Collection 1 Chapter 27 331-340

Chapter 331: Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 1]

—–

'Sun Wukong,' William thought as he firmly gripped the Monkey King's hand. The latter then helped him to stand on his own two feet before looking at the Celestial Army that had reformed their ranks.

Clearly, they wouldn't allow William to pass through the gate without a fight.

"Kid, I'll take care of the small fries, but you will have to take care of that one over there, okay?" Sun Wukong twirled the golden staff in his hand and pointed at Lugh who stood in front of the Heavenly Gate like a gatekeeper.

"Okay," William readily agreed.

Sun Wukong patted his shoulder in a casual manner. "Relax, I'll lend you my power when you fight against him. As long as this King is around, you don't have to worry about anything."

Sun Wukong pulled a few hairs from his head and gave William a wink before blowing them off his hand. These strands of hair flew in the air for a brief moment before transforming into exact replicas of the Monkey King.

Zhu and Sha had propped themselves up from the ground while the two had been talking. Although they had received heavy injuries, they glared fearlessly at the Celestial Army in front of them.

The Pig Demon and the Sand Demon raised their weapons high with arrogance. Clearly, they wanted to give the Knights some payback for ganging up on them.

"Let's go." Sun Wukong grinned. "Observe carefully, William. You need to understand how my abilities work."

William nodded his head as he ran behind the Monkey King and his clones.

Within his status page, the name of Sun Wukong shone brightly in golden bold letters.

This meant that the Monkey King had been registered under his Heroic Avatar Skill. What did this mean? It meant that he could use the Monkey King's abilities for a short period of time when he activates the Heroic Avatar Skill.

—–

< Heroic Avatar >

— Allows the Shepherd to use the power of an Immortal Heroic Hero that protects the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

— This skill only lasts for an hour. During that time, the Shepherd will be able to wield ALL the abilities of the Immortal Hero Sun Wukong. This also includes the Battle Regalias and Weapons that belonged to him.

— This skill can only be used once a week.

— Current Heroic Avatar: Sun Wukong

— Heroic Rank: Immortal Saint (High)

—–

William noticed some distinct changes in the description of the skill. Before, the description of the Heroic Avatar only lasted for fifteen minutes and could be used once a day. Now, it could be used for an hour and had a cooldown time of one week.

The Half-Elf guessed that the changes in the skill's description had something to do with the Heroic Spirit that had been

registered as his Heroic Avatar.

Even so, he was quite thankful that the Immortal Hero that had appeared before him was quite powerful. William focused his attention on the Monkey King's fighting style so that he would be able to utilize his Hero's strength when he activated his Heroic Avatar.

The Monkey King's Clones rampaged across the battlefield. The golden staves in their hands extended several meters long as they swept across the battlefield, while doing their monkey antics.

Shouts of pain and helplessness erupted throughout the Celestial Army as the overpowered Monkey King swaggered towards the Heavenly Gate, sending anyone who stood in his way flying in every direction.

"Devastate all that stands in my way!" Sun Wukong ordered. "Ryu! Jingu! Bang!"

The golden staff in Sun Wukong's hand grew in size until it was three hundred meters long and over two metres thick. The Monkey King slammed it against the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that blew all the Celestial Knights away.

It was as if he had parted the Sea with that strike, allowing himself, William, Zhu, Sha and his clones to pass through the defenders with ease.

Lily giggled as she cheered for the Monkey King's one-sided massacre that offered no mercy to his enemies. The Loli Goddess had been raring to rampage a few minutes ago, but David had prevented her from descending to the Heavenly Domain.

After the appearance of Sun Wukong, her anger disappeared completely and she was now cheering for the monkey wholeheartedly. As for Issei, he had a smile on his face as he nodded his head in satisfaction.

Just like Lily, the Harem God had been itching for a battle, but he put it aside for now since the most Troublesome Monkey in the Celestial World had appeared on the battlefield.

The Jade Emperor sighed as he watched Sun Wukong laugh out loud as he brute forced his way through the sea of defenders. It reminded him of the time when the Monkey King had defied his decree and fought off the Heavenly Army of his Jade Palace.

'I almost pity the Celestial Knights, but this battle is far from over,' the Jade Emperor thought as he looked at Lugh who seemed mildly amused by Sun Wukong's dominant performance.

Just like everyone else, Lugh had restrictions that were applied to him when he entered the Heavenly Domain. If Sun Wukong's rank was at the peak of a Saint, Lugh's rank was that of a Myriad Beast at its Peak

Saints would always be weaker than Myriad Beasts, but the Monkey King didn't shy away from fighting against strong opponents. This was why the Heavenly Army had lost repeatedly against him in the past.

Sun Wukong was practically one of the most Invincible Beings in all of creation because his body couldn't be damaged by anything.

Although he wasn't a God, he was still a force to reckon with. Not to mention, his weapon, Ryu Jingu Bang, was capable of injuring, and dealing lethal damage to, Gods.

After an hour of intense fighting, the majority of the Celestial Knights were lying on the ground, unconscious. The surviving knights knew that it was a hopeless battle, so they decided to stand aside and let the King, who had been given the title Heaven's Equal, to pass unimpeded.

Sun Wukong didn't make things hard for the Knights who refused to fight and let them be. Soon, they arrived in front of the Heavenly Gate where the God of the Sun, Lugh, was waiting for them.

"Alright, you're up, Kid," Sun Wukong said as he handed his golden staff to William. "Knock his teeth out!"

William nodded and accepted Ryu Jingu Bang from Sun Wukong. The moment he held the weapon in his hand, he could feel an overwhelming strength wash over his body. The Monkey King turned into particles of light and flew towards William's chest, merging with him.

All of William's injuries recovered at an astonishing rate as if he had drunk one of Jekyll's regeneration potions.

Lugh held his shield in his left hand, and a red spear in his right. A sneer was plastered on his face as he pointed his weapon in William's direction.

William snorted as he twirled the golden staff in his hand. A metallic ding echoed across the battlefield as he slammed the staff on the ground.

"Finally a worthy opponent," Lugh declared. "Our Battle will be Legendary!"

William ignored his words, as he pointed the tip of the golden staff at Lugh's face.

"No, B*tch. It's Clobbering Time!"

Chapter 332: Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 2]

Lugh laughed when he heard William's snarky reply.

His laughter only lasted for a brief moment before he threw his shield towards the boy without warning.

William stepped aside to dodge the attack, but his battle instincts told him to get away as soon as he could. The Half-Elf didn't think twice and jumped back decisively.

It was at that moment when Lugh's body materialized and swapped places with the shield. The God then thrust his spear in William's direction, shooting a beam of light.

William somersaulted in the air to evade Lugh's attack before making a sweeping motion with the golden staff in his hand. The staff extended and swung towards the God who was looking at William in disdain.

Before the staff could even hit him, Lugh disappeared from the ground and reappeared a hundred meters above William.

He then spread his hands wide as he looked up into the heavens.

"Praise the Sun!" Lugh shouted.

Suddenly the darkness of the night disappeared, and a giant blazing sun appeared in the heavens. Lugh's body turned golden as the spear in his hand turned dark red.

"Bloom in the battlefield!" Lugh declared with arrogance. "Fleur du Soleil!"

The hair on William's neck stood on end as he faced the familiar attack that he had used back in Hestia. He already had his suspicions that the Sun Knight Job Class and Lugh were connected with each other.

He just didn't expect that even his weapon, Soleil, was an artifact that originally belonged to the Sun God!

Naturally, the spear that Lugh used wasn't Soleil. He had lent Soleil to Astrid who, in turn, gave it to one of her warriors who fought for Humanity during the Dark Era in Hestia.

However, since the weapon originally belonged to him, Lugh was able to use Soleil's power, just like William was able to use the "Lightning God War Arts" in battle.

The flaming spear flew towards William, leaving trails of flames in the sky. This attack was similar to a nuclear strike that could wipe out entire armies with a single attack.

William's Sun Knight Job Class was only able to bring out a fraction of Soleil's true power. The Half-Elf didn't dare to try and find out how strong this attack could be after being used by a God.

"Quick Shot War Art… Fusion Form." William said with determination. "Blitzer Railgun!"

William fused with his weapon and shot towards the heavens, evading the flaming spear. While he was soaring towards the sky at the speed of sound, a thought crossed through his mind.

'I feel like I'm forgetting something,' William thought as he traveled thousands of meters above the ground in a matter of seconds.

Meanwhile on the ground…

"Fck! Oink!" Zhu exclaimed as he realized

the great danger that they were about to face. "Run!"

The Pig Demon ran with everything he had because he had no intention of turning into roasted pork.

"Fool!" Sha grabbed his friend's arm before using his ability to dive under the ground.

A few seconds later, a world shaking explosion erupted on the battlefield. The Celestial Army, who tried to flee, was immediately enveloped by a radiant light before their bodies turned into ashes.

Despite Zhu's and Sha's attempt to escape underground in order to prevent injury and death, they were not spared from the explosion. The two received serious injuries as the shockwave from the blast descended on them with a vengeance.

Fortunately, the two of them were strong individuals and the powerful attack didn't take their lives.

William had already cancelled his ability mid-flight and looked down on the devastation on the ground.

A blazing ten-mile-crater had formed in the ground where the spear landed, turning everything around it into a sea of flames. William had to admit that it was quite an impressive sight, and he hoped that there wouldn't come a time when he had to use a similar attack back in his world.

It was an attack that had the potential to wipe out entire cities off the face of the Earth.

After the initial shock had passed, William summoned a cloud using the Monkey King's power and mounted it. He then charged at Lugh, who looked back at him with a contemptuous gaze.

"Immolate! Solar Flare!" Lugh pointed his finger at William.

Immediately after that, a thirty-meter miniature sun formed in front of William. The sun expanded its size and was about to explode when William thrust his spear towards it.

"Not happening!" William roared. The golden staff in his hand extended and its thickness expanded to over tens of meters.

The golden tip collided with the miniature sun and pushed it along with its descent towards the arrogant Sun God, whose expression immediately became serious when his own attack was directed back at him.

Not only that, William's attack was right behind the Solar Flare, which made the Sun God take these two attacks seriously.

"Aegis!" Lugh stood firm and held the shield in front of him.

The shield expanded until it was three-meters wide, shielding Lugh's entire body behind it. A powerful explosion made the sky tremble as the Solar Flare erupted right in front of Lugh's Golden Shield.

A few seconds later, the nearly forty-meter-thick-staff slammed against the shield, sending Lugh crashing towards the ground along with it.

The moment his two feet landed on the ground, Lugh shouted as he resisted one of the most dangerous weapons in existence. The weapon of the Monkey King could injure Gods, and it was something that all of the Gods in the Temple were aware of. This was why Lugh had to treat it seriously, or else he would suffer terribly.

The ground under his feet cracked as he held up his shield to combat the staff that was pinning him to the ground.

Lily's mouth opened wide as she looked at the staff that extended thousands of meters long, and nearly forty-meters thick.

William roared as he channeled his aura into the staff to crush the annoying God like a bug.

Lugh gritted his teeth as he endured William's unreasonable attack that broke all the rules of the Heavenly Domain. However, what he didn't know was that the Half-Elf's attack wasn't over yet.

"Quick Shot War Art, Fourth Form!" William shouted, "Grand Bazooka!"

Issei, Lily, and David's eyes widened in shock because they had completely forgotten that William's ability could be channeled through his weapon.

The Immortal Heroes and the Gods watching the battle unconsciously shuddered because they, also, just remembered this fact. Everyone who was watching this scene from the Heaven's knew that they wouldn't want themselves to be at the receiving end of this unreasonable attack of epic proportions.

Just as they expected, another world-shaking explosion, that wouldn't lose to Lugh's full-powered-attack earlier, broke out from the tip of the Golden Staff.

Zhu and Sha, who was seriously injured and lying on the ground, raised their middle fingers in William's direction. The two of them cursed the Half-Elf for not thinking about their well-being when he fired the Gigantic Bazooka at point blank range.

Soon, the entire battlefield, including the Heavenly Gate, was bathed in a fiery blaze that extended up to the Heavens, destroying everything in its wake.

Chapter 333: A God's Pride

'When was the last time I felt pain?'

The gigantic staff pressed on the golden shield exerting unbelievable pressure that made the ground under his feet shatter from the impact.

'When was the last time I was injured?'

A searing pain spread through his arm as he kept the shield above his body. However, due to the weight that was pressing down on him, his body crouched down a bit to support the golden shield that was preventing him from getting a fatal injury.

'When was the last time I fought seriously?'

Blood started to trickle down the side of the man's lips as he endured the attack that had almost brought him down to his knees.

'When was the last time… that I felt alive?'

While he was thinking these thoughts, a loud shout descended from the heavens.

"Quick Shot War Art, Fourth Form! Grand Bazooka!"

The man chuckled as he braced himself for the inevitable.

'This kid sure got me good.'

A world-shaking explosion made the man's ears bleed because his eardrums had been ruptured by the Grand Bazooka that had been fired at him at point blank range.

The man gritted his teeth as he used his willpower to envelop his entire body in a golden aura to lessen the injury that he was about to sustain. He knew that he wouldn't be able to escape this attack, so the least he could do was prevent himself from getting completely obliterated by the attack that came from the fusion of a mortal with an immortal.

A fiery blaze extended up to the heavens, destroying everything in its wake. Even in his current form, the man felt his skin tearing apart due to the intense heat of the flames. He didn't know how long this pain lasted, because every passing second felt like years.

If his ears were still working, he would have heard the cracking sounds coming from the arm that was propping the shield up. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear and the inevitable had happened.

The arm that supported the shield bent in an unnatural angle and it came crashing down on the man's face. His entire body was pinned to the ground as the force of the blast devastated his surroundings.

When the attack finally ended, the man opened his eyes. He then pushed the shield, that covered his face, aside with his bloody left arm because he wasn't able to move his other arm.

His blurred vision locked on a tiny black speck in the sky, and he knew, more than anything else, who that small and frail visage belonged to.

The man's body was hurting all over, but he didn't care. He forcefully propped himself up, but he wasn't able to stand.

The reason?

His legs had also been broken

due to the power of the blast that battered his entire body.

The man chuckled internally, as he looked up at the boy that hovered in the sky, while standing on top of a cloud.

Even though they were thousands of meters apart, he could see the expression on his face. The boy was sweating buckets and his breathing was ragged. Clearly, the last attack had taken its toll on him.

The man looked past the boy and stared at the burning sun behind him. It was currently midnight inside the Heavenly Domain, but due to his ability, the sun was shining unimpeded in the sky. It pushed away the darkness of the night and illuminated everything in the world.

The man's gaze lingered at the sun for a minute before shifting his attention back to the boy that was looking down at him from the heavens. Lugh remembered when he was born in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

The faith of his believers had poured into his body, filing it with unsurpassed strength. He was born intelligent and wise, for it was what the people had portrayed him to be.

—–

He was Lugh.

He was born a Trickster

He was born a Craftsman.

He was born a Judge.

He was born a Warrior

He was born a King

He was born a God

—–

'Assal, your brood never ceases to cause trouble for me.' Lugh chuckled internally as he thought of a distant past, where an idiotic, red-haired, man built his statue in a Plane that had long ceased to exist.

Lugh shook his head as he locked this memory deep inside his heart and focused his attention on the boy that carried that man's bloodline in his veins.

"Do you know what Sun Knights, Champions of the Sun, and Scions of Solaris have in common?" Lugh asked. Although he was injured, his voice was firm and steady. It didn't sound like the words he spoke came from a defeated person.

"I don't know," William replied. He continued to gaze down at the man lying on the ground, riddled with injuries and open wounds that blood trickled out of, staining the earth with a crimson hue.

"As long as the sun shines down from the heavens, they are practically invincible." Lugh smiled.

As if waiting for that moment, several popping sounds were heard in his broken arm–the one that had held the golden shield. His legs, that were bent at unnatural angles, straightened themselves. All the wounds on his body closed up and recovered completely.

Lugh stood up from the ground and patted the dust, that had accumulated in his body, off as if he just woken up from his nap.

The blood on the ground turned into golden flames until no traces of it were left. If not for the fact that everyone had witnessed what had happened a while ago, they would think that everything they saw was just an illusion.

"As long as the sun is at its zenith, I, am, invincible!" Lugh declared. His statement carried a hint of pride. It was the pride of a God that had been born out of the beliefs of millions of people. A pride that wouldn't lose to a mortal child. A pride that wouldn't lose to an immortal Monkey King.

A pride that would endure the test of time.

Lugh raised his hand and a flaming spear appeared in his hand. He then grinned as he looked at the boy whose expression had turned serious.

"Come, boy," Lugh said in a teasing tone. He then pointed the tip of the spear in William's direction as he prepared himself to fight once again. "Time for round two."

Lugh laughed. He laughed wholeheartedly.

"Lightning God War Art Final Form…," Lugh raised his hand and the flaming spear disappeared. It was replaced by the very first spear that William had held in his second lifetime. The spear that was called the Ainsworth family's heirloom.

Lightning bolts poured down from the sky and congregated at the tip of the Divine Spear in Lugh's hands. If William thought that the time when he used the skill Thunder God's Wrath was already heaven defying then the scale of Lugh's attack far surpassed everything that he could think of.

"Make the world tremble in your presence," Lugh stated. "Annihilate all opposition, Assal!"

Chapter 334: Returning To The Temple Of The Gods

William had a very bad feeling as all of his senses screamed at him that death was fast approaching.

He firmly gripped the golden rod in his hand as he gritted his teeth. Since his opponent had now become serious, it was time for him to get serious as well.

'Quick Shot War Art… Fusion Form.' William shouted internally as he pointed the tip of his spear. 'Blitzer Railgun!'

"Make the world tremble in your presence," Lugh roared. "Annihilate all opposition, Assal!"

The two powerful attacks activated at the same time.

William's attack travelled at the speed of sound.

The other, at the speed of lightning.

The Half-Elf was bathed in heavenly lightning and pain wracked his body. However, he endured. He dodged Lugh's attack by a hair's breadth, but it was enough to seriously injure him. If his skill activation had been delayed by half a second, the God's attack would have hit him without a doubt.

The golden rod's body was strong. Afterall, it was a weapon that belonged to one of the greatest Immortal Heroes of all time. Even against the attack of a God, it was a weapon that wouldn't be destroyed that easily.

Eight seconds.

It took eight seconds before Ryu Jingu Bang passed through the Heavenly Gate. William's vision blacked out right after he managed to escape with his life.

Lugh stared at the Heavenly Gate with a smile as he raised his hand, "Athibar."

Assal, the lightning spear, and one of the Four Jewels of the Tuatha De Danann, returned to his hand.

"You're just as slippery as your ancestor." Lugh grinned evilly. "Isn't that right, Assal?"

The spear in Lugh's hand remained silent. The God snorted and casually threw the spear towards the sky, where it disappeared. He then returned to the Temple to rest.

Even though it had only lasted for a brief moment, he still enjoyed the short battle he had with William after staying in the Temple for thousands of years.

——

William groggily opened his eyes. He then tried to move his body and immediately regretted it.

Tendrils of electricity snaked around him, and the smell of burnt flesh reached his nose. It was also at this moment when a wave of burning pain washed over his body.

The Half-Elf gritted his teeth as he summoned a Pink Lollipop into his hand. He tore the wrapper off using his teeth before placing it inside his mouth. William sighed in relief as he tasted the familiar, cherry-flavored, sweetness spreading across his taste buds.

The numbness and semi paralysis he was feeling wore off after eating the Pink Lollipop infused by the Divinity of a Goddess. The next thing he did was summon a Red Lollipop. He didn't eat it

right away. Instead he held it firmly in his hand as he increased the effects of the Lollipop.

Just like the White Lollipop, William could compress and stack the effects of the Red Lollipop, making it a very powerful healing candy.

After exhausting half of the Red Lollipop's daily quota, William placed it inside his mouth to eat. Immediately, he could feel his injuries getting better. Although they were far from a complete recovery, it was still better than nothing.

'I almost died back there,' William thought as he chewed on the lollipop inside his mouth.

The crunching noises of the candy being grounded by his teeth sounded nonstop.

Suddenly, a light cough was heard in the distance and a pair of feet walked towards him.

"Child, I'd appreciate it if you didn't litter here in the entrance of the Temple," an old man with a long white beard said in annoyance. "Do you want me to make you pay with God Points?"

William turned his head to the side and saw the familiar old man that had once opened the gate to allow William, and those that came with him, to enter the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

"Um, Gramps, why am I here?" William asked. He thought that after he entered the Heavenly Gate, he would return to his world where his loved ones were waiting for him.

"You're here because you entered the Heavenly Gate," the old gatekeeper said with a hint of approval and admiration. "This is the second time I've seen someone manage to clear the Heavenly Trial. Not bad, young man. Not bad."

"Uh…." William groaned as he covered his face with a hand. He still didn't understand why he ended up in the entrance of the temple, but since that was the case, he just had to meet with Issei, Lily, and David to know what was going on.

A few minutes passed before William managed to stand on his own two feet. He summoned the golden staff that belonged to the Monkey King, and it flew to him as if it was originally his.

William gritted his teeth as he dragged his injured body towards the gate with the aid of the golden staff. The old gatekeeper walked beside him, matching his pace.

It was his way of showing respect to the second person that had cleared the trial and fought against the Celestial Army within the Heavenly Domain.

Naturally, he remembered who William was. This was why he was both surprised and curious about how the boy managed to return to the Temple a second time. Usually, souls that were still living were banned from entering the temple.

Only the souls of the dead were allowed to enter the gates that he had guarded since time immemorial. However, since William cleared the trial, he would be given special rights to enter the temple for a second time even though he was still technically alive.

"Well then, I welcome you once again to the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods," the old man said as he opened the gate to allow William to pass through. "May this be the last instance you visit this temple during your lifetime. Of course, I will be here to welcome you once again when the fates decree for you to return to the Cycle of Reincarnation."

William smiled bitterly as he nodded his head.

Indeed. The next time he would enter this temple again would be on the day of his death.

The images of his family, friends, and acquaintances flashed before his eyes. It was then when he remembered that there were still some things that he still needed to do. His lovers, Wendy, Est, and Ian were waiting for his return.

He also hadn't met the Goddess Astrid to ask her about the method that would remove the curse from Est's, Ian's, and Isaac's bodies. Since Est and Ian were his lovers, it was his responsibility to return them to their true forms.

There was also the fact that he still hadn't seen his Patron God, Gavin.

Issei, Lily, and David had casually mentioned that Gavin had received a backlash when he forced himself to descend to William's world.

William knew that he still had many things to do. Dying so young was not one of them

If possible, William didn't want to die too soon. He still had promises to keep. Promises he was determined to keep.

Chapter 335: What I Want, Is You

"You and your men are Incompetent Fools!" Prince Lionel slammed his fist on the table as he glared at Calum. "You promised me that I would have her! But what did you do? You let her escape!"

Calum narrowed his eyes, but he didn't say anything to the Crown Prince who was looking at him with bloodshot eyes. It was indeed his mistake for underestimating the Third Princess of Freesia who was not only beautiful, but also well versed in reading the books on the Arts of War.

What he didn't know was that Princess Sidonie was also a clever strategist behind closed doors. She would order her pets to do missions for her, and some of these missions included the assassinations of corrupt officials in her kingdom.

Well, the one giving the orders was Morgana, but since they shared the same body, everyone who was in the know about her dual personalities still credited these achievements to Princess Sidonie, who only dreamed of finding her one true love.

"Our agents are already looking for her trail," Calum reported. "The journey to Freesia will take at least a week and we have already laid ambushes to intercept her along the way."

Prince Lionel was so mad that he wanted to laugh out loud when he heard Calum's reply.

"Do you honestly believe that Princess Sidonie is not aware of the ambushes that you have laid out for her?" Prince Lionel questioned. "Do you think of her as a fool? The lady I love is not a small fry that you can capture using tricks for little kids!"

Prince Lionel pounded the table once again to vent out his frustrations. Since he dreamed of making Princess Sidonie his wife, he did his best to investigate everything about her. The things she liked to eat, her hobbies, and anything that would make her happy.

He studied it for many years in order to increase his chances of closing the distance between the two of them. However, when the Princess had arrived in the capital, all the preparations he had made didn't work.

It was as if he was talking to a completely different person.

Truth be told, Princess Sidonie didn't like to deal with Prince Lionel. This was why, most of the time, when the Crown Prince and the Princess were alone, it would always be Morgana talking to the Crown Prince.

Princess Sidonie would only talk to him when they were in the presence of others, which made all of Lionel's attempts futile.

The Crown Prince also realized that ever since the party where the Princess had danced with William, Princess Sidonie would always ask him things about the Half-Elf. This made the Crown Prince very jealous to the point that he ordered his men to assassinate the unconscious Half-Elf.

But, none of the men he ordered to do this task had returned to his side. That was when Prince Lionel realized that there was someone strong protecting the boy.

Since that was the case, he stopped giving out orders in order to keep his men from

dying.

Fortunately, William had fallen into a coma after the Demon Invasion, in the academy. Because of this, the Princess didn't have the opportunity to meet with him before the war started. This was the only consolation Prince Lionel had after his failed attempts to get rid of the red-headed boy.

If he only knew that there was an overprotective Goat and Parrot Monkey by William's side, he would certainly not think to send assassins to kill him.

"Find her no matter what!" Lionel ordered. "We had a deal and it's your turn to keep your end of the bargain!"

Calum covered his head with a hood because he was afraid that he would slap the Prince if he looked directly at his face. "Fine. I will personally go and look for your Princess. But, remember this. We are not your minions whom you can order around however you like. Don't push your luck, Crown Prince."

Calum left the room leaving a frustrated Prince Lionel behind. Soon, the sound of things breaking could be heard inside the room. The Crown Prince vented his anger until he could no longer break anything.

He vowed that the next time he saw Princess Sidonie, he would pin her down, and show no mercy. Prince Lionel always got what he wanted. However, he also understood that he had to rely on The Organization to make him the Emperor of the Southern Continent.

"No matter where you run, no matter where you hide, I will find you," Prince Lionel vowed. "When that day comes, I will make sure that you will no longer be able to run away. Princess Sidonie, I will make you regret running away from this Prince!"

—–

"Princess, are you sure about this?" Priscilla asked as she followed behind Princess Sidonie. "What if the Queen wasn't affected by that continental spell that they invoked?"

Princess Sidonie walked as she removed the rings in her fingers one by one. "It doesn't matter if the Queen is active or not. What is important is that she's defenseless right now."

The two young ladies walked into a wide tunnel, hundreds of meters below the ground.

Princess Sidonie and Morgana knew that they would have a hard time escaping their pursuers. The two of them didn't excel in combat, so fighting wasn't an option. This was why Princess Sidonie took Priscilla with her when she escaped from Ravenlord Citadel.

The Princess knew that The Organization was also present in Freesia, so she decided to make a detour. Morgana suggested that they go to Antheilm where the Queen Ant, that supplied the Anasesha Dynasty with unlimited Warrior Ants, was located.

Soon, the two arrived in a very spacious cavern littered with countless eggs. At the center was a Giant Beast, that was also the Guardian Beast of the Aenasha Dynasty.

It was none other than the Myriad Beast known as the Crowned Nightmare Queen Ant.

The Queen Ant had the lower body of an ant, and the upper body of a beautiful woman. She had already sensed Princess Sidonie's approach and raised her head in defiance. Currently, she was in a weakened state because the Continental spell had also affected her, even though she was deep underground.

"Don't come any closer!" the Ant Queen shrieked because her instincts were telling her that Princess Sidonie was a very dangerous being. "What do you want?!"

Princess Sidonie ignored the Ant Queen's pitiful struggles as she removed the last accessory from her hand.

"What I want, is you," Princess Sidonie said as she removed the veil that covered her face.

The Queen Ant's expression immediately softened as her gaze locked on Sidonie's beautiful face.

Seeing that her plan had worked, Sidonie moved closer to the Queen Ant. She just needed to do one last thing in order to seal the Queen's fate.

Using her hairpin, Princess Sidonie pricked her finger tip until a drop of blood was formed. She then wrote a magic circle in the air using her blood as a medium.

Soon, a magic contract of Master and Beast hovered in front of her. The Queen Ant lowered her massive body in order to allow Princess Sidonie to embed the magic circle into her forehead.

The Queen Ant offered no resistance and allowed the contract to merge with her body. Half a minute later, Princess Sidonie felt a strong connection with the Myriad Beast which proved that she had succeeded in making the Myriad Ant Queen her Beast Companion.

Since she was young, Princess Sidonie had always wanted to make a Myriad Beast her Beast Companion. Although the Queen Ant had only average fighting skills, it was capable of producing an army that numbered in the millions.

With this, Princess Sidonie wouldn't have to worry about not having enough warriors to fight for her. The only thing she needed to do now was to wait a few days for the Ant Eggs to hatch.

These eggs had been unaffected by the spell because they didn't quite meet the requirements that had crippled the entire Southern Continent. Sidonie was sure that the moment they hatched, only a handful of individuals in the current Southern Continent would be her match.

Chapter 336: Don't Cause Too Much Of A Ruckus In Hell

When William entered the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, he saw a good number of candidates that were wandering around the countless stalls within the area that William had labeled as the Bazaar.

He wasn't able to stop the smile that formed on his face, as the sounds of cheesy pick up lines reached his ears. It reminded him of the days when he first entered the temple and had met Gavin, Lily, Issei, and David.

William walked very slowly as he used the golden staff to support his body. Although Lily's candy had helped him recover, the damages he sustained from Lugh's overwhelming attack were still present in his body.

Clearly, it would take more than a few lollipops to completely recover from the attack of a God.

He was about to look for Issei, Lily, and David when a familiar figure blocked his path.

"Well, well, well, look at who we have here," the Apple Goddess, Lulu, said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened to you, Little Will? You look like you've fought against an entire army."

The Gods in the nearby stalls chuckled at Lulu's teasing words. Naturally, they had also watched William's battle inside the Heavenly Gate and eyed him with renewed interest. For them, watching a God personally fight against a candidate was pure entertainment.

"Hello, Lulu," William greeted with a smile. "Have you been well?"

Lulu grinned as she patted William's shoulder, which immediately made the Half-Elf grimace in pain.

"Well enough," Lulu chuckled. "Here, have an apple. Don't worry, this one is free of charge."

Lulu handed a golden apple to William and urged him to eat it. For some reason, the golden apple reminded him of the apple that he was given in Asgard by the adult Wendy in his dreams.

William only hesitated for a brief moment before taking a bite on the apple. Soon, a wave of warm and soothing energy traveled across his body. It felt so comfortable that he wasn't able to prevent a sigh of pleasure from escaping his lips.

After taking the first bite, William ate the apple with gusto until nothing was left. The pain and exhaustion he felt disappeared like a fleeting breeze, and he could feel his strength returning to his body.

"Thank you, Lulu," William said, sincerely.

"You're welcome," Lulu replied as she patted William's shoulder. "The next time you reincarnate, make sure to choose me as your Patron God. I can at least guarantee that no one will be able to kill you easily, not even a God."

Lulu winked at William before returning to her stall. For some reason, William believed that the words of the Apple Goddess weren't empty boasts. With such a miraculous apple that could instantly heal any injuries, her followers would indeed be very hard to kill.

"Big Brother!"

Before William could even react, a certain Loli Goddess jumped onto his chest like a cannonball, sending him skidding a few meters across the floor. In the end, William fell down on his back while holding the mischievous loli in his arms.

"Lily, I just recovered," William said before patting the loli's head, who was clinging to him like a leech. "Can you take it easy on me?"

"Ehe!" Lily giggled.

William sighed because Lily could be a handful at times. He then raised his head to see Issei and David walking towards his direction. Both of them were smiling and Issei even gave William a playful wink when he neared the boy.

"Congratulations on completing the Heavenly Trial," Issei said with a smile. "You really caused quite the commotion. The Jade Emperor now has a headache about how to deal with the aftermath."

David chuckled as he continued Issei's explanation. "Over a million Celestial Knights are out of commission because of you. The Heavenly Domain will

have to be closed for repairs. Also, all of the defenders are now undergoing Hell Training as punishment because they failed to stop you from entering the Heavenly Gate."

Lily pulled William up from the ground and patted his clothes for him. "Don't worry, Big Brother. After ten years, the Heavenly Domain will reopen. I sure pity the next candidate who undertakes the trial. They will not stand a chance because the Celestial Army will not allow themselves to be defeated for a third time. They will lose half of their salary if this incident happens again."

William felt sweat forming on his forehead after hearing Lily's words. He felt like he was the cause of all these problems and wondered if the Jade Emperor would ask him to pay for the damages that he had caused after Sun Wukong descended on the battlefield.

The three Gods could read William's thoughts and snickered internally. They were the true culprits behind William's trial, so naturally, the blame should be on their shoulders. The three cheapskates were more than happy to push all the blame on William when the Jade Emperor came to ask for compensation!

"Now that you have cleared the trial, and registered your Immortal Guardian, it is now time for you to return to your world," David said. "Do you want to return now? Or do you still have unfinished business that you have to settle here?"

"I still have some unfinished business," William nodded. "Sir David, do you know the Goddess Astrid?"

"Astrid?" A playful smile appeared on David's face. "Of course I know her. Do you want to talk to her about something?"

"Yes." William explained the curse that was placed on Est, Ian, and Isaac, to the three Gods that supported him.

Naturally, they were aware of this backstory because Astrid had come clean when William and Est were fighting together at the Trial of Courage.

"Also, I want to see Gavin as well," William said. "I'm also worried about his condition."

The three Gods nodded simultaneously. William was one of the two followers of Gavin. It was perfectly understandable for the boy to want to see him. Although Issei, Lily, and David had their reservations in allowing the two to meet, they still decided to allow William to see his Patron God.

"Let's go visit Astrid first," Issei suggested. He then patted William's shoulder before whispering in his ears. "Astrid is a stubborn Goddess. She will try to intimidate you, but do not falter. After all, you are doing this for the sake of your lovers, right?"

William nodded his head seriously. "Yes. I need to find a way to return them to their original bodies."

Lily, who was standing beside William, grabbed his arm and waved it from side to side. "Don't worry, Big Brother, if she doesn't agree, we can always blackmail her to cooperate with you."

William scratched his head as he looked at the adorable loli in front of him. The more he interacted with Lily, the more he thought that she was a Battle Goddess in disguise. Even so, he pushed these thoughts aside because he needed to focus his attention on the Goddess that held the fate of Est and Ian in her hands.

—-

Astrid was seated in her garden and drinking tea with her twin brother, Aamon.

Aamon was one of the Ars Goetia that presided over hell and the Supreme Commander of the Forty Legions that rampaged among the Higher Planes that the Gods ruled.

Ironically, he was also one of the three Gods whom the Kraetor Empire worshipped.

Unlike his prideful, and stubborn, twin sister, Aamon was charming, confident, and a well-known rule breaker. There were even times when Astrid had to personally drag him back to the Temple in order to prevent him from getting out of line.

Even so, the twins got along really well. The only problem was that their personalities were the complete opposite of each other.

"Looks like an interesting brat is planning to demand something from you, sister dear," Aamon teased.

Astrid placed her teacup down on the table and gave her twin a side-long glance. "He's just a brat, you don't need to mind him too much."

"Uh-huh." Aamon smirked before standing up from his seat. "Well then, I'll be returning to my palace. See you later, Astrid."

"Stay away from trouble, Aamon." Astrid warned. "Don't cause too much of a ruckus in Hell."

Aamon chuckled. He then winked at his twin sister before disappearing from the garden.

Astrid looked at the teacup on the table with a calm expression. She already knew that William would look for when he appeared in the temple, so she had prepared a quest beforehand.

It was not like she was against lifting the curse on her devout followers. In fact, she even wanted to do it as well. However, it wasn't as simple as that. In order to keep her promise to the Hellan Kingdom, she needed to ask for the favor of another God.

And that God had already escaped back to Hell in order to prevent his twin sister from introducing him to William.

That's right. The God that agreed to help Astrid tweak the Continental Spell, that descended on the Southern Continent, was none other than Aamon. In order to break the curse, William must travel to the Central Continent and find a way to make the Marquis of Hell agree to lift the curse on his lovers and friend.

However, knowing her twin brother's personality, Astrid knew that William would be sent on a wild goose chase. She just hoped that at the end of that journey, her devout followers would once again recover the things that they had lost.

The Goddess waved her hand as the gates of the garden opened wide. William walked with steady steps, accompanied by three of the Gods who supported him from the Heavens.

'Let's see how far you can go, boy.' The corner of Astrid's lips curled up because she could already see the hardships that William would face as he tried to negotiate with Aamon. 'Show me that you are worthy of my devout followers' love. If you can't even do this much then you don't deserve Est's and Ian's affections.'

Although Astrid was grateful for William's help, that didn't mean that she approved of him. She decided to use this test to judge the Half-Elf's character. Only after he passed her twin brother's test then and only then would she recognize him as a man worthy of her followers' love.

Chapter 337: The Undying Lands

In a hidden valley found in the southern part of the Hellan Kingdom…

A man wearing a red-robe stared at a monument that had been covered by moss. The man casually removed the mask he was wearing, for there was no longer any need to hide his real identity.

He had placed an enchantment on his facemask that distorted his facial features to prevent others from recognizing him. The man, with short, dark brown, hair and green eyes, looked at the monument with a smile.

His hand rose up to casually stroke the pointed tip of his ear as if trying to confirm that it was there. Unlike the pointed ears of an Elf, the man's ears were more Human-like. However, it wouldn't change the fact that his Elven ancestry had ensured that he would forever be an outcast among the full-blooded Elves.

That's right, he was a Half-Elf that was shunned from the Silvermoon Continent because of his impure bloodline.

His name was Conner Garnell Roz. One of the Leaders of The Organization that went by the name Deus.

Conner was the one assigned by the Supreme Pontifex to take command of the entire Southern Continent. Due to having no competition, he used the funds of The Organization to pursue his own goals, while paying lip service to their Supreme Pontifex, who was in charge of the main branch of Deus in the Central Continent.

Every member of The Organization had their own goals when they joined. However, they all had one thing in common, they wanted the world to descend into chaos and strife. For they were people who had been cast away by society and suffered untold hardships from their clans.

Celine was once one of them. Due to her ill-gotten-fate, she wanted to take revenge on those that had made her life miserable. More than anything else, she wanted to make the High-Council of the Elves pay for the sufferings that she had undergone during the early years of her life.

This was why she reached out to The Organization, and they in turn, accepted her into their ranks. However, after meeting William, Celine had mellowed out a bit. Although she still hadn't forgotten those who wronged her, she was not in a hurry to seek her revenge.

For her, the most important thing was to teach her only Disciple everything she knew about Dark Magic. That way, when the Elven Prophecy was fulfilled, she could freely join the Prince of Darkness and turn the Silvermoon Continent upside down.

Frankly, Celine didn't believe that William was the one in the prophecy. More like, she didn't want William to become the person who would cover the world in Eternal Darkness. She would rather have someone else take that role instead of the narcissistic Half-Elf that had suffered cruelty at her hands.

Just like Celine, Conner hated the Silvermoon Continent as well. Perhaps, he hated it more than she did. Why? Because he was a Half-Elf. A race that the proud Elves deemed as filthy.

Conner closed his eyes to push away the

unwanted memories that had resurfaced inside his mind.

Two minutes later, he had regained his calm and once again looked at the monument that had been hidden inside an artificial cave in the valley, located in the Southern Regions of the Hellan Kingdom.

"All of you stand back," Conner ordered the loyal supporters that had followed him for many years. "I will open the gate to the Undying Lands."

Over a dozen black-robed men stepped a few meters away from where Conner stood. They knew that their leader had been looking for the key that would unravel the secrets of the Southern Continent.

Conner took out an ornate box from his pocket and opened it. The Oathkeeper Key glowed and shot a beam of light towards the monument.

A few seconds later, the monument started to change its shape until it took the form of a teleportation gate.

Conner made a gesture and one of his subordinates entered the portal. As the leader of The Organization, he was not allowed to take chances. This was why he decided to use his trusted confidant as a scout to check the other side of the gate.

Ten minutes later, his subordinate returned and made a report.

"S-Sir, it is unbelievable!" the black-robed man stuttered. His face was wild with excitement and Conner could tell that they had hit the jackpot. "The domain is filled with rare resources that can only be found in Class S Domains and higher.

Also, there is a floating island in the sky. I tried to use my mount, but the domain seems to have a restriction that prevents any forms of flight".

Conner nodded. He did his best to hide the excitement on his face because he had finally found the Undying Lands. The Domain where the first ruler of the Hellan Kingdom had been enshrined. This was also the Hidden Domain that was rumored to hold the Secret of Immortality.

"Good," Conner replied. "Everyone, follow me."

""Yes, Sir!""

When Conner and his men entered the domain, they were immediately greeted by lush greenery. Although they didn't sense any living beasts within the domain, they could tell that it was very much alive.

'Even after thousands of years this place had thrived without intervention from the outside world,' Conner mused as he observed the surroundings. He could feel the dense Magic and Spiritual power in the air.

This was the sign that many rare herbs, minerals, metals, and other rare treasures resided within the domain.

However, the most eye-catching landmark of the Undying lands was the floating island in the sky.

Conner deemed that it was at least a mile long from where he stood. He was very curious about what secrets the island held, so he immediately activated the flying artifact in his possession.

The artifact came to life, and Conner could feel that it was working properly, however, his feet were still firmly planted on the ground.

Clearly, what his subordinate said about the flying restriction was true.

Although he was disappointed, Conner also felt happy because no one would also be able to sneak onto the island.

'There must be a hidden passage somewhere,' Conner thought as he scanned his surroundings. 'I need to find it as soon as possible. Before they come knocking on my door.'

Conner knew that his superiors had become suspicious of his recent actions in the Southern Continent, so he decided to use the Continental Spell as a distraction to prevent them from finding out his real intentions.

He was also aware that the Kraetor Empire and the Elves had arrived and were currently in the process of conquering the Human Kingdoms that had no power to resist their invasion.

That's right, Conner didn't care about the Southern Continent. He also didn't care about the promise he made with Lionel. The Crown Prince was just a means to acquire the Oathkeeper Key.

Although he wouldn't mind letting the traitorous Prince keep his rule in the Hellan Kingdoms, he would not lift a finger to help him conquer the lands that the Kraetorian Empire and Elven forces had captured.

As a member of The Organization, he still couldn't defy the Supreme Pontifex. The only time he would be able to do so was when he, himself, had discovered the Secrets of Immortality.

Then and only then would he be able to break free from the chains that bound him and enact his vengeance on the Elves who had killed his family.

"Wash your necks, Patriarchs of the Saleh, Nasir, Rhys, and Eroan Clans," Conner said softly as he stared at the floating island in the sky. "I will personally come to kill each and every one of you. But before that… I will kill all your prodigies first."

Although he was certain that the Head of the Organization that was assigned to the Silvermoon Continent was behind the movement of the Elves, he wouldn't let that stop him from getting his vengeance.

But before that, he would focus his attention on gathering the resources inside the Domain and finding a way to reach the Floating Island, which he assumed held the secrets that he was looking for.

Chapter 338: Invaders Of The Southern Continent

A few days after they reached the shores of the Southern Continent, the Elves immediately headed to the Zelan Dynasty to start their first conquest on Human lands.

Just as they expected, everyone above the age of twenty had turned into crystal statues. One could even say that taking over the kingdom was just like stealing candy from a baby. There were a few that tried to resist, but they were unable to match the strength of the Elven Prodigies.

"Weak! So weak!" one of the Elven Prodigies exclaimed after defeating a nineteen-year-old boy who tried to protect the rest of the surviving children that were gathered in the Town Hall.

Several other teenagers laid on the ground injured, while others were unconscious.

The other Elven prodigies looked at the fallen Humans with disdain. They didn't expect much resistance from the survivors, but the young warriors of the Zelan Dynasty were simply too weak.

"Why don't we just kill them?" a handsome Elf with green hair proposed as he stepped on the head of one of the fallen warriors. "I'm sure that killing them would teach the others that they shouldn't oppose our rule, right?"

Cheers of agreement sounded from the Elves, which made the handsome Elf grin wickedly.

"That's enough."

A cold and commanding voice ordered.

The handsome green-haired Elf was about to protest, but immediately held back his complaint when he saw the owner of the voice that ordered him to stop.

"I was just joking, Princess," the green-haired Elf stepped back and gave a respectful bow.

A beautiful Elf with long, honey-blonde hair, and blue eyes nodded her head in understanding. She was the representative of the King who was given the duty of Supervisor for this expedition.

Although the command of the entire mission lay in Elandorr's hands, no Elf that was born in the Silvermoon Continent would defy the orders of the Royal Princess. This was true even though she only had the rank of Supervisor.

Even Elandorr had to be respectful of her wishes, for she was Eowyn, the Fourth Princess of the Starlight Forest, and High Princess of the Silvermoon Continent.

"Although Humans have enslaved our race for thousands of years, that doesn't mean that we have to lower ourselves to their level," Princess Eowyn said. "We are Elves. Our race is superior to theirs. There's no reason for us to act as Barbarians."

The green-haired Elf smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

"It is as you say Princess. I'm sorry, my emotions got the best of me."

"Understandable. Please, make sure that you don't repeat these actions again in the future."

"Understood, Your Highness."

The green-haired Elf backed down completely. None of the other Elves said anything. They just glanced at their commander, Elandorr, waiting for his orders.

"Gather the warriors and lock them up in the prisons," Elandorr ordered. "As for the Human children that can't fight, leave them be. They are of no threat to us."

Elandorr smiled as he glanced at the Princess who was standing a few meters away. "Since her Royal Highness is merciful then we will also show mercy. This is the difference between our race and the Barbarians. We shouldn't lower ourselves to their level."

""Yes!""

The young Elven prodigies didn't dare say anything in front of the princess, but in their hearts they wanted to humiliate the humans and make them pay for the long years of slavery that their race had suffered in their hands.

Although they agreed on the surface, that didn't mean that they wouldn't do anything when the attention of the Elven Princess laid elsewhere. They were very keen in torturing and enslaving the humans that had treated the Elven Race as their playthings.

After receiving Elandorr's orders, the Elven warriors dragged the fallen teenagers away and tied them up to prevent them from causing trouble.

Their takeover of the capital of the Zelan Dynasty went very smoothly. However, they were not able to capture the

survivors of the Royal Family. One could even say that the members of the Royal Family were no longer in the capital when they arrived.

It was as if they were expecting their arrival.

It was at that moment when over a hundred black-robed men appeared on the castle walls with weapons at the ready.

"Who are you and what are you doing in Human lands?" one of the black-robed men asked.

Elandorr sneered and unsheathed his blade. "My name is Elandorr, the commander of the Elven Forces that will take over this kingdom. Men, kill these mongrels!"

Several of the elves immediately summoned their bows and began shooting. Those who were proficient with magic immediately cast spells in order to keep any of the black-robed men alive.

The Elders that had come with them in this undertaking had already warned them that the Southern Continent had fallen under the control of a notorious Organization. They added that if they were to meet them, they should do their best to exterminate all of them if possible.

The leader of the black-robed men immediately ordered a hasty retreat as he cast protective spells in order to protect him from the Elven arrows and spells that were falling upon them like rain.

As one of Conner's commanding officers, it was his duty to take complete control of the Zelan Dynasty. Even so, the difference in numbers was enough to tell him that fighting the Elves wouldn't change anything.

"Retreat!" the black-robed man ordered as the members of the Organization did their best to escape with their lives. Unfortunately, not all of them were lucky and died under the hands of the Elven Prodigies who ran after them as if they were hunting wild boars in the forest.

The black-robed men had already felt the presence of Blademasters and Archmages among the Elven Army. It would be pure folly to stay and die a dog's death, so he decided to use a teleport scroll in order to escape with his life.

He had only one goal in his mind and that was to report the current state of affairs to his leader, who was currently in the Hellan Kingdom.

Elandorr watched in disdain as the members of The Organization were massacred left and right.

He didn't even bother to order the Blademasters, who accompanied him, to take part in the slaughter. For him, having the young elves take the blood of the members of the organization was a good warm up for their conquest in the Human Lands.

"Your Highness, please, accompany me to the castle," Elandorr said with a confident smile. "Although the Barbarians are crude, their palace is the only fitting place for you to rest. Allow me to escort you there, Princess Eowyn."

He didn't even bat an eye on the blood curdling screams that reverberated in the air, as he invited the Princess to tour the human castle like they were having a stroll in the forest.

Princess Eowyn nodded, "Thank you, Commander, for your offer. Please, allow me to inconvenience you for the time being."

"Serving you will not inconvenience me, Your Highness. Instead, it will be my pleasure to accompany you."

"Thank you, Commander."

It only took half a day before all the survivors of the Dynasty were gathered. The Elven forces made sure that all able-bodied teenagers were imprisoned. Elandorr picked many beautiful ladies out from among the teenagers because he planned to turn them into slaves.

Naturally, some of the Elven girls also picked a few handsome men to become their manservants during their stay as well.

Yes, they had brought slave collars made in the Silvermoon Continent as per order of their Patriarchs. They deemed that it was only natural to make the Humans pay for the years of enslavement that the Elves had suffered under their hands.

Elandorr's plan was to turn these slaves into guides that would tell them more about the extent of the territories that fell under the Zelan Dynasty's rule. Naturally, Elandorr and his officers also planned to make these beautiful slaves their playthings.

The Elven Commander had approved of it and Princess Eowyn had decided to turn a blind eye to his actions.

For her, turning the Humans into slaves was much better than outright killing them. This was the unwritten compromise that Elandorr and her had agreed upon. As a Supervisor, she mustn't interfere with how Elandorr did things. She was only there as a spectator. Preventing unnecessary killings was the only thing she could do for the original citizens of the Zelan Dynasty.

"Still, the Royal Family has no backbone," Elandorr said softly as he looked at the castle. "At the first sign of trouble, they immediately turned tail and ran. Well, it's not like there would have been any difference had they stayed."

The commanding officers beside him nodded their heads in agreement. They were certain that, aside from the Kraetorian Army, everyone that survived the continental spell was completely under their mercy.

——

"What do you mean she's missing?" Jason asked the black-robed man under his feet. "If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll kill all of you."

After the Kraetorian Army landed on the shores of the Kingdom of Freesia, they immediately seized its capital. However, unlike the elves who held the Humans in contempt, the Kraetorian Army didn't hurt the citizens, and only focused on the Black-Robed Men that had taken over the palace.

"I swear I'm telling the truth!" the black-robed man pleaded. "Princess Sidonie escaped from the Hellan Kingdom and her whereabouts are unknown. We don't know where she is. Please, I told you everything I know. I beg you, let me go!"

Jason sneered as he raised the sword in his hand and cut off the man's head in one fluid stroke of his blade.

"Useless people don't deserve to live," Jason stated. He then turned his eyes to the rest of the Black-Robed Men who were lined up and kneeling in front of him.

"I'll ask again, where is my cousin?" Jason inquired with an evil grin. "You don't want to suffer the same fate as this useless man, right?"

The Black-Robed Men that had been detained by the Kraetorian Army shuddered. They really don't know where Princess Sidonie was. If they knew, they would not hesitate to immediately tell the bloodthirsty Prince, who didn't bat an eye when killing people, the whereabouts of the Princess.

Of course, Jason knew that they really didn't know the answer to his question. What he was doing was purely for entertainment. He had made it a hobby to make his victims beg for forgiveness before he ended their miserable lives.

Chapter 339: Gavin's True Form

William sighed after leaving the garden of the Goddess Astrid. He thought that he would be able to come to an agreement with her, but the latter was firm and wouldn't yield to any of William's proposals.

'Aamon,' William thought as he followed behind Lily, Issei, and David. 'Just what kind of God is he?'

Astrid had told him that if he wanted to lift the curse that was placed on Est, Ian, and Isaac, he must meet with her twin brother, Aamon, in the Kraetor Empire, which was located in the Central Continent.

Although William had planned to go to the Central Continent, it was only for his battle with Rebecca. Now, he had no choice but to go there earlier than planned in order to free his lovers from the curse that bound them.

"Lily, just what kind of God is Aamon?" William inquired. Currently, Lily was walking beside him and matching his pace.

The Loli Goddess smirked as she pondered how to answer William's question.

"Many consider Aamon to be one of the most notorious troublemakers to be born in the Temple," Lily answered. "He is part of the Hell Faction that opposes the Heaven Faction. Ah, before I forget, Astrid is one of the Gods that belongs to the Heaven Faction."

"Sounds complicated."

"Very complicated indeed. However, what you should worry about is his unpredictability."

Lily grinned as she glanced at William. "Simply put, Aamon hates losing. However, when you catch him in a good mood, he can be a very amiable character. So, pray that you meet him when he is in a great mood."

William nodded and then asked the question that really mattered, "What if I meet him when he's in a bad mood. What then?"

"Big Brother, don't jinx it." Lily shook her head helplessly. "If you happen to be reaaaaaally unlucky and met him when he's in a foul mood, be prepared to be given a Quest that is near

impossible to complete. Like I said earlier, Aamon hates losing. Since he doesn't want to lose, he will do his best to prevent you from winning."

"What a troublesome God."

"Well, he is a sour loser."

Issei and David chuckled at the same time because they were also acquaintances of Aamon. Being part of the Neutral Faction, the three Gods enjoyed mingling with the different factions, and oftentimes befriending them.

The Neutral Faction also served as intermediaries to help resolve conflicts between the opposing factions. In fact, Lily and Aamon were close friends. The reason why Lily didn't mention this to William was because she didn't want her close friend, Aamon, to give the boy any kind of special treatment.

The Loli Goddess was a firm believer that those who were able to endure hardships were stronger than people who had it easy in life. She didn't want William to take shortcuts in order to help his lovers undo the curse that was placed on their bodies.

Right now, they were on their way to visit Gavin's Hut on the outskirts of the Temple.

William was worried about him and the three reluctantly agreed to his request to visit their fallen comrade.

"This is as far as we go," Issei said as he pointed at a small hut in the distance. "Gavin is still recuperating, so don't be shocked

by what you're going to see."

William nodded his head as he walked towards the hut in the distance. The moment he entered the hut, the three Gods gave each other a knowing glance.

They were quite curious about how the red-headed boy would react after seeing the True Form of the God he had chosen as his Patron.

—–

"So you're finally here."

A crisp and sharp voice greeted him as soon as he entered.

William blinked once then twice as he stared at the man in front of him.

A man wearing black padded armor, with sharp and hawkish features, sat in the center of the hut. He then pointed at the spot in front of him and ordered William to sit. The red-headed boy subconsciously obeyed the command because of the man's intimidating aura.

"It's good to see that you're doing well, despite your spiritual world getting destroyed," the man said after giving William a hard long look. "However, you can't fight for more than an hour in your state. Make sure to finish all battles before the time limit. Understood?"

"Y-Yes," William stuttered.

The God in front of him was like an unsheathed blade that was radiating a certain sharpness that demanded absolute obedience.

"Have you mastered the use of Issei's and Lily's Divinities?" Gavin asked. "Have you upgraded your Shepherd Job Class to the next stage?"

"Yes," William answered. This time his answer was firm. He then stared straight at the God in front of him and voiced his thoughts out loud.

"Gavin?"

"Mmm."

William couldn't believe that the chubby patron God he had met in the Temple was the same man who was sitting in front of him. The difference between the two was like Heaven and Hell.

"I know what you're thinking, but this is my original form," Gavin commented. "Of course, the one you met is also me. Right now, that version of Me is currently injured and has to recuperate."

A short silence descended inside the hut before William asked another question.

"How long will it take him… you to recover?" William inquired.

Gavin answered without batting an eye, "A year. During that time, I will be unable to do anything to help you in your world. So, make sure not to get yourself killed. Unless you want to be reincarnated as a Monkey in your next life. Do you want to?"

"Of course not."

"Then don't die. Simple, right?"

William nodded his head repeatedly. He had no intention of dying anytime soon, so he affirmed Gavin's words.

Gavin glared at him, but the Half-Elf only gave his Patron God a sheepish smile. In the end, the God of All Trades sighed and pressed one of his fingertips against William's forehead.

"In order to keep what happened last time from happening again, I will unlock a special feature in your System to allow you to merge five Job Classes into one," Gavin said with a serious expression. "Know that you can only do this once. So make sure to only choose the Best Job Classes to merge together."

William felt a Divine power enter his soul. However, this feeling didn't last long. He understood that Gavin had made a great compromise to ensure his safety and he was very thankful for it.

Merging ten job Classes was a high hurdle in his current state. Being able to merge five of them would allow him some leeway and to obtain a Job Class that would definitely be a level stronger than the Prestige Classes he currently had.

After passing his power to the boy, Gavin took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Go," Gavin ordered. "I'll see you in a year."

William stood up and bowed his head to show his respect to the God that had sacrificed a lot for him. "Thank you, Gavin. Do not worry about me. I'll do my best to unlock the full power of the Jack of All Trades in the future."

Gavin opened his eyes momentarily before he closed them again. "I believe you. Now, go."

William looked at his Patron God one last time before leaving the hut. A few minutes after he left, Gavin vomited a mouthful of blood before he collapsed on the floor of his hut. He was still injured and he had transferred more of his Divinity to William in order to bestow a new ability upon him.

This took a toll on his already weakened body. Because of this, he would have to seal himself within his hut for three years in order to have a complete recovery. He lied to William because he knew that the boy would worry about him if he told him the truth.

Gavin knew that Issei, Lily, and David would look after William, so he was able to impart his power to the boy without worries.

"Stay safe, William," Gavin muttered before he lost consciousness. The God of All Trades hoped that the next time he opened his eyes, his devout follower would be able to accomplish the things he had set out to do.

He believed that a day would come when William would be able to keep his promise. His promise to unlock the full power of the Jack of All Trades and let his name be known far and wide within the world of Hestia.

Chapter 340: Blame The Fact That Your Surname Is Ainsworth

The students and the young Knights inside Ravenlord Citadel were feeling restless. It had been a few days since the adults had turned into crystal statues and Prince Lionel had locked himself up in his room, refusing to see anyone.

Right now, the ones in charge of the students in the academy were none other than the Head Prefects of their respective years. Even so, they were feeling the pressure because they were worried about their own families.

Some of them had already snuck out of the fortress to go back to their hometowns to see how their family and relatives were doing. The Head Prefects decided to turn a blind eye to these behaviors because they could understand how these students were feeling.

"Maybe we should go back to Lont for a bit," Leah proposed.

She was quite worried about Matthew's current mental state. Although her lover did his best to hide it, Leah knew what he was thinking deep inside.

After a few minutes of silence, Matthew hugged his wife and kissed her forehead.

"I'll ask for the Prince's permission first," Matthew said. "It would be bad if we suddenly disappeared and left the other students behind."

Leah nodded her head in understanding. As the Head Prefect of the Fourth Years in the Magic Division, Matthew held a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

"Go," Leah replied. "I'll wait for you here."

Matthew gave her a kiss on the lips before heading out of their quarters. He knew that Leah was right and staying here would just make it hard for him to focus on his duties. Aside from his parents, Matthew was also very worried about his little sister, Eve.

He felt his heart break more at the thought of his little sister crying alone inside their residence.

"Wait for me, Eve," Matthew muttered.

—-

Prince Lionel frowned when he heard his subordinate's report that several nobles from the academy were asking for a meeting. He had been so pre-occupied with Princess Sidonie's escape that he had tossed everything else aside.

Since he was the temporary ruler of the Hellan Kingdom, he needed to show his face to his subjects and show them that he cared for them.

"Fine, tell them that we will gather in the conference room in an hour," Prince Lionel said with irritation.

The manservant attending him hurriedly bowed his head and left the room. He knew more than anyone else that staying with Prince Lionel, while he was in his current state, was asking for a beating, so he hurriedly escaped to do his bidding.

An hour later, all the nobles, the Knights, the Head Prefects and their officers sat in the conference room, waiting for the Crown Prince's arrival.

"Thank you for your patience," Prince Lionel said after he entered the conference room with a smile. He then headed straight towards the highest seat of honor. He scanned the room once before taking his seat.

"The kingdom is currently in chaos, and we don't know what the future holds," Prince Lionel began his speech. "However, I believe that, if we all work hand in hand, we will be able to face any challenges that we are going to face after this unexpected turn of events."

He paused for a bit to allow his words to sink in, before continuing.

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"I gathered all of you here to hear your thoughts. Now, tell me, what do you want to tell this Prince?" Prince Lionel inquired.

There were several factions in the Hellan Kingdom and they were separated by their regions. The West, South, North, and East had a head noble that oversaw their territories and acted as the representative of everyone.

Lawrence was the representative of the West, while Aramis was the representative of the South. The North and East had their own respective heads as well, but since they had all turned to crystal statues, the duties now fell upon their heirs.

A third year student of the Magic Division stood from his seat and made his thoughts known.

"Your majesty, I suggest that we temporarily return to our domains. If we leave our territories unmanaged, it will be harmful to the kingdom. Right now, we need to focus on stabilizing our resources and maintaining order."

the handsome young man with short light-brown hair, and green eyes said with a serious expression.

His name was Jareth–Rebecca's older brother. He had seen how his grandfather had turned into a Crystal Statue and was worried that his parents had suffered the same fate.

Fortunately, Rebecca was now in the Central Continent so he didn't need to worry about her. However, he would like to return to their territory for the time being to see to the welfare of the survivors.

Prince Lionel narrowed his eyes, but as someone that was trained to handle the affairs of the Kingdom, he couldn't ignore the thoughts of the nobles under his rule. The Southern Faction had never liked him, but they also didn't make things difficult for him.

A smile broke out of Prince Lionel's face as he nodded his head in an amicable manner. "Very well, I will agree to let all of you return to your hometowns, but let us set a deadline. I will give all of you exactly two weeks to settle things on your end. After that, we will all meet back in Gladiolus to talk about the future of our kingdom."

Everyone in the room sighed in relief because they thought that the Crown Prince wouldn't agree to their request. After the main issue had been dealt with, the conference turned into a discussion about how they would help each other during this time of emergency.

The meeting ended after two hours and everyone in the room left with satisfied smiles on their faces.

When Matthew left the conference room, he saw Leah waiting for him in the hallway.

"Sorry, I was a bit worried so I came here to wait for you," Leah said with a smile. "Did you get permission from the Crown Prince?"

Matthew nodded his head and held his lover's hand.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

The two walked hand in hand in the hallway. What they didn't know was that the Crown Prince was looking at the two of them from afar.

'If I'm not mistaken, that is the Head Prefect of the Fourth Years in the Magic Division.' Prince Lionel narrowed his eyes. 'He's the cousin of that filthy Half-Elf.'

Prince Lionel hated William because of his jealousy. Naturally, he wanted the Half-Elf to suffer, but his subordinates were unable to take his life. The Prince's eyes then landed on the beautiful young lady with long, midnight-blue, hair that walked beside Matthew.

Ever since Princess Sidonie escaped his grasp, the Prince had wanted to vent out his frustrations on someone.

'Not bad, she suits my taste well,' Prince Lionel thought as he continued to appraise Leah from afar.

He then made a gesture for one of the black-robed men to come closer.

"I want her," Prince Lionel ordered. "Bring her to my room tonight, in the capital."

The black-robed man nodded his head in understanding. He was Calum's right hand man. Before he left to look for the Princess, Calum ordered him to cater to the demands of the Crown Prince while he was away.

"What about the young man beside her?" the black-robed man asked.

Prince Lionel's lips curled up into an evil sneer as he gave Matthew a side-long glance. "Beat him up, but don't kill him. If possible, bring him back as well. I plan to have fun with his lover. Wouldn't it be better if he was there to watch it?"

"Understood," the black-robed man replied. His hands were already stained with blood and these kinds of plays were nothing new to him. He just didn't think that the Crown Prince of the Hellan Kingdom also had that kind of twisted hobby.

The Crown Prince grinned as he looked at the couple in the distance.

'If you want someone to blame then blame the fact that your surname is Ainsworth.' Prince Lionel sneered.

Now that all the adults had turned into statues, he didn't have to worry about the repercussions of his actions.

'I will start with the two of you then I will deal with that filthy Half-Elf next.' Prince Lionel knew that no one in the Hellan Kingdom had the power to oppose him. Since he had The Organization backing him up, he had nothing to fear.

He deemed that this was the perfect opportunity to show everyone the fate of those who dared to get in his way.

Prince Lionel walked back towards his room in a good mood. He was looking forward to an entertaining night. A night that he would never forget for as long as he lived.

Chapter 27 - 331-340

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