one my father had."

Albert looked at the black-haired teenager with a bitter smile. He knew that what the Half-Elf said wasn't an impossibility, but a reality that was just waiting to happen.

"If that day really comes, I pray that whoever ticked you off has prepared his coffin," Albert replied. "Your father at his peak was more Demonic than the Demon Lord. Luciel was no more than an impostor when compared to him, but, even then, I was still more handsome than him. This was something that Maxwell wasn't able to beat despite how strong he was."

William was very tempted to tell his Senior Brother that maybe his narcissism was the reason why his mother, Arwen, didn't find him to her liking. However, for the sake of world peace, he just kept this thought in his heart.

'Finally the time has come,' William thought as he followed behind his Fifth Master, who chased the skirt of girls left and right in the Kraetor Empire. 'The path of conquest is already here.'

Chapter 1109: You're Not Going To Join Us, Right?

Chapter 1109 You're Not Going To Join Us, Right?

Somewhere on the Floor of Asgard, a woman with long black hair, and a veil that covered her face, sat on the balcony of the room she was staying in.

After William left the Floor of Asgard, James had struck a deal with different businessmen to help make the city prosper.

Although it was only in its infant stages, a small city had already been formed on the 51st Floor. With the Castle of Asgard in the backdrop, the city had attracted many hopeful individuals that had climbed the tower to challenge the floors of Babylon.

As the Floor that held the path that led to the 52nd Floor, those who once had lost their will to climb the tower again, felt their blood boiling in anticipation.

There was a one-year grace period before the floors beyond the 50th Floor would open after it was captured. Six months remained before the doors of the 52nd Floor opened, and many people had already gathered on the 51st Floor in preparation for their next adventure.

"Who would have thought that the Prophecies from the Demon Continent and the Silvermoon Continent were not the same as people believed it to be?" the veiled woman said softly. "Fortunately, my gut instinct told me to wait and prevented my Organization from siding with the Heir of Darkness."

Back then, the veiled woman felt that Felix was not the person that they were waiting for. She didn't understand why she felt that way, but due to her hesitation, her subordinates felt that they were just wasting time by not making contact with the green-haired Prince that was prophesied to rule over the world.

Even so, because of her authority as the Supreme Pontifex, her word was law. Even though they felt disgruntled about her decision, they did not dare to voice their opposition. Only fools would do that, and they were no fools.

"Strange… for some reason, I am feeling excited to meet this boy called William," the veiled woman couldn't understand why she was feeling such powerful emotions of longing for someone that she had only heard of in the past.

Her name was Nisha. She hailed from one of the Empires in the Central Continent. Although she was only of common birth, her beauty had caused many people to target her and her family. She was a Half-Elf born from an elven father, and a human mother.

Although they tried to live an almost hermit life, free from the troubles of the common folk, trouble seemed to follow them wherever they went.

One time, when she was young and still naive of the world, she defied her parents' reminder to not leave the mountains and go to the nearby town.

She didn't know that this single moment of rebelliousness would cause her to be kidnapped, and almost sold as a slave. Her parents were able to save her in time, and flee the town. However, the slave trader's organization hunted them down.

Due to this, her peaceful and happy life was ruined. Her parents died while fleeing with her to the next empire. Although they were both strong adventurers, the Slave Traders hired some powerful mercenaries that killed both of them without any mercy.

When it was Nisha's turn to be captured, she blacked out.

A few hours later, she woke up surrounded by the corpses of her parent's killers, as well as those who had ordered her capture. She didn't know who killed them, but growing up, she had similar episodes of losing consciousness and waking up only to find that her enemies had been killed.

In time, she built Deus with the noble cause of helping the oppressed and to strike back at those who wish them ill. Unfortunately, as time passed, the noble cause disappeared, and was replaced by the desire to bring chaos to the world, and watch it burn from the sidelines

"It's too late to go back," Nisha muttered as she stared at the castle of Asgard in the distance. "I hope that you don't disappoint us, My Prince."

—-

William sat cross legged in the center of a magic circle.

Smoke was oozing out of his body as several runic characters appeared on its surface. Albert watched this scene from the side with a calm expression on his face.

Soon more runic symbols materialized around William and danced around his body. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the unsealing ceremony reached its critical phase.

Half a minute later, the sound of peeling bells echoed inside the room. One by one, the runic letters dancing around William, embedded themselves in his body until none were left.

Albert rang the bell in his hand several more times, and a distinct cracking sound reverberated inside the surroundings.

Golden chains appeared around William, and cracks appeared on their surface. Soon, all the chains shattered like broken glass and fell to the ground, where they disappeared into nothingness.

Then it happened. A miniature shockwave, with William at its center swept through the room, making the clothes on Albert's body flutter.

"Congratulations, you are officially the only Dungeon Conqueror in Hestia," Albert stated. "How do you feel?"

William opened his eyes and looked at his Fifth Master with a smile that showed his fangs.

"Hungry," William replied. "Very hungry."

"Sorry, but my blood is very precious to me. Go bite someone else."

"Master, I only drink the blood of women. You're not even in my strike zone."

William and Albert stared at each other for a while before chuckling at the same time. Both of them were in a good mood because they finally accomplished the things that they needed to do.

"You go do your stuff," Albert said as he shooed William away with his hands. "I will go to the town at the base of the Tower to find something good to drink. Only find me if you are planning to leave the Floor of Asgard. I will come with you."

William rolled his eyes because he knew that his Master wasn't only leaving the tower to go find himself something to drink, he was also leaving to go look for some women as well.

'Well, it's not like I'm any better,' William thought wryly as he went to the Thousand Beast Domain to quench the sudden thirst he felt after unlocking the power of the Dungeon Conqueror.

Right now, William could sense the location of every Dungeon within a thousand-mile radius around him. Also, for some reason, he could feel that these Dungeons were feeling wary about him.

It was as if they were afraid that he would choose to visit them, and make them submit to his will.

'So, this is what it feels like to have power over the lives of others,' William thought as he walked towards his Villa. 'Not bad.'

As soon as he entered the room, he found Vesta, talking to a pretty lady with light-brown hair, and green eyes. The single horn on her forehead was enough to tell her what clan she belonged to.

"Anh, so you're here, perfect," William said with a smile as he addressed Polox's granddaughter. "I need your help with something."

"Of course, Lord William." Anh politely bowed her head. "As long as you wish for it, Anh is willing to do anything I can to help."

Vesta eyed William with a frown. "You reek of bloodthirst."

"Is it that obvious?" William sniffed the air around him because he didn't know how Vesta was able to tell that he was indeed feeling bloodthirsty.

"It's not about the smell." Vesta replied before covering her lips in disdain. "It's about the look in your eyes when you look at us. Clearly, those are the eyes of someone who wishes to eat something. Since the only thing you consume is blood, it was quite obvious what you need."

"Ah. So that's it." William nodded his head in understanding. "Um, Vesta, do you mind if I taste your blood too? I've always wondered what you taste like."

"In your dreams," Vesta rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm that cheap?"

"Tsk! You're just a freeloader and you think you're some kind of a bigshot." William snorted. "Come, Anh. Let's leave this menopausal lady here and go to my room. "Don't worry. It will only hurt at first. Charmaine and the others will attest that it will feel good later."

Anh nodded her head with a smile. "Fret not, Lord William. I am here to serve you, so you don't have to be overly courteous with me. Anh understands her position."

William scratched his head because Polox's granddaughter had always been like this. She placed herself in a lower standing whenever she was in front of the Half-Elf, making him unable to know what to do with her.

"Charmaine, come with us as well," William said as his personal maid appeared in the living room.

"Should I call the others?" Charmaine asked with an expression that was filled with anticipation.

"No," William replied. "It is Anh's first time. I don't want her to be too conscious of her surroundings. Let's get her used to it first before we let the others join her."

"Understood." Charmaine nodded as she walked towards Anh to hold her hand. "Come with me, Lady Anh. I will guide you to Lord William's room."

"Thank you, Charmaine," Anh replied as she allowed William's personal maid to guide her.

William followed behind the two pretty girls, but stopped after taking over a dozen steps.

"Um, why are you following us?" William asked as he turned his head to look at Vesta who was right behind his back.

"I'm just going to observe," Vesta replied. "Charmaine would often say that having her blood drunk felt good, so I wanted to see if her claims were true or not."

"You're just going to spectate, right?"

"Yes."

"You're not going to join us, right?"

"I won't join."

"Okay." William nodded his head. He didn't mind allowing Vesta to observe because she and Anh had become friends. It was only normal for her to be curious about what would happen to her friend, so William didn't think much of it.

As the four people entered William's room, he made sure to close the door shut behind him. Right now, he only wanted to drink blood, and that was the only thing he would do until the thirst he felt had been sated.

Chapter 1110: It Seems That You Won't Be Eating Rabbit Stew Tonight

Chapter 1110 It Seems That You Won't Be Eating Rabbit Stew Tonight

(Disclaimer: Minor R-18 scenes.)

Anh's body shuddered after William's fangs sank into her neck. This was the first time that the Half-Elf had drunk her blood, and she thought that it would be terribly painful. However, she was willing to endure it for the sake of her clan.

After suffering for many years, Anh had vowed to herself that she would do her best to ensure that her family and her people would live peaceful lives, even if she had to sacrifice herself for it.

She had prepared herself for pain, but she wasn't prepared for the unexpected pleasure that washed over her body like relentless waves, making her feel a feeling that she had never felt before.

A minute later, she felt and heard William kiss her neck before pulling back.

"Anh, you are trembling so much that I was afraid that my fangs might go deeper than they should," William said softly as she looked at the pretty Demon with tender eyes. "Did it hurt you that much?"

Anh shook her head. "No. I only felt pain at the beginning then it felt really good. I'm sorry, Lord William. In truth, my body is more sensitive than others, so the stimulation made my body move subconsciously."

"Ah, so that's it." WIlliam nodded in understanding. "Look, even your clothes are now dyed in blood."

The upper part of Anh's clothes had a red stain on it because of the blood that trickled out due to her trembling.

Vesta, who was watching from the side, asked her friend if it really felt that good, and the latter nodded her head in affirmation.

"That must have been the best feeling I have felt in my entire life," Anh said with a face that was already as red as a tomato.

Charmaine, who was seated beside Anh on the bed, smiled before taking off her clothes, which surprised Anh and Vesta.

"It's my turn now, Master," Charmaine said with eyes filled with affection.

William nodded his head before kissing Charmaine's lips. He had already accepted her feelings for him, and although they still hadn't crossed that line, it wouldn't be long before the black-haired teenager did it with her.

After the kiss ended, William lowered his head to kiss Charmaine's right breast and lightly bit the pink tip that had started to perk up due to excitement.

Vesta and Anh, who were still chaste maidens, had different reactions to what William was doing to his personal maid.

Anh covered her eyes, but her fingers were parted in order to take a peek on what the handsome Half-Elf was doing to the pretty Elf that wore nothing on her body.

Vesta, on the other hand, looked without covering her eyes, with a calm expression on her face. However, if one were to look closely, they could see that her cheeks had reddened a bit.

Charmaine arched her body back, as if to offer herself to the Master that she had served for many years, and the latter accepted her offering with happiness.

The two maidens watched how William's fangs embedded themselves on the upper part of Charmaine's right breast and drew blood.

The pretty Elf sighed as she held onto William's neck, basking in the euphoria that she had grown to love.

Anh unconsciously gulped after seeing this scene. As someone that had experienced that wave of pleasure, she understood more than anything how it felt. However, a new thought appeared in the pretty demon's head.

If it already felt good being bitten on the neck, would it feel better if other parts of her body were bitten? This thought made Anh shudder because of her sensitive body. She didn't know what would happen if William were to do something similar to what he was doing to Charmaine to her.

All she knew was that if it felt as good as what she had felt earlier, she might lose herself in that feeling and clasp unto William, like Charmaine was at the moment.

Vesta lightly tugged on Anh's clothes catching her attention.

"Does it really feel that good?" Vesta asked.

"Yes," Anh replied honestly. "It feels really good."

The one-horned Demon could see that the tips of Vesta's ears had already reddened due to the scene that she was witnessing. After getting her answer, both girls shifted their attention back on the Half-Elf who seemed to be enjoying the blood offering that was being given to him.

William drank blood for five minutes, but for the two maidens, it felt like days. Finally after having his fill, Wiliam licked the wound clean before kissing it, healing it completely.

"Thank you," William said as he pulled Charmaine close to him to give her a kiss on the lips.

The two kissed passionately for a while before Charmaine became bold and pushed William back on the bed.

"Master, please…," Charmaine said as if possessed. She then cupped William's face, and lowered her head to kiss him repeatedly on the lips.

"Charmaine, at least, let's make the peanut gallery leave first," William replied with a mischievous look on his face as he used his chin to point at the two ladies whose faces had now turned a deeper shade of red.

Charmaine looked at Vesta and Anh absentmindedly before an "Oh" escaped her lips. She then moved to the side to allow William to prop himself up to a sitting position.

"Seen enough?" William asked as he looked at the two girls with a devilish smile on his face. "Are you going to leave, or do you plan to join the two of us? As you can see, my bed is big enough for all of us. I don't mind teaching the two of you the pleasures of being a woman."

Vesta and Anh exchanged a glance before standing up to go to the door. The two of them left, but Anh gave William one last glance before leaving the room. Her face was still beet-red but her eyes held a sense of curiosity that didn't escape William's and Charmaine's gaze.

"She might really have a sensitive body, Master," Charmaine said as she took off William's shirt. "It might be worthwhile to train her."

"I don't know about that," William replied. "Drinking her blood is fine, but doing more than that… I don't think so. Also, Lilith, Chloee, and you, are enough for me."

The Half-Elf's voice became deep as she held onto Charmaine's body.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" William asked. "You can still turn back, you know?"

Charmaine shook her head as she met her Master's gaze steadily. "I have waited for many years for this moment, Master. Please, embrace me."

William smiled as she laid her gently on the bed. He then showered her with kisses, until every part of her body had been marked by his lips.

Soon, Charmaine's sweet sighs of pleasure echoed inside the room. The moment William took her maidenhood, the pain filled her heart with pleasure because she finally belonged to him.

As William and Charmaine tumbled on the sheets, the two ladies returned to the living room. The two of them still hadn't recovered from the scene that they had witnessed, and a seed of curiosity had started to grow inside their hearts and minds.

It was at this moment when Chloee entered the living room and asked if the girls had seen William. Thinking that it was a good opportunity to set William up, Vesta told Chloee where he was.

Chloee thanked her and headed straight towards William's bedroom. The green-haired lady then followed the black-haired succubus in order to see how the situation was going to turn out.

Out of curiosity, Anh followed her as well.

When Chloee opened the door of William's room, Vesta and Anh thought that William would immediately stop what he was doing, but Chloee didn't bat an eye and entered the room, closing the door behind her.

Vesta and Anh exchanged a glance before pressing their ears over the door in order to listen to the commotion that was happening inside.

"To the two little bunnies that are listening outside the door, you have two choices." William's teasing voice reached their ears. "Either you leave quietly… or I drag both of you here inside the room to join us. I'll count up to ten. One… two… three…"

Just before William was about to count to four, he heard the sound of running in the hallways. Chloee who was seated on the bed beside him covered her seductive lips and giggled.

"It seems that you won't be eating rabbit stew tonight," Chloee said.

"I don't mind," William replied as he pulled Chloee close to give her a kiss, while his hips continued to move to bring Charmaine to her limit. "I'll just eat Charmaine for now, and have you for dessert."

"Sounds like a plan," Chloee smiled as she hugged William's neck. "It seems that you will be taking our firsts tonight."

"You don't like it?"

"I like."

A minute later, a sigh of pleasure escaped Charmaine's lips as William released his seed inside of her. She had been waiting for this moment for many years, and her wish had finally been granted.

A wish that William would mark her, and her womb, as his own.

Chapter 1111: Invitation For A Meeting

Chapter 1111 Invitation For A Meeting

When William opened his eyes the next morning, he found two seductive ladies sleeping naked beside him.

The two girls held him in a firm embrace, as they slept soundly in his arms.

Originally, he hadn't planned to take their first time together, but somehow, one thing led to another and the Half-Elf was swept away by the flow and the passion of the two girls who loved him very much.

The black-haired teenager smiled mischievously as his two naughty fingers explored the forbidden fruits of the two beautiful ladies who were pretending to be asleep.

Just as he expected, his naughty fingers were able to get a reaction from Charmaine and Chloee, who had both still been maidens till a few hours ago. It only took William five minutes to make the two ladies squirm under his touch, which led to a beautiful spring morning.

Two hours later, William left the Thousand Beast Domain with a relaxed smile on his face. As he was about to look for his Fifth Master, Albert, he found Lilith talking with the Amazon delegation stationed on the Floor of Asgard.

The Amazon Princess had a serious expression on her face as she talked to her people about the current affairs of the Amazon Empire.

William thought that something was wrong, so he decided to ask what was happening. It was then when he learned that the Amazon Empire had sent a thousand of its warriors to the Kora Empire, which bordered several Demonic Teleportation Gates, just like the one Wiliam and his entourage used to arrive at Joash's Stronghold.

"I see." William rubbed his chin. "Did Joash communicate with the various rulers of the Central Continent?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. He also asked us to give his forces peaceful passage once the defenses of his Fortress were breached. Although no signs of the Demonic Army can be seen at the moment, Joash said that it might only take Felix a month, or two, to gather an army to attack his Fortress."

William could only smile wryly because he knew that once the Fortress was breached, the Central Continent would be hard pressed to contain the Demonic Invasion.

Although Joash had already taken control of several teleport stations and assigned his men to guard them, it would still be useless in the end. The Demon Army had built several hidden teleportation gates that even Joash didn't know about.

Even if he were to destroy the ones that were under his control, it would still be in vain if he didn't destroy the hidden ones as well.

Joash knew this as well, but there was nothing he could do. Luciel didn't trust him enough to tell him all the locations of the portals that had been secretly built over the years. The only thing he could do was to buy time for the Central Continent to mount a defensive counterattack in order to push them back.

"How about you, Your Excellency. Do you have any plans for the Demonic Invasion?" one of the Amazons who had known Lilith for a long time asked. She also knew that their Princess was now William's fiance, and they were serious in their relationship.

"Of course, I have a plan," William replied, "but I can't tell you about it. For now, I will make my preparations, just like everyone else. I wish you all goodluck in your endeavors."

The Amazon could only nod her head to acknowledge William's words. She and her team then bid their Princess goodbye before leaving to send Lilith's message to her mother, Empress Andraste, back in the Amazon Empire.

When it was only William and Lilith left in the hallway, the Amazon Princess gave the black-haired teenager a hug.

"It seems that you had fun with Charmaine and Chloee last night," Lilith said as she held William in a firm hug.

"Yes," William replied. "It wasn't my intention, but it somehow ended up that way."

"I believe you."

"Thank you."

William planted a kiss on Lilith's forehead before looking at her with a serious gaze.

"Starting tomorrow, I will visit the dungeons around the Central Continent, especially the ones near the border," William stated. "How about you? What do you plan to do?"

"I will stay here on the Floor of Asgard," Lilith replied as she lightly touched her earring. "Since I can come to the Thousand Beast Domain anytime I want, it will be best if I stay here in order to stay updated with the news. That way, I can relay the recent events to you."

"Understood," William replied as he, too, lightly touched the earring in his ear. Both earrings allowed them to communicate with each other over great distances, and allowed Lilith to freely travel to the Thousand Beast Domain.

Not only that, they also had other special functions, but they only worked if they were near each other.

The two held each other for a few more minutes before they parted ways. They understood that they had their own roles to play, and both were important.

The rulers of each floor of the Tower of Babylon had also been informed of the current situation. William thought that it would be better to not leave them in the dark, so they could take preventive measures to keep their Domain from being invaded by Demons.

In the end, the Guardians of the Tower created a special place where all the leaders were to meet in order to discuss their course of action.

William was also invited, and the Half-Elf happily accepted it. During the meeting, the black-haired teenager was the one who told everyone about what had happened in the Demon Continent, which made the rulers doubt whether he was telling the truth or not.

Frankly, William didn't care what they thought because it was none of his business to know what they planned to do in their own Domain. He had already made a declaration that the Floor of Asgard would not allow anyone to enter its Domain a month from now.

This was to ensure that no Demon would be able to create problems for his Domain, while he was away. As long as the Floor Master willed it, no one could enter his Domain unless he gave his tacit approval.

Some of the other Floor Masters thought that this was a good idea, and imitated William's declaration. Of course, there were others who thought that he was just spouting off a bunch of nonsense, and treated the whole affair as a joke.

When the meeting ended, he decided to temporarily pass the authority of the Floor of Asgard to Lilith, while he was away.

After tying up the loose ends, William was about to call it a day when a black bird that materialized out of nowhere, landed on his shoulder.

William noticed that there was a note tied on its leg, so he took it, making the bird disappear without a trace.

The black-haired teenager arched an eyebrow after reading its contents. There were no greetings, or any other messages on the piece of paper except for two things.

A time and place.

William smiled because the Primordial Goddess had told him this information beforehand. Unlike Ella, the Primordial Goddess had managed to create her own natural born avatar in Hestia.

If she wished for it, she could descend into her avatar for a limited period of time. She could also use a fraction of her power during her possession, which allowed her to do many things.

However, she couldn't push her avatar's limit to that of a Pseudo-God, for fear of it breaking. Being able to wield the power of a Demigod was a simple matter to her.

William was curious about what kind of person the Primordial Goddess' avatar was. The Goddess had told him that her avatar had lived a normal life in Hestia, without knowing about her existence.

The Half-Elf found this method intriguing and looked forward to meeting the leader of the organization that had almost pushed the Southern Continent to the brink of collapse.

Chapter 1112: Having A Taste Of Her Hard Work

A woman with long black hair, and wearing a veil to cover her face sat on the balcony as she sipped her tea.

She was looking directly at the magnificent castle of Asgard that looms in the distance. Although she had seen many castles in the Central Continent, she had to admit that it was quite a marvelous sight to see.

It was at this moment when she saw a black mist fly in her direction. The woman smiled because William had come earlier than their scheduled appointment.

"You're quite early, Lord Ainsworth, or should I call you, His Highness?" the woman asked in a polite, and respectful tone.

"Lord Ainsworth?" William chuckled as the blackmist gathered and materialized to form the handsome Half-Elf. "This is too formal. Also, if you call me Lord Ainsworth, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Just call me William or Will. No need to be formal since we are on the same side."

"No, Lord William," the woman corrected. "We're not on the same side. At least, not yet."

"Is that so?" William smiled as he sat in front of the woman that was wearing a veil. "Since you asked me out on a date, I thought that this is already a done deal."

"Hardly, this is just the start of our negotiations."

"Negotiations? Go on. I'd like to hear your proposal."

The woman stared at the black-haired teenager who had a relaxed smile on his face. Through her veil, she could sense that William was oozing with confidence. Also, he didn't even ask why she was wearing a veil, nor did he order her to take it off so that he could see her face.

Usually the rulers, the head of the families, as well as the Overlords, whom she had met in the past, would always ask this of her. Naturally, she declined their requests because she didn't want anyone to see her face.

Even her closest aides in Deus didn't know what she looked like.

"First, I would like to hear Lord William's plan," the woman asked. "What is it that you want?"

"What I want is really simple," William answered. "The first one is to find a way to revive my wives. The second is revenge, the third? Well that can wait after I'm finished dealing with Felix and Ahriman," William answered. "Unfortunately, the thing I wanted the most is impossible to achieve at this point. That leaves dealing with Felix and Ahriman first."

"I see…, love is a wonderful thing," the woman said dreamily as she eyed the Half-Elf.

"It is," William replied with a smile.

Nisha had been evaluating William with a critical eye. Right now, their Organization was torn on whom to support. The Heir of Darkness, or the Prince of Darkness. Both of their prophecies said that they would conquer the world, but if there are two conquerors, which one would triumph over the other?

"Tell me, Lord William, are you interested in creating a new world order?" Nisha asked.

"New world order?" William rested the side of his face on his right fist. "Sounds exciting. Are you planning to be the Empress of this world?"

"I don't dare to even consider that, Lord William," Nisha replied. "I only want to right what is wrong, and ensure that the innocent will no longer suffer. A world where everyone will be free and no slaves will be sold to and abused by their new Masters. I wish for that kind of world, Lord William."

"I see." William nodded. "You must be delusional then."

The Half-Elf chuckled as he took the teacup on the table and took a sip from it. After tasting it once, he returned the cup to its plate and eyed Nisha with eyes filled with mischief.

Nisha didn't even bother to look at her teacup that the black-haired teenager in front of her had taken a drink from. A frown had appeared on her beautiful face due to William's words. This was one of the rare occasions that she was thankful that she was wearing a veil to hide her current expression.

"Delusional? Such a harsh word, don't you think so, Lord William?" Nisha inquired.

"Not really," William answered with a teasing smile. "I'll tell you upfront, the world you want is not going to become a reality. Take for example Felix and Ahriman. All they want is to make the entire world submit to their will. Both of them are Demons, and their Demonic tendencies will be the law that rules this world… that is if they managed to conquer it.

"Do you honestly believe that someone like you, can make them change their minds? You're talking with the Primordial God that started the Dark Era of this world. If you really think that you can convince them to make your dreams a reality then you should really slap yourself in the face. That way, you will wake up from your delusions."

Nisha didn't reply, instead she took a sip from the cup that William had drunk from earlier. After emptying the cup, she shifted her attention on the castle of Asgard and sighed.

"The reason why I wanted to meet with you is because my instincts are telling me that what Felix and Ahriman can't do for me, you can make it a reality," Nisha commented. "But, looking at you, I can already see you just sitting on a throne, and ordering people to manage your Domain for you, while flirting with your wives. Such an irresponsible ruler. You don't have what it takes to rule the world."

"And that makes me the perfect candidate, right?" William asid with a smirk. "Since I'm the type that just allows my subordinates to manage things for me, that means that they can do whatever they want, while carrying out their goals, using my name. That must be a dream come true for you, no?"

Nisha chuckled before shifting her attention back to William.

"So, do we have a deal?" Nisha asked.

"That will depend if you can satisfy me," William answered. "What can you offer me in return?"

"I can give you everything."

"Where do I sign?"

The woman, and the black-haired teenager stared at each other. Although a veil stood between the two of them, both understood that each side was only being half serious with their words.

"I guess, it's time for another round of negotiation," Nisha said as she walked back to her room. "Come, Sir William. They said that talks of conquest are better discussed in the bedroom."

William chuckled as he stood up to look at the lady who had already removed the veil from her face.

"Whoever said those words, should be given an award," William said as he moved towards the black-haired woman, whose beauty could bring down nations. "I hope that we will be able to discuss a lot of things."

Nisha took off her dress and made an inviting gesture. "I hope for that as well, Lord William."

William smiled as he held the mature beauty in his embrace. Nisha's right pupil had started to turn a golden color. Clearly, a certain Primordial Goddess thought that this was a good opportunity to descend to Hestia, and have a taste of the fruits of all of her hard work.

Chapter 1113: What Lay Underneath His Smiling Facade

Chapter 1113 What Lay Underneath His Smiling Facade

Celeste and Baba Yaga were currently seated on a bench overlooking the gardens of Asgard.

Claire sat on Celeste's shoulder with a solemn expression on her face. After meeting her twin, Chloee an hour ago, she got wind of the latest changes that had happened to William.

When she asked if it was fine if this information was known to her, Chloee said that William allowed it. She added that Celeste should decide if she would leave with him, or return to Hestia Academy when morning came.

If this question was asked to Celeste a month ago, her answer would definitely have been "I will go back to Hestia Academy".

But, now, things had changed.

After what happened to her sister, she felt that the only one that could find Celine's whereabouts was William. Because of this, she didn't want to leave his side until she confirmed that her sister was safe.

Also, she had heard what the cloaked figure had said due to her superior hearing. The information shocked her because she didn't expect her sister to be pregnant with Wiliam's child.

When she first checked her sister's body, after Celine had given her first time to the Half-Elf, Celeste didn't find any signs of life in her womb. This meant that her sister conceived after William had met up with her in the Demon Continent.

In a way, Celine defied the prophecy that she was born with. Instead of being Felix's bride, she chose to bear William's child instead.

Although, in the end, Celine did become a Bride of Darkness, the child she kept was not from the Heir, whom she was prophesied to be with, but the Prince, who was supposed to be Celeste's partner.

The Maiden of Chastity fully understood that she was not in love with William. He was a Disciple of her Familiar, and a student in the academy that she was teaching at.

They could be considered colleagues, being two of the only Familiamancers in the world. Unfortunately, he lost Conan and Elliot during the battle in the Demon Continent. This created a terrible backlash where half of William's soul ceased to exist.

She couldn't even imagine the pain that he had been through after that half of him died. Chloee's transformation gave her a slight discomfort, but she knew that what she had experienced was nothing compared to what William had gone through.

As the beautiful Elf thought of the events that had transpired in the Demon Realm, she was surprised by the fact that the current William was even able to smile, despite losing his wives, friends, as well as half of his soul.

"This is madness," Celeste muttered as she clenched her fist tightly. "How can he act so carefree after what happened to everyone? Is this the result of him becoming corrupted by Darkness?"

Baba Yaga who was seated beside her sighed. "Darkness, Light, truth be told, these two are interchangeable. Those who stand in the light, are no different from those who stand in the dark. As long as they are Human, Demon, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, or even a Fairy, all of them are sinful creatures.

"You know this very well, since you are part of the Holy Order of Light. They act as though they are the Saviors of the world, but underneath that smiling facade lies a Darkness that even makes us Demons shudder."

Celeste couldn't refute Baba Yaga's words because she had seen some of the things that the Holy Order did to their believers.

"So, are you saying that Felix and Ahriman are not evil?"

"Of course they are evil. The Demon God of Darkness that covered this world in Eternal Darkness, which ignited the war between the different races. Now that he has his Heir to do the dirty work for him while he recovers his power in the shadows, this world will once again be embroiled in a war that no one wished to see."

Celeste sighed before turning to look at the old witch whom her sister had treated as her adopted mother.

"Then, what should I do?" Celeste asked. "Should I stay, or should I go?"

"Silly girl. You already know the answer to that question," Baba Yaga replied. "What you are looking for is someone to tell you that what you are doing is right."

"Then, am I doing the right thing?"

"Do you want an honest answer?"

Celeste nodded. "Yes."

Baba Yaga looked at the colorful flowers in front of her before sharing her thoughts.

"That boy, William, is headed for destruction," Baba Yaga said. "Underneath his smiling facade is a soul that weeps for the loss of his beloved. Having half a soul is not an easy thing. There will come a time when he will lose control, and destroy everything around him.

"Friend, foe, lovers, he will not be able to recognize any of them. That is the extent of how much damage his soul had received. The only thing that is keeping him together is his wish for revenge. If he manages to win, and end Ahriman's tyranny…"

Celeste subconsciously stopped breathing as she waited for Baba Yaga to finish her words.

"…the thing that keeps him together will be lost. That is where you come in."

"Me?"

Baba Yaga nodded. "Celeste, prophecies aren't set in stone. Even though Celine did what she could to defy the Fate that was given to her, the fact still remains that you were chosen to be his bride, not your sister."

"SO, I should love him then?" Celeste's expression became serious as she looked at the Old Hag, who only chuckled after hearing her words.

"Gods, no." Baba yaga chuckled. "William, doesn't see you as a lover candidate. Right now, he sees you as a hindrance. But, even so, because you are Celine's sister, you have this protective halo around you that prevents him from tossing you aside. He instinctively knows that if he harms you in any way, Celine will be angry at him."

Celeste could only smile bitterly after hearing Baba Yaga's words.

"I think what you should do is return to the Holy Order of Light for the time being," Baba Yaga advised. "Right now, William is going to focus on capturing the Dungeons to raise an army for his inevitable battle against Felix's and Ahriman's forces. You can't do anything for him right now, but you can do something for him later."

As if the final piece of the puzzle fell in place, a realization appeared inside the beautiful Elf's mind.

"You're right," Celeste replied. "Right now, I really can't do anything for him. But, once I'm in the Palace of Light, I can search for ways to bring his wives back to life, right?"

"The possibility exists," Baba Yaga smiled. "Celeste, dear, do me a favor."

Celeste nodded. "Anything. As long as I can do it."

"Although this is only a hunch, the God that took your sister, as well as the souls of William's wives, might be the God of Death, Thanatos. Look for information about him, and if possible, find a way to reach his Domain. If you manage to find anything, share this with William. Perhaps this will help him fight against the corruption that is eating his soul at this very moment."

"Thanatos…," Celeste muttered before nodding her head. "I will do my best."

"Good." Baba Yaga smiled. "Doing our best is the only thing we can really do at this point in time."

Baba Yaga then looked at the heavens with a bitter smile.

"Man proposes, God disposes," Baba Yaga said softly. "If this is really the will of the Gods, then us mortals have no choice but to… defy them. That is the only thing we can do, to fight against the Fate that toys with the lives of those who want to live a peaceful life, in this world that is on the brink of collapse."

Chapter 1114: What Can You Tell Us About The Prince of Darkness?

Chapter 1114 What Can You Tell Us About The Prince of Darkness?

For the first time in many years, all the Rulers of the different kingdoms, empires, and influential families were gathered in a magical conference, hosted by Hestia Academy.

Byron was an influential person, and had left communication crystals with all the leaders of the Central Continent, as well as the Silvermoon Continent.

Because of this, he was able to make this grand conference possible. None of the rulers had to leave their respective kingdoms. All they needed to do was activate the artifact that Byron had left them in order to participate in an important discussion regarding the looming crisis that was about to start in the Demonic Continent.

"I'm sure that all of you gathered here have already been told that the Demonic and the Elven Prophecies have come to pass," Byron said as countless eyes looked at him through the projections that surrounded him.

Although some were still skeptical, Byron's position as the Headmaster of Hestia Academy gave weight to his words. All of them listened to him with varying interests as he continued his explanation.

"The Heir of Darkness, Felix Gremory, is now in the midst of uniting the Demon Clans in order to raise an army to strike beyond the borders of the Demon Realm," Byron explained. "There are two possible targets, the first one is the Central Continent, and the second one is the Silvermoon Continent.

"Regardless of who he plans to deal with first, we should unite under one banner in order to prevent him from getting his way."

One of the king's, whose kingdom was located at the Southwestern edge of the Central Continent, chuckled.

"Headmaster, even if the Demons did manage to raise an army, I doubt that they would be stupid enough to attack the Central Continent," the king said. "Most likely, their target will be the Silvermoon Continent because they are easier to defeat."

The members of the Elven Council, who were also invited in the meeting, frowned at the Human king who had a carefree smile on his face.

"I'm sure that you wouldn't be smiling if your Kingdom bordered the Demon Continent," the Emperor of the Kora Empire, Fannar Kora, sneered. "It must be nice to be so far away from the immediate area of conflict."

The king of the Southwestern Kingdom gave Fannar a teasing smile as he replied to his words.

"Well, it can't be helped," the King replied. "It's not my problem."

Fannar snorted at the King who was quite far from his reach. Everyone in the conference knew that if the Emperor of Kora had his way, he would have already made plans to send an expedition to conquer the territory of the arrogant King who didn't know his place.

However, before the situation escalated, Byron's steady and firm voice reached everyone's ears.

"It is very easy to think that you will not be involved in the war that is about to transpire," Byron said. "However, now is not the time for conflicts. Naturally, I will not force any of you to help if you really do not want to, but know this…. Those who will not participate in this endeavor will be ignored by the Alliance, if and when they need help in any form."

The Headmaster of Hestia Academy smiled as he scanned the faces of the different people that were looking at him at the moment.

"Verbal agreements will also not be entertained," Byron added. "During this time, we need sufficient manpower to deal with this crisis. Saying your support, and not acting on it will be treated as a major offense in the Alliance. Isn't that right, Your Excellency?"

A middle-aged woman wearing a papal gown appeared beside Byron. She was holding a golden staff in her hand as she gave the King who had a carefree manner a side-long glance.

"Yes," the middle-aged woman said. "Those who do not fully participate in this grand undertaking will be tossed aside. I will personally deal with them. If and when I deemed that they didn't have any goodwill in regards to the alliance, they will be labeled as heretics by the Holy Order of Light."

The King who had a carefree smile earlier suddenly became serious when he heard the Pope's subtle threat.

The reason he didn't take the matter seriously was because the Demon Continent was far away from his kingdom. Also, Byron was only the Headmaster of an academy. No matter how great its reputation, his Kingdom also had its own academy where the elites of his kingdom studied.

He didn't find it worthwhile to flatter the Headmaster who was known to be a pacifist.

However, the Holy Order of Light was a different matter. Every ruler knew that under their Righteous Cause was a darkness that wouldn't lose to the underworld criminals that lurked in their respective Domains.

Unlike Byron, the Holy Order of Light was not known to show any mercy for those who do not agree with their vision. Of course, during times of peace, their stance was through diplomacy, but, during times of war, they could easily send an elite force to assassinate any member of the royal family in order to make them align with their goals.

The middle-aged woman's appearance changed the atmosphere of the room, which made the rulers, especially those who were very far away from the borders of the Demon Continent, take this matter more seriously.

Byron took this opportunity to return everyone's attention to the strategy that they wanted to achieve. "Right now, several Kingdoms and Empires have agreed to send reinforcements to the Empire of Kora, which has the highest chance of getting invaded first. Our Academy has already fought against the forces of the Heir of Darkness in the North, and I will tell you what kind of enemies we will be facing against.

"According to the information we gathered, the Heir of Darkness has four Pseudo-Gods, and two Demigods under his command. Just as the name implies, they are stronger than Demigods and are much more dangerous. With them aiding the Heir of Darkness, resisting their advance will be extremely difficult."

At the mention of the Pseudo-Gods, everyone's faces turned grim. They were well aware of how strong Demigods were, and had treated them as the Apex Creatures of the world. However, after hearing that there were creatures that were stronger than the Demigods, they felt that the Heir of Darkness posed a serious threat to the world.

"Isn't the hurdle too big?" the Patriarch of one of the most influential families in the Central Continent spoke. "If we are really facing Pseudo Gods, then sending our armies to fight against them is a futile endeavor. We will just be slaughtered like pigs."

"True," Byron replied. "So, should we just allow Felix to conquer our lands unhindered? Should we just kneel and submit to him? I will assure you that once this is over, there will be no Kings, or Emperors in this world. It will only be the Heir of Darkness who will rule over us all."

As everyone pondered Byron's words, a light cough caught everyone's attention.

All eyes turned towards the Elven Council who had remained quiet until now.

"We already know about the Heir of Darkness," one of the Elven Elders said. "What can you tell us about the Prince of Darkness? Surely, you have information about him, right?"

For the Elves, the Heir of Darkness was already bad news because the Demons had long wished to conquer their Domain. However, the Prince of Darkness was a Prophecy that was made by their Elven Oracle. In their eyes, the Prince was just as troublesome as the Heir, and they needed all available information about him.

Byron glanced at the middle-aged woman beside him, and the latter just shrugged. Clearly, she didn't want to be the one to tell the news to the Elven Council.

"We do have information about the Prince of Darkness," Byron replied.

"Give us his name," the Elven Elder requested.

Byron sighed as he looked at the Elves who were watching him with serious expressions on their faces. He could understand their concern because they might be facing the brunt of two prophecies at the same time.

"The Prince of Darkness is none other than the son of the previous Dungeon Conqueror, as well as the Saintess of the World Tree," Byron said with a solemn expression on his face. "His name is…

"William Von Ainsworth."

Chapter 1115: Are You Not Going To Stop Them?

Chapter 1115 Are You Not Going To Stop Them?

"I will go back to Hestia Academy," Celeste said as she looked at William with a calm expression on her face.

"I see," William replied. "Be careful and make sure that you don't fall into Felix's hands."

Chloee, who was seated on William's shoulder also nodded her head in agreement with William's words. Even though she had become William's woman, she was still Celeste's familiar and cared for her as well.

"Will, I'm sure that you already know this, but it's possible that the different Kingdoms and Empires will target you right now," Celeste stated. "Word has already spread that you are the Prince of Darkness, and some will definitely try to reach out to you for an alliance, or aim for your life."

William nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. I will keep this in mind. Thank you for the reminder."

Celeste wanted to say more, but her words were stuck in her throat. In the end, she decided to just keep her plan to herself because she didn't want to give William false hope.

"Chloee, take care of yourself," Claire said as she looked at her sister.

Although many things had changed in her current appearance. For Claire, Chloee would always be her sister, and the latter knew this as well.

Chloee nodded. "I will. Take care of Celeste for me. If something happens, contact me right away. No matter where I am, I will come flying."

Claire smiled because she knew that she could count on her sister when things went South. No more words were spoken between them because everything had already been said.

"Let's go to the Bifrost Bridge," William said. "I will send you directly to Hestia Academy."

As the two left the Palace of Asgard, Baba Yaga who was observing them from her scrying mirror sighed. She had already decided to follow William because she knew that he held the key in order to find her one and only disciple, Celine.

The Old Hag no longer had any attachments to the Demon Realm, especially since what was waiting for her back there was forced servitude. She didn't like the thought of being part of an army that would trample the lives of innocent people. All she wanted right now was to find Celine, and care for her until she gave birth.

For her, Celine's children could be considered her own grandchildren, so she was quite excited to hold them in her arms as well.

While the Old Demigod was deep in her thoughts, a rainbow bridge shot towards the sky, passing through time and space.

A minute later, it disappeared, proving that Celeste was no longer on the Floor of Asgard.

—-

Hestia Academy…

The moment Celeste appeared in the academy, several students gathered around her due to the means by which she had reached the academy.

Out of nowhere, a rainbow bridge appeared and from it, the beautiful Elf descended like a celestial being visiting from the Heavens.

Byron, who had sensed Celeste's presence hurriedly went to meet her, in order to discuss the current situation of the continent. He took her to his office and made her narrate everything that happened to her.

"So, William is still on the Floor of Asgard, right?" Byron asked.

"Yes," Celeste answered.

"Did he tell you about his plans?"

"No."

Celeste lied with a calm expression on her face. Due to her Divinity, no one would be able to tell whether she was lying or not. Before she returned to the academy, William told her that he didn't trust Byron, and would greatly appreciate it if Celeste didn't tell him about his plans for the future.

The beautiful Elf agreed to his request, so he didn't inform the Headmaster about William's plan to visit the various dungeons located at the Northern Regions of the Central Continent. This was to prevent anyone from laying a trap to capture William, who was now considered a threat to the peace of the world.

"That's quite unfortunate," Byron shook his head in helplessness. "Are you planning to go to the Palace of Light later?"

Celeste nodded. "I will go there, but before that, I need to visit the library first."

"The Library? What are you planning to look for?"

"The identity of the God that took my sister away."

"I see." Byron rubbed his chin as he eyed the beautiful Elf who was deeply concerned about her sister's whereabouts. "Very well, I will give you permission to visit the restricted area. Perhaps getting your sister back will solve one of our problems as well."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"This is the least I can do for you, Celeste."

After Byron took some time to tell Celeste about the plans of the alliance, the beautiful Elf left the Headmaster's office and headed straight to the library.

"Byron seems to be hiding something from us," Claire said as she sat on Celeste's shoulders. "He didn't tell us about the Alliances' plan against William."

"The Headmaster is no fool," Celeste replied. "Maybe he felt that I sympathized with William and withheld the plans they had for him, but knowing how the Holy Order of Light operates, I can make a guess as to what their next move will be."

"And that is?"

"Use William's family in the Southern Continent as hostages."

Claire rubbed her beautiful face with both of her hands after she heard Celeste's hunch.

"That is the most stupid thing that they can do at this point in time."

"I know, right?"

Claire then eyed Celeste whose pace had started to quicken.

"Are you not going to stop them?" Claire asked.

Celeste shook her head. "Do you really think that William hasn't considered this possibility already? After what happened to his cousin, Eve, I'm sure that anyone who dares to touch his family right now will regret it for the rest of their lives. Also, I have a feeling that even if William doesn't make a move, no harm will fall upon his loved ones in the Southern Continent."

Celeste didn't know where her confidence was coming from, but she believed that the Half-Elf had already made the necessary preparations to protect his family.

Since that was the case, she would just focus her energy on helping him find information about the God that took the souls of William's wives, as well as Celine, away.

Chapter 1116: I Like To Break The Rules

Chapter 1116 I Like To Break The Rules

A month passed since Celeste had left the Floor of Asgard to return to Hestia Academy.

So far, her search yielded no results, but she didn't stop searching. After she had read all the books in the restricted area of Hestia Academy, she went to the Palace of Light to seek the answers she was looking for.

—-

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

"Y-You heretic! Do you really think that the Pope will not avenge us?" a Crusader of Light shouted. "You should just surrender yourself! Perhaps our Pope will show you merc–argh!"

The pained cry reverberated in the plains as William crushed the crusader's hand with his foot.

"You devil!" the crusader roared. "You will be purged from your sin–"

The crusader wasn't able to finish his words before his head rolled across the ground. William then flicked his hand and the corpse was engulfed in black flames, turning it to ash in a matter of seconds.

"That's the fifth team that they tried to send to the Southern Continent," Chloee said. "I told you they were a nuisance."

"It's fine," William replied with a smile. "Just gather the heads and drop them off at the usual place.

"Understood. Do you know how many heads are adorning the gate of the Tower of Babylon now?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. I want those heads pierced by a stake and displayed for everyone to see. I don't care how many they send, I'll just kill each and everyone of them."

Just as Chloee was about to gather the hundreds of heads that had scattered on the ground, she sensed several presences flying to their direction.

"So, you are here."

A voice that was familiar to William said with killing intent.

"Yes," William replied as he turned around to look at the three beautiful ladies as well as the hundreds of flying ships that they had brought with them. "Took all of you some time to get here."

A young beauty with long, purple hair, eyed William with a sneer. She was none other than the Virtue of Justice, Ephemera, who had once joined the Tournament of Champions, but was defeated in the end.

The two other beautiful ladies standing beside her were the same ladies that had accompanied her to the banquet at the Misty Sect, they were the ones that carried the Virtues of Temperance and Fortitude

"Come with us peacefully, and you won't get hurt, Your Highness," Ephemera said in a teasing tone.

William ignored her and turned his attention on the black-haired beauty that had busied herself with collecting the heads of the crusaders that her Master had slain.

"Chloee, did these girls set up an appointment with me? William asked.

"No," Chloee replied as she picked up the last severed head on the ground. "I didn't receive a notice."

William nodded his head as he shifted his attention back to Ephemera who had an arrogant expression on her face.

"Sorry, but if you want a piece of me, you better get in line like everyone else," William said with a devilish smile on his face.

"Arrogant heretic," Ephemera sneered. "It seems that you still don't know your place. I will give you one last chance. Surrender and come peacefully, or we will make you sorry."

William gave an exaggerated sigh as he glanced at Chloee's direction.

"Don't send anything back to Babylon yet. Let's just collect the heads of the people here first."

"Understood."

Ephemera, who had heard William's words, looked at him with contempt before raising her hand.

"Capture him!" Ephemera ordered. "If he resists, It's fine if you cut a limb or two. As long as he is alive, we can drag him back to the Palace of Light."

""Yes!""

The Crusaders that were onboard the hundreds of flying ships jumped down and flew in William's direction.

They were an Elite Unit that was specially formed to capture William, and the weakest of them had the strength of a Millennial Beast. Although they were no match against the Prince of Darkness, they knew of a formation that would seal him, and his powers, allowing them to capture him alive.

The presence of four Demigods descended upon the battlefield, and two of them had locked on to William's body. They were the Demigods that belonged to the Palace of Light, which they had cultivated for hundreds of years. They were not part of the original Demigods that were known in the continent, but a secret force that belonged solely to the Holy Order of Light.

This was one of the reasons why they were feared by the various rulers in the continent. Any one Faction that could control more than two Demigods was a force that shouldn't be provoked at all cost.

Several magic circles appeared in the sky, enveloping an area of five miles around William. This was to ensure that he wouldn't be able to escape the encirclement that they had prepared for him.

Unfortunately, they made a mistake. William had no intention of running away from them.

"So, this is where your confidence is coming from." William nodded his head in understanding. "Not bad."

Chloee had already arrived beside William. However, her expression was still calm, and even looked at the Magic Circles in the sky with great curiosity.

"They're quite pretty," Chloee said softly.

"Indeed," William replied.

Ephemera and the two ladies that were standing beside her frowned. They expected William to panic after seeing the forces that they had prepared in order to capture him. However, instead of becoming fearful, the Half-Elf was looking at the four Demigods, as if they were cattle that were being sold in the market.

Suddenly, two shadows appeared behind William.

Baba Yaga and the Parrot Monkey, Oliver, came out from it and looked at the members of the Holy Order that had come to capture William.

"These annoying flies never change," Baba Yaga muttered.

"Yes," Oliver replied as his body transformed and became a six-meter tall chimera. "This is why the Mistress hates these bastards."

The Old Witch and the Parrot Monkey unleashed their Demigod Powers.

After losing Celine, Oliver had forcefully broken the seal that had been placed one his body by his creator and unleashed his true power as a Demigod. He was supposed to be Celine's protector, but due to the restrictions that covered the entire domain, he was unable to break the seal during that time.

This was why he decided to stay by William's side, in the hope that the Half-Elf would look for his Master, who was now carrying his child. Oliver knew that William would stop at nothing to find Celine, so, until their fateful reunion, he would protect the Half-Elf in her place.

"So what if you have two Demigods?" Ephemera asked. "You're still going to submit!"

All of the magic circles in the sky shone brightly and several golden chains emerged from them, wrapping William's, Chloee's, Oliver's, and Baba Yaga's bodies, preventing them from moving.

These were the special formations that the Holy Order had specially designed to capture powerful targets. Even Demigods would not be able to break free from these hundreds of chains that had the power to suppress their ranks and bring them down to the Millennial Rank.

"You're lucky I have strict orders to capture you alive," Ephemera stated. "Otherwise, I have no qualms in bringing back your corpse to the Palace of Light. Let's see how you break free from those chains. Capture them now!"

Wiliam chuckled as he glanced at Chloee.

"She wants to see how we break out of these chains," William said.

"Then, let's show her how," Chloee replied as she casually moved her arms to break the chains that bound her body.

William smiled and did the same. He then looked up at Ephemera and the rest of the crusaders who had shocked expressions on their faces.

"Sorry, your chains are so brittle that even the grandma living in our village can break it easily," William chuckled. He then waved his hand and freed Baba Yaga and Oliver from the chains that bound them.

"This is impossible!" Ephemera looked at the Half-Elf in shock and disbelief. "Those chains hold the power of the Seven Virtues! They can't be broken so easily. How can this be?!"

Chloee snorted as she spread her wings wide. "Well, Will and I like to break the rules. Now, it's your turn to suffer."

The black-haired Succubus was about to fly towards the sky when a hand held her in place.

"Don't kill the Virtues," William ordered. "Everyone else is fair game."

Chloee nodded. "Understood."

The Succubus flew towards the flagship where the three virtues were located with a fearless smile on her face. She had always liked to fight, so fighting against many enemies made her blood boil in happiness.

Baba Yaga and Oliver flew towards two of the four Demigods and engaged them in battle.

The two remaining Demigods on the Side of the Holy Order swooped down from the sky and headed in William's direction. Alongside the crusaders who were determined to capture the Prince of Darkness at all costs.

"Awaken," William ordered. "Flames of Darkness, burn my enemies to ashes. Go forth! Sepheron!"

Pitch-black flames emerged from the black phoenix tattoo on the back of William's right hand. Immediately the power of a Pseudo-God descended upon every living creature on the battlefield, making their movements sluggish.

With a deafening scream of challenge, Sepheron, the Ultimate Guardian of the Silvermoon Continent, which had been corrupted by Darkness, emerged from his hand.

Black flames rose up in the sky, and were about to burn the flying ships that were near its Master when William's orders reached its ears.

"Don't burn the ships," William ordered. "I can still use them. Just deal with these small fries."

Sepheron screeched in acknowledgement of its Masters orders and slapped the two Demigods with its wings, sending both of them crashing to the ground.

The Black Phoenix then looked at the thousands of Elite Crusaders that had come to capture its Master with a mocking gaze.

The members of the Holy Order of Light felt their blood turn cold as the Phoenix's gaze landed on their bodies. They knew then and there that they had made a mistake in trying to capture the Half-Elf who had become the Prince of Darkness.

Unfortunately, there was no time for regrets as they desperately flew in different directions in order to escape the monster that they couldn't defeat.

At that exact moment, William's laughter reached their ears. They thought that they were the ones that had set up a trap to capture him, but they were terribly wrong with their assumption.

It was the Prince of Darkness that had set a trap to capture them, and they had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Chapter 1117: A Wise Shepherd Once Said...

Chapter 1117 A Wise Shepherd Once Said...

The flagship came crashing towards the ground with a single stomp from Chloee.

Ephemera, as well as the two other Virtues that represented Temperance, and Fortitude, jumped off it and hovered in the air.

They stared at the beautiful Succubus in front of them with grim expressions on their faces, while a battle raged in their surroundings.

"You are Celeste's familiar, right?" Ephemera asked as she summoned her golden sword. "You should be on our side. We are the side of Justice!"

"Yes, I am Celeste's familiar," Chloee replied, "and I am also on the side of Justice."

Ephemera stared at Chloee and attempted to use reason in order to make her change her allegiance.

"If that is the case then we shouldn't be fighting," Ephemera said. "We should work together to capture the Prince of Darkness who will destroy the peace of this world."

"Ah. That is where we disagree," Chloee commented. "My Prince doesn't have any intention of destroying this world. The only thing that he plans to destroy are those people who get in his way… that includes the three of you, and the Holy Order of Light."

"But Celeste is on our side!"

"So?"

Chloee gave the three beautiful girls a very sweet smile that made them shudder.

"You shouldn't have targeted his family, or anyone who is important to him." Chloee's voice became cold and deadly. "He has already lost so many things, and you people still wanted to take away the people that are precious to him? Unforgivable."

"It seems that we agree to disagree," Ephemera stated as the golden sword in her hand shone. "Very well, I will apologize to Celeste later that I had no choice but to kill her Familiar."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Chloee replied. "You don't have the ability to back your words."

As soon as she finished talking, the Succubus disappeared and reappeared in front of Ephemera with her fist posed to strike.

The Virtue of Justice had already anticipated this move, so she immediately used her sword to slash at the annoying Succubus whom she didn't like the moment they met.

A metallic sound rang in the air as Chloee's fist clashed with Ephemera's sword. The purple-haired beauty thought that her sword, which was blessed by the power of her Patron God, would send the Succubus flying.

However, what happened was the opposite. She was the one who was sent flying due to how powerful Chloee's punch was.

The two ladies that had accompanied Ephemera also summoned their weapons, but Chloee didn't even glance at them. She merely flew towards where Ephemera was, ignoring them completely.

"What should we do?" Temperance asked.

"Let's support Ephemera," Fortitude replied. "She's no match against that evil creature."

Temperance nodded, but before the two could even support their friend. A devilishly handsome Half-Elf appeared in front of them.

"Sorry girls, but I advise that the two of you just stay here," William replied. "If both of you are good, I can allow you to return to your Palace of Light unhurt."

"Do you think we will believe your words, you evil man!" Temperance shouted.

Fortitude didn't say anything. However she did something and that was to unsummon the weapon in her hand, which surprised her friend.

"What are you doing?!" Temperance asked in frustration. "He is the reason why we came here. All we need to do is capture him and our mission is done!"

William just smiled as he eyed the lady who carried the Virtue of Fortitude inside her body. Her Divinity had control over the strength of mind. She was someone who is able to face any adversity with a courageous look, but her current expression told the Half-Elf that she had no intention to fight him.

Temperance, whose Virtue represented restraint and moderation was the one who was not showing restraint at the moment. William even thought that their Virtues had been swapped, because the two of them were acting exactly opposite of their Divinities.

"I might be brave, but I'm not stupid," Fortitude replied. "The moment he escaped from the chains, and summoned that Black Phoenix, our Fates were already sealed."

The sound of screams reverberated in the surroundings as Sepheron burned the Crusaders until not even their ashes were left. The Two demigods were lying on the ground, with their limbs scorched to nothingness.

Although the two of them were still alive, they no longer had the power to fight against the Pseudo-God that was now enjoying a one-sided massacre.

Temperance glanced at her surroundings and realized that her friend was right. Dozens of flying ships remained floating in the sky, but there was no one inside them.

William had already killed them and left them unmanned for future use.

The rest of the ships had already crashed on the ground, unable to fly again.

Temperance bit her lip as she looked at the sorry state of their forces. They had left the Palace of Light, filled with confidence that they would be able to capture Wiliam with the forces that were with them.

However, they had miscalculated how strong he was. They didn't know that he had a Pseudo-God bodyguard with him, and thought that four Demigods was enough to capture him.

If they only knew that he could break the Chains of Virtue that they were proud of, they might have borrowed the power of the two Pseudo-Gods that had descended from the heavens to help them in the war against the forces of Darkness.

When Temperance finally raised her head to look at the Half-Elf in front of her, he found the latter looking at Fortitude with a curious gaze.

"What is your name?" William asked as she looked at the beautiful lady with long, blonde hair and blue eyes.

Fortitude hesitated for a while before introducing herself. "Audrey."

"I like you," William said. "Want to switch sides?"

Audrey shook her head. "No."

William chuckled, but he no longer asked the blonde beauty to change her mind. The Half-Elf then glanced in the direction where Ephemera and Chloee were fighting.

The Virtue of Justice had already unleashed the full power of her Divinity, and was fighting Chloee on equal grounds.

Temperance saw this as an opportunity to sneak attack William using the full might of her Divinity as well. Holding the two short swords in her hands, she stabbed William's back, making the two swords pierce through his body all the way.

Her ability allowed her to increase or decrease her speed, as well as the speed of her enemies, according to her preference.

This was similar to Kenneth's power, but Temperance didn't have the ability to stop time. What she could do was slow and hasten things, which made her one of the more difficult enemies to face in battle.

Audrey, who was too late to stop her friend, could only sigh helplessly at her recklessness.

"It's my win, Your Highness," Temperance said in a teasing tone. "You should have come with us quietly. That way, you might have lived to see the sunrise tomorrow."

"Your win? I don't think so," William said as he looked at the two swords that had pierced through his chest. "You are decisive, and your attack didn't have a shred of hesitation in it. Unfortunately, you stabbed the wrong target."

The William that Temperance had stabbed turned into black mists and disappeared.

Temperance's eyes widened in shock at the unexpected scene that happened in front of her. Suddenly, she felt something hit the back of her head, which made her eyes roll up into their sockets as she lost consciousness.

William grabbed the unconscious lady by the hand to prevent her from falling towards the ground.

The Half-Elf held Temperance with his left hand, while his right hand held a chamberpot. This was the weapon that William used to knock the living sh*t out of the aggressive girl, and make her sleep for a while.

The corner of Audrey's lips twitched when she saw this scene. She could tell that the chamberpot was bad news and didn't make a move to imitate her friend's reckless action, which made the Prince of Darkness deal with her personally.

"What are you planning to do with her?" Audrey asked.

"I'll just teach her a lesson and make her understand her place," William replied in a casual manner.

"Can you forgive her for her reckless action and allow me to take her back home?"

"No. Bad girls need to be punished. You're a good girl, so I'm letting you off the hook. Also, there is one thing that I need you to do for me."

William smiled at the blonde-beauty whose eyes were still looking at her unconscious friend.

"What is it?" Audrey asked.

"I want you to send my message to your Pope," William answered. "This message is very important, so you better say it to her word for word. Do you understand?"

Audrey took a deep breath before nodding her head. "Understood. What is it that you want to tell the Pope?"

The blonde-beauty was also curious on what kind of message William wanted to send to the middle-aged woman who lorded over the Palace of Light.

William smirked as he returned the Chamberpot inside his Ring of Conquest. He needed to make sure that the Holy Order of Light understood the consequences of fighting against him.

"Allow me to give you guys some words of wisdom that I learned over the years," William said with a smile. "Tell the Pope that a Wise Shepherd once said,..

"Eat Sh*t Motherf*cker."

Chapter 1118: Do You Really Believe That I Give A F*ck?

Chapter 1118 Do You Really Believe That I Give A F*ck?

Ephemera and Chloee exchanged blows without holding back.

Despite using the full power of her Divinity, Ephemera found herself being pushed back because Chloee was able to break through her attacks using her Rulebreaker ability.

"You traitor!" Ephemera shouted in anger as she brandished her sword to swipe at the black-haired Succubus whose attacks were becoming stronger and faster everytime they clashed.

Chloee ignored Ephemera's words as she unleashed a flurry of blows which forced the purple-haired lady to block it with everything she had. Unfortunately for her, Chloee's passive ability, which increased her strength due to the injuries she received during battle, had activated and increased her strength to a level that Ephemera's Divinity couldn't cope with.

With one powerful punch, Chloee sent her opponent crashing towards the ground.

Ephemera spat a mouthful of blood as she glared at the unreasonable opponent in front of her. She had long heard that Celeste's Familiars were very powerful. Back then, she thought that this was just hearsay. However, after fighting against Chloee, she realized that the rumors weren't an exaggeration.

The black-haired Succubus was indeed very powerful, and someone like her wouldn't be able to defeat her even if she put her life on the line.

"Are you going to surrender?" Chloee asked as she landed beside Ephemera who received a serious injury from her punch. "Or do you still want to continue?"

"You heretic… the Pope will deal with all of you later!" Ephemera said through gritted teeth.

Chloee snorted before kicking the side of Ephemera's face. She made sure to control her strength in order to not break the girl's neck, and make her die an untimely death. William had explicitly told her that killing the Virtues right now would become detrimental to the bigger picture.

The purple-haired lady skidded several meters on the ground, and rolled a few times before coming to a complete stop. Chloee's kick had knocked her unconscious, ending their battle.

The black-haired Succubus then glanced at William who was high up in the air and gave him a brief nod.

William nodded back before shifting his attention to Audrey, who had a grim expression on her face.

"Go back to the Palace of Light and deliver my message," William ordered.

"What about Justice and Temperance?" Fortitude inquired. "If you allow me to take them back, I will convince the Pope to no longer send anyone to attack you or your family."

"Miss Audrey, although I would love to believe your words, I have to decline your offer."

"But why?"

"Your Pope is not stupid. If she dares to hurt my family after this, I will just kill these two girls," William smiled as he lightly shook the unconscious Temperance in his hand. "I'm sure that she wouldn't want to lose two of the Seven Virtues at this point in time. After all, the war hasn't even started yet."

Audrey glanced at her two companions before shifting her attention back to William.

"What do you plan to do with them?"

"Teach them a lesson they will never forget."

The Virtue of Fortitude wanted to ask more, but she knew that if she didn't leave right now, William might change his mind, and capture her as well. After a brief internal struggle, she decided to return to the Palace of Light and pass William's words to the Pope.

"Is there anything else that you would like me to pass to the Pope? Audrey inquired.

William rubbed his chin for a while as he pondered. A minute later he smiled at the blonde-beauty in front of him.

"Tell her that right now, I don't plan to make the Holy Order my enemy," William said. "However, make no mistake. I am not afraid of your people. I am just someone who looks at the bigger picture. If she still wants to fight after this incident, I will make sure to visit your Palace of Light, and personally kick her out of it."

"Either you are very brave, or very stupid," Audrey replied. "Do you really think that this is the extent of the Holy Order's forces?"

William chuckled. "Then let me ask you back, do you really believe that I give a f*ck?"

Audrey glanced at her comrades one last time before turning her head to fly to one of the flying ships near her. She knew that the time of talking was over, and she needed to leave before William changed his mind.

William watched Audrey maneuver the ship away from their location with a smirk on his face. He then opened a portal beside him and tossed the unconscious lady, who had tried to sneak attack her earlier, through it.

Chloee appeared by his side and threw Ephemera inside the portal that William had created like a bag of trash that needed to be disposed of.

Sepheron uttered a mighty shriek before transforming into a black mist. He then flew towards the back of William's hand, leaving only a black phoenix tattoo that he could activate at any given time.

Baba Yaga and Oliver also appeared beside William as the Half-Elf stared at the devastation around him.

Except for the three Virtues, and the Four Demigods, everyone else had been killed. William decided to spare the Demigods as well, so they could return to the Palace of Light and be of use in the war against the Demon Army.

The black-haired teenager waved his hand and took all the flying ships that were still operational inside his Thousand Beast Domain. Since the Holy Order of Light had given him so many wonderful means of transportation, it would be a shame to not use them to his advantage.

Although William could travel instantaneously, his army would still be able to put the flying ships to use.

"Let's go," William ordered as he summoned his Black Qilin, Raiden. "We still have places to visit."

William left the devastated battlefield with a sneer on his face. The Holy Order had annoyed him so much over the past few weeks because of their repeated attempts to send people to harm his family back in the Southern Continent.

If not for the fact that the Primordial Goddess told him their every move, they might have succeeded. Unfortunately for them, William had the Lighting Strider Skill. As long as he had a set of coordinates, he could travel to that location without fail.

This allowed him to dispatch the annoying bastards that the Holy Order had sent in order to try to use his family as hostages and make him submit. However, since he was growing tired of their repeated antics, he decided to stage an act where they could "ambush" him, which allowed him to get two valuable hostages.

The Half-Elf knew that it was only a matter of time before the war started. Because of this, he wanted to use his time to conquer as many dungeons as possible.

Now that he held the two Virtues in his hands, if the Pope continued to get on his way then he would make them his first target once he had gathered his army.

"I just hope that the Pope is not stupid," William muttered as Raiden soared through the sky. "If she is, I'll make sure to bury her and her Palace of Light in filth."

Chapter 1119: Let's Plug Up That Beautiful Mouth Of Yours First

Chapter 1119 Let's Plug Up That Beautiful Mouth Of Yours First

(Disclaimer: Minor R-18 Scenes)

When Ephemera and the brown-haired lady who held the virtue of Temperance regained their consciousness, they found themselves hanging in the air and tied with chains.

The first thing they did was to activate their Divinities to break the shackles that bound them, but nothing happened. No matter how hard they tried, their shackles remained firm and didn't break.

"It's useless."

A teasing tone reached the two ladies' ears as a black-haired teenager materialized in front of them.

A black throne appeared behind him, and the Half-Elf sat on it in a leisurely manner. He then crossed his leg over the other as he rested the side of his face over his closed fist, while giving the two girls a devilish smile.

"You bastard! Free us right now!" Ephemera shouted. "You will not get away with this!"

"You beast! What do you intend to do to us?!" the brown-haired beauty screamed in anger. "If you let us go now, we can still turn a blind eye to your actions!"

William chuckled as he looked at the two beautiful ladies who seemed to not understand the positions they were in. He always thought that the Virtues had a good head on their shoulders like Celeste. But it seemed that his wives were far better than the Virtues, who had lost their composure in front of him.

"I'm going to ask the two of you questions, and you are going to answer them," William replied. "If you do, you will be treated better. If you don't then I will have no choice but to punish you so you girls can learn some discipline."

"We will not tell you anything!" Ephemera shouted.

"Do you really think that the Virtues are the same as those sinful whores that you married?!" Temperance shouted. "Don't compare us to those sinners!"

The smile on William's face widened, but no mirth could be seen in his eyes. Instead, a trace of killing intent passed through them. His wives were a delicate topic, and yet the ignorant lady had dared to call them whores in front of him.

This was something that touched the black-haired teenager's bottom line.

"Whores? Is that what you think of my wives?" William asked.

"Yes! Whores the lot of them!" Temperance sneered. "Filthy girls who will spread their legs for a bastard like you!"

William sighed as he shook his head in disappointment.

"My wives might carried the Sins of the World, but compared to your dirty mouth, they were angels," William stated. "You are one of the Virtues, but everything that comes out of your mouth is garbage. Such a shame."

William then casually opened his status page and clicked the mailbox of the Godshop.

"Sorry for ignoring you all this time, Donger," William said with a smile. "It's time for you to be free."

As soon as William opened the wooden box, a beam of light shot to the air and circled William twice before merging with his body.

William then felt a surge of incredible vitality in his body, making him feel extremely good.

With a pulling gesture, the tied up Temperance moved towards him without the ability to resist. The Half-Elf eyed the beautiful lady in front of him and used his appraisal skill. However, aside from her race, the black-haired teenager wasn't able to see her name, which surprised him.

"A half human, half angel." William arched an eyebrow. "This is the first time I've seen a Nephilim in this world."

"H-How did you know?!" the brown-haired beauty looked at William with shock. "Even the Holy Order doesn't know about it! Who told you?!"

Ephemera who was still tied up in the distance looked at her comrade in disbelief. She had known Temperance for a few years, but she never expected that the brown-haired beauty had such a background.

"Rest assured, your secret is safe with me," William said as he caressed the side of Temperance's face, which made her shudder. "Now, tell me your True Name."

Just like his wife, Ashe, who had a True Name, several beings in Hestia also possessed them. It was known that whoever knew of their True Names would hold power over them. This was why those who bore it, would never tell anyone, aside from the people they trust with their life.

There were even those who went as far as to carry their True Name to the grave, for fear that after they had left the world, certain Necromancers would use their names to summon them back as wraiths, or revenants that would serve them for eternity.

"I'd rather die than tell you my name!" Temperance shouted.

"Are you worried about Ephemera hearing your name?" William asked before waving his hand. "There, I sealed her sense of hearing. She will not be able to hear anything, so feel free to tell me your True Name."

"Keep dreaming!"

"Well, I don't mind doing this the hard way."

William sneered as he made the brown-haired beauty kneel in front of him. He then grabbed a handful of her hair, as he pulled her to him.

"Since you don't want to talk then let's plug up that beautiful mouth of yours first," William said as the clothes he was wearing disappeared. "You called my wives, whores, right? Filthy girls who spread their legs for a filthy bastard like me, right? I'd like to see how long a Half-Angel like you can keep that big mouth of your from spouting nonsense."

Without another word, William shoved his manhood inside the beautiful lady's mouth, while grabbing a handful of her hair.

The first thought that appeared inside Temperance's head was that this was the perfect opportunity to make the Half-Elf suffer by biting his filthy thing that was currently inside her mouth.

However, no matter how hard she bit, she couldn't seem to tear off the thing in half. She could only helplessly accept the punishment that the Half-Elf was giving her as he mercilessly moved her head up and down to suck on his manhood.

"What's wrong?" William sneered. "Donger got your tongue?"

Only gurgling sounds came out of Temperance's mouth as saliva spilled from her seductive lips that would make any man want to kiss them.

Ephemera watched in horror at the scene that was happening in front of her. William smirked and returned her sense of hearing to her, so that the purple-haired lady could hear the vulgar sounds that her friend was making, as William violated her mouth.

When William's and Ephemera's gaze met, her body uncontrollably shuddered. She knew, then and there, that they had made a mistake in angering the handsome Half-Elf.

William's deadly gaze was more than enough to tell her that their fate was in his hands, and there was nothing they could do about it.

Perhaps, due to fear, as well as helplessness, something wet trickled down Ephemera's legs.

The Half-Elf who saw this chuckled as he made a gesture for the purple-haired beauty to come to his side as well.

Since the two Virtues looked down on his beloved wives as if they were the dirtiest girls in the world, he was determined to make Ephemera and Temperance understand that they should never blaspheme the things that William held sacred inside his tainted heart, which had been consumed by darkness.

Chapter 1120: Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 1]

Chapter 1120 Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 1]

(Disclaimer: R-18 Scenes Although mild, can be disturbing to others. Take note that the will be worse than this, so make sure to read the disclaimer I left there as well.)

Ephemera was forced to look at her friend who was currently being forced to suck on William's manhood at a very close distance.

The Half-Elf was holding onto Temperance's head as he moved her head up and down his shaft, while her saliva overflowed from her mouth.

"Isn't this nice?" William asked Ephemera who was kneeling beside her friend. "This is a good way to shut her up, no?"

"What will you get from doing this?" Ephemera asked. She didn't dare raise her voice like she did earlier because she was afraid that William might do the same thing to her. "Can't you see she doesn't like it?"

"Why?" William asked in a teasing tone. "This is punishment. Bad girls should be punished, especially this girl who dared to ridicule my wives. It wouldn't be a punishment if she liked it, right?"

"B-But…"

"If you are a good girl, you won't be punished. You don't want to suffer the same fate as her, right?"

Ephemera bit her lip and no longer said anything. William's gaze scared her. Although the Half-Elf had a smile on his face, his golden eyes were looking at her as if he was looking at a toy that he could play with at any moment.

"Boring." William waved his hand, forcing Ephemera to stand using the chains that bound her.

The purple-haired lady could only helplessly watch from the side as William gave Temperance a breather by pulling his manhood out of her mouth.

The brown-haired beauty coughed repeatedly as if she was trying to take in the oxygen that she had been deprived of due to William's repeated thrusts inside her mouth.

"How is the taste?" William asked with an amused expression on his face.

"Disgusting," Temperance answered. "Just like your face."

William nodded as the smile on his face widened. "Good. it is better this way."

William reached out and unceremoniously ripped Temperance's robes, revealing her body, which was free of imperfections. Her white skin was smooth and youthful, radiating a strength that was not seen in mortal women.

The Half-Elf reached out to caress it out of curiosity, which made Temperance's body shudder due to the coldness of his touch.

The black-haired teenager's hand moved from her arms, towards her neck, and down to her shapely peaks that stood proudly as if to defy him. The black-haired teenager smirked before he lightly squeezed Temperance's right breast that perfectly fit in his hand, in order to test its firmness.

"Not bad," William replied in satisfaction as his hand kneaded it lightly, making Temperance's breathing ragged. "I wonder if the milk you will produce in the future will be tasty."

"Get your disgusting hand off me!" Temperance finally lost her patience and screamed at the devilish man who was taking advantage of her chained state.

William ignored her, and continued to play with her right breast that was now starting to heat up due to the attention it was getting.

"Disgusting?" William chuckled as he summoned a ball gag out of thin air and flicked it towards Temperance's face.

The gag ball automatically forced itself on the latter's mouth, making the brown-haired beauty's eyes widen in shock.

"You won't get a boyfriend with how toxic your mouth is," William chuckled. "Come."

Temperance's body was kneeling just a moment ago, floated in the air, and moved towards William.

The brown-haired beauty's muffled screams spread inside the room, making Ephemera, who was watching her, close her eyes to prevent herself from seeing the fate of her friend.

"Don't close your eyes, and watch," William ordered.

As if he had full control of the purple-haired lady's body, Ephemera opened her eyes and locked at Temperance, who was now straddling William's waist.

The brown-haired beauty's body was raised, with her knees firmly holding onto William's left and right sides.

The chains that bound her, held her in place, ensuring that her well-shaped breasts were only a few inches away from William's lips.

"Tell me, what is the Pope's plan for the war against Felix?" William glanced at Ephemera, whose breathing was starting to get ragged.

"I-I don't know," Ephemera answered. "She didn't tell us anything about her plans against the Heir of Darkness. Our goal was to take your family hostage in order to make you submit to our demands."

"I see," William then lightly caressed the back of Temperance's body, sending shivers running down her spine. He was raising her body's sensitivity in order to prepare her for what was about to come.

Temperance's muffled shouts of protests were the only sounds that were heard inside the room, but William continued to caress her all over.

"You don't really have any body hair," William commented as his fingers moved towards her lower abdomen, up to the entrance of her maidenhood, making the brown-haired beauty panic.

Although she and Ephemera already knew what was going to happen next, Temperance still couldn't help but feel the sense of dread that was creeping up inside her heart.

As if reading her thoughts, William chuckled as he played with her slit with his fingers. He prodded it open, and teased its inside. He made sure to not push in too deep to ensure that her chastity would remain intact.

Ephemera, who was forced to watch the scene, suddenly shuddered. Although William wasn't touching her, and she was still wearing clothes, she could feel fingers prodding her own maidenhood, while the Half-Elf was doing so to her friend.

William had shared Temperance's feelings with her, using one of the abilities that Donger possessed.

As William continued his relentless assault on the brown-haired beauty's entrance, Ephemera felt her own body heating up as well.

"How indecent," William commented as he pulled back his fingers. He could tell that the brown-haired beauty's body was now ready to accept him despite Temperance's muffled screams of defiance.

"Don't worry," William said as his hands rested on the beauty's backside. "Soon, you will be singing a different tune. A tune where you will tell me your True Name."

William kissed her right breast before opening his mouth, revealing his fangs.

"I wonder. What does your blood taste like?" William asked as he squeezed Temperance's backside, making her body arch, pushing her innocent breasts towards him as an offering. "Thanks for the food."

Without another word, William sank his fangs on the brown-haired beauty's breast, making Ephemera gasp in fear.

Blood trailed down Temperance's white, and unblemished skin, streaming down towards her navel.

William bit hard, harder than what he did with his wives and Charmaine, sinking his fangs deeper than ever before.

The stinging pain made Temperance take in deep breaths, as she felt William's fangs push deep inside her body. Soon, the pain disappeared and what followed next was a sweet, and intoxicating feeling of pleasure that made her mind turn blank.

William sucked greedily, while allowing a trace of blood to spill out and stream down her angelic body, which was free from imperfections.

It was his own way of staining her unblemished body with her own blood, while she was assaulted by a feeling of pleasure that she never felt before.

Ephemera's body squirmed as the same feelings of pain and pleasure, that her friend was feeling, assaulted her body. William wanted her to understand what her fate would be if she opposed him, by sharing Temperance's feelings with her.

The purple-haired beauty tried to hold on to what little willpower she had left as she prayed to her Patron God, inside of her heart.

She prayed that William would be sated by the blood of her friend, so the Half-Elf would ignore her completely. However, deep inside she knew.

Ephemera knew that in this dark and miserable place, where she was currently chained, her voice, and prayers, wouldn't reach anyone, except for the black-haired teenager, who held their fates on his sharp and sinful fangs that brought them pleasure beyond their wildest dreams.

Chapter 1121: Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 2]

Chapter 1121 Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 2]

(Disclaimer: If you are not comfortable with rape feel free to skip this part. I don't want to hear any complaints because you chose to read something you didn't like to read out of curiosity.)

Five minutes had passed after William had started to feed on Temperance's blood. A faint trace of her Divinity swirled inside William's body as he drank her blood leisurely. After having his fill, he pulled back without closing the wound.

He watched as her warm blood streamed out from the two puncture wounds that he had created with a satisfied smile.

The Half-Elf then raised his head to see that the ball gag that was on her mouth was dripping with her saliva. Temperance's eyes were unfocused as her body twitched from time to time.

William raised his hand and removed the choker from her mouth. To his surprise, the brown-haired beauty seemed to regain her wits at the same time and panted for breath.

He smiled with amusement as her chest rose up and down due to her heavy breathing. The Half-Elf then licked and kissed the two wounds on her right breast, healing them completely.

Bloodstains could still be seen over her white, angelic body, which was proof that William didn't have any intention of removing them.

"You're the worst," Temperance said after she regained her composure. "You'll pay for this."

Although she tried to force a disgusted look on her face, she was still suffering from the afterglow of the pleasurable feeling that was still wracking her body.

William just smiled as he placed his hand on the back of her head, and pulled her close to him. He then pressed his lips over hers, but Temperance had her own plans and bit William's lip, drawing blood.

Instead of getting angry, the Half-Elf was unfazed and continued to kiss her, allowing his blood to enter her mouth.

As if angered by William's indifference, Temperance bit hard on William's tongue, the moment it invaded her mouth. She had intended to cut it off completely, to make the Half-Elf suffer and get her revenge at the same time.

Just as she expected, her teeth drew blood, but it was a shallow cut. It was not enough to sever William's tongue, but it allowed his blood to pour directly inside her mouth, while the Half-Elf intertwined his tongue with hers.

Temperance continued to vehemently refuse to accept his tongue in her mouth and tried to bite William's tongue off with all of her might again, but it was useless. To her surprise, William bit her lips, and drew her blood from it.

Just as she was thinking about what to do next, the familiar pleasurable feeling assaulted her senses, making her mind blank. During that brief moment of lull in her state of mind, William used his tongue to make the brown-haired beauty stick out her tongue.

When her pink tongue was lured out of her seductive lips, the Half-Elf bit on it lightly, drawing blood. He then kissed her deeply, entwining his tongue over hers, sending the pleasure deep inside her brain, breaking all forms of resistance.

Ephemera who was feeling the same feeling as her friend became limp, as the pleasure assaulted her as well. She was barely hanging on to her sanity, but William's relentless, and passionate kiss had brought both ladies to their breaking point.

As if sensing that both girls were at their limits, William reluctantly pulled back, giving them some time to catch their breaths.

"Tell me your True Name." William was like a devil that whispered in Temperance's ear while the lady was still not in her right state of mind. However, as if clinging on to her survival instinct, the brown-haired beauty forcefully bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything.

She knew that if the Half-Elf learned her True Name, she might not be able to regain her freedom ever again.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," William whispered as his hand moved down to the entrance of her maidenhood and slowly inserted his middle finger inside it. He then moved his finger in and out of her slit, which created wet and indecent sounds, which reached her unstable mind.

A sigh of pleasure escaped Temperance's lips, and William took this opportunity to kiss her once again, and pry her lips open. His tongue then played with hers, as the thoughts that were starting to form inside her head was dispersed by the pleasure that she was feeling.

Although she sobered up, she was still put in a daze by William's tender, and passionate kisses that made her earlier disgust and hate for him go away.

As William pulled back his head, to allow her to get a breather, Temperance reached out to him and wrapped her arms around his head. The chains that bound her disappeared, as she pressed her soft lips over William's, taking the initiative to kiss him of her own accord.

Ephemera's tongue lolled outside her lips as her brain turned to mush from the incredible sensations that she had experienced.

She had already fainted, but Temperance's feelings were still being transferred to her, making her body twitch from time to time.

After a few minutes of kissing, Temperance pulled back and looked at William with a complicated look on her face. She knew that she had been freed from her shackles, and yet, her body was burning up, and aching for William's touch.

Although she tried to deny it, her heart, that had not known love, was wildly beating inside her chest. She knew that she was not in love with William, and was simply her body's reaction to the pleasure that it had experienced, but she was at her limit.

"You're evil," Temperance said as tears streamed down the side of her face. She then kissed William like the inexperienced lady that she was .

The black-haired teenager accepted her soft pecks, and opened his lips to allow her to take the initiative to intertwine her tongue with his own.

Right now, Temperance's body had been totally conquered by William's Incubus Powers, which had raised her sensitivity to the limit, making her crave his touch and affection.

Although the brown-haired beauty knew that she could easily break free from William's hold if she used her Divinity, she chose not to. This was the first time in her life that she felt so good, and decided to explore these feelings a bit.

She thought that she could break free from William's hold anytime with her Divinity, so she allowed herself to indulge his soft and enticing lips, and his embrace, that made her feel safe and warm.

'Is this what his wives feel whenever he embraces them?' Temperance thought as she ignored the warnings inside her head as she allowed William to puncture her tongue once again to drink her blood, and make her thoughts turn to mush.

"I can make you feel better," William said after their kiss ended. "Do you want it?"

"... Yes," Temperance answered in a daze.

"Then, raise your hips," William ordered.

Temperance obeyed as she raised her hips, while William used his hand to rub his member at the entrance of her maidenhood.

"Do you want this?" William asked. "Do you want this inside you?"

Temperance's body shuddered the moment William's member lightly pried open the soft petals of her entrance, teasing her with a promise of pleasure that would make her feel complete.

"... I want," Temperance said as the warning signs inside her head intensified. "Make me feel good."

William pulled the back of her head and kissed her lips, dispersing the thoughts that were starting to form inside her, making her unable to think properly.

"Lower your hips," William ordered. "And I will give you happiness."

Temperance obeyed and lowered her hips, at the same time that Ephemera regained her consciousness.

Just as the purple-haired beauty was about to shout, and warn her friend, William silenced her with a spell, preventing her from making any sound.

The moment that William's shaft broke past the membrane that protected her chastity, a painful, yet pleasurable feeling washed over Temperance's body.

Ephemera could only cry out in pain as her friend was deflowered in front of her. Since their senses were linked, she also felt as if her own chastity had been taken away from her.

Tears streamed down the sides of her face as William raised her friend's buttocks, slowly moving it up and down. It was as if he was relishing the taste of being able to strip away the virtuous lady's innocence, making her a woman in front of her helpless friend.

After seeing the trace of blood on William's manhood, which was proof that he had successfully taken her friend's innocence, Ephemera stopped resisting.

She no longer cared and simply endured the feeling of being conquered, as the black-haired teenager pushed his manhood deep inside her friend's body, until her own womb descended into sweet surrender.

Chapter 1122: Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 3]

Chapter 1122 Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 3]

(Disclaimer: The final part of the Fallen Angel Series. Still R-18)

In my hazy state, I was feeling warm and happy as I was embraced by the handsome black-haired teenager that they called the Prince of Darkness.

Perhaps, due to the euphoric sensation after he bit on my breast to drink my blood, I wasn't able to think properly and acted on impulse by kissing him on the lips.

It was an act that I had done of my own will, and the feeling of disgust and hate I felt earlier disappeared as my soft lips pressed against his, making my entire body shiver due to how good it felt.

"I can make you feel better. Do you want it?"

His words held the promise of pleasure, and it was all up to me to decide whether I want it or not.

"... Yes."

That was the reply I gave him through my hazy thoughts. The only thing I wanted was to feel good, to feel safe, and perhaps… to feel loved as well.

"Then, raise your hips."

Although the words he used to order me were a bit cold, my anticipation took hold of my body as I raised my body as he instructed.

It was at that moment when he held his throbbing member and rubbed it against the entrance of my maidenhood, making my heart skip wildly inside my chest. I knew that the moment that thing entered inside me, the chastity that I had protected till now, would be his.

"Do you want this? Do you want this inside you?"

The thought of saying No, passed through my head. The warning bells have been ringing non-stop, telling me to use my Divinity to break free from his control and protect my maidenhood from being taken by him.

But, my desire betrays me as I give him the answer that I wasn't supposed to give.

"... I want. Make me feel good."

The moment the words escaped my lips, I saw the corner of his lips curl up into a smile. I knew that I could still escape from his embrace, but my body didn't move. It only waited for the promise of pleasure that he was going to give me.

"Lower your hips, and I will give you happiness."

Once again, the choice was mine to make. I could reject his orders, or not. The haze in my head disappeared, as if he allowed me to regain my reason to make one of the most important choices in my life.

I looked at his handsome face, and his dazzling golden eyes. It made my heart melt at the thought of becoming one of his women. Although I had no intention of becoming his wife, as long as he treated me like a lover, I felt that I would be fine even with that much.

It was then when I heard a stirring behind me. I had completely forgotten about Ephemera, and the vile thing that this man did to her.

'Sharing our feelings of pleasure… that is downright criminal.'

That was the thought that passed through my head as I remembered the incredible pleasure that I had felt. Knowing that Ephemera felt the same made me unable to decide whether I should pity her or not.

"Snap out of it! Don't let him have his way!!"

Those were the words that Ephemera shouted using telepathy. The Seven Virtues were able to communicate with each other using telepathy, so we didn't have to talk most of the time.

Her words had reached me, and yet, I still decided to follow my desire. With my own volition, I lowered my hips, and felt the pain of having my chastity taken away from me.

Tears streamed down the side of my face, not because of the pain, but due to the joy that I was feeling. Although this person, whose cold face had started to show what I assumed was love and tenderness, was my enemy, he was able to conquer my heart.

Admittedly, he used foul tricks to do it, but in the end the one who decided to make the decision to hand my first time to him was me.

If there was someone to blame, I could only blame myself for being lost in the pleasure that he had made me feel. Even though a part of me knew that the tenderness and affection he was giving me right now was fake, and only make-believe, I still longed for it.

My body longed for it.

He had already conquered my heart… and now, he was about to conquer my body, which I willingly surrendered to him.

"You won," I said softly as I looked at his beautiful golden eyes that looked at me with pity.

I thought that I would see a trace of triumph, arrogance, or disdain in his eyes after making me submit to him by my own will. However, I didn't see any of them. All I saw was pity, and even a faint trace of apology.

To my surprise, a single tear slid down the side of his face. I didn't expect that he would shed a tear for my sake, and yet he did. Perhaps, it was the only real emotion that he had shown me until now, and it made my heart ache, knowing that despite being my enemy, he still felt sad for my sake.

'No good. I am falling for him.'

This was the thought that passed through my head as I used my lips to kiss that single tear that had been shed for my sake. It tasted a little salty, but I also felt a sweetness inside my heart that I never felt before.

It was then when I felt his strong hands hold my buttocks and slowly move it up and down.

With every thrust, his hard and throbbing manhood sent shivers down my spine. The pain slowly faded away, and was replaced by a pleasure that far surpassed the feeling of having my blood drunk by him.

"Does it still hurt?"

The Prince asked me softly. His demeanor had changed considerably after I had kissed his tear away. He spoke to me in a voice that no longer held tenderness and affection.

It was a cold voice that made my heart tremble. His cold eyes that looked down on my trembling body, were betrayed by the look of concern that I saw within their golden depths.

Instead of answering, I wrapped my hands around his neck and kissed him. This time, he kissed me back, and our tongues intertwined with each other. His cold body slowly became warm, as I moved my body with him, and not against him.

He never increased the pace of how he thrust his member inside me. He did it slowly, and gently, which made me feel the care he was giving me, making my heart feel full, and my body long even more desperately for his affection.

However, even if the movement was slow, it was starting to gain momentum. It was like the makings of a storm. I was like a small boat in the wide open sea, and in front of me, a storm was starting to form.

The clear blue skies disappeared, and were replaced by dark clouds where thunder rumbled, and lightning illuminated the dark sky.

In front of me, the lone boat on that vast body of water, I could see a gigantic wave, that I estimated to be at least fifty-meters-tall, started to make its way towards me.

I knew then and there that when that wave crashed down on me, I would be broken and destroyed beyond repair.

With each thrust, the wave drew closer, making me whimper. It was then when I looked up at him with a pleading gaze, and voiced out the words that made me tremble.

"I'm scared."

Only two words, and yet, it was what I truly felt.

My world, and everything I held dear for the past nineteen years of my life would be destroyed, the moment that powerful wave hit me. Although I'm sure that it wasn't his intention, I knew, with all of my heart, that if that giant wave hit me, I would fall and be broken completely.

I would never be the same again.

I thought that he would ignore me, and watch me break due to the stacked up pleasure that he had built up by thrusting his manhood inside me, shaping my insides to his shape.

But, he didn't do that. He stopped moving, and lightly patted my head. I could feel the tip of his member, kissing the entrance of my womb, and my womb, kissed him back, not out of love, but of longing for the promise that was still unfulfilled.

He didn't say anything, and only held me in a firm and warm embrace. The giant wave in front of me, froze completely, as if time had stopped. It was still there, but for the moment, I was safe.

A tear slid down the side of my face, followed by another. Soon, as if something snapped inside me, my tears came down in full. I wrapped my hands around his neck, rested my head on his shoulder, and cried.

I cried for my loss against him.

I cried for being played by him.

I cried for losing my innocence to him.

I cried, and cried, and cried.

'No good. I think I have already fallen.'

As I cried and hugged the Prince of Darkness, his strong arms wrapped around my body in a protective embrace.

As one of the ladies that held the Virtues of the World, I have no need to rely on others to protect myself. My Patron God was always there to give me sound advice, and my ability to increase and decrease my, and my opponent's, speed allowed me to triumph over all of my foes.

But against him, I lost.

I lost because I underestimated him.

I lost due to my arrogance.

And yet, here he was, holding me firmly, and keeping that giant wave at bay. Although I know that we had already gone past the point of no return, and that wave would come crashing down on me sooner or later, in this brief moment of time, I am safe.

He was keeping me safe.

Several minutes later, I regained my composure and looked at him straight in the eye.

"Lira Vi Vevila."

My True Name. The name that would give others total control over me. A name that I had protected, in fear that I would become someone else's belonging, and become their plaything.

However, for some reason, my heart told me that it was going to be alright. It was telling me that my name was safe with him.

I was safe with him.

With a touch filled with tenderness, he caressed the side of my face and gave me a loving kiss. When the kiss ended, he looked at me and said with eyes filled with warmth.

"Lira, please, accept me."

"... Un."

As if to answer his feelings, the entrance of my womb that was currently kissing the tip of his manhood opened up. It was no longer afraid of what was about to come, and even welcomed it with open arms.

As I leaned on his body, with his strong arms around me. I knew that even if the waves came crashing down, I would be safe. He will keep me safe.

Just as I expected, the giant wave in front of me moved once again. It came crashing down with a force that would destroy anything and everything in its path.

It was also at that moment when I felt a hot and burning sensation explode inside my womb, making me feel as if I was going to melt from the inside out.

Everything around me turned white. My mind blanked out as he released his seed inside me. The thought of becoming pregnant with his child passed through my mind and was gone as swiftly as it came.

But, for some reason, I didn't dislike that possibility.

As I was about to lose my consciousness, I felt something etch itself in my lower abdomen. Although I didn't know what it was, I felt happy because somehow, it let me know that he had marked me as his own.

Even now, I still remember that feeling very vividly.

It was the time that I, a child that was born between the union of a Human woman and an Angel, had been conquered by the man whom I treated as my enemy.

It was the day that I had fallen.

Fallen for the man, who wept for me when my world and my entire existence, came crashing down in a world of Darkness, where no light could be seen.

Chapter 1123: A Long, And Lingering Kiss Of Loyalty

Chapter 1123 A Long, And Lingering Kiss Of Loyalty

(Disclaimer: Minor R-18 Scenes.)

William looked at the unconscious Lira with a complicated expression on his face.

His intention was to corrupt her completely, but as he was about to do that, something inside him prevented him from doing so.

'It's the part of my soul that still believes in happy endings,' William thought as he sighed internally.

Although his plan to completely corrupt the Virtue of Temperance didn't succeed, he was still able to get her True Name. Even so, for some reason, he felt disgusted at the thought of using her name to make her do vile things for him.

His manhood, that was still deep inside Lira, was still hard, but he no longer wished to make the unconscious lady in his arms fall into depravity.

It was at that moment when he heard a ragged cough inside the room.

'I almost forgot about her,' William mused as he shifted his gaze at the purple-haired beauty, whose body trembled uncontrollably a few meters away from him.

Ephemera was still suffering from the afterglow of the incredible climax that she had experienced, despite being left untouched by the Half-Elf who had made her friend a woman.

William then used a silence spell over Lira to prevent her from hearing their voices, and allow her to continue sleeping in his arms.

"Oi, Ms. Justice, did I accidentally break you by any chance?" William asked in a teasing tone.

Ephemera who heard William's voice raised her head, but instead of her usual proud, and arrogant appearance, she had a debauched look on her face. Clearly, her body was still suffering from the side-effects of the one-sided pleasure that she experienced through her friend's emotions.

As Wiliam looked at the lady, who had a warped sense of justice, he sensed something inside her that wasn't there before.

With a frown, the Half-Elf waved his hand, and the clothes she was wearing were burned by black flames, until nothing was left.

"... I see. So, that's it," William muttered as he looked at the pink crest that had appeared on Ephemera's lower abdomen.

Since William had used the powers of his incubus class, with the intention to corrupt Lira, he had completely forgotten that its effect also applied to Ephemera.

Suddenly, William felt something unusual from the unconscious lady who was leaning against his body. The black-haired teenager held Lira's shoulders and gently pushed her back to see what was happening to her.

Immediately, he saw something golden glowing in the center of her chest. A few seconds later, a small golden flower materialized in front of her, and flew toward the black obsidian gem in Wiliam's chest and was absorbed completely.

Before William could wonder what was going on, a notification message appeared on his Status Page.

—-

– You have received a fragment of Divinity from the Virtue of Temperance.

– You will now be able to use the ability "Exceed Break."

< Exceed Break >

– Allows you to increase your normal speed by up to 500%

– Allows you to decrease your enemy's speed by up to 500%

—--

After asking Optimus about the Skill, The System informed him that he could now increase his body's overall speed. Whether it be movement speed or attack speed, he could increase it up to 500% which was quite incredible.

Not only that, he was able to manipulate his enemy's speed, making them move slower than they normally do. This was quite crucial during battles, and would completely take his enemies by surprise.

"Thank you, Lira," William said softly as he planted a kiss on her head before allowing her to lean back against his body. "I will put the fragment of your Divinity to good use."

He had also noticed the pink crest on Lira's lower abdomen earlier, which was proof that she had surrendered her body to the pleasure that William had given her.

'Optimus, do you know why this happened?'

The balck-haired teenager didn't have any idea why he received a fraction of Lira's Divinity, and wanted to ask Optimus if he knew the reason for what had just transpired.

< I have a hunch, but I don't have enough evidence to back it up. >

'Tell me what you think,' William urged The System to share his insights on what had happened earlier.

< I think this is similar to how you register your wives as your Familia Members. Since you have registered them as your women, you were able to merge with them and use their powers as your own.

I'm guessing that what happened earlier is a similar case. The only difference is that you don't consider Lira as one of your wives. Because of this, she subconsciously shared a part of her divinity with you, allowing you to use her powers at any given time.

Take note that it is only a fragment of her Divinity, which allows you to use a tenth of her full power. Without your ability to break the rules, you would have fallen to her sneak attack back then. Although she doesn't have the power to stop time, her ability has a similar effect, and is very deadly to her foes. >

William nodded as he lightly petted the unconscious girl in his arms before shifting his attention on Ephemera, who seemed to be just a push away from breaking down completely.

Despite being a virgin, the crest on her body was proof that she had fallen from her high horse, and was completely at William's mercy.

William waved his hand and the chains that bound Ephemera disappeared, allowing her to stand up, albeit shakily, on her own two feet.

The purple haired beauty then slowly made her way towards William, while the latter watched her with an indifferent gaze.

When she was only a meter away from him, she kneeled down and looked up at him in a pleading gaze.

"Don't worry," William said coldly. "I am someone who looks at the bigger picture. You can keep your maidenhood, and you will be allowed to return to the Holy Order. However, the next time you and your sisters defy me, I will not show any mercy. Do I make myself clear?"

Ephemera nodded her head as tears streamed down her eyes. Her anxiousness and fears had all disappeared after gaining William's pardon.

"Please, I can't…" Ephemera pleaded as she touched William's knees. Her body was still burning up, and she needed to find release. "Please."

William frowned, but still decided to take pity on her. He had already declared that he would not take her, and he intended to keep his word.

The black-haired teenager knew that his still-untainted-soul had already used up a bit of its power to stop him from corrupting Lira. Since that was the case, he would honor his wish and let both of the girls go, so that they could return to the Holy Order.

The war against Felix still hadn't started. Keeping the Virtues on his side would only weaken the resistance against the Demon Army. William still had many things to do, and he needed time in order to accomplish his goals.

For the time being, he was more than happy to let the Palace of Light fight the Heir of Darkness.

In order for them to resist the invasion, they needed Lira and Ephemera by their side, so William was willing to let them go for the bigger picture.

The black-haired teenager raised Lira's hips, allowing him to pull his manhood out from inside her. Perhaps due to Lira's wish, William's seed didn't spill from her womb, and was kept in place.

Ephemera's breathing became ragged when she saw the thing that was responsible for taking her friend's innocence. It was still covered with William's seed, and blood from Lira's deflowering. Even so, Ephemera didn't care.

She reached out to hold it firmly in her right hand, before lowering her head to give it a kiss. The purple-haired beauty, as well as her friend, Lira, had never kissed a man before. And yet, both had given their first kisses to the thing that was currently in her hands.

Just like a Knight, kissing his Sovereign's hand as a sign of loyalty, Ephemera did the same. Her soft, and seductive lips pressed over the tip of William's manhood, giving it a long, and lingering kiss.

Suddenly, a golden radiance shown at the center of her chest.

Not long after, a small golden flower bloomed and flew towards the black gem on William's chest. Just like what happened to the flower Lira had given him, the golden flower was absorbed completely.

Ephemera had willingly shared a fraction of her Divinity to William as a sign of her loyalty, as well as appreciation for the freedom that he had bestowed upon her and her friend, Lira.

When her kiss ended, William extended his hand towards her.

Ephemera took it, and she was pulled up, and allowed to sit beside William on his throne. The purple-haired beauty then wrapped her arms around William, as well as her unconscious friend before closing her eyes.

She had reached her limit both physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A few seconds later, she fell asleep.

William glanced at the two beautiful ladies who were now seated on his left and right sides, with both of their arms wrapped around him.

Although he had no intention of marrying any of them, he no longer treated them as his enemies.

From beyond the darkness of the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, a sigh escaped the Primordial Goddess' lips. This was not the scene she wanted to see.

What she had envisioned were both of the Virtues falling into depravity and shaking their hips as they cast away their dignity and pride. She wanted them to become William's slaves, and allow him to stand above the world, making those under his feet cower in his presence.

"I guess, not being able to fall completely into darkness allowed him to retain a bit of his heart," the Primordial Goddess muttered.

William had already lost half of his soul, so this half was filled with the Power of Darkness, which stabilized his body, and influenced his thought pattern.

The Darkness was able to further corrupt the remaining part of William's remaining soul, while the other half had taken refuge inside the Silver Bell that Amalthea had left. This prevented the corruption from progressing further, allowing William to preserve a quarter of his soul.

"Still, this is a satisfactory result," The Primordial Goddess said with a smile. "Although I don't want to admit it, I like him to have a bit of kindness left in him."

The Primordial Goddess sighed as she remembered when she had descended into the body of her Avatar.

She had embraced William back then, and the taste of his soul was just as sweet as she imagined it to be. Deep inside, she was quite satisfied with the time they spent together. The otherworldly beauty was even looking forward to the next time her Avatar would meet with the black-haired teenager, whose heart now belonged to her.

Chapter 1124: From Now On, You Are My Justice [Part 1]

Chapter 1124 From Now On, You Are My Justice [Part 1]

"What did you say?!"

The Pope stood up from her throne as she looked at Audrey in disbelief.

"The Elite Forces we sent to capture that heretic have been eliminated, Temperance and Justice had been captured, and the Four Demigods had been sealed away?" the Pope asked as she held her scepter in a firm grip. "How can that be possible?!"

Audrey could only smile wryly because in the beginning, she had the same opinion as the Pope. With Virtues, an elite army, and Four Demigods, the Prince of Darkness shouldn't have stood a chance.

Unfortunately, reality was different. Temperance, whose ability could make her enemies move as slow as a snail, was defeated. Justice, whose power became stronger the more she believed that what she was acting for the sake of Justice was also defeated.

Audrey, who held the Virtue of Fortitude that had the power to overcome any difficulty, had been helpless as well. She didn't have the chance to use her Virtue because she knew that it was futile. Since Temperance's ability didn't work, her own power would amount to nothing in front of the black-haired teenager whose devilish smile remained in her memory.

After gnashing her teeth in anger, the Pope once again sat on her throne. She knew that Audrey wouldn't lie to her because she came back alone. Even the Pope's connection with the Demigods had been cut, proving that they were in a place where her powers couldn't reach them.

After a few minutes, the middle-aged woman heaved a deep sigh before glancing at the other Virtues who were present in the throne room. She had gathered them here so that they could hear Audrey's report and be in the know of the fate that had befallen their sisters.

Celeste frowned when she heard Audrey's report. She wasn't aware that the Pope had sent a decree for his capture. If she was there before the order was given, she would have done everything in her power to stop the Pope from committing a grave mistake.

"Celeste, you were with that heretic for a few days, am I right?" the Pope asked.

Celeste nodded. "Yes."

"Is it true that you are his chosen bride?"

"Yes."

The ladies inside the throne room looked at Celeste with surprise. All of them then subconsciously stared at her abdomen, thinking of the same thing. The beautiful elf had stayed with William for a few days. It was not impossible for William to take her by force, since the Bride of Darkness had no strength to resist her Master.

"He didn't take my Chastity," Celeste replied. "If he did, I wouldn't have been able to enter this throne room because I would have lost my Divinity to him."

The Pope nodded her head in agreement with her words. The throne room was protected by a special seal. Only the reigning Pope and the Seven Virtues would be able to enter this Domain. No one else, not even the Heir and Prince of Darkness themselves would be able to step foot inside their sacred ground.

"Can you tell me why he wasn't captured?" the Pope asked as she shifted her attention back to Audrey, who was currently in the center of the room. "The forces we sent were enough to destroy an empire. All of you are competent warriors, so how did the mission fail?"

"The Chains of Heaven weren't able to bind the Dark Prince, and Celeste's tainted familiar," Audrey said as she gave Celeste a side-long glance before continuing her report. "He casually broke the chains as if they were made of brittle rice crackers. Also, Temperance's ability didn't work on him."

Audrey then reported everything that happened without omitting anything. She told everyone about the two Demigods that protected William, as well as the Pseudo-God that appeared out of nowhere.

When the Pope heard about the Pseudo-God, her brows furrowed because Byron didn't tell him anything about a being with that power guarding William. If she knew that there was a Pseudo-God guarding the boy, she would have sent one of the Pseudo-Gods of the Holy Order to deal with it.

"Also, the Prince wanted to pass some words to you," Audrey said with a complicated expression on her face.

"Speak," the Pope replied as she narrowed her eyes.

"He said, a wise Shepherd once said 'Eat Sh*t Motherf*cker.'," Audrey stated. "I don't know what Motherf*cker means, but I'm guessing that it is a derogatory word."

The corner of Celeste's and Claire's lips twitched because they were quite familiar with these words. Chloee once told them about the chamber pot Wiliam carried, and the nightmare that would be set loose once he activated its hidden code.

The beautiful Elf subconsciously shuddered at the thought of William facing the Pope with that chamberport in his hand and drowning her in night soil.

"Is that all?" the Pope asked. Killing intent could be seen in her weathered face as she stared at Audrey like a hawk ready to strike.

"That is all." Audrey nodded.

The Pope once again shifted his attention to Celeste and eyed her with a serious expression.

"Do you have a way to contact that Heretic?" the Pope asked.

"Yes," Celeste replied.

"Good. Tell him that we are willing to negotiate the terms for the freedom of Justice and Temperance. We will no longer find trouble for his family, as well as stop our hunt for him. If he has other conditions, I am willing to listen to them."

Celeste nodded. "Understood. I will pass your message at once."

The Pope knew that she couldn't be stubborn at this point in time, so she was willing to compromise. In order to prevail against the forces of Darkness, all Seven Virtues must be present. If even one of them was missing, their forces would significantly weaken.

William held two Virtues as his hostage, so this was a significant blow to their Holy Order. As long as they could get them back, she would be willing to turn a blind eye to the Half-Elf until she found a fool-proof plan to capture him once and for all.

The other Virtues sighed in relief because, although they weren't close friends with each other, they still thought that their Sisters should be freed.

"That despicable Prince of Darkness, just who does he think he is?" a girl with long-silver hair shook her head in disdain. "I should have come with you girls. If I was there, I would have cut him up to pieces."

"Poor Justice and Temperance, both of them might be getting tortured by now," a beauty with shoulder-length blue hair shook her head helplessly. "I'm sure both of them are suffering unimaginable pain. Perhaps, they might even end up dying at this rate."

"You're right, I'm sure that they are being subjected to the worst torture ever, I feel so sorry for them," a beauty with reddish-brown hair sighed. "I just hope that both of them aren't crying right now."

—--

"Close your eyes, I'll wash your hair now."

"... Un."

William used water magic to pour water on Lira's head after he finished scrubbing it with shampoo.

He made sure to rinse it properly as the water droplets streamed down her hair, and to her angelic body that was free from blemishes.

Ephemera watched this scene as she soaked in the bathtub. A day after their grueling experience, William decided to take them to his Villa in the Thousand Beast Domain, so that they could take a bath and rest properly.

Now that he no longer treated them as enemies, he thought that it would be fine if he allowed them to rest for a day before letting them go back to the Palace of Light where they rightfully belonged.

After Lira's body was cleaned from head to toe, William then led her to the bathtub so that she could soak with Ephemera.

The purple-haired beauty watched as the beautiful lady with long brown hair, and the handsome, black-haired teenager entered the bathtub together.

Lira sighed as she leaned her back against William's body. The Half-Elf's arms were wrapped around her waist, and remained there.

In Ephemera's eyes, her friend as well as the black-haired teenager were like newlyweds who were taking a bath together after their honeymoon.

"Does it still hurt?" William asked in a cold tone, and yet, the beautiful lady in his arms blushed after hearing the faint trace of concern in his voice.

"It no longer hurts," Lira replied. "But, for some reason, it still tingles. It is as if you are still… inside me."

The last few words were said in a voice that was almost inaudible, but due to William's excellent senses, he was able to hear it all.

"Don't worry," William commented. "After one more day, that feeling will go away. What you are feeling is normal, especially since it was your first time."

Instead of feeling relieved, Lira felt somewhat sad after hearing that the feeling of happiness she was experiencing at the moment would disappear when morning came.

William told them that they could return to the Palace of Light after resting for a day in his villa.

"I see," Lira said softly as she placed her right hand over William's hands that were resting on her navel.

Ephemera felt her cheeks burning in embarrassment as she looked at her friend whose face was like a maiden in love. The purple-haired beauty couldn't help but remember how she washed herself on her own, as well as soaked alone, while Lira was given William's undivided attention.

Deep inside her, she wanted to voice out a complaint about the vast difference in the treatment that the two of them were getting.

She knew that if William wished for it, Lira, and perhaps her, would find themselves on their knees to service him. They would not resist and would even gladly allow him to have his way with their youthful bodies that could drive any men crazy.

Ephemera had already prepared herself for this kind of treatment after receiving the pink crest on her lower abdomen. She had resigned herself to being ravaged until she lost consciousness from the pleasure that their captor would give her.

However, William did nothing!

The only thing he did was take them to the bathroom, and washed her friend's body without any lustful intentions. Ephemera watched William's every move, and his hands didn't linger longer than it should on Lira's curves, as well as the part of her friend's body where the two of them had been joined several hours ago.

Seeing her friend's sad expression and the hand that was holding William's, Ephemera voiced out her thoughts out loud.

"You said that you will let us go, right?" Ephemera asked.

"Yes," William replied without bothering to look at her. His eyes were closed as he allowed Lira to use his hand to gently caress the pink crest that had appeared on her body.

"Why?" Ephemera inquired. "If you don't release us, the Holy Order would think twice before targeting you again. If you return us, you will lose any advantage you have. You didn't even ask for any form of ransom or condition for our release."

Lira listened to her friend, as a blush appeared on her face. For some reason, the pink crest on her lower abdomen started to glow, as he used William's hand to caress it. The tingling feeling that she was feeling earlier deep inside her body intensified a little, as the crest glowed faintly under the water.

"Because, the other me wants it," William replied with an indifferent tone. "Lira, if you continue this, your body will go into heat. Please, calm down a bit."

The blackhaired teenager then moved his hand back and rested it on top of Lira's navel. The crest that was faintly glowing earlier dimmed until it returned to its normal look.

Lira's face became a shade redder after being reprimanded by her first man.

Ephemera's face also flushed after hearing William's words.

'Lira… you've changed so much,' Ephemera thought as she looked at her friend, who had turned around and buried her face on William's chest, as if trying to prevent Ephemera from looking at her.

After looking at her friend for half a minute, Ephemera forcefully tore her gaze away and looked at the Half-Elf whose eyes had just opened. She watched with envy as the black-haired teenager planted a kiss on Lira's forehead, as he once again wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace.

'Unfair…,' Ephemera thought. But, as soon as she felt that she was feeling envious, and jealous of her friend, a shudder passed down her spine as she came to a realization. 'N-No. Could it be?'

Ephemera didn't want to entertain such a possibility, but her heart was telling her that she was indeed feeling envious and jealous of her friend, whose head was now being patted by William.

The purple-haired beauty felt an ache in her chest, as she looked at William's hand that was patting her friend's head with longing.

For a brief moment, she wished that the one he cared for was her, and not her friend, Lira.

Chapter 1125: From Now On, You Are My Justice [Part 2]

Chapter 1125 From Now On, You Are My Justice [Part 2]

(Disclaimer: Minor R-18 Scene. This may or may not be the last sexy scene that you guys will have for a long time. If you have any complaints, feel free to find me in my Discord Server.)

It was at that moment, when the last shackle that bound Ephemera's heart shattered into pieces. She no longer looked at William as an enemy, but a man that she desired.

She didn't know that her Virtue, that represented Justice, was slowly being transformed, into William's own Justice.

Ephemera's ability was tied to the convictions that she held in her heart. If her heart wavered, the power she could unleash would also decrease, making her Divinity weaker than it usually was.

"Won't you reconsider?" Ephemera gathered all of her willpower and endured the helpless feeling in her heart. "As long as we are with you, the Holy Order will no longer target you and your family."

"I'm not afraid of the Holy Order," William answered in a heartbeat. "If the other Virtues come, I will make them understand the stupidity of their actions."

"W-Will you do the same thing to them, just like what you did to Lira?"

"No. I will do worse things. I originally planned to corrupt you and Lira, and make both of you fall into Darkness."

William lightly caressed Lira's back, and a pair of gray, angelic wings sprouted behind her.

"Endure it for a bit, Lira," William said softly and the beautiful lady in his arms nodded her head in acknowledgement.

The black-haired teenager then plucked a single feather from Lira's wing and showed it to Ephemera.

"This is the fate that should have fallen to the both of you," William commented.

Slowly, the tip of the feather turned black and slowly made its way up to its base. In a matter of seconds, the gray feather had become a black feather, which faintly radiated the power of Darkness.

Lira's and Ephemera's bodies trembled after seeing the black feather in Wiliam's hand.

"If any of the Virtues trouble me again, I will no longer hold back and corrupt them completely," William declared in an indifferent and unfeeling voice. "Their pride, their dignity, I will take them all, until they become lowly slaves that will live and die for my sake.

"They would no longer be called Virtuous Ladies, but whores, who will gladly spread their legs to any man if I wish it. That is the Fate that awaits them, so make sure to warn your sisters. My patience has a limit."

Ephemera subconsciously nodded her head, as she looked at William's gaze that contained no shred of mercy.

As if noticing that the angelic beauty in his arms was trembling in fear, William whispered an apology to Lira's ear and hugged her tight, until her body stopped shaking.

Ephemera bit her lip, as she stood up from the bathtub. Water droplets slid down her curvaceous body, as she bared it for William to see. If in the past, she would not dare show her body to any man, let alone to her enemy.

But at this point in time, she no longer cared. She had reached her limit.

The purple-haired beauty then walked towards William and used her right hand to cup his face.

"Unfair," Ephemera said softly as she lowered her head. "You are unfair."

The moment her soft lips pressed over William's, Ephemera no longer denied the fact that she had already fallen.

Since that was the case, she would fall completely, allowing this cold, and handsome man, whose subtle act of kindness, and gentleness, made her feel that being corrupted, and falling into the darkness with him, wasn't as scary as she originally thought it would be.

William was surprised when Ephemera chose to kiss him of her own volition. Lira, who saw this was also just as shocked as the black-haired teenager who was holding her in his arms.

She had known Ephemera for a very long time, and knew of her tendency to hate the opposite gender in general. In short, the purple-haired beauty looked down on men, and would usually use her Divinity to punish them, regardless if they committed a crime or not, because of what happened to her family in the past.

Ephemera had shared this secret to her in the past, and she had kept it hidden as a way to honor the trust that she had given her.

Never would Lira have thought that the man-hating lady of Virtue would kiss the Prince of Darkness.

In truth, when Ephemera said the word "Unfair", Lira already knew what she meant. Still, due to her shock, she just looked on in a daze as her friend kissed William clumsily.

Clearly, she had no experience because she was still a maiden that had not been touched by any man.

When their lips parted, the purple-haired beauty looked down at William's golden eyes, and said the same word again.

"Unfair," Ephemera said. "Why only Lira? You already marked me as well. Take responsibility for it."

William stared back at her with a calm expression on his face as he replied to her words.

"I don't intend to marry you and take you as my wife," William replied. "Also, I already said that you can keep your maidenhood. I'm not interested in it."

A hollow chuckle escaped Ephemera's lips as she crouched down and lowered her head. Her hand then moved to unplug the stopper of the bathtub, allowing the water to drain completely.

As the water levels fell, she gently pried Lira's body, who was still clinging to William, away and moved her to the side.

The brown-haired beauty was still in a state of shock, and wasn't able to resist Ephemera's action.

Lira just stared helplessly as the friend that she had known for many years, straddled William.

The black-haired teenager was about to push Ephemera away when the latter looked at him with a determined expression on her face.

"Since you don't want to take responsibility, I will take responsibility for myself," Ephemera declared as she held William's manhood and guided it to the entrance of her maidenhood. "Don't worry, I won't ask you to marry me. Just make me your concubine, or your lover.

"Just for today, before I return to the Palace of Light, embrace me like you did Lira. That is all I ask, so please, do not push me away."

Just as she was about to lower her hips, and give her chastity to William, the black-haired teenager, stopped her.

Tears streamed down the side of Ephemera's face as she looked at William with dejection.

"Why?" Ephemera asked. "Am I not good enough?"

"No." William shook her head. "Don't misunderstand. I didn't stop you because you were not good enough. I stopped you because your feelings have reached me."

William pulled the purple-haired beauty towards him until their faces were just a few inches from each other.

"Are you sure about this?" William asked. "You don't have to answer. Just nod your head. However, know that once you do, there will be no turning back. I will ask you one last time, is this really what you want?"

Ephemera nodded as her tears fell on the black, obsidian gem, on William's chest.

The Half-Elf felt the warmth, and sadness in her tears, and for a brief moment, a faint blue glow, pulsed at the center of his blackened heart, acknowledging Ephemera's overflowing emotions.

"Fine," William said softly as she kissed Ephemera's lips for a brief moment before staring at her tear-stained face. "Until the sun rises tomorrow, I will treat you as my lover. However, after that, you will just keep this as a memory in your heart. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Ephemera replied. "Just for today, make me feel loved. Make me feel your love."

The Virtuous Lady then kissed William as the black-haired teenager held her hips and lowered it slowly. Soon, a drop of blood fell inside the bathtub, where it bloomed like a flower.

True to his words, William made love to her.

Ephemera surrendered herself to the Half-Elf's passionate kisses, and warm embrace. The envy, and jealousy in her heart disappeared, and was replaced by complete, and utter happiness.

Soon, the young man brought her to the peak, making every fiber of her being shudder in anticipation. A few seconds later, she felt William's intense, and hot passion erupt inside her.

'From now on, you are my Justice,' Ephemera made an oath as she collapsed on top of the man that accepted her selfish request.

As her consciousness slowly faded while being held in William's loving arms, her lonely heart and innocent womb were filled to the brim with his tainted love.

Chapter 1126: Words Don't Hold Any Value

Chapter 1126 Words Don't Hold Any Value

William stared at the two beautiful women lying on the bed.

Ephemera, the Virtuous Lady of Justice, lay on the bed with William's seed overflowing from her secret garden which stained the white sheets. There were faint traces of blood mixed with it, proving that she had lost her chastity just a few hours ago.

William had made love with her for several hours, until she lost consciousness. The Half-Elf was quite surprised at how tenacious Ephemera was. A tenacity which matched that of his wife Princess Sidonie.

After staring at her for a minute, William then shifted his attention to the other beautiful lady that was laying beside her, Lira.

'Unbelievable,' William thought as he stared at the slightly bulging abdomen of the brown-haired beauty, which was similar to women in the early stages of their pregnancy.

Lira had a peaceful expression on her sleeping face, as she breathed softly after being embraced by William, alongside her friend, Ephemera.

'Did she want to get pregnant with my child that badly?' William mused as he lightly caressed Lira's abdomen that was filled with his seed.

For some reason, everytime he poured his essence inside her, Lira would use her Divinity to keep Wiliam's seed inside her womb, not letting even a single drop spill from it.

In truth, as someone who was born between a Human woman and an Angel, Lira had thought that she wouldn't like to bear a child and make them suffer just like she had—to always hide her angelic background from people, as well as always being on guard to prevent others from knowing her True Name.

No matter how corrupt William was, it was impossible not to be moved by Lira's cute attempts to bear his child.

'Sadly, her attempt was futile,' William thought as he planted a kiss on Lira's cheek before leaving the room.

After merging with Donger, William knew that he could practically impregnate any women and have them give birth to his child with just a single round of sex. However, he didn't want that to happen.

Because of this, he asked Optimus, as well as Donger, to work with him to prevent him from irresponsibly leaving offsprings behind.

After seeing his future daughters, William vowed to himself that he wouldn't become an irresponsible father. He was not the type of person that would wantonly impregnate a woman with his child, then toss her aside, leaving her to raise his child on her own.

Even in his fallen, and corrupted state, William would never do something like that. If in the future, Lira did become pregnant with his child, he would make sure to take care of her, as well as their unborn baby.

But, since the possibility of that happening was zero, William left the room to allow the two beautiful virtuous ladies to rest properly.

The moment he left the room, William saw Chloee leaning on the wall and chewing on a chocolate bar.

"Did you corrupt both of them?" Chloee asked.

"No," William replied as he walked to her direction.

Only a towel was wrapped around his waist, revealing his upper body for Chloee to feast on.

After sharing a morning kiss in greeting, Chloee reluctantly pulled back and rested her hand on William's shoulder.

"Celeste talked to me last night through our connection," Chloee reported. "She said that the Holy Order of Light is willing to negotiate for the release of Temperance and Justice."

"Is that so?" William arched an eyebrow after hearing Chloee's report. "What is their condition?"

He already intended to release the two girls and let them return to the Palace of Light. Since they wanted to negotiate with him, he might as well hear their conditions as a side benefit for releasing the girls.

"A non-aggression pact until they have finished dealing with the Heir of Darkness," Chloee replied. "Celeste said that if you have any other conditions, they are willing to consider it."

William smiled after hearing the condition that the Pope had given him.

"A non-aggression pact until they finished dealing with Felix and Ahriman," William said softly. "Meaning, after they have dealt with them, they will deal with me next. Very clever."

Chloee smirked because she knew what William was thinking. Only William's trusted people knew that he was the Dungeon Conqueror. If the Pope got wind of this, she would definitely shift her attention to William and use every means necessary to capture, kill, or make him submit to them.

Someone who had the power to conquer all the Dungeons in the world, and use the monsters inside it as his personal army was truly a frightening opponent to fight against. Fortunately, they didn't know, which allowed William to build a formidable army, right under their noses.

"Tell them I agree, but they will have to sign the contract I formally draft," William stated. "Words don't hold any value. Everything must be settled under a contract or the deal is off."

William immediately bought a high-quality contract from the God Shop that belonged to the God of Contract, Sancus, who was also responsible for giving him Donger.

The Half-Elf wrote the terms of their non-aggression pact, stating that the Pope, as well as all the Virtues, must sign it in order for it to take effect.

The contents of the contract was pretty simple and straightforward. It stated that if the Holy Order of Light were to break the non-agression pact, in any way possible, before Felix and Ahriman were dealt with, all of them would become William's slaves.

On the other hand, if William broke the rules, he would become Celeste's slave for a year, and listen to her every command.

Although William's punishment was less severe than what the Pope and the other Virtues would suffer from if they broke the rules, it was still something that gave them assurance that the Half-Elf would not openly break the temporary truce between them.

He made sure to tell Chloee that this agreement was non-negotiable. The black-haired teenager even added that if they didn't agree to his conditions, he would send them Temperance's and Justice's severed heads as a gift.

As the Prince of Darkness, William wanted to make them think that he was a very ruthless individual. This would make it easier to get them to sign the contract in fear that he would do as he declared, and kill two of the Seven Virtues, which would greatly weaken the power of their Holy Order.

William signed the contract, and decided to let Lira and Ephemera sign it as well when they woke up.

Since he could just send the contract to Sancus, and ask him to become the middle-man between him and Celeste's Patron Goddess, he didn't need to worry about personally meeting with the beautiful Elf, who always made him remember of his Master, Celine, who was pregnant with his child.

William's eyes glowed faintly when he remembered the God of Death who had taken the souls of his wives, as well as his Master, Celine.

He knew that if he wanted to take them back, he must deal with Felix and Ahriman first. Once he had taken his revenge, he would then divert his attention in finding ways to save them from Death's grasp.

Seeing that William's mood had shifted to revenge, Chloee decided to change the mood and kissed him on the lips.

"Let's have breakfast together," Chloee proposed. "Medusa, Princess Aila, and Shannon will be waking up soon. It has been a while since all of us ate at the same table. What do you think?"

William smiled and nodded his head. As the Master of the Thousand Beast Domain, he knew everything that was happening inside it like a God.

"It will be a while before the three of them wake up," William stated. "Why don't you and I take a bath together first? I'm sure that they'll be up when we're done."

Chloee smiled as she playfully took off the bath towel that was wrapped around William's waist and let it fall on the floor.

"What are we waiting for?" Chloee said with a sweet, mischievous smile on her beautiful face. "I'll make sure to clean you up, reaaaaaally good."

William chuckled as he held Chloee's hand firmly and led her back to his room. It had been a while since the two of them shared some quality time together due to how busy he had become these last few days.

Now that a perfect opportunity had arrived, he would make sure to let her feel loved, as a reward for her love for him.

Chapter 1127: I Don't Want My Will To Become A Slave To Anyone!

Chapter 1127 I Don't Want My Will To Become A Slave To Anyone!

A few hours later, Lira and Ephemera sat at the dining table and ate lunch together.

The one that was serving them was none other than Charmaine, whom William had ordered to take good care of them, and allow them to wander around the Thousand Beast Domain if they wished to do so.

"Excuse me, Do you know where Will is?" Lira asked after she finished eating.

Charmaine eyed the brown-haired beauty in front of her. Only her Master's wives, lovers, and close friends, called him in that endearing manner. The beautiful Elf knew that William had made the two virtuous ladies submit, but she didn't know how much they had fallen for him.

"Master is currently handling things and is not here in the Thousand Beast Domain," Charmaine replied. "Rest assured, he has ordered me to take care of your every need, as well as guide you if you ever wish to leave the Villa and look around."

"I see," Lira lowered her head with a dejected look. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

Lira's hand subconsciously caressed the slight bulge in her abdomen as she thought of the cold, black-haired teenager that made love to her in a gentle manner.

"No," Charmaine replied. "However, Master asked me to get both of you to sign a contract that he had left in my care once you are done eating."

Ephemera, who had just finished eating, arched an eyebrow as she stared at William's personal maid. "A contract?"

Charmaine nodded. "Please, head to the living room first while I clean the table. I will look for you shortly after I'm done and show both of you the contract."

Lira and Ephemera nodded as they followed Charmaine to the living room.

When they arrived, they found an angelic looking girl with purple-hair and eyes that were a shade lighter than Ephemera's.

"Princess Aila, these two are the Virtue of Temperance and the Virtue of Justice," Charmaine introduced the two ladies to her. "They are Master's guests."

Princess Aila glanced at the two girls before nodding her head in understanding.

"My name is Aila," Princess Aila said. "No need to call me Princess."

Charmaine then left the living room to help the other Elves clean up the dining room, before returning to her duty to watch over Lira and Ephemera.

As the three girls sat inside the room, Ephemera wasn't able to stop herself from talking to Princess Aila and asked her what her relationship with William was.

"Right now, William and I are friends," Princess Aila replied with a smile. "How about the two of you?"

"I am… Will's…," Lira paused because she didn't know how to answer Princess Aila's question.

She had already given her True Name to William, which gave him the power to control her life in any way that he wanted. She was no different from a puppet, and a slave that moved according to her Master's wishes.

Ephemera couldn't stand the pitiful look on her friend's face and decided to answer Princess Aila's question.

"We are his secret mistresses," Ephemera said with a calm expression on her face. However if one were to look closely, one would be able to see a tinge of redness creeping up on her face.

"S-Secret mistresses?" Princess Aila's eyes widened in shock as she alternated her gaze between the two beautiful ladies in front of her. "A-As expected of Will. Even the Virtues cannot hold a candle to him."

Lira covered her face with both of her hands in embarrassment when she heard Ephemera's answer.

Ephemera, on the other hand, could only sigh internally because her arrogant and stubborn friend had now been downgraded to a maiden in love, who would turn to jelly if William were to hold her in his arms.

It was at that moment when Charmaine returned to the living room holding a scroll in her hands. She had heard Ephemera's declaration and an amused smile was plastered on her lips.

Right now, she had already become William's woman, but she pleaded with him to only make her as a concubine and not a wife. If there was a hierarchy in William's harem, her position would be second only to his wives, while Lira and Ephemera were below her in rank.

"Excuse me, this is the contract that Master wanted both of you to sign," Charmaine respectfully handed the contract to Ephemera.

The lady of Justice unfurled the scroll and read its contents. Half a minute later, her eyes widened in shock after seeing the condition written in the contract.

"A non aggression pact in exchange for our freedom?" Ephemera asked. "I thought that he was going to free us without any strings attached?"

"This was not Will's idea."

A mischievous voice said, making everyone in the living room turn their heads towards the newcomer.

"Celeste talked to me last night while both of you were being embraced by Will," Chloee stated. "He had every intention to let both of you go, but the Holy Order thought that you girls were being tortured, so they decided to negotiate with him for your release."

Ephemera nodded her head in understanding after hearing Chloee's explanation.

"A non-aggression pact is also good," Ephemera muttered before taking the pen that was handed to her by Chloee. "As long as this will keep him safe. I am fine with it."

The purple-haired beauty didn't bat an eye and signed the contract before handing it over to Lira, who read its contents with a serious expression on her face.

Half a minute later, a pouting expression appeared on her face when she read the line that if William were to break the agreement, he would become Celeste's slave for a year.

"I won't sign this if this condition is not removed," Lira said with a serious expression on her face. "I don't want My Will to become a slave to anyone!"

'''My Will?'''

Everyone in the room exclaimed internally after hearing Lira's declaration. Chloee, Charmaine, and Ephemera wanted to reprimand her, but decided to just keep their thoughts inside their head, after seeing Lira's flushed expression.

'This girl is a goner.'

'Master might have accidentally released his seed inside her ear or something. It seems that her brain is not working properly.

'Fortunately, I didn't fall as far as she did. I'd probably kill myself out of embarassment if I called him "My Will" in front of everyone.'

Chloee, Charmaine, and Ephemera shook their heads helplessly. They couldn't look at the brown-haired beauty who was now hopelessly, and madly, in love with William.

Princess Aila's face, on the other hand, was already red as a tomato after hearing that both girls had been embraced by William last night. But, after hearing Lira's outburst, she could only cover her face with both hands as she felt her cheeks burn due to embarrassment.

Lira also immediately covered her face with both hands after realizing what she had just said. She was a maiden just a day ago, and had no experience with what it was like to fall in love. The only thing she knew was that she didn't like the idea of William becoming anyone's slave because it made her angry.

"I-I… I'm sorry!" Lira immediately ran away from the living room with a flushed expression on her face.

After William had stripped her of her clothes, arrogance, and dignity, she had become a maiden that had fallen in love with the man who had made her a woman.

Even Ephemera didn't expect this drastic change in her friend's behavior after she surrendered her body and soul to their enemy.

Chloee and Charmaine exchanged a glance, and the latter ran after Lira who had left the Villa on her own. They felt that the Virtue of Temperance was not in the right state of mind to wander inside the Thousand Beast Domain, so she mustn't be left alone at all cost.

"Let's follow her," Ephemera said as she stood up. "Although she isn't a klutz, she often finds herself in troublesome situations most of the time."

Chloee nodded her head as she followed Ephemera outside the Villa, leaving Princess Aila behind.

'S-Should I follow them?' Princess Aila thought before standing from the couch and running after them. For some reason, she didn't want to be left out by the four ladies, just in case something interesting happened to them.

Chapter 1128: The Life Of My Granddaughter Ain't Cheap

Chapter 1128 The Life Of My Granddaughter Ain't Cheap

Lira ran without a destination in mind. Her mind was a mess and the only thing she could think of was the black-haired teenager who held her in a warm and protective embrace.

Perhaps having been almost alone all her life and dealing with her problems on her own, she secretly longed for someone to depend on. Someone that would hold the sky when it falls, and someone who would tell her that everything was going to be alright.

As she kept on running, she found herself headed for what seemed to be a cave, not far from the Villa where she came from.

'That might be a good place to hide,' Lira thought as she continued to run straight ahead. 'Although she didn't know if the cave was dangerous or not, she wasn't afraid. She was one of the Virtues, and she wasn't a weak woman who could easily be killed by some random monster.

Even if a Demigod were to appear, she was confident that she could escape unharmed due to the unique power of her Divinity.

As she ran inside the cave, she noticed that several magic crystals hung on its walls, giving the path illumination.

After five more minutes of running, she found herself in a wide cavern, where the magic crystals were congregated, giving her a refreshing feeling as a strong wave of magical power passed through her body.

Then, she saw them.

Three blocks of ice stood at the very center of the cavern. In front of them, a small altar-like table was placed. Several fruits were laid up on top of the altar, as if they were some kind of offering, which made Lira wonder if she had come to a sacred place.

As she moved closer to the blocks of ice, she noticed that there was something inside them. She wasn't able to see it from far away, but after getting closer her heart skipped a beat inside her chest when she finally understood what she was looking at.

"Are they perhaps…," Lira muttered as her feet took her in front of the ice crystals.

Her gaze landed on the ice crystal that was at the very center and saw a pink-haired girl, whose clothes were stained with blood. Her eyes were closed and yet, her adorable face, that would make anyone want to protect her, held a sadness that made Lira's heart ache.

On her right, was an extremely beautiful lady, with long reddish-brown hair that was scattered like a waterfall. Her beauty, that was enough to charm countless men and women, was trapped—frozen in time. Just like the pink-haired girl, her clothes were stained with blood.

The ice crystal that was on the left showed another beautiful lady, with disheveled light-blue hair. Dirt smeared her face, and yet, it was not enough to make her any less beautiful. Frozen tears could be seen on the side of her face, that glowed faintly in the light that came from the magic crystals.

The three ladies inside the crystals had one thing in common. All of them looked as if they were grieving, and they carried this pain, even in death.

"They are William's wives."

Lira slowly turned her head to see Chloee, Ephemera, Charmaine, and Princess Aila walking towards her.

"They died trying to reach William and prevent him from being killed by our enemies," Chloee said softly. "The lady on the left with light-blue hair is Ashe, she is William's second wife.

"The one at the center is Chiffon, William's third Wife. She was one of the Deadly Sins and held the sin of Gluttony. Lastly, Princess Sidonie. She holds the Sin of Lust, and was William's fourth wife. She can be a bit possessive at times, and always asks William to give her his babies."

Lira's gaze shifted to the Lady of Lust with an understanding gaze. For some reason, she felt that the two of them might have become good friends because they wanted the same thing from the handsome Half-Elf, whose child they wanted to bear.

"I don't know how strong that girl named Ashe is, but I don't believe that Gluttony and Lust would die so easily," Lira stated. "Who has the power to defeat two of the Sins at once?"

"A God," Charmaine answered through gritted teeth. "The Lord of Darkness and Chaos, Ahriman. He was the one that interfered with William's duel with that bastard Demon Prince, and is the one who killed the three of them, while they were attempting to save Master."

Ephemera who was just listening to the side had her arms crossed over her chest. She had met Princess Sidonie and Chiffon during the banquet at the Misty Sect. Back then, she only had a profound dislike for them since they were the ones who bore the Sins of the World.

But now, she felt envious of them because she finally understood what kind of man they had married, and loved.

"Can you tell me more about them?" Lira turned her head to look at Charmaine. "I want to know what they were like when they were still alive."

Charmaine found Lira's request rather peculiar, but she still nodded her head to agree to her request.

"Let's go back to the Villa," Charmaine said. "I will prepare some refreshments and tell you everything I know about the ladies that my Master loved very much."

—--

Somewhere in the Kraetor Empire…

A giant ten-meter tall Purple Toad looked down at the black-haired teenager that had come to challenge it.

Four toads that were over three-meter-tall stood in front of the Boss as his lackeys in this battle.

"Sorry, but I have no time to play with you all," William said as he waved his arm. "Fortaare Death Worm time for you to eat."

A golden gate appeared behind William, and the head of a Gigantic Desert Worm passed through it.

The Boss Monster, as well as its minions didn't even have time to flee as the giant mouth, filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth came crashing towards them.

William didn't even bother to check the results of the battle as he walked deeper inside the dungeon where the Dungeon Core of the Mirage Caverns was located.

When William stepped into the Dungeon Core Room, the glow of the dungeon core pulsed as if seeing its mortal enemy.

"Are you scared?" William asked as he walked towards the core with an indifferent face.

The dungeon core glowed once, as if answering William's question. The Dungeon Conqueror was the mortal enemy of all Dungeons because he could conquer them and make them submit to him, regardless of whether they liked it or not.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," William said as he placed his hand over the Dungeon Core who trembled under his touch. "From now on, you belong to me."

The dungeon core room was bathed with golden light as William used the power of his Dungeon Conqueror to overwrite the Dungeon Core and absorb it inside his body.

A few minutes later, the light in the room receded, and the Dungeon Core was no more.

"One down… thousands more to go," William said as he disappeared from where he stood.

On that day, news of the Dungeon no longer producing Monsters reached the ears of Emperor Leonidas, who was also Princess Sidonie's grandfather.

"So, you have returned." Emperor Leonidas sighed as he closed his eyes. "You better put that Dungeon to good use, boy. The life of my granddaughter ain't cheap."

The Emperor of the Kraetor Empire who ruled above others had long suspected that William was the current Dungeon Conqueror of the World. Usually, when a Dungeon Conqueror dies, news of his replacement would be known far and wide.

Since there had been no news of anyone gaining the power to conquer Dungeons several years after the war in the Silvermoon Contenent, everyone thought that Maxwell still retained his power, even though he had already merged with the World Tree.

If Emperor Leonidas had made this information known, he was sure that everyone would shift their attention to William, instead of the Demons that were forming their armies in the Demon Continent.

Even so, he had no plans to tell anyone about this discovery.

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," Emperor Leonidas muttered as he stood from his throne. "If you wish for revenge, the Kraetor Empire has your back. Let's show them that no one, not even the Heir of Darkness, nor the God of Darkness and Chaos, can overturn the fire that burns brightly within the hearts of the Human race!"

On that same day, the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire mobilized its army and ordered them to march towards the front of the battlefield.

Chapter 1129: I Decide Whether Someone Is Guilty Or Not

Chapter 1129 I Decide Whether Someone Is Guilty Or Not

A Hydra's giant body lay on the ground, shrieking in pain as black flames burned its body.

Among monsters, it had a very powerful regeneration ability that allowed it to regrow its heads countless times. However, right now, its regeneration ability wasn't working because the black flames prevented its body from regenerating.

Soon, its entire body was engulfed by flames, turning into particles of light.

A moment later, a purple Beast Core that was as big as a basketball ball rolled on the ground, but William ignored it.

Two Dumb Birds flew out of a small portal behind William's back and started pecking on the crystal, which made their bodies glow faintly.

They were none other than B1 and B2, and the two birds were hell-bent to increasing their ranks in order to get revenge for the enemies that killed their beloved friend, and Master, Chiffon.

William arrived at the Dungeon Core Room and absorbed his second Dungeon Core of the day.

Just as he was about to use the features of the Dungeon Conqueror to teleport to a random dungeon, Optimus told him that a day had passed in the real world, and it was now time for him to return in order to settle that matter with Lira and Ephemera.

'Have they both signed it?' William asked. Since he was too busy with his task, he assigned Optimus to monitor Lira's and Ephemera's movement inside the Thousand Beast Domain, just in case the two of them caused trouble for everyone there.

< Only Ephemera. Lira didn't like the contents of the contract and didn't want to sign it. >

William frowned after hearing Optimus' report.

"What part of it did she not like?"

< I made a recording. It is best if I just show it to you. >

A few seconds later, a projection appeared in front of Wiliam.

—--

"I won't sign this if this condition is not removed," Lira said with a serious expression on her face. "I don't want My Will to become a slave to anyone!"

—--

William sighed as he watched the brown-haired beauty run away with an embarrassed expression on her face after realizing what she had just said out loud.

"Fine. I'll deal with this matter first," William said as he opened a portal to return to the Thousand Beast Domain. No one noticed it, including William and Optimus, but the corners of the black-haired teenager's lips, when he entered the portal to return to his domain, were slightly raised.

—--

When William arrived at the Villa, he found Lira sitting on the swing outside of the residence.

The moment the brown-haired beauty felt William's presence, she immediately stood up and walked towards him with a smile on her face.

Lira then gave William a hug, before standing on tiptoes to kiss his lips.

"Are you hungry?" Lira asked as she looked up at William with a tender gaze.

"A little bit," William replied as he stared at the young lady whose Fate was under his complete control. "Were you waiting for me?"

Lira nodded. "I didn't know when you'd be returning, so I decided to wait for you here, outside. In truth, I want to apologize to you for what I said about your wives. I shouldn't have done that. They are all wonderful women, and while I didn't want to admit it, I feel envious of them because you love them so much."

"I see," William replied.

"Will… can we talk?"

"Aren't we talking right now?"

Lira glanced behind her and saw the several pairs of eyes that were looking in their direction from the Villa. Clearly, there were a few ladies who seemed to be looking for gossip and were paying close attention to the two who were hugging each other.

"In private," Lira tiptoed to whisper in William's ears. "There are so many flies here, and I don't want them buzzing around us as we talk."

William glanced at Chloee, Charmaine, Ephemera, Princess Aila, and the other Elves who were pretending to be wiping the windows of the residence, while their ears were perked up, waiting for juicy tidbits.

"Okay." William held Lira's body tightly as he teleported the two of them to the 20th Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis.

This was the place that William and his wives used as a beach resort, before Chiffon ate the entire floor due to her Divinity going out of control. William had already remodeled it back to how it once was, and even reconstructed the small house that they'd use whenever they visited the place.

"Before we talk, I heard from a little bird that you didn't sign the contract," William stated. "I already mentioned that I planned to release you and Ephemera, but the compromise of the Holy Order came at a good time. This will prevent conflicts between our two factions, and we can focus on our own goals without the need to burn each other's backyard."

Lira didn't answer right away. Instead, she just stared at William's golden eyes, which were faintly glowing with power.

"Do you want me to sign it?" Lira asked after several minutes had passed.

"Yes. It will be more efficient this way."

"Understood. I will sign it later."

"That's good to hear." William kissed Lira's forehead. "I like good girls."

"Liar," Lira replied with a pout. "You don't like good girls. You like bad girls. This is why you married the Sins. You even dumped Celeste because she is part of the good faction, right?"

"You know that's not true, right?" William said as his hand lightly caressed the slight bulge in Lira's lower abdomen. "You are quite stubborn. Do you think you will get my baby by doing it like this?"

Lira's face reddened because William had guessed her intention. She thought that if she could keep the black-haired teenager's seed inside her, she would become pregnant with his child.

However, more than a day had already passed and she could tell that she still wasn't impregnated with William's seeds.

"Even though today isn't my safe day…," Lira muttered sadly as she lowered her head.

William then used his finger to raise Lira's chin and gave her a long and tender kiss on her lips. After the kiss ended, he pulled back and stared at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Silly girl, you are about to fight a large-scale war, and you can only think about making babies?" William asked. "Do you want to raise your baby when the world is about to fall into utter chaos? Is that the environment you planned to give birth in?"

"No," Lira replied. "I don't want that."

"Then in that case, fight," William stated. "Fight and create a peaceful world. A world where kids can grow up happily without worrying about wars happening around them."

Lira looked up at Will as she bit her lip. After a while, she asked him a question.

"If… If I help create that world, will you allow me to raise your child?"

William stared at Lira for half a minute before giving her an answer.

Tears streamed down the side of Lira's face as her vision blurred. She then pressed her hand over the slight bulge on her abdomen and activated the power of her Divinity. William's essences that were inside her womb were instantly converted into magical energy, making her abdomen return to its normal size.

The black-haired teenager looked at the crying young lady and sighed. He then stood up and teleported Lira and himself back to the Thousand Beast Domain.

The Half-Elf walked towards the villa carrying the Virtuous Lady of Temperance in his arms, under the scrutiny of the many eyes, who didn't know why Lira was crying.

"I won't have dinner tonight, Charmaine," William said as he walked past his personal maid. "Also, bring the contract to my room. Lira is going to sign it. After that, Chloee, make sure to keep in close touch with Celeste and see how the Pope reacts to my conditions."

""Understood."" Charmaine and Chloee replied in unison.

"Ephemera, follow me," William ordered. "We need to talk."

"... Okay," Ephemera nodded and followed behind William.

As if remembering something important, the black-haired teenager stopped walking and glanced at all the ladies inside the residence.

"The three of us will be discussing important matters," William declared. "So, unless something urgent happens, don't bother us, okay?"

Charmaine, Chloee, and the Elves nodded in unison. The black-haired teenager rarely gave them this kind of order, so since he was giving it now, it meant that he would not tolerate anyone disobeying his instructions.

That night, Lira and Ephemera were instructed by William about many things. He told him about everything he knew about Felix, and Ahriman, as well as possible ways to counter them. The black-haired teenager wanted the Holy Order, as well as their allies, to be aware of the kind of opponents that they were up against.

Lira had also signed the contract, so he immediately sent it to Sancus using the God Shop. The God of Contracts owed William a favor because he was taking good care of Donger. He knew that he would handle things discreetly and ensure that the contents of the contract would be honored.

After William finished his explanation he turned around to leave, but Lira held his hand and pleaded that he stayed with them, because when morning came, they would have to leave.

The Half-Elf didn't have the heart to push Lira away, especially after what he told her earlier, so he decided to agree to her last request.

That night, Lira poured her heart and soul into burning William's caresses, and his shape inside her body and soul.

Ephemera who was just watching from the side decided to go with the flow and embraced William from behind.

Soon, the three of them made love one last time, before the two ladies went to war on the front lines.

After the two ladies were sated with their love, and lust, they hugged William, and laid their heads on his chest.

"Will you miss me?" Lira asked William as she caressed the black obsidian gem on his chest.

"No," William replied. "Having you around is a pain."

"How mean," Ephemera commented from the side. "Can't you just say yes and let her leave this place in a happy mood? Why are you so stingy?"

"I don't want to lie, that's all."

"Tsk."

William sighed as he lightly caressed the new bulge that was swelling on Lira's abdomen with his left hand.

The brown-haired beauty was still taking her chances, and he didn't know if he should pinch her backside, or he should pour one more serving in her womb so that she would be satisfied.

"Me, too," Ephemera complained helplessly as William caressed her lower abdomen, which was bulging slightly as well due to his seed. "I don't want this. I look silly with this thing."

Lira had played a prank on Ephemera and used her Divinity to make her share the same fate as her.

The brown-haired beauty chuckled, as tears streamed down her eyes. This was the last time she would be with William, and she wanted to make it a beautiful memory.

Even though the Half-Elf had rejected her, she would not give up her feelings for him, and pursue him repeatedly until he said yes.

'I think I'll ask Lady Sphrosyne to help me in this matter,' Lira thought of her Patron Goddess who always supported her in whatever she did. 'Maybe she can give me some advice in love in order to succeed.'

The brown-haired beauty closed her eyes, while being wrapped around William's warmth with a smile on her face.

—---

Meanwhile, in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods…

The corner of Gavin's lips were twitching as he stared at the three beautiful Goddesses in front of him, who had come to his small hut to have some "tea" together.

However, it was not only tea they wanted from the God of All Trades, but a favor.

"Gavin, men should take responsibility for their actions, right?" a young and beautiful Goddess wearing a white dress asked after taking a sip from the cup of tea that Gavin had prepared for her. "Men who don't do that are called scum, right?"

Before Gavin could even answer, a powerful, and intimidating voice interjected.

"I agree with you, Sphrosyne," another beautiful Goddess, who held a scale in one hand and had her sword pointed at Gavin's face, commented. "I decide whether someone is guilty or not, and I find your Disciple guilty. What do you have to say for yourself, Gavin? You know that we can talk this out properly, or we can do it the hard way."

The third Goddess, who was quietly sipping her tea earlier, placed it on top of the wooden table and tried to pacify the two Goddesses, who were on the verge of stabbing Gavin if he said "No" to their request.

She was none other than the Goddess Artemis, who presided over wild animals, hunting, childbirth and chastity.

"Sphrosyne, and Astraea, please, do not resort to violence," Artemis said with a smile. "All of us are Gods, so we should discuss these… incidents in a civil manner."

Originally, Artemis wasn't supposed to come, but Sphrosyne, and Astraea, dragged her since she was one of the Goddesses that presided over the Seven Virtues.

The main reason why the two Goddesses decided to bring Artemis was due to the fact that she was Celeste's Patron Goddess. Since her daughter was also linked to William, the two thought that having her around would pressure Gavin into forcing William to take responsibility for their daughters.

"I agree," the Young Goddess in white nodded her head. "Let's talk about this civilly for now, Astraea. It won't be too late to descend to Hestia and cut off that boy's sinful member if he doesn't agree to take responsibility."

"I guess you are right." Astraea agreed as she lowered the sword in her hand and placed it to the side before sipping the tea that Gavin had prepared for them.

Gavin tried to keep a calm expression on his face as he looked at the two Goddesses while chuckling internally.

'You want to descend to Hestia? Go ahead!' Gavin thought. 'William currently had Donger with him. Let's see if both of you don't come back to the temple screaming your lungs out after William gives you a round or two.

'Still, I can't deny that this is a troublesome thing,' Gavin knew that the Goddesses of Virtues was an unreasonable bunch. Although they usually kept to themselves most of the time, they were like a pack of wild geese that banded together when their feathers were ruffled.

'William, my boy, please, keep Donger firmly secured in your pants,' Gavin sighed. 'If not, I will have no choice but to leave the Temple for a while and go into hiding. This trouble that you've caused is giving me a headache.'

The God of All Trades could only entertain his guests, by giving them vague promises. He neither approved or rejected their claims.

Artemis watched these exchanges with a smile on her face. Although she didn't particularly like or dislike William, she found the boy, who was supposed to be Celeste's groom, mildly interesting.

Chapter 1130: Go Ahead If You Dare

Chapter 1130 Go Ahead If You Dare

"Will, I'm not going to give up."

"Please, give up."

Lira was currently hugging the black-haired teenager, while Ephemera was waiting on the flying ship. The two Virtuous Ladies were headed home, since the contract he had passed through Sancus had been signed—not only by the Pope, but the remaining virtues as well.

Because of this, Lira and Ephemera had to return to the Palace of Light as soon as possible, or else they might think that William was trying to delay the agreement they had signed in the contract.

The brown-haired beauty sighed as she reluctantly took a step back. Right after that, she held onto William's shoulders, stood on tiptoes and gave him a kiss before going to the flying ship without a backward glance.

"Go," Lira ordered as she looked in front of her. She was afraid that if she turned her head, her resolve to leave would shatter.

Ephemera gave William one last glance before operating the flying ship to fly away. Not long after, a golden portal appeared in front of the ship, allowing it to instantly teleport to the location of the Palace of Light.

"She sure is one feisty secret mistress," Chloee said in a teasing tone.

"Secret Mistress?" William asked with a confused look on his face. "What secret mistress?"

Chloee smirked. "They said that it is the relationship they have with you."

William could only shake his head helplessly at the self-proclaimed relationship he had with Lira and Ephemera. Now that the two ladies were gone, it was time for him to resume his goal of conquering as many Dungeons as he could before he moved to the next phase of his plan.

"Let's go, Chloee," William said as he offered his hand to her. "The two of us are going to be busy. I will need your help."

"And you shall have it," Chloee replied. "I'll go with you to damnation and beyond."

—--

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

Lira and and Ephemera stared at the magnificent palace that was not accessible using ordinary means.

It was the headquarters of the Holy Order of Light. Only high-ranking officers of the order could enter its Domain, and only the Pope and the Seven Virtues, could enter its deepest parts.

"We're back," Ephemera said softly.

"Yes," Lira replied.

"You don't sound too happy, Lira."

"I'm not happy, but I need to do this. I need to rescue Will's cousin, as well as ensure that the Heir of Darkness and Ahriman are defeated. In order to protect Will, I will do everything in my power to stop them."

"You've really fallen for him."

"He's just…"

"Just?" Ephemera arched an eyebrow. Although she had also offered herself willingly to William, she wasn't as submissive, nor had fallen madly in love with him, like Lira.

"Just too good to pass up, you know?" Lira blushed. "I haven't met a man like him."

Ephemera rolled her eyes as she steered the flying boat towards the entrance of the Palace.

"Well, I don't particularly care if you worship him or not. But, make sure to act in a proper manner when we are around the others."

"Of course I know that. I am not stupid."

"Well, we will soon find out whether I can believe your words or not," Ephemera replied as the ship landed safely on the ground. "Let's go."

Lira nodded as she followed her friend towards the massive white marble doors that opened up to allow them entry.

—--

Silvermoon Continent…

Seated at the grand round table were the Elders of the different Elven Clans that ruled over the Elves.

At the very center, Aenarion sat as he scanned the faces of the Elves who had grim expressions on their faces.

"Who would have thought that we would be facing not one, but two prophecies at the same time?" One of the Elders shook his head helplessly after looking at the documents in his hand.

"Heir of Darkness in the Demon Continent, as well as the Prince of Darkness that hails from the Southern Continent," another Elf commented. "One hates us because they failed to conquer our lands, the other hates us for trying to conquer their lands. We are in a tight spot, and the Heir of Darkness could trample upon all of us due to the forces that he possesses.

"We can forget about the Prince of Darkness for now because he is not capable of breaking past our defenses. According to Byron, the majority of the Half-Elf's elite warriors died during his initial clash with the Heir of Darkness, alongside his wives. Right now, he has no ability to move unhindered here in our lands."

"That's right. Also, this is the birthplace of his mother. He will not destroy it, right?"

"But, what if he kept a grudge about what happened in the Southern Continent? You can't rule that out."

"Even if he held a grudge, we have no reason to fear him. The only one we should focus our attention on is the Heir of Darkness. He poses a real threat, and if we don't think of a counterplan soon, all of us will have no choice but to kneel and beg for his mercy."

The atmosphere inside the conference room became tense as the Elves faced the most daunting challenge of their lives.

"How about… we offer the Saintess, as an exchange for peace with the Demons?" one of the Elders said as he gave Aenarion a side-long glance. "Surely, she would gladly offer herself as a sacrifice if that will help ease the hatred that the Demons feel towards us, right?"

As soon as everyone heard his proposal, the entire conference room quieted down as a pin-drop silence ensued. This lasted for a few minutes before it was broken by Aenarion's cold snort.

"Go ahead if you dare," Aenarion sneered. "It seems that you have lived a long and peaceful life. I guess I have no choice but to march our Clan's army and eradicate your entire clan. Don't even think for a second that I don't know that you are one of the remaining supporters of the conquest of the Southern Continent here in the council. If you really wish to die, I will gladly have you, and the heads of your entire clan, served on a silver platter for the demons to spit on."

The Elder who made the proposal immediately quieted down. He knew that Aenarion wasn't someone who liked to joke around, and if he really wished for it, forget about the Heir and Prince of Darkness. His army alone was enough to wipe their entire Clan from the face of the Silvermoon Continent.

"Calm down, Aenarion, I'm sure that he is just joking, right?"

"T-That's right. I am just joking. Forgive me, your Excellency."

Aenarion snorted, but his eyes were still cold. Clearly, he didn't like how the Elder acted, and everyone in the council could feel that after the conference was over, with one of the Clans—that lived in the Silvermoon Continent for thousands of years—in danger of being wiped out completely.

"Let's not fight against ourselves!" the oldest among the Elven Leaders slapped the conference table angrily. "We are gathered here today to think of a solution on how to deal with this problem. If you don't have any good ideas, just shut up and behave yourselves!"

The old Elf's words echoed like thunder inside the conference room. He was none other than the Patriarch of the Rayleigh Clan, who had prophesied the coming of the Prince of Darkness.

Unlike the idiots of the council, he knew full well that the one they should worry more about was not the Heir of Darkness, but the Prince of Darkness. It was a prophecy that directly affected the Elves, more so than the prophecy of the Demon Race.

The Elder wanted to slap everyone in the room for thinking that William was the lesser evil compared to Felix, which made him very irritated. He would rather offend Felix, then offend William.

This was how sure he was that the one in the prophecy that would doom their race was William, not the green-haired Prince of the Demon Race.

"So, what does the Head of the Council suggest that we do?" one of the Elders asked. "We are willing to cooperate if it can help us overcome the crisis that we are facing right now."

All the Elves nodded as they focused their gazes on Aenarion, and waited for him to speak.

"Right now, we only have three choices," Aenarion replied. "The first one is to fight, and the other is to seek my Grandson's help. Naturally, this won't come cheap. Afterall, he might still be bearing a grudge against us after what happened in the Southern Continent. If you are all willing to pay the price, I can find a way to contact him and negotiate some terms."

Aenarion made sure to look at the elder who had voiced out that William's mother be sacrificed in order to appease the Demons. The Elder averted his gaze and shrank his neck in fear of being targeted by Aenarion after the council was over.

"And the third choice is?" one of the Elders asked with his hands clasped together.

"The third choice is to lay down our arms and surrender," Aenarion replied. "I don't know what Fate will befall us if we choose the third option, but slavery is most likely the outcome of such a choice."

The Elves all quieted down as they glanced at each other. The three choices that Aenarion gave them had different consequences. After a round of voting, the Elves decided to just fight and align themselves with the Human race, who were also planning to fight against the Heir of Darkness as well as the God of Darkness and Chaos.

The Patriarch of the Rayleigh Clan kept his silence as he closed his eyes.

He could only hope that the Saintess, as well as his great, great, great, granddaughter, who was also Arwen's disciple, could convince the Dark Prince to have mercy on them all.

Chapter 1131: As Tiny As A Matchstick!

Chapter 1131 As Tiny As A Matchstick!

The trickling of water could be heard in the surroundings, alongside the chattering of young ladies who were trying to get answers from their two sisters, who had just returned to the Palace of Light.

"Your skin is still smooth and there are no signs of scars and bruises," a girl with long-silver head said as she rubbed Ephemera's skin with her delicate hands. "Did that bastard Prince really not do anything to you? Don't worry, I promise to avenge your death when I see him in battle."

"Can you please, not kill me off just yet?" Lira replied as she flicked the head of the Virtue of Charity, whose name was Cherry.

"Ouch!" The little girl immediately covered her forehead with her hands before applying some healing magic on it. "I knew it! The Prince of Darkness did something to you. You were not this violent in the past!"

The girl with long, reddish brown hair chuckled after seeing the youngest of them all getting bullied by Lira. She was none other than the Virtue of Faith, and her name was Melody.

"Come here, Cherry," Melody said with a smile. "I'll protect you from that bully."

"Big Sister!"

"There, there, calm down. I'll take good care of you."

The girl with shoulder-length blue hair, had her arms out and sighed as she soaked in the giant pool, while stead beside Ephemera. Her name was Shana, and she held the Virtue of Prudence.

"Are you sure that both of you are alright?" Shana asked. "He didn't do anything bad to either of you, right?"

"No," Ephemera replied. "More like, he didn't have time to do anything to us because Celeste managed to contact Chloee in time. Because the Pope was willing to negotiate, we didn't suffer much in his hands.

"That's good to hear," Audrey, the Virtue of Fortitude commented from the side. "I thought that the Half-Elf would torture Lira for trying to sneak attack him during the capture mission."

Ephemera only smiled. Deep inside, she wanted to tell Audrey that her hunch was spot on, and William did indeed deal with Lira in a manner that made the latter fall head over heels to William.

Naturally, she couldn't say this information because it would jeopardize the mission that William had given the two of them.

The purple-haired beauty then stared at all seven of her sisters that represented the Virtues of the World.

Prudence (Shana), Justice (Ephemera), Temperance (Lira), Fortitude (Audrey), Faith (Melody), Charity (Cherry), and Chastity, Celeste.

All seven of them were now gathered inside the Palace of Light, which made its radiance shine even brighter.

Originally, it was only Lira and Ephemera who wanted to take a long bath, and soak in the hot springs inside the palace in order to relax after their passion-filled-night with William.

Lira had already removed all traces of the bulge in their lower abdomen, which would have definitely caused a commotion if it was seen by their sisters. In order to prevent any mishaps from happening, the brown-haired beauty reluctantly turned the essences inside their womb into magical energy that could be stored inside their bodies.

"Big Sis Lira, can you tell me what the Prince of Darkness is like?" the little girl Cherry asked Lira while soaking a few meters away from her. She had heard many awful things about William, and she wanted to confirm if those rumors were true.

"You want to know what he is like?" Lira snorted at the image of the handsome, black-haired teenager appeared inside her mind.

"Yes! I want to know more about him."

"Very well. I will tell you what he is like, so listen up!"

The little girl gulped as she waited for the brown-haired beauty to tell her what the Prince of Darkness was like. Surprisingly, all the girls inside the hot springs were also paying attention to her, which made the corners of Lira's lips rise into a sneer.

"He is a selfish, stupid, idiot, fool, brainless, thick-headed dummy who doesn't treat girls with care," Lira stated. "Although I didn't see it properly, I bet that his little brother is as tiny as a matchstick!"

"Pffft!"

Ephemera covered her mouth with her right hand, but her body continued to tremble as she fought off the laughter that was bubbling inside her chest. A few hours ago, Lira had begged William for his "tiny matchstick", and the brown-haired kissed it repeatedly as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

Now that the Half-Elf was nowhere in sight, she started to slander him because he rejected her offer of giving birth to his child, which Ephemera found really funny.

"... What little brother are you talking about?" Cherry asked.

Although she was already sixteen years old, she had been raised in a temple with only nuns, so she wasn't familiar with the terms that Lira was using.

The brown-haired beauty blinked before lightly pinching the girl's cheeks.

"You don't have to know," Lira said as she gave Ephemera a warning glance, which the latter returned with a mischievous smile on her face.

Lira pouted as she stood up and left the hot springs without a backward glance. She was still very upset with how William treated her heartfelt proposal to bear his child once the threat of Felix and Ahriman was gone.

Even so, she vowed that she wouldn't give up and even hatched a plan. Part of that plan was to drag Celeste into an affair so that the Virtue of Chastity couldn't meddle.

Celeste, who was soaking peacefully in the hot springs, felt a chill run down her spine that came out of nowhere.

'Why did this place suddenly become chilly?,' Celeste thought as she scanned the surroundings looking for any open window where the air might have come from.

She was not aware that from the corner of her vision, Ephemera was looking at her with an amused expression on her face. Although William didn't order her to do anything to Celeste, the Virtue of Justice felt that it wouldn't be a bad idea to stick close to the beautiful Elf, who was prophesied to become William's Bride of Darkness.

Chapter 1132: This Is One Slippery Dungeon Thief [Part 1]

Chapter 1132 This Is One Slippery Dungeon Thief [Part 1]

Demonic Continent…

All the Patriarchs of the Demon Clans in the entire Demon Realm had now gathered in the Royal Capital to listen to the Heir of Darkness, which had replaced the Demon Lord, in managing the affairs of the continent.

"I gathered all of you here to discuss our upcoming conquest of the entire world," Felix said as he sat leisurely on the throne that used to belong to his father.

The Crimson Crown on his head glowed faintly in the torch light that hung upon the walls of the dining throne room, making those who were staring up at him feel uneasy.

"To those who are still not aware, or don't believe the news that has spread across the lands, I am now the Heir of Darkness," Felix stated. "The prophesied Prince that will cover this world in Darkness, and make it submit to my rule. The God of Darkness, Chaos, and Demons, His Excellency, Ahriman, has chosen me to lead our race to rule the world. So, I ask this of you, who among you wish to join me in this grand undertaking?"

Felix's voice met a deafening silence that lasted for a few minutes.

Even those that had long supported Luciel's wish to conquer the Central and Silvermoon Continent, found themselves lost for words.

Even the Patriarch of the Gremory Clan, Alvah, could only stare at Felix as if he had lost the ability to talk.

Felix smirked after he was met with silence. He didn't even look troubled by the reaction of all the Patriarchs as they looked at him with dread and anxiety on their faces.

"One day," Felix said before standing up from his throne. "I will give all of you one day to make your decision, for I am merciful. At this same time tomorrow, all of you will return here to swear your fealty to me. Of course, if you don't want to, I won't force you. My Empire has no need for useless Demons under my rule."

The green-haired Prince walked out of the throne room without even waiting for the reply of the Patriarch's who stood rooted to the ground.

He was confident that, when the sun set tomorrow, not a single one of the patriarchs would refuse to submit to his will.

—--

Amberfang City Fortress…

Joash sat in his tower as he read the report of his allies that had gone to the Demon Capital of Astryae.

He knew that this would happen sooner or later, and he was already prepared for it. The way things were going, all of the Patriarchs would swear their fealty to Felix, in fear of being prosecuted and their entire Clans wiped out from the Demon Realm.

"If all the Patriarchs agree tomorrow, Felix will be able to mobilize their forces in one to two weeks," Joash muttered as he made calculations inside his head. "War is not a simple matter, so they need to ensure that their logistics, and supply lines will flow smoothly. It's quite unfortunate that guerilla tactics won't work since they have Pseudo-Gods on their side."

The Black Dragon waved his hand and a projection of the map of the entire Demon Realm appeared in front of him.

"The last time such a force was gathered was when we fought to conquer the Silvermoon Continent," Joash pondered. "If not for the Dungeon Conqueror, we would have already succeeded."

A wry smile appeared on Joash's face as he thought of the news that he had heard a couple of days ago. According to his sources, nearly a dozen dungeons had completely stopped spawning monsters in the span of a few days.

After an in depth investigation, the teams that had ventured to the deepest parts of the dungeons where the Dungeon Cores was located found nothing.

'This can only mean one thing,' Joash mused. 'The Dungeon Conqueror is back… but who?'

The image of a black-haired teenager appeared inside Joash's mind, but the latter was still half in doubt if William was really the current Dungeon Conqueror.

'If he is really the Dungeon Conqueror then why didn't he conquer dungeons in the past?' Joash thought. 'Could there be some kind of restriction on the Dungeon Conqueror profession that we do not know about?'

Joash didn't know the answer to these questions, so he couldn't confirm if William was really the Dungeon Conqueror or not.

'I just hope that he is not on Felix's side.' Joash's expression became grim at the thought of someone having that kind of power under Felix's control.

Actually, he was not the only one who was having these thoughts. The appearance of the Dungeon Conqueror had coincided with Felix's ascension as the Heir of Darkness. This made the Kings and Emperors, of various kingdoms and empires, quite restless because if their hunches were true then they were in for an uphill battle.

'Still, there is some good news as well,' Joash thought as he glanced at the reinforcements from the Kraetor Empire, as well as the Amazon Empire that had arrived a few days ago. Half of the army from Hestia Academy had also stationed themselves near the walls of the stronghold, to protect against any threats that would be coming from the Demon Capital.

The other Human Armies had stationed themselves along the borders of the Demon Continent, just in case the Demon Army chose to use the teleportation gates that they didn't know anything about.

This was a possibility that the alliance had discussed during their meeting, and all of them agreed that they shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket.

The Holy Order of Light had declared that they would also place their forces along the borders of the Central Continent to prepare for any surprises that the Heir of Darkness had prepared for them.

"This is the layout of the alliance's defensive perimeter," Ephemera explained. "With this, we will be able to contain any unexpected incidents when the Demon army starts their invasion."

William looked at the projection with a calm expression on his face. He had tasked Lira and Ephemera to update him of the movement of the alliance, so he could see where they were placing the bulk of their forces.

The black-haired teenager would then avoid those places and conquer Dungeons elsewhere. For the time being, William didn't have any intention of starting any conflicts with the members of the alliance.

Although he wouldn't be able to hide the disappearances of the Dungeon Cores from the Kings and Emperors in their respective territories, avoiding a direct confrontation was the most optimal strategy.

"Thank you," William said. "Continue to report to me if there are any important developments. However, make sure to be discreet."

"Understood," Ephemera replied. "Should we really hide this from Lira?"

William nodded. "Yes. that girl is annoying, and I don't want to talk to her right now."

Ephemera could only shake her head helplessly because she could somehow understand what William was trying to say.

A few days ago, Lira kept on asking William several questions like, "Have you eaten?", "Where are you right now?", "Do you miss me?", which prevented Ephemera from giving a full report of the current situation of the alliance.

Because of this, the black-haired teenager made a subtle order to Ephemera using the pink crest that had appeared on her body to not bring Lira along whenever the purple-haired beauty needed to give a report in regards to the movements of the alliance.

"She will find out sooner or later, you know," Ephemera stated.

"It's your job to ensure that she doesn't find out," William answered with an indifferent expression. "Do you have anything else to report?"

Ephemera pondered for a while before nodding her head.

"Celeste has been going to the library inside the Palace of Light for the past few days," Ephemera reported. "After doing a subtle inquiry, I managed to find out that he was looking up for information about the God of Death."

William arched an eyebrow after hearing Ephemera's report. "Understood. Thank you for this information, I greatly appreciate it."

"Then about the reward…"

"A week from now. Let's meet a week from now. I will tell you the coordinates, so make sure to come alone."

"I'm not bringing Lira with me?"

"No," William replied. "She's annoying."

Ephemera nodded her head. "Understood."

Although she felt sorry for her friend, Ephemera knew that this was for the best. Lira's obsession for William was growing with each passing day, and she was afraid that if the two of them met, her pent up feelings would explode, which might annoy the handsome Half-Elf, who had promised to give her a reward for a job well done.

Chapter 1133: This Is One Slippery Dungeon Thief [Part 2]

Chapter 1133 This Is One Slippery Dungeon Thief [Part 2]

Byron tapped his finger on top of the table after looking at the projection of the Central Continent in front of him.

Several blinking red dots could be seen in various locations of the map, and the frown on his face deepened when he realized that there was no pattern to the order of when these dungeons were conquered.

Although they had their suspicions, until they had confirmed that William was indeed the Dungeon Conqueror, there was still a possibility that this incident was completely unrelated to him.

What Byron and several rulers feared was that this person, whom they had labeled as the new Dungeon Conqueror, might be working under Felix's orders. This was why they had set some ambushes on some of the Dungeons in order to catch a glimpse of this mysterious Conqueror who was stealing dungeon cores under their noses.

However, they became frustrated when they noticed that their target could jump from the North, South, West, East, and Central regions of the continent in a heartbeat, making their ambushes futile.

Over twenty dungeons had been reported to have lost their cores for the past two weeks, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"This is one slippery Dungeon thief," Byron muttered as he shook his head helplessly.

The Headmaster of Hestia Academy then waved his hand and the red blinking dots on the map disappeared, and were replaced with green dots.

It showed a defensive line along the Central, and Northern Regions of the Central Continent that would immediately react once the Amberfang Fortress in the Demon Continent had been breached.

The Alliance was confident that they were more than ready to face anything that Felix and Ahriman could throw at them. Now that the Elves had also joined their alliance, several ships had left the Silvermoon Continent where a million of the Elves' Elte Warriors would work hand in hand with the other races in their fight against the forces of darkness.

"This is the biggest and strongest alliance ever made for the past hundreds of years," Byron muttered. "Still, why is there this nagging feeling at the back of my head that what we are doing is still not enough to contain this threat? Are we missing something important?"

The Headmaster of Hestia Academy pondered for several minutes, but the nagging feeling refused to go away. It was as if the feeling was mocking Byron for being unable to connect the dots together, which made him frustrated.

—--

Thousand Beast Domain…

Shannon sighed as she traced her fingers on one of the drawings that she had drawn more than two weeks ago.

It was the scene of William punishing Lira, and the silver-haired fox lady couldn't help but tremble whenever she replayed the scenes in her head.

Another painting materialized in the air, and this time, it was in the bath house where Wiliam had gently cared for Lira, which made Ephemera feel envious. She watched with a heated gaze as the purple-haired beauty offered herself to William, as she surrendered herself willingly to him.

Shannon was truly envious of them because Wiliam had embraced both of the Virtues, who had been subdued by his words, deeds, and charisma.

The young fox lady would be lying if she said that the thought of swapping places with Lira and Ephemera hadn't crossed her mind. However, that was just that. They were just mere thoughts, that would come and go like the passing breeze.

She knew, with utmost certainty, of the role that she had to play. Although she was tempted to reach out to William, and spend the night with him, she held back because now was not the time.

Although she didn't know when the right time was, she just knew that this was not the time to frolic with the handsome Half-Elf, who was currently conquering Dungeons left and right.

'But, I need him in a week,' Shannon thought. 'The power of the mask is fading, and its energy must be replenished or I might accidentally kill all of his allies. For the time being, should I go and look for Aila? The two of us are in the same boat, and she is a worthy ally for my future endeavors.'

The young fox lady smiled underneath her mask as she thought of the angelic beauty who was doing nothing all day but wandering around the Thousand Beast Domain, in search of things to do.

It was not like William was neglecting the Princess that had once been his lover when he was still an Einherjar in Asgard. He had just been too busy as of late, and most of their interactions were only when William was in need of treatment, or when the Half-Elf needed Princess Aila's Life Essence to stabilize the corruption in his soul.

Although the role Princess Aila played right now was a minor one, Shannon knew that this would drastically change in the future.

How did she know that?

She knew it through her Psychic Powers. Although she couldn't see the future like Elliot did, her heightened senses were able to predict the flow of one's Fate. Just like the colors she used on her painting, she was able to see the colors that surrounded a person's aura.

For her, the colors didn't lie, and right now, Aila's color was still a rich green, and filled with life. However, at the center of it all, there was a silver radiance that didn't belong to her.

Shannon had caught a glimpse of a familiar face inside it. She had drawn the black-haired beauty before when William went to a world called Earth, and wondered how Princess Aila was able to acquire it.

She knew the angelic Princess' character, and understood that stealing something important from William was something that she would never do. Since that was the case, there was only one explanation.

"William gave it to her." Shannon concluded. "Her role is to safeguard his heart and protect it from being corrupted completely."

A smile appeared on the young fox lady's face as she walked towards the door with the intention of looking for Princess Aila.

Since she now had an idea of what it was that the angelic princess was trying to protect, Shannon would do her best to ensure that William's heart didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Chapter 1134: Stepping Into The Ranks Of Demigods

Chapter 1134 Stepping Into The Ranks Of Demigods

William closed his eyes as the corruption in his soul reached the next stage.

Dark mists were oozing out of his body, and swirling around him like a tornado. Right now, he was sitting on top of the Glory Stadium where he, Lilith, and Raizel once stayed.

The Deadlands had merged with the Thousand Beast Domain, and had given his Domain something unique that didn't belong to the world of Hestia. The Demon Clans that had joined William were doing their best to help restore it by following the guideline that William had given to them.

Although electricity was a foreign concept to them, there were many smart Demons, like Athrun, who were fascinated by the books that William had bought from the God Shop, and translated into the language of Hestia.

The construction of the buildings proceeded at a good pace as well since Demons had strong and sturdy bodies. To a certain extent, they were the perfect laborers.

Everyone was working together to restore the Deadlands into a city that would soon regain its former glory, similar to what it once was, before K-City was forcefully taken to wander in the void by powers that were beyond William's control.

Everyone watched in awe as a black tornado appeared at the center of the city. The Half-Elf had made sure that his breakthrough would not affect anyone in the vicinity and compressed the dark energy around him.

Black lightning snaked around the black tornado, and thunder roared like a hundred lions roaring at the same time.

Chloee, Charmaine, Princess Aila, Ariadne, Shannon, Vesta, Medusa, and Anh, felt the fluctuation of power in the air, as William took that final step and ascended into the Ranks of Demigods.

When the black tornado cleared up, Chloee immediately flew towards the roof of the stadium.

Shannon on the other hand, twirled her brush and a purple portal appeared in front of her to where the black-haired teenager could be seen sitting cross legged, with his upper half bare for everyone to see.

The young fox lady walked into the portal in a casual manner, which prompted the rest of the girls to follow her.

A minute later, everyone stood on the rooftop of Glory Shelter, while they waited for William to consolidate his new powers.

"With this, Master's conquest of the dungeons will be faster," Charmaine said with a smile.

"You're right," Shannon replied. "Because this time, I will help him conquer them."

Chloee arched an eyebrow after hearing Shannon's declaration, but she didn't say anything. For some reason, the beautiful succubus couldn't estimate if the fox lady was stronger than her or not. As someone who was a battle junkie, Chloee had fought a lot of strong people.

But, even then, something was telling her that when Shannon became serious, even her Rulebreaker wouldn't be able to stop her.

"I wish I can also help," Princess Aila muttered at the side.

Shannon rested her head on the angelic Princess' shoulder. "Do not think of yourself as useless, because there will come a time when Will will need your strength."

"Um, he absorbs my Life Essence on a regular basis."

"I'm not only talking about that. Just wait. You will understand how important you are to him."

Princess Aila truly wanted to be of more help to William. There was a time during their session when she told William that she was willing to give him her blood in addition to her Life Essence, but the Half-Elf firmly rejected her proposal.

When she asked him why, he said that he might get addicted to the taste of her blood. Not only that, William told her that he might not be able to hold back and embrace her, due to the fact that she had been his ex-lover in his past life.

Right now, the two of them were friends, and William wanted it to remain that way. Princess Aila understood this, but she still couldn't stop thinking that among the people inside the black-haried teenager's Thousand Beast Domain, she was the most useless.

However, Shannon kept telling her that she was probably the most important person close to William at the moment. The angelic beauty didn't know why her friend kept on telling her this.

"You always say this." Princess Aila pouted. "But, I don't feel the same as you do."

"Patience, my dear Princess," Shannon chuckled. "Your time will come, and when it does…"

Shannon's eyes twinkled for a bit as she whispered something in Princess Aila's ears.

"When that time comes… William will be ours for the taking," Shannon whispered. "So, until then, just do what you've been doing everyday, and leave everything to me."

Princess Aila reluctantly nodded her head as she pondered what Shannon was hinting at. But, no matter how much she thought, she just didn't understand where her friend's confidence was coming from.

Five minutes later, William opened his eyes. He then exhaled a wisp of darkness, which lingered for a few in front of him like smoke before disappearing completely.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Master!" Charmaine said as she congratulated the black-haired teenager, whose current strength made her heart skip a beat.

William gave his personal maid a brief nod before standing up slowly. "Charmaine, gather the maids later. Anh, you join them as well."

"Yes Master!"

"Yes, My Lord."

Charmaine and Anh both bowed their heads in acknowledgement of William's orders. When the Half-Elf saw Princess Aila, a flash of desire passed through the depths of his eyes before it disappeared completely.

The Power of Darkness inside William's body, wished for conquest, and among the ladies around him, his power strongly reacted to the angelic Princess, as if she possessed something that the darkness wanted so badly.

However, William's instinct was suppressing this desire to conquer the Princess, who was currently looking at him with a worried gaze.

At most, he would just kiss her during their Life Magic transfer session, in order to sate the overwhelming desire that wanted to hold the angelic Princess in a firm grip.

William knew that if he didn't vent his desire with simple kisses, it would stack up and burst out like a damn, completely devouring the angelic beauty, who was like an innocent lamb, in front of the big bad wolf.

As if sensing his thoughts, Shannon moved her body in front of Princess Aila to block William's view. This made the Half-Elf both thankful to and irritated with the masked fox lady, who seemed to be preventing him from eating until he was full.

Black-haired teenager shook his head as he tried to disperse the desire that was trying to take hold of his senses. In order to change the mood, he glanced at the beautiful succubus beside him and asked her a question.

"Chloee, what is the current progress in the Orc Dungeon?" William asked. "Did you reach the 70th Floor?"

"Yes," Chloee replied. "Only the boss room is left. I was thinking of letting you handle the Boss in order for you to test the new powers that you possess."

William smiled as he gave Chloee a kiss. "You are very thoughtful. Thank you."

"Anything for you," Chloee replied as she hugged the man she loved.

The people in Hestia believed that the Demigods that roamed the lands were the only Demigods in the world. What they didn't know was that in the dungeons with eighty to ninety floors, the final boss monsters were actually Demigods.

Since they were bound inside the dungeon, they were unable to step out into the outside world.

This was also the reason why Maxwell was able to overcome many obstacles. During his peak, the Dungeon Conqueror was in command of Ten Demigods, which stopped the Demon Army's advance completely.

However, in the Dungeons that had a hundred floors or more, like the Dungeon of Atlantis, the Final Bosses were actually Pseudo-Gods. This was why no one had been able to conquer them, let alone step out of the boss room alive.

After getting the power of the Dungeon Conqueror, this secret was acquired by William, which made him want to conquer them very much.

Unfortunately, he couldn't use the Black Phoenix, Sepheron, against the Pseudo-God of Atlantis. The battlefield was at the deepest part of the ocean, and the Black Phoenix's elemental affinity was simply no match to his opponent, who had the territorial advantage.

This left William no choice but to look for other dungeons with a hundred or more floors in them. Right now, he was the weakest among the forces vying for supremacy in Hestia.

Felix as well as the Holy Order had Pseudo-Gods under their command. William only had one, so he needed at least three, or more to allow him to move unhindered in the lands.

Although he could summon Sun Wukong to aid him in battle, he felt that always relying on the Monkey King would not be helpful to his growth. This was why he decided to only use the resources he currently had to even out the battlefield.

The Dungeons with Pseudo-Gods in them were quite special. They weren't found in ordinary places.

No, they were only found in Forbidden Domains, like the Seventh Sanctum.

Now that William had caught the attention of the rulers of the Central Continent. He decided to lay low and drop off their radar for a bit and visit the Forbidden Grounds one by one.

'I guess I'll go to the Seventh Sanctum for now,' William thought. 'Might as well stop at the Trade City of Alabaster to see Haleth.'

William then glanced at Vesta, Ariadne, and Anh, who he had seen in his dream alongside Haleth, Pearl, Priscilla, Amelia, as well as a Half-Ling that looked like a doll.

He had already met all of these ladies, except for the Half-Ling who was only a little more than three feet tall in his dreams.

He didn't know what would happen if all these ladies were gathered, but something was telling William that he would soon find out, once he had gathered all of these young ladies inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

Chapter 1135: Are There Any Benefits?

Chapter 1135 Are There Any Benefits?

Trade City of Alabaster…

Haleth sighed as she looked at the news she received from one of her friends that worked in a guild that specialized in information gathering.

Right now, the underworld was in an uproar since the different kingdoms had decided to mobilize their army. A never before seen grand-scale crusade against the Demons, who were rumored to be invading the Central Continent very soon, was currently underway.

This made the Underworld quite busy as some of them offered their services as mercenaries for hire. They really didn't care who won the war between the races. For them, profit was more important.

"Will, where are you?" Haleth muttered as she placed the document on top of her table. "I wish I could see you one last time."

"What a coincidence. I also want to see you, Haleth."

The Half-Elf lady jumped up in fright, but her legs hit the top of her table, making her crouch down in pain.

Her beautiful green eyes, that were similar to William's in the past, got teary-eyed as she looked at him with a face filled with injustice.

However, her body stiffened when her gaze landed on the familiar, and unfamiliar Half-Elf who was looking down on her with a devilish smile on his face.

"Y-You're William, right?" Haleth asked with a doubtful look on her face.

"Yes," William replied as he crouched down to use a healing spell on the lady Half-Elf's knees. "You should really be more careful next time, Haleth."

Soon, the pain that Haleth felt faded away like a dream, and she allowed William to help her stand up.

Haleth stared at William for a full minute before voicing out her thoughts.

"You've changed," Haleth said. "Even your aura has changed."

"Change is the only thing inevitable in this world," William replied with a smile. "You've also changed since the last time we met. The prim and proper Haleth looked good, but I like the current you better with your hair down.

Haleth blushed as she lowered her gaze. The reason why she decided to let her hair down was due to the fact that William liked girls with this kind of hairstyle. Almost all of William's wives, had this hairstyle, and the lady Half-Elf thought that it did indeed bring a more womanly charm to her face, compared to the ponytail she always had whenever he patroled the borders of their territory.

"I only have this hairstyle whenever I'm not on field duty," Haleth replied. "Do you really like it?"

"Yes," William nodded. "It brings out your natural charm."

The Half-Elf then sat down and made a gesture for Haleth to sit down as well. It was as if he was the owner of the place, and Haleth was the visitor who came to visit him.

Haleth seemed to have forgotten this fact, as she sat down, and even thanked William for inviting her to sit.

"Will, I've heard many things, but I don't know if they are true or not," Haleth said. "Are you really now the Prince of Darkness? The one in the Prophecy of the Elves."

"Mayhaps," William replied. "They refer to me as the Prince of Darkness, but I was not born royalty, nor am I wearing a crown. Don't you find that odd?"

"But, the one wearing the crown is referred to as the Heir of Darkness," Haleth argued. "So, technically, that makes you the Prince by default, right?"

There was some hesitation in Haleth's voice, which proved that the conclusion she had come to a while ago was easily influenced by William's words.

William chuckled. "See? Even you sound unsure."

"Stop teasing me," Haleth pouted. "Are you the Prince or not?"

"Like I said, I don't know. People refer to me as such, but in reality, I don't really know."

"... How can this be?"

Haleth pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at the handsome Half-Elf in front of her. After her initial shock faded, she was starting to feel butterflies in her stomach, as William's devilish smile seemed to pull her in.

"If only I was a few years younger… I would definitely give you a shot," Haleth muttered absentmindedly.

Only after the words escaped her lips did she realize that she had spoken her thoughts out loud.

The Half-Elf panicked and immediately waved her hands like a fish out of water. William just chuckled as he raised both of his hands to calm the panicking Lady Half-Elf, who was thinking of digging a hoel to bury herself inside it.

"I like Health's mature charms as well, so you don't need to look down on yourself," William assured her. "In fact, you're quite a beauty yourself. I'm impressed that no one has confessed to you till now."

"Many did, but I rejected them all."

"Why?"

"I just don't feel like they are compatible with me. After all, I'm a straight-laced lady," Haleth answered. "There are just some things that I can't stand."

William rested his chin on the back of his intertwined hands, as he looked at Haleth with a smile.

"How about me?" William asked. "Do you think you are compatible with me?"

"E-Eh? I-I don't think so?"

"Are you sure? I might not look like it, but I like straight-laced ladies as well."

Haleth blinked. "You do?"

"Yes," William replied. "How about it? Want to come over to the dark side?"

William didn't plan on inviting Haleth to join him when he wanted to visit her in the City of Alabaster. He just wanted to see her current circumstance because he had considered the Lady Half-Elf a friend, but his instincts were telling him that he should take her under his wing, while the war had not yet started.

"Y-You want me to join you in the dark side?" Haleth asked. "Why?"

"Good question," William replied. He didn't know how to answer this question, so he decided to just answer honestly.

"I have a feeling that if you are with me, I will be able to see something unexpected."

"Something unexpected?"

"Um, just like what happens when you gather the Dragoon Ballz."

"Dragoon Ballz?"

William smiled as he pressed a finger over his lips. "Don't say it out loud. The Copyright God might hear us. He is a pain when it comes to these things."

Haleth reluctantly nodded her head because she had no idea what William was talking about.

"Haleth, I know this is a bit sudden, but won't you consider joining me?" William asked.

Haleth stared at William with a serious expression on her face before giving her answer.

"What do I get for joining you? Are there any benefits?"

"Yes. You can be with me."

The lady Half-Elf then reached out to hold William's hand.

"I'm in," Haleth said with a determined look on her face.

Although William didn't say it explicitly, the promise hidden in his words resounded inside her very being quite clearly.

While it seemed like she was going to sell her soul to the devil, Haleth felt like the price was worth it.

After all, there was a time when she thought that the budding feelings in her heart would just remain as an impossible dream.

Chapter 1136: Bitter Medicine - [R18]

Chapter 1136 Bitter Medicine - [R18]

(Disclaimer: R-18 Scenes. It is now Haleth's turn. I think you guys had enough of the sexy scenes, so I won't be writing them anytime soon. Enjoy this for the time being.)

"There's no need to rush, I'm not going anywhere tonight."

"Nnn… Kiss… Lick…"

"Fine… have it your way."

Haleth was busy kissing, licking, and sucking on William's member, which she couldn't get enough of. After making up her mind to be with the handsome Half-Elf, the first thing she asked was for William to embrace her.

In truth, the beautiful Half-Elf thought that she was just dreaming when the black-haired teenager appeared inside her room, and asked her to join him on the dark side an hour ago. She felt that since she had nothing to lose, she would say yes and confirm for herself whether William was lying to her or not.

Only after the two of them had taken a bath together did Haleth truly realize that she wasn't dreaming. So, here she was now, servicing William on her own bed, and kissing the manhood that would soon make her a woman.

After their talk in the bathtub, William was made aware of Haleth's insecurities that she had kept in her heart. First, it was her age, she was in her mid thirties, and thought that William didn't like older women, and preferred young and beautiful ladies like his wives.

Although she had no intention of becoming one of his wives, and was fine with being his concubine, the lady Half-Elf thought that she was too old for the young man in front of her.

As a Half-Elf, she looked like quite the exceptional lady, who only looked to be in her mid-twenties, instead of thirties. She had a mature vibe around her, but this maturity disappeared whenever she was with William.

In front of the black-haired teenager, she was just a maiden whose heart beat wildly for the Half-Elf who had conquered the Floor of Asgard.

For Haleth, William was like a beacon for their race. A Race that was Half Elf and Half Human. They were the half-bloods who was prosecuted by the Elves for not being pure, and coveted by the Humans as slaves, due to their exceptional beauty.

"Haleth, you think you are old, but in truth, you're not that old," William said softly as he lightly patted the lady Half-Elf's head, who was in a daze after tasting his member.

"... Nnn… Hah… so you say, but aren't I the oldest one in your harem?" Haleth asked as she stopped kissing William's member.

"No," William replied. "A certain black-haired beauty is older than you, and I find her womanly charms quite charming."

"You're not lying, right?"

"No. Her name is Nisha. You'll probably meet her sooner or later. However, she's a bit shy so she wears a veil."

"Is she?" Haleth inquired. She found this older woman quite interesting for William to tell her that she was quite charming in her own right.

"Yes," William answered with a devilish grin. "But, her shyness disappeared as soon as she took the veil covering her face off… just like you right now, when I took off your clothes."

Haleth blushed because she couldn't refute William's words. Back then, she couldn't even dream of going down on her knees, while clumsily licking, and kissing a man's thing because she had no experience whatsoever.

With William's guidance, she was starting to get the hang of things as she prepared her heart for what was about to come.

"I think that's enough," William said as she pulled Haleth up to sit on his lap and gave her a kiss. "You're beautiful, Haleth. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Also, you're a Half-Elf, age is not something you need to worry about for the next one hundred years. Have more confidence in yourself."

Haleth nodded her head before taking the initiative to kiss William's lips. Since she was inexperienced, all she did was to repeatedly peck his lips, while the black-haired teenager held her waist, allowing her to do whatever she wanted.

He wasn't in a hurry to make Haleth his woman. What he was doing right now was letting her shed her inferiority complex, and gain more confidence as a woman.

"Teach me how to kiss," Haleth said softly after she had her fill of William's lips. "Teach me the way you like it."

"Okay," William replied as he placed his hand behind Haleth's head and pulled her closer.

Gently, and slowly, he pressed his lips against her soft lips and parted it with his tongue. Soon, the beautiful Half-Elf found herself being slowly taught by William's tongue, as it patiently guided her own tongue to intertwine with it, inside her mouth.

A few minutes later, their lips parted as Haleth tried to catch her breath.

"That was pretty intense," Haleth commented after she recovered.

William smiled as he pulled her close to kiss her right cheek before whispering in her ear. "Well, you can do it at your own pace… we still have time t–"

Before the Half-Elf could finish his words, a loud knock was heard on the door, which made Haleth's body stiffen.

"Vice Commander, are you here?" one of Haleth's subordinate asked from outside the door. "The Commander wants to see you."

William smiled as he looked at the panicking beauty, who didn't know what to do.

"Why don't you answer him first," William said before lightly squeezing Haleth's right breast, making the latter gasp for breath.

"Will, now is not the time for thi… Nnn… Mgh!"

"Don't mind me, just answer the door."

William smiled wickedly as he carried Haleth outside of the bedroom until they arrived at the doorway.

"Go on," William whispered seductively in her red-tinged ears. "Answer him."

Haleth nodded as she replied from the other side of the door. Since she was naked, she didn't dare open it, and show her subordinate her indecent self, who was being caressed by the devilish hands of the handsome Half-Elf at that exact moment.

"I-I am here, what does the commander wan…ngggh!" Haleth said.

"Vice Commander? Are you alright? Your voice sounds a bit hoarse," Haleth's subordinate replied. "Are you not feeling well?

"D-Don't mind.. .Nnn… Me… just tell me…What hah… the Commander… Mmm! Wants!"

Haleth's subordinate could tell that his superior seemed to be not her usual self. He, as well as several other men, had a crush on their Vice Commander, but her straight-laced personality prevented them from pursuing her seriously.

Although she was beautiful, they felt that they would be forced to become a stickler to the rules if the gorgeous Half-Elf became their lover.

"The Commander just asked me to tell you that he is looking for you. However, if you're not feeling well, I will just tell him that, Vice Commander."

"Hah… A-Actually I caught a cold…," Haleth replied as she felt William's lick, and sucked the entrance of her forbidden fruit, while she leaned on the door. "I-It's hot… and wet… and it is making me dizzy."

"H-Hot and wet is it? Sounds like it's a serious illness. Do you need something, Vice-Commander? Perhaps some medicine to help you recover faster?"

"I want… Nnn… that hard thing in me… Hah…"

"A-Are you talking about a medicinal pill?" the subordinate asked. "Don't worry Vice-Commander. I will get you one right after I report to the Commander about your cold."

"T-Thank you, please, Nnn!... I can't wait anymore… Hah… I want it now." Haleth's hoarse voice made the young man outside the door blush due to her sexy… and steamy voice that seemed to be at her limit.

"U-Understood! I'll be back as soon as I can, Vice Commander!"

The sounds of footsteps could be heard running away from the door, but Haleth no longer cared. She just leaned on the wall beside it with both of her hands, as she raised her hips to prepare to accept what was to come from the man who was rubbing his manhood against her entrance.

"Did your switch get flipped on after talking to your subordinate?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Did you get excited about the possibility of being discovered by someone who has a crush on you?"

"Please, stop… Hah… bullying me," Haleth pleaded as she moved her hips to rub against William's thing that was pressed against her backside.

"Seriously, you're like a cat in heat," William smiled as he firmly held Haleth's waist. "Maybe I pushed you a bit too far while you were addressing your subordinate. Well, do you want this?"

"Yes. I want it," Haleth replied. "I've wanted it for a very long time. Make me yours, Will."

The wet, and sloppy sounds of Haleth's maidenhood echoed off the door as William teased it with his member.

The beautiful Vice-Commander of Alabaster City's defensive army, turned her head to look back at William with a debauche expression on her face, as her body trembled, and ached for him to become one with her.

William glanced at Haleth's mature, and gorgeous body with desire. Her wonderful breasts, her slender legs, and sexy thighs, they were now all his for the taking.

"I'm going to stain you now," William said softly as he slowly moved his hips forward to take Haleth's chastity which she had protected for many years. "Deep inside your womb."

A soft gasp escaped Haleth's lips as William's member pushed through the deepest folds of her maidenhood. Instead of pain, what she felt was happiness, because her dreams had now become a reality.

"Yes. I am yours," Haleth replied as a tear streamed down the side of her face. A few seconds later, a drop of blood also fell down on the floor, while William kissed the back of her neck making her feel loved.

Soon, her body shuddered as William moved his hips in a steady rhythm, which made her legs weak. Her hands were slowly sliding down on the wall, and the only thing that was supporting her body was William's hands, which were firmly holding her hips in place.

A few minutes later, the black-haired teenager kept his promise as he stained Haleth's womb with his color. As the beautiful Half-Elf's body slid on the floor, bathing in the afterglow of the pleasurable feeling that was still making her body tremble all over, a knock was heard on the door.

"V-Vice Commander, I've returned with a medicinal pill," Haleth's subordinate said through the door. "May I come in?"

William smirked as his gaze passed through the door to look at the good-looking young man who seemed to be in his early twenties.

The black-haired teenager's gaze then moved downward to look at the Half-Elf who reached out towards his manhood, and used her soft, seductive lips to clean the remnants of their lovemaking with her pink tongue.

After a minute had passed and hearing no reply, Haleth's subordinate knocked on the door once again and raised his voice. "Vice Commander? Are you awake? Can I come in?"

The door opened by a crack, and Haleth's flushed face appeared in front of her subordinate.

"Thank you, but I just drank my medicine," Haleth said in a seductive and hoarse voice that made her subordinate blush. "It's a bit bitter, but I am now feeling better because of it. Please, tell the Commander that I'll be taking a leave for the time being. I won't be reporting to the barracks for a while."

"U-Understood!" the young man said before giving Haleth a salute. "I'll see you in a few days, Vice Commander."

"Mmm," Haleth hummed before closing the door.

After firmly locking the door in place, she knelt on the floor and resumed cleaning the thing that made her a woman. Her body was still burning up, but she was burning with a different kind of fever.

Haleth knew that she needed to drink her bitter medicine again. But, for that to happen, she needed to make sure that the black-haired teenager, who was lightly caressing the side of her face, felt good too.

That way, he could inject her with the medicine she wanted inside her burning and feverish body, until her world turned completely white.

Chapter 1137: l Won't Be Seeing Both Of You,Anytime Soon

Chapter 1137 l Won't Be Seeing Both Of You,Anytime Soon

Haleth slept soundly on the bed, while William looked at the city from the window of her room.

"So peaceful," William said softly. "But, how long will this peace last?"

The Half-Elf knew that the war wouldn't happen right away, because everyone needed time to prepare for the battle up ahead. According to his rough estimates, Felix and Ahriman would need a month to arm the Demon Clans to the teeth, in order to start their advance.

"Joash said that the Amberfang Fortress can hold them back for a month or two," William muttered. "But, that is only true if the Demons didn't have a way to bypass the fortress completely. At the very least, I have around two months to conquer one of the SS-Ranked Dungeons."

William knew that unless he managed to get another Pseudo-God as a subordinate, it would be impossible for him to win against Felix's army in a head-on confrontation. The Half-Elf was not only guarding against the Heir of Darkness, but the factions in the Central and Silvermoon Continent as well.

He was not delusional enough to think that none of them thought of him as an enemy. If the Holy Order of Light attacked him, then there were others who were itching to get their hands on him as well.

The rustling of the bedsheets sounded behind him, but William didn't turn his head and continued to look at the peaceful city of Alabaster.

Soon, two rough hands wrapped around his body, at the same time as two soft peaks pressed against his back.

"What are you thinking, Will?" Haleth asked as she held unto William firmly. Even now, she was afraid that everything that had just happened to her was a dream, and it would disappear the moment she woke up.

"I'm thinking that this city is very beautiful and peaceful," William replied. "I'm proud of you, Haleth. You were able to make the CIty of Alabaster thrive without worrying about the underworld criminals who were coveting it from a distance."

Haleth hugged William tighter because the Half-Elf's words made her feel very happy. Everyone liked to be praised, especially when the praise was coming from a person that you held in high esteem.

"Don't leave me behind, okay?" Haleth said in a trembling voice. "If this is a dream, don't ever wake me up."

William lightly tapped the hands that were hugging him from behind, as he turned around to face the gorgeous Vice Commander that he had claimed as his own.

"This is not a dream," William answered. "And I won't leave you behind. Didn't I tell you? You are mine. Besides, I just discovered that since both of us are Half-Elves, our bodies are very compatible. Is this a race thing?"

William's naugthy hands then caressed Haleth's backside, making the lady Half-Elf shudder.

"Will," Haleth said as she stared at William's eyes with a serious expression on her face. "I don't want a complicated relationship. I know that you don't love me as much as you love your wives. I am fine with that. All I ask is that you don't toss me aside after you get bored of me."

"Understood," William commented. "I promise I won't toss you aside."

"Thank you. That is all I ask."

"Mmm."

The two shared a kiss before going to the bathroom together. William planned to take Haleth inside his Thousand Beast Domain as he explored the Seventh Sanctum to search for the Dungeon that was hidden inside it.

In truth, the thought of going back to the Southern Continent to see Wendy and Est crossed his mind, multiple times. However, each time it did, he forced himself to shake off the idea.

To be honest, William felt scared.

He was afraid that he would unintentionally corrupt both of them and make them fall into the darkness with him. Wendy was his first wife, and held a special place in his heart, and Est was his first friend, and best friend, who had become his lover.

Both were special to him, and his desire to completely stain them and strip them of their innocence, like Chloee, was so strong that it hurt.

Because of this, he chose to stay away from them.

Haleth was right. His feelings of love for her weren't as strong as the feelings he had for his wives, and fiances. There were times when he wanted to corrupt Lilith, but he always held back.

Perhaps Lilith felt the same, so she chose to stay in the Floor of Asgard, to give William some peace of mind.

This was also why William would feel a strong urge to vent his body's desire with other women. The corruption in his soul, and perhaps due to having merged with Donger, his libido had grown drastically compared to how it was in the past.

In truth, the one who was in danger of his sudden urges was none other than Princess Aila, who was staying inside his Thousand Beast Domain. William had, on more than one occasion, almost sank his fangs on her, due to the whisper of darkness in his soul.

Because of this, he would make love with Chloee in order to sate the lustful thoughts in his head, before he would go to Aila to ask her to help him stabilize his soul. As a succubus, Chloee was more than capable of absorbing his desire, as well as the Darkness, without experiencing any side effects.

Surprisingly, he didn't think of the black-haired succubus as a substitute for his wives, and learned to love her as well. Although it wasn't as strong as his feelings for his wives, Chloee was now William's most trusted confidant, while his wives were not around him.

'I'm sorry, Wendy, Est,' William thought as he bit into Haleth's well-shaped breast to sate the bloodthirst that emerged from remembering his two wives that were waiting for him in the Southern Continent. 'I won't be seeing either of you, anytime soon.'

As Haleth's rich blood flowed inside William's lips, her arms wrapped around him as well.

The two Half-Elves, who were thinking of the people they loved, hugged each other in a tight embrace.

Chapter 1138: Finally, l Found You Bastards

Chapter 1138 Finally, l Found You Bastards

'Seventh Sanctum, it has been a while,' William said as he looked at the entrance of the Forbidden Ground in front of him.

He had many memories about this place, and even remembered them fondly. If not for Lilith and him falling into the River of Samsara, he might not have met his future daughter, Raizel, who had allowed him and Lilith to give their relationship a chance.

William walked straight towards the entrance with a mischievous smile on his face. Back then, the only thing he could think of was on how to survive in a domain that was surrounded by countless Myriad Beasts, who could easily end their lives as if they were just cutting grass.

Now, things were different.

'Yes,' William mused. 'Now, things are different.'

As the mists faded in front of him, William appeared in a familiar scene. It was the same forest where he had appeared in the past, and it made him feel nostalgic.

"Go, and fly over this entire domain," William ordered as several portals appeared around him.

The Rainbow Birds all flew in different directions, helping William map the entirety of the Forbidden Ground.

Back then, he was only looking for the Hall of Thunder and had no time to explore the Domain in full. Now that he was looking for an SS-Ranked Dungeon, it was time to check every nook and cranny of the Domain that he planned to conquer as his own.

In just a minute of appearing inside the Seventh Sanctum, a third of the Rainbow Birds had died after they were attacked by the Millennial and Myriad Beasts that lived inside the Domain.

William smirked as he turned into a black mist and headed towards the West, where the majority of his forces had been decimated.

Several Vultures, with a wingspan of six meters, circled the sky as they attacked the Rainbow Birds, whom they thought were all food. However, to their dismay, these Birds had a very explosive personality, and chose to self-destruct inside their mouths, causing them pain and suffering.

When William arrived at the scene, a dozen giant black vultures that went by the name, Sorrow Talons, could be seen attacking the Rainbow birds who were fighting back by cursing at their enemies before self-destructing.

"Eight peak Millennial Beasts, and four Myriad Beasts. Not bad," William muttered as he instantly appeared in front of the largest, and strongest among the Vultures.

Without even a word, William slapped the giant Vulture, sending it crashing towards the ground like a tennis ball.

The Vultures that saw this scene, immediately flapped their mighty wings to retreat, but William had no intention of letting any of them get away.

With just a few slaps, all the Vultures crashed on the ground, shrieking in pain.

"You guys will serve as good cannon fodders," William said as he pressed his hand over the Alpha of the Flock, and forcefully corrupted it with the power of darkness.

The Myriad Beast struggled with every fiber of its being, but it was only able to last for a minute before its consciousness was completely overwritten by William's power.

The Vultures who saw this immediately shrieked in panic, and even tried to beg William to have mercy on them, but the Half-Elf didn't give an ear to their cries of regret.

One by one, William had made all of the Vultures his subordinates, and ordered them to fly around the Seventh Sanctum, and take over the duties of the Rainbow Birds that they had slain.

As more of the Angray Birds died, William's subordinates grew in number. The scary part about this was that the newly added monsters in his Legion were all Peak Millennial Beasts, and Myriad beasts.

An hour later, B1 and B2 found a nest of Terror Rats, which made the Half-Elf's devilish smile widen.

"Finally, I found you bastards," William said as he used his Lightning Strider Skill to arrive at the location where the two dumb birds find their quarry.

William had specifically ordered the Rainbow Birds to alert him if they saw any giant rats in the vicinity. The Half-Elf had a beef to settle with them, so he was incredibly enthusiastic after his subordinates found their lair.

As soon as William appeared in the sky above the Terror Rat's Nest, the rats that were outside guarding the entrance of the nest all hissed at William like snakes.

"It's not only you guys who like to get revenge on people," William stated. "I'm here to pay all of you back for the traumatic experience that you gave me and my wives back then."

William spread his arms, and a black dome of light engulfed the Terror Rat's nest, as well as the ground under it. He had no intention of letting any of the rats escape, so he trapped them inside his Darkness Domain.

Soon, hundreds of rats shrieked at the same time when William released the aura of a Demigod.

The Terror Rats were monsters who liked to bully the weak and feared the strong. If their enemy was someone that they couldn't beat with numbers, they would use dirty tactics to get their revenge.

Unfortunately, they were up against a newly ascended Demigod who was itching to try his powers on the Myriad Beasts that bullied him back then.

A minute later, several powerful explosions shook the Dark Domain, as William unleashed a barrage of Darkness Beam at the Terror Rat's nest, making its inhabitants scream in pain and fear.

After the last rat had fallen, William once again used the method that would convert all of the rats to become his subordinates in the upcoming war. In regards to high-end monsters, the black-haired teenager was no match against Felix's forces, the Holy Order's forces, in addition to the combined armies of the Alliance.

However, he planned on converting all the monsters inside the Forbidden Domain to make up for the lack of strong fighters in his army. Even though he didn't have any Pseudo-Gods, aside from the Black Phoenix, his personnel now had several Myriad Beasts, with the Fortaare Death Worm being the strongest of them all.

The Lord of the Desert was already a Pseudo-Demigod, and was only a step away from reaching the Demigod Rank. William was planning to give it a breakthrough, by allowing it to consume the Power of Darkness, but that would weaken him for an entire week.

This was why he hadn't done it yet because he still had many things to do.

"Scurry along, little rats," William ordered as he commanded the Corrupted Terror Rats to scatter. "Find me the dens of the strongest beasts in this Domain. Go. now!"

The Rats shrieked in obedience as they split into several parties and scoured the land, looking for the Monsters that their new Master wanted.

By the time the sun was about to set in the Central Continent, the Seventh Sanctum, that was known to be one of the most dangerous places in the World, found itself being taken over by the black-haired teeanger, whose goal was to create a monster army that would make everyone in the world cower in fear.

Chapter 1139: Standing On Equal Grounds

Chapter 1139 Standing On Equal Grounds

A mass exodus of Monsters was currently happening inside the Seventh Sanctum.

Usually, it was the Monsters that terrorized the invaders who tried to explore their Domain. However, the tables had been turned and it was now them who were on the run, in fear of being found by the black-haired teenager who had already converted a fifth of the total Monster population as his minions.

Several Beasts headed to the North, West, South, and East of the Seventh Sanctum because that would give them the highest chance of survival. The Half-Elf chuckled after seeing these mighty Beasts, that was strong enough to terrorize entire kingdoms and empires, cower in fear as the Half-Elf's minions followed their Master's bidding.

William leisurely monitored these Beasts as they desperately tried to find a safe place to hide. Unfortunately, their movements were already being seen by the very person that they tried so hard to escape from.

"Herd the Beasts in the North towards the Lighting Valley," William ordered. "For the monsters in the West, just ensure that they don't jump in the River of Samsara. Make them run in a corner if you have to, but don't allow them to jump in the river. That would be a waste of potential manpower."

The corrupted beasts that were under William's control followed his orders and cornered the Beasts in the locations he designated.

Half an hour later, a Giant Black-Winged Panther, bowed its head towards William after it had fallen into the power of his corruption.

Hundreds of monsters, in the Millennial and Myriad Ranks knelt on the ground as they paid their respects to their new Master.

Half a day later, all the Monsters inside the Seventh Sanctum were now under William's control. He didn't spare a single beast, and converted all of them into his King's Legion.

The Power of a Dungeon Conqueror allowed him to conquer Dungeons and use them as his private army to fight against his foes.

But, William wasn't just a Dungeon Conqueror. He was also a Shepherd, as well as the Prince of Darkness.

He could conquer not only Dungeons, but the hearts of Monsters as well. This gave him the ability to raise an army that had never been seen in the past, giving him an edge over the fighters below the rank of Demigods and Pseudo-Gods.

"Well then, now that is out of the way, you're next," William said as he looked at the entrance of the Dungeon, which was hidden in a remote corner of a valley.

Optimus almost didn't notice it because the signal it was giving out was very weak due to the irregularity of the Forbidden Ground.

However, due to the power of the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class, Optimus was able to detect the weak signal, after it asked William to synchronize his power with the System's thorough scan.

—--

Caverns of the Infernal Warlord

Rank: SS

Number of Floors: 100

Monster types: ???

—--

William didn't know what kind of monsters could be found inside the dungeon, but he didn't care. As long as the battlefield was not under the ocean, his forces could easily overcome all obstacles that stood in his way.

The Half-Elf walked through the entrance with a smile on his face. Now that he was one step closer to realizing his goal, the Half-Elf would not hesitate to go all out just to make the Caverns of the Infernal Warlord, bow down to his will.

—--

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

The High-Ranking officers of Deux were gathered and waiting for their Supreme Pontifex to arrive. They had received news that today was the day when their mysterious leader would declare her intention to all of them.

In truth, they were feeling constricted in their own Domains due to the movement of the armies of the various kingdoms and empires. Most of them were high-ranking nobles, who held land, influence, and armies of their own.

Unfortunately, those same armies had been drafted by their rulers and were forced to leave their side in order to participate in the war.

The underworld denizens were also getting restless because the Holy Order of Light had made sure that the sleeping forces they had within each territory made their presence known.

"I didn't know that the Central Continent would take this matter quite this seriously," one of the Elders of Deus said. "If this goes on, it will be bad for our business."

"True." Another elder nodded. "But, what else can we do? In order to take advantage of this conflict, we need to choose who we side with wisely. I'm sure our dear Pontifex is aware of this as well."

"Actually, I'm a bit excited," a fat elder said with a smile. "If we play our cards right, and support the winning side, this world can be ours for the taking. Isn't that absolutely fantastic?"

An Elf who was seated in the corner of the conference room snorted.

"You can say that now because you are far from the conflict," the Elf elder stated. "Right now, the entire Silvermoon Continent is on the edge. You have no idea how chaotic everything is there right now."

"Well, that is your problem not mine."

"That's right! I wish you luck in these chaotic times my friend."

"Don't call me friend, we're not that close!"

As the elders argued among themselves, the light ringing of a bell echoed inside the conference, signaling that their Supreme Pontifex had arrived.

Everyone in the room stood, and bowed their heads in respect to the woman that single-handedly controlled the biggest, and strongest, underworld organization in the world.

As soon as the Pontifex sat on the seat of honor, everyone in the room sat as well.

"Thank you all of you for coming on such short notice," Nisha said as she scanned the faces of her subordinates.

The veil covering her face added mystery to her identity, which made the Elders unable to ascertain what she looked like. She knew that the moment they laid eyes on her, cracks would appear in their organization because most of them would covet her for her beauty.

This was something she didn't want to happen, so she wore her mask like armor to protect her heart from anyone who dared to take advantage of it.

"As all of you may already know, there are two individuals who threaten the entire world," Nisha stated. "One is the Heir of Darkness who hailed from the Demon Lands, the other a Half-Elf, who managed to clear the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon and founded the Floor of Asgard.

"Both of them will play a key role in the war that is about to transpire. After careful consideration, I decided to ally with the Prince of Darkness, who we will give our full support to, if and when he needs our assistance."

"The Prince of Darkness?" the Elf Elder frowned. "That filthy child?"

Nisha frowned after hearing the Elf's comment, but she didn't say anything to rebuke him. After she and William shared a night together, she felt more attracted to the bold youth who dared to enjoy her body to his heart's content.

"Well, either that or you join hands with Demons," the fat elder laughed. "I say that our Supreme Pontifex chose the lesser evil among the two. Felix is too ambitious and would definitely backstab us after we helped him conquer the Central and Silvermoon Continents.

"However, this lad, William, I investigated him in the past and found out that he is not really interested in becoming a ruler. This is a perfect opportunity to ally ourselves with him and stand on equal ground when we rule the world together."

The other Elders nodded their heads in agreement. All of them knew how greedy Demons were, and Felix would definitely not allow them to handle high positions in the new empire that he was about to build.

After a few more arguments, the Elders finally come into an agreement that William was indeed the ideal candidate to support.

Nisha ended the meeting with a smile on her face. Now that all the Elders had agreed to support William, the black-haired woman no longer had to worry about coordinating with the Half-Elf who was currently trying to conquer one of the oldest, and strongest Dungeons on the face of the world.

'I'm ready on my side, Will,' Nisha thought as she stared in the direction of the Seventh Sanctum. 'Hurry up with whatever you are doing so we can meet again.'

For some reason, the black-haired woman was feeling excited at the thought of meeting with the Half-Elf again. She didn't know why, but as soon as the black-haired teenager held her hand, she felt that she had been born in the world just to make him sit at the throne of the world and make everyone under the heavens obey his will.

Chapter 1140: Where Destiny Waits

Chapter 1140 Where Destiny Waits

A month after William entered the Seventh Sanctum, the entire Central Continent, as well as the Silvermoon Continent, positioned their armies in strategic locations near the borders of the Kora Empire, as well as at the center of the continent.

This decision was made to counter any unexpected moves that the Demons might make, when they started their siege on Amberfang Fortress, which was located in the Demon Continent.

Joash had already made preparations and was only waiting for the armies of the Heir of Darkness to march in his direction.

Meanwhile in the Demon Capital of Astryae…

Eve stood at the highest point of the castle as she raised both of his hands towards the sky. High Priestesses usually offer her blessings to the people during times of hardships, as well as war.

The armies of the different Demon Clans had all traveled towards the Demon Capital in order to receive the blessings of their High Priestess, who was treated with great respect and admiration by everyone in the Demon Realm, with the exception of Felix, who was only enduring her presence because it was a customary thing for a High Priestess to perform a ceremony for good fortune.

Eve had been trained by Ariadne from a young age about the etiquette of Priestesses. Although she was still young, her movements were precise, as she took her role seriously.

"His Excellency, Lord Ahriman blesses all of you in the battles ahead," Eve said in a steady voice that echoed across the entire demon capital. "May you perform your duties well, and fight for the honor of the Demon Realm."

The young lady whose beauty was yet to blossom reached out to take the winecup from the altar and drank half of it.

After drinking, she poured the remaining contents of the winecup on the altar before taking a silver dagger from one of her aides.

A white bunny was placed over the altar as an offering, and Eve raised the dagger high over her head and held it with both hands.

Without batting an eye, she delivered a quick, and swift blow to the bunny, ending its life in an instant.

Ariadne had taught her that when the ceremony calls for living sacrifices, the offered life must be ended as quickly, and as painlessly as possible.

In truth, the one that should have been offered as a sacrifice would have been a young Human, or Elf, girl of noble birth, but Eve firmly opposed the idea.

Upon hearing her objection, Felix tried to tease her that they should use a sheep or goat as an offering instead. This casual remark earned him a glare from Eve, and a thunderous roar of thunder from the heavens above.

"You wish to offer the life of a sheep or goat knowing that I also serve the God of Shepherds?" Eve asked him back then. "You must be courting death."

Felix still remembered how the God of Shepherd almost ended his life back then, so he shut his trap and allowed Eve to choose the animal that would be used as a sacrifice.

After naming the sacrificial animal, the Demons scoured the forest, and nearby hunting ground to get the biggest and plumpest white rabbit that they could find as an offering

Eve watched as the blood of the rabbit and the wine that she poured on the altar mixed together. A second later, a black flame erupted from the altar, consuming the offering that she had presented.

The red-haired young lady then faced the millions of Demons that had gathered in front of her and spread her arms wide. The golden pendant Necklace of Darkness on Eve's chest glowed brightly.

A moment later, the demons were bathed in crimson light, making them feel the blood boiling in their bodies. They could feel incredible strength surging inside their bodies as they roared towards the Heavens to proclaim the name of their God.

""Ahriman!""

""Ahriman!""

""Ahriman!""

""Ahriman!""

""Ahriman!""

Eve watched this scene with a calm expression on her face. She didn't dislike the Demon Race. in fact, after spending more than a month with them, he found out that aside from their monstrous features, and savagery, they also had kindness in their hearts.

All the demons treated her with respect, and they loved her more than they loved Felix, whom they feared.

"Go, Warriors of the Demon Realm," Eve said softly as the sky parted and bathed her with a golden radiance, making her look like a divine being that had descended upon the land in order to lead them to the one true path towards greatness. "For the Legion!"

""For the Legion!""

""For the Legion!""

""For the Legion!""

""For the Legion!""

""For the Legion!""

""For the Legion!""

The Demons' mighty roars resounded in the capital as they raised their weapons over their heads.

The sound of trumpets, as well as battle drums reverberated in the air, as they started their march towards the South, where the Amberfang Fortress was waiting for them.

Felix stood beside Eve as they looked at the Legions of Demons that had started to move en masse. The source of this content is.

"Not bad for a pipsqueak," Felix commented as he gave the young girl a side-long glance. "You're this eager for the Demons to conquer the Human lands?"

Eve didn't reply to him, and just continued to watch the Demons march away from the capital.

The green-haired demon Prince snorted as he hovered in the air and floated in front of Eve, who treated him as air.

"Just you wait, little girl," Felix said. "I will bring your cousin in front of you in chains, and make you beg for his life. We'll see if you can remain indifferent to me after that."

Felix smirked before flying towards the direction of the Demon Army that was headed to war. He was confident that no one in the Central and Silvermoon Continent would be his match after the preparations he had made over the past month.

Ahriman's power had also grown since then, and the Primordial God of Darkness and Chaos had unlocked some of his abilities, which increased Felix's strength drastically.

Eve watched his retreating figure, and only moved from her spot when Felix was no longer in front of her.

Her aides walked to her side and bowed their heads respectfully.

"Your Excellency, your carriage awaits," a beautiful Demon with crimson eyes said with a smile. "We have already finished packing your belongings. However, if you still need something in your room, we can go there before joining the march."

"Thank you, Carol," Eve replied. "It must have been hard on you."

"Not at all, Your Excellency." Carol bowed. "Serving you is a great honor for me, and my clan."

Eve smiled as she allowed Carol to guide her towards her room in order to prepare for her departure. She, too, would also be traveling alongside the Demon Army because this was the role she needed to play.

She hoped that when she finally stepped into the Silvermoon Continent. Her dependable cousin, who insisted on being called her Big Brother, would be there to find her.

'Big Brother, I'll wait for you to save me,' Eve thought with a heavy heart. 'I just hope that the Darkness hasn't consumed your heart completely when we reunite.'

Eve was made aware of William's current condition because David told her everything that had happened during the war in the North. The little girl felt saddened that the always smiling Half-Elf, who would regularly give her lollipops, was suffering so much, due to the God she was currently serving.

However, what was done was done.

Eve was someone that didn't want to linger in the past, for she was always looking at the present. She believed that her Big Brother Will would overcome all adversities in life, and reclaim the things that he had once lost.

Eve knew that everything would begin at the Central Continent, but she had no idea how things were going to end. All she could think of was her family back home, as well as her teacher, Ariadne, who was currently by her Big brother's Side.

She was truly glad that her mentor had survived the harrowing experience that had almost scarred her young and tender heart.

After taking the things that she needed for her trip, the red-haired girl made a gesture for her aides to follow behind her.

The Six Eared Macaque smiled as Eve walked past him. He was now the red-haired girl's bodyguard, and he preferred the young priestess personality.

"Let's go," Eve ordered as she walked with even and steady steps. "To the Central Continent where destiny waits."

Chapter 1141: Just What In The Nine Hells ls That Brat Up To?

Chapter 1141 Just What In The Nine Hells ls That Brat Up To?

"They finally started moving," Joash said as he shifted his gaze to the two round mirrors in front of him. "The Demons are now going to war."

Byron and the Pope of the Holy Order nodded their heads in understanding.

"We will wait for you to report their movements to us," Byron replied. "Are you confident that you will be able to hold them back for two months?"

Joash shook his head. "Originally, I thought the same. But now, I think the most I can do is delay their advance for a month. Their numbers, the quality of their army, as well as their siege weaponry has far exceeded my expectations. I'm afraid my fortress will fall in less than a month, but I will try to hold it for as long as possible. How are things on your end?"

"We need one more month to complete the battle array," the Pope replied. "Two more Pseudo-Gods will descend from the Heavens in a month. By then, Ahriman's and our High-End fighters will be evenly matched. The Demons may number in the millions, but our forces combined number in the tens of millions. Unless Ahriman has nothing cooked up under his sleeve, I don't see any possibility for their invasion to succeed."

Joash snorted as he gazed at the Pope who was in control of the strongest organization in the world.

"Ahriman is a Primordial God," Joash stated. "He may be sealed, but he is not stupid. I'm sure that he is also aware of the disparity of numbers. I don't believe that he had nothing up his sleeve."

The Pope smiled because she agreed with Joash's conclusion. Byron, on the other hand, was still frowning.

"Are you sure that it is a wise idea to leave the Prince of Darkness alone?" Byron asked. "There is still the possibility of him being the Dungeon Conqueror, right?"

The Pope sighed before giving her answer. "We have no choice. We signed an agreement with him. Until Felix is dealt with, the Holy Order of Light and the Prince of Darkness will not fight against each other. Also, him being the Dungeon Conqueror is merely a hunch. Right now, the disappearances of Dungeons have stopped completely.

"This coincides with the movements of the Demons, so the other possibility of the Dungeon Conqueror being Ahriman's pawn is also valid. We are afraid of getting pincered from the back, and the front, so we decided to position the majority of the alliance's forces in the center of the continent. That way, we will be able to act as soon as any signs of internal trouble arise."

Joash didn't join the discussion because he didn't plan to share the information he had about William. Because Vesta was currently in the Thousand Beast Domain, he was quite aware of what was happening on William's end.

For him, William was a dark horse, and must be treated carefully. The Black Dragon had a nagging feeling that it would be better to betray the Holy Order of Light, than betray William, who had now stepped into the rank of Demigods.

'I don't know why his conquest for Dungeons had stopped,' Joash thought. 'He hasn't been inside the Thousand Beast Domain for quite some time now. Did something happen to him?'

The Black Dragon lightly tapped the armrest of his throne, as he listened to Byron's and the Pope's exchange.

Although legions of Demons were currently headed in his direction, he didn't feel any fear towards them. He knew that his Fortress' role was to only delay the inevitable war between the Demons, Humans, Elves, as well as the other races of the world.

Joash believed that the victor of this battle would be those who had the greatest conviction. As someone who was also planning revenge, the Black Dragon was leaning more on William, despite the fact that the Half-Elf was currently at a disadvantage.

'Just what are you doing right now, boy?' Joash thought as his conference with Byron and the Pope ended. 'I hope that you will give me a wonderful surprise the next time we meet on the battlefield.'

—-

Hestia Academy…

"Did you see his reaction?" the Pope asked Byron through the round mirror. "He knows something, but he's not sharing it with us."

Byron nodded his head in agreement. "Unfortunately, we can't force him to tell us anything. Right now, we are relying on him to hold the Demons back."

The Pope's lips curled up into a sneer as she gazed at the Headmaster of Hestia Academy who was trying to sugarcoat Joash's lack of interest in sharing the information about William.

Seeing the Pope's reaction, Byron sighed as he held up both hands.

"There have been no signs of the boy anywhere," Byron stated. "The last time someone saw him was when the two Virtues were released. Since then, no one has been able to pinpoint his current location. Even the alliance's and the underworld's information network couldn't sniff out his whereabouts. He seemed to have disappeared into thin air, just like the rumored Dungeon Conqueror who has been conquering dungeons left and right."

The Pope chuckled after hearing Byron's voice that had a trace of anxiety in it.

"So what if he is the Dungeon Conqueror?" People asked in a challenging tone. "Back then, his father might have been able to move in the world unhindered, but that was only because he controlled ten Demigods.

"A month from now, the Order of Light will have four Pseudo-Gods serving our noble cause. Even if the number of Demigods he possessed became twenty or thirty, they are still no match against the existences that surpassed their rank."

Byron sighed as he looked at the Pope with a fed up gaze.

"That boy should not be underestimated," Byron replied. "You keep on forgetting that he is also part of a Prophecy. Do you honestly believe that dealing with him will be so simple?"

The Pope gave Byron a teasing smile that made the latter feel uncomfortable.

"It is not that I am underestimating that boy, William," the Pope stated. "It is just that we are already preparing a ceremony that will ensure that he will be properly dealt with at a later time."

Byron frowned. "A ceremony? What kind of ceremony?"

"I will keep it a secret for now. The surprise will lose its effect when it is out of the bag."

"Fine."

Byron couldn't help but wonder where the Pope's confidence was coming from. It seemed that after the two Virtues were defeated, the Pope decided to take matters in her own hand in order to deal with William.

'I don't know if I should pity him or not,' Byron mused as he thought of the boy who had caught his interest early on. 'The Holy Order of Light is a bunch of crazy people. Getting entangled with them would only lead to endless trouble. I'm just glad that I'm not their enemy.'

Byron ended his conversation with the Pope as he contacted his agents who were scattered all over the continent.

He had a nagging feeling that William was doing something big. However, he just couldn't put his finger in it.

"If he is really the Dungeon Conqueror, he must never stop conquering Dungeons in order to raise his army," Byron muttered as he stared at the map of the Central Continent on his table. "But no reports of Dungeons being raided have appeared during the past few weeks. Just what in the Nine Hells is that brat up to?"

Chapter 1142: I'm The Bane Of Your Existences

Chapter 1142 I'm The Bane Of Your Existences

A month after William had entered the Seventh Sanctum…

"Foolish child that is corrupted by Darkness, do you really think you can defeat us even with the help of that Black Phoenix behind you?" A blonde beauty whose eyes flashed with lightning bolts said with a sneer.

"It seems that this mortal thinks that he can casually waltz into our domain and defeat us just because he has a beast that is on par with one of us," a silver-haired beauty with a stern expression stated. "Child, we know that you are now the current Dungeon Conqueror of this world, but so what? In front of us sisters, you are nothing!"

The silver-haired beauty's words boomed like thunder, pushing back the flames of the Black Phoenix, Sepheron.

Although Sepheron was now a Pseudo-God and a Black Phoenix, its element had turned into the element of Darkness. Light was its natural enemy, and lightning was a form of light.

The twin Pseudo-Gods of Lighting and Thunder stared down at the black-haired teenager who was looking at both of them with an amused expression on his face.

—--

< Astrape And Bronte >

-Twin Pseudo-Gods of Lightning and Thunder

These two beautiful deities are the protectors of the Seventh Sanctum. Together, they can call upon a devastating storm to wreak havoc on their enemies. Their main weapons are golden lightning bolts that can instantly turn any mortal they hit to ashes.

—--

"I came here thinking that I'd only be getting one Pseudo-God," William said. "Who would have thought that there would be two of you here? This saves me a lot of trouble. Capturing both of you and making you submit to me will make my month-long troubles worthwhile."

The Half-Elf smirked as he read the information about the two Pseudo-Gods that were in front of him.

"Arrogant child, it seems that the outside world has changed a lot since we were born. They have completely forgotten that there are some existences that are far above their ability to control."

"So what if you are the Dungeon Conqueror? In front of us, you are nothing! Die!"

The Twin Pseudo-Gods held hands and fired a gigantic, golden lightning bolt in William's direction.

Sepheron was about to step in front of William in order to protect him, but the Half-Elf ordered it to not interfere.

"I admit that I'm not as strong as the two of you," William said with a smile. "However, there are a few things that I am not afraid of and two of them are thunder and lightning!"

William raised his hand and the golden lightning bolt that was meant to kill him stopped completely. It hovered a few inches away from his right hand, and didn't dare to move any further.

"I-Impossible!"

"How can a mere mortal like you stop our attack?!"

The Half-Elf smirked as he grabbed the edge of the golden lightning bolt. Soon, it shrank in size until it was only a meter long. William then twirled the golden lightning bolt into his hands and shot it up towards the sky.

A few seconds later, it returned to William's hand like a loyal pet that awaited its Master's command.

"Weaponize," William said softly and the golden lightning bolt formed a solid shape.

A moment later, the black-haired teenager held a metallic, golden lightning bolt in his hand that shone brightly.

"Weird, is this just a coincidence?" William muttered as he stared at the golden weapon in his hand. It reminded him of the weapon that Dias had used against him when they fought each other in that dream-like place where he saw Ella in her human form for the first time.

"You… just who are you?!" Astrape, who wielded the power of lightning, asked. "How can you hold that Divine Weapon as if it was nothing?"

"Didn't I tell you earlier?" William replied as he twirled the golden lightning bolt in his hand. "I am not afraid of lightning and thunder. Fate has decreed that both of you are to become my subordinates. This is your destiny."

"Destiny?" Bronte sneered. "The only thing that is destined to happen here is your death!"

The silver-haired deity screamed creating a powerful shockwave that pushed Sepheron several meters away from where it was.

William's robes fluttered in the breeze as he looked at Bronte with a devilish smile on his face.

Seeing that their special attacks weren't working against the black-haired teenager, the twins exchanged a glance at each other before flying towards William with the intention to fight him in close combat.

A moment later, three beams of light zigzagged across the sky as the two deities fought tooth and nail against the Half-Elf who was having no trouble fighting them at the same time.

Although they were Pseudo-Gods, their specialty lay in controlling lightning and thunder. Their physical prowess might be stronger than most, but it was only at the Demigod Rank.

William was now a Demigod, and was very experienced in physical battles. After making Chloee one of his women, he had also gained the familiar's battle experience, which increased his close combat capabilities to the next level.

After several minutes of exchanges, the two deities backed away and stared at Wiliam who still had a devilish smile plastered on his face.

"Now do the two of you understand?" William asked. "Both of you cannot beat me. I'm the bane of your existences."

"I'd rather die than serve you!"

"I will not bow down to someone that is corrupted by Darkness!"

William chuckled because he found the two deities' words very funny. Whether they liked him or not, he really didn't care. The moment he took the Dungeon Core from the Seventh Sanctum, both Astrape and Bronte were as good as his.

"Well then, it's time to end this battle," William declared as he activated his Lightning Strider Skill. The golden lightning bolt in his hand turned into a dark lightning bolt that he stabbed into Astrape's chest, making the Lightning Deity scream in pain.

Soon, the color of her hair changed from blonde, to black, as William forcefully corrupted her with the power of Darkness.

"You fiend!" Bronte roared as she attacked William in order to allow her sister to escape, but a flaming wing slapped her away, and prevented her from stopping her sister's corruption.

Bronte then gathered all the Divinity that she could muster as she prepared for a suicide attack, which she hoped would be strong enough to kill the black-haired teenager who was making her twin suffer.

"Die!" Bronte charged at William with a booming thunderous roar that split the sky in half.

However, before she could even punch the hateful Half-Elf, her sister, Astrape, stood in front of him with her hands spread wide, making Bronte hesitate for a brief moment.

However, that one moment of hesitation was fatal.

A black lightning bolt shot out of Astrape's body and headed straight towards Bronte's chest, who was completely caught by surprise.

"Nooooo!" Bronte screamed as she tried to pull out the black lightning bolt that was embedded on her chest. "I don't want to be corrupted! I refuse!"

Astrape then moved towards her sister and whispered something in her ear.

"It's fine Bronte," Astrape whispered. "Fall with me into darkness."

Without another word, Astrape held the black lightning bolt in her hands and pressed it deeper into her sister's chest.

Bronte looked at her sister in shock and disbelief as the power of darkness broke past her resistance.

"S-Sister…," Bronte said weakly as her beautiful silver hair slowly turned black.

"Don't worry, I am here with you," Astrape whispered in a voice that was filled with assurance and comfort. "We will still be together, forever."

A tear slid down the corner of Bronte's eyes as the final resistance in her heart disappeared. Soon, her entire being had been corrupted by Darkness.

"Astrape greets my new Master," Astrape said as she knelt in front of William.

"Bronte greets my new Master." Bronte knelt the same way her twin did.

William smiled as he presented his hands to the two deities, which they happily received.

"From now on, the two of you will become my Shield Maidens," William declared. "You will follow me in battle, and fight for me."

""We hear and obey, Master.""

Astrape and Bronte kissed the backs of William's hands, swearing their loyalty to him. A moment later, a golden portal appeared behind the two of them, revealing the room where the Dungeon Core was located.

William walked through the golden portal and pressed his right hand over the Dungeon Core that shivered under his touch.

"Do not be afraid," William said softly as if coaxing a child. "You are no longer alone."

Soon the Dungeon Core shrank and flew towards the obsidian gem in William's chest.

The black-haired teenager closed his eyes and saw, amidst the darkness, several golden orbs that glowed brightly. They were the Dungeon Cores that he had absorbed and were now under his command.

On that day, the Seventh Sanctum disappeared from the face of the world. In its place was just a gigantic crater that spanned many miles.

William disappeared without a trace and headed to his next destination. Although he now had two additional Pseudo-Gods under his command, the Half-Elf knew that this was far from enough.

"Optimus, what is the closest forbidden ground from here?" William asked.

< To the Southwest lies the Forbidden Ground called Tir Na Nog. Here are its coordinates. >

William looked at the information that was presented to him. A minute later, he nodded his head in understanding.

"Well then, I guess I'll be fighting fairies this time," William chuckled as his body turned into a black lightning bolt that streaked through the night sky. Now with three Pseudo-Gods under his command, he was confident that he would be able to conquer the next SS-Ranked Dungeon in less than a month.

Chapter 1143: Thank You As Well, Master

Chapter 1143 Thank You As Well, Master

William sighed in pleasure as Charmaine gave him a massage.

The pretty Elf was his personal maid, as well as his Head Maid inside the Thousand Beast Domain. The moment he returned, he immediately asked her to prepare a bath for him, and told her to give him a massage afterwards.

The conquest of the Seventh Sanctum had not been an easy task because the last Boss Floor where Astrape and Bronte were located could only be opened if a puzzle was solved.

The puzzle pieces could be collected on each floor of the Dungeon. However, William didn't know this because he just focused on finding the entrances inside the Dungeon, so he could proceed to the next floor.

After reaching the last floor, the Half-Elf was forced to return to the lower floors to search for the pieces of the puzzle, which took a lot of time.

The Dungeon floors of the Seventh Sanctum were very wide. They were similar to the floors of Atlantis, where it would take a day or two to find the entrances to each floor.

Fortunately, William had a legion of Myriad Ranked Beasts that could scour the Dungeon floors and terrorize the monsters that spawned inside it.

The remaining Monster bodies that his legion of Myriad Beasts hadn't consumed were directly sent to the Thousand Beast Domain, and divided among its inhabitants.

Monsters ate the flesh of stronger Monsters in order to advance their rank. Since Kasogonaga was no longer around to help feed the Requiem Antz, William took it upon himself to ensure that they were properly nourished with strong Monsters to increase the Queen's Rank, and allow her to give birth to stronger Monsters.

"You're very stiff, Master," Charmaine said as she patiently massaged William's back. "I'm sorry. Because I'm not strong, I am unable to help you clear the dungeons faster."

"Your role is more important than clearing dungeons, Charmaine," William replied. "The only thing you need to take care of is the management of this Villa and me. You don't have to worry about anything else. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master."

"Mmm."

Charmaine could feel her cheeks burning because William's words plucked her heartstrings. She then proceeded to dedicate her entire focus on massaging her Master's well-toned naked body to the best of her abilities.

While the Half-Elf was enjoying this peaceful moment, Chloee, Sepheron, Astrape and Bronte were busy clearing the floors of the Dungeon of Tir Na Nog. It was one of the Forbidden Grounds in the Central Continent, which was ruled by the Fairy Queen, Titania.

The black-haired teenager decided to take a break from Dungeon diving and allowed his subordinates to clear the dungeon for him. He ordered them to only call him once a problem arose, or if they reached the Final Floor of the dungeon.

"What is the latest news about the Central Continent?" William asked. "I've been gone for a month, so Felix might have already made his move, right?"

"Yes, Master," Charmaine replied. "According to our spies, they started their march towards the Fortress of Amberfang a month ago. It will probably take a week or two before they reach their destination. Moving an army of that size is not a simple task."

William nodded his head in understanding. Because of the Thousand Beast Domain, he could easily go anywhere, while bringing his army with him. Felix didn't have that option, so he had to use the traditional approach of marching his army across vast swaths of lands.

"How about the movement of the Alliance?" William inquired. "Did Ephemera send you a message?"

The corner of Charmaine's lips curled up into a smile after hearing the name of the Virtuous Lady of Justice.

Ephemera had contacted her using the communication crystal that William had secretly handed to her, without Lira's knowledge. The Half-Elf was sure that if he had also handed Lira a communication crystal, the Virtue of Temperance would call him everyday, even if she had nothing to report.

"Ephemera said that all of the Seven Virtues are to remain in the Palace of Light until further notice," Charmaine replied. "However, the elites of their army have already positioned themselves in the center of the continent. Their role is to give support to whichever side needs reinforcements when the Demons cross over the borders of the Central Continent."

"I see."

"Master. Ephemera also kept on complaining that you broke your promise to meet her after a week. She even explicitly told me to report to her right away the moment you returned."

"... I forgot about that completely." William chuckled as he imagined Ephemera's irritated expression when she found out that he still hasn't come out of the Seventh Sanctum. "Have you told her that I am back?"

"No," Charmaine answered. "I decided to wait for your instructions before doing so."

"Very good. Remind me to reward you later."

"Then, Master, will you give me what I want?"

William didn't reply to Charmaine's question, and the Elf didn't insist on continuing the discussion.

"Master, I finished massaging your back," Charmaine said. "Please, turn around."

William turned around and faced the pretty Elf who had devoted everything to him.

"Charmaine."

"Yes, Master?"

"Wait a little while longer, okay?" William said. "I promise to embrace you soon."

Charmaine smiled sweetly as she nodded her head. "Understood. I will patiently wait for that day."

William closed his eyes as Charmaine's experienced hands massaged his thighs in order to remove the exhaustion he felt from his Dungeon expedition.

"Tell Ephemera that I have returned," William replied. "I will talk to her tomorrow. I don't want her throwing a tantrum because I broke my promise to meet her."

"Understood," Charmaine replied.

Although she felt envious of her Master's Secret Mistresses, she knew that William cared about her in his own way.

"Ah. there was something else that our spies reported about the Demon Army," Charmaine said as she lightly knocked her fist against head as if punishing herself for forgetting something important. "It seems that your cousin, Eve, is within the ranks of the Demon Army. According to the reports, she can be found at the rear of their battle formation."

William opened his eyes, and a streak of black lightning flashed within their golden depths.

"Understood," William commented. "When our spies contacted us again. Tell them to pay extra attention to the movements of my cousin."

"As you wish." Charmaine nodded her head. "Is there anything else that you would like to tell them, Master?"

"No," William replied. "You can have them carry out their missions as usual."

"Understood."

"Charmaine."

"Yes?"

"Thank you," William said as he closed his eyes to rest.

The pretty Elf looked at her Master's sleeping face for a full minute before lowering her head to give him a lingering kiss on the lips that lasted only for a few seconds before she pulled back.

William had given her the privilege to become intimate with him, but only when they were alone.

"Thank you as well, Master," Charmaine replied as she continued to give her exhausted Master a massage. Although this was the only thing that she could do for him at the moment, she was more than happy to be of use to him when he needed her the most.

Chapter 1144: l've Always Wanted To Meet You

Chapter 1144 l've Always Wanted To Meet You

The day after William returned to the Thousand Beast Domain…

After getting a good night's rest, William joined everyone to have breakfast together. It had been nearly a month since everyone had seen him, and they were quite curious about the things that he had done in the outside world.

Since they were staying inside William's Domain, they were unable to get out of it, unless the black-haired teenager had given them the ability to do so.

Among the ladies, only Chloee had the ability to leave the Domain anytime she wanted.

William had placed a spawning location inside the City of Alabaster. Since it was a trade-city where information from all parts of the Central Continent could be gathered, the Half-Elf thought that it was the ideal place to gather the recent news and rumors that were spreading in every kingdom and empire across the land.

Chloee could freely teleport inside the city and return inside the Thousand Beast Domain, anytime that she wanted. This was how she was able to communicate with the spies that were under Joash's control in the Demon Continent, as well as Ephemera's weekly report on what was happening in the alliance.

"Lord William, do you have any pressing matters to do today?" Shannon asked as she gazed at the Half-Elf with an expectant gaze from under her fox mask.

"No," William replied. "Do you need me for something?"

Shannon nodded her head. "You see, my Fox Mask is almost out of power. Without it, I will not be able to control my Divinity and I might cause everyone here in the Thousand Beast Domain to commit suicide~"

"... That is indeed a problem."

"I know, right?"

William drank his wine before placing the cup back on top of the table. He then gazed at the young fox lady who had decided to stay with him, after she had escaped from Hestia Academy.

"Since you asked me if I'm busy or not, it means that you need my help to recharge the power of that artifact, right?" William inquired. "So, how may I help you?"

Although the Half-Elf was now immune to the power of Shannon's Divinity, the rest of his subordinates, with the exception of those who held powerful Divinities and Chloee, were not. He would not allow the Fox Lady's Divinity to run wild under his watch.

"It's simple really, I just need you to help recharge the Fox Mask with the power of Darkness," Shannon answered.

"That's it?" William asked back.

"Yes. simple, right?"

"For some reason, I have a feeling that it will not be that simple."

Shannon chuckled and her laughter was like the peeling of bells. William still didn't know what Divinity she held. All he knew was that she could cause a one-sided genocide the moment she took off the mask from her beautiful face.

"I will help you this afternoon," William stated after thinking for a while. He would still need to drink blood from Charmaine and the maids, before having a session with Princess Aila to stabilize his soul.

After contracting the twin Deities, Astrape, and Bronte, he felt a sudden pressure in his soul that gave him some slight discomfort. It was as if his soul had become unstable once again after gaining the power of the twin Deities who held the power of Lightning and Thunder.

Shannon nodded. "Okay. This afternoon will be good as well."

After getting William's reply, Shannon left the dining table while humming a happy tune. She then returned directly to her room without giving anyone a side-long glance. Originally, her mask still had two-weeks worth of power in it, but she didn't like to take chances.

Shannon knew how important the people inside the Thousand Beast Domain were to William, so she didn't want to harm any of them by accident.

After returning to her room, Shannon went to her drawing room where a blank canvas was waiting for her.

"Well then, time to start," Shannon said softly as she pressed her brush on the canvas' surface.

Soon the brush moved in fast and powerful strokes, as Shannon drew the portrait of a beautiful, white-haired girl with crimson eyes. The white-haired beauty was wearing a silver tiara on her head, studded with red gems, which complimented the color of her eyes.

There was a small golden snake that was coiled around her neck, and its head rested on her shoulder, as if taking a nap. It was like an accessory that laid motionless, giving the drawing in front of Shannon a melancholic atmosphere.

After drawing the lady, she then drew a garden of blooming flowers that created a picturesque backdrop that heightened the presence of the silver-haired lady, whose eyes were filled with sadness.

Shannon stopped moving the brush in her hand and admired her work for half a minute before nodding her head in satisfaction.

"I've always wanted to meet you," Shannon said softly as she dabbed the brush in purple paint and drew a portal in her painting.

Soon, the canvas disappeared and it was replaced by a misty blue portal that showed the garden she had just drawn.

Shannon smiled as she walked through the portal like she had done when she took everyone to the Demon Continent, in search of the Half-Elf who had now fallen into Darkness.

—--

Southern Continent, Hellan Kingdom…

Estelle looked at the garden in front of her with a sad expression on her face.

When the curse was lifted from her body, she was in a party that was held to celebrate the union of Brianna and her younger brother, Prince Ernest.

Her transformation created a scene, which caught everyone's attention. After the light receded from her body, her beautiful appearance mesmerized the young nobles, as well as the influential people that had come to celebrate Prince Ernest's and Brianna's engagement party.

Since then, she had received numerous marriage proposals, but she turned all of them down. However, the letters, as well as personal visits didn't end, which frustrated the young lady, whose identity was known to all.

She was none other than Estelle Newmont Vi Hellan, the one and only Princess of the Hellan Kingdom.

After Princess Sidonie's disappearance, she was crowned the new number one beauty in the Southern Continent, and many young men wished for her to become their bride.

Unfortunately for them, Estelle only had eyes for one man, and yet, that man was somewhere far from her reach.

As she was thinking of her beloved Half-Elf, she felt a fluctuation in the air. The golden snake that was coiled on her neck raised its head as it hissed at the purple portal that materialized out of nowhere.

A few seconds later, a lady with long white hair, who was wearing a Fox Mask, appeared in front of her.

Estelle immediately summoned her holy sword and pointed it on the stranger that had appeared uninvited inside the Royal Gardens of the Palace.

"Who are you?" Estelle asked as the holy sword in her hand shone with a golden radiance.

Shannon smiled from under the mask as she raised both of her hands in surrender, to prevent the silver-haired lady from attacking her.

"Salutations," Shannon replied. "Although I may look suspicious, I guarantee that I am not. I hail from the Central Continent, and I came here to share some news with you about your beloved, William."

"Will?" Estelle frowned. "How do you know about him? Who are you?"

The young fox lady held her skirt and made a curtsy as she introduced herself to one of the people whom William held very dear in his darkness-stained heart.

"Shannon," Shannon said in a respectful tone. "I came here to ask you a favor, Your Highness."

"A favor?"

"Yes. a favor in exchange for an opportunity to see your beloved, who is stopping himself from seeing you due to his current state."

Estelle narrowed her eyes as she stared at the mysterious lady that seemed to know William very well.

"Start talking," Estelle ordered. "What is your relationship with Will?"

Shannon smiled from underneath her mask before raising her head. She then stared at William's best friend, and lover, whose sword was now pointed in her direction.

"Worry not, Your Highness, I am not your enemy," Shannon replied. "In fact, both of us are allies. After all, I am Will's…"

Chapter 1145: l Need To Be With Him

Chapter 1145 l Need To Be With Him

A tear fell down the side of Estelle's face, followed by another after she heard what had happened to William and the others in the Demon Continent.

Ashe was her loyal attendant that had served her for many years. Estelle allowed her to follow William to the Central Continent because she was worried about him. She didn't expect that her dear friend, whom she treated as her sister, had died while trying to save William from the hands of the Primordial God of Darkness and Chaos.

"H-How is he right now?" Este asked as the tears in her eyes blurred her vision.

"Broken beyond repair, and corrupted by darkness," Shannon replied. "Right now, he is busy raising his army for vengeance, and it won't be long before he faces Felix and Ahriman on the battlefield once again."

Estelle wiped the tears in her eyes as she made a decision. She would not allow William to fight alone, especially in a battle against a God.

"I need to be with him," Estelle muttered. "I need to go to the Central Continent."

Shannon nodded her head in agreement. However, her next words made the silver-haired lady look back at her with confusion.

"Before you go to the Central Continent, there are a few people that you should bring with you on your trip," Shannon stated. "You need to go get William's first wife, Wendy, Amelia, and Priscilla."

Estelle blinked once then twice before she regained her composure.

"I can understand why I should take Wendy with me," Estelle said. "She is William's… first wife."

Estelle said the words "first wife" through gritted teeth as if she didn't like saying it. She was the first one who found William, and the first one to love him. However, due to the curse on her body, she was unable to confess her feelings to him, which gave Wendy the opportunity to take first base, and secure the position of first wife.

This time, it was Shannon's turn to blink from under the mask. She then tilted her head in confusion as a thought appeared inside her head.

'Is there perhaps a Faction War going on among William's wives?' Shannon thought. 'This sounds interesting.'

A few minutes later, Estelle regained her composure as she shifted her attention back to the fox lady, and asked her to continue what she was about to say.

"Well, just like I said earlier, You need to bring Wendy, Amelia, and Priscilla with you on your journey. You can also bring Ashe's twin, Isaac with you. Is that still her name?"

"Amirah," Estelle replied. "Her name is Amirah."

Shannon nodded. "I'm sure that you will also bring her with you because she is your loyal attendant. But, does she look like Ashe?"

"Yes," Estelle replied. "Their only difference is the color of their eyes and hair."

"I see…"

"Why? Is that going to be a problem?"

Shannon rubbed her chin. "It depends on how much Will misses Ashe. Although I don't think he would go so far as to harm his wife's twin sister, their resemblance might make his corrupted heart waver."

Estelle thought about it for a moment before firmly shaking her head. "He will not do that. I don't know how much William had changed after his heartbreaking experience, but I still believe that the old him still remains inside him somewhere."

The corner of Shannon's lips curled up from under the mask, but she didn't reply to Estelle's statement. She had already noticed that William didn't care about Celeste even though she looked just like Celine.

Even Chloee, who resembled Celine in a way, was not treated as a substitute by William. This just proved that the Half-Elf would not reach out to embrace them, but this could change at any given time.

After all, William's concept of right or wrong was starting to change as well. Although he tried to act normal on the surface, his core character was slowly changing. The drastic change happened after the two Virtues were captured.

It was at that moment when William's darker tendencies surfaced, which almost ended up on Lira's and Ephemera's total corruption. If not for the fact that the remaining half of William's soul had taken a firm stance to prevent them from falling into depravity, the two Virtuous Ladies might have lost their true self, and become mindless slaves that would move according to his bidding.

"I also believe in him," Shannon replied with a firm tone. "However, it is still best to be careful."

Shannon then stood up from the bench and walked towards the purple portal.

"Time is almost up, and I need to go back just in case he comes to find me," Shannon said. "I will be waiting for you in the Central Continent."

Estelle also stood up from the bench as she looked at the mysterious lady that had come to find her to talk about William. Although this was the first time that she had met Shannon, she knew that she wasn't lying to her because she had an ability that detected whether someone was lying to her or not.

"Tell me, why did you choose to talk to me, instead of Wendy?" Estelle asked. "I believe that you would achieve the same results if you had talked to her instead of me."

Shannon stopped walking just before she was about to enter the portal. She then turned her head to look at the silver-haired princess who was looking at her with a curious expression.

"Because that girl is scary," Shannon replied. "From what I've seen, dealing with her will be troublesome, so I decided to talk to you instead. I know that you are someone who looks at the bigger picture. Talking to you is infinitely better than talking to that… lady, who can smash a boulder with a single punch."

"So, you're telling me that she's hard to deal with."

"Exactly."

Shannon chuckled before entering the purple portal she had created. A few seconds later, the portal dispersed leaving Estelle alone in the garden, staring into space.

"Will, wait for me," Estelle said softly. "I will come to you."

Chapter 1146: What You Wish For,ls Almost Within Your Reach

Chapter 1146 What You Wish For,ls Almost Within Your Reach

When Princess Aila's and William's lips parted, the angelic Princess panted for breath, before weakly leaning her body on the Half-Elf's chest.

"Thank you, Aila," William said as he lightly patted the angelic beauty's head. "Rest for now."

Aila nodded. "Un."

William gently laid the Princess down on her bed, before covering her with a blanket. He knew that Aila needed some time to recover her Life Essence, so he would let her sleep for the time being.

Before the black-haired teenager could even leave the room, Aila had already fallen asleep due to her exhaustion. The Half-Elf gave the angelic beauty one last glance before closing the door behind him.

'Now I need to take care of replenishing the power of Shannon's Mask so no one will be forced to commit suicide.'

Originally, William was surprised when he saw Princess Aila and Shannonwho had escaped Hestia Academy. Now, he was quite thankful that the two ladies were with him because they aided him in many different ways.

Princess Aila helped him stabilize his soul, by giving him Life Essences on a regular basis, while Shannon would often tell him of recent events that even their spies in the Demon Continent, as well in the Central Continent, were not aware of.

Both of them were currently indispensable to William, so he would be more than happy to help them if they were to need his assistance.

After walking for a few minutes, he finally reached Shannon's room and knocked on the door.

"Shannon, it's me," William said.

"Come in."

Shannon's voice replied from the other side of the door.

When William entered the room, he found the young fox lady in the process of placing a painting inside a small purple portal beside her. Shannon had her own personal space, similar to a miniature domain, where she could store her paintings when she had finished drawing them.

"Have you been painting?" William asked.

"Yes, I just finished drawing one," Shannon said with a mischievous tone, which made William wonder what she had drawn.

"I came here to replenish the power of your mask."

"I know. Thank you for coming. You are a lifesaver."

The fox lady then waved her hand and two chairs made of ink appeared beside her. She then made a gesture for William to sit, before sitting on one of the chairs by her side.

The black-haired teenager sat, facing the mysterious fox lady who had come to their rescue when they were in the Northern Regions of the Demon Continent.

"So, how can I help?" William inquired.

Shannon didn't answer William's inquiry right away. Instead, she slowly took off her mask, revealing only half of her face.

William looked at Shannon with a calm gaze, and the fox lady smiled before taking the mask off completely. Honestly, she didn't know if William would be able to resist her Divinity, so she only showed half of her face just to be sure.

However, after seeing that he was completely unfazed by her beauty, Shannon felt relieved so she finally removed the mask that kept her Divinity from leaking.

Shannon's hair was white, and her eyes were purple. Unlike Estelle's silver-white hair, the fox lady's hair was more lustrous and silky. When she visited the newly crowned Princess in the Hellan Kingdom, she had changed her hair color to black, so that she wouldn't scare Estelle away.

That was Shannon's other form, one that she used when she was about to go into battle. It was an ability that allowed her to change her specialty from magical attacks to a physical one.

"Take this mask and give its lips a kiss." Shannon said with a smile as she passed the mask to William's waiting hand. "Long kisses are good because it will help charge it faster."

The Half-Elf stared at the Fox Mask in his hand before raising it towards his face. He then kissed its lips, and instantly felt his power being siphoned towards it. Even so, William didn't stop the kiss and simply allowed the mask to absorb as much as it wanted.

Shannon, who was watching from the side, smiled because William didn't hesitate to listen to her request, even if it sounded a bit suspicious.

'Does he trust me that much, or does he simply not care?' Shannon thought. 'I hope it's the former.'

Five minutes later, William pulled his head back and panted for breath. He had allowed the mask to absorb almost half of his strength, but only a tenth of the mask's Divinity had been recharged. This made William understand how much energy the mask needed in order to prevent Shannon from accidentally killing his subordinates.

"This mask sure is a handful," William commented as he passed the fox mask back to Shannon. "How long will it take before its power dissipates?"

Shannon took the mask and carefully tested its power to suppress her Divinity.

"At most, this will last me for a week," Shannon replied. "We just have to recharge it on a regular basis in order to ensure that no accidents will happen."

William frowned because he felt that there might be another way to allow the Mask's Divinity to recover faster.

As if reading his thoughts, Shannon chuckled before shaking her head.

"There is another way, but now is not the right time to do it," Shannon replied. "Even if Lord William agrees, I will not agree to it. So this is the only method we can use right now."

William's gaze narrowed as he looked at the fox lady who was secretly eyeing the lips of her fox mask. "Tell me the other method. If it is more efficient, I don't mind doing it."

Shannon firmly shook her head as she stared back at William with a resolute expression on her face.

"As much as I wanted to give you the answer, Lord William, I'm afraid that I can't do it," Shannon replied. "Now is not the time, and I don't want to force things to happen before the time is ripe."

"You sound like some kind of farmer. Are you planting trees perhaps?"

"I am merely a garden, Lord William." Shannon chuckled. "It is Lord William who is busy planting seeds everywhere. Aren't you afraid that something might start to grow from them?"

William ignored Shannon's teasing words because what she said would never happen. Right now, no matter how many times he embraced a woman, they wouldn't become pregnant. This was his way of preventing himself from siring children that were not born out of love, but born from the needs of his body.

"Since you refuse to tell me the other matter, I will not insist on it," William said as he stood up. "I will return in two days to recharge your mask. Is there anything else you need from me?"

Shannon hesitated before nodding her head.

"I just want to ask you a personal question, Lord William," Shannon stated. "It will be fine if you don't answer this question. I'm just asking out of curiosity."

"What is it?" William inquired.

"Do you have any lovers from your hometown?"

"I do."

Shannon nodded. "Then, do you also plan to bring them here inside the Thousand Beast Domain, so that they can be by your side?"

"No," William shook his head before walking towards the door. However before he left the room, he gave Shannon a glance. "I will appreciate it if you don't mention them again."

"I'm sorry, Lord William," Shannon bowed in apology. "I will not ask anymore questions about them."

William nodded before leaving the room. He needed to check on the progress in the Dungeon of Tir Na Nog, so he decided to leave the Thousand Beast Domain for a short period of time.

Two minutes after William left the room, Shannon shook her head with a smile.

"The heart moves where the heart wills," Shannon said softly. "Even if you try to deny it, you still think of them, and they think of you as well."

The fox lady then sighed as she raised the fox mask and looked at it with a smile.

"Cheers, Lord William," Shannon said as she moved her lips towards the Fox Mask's lips. "May the future be the one I envisioned it to be."

Shannon kissed the fox mask's lips, and felt the lingering warmth that her Prince had left behind. She didn't lie when she said that the time she was waiting for wasn't ripe. For that to happen, they must first deal with the Heir of Darkness, as well as the Primordial God who sought to harm her Prince.

"Patience, Shannon," Shannon said softly after she pulled back from kissing the Fox Mask in her hands. "What you wish for, is almost within your reach. You just need to assist him for now, before you take everything… away from him."

Chapter 1147: Being Popular Sure ls Troublesome,Aren't l Right?

Chapter 1147 Being Popular Sure ls Troublesome,Aren't l Right?

Silvermoon Continent…

Arwen sighed as she leaned her back against the trunk of the World Tree.

She could feel the restlessness and tension of the entire continent, because the entire Silvermoon Continent was supported by the life force of the World Tree. if the World Tree withered, so would the homeland of the elves.

This was why the Sacred Grove was the most important place, and most protected region, in the entirety of the Silvermoon Continent.

"This feeling didn't feel as bad when the Demons attacked almost two decades ago," Arwen muttered. "Now, even our son has been thrown into this mess. Just what did our family do to deserve all of this?"

The World Tree didn't respond and maintained its silence. It just allowed the beautiful Saintess to vent out her frustrations, until none were left. This had been a regular occurrence as of late, and Arwen didn't even care if someone were to walk into the Sacred Grove and see her talking to herself.

"Even Acedia hasn't awoken even once since she returned." Arwen sighed for the second time as she thought about her Disciple, who slept in the Spring of Life, located at the roots of the World Tree. "It seems that she exhausted herself trying to help our son in the Demon Realm. My poor Disciple… I better ask William to take responsibility when I see him."

Arwen sighed for the third time as she closed her eyes to listen to the beating life force of the World Tree. She had been listening and paying close attention to its heart beat because she knew that it was her husband's heart that was supporting their entire race.

"Maxwell, what should I do for him?" Arwen asked. "What can I do for him?"

Once again, no answer came. Perhaps Maxwell was sleeping, or perhaps something else was happening that prevented him from replying to his wife. Whatever the reason may be, Arwen felt very lonely and sad due to the current situation in the Demon, Central, and Silvermoon Continents.

Skyla watched Arwen from one of the branches of the World Tree. She sensed that her best friend's safety was under threat, so she was keeping close watch for her.

Aenarion had visited Arwen and told her that some of the Elders from the Elven Council proposed that she be offered as a sacrifice to the Demons to quell their anger.

Arwen only closed her eyes as she refused to think that those same Elders were part of her race. She even said that she was starting to doubt the intelligence of the members of the Elven Council.

Both she and Aenarion knew that regardless of whether Arwen was sacrificed or not, the Demons would not halt their advance towards their homeland, in order to get revenge for the defeat they suffered nearly two decades ago.

Suddenly, a falling ringing sound entered Arwen's and Skyla's ears. Near the entrance of the Sacred Grove, the Elven Princess, Princess Eowyn, as well as her guard, Pearl, could be seen.

"Master, I have come to see you," Princess Eowyn said as she walked towards the place where Arwen was seated. "Have you been well?"

The Saintess gave the Elf Princess a sweet smile that made the latter very happy.

"My Father asked me to give you these berries that I personally picked from our ancestral lands," Princess Eowyn stated as she happily passed the basket that was filled to the brim with red berries to her Master. "How is Elder Sister doing?"

Arwen accepted her Disciples' gift before patting the root beside her.

Princess Eowyn understood the gesture and sat beside her Master, whom she hadn't seen for quite a while.

"How is his Majesty doing?" Arwen asked.

"Overworked," Princess Eowyn replied with a sigh. "He is currently inspecting the quality of the weapons and armor that will be used in the defense of our homeland. We have already sent our promised aid to the Alliance, so we are now in the process of strengthening our border defenses."

Arwen nodded her head in understanding. She knew the basic things that were happening in the Silvermoon Continent because she could share her senses with the creatures that frequented the Sacred Grove and used them as scouts to check on the current movement of the Elven Army.

"Master, I heard that some of the Elders made a stupid proposal about you being a sacrifice, is that true?" Princess Eowyn said.

The Royal Family had allowed the Elven Council to decide several matters that affected the Silvermon Continent, and could act even without the Elven King's permission. However, that didn't mean that the Elven King had taken a "completely hands off" policy when it came to the welfare of his people. The Royal Family still had the strongest army in the Elven Empire, but they were mostly used to defend, and manage domestic disputes.

Now that the dangers of two Prophecies were looming above their heads, the Royal Army had been sent to strategic locations in order to resist any kind of invasion that would happen on their homeland, giving the Elves a sense of security, despite the anxiety that they were feeling.

"Yes," Arwen replied. "But, you don't have to worry about them. They're just senile old men who have long lost their way. It is just a waste of time to argue with them."

"Master, just say the word and I'll ask my father to delegate some of our forces to guard the Sacred Grove. I will guarantee that you will be safe under their protection."

"Thank you, but there is no need for that." This chapter is updated by.

Arwen lightly patted Princess Eowyn's hand, while the latter gave her a worried look.

"I'm not joking, the Sacred Grove isn't as defenseless as you think it is," Arwen stated as she looked up at the top branches of the World Tree. "Isn't that right? Dear Friends?"

Princess Eowyn looked up with curiosity to see who her Master was referring to. A few seconds later, two individuals appeared on one of the lower branches of the tree.

A lady with long silver horns on her head, and an old man, who was wearing a golden robe on his body gave Arwen a brief nod. Princess Eowyn's eyes widened in shock because she was quite familiar with the two individuals.

They were none other than two of the Guardians of the Silver Continent that protected it from harm.

The Guardian Deer, Zyphon, and The Golden Elder Dragon, Ezkalor.

William had met both of them in the Southern Continent, and had even fought them on the battlefield. Perhaps due to the danger that was about to fall on the Silvermoon Continent, the World Tree expanded a huge amount of power, and channeled it to its guardians.

The Ent King, Myrendor, and Drauum, had been blessed by its enormous life force, increasing their strength and allowing them to step on the realm of Pseudo-Gods.

The rest of the Guardians had reached the Peak of the Demigod Rank, making them a force to reckon with.

After expending more than half of its energy, the World Tree became dormant, and only the beating of Maxwell's heart assured Arwen that her husband was still fine.

Although the forces of the Demons were still stronger than the defenders of the Silvermoon Continent, they were not as helpless as many of the Elves thought they would be.

"With the two of them guarding the Sacred Grove, anyone who dares to kidnap me will have an untimely end," Arwen commented. "So, do not worry about me. Also, tell your father to take proper rest as well. We will need his guidance when Darkness knocks on our borders."

"I will, Master," Princess Eowyn replied. "Master, how is Elder Sister?"

Arwen chuckled. "Sleeping as always. You know how lazy Acedia is. She probably won't wake up even if she is hit by an earthquake."

Princess Eowyn smiled because her Master was right. Her Elder Sister only knew how to sleep, sleep, and sleep some more.

Sometimes, she even worried if too much sleep was bad for her Elder Sister's body, but since her Master told her that Acedia was fine, Princess Eowyn no longer insisted on visiting her.

"I'll come and see you again Master when I have the time," Princess Eowyn said as she stood up and gave her Master a respectful bow. "Please, take care of your health and be safe."

"Thank you," Arwen replied as she hugged her disciple. "Take care of yourself. We are going to face difficult times and, as a Princess, you have a lot on your plate as well. I hear that some Human ambassadors, as well as messengers from other races, have come to offer marriage alliances with you. Being popular sure is troublesome, aren't I right?"

Princess Eowyn's smile stiffened when she was reminded of the second reason why she wanted to escape the castle. In the end, she could only sigh inside her heart as she bid her Master goodbye.

If marrying people would ensure the safety of their lands, she would gladly do it. However, she knew that even with a political marriage, they would not be able to give her the safety that she was looking for.

She would rather marry the Heir, or the Prince of Darkness, if that would spare her people.

Unfortunately, those two individuals had no need for political marriages. They had the power to take everything from them.

Their lands, their people, and their future.

In the eyes of these two individuals, everything that belonged to the Silvermoon Continent, including her, were merely spoils of the war that would soon cover the lands with rivers of blood.

Chapter 1148: l Came To Conquer You

Chapter 1148 l Came To Conquer You

William was meditating at the rooftop of his villa in the Thousand Beast Domain when Astrape's voice reached him.

"We are here, Master," Astrape reported.

"Understood," William replied as he opened his eyes. "All of you did a good job. It just took you a week to reach the 100th Floor of Tir Na Nog."

"We just don't want to disappoint you, Master."

"I'll reward you and your sister later. I'll be there shortly, wait for me."

"Understood."

William stood up from his cross legged position and did a few light stretches before opening a portal in front of him.

Immediately, he appeared in front of a giant golden gate, which had the symbol of a butterfly wing, engraved on its surface. Runic letters could be seen on the gate and William took his time to leisurely read what it had to say.

—--

"Beyond this gate lay the Fairy Queen of Tir Na Nog,

What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again,

Mine ear is much enamored of thy note.

First, rehearse your song by rote

To each word a warbling note...

Come, my lord, and in our flight

Tell me how it came this night.

Within the darkness of your soul,

A small strand of light will save us all."

—--

(A/N: The poem / speech of Titania was taken from Shakespear's Midsummer's Nights Dream.)

"Such a poetic fairy queen," William nodded his head in admiration.

Astrape smiled as she stood beside the black-haired teenager. "It seems that Master will be the angel that will wake her up from her flowery bed. Somehow, I feel jealous of her already."

"Don't be like that, Sister," Bronte commented from the side. "I'm sure Master will treat us all ladies fairly. Isn't that right, Master?"

William chuckled as he nodded his head. He then pressed both of his hands on the golden gate and pushed it open.

As if waiting for his arrival, the gate opened wide, and allowed him to enter.

As soon as William stepped inside the Final Boss room, he found himself standing in a field of flowers. At the center of it all was a giant flower.

A few seconds later, the giant flower bloomed and opened wide, revealing an otherworldly beauty that befit her title as the Fairy Queen.

Her long red hair that was similar to the color of a rose, was braided in princess style. She wore a fairy-like dress that highlighted her features. Behind her back was a golden butterfly wing that faintly shone in the sunlight.

In her hand, she held a flower staff that emanated a radiant glow, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

When William entered the Boss Room, he was expecting to meet a mature woman, but the young lady in front of her seemed like someone that was of similar age to his wives, Ashe and Princess Sidonie.

The black-haired teenager had seen many beautiful ladies, but he had to admit that the Fairy Queen in front of him, made his tainted heart skip a beat.

'It's probably due to her Fairy Charm,' William thought as he walked towards the Fairy Queen who simply stood on top of the giant flower in full bloom.

When he was only fifty meters away from her, he stopped and slowly rose from the ground until both of them were of the same eye level.

"I greet you, Fair Queen of the Fairies," William said with a smile. "Truth be told, I wasn't expecting you to look like this."

"The lives of Fairy Queens are very long," Titania replied in an enchanting voice that could easily charm anyone below the rank of Demigods. "Far longer than the lives of the Elves, as well as the other long-lived races of the world. Although I look like this right now, I am already thousands of years old."

William nodded his head in understanding. "I'm sure you already know why I am here, right?"

"Yes," Titania answered. "I knew that one day someone would step in here to challenge me. However, I didn't expect you to also be the Dungeon Conqueror. Are you here to kill or conquer me?"

"I came to conquer you."

"As expected, it has come to this."

The Fairy Queen didn't say anything else and simply appraised the black-haired teenager in front of her. Her green eyes, that seemed to be able to see a person's soul, looked at William from head to toe then back again.

William allowed her to stare at him as she pleased, and didn't make any move to attack. Even Astrape, Bronte, as well as Sepheron, remained at the back. Everyone inside the Boss Room knew that the outcome had already been decided the moment they reached the last floor of the dungeon.

After staring at William for five minutes, Titania closed her eyes as if she was having an internal struggle.

The Half-Elf remained where he was, as he gazed at the otherworldly beauty in front of him. Titania was like a painting that came out of a fairy tale, and it made the black-haired teenager wonder if her pride would allow her to kneel to him.

"Let's negotiate," Titania said as she opened her eyes. "Three years. I will serve you faithfully for three years. After that, you will return Tir Na Nog to this place, and not bother me ever again. If you agree to this condition, we can form a Master and Servant contract.

"If not then I will immediately destroy the Dungeon Core, turning everything in this Dungeon, including me, to ashes. So, what is your decision, oh Mortal who is tainted by darkness?"

William slowly flew towards the Fairy Queen and landed a meter away from her. He had thought of many scenarios on how he would force the prideful Queen to submit to him, but the latter seemed to have come to a compromise.

"I agree to your condition," William replied. "Let's form a contract."

Titania nodded and a flower rune appeared on the back of her right hand, which she had pressed over her chest.

"I, Titania, hereby swear upon my True Name, that I will faithfully serve the Dungeon Conqueror for three years," Titania pledged. "May the God of Fairies serve as witness to my pledge, and I pray that my new Master will stay true to the conditions of our contract."

Titania then reached out and held William's left hand. Soon, the flower rune on the back of her right hand disappeared, and reappeared on the back of the Half-Elf's left hand.

Titania then knelt on the ground before kissing the flower rune on William's left hand as a sign of her absolute fealty to her new Master.

"Rise, Titania," William ordered.

Titania rose and found herself staring at William's eyes. The Half-Elf then moved closer and whispered in her ear.

"Tell me your true name," William ordered.

Titania closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that the time had come for her to share the name that would give the young man in front of her the power to control her faith.

"My name is Tiana," Tiana said. "Tiana Shae Asteriea."

Tiana then moved closer to plant a soft kiss on William's lips, which only lasted for three seconds before pulling back.

"May you keep my name safe in your lips, and heart, My Lord," Tiana said. "Please, honor your covenant with me."

William nodded and held the beautiful Fairy Queen in his embrace. "Your name is safe with me. All I ask is you never betray me. Can you promise me that, Tiana?"

"I can," Tiana pledged. "Until the three years is over. I, as well as Tir Na Nog, will fight for your side. Also, My Lord, if I may give you a word of advice."

"Speak."

"If you plan to make more Pseudo-Gods as your subordinates, you can only add two more. Adding more than that will cause your already damaged soul to shatter."

William sighed because she knew that Tiana's words were true. Right after their contract was made, he felt discomfort in his soul. He had just stabilized it with the help of Princess Aila, but now, it seemed that he would need another session when he got back in the Thousand Beast Domain.

"Thank you for your advice," William replied. "Welcome to my Legion, Tiana."

Chapter 1149: Tomorrow,The Suffering Will Start

Chapter 1149 Tomorrow,The Suffering Will Start

A week had passed since William had made a contract with Tiana.

In order to stabilize his soul, which had shifted due to the Fairy Queen's power, William spent three days recovering with the help of Princess Aila.

Although he knew that he was burdening the angelic Princess, there was nothing he could do because she was the only one that could help him. Fortunately, after three days, William's soul finally stabilized.

In order to play it safe, William stayed in the City of Alabaster for four days in order to fully recover. At the end of the week, he left the city in order to go to his next destination.

—---

Demon Continent…

"They're finally here," Joash said as he looked at the countless flags that fluttered three miles away from the walls of his fortress.

Standing at the very front of the formation was the Bull Demon King, as well as Princess Iron Fan. The two Pseudo-Gods' mere presence was enough to make the defenders inside Amberfang Fortress feel anxious.

The Black Dragon, Joash, stood tall at the top of the tower and gazed at the two beings whose ranks were higher than his. As if sensing his gaze, the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan stared back at him.

The demonic lady even gave Joash a teasing smile before covering her lips with her fan.

"So, that is the little fortress that blocks our way?" Princess Iron Fan said. "How troublesome."

The Bull Demon King nodded his head in agreement. "Indeed. Even with our strength, it will take a while before we break the barrier that protects the fortress."

Princess Iron Fan chuckled as if she found the whole situation laughable. Her eyes turned into crescents as she internally sneered at Joash's pathetic attempt to hold them back.

At the center of the formation, Felix drank some wine from his golden goblet as he stared at the fortress in the distance, after emptying his cup, he tossed it towards the serving maid who deftly caught it with her hands.

"Messengers, hear my decree!" Felix ordered. "We will rest for today. Tomorrow, we will start our conquest!"

""Yes, Your Excellency!""

The messengers then passed Felix's message to the entirety of the army, telling everyone to prepare to make camp. They had been traveling for several days, and the majority of the warriors were exhausted from their long march.

Felix wasn't heartless enough to prevent his men from resting up before they started their assault. He had already envisioned the faces of those who planned to stop him from his conquest and a sneer appeared on his face.

"Fools, when morning comes, all of you will understand how stupid all of you are," Felix muttered as a devilish smile appeared on his face. "I can't wait for tomorrow to come."

Just as Felix was thinking of his inevitable victory, a red-headed little girl was busy feeding her ducks with bread crumbs. Although the journey from the capital to the Amberfang Fortress was long, Eve's body wasn't exhausted from the trip because her attendants had taken very good care of her.

The ducks had now all become very plump because, aside from Eve's feeding, all of them were being spoiled by her attendants.

"Are you guys still ducks?" the White Goose asked the ducks in disdain. "In my eyes, I don't see ducks but little piglets that are being fattened up to be roasted."

The ducks turned their heads at the annoying white goose and quacked at him to make him shut up.

Eve who was watching this scene giggled because she could see that the White Goose had a point. Her ducks were now very plump, and she wondered if they could still fly in their current state.

"Eve, I know you love these freeloaders, but do yourself a favor and lower their food intake." the White Goose complained.

The ducks quacked louder as they all glared at the White Goose as if telling him "Who are freeloaders? We're not free loaders!"

The White Goose looked at the ducks in disdain and was tempted to give all of them a slap. Although they were treated very well by the Demons, that didn't change the fact that their Master was forced to become Ahriman's Priestess against her will.

"It's fine, Zander," Eve said after she stopped giggling. "I will lessen their food intake as you suggested."

All the ducks moved towards their Master, and pressed their heads on Eve's legs as if telling her to reconsider.

"You guys should go on a diet," Eve said as she picked one of the ducks and lightly shook its belly. "See, you're so heavy now."

The duck looked at Eve with a face filled with injustice, before lowering its head in defeat. The little girl giggled as she placed the duck back on the ground before moving towards the exit of her tent.

She didn't go out, but merely peeked at the Demons who were busy doing their chores. She had already been informed that they would rest for the day, and start the battle in the morning.

If possible, Eve didn't want to see anyone die. She didn't care if they were Demons, Humans, Elves, Beastkins, or anyone from one of the other races. For her, war was just wrong.

Although she hadn't experienced it herself because the children of Lont were under Vlad's protection during the war, she felt very sad when her parents turned into crystals. She didn't want to experience that feeling of loss again.

The little girl knew that Felix was her cousin's enemy. Although Eve didn't like violence, she didn't mind if William beat the crap out of Felix, and fed him to the fishes.

She was still an Ainsworth.

Her cousin's enemy was her enemy.

"Your Holiness, are you perhaps hungry?" Eve's personal attendant, Carol, asked. "I can ask the cooks to prepare food for you. What do you want to eat?"

"Porridge will be fine," Eve answered. "Also, how many times should I tell you not to call me, Your Holiness, when it is only us, Carol?"

Carol bitterly smiled as she shook her head. "His Excellency, is paying close attention to your movements, Your Holiness. If they see me acting too familiar with you, they might remove me as your attendant."

Eve sighed before nodding her head. "Very well. I'd rather you call me, Your Holiness, than to have you replaced as my personal attendant."

Carol bowed respectfully to Eve. "Thank you for your understanding, Your Holiness."

"Carol, just tell me one thing. Do you wish for this war to happen?"

Carol didn't answer, and only shook her head. She was afraid that if someone heard her reply, they would use it as a means to replace her as Eve's attendant.

"Understood," Eve nodded. "You may go now."

Carol bowed one last time before leaving Eve's tent to tell the cooks to prepare some porridge for her.

"Tomorrow, the suffering will start," Eve said softly as she sat on top of her bed.

The golden necklace on her neck glowed faintly as Ahriman told her that she didn't need to follow the army when they marched to battle when morning came. The God of Demons knew how precious Eve was, so in order to keep the peace with David, he didn't mind allowing her to keep her innocence a little longer by sparing her from seeing the bloodbath that would happen when morning came.

The God of Darkness and Chaos was the one that started the Dark Era in Hestia, thousands of years ago. He had many tricks under his sleeves, and a puny Amberfang Fortress was not enough to prevent him from having his way.

Chapter 1150: The Day When The World Descended lnto Darkness [Part 1]

Chapter 1150 The Day When The World Descended lnto Darkness [Part 1]

When the first rays of the sun rose from the East, the Demon Army started to stir.

They had properly rested themselves for a day, while the Pseudo-Gods kept watch over them. All of them knew that, regardless of whether they wanted to fight or not, they had no choice but to hold their weapons for the sake of their families and Clans.

The Demons ate their meal slowly, thinking that it would be their last on. They were supposed to bring down the mighty Fortress in front of them, but they were sure that it wouldn't be an easy task. The majority of them would probably die in the attempt.

Felix sat on top of his golden palanquin as he stared at the Demons who had resolved themselves to fight. A confident smile could be seen on his face, as he made a gesture for his aides to come to his side.

"Messengers, send my decree," Felix ordered. "An hour from now, we will march. Have everyone prepare themselves for war. Today, our army will prove to the world that we are unstoppable!"

The messengers bowed. ""Yes, Your Excellency!""

Felix nodded his head in satisfaction as he stared at the Amberfang Fortress in front of him with a smirk.

"Joash, you are a fool," Felix said. "You picked the wrong side."

—--

Amberfang Fortress…

Archers lined up along the ramparts of the Fortress as they held their weapons firmly in their hands. The armies of the Kraetor Empire, the Amazon Empire, the Elves, as well as the other reinforcements that hailed from the Central Continent, readied themselves.

They were the first line of defense against the Demon Invasion, so they planned to whittle their numbers down as much as they could to ensure that Felix would feel the pain of losing his army.

Joash assured all of them that the Fortress would hold strong, even if the opponents were Pseudo-Gods. His confidence stemmed from the fact that the Fortress was built to withstand any siege, whether it be from the Human Kingdoms or the Demon Realm.

"Do not show any mercy, for your enemies will show you none," Joash's voice spread across the entire Fortress as he stood on top of his tower. "Kill as many as you can. The more we kill, the more they will feel how futile their endeavors are!"

""Yes!""

Joash raised his sword high up in the air as it glinted in crimson light.

"For the Alliance!"

""For the Alliance!""

""For the Alliance!""

""For the Alliance!""

""For the Alliance!""

The Black Dragon looked at the united front that had gathered to face the forces of the Heir of Darkness. He found this scene quite funny because he never thought that he would fight for the side of the Humans and Elves, who had defeated them in the previous war.

"Fate sure knows how to make people, and Demigods, suffer," Joash muttered as he gazed at the Demon Army who had now started to blow their war horns and beat their war drums.

The sound of war spread across the land, making those who stood on the protective walls of Amberfang Fortress grip their weapons as if their lives depended on it.

—-

One hour later…

"Form Ranks!"

Zagarl, the Demon Commander, who had sent Carter to the Southern Continent to abduct the students of the Hellan Royal Academy several years ago, stood at the center of the army.

"Today, we conquer!" Zagarl shouted. "Tonight, we feast! Raise your swords and spears! Hold your axes and flails. We fight for the Heir of Darkness and our God Ahriman! Offer the blood of our enemies as sacrifices to honor them. I ask you, Warriors of the Demon Realm, are you ready to kill?!"

""Kill!""

""Kill!""

""Kill!""

""Kill!""

""Kill!""

Zagarl then raised his hand as he pointed at the structure that had been built overnight at the center of the Demon Army.

"Open the Gate!" Zagarl ordered.

Immediately, a giant red portal appeared in the center of the Demon Army, which surprised everyone, except for those who were aware of the true plan of the Heir of Darkness.

Joash, who was standing on top of his tower, felt his body shudder after seeing the giant red portal in the distance.

"T-This. No… we've been tricked!" Joash's eyes widened in shock because he knew then and there that the Demons had hidden their true motive well. Their target wasn't the Amberfang Fortress, their target was something else!

—--

"That annoying Headmaster and Pope," the King of the Zabia Kingdom, who had ridiculed the Alliance during the conference said with irritation. "Why do I have to send my army to the front lines when we are at the Southwestern Corner of the Central Continent? They can kill each other as much as they want, but I'm not joining their farce."

The King even laughed at the Emperor of Kora, Fannar Kora, back then because his land was the one that directly bordered the Demon Continent.

The King knew that if the Demons were going to step into the Central Continent, the Kora Empire would be the first Empire to resist their invasion.

He had also heard the news from the Alliance that the Demon Army had camped just outside the walls of the Amberfang Fortress in the Demon Continent. He, as well as the other rulers agreed that the Demons would attack the next day, which was today.

"Cheers to the fools who will be dying today," the King of the Zabia Kingdom said as he mockingly raised his golden wine cup to wish the Alliance goodluck. "May the Kora Empire fall faster and the Order of Light be wiped out from the face of the world. I'm sure that the world will be a better place without them."

The King then drank his wine leisurely as he sat on the balcony of his room.

Suddenly, his surroundings darkened which made him frown.

The King looked up in the sky and saw dark storm clouds gathering over his capital city.

"The court magician didn't say that it would rain today." the King frowned. "He might be losing his touch. I guess it's about time to find another magician to ser–"

The King wasn't able to finish his sentence because at the very center of his capital city, a giant red portal appeared.

"W-What in the world?!" the King felt a sense of dread from every fiber of his being as he stared at the red portal that came out of nowhere.

Half a minute later, the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan emerged from the red portal and hovered in the air.

"Oh my~ What a peaceful city this is," Princess Iron Fan chuckled as she fanned herself. "Well, I guess we just need to renovate it a bit and color the walls with a redder hue. What do you think, Darling?"

The Bull Demon King smiled as he nodded his head. "How about we paint the walls red? That will certainly give this place a little more color."

"I agree," Princess Iron Fan happily replied as her gaze locked on the King of the Zabia Kingdom who was seated on the balcony of his castle.

The Demonic beauty didn't do anything and simply stayed where she was. A moment later, a hoard of Gargoyles flew out of the red portal and started to attack the city.

It didn't take long before a legion of Demons marched out of the portal and shouted their warcries.

The King of Zabia could only watch in horror as the Demon Army arrived at his doorstep. He stood up and looked at the scene with mouth agape as he tried to stop the trembling of his body.

"G-Guards! Anyone! We are under attack!" the King shouted. "Notify the Alliance! We are under atta—arggh!"

A three-meter-tall black Gargoyle descended from the sky and punched the King of Zabia's chest, sending the latter crashing towards the wall behind him.

It then gave a triumphant roar as it raised its claws and charged at the King who was looking back at it with despair.

"S-Stooooooop!" the king pleaded. "Don't kill meeeeee!"

The black Gargoyle heard the King's pleas, but it was not obligated to acknowledge it.

The king of Zabia struggled as the Gargoyle grabbed his neck and raised him in the air. It looked at him with a teasing gaze as it slowly tightened its grip on the Human's neck.

Half a minute later, a cracking sound was heard, as the Gargoyle crushed the King's neck before letting him fall to the floor.

The King's body fell on the floor with a loud thud, his eyes opened wide. Before he had taken his last breath, his gaze landed on his prosperous city that was being razed to the ground by the Demons who had appeared unannounced.

On that day, the Kingdom of Zabia fell, shocking the alliance and throwing all the plans they had made into disarray.

Chapter 1151: The Day When The World Descended lnto Darkness [Part 2]

Chapter 1151 The Day When The World Descended lnto Darkness [Part 2]

At a seaside villa in the Silvermoon Continent…

Four Elven Elders, who were part of the council, drank tea as they discussed the problems that they were facing. They were the Elders who secretly supported the invasion of the Southern Continent and hated the Human race.

The Elven Patriarch who proposed that they surrender Arwen to the Demons in order to appease them was also there, calmly drinking tea with his friends.

"Have you all heard the latest knews?" the owner of the seaside villa asked. "The Demons appeared in the Central Continent using a backdoor that was never heard of before. The Alliance is now in chaos, and those that border the Kingdom of Zabia are now panicking."

Although he hated Humans, there was no joy in his voice. The Demons stepping foot in the Central Continent was bad news for them. It meant that Ahriman had a method to traverse great distances, and send his army anywhere that he pleased.

"I heard about it," the Patriarch of the Nasir Clan, Gealan, who had proposed to offer Arwen to the Demons, replied. "I say that we stop wasting any time and kidnap the Saintess."

"Are you crazy?" one of the Elders asked. "That is tantamount to betraying our race!"

"Fool! Can't you see our current situation?!" the Patriarch of the Nasir Clan replied. "If we surrender the Saintess, the Silvermoon Continent might not be spared, but our Clans will receive the good graces of the Heir of Darkness!"

"Y-You mean to say that we switch to the Demons' side?!" another Elder gasped in shock.

"Yes. What of it?" Gealan answered with a snort. "Think about it this way. If we defect now, we will gain an advantage the moment the Silvermoon Continent is conquered. We can be the governors who will lord over the Elven Clans as well as the Royal Family. Although we have to bow our heads to the Demons, the rest of our race will bow their heads to us. Isn't that a nice tradeoff?"

"Madness! What you're saying is madness!"

"He's right. Gealan, you're going too far!"

"Old friend, has your greed for power corrupted your way of thinking? You will even betray our race just to get the right to enslave your countrymen?"

Gealan scoffed at his friends, who were still clinging to their noble mentality.

"If you don't want to help me then fine, I'll do it alone," Gealan said. "However, don't go begging for my help once I get a high position in the new empire that the Heir of Darkness will build. Mark my words, the time of Men and Elves is over. The time of Demons is nigh. Only fools and those who still refuse to accept reality will suffer in the end. I have given all of you a chance. Are you with me or against me? Choose now!"

The three Elven Elders glanced at each other with worried expressions on their faces. Fear was evident in their eyes because what they would do was akin to treason. They knew that Gealan was serious, and he would really try to capture the Saintess and offer her to Felix.

They were aware that the Sacred Grove was heavily guarded, but on the off chance that Gealan succeeded, and was indeed able to gain the good graces of the Heir of Darkness, then they would have lost their chance to let their Clans escape the cruel fate that would befall them.

Gealan scanned the faces of the other Patriarchs while sneering internally. He called them fools in his heart because they were still undecided even at this point in time.

Finally, after five minutes, one of the Elders reluctantly nodded his head.

"How confident are you that you will be able to abduct the Saintess?" the Patriarch asked.

"Very confident," Gealan answered in a heartbeat. He was afraid that if he didn't assure his allies, he would not get their support when taking Arwen into their custody. "I have a map of the Sacred Grove, and know of a backdoor that leads into it. This is the escape route that the royal family had built just in case the Elven Lands were about to fall. We can use it to enter the Sacred Grove, and capture the Saintess without anyone noticing."

The Elders exchanged a glance with each other because they didn't expect that Gealan had planned this far. If there really was a high chance of success then they would take that risk in order to support Gealan's plan.

"Very well, I will join you in this endeavor."

"I will join it as well."

"Just tell us when."

Gealan was overjoyed because he was certain that if the three other Elven Patriarchs helped him then the chances of their success increased dramatically.

Just before he was about to tell them more about his plan, he noticed that the surroundings had turned dark without him noticing it. At first, he thought that he was imagining things, but after gazing at the sky, he saw that it was covered with storm clouds.

Thunder boomed in the heavens, and flashes of lightning snaked across the sky.

Suddenly, all the patriarchs felt a chill run down their spine, which gave them a foreboding feeling.

"W-What is that?!" one of the Patriarchs' pointed in the distance as something big emerged from the dark clouds in the sky.

Within the storm clouds, where thunder and lightning roared in unison, black flames could be seen if one were to look closely.

It was as if the entire sky was burning, and it made Gealan and the other Patriarchs feel their hearts trembling in fright.

"I-It can't be," Gealan stuttered. "J-Just how?! We have our warships patrolling the borders of our continent. They would immediately send a signal if he…"

Gealan wasn't able to finish his words as a soul-shaking screech erupted from the heavens. A moment later, the head of a black phoenix peered from the storm clouds and flapped its mighty wings to head in their direction.

Behind the majestic creature, a handsome Half-Elf stood with his arms behind his back. His short black hair fluttered faintly in the breeze as his golden eyes locked on the body of the four Elders who had just been discussing the abduction of his mother.

Beside the Half-Elf, three gorgeous ladies stood.

One of them was the Fairy Queen, Titania, and the other two were Astrape, and Bronte, the twin Deities of Lightning and Thunder.

The Black Phoenix then landed on the ground and lowered its body to allow William to disembark. Behind him, the three Deities followed, as if all three of them were shield maidens, accompanying their lover to war.

William stopped a few meters away from the fear-stricken Patriarchs, who finally realized who he was.

"Good day, Gentlemen," William said in a teasing tone. "I am on my way to the Capital City, and seem to have gotten lost along the way. Would any of you be so kind as to point me in the right direction?"

The Half-Elf gave the other three elders a dazzling smile, which made them almost faint from fright. They were just discussing kidnapping the Saintess and presenting her to the Heir of Darkness a mere moment ago, so they could gain his good graces.

Gealan's body shuddered uncontrollably when William's gaze shifted in his direction. The Half-Elf had a devilish smile on his face as if telling the Elven Patriarch, "I know what you did last summer", which made the latter's eyes roll up into their sockets before he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Oh, dear," William patted his forehead as he stared at the fainted Elf on the floor. "Astrape, would you be so kind as to wake him up? It's not good to sleep on the floor, you know?"

"Yes, Master," Astrape replied and pointed her finger at the old man, shooting a strand of black lightning bolt at his body, making him squirm on the ground as if he was suffering from epilepsy.

"F-Forgive me," Gelean pleaded as soon as he recovered his consciousness. "I-I was wrong. This humble servant made a terrible mistake!"

"Humble servant?" William chuckled. "You're not qualified to become my servant. I prefer beautiful ladies to serve me, and not an old bastard who would gladly betray his race just to gain a little advantage over his countrymen. Astrape, continue."

"With pleasure, Master." Astrape shot another lightning bolt at the Elf making the latter scream in fear, pain, and desperation.

The Half-Elf savored the Elf's scream, while looking at the faces of the three Elves kneeling in front of him.

"Raise your heads," William ordered.

The Elf Patriarchs dared not disobey as they looked up at the handsome Half-Elf, whose devilish smile scared them to death.

"So, tell me, who among you can guide me to the Sacred Grove?" William asked. "If you are nice, I'll be willing to give you this pack of gummy bears."

"I will guide you, Your Excellency!"

"No! I will do it!"

"Let me do it, Your Excellency! I know the Silvermoon Continent like it is my own backyard!"

William smiled as he nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Very well, since the three of you are so excited to help me, I'll let the three of you lead the way," William replied. "However, if you are going to try something funny…"

The black-haired teenager's words trailed off as he placed his right hand over Gealan's head. The old man then squirmed under William's touch as his skin color slowly turned black.

The Patriarchs watched in horror as Gealan's entire body had turned completely black, leaving only his hair a silver color, before his eyes turned crimson.

"D-Drow," one of the Patriarchs said in a fearful voice.

William chuckled as he eyed the three patriarch's who had all collapsed on the floor and looked back at him with fearful gazes.

"Hmm. I changed my mind," William said as a sinister grin appeared on his face. "I think I'll give your entire race a makeover."

Soon, three blood curdling screams erupted in the sea-side villa as William forcefully turned them into the creatures that they hated the most.

On that same day, dark clouds covered the entirety of the Silvermoon Continent, as William made his way to the Elven Capital.

Along the way, several Elves saw the Black Phoenix in the sky, and the Dark Prince who stood on top of it. However, they didn't do anything.

They couldn't do anything.

The only thing they could do was watch as he paraded across the sky, accompanied by the thunder and lightning. Their booming cries in the Heavens announced the coming of their Prince, letting everyone know that he had arrived in the Silvermoon Continent.

On that fateful day, Darkness descended upon the Elven lands, and those in the Capital City of Morne Entheas felt their hearts trembling, as they waited with bated breath for the Prince of their Prophecy to arrive.

Chapter 1152: Wherever You Are,That will Be My Home

Chapter 1152 Wherever You Are,That will Be My Home

Elven Capital City, Morne Entheas…

"Can you repeat that?" The Elven King, Rydel Ashthalas Nienna, asked his trusted Aide to repeat his report because he couldn't believe what he had heard.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Darkness, William Von Ainsworth, is currently headed to the Capital City," the Royal Aide replied. "According to our estimates, he will arrive here in two hours."

Rydel's face became serious after hearing his Aide's confirmation. He had placed Border Patrols, on both the land and the sea, and yet, the Prince of Darkness was able to make landfall in the Silvermoon Continent without causing any warning to come from the Elves patrolling their borders.

"Does the council know of this as well?" Rydel inquired.

The Royal Aide nodded his head. "They are currently having an emergency meeting about how to deal with the current situation."

Rydel closed his eyes for a few minutes before coming up with a decision.

"Call the Queen, the Princes, as well as the Princesses," Rydel ordered. "Tell them to wear their best clothes, and be ready to leave the castle in thirty minutes. Inform them that we will head towards the Sacred Grove in order to meet the Prince of Darkness."

"Your Majesty, won't you consider evacuating?" the Royal Aide pleaded. "There is still time. We can prepare a flying ship so that you and the rest of the Royal Family can escape."

"Escape?" Rydel asked in a helpless voice. "Escape where? There is no safe place to hide. Even if the Saintess' son chose to ignore our existence, the Royal Family can't leave its people behind. If the Silvermoon Continent were to fall today, the Nienna Family would fall alongside it. Send my orders to the army to be on standby."

The Royal Aide sighed as he bowed respectfully to carry out the orders of his King.

The only thing he could do now was pray.

Pray that their Saintess' son would be merciful and not enslave their people.

—--

"Aenarion, your grandson has arrived," one of the Elders said with a serious expression on his face. "Tell me, what should we do now?"

Aenarion scanned the faces of everyone inside the conference room before voicing his opinion.

"There are two options left for us," Aenarion replied. "The first one is to fight, and the other is to negotiate. I don't know what my grandson is thinking right now, but I'm sure that he isn't as bloodthirsty as the Demons."

"Not bloodthirsty?" another Elder mockingly chuckled after hearing Aenarion's second option. "Did you forget? He killed all the men that went to the Southern Continent, and only spared the women. Out of the millions that went, only a few thousand remained, and you call that not being bloodthirsty?"

Aenarion sneered at the Elder that spoke up. "We were the invaders who attacked his homeland. The fact that he even spared anyone is proof that he isn't bloodthirsty. So, what do you suggest? Do you want to fight him?"

"Yes!" the elder replied. "With our Guardians fighting alongside us, we still stand a chance! Isn't that what we had agreed to do last time? We chose to fight! Whether it be the Heir or Prince of Darkness that came to our lands, we would not surrender!"

The other Elders nodded their heads in agreement. They had indeed agreed that they would fight against those who wished to conquer their lands. This was why they sent some of their warriors to assist the Alliance in the Amberfang Fortress.

"Very well, if that is what you wish to happen then you can fight," Aenarion stood up from his chair and walked towards the exit of the conference room. "From now on, I am no longer the Head of the Council. All of you can discuss how you will fight against my grandson. I will have no part in this."

Aenarion left the conference room with a determined look on his face. He was quite certain that William wouldn't come to the Silvermoon Continent unless he could guarantee that he could overpower their forces.

Since his grandson had arrived, that only meant one thing.

The Half-Elf was not afraid of fighting head-to-head with whatever the Elf Defenders could throw at him.

"I need to go to the Sacred Grove," Aenarion muttered. "If my guess is right, the first thing he will do is visit his mother."

Although he hadn't interacted with his grandson in the past, Arwen did, and his daughter allowed him to read the letters that she had exchanged with William. After reading those letters, he had gotten a better understanding of what his grandson was like.

'If the council really plans to declare war against him, this place will become a bloodbath,' Aenarion thought. 'I just hope that William will hold back and show mercy. Or else, it will end up being a one-sided genocide. Arwen, make sure that you keep your son calm until I get there.'

Aenarion summoned his Hippogriff and immediately flew towards the World Tree that could be seen in the distance. Although he didn't want to admit this, he didn't have the qualifications to negotiate with his grandson for the safety of their race. The only one with the best chance of succeeding would be his daughter, Arwen.'

Aenarion glanced over at the Horizon and saw the Darkness slowly creeping towards them. He knew that it was only a matter of time before William arrived, and when he did, the Silvermoon Continent would never be the same again.

—-

William stood on top of Sepheron's back as the Black Phoenix leisurely flew towards the World Tree.

The Half-Elf had ordered it to take its time flying towards their destination to give the Elves some time to understand that he had arrived in their ancestral home.

The four Elf Patriarchs, who had now become Drows under William's power, flew beside the Black Phoenix, while riding on top of Winged Scorpion Antz.

They were the ones that escorted William, and did their best to make themselves useful, so that the Prince of Darkness could revert them to their original forms.

"Charmaine, join me," William ordered and several portals appeared behind him.

Charmaine, and the Elves, who were led by William's personal maid, flew out of the portal. All of them were riding their winged horses, and formed a battle formation in front of the Black Phoenix.

'How does it feel to see your homeland after so many years?' William inquired via telepathy to the pretty Elf that was at the forefront of the Half-Elf's Valkyrie Squad.

'It feels nice,' Charmaine replied, 'but my place is no longer here. I now belong to you, Master. Wherever you are, that will be my home.'

'You're getting good in your flattery.'

'I'm not flattering you, Master. I'm just telling the truth.'

William smiled because he knew that Charmaine was telling the truth. He had already recognized the pretty Elf as his concubine, and intended to take care of her for the rest of her life.

The pretty Elf had also told William about her wish to build a family with him when the war was over, and the Half-Elf agreed to grant her desire. Since she was already his woman, it was only normal for him to ensure that she would be happy by his side.

As the two were chatting casually, the Half-Elf noticed that several strong presences had appeared in his path.

"About time you guys showed up," William smirked as he saw the Ancient Golem, Drauum, as well as the other Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent, appear before him.

In the past, he treated these beings akin to Gods.

Creatures that could easily end the life of his friends, family, lovers, and acquaintances, depending on their whim. Now, William looked down on them, as he ordered his forces to stop their advance.

He wanted to know what the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent wanted from him.

If they came here for a fight then William would be more than happy to pay them back for the transgressions that they made in his homeland many years ago.

Chapter 1153: The Half-Elf Who Holds Grudges

Chapter 1153 The Half-Elf Who Holds Grudges

"We've met again, Half-Elf," Drauum said as he looked at the black-haired teenager who was seated on top of the Black Phoenix.

None of the Guardians said anything, but they already had an idea who the Black Phoenix was, and this discovery made their mood plummet.

"Indeed," William replied as he looked at the Ancient Golem that had made things incredibly difficult for him during the war in the Southern Continent. "Titania, would you be so kind as to give that golem a slap as a greeting?"

The Fairy Queen nodded as she jumped off the Black Phoenix's back. A moment later, she reappeared in front of the Ancient Golem and gave it a resounding slap that made it skid a few meters across the ground.

Drauum was now a Pseudo-God, but he was only in its initial stages.

Titania on the other hand, had been a Pseudo-God for thousands of years, and was already at the peak stage of the Pseudo-God Rank.

For her, slapping Drauum was just a trivial thing.

After carrying out Wiliam's orders, she flew back towards the Black Phoenix and landed beside William. She had pledged that she would serve him faithfully for three years, and she had no intention of breaking her promise.

The Guardians were all shocked when they saw William's "greeting". They didn't expect that the fairy-like beauty that was standing beside the Half-Elf was actually a Pseudo-God because they didn't feel an aura emanating from her.

Myrendor, the Ent King, stepped forward, and warned his comrades not to be reckless. He was currently the strongest creature in the Silvermoon Continent, and his strength was also at the Peak of the Pseudo-God Rank.

"Why have you come to the Silvermoon Continent?" Myrendor asked.

William scoffed at the Ent King. "Do you even need to ask? I'm here to conquer your lands, and make everyone submit to me. If you don't like it, we can fight. End of story."

The Ent King didn't reply right away, but appraised William with his ancient gaze. He could tell that the black-haired teenager had already stepped into the Initial Stages of the Demigod Rank, but something was telling him that if the two of them fought one on one, the victor would be none other than the Half-Elf in front of him.

"Will there be no compromise between us?" Myrendor inquired.

"No," William answered in a heartbeat. "From this day onwards, the Silvermoon Continent belongs to me. Meaning, all of you belong to me as well."

"You've grown too cocky, boy."

Drauum stared at William with a calm expression on his face. Although he knew that the lady that slapped him was stronger than him, she was just as strong as Myrendor.

The Black Phoenix, whom he knew was Sepheron, was only in the Middle Rank of the Pseudo-God Rank. Drauum believed that if they really fought, their side would have the advantage because they still had three Demigods on their side, not including the two hidden Demigods that protected the Elven Royal Family from the shadows.

"Titania, slap that nuisance over there," William ordered. "He thinks too highly of himself."

After hearing William's words, Drauum immediately merged with the Earth to prevent the Fairy Queen from dealing with him.

Unfortunately, he had greatly underestimated Titania, who commanded the power of Nature.

Holding her flowery staff in her hand, the Fairy Queen slammed it on the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that forced Drauum to reappear on the surface.

Before the Ancient Golem could even understand what was happening, a delicate looking hand appeared in his vision.

The next second, he found himself flying several meters away from where he stood. He landed on the ground, shattering into pieces.

"When powerful beings are talking, you better keep your mouth shut," Titania said as she flapped her beautiful butterfly wings to hover in the air. "You are not qualified to join their discussion."

Drauum roared in anger as he increased the size of his body until he was over a hundred-meters tall.

The first thing the Ancient Golem did was to summon a gigantic boulder the size of a mountain and threw it in William's direction. He might not be able to beat the Fairy Queen, but the Half-Elf was only a Demigod.

He was confident that once his attack connected, the arrogant Prince would understand that he wasn't someone that William could bully.

Just as the mountain-sized boulder was about to smash into the Giant Phoenix, Bronte, who was standing beside William hovered in the air and uttered a deafening roar.

The gigantic boulder shattered into pieces, and was blown away by the Thunder Deity's powerful sonic scream.

Myrendor spread his arms wide, and several roots jutted out of the ground, shielding themselves from the rain of falling rocks that were sent flying in their direction.

"So what if you're big?" a mocking tone said right beside Drauum's ears. "You know what they say, the bigger they are…"

"The stronger they are!" Drauum interjected as he tried to smash the fly that stood on his shoulder.

Astrape chuckled as she raised her hand, and summoned a black lightning bolt that crackled joyously in her hand. With one powerful throw, the black lightning bolt smashed through Drauum's chest, making it explode.

Drauum's upper half, as well as lower half crashed on the ground, creating a dust cloud that pushed his allies away due to the powerful shockwave that the black lightning bolt created.

"The bigger they are," Astrape said with contempt. "The harder they fall."

Drauum's head remained on the ground as he tried to forcefully re-attach his body, but his body was not listening to him.

"Y-You! What did you do to me?!" Drauum demanded in anger. This was the first time that he was experiencing something like this. Usually when he fought, whenever his body shattered, he could easily reattach the pieces without too much problem.

Because of this, Drauum had become arrogant because he couldn't be killed due to his cheat-like ability. He believed that even if his opponent was more powerful than him, they couldn't kill him no matter what kind of method they used against him.

However, right now, no matter how much he tried to recall his body parts, they weren't listening to him. The Ancient Golem stared at his arm that had fallen not far from his body. Tendrils of black lightning snaked around its surface, which prevented Drauum from reconnecting it to his body.

The same was happening to his other body parts. Right now, the Ancient Golem couldn't do anything but stare at the black-haired beauty who was playing with a black lightning bolt in her hand.

"Y-You are also a Pseudo-God?" Drauum asked. This time, his arrogant tone disappeared and was replaced with dread.

Astrape ignored him and simply shifted her attention to the Half-Elf who was looking down at her with satisfaction.

The Lightning Deity felt her cheeks burning as a blush appeared on her face. She could tell with a glance that William was very satisfied with how she had punished the arrogant Golem, that dared to call him cocky.

"Well done, Titania, Astrape, and you too, Bronte." William said with a smile. "Astrape, if that Golem says one more word, blast his head to oblivion. I don't like being interrupted when talking to people."

Astrape bowed respectfully. "I hear and obey, Master."

William then shifted his attention to the Ent King whose expression had become grim.

"So, do you still want to fight?" William asked the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent that were standing in his way. "I have an important matter to take care of in the Sacred Grove. If you don't wish to fight then get out of my way. But, if you wish to fight then so be it. I still haven't fully settled the score with you guys when it comes to what you did in the Southern Continent. I am someone who holds grudges, you know?"

William gave the Guardians a devilish smile, which made them shudder.

In the end, the Ent King, Myrendor, who was currently the strongest being in the Silvermoon Continent, was forced to step aside and allow William to pass.

The Guardian Deer Zyphone, the Golden Elder Dragon, Ezkalor, the Winged Serpent, Drakon Nalzrig, as well as the Ancient Golem whose eyes stared hatefully at William, couldn't do anything but watch the black-haired teenager fly past them.

Ezkalor, the Elder Dragon that had thought highly of William back in the Southern Continent, sighed in his heart.

"It seems that the prophecy was right," Ezkalor said in a helpless tone as he gazed at the Black Phoenix that was flying further and further away. "It seems that the Silvermoon Continent can't fight its Destiny."

The Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent could only reluctantly nod their heads as they, too, gazed at the Black Phoenix that was flying straight for the World Tree.

They had already tried to stop him, thinking that they could overpower him with their might and numbers, but they didn't expect that the Half-Elf had come prepared. With four Pseudo-Gods by his side, who had the ability to immobilize Drauum, and thereby rendering him useless, they would be forced to fight an uphill battle against William.

Myrendor knew that the chances of winning were slim, so he was forced to eat his pride and step aside to allow the Half-Elf to pass through their blockade.

"What now?" Drakon Nalzrig, the Winged Serpent, who once fought the Arcane Spectral Lich in the Southern Continent, asked.

After a while, Myrendor raised his head and looked up towards the sky, which was now covered with dark clouds, blocking the sunlight and keeping it from reaching their ancestral lands.

"Now, we wait," Myrendor replied in a voice that had accepted their current circumstances. "We wait for the results of the negotiations that will happen in the Sacred Grove that will decide this continent's fate."

Drauum, who was now able to reattach his body, looked in the direction William had gone before merging with the ground. He had felt William's killing intent when the latter looked at him earlier, and knew that if their paths were to cross again, he would once again be subjected to another round of humiliation.

The Ancient Golem didn't want that to happen so he made the decision to make himself scarce and lie low for the time being.

Deep down, he felt a lingering fear in his heart that was made of stone. He never thought that the boy that he had bullied several years ago would swagger into his home turf, and put the Ancient Golem in his place.

For the first time in his life, Drauum regretted the decision he made back then. If he hadn't supported the Southern Invasion, the Half-Elf wouldn't have kept a grudge.

A grudge that he still hadn't paid in full.

Chapter 1154: All For The Sake Of His Vengeance

Chapter 1154 All For The Sake Of His Vengeance

As William approached the Sacred Grove, so did the dark clouds that covered the entirety of the Silvermoon Continent.

Sepheron landed a few hundred meters away from the World Tree as per William's order. The Half-Elf then flew towards his destination alongside the three Pseudo-Gods, and the Valkyries that were led by Charmaine.

'So, this is the World Tree,' William thought as he gazed at the gigantic Tree that was thousands of meters tall. As the Half-Elf neared his destination, he saw a White Crane hovering in front of him, blocking his path.

The black-haired teenager smiled as he ordered for everyone to stop, before flying alone towards the Crane that was eyeing him calmly.

"Sister Skyla, it has been a while."

"Krooo."

William reached out to give the crane a hug and patted her head. Skyla had always visited him in the Southern Continent, and even went as far as to go against the Elves in order to save the Half-Elf in his time of need.

The black-haired teenager only had love for the White Crane who served as his mother's best friend and protector, as well as the messenger who brought their letters to and from the Southern and Silvermoon Continents.

"Have you been well?" William inquired.

"Krooo," Skyla replied.

"Can you take us to Mother?"

"Krooo."

The White Crane then flapped its wings and flew away, leading William and his entourage towards the Saintess who was already waiting for his arrival.

A few minutes later, Skyla descended from the sky and landed beside a beautiful Elf, whose green eyes had locked onto the black-haired teenager, whom she was seeing for the first time.

As soon as William landed a few meters away from his mother, Arwen, wasn't able to control her overflowing emotions and ran towards him.

A moment later, the black-haired teenager found himself being held in a tight embrace, as the Saintess' warm tears fell on his shoulder now that she was finally able to see her son.

William closed his eyes because even though the fragrance was different, the feeling was the same. He had been held like this a few times in the past by his adoptive mother, Ella, whenever the two of them were together.

The Half-Elf could feel the same warmth and love coming from his birth mother, that he had received from his adoptive mother, as he was being embraced by the woman whom he was seeing for the first time.

In the end, William also hugged Arwen back as he savored the feeling that he had almost forgotten, due to Ella's passing in the battle that happened in the Demon Realm.

Everyone present in the Sacred Grove watched this scene with varying emotions, but none dared to interrupt in the reunion of mother and son.

After several minutes had passed, Arwen reluctantly took a step back as she took a better look at her son.

"Just as expected, you have all of my good genes," Arwen muttered. "Your no-good father only gave you his hair color, but aside from that, everything else was inherited from me."

William smiled after hearing Arwen's comment. Although Skyla had already told him what his mother was like during her visits, hearing her voice and seeing her for the first time still made an impact on him.

"You've suffered a lot," Arwen said softly as she lightly brushed William's hair with her hand. "Come, let me introduce you to your no-good father first. The rest can wait until then."

William nodded as he allowed Arwen to pull him towards the World Tree. He had already noticed several personages that were standing in the distance and recognized a few of them, like Princess Eowyn and Pearl.

The Half-Elf paid them no mind because he didn't come to the Sacred Grove to talk to them. He had more important matters to attend to, and their talks could wait until he was done with his business.

"Maxwell, your son is here," Arwen said as soon as she stood before the trunk of the World Tree. She then turned her head towards William and looked at him apologetically. "He has been dormant for quite some time, and no longer responds to my calls. I think he is in deep sleep after upgrading the Guardians to Demigods, in addition to turning Drauum and Myrendor to Pseudo-Gods."

William nodded his head in understanding as he pressed his right hand on the trunk of the World Tree and closed his eyes.

Immediately, he found himself in a radiant place that was brimming with life force.

"So, you have come."

A voice filled with happiness, as well as confidence, reached his ears. A few seconds later, a man in his early thirties appeared in front of William with a smug smile on his face.

"I knew that this moment would arrive, but I never expected that you would come before me in this form," Maxwell frowned as he eyed his son from head to foot. "Care to tell me what happened? Time flows differently here, so you don't have to worry about sharing your story. Perhaps, after you've told me everything, only a minute or two would have passed in the outside world."

The black-haired teenager smiled and nodded his head. When he saw Maxwell the first time, it was when he was passing on the power of the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class to William. Back then, his father looked so awesome, and so domineering as he stood on the shoulders of mighty beasts whose might and ferocity were second to none.

With their help, he was able to stop the advance of the Demons and ensure that the Silvermoon Continent wasn't overrun by their wish of conquest.

Maxwell remained silent as William narrated his tale. He listened to the battle between his son and the son of his enemy, Luciel, as well as the interference of the God of Darkness and Chaos in their duel.

He frowned when William told him that several of his wives died at the hands of the God of Darkness as they did their best to rush to his side.

The more Maxwell listened, the more his frown deepened. When he heard what happened to his niece, Eve, the former Dungeon Conqueror's eyes were already bloodshot. It was as if he was ready to immediately leave the sanctuary of the World Tree and raise an army to destroy those who bullied William and his family.

When William finished, Maxwell heaved a long and deep sigh as he patted his son's shoulders.

"You suffered a lot," Maxwell said as he looked at his son's golden eyes, brimming with the thoughts of revenge. "Now, tell me. What can I do for you? I know that I haven't been a good father because I wasn't there when you needed me the most. However, if there is something I can do for you, just say the word. As long as it is within my ability, I will make it happen."

William knew that Maxwell wasn't just saying these words to make him feel better. He could tell that his father was serious, and wanted to make up for the years that he hadn't been by his side.

"Actually there is a favor that I'd like to ask you, Father," William said. "But, doing this might not make Mother happy."

Maxwell crossed his arms over his chest. He could tell that whatever William was planning to do wasn't good if he was telling him that his wife, Arwen, wouldn't like it.

"I'll hear you out first," Maxwell said with his arms crossed. "Even if Arwen doesn't like it, as long as I think that it will be useful to you, I will make it happen."

After hearing his father's words, William told him about his plans for the Elves and the Silvermoon Continent without leaving anything out.

Maxwell didn't say anything, but after his son finished his explanation, he sighed internally. William was right when he said that Arwen wouldn't like it. What the black-haired teenager was trying to do was to force the entire Elven race to make a decision.

A decision whose answer would only work in his son's favor.

"You're right," Maxwell said in a helpless voice. "Arwen wouldn't like this."

William nodded in agreement, but he had no intention of turning back. Even if Maxwell didn't support him, he would still make it happen.

All for the sake of his vengeance.

Chapter 1155: Have You Not Slept Enough?

Chapter 1155 Have You Not Slept Enough?

"Are you sure about this?" Maxwell asked.

William nodded. "Yes."

"Very well, I need to prepare on my end. Give me an hour."

"Understood. Thank you father."

"Don't thank me. What I need you to do is prevent your mother from going ballistic and blaming me for listening to your request."

William chuckled because a part of him wanted to see how his mother would go ballistic after his plan came to fruition. Although he felt sorry for his mother, he had already made a decision, and would not change his mind even if it was her.

A moment later, William opened his eyes as he pulled his hand back from the trunk of the World Tree.

Arwen looked at him with a smile because she could tell that William was able to communicate with his father, even if only for a brief period of time.

"Mother, can you show me the way to the Springs of Life?" William asked. "There is someone I need to see there."

Arwen's smile widened and gave William a playful wink after hearing his request.

"I'd be happy to," Arwen replied with a glint in her eye. She looked like someone who was about to matchmake her son to her neighbor's daughter. "You know, I've always wanted to have a grandchild. I think it is about time you give me one, no? It just so happens that I have one good candidate for you. Don't worry, you'll be meeting her soon enough!"

Arwen excitedly grabbed hold of William's hand as she dragged him towards the entrance that led to the underground pathway that would lead them to the Springs of Life that nourished the roots of the World Tree.

The corner of William's lips twitched after hearing Arwen's request. He made a mental note to not let his Grandpa, James, and his mother meet because the two would definitely get along and join forces to ensure that William would start making babies for their sake.

"Arwen, can we have a chat with your son?" the Elven King, Rydel, said in a respectful tone as he called out to the Saintess who was currently dragging her son away. "It will not take long, I assure you."

Arwen stopped walking and glanced at the Elven King before shifting her gaze to her son.

William gave the Elven King a side-long glance before giving his reply.

"We can talk later," William replied. "Don't worry, I don't plan on leaving the Silvermoon Continent anytime soon. We have all the time in the world to talk, Your Majesty."

William's said these words in a teasing tone, mixed with sarcasm. Clearly, he didn't think too highly of the Elven King, especially after what happened in the Southern Continent. The only reason why he bothered to reply was because he could tell that Arwen and the Elven King were not in conflict with each other.

Since that was the case, he wouldn't antagonize him too much, so that his mother wouldn't feel conflicted.

"I see," Rydel replied as he decided to take a step back. "Thank you for hearing me out."

The Elven King could tell from William's stance that he didn't want to be distracted from whatever he was going to do. Right now, he didn't want to offend the young man, so he decided to just wait for him until he returned.

Arwen didn't talk again until they had entered the path that led them underground. Just as William had guessed, she and the Elven King had an amicable relationship with each other. This was also why she had accepted Princess Eowyn to become her disciple.

After walking for several minutes, they finally arrived at their destination.

"Well then, I guess I will leave you two young ones to talk," Arwen said in a playful tone. "Don't be shy, okay? That girl is my Disciple, and she's just a year older than you. I don't mind if you give me five or six grandkids. I promise to take good care of them for you!"

After saying those mischievous parting words, the beautiful Elf patted her son's shoulders and gave him a thumbs up before going back to the surface.

William could only shake his head helplessly as he stepped into the spring.

He had already seen the person he wanted to meet, but the latter was submerged under the water. Her long blonde hair was scattered around her, and no matter how careful William was to not step on it, he found this quite a difficult task.

In the end, he decided to just float on the water's surface, so he wouldn't step on her hair. Back when he was still in Midgard, the blonde Elf didn't like it when others did something with her hair without her permission.

She could be quite petty at times and would always hang William upside down whenever he did something she didn't like.

"All you do is sleep," William stated as he looked at the beautiful Elf that was submerged underwater. "Have you not slept enough?"

As if in reply to his words, the delicate body that was under the water started to float towards the surface of the spring. The water droplets slid down the sides of her face, until none were left. Her white and wet dress hung to her skin tightly, revealing the curves of her body, which reminded William of the stubborn beauty whom he held in his loving arms a lifetime ago.

The black-haired teenager reached out to caress the side of the Elf's face, and gave it a light pinch.

"It has been a while, Acedia," William said softly. "I missed you."

The blonde beauty slowly opened her eyes and gave William a reproachful look before closing them again, which made the Half-Elf chuckle.

William slowly descended in the water until his feet hit the ground. The water reached up to his chest, and drenched his clothes completely, but he didn't mind.

The Half-Elf then hugged the beautiful Elf and closed his eyes. The memories of his past life flooded inside his mind. Truth be told, he felt very guilty because he wasn't able to keep his promise to her due to his untimely death in the war that happened in Midgard.

The blonde beauty didn't move, and simply allowed William to hug her. Since the Half-Elf's eyes were closed, he didn't notice the single tear that slid from the corner of her eye.

After thousands of years, the two of them had finally reunited and, perhaps this time around, they would never be parted ever again.

Chapter 1156: 'll Be Back Soon

Chapter 1156 'll Be Back Soon

Acedia's head rested on William's legs, as the latter lightly patted her head.

They were still in the Spring of Life, and William was not in a hurry to return to the surface and deal with the Elven King, or any of the other members of the Elven Race who had come to negotiate with him.

For the black-haired teenager, what the Elven Race thought, or wanted, was of no concern to him. The only things he cared about were the people that were important to him.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to keep my promise," William said as he placed his left hand on top of Acedia's hands, which were resting on her abdomen. "I died before I could return to your side. After that, I gradually forgot about you when I started to live my life as an Einherjar."

The blonde beauty didn't reply and simply continued to sleep, while William lightly brushed her hair with his hands. Although his touch was a bit cold, she could feel the warmth in his voice as he talked to her about the past.

"Also, during my last moments, I'm glad that I was able to see you again," William stated. "Dying in your arms as Asgard burned around us was something I will never forget. Thank you for coming to see me one last time. If you didn't do that, you might not have died with me back then."

Acedia didn't reply, but her hair moved to form a hand, which lightly patted William's head, as if telling him that she was fine with dying by his side.

"Sometimes, I wonder…," William muttered. "If Truck-kun didn't hit me back then when I was about to choose a world to reincarnate to, would I still have met all of you again?"

On the way to the Silvermoon Continent, William had a few days to think about random thoughts, and the one thing that particularly caught his attention was when he was born in Hestia.

If Truck-kun didn't appear, he would have definitely stepped into the Silver Portal, which would have taken him to a different world. If he had reincarnated in that place, the chances of meeting Wendy, Ashe, Chiffon, Princess Aila, and Acedia, would have not been possible.

Everything started at that point in time. Perhaps, Fate played a crucial role in making him meet his past wives, and lovers in a world that was quite different from the one he expected it to be.

Acedia didn't know who Truck-kun was, or what William was mumbling about. All she knew was that the black-haired teenager had come to find her, and it made her feel warm inside.

William stopped talking, and simply pampered the blonde beauty that was sleeping peacefully by his side.

After a while, he felt like teasing her, so he lightly tickled her Elven Ears, trying to get a reaction from her.

As if annoyed by what he was doing, Acedia opened her eyes and glared at the Half-Elf, which forced William to stop teasing her.

"Fine," William said as he placed his right hand on the back of Acedia's head before he stopped floating on top of the water.

A few seconds later, William was once again standing on the ground as he held the blonde beauty in his arms.

William then lowered his head and kissed Acedia's lips, which made the latter close her eyes once more. The Half-Elf kissed her softly. It wasn't the strong and passionate kiss in which he intertwined his tongue with hers.

It was just a kiss on the lips, which conveyed his pent up feelings for her. Acedia gladly accepted William's kiss, and kissed him back, albeit it was a bit clumsy.

Peck, after peck, the two kissed until William reluctantly pulled back. However, Acedia still hadn't had enough and used her hair to hold the back of the black-haired teenager's head and pulled him down to kiss her again.

"You're hopeless," WIlliam said helplessly as he kissed the sleeping beauty who refused to let him go.

Five minutes later, the Half-Elf pulled back and kissed Acedia's forehead one last time before holding her in place.

"Acedia, I have a favor to ask," William stated. "Did you know that Ashe, Sidonie, and Chiffon died?"

Acedia opened her eyes and lightly shook her head. After sacrificing the homunculus vessel that Arwen had made for her in the Demon Realm, she had fallen into a deep sleep, and only woken up a day ago.

"Ahriman killed them," William said. "In order to preserve their bodies, Ella encased them in blocks of ice. However, that will not be enough. The wounds they received from the God of Darkness and Chaos contain his vile powers, which will slowly corrupt their bodies, turning them into Shadow Warriors.

"In order to prevent that, I will need the power of the Spring of Life to cleanse the corruption, as well as nourish their bodies. Will you watch over them in the Springs of Life, while I handle some matters on the surface?"

Acedia didn't hesitate and nodded her head. She knew how much William loved his wives, so she would look after their bodies while he was away.

"Thank you," William replied.

As soon as he received Acedia's permission, William summoned the three blocks of ice from his Thousand Beast Domain.

He then pressed his hands on the block of ice that imprisoned his wife, Ashe, and broke it apart with his powers.

Soon, Ashe's body, which still had a gaping wound in her chest, fell into William's embrace. The Half-Elf then gently placed her on the surface of the Spring of Life and kissed her lips, before letting her submerge fully into the water.

The corruption of her wound, that was tainted with a black color, slowly dissipated in the spring waters, until it disappeared completely. The wound in Ashe's chest also recovered at an incredible rate, proving how strong the regeneration ability of the Spring of Life was.

After two minutes, Ashe's body laid at the bottom of the spring, as if she was just sleeping. A faint light shone in the black obsidian gem on William's chest, and the black-haired teenager then felt a sadness that he thought that he had completely forgotten.

The next one he placed on the Spring's waters was Chiffon. His pink-haired wife who liked to be cuddled every night, lay stiffly in his arms. The sadness that William felt made his heart ache as he kissed her adorable lips, which were now colder than his own.

He watched as her small and delicate body was submerged into the water. The wounds on her chest also regenerated, as her body was nourished by the spring.

Last, but not the least, William held his wife Princess Sidonie. The most beautiful lady in the Southern Continent, who had asked him to give her his babies, had a pained look on her face. Clearly, before she died, she was subjected to intense pain, which made her have this kind of expression.

William kissed her lips and lightly caressed the side of his face as he slowly submerged her in the Spring waters. A moment later, the pained expression disappeared, and was replaced by a calmness that he rarely saw on the beautiful Princess' face.

"I'll protect them."

The black-haired teenager raised his head to look at Acedia who had stood up from the water. She gazed down on the three ladies that William had married with a tender gaze.

"Thank you," WIlliam replied. He knew that Acedia would truly protect his wives' bodies with her life.

William then walked towards Acedia and hugged her.

"I have to go," William whispered as he hugged her tighter. "I will come back later."

"Okay," Acedia replied as she rose on tiptoes to kiss William's lips. The kiss did not last more than five seconds, but it was enough for the blonde beauty to assure William that everything would be fine.

"Smile," Acedia smiled as he cupped William's face. "The world is not ending just yet."

William smiled faintly as he nodded his head.

"Goodnight, Acedia."

"Un."

William kissed her lips one last time before he gently placed her in the water to sleep beside his wives.

A minute later, William stared at the four beautiful ladies that were lying in the Spring of Life. Each one of them loved him, and he loved them just as much.

"I'll be back soon," William said as he turned to walk back towards the entrance. He didn't look back, because he was afraid that if he did, he might not be able to bear parting with his wives.

The part of his soul that was still free from corruption was making him feel a great sadness that he was unable to brush away, even if he was now the Prince of Darkness.

Soon, the glow in the Obsidian Gem on William's chest faded.

The pain also slowly disappeared, and was replaced by a coldness that permeated William's entire body. Now that the bodies of his wives were in safe hands, he could now focus on his revenge against the Heir of Darkness, who had started his invasion of the Central Continent.

Chapter 1157: Defy Me,And l Will Make YouRegret lt For Eternity

Chapter 1157 Defy Me,And l Will Make YouRegret lt For Eternity

The moment William returned to the surface, Arwen took him to a small clearing within the Sacred Grove where the important people of the Silvermoon Continent gathered.

"Um, you see that no-good, middle-aged Elf over there?" Arwen asked as she pointed to the Elf that was seated closest to them at the round table. "That is your grandfather, Aenarion. He was the head of the Elven Council till an hour ago before he resigned from his position. Don't mind him too much, he's not too important, and is just about good enough to be a side character."

Aenarion, who heard his own daughter disparage him, didn't know if he should laugh or cry at Arwen's audacity. For the time being, he just smiled and waved at William, which the latter acknowledged with a nod.

"Mother, even side characters have roles to play," William replied. "Don't belittle Grandfather, even if he is just a side character. Relax, even if he is a side character, he is still family. I won't treat him any less even though he is a no-good grandfather."

"As expected of my son, you really inherited all my good genes!"

"Mmm."

The Elven King, as well as the other important Elves in the Silvermoon Continent glanced at Aenarion, who was doing his best to keep the smile on his face. The mother and son pair had made sure to say that he was just a side-character thrice, which made his heart weep bitter tears.

William scanned the faces of everyone in the clearing before making a gesture for Charmaine to come to his side.

The pretty Elf who also served as William's personal maid obediently followed her Master's orders and stood beside him.

"Charmaine, if you wish to speak to your sister, you can do it. I don't mind," William whispered. "There is also a chance that she might accompany us in our journey, so it would be best to patch up your relationship with her. In the end, Pearl is still your sister. Just like me, she is still part of your family."

"Understood, Master," Charmaine replied as she bowed her head respectfully to William. "I will talk to my sister, and do my best to brainwash her to become Master's concubine as well."

William blinked in confusion because Charmaine's response wasn't the one he was expecting.

"... That is not what I am asking you to do," William said.

However, before William could even continue his words, Charmaine cut him off and immediately told him about her plans.

"Don't worry, Master," Charmaine replied with words filled with assurance. "I will be discreet and apply Aphrodisiac to her food, and drinks before tying her up with a red ribbon, and tossing her in the Master's room to be enjoyed at a later time."

Arwen who was listening to the side reached out to hold Charmaine's arm as she looked at her with a serious expression on her face.

"Young lady, my son is not a vicious wolf who will eat any young lady he sees," Arwen said with a look of disapproval. "But, seeing how pretty your sister is, I will make an exception. Make sure to strip your sister butt-naked before tossing her into my son's bed. Men are weak to beautiful, naked, ladies. I know because my husband is the same. He was unable to take his eyes off me when he peeked at me while I was taking a bath."

Charmaine held Arwen's hand firmly as she looked at the Saintess with respect and admiration.

"Mother-in-law, allow me to introduce myself again to you. My name is Charmaine, and I am now Lord Williams's concubine," Charmaine said with a blush. "I will do my best to give birth to your grandchildren. How many do you want to have?"

Arwen lightly squeezed Charmaine's hand as she looked at the pretty Elf with a fervent gaze. "Girl, you are good. I expect you to give me two to three healthy grandkids after a few years. Don't let me down, okay?"

"Y-Yes! I will do my best, Mother-in-law!"

"Mmm. Now, go get your sister. The more the merrier."

"As you wish, My Lady!"

William pretended that he didn't hear the two ladies' conversation as he walked towards the seat of honor which was on a raised platform, overlooking the other officials of the Silvermoon Continent.

Truth be told, the seat of honor was where his mother would sit during conferences. Within the Sacred Grove, her authority was higher than the Elven King's, as well as the Head of the Council's. This proved how important the Saintess was to the Elves, and through her, they would be able to communicate with the World Tree that granted its blessings to their entire race.

The moment William appeared in the clearing, all the Elves that were seated stood up. They watched as he walked with steady steps towards Arwen's chair that held the seat of authority within the Sacred Grove.

Even after the black-haired teenager sat on the chair, all of them remained standing. William was radiating an authority that was no less than the Elven King, which made the high-ranking officials feel anxious.

"Everyone, please sit," William ordered after looking at the Elves who were looking at him with grim faces. "Relax, I don't bite. I just kill people when I'm annoyed."

William smiled as he crossed his right leg over his left leg, and rested the side of his face on his closed fist.

The Elves sat one by one as they stared at the Prince of Darkness who was said to be the one to cover the entire world in Darkness.

"So, why are all of you here?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Surely, all of you didn't come here to just look at my handsome face, right?"

Aenarion smiled because his grandson's dominating presence reminded him of the Dungeon Conqueror who had asked for his daughter's hand in marriage almost two decades ago.

Rydel, the King of the Elves, stood up and stared at William with a calm gaze.

"On behalf of my people, I have come to ask what His Excellency wished to do in the Silvermoon Continent," Rydel said. "If it is something that we can do then we are willing to offer you our assistance."

William smirked as he gazed at the Elven King who was looking at him with a calm expression on his face.

"The Heir of Darkness and I cannot co-exist under the same sky," William replied. "What I want from all of you is to fight him with all of your hearts, can you do that?"

Rydel nodded his head. "Actually, before His Excellency even came to our lands, we were already planning to do just that. We even sent over a thousand Elite Elven Warriors to the Amberfang Fortress to resist the Demon's Invasion."

"I know," William replied. "But your response is pretty lukewarm. Only over a thousand elite warriors? The other Kingdoms and Empires have sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to support the Amberfang Fortress, as well as the Alliance's main army in the Central Continent.

"Well, not that it really mattered since Felix had used a backdoor to appear in the Southwestern regions of the Central Continent anyway. The alliance is now moving their forces to stop his advance, even as we speak."

Rydel wasn't able to refute William's words because what he said was correct. In order to show that the Silvermoon Continent was on the same page as the Alliance, he had sent around two thousand troops to help defend the Amberfang Fortress from the Demon Invasion.

Most of the Elven Elites were still in the Silvermoon Continent and manning their borders. Their goal was to fight against the Heir and the Prince of Darkness and prevent them from advancing deep into the Elven Lands.

However, for some reason, William was able to sneak past their defenses without their notice, which led to the current situation, making the King, as well as the Elven Council, feel helpless.

"We will put more effort in assisting His Excellency to win against the Heir of Darkness," Rydel said as he slightly bowed his head. "This time, we will give it our best and not hold back."

William chuckled after hearing Rydel's response. He knew that the King only meant half of what he said. The black-haired teenager knew what the King and the Elven Council were thinking.

They would watch as he and Felix fought against each other until their forces had diminished, giving them the opportunity to go for the kill. Unfortunately for them, William wasn't stupid, and had already formed a plan in order to make all of the Elves submit to his will.

"As it should be," William said in a teasing tone. "All of you will do your best and fight for me, right?"

"Of course, Your Excellency! As long as we all fight side by side, that Heir of Darkness is not a match against us!"

"He is just a pig waiting to be slaughtered."

"Agreed! This war is as good as won!"

One by one, all the Elven Elders showed their support to William's cause, which made the Half-Elf chuckle internally.

"I am very happy to see that all of you are very enthusiastic," William commented. "By the way, all of you look good in black."

Rydel and the rest of the Elves frowned because they didn't understand what the Half-Elf was saying.

A moment later, a loud scream broke everyone out of their daze. All the Elves looked in the direction of one of the Elf women who was part of the Elven Council.

"No! Don't look at me!" The woman cried out in fear as she tried to cover her face with her hands.

Rydel, Aenarion, as well as the rest of the Elven Council shuddered when they saw that the Elf woman's skin color had turned completely black. But, it was not just her. It took a few more seconds for everyone to realize that every one of their skin's color had turned completely black, and their hair had changed to a silver color.

"D-Drows!" Rydel gasped as he looked at his hands, which were now as black as coal. "Y-Your Excellency, what is the meaning of this?!"

William, who was watching the scene in front of him with a devilish smile on his face, only chuckled after hearing Rydel's question.

"Don't worry. Those who seriously fight for my cause will have their skin color reverted to what it once was," William said casually.

The Half-Elf knew that Elves prided themselves for their bloodline and the superiority of their race. They hated the Drows because they thought of them as their complete opposite. Cruel, sadistic, and treacherous, these were the qualities that the Elves hated the most.

For them to become the very existence that they hated, had given a great blow to their pride, which made them feel fearful.

It was at that moment when William's voice spread across the entire Silvermoon Continent as he made an announcement.

"Those who will fight for me will return to their original appearances, and those who don't will remain Drows for eternity," William declared. "Don't worry. I am not that evil and spared the young from this fate. However, that can still change depending on my mood. So, if you don't want your children, the next generation of Silvermoon Elves, to become drows, you better fight with everything you have."

William had left a brand of Darkness on the World Tree so that he could communicate directly to Maxwell. His Father had told him that his preparation was complete and was only waiting for the black-haired teenager to give him the signal to start.

After the Half-Elf gave the go ahead, the transformation of all the Elves in the Silvermoon Continent had begun. Of course, there were a few exceptions.

Acedia, Arwen, Aenarion, Princess Eowyn, Pearl, the children, as well as William's family in the Silvermoon Continent were unaffected by the change.

They had retained their essences as Elves, while the rest of the population slowly transformed into Drows.

Screams of panic, and fear reverberated in many places across the Silvermoon Continent as the Elves looked at the changes that were happening to their bodies.

"You only have one chance at Salvation."

William's words spread across the entire land as if he was offering them an olive branch to turn the entire situation around.

"Fight for me, and I will give you salvation. Defy me, and I will make you regret it for eternity. I have given all of you a choice. If you don't like it then all of you can just stay Drows forever."

The black-haired teenager then raised his hand, compelling all the newly transformed Drows in the Sacred Grove to stand.

He then placed his hand down, and everyone knelt in front of him without even uttering a word of complaint.

Rydel and the Elders of the Council knew that William was dead serious. With such an overbearing method to compel them to fight for this side, they didn't have any leeway to take the matter lightly.

Either way, all of them were doomed to follow his orders, or suffer damnation for eternity. In the end, they had no other choice but to swear their allegiance to him.

All the Elves knew that once William gave the order to march to war, there would be no turning back for any of them.

Surprisingly, Arwen's expression remained calm even after he saw the transformation of the Elves around her.

She had recognized the three Drows that escorted William to the Sacred Grove, and knew that they were once part of the Elven Council. The Saintess already understood that her son didn't come to the Silvermoon Continent just to see her.

Arwen knew that no Elf could escape the curse that William had unleashed upon them until this war between him and the Heir of Darkness was over.

"And so it begins," Arwen muttered as she sighed in her heart. "In the end, people will not be judged by the Darkness they lived in, but by the Light they rejected."

Chapter 1158: Sister, We Meet Again

Chapter 1158 Sister, We Meet Again

The entire Silvermoon Continent was in upheaval as everyone, with the exception of those who were below the age of eighteen, all turned into Drows.

William didn't even spare the members of the Royal family, with the exception of Princess Eowyn and her protector, Pearl.

Only those that were important to him like his family on his mother's side, Acedia, his Valkyries, and the Elves who were stationed in the Amberfang Fortress were spared of the curse that William had placed on the Elven Race.

As William sat in the seat of honor, a smirk appeared on his face as he gazed at the panicked expressions of the High-Ranking Elves in front of him.

He knew that this was something that they would want to reverse at all costs, so they had no choice but to submit to him, or risk eternal damnation.

"Your Majesty, make sure to send your messengers to every corner of the Silvermoon Continent to pass on my message," William ordered. "I will give all of you exactly one month to make preparations for war. Those who choose not to participate in this fight can forget about reverting back to their true forms. They will stay as Drows forever."

"E-Everyone?" Rydel asked in surprise. "Even the non-combatants?"

"Yes," William replied with a smile. "Even the non-combatants have their uses. For example, they can help carry the army's supplies or help the wounded. They can also be in charge of kitchen duties, as well as other miscellaneous chores that the army needs done.

"In short, I want all able bodied men and women to prepare for war. There will be no exceptions. Of course, they can remain here if they want. I will not force them, but you already know what that means, right?"

William's cold and domineering voice reverberated in the surroundings making some of the Elven Patriarchs shudder.

"T-Then, what about the children?" Rydel asked. "Who will care for them while everyone is away?"

William sneered. "What about them? When the Southern Continent was invaded, and all the adults were turned into crystal statues, what do you think happened to the children they left behind? Actually, you guys are lucky. When the war started in my homeland, it happened suddenly without any warnings.

"No one was able to prepare for the calamity that followed. Many children died of starvation, in addition to being subjected to the merciless killing of the Elven Race. Don't you think I am being very merciful enough, Your Majesty? I even gave you a month to ensure that your 'children' will be able to survive even while their parents are away."

The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to Princess Eowyn whose face had turned pale the moment William made eye contact with her.

"How about you delegate Princess Eowyn to be the person in charge to take care of the Elf children," William smiled mischievously. "I'm sure that she gained plenty of experience while in the Southern Continent. She will be able to do it just fine."

In truth, this was also part of William's plan. Even without the King's orders, he would assign Princess Eowyn as the leader of the young generation and have her take care of the Elves that were left behind.

He couldn't be too cruel with the treatment of the young Elves because his mother, and Acedia, were still Elves. For their sake, he was willing to compromise, and not damn the entire race to oblivion.

The King as well as the Elders stared hatefully at William, but none of them dared to berate him out loud. Seeing their reactions, the Half-Elf couldn't help but chuckle because these were the just desserts that they deserved for turning a blind eye on what happened in the Southern Continent.

Arwen kept silent the entire time. Although she didn't like what William did to her race, this was not the right time and place to confront him about it. She would definitely talk to him, and complain in private. Something she would never do in front of the other Elves, in case they thought that they could use her to oppose the black-haired teenager who was hell bent on getting his revenge.

"I am a busy person, so if you will excuse me, I will take my leave," William said as he stood up from his chair. "Also, feel free to collude with Felix and overthrow me. The moment you do, I will burn the World Tree to the ground, and make all of you understand what it means to taste true despair."

The black-haired teenager walked away without giving the King, or his entourage, a backward glance. Arwen followed behind him, while Charmaine stayed behind.

She still planned to talk to Pearl because her Master had told her that Pearl "might" be joining them soon. Since that was the case, she would make sure that her sister had a smooth transition in her allegiance.

Just like her Master said, Pearl was still her sister. What William didn't know was that Charmaine and Pearl no longer had parents, and had to rely on each other to survive. However, after meeting William, Charmaine no longer felt like she lacked anything in her life.

She had food, shelter, friends, as well as a Master who treated her kindly. If possible, she wanted her sister to understand this. But, knowing Pearl, it would still take some time for her to accept that William was the ideal person to serve under the heavens.

"Sister, we meet again," Charmaine said as she walked towards her sister who was beside Princess Eowyn.

William's personal maid didn't even bow to the Elven King, and completely ignored his existence. In her mind, even Rydel had no choice but to bow to her Master. Since that was the case, she didn't find any reason to go out of her way to show respect to the Elven King, whose current status was lower than hers.

"Charmaine." Pearl looked at her sister with a complicated gaze. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk in private. Do you have time?"

"Is it important?"

Charmaine crossed her hands over her chest as she looked at her older sister with amusement.

"Is talking to your sister not important?" Charmaine asked back with a smile. "Or, do you not think of me as a sister anymore?"

"Of course I still think of you as a sister, even though you've been brainwashed by that bastard!"

"Oh, that's true. I have indeed been brainwashed by him."

Charmaine nodded in acknowledgement which made Pearl look at her in shock.

"Y-You know that you've been brainwashed?" Pearl asked with a serious expression on her face.

"Yes," Charmaine answered. "I've recovered all of my memories."

Perhaps out of guilt, William had told Charmaine, along with the other Elves that they had been brainwashed several months ago.

The Half-Elf even showed them the memories that had been sealed away by the Arcane Spectral Lich in order to make them submit to the Half-Elf whom they hated.

When Charmaine and the other Elves regained their true memories, in addition to their feelings, they felt angry. Although they held a grudge against William, it wasn't as intense as the hate they felt towards the Arcane Spectral Lich that had taken their precious memories away from them.

In the end, William had given them the option to return to their homelands. Since all of them were still chaste maidens, they could start anew and live their lives without being looked down upon by their race as William's used goods.

Surprisingly, all of them decided to stay with William in the Thousand Beast Domain. They still remembered how William cared for them and treated them with respect. Aside from drinking their blood, the Half-Elf hadn't done anything else.

Also, they had already gotten used to their current lifestyle. After serving William for a few years, they finally understood the kind of person that had been able to defeated them back in the Southern Continent.

"Here is a communication crystal," Charmaine said as she handed Pearl a red gem that William had given her. "You can talk to me directly using this artifact. Just remember that I may or may not reply if I am busy doing my duties. Also, it was nice to see you again, Big Sister."

Charmaine smiled before turning around to follow her Master. She knew that Pearl would contact her sooner or later.

'Sister, I am doing this for your sake,' Charmaine said as a portal opened in front of her. 'I just hope that you think twice before it is too late.'

Chapter 1159: You Want Me To Get That Lazy Bum Pregnant?

Chapter 1159 You Want Me To Get That Lazy Bum Pregnant?

"Don't you think you went too far?" Arwen asked as she sat in front of William.

"No," William replied. "I can always do something worse."

Arwen sighed as she sipped the tea that Charmaine had prepared for her. They were currently inside Arwen's personal villa within the Sacred Grove. This was where she stayed whenever she wasn't doing her duties as the Saintess of the World Tree.

"Did you already have this idea in mind when you talked to your father earlier?"

"No. Actually, this was father's idea. I even tried to convince him that this wasn't the best course of action, but he insisted on doing it. It's not my fault."

"That damn bastard!" Arwen angrily slapped the armrest of her chair. "I'm going to give him a good nagging later!"

"Yes. Please, give him a good nagging. He actually dared to think of such a diabolical scheme? I couldn't even think of something this vile. Mother, it's all father's fault."

"Don't worry, Will. I will seek justice for your sake!"

William nodded as if to agree with his mother's words. If not for the fact that Maxwell was currently in a deep sleep after lending his aid to his son, the Ex-Dungeon Conqueror would have definitely used one of the roots of the World Tree to slap his son for being a big, fat, liar.

The Half-Elf chuckled in his heart as he imagined how his father would receive a tongue lashing from his mother without even getting the opportunity to explain his side of the story.

"Mother, Princess Eowyn will not be able to handle the task of taking care of the children on her own," William said. "As the Saintess, you should also lend your hand in calming them."

"... Is this your payback for me not having wiped your bum when you were young?" Arwen inquired as she looked at William with a face filled with injustice. "You're leaving me to clean up this mess for you?"

"Yes," William answered with a smile. "Please, do your best, Mother. I plan to leave a lot of messes."

Arwen snorted. "The only mess that I will accept you leaving are my grandchildren. Acedia is always sleeping. She's so lazy that even making her talk is a herculean task. However, I'm sure that even in her laziness, she would be an ideal candidate to conceive your child, no? Her body is also being nourished by the world tree, and is always fertile. You just need to do it once, and I'll take care of the rest."

William sipped his tea before placing it on top of the table. "You want me to get that lazy bum pregnant?"

"Yes. Even if she's asleep, my grandchild would still grow in her belly. She didn't even need to eat because the Spring of Life provides her body with the nutrients she needs. Between the two of us, I'm sure that the child that would grow in her belly would have a very powerful life force. Perhaps, he or she will even become a prominent figure like a Priest or an Oracle when they grow up."

"I'll think about it."

For some reason, Arwen's words sounded quite convincing. Since all Acedia did was sleep all day long, letting her give birth to his child might be a good idea.

'Well, I'll just ask her later,' William thought as he finished drinking his tea. 'If she doesn't reject the idea then I guess we can have Mother perform our wedding."

Arwen was the Saintess of the World Tree, and had enough authority to conduct weddings. However, she didn't do it for everyone, and only those whom she deemed worthy of her blessings would be given the opportunity to have her as the Master of Ceremony.

"Let's put aside the talk about my grandchildren for the time being," Arwen said as she changed the topic of their discussion. "Tell me about your plans here in the Silvermoon Continent."

William nodded as he placed his cup on top of the table.

"Mother, do you know about me being the Dungeon Conqueror?" William inquired.

Arwen didn't answer right away, as if she was organizing her thoughts before giving William an answer.

"I had a hunch that Maxwell would pass the profession to you one way or the other," Arwen said after a few minutes had passed. "However, I didn't have the evidence to back it up. The power of the Dungeon Conqueror was something that many coveted. It is a power that could potentially overthrow any ruling faction, not only in the Silvermoon Continent, but in the entire world."

The Saintess then looked at her son with a complicated gaze because she now understood how the black-haired teenager was able to have Pseudo-Gods serving by his side. Her husband, Maxwell, had once told her that his greatest wish was to capture the Dungeons that were found inside the Forbidden Grounds.

No Dungeon Conquerors had been able to conquer these Forbidden Domains, even though they already had armies of monsters that were more than enough to conquer any Empire they wanted.

It was every Conqueror's dream to conquer the unconquerable.

Maxwell, as well as the former Dungeon Conquerors, had set the Forbidden Grounds as their final conquest during their lifetime.

"Will, are you planning to go to Hyperborea?" Arwen asked. Her gaze never left her son's face, as if looking for any traces of hesitation in his eyes.

William nodded. "Yes."

He had no intention of lying to his mother because he needed her help to take care of the matters in the Silvermoon Continent while he was busy conquering the Forbidden Domain of Hyperborea.

"When are you going to leave?"

"Two days from now."

Arwen nodded as she stood up to give William a hug. "Be careful."

"I will, Mother," William replied. "Also, while I am away, please look after the bodies of my wives. I left them in Acedia's care in the Spring of life."

Arwen immediately pulled back as she looked at William in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Arwen immediately walked towards the door as if she was in a hurry. "I have to see my daughter-in-laws at all costs. Acedia may be lazy, but this is the first time that she's had company. Who knows what she might have done to those poor girls. I hope she didn't tie them up to one of the roots of the World Tree."

William stared at his hurrying mother with a frown.

"Acedia wouldn't do something as childish as that, right?" William muttered as he lifted the cup of tea on the table, but paused midway. "On second thought, she might just do that."

William stood up as he also left the villa in order to check on the bodies of his wives. Although she trusted Acedia, the sleepy Elf had a bad habit of playing pranks whenever she had the chance, when they were still together in the lands of Alfheim.

Charmaine watched her Master go with a smile.

Although William had a calm expression on his face, she had seen the faint trace of worry in his eyes, which made the pretty Elf feel warmth inside her heart.

'Master, your heart is still alive,' Charmaine mused as the door closed in front of her.

William might act cold and aloof in front of others, but behind closed doors, he would do his best to make them happy, despite the coldness that permeated from his entire body.

During those times, Charmaine felt how deeply he cared about the woman that loved him, and found herself blessed that she was now one of those women whom William cherished with his darkness-stained heart.

Chapter 1160: I'll Come Back As Soon As l Conquer Hyperborea

Chapter 1160 I'll Come Back As Soon As l Conquer Hyperborea

When William and Arwen arrived at the Springs of Life they saw the Lazy Bum hugging a pink-haired girl in her arms, using her as a hug pillow.

Arwen pressed her hand over her forehead while muttering "I knew it", while the Half-Elf looked at this scene with a calm expression on her face.

Seeing the peaceful sleeping Acedia, with his wife, Chiffon in her arms, reminded him of the time when his wives were still alive.

Princess Sidonie and Ashe, would usually do the same because Chiffon's body was so soft, and small, which makes her the ideal hug pillow. The pink-haired girl didn't mind being treated this way because she liked to be hugged and cuddled. It was as if she longed for this kind of skinship with girls her age, and treated William's wives, and lovers, as her sisters.

William was also guilty of doing the same on several occasions. Chiffon was simply too adorable, and too hard to resist, so every night she would always be hugged by either him or one of his wives.

"Acedia, let go of my daughter-in-law," Arwen pleaded as she walked into the waist-deep water to approach the girl that was sleeping underwater. "Don't you know that I am also doing my best to make you my daughter-in-law? William might not like you if you treat his wives as your hug pillow."

"Um, I don't particularly mind," William commented.

"But I do!" Arwen looked at the adorable pink-haired girl and felt her heart breaking due to the fact that she had died saving William. "Oh… I wish I had met you sooner. I would have loved to hold you in my arms."

William smirked when he saw that even his own mother wasn't able to resist Chiffon's cuteness. He watched as the Saintess tried to gently peel Acedia's hold off her daughter-in-law, but the latter refused to budge.

In the end, the Half-Elf had no choice to assure his mother that this was a normal thing in his household, so she shouldn't worry about Acedia's treatment of his wife.

"I'm sure that if Chiffon was alive, she wouldn't mind being held by Acedia as well," William said. "It's fine, Mother. Let her hold her for a bit. I'm sure that she's just feeling lonely."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Mmm."

After seeing that her son was really fine with how Acedia was treating his wife, Arwen no longer made a fuss and walked towards her other daughter-in-laws to take a closer look at them.

"I have to give it to you, Will, you have great taste in women," Arwen nodded her head in satisfaction as she looked at the two beautiful ladies who were submerged at the bottom of the spring.

The Saintess then glanced at the Lazy Bum who was still hugging Chiffon before shifting her gaze to her son, who was calmly looking at Acedia.

"Will, Acedia is asleep most of the time so she won't notice if you make babies with her," Arwen said with a smile. "Well then, I'll leave the two of you alone for now, so make sure to let me see my grandchildren a year from now, okay?"

The Saintess then winked at her son before leaving the Spring of Life with a light chuckle. She didn't notice that the face of the blonde beauty, who was submerged under water, had turned red after Arwen declared that William should make babies with her.

Clearly, Arwen did that on purpose to tell Acedia that she got her seal of approval.

William could only shake his head as he watched his mother leave the Spring in a good mood. A few minutes later when he was sure that Arwen was no longer around, he walked towards Acedia.

A while later, William crouched down and submerged himself in the water. Breathing under water was not a problem with him, and he didn't mind getting his clothes wet.

The black-haired teenager was a firm believer that handsome men were not afraid to get wet.

"You heard her," William said as he laid beside Acedia and hugged her from behind. "Mother has been telling me since a while ago that since you are a good-for-nothing that only knows how to sleep, should I just embrace you so that you can raise my child in your tummy, while I am away. What do you think?"

Acedia's long hair moved and wrapped itself around William's body before throwing him out of the Spring of Life.

The Half-Elf gracefully landed on the ground and smiled at the blonde beauty's reaction to baby making.

"I will leave in two days," William stated as he placed both of his hands behind his back. "I don't know when I'll be back, but it should be in around a week or so. I'll come back as soon as I conquer Hyperborea. Until then, keep yourself, and everyone safe."

William then turned around to leave, but before he could even take three steps, a band of long, blonde hair wrapped itself around his waist and gently pulled.

The Half-Elf didn't resist and allowed Acedia to pull him back to the water. When the Half-Elf was submerged on the water, Acedia opened his eyes slightly as she turned her head to look at William.

The black-haired teenager lowered his head and kissed Acedia's lips because he was sure that this was why she had pulled him back into the water.

The two kissed, and kissed some more.

Finally after ten minutes, the hair that wrapped itself around William's body brought him back to the shore.

The Half-Elf glanced at the blushing beauty under the water before waving his hand to bid her goodbye. He knew that Acedia would protect his wives' bodies, so he could leave the Spring of Life without any worries.

"Well then, I guess I should have a long talk with the Guardians of the Silvermoon Continent before I leave this place," William muttered as he walked towards the surface.

The Guardians might have been intimidated by him, so they decided not to fight him. However, they were still tied to the Silvermoon Continent, so they wouldn't turn a blindeye to what Wiliam had done to the Elves.

The black-haired teenager knew that he needed to sort things out with them, so that they could be added to his legion. Having a few Demigods, and two Pseudo-Gods added to his roster would certainly create a deterrence that would make Felix, as well as the armies of the Central Continent, think twice before dealing with him.

Chapter 1161: Ephemera's Suspicions

Chapter 1161 Ephemera's Suspicions

"What?! The Prince of Darkness is in the Silvermoon Continent?!"

"Why do you look so happy, Lira?"

The Virtuous Lady of Temperance immediately removed the smile on her face, and replaced it with a serious one.

"You got it wrong," Lira replied. "I've been dying to get revenge on that bastard, but no one knew where he was. Now that I know his location, I'm going there to give him a piece of my mind!"

"Oi, calm down," the Virtuous Lady of Charity, Cherry, said as she held Lira's hand and looked up at her with upturned eyes. Since she was just a little girl, she treated every one of the Seven Virtues as her Big Sister, and everyone treated her like their Little Sister as well, including Celeste who usually didn't mingle with the other Virtues.

"You're right, I need to calm down," Lira breathed deeply as she tried to calm her senses. "I need to go to the Silvermoon Continent in order to calm down. Knowing that the bastard is there doesn't put me at ease."

The Virtuous Lady of Faith, Melody, heaved a long and deep sigh as she looked at Lira who was seriously planning to go to the Silvermoon Continent in order to meet the one that had captured her.

"Lira, did you forget? We have a non-aggression pact treaty with him," Melody said. "If you break the rules, we will become his slaves. I don't want to be that filthy man's slave."

Lira glared at Melody which made the latter winced. For some reason, hearing her Sister call William filthy ruffled her feathers.

"C-Calm down okay. How about I go with you so we can beat him up together?" Melody stuttered after being subjected to Lira's hate-filled glare. 'Wow! That's one scary glare. She must really hate that Half-Elf so much for her to stare at me as if she wanted to kill me.'

Ephemera, who was watching this scene from the side, could only shake her head helplessly. She knew that the reason why Lira was glaring at Melody was because the latter had unknowingly touched her reverse scale, which made her look at her with killing intent.

"Okay, everyone calm down." Ephemera decided to break up the tension in the air before Lira did something stupid and blow her cover. "Melody is right. We signed a nonaggression pact with the Dark Prince, so we shouldn't antagonize him, or we might just end up becoming his slaves.

"Lira, if you really wish to go to the Silvermoon Continent, I'm coming with you. But, only if you promise to not make a scene."

Lira nodded. "Okay. I agree with your proposal."

Just as the two were about to head out, they heard a strict voice, which almost made all the ladies jump up in fright.

"And, who said the two of you could go?"

The four Virtuous Lady turned to their heads to look at the Pope of the Holy Order walk in their direction with a solemn expression on her face.

"The Heir of Darkness has already taken control of the Kingdom of Zabia, and is moving to conquer the nearby territories," the Pope stated. "The Alliance has asked that we send our forces to the Southwestern Region of the Continent in order to contain their advance. It would be unwise to have the two of you leave when the Heir of Darkness is still at large."

Lira understood what the Pope was trying to say, but she still wanted to see William. Because of this, she decided to try her luck and ask the Pope a question.

"Then what about the Silvermoon Continent?" Lira asked. "The Kingdom of Zabia is only a small Kingdom. If you compare that to the entirety of the Silvermoon Continent then it is just like a drop in a bucket. Aren't we going to make any moves towards the Prince of Darkness?"

The Pope frowned after hearing Lira's words. However, she still stood her ground and gave her an answer.

"The territory of the Alliance is in the Central Continent," the Pope replied. "None of them have the spare manpower to deal with the Prince of Darkness, who is a continent away. Aside from having a non-agreesion treaty with that… Half-Elf, we also know that he hates the Heir of Darkness more than anyone in the world. For now, the best plan is to let the two of them duke it out with each other. It will not be too late to deal with whoever remains between the two of them."

Lira nodded her head in understanding, but deep inside, she was cursing the Pope for even thinking of trying to take advantage of her Prince. Fortunately, William didn't shoot his seed inside her ears, so her brain was still working properly.

The Virtuous Lady of Temperance knew what she should and should not do in regards to dealing with the matters of the Alliance. Naturally, she was on William's side, and would be more than happy to fight the Heir of Darkness for his sake.

"So, when will we make our move?" Lira asked as she clenched her fist.

She was itching to decimate as many Demons as she could to ensure that William would have the upper hand when he fought against Felix.

The Pope gave the brown-haired beauty a knowing glance before giving her reply. "Soon. So, none of you are allowed to leave the Palace of Light."

The four Virtuous Lady watched the Pope walk away with various emotions swirling inside their heads.

Ephemera, who was the most observant among all of the Virtues, felt a nagging feeling at the back of her mind.

'It can't be possible, right?' Ephemera thought as she looked at the back of the Pope that was moving farther away.

If the Pope really wished to end the war sooner, she would have definitely mobilized all the forces of the Holy Order of Light, including the four Pseudo-Gods that had arrived from the heavens.

Ephemera hoped that she was just overthinking things as she tossed the idea to the back of her mind. For some reason, she felt that the Pope wasn't that serious when it came to blocking Felix's advance in the Central Continent.

It was as if she was planning to let the Heir of Darkness Conquer more lands before they made a move. That way, their Order could easily replace the various Royal Families that Felix killed during his conquest, and put one of their men in to act as their new ruler.

By doing this, the influence of the Holy Order would expand, and they would obtain a bigger territory that would not be possible if the Heir of Darkness hadn't started his invasion on the lands in the Central Continent.

Chapter 1162: Meeting With The Guardians Of The Sllvermoon Continent

Chapter 1162 Meeting With The Guardians Of The Sllvermoon Continent

On the outskirts of the Sacred Grove, William sat on a black throne with three beautiful ladies by his side. A flaming black bird was perched on top of the throne's backboard and it eyed the Guardians with a complicated expression in its eyes.

Sepheron was once the strongest Guardian of the Silvermoon Continent. But now, it was just the black-haired teenager's subordinate, and it was fine with that. After knowing that there was a heaven above the heavens, it finally understood how laughable it was for thinking that it was the strongest existence in the world of Hestia.

Now that it now had the power that exceeded its previous strength, it decided to swear its allegiance to William, who was treated as a special existence by its Mistress.

"Where is Drauum?" William asked as he looked at the Guardians that he had summoned to meet with him.

Myrendor sighed as he stared at the Half-Elf who was determined to make his comrade suffer.

"Drauum doesn't want to meet with you currently," Myrendor replied. "But, I will make sure that he knows about whatever happens in this meeting of ours."

William smiled and nodded his head. Although his plan to make things difficult for the Ancient Golem was put on hold for the time being, he was still satisfied with having all the Guardians assembled before him.

"As you may already know, I am now the Supreme Overlord of the Silvermoon Continent," William replied. "I'm sure that all of you have an idea why I gathered you here today, but in order to make things clear, I will tell you why so that there will be no misunderstandings in the future."

The Half-Elf paused in order to give the Guardians a breather before he continued his proposal.

"Help me fight against Felix," William stated. "If you do that, I will drop my petty grudge, and no longer bother with any of you again. Also, after we win the war, I will remove the curse I placed on all the Elves, and we can all call it quits."

Myrendor rubbed its chin as it gazed at the black-haired teenager who sat confidently on his black throne. Although it knew that going against William was a bad idea, it still thought that the Half-Elf's proposal was too one-sided.

"You admitted that your grudge is petty, and yet you expect us to fight for you just because you said so," Myrendor said. "Don't you think that's a bit too much?"

William eyed the Ent King with a smile. He already expected that they would reject his proposal, so he wasn't surprised by Myrendor's reaction.

"Okay. Then tell me, what is it that you want in return for your servitude?" William asked.

Myrendor quieted down after hearing William's reply. It didn't expect that the Half-Elf would take a step back in their discussion. He had expected that the black-haired teenager would not take no for an answer, and force them to become his subordinates by using threats, or other methods to make them submit to him.

"What's wrong?" William asked after five minutes had passed after he asked his question. "I am asking what you want in order to serve me faithfully."

Myrendor glanced at his comrades before looking back at the Half-Elf who was waiting for his answer.

"You already know that we don't want to submit to you," Myrendor replied. "Even if you ask us what we want, we have no answer to give you at the moment."

William nodded before shifting his gaze to the other Guardians who were eyeing him with a critical gaze.

"Does he speak for all of you?" William asked. "Is there really nothing that you guys want to have in exchange for serving me faithfully?"

None of the Guardians answered because just like Myrendor, they couldn't think of anything that they wanted on the spot.

Seeing all of their reactions, William decided to proceed with the Plan B he had in mind as a compromise. He knew that Myrendor would rather die than serve under him. Although he could kill the Ent King and corrupt its corpse afterwards to become his subordinate, he decided not to do that.

He was looking at a bigger picture, and the Silvermoon Continent was just a part of the goal he had in mind.

"Okay then let's compromise," William said. "Two days from now, I will be heading to the Forbidden Realm of Hyperborea. While I am away, all of you can think of what you want in return for serving me. I'm sure that all of you are aware that I can forcefully corrupt all of you to become my loyal slaves, but I have no intention of doing that.

"My mother is still the Saintess of the World Tree, and I'm sure that all of you have protected her in some form over the past few years. I admire that, so I've decided to respect your wishes and not forcefully turn you into mindless pawns. So, here is what we're going to do. While I am away, use that time to think of what you want to obtain.

"Although I am certain that Felix won't sneak attack the Silvermoon Continent, while I am away, there is still a possibility, so I ask you to continue to carry out your duties to protect your Domain. Lastly, you will prevent any members from the Holy Order of Light from entering the Sacred Grove, as well as the capital city of Morne Entheas. That is all I will ask of you for now."

Myrendor and the rest of the Guardians all looked at William with surprise after hearing what he had to say. They could understand why they should protect their Domain from the Heir of Darkness, but they didn't understand why he specifically asked them to stop the entrance of the members of the Holy Order into the Sacred Grove, as well as the capital city of the Elves.

"Why should we stop the members of the Holy Order from coming to the Sacred Grove, as well as the Capital City?" Myrendor asked. "They are our allies in the fight against the Heir of Darkness."

William smirked as he lightly tapped the armrest of his throne.

"Myrendor, you are already so ancient, and yet, you still don't understand the hearts of people," William replied. "The Heir of Darkness, and me, may be the greatest threats right now, but this also makes us the perfect camouflage for anything bad that happens at this period of time."

"I don't understand." Myrendor shook his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means that Felix and I are convenient pawns to be used when a certain organization causes trouble from the shadows," William answered. "Since Felix and I are painted as black, and evil, it will be very easy to frame us for everything. Tell me, Myrendor, do you really believe that the Holy Order is so righteous? I'm sure that for them, the current war is an ideal way to destabilize the current status quo of the Central Continent."

William stood up from his throne and sneered at the Ent King who was now starting to understand what he was trying to say.

"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it," William commented as Astrape and Bronte held his arms.

"Myrendor, make sure that none of those hypocrites step foot in the Silvermoon Continent while I am away, or the deal is off. I will no longer hold back and make sure that all of you understand what it means to fight against the Prince of Darkness. All of you don't want that to happen, right?"

The four Pseudo-Gods on William's side finally unleashed their auras in full, which made the Guardians, aside from Myrendor, feel great discomfort.

"Very well. I will agree to your condition," Myrendor replied. "Before you return, the members of the Holy Order will be barred from entering the Silvermoon Continent."

William snorted before walking away. He had already said everything that needed to be said. The Half-Elf had compromised enough, and allowed the Guardians to keep their free will. But, that didn't mean that he would not change his mind if they did something funny behind his back.

The moment he returned from the lands of Hyperborea, the sooner he would start the final phase of his plan.

There was one more Dungeon that he needed to conquer before he fought against the Heir of Darkness, in addition to preparing an insurance for fighting against the Holy Order of Light.

'Atlantis,' William thought as he stood on top of the Black Phoenix which flew in the direction of the Sacred Grove. He had long wanted to conquer this Dungeon, but didn't have the necessary strength to do it.

The final battlefield for the Pseudo-God that could be found on its last floor was under the deepest parts of the ocean. Even with the four demigods by his side, he was still not confident that he could beat it.

Sepheron was useless underwater, and although water would be a great conductor to lightning, the Half-Elf had a feeling that it wouldn't amount to much when facing against the final boss of the dungeon.

Titania could probably assist everyone to fight to a stalemate, but a stalemate wasn't what William wanted.

The black-haired teenager needed a power that would tilt the battle in his favor, and to do that, he needed to go to Hyperborea, the Mythical Land located beyond the North Wind.

Chapter 1163: lt's Quite Unfortunate That My Bride Escaped

Chapter 1163 lt's Quite Unfortunate That My Bride Escaped

A week after Felix had conquered the capital city of the Zabia Kingdom…

"This is the life," Felix said as he sat on the throne of the King of Zabia.

He had a very relaxed expression on his face, while his hands rested on top of the heads of the two beautiful Princesses who were busy servicing him. They were the previous king's daughters, who had been captured by his subordinates.

The Princes' had all been killed because Felix had no need for them. The Princesses were spared because they were suitable bed warmers, while his forces continued to spread outwards.

The two girls had already been soiled by Felix's darkness, and were already on the path of corruption.

William could have easily done the same to Lira and Ephemera, but he chose not to and allowed both the Virtuous Ladies to return to the Palace of Light in order to fight against Felix's forces that were currently expanding his foothold in the Central Continent.

A moment later, Felix grunted, and the two Princesses were showered with his seed. They look at the green-haired demon in a daze as his essence covered their faces. A moment later, they lowered their heads and started to clean his shaft, in preparation for what was next to come.

However, before Felix could proceed to embrace the two princesses, who had just finished cleaning his member, the doors of the throne room opened.

"Your Excellency, the last resistance of the Zabia Kingdom has fallen. This Kingdom now belongs to you," Felix's right-hand man reported. He kept his head bowed and didn't even spare a glance to the two ladies who were currently licking each other's face to clean the green-haired demon's mark from their faces.

"Very good," Felix replied. "Where are the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan?"

"The two of them headed to the nearby Slovell Kingdom in order to kill the reigning king, as well as the male members of the Royal Family."

"Perfect. I am in need of new bed warmers."

Felix smirked as one of the Princesses hugged his neck and straddled him, while the other princess took his right hand and used it to play with herself.

Soon, the sound of depravity echoed within the throne room, while Felix's right-hand man remained kneeling with his head bowed. After seeing this scene over the past few days, he had already gotten used to it and no longer paid any mind to his Master's new hobby.

"Where is the High Priestess now? Is she still in the Demon Realm?" Felix asked.

Ahriman had prevented Eve from participating in the bloody conquest of the Zabia Kingdom, and allowed her to remain in the Demon Continent, just a few miles away from the Amberfang Fortress.

The Six-Eared Macaque, as well as the two Demigods, El Sibon and Mapinguari, guarded her. With such a lineup, Joash, the Black Dragon, didn't dare to sneak attack the part of the Demon Army that chose to remain to protect their High Priestess.

"The High Priestess is still in the Demon Realm," the right-hand man reported. "The Main Temple in this city is being cleaned up in preparation for her arrival."

Felix snorted, but he didn't say anything else. Ahriman doted on Eve and allowed her to do as she pleased, on the condition that she didn't leave the Demon Army.

Although he didn't want to admit it, the Heir of Darkness was quite jealous of the treatment that was being given to Eve. Still, he made no move to make things difficult for her because he knew that he would only be antagonizing not just one God, but two Gods who had made the red-haired girl their Priestess.

"Any movement from the Alliance?" Felix asked.

Although he was confident that his current forces could overcome the disparity of numbers because of the Pseudo-Gods, he knew that he might still get pushed back if the full might of the Central Continent were to be pitted against him.

Felix's right-hand man nodded his head. "Their forces are now headed in our direction in an attempt to contain our expansion. However, because of the distance, it will take them at least a month before their main force reaches this kingdom.

A sneer appeared on Felix's face after hearing his subordinate's report. A month was still a very long time, and if his forces continued to expand till that time, then it was possible to annex three more Kingdoms, and possibly an Empire as well.

"Have our spies said anything about the Holy Order?" Felix inquired. "They should have made their move by now."

Felix's subordinate didn't answer right away because he was still organizing his thoughts on how to properly answer his Master.

The Heir of Darkness didn't mind waiting as he used his right hand to squeeze the breast of the Princess that was using his hand to make herself feel good, until her face winced in pain.

Eventually, Felix eased his hold on the tender breast that had now reddened due to his touch.

"Master, we still don't have any leads on where the Palace of Light is located," Felix's right-hand man answered after a few minutes. "There have also been no sightings of any movements from the Templars of Light or their flying ships. We simply can't track their movements because their forces are covered in mystery."

"I see," Felix replied as he used his palm to slap the backside of the Princess riding his lap, and pulled her closer to him. "Tell the spies to be alert and report to me immediately if there are any changes in the Alliance's movements. Also, tell them to pay extra attention to any sightings of the flying ships of the Holy Order. If they see even one of them, make sure to report to me as quickly as possible. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

"You may go and pass my orders to everyone."

Felix's right-hand man nodded his head as he left the throne room.

He had been given complete authority when it came to the management of the lands that they had captured, while his superior enjoyed the spoils of war that were presented to him.

Not long after the doors closed, the Princess that was straddling Felix's body shuddered as the green-haired Demon's Darkness shot inside her. A moment later, she fainted, and was immediately dragged away by the second Princess, who was waiting patiently for her turn.

Soon, a lovely sigh escaped her lips, as she felt Felix's member push deep inside her.

"To think that you were just a chaste maiden two days ago, and now you're nothing more than a slut," Felix chuckled as he indulged himself in the pleasures of the flesh.

The princess didn't reply as she moved her hips desperately in order to sate the heat that was burning her from inside out.

Felix smirked as he allowed the beautiful girl to have her way with him, while he fantasized about the new batch of beauties that would soon be soiled in his depraved quest for power.

'It's quite unfortunate that my bride escaped,' Felix mused as he held the Princess' waist and started to move his hips faster, making her cry out loud in pain and pleasure. "If only she was here, I would definitely have plenty of fun with her."

The green-haired Demon regretted not being able to embrace his Prophesied Bride, because Celine was truly a beauty.

'No matter,' Felix thought as he felt the heat from his loins rising up to the surface, while fantasizing about the beautiful Elf, whose body he hadn't been able to taste.

'Her sister is still here, and holds the Virtue of Chastity. I'll make sure to capture her alive, and enjoy stripping her Virtue away from her. Isn't she William's Prophesied Bride? I'd love to see the look on his face after I make Celeste my woman.'

Felix grunted as the woman in his arms shuddered non-stop as his seeds of corruption seeped deep inside her body. A few seconds later, the Princess slumped limply in Felix's arms, as the latter immersed himself in the pleasure that had yet to subside.

More than anything else, Felix wanted to make William suffer, and one of the ways to do that was to corrupt the women that were important to the Half-Elf and mark them as his own.

Felix still had no idea that William had over the Silvermoon Continent. Only Byron, as well as the Pope of the Holy Order, knew that the Dark Prince had already taken hold of the ancestral lands of the Elves.

If the Heir of Darkness only knew that his rival had already captured territories that far surpassed the lands that he had conquered, he would definitely order his army to hasten their pace in order to conquer more lands.

Fortunately, he didn't know so he just focused on succumbing to the pleasures of the flesh, while he waited with great anticipation for the next batch of beautiful ladies that would soon come his way.

Chapter 1164: I'll Play Along With This Little Farce Of Yours

Chapter 1164 I'll Play Along With This Little Farce Of Yours

While Felix's expansion was happening in the Central Continent, William had already left the Elven Capital and headed to the Forbidden Ground of Hyperborea. He knew that time wouldn't wait for anyone, so after tying up some loose ends, he set off without another word.

The journey towards his destination wasn't that troublesome. At least, that was what he originally thought.

However, before he could enter the Forbidden Grounds, he would need to cross the Rhipaean Mountains, where the Guardian of Hyperborea, Boreas, was located.

Only by getting past his trials would someone be able to enter the Land Beyond the North Wind, which was also called the Eternal Garden of Apollon, where an eternal spring could be found.

This was the resting place, and the last hurdle before they finally reached the Forbidden Ground of Hyperborea.

The lands of Hyperborea were considered a myth by the Elves because only one of the hundreds of thousands of Elves that had tried to find the mysterious Domain had returned.

After the survivor told of his hardships in finding the Forbidden Ground, the most that he had managed to reach was the Gardens of Apollon, which was the last sanctuary before entering the lands of Hyperborea.

Out of grief, and fear, the last survivor decided to return to the Elven Lands, never again to step foot in the realm that had harvested countless lives. Even though many Elves tried to encourage him, and even assured him that he would be well protected if he served as their guide, he didn't budge and lived a life similar to a hermit, away from Elven Society.

Arwen had told William about this tale before he left the Sacred Grove. Although his mother tried to persuade him, the Half-Elf had already made his decision, and had left Soleil in his mother's hands for safekeeping, so he could return to her side the moment he had finished his task.

In truth, Hyperborea was similar to Atlantis. Finding the Dungeon under the vast ocean was like finding a specific grain of sand on a beach. The famed underwater city had never been found in the past, and William had only stepped foot in it due to the power of the Ring of Conquest, which had randomly sent him to the Legendary City, whose whereabouts was a complete mystery.

"We're finally here," William muttered as he stared at the barren lands filled with snow and ice. In the distance, a lone mountain could be seen.

No matter how much the Half-Elf tried to look, he was unable to see the peak because some kind of Divinity protected its secrets, and prevented anyone from scrying through the mists that blocked their vision.

"Master, why don't you just stay here?" Astrape inquired. "I'm sure that the four of us can easily pass Boreas' trial. There's no need for you to endanger yourself in this expedition."

"My sister is right, Master," Bronte replied. "It will be better if you leave this matter to us."

Sepheron and Titania both nodded their heads in approval because they had a feeling that this Forbidden Ground wasn't as simple as it looked. They were already Pseudo-Gods, and they could feel something dangerous lurking within the mists that made them feel wary.

"It's fine," William replied. "I will also take Boreas' test. I'm quite curious why no one has ever managed to step foot inside Hyperborea. Maybe this discovery would help me in one way or the other."

After seeing that William didn't want to budge, the Four Pseudo-Gods had no choice but to stay close to him to ensure his safety as they passed through the white mists that hovered near the peak, and the base, of the Rhipaean Mountains.

As soon as William and his entourage stepped inside the mists, visibility had dropped to zero. They were unable to see, even their own bodies. But, none of them felt anxious or afraid of what was happening around them.

They simply walked forward in order to get away from the white mists as soon as possible, so that they could make the long trek towards the peak of the mountain to see Boreas.

As William walked steadily, he soon found out that the mists around him were no longer as thick as they used to be, and he could faintly see a light in the distance. He had already been walking for what seemed to be an hour, and he could now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As the black-haired teeanger stepped out of the white mists, he found himself on a cliff overlooking a town in the distance.

William frowned because although he hadn't seen this place for thousands of years, he was certain that he knew what he was looking at. Although he had lost his memories when he had become an Einherjar, those same memories returned after he had stepped out of the fog that blocked his way.

"Camelot," William's frown deepened as he looked at the place where he was born in Midgard. "This is probably just an illusion."

William wasn't stupid. There was simply no way for this place to exist, since Asgard had fallen thousands of years ago. Also, how could he possibly reach the city of Kings just by trying to pass the mists that would allow him to arrive at the base of the Rhipaean Mountains?

It was simply impossible, and the Half-Elf was aware of this too. In the end, he just thought that his test had started, and stared hatefully at the castle in the distance.

"Is this Boreas' trial?" William clicked his tongue. "Quite a tasteless bastard he is. Sure, I'll play along with this little farce of yours."

A faint trace of killing intent flashed through the Half-Elf's eyes as he walked towards the city in which he had many painful memories. It had been thousands of years, but the feeling towards the city had remained, which made William want to summon his Legion and turn the place inside out.

Growing up, he had suffered a lot because he was the bastard son of the king that sat on the throne at that time, but he was never recognized as one of his sons. Instead, he was sent away to Tintagel Castle when he was fourteen, and banned from returning to Camelot in any manner or form.

'I don't know if I can trust my memories,' William thought as he neared the gates of the city. 'But, if I were to base the looks of this place from the one in my head, nothing has changed much since I've left.'

The current William wished nothing more than to burn the legendary castle and its city from the face of the world, but since he is in some kind of trial, he decided to endure it all until he found out why he was brought to this place by Boreas, who was sometimes referred to as the North Wind.

Just as he was walking towards the gate as if he owned the place, a guard that had his sword drawn blocked his path.

"Why have you returned, Boy?" the guard asked. "The King had already decreed that you will never step inside Camelot again. So, you better go back to the countryside and spend your life rearing goats and sheep like a Shepherd."

The guard smirked, and the rest of the guards manning the gates laughed and cheered at their comrade who was making fun of the black-haired teenager, who had planned to walk through their city gates right under their noses.

Suddenly, the guard that blocked William's path smashed through the closed steel gate, before falling down on the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut.

The guards stopped laughing and had all drawn their weapons at the same time. They all looked at William in disbelief because their comrade was only following the order of their king.

"Y-You! Are you planning to rebel?!" one of the guards shouted in anger. "You are no longer welcome here in Camelot."

William chuckled evilly as he looked at the pitiful guards that dared to block his path.

"I originally planned to just go sight-seeing, but since all of you are dumb enough to try to stop me, I guess I'll just have to force my way in," William flashed the guards a devilish smile that made them feel a cold tingling sensation pass through their spines.

Black flames erupted around William's body making the temperature soar. The guards who were all full of themselves a while ago were now screaming in panic as the black flames slowly made their way towards their direction.

"Since all of you wish to die then I'll be more than happy to send you all off to the afterlife."

The black-haired teenager was already annoyed that he was brought to a place that he hated. But, the guards further annoyed him, which brought another painful memory inside his head to the surface.

Chapter 1165: You and what Army?

Chapter 1165 You and what Army?

Just as the black flames were about to devour the guards and burn them to a crisp, the gates opened and a powerful gust of wind blew the flames back to where it came from.

William casually waved his hand and made the black flames disappear as he eyed the familiar face that had appeared before him.

"So, you have returned, William," an old man holding a staff said as he looked at the black-haired teenager in front of him. "Why have you returned? You already know you are not welcomed here."

"What makes you think that I want to return here?" William asked back with contempt.

The old man arched an eyebrow. "Then what are you doing here?"

"Maybe the Gods wanted your city to be destroyed?" William replied. "I'm not gonna lie. I am very tempted to make it happen."

"Very funny. After not seeing you for a few years, you already know how to bluff," the old man commented. "You plan to destroy Camelot? You and what army?"

William laughed. This was the first time he ever laughed since he became the Prince of Darkness. It seemed that the question "You and What Army?" tickled even his black-stained heart, and the Half-Elf was very tempted to show the old man in front of him just what kind of army he was able to command.

Just as William was about to show the old man whether he was bluffing or not, he sensed something in the distance.

WIlliam turned his head to look behind him and saw a procession of knights headed in his direction. At the very front of the formation was a handsome, middle-aged man flanked by several high-ranking knights that the Half-Elf used to look up to.

But now, they no longer amounted to anything in his eyes. That young bastard that was sent away, because he would tarnish the King's family name, died long ago. Whatever wishes he had in the past to make his father recognize him as one of his sons, was irrelevant to the current William.

Seeing a suspicious person at the gate, the knights spread out and encircled the Half-Elf who was looking at his father with an amused expression on his face.

"Why are you here?" the King asked. "Didn't I banish you from this place?"

"That's the third time I've been asked that question," William replied. "And it doesn't get less annoying every time someone does. How about I ask you a question instead. Are you ready to die?"

"He has come to assassinate the King! Men, to arms!"

"Protect his Majesty!"

"Kill him!"

Several magical barriers surrounded the King of Camelot, while William simply crossed his arms over his chest.

Black flames erupted around him and spread out towards the Knights. This time, he didn't hold back and truly unleashed the power that would kill everyone in the surroundings.

"I will not let you have your way, you fiend!"

Golden radiance met William's dark flames and the two collided in blazing glory. A minute later, both attacks were canceled, but the Half-Elf was still standing at ease, while the person who blocked his attack was panting heavily as he kneeled on the ground.

"As expected of you, Gawain," William commented as he looked up at the sun that was currently at its Zenith. "The knight that is said to be invincible under the sun. I seem to have formed some kind of karma with people belonging to the Sun Faction."

The Half-Elf chuckled as he remembered the Sun God, Lugh, whom he had fought in the Celestial Realm in the past. That was when he discovered that the people who had been blessed by the Sun God were like cockroaches.

They were very hard to kill.

"Everyone step aside," the King ordered. "None of you are a match against him."

Gawain sighed as he backed away while glaring at William. The sword, Gelatine, trembled in his hands as if it no longer wanted to clash with the black-haired teenager a second time.

"I'll ask again. Why–"

"If you continue your question, I will guarantee that you, as well as your knights, will die here today. Do not annoy me any further. I will be the one asking questions, and you will answer them. Do I make myself clear?"

The King gazed at the young man before shifting his gaze at the old man in the distance.

The old man shook his head as if telling the King to not provoke the black-haired teenager whose power he could not fathom.

"Fine," The king answered. "Ask your questions."

The Half-Elf stared at the King for a full minute before asking his question.

"How many years have I been exiled from this city?" William asked.

"Six years," the King replied. "The last time I heard about you is when you joined the warriors of Tintagle Castle to drive out the invaders that had stepped into the mainland. No survivors from the castle returned, and your corpse was found among the dead. Are you back to haunt us for not giving you a proper burial?"

"You didn't give my corpse a proper burial?"

"All those who died were given a proper burial because they died as heroes protecting the realm. As for your corpse, the Lady of the Lake asked for it. I do not know why she did that, but since I didn't feel any ill intention coming from her, I allowed her to take your corpse back with her into the Lake."

William pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of Ashe's past life. Back then, he didn't know that the lady whom everyone revered in Camelot was smitten with him. During his teenage years, he only had eyes for Acedia after making a vow that he would spend his life caring for her after he returned to Alfheim.

"Okay then has anything unusual happened as of late?" William inquired. He was very tempted to go to the lake and see what Ashe had done with his corpse. However, his instincts were telling him that he shouldn't do that.

The Black-haired teenager felt that if he went to see Ashe right now, he might discover something that would make things awkward when he finally found a way to revive her.

So, in order to keep the future peace in his family, he decided to let bygones be bygones, and let the Lady of the Lake do whatever she wanted with his corpse.

The King was looking at the black-haired teeanger with a serious expression on his face. He could feel that the boy that was in front of him was no longer the teary-eyed boy whom he had banished from his city, six years ago.

"Three Daemons appeared, and are wreaking havoc in the Northwest Regions of the Kingdom," the King replied. "All three are beautiful women, but their magic far surpasses the magic that we knew. One could control the power of lightning, while her twin screams thunderous roars that could shatter the eardrums of those who were close enough to hear her screams.

"The last one was a fairy-like being with long red hair. She had golden butterfly wings behind her back. Although she wasn't as aggressive as the other two Daemons, she was still capable of charming people, making them fight against each other. We just came back from our crusade against them. Unfortunately, they were simply too strong, so we decided to retreat."

With such vivid descriptions, William could easily guess the identity of the three "Daemons" that the king was talking about.

'So, they're also here,' WIlliam thought with great interest. 'I thought that all of us would have individual trials, so I guess I was wrong.'

The Half-Elf then looked at the Northern Regions as his entire body was shrouded with lightning. A second later, a crisp "Kzzzt" sound reached everyone's ears before the black-haired teeanger vanished from where he stood.

Now that he knew where his comrades were, William decided to reunite with his subordinates first.

Something had been bothering him since the King answered his questions.

'Six years since I left Camelot,' William mused as he made calculations inside his head. 'Isn't that the same time when Asgard fell? Could this just be a coincidence?'

The Half-Elf didn't know the answer to his questions. All he knew was that he needed to find a way to clear the trial before he snapped, and return to Camelot to start killing people.

Chapter 1166: A World That Repeats A Continuous Cycle Of Death And Rebirth

Chapter 1166 A World That Repeats A Continuous Cycle Of Death And Rebirth

"Master!" Astrape exclaimed as soon as she felt William's presence headed in their direction.

She and Bronte had been blaming themselves for losing sight of him inside the fog. Titania, on the other hand, still had a calm expression on her face, but she felt more relaxed now after sensing William's presence as well.

A few seconds later, a lightning bolt descended a few meters away from the three Pseudo-Gods that had sent Camelot's King packing.

As soon as William appeared in front of them, Astrape immediately gave him a hug and squeezed him tight. Bronte did the same, and soon the Half-Elf was sandwiched between the two beautiful deities, while Titania watched from the side with contemplation.

Part of her wanted to join the fun, while the latter half just wanted to observe how her Master would react to the two over-eager ladies, who were treating him like a burger patty.

After a few minutes, the two Deities finally had their fill, and allowed the black-haired teenager to get a breather.

"Master, we've been looking for you for almost a month!" Bronte reported. "Although I tried to assure my sister that you might be in a different Domain doing your trial, she still wouldn't listen and almost started a one-sided genocide with the mortals of this plane."

Astrape pretended that she didn't hear her sister's words and busied herself looking at the clouds in the sky as if they held the answers to the mysteries of life.

William was shocked by this discovery. He had only been in this world for nearly an hour, while his subordinates had already been there for almost a month already, which was insane. It was also at that moment when the Half-Elf noticed that the Black Phoenix was nowhere to be found.

"Where is Sepheron?" William asked after looking around. "Is he not with the three of you?"

This time, it was Titania's turn to reply. "We originally thought that Sepheron was with you, so we weren't too worried about him. Besides, he is already a Pseudo-God. No one on this plane of existence can threaten his life."

William arched an eyebrow as he listened to the Fairy Queen's report.

"What do you mean by plane of existence?" William inquired. Bronte and Titania had both used the word plane as well, so he wanted to confirm whether his hunch was correct.

"Master, this world is half real and half illusion," Astrape answered before the Fairy Queen could even reply. "It is true in a sense because it is following a certain timeline, and half illusion because we all know that this isn't real. Although it might sound contradictory, this world is trying to portray something that had already happened. But, it is stuck in an infinite loop."

Titania then interjected on Astrape's explanation as she told William the conclusion that she had formed.

"Master, in short, this world repeats a continuous cycle of death and rebirth," Titania replied. "I'm guessing that our trial is about letting the time of this world continue to move forward, instead of rewinding itself."

William was still trying to comprehend their situation, but he was starting to understand the gist of it.

"So, in short, we just need to find a way to let time flow forward again, right?" William asked. "That way, the infinite time loop will be broken."

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania all nodded their heads in unison. Although they didn't know what was causing the world to always revert back to a fixed moment in time, they believed that as long as they all worked together to solve the mystery, all of them would be able to pass Boreas' trial with flying colors.

"But, it is strange." Bronte frowned. "I don't think we are in Hestia. At least, I don't feel any connection with Hestia at the moment."

"Could that fog have some kind of trick to it?" Astrape inquired. "I've stayed inside the Dungeon all my life. This is something very new to me."

"Indeed." Titania nodded her head in agreement. "As the Fairy Queen, I would sometimes venture out of Tir Na Nog when I was bored. Although I'm not a hundred percent certain, every Forbidden Domain had its quirks.

"Anyone who enters Tir Na Nog stops aging, but the moment they leave its boundaries, their age catches up to them. Several mortals who pursued eternal life would often try their luck in my Domain. However, they could only get what they wanted if they survived long enough to enjoy their long lives."

Titania chuckled with amusement because he had seen countless humans die in Tir Na Nog due to their wish for eternal life. However, instead of longevity, what they found in Tir Na Nog was a long, and painful way to die.

"When I was in the Seventh Sanctum, I fell into the River of Samsara and was sent into a world that wanders in the void," William said after a few minutes of silence. "It was the place where those who had temporarily escaped the cycle of death and rebirth gathered. Maybe, Titania is right. This may indeed be one of the unique features of this Domain that bars people from reaching Hyperborea."

The three ladies looked at their Master with serious expressions on their faces. They didn't want to get stuck in an infinite loop, so they decided to tell William everything that they had experienced so far.

"So three days ago, you found yourselves standing in the same location after you stepped out of the fog," William muttered as he rubbed his chin. "During the time that you were here, all of you explored in different directions in order to try and find me, but your search didn't come up with any results. You also didn't find Sepheron, so all of you thought that he was with me."

The three ladies nodded in confirmation.

"So, did you find anything interesting when all of you were frantically trying to find me?" William inquired.

The three ladies exchanged a glance at each other before nodding their heads.

"There were a few places of interest," Titania replied. "However, we all deemed that these places would take us to a different planes of existence, so we didn't dare to enter them casually."

"Getting stuck in an infinite loop may be bad, but getting stuck somewhere permanently is something I don't want to happen," Astrape commented from the side. "This was why we decided to just continue searching for you, Master, before we made any decisions about whether we should try these places or not."

William closed his eyes as he pondered their next course of action. For some weird reason, he had a nagging feeling that those places of interests that the three ladies were talking about were similar to the great oak tree that led to Alfheim, where Acedia, and the Elves resided.

After some internal struggle, the Half-Elf finally decided that nothing would change if he didn't take a chance, so he gazed at his subordinates with a serious expression on his face before giving his reply.

"Take me to those places," William ordered. "We will decide what to do after I have seen them for myself."

"""By your wish, Master."""

Chapter 1167: lt Has Been A While, Auntie

Chapter 1167 lt Has Been A While, Auntie

"Here is one of those places, Master," Astrape said as she stood beside her Master.

William sighed in his heart because he already had a hunch that Astrape would take him to this place.

It was none other than the Old Oak Tree that connected Midgard to Alfheim, the lands of the Elves. Back then, there was a specific condition that needed to be met in order to cross between the two worlds, but now the Half-Elf knew that, if he wished for it, he could open the portal and step into the Elven lands anytime.

"Are we going to enter it Master?" Titania asked. "I can feel the strong power of nature on the other side of this doorway to another realm."

William shook his head. "No. Take me to the other places that are similar to this. I will decide once I have inspected all of them."

"Understood," Astrape said as she held onto William's right hand. "If you'll excuse me."

"Mmm." William nodded his head in understanding.

A moment later, all four of them were enveloped with a lightning bolt and streaked towards the sky, and headed to another location.

A few seconds later, they arrived on a cliff overlooking a deep ravine, whose bottom couldn't be seen.

"This is the second place, Master," Astrape reported.

William narrowed his gaze because he could feel a strong attraction coming from the bottomless pit in front of him.

'This feeling is similar to the Oak Tree that led to Alfheim,' William mused. 'This probably leads to a different plane, but I have no idea where it is.'

After carefully observing the ravine for a while, he once again ordered Astrape to take him to the places where they had felt the same kind of uniqueness within Midgard.

All in all they found eight locations that signified that they could visit eight different places. William didn't know if this was just a coincidence, but something was telling him that he already had an idea of where those places would lead him.

According to Astrape, the Time Loop would happen every three weeks. This infinite loop would continue until they found a way to allow the stuck time to move forward.

'This is quite troublesome,' William thought as he pondered his next course of action. 'If my hunch is right, these pathways lead to the other eight realms. In order for time to push forward, I need to find the reason why the Time Loop happens in the first place. Only by understanding the cause, will I be able to find a solution to this problem.'

The black-haired teenager then discussed his plan to his subordinates, and the three ladies had no objection to it. They were also thinking of the same thing.

"So, where should we go first, Master?" TItania asked. "Should we stay here on this plane and wait out the three weeks before we move to the next location?"

William frowned. He knew that by staying in Midgard for three weeks, they would be spending a lot of time trying to look for the reason for the Time Loop. However, if all of them separated, it would be difficult for one person to traverse the entire realm, searching for clues if they were alone.

Also, the people on the other planes of existence would not ignore their presence. The Half-Elf was quite worried that if Astrape, Bronte, and Titania were to appear in places like Asgard, Vanaheim, Jotunheim, and Muspelheim, they would be attacked by the powerful beings whose strength may even surpass their own.

After pondering for a few minutes, William decided to play it safe and have everyone stick together for the time being. That way, they would be able to cover more ground, and report their findings to each other. It would also allow them to spot the probable causes of the Time Loop if they all brainstormed together.

"We'll stay here on this plane for now," William ordered. "The three of you spread out in different directions and look for clues. You can report to me in this city."

The black-haired teenager placed his fingertip at the three ladies' forehead to make them know Camelot's location. Although he didn't like the city where he was raised until his early teens, he knew more about its surroundings compared to the three deities, who were still unfamiliar with this world.

"Meet up with me three days before the Time Loop happens," William ordered. "Now, go!"

""Yes, Master!""

Three streaks of light flew in different directions as they obeyed William's command. The Half-Elf then sighed before using his Lighting Strider Skill to return to Camelot, in order to solve the mystery of the Infinite Loop that plagued this plane of existence.

—-

At the Gates of Camelot…

The guards stared anxiously the moment the black-haired teenager appeared in front of them.

He walked through the gate unhindered because none of the guards had the courage to block his way. They had seen how William had dealt with the Knight Gawain, and knew that ordinary people like them were not a match for his Dark Magic.

"This place is still as lively as ever," William muttered as he walked towards the city's center.

Many people were strolling the streets with smiles on their faces. They called out to each other as they had known each other for years, which was a very common thing within the walls of Camelot.

As the black-haired teenager wandered aimlessly along the streets, several people looked at him with curious gazes. However, none of them called out to him and simply saw him as one of those foreigners that came from distant lands.

William was aware that he was being followed, but he paid no attention to the people that were sent by either his father or the wizard who served as the country's court magician.

Just as the Half-Elf was walking past his past haunts, that he used to go to when he was still a gullible child who only wanted to get his father's recognition, a cloaked figure appeared several meters away from him.

They were inside an alley, so no one else was there aside from them.

Although the cloak blocked the person's face, it didn't hide the long strands of silver hair that peeked through it.

"Welcome back, Will," the cloaked figure said with tenderness and affection. "I missed you."

William didn't answer and simply stared at the person who had secretly treated him with love and care when he was still in Camelot.

Back then, she introduced herself as his Godmother when he was young, but after growing up, he found out her real identity, which she had kept hidden for reasons only she knew.

"It has been a while, Auntie," William replied. "Surprisingly, I don't feel the same way as you do."

"Don't say hurtful things, Will. Have you forgotten how I cared for you when you were still a child? How much I loved you?"

"If you really loved me then you should have told who you really are. It's too late to play the Mother Role, Auntie."

A sigh escaped the lady's lips before she took off the hood that was covering her face. A moment later, a beautiful lady, whose blue eyes and silver hair could easily charm men whose will was weaker than hers, was laid bare in front of his eyes.

She was none other than the enchanting fairy and sorceress, Morgan Le Fay, who was also William's birth mother, who had given birth to him in Midgard.

Chapter 1168: Have You Heard About The Nine Realms?

Chapter 1168 Have You Heard About The Nine Realms?

William sat facing the silver-haired fairy in front of him in one of the most famous inns in the city of Camelot.

Right now, he needed to gather information, and there was no better individual to ask than the person in front of him right now.

In the past, the beautiful enchantress had played a big role in his life. She was there when he was lonely, she was there when he felt sad. But, she wasn't there when his father exiled him from Camelot and sent him to Tintagel Castle to live out the remainder of his life.

"Do you still hold a grudge about what happened back then?" Morgaine asked. "There was simply nothing I could do about it, Will. I'm sorry, but my hands were tied back then."

(A/N: In order to prevent any confusion between characters in the story, Morgan Le Fay will be called Morgaine for dialogue segments in this arc.)

"It no longer matters," William replied. "The person you cared for died long ago. His corpse is with the Lady of the Lake. The person standing in front of you today is a different person. I would appreciate it if you don't call my name so fondly."

Morgaine shook her head in disappointment before looking at the black-haired teenager, whose golden eyes radiated with power.

"What you say is true," Morgaine replied. "My son has already died in battle, but even if you have taken that form, there is no mistake that you were the one that I gave birth to. Am I right?"

"Our connection was cut the moment your son died. I now have a different mother, in a different space and time."

"You say some very interesting things. Very well, since you don't want me to call you fondly, I will just refer to you as William. Will that be fine?"

The Half-Elf nodded. If he was still the William that hadn't been corrupted by Darkness, he might have still been polite to Morgaine who had raised him as a Godmother, instead of a mother. But now, these things were now in the past, and he no longer wished to dwell on the painful memories that he had forgotten when Wendy had taken his soul to Asgard.

"I have a question," William said. "Are you aware of the Time Loop that is happening in this plane?"

"What Time Loop are you talking about?" Morgaine frowned.

Looking at her expression, William was sure that she really didn't know about the Infinite Time Loop that was happening in the world.

'I guess she really isn't the real Morgaine,' William thought. 'Everyone in this world are simply avatars that play their role according to the rules of this world. They are unaware that they are stuck in a time loop and just live their lives in the same vicious cycle.'

For some reason, William felt pity for the woman who was once his birth mother, and was considered to be one of the most powerful beings in Midgard.

Seeing the pitiful gaze that the black-haired teenger was giving her, the frown on Morgaine's face deepened, as she tried to figure out what the Half-Elf was trying to say. However, before she could delve deeper in his earlier words, William asked her another question that made her put aside the matter of the Time Loop for the time being.

"Has there been anything out of place lately?" William inquired. "Something that you've never noticed in this realm before?"

Morgaine nodded. "There is."

"What is it?"

"You."

This time, it was William's turn to frown. It then made him realize that he had phrased the question wrongly, so he decided to give it another try.

"Aside from me and the three Daemons that appeared recently, is there anything else that is different?" William inquired. "Any kind of abnormalities that looked wrong to you?"

Morgaine tapped the top of the table with her fingertip as she gazed at William with great curiosity. She no longer gazed at him with tenderness and affection, but as a sorceress who was looking at some rare artifact or ingredient that she had come across accidentally.

"There are several places where I sensed a different kind of power," Morgaine replied. "I went to one of them a day ago and discovered something interesting."

The silver-haired enchantress stared at William's face as if waiting for any changes to appear in his expression.

"I found the entrances to different worlds," Morgaine stated after seeing Wiliam's indifference, hoping that it would trigger some kind of reaction in him. "Have you heard about the Nine Realms?"

William nodded. "I know it."

"Well, those pathways lead to those very same realms," Morgaine explained. "I had visited Alfheim in the past, as well as Vanaheim… but looking at you, it seems that you have already been there as well, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"How interesting."

Morgaine's expression suddenly became serious as she looked at the direction of the castle of Camelot.

William also turned in the direction of the castle at the same time she did.

Both of them were powerful individuals, and could easily sense any magical fluctuations in their surroundings. Currently, inside the castle, a great magical formation was starting to go out of control. If it wasn't stopped or controlled soon, it could lead to the complete and utter destruction of the castle of Camelot.

"What is the old fool, Merlin, doing at this time?" Morgaine frowned as she stood up in haste. "Let's talk later, William. I better check things out before this place is turned to ashes."

A moment later, the enchantress turned into an owl and flew straight towards the castle in the distance.

After a brief internal struggle, William decided to follow her as well. Right now, he was looking for clues that would allow him to stop the recurring Time Loop, and any abnormality could be a clue that would give him the answers he was looking for.

Just as both the owl and the Half-Elf were about to reach the castle, the two were blown away by a powerful shockwave that erupted from the sky above the castle.

At the very last minute, Merlin had sent the out of control formation towards the heavens in order to spare the people, and the city, from complete and utter destruction.

Chapter 1169: You Just Did lt To Scratch An ltch?

Chapter 1169 You Just Did lt To Scratch An ltch?

After the incident with Merlin, Morgaine invited William to come with her to the villa that was located in the eastern side of the city.

Since the Half-Elf had nothing better to do he decided to accept her invitation.

'Right now my priority should be to gather information,' William thought as he flew behind the owl that was slowly descending towards the ground. 'Might as well see what this enchantress is planning.'

Morgaine returned to her original form after she landed near the gate of a residence.

The black-haired teenager looked at the villa with a curious gaze. He was confident that he hadn't been to this place before. But, since he didn't feel any evil intentions from the beautiful sorceress who had once been his mother, he decided to trust her once and accept her invitation.

As soon as they entered the gates, the sound of a determined shout reached both of their ears.

In the distance, a young boy with blonde hair was swinging a wooden sword, while an old knight stood beside him. It was fairly easy to tell that the knight was teaching the young boy on how to properly use his sword.

Morgaine smiled and grabbed William's hand before leading him towards the young boy, who was still focused on his practice swings.

The knight had already noticed Morgaine and gave her a brief nod before taking a few steps back.

The black-haired teenager watched as the young boy practiced with a determined look on his young face. The boy's face was already flushed, and sweat trickled down on his forehead as swung, and shouted at the same time.

"Isn't he good?" Morgaine asked in a volume that only William could hear. "He will definitely be a great knight someday."

"Perhaps," William replied in a casual manner. "Or maybe he will die before he becomes one."

Morgaine pouted as he lightly pushed William to show her displeasure, but the Half-Elf didn't even budge after being pushed by the enchanting fairy, who could ensnare any man to devote his life to her.

Perhaps hearing William's words, the boy turned his head to the side. His flushed expression immediately beamed up when he saw Morgaine and hurriedly ran in her direction.

"Mother!" the young boy shouted as he spread his arms wide.

Morgaine smiled as she picked up the young boy and held him firmly in his embrace.

It was at that moment when he saw that the boy had gray eyes, similar to the color of his eyes when he was still in Midgard. Although the hair color of the boy was blonde, and his was silver, he had no doubt that the young boy in Morgaine's arms was his never-before-seen little brother.

"How old is he?" William asked.

Morgaine smiled. "Nine."

The boy looked at his mother before shifting his attention to the black-haired teenager that he had seen for the first time.

"Mother, who is he?" the boy asked.

"Him? He is none other than your Big Bro–," Morgaine stopped herself in time before correcting herself. "His name is Wiilliam. If you like, you can call him Big Brother. William, this is Modred. My son."

(A/N: In order to not create any problems in the names, I decided to just call Modred instead of Mordred).

"Big Brother," Modred called out to William with a smile.

However, the Half-Elf ignored the boy and stared at Morgaine, as if demanding an explanation.

The smile on Morgaine's face stiffened when she saw William's penetrating gaze.

"You go back to training, little one," Morgaine said as she kissed Modred's cheeks. "William and I have a few things to talk about."

"Un!" Modred kissed his mother back before running towards his mentor to continue his sword training.

Morgaine looked at her son with affectionate eyes before making a gesture for William to follow her.

The two walked silently in the hallways of the Villa until they reached the second floor.

"Modred is also his son," Morgaine said softly as if to change the current atmosphere between her and William. "Since the Queen was still unable to give him an heir, I seduced him a second time, and Modred was born. However, unlike you, The King decided to recognize him as his adopted son. That was done to let the Queen keep her dignity."

"Some kind of dignity," William snorted. "Just be honest, you just want to rub salt in the Queen's face that she can't give birth to a child."

"How rude. That was never my intention."

"So, what was your intention? You just did it to scratch an itch?"

Morgaine sighed because William didn't hold back his words as he made his opinion known.

"Even if you don't admit it, you still carry a grudge," Morgaine stated. "Is it because I lied and didn't tell you that I was your mother? Or was it because your father kept you at arm's length? That is also why you clashed with him at the gates, no?"

William shook his head. "The past me didn't carry a grudge against you or him. The me back then was stupid and believed in Happy Endings. He thought that if he worked hard enough and gained enough merits, the man sitting on the throne would praise him and recognize him as his son.

"Thinking back on it now, I felt disgusted with myself on how stupid I was. No. My past self didn't carry a grudge against you, or my father. The one who carries a grudge is the current me."

Morgaine didn't say anything and simply raised her hands to cup William's handsome face.

"You are deeply hurt," Morgaine said. "I know that it may be too late to say anything, but I am sorry. I should have told you who I really am. I should have cared for you more. I am sorry for hurting you."

William closed his eyes. Two minutes later, he gently pried the soft and delicate hands that were touching his face away.

"Fine, I will accept your apology," William replied. "But, our relationship ends here. You will no longer think of me as your son, and I will no longer think of you as my mother. Like I said earlier, the William you knew is already dead."

Morgained sighed before nodding her head in understanding. "Understood. Now, let's talk about your reason for coming here. Are you planning to get revenge on your father for banishing you from Camelot?"

William shrugged. "That will depend on my mood."

Morgaine frowned as she and William arrived at the balcony of her residence.

"Earlier, you said something about a Time Loop," Morgaine said. "Can you elaborate?"

The corner of William's lips curled up into a smile. He was half tempted to tell the beautiful enchantress that this world that she was living in was not real, but only a fragment of a world that belonged to a distant past.

"Why not," William said in a teasing manner as he sat without any invitation on the chair that was overlooking the garden of the villa. "I will also need your opinion on this topic, so you might as well sit down."

William's teasing words made Morgaine feel that the black-haired teenager was making fun of her. Even so, her curiosity had won her over, so she decided to listen to what he had to say. She was a powerful sorceress and anything related to magical phenomena was a topic that she couldn't resist.

The Half-Elf watched with amusement as the fairy enchantress sat across from him to listen to what he had to say. In his heart, he wondered how the real Morgaine would react once she discovered that she, as well as the people in her world, only existed to become part of William's trial to reach the Forbidden Domain of Hyperborea.

Chapter 1170: Settling Old Scores

Chapter 1170 Settling Old Scores

"Let me get this straight, your friends are trapped in some kind of Domain and they need to find the key that will prevent the world from returning to a specific point in time," Morgaine stated. "Hence the time loop

William nodded. "Right."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Because the key to fix that time loop is on this plane of existence."

The frown on Morgaine's brows deepened as he listened to William's answer. After a few minutes of silence, the Fairy Enchantress shook her head and leaned back in her chair.

"I find your story hard to believe," Morgaine stated. "How can the key be here in Midgard? Maybe you should go to Asgard or Vanaheim. The Gods may hold the answer to your problem."

"Ah. I plan to do that at a later time," William replied. "For now, I've decided to stay here in Midgard and investigate. Can I use your home as my base for the time being?"

"I don't mind. But, on one condition."

"Mmm?"

Morgaine smiled mischievously. "I want you to play with Modred once a day."

"No thanks."

"Then the deal is off."

William smirked before standing up. He just said that he planned to stay in Morgaine's residence on a whim, but that didn't mean that he didn't have other options.

Seeing that the black-haired teenager was planning to leave, Morgaine hurriedly stopped him by holding onto his arm.

"Please, just play with him for three days," Morgaine replied. "After three days, the Knight Tournament will be held in the castle, and Modred will be taken to the castle to be raised by Queen Guinevere."

"Oh? She doesn't mind raising a child that wasn't raised in her womb?" William arched an eyebrow. "The Queen sure is benevolent."

Morgaine shook his head. "This is just a compromise between both parties. Since she is childless, the King thought that it would be a good idea if Modred were to be raised by her since I am not always in Camelot. You already know that I can't stay in the Human Realm for long periods of time."

"I didn't know," William replied. "You never told me that."

"Yes. It's my fault. I am sorry for being a no-good-mother."

"At least you know your mistakes."

William turned to look at the Fairy Enchantress with a serious expression on his face. "You said that the Knight Tournament will happen three days from now?"

Morgaine nodded. "This tournament is held every three years, and the champion will become one of the knights of the Round Table. It just so happens that this is the third year since the last tournament was held."

The enchanting fairy's face then suddenly had a realization as she looked at William with a devilish smile.

"I can still remember that, back then, you were training hard in order to enter the Knight Tournament to become its champion."

"Right. If I can go back to the past, I would have kicked my old self and told him to stop being stupid and live his life for himself, and not for the man that sits on that stupid throne, who thinks that he is the center of the world."

Morgaine chuckled. "But, he is the center of the world. At least, in this country, his words are law. Everyone's livelihood will rise and fall depending on his whim."

The sorceress' laughter immediately stopped when she saw the smirk that was plastered on William's face.

"W-Wait! Don't tell me that you are planning to join the tournament?" Morgaine asked with a shocked look on her face.

"Why not?" William replied. "Just think of it as allowing my past self to realize his stupid dream. Also, the champion will gain the privilege of challenging one of the knights in a one-on-one duel, right?"

A chill ran down Morgaine's spine as he looked at William's golden eyes that glowed maliciously. Clearly, the Half-Elf planned to gatecrash in the tournament to create trouble for everyone.

Unfortunately for her, there was nothing she could do to stop him.

—-

The next day…

"Big Brother, Mother said that you are good at handling a sword," Modred said as he looked up to the black-haired teeanger who was watching him from a distance. "Can you teach me?"

"No," William replied. "You already have a mentor. You should ask him to teach you."

"But, today is his day off."

"Not my problem."

Modred pouted as he swung his wooden sword a few times to change his mood.

"Say, Big Brother, are you married?" Modred asked.

William arched an eyebrow because he didn't expect that the little brat would ask him this kind of question.

"Yes.," William replied. "Why?"

"It's because you are good looking like my father," Modred stated. "I'm sure that your daughters will be exceptionally beautiful as well. I have a great Idea. How about I marry your daughters when I grow up, Big Brother?"

The memories of Raizel, as well as his adorable daughters, Maple and Cinnamon, flashed in front of William's eyes. The mere thought of the blonde brat in front of him marrying his daughters made him want to give Modred a good spanking.

A moment later, a devilish smile appeared on William's face as he summoned his wooden staff that he hadn't used for a very long time, appeared on his hand.

"I changed my mind," William said. "I am going to teach you how to become a knight."

"Really?" Modred asked as he looked at William with anticipation.

William nodded like a good Big Brother, whose hands were itching to beat up a certain someone who was thinking of marrying his precious and adorable daughters.

"Of course," William answered. "But, a knight only learns about actual combat. If you want to learn, you must fight and learn from experience."

Modred nodded his head in understanding. "Actually, I already told my mentor that I have grown bored of practice swings. I wanted to experience a real battle, but he said that I was still too young for it."

"What a bunch of utter nonsense. True men learn from the battlefield. Those who swing their wooden swords in sheltered villas are considered garbage."

"Big Brother! You understand me!"

William flashed a smile that would put toothpaste models to shame. "Of course. Now, let's start your lesson."

"Un!" Modred took a stance before charging at the Half-Elf whose hands were itching to beat the crap out of the underage-little-playboy who dared to target his daughters.

A minute later, pained cries similar to a pig being slaughtered resounded inside the residence. The Half-Elf repeatedly whacked the blonde-brat's bum until it became swollen.

That night, Morgaine cursed the black-haired teenager as she applied some healing potions to her son's swollen backside. She never thought that William would stoop so low as to bully a child.

The Half-Elf's defense for himself was that he was just teaching Modred the reality of battles, so that he wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge someone that was leagues above his current strength.

Naturally, Morgaine didn't buy William's bullsh*t and kicked him out of the villa. The Half-Elf only chuckled as he walked away from the residence. He never thought that he would interact with his past life's "little brother" in such a way.

'Well then, I guess I'll kill some time while waiting for the Knight Tournament to start,' William thought with a smile.

His past self had once wanted to be the last man standing in the tournament and earn the recognition of his father. Now that a perfect opportunity had arisen, William thought that it would not be a bad idea to join the fun.

There was someone that he had wanted to challenge for a very long time, and this was the perfect opportunity to do it.

'Don't worry, past self of mine,' William said as he disappeared in the darkness of the night. 'I will settle our old scores, not only for your sake, but for mine as well.'

Chapter 1171: Wash Your Neck, lt's Payback Time

Chapter 1171 Wash Your Neck, lt's Payback Time

Two days just outside the city of Camelot…

In a vast open field, thousands of people gathered to watch the Knight Competition that was held every three years.

This had been one of the most anticipated events within Camelot because, among the hundreds of aspiring knights, one of them would become one of the King's personal knights who served directly under him.

The Knights of the Round Table.

That was what they were called, and anyone who bore that title was respected all across the land, not only because of their skill, but because of the symbol they represented.

They were the King's Knights and through them the peace of the realm was ensured.

Since there were too many participants, everyone was divided into eight groups.

Each group had 100 participants, and only one of those 100 would proceed to the semi finals.

Morgaine and Modred watched the qualifiers from one of the best seats among the king's retinue. Although they were quite far away from the King, the place where they sat was within the "VIP" area that was allocated for the high-ranking nobles, as well as officials, of Camelot.

"Mother, there are so many knights!" Modred said with excitement. "I can't wait to participate in the next Knight's competition!"

"Silly child, you're still too young for that," Morgaine replied. "Just wait six to nine more years before you join the tournament. By then, your skills with the sword will be unmatched, and no one would be able to defeat you in battle."

"I can't wait that long!" Modred pouted. "I'll join the next competition!"

Morgaine sighed, and decided to talk to her son again when the competition was over. Right now, Modred's excitement was through the roof, and it would be counterproductive to talk him out of joining the next Knight's Competition with his current mood.

Suddenly, the crowds cheered when a black knight disarmed one of the aspiring knights in battle. The black knight then placed the tip of the blade on his opponent's neck, forcing the latter to concede and admit defeat.

"Wow!" Modred raised his fist. "So cool! Isn't he amazing, Mother?"

Morgaine nodded as she eyed the black knight in the distance. She, and the Knights of the Round Table, had deemed the mysterious knight as the dark horse of the tournament. Although he didn't show all of his strength, his ability to wield the sword was almost that of a Master.

"Mother, how about we hire that black knight to be my tutor if he becomes the champion?" Modred asked. "Can we? Please?"

"That might be a bit difficult, but it's not impossible," Morgaine replied. "I will need to ask your father about it, but only if he wins this tournament."

"Okay! I'm sure that he will win this tournament!"

"Really? How do you know."

"I just know!"

Morgaine chuckled as she lightly patted her son's head, who was looking at the black knight as if he had found his idol.

Several hours passed, and the number of participants dwindled at a rapid rate. Finally after sunset, only four hundred of the original eighty hundred remained.

The qualifiers would continue the next day until only one participant remained in each division. The moment that the tournament was over for the day, the black knight casually left the field to return to his lodgings.

Several people stalked him from the shadows because they were all curious about his true identity. Even the subordinates of the Knights of the Round Table were asked to find out where the Black Knight was staying.

When the Black Knight turned into an alley, his pursuers followed. However, after peeking into the alley, they discovered that their target was no longer there. It was as if the black knight had vanished into thin air, and it forced the pursuers to spread out in order to find his whereabouts.

Five minutes later…

"As expected, they were unable to keep their curiosity in check," William shook his head helplessly before taking off the helmet that covered his face.

The Half-Elf had entered the tournament and used the alias, Bruce Dwayne, and called himself the Dark Knight.

Usually, Knights had several titles like Knight of the Lion, Knight of the Wolves, and the most popular of all, Knight of the Round Table.

It was simply impossible for a normal mortal to defeat William in swordsmanship even if it wasn't his specialty. Even in his past life, William's favored weapon was the spear. Of course, he also knew the basics of swordsmanship, and was a decent swordsman in his past life.

Even so, his basic swordsmanship looked like it belonged to an expert due to how strong he currently was. The Half-Elf also made sure to match his strength with that of a normal warrior, so no one would know his identity.

"To think I would be joining the tournament in this matter," William chuckled as the armor on his body disappeared and was replaced by casual clothes.

The Knight tournament was held over the course of five days, and he still had four more days remaining before he gained the right to challenge the person he wanted to fight.

'Just to be on the safe side, I'll ask Astrape to return to me tomorrow night, so I can drink her blood,' Wiliam thought. 'I don't want to drink the blood of anyone here in the city because it may raise suspicions.'

The Half-Elf knew that things would get complicated if he was caught drinking the blood of others. Since that was the case, he needed to drink blood discreetly without alerting anyone else.

Earlier in the tournament, William felt several inquiring eyes upon his body, and among them were Morgaine and Merlin. Both were powerful sorcerers, so he played it safe and acted within the reasonable bounds of the tournament.

In order for his plan to succeed, he needed to act like an ordinary mortal for the next few days until he became the champion. After that, he could drop all pretenses and go all out.

Since his subordinates were already looking for clues on how to stop the Time Loop from recurring in Midgard, he had all the time in the world to enjoy this perfect opportunity to get his revenge upon those that were responsible for getting him exiled from Camelot, as well as the person that had given the decree to make that happen.

'Wash your neck,' William thought as he stared at the castle in the distance. "'It's payback time.'

Chapter 1172: You're Missing Out On A Great Opportunity

Chapter 1172 You're Missing Out On A Great Opportunity

While William was inside Boreas' Trial, the Drows in the Silvermoon Continent had started to prepare for the war that they had no choice but to participate in.

Princess Eowyn had been tasked to become the leader of the younger generation and care for the children that would be left behind by their parents.

Although she had some experience in this matter when he was still in the Southern Continent, she was still overwhelmed by the sheer number of Elves that would have to fend for themselves when their parents left for battle.

'Did the Human children also feel this helpless back then?' Princess Eowyn thought as she watched the Elf Children enter the makeshift-shelters that the Royal Family and the Elven Council had prepared for them.

'No.' Princess Eowyn shook her head. 'They had it worse.'

When the adults had been turned into crystals, the children were left to fend for themselves. This was very different from the situation of the Elves where William had given them one month to prepare.

One week had passed since the Half-Elf had given his decree, and all the Drows worked hand in hand in order to safeguard the well-being of their next generation. Unlike Humans, Elves couldn't reproduce rapidly.

This was why the King, the Elven Council, and the rest of the adults went to great lengths to ensure their survival.

"Well, this is better than I thought."

An amused voice sounded from behind Princess Eowyn.

The Elf Princess' guards and maidservants all glared at the newcomer, who walked in their direction in a carefree manner.

"Good morning, Charmaine," Princess Eowyn greeted the pretty Elf who also served as William's personal maid.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Charmaine replied. "Are those circles under your eyes that I see? That's no good. You should take better care of yourself. If you become sick, what would become of these children?"

Pearl, who was standing beside Princess Eowyn, couldn't take it anymore and glared at her sister. Although Charmaine was the only remaining member of her family, she still couldn't get used to the change in character that her sister had undergone since she had been captured in the Southern Continent.

"Sister, why are you glaring at me?" Charmaine asked with a pout. "I'm just worried about the Princess, you know? Sir William gave her an important duty and if she becomes sick no one will be able to take her place."

Just as Pearl was about to answer back to her sister's nonchalant statements, Princess Eowyn placed her right hand over Pearl's shoulder in order to calm her down. She then looked back at the pretty Elf who was looking at the Elf children with an amused expression on her face.

"Thank you for the concern, Charmaine," Princess Eowyn stated. "I will take heed of your words and take better care of myself."

Charmaine smiled as she nodded her head in satisfaction.

"That is for the best, Your Highness," Charmaine commented. "Sometimes, we only see things clearly when we are subjected to the same scenario. Back then, we treated the Human children as slaves, livestock, and toys. Just like everyone, I am also guilty for doing such atrocious crimes. This was why I wanted to atone for my wrong doings."

Charmaine then paused before glancing at the Elf Princess who had been given a great responsibility by the black-haired teenager who was currently not in the Elven Capital at the moment.

"You see things in a different light when the same slave collar you placed on others suddenly find itself on your own neck," Charmaine stated. She was no longer looking at the Elf Princess, but at the children who were being herded to the Grand Shelters that the Elves had built for emergencies.

"Now I understand why Lord William always wore the slave collar on his neck back then…" Charmaine's words trailed off as if she was reminiscing a wonderful memory. "Perhaps, it was to remind himself that enslaving others is not the right thing to do. It is quite unfortunate that he is now a changed man. Even so, I still love him the way he is."

Charmaine smiled sweetly before giving her sister, Pearl, a glance.

"Sister, have you thought about the proposal that I gave you after our talk a few days ago?" Charmaine asked.

"Yes," Pearl replied. "The answer is No."

"Really? Such a shame. You're missing out on a great opportunity."

"Opportunity to become what? A slave? No thank you."

Charmaine chuckled after hearing her sister's words as if they were the most laughable things she had heard in her life.

"Sister, you may not be wearing a collar right now, but I know that you can feel it," Charmaine said as he walked towards her older sister with a smile. "Even without a collar binding your will, you already know that you can't defy Lord William. The only reason why you're still not a Drow is because of his mercy."

Charmaine smirked before patting Princess Eowyn's shoulder as if they were the best of friends.

"Just to make sure that you don't get the wrong idea, Lord William is not interested in you, Your Highness," Charmaine stated before looking at her sister, Pearl, with a thoughtful gaze. "He is only interested in my sister, for reasons that I don't know about. One thing that I know is that he had no intention of making her his concubine or lover. He just wants her to be by his side… like a part of a collection, perhaps?"

Pearl glared at her sister because she had no interest in becoming part of "William's collection".

Seeing her hateful glare, Charmaine could only shake her head before walking away. However, after taking a few steps, the pretty Elf stopped and turned her head to look at Pearl, who was still glaring at her.

"Sister, let me tell you just one thing," Charmaine said as the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced with a serious expression. "Even in his corrupted state, Lord William is a good person. I don't want to see the day when his patience ends, and he turns you into a mindless puppet.

"I am only telling you this because I still care for you as my remaining family member. I am willing to do anything for him, but I will never do anything to harm you. So, take my advice with a grain of salt if you will, but know that this possibility exists."

Charmaine no longer said anything and left her sister, and the rest of the elves that were guarding Princess Eowyn, behind.

She still had important duties to do, like taking care of William's mother and keeping an eye on the sleeping beauty in the Spring of Life. Charmaine was also tasked to observe if the black-haired teenager's orders were being carried out, and everyone in the Elf Capital treated her like a plague that they didn't want knocking on their doors.

Even the Elf King wasn't comfortable being around Charmaine, which made the pretty Elf laugh with amusement in her heart.

'Master, everything is proceeding as you planned,' Charmaine thought as she looked in the direction of the Northern side of the Silvermoon Continent. 'Please, be safe, and return victorious in your conquest of the lands of Hyperborea.'

Chapter 1173: There's No Fool,Like An Old Fool

Chapter 1173 There's No Fool,Like An Old Fool

The next day of the tournament, the Dark Knight's prestige grew by leaps and bounds

Each battle he fought was watched by many, and garnered a lot of attention from even the high-ranking nobles of Camelot.

Suddenly, the cheer of the crowd erupted as the Dark Knight's opponent surrendered after getting pinned down on the ground by a foot, and a sword tip placed on his chest.

"I think he is going to be the representative of his division," Gawain said as he rubbed his chin. "Although his swordsmanship isn't that refined, I have to admit that he is still better than the rest of the aspiring knights who want to join our rank. What do you think, Lancelot?"

A handsome, yet sharp-eyed looking man gave the Dark Knight a side-long glance before shifting his attention on the other candidates.

"He will only be worthy of my notice once he arrives in the semifinals," Lancelot replied. "That is the true proof of his strength."

The other knights agreed and nodded their heads. Only Gawain felt that his friend's standards were too high. For him, the Dark Knight's performance was already worthy of being noticed.

'I guess I'll just have to wait until the qualifiers end today,' Gawain thought. 'But, I don't see anyone giving him any trouble in this competition, maybe except for the three apprentice knights that have been trained by my colleagues for this very day.'

Several of the Knights of the Round Table had apprentices that served as their squires. Naturally, they mentored these young saplings in the hope that they would be recognized as future knights through the Knight Tournament of Camelot.

A few hours later, the final eight combatants from each division were announced. Just as Gawain, and a few others expected, the Dark Knight emerged victorious and represented the 7th Division to fight in the last leg of the tourney.

Anyone who won their next match would reach the Semifinals, and that was where everything would get interesting.

Just like always, the Dark Knight left the venue in a casual manner. Even when the number of those stalking him had increased, he wasn't too worried. After all, how could they possibly hope to catch the Prince of Darkness?

Half an hour later, William managed to shake off his pursuers as he entered the new inn that he had rented. He decided to switch accommodations every day to prevent others from finding his lodgings.

He had only taken off his helmet when he noticed a person standing at the corner of his room. After giving the unexpected visitor a glance, he removed his armor as if the person that had snuck inside his room was of no importance.

"What do you hope to achieve by joining the tournament?"

"That's none of your business, old man. Just go back to conducting your experiments in the castle."

Merlin, the Grand Archmage who served the King, frowned as he glanced at the black-haired teenager who didn't hide his dislike for him.

"The Knight Tournament is an important occasion for the aspiring knights. Are you planning to do something during the competition?" Merlin asked.

"Yes I do," William answered. "I plan to win. So, if you have nothing else to say then go away. I'm tired and I want to sleep early."

"You got tired from fighting mere mortals? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Yes. Why aren't you laughing? Is it not funny enough?"

Magic power crackled on the tip of Merlin's staff as he pointed it at William. He knew how dangerous the black-haired teenager was, so he had no intention of letting his guard down.

"I will ask again. What is your purpose for joining the tournament?" Merlin asked. "Depending on your answer, I might have no choice but to take things into my own hands."

William chuckled as he walked towards the bed and laid down.

"You are the wisest mage in this world, and you still ask me why I joined?" William asked back in a teasing manner. "Can't you figure it out on your own, old man?"

Merlin didn't reply and simply stared at the teenager whose carefree manner made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"You're here for revenge, am I right?" Merlin inquired after several minutes of silence. "Is it because you were banished from Camelot and were forced to die on the battlefield?"

William snorted. "You can think of whatever convenient reason you can think of to answer your question. However, I advise you to not get in my way. Do you still not understand, Merlin? I am no longer the brat that you people kicked out of Camelot just because you could. This time, I am the one kicking people.

"So, if you don't want me to kick you out, make sure to leave peacefully while I'm still being nice. Old man, believe me when I say that you won't like it when I get angry."

Merlin ignored William's words as the magic power on the tip of his staff glowed brighter.

"Just tell me one thing, are you planning to kill the King?" Merlin inquired.

"You think too much, Merlin," William replied. "If and when he dies, you can rest assured that it will not be by my hands. Somewhere out there will carry out that deed, it just will not be me. Now go. I want to rest, and your presence annoys me."

Merlin stared at the black-haired teenager for a full minute before vanishing in a brilliant light.

A moment later, the room descended into darkness. William closed his eyes and rested. He didn't lie when he said that the King's death had nothing to do with him. That was not his role. Right now, there was only one thing he wanted to do, and that was to right the wrongs that had been done to him in the past.

'The first one I'll get revenge on is Lancelot,' William mused as he allowed himself to be embraced by Lady Sleep. 'After that, it will be your turn, Arthur Pendragon. You sorry excuse for a father.'

In the past, the silver-haired William had no power to defy his Fate. He couldn't fight the flow of the river and was forced to be carried away by the raging waters, until he met his death.

Upon stepping into this plane of existence, William had regained the memories he lost when he became an Einherjar in Asgard.

He remembered the unwillingness he felt as he drew his last breath.

Until the moment his heart stopped beating, his only regret was not being able to be recognized by his own father, which made the black-haired teenager feel disgusted by how pathetic his past self was.

This was why he also wanted to get back to those people that had ridiculed him in the past and show them what it was like to grovel under one's feet.

—-

Castle of Camelot…

Merlin reappeared inside his room with a sigh. He already suspected that the Dark Knight was William and he had come to find him in order to ask him if he planned to kill King Arthur.

Although the black-haired teenager denied his allegations, the Grand Archmage couldn't sit still and informed the King about his discovery.

In the end, the King only thanked Merlin and told the Archmage that he would be careful. After the old mage left the King's quarters, an owl flew through the window and landed on the King's bed.

A moment later, a beautiful enchantress appeared with a serious expression on her face.

"Merlin beat me to it, but I guess this is only natural," Morgaine said. "You better be careful. William will definitely challenge you tomorrow."

"I know," King Arthur replied. "But, I am not worried. He will not be able to beat me."

Morgaine snorted as she once again took the form of the owl and flew out the window. However, she left a trail of words that made the King of Camelot frown.

"There's no fool, like an old fool."

Morgaine knew that even though the king was protected by the Holy Sword, Excalibur, the one he would be fighting against was no push over. In the end, she decided to leave because she understood that the King would not listen to any of the words that she was going to say.

'William, beat the crap of that fool for me,' Morgaine cursed under her breath. 'That will teach him that he is only Human, and not a perfect being who thinks that the world revolves around him.'

Chapter 1174: Checkmate

Chapter 1174 Checkmate

The third day of the tournament started and the final eight participants appeared in the venue, decked with their armor.

All of them were hopeful that they would become the champion and serve the king, except for one particular knight, who stood straight with his arms crossed over his chest.

Merlin and Morgaine stared at the Dark Knight with serious faces, while Modred looked at him with a flushed look on his face.

"Mother, I told you that the dark Knight is strong!" Modred said exactly. "He will definitely be the champion of this tournament."

"Indeed. He is strong," Morgaine replied.

The enchantress no longer said anything and simply waited for the final matches to start.

William was paired off with the knight that was called the Knight of the Sparrow. The young knight served as an apprentice knight for Sir Geraint, and was personally being taught by him.

As the two faced off with each other,

The young knight raised his visor and looked at his opponent with admiration and respect.

"I am Myles Aldis, the Knight of the Sparrow, it is an honor to do battle with you," Myles stated. "May I know your exalted name?"

The Dark Knight briefly nodded his head before his charming voice reached everyone's ears.

"I am the Dark Knight," William replied. "Bruce Dwayne."

Myles nodded as he lowered his visor.

"May the best knight win."

"Likewise."

After the referee deemed that both fighters were ready, he raised his hand and declared the start of the battle.

Immediately, Myles charged at his opponent and unleashed a sword thrust that was as swift as a sparrow, and as deadly as the talons of a hawk.

The Dark Knight, casually deflected the sword thrust to the side, and counterattacked with a sword thrust of his own. However, Myles had already anticipated this move so he hurriedly used the crossguard of his sword to deflect the sword thrust that was aimed at his chest.

Succeeding in his attempt, Myles took a step forward in order to forcefully push his opponent away, and pin him down to the ground.

His plan was perfect and he had also practiced this move so many times in the past, that he was confident that he would be able to neutralize his opponent in three moves.

However, just as he was about to carry out his plan, the Dark Knight's knee rose and collided with the side of his waist, breaking Myles' momentum.

Due to his armor, the kick didn't hurt that much, but it was still enough to break Myles' concentration, allowing his opponent to counter-attack.

The Dark knight twisted his body to the side and used his arm to ram Myles' chest which sent him skidding backwards.

The blow was strong enough, and Myles felt as if he had been kicked by a horse. He found it hard to breathe as if all the air in his lungs were expelled by his opponent's blow.

The young knight desperately tried to raise his guard, and recover his bearings, but his opponent didn't give him that opportunity.

Two strong hands grabbed his shoulders and held him in place. The next thing Myles knew, the opponent's helmet was closing in on his face.

A moment later, a resounding clanging sound spread in the surroundings as the Dark Knight headbutted his opponent, which sent the latter taking a step back before falling under one knee.

"You did well, but you faced the wrong opponent," the Dark Knight said as he took the sword that he had stabbed on the ground beside him and placed the blade on Myle's neck.

"Checkmate."

Myles could only smile bitterly behind the visor of his helmet as he raised both hands in surrender. The crowd cheered for the victor and for showing them an amazing battle that was quite different from the one they were expecting.

In the end, the Dark Knight extended his hand to help Myles stand up as a sign of sportsmanship, which earned him applause and well wishes from the spectators.

Even Sir Geraint, stood up from his seat and clapped both of his hands together to applaud the two knights that had just finished their duel.

"The winner, the Dark Knight, Bruce Dwayne!" the referee shouted.

Since William had already declared his alias, the referee decided that it was safe to call him by his name.

The people chatted as they asked each other if they knew anyone by that name. Only three people, namely the King, Merlin, and Morgaine, knew of William's true identity, but they kept their silence and only watched from the stands.

The other three matches also proceeded as normal, and finally the last four semi-finalists were declared.

Since all the semi-finalists didn't receive any serious injuries, the Knights decided to hold the semi-final on that same day, leaving the championship match the next day.

The four knights agreed to the change in schedule, and once again faced each other.

This time, William was faced with another Knight Apprentice. However, just like before, he performed well during the battle, and even gave the knight enough "Airtime", so he wouldn't lose too badly in front of the people.

William even went out of his way to show that he was being pushed back, and only managed to reverse the situation due to a lucky opportunity that was presented to him.

Morgaine, who was watching from the stands, rubbed her face with both hands because she felt embarrassed by William's acting, that could get him nominated for the Oscars.

Modred, who was seated beside her cheered loudly as he supported his new idol, who just happened to be his Big Brother who had died in battle a few years ago.

The enchanting fairy felt conflicted about this turn of events, but she couldn't do anything about it except smile and clap her hands like everyone around her.

In the end, the last two fighters were announced for the Championship Battle that would be held the next day.

The Dark Knight, Bruce Dwayne.

And Izaak Bricot, the Relentless Knight.

They were the two champions that would fight for the chance to become the next Knight of the Round Table, and become one of the honored warriors of the realm.

From under his visor, William looked at the strongest knight of the Round Table, Lancelot, who was also looking at him like a hawk.

A sneer appeared on the Half-Elf's face as he gazed at the person that teased him for being a loser when he was still in Camelot.

The Strongest Knight of the Realm, Lancelot, who was known for his skill with the sword and the untold number of ladies he wooed.

He was someone that the old William aspired to be, and yet, that same person kicked him when he was down. The Knight even mocked him as he was being taken away by the King's servants when the decree of his exile had been passed down.

If there was someone that William hated aside from his father, it was none other than Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart.

The person that secretly had a crush on Queen Guinevere, and was hoping to make her his woman.

William found out about this, and even told his father his discovery, but instead of praise, the only thing he got was exile, and Lancelot's ridicule filled words as he was dragged away.

Now that his target was in front of him, William endured the itch that was spreading across the palm of his hand.

He couldn't wait for the next day to come, so that he could have his revenge on the "Righteous Knight" who turned his happy and peaceful life upside down.

Chapter 1175: Since You Wwant To Play,Let's Play

Chapter 1175 Since You Wwant To Play,Let's Play

That night, William didn't return to the inn.

He went to a mountain overlooking Camelot, and looked at the setting sun, while seated on his black throne.

Looking at this familiar world, the Half-Elf was feeling a sense of Nostalgia. Back then, he had died at a very young age before he could even realize his dreams, and keep the promises he made.

As the darkness slowly crept across the land, and the last embers of sunlight illuminated the western skies, a streak of lightning descended from the sky and landed a few meters away from William.

Astrape, the Deity of Lightning, appeared kneeling in front of her new Master, who seemed to be deep in thought. She didn't disturb the black-haired teenager and continued kneeling, like a knight waiting for her King's permission to rise.

Fortunately, only a minute passed before William turned his head and made a gesture for Astrape to come to him. He then lightly patted his lap, making Astrape blush in understanding. A moment later, the beautiful deity sat on William's lap and rested her head on the Half-Elf's shoulder.

William in turn held her waist, and secured her in place.

"Did you discover anything?" William asked.

"No, Master," Astrape replied. "Aside from warring kingdoms on the other side of the sea, I didn't see anything unusual during my journey."

William nodded his head in understanding. It was truly difficult to look for something unusual, if you didn't really know what you were looking for. Right now, they were still trying to understand why the Time Loop that Astrape, Bronte, and Titania experienced had happened in the first place.

"Did you sense anything that was similar to the doorways to the other worlds during your journey?"

"No. It seems that the pathways to the other planes are exclusive in this particular land, Master. I found no such doorways during my exploration."

"How peculiar," William muttered.

The portals that led to the different worlds were discovered within the Domains ruled by King Arthur. The Half-Elf didn't know if this was just a coincidence or not, but he would have to wait for Bronte's and Titania's reports before he came to a conclusion.

There were still so many things that they didn't understand about the world they were in right now. Coming to a conclusion without doing any investigation would lead them to nowhere.

"Astrape, I called you here because I need your help," William said after a few minutes. "I can't open my Thousand Beast Domain here, so I am unable to summon the Elves to drink their blood.

"Although I can randomly capture any of the ladies in the city to drink their blood, I don't know if that is a good idea or not. In order to play it safe, I decided to drink your blood instead. Of course, I will not force you to do it. I give you permission to reject my request if you don't feel like doing it."

Astrape looked at William with a smile. "Master, I will do anything if it will be of help to you. I will gladly fight your enemies for you, let alone letting you drink my blood. Please, drink until you are satisfied."

"Thank you," William smiled back as he lightly caressed Astrape's right cheek before kissing her lips for a brief moment.

The Deity of Lightning then parted her hair, and moved it to the side, to show her slender, and captivating neck, to her Master who wanted her blood.

A moment later, a prickling pain assaulted her senses, which lasted for only a few seconds. Soon, Astrape felt her body tingling due to the feeling of pleasure that was washing over her for the first time in her life.

William, who was drinking Astrape's blood, immediately felt a difference between drinking her blood, and drinking the blood of his wives, lovers, and the Elves.

The beautiful lady sitting on his lap was a Pseudo-God. Her blood was very rich in magical powers, and it immediately sated the black-haired teenager's bloodthirst, after only drinking around a mouthful of blood.

Originally, William thought that he would need to call Bronte, and Titania as well because Astrape's blood might not be enough for him. To his surprise, his bloodthirst was quenched so easily, which had never happened before.

'I think I will need to drink Bronte's and Titania's blood to conclude whether this is merely a coincidence or not,' William thought as he kissed the wound of Astrape's neck to heal it completely.

Astrape, who was still basking in the afterglow of pleasure, didn't know what was happening around her.

The black-haired teenager simply pulled her close to him and rested the beautiful lady's head on his shoulder.

Only after ten minutes had passed did Astrape snap out of her daze and realize that she had returned to her previous position before her Master drank her blood.

"Thank you, Astrape," William said softly.

"You're welcome, Master," Astrape replied. Part of her wanted to tell William that if he needed to drink more of her blood, he should just call for her any time.

However, the other half of herself was feeling embarrassed to say those things to the black-haired teenager because he might think that she was overstepping her bounds.

When the darkness deepened, and the countless stars shone above the heavens, William finally told Astrape that he would be returning to Camelot, and she should return to her investigations.

The Lightning Deity nodded her head in understanding before reluctantly standing up from William's lap. She bowed to her Master one last time before turning into a lightning bolt that flew into the heavens.

The Half-Elf watched her disappear in the night sky before flying towards the city. However, halfway in his journey, he decided to just spend the night outside. He had a feeling that the moment he stepped inside the city, Merlin, and probably Morgaine, would confront him and ask him a multitude of questions that he didn't want to be bothered with.

—--

Several hours later…

The bell at the center of the city rang, telling everyone that the championship match of the Knight Tournament would begin in an hour.

William had arrived at the venue already wearing his black armor, and was just waiting for the battle to start.

What he didn't know was that his opponent had been called into the Castle of Camelot, while William was spending some quality time with Astrape.

Knowing who he really was, Merlin, as well as Arthur, decided to even things out and loaned the Relentless Knight, Izaak Bricot, some equipment that would allow him to increase his performance against his opponent.

At first, Izaak felt that the King and Merlin were asking him to break the rules. However, after the Grand Archmage insisted that William was someone who had come to threaten Camelot, the young knight finally agreed to receive some items that would boost his strength during the final battle.

Just as the two men faced each other, Izaak reached out to shake William's hand, which the latter accepted.

"I was told that you came here to endanger the lives of his majesty and his entourage, is that true?" Izaak asked.

"It's true," William admitted.

"I will not lose to you, Bruce Dwayne."

"That's what losers say, Izaak. Make sure to not repeat the same mistake again in the future."

The two teenagers ended their handshake and moved to their respective places.

When Izaak drew his blade, William noticed that this was not the blade that the Young Knight used in his previous battles.

The Half-Elf then gave Merlin a side-long glance before returning his attention to his opponent.

'Since you want to play, let's play.' The corner of William's lips curled up into a smirk.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a weapon descended from the heavens and landed beside the Half-Elf.

Since he couldn't magically pull out a weapon out of thin air, he decided to play a little trick to make it look like the heavens were on his side as he summoned the first weapon that he had bought from the God Shop to assist him in battle.

It was none other than the Lance that shines at the end of the World, Rhongomyniad.

The moment William held the handle of the spear and pointed its tip at the heavens, King Arthur's, Merlin's, and Morgaine's expressions, as well as the expressions of the Knights of the Round Table, changed completely.

How could they possibly not recognize the spear that the Dark Knight was wielding at the moment?

It was the spear that once belonged to Arthur Pendragon's father, Uther Pendragon, who was the supreme King before Arthur took over his position as the new King of Camelot.

William wanted to laugh out loud after seeing the King Arthur's, Merlin's, and the Knights' faces. All of them seemed to have eaten a fly, which made the Half-Elf nod in satisfaction because he chose the right weapon to get back at them for their dirty tricks.

Who was William? He was someone who literally threw sh*t at people. He was not afraid of playing dirty!

Chapter 1176: Are You Prepared For The Consequences ln Challenging Me? Boy?

Chapter 1176 Are You Prepared For The Consequences ln Challenging Me? Boy?

The people that were in the venue all gasped in shock when the shining spear descended from the sky. It was as if the Heavens had taken the Dark Knight's side and presented him with a weapon that would allow him to win the tournament.

The moment William raised the weapon and pointed its tip towards the sky, the people cheered because they thought that the Dark Knight was paying his tribute to the Gods that had bestowed upon him a majestic spear that they were seeing for the first time.

"Referee, I think it is about time to start the battle," William said as he pointed his spear towards Izaak who stood rooted on the ground. "The Gods are watching over this duel. Please, don't keep them waiting."

The referee as well as the people of that era were quite superstitious. They didn't doubt William's words, and the referee raised his hand to declare the start of the match, without even asking for the King's permission.

"Duel Start!"

As soon as the signal for the battle started, Izaak broke out of his daze and firmly held Clarent in his hands. This was King's Arthur other sword, that were on par with Excal

Merlin and Morgaine chanted and a blue dome surrounded the battlegrounds, keeping the two combatants inside.

Both sorcerers knew that this wouldn't be an ordinary battle, and they needed to ensure that the people that were watching the tournament would be safe from the attacks of the two young knights, who were both wielding magical weapons.

"His Excellency was right," Izaak said with gritted teeth. "You threaten the peace of this kingdom."

"You believe that old fool?" William asked in a teasing tone. "He can't even spell his own name right, and you think he is right? Very funny."

Morgaine and the other Knights all glanced at Merlin, as if asking him if what the Dark Knight was saying was the truth.

"Don't believe his hubris!" Merlin roared. "Whose stupid enough to not know how to spell their own name?!"

The Knights of the Round Table averted their gazes. Although they were all intellectual individuals, some of them weren't good when it came to writing things, especially writing their names. However, none of them would admit it, especially in front of their King.

A gust of wind blew across the battleground as the sword in Izaak's hands hummed.

Clarent, which was a sword that King Arthur used, glowed blood red as magical powers were gathered into its blade.

William smiled as the tip of Rhongomyniad radiated in a golden light, he was prepared to meet Izaak's strongest attack head-on. The Half-Elf was constantly observing Clarent's power, so he could match it with the same strength.

He was afraid that he might accidentally kill Izaak in their duel, which was something he didn't plan on doing because it would lead to complications later on.

"Enact justice upon the Guilty!" Izaak shouted. "Lay waste to my enemies, Clarent!"

At the same time the magical sword unleashed several crimson wind blades in William's direction.

"Illuminate the world!" William roared. "Rhongomyniad!"

Two powerful attacks collided with each other, which ended up in a powerful explosion sending dirt, and rubble flying in every direction.

The crowds gasped in shock because this was the first time they were seeing such an incredible display of abilities. Fortunately, the barrier that protected them from William's and Izaak's combined attacks held firm, and kept them safe from harm.

A moment later, the sound of weapons clashing rang within the dust cloud that blocked everyone's sight.

With each blow, Izaak could feel his body getting stronger due to the power that was being supplied to him by Clarent. Even so, his opponent was casually dodging, blocking, deflecting his attacks even though he was currently in a trance-like state that allowed him to surpass his limits.

'Why are my attacks not landing?!' Izaak felt anxious because something was telling him that no matter how strong he became in this battle, he would still not be able to even graze his opponent's armor due to the difference in strength.

When the dust cloud receded, everyone gasped in shock when they saw that Izaak was already kneeling on the ground, unable to raise his sword.

The young knight's hands were numb after unleashing a barrage of powerful blows that didn't even land on his opponent.

William on the other hand, just stood a few meters away from Izaak, with his weapon lowered to the ground. It was as if he was letting his opponent catch his breath, so that the two of them could fight again.

"Have you rested enough?" William asked after five minutes had passed. "You can surrender now if you don't want to continue."

Izaak didn't answer. Instead, he forced himself to stand by using Clarent to support his body.

"I'm not done yet," Izaak said in a hoarse voice. "I will protect, His Majesty. I will protect this Kingdom!"

"Okay," William replied as he walked towards Izaak in a carefree manner. "You can sleep now."

Without another word, William tapped the side of Izaak's head with his spear, making the young knight lose consciousness.

The referee ran towards the collapsed knight and checked if he was in any mortal danger. After seeing that the teenager just lost consciousness, the referee announced William's victory, making the crowd cheer in unison.

Modred, who was right beside his mother, shouted in joy as his favorite knight won the tournament. When the shouting, and cheering receded, William then walked towards the VIP Stands, and pointed his hand at a Knight who was seated just below the King's throne.

"I want to challenge the strongest knight of the kingdom," William declared. "Sir Lancelot, do you dare to fight me?"

The faint trace of ridicule didn't escape the Knight's ears, and it made Lancelot smile at the young knight who dared to challenge him.

The Strongest Knight of the Realm, emptied his wine cup before standing up from his seat.

"Are you prepared for the consequences in challenging me, boy?" Lancelot asked.

"Yes," William replied in a teasing tone. "Come. I have prepared a special wooden stick just for you."

William smiled and walked towards the audience who was watching him fight. After the Dark Knight left the barrier, a boy with freckles on his face handed him a wooden staff with a fawning look.

"Sir Bruce, I made sure to keep this wooden staff safe," the boy replied. "My friends tried to take it from me, but I made sure that they didn't even get to touch it."

"Good." William patted the boy's shoulder, which made the latter become ecstatic. "You are bound to become a great person someday. Someone who doesn't shy away from duties has the makings of a knight."

The children who saw this scene became jealous as William lightly patted the boy's head before he walked back to the battleground, carrying his wooden staff.

"This staff is very effective against idiots," William declared. "Let me test it on you, Sir Lancelot. I just want to know if you are an idiot or not."

Lancelot's smile remained on his face, but in his eyes, a trace of killing intent was oozing out. No one in Camelot dared to challenge his name and authority, and because of this, he planned to teach the young knight a painful lesson that he would not forget in his lifetime.

Chapter 1177: The Secret Of William's Wooden Staff

Chapter 1177 The Secret Of William's Wooden Staff

"I just want to know if you are an idiot or not."

This sentence, that was spoken in a teasing manner, spread across the venue, making all the spectators wonder if they heard the young knight's words properly

Lancelot was the strongest knight of the Round Table, and was even said to be on par with King Arthur himself. However, the Dark Knight had chosen to challenge him, and his weapon of choice was a wooden staff.

This made the people scratch their heads in confusion. But, since the young Knight was already the Champion of the Tournament, they thought that this was just a simple exhibition match done for everyone's entertainment.

William stood in a carefree manner while the wooden staff rested on his shoulder. He had already challenged Lancelot, and if the latter were to reject his challenge that would make him a Killjoy.

No one liked Killjoys.

Not even during medieval times.

Lancelot didn't even bother to don his armor and only carried his sword, Arondight, to the battleground.

Merlin and Morgaine exchanged a glance before nodding at the same time. They once again cast a barrier spell in order to reinforce the protective array that they had placed earlier. Now that Lancelot had accepted William's duel, this battle could no longer be considered child's play.

"Protect the people," King Arthur ordered. "Make sure none of my subjects get hurt."

The Knights of the Round Table stood up from their seats and hurried to where the spectators were watching. All of them were carrying their magical artifacts, and would not hesitate to use them to ensure the safety of the innocent.

William and Lancelot stood facing each other, but neither of them moved. They allowed the Knights to position themselves just outside the barrier to prepare for any incidents.

"Are both Knights ready?" King Arthur asked as he raised his hand to signal that the battle would start after his command.

William and Lancelot nodded their heads. Both fighters then took a fighting stance at the same time, waiting for King Arthur's prompt to start.

Seeing that both fighters were ready, he no longer wasted any time and shouted, "Duel Start!"

A second later, a crisp, cracking sound, reverberated in the arena as Lancelot drew his blade. It was as if the very air was cut in half the moment when Arondight was unsheathed from its scabbard.

Arondight, the sword which was said to be indestructible when attacked by any mortal weapon, was only given to the strongest of knights in the current era. The fact that Lancelot held this sword in his hands, meant that the sword had recognized him as the one-true-knight that was capable of wielding him.

William also knew Arondight's power, so he didn't use Rhongomyniad to fight against it. Since it was a sword that couldn't be defeated by a weapon forged by mortals then a wooden staff that belonged to a God was the perfect counter for it.

The moment Lancelot took his first step, it was as if the entire world flickered for a brief moment.

The next second, the Fairy Blade was only a few inches away from William's neck, and was only kept at bay by the wooden staff in his hands.

"Not bad," William said. "You didn't even hesitate to go for the kill on your first strike."

"Shut up," Lancelot replied. "Words are not needed during duels. I didn't come here to chat with you."

William smirked. "Well said."

He no longer said anything and instead, unleashed a kick towards Lancelot's groin.

To his surprise, Lancelot moved his body to the side, allowing Lux's kick to pass harmlessly to his side.

Using the moment of his turn, Lancelot used his elbow to attack William's face that was covered by his visor without holding back.

The Half-Elf took a step back and deftly used his wooden staff to block Lancelot's strike, while raising his left knee to counter attack. Just like what he did earlier, Lancelot moved his body once again to evade the Dark Knight's attack, as if he was dancing.

These exchanges only happened in the span of a few seconds, and yet, all the spectators could see was a blur.

Both fighters were moving too fast for their eyes to follow. Only the King, Merlin, Morgaine, and the Knights of the Round Table could see the incredible scene that was happening in front of their eyes.

Suddenly, the ground shook and a meter deep fissure appeared on the arena. But, it didn't end there.

With every strike Lancelot unleashed, more fissures appeared on the ground. However, no matter how much he tried to land a hit on William, none of his attacks landed.

This was very similar to what happened when he was fighting against Izaak. For William, unless Lancelot used the full power of Arondight, his ordinary attacks didn't pose a threat to him.

After a minute of evading, William no longer stayed passive and moved in for a strike. He had lowered his strength to match Lancelot's because fighting the knight as a Demigod would be too boring for him.

The moment William crossed the gap between them, Lancelot knew that his opponent had finally decided to fight seriously. However, just as he was about to unleash a sword strike at his opponent, he felt that something was amiss the moment Wiliam pointed the tip of his wooden staff in his direction at close range.

"Quick Shot War Art Second Form…" Wiliam's words reached Lancelot's ear, which made the Knight raise his weapon in a defensive position.

"Shotgun!"

Immediately Lancelot's body skid on the ground after receiving William's unexpected blow. However, the Half-Elf wasn't done with his attack just yet.

"Quick Shot War Art Fourth Form," William declared. "Grand Bazooka!"

The attack was shot at almost point-blank range. A second later, Lancelot's body flew several meters in the air as if he was hit by a speeding truck.

William then moved his hand on the handle of his wooden staff as if he was reloading a shotgun.

As Lancelot propped himself up the ground, his body jerked several times as invisible bullets smashed on his body, making him take a few steps back every two seconds.

After using Arondight to block the invisible bullets from hitting his body, the Strongest Knight was finally able to take a breather.

Lancelot's mouth was filled with the salty taste of his own blood, and knew that he could no longer take his opponent lightly.

"Can you still fight?" William asked as he twirled the wooden staff in his hands. "You can concede anytime you want, you know?"

Lancelot ignored William's taunt and wiped away the blood that flowed out from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand.

"Cut through the firmament," Lancelot declared as dark clouds covered the heavens. "Raze the world, Arondight!"

The sword in Lancelot's hand turned purplish in color as the power of the world revolved around it. Clearly, he finally decided to stop holding back and just wanted to kill the person in front of him.

Seeing that the worst case scenario had happened, Merlin threw a ball made of crystal at the arena. The moment the ball hit the ground, William and Lancelot were sent to a Domain, where they could not kill any innocent during their no-holds-barred battle.

William smiled after seeing the full power of the Fairy Sword, Arondight. Even in his Demigod Form, Lancelot's sword could still kill him if it landed cleanly on his body.

"Say, we've been together for a very long time," William said as he held onto the wooden staff firmly in his hand. "I know that the current me doesn't have the qualifications to order you around, but just this once, lend me the power that I need so I can put an end to this chapter of my past life."

The wooden staff in William's hand vibrated as if agreeing to his request.

William had carried the wooden staff since he was a baby, and it had protected him when he was about to be killed by a goblin. Although he hadn't used it for quite some time, this was a weapon that had been entrusted to him by the God of Shepherds himself.

A moment later, a steady, and determined voice echoed within Merlin's Domain where the two combatants were facing each other.

"I am a Marvel to see and know, for no one has ever been able to see and grip me, and never will, no matter how large his hand, except one man alone. And this man will surpass in skill all those who have come before him, and all who will follow afterward."

A thunderous clap resounded in the Heavens as the voice continued to utter the words that made the very fiber of the world tremble.

"The man who will carry me must be more valiant, and confident than any other if he is to carry me as purely as he should. I cannot be taken to any vile, or sinful, place. He who would put me in such a place will be the first to regret it, but if he takes proper care of me, he can go everywhere safely."

The wooden staff in William's hand glowed like the sun, and he watched with amazement as the wood on the staff was stripped away, similar to an apple being peeled in a circular motion.

"In your current state, you are unable to wield me. However, just this once, I will lend you my aid."

The weapon in William's hand hummed as the weapon that had never been seen before appeared in the closed off domain.

It was the sword that belonged to a King.

It was a sword that belonged to a God.

"Strike with all the power of the Virtues of the World," William ordered as he raised the sword towards the sky. "Cut through time and space, Sword of ******* *******!"

On the first day, God said.

"Let there be Light."

And by his words, the world that belonged to Merlin, was covered in Light…

Before it was split in half.

Chapter 1178: That Was The Most Amazing Feeling Ever

Chapter 1178 That Was The Most Amazing Feeling Ever

In the venue where the tournament was held…

Merlin cried out in pain before collapsing on the ground unconscious. Just before King Arthur could come to his aid, a loud cracking sound was heard in the arena.

The crystal ball that the Grand Archmage had thrown earlier split in half, and the light that shot towards the Heavens from the crystal ball made everyone who witnessed it kneel on the ground.

Even King Arthur wasn't spared from this effect, and even though he tried hard to resist the overwhelming pressure that was coming from the light, it was futile.

For the first time since he became the King of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon knelt on the ground. No matter how much he resisted it, in front of that Holy Light that illuminated the entire world, no one had the strength, nor ability, to remain standing.

The people who saw it didn't feel any overwhelming pressure to make them go down on their knees, like Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table did. The common folk simply felt that it was a sacred light and, out of habit, they began to worship it as they had done with many supernatural things that happened in their world.

To their credit, the light didn't harm them. In fact, everyone who was suffering from disease or illness and who saw the light felt their ailments and pains melting out of their bodies.

Such was the effect when the power of the Eight Virtues of the World was unleashed in full.

"Mother, what is that light?" Modred asked as he kneeled beside his mother and looked at the dazzling light that parted the dark clouds that hung in the sky.

"It is Divine Light," Morgaine replied subconsciously. "This is the first time I've seen it with this much intensity, but I am certain that what we're seeing is Divine Light."

When the light finally receded after a full minute, the clear-blue sky once again appeared above their heads. The sunlight shone down on everyone. It wasn't hot, but warm and, to a certain extent, very gentle.

The wind blew past everyone, giving them a refreshing feeling as if taking their remaining ailments and woes away.

When the pressure forcing King Arthur and all his knights to kneel disappeared, all of them stood up at once.

The first thing the King did was check to see if Merlin was fine, but thanks to the Divine Light that had shot towards the heavens, the injuries that the Grand Archmage received had healed completely.

He was just feeling so refreshed that he felt that lying on the floor didn't seem that bad. It had been a while since he had taken a proper rest, and he was very tempted to just sleep on the ground and wake up a few hours later.

"Just five more minutes, okay?" Merlin said as Athur shook his body. "No. Make that ten minutes. I deserve the extra five minutes due to working overtime yesterday."

King Arthur was very tempted to slap the old man because he had completely forgotten what had transpired earlier. However, before he could even do that, Merlin's eyes opened wide after he remembered what happened to his precious portable domain.

"That damn brat!" Merlin stood up enraged. "He destroyed my Domain!"

As if calling the Devil's name, two figures reappeared in the battleground. On the ground, Lancelot lay with several wounds on his body.

His sword arm was bent at a weird angle, which signified that his arm was broken.

The Strongest Knight's clothes were in tatters, and were similar to a shredded rag. The proud Knight was nowhere to be seen. In his place, a person who was writhing in pain could be seen.

William walked towards the fallen Knight and looked down on him. A second later, he casually kicked him until Lancelot's body turned over, with his face facing the ground. William crouched down and raised his hand.

A resounding clap echoed in the venue, followed by Lancelot's pained howl.

William spanked the strongest knight on the bum a second time, as if he was disciplining a child that had done bad things.

"Stop this at once!" King Arthur shouted, as William was about to slap Lancelot's bum for a third time.

The Dark Knight gave the King a side-long glance before slapping the proud knight's backside for the third time.

The people, including the Knights of the Round Table, couldn't believe what they saw. Someone actually defied the order of their King. This had never happened in the past, and it made King Arthur feel that his face had been slapped as well.

After slapping Lancelot's bum thirteen times, Wiliam finally stood up and faced the King of Camelot.

When everyone's eyes were on him, the Dark Knight snuck in a kick to the Knight lying beside his feet, turning his body over so that it faced the sky.

A gasp escaped everyone's lips because they never thought that William would be so shameless as to openly sneak attack the fallen Knight under their gazes.

"Y-You!" King Arthur was doing his best to not make a scene in front of his subjects, but William's repeated acts of violence were challenging his authority. "You're not worthy of being a Knight!"

William's reply was to take off the helmet that covered his face.

Long-silver hair that reached his shoulders appeared in front of everyone. William's gray eyes stared at the King with a mischievous glint in them as if he was looking at something very funny.

"I know, right?" William replied in a carefree manner. "I was never meant to be a Knight, nor I was meant to be your son. The only thing that was meant to happen to me in this world was to die. So, f*ck you, Father. You're nothing but a f*cking piece of sh*t!"

William then laughed after hurling insults at the King whose face had gone livid out of anger.

The Half-Elf ignored him as he looked towards the clear blue sky. Although it was a lifetime ago, he felt as if all the frustrations and the grudges he kept in his heart melted away like snow on a sunny day.

For the first time since he was tainted by darkness, William felt so peaceful. He then closed his eyes and allowed the wonderful feeling to wash over his body.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a peaceful and beautiful world, where the sea under his feet reflected the clear blue sky on the heavens.

Standing in front of him was the silver-haired William who had a smile on his face.

"Thank you," the silver-haired William said.

"You're welcome," William replied. "But, this is just the first step, right?"

The silver-haired William nodded with a smile on his face.

"I have so many regrets in my lifetime," the silver-haired William stated. "Promises that I was not able to keep. What you did to Lancelot, and to our father, felt great. That was the most amazing feeling ever… well, aside from making love to our wives."

William gave his other half a knowing smile. How could slapping Lancelot's backside even come close to slapping Lilith's bubble bum? Remembering the Amazon Princess that was waiting for him on the Floor of Asgard made William's cold heart feel warm.

"There are still grudges that we need to settle," the silver-haired William said as he patted William's shoulder.

"And promises that we need to keep," William replied as he patted the silver-haired William's shoulder. "Don't worry. I got this. I'll make sure to do it right this time."

The silver-haired William smirked before turning into particles of light and merging with William's body.

He now understood how to break the Time Loop that plagued the world.

It was not the world whose time had stopped, but it was his time that had stopped.

After defeating Lancelot, and giving an invisible slap to his father's face, William understood that the key to this world was himself.

Now that his grudges against Lancelot and his father were settled, it was now time to move to the next place, and keep the promise he made to the pitiful lady that held him until he drew his last breath.

"Although it is several lifetimes late, it is time for me to keep the promise I made," William said softly before turning his back to the King who once played an important role in his life.

The color of William's hair changed from silver to black, and his gray eyes turned golden in color. The armor he was wearing disappeared and was replaced by a princely robe that enhanced his handsome features.

Soon he disappeared from the venue and reappeared on the mountain where he had drunk Astrape's blood several hours ago.

"Astrape, Bronte, Titania, return to me," William ordered. "There's no need to look for clues anymore. I know where we should go next."

"""As you command, Master!"""

William summoned his throne and sat on it. He then rested the side of his face on his closed fist before closing his eyes.

Memories that he had once lost in Asgard flooded his mind.

Memories that he had managed to regain in his current lifetime.

Chapter 1179: Reunion in Alfheim

Chapter 1179 Reunion in Alfheim

William stared at the fantasy-like scenery as he stood on top of a mountain.

After the three beautiful Deities returned to his side, the Half-Elf left Midgard with them and went to his next destination, Alfheim.

"The three of you, take a tour of this realm and see if there are any interesting things in it," William ordered. "Do not come to find me. I will call for you when the time comes. At most, we will stay in this plane for four to five days before we move to the next place."

"""As you wish, Master."""

The three ladies bowed in unison before taking off towards the skies. Although William's order was basically telling them to go sight-seeing, they didn't find anything wrong with it because his orders were absolute.

As the three disappeared into the horizon, William's body turned into a lightning bolt and flew towards the place where someone had been waiting for him for the past thousands of years.

It didn't take long for the black-haired teenager to arrive at his destination. He hovered in the sky as he used his ability to gaze at the scenery that had played an important role in his life when he was still William Pendragon.

'It's still the same as I remember,' William thought as he looked at the garden which housed the lazy Elf whom he had escorted from the forest where she had been staying previously.

After looking at the nostalgic scenery, William used his abilities to zoom in on a wooden cottage in the distance. Bypassings its walls, he saw a lady with long blonde hair, curled up in a fetal position.

She was holding onto a robe, and treated it like a hug pillow.

Tear stains could be seen on her beautiful face, as she wept for the person that she hadn't seen for a long time.

After seeing this scene, William felt a pang of ache in his heart because he knew full well the reason for her tears.

Taking a step forward, the Half-Elf traversed the great distance and appeared several meters from the door of the cottage.

Suddenly, a commotion sounded inside the wooden cottage before the door burst open.

The blonde Elf, who usually spent her time sleeping, cried out as she ran towards William with outstretched arms. Her long blonde hair that was dozens of meters long, fluttered behind her as if it was weightless.

Out of reflex, William spread his arms wide and caught the crying beauty in his arms.

Acedia, the Elf who carried the Sin of Sloth, wailed in William's arms, while the latter held her tight.

He didn't expect their reunion to happen like this, and the black-haired teenager could feel the sadness that the beautiful Elf had endured for the several years that he was gone.

"It's fine; I am here," William said softly as he lightly patted the head of the crying Elf who was holding him so tightly. "I'm back, Acedia."

Acedia didn't reply because she was crying like a child. It was as if she had forgotten how to talk, and was only using her raw instincts to tell William how sad she was.

The two stayed in each other's arms for a long period of time. The Half-Elf knew that Acedia was pouring out all of the sadness and loneliness that she had bottled up inside her over the past few years, and William allowed her to do that.

Finally, the beautiful elf looked up at William and cupped his face.

"W-Wel… come… b-back," Acedia said hoarsely. Clearly, she hadn't talked for a very long time, and she was having trouble saying the words she wanted to say.

A moment later, the beautiful Elf's body slackened, as if she had lost her strength on her legs. Her eyes were slowly drooping, and yet, she was fighting it with everything she had.

Acedia was afraid that she was just dreaming, and her beloved would disappear the moment she woke up. Because of this, she bit her lips until blood gushed out of them, alarming the black-haired teenager that was holding onto her.

"Don't hurt yourself," William said sternly. "I'm not going away. I'll still be here when you wake up."

Acedia stubbornly shook her head. It took William a full-minute to calm her down, so he could use healing magic to cure the injury she had inflicted on herself.

In the end, Acedia grabbed onto William's clothes, and held it in a vice-grip before she fell asleep, while being held by the man she had waited for a very long time.

The Half-Elf looked at the beauty in his arms and wiped away the tears that were still spilling from her eyes.

One of the greatest regrets in his life was not being able to keep his promise to Acedia.

Now that he was given a chance to do so, he would make sure that the pitiful, and lonely girl, who was exiled by her own race, would once again feel the warmth of someone being by her side.

—-

In the distance, Astrape, Bronte, and Titania looked at this scene with great interest.

They didn't know who the lady in their Master's arms was, but they were very curious to know who she was.

However, before they could continue watching, they saw William turn into their direction, and gave them the "Have you watched enough?" glare, which scared the three Deities silly.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania, were like wild ducks that flew in different directions after hearing a gunshot. They knew that they had seen something they shouldn't have and William caught them red handed.

Since none of them wanted to face William's anger, they decided to make themselves scarce, and leave the Half-Elf, and his beautiful lover alone till their Master called for them to return to him.

William snorted before carrying the sleeping elf back inside their cottage. The main reason he had ordered the three deities to go sight-seeing was to prevent them from sticking around him, while he reunited with Acedia.

Although the lazy Elf had a carefree personality, she could be quite impish at times, especially when William did something that she didn't like.

In order to prevent Acedia from feeling jealous, he wanted the three Deities to be as far away from him as possible. That was the only way to ensure that the lady in his arms wouldn't have an excuse to wrap William in her hair, and hang him upside down due to lack of delicacy.

Chapter 1180: Acedia's Wish

Chapter 1180 Acedia's Wish

Several hours passed before the beauty in William's arms stirred.

When Acedia opened her eyes, she looked sleepily at William for a few seconds, which the Half-Elf found amusing. This was not the first time that he had seen her in this manner, which made him remember of the times they spent together in the past.

Since the Half-Elf was in the mood to tease her, William kissed her on the lips, making the beautiful Elf's eyes open wide like saucers.

The kiss didn't last long, and when William pulled back he smiled at the blonde beauty whose eyes were still staring at him in disbelief.

"Good afternoon," William said. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Will…," Acedia muttered as she stared at William's golden eyes that were very different from the ones she remembered.

"Sorry, should I revert back to my old appearance?" William asked.

Acedia then shook her head before hugging her beloved.

"Will… is… Will," Acedia replied. "Nothing… will… change."

William just smiled. He didn't want to refute Acedia's words, because that would not do any good.

Instead of replying, he just kissed her again. This time, Acedia returned his kiss.

Soft pecks slowly grew in intensity as they transformed into passionate kisses that lit a fire in their hearts. After five minutes, William was the first to pull back from Acedia's advances.

It seemed that being separated for a very long time had made the lazy Elf more bold when it came to exchanging kisses with him.

"I missed you, Acedia," William said softly. "I'm sorry that I arrived late."

Acedia shook her head before hugging William. No words were needed because she was already feeling very happy that he had returned to her side.

A few hours later, the two left the wooden cottage and wandered around the Violet Ever Garden like they had done in the past.

In order to not tire Acedia, William decided to carry her like a princess as he took a stroll around the familiar paths that they had both taken when he was still with her.

The two of them chatted as they did, making the stroll a lively one. Soon, Acedia was talking better. Her usual cheekiness returned and she even made sure to complain to William because he had made her wait for a long time.

"Sorry, I should have come sooner, but things got out of hand in Midgard," William apologized. "In return for making you wait, you can ask me for anything. Whatever it is that you ask, I will do it without fail."

"Are you sure?" Acedia asked back. "You're not allowed to take back your words later, you know?"

William chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't take back my words. Just tell me what you want, and I'll make it happen."

Acedia closed her eyes as if she was seriously pondering what to ask the black-haired teenager who was carrying her around like a princess.

The Half-Elf didn't disturb her and allowed her to think. In truth, William was very curious about what Acedia wanted. When they were together, aside from returning to her side, the sleeping beauty didn't ask him for anything.

Now that she was given the chance, Acedia took the matter seriously and didn't hurry to give William an answer.

Finally, after a good amount of time had passed, the sleeping beauty opened her eyes and told William what she really wanted.

"Ljosalfheimr," Acedia said. "I want to see the capital city of the Elves, Ljosalfheimr."

"Okay," William nodded. "Do you know where it is located?"

Acedia nodded before shaking her head.

"I haven't been there before," Acedia explained. "But, I was told that the Elven Capital is near where the sun rises in the East."

"I see," William commented. "Then, we'll go there tomorrow."

"Will you really take me there?"

"Didn't I just say that we will go there tomorrow? You should have more faith in me."

Acedia stared at William with a doubtful look on her face. Clearly, she didn't believe that William could take her to the Capital City of the Elves, which she had never seen before.

Seeing her reaction, William decided to punish the lazy bum who had no faith in him. A few moments later, Acedia found herself squirming and laughing at the same time as she was tickled relentlessly by the black-haired teenager until she begged him to stop.

Naturally, William didn't make things difficult for her and stopped his naughty hands from punishing the Elven beauty further.

As William carried his lover towards their wooden cottage, he ordered Astrape to head East and see if she could find the Elven Capital before morning came.

His loyal servant answered his call and did his bidding. Among the three deities serving under him, Astrape was the fastest of them all since she wielded the power of lightning. He believed that it wouldn't take long for Astrape to find the Elven Capital that was hidden within the Eastern Regions of Alfheim.

Just like Acedia, the black-haired teeenager didn't have the opportunity to visit other places in the Elven World, aside from the Violet Ever Garden. He was also very curious as to why Acedia was exiled by her people.

That night, William embraced his eager lover, who didn't resist his advances. Acedia's sighs filled with pleasure echoed within the walls of the cottage.

It had been too long since she and William had made love with each other. The passion that they had been holding back lasted until midnight. After their lovemaking ended, both held each other tightly as they closed their eyes to sleep.

When morning came, they would leave their small home for a short period of time and travel towards the Elven Capital.

For some reason, William felt that this time around, the one that needed to get closure in their life, was Acedia and not him. However, he didn't mind it. As long as he could make the sleeping beauty happy, he didn't mind taking her to the ends of the world and back.

William covered his lover's delicate body with a blanket and kissed her forehead, just like he did before he left her back then.

Words couldn't convey how guilty he felt after he had died in Midgard, and was spirited away to Asgard. He had repeatedly tried to return to Midgard, in order to be with her again, but it was simply impossible.

In time, his memories of her slowly disappeared from his head, until he had forgotten about her completely.

"This time, I won't forget," William said softly as he gently pulled the sleeping Elf to his side. "This time, I will keep my promise to you."

As if hearing his words, Acedia made a humming sound before snuggling up against his chest. William smiled before closing his eyes to rest a little longer as well, using the beautiful Elf as a hug pillow.

This was his payback for what Acedia was doing to his wife, Chiffon, back in the Springs of Life. for some reason, he found her body quite comfortable to hug, and decided to do the same when he returned to the Sacred Grove, once his expedition to conquer Hyperborea was done.

Chapter 1181: Thank You For Keeping Your Promise To Me

Chapter 1181 Thank You For Keeping Your Promise To Me

Ljosalfheimr, the Capital City of the Elves which was hailed to be one of the most beautiful cities within the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil.

William and Acedia looked at it from a distance. Even the Half-Elf had to admit that those words weren't enough to give the majestic Elven City justice.

However, when he looked at the beautiful Elf beside him, all he could see was a sadness that permeated her entire being.

"What's wrong?" William asked. "Are you not happy to be here?"

Acedia shook her head before lightly squeezing William's hand.

"I was exiled from Ljosalfheimr when I was twelve," Acedia said softly. "They said that if I stayed in the city, I would only endanger everyone because of the curse in my body. Since I was an orphan, no one really cared whether I was sent away or not.

"I do not know who my parents were, because the orphanage didn't find any written letter on my body. They only found a name embroidered on the cloth that covered me inside the basket."

Acedia paused before looking at William with a bitter smile. It was a beautiful smile, and yet, the pain she felt could be seen in her eyes.

"Acedia," Acedia stated. "That was the name that was embroidered on that piece of cloth, and thus, it became my name."

William frowned when he heard this, and wondered how a twelve-year-old was able to survive alone in that place where he had found her.

As if reading his mind, Acedia leaned on his body as she looked at the Elven Capital with longing. She stayed like this for a few minutes as William held her in his embrace.

"For some reason, I don't need to eat or drink," Acedia stated. "This uniqueness of mine allowed me to live alone in that cold and lonely place. The wild animals didn't come near me, and even if they did, I was not afraid of them. All I did was sleep, sleep, and sleep more. This routine continued until the day you came into my world."

A sigh then escaped her lips as she looked up at the black-haired teenager, whose eyes had locked onto hers. Acedia could see how much the Half-Elf cared for her, and it allowed her to say the things that came from her heart.

"Thank you for coming to my world," Acedia said. "I was very lonely. I thought that I was going to die alone in that place, but when you came and I thought that, maybe, a different fate was waiting for me."

William wanted to say something, but he held it back. In actual history, Acedia had lived alone in Violet Ever Garden still waiting for his return. However, since he had died in Midgard, his promise to return was never completed.

He spent his life in Asgard, while protecting the Nine Realms from the threats that came from the giants of Jotunheim and Muspeilheim. When the great war, Ragnarok, threatened everyone in existence, he, alongside the Gods, fought with everything they had.

Unfortunately, their best wasn't good enough as they fell one by one. As he was about to take his last breath, after failing to stop the Army of Destruction led by Surtr, Acedia appeared in front of him and held him close.

She was there when the fires of Surtr descended upon the world, until both of their bodies turned into ashes. Only in his last moments did he remember her face, and his unkept promise to her.

As the black-haired teenager looked into her eyes, these distant memories resurfaced inside his head. His hand then wrapped around her body and pulled her close to him until their faces were only inches apart.

"I'm sorry," William said with tenderness. "I returned late."

He was feeling really guilty about leaving her alone in that lonely place, with only his clothes to remind her of him. William knew with every fiber of his being that Acedia had held on to his belongings, as she slept through the years, waiting for his return.

"It's fine," Acedia replied. "You're now with me, and that is the most important thing. Thank you, Will. Thank you for keeping your promise to me."

Acedia placed her hands over William's shoulders and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before Acedia pulled back with a smile.

Suddenly, her body started to glow.

"It's time for you to continue your journey," Acedia said as she cupped William's face with her delicate hands. "I will wait for you in the roots of the World Tree"

After saying her parting words, Acedia smiled before her body turned into particles of light and flew towards the sky.

Their reunion, and parting, was like the fleeting breeze that came suddenly, and disappeared just as fast.

Even though William knew that she had now been reincarnated and was currently waiting for him back in the Sacred Grove, the feelings that she had kept in her heart finally reached him.

The time that had stopped in Alfheim now moved, and William knew that his time in the Elven World had also come to an end.

However, before he left, he summoned Astrape, Bronte, and Titania to his side. Together with the three Deities, he razed Ljosalfheimr to the ground, until it too, disappeared from the face of the world.

Although he knew that doing this would accomplish nothing, his heart demanded that he make the Elves pay their dues, for abandoning a twelve-year-old girl, alone in that cold and lonely place that was far away from her home.

Only when the last embers died down, did William turn around to leave the destroyed city behind him.

The three ladies accompanying him didn't even give the Elven Capital a second glance as they followed behind the black-haired teenager, whose bad mood had finally settled. After a few minutes had passed, Titania gathered her courage to ask William, who was flying in front of them, the question that hovered on her lips.

Since he hadn't asked Astrape to transform all of them into a lightning bolt to head to their next destination, Titania decided that William was still reminiscing about the beautiful Elf, who was no longer by his side.

"Master, where are we going?" Titania asked.

"Vanaheim," William replied as he stopped mid-flight to turn around and face the Deities who were currently serving under him. "Tell me, have any of you fought Gods before?"

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania shook their heads. They had stayed inside the Forbidden Grounds for a very long time, and never had the opportunity to meet a God during their long lifetime.

"Well, you girls are in for a treat," William stated in a voice that had a trace of killing intent. "You'll be fighting a few of them soon."

Chapter 1182: Felix's Plan

Chapter 1182 Felix's Plan

Somewhere in the Central Continent…

A month had passed ever since Felix led the Demons to conquer the Southwestern Regions of the Central Continent.

In that span of time the Demon Army under the Bull Demon King, as well as Princess Iron Fan, managed to conquer two additional Kingdoms and an Empire, and place them under the banner of the Heir of Darkness, before their advance was stopped by the united army of the Alliance.

The Holy Order of Light had sent three of their four Pseudo-Gods, as well as four Demigods to stop the Demon Army's rampage. Knowing that they could no longer push forward, the Bull Demon King ordered his army to hold onto the territories that they had acquired, as they waited for Ahriman's next orders.

Felix, who had indulged himself in ravaging the Princesses and the Noble Ladies of the vanquished lands, finally decided to make his appearance.

His powers had grown through his use of the Demon Realm's unique method of Dual Cultivation. This method allowed him to harness the magical powers of the ladies that he had bedded, until their powers had almost disappeared completely.

The terror of this ability was that it allowed him to use the different powers that he had taken from those same ladies, who had been turned into his slaves.

With this, Felix had gained the power to wield all the elements of the world, in addition to other unique abilities that were considered to be Bloodline Legacies, exclusive to those influential families that belonged to the lands that he had conquered.

Even Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan had to admit that the green-haired Demon was starting to become the Prophesied Prince that would bring the world to ruin.

"What is the Alliance doing right now?" Felix asked. "Have they started to reclaim the territories that we conquered?"

The Bull Demon King shook his head. "I don't know what the Holy Order of Light is playing at, but the Pseudo-Gods under their command are only preventing us from spreading outwards. Without them, the Generals of the Alliance didn't dare to send their armies forward to become cannon fodder, which has resulted in the current stalemate."

"I see." Felix nodded as he looked at the big map in front of him.

Several chess-like pieces stood over the map, which represented their armies, and the armies of the Alliance.

When the Bull Demon King, and Princess Iron Fan attacked the nearby kingdoms and empire, they did as little damage as they could to the defending Armies. Their only goal was to kill the reigning King, as well as capture the members of the Royal Families in order to use them as hostages.

This prevented the Generals of the various Kingdoms and Empire from doing something reckless, in the fear that the lives of the heirs would be endangered.

In truth, Felix had ordered that all the male members of the Royal Families be killed in secrecy, leaving only the ladies behind. This was to ensure that none of them would be able to gather the army to rebel against him.

In the end, through Ahriman's powers, the Bull Demon King was able to forcefully enslave the armies of the lands that were now under their banner. This was why the Alliance was reluctant to send their troops to battle, because Felix's army had grown by leaps and bounds since he had stepped into the Central Continent.

"I guess we are stuck," Felix said with a smile. "At least, that is what they are thinking."

The Bull Demon King, as well as Princess Iron Fan smirked because this was exactly what they wanted the Alliance to believe.

Ahriman had built many hidden teleportation gates across the Central Continent during the Era of the Gods. He knew that the Gods would unite to bring him down, so he decided to secretly build these teleportation gates to escape their pursuit.

Unfortunately, he had been outwitted by them, and sealed away in the Northern Regions of the Demon Continent.

Even so, the teleportation gates that he had left were still very much active. All Ahriman needed to do was use his power to open these gates to allow Felix's army to bypass the blockade that the Alliance had made.

"Any news of William?" Felix asked. "You should have heard of something by now, right?"

The Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan shook their heads.

"Although we have captured several high-ranking members of the Alliance, as well as some of their Generals, no one knows where he is," the Bull Demon King reported. "Even the members of the Holy Order that we tortured were clueless when it came to his whereabouts."

"Strange," Felix rubbed his chin. "I'm sure that he would have made his move by now. Any word from our spies in the Silvermoon Continent?"

"Our spies said that nothing has changed in the Silvermoon Continent. They are still preparing for the arrival of the Heir or the Prince of Darkness."

"Really? Now this is odd. Just where did that Half-Elf go? Did he perhaps hide himself under a rock because he knows that he is unable to defeat me?"

Felix chuckled because he sincerely felt that this was the case. Although William had exceeded his expectations, and nearly killed him back in the Demon Continent, the green-haired Demon treated this as something that was no longer important.

He was not the same Demon whom William had fought back then. He believed that with the powers that he had acquired, from the ladies whom he had slept with, the Half-Elf didn't even stand a chance, even if he had a hundred lives.

"For now, tell our Demon Army to retreat to the Zabia Kingdom," Felix ordered. "Make the armies of the vanquished nations protect the border. We will use them as cannon fodder and as a diversion to hide our next move."

The Bull Demon King nodded because he very much agreed with this plan. Since they could no longer advance, it was time to change locations and terrorize the undefended areas of the Central Continent.

They would repeat this process in order to help Felix's power grow, until he reached the stage where no one under the realm of Demigod would be his match.

Ahriman secretly told the Bull Demon King that in order for Felix to step into the rank of Pseudo-God, he must first establish himself as someone worthy of being worshiped in Hestia.

Only through the Power of Faith, would one manage to break free from the Demigod Realm, and become a Pseudo-God. Also, there was one last requirement for Felix's ascension, and that was to kill William and eat his heart.

Demons could also grow by eating the hearts of powerful opponents, and William's heart was the most important ingredient for Felix to solidify his rule.

"After we gather our forces in the Kingdom of Zabia, where are we going next?" the Bull Demon King asked.

Felix smiled as he pointed at the Southeastern Region of the Central Continent where a city was located.

"Our next target is the Trade City of Alabaster," Felix declared. "That will also be our gateway to the Silvermoon Continent. After we conquer the nearby territories, we will then set sail towards the Elven Continent, and temporarily leave the Central Continent behind.

"I'm sure that after we're done with that city, and its nearby territories, I will be tired of Human girls. It's time to change the menu, and dine on Elf beauties next."

Felix looked at the distant Elven Continent with anticipation. Since the Silvermoon Continent was prophesied to fall into Darkness, he wanted to be the one to make that happen.

'I guess you're not a big deal after all, William Von Ainsworth,' Felix chuckled internally as he remembered the black-haired teenager that declared that he would have his vengeance when he was still in the Demon Continent.

Felix was already looking forward to burning the Tree of Life that the Elves hailed as sacred. By doing so, not only would he fulfill the prophecy, but he would also accomplish the one thing that his father, Luciel, had failed to do in his lifetime.

'Don't worry, Father,' Felix mused as he thought of his father, who was currently locked up in the prisons of the Zabia Kingdom. 'I will let you witness the fall of the Elven Nation that you failed to conquer. By then, you will realize that you were not only a failure as a father, but a failure as the Demon Lord as well.'

Felix had once aspired to become his father, but after he had gained the power to make Luciel kneel in front of him, his desire to make his father suffer for life had become his second goal in his life.

His first goal of course was to capture William and make him suffer by forcing him to watch while everything he held dear was destroyed right in front of his eyes.

Chapter 1183: Don't Worry, l Will Not Bully You ln The Future

Chapter 1183 Don't Worry, l Will Not Bully You ln The Future

Somewhere in Vanaheim…

William, and the three ladies beside him watched from a distance as a silver-haired Einherjar, and a purple-haired beauty made love on a sea of flowers, under the light of moonlight.

The black-haired teenager as well as his entourage arrived at this spot, and it just so happened that the two lovebirds were busy enjoying each other's warmth after they reunited.

The three ladies beside William didn't say anything and simply watched the scene in front of them, all the while giving side-glances to their Master, who had a calm expression on his face.

Astrea, Bronte, and Titania, recognized the girl as the angelic looking princess that they often saw inside William's Villa in the Thousand Beast Domain.

They were aware of how many women there were in William's life, but the Half-Elf had never made his move on Princess Aila, and only called for her whenever he needed his soul to be stabilized.

The three ladies knew that there was a time and place for everything, so they decided to not ask any questions as they continued to simply watch the sensuous scene in front of them.

The black-haired teenager's memories were recovering at a fast rate as he looked at his past self, and past lover.

Aila had erased all of William's memories of her when he was caught by her Elders and subjected to torture. Since she didn't want him to suffer, she chose to just let their relationship end, so that he could return to Asgard safely.

As the memories of the time he spent in Vanaheim was compiled inside his head, he realized that this particular scene was the prelude to William's suffering.

The day after Aila and him made love, the Elders captured him and brought him to the Silver City of Virdar, where he was imprisoned and tortured.

The Half-Elf sighed internally as he thought of how miserable he had been in the past. Tortured by the Vanirs, and his memory erased by his lover so she could save him. He was so pitiful back then that it wasn't even funny.

If not for the fact that he was a captain of the Einherjar, and the Vanir didn't want to have conflicts with the Asgardians over him, they would have long killed him in order to end the problem once and for all.

Truth be told, he no longer held any attachments to this distant memory. Since everything about his time in Vanaheim had been erased from his memories by Aila, his feelings for her weren't as strong as the ones he had for his other lovers like Wendy, Ashe, Chiffon, and Acedia.

"Let's go," William said when the love making session had ended. "I hope that the three of you were well entertained at my expense."

The three ladies didn't say anything and just followed William with their heads lowered. When they came to this particular world, their Master had told them that they should be ready to fight against Gods. This was something that confused them, but after seeing the purple-haired lady, they felt a strong Divinity inside her body, which made them understand what their Master was trying to tell them.

—--

The next day, William watched as his past self was dragged away by the Elders of the Vanir, despite Aila's pleading to let him go.

The one that ratted Wiliam to the law enforcers of Vanaheim was none other than her best friend, Hnoss.

The lady with long blonde hair and purple eyes was holding Aila back as the authorities took William away so he could be imprisoned in the Silver City of Virdar.

The black-haired teenager had no intention of interfering at this point in time. For some reason, he wanted to see his past self's suffering, in order to fuel the rage that had been lit inside his chest.

A few days passed, and the scene that ended everything finally arrived.

William was brought to the altar of the city, where Aila and Hnoss waited for him.

"Aila, it is better to put an end to his suffering," Hnoss, the seductive beauty with long blonde hair and purple eyes, said with a smile. "Your relationship with him will never be recognized by anyone. If you resist, the elders will just continue to torture him until you agree to end this farce."

Aila lowered her head as a single tear streamed down the side of her face. She knew that her friend, Hnoss, was right. If she continued to be stubborn, the only one who would suffer would be the silver-haired teenager whose entire body was now covered with wounds.

"Will, I'm sorry," Aila said as she pressed her hand over her lover's forehead. "Even if you forget about me, I promise that I won't forget about you. Not now, not until the end of time."

Just before she was about to erase William's memories, a hand gripped her wrist and raised it away from the silver-haired William's forehead.

"Y-You! Who are you?!" Hnoss shouted as she hastily pulled Aila away. "Arrest him!"

The law enforcers, as well as the Elders of the Vanir encircled the black-haired trespasser who had barged into their ceremony and pointed their weapons at him.

"Things will be different this time," William said as a devilish smile appeared on his face. "Kill them now."

As soon as William gave out his order, the law enforcers around him found themselves wrapped in thorny green vines. The thorns pierced through their bodies as the vines squeezed them until the only thing they could do was scream in pain.

A moment later, fountains of blood erupted around the altar as the law enforcers were crushed, with their blood dripping from the gaps in the vines that held them in place.

"You know, I never liked you in the past," William said as he moved towards Hnoss who was holding Aila from behind.

She was using Aila as a shield against him, which made the smile on the Half-Elf's face widen.

"You are like an annoying fly who hovers around good food and spoils it," William commented as he raised his hand. "It's time to put you into your place."

A powerful force blew Hnoss and Aila apart, leaving the blonde-beauty alone to fend for herself.

"N-No! Stay back!" Hnoss shouted. "I am the daughter of an Elder! You can't hurt me!"

William sneered. "Watch me."

The next time the Half-Elf took a step forward, he instantly appeared in front of the stricken lady. His right hand moved to hold her neck into a vice grip, preventing her from moving.

"Any last words, B*tch?"

"N-No! Don't kill me! I don't want to die!"

William chuckled as he used the power of Darkness to corrupt her Divinity. The blonde beauty screamed a blood curdling scream that made Aila, who was watching from a distance, hastily retreat towards the silver-haired William's side.

The Vanirs tried to rescue Hnoss, but they were met by staunch resistance from the three Pseudo-Gods who had started a killing spree.

In time, Hnoss' skin started to wrinkle as her Divinity was forcefully absorbed by William, whose eyes never left her fear-stricken face. The arrogant and prideful Vanir was gone, and was replaced by a lady whose face was stained by tears and snot.

"F-Forgive me! I don't want to die!" Hnoss pleaded. "I don't want to die!"

"I forgive you," William replied. "Now, die."

Hnoss screamed as her entire body turned pitch-black before crumbling into ashes.

Before his memories were erased by Aila, his past self wished that he could kill Hnoss and skin her alive. This was one of the ways he could fulfill that goal and, to his surprise, William truly enjoyed killing the Vanir, who had caused his relationship with Aila to fall apart.

After Hnoss' death, the Vanirs were enraged and immediately went all out to kill them.

William welcomed them all and joined his subordinates in killing as many as they could, while Aila, and the silver-haired William watched in horror as the vain Deities of Vanaheim died one by one.

"Enough!"

A shout that held a powerful Divinity forced William and the three ladies to stop their rampage immediately.

"So, you were also there," William muttered as he looked at a majestic chariot pushed by two giant cats. "Freya."

The Goddess Freya looked down at William with a complicated face, while a legion of Valkyries hovered beside her. Among them was Wendy, who was looking at the bruised, and chained, silver-haired William, who was being held by Aina.

"Stop this at once," Freya ordered as she raised her hand to stop the Vanirs from attacking William and his entourage. "If I knew that things would end up like this, I would have personally made my move."

The beautiful Goddess sighed. Her voice was filled with regret as she looked at the hundreds of Vanirs that had died on the altar.

"Well, this is what you get for abandoning your Einherjar," William replied in a voice filled with contempt. "Were you entertained?"

Freya glared down at William, but the latter stared back at her with a fearless gaze. Even though he knew that he wasn't a match against the beautiful Goddess, he would not step back and fight her head-on.

"Leave," Freya ordered. "Much blood has already been spilled. This conflict ends today!"

William chuckled as he made a gesture for the three ladies to follow him. However, before he left, he glanced at Aila who was holding unto the chained William with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I will not bully you in the future," William stated. "The grudge I have with you ends here today."

The purple-haired beauty looked at the black-haired teenager in confusion, but the latter only chuckled before turning into a lightning bolt that flew towards the sky.

William heard the distinctive breaking sound within his sea of consciousness that proved that the shackles, grudge, and helplessness that bound him in Vanaheim, had finally been broken.

Chapter 1184: The Three Of You Will Make Great Valkyries

Chapter 1184 The Three Of You Will Make Great Valkyries

"M-Master. What is happening here? Where are we?"

Titania, who was the most level-headed among the deities that served under William, couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her eyes.

Her body shuddered as she looked at the millions of Giants that walked the land, and the Gods that led them to battle.

Astrape and Bronte weren't doing well either. Both of them had grim expressions on their faces as they looked at the countless monsters in front of them that could easily trample any Empire in existence.

"We are in Asgard," William replied as he looked at the Monsters in the distance with a calm expression on his face. "What you are looking at is the prelude to the end of a world. Take a good look at it. Hopefully, you don't see the same scenery in Hestia."

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania, couldn't help but shudder at the mere thought of such a vast army appearing on their homeworld. There was simply no escaping or resisting against such forces even if all the races in the world worked together to stop it.

Sensing their anxiety, William didn't say anything and simply ordered them to watch. He had already personally witnessed this scene, so this wasn't new to him. However, for the three Deities, seeing such formidable opponents made them realize that the power they had was nothing compared to the power of True Gods.

As the battle unfolded, the three Deities saw how the All Father, Odin, was eaten whole by the World Wolf, Fenrir.

How Thor died after killing the giant serpent, Jormungandr.

How the gatekeeper of the Bifrost Bridge, Heimdall, died together with the God of Tricks, Loki, in the one-on-one duel that they had.

They watched until a single warrior stood at the forefront of the battlefield, resisting the unstoppable wave that threatened to drown him without mercy.

"Master…," Titania muttered as she gazed at the black-haired teenager by his side. "Are we not going to help?"

William snorted. "Will helping make a difference? Deep inside, you don't want to fight against those behemoths, right?"

Titania lowered her head because she couldn't look William in the eye. She only said these words, but in truth, she didn't really want to help. The mere thought of fighting against a God of Destruction made her heart tremble.

"The three of you don't have to do anything," William stated. "Just watch."

The last remaining Einherjar, lifted Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, and tried to stop the God of Destruction, Surtr, but all of his efforts were futile. In the end, he crashed on the ground, and watched helplessly as the Fire Giant raised his sword of destruction and slashed it towards Yggdrasil.

However, before the blazing blade could even touch the World Tree, dark flames collided with it, blocking its advance.

William stood in front of Yggradrasil, holding his wooden staff and unleashing the full might of his Demigod Powers.

"Puny Insect," Surtr stated. "Die along with this world!"

The flames on the sword intensified, as it slowly pushed William towards the tree of Yggdrasil. David's wooden staff was indestructible, so it was able to hold off that flaming sword, but the difference in strength was quite obvious.

A Pseudo-God was weaker than a God.

Right now, William's rank was only that of a Demigod, so there was no possible way for him to win against a God that even Pseudo-Gods couldn't defeat.

Suddenly, a black lightning bolt hit Surtr's chest, making him take a step back.

Astrape came to William's aid and unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts in order to help her Master.

Surtr roared and slashed his blade towards Yggdrasil, unleashing a hellish inferno that threatened to burn everything in its path.

Bronte appeared in front of the blaze and unleashed a thunderous roar that pushed away the flames that threatened her sister's and Master's lives.

A moment later, a gigantic thorny vine slapped Surtr's face, causing the giant to take another step back from the attack that came out of nowhere.

Titania stood in front of William with her butterfly wings spread wide, her green eyes that had been filled with fear a while ago, were now burning with determination.

"The three of you are going to die, you know?" William stated as he stood centered behind the three girls who were standing in front of him.

"I don't mind dying on a grand stage like this, Master," Astrape replied. "For some reason, fighting, knowing that the world will end after I fail, makes my heart skip a beat. It is as if I am the last hope that stands between destruction and survival. It's an amazing feeling."

"I feel the same," Bronte replied. "If this was Hestia, I'm sure that I would do the same. Even though there is no chance of winning, dying in this manner isn't half bad at all."

Titania didn't reply and simply held the green whip in her hand tightly. Although she wasn't really fond of battles, if push came to shove, she would put her life on the line in order to protect the world she lived in.

"The three of you would make great Valkyries," William said with sarcasm as he moved to stand in front of the three ladies. "I'm sure that all of you will be welcomed in Valhalla."

Even though his words were filled with ridicule, if one looked closely, the corner of his lips was raised a little, forming a light smile.

"Let's go," William said as he summoned Stormbringer to fight by his side.

He then pointed his wooden staff at the God of Destruction and his minions, who had started to charge in their direction.

With unyielding determination, he charged right at them with the three ladies following not far behind him. Shouting the words that he had not spoken for a very long time.

"For Asgard!" William roared as black flames covered his body.

The flames of Destruction, and the flames of Darkness clashed against each other.

A moment later, a loud explosion shook the entire world which was headed down the path of destruction.

Chapter 1185: Goodluck, Dark Prince, Don't Make Us Wait Too Long

Chapter 1185 Goodluck, Dark Prince, Don't Make Us Wait Too Long

William looked at the clear blue skies, as he laid down on the grass with tears blurring his vision.

These were not tears of frustration, but instead, tears of acceptance.

He and his three beautiful subordinates had fought valiantly, knowing that there was no chance of winning. The enemy was simply too strong, and the four of them couldn't change the fate of the world that was engulfed by the flames of Destruction.

The black-haired teenager allowed his tears to fall because it was part of the healing process. Boreas' trial was about settling the regrets that a person had faced in his lifetime. If he was unable to realize what they were and face them head-on, they would be trapped in an Infinite Loop until they drew their last breath.

Now he understood why only a single person was able to return to the Elven Lands after passing Boreas' trial. That person didn't even dare to challenge Hyperborea because what could a single person possibly do by himself?

After several minutes had passed, William finally wiped the tears from his eyes, as he propped himself from the ground.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania stood a few meters away from him. They had recovered faster than William, and they allowed him to take his time to shake away his lingering attachments to the world of Asgard that had long been brought to ruin.

William scanned his surroundings and found himself on a riverbank surrounded by amber colored, weeping poplar trees. Several white swans could be seen on the river's surface, as they enjoyed the eternal spring that this place had.

In the distance, he saw a tall, snow covered mountain. At its center, one could see a giant, golden temple, which was very eye-catching.

"Master, is that Hyperborea?" Astrape asked as she pointed at the golden temple in the distance.

William nodded. "Yes. That is the reason why we came to this place."

After the Half-Elf answered Astrape's question, a loud screech was heard above their heads.

Sepheron, the Black Phoenix, made his appearance and descended from the heavens. He landed several meters away from William and bowed to his Master, asking him to ride on his back.

The black-haired teenager had wondered where Sepheron had been after he and the three Deities were taken into that dream-like world, which was filled with William's past regrets and grudges.

"Have you been here since the beginning?" William asked as he rested his hand on Sepheron's forehead.

The Black Phoenix nodded in reply.

"So, it was only us who entered the trial," William muttered before mounting the Black Phoenix's back.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania did the same. Only when all four of them were firmly mounted on his back did Sepheron spread his wings and fly towards the sky before turning to head to Hyperborea, where the Dungeon of Appolon was found.

When they arrived at the entrance, they were met with three ladies, whose beauty didn't lose to the Deities in William's entourage.

"We greet you, Dark Prince," one of the ladies said before giving William a brief nod. "We welcome you to Hyperborea. My name is Opsis, and these are my sisters, Loxos, and Hekaergos.

"We are the Nymphs that guard the Temple of Hyperborea. We are also the final trial you will face in the Dungeon of Apollon. Your arrival was written in the stars, so we already know your reason for coming, and have come to welcome you."

"You have come to welcome me?" William asked with an amused smile on his face. "You said that you already know my reason for coming. Does that mean that I can take the Dungeon of Apollon with me?"

"No," Loxos, the other maiden beside Opsis replied. "We came here to tell you that when you reach the last floor of the Dungeon, you will be facing the three of us in battle. Do you still wish to continue?"

William glanced at the three ladies before realizing what they were trying to say. At first, he didn't sense it immediately because they were suppressing it. But now, he realized that the three beauties in front of him were Pseudo-Gods.

Right now, he had four Pseudo-Gods by his side, so he had the advantage in numbers. However, as if reading his thoughts, the last of the three Nymphs, Hekaergos spoke.

"The Black Phoenix will not be allowed to enter the Dungeon," Hakaergos said. "We will not allow those that have been tainted by Darkness to set foot in our Domain."

William frowned because he didn't expect the three Nymphs to impose a rule on them.

"Is that also the reason behind why Sepheron didn't receive Boreas' trial?" William inquired.

The three Nymphs nodded their heads in unison.

"He is not qualified to take the trial or step foot inside the Dungeon," Loxos stated. "The only reason why we even allowed him to step foot in this temple was because he didn't break any rules. As such, we tolerated his existence."

Sepheron, who was clearly hated by the three Nymphs, pretended that he didn't understand what they were talking about and just stared in the distance. Although his strength would significantly decrease without the Black Phoenix helping him clear the dungeon, the Half-Elf still thought that the battle was fair if it was 3 vs 3.

He was also curious to see what kind of abilities the three Pseudo-Gods had. He still had the capacity to make a contract with one more Pseudo=God. Because of this, he wanted to know who among the three Nymphs was the best, so that he could form a contract with her after he had conquered the Dungeon of Apollon.

"Now, please, enter the Dungeon," Opsis stated. "We will wait for you on the highest floor. Goodluck, Dark Prince, don't make us wait too long."

Opsis smiled before she and the two Nymphs by her side disappeared. Her words carried a trace of ridicule, as if she was taunting William to climb the dungeon as fast as he could in order to meet them.

The Half-Elf took Opsis' words as a declaration of war, so he immediately ordered for Astrape, Bronte, and Titania to enter the dungeon with him.

He was curious to see just how long the Nymph would ridicule him after he faced her in battle.

Chapter 1186: Please Be Gentle.lt ls My FirstTime

Chapter 1186 Please Be Gentle.lt ls My FirstTime

(Disclaimer: You guys got pranked with the title. :P )

"I see. So, this is what they meant when they said good luck," William muttered as he looked at the first floor of the Dungeon of Apollon with contempt.

The Half-Elf then raised his head to look above him.

On the highest platform of the Garden of Apollon, the three Nymphs were looking down on him with ridiculing smiles on their faces.

"The three of you better wash your necks," William declared. "When I get up there, I promise that I'll give the three of you a beating."

"That is a Big IF, Dark Prince," Opsis replied. "Get up here first then we'll talk. All I hear from up here is the whining of a loser."

"You wench!" Astrape shouted. "How dare you talk to my Master that way?!"

Before Astrape could say more words, William raised his hand, signaling her to back down. The Lightning Deity held back her words as she glared at the three Nymphs in contempt.

"Let's get this over with," William said as he took a step forward. However, just as he took that one step, a beam was shot from the top of the Dungeon, which bounced off its walls.

The black-haired teenager was forced to take a step back just before the beam hit the place where he had stepped, creating an ice pillar.

"Shameless!" Bronte said through gritted teeth.

"Very shameless, but effective," Titania commented from the side.

The Dungeon of Apollon was just a tall tower with several platforms that could be considered as floors.

There was a wide open space at the center of it, which allowed the challengers to gaze at the highest floating platform where the Nymphs were staying.

From that platform, the Nymphs could freely attack the challengers, while dealing with the monsters and traps that were placed all around the dungeon.

The annoying part was that they couldn't fly directly to where the Nymphs were, because there was an invisible layer that prevented them from doing so.

There was one more problem. The attacks of the Nymphs bounced off the walls and instantly reappeared where they wanted them to go, making evasion very difficult. Simply put, the Nymphs could attack them anytime, anywhere, using their blindspots.

However, as long as they managed to step into the Safe Zone, the Nymphs were unable to target them, which allowed them to take a breather.

Right now, William and his subordinates were in the Safe Zone of the first floor. They still had half a platform to cross before they could reach the next platform which would bring them to the second floor.

"Master, what are we going to do?" Bronte asked. "I can probably take a few hits myself, but if the three of them were to attack me at the same time, I would find it very difficult to defend against them."

William closed his eyes as he pondered their next move. Even if his subordinates were to shield him along the way, they would still be eliminated before he reached the 50th Floor. When that happened, he would have to defend himself against the three Pseudo-God's attacks, in addition to all the monsters and other traps, without aid, which would lead to him being eliminated as well.

"If only we could break past the walls, we might have a way to reach the top unscathed," Titania commented.

"Break?" William muttered as he opened his eyes. "Let's give it a try."

William rested his hands on the wall of the Safezone in front of him. He then channeled his flames of corruption, alongside his Rulebreaker ability, to forcefully take over the first floor of the dungeon.

Little by little, the flames spread throughout the surroundings of the first floor. None of the monsters were hurt because he didn't target any of them. What he was doing was slowly corrupting the dungeon, one square meter at a time.

"I-Impossible!" one of the Nymphs, Loxos, gasped in disbelief. "He is trying to conquer the Dungeon by corrupting it!"

Opsis and Hekaergos also realized what William was doing. Although it was slow, his method was slowly enveloping the entirety off the first floor of the dungeon with the power of Darkness.

An hour later, the entire first floor was under the black-haired teenager's control, which made the three Nymphs lose their composure.

William then removed his hands from the wall and panted.

"That was harder than I thought," William said after he regained his composure. "Bronte, come I need your blood."

"Yes, Master," Bronte stepped forward as she brushed her hair away from her neck to allow her Master to drink her blood.

William didn't hesitate to drink as much as he needed, until he recovered his strength. Bronte was a Pseudo-God, and her blood allowed William to corrupt two more floors in a span of an hour.

The three Nymphs could only watch helplessly because their attacks failed to reach their targets because they were standing in the safe zone.

The black-haired teenager was using the rules of the Dungeons, which the three Nymphs were proud of, to fight against them without even moving from where he was.

After Bronte, it was now Astrape's turn to offer her blood to William. An hour later, two more floors were corrupted, raising the number of floors to five.

"Please, be gentle," Titania said as she hugged the Half-Elf. "It is my first time."

This was the first time that William was going to drink Titania's blood because the black-haired teenager had refrained from doing so.

The Fairy Queen, who looked like someone in her early twenties was an otherworldly beauty, and William had, on more than one occasion, fought the urge to make love to her.

However, right now, he didn't have the leeway to appreciate her beauty and charm because there was only one thing on his mind, and that was to make the three Nymphs, who had ridiculed him, kneel and beg for mercy.

Titania's legs gave way after William finished drinking his fill of her blood. The Fairy Queen's face was flushed after she had experienced the bitter-sweet-euphoria that washed over her body the moment William's fangs sank on her delicate neck.

Now she finally understood why Astrape, and Bronte, eagerly awaited their turn to have William drink their blood.

Even she, a Pseudo-God, whose resistance was far above that of an ordinary mortal, couldn't help but be addicted to the sensation that she had just experienced.

The Half-Elf didn't even bother to spare her a glance as he focused on corrupting the Dungeon, one floor at a time.

Two hours later, the number of floors that William had brought under his control were nine, making the three Nymphs feel as if a cold, sharp, blade was pressed against the back of their necks.

Chapter 1187: A Man of Character

Chapter 1187 A Man of Character

"Shameless! If you are a man, challenge this dungeon fair and square!"

"That's right! What kind of Dungeon Conqueror are you? You should be called the Shameless Conqueror!"

"If you continue like this, you won't be popular with the ladies, you know?"

The Three Nymphs started to nag at William from the highest platform of the Dungeon of Apollon. Earlier, the three of them were taunting William because he and his group couldn't even take a step outside of the Safe Zone without receiving their attacks from their blindspots.

But now, they were like crazed cats whose tails had been stepped on, as they asked William to challenge the Dungeon fair and square, while they were the ones that were playing dirty tricks from the very beginning.

William turned a deaf ear to the three Nymphs that had lost their composure. After several hours, he managed to conquer twenty five floors in total before he called it a day.

He didn't think that conquering a Dungeon in this manner was possible. However, it took a lot of effort on his part to do so. If the three Nymphs didn't attack him or his subordinates, they might have already breezed their way up to the 50th Floor by now.

However, since the three Nymphs were playing dirty, he didn't have a choice, but to use a roundabout method to bypass their petty tricks.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania had pale faces due to the loss of blood, but all three of them had satisfied looks on their faces as they laid down on the Dragon Emperor Size Bed that was capable of holding twenty people at a time.

This was the bed that William had installed inside his room, because the other beds were not big enough to hold him and his wives, whenever they all decided to sleep together.

The three Deities had already drunk a high quality Rejuvenation Potion, but the effect wasn't an instant one. It would take the potion a few hours to replenish the three Deities' strength because of their rank, so William decided to let them rest for the time being.

The black-haired teenager laid down in the center with Astrape and Titania hugging his arms on either side. Bronte, on the other hand, was hugging her sister, as she hugged William.

He made sure he cast a soundproof barrier around them, so that the noisy Nymphs couldn't disturb their sleep.

An hour later, even the Half-Elf fell asleep due to how tired he was.

—--

Day 2 inside the Dungeon of Apollon…

"Bastard! I challenge you to climb this tower all by yourself. Do you dare accept my challenge?!"

"What Dark Prince? From now on, you are the Shameless Prince! If I was your mother, I would have definitely cursed myself for giving birth to such a shameless child!.

"Hmph! What a weakling. Only hiding under the skirts of girls and can't even man up? You've failed as a Human being!"

When that day was over, William had managed to corrupt the Dungeon up to the 50th Floor.

—--

Day 3 inside the Dungeon of Apollon…

"Hey, how about you climb the tower the normal way? We promise that we won't attack you anymore."

"That's right. It was just a misunderstanding earlier. All of us are civil beings. We can always talk things out, you know?"

"When I first saw you, I knew that you were a man of character. As expected, no ordinary person can be the Dark Prince!"

When that day was over, William had managed to corrupt the Dungeon up to the 70th Floor.

—--

Day 4 inside the Dungeon of Apollon…

"Such an amazing person. You sure have fortitude and endurance. Truly the makings of a great hero!"

"I agree! Look at how devilishly handsome he is. If I was her mother, I would have praised the Gods for allowing me to give birth to such a handsome son!"

"I've seen a lot of Humans, but you are the best by far. How about you and I get to know each other a little better?"

When that day was over, William had managed to corrupt the Dungeon up to the 80th Floor.

—--

Day 5 inside the Dungeon of Apollon…

"..."

"..."

"..."

When that day was over, William had managed to corrupt the Dungeon up to the 90th Floor.

—-

Day 6 inside the Dungeon of Apollon…

The Nymphs had long given up on trying to talk to William and just prepared for the upcoming battle with him.

Due to Boreas' Trial, no creature had managed to step foot inside the Dungeon of Apollon. Even if they did manage to arrive, they would have instantly been defeated and turned into ice sculptures by the Nymphs who guarded it zealously.

William had finally been able to corrupt the Dungeon up to the 99th Floor, which only left the final platform where the three Nymphs were located.

The Half-Elf didn't challenge them right away, but ordered his subordinates to rest. Right now, the three Deities were in no condition to fight because of the loss of blood. Although William had sparingly drank after the first day, it still took a toll on their bodies, even with the help of the high-quality Rejuvenation Potions.

William allowed the three Deities to rest for a few days, to ensure that they regained the ability to fight. The Half-Elf knew that if Astrape, Bronte, and Titania weren't in peak condition, their progress in the Dungeon would all be for naught.

This was why he allowed them to rest, and consume potions, while ignoring the three Nymphs who had grown silent the past few days.

Finally, on the tenth day since William entered the Dungeon, the three Deities finally recovered their full strength and were ready to fight against the three Nymphs who had annoyed them from the beginning.

When William and his entourage stepped onto the flying platform, they were greeted by a bombardment of spells, which heralded the final battle against the three Nymphs that had guarded Hyperborea since the day of its inception.

Chapter 1188: Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part1]

Chapter 1188 Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part1]

Without any warning, the three Nymphs unleashed their attacks at William and his subordinates.

The Half-Elf had already anticipated this and warned Astrape, Bronte, and Titania beforehand. Although their enemy took the initiative, they were able to block the attacks because they came prepared.

However, it didn't take long for William and his subordinates to realize that the three Nymphs weren't going to be easy.

Opis, who was at the back of the formation of the three Nymphs unleashed several arrows without care if they hit or not. The Nymph who specialized in aiming, fired five arrows every second without stopping.

Loxos, who stood in front of her, made subtle gestures which caused the arrows that missed their targets to change their trajectories as if they were bouncing off an invisible wall, making sharp turns and curves that were normally impossible to do.

The Nymph, Loxos, specialized in trajectory. As long as she could sense her opponents, Opis' arrows would always find their target, even if they were able to dodge the initial attack.

The last Nymph, Hekaergos, specialized in distance. No matter how far away the targets were, or how fast they were moving, she would be able to mark them and allow Loxos to set their trajectories without fail.

William frowned because their enemy's teamwork was on a different level. There were no blindspots that he could exploit. Even Astrape and him, who could practically move at the speed of a lightning bolt would always find themselves facing a deadly arrow that was jam packed with the three Nymphs combined Divinities.

The Half-Elf also realized that the longer the battle progressed, the more disadvantageous it became for them. Titania had already focused on deflecting the arrows that were targeted at her and William.

Although the three Nymphs tried to disguise their attacks, the majority of the arrows targeted William, which forced the Fairy Queen to focus entirely on defense.

Astrape and Bronte were doing their best to close the distance between them and the Nymphs, but their opponent specialized in long distance warfare.

The three Nymphs flew away as they continued to pummel the invaders of their Domain with attacks that left no room for error.

'These girls are tougher than I thought they would be,' William thought as he pondered a way to reverse their current situation.

With Titania focused solely on protecting him and herself, the one-on-one scenario that he thought up at the beginning fell apart.

Astrape and Bronte, who were tasked with the role of attacking, were unable to close the gap between them and their enemies, making the situation worse with each passing minute. In the end, William was forced to order a retreat as they descended on the safe zone of the 99th Floor to rethink their strategy.

"Hahaha! Is that all?" Opis taunted. "I was expecting more from you, Dark Prince."

"Hmph! Just because you conquered the lower floors doesn't mean that you've won," Loxos sneered.

Hekaergos didn't say anything and simply stared at William with a serious expression on her face. After what had happened a few days ago, she no longer underestimated her opponent and was worried that the Half-Elf would be able to think of a way to defeat their strategy.

William sat cross legged on the safe zone as he and his subordinates discussed the battle that had just transpired.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania were quite frustrated because, just like William, they thought that they would be fighting the Nymphs one-on-one. They never thought that their enemies' abilities perfectly complemented each other, forcing them to endure their barrage without managing to successfully pull off a counterattack even once.

'I hate to admit it, but they are strong,' William said via telepathy to prevent their enemies from listening to their conversation. 'We need to change our strategy in how we fight against them.'

'I agree,' Titania replied. 'We can't beat them because their teamwork is out of our league. We need to compensate for the lack of coordination between our attacks."

'There is also one thing I discovered during the battle,' Astrape commented. 'Although I am in my peak condition, I was unable to unleash my full power. It was as if the last floor had some kind of restriction that limits our strength.'

Bronte nodded in agreement. 'I noticed this, too. Although the decrease in strength isn't that big, it still feels uncomfortable not to be able to go all out.'

William rubbed his chin as he took in the observation of his subordinates. He also noticed the decrease in their fighting strength, but with the help of Optimus' calculation, they managed to gather enough data to prove that their strength had decreased by 10%.

It wasn't much of a decrease, but that was still enough for the Nymphs to gain a subtle advantage over his subordinates.

After discussing with Optimus, the System gathered the information about the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class and found a loophole that they could exploit. Although this hadn't been tested in the past, and no records of it was found in the continent, Optimus believed that all Dungeon Conquerors had this innate ability.

< My guess is that none of the Dungeon Conquerors revealed this secret to the public, which is why no one knew that this possibility existed. >

'Only a fool would expose this,' William replied. 'Although it is unfounded, it is worth a try.'

After letting his subordinates drink a rejuvenation potion and rest for an hour, they once again entered the 100th Floor and engaged in battle against the Nymphs.

Just like what happened earlier, Titania focused on defending William, while Astrape and Bronte were busy trying to attack the Nymphs using their long distance attacks.

William observed the battle from where he stood, but that was only a cover of what he was trying to do. With Optimus working with him, the two were busy trying to locate the key that would allow them to gain victory over the Nymphs who were nearly untouchable.

Chapter 1189: Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part2]

Chapter 1189 Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part2]

"Retreat!"

William's voice resounded on the battleground and Astrape and Bronte immediately turned back to go to the 99th Floor's Safe Zone.

Opis and Loxos continued to taunt William for their failed attempt to beat them, but Hekaergos was starting to have doubts.

This was the fourth time that the black-haired teenager had ordered a retreat, and she found this mildly disturbing.

"Hey, don't you think that there's something wrong?" Hekaergos asked. "They're using the same strategy over and over again, despite knowing that it is futile."

"You worry too much," Opis replied. "What can they possibly do but use that strategy to fight against us? I mean, if you put yourself in their shoes, wouldn't you be doing the same?"

"That's right!" Loxos agreed. "How can they possibly break past our offense? It is still a hundred years too early for them to defeat us!"

Hekaergos frowned, but she couldn't refute her sisters' words. Right now, there was simply no way for William's group to reach them. Even so, she still felt that something was wrong.

Only crazy people would repeat the same thing over and over again, despite knowing that the end result would be the same.

Every hour that passed, William's group would attempt to fight them, but the skirmish would only last for a quarter of an hour before their group retreated.

This happened twelve more times, and Hekaergos thought that she might just be overthinking things. However, on William's 13th attempt, something changed.

The moment William's group stepped foot on the 100th Floor, they immediately flew towards the Eastern part of the floor, which baffled the three Nymphs.

"Don't let your guard down, continue to attack!" Loxos shouted as she urged Opis to continue firing her arrows.

Opis nodded and commenced a merciless barrage of attacks at their opponents, whose backs were turned against them.

Titania was at the very rear of the formation and summoned giant roots, and vines to block the three Nymphs combined attacks.

When William's group stopped moving, Hekaergos felt an unprecedented danger in her heart that she had never felt in her life.

"Quick, stop them!" Hekaergos shouted as she aggressively condensed all of Opis' attacks into one gigantic golden arrow that shone brightly like the sun.

The wind whistled as the giant arrow shot towards William like a rocket.

However, before the giant arrow could even hit their targets, William, as well a his subordinates, disappeared without a trace.

A moment later, the three Nymphs shuddered as they felt an ache in their chests. It was as if someone was gripping their heart and playfully squeezing it.

"T-This! But how?!" Opis said as he placed her right hand over her chest.

"No. It can't be…. This is impossible!" Loxo who was panting for breath said through gritted teeth.

Hekaergos bit her lips because she finally realized what had happened. William had done the unthinkable, and it was something that they didn't guard against due to their confidence in their ability to strike them from afar.

Opis collapsed on the ground, as she squirmed in pain. Loxos wasn't faring any better because they felt as if the skin on their bodies was forcefully being peeled off.

'It's over,' Hekaergos thought as she kneeled on one knee, while enduring the painful experience.

She could feel that the Dungeon Core of the Dungeon of Apollon was slowly being conquered by the Half-Elf who had managed to enter the Dungeon Core Room by finding its exact location on the 100th Floor of the dungeon.

They never expected that the Dungeon Conqueror had this ability. If they did, they would have protected the entrance of the Dungeon Core room with their lives on the line.

Every second that passed was torture.

Every minute that passed felt like years.

Finally, after an untold time had passed, a portal opened in front of them, and the black-haired teenager, as well as his subordinates, emerged from it.

"What's wrong?" William asked with a devilish smile on his handsome face. "Does it hurt?"

The three Nymphs glared at him hatefully. They felt resentment because the Half-Elf had played a dirty trick, and didn't honor the tradition of battles for the right to reach the Dungeon Core's room.

"We refuse to serve you, Cheater!" Opis said through gritted teeth. "I would rather die than serve someone as shameless as you."

"You don't have the qualifications to become our Master," Loxos spat, hurtling spittle onto William's leg. "I refuse to yield!"

William nodded before looking at Hekaergos, whose lips were bleeding. She had bitten her lip too hard, while enduring the pain in her body.

"My sisters and I do not approve of the way you won this battle," Hekaergos stated as she stared fearlessly at William. "However, I know that if we refuse, you will simply corrupt us. Regardless of our will, we will follow your orders because our memories will be wiped clean. The only reason why you're not doing it is because you are afraid that we will lose our effectiveness in battle if you use that method. Am I right?"

"Yes," William replied.

"So, a compromise?" Hekaergos inquired.

William nodded. "A compromise. Serve me for one year, and I will set the three of you free. I will also revert the corruption of this Dungeon, and return it to its former state."

Titania, who heard this, glanced at William with a face filled with injustice. Her contract with him lasted for three years, and yet, the Nymphs would only need to serve him for a year before they were free?

The Fairy Queen sighed at the unfair treatment that she was receiving.

Hearing William's compromise, the three Nymphs glanced at each other. However, there was a trace of doubt and suspicion in their eyes. The Half-Elf's offer was too good to be true, so it was perfectly fine for them to become suspicious.

William waved his hand and a contract appeared in front of him. Taking a pen, he wrote his conditions and passed it to Hekaergos, who seemed to be the smartest among the three Nymphs.

In the contract, it stated that in return for serving him for one year, the Nymphs must never betray him and fight for him with utmost loyalty. They would also not be forced to surrender their bodies to him, unless they wished for it.

Having their blood drunk once a week was also part of the condition.

After a year had passed, William would restore the Dungeon of Apollon to its natural state, and free the Nymphs from servitude.

Hekaergos passed the contract to her sisters, and allowed them to read it. After cross checking the conditions of the contract several times, they didn't find anything that seemed detrimental to them.

They had seen how often William drank the blood of his subordinates, and the Nymphs thought that this was perfectly normal. Getting their blood drunk once a week was not a problem for them, so they didn't have any issues with it.

"Are you really going to honor these conditions?" Loxos asked. "You are the one that made this contract. It will be very easy for you to break it, no?"

"You are a Pseudo-God," William replied. "Can't you feel the Divinity that is present in that contract?"

Loxos frowned before channeling her Divinity on the contract to check what William was talking about. A few seconds later, a shriek escaped her lips as she dropped the contract on the ground as if she had touched something very hot.

"G-God Contract," Loxos stuttered. "That is a God's Contract."

Opis and Hekaergos took turns to examine the contract and found out that it was indeed a God's Contract. Since this contract was governed by a powerful God, even William wouldn't be able to go against the conditions written in it.

"Fine, I will agree to these conditions," Hekaergos said as she wiped away the blood on her lips with her thumb and used her blood to imprint her thumb on the contract.

Opsis summoned an arrow and lightly pricked her thumb to also sign the contract with her blood. Loxos was the last one to sign.

When all three Nymphs had signed the contract, the document turned into particles of light and shot toward William's and the Nymph's chests, binding them to the rules of the contract.

Titania who saw this scene, sighed in her heart. Even though it was only for a year, her Master had gained three additional Pseudo-Gods. With the return of Sepheron, the black-haired teenager now had seven Deities under his command, making him the strongest among the factions who were vying for dominion.

"Well then, now that it's settled, the three of you are now my subordinates," William said. "Since that is the case, it is time to perform your duties. You, the noisy one, come here."

William pointed at Loxos, who immediately stiffened due to the mischievous smile on the Half-Elf's lips.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!" Loxos backed away while pressing her hands over her chest. "The contract stated that you can't force us to surrender ourselves to you. Have you forgotten?"

"What are you talking about?" William asked back with a frown. "You're just a midget, and you're not as appealing as you think you are."

Loxos was the youngest of the three sisters, and the most vocal of them all. William could still remember the taunting words that she had said over the past few days, and had long decided to punish the little girl for cursing him.

"T-Then why are you asking me to come to you?"

"I want to drink your blood."

Although she was only half a hand taller than Chiffon and Medusa, William only thought of her as a naughty, spoiled kid that needed some discipline. Although his face was calm, he was already planning to pay the noisy brat back by drinking his fill.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania, who heard William's words, only said "Ah!" as if realizing the Half-Elf's plan.

'Master is so sly.'

'So, this method is also possible.'

'She will definitely regret her earlier taunting. My Master seems to be a person that carries grudges.'

The three Deities understood that William was about to turn Loxos' head into mush due to the pleasure of having her blood drunk.

Although they were offering prayers to the little girl in their hearts, they couldn't help but feel envious of her as well.

After all, for Deities like them, such feelings were a luxury that they may never encounter again in their lifetime.

—---

An hour later, a drooling Loxos and Opis lay on top of the Black Phoenix that had just flown out of the mist that covered the Forbidden Ground of Hyperborea.

Hekaergos allowed her currently unconscious sisters to rest on her lap, as she looked at the back of the black-haired teenager that was standing in front of her.

William had spared Hekaergos, and only punished Loxo and Opis. He didn't resent her much because the second oldest among the Nymphs hadn't continued to taunt him like her sisters did while they were battling.

On that day, the Nymphs understood that William's condition of letting him drink their blood was the hidden ace that the Half-Elf possessed.

Although he couldn't force them to surrender themselves to him against their wishes, he was able to make them submit to him using other means, which was very hard to defend against because it was one of the conditions in the contract.

'We've been tricked,' Hekaergos thought helplessly as she looked down at her two unconscious sisters, whose eyes had rolled up into their sockets and their tongue lolling at the side of their lips.

'Our New Master, might be our first and last master in this world,' Hekaergos bit her lip as she used her hands to close her sister's eyes and return their tongues inside their mouths. 'I think we really have sold ourselves to the devil.'

As if hearing her thoughts, William turned around and gave her a smile that made the Nymph's once proud heart shudder in both fear, and anticipation, of what was about to befall her and her sisters in the future.

Chapter 1190: You're Lucky You Still Have Your Use

Chapter 1190 You're Lucky You Still Have Your Use

After Sepheron had safely exited the boundaries of the Forbidden Ground of Hyperborea, William returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, alongside the three Nymphs.

Opsis, and Loxos were still unconscious, so the second eldest, Hekaergos, took them to the rooms that were assigned to them to get a proper rest.

Meanwhile, William called Chloee, and Princess Aila to his room to talk about something important.

However, when the two girls arrived at William's room, they found the Half-Elf almost collapsed near his bed and panting for breath.

Immediately, Princess Aila went to William's side and assessed his situation. Her face became grim when she noticed that the instability in William's soul had progressed to a dangerous degree.

Chloee helped the Princess carry William to the bed, as the latter endured the pain that was wracking his entire body.

Optimus had advised him that taking the three Nymphs as his subordinates at the same time was dangerous. According to the System, William could only have one more Pseudo-God under him.

However, the Half-Elf had figured out that the three Nymphs worked as a set. If only one of them was taken, their effectiveness in battle would decrease drastically.

After doing some computations, Optimus told William that if he was really adamant on getting the three of them to sign a contract with him, he could only have them for a month. More than that and it would become extremely dangerous for William because, right now, he was only using a quarter of his soul.

If his soul was half-complete then it would have been possible. Unfortunately, the other half was hiding inside the Bell of Amalthea to prevent it from being corrupted by Darkness.

The black-haired teenager knew that a month was not enough. After taking out the plans he had in mind, he needed the help of the three nymphs for at least a year in order to reach the goals he had set for himself.

Although he knew that he was taking a gamble, he decided to push it through, and rely on Princess Aila to stabilize his soul on a regular basis. Unfortunately, he had underestimated the stress that the three Nymphs placed on his soul, which had made it incredibly unstable.

Princess Aila immediately used her Life Magic in order to stabilize William's soul that was nearing its limit. As soon as the Princess' Life Magic washed over the Half-Elf's body, the progression of his soul's instability came to a halt.

However, the angelic beauty knew that what she was doing was simply a stop gap measure in order to prevent William's soul from collapsing. If she stopped supplying him with Life Magic, the Half-Elf would lose control of himself, and probably go berserk.

After a few minutes passed, the black-haired teenager managed to gain a semblance of normality as she looked at the serious looking Princess, who was using her power to the fullest.

"Why?" Princess Aila asked. "I already told you that you can only have one more Pseudo-God as your subordinate. Why did you do something reckless?"

"... Because I am greedy," William replied. "Tell me, Aila. Is there a way to salvage this situation?"

The Princess reluctantly nodded her head as she told William the two ways she knew would help stabilize his soul.

"The first method is for the other half of your soul to merge with yours, and be corrupted by Darkness," Princess answered. "By doing so, the burden will be less and your soul will stabilize. However…"

The Princess couldn't say the rest of his words, because she was afraid of what would happen if the last piece of William's soul was also corrupted by Darkness. Although she wasn't a hundred percent sure, the black-haired teenager in front of him was still a caring individual despite the corruption in his soul.

The reason for this was due to the half that was still not corrupted. She could almost say that the last piece of William's soul had now become his heart, and conscience. Preventing him from fully becoming a ruthless individual who only cared about the end result, without care for the sacrifices that needed to be paid to achieve his goal.

William also understood this, so he just waited for the Princess to say the second method of stabilizing his soul.

"The second is for me to share my Life Magic with you," Princess Aila stated. "Ashe gave you half of her heart in order to transfer half of her life force to you. This method I am talking about is something similar, but instead of life force, I will need to transfer more than half of my Life Magic to you."

"What will happen to you if you do that?" William asked.

"My healing ability's effectiveness will decrease, and I will be in a constant state of lethargy," Princess Aila answered with a complicated look on her face. "Also, I will feel drowsy most of the time, due to the side-effect of having my Life Magic being drained on a regular basis."

"Will your life be in any danger?"

"No. But there is a chance that after a year, I will lose my magic completely. I will be lucky if it just hibernates and returns after a year or two."

William sighed internally. Deep inside, he was fine with having a piece of his soul hiding inside the Bell of Amalthea, but the current situation had already progressed to such a degree that he had no choice but to negotiate with his other half.

Perhaps, his other half also realized this because he felt something warm spreading in the black gem on his chest.

Princess Aila who was closely observing William's condition immediately realized what was happening and panicked.

"No. Stop!" Princess Aila said. "The other half of your soul can't be corrupted! I don't want to lose the current you."

"Aila, I.. no, we, didn't want to impose on you," William replied. "This is the only way."

Princess Aila shook her head. "No. You don't understand. If you do this, what will give you the confidence that you won't forcefully take my power after the other half of your soul is corrupted? I'm sure that the moment you have completely been consumed by darkness, you will just treat everyone as tools to an end. I don't want that to happen. I'd rather give you my power willingly, than have it forcefully taken from me later on!"

William frowned. The warmth in his chest stopped spreading, as if also understanding the logic of the Princess' argument. For now, the connection he had with his other half remained strong as they both looked at the Princess in front of them.

"So, you're going to sacrifice yourself for us?" William asked. "You know I don't really think of you as my lover. Even if you do this, my feelings will probably not change."

"I don't care," Princess Aila answered. "I'd rather do this willingly, than deal with the you who will emerge after you have been completely taken over by darkness."

—---

Somewhere in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods…

The Primordial Goddess clicked her tongue as she looked at the angelic beauty in the crystal ball in front of her.

"I should have dealt with her earlier," the Primordial Goddess said with an annoyed look on her face.

However, the reason she hadn't done that was due to the fact that the instability in William's soul was also worrying to her. Even with the power of Darkness, half of the Half-Elf's soul was already gone. The remaining quarter, which was under her influence, was still unable to support the power of Darkness, and needed time to adapt to his current state.

This was why any contracts that would empower the Half-Elf would cause his soul to shift. Princess Aila was needed to balance this issue because even a God like her, needed to abide by certain rules when it came to the natural balance of the world.

She was not like Ahriman, who had broken the rules more than once. Although nothing was happening to the God of Darkness and Chaos in Hestia, the great powers that bound even Gods like them wouldn't stay idle for long.

"You're lucky you still have your use," the Primordial Goddess muttered. "If not, I would have already advised William to corrupt you completely."

Princess Aila's Life Magic was one of a kind. She was similar to Eve, whose power of Divinity was sought after by the Gods. Even Ahriman treasured her because of her limitless potential, and kept her safe from the chaos that was happening around her.

"Just this once," the Primordial Goddess said softly as she glared at the angelic princess inside the crystal ball. "Never again."

The Primordial Goddess closed her eyes before waving her hand. The image on the crystal ball disappeared, and it disappeared within the Darkness. What she was after was the other half of William's soul, which was being protected by the power of Amalthea. As long as that other half was corrupted, her ideal Prince would appear in the world of Hestia.

Chapter 1191: Sweet Surrender [Part 1]

Chapter 1191 Sweet Surrender [Part 1]

Chloee sighed as she closed the door on William's room.

After seeing Aila's outburst earlier, she decided to leave and guard the door to prevent anyone from interrupting the two as they had a serious talk with each other.

—-

"Are you sure about this?" William asked. "You can still turn back."

"I'm tired of being the one who is being protected all the time," Princess Aila replied as she stared stubbornly at the black-haired teenager in front of her. "Now, it's my turn to protect others. It's my turn to protect you."

William closed his eyes. The next moment, he found himself standing within his Sea of Consciousness. Half of it was shrouded in darkness, while the other half had blue skies, and a sea that was crystal clear.

The two halves of William's soul stared at each other with helpless expressions on their faces.

"What should we do?" the black-haired teenager asked his other half. "Are we really going to accept her proposal?"

"You're the one that is currently in charge, so it's up to you to decide," the red-headed teenager replied.

"What do you feel about Aila?"

"Do you even need to ask? Both of us were there in the Trial of Boreas. You should know by now how you feel about her."

The black-haired teenager sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Once we do this, there is no turning back," William said with finality.

The red-headed teenager nodded his head. "I understand."

"So, we both agree?"

"Yes."

The black-haired teenager nodded. "Say, tell me, if you were in my place, would you have made the same decision?"

"I knew you were going to ask me this question," the red-headed teenager smirked. "Just like you, I would have done the same. However, I just want to say one thing to you."

"And that is?"

"Do the right thing."

The black-haired teenager snorted at his goody-two-shoes half who was giving him a teasing smile.

"Let's do this together. No tricks."

"Fine."

—--

(Disclaimer: Slight R-18 scenes past this point. If you are not comfortable in reading this. Please skip the rest of the chapter).

When William opened his eyes, he felt something soft pressing against his lips. He didn't resist it and held the soft, and delicate body of the woman who had decided to sacrifice herself for his sake.

After the kiss ended, the Half-Elf stared at the angelic beauty in front of him and pressed her hand over his chest.

"Let's do this properly," William stated. "Come with me."

Princess Aila nodded and allowed William to take her to the bathroom. Once they were inside, the Half-Elf kissed the princess' lips, as his hands gently took off her robe, and let it fall down at her feet.

A blush crept on the angelic beauty's face, when William stared at her beautiful body, after he had removed her undergarments.

"If the second son of the Chieftain of the Kyrintor Mountains could see you now, he would probably die of regret for not being able to marry you," William teased, making the redness in the Princess' face turn a shade redder.

In the past, Princess Aila was supposed to marry into the Northern Tribes in order to create an alliance between them and the Dynasty that was planning to invade the Hellan Kingdom.

William got in their way and kept the marriage from happening.

What the Half-Elf didn't know was that Princess Aila had long felt indebted to him, and wanted to return the favor by learning how to wield Life Magic effectively, in order to help him in the future.

She just didn't expect that the help that the Half-Elf needed would require her to offer herself to him, in order to save his life.

The angelic beauty shuddered when the cold water fell on her body. However, William's hands, which were hot, made sure that her every nook and cranny was washed properly.

It didn't take long before the two soaked inside the bathtub, facing each other. The Half-Elf's hands fondled her soft curves, forcing the princess to close her lips to prevent herself from letting out a sound.

William felt reinvigorated by simply touching the angelic beauty's body because she was simply a vessel for Life Magic.

As he touched her, he could feel his body naturally absorbing the power inside her in small quantities. This was enough to stabilize his soul for the time being, as he prepared the beauty in his arms for what was about to come.

The next moment, a gasp of pleasure escaped Princess Aila's lips after William's naughty hand brought her to climax, the Half-Elf knew that she was now fully ready to accept him.

Carrying her in a princess carry, and using his magic to dry both of their bodies. The black-haired teenager took her to the bedroom.

There, he laid her down on the bed and kissed her lips once again.

Princess Aila liked William's kisses. She liked them so much that whenever their lips parted, she would feel a longing inside her heart, waiting for the next time he would press his cold, and devilish, lips over hers.

She didn't know if William was doing it on purpose, but everytime they kissed, she felt as if he wanted to corrupt her, but was holding himself back.

The thought of being tainted by the devilishly handsome man, whose strong and lean body was holding hers, made her innocent heart tremble.

The Half-Elf then used his hand to lightly knead her well shaped breasts, which had never been touched by any man in the past. Her pink tips responded to his touch, and enticed the Half-Elf to pay attention to them as well.

The angelic princess' body shuddered the moment William lightly bit her breast, drawing blood.

Immediately, a euphoric sensation invaded her senses, making her mind turn completely blank for a few seconds.

Princess Aila subconsciously held the back of William's head as she offered herself fully in sweet surrender.

In return, William enjoyed her offering as his right hand moved downwards to tease the gates of her garden, which were eagerly waiting to part for his seed, love, and affection.

Chapter 1192: Sweet Surrender [Part 2]

Chapter 1192 Sweet Surrender [Part 2]

[Disclaimer: R-18 scenes. If you are not comfortable with this, feel free to skip this chapter]

—------

Princess Aila's sweet sighs reverberated inside the room, as William's soft caress and gentle kisses made the angelic beauty shudder under his touch.

"Will… I can't take it anymore," Princess Aila pleaded. "Please…"

William licked the blood that streamed down on Aila's tender breast before kissing the mark to completely heal it. He then raised his head to look at the beautiful Princess whose lips moved as if they were inviting him to kiss them.

"You love kissing, don't you?" William asked as he kissed her forehead.

"I don't know if I love kissing or not," Princess Aila replied as she cupped William's face. "What I do know is that I love kissing you."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Perhaps."

William pressed his lips over Aila's soft lips and inserted his tongue inside her mouth. To his surprise, Aila's tongue eagerly intertwined with his, as if she had been longing for his kiss.

'Perhaps, this is the side-effect of drinking her blood,' William thought.

He knew that whenever he bit someone to drink their blood, they were filled with a sense of Euphoria, which made their bodies hot, and sensitive to his touch. This was why when he drank Opis' and Loxos' blood, he made sure to take his time and drink their blood as slowly as possible.

The two Nymphs, who had never been touched by a man, weren't prepared to face such a prolonged sense of pleasure, which turned their brains to mush. By the time William was done with them, the two had already lost consciousness with their tongues lolling out of their mouths.

He could feel the heat coming off of Princess Aila's body, as well as her Life Magic that made him feel very comfortable.

As he kissed her, William's right hand was busy caressing her other lips, which were now creating wet sounds due to his insistent touch.

Aila's body trembled as she reached her second climax.

The black-haired teenager allowed her to catch her breath, while looking at her young, angelic body, which seemed to be radiating a faint light.

"Aila, I'm going to take it now," William said softly. "This is your last chance to turn back."

Aila's face was flushed from the aftermath of the climax she had just experienced. However, she was still able to think clearly, and reached out to hold William's hand.

"I already made my choice," Princess Aila replied. "All I ask is that you do it gently."

William nodded as he lightly squeezed Aila's hand, before parting her legs.

The angelic princess looked at the man who was about to make her his woman with tender eyes. She didn't know if William would lose control of himself and corrupt her after they made love. But, she was not afraid.

Princess Aila knew that even if she was corrupted with Darkness, William wouldn't treat her as a slave.

A moment later, a gasp escaped her lips as William lowered his hips to and took away her chastity.

Due to how wet she was, Willam's member managed to reach deep inside her until it kissed the entrance of her womb.

Suddenly, William felt a strong surge of power enter his body. It was none other than Princess Aila's Life Magic, which she had gathered in her womb.

It was the place where life was born, and where the angelic beauty's' Life Magic reserves were stored.

Princess Aila was like a treasure chest that was waiting for someone to take the treasures that she kept inside her. That person was none other than William, who held the key to unlock her most precious treasure.

'This is so much,' William thought as Princess Aila's Life Magic nourished every part of his body, as well as his soul.

It felt so comfortable that he had almost forgotten that he was in the middle of making love with her.

After taking hold of his senses, he moved his hips slowly at first, until Princess Aila got used to it before increasing his pace.

Soon, Aila's sighs of pleasure, as well as the sound of their bodies joining could be heard inside the room.

In truth, the Princess was slowly starting to feel weak because William was absorbing all the power inside her body. The black-haired teenager noticed this too because he could feel the magic in her body decrease at a rapid rate.

Even so, that didn't stop the two from making love with each other. Slowly but surely, something strong was building up inside Princess Aila's body, which made her feel fearful. This was the first time she was feeling something like this, and the pleasure was so strong that she was afraid that she would faint the moment she reached her third climax.

William could also feel that he was reaching his limit. Just as he was about to release his seed inside her, a strong urge to corrupt her took hold of his mind.

At that exact moment, the gem embedded in his chest glowed faintly, erasing the dark thoughts that had taken hold of his body.

The next second, the black-haired teenager's body shuddered as he released his essence directly into Princess Aila's chaste womb, which made the angelic beauty's body arched upwards.

The princess' mind turned blank as her body twitched a few times before it lay motionless on the bed. Her climax was so strong, that even though she was unconscious, her body was still reacting to the aftermath.

When the last drop of William's seed was released inside her, a pink crest appeared on her lower abdomen.

This was the proof that the Princess had been conquered by William, allowing him to take her Life Magic from her at any given time, even though they were far apart.

Originally, the plan was to take two-thirds of her Life Magic in order to stabilize his soul.

But after sensing how weak Princess Aila was becoming as he drained her power, William decided to take the alternative route, and simply used a method, so that he could extract Life Magic from her gradually, instead of taking everything from her.

This method would allow the Princess to replenish her magic reserves safely.

Right now, William had absorbed a third of the angelic beauty's life magic, stabilizing his soul, and preventing it from collapsing.

When William pulled out after their union, his seed, mixed with the blood of Princess Aila's chastity, flowed into the white sheets. As the Half-Elf looked at the unconscious Princess, whose body was glistening with sweat, his heart stirred because he understood that the angelic beauty lying in front of him was now his woman.

William kissed Princess Aila's cheeks before hugging her soft, and delicate body.

"I will take responsibility," William whispered in Princess Aila's ear. "Thank you, Aila."

Just like Chloee, and Charmaine, he had already decided to make the angelic Princess his concubine. After kissing Aila's lips for the last time, William also closed his eyes to sleep. Although his soul had stabilized, he needed to rest in order to adjust to his newfound strength, which was given to him by the beauty in his arms, unaware that after he returned to the Silvermoon Continent, a surprise would be waiting for him.

Chapter 1193: l Think l Got Addicted To Kissing You

Chapter 1193 l Think l Got Addicted To Kissing You

—---

When Princess Aila opened her eyes, she found herself being held in a warm embrace.

As she turned her head to the side, she saw the black-haired teenager sleeping peacefully beside her.

Recollections of what happened a few hours ago flashed inside her head, making her face blush in embarrassment.

'That's right, I surrendered myself to him,' Princess Aila thought as she closed her eyes to inspect William's body.

Since the Half-Elf was hugging her, she was able to immediately check his condition through skin contact. The Princess sighed in relief after checking that William's soul had stabilized after their union.

She could even feel the faint traces of her life magic, wrapping his soul in a protective shell, holding it firmly in place.

For some reason, she felt a sense of pride that she was able to help the young man, who had made her a woman, just a few hours ago. It had always been William who was helping her. Now, she managed to return the favor that had accumulated over the years.

'I'm glad that you're fine.' Princess Aila moved her head close to the Half-Elf and kissed his forehead. 'A world without you, is a world without color.'

She wasn't afraid about waking up the black-haired teenager because the latter wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Princes Aila knew that William had entered a form of hibernation, so that his soul could fully recover from the trauma that it had experienced.

Although she was reluctant, she still gently pried away the hands that held her in place. After propping herself up, she looked at the aftermath of their lovemaking and once again blushed in embarrassment.

William's seed had overflowed from her nether lips, and pooled on the white sheets, staining it with their combined colors. The traces of red that could be seen here and there reminded her of the unbelievable pleasure that she was subjected to.

Her eyes then moved to William's lower half, and was surprised to see that it was still lively, as if waiting for the chance to do another round.

'Unbelievable,' Princess Aila thought as she gazed at the thing that had taken her maidenhood from her. 'Are all boys like this after making love?'

The angelic beauty had no one to compare this situation to because Wiliam was her first man.

After a while, she decided that she should make the Half-Elf as comfortable as possible.

The first thing that Princess Aila did was wave her hand to clean the mess that was left after their union. A few seconds later, the sheets had returned to their pristine white, leaving no evidence of the events that happened a few hours ago.

The next thing she planned was to carry William's body to the bathroom. Originally, she thought that she needed to drag him there. But, when she lifted his body, she was surprised to discover that she could carry him easily.

Although he wasn't as light as a feather, his weight was just right. Not too heavy, and not too light.

Princess Aila could easily clean William using her Life Magic, but for some reason, she wanted to experience what it was like to wash him with her own hands, just like what he did to her last night.

William's body had now become warm, unlike the past where his touch was as cold as ice. The angelic beauty didn't know if this was a side-effect of her Life Magic or not, but the changes in his body were a big check in her book.

'How do I wash this thing?' Princess Aila thought as she stared at Little William, who was standing tall and proud. It was as if he was challenging the Princess to go two-hundred rounds with it, non-stop.

In the end, the princess just used her soft, and delicate hands to gently caress and clean the little guy, who twitched under her touch.

When everything was over, she took William to soak in the bathtub, while she washed herself.

A few minutes later, she joined him in the water and held him tight.

'You know, I can't help but feel jealous of Belle,' Princess Aila said. 'I can tell from my memories that you treasure her so much, even though the two of you are worlds apart. Sometimes, I want to return this memory to you, so that you won't look cold and unfeeling. But, since you told me that doing so would be dangerous, I will keep these precious memories in my heart, until the day you have once again embraced the light.'

Princess Aila kissed William's lips for a few seconds.

'I think I got addicted to kissing you,' Princess Aila thought. 'Just as I got addicted to taking your memories in the past. Also, I discovered something interesting…'

Princess Aila held the back of William's neck as she propped herself, kneeling on the bathtub. Aila moved her breast closer to William's lips, and the latter reacted by parting his lips to allow the hard, and rosy tip to enter his mouth.

A moment later, William started to suckle like a baby, which made the angelic beauty giggle.

"Since you like milk that much, I'll give it to you," Princess Aila said softly.

Her power was Life Magic, and anything that had the ability to nourish life was under her domain. A few seconds later, breastmilk entered William's lips.

'It's a pity that you're still asleep,' Princess Aila mused. 'If this was me a day ago, I'd probably faint from embarrassment if you were to ask me to do this for you. But now, I feel like I am able to do something that your other lovers couldn't do.

After her maidenhood and a third of her Life Magic was taken away from her, Princess Aila felt as if she had been liberated. She was now willing to try new things, and she felt that she gained more confidence as a woman.

'Okay, that's enough for now,' Princess Aila said as she pulled her breast out of the mouth of the big baby that was still eager for more.

Just as she was about to carry the Half-Elf back to the bedroom, the latter's eyes opened.

"You've become bold, Aila," William said as he looked at the Princess whose face had turned completely red from shock and embarrassment.

Aila jumped back and turned to flee, but before she could even jump out of the bathtub to run towards the bedroom, the Half-Elf's strong arms wrapped around her body, holding her in place.

"W-Will, I'm sorry," Princess Aila stuttered as she did her best to look down. "I got carried away."

"Yes. you got carried away," William agreed. "But, I don't dislike this new you."

"E-Eh? You don't think it is weird?"

"No. Not at all, in fact…"

William lightly squeezed Aila's breast, allowing a few drops of breastmilk to come out from her pink tips.

"I'd prefer if you let me drink this from time to time," William added. "You will let me drink it, right?"

"... Un."

"Good," William said as he stopped squeezing the angelic beauty's breast, and made her turn around to face him. "I said this when you were asleep, but I'll say it again. Thank you, Aila."

William kissed her lips for a few seconds before pulling back.

"I will take responsibility," William said. "From this day onwards, you are now my woman. Do you understand?"

Princess Aila teared up after hearing William's words. When she helped him, she wasn't expecting anything in return. She even thought that this was only going to be a one time thing, and the Half-Elf wouldn't disturb her ever again.

"Why are you crying?" William asked as he wiped the tears that were falling down from her face. "You don't want me to take responsibility?"

"I want!"

"Good."

William smiled and carried the angelic beauty back to the bedroom and made love with her again. Only when the sun was at its Zenith did the two finally stop, and re-emerge from the room while holding each other's hands.

Chloee, who had stood on guard the entire time, gave William a look of injustice. Even so, seeing that the person she loved was now no longer in danger from going berserk made her happy.

"So, is Aila now your new concubine?" Chloee asked as she gazed at the angelic Princess, whose face had turned beet red.

"Yes," William replied. "Please, get along with her, Chloee."

"Okay, on one condition."

"Condition?"

Chloee whispered something in William's ear, which made the latter give her a gaze of "Are you for real?"

As a succubus, it was very easy for her to see such things, and she felt jealous because William still hadn't given her a similar mark, despite staining her soul with darkness.

However, seeing that Chloee wasn't backing down, the Half-Elf agreed to her request. The succubus had noticed the change that had come over Princess Aila's body, as well as the pink crest that had turned invisible.

"I'll do it with you tonight, okay?" William stated. "First, we will return to the Sacred Grove. We have been away from the Elven Capital for a long time. I just hope that nothing unexpected has happened while we are gone."

Chloee nodded her head in understanding. All communications had been cut off the moment they arrived inside the Forbidden Ground, so no news about the Silvermoon Continent reached them.

Now that the Half-Elf had added three additional Pseudo-Gods in his arsenal, those who dared to underestimate him would find themselves in a world of pain.

Chapter 1194: Arwen's Two Penpals

Chapter 1194 Arwen's Two Penpals

William took one more rest day to fully stabilize his soul before instantly teleporting to the Sacred Grove through his weapon, Soleil.

He had left Soleil in his mother's care, which allowed William to instantly travel back to the Elven Capital, after he finished his conquest of Hyperborea.

The moment the Half-Elf appeared inside the Sacred Grove, several explosions were heard in the surroundings, which were signs of fighting.

He immediately went to investigate and found that Charmaine, and the other Valkyries, were fighting against two ladies, in the skies away from the World Tree.

"Oh, welcome back, Will," Arwen, who was watching the battle from afar, said as she hugged her son and kissed his cheek in greeting.

"Mother, what is happening?" William asked. "Who are those two girls?"

Arwen blinked as she looked at her son in surprise. "Superbia and Invidia. You don't know them?"

"Should I know them?"

"Eh? I thought that they were your wives or something, since all the sins were your lovers."

This time, it was William's turn to blink as he looked at his mother with a calm expression on his face.

"This is the first time I'm seeing those two," William explained. "What are they doing here?"

"Um, actually, the two of them are my penpals," Arwen said in an awkward manner. "We've been exchanging letters for the past few years, and I would boast to them about you from time to time. Since both of them were Demons, they couldn't come and visit me here in fear that they would be attacked by the Elves, as well as our guardians.

"However, since I told the Guardians and the King, that two of your acquaintances were coming, they allowed them to pass the borders unchallenged."

William tilted his head to the side as he looked at the two members of the Deadly Sins that were fighting against Charmaine and her comrades.

"Superbia, and Invidia," William muttered. "The two last remaining members of the Seven Deadly Sins. Mother, can you explain why Charmaine and the others are fighting them?"

"Ah. I didn't know why, but when Charmaine saw them, she yelled that they were part of Felix's group," Arwen answered. "Then her friends joined her in battle, and pushed them away from the World Tree. But, the way I see it, Superbia and Invidia are just dodging and blocking their attacks."

William nodded his head in agreement. The two members of the Deadly Sins were surrounded on all sides, but they weren't counterattacking and merely blocking the attacks.

"Chloee, make them stop," William ordered as he opened a portal beside him.

The beautiful Succubus gazed at the fighters in the sky, and nodded her head with a smile.

A moment later, a loud explosion sounded in the air as the Succubus joined Charmaine and the others in dealing against the two sins, who were now forced to attack in order to defend themselves.

"..."

"Will, I guess you should go there yourself before someone gets hurt. Although they are Demons, they are still my Penpals, you know?"

William sighed before turning into a lightning bolt to fly in the direction of the battle. As soon as he appeared, Chloee stuck out her tongue and backed away in a hurry.

She had been itching for a fight for a while now, and seeing that something interesting was happening, she wasn't able to stop herself from joining the fray.

"Master, those two are our enemies!" Charmaine shouted as her winged horse hovered beside William. "They were there during the battle in Ahriman's Domain."

"First, calm down," William ordered. "All of you stop fighting."

As soon as William gave out his order, everyone immediately stopped fighting. He then gazed at the two ladies in front of him, who were also looking back at him with an appraising look.

Superbia, who was said to be the strongest of all sins, aside from Wrath, looked at William with a fearless smile.

"Well met, William Von Ainsworth," Superbia said. "Your mother has told us many things about you."

"And she hasn't told me anything about the two of you," William replied. "What are you doing here in the Silvermoon Continent? Did you come here to spy for Felix?"

Invidia, who represented the Sin of Envy, scowled after hearing Felix's name. It was as if the name alone was enough to make her puke, and she hated the fact that she was being grouped with the lecherous bastard.

"I'd greatly appreciate it if you don't lump us with that filthy thing," Invidia stated. "We didn't come here to spy for him, or to spy for the Demon Race in general. We came here to talk to you."

"Talk to me?"

"Duh?"

Superbia rested her hand on her friend's shoulder. She knew that Invidia was starting to vent her frustrations about being attacked by William's forces even though they came peacefully.

"Forgive my friend here," Superbia said. "Our journey has been long and rough. Just as we thought that we were about to get some rest, we were suddenly attacked, and were forced to go on the defense to prevent the situation from escalating."

William nodded in understanding. "For now, let's go to the Sacred Grove to talk. My mother asked me to take both of you there."

Just as William was about to leave, Invidia called out to him in a grumpy voice.

"Aren't you going to make your subordinate apologize?" Invidia asked. "They attacked us even though we meant no harm."

"Apologize?" William asked. "My subordinates don't need to apologize. They are here to protect my Mother and the World Tree from harm. Since they were not aware that you came with peaceful intentions, attacking you was the best course of action. Tell me, if Felix were to approach you and invite you to his bedroom with the excuse of wanting to 'just talk', would you agree to it?"

"No way. I'd fight him to the death before that happens."

"Yeah. My subordinates did just that."

"What kind of logic is that?! This and that are different things!"

William chuckled as he looked at the Sin of Envy who was glaring at him. From her witty comebacks, he assumed that Invidia was someone who liked to quarrel with people.

"Let's go," William said as he ignored the fuming beauty and led his subordinates back to the World Tree.

Superbia whispered something in Invidia's ear, making her friend grumpily follow behind William's entourage.

They had fled from the war in the Central Continent with the excuse that they were going to scout the Silvermoon Continent to see what preparations the Elves were making for the war.

In the past, the two ladies thought that supporting Felix was a good idea. They didn't like the way the Demon Lord Luciel did things in the Demon Realm, so they supported his son so he could usurp his throne.

They didn't expect that the man that they had chosen to support wouldn't live up to their expectations, so they decided to leave.

The two of them could tell that Felix was looking forward to having his way with them and taking their powers, just like he was doing now with the ladies in the Central Continent.

If not for the fact that Superbia and Invidia had supported him before he became the Dark Heir, he would have already pinned them down and forcefully corrupted their bodies.

To this day, Felix still thought that the two Sins were still enamored with him, so he decided to let them carry out their Scouting Mission, while he enjoyed the beauties of the kingdoms he conquered. That was his greatest mistake, because it allowed Superbia and Invidia to escape, and jump ship to William's side, far away from his grasp.

Chapter 1195: William's Long Desired Mobile Fortress

Chapter 1195 William's Long Desired Mobile Fortress

"You don't have to worry about the High-Priestess. She is treated like a Princess," Superbia said. "Not even Felix dares to come near her in fear that he would suffer Ahriman's Wrath."

"That's good to hear," William replied. He had been quite worried about Eve's condition, so this was the first thing he inquired about after the two ladies had been served some tea and desserts by a grumpy Charmaine.

"Still, we didn't expect to find that you had put the entirety of the Silvermoon Continent under your thumb," Invidia commented after taking a sip of her tea. "Color me surprised. Compared to that degenerate, you're quite promising."

William ignored Invidia and continued to ask Superbia questions, treating the Sin of Envy like air. This in turn made the lady with short-green hair resent him.

Superbia could tell that William was doing this on purpose. Perhaps, the black-haired teenager found the teasing of her friend interesting, so he decided to purposely ignore her.

Because of this, Superbia stopped answering the Half-Elf's question and only looked at him with a sweet smile, that was enough to rot someone's teeth.

The black-haired teenager understood what Superbia was doing, so he gave the green-haired demon a side-long glance before standing up and leaving the room.

William understood that the two had come to seek asylum under him, so he was the one that had the advantage. For the time being, he decided to leave them hanging, and let his mother handle the rest.

Although he still had more questions to ask, he needed to make the two ladies understand that the one that needed him was them, and he didn't need them.

Superbia, who saw William's actions, shook her head helplessly.

'This person is indeed worthy of being the Dark Prince,' Superbia thought. 'Since he has the upper hand, he's decided to make us meet him on his own terms, and not the other way around. What a troublesome fellow.'

Invidia, who didn't know what her friend was thinking, just focused on eating, drinking, and chatting with Arwen. Since they had been penpals for a long time, they had plenty to talk about with each other.

—-

"Lilith, I need to talk to you about something," William said as he lightly tapped his earring, whose pair was on the Amazon Princess who was currently in the Tower of Babylon.

"Will? What's wrong?" Lilith's familiar voice reached him even though the distance between them was vast. "The Central Continent is in turmoil right now. Did you finish conquering Hyperborea?"

Even though they were far apart, William and Lilith would often talk to each other in order to exchange information. Since Lilith was in the Tower of Babylon, she was able to gather all the news from the continent through the City of Babylon that spread around the tower.

"I have conquered Hyperborea, and increased my forces once again," William stated. "However, I called you for a different reason. Superbia and Invidia are currently here in the Silvermoon Continent, and chatting with my mother. What can you tell me about them?"

"Oh, those two?? All I can say is that Invidia is like a honey badger that will attack anyone with words if they provoked her," Lilith answered. "Superbia, well, surprisingly that girl is quite level-headed. She's probably the smartest among all of us, and her fighting ability is nothing to scoff at. Most of us think of her as the de facto leader of the Deadly Sins."

"I see."

"What happened? Why are the two of them there? Did they come to spy on you? Will, even though they are my sisters, if the two of them are a threat to you, feel free to Jam it in."

William blinked because he thought that he had misheard his fiance's words. However, in order to change the subject, he no longer wanted to continue the discussion and asked her a few more questions relating to the Central Continent.

"As you expected, the Holy Order seems to be holding back its forces," Lilith reported. "It seems that they just focused on containment and not eradication. The excuse that they are giving is that the civilians are innocent, and the armies of the various conquered Kingdoms are under enslavement magic.

"They don't want to needlessly spill the blood of Humans, and only want to kill the Demons responsible for everyone's suffering."

William snorted. "The Pope will regret her decision later. If things continue like this, the unity of the alliance will break, and all of them will just focus on defending their own kingdoms. When this happens, they will just be easy pickings for the Demon Race, who have the backing of Pseudo-Gods."

Lilith became silent before she spoke her worries.

"Will, do you think the Tower of Babylon is safe? What if they decide to attack here."

"You have nothing to worry about. They will be making a big mistake if they poked the hornet's nest. Ahriman is not stupid. The moment his army marches towards the Tower, will be the moment they will all be erased from the face of the world."

Lilith didn't know why William sounded so confident, but decided to trust him for the time being.

"Aside from Superbia and Invidia, has anything else happened in the Silvermoon Continent?" Lilith asked.

William paused for a brief moment before answering her question.

"Aila is now my concubine," William answered. "Also, I will be challenging Atlantis in a few days. After that, I will mobilize all the forces of the Silvermoon Continent to head towards the Central Continent."

"Hah… I knew that Aila would become one of your lovers sooner or later, so that doesn't come as a surprise," Lilith commented. "However, the dungeon of Atlantis' final floor is very dangerous. Are you now confident that you can win?"

"I have at least a 60% chance of success," William replied. "With my current forces, I am confident that I will be able to subdue the Pseudo-God that guards the final floor."

Lilith fell silent when he heard Willliam's confident voice. She missed him terribly, but her Patron Goddess had told her to stay away from him for the time being because he might corrupt her soul.

William also didn't want that to happen, so when Lilith said that she would stay on the Floor of Asgard, he agreed to her request and left her behind.

"It's finally come to this," Lilith said after a few minutes had passed. "Will, be careful. I will be waiting for your triumphant return to the Central Continent."

"Wait for me, Lilith. I will be there soon."

"Mmm."

After their talk ended, William returned to the Thousand Beast Domain to make his final preparations.

The Dungeon of Atlantis was the first hundred-floor-dungeon that he had encountered. It was hidden under the ocean and was constantly on the move while being guarded by the Demigod, Leviathan.

However, what Wiliam didn't know was that Leviathan was also a Pseudo-God. The Guardian Beast had just lowered its strength because its existence alone would destroy the ecosystem of the surrounding area as Atlantis traveled aimlessly in the deep, and dark, waters of the world.

"Thanks to Aila's power, I have enough strength to put one more Pseudo-God under my command," William muttered. "Atlantis. It's time for you to once again rise up to the surface, and show the world a power that has long been forgotten."

William had long wanted to have a mobile fortress like Avalon, but since it was under Malacai's command, he couldn't get it.

However, Atlantis was different. It was a city that could be controlled by the person that gained the recognition of Leviathan. Although he didn't know how he was going to be able to do that, he would worry about it once he had conquered the Dungeon of Atlantis first.

He didn't believe that with the combined might of eight Pseudo-Gods, he would be unable to wrest the city of Atlantis from Leviathan's grasp.

Chapter 1196: The Dark Prince's ReverseScale

Chapter 1196 The Dark Prince's ReverseScale

A few hours later, just as William finished having dinner with his mother, Superbia asked him to talk in private with her and Invidia.

The Half-Elf agreed because he wanted to know what the "leader" of the Seven Deadly Sins wanted from him after they had chatted with his mother that afternoon.

Superbia told him to meet them in a location that was three miles away from the Sacred Grove.

William thought that the two sins asked this of him because they didn't want to feel intimidated by the ladies that were always by William's side. The two Sins were especially wary of Astrape, Bronte, and Titania, whose strength was something that neither of them couldn't gauge.

"I'm here," William said as he arrived at the promised location. "What do you want to talk about?"

Superbia smiled before reappearing in front of William to deliver a blow that contained the full power of her divinity.

The Half-Elf only had time to move his body to the side at the unexpected surprise attack that he didn't see coming.

"Got you!" Invidia, who was standing not far from William, shouted as a whip-like weapon coiled itself around William's leg. "This is what you get for ignoring me!"

The whip turned purple and William immediately felt a stinging pain on his leg. It was also at that moment when a series of notifications appeared on his status page.

< You have been poisoned by the Divinity of Envy >

< Your reaction time will decrease drastically >

Before William could even finish reading the rest of status ailments that had been applied to him, he saw Superbia's fist out of the corner of his eye and immediately used his fist to deflect it to the side.

Right now, William's strength had been temporarily degraded to that of a Myriad Beast, which allowed the two Deadly Sins to fight him on even ground.

A series of powerful explosions rocked the surroundings as William exchanged blows with Superbia.

Although he was able to turn his body around, he was unable to move from his spot as if was being held in place by an invisible force, which prevented him from dodging, or escaping.

Left with no alternative, he met Superbia's blows with his own, making the latter flash a devilish smile, as if she had met an opponent that she could go all out on.

Invidia knew that something must be done in order to break the stalemate. Although she didn't hate William at first, the Half-Elf's attitude of ignoring her had made her quite resentful, so she decided to teach him a lesson that he would never forget.

The Sin of Envy lunged at the Half-Elf with the intention of punching his face until she had vented her frustration.

William sensed her sneak attack, so after blocking Superbia's attack, he twisted his body around to deliver a kick to the approaching green-haired beauty to send her flying. However, just as he turned around to deliver the blow, he saw a pink-haired girl with her arms pulled back in preparation to punch him.

The momentary lapse in judgment due to seeing someone he loved appear in front of him caused William to receive Superbia's blow from behind, and Invidia's blow on the chest.

The Half-Elf endured the pain, and unleashed a barrage of punch and kicks, which forced the two ladies to back away from him.

"Heh, it seems that you really like Gluttony," Envy, who had taken Chiffon's appearance, said with a smug expression on her face. "Although this appearance is a bit stuffy for my taste, I don't mind using it if it will make you suffer."

Superbia didn't say anything because this was one of Invidia's ability.

The Sin of Envy could freely change her appearance for a short period of time, and even gain the power of the people whose form he had taken, with the exception of the power of their Divinities.

For example, she could use Chiffon's Martial Art Skills, but she couldn't use the power of her Gluttony, which could eat almost anything in existence.

"Wait, I have a better idea," Envy said before changing her appearance to Princess Sidonie who was the most beautiful among all of the Deadly Sins. "this suits me better, right?"

By default, Envy could copy the appearance of the Seven Deadly Sins without any problems. In order for her to copy someone's appearance, she should have seen them personally first and imprint their image in her mind using her divinity.

She could use the faces, as well as the powers, of those whom she had copied with her Divinity for an hour everyday.

One could even say that she was the most flexible fighter among the Seven Deadly Sins because of this specialty of hers. This was why Felix was the most interested in her because if he managed to gain Invidia's Power, he could practically infiltrate the alliance and wreak havoc within their ranks.

Superbia knew about this, so she decided to take her away from Felix, and prevent her from being deprived of her powers.

Using Princess Sidonie's appearance, Invidia created two giant fireballs and hurled them at William. She wasn't afraid about burning the Half-Elf to a crisp because she believed that if he couldn't even handle this attack then he was no better than Felix, whom they had betrayed.

"You shouldn't have done that," William said in a voice that was colder than a block of ice. "You went too far."

The Half-Elf felt angered when Invidia took the form of his wives, and used their appearance to attack him.

Invidia's power was so real, that even if William knew that she wasn't really his wife, his body, soul, and mind, still treated the Sin of Envy as if she was one of his wives who had died for him.

This was the true power of Envy's Divinity.

Perfect Replication.

Even if you know it was fake, your entire being will still recognize it as real.

The Half-Elf summoned a dark blade and slashed at the two fireballs, making them explode. He then unleashed a backhand blow behind him, blocking Superbia's attack from behind.

Suddenly, several shards of ice rained from the heavens, forcing William to cover himself in a dome of black flames.

"All Hail," Invidia said with a smile as she stood on top of a floating snowflake.

Her long-light blue hair fluttered in the breeze, and her gaze filled with triumph made the rage in William's heart grow by leaps and bounds.

"What was this lady's name again?" Invidia said while rubbing her chin. "Ah yes. It was Ella. This body feels so light and powerful. I like it. What's wrong, Dark Prince? Ready to apologize to me now?"

"Apologize?" William laughed a laugh that was filled with anger. "You are the one that should apologize. No. I will torture you first before I accept your apology. There are some faces in this world that you shouldn't touch!"

Suddenly the ground shook as William decided to fight without holding back.

"I didn't mind if you attacked me because I was ignoring you," William stated. "But to have the audacity to use the appearance of my wives…"

The ground underneath William's feet broke apart, and rock, and dirt slowly rose as if they were being pulled up by an invisible force.

"And Ella' face…"

The shaking intensified as a kilometer-long crater suddenly expanded around the Half-Elf.

"This only means that you prepared yourself for what's coming next, right?"

Without another word, a powerful explosion erupted around William as he flew towards Invidia who had taken Ella's form.

Everyone important to him was his reverse scale, and Invidia had touched it not once, not twice, but thrice, making the Half-Elf unable to control the rage he was holding back.

"Die!" William said as he unleashed his most powerful punch that could obliterate an entire mountain. "Overwhelming Strike!"

Everything happened so fast that Superbia wasn't able to react on time. She could only gaze in horror as William charged towards her friend who was frozen in place due to William's bloodlust and killing intent.

Just as Invidia saw her life fly past her eyes, the deadly fist stopped only an inch away from her nose.

"Sh*t," William stated because he really couldn't force himself to punch the face of the person who had raised him since he was a baby.

However, his attack was more than enough to make Invidia's eyes roll up into their sockets as she fainted due to fright.

The snowflake supporting her body disappeared, and she was about to fall when William reached out to grab her waist to prevent her from falling.

Invidia was still holding onto Ella's appearance, so it was very hard for the Half-Elf to see his adopted mother suffer, even though he knew that she wasn't the real Ella.

'What a scary Divinity,' William thought as he glanced at the lady in his arms.

After making sure that she had only fainted, William then shifted his gaze at Superbia who was looking up to him from the ground.

"Had enough?" William asked in annoyance.

"Yes," Superbia replied. "It's time for us to discuss things."

Superbia and Invidia attacked William in order to gauge whether he was worthy of their services. Right now, the world was divided into four factions.

The Faction of the Heir of Darkness

The Alliance

The Holy Order of Light.

And, the Faction of the Dark Prince.

Superbia knew that they couldn't return to Felix's side, nor could they join the alliance. Trying to join the Holy Order of Light was also not an option, unless they had gone batsh*t crazy.

Since that was the case, their only option was to jump to William's ship, and help him win the war that had already started in the Central Continent.

However, the two Deadly Sins wouldn't recognize someone that was weaker than them. Because of this, they decided to fight William head-on, while his strength had been lowered to that of a Myriad Beast.

The two of them were surprised that, despite the fact that he was at a complete disadvantage, he was still able to fight the two of them to a standstill… that was until Invidia used the faces of the people most important to him, causing the Half-Elf to go all out against them.

"Um, do you mind if you return her to me?" Superbia asked as she looked at William who was seated on his throne, and her unconscious friend, sitting on his lap, with her head resting on his shoulder.

"No," William replied. "I am waiting for her to either wake up, or return to her normal appearance. After that, I will torture her for a bit."

"You know that she will only use the appearance of your other wives to prevent you from torturing her, right?"

"You have a point, but you're forgetting something. I don't need to do it personally."

A moment later, Astrape, Bronte, and Titania appeared beside William's throne.

"The three of them will torture her for me," William stated. "Enough idle chatter. Let's talk business."

Chapter 1197: The Sooner You Go The Better!

Chapter 1197 The Sooner You Go The Better!

"Uhh…"

Invidia groaned before opening her eyes.

William's deadly punch scared her witless and, before she knew it, she had lost consciousness.

"That bastard…," Invidia muttered. "I'll make sure to take revenge after I–"

Invidia wasn't able to finish her words because the first thing she saw was the black-haired teenager who was looking at her with an amused expression on her face.

"H-Hiiii!"

Invidia's first thought was to back away, but then she found herself unable to move. The Half-Elf was firmly holding onto her waist, preventing her from moving, which made her feel anxious.

"Ha… hahaha. I was just joking earlier," Invidia said as she tried to pry William's hand from her waist. "You know, Superbia and I were just testing you if you are worthy to become our leader. I wasn't really trying to kill you or anything."

"Right," William replied. "Anything else?"

"Um… I, I was just a bit annoyed because you kept on ignoring me. So, I decided to p-play a little prank by copying the faces of your women?"

"Hoh~ so it was just a prank?"

"Y-Yes! Just a prank. A prank between friends, right?"

"I see…," William replied and gave Invidia a dazzling smile that made her heart skip a beat, not out of love, but of fear.

No matter how hard she tried to pry away William's hands from her waist, his vice-grip on her remained.

"S-Superbia, a little help, please?" Invidia pleaded after she saw her friend seated on a chair across from William. "W-Why don't the two of you talk first, while I take a stroll? This place looks so beautiful, that it just makes me want to appreciate the surroundings."

Invidia's words made the corner of Astrape's, Bronte's, and Titania's lips twitch.

The surroundings had been destroyed due to William's rage, and there was nothing beautiful around them that deserved appreciation.

Even so, William still held the girl who currently had Ella's appearance firmly to prevent her from escaping. Invidia had only lost consciousness for half an hour, so she still retained Ella's appearance.

"Our talks ended just a minute ago, but William has attached a few conditions," Superbia replied as she looked at her friend with a complicated look on her face.

"Um, what conditions?" Invidia asked. For some reason, she was feeling a cold chill running down on her spine, as if her life was in danger.

"Um, William planned to torture you–"

"No torture! Torture is not allowed!"

Superbia cleared her throat before continuing her words. "I knew that you would say that, so I negotiated on your behalf. Since you have the power to take on the appearance of others, you will spend at least an hour or two with William, while wearing the faces of the people he wants to see."

"That's all?"

"Well, he will also drink your blood on a regular basis."

"E-Eh? Could we skip that part?"

William, who was holding Invidia in place, chuckled. "Of course we can skip that part. We can just go straight to torture instead."

"Isn't it just letting him drink some of my blood? That's no big deal," Invidia immediately backpedaled in order to prevent herself from being tortured. "I am fine with this. You should have said this sooner. My blood tastes really good, you know? I'm sure you will get addicted after taking a mouthful."

Although she was doing her best to promote her blood as if she was a salesman planning to sell her items in bulk, she was cursing William internally for being shameless. Her first thought was to escape the moment the black-haired teenager allowed her to go and leave the Silvermoon Continent.

She would look for an uninhabited island to stay on and wait until the war was over.

'Just you wait!' Invidia vowed in her heart. 'Who would want to get sucked by you?'

Invidia smiled as best as she could, while cursing William, and his mother for being shameless.

But, what Invidia didn't know was that the more she tried to look happy the more William's gaze focused on her. He had only seen Ella's smile a few times in the past, and all of them were just fleeting moments.

Now that Ella was gone, the Half-Elf realized how much he really missed her. Although they hadn't seen each other for years when he was in the Central Continent, knowing that she was still alive somewhere put his heart at peace.

But now, things were different.

Ella was dead, and she used her artifact to protect the remaining part of his soul from being corrupted by Darkness.

'Astrape, Bronte, Titania, we will leave for Atlantis tomorrow,' William informed his subordinates through telepathy as he stood from his throne. 'Feel free to do anything for the time being. We will challenge Atlantis tomorrow afternoon.'

'''Yes, Master!'''

Invidia panicked because William still carried her even though the discussion was over.

"W-Where are you taking me?" Invidia felt alarmed because William was taking her away from Superbia.

"We're just going to start the deal we made today," William replied. "I'll be leaving for a while, and I don't know when I will return."

"You don't know how long it will be until you return?" Invidia felt reinvigorated after hearing William's words. Since the Half-Elf was going to leave, she could make her escape without anyone's notice.

"Yes," William replied. "Since that is the case, our first session of drinking your blood will start now. I will not be seeing you for a few days, so I'll take this opportunity to get a down payment from you."

"Good! Very well then, let's start this blood drinking session, shall we?" Invidia nodded her head happily. 'The sooner you go the better! I hope I never see you again!'

William chuckled internally because although he couldn't read Invidia's thoughts, he could assume what she was thinking.

Because of this, he decided to teach the Sin of Envy, what it was like to mess with him.

Superbia watched as William disappeared while carrying her friend in his arms. William had promised that he would not corrupt either of them in return for their services.

However, for some reason, she felt as if her friend, Invidia, would experience something that would make her wish that she hadn't stepped foot on the Silvermoon Continent.

Chapter 1198: Experiencing A Different Kind Of Torture

Chapter 1198 Experiencing A Different Kind Of Torture

'Master, you seemed to be in a good mood,' Astrape said through telepathy as she zapped a Giant Squid who attempted to sneak attack William from behind.

'No. More like, he looks very refreshed,' Bronte commented. 'Did something good happen earlier?'

Titania, who was standing beside William and busy shredding the other Giant Squids with her thorny vines, chuckled.

'It must have something to do with the Sin of Envy,' Titania stated. 'After Master left the room, there was a faint smile on his face. He must have tortured her silly until she fainted.'

'But, according to their agreement, he is not allowed to torture that b*tch.'

'Maybe it was a different kind of torture? After all, Master said that he would drink her blood.'

'As if you don't know what happens when Master drinks someone's blood. If that girl's brain didn't turn to mush, I'm afraid that her entire body is like jelly right now.'

The three Deities chatted more about the things that William might have done to Invidia after making him angry.

They had entered the Dungeon of Atlantis an hour ago and were currently bulldozing their way on the 80th Floor with the assistance of the three Nymphs, Opis, Loxos, and Hekaergos.

Sepheron was also there, but he was just hovering in the sky and doing nothing. The Ladies forbade him from attacking because his attacks were mostly AOE in nature (Area of Effect), and might accidentally cause friendly fire if not used properly.

"Loxos and Hekaergos, let's do an experiment," William ordered. "Manipulate Sepheron's attacks like you do Opis' arrows."

"But, Master, I don't know if I am able to do it," Loxos replied.

After being subjected to William's blood sucking, she had become more obedient, and didn't dare to offend him anymore, in fear that she would be severely punished again like last time.

"I'm also not confident," Hekaergos interjected. "I'm afraid that I might not meet Master's expectations."

Hekaergos was spared from being bullied by William because of the way she held back her words during her battle with the black-haired teenager. Because of this, she was also spared from having her blood drunk by the Half-Elf who had made her two sisters very obedient to him.

"Just try it," William replied with a smile. "I won't punish the two of you if it doesn't work out."

Everyone who saw William's smile almost did a double take because they had never seen their Master smile like this. Most of the time, William would just smirk, sneer, or look like an edgy villain.

However, right now, his smile looked so friendly and, to a certain extent, innocent, which made the ladies look at him in a different light.

"O-Okay! I will do my best," Loxos replied. "B-But, if I perform well, can I ask for a reward later?"

"Okay," William agreed. "As long as I am able to do it then I will."

"It's a deal!" Loxos immediately focused on the task in hand because she was afraid that William might change his mind.

Astrape, Bronte, and Titania, felt that they had missed a good opportunity to ask for a reward from William. Clearly, the Half-Elf was in a very good mood since he was smiling, and even allowed Loxos to request a reward from him if she did well.

'''Just what happened earlier?'''

This was the collective thought of the three Deities who had been serving William for quite some time. Seeing the Half-Elf smile so freely made his good looks even more endearing, which also piqued the interest of the three ladies.

His smile, which was like a refreshing breeze that blew away the exhaustion in their bodies, made them want to see him smile like that everyday.

'When we return, let's ask Invidia about it,' Astrape stated 'Maybe she found a way to make Master happy. If we can replicate it, wouldn't that be great?'

'I agree.' Bronte agreed. 'I want Master to also smile at me.'

'The two of you are hopeless,' Titania commented. 'But, knowing it is good as well. I might be able to decrease the length of my contract with him.'

'Do you really want to decrease the length of your contract with Master?'

'I don't believe you. Last time, you were even telling us that you were fine extending the contract's term after Master drank your blood.'

'Nonsense. Of course I want my contract to decrease. The Nymphs will only serve him for a year, while I need to serve him for three years, isn't that unfair?'

Astrape and Bronte exchanged a glance before looking at the otherworldly beauty with smirk on their faces.

""None at all.""

William observed while Sepheron's black flames were manipulated by Loxos and guided by Hekaergos.

The youngest of the three Nymphs, Loxos, transformed the Phoenix's Dark Flames into dark arrows, which she was familiar with, and unleashed them the same way she did with Opis' arrows. After a while, both Nymphs got the hang of it and managed to transform Opis' and Sepheron's attacks into a continuous barrage of light and dark flaming arrows that fell on their targets like rain.

"Excellent," William commented.

He didn't hide the trace of satisfaction and praise in his voice, which made Loxos more motivated to do well.

With this, they were able to clear the 80th Floor in a short period of time, and proceeded to conquer the 81st Floor.

—--

Meanwhile, back inside the Sacred Grove…

"What happened to you?" Superbia asked in a worried tone as she lightly shook her friend who was lying on her bed with a depressed look on her face.

She didn't know what had happened after William had taken her friend to his Domain. All she knew was that the black-haired teenager had only returned Invidia to her room an hour ago and, since then, her friend was like a vegetable who couldn't even lift a finger.

William had given her a rejuvenation potion to recover her strength, but Invidia only regained the ability to talk and move after an hour had passed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Invidia replied as she buried her head under her blanket. "Just let me sleep. I'm so tired. That bastard wrung me dry."

"Wrung you dry?"

"Yes. I hate him."

Superbia sighed as she patted her friend's head.

"Just endure it for now," Superbia said. "Right now, we need his protection against Felix. If that pervert catches us, we'd probably never see the sun ever again."

Invidia twitched under the blanket. Between Felix and William, she didn't know who was more of a pervert. But one thing was for sure, she was safer with the Half-Elf than the green-haired demon who had started to lust for the power of their Divinities.

"Fine, I will endure," Invidia replied after some time. "Just let me sleep for now, okay? I'm really exhausted."

Superbia nodded her head in understanding. Although she was curious about what had happened between her friend and William, she knew that this was not the right time to ask Invidia about it.

"Rest well," Superbia looked at the curled up shrimp under the blanket with a helpless gaze. "Just call me if you need me."

"Okay." Invidia poked her head out from under the blanket and stared at her friend. "Don't worry, Superbia. I will protect you from his clutches."

"T-Thank you?"

"Mmm."

The Sin of Pride left Invidia's room with a confused look on her face. She didn't understand why Invidia said that she would protect her. She and the Half-Elf had discussed things properly and even signed a contract. There was no way that William could hurt her because not only would it break their contract, but it would also undermine their cooperation.

'Pervert,' Invidia thought as she closed her eyes to rest. She could still see William's face even after she closed her eyes, which irritated her to no end.

'Even when I begged you to stop, you still kept on sucking. If you are not a pervert then what are you?'

The Sin of Envy regretted the fact that she had shown her ability of "Perfect Replication" to William. Because of this, she was subjected to hours, upon hours, of bitter-sweet, and pleasurable torture, which made her heart tremble in embarrassment and shame.

Right now, she was thinking of how to return the favor to the Half-Elf who made her experience a different kind of torture.

Even though she wasn't subjected to physical pain, her sinful heart, that only knew how to envy others, felt like it was wasted on the Half-Elf, who made her regret her decision to attack him using the faces of his women.

Chapter 1199: Maybe You Were Thinking Of Me?

Chapter 1199 Maybe You Were Thinking Of Me?

After William and his entourage cleared the 85th Floor, the Half-Elf decided to take a rest in order to allow his forces to take a breather.

A day has passed since they had entered the Dungeon of Atlantis, and they were practically bulldozing their way through it. This wouldn't have been possible if not for the three Nymphs who could practically see their targets from great distances and attack them without any shred of mercy.

According to William's estimate, it was very possible for them to conquer the Dungeon of Atlantis in three to four days.

Superbia had told him that Ahriman had given Felix an artifact that allowed him to teleport to hidden locations in the Central Continent.

This allowed the Demon Army to attack anywhere in the Central Continent whenever they wished. After her talk with the Sin of Pride, William found out Felix's new target, which made him frown.

After making sure that Superbia wasn't lying, he immediately sent Astrape to go to the City of Alabaster in order to talk to Haleth's Superior, Whitefang, who was the Commander of the Army stationed in the city.

Just as William had expected, the commander of the city was doubtful of Astrape's words. However, after the lightning deity passed the letter he had written for the Commander, alongside Haleth's letter, Whitefang finally decided to evacuate the city as soon as possible.

In order to prevent the people from doubting Whitefang's orders, Astrape hovered above the sky of the city and unleashed her Pseudo-God powers, making everyone on the ground feel tremendous pressure, forcing them to either kneel or lay down completely.

The lightning deity also unleashed several lightning bolts to destroy unoccupied houses, and buildings, and weaved the element of lightning into something that resembled the end of the world.

"Whoever stays in this city will perish! I will kill anyone that still hasn't left this place when the sun rises tomorrow. You have all been warned!"

That was what Astrape had declared, making the inhabitants of the city fearful.

After making her declaration, Astrape unleashed several lightning bolts to kill Felix's spies, who were hiding inside the City of Alabaster. William had temporarily given her the ability to detect enemies, and was ordered to kill them.

Anyone that was glowing red was an enemy, so all Astrape needed to do was kill them at the same time, to prevent them from spreading the news of her arrival.

Given such an ultimatum, the people had no choice but to believe that their lives were in danger and follow Whitefang's orders.

All the ships that were available along the docks of the city were commissioned by the Mayor himself in order to help with the evacuation.

To their surprise, Astrape summoned several large wooden ships as well to allow everyone to evacuate. William had bought these ships in the God Shop and had given Astrape a specialized storage ring to store them in.

Half a day later, all the citizens had been evacuated and were on their way to the Silvermoon Continent. Their journey would take at least a week, where they would be met halfway by the Navy of the Silvermoon Continent, as added protection.

If not for the fact that the City of Alabaster was special to Haleth, whom he had already acknowledged as a concubine, he wouldn't have bothered to care about what happened to its inhabitants.

But, in order to prevent his Half-Elf lover from becoming depressed, he decided to just save everyone, and even asked Whitefang to contact the Alliance and tell them about the artifact in Felix's hands, which allowed him to escape their encirclement.

He had given Whitefang the permission to tell the Alliance that this information came from him in order to increase its credibility.

William didn't care if the Alliance believed his warning or not. He had already done what he needed to do, and he no longer cared about what happened next.

Right now, he needed to clear the Dungeon of Atlantis as fast as possible in order to gain the last Pseudo-God that would make his forces the strongest among the factions in the world.

However, he also knew that rest was important, so he allowed his subordinates to take a break.

Suddenly, the corner of William's lips curled up into a smile before he closed his eyes. He had planted a mark in Invidia's consciousness, which told him if the latter had fallen asleep or not.

After gaining the power of Darkness, as well as merging with Donger, his Incubus Job Class had gained many other upgrades that allowed him to plant his mark in the consciousness of women to allow him to visit and manipulate their dreams, even though they were far away from each other.

—-

Invidia found herself on a cliff overlooking the scenic view of a lush valley below.

Several waterfalls could be seen in the surroundings, and their water sprays created multiple rainbows, which made the surroundings truly magical.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

A familiar voice sounded behind her, which made Invidia jump up in fright. However, after that brief moment of surprise, Invidia immediately summoned her purple-ish whip and lashed out behind her in fury.

"Bastard. Even in my dreams you won't let me go!" Invidia shouted in anger as her whip headed towards the hateful Half-Elf who made her suffer several hours ago.

"What are you talking about?" William asked innocently as he casually dodged to the side. "This is just a dream, so why are you attacking me?"

"Fool. Do you think I don't know that this is a dream? What are you doing here?!"

"Maybe you were thinking of me?"

"As if!" Invidia hatefully unleashed a barrage of attacks that forced the Half-Elf to distance himself away from her.

"Calm down," William said as he raised his hand in surrender. "I am not the real William."

Invidia snorted. "Do you think I am a gullible child? I'm a Lucid Dreamer. I am fully aware of my dream and can control it to a certain extent. I made sure that you would not appear in my dream, so the fact that you are here means that you forced your way in!"

"Oh? A Lucid Dreamer? Very interesting," William commented. "Well, I guess my cover is blown."

"You didn't even stand a chance from the get go. Now, begone!" Invidia forcefully manipulated her dream to kick out the Half-Elf who might be planning to do something sinister to her.

William smiled before he was forcefully ejected from Invidia's dream world. This was the first time that he had been expelled from someone's dreams, and noted down this possibility.

The moment the Half-Elf opened his eyes, Titania smiled at him and asked a question.

"Master, did you have a good dream?" Titania asked. "You are smiling again."

"I am?" William asked, but didn't bother to check if he was smiling or not.

"You are."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It is a good thing," Titania replied. "I hope that you smile more often."

William smirked after hearing Titania's words. He also noticed that he felt lighter after his "session" with Invidia, who was forced to listen to his demands as he drank her blood.

Truth be told, a part of him was looking forward to his next session with the Sin of Envy because, only by being with her would he be able to see Ella and Celine.

Also, her Perfect Replication played a very important role. He had tested it when Invidia had taken on Ella's appearance and, to his surprise, the latter was able to perfectly replicate even the taste of her breast milk.

The nostalgic taste made William feel like a part of his darkness-stained soul had been cleansed, and it greatly improved his mood, allowing him to smile like he did back then.

Although Princess Aila could do the same, the taste and effect were completely different. The angelic beauty's Life Magic could nourish his soul, but Ella's milk could nourish his entire being.

This was why he decided to keep Invidia close to him, so he could do a few more experiments. If this method could really strengthen, and cleanse, his soul to a certain extent, he might be able to regain some of the things he had lost after his soul was corrupted by Darkness.

"Break's over," William said as he stood up. "Let's go."

William knew that the sooner he conquered Atlantis, the sooner he would be able to punish the cheeky, green-haired beauty, who was currently celebrating her victory over William inside her dream world.

Chapter 1200: ln Brightest Day, In Blackest Night [Part 1]

Chapter 1200 ln Brightest Day, In Blackest Night [Part 1]

Two days after William entered the Atlantis Dungeon….

"We're finally here," William looked at the vast ocean in front of him.

Aside from the platform they were standing on, the entire floor was submerged underwater, and they would have no choice but to venture inside it in order to defeat their enemy.

Standing beside him were the seven Pseudo-Gods that had accompanied him to conquer the Dungeon.

He didn't want to admit it, but if he hadn't acquired the Nymphs, his chances of defeating the Pseudo-God that governed the last floor of Atlantis was only around 15%

Due to the Quick-Shot Shepherd's passive skills, everyone in William's King's Legion could breathe and navigate underwater. However, even with that, it would not be enough to defeat the Final Boss who had an overwhelming advantage inside his Domain.

However, with the three Nymphs assisting him, he could play by his own rules, and force the final guardian of the Dungeon of Atlantis to fight them on their terms.

"Let's start," William said as he rose up in the air.

"""Yes!"""

Astrape and Bronte held hands and created a thunderstorm above the ocean's surface. The clear-blue waters immediately turned murky black, as it reflected the skies where thunder roared, and lightning snaked within the darkness.

Sepheron opened his wings wide and conjured several black fireballs around him.

Opis knocked an arrow on her bow and drew it as far as she could. Loxos and Hekaergos activated their Divinities in order to guide everyone's attacks to hit their target.

Titania, as always, stood beside William as his protector. The Fairy Queen always played this role during battles because she could conjure powerful defenses that would not break easily.

Right now, William's chances of clearing the dungeon was around 65%. But, that was only on the condition that their attacks reached their target.

"Open fire!" William ordered.

Immediately, Astrape and Bronte unleashed hundreds of black lightning bolts towards the water's surface.

Sepheron also fired his fireballs without care if they would get through to their target or not.

Opis unleashed a barrage of arrows in quick succession.

In truth, none of them knew where their target was, except for Opis, who specialized in Aim. The rest were just blindly firing their attacks, and left the rest to Loxos and Hekaergos.

Loxos' divinity was Trajectory, and Hekaergos' divinity was Distance. Both of them manipulated Astrape's, Bronte's, and Sepheron's attacks in order to hit the Pseudo-God who had started to make his move.

Immediately, loud explosions reverberated under the ocean's surface, and bubbles rose up to the top, making it seem like the ocean was boiling.

The Pseudo-Gods didn't stop their barrage, and continued to unleash devastating attacks, allowing the two Nymphs to manipulate them however they wanted.

"Fly higher!" Hekaergos shouted.

They listened to the Nymph's order and increased their distance from the water's surface.

Immediately after that, several water tornadoes rose up from the ocean and headed in their direction like live snakes, attacking their prey.

Titania harrumphed and summoned several vine whips to break the tornadoes apart, but they kept on coming.

"World End…" William roared as he gathered the power of all the elements in his hand and created a giant orb of light that held all the colors of the rainbow. "Tempest!"

Firing the giant energy ball towards the water tornadoes instantly blasted them away because it had been coated by William's Rulebreaker ability.

Now that he no longer had any memories of Earth to burn, he could use this ability without holding back.

Loxos gritted her teeth as she forcefully guided William's attack towards the Pseudo-God who was attacking them from under the water.

A moment later, a powerful explosion took place, creating a shockwave of water with waves reaching fifty meters high.

"Did we get him?" William asked.

"Yes," Loxos panted for breath as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. "He's coming."

A gigantic tornado appeared in front of them, which forced everyone to distance themselves.

When the water receded, William saw a man with long blue hair that reached his waist. The man was clad with armor that seemed to be made from the scales of aquatic animals, but the most noticeable equipment he had was a three-tined trident which was emitting electrical currents.

"You're finally here, Triton," William said softly as he gazed at the Pseudo-God that guarded the final floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis.

—-

< Triton >

– First King of Atlantis

– Ruler of the Lost Empire

– Pseudo-God

– The first King of Atlantis, Triton, was believed to be a very wise and benevolent ruler that pursued great innovations. Because he believed that his race was the superior race, he tried to conquer the entire world and become its one true leader.

– Unfortunately, the Gods decided that his ambition would destroy the balance of the world, so they sealed him inside a Dungeon, and made his people sleep within the city of Atlantis, waiting for the day that the Gods would grant them forgiveness.

—--

"I've been waiting, Dungeon Conqueror," Triton replied. "Took you a while to come here. It seems that you made ample preparations just to deal with little old me."

"Little old you?" William smiled. "I dare not underestimate the person that even Gods feared to the point that you and your people were sealed.

"Well, that's an old story," Triton sneered. "So, have you come to free us from the prison of the Gods in order for us to become your slaves instead?"

William shook his head. "I came here to fight against you. I know that you won't recognize anyone weaker than you, so a battle is inevitable."

"At least you got that right. Still, I'm at a great disadvantage right now. There are eight of you, and only one of me," Triton said casually. "How about we even the odds a bit?"

As if waiting for his words, the sky, which was covered with thunder clouds, cracked, and a giant eye peered down on William's group as if appraising their strength.

William was quite familiar with those eyes because he had seen them in the past. They were the eyes of the Guardian of the outer perimeter of Atlantis, the Demigod Leviathan, who had been forced to seal its power due to its ability to drive any marine creature around it into a frenzied state.

"We met again, boy," Leviathan said. "It seems that a lot of things have happened to you."

"Yeah," William replied. "Are you going to join this fight?"

"That's right."

"Fine. So be it."

William frowned as the crack opened wider.

Astrape, Bronte, Titania, Sepheron, as well as the three Nymphs couldn't help but shudder at the gigantic monster that descended from the sky, dwarfing all of them.

The Primordial Sea Monster, Leviathan, who was said to be as old as the ocean of the world, floated above the water's surface, looking at William's group with indifference.

"Come, boy," Leviathan said. "Show me what you are capable of."

William stared at the Dragon-like creature who was at least two thousands meters long with a determined expression.

Leviathan's appearance was not part of his calculations. Now that an unknown variable had appeared, it threw a wrench to his strategy of dealing with Triton.

William closed his eyes for a brief moment before taking a deep breath. When he opened them again, the golden glow in his eyes intensified and the entire sky suddenly became pitch-black. However, within that darkness, a few stars shone brightly, forming a constellation that watched over this battle from the heavens.

Table of Contents

500: Give Me The Honor Of Being Your First

501: I Thank Whatever Gods May Be For My Unconquerable Soul

502: The Wrath Of The Righteous [Part 1]
503: The Wrath Of The Righteous [Part 2]
504: The Wrath Of The Righteous [Part 3]
505: The Darkest Places In Hell [Part 1]
506: The Darkest Places In Hell [Part 2]

507: Making A Mark In The Pages Of History [Part 1]

508: Making A Mark In The Pages Of History [Part 2]

509: Making A Mark In The Pages Of History [Part 3]

510: On Behalf Of Humanity, Please, Accept My Sincerest Gratitude

511: When The Past No Longer illuminates The Future, The Spirit Walks In Darkness [Part 1]

512: When The Past No Longer illuminates The Future, The Spirit Walks In Darkness [Part 2]

513: The Beginning After The End

514: William’s First Day At Silverwind Academy

515: When In Rome, Do As Romans Do
516: Rainbow-Colored Calamity
517: You Are Now In My Home Turf
518: Hunger That Knew No Bounds [Part 1]
519: Hunger That Knew No Bounds [Part 2]
520: You Are Too Defenseless
521: A Sense Of Euphoria
522: I Will Never Do Anything Shameless
523: I Will Teach You How To Smile
524: I Will Be This Girl’s Caretaker
525: The Mirage Caverns
526: Farming Merit Points

527: This Is What Happens When I Become Serious

528: A Thorny Path Called Life

529: Is Your Academy Teaching Weaklings? [Part 1]

530: Is Your Academy Teaching Weaklings? [Part 2]

531: Wrapped In Tender Feelings
532: My Era Has Come
533: Short-Lived Happiness

534: Let’s Go Darling. It’s Now Time For Our Date

535: My Business Is None Of Your Business

536: Sweeter Than Lollipops

537: Is This What It Feels Like To Have A Pet?

538: Ian’s and Chiffon’s Secret
539: My Taste In Men Is Simply Amazing
540: Too Smart For Your Own Good
541: I Am The One That Makes The Rules
542: To Damnation And Beyond
543: When Was The Last Time You Ate Trash?
544: Your Souls Are Mine
545: Your Daughter’s Lover Is A Good Person
546: A Sin That Is Too Much To Bear
547: The Vault Of The Vanished Warlord
548: Eradicate! World End Tempest!

549: I Don’t Get Hungry For A Day After Eating It

550: Devourer’s Gauntlets
551: A Petty God
552: Are You Planning To Commit Suicide?

553: I Promise That I’ll Be A Good Girl, So Please, Don’t Leave Me Behind [Part 1]

554: I Promise That I’ll Be A Good Girl, So Please, Don’t Leave Me Behind [Part 2]

555: Let’s Talk About You And Her Wedding
556: To Infinity And Beyond
557: Fate Really Knows How To Crack A Joke
558: You Also Carry A Sin

559: Are You Ready For Your Last Lesson? [Part 1]

560: Are You Ready For Your Last Lesson? [Part 2]

561: Eternity With You - R18
562: Darling~ You Can Still Do It, Right?
563: I Can’t Wait To Step On Your Face
564: I’m Sorry, But This Is Our Bottom Line

565: Genesis, The First Floor Of The Tower Of Babylon

566: Trial Of Dominion [Part 1]

567: Trial Of Dominion [Part 2]

568: The Guardian Of The First Floor Of Babylon

569: Champion’s Den
570: Scheme Of The Agnis Family
571: We Need To Get Rid Of That Boy
572: Do You Miss Him?

573: I Walk In The Darkness So That Others May See The Light

574: Oogwei’s Test
575: Donutella Versus Chiffon
576: Kawabangga Motherf*ckers! [Part 1]
577: Kawabangga Motherf*ckers! [Part 2]
578: Reunion in Hestia Academy [Part 1]
579: Games Of Intrigue
580: Reunion in Hestia Academy [Part 2]
581: Floor of Partings
582: We’ll See Who Will Have The Last Laugh
583: Big Brother Was So Small and Cute
584: Big Brother, Do Not Resist
585: As Long As You Promise Not To Eat Me

586: I Guess I Will Have To Do This The Hard Way

587: I Guess I Will Have To Do This The Hard Way [Part 2]

588: Nothing Is Permanent. Not Even The End Of The World

589: Let Me Eat You. I Promise It Won’t Hurt

590: I Will Destroy You With All My Might!

591: Breaking The Rules Of The Floor Of Partings

592: An Existence That Threatened Their Beloved

593: Finding Answers Without Resorting To Violence

594: Over My Drop Dead Gorgeous Body
595: Big Brother, I Want To Eat You Soon
596: The Rice Has Already Been Cooked
597: Chiffon’s First Fishing Experience
598: Connoisseur Of Men
599: William Von Ainsworth, Launching!
600: The Smile Of A Devil
601: From Now On, Your Name Will Be Optimus

602: Acting High And Mighty Doesn’t Suit your Senile Face

603: Prince Maximilian’s Unexpected Move
604: A Thousand Years Of Waiting [Part 1]
605: A Thousand Years Of Waiting [Part 2]
606: Devil’s Floor [Part 1]
607: Devil’s Floor [Part 2]
608: I Will Bulldoze My Way Through
609: Such A Waste Of Good Genes
610: You Can Stop Daydreaming
611: Afterall, We Are Family, Right?
612: The Future Belongs To Me
613: Humans Are Truly Despicable
614: I Will Set You Free
615: A Past That Was Left Behind
616: A Mother’s Final Request [Part 1]
617: A Mother’s Final Request [Part 2]
618: Justice Always Wins

619: It’s Up To You Whether To Believe Me Or Not

620: Chiffon’s Heart Devil
621: I Think I Am Really In Love With You
622: We Won’t Lose To Those Puny Mortals!
623: The Semifinals [Part 1]
624: The Semifinals [Part 2]
625: The Moment A Heart Breaks [Part 1]
626: The Moment A Heart Breaks [Part 2]
627: I Will End Your Sinful Existence!
628: Is He A Boy Or A Girl?

629: The Past Cannot Be Changed, But The Present Belongs To Us

630: Wedding Preparations
631: Heroes Of Valhalla
632: You Leave Me No Choice!

633: The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills [Part 1]

634: The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills [Part 2]

635: I’m Still Hungry. I Have Room For Desserts

636: The Final Match Of The Tournament Of Champions [Part 1]

637: The Final Match Of The Tournament Of Champions [Part 2]

638: His Legend Is About To Begin [Part 1]
639: His Legend Is About To Begin [Part 2]
640: The Floor Of Asgard
641: Honeymoon in Valhalla [Part 1]

642.2: Honeymoon In Valhalla [Part 2] - Rated 18

643.1: Looking For Treasures [Part 1]
644.2: Looking For Treasures [Part 2]
645.3: Looking For Treasures [Part 3]
646: Enuma Elish
647.1: Chiffon’s Choices [Part 1]
648.2: Chiffon’s Choices [Part 2]
649: I Will Show You Who Your New Master Is

650: Master, Please, Enjoy My Blood To Your Heart’s Content

651: What Virtue Do You Represent?

652: Unexpected Guests In The Floor Of Asgard

653.1: The Juggernaut Of Hestia Academy [Part 1]

654.2: The Juggernaut Of Hestia Academy [Part 2]

655.1: ]

656.2: ]

657: Collecting The Sinful Ladies Of The World

658: Lesson About Familiars

659: This Is A Good Day To Be Born In This World

660.1: ]

661.2: ]

662.1: ]

663: James Arrival At The Central Continent [Part 2]

664: Glories Of Gods Long Forgotten

665: We Will Lose Face When That Happens

666: Surrender Peacefully And You Will Not Be Hurt

667.1: ]

668.2: ]

669: She's Legal, You Know?

670: This Place Brings Back Memories

671: Time Waits For No One

672: It Is At The Moment Of Death When Life Shines Its Brightest

673: I Have A Proposal To Make

674: The Amazons Are After Your Genes

675: Another Troublesome Character Has Appeared

676: I Don’t Love You, But I Need You
677: Darling, She Bullied Us
678: The Amazon Princess’ Pride And Dignity
679: I Am Not The Prince Of Darkness
680: Look For Someone Smart, And Trustworthy
681: What Are You Looking At B*tch?
682: Elliot’s And Conan’s Teamwork
683: Go For The Kill! Gaebolg!
684: It’s A Win-Win For Everyone

685: Make Me Feel What It’s Like To Be Loved, Even If It’s Fake

686: Having Three Job Classes Sure Comes In Handy

687: Reaching A Compromise

688: You’re Just A Side Character

689: When The Red Plague Ascends, Calamity Descends

690: The Eyes Are Useless When The Mind Is Blind

691: When Man Has A Virtuous Thought, Heaven Will Grant Him Support

692: Well Then, Are You Guys Ready To Rumble?
693: I Still Want To Live Dammit!
694: I Can’t Fall In Love With That Guy
695: I Came Here To Help You Beat William
696: The Forever Alone
697: Looking Forward To An Entertaining Scene
698: Don’t Worry You Little B*tch
699: Prepare For Trouble! And Make It Double!

700: If You Don’t Want Me To Smash Your Face, You Better Keep Your Hands In The Right Place

701: One Chance At Redemption

702: Mwahahahaha! Time For You To Suffer [Part 1]

703: Mwahahahaha! Time For You To Suffer [Part 2]

704: Bros For Life
705: Cry A River Of Blood And Tears
706: I’m More Suited To Be The Devil Than Him
707: You Dare To Steal What Belongs To Me?
708: The Twilight Of The World Is At Hand
709: Not All Treasures Are Silver And Gold
710: Aamon’s Last Trial
711: My Offer Is Always Available

712: A Battle Of Unprecedented Proportions Was About To Begin

713: Let’s Keep A Lookout On The People Who Are Going To Die

714: Meeting An Old Friend
715: My Words Are Law [Part 1]
716: My Words Are Law [Part 2]
717: When Lust And Chastity Collide
718: Stonescream Stronghold’s Class S Mission

719: It’s Time To Say Hello To Our Future Friends

720: I Promise I Won’t Eat More… Maybe

721: My Precious!

722: Don’t Believe This Anteater. He’s Just Joking!

723: Mysterious Disappearance

724: Confrontation With The Headmaster Of Hestia Academy

725: What Are You Two Fools Doing?

726: The Start Of Your New Journey Begins Today

727: Arrival At Hestia Academy
728: Class Introductions
729: Tales Of The Deity Of The Sky
730: William, You Traitor!

731: Shed Tears When Others Won’t, And Fight When Others Don’t

732: A War Where The Entire World Is At Stake

733: What Makes You Think That I Will Cooperate With You?

734: A World That Is Far From My Reach
735: Tomorrow, I Will Paint Again Tomorrow
736: I Am Not A Suspicious Person
737: The Unsung Heroes Of The World
738: Battle Through The Heavens [Part 1]
739: Battle Through The Heavens [Part 2]
740: Battle Through The Heavens [Part 3]
741: For Asgard!

742: I Will Laugh At Your Pitiful Death From Hell [Part 1]

743: I Will Laugh At Your Pitiful Death From Hell [Part 2]

744: To Be Played With By Destiny… You Will Laugh At It In Scorn

745: You Were Amazing Last Night
746: Master Isn’t A Pervert
747: I Am Not A Toy, You Know?

748: A Sad Smile That Lingered In His Memories

749: Wielding All The Power Of The Seven Deadly Sins

750: Zhu’s And Sha’s Life In Hestia Academy
751: Bringing An End To The Rule Of Light
752: Spirited Away [Part 1]
753: Spirited Away [Part 2]
754: Playtime’s Over

755: The Next Time You Reincarnate, Make Sure To Live A Better Life

756: Conan’s Gamble [Part 1]
757: Conan’s Gamble [Part 2]
758: Are You Ready For Round Two?
759: You Call THAT A Perfect Being?
760: I See. So, You Are Just His Friend.
761: The Thorns Of The Crimson Rose [Part 1]
762: The Thorns Of The Crimson Rose [Part 2]
763: Will You Reward Me As Well?
764: Conquering The Orc Dungeon [Part 1]
765: Conquering The Orc Dungeon [Part 2]
766: Which One Would You Choose?
767: William’s Choice

768: With Great Danger Comes Great Opportunity

769: Time For Round Twenty-Three. Are You Game?

770: Don’t Let Him Cheat On Us, Okay?
771: I’m Just Following The Rules [Part 1]
772: I’m Just Following The Rules [Part 2]
773: Say Hello To My Little Friends
774: Wait! Don’t You Know How To Count?!

775: I Don’t Care Who You Are, Who You Know, Or Where You’re From

776: Dream An Impossible Dream

777: There Is Nothing I Can’t Steal

778: Do I Look Amazing Enough For You To Surrender Your Seed?

779: Entering The Forbidden Ground

780: Meeting An Old Acquaintance Inside The Forbidden Ground

781: The Diabolical Hell Ape’s Request

782: May The Gods Shower You With Their Blessings

783: The Path Of Atonement

784: As Long As I Am Alive, There Will Come Another Opportunity

785: I Decided To Trust You Once
786: A Treasure That Belonged Only To Her
787: Unexpected Reunion
788: What A Small World

789: I Will Stop Him Even If This Body Of Mine Breaks Into Pieces

790: The Vengeful Terror Rats
791: Stranded In A Strange World
792: Welcome To Glory Shelter
793: Lilith’s Confusion
794: Swiper’s Ambition [Part 1]
795: Swiper’s Ambition [Part 2]
796: The Haunting [Part 1]
797: The Haunting [Part 2]
798: Only To The People I Love
799: A Beautiful And Loveable Cupid
800: Nice Tush
801: Uniting Under One Banner [Part 1]
802: Uniting Under One Banner [Part 2]

803: Infiltrating The Demonic Shelter [Part 1]

804: Infiltrating The Demonic Shelter [Part 2]

805: Just Look At That Face. I Bet His Own Mother Doesn’t Trust Him

806: Staying With Me Is Akin To Suicide
807: Will You Make Me Your Lover?
808: Army Of One
809: I Think It’s Worth Taking A Gamble

810: The One That Is Pulling The Strings From The Shadows

811: You’re So Noisy, Shut Your Trap

812: I’m Not That Fragile

813: Stop Dilly Dallying And Start Sucking! [Part 1]

814: Stop Dilly Dallying And Start Sucking! [Part 2]

815: You’ve Created A Miracle

816: I’m Sure That Our Suffering Has Just Begun

817: Only A Fool Will Believe Such Nonsense

818: With This The First Step Has Been Completed

819: The Master Is Expecting All Of You
820: I’m Going To Ask You One Last Time
821: Goddamit! Bro, Are You Mad?!

822: A Distant Future That Held Infinite Possibilities

823: A Good Deed Must Be Rewarded

824: Spoken Like A Real Third Rate Villain

825: You Can’t Have A Rainbow Without A Little Rain

826: There’s No Need To Think Of The Future. It Will Come Soon Enough

827: I Want You As My Life Partner. Your Answer?

828: A World Where Hope Was Merely A Fleeting Illusion

829: Please, Take Off Your Shirt
830: Parallel Wishes
831: Dreaming Of Happy Dreams
832: Don’t You Think A Reward Is In Order?

833: It’s Not My Fault For Being Born Handsome, You Know?

834: Quality Over Quantity

835: Teach Me How To Make You Feel Good - R18 [Part 1]

836: Teach Me How To Make You Feel Good - R18 [Part 2]

837: Teach Me How To Make You Feel Good - R18 [Part 3]

838: When The Past, Present, And Future Intersect

839: Swiper's Fears
840: A Question Worthy Of Debate
841: Let's See Who Deceives Who In The End
842: I Didn't Know You Swing That Way

843: I Don't Mind Being A Jester Sporting A Crown

844: I'll Just Ask For Compensation In The Future

845: She Is Waiting For You

846: I Can Only Cheer For You In Places Where You Couldn’t See

847: A Gamble Worth Taking
848: You're Not Getting Any Sleep Tonight
849: The Calm Before The Storm [Part 1]
850: The Calm Before The Storm [Part 2]

851: Let It Be Known That On This Day, We Dwarves Had Kept Our Oath

852: I Don't Want To Be Cannon Fodder

853: The title will be a spoiler, so I placed the real title at the bottom of this chapter.

854: Will She Be Really Of Any Use?

855: Hurry! Save Her! Save Our Daughter!

856: There Is Nothing In This World That I Can't Steal!

857: Today, I Shall Be The King Of This World

858: Does This Look Like The Face Of Mercy To You?

859: The Strongest Adversary That He Had Faced In His Lifetime

860: I Want To Know How It Will All End

861: Calling A Friend Across Time And Space

862: Do You Know The First Law Of The Universe?

863: Let's Rumble [Part 1]
864: Let's Rumble [Part 2]
865: You Want To Steal My Job?

866: I Will Not Let Anyone Take Anything From Me. Not Even Death!

867: I'm Not Dreaming, Right?
868: The Answer Is Yesn't
869: How Many Wives Do You Have?
870: The Time Of Farewell
871: Holding The Future In His Embrace
872: Raizel's Last Goodbye
873: A Place That Was Out Of His Reach
874: Last For A Lifetime
875: Renewing Feelings Of Love
876: Primeval Storm Wolf Randall
877: You Understand How Awesome I Am
878: I Will Watch Over You From The Stars
879: Let Me Show You My Hospitality
880: A Very Special Existence
881: I Don't Want To Be Called A Womanizer
882: It Is Very Rare For Me To Have Guests
883: A Place That Only Belonged To Him
884: When Love And Hate Collides
885: A Battle For Supremacy
886: Thunder God’s Pride

887: I Will Use Any Kind Of Means To Achieve Victory

888: Lightning Thief

889: We Meet Again, Pendragon

890: Under The Moonlight Where No One Could See

891: I'm Not Your Father!
892: Where Do You Want To Sleep Tonight?
893: Please, Let Me Marry Your Daughter
894: Let's Create Beautiful Memories Together
895: Your Daughter Is In Good Hands
896: I Will Give You The Happiest Of Endings
897: Comparing The Sun And The Moon
898: Redheads Cannot Be Trusted!
899: Worries Of The Heart
900: She's Legal, Right?
901: Public Enemy Number One
902: The Smiles Orphanage
903: They're Poking The Wrong Tree
904: Face Slapping School of Martial Arts
905: Do You Know Who I Am?
906: Are You Human?

907: The Boy Who Died, So That Others May Live

908: Which One Do You Love More?

909: Are You Perhaps Lost, My Lady?

910: Stop Spouting Nonsense, You Virgin!

911: A New Kind Of Thrill

912: I Have A Bad Feeling About This

913: A Looming Disaster Right Above Their Heads [Part 1]

914: A Looming Disaster Right Above Their Heads [Part 2]

915: Worst Fears Coming To Life

916: Even Heroes Have The Right To Bleed [Part 1]

917: Even Heroes Have The Right To Bleed [Part 2]

918: Sit Down, Son!
919: A Price That He Didn't Want To Pay
920: I'm Sorry, Will
921: A Choice That Makes His Heart Ache
922: Finally, A Worthy Opponent!
923: Ride Of The Valkyries
924: It's Boring To Punch A Punching Bag
925: The Appearance Of The Final Boss
926: The Time Has Come To Fight Together!
927: Remember My Name, Boy
928: Memories That Burned Brightly
929: I Will Wait For You In My Home Turf
930: The One Who Would Have The Last Laugh

931: Precious Things He Held Dear In His Heart

932: I Will Make Them Agree No Matter What

933: Time Parajokes

934: Vows That Even The Gods Could Take Away From Them

935: Is There Anyone Else Who Opposes This Marriage?

936: Boyfriend That Was Superhero Material

937: Papa Is Marrying His First Love

938: Please, Make As Many Babies As You Can With My Grandson

939: Filling Her Up With His Love [R-18]

940: Hiding Something That Shouldnâ€™t Be Seen

941: Father, I Have Important News To Tell You

942: I'm Afraid That I Might Die For Real
943: A Path That Is Meant For Only Me And You
944: You Will See Your Mama Soon
945: Love Will Find A Way [R-18]

946: Who Are The Last Two People You Plan To Marry? [Part 1]

947: Who Are The Last Two People You Plan To Marry? [Part 2]

948: The Greatest Gift

949: Williamâ€™s Return

950: It's Fine To Be Greedy, For I Am Greedy As Well

951: A Prince That Would Plunge The World Into Darkness

952: It's That Dream Again
953: Infiltrating The Demonic Continent
954: Gaze At The Sunrise Together Once Again
955: Reunion At The Gates Of Hestia Academy

956: Perhaps You Wanted To Drink Some Milk First?

957: A Third Uninvited Party
958: It Is Also Time For Us To Make Our Move
959: Telltale Signs of Invasion
960: The Grudge Of The Demon Lord
961: Rightfully His By Birth
962: Buy One Take Three For Free
963: Either We All Go, Or We Don't Go At All
964: Not If I Eat You First
965: Do You Believe In Dark Magic?
966: Exploit Me In Any Way You Wish

967: I Dare You To Make Love To Me Right Here, Right Now

968: I Will Treasure This Fleeting Happiness
969: Stop Raising Flags
970: F*ck Your Daddy!

971: The Place Where My Two Feet Stand Is My Territory

972: Can't You See How Red My Hair Is?
973: Our Master Is Invincible!
974: A Broken Vow
975: Journey To The North
976: A Thousand Year Promise [Part 1]
977: A Thousand Year Promise [Part 2]
978: A Thousand Year Promise [Part 3]
979: William’s New Mounts
980: Do Your Worst, You Fiend!
981: Can I Be Part Of Your World As Well?
982: Flying Armored Elephants Perform Tricks?
983: Did Any Of You Ask For My Permission
984: Looking At Things In Black And White
985: In Pursuit Of Happiness
986: I Don’t Mind This Petty Move Of Yours

987: Tell Me, Who Is Stronger, Your Demon Lord Or Me?

988: Did You Forget Who I Am?

989: From This Moment Onwards, All Of You Will No Longer Be Alone [Part 1]

990: From This Moment Onwards, All Of You Will No Longer Be Alone [Part 2]

991: The Greatest Adventure Of His Life

992: The Start Of An Unforgettable Night

993: A Smile That Held The Promise Of Vengeance

994: YOU HATING? I’M ROLLING!

995: You Have Earned The Right To Know My Exalted Name

996: Don't Play Favorites, Kiss Me Too!

997: Just What Is That Old Lizard Thinking?

998: Whatever Will Decides, I Will Support With Everything I Have

999: “So, Are You In, Or Out?”

1000: I Don' Want To Get The Two Of You In Trouble

1001: Already Riding The Tiger's Back
1002: Talking To The Big Boss
1003: There Will Be No Next Time
1004: Making Vesta Fall
1005: Welcome To The Isle Of Desolation
1006: Wait For Me. I Am Coming For You
1007: This Is Why You Are A Late Bloomer
1008: The Secret Of The Holy Land

1009: Promises Of The Past, Present, And Future

1010: The Price For Freedom
1011: Elliot's Disciple
1012: Through Damnation And Beyond

1013: I Won't Be Killing Anyone Unless They Deserve To Die

1014: To A Long And Lasting Partnership

1015: Our Daughter Might Have Developed A Crush On Him

1016: Second Son Of The Rhanes Clan
1017: Special Aromatherapy
1018: Desert Battle [Part 1]
1019: Desert Battle [Part 2]
1020: The New Overlord Of The Desert
1021: Will Of The Desert People [Part 1]
1022: Will Of The Desert People [Part 2]

1023: Times like this, I Wish You Were Here, Grandpa

1024: William’s Unexpected Proposal

1025: How Can I Become The Demon Lord?

1026: Days Of Bitterness And Suffering [Part 1]

1027: Days Of Bitterness And Suffering [Part 2]

1028: So, What Do You Think About My Proposal?

1029: The Call Of Darkness [Part 1]
1030: The Call Of Darkness [Part 2]
1031: Dozedar's Nightmare [Part 1]
1032: Dozedar's Nightmare [Part 2]
1033: Did You Really Miss Me?
1034: Master, I Missed You

1035: A Kiss Filled With A Silent Promise [R-18]

1036: A Relationship Of Benefits And Gains

1037: Bold Words. But, Can You Really Do It?

1038: Hit The Demon Lord Where It Would Hurt The Most

1039: I Am Not The Type That Puts All My Eggs In A Single Basket

1040: The Forces Under Alvahs Command
1041: The Night Before The Storm
1042: Clash Of Clans [Part 1]
1043: Clash Of Clans [Part 2]
1044: The Mortal Enemy of Womanizers
1045: Enjoy Your Victory While It Lasts
1046: If Only I Was Born Human

1047: Please, Make Sure That She Doesnt Start Killing People

1048: Betraying His Race For Love [Part 1]
1049: Betraying His Race For Love [Part 2]
1050: I Am Looking For My Prince [Part 1]
1051: I Am Looking For My Prince [Part 2]
1052: I Want To Sleep With You Tonight
1053: Ailaâ€™s Dream [Part 1]
1054: Aila's Dream [Part 2]
1055: Aila's Dream [Part 3] - R-18
1056: A Dark Future That Awaited All Of Them
1057: There Is No Turning Back

1058: A Choice Between What Was Easy, And What Was Right

1059: Let The Killing Begin!

1060: Finally, All The Chess Pieces Are In Place

1061: Who's Your Daddy Now?
1062: The Demon of Demons
1063: Desperate Struggle [Part 1]
1064: Desperate Struggle [Part 2]
1065: Desperate Struggle [Part 3]
1066: I Am The Chosen OneÂ
1067: I Will Struggle Until The End
1068: Dawn Of A New Era
1069: Over My Dead Body
1070: Who Do You Think Will Win?
1071: It's Time For You To Know Your Place

1072: I Will Wait For You At The Roots Of The World Tree

1073: Please Remember My Name. My Name Is Acedia

1074: The Two Of Us Will Always Be Together, Whether You Like It Or Not

1075: Time To End This Farce [Part 1]

1076: Time To End This Farce [Part 2]

1077: Not Bad For A Half-Baked Goddess, Right?

1078: You Are Never Alone
1079: Don't Even Think About Escaping!
1080: Just Try Dying Once

1081: I'll leave Will, In Your Very Capable Hands

1082: I Will Make All Of Them Pay

1083: I Am The Protector Of The Human Race! I Will Not Let Any Of You Pass!

1084: Give Him To Me, And Iâ€™ll Let All Of You Live

1085: It Looks Like Your Fate Has Been Sealed
1086: I Only Stand With The Winning Side
1087: Let’s All Go Together
1088: You Have No Power Here
1089: I Will Have My Vengeance
1090: Show Me Your Darkness
1091: Things Would Never Be The Same Again
1092: Don't You Trust Me?
1093: Thank You For Not Leaving Me Behind
1094: Â Will, I Love You

1095: Forced To Embrace The Darkness, So That Others May See The Light

1096: The Most Chaste Woman In The World

1097: Weeping In Beauty's Embrace

1098: Once You Make Your Decision, There Will Be No Turning Back

1099: That Girl Is Trouble
1100: May The Light Shine Upon You
1101: If Only You Had Come A Little Sooner
1102: I Will Do Things In Modedation

1103: After Everything Is Over, I Will Come To Find You

1104: You Have No Idea Of The Folly You Have Done Today

1105: The Ainsworth’s Family’s Reverse Scale

1106: I Just hope I Chose The Right Side To Join

1107: A Sublime Experience
1108: The Path Of Conquest
1109: You're Not Going To Join Us, Right?

1110: It Seems That You Won't Be Eating Rabbit Stew Tonight

1111: Invitation For A Meeting
1112: Having A Taste Of Her Hard Work
1113: What Lay Underneath His Smiling Facade

1114: What Can You Tell Us About The Prince of Darkness?

1115: Are You Not Going To Stop Them?

1116: I Like To Break The Rules

1117: A Wise Shepherd Once Said...

1118: Do You Really Believe That I Give A F*ck?

1119: Let's Plug Up That Beautiful Mouth Of Yours First

1120: Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 1]
1121: Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 2]
1122: Making A Fallen Angel Fall [Part 3]
1123: A Long, And Lingering Kiss Of Loyalty

1124: From Now On, You Are My Justice [Part 1]

1125: From Now On, You Are My Justice [Part 2]

1126: Words Don't Hold Any Value

1127: I Don't Want My Will To Become A Slave To Anyone!

1128: The Life Of My Granddaughter Ain't Cheap

1129: I Decide Whether Someone Is Guilty Or Not

1130: Go Ahead If You Dare

1131: As Tiny As A Matchstick!

1132: This Is One Slippery Dungeon Thief [Part 1]

1133: This Is One Slippery Dungeon Thief [Part 2]

1134: Stepping Into The Ranks Of Demigods
1135: Are There Any Benefits?
1136: Bitter Medicine - [R18]

1137: l Won't Be Seeing Both Of You,Anytime Soon

1138: Finally, l Found You Bastards
1139: Standing On Equal Grounds
1140: Where Destiny Waits

1141: Just What In The Nine Hells ls That Brat Up To?

1142: I'm The Bane Of Your Existences
1143: Thank You As Well, Master
1144: l've Always Wanted To Meet You
1145: l Need To Be With Him

1146: What You Wish For,ls Almost Within Your Reach

1147: Being Popular Sure ls Troublesome,Aren't l Right?

1148: l Came To Conquer You

1149: Tomorrow,The Suffering Will Start

1150: The Day When The World Descended lnto Darkness [Part 1]

1151: The Day When The World Descended lnto Darkness [Part 2]

1152: Wherever You Are,That will Be My Home
1153: The Half-Elf Who Holds Grudges
1154: All For The Sake Of His Vengeance
1155: Have You Not Slept Enough?
1156: 'll Be Back Soon

1157: Defy Me,And l Will Make YouRegret lt For Eternity

1158: Sister, We Meet Again

1159: You Want Me To Get That Lazy Bum Pregnant?

1160: I'll Come Back As Soon As l Conquer Hyperborea

1161: Ephemera's Suspicions

1162: Meeting With The Guardians Of The Sllvermoon Continent

1163: lt's Quite Unfortunate That My Bride Escaped

1164: I'll Play Along With This Little Farce Of Yours

1165: You and what Army?

1166: A World That Repeats A Continuous Cycle Of Death And Rebirth

1167: lt Has Been A While, Auntie
1168: Have You Heard About The Nine Realms?
1169: You Just Did lt To Scratch An ltch?
1170: Settling Old Scores
1171: Wash Your Neck, lt's Payback Time

1172: You're Missing Out On A Great Opportunity

1173: There's No Fool,Like An Old Fool
1174: Checkmate
1175: Since You Wwant To Play,Let's Play

1176: Are You Prepared For The Consequences ln Challenging Me? Boy?

1177: The Secret Of William's Wooden Staff
1178: That Was The Most Amazing Feeling Ever
1179: Reunion in Alfheim
1180: Acedia's Wish

1181: Thank You For Keeping Your Promise To Me

1182: Felix's Plan

1183: Don't Worry, l Will Not Bully You ln The Future

1184: The Three Of You Will Make Great Valkyries

1185: Goodluck, Dark Prince, Don't Make Us Wait Too Long

1186: Please Be Gentle.lt ls My FirstTime
1187: A Man of Character
1188: Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part1]
1189: Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part2]
1190: You're Lucky You Still Have Your Use
1191: Sweet Surrender [Part 1]
1192: Sweet Surrender [Part 2]
1193: l Think l Got Addicted To Kissing You
1194: Arwen's Two Penpals
1195: William's Long Desired Mobile Fortress
1196: The Dark Prince's ReverseScale
1197: The Sooner You Go The Better!

1198: Experiencing A Different Kind Of Torture

1199: Maybe You Were Thinking Of Me?

1200: ln Brightest Day, In Blackest Night [Part 1]